Disquieting Designs

Recently, Megan from Disquieting Designs, got in touch with me about her bath and body products. Being that she is also from Pittsburgh, we consoled each other in the Steelers Loss and she sent me some samples of her wonderful products.

N0w, I've said before, that I love soaps that don't smell like soap. Even some of the best smelling soaps out there can still have that "soap" smell after you lather up. Not so with the Pink Grapefruit soap I received from Megan. It was a nice pink color and lathered up really well. The fragrance was citrusy with a smidgen of floral, very nice. And, that fragrance remained during lathering. That is always a plus for me. The soaps are $5 a slice.

Megan also sent me one of her solid lotion bars in Toasted Marshmallow. The fragrance was light but nice. Now, I am not partial to lotion bars myself. Some of the ones I've gotten in the past were either difficult to maneuver or hard to hold. This one, however, is in a tube! Maybe there are more stores out there that do this, but this is the first time I have seen a solid lotion in a tube. Much easier to use and much better at getting my skin moisturized. This was really useful on those knees and elbows. $6 for a tube of the Toasted Marshmallow and $8.50 for Lavender.

Lastly, the Lip Balm. Megan sent me one of her shea lip balms in Peppermint. Peppermint is always a good lip balm flavor and I love it. At first the lip balm was a little hard, but once it warms up it is as smooth as silk. I used it for a few weeks and I thought it was pretty good. I'm a lip balm addict so when I can apply one that lasts for a good while, I'm happy. And Disquieting Designs lip balm lasted. The lip balms come in 7 flavors and cost $3.50.

There's alot more to Disquieting Designs that I will probably have to try and post again. I'm always a sucker for bath and body products. Take a peek and see if you find something new.

CONSUMER ALERT: PARABENS WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT PART 2

Ok, this is really gross to me. I was grocery shopping tonight and just randomly checked ingredients on things. I'm sure alot of you use food coloring to decorate cakes and cookies...I'm going to tell you to check your cabinet for any McCormick food coloring that comes in that little box of 4. Look at the ingredients and you will find propylparaben as an ingredient. Thankfully, I switched a long while back to the Wilton gel food coloring..no parabens there. I just wanted to throw this warning out there. Last time I found it in Mylanta and this time in food coloring. Always, always check ingredients b4 you buy!!!!

More Love Shopping

I told you I'd find more. .....



At A Pretty Rock, orders $40+ will receive this pair of earrings free. That way you can buy something for yourself and get a Valentine's Gift for someone else.





More Etsy finds. Check out these Valentine's soapsicles. Scented Rose, Vanilla and Chocolate..with real cocoa in that bottom layer. These are at Love Lee Soaps on Etsy for $5 per bar.





How about this Sparrows Heart Necklace at Salt Run Designs? That bright red crystal just screams out from all that dark brass. I think it's really cool and hope my husband will start actually reading my blog so he knows some things he could get. $34 and there's some other heart themed jewelry as well.





Accessory Bug has some new metallic bags for the lady in your life or if you are a lady, for you. Get 10% off with the code "POSTXMAS" and it's good thru March 1st.






Mi-Spa has a special new scent for Valentine's Day into the Spring called Ume. Seen here is a gift set for $39.50 that includes UME and heart shaped scrub "bon bons".






For the little girl in your life, Ribbon Rock Star has these adorable V-day hair bows. And, you get free shipping on any V-Day hair bow purchased. Prices range from $2.85 to $7.50. This cute Ladybug one is $5.



And one more Anti-Valentines day item, these "Boys are Yucky" buttons from Buttonhead on Etsy. Sorry, these are too funny and I love them. Only $1.50 for a button.



Need unique Valentine's Day cards? Try The Donut Lounge. These are very different from the cards you'll find at Target. I like the Falling For You card with the apple falling off the tree. Prices range from $2.50 to $3.25.

How about jewelry at 50% off? Roxi Designs is having a 50% off sale on the entire site (there are a couple exceptions which are listed on the site) until Feb. 29th. This bracelet is one of my favorites from her site, it may look familiar as I had posted about this bracelet before.

Love is In the Air...so SHOP

Since I had a Christmas shopping guide, I thought I'd give Valentine's Day a shot. I've gotten alot of responses and found quite a few interesting things myself. If you're looking for something a little different this year then this is the place to look! Here's what I have for you including photos and links for your shopping convienience.

