1. Have you heard of The Skimm? I get their daily emails and it’s been a great way to start my days! I wish I could use the app, it looks pretty handy, but they charge for the subscription, so I am sticking with the emails right now.

2. I think I saw this recommended by someone on their blog (can’t remember who it was. Was it you?) and decided to give it a try.  The Garnier Fructis Style Pure Clean Detangler + Air Dry is meant to detangle and smooth your hair when you let it air-dry (which I do on the weekends). I have also used it as a leave-in treatment before blow-drying my hair at the gym and I really like it. My hair is very fine, so it doesn’t tolerate heavy products very well, but it’s been handling this just fine (plus, it smells good). 

3. I looove Arugula. I’ll have it in salads, I recently added it to a cooked dinner (just at the very end, so it doesn’t wilt), and I love it on top of pizza. I need to find more ways to eat it though. Maybe just plain by the handful? Don’t mind if I do!

4. Yeah, yeah, even if I am a little grumpy and mostly sad that Germany didn’t make it through the group stage at the FIFA World Cup this year (I don’t even want to talk about it), I love the excitement of the tournament. I haven’t decided who I am going to cheer for now, but I’ll try to catch a few matches of the knock-out stage and then we’ll see who will become the next world champion! 

5. Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique? I am trying it out at work to get some more uninterrupted, focused work done and the BeFocused app is really helpful (and visually pleasing). 25 minute-blocks of focusing on the task at hand and not looking at email or checking my phone. What’s your strategy to stay focused?

6. I love this Run because I can muscle shirt from Miles & Pace. I actually won this shirt in a Instagram Giveaway. It’s really nice and soft and great for summer running.

7. Here it is, our tiny little Weber Q1000 grill that I’ve been loving these last few weeks. It’s a small, portable camping size, but just perfect for two people. 

What was one of your favorite things this month?

1. I had these Wheat Thins Toasted Chips Veggie for the first time on my flight to D.C. last weekend (Southwest is stepping up their snack-game!) and they are delicious! I am definitely going to look for them on my next shopping trip!

2. Strawberries – need I say more?

3.  When it comes to ice-cream, I like it plain and simple. Chocolate chip is my favorite flavor and I also don’t need fancy brands, this Safeway Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream tastes so good!

4.  I had been looking for some sling-back sandals for a while and when I came across these Gold Pigeon sandals and saw the reviews, I picked them over the (much more expensive) Tevas. I love them.

5.  I rarely have the need to use taxis, but I’ve been using the Lyft app on my recent trips and I very much love the convenience of it. My cousin introduced me to it during their visit last year. Are you a Lyft (or Uber) user?

6.   My friend Terra mentioned that she had been using packing cubes in one of her travel posts a couple of months ago and it made me wonder why I had never thought of buying some myself. So I bought myself a set of these Gonex Packing cubes, and  let’s just say, they’ve been a great investment. They make it so easy to organize your stuff in your suitcase.

7.  I am not a huge user of nail polish. I like the idea of nail polish, but I am not very good at applying it myself (I know, I know, skill comes with practice) and I often don’t take the time, but I’ve been loving the subtle color of this  Revlon Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel (color: allure) that I rediscovered in my bathroom cabinet this month.

What was one of your favorite things this month?

1. I got an Odwalla Smoothie on a whim a couple of weeks ago at the supermarket because it was on sale. It was surprisingly good and I could see myself buying it again for after workouts. I could see adding protein or collagen powder to it to give it an extra boost. I like that it doesn’t have added sugars (although with all the fruit in there, natural sugar content is not low), and at 250 calories per bottle it’s a reasonable post-workout smoothie.

2. I am a bit of a ‘gadget nerd’ (no news here!) and have been really enjoying the Milestone Pod I got for Christmas. It’s a little tracking device that you clip on your running shoe. I’ll soon share a ‘first impressions’- review, but definitely wanted to include it on this list. So many insights!

3. I got this Boston Red Sox Nike Performance Hoodie for Christmas from my MIL and I looove it (I am wearing it here). It’s lightweight, breathable with a light fleece lining. Perfect for California winter weather. If only it had thumb holes…. BUT then again, it’s a) a hoodie,  b) it’s blue/gray and c) it’s an official the Red Sox hoodie. What’s not to love? 

4. Have you heard of the Drop app? If you’re looking to earn cashback on everyday purchases, this app might be interesting to you. You link cards that you use for everyday purchases (like groceries, clothing, makeup, etc.) and you automatically earn reward points that you can exchange for gift cards for a ton of stores. If you are intrigued and want to give it a try *, we’ll both earn 1000 drop points when you sign up.

