Danielle and I made homemade bath soak for some of our friends and gave them away as Christmas presents this year. The scents that we ended up with were appropriately named Tangerine Raspberry, Lavender Vanilla, Lemon Jasmine, Lavender Spearmint, and Lavender Peppermint. We used old wine, whiskey, Irish cream, and gin bottles as containers, and the fact that we had ten of those with lids just lying around may make us seem like a bunch of lushes…but, in our defense, we have a lot of parties at our house. For the labels, Kirby modified a set of West Elm holiday tags and cards that Danielle found on How About Orange. I’m really happy with the way that they turned out!

The adorable stamp that I used for the labels on top came from a cute little Etsy shop called cupcaketree. I should’ve taken a closer picture of them, but the birds are wearing Santa hats in case you can’t tell. How adorable, right?!

That’s our friend Robert holding his lavender spearmint bath soak. He’s an alright guy.

This is me with my pretty friend, Allie

Your eyes aren’t playing tricks. That is a fancy Christmas vest that I’m wearing.

Preparing to travel home, Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, Christmas crafting (which I will post about eventually), and fighting off a cold have been keeping me pretty busy lately. I honestly didn’t have much time to throw together anything even kind of original today. Still, I think you guys should check out Care2′s list of 20 Green Gift Ideas. There are some real winners here and there. I love a list that includes animal lovers.

Image Courtesy of supermarkethq.com

By the title, of course, I meant more environmentally friendly items for less money.  It may not be clever or original, but it made me chuckle. And if you’re usually broke like me, then you’re gonna love re-nest’s 25 Green Home Gifts Under $25. Before seeing this list, I actually purchased one of the items listed for Kirby as one of his smaller Christmas presents). I won’t disclose which one, since Kirby may or may not read my blog sometimes (probably not). Anyway, how cute are those lavender sachets?!  Annnd I don’t hate that solid brass bicycle bell.

1. Foxy iPhone pouch- I don’t actually need this, but I’m a sucker for animal-adorned accessories.

2. Beautiful Turquoise Netti Pot- Maybe I can finally stop using my boring blue plastic one!

3. Subscription to Dog Fancy Magazine- I love dogs, and I love magazines. The end.

4. Subscription to Natural Health Magazine- I have a feeling that this magazine is gonna rock my world.

5. Jasmine & Grapefruit Organic Deodorant- I’ve been using a sample that I received of the Lemon Sage Deodorant that’s also Erbaviva for about a week, and I absolutely love it (Review is on the way)! I’m asking for a different scent for Christmas in the hopes that it’ll be slightly more feminine.

6. Lavanila Vanilla Coconut Perfume- I know, I know. I probably don’t need any more perfume, but the ingredients are too dreamy to pass up!

7. Benefit Badgal Eyeliner- I’m almost out, and I don’t have the patience or energy to seek out a new, more natural eyeliner right now.

8. Karen’s Botanicals Rehydrating Aloe Vera Lotion- I can’t get enough of this stuff; it’s the best moisturizer that I’ve ever used.

9. Candles, Candles, and More Candles- To quote their site, “Pacifica Soy Candles are handmade with vegetable soy wax, lead-free wicks and Pacifica’s signature perfume blends with essential and natural oils.”

Image Courtesy of Etsy.com/shop/Plantationdesigns

1) Debutante Face Scrubbies- I’m the kind of person who buys gifts for friends that I secretly want for myself. I bought my good friend, Selena, a set of these for her birthday not long ago. Ever since then, I’ve been longing for them. They’re very reasonably-priced, and they come in a set of 4. Even better, they’re 100% cotton and greener than disposable cotton face pads!

Image Courtesy of Demeterfragrance.com

2) Demeter Naturals Mimosa Eau De Toilette Spray- I’m pretty sure that I’ve publicly swooned over this perfume on my blog before, but no one took the hint and bought it for me. I hope someone does this time; that’d be a Christmas miracle. It’s also formulated without synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, and pthalates, so I don’t have to feel guilty about using it!

Image Courtesy of Earthessentials.com

3) Earth Science Purfection Hand Cream- I just got a lot of free samples from this company, and I’ve only tried the hand cream thus far. It’s super dreamy; the scent reminds me of these scented babydolls that I used to play with as a child.  Don’t you worry; I’ll review the hand cream soon. I kind of hate that this it’s out of stock, but I’m sure it’s for sale elsewhere.

What on y’alls Christmas list? It doesn’t have to be health and beauty-related for you to share, but it certainly can be!