Sara Happ makes the most decadent lip scrubs, so it's no surprise to hear that her newest scrub is inspired by Sprinkles most popular flavor - red velvet. Who is Sprinkles you ask? Surely you've heard of the super popular cupcake bakery where people would wait in line for hours just for a bite. No? OK, then maybe you've seen them mentioned in the media for having cupcake ATM's? Now that is one withdrawal that I would not mind one bit(e). Sadly, I don't live near a Sprinkles location nor have I ever had the opportunity to taste their haute cupcakes or creamy ice cream. (Except I now just learned I can have them shipped to me...hello, where's my wallet??) Sara Happ x Sprinkles red velvet the lip scrub helps me get a good idea of why this flavor is so popular. The lip scrub is crimson-colored and upon removing the lid, the sweet scent of cream cheese frosting wafts through the air. If you are on a diet, you'll be like, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS CUPCAKES I NEED TO SLATHER THIS ALL OVER MY ENTIRE BODY. Just sayin. I'm getting so distracted writing this review as the scrub sits opened on my desk because the frosting/chocolate combination smells SO good. I won't take any responsibility for it forcing me to go order a bunch of cupcakes when I'm done... Moving on... a small scoop of this scrub is all you need to gently exfoliate your lips. You can smell (and taste) the sugary goodness working its magic. Just a few firm circular massages is all it takes and simply wipe off. Now pair this with Sara's Sweet Clay Mask, and your lips will be in complete heaven. Have you tried it? (Hint: you need to!) Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Your sunscreen is killing the coral reefs around the world. That's not an exaggerated statement. But wait, if I can't wear sunscreen in order to protect the coral reefs, how am I supposed to protect myself from sun damage and skin cancer? Turns out it is two specific ingredients in your sunscreen that are doing the damage, and there are alternatives! Scientists have identified the culprits to be oxybenzone and octinoxate, both really great at doing their job to protect you from UV rays, not so much when it comes to marine life and coral reefs. These two ingredients act parasitic in nature by robbing the reefs of nutrients. As the reefs die, so does the ecosystem it had sustained. Considering that most of this earth is made up of ocean and it is a vital resource, it's pretty important to act now that we are aware of one contributing factor. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are not only in sunscreen, but are often the sunscreen in your favorite moisturizer. But for the sake of this article, we'll focus on providing an alternative to the sunscreens that have become a Summer staple in your beach bag. To do your part, look for sunscreens and moisturizers with titanium oxide or zinc oxide and that are biodegradable. Sunscreens that are coral reef safe: Coral Safe All Natural Biodegradable Sunscreen, SPF 30 Beauty by Earth Mineral Biodegradeable Sunscreen SPF 25 Stream2Sea Biodegradeable Mineral Sunblock SPF 30 Reef Safe Biodegradable Sunscreen Lotion SPF 45+ These are just a few coral reef safe sunscreens, but there are plenty at varying price points on Amazon. Many do appear to be a bit more expensive than the kind you'd find at the drugstore, but if it means helping to save our oceans, it's worth it to do your part. Do you have a favorite reef safe sunscreen not mentioned? Please feel free to tell us in the comments! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Disclosure: This post is Sponsored by Trophy Skin. All opinions on their RejuvaliteMD are my own.

How many times have you said in complete and utter exasperation, "I just need 5 minutes to myself" as you get asked to taxi your children for the hundreth time, are the "finder" for all of the lost things in the house, or when you find yourself having to actually "schedule in" a shower?

And exactly how many times have you actually taken those 5 minutes? Well, it's time to take care of you, mom. And it's something that can be done in 5 minutes. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and I love my children, but often times our needs get put by the wayside and one day you look at yourself in the mirror and you barely recognize the person staring back (literally and figuratively.)

It's surely happened to me and I more aware than ever of my age spots and wrinkles from sun damange and acne scars from all of those years of pimple popping. Ugh.

When Trophy Skin approached me to review their RejuvaliteMD, without reading much about it, I thought, "Great, I'll have to find more time in my day for yet one more thing," but quickly learned that their red light therapy only needs 5 minutes of your time daily. (Twice a day if you are super ambitious - and I am!)

