Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A treat in my mailbox this Halloween


After dealing with that tricky Hurricane Sandy, it was nice to finally go out to our mailbox again and find a treat inside.

My Eco Emi box arrived fashionably late this month, due to the storm, but now that I'm way too old to be trick-or-treating (although the kids might go to a few houses tonight, including both sets of grandparents), it was perfect timing for me.

I had just picked Hayden up from preschool, where she had her Halloween party. She opted to be Cinderella, because of her blond hair and the fact that her dress lights up at the push a button (well, it did until we used up the batteries. I guess I'll need to change them before we go out tonight). You can see Hayden and what we received in our Eco Emi box in our video and/or read the list below:

 

Maximum Curl Defining Cream by Shea Radiance: This cute little 2 oz. container is an ample size for sampling this luxurious curl defining cream, as well as being something that can be washed out and used again for craft projects, holding small items, etc. I actually have naturally wavy hair that tends to get dry and frizzy, so I can't wait to try this. It smells lovely, too

Tea Tree Facial Cleanser by Zen Society Skincare: Again, I'm so excited to receive another sample bottle, perfect for refilling and other uses. There's enough product to determine whether or not I'd like to purchase more of this product. I'm a huge fan of tea tree oil, especially since my aging skin still is prone to the occasional breakout. This has my name written all over it.

Copper Kisses Lip Gloss by The All Natural Face: The lip glosses in these Eco Emi boxes never get old. They always feel moisturing and smell naturally delicious (although this one doesn't have much of a scent). This color is not only on trend for fall, but it also works well with my warm skin tone.

Star Anise & Coffee Handmade Natural Soap by Dew Puff: It's funny how I don't love the taste of black licorice, although I find its scent to be intoxicating. I also like how coffee smells. I wonder if this works like those caffeinated cellulite-reducing products.

Vanilla Almond Granola by Ola Foods: Honestly, gluten is not always my friend, so I tend to limit my wheat consumption (there is wheat bran and whole wheat flour in this product). Otherwise, I'd be chowing down on this granola, which looks rather yummy. Luckily, the rest of my family doesn't seem to be as grain-sensitive, so I'm sure they'll enjoy it.

Organic Fruit Snacks by Tasty Brand: I don't usually keep fruit snacks in the house, but since it is Halloween, I'll give them to Hayden as a special treat. They seem to be fairly natural, but still loaded with sugar. However, it is nice to have something sweet from time to time.

Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate by Wendy Schmitt Independent Shaklee Distributor: I love using natural ingredients to clean my house, especially mixing up my own cleaners out of vinegar, lemon, baking soda, etc. Sometimes I also buy the natural concentrated ones at the store. This one is a tiny bottle that can be mixed with water and stored in two large spray bottles. This is totally up my alley. 

*****

Speaking of Halloween, I thought I'd share some photos from our festivities and activities so far.
 
Hayden, Nana and I had a blast going on Hayden's first field trip to the pumpkin patch. Nana took this picture of Hayden and I on the hayride.

Hayden's reaction when she first saw the pumpkins in the patch was priceless.
  
Here is Hayden carrying her pumpkin.

She also found this cool gourd, which looks like an alien pod, or in Hayden's case, it's a purse.

Young love :-)

Hayden hides in Jacob's Blinky (the red ghost from Pac Man) costume at our church trick-or-treat.

Hayden poses for the paparazzi.

Our indoor campsite Matthew put together for us during the hurricane

Last minute pumpkin carving (we had to wait, so we could put them outside after the hurricane; you can tell we'd been snuggled up inside for a couple days).

Here are our finished pumpkins.

*****

Sorry I didn't post any new treats this Halloween, although I can tell you that I sent in some clementine "brains" and grape "eyeballs" to Hayden's Halloween party today, along with a goodie bag with a clementine "ghost" attached (a clementine covered with scrap white fabric, tied with a black ribbon bow and decorated with a face). If you are looking for some past ideas, here are some posts from previous years:

The Incredible Shrinking Halloween Treats
"The Monster Mash"-up
Apple Carving and Vegan Unbaking
Look who's at it again
That pumpkin is sweet
Tricks and treats
Ghosts of Halloween's past
It's that time of year again
R.I.P.
Almost too cute to eat
Halloween has finally arrived
Charlotte's Cupcake Web
N'ice scream sammie
"Beware ... you're in for a scare"
Eat my dust

Happy Halloween! :-)