"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Celebrates 50 Years!

    "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is celebrating 50 years this week! If you are like me, you have watched every airing (this Friday on ABC). It is one of the most iconic shows of our childhood. Yes, Charles Schultz knows the way to one's heart during every season...

    Linus begins this story writing a letter to The Great Pumpkin letting him know that he will be waiting in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night, waiting for his visit where he will bring lots of presents & toys to all the good girls & boys. Once again he forgoes tricks or tricks to have something less tangible but more real in a sense. He has faith & persistence and in turn Charlie Brown's sister Sally has faith in Linus (and a crush). Everyone thinks he is a fool for believing in the Great Pumpkin but Linus never relents. While the others from the Peanuts gang are going door to door & then to a holiday party, Linus (and Sally) brave the cold. His sister Lucy still asks for treats for her 'stupid' brother at each house. (Secretly, I believe she admires his gumption!) Linus, back at the patch, believes since The Great Pumpkin values sincerity above all else, he will surely visit this most sincere pumpkin patch. When Snoopy shows up instead, Sally blows up, the others give him the business. Lucy rescues him shivering at four in the morning and tucks him into his warm bed. (She values family above all else I believe.) After Charlie Brown criticizes him on their leaning wall the next day, by his reaction we know Linus will once again be out there next year waiting and hoping. Just like at Christmas, Linus isn't into this for the gifts, he knows it's more important to flex those faith muscles. He has no regrets; yes, another quality that could never truly fit into a sack meant for toys alone.

    At this time of year, which face it, has become the beginning of the Christmas season, we can never have enough early reminders about the importance of faith in our daily lives. Believing in something less tangible than presents, but more important to our hearts, is a skill we can start honing now. When Christmas rolls around (in 2 months!) our priorities can be firmly locked in place. Our strong faith can be percolating in our hearts and our perspective on life and love will be most sincere. After all, that is what The Great Pumpkin values above all else!

Happy Halloween!

Fabulous Products Alert ~ Fall 2016 Edition

    I love to think of fall as a time to regroup and simplify many areas of my daily routine. I also love to share products that are tested & loved by yours truly to help the simplification process along (and to save you money & time). So here are my recent favorites:

~ Aveeno has come out with a new skincare line called absolutely ageless. (You may have seen the Jennifer Aniston commercials) I am using the cleanser, daily moisturizer with SPF30, & the restorative night cream. They smell delicious & light, and I love my skin in them; soft & moisturized but never too much. You can never go wrong with Aveeno.

~ Softsoap Coconut Butter Body Scrub ~ Okay, I have tried loooots of 'moisturizing' body washes over the years. Never have I ever come out of the shower without feeling the need for body lotions... until now. This fabulous smelling, delicate scrub leaves me feeling moisturized... FINALLY. And you can't beat the price - between $3.50-4.50 for a generous size bottle.

~ Trader Joe's Fresh Linen Scent Antibacterial Hand Soap ~ Don't cringe on the antibacterial part. This soap it PETA approved (listed as one of their favorite vegan products), does not contain the ab ingredients like triclosan & triclocarban (which will officially be banned in less than a year). It does not contain SLS Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is also a no no ingredient. What it does have going for it is fab ingredients like aloe, Vitamin E and a wonderful list of botanical extracts. The scent is unbelievable, the recyclable plastic bottle is so pretty and you get a generous 16.9 FL OZ. size for $3 and change!

~ PRO-FX Sticky Base Coat ~ This my most recent discovery (last two weeks). I wanted a new top coat for home manicures & saw this; Grabs and Locks in Color base coat. I am a fast manicure kind of girl (take more time on the pedicures) so this intrigued me and for $5 & change at Wal-Mart I thought I'd give it a try. So twice now, just the basecoat & one single coat of a barely there color and NO topcoat. The results were better than I dreamed. With no thought to protecting my nails the single coat lasted a week!! (probably longer but I got bored) The bonus is my usually easy-to-break nails are hard & haven't broken at all in two weeks!! I will definitely try other products in this line.

~ L'Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Peel Pads ~ After months of summer sun, my facial skin usually needs an overhaul even though I am a sunscreen wearer. With glycolic acid & other ingredients, I use this to exfoliate my skin more quickly & efficiently. Swipe & sleep with the product on overnight. The generous size pad does my face, neck, décolleté and hands! I use just once a week & the generous 30 day supply will last months. Exfoliation is key to helping your serums & moisturizers (like the Aveeno line) to work at optimum performance. At only $16-$18 and change, much less expensive than a facial.

~ L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation ~ My go to line for foundation always seems to be L'Oreal. I have reviewed many before this one & have never been disappointed. This could be my favorite at this time of my life. (Love a) pump bottle with smooth, even coverage (and real coverage, not the sun damage still can show through kind) but gives you the look that you are not wearing any foundation and is luminous! My cheekbones have beautiful, natural glow! It also has SPF 20 and keeps my skin moisturized all day (but not tacky or gross). Another great value.

Enjoy the products & the added simplicity they will offer you; fewer manicures, beautiful skin which means less & less makeup & Ooohs & Aaahs from your guests emerging from your bathroom saying, "that soap smells amazing!!"