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Celebrate Your Child’s Birthday with Fancy Nancy Party Favors

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Since 2005, Fancy Nancy has been delighting young readers with her fantastically fabulous adventures. If your daughter is a fancy diva-in-training, perhaps a Fancy Nancy themed birthday party is the perfect fit!

SJ Creations has a selection of wonderful, kid-friendly beauty products – full of sparkles and available in a variety of yummy scents – to fill your young party-goers goody bags. Buy in bulk (24 items or more) to save!

Here’s a selection of our Fancy Nancy party favors:

It's hard to find a little girl who doesn't love all things sparkly. Indulge the glamorous sides of your guests with one of three scented glitter mists - available in Cupcake Frosting (pictured), Peppermint Twist and Strawberry Parfait. Packaged in an adorable and fun ice cream cone shape, these glitter mists will offer plenty of shimmery fun and are a party favor that will be remembered! Simply choose your favorite scent or mix and match!

While the guests at the party may be too young for lipstick, they can practice their make-up skills with a moisturizing lip balm. Available in both Strawberry Parfait (pictured) and Glamorous Grape, these scented pink and purple lip balms are perfect for kids.

Here’s a party favor parents will love just as much as the kids do! Not only does this hand lotion smell delicious (available in Glamorous Grape (pictured) and Strawberry Parfait), but it’s also an antibacterial lotion that will help keep germs away! Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!

Each of these featured products are available for $3 regular price or $1.50 with the bulk discount. Bulk orders are a minimum of 24 pieces. Other Fancy Nancy products are also available at bulk discounts. Contact us at info@sjcreationsinc.com for more information about bulk pricing.

Have a fabulous day!

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Is your child a fan of Fancy Nancy? What kind of birthday party themes have you had in the past? Share your birthday party experience with us in a blog comment for a chance to win a $25 gift card to SJ Creations.

A winner will be chosen randomly from all blog comments in August on September 1. Get extra entries by leaving comments on past blogs too!

Tags: birthday party, Fancy Nancy, party favors
Posted in Article, Giveaway | 1 Comment »

There’s Just Something about a Palm Tree

Friday, August 19th, 2011

When I was 4 years old, I watched an episode of “Full House” where the Tanner family vacationed in Hawaii. I was mesmerized by the hula dancers and tropical location. The abundance of palm trees especially caught my eye as they seemed so much more exotic than the towering evergreen trees that surrounded my Washington home.

More than two decades later, I’ve still yet to visit the Hawaiian islands (it’s a goal for the next year) but my obsession with palm trees has continued. When I decided to move to San Diego last year, one of the big selling points was the gorgeous palms that lined the streets and decorated the yards. It may not be a tropical destination like Hawaii but at least I had daily access to my favorite tree!

Over the years, I’ve collected random shots of palm trees in California, Florida and Nevada. Here are a few of my favorites:

A hammock, a palm tree and fluffy white clouds against a bright blue sky...can't get much better than that! - Orlando, Florida

I love my beach lined with palm trees. - Oceanside, California

I'll even take my palm trees in the desert. - Las Vegas, Nevada

Morning, afternoon or night, palm trees are always lovely. - Orlando, Florida

Indoor palm trees will do too. - Las Vegas Airport

Finally, how adorable are mini palm trees? - Disney World

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Obviously, my favorite thing about the tropics are the palm trees. What’s your favorite? Tell us about your love for tropical fruits, flowers, animals, food, whatever your heart desires.

Simply share your thoughts in a blog comment to be entered in our August gift card giveaway! Giveaway ends August 31 and the winner of the $25 gift card will be chosen randomly.

Tags: palm trees, tropical, tropics
Posted in Article, Giveaway | 8 Comments »

Label Design Contest Open to Artists of All Skills

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Have you heard about SJ Creation’s Design-A-Label contest? We want to bring you, our friends and fans, in on the action by helping us create a new label design for our luxurious body butters! Simply select one of the six fragrances and create a new look!

You don’t need to be a professional artist or graphic designer to enter. If art has always been a passion, this is a great opportunity for you to show your skills. Amateurs, hobbyists and students are all welcome to submit your designs.

