Santa, You Really Are A Gem!

Whew.  As nice as holidays are sometimes it's just as nice to get back into a normal routine.  As much as I'm going to miss wearing my Christmas onesie (yes it has a trapdoor, feet and everything) everyday and eating absolutely ANYTHING I feel like, the time has come to go back to work, eat healthy and put away Christmas decorations.  It's also time to remove all the newly packaged gifts from under the tree...

I'm sure I am not the only one who can say this but MAN, did I get spoiled this year.  Though Allan and I typically only ask for gift cards or money (since renovating the condo costs quite a bit) I still got some really fantastic things that were on my list.  Here' s a few of my favorite things..

1.   Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Straightening Iron

I'd mentioned how much I had wanted this straightener in THIS post and was very thrilled to see it in my stocking.  (I knew I was getting it BUT had no idea the fantastic freebies thrown in with the original purchase.)

Can you believe these things were free?  I got a Sedu Revolution Pro Ionic Travel Dryer, a Sedu Revolution Compact Styler/Straightener AND a thermal pouch to store my iron in.  (The travel straightener also came with it's own thermal pouch.)  Love love love freebies so much.

2.  Aquis Essentials Microfiber Hair Towel

Allan turned me on to this towel about three years ago when he first purchased one for me for Christmas.  I had been using it ever since hence why a new one was needed.  For those that aren't too familiar with this item, it actually absorbs moisture more quickly then a normal towel and reduces the time needed to blow dry your hair.  Honestly, I use this every time I wash my hair and love the way my hair feels after using it.  I highly highly recommend this to all women OR people that blow dry their hair in the morning.

3.  Dior Couture Collection Brush Set

One of my biggest pet peeves of travelling is packing makeup brushes.  Not only do they take a lot of room since I only use full-size brushes but I am forever worrying about them breaking during flight.  This is my very first set of travel brushes and I am so looking forward to using them for our trip to Bali!  The brush set contains a foundation, blush, eye shadow and lip brush.

4.  Urban Decay Naked Palette 

YAY....it's finally mine!!!  Allan was such a gem in picking this up for me.  I have been going on and on and on about it that it's a wonder I never purchased it for myself.  Anyway, I have it and love the packaging so much that I have yet to open it.  However, when I do, I will not only swatch them BUT do an EOTD for you. I am so happy that this is finally mine!

5.  Mexican Ceramic Salsa Bowl

My parents came back from the Baja a few weeks before Christmas after spending almost three weeks touring Mexico in a little rented Nissan.  This bowl is something that my dad actually picked out for me and since he never shops, it means a great deal.  Mexican culture (and food) is very important to my family and I grew up eating chilis, burritos, tacos, enchiladas and pico de gallo from a very young age.  Actually, my family also wrote a chili cook book about 12 years ago.  Anyway, having my very own Mexican salsa bowl is awesome and I can't wait to put it to good use.

Hope you all got exactly the things you wanted from Santa and had a fabulous holidays and New Year.