WORST SURGERY EVER
Yes! So I have a (somewhat) clear head at the moment, am in between my generic brain fog of lortabs & pain and because I tend to think about others more than myself, I thought I would post some stuff.
I will write about the surgery later when I has a bit more strength & mindset. Whenever that will be.
I posted publicly on my Facebook page today 2 links for certificates through Boomerang. One is a $5 off $20 for Julep & the other is $5 off $50 when you shop at Target online. They expire after 30 days &, from what I have been able to tell, can only be shared through Facebook wall posts at this time. I couldn't find an option to tweet or e-mail them.
Boomerang doesn't bombard you with e-mails but you get at least 1 weekly with usually a free $5-10 off a certain amount spent. Some place I usually haven't heard of. You can also buy certificates in certain amounts for friends on their birthdays or special occasions for places like Bath & Body Works, Etsy, Groupon, Sephora, Anthropologie, etc. In the past I've even received deals for Ghirardelli & Diamond Candle.
So, if you are an online shopper like me, sign up, take advantage. When you send certificates, you may even get additional free ones of your choice.
You may/may not be able to use these in conjunction with other promos & certificates, depending what they are. I was able to use the Julep in combination with their July clearance and with another gift certificate I had that I had been saving up. So a, close to, $50 order (including shipping) became $30 with the sale & then became $11 with the codes (I had $14 certificate plus the $5). DEAL!
More later!
I don't make soap but I'm obsessed with bath and body products! Hypothyroid after a thyroidectomy. Influencer for Perfectly Posh!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Under the knife... again!
Tonight's bath consisted of:
I was happy to find three Me! Bath ice creams on my last trip to TJ Maxx for close to $5 each. SCORE!
Over the last couple of weeks ideas, thoughts, plans of things that were going to happen were in the works for me. And then.... things just turned in a completely different direction. Of course this all has to do with my thyroid & autoimmune disease! We thought RAI therapy was going to be the best option for me. We decided against that.
I really have to thank everyone for all the kind words & support. Family, friends, even people who hardly know me. Others who have been through this, or are still going through this. No one really knows how awful Graves' Disease is unless that are going through it. Before being treated for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, I've talked to SO many people going through that & they tell me how terrible it is. I know, I've been there & was being treated for that before the Graves' kicked in. I just pray it doesn't switch on like a light to Graves' like mine did. I can't wait to get back to hypothyroid... or even better... NORMAL!
Monday I am going in for surgery to have a total thyroidectomy. There's no concern for cancer with me but when I was 1st diagnosed with Graves' the plan was to start on a high dose of medication & then get my numbers evened out & taper off of that. Well, my body didn't want to work that way. Instead, they would even out but then immediately slip. So, the dosing went higher... then higher... then higher. Now my T3 & T4 levels are in a good range for the surgery, but my THS is almost non-existent again so my anxiety is through the roof & a good reason why I've been so ill in many ways lately.
It has put a lot of things on hold. On a leave from work, seeing 5 different doctors because of it, missing going to Toronto with one of my BFFs, etc etc etc. Everyone keeps telling me things will get better after they remove it. I've been feeling like crap for so long it's almost unbelievable! Excited, nervous, anxious, scared. I may & may not have a long road of recovery after.
And my eyes! Oh my eyes! So you can't really see it by looking at me but I have the start of TED in my left eye. It's extremely slight & they had me on steroid eye drops for it but are weening me off of that & have me on a high dose of oral prednisone (WORST medication EVER), before the surgery &, under supervision, are going to ween me off of that (hopefully) by the end of September. My eye is constantly tearing so it's hard to see out of it, things get blurry or light streaks across my vision, like if you were looking at lights through water. That in conjunction with the vision in my right eye being fine, causes confusion sometimes. It's been making it difficult to not only see but drive my car also. I can be sitting around & tears will just start rolling down my cheek like I'm crying & I can't get it to stop. I do NOT want that to get any worse!
The whole thing is still so confusing to me. There's so much to know & learn & do suffering through this. Not to take up so much time writing about it but, it's my blog so I can do what I want. Of course, I'll keep everyone informed.
In addition to this I really messed up my computer the other week also. UGGHHH! I did something that made it try to boot from the E: drive (which was what I was using my flash drive under) while moving some documents around. Had a hell of a time getting past passwords & moving files from the hard drive to a portable one. Then I had to reinstall Windows. Reinstall all my programs. Reinstall all my drivers.
Upon doing so I found some pictures I would like to share!
Can you tell I love purple? That's an old picture of my closet too. Things have kind of expanded to 2 more shelves. This doesn't even get into my candle addiction.
I think once I get back on my feet I am going to also subscribe to both Birchbox & Ipsy. I have been toying with the idea of both of them lately. This should be interesting. I was doing Julep, but that's another story for another day. I always have so many ideas & things I want to write about but with this illness everything I have been doing to get to this point, my blog has just been another thing put on the back burner. I really hope not for much longer.
Well, I warned the hospital at my pre-operation appointment that, considering I can't eat after midnight, have to be there at 10:30am & surgery isn't until 1:30pm that I may become quite crabby & irritable. They said no lotion, nail polish, perfumes, oils, makeup or deodorant. Also went to CowPök to have my ear piercings removed that I couldn't get out on my own in prep for Monday.
Feeling more scared about it all... if anything. Maybe I'll have some time to update tomorrow just some general fun stuff. Kind of doubt it though it would be nice.
Wish me luck!
- Sandalwood Fig bath ice cream by Me! Bath
- Polished & Protected body scrub by EcoTools
- Sweet Lemon shower gel by The Body Shop
I was happy to find three Me! Bath ice creams on my last trip to TJ Maxx for close to $5 each. SCORE!
Over the last couple of weeks ideas, thoughts, plans of things that were going to happen were in the works for me. And then.... things just turned in a completely different direction. Of course this all has to do with my thyroid & autoimmune disease! We thought RAI therapy was going to be the best option for me. We decided against that.
I really have to thank everyone for all the kind words & support. Family, friends, even people who hardly know me. Others who have been through this, or are still going through this. No one really knows how awful Graves' Disease is unless that are going through it. Before being treated for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, I've talked to SO many people going through that & they tell me how terrible it is. I know, I've been there & was being treated for that before the Graves' kicked in. I just pray it doesn't switch on like a light to Graves' like mine did. I can't wait to get back to hypothyroid... or even better... NORMAL!
Monday I am going in for surgery to have a total thyroidectomy. There's no concern for cancer with me but when I was 1st diagnosed with Graves' the plan was to start on a high dose of medication & then get my numbers evened out & taper off of that. Well, my body didn't want to work that way. Instead, they would even out but then immediately slip. So, the dosing went higher... then higher... then higher. Now my T3 & T4 levels are in a good range for the surgery, but my THS is almost non-existent again so my anxiety is through the roof & a good reason why I've been so ill in many ways lately.
It has put a lot of things on hold. On a leave from work, seeing 5 different doctors because of it, missing going to Toronto with one of my BFFs, etc etc etc. Everyone keeps telling me things will get better after they remove it. I've been feeling like crap for so long it's almost unbelievable! Excited, nervous, anxious, scared. I may & may not have a long road of recovery after.
