A few more of my favorite things...

We all love good stuff right?   I do.

I am a HUGE sucker for reading reviews on products.  Matt will laugh at me because before making purchases I'll often say, "I'll get online and read reviews about it".  I just like to know that what I am buying is GOOD. 

That being said, I also loooove reading bloggers favorite things posts!  It's sooo great to learn about new products and find things that I didn't even know I needed (Thanks Amanda for the disposal cleaner suggestion on your blog - love it)! 

Anyhooooo...here are a few of my current favorites!  Who knows, maybe they will become yours too!

Many of you know that I am in love with natural and holistic things in my home.  When I'm at our local health food market I often spend time looking at their selection of first aid products.  We always have scratches, scraped knees, etc. - especially in the summer - in our house and I would prefer to put something natural on it if possible.  I randomly found Sovereign Silver one day and I didn't even need it...but it seemed like good stuff for cuts, scratches, burns, etc.  Well my friends - I am HOOKED.  My mom had a rash on her arm this winter and used it.  She went on and on about how great it worked.  Last week I was making stir fry and I burned my wrist.  It hurt like a  ------ (fill in the blank)!!!!  I went and grabbed this stuff and slathered a bit on.  The pain INSTANTLY went away.  Love that it works.  Love that it's natural. 

As many of you know my sis is a hair stylist.  She had been telling me for awhile that I needed to get a GOOD salon quality blowdryer.  I just didn't want to fork out the dough on something I use a whopping 15 minutes a day.  Last month the blowdryer I was using died and I purchased a $20 replacement blowdryer.  It sucked.  It barely blew any air out and my hair would take forever to dry.  I told my sis to get me a "good" blow dryer...but I didn't need a "really really really good" blowdryer (I just didn't think it was worth the money).  Well that girl - love her- surprised me and got me like the BEST blowdryer EVER for my birthday - a Solano.   When I tell you this thing ROCKS...I mean it.  I didn't realize what I was missing.  It's worth every single penny.  On top of that since it's a salon quality dryer it should last twice as long (or more!) as the hairdryers I was previously using.  Rock on Sista...

Eva's school teaches reading using a program called Saxon Phonics.  This means that Eva is learning all of her letters/sounds phonetically...which is GREAT (and will be amazing in the long run)...but it also means that she can't just pick up a book like most children her age and read it cover to cover quite yet.   If she hasn't learned the letter/sound phonetically (for example, she hasn't learned long vowel sounds yet) she can't read it.  She looooves reading and I know that she wants to read books....so hellllloooooo BOB books.  These books build on eachother phonetically (so, for example, the books don't have long vowel sounds until later on).  She got the first box set for Christmas and we just finished it.  She's super excited to get the second box set now. 

For the record I am NOT a workout DVD girl.  I always refused to work out to DVD's for numerous reasons.  However, last year I joined a gym and got a personal trainer.  I loooved the gym and my personal trainer...but I didn't love taking the time to GO.  Yes, I know...lazy.  However, this winter I was not getting ANY exercise.  I knew I had to do something.  I'm not sure what made me decide to try the Jillian Michaels Shred DVD (it could be that it was on sale at Target) but I purchased it and decided to give it a whirl.  My mom said she would join me (gotta love a workout partner)...and the rest is history.  I am hooked.  I love it so much that I went out and purchased another Jillian DVD.  Now, I will be the first to admit that Jillian can annoy the crap out of me at times...but I looove the exercises she does and I love that the Shred DVD is only about 30 minutes.  On top of that, I can see (and feel) results....and that is reason enough to stick with it!

I am an Italian girl...but unfortunately our family did not come from the part of Italy known for the olive skin tones and dark hair.  We are from Calabria and that means blonde hair and blue eyes!!!  Regardless, I love the look of that dark olive skin tone and since I don't use tanning beds I was just dealing with being pale all winter the past few years.  Then I found Bare Escentuals Faux Tan.  I looked it up after seeing it on QVC and (of course) read all the reviews.  It's not going to give you that deeeep dark golden glow of summer (or Italian genetics) but I can assure you after having it for a year now...it's good stuff.  When I am feeling pale and pasty I slather a bit of this on and keep it on for a few hours (I usually do it a few days in a row).  After using it I often have people ask me if I've been tanning!!! 

Have a great day friends!
Hugs -
Jamie