A to Z Candles Halloween 2019 Collection

A to Z Candles make some of my fave candles and I order from them year round (my fave scent is Apple Cider Donut - it makes my house smell like sugary, fall donuts year-round!), but their Halloween collection is really something special! This indie, family-owned company was kind enough to send me their Halloween 2019 collection, and I am swooning over the scents! They are the same as last year (check out my review from 2018 HERE), but I am so glad they are back since they are so delicious! I wanted to feature them here (I've already shared them on my Instagram) since they deserve all the attention they have been getting lately! These are seriously some of the best candles and you can read more about them below!

The Stay At Home Girlfriend Zine #29 - Halloween 2018 Edition

My friend Kendy P. (aka MissMuffCake) creates some incredible zines (several which I've had the pleasure of contributing to or featuring here, like Cemetery Gates volumes three and five and Catsploitation). I recently had the pleasure of contributing a Halloween playlist to her latest zine, The Stay At Home Girlfriend volume 29. I just received my copy and it is packed full of Halloween treats! Get a sneak peek below...

Jack-o-Punkin Halloween Puppets by FoamFoolery

How cool is this custom-carved and handmade Halloween puppet by FoamFoolery? I have never seen anything quite like it and it is so unique! This spooktacular Jack-o-Punkin puppet was sent to me by Seth Chappell, the creator and puppeteer behind FoamFoolery, a company that specializes in making custom puppets. Seth makes custom puppets for clients and is behind many puppets inspired by metal musicians. His puppets were featured in an Author and Punisher video and he also creates his own metal videos with his puppet band Throwing Goats, with some pretty big guest stars from metal providing music for the videos (check out FoamFoolery on YouTube)!

A to Z Candles 2018 Halloween Collection

'Tis the season for stocking up on Halloween candles and I love finding new companies that offer vegan and cruelty-free candles, like A to Z Candles. This woman-owned and operated company uses high-quality soy wax (from non-GMO soy grown in the USA) and premium fragrances to make all their candles. They just released their new 2018 Halloween collection and all the scents are to-die-for! They kindly sent me their five new Halloween candles for review and I'm so stoked to be able to share my thoughts on them below.

Grave Harvest Halloween Convention 2017

Grave Harvest 2017

Last year's Grave Harvest was so much fun (check out my recap!), I couldn't wait for this year's event, which took place this past Saturday at The Hotel Fullerton. Grave Harvest is Orange County's very own Halloween convention hosted by Abracadaver Productions, and features oodles of Halloween vendors, plus classes and presentations throughout the day. Check out my coverage of this year's event below!

Cemetery Gates Volume 5, Part 1: Cities in Dust

The whole end of December and all of January have been rather challenging for me, so I apologize for the absence. Besides all the usual holiday-craziness/traveling, my sweet cat Havoc got sick right before Christmas (and right before I was heading out of town). I took him to the emergency vet before leaving, and he seemed okay after getting checked out, but when I got back he still wasn't himself, so we've been going back and forth to the veterinarian (this is the first time he has ever been sick in 11 years!). He isn't quite out of the woods yet, but he seems better. And as if that wasn't stressful enough, I caught the nasty flu bug going around and have been sick for the past two weeks and haven't had energy to do much besides sleep, not to mention the awful state of the U.S. at the moment.

Anyways, it seems like I am on the mend (fingers crossed) and next week I'll find out if my dark prince Havoc is doing better. At least while I was sick I had the chance to catch up on some long-overdue reading, including Cemetery Gates Volume 5, a DIY zine created by the badass Kendy aka MissMuffCake! She releases many amazing zines (you can check them all out on Etsy!), and this one is filled with cemetery stories and photography. I've shared past issues of Cemetery Gates (check out Volume 1 and Volume 3!) and loved them, so I was stoked to dive into Volume 5!

