Things that are keeping me sane right now

After you've had surgery, you need a few things to indulge in to make you feel less icky and more like yourself.  Here are some that I've been using and love.

Avocado Honey Rich Water Balm Cream.  I got a sample in my ipsy bag this month and oh my goodness, it was right on time!  I love anything avocado anyway but this stuff is amazing.  It smells good, it goes on smooth and leaves your face (or anywhere, really) soft and moisturized.  We just turned the heat on in the house for the first time this fall and this stuff keeps my skin super hydrated.  A+++++

Brazilian Bum Bum Cream.  I've been using this cream since early summer.  It's a wonderful body cream that is supposed to tighten skin (on your bum! They pronounce it "boom boom" in Brazil, btw).  I don't know about that but I have used it all over because I adore the scent!  Pistachio, almond, vanilla, salted caramel.  I mean, it smells so good, you'll want to eat it.  Don't, though.  Put it on your booty instead!  And your arms, your legs, everywhere.  I took mine to the beach in September.  LOVE!

99% Mermaid Shea Butter Hand Cream from Bath and Body Works.  I picked up a tube the last time I was in there and I absolutely love it.  

Unfortunately, they're all about Christmas right now so you might not be able to find it in the stores anymore.  

Sunlit Apple Blossom scent.  It's like buttah.

I'm really loving the Olay Whipped Body Wash, too!  It makes bathing really easy when you're having to sit astraddle the tub with one foot in and one foot out.  I know, you could have gone all day without that visual.  Larry helped me with all that at first but now I can do it by myself.  Yay for progress!

We had to let our housekeeper go just before I had surgery, which caused all kinds of stress for me.  If you know me, you know I keep a clean house.  I didn't want all that extra work put on Larry and what terrible timing to have to do it now.  But she took money from me for work she didn't do and I can't abide that.  I use the Nextdoor app to stay in touch with our neighbors and the goings on in our neighborhood and I was able to find a lady to replace her!  She came over yesterday and met us and she'll clean for us tomorrow while we're gone to Columbus to the doctor to get these blankety-blank stitches out.  She only charges a dollar more an hour, too.  AND she brings her own lavender-scented cleaning supplies. My favorite scent. Thank you, Lord, for all of your blessings!!

I've been doing some Christmas shopping online, too.  QVC is my Santa! 

Monkey Farts??

You know those ads that pop up in your social media feeds?  Well, this one popped up in my Instagram feed.

They had me at whipped soap.  I’m such a sucker for soaps and shampoos, really any kind of beauty stuff.  I get an Ipsy bag and a Birchbox every month.  I get so excited when I see them in the mailbox!

This whipped soap, by Glory Cloud USA and called Monkey Farts, grabbed my attention, not just because I’m a sucker for soap but because it’s whipped!  And Monkey Farts??!  I had to try it.

So I ordered it and it came in a few days.  The jar was smaller than I expected (4 oz) but it was slap full of soap! It says facial soap on the label but you can use it for anything.  You only need a little bit and it lathers and lathers!!  And the scent is just heavenly!!  Exactly what you would expect a monkey fart to smell like...ripe bananas, juicy pineapple, sweet apples and creamy vanilla. Okay, well, in this alternate soap beauty world maybe.  Ha! 

I’ve used it for four days, just on my face, and I absolutely love it.  It leaves my face so soft and clean and smelling fruity!  

Yes to...carrots??

Y'all know I'm always looking for green, organic, natural shampoos, cleansers, makeup, cleaning supplies, everything!  I just feel like the fewer chemicals we expose ourselves to daily, the healthier we'll be.  I have not used bleach or Lysol or Pine-Sol in my house in over seven years.  I clean my house weekly, dust, vacuum, scrub the bathrooms and mop.  I use Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day for all-purpose cleaning, Bar Keeper's Friend for scrubbing toilets, I have a feather duster and do not use Pledge in any form or fashion and I usually mop with a mixture of white vinegar, warm water and mild dish soap.  I like Seventh Generation a lot.  I love love love my Swiffer and I use old washcloths for the pad when I mop. I'm as healthy as two horses sewn together (I cracked Larry up with that a couple of weeks ago when we were talking about my upcoming physical at the base.  Ha!) and I get compliments all the time about how clean my house is and how good it always smells.  The way I clean works for me.

I discovered the Yes To brand recently and I LOVE IT!!  My favorite so far is the Yes To Blueberries line.  I've tried the carrots lip balm and I like that a lot, too.  Maybe even enough to put down my Burt's Bees??  May be.

Yes To uses organic fruits and vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and now blueberries) and they make everything free of parabens and petroleum and all kinds of other yucky stuff.  All of their products are at least 95% natural, are packaged in recyclable packaging and they never, ever test on animals.

They also give a portion of their sales to provide grants for students to plant gardens of their own.  I just LOVE that!

Everything in their line that I've tried so far has been awesome.  The cleanser left my skin clean and smooth, the makeup remover wipes took it all off without stinging or burning and the lip balm calmed my chapped lips after I'd been out in the cold wind way too long today.

Oh, and everything SMELLS incredible!!!  Good enough to eat.  And I think we probably actually could eat it.  :)