If you are not familiar with red light therapy, the benefits are numerous. It stimulates collagen, therefore minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Since collagen re-plumps your skin, this also helps if you have indented acne scars. It can help to prevent breakouts by using UV-free wavelengths to kill acne-causing bacteria. It helps to improve skin texture and tone, and it's known to also help with depression.

How RejuvaliteMD works: With 120 bulbs omitting UV-free wavelengths of red, yellow, amber, and infrared light, you simply cleanse your skin, put on the white goggles (included) and position the bulbs 4 inches from your face for 5 minutes.

RejuvaliteMD has a built-in timer, so all you do is simply sit there and relax. That sounds too easy, right? It is honestly that simple. I chose to use my RejuvaliteMD in my bedroom by placing it on my bedside table. I laid down for those 5 minutes when starting my day and after my kids went to bed.

Since I couldn't use my phone to scan social media, couldn't talk on the phone or text, couldn't watch TV, it literally gave me 10 minutes a day of complete solitude and chance to literally clear my mind. IT.WAS.AWESOME. For the above photo, it's not positioned 4 inches from my face just so that the photo could be taken. You'll have the lights closer than this. I wanted you to be able to see how focused the lights are on areas of your face.

The lights so close to your skin are not hot, your skin won't feel any tingling or any sensation at all. You almost feel guilty that you're not really working for the anti-aging benefits of this skin treatment because you feel more pampered than anything else. Something to note is that 3 rows of lights will not appear lit - however that is the light that is not visible to the human eye. I'll be using RejuvaliteMD for a full 8 weeks to give you a complete review (I've already been using it for about 3 weeks.) So be sure to subscribe to my blog to be notified when that happens. I'll have before and after pics for you. For now, here is my before pics, which takes a lot of courage to post with flaws and sans makeup. To sum it up - 5 minutes daily is all it takes to see anti-aging benefits from red light therapy - but also to take time for yourself. You deserve it and you deserve to feel good in your own skin.

Regardless of the season, dry feet can happen any time of year. They snag your sheets, tug in your socks and make you avoid wearing sandals. If the cost of bi-weekly pedicures aren't in your budget, I have the next best alternative to get baby soft feet. Everyone in my house knows I can't live without my Amope Wet & Dry Pedi Perfect to file away the layers of dry skin on my feet. And let's be honest, dry skin on your feet is a thick mess. I love the convenience of this foot file and tend to use it while I'm watching my favorite shows (why not? It's adding a little more me to your me time.) But it doesn't end there because now your feet will more easily absorb creams and lotions to hydrate and soften the skin. Right now my favorite two foot care moisturizers are by get fresh. I love their Rescue Me Intensive Foot Repair Creme and their Poor Soles Moisturizing Stick. get fresh Poor Soles: I love this handy little moisturizing stick. Not only is it mess-free, it's the perfect size for traveling. Poor Soles is a solid lotion comprised of Vitamins A and E, Avocado, Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel, and Shea Butter. Both foot care products have lemongrass in them, which a natural deodorizer. I don't know about you, but smell is an issue I am always combatting in the warmer weather when my feet are sweating. I can't wait to give this a try to see if it helps to make a difference. get fresh Rescue Me: I mentioned this on my Instagram when I first started using it - it smells like Lemonheads. If you grew up in the 80's, this was a staple in your candy stash (or at least mine.) It's a creamy, refreshing lemon zest of fragrance. This creme is rich without being too thick, it's lightweight while still being moisturizing. Its ingredients include Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Avocado and Soybean oils. It also has alpha hydroxy fruit acids to exfoliate. As you can tell from the ingredients, both of these products are incredibly hydrating. After using my Amope, I apply the get fresh creme or stick, and voila! My feet are baby soft. If your feet are in desperate need of some moisture - give these a try! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Words are powerful and have the ability to shape our thoughts, change our perception, connect with others, and provide comfort in our daily lives. Every year I have a word or phrase I focus on the entire year and try to keep everything I say and do in alignment with what my mantra is for those 12 months. This year it is bold abundance. I'm becoming increasingly more mindful about how my thoughts and the words I speak convert to actions (good or not so much.) By nature I am a pessimistic person and I struggle with anxiety. So I've been experimenting with different forms of meditation lately to help me shift my mindset, and repeating mantras is one that My Pocket Mantras has made easy for me. I don't know about you, but I have a difficult time coming up with phrases on my own. What I like about My Pocket Mantras is that it contains 150 simple phrases that are broken down into 8 categories - Starting Your Day, Stress Relief and Anxiety, Self-Love, Healing, Success, Abundance, Transformation and Bedtime. It's super easy to find a phrase to inspire and uplift you without fumbling for the right words on your own. With short, rhythmic phrases that are easy to recite and repeat, each mantra includes insights into how to direct your thoughts and experience its benefits. Each page has the mantra at the top in large letters, then details on how and when to repeat it, and an explanation on how it will help you. They aren't time consuming, and even if you are a beginner, you'll find it very easy to follow along. I keep this book on my office desk within reach and when I'm traveling for a few days, it's small enough to toss into my handbag to take along with me. I try to say at least 3 mantras per day because I'm one who tends to over-fill my plate with to-do's, which can make for a chaotic mindset. Forcing myself to stop and take 3 minutes to perseverate on something positive has helped to re-center me when I feel like my brain is taking me in a hundred different directions. And it's actually helped me to be more productive. Tanaaz Chubb is the author of My Pocket Mantras and is the founder of ForeverConscious.com, a website dedicated to spiritual well-being, mindfulness, and healing. She is also the author of The Power of Positive Energy, and regularly contributes to Huffpost. I like books that get straight to the point without all of the fluff and filler, and Ms. Chubb does just that with My Pocket Mantras making it an easy book to simply pick up, choose and repeat your mantra, and go on with your day.  I definitely recommend it. What is your favorite mantra? Leave a comment and let me know. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Little Rock Casino Resort and the Seven Inlets Spa is owned by the Squaxin Island Tribe. This review covers both, as well as the Squaxin Island Tribe Museum Library and Research Center.

