Wanna see what I got?

I haven’t shampooed my hair in months, and it’s definitely healthier for it. Still, I can always get on board with something that will make my hair smell like something other than…hair. That’s my one complaint with using only baking soda: it smells like nothing at all.

Either none of my friends or family can take a hint, or a neti pot isn’t an appropriate gift. Either way, I finally bought myself one that isn’t raggedy and plastic.  As long I stick to distilled water, I won’t have to worry about the elusive brain amoeba.

I have a feeling this book is gonna rock my world.

I guess I can finally stop stealing Danielle’s. Also my hair will thank me for this.

A few drops of this + argan oil = the perfect moisturizer. Danielle taught me this.

Learning is fun, y’all!

Dry Shampoo, Neti Pot, Book 1, Argan Oil, Essential Oil, Book 2.

I’ll be reviewing and/or discussing my experiences with all of the above very soon.

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 perfect lotion really is perfect, and it's unscented for even the most sensitive of noses.

I'd probably drop this on day one, but glass is so much more appealing than plastic.

Everyone knows the holidays are stressful.

A girl could wear this cozy wrap anywhere under the sun.

Box wine doesn't have to be trashy. YB wine is organic and produces less waste. WIN.

When all else fails, buy a gift card (preferably one to somewhere awesome like TJ Maxx.)

Buy it: Perfect Lotion, Water Bottle, Stress Soother, Infinity Wrap, YB Wine, Gift Cards.

Wanna hit up this perfume giveaway?

If there’s one thing that I am, then it’s a habitual snacker. So obviously, when I was given the opportunity to review Hail Merry’s blonde and choco macaroons, I took the appropriate steps to make it happen.

The short list of familiar, organic ingredients were an initial reassurance, but they were the furthest thing from my mind once I tasted my first choco macaroon. Delicious might be an understatement, so let’s say it was delicious^3. Chocolate has never tasted so good. And the blonde macaroons were just as tasty! They were buttery and had the nicest vanilla flavor; I might’ve had two in my mouth at one point. I should probably stay away from these bad boys since I could easily eat a whole bag in one sitting, but sometimes a girl’s just gotta get her snack on. Am I right?

Before you judge me, let me share the ingredient lists with you guys. They’re actually pretty impressive!

Choco Macaroons- *shredded coconut, dark cocoa, *cold pressed coconut oil, *maple syrup, Madagascar bourbon vanilla, sea salt. *denotes organic

Blonde Macaroons-*shredded coconut, *maple syrup, *natural raw almond flour, *raw coconut oil, pure Madagascar bourbon vanilla, and sea salt. *denotes organic

See what I mean? Visit Hail Merry’s website to purchase your own.

Hey, you! Have you entered the mocha body butter giveaway yet?

Have a great weekend! We’re going camping. Ya jallus? : )

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I’m crazy about Etsy for too many reasons to count, but the excellent customer service that tends to accompany a small business is probably the greatest selling point for me. When I contacted Rebecca from Wash The Day Away to request a product to review, I was delighted by her quick and friendly response, as well as her willingness to also do a giveaway on Turby and John. Check back next week and see how you can win your own jar of the lovely body butter I’m about to review. Trust me, you’ll love it!

Ingredients (provided on the product page)- “Coffee Butter, Organic Cocoa Butter, Rice Bran Oil, Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Optiphen, Cocoa Absolute.”

The preliminary report that I created in the Cosmetics Database gives this product a hazard score of 2. The only ingredient I couldn’t locate in the Cosmetics Database was coffee butter.

Some great things about this product:

1.It’s free of parabens and fragrance.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

Product Description(provided on the product page)- “Mocha Body Butter is a great skin conditioner. Treat your skin to a dose of anti-oxidants, Vitamin E & D, Fatty Acids and Proteins. Mocha Body Butter will nourish and keep your skin touchably soft all day long with the help of nature’s richest and most moisturizing ingredients.

The scent of Mocha Body Butter is just like a mug of hot Mocha Cafe Latte. Coffee, Intoxicating Dark Chocolate. Yum! A wonderful way to start each morning!”

Price-$12.00 for a 4 oz. jar.

Performance- The light, whipped consistency of this body butter left me with unbelievably silky skin. After allowing the product to dry for around 5 minutes, my skin didn’t feel the least bit greasy. It did, however, feel thoroughly moisturized all day long. Now that’s impressive!

Scent- This product has a lovely, deep, rich scent; it’s reminiscent of coffee and dark chocolate. However, it isn’t so overpowering or lingering that it’s a problem.

Rating- 9/10. I subtracted 1 point for the less than perfect hazard score, but this product is otherwise pretty remarkable.

The final Persephenie product I’m reviewing is the one I was most excited to try. If I had to choose, it’s also probably my favorite of the three, but I’m sure I’ve made it painfully obvious in the past that I’m a sucker for a hot bath.

Ingredients (provided at persephenie.com)- “Sodium bicarbonate, Sea Salt, Citric Acid, Coconut Oil (Cocus nucifera), Certified Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Denditric Salt, and a combination of botanical essential oils and absolutes.”

The preliminary report that I created in the Cosmetics Database gives this product a hazard score of 2. The only ingredient with hazard scores above a 3 is unspecified oils (4). I left out denditric salt since the site didn’t recognize it.

Some great things about this product:

1.It’s free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrance.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3. It’s cruelty-free and vegan.

Product Description(provided at persephenie.com)- “Surrender yourself in a relaxing Nanu (Hawaiian Gardenia) getaway. Nanu Lei Bath contains Certified Organic cocoa butter, a natural antioxidant that smooths and revitalizes the skin, mineral rich sea salt, known to detoxify and replenish, and coconut oil, a nourishing oil, high in essential fatty acids that protect the skin from free radicals.”

