Favorite Things

Almost every day I used something and think I should write about it. I should share with you the thingsthat make my life easier but I have a tough time drafting an entire post around, say, Goody Ouchless Hair Ties. As much as I love them because they don’t stretch out and they can go around a ponytail only twice so you are less likely to damage your hair, I never share that with you. Because really, who wants to read a post about hair ties? Also, I don’t do a traditional gift guide like a lot of bloggers at the holiday time. I get offers to review things for one,  but to be honest I just can’t imagine having the clarity to put them all together in a way that worked for my readers. That said, I do have a list of the aforementioned “can’t live without” items I’ve been meaning to share and what better time than now?  I am sure some of you still have gifts to buy right?  Some of these I got for review purposes and some I aquired the good old fashioned way-with my own money. No matter how they came to me, I would definitely get them again.Here is the quick and dirty on my favorite products of today. Beware, this list is mighty eclectic.

Holistically Haute Salt Bath Ritual: One of the best perks of going to Institute for Integrative Nutrition is the amazing people I’ve met as fellow students. Rachel is one of those people. She has a fantastic transformation story and her blog Holistically Haute is a wonderland of inspiration and information about living well and looking good. According to Rachel, The salt bath ritual is “a bioenergized blend of mineral-rich salts and some of my favorite organic botanical ingredients.” According to me it is A) a wonderful excuse to take a bath and B)deliciously yummy smelling bath salts that literally force you to relax and feel even more rejuvenated after your bath than you ever have before. There beautifully packaged and would make a great gift for teachers, sisters, other mom friends or yourself! Treat you this holiday. You won’t regret it.

Filtrete Fast Flow Water Pitcher: I came home from BlogHer10 (Yes, a year ago.) all jazzed about a new Filtrete product that I saw there. I never bought it because I just couldn’t justify the money for something that seemed frivolous. Finally, after BlogHer11 this summer where I got one of their new water bottles, I loved the redesign so much I finally bought it. Wouldn’t you know, I got the old version of the product and not the redesign, and, well, long story short-I hate it. What the heck kind of review is this? You ask. Never fear, something good is coming. A few weeks after I kept trying to jerry-rig my own version of this product and was ready to quite all together, I got a fast flow pitcher in the mail from Filtrete. I opened it up and sweet redemption I’m OBSESSED with this thing. The filter is huge and drains into the pitcher at warp speed so you can fill it and pour almost instantly. Also, the spout is the perfect size to pour right into my SIGGS so no new water bottles necessary.  For someone who only uses filtered water and has to fill more bottles per day than you can shake a stick at, this pitcher has changed my life. Alright, that might be dramatic but it has changed my lunch-box filling routine! Seriously, if you are a filtered water pitcher person, you must get one. You will adore it.

PackIt Freezable Lunch Bag: We bought another lunch box to start the school year and while it was fancy and cool, it didn’t work for us. My kids are in school a long time (8 hours) and they eat three snacks and lunch while they’re there. So, we need a lunch box that is SUPER thermal and that lunch box wasn’t doing it. My kid was coming home with uneaten food and he eats everything but it was gross by the time he got to it so I couldn’t blame him.  Short of packing an igloo like he’s working on power lines, I wasn’t sure what to do. Then a friend suggested PackIt which is essentially a bunch of those freezer packs wrapped in canvas. It’s AmAHzing. Also, if the Amazon page is to be believed, it’s designed by moms, so I’m all for supporting that type of business.

Tela Beauty Organics Healer Hair Repair: I got this in my bag at the Vivienne Tam event. I am VERY picky when it comes to hair product. This one is near perfect. My hair looks shiny but not dirty. It feels soft and smells divine.

Last but not least, these:

These are TOMS wedges in red canvas. If you don’t know The TOMS story, go find out about it. These shoes don’t really make my life easier, but they sure do make it fun.

Did I mention the Goody hair ties? Seriously, they’re awesome and now they have ones that look like bracelets so for someone who might (ahem) wears one on her wrist every single day that’s perfect!

Later this week: Must have books!

** Full disclosure, some of the above items were either given to me at events or sent to me for review purposes. The Goodies were in my bag from