And my eyes! Oh my eyes! So you can't really see it by looking at me but I have the start of TED in my left eye. It's extremely slight & they had me on steroid eye drops for it but are weening me off of that & have me on a high dose of oral prednisone (WORST medication EVER), before the surgery &, under supervision, are going to ween me off of that (hopefully) by the end of September. My eye is constantly tearing so it's hard to see out of it, things get blurry or light streaks across my vision, like if you were looking at lights through water. That in conjunction with the vision in my right eye being fine, causes confusion sometimes. It's been making it difficult to not only see but drive my car also. I can be sitting around & tears will just start rolling down my cheek like I'm crying & I can't get it to stop. I do NOT want that to get any worse!
The whole thing is still so confusing to me. There's so much to know & learn & do suffering through this. Not to take up so much time writing about it but, it's my blog so I can do what I want. Of course, I'll keep everyone informed.
In addition to this I really messed up my computer the other week also. UGGHHH! I did something that made it try to boot from the E: drive (which was what I was using my flash drive under) while moving some documents around. Had a hell of a time getting past passwords & moving files from the hard drive to a portable one. Then I had to reinstall Windows. Reinstall all my programs. Reinstall all my drivers.
Upon doing so I found some pictures I would like to share!
Can you tell I love purple? That's an old picture of my closet too. Things have kind of expanded to 2 more shelves. This doesn't even get into my candle addiction.
I think once I get back on my feet I am going to also subscribe to both Birchbox & Ipsy. I have been toying with the idea of both of them lately. This should be interesting. I was doing Julep, but that's another story for another day. I always have so many ideas & things I want to write about but with this illness everything I have been doing to get to this point, my blog has just been another thing put on the back burner. I really hope not for much longer.
Well, I warned the hospital at my pre-operation appointment that, considering I can't eat after midnight, have to be there at 10:30am & surgery isn't until 1:30pm that I may become quite crabby & irritable. They said no lotion, nail polish, perfumes, oils, makeup or deodorant. Also went to CowPök to have my ear piercings removed that I couldn't get out on my own in prep for Monday.
Feeling more scared about it all... if anything. Maybe I'll have some time to update tomorrow just some general fun stuff. Kind of doubt it though it would be nice.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
One day at a time.
Tonight's bath consisted of:
There's a theme to that. Can you guess it?
I hope my few followers are doing well. I have been not. My Graves' is not getting any better. I switched endocrinologists, my THS levels dropped again since the last time I had blood work done (in April) & I am now up to 40mg of Tapazole a day. This means I wasn't responding well to the 35mg I was already on. Normal maintenance dosage of the medication is 5-15mg a day. Medication is also supposed to be short-term & I have been on it for 8 months now. My new doctor thought about putting me on PTU but after thinking about it for a while when I was at the office, due to it being less effective than the Tapazole & also known for causing liver problems, he decided against it & just to increase the Tapazole for now.
Eventually he wants my next step to be Radioactive Iodine (RAI) therapy. To do that though, he said I would need to go off my current thyroid medications completely which, with how I am currently responding, will most likely make me very hyperthyroid & feeling much worse than I am now. Then after the RAI, I have to wait a few months for it to even kick in so I may become extremely ill, like how I was back in October of last year (though I feel like I am almost getting back to that point now). I've already had to go back on heart medication due to palpitations the fact my blood pressure skyrockets when I'm at work. They do say stress aggravates it.
I really can't wait to get back to "normal." Whatever that feels like anymore. Between the stress, anxiety, palpitations, on/off problems with my pulse & blood pressure, dizziness, intolerance to heat, confusion, the fact my left eye will not stop watering & I'm having trouble seeing out of that at times now and people keep asking me if I'm ok because it looks like I'm crying, the shakiness & tremors I get, insomnia, the problems it's causing with my skin, eczema, keratosis, panic attacks, tiredness, exhaustion, tension, pain... I would do anything to not go through this anymore! It was funny to mention that at my last appointment my endocrinologist was saying how nausea was an unusual side effect of the graves but it's not unheard of. My response was along the lines of...
Now, back to bath blogging!
PLEASE check them out by clicking the photo to go to their main webpage. Add them on Facebook! BUY something of theirs! There's tons of companies out there who use the same scents over & over, or try to mimic perfumes & signature scents of other companies but Villainess is truly unique!
Their line is limited to a few things. Soaps, Smack! (foaming body scrubs), Smooch! (moisturizing body scrub), Whipped! (velvety body creme), perfume oils, About Face (a line of facial products), & now & then something new & different. Like they currently have a "blood bubble bath" under their Limited Edition section.
I first noticed them on Fab.com as they were having a sale of their products. It was something like, get 3 bars of soap or 2 scrubs, but in all the same scent. I had never tried them before though &, to be honest, I had no clue if I would even like what they had to offer. So I sought out their main webpage & ended up getting a few products on clearance and samples, even paid less in shipping than what I would have paid through Fab.
So I got soap, Smooch!, & Whipped! in the scent Blush. "A blend of sweet berry and tart lime notes, grounded by a slightly tipsy touch of cheap dry wine." Ohhh... I wish they still made this scent! All the products & samples I got I just loved. All the mixes of scents just work so perfectly with each other!
The Whipped! is fantastic! It goes on really light & seeps in right away leaving your skin soft without a greasy feeling. The scents linger for a good long while in all of their products too!
So, again, check them out in the links above! Follow their blog, follow Villainess on Twitter, or follow them everywhere & give them a try at some point!
- Colloidal Oatmeal packet by Rite Aid
- Flying Saucers bath foam by Lush (*Note: The link is to the shower gel as the bath foam has been discontinued.)
- Honey shampoo by The Body Shop (Also discontinued.)
- Killer Beez soap by Villainess Soaps
There's a theme to that. Can you guess it?
I hope my few followers are doing well. I have been not. My Graves' is not getting any better. I switched endocrinologists, my THS levels dropped again since the last time I had blood work done (in April) & I am now up to 40mg of Tapazole a day. This means I wasn't responding well to the 35mg I was already on. Normal maintenance dosage of the medication is 5-15mg a day. Medication is also supposed to be short-term & I have been on it for 8 months now. My new doctor thought about putting me on PTU but after thinking about it for a while when I was at the office, due to it being less effective than the Tapazole & also known for causing liver problems, he decided against it & just to increase the Tapazole for now.
Eventually he wants my next step to be Radioactive Iodine (RAI) therapy. To do that though, he said I would need to go off my current thyroid medications completely which, with how I am currently responding, will most likely make me very hyperthyroid & feeling much worse than I am now. Then after the RAI, I have to wait a few months for it to even kick in so I may become extremely ill, like how I was back in October of last year (though I feel like I am almost getting back to that point now). I've already had to go back on heart medication due to palpitations the fact my blood pressure skyrockets when I'm at work. They do say stress aggravates it.
