"Use It Up" Update

Happy Labor Day y'all!  I can't believe it is September!  Well, being that it is a new month, its time for the "Use It Up" update.  I don't think I got through much this past month of August.  I was able to finish off the A La Maison Honeysuckle and the Thousand Flowers lotions.  Since I finished the lotions I put the soaps in storage and have moved on to other scents.  In the shower I am using lemon scented soap.  A friend gave me a bottle of South of France liquid soap in the scent lemon verbena.  Then I have my lemon scented shower gel from Germany.  Then I have a tube of Andalou Body Lotion in Citrus Verbena.  I have to say that Andalou body lotion is my favorite brand of lotion, it always smells good and feels so rich and thick, but goes on easily.  My skin always drinks it up like dessert.

In my bath I have a "green tea" theme going on.  I am using a bar of green tea soap which I really like.  It is handmade a la carte soap that I got at Whole Foods, but they don't seem to carry that brand any longer.  For lotion I am using A La Maison body lotion in the Green Tea scent.

As for purchases, I caved.  Some good things popped up at Marshal's.  Here they are pictured below:

I picked up this Autumn hand cream by "deep steep".  It is pretty spicy, but what I liked about it is the faint smell of apple.  I adore apple scented bath products as well as candles.

I also picked up this strawberry scented body wash and butter by "deep steep".  I really like the scent.  It is not overly sweet and somehow has a clean smell to it.  I look forward to using it in Spring/Summer 2017.

I also picked up this Rose Lilac soap by A La Maison.  I am pairing it with a tube of Andalou body lotion in the 1000 Roses scent.  Looking forward to using these in Spring 2017.

Here is a picture (sorry about the glare) of my bathroom where the bathtub is.  It also doubles as our guest bathroom.  I try to decorate it for the seasons.  This is the decor for Fall.  The "Love" decal is a scripture verse.  The decal is from Dollar Tree.  The sunflowers I picked up at Gordman's and the leaves in the center are from Walmart (last year).  Then I picked up towels to match at Kohl's (got them on clearance).  Really happy with how it turned out.  My daughter in-law said she always likes using the bathroom at my house because she enjoys how I change the decor with the seasons. 

By the way, that last summer event happened right on time.  I became a Grandma for the 3rd time on August 30th.  A very healthy 7 lb. boy named Myles.  Now I am going to be babysitting two boys while mommy works.  That will happen in November.  

Feeling a bit Autumn-ish?

I am feeling it!  I've noticed that the days are getting shorter and the air is feeling a tad cooler.  And even some stores have Autumn decor out.  Granted, it is a bit early as its only the middle of August.  Hello!  We haven't even passed Labor Day!  I know, but Autumn comes earlier here in Colorado than it ever did in Southern California.  And for some reason I love Autumn, it seems to be my favorite season, so I just can't help myself.  Don't get me wrong, I have been enjoying summer, it has been fun to wear shorts, skirts and sandals because in Colorado we wear our winter clothes the greater part of the year.  Its also been wonderful to feel warm, eat frozen yogurt and drink iced beverages.  And I am still waiting on the next summer event to take place and that is the birth of our 3rd grandson!

Anyway, feeling the Autumn-ish mood, I had a rare day off and went to the mall.  Oh my goodness, I felt like a queen of leisure!  I enjoyed browsing the new decor in stores and actually bought some items.  And then that naturally led me to think about bath products.  When don't I think of soap?  So I had to stop at the Bath & Body Works to enjoy the new Autumn scents.  I can't buy their bath products anymore due to my eczema, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying smelling.  And then the candles, oh my!  I have to say, the displays were gorgeous and the new scents delightful.  So when I got home I went through my bath items in storage again, seeing if I have anything for Autumn.  Which I only have a couple items so I might be able to make a couple purchases.  Yay!