There comes a time in every woman's life where you have a revelation, an epiphany, something life-changing that it creates a pivot in your life that you can only "go up from here." While the events leading to it may, or may not have been positive, the upswing absolutely is.

Have you experienced this yet? If you haven't, I promise you, you will.

When deciding what to launch as the next product in the A Girl's Gotta Spa! bath and body line, I tossed around a few ideas in my head, but kept coming back to roll-on perfume.

Perfume is a personal thing. The fragrance you choose to wear is usually representative of your mood or how you want to feel. It's a confidence booster, a mood-lifter, a mark of your identity.

Like many other women in their 40's and beyond, I'm also at that reflective point in my life. You can look back and see turning points. You can point out which stepping stone lead to a rock, which led to a boulder which led to its own mountain. Sometimes the climb up that mountain wasn't always easy, but once you crest the summit, you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. All of these events mold and shape you and move you up.

Right now the atmosphere is changing for women. There is so much energy it's palpable. It seemed the timing was right to launch something reflective of this.

With both of the above in mind, and the coming of Spring and Summer, a floral fruity fragrance was born. The floral is jasmine sambuc - it's feminine, denotes strength and is oh so pretty. The fruits are grapefruit and orange - a nod to our Energizing Citrus bath and body products, but also a way to brighten and open up this scent. Vanilla bean is the last component to it all, softening it, creating a smoothness and bringing it all together.

Naming this fragrance was pretty simple - I asked all of the women on my personal Facebook to tell me in one word how to describe this combination of notes. Surprisingly, or not, quite a few repeated the same word: Arise.

It stuck and from there the vision of the design began to form in my mind. Movement upward, a blush color, ombre, and soft. The gradient hues of this pink-peach watercolor exhibit rising strength. The font - OMG I LOVE this font - that A is what captured my heart. It's strong, it rises above and its flare represents how sometimes a set back can propel you forward.

Arise feels like an evolution. It comes from such a personal space in my heart to you. I cannot wait for you to try it.

Arise rollerball perfume is vegan and cruelty free and is available now.

