Favorite Communication App!

My latest favorite app (available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and more) is What's App.

A friend from London introduced me to it and now I'm addicted. If you travel or have friends that travel or live out of the country, this is a must-have app.

What's App allows you to text message, leave voice messages, and more, for free, using data. In order to use it, you do have to allow the program to sync with your contact list and those you want to communicate with, will also need to use the program but the money you save avoiding international texting charges and the convenience the app provides make it worth it.

The app costs 99 cents, and while I generally don't use apps that cost anything, this one I'd put on a Best Buy list.

My new favorite trick: Two bags of Stash Peppermint Herbal Tea in a pitcher of water gives it a refreshing, sugar-free, taste of mint.

 I like water but occasionally I find it hard to drink enough and adding a little flavor makes it easier to drink more. Things like Crystal Lite and other products designed to add flavor to water contain sugar and chemicals -- none of which I want in my water.
Cucumber slices, lemons, and limes are great but I don't always get to the store and they are perishable so they aren't something I can keep on the shelf for just-in-case occasions. Other types of tea would work too but, I prefer caffeine-free and many herbals don't appeal to me. In the past, I used an herbal vanilla-hazelnut tea but it was a little too sweet for my taste.

No need to boil the water or even place the pitcher in the sun, just throw the tea bags into the pitcher and leave until the water has the flavor you desire. Easy!

Favorite Things: Michael Kors iPhone Wristlet

Available at Nordstrom, this Michael Kors iPhone Wristlet is the perfect go to when you aren't interested in carrying a purse. The only thing missing is a space for lipstick. Tuck your iPhone, a credit card and your ID into the pockets, loop the strap around your wrist and go. I frequently clip my keys to it and have everything I need in one handy spot. I also use this in place of my regular wallet when I carry my purse; it's smaller and lighter yet easy to find in my bag. Available in a few colors.

Memory Lane

My latest iPhone obsession is an app called Warships.

Remember playing Battleship? It's back.

Favorite Shoes

As much as I adore my high heels, age and parenthood have taught me that comfort is key for daily wear. Attilio Giusti Leombruni Ballet Flats are slipper-comfortable and look nice enough to wear to work or dinner. Butter-soft leather means you don't need to wear them in before they are comfortable.

The soles are leather so if you are hard on your shoes and want them to last longer, it's a good idea to take them to a cobbler and have a rubber sole applied.

To Your Health

Fish oil, specifically Omega-3, is hot right now and for a reason. It contributes to a healthy heart, reduces inflammation, can improve your skin, lessen joint pain, improve brain function and even may lower the risk of certain types of cancers.*

If you don't consume enough fish oil through your regular diet, there are a number of supplement options available. Fish oil capsules are one of the easiest and most accessible sources of fish oil outside of diet. When buying capsules, check the amount of DHA and EPA because that's what you should be measuring, not fish oil alone. The benefits of capsules include portability and cost. The downside is that many people have a difficult time swallowing the often large capsules and it's not uncommon for people to experience heartburn or a fishy taste after taking them. In addition, if one is taking a variety of supplements or medication for any reason, adding a number of fish oil capsules can exacerbate the feeling that you're constantly swallowing pills.

I take fish oil to help with my dry eye issues and recently, through an introduction on the DryEyeZone.com, decided to try Barlean's Omega Swirl as an alternative to capsules. One tablespoonful and I was sold. It tastes great (a slight fishy taste if you are really perceptive and let it linger on your tongue but it's barely perceptible), has a nice texture and rather than choking down 4+ large capsules, I simply take a spoonful of Barlean's twice a day. The only downside is that it costs more than capsules and requires refrigeration (not so hot for travel). I'm not a huge fan of lemon or orange so I purchased the Pina Colada flavor and I like it well enough that I'm looking forward to trying the other flavors. It's going to be tough to go back to capsules for travel.

Barlean's Omega Swirl rates Highly Recommended in my book.

*Fish oil has many health benefits but it is possible to consume too much, particularly if you have certain health issues. Please talk to your doctor and familiarize yourself with the side effects and risks if you are adding fish oil, or any supplement, to your diet.

**Note added 7/18/2011:
I emailed Barlean's regarding gluten and dairy in their products and I received this very nice & informative email back:

Thank you for writing into us! In regards to gluten, our products are formulated with gluten free components. Our facility adheres to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) but we do not test all our products for gluten at this time. Our Omega Swirls are the only products that are specifically tested for gluten at this time. They are considered gluten free. Our Barlean's Greens contain Wheat Leaf and Barley Leaf- these are harvested at the shoot stage before they have had a chance to make gluten. There should be no reason our Greens contain gluten however again, we do not actively test them for gluten.