Crazy Dreams Studio, who's rings I covet, has some really cute Valentine's Day themed rings. And, for my readers, you can get a 15% discount thru March 31st by using the code "BE MINE" at checkout. This adorable double heart ring is $24.

Two Sisters Jewelry Boutique is having a sale. Get 15% off with the code "VALENTINE". This romantic necklace called Rosie is $45, plus you get 15% off.

Art By Mags has these great LOVE clocks. They're made from old Vinyl records and the designs are stenciled on. A unique V-day gift and its all recycled materials!! This Pink and White clock (there's also a red one) is $40.

At The Pear Project, you'll find all kinds of unique V-day gifts. Plus you get 10% off with the code "GRND". There's jewelry, handbags, postcards, greeting cards and more. I like this Fallen Heart necklace, only $20.

My Favorite Mirror has plenty of V-day themed mirrors and coasters. Since my youngest son is a HUGE train fan, this one is my favorite. The mirrors are $6.50 and coasters are $16. There's mousepads too for $14.

Ok, this one is a little bit more expensive, but I LOVE THIS DEVIL!!! Fluffels has this Love Devil which is just the best thing ever. You can even get his tail monogrammed. He will run you $54 US but he's worth it. Come on now, admit it..you want one! I Do!!!!!

Mindy's Embroidery on Etsy has this outrageous Pooping Cupid!!!! It's hysterical. Great for a kids gift. And, at only $4.50 with 80 cents shipping, this is a great gift at a great price.

For those of you who may be sick of Valentines Day, Rotem Gear has some great Anti-Valentines t-shirts. Prices start at $22.99 and up..there's even mugs and cards. I like this No Cupids one.

I love Etsy. There's just so many one of a kind finds there. I like this I Luv U Hedge Hog purse at Bam Designs. It's just too cute and only $10. The listing says that she'll personalize it too if you want. There's also a Bunny love purse too.

That's all for today..it's getting late and I need my beauty sleep. I'm sure I'll find some more to post so you'll just have to wait.

More for the Hall of Shame

Awhile back I had a short post on Dove's Creamy Oil Body Wash. It's "creamy oil" was petrolatum. So, I was in CVS the other day running an errand and was down the body wash aisle. I thought I'd take a look at some of the other "moisturizing" body washes just to see. What I found really kinda shocked me. Those Oil of Olay Moisture Ribbon body washes..well they have petrolatum in them too. Olay! Wow, that was a shock. I remember when Oil of Olay was it's own company and now it's under some other giant conglomerate. When there's so many other natural oils out there why do these companies put petrolatum in their body wash???
Just in case you are wondering what Petrolatum is..here is a quote from this month's issue of Plenty Magazine (they have a great article on these nasty chemicals in beauty products.)
"Petrolatum
What it is: a mineral oil derivitive used to soothe and soften the skin.
Found in: lip balm, moisturizer, facial moisturizer, products with SPF, styling gel and anti-itch cream.
Why you should avoid it: It's a by-product of petroleum, so it's not biodegradable and comes from a nonrenewable energy source, says Daniel Fabricant, PhD, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Natural Products Association. It also may contain low levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are suspected carninogens."

Avoid it if you can. I've made changes in my life and the way I buy things. Do you look at your labels?

Dancing Dingo Dances into My Life

Awhile back, I received an email from Dancing Dingo regarding their products. I was more than happy to try them out and of course post my review. I was sent some amazing body products including their Shea Butter Hand Cream, Shea Butter Lip Balm, Cocoa & Shea Butter Hand & Body Lotion and a Temple Blend Aromatherapy Oil (which came in the most beautiful little bottle). I'd like to personally thank Kathy at Dancing Dingo for her generosity.