5. Trader Joe’s Hyaluronic Moisture Boost Serum is brand-new and I couldn’t even find a link to it on the Trader Joe’s website. I like it so far. It’s a clear serum that applies easily and you only need a little bit underneath your regular moisturizer.

6. I’ve really enjoyed the Bigelow Lemon Ginger Tea lately. It’s one of the teas I love completely without any added sugar or honey and hey, it’s lemon and probiotics and it’s good for you.

What was one of your favorite things this month?

* The post contains a referral link. If you sign up for the Drop  app (Invitation code: d6kb3) , we’ll both earn 1000 reward points.

Wow, this month flew by, didn’t it? Here we are (almost) in February already, but I can’t let January slip away without sharing my favorites from this month.

1. This (very affordable, awesome) HSI flatiron. I don’t regularly use it, so it had been sitting in my bathroom cabinet for a while, but I recently ‘remembered’ that I had it and I found out that it really makes a difference when used on my 2nd (and 3rd) day hair!
I usually can only wear my hair down on the day that I wash it, because once I’ve slept on it, it’s all wavy and uncooperative. However, I noticed that if I use the flatiron on day 2, it makes my hair more manageable again. Win!

2. J and I have been a bit on a chips + salsa kick lately (well, who isn’t on a chips + salsa kick at any given time, right?) and we love the fresh Salsa Especial from Trader Joe’s. We buy both the mild and medium version and they’re both amazing. I am planning to make an awesome hot cheese + salsa dip for Superbowl weekend. (We don’t usually watch football, but we make an exception to justify more chips + salsa eating!)

3. My microwavable heating pad. ‘Nuff said. (I didn’t make mine myself, but it’s a grain-filled small pillow that you can put in the microwave). It helps tremendously with back pain or any other kind of pain and I love to take it to bed when it’s a little chilly in the house. So cozy.

4. I am generally not a big fan of protein bars, because they’re always so dense and chewy and sticky. They can also be quite expensive, so I usually stick with more ‘regular’ foods for my pre- or post-run fuel. However, last week, I picked up a Perfect Bar for free at Safeway (they offer “free” items to try every once in a while, and I almost always take advantage) and thought I’d give it a try. And surprise, this is the first protein bar I actually liked. It’s not chewy/sticky at all, but has the consistency of a dry cookie (think ‘Vanilla crescent cookies’)  and I really liked it. I might buy this one again (when it’s on sale, ha!).

5.  I bought this stamp (GAH!) to use in my #bulletjournal because it’s so cute. I couldn’t resist.

6. This long sleeve running shirt. It got mixed reviews on Amazon because the sizing seems way off, but I really liked the look of it and so I ordered it two sizes up and it actually fits me well. I am wearing it here. I LOVE the thumb holes and the moisture-wicking material and I don’t care if it has a wrong-sized label on the inside. It works for me!

What was one of your favorite things this month?

1. I really, really love the Amazon Fire 8 HD that I bought on Black Friday because I couldn’t pass up the good deal… it’s been really fun to have a functioning e-reader again and the extra functionality of being able to go online real quick or check Instagram or Facebook is really awesome. I am so happy with this purchase!

2. One of the few makeup items I swear by is a little bit of blush (to not make me look so pale and sickly, especially in the winter months – haha!). I love this Sephora blush (Color 1: Shame on you) and have purchased it repeatedly (although it does last me quite a while!).

3. One of my favorite things of December is all the Christmas mail that arrives. It truly makes the holidays that much better every year to send and receive cards from my friends and family around the world! (Thank you again to everyone who thought of us this holiday season!).

4. I think I mentioned before that it’s not Christmas without Thin Mints for me. These Choceur Mints are the Aldi-version of After Eights and they’re just as good. My Mom sent them to me because she knows I love them for Christmas!

5. These Dansko booties. Aren’t they pretty? They were expensive and J didn’t like the style very much, so I didn’t buy them… but if they ever come on sale and I am still “in love” with them, they’ll be mine :) (This is usually my rule when I want to buy anything more than maybe $50. I hardly ever buy anything on a whim, but if I still think about it a few weeks later, then I will go back and buy it – hoping that it hasn’t been sold out until then. Ha.)

6. I’ve been eating a ton of mandarins this month, not the least because it was the only thing I could actually “taste” when I was sick over Christmas. And of course the extra vitamin C couldn’t hurt! 

7. I love this calendar that I received from my cousin + his girlfriend for Christmas with some of the best photos of our road trip in September! Can’t wait to “relive” the memories throughout the next year!

I am a little behind on posting my ‘end-of-the-month (and -year!)’ posts, but I hope you won’t mind seeing some more in early January of 2018!