Recap: Grave Harvest Halloween Festival 2016

This past Sunday I attended the first ever Grave Harvest Halloween festival and convention at The Hotel Fullerton in Fullerton, California! I had been excited about the event for quite some time since many of my favorite vendors were going to be there and it was located right here in Orange County!

The event showcased some incredible vendors, who had everything from Halloween- and horror-inspired artwork to jewelry to t-shirts to furniture to dolls to books to games to collectibles to props to animatronics and so on! There were two full rooms of vendors, and that's where I spent almost all my time. There was so much to look at!

Besides vendors, the event also had presentations from haunt professionals, book signings, special guests signing autographs, and workshops. For all this, tickets were only $15 and parking was free! The Hotel Fullerton venue was perfect - there was plenty of parking (free!) and lots of room to roam around. It well a very well-curated event, and the vibe there was very relaxed and friendly! It really felt like a Halloween community event and the turn-out was great! I am already looking forward to next year's event since this year was such a haunting hit!

Check out photos from the event below:

Cemetery Gates Volume 3

I have a deep love and appreciation for cemeteries and graveyards. When traveling I make it a point to see if I'll be someplace with any cool cemeteries. I especially love old cemeteries with grandiose old tombstones and monuments, something you definitely don't see in the boring flat lawn cemeteries of Orange County.

However, since I don't travel much I tend to live vicariously through the cemetery photographs of others, and one person I can definitely count on for awesome cemetery pictures is MissMuffCake, who roams the historic cemeteries of Northern California snapping photographs. She started a self-published zine called Cemetery Gates to highlight her cemetery trips, and each issue revolves around a different theme. I talked about Volume 1 here, and have now received Volume 3 to my delight!

Product Review: Cellar Door Bath Supply Co.'s Halloween Soaps

When I saw a friend post about Cellar Door Bath Supply Co., I knew I had to check them out! They make cruelty-free and vegan bath supplies like bath salts and soaks, candles, and soaps, complete with a full line of Halloween-inspired soaps!

I had a tough time deciding what to order, because I wanted it ALL! They have spooktacular scents like Halloween Hootenanny ("tart poison apples. overripe pears. hard luck candy. bags upon bags upon candy spilled across the dance floor at your neighbor’s Halloween garage party."), Pumpkin Chai ("warm pumpkin puree. spicy chai. freshly roasted coffee. the perfect marriage of two of fall’s most warm, cozy, and downright delicious seasonal drinks"), All Hallow's Eve ("pagan spices. preserved orange. ceremonial woods. the things that happen late at night that fill your heart with fear and fright."), and many more, all of which sounded so terrifically tantalizing! However, after much debate I ended up ordering the five scents below:

My Sweet 666th Post: Death Artwork, Death Zines and the Upcoming Death Salon

This is my six-hundred sixty-sixth post, which I wanted to recognize it by, what else, talking about death! I've got some cool things to share, like rad death-inspired artwork, an awesome cemetery zine, and the epic Death Salon coming up! Check 'em all out below!

"Bad Vibes" pin set and "Hang in There" print by

Matt Darling

If you don't know the name Matt Darling, you should! He is one of my favorite new artists and I've been drooling over his work over on Instagram. Who can resist anxiety ghosts, scaredy cats, and old hags? Not me! I finally made my first purchases of his work - I bought his delightfully downbeat "Bad Vibes" pin set (spooks, black cats, skeletons skulk around gravestones etched with phrases like "Naw Man", "Can't Win, Don't Try", "Here Lies Who Cares", and my personal favorite "Whatevs 4-evs") as well as a "Hang in There" print. So pleased with everything! You can check out his artwork for sale on badvibes4lyfe.bigcartel.com!

