A few of my favorite thiiiiiiings (and GRC Week 4)

Who says Oprah is the only one who can have a list of favorite things?  If "favorite things" has some sort of a copyright, please don't sue me Oprah or staff!!

Since the month is coming to a close, I wanted to share a few favorite things I've been smelling/using/eating/drinking/watching so that you can enjoy them too!

Favorite Candle:  Cinnamon Frosting by Bath & Body Works
Vanilla, cloves and buttermilk all melted together in a waxy ball of goodness.  I love love love BBW 3 wick candles as they last for so long and have really lovely scents that aren't too perfumey or over powering.

Cinnamon Frosting Candle by BBW

Favorite Shower Gel:  Sea Island Cotton by Bath & Body Works
I maaaaaayyyyyy have a total of 15 BBW shower gels in my linen closet right now.  I'm a wee bit particular with which scents correspond with which seasons.  One can't walk around smelling like a Japanese Cherry Blossom in October!!  For instance, I have one scent, Bali Mango, that I will only use during the summer and when I'm in the Caribbean for work or on vacation.  The gels are arranged by season in the closet.  The same is true for my 11 bottles of BBW hand soap.

Sea Island Cotton Shower Gel by BBW

I keep three scents in my shower at all times and I switch them out, whether they are empty or not, depending on the weather.  One is my going out gel which is always a scent I really love and don't want to use up too quickly.  The second is one I use if I have a a work event or some sort of social occasion and wanted to smell nice but not going-out-nice.  Then, the third, is more of an everyday just-around-the-house or got-back-from-the-gym soap that isn't anything too special but that I still really enjoy.  Sea Island Cotton is the perfect third soap because it smells like... well... soap!  It has a nice light scent and reminds me a bit of fresh clean laundry.  Mmmmmmm...

Favorite Tea:  Earl's Garden by David's Tea
If you like (or love) Earl Grey tea, you will like (or love) Earl's Garden.  I bought a bag for a friend one time and she loved it so she got me hooked on it.  I then got my mother hooked on it and I just recommended it to another friend this morning.  It has the coziness of Earl Grey but with hints of strawberries, raspberries and black currant.

Earl's Garden Tea by David's Tea

Favorite TV Personality:  Parker Schnabel from Gold Rush Alaska
Judge away but T and I spend our Sunday nights watching shows about gold mining.  Gold Rush Alaska followed by Bering Sea Gold followed by, our personal favorite, Jungle Gold.  Despite the fact that George and Scott on Jungle Gold are completely jacked badass hotties who run around Ghana putting armed men in chokeholds, Parker Schabel completely warms my heart.

Parker Schnabel from Gold Rush Alaska

He's this adorable teenage kid who works so hard to continue the gold mining legacy of his 93-year-old grandfather, John.  He's so sweet and I just love him.

Favorite Recipe:  No-Bake Energy Bites by Gimme Some Oven
You didn't think I'd end this without including my GRC Week 4 recipe did you?!  I never have difficulty finding good dinner ideas but I struggle with breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the week.  This little nuggets are great to have in the fridge to grab whenever you need a boost.  They took about 30 seconds to throw together and will stay fresh in the fridge for about a week.  I used Banana Nut instant oatmeal by Quaker.

No-Bake Energy Bites by Gimme Some Oven

What are some of your favorite products and recipes?  Comment below or tweet me @darbyvt.

Try everything that ever made you wonder...

Maybe it's the spirit of the Olympics or the exciting things going on around with my friends lately (shout out to those with new jobs, babies, husbands/wives, houses, etc!) but I think I'm slowly starting to get into this new go-get-'em mind set.  This week, I've found myself correcting my own negative thoughts and really trying to focus on all of the good.  By interrupting the negativity, I'm worrying less, feeling more calm and have more positive energy throughout the day.

In my last post, I talked about three things I wanted to work on- Saying "yes" more, conquering fears and being nicer.  All week, I've been keeping these goals in mind and have tried to seek out some new things to try.

Originally, when I vowed to say "yes!" more, I pictured wild adventures and risk taking.  Although I hope that some great stories come out of saying "yes", this week showed me that saying "no" to one thing can be saying "yes" to another.  Passing up a night of going out with friends because I need a quiet night at home is saying a huge "yes" to my needs.  In this case, it wasn't due to laziness or a lack of wanting to hang out.  It was just a need of my space and time.  But that also opened up a "yes" opportunity to get up early on Sunday morning and go for breakfast with my brother and his girlfriend which I am rarely able to do since I would have been hiding under the covers all day.  All in all, a positive "no but actually yes" scenario.

I have also been talking some time to unwind a bit in the evenings with a pot of tea, a candle and a book.  Right now I'm reading Half Blood Blues by Canadian Esi Edugyan.  My candle of the moment is Bahama Fizz from Bath & Body works and my tea is Birthday Cake from Davids Tea.

Lots of things intimidate and scare me in this world and I have the tendency to back away when things get tough. I've been eyeing the gym across the street for a year now and finally seized the day and got myself a membership.  I had an awesome trainer show me around and give me a bit of a workout routine and it's amazing how quickly I've started to see positive changes in my energy level.  I've even found myself loving spin class which may or may not have anything to do with the fact that my instructor looks and acts like Jef from Emily's season of the Bachelorette...  He told me I had great form and I almost fell off the bike.  But anywhoo...  The exercise has really been a motivator to pay a bit more attention to what I'm eating and start working on a healthier balance when it comes to meals.  On that note, I purchased a bag of Bacon Ranch popcorn from Popcorn Indiana (http://www.popcornindiana.com/buy/10).  Don't do it.  Nasty, nasty stuff.

Aside from the everyday holding the door open and please-and-thank-you's, my be nice highlight of the week was in my own apartment building.  There is an elderly man who lives on my floor.  He's known as a bit of a Chatty Calvin.  If you make eye contact or say hello, you're stuck talking to him for days.  Last time I said hello, he brought pictures of his deceased wife out of his wallet and told me all about their life together.  I typically avoid him when I'm coming and going from the building.  I saw him on a park bench outside the other day and, although everything in me told me to keep on walking, I stopped and said hello.  He simply smiled, said "Nice day!" and I was off and on my way.  I feel bad for dissing the poor guy.  I look forward to stopping to chat with him a bit more next time.

The long weekend is approaching and I look forward to more opportunities to challenge myself continue to strive for positive changes.  I encourage you to do the same.  I'd love to hear all of your comments and ideas below.

Until next time,
Darby

Follow me @darbvt