Fabulous Friday Finds: Pamper Yourself!

Today is the first edition of Fabulous Friday Finds, where we'll showcase some wonderful products that can be found on Etsy.  This Friday we're focusing on pampering yourself. You've likely had a rough month between wrapping up the end of the year bills, taking care of holiday shopping, braving nasty crowds and even nastier weather. Take some time for yourself this holiday season and just relax. These items also make great Christmas gifts for those bath and body product junkies in your life. 

12 Bar Sampler Pack from TheGreenBath. $25 on Etsy. 

First up is the 12 bar soap sampler from The Green Bath.  I will say that I'm totally biased when I give a review of these soaps. I bought a sampler pack a couple years ago and I'm still working my way through it. Artisan Eric Wood creates these soaps by hand at his location in Portland, Oregon.

The soaps he creates are all natural with no added dyes or artificial fragrances. I'm not sure how he does it, but the soap is so lush and rich that, in my house, it's reserved for those special moments where I need a little pampering.

At $25, it can seem like a steep buy for something you're just going to wash down the drain, but it is totally worth it. Think about it - if you were to use up one bar a month, you'd be stocked up for the whole year. And the visual appeal of having these colorful beauties stacked on your shelf just waiting to be used can't be beaten when you want to class up your bathroom a little bit.

Eric allows you to choose your own scents from his shop. My favorite happens to be the orange clove while my husband loved the Downtown scent - a mix of  cloves, coffee and musky, dark oils.

Organic Cotton Wash Cloths, Set of 3. $15 from HandemadebyAnnabelle. 

If you're looking for something to use with this soap, snag yourself some organic cotton washcloths handmade by Annabelle of HandmadeByAnnabelle. Annabelle is a Columbus, OH crafter and I can't help but give a shout out to those who are working hard in my state.

These washcloths are made from certified organic yarn and hand crocheted by Annabelle herself. And it's a great value for  your dollars - three 8 inch by 8 inch wash cloths for $15. Think about how much you'd pay at a department store or luxury bath store for organic wash cloths and factor in the thought that these are hand made, beautifully colored and textured and eco-friendly and you're getting them for the steal of $5 a wash cloth!

So you've washed yourself squeaky clean with all natural soap using an organic wash cloth. Finish up your earth-friendly pampering with some Organic, all natural Whipped Body Butter from AuthentiCommonScents. 

Shop owner Janelle Carlson offers this product in two delightful, invigorating scents - Mandarin Bergamot and Lavender Lemongrass. The ingredients she uses are all natural, eco-friendly and made with certified organic ingredients.

Organic Whipped Body Butter in Mandarin Bergamot. $12 from AuthentiCommonScents. 

As per her shop, there are no additives, chemicals or preservatives. Because of the lack of preservatives, you'll have to use it up fast (which shouldn't be a problem. It looks delicious enough to eat.)

The shelf life of a tin of this body butter is about 2 to 3 weeks, but as per the artist, it can last up to 3 months if refrigerated. Nobody wants cold lotion after a hot bath, though. I would advise taking a little bit out of the tin at a time and warming it up before you start your bath, that way its ready to go when you're getting up and ready to face the world again.

These lotions are both energizing and delightful to smell and are created by hand in Janelle's St. Paul, Minnesota workshop. At $12 a tin, it's a great deal for 6 ounces of something totally natural and organic that also smells wonderful and will leave your skin silky smooth.

Have you tried any of these products? Let us know in the comments below. Do you have a favorite item or shop you'd like to see featured on our Fabulous Friday Finds? Drop us a line! We'd be glad to show them off to the world.