I guess I’ve been a good lil happygrrl after all!

In my last entry I wrote that I was hoping that Jolly St. Nick would bring me The Shea Cashmere Shower Cream from Bath and Body Works for Christmas. Well, he didn’t bring it just yet, but he did bring me a surprise Christmas gift in the form of a limited edition jar of L’Occitane’s Acacia Flower Ultra Rich Body Cream. Ooooh la la! C’est trés chic! I guess Santa must’ve known that my skin was in need of some T.L.C!

The Acacia Flower body cream is jam backed with moisture rich ingredients which makes my skin feel smooth, subtle and very much quenched. My skin actually feels hydrated up to 12 hours!

It may not be Christmas yet….(just a little over 24 hours to go!), but I really want to thank Santa for my early present. Thank you, Santa!

-michelle

'Tis the Season - To Save!

"Budget, budget, budget!"

"How can you stretch your dollar?"

"Money-saving tips for the holidays."

These are all headlines we see this holiday season. So, how do we spend wisely on this overly-commercialized holiday?

Here's an idea, why not buy your gifts after Christmas? It's really a genius idea. Instead of giving your Christmas gifts on the 25th this year, try passing the holiday and jumping to New Year's! Be different and send a New Year's gift or card instead. You'll be able to take advantage of huge after-Christmas sales and give even more to your loved ones. And those who truly know and love you won't mind in the least. But if they do ask, tell them you've been too busy helping charities this season – and do it! If you can wait and save on your holiday gifts, you had better donate to a local charity in some way. After all, gift-giving is really supposed to be a loving gesture – not because you have to for a holiday!

Why spoil your children with new toys and gadgets when you could give them something more personal, like giving your daughter your mother's recipe book? Or, a father giving his BB gun to his son (don't say you'll shoot your eye out). Children should learn to appreciate this holiday from the get-go. Each holiday season, have your children clean out the toy box, donate it, sell it on eBay (heck, your kids will learn beneficial online skills too!),or take them to a homeless or battered women's shelter. Instill the sense of giving to your kids, as they see you model this in your own life.

To get you started, there are literally hundreds of sites for the frugal gift-giver, but here are a couple of my top favorites.

Here's a great site with 63 gifts for under $10!
www.betterbudgeting.com

A personalized card along with your gift can make all the difference! Check out these cute card sayings.
www.tipjunkie.blogspot.com

Personalized gifts are more meaningful than expensive gifts anyways! According to the Consumer Reports' final holiday-season poll of 2008, nearly 70 percent of Americans are changing their family's traditions in response to tighter budgets. Among those changes: about 37 percent have said they've set a strict budget for gifts, 14 percent are making gifts and 6 percent won't exchange gifts at all. So, you're not alone this budget-crisis holiday season. Cut back, spend wisely, and think about doing a New Years gift giving instead! Happy 'stress-free' holidays!

- Erica

Beauty 411

On my Christmas list…

I know I’m not 10 years old anymore, but I am soooo tempted to sit down and draft a letter to Santa. I haven’t been too naughty this year, so I think that Santa can hook me up with my Christmas wish.

All I want for Christmas is….the Shea Cashmere Shower Cream from Bath and Body Works. See, I think Santa can handle that! I don’t want a car or fancy jewels—all I want is the delectable, fragrant, “best shower cream on earth” for Christmas.

I first heard of the bath product when I attended the grand opening of Bath & Body Works in Yorkdale a few months ago. Being one of the lucky attendees, I received an in-store gift card that I could use towards my purchase.

I looked frantically around the store for the warming body scrub that I purchased 2 whole years ago (I am very loyal Bath & Body Works customer. This warming scrub is on my all-time fave products list). After not finding the scrub and harassing all the customer service reps about the product, I was finally told that the item had been discontinued. Damn!!!! A little crushed by the upsetting news, I scoured the store to find something that came even remotely close to my prized body scrub.

I ventured to the back wall and when I smelled a shower cream from the True Blue Spa line, I actually had an “a-ha” moment. That was the bath product that was coming home with me.

I liked the Shea Cashmere Shower Cream the first few times I used it—I liked the vanilla scent, the way t felt on my skin (psst…this lil product is infused with cashmere extract and rich shea butter!) - it was a good replacement for the warming scrub (*note this product isn’t a scrub and it doesn’t warm up!). But after a few uses I REALLY loved it. What I love most about this bath product is the delicate sweet scent. It is soo scrumptious and yummy. It smells like it belongs in a French patisserie instead of a bath and body store!

So I am appealing to you Santa, if you bring me the shower cream, I promise to be the nicest happygrrl in the land!

Thanks, Santa!


-michelle