Designs must be received by September 1.

The creator of the winning design, as voted by the online public, will receive a $25 Amex gift card, a case of body butter with your winning label and the chance of having your design on shelves nationwide!

Read all the rules on our Label Design Contest Page.

We look forward to seeing your ideas!

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Enter our August Blog Comment Contest for a chance to win a $25 gift card to SJ Creations.

Tell us about your greatest art achievement. Maybe your an artist or photographer and you’ve had art featured in a fancy show. Or maybe your crowning artistic moment was a drawing of a dog in elementary school. Share your artistic background and you’ll be entered in our comment contest.

Tags: Body Butter, Contest, design, design contest, graphic design
Posted in Article, Press Release | 2 Comments »

Kiwi: A Love/Hate Relationship

Friday, August 12th, 2011

I’ll admit it. I’m a picky eater.

I have never been adventurous with food. I know what I like and like what I know, and if a food so much as looks, feels or smells funny, I won’t even consider putting it near my mouth. I’m not just talking about an aversion to the more exotic foods, like frog legs or liver. I’m talking about everyday food, such as ground meat (I don’t trust what’s in there), smelly broccoli and slimy mushrooms. And you can’t trick me either. If I feel that I have any reason to doubt a food, I won’t eat it. If a sneaky onion somehow makes it into my bite, my “stranger danger” alarms start going off at first crunch.

Not too long ago, kiwi would have made my list of scary food. Between the fuzzy skin and the gooey green center, this tropical fruit made me wary for many years. I remember my dad eating kiwi when I was little and I didn’t want any part of it. That strange looking fruit might as well have been from Mars and Martian food wasn’t on my approved food list.

Many years passed and I found myself enjoying Easter dinner at the home of my boyfriend’s aunt and uncle this past spring. For dessert, his aunt served shortcake with a medley for fruit, including the dreaded kiwi. I scooted it across my plate as I snacked on the strawberries when I remembered how much I enjoy strawberry kiwi Italian sodas. I figured that if I liked those, then kiwi couldn’t be so bad. I started tentatively at first with just a teeny tiny bite. Hmmm…it wasn’t too bad. So I tried a second bite and found that I actually enjoyed the tart taste. Maybe I had been wrong all these years about the harmless kiwi.

Although I’ve yet to eat another kiwi, I’m no longer afraid. But I am still a self-proclaimed picky eater, and at 26 years old, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

While we don’t have any actual fruit to offer you, we can give you 25% off a bottle of our delicious Strawberry Kiwi hand wash during August as part of our Tropical Fruit Sale. The sale also includes an array of other delightful tropical scents, including Papaya Mango, Coconut, Island Banana and Kiwi Lime. Stock up on hand washes, bath salts, exfoliating scrubs and more! Sale ends on August 31, 2011.

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Do you have a food that you swore for years that you didn’t like because it looked, smelled or felt funny? Did you finally try it and discover that it’s not nearly as scary or gross as you thought? Tell us about how your overcame your food fear in a blog comment for a chance to win a $25 gift card to SJ Creations.

All blog comments will be compiled at the end of August and a winner will be randomly selected. One entry per blog but feel free to comment on the other August blogs for extra entries!

Tags: Contest, food, Giveaway, kiwi, tropical, tropical fruit
Posted in Article, Giveaway, Sale! | 9 Comments »

My Human Says I Can’t Eat Hand Wash But I Can Eat Rotations

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Harper with her favorite Rotations dog food!

Woof, woof! I’m the SJ Creations resident canine, Harper. While I love the scent of a good hand wash as much as the next person – maybe even more thanks to my super dog sniffing ability – I don’t have much use for washing my paws. After all, I’ll be out running through the grass or digging in the dirt before I can wag my tail five times.

But, I’ve found something else that I love just as much as all the delicious fragrances in the office – and this is something that I’m actually allowed to eat! Rotations Dog Food!

My human likes to say, “Here at SJ Creations, we’re in the business of developing good products and when we find good products for ourselves, or our four-legged friends (that’s me!), we feel we just have to share!”

