To ring in a new year!

Last bath of 2011.  So the last bath to ring in the new year consisted of:

• Humango HUGH bath bomb by Lush
• Mango body wash by The Body Shop
• Shea & Honey soap by Alaffia
• Papaya dry oil spray from The Body Shop

The Humango bath ballistic from Lush is huge. I think this was the 1st over sized ballistic they ever made & they were selling it for $14, if I remember right.  It has a lemony scent & large chunks of their You've Been Mangoed bath melt in it.  This came out in 2008 & I have been waiting for the perfect time to use it, which ended up being tonight.

Now, many people broke up this bath bomb of theirs because it's 1.5 lbs. of goodness but I have 1 more in stock so I decided to throw the whole thing in.  I am glad I did.  The bath was so creamy & moisturizing I didn't want to get out & the scent was still holding well considering I have had it for so long.  The mango body wash was a perfect touch to this & even though the shea & honey soap says it's unscented, it does have a slight sweet smell to it.  This bath was perfect.  I soaked & relaxed & didn't want to get out.  Eventually I did, patted dry, & finished off with some papaya dry oil spray.

Now, my 2011 is coming to an end.  It really has been an awful year & on Monday there was a mishap later in the day which caused my doctor to put me on a leave of absence from work until next Thursday.  I'm actually already anticipating going back because I really do love job (& also I am not getting paid & get bored rather quickly at home).  I am trying to clean house, organize, there is so much to do but I also have to keep my health in a good state & it has been hard both physically & mentally lately to do so.

That story is for my personal blog though.

Chris is going to pick up a pizza w/artichokes (YUM) & some wings for himself & we are probably going to spend the new year falling asleep on the couch, wake up to wish each other a happy new year & then go to bed. I had options for other things, but this will make me most happy & that's what I really need right now.

I wish everyone a wonderful new year.  I hope to do a lot more blog posts, check out & review new & old products.  I wish good health to all & may the new year be rewarding in many ways to you & your families.

XO Amanda

Santa is on his way!

Tonight my daily bath consisted of:

• Three Gold Rings bubble bar from Lush
• Cinnamon Buns bath gel from Philosophy

These smell divine together & have a nice spice scent to them that they both mix well.  I have actually been using this combination throughout the week.

Yesterday I used:

• Country Chic bubble bath & lotion
• Butterfly Flower body wash all from Bath & Body Works

Keep your eyes open for all the sales coming out.  No one waits anymore until after Christmas.  Just like no one actually waited for Black Friday.  Everything is starting early.  B&BW already is having its Yellow Sale & Yankee Candle is already having its Semi-Annual Clearance Sale.

I finally have a day after Christmas off where I can go shopping!  One of my best friends will be in town & I know I will probably go overboard.  I am thinking I may get to find better deals online though I am not sure just yet.  I almost had a (good) anxiety attack going through all the bath products I have in my closet.  I just got too excited.

This morning I went to my parents where I made sugar cookies w/my mom & decorated them.  Then I took a nap & Chris came home & we went back to my parents where we all carpooled to my Aunt's for our annual Christmas eve party.  It was good to see all my family again & chat & eat delicious foods.

After going back home to my parent's to get our car then head home, my mom made some comment to watch out for deer.  Sure enough we turned the corner & I saw one.  Santa must be near!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

The final countdown!

If you are not on Demeter's mailing list you have been missing their "12 Days of Christmas" sales.  Everyday they have a different fragrance listed & sell that fragrance's 1oz cologne spray for $8, instead of the normal $20.  REALLY good deal.  I'm a bit upset that I missed the Gin & Tonic day.  I saw it, I just missed out.  Running out of mine.  That & Rain are 2 of my most favorite scents of theirs. Today it's Christmas Bouquet & tomorrow it will be Christmas Tree.  These deals are only good until midnight (EST) for the day of that scent.

Additionally:

• 2nd day shipping is $9.99 on orders $25+ ending noon on December 21. (X-Mas guaranteed)
• Ground shipping is FREE on orders $50+ ending midnight January 3rd. (NOT X-Mas guaranteed)
• $25+ orders also receive a free 1oz Peach cologne spray. (subject to change)

Yankee Candle is also having their 12 days.  What's awesome about YC though is that each deal they are sending out is good until December 24th.

• 1st Day: $1 Tarts & Samps. Coupon - Online Code: H1112
• 2nd Day: BOGO Signature Reed Diffusers: Coupon - Online Code: H1111
• 3rd Day: 2 for $20 Small Tumblers: Coupon - Online Code: H1110
• 4th Day: BOGO Novelty Electric Fragrancer: Coupon - Online Code: H1109
• 5th Day: Save $15 on any $45 or more purchase: Coupon - Online Code: H1108
• 6th Day: Save 25% off any Candle Accessory purchase: Coupon - Online Code: H1107
• 7th Day: $5 Illuma Lid with $30 or more purchase: Coupon - Online Code: H1106
• 8th Day: BOGO 50% off all Holiday Candles: No coupon or code needed for stores/online

That is all they have out so far but if you are signed up for their e-mails you will see the rest as I do not know what I will next be on here.  I cannot wait for the after Christmas/Boxing Day sales & hope (pray) they will be better than the Black Friday/Cyber (blech) Monday sales I saw this year.

Bath & Body Works really got a beat down after Black Friday/Cyber Monday as all stores & online sold out of their Twisted Peppermint body line & their company decided they were not going to be producing anymore the rest of this season/year.  How bad can you be?  Your #1 scent is so limited it sells out almost immediately.  You should see the lots that people are trying to sell it for on eBay.  My friend thinks the employees snatched up most of them.  I wouldn't be surprised.  Also, it's NOT discontinued completely, like some people think.  You just have to wait a whole year to get it again.  This is all that's left of their Twisted Peppermint line.

Bath tonight consisted of:

• Me! Bath ice cream in Me! Calyptus
• True Blue Spa body wash in Need A Margarita?

Some holiday fun contests on Facebook.

Regardless of the holidays there are always a lot of contests going on on Facebook.

