December Eco-Emi Box

A few things that I totally love:

*Getting mail

*Getting freebies

*Trying out new samples

*Opening presents

The December Eco-Emi box nailed all of these requirements. For those of you who do not know, Eco-Emi is a sampler box for those who want to/or are already all about going green! In a nutshell - from their website: Let us show you what is worth spending your hard earned money on! For only $15.00 a month we will mail you a minimum of five samples to your door wrapped in a chic earth friendly packaging. You will have the luxury of trying out the green world in the comfort of your own home.

First thing that caught my attention - the green paper with the dark brown box and yellow ribbon. My wedding colors are green and brown - so I was sold before I even opened the box.

I feel like I should probably say this here...I purchased this box for $15 and I am writing these reviews of my own free will. I have not been contacted by any of the companies to promote their products or portray them in a positive light, so please take this blog post for what it is, quite simply, the opinions of a 28 year old female! I just like to share in case you are all looking for great and wonderful products!

Upon opening there is the postcard that explains what you are getting in the box for the month. I choose to wait to read this until AFTER I unwrap all of my goodies so as not to "ruin the surprise"!

Picture of the box before I tore it apart:

One of the first things I saw was this candy cane - which was all organic and actually - very tasty!

I then pulled out the candle by Wyk which was in a whispering pine scent - and I LOVED the smell - so of course, I had to burn it immediately!

A little blurb about Wyk: Our CEO is Mother Nature. That’s why we use only natural ingredients in our formulations. Our wax is 100% pure soy made from beans farmed right here in the United States of America. Our wicks are crafted from 100% cotton then primed in beeswax. Our substantial vessels are manufactured
especially for us. And our elixirs are the collaborative effort of a perfumer
and chemist who swirl, swoosh, and swoon over our proprietary fragrances.
Creativity flourishes at Wyk Candles where nature ignites passion.

I was sad for it to burn out - but I know where to get more: www.wykcandles.com :) I will have to check it out after I use ALL of my other candles up (and I will probably feel guilty knowing they aren't near as good for the environment)

Another thing I used up right away was the Genesis Today Vitamin C with Zinc chews. I managed to pick up a nasty cold - and I was hoping these would help take it away asap!

The only other item that I actually tried out were the socks from Maggies - which have an arch support. They were super comfy and of course - adorable! I mean c'mon - who doesn't love to have moose on their feet?! :)

Everything else has yet to be tested, but I will be back for sure to let you know what I thought of each product. I am excited to see and test out all the goodies in my January box.

Zombeezi Lip Balm!

Green Shield Organics, Free and Clear Laundry Detergent:

For more information, or if you wish to order your own Eco-Emi box, please check out www.ecoemi.com

Holiday Vox Box!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=807475447768&set=vb.219705170&type=2&theater

For some reason, it's not letting me load my video - so I will just link you to the unboxing of my Influenster box. :)

Returning to my Roots

So, obviously...I haven't written in awhile.

It's not that I haven't been living life, reading books, giving personal reviews of new products I've tried, books I've read, services I've utilized. I have definitely not been at a loss for words. I have just chosen to not express them in the written for fear of judgement.

You see, I'm going to share a little secret about me...I totally CARE about what others think. At 28 years of age, I shouldn't. I should be happy being me and not try to please everybody, but it's so deep within me that I can't stop it. I have "found myself" a bit over the past year and have let go of some fears of rejection, but there are still a lot there.

Another little secret...when I write something down, I am forced to really SEE it. To reread and examine it. I can't pretend it's not there. Financially, things aren't great. And...I want to deny it until I'm blue in the face so I just pretend it doesn't exsist and I keep on with life as best as I can. Today however, I decided that I NEED accountability. From myself. From random strangers, it doesn't matter, I just NEED it. I need to know that there is a problem and that I CAN and WILL make a change.

If you saw me on the street, you would never know that I have creditors calling me everyday. You would never know that I eat popcorn for dinner because it's all I can afford. And no, I am NOT asking anyone to feel sorry for me. I work a full time job, as does my fiance. I got myself in this mess AND I will get myself out...*Ring ring* Just interuppted (although you wouldn't know it) by a phone call from Sallie Mae saying I am behind on my student loan payment.

Anyways - because of the troubles I am currently clawing my way out of - I have taken to LOVING free stuff. Free food, free products, surveys for money, etc. :) I would love to share some of that information and also have a place where I can get super excited about my mailbox goodies. My fiance is mostly annoyed - so I need an outlet. :)

Also, I have NOT given up on the Time 100 Novel list by the age of 30, but I am a bit derailed. The last book I fnished was "God's Brothel" - a book about polygamy. I embrace learning about other religions, cultures, personalities, etc.

So...when I get home today, I will post a snapshot of my mailbox. I look forward to tracking not only my bills and spending but the fun and exciting new products I am allowed to try.

The Anticipation!

It didn't last long! My first book from the list arrived in the mail today - The Assistant by Bernard Malamud.

"Frank Alpine is a troubled, somewhat desperate, handsome Italo-American from the West Coast-a man with a difficult past and a strong urge to be somebody. He works long hours in the grocery store of a struggling Jewish family in a declining Brooklyn neighborhood. And he is falling in love with his employer's attractive daughter, whose own hungers have not been satisfied by another man"

I'm excited to start reading the first stepping stone on my road to literary enlightenment ;)

Thirty by Thirty

I've always been a reader. I started when I was two with the encouragement of my mother. By the time my baby brother was around I was reading to him too. Of course back then my biggest literary challenge were the Little Miss & Little Mr. Books...but hey, you have to start somewhere, right?

My mother would often take us to the public library in town - which quickly became my favorite place to be. Not only did they have rows and rows of books to challenge my mind, tickle my funny bone and distract me from the real world, but they had toys to keep my brothers occupied :)

Each week my mom would let us pick out our stack of books and it was always a challenge for me to only grab the 10 she allowed. Once I became a teenager, I loved the library even more. I could get lost for hours reading the binding of books or grabbing a good novel and curling up in the bean bag chair. Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club eventually gave way to RL Stine and Christopher Peik...which led to VC Andrews & Stephen King.

I took my love of reading so seriously that I scored myself a job at said library when I was 14 years old. I continued to work there and peruse the aisles until I went away to college.

This is where my tale takes a tragic turn...somewhere between 19 and 26, I gave up on reading. I didn't think it was cool anymore, now it was more of an afterthought, something I had to do for class, something the "uncool" boring people did. Computer games and reality tv tempted to fill the void.

As crazy as it may sound, the Twilight series brought me back to the written word. I have not been able to stop reading since I picked up Twilight as a joke. Everyone was talking Team Edward and Team Jacob and I just HAD to know what was going on. It reignited the spark inside of me that has now turned in to a full blown fire.

Anyways...all that just to say that I've decided to take it one step further. I've decided to set a goal for myself and that goal is to read my way through Time Magazines Top 100 Novels of All Time. I purchased the first couple of books via Ebay and anxiously await their arrival. In the meantime I'm reading "Geisha, A Life"

I'll be sure to post the titles of the first couple of books as they come trickling in.

Have any suggestions as to what else I should be reading? I'd love to hear them!