While we have no reason to believe there is gluten in our products, we do always have to take into consideration that there could be some sort of cross-contamination. This is particularly true as we deal with products that come from seeds (ie: borage and flax). A very possible example of this could be that a truck that was used to haul wheat might contain gluten residue. Or wind could carry some wheat kernels into a neighboring field of organic flaxseeds. The product is free of dairy, casein, and lactose. I hope that this is helpful. Have a wonderful day and best of health!

Danniel Davenport
Customer Service & Account Representative
Bachelor of Science in Nutrition
www.barleans.com

Favorite Things: Dessert

YUM. None of my favorite ice cream or Coconut Bliss flavors were available tonight when we stopped for an after dinner grocery run. I was a bit distraught until I spied Talenti Sea Salt Caramel. I'd never tried Talenti before but this seemed the perfect opportunity as I love salted caramel. I wasn't disappointed. A beautiful texture with chunks of chocolate covered caramel treasure buried inside.

Rated: Highly Recommended

Cheese

I love the Zyliss classic cheese grater. It's better than any of those box-style graters, IMO. Maybe it's just me but every time I grate cheese with a traditional style grater, I end up grating my fingers and / or nails -- not only is it painful but it's gross. The Zyliss classic cheese grater is easy to use and there's no risk of finger / nail damage. Yay!

It's not practical if you need a large amount of cheese but I've used it for up to a cup at a time before. Additionally, the cheese is finely grated which allows you to cover a larger area with less cheese, flavor with fewer calories.

More Favorites

AmLactin Moisturizing Lotion

I recently started waxing my legs and regular exfoliating in the shower wasn't enough to prevent ingrown hairs for me, probably because my hair is really fine. Adding an alpha-hydroxy lotion has helped a lot. I like it well enough that I've been using it all over.

UrbanWaxx

Best place in Portland to get your legs waxed. The service is fantastic, they do a great job and everyone is really nice.

Lululemon

Seems everyone is wearing it these days and there's a reason. It's not inexpensive but it's the most flattering and best-fitting workout wear I've found. My favorite tanks are the Deep V and the Power Y. Pants -- you can't go wrong with the Groove Pant.

Floppy Seat

My baby is no longer using high chairs and she generally wants to walk rather than ride at the grocery store. Still, this is a favorite because I now love to buy them as baby gifts. I loved the Floppy Seat when Daughter was young because I didn't have to worry about her putting her hands and mouth on a grimy restaurant high chair or grocery cart. It also provided a bit of padding in case she decided to take a nap (which happened occasionally when she was younger).

My favorite things...

Aquafor

I started using it for the baby's diaper rash, both to prevent and to heal. DD has sensitive skin and I've found it works great to prevent rashes if I use it all over her after bath. I like using it too; I slather my hands and feet with Aquafor before bed and dry skin, be gone!

Extreme Training
Best training facility in Portland. Top notch equipment and fantastic trainers.

Haagen-Daz Fleur de Sel Caramel
You didn't think I worked out just for the fun of it, did you? This is the best ice cream since the demise of my old favorite, Haagen-Daz Cappuccino Commotion.

Olympia Oysters on the half-shell
One of the smallest oysters out there.

White Truffle Cream
Spread on a crusty baguette, decadent!

Semiramis Pastries
Hands down, the best baklava I've ever had in my life. DH and I discovered them in London but it appears the London store is no longer in operation.

I'm not sure what it says about me that so many of my favorite things are food! I should probably mention that I don't eat the above foods on a regular basis (=

Carry on... Or don't but, pack like a pro

Packing is my thing. I'm *really* good at it. If you can carry on your luggage versus check, you can arrive later at the airport, you save time when you arrive (no waiting for the carousel!) and you don't have to worry about lost luggage. Carrying on is also immensely convenient if you miss your flight or connection (trust me!).

Some of the items in my arsenal of packing tricks...

Lush Massage Bars instead of lotion. They sell tins to keep them in or you can just use a plastic baggy. When you need lotion, just rub on. Benefits? Besides not having to worry about bottles breaking and lotion ending up everywhere, the bars are exempt from 1-qt ziploc bag status! Another company to try: Lilypad Bathworks
**NOTE: These are scented and some of them have dyes -- these dyes will come off on your clothing so please keep that in mind when you choose your massage bar.
If you want something that's scent-free and good for sensitive skin, try Mustela Hydra-Stick.

Nivea Cream, the small containers, the ones you find in the sample section. I carry one of these in my purse regularly. They are slim, creams don't spill or leak and I've managed to take them through airport security outside of the ziplock bag. I did notice, recently, while going through security in Europe, a picture of the larger-sized Nivea cream in the "don'ts" so keep that in mind.

Colorscience Sun Protection Mineral SPF 30. Great protection and because it's a powder, ziploc exempt! I have the tinted version (Perfectly Clear) and it doubles as foundation if you only need light coverage.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder A lifesaver. It comes in 3 sizes and it not only helps you keep things wrinkle-free but it can halve the space your folded clothes require. I have two and never travel without one.