Me! Bath regularly asks questions & picks out a response to send off a free product of theirs to.  The last question they asked was what was your favorite holiday tradition?  I responded with, of course, the Festivus party my friend holds every year.  Someone else won who said how they love driving around looking at the holiday lights.  It's ok.  When they 1st joined Facebook & started this I won a bath ice cream by telling them my favorite movie quote that had meaning.  From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, "Please let me keep this memory, just this one."  I'll probably never win again because I already did but I still have fun participating & reading what other people write.  Their page is here.

Just last week I FINALLY received my stash from them, pictured below.  I got a free papaya nectar shower sherbet.  Yum!

 

One Bath & Body is having a game going on every day now until the 25th of December where you guess a number between 0-200 & you can win a product of theirs.  I haven't won yet but I keep trying!  Their page is here.

The Body Shop is doing something they did last year where once a day, until Christmas, they will announce on Facebook & Twitter clues of when they will be giving away $100 gift card.  5 second prize winners will win a full sized body butter.  All you have to do is go to this site & continuously push the button to shake the snow globe to see if you get a BIG YES.  That means you WON!  Don't click too fast though or you will lose it.  Unfortunately, I'm not online enough to catch these but maybe you can!  Their site is here.  Or lookout on Twitter here.

Every Monday Beauty.com has a giveaway on their Facebook page.  You can enter all week w/out looking for the post as they will always update a link to the giveaway on the left side of their page.  This week they have a hair care bundle of $263 worth of products.  Sometimes there's things I have no interest in & don't enter but most of the time they'll have some great stuff they are giving away & I will.  Though I have never won yet.  Maybe someday!  Their page is here.

Every month, Wick-edly Sent Soap & Candle Company has a candle giveaway.  The only thing you need to do is like their Facebook page.  That's it!  Nothing else.  If you are on their e-mail list they will send you a monthly e-mail & announce the winner.  Or you can see the winner announced on their wall.  Pay attention though because you will need to contact them if you won & they will ship it to you for free!  They once had a basket giveaway of their bath products, soaps, & candles.  Can you believe I won!?  I gave them a call to hold it at their shop & went in to pick it up a week later (& also to shop).  They told me that they are surprised at how many people actually do not claim their prizes.  I was also.  They have awesome products & after you see how awesome they are, you'll want more!  Their site is here.

This is all I can do for now.  I have had a tiring day working on holiday cards & packages that need to go out in the mail tomorrow.  Festivus is also next week so I need to prepare!

Bathtub Party Day!

December 5th is Bathtub Party Day!  Get a bunch of your friends together & have a bathtub party.  This isn't meant to be erotic or anything, it's a party!  Or enjoy the party on your own w/a relaxing bath, which is what I am going to do!  I usually have a bathtub party everyday!

It's a dreary day out today.  Rain & close to 50ºF outside.  It's too warm for December being in Buffalo, NY.  I need my snow because I am anticipating a white Christmas.  Gosh how I missed those when I was in Los Angeles!

It's a possibility, due to the weather my TMJ has been acting up.  As well as allergies & asthma.  More my TMJ as I woke up today & it felt as if I had lockjaw.  I can hear my jaw cracking when I open it & I have a ton of pain all down the left side of me from my head to my back.  Mostly in my head, neck & shoulder area.  I am having tensing done today which should relieve me by tomorrow but I have found this to be temporary.  I went to a dentist, other than my primary who found my left jaw bone is larger than my right one, so it is considered a medical condition.  When I have the tensing done, I have a mouthpiece that is aligned up w/my bite to also help keep my jaw in place since I have ground down most of my molars to almost nothing.  This has helped but sometimes I still wake up because I know I am trying to grind or force my teeth to move when I am sleeping.

My head is currently pounding & it hurts to move my jaw, the migraine will be here soon so I will take meds & rest.  Have a look at my x-ray.  Can you see where the problem is?

It really has all become a big mess between what insurances are covering what & who can & cannot help me.  I have to stop writing about this because it makes me mad w/everything that I am going through.

SOOoooo... last night's bath consisted of:

• Phoenix Rising bath bomb from Lush
• Orange oatmeal soap bar that I have no clue who made it or where I got it from but I love it.
• White Citrus body wash from Bath & Body works

The spice of the bath bomb mixed well with the citrus products & these are great for a winter night.

The tree is up w/its lights, lights are up in our windows, & the wreath is on my door.  My family & I went to see A Christmas Story being preformed at the Lancaster Opera House yesterday.  My mom & I will be making sugar cookies sometime soon.  Chris made me some yummy hot cocoa this weekend & we also got candy cane lattes from Tim Hortons.

All I need now is the brisk cold & my snow that sticks!

(most) Bath goodness has arrived!

• Spiced Orange
• Be Thankful
• Gingerbread

Those are my new Yankee Candle samps that I am using for Mixology as of now.  Festive!  They are having a 30% off your entire purchase ending tomorrow.  Use code FF211 online or print this coupon for stores.  Can you believe they are already coming out w/their new spring fragrances!?

This weekend I need to decorate. Instead, what do I do?  I go shopping.  Today was more craft shopping w/my mom but I also put away & organized a lot of my gifts that I received throughout the week.  Out of all the stuff I snatched up for Black Friday, the only thing I am still waiting on is my package from Me Bath!  That's what I get for free shipping though everything else I ordered on the same day, earlier, or even LATER was already received by Friday.  Even my Lush UK order!  I already received that!!

So that start, this is everything I got in my package:

Don't mind the cat tower to the left & to my Betties & friends, don't inspect the photo too closely because there are some gifts in their for you.  Maybe later I will make a post w/everything I got but this is probably the best order I have ever had w/them as far as shipping & receiving.  So I saved close to $170 by placing the order through the UK & not through NA & most the bombs & melts are put in biodegradable plastic now!  Only a few bombs were still crushed in the package & 1 bubble bar, the Superstar, as it was one of few not wrapped up.  Still all salvageable.  Last year a bunch of bombs came crushed & the stupid post woman was all complaining because "powder" was coming from the package.  I had to go to the post after hours to pick it up & they even called my home phone because they were "concerned" about the package.  Ugh.

