Entries by Laurie
Get over your winter blues with LUSH and Bath & Body Works
The winter, it is killing me. And worse than the feeling that I'll never see the sun again is the dry, itchy mess that is my skin.
In times like these, I turn to aromatherapy and moisturization - and an occasional bath for the sake of my sanity. It always helps to find some excellent products to get me through.
Yes, I know that baths are drying, but it's worth it to me for the relaxation that comes from an hour in the tub (not too hot) with a book. Luckily there's Lush. I haven't delved into the whole product line, but the bath bombs and bubble bars are yummy.
My favorite is the Big Blue, an oceanic bomb for the bath that
is "packed with detoxifying sea salt, vitamin-rich seaweed and relaxing lavender and lemon."I love any scents that call the ocean to mind and this one sure does. But you have to look out for all that seaweed, because it does remain behind in the tub. They're not kidding when they say "all natural". We just got a new store in this rapidly-expanding company in the mall near us, but you can purchase the rest of their product lines directly from the Website. After bath? I swear by Bath and Body Works Lay it On Thick Intense Moisture Body Cream with shea butter. It smells and feels delightful, and has done wonders for my skin as we dig in for the thaw.
Posted by Laurie on February 25, 2008
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Crabtree & Evelyn Goatmilk - The ultimate comfort for dry skin
We're into the driest season of them all for my skin. In the summer, when I'm at the beach and in the sun on a regular basis, I'm careful to protect and moisturize all the time. As the temperatures drop (if they just WOULD already in the DC area!) and the air gets drier, I get a little more lax, and my skin pays the price.
I tried Crabtree and Evelyn's Goatmilk Comforting Body Lotion, which is said to be light enough for sensitive skin. It was not heavy on my skin at all and absorbs quickly, which is a priority for me.The lavender scent is one of my favorites, so that's a nice bonus. The line includes a Comforting Body Wash as well.
Next on my agenda: the 60-Second Fix Manicure set for hands, the body part that gets the most abuse from me in the winter. It's available in a "Helping Hands" kit for October, when 10 percent of proceeds are donated to breast cancer research. Find a Crabtree and Evelyn location here, wherever you may be around the world.
Posted by Laurie on October 20, 2007
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Swag Bag With Style
I'm not a fan of the word "swag" itself - it just isn't very pretty, now, is it? - but the whole concept of "free" stuff makes it easier to take. Who doesn't love free stuff? Party favors? Door prizes? I'm in, with the occasional exception for that which is truly useless or just not my thing.
This summer at the BlogHer conference, I hit the jackpot, just for showing up. I got a Casauri laptop tote bag, quite simply one of the most functional and attractive accessories I have ever owned, courtesy of AOL Body. (They want me to "blog on the go". Get it? Anyway, thanks AOL Body. Got it covered.) 
Function is admittedly my priority in this case. My MacBook Pro goes most places with me now that I've gone back to graduate school. These babies aren't cheap - and the information I have stored on it is priceless. Still, most of the bags I found, even in the hip Mac universe, were unattractive, or still too heavy, or both.
The Casauri bag is an excellent solution that doesn't require me to sacrifice style on any level.
This is no surprise, because sisters and co--founders Helena and Emily McHugh are behind the line. Helena is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and Emily hatched the business plan as a project at Columbia University's Business School. One of their bags was the first laptop case ever sold at the MoMA Design Store in New York. Not a bad place to break new ground.
I can't find the exact bag I now carry anywhere online, so it might have been a discontinued or limited-edition item. It has a generously padded inner pocket for my computer, as well as ample room for my charger and even my cell phone and a notebook. It's still made of material lightweight enough to keep it easy on my back, as long as I don't give in to the urge to stuff more of my, er, stuff in it! The other options look equally user-friendly, and I'm especially loving the stripe patterns.
The company's fall specials are worth checking out, and include the green weekend tote pictured here, as well as other selections from their laptop case, carry-on luggage, and gadget accessory lines.
Luna Boston and Careerbags.com have some of their bags on sale now, and CNET offers a review of one of the laptop totes.
Posted by Laurie on October 16, 2007
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Back to school for big kids at Paperchase, Levenger's and The Container Store
Next week I'll be back in school full-time for the first time in more than a decade. Besides the obvious draw of the learning and career opportunities and all of that good stuff, I have to admit why I'm really doing it.
I am addicted to school supplies.
I've always written, so it's no shock that I love cool pens, but it goes beyond that. Paper, folders, planners - you name it. Maybe it's the promise of starting over that a new notebook promises, or the sense of order that a new binder suggests to my paper-challenged self. Like most things in life, I'd say it's a combination of factors that up to my status as a fool for office and school supplies.
Oh well. All things considered, markers in funky colors and five-subject notebooks are one of my more benign vices. So I've taken a look around and located some "grown-up" options for taking yourself back to school (or to the office, for that matter) in style.
Paperchase is a UK-based company that carries some of the coolest gift and stationery items around. The keyword for Paperchase is "color".
You can't be afraid of a jazzy pattern here, or a butterfly on your notebook there. I may not bring this fun pencil case into my grad school classroom, but I'd definitely keep it on my desk at home.
Online shopping for Paperchase is only available in the UK through AmazonUK. Stateside, you can find their merchandise in the gift and greeting card section of most Border's Books and Music stores. A recent stroll through a location near me turned up a ton of pens, notebooks, and other supplies that would work for me at home or school.
Levenger's - "tools for serious readers" - is a great source for beautiful (although pricey) portfolios, notebooks, furniture, briefcases and totes, and, of course, reading tools. Their online sale section, however, has plenty of fun and more affordable options for students. 
This "desktop turnabout", for instance, is a compact turntable that elevates the book and lets you turn around. It's a great multi-tasking tool, especially for holding a book open while taking notes. It's currently marked down to $34.95 from $48.00.
The Container Store has a fabulous assortment of office and back-to-school supplies. Items like these cool Circa folders are part of the current Summer Sale, priced at $4.99 online for a pack of four. 
And since multiple electronic tools are part of our lives these days, these cable ids are indispensable for keeping up to eight different cords separated by color. $6.99 is a steal compared to the time it takes to unravel cords and follow them back to the source.
I've stocked up. Now I just need to get to work!
Posted by Laurie on September 4, 2007
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