I really can't wait to get back to "normal." Whatever that feels like anymore. Between the stress, anxiety, palpitations, on/off problems with my pulse & blood pressure, dizziness, intolerance to heat, confusion, the fact my left eye will not stop watering & I'm having trouble seeing out of that at times now and people keep asking me if I'm ok because it looks like I'm crying, the shakiness & tremors I get, insomnia, the problems it's causing with my skin, eczema, keratosis, panic attacks, tiredness, exhaustion, tension, pain... I would do anything to not go through this anymore! It was funny to mention that at my last appointment my endocrinologist was saying how nausea was an unusual side effect of the graves but it's not unheard of. My response was along the lines of...
Now, back to bath blogging!
PLEASE check them out by clicking the photo to go to their main webpage. Add them on Facebook! BUY something of theirs! There's tons of companies out there who use the same scents over & over, or try to mimic perfumes & signature scents of other companies but Villainess is truly unique!
Their line is limited to a few things. Soaps, Smack! (foaming body scrubs), Smooch! (moisturizing body scrub), Whipped! (velvety body creme), perfume oils, About Face (a line of facial products), & now & then something new & different. Like they currently have a "blood bubble bath" under their Limited Edition section.
I first noticed them on Fab.com as they were having a sale of their products. It was something like, get 3 bars of soap or 2 scrubs, but in all the same scent. I had never tried them before though &, to be honest, I had no clue if I would even like what they had to offer. So I sought out their main webpage & ended up getting a few products on clearance and samples, even paid less in shipping than what I would have paid through Fab.
So I got soap, Smooch!, & Whipped! in the scent Blush. "A blend of sweet berry and tart lime notes, grounded by a slightly tipsy touch of cheap dry wine." Ohhh... I wish they still made this scent! All the products & samples I got I just loved. All the mixes of scents just work so perfectly with each other!
The Whipped! is fantastic! It goes on really light & seeps in right away leaving your skin soft without a greasy feeling. The scents linger for a good long while in all of their products too!
So, again, check them out in the links above! Follow their blog, follow Villainess on Twitter, or follow them everywhere & give them a try at some point!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Chatterbug on Twitter.
Diamond Candles just had a chat party on Twitter. I learned about it just before it started, plus I had never done one of these before, so I didn't post about it on here. They are having another one on Valentine's Day! So, if you will not be busy, mark you calendars & chat it up! You might win a candle of theirs! Follow them on Facebook & Twitter to see when it starts. You will need to have a Twitter account for this!
If you're old school like me, you'll understand why I will say it's just like mIRC. There will be a designated chat room for you & other fans. They suggested, as I did, opening a 2nd window directly to their Twitter feed so you wouldn't miss any of their specific tweets. The feed went really fast & it was supposed to last for an hour, ended up being 2-1/2 hours! It even crashed my browser twice after a ton of script errors. Oh my!
I didn't win anything but it was still fun. They asked questions, re-tweeted (RT) and replied to a lot of posts. I replied, RT & posted a bunch on my own. They would randomly pick winners & will send you a direct message also to make sure you know you won. It was fun seeing the ideas of others, and, I admit, it made me really hungry too.☺ I didn't just chat with DC, I also chatted with other Twitter users.
Here's a few (non-enforced) rules about chat:
(1) Chat it up.
(2) Be friendly:
(3) Watch what you say:
(4) Don't complain!
(5) Turn off Twitter sharing to other accounts temporarily:
I hope if anyone I was chatting with sees this, that they had as much fun as I did. Depending what time the next chat is on Valentine's Day, I may be in for a bit to say hello! If you decide to join the chat, have fun & GOOD LUCK!!
If you're old school like me, you'll understand why I will say it's just like mIRC. There will be a designated chat room for you & other fans. They suggested, as I did, opening a 2nd window directly to their Twitter feed so you wouldn't miss any of their specific tweets. The feed went really fast & it was supposed to last for an hour, ended up being 2-1/2 hours! It even crashed my browser twice after a ton of script errors. Oh my!
I didn't win anything but it was still fun. They asked questions, re-tweeted (RT) and replied to a lot of posts. I replied, RT & posted a bunch on my own. They would randomly pick winners & will send you a direct message also to make sure you know you won. It was fun seeing the ideas of others, and, I admit, it made me really hungry too.☺ I didn't just chat with DC, I also chatted with other Twitter users.
Here's a few (non-enforced) rules about chat:
(1) Chat it up.
- If you don't, you won't get noticed. You won't win. You just won't have any fun!
(2) Be friendly:
- Introduce yourself. Say hello to everyone. Acknowledge others.
(3) Watch what you say:
- You're in a room with more people you do not know then you do. You don't know their beliefs or backgrounds. You don't want an internet mob after you. Don't swear or use any derogatory terms that may offend someone else. You might not only get banned from chat (& future chats) & all the fun, but you could end up on a site like this one. All they need is a screen shot folks, & it ain't just celebrities that get called out on their tweets.
(4) Don't complain!
- Simple. No one likes a complainer. Don't be all like, "Oh everyone else won & I didn't." Or, "How come I haven't won?" Stuff like that. If I were moderating a chat & giving things away, you would be the last person I would want to give anything to. Be glad you even knew about it or had the opportunity. Thank the company for holding the chat & congratulate the winners. Don't be a Debbie downer.
(5) Turn off Twitter sharing to other accounts temporarily:
- My tweets are automatically shared to my facbook page and, as I learned with this chat, EVERYTHING was transferring over to my facebook page! If you get into it you will have a ton of tweets that will seem to not make sense to people on different platforms & in different feeds. All of a sudden on facebook there's a random, "LOL," here or an "I agree! That sounds great!" there.
I hope if anyone I was chatting with sees this, that they had as much fun as I did. Depending what time the next chat is on Valentine's Day, I may be in for a bit to say hello! If you decide to join the chat, have fun & GOOD LUCK!!
Love is in the air!
I really have too much stuff. I do. It's insane how much stuff I have. In a way I am proud of this. I always have something to mix & match. If I feel I want something floral, I got it, fruity, it's there, spicy... that's not as common but I have it! :)
Right now I am trying to organize. I feel like that's something I am constantly doing. This goes with that & that goes with this. One week... then the next week I want to organize it a different way. Lotions go with lotions, or no, let me put the scents together. Though I have found that it's easier to organize not by scent, but by product. These are somewhat organized though, it's other stuff I am having problems with, like my crafts & mail. Labels go here, stamps, stickers, scrap papers... they're all over the place.
I learned Lean Six Sigma at work once. It's been stuck in my mind since. I have yelled at companies for their poor use of it. Most of this in shipment. As how it was taught to us, what is the most practical way of doing things to cut out the waste? Why put the coffee maker in a spot where it is not convenient to fill it up with water & why put the filters in a far away spot from the coffee maker? Like today, I somehow keep ending up between my living room, kitchen & office. Trying to clean up my desk I have stuff I need recycled but the recycle bag is in the kitchen. Just an example. It's in the kitchen though because it's more convenient to put the recent mail recyclables in. Maybe I could have separate bags? Maybe I should, but the office is a disaster area anyway & I think I am putting more things off because I need a new desk & more storage compartments.
I was so excited I also finally got the Two Door Cinema Club "Tourist History" CD I have been wanting for a while in the mail yesterday. Chris spends HOURS messing with music on iTunes & I just like to pop in a CD & listen to it until, weeks later, I finally need something new. I wanted to use the CD players in the living room but one isn't fully set up & my other one is just skipping over all the CD slots & not reading the discs. So, go figure, I'm listening to it on Spotify even though I could have just thrown the CD in on my computer. I'll leave it for my car.
