A Few of My Favorite Things Part 2

Ok, here they are, the rest of the Top 10 list….

Jen’s Top Ten Favorite Small Things with Big Impact from 2008

in no particular order, here’s the second half!

6. Meditation
Another freebie. Ideally I’d do it twice a day, but typically it’s only once a day.  For me it has many of the benefits of sleep in terms of helping me find equilibrium - but it does so much more for my emotional side and is a core time to find my presence, particularly if I’ve strayed far from it.

7. Meditation Tunes
Cheap, lovely and they help me with both meditation and sleep. A year ago I didn’t have a single tune and thought I could never get into the “new age” music genre, but after experiencing some at a friend’s house, I opened my mind to the idea and I’m so glad I did. The range of options is huge so if you don’t find something you like right away, keep sampling. Find Bliss and iTunes have great collections.

8. The 3G iPhone
Kind of like the Vitamix… it’s a bit of an investment but now that I have it, it’s hard to imagine living without it.  It puts my old blackberry to shame. It’s not just the email and web browsing either. The ability to easily take notes, pictures, download podcasts, etc -  the app store provides endless possibilities and all are good for lowering my stress at any given time ;)  There’s even an app called the Gratitude Journal that encourages you to jot down notes about things your grateful for each day - then offers quotes and a way to flip back through them all. And if you travel - get the 16gig version and download tons of podcasts. I probably watched 15-20 podcasts during all my holiday flights and layovers. And if you’re into Oprah, she’s got a ton of podcasts on itunes (just sayin’…)

9. Essential Oils
Once again, something I never saw a use for in the past. Now I love these little tiny glass bottles of goodness. Just the other day I splashed some Eucalyptus in my shower - when the steam hit it, my bathroom was transformed into my own personal spa. The Lavender is great to dab on the inside of my pillowcases, and taking a whiff of Peppermint helps me when I need to rejuvenate in the afternoon. You can use them in your laundry, or to add a nice scent to a natural body lotion/oil, to make your car smell better - lots of stuff. I love the sampler pack from PlantLife that Amazon sells.

10. Rooibos Teas
I’m a tea drinker, but have a sensitivity to caffeine, which sometimes makes it a challenge given that even green and white teas have some caffeine.  Rooibos, indigenous to South Africa, is a red tea which is naturally caffeine free. According to AfricanredTea.com, “Rooibos is rich in iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, fluoride, manganese, and sodium. It contains no caffeine and is low in tannins, which can prohibit the absorption of protein and iron. According to one study, the antioxidant properties in rooibos are up to 50 times more potent than those of green tea.” And, it comes it tons of great flavors. Even Starbucks recently got on the Rooibos bandwagon. Tea up!

**Bonus (since I had a few freebies in there)
Aloe Vera Juice
This one always elicits a few “ick,” “gross,” “what does that taste like,” and “can you actually drink it” comments.  Yes, they make a juice from the Aloe Vera plant that you can buy at Whole Foods, Amazon and many other places. It tastes very…um…. green. I like the taste (a lot more than I like the taste of wheatgrass) but if you don’t, you can mix it with other juices or slip some into your homemade fruit & veggie drinks. I try to drink an ounce or two of it daily - it’s great for your skin and general health.

What are some of your favorite good-for-you- things?