It’s impossible to go wrong when you throw a mustache into the mix.

Because an anatomically correct heart being pierced with an arrow is way romantic.

Don’t let your special friend’s smelly feet kill the mood!

For breakfast lovers everywhere.

Get it?! The whiskey on the card is being served neat.

Can you keep a secret? I actually bought Kirby two of the five treats listed above. I can wait for him to open them!

Don’t forget to enter the 8×10 canvas print giveaway!

Sources: Felted Soap, Heart Shirt, Shoe Bags, Eye Pillow, Cute Card.

And speaking of the dudes in our lives, this post about the sketchy products they use is worth reading.

I can’t be certain until it’s on my finger, but this heart ring might be perfect in every way.

I’m really bad at giving massages (I’ve been made fun of too many times to count), but receiving them poses few or no problems.

My feet would be right at home inside these crochet slippers.

Vanilla moon and mystic dragon’s blood would be my two picks for Valentine’s Day soap scents.

What would Valentine’s Day be without chocolate-covered strawberries? It’d be the worst; that’s what.

I plan to make and send so many sewn paper valentines, much like the ones above. Maybe I’ll receive or or two as well. ; )

Are you planning ahead for Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear about the special crafts or gifts you’re making!

Sources: Ring, Salve, Slippers, Soap, Cards, Strawberries.

If you feel like you’ve seen this soap on the blog recently, then it’s because you have. Danielle gave me a bar for Christmas, and I’ve been using it ever since. Now it’s time for a review!

Ingredients (provided at iherb.com)- “100% vegetable soap: butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), coconut oil and/or palm oil, apricot oil, nigella sativa (black seed), honey, vegetable glycerin, tocopherol (vitamin E), mineral pigment or vegetable color, essential oil blend.”

The preliminary report I created for this product in the Cosmetics Database gives it a hazard score of 1. The unspecified oils and unspecified color both have hazard scores of 4, but I’m not too alarmed by this since I know the oils are essential and the color is of either mineral or vegetable origin.

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s cruelty-free.

3. It’s sustainably produced and contains ethically traded ingredients.

4. It’s sulfate and paraben-free.

Product Description(provided at iherb.com)- “Honey has historically been used as an antiseptic in balms and poultices to comfort and soothe skin, reduce redness and heal wounds. Black Seed oil, Nigella Sativa, can be traced back more than 3,000 years to the kingdom of the Assyrians and ancient Egyptians. Discovered in the tomb of King Tutankhamen, Black Seed oil was reportedly used by Queen Nefertiti to maintain her exquisite complextion. Black Seed earned the Arabic approbation”habbatul barakah”, the seed of blessing, for its powerful curative properties in traditional medicine.

The traditional use of Black Seed oil on the skin to strengthen the immune system, prevent external infections and increase blood circulation has been updated in a gentle exfoliating cleanser made with Black Seeds, conditioning Honey, healing Shea Butter and softening Apricot Oil.”

Price- around $3.07 for a 5 oz. bar.

Performance-This bar is currently sitting on the cedar soap dish beside the sink in my bathroom. I love washing my hands with it because it’s surprisingly moisturizing and doesn’t leave my hands feeling dry or in desperate need of lotion. I chose not to use it as a body was for two reasons:

1. I want to make this gem last as long as possible.

2. The scent might not be mild enough for an all over wash. See below. (Have I mentioned that I have an extremely sensitive nose? Thanks, mom.)

Scent- This product has a lovely, rich floral scent. It’s actually pretty impressive how strong the scent manages to be. The empty box is sitting beside me as I’m typing this review and I am fully aware of that fact. Also, this soap is the first thing I smell when I walk into my bathroom.

Rating- 9/10. I’m subtracting 1 point because the scent of this bar, as awesome as it is, is so strong that it might be a bit overwhelming if I washed my entire body with it.

from Danielle:

From left to right and top to bottom- Rock Sugar, Bar Soap, Mustard Bath, Teavana Tea.

