Lavishly Love {Favorite finds of 2010}

 My friend Meredith over at Lavishly Love blog inspired me to write this post. And since some of you received gift cards and cash for Christmas I thought I would give you a few good ideas on where to spend it. These are my favorite finds of 2010.

For the kitchen & Laundry...

Love this stuff! Borax... I use it in the place of bleach and also with the dogs blankets. Very safe to use with any color of fabric... so it's where Clorox 2 snagged it's idea from. This stuff has been around for years. I actually saw an antique tin of Borax in the mountains this year of it and it pretty much looks the same except it's in a box. I have also used it to clean the shower and the hot tub outside. It would be great for the kitchen sink, except mine is a black granite composite and it is hard to rinse it off of the semi textured surface. Sounds weird I know, but on your typical ceramic/acrylic white sink it would do the trick without the chemicals. Which I love!

 Love, love, love this detergent! I had used method for about 2 years and my hubs never really cared for the smell, or lack there of... although they have improved since chaging to the pump style bottle.  So I read reviews about the Arm & Hammer Essentials and also snagged a coupon for it on a super double week and J picked up our first bottle. He loves the smell and I love that it is non-toxic, which I always look for in cleaning products. So it's a perfect fit for us. I may end up using the essentials free for the baby, haven't decided though. I'm sure it wouldn't be a bad decision, the only thing that holds me back is the no "baby" smell. The other "baby" detergents have added dyes, phosphates, bleaches, and petroleum- based cleaners which all grab your clothes and emit themselves and you breathe them in. Yuck, can we say carcinogens? So it may be Baby Ganics (on sale BOGO free see link for details), A& H Essentials free or Methods Sweet Pea depending on whats on sale. If your interested in knowing more about the yucky list above and the effects of the go here for a simple run down.  

The shark mop! You can buy this thing anywhere. It is a steam mop that has a removable pad that Velcros to the gray piece on the bottom that you see in the picture. My mom tried out 5 different steam mops before she decided on this one, so I trusted her reviews and went with it, I am so glad I did. I bought ours at Sam's Club and it came with a handheld steamer that we also use for the shower.You could use the hand held for your counter tops too for sanitation. But now the mop has been "improved" and comes with a purple "dust" type pad. I would still recommend it. I love that you just pull the covers off and put them in the washing machine and wha' la! Don't expect them to come out white as they were before you used them, but at least they are "clean". They also offer the shark mop and vaccum combo that would probably be nice too. I have a central vac so not really worth it for us. Again I can only speak for the plain shark mop. 
   I like using some type of cleaner with the mop, just for the smell of a clean house and I normally grab my method for the hardwoods and the ceramic tile...

  I love the no rinse factor plus chemical free here too! I have used these for about 2 years and I just don't want to try anything else. They last a good while too. I normally pick these up from Target.


Ok so moving on to you!
For the face...



  Love these products by Orgins. Before becoming pregnant and being on clomid it really messed with my hormones and caused breakouts. At least that is what I blamed it on first until I realized that it all happened when I started using MAC foundation. I know bummer, I just loved the coverage, but it didn't love me. So I took the foundation and primer back to the MAC counter and received a full refund. Long story short I turned right around and walked into the Orgins store for a mini facial and LOVED the way the product felt and decided to give it a try. I have since converted from my salon grade cleanser that I had to grab when the salon was open which was only during my working hours and was a pain, so I love the conveince of ordering this online or picking it up at my local mall.

So to break down my favs from Orgins I have combo skin, or at least I did. Since using these prducts I have become pretty much normal all over. The cleanser is A Perfect World which my hubs starts singing What A Wonderful World when he reads the label in the shower. I love that it takes just a small amount and it doesn't have a taste or smell.  My latest purchase is the Modern Friction, this a twice a week natural dermabrasion that I keep in the shower for simple rinse from the face.

I also use the toner or "moisterizing lotion" form the A Perfect World collection after cleansing and masking.  

And the one I can't live without is the serum White Tea Skin Guardian! 

It makes your skin look so vibrant. I can litterally put it on half of my face and see the difference. It gives life to you skin.  You apply this before the foundation. I love the light feel of the Stay Tuned foundation. It is light weight and the coverage is moderate so you can wear it all year long. 

Now I could not let go of one of my MAC products... 