Now I also placed an order with Sephora.  I hate crowds & could have went into their store but I usually can get everything I want online & w/what I end up spending it always ends up being free shipping.  So, why leave my house & have to deal w/the bah-humbugs of shopping.  Oh you know they are out there, especially on Black Friday!!

Here are some things I got:

Tokidoki bag w/samples.

Fresh - Citron de Vigne Set

Everything else.

Dior - Addict To Life 500 point perk.

Milton wants to inspect the stash & get pets.

Tarte - All About Lips natural sugar exfoliator.

A lot of perfume samples that I will soon inspect & if I really can't handle something I'll usually give it away.  I can be pretty particular about my scents.  Mostly strong florals is what I cannot handle.  Like today when we went to this craft fair at this school, this one older woman was doused in some strong smelling floral perfume & I got a whiff of it & ended up sneezing almost the entire time I was there it was so strong!  Even some perfumes I like & own I end up sneezing a few times when I 1st apply it but then my nose usually settles down.  I'm a sucker for good scents.

I also really like how the Tarte sugar exfoliator top comes w/a mirror on it.  I actually didn't know the base held it closed, so when I opened it I got the surprise.  Cute!


Now I also got 6 wonderful smelling, small tumbler candles from Yankee Candle as 2 ended up being free but they are all gifts so I am not going to post any pics of them on here.

*


Today was a kind of amusing day.  I went to Barnes & Noble because my "secret santa" for our work exchange wanted a book.  Well, there were 3 things listed.

• James Patterson Books (new)
• iTunes Gift Card
• Irish Hat

Ok.  So I have NO clue what an Irish hat is, & I would rather support reading a good novel than wasting $ on electronic songs where if your hard drive that they are on crashes you could lose everything.  I see a brand new novel by James Patterson but the list said book(S) & the new novel is close to $30 which is double the amount we are supposed to spend.  To make the matter worse, I got my own supervisor!  So I see the new, new novel but there are a million other novels by him & I'm getting confused because he didn't list the name of the book & put the "s" after the word book.  So the secret is out because I texted him & yelled at him for being too vague in his list & he texted back laughing at me telling me it is the new book & that he has all the others, & since it's not a secret anymore I told him I'd save the paper wrapping it.  Ha!  I did find it for our limit on Amazon & ended up getting a  the newest Keane CD for myself which got me free shipping.  Got it to all work out.

Speaking of Amazon, I placed an order w/them the other week & received all my items all at the same time except 1 particular thing that I was getting for myself & also for a gift.  2 of 1 item, so there is no confusion.  I checked online & the missing item said it was in stock & under my order it advised the order was placed & that was that.  I sent them a simple "What's up with that?" e-mail & w/in 24 hours I had a response apologizing & they gave me a free upgrade to 1 day shipping.  Needless to say the item is on its way & I should have it Monday.  They didn't even need to upgrade the shipping & I still would have been fine as long as they got the order going but it was great customer service online!  Very happy.

*

More good customer service came from Keurig this week.  Things have been hectic & I got my Keurig about a year ago as a giveaway from work.  Now I have been having a bunch of on/off trouble with the machine here & there.  It filling up cups too little or not enough on the settings I selected.  Once it wasn't even dispensing water & the program screen locked up.  Usually these always ended up correcting themselves & didn't happen all that often.

But last week Chris & I were sitting on our couch watching TV & all of a sudden we heard the Keurig machine start going & we can hear the water flushing out of the machine.  So we quickly go into the kitchen & unplug the machine.  Later we try plugging it back in again & the program screen is completely blank.  It has been broken ever since.  So I'm hoping again it may just correct itself & wait a few days, still nothing.  Start doing some research online & there are a ton of problems w/the machines being reported.

I'll be honest, I would never buy a Keurig.  I find the K-Cups to be very wasteful on the environment & I can wait a few minutes to heat up a little water if I really want something.  I'm thinking the product may not be under warranty anymore considering it was most likely purchased over a year ago & since I got it from my job I don't have the receipt.

So I decided to call them & advise of what was going on & do some troubleshooting.  The guy I got on the phone was very professional & friendly.  Had me do a few things that I probably already did a bunch of times before I called, he checked the serial # & said it was under warranty so they are shipping me a new one.  All I have to do is pay to send back some part that was in the old one as proof that I had the machine.  No problem.

I didn't think it was going to be easy.  I thought they were going to make me ship them the whole machine, or take it somewhere to be fixed.  That's what happened w/my Cannon camera that had a defect.  I had to mail them the camera & then they mailed it back to me.  I was ready to be frustrated but everything is working out well.

*

I hope to get back to posting some more daily baths & product reviews soon.  Done for now!

Milton enjoying the crinkly paper from my shipments.

Cyber Monday is lame.

Hope you all placed your orders over the weekend because scoping out these Cyber Monday deals has made me disappointed.  All it has been is just extensions of many cosmetic and bath & body company Black Friday deals.  No point in even posting them, just see my previous Black Friday posts & go to the company websites & it will say on the main page what the deals are... all the same.  Except on Cyber Monday, you can pick through the leftovers & hope & pray you actually get what you want as the best stuff is already out of stock.  I think I remember last year being the same.

I did place some orders through Lush, Me Bath!, & Sephora.  Mostly stock up for myself.  Ha!  I'll start posting more when I start receiving the bathing goodness!

FYI - ROCHESTER NY LUSHIES!

New scent mix for the bath & my thoughts on Black Friday.

I'm going to start off on my daily bath tonight which consisted of:

• Big Blue from Lush
• Crisp Breeze soap from Brandon Essentials
• Raspberry Puree body lotion & Oceanus body splash from The Body Shop.

Lush bath bombs I can have a love/hate relationship with them because of the "extras" they can contain.  Mostly it is the ones with confetti or glitter that is not fine.  I still have some glitter infused (somehow) into the bottom of my (awful, plastic) tub.  Big Blue is awesome though because of the color it turns the water & the seaweed that floats around in the tub as I am bathing.  It reminds me of the ocean & the seaweed is slippery so it's not stuck all over me when I get out of the bath.