The 3rd Annual Spook Show at the Halloween Club

Last month I attended the Halloween Club's 3rd Annual Spook Show in La Mirada, California. This was my first time attending this event, which brings together Halloween enthusiasts and Halloween/horror/gothic vendors, plus, a huge discount on merchandise from the Halloween Club (I believe they were offering 40% off). The vendors are all set up in the parking lot of the Halloween Club, and offer diverse wares such as art, jewelry, horror merchandise, purses, hair accessories, masks, toys, Halloween decor and props, gothic furniture, t-shirts, taxidermy, and much, much more! There are booths for those representing local haunts, attractions and conventions, people dressed in elaborate costumes, food trucks, a stage with music acts and host, and more fantastical fun! Plus, it is free to attend!

31 Days of Halloween: Spooky Halloween Jewelry and Accessories

Reason #1,375 why I love Halloween so much - there are so many creepy-cute accessories and jewelry pieces that are styled with a gothic aesthetic! I love stocking up this time of year because not only are they perfect for Halloween, but also year-round for spooky little girls like me!

Below you will find several independent companies that make the spookiest, most beautiful gothic accessories! Many are local to Orange County and almost all are owned by women (with the exception of an incredible candle company). I love supporting local, independent companies, especially when they make gorgeously gothic products!

The Hollows Market Spooks Up Some Fun in SoCal Tomorrow

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

The Hollows Market is happening TOMORROW, Saturday, July 26th from 11 AM - 8 PM in Glendale, California and will feature vendors that specialize in darker aesthetics. Horror-themed products, fearsome fashions, Halloween-themed creations, gothic baubles, dark art and much more will be available from independent, local artisans.

How to Make the Best Handmade Vegan Deodorant

This is the best natural, vegan deodorant I have ever used! If you follow me on a regular basis, you know I am always on the hunt for an effective deodorant as I have a tendency to sweat quite a bit! I have reviewed several vegan deodorants in the past, and they have all worked fairly well, but this handmade one is by far the most-effective deodorant and it is the only one I will use now.

This handmade deodorant effectively gets rid of any body odor, no matter how hard I sweat. It is tried and true! I've had people say this deodorant is the only thing they'll use now, and that it is the "be all and end all" of vegan deodorants! And these are active people in warm climates, and they claim even on the hottest day of the year at their most active this deodorant keeps them from smelling funky. I don't know how it works, but I suspect it may be magic (okay, maybe not, but it sure feels magical!)!

This magical deodorant recipe requires only three easy-to-find and inexpensive ingredients and it usually yields enough deodorant to last me a good 3 months! Natural, effective, vegan and cost-effective deodorant – this is like the holy grail for sweaty broads like me!

Here is all you need to know to make it yourself:

You only need three ingredients - cornstarch, baking soda and coconut oil!

Plus you'll need some small bowls for mixing, measuring cups/spoons, and

some kind of mold or container for the deodorant.

Simple, Safe Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

¼ Cup Baking Soda

¼ Cup Cornstarch (if preferred, you can use Arrowroot Powder)

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the baking soda and cornstarch (you can also use arrowroot powder) together. Make sure you break apart any clumps in the mixture – I use a spoon to mush up any clumps.

Here is the solid coconut oil measured out (right before it goes in 

the microwave to be liquefied), plus the cornstarch and baking soda

mixed together in another bowl.

In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, measure out the coconut oil then heat on high in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds, until the oil is liquefied, like in the bowl on the left below:

Liquified coconut oil, plus the mixed together baking soda 

and cornstarch, and an adorable skull mold I picked up

at the Dollar Store one Halloween season.

Slowly add the liquefied coconut oil to the baking soda and cornstarch. Stir together until well-blended and smooth, with no clumps (break apart any clumps with a spoon or fork). The mixture should now have the consistency of a thick paste, but it's okay if the consistency is a bit thinner. At this point you could also add a few drops of essential oil for scented deodorant, but I find essential oils in deodorants usually irritate my skin, so I steer clear of adding any additional perfumes to this deodorant – the lovely coconut smell from the oil is more than enough for me!

At this point you have two choices - you can keep the deodorant as a paste to smear on your armpits like a lotion (just store in a small Mason jar or other container) OR you can go with my preferred method, which is pouring the deodorant mixture into molds, sticking it in the fridge to harden and using it as a stick-like deodorant.