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When it comes to exfoliating your skin, typically you either use a physical exfoliant or a chemical exfoliant. Physical being a scrub, like the Reflekt Facial Exfoliator or Andalou Naturals Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub; or with a beauty tool like the Clarisonic. And chemical like Acure's facial peels. But what if you want the best of both worlds? What I like about Beauty Rx By Dr. Schultz's Advanced 10% Exfoliating Pads, is that it is a dual-acting chemical and physical exfoliant. With 10% glycolic acid, it will dissolve the hardened oils clogging pores (my favorite thing for it to tackle) and soften the appearance of fine lines. Whenever I go for a facial at the spa, I always ask for a glycolic mask. It's your skin's best friend. The pad also cleanses skin as you rub it on the areas you want to treat most. The pads themselves are similar in appearance to other cleansing pads I've used, but the formula is vastly different. At 10% glycolic acid, this is a strong acting exfoliant. It's not meant for sensitive skin and the box warns that it is not starter strength. Since my skin is already accustomed to to professional grade glycolic acid, I felt comfortable using it. It did sting the first few weeks when applied, but nothing more painful than if you applied a high formulation of Vitamin C to your skin (which is more annoyance level than actual pain.) For the first week or so, I would swipe the pads across my skin, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes and then rinse it off and apply my usual night cream. By about week 3, I was able to leave it on my skin overnight. What resulted were less random blemishes, pores that weren't as obvious with the usual gunk in them and brighter skin. This is a great product to use in between spa facials. The Advanced 10% Exfoliating Pads are $70 for 50 pads, but well worth it. Dry, oily, normal and combination skin types can use this treatment. It's also paraben and fragrance free and dermatologist tested.  Have you tried it? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Essential oils have come a long way in how they are viewed and used. What was once considered an "alternative" therapy, has now become more mainstream. I personally use essential oils in A Girl's Gotta Spa! products, I've worn aromatherapy jewelry, each night my husband and I use our Gurunanda Aromatherapy Diffuser to help us sleep and now portable aromatherapy devices have piqued my interest. OK, OK, before I am corrected...piqued my son's interest. My just shy of 16 year old son, Connor, brought it to my attention. Connor has always dealt with anxiety issues and expressed interest in seeing if a portable aromatherapy device would help. I decided that this would be a product we'd try together, especially since there aren't any studies that show conclusive evidence that drawing in essential oils and vitamins into your mouth via a device like this, offer any true benefit. That said, I also know this it is relatively new ground and essential oils in general have been used forever for their medicinal properties.  First, what is Corked? It's a portable aromatherapy device that diffuses a blend of vitamins (B12), minerals and essential oils. A portable aromatherapy device is not an e-cigarette. There is no nicotine and you do not inhale the blend into your lungs. So how do you use it? You draw in the vapor through the device like you would use a straw, hold it in your mouth for a few seconds and then exhale it through your nose. You will both smell and taste the blend at the same time. If this is your first time using a device like this, you may cough a little or exhale it through your mouth on accident. You only take a max amount of 2-3 puffs per day, up to 3 times per day. Each device lasts approximately 250-300 puffs or about 2 months when used correctly. As you are sucking in the vapor from the device, the end lights up blue so that you know its working. What we thought: I allowed Connor to use Corked only under my supervision and made sure he understood how to and how many times he could use it. There are no formal age restrictions required by law for using this device, however Corked does encourage anyone who may be under 18 to make sure that their parents/guardians are OK with them using it. We also made sure to speak to his psychiatrist first to get his OK to give it a try. He decided to try Trance, Alive and Mindful (their Mix of the Month.) He only used it twice per day - Alive (or Mindful) when he got home from school and Trance about 30 minutes before bed time. He really likes the fragrance of them and had no complaints about taste either. Alive: Lemon, thyme, vanilla, vitamin B12 and 12 other essential oils. Trance: Lavender, sweet marjoram, valerian, vitamin B12 and 11 other essential oils. Mindful: Clary sage, Frankincense, lavender, and ylang ylang. He felt that Trance had the most noticable effect on him, where he felt more relaxed. He told me that each night he used it, he slept through the night (which is uncommon for him) and on the one night he forgot to use it, he woke up that night. As he said to me, "I don't know if that is a placebo effect or real, but either way, it seems to be working for me." (You can tell when a child's mother has their Psych degree because their kids throw around phrases like "placebo effect.") I chose Meditate, Ecstacy and Refresh. My days are often chaotic and require so much adrenaline that it can drain me. I thought these might be a good fit to help make the day feel more stable mood-wise. Meditate: Frankincense, orange, ylang ylang and vitamin B12, plus 16 other essential oils. Ecstacy: Cinnamon leaf, geranium, lemon, vitamin B12 and 9 other essential oils. Refresh: Copaiba, mandarin, turmeric, vitamin B12 and 12 other essential oils. It took a little getting used to for the taste of Meditate, but it did give me a sense of balance. If you love cinnamon, then Ecstacy is for you. I didn't taste/smell the other oils in this one, which is fine because I do like cinnamon. Interestingly, Refresh is meant to help with pain issues, not necessarily perk you up. I have arthritis and bursitis in my hips (yay me), so I definitely welcomed trying something that wasn't a pill. I have to use it more than a few times to see if it really has an effect, so the jury is still out on this one. Aside from these 6, there is also Mix Your Mood where you customize your Corked blend. I like that all of the diffusers, with the exception of the Mix of the Month, have B12 in them. You might want to check out our other post - Do I need to get B12 shots? Many of us are vitamin B12 deficient, and this vitamin is essential for sustainable energy and focus. Now again, I have to mention that there haven't been any studies as to whether or not breathing in B12 has any effect, so can I say conclusively that it worked? No, I can only report how both my son and I felt using the Corked diffusers. This was our first time ever using essential oils in this way and it was interesting. It's definitely easy, doesn't require much of a committment of your time and the packaging is stylish. Essentially anyone can use Corked. However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have allergies or sensitivities, you are advised not to use Corked. If you have other health issues, always consult your doctor. Have you tried Corked? I'd love to hear which blend you used and your experience with it! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Medifast. Opinions are my own.

