Pumpkin Spice Handmade Soap by Purple Cat Soap

I love everything handmade, including soaps! I was given the opportunity to sample Pumpkin Spice Soap from Purple Cat Soap and boy am I a happy girl now! This soap is handmade from start to finish, using organic and sustainable oils when possible and 100% recyclable packaging. Purple Cat Soap is a small family business out of Sacramento, CA and really does know how to make some tasty smelling soap!

The smell of this soap is incredible and really does fit this time of year perfectly. It lathers on great and creates a subtle hint of pumpkin spice. The ingredients include: mango seed butter,coconut oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, olive oil, palm oil, water, sodium hydroxide, canned pumpkin, and ground oatmeal. My hands appreciated the little seeds in the soap because it really got them clean and soft! 

You can shop for this soap or their other soaps at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PurpleCatSoap. They have so many wonderful looking soaps, so hurry and go try them out! This cute bar of soap would be perfect anyone who loves artisan soap and would really be a great stocking stuffer and is only $3...what a great deal!!!

Enjoy!

-Kir

I'll Take my Pumpkin Latte with a Loofah! Pumpkin Latte Soap from Horsin Around Soap

I relish every second of my morning shower! It is "me" time -- my own 15 minutes before the phone starts ringing, the e-mails come flooding in, and I have to start answering questions! It is 15 minutes of solitude, silence, and whatever beauty products I decide to indulge in! I am a big fan of artisan soaps, so when Horsin Around Soap offered me a sample of their Pumpkin Latte Soap I was tickled! 

 This soap arrived beautifully packaged with a decorative label!

The soap smells absolutely amazing -- creamy pumpkin, a splash of vanilla, a dash of coffee, and fragrant cinnamon and nutmeg filled my shower! I especially noticed the cinnamon and nutmeg flavors, which are some of my favorite autumn scents. 

 Isn't this bar gorgeous? Love those colors!

This soap provided a wonderful sudsy lather and left my skin soft. I especially liked the fact that the soap featured natural scents, as opposed to artificial perfumes. Horsin Around Soap offers a wide variety of soaps and other bath goodies! At only $4 a bar, I suggest stocking up for the holidays or treat yourself! 

-Meg

Pumpkin Facial Masque by Versailles Skincare Products

This Try me size Pumpkin Facial Masque is not just perfect for this time of the year but perfect for you face as well. Versailles Skincare Products produces this amazing handmade product, made with real pumpkin, plus it is a vegan formula. The packaging is cute and professional and the 0.25 oz product is enough for two applications. Thank you so much to Versailles Skincare for letting me try this masque out ( I love it!)

                                                    

The product

Looks and smells like Pumpkin!

Got my Pumpkin Facial Masque on!

As you can see in the photos of myself trying on this facial, it should be applied thin and can even be applied to the face plus neck area. However, be cautious when applying if you have sensitive skin like I do (hence why I did not apply it to my neck area). Although I do have sensitive skin, this Pumpkin Facial Masque gave me no problems and left my skin feeling great! I thought my skin felt soft and gave my complexion a smooth look after trying this masque. Also, I love the fact that directions are given on the back of the packaging as well as the list of ingredients (which are easily found in most households)!

If you are eager to find a great masque for yourself or for a special lady in your life, then take a look at http://www.etsy.com/shop/VersaillesSkincare. More information on this product, check out VersaillesSkincare on Etsy!

Enjoy!
-Kir

What's on my English Muffin? Pumpkin Butter from MMMandMore

It has finally cooled down here in San Antonio, so now it seems appropriate to start savoring all of those delectable fall treats! I love all things pumpkin (can't wait to try Kir's pumpkin bread recipe) and was so excited to receive a sampling of handcrafted pumpkin butter from MMMandMore!

The pumpkin butter is packaged in mason jars (soooo rustic chic!) and adorned with a scrap of checked fabric and a hang tag. 

This autumn spread smells like a fresh baked pumpkin pie. With strong notes of cinnamon and cloves, I was more than pleased to top my morning English muffin with this delightful delicacy. It spread evenly and consistently and tasted fresh and sweet. The pulpy pumpkin-y goodness made for a delicious addition to my morning breakfast! I'm already looking forward to tomorrow!

This butter is made with all natural ingredients: pumpkin, apple juice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sugar! Nothing artificial or impossible to pronounce here! 