I'm not really sure what made me decide to use the Raspberry Puree lotion tonight but I am glad I did.  That, in combination w/the Oceanus, gives off a sweet & salty type scent & I am LOVING it!  It is getting me in the mood for another West Coast trip. (Sorry friends on the WC, don't get your hopes up because it will not be anytime soon!) :)  I think maybe other fruity smells may go well w/the ocean type scents but I am very happy I tried this combination & will probably stick with it for a while.

*

I am not a big Black Friday shopper.  I do keep my eyes out for deals but the majority of stuff I want this time of year is for gifts.  Those gifts never tend to be on sale on Black Friday & I am not big into electronics, nor do I have children.  Even if I don't buy anything I still love to "window" shop, even if it's online, & I STILL end up buying more for myself.  I really like the after Christmas, or Boxing Day sales.  (I live very close to Canada.)

I really wasn't impressed w/what I have been seeing.  The Body Shop's Mistletote Bag is already sold out online but I was really disappointed in what it contained.  You can get ALL of the products individually & the bag, like last year's, is pretty hideous.  At least last year there were a ton more things in it & many that could not be purchased individually!

The Bath & Body Works Black Friday VIP Tote is the same thing except the bag is nicer.  All the sales going on between the 2 companies are things that they do at different times through year anyway so it's nothing extraordinary.  Like, last month I stocked up on B&BW buy 2 14.5 oz. candles for $20 right when they got them in, so I'm not pushing & shoving anyone for the same sale now, they have B3G3 a few times per year also.  The Body Shop's buy 3 for $30 only works out if you are getting something super expensive, & there are exclusions also.

So let's see if Cyber Monday will bring anything exciting.  Maybe not.

One thing I DID take advantage of was Me Bath!'s sale.  I noticed a few bath ice creams were already sold out, like the Sweet Peppermint (that one I REALLY wanted to try) & I really cannot afford an individual bath bomb of theirs at $9 each... sorry! So instead I end up spending almost $200 on all the sale bath bombs I have never tried before then stocked up on a few mini bath ice creams I really like. SMH at myself.  Well, they say free gift valued up to $100 w/every order over $25, & w/how much I spent I better be getting something good.  I will keep you all informed as to what it is once I get it.  If it's crap, I will complain!

I have not yet placed my Lush order.  I will most likely do it this weekend when I am feeling a bit better.  No Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals being I am placing the order from their UK site.  Lush NA is having a Golden Ticket game where if you get a gift you get a game code that could win you one of many things.  Then their Black Friday deal was this...

Get a FREE $10 e-gift card

Free Ground Shipping when you spend $100* Free Air Shipping when you spend $120**

& the fact they released 15 new products, which were already available on the UK site months ago.  How unexciting.  & they want you to spend a LOT to get this also.  I could have spent $5 at Me Bath! & still had free shipping.

So there are both praises & complaints in this post.

*

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (for my friends stateside).  I slept most of the day & was extremely crabby because I've been fighting off migraines since yesterday.

Then everything I planned to shop for online today ended up not working out.  Like, as an example, a friend of mine wanted T3 hot rollers, which had been $85 on the QVC website for as long as I can remember since I started keeping my eyes on the best deal.  Then magically today they ended up being $90 on their site.  She decided she didn't want them anyway so I had to figure out something else to get her. & then I got in a spat w/my dad because I had to work today so I asked him to see if he could find a Black Friday deal on something specific for my boyfriend.  He said he would & then later in the day when I talked to him he told me he saw something he was going to get but is holding off.  Well then if he wasn't going to get it today, if there was no deal, there's no point in him getting it for me.  I can get it myself!  Then he sends me an e-mail w/a link of what he wants to get but it's available online only & since it's MY gift to MY boyfriend there, again, is no point in him ordering it.

Oh how I HATE this time of year also!

More ONLINE Black Friday deals.

I received an e-mail from Philosophy today.  Some items are not yet available, so no links.  Their sale starting tomorrow will include things like:

• Free ground shipping on all orders.
• Holiday sale (GOING ON NOW).
• 52% off Skin Care Favorites Trio.
• 50% off Dream A Little Dream Duo.
• 50% off When Hope Is Not Enough capsules.
• 56% off When Hope Is Not Enough replenishing cream.
• 50% off Celebrate Duo.
• 50% off Purity Made Simple cleansing bar.
• 50% off Summer Lip Shine Duo.

Here's a code for Origins, $10 off and free shipping on orders $25 or more.  Ends 11/28.  Use code: TENOFF.


Wick-edly Sent is also having a sale 11/25 only:
100% Soy Candles BOGO.
20% off everything else.
This is a bit complicated though, from their e-mail this is how it would work:

This is only going on 6-9 a.m.  After 9 am, it will be regularly priced.  To shop online, just place your order between 6-9 a.m., and fill your shopping cart and choose Pay by Phone.  After 9 a.m. just call us at 585-394-5260 or 1-888-467-WICK (9425) with your order number and we will apply the sale.

 

  

  

HAPPY SHOPPING!

DEALS GOING ON NOW & some to come!

Nov 25-28

Nov 26-28

GOING ON NOW!

GOING ON NOW!

GOING ON NOW!

GOING ON NOW!

GOING ON NOW!

Rewards programs - It's SO worth it.

Points programs.  The 3 best are probably through Sephora, Ulta, & The Body Shop.

I'll start w/The Body Shop's Love Your Body program because this one you do pay for.  It's SO worth it though because the $10 you put into it, you get back on any purchase you make in your birth month!  You also get an additional 10% off any purchase & many times when they are having sales or promotions, they do not absorb the 10% into the discount they are already giving, but add it on additionally.  So say a sale is 20% off, the LYB will make it 30% off.  Many times they will also have special dates where LYB members can get 20%+ if using their card also.  So if something is already 20% off, you end up w/40% off.  I forgot specifically how the "points" & "qualifying purchases" work but I know you get a good chunk of change worth of $ off a product on the 4th, also the 8th point.  Plus on the 8th point they will renew your membership for FREE.  This is SO worth it.