In my process of sorting things out in storage, I was able to throw a few things out.  And I was able to reflect while sorting.  I realized that I should not be so hard on myself about my purchases.  Why?  Because when I do purchase items I do it thoughtfully.  Even so, I really don't know how the items are going to work out.  Once I get the item home the story begins.  Some items work and some don't for whatever reason and I can't predict that when I buy it.  Some things I enjoy for awhile and that is okay.  Some products I buy are a trusted brand, but then I find out they changed hands and thus changed the formula.  Other brands I like have been done away with.  Sometimes I can take items back and sometimes I can't.  Even eating at a restaurant you never know if you are going to really like what you order.  So big light bulb turned on in my head that a great majority of shopping is a gamble and anything that works out great is a blessing from the Lord.  So there you go!

Well, that is the extent of my ramblings.  On an ending note, I have to reflect on the Lord.  I am so glad He made seasons.  It just goes to show how much fun He is, not to mention creative and just plain awesome.  Wishing you dear reader an amazing rest of summer as it slowly fades into Autumn. 

Are You Ready?

Are You Ready is the title of a message given by Amir Tsarfati at Calvary Chapel in Hawaii.  Super awesome message and very uplifting.  Hope you enjoy it.

Use It Up Update

It is the beginning of a new month and so time for the Use It Up Update.  Again this month I do not have that much to report.  I polished off another bottle of the Renpur Co-wash.  I am now using the Renpur Lavender-Rosemary Co-wash that I picked up a couple months ago.  So far so good, I am enjoying it.  I also finished the A La Maison Coconut scented lotion.

Did not finish the A La Maison coconut soap, still had half a bottle left, so that is on the bathroom sink being used as our hand soap.  In the shower I now have A La Maison Honeysuckle scented soap and the matching lotion.

In my tub I still am working on the A La Maison Thousand Flowers scented soap along with the lotion.  I am nearly done with the lotion, which by the way smells heavenly.  I am getting the last bits out of the bottom of the bottle.  Don't you just hate when the pump stops working because the lotion is too low for the pump to suck it up?  I don't know why, but that really annoys me.

Looking in my inventory of what I have left, I am still overwhelmed.  One of the scents I still have yet to use is the A La Maison Fresh Sea Salt scent.

As far as buying any new bath products, I have managed to resist the temptation.  Hooray for me!   

Are You Divergent?

As I type this I am watching the movie "Divergent".  The heroine is Tris, who is divergent.  In the world that Tris lives in no one is allowed to be divergent (in other words, be a unique thinking for themselves individual).  In the movie, anyone who is divergent is done away with.  So when Tris takes her test and finds out she is divergent she has to watch her back.  After testing the children have to pick a faction, Tris picks the faction of Dauntless (the brave).  She is of course dauntless, but within her individuality.  At one point in the movie, the hero & boyfriend named "Four" tells Tris that she is fearless.  This struck a cord in me.

Have you been watching the DNC?  Did you watch the RNC?  To be honest the whole thing scares me.  There is a deepening chasm within our nation and the world for that matter.  In my mind a great delusion seems to have taken hold.  In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 it says:  "He will completely fool those who are on their way to hell because they have said "no" to the Truth; they have refused to believe it and love it, and let it save them, so God will allow them to believe lies with all their hearts..."  As a nation, we have turned away from God and thus it looks like this verse of scripture is happening before our very eyes.

I decided to dig deeper, thus I looked up the word "divergent" and found two meaningful definitions by Webster's dictionary.  First "divergent" can mean a differing from each other or from a standard.  I see more and more that there is a standard rising in this world, a standard that is called "politically correct".  Believe it or not, it has become a religion.  Of course, as in the movie, if you don't fit into this mold then you are "divergent". Which I realize I don't fit the mold, so thus I am divergent.

Looking back at the second definition of "divergent" (which is mathematical), it refers to an infinite sequence that does not have a limit.  My mind had a spark, God is infinite!  Thus, could we say that our Lord is divergent?  When Jesus walked this earth He was indeed!  Looking at the direction of this world I see that more and more it is necessary for a person that calls themselves a follower of Jesus to be divergent.  Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live and move and having our being...".  The world dictates otherwise.

