I am cold pretty much all the time, even if it’s 100F and I’m wearing a parka. And while I love my flat, it’s hard to keep warm since it has lots of window and 3 outside walls, none of which are energy efficient. I also have gas heating which is expensive and just kind of blows out of the ceiling vents, staying up top and not really heating the space down below.

This lead me to look for a space heater since I didn’t really need to heat my whole place at once. I wanted something movable, easy to use (and install), inexpensive, silent and efficient. After a lot of research I found the Bionaire Silent Micathermic Flat-Panel Radiator Heater.

First, it was very easy to set up since it’s light and only has three parts. Within minutes I had it turned on and heating my room – quietly. There is literally no noise when this is running yet it really does manage to get the heat throughout the room, perfect since I spend most of my time in my office which is really the living room that connects to an open kitchen. Toasty!

There are two levels of heat and you can select a setting you want and the heater will keep it at that setting, shutting off for periods of time to save energy and turning on to keep it at your preferred setting.

If you have children or pets, you don’t have to worry; it’s not going to burn them if they touch it and if it tips over, it automatically shuts off. It’s also very light so you can move it from room to room if you need to (I sometimes move it to them bathroom to help dry hanging clothes).

BUY AT: AMAZON

I love olive oil whether it’s to cook with or as a base for my salad dressing. What I don’t like is my inability to use just a little bit! So in trying to cut back in over doing it, I discovered the Oil Mister from Williams Sonoma.

With a built in filter that works wonders if you add herbs and garlic to your oil, this non-aerosol mister easily sprays just the perfect amount of oil. It’s much more economical and eco-friendly that those areosol sprays in the supermarket, and this way, you get to choose what oil and what herbs (if any).

With just a few pumps you get a lot of spray which allows for easy coating of a pan or a coating on your salad as well the spray allows for a lot less oil being used which is great for those who are trying to keep their fat intake down or who are trying to save money by not using up their expensive oil all at once!

BUY AT: Williams Sonoma

Having a very small living room I really needed to define the space, especially since I had an office in it and my kitchen opened up to it. The best way I thought was to buy a 5X8 rug. Easy, right?

Wrong.

I wanted something that would withstand a lot of wear and tare because I have a dog that tracks in everything and a kitty who loves to lounge and scratch a carpet. I also wanted something eco-friendly that wouldn’t have a lot of chemicals put onto or dyes that would come out. Reversible, too in case of spills or accidents and the kicker? Under $150.

I scoured every online web site I could think of, visited countless stores but most rugs were either out of my price range for the size I needed or didn’t match all of my criteria. So I was so happy when West Elm launched these eco-friendly Jute Rugs for $129.

Because everything I have is white or light and I didn’t want to darken the space, I chose the rug in Ivory. It has really enhanced my furniture, defined the space and made it cosy. The jute is soft to the barefoot (no scratching as with some natural rugs), durable (has survived a vacuum and a kitty) and really stylish (goes with my modern, boho, shabby look). Best of all? It’s eco-friendly, sustainable, and affordable!

Buy at: West Elm

I am by no means a cook especially because I don’t enjoy cooking. All the pots, pans and timing are honestly just too much for me. But when when I saw some one pot recipes involving french/dutch ovens, I thought I found something I could do.

Searching for a well made, hardy, sizable and affordable oven was a challenge. There are a lot on the market for a lot of money. I wasn’t comfortable shelling out $100 or more dollars for something I wasn’t sure would work or be used a lot.

A friend directed me to QVC where she had recently bought the Staub Cast Iron 5qt French oven. She told me since they have a 30 day money back guarantee if I didn’t like it, back it would go. So I bought it.

That was about four months ago and I kid you not, I use this about three times a week. Granted I’m making the same chicken dish but I love it. It has made cooking a fantastic, easy experience.  Staube has been in business for over 30 years and has received numerous awards and high ratings. This cast iron oven has a honeycomb surface which is needed for even heat distribution. The lid has basting spikes which helps keep food inside moist whilst cooking. It’s dishwasher and oven safe and can also go straight to the table. Easy clean up, too.

With this I have been able to buy inexpensive pieces of meet (whole chicken legs) and within 45minutes have tender, juicy chicken meat that can be enough for 4 meals. Now that’s my kind of cooking.

BUY AT: QVC

Fluffy, pretty, down pillows has always been my bed accessory of choice; there’s nothing like falling into softness at the end of a hard day. But unfortunately, I wasn’t waking up soft and happy but stiff and cranky.

My chiropractor recommended the Therapeutica Sleeping Pillow for me to try but I resisted; I had tried similar orthopedic pillows in the past with disastrous results. Some were only meant for back sleepers and some for only side sleepers but none worked for those of us who do both. But the Therapeutic pillow is designed for both so I thought I’d give it a try.

