Today's Special: Top Five Beauty Must Haves

With the last week of the holiday's upon us, I decided to give you my Top 5 Beauty "Must Haves", so that your and yours can have a merry little, beautiful Christmas now!

Topping my list:

1. Eve Lom Cleanser-Voted by Vogue Magazine "probably the best cleanser in the world", this balm cleanser is no short of a beauty wonder. Created by the legendary, world renound esthetician Eve Lom, the award winning cleanser is the basis of her international, best selling line of skin care. Expertly balanced for all types of skin and skin concerns, it deep cleanses, exfoliates and leaves skin radiant and hydrated. Applied with a dry hand to a dry face, it emulsifies into a sleek oil that removes all traces of dirt and makeup. Using the warm, dampened muslin cloth (that comes in the box) to swipe away impurities, your skin is left with an amazing ENVIOUS glow that your more often than not will be asked to explain. In 3 sizes, it starts at $50.00 for 50 ML of gorgeous skin. You won't believe your complexion, or the fact that you just cleansed it with a gorgeous aromatherapy oil that won't clog pores! PURCHASE HERE.

2. Skin An Apothecary Soy Body Whip-If the previous product is the best in it's category, then this body moisturizer tops all the others for hydrating your body and leaves the competition in the dust! This fluffy, soy based cream is enriched with Vitamin C and Paraben free. The whipped cream soaks into the skin leaving it virtually grease less and amazingly soft. It's like nothing I've ever tried. It literally transforms dry, dull skin into supple, soft glowing skin. It's a Candy Bar best seller and can be PURCHASED HERE.

3. Nest Candles and Diffusers-Nest candles are a long time favorite of mine. These gorgeous scented candles permeate the entire perimeter of your home! My recommendation for this time of the year? Nest Holiday candle in the 3-wick jar is not only long lasting and gorgeous, but will give you the happy scent of the holidays for your friends and family to enjoy. Expertly blended with pomegranate, Mandarin Orange, pine, clove , cinnamon and a hint of vanilla and amber, even Santa will appreciate the joyful scent of the holidays in your home. PURCHASE HERE. 

4. Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara-The Candy Bar's #1 selling product! This tubular formula actually wraps around your lashes creating little tubes that adhere to your own lashes, which allow you to create length and volume with out clumping. It won't smear, smudge or dot onto the eye area and comes off easily with soap and water. This is a stocking stuffer that's sure to please and it only comes in one color-black-so the decision of color is already made for you! PURCHASED HERE.

5. UNO de50 Jewelry-You can never go wrong with a gorgeous gift of jewelry. UNO de50, Spain's premier jeweler has the most unique, distinctive and discriminating designs, perfect for the woman who wants to stand out among the crowd. Sterling silver, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces so remarkable, the toughest decision will be choosing just one! Shop the world of UNO de50! PURCHASE HERE.


Happy shopping bloggers! 10 days and counting!!

My Grown Up Christmas List

Something for Frick.
Something for Frack.
My Guy is next. Check off the list, that.

What to do about the family swap? A $75.00 gift for a man or a woman whom never seem to stop.
Shopping online? Better do it now.
Not going to get caught wondering when it will get here and how.

Do I have enough bows, wrapping paper, ribbons and tape?
Where are the tags to put on the wrapped presents we make?
Sales here, sales there, the retailers are swarming.
Prices are dropping because the competition is warming.

Gotta make the homemade ravioli that my Grandmother made.
The sauce, turkey, fixings, cookies, cakes, and the Christmas treats I'd never trade.
Frick wants sausage and cinnamon rolls to eat.
Frack doesn't care, he's happy with every food he meets.

Bones for the dog and put up the tree.
It sounds like a lot, but it gives us all glee.
Christmas is a feeling more than a wrapped up gift,
and these "things" give us numerous memories through which to sift.

Making a list gives me the direction which gives me a push and a shove,
because through it all, everything I do is done with much love.

A Boy And His Toys

We all know how little boys love their toys! Especially on Christmas morning, the joy of toys at Christmas is like no other. This post is about another kind of boy, although not little, both share the same excitement when presented with their toys.

I'm talking about My Guy.

He just re-did our garage. Yup, our garage, and you should see his peacock strut whenever he enters into his newly pimped out garage. Now, I'll admit, it looks great! Tools and sports equipment now have a newly designated place of their own, neatly displayed for easy access and even the trash bins look better, with their own space. But he didn't stop there. He added a heating system and painted floors and I swear, the man would add a  great big flat screen if I let him. He's like a kid at Christmas with everything in its place and a place for everything.

It's totally adorable.

Driving the car into the new garage is like a new adventure  too and sometimes I feel like, when the weather is bad and the car is all dirty and wet, like I'm doing something I shouldn't be. We have an extra fridge out there and it's much more pleasant to walk out to a warmer garage to get the milk. I got to thinking, was it really that easy? Was it a tiny change like a newly appointed garage that could make him so happy? All of us a little bit happier? Life a wee bit better?

I guess so.

And with all of that new fangled garage paraphernalia out there, I'm happier because he just made some of my X-Mas shopping a bit easier.

Packages, Boxes and Bags

I was just thinking....

• I am overjoyed that Green Bay LOST this weekend! The Pats undefeated regular season record (tying Miami's historic undefeated season) still stands. But here's the thing, some say Green Bay wanted to lose, to take the pressure off the team as they chase the ultimate goal; back to back Superbowl championships. I got to thinking about our guy Bill Belechick when the Pats were on their 2007 historic run to an undefeated season. Never was there any talk about strategic losing. Never. Belechick and the Pats just continued winning and winning big. And they ALMOST did it and won it all. They might have peaked early that season, but they continued to beat teams. And ya, I know they lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl. You need not remind me.
  
