Bath and Body Works Body Spray Review

This stuff...is...FABULOUS!

To be perfectly honest, I was happy that the bottle was so pretty, but I my first thought was "Awww, I didn't get the Cherry Blossom" since I'm a huge fan of anything cherry blossom-scented.  However, after using it the first time my disappointment was completely forgotten!

This is the Paris Amour Fine Fragrance Mist from Bath and Body Works I received from my VoxBox and it certainly did not disappoint!  The smell is sort of floral, feminine, and just gorgeous.

Its hard to explain because I've never had a body spray that smelled quite like this one before.  It is very girly and the scent lasts all day.  Its awesomely fragrant without being overly sweet...Which I love because I don't care to smell like candy as it makes me hungry!  >.<

I have another body spray, which I love, but it has sat sort of neglected since I got this one.  Don't get me wrong - I still love the other one I use (Calgon Hawaiian Ginger), and I've used the other since high school, so I'll never just completely abandon it, but this one has stolen the spotlight for the time being.

...And do I even need to mention that this bottle is just adorable?  It looks so nice sitting on my vanity tray, and as stupid as it sounds, I love pretty bottles because they don't need to be stashed in a cabinet or whatnot.

This bottle is HUGE (8oz, I believe), and I've been using it ever since it arrived and have yet to even put a dent in it and I have a feeling it will last for quite some time.  Due to that and the fact that the scent lasts all day, I'd say its worth the $14 price tag.  Let's face it - a lot of cheaper body sprays you smell only while you're spraying on, then 30 seconds later you can't smell them at all.  This stuff hangs around as good as my perfumes do, only it is a lighter, more laid-back, daytime-type strength, which I love.

I love this stuff and I've tried quite a few Bath and Body Works sprays before that I purchased for myself, but next time I buy their stuff - this will be on my list.  Unless they come out with something better before then!  :)

<3
WW

*Note - this was provided for free via Influenster, but opinions are mine and are 100% honest!  :)

Triple Post! Ice Cream, Shakes, and Green Tea Powder!

This is going to be a pretty huge post, but its three things that all sort of consist of one another.

This is the end result:

A home-made vanilla and strawberry ice cream green tea milkshake.  :)

We're going to start off with green tea.  I just bought some cheap green tea bags and used a mortar and pestle.  The general idea, if I understand correctly, is that consuming the entire leaf of the green tea is healthier than just drinking it as a tea.  Thus, my idea here, is to add some healthy-ness into my completely un-healthy summertime shake addiction.  :)

 

I snipped off the top of the bags using some scissors, poured the contents into a mortar and pestle, and ground it until it was as fine a powder as I could get it.

 

Not too bad.  You can stop at 2tsp of powder if you want, because that's what it took to make the two large shakes, but I kept going...

I did a whole box of them and poured them into a container so I would have a supply. >.<  Now, if you don't like the flavor of green tea, you can stop there, but I love it, so I took 2tsp of the powder and put it into 4tsp of water in a cup and put it into the fridge to sit until it was shake time!  If you aren't fond of the flavor, I'd imagine you wouldn't really taste it much, if at all, if you just add the powder flakes straight to the shake at the end.

On to the ice cream!!

 

First, slice up about a cup of strawberries.  You may chop if you prefer.  :)

 

Then, take a teaspoon of vanilla...

 

...and add it to a pitcher with 2 1/2 cups of milk...

 

...and one can of sweetened condensed milk.

 

 Pour half of that into your ice-cream maker and put the other half in the fridge to make later.  Unless, of course, your ice-cream maker is bigger than mine!

 Then, add half the strawberries and let the ice cream maker do its thing.

Here's where I got lazy on pictures, but once its done, add it to the blender with the green tea mix or 2 tsp of the powder, whichever you choose, add a little milk, blend it up, and there ya go!  This made the two big shakes you see below.  Your milkshake just got a bit healthier.  I can't wait to try this with spinach or kale powder added as well, but I need a dehydrator first!

Isn't it pretty?  Since I soaked the tea, it did have a light but distinct green tea flavor in the background.

<3
Wookie Wifey

Dr. Scholl's For Her Ball of Foot Cushions Review

**These insoles were provided for free from Influenster, they were the bonus item in the Spring Beauty VoxBox I received a few days ago.  Even though I did not pay for them, this review will be 100% honest, promise!  :)

The above picture is just so you can see the insoles are actually in there and I also took this pic before I decided to strap the Wookie's old studded bracelets onto my ankles...Just...Because I could I guess (scrawny ankles ftw)...If you look at the shiny, gel-looking thing right below the ball of my foot, that is it!  :)  Also, as an added bonus, you too can have these awesome ankle cuffs if you have skinny ankles...They are just men's punk bracelets.  I love these because they are some of the original, leather, reeeally heavy ones and they just add so much OH HELL YEAH...I'll probably be wearing these with every pair of shoes from now on.

