Five Favorite Things Right Now

I am chin-deep in photos from our summer so far...a great problem to have, really. We have already done a lot, relaxed a lot, and traveled a lot...with more to come. Being out of town doesn't really facilitate the photo-editing, but it does facilitate adventures and experiences! So, while I am working really hard to edit before Casey and I head out of town again, I decided to post a few of my favorite things right now. It's been a whole 2 years since my last "favorites" post, so I guess I'm due!

1. Disney!

I have always been a Disney fan. But after our Disneyland trip a couple of months ago, and experiencing that with our boys, my love for Disney is in overdrive. So much that I've already booked our family vacation for next year...a Disney cruise. As I said, I loved Disney World growing up and I'm continuing to love it as an adult...especially with my kids. In spite of sounding cliche...I'm addicted to the magic.

2. Yoga Mat Flip Flops by Sanuk

These are amazing. They feel like you are walking on...well, a yoga mat. It's wonderful. They come in several colors. I had just the white ones last year. This year I replaced those (since I wore them to death...they are so comfortable) and added the aqua ones this year as well. But, the pink ones are pretty cute too. I bought my first pair at DSW, but this year I got them on Amazon.

3. Amazon Smile

Speaking of Amazon, several months ago when I visited the site, a message popped up asking me if I wanted to use Amazon Smile instead. After I read about it, I jumped on it because we are regular purchasers on Amazon. Basically, Amazon Smile allows you to select a charity/non-profit (from their list of registered ones...its extensive) and when you buy from the Smile site (which is the same as Amazon), they give a portion of your purchase to your chosen organization. Go ahead and switch today! (read details about the program on the Amazon website.)

4. Small Bowls from Target

I passed by these a few times and wanted to buy them. (Please excuse the sorry iphone photo). But I have a rule against buying something just because I like it. (Even if they were only $3.99.) I want to have things in my home that I love, but I also have to have a place for them. And they have to be part of the uncluttered decor that I like or they have to be useful. Or in this case...both! I figured out a really great way to use these cute little bowls in my kitchen. One holds my car keys right by where I keep my phone and charge it during the day. And the other one is by our side door where Casey exits to his car every day. It holds the garage door opener so that he can open it before he leaves the house. At the time I bought them (a couple of months ago), they had several patterns.

5. Summer!



I may be a little bit like Olaf on this one...I love summer! Especially now that Ethan is in school. We are having a blast. That doesn't mean we are doing/going a lot. That's not really my style. But we are (mostly) enjoying being together. We have a list of things we can do if we need some inspiration, but so far lazy mornings, playing outside, swimming, and traveling are fitting the bill for this season. (As a side note...it's also probably good that summer doesn't last any more than 3 months...I might go insane.)

New Discovery

If you've read my blog at all in the past, you might have noticed that I love Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. I've only mentioned it by name in at least 4 previous posts. It totally revolutionized the way I drank tea because I previously really didn't like flavored teas at all. That was probably because I hadn't tasted Harney & Sons teas yet. I promise they aren't paying me to say this, but their teas truly are special. 

So upon discovering Hot Cinnamon Spice, I pretty much started drinking it exclusively. It is a black tea with strong spices and flavors which render any additions (milk, sugar, honey, lemon) completely unnecessary. And that appealed to me. As did the taste. No extra sugar, no extra calories from milk. Just tea.

Well, then Harney & Sons decided to completely rock my socks off with a new twist on my favorite tea...Green Hot Cinnamon tea. What? Green tea with hot cinnamon? I just happened to see it on their website the other day when I was looking for a green or white tea that I might like to drink (for potential health benefits). So, I ordered a bag and was totally blown away by the genius of this tea. It's awesome. It is different, yet still just as delicious as its black tea counterpart. I'm officially in love. Again.

 

I realize that I have written an entire post about tea. That may be weird. As is the fact that it's June, and I still enjoy my daily cup of tea in the afternoon. I look forward to it, in fact. Contrary to popular belief, drinking hot tea does not cool you down. So, I can't claim that as my reason. But the arctic air conditioning in my office might have something to do with my comfort level when I drink my tea. (I hate that some rooms are way colder than others.) And people who love hot coffee drink it year round too.

