I thought I would take a quick break from recipes and give you the latest life happenings. A few house things, a few day-to-day things, some products I’m loving, etc.

Cool with you?

Let’s begin.

Chris and I were back in Ft. Collins this past Sunday and I had a gift card to cash in at one of my favorite stores, White Balcony. They have some of the cutest clothes [like Anthro, but affordable] and vintage home décor items. I pretty much want to buy everything in the store, always. I usually try to stay away so I’m not tempted!

So, what did I find? Three heavy-duty hooks that I’m in love with and a purse! We’re going to put these on the wall by our back door instead of hanging a coat rack. We don’t have much closet space, so having a few extra hooks will be helpful. These are going to be perfect with the new color scheme, too. Can’t wait until it’s all done. Maybe in 2014? ha ha haaaa…

Speaking of the house!

Here is the latest on our master bath in the basement. We had the plumbing installed but are doing the rest of the vanity area on our own. Gotta save where we can! We decided to go with a very open/exposed feel and kind of modern/industrial. It’s clearly not finished yet, but we’re getting there.

And one step closer with the backsplash, which I’m becoming a seasoned veteran at. Still need to grout!

Remember our dog barricade of bins in the living/dining room? We finally took it down and now have so much more space. However, we have no furniture to fill it. We’re taking our time finding the exact right pieces and also waiting for deals. Furniture is going to be a slow process, but I’m okay with that.

This photo. My most popular instagram photo to date. I thought she was about to get beamed up!

A little doughnut baking action…

…For my latest book signing in Ft. Collins at Old Firehouse Books! Successful and delicious. Yes, I still like to eat the doughnuts.

Speaking of the book! Head on over to A Couple Cooks blog to check out a Q&A with me, a cookbook giveaway, and a recipe for Pistachio Honey Doughnuts from the “Healthed Up” chapter. Sonja + Alex are a husband/wife blog team who I happen to adore. Their recipes, photos, and writing are top notch. Love.

Mid-week veggie run by foot. Still only have 1 car around here!

Now to share some favorite things.

We’ve been using Preserve toothbrushes for a few years now and loving them. They look so simple and boring but this is my favorite toothbrush ever. The handle is made from 100% recycled #5 plastic and when you’re done with it you can mail the toothbrush back [for free!] in the package you bought it in to be recycled once again. Snazzy.

I’ve been using and loving these Nature’s Gate products for at least a year now. The daytime moisturizer is nice and light but works well and the night cream has actually made a noticeable difference in my skin. I’m still on the lookout for a good natural daytime SPF moisturizer. Taking suggestions!

This Aveeno lotion is the only product I can find that will actually heal my hands throughout the winter months. I’ve tried oils, beeswax, balms, body butters, natural lotions, etc. You name it, I’ve tried it. This works the absolute best.

My favorite gluten-free bread to date is Udi’s, but I’ve recently been enjoying Silver Hills company. Their bread is the most nutrient dense, whole-food packed, gluten-free bread I’ve seen. It’s also vegan, which I know can be difficult to find. The bread is extremely dense [unlike Udi’s] and has a hearty flavor. Toasting [like with most GF breads] results in the best texture and it holds up well with a lot of toppings.

When I go home to Ohio I always stock up on these organic, fair trade coffee from Trader Joe’s. They are my favorites. I cannot wait for the Denver store to open!

Below is the latest face wash I’ve been using. It does a great job at washing off the daily grime without drying out my face. My skin is luckily pretty calm but I still want it to feel fresh and clean at the end of the day. This definitely does the job!

We finally live near Costco! And, wow, am I impressed with some of their new products. They have pretty amazing deals on so many organic items! Some of my favorites are: chia seeds, hemp seeds, hemp oil, non-gmo tortilla chips, Earthbound Farm spinach tubs, pounds of quinoa, frozen fruit, non-gmo tofu, an the list goes on.