Some of my current favorites!

I try to share with you some things that I try, use frequently, and love. I'm sort of a product junkie and won't tell people about anything unless I really love it and it works for me, makes me happy, or makes my life easier. Here are some of my favorites right now!

I swear by Nivea Kiss of Moisture. I have it in every purse and use it all winter long. The air is much drier here these days and I am already using it. At just over two bucks a tube, it's super affordable and never lets you down!

I love a good pop of color on my nails when the summer is ending. Pretty soon I'll start using Essie's Geranium. It runs about $8 a bottle and it's a perfect red-orange. You can get it anywhere these days...even Target!

Have you smelled the Ikea Vanilla Candles? Alyssa started me on these and I have no less than six of them in my house at all times. I am not an artificial vanilla person, but I am in love with these candles. I don't know what it is, but it's a very CHEAP indulgence! The small is $1.99 and the large is $4.99.

If you have lots of fine, straight hair like mine I am about to tell you the biggest secret ever. I have found volume in a bottle. After trying (at least) hundreds of products on my hair, I have found one that works and it is completely natural and food grade organic! Go figure. It is Intelligent Nutrients Volumizing Spray and I have no idea how much it costs. I decided ignorance was bliss when she charged my debit card. I bought it and have never looked back. I'm thinking it's $25 or so and I am officially addicted.

I am also loving the new Marimekko socks that I just bought. I'm not going to lie, they set me back almost $20. I NEVER spend that kind of money on socks, but I had to have these and I love them!

Last, but not least, is my all time favorite winter hand lotion. It is made by Avon and is called Moisture Therapy. It is cheap at about $4 for a large tube or 99 cents for a small tube that you can throw in your purse. It is the best I've used! I always give it for gifts. It has saved my hands time and time again.

I hope you've enjoyed my favorites. Please feel free to tell me some of yours too. I'm always looking for great new things to try! 

I'll be back soon with some fun home updates.

-Stacy

The Bed Dilemma.

Some of you may have visited my house page. (For those of you who don't know who you are reading.. It is me. Alyssa. Smiling right back at you from my computer to yours.) Anyhow, if you visited my house page you will have seen my bedroom. If not, let me refresh your memory.

So, now onto the dilemma. We had a very uncomfortable king mattress in here once upon a time. It was OK for the occasional stay but did not have a lot of give (reminder this was our guest room prior to my office moving home). When we moved down here my hips started hurting pretty regularly and I finally had an aha moment after staying some where else that my problem was the mattress. Our first problem was getting a queen downstairs. We could get the mattress down, but not the box spring. Which meant we either had to put the mattress on the floor (no go.. I am creaky enough) or come up with an idea for a platform bed. Simple solution really, just add wood slats to the bed frame and voila, instant platform bed. Alas, when I sold the king mattress, I had to sell the frame as well and then we had nothing. But slats. So.. my lovely husband said, I can remedy that as well...... and did this.... 

As you can see from above he added a series of slats that go perpendicular to the original ones. (original ones are the ends at the side of the bed showing to the right of the picture) Then created a "box" for lack of a better term for the slats to sit on.  Now, this does solve the problem. It doesn't not take into consideration the nice sheets and knit blanket we have on the bed. The blanket is forever getting caught on the rough edges, because..oh, I forgot to mention. None of this is sanded. Eek! Also, we have a problem keeping the sheets tucked in at the bottom of the bed. Enough to make me crazy.. But it was cheap and easy and solved said problem. As we are on a pretty strict budget for the next year,  (it is my supreme to goal to get out of debt), in some situations we make due. This current make due solution  is making me too crazy to speak though.. so onto the next solution. A real bed. Being on a budget and liking more modern things, I kept my selecting to West Elm & Ikea. (I get a discount at West Elm as it is in the Williams Sonoma family and hey.. Ikea is just inexpensive.) I looked at the following.. did a few test drives at Ikea and West Elm and finally chose one that I have not seen in real life.. so here is hoping! 

The following were the contenders... 

We'll start with Ikea.. 

 

Engen - $149 - 

He was by far the most inexpensive. The problem with him was 2-part. First, we would have to keep up our make due cedar head board.. which is only there for the sake of having somewhere for curtains to go without them getting caught on our pillow at night and us pulling them down in our sleep. The second negative is that his "walnut" veneer is just a sticker.. Our cats are declawed on the front.. but not the back. Getting 20 pounds of Trouble up on the bed sometimes requires a little help from the back claws. Moving on.

