I have been a bit absent from the blog the last few week, I blame an awful cold that I just could not shake. The worst part of feeling sick like that is not being able to write at all, I honestly could not focus enough to write one full sentence. Well I am back now and ready to write.

You may not know this about me, but in addition to collecting makeup, Coco-Cola items and tea pots, I also have pretty extensive tea collection (it works well with the tea pot part). While I was sick I drank an exorbitant amount of tea, one of which I am going to review for you now.

Fall for me is all about getting back into tea and really only one type of tea will do, Chai! Yep Masala Chai is what I am all about. Now I feel someone might yell at me if I don't clarify here, but chai actually means tea, but in North America Chai tends to refer to Masala Chai which is a blend of spices and tea. Most of the time you get cinnamon, clove, cardamon, anise, and ginger. While you can always pick up a chai tea in loose leaf and tea bags, most people end up getting lattes.
Trader Joe's Makes a Chai Tea Latte Mix that I have been fascinated with for the last few years. A mix that you need less then a scoop of to get a strong and spicy latte without the need for anything but hot water (although you can add milk too if you like).

I love how frankly it is a powder and not a liquid in a tetra pack like Starbucks, it makes it last a lot longer (you get about 10 to 12 servings per tin) and I don't have to mix it half with milk and try not to burn it on my stove like with the liquid concentrate. I just have to boil water and stir, if I really want I can whisk it a bit for a froth. I also really like that it is a spicy mix, not a horribly sweet one, it really makes having a chai latte worth while to me.

I also have bought some Chai Latte Mix from Bulk Barn in the past, there is honestly no comparison. That stuff is incredibly sweet and lacks any flavour at all. It really is like comparing Tim Horton's French Vanilla Latte mix to an actual latte, ick.

I personally make it with about 2/3 of a scoop instead of a full scoop and into a very large mug (not the 6oz that is recommended). This way I get a nice spicy latte that isn't too sweet for me and my tin lasts a lot longer.

The only down side to this tea is, it is from Trader Joe's, a store that I love a lot but is sadly not in Canada. I try to get friends or family to bring me a container at least once a year, so I don't ever run out (that's how much I like it).

Sometimes you need a great balm or salve. Maybe your hands are dry, you need to boost your regular moisturizer, you've got a dry spot, your feet need something a bit more or you just need something to make your lips a little softer. Sometimes you just need a balm.

I currently have 3 on the go that I am really happy with and have been using for all types of heavy duty tasks.
Trader Joe's Head to Toe and Everywhere in Between Moisturizing Balm $3.99 for 57 g

First up is Trader Joe's Head to Toe and Everywhere in Between Moisturizing Balm.  That's a long title right? This baby claims to have no greasy residue and can tackle all your dry skin needs. It even says it is good for a fly away beard.

I will attest it is the least greasy of the three I am going to talk about, it also is the firmest. I have to really scrape to get some out, meaning a little will go a long way. It definitely has a dry finish to it, but I wouldn't go around touching stuff right after because there is still a bit of greasy residue, it just feels dry on your skin.

I love to use it on my cuticle and nails, then my super dry knuckles before bed time. I also get a lot of cracks on my skin, and often cat/dog scratches, so I also will often apply it there too.

It's main ingredients seem to be Shea butter and beeswax, while also containing some coconut and palm oils.

I generally really enjoy this balm, I just wish Trader Joe's would come to Canada already (oh man also their prices are so good, $3.99 is so great).

The Body Shop's Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil for Body and Hair $14.00 for 50g 

Next up is The Body Shop's wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil for Body and Hair. Another long name. This one is nice and soft, I am going to guess that is because it is a solid oil and not a balm, which also means it melts really nicely into the skin before being absorbed in. It has a faint nutty smell (I am going to roll with the argan is what I am smelling).

I really like this one for my elbows and knees. I had a big crack in my elbow a few weeks ago that really hurt and it seemed to really speed up the heeling process as well as make it feel a lot better.

The Wild Argan line is now included in The Body Shop sales, so I highly recommend you wait for one, I got mine when they had a 40% off deal on.

Burt's Bees' Hand Salve $12.99 for 85g
Finally we have Burt's Bees' Hand Salve. This one is meant just for your hands, but I still use it elsewhere. Being from Burt's Bees you can rightly assume it has bees wax in it and has a honey type of scent as a result, but I can clearly also smell something herbal, I think menthol(??). It also has Sweet Almond Oil and Olive Oil in it, so all good hand loving stuff. I carry this one around in my purse. I have a travel size so it is just perfect for after work when my hands are dry and about to crack. I just love it.

It also is the slickest feeling of the three, I feel as thought my fingers glide over the product rather then dig into it.

Pros:
Works really well
Leaves you moisturized
Scrubs really well
Nice lavender scent
Lots of skin loving oils
You can read all the ingredients easily
Flip lid is a fantastic idea
Cheap ($6 for  a big tub)

Cons:
Only available at Trader Joe's (which we don't have in Canada)

Overall:
This is a cheap, cheap, cheap body scrub in a great container loaded with great ingredients and does a really good job of exfoliating your body and moisturizing it.

 I did get the Lorac TANalizer Highlighter and Matte Bronzer Duo, it was $12
 I picked up some NYX as well, two Butter Glosses (apple strudel and sugar cookie) and Dark Circle Concealer in Fair, it is a orange toned concealer.
 Too Faced Sugar and Spice contains 12 shadows and a mini Better Than Sex mascara in a cute little bag.
 Tarte Away Oui Go set is meant for the traveller. It has four sets of four shadows and blush, 3 glosses and a Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara.
 The idea is that you can pop out the set you want and take it with you in the blue travel case.