(If you just happen to want to try this green tea, or any other green tea, just be aware that you should not use boiling water to steep it. The instructions on the back of the Harney & Sons bag recommend about 180 degrees. I just boil water and let it sit until it has cooled a little. And the tea should steep for only about 1-3 minutes versus the typical 5 minutes for black tea.)

(Both photos sourced from the Harney & Sons website.)

Parent Approved Kid Music

In the past several years, we have come across some fabulous music for kids. And by fabulous, I mean musically sound with outstanding lyrics...and not annoying! At least in our opinion. Let me share these artists and their albums with you so that you might partake in witty, quality, and fun music with your kids. I do not make a habit of listening to these CDs while the kids are not with me (because that would be crazy), but if I wanted to, I could. Because I really do enjoy the music and the lyrics. 

This first one I purchased and listened to before Ethan was even born. That's because the artist is my college roommate's husband, TJ McCloud.  He also has some non-kid albums that are some of our favorites (they're seriously good) and the boys love them too. 

But, since we're talking kid music here, let's talk about Playground, All God's Animals, and Sailing in the Ocean. Some of the songs are Christian-based songs, and some are just silly, fun songs. We really, really love these albums and so do our boys.

The next one is fairly new to us. I think I purchased these CDs near the beginning of this year. They have quickly become favorites. Randall Goodgame and Andrew Peterson are the artists behind these wonderful albums. Slugs & Bugs Under Where? and Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies are hilarious for adults and fun for kids. The music is varied in style and really well done. Just like TJs music, some of the songs are Christian based and some are just silly.

I cannot recommend all of these albums enough. They really are amazing. Check them out if you need some quality music aimed at children, but enjoyable for adults.

Friday Favorites

There's no other reason to call this post "Friday Favorites" other than today is Friday. Which is pretty great. Here are a few things that are favorites of mine right now:

1 | 2 | 3

1. The Food Network Magazine February Issue...all about Chocolate! What's not to love?

2. Downton Abbey on PBS. Please tell me you're watching this show already. If not, jump on the bandwagon now. It's excellent. My father-in-law (and mother-in-law too) insisted that I watch the show. They let me borrow their season 1 DVD last fall....and I am totally hooked! Maggie Smith is perfect. This is Masterpiece at it's best.

3. New York City. This is a favorite right now because I'm planning our trip there this spring! Just me and Casey. Cannot wait. The last time we went on vacation was when I was pregnant with Logan and we went to Florida. This time, we're going to be a bit more busy as opposed to laying on the beach, but we are both pumped about it! The last time I was in NYC was over 10 years ago. It will be fun to go back with Casey, who has never really been (except for a very short...as in a few hours...layover on our way to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip in college.)

Cinnamon Obsession

If you have known me long enough, you already know that I have a mild obsession with all things cinnamon. If given the choice of gum or after dinner mint, I will always choose cinnamon over a mint or peppermint counterpart. In fact, I even choose the cinnamon toothpaste when they polish my teeth at the dentist. I usually add a little cinnamon to my hot chocolate and french toast or pancake batter.

The upcoming fall/holiday/winter seasons are the perfect time to enjoy cinnamon goodness. These are some of my very favorite cinnamon things:

Photo credits linked below

1. C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine in Cinnamint (from Bath and Body Works)

2. Harney & Sons Cinnamon Spice Tea 

3. Orbit Cinnamint Gum

4. Cinnamon Altoids

5. Slatkin & Co. Cinnamon Stick Scented Candle (from Bath and Body Works)

6. Slatkin & Co. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Wallflower (from Bath and Body Works)


And I could not forget about the cinnamon baked goods that are absolutely wonderful this time of year (or any time of year, really.):

Photo and recipe credits linked below.

1. Corner Bakery's Cinnamon Creme Cake

2. Baked Cinnamon Doughnuts with Vanilla Glaze

3. Snickerdoodles

4. Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls


You can even decorate with cinnamon sticks! I love these ideas (all found via Pinterest):

Photo credits linked below.