I am doing a lot better as far as my Graves' goes. I have more blood testing next week & then appointments the weeks after to, hopefully, release me back to work! I can't wait to go back but I also have that fear that if I do & if I become stressed again it will bring it on again. I, besides the cabin fever, have been pretty relaxed (bored) here at home doing much of nothing... causing trouble online. ;)
I have been going to therapy also, numerous reasons. Last week I had to write about early memories & how I felt about them. That was pretty easy. This week I am supposed to write about what I am good at. We discussed a few things, so I can't put those. Who knew how hard this was. I, being who I am, am probably taking this a bit too literally & over thinking. Well, I am good at something but not that good so I can't put that. Or, I am good at this but there are people out there who are better than me at that so I can't put that.
I think it was funny, Chris asked me the other day what I would consider to be my favorite restaurant in the area. Of course I said Amy's. Mind you they have amazing food but it's more like a vegetarian/vegan friendly dive diner. He was looking for something nicer for Valentine's Day. Oh good luck getting reservations for anything I might consider "nice" as of now. Hell, I'd be happy going to a dive but I understand. We've never really gone out anywhere nice for V Day before, usually because he works pretty late & by the time he gets home I am curled up on the couch snoozing already. I like flowers also but am allergic to them, some even give headaches, so I'm used to having boring V Days. I'm also that kind of person that considers this a stupid commercial holiday & you should be shown this kind of passion, love (or whatever) any day!
So, besides being a bath maniac I am also a candle maniac. And since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I am also a candy hearts maniac! So when I saw this I HAD to have it!
Ok, don't mind the Yankee Candle in the picture! Though I have it there for a reason. YES!!! That is a SUGAR HEARTS candle from Goose Creek Candle Co. I don't even know what coupon I had, it was something I found on their Facebook page & they seem to be posting a lot of different deals. I wanted to try something different but they didn't have any stores here & it's not like I can do a sniff test to see if I really like their products or not. So I got this candle & a car air freshener from them for about $23.50 (no tax, included shipping). Now, you can't go wrong when YC has their BOGO deals but considering YC's large jars now retail at $28 & these start at $22, what I paid for it all is pretty good!
It's really just like a YC but YC doesn't have a scent like this out. To me this has a sugary scent with a touch of citrus & I am picking up a very light floral in it also. GC describes it as, "Sugar Hearts is the wonderful aroma of sweet colored candies. Coated with powdered sugar, they are sweet and delicate, perfect for your valentine." It's not too powerful of a scent & it fills a room nicely. GC, just like YC, large jars maxes their burn time at 150 hours. This is also 2 wick.
Now the reason why I put it next to the YC is to show you how the sizes are the same & also where the YC wax STARTS. I've already burned the GC candle but there was also a bit more wax in it. Take the YC wax line & move it up to JUST below where the plastic cap line is. THAT is where the GC candle was filled to. Not sure if the others are but that's how mine came. Below are some pictures of it on its own.
I really hate having to mention YC so much in this but so many people know who they are, so sometimes you have to just to point out how, if you like one thing, there are other things out there in similarity but with their own, good differences. I'll be interested in checking them out again when I want to go on a candle hunt.
I have yet to use the air freshener. To be continued...
Right now I am trying to organize. I feel like that's something I am constantly doing. This goes with that & that goes with this. One week... then the next week I want to organize it a different way. Lotions go with lotions, or no, let me put the scents together. Though I have found that it's easier to organize not by scent, but by product. These are somewhat organized though, it's other stuff I am having problems with, like my crafts & mail. Labels go here, stamps, stickers, scrap papers... they're all over the place.
I learned Lean Six Sigma at work once. It's been stuck in my mind since. I have yelled at companies for their poor use of it. Most of this in shipment. As how it was taught to us, what is the most practical way of doing things to cut out the waste? Why put the coffee maker in a spot where it is not convenient to fill it up with water & why put the filters in a far away spot from the coffee maker? Like today, I somehow keep ending up between my living room, kitchen & office. Trying to clean up my desk I have stuff I need recycled but the recycle bag is in the kitchen. Just an example. It's in the kitchen though because it's more convenient to put the recent mail recyclables in. Maybe I could have separate bags? Maybe I should, but the office is a disaster area anyway & I think I am putting more things off because I need a new desk & more storage compartments.
I was so excited I also finally got the Two Door Cinema Club "Tourist History" CD I have been wanting for a while in the mail yesterday. Chris spends HOURS messing with music on iTunes & I just like to pop in a CD & listen to it until, weeks later, I finally need something new. I wanted to use the CD players in the living room but one isn't fully set up & my other one is just skipping over all the CD slots & not reading the discs. So, go figure, I'm listening to it on Spotify even though I could have just thrown the CD in on my computer. I'll leave it for my car.
I am doing a lot better as far as my Graves' goes. I have more blood testing next week & then appointments the weeks after to, hopefully, release me back to work! I can't wait to go back but I also have that fear that if I do & if I become stressed again it will bring it on again. I, besides the cabin fever, have been pretty relaxed (bored) here at home doing much of nothing... causing trouble online. ;)
I have been going to therapy also, numerous reasons. Last week I had to write about early memories & how I felt about them. That was pretty easy. This week I am supposed to write about what I am good at. We discussed a few things, so I can't put those. Who knew how hard this was. I, being who I am, am probably taking this a bit too literally & over thinking. Well, I am good at something but not that good so I can't put that. Or, I am good at this but there are people out there who are better than me at that so I can't put that.
I think it was funny, Chris asked me the other day what I would consider to be my favorite restaurant in the area. Of course I said Amy's. Mind you they have amazing food but it's more like a vegetarian/vegan friendly dive diner. He was looking for something nicer for Valentine's Day. Oh good luck getting reservations for anything I might consider "nice" as of now. Hell, I'd be happy going to a dive but I understand. We've never really gone out anywhere nice for V Day before, usually because he works pretty late & by the time he gets home I am curled up on the couch snoozing already. I like flowers also but am allergic to them, some even give headaches, so I'm used to having boring V Days. I'm also that kind of person that considers this a stupid commercial holiday & you should be shown this kind of passion, love (or whatever) any day!
So, besides being a bath maniac I am also a candle maniac. And since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I am also a candy hearts maniac! So when I saw this I HAD to have it!
Ok, don't mind the Yankee Candle in the picture! Though I have it there for a reason. YES!!! That is a SUGAR HEARTS candle from Goose Creek Candle Co. I don't even know what coupon I had, it was something I found on their Facebook page & they seem to be posting a lot of different deals. I wanted to try something different but they didn't have any stores here & it's not like I can do a sniff test to see if I really like their products or not. So I got this candle & a car air freshener from them for about $23.50 (no tax, included shipping). Now, you can't go wrong when YC has their BOGO deals but considering YC's large jars now retail at $28 & these start at $22, what I paid for it all is pretty good!
