Christmas is 10 days away 😲 - have you finished your shopping yet? 🫠
I’m usually late with my holiday shopping (especially for those hard-to-buy-for people in my life who have everything!) but this year I’m more organized than ever. It may be because I’m keeping it simple!
If I didn’t already have these items, this would be my top wellness wish list. Sounds weird to say but each of these products truly has a very special place in my heart!
Miele Boost CX1 bagless canister vacuum
I spend an extraordinary amount of time cleaning our house and I love our compact lotus white vacuum. She looks good when I leave her around the house, she’s quiet, efficient, and strangely satisfying to use. Never have I had a vacuum cleaning experience that was so easy, especially cleaning out all the various filter areas. This is a gem!
Shun 8" chef's knife
This one’s been my right hand in the kitchen for years. I’ll never go back to the standard chef’s knife size because anything that knife can do, this 8 incher can do just as well or better.
Cuckoo rice cooker
To stay satiated and full with nutrient-dense, low calorie (ie. slimming) whole plant foods, we have to get our starch into us. My starch of choice is rice. (And if refined foods were great for us, it would be bread!)
This rice cooker is my sous chef and favorite kitchen robot.
Waterworks Sanitizing Spray Cleaner
Cleans with the power of ozone! And rids food, appliances, countertops, yoga mats, door handles, and just about anything else of 99.9% of germs and bacteria.
This has been my favorite household product since the pandemic and I still use her every single day. No more stinky chemical-ridden cleaners for this house.
Holiday food hampers 🧺
Ever since I saw Fortnum & Mason’s holiday hampers years ago, I’ve been enamored by hampers full of goodies (hello, surprise and delight experiences!)
The next few items are practical and amazing products that’ll help anyone in the kitchen eat well.
Add them to soups and stews, fried rice dishes, pastas, and so much more. Craving a chicken noodle soup but want to skip the bird? These bouillon cubes will mimic the nostalgic flavor of comforting chicken soup and you’ll be amazed.
Black lentils
My favorite way to eat these little beauties is our Black Lentil Caviar party pleaser. All I need is a loaf of French bread, aioli, and these lentils. (Maybe topped with fresh sprouts too!) Packed with phytonutrients, these are easier to digest compared to beans for those whose guts get a little ‘active’ when consuming legumes. 🙃
Soy curls
Excellent for mimicking meat when that feeling arises - especially chicken or pork. These are soaked in water for 10 minutes to rehydrate and that’s it! They can be marinated, sautéed, baked, boiled, you name it. Chop it up and it looks like ground beef (with some non-beef bouillon seasoning). Added bonus: this is the whole soy bean which means it’s an optimal food with high protein (compared to other plants), they’re filling, and fuel us with clean burning energy.
Organic seaweed snacks
Though it can be a stand-alone snack, we normally enjoy these with our Korean dinners. Crumble and top it on rice, noodle, or veggie dishes and voila! - an instant upgrade to your meal topped with healthy sea greens. These have omega-3 essential fats, protein, calcium, potassium, and some iron.
As a quick snack and/or low-calorie meal, I’ll wrap a piece of seaweed with some rice and it’s always a delicious treat. Bonus points if you enjoy this with another plant like a side of greens or any other veg, including kimchi.
Microwavable instant cooked rice
Lately I’ve been neglecting my rice cooker and taking advantage of these brilliant time-savers. The rice is fluffy, succulent, and perfectly cooked. All in 90 seconds!
We buy these by the box though we could easily get them by the crate and have no problems tearing through them in no time.
Vuori clothing
Vuori’s Daydream crew long sleeve tops are quite frankly, the tops! So cozy, comfortable, and stylish. It’s hard not to look fantastic in these beauties.
But their best product is their performance joggers - greatest things my legs have ever felt.
Instead of filling my closet with endless clothes, I’ve Marie Kondo’d my wardrobe and have a few Vuori pieces that I wear on repeat. Once you feel how incredible their quality is (and how cute you look!) there’s no going back.
Weighted blanket
Though I’m proudly in my mid to late 40s, I’m equally proud to declare I have a blankie. It helps me fall asleep in no time, keeps me asleep, and feels like a soft, loving embrace.
Also excellent for curling up on the couch while enjoying your favorite holiday flicks. 🍿
If I were Oprah, I’d gift everyone in the world with their perfectly weighted blankie.
BestSelf Planner
Score 40%-70% off right now! (In fact, these guys are often on sale so why ever pay full price?)
These planners have been a God-sent for me. They help me to focus on priorities, inch closer to my goals in an organized, sane manner, and learn so much about myself. Using these planners allows me to progress toward my ‘best self’ (which is an endless and joyful journey!) I take my key learnings from the past few months and use those data points to move forward with more mindfulness. This means living the life I genuinely am excited for.
The insights I’ve gleaned from using these planners have been invaluable in the trajectory of my life and future.
My real holiday wish (apart from everyone having cozy blankies) is for you to enjoy a safe holiday with restorative downtime, and fun connections with your favorite people.
Though these products upgrade my life in many ways, nothing compares to the warmth of true love from family and friends and the new memories we create together.
Happy holidays,
J xx