Victoria\

Victoria's Secret Garden Love Spell Refreshing Body Mist Splash 8.4 oz
$9.00
I absolutely love the smell. It's pretty long-lasting if you apply it correctly and it smells wonderful as long as you don't douse yourself in it. Guys compliment me on it all the time (as long as I don't spray it on them) :]

Victoria's Secret Garden Strawberries and Champagne Hydrating Body Lotion 8.4 fl oz (250 ml)
$9.00
Victoria's Secret Garden Strawberries and Champagne Hydrating Body Lotion 8.4 fl oz (250 ml) An intoxicating blend of strawberry, champagne, hyacinth, cassis, white flowers, and sandalwood. Pamper skin with ingredients from a Secret Garden, like naturally conditioning Aloe, Oat and Grapeseed Extracts, and nourishing Vitamins E and C. Smooth over body for enriching moisture and sensuous fragrance.

Green for Life
$14.95
I bought this book based on the large number of positive reviews and read it with an open mind, but also some skepticism. I wanted to boost my energy level as well as cut down on meat consumption, but was wary of fad diets and radical lifestyle changes. I was already exercising regularly (3-4x a week), so weight loss wasn't a concern. I was just tired of feeling lethargic all the time and wanted to try a new way to stop being so lifeless.

Thankfully, Boutenko promotes healthy living, not gimmicky diets or fad lifestyles. I gave the book an earnest effort, and within 2 weeks of regular and frequent blending (4 or more smoothies a day), I began to notice a big change in the way my body reacted. I was surprised to see myself growing very sleepy around 11pm and was wide awake by 7, all without a need for an alarm clock. My body became more in tune with the circadian rhythm and day/night cycles whereas previously, I stayed up half the night and didn't wake until past noon. As many others have reported, my craving for meat and junk food sharply declined. After drinking 2 or 3 glasses of smoothies/veggie juice blends in the evening, I didn't have much interest (or room) for much else.

My initial 5 or 6 pitchers were sometimes downright disgusting, but after I got used to the juice blends and varying the ingredients (adding some fruits or store-bought orange juice), I came to like them a lot and looked forward to a tall cold glass of green goo whenever I felt hungry. Particularly effective energy-boosters are dark leafy greens like kale and Chinese mustard greens (Brassica rapa).

Prior to reading "Green for Life", I was juicing. I always felt guilty throwing away all that vegetable and fruit pulp and just drinking the juice, and Boutenko made me realize why. I was discarding all the good stuff, like valuable nutrients, enzymes, and fiber. I had tried to use the pulp in soup, but it didn't taste very good. Juicing also left a big mess to clean up (mesh screen, pulp bucket, juicer walls), and I hadn't even thought to blend. So, now I blend, and keep 100% of the benefits and all the cleaning that's required is rinsing out the pitcher of my blender. Another bonus is that vegetables and fruit are a lot cheaper than meat, so the savings add up. $5 can buy a week's worth of juicing ingredients. In the supermarket, I began to walk right by the meat section without second thoughts, even when there were some great sales. Lower meat consumption is also better for the planet because of how wasteful meat production is.

"Green for Life" is a good starting point to a greener, healthier lifestyle, and I highly recommend it. I do have to take some of what Boutenko says with a grain of salt though. She seems to claim blending as a panacea which solves almost any ailment or condition. Otherwise, I have no doubts as to the health benefits of regular blending. I fell off the wagon for the last 3 months because of work and definitely feel the difference. I'm very tired again during the day, so I've restarted my blending routine. Getting more vegetables into your diet and eating less meat is never a bad thing.

This Family of Mine: What It Was Like Growing Up Gotti
$27.00
Loved this book! I don't normally read these types of books however I have always been interested in the Gotti Family. Great fast read.