Non-Beauty Favorites of 2013

   2013 was a year where I discovered a lot of new favorites, as well as continued some from previous years. I decided to split the beauty and non-beauty favorites in to two posts, so it didnt become too long. 
   *As a disclaimer, all reviews and opinions in this post are my own, and all products discussed were either bought by myself or given as a gift by family or friends. 
   I have provided links to those products that I could.

   
    Home things:
     1) Way Out Wax candles, specifically the Clear Head and Citrus Harmony scents. They are a clean, eco friendly candle company that makes non scented and scented candles. They use 100% soy wax, 100% pure essential oils, and no added colors, synthetic fragrances, and the wick is lead free cotton.
     2) My carved resin elephant I got from the super craft and home decor store Hobby Lobby. I love home decor and when Im in the mood, crafting. Hobby Lobby is huge and I literally spend hours in there when I go.
     3) My STRALA hanging curtain star lights I got from IKEA during the Christmas season (Im not sure whether theyd still be there, but they do tend to bring them back each year). IKEA, I love you. Yet another store I spend literally hours in when I go. Love all the home decor stuff, love eating in the little in store restaurant.  
     4) My Matryoshka doll mug that I picked up in Book People, in Austin, TX. The name of the brand that makes it is Now Designs, for those of you not located in Texas. The mug is super adorable, and the perfect size when Im wanting a large cup of tea.
      5) My bobble water bottle. I have two of these, one I keep by my side, from the bedroom, to the car, to the gym. The other I keep in my bathroom so I can use filtered water when I brush my teeth. One is the 18.5oz in clear and lime green, and the other is the 24oz with cap, in lavender and lime green. I love that they come in different colors and sizes and the filter is very easy to change out. I bought one in Target and the other at Best Buy, and they can be found in many stores as well as online. 
      6) I have found myself writing many cards and letters this past year. I like to write them using my STAEDTLER marker pens. These pens come in a rainbow of colors, they never dry out, and honestly, I just love the look of them. I bought mine at a craft store, but Im sure you can find them online or in some stationery or craft stores.

    Yummy things:
       7) Raw, organic cashews. They are my go to snack when I finish with a workout, or I am driving and feeling hungry. I buy mine in a plastic tub or in bulk from my local grocery store. Im sure they can be found at most grocers or online. 
       8) Tea Pigs, Liquorice and Mint tea. O..M..G.. Its love. I found this tea via my favorite YouTuber, Estee from Essiebutton. This tea is very fresh, kind of sweet, and herbal. Now I dont like black liquorice, but this does not taste like it at all. It has a sweet, cooling sensation on the tongue and is just plain DELICIOUS. I ran out, I need more.
       9) Mountain Rose Herbs, Forests Tea. I love Mountain Rose Herbs in general, I buy many a thing from their website. However on a recent tea haul I purchased the herbal tea, Forests Tea and Im lovin it. Its a little spicy and herbally, but were not talking spicy as in chai. I love it with just a small tsp. of raw honey. Mmmm.
      10) Jerusalem: A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. I found mine at Book People in Austin, but you can find this book on Amazon, as well as many book stores. I love the pictures and stories that go along with each recipe. Being vegetarian, often times when I pick up a cookbook that isnt specifically veg, I can hardly use any of the recipes. Not so with this book, and the delicious recipes really do bring me back to my trip to Jerusalem.

   Entertainment things:
     11) Youtube. Specifically the channels essiebutton, essiebuttonvlogs, and holistichabits. Estee from essiebutton and essiebuttonvlogs is my best friend on YouTube. Yes that sounds weird, no were not actually best friends, but I know if we met we would be, :p haha. Shes beautiful, shes hilarious, shes witty, and shes very relatable. Essiebutton is her beauty channel where she does hauls, talks about makeup and skincare, and does get ready with me videos. Essiebuttonvlogs is where Estee, her bf Aslan, and their beautiful greyhound Reggie vlog their lives, not on the daily, but a few times a week. Im pretty sure I have not watched a single vlog without cracking up. They are the best little family. Holistichabits is a health/beauty channel by Sarah Nagel. She is a gorgeous, soft spoken woman who speaks on all things healthy and beautiful. She focuses on beauty through eating well and putting good ingredients  on the skin. Need a healthy recipe or a natural makeup brand tip? watch her channel. Also her hair? OMG it is to die for.
    12) The book, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Im a bookworm and I can say that this book is now in my top 10 books ever read. The Handmaid's Tale is a book about a dystopian society. Its like The Scarlet Letter mixed with something like Lord of the Flies or The Hunger Games. I couldnt put the book down once I picked it up. I got my copy to borrow from the local library, but you can buy it from most bookstores and on Amazon.
    13) I dont have actual television channels/cable, so anything I watch is on Netflix. YouTube, Hulu, or HBOGO. My four favorite TV shows from 2013 are Sister Wives, Girls, Game of Thrones, and The Vampire Diaries. I realize Sister Wives is not a show usually on peoples "favorites" list. The sociologist in me is fascinated with the show. Its a reality show about the Brown family, who are Mormon polygamists. I love all the different personalities from the family members and love to see the dynamics between a man and four wives, as well as the wives with each other. Girls is a show on HBO about four 20 somethings living in New York. The show is sarcastic, funny, and more true to human nature than some viewers are comfortable with. I find many attributes that the main characters have to be relatable. Game of Thrones is an epic drama that is full of sex, war, and sarcastic humor. The characters are all very dynamic and the sets and costumes are gorgeous. Love the show, cant wait for the new season to start. The Vampire Diaries is a show from the CW. Its cast is bloody gorgeous. Theres a lot of romance, a lot of drama, the people are beautiful, and its an easy watch. Im hooked. E+D 4 Eva. Mmmmhmm
     14) Pintrest. This site is addictive. For those of you that dont know, its a website where you can make boards (for instance Beauty or Home Decor) and pin pictures/websites/recipes/ideas from all over the internet, as well as from browsing other peoples Pins. I can, and have, spend hours on this site. Its bad, but its so good. I especially love looking at clothes, recipes, and home decor. My husband even loves it. He told me last night that he "Pintresed too hard". Haha

   Misc. things:
     15) My hairclip I got from ULTA. Im not sure of the brand name, its either Karina or Riviera. I have a few of them and they are awesome. When Im at home, chances are I want my hair up. These clips are pretty, theyre sturdy, and most importantly they keep my hair off my neck and out of my face. 
    16) Target. My home away from home. I shop here for everything, but mainly accessories. Some of my favorite jewelry pieces are from Target. I also love their homewares/home decor and can find some of my favorite natural beauty brands, such as Burts Bees and Shea Moisture there. I should be banned for at least two months... We'll see. 
     17) My Canon EOS Rebel T3i. I bought it last year with tax returns from Best Buy, and have never regretted it. Im interested in Photography, Im an amateur photographer looking to get better. I think this camera is great for beginners and it takes some very quality photos. Only gripe is that its not very compact for when I travel, but most DSLRs arent. 

       18) And lastly, my absolute favorites from 2013 are my friends, Thejes, Kat, and Ashlin, my husband, and my three cats. Aaaw yeah, I just went there. Hah.
     
 <3