LOVE: Our Favorite Things of 2011

A spin on the classic year-end, holiday gift guide (because we believe that some of the best things in life are free), the Sally B’s team compiled our favorite things of 2011 – everything from daily blogs to products that just make us happy. 

 

 

 

TheFlyLady.net 

Kicking procrastination in the butt, Ms. Fly’s daily blog aims to make organization a part of our daily lives instead of a come once a Spring nuisance. Changing our “drop-it-and-go” and “we’ll get to it later” ways, she gives us simple daily, weekly, and monthly DIY organization tasks to ultimately deliver us to total house organization domination!

 

Stevia 

This year the Sally B’s team went through some amazing and healthy transformations. While one of us spent most of 2011 pregnant, the other was undergoing a health revelation and adopting a diet free of dairy, wheat and processed sugar. Together the two of us had to do what we thought was the unthinkable: ditch the Sweet ‘n’Low. But we’ve done it, thanks to the au naturale Stevia! It’s sweet, natural, and does the body good! 

 

Morning Smoothies and the Vitamix Blender

Whether they’re made with fruit or packed full of veggies (or both!), we can’t start the day without a smoothie. We often swap smoothie stories, like how we’ve tweaked our go-to recipe or how we found a great deal on organic kale at Trader Joe’s, but the conversation ALWAYS comes back to: we absolutely wish we had a Vitamix Blender.

 

 

Swimming

We’ve started swimming – for different reasons, but for the same feel-good benefits – and we are here to say that we are feeling good inside and out. We’ve made new friends and are getting an awesome work out to boot. It has actually become more of a mid-week escape and something we look forward to rather than those trips to the gym we have always dreaded.

 

The Beauty Detox Solution

For anyone looking to make their skin even more radiant, celeb nutritionist Kimberly Snyder dishes the recipes that make your skin glow in her book The Beauty Detox Solution. She’s a believer that what you eat is the ultimate beauty product and her powerful program will rid your body of toxins. We’ve started following her advice and haven’t felt better (not to mention have lost some pesky extra pounds). Can’t wait to keep going in 2012!

 

Pinterest.com

Just when you thought there were not enough hours in a day to scroll through Facebook, Pinterest was born. You can now create inspiration pin boards online to share with the world. And, even better, you can search through everyone else’s! Whether you’re decorating a baby nursery, need gift ideas for under $20, or want to plan your next vacation, there is a never-ending expanse of pretty pictures just waiting. Some people might call it a time killer. We call it an inspirational escape.

 

iPhone 4s

We finally did it. The team finally traded in our Blackberries and Droids for the brand spankin’ new iPhone. It has made our lives so much more streamlined, productive, and connected. While we might have once cursed the day cell phones became “smart” and began receiving email, we now thank technology for the very same thing. We are now able to work from home (or vacation) and keep the ship running! 

 

Camellia Oil

This year we began using Camellia Oil and improved upon many of our products, like Dream Cream and the Tinted Moisturizer. Derived from the Camellia plant, this oil is an excellent source of antioxidants, helps prevent free radical damage, improves skin hydration and skin elasticity, and is rich in Vitamins A, B, D, E.  We love all of its inherent good properties and can’t wait to create more products with in it 2012. 

 

Moisture Lock Gloves

We fell in love with moisture lock gloves all over again this year! There’s absolutely nothing like slathering your hands (or feet!) with our Hand Butter and then wrapping them in gloves (or socks!) for the night.  To wake up in the morning with smooth, soft, and moisturized hands is positively addicting!

 

Shopping Locally

We have had the opportunity to put our products in some of the coolest local boutiques, like HomeGrown in Decatur, Georgia and At The Collective in Inman Park.  We truly believe in supporting small businesses, talented artisans, and local communities. While sometimes you have to order something online, there’s something special about finding a one-of-a-kind item or shaking the hand of the person who made what you’re buying. 

 

TODAY: Make a list of all your Favorite Things from 2011. It’s a great way to remember and appreciate all the great things from the year!