Sephora has the Beauty Insider or V.I.B. (Very Important Beauty Insider) program.  You have to start off as a regular Beauty Insider account, which is absolutely free, but in order to qualify for the V.I.B. you have to spend $350 over the course of a year & get upgraded the next year.  These are SO worth it because for every $1 you spend you get a point, the points do not expire, & so you can hold onto them for different levels of point "perks."  These perks are usually for deluxe sample sized products at the 100 point mark, or full size products if you wait for the 500 point mark.  I just got an e-mail for the 500 point perk they are now giving away a really cute Dior charm bracelet w/Addict to Life.  I'll be honest, I usually get a lot of stuff through Ulta now because their overall prices are cheaper, they have more coupons, & I can find more stuff there in an overall beauty trip, but there are a lot of products where the prices are set the same between the 2 companies.  But I can always find a ton of promo codes for deluxe samples when placing an order w/them, plus you can pick 3 extra samples when ordering online, & a free program to get points to eventually get free products... it's SO worth it.

Ulta also has its own rewards programs.  2 actually.  Ultamate rewards & The Club at Ulta rewards.  I really have no clue what the difference is as it seems one in the same & the fact that the Ultamate rewards doesn't go into detail about what's so different about it.  I know The Club at Ulta will send you a reward certificates when eligible, & special offers through mail & when shopping in their store.  It almost seems better.  This is SO worth it because, again, it's free!  Now I have had some trouble with Ulta though.  My online account keeps getting deleted for some reason, maybe because I shop in their stores instead of online.  I have to keep re-entering my card number & it never shows me what my point balance is when I do.  It really has been a frustration w/them.  But, it has given me some really good deals in store.  Like Sephora, deluxe samples, BOGO items.  It still is SO worth it.

*

I took a bath tonight w/a Lush bath ballistic.  Had no idea what it was.  To save on packing when I get my huge UK orders they usually don't individually wrap them so I have to guess what's what.  Usually isn't a difficult game to play.  I took it out of my stash & it looked like a Dragon's Egg but after I put it in the water I was pleasantly surprised by the spicy scent, light glitter, & amazing oils that filled my tub.  I do know it is not in their line of products for this holiday.  So sad because I would have stocked up on this one!

In addition I used Almond Fudge Milkshake as shampoo & body wash from Philosophy, and some Brazil Nut body butter from The Body Shop.

*

I really started my holiday shopping months ago.  I kind of do it year round if I see things I like.  I am not a crazy shopper on Black Friday & will, most likely, be disappointed in the deals that I find online on Cyber Monday, just like last year. (It was quite sad.)

Something to maybe check out though, The Body Shop has a bag that will be available in stores on the 25th, but online on the 24th.  Last year it was filled with a TON of products & Jolly Orange items, which I love!  This year they say it's an 8 piece exclusive set, valued at $120.  Last year you had to buy other products & spend so much then pay, if I remember correctly, $25 to get the bag but it was SO worth it.  Those details have not yet been released.  This I am excited for!

Good baths & good movies.

Can you believe I actually went to my local Body Shop the other day & purchased NOTHING!?  Even with the deal.  I remember the woman saying something about getting 45% off, when if I would have purchased online it would have been 50%.  Deal is over by now but I had pretty much everything in the store I wanted.  I'll see what they have after Thanksgiving.  I'll probably find better items on their online site.  I did get a chance to check out their new holiday ginger line though.  Very mild ginger smell which is nice.  I want some ginger tea now!

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I really want to start writing about some of the companies & new products I am finding through eBay, & local companies, or smaller companies.  I have been kind of all over the place lately but I'll start simple right now w/a review of a small company I found on eBay called Swanky Bath & Body.

I put in bids for bath bombs on their eBay site.  A 3 pack was listed at $5.14 but I put a max bid of $6, because that's what they sell for on their main site anyway.  I won 4, 3 packs consisting of Champagne, Margarita, Balsam Fir, & Eucalyptus & they threw in 1 extra of an Almond Biscotti.  Shipping was approximately $12, which is $1 over the price for the priority box that was used.  Their bath bombs contain kaolin clay & witch hazel, which have skin calming effects & also cocoa butter.

I was really pleased with these.  I had ordered these mostly because of the scents.  I've been on a eucalyptus kick lately, bath bombs are better for the lady parts than bubble baths are, & I was also intrigued by the other scents listed.  Some common but the others not all that common.

The eucalyptus was not overpowering which was nice.
The balsam fir I used in combination w/a rose scented body wash & the combination was amazing.
The margarita I used in combination w/Need a Margarita? body wash & finished w/a coconut lime body spray.
Last, the champagne I paired up with Philosophy's Bubbly body wash & I am sure it would go amazingly well w/any of their champagne scented washes that they seem to like to put out during the holidays.

They leave a nice froth on the top of the bath & all smell divine, leaving just enough scent on the skin.  They are not hard as a rock so they don't take forever to dissolve, but they also don't last too short of a time either.  The bath experience is not oily & I come out w/soft skin & no pruned fingers, still always use lotion after.  I am really happy with these & would definitely get them again!

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To spout off on my personal life now.  Yesterday, my friend Laurie & I went to see the new Twilight Breaking Dawn Pt. 1.  What?  It's not out yet!?  Well, last minute I got an e-mail for a pass to an early screening.  I had just seen the 3rd movie the other week on one of my movie channels & I have to say I am getting addicted.  Never read the books though now I would like to.  I remember my friend Deenok was telling me about the books years ago just before they became the "next big thing."  I always do enjoy books better because they always have much more to them than the movies.

I was joking around on Facebook that I was going to post spoilers but I'm not like that.  Very intense though & it's rated PG13.  I personally would wait until the kids are 16 to see this... or older.  Very adult!  & for all I know it actually may be tame compared to the book, from what I have heard of it.  If you are a fan though, you will not be disappointed.  Ended well to take us to into the last movie that will be coming out.  Eventually.

