A Little Update + some Pretty Book Covers

Hello, friends! I know I haven’t been posting lately … there’s somewhat of a reason for that. 😉 Lots going on in life. For one I’ve been swamped with babysitting jobs (on top of my regular part-time job); so much so that I’ve had to turn some down. Also I’ve been doing little parties and things here and there as a sales consultant for Lemongrass Spa. They just launched their spring/summer line, which is really fun!

My sister and I have been going to Sunday services and (more recently) Wednesday night Bible study at a small, Biblically-grounded, friendly church. This has been such a blessing! How important it is to be intimately part of a strong faith community! My heart has been overwhelmed with gratitude toward God with how He has been answering things I’ve long prayed for.

Most dramatic life update of all … I’m moving. January 2019, after attending the C.R.O.S.S. conference, I started praying seriously about moving 17-ish hours away from home to where some of my close friends live. I had already been thinking about it. Last summer, I decided I was going to take the leap of faith – probably in spring 2020. Well, now it’s spring of 2020. I put in my two-week notice at work, I’m packing up all of my life belongings, and I’m heading out in ten days. *is excited and nervous and happy and sad and eager and terrified and numb all at once*

How grateful I am that my life is in God’s hands! I keep praying and committing all of my plans to Him. Asking Him to lead, guide, and open doors. And shut doors. And keep working out every detail of my life for His glory and my good. ❤

I know I have people who love and care about me here and there. And most assuring, I have a Heavenly Father who tenderly cares for me.

I would appreciate your prayers!

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And with that, let’s look at some pretty book covers. One of my favorite things to do. 🙂

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The Love Note by Joanna Davidson Politano

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What Momma Left Behind by Cindy K. Sproles

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Isaiah’s Legacy {a Novel of Prophets and Kings} by Mesu Andrews

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The Peasant’s Dream by Melanie Dickerson

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Colors of Truth {The Canton Series #2} by Tamera Alexander

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The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep

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Mountain Laurel by Lori Benton

Daughter of Cana by Angela Hunt

Daughter of Cana {Jerusalem Road #1} by Angela Hunt

Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar

Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar

Each Perfect Gift by Alicia Ruggieri

Each Perfect Gift {A Legacy of Grace novel} by Alicia G. Ruggieri

Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson

Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson

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Midnight’s Curse {Beyond the Tales #2} by Tricia Mingerink

The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson

The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson

The Rebel Bride by Shannon Mcnear

The Rebel Bride {The Daughters of the Mayflower} by Shannon McNear

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The Land Beneath Us {Sunrise at Normandy} by Sarah Sundin

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On Wings of Devotion {The Codebreakers #2} by Roseanna M. White

A Portrait of Loyalty

The Portrait of Loyalty {The Codebreakers #3} by Roseanna M. White

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Something New {a novella} by Joanne Bischof

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Veiled in Smoke {The Windy City Saga #1} by Jocelyn Green

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Like Flames in the Night {Cities of Refuge #4} by Connilyn Cossette

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To Dwell Among Cedars {The Covenant House #1} by Connilyn Cossette

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Lemongrass Spa with Shantelle

Hello, readers! Today I just want to give a little shout-out to Lemongrass Spa! January 3rd, I signed up to be a sales consultant for Lemongrass Spa, as a side job. I had recently won a prize from a Facebook party, and also been hearing great things about the products from some of my relatives and friends.

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Spa Party Success Kit

The thing that made Lemongrass Spa an option to me is that they believe in natural, organic, fragrance-free, gluten-free, and non-toxic products. I put a lot of importance on health and using as natural of products as you can! And so does Lemongrass Spa, so that made it a good fit for me. Though not all of their products are a 100% natural and organic, they advertise as 97%-100% natural and they say no to:

  • sodium lauryl sulfate
  • petroleum byproducts
  • parabens
  • phthalates
  • propylene glycol
  • synthetic fragrances
  • nanoparticles

Some products, such as their mascara, deodorant, hair spray, and body spritz are all-natural. Other things, like lotion, use preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, because lotion (and other items with water in them) will mold if you don’t use a preservative. My mom used to make her own lotion, but she did have a few cases of mold, even when we refrigerated the lotion! So if you don’t feel like making your own lotion, or don’t want to deal with the worry of mold, Lemongrass Spa lotion is a much better option than the mainstream stuff you’re finding at Walmart or Bath and Body Works that is full of chemicals!

