One of my favorite aspects of 2011 was the introduction of a bunch of fabulous "sampler boxes." I've learned about new products and companies through these services; plus, they make fabulous gifts (did you forget to send anyone something this holiday season?)

This autumn I was excited to share Conscious Box with you. I received the November Conscious Box for free, and was intrigued by the excellent eco-friendly, organic, sustainable products within. I was thrilled that the Conscious Box team sent me the December Conscious Box as well.

My first impression of the box is that it smells fabulous and clean. This is thanks to a Champa vegan soap sample from Sacred Mountain Herbals.

Other satisfying aromas in the box include an aromatherapy mister from Drop Wise Essentials, a cinnamon oil air freshener (that I've used quite a lot in our lavatory) and a "Colorado Holiday Wassail" scent chunk (for a fragrance warmer) from Ostara Organics. I adore the idea of a scent chunk that isn't that artificially colored, chemical-laden stuff that smells a little "off." I love having the real thing! Ostara Organics also included "unscented" goat soap, which actually has a fabulous light coconut scent.

A bottle of resveratrol from Reserveage Organics caught my eye as I opened the Conscious Box. I've seen this product for quite a lot of money, so to get a bottle within a $12 (+ $7 for shipping!) Conscious Box is a great value. Also in the "supplement" category, Amazing Grass included a packet of their GREENSuperFood (to be added to a smoothie, water, or juice) along with a generous discount code for Conscious Box subscribers.

(In fact, most products in the Conscious Box include coupons or discount codes, so if you discover a product that you absolutely love - and you will - it is easy to stock up again without stressing your wallet.)

I have a cookbook from my youth that contains various muffin recipes. I know I loved these treats as a kid, but when I make them now, my changed palate can't handle the oily taste of using copious amounts of vegetable oil. When I got the excellent gift bundle from Fresh & Easy, I was eager to try their pumpkin bread mix. My heart sank for a moment when I saw it was an "add vegetable oil" type mix, but then I got an idea...

I saw a sale on Open Sky for coconut oil. Although I had heard about such a product in passing, I was drawn to the description on the site about how it is a healthful alternative to other oils. I'm an EVOO gal, but was intrigued by the idea of trying coconut oil. I ordered a jar of Kelapo from Open Sky. (Okay, I ordered two jars, since I was convinced I'd love it.) Meanwhile, I received a sample size of Artisana raw coconut oil in one of my Blissmo boxes.

I used the coconut oil just as I would have ordinarily used vegetable oil or Crisco. Coconut oil can be used either as a liquid or a solid, which makes things pretty easy. We used to have Crisco in our pantry, but then they started adding artificial preservatives. I'd much prefer a 100% organic, fair-trade product that is rich in antioxidants and lauric acid (also contained in breast milk) like Kelapo coconut oil.

I loved Beauty and the Beast and own the DVD. About a week ago, the kids caught a showing of it and were excited to hear it is coming back in theaters, this time in 3D. Although I love a good cinema outing, I'm not sure exactly how the 3D is going to impact the whole deal. But, what has really caught my eye is the short occurring before the main event. Tangled Ever After picks up where Tangled left off. I love me a good Rapunzel story (did you catch the version on Grimm?) so a continuation of the Disney version is welcome:

Beauty and the Beast in 3D comes to theaters on January 13th.

Today is the magic day! It is time to watch Beauty and the Beast in 3D and the accompanying short Tangled Ever After.

Here's a little preview of Beauty and the Beast to whet your appetite:

It was Twitter that piqued my interest in the Hunger Games series. A friend mentioned how she was dying to get her hands on Mockingjay. Well, of course I couldn't just jump to the third book, so I downloaded The Hunger Games for my kindle, quickly followed by Catching Fire, and of course Mockingjay. I've since read them several times apiece. I can't put my finger on why these books sucked me in, but they sure did. It is just enough fantasy, just enough suspense, just enough action, and just enough of themes that I can relate to, even if I am "old" now. Of course my enthusiasm with Suzanne Collins' masterpieces means I'm very eager to see The Hunger Games movie when it comes out March 23rd. In the meantime, I've enjoyed seeing each little promo pic as it comes out, or the entertainment magazines articles about the making of the film. I'm awaiting the first issue of Capitol Couture. After all, you must always #lookyourbest. I'm eating it all up.

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Disclaimer: I am an Amazon affiliate. I will not receive any compensation for posting about the movie.

Let's cut to the chase: those little grocery-store Valentines that I used to give to my classmates when I was small no longer cut it. In this day of Elf on the Shelf and elaborate St. Patrick's Day "mischief set ups" (that somehow end in a pot of gold for the kid) it isn't uncommon to receive personalized cookies, little embroidered gift bags, or at least some candy from each kid at school for Valentine's Day.

Luckily, you need not know how to knit or spend hours assembling gift packets (although I have for several years - see two examples above!) Adorable, impressive, high-quality classroom Valentine Cards are easy to get at Tiny Prints.