Where do I get these early screenings?  To be honest I have no clue how I got on the lists for these but I think it had to do w/when I lived in Los Angeles.  What was cool about living out there was you could get on lists to see movies that were still in production.  Like, I saw Radio when it was in post-production.  They took us in groups through street sets until we go to the theater & after were asked to stay in a focus group about the movie where they asked questions about it & then after we got free movie tickets!  Here it's nothing like that though.  You go, you watch for free, you leave.  They have reserved seats for press & I have seem them pick people to interview after the show at times, rarely, & not groups.  Chris & I have seen other movies through these including Watchmen, and The Hangover before they were officially in the theater.

Most likely you will need to be living close to a major metropolitan area, or a large city to take advantage of these.  So if your interested, check out sites like Gofobo or Film Metro.  If you do sign up for these & have events in your area though, they keep track of what you take & what you go to.  So don't reserve spots for everything if you are not going to go.

LAST DAY for an awesome Body Shop deal.

Still trying Sweeps4Bloggers. Of course I am mostly excited when I see bath & body products & candles. It's helping me find new companies to look at also. Haven't won anything yet but I have been pretty busy. There's a lot of contests & I can only spend so much time on the computer.
So I just entered for:
Catching Fireflies Aromatherapy gift set & Yankee Candle Holiday Collection.

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Now The Body Shop is having an AWESOME deal that ends today.  30% off your entire order & if you are a Love Your Body member you get an extra 20% off on top of that! It does exclude candles, jumbo shower gels, charitable items, gift cards & memberships.  Still a deal!  So 50% off almost everything.  Too bad I pretty much HAVE everything I want from them.  Still think I need a trip to the mall today to check it out.

Also want to visit Yankee Candle because I am on a hunt for this candle called Christmas Wish.  It smells like Jingles cookies to me & is my all time favorite for the holiday season.  They didn't have it at my local flagship store so the mall is next.  I have a feeling I will not get it but I enjoy sniffing the candles anyway.

They are also having a buy 2, get 2 on large jar candles.  Here's the coupon w/the information you need for online or you can print it & take it to a store!

It's the most wonderful time...

For LUSH shopping.  By the end of the month I will have put in my annual order for Lush goodness which will include some gifties for my girls.  So, for the love of Lush my bath included tonight a Fizzbanger bath ballistic from Lush, Pink Clover soap from HawkMoon Soaps, and my Hair Biscuit from One Bath & Body.

I love Lush products, the company, the messages they give & what they do for the earth, people, just all around good causes.  Alas, I cannot afford a huge order from the NA site, USA or Canadian.  Upon years of ordering from them, one year I decided I wanted to place my order through their UK site, mostly considering they had more products listed & items not available on the NA site.  Not only was I getting awesome products but the exchange is SO much better!  Even with shipping!  I have noticed that the NA & UK sites are getting to be more similar but I have saved hundreds (YES HUNDREDS) of dollars by ordering from overseas.  The exchange can be around $1-3 for soaps, melts, ballistics & up to $7 for liquid lotions, shampoos, & shower gels!

Every year, just in case, I start 2 orders on each of the sites for the same products, or those similar if not available, then tally up the costs including shipping & then calculate the exchange.  Last year I saved around $200.  Mind you, I am placing orders around $400+ USD.

The only problem with ordering from the UK is the ballistics & rarely other things like the bubble bars.  Because they are so environmentally friendly, they do not use a lot of packing materials, & so I usually receive broken items.  Usually even the broken ones are salvageable though & I can use them, but I have received some pulverized before.  The company is very good at replacing items that come as a lost cause.  Last year, I received many broken ones but I could still use them so I didn't complain.  The year before they shipped my overseas order in popcorn & it was a huge mess between the popcorn & the broken ballistics in the package & I had to have many items replaced.  Always take pictures if there is a problem also!

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My cough is much better.  I do not like the way the word cough looks.  Or the way it sounds.  It's a strange word.  I should put it in my list of words I dislike.  This includes other words like moist, and discrepancy.  But anyway, I am feeling much better on that part, & thanks to my new pulmonologist.

I am probably one of the few people here that is getting anxious for it to finally start snowing!  We missed out on the big east coast storm, which is fine as I don't like dealing with messes.  I am still getting calls from people who are telling me their power just got restored.  I think the south towns may get some tonight, but they've already had some.  I am north of the city of Buffalo & haven't seen any yet, but there is a possibility we may have some tonight or tomorrow.  I need to keep my eyes open!  I cannot wait!  I always love the 1st snow, the blanket of white on the holidays, & then after New Years I want it to go away & can't wait for summer.

Autumn Yankee Candle Mixology

• MacIntosh Spice
• Pumpkin Pie
• Autumn Leaves

Oh how wonderful it is!  The frost this morning was beautiful.  The day was productive. 

So it ended with:

• a Dead Sea salt bath,
• my friend's lavender oatmeal soap she made me,
• then a splash of Yuzu & Rice body milk,
• & also Apricot & Rice finishing mist from The Body Shop.

Not feeling like writing much more for now as I'm pretty exhausted from the day.  Getting excited for "Cyber Monday" but also getting ready to be let down.  Last year the sales for bath & body products were a laugh & the better deals still came, even to their sites, on "Black Friday."  We shall see!

Oatmeal isn't just for breakfast anymore!

The skin.  It's your largest organ protecting your insides, & yet it causes all sorts of problems.

I remember when I was reading up on bathing salts I came across a blog or an opinion site.  Not sure what it was exactly and I'm almost wishing I bookmarked it because what I read on it was quite ridiculous.  The person was going off on how your skin is waterproof & there's no proof or way that thing like epsom or Dead Sea salts could possibly help someone.  It went on & on.  Obviously the person was educated enough to use a computer but it seems like they may have never taken a science class in their entire life.