Pouring the deodorant into a Wilton Pumpkin Faces Silicone Mold,

which works great for this deodorant! They also have a ton of other

designs to choose from - hearts, shamrocks, stars, etc.!

As you can see from the photo above, I like pouring my mixture into some Halloween molds (which are usually either ice cube trays or silicone baking molds). You can find silicone molds for cheap on Amazon (like the link above for the Wilton ones or you can try these brain ice cube trays, which are perfect due to their size and shape!). Once poured into molds, I stick them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight so that they harden. Once hardened, I pop them out of their molds, place them in an air-tight container and keep them in the fridge so they stay hard.

Now, it took a little getting used to going to the fridge to put on deodorant every morning, but for this magical deodorant it was worth it! It goes on smoothly, melts into my skin with no residue (goodbye, white armpit stains!), and keeps me from stinking up the joint all day, every day!

A batch of "spooky" deodorant that will scare your stench away!

Say "boo" to bad B.O.!

Seriously, though, you can’t beat this easy-to-make, cheap, long-lasting, natural and vegan deodorant! Try it and see how magical it is yourself!

________________________________________

Update 11-April-2015 - This deodorant continues to be a great success! I've gone ahead and added all new photos to this post, especially since the original baking soda I included in a photo was not cruelty-free (stay away from Arm and Hammer - they test on animals). I still keep hearing raves on this deodorant, so I'm glad it is working so well for everyone! I am still using it and haven't had to purchase a store-bought deodorant in years! Also, I wanted to update this post in order to answer a few frequently-asked questions about this deodorant, so here goes!

Question: Is this an antiperspirant and will this stop me from sweating?
Answer: This deodorant is not an antiperspirant and will not stop sweating. Antiperspirants are actually really unhealthy for you since they interfere with your body's natural cooling system and clog sweat glands. I recommend staying away from them!

Question: I've used this deodorant but now I've developed a red rash in my armpits. Help!
Answer: When switching to a more natural deodorant, your body goes through a detox period. It has been recommended that when you ditch your store-bought deodorant you should give your pits a break for a week before you begin using this deodorant. However, this is real life, and I doubt you want to disappear to an isolated location for a whole week to let your pits adjust. Instead, I recommend using less of this deodorant - it really doesn't take much for it to be effective. Also, your body will adjust over time and your rash will go bye-bye. If it doesn't go away after a week, try using some apple cider vinegar on your pits to balance your pH levels. Just use a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water (1:1 ratio) on a cotton ball and smooth over the affected armpit area on a daily basis until you see improvement.  Another suggestion - ditch essential oils if you are using them to scent your deodorant - they can be irritating to the skin. Note: If it is a SEVERE rash, discontinue use as you may be overly sensitive to baking soda.

Question: How much should I use?
Answer: There isn't a right or wrong answer to this - I use around 10 swipes per armpit in the morning, but I tend to overcompensate and could probably use less and still be protected. I would advise trying different amounts to see what works best for you. Also, one application a day works like a charm - no need to re-apply throughout the day!

Question: Will this stain my clothes?
Answer: Nope! I've never had an experience where I got the dreaded white ring on my clothes (and all my clothes are black, so I definitely would have noticed!). If you do happen to get some on your clothes, it comes right off with a bit of warm water or in the wash, with no staining whatsoever!

Let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

Please note: There are tons of variations of this recipe all over the internet and unfortunately I don't have the source for this particular version, but I wanted to share it since it is the BEST recipe I've found! 

Product Review: North Coast Organics Deodorant and Lip Balm

Confession time: I tend to sweat a lot. My body gets hot really easy (which is often since I live in SoCal and it is pretty much always warm here), plus whenever I get nervous or anxious (again, often), I sweat. So finding a decent vegan deodorant that works well is super-important to me since I'm such a sweaty broad.