MAC paint pot in painterly. I have not found an eye shadow primer that works better and last all day. I have had my paint pot for almost 2 years now and I use it daily with a concealer brush. So it's worth the money.  

For the hair...

It's a 10 miracle leave in product. You can go here to see why I love it so. I have the pink bottle that they released in October for breast cancer awareness. You can pick this up at any salon.

Lastly pregnancy...;)

Things I love that have helped during this pregnancy...

I have loved {every} item in this pregnancy kit by Earth Mama Angel Baby

I found it at Babies' R Us for 19.99, I felt like it was a splurge, but obviously I found a great deal.

So that is my list of Lavishly loves for 2010.

Link up to share your lavishly loves

that you have discovered over the past year

or

that you just can't live without.

Blessings for 2011!

EWO,

Jen

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Have yourself a merry {little} Christmas

Wow what a day! I will have to update this post tomorrow. Good tidings to all and to all a good night! Praising God for sending His Son to this Earth for us! How humbling... I am in awe.

EWO,
Jen

Merry Christmas!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Brrrrr!!! I am not a winter girl for sure and for some reason winter has hit the Carolina's early and hard. Today I heard the comment "this is Wisconsin weather" from one of the doctors I work with. I slippped on my way into the building this morning on ice in the parking lot... can you say not expected?!?  This chick will have to be more careful. Thank God my reflexes still work after an added 20 lbs to my tummy and I didn't hit the ground. Whew... can we say close call?
  Any how... what are you planning on doing tonight on this dreary cold winter night?  I am taking my cold and going home to some hot apple cider and jumping in my pj's faster than anything. Dinner will consist of soup and grilled cheese for sure. If I had the energy I would wrap some presents, but I just don't have it in me.  This cold has gotten the best of me ;(  
  So what are you doing tonight?

Jen

Christmas Crafty... Decor and gifts under $5 oh my!

So my house is a mess and I just don't have the energy to do it all, so I will get it all decorated and tiddy by Christmas. LOL then I will have to take it all down, but oh well. I am loving life with in and the excuse to put my feet up and just have to remind myself to not worry about it. I mean my husband can leave clean laundry on the couch for a week and not think twice about it so what's wrong with me? It takes a big effort for me to learn how to be more of a Mary this year for sure.
I say that, but the Martha in me won't stop. I am such a busy bee. I also have a thing for a pretty house with creative pretty things in it.  So my "Martha" has been screeming inside because I look at all these cute ideas on some of my favorite blogs and just can't keep her tame inside.
I mean I haven't gone over board or anything, but here are a few cute ideas I have found to be cute, cheep and easy...an not much effort or time.

 Sarah at {Life Sweet Life} shared this oh so cute FREE printable download that I had printed into an 11x14 for under $3. I am putting it in a frame that I already have and putting it in the guest bathroom.  I am out of ink in my printer and so I just had Sam's print the banner on (3) 8x10 photo paper. I figured that it would last longer than home printer paper in the bathroom. So all I have to do is glue or sew ribbon to the top and hang. The  glitter trees are oh so cute, but J would give me a stink eye if I broke out the glitter in the house. He has a rule that it is to only be used outside as in... the cold 17 degree stiver me to my bones, outside and I just haven't brought myself to do that yet. Anyway.. Enjoy her post and hope you grab some cute ideas from Sarah...

This weekend I am hosting the Ladies' Annual Christmas Brunch at our church and I read this post on Proverbs 31 and I really want the focus of our brunch to be {Unwrapping His Christmas Presence}. How cool is it that I found a FREE download over at Lil Luna's that is oh so cute and I can print them for .17 each and give to every lady who comes so she can frame and serve as a reminder through this busy season.... I am just so excited about this!

Also April over at {You Me and the Kid}  posted a really cute idea for epsom salt tarts and snowmen ornaments... cute gifts for under $5!  I love epsom salt goodies and actually took a lavendar epsom salt bath last night! Love it!

Enjoy!

Jenny H

Blogging tip... Secuurity!

Just incase your worried about someone creepy taking your personal pictures or anything from your blog, just copy and past this code and place in in your side bar as a HTML gadget, you don't even have to name it just put a . in the title bar.  It will prevent people from right clicking and taking your stuf!  I can't think of a more creepy thing than to see your family or baby's picture in a foreign magazine or internet site.  Happy and safe blogging!
Visit the Polka Dot Pig for the code.
sorry about that...
Let me know if it works for you!
Jen