Things to Do - 10 Things I Like (February 2015)

After putting this list together, I realized that the theme seems to be "coziness". Because winter needs cozy, right?

1. Everyday Detox Herbal Tea - I have no idea if this tea really detoxes anything, but it has a light flavor that tastes perfect on cold winter days.

2. Sephora Sleeping Masks - I'm totally addicted to these overnight facials. It feels great to wake up with amazing skin. So far I've tried the honey and the Lingzhi, both of which worked miracles on my icky/dry snow day skin.

3. Amazon Echo - The Echo is basically a stand alone Siri, which might not seem that exciting. But when you're making dinner/drinking with friends/playing boardgames it feels wonderful to say, "Alexa, play x song." Like magic.

4. Dr Teals Lavender Epsom Salt - Soothe and Sleep - 3lbs - 1 bag - One bag of these lasts forever. They smell great and afterwards I fall right to sleep.

5. iRobot Roomba 770 Vacuum Cleaning Robot for Pets and Allergies - We have two dogs and Roomba makes all their hair disappear (ha! I rhyme). I love her (yes, I've given my vacuum cleaner a gender and a nickname) so much that the kids always ask, "Mom do you love Roombie for than us?" (If you're wondering, she's female because I didn't want to bring another man into my marriage, such things could become awkward).

6. Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook - A friend gave me this cookbook as a Christmas gift and so far every recipe has proved fantastic. Plus, they're all relatively simple.

7. Martin Parr - Small World - As someone who loves to travel, this is one of my favorite photography books ever. The images are funny and snarky and super clever. It looks like the price has gone up considerably since I bought it two years ago (maybe I should start "investing" in more coffee table books), so if you don't want to pay $85, check out some of Parr's amazing photos here.

8. Peppermint Essential Oil - A few years ago my mother-in-law bought me a diffuser, one of my favorite gifts ever. I've found that when I diffuse peppermint oil, I get so much more done. It's like a huge burst of energy.

9. Trader Joe's Full Cooked Lentils - I love lentils, but I hate cooking them. These make life so much easier, I add them to salads and soups all the time.

10. Comfy PJs - For most of my life I've slept in old sweatpants and stained sweat shirts, but this December I decided to splurge on "real" jammies. And now I never want to take them off. Waking up in "real PJs" makes me feel pretty and sophisticated, totally different from my usual "sloppy mom" vibe.