In the past, I've used Herban Cowboy’s and Nature de France’s Le Stick deodorants and have had moderate success with those. I've unfortunately found that those and most natural deodorants just don’t offer the same protection as my pre-vegan, chemical-laden deodorant, which isn't just filled with nasty, bad-for-you ingredients, but most likely also contains animal bi-products and is cruelly tested on animals. It goes without saying that I would rather use a slightly less effective vegan deodorant than a bad-for-you and a bad-for-the-animals deodorant.

Though Herban Cowboy and Nature de France’s deodorants were the best vegan “stick” products I’d found, I've always been on the search for other deodorants that work more effectively and eradicate all smelly odors.

Luckily, North Coast Organics was gracious enough to send me their deodorants to put to my sweat test! This independently-owned company also makes lip balms, which they also sent me. All of their products are vegan, handmade and organic. Their ingredients are pure, natural and do not contain any icky chemicals. You can even pronounce them all!

The first thing that struck me about the products was the edgy packaging…I am a sucker for skulls, so I was immediately drawn to the “Death by Lavender” deodorant, especially since it proclaimed it was an “elite assassin of odor”!  It has a strong lavender smell, which I love! After being in contact with my skin a few moments, the deodorant melted just a bit and went on smoothly. I really, really loved the lavender smell, which lasted all day! It did a great job at keeping me smelling fresh and feeling clean!

The next deodorant I tried was the Revolver deodorant, scented with cedar wood, cypress and clary sage. I suppose this is the more “manly-smelling” deodorant they make, but I love manly-smelling deodorant! In fact, I usually prefer it over flowery, feminine deodorants (this explains why I love using Herban Cowboy’s deodorant so much!). This deodorant’s scent was more subtle than Death by Lavender but just as pleasant! I felt this deodorant was a bit stronger than Death by Lavender and worked better to totally eradicate odor (though both contain basically the same ingredients, so maybe this was all in my mind!).

I really liked both deodorants, but while they worked well they didn’t completely get rid of all odor. Believe me, they did an admiral job, and I will definitely continue using them, but I still noticed a bit of stinkiness when working out hard or when I sweated a lot in hot environments (like that one March weekend where it was like 85 degrees…ick!). For every day wear, though, these worked really well.

As an added bonus, I also got some lip balms to review. The two kinds made by North Coast Organics are WMD and LSQ. WMD was my favorite, with essential oils of cinnamon, ginger and tea tree. It went on smoothly and really gave my lips some much-needed moisture! I keep it by my bed now and put it on every morning and night! The LSQ was a bit rougher and didn't go on as smooth, but I did enjoy the scent of peppermint, spearmint and tea tree from its essential oils!

North Coast Organics makes solid vegan, organic and natural products. I love the homemade aesthetic of the products, the clever packaging and the fact that they are all-natural and vegan, but I really love that they WORK! I found that though the deodorants may not eradicate 100% of odors on especially warm days or during tough workouts, they still do a pretty amazing job 90% of the time, which is more than I can say for most all-natural deodorants!

North Coast Organics products can be found in select stores or ordered from their website!

13 Days of Creepmas: Gothic Ornaments from Etsy

About a week ago I shared some stunning Creepmas trees to inspire your own holiday tree, but I wanted to focus a little bit more on the details of a tree on this post, namely the ornaments! And what other place to find gorgeously gothic baubles to put on your Creepmas tree than Etsy?

I love the unique items that can be found browsing Etsy, including lots and lots of spooky Christmas decorations! The ornaments could be a nice treat for yourself, but I also think these special items make wonderful holiday gifts that help build heartfelt memories.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite gothic ornaments I found while browsing Etsy:

 Bat Ornament by ARyer Studio

The Nightmare Before Christmas Mean Monster

Wreath Ornament by beyondthepoisonapple

Gothic Sparkly Ornaments by HalloweenFiend

Haunted Mansion Ornament by beyondthepoisonapple 

(not a fan of the feathers used, tho)

Anatomical Heart Ornament by beanbun

Sleepy Hollow Ornament by TwigStudioArt

Bloody Cutlery Knives Trio of Felt Ornaments

by Madsylvania

Raven Ornament by etchythings

Cat Bat Ornament by Pocket Full of Posiez

The No-(Sham)Poo Challenge

Recently I was reading up on DIY household items and came across an article on Bonzai Aphrodite about going “no-poo”. No, this isn’t about limiting time on the toilet, but instead about giving up harmful, chemical-laden shampoo for something more natural, not as damaging and less expensive.

