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

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.