OK, I use B&BW foamy hand soaps. You can get them on sale and they do smell nice. (Just yesterday one of my son's friends said he liked washing his hands at our house because you never knew what you were going to get, but it always smells good. Right now, it's peppermint.) I also use their lotions and washes and I love their Warm Vanilla Sugar shampoo, which I am told makes my hair smell like cake. Their scrubs make your skin sooo soft. I would never use the lamb eye mask thing, and I do not care for the Cherry Blossom scent, though my daughter does.

By the same token, I would be happy as a clam with the night-in arrangement, as well!

I have a dear friend who, how can I put this delicately, has BO big time. I know that guys are not supposed to notice this but Damn! the man stinks.

Its no fun being in a room full of other people with everyone trying to get upwind of the guy. I'm thinking of giving him a full toiletry kit for Xmas and hope he takes the hint.

One of the senses that can really blind side you is the sense of smell. The smell of cigarettes with a whiff of whiskey reminds me of my Grandfather. Also some of the smell of a good shampoo in a girl's hair was always a turn on for me.

JWL

Being that I have one of them there unflawed genes making me male, your post lost me. When you started showing pictures of smelly things and candles, and that kind of stop, my eyes glazed over and my brain locked up.

And while I'm on the pursuit of true openness, is it a part of that same gene that makes people of the female persuasion like smelly things, that causes people of that persuasion to spend hours upon hours in malls and other stores looking at dish towels, and shoes?

Hmmmm. Now I know! I wonder how much smelly stuff I've given you over the years? Not too much, I think, because I only got half that gene. Most smellies make me sneeze or nauseous (sp?). I save lots by not buying expensive perfumes. There is that grapefruit scented lotion by the kitchen sink. Great for getting the fish smell off the hands. And the Jergens almond scented liquid hand soap (talk about bringing back smell momories--my grandparents used the lotion kind and I think of them every time I use it). Oh yes, the little tube of Avon hand lotion in my purse which has a vague, non-invasive scent. All the other stuff I've been tempted with, or received as gifts, is under my bathroom sink in an overflowing basket. And yes! I do re-gift at times.

Catty. Here's the thing - those little gifty sets are EVERYWHERE and they're easy! Yes. Women do like them. Initially. I like getting them, but funny enough - I still have 3 of them unused in my linen closet. The best grab bag gifts I ever got were 1) amaryllis in a pot and 2) Christmas dish towels that looked like Santa's boots and 3) a little wooden sign that says "Dear Santa: Define Naughty".

Don't fret. You've got nothing missing.

You are somethin' else, Lady! ;] Vy happens to like the lotions and bubble baths - even some of those frilly cloths for bathing and scrubbing. We have those plug-in air fresheners at a low level all over the house. So there's a shadow scent folks smell. But all of those doo dads they have for everything else, the retailers believe they know what their shoppers want.

OMG, Catty. I asked my husband to get me the sleep mask and aromatherapy thing. I really like the pillow spray. The lavendar works...to chill you out. And the cotton blossom soap you got is worth a trial hand wash because the scent isn't too strong. But I agree, I am not huge on receiving bath goodies. I like to pick my own, and it's limited to a few things. I am also not a fan of potpourri, etc. If hte dogs didn't smell so icky, I wouldn't even have candles burning in the house. I just think those items are actually too personal! I would have loved your movie basket, totally. And I hear that once you wear a sleep mask at night, you can never go without it, it makes such a difference. So think of me, with my little lamb mask on, when you go nighty night. We could be twins!!! (oooh, female squealing...)

Paula-You and I seem to have much in common. A mutual love for Mexican food, restaurant gift cards for gift giving (loved the carpet cleaning from your mom). A friend at work used to share her Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion with me. I liked the scent in small doses. When you said you didn't care for the Cherry Blossom scent, I ran into the other room and took a whiff. It's not that I don't like it, I think it smells like Johnson's Baby shampoo. And since I've written this post I've done a couple of estimates and a job where there were foamy hand soap dispensers in the bathrooms. So I'm becoming a bit more aware that smelly soaps aren't quite the new fruitcake.

JWL-I've run across a few of the BO people in my life. Good luck with the hint. I like pleasant smells like the lilacs blooming in spring or the honeysuckle from across the street. A faint whiff of these pleasant scents usually brings on good memories. It is when the smell is overpowering that it tends to send me towards a headache.

Neal-I couldn't tell you because of the missing gene but I suspect there may be a connection because I've never agonized over dishtowels or shoes. OMG! Breakthrough! This explains my lack of shoe fashion style.

Mommy-I don't think you've given me much in the stinky dept, only the Avon Rare Pearls because for some reason I liked that scent and I asked you for it. Hmmm, I wonder if that grapefruit works on skunk as Honey told me about someone that got skunked recently and had to pay for exfoliating treatments because tomato juice didn't work. I think Salvation Army store has benefited from my growing collection of smelly things when I didn't have a re-gifting occasion on the calendar.

Nutsy Fagan-Cool, I would have liked a plant, x-mas dishtowels, or the plaque. I'm putting those into the idea bin.

Capt.-I tend to stick to what I know works since I'm prone to rashes (funky fair skin). Though you would have been proud of me when the 55 gallon drum of orange Dial antibacterial liquid hand soap that Honey bought a few years back for $3.49 finally ran out and they had dial liquid soaps in other scents at the evil Walmart for less than a dollar apiece. I actually unscrewed the tops and smelled them before I picked out a few.

Madam-I'm really considering the sleep mask because it's really difficult to pull the covers over my head with Honey pulling on the edge of the blankets for his fair share. I just need to do a bit of research on sleep masks and vampire protection. It would also help when he wakes up in the middle of the night and turns on the TV. Because of my hearing loss, it's the flickering of lights that tends to wake me. We used to sell something at the health food store you sprayed on babies to calm them. It was lavender scented and had a funny name. Candles are absolutely forbidden in this house thanks to ultra curious gotta get into everything Sparky the cat. Yet another appropriate description for that animals name. Ohhhhh, twins (how's that for squeal?), you'll have to do some shoe consulting. I am in some seriously sad shoe shape.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" and yes I was shouting. oxoxoxoxoxoxoxo! :-)

JWL

Happy New Year, Catty, to you and yours.

Hope all is well - missing you.