If that were the case, we would never sweat, our fingers wouldn't prune when in the bath, we would have no allergic reactions that would cause hives & could roll around in poison ivy all day & be fine.  Lotions wouldn't help, & people with skin conditions would never get any relief.

Our skin absorbs & releases.  Unfortunately, my loving of a nice hot bubble bath could cause havoc on my skin more so now with the dry weather season on its way (I am already being shocked around the house!) so, when taking a bath, if not using oils, I like to usually add some colloidal oatmeal w/the bubble bath.

Don't add it to an oil bath!  It's a mess!

Rite Aid, has their own oatmeal bath treatment in prepackaged packets.  One per bath works well.  Aveeno also makes their own soothing bath treatment but the drug store brands I have found to be the same.  Don't waste the extra few $.  Instead buy some of their other products that the drug stores don't mimic. :)  Take a packet, mix it in with your bubble bath you want to use & enjoy!



Some people like having brand name though.  It's your choice.  Just make sure you pat dry & moisturize after or your skin may become like tree bark this winter!

My overall health is still a roller coaster as I am having a hard time getting rid of this cough.  Can't seem to talk w/out hacking & then choking & then comes the asthma.  I would LOVE to have a eucalyptus bath right now though I don't really have any products that are just that.  Most also contain mint & I'm not really feeling the mint right now.  Think I need to search out some new products on eBay.

Beauty rest... all weekend.

But 1st, my daily bath as of tonight.

• Cold & Flu bath bomb & A Day at the Spa body wash from Wick-edly Sent.
• Lavender & Oatmeal handmade soap by my friend Kym.
• Hair Biscuit solid shampoo from One Bath & Body.

BTW - If you have a cold or the flu, C.O. Bigelow makes this stuff called Cold and Flu Soak Herbal Formula (simple, right?) & it is truly the most AMAZING bath I have ever had when not feeling well.  It really helps with the aches, congestion, & when you get out you want to curl up & go to sleep.  It is not going to cure you but I have NEVER found anything remotely close that calls itself a cold/flu soak that will leave you feeling like this does.  Bath & Body Works used to carry it with their line (that's how I discovered it) but stopped carrying it last year, no clue why, so you have to buy it directly from them, unless you can find a deal through another site somewhere.

So, yesterday, after missing like 2 & 1/2 days of work fighting off an awful cold & congestion I started feeling a lot better.  I went in to work & had an appointment set up for later w/my neurologist, still had a nagging cough.  They called me wanted me to come in early or cancel my appointment that I made specifically for later so I would not miss work, so I ended up missing work by going in early.  Everyone else I know has had a CT or MRI done before their 1st neuro appointment & they have never done one on me.  I am not too keen on the doctor they gave me & how I am being shifted around on medications so we decided to set one up.  He acted like I could get one that day so I waited around for approval... & waited, waited & waited.  Around 3:30 PM (I had been waiting since 1:00 PM) they finally told me they were going to set it up for a weekend in November.  So I got pretty pissed because I wasted away a whole unpaid day of work.

I figured I would do some overtime at work on Saturday to make up.  I when to the pharm, picked up some cough suppressant, headed home, got pissed off at a teen driving mommy & daddy's expensive lexus, got inside, took some of the cough suppressant, then don't remember much else except for taking a bath & then waking up at close to 4:00 AM & having an awful coughing fit & just feeling like my lungs were overwhelmed with congestion.

I pretty much only went into work today because I had obtained free passes to a preview of Puss In Boots & wanted to drop them off for some of the girls I work with because I know they have kids who would enjoy going to see a movie & they would enjoy not paying for it!  No clue how I got on this list.  Probably when I was out in Los Angeles I got on one.  They were more fun out there because you used to get to see them in pre-production & then get picked to be in focus groups to help shape the movie before they were even in post-production.

Anyway, so my supervisor comes in, mentions something about having pneumonia & I immediately start freaking out a bit.  History of upper respiratory problems & being on/off steroids I need know & avoid these things.  So I know I have to go to the doctor regardless, was going to go anyway, but it only confirmed my fear of how I felt this morning.  I set up an appointment, go in, no pneumonia (YAY) but I'm banished from talking & going out all weekend, & I should be drinking lots of black tea w/honey.

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So after my bath I...

• lathered on some Vicks VapoRub
• had some cough medicine with codeine in it
• & took a Sudafed for the congestion.

I'll probably be out like a light soon.  Since my other cold symptoms are gone though & I am under house arrest, this is a bad time for me to do online shopping!  I online shop a lot when I am stuck inside.  OMG!  I just remembered some things I want to write about tomorrow... please remember CANDLES.

There may have been a problem with posting comments.  There may still be.  I'm not sure. I think I fixed it.  Or you can always e-mail me.  Time to pass out in front of the TV before I pass out in front of this.

Skin unbelieveable...

Last December I had surgery to have my gallbladder removed.  If you have had below the neck, or above the waist surgeries you must get used to the fact of having strangers poke, prod, and see your nakedness and bobbies (if you are a woman, or a rather large man).  You will be felt up as a necessity for the surgery.  So, when I was having my arms & torso (that is such an odd word, isn't it?) examined the nurses kept exclaiming how soft my skin was & asking if I had a secret.

No secret.  I WISH I had one. To be honest my skin is no where near perfect.  I'm no supermodel, never will be & they're airbrushed anyway.  Being an artist & crafty I will always have those "artist hands."  I have my rough spots that I exfoliate & take care of, got my other spots that are just kind of WTF, & w/me fighting off big pharma & genes... well, that's life.  That's life for millions of girls & women out there.  And I see SO many beautiful females depressed about the way they look & stupid little imperfections when I think they look amazing, or even wish I looked like them!  Yes, because I get that way too!

Overall your skin is easy to maintain if you keep it clean, exfoliate, & moisturize. 

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I have been fighting a nasty cold the last few days now since I came back from Rochester.  Most of my time has been spent on the couch, coughing, feeling icky & drinking juice.

