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!

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.

If you’re like most, you love a good sale. There’s nothing quite like finding a great discount to brighten your day – and that’s where our Bargain Basement section comes into play at SJ Creations. We’ve selected several of our hand washes to put on sale for 50% off. But shop fast – quantities are limited!

Sure, some of the discounted items may be out of season, but it’s never too early to stock up for next spring!

This adorable pink bunny would even be great anytime of year in a child’s bathroom!

Enjoy this sweet Strawberry & Cream hand wash for only $5!

Or perhaps this cute little chick would make your little one’s day.

Lather up with this Lemon Verbena-scented hand wash for just $5!

For those with a sweet tooth, these yummy scents are sure to hit the spot! Save them for next spring or indulge yourself throughout the year! Each of these delicious fragrances are almost good enough to eat…but I wouldn’t advise it as you’ll end up with nothing more than a mouthful of bubbles!

Choose from Marshmallow, Vanilla Mint, Jelly Bean and Creamsicle. Or, at only $3.50 each, try all four!

Be sure to visit our Bargain Basement sale for more hand washes – all at half price! Soaps are limited to stock on hand and quantities are limited so shop our sale early to get the best selection! Orders of $35 or more receive free shipping.

Last Friday, SJ Creations reached a major milestone: 2,000 Facebook fans! Since then, we’ve already passed the 2,100 mark. We’ve grown so much in the past two months and have met so many wonderful new people and fellow businesses.

To say thank you to each of our fans and customers, we’re offering a special coupon code for 50% off any order through June 30, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

If you haven’t already joined us on Facebook, please do! By liking us, you’ll receive a special instant coupon code for $5 off $15. Get five of your Facebook friends to like us and you’ll get free shipping on any order over $15!

Few things capture the essence of summer like sipping a cold glass of lemonade on the front porch. While we can’t offer you lemonade, we can recreate a similar refreshing feeling with our sale on all lemon-scented bath and body products during the month of June. Choose from a variety of hand washes, room mists and other bath and body products in the summery scents of lemon and lemongrass! It’s hard to find a better aroma to usher in the season of sunshine.

If the aroma of Lemon Verbena tops your list of favorite scents, now is the time to stock up. SJ Creations has a selection of cleansing hand washes in a variety of bottle shapes and colors to fit with your home decor.

Choose from these five Lemon Verbena hand wash designs or select a room mist for only $5.25 each (regular price $7) during our Lemon Sale.

We also have a selection of Lemon Zest scented foaming hand wash for those who prefer antibacterial soap.

Select your favorite Lemon Zest antibacterial foaming hand wash from three 17.5 fl.oz. designs for only $7.25 each (regular $10)!

Although it’s not technically related to lemons, we’re also including all of our lemongrass fragrances in our June sale too!

If you prefer straight Lemongrass, choose this 23 fl.oz. bottle for $7.50 (regular $10), or if you like Lemongrass and White Tea, select from these two 17.4 fl.oz. designs for $5.25 each (regular $7).

Find all of these products and more at the Fragrance of the Month – Lemon sale at SJ Creations through June 30.

Don’t forget to enter our Lovely Lemon Giveaway too for your chance to win $80 worth of bath and body products including:

• Lemon Verbena Cleansing Hand Wash – $10 Value
• Lemongrass Room Mist – $4 Value
• Lemongrass Delightful Duo – $8 Value
• Lemon Zest Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash – $10 Value
• $40 SJ Creations Gift Certificate!

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many people view Memorial Day simply as a day off from work or the unofficial start to summer. But few Americans actually know the history behind the day so here’s a quick lesson.

The holiday began in 1868 as Decoration Day, a celebration to honor the Civil War soldiers who died. About 5,000 people attended the inaugural event at Arlington National Cemetery to decorate the graves of 20,000 soldiers and pay their respects.

Over the following century, people continued to honor the wartime heroes, especially in the years after World Wars I and II. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day an official federal holiday and set the date as the last Monday in May.

Although the holiday weekend is more often filled with backyard barbeques and road trips these days, some communities manage to keep the true spirit of the holiday alive with parades and other celebrations. Arlington National Cemetery continues to honor the fallen soldiers with a ceremony including a speech from the president and the placement of an American flag on each soldier’s grave.

