So, I guess it’s Cyber Monday, huh?? Are you doing your all shopping online like I am? Awesome! We don’t have to deal with lines! Today I’m playing Oprah and sharing my favorite things. My hope is to give you good ideas for gift giving/wish list making. All of these items are things I love. I own them ALL and consider them GAME CHANGERS. So…
HERE ARE MY FAVORITE THINGS AND LEMME TELL YOU WHHHHHHHHYYYYY!!!!
{totally Oprah voiced that}
1. Rancilio Rocky Doserless Coffee Grinder
Everyone always asks us about our coffee machine and I want to tell you that a good coffee grinder is almost more important than a coffee machine. Casey was never a fan of coffee until we went to Italy and binged on cappuccinos every morning. After we got back from our trip, he spent months researching the best coffee grinder & espresso machine combination (that we could realistically afford) and this is what we got. We saved up and haven’t looked back!
2. Silvia Version 3 Espresso Machine
When we bought this espresso machine (before Cooper was born!!) I had a little shopper’s remorse because I couldn’t believe that we would use it enough to make it worth the cost. BOY WAS I WRONG. We’ve used this machine at least 3 times a day for the past 6 years and it’s still going strong. I have my morning Americano with it and Casey always goes the cappuccino route. Whenever we go away on a trip, we always miss our espresso machine first and our own bed second. It took us a little while to perfect, but with the combo of Intellegentsia’s Black Cat Espresso and perfectly steamed whole milk we can make latte art!
3. Vitamix 1723 Professional Series 200
My mother-in-law gifted me a Vitamix for my birthday a few years ago. I really wanted one but wasn’t sure if it was worth the price tag. If I had to do it all over again, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Two words: NUT BUTTER. Wait let me add more words: soup, smoothies, pesto, ice cream! My old blender hated when I put anything frozen in it. This one is like BRING IT ON, TRACY. I’m super impressed with this machine and it’s really stepped up my kitchen game. I like that there’s a wand-stick thing (totally official wording there) that you can use while the blender is running to push down any food that doesn’t immediately get blended. You will be shocked at how much power it has. Blending takes no time at all.
4. Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Juicer
I spent a great deal of time researching this juicer. I used to have a centrifugal juicer (you may remember) and learned that the excess froth I was getting in my juice was actually burned off nutrients. I also really love green juice and my old one wasn’t the best at getting the best out of the fruits/vegetables I put in it. This one is AMAZING. I marvel at how much juice is extracted from the greens now. Game changer! Slow mastication/cold press is where it’s at. This machine is super quiet, pretty easy to use and it feels so much safer than my last machine. Cooper loves using it and now I can easily get him to try green juice cuz he’s involved in the process.
5. Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler
My impulse buy turned into a year long obsession. Besides our coffee machine setup, this griddler/panini machine is the second most used appliance in our kitchen. My brother always tells me I make the best toast (THANKS TO THIS MACHINE!) and I don’t think he’s wrong. My toaster feels SO NEGLECTED now because it only gets used to heat up frozen waffles. Still not tempted? Check out the paninis you can make: Turkey Broccoli Cheddar Panini, Turkey + Pepper Panini, Broccolini Panini , Prosciutto & Fig Panini . I can’t wait to dream up more combinations for you.
I used to be that person who carried too many books in my car and purse. Ugh..my aching back!! I would lug them around and feel really guilty/annoyed when I didn’t read them! Now I have my kindle tucked into a pocket of my bag and I take it on the go. It’s light weight and stores SOOOO many books so I can read what I’m in the mood to read. I love the fact that you can change the fonts (weirdo alert!) on the books you’re reading to suit your visual preference. It’s obviously hooked up to your Amazon account so downloading is a breeze if you’re connected to wi-fi!
I’ve had three cases since I got my iPhone last year and this one is by far my favorite. I have a constant case of the drops and the rubber/plastic on this case provides a really good grip. I love the orange band around the case because it’s easy for me to spot from far away. Plus…HELLO is that design made for me or what?! Orla or bust!
8. Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper
I think you may already know how obsessed I am with this popcorn maker (ahem Toasted Coconut Popcorn Hot Cocoa Popcorn & Truffled Popcorn). I wanted to get an air-popper and after hours of researching, Casey found out that this popper was hands-down the best popcorn popper! He’s not wrong. It’s super easy to use, reasonably priced and the KEY TO THE BEST POPCORN EVER.
I really love my Clarisonic!! It makes my skin so clean & soft. I only wish I was more motivated to use it everyday (ahem, I AM REALLY LAZY and can barely add flossing to my nighttime routine). But when I do, my skin thanks me. It’s especially important this time of year to slough away dead skin. This will help!
10. Banana Republic Amalfi Nylon Tote
I’ve had this bag for a couple of months and LOOOOOOOVE it. It has so many well designed pockets. I like that it’s kinda fancy and kinda casual at the same time. It’s so good that I haven’t had the urge to go out and find it’s replacement. GOOD SIGN. The best part is that the lining is in a cool leopard fabric. I’m a sucker for a bag with good lining.
11. Votivo Aromatic Candle Red Currant
My favorite candle/scent of all time. Sometimes I walk past this candle in my bedroom and stop to huff it. I want everything to smell like that in my house. The best part is that when you burn it, it ACTUALLY smells like the scent. I really hate when you buy a scented candle and the perfume wears off after the first burn. It makes a great host/hostess gift! AHEM.