January & February Watch List

Hiiiiii everyone!!! I meant to have more posts up the last two months than I actually posted, I have a bunch of drafts saved too....just most of my focus as of late has been trying to work on my goals for the year (because I refuse to say resolutions. I never keep resolutions.) My two top ones being to be healthier - to work out a lot, eat better and to actually attend checkups with my doctor . The other being  to take better care of my skin. Both goals have been going great so far, I've been kicking ass in the workout department (lost like 10 pounds last month, yaaaaay!!) and I started another medication in attempt to better control my asthma. I have been given a bunch of skincare products to try out in exchange for website reviews  that I've been using every day so that has been going well too. My skin hasn't been this nice since high school! I've just been trying to make more of an attempt at making myself happy and improving myself. In 2015, I basically broke and I had to slowly put the pieces back together. Now, I feel like a newer evolved self.  I want 2016 to be my year, I refuse to be miserable for a fourth year in a row. And I refuse to allow people to treat me like and make me feel like I'm garbage. What have your goals for the year been? Anyone make progress? Comment and let me know!

My life has also gotten a lot crazier, I now have a boyfriend! ^____^. We met via a mutual close friend on Facebook. Our first date was the day after Valentines day; we met downtown and went for pizza and to some of the local shops. We have a really cool and quirky toy store with toys for just about everyone. They have an adult section with things such as "grow a girlfriend", adult books, spell candles and incense. They have Pop figures, kooky kitchen gadgets, Doctor Who collectibles and a lot of other things. We were looking through the adult coloring books when we came across one called Secret Japan. I freaked out....why? It had one page dedicated to Sailor Moon. Knowing how much I love Sailor Moon he bought it for me for that one page. I will never forget that 💜. It was a great date which lead to the beginnings of our relationship. He's as total sweetheart and he's really funny. Some people say he's a male version of me. I'm just very happy ^__^

So yeah, that has been my life. Now onto the point!

Today I'll be introducing a new monthly series here called the watch list. Hopefully I can keep up with it better than recent animes! The concept is simple - each month I will discuss some shows that I binge watched or watched weekly during the month. I had to combine last month with this month because I forgot to post this last month.

Durarara x2

I rung in the new year by watching pretty much the entire season of Durarara x2 ten (why must they make this title so confusing? -_-). If you're a fan of the Drr! Series this is a must to watch. It's pretty interesting how things in Ikebukero escalate from the end of season one. I won't say much else to avoid spoilers, but you just have to watch it.

Parasyte

I still have yet to finish this show, but I binge watched about 15 episodes of this in January. For those that don't watch Toonami or even know what this is about, it's about a teenage boy that becomes infected by a parasyte with an intelligent mind of its own. It is a really fucked up show.

Empire

My mom got me into this show after watching it herself. I spent a long day at the mall and she was watching it when I got home; too worn out to complain I watched a few episodes with her and really got into it. This show is about the famous Luscious Lyon, CEO and founder of Lyon dynasty a record label. He finds out that he has ALS and must name a successor from his three sons to his empire and fortune. His ex wife, Cookie who went to prison in her husband's place returns after her sentence was ended. She finds that the record label she started with him had grown and that Luscious has a girlfriend. Cookie will stop at nothing until she gets her half of the company back. It is a really good show, it is a drama for those of you not into dramas. I typically am not a fan of rap or hip hop, I really dig so!e of the music in this show though! The girl group that  Cookie puts together has a song called "Do it" that I adore and omg don't even get me started on Jamal's voice! It is heavenly!

South park

I got Hulu Plus at the end of December. When I want to relax and watch something that doesn't require much concentration I will watch cartoons. I grew up on South Park and watched it with my dad a lot. Hulu has all of the seasons, so holy nostalgia I had to watch some old episodes that Comedy Central doesn't air anymore.

New Girl

On a whim I checked this out on Netflix and ended up loving it. Zoey Deschanel's character, Jess is my spirit animal. She's really adorable, quirky and funny. This show is about school teacher Jessica Day, she had a bad breakup after catching her boyfriend cheating on her. She lived with him, so she needed a new place to live. She answers an ad on Craig's list from a group of guys looking for a roommate. Jess makes the cut and moves in, the show is all about their dysfunction living together.

I hope you all had a great start to your year. What shows did you start watching in January? Comment and let me know!

X Files

Although I didn't see every episode of the original X Files, I am a fan of it so of course I had to see this newest season. It was really good! My favorite episode was with the wolf man. The ending of the season was total bullshit though, they had better make more episodes!!!

