drugstore cowgirl: an explanation

True Story: About a month or two back I was sitting with another bloggy friend talking about my review site.  I know, how boring, eh?

But there I was, droning on about how I love doing reviews and love saying yes to trying new things (insert dirty joke here) but hate writing the actual review,.  I'm often left wondering if I would have actually tried the product if it hadn't been offered to me gratis.

Anyhow, as I watched my friend's eyes glaze over from boredom, I kept talking about my small quandary.  She kept quiet, probably lost in a nice daydream, but that didn't stop me talking and eventually I came up with an answer to my reviewing dilemma - all - by - myself:

I decided that I am a drugstore cowgirl and that's the way things are going to be around my review blog from here on in.

Let me explain what the drugstore cowgirl is about.  Back in 2005, I had this vision in my mind that when I became a parent, Gigi would be an all organic baby, one of those totally natural kids that would only use products that came from the health food shops.  The health food shops I frequented back when I had a steady job and income - and that really cool stuff called disposable income.  Friends had gone the all natural route and thought: "that's me, I'm doing it up all natural with my baby, baby".  Yes folks, I actually speak like that in my head.

When my baby (finally) arrived, I was trying all the new all natural creams and lotions, buying samplers from every line and trying them each out, first on myself, then on her.  And many products were good (many were also yucky but I'm not here to talk about that) BUT many of those good products were also really expensive, and my wallet didn't agree with my product choices.  Like seriously didn't agree.  Yes, yes, my baby is worth more than the moon and stars put together, but I can't make money appear like magic. Yet.

So I decided to go back to the drugstores and to the brands I grew up using, and made it my mission to find body-friendly products that don't break the bank or cause us to break out in a rash.  So began the painless birth of my inner drugstore cowgirl.  Why cowgirl?  Why not, I've always wanted to be a cowgirl plus I look good in hats and I love boots.  And I've always found comfort in moseying around the drugstore and rustling up new products to try, in fact, I love doing it in foreign countries (like the US - ohhhh exotic Walgreens) and revel in useful and affordable goods that are easy to find.

Thus begins a new era in reviews for me: stuff I actually would buy, be able to afford, and love.  Novel eh?  Anyhow,  I'm kicking it off with a bunch of giveaways for Canadian readers over the next few weeks so come on over and enter to win a basket of goodies from Johnson's.

I'm not fancy folks but I love to give stuff away, and if there is something wrong with that, well I don't want to know about it ;)