1. Cinnamon Stick Wreath

2. Cinnamon Sticks as a vase filler

3. Cinnamon Stick Wrapped candles

Summer Picks from Etsy

I've recently come across a few things that I plan on using this summer as we soak in the swimming, the sun, and the lazy days...

Wet Bag from Essie Designs. I decided to get one of these to hold our swimsuits when I need to stash them back in my tote bag after swimming. I've already done that enough times this summer and it's just beginning. Although, it can be used for many other things too...see the listing for more info. This one is 12x12...large enough to hold several wet items. I love it!

Water Wrap Carrier from Texas MommaDi's Etsy Shop. I totally credit my friend, Mary, for showing me this wrap she's getting for her littlest one. How cool are these? A baby wrap you can get wet! I didn't even know they existed, but what a great idea. So practical since I already feel like I need 4 more hands when we go swimming. At least with this, I can use the two I actually have.

Monogrammed Striped Tote from James Paige Design. I can personally attest to the size and usefulness of this tote since I got this exact one from Target a couple of months ago. Mine is not striped or monogrammed and therefore not as cute as these, but it is my go-to bag that I always keep packed in the laundry room for going to the pool. It's perfect for summer.

Sunglass Case from The Craft Queen. Handy for stashing your sunglasses when you don't want them to get scratched by random stuff in your bag.

Jumping On Board

I officially joined the Pinterest community this week. Have you heard of Pinterest? It is sort of like a digital cork board where you can "pin" ideas and things you love for future reference. You can follow other people's boards and they can look at and follow yours. Much like being someone's friend on Facebook or subscribing to a blog's news feed. You can "like" pins, comment on them, or repin them to your own board. There is a whole lot of eye candy on Pinterest.

Anyway, I requested an invitation a while ago and then let the invite sit in my email inbox for a few weeks before I took the time to set up my account and get pinning. I hesitated because of the time suck I knew it would be. But, I guess I finally decided I might as well round out my time suck trifecta: Blogs, Facebook, and now Pinterest.

Well, ladies and gentlemen....it is fun. And yes, a huge time suck. But notice I did not say it was a waste of time, although it definitely could be. But here are some ways that I am using Pinterest to my advantage.

1. A Digital Design Notebook. Remember my design notebook? Well, it is still thriving and referenced all the time. But for things I run across on the internet, I can just pin it to my Pinterest board and go back and look at it any time. I don't have to print out the page and put it in my book. Saving time and saving paper. It is such a quick and easy tool for collecting and organizing all those ideas I get from reading blogs and such.

(PS-When you pin something, Pinterest saves the original source so I can just click on the image and I'm taken straight to the original blog or website.)

2. Photography Inspiration. When I see photos that just speak to me and I love, I can pin them to my photography board and go back to get inspiration any time.

3. Digital Recipe Book. Same idea here. When I read food blogs and see a recipe I want to try, now I can just pin it to my baking/cooking board and go find it when I'm ready to try it out. Also, I can go to my board when I'm making menus for the week and need some dinner ideas. Ideas from all over the web in one place. Awesome.

4. Book List. I now have a place to pin all the books I know I want to read. The ones I don't want to forget about. And just some of the ones I love.

5. Gleaning New Ideas. Pinterest is a huge, massive field of ideas from every corner of the web. Browsing around or searching a few key words will yield some seriously great ideas and inspiration for anything you need. You can browse even if you are not a member.

If you want an invitation to Pinterest to create some boards for yourself...leave a comment and I will send you an invite. I will warn you that it is highly addictive. Seriously. Browse and join at your own risk!

A Shade for Every Season

OPI nail polish is definitely one of my favorite things. It's such a great formula...lasts forever with very few chips. And they have the greatest colors with the greatest names. The truth is that I rarely (and that means like once a year) paint my fingernails. But, I do keep my toenails painted about 90% of the time. OPI helps me with that because I'm not having to redo them every single week. Here are a few of my favorite shades, (although the colors look slightly different to me on the computer than on my nails):

My Favorite {FREE} Fonts

I love fonts. I have collected way too many, but I can't help it. I do use them all the time, though...on invitations, projects, photo albums, etc. I definitely have my favorites...and these are all free, baby...Google and download as you please.

