Paula's Favorite Things 2011

It's that time of year again. Time for me to make my list of the best products that I discovered over the past year. These things are not necessarily new, but they were new to me and I loved them so much I wanted to share. So without any further ado, here's my list in no particular order.

These first 3 aren't exactly items to buy, in fact they're FREE. What could be better than free stuff? Both of these first two items are downloadable apps (both for your smart phones, as well as just your computer) and they have been life changing so let me explain.

DropBox - On any given day I touch no less then 3 different computers, and usually 4 different computers. I tried to juggle my digital life between these 4 computers and keep everything straight, but needless to say, it was impossible. I NEVER had the right data on the right computer. I had my blog pictures on my home desktop, but I was at work trying to post a blog. I had my yoga business files on my laptop at work, but now I'm on my laptop at home and I need to access one of those files. Every day I would fight this same battle until I finally discovered DropBox, the answer to my prayers. DropBox is an online storage place that you can access from any computer as long as you're online. It has completely changed the way I operate. No more emailing files to myself on a daily basis. I now keep all of the things that I may need to access from wherever I may be "in the cloud" and much frustration and chaos has been eliminated.

Evernote - Along these same lines is my "data, ideas, lists, you name it, whatever-I-need-to-keep-track-of" filing system. This too was split up and duplicated on several different computers. Only problem with that is that I would add some ideas to my files at work and then get home and not have that info. Enter Evernote. Their slogan is "Remember everything" and this free little utility is the greatest thing since sliced bread. to sweeten it further, I also have it loaded on my phone and ipad. No matter where I am I can make a note and it instantly syncs to every computer I own. This, my friends, is how I managed to keep track of all my photos of the day. I would take photo and whip out my phone and make a note of the day and the subject matter so a week later (no matter what computer I was on) I could post all the photos in the right order from (of course) multiple different cameras. I am carrying all my ideas with me no matter where I am and I couldn't be happier about it.

Mint - Mint has exterminated Quicken for me. This is another free utility that you can just join and log into from any computer. Once you get all your financial data plugged in it will automatically track all of your finances (well, as many as you let it). I have all of our credit cards plugged in and it will log every single purchase. Not only does it just log it, but it's smart enough to categorize most of the purchases for you. Sure it can't do it all automatically, but when you're buying things at a grocery store, gas station, or home improvement store, the categorizing works like a charm. It will save me hours upon hours of sitting and fighting with Quicken this tax season. And it also offers a phone app so you can work on the fly.

Eddie Bauer - It seems that I have fallen for this Eddie guy this year. I bought several things from this store: the most awesome high tech First Ascent jacket, super warm mittens, fleece lined pants for snow shoeing, and the coziest flannel lined jeans, a cool and versatile linen jacket . . . Every single piece of clothing that I bought there this year has become one of my favorite pieces. I simply love this store and plan to frequent it. I can't think of any other store that I've been this happy with everything I bought. Two thumbs up Eddie Bauer!

Downey Wrinkle Release - How come it took me this long to discover a product that magically takes wrinkles out of clothes without the need for an iron? Do I really need to explain the benefits here? I should buy it by the case.

Moroccanoil Hair Oil - Jessica introduced this stuff to me and she called it "hair crack." This is strange because growing up 'greasy hair' was a no-no, but now I'm purposefully putting oil into my hair. I don't know how it does it, but somehow rather than making your hair look greasy, it gives it an amazing shine and healthy glow. Cool stuff.

D7000 - This is my new Nikon camera and it has become the love of my life. I could write a book on it, but I'll spare you. Just know that I LOVE it.

Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry Beer - Yeah, so it's a girly beer, but even Karlo likes the Michelob Ultras. There are 2 other flavors (lime and peach) that I also like, but the raspberry is my favorite. It's almost like drinking a wine cooler, but not so sweet and doesn't make me ill. With the reduced calories it's my drink of choice. Yum.

Tostidos Artisan Nacho chips - And speaking of yum, the first time I bit into one of these chips I literally yelled out loud, "Oh my GODDDDDDDD, these are the best chips in the world." And they are. Period. Get yourself a bag immediately. My favorite is the roasted garlic and black bean, but there are other flavors as well.

Cashmere Socks - This is just a piece of heaven for your feet. Socks are one of my favorite things and I think I mentioned this before that bad socks can ruin my whole day, while good socks can make my whole day. Nothing beats cashmere and since it's always so expensive, the easiest way to splurge and add some to your life is in sock form. Your feet will be thanking you, I promise.

Fuze Drinks - I have tried every single so-called healthy drink on the market and this has become my new favorite. I'm sure I've tried every flavor and haven't found one that I don't like. The slenderize versions are super low calorie and refreshing, but the thicker fruitier ones, holy smokes, they deserve an umbrella in them! The yummiest drink on the market and amazingly low calorie for how good they taste.

Suave Styling Sprays - You gotta love it when one of your favorite beauty products just happen to be the lowest price ones on the shelf. I have to admit, it was the commercials that sucked me in and made me want to try the new Suave products. They did a great job on the marketing and I have to say, the products back up the claims. I really do like the finishing spray and how neat of a concept to make a dry shampoo. The stuff really works and is perfect for those days when I'm going out on a weekend night and want to push my shower off until later in the day. I spray my hair in the morning with this magic aerosol and it really does clean your hair. What a concept. Would be a perfect companion for camping - or those long weeks with no electricity!

Midnight with a Mystic - This is the book that led Karlo and I into meditation. I blogged about this book on my YogaDudes blog and you can check it out there for more details, but the book was truly life changing. If you're looking for an interesting read this holiday, this would be a good investment.

Rialto Shoes - It's not often that I find shoes that fit me and are truly comfortable. I usually search high and low. I try to buy higher end shoes, I prefer them to be from Europe (where they make them more narrow), and I exhaust myself reading reviews before making any purchasing decisions. But one day I was strolling through Kohls with no real purpose and I stumbled across a pair of shoes that caught my eye. I didn't really need them, but for some reason I couldn't resist them. Best shoe purchase of the year. From day one they have been the most comfortable shoes I own and they fit me like a glove. I tried to buy up every color, but no luck. I will be keeping my eye out for this brand in the future to start my new collection.

No Gray Hair Color Additive - Ever since we moved to the middle of nowhere I color my own hair. The salon is just too far and it takes too darn long to sit in one place while I'm waiting for the color to process. The only bad part of this deal is that the home hair coloring systems are not as strong or good as the professional ones and my grays NEVER really get fully covered. That was until I discovered these magically little tubes of juice. They come in packages of two (you can get them at CVS) and you just drip them into your store-bought hair color and it greatly improves your gray coverage.