Some of MY Favorite Things: A Random Assortment

I hope you are having a great start to your week! If you've been following my blog for a little while, you'll remember a post I did on my favorite things at Whole Foods. I thought I'd share some of the personal items in my home and it will also give you a chance to learn a little more about me too. Some items are things I use frequently and others are those that my heart just adores simply because it does.

Here are 10 of My Favorite Random Things

1. Most Comfy Shoes this Summer-I love shoes, in particular a great pair of peep-toe pumps, but the winner of most comfortable and equally stylish shoe goes to my Tommy Hilfiger Falsetto gladiator-style sandal. They retail for around $70 on many websites but I got these for a steal for only $19.99 at Ross! They are perfect with a pair of cuffed shorts and a top, a long maxi dress, a long shirt and tights or a pair of skinny jeans. I wear them almost every day. Thankfully I live in Florida where I can wear sandals almost every week out of the year.

2. Favorite Way to Stay Healthy-Aside from eating nutritious, organic foods and exercising as often as I can, my favorite way to stay cold and flu-free is to consume a lot of garlic. I'm not talking about a little bit of roasted garlic in a prepared recipe, but full on raw garlic cloves (and several of them) on top of almost anything. I usually crush up several raw cloves and put them on top of an already heated up soup, a fresh salad, or another dinner item. Raw garlic reduces illness, increases immunity, kills parasites, and has even been proven to shrink tumors and ward of cancer! The key is to eat it raw and not heat it, otherwise it loses most of its medicinal qualities.The best part is I pay about 25 cents for a bulb of garlic. I do not have medical insurance and I have not needed to visit a doctor in the 3 years that I've lived here. For obvious reasons, I avoid eating it if I'm visiting clients. Thankfully my hubby is on board and loves it equally as much!

3. Most Used Kitchen Tool- Many would argue that a food processor is their favorite kitchen tool, and I have to agree that it is an amazing tool and I know I'll get far more use out of it one day when I'm making homemade baby food, but until that time comes, my garlic press is my go-to gadget. I use it almost every day and my new OXO press is my favorite by far. It has a no-slip handle and it cleans up quickly and is heavy duty.

4. Favorite Decor Item-I am a sucker for anything costal and beachy, which you might remember from my getting personal post. I love, love, love starfish and was super excited to see some live while snorkeling in St. Thomas. While it is not ocean-friendly or eco-friendly to use real starfish as decor, I have used Pottery Barn's white finger star fish in several places in my home. They look like the real deal without having to harm any sea creatures for our viewing pleasure. I bought mine at their end of season sale. I use them in hurricane vases with sand and a pillar candle in the summer months, leaning against a set of frames on a shelf, and I've even had one in an apothecary jar in my bathroom as well as on the side table in our living room. Lots of fun things to do with them!

5. Favorite Starbucks Beverage-Although I'm not a coffee junkie and my budget doesn't allow for frequent purchases of their wonderful drink indulgences, when I do stop by, I have several drinks I enjoy such as the Chai latte made with soy, or the pumpkin spiced latte and the super sweet peppermint white hot chocolate (it's heavenly!), but my favorite is a drink for the summer months called a Grande Caramel Light Frappuccino, no whip. You can also dress it up with some whip cream and a drizzle of caramel for added decadance. They have a 'regular' version with a lot more calories which I have never tried because I'm sure after that the light would taste well, light. Right now it is the perfect amount of caramel, coffee and sweetness and it does not taste weak or watered down. Here is how you can make your own.

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6. Most Lovely Flower-I adore peonies and was crushed when I realized that I wouldn't be able to use them in my September wedding 3 years ago. I really longed for pale pink peonies. *swoon* I settled for blush roses that day, but I try to bring them into my home whenever possible while they are in season during the early summer months. Being that I live in FL, they are hard to come by. My old home in the Toronto area had peony bushes along the side and front which I couldn't wait to clip and put on display.

7.  Most Used Gift- Based on what comes to mind at the moment, I'd have to say it was a birthday gift that my husband purchased for me two years ago which is a large brown coach mongram wallet. I saw it in online originally and he surprised me with it and was able to grab it at the outlet store, so it turned out to be half the price, gotta love that! I have a cream leather handbag that I use a lot and this goes really well with it, as well as brown one and a few other colors as well as a small matching coach bag that I bought for a steal also. I do have a black favorite too for my handbags/clutches of that color scheme.

8. Inexpensive Glamour-When I decided to decorate our guest bedroom/my office, I wanted to add a bit of glamour to an otherwise boring room at the time. I wanted it to inspire me to paint the walls, the furniture in the room and all several other touches of glam. This little chandelier from Ikea for just $39.99 did the trick. It looks far better in person than this website photo and it has inspired me to transform that space. It has a wonderful sparkle and it provides just enough light without being too much, considering I have two windows in the space already. It would be perfect for a teen, toddler or baby girl room too. Since our guest room is our only 'spare' bedroom, this would be a future baby's room, so here's to holding onto the faith that it will be a girl, then she can enjoy the lighting too. :)

9. Newest Monogrammed Item- A couple weeks ago, I picked up this fun letter 'K' at Marshall's in the clearance section. It had a slight dent in the wood in a fairly inconspicous area, so I purchased it for $7. It is temporarily living on our guest room nightstand until I paint the room a lovely shade of pale blue and then I will hang it above a set of vintage hooks I picked up at a flea market near the door.

