Traveling with Vera Bradley

The MamaBuzz Roadtrip is in full swing, and with it comes the need for great luggage! Sometimes there’s a need for big luggage to hold all our day to day stuff, but then there’s also a need to maybe pack an overnight bag or even a bag to hold all those things I’ll need to get to when we’re driving during the day.

Vera Bradley is a brand of luggage, wallets, cosmetic bags, etc., made out of quilted cotton in a vast array of colorful floral prints. Their products definitely give a feminine touch to luggage and bags of all types. I was thrilled to review a set for our trip, and I’d actually already used the set on an overnight trip with my hubby. Here’s a basic rundown of each product in the set that we received:

Get Carried Away Tote in Watercolor- This tote is actually quite large. It was the perfect size for an overnight getaway; of course, it’d also be perfect for a trip to the beach or even a girl’s getaway weekend. On the outside of the bag, it has 4 large pockets, and the arm straps are a good size for carrying over the shoulder; they have shoulder pads that make it more comfortable to carry the bag around. If you want to close the bag, it has a zippered enclosure; this zippered enclosure actually folds down out of the way if you prefer to keep the bag open. I like this because sometimes I do want to close it, but other times I have the bag stuffed to the gills with no room to zipper it shut. It’s not as easy to carry on my shoulder if it’s too full, but I like that feature. Inside the bag are 8 pockets, 2 of which are lined with plastic with an elastic top, so they hold things in better. I love the quiet color tones of this bag with its soft purples, green, and almost a robin egg blue. It feels great to carry this bag around; I feel very chic and stylish using this tote. You can purchase the Get Carried Away Tote in Watercolor or other designs for $92.

Travel Cosmetic in Watercolor- This cosmetic bag is my absolute favorite. I’ve always wanted something beautiful to carry my makeup in, though it’s hard to find a sturdy product that’ll stand the test of time. This bag is not only gorgeous, but it’s very sturdy, as well. It’s a good size with 8 dividers inside to help you organize your cosmetics. It also has a zippered inner pocket, perfect for holding some of my little stuff that could easily get lost in the mix. The lining is a soft taffeta, and the bag itself has a carry handle, making it convenient to tote around. I’ve actually switched to this cosmetic bag for everyday use, as well as travel; I love it that much. You can purchase the Travel Cosmetic in Watercolor or other designs for $48.

Travel Wallet in Watercolor- The Travel Wallet is a handy way to keep all of your travel documents (passport, I.D., boarding passes, etc.) in one easy-to-reach place. You can stick it right inside your tote or handbag, which is rather nice. I’m guilty of putting my boarding passes inside the book I’m reading while traveling, which is really actually quite risky; I could so easily lose them. This keeps them safe and sound. The wallet has pockets for credit cards, as well, and it has a magnetic closure. You can purchase the Travel Wallet in Watercolor or other designs for $42.

Vera Bradley offers a style that not many other designers or brands offer….the style is quilted on every product, leading to a beautiful look for women who are on the go. There is a design for every taste. You can find Vera Bradley on Facebook and follow @verabradley on Twitter.

Just an fyi, as well, that Vera Bradley not only carries travel gear, but they also carry a full line of party and paper products perfect for your next get-together.

(Disclosure: I received a set of Vera Bradley travel gear and party products, free of charge, for the purposes of review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)

Pamper Yourself with Aromatic Escape Review & Giveaway

There are days, as a mom, that I just need to escape, even if it’s for a few minutes. When my toddler is seemingly tearing the house down or my 9 year old is acting too big for his britches, sometimes I just need a bit of an escape, even if in reality, I’m still right here. Some days for me, that might mean lighting a candle next to me while I work or using something scrumptious to pamper myself like sugar scrubs, for instance.

Aromatic Escape is a company that was started in 2002 by Sabrina Gould. They sell both candles and body products, including body masks, lotion bars, salt scrubs, and sugar scrubs. They have several different scents to choose from, so that you can create your own relaxing atmosphere. Everything is also handmade with ingredients that work well together.

We all know how candles can cozy up a home in an instant, so that’s one of the first things I used to kinda get away from it all. Aromatic Escape Candles have a soy/paraffin type of wax and come in a hexagonal glass jar. The soy and paraffin work together and compliment each other in that the candles both burn longer (50-60 hours) and have a wonderful scent. The website says that the candles burn flat all the way down; the center doesn’t sink down in….and I’m here to testify that my candle did not pit in the center. It’s still completely flat all the way across. In fact, it doesn’t even look like it’s been burnt (besides the wick)….it still looks brand new.

There are so many different scents to choose from that I had a hard time just choosing one; there are scents like Sandy Bottoms, Cinnamon Buns, Strawberry Shortcake, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Hot Baked Apple Pie, Georgia Sunrise, and more. I ended up choosing Buttercream, and they also sent us Magnolia. Both scents were equally wonderful, though the Buttercream was my favorite. It just has a sweet, almost vanilla type of scent; it smells much like Buttercream icing, yum! There are fundraising options with Aromatic Escape candles. You can purchase the candles for $10.

Next up to pamper myself was the Aromatic Escape Sugar Scrub, which is a delight to the senses. Again, there are so many different scents to choose from, including my choice: Black Raspberry Vanilla. The sugar scrubs work to both exfoliate your skin and moisturize. It left my skin feeling so soft and silky, though not greasy at all. It smelled heavenly and felt so good, due to the exfoliating sugar particles. It also comes in a huge tub; you can get it in a 16 oz. or 48 oz. tub, meaning it could last awhile.

You can purchase the Aromatic Escape Sugar Scrubs for $18.00 to $48.00, depending on which size you choose. That does seem a bit more expensive, but for quality reasons, it’s definitely a pampering choice to be made. The Sugar Scrub would be great as a gift (especially for a mom who might not want to spend much to pamper herself), and it would be perfect for a wintertime retreat when the skin is crying out for moisture.

Finally, an alternative choice for pampering moisturization is the Aromatic Escape Lotion Bars. Lotion Bars come in a tin and honestly look like a small bar of soap. However, they are not. You can actually rub the lotion bar on your skin, just once or twice, and have wonderful moisturizing effects, even rubbing it into trouble spots like heels or elbows. I’ve only actually used the lotion bar on my hands and arms, and it really does moisturize without greasy effects. It also doesn’t wash away; it’s rather hard to try to wash away, as I did try….my skin just felt really slippery when under the water. I can see the Lotion Bar lasting a long time, probably longer than a tube of lotion because it only takes 1 or 2 swipes for it to work, and then you just massage it into your skin.

Again, there are multiple scents to choose from; I chose Black Raspberry Vanilla, one of my favorite scents of all time. You can purchase the Aromatic Escape Lotion Bars for $10.

The best part is that Aromatic Escape is going to give one reader the chance to escape from it all for a little pampering! One reader will win 1 of each of the above products: a candle, sugar scrub, and lotion bar. You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Tuesday, July 19. This giveaway is open to U.S. only. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

  1. How do you escape from it all? Do you light a candle, read a book, take a bath? Share in the comments.
  2. Follow @AromaticEscape on Twitter.
  3. Tweet about this giveaway, one time only.
  4. Follow MamaBuzz or subscribe to our posts.
  5. Follow @mamabzz on Twitter.
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(Disclosure: I received a candle, sugar scrub, and lotion bar, free of charge, from Aromatic Escape, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)

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