The soap, sugar, and teas smell like a dream, and I cannot wait to use that mustard bath.

and Kirby:

L to R & T to B- Skin Tea, Glass Teapot, Glass Kettle, Stress Tea.

Kirby knows that I tend to get stressed, particularly when my skin is misbehaving, so he bought me a tea to address each problem. He also got me a new glass kettle since my old one cracked and a cordless, electric kettle that is way too awesome.

Is there someone in your life who always knows just what to get you?

This beer is equal parts manly, dark, and delicious.

What guy wouldn't want a mustache comb with Nick Offerman's name on it? I'll tell you: a lame one.

Only women should eat like women.

He can't just comb his mustache; he has to tame it too.

IT'S A SKELETON PLAYING A BANJO. ON A SHIRT.

This assortment of masculine soaps would almost certainly be put to good use.

Buy it:

beer, combs, book, wax, shirt, soap.

I’m not so cool that I didn’t have help finding these items. Shocking? Of course it is. I saw most of them on uncrate, and I tried/loved the beer at a free tasting. Oh, and my friend Evan sent me a link to the shirt…he’s one of the 5 manliest men I know.

What are you buying for the man or men in your life? Be sure to check back tomorrow for the lady’s gift guide!

And enter the mantra perfume giveaway if you haven’t already. It’s only logical.

A few days later, I received a package from Cindy’s shop. I was impressed to see a sticker on the package indicating that Pine Branch Designs reuses packing envelopes and supplies, and the small strip of nesting dolls tape certainly brought a smile to my face. I was equally delighted once I opened the package to find two beautifully wrapped cedar soap dishes. This might go without saying, but they smelled like cedar too! It was dreamy.

The soap dishes are right at home in my bathroom, and I couldn’t be happier with the little guys. They definitely exceeded my expectations. Maybe I’ll buy another one to put by the kitchen sink. They’re apparently great for drying sponges, too!

And now for the giveaway! Pine Branch Designs has generously offered to give away a set of three cedar soap dishes to one lucky reader! Here’s how to enter (leave a comment for each entry, and be sure to include a way for me to contact you if you win!):

Mandatory entry:

• Share this giveaway on Facebook & like the Pine Branch Designs Facebook Page.

Optional entries:

• Add Pine Branch Designs to your favorite shops on Etsy.
• Tweet about this giveaway. Use the following minus the quotation marks: “@dawngwimes is having a cedar soap dish giveaway on Turby and John. Head on over and check it out!  http://goo.gl/bQ1WI”
• Sign up for the quarterly Pine Branch Designs newsletter.

Image Courtesy of Zanadia.com

When I came across a tub of Waikiki Pikake Body Butter at Marshalls for only 8 dollars, I snatched it up right away. My Wakiki Pikake Soy Candle makes my bathroom smell great, and I couldn’t wait to wear such a lovely scent. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I didn’t even glance at the ingredients.

Ingredients (provided at pacificaperfume.com)-”aqua (water), caprylic/capric triglyceride, stearic acid (vegetable source), glycerin (vegetable source), fragrance (Pacifica’s own perfume blend with natural and essential oils), carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, glyceryl stearate (vegetable source), butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, stearyl alcohol (grain), polysorbate 60, mango butter, prunus amygdalus dulcis (almond) seed oil, rosa canina (rose hip) seed oil, organic aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, organic cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, organic arnica montana flower extract, organic chamomile flower extract, organic white tea extract, anacyclus pyrethrum root extract, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, potassium sorbate, tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate, sodium carbomer, citric acid, betacarotene.”

I couldn’t find this specific product on the Cosmetic Safety Database, but I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above. The ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are: Fragrance (which I’m pretty sure in this case falls into the category of unspecified oils and has a hazard score of 4), Polysorbate 60 (with a whopping hazard score of 4-7), Phenoxyethanol (4), benzyl alcohol (6), tocopheryl acetate (4).

For what it’s worth, I found another Pacifica Body Butter with similar ingredients in the CSD, and it received a hazard score of 3.

