LUSH: Peeping Santa bubbleroon review

This morning was very trying for me. With all the pacling I had to do, it made me stressed to the max, to the point where I was almost ready to self harm once again. I decided that a nice bath would be the perfect solution! So, I broke out my Peeping Santa bubbleroon. Peeping Santa is described by Lush as a "cheeky, softening strawberry-scented Santa" that will help you to "get sleigh-loads of bubbles". Needless to say, I was very enthusiastic and had high expectations for this little guy based on his looks and smell alone. Peeping Santa is the cutest thing I've ever seen- he's got a red hat with a white tip and a nice flat bottom. He's in the shape of a Hershey Kiss and sandwiched in between the two slabs of red, is all the moisturizing butters you could think of, coupled with two vegan chocolate eyes to pull everything together. And the smell, too, blew me away. Peeping Santa has the best strawberry scent I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. It's a wholesome fruity type of aroma, similar to the likes of Strawberry Feels Forever massage bar, with a nice floral undertone. This bubbleroon conjures up images of strolling leisurely through strawberry patches, and it is absolutely scrumptious. Once put beneath the water, it was at first a little stubborn to crumble but after a few seconds of rubbing, it began to slide smoothly into the water. This bubbleroon can easily be used across three baths, and I used about a third for mine. Even just that much is enough, and in no way does the small amount take away from the experience. The water turned a lovely dark pink color, bordering on a shade of red. The bubbles rivaled even the likes of Brightside bubble bar, so silky smooth and enormous, nearly spilling over my bath onto the floor. From the moment I stepped into the tub, I could feel the butters at work, instantly making my skin soft and moisturized, the water around me like bathing in silk. The scent remained strong throughout my entire bath, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that once in the tub, the scent morphed into a deep and decadent strawberry milkshake aroma, and I was practically dying to take a taste of my bath water (something I would not recommend). The scent stayed with me after I'd exited and for hours to come. I was extremely impressed with this Lush product, and will definitely be purchasing an abundance of these asap. Rivaling the best of the best, Peeping Santa sweeps its competition across the floor and comes in with a strong 6/5 star rating, because it was just that amazing.

International Day of Happiness

Today is International Day of Happiness, and in fact, I am quite happy! Looking back into the past, though, it was rough. I was depressed, suicidal, my skin a dull pasty color, decorated with what I called my "tiger stripes" aka cuts. But, boy, things sure have changed. Sometimes I wish I was still miserable, but now, more than ever, I am ever so grateful for this opportunity I have to be happy, to be so joyous in everything I am, and everything I have. I am so happy that I have my family, my friends, food (yes, of course), my lovely home, that I'm educated, and I'm healthy, for my personality and my love of books and animals, for this very blog, for everything, really. Looking back on my post last year about today, I realize how amazing everything really is. Why not be happy? For today, at least, crack open a Dr. Pepper, take a sip, sit back, and smile. And if you can't do that, at least make others happy, make their lives just that little bit better, and I assure you, everything will start to look up.

A Creamy Sweet Treat: Rita's Italian Ice

I had my first taste of Rita's a few years back and ever since then, nothing else can compare. I haven't ever gone back. At Rita's, not only is the customer service and the general atmosphere great, but their custard is to die for! I highly recommend the vanilla custard. However, their main focus is their ice, and with the large variety of flavors, it's sure to be a hit. You can also get the custard and ice mixed, or together, and it truly is heaven on earth. 5/5 star rating! I'm glad I don't live too near to one, though, because I'd be getting some every day and by now, I'd be a pretty hefty sight to behold!

Sub Sandwich Places

I am a sucker for sub sandwiches. And today I just got back from a grueling workout at the gym and, hungry as ever, I decided it was high time to make a food review, because who doesn't love food, right? Anyways, when it comes to the holy sub sandwich, there are a few select places that I absolutely adore and are my go-to's for food. FIRST of all, the ever beloved Subway chain. This is the classic choice for most people in the mood for a sandwich, and what can I say? It really is a great choice. The six-inch sub is very affordable, but the foot long is great to have for two days of yummy munchies for lunch or dinner! You can also gobble up a fresh cookie for 75 cents. Or, you can get the kids meal, which comes with a bag of chips and a side. Subway's sandwiches are very healthy in comparison to other food chains in the area, like Wendy's or Five Guys. And THEN there's Togo's. Togo's is a great little place, and very similar to Subway. However, the subs have more calories, so if you're looking for the healthier option, I'd say go the way of Subway. But, in the very same shop across the counter, there's a Baskin Robbins, so you get a two-for-one deal! Ice cream and a sandwich, so that's nice. NEXT is Firehouse Subs. I think Firehouse Subs is the least known in comparison to the other two sub places, but in my opinion, they have the best quality sandwiches. Plus, their chip selection is greater and has more variety, and with the children's meal, you get a drink included! Not only that, but on Sundays the kids selection comes free, so that's a huge plus. I always, without a doubt, stay with the good ol' meatball sub, and Firehouse never disappoints! Although both Subway and Togo's are wholesome, tasty choice of sandwiches, if you're near a Firehouse Subs, you should definitely try it out and see what you think.