Finally, just like Tris in the movie, we have to watch our backs as our enemy lurks about like a hungry roaring lion.  Tris had to be on her game, so we must also be with the armor the Lord has given us as spoken of in Ephesians 6:10-18.  And as Tris had Four helping to watch her back, so we have Jesus, as Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."  So knowing He has got us covered, we can keep calm and carry on being divergent in this world and thus be dauntless in Him.

So dear reader I ask again, "Are you divergent?"

If you need more encouragement, here is a link to a great sermon by Pastor Jack Hibbs:  Why Should You Believe in the Rapture 

Use It Up Update

Hello from hot & dry Colorado!  It is definitely summer here and thus it feels really good to take a shower or bath at the end of the day.  Thus I began thinking that I need to do a Use It Up Update as its been a long while since I have posted one.  I can say that I have made progress in reducing my products in storage, but not as much as I would like.

In retrospect, I was using the EO Rose scented body wash and a rose scented lotion.  Well I used up the rose scented lotion and by that time was bored.  So I decided to switch to A La Maison ~ Coconut scented soap and the matching lotion.  I have to say that the soap is great, but the scent is not really coconut smelling to me.  It smells good, but seems more on the masculine side. I am nearly done with the lotion (which smells like coconut cream) and once I am I will probably switch again.

In my bathtub I was using the A La Maison ~ Lavender Aloe scent.  It is 2/3 gone and I have nearly used up the lavender lotion (3/4 gone), but I got bored and decided to switch to A La Maison ~ A Thousand Flowers and the matching lotion (which is 2/3 gone).  I know its probably confusing because I keep switching, but I assure you I am making progress.  As for hair care products, I used up a Kiss My Face hair conditioner and I have almost polished off another bottle of the Ren-pur Co-wash.

So in conclusion, during the past two months I only managed to use up a rose scented lotion and a Kiss My Face hair conditioner.  The only temptation I had this month was a bar of lemon scented soap.  It was such a bright pretty yellow and smelled so good, but I resisted the temptation.  I just enjoyed it in the store.  So that is my update.  Hopefully, the August report will show more progress.

Sharing Life & Prophecy

Well, today is the last day of June!  At the end of May hubby and I went on vacation.  Right before we left we both came down with a bad cold.  Thankfully the Lord gave me the strength of get all the laundry and packing done as well as babysit kids.  Our trip was wonderfully blessed as we fully enjoyed our time with family.  However, the down side was that we got sicker once we arrived, not sick enough to stay in bed, but just enough to be annoying.  By the time we were going home we were feeling improved, but it took another week to get all better.  Now at the end of June Mark & I are sick yet again with another annoying bug.  Sigh.  I guess that is what happens when you have little ones around 5 to 6 days a week.

I usually post at least once a month, but for some reason I did not until now.  I can't say why, only that it seems ever since I got back from vacation I've been busy.  When we arrived home we were exhausted from our trip and we both crashed the night we got home.  The next day we both jumped right back into work.  Its like we did not even have time to come up for air.  Right now I am looking at a possible 4-day break from kids.  I was just telling the Lord that I need a break and then one presents itself.  Wow!

Besides babysitting kids and keeping up with housework since coming home, the Lord has me praying.  Praying for people who are sick.  Shortly after I got home a friend of mine contacted me and asked me to pray for a friend of hers.  A woman who took herbal diet pills and nearly died from them. Thankfully, the Lord has healed her and she is back at home, but she was in ICU with all kinds of IVs.  Her liver and kidneys were threatening to shut down.  Also found out that a friend's husband has pancreatic cancer.  He has been suffering and has lost so much weight.  He started kemo this week.  Another friend has a 21-year old son who has come down with cancer.  He has a tumor behind his right sinus cavity and he started kemo last week.  He's been really sick and unable to eat since his first kemo. Our next door neighbor is watching a daughter suffer through terminal cancer.  Its in her brain & lungs.  Then there is my mother, who was diagnosed with a slow growth tumor in her breast. 

On top of all that, I try to keep up with what is going on in the world.  It is amazing as well as alarming.  I have come across these little videos that sort of catalog what is going down and these videos really shed light on what is going on.  The videos move me to tears at times, great music to go with them too.  So here I will leave you with a link to  Prophecy Update  Enjoy!