{Baby} Gadget Favorites

These three things have been so essential to me these past three weeks. Well, not essential in the truest sense, but definitely really, really helpful. And I did not have any of them when I had Ethan two years ago.

1. Itzbeen. I heard about this thing a little while ago and when I got some gift certificates to Buy Buy Baby (where it is only $19), I decided to go ahead and get one and give it a try. I couldn't really imagine that it would be that helpful, but it really is.

What this thing does is start a timer every time you push a button on it. There is a button for the last time a diaper was changed, when a feeding started, when the baby started sleeping, and a bonus timer to use for whatever you want. There's also a small light that you can use in the middle of the night and a switch that reminds you which side the baby last fed on if you are breastfeeding. And there's a clock as well.

In the hospital, when the nursery nurses are bugging you all the time about when the baby last had wet/dirty diapers, fed (and for how long), etc., this device is invaluable. Instead of having to write anything down, or worse yet...remember anything in the fog of having a baby, you just push a button and then refer to the Itzbeen when they ask. Perfect.

When we got home from the hospital, I stopped using the diaper timer because I felt like it was unnecessary. No one was asking me about it anymore and I could tell we were okay in that department. But, even now (three weeks later) I use both the feeding timer (so I can glance down and see how long Logan has been feeding and also about how long since he last fed - although we are not on a schedule of any kind!) and the breastfeeding switch. And when I was still taking pain meds, I used the "bonus" timer to tell me how long it had been since my last dose. So, you can definitely live without the Itzbeen, but it does make things so much easier. I love it.

2. iPhone. This is not a designated baby gadget, obviously, but it has been so handy while I'm feeding Logan. There is so much at my fingertips on the iPhone. It allows me to do so much while I'm stuck on the couch or in bed in the middle of the night (in the dark) breastfeeding. I can check my email, read blogs, check facebook...you know, all the really important things that I must get done!

And then, when Ethan is restless, he can sit next to me and "watch pictures" (videos) that we've recorded on there...which he loves. Furthermore...and perhaps most importantly, I can read on my iPhone...in the dark without an additional book light. And with one hand. Perfect for middle-of-the-night feeds. I've already read four books on my phone. It's much easier to hold while breastfeeding than a book or the iPad, and like I said, I can read in the dark with it and not wake up Casey with additional lights. And, no, the screen is not to small for me to read comfortably.

3. Moby Wrap. This may not exactly fall in the "gadget" category, but whatever. Logan, unlike his brother, really likes to be held. Right now he is really not a fan of his swing, bouncer seat, car seat, etc. And there are certainly times when I don't have the luxury to just park it on the couch and hold my baby until he falls asleep. I have done my fair share of that, but the other boy sometimes needs things too and he doesn't always wait until Logan is sleeping. So, the Moby Wrap has come to the rescue for me.

It also helps put Logan to sleep quickly when he's fighting it. And it lets me be hands free on those few occasions that we've ventured out of the house together, which is important when you have a 2 year old. I used similar slings/carriers with Ethan for similar purposes and I plan to do a review of the three I've used soon. In short, I love that the Moby Wrap is both extrememly versatile and comfortable.

A Few {More} of my Favorite Things

1. Twilight Woods Body Lotion from Bath and Body Works. I tried this scent because they had $1.00 purse-size samples at the register when I was buying a Christmas gift...and it just so happened that I was in need of a small lotion bottle for my purse. So, I gave it a try. And I love it. Strangely, I am not so fond of the candle of the same scent, but I really like the lotion. I know they are marketing to fans of Twilight with this one, but that's not why I like it (although I would call myself a fan). Not only is the marketing smart, the product is good too. It's earthy, fresh and warm at the same time.

2. Dove Peppermint Bark Dark Chocolate Promises. To me, mint and chocolate are almost as wonderful as peanut butter and chocolate. And seeing that perfect pair pop up in all sorts of forms on the shelves of stores for the holiday season makes me want to try them all. This Dove product is a new one for me this year and they are just as yummy as I thought they would be.

