A Few Of My Favorite Things (Products)

I'm not going to do pictures of everything because that was the part that was taking forever.

One of my favorite discoveries of all time is Hyland's Calms Forte. It is a homeopathic sleep/nervousness remedy and it is fabulous. It's not addictive (to me). There's no drowsy hangover the next morning. I like to take it right before I get on a plane if I'm feeling some travel anxiety. I take it preemptively when I know I'm going to have a hard time getting to sleep. There have been times when it didn't help. I think my world record is taking three and I still had a hard time dropping off to sleep. I have passed this on to tons of people who also love it. My favorite was one time on a trip I gave it to a friend and the next morning she said, "It didn't work. But I did fall asleep."

DHC skincare products. The first time I tried the Deep Cleansing Oil it felt like I was washing my face with salad dressing and I wasn't convinced but now I love it. I've tried a bunch of their stuff and haven't loved all of it. Some of it I think is overpriced for what it is. I also love the Rose Oil Treatment but I tried some mascara that was nothing special and cost about 3x what a tube of Mabelline costs. I also bought some foundation make up that's like clown make up. Another good thing is they give you samples with every purchase. I try new stuff but also stock up on facial scrub and shampoo that are perfect for weekend trips.

Mrs. Meyers cleaning products. Here's an example of winning by passing out samples. They were handing out dishsoap downtown and I got one in every smell and ran out to buy the product. They smell so good.

Lavender Lane essential oils. I use essential oils for all sorts of thing: tea tree oil in the laundry, skin and scalp blends, things that smell pretty. I make a holiday blend with cinnamon, orange and clove and use a diffuser.

Wool socks. I spent my first winter in Oregon very cold and I thought it was because I wasn't used to it and didn't consider that I didn't know how to dress for crap. I like Sternlien and Smartwool.

I bought my first pair of Danskos by accident when I was using an REI gift card. The salesperson said that everyone she knew that bought them loved them and she was right. Many times I stood in an elevator or waited to pay for my groceries and exchanged a look with someone wearing Danskos. The clogs are super comfortable. I've walked all over New York City with nary a pinch. I have several pairs of sandals, too.

Eco-DenT tooth powder. I started using this stuff years and years ago when I bought it at Natures, which was purchased by Wild Oats, which was purchased by Whole Foods. The store I frequented was moved to a less convenient location and I did without Eco-DenT for awhile. Then I started buying it online. I love it and I get spectacular check-ups at the dentist. The only thing is, it doesn't have fluoride so I also use a Toms of Maine toothpaste because my teeth became really sensitive and putting cold drinks in my mouth made me scream. I passed this on to some travelers who were looking for alternatives that could be brought on an airplane and both of them returned them to me and said they didn't like it. Hm.