My Favorite Things

I was using my sea salt glow...stuff, and thinking how it is one of my favorite things, and it then made me think of those episodes of Oprah where she showcases her favorite things and everyone finds stuff under their seats or whatever getting the favorite things she offered. Then I decided to make a post of some of my favorite things, as a few of them have been swirling around my mind especially in the last few days. And just to make this in true Oprah fashion, I think I'll do a giveaway, and the person who wins can choose which of my favorite things they would like me to give them. The giveaway will end on Saturday the 28th, so get your comment on sometime before then. So without further ado! My favorite things:

Amano Chocolate

Since I already extolled all the virtues of this wonderful chocolate earlier today, I won't say much, except I love loving a product where the people who make it love it and are proud of it. They pay 3-4 times the fair trade price for cocoa beans, and because of that they get better quality, but also they care about the people who grow their beans. And it is the best chocolate I have ever tasted.

There's the Rub Sea Salt Scrub

I am not a big shopper. I don't like to go out much, and I like to avoid spending money. I especially don't like to spend money on lotions and soaps and perfumes, and all sorts of things that seem frivolous and totally unnecessary to me. But when I get in certain moods, sometimes I just like to frivolously spend to kind of get me out of a funk. One such time is when I bought this. This bottle is huge, and will probably last me the rest of my life, since I use it only a few times a year, but it makes my skin feel -amazing-, so it is totally worth it. Though really I would highly recommend getting the salt thingy that goes along with my next favorite thing, as going through those people's sales pitch is so totally worth it. They are very good.

Vivo Per Lei Body Butter

So...looking at this online, I am thinking I really did get a steal on this. Like the sales guy said he was giving me a steal, but you know, you never can tell, but I got this stuff for $25, and the places online all have it for around $50. This may have to have a star next to it for the giveaway, if I can't find it for cheaper somewhere.** Anyway, this stuff is -amazing- though. This again will probably last me the rest of my life, but put that together with that salt stuff, and it is a beautiful thing. Hands so soft, legs feeling so nice. I used a fair bit today on my arms and legs, and my skin feels lovely. I am not a big fan of lotion as it has the uncomfortable oily side effect, but this stuff to me does what lotion never can, but always should have. It's amazing. Really. (Also for this one and the last one, anyone who ever shows up at house is free to use some of mine. I have a ton that I will seriously never deplete my supply for a long time.)

Cutco Knives

I sold Cutco a few years ago, and the reason I sold so much of it ($15,000 worth), is because I love it. The double D edge is heavenly, and having had mine for about 4 years now, I can say that it certainly lasts. I love the lifetime guarantee (though that is not helping me with figuring out where I have lost some things!! :P ). Going through the Amano factory today reminded me of going through the Cutco factory, and just seeing the pride the workers had for their product. Man I really have misplaced a lot of knives, and most of that being since I have moved into this house. ...Yeah ok, I had to go check, because I was like, I can't have lost like 5 knives since moving into this house, and apparently they are just put away. So yay, mystery solved! They are in the long-term, not short-term storage area. I have been wanting my slicer lately, so I am very happy to have found it. So I have all the knives in that picture, except only the petite chef knife, and not the french chef. But man oh man I do love my knives. I really want to get a block to keep them in. (Also if anyone actually decides to buy some knives, I could probably temporarily get back into selling them, so try buying through me, and I could get you a really good deal -- emails to writecrazy@gmail.com for anyone who doesn't know that).

The Diva Cup

I know I did a post on my DivaCup when I first bought it like a year and a half ago, but I still love it, and it is definitely one of my favoite things. Periods used to be an annoying time of the month when I had to be concerned about having tampons, where it seemed like I was always worried about things leaking or causing me more issues. And my period would last like a week. I hadn't really noticed, but I read on someone else's blog about a shorter period, and then I started to notice that my period is shorter, but what was more relevant to me is that I barely notice my period. Like the first day, I notice it, because I have to empty my cup a number of times because it fills quite rapidly, but then it's just a couple days of a little bit more, and then it's done. And I'm never freaked out about Toxic Shock Syndrome. I remember the hours I took at first to figure out how to learn to use it, how frustrating it was, and I have no reservations at all in saying it was completely worth it. I love my divacup, and I would never never never go back.