Lush Review: Dashing Santa Ballistic

After my last encounter with the Humpty Dumpty bath bomb, which was all too disappointing, I really wanted my next Lush product that I used to be a big hit. And I was not disappointed. Since I'm leaving for the beach tomorrow and will be residing there for the entire week of spring break, I decided I didn't have time to wait for my order to be delivered, and I certainly wasn't going to pay a hefty price of $36 for one day shipping off the Lush website! So I turned to Amazon. The prices off there are marked up, usually a few dollars more than the usual in-store cost, but I was willing to pay, especially since I have Amazon Prime and can get two-day shipping without a cost at all. I finally decided on the Secret Santa gift set, which includes Dashing Santa Ballistic and Peeping Santa bubbleroon for a total of only $13! I also ordered the Stardust bath bomb, as well as Father Christmas, so reviews on these will be coming later. Anyways, Dashing Santa ballistic- it's definitely worth the money. As soon as I received the box, I could smell it through all the packaging. Despite being a few months old, it was very strong. Dashing Santa is described by Lush as a, "...jolly satsuma-scented bath bomb." I'd say their description is spot-on. Brightside bubble bar, for comparison, has a very sickly sweet, straight-up orange scent, one of freshly squeezed mandarin oranges. However, Dashing Santa has a different kind of orangey, citrus scent, and it very much surprised and pleased me the first time I took a whiff. Packed with mandarin oil, bergamot, and orange flower absolute, it smells to me like a sweet orange, coupled with a floral note to it that was unexpected for me, but I absolutely fell in love with the scent. Today I had a tennis lesson and came home exhausted and drenched in sweat, and I decided on a little pick-me-up bath to keep my spirits and energy up. Dashing Santa stood out to me right away. This bath bomb has a cute, festive design. In the shape of a Santa in a running position, with a parcel in hand and his golden boots, I can imagine that this item could easily be cut and used across a few baths, which is a definite perk. However, I was feeling greedy today and was in no mood to cut anything short. Once placed in the hot water that had filled the tub, this cheery ballistic bobbed at the top and immediately began to spew out the most beautiful baby pink and some cherry reds, and the gold drifted off Santa into the water like liquid gold might. Despite the name, this product fizzes away at slow rate, and it finally melted all the way into oblivion after about 12 minutes. I was very pleased with this, as I'm more of a person for a nice long soak and a good show, and by no means short-lived. Upon it finally disappearing once and for all, the water was a lovely color. Although I've heard of so many dedicated Lushies claiming this ballistic turned the water a "period blood" color, I couldn't disagree more. The shade of my water, a nice, soft, peach color, reminded me right away of Raspberry Peach Snapple. And the smell remained just as strong as ever throughout the experience. Although this ballistic didn't leave my skin feeling particularly moisturized, I didn't want to leave the tub ever! And once I did grudgingly exit and drain the tub, I smelt of orange and orange flowers, leaving me as living proof of the best perfume ever made. I gladly give this Lush product a 5/5. With it's slow melt-away time, the wonderful show as it fizzes away that it puts on, the fantastic smell it gives off and clever design, it can't be beat.

Getting High

What, who ever heard of getting high on drugs? ...Well, whatever, who needs that? Me, I just get high on life. Those little moments, fun, excitement, it's the best natural high you could ever get. Trust me, drugs aren't real important. The real world is waiting...

Missing Mental Illness...

Sometimes I wish I was still in the worst of my depression, self harm, anxiety, all of it. Not really because I want to experience all the pain of that again. It's still here, but not as bad as it used to be and sometimes I think that maybe I would be a more interesting person, people would like me more if I were still really roughing it. I know it's not true. I used to be such a mess, and I could barely talk to somebody or leave my room! I wanted to die! I don't want to go back to that. It's painful and making me feel badly just thinking about it. It's hard to deal with the fact that I treated my own self so harshly through everything, so no, I don't want to live through that again. No, it's not going down. Been there, done that, check that off the list of everything bad and sucky. All I can say is, "screw it" I'm gonna do what I want, because I'm punk rock...just kidding, I'm totally not. I wish. But anyways, I'm happy, confident, and I kick butt, so what's there to really miss now? Yeah, that's right. I'm a rebel. You wish you were me.