If you are just not comfortable with the non-natural preservatives that Lemongrass Spa uses, try check out 100% Pure’s lotion. I believe they *might* be completely natural. I don’t know if they have actual lotion, but they have a hand cream and there’s no water. I don’t know what differences no water makes … maybe it’s heavier? (And that’s why it’s called cream and not lotion?) Anyway, they are a little more expensive – their 2 oz. is $15 while Lemongrass Spa’s 8 oz. + 2 oz. is $18.

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On the website, the ingredients for each item are listed, so you can look through them and know what you’re getting. If you’re a fanatic like me, you can also google the ingredients that you don’t recognize! *grins* This site is very helpful for looking up ingredients unknown to you.

Lemongrass Spa is more expensive than your run-of-the-mill skincare and beauty products. But you have to remember that they strive for natural and organic and quality! Overall, I think they are decently-priced when compared to other natural beauty/health companies such as Young Living, 100% Pure, Burt’s Bees, and Beauty Counter.

So far, I love their mascara! It smells yummy and applies smoothly. I am trying to switch to more natural make-up products, so using Lemongrass Spa’s organic matte black mascara makes me happy. I know that it doesn’t have any harmful chemicals and toxins in it, it doesn’t irritate my eyes, and overall I just feel really good about using it!

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Ingredients: aqua (water), organic matricaria recutita (chamomile) hydrosol, organic cera alba (beeswax), organic copernicia cerifera (carnauba wax), organic coffee arabica (coffee) powder, organic oryza sativa (rice) extract, organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, organic zea mays (corn starch), natural shellac wax, organic citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel extract, organic citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract.

I’ve also tried their facial oil cleanse, which has been a great experience thus far. I don’t have a fancy face-cleaning routine, but I’ve been wanting to start something because I get some rough patches and red blotches on my face. Lemongrass Spa’s Facial Cleansing Oil has felt so nice on my face, and it works good as a make-up remover.

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Handmade with the following ingredients: helianthus annuus* (sunflower) oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, persea gratissima* (avocado) oil, argania spinose* (argan) oil, d-alpha tocopherol (sunflower vitamin E), sorbitan laurate, polyglyceryl-4 laurate, dilauryl citrate *organic

Even more pleasing, is their facial gel, mist, and creme trio. Like I said, I don’t have a big facial cleaning routine. But, since I received these products with the starter kit, I figured I may as well use them! And it’s been so fun! Lemongrass Spa’s facial set for normal to dry skin is amazing. It smells lovely and leaves my face feeling soft, moisturized, and clean.

Cleansing Gel for Normal to Dry Skin

Ingredients: aloe vera gel, coconut oil olefin, coconut oil betaine, lemon extract, avocado oil, grapefruit seed extract, food grade potassium sorbate, vitamins A, C (Citric Acid) and E (tocopherol), calendula extract, essential oils of juniper, cypress, cedar wood, frankincense, neroli, jasmine, rosemary, geranium, rose, sandalwood, lavender, basil, chamomile, and cardamom

Hydrating Facial Mist

Ingredients:Purified water, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel), jojoba oil, lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) essential oil, vitamin E oil, rose geranium essential oil, jasmine essential oil.

Face Creme with Botanicals

Ingredients: distilled water, (aloe barbadensis) aloe vera gel, emulsifying wax, vegetable glycerin, emulsifying conditioner, (olea europea) olive butter, (mangifera indica) mango butter, (simmondsia chinensis) jojoba oil, allantoin, (oenothera biennis) evening primrose oil, (tocopherol) vitamin E oil, botanical complex, (lavandula angustifolia) bulgarian lavender, (pelargonium graveolens) rose geranium, (daucus carota) carrot seed oil, pomegranate seed extract, phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol (optiphen).

The Tea Tree Facial Soap is absolutely splendid! As well as the Spearmint Eucalyptus Hand & Body Bar Soap. So soft, moisturizing, and smells very good and clean. They remind me strongly of the homemade soap that my mom and I have made. I love them so much! A thousand times better than the store-bought soap bars (such as Ivory)!