While my people get to munch on a variety of food, we dogs typically get one food all day, everyday. Talk about boredom! But with Rotations Pet Food, I can now chow down on a rotating menu of delectable flavors. One meal, it’s chicken and brown rice; then it’s wild salmon and carrots; and then it’s lamb and potatoes! Makes a dog want to bark for joy!

Even better, there’s no upset stomach from switching between the flavors because each Rotations Pet Food is formulated to blend seamlessly together. The amount of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates and more stays the same in each recipe!

Now, your canine companion can give Rotations a try too – for free! Get a free 15 lb bag ($24.95 to $29.95 value) of any Rotations Recipe or a Rotational Combo Pack. All you have to do is pay the $9.99 shipping cost. Use code LSMFF15 before August 22. Order online at www.rotationspetfood.com.

Trust me, your dog will thank you with lots of slobbery kisses!

- Harper

P.S. I love to hear about my fellow four-legged friends. Tell us about your dog in a comment and you could win a $25 gift card to SJ Creations! All the blog comments from August will be entered and a winner will be chosen on September 1!

So what kind of dog do you have? What makes them so special? And if you don’t have a dog, what kind of dog would you like to have?

Tags: dogs, pets
Posted in Article | 4 Comments »

Catching a Wave in Tahiti

Friday, August 5th, 2011

In 2010, I traveled to French Polynesia for my honeymoon. While on the island of Tahiti, I went to see Teahupoo, the largest – and definitely most dangerous – surf wave in the world. My husband and I hoped to see what all the fuss was about surrounding this infamous wave and perhaps see a few local surfers.

Teahupoo is located at a reef about a mile offshore from a small, remote fishing village. After a mile-long hike off the main road and a trip to sea aboard a small charter boat, we arrived at a break in the reef. The deeper water creates an area for the boat to sit and watch this massive wave as it passes by. The boat gently passes over a small hump as the water is too deep for the large wave to continue. We saw straight into the tunnel of the wave without ever getting wet. It was amazing and like nothing I had ever seen. It’s said that the power of this wave can power New York City for 10 minutes. It draws so much water in from the reef to create the wave that the water at the bottom of the wave may only be ankle deep. This is why it’s so dangerous and only masters and locals are daring enough to take on Teahupoo.

We met our captain, a retired member of the French military at his “office” on the beach, which was really just a wood sign on a tree. He asked if it was OK for some surfers to come along on the ride to see what the waves were like. It’s too far and exhausting for surfers to paddle out so they often try to hitch a ride on the chartered boats. We agreed to let them tag along and the surfers jumped in to head off to the reef. As we started talking to these incredibly friendly surfers, we found out that two of them, Kalani Chapman and Flynn Novak, were sponsored pros hoping to grab some practice runs during their time off from tours! The third was a friend that they grew up with in Hawaii.

The waves were majestic and starting to come in good sets so the guys grabbed their boards and gave us an unforgettable private surfing performance! For two hours, my camera didn’t stop shooting these magazine-quality shots!

Not only are these guys incredible surfers, but also kind, modest and humble. It’s amazing to see these seasoned professionals truly enjoying their dream. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day and start to our honeymoon!

–Ashley

Have you gone surfing before? Do you know anyone who surfs? What’s the most awesome wave that you’ve seen?

Share your thoughts about surfing in a blog comment and you could win a $25 gift card to SJ Creations. We’ll add an entry for each comment in our August Blog Comment giveaway. A winner will be selected on September 1.

Tags: beach, surfing, Tahiti, tropical, waves
Posted in Article | 4 Comments »

Create a Decorative and Sweet Smelling Coastal Bathroom

Friday, July 29th, 2011

Who says that bathrooms have to be dull and simple? While it may not top your list of favorite rooms, you spend enough time daily in the bathroom – whether it’s primping to start the day or relaxing in a nice bubble bath to end it – to warrant sprucing it up a bit. Simply adding a splash of color or creating a theme to tie the whole bathroom together can make a difference. And don’t forget about the extra touches to help you indulge in some of life’s little pleasures, like a great smelling soap or an aromatic bath salt.