 

Lillesand - $179

 Well, she was the next option. I liked her for our cabin-to-be. But I thought she was a little too country for our city home. Thinking ahead as we are buying something that is still a little make due, this might be a good option as I can see this moving on to a cabin in the next fives years or so.. hoping we can make a cabin closer to home happen. Yet.. perhaps too girly for us. Sooo.... moving on somewhat reluctantly.

 Redalan - $199

This was the last Ikea option. I like the white and the wicker on this one. It feels airy and light. though perhaps too airy and light for our bedroom with the 50's mid-century modern dresser and hopefully,as soon as I can find some, nightstands.  Eric was a big fat 'No' to this option. So, it quickly was scratched off the list.

Moving on... 

After seeing the last one and mentioning West Elm. Eric quickly went to their site while he was on the phone with me. (I was at Ikea test driving the above beds.) He saw this one right away and thought perfect. 

Narrow Leg - $249

He said let's get that. You get a discount so it will be close to the Ikea options and let's just get the base. No headboard. It comes in dark or white. What do you think? Well, I think. Neither. I want a head board and our dresser is a medium golden tone. White would be OK, but not what I would love. Also, I am thinking bunny chew toy. So.. moving on...

The final selection. Yes. The most expensive. But, hey I get a discount. Why not use it! :) 

Herringbone Bed Set - $599

This bed has it all for me. It is has the herringbone pattern. I like. It also looks twiggy. The cabin in the future likes. It is metal. The bunnies like. Oh, wait. No, they don't like. Oh, that makes me like it more!  So that dilemma is solved and moving on to paint colors. Eric will be excited when he comes home to this in our bedroom tonight. Keep in mind we still have the backyard hell going on.

  

Have a great night all! 

Alyssa 

Ps.. I am leaning towards the one on the right...

Holy Cuteness!

Oh how I love this! Its so cute I want one in every color!

You can find them here. Check out the hot pink one too!

RUN don't walk to buy this...

If you know me, you know that I like to clean. Don't mistake this with liking to pick up the house...in no way do I like "picking up." I like the actual process of getting things clean. Since Alyssa and I both house a small zoo at each of our homes, I am concerned about keeping things pretty sanitary. I have 3 cats and a dog and if I could get them to wear shoes while outside or in the litter box, believe me...I would! About 5 years ago I became pretty obsessed with using environmentally friendly cleaning products. I worry about my husband and I...but I also worried about our critters. I have never liked PineSol or other harsh chemical cleaners. Mostly because I cannot stand the smell. I have switched over to all environmentally friendly products and they clean just as well as regular cleaners. I won't lie...there are times when using environmentally friendly products require using more elbow grease but I am okay with that. The only thing I cannot give up is bleach, and I only use it once a week or so to bleach my sink. Otherwise I have switched over to peroxide. You do know that it's the miracle cleaner, don't you? Swish it in your mouth while you are in the shower a few times a week and it bleaches your teeth for CHEAP. However, my favorite thing about it is that you can use it on your carpets or rugs and it does not take the color out...only the stain!

My new find (within the last few months) is this:

I cannot tell a lie, I am addicted. It is what you must run to buy! I use the Grassy Mint on my body (yes, it is for body and home!) and the Pomegranate Acai for my home. Clean your floors, bathroom, kitchen and everything that needs cleaning with this. Your house will smell amazing and when you buy it they will donate 10% of the profits to support Seeds of Peace. You clean while teenagers from opposite sides of conflicting countries learn how to come together and talk instead of being enemies. It's a win-win situation! You can buy this at your local co-op. If you don't have access to a co-op, I know that Whole Foods also carries it. It may seem pricey at $13 for 34 ounces, but you must remember that it is super concentrated! If you are unable to find this soap, another product I like is this:

I may be partial to this brand because it was created by a Minnesota woman. I have oodles of respect and admiration for her because she was one of the pioneers of yummy smelling cleaning products. You can even find these products at Target these days and they are reasonable. About $7.99 for a 32 ounce super concentrated bottle of it. You won't regret buying this.

I will leave you with another eco-friendly cleaning tip: Go buy a cheap spray bottle. Fill it with two cups of alcohol and one cup of warm water. Be sure to mark the bottle "window cleaner" and go clean every window in your house. Just don't do it when the sun is beating on the window...you WILL get streaks. Been there done that. This stuff is cheap and works great! Beats Windex.

Happy Washing!

Stacy

You can buy this on Etsy. If you'd like to get one for me, I prefer mine in grass green :)