It's really just like a YC but YC doesn't have a scent like this out. To me this has a sugary scent with a touch of citrus & I am picking up a very light floral in it also. GC describes it as, "Sugar Hearts is the wonderful aroma of sweet colored candies. Coated with powdered sugar, they are sweet and delicate, perfect for your valentine." It's not too powerful of a scent & it fills a room nicely. GC, just like YC, large jars maxes their burn time at 150 hours. This is also 2 wick.
Now the reason why I put it next to the YC is to show you how the sizes are the same & also where the YC wax STARTS. I've already burned the GC candle but there was also a bit more wax in it. Take the YC wax line & move it up to JUST below where the plastic cap line is. THAT is where the GC candle was filled to. Not sure if the others are but that's how mine came. Below are some pictures of it on its own.
I really hate having to mention YC so much in this but so many people know who they are, so sometimes you have to just to point out how, if you like one thing, there are other things out there in similarity but with their own, good differences. I'll be interested in checking them out again when I want to go on a candle hunt.
I have yet to use the air freshener. To be continued...
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The DANGERS of Epsom salts.
I was going to put the dangers of "bath salts" but that's a WHOLE other story. (Which seems to include real life zombies.) This is particular to Epsom. Just as I think I am cured or I know what's going on with me, yet another thing pops up & I go in a downward spiral yet again. It all started around the last posts I had done in October.
For a while throughout the year I had terrible pain in the soles of my feet. That's where it started. Maybe for a week, or a day here or there, then nothing. After I got sick in October my whole legs & shoulders started to ache. It progressively got worse & so I had just blamed it on a new medication. Off the medication I went and another thing I noticed was that I couldn't tolerate heat. I was off most of the summer, the hot hot summer we apparently had, so that I didn't notice it much because I was inside in air conditioning all the time. I don't even like air conditioning! I'll have my windows open on a 90 degree day & take in that humidity! When I went back to work, & after I get sick, is when I really noticed it. The heat would kick on in the building & other people would agree that it was hot, but no where near the extent I was getting it. So much worse than hot flashes!
Because of my pain getting worse & now this heat intolerance I just had to go to the doctor, again, who ruled it out as musculoskeletal but did a few additional blood tests. I was advised not to exercise, since I tried to do this thinking it may have helped with the pain but it always felt worse after. On my way I went feeling awful & even crying a lot because the pain was so bad at times. All sorts of problems started arising. Chest pains, shoulder, muscles all aching, heart palpitations, asthma, terrible shakes in my arms, hands, legs, terrible anxiety with vomiting. My body felt like it was burning up all the time and I was sweating terribly when I didn't even have a fever anymore! I missed my period & thought I was pregnant. My eating habits were the same & I started to drastically lose weight. I would be all hyped up but completely exhausted all at the same time. The smallest ounce of stress would put my body in a shut down mode of problems. What was wrong with me!?
Now, before I went to the doctor, I had been taking Epsom salt baths due to my muscle pain.
Here's the scary thing.
After these baths, & sometimes with other products I would use that contained magnesium sulfate, I would be completely dizzy, out of breath, heart palpitations & sometimes it would be so bad I would even vomit. Gross! I thought nothing of it. Just thought it was another thing having to do with my condition, whatever it was.
I could have killed myself. It was a sign! Per my doctor (per many doctors I saw over a few weeks) my blood pressure was already dangerously low (hypotension) & pulse was too (tachycardia) high . Epsom salts lower your blood pressure! Here I am thinking it will help my aches & pains & help me relax when it was actually making my situation worse. Epsom, Magnesium Sulfate, is in a lot of products. A lot of products I was using. I found it in a lot of bath bombs, "sea" or regular bath salt mixes, I even have it in liquid form in some of my products! It's also a main ingredient in Me! Bath Ice Cream products.
I left work in early December due to my doctors advise and also because I had so many appointments and testing, thinking I would be back by the end of the month & to start the new year. I didn't have good news though. Mid to end December we had an idea of what it was but, being optimistic, I thought I would still be better because we had an action plan if the tests results came back positive. They did. I have an autoimmune disorder called Graves' Disease and was on the verge of a Thyroid Storm.
I am not better. I have the majority of symptoms still and am a complete mess. The course of action is medication. That's it. And if the medication doesn't work, the next step could be surgery. The medication could take 6-8 weeks for it to even start making me feel better so it is estimated that I will be back to work in March. I'm bored, unhappy, bored, & disability pays shit. I want to be back at work but I don't want to end up with heart failure or to make my symptoms even more worse than they already are, nor do my doctors or family. My endocrinologist said I have a very serious case of Graves' & I need to "take it easy."
I'm off caffeine & alcohol. I'm also on a beta blocker that has helped my blood pressure & pulse even out, this has taken away the pain I was getting but I still ache in my joints & am having trouble with movement in my arms, shoulders & legs. I have trouble getting up from seated or laying down positions. I have to be monitored for type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and other conditions like Lupus and Addison's Disease. They think I also may have Pernicious Anemia & so I am taking vitamin B-12 supplements. They will be taking blood next week to see how my thyroid levels are changing.
Who thought one stupid organ could do so much damage!? What's even stranger is I may have a combination of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypothyroid) with this. I have read it is possible. I still have a lot to learn & deal with. I still have a lot of questions. It kind of makes me want this...
So, I know this is my bath product blog but I needed to get this out of my system. It did have something to do with bathing though, the dangers of Epsom and a very obvious, & dangerous, sign that I didn't get. I'm still scared about how my progress will be with this.
I received some Plum Hill cranberry orange oil & sugar scrub today. Maybe I will try that.
For a while throughout the year I had terrible pain in the soles of my feet. That's where it started. Maybe for a week, or a day here or there, then nothing. After I got sick in October my whole legs & shoulders started to ache. It progressively got worse & so I had just blamed it on a new medication. Off the medication I went and another thing I noticed was that I couldn't tolerate heat. I was off most of the summer, the hot hot summer we apparently had, so that I didn't notice it much because I was inside in air conditioning all the time. I don't even like air conditioning! I'll have my windows open on a 90 degree day & take in that humidity! When I went back to work, & after I get sick, is when I really noticed it. The heat would kick on in the building & other people would agree that it was hot, but no where near the extent I was getting it. So much worse than hot flashes!
Because of my pain getting worse & now this heat intolerance I just had to go to the doctor, again, who ruled it out as musculoskeletal but did a few additional blood tests. I was advised not to exercise, since I tried to do this thinking it may have helped with the pain but it always felt worse after. On my way I went feeling awful & even crying a lot because the pain was so bad at times. All sorts of problems started arising. Chest pains, shoulder, muscles all aching, heart palpitations, asthma, terrible shakes in my arms, hands, legs, terrible anxiety with vomiting. My body felt like it was burning up all the time and I was sweating terribly when I didn't even have a fever anymore! I missed my period & thought I was pregnant. My eating habits were the same & I started to drastically lose weight. I would be all hyped up but completely exhausted all at the same time. The smallest ounce of stress would put my body in a shut down mode of problems. What was wrong with me!?
Now, before I went to the doctor, I had been taking Epsom salt baths due to my muscle pain.
Here's the scary thing.
After these baths, & sometimes with other products I would use that contained magnesium sulfate, I would be completely dizzy, out of breath, heart palpitations & sometimes it would be so bad I would even vomit. Gross! I thought nothing of it. Just thought it was another thing having to do with my condition, whatever it was.
