My favorite things (aka my product endorsements)

 So, I feel like doing a "favorite things" post, a la Oprah without the free giveaways (sorry).

First off:  Chocolate.  I have become a chocolate snob.  I am no longer a fan of Hershey's or any of those common chocolate bars you can get anywhere.  I want Ghirardelli.  In fact, I have figured out that I'm not a fan of Nestle products either.  I've been baking a lot of the chocolate chip cookie recipe I posted awhile back, and I've found that the cookies made with Ghirardelli Semi sweet chocolate chips are just plain better. I have actually been to Ghirardelli square, though I've never taken the tour.  They do have a fabulous ice cream shop, and it's a favorite of my family to visit when we're there together.

I do, however, have a close 2nd favorite, which I generally buy because it's cheaper, and you get more in a bag for the price... and that is....

 A friend of mine back in the 00's turned me onto Dove Promises, and those promises have been kept.  I like it because it's rich and creamy.  Ghirardelli is great in baked goods, but if I want to just pop a piece of chocolate to melt in my mouth, Dove might actually overtake them, now that I think about it.  Ghirardelli's a bit more dry.

Okay, that's the only food thing I'm going to talk about.  The rest are all health and beauty items.

Hair: Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner

This shampoo and conditioner has totally changed my hair.  I cannot rave enough about it.  I started using it about six months ago, mainly because I love the smell of coconut.  If I could smell like suntan lotion year round, that would be good with me.  But I also read somewhere that straight coconut oil helps thicken thin hair, which I had.  I swear to you, my friend, using this every day transformed my hair.  I've always had thin hair that didn't have much volume, though I have always had a bit of a wave in my hair.  This has thickened up my hair, and it has helped keep the color I have in my hair from getting brassy. My hair dresser has also noticed a big difference in my hair.  She told me the last time I was in that she thought that the bleaching she does (she lightens my hair up a bit as well as puts a little red in some of it), would cause a lot of breakage in my hair as it does for her other clients, but she still isn't finding that to be true with my hair.  I use this shampoo and conditioner almost every day and I so rarely have a bad hair day that it's even more traumatic now when I have one.  haha.

Face Wash: Simple Foaming Cleanser

 I can't take credit for finding this one.  My sister bought a bottle of this when she was home last summer and I accidentally on purpose tried it out while she was here.  I used to get this really annoying zit right under my chin once a month or more that would take two weeks to go away, and since I started using this, I have not seen one zit on my face, neck, etc.  It's more gentle than the Aveeno Foaming cleanser I was using.  I think it's just better for combination skin, which btw, who does not HAVE combination skin?  

Bath and Body works bath/shower gel: Eucalyptus Spearmint 

Now, I like ever other person, loves Bath and Body stuff, but they always seem to get rid of my favorite scents!!! So annoying!  One year, there were two they released that I loved, "Rain Kissed Leaves" and "Dancing Waters."  I can still find Dancing Waters every now and again, but not too often.  Luckily, this aromatherapy scent hasn't gone anywhere.  It is a "wake me up" smell, very minty, but it also leaves my skin feeling kind of cool, which I also like.  I typically use this on mornings when I have a long day ahead.

But you know I don't use that every day! It's like $15 a bottle!

Aw yeah, buddy, the Walmart brand shower gel: Tea Tree Oil

So this is the stuff I use most of the time.  It's pretty sudsy, good for combination skin, and it smells clean, which is something I look for.  When I say it smells clean, I mean it doesn't smell fruity or florally or like sugar cookies or vanilla-ey (a scent I abhor). It just smells clean.  Like the good ol' days when we only had Zest-fully clean and Prell in the bathtub. Oh, btw, Walmart is the only one who sells this stuff but it's only $3.88 a bottle and it's a HUGE bottle.

Oral-B rechargeable cheapy toothbrush

A few years ago, I really wanted to get a spin brush that was rechargeable, but I didn't want to spend $50 or more on one of those fancy ones.  I was looking at them, and I realized this jobby above was there and it was literally $12.99.  Or maybe $14.99.  Either way, significantly cheaper, but still gets the job done that it needs to do.  

Best Razor EVER

Now, ladies, if you are still using a "Venus" or some stupid women's razor, let me clue you into something:  There is a reason women use their husband's razor.  It works better.  This one in particular.  My friend sold me on this one.  This razor vibrates which moves the blades a little bit more.  I think there are 3? maybe 4? blades on this sucker, and that vibration makes sure I get every little pale blonde hair I want to get off of me, off.  Love this razor.  Takes a AAA battery. And you can still put it under water.

Bee's Balm

I am not huge into makeup.  I'm lucky if I do mascara at this point.  I still do eye makeup if I'm meeting people out, but I reserve full on foundation, etc for weddings, funerals and singing competitions (all of which I could actually be singing).  One thing I rely on heavily is Lip Balm, and this one is my favorite.  It tingles just a little bit because of the peppermint in it.  I have a thing for mint.

The Ultimate Health and Beauty Aid

Okay, this is my favorite thing.  I use this ALL THE TIME.  It is like Icy Hot on crack.  It is like Vick's Vapor Rub on Steroids.  It is crazy pungent.  I use it for dry skin, for bruises, for aches and pains.  If I pull a muscle, I rub some on the muscle.  If I have a cold, I put some on my chest, on my neck and on the soles of my feet.  I have become so used to using this, that if I can't sleep, I rub it on my neck and the smell just helps me drift off.  I've used it on restless leg at night with varying success.  I use this so much that my family and I joke about it all the time. I've used this to relieve sinus pressure.  I canNOT say enough about this stuff, but this is something that I would probably have to send you, because I get it at a local health food store and have not seen it at Walmart or any other of those stores.  

I hope you enjoyed my product endorsement post.  Let me know what you think.