MMMandMore's pumpkin butter would make a wonderful hostess gift during the fall months or treat yourself to a jar! Pumpkin not really your thing? Be sure to check out their sauces, jams, apple butter, and sweet potato butter!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

I have been dying for something pumpkin lately and although I do love me some pumpkin pie, my husband on the other hand is not the biggest fan. Therefore, I figured I would make him some bread that he can have for breakfast or even for a snack when he works from home on occasion (he loves that it has chocolate chips in it)!

This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf Bread (known as Harvest Bread to my husband) is super easy to make and besides the pumpkin, I had everything else on hand (which you all know I love). This bread is perfect for the Autumn season and will really satisfy your pumpkin craving!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree (keep in mind this is not the same as pumpkin pie mix)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips (plus some for topping)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, sour cream and oil until smooth.
4. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture, whisking together until combined.
5. Pour mixture into greased pan, topping with chocolate chips.
6. Bake for about 70 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Leave in pan, cooling on wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then pop out loaf from pan and cool for another 10 minutes or so on a wire rack.
8. Stuff your face and enjoy!

Bread mixture in the greased loaf pan

Topped with a few chocolate chips

Cooling in pan on wire rack

Cooling for another 10 minutes out of loaf pan

Slice and enjoy!

-Kir

Our New Fall Fragrance -- Pumpkin Pie and Lavender Solid & Roll-On Perfume from Urbbody

We normally don’t stray from our tried and true fragrances, but when Cate from Urbbody offered us the opportunity to try her Pumpkin Pie and Lavender Perfume, we didn’t think twice! With the marriage of spicy pumpkin pie and sweet aromatic lavender, who wouldn’t want to smell this tantalizing! This fragrance comes in a solid and a roll-on perfume. Meg tried the roll on; Kir tried the solid… 

Roll-On Perfume

To me, the smell of pumpkin pie is the epitome of fall – it embodies cooling temperatures, the changing color of leaves, firesides, and family. The scent of lavender reminds me of my mom – we always had lavender growing in our yard growing up and she would make dried lavender sachets to tuck in our drawers. The combination of the two in this roll on perfume is intoxicating! At first roll the scent has strong lavender top notes with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. Throughout the day though the pumpkin pie and spices make a debut and linger about on wrists, earlobes, and necks. This is my current go to fragrance and I will be wearing it for the rest of autumn!

 The rollerball perfume glides on skin effortlessly, while the fragrance absorbs quickly without leaving any trace of a sticky residue. The packaging is clean, simple, and professional. I’m looking forward to trying some of Urbbody’s other products in the future!

 

-Meg

Solid Perfume

This Pumpkin Pie and Lavender Solid Perfume is perfect for Autumn. It smells warm and inviting with a hint of pumpkin pie and lavender. What more do you want during this time of year. Not only does this solid perfume smell amazing, but this scent of Pumpkin and Lavender are the top "arousing" scents to (straight) men (time to cuddle *hint hint). This wonderful perfume is handmade with beeswax, lavender essential oil, fragrance oil, vitamin e, and meadowfoam oil. My husband absolutely loves this smell!

Now if you're like me and never used a solid perfume before do not get turned off! I was a little skeptical at first just because I had never tried any solid perfume, but I am actually thinking I prefer a solid perfume over a spray now. Don't be afraid, I promise you will enjoy it! 

This product is perfectly sized to carry in your purse without taking much space!

This perfume is so soft without any leftover oily residue!

For more information on this perfume and other products by Urbbody, check out their Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/urbbody. All of their products are handmade without any weird chemicals (which you all know I am a huge fan of!) Great job Urbbody, I love this product!!! And lucky for you Urbbody is offering 25% off with code: PUMPKINTIME

Enjoy!

-Kir

Put On Your Pumpkin [Facial] Mask from Garden Therapy

My skin has been all out of whack lately, so I was so excited to try My Garden Therapy’s Pumpkin Pie Facial! What’s better than slathering pumpkin pie on my face? Nothing – that’s what! I am a mask addict and have countless tubes and tubs under my sink, some of which get old and have to be thrown out over time.  No such problem with this facial – it’s a powder! Just mix a few tablespoons of water with the powder and viola, a fresh facial right at home!

This mask smells like fresh pulpy pumpkin – ya know when you’re taking out all the goo when you carve pumpkins! I love the fact that it has goat milk powder and pumpkin powder to nourish my skin and walnut shells to exfoliate! 

Besides having a major hankering for some pumpkin pie, after using this mask, I noticed my skin felt tighter, brighter, and my red blotchy face looked healthier. 

My Garden Therapy makes all of its products in small batches using all natural ingredients. I love that I know exactly what I just put on my face!