I could have killed myself. It was a sign! Per my doctor (per many doctors I saw over a few weeks) my blood pressure was already dangerously low (hypotension) & pulse was too (tachycardia) high . Epsom salts lower your blood pressure! Here I am thinking it will help my aches & pains & help me relax when it was actually making my situation worse. Epsom, Magnesium Sulfate, is in a lot of products. A lot of products I was using. I found it in a lot of bath bombs, "sea" or regular bath salt mixes, I even have it in liquid form in some of my products! It's also a main ingredient in Me! Bath Ice Cream products.
I left work in early December due to my doctors advise and also because I had so many appointments and testing, thinking I would be back by the end of the month & to start the new year. I didn't have good news though. Mid to end December we had an idea of what it was but, being optimistic, I thought I would still be better because we had an action plan if the tests results came back positive. They did. I have an autoimmune disorder called Graves' Disease and was on the verge of a Thyroid Storm.
I am not better. I have the majority of symptoms still and am a complete mess. The course of action is medication. That's it. And if the medication doesn't work, the next step could be surgery. The medication could take 6-8 weeks for it to even start making me feel better so it is estimated that I will be back to work in March. I'm bored, unhappy, bored, & disability pays shit. I want to be back at work but I don't want to end up with heart failure or to make my symptoms even more worse than they already are, nor do my doctors or family. My endocrinologist said I have a very serious case of Graves' & I need to "take it easy."
I'm off caffeine & alcohol. I'm also on a beta blocker that has helped my blood pressure & pulse even out, this has taken away the pain I was getting but I still ache in my joints & am having trouble with movement in my arms, shoulders & legs. I have trouble getting up from seated or laying down positions. I have to be monitored for type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and other conditions like Lupus and Addison's Disease. They think I also may have Pernicious Anemia & so I am taking vitamin B-12 supplements. They will be taking blood next week to see how my thyroid levels are changing.
Who thought one stupid organ could do so much damage!? What's even stranger is I may have a combination of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (hypothyroid) with this. I have read it is possible. I still have a lot to learn & deal with. I still have a lot of questions. It kind of makes me want this...
I received some Plum Hill cranberry orange oil & sugar scrub today. Maybe I will try that.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The perfect spiced apple cider.
In a bath.
I already have a spiced cider body wash from Philosophy but I always find it more fun to mix stuff. Plus I think the mix smelled even better then just the 1 body wash on its own. You could use any apple scented bath additive like salts or a bubble bath.
So a lot has been going on. I got a new cat, still got my old cat, got my haircut. Not just since the last post, but over the last few months! I am still sick though so this is just going to be a small update today. Fever every day since Sunday, except for today... so far.
Trying to decide what I want to do for my bath tonight.
- 1 Apple Jack & Peel bath bomb I got from jakegreymom01.
- Equal parts Gingerbread Girl body wash by Philosophy & Green Apple body wash from The Body Shop.
- Then a small touch of Glögg body wash by Lush. (Which BTW I found under their RETRO part of the UK site.)
I already have a spiced cider body wash from Philosophy but I always find it more fun to mix stuff. Plus I think the mix smelled even better then just the 1 body wash on its own. You could use any apple scented bath additive like salts or a bubble bath.
So a lot has been going on. I got a new cat, still got my old cat, got my haircut. Not just since the last post, but over the last few months! I am still sick though so this is just going to be a small update today. Fever every day since Sunday, except for today... so far.
Trying to decide what I want to do for my bath tonight.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
It's about time.
I would totally be posting this from my phone now if it were not for the fact there is ONE LINK I want to post for everyone. Which I will do in a bit.
So sorry for the long delay. I am surprised I am even on here right now. I have been doing as little concentrating as possible. The most people have probably seen of me are random silly tweets, stupid Facebook updates, games & shares, and every now and then an instagram photo. (Yes I FINALLY got rid of my flip phone & have a smartphone! No more "press 3x to get the letter C.")
Also right now I am probably the sickest I have ever been. *fever-wise Clocked at 101.8 on Sunday night & have been fluxing from 96-100 since. Just to share some of my health history, I do not get fevers. I could have the worst internal infection ever, or illness that everyone else in the world would get a fever from & I will not get one. I got my flu shot also! I thought it was the flu. Sure feels like it to me but the doc advised I have a bad virus & sinus infection. I'm off work all week which sucks because I really need the $, but every time I open my mouth to talk I end up coughing uncontrollably for a good minute.
So I forgot for a minute why I wanted to post this... then I remembered! I wanted to talk about eBay for a bit. I both love and hate eBay for a multitude of reasons. Now, when you are into bath products, like I am (duh), you could possibly be taking a gamble with the homemade products you are getting. You may think that feedback speaks for itself, but if you have skin conditions or allergies you REALLY need to be careful. Ask questions about their products about their ingredients & how long have they been making their items for. I got a sugar scrub once that was made from regular granular sugar that I could buy in my supermarket bulk. You can tell when you get these things. (At least I can.) Smelled fantastic & my skin can handle it, but someone else may have a bad reaction to the sugar, or maybe the oils used in it. Because who knows, maybe they just used cheap canola oil & scented it. It's buyer beware out there. So usually when I try new things & end up really liking it, I stick with it, & if I end up with a dud I won't touch it again.
I would love to have a soap shop of my own! I'd wholesale stuff I have tested & liked, maybe experiment & start making my own bath products & have bath product making classes. Maybe someday.
So today I had:
So upon bidding on almost every one she had up for bid since I didn't have any left of the ones I got from her before, I won 2 that she credited for me after winning due to the fact that they broke before shipment. Which was kind of her. So here comes my small rant. Those people that complain about getting bath bombs broken in shipment. Now her's broke before shipping but I really would not have cared if I got one even 1/2 crushed. She packages them well enough so they wouldn't get all over if broken. Plus, you are going to get the same scent & experience, except in a fizzy powder. But I KNOW the people out there where I have seen the feedback of the complaining of how OMG 1 bomb broke in shipment & it's the end of the world. The last 2 years during my holiday shipment when I ordered from Lush UK & 1/3 of my bombs came crushed I only complained about those that were not individually packaged & had pretty much dissolved into unsalvageable powder amongst the packing peanuts. They knew where the order was going. There's always that risk when ordering bath bombs in the mail. So if you get 1 or 2 out of many crushed but it's packaged so it is still all there, be glad you got it at all. It's still fine to use & your bath will be just as pleasurable as a non-broken bath bomb. Trust me.
The other day I used a Trick-Or-Treat bath bomb she made with Lush's Glögg (which is available via Lush NA but not UK) & they worked amazingly together. Perfect punch of spice between the 2! She's got a ton up for bid (including a few philosophy items starting at a good price) so check it out! (The link to her sale is what I wanted to post. There it is. Here it is again.)
So I hope this fever will not kill me & I'll feel up to posting more bathing rants soon.
Take care & happy bathing!
So sorry for the long delay. I am surprised I am even on here right now. I have been doing as little concentrating as possible. The most people have probably seen of me are random silly tweets, stupid Facebook updates, games & shares, and every now and then an instagram photo. (Yes I FINALLY got rid of my flip phone & have a smartphone! No more "press 3x to get the letter C.")
