Hi, all!

Here are links to two $1.00 off vegan coupons you can find online and print.

$1.00 off any one Back to Nature product (excluding macaroni and cheese)

$1.00 off any Follow Your Heart product

(If you have not yet had the opportunity to try the Follow Your Heart Chipotle Vegenaise, you might want to use this coupon to try it. I love it!)

This is just a quick note to make sure all of you know about this recently published list of the Top 60 Vegan Blogs to Follow for Inspiration in 2017.

I am so honored to be included in this list with so many awesome vegan bloggers. I encourage all of you to check it out to see if there might be some vegan blogs on there of which you are not yet aware.

Get inspired to go vegan or get tips to help you on your vegan journey!

Here you go:

Top 60 Vegan Blogs to Follow for Inspiration in 2017

I met Roxanne of Veg in OC at SoCal VegFest, which is where I picked up her Spiced Pumpkin Body Butter.
 
Now…as you probably already know…I am a huge fan of vegan skin care products, organic ingredients and anything served up in a mason jar, so it was kind of a no-brainer that this one needed to come home with me.
 
Of course, I didn’t make it all the way home before testing it out. After all, I stayed in Orange County for the weekend so that I could go to the festival both days, so I immediately opened it when I got back to the hotel. I mean, come on, it’s pumpkin spice – the scent alone was too enticing to not enjoy right away.
 
Before we get into the body butter itself, here are some of the reasons you might be interested in buying this product:
 

• Reusable packaging
  
• If you live in SoCal, this is an opportunity to buy local
  
• Support a small business
• Support a woman-owned business
• Organic ingredients

 
I particularly love the packaging. I use mason jars for everything from drinking glasses to food storage to holding craft supplies and make up brushes, so I immediately noticed that the packaging is completely reusable once I have used all of the product. That, alone, gets a lot of points in my book, since that means nothing has to go to the landfill or use energy, water and transportation to be recycled.
 
Next up is the ingredient list. I love a short ingredient list – particularly when it includes words like organic and non-GMO.
 
Veg in OC Vegan Body Butter Ingredients:
 
Organic Coconut Oil
Organic Shea Butter
Organic Vitamin E Oil
Non-GMO Arrowroot Powder
Candelilla Wax
Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil
Pumpkin Pie Spice

And now for the vegan skin care product review of this lovely body butter.
 
First off, the consistency is a bit thicker than I expect from a body butter. I would imagine this is from the inclusion of arrowroot powder and, of course, the coconut oil. This is not a negative thing, particularly because it makes it feel more like an all-natural, handmade product – qualities that I appreciate. Basically, it goes on much like coconut oil does, meaning that it is solid when you scoop it out of the jar, but it softens to a liquid quickly as it warms in your hand.
 
Also like coconut oil, it’s a little shiny when you first put it on but absorbs quickly. If you are accustomed to using coconut oil or handmade products, this will not be any different and you know what I’m talking about. If you are just switching to natural, homemade products, you might find this a little oily at first, but don’t let it dissuade you. This is totally common with natural products that don’t have any unnecessary, harsh ingredients.
 
I have now been using the body butter for about two months and am very happy to note that there has been no separation in the jar and that the fragrance is just as strong as it was when I first opened it. By the way, I am loving the pumpkin spice scent! It is such a warm and cozy fragrance; it is the perfect choice as a seasonal scent for fall and winter.
 
My favorite ways to use this vegan body butter are to put it on right after I get out of the shower (after drying off, instead of bath oil) and to put it on my heels with a pair of socks before I go to bed.

I'm also thinking this would make a great addition to a gift basket, so keep it in mind if you have any birthdays or anniversaries coming up!

You will soon be able to purchase this and other vegan skin care products from Roxanne on VegInOC.com. Until then, you can look for her at local festivals or email your order to [email protected]. The price of these body butters is currently $15.00 plus shipping and handling. If you send Roxanne an email, she can send you more information on other products, prices and shipping costs.
 
You should also definitely check out her blog for lots of fun vegan recipes to try!

 
For our friends at the FTC: I received a product sample at no cost so that I could use the product and write this review.