One of our favorite decorative ideas for transforming a plain bathroom into a comforting and relaxing oasis is to add a touch of the seaside. There’s no denying that there’s something calming about listening to the waves crash against the shore but there’s also something about the sounds and sights of a day at the beach that create a peaceful atmosphere.

Any bathroom counter will instantly look uplifted with one of these hand wash and hand lotion caddy sets. Available in a variety of designs, including sea shells and a row boat, there’s something for everyone! Even better, they’re all on sale for 25% off during July! Consider treating yourself to one and adding a second as a lovely touch to the guest bathroom.

From top left: Sea Breeze, Driftwood and Sand, Ocean Breeze and Sea Mist, $15 each through July 31, $20 each regular price.

Don’t forget to treat yourself to a bit of pampering too. After a long day, there’s few things better than a nice, relaxing soak in the bathtub. Up the enjoyment of your bath with one of these fragrant bath salts.

From left: Ocean Breeze, Island Guava and Sea Breeze, each $4.75 through July 31, $6 after.

If you haven’t already browsed our Ocean Fragrance of the Month sale, hurry because time is running out! Sale ends on July 31. Don’t miss your chance to save 25% on all these great beach-scented hand washes, lotions, bath salts, room mists and more!

Also, this weekend is your last chance to sign up for the July Giveaway!

Is your bathroom themed? What’s your favorite bath time scents? Tell us about it in a comment and you could win a $25 gift card to SJ Creations. All comments from now through the end of August will be entered in the giveaway. A winner will be selected on September 1.

Tags: Bath Salts, bathroom, caddy set, decor, Giveaway, Ocean, Sale!
Posted in Article, Giveaway, Sale! | 2 Comments »

Vacationing on the Oregon coast

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Growing up, my family would drive five hours southwest from Seattle to spend a hand full of days each year at the coast in Lincoln City, Oregon. For many years, we stayed at the same hotel, visited the local outlet malls and indulged at our favorite pizza joint. We would wait for low tide, then peruse the beach for seashells, build sand castles or investigate the tide pools looking for starfish and anemones.

Walking on the beach with Grandma in summer 1989.

Exploring the tide pools with the family in summer 1994.

Although we often visited in the middle of summer, the coastal breeze typically kept it in the 60s. However, I remember one trip when I was about nine years old that the winds shifted and the temperature spiked well into the 80s. As an aspiring California girl, the unexpected heat wave made me practically giddy! The feel of the hot sand between my toes may have been slightly scalding but it also felt amazing.

A gorgeous sunny day at the Oregon coast during Lincoln City's annual kite show.

In the past few years, we’ve transitioned from spending a week in the summer at the coast to taking a few days after Christmas to getaway. While there is definitely never a chance of having hot weather in the Pacific Northwest in December, the coast is surprisingly mild. Jackets are necessary and we’ve had days that require a thick ski coat, but it’s not unheard of to only need a lightweight fleece either.

The gorgeous winter sunset at the beach in Lincoln City in December 2009.

Another beautiful winter sunset in Lincoln City in 2008.

With Lincoln City being such a big part of my life over the years, I was beyond surprised this past winter to find out that it has been a destination for my boyfriend’s family for years as well. Although he’s originally from Oregon, we met in San Diego and yet somehow, out of all the small coastal towns, we both grew up spending part of our childhood summers in the same one. After flying home for the holidays, we brought our families together to meet for the first time in Lincoln City.

To capture your very own Ocean Breeze, enter our July giveaway for your chance to win a selection of bath and body products in the relaxing scent of a day at the beach or shop our 25% Ocean Breeze sale. Both end July 31.

Do you have a special coastal town or beach that you fondly remember from your childhood? Do you still visit it or have you found a new seaside spot to adore?

Tell us about your best memories of childhood at the beach or visit our other blog entry to leave a comment about your favorite beach for a chance to win a $10 gift card to SJ Creations. Share your thoughts by Thursday, July 28 at 11:59 p.m. PST for your chance to win! The winner will be announced on Friday, July 29.

