More FABulous Finds: Maryink and The Soi Company

I've blogged about how much I love Fab.com before, and now I'll share with you my most recent purchases from my favorite flash sale site.

I am absolutely loving Fab because they have such a variety of sales.  They're design-focused, so their sales run the gamut from clothes to interior decorating to magazines to toys...there is seriously so much stuff.  I highly recommend checking it out.



As I've said before, I've accrued a total of $215 free credits for Fab sales, and I also currently have two months of free shipping for referring so many members to the site.  I joined them pre-launch, and have achieved Prime Member status.  Needless to say, it's been really fun getting a bunch of great items for free!
The sweater in the photo above is by Maryink.  Founded in 2005, they print t-shirts and sweaters for all occasions.  All of their items are hand-printed on order on a manual press, which I think is great.  You really are getting a shirt that was made just for you!  I liked the deer design on this one; the sweater itself is a dark gray.  It's a little slouchier, which I really enjoy because it's super cozy.  Their sweaters normally retail for $42, but I think it was something like $28 or so during the Fab flash sale.

• Check out Maryink's website and shop
• Follow them on Twitter and Facebook

The second item I bought is this candle from The Soi Company.  It's mistletoe scented, and was special to the Fab sale because it was the scent's premiere.  What's cool about these candles is that they are also a skin moisturizer!  After you blow out the candle, you can dip your finger in the all-natural soy base and rub it into your skin.  It sounds weird, but it works really well.  The candles burn for about 140 hours, which is 40% longer than normal wax candles.  I really like soy-based candles because they burn so much cleaner than wax candles, too.  They're eco-friendly, hand-crafted, and biodegradable.  Oh and the mistletoe scent is perfect for winter!

• Visit The Soi Company's website
• Connect with them on Facebook

Bottom Lines: I really enjoy the products I've gotten from Maryink and The Soi Company.  I'm a candle fiend and would definitely buy more Soi candles in the future.  I also really recommend Maryink sweaters, they're super cozy!

I've really lucked out with all of my free credits for Fab, but regardless of whether or not you are able to get items for free, you'll still be getting great design for awesome discounts.  You can sign up for Fab here.

Kitty Baby Love: Adorable & Sustainable! [ENDED]

Today I'm bringing you all something that I really think is wonderful: Kitty Baby Love! They are based out of Portland, Oregon and create the cutest handmade products I've seen in a while. Their Kitty Egg Crayons caught my eye because they are so adorable, but then I learned that they are made from soy and are sustainable.



Kitty Baby Love's Facebook page really says it all:

Our items support creative growth, family bonds, local economy, and most of all, something that will bring a smile to your face!

They are currently raising money to fund the production of these crayons, and I urge you to check out their cause and donate if you can. The minimum is only $1, and every dollar helps! They have packages for different donation amounts, too: for $5 you can get the "What Kitties Feel" coloring book. They also make cute beeswax candles!



Visit their page on Kickstarter by clicking here, to watch a video and learn more about their mission. You can also donate at that page, and view the different items that you can get depending on how much you donate.



I will definitely be donating to Kitty Baby Love because I really believe in what they're doing. As I've said before, I'm all about spreading the word about sustainable, green, and eco-friendly companies. This one is even better because I'm a cat girl and I think their Kitty Egg Crayons are beyond special!

• Visit Kitty Baby Love's website
• Check them out on Facebook and Twitter
• Visit their Etsy page
• Donate at their Kickstart page!
• Enter to win a Soy & Beeswax Kitty Egg Crayon + a coloring book at their blog

Superfood Snacks Review and Giveaway! [CLOSED]

I had a surprise waiting for me when I got home from work today: my bag of Superfood Snacks! I was really excited to try them because I was very intrigued by the flavor, "Brazilian Chocolate Ecstasy." I mean, come on--unless you don't like chocolate, how can you resist something that sounds so scrumptious?



I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I do try to live a green lifestyle. I'm not the crunchiest person out there, but the more I can learn about eco-friendly companies, the better! That's why I'm so happy to be able to share Superfood Snacks with all of you. There's a lot to love about this company.

First, their snacks are certified USDA organic, gluten-free, vegan, and handcrafted from raw materials. The packaging is even biodegradable! These "Exotic Meal Replacement" snacks contain raw cacao, Brazil nuts, mango, coconut, vanilla, and more to "energize and activate your body, mind, and soul." The mango ingredient is what really caught my eye, since it's my favorite flavor of everything in the whole world.



Superfood Snacks was created to utilize ancient superfoods, such as raw cacao, that indigenous peoples across the world have prized for centuries. They wanted to understand why such ingredients were so valued, and put them to use for modern day snackers. The result--yummy treats that will help keep you feeling energized, and that I'm sure everyone will enjoy!



As you can see from the photo above, the snacks look like little cookie dough balls. I quickly bit into one after taking a minute to look at the package and ingredients list. They're soft and chewy; the texture reminded me of some other organic food bars that I've tried before. There's a little bit of crunch from the Brazil nuts, and my favorite part--of course--was the pieces of mango. The hint of chocolate combined with the nuts and fruity zing of the mango makes for one delicious snack. I would definitely take a bag of these to keep in my desk at work, since it's a lot better for me to snack on than my usual bag of chips. One serving size of two nuggets has 110 calories, 30 fat cals, 3 grams of fat, and 18 grams of carbohydrates.