Also right now I am probably the sickest I have ever been. *fever-wise Clocked at 101.8 on Sunday night & have been fluxing from 96-100 since. Just to share some of my health history, I do not get fevers. I could have the worst internal infection ever, or illness that everyone else in the world would get a fever from & I will not get one. I got my flu shot also! I thought it was the flu. Sure feels like it to me but the doc advised I have a bad virus & sinus infection. I'm off work all week which sucks because I really need the $, but every time I open my mouth to talk I end up coughing uncontrollably for a good minute.
So I forgot for a minute why I wanted to post this... then I remembered! I wanted to talk about eBay for a bit. I both love and hate eBay for a multitude of reasons. Now, when you are into bath products, like I am (duh), you could possibly be taking a gamble with the homemade products you are getting. You may think that feedback speaks for itself, but if you have skin conditions or allergies you REALLY need to be careful. Ask questions about their products about their ingredients & how long have they been making their items for. I got a sugar scrub once that was made from regular granular sugar that I could buy in my supermarket bulk. You can tell when you get these things. (At least I can.) Smelled fantastic & my skin can handle it, but someone else may have a bad reaction to the sugar, or maybe the oils used in it. Because who knows, maybe they just used cheap canola oil & scented it. It's buyer beware out there. So usually when I try new things & end up really liking it, I stick with it, & if I end up with a dud I won't touch it again.
I would love to have a soap shop of my own! I'd wholesale stuff I have tested & liked, maybe experiment & start making my own bath products & have bath product making classes. Maybe someday.
So today I had:
- Strawberry bath bomb from jakegreymom01
- Fresh Cream body wash by Philosophy
So upon bidding on almost every one she had up for bid since I didn't have any left of the ones I got from her before, I won 2 that she credited for me after winning due to the fact that they broke before shipment. Which was kind of her. So here comes my small rant. Those people that complain about getting bath bombs broken in shipment. Now her's broke before shipping but I really would not have cared if I got one even 1/2 crushed. She packages them well enough so they wouldn't get all over if broken. Plus, you are going to get the same scent & experience, except in a fizzy powder. But I KNOW the people out there where I have seen the feedback of the complaining of how OMG 1 bomb broke in shipment & it's the end of the world. The last 2 years during my holiday shipment when I ordered from Lush UK & 1/3 of my bombs came crushed I only complained about those that were not individually packaged & had pretty much dissolved into unsalvageable powder amongst the packing peanuts. They knew where the order was going. There's always that risk when ordering bath bombs in the mail. So if you get 1 or 2 out of many crushed but it's packaged so it is still all there, be glad you got it at all. It's still fine to use & your bath will be just as pleasurable as a non-broken bath bomb. Trust me.
The other day I used a Trick-Or-Treat bath bomb she made with Lush's Glögg (which is available via Lush NA but not UK) & they worked amazingly together. Perfect punch of spice between the 2! She's got a ton up for bid (including a few philosophy items starting at a good price) so check it out! (The link to her sale is what I wanted to post. There it is. Here it is again.)
So I hope this fever will not kill me & I'll feel up to posting more bathing rants soon.
Take care & happy bathing!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
New finds...
I 1st want to thank those who have listened, learned, & either understood or are trying to understand what I am going through. I am amazed at the amount of people that have gone through it at least once in their lives. For those of you who have, you can understand how awful it is to go through daily. Thank you for being true friends. It is because of friends like you, I will get through this.
Today's bath consisted of:
Which comes to my new fun of online window shopping... & sometimes buying.
The site I really have been loving lately is Fab.com. This site has a lot of eco-friendly items, art, cool design items, jewelry, high end things you probably never would have looked for on your own or have thought of, food, children & pet items (etc.) all at discounted prices. You can get credits for different things & use them toward future purchases & "socially" shop. See what other people "like" and are purchasing. I have it linked up to my Facebook account so others can see what I like there.
This isn't junk. I have noticed a slight inconsistency w/the prices they say the items are at normal retail rate & what they are offering them at. Usually by cents to just a few dollars. So sometimes the deals are worth it, & sometimes not really. Always do your research.
I've only placed 3 orders through them so far & really, my only complaint is how long it takes to get the item shipped out. It can take anywhere up to a month for you to get it. It is shipped via UPS or FedEx (or their White Glove service.) Shipping cost depends on the amount you are spending, not the size of the product, & there will be tax added on. Sometimes the companies of the products ship the item directly to you but most of the time they send it directly to Fab.com & from there they send it off to you.
One item I got from Fab.com was a bar of Lavender Lemon soap from Meow Meow Tweet, a Brooklyn, NY based, certified organic body products & candle company. The paper the bar soaps are wrapped in come from 75% post-consumer waste & 25% hemp & other products of theirs use unbleached paper & recycled plastic. *Follow Meow Meow Tweet on Facebook and also on Twitter.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the fact the lavender was so overpowering. I was really hoping for the lemon to stand out because when you put those 2 scents together it can be amazing. That doesn't make it a bad soap though. I always say a good bar of soap is one that you can feel stick to your skin & these usually are the bars that are oil based. This one does & the lavender buds give a light exfoliation. Even though the bar itself has a strong lavender scent, it doesn't leave an extreme scent of it on the skin, which is nice.
So I like it a lot and I would love to try their other soaps and products. Maybe someday in the future.
Today's bath consisted of:
- Cherry Bomb bath bomb and
- Chocolate Blackberry soap by Wick-edly Sent
- Wild Berry Tulips shower gel by Bath & Body Works
- mixed with a bit of Sugar Cookie shower gel by Philosophy
- Raspberry Puree lotion from The Body Shop
- Wild Berry Tulips fragrance mist
Which comes to my new fun of online window shopping... & sometimes buying.
The site I really have been loving lately is Fab.com. This site has a lot of eco-friendly items, art, cool design items, jewelry, high end things you probably never would have looked for on your own or have thought of, food, children & pet items (etc.) all at discounted prices. You can get credits for different things & use them toward future purchases & "socially" shop. See what other people "like" and are purchasing. I have it linked up to my Facebook account so others can see what I like there.
This isn't junk. I have noticed a slight inconsistency w/the prices they say the items are at normal retail rate & what they are offering them at. Usually by cents to just a few dollars. So sometimes the deals are worth it, & sometimes not really. Always do your research.
I've only placed 3 orders through them so far & really, my only complaint is how long it takes to get the item shipped out. It can take anywhere up to a month for you to get it. It is shipped via UPS or FedEx (or their White Glove service.) Shipping cost depends on the amount you are spending, not the size of the product, & there will be tax added on. Sometimes the companies of the products ship the item directly to you but most of the time they send it directly to Fab.com & from there they send it off to you.