Tags: beach, childhood, coast, Giveaway, memories, Ocean, seaside
Posted in Article, Giveaway | 7 Comments »

From Seattle to San Diego: A Tale of Two Beaches

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

I grew up in Seattle and moved to San Diego about a year ago. Prior to my decision to move, I had never visited a California beach – or any beach for that matter that wasn’t in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle may be known for a lot of things – coffee, Bill Gates, evergreen trees and, of course, rain – but beaches are not one of the Emerald City’s strong points. Not only is it often too wet and cold to truly enjoy a day at the beach but a Washington beach is composed primarily of pointy rocks and is often battered by brisk winds under grey skies.

While this is a typical look for a Washington beach throughout much of the year, it's not necessarily the norm in summer. My mom, who lives just north of Seattle, took this photo earlier this week.

There's no denying that Seattle can have gorgeous weather on occasion during the summer. However, there's still those pesky rocks in place of soft sand and the water still feels glacial.

On my first trip to scout out San Diego last year, I visited a true beach on my first day. There was warm sunshine, soft sand and people relaxing outside. It was the first week of March and the scene I had just witnessed could never have occurred in Seattle, where people were still bundling up in winter coats and dreaming about the elusive sunshine. My mind was made up right away; San Diego’s beaches had won me over and I started making plans to head down the West Coast!

Once I officially moved to San Diego last August, I made visiting the beach a regular occurrence. I frolicked in the waves in the middle of October, took a walk on the beach on New Year’s Day and spent several spring days exploring the piers. Needless to say, this Seattlite feels right at home with the warm sunshine and gentle ocean breeze of San Diego.

The Cardiff State Park near San Diego in October 2010 on a beautiful "autumn" day.

The view Pacific Beach at sunset from the pier near San Diego in January 2011.

We would love to hear from you to find out more about what makes your favorite beach so special! Share your beach experience in a blog comment to enter to win a $10 gift card to SJ Creations. The comment contest ends on Thursday, July 28 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Winner will be chosen by random drawing.

Tags: beach, Giveaway
Posted in Article, Giveaway | 19 Comments »

‘Tis the Season to Show Some Skin

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Now that summer is officially underway, it’s hard to find an excuse to hide behind layers of clothing. Besides, even if you wanted to, the scorching summer sun makes it difficult to withstand being covered from head-to-toe. SJ Creations understands that after months of hiding behind bulky sweaters, you skin may need a little freshening up before you’re ready to expose it to the outside world. Luckily, we’ve got several products perfect for helping to prepare your skin for its big summer reveal.

First, exfoliation is key. Get rid of the dry skin winter build-up with a Delightful Duo of a 16 oz. exfoliating body polish and a shower sponge. We’ve got nine wonderful scents to choose from, including Lemongrass & Ginger, Honey Mango, Orange Blossom and Passion Fruit Lime. A quick rub of the body polish will leave your skin soft, smooth and smelling great!

Clockwise from top left: Honey Mango, Lemongrass & Ginger, Orange Blossom and Passion Fruit Lime. A wonderful value at only $8 each.

Once your skin is nicely polished, indulge in one of our six body butter scents. Available in Cocoa Butter, Coconut, Coconut Lime, Olive Oil, Soy and Vanilla Sugar, these 8 oz. body butters are rich and creamy. Smooth this onto your skin and feel your legs turn to velvet.

Clockwise from top left: Cocoa Butter, Coconut, Coconut Lime, Vanilla Sugar, Soy and Olive Oil. Only $5.99 each.

Keep your skin looking and smelling fresh throughout the long, hot summer days with a refreshing body mist in one of three great fragrances: Pink Grapefruit, Lavender or Green Tea & Ginger Blossom. Each bottle contains 9 fl. oz.

Select from Green Tea & Ginger Blossom, Lavender or Pink Grapefruit ($12 each).

Find all these great summer products and more at SJ Creations.

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Tags: Body Butter, body mist, Exfoliating Scrub, Summer
Posted in Article | No Comments »