November: 5 Things I'm Loving

I'm telling you what… give me some free time and I turn right back into a regular blogging fool. Having this week off has been simply wonderful. It was a long time getting here, but it was totally worth it.

I was thinking I would share a few things/products with you guys that I've been using and loving lately. Things that I really enjoy, or that make my day to day life better or easier. I know I like to read these sorts of features on other people's blogs, and I might even turn it into a regular monthly thing.

So here we go… In no particular order…

1. Mrs. Meyer's Orange Clove counter spray and dishwashing soap

I saw this at Target a couple of weeks ago and knew it was gonna be good. One sniff, and it went directly in my basket. I have always really liked Mrs. Meyer's products, and this may be my favorite scent of all. It smells like Christmas in a bottle. I've mentioned before that John and I live in a house that was built in 1935. We have no dishwasher. Anything that makes that task a little bit nicer and easier… I'm all about that. The countertop spray is a nice little bonus.

2. Southern Belle Maryland Style Crab Cakes

Living in a landlocked state, a good crab cake is hard to come by. I've had some really great crab cakes in my lifetime and I have to say, for frozen, these are pretty damn good. I found them in the freezer case at my Walmart, so yours will probably have them too. They have just the right balance of crab vs. breading. A serving of two cakes is 340 calories and 22 grams of protein. They make a delicious and easy meal when I don't feel like cooking. I mix up a little tartar sauce with light Hellmann's and pickle relish and serve it with some lemon wedges.

3. My BKR water bottles

If I had to name one of my biggest challenges, it's getting in all my water. I just don't like to drink water that much. Especially now that it's almost winter. I'd rather have a big mug of coffee! These bottles make it just a little bit easier. Rachel gave me the blue one for my birthday a couple of months ago, and I got the green one at a local Gap Body store. It is a 16 oz. glass bottle covered in a silicone sleeve. I think most all beverages taste better out of a glass bottle. Remember how good Coca-Cola's out of a glass bottle were back in the day? They get cold really fast in the fridge, and the silicone sleeve protects it a little bit. This is not one of the claims, it's more for insulation and grip, but I know I've dropped mine several times and it's just sort of bounced.

4. Torani Sugar Free Salted Caramel Syrup

Can we all just take a moment and admit that this whole salted caramel phenomenon has reached maximum market density? It's so funny to me how a few years ago, salted caramel was sort of a rarity and now it's absolutely everywhere. I mean...there is even a Glade Salted Caramel plug in. But salted caramel done right? It's still one of my favorite flavors. This Torani syrup is delicious. I can't find Torani anywhere near me, so I have to order it from the website. Right now they're featuring 10% off all orders, and free shipping over $59 until November 29. I have my eye on the Belgian cookie version.

5. Bobbi Brown Smoky Cool Eye Palette

This list would not be truly representative of me if it did not include at least one make up and/or beauty product. My family has joked about my "product fetish" for as long as I can remember. What can I say? I firmly believe in the transformative power of make up. If I couldn't be a teacher, or a chef, I think I'd really like to be a make up artist. Not only is this palette gorgeous, it's so versatile. You could create just about any eye look you wanted to. It also comes in a warm version, but for my coloring this one is just the ticket. I use it nearly every day.

So there you have it! What are you loving lately? I'd love to know!

Thanks for reading!