A Few New Favorites

Have you tried any of J.R. Watkins products? They offer a whole line of natural bath & body products, gourmet food items, home care and health remedies. I fell in love with their old-fashioned apothecary style packaging. Even their website is fun and entertaining.

For Christmas, I received their Daily Facial Cleanser with Chamomile Extract and their Lemon Creme Hand and Body Lotion. Both are wonderful. The best part is, they are made with all natural ingredients. Depending on what you normally spend on these type of items, they are a little on the higher end in price, but definitely worth it. The facial cleanser makes my face feel so smooth. The lemon creme lotion is perfect for dry hands and smells like a lemon sugar cookie! You can find them at most drug stores. I highly recommend this brand. 

Speaking of hands, have you seen this item? It's an Amco Rub Away Bar. Have you ever chopped onions, garlic or other stinky foods, and noticed the odor lingering on your hands, even after washing them? This magic bar erases the smell! It's made of stainless steel. Rub it on your hands while washing them in cold water (I use soap with it too) and it removes the odor from your hands. I received one as a gift a few years ago and it's been one of the most useful kitchen tools I never knew I needed! 

I have been a nail polish connoisseur for most of my life. What I look for: great colors, durability, cheap inexpensive price. I recently tried ULTA's brand of nail polish and was pretty happy with it. It met all of my criteria. They offer a wide variety of current and timeless colors, it lasts a good week or more and is very affordable. Especially when they have a sale and you can use a coupon! 

I mentioned TAZO's Chai Latte Concentrate in my last post, and I just wanted to point it out in case some of you are chai lovers as well. I keep it in the fridge and mix it with almond milk (or regular milk), then heat it in the microwave for a quick chai tea latte, any time. It's the same kind they sell at Starbucks. For the price of one store bought chai latte, you can make about 8 DIY lattes at home! (Half cup of chai with half cup of milk) Enjoy! 

Five Favorite Things

 

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss, Sugar Pie
Every once in a while, I try new products and if I like them, I think it's worth sharing. I was looking for a new lip gloss, in that perfect "nude" shade. Not sparkly. Not sticky. Not expensive. Carmindy, on TLC's What Not To Wear (one of my favorite shows), always references a "nude lip" when she does makeovers. I found a good one by NYX (new brand to me) that was recommended by an employee at Ulta. It's a nice pale pink/nude color, with barely a hint of shimmer (no obnoxious sparkles), it's not sticky, it smells/tastes like candy, and it was just $4.99

Essie Nail Polish, Peach Daiquri

I also picked up an Essie nail polish while I was at Ulta (I wanted to use my $3.50 off coupon). I recently tried Essie for the first time and was impressed with the quality and durability of the polish, as well as the trendy colors. I normally don't pay more than $5 for nail polish (this was $8) but the coupon helped. Peach Daiquri is a perfect bright pink for spring/summer!

Bath and Body Works, Stress Relief Eucalyptus Tea Body Wash

As you know, I can't get enough of BBW's eucalyptus spearmint scented everything (lotion, body wash, home fragrance, pillow mist, hand soap, I love it all). Now, there's another scent coming in at a close second - eucalyptus tea. Andrew gave me the body wash/foam bath for my birthday and it smells heavenly. So fresh, clean, spa-like. I highly recommend it.

 

Crystal Essence, Mineral Deodorant Roll-On Lavender and White Tea

Normally, I wouldn't be talking about deodorant. But have you read any articles lately about the potentially harmful effects of aluminum in antiperspirants etc.? It feels like I've been on a life long "quest" to find the "right" deodorant (for various reasons), and the idea of something natural, without harmful ingredients sounds really appealing. So, I'm giving this one a try. It's a roll-on with a nice scent, but it does take some getting used to. It's not an antiperspirant, but it does battle odor-causing bacteria. So far, I like it. I've been giving it the sniff test throughout the day and so far so good (I think). 

Ninja Mega Kitchen System 1500
I have my husband to thank for this amazing machine. He really wanted one of these and did a lot of research (and watched the infomercial, repeatedly). I've always loved making smoothies. Lately, "super smoothies" and juicing have become very popular. Healthy recipes and energy boosting drinks include fruits as well as vegetables, protein powders, yogurt - you name it. Our favorite smoothies include frozen fruit (strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, peaches), greek yogurt, orange juice and sometimes spinach. It's a great breakfast, especially since this set comes with to-go travel cups. We also picked this one because it also has a food processor. I've never had one, and now we can make hummus, pesto, dips, dough, and other meal ideas. It was definitely an investment, but we got it at Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% off coupon. I'm impressed with it's speed and versatility and it's pretty easy to clean.