Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Tuesday Ten: Gifts Under $75

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10

While I put together this super affordable gift guide last week, this week I wanted to share another guide for people who are a little more special and you spend a little more money on so each of the gifts pictured here cost $75 or less.  Two of my favorite things to give as gifts are these super cozy pjs (I really love the gray ones pictured here that are covered with champagne bottles!) and my absolute favorite panties (the perfect gift for your friends!).  One of my favorite things to receive is luxe beauty products like this body crème set or this cult favorite body scrub.  Two other things I think would make the cutest gifts is this gorgeous laptop sleeve (one of the prettiest ones I've ever seen) and this sparkly portable phone charger.  There's a few other items on the list that will also make for amazing gifts, no matter which of these gifts you pick though it is sure to make someone very happy!


SHOP THE POST HERE:

K

  
                
Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!

Welcome to Tutu Tuesdays a linkup with The Blush Blonde and The Fairy Princess Diaries!  Linkup whatever you'd like and make sure to do a little mingling - our goal here is to create a community of bloggers where we can all connect, find new blogs, and support one another.  We love new friends, supporting other blogs, and meeting fellow girl bosses!

There are just a few rules we ask you follow to join in on Tutu Tuesdays:

1. Please follow both Jordyn and me, your lovely hosts, on Instagram and/or Bloglovin.
Kristin: The Blush Blonde  |  Bloglovin'  |  Instagram
2. Link to your specific post, not your blog's main page.
3. Grab our super cute button or share a link to Tutu Tuesdays in the post you are linking up so everyone can know about the party!
4. Have fun and mingle with other bloggers that have linked up!  Like I said we want everyone to make new friends!
“The




Saturday, December 10, 2016

Smell Your Best with R¿iddle Oil

In my opinion smelling good is as important as looking good.  I mean have you ever seen someone that looks amazing, but then smells not so amazing?  It instantly ruins the look.  Did you know though that alcohol based scents (which most perfumes are) can easily evaporate, dry out skin, and cause skin irritations?  Did you also know that there is an alternative to conventional alcohol based scents?

R¿ddle Oil is a company based in California that creates scents that are made from essential oils and flower essences and are produced using a distillation process.  The scents they create are cruelty free, vegan, free of harmful chemicals and contain no carrier oils.  Their scented oils last longer, have a longer shelf life, are more moisturizing, and have fewer ingredients than alcohol based scents.  In addition to this, R¿ddle Oil's scents are hypoallergenic and safe for people who are sensitive and typically have allergic responses to perfume.

The sweet people over at R¿ddle Oil sent me several of their wonderful products to sample.  I've had so much fun over the last few weeks testing out their scents and even sharing them with my Mom to try too.  My Mom has difficulty holding a scent with traditional alcohol based perfumes and strongly prefers to use oils because they last significantly longer for her, so she was super excited to get to play with all the different R¿ddle Oil scents.  Below I am breaking down each scent for you.

Their original scent is non-scent, scent that enhances your natural scent for a smell that is "your skin, but better."  It is is made from amber resins and musky base notes and works with your body's heat and chemistry to create a scent unique to you.  In my opinion this scent is warm, inviting, and perfect for both people who love or don't love perfume.

This scent is spicy, sexy, and comforting.  It is subtle, but memorable at the same time.  It is rich yet delicate, and spicy cardamom, amber, sandalwood, orchid oil, mango blossom, strawberries and vanilla come together to create this inviting scent.

This woody and green scent has a very clean feeling to it.  It is luxe and rich, while staying fresh at the same time.  This special blend contains green tea, lemon, bergamot, black tea, jasmine, hay, tonka bean, and sandalwood oils.

This is a floral is less overpowering than typical flowery perfumes.  I personally struggle with allergies when it comes to flower perfumes, however this does not irritate my sensitive nose at all.  It is both fresh and floral, and grass, fern, lemon, gardenia, red jasmine, musk and clove combine for an unexpectedly sweet scent.

Like with Eden, this oil is a floral scent that is less overpowering than typical flowery perfumes.  It also doesn't bother my allergies and actually comes together to create a bit of a fruity smell with a touch of flowers.  The notes in this oil are white peony, jasmine, tuberose, tamarind, arum lily, incense, sandalwood, and amber.