I wanted to put these things through a fairly rigorous test, so I put the insoles in, strapped on these wedges, and went grocery shopping.

Yep.

Oddly enough, when I left the store, the balls of my feet felt just fine.  That actually says a lot, because these shoes were absolute murder...Hence me owning them for about 2 years and them spending almost the entire time on a shelf.

Admittedly, the strappy part did blister the backs of my ankles and the part across my toes still rubbed me half raw, but that wasn't the insoles fault, it was mine for not remembering these shoes rub EVERYWHERE and taking appropriate precautions.  The bracelets were fine, oddly enough,  but with my skinny ankles I have trouble with straps rubbing quite a bit...Oh, if only the rest of me were as skinny as my ankles, I could then eat my way back to a healthy weight.

Now, I'd had a comment on Pinterest with someone saying these insoles do not work...I strongly disagree because the bottoms of my feet feel great and now I'll be wanting a pair for every pair of heels I have...However, I didn't put them in right.  Instead of just sticking them to the shoe the way there were positioned in the package, I held them to my foot, then to the shoe before taking the sticky backing off and tried them on in several positions until I found a way to situate them that took the pressure off of the balls of my feet in all the right places.  So my insoles are actually in sideways, but it sure works for me, and they are much more comfy that way.  If you've had these and not been satisfied with them before, I'd recommend just fiddling with them in different areas of the shoe and in different positions until you find what is right for you...After all, I don't think there is an actual rulebook for this sort of thing, right?  :)

I looked for a retail price on the website, but didn't see one...However you can get a coupon!  YAY!

<3
WW

Spring Beauty VoxBox!! (My first one!!)

This is my first VoxBox and I'm SO EXCITED to post about it!  For those of you who don't know, Influenster is this really spiffy website where you can go if you like to try new products to share with friends.  You go to their site, sign up, earn badges, then you wait to get selected to receive a box.  I signed up in April (I think) and just got my first one, so SQUEE!  <3  If you haven't heard of the site, check it out, you'll like it!

That being said, all of these items I received for free, but reviews will still be my honest opinion.

All of these pictures I took as I was opening the box for my first time myself, today around noon.

This was on the side of the box.

And when I opened it, this was inside.  Sadly, my first thought was, "Oh, the cat would have a field day in this stuff."

This is the opposite side of the card where there is the name of each item, along with a short description.

These are the first things I pulled out of the box, and they are not on the card.  They were a bonus item this month, and I am so happy about them!  I've really been wanting to try some of these, so I can't wait...I just have to decide which pair of heels I'm going to pop them into!

The second thing I pulled out of the box was the Soyjoy bar.

I'd never tried one before and I hadn't had breakfast or anything yet, so I figured this was as good a time as any.  I am surprised to say it is actually pretty good since most of the time when I try anything with "soy" on the label, I am sorely disappointed.  I will definitely be seeing how much these are at the store.  I like granola bars and things like this to snack on or eat for breakfast, so I'll be looking for these.

Next, I dug out the Chap Stick.

I opened it up and tried it just for kicks.  It was moist without being waxy, a plus.  I was a bit sad that it doesn't have much of a flavor, but that's just me.  The formula seemed good, though, and I will wear it a few more times just to see how it holds up.

This is the next thing I pulled out of the box.  I was confused.

Then, I pulled the bubble wrap off, and there was this gorgeous bottle.  This is Bath and Body Works "Paris Amour" fragrance mist...a.k.a. my new favorite body spray.  I used it a bit ago when I got out of the tub.  "Amour" is fitting.  I'm in love.

This is the Sheercover concealer I received.

Here's a quick swatch, the left color on top and the right on bottom.  The lighting is weird in the picture, but on my face, they blend well.  I can't wait to see how this stuff works with full makeup.

These I'm very excited to try.  I've seen them in the stores and wanted to give them a shot, so I was happy to see them in the box.  I'll be trying them soon...My nails are in a state right now, I was going to try them tonight, but I need to let them grow for a week or two before I try these! >.<

This is a 2-ounce Aveeno body wash.  I tried this in the bath just earlier and like it, but that is no surprise, as I don't think I've tried an Aveeno product I don't like.  In fact, sheer coincidence, but I followed up my shower with Aveeno Stress Relief lotion because its just what I happen to have on hand right now, lol.  I really do like their products and this is no exception.  There was enough in the bottle that I'll be getting a few more uses out of it, which is nice. 