We got two Triple Ginger Snaps, the best ginger snaps ever! a Fruit Jellies for the hubby, he really likes fruit jellies and I am always looking for some for him. Finally we got the product that started our TJ obsession, the Chocolate Orange Sticks.
 Three tubs of  Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter, they were out of the regular one. This might be my favourite stuff on earth. The hubby got a PB&J Milk Chocolate Bar.
 Now on to pumpkin madness....
 Pumpkin Spiced Chia Tea Latte Mix, yeah that just sounded too yummy not to get. Pumpkin Cornbread Mix I plan on making Chili and making these to go with it. Pumpkin Spice Coffee I needed coffee and this has all the pumpkin spices (no pumpkin) in it. It smells amazing.  Pumpkin Body Butter I have the Coconut version and love it, so I had to get this. Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix and Pumpkin Butter, I got the Williams-Sonoma version of this a few years ago and it was a hit at Thanksgiving. While the WS was tasty it was also pricy as hell, these were $2.99 each. They were also doing tastings of them together and it was just as good as the WS version. Finally I got the Toasted Pumpkin Seed Oil which is such a pretty dark green and just the right amount of toasted, it is going to be used on salads for months to come.
 The hubby loves candy corn, I mean LOVES it. He picked up some Brach's S'mores and Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn. I hate the texture of candy corn so these are all his (he already ate most of the S'mores).
 I always have to get Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate. It only has 25 calories and taste amazing.
 Kelly McKelly raved about Coffee Mate Hazelnut on one of her Coffee Time With Kelly videos, so heck I had to grab one. Hazelnut is one of my go to flavours (as well as pumpkin, pumpkin spice and mint chocolate). I also got Archer Farms (Target brand) Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup, it happens to be sugar free and the exact same bottle of my empty Starbucks hazelnut syrup. So I am putting the Starbucks pump onto this one. I saw that they had regular flavours as well (hazelnut, carmel, vanilla) so I am going to go for a hunt to see if they are in Canada or not since it was ¼th of the price that Starbucks charges.
 I picked myself up some tasty other treats, Trident Layers gum in Pumpkin Spice and Mint M&M's.
 I also stopped by the Under Armour outlet. I picked up a few shirts on clearance and this fantastic gym bag for $39.99. Very happy about it since it is still listed on their USA website for $69.99.

Part of the Fenway tour.

I've pretty much wanted this stuff for months. I learned a while ago it was their first product and still their top selling item all these years later. Sadly they don't sell it in Canada. They cost $4.99 each at CVS.

 I still had money on my Sephora gift card so I thought I would take advantage of their much cheaper prices. For $19.95 I got a beauty blender (I have one but wanted a back up). I also redeemed 2 sets of 100 points for a mini Deborah Lipman Happy Birthday polish and a Caviar CC Cream. They also had little containers there where I could fill my own samples, how fantastic is that. I picked up some of the Urban Decay foundation and Clinique Even Better then Foundation, and an empty jar. The Sephora there was 3 times larger then any of the ones in Toronto, I even dragged the hubby in to admire it, his jaw dropped and then he dragged me out of there before I moved in permanently.
 I thought I would take the chance and get the iconic Comfort Zone Palette and try my hand at the Fergie blush. I cannot remember what they cost...about $5 each.
Everyday I put these in my bag, I am horrible, but friends of mine really like Crabtree and Evelyn and I was paying a lot for the hotel. Only one day did we get the mega-rich shampoo the rest were the cleansing version. I did use up a lotion in a day from getting too much sun and the weather being so much dryer.
I love mint and chocolate...so I had to get these. I am only sad they were sold out of the larger bags. I really wish these were avalible here in Canada. They cost $3.99 a bag.

 Pretty much my crowning glory of all stores has its HQ in Boston, Trader Joe's. It is a health food store, with junk food too, and it is all crazy cheap. I really want them to expand to Canada already.

The body wash leaked a bit on the way home, but it was safly placed in a ziplock bag, so all it well. I grabbed these becauseI heard a lot about them. They contain no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and smell pretty good. Oh and they were $3.99 to $4.99 which was great.
 I don't know what drew me to the Matcha iced tea mix, but I wanted it, as for the Irish Breakfast, why not, I love tea.
 I love these!!!! I get a minor supply a few times a year from friends, but man do I love them. I swear I will hurt anyone if they touch my stash. One is for a friend and the hubby already busted one open (I'm watching him). They are $4.99 each and worth it.
 I picked up for gifts for people some soaps. I got a double pack of Oatmeal and Honey soap and a double pack of Tea Tree Oil soap, $1.69 each. I also got a Fresh Linen Scent Hand Soap for a friend $3.99 (I think).
 Hot and Sweet Mustard sounded amazing and was about $2 so I grabbed two. I can only envision eating it wish a ham or some sausage. As for the Cookie Butter, I heard lots about it and how it is a cult item. The jars are small so if I love them I will ration them and maim anyone how gets in my way.
 These sounded great and are in massive tubs, which the tops flip open on. So happy to try them out. The prices were about $5 each, maybe less.
 I got this for a friend, she took care of my dog Monty so I thought I would get her little girl something. Under $2.
 So I do not believe in cleanses, not at all, but I do have IBS and this one seems to focus on digestion and fibre. There are liver pills, but I don't really care too much. It was super cheap at $12.99 so I though I would grab it to see if the fibre and digestion pills would do anything.
I got some goodies at H&M too, but the cutest thing was this Kisses scarf.

So overall we had a fantastic time, the hubby even brought back some tea that I cannot snap pics of because he has already ripped them open.