It’s another Brenna’s Favorite Things! It’s been a couple months since I posted one of these guys but I’m back with seven of my favorite things. Some of them are new to me and some of them are old favorites but all of them are things that I find myself recommending to my friends. So now I’m recommending them to you!
- Jord watches: I’ve been lusting after these watches all year! They’re made of wood and are such beautiful, unique watches. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a nice watch for a while now but none of them really fit my personal style. When I saw the Fieldcrest watch in a gorgeous green sandalwood I immediately knew that I needed to have one – but its price tag made it more of a special gift than a spur of the moment purchase. When the holidays rolled around my family decided to do things a bit differently and each of us contributed a little bit to one bigger present for each person…and I picked the watch! I love it so far. Its neutral but still has so much character. Now I just have to get used to wearing one and not having to look at my phone for the time all the time!
- Blissful Basil cookbook: This cookbook is beauuuutiful and I can’t wait to start making some of Ashley Melillo’s plant-based recipes. I happened upon this cookbook when I was browsing at the bookstore – up until then I had only vaguely heard of Ashley on social media. Crazily enough I had never checked out her blog! Now I am a convert. Her food philosophy lines up with mine and she uses very accessible ingredients to create healthy, flavor-packed dishes. I’m especially excited to try her chocolate chip coconut oil cookie bars and the crispy cauliflower tacos with tangy slaw + avocado crema. I love that most of her dessert recipes use oat flour almost exclusively – I always have oats on hand and they’re relatively inexpensive when compared to other gluten-free flours. I love this book already!
- Hurraw! lip balm: I’ve tried out a LOT of lip balms in my years on this earth but these are my current faves. They’re vegan, raw, organic, and are the perfect combination of hydrating and deliciously scented. I first tried the SPF 15 Sun Balm, which was a really pleasing tangerine chamomile scent, and it was perfect for the summer months. Now I’m using the licorice lip balm and I love it! I ordered a few of them for my family’s christmas stockings and Hurraw! was so cool and sent me an extra lip balm just for fun. The one they sent along was a chocolate mint scent (they don’t offer it for sale) and even though I was a bit hesitant I actually love it. Check them out – they’re an awesome company with a perfect product!
- Not Your Sugar Mamas chocolate: I’ve loved these guys for a while. This is a chocolate company founded by two kickass women on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts where I spent my childhood summers. They prefer to keep their chocolate raw, full of simple ingredients, and free of refined sugars. Just the way I like it! With flavors like salted caramel, ginger pomegranate, and rose maca they’re perfectly unique and it always feels like a treat to have some. They recently came out with tiny bars of their chocolate which makes it a lot easier to impulsively add some to your cart at Whole Foods!
- FoMu ice cream sandwiches: I am obsessed with these treats. I’m pretty sure I could give one of these monstrous cookie sandwiches to someone and they would have no clue that what they’re eating is vegan and gluten-free. Seriously. They’re that good. Two thin, chewy cookies are smushed together with a huuuuge helping of FoMu ice cream. Like I said, I’m obsessed! They ofter different flavor combinations but the only one I’ve ever had is the pure combination of chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream. It brings me back to the summer days at the pool where I would get a chipwich from the snack bar. Ahhh heaven.
- WomanCode: I read a lot about this book before I bought it – it seemed like every one of the women I respected on social media had read it and raved about Alisa Vitti and her approach to understanding women’s hormones and potentially healing yourself of hormone-related conditions through diet and lifestyle changes. Given that I have endometriosis, I’ve read my fair share of material on women’s health over the years, and Alisa’s book is a breath of fresh air. She really does focus on diet but she does it in an interesting way. By breaking down your menstrual cycle into its four phases, Alisa recommends certain foods to be eaten in each phase and explains why it is meant to benefit your body at that time. I’m almost done with the book so I’ll probably post a full review of it to the site when I’m done and have had the time to focus my thoughts. Check it out regardless of whether you have a hormonal disorder or not – there’s plenty to be learned about your body even if you don’t think you have any health issues!
- Chelsea Handler on Netflix: Okay, so hear me out. Until recently I wasn’t much of a fan of Chelsea’s humor having only really seen her on her now defunct E! talk show. But then a couple of weeks ago I decided to watch a reality miniseries she did on Netflix called Chelsea Does… In each episode she sets out to learn more about an issue or topic. The four episodes are “Chelsea Does Marriage,” “Chelsea Does Silicon Valley,” “Chelsea Does Racism,” and “Chelsea Does Drugs.” These episodes are SO well done. I was an anthropology major in college and this series is like a really approachable anthropological study of U.S. culture. And Chelsea is actually hilarious. She is completely honest about things she really doesn’t know and she is actually eager to learn more about all of these subjects. Each episode has interviews with interesting people, round-tables with celebrities, and Chelsea going on adventures in different parts of the country. It’s hard to explain what these episodes are all about but trust me when I say that you should give them a chance. I’m still thinking about a lot of the different perspectives Chelsea offers on the same issue. Speaking of Chelsea, now I’m also hooked on her eponymous talk show on Netflix … If you’re like me and you didn’t think you liked Chelsea’s humor, give her another chance. I’m not promising that you’re going to love her but there’s definitely more to meet the eye now that she’s on Netlflix.
Love, Brenna
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