Advantage Wonder Cleaner

Some guy came by our house one day selling this stuff. He sold me on the product, but he was kind of annoying to me since I didn't want to buy right away. But Emily and I ended up going in together for this. I love using it, and it's supposed to be fairly safe and stuff, and it works so amazingly well. (The guy licked the tube that the solution was spraying out of, so that was pretty compelling). I don't really know what else to say but that this stuff cleans pretty awesomely, and I know my chemicals from being a janitor.

Nike Plus

When I was running, I loved my nike plus. It was so fun to hook up to my computer and see things accruing over time. It was fun to make challenges with my sister, or join up other random challenges, and have it contribute to something. I really wish they had something like this for a bike. I mean, my bike computer is okay, and keeps track of some things, but I want to be able to keep track over time how much I do, how fast I go, and hook into a website like the whole nike plus thing is set up. If I hadn't been totally destroying my joints on the concrete in Texas, I would still be running to my heart's content, adding another mile to my nike plus. But now I do love my bike too. But nike plus is great for running. (And they really need to make something I can put on my bike.

Pizzeria 712

I can't find an image that does the food and the atmosphere justice. To me, there is only one place in the Provo/Orem area (ok this is excluding Communal the restaurant made by the same people as P712) that can compete with Pizzeria 712 as far as quality of food (and especially dessert), and that is Chef's Table, which costs about 3 times as much. The food is amazing, and I love how they have a seasonal menu using as much local food as possible. The food is great, the idea is great. It is a wonderful place.

Ouidad Products

For anyone who knows me, you might have noticed that I am not the girliest girl, and do not put that much time into my appearance. There is the occasion where I do want to put some time into my appearance. For all the curly-haired ladies out there, Ouidad products are amazing. I like the shampoo and conditioner because my hair can turn out decent without me doing anything with it after getting out of the shower, and if I'm in a really girly mood, I can spend 10 minutes putting stuff in my hair to get my curls to really shine. They also have a great product for using after swimming. It is so delicious smelling, and makes my hair feel so yummy, after being so yucked by chlorinated water.

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

This book is amazing. I don't buy bread anymore. And like, sure I've had that goal for pretty much...long before I got married, but never was I actually keeping that goal until I got this book. And it is not just crap bread, this is delicious bread that I am eating pretty much every day. To me, the success of their method and recipe was clear to me when I was talking with a girl I knew in Australia who had never baked bread before and was sure that she would mess it up, and she came out of it with beautiful lovely loaves. The method works, it is easy, and it is highly delicious. This book has begun my love affair with sandwiches.

Piave de Vecchio

I do not really know how to describe the awesomeness of this cheese. My favorite cheese used to be a tie between brie and havarti, which are both great cheeses, but once I had a bit of this cheese, there was no going back. It is amazing cheese. There is no way to understand except to have some...or talk to someone who can describe cheeses. So delicious.

Balsamic Vinegar

I can't believe I forgot about balsamic vinegar! Meaning I did remember it, and then forgot it two times before I actually posted this. But then I remembered and had to add it to my list! I also love Colavita specifically, because I have tried a few different brands, and this one is one of my favorites, and even better that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other brands. Really, I love vinegar in general, but balsamic is my favorite, and of balsamic, colavita is my favorite. It is unsurprising that many of my favorite things I have blogged about before. Of course I would want to blog about them! :D

I wanted to put a book on here too, but I cannot think of any one book that qualifies as my quintissential favorite book. So perhaps I will just have to do another post on my favorite books. Thus ends my favorite things post. But check back in the next couple days, I may think of a couple things to add.

So, go ahead and comment away to enter into the give away. Comment telling me one or lots of your favorite things!

**I have checked and I think I can find something with a reasonable price for the body butter, so that is still in the running, but keep in mind that if I'm not able to at the time, you may have to use a second choice if that is your choice.