1-Year Blogiversary & 100th Post!

Wow! One full year already? Well, you know what they say, "Time flies when you're having fun!".

I have SO enjoyed receiving all of your questions, reading your comments and meeting all of you here in the blogosphere! As I mentioned in last week's post, we now have readers in 87 countries and I love that I can reach (and hopefully inspire) so many of you from this little blog of mine.

Not only is today exactly one year from the day I began blogging, but it's also our 100th Post! Wow, I had a lot to say, didn't I? As promised in my post on my 2010 goals, I hope to bring that number to over 250 this year. Look out blog world! ;)

I've decided to celebrate with a big cupcake! I have a favorite little shop named 'Sweet' close to my house so that is where I'll pick up my delicious, celebratory banana cupcake treat. YUM! They have some of the best tart yogurt I've ever tasted too.

This next year will be filled with a lot of fresh, new ideas, inspiring decor, fun fashion and the goods on modern manners and everyday etiquette as you all have requested and shared on our current blog poll. We will begin having regular giveaways too and will continue to answer your reader requests, so keep those questions coming!

As a way to kick off Year 2 of blogging, tomorrow I'll be posting our very first giveaway of 2010! Be sure to check back and enter for your chance to win, it's a great prize you won't want to miss!

Thank you for following me and checking in each day for the latest and greatest on being a Classy and Fabulous woman!

xoxo

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.