Pepperminty goodness for the holidays

Forget mistletoe and Christmas trees, eggnog and caroling: Peppermint flavoured and scented products are probably my favourite things about the holiday season. Here are some great things I found and/or purchased lately that I know I am going to be using right through the winter.

“Twisted Peppermint” Limited Edition Holiday Traditions from Bath and Body Works
Last year in their “Temptations” product line, Bath and Body Works offered a creamy Twisted Peppermint 3-in-1 body wash, bubble bath, and shampoo combo. Even though I never used it as a shampoo or bubble bath (I have found that those 3-in-1’s never really work well for those purposes and are best used as body washes), I was addicted to using it as a body wash. I was a little sad to see that particular product didn’t come back this year, but it’s okay because they are offering a lot of products in that fragrance this year and I’ll find a new favourite. I purchased the thick body cream and the creamy body scrub the other day, and I used it today when I took a shower. The scent is amazing, just like peppermint candies or candy canes, and I found that the product actually cools and tingles the skin. Yeah, I will most-likely be buying the glittery clear shower gel, body splash, and antibacterial soap sometime soon.

Peppermint Mocha Twist and Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Starbucks
I love when mid-November rolls around because I know that coffee places will offer some kind of chocolatey-peppermint drink on their menus. Cafe Mocha is my favourite coffee drink to order at Starbucks or any other gourmet coffee place, and the only improvement to the perfect blend of chocolate and coffee is the addition of cool peppermint. Peppermint hot chocolate is by far one of the easiest things to make at home, either from a mix (i.e. Gherardelli) or scratch (I’ll post my recipe soon), but the one made at Starbucks is simply amazing – especially with the fresh peppermint whipped cream dispensed from the fancy stainless steel iSi cream whippers they have.

“Jack Frost” scented candle from Yankee Candle Co.
A refreshingly minty, cool, and energizing scent blended into pure white candle wax for the holidays. I plan on getting another one of these candles before the season is over because I will probably burn out the medium-sized jar I have by the end of January. ;)

If you know of anything I might like to try or buy, leave a comment. :)

#770

What a way to end the month of November. I have a four day weekend, school on Monday, and the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving. After that break, I have one more week of school – and it really isn’t a “week” since I only have class three days of the week – and then finals start. Looking at it that way, all I can say is: Wow! This year went by incredibly fast!!

I came across this site that sells these amazing laptop bags. The company is called Rainebrooke and they have some lovely styles to suit a variety of tastes, whether you want a bag in a playful colour that pops or something more sophisticated that matches any work or casual outfit. My personal favourite is the Tuscany Leather Laptop Bag in black leather with pink suede accent trim. If you aren’t a fan of the black and pink colour combination, this bag comes in other contrast colours, too, and includes a matching cosmetic bag. Regardless, it’s so lovely and makes me want a new laptop more than ever, just so I can tote it around in this hot bag!! Can I tell you, this would make a great holiday gift; who wouldn’t love to receive this??

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At Look of the Year, there are four categories and there will be one winner from each category: Girls 14-19, Women 19+, Boys 14-19, and Men 19+. To win, all you have to do is get people to vote for you; votes are on a scale of 1-to-10 and you must have at least one headshot posted on your profile for people to vote on. The four winners for 2008 will be announced at the end of the year – 31 December, 2008 – and there will be Top 10 lists for each category posted monthly. What’s the prize? A cool $10,000 and a chance at a modeling contract.

If you think you have what it takes to win, head on over to http://www.lookoftheyear.com and create a profile!