3. Sherpa Throw from Bed Bath and Beyond. My mom bought several of these for the lake house at Linens n' Things when it was going out of business. Casey and I both fell in love with them the first time we used them. They are a good sized throw blanket and keep you so warm. It's like being insulated. And they are super-soft too. I kept my eye out and finally, Bed Bath and Beyond started carrying them. We now have two and use them almost every night on the couch.

Favorite Things: The Blog Edition

Here are a few of my favorite blogs. You'll notice that these are not blogs that my friends write. Those are actually my most favorite blogs to read but there are so many of them! This favorites list contain my other favorite blogs that I read...either just for fun, for information, or for ideas and inspiration. Check them out if you need any of those things.

1. Pioneer Woman (and all her associated blogs). Most bloggers know PW already, but if you don't, she's a splendid writer, mother of four and wife to a cattle rancher. She has an interesting life and some seriously entertaining writing, photography skills and culinary creativity.

2. Digital Photography School. If you have a digital camera (especially a DSLR) and want to improve your photography, this is a great blog to read. Great tutorials, information and tips.

3. Simple Mom. This lady is organized. And productive. And she writes about all that stuff. I really enjoy reading about her ideas and how she manages her home. Great stuff.

4. Heather Bailey. Designer and seamstress. This blog is houses a treasure of fresh and fun crafty ideas.

5. Creative Nonsense. This blog is associated with the digital scrapbook online store, Peppermint Creative, which I love and frequent often. The blog features layout ideas, hybrid crafts and excellent tutorials.

Even More Favorite Things

This is a continuation of my two previous posts (part 1 and part 2) about my favorite things:

16. Sally Hansen Vitamin E Cuticle Oil
I have naturally dry cuticles. Every time I get a manicure (which is seldom), the manicurist feels the need to remind me of this. So, this cuticle oil - if I remember to apply it every day - really does wonders for keeping my cuticles from cracking and peeling.

17. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails
Since I seldom get manicures in salons but hate for my nails to look bad, I often give myself manicures. This almost always involves Hard as Nails. I love the stuff because it really does protect your nails. And it will give them a lovely tint if worn by itself or it works better than anything else I've ever used as a top coat.

18. Google Reader
Ok, I finally did it. I jumped on the feed reader bandwagon and yes, I like it. I hesitated before because I have so many blogs I check, but I bit the bullet and subscribed to them all and it has saved me so much valuable time. I have to admit that I sort of miss the moment of suspense as I clicked on a link and waited to find out if that person had posted something new to their blog. But, I'm over it.

19. Lazy Susans
I love Lazy Susans. I especially like the ones with a non-skid surface...just in case I get too enthusiastic about the spin and send things flying. Anyway, I have several Lazy Susans in use around my house but my favorite one is my baking Lazy Susan. That's what I call it. I keep baking soda, non-stick spray, baking powder, vanilla, cooking oil and salt on this one and it really saves time when I'm baking since I use those things the most.

20. Cutco Kitchen Shears
These suckers will cut through a coin. It's true. But who cares? I just care that I use them effectively in about a thousand different ways in the kitchen and while cooking. And they have a Forever Guarantee. They are definitely in the running for the most used gadget in my kitchen (should have mentioned them in my other kitchen post).

21. 3M Command Hooks
Who invented these? Whoever it is deserves a Nobel Prize or something because these things make the world a better place. I guess they're getting some major royalties so I probably don't have to worry about them. I have used these hooks in so many different ways at home and at work. My latest idea was to use the small decorating clips that you're supposed to use with Christmas lights (which I've also done) to hold necklaces in my closet. I just put up about 12 hooks on my closet wall and I have an instant jewelry-keeper.

22. Coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond
I'll take them all but my favorites are the 20% off. I use them on toiletries...more specifically, usually razor blades. Those things can be so expensive but I get such pleasure out of using my 20% off coupon when I buy them. This does require finding a Bed Bath and Beyond that carries toiletries but they do exist.

23. Crystal Light On the Go
Brilliant. Another worthy invention. I like water just fine but sometimes these little packets just make water so much better. In fact, they make water peachy or raspberry-y or even lemonade-y.

