A Few of My Favorite Things

Sometimes, a girl's just gotta blog about the things that make her happy. So, in no particular order, here are a few of my favorite things:

Chapstick Medicated Lip Balm

My lips tend to dry out and chap, especially since I sleep with a fan on most nights, so I couldn't do without lip balm. But I also have very sensitive skin, so when I find a product that works and manages not to irritate my skin at the same time, I become a very loyal consumer. For me, that product is Chapstick Medicated Lip Balm. It works as well as some of the tub balms like Carmex and Blistex, but the stick is so much more convenient to carry around than those little tubs.

Sephora Apple-Pomegranate Body Butter

Sure, it's a little on the pricey side, but the jar is large and a little body butter goes a long way. I have dry skin issues, and for a while my skin felt like old leather. But now, I just smooth on the Sephora body butter after I bathe and my skin stays as soft as a child's. The Apple-Pomegranate fragrance is my favorite—its crisp, clean scent is like aromatherapy when you apply it, and it lingers very subtly on your skin for most of the day.

Pringles Light Sour Cream and Onion Potato Crisps

Yeah, they contain Olestra. But Olestra doesn't bother me, and the reduction in fat and calories make this a mostly guilt free snack for me now that I'm on the Weight Watchers Momentum plan.

Hershey's Kisses

Yes, I eat chocolate on Weight Watchers. I'm trying to teach myself moderation, and that includes enjoying foods I have always enjoyed in a more sensible way. I add them to my food plan in small portions, at calorie counts I can live with. I don't "diet." I eat sensibly.

Kashi's Southwest Style Chicken

The first Kashi product I tried was one of their cereals. Hated it. It tasted like cardboard. I didn't try any Kashi products for a long time after that. But recently, I tried their southwest Style Chicken dinner, and it changed my view of Kashi forever. The dish is delicious, very filling and relatively low in calories and fat. It's a fast, easy and satisfying addition to my weekly diet. It also goes great with...

Guacamole and Baked Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips

Forget worrying about the fat in guacamole. Avocados are a very fatty fruit, true, but it's good fat, and in moderation, homemade guacamole is a nice addition to your diet. I make my own chips by slicing whole wheat tortillas into wedges and baking them until crisp in a 350 degree oven.

Want my super easy recipe? Here you go:

1 ripe avocado
2 green onions, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup diced tomatoes

Halve the avocado, remove the pit and scoop the green flesh from the rind. Mash the avocado until it's smooth (or leave it a little chunky if you like it that way). Add the diced onions, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes and lime juice. Blend it all together until thoroughly mixed. Makes two servings. (If you're counting Weight Watchers points, 1 serving is 3 points).

So those are some of my favorite things. What are some of yours?