This is my absolute favorite scent in the collection and I tried this in a lotion, as well as the oil.  This sweet and fruity scent reminds me of a tropical getaway.  The fresh peach, pineapple, papaya, coconut milk, lilies and wild freesia come together to make everyday smell like you're on vacation.

I tried each scent in oil form and North Wind in the Spray Lotion too.  R¿ddle Oil lotion is made with nourishing organic aloe, emollient rich coconut and grapeseed oils, and moisture locking vegetable glycerin.  It deeply moisturizes, but is not greasy and leaves a lovely scent on your skin.  It is also important to layer the lotion under the oil in order to make the scent last even longer!  In addition to their oils and lotions, R¿ddle Oil has scents for men and a botanicals skincare line too.

Any of R¿ddle Oil's products would make a great gift (for friends, family, or even yourself!) and the lovely people at R¿ddle Oil were kind enough to give me a coupon code to share with all of you.  Just enter THEBLUSHBLONDE at checkout for 10% off your order and if you order before December 24th you'll be entered to win a $75 gift card!

*I was given the R¿ddle Oil products mentioned in this post to facilitate my review, however, as always opinions of these products are all my own!

  
                
Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Tuesday Ten: Gifts Under $30 + Life Update

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10

Each of these adorable presents cost $30 or less, making them perfect gifts for just about anyone on your list.  These are great for coworkers, friends, or anyone else you want to give a little something special too.  They are a sweet way to show your love and appreciation without spending a ton.  I love everything on this list, but I cannot get over how adorable this water bottle is!  I'm also on a big slipper kick right now and think these look so cute and cozy (and they're on sale!). No matter which ones you love any of these picks will make for a fun gift and are sure to make a big hit!

SHOP THE POST HERE:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the beginning of last month I gave a little glimpse into what has been going on in my life here.  Before ending today's post I wanted to share a little update on what is going on with me since I've still been posting a little more sporadically then I would like to.  Since that last post I have unfortunately been diagnosed with Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, which is more commonly known as TMJ (if you're curious you can read more about what that is here).  This developed as a combination from two things, the first was that I developed a nasty sinus infection, which caused me to grind my teeth while I was sleeping (I didn't even know this was going on).  The second was that I had an upper endoscopy and the way my mouth was open combined with the length of how long it was open furthered the problem that began with the sinus infection.

I had this awful pain in my jaw (by my ears) and it got to the point where I could barely talk or eat.  I have a pretty high tolerance for pain due to the chronic pain condition I have (check out this post for more on that), but the fact that I couldn't really eat, talk, or smile was making me miserable.  At this point I broke down and went to the doctor (which was an ENT, I thought the dentist, but my Dad said an ENT and was right) and was diagnosed.

To treat the TMJ the doctor put me on a soft food diet (hello lots of pasta!) and sent me to physical therapy.  Now I had no clue that "mouth physical therapy" (as I call it) was a thing.  I have been going to PT twice a week for the last three and a half weeks and have seen a great improvement in the pain.  Unfortunately this week I am having a little setback, but am still pushing through.  This issue combined with all of the health problems I already have has been really taking a physical toll on me, which is why I've been on here a little less than usual.  I'm hoping that soon this TMJ will be gone though and that I can get back on here four to five days a week.

Thank you so much to everyone who comes here and for all of your support.  It truly means the world to me and helps me to continue pushing through every health issue I encounter.

  
                
Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!

Welcome to Tutu Tuesdays a linkup with The Blush Blonde and The Fairy Princess Diaries!  Linkup whatever you'd like and make sure to do a little mingling - our goal here is to create a community of bloggers where we can all connect, find new blogs, and support one another.  We love new friends, supporting other blogs, and meeting fellow girl bosses!

There are just a few rules we ask you follow to join in on Tutu Tuesdays:

1. Please follow both Jordyn and me, your lovely hosts, on Instagram and/or Bloglovin.
Kristin: The Blush Blonde  |  Bloglovin'  |  Instagram
2. Link to your specific post, not your blog's main page.
3. Grab our super cute button or share a link to Tutu Tuesdays in the post you are linking up so everyone can know about the party!


4. Have fun and mingle with other bloggers that have linked up!  Like I said we want everyone to make new friends!
“The




f