24. Mary Kay Satin Lips Lip Mask
This lip mask is amazing. You put it on, leave it for one minute and then rinse or wipe it off and I'm telling you...you've never had such soft lips.

Favorite Things: The Pregnancy Edition

Here they are...my favorite pregnancy things:

1. Zofran
Saved.my.life. That about sums it up. This anti-nausea medicine allowed me to eat, function and go to work for the first 21 weeks of my pregnancy. Developed for chemo patients and loved by pregnant women everywhere.

2. Tums
I have estimated that I took approximately 3000 tums tablets while pregnant for a multitude of stomach issues. I couldn't have lived without them. Bonus...calcium.

3. Old Navy Maternity Seamless Support Tanks
I wore one of these things almost every single day. They do support just as they say and they also help smooth out the lines from awkward maternity clothes.

4. Gap Maternity Dark Wash Long and Lean Jeans
A gift from my mother-in-law and hands down my favorite pair of maternity pants. I love long and lean jeans. And I love dark wash jeans. And I loved these jeans. Good thing too, because I'll be wearing them for a little while after Ethan is born.

5. Daily Calendar
When I visited Brooke and Michael Hall after Audrey was born, she gave me a flip calendar that she used when she was pregnant that has a different fact every day about the baby and/or pregnancy. We kept it in our bathroom. Casey got into it too and he would make me read him the day's fact every morning. It was really fun and became a daily ritual for us as we were getting ready for the day. Thanks, Brooke!

6. Sonic Grape Slush
Somewhere along the line, carbonated sodas only helped add to my heartburn so I initiated a self-imposed ban and came to love my grape slushes more than ever. I've always been a big fan of grape. And slushes. But when I wanted something other than water or milk, this fit the bill. And no, I never made Casey go out in the middle of the night and get me one.

7. Finacea
I knew it would happen when I got pregnant. I just knew. And it did. Acne. But I only tolerated it for about a month before I high-tailed it to the dermatologist to make it go away. It turns out that there are very few things a pregnant woman may use on her skin even topically, but this was one of them and it worked beautifully.

Want a Cookie?

I do. Always. This is a time for eating cookies if there ever was one. Or giving cookies as a gift...because a gift you can eat...well, that's a good gift! Anyway, here are my favorites for cookies (that you can buy, not make...that's another post entirely):

Best in Dallas: Kessler's Cookies
I know that there is another place that people like to say is the Best in Dallas (JD's Chippery) but I'm sorry to say that they're wrong. They just are. We've gotten loads of both cookies here at the office and JD's are good but there's just no contest. By the way, get Kessler's triple chocolate - you won't be sorry. You can smell the butter when you open the signature tin. And they come by the pound. Heaven.

Best in the UK: Ben's Cookies
They may be Best in the UK, but you can also have them shipped here from one of their new US stores. Anyone who has been to Oxford knows about the original Ben's store in the covered market and their absolute cookie goodness. Also sold by weight in their stores - which is the only way, really. Boy, oh, boy these are good. Try some!

Most Original Frosting Flavors: Cheryl & Co.
These frosted concoctions have the most delectible combination of flavors for icing and the cookie part is so soft and chewy. Some of the flavors are Chocolate Peppermint, Mint Chocolate, Triple Chocolate, Frosted Caramel Pecan, Pumpkin Cinnamon, and Holiday Buttercream. Mmmm...frosting.

More Favorite Things

A while back I wrote a post about my favorite things. I have a few more things to add to my list:

11. Polycarbonate Tupperware
I bought this for myself after I got tired of all my tupperware looking disgusting. This polycarbonate stuff is so tough, it never scratches and it never stains. Plus, it's totally clear, so I can always tell what leftovers I have in the refrigerator. I sound like a commercial for this product, but I really do love it and I'll never buy regular tupperware again.

12. Lite Planters
Garden Ridge really has the best selection of this type of planter. I like it because they look great - just like ceramic, stone or clay pottery but are light enough to lift with one hand easily.

13. Oust Room Spray
This one makes my house smell clean even when it's not. And it really does get rid of odors instead of just mask them. I don't know how it does that, but it really does.