Some great things about this product:

1. It contains organic ingredients.

2. It’s free of parabens.

3. It’s vegan and cruelty-free.

4. It’s made without GMOs.

Product Description (provided at pacificaperfume.com)- “Made with nature’s best moisturizers – shea butter, almond oil and safflower oil – and Pacifica’s signature perfume blends with essential and natural oils, Pacifica’s paraben-free Body Butter is richly moisturizing and phenomenal for layering. Delicate and sensuous in Waikiki Pikake, it’s positively addictive!”

Price- Around $18.00 for an 8 oz jar

Performance- This body butter makes my skin ridiculously soft, and there’s no denying it. It doesn’t leave my skin sticky or greasy, either, which is a problem that I’ve had with other body butters.

Scent-I initially described this product as smelling really floral and a little fruity,  but I think the container says it best with, “Sweet Hawaiian Jasmine and velvety sandalwood are reminiscent of oil Hawaii.”  The scent isn’t too rich or overwhelming at all, but it doesn’t seem to fade much hours after application, either.

Rating- 7/10. This product has exceptional scent and performance, but the ingredients aren’t anything to write home about.

Would I purchase this item again?- I doubt it. There are a few ingredients that I simply cannot overlook. From now on, I think I’ll stick with Pacifica Soy Candles, Natural Soaps, and Solid Perfumes.

I came across some pretty awesome giveaways that I’d like to share with you guys:

1) Goats Milk Goods Giveaway -Enter this giveaway to win three bars of soap. All bars of Goats Milk Goods soap are free of dyes, synthetic colors, chemicals, and preservatives.

2)Otterbottle Giveaway- Here’s another giveaway on the same blog; enter this one to win an insulated lunch tote- much greener than a brown paper sack.

3) Beecology Giveaway- Enter this giveaway to win a full-sized shampoo and conditioner. Both shampoo and conditioner are paraben and sulfate-free.

There are several different ways to earn bonus entries in each giveaway. Even if you’re not personally interested in any of these items, I’d be willing to bet that someone on your Christmas list is!

You’re welcome!

If someone wanted to buy me soap-making supplies for Christmas, then I certainly wouldn’t complain. I even found a website with tons of soap recipes that I can use! Once I get the hang of it, I can give the especially dreamy-smelling ones away as gifts. That would just be the best, wouldn’t it?

Image Courtesy of Vitacost.com

1. Kiss My Face Fragrance-Free Pure Olive Oil Soap:

Ingredients-Saponified Olive Oil, Water, Sodium Chloride (This product has a zero hazard score on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.)

Reasons to like it- This product is vegan, was not tested on animals,  and is free of artificial colors.

Why I like it- It works like a charm for removing that pesky bit of eye makeup that coconut oil leaves behind.

Image Courtesy of Drbronner.com

2. Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Orange Pure-Castile Soap:

Ingredients-Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm & Organic Olive Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Water, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Orange Oil, Organic Lemon Oil, Organic Lime Oil, Salt, Citric Acid, Vitamin E (This Product has a hazard score of one on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.)

Reasons to like it- All of the ingredients are fair trade, the oils and essential oils used are certified organic, and this product was not tested on animals.

Why I like it- I use this soap to wash my body occasionally. The clean, fresh scent is perfect for an invigorating morning shower.

Image Courtesy of Burtsbees.com

3. Burt’s Bees Garden Carrot Complexion Soap:

Ingredients-Vegetable soap, vegetable glycerin, carrot powder, carrot seed oil, aloe barbadensis, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, beta carotene (This product earns a hazard score of two from the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database.)

Reasons to like it- None of Burt’s Bees products are tested on animals, and all of their product packaging is designed to be recyclable.

Why I like it- I used to use this soap to wash my face everyday, but I noticed that it worked particularly well when I had a sunburn. After using this soap, my skin peeled faster and the length of my sunburns tended to be much shorter. I no longer wash my face with bar soap daily, but I’ll still probably snag a bar of this the next time I spend too much time in the sun.