I was told to give it two weeks as my muscles in my neck adjusted. The first couple of nights my neck felt sore and I could really feel things adjusting. I woke up several times during the night but overall, I woke up way less sore. After a week I noticed a real improvement in both how I felt and how I slept.

Being on the small size I opted for the adult petite but wish I had gone for the average size that I had tested only because i like the side to be a little higher. If you’re 5″4 and over I’d recommend average but even with the petite I’m still sleeping pretty!

BUY AT: Amazon

I love pretty things, I love simple things, I love holiday things. Put that together and what have you got? More than just bibbitybobbityboo – you’ve got the Santa Lucia Ornaments by Roost.

These beautiful, intricately carved birch veneer snowflakes come in a set of 12 (if you buy the small) in a pretty little wooden box with four panels inside. The box alone is pretty (perfect for holiday gift giving) but the snowflakes really do steal the show.

With burnt edges to define the shape and golden thread in which to hang, these ornaments would look lovely on any tree – simple or not – or even as a fall mobile hanging overhead.

BUY AT: Velocity Design

Generally a day doesn’t go by that I don’t have tea; it gets me up in the morning, it gives me a kick in the afternoon and it comforts me just before bed. I’m extraordinarily picky about my tea and how it’s made so finding the perfect tea pot has been a trial by a lot of errors process.

One of my favourites (and the one I’ve only been using the past several months) is the Bee House 15oz Tea Pot. I love this pot because it’s small, cute, and beautiful but also because  it has it’s own stainless steel infusers that fits in nicely (and removes just as nice) and also because the lid can easily come off, stay open, or close shut. It retains heat wonderfully without having the handle get scolding hot. And the best part? No drips!

With summer coming up, I just purchased the 45oz Teapot in a beautiful green which is perfect for Ice Tea (brewing, storing, serving). Both pots clean easily (either by hand or the dishwasher) and come in a variety of colours. And the smaller one goes perfect with my favourite Lily Crowned Tea Cosy.

BUY AT: Bee House Teapots

I survive on tea and must always have a cup on hand. It can sometimes take me a fair bit to get through a cup so that when I go for my second (or third!), the tea in the pot has usually cooled off. I’ve searched for years for the perfect tea cosy but since I didn’t want one that had cats, pom poms or was crocheted I seemed to out of luck.

Whilst browsing on Etsy I came across the Lily Crowned Tea Cosy which suited my aesthetics’s and tea warming purposes perfectly!

Lined with an insulating layer of batting and decorated with a vintage image on French vintage linen sheets and stamped on image, these hand made cosy’s are not only pretty but practical. I loved tea before but having this to put on makes it even better (Tip: I put warm water in the tea pot whilst brewing water and put the tea cosy on top so that the pot stays extra warm).

The cosy’s come in a couple of sizes so check the measurements and buy the one that’ll fit your pot the best.

BUY AT: Gloaming Designs Etsy Shop

Two of my favourite places (France & Denmark) team to make one of my not favourite things (washing dishes) more pleasant. “This effective and nontoxic, detergent-free dish soap quickly removes it all from your dishes without harming your skin or the environment. Scented with essential oils, this special formula leaves your dishes smelling naturally clean” so says the web site and frankly, I couldn’t have said it better. What I love is the size, style and the fact that it has a pump dispenser. The scent is heavenly and really does help when you’re washing up caked on food that might not be so nice. Not that I let things cake on. Well. Maybe.

In any event, this product of Denmark with its French name and feel really works weather you’ve a sink full of nasty dishes or one delicate tea cup to rinse out. I love the fact that it’s eco-friendly with a short ingredient list so I don’t have to worry about leaving a chemical film on dishes that I eat off. And I confess I’m always a sucker for pretty packaging and a good story – especially when it all works together to form a great product like this.

BUY AT: Anthropologie in the US or at Isabella Smith for Europe

I’ve only had a dishwasher a handful of times in my life and confess that I actually really don’t like them for a myriad of reasons. But for a long time it was because I couldn’t find a decent eco-friendly washing liquid/powder to get the dishes clean without chemicals. I didn’t want things I couldn’t pronounce leaving a film on my dishes that I’d have to eat off. And I didn’t want that run off to go into streams. But eco-friendly detergents just didn’t cut it.

That is until I found Biokleen’s Automatic Dish Powder. I had had really good success with biokleens Bac Out which I have recommended to everyone and their mama so I decided to try this powder since, by purchasing it at Whole Foods, if it didn’t work out I could return it. However, it worked on the first go even with caked on eggs, chocolate batter stuck on bowls and a few delicate peices of china.

Because it’s concentrated, a little goes a long way making it a great value. And it’s completely natural so it’s good for the environment or for people with cemical sensitivities and allergies. And for me the best part is that there is no fragrance! I’ve always found fragrances with dishwshers to be slightly overwhelming, not so with this!

So if you do use a dishwsher but want a great, eco-friendly option, I heavily recommend biokleen.

BUY AT: Whole Foods & Drugstore.com