14. Reef Leather Slap Sandals
I wore these things every day on our trip to Italy and we walked, and walked and walked. I am totally serious when I say that I have been on several vacations to Europe during which we walked all day long and these shoes - sandals, actually - are the only shoes I've ever worn that cushioned my feet enough that they never hurt. Really - it was like walking on air. So great. I'll never leave home without them again.

15. Orbit Cinnamint Gum
I am obsessed with cinnamon mints and gum and this one is just my favorite.

Rachel's Favorite Things

Oprah has her list. Here's mine:

1. Wicked Good Slippers from L.L. Bean.
I love all my shoes - but every day I anticipate the moment when I get home, take off my heels and get to sink my feet into these slippers. They may look like Peter Pan shoes (that's what Casey and I call them - he has a pair too) but trust me, they are the best!

2. Williams Sonoma Rich and Creamy Hot Chocolate (or Peppermint Hot Chocolate)
This is by far the best hot chocolate you will ever taste. Made with real chocolate shavings and hot milk, it's our new favorite wintertime treat.

3. Photo Books from Shutterfly
No one does photo books like Shutterfly.com, in my opinion. I've said goodbye to my scrapbooking and taken up photo-booking, if I'm allowed the liberty of creating a new verb! They're slim, stylish and totally creative. Shutterfly allows you so many options - I hardly even order prints anymore!

4. Workouts from iTrain
These downloadable mp3 workouts feature trainers that walk you through the various workouts like a personal trainer would. They're not cheesy and they definitely challenge you more than if you were working out alone. Workouts range from treadmill, stair-climber, bike, dance, yoga, pilates, strength, etc. They're well-priced too!

5. Wood Wick Candles
Aroma and ambiance - I've mentioned these candles before, but they have great scents and great sound. We love to burn these at our house!

6. Clean Perfume by Dlish Fragrance
I heard about this fragrance at a Nordstrom Spring Preview event and I absolutely love it. I have never worn perfume before because it always gave me a headache. They were always too flowery or too musky or something like that. This stuff just smells clean - really.

7. Custom Chocolate Box from Godiva
When you visit a Godiva store, they will let you hand-select the chocolates you want to put into your gold box. I love this since I'm not a fan of the fruit-filled ones or anything coconut flavored. Casey has gotten me my very own box the last two years for Christmas and he knows what I like. Plus, it's fun to pick out chocolate!

8. Silpat Baking Mats
These things will make your cookies, biscuits, etc. come out perfectly with evenly cooked bottoms and with absolutely no sticking to the baking sheet. I don't bake without them!

9. Schick Inuition Razor
A razor that includes moisturizers makes shaving cream obsolete and I love it! No more do I have to perform acrobatics in the shower to effectively shave my legs. This is especially great for traveling as you have one less thing to pack. Oh, and it shaves really well.

10. Moleskine Small Notebook
I'm a sucker for all journals but this one really gets me. It's perfect for traveling because it fits into a purse. The unlined one can be used not only to jot down thoughts but also sketches, etc. It is bound by stitching (not spiral binding) but folds out flat nicely. And this one has an elastic band to keep it closed and the pages neat - a necessity, I think!

Candlelight 101

I love candles. But I like different candles for different reasons. Here are my picks for the best types of candles, depending on what you want them for:

Most Potent Frangrance: This goes hands-down to the Trapp Candle. More specifically, the orange-vanilla Trapp Candle. This thing will make your entire house smell good! It packs a huge punch for such a medium-sized filled candle. I am not a big fan of any of their other scents, but the orange-vanilla is awesome! And they come in a cute cottage-styled box for their packaging.

Best Frangrance: Orange Pomegranate from White Barn Candle Company. I love this fragrance. It's fresh and light but it's also got some depth to it. I think it is only a seasonal item (Fall/Winter) and it comes in a beautiful cream color. It's my favorite scent for a candle.

Best Sound Effects: Of course, it's the Wood Wick candle. We have them in vanilla and in applewood, both of which are wonderful scents, but it's the wick burning that takes center stage on this one. It has a thin wood wick that sounds like you've got a fire burning rather than just a candle. So cool - I love it!