Price- $46.00 for a 12 oz. jar.

Performance- I’ve been adding a very small amount of this powder to my baths (maybe 1/2 a tablespoon), and it seems to do the trick (which makes the price considerably more reasonable). It’s moisturizing, relaxing, and it doesn’t leave a film in my tub. I’d take a bath with this stuff every night if I had an endless supply.

Scent- It’s warm, slightly floral, and a little woody. It’s an extremely appropriate scent for a hot bath.

Rating- 9.5/10. I subtracted half a point for the 1 ingredient with a hazard score above a 3.

Ingredients (provided at persephenie.com)- “Certified Organic Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis), Coconut Oil (Cocus nucifera), Organic Rose hydrosol (Rosa damascena), plant based emulsifying wax, Organic Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cocao), Organic Marula Oil (Sclerocarya birrea), Vitamin E, Certified Organic Pomagranate (Punica granatum), Grapefruit Seed Extract, Certified Organic Glycerin, Certified Organic Helichrysum (Helichrysum stoechas), Certified Organic Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Rosemary Oleoresin, Rose de Mai (Rosa centifolia) and a combination of botanical essential oils and absolutes.”

The preliminary report that I created in the Cosmetics Database gives this product a hazard score of 2. The only ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are emulsifying wax (4) and unspecified oils (4). I left out absolutes since the site didn’t recognize it, but Persephenie has since assured me of their safety.

Some great things about this product:

1.It’s free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetic fragrance.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3. It’s cruelty-free and vegan.

Product Description(provided at persephenie.com)- “An incredibly rich regenerative butter formulated specifically to balance, soothe, buffer, and heal. Botanical extracts of rose, helichrysum, pomegranate, and calendula, all known for their beneficial properties, work synergistically to restore and renew. A wonderful replenisher against the effects of the sun, aging, and wind. Rose Paka’s Organic marula oil is hand pressed from a woman’s collective in South Africa. Completely botanical. 75% ORGANIC. ”

Price- $36.00 for a 3.4 fl. oz. tub.

Performance- This body butter is unlike many other body butters I’ve used in the past in that it doesn’t make my skin feel sticky or greasy. It’s more hydrating than lotions tend to be, but it’s not excessively rich (which means I can safely moisturize my neck and chest with it). I’m a fan!

Scent- This product has a deep and rich floral scent that’s surprisingly long-lasting. It could actually effectively be worn in place of perfume, which I love.

Rating- 8.5/10. I subtracted half a point for the  price and a whole point for the 2 ingredients with hazard scores above a 3.

How adorable is this acorn & pine cone necklace? This answer is very. It’s also handmade with 100% reclaimed metal!

This dreamy scarf is made from organic cotton/hemp jersey and water-based ink.

These deep red bamboo tights seem like the perfect color for fall.

I’d love to wear these handmade vegan flats with the above tights and scarf. I don’t own enough olive green; that’s a fact.

This cute kangaroo pouch hoodie is available in organic cotton. Yay!

Necklace, Scarf, Tights, Flats, Hoodie.

Bring it on, warm drinks and cute clothes! I am so ready.

A long hot bath is one of my absolute favorite indulgences, and my new tub of Abra Therapeutics Cellular Detox Body Scrub is a great product to have for such an occasion.

Ingredients (provided with product packaging)- “A natural mineral blend of 20% volcanic ash, sodium borate, sodium carbonate and trace minerals, organic oils of almond (prunus amygdalus), olive (olea europaea), sunflower (helianthus annuus), and jojoba (simmondsia chinensis) infused with organic dandelion root (taraxicum officinal), and burdock root (arctium lappa), essential oils of grapefruit (citrus paradisi), juniper (juniperus communis), lavender (lavendula officinalis), lemongrass (cymbopogon citratus), cedarleaf (thuja occidentalis), and fir (abies sibirica), and natural vitamin E (mixed tocopherols).”

Since I couldn’t locate this product in the Cosmetics Database, I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above.  The only ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are as follows: Sodium Borate (5-6, depending on usage) & Trace Minerals (4).

Some great things about this product:

1.It’s cruelty, paraben, sulfate, preservative and artificial fragrance/color free.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3. The container is made from #1 plastic and can easily be recycled.

Product Description(provided at abratherapeutics.com)- “Our lives are full of exposure to daily pollutants that cling to the surface of our skin.  Cellular Detox Body Scrub is made to neutralize these free radical pollutants and shed them from your body.  Organic Dandelion and burdock combine with essences of Grapefruit and Juniper for an uplifting aromatic pleasure.”

Price- from around $7 to $16 for a 10 oz. tub.

Performance- I’ve taken three baths with this product thus far, and each was lovelier than the last. I tend to concentrate on my arms, legs, and feet, which are the least delicate and most neglected areas. Scrubbing my legs with this product before shaving results in some seriously soft legs, and my elbows feel just dreamy. Breathing in this scrub as I use it is also a real treat (see below).

Scent- It smells a lot like citrus fruit and also like a forest. I love it.

Rating- I’m subtracting 2 points for the 2 questionable ingredients, so this product receives an 8/10.

Image Source

The tea on the left pictured above is the raspberry leaf tea I usually buy. It’s tasty and it always comes in handy a few days before my period, but it costs over 5 dollars for only 16 bags. The tea on the right is a box I picked up a T.J. Maxx while at the beach with my family. There are 50 bags in that tiny little box, and it only cost 4 dollars. Even better, this tea has both raspberry leaf and raspberry fruit, so it’s slightly sweet on its own (and still only 5 calories per cup)! Don’t you just love finding a good deal?

Wanna read more about raspberry leaf tea? Check out this article.

In other news, I’ll be attending the Harry Potter 7.5 premiere at midnight with a small group of friends and I could not be more pumped.