A few more up-close shots of the pretty Bath and Body Works bottle...

...Because it is pretty, and its pink, and it has ribbons on it...

Totally my new favorite body spray.

I'll do a full review on the nail treatments when I use them, as well as one on the concealer and the insoles.

<3
WW

Venison Burgers

Here's another recipe for those of us who aren't afraid to eat Bambi.  In fact, I loooove me some deer-burgers.  Venison is such a lean and healthy meat and the lavor is divine - if you haven't tried venison at all, I'd say this is a good, safe recipe to start with.

Firstly, don't forget to get your cast iron heating up.  I used about 1/3 of a pound of ground venison for two burgers.  I mixed in half a packet of off-brand onion soup mix...doesn't matter what brand, or you can use some of the home-made stuff.  Mix it all together with your hands and form it into patties.

Put them in your pre-heated skillet and sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.

Splash about a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce over each, and cook until done all the way through.  The pokey trick you use with steaks and regular burgers works the same here.

Put on a bun with whatever you want...Mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and pickle shown here.  Mine is the picture up top with onions instead of pickles because I think pickles are of the devil.  Whatever your poison, just dress it up like you would a beef burger.  Nom.

Delicious. 

Want.

<3

The Wookie Wifey

I HAS A ETSY!!

Yep!  That's right!  Etsy show now open!  Not much there yet, but we'll see how it goes.

Curious?

>>Go take a look!<<

<3

- Wookie Wifey

Review - Kai Tea

**As usual, not paid or compensated in any way, I bought this tea to try, all on my own, just because I wanted to and love tea.**

This tea is amazing.  Such a wonderful flavor to it.  Flavor-wise, I really couldn't be happier.  Its organic, its smooth, its aromatic...Its everything a good tea should be, in my opinion, and it is sweet enough that I only had to add about half my usual amount of sugar.  Although I'm not exactly a connoisseur of loose-leaf organic teas (yet), price-wise it seems to be about normal for an organic tea, but I wasn't at all upset about the price and I think it is well worth it.  If I had the money to keep our house stocked with this, I would.  But, for now, the little $4 sample bag up there has been a very nice indulgence.

Here, you can see for yourself it is also just beautiful.  Very gorgeous colors and an aroma that is nice even before it starts to brew.

However, if you're sensing there is a "but" in this review, there is.  It is in this next picture, and if you're a tea-drinker you will probably notice it right off.

Now, I bought the cream earl grey tea and these instructions would have been just fine for this type, but look closer to the rest...the instructions for all the types of tea are all the same, minus the brewing time.  The temperatures are all the same.  Now, I desperately, whole-heartedly hope this is a typo because it would be a shame to ruin such a good tea that, from the flavor, has been cultivated with some care, with such poor instructions and, honestly, I really, truly hope that if your business is tea that you'd be well-educated in it enough to know how to brew a cup to bring it to its fullest, brightest potential.  When someone follows your instructions and brews their first cup, you want it to be a sublime experience, not an experience that could, in all honesty, turn them off from your brand completely by making their fist experience a (quite literally) bitter, distasteful one.

Had I bought a green tea and didn't know better and followed their instructions, it would have come out bitter, horrible, and I'd have been miffed at the price I paid.

My experience in brewing tea, along with my research on traditional methods, show that brewing at anything above 180 degrees when it comes to green tea in particular is a HUGE no-no unless you like ruining perfectly good tea.  In fact, most sources I've found recommend keeping the temperature between 165-170 degrees.  All that is a very far cry from the 200 they recommend on their package.  Green tea leaves (and white), being more delicate than black, can't handle the heat, so-to-speak, and will scorch and turn bitter in water that is too hot, not to mention green tea brews in 1-2 minutes, that's half the time of their instructions.

Don't believe me?  Take a cheap, store-bought green tea, bag or loose, any brand, and brew one at 200 and one at 170 and you should notice a marked difference in the taste on the temperature alone.  If you factor in their time difference...Well, the first few times I made green tea it was by instructions similar to those and for years, until I had it prepared properly, I was convinced I hated the stuff. 

Other than the fact that the instructions really irk me, I love this stuff.  At first I'd planned to buy more as I loved the flavor so much, but after seeing it around town a few times, I just couldn't bring myself to buy it.  When it comes right down to it, I just can't give my money to a company that seems to know so little about how to consume their own product.  Every time I'd reach for a bag, I'd just think of all the people who probably thought they'd been over-charged after buying their green tea and following the directions.  So 8/10 for flavor, but 1/10 for knowing their product.  :(

<3
WW