The “no-poo” method relies on simple baking soda (a natural cleanser) to clean your scalp and hair and apple cider vinegar (a natural softener) to condition it. The rational for this is that store-bought shampoos strip your hair of its natural oils and actually cause many scalp and hair problems (i.e. build-up, dryness, oiliness, limpness, etc.) and our hair would be better off if we didn't use shampoo and conditioner. Also, lots of store-bought shampoos/conditioners contain harmful chemicals like parabens, phthalates, carcinogens and nasty animal-derived products (read about these chemicals in cosmetics on Bonzai Aphrodite's article) that you definitely don't want to use on your body or add to the environment!

Using the "no-poo" method will eventually allow your hair to self-regulate meaning you will only need to use baking soda/vinegar about once a week. The rest of the time water will be the only thing needed to cleanse your hair! Sounds pretty cool, huh?!

The advantages of the no-poo method include: softer, more manageable hair, no harsh chemicals stripping your hair or going down the drain to harm the environment and huge savings as you won't be spending your moola on shampoos and conditioners anymore (I've been known to spend $60 on "luxury" shampoo!).

The disadvantages are that it will take a while (at least a week or two and up to a few months) for your hair to adjust to the "no-poo" method. During this time it may be a bit oilier than usual...but I hear you just need to tough this period out to get to the good results!

I'm taking on the "no-poo" challenge (though I am a bit late - the original post over at Bonzai Aphrodite was done 3 years ago!) and will be no-poo'ing for the month of May!

Anyone care to join me? If so, the directions are below (reposted from Bonzai Aphrodite's post):

In the shower, mix 1 tbsp baking soda into ~1/2 cup water to form a thin paste. Apply to hair at the roots, massaging thoroughly into the scalp. Remember that this will not foam up (no poo!) but that doesn’t mean it’s not cleaning. Rinse. Follow with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar diluted in ~1 cup water. Massage into roots and shafts, and then rinse.

I'm super-stoked to try this and will give you updates as I go!

UPDATE 5/7/12: Ugh, sorry fiends, but I've thrown in the towel on this challenge! My hair did not take too kindly to this experiment and I had so much build-up from not shampooing that I couldn't take it anymore! 

While my hair never got too greasy and the baking soda/vinegar left my hair pretty clean and manageable, it was the itchiness and build-up on my scalp that I just couldn't deal with. I'm bummed cuz I was so ready to go no-poo! I guess I'll either have to try again or just stick to my regular vegan shampoos!

Did you try this challenge? If so, what were your results?

Gory Gear Review: LilWickIdz Zombie Plushes

Photo courtesy of LilWickIdz

Ooooh I love my fiendish finds of creepy cute stuff! I was recently contacted by the creator of LilWickIdz plushes to check out her line of eerily adorable undead dolls! These handmade zombie dolls instantly stole my heart (and brains too), especially with names like Angst, Misery, Dementia, Mischief, Rancid and Madness!

Of course, my favorite would have to be Zoe, a vegetarian zombie. According to the LilWickIdz website:

"Zoe is a misfit Zombie. She doesn’t quite fit in with the other Zombies. It might be her upbeat attitude or maybe it’s because she’s a vegetarian. She finds it equally as difficult to fit in with the living, on account of her being dead. But she won’t let being different stop her from being happy. If you give her a chance she promises not to have your brains for a midnight snack, as long as they don’t smell like vegetables. If I was you, I’d use your brain everyday…it wouldn’t be good to become a vegetable!"