Hey Arnold

I watch a lot of cartoons.....I found Hey Arnold on Hulu Plus and ended up marathoning it. I love 90s Nicktoons

Adventure Time

Hulu Plus has EVERY episode, except for the latest season. I hadn't seen the older episodes in a long time so I've been watching a lot of Adventure Time.

Pretty Little Liars

I'm a long time viewer who has kept up with the show since I was 16/17. After the shocker of the last season (or is it the first half of the season?) I highly anticipated the recent episodes. The show jumped 5 Years from where we left off. I have to say, I'm not disappointed it has been really interesting.

Teen Mom OG

YES I watch this!! I love the original Teen Mom, it's one of the few reality shows that I will watch. I hate Teen Mom 2 though. I always have a lot of fun watching this show. I was so happy because my favorite on the show, Catelynn finally got married to her long time fiance.

There you have it, the shows I've been watching. I'm also watching The Walking Dead, Mob Wives (RIP Big Ang), and of course Bob's Burgers. What shows have you been watching? Comment and let me know!

Xoxo

Heather Zombie 💜

Simply Earth Essential Oils - Review & Their Cause

Today I'm going to review and discuss a brand I'm not only loving, but that I feel you all should know about! It's called Simply Earth - they make essential oils and various other products such as air freshener and foot odor eliminator with essential oils. I first discovered them when they were having a referral promotion for the launch of their essential oil line and I won some oils. I was SO extremely excited to try these oils. I recently started working with essential oils not only in my Wiccan practices but also in my daily life.

Now what makes this company so special vs. other essential oil makers? They are the kindest and most caring company I have ever come across. Their goal isn't just to make money, their goal is to help people! They not only strive to raise awareness for different causes but they also donate portions of their profits. 13% of their total profits goes towards ending human trafficking. Why that particular number? The average age of human trafficking victims is 13. And if that weren't wonderful enough, they also choose a different charity each month and donate 7.5% of their profits to that. I asked Simply Earth's co- founder, Lee Veldkamp what inspired him to sell essential oils and to donate the proceeds to charity. His response was:

 "I'm a serial entrepreneur with a big heart for people. I just saw a need to connect beauty products with a bigger cause. You have these brands doing "real beauty" and then they use fake models or what not and it just makes me angry. We wanted to create something that was really authentic and gave back to protect woman's beauty.
 And essential oils because they are so much for DIY beauty and home cleaning products and they smell amazing."

 It really is true that Mr. Veldkamp and the rest of the Simply Earth company have big hearts. In every email I have received as being a member of their World Changers Club as well as every correspondence I have had with them, they have gone above and beyond for their customers to ensure that their needs are met and that they're happy. They even have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Not that I ever think anyone will have to use that policy.

My experience with Simply Earth essential oils has been nothing short of great.

Lemongrass, Peppermint and Orange

Grapefruit, Frankincense, Lavender and Eucalyptus

Camphor, Lemon, Bergamot and Pine

 In my initial oils from them, I received Peppermint, Grapefruit, Camphor, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Bergamot, Orange, and Pine essential oil. I also received a bottle of their Lavender Vanilla air freshener.

Oregano, Rosemary, Myrrh and Tea Tree

I then was given the opportunity to receive some more oils in exchange for an honest review. This time I received Tea Tree, Myrrh, Oregano and Rosemary.

 Every single oil has smelled amazing! They definitely aren't lying when they claim that their oils are undiluted and 100% pure. There are definitely no additives here! I have found that the "menthal like" oils - such as Camphor, Peppermint and Eucalyptus are especially strong.

 The packaging is wonderful! All oils are packaged in dark amber glass bottles with droppers built into the neck of the bottle. I know I prefer bottles with this design, it's less messy and easier to use. I should also note that the bottles are good quality and they feel sturdy! Each bottle is also carefully labeled, revealing what each oil is as well as scent, origin, plant parts and ingredients. My only complaint is that there are no labels on the bottle caps as well, but that is no large issue. I can easily label them myself.

                                     How do they smell? 

 Peppermint - Described as "Sharp and Minty", it definitely is a strong, slightly sweet mint.

Grapefruit- Described as " Bitter Citrus", to me it smells like a freshly cut grapefruit

Camphor- Described as "Penetrating Camphor", to me it's like a slightly woodier Eucalyptus.

 Eucalyptus - Described as " Herbal and Woody", I'm not sure about woody, but it definitely smells herbal. It has that classic medicinal scent.