  




• I had my best day ever at The Candy Bar yesterday. Let's just say that as a retailer, I am very encouraged.





• Where is that missing 20 month old toddler from Waterville, Maine? My heart is heavy and my throat has a huge lump in it every time I think of the Polly Klass' and the Jaycee Dugard's of the world and what potentially happened to this child. It really makes me question why is there such evil in this world.
  
  




• Speaking of evil, on Sunday afternoon there was yet ANOTHER attempted break in in my small town and a teen was home alone at the time. Good thing the kid did not answer the door and called police immediately. This is the 5th attempted break in this month. In a personal email to make us aware of the incident, sent out yesterday to the student body of this town by the parent of the child, "This was a frightening experience" was how it was described.
  





• Five more shopping days left and I still haven't got my parents anything. HELP! I also have more than a few things to $till buy and I'm going $hopping all day tomorrow. I should have just taken Heff's advice and just bought Christmas on Amazon. Brilliant idea! One click and you're done.





• Merry merry....have a song in your heart and a spring in your step. It's Christmas.
  

My Grown Up Christmas List

It sure is the most wonderful time of the year. I keep reminding myself everyday.

Things for the holiday season:

1. Buy gift wrap. No kidding, I was all set to get some wrapping done, I went down to the basement to find my extra cache of Christmas wrap, but it was to no avail. "Where could it be?" I wondered aloud. "It was right here on the floor last year." Then it dawned on me. Remember the flood?? Christmas gift wrap: Casualty #6,792 of the flood.
2. Make lists. I could not live without Post-it's. Thank you so much 3M for simplifying my life. Also thank you for making them in such pretty, neon colors.
3. Drop huge hints that The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons, is a GREAT gift for any sports fan on your list.
4. Go see "Little Fockers" when it opens on Dec 22. Also set my DVR for tonite on ABC's Primetime. Robin Roberts has an in depth interview with Babara Streisand. I forgot how much I love Babs. Watching the five minute tease of their interview this morning made it easy to see why Barbara is so beloved. There's just something magical about her.
5. Make my list. Check it twice. Then be a little naughty :)
6. And speaking of naughty, buy the dogs a Christmas gift. They are the true "Little Fockers"..And even if I don't fill their stockings, (which I will) they will squeeze me for it anyway. My little treat-lovin mafia.
7. Stop. Drop and breathe.
8. Remember that in three weeks from now we will be missing the hustle and bustle with purpose that our lives have right now. Well, maybe not.
9. Water the Christmas tree.
10. Make my list. Check it twice. Then be a little nice :)

It's not so hard, really.

Today's Special: Tacky Dandy Host

So no Glee recap today, as I work for a living and I was tinkering away until 11 pm last night. So tacky.

But I do have a mini holiday treat for you today, on this, the first day of December. When I was a little girl, I loved to drive around the neighborhood with my parents and marvel in the Christmas lights. I would ASSume that in the home that had no light in the windows, lived a "Jewish" family, as that's how my little girl brain seemed to wrap around that concept. So tacky.

Well for all us tacky Christmas light lovers, I found a fun website that shows you where you can find all that tackiness to show your kids out on a family drive. (what ever happened to the family drive?) There are interactive maps that will guide you in your state to go out and behold all the wonder. Hee hee...so tacky.

Some people are so ingenious..

www.tackylighttour.com

Tracers By The Trans-Siberian Orchestra from Don Krasley on Vimeo.

No, Ho, Ho!

Today, I'm feeling like I just want to opt out and say, "No thanks. Not this year."

I realize that may sound terrible to most of you, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and over worked this year. I hate to admit this, but there's a lot of NO in my ho, ho, ho right now. I enjoy the spirit of the holiday season as much as the next guy, and nothing is more important to me than spending quality time with my family, but with all the added work of my new store, I'm looking at the holidays as a ticking time bomb that I have to out run.

It's a double edged sword because I hope to benefit greatly from the people who feel the need to drop tons of cash on the impulse and necessary items I have chosen carefully to display in my shop, but focusing on that leaves me no time to put together the drive or the thought needed to shop for my own family. And my family is used to a well planned and thought out holiday. I have always provided that for them because I had the time and it gave me pleasure. This year, that pleasure has been replaced with angst and fear that I'm not going to be able to pull it off.

So why do we do this to ourselves??? The holidays are supposed to be about love and family. Helping out your fellow man and celebrating the good fortune of living life to it's fullest. It's the time of giving, which fills my heart with joy far more than receiving. Yet I can't find any joy in the rush to shop till I drop. In fact, I just want to drop the next person who tells me they are all done with their holiday shopping and all wrapped too.

This year there is so much to be thankful for and so many blessings in my life, I'm feeling like I need to make that my focus. Keep my eyes on the prize and have faith that everything will work itself out, right?
Like the Grinch so eloquently put it, "Maybe Christmas, he thought, dosen't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more."

Maybe Dr. Seuss was onto something. Perhaps, but if I were voting today, I'd vote on Skipping Christmas.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Just IN CASE you were wondering what you were going to get me this year for Christmas, I have put together a little list to help you purchase that special something just for me!

1. World Peace. Yeahh. Wouldn't that be nice.

2. Diamonds. What was that old saying about them being a girl's best friend? I am certainly no exception. What's a little frosting between friends?

3. Cold hard. No, not what you were thinking. Get your mind out of the gutter. Sheesh! Nothing says I love you like a stack of Benjamin's!

4. Another Boston World Championship. Pats, Bruins, Celts...I'm not picky. Just greedy. heehee.

5. This would be the best of all! And if you could see to it, I would love you FOR-EVA!!! No biggie...Just a big bow STRATEGICALLY placed and tucked nicely in my be...I mean under my tree.

Merry Christmas everyone!