The Bangtan Obsession

Hola friends! Ok, so....I wanted to talk about my newest obsession. You're in for a treat. OK I'm being silly...Well, if you are into this kind of obsession, then WELCOME! If not, just hear me out, haha. I can't believe my newest obsession has nothing to do with makeup....but it is beauty related ;)

I told you it was beauty related. Gah! So much beauty. My heart can't take it! Ok, show your hands, who has a bias? Mine?.....drum roll.....

Park Jimin! Because he is a real life Angel, truly :)

The 'Bangtan Obsession' began last summer....around July time frame. I really didn't mean to become an ARMY, it just short of happened all of a sudden. I guess this is how we all start out huh? We like 1 song, watch the video on YouTube = Want to know their names...and poof! Crazy fast!

Months ago, I heard their music but felt it wasn't my cup of tea, even cringed when I heard they were to be on SNL - I know! I feel really bad about what I thought :( .............Well, that all changed last July. I fell in love. And hard! I became ARMY and never looked back. Today, I reflect on how their music changed me, inspired me, spoke to me, awakened me, shook me, and became key to changing a big part of my life for the good. I belong to one of the most precious and spectacular fandoms of one of the greatest music groups in the universe, and I feel beyond blessed.

If you are ARMY, what do you love about BTS? What is it about them that you love the most?

Shopping for Free...

Who doesn't love a great deal on anything with Trolls?

Just ask my daughters, they are Trolls crazy at the moment!

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post. All items purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own. This post contains safe links.

I'm addicted to the Sears app. I hadn't used it before and really wasn't paying attention to my reward deets such as free cash points, coupons, and surprise points. I knew I had the rewards account but was just using paper coupons in the store up to this point. Every now and then I even shopped there sans my account info, so plenty of times I probably had points or free cash that I was missing out on.

So you can imagine my curiosity after receiving an email that said something like 'Use your free cash before it expires'....

Free cash?

I'm in! 

Shopping for items to use free cash or points is pretty fun. For example if the reward says '$10 free cash to use on $10 in store or online' I try to only use $10, sometimes more. If it is for something that can't be passed up and say the item cost $15 I'll use it for that. The 'free cash' can be any amounts, mine have varied - $5, $3, $10, $15, $16. Not that the free cash is limited to these amounts, these are just the amounts that I have been rewarded with. 

The really fun rewards are the ones that be used if the dollar amount off is the same as the threshold amount - like $10 on $10 or $14 on $14, etc. So you end up shopping for things for free and just end up paying some tax or a small amount if the item is over the free cash amount. You can't use it if the free cash reward is $10 and the item cost $9.99, for example, so the cost of the item must be $10 or more. Just like most coupons free cash rewards have expiration dates and have exclusions - not everything can be bought using rewards. You can only use 1 reward in each order so you can't combine any 2. You also can't use free cash or points AND a promo code in 1 order altogether, it won't work. To avoid paying a shipping cost (for anything under $25) I try to shop from the Sears in store stock and just drop by and pick up at my nearest Sears, which is like 1 mile away 😉.

Read about it or sign up here.

Here are some of the items that I bought from the Sears App that cost me almost nothing. I have 2 more orders in the works - a pair of shoes and a shirt for my son!

Tea Tree special formula shampoo has my heart...

Our city has been experiencing some strange weather patterns. 

Snow. Cold. Heat. and rain probably all within a 2 month span....Sometimes not even that. Last year we had all of that in a week span!

I love the cold. I wish it could be cold all year round. What I don't like is the rain AND cold. When the sun comes through and gives us warmth but still at 40 degree weather....Perfection.

While I sit today and hope for no more rain 😑 and scaring my family with my loud sneezing 😄 I wanted to share a few thoughts about this shampoo that was given to me by Maple Holistics. Such a delightful shampoo because the scent is amazing....

Tea Tree Special formula shampoo

Cost: $8.95

Amount in bottle: 8 Ounces

Made with: Aqua, jojoba oil, botanical keratin, argan oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, and rosemary oil (and other ingredients, see ingredients list in this post).

What is Tea Tree oil? Melaleuca oil from the leaves of a tea tree or Melaleuca alternifolia.

How I feel about this shampoo:

It's pretty good. According to their website, it is suppose to be beneficial in eliminating dry flakes, among other things but this benefit was one that I was hoping for when trying it out. Dry scalp flakes have been the norm for me nearly all my life, no shampoo has really worked for me. I think only once dry scalp stayed away for a good month, but it always comes back. I don't think it's the type or brand of shampoo, I just believe I have really dry scalp up there!

The first time I used MH tea tree I noticed the scent and the feel of my hair. Aside from the scent, my hair felt clean, manageable, semi soft, and was free from a majority of my scalp flakes. I didn't use it continuously because it only came with 8 ounces and I wanted to see a pattern of benefits as I tried it. I used other shampoos between my use of MH. Every time I went back to MH it was like my hair appreciated the pampering. My hair would feel better and stay that way between shampoos. 

Just recently I started experimenting with no shampoo'd hair. It had nothing to do with the MP shampoo I just wanted to see how my hair would act, just wanted to not have to wash it every day. Well I didn't like it much. After the 1st day (or after 15 hrs sometimes) my hair was very oily, dry flakes would stick around longer (even after brushing or combing), it was unmanageable, and oil would make it's way to my face and ears (oily face and ears, yuck). After this revelation no shampooing for a couple of days was out of question because either way, shampoo or not, I will have flakes. I'll just live with that. 

The point is....If I could just have 2 days (maybe 3) where I'd have a very small amount of dry scalp, yes yes and yes! Even if the oil showed up less dramatic by the 2nd or 3rd day - yes again! 

I can do that with this shampoo.

The only thing that keeps me from using MH tea tree every time I shampoo is that it contains only 8 ounces of product. I have long hair, down to my waist nearly...the whole bottle would probably last one month maybe a half longer......So if MH could make a larger bottle for us long haired gals that would be great! 

Maple Holistics free sample - here

Similar products that I've used include Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo but haven't used this in years, so not sure if the formula has changed since then - 

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo ($14)

Amount:10.14 ounces

Made with Tea tree oil, Peppermint and lavender

Disclaimer: Products provided by Maple Holistics at no cost. My opinions are my own. This post contains safe links.