The awesome folks at Superfood Snacks were kind enough to offer two free bags of Superfood Snacks in Brazilian Chocolate Ecstasy to one lucky reader! To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below (click "Read More"). IMPORTANT: You must complete all of the mandatory entries in order for your entries to count (I will check).

• Visit Superfood Snacks
• Connect with them on Facebook and Twitter

*Disclaimer: I was provided with one free bag of Superfood Snacks from the Superfood Snacks company to try and review, and two free bags are being provided by them for this giveaway. I was not monetarily reimbursed for this review, and these honest opinions are entirely my own.

Free Beauty Events for December

If you recall, last month I made my first post for Free Beauty Events, a website that does exactly what it sounds like it does.  They're a fabulous site that lists all sorts of free beauty events that are going on across the United States; you can even search for events by your zip code!  I'll be posting about them each month to fill you in on some upcoming events and their monthly giveaways.


One of the events that they have listed is for December 17th.  Walgreens is having their SaturDate with Beauty event with Coty.  Beauty advisors will be on hand to assist customers with their holiday and/or personal shopping, and there will also be seasonal gift sets available for purchase.  Another event coming up on December 17th is the Elizabeth Arden and Elizabeth Taylor One Day Event at CVS.  Demonstrators will be in the store to help customers select Elizabeth Arden and Elizabeth Taylor fragrances, as well as handing out coupons.
The best part about Free Beauty Events is that it's, well, free!  Information about the above events, among many others, can be found on their website.  As I stated earlier, you can enter your zip code to find out what makeover, gift with purchase, spa open houses, and sampling events are happening in your area.


Free Beauty Events also has a blog for product reviews (so if you enjoy reading mine, I'm sure you'll love reading theirs, too!), and great weekly and monthly giveaways!  The giveaway package for December includes:

• Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray
• got2b Powder'ful Volumizing Styling Powder
• Caress Body Wash in Exfoliating Burnt Brown Sugar & Karite Butter
• Caress Body Wash in Moisturizing Daily Silk

The giveaway runs from December 1st to December 31st; winners will be chosen on January 5th and notified on January 15th.  Enter by clicking the "monthly" link in the paragraph above.
Bottom Line: Check out Free Beauty Events and see what kind of events are taking place near you!  Be sure to check back often, and enter their weekly and monthly giveaways, too.

• Visit the Free Beauty Events website
  Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+

*Disclaimer: I am not monetarily compensated for these posts.  In exchange for blogging, Free Beauty Events sends me products to try.

Sprout Skincare Review

Today was a very good day for me because after a stressful day at work I came home to lots of goodies!  My three shipments from Fab.com arrived, but for this review I'm going to focus on just one of them.



Sprout Skincare is a company based out of Brooklyn that creates all-natural, sustainable skin care.  Two of my favorite things!  I was super excited when they were featured on Fab.com because I love skin care products, and even better that these are sustainable.  The card in the photo above came with my order, on which the founder Adina wrote,

I created Sprout because I wanted no-frills skincare that worked.  We make everything in small batches, using the simplest possible blends of whole, high-potency ingredients--no dangerous synthetics, no exotic fillers.  I choose all of our ingredients from organic, local, or fair trade sources so that our products are healthier for our customers, our communities, and our planet.  I hope you enjoy using them as much as we enjoy making them!

What's not to love about that?  I love finding out about new eco-friendly companies, and Sprout Skincare has it all: they support local farmers by using local or fair-trade materials, their ingredients are all-natural, and their products work.



The first part of my order was a four-pack of their original lip balms.  As you can see from the photo the flavors are Peppermint, Cocoa, Citrus, and Cinnamon.  They smell absolutely amazing!  My favorite is the Cinnamon, but they're all really excellent.  The Peppermint has that fun tingly feeling that I love.  I love organic lip balms because I feel that they work so much better than the traditional drugstore types with artificial ingredients.  These go on smoothly and don't leave any sort of funky residue feeling on my lips.  The ingredients are cocoa butter, extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, and essential oils for scent in the Citrus, Cinnamon, and Peppermint.  They also come in a vegan variety without the beeswax.  The four-pack "Lip Balm Flight" retails for $18, and an individual balm costs $5.



The second item I bought is this luscious cream.  The jar is smaller than I envisioned it, and I was a bit bummed at first, but after using it that quickly went away.  This cream is very thick and a little bit goes a long way.  I can already tell that it's going to be great for the winter on my chapped knees, elbows, and ankles.  It feels really luxurious and smooth!  My only (tiny) gripe is that there is no essential oil scent.  It smells a bit like cookie dough before you cook it, but less sweet, if you can imagine that.  The ingredients are wildcrafted, unrefined shea butter, extra virgin coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil.  It costs $32 for 3.75 ounces.



What sets Sprout Skincare apart for me is the fact that they hand make all of their products for each customer.  As you can see, the back of my jar says "This batch made by Adina on 11/23/11," and the message is clearly hand-written.  The care that they put into their products is so evident, and it translates into amazing skin care!

• Visit Sprout Skincare's website
• Connect with them on Facebook
• Follow them on Twitter

Bottom Line: I love these products and I will definitely be buying more in the future.  I highly recommend them to everyone: those who regularly buy organic/sustainable products and those who have never tried them.  You won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: I received these products through a flash sale on Fab.com free of charge because I had earned enough credits and free shipping through referring new members to the site.  I was not reimbursed in any way for this review, and these honest opinions are entirely my own.