Zoe and I would be such good friends!

Zoe and the other LilWickIdz need a pet, so this is where Stitches, the zombie cat, comes in: 

"Digging up zombies.
Harassing the living.
Serenading the moon off key.
Biting your toes while you sleep.
Playing peek-a-boo with the monster under your bed.

Straight from his grave and into your arms, Stitches may look nice and clean, but don’t be fooled, he won’t stay that way for long. With time he will require additional stitching and mending. Don’t worry, he doesn’t mind a little pain, as long as you provide a lot of tasty brains."

There are many other LilWickIdz characters to check out on the website and any of the creations would make a fabulously fearsome addition to any spooky kids collection.

Another awesome thing about LilWickIdz is that it is run completely by a family of four, including mom, dad and two teenage daughters! Everyone helps out, including ideas for designs, photography, running the website and creating the dolls.

Support this family-run company by checking out their website and digging up some LilWickIdz of your own!

Visit LilWickIdz's website!

Beauty Review: Booda Butter

Over the holidays, my sister introduced me to Booda Butter, which is a vegan and organic body butter and lip balm handmade in Colorado. Since then, I've had a chance to use their products and all I can say is my sister is the best, because I LOVE this stuff!! It has pure, unadulterated ingredients (seriously, when was the last time you saw a lotion with only five all-natural ingredients?!) plus a yummy chocolate scent. And it's cruelty-free and vegan!! Yippee!

I seriously use this stuff all the time. The body butter is especially perfect after a shower or a bath and really locks the moisture into my skin! It is never greasy or heavy and just melts into my skin. I also love that it gives my skin a supple glow that lasts all day long!

The lip balm makes my lips feel healthy and moisturized, and, unlike other brands, I don't have to reapply it every 5 minutes to keep that moisturized feeling going. The Booda Butter lip balm keeps my lips moisturized for hours! Plus, it also has a yummy (but not overpowering) taste/smell!

Both the butter and lip balm are made with only five natural, vegan and organic ingredients. The body butter is made from Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil and Olive Oil while the lip balm is made from Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Candelilla Wax. That's it!

I just adore this stuff and can't think of any negatives about it (except that it isn't sold on every street corner)! I love that it is handmade with care, that the company cares about the environment and uses only natural, cruelty-free and vegan ingredients, the subtle but delightful cocoa butter scent and its amazing moisturizing properties.

I also think the price is fair, especially taking into account the high-quality ingredients and that it is made by hand. I love supporting companies that support the environment and clean living, so I have no problem paying a bit more for better quality products.

Booda Butter comes highly recommended from yours truly and you can order both the lip balm and body butter on Amazon!

For more info, visit Booda Butter's website!

Sweet and Sara's Peanut Butter Smores

I finally did it guys, I finally splurged on Sweet and Sara's already prepared smores (I raved about their products before HERE)! As you can see above and below, it looks like a moon pie (oh man do I miss those...but now I have this much healthier and cruelty-free option...yay!). I picked the peanut butter flavor (I LOOOOVE anything peanut butter flavored...in my opinion it just makes everything better!) and couldn't wait to pop it in the microwave so it got all melty (a little trick I learned from watching a segment on Sweet and Sara on Unwrapped!)!!

Seriously, this was a HUGE smore and could have easily been shared with another person...but I was particularly fiendy for chocolate-y vegan goodness and ended up eating it all myself! Oops...but definitely a delicious indulgence! I mean, how could I resist against this:

Drool!

The marshmallows were perfectly flavored, the chocolate was silky and it had a perfect light peanut buttery flavor to it. I mean, I ate the whole thing in one sitting, so that should tell you something!! If you miss good old fashioned moon pies or smores, then Sweet and Sara's vegan versions of these treats are a perfect dessert for you!

You can find them at Whole Foods, Mother's Market and other fine grocery stores!

For more info, check out Sweet and Sara's site!