The Shea Butter Hand Cream is by far my favorite. This cream is like silk. It's thick and rich but just glides onto the skin and absorbs very quickly with no greasy feel. I've been using it at night on both my hands and feet. It makes my skin feel soft for quite a few hours. And, my hands and feet are the worst dry skin areas I have, especially in the winter. The fact that my hands have stayed soft and supple really means alot. Usually, this time of year, my hands are dry and look like 60 year old hands. This cream really improved the feel, look and texture of the skin on my hands. I am very impressed. The ingredients include Aloe Vera gel, Sweet Almond Oil, Shea butter, Jojobal oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil and lavender essential oil. I have really taken a fancy to Lavender lately and this cream has a nice, light Lavender scent. A good sized jar of this lovely stuff will run you about $10, but you need to realize that you don't need to use alot each time. A little bit is more than enough. I love this stuff!!

The Cocoa & Shea Butter Hand & Body Lotion is not as thick and rich as the cream. But, I really like using this during the day. I only used the thick cream at night or when my hands were really bad. It's a less intense which I used and still use throughout the day. I have a 2 year old so I'm always changing diapers and using hand sanitizer. To counteract that sanitizer dryness, I kept the pump bottle of this lotion right next to the hand sanitizer. The scent I received was Rosemary Mint, and it is such a refreshing and energizing fragrance. It's a really good pick me up during the day when I start to run down (I have all boys and I get run down!). An 8 oz. bottle is $11 and a 16 oz is $20. I've been using it for a few weeks now and I still have a good amount left. Even though it's a less intense moisturizer, a little bit is still all you need to refresh your skin instantly.

The Shea Butter Lip Balm is to my lips as the Hand Cream is to my hands. I received a 1/2 oz pot filled with lip balm in Mandarin Orange flavor. The flavor is just right, just enough of that orange to make it perfect. It's not too strong but not too weak either. Like the hand cream, this lip balm is like silk on my lips. I found that I only need a tiny bit of it each time. Ingredients include: Sweet almond oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and organic Carrot Seed extract (a new ingredient to me in lip balm). Now, I received a pot of lip balm..but on the site you can buy it in the tube form for $3.95. I just perused the flavor list and I really gotta try the Pink Champagne..that sounds too good not to.

A good amount Dancing Dingo's products are Vegan and PETA approved. There's nothing artificial in the ingredients, and that's always a plus for me. There is quite a large variety of products there also including products for baby, products for your pooch and home fragrance. I am truly sold on the Hand Cream and the Lip Balm, so I have a new etailer I plan on being loyal to.

I Had an Indie Christmas

My husband has never been the greatest gift giver. I have to be very very specific or else...well you know :-)
So I basically did all the shopping for him. I wanted a Messenger Bag, an Apron and some bath and body stuff. I went shopping on Etsy and gave him several choices for the Bag and the Apron..that way I would be sure to get what I want but still be surprised on what he picked out.


Here's the apron he bought me. It's a full apron from Total Table Envy. It's called Tea Time. The front is this polka dot fabric with a blue background with white dots. The reverse side, the ties, the pocket and the really nice pleating at the bottom are all in this blue/white tea pot pattern. I love it. It's so feminine and so very well designed and sewn. The price was $29 plus $3 shipping. There's a pretty good selection from polka dots to paisley to flowers. It's a good quality apron that I wouldn't find in the local Target. Plus the fabrics just work so well together.



I've been dying for a messenger bag for awhile. So I did alot of looking on Etsy to find a really interesting pattern and what looked like solid quality craftsmanship. Cause you know I'm all about good quality stuff. My husband chose this one from the Ophelia Miller shop on Etsy. He got this one because the colors matched the Old Navy Peacoat I always wear in the winter. I don't know how I got along without this Messenger Bag. All these years of fumbling for my purse on my shoulder or having it fall off when I'm trying to put the kids in the car. This gives me complete freedome for my hands, plus I don't have to go unzipping things. There's 3 good sized pockets inside for little stuff like your cell phone etc. The Main compartment I use for my wallet but when I have to go out with my little one, it will also hold a couple of diapers and a small package of wipes with no problems. It also has a zippered compartment on the outside/front that I put my gum, receipts etc in. With all that stuff in there, it still lies flat. I just love the colors and the patterns and it has a nice adjustable shoulder strap. This bag is put together really strong, no worries about this one coming apart. Excellent work! This bag cost $38.50 plus $6.50 shipping. This has already paid for itself in my opinion, just in the last week or so.


It's nice to get exactly what you wanted for Christmas isn't it? I love my new things and am thankful that my husband followed my directions lol.I hope your Christmas was just as nice!