Hands

I chopped up an onion on Saturday and my hands still have that slight eau de onion. On another note I saw Julie & Julia last night. The Julie part of the movie wasn't that great, but with all the foods I was brought back to my question...how do you get the smell of onions off of your hands? I've tried rubbing my fingers on the steel of the faucet, that's the most popular way of my coworkers. Lemon juice is also popular. What I like to do for a quick fix is a coffee or sugar scrub. Pour some ground coffee or sugar in your hands (I like about a handful) and scrub for about a minute and then rinse off. I don't think it does a great job with getting rid of the onion smell, but it lets me continue on with work without being nauseated by it. Most importantly - it makes my hands feel great! They are super soft.

Thanks for having me!

I am very excited to be a part of this blog. How perfect, I thought, for my first entry to be about a product that my dear friend Susan introduced to me more than a decade ago. I'm talking about Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. Queen Helene is one of those brands that doesn't try to get you with the flashy container. Its also one of those brands that you wonder where the frick they came from because it isn't owned by Proctor and Gamble. Trust me, you don't want to know how much stuff that company makes thats not only in your bathroom-but everywhere else too. If you're interested.
Anywayz, if you have any consistent form of acne, or great skin, this mask is nice. It has sulfur, which helps dry up pimples and make pores look smaller. It also smells great, looks great on your face for some reason, but watch out-it can sting a little, especially if your face is dry.

What's funny about this product too, is that its all-natural. You'll see it in Whole Foods (with a jacked up price) but you can usually find it at any drugstore. Outside of drugstores, its less expensive. You used to be able to get it wherever they sell skin care products, but lately it can be a little harder to find. Some of the Queen's other products can be hit or miss. But this one has been in my bathroom for years.

p.s. And of course you get 33% more, free!!! (Come on, they're not fooling anyone with this. Its been on the tube for ten years.)

Candles

I relocated recently and I'm having fun with my new apartment. I was scared on moving day because I was worried about the previous tenant and if he had cats or anything that smelled like an old person. Surprise! He didn't. What I did find was that I had a stuffy smelling apartment on my hands. I also detect a whiff of fruit snacks in the air - maybe I'm just overly critical, but I always feel like it smells like Fruit Gushers when I first enter. It's kind of weird! So I've been working around the clock to get rid of it. It's not a bad smell, it's just not something I want to keep in my apartment.

Without question my favorite candles are Root candles. I have been saving a back-up supply of about 8 candles for the past 2 years now since my last visit to Medina, Ohio. Patchouli is my favorite, and also the strongest scent so I've been loving the effect it has on my place. But I'm running out!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I've been thinking about making a big Root candle order online to re-stock my supply, but the website I went to this morning is not the old Root I know. They've made it hard to find the basic candles I love and they're calling all the basic candles scents "Legacy" candles now. What the...? Lame. But I'll probably still order in a few months if I see some improvement from them.

I'm not willing to give up on Root just yet, but I'm in the market for new brands. The Capri Blue line at Anthropologie is good, but I don't like to burn them all the time because they can be a little too sweet sometimes - like when you're eating. They're more of an after-dinner, watching HGTV candle.