SJ Creations hopes that you have a happy and safe holiday weekend. We want to help you kick off the celebration by offering a 15% discount on all orders from May 27-May 30. As an added bonus, the first 10 customers who redeem the code MDBUTTER this weekend will receive one FREE body butter with a $10 minimum purchase! Body butter will be automatically added to your cart. Please include a comment or send us an email at info@sjcreationsinc.com to select a specific scent! Offer ends May 30.

With such a deliciously sweet aroma, it’s hard to resist the temptation of honey.  During the month of May, we’re making it easy for you to indulge with 25 percent off our entire stock of honey-scented bath and body products.

Lather up with a variety of honey-infused hand washes, including Honey Peach or Honey Mango.

Enjoy the sweet scents of mango or peach infused with the aroma of honey for only $5.25 each (regular price $7) through May 31.

Or select a set with a combination of lotions, soaps and more! Browse our Fragrance of the Month sale for these and other honey options.

These honey-scented sets make the perfect gift! Clockwise from top left: Honey Almond 3 piece caddy set ($13.50; $18 reg.); Apricot Honey 12 oz Oval Ceramic Caddy ($15, reg. $20); Honeysuckle 16 oz Caddy Set ($13.50; reg. $18); and Honey Mango Travel Box Set ($6; reg. $8).

Don’t forget to enter our May giveaway for your chance to win a variety of aromatic honey-scented products too. With a total value of $70, this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity!

Win all these great honey-scented products!

Included in the prize are:

Signing up for the giveaway is simple! Just enter your email address here. Good luck!

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend and are looking forward to another good week.  This is just a reminder post about all the great things we have going on in February, we really don’t want you to miss out!

• Our February Giveaway is going on now, so you’re not going to want to miss out on this chance to win a $115 dollar value gift! It’s filled with goodies for you, your family and friends.  If you haven’t entered yet, head over to to our website now for ways to enter!
• We have a ton of  NEW products out for you to check out and enjoy.  We really think you’ll like this line up of body butters, hand washes, room mists and more.  Make sure to head over there  now, so you don’t miss out on all of these goodies!
• Last, but definitely not least is our Fragrance of the Month.  Everything Pink is 25% off until the end of February! We have hand washes, body butters, antibacterial packages and more that are on sale, so make sure you visit us and save on all of those last minute Valentines Day Gifts.  :)

Remember to sign up for free and become an SJ Member so that you can start saving for your next purchase! If you have any questions please let us know and remember to visit our Facebook page to see all the latest reviews and giveaways that are being posted! Have a great week!

To take advantage of our Cyber Monday deal and enter for your chance to win one of 25 prizes, enter now! The more actions you do, the bigger your chance is to win!

TO ENTER:

2. Like SJ Creations on Facebook AND comment on our Facebook Wall (you must do both to be entered) (CLICK HERE)

3. Write a comment below about this blog article

4. Write a product review for a previously purchased item (find the product page for the item you purchased and click “write review” –
email us for more information on how to write a product review.

5. Follow SJ Creations on Twitter – Click Here

The prize winners will be randomly selected on Tuesday 11/30/2010. Newsletter sign-ups will automatically be sent a coupon for 30% off. Coupon code valid 11/23/2010 – 11/30/2010.

For complete official rules click here.

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Included in the $50 VALUE Grand Prize, 5 Winners to be randomly selected on 11/30/2010:

• 16 oz. Snowman Shaped Hand Wash – $10 Value (Click here for item details)
• 16 oz. Tree Shaped Hand Wash – $10 Value (Click here for item details)
• Mistletoe & Mint Sweet Treat for Feet Gift Set – $12 Value (Click here for item details)
• Mistletoe & Mint Travel Smart Gift Set – $12 Value (Click here for item details)
• Arctic Blast Notepad & Hand Cream Gift Set – $5 Value (Click here for items details)

Happy Shopping!

... on orders of $25 or more!

We know the holidays are filled with scurrying, shopping, and the occasional scrimping – which is why we wanted to make it easier for you this year! We’re now offering free shipping on orders of $25 or more. We know that every little bit helps! And there’s plenty to choose from: whether you’re gearing up for a Thanksgiving feast and need a pumpkin to make your home harvest festive, or you’ve already got your eye on the Christmas prize, we’ve got you covered. My personal favorite as it stands (literally!) is our Snowman Mint Hand Wash. What’s not to love in this frosty friend?