Lemongrass- Described as "Earthy and Citrus", that is an accurate description, however it also has a sweet aroma to it.

Frankincense- Described as "Spicy and Woody", it is definitely woody with a hint of spice.

Lavender- Described as " Floral and Fruity", this smells like straight up soothing Lavender to me.

 Lemon- Described as "Sweet and Lemony", it's like a freshly cut lemon or freshly squeezed lemon juice.

 Bergamot- Described as " Citrus, Spicy and Floral", it is very citrusy with a hint of floral.

Orange- Described as "Sweet, Citrus", it is like a freshly cut orange.

 Pine- Described as " Evergreen and Woody", this oil smells extremely earthy but it doesn't smell like the classic Pine scent I've known.

 Tea Tree- Described as "Medicinal and Woody", this is a perfect description. It has a scent similar to Eucalyptus but more woody and earthy.

Rosemary- Described as " Woody and Herbal", it certainly smells herbal; like rosemary herbs.

Myrrh- Described as "Balsamic and Fresh", The scent reminds me a bit of vinegar (I guess hence the balsamic), but sweeter.

Oregano- Described as " herbal, peppery", it totally smells like oregano herbs to me.
                                Do they work? Absolutely. 

Some of you that have been here for a while know I suffer from ear issues - the pressure in my eustachian tubes (the middle ear tubes that equilize the pressure of your ear drums)  is screwed up due to what I'm sure is permanent eustachian tube dysfunction, because of that I have tinnitus in one ear. One evening, one of my ears was feeling congested and it was really irritating me. So I mixed a single drop of peppermint oil and I diluted it with a carrier oil. I applied some to the back of my ear and down my neck, as well as on a cotton ball that I gently placed to my ear (never actually put drops of essential oil into your ear). Within minutes my ear felt a lot better. I have also successfully helped an upset stomach with this Peppermint oil.

 For muscle aches I have mixed the Eucalyptus and Camphor oils; though it didn't take all of the pain away it definitely eased it.

 My favorites so far are the Lavender and Lemongrass. They are wonderful for stress and anxiety! When I was having some minor anxiety attacks, I mixed them and used them for good old fashioned aromatherapy. It totally helped a of to calm me. My mother and I have also found that using the Lavender oil for aromatherapy helps us to sleep.

 My mom commonly complains of itching on her surgery scar (it's over a year old) and she has never really been able to soothe it. I mixed some drops of Eucalyptus and Peppermint oils with lotion and had her apply it - this stuff got rid of the itch for the rest of the night!!

 I used the Tea Tree oil on my scalp to help with dandruff. After generously applying mixed with a carrier oil, massaging it into my scalp and leaving it for about 24 hours before washing my hair, I definitely noticed a difference - I didn't see flakes everywhere!

I used the Oregano oil when I had a post workout asthma attack and it really helped.

 As for the air freshener - I love it, it smells so good and it is formulated without parabens or phthalates. The ingredients are clearly stated, easy to understand and not loaded with mysterious chemicals. I love spraying my pillows and sheets, it makes them smell amazing. My only complaint is that the scent doesn't seem to last all that long. But it is effective.

 For those that don't know, parabens are a series of chemical compounds frequently used by pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies to preserve products and prevent bacterial growth. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. Some believe that these chemicals can cause cancer. Personally that's all I know on the topic, but I sure wouldn't want to be putting a chemical used to soften plastics onto my face. Imagine what that could do to your skin! O____O

 I completely appreciate this company's care of what goes into their products, as well as being cruelty free. I know if I see that on a product, it makes me much more likely to purchase it. I love animals!

My fur babies 💜

 For clarification - I am being 100% honest on this review as I always am in all of my posts. I do not lie or over hype things for the sake of pleasing others.

That being said, I completely recommended you all checking out and buying all of your essential oils from Simply Earth! Not only will you receive high quality oils at a low, reasonable price (unlike other companies that charge $30 for a small bottle for even the simplest oil to extract) but you will be helping people and potentially saving lives. What's cooler than that? I know they have made a life long customer in me for all of my essential oil needs. When I have the money, I'm planning to order an oil or two to try to help my tinnitus. To the lovely employees at Simply Earth, thank you so much for allowing me to try your oils and for increasing my obsession. Also...please make a Rose and/or a Rose Geranium oil!!

You can learn more about Simply Earth at Simplyearth.com, you can order directly from their website or on Amazon.com (just search Simply Earth oil).

 Xoxo Heather Zombie