10. Must-Read Decor Magazines- My favorite decor magazine(s) are actually from Canada. One is called Canada's Style at Home and the other is Canadian House & Home. I had a subscription for many years before moving to the U.S. At the time I really enjoyed being able to find the items in local retailers vs. trying to hunt down items that were only available in the U.S. I do have several othes I enjoy such as Coastal Living and Better Homes and Gardens, but those are the two I pick up every time I fly home from Toronto after visiting friends and family!

Tell us some of your favorite things! Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you can't live without or a pair of earrings that go with everything you own? We want to hear from you!

A Few of My Favorite Things at Whole Foods

I made a trip to Whole Foods yesterday, one that I'd been putting off for a week. I'm spoiled by having so much so close to me, that if something is more than 10-15 mins away I put it off until I have something else I need in the same area so I can lower my carbon footprint and be more green. There are 2 Whole Foods stores in my general area but they are on opposite sides of town and they are both 20 minutes from my house. I needed to stop by Home Goods today so I went to the larger Whole Foods which was down the street.

Remember how I asked you all to fill out the new blog poll, well so far we've received two responses so I wanted today's post to reflect the first vote of something 'personal'. Speaking of personal, you can read an earlier post on getting personal with me, in case you missed it.

Some of My Favorite Things at Whole Foods:

1. Tazo Plum Pomegranate Iced Tea-I couldn't resist their $1 sale. If you like something other than the same old plain jane iced tea, try Tazo! They offer many flavors of black and green teas infused with amazing flavors. The Plum Pomogranate is my new favorite!

2. Organic Sea Salt/Black Pepper Kettle Chips-They have a hint of jalapeno but not much so they are the perfect combination of salt and spice and are completely organic and yummy. They were $2/bag so I grabbed one to try and I'm in LOVE! These may be my new favorite snack.

3. Banana Bread Lara Bars-Raw food bars that have the most simple ingredient list consisting of anywhere from 3-6 ingredients, all natural, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, no added sugar, gluten-free, non gmo, unprocessed and kosher. The best part is they actually taste really great! My favorite flavor is Banana Bread, followed by Lemon Bar, then Apple Pie. YUM! They are $1.69 each but make a great mid-day snack or breakfast!

4. Whole Foods Baked Pecan bars-These are just pure delight! If you like pecan pie or turtle chocolates you'll love their homemade pecan bars. They are $1.79 each but totally worth it! Here is a photo below in the package, these did not last but a few hours in our home.

5. Whole Foods Baked Lemon Bars-If you love lemon like I do, you'll appreciate the fresh baked lemon bars. They aren't bright yellow in color, more of a pale yellow but the flavor created is just perfect! They use just the right amount of lemon so it is a little bit tart and a little bit sweet, but never sour. $1.79 each.

6. 365 Brand Herbal Mint Shower Gel-I usually buy the 16oz bottles for $2 on sale, but right now they have their travel size 2oz bottles for just 25 cents each. They are free from harmul fragrances and chemicals and only use essential oils. Herbal mint is my favorite because it wakes me up in the morning. Also available are Lavender blend and Citrus Grapefruit.

7. Whole Foods Brand Vanilla and Tangerine Soy Candles-These smell delicious enough to eat! There are several other fragrances like Lavender -Lemongrass and Spearmint-Lemon. They may sound like odd combinations but I assure you they are nothing short of amazing. The best part is they are made from soy and vegetable wax so they burn clean and are infused with natural essential oils instead of heavy artificial chemical fragrances that may even contain pthalates. I bought a pack of 4 votives (which are making my bedroom smell heavenly and a bit like creamsicle icecream), they also offer a travel candle size and an elegant glass candle too.

8. Izze Sparkling Pink Grapefruit Bottled Drink-These can be found in other stores too by the 4-pack case or individually in many flavors. My favorite (which also happens to be sold out a lot of the time, including yesterday's trip) is the Pink Grapefruit. It has just enough fizz, flavor and fruitiness. It also has no added sugar, which was a surprise to me! Usually around $1.50 each. Hubby and I have one every time we stop in and dine on mexican at  the Chipotle chain.

9.  365 Brand Organic Dark Chocolate & Mint Crisp Chocolate Bar-Last year I discovered some inexpensive organic chocolate in a large bar format for under $2, it was the 365 brand. My favorite flavor is Chocolate with Mint Crisps. Such a great after dinner treat!


10.  BioKleen Bac-Out Fabric Refresher Spray-Last month I was looking for something that was similar to the mainstream fabric refresher that would also kill bacteria. I came across this product in Lemon Thyme scent, they also offer Lavender. It works really well and does not contain any weird chemicals or allergens that are bound to make you sneeze. The scent is so fresh and it naturally kills bacteria, it was just $4.

Hopefully I haven't made you too hungry! I can't say enough good things about Whole Foods, if I could afford to buy all of my groceries there, I probably would. Today when I walked into the store they had a lovely fall display of orange and white pumpkins on top of hay bales, large standing cornstalks and beautifully bloomed mums. I only wished that I had my camera (the camera on my blackberry is weak) so I could show you all. Once inside the store, it smelled so fresh and fragrant, I suppose that's why I can never seem to get out of there in under 45 mins.

Do you shop at Whole Foods? What are your favorite products? Leave a comment and share them with us!

Stay tuned for more personal posts in the coming weeks and tomorrow's post that will appeal to voter #2 which is all about great finds for less.