Ingredients: (elaesis guineensis) palm oil, (cocos nucifera) coconut oil, purified water, grapeseed oil, (prunus amygdalus) almond oil, (kaolinite) kaolin clay and (melaleuca alternifolia) tea tree essential oil

Ingredients: elaeis guineensis* (palm) oil, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, mentha spicata* (spearmint) oil, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, eucalyptus globulus* (eucalyptus) oil, mentha spicata (spearmint) leaf, vegetable glycerin (and) ultramarines *certified organic

Lemongrass Spa’s Body Polish is divine! *winks* My mom recently hosted a at-home party for me (which was a delightful time of fellowship, food, and talking all things natural and fun!) and we did a hand scrub trail. First we used the Prebiotic Hand Wash – which is awesome! Love this natural liquid soap option! Then we exfoliated our hands with body polish. I really like the smell of the Lavender Mint and it made my hands shockingly soft! I was not expecting them to feel so nice! Lastly, we used a Lotion. Grapefruit Bergamot is probably my favorite.

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Ingredients: aqua (water), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) gel, sea salt, algin (kelp), citric acid, glycerin, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, citrus sinensis* (sweet orange) essential oil, citrus paradisi* (pink grapefruit) essential oil, cymbopogon flexuosus* (lemongrass) essential oil, melaleuca alternifolia* (tea tree) essential oil *certified organic

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Ingredients: : (sodium chloride) sea salt, (olea europaea) olive oil, (prunus amygdalus dulcis) almond oil, (prunus armeniaca) apricot kernal oil, (lavandula angustifolia) lavendar flowers, (mentha piperita) peppermint leaf, (mentha piperita) peppermint essential oil, (gingko biloba) gingko leaf, (lavandula officinalis) lavendar essential oil, (vitis vinifera) grapefruit seed extract, (tocopherol) vitamin E oil

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Ingredients: aqua (water), aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) gel, prunus dulcis (almond) oil, behentrimonium methosulfate, cetearyl alcohol, vegetable emulsifier, citrus paradisi* (grapefruit) oil, glycerin, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) oil, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), tocopherol (vitamin E), stearic acid, citrus aurantium bergamia* (bergamot) oil, phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate *certified organic

Their shampoo works awesome for my hair so far! I use the Botanical Shampoo for Normal Hair, and then just plain white vinegar for a conditioner. My hair is soft and silky and no snarls! I’m so excited that I found a shampoo that is natural with no synthetic fragrance that works for me! This shampoo is unscented, but they also have a Cherry Almond Shampoo as well as a Rosemary Shampoo Bar.

Ingredients:aloe vera gel, coconut oil olefin, coconut oil betaine, lemon extract, avocado oil, palmitate, citric acid, tocopherol, sodium benzoate, glucano lactone, grapefruit seed extract. Essential Oils of juniper, cypress, cedarwood, frankincense, neroli, jasmine, rosemary, geranium, rose, sandalwood, lavender, basil, chamomile, cardamon.

My mom has been using the Healing Elements Balm on my baby brother’s rash, and it has definitely been helping and softening his skin. I look forward to trying more of their balms!

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Ingredients: prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, vanilla platifolia extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, cera alba (beeswax), mangifera indica (mango) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), calendula officinalis (calendula) extract, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, non-nano zinc oxide, tocopherol (vitamin E), citrus grandis* (grapefruit) seed extract, lavendula angustifolia* (lavender) essential oil, anthemis nobilis* (roman chamomile) essential oil

I am excited to try many more of their products, including but not limited to: hair and body spritz, prebiotic facial wash, Hydrating Facial Mask with Pomegranate & Seaberry Seed Extract, deodorant paste, charcoal facial mask, lipstick, nail care, Pink Brightening Flawless Color Concealer, and bug spray!

You can shop now from my website! ❤

Also, like & follow my Facebook Page to see all the new products, hear testimonies, and get the memo about Facebook parties!

Join Lemongrass Spa for only $20.20 this year and receive a started collection of their five top-selling items!

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Also, check out their January/February 2020 Bliss Box for $36 + FREE shipping! Box of Chocolates is super fun and perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift, or spa day with your girl friends!

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