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

I thought having the best hair stylist in the world is all that it would take to make my hair fabulous and manageable but the truth is, it’s only half the battle and a battle I was losing. Although my hair cut was amazing and my stylist could blow it out all smooth, I could not replicate the nice, soft, frizz-free fringe at home.

I kept hearing all the buzz about Sedu products and how they were the best but at their high price tag I thought it was some kind of gimmick and kept buying relatively inexpensive brands through beauty supply stores (Babyliss, Chi, Salano).

The problem with those brands was always weight and temperature. I thought I needed something hot and fast to blow out my fringe quickly but I always had frizzy hair with a kink from the round brush. Even after having lessons from my stylist I kept having the same issue. So I thought maybe the lower heat and speed of the Sedu would make a difference combined with the Tourmaline ionic generator.

And I hate to report it, but it really, really did. Continue reading »

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

Having fair, sensitive skin means that I’m constantly battling things such as a pimple or tiny scratch leave a red mark. And my red marks really show up and tend to take forever to heal. Using heavy retnoids and creams to make it disappear weren’t an option for me since my skin would often react to the very cream designed to heal!

Several years ago a dermatologist recommended SkinCeuticals Phyto+ to me because it’s a botanical green gel that contains Kojic acid, arbutin, and natural alternatives to hydroquinone that are designed to work synergistically to not only reduce and eliminate discoloration but also help heal your skin. The anti-imflamitory ingredients such as cucumber and thyme soothe skin and a hyaluronic acid base hydrates. What this means to me is that my skin is calmed almost instantly and what maybe took 6 moths to a year to heal (if at all) can usually heal within a month.

I use it at night under other creams, I find it a little too sticky to use during the day (but if you have the time to wait before applying creams and letting everything dry, then daytime might be fine for you). A little goes a long way so one bottle can last me about six months.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

Character lines may all be well and good but I want to keep the crowes feet at bay for as long as I can. And since the under eye skin is the most delicate and for me, the hardest to find a good cream for, I have been trying everything under the sun in terms of finding an eye cream.

But the sun, as we know, is a huge ager. So I was happy to discover Murad’s Essential-C Eye Cream with an SPF 15. Since most regular face SPF creams are too heavy for my under eye area (causing millia or make-up to ball), it was nice to find an spf made just for the eyes and promised to help work on wrinkles.

It’s become a staple eye cream for me for day-use only; it hydrates, protects and I think it’s helped lighten dark circles. I love the pump bottle (less contamination + you can see how much product is left) and the size (perfect for travel but lasts about 2 months for me). What I don’t like is that if it gets directly into your eyes it stings like crazy. I haven’t had sensitivity issues with other creams the way I have with this but if I can avoid it getting into my eyes, it’s great.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

It seems like everyone I know is always on the hunt for the perfect eye cream. The cream that will solve wrinkles, dry skin, dark circles, puffiness, millia and be non-irritating. I’m not sure if that cream exists (and I swear I’ve tried almost all of them) but this one is pretty close.

My issues are lines, dark circles, dryness and sensitivity and the SkinCueticals Eye Balm has helped me with this. It’s become my go-to eye night cream; when I wander to try something new, I almost always come back to this.

It goes on easily, is absorbed quickly, and doesn’t make my under eye concealor ball up or make my eyes water. It does hydrates and soothes really well. It doesn’t, however, do anything for dark circles or a lot of puffiness.

If you need a rich, soothing, hydrating without being sticky cream, this is a good one to try. Don’t take my word for it; reviews on countless other make review sites always list it at the top of the list, too.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

I’m a firm believer in wearing hats for several reasons; sun protection, keeps your hair color longer, looks stylish on days you don’t want to wash our hair and did I mention sun protection?

Living in Los Angeles, I both love and fear the sun. I try to do everything I can to keep my skin healthy from sunburn and melanoma which is hard to do when most of your days are sunny.

But this hat, which I’ve had for a few years in a dark brown, has been indispensable for a few reasons. First, it has a very large and bendable brim. It keeps the sun out of my eyes but because there is a light wire running along the edge, I can move and shape the brim as I please. Second, the colour and style works with a lot of different outfits from casual beach wear to more on the town dresses.

Pair it with some oversized glasses and people will be wondering, who is that girl regardless if you live in LA or not!

BUY AT: Anthropologie

I always thought chia seeds were nothing more than what gave chia pets hair. But recently I had heard a couple of people I know talk about them and their uses in various recipes. Then I saw Chia Goodness at my local Whole Foods and a few things caught my eye on the packaging.

The first was that it was entirely gluten free. The second was the nutrition that a mere two tablespoons can hold. It’s rich in Omega’s, fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, magnese, vitamin a, vitamin c, riboflavin just to name a few.  And the third thing was the simple, wonderful ingredient list: Chia seeds, Almonds, buckwheat, apples, raisins, Celtic sea salt, cinnamon and cane sugar.

The trick with chia seeds (as with chia pets) is to soak the seeds for a few minutes in whatever you’re eating it with. I put a couple of tablespoons in a plain yogurt and it was just about the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I put it on top of oatmeal and it transformed my morning breakfast. Now I’m looking for more ways to incorporate it and the possibilities seem endless.

A more than great value for a more than great healthy but very tasty treat.

BUY AT: Ruths Hemp Foods