One item I got from Fab.com was a bar of Lavender Lemon soap from Meow Meow Tweet, a Brooklyn, NY based, certified organic body products & candle company. The paper the bar soaps are wrapped in come from 75% post-consumer waste & 25% hemp & other products of theirs use unbleached paper & recycled plastic. *Follow Meow Meow Tweet on Facebook and also on Twitter.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the fact the lavender was so overpowering. I was really hoping for the lemon to stand out because when you put those 2 scents together it can be amazing. That doesn't make it a bad soap though. I always say a good bar of soap is one that you can feel stick to your skin & these usually are the bars that are oil based. This one does & the lavender buds give a light exfoliation. Even though the bar itself has a strong lavender scent, it doesn't leave an extreme scent of it on the skin, which is nice.
So I like it a lot and I would love to try their other soaps and products. Maybe someday in the future.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Please push my addiction.
By giving me bath products. Most stuff I want or need is too big to gift me, like a kitchen & bathroom remodel, or new doors & floors & blinds. So, usually I get bath products as gifts for Christmas, my birthday, or just because. Of course, I have so much already but I always welcome stuff, especially new stuff that I have not tried before! It also keeps my baths interesting because I love to mix & match.
Sometimes the mixing & matching doesn't always go too well. Like, a few weeks ago I mixed Deep Sleep Comforting Milk Bath Float from The Body Shop with Sleep Night Time Tea body wash from Bath & Body Works. I didn't really think about it before using the 2 of these products but they didn't mesh well at all. The milk bath was more floral and the body wash had more of a fruit scent to it. Cedarwood, orange, & a milky chamomile didn't really do it for me, though the sound of it seems like it could work.
The other day I got a small package from my friend Andrea with some goodies. Andrea is a licensed massage therapist who runs the blog Confident Massage. She has written a book with advice for the, "budding massage therapist," and she knows a lot about your skin & products that are good for it.
Since I have been on a eucalyptus kick the past few months, for Festivus she had gotten me some amazing dōTERRA essential oils in Breathe, and of course, eucalyptus. You put around 5 drops in the bath, use as a (non-burning or low heat) diffuser or use them directly on the skin. Since these are so concentrated, topical use is best used with a base oil or they can irritate your skin. Andrea had sent me some coconut oil of theirs where I mix 5 drops of the coconut oil & 1 drop of the Breathe oil & rub it on my neck & chest. It has been very helpful the times I have used it. She also advised you can use a topical jojoba oil. The initial application is a bit oily but then it just becomes very softening to the skin. Some oils stay oily & sticky so I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It also leaves a nice cool sensation.
So in my gift from her there was the coconut oil & then some bath herb sachets from Bloomin' Desert Herb Farm.* The name pretty much explains the company. They specialize in organic fresh or dried herbs for culinary or medicinal use.
I have 2 pictures because I really want to give you all an idea on how packed their sachets are with their herbs. This is the Relaxation Bath which is full of lavender and oatstraw. On the package it advises to drop into a hot bath or hang in the shower. I think I have mentioned before I have a love-hate relationship w/lavender & so I think this product helped me determine the specifics of what it is I like about lavender & also what I hate about it. This is a good thing though.
Lavender can have a fresh sweetness to it, or a pungent floral. I have found when using more natural products that I get the fresh sweetness of lavender from them & that is what I love about lavender. The pungent floral is more artificial & it has caused me headaches before.
So, back to the product. This definitely had the sweet lavender scent, light & not overpowering. When placed in the bath it did kind of just float around so I squished it a few times to get the air out & some of the goodness into the bath. It is sealed very well & only a very teeny tiny bit of the product escaped from the sachet. Just as it said, it was a very relaxing & comforting bath.
Andrea had also gotten me a foot bath from them, which I have not tried yet. That one advises it can be used up to 4 times. The other one didn't mention that but I bet I can get a few more lovely baths out of it.
I actually haven't taken my daily bath yet. The time change has been exhausting me & I think the weather has been making my asthma pretty bad the last week. Working on these things though. Overall feeling quite content right now though still trying to control my breathing a bit. Think I may try to use the relaxation bath sachet again tonight.
Thanks again Andrea! XO
*If you would like to contact Bloomin' Desert Herb Farm, visit their facebook page; e-mail them at bloomindesert1@yahoo.com; write to them at 208 Trenier Sr, Henderson, NV 89002; or call them at 1-702-301-8996.
Sometimes the mixing & matching doesn't always go too well. Like, a few weeks ago I mixed Deep Sleep Comforting Milk Bath Float from The Body Shop with Sleep Night Time Tea body wash from Bath & Body Works. I didn't really think about it before using the 2 of these products but they didn't mesh well at all. The milk bath was more floral and the body wash had more of a fruit scent to it. Cedarwood, orange, & a milky chamomile didn't really do it for me, though the sound of it seems like it could work.
The other day I got a small package from my friend Andrea with some goodies. Andrea is a licensed massage therapist who runs the blog Confident Massage. She has written a book with advice for the, "budding massage therapist," and she knows a lot about your skin & products that are good for it.
Since I have been on a eucalyptus kick the past few months, for Festivus she had gotten me some amazing dōTERRA essential oils in Breathe, and of course, eucalyptus. You put around 5 drops in the bath, use as a (non-burning or low heat) diffuser or use them directly on the skin. Since these are so concentrated, topical use is best used with a base oil or they can irritate your skin. Andrea had sent me some coconut oil of theirs where I mix 5 drops of the coconut oil & 1 drop of the Breathe oil & rub it on my neck & chest. It has been very helpful the times I have used it. She also advised you can use a topical jojoba oil. The initial application is a bit oily but then it just becomes very softening to the skin. Some oils stay oily & sticky so I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It also leaves a nice cool sensation.
So in my gift from her there was the coconut oil & then some bath herb sachets from Bloomin' Desert Herb Farm.* The name pretty much explains the company. They specialize in organic fresh or dried herbs for culinary or medicinal use.
I have 2 pictures because I really want to give you all an idea on how packed their sachets are with their herbs. This is the Relaxation Bath which is full of lavender and oatstraw. On the package it advises to drop into a hot bath or hang in the shower. I think I have mentioned before I have a love-hate relationship w/lavender & so I think this product helped me determine the specifics of what it is I like about lavender & also what I hate about it. This is a good thing though.
Lavender can have a fresh sweetness to it, or a pungent floral. I have found when using more natural products that I get the fresh sweetness of lavender from them & that is what I love about lavender. The pungent floral is more artificial & it has caused me headaches before.
So, back to the product. This definitely had the sweet lavender scent, light & not overpowering. When placed in the bath it did kind of just float around so I squished it a few times to get the air out & some of the goodness into the bath. It is sealed very well & only a very teeny tiny bit of the product escaped from the sachet. Just as it said, it was a very relaxing & comforting bath.
Andrea had also gotten me a foot bath from them, which I have not tried yet. That one advises it can be used up to 4 times. The other one didn't mention that but I bet I can get a few more lovely baths out of it.
I actually haven't taken my daily bath yet. The time change has been exhausting me & I think the weather has been making my asthma pretty bad the last week. Working on these things though. Overall feeling quite content right now though still trying to control my breathing a bit. Think I may try to use the relaxation bath sachet again tonight.
Thanks again Andrea! XO
*If you would like to contact Bloomin' Desert Herb Farm, visit their facebook page; e-mail them at bloomindesert1@yahoo.com; write to them at 208 Trenier Sr, Henderson, NV 89002; or call them at 1-702-301-8996.
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