I came up with a nice combination of bath scents & products I really enjoyed the other day & received an awesome package from one of my BFFs in the mail today that contained some handmade soaps of her own!  I also swear, there is a never ending array of bath goodness I have yet to discover in this world!  So I really need to get on the ball of updating this.

Feeling good enough for this post so maybe I can do something more exciting in my next post.  Wish there were a few more followers.  Send me an e-mail or give a shout out & say HELLO if I don't know you may be out there.  Tell me something you might be interested in seeing on here.

Take care everyone!

MIA. What's new?

Let's see if I can make this post short & simple.  I seem to not be able to do that whenever I want to.  I like to elaborate, or go into details on things.

Where have I been?  What have I been up to?  October is a busy month with the 1st 1/2 full of birthday get together & celebrations.  Also I am still battling complications with my health.  So, I know I am not dying (yet) and it's nothing serious enough that they can pick up on any of their normal tests but it's bad enough to keep me out of work at times, from seeing friends & doing daily activities at times.  They can treat it, but we don't know the cause.  So, I am sick of being over medicated & am now going to see a pulmonologist at the end of the month because my doctors feel this is the next step.

2 of my major problems are asthma and migraines.  The mystery of the asthma is why is my allergist is always telling me that my breathing tests are coming back above normal, yet I feel like I still cannot breathe & I ended up in the hospital in August with symptoms that could have been either (a) a heart attack, (b) collapsed lung, (c) or a blood clot & it was none of those.  Something came up on the blood test that concerned them which made them do a CT scan but that came back clear also. So I was put on prednisone & lortabs then released.

Last weekend I started getting the same feeling in the left side of my chest that put me in the hospital in August.  Every now & then I can still feel it lingering & it has not progressed to the severity in which it had previously but I am being very careful about it.  I have upped my asthma steroid medication & keeping my activities at a slow pace.  Tried heating pad & epsom salt baths but because it's more internal those didn't work all that well.  This caused a doctor appointment on Monday, decision on the new specialist, fasting blood labs today which resulted in an awful migraine for most of the day.  Now I have a sore throat that's bugging me.  Unrelated.

Overall, I am doing better.  After work though I pretty much come home, sleep, wake up, get online & e-mail, try to work on mail or chores, have my bath, then fall asleep again until Chris comes home & we have dinner.  Then I fall asleep again.  So I have been very fatigued.  I am working on tapering off another medication so it may be a result of that.

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Another thing about me is that I work for GEICO in the customer service department.  I really love my job.  I love it when I can find people savings, when I make people happy, when I connect with people.  I have licenses in, I think, 8 states now. (I have a folder full of them!)  I mostly handle the New England states.  PLEASE do not ask me about car insurance on here!  This is not what this blog is for.  Call your local company.  I am sure they are great.  Or if you are insured with us call any of our agents & they will be happy to help.

So we do a lot of charitable things within the company for local & world wide organizations.  I recently donated to a local animal shelter through our company & now we are making up baskets for a raffle that will have the money donated to the United Way.  You can only imagine why I would be posting about it here!  Because it is going to be filled with bathing goodness!

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See?  I am already writing too much & I am very sleep, not feeling all too well, & must make a Betty trip to Rochester tomorrow to see Brown & Deenok for a meeting of the minds & to also celebrate the Libra's of our group.

So tonight's bath consisted of milk & honey bubble bath & Philosophy's Pink Cotton Confection, which reminds me exactly of Aquolina's Pink Sugar.  Philosophy is coming out with their winter items now.  I am getting excited looking at their site!

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Want to try Bath & Body Works new 2 oz. Be Enchanted lotion for FREE?  Print this coupon or show it on your phone in stores, or use code FBF114231 online.  Good only October 14-16, 2011.

New infestation. Columbus day big co. deals. Try something new.

So the victory roses I received had fungus flies in them.  Now the tea roses I have received have what are called spider mites!  I just cannot win with indoor roses!  I thought I just may have a little spider in the tea rose but I noticed tiny, VERY tiny white-ish insects milling around in the webbing, & so after some research, found out what I had.  So the roses have been secluded to the back porch for now.  I don't want to throw another plant away though so I did some reading & it seems that horticultural oils are the most effective at ridding them.  I have no clue where they came from as my father had this plant for a while w/no infestation & my other plants are fine.  We are starting to get frosts though also so I'm afraid that one nay get to the plant before the other.  There was a bud really to bloom also & then these darn mites came!  I have a feeling this one may not survive also with all that I need to put into it this time of year.

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Well, it being Columbus Day weekend I have received a few e-mails of some deals going on.  1st off with Bath & Body Works.  I'm not a huge fan of theirs.  They aren't very interactive w/their customers, they are just a big mish-mosh of companies & products.  But they do carry a few things I really do like.  Online they have 50% off their sweet shop candles which are pretty awesome for the most part, only a few of them I wasn't too hot with how the smelled when in the store.  B3G3 on their signature collections, & a bunch of summer, Halloween products, & lip glosses at 75% off.  AND using code EVENT25 will get you $1 shipping on orders $25 or more.  Of course there's other things, but these were the note worthy items for me.  I'm not sure if there are in store or not but I may drop by one today because I have a coupon for a free item & 20% off my entire purchase.  Been pretty good w/not buying much from them anyway.
*EDIT - same sales in store.  Already pretty picked over.

Now The Body Shop is having a B3G2, B2G1 or Buy 1 Get 1 1/2 off.  But, if your like me, & have almost the entire store because they don't change their line up 1/2 as much as B&BW does, then it's meaningless.

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This time of year brings pumpkin to death for soap scents.  Really.  A lot of times I go out on limbs to try new things & I think others should also.  So, this is actually uncommon but it is MY new autumn scent thanks to Two Oakes Soapworks.  It is carrot cake soap & she has 2 bars left for sale on eBay.  If I didn't have so many other soaps to try right now I would snatch these up because they are scented so perfectly.  The carrot cake has been spiced right & just came out of the oven.  It should come with a disclaimer not to attempt to eat it!

I hope to have more on this company soon!

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Got my flu shot yesterday.  Hope to run a few errands today w/a bit of retail therapy today.