I began my Medifast journey in October and followed it for 3 months. I remained realistic about losing weight for my age (40's) throughout the whole process and learned a whole lot. As I'm typing this and critiquing my before and after photo, my 16 year old came up behind me and said, "Wow, that's a big difference." To me, the most noticeable difference is when I look at my side profile before and afters and it makes me realize that hard work has paid off. Then I started looking at pictures of me from the holidays and for once, I am happy with how I look. Typically when I take a photo, I'd say "Only take it from mid-chest up" because I was embarrassed about my weight (do you do this, too?) But you can tell from the smile on my face that I genuinely felt confident in my own skin. See for yourself:

My brother and I when I visited him in Utah.

An "ugly sweater" that made me look super cute!

My husband and my boys!

My final results were that I lost 6 pounds and 14 inches. I think you can see from the photos that 14 inches lost makes a big difference! I mainly lost it in my bust, waist, hips and butt. I literally pulled my belt so tight that I had to create new holes just to keep my jeans up! Some things I have learned is what Medifast is really like - the food is good, it sets you up for success and it's not as difficult as it seems. I learned that you can absolutely discover new ways to maintain your diet through the holidays, but that if you have a momentary lapse in judgement due to complete temptation, that you can still sometimes cheat on your diet and lose weight. Lastly, I learned that any time of year can be your motivation to lose weight, not just January 1st. I'm really happy with my results over 3 months and to be honest, it's given me the boost I need to keep going. If you jump onboard, I strongly encourage you to take pictures of yourself along the way. You look at yourself every day and may not realize the weight melting away in different places on your body. But slap up a side by side, and just like me, you'll notice that it is all making a difference. Try 30 days of Medifast with 7 Days of Free Meals included in the first month's order with a renewal plan. Offer expires April 30, 2018 or get $15 Off orders of $150+ with promo code SAVINGS15 at checkout! Some exclusions apply. Offer expires April 30, 2018. Leave a comment and tell me how you did! Here's the complete journey: How to Lose Weight at Home What the First Few Weeks on Medifast are Really Like How Medifast Works How to Stick To Your Diet During the Holidays Can You Cheat on Your Diet and Still Lose Weight? 5 Tips to Lose Weight Right Now *Average weight loss for Medifast Direct® customers using Medifast Go™ is 11 pounds. Medifast Direct customers are in weight loss, on average, for 8 weeks. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!