I was wrong on all accounts – especially the music.

Maybe it’s because I’m a huge Smiths fan or the fact they included a few more favourite artists like She & Him and Carla Bruni, but I love this soundtrack in its entirity – rare for me with a CD let alone a soundtrack. It’s a great puttering-around-the-house, driving up the coast, chilling on a Sunday, background music for a friendly get together playlist.

And if you don’t feel it during Hall & Oats, then this is totally not the CD for you.

BUY AT: Amazon

I had heard a lot of friends rave about the Flip and Tumble bags but I was really suspicious of a bag that folds into itself. I’ve bought a lot of those (and blankets) that never, ever, fold back into themselves. But the price, the colours and the raves (plus the fact I could order using Paypal – always a plus for me) made me cave, and I’m so glad I did.

This is the first bag that easily – and I mean easily – folds into a ball. In seconds. With no thought! I keep my little ball in my purse (it’s that small) so whether I’m at the grocery store, out running errands from clothing to beauty stores or just in need of a bag to take to the beach without worrying about getting sand it, I now have it.

The handle has a little bit of padding which makes it comfortable on your shoulder. It holds a lot of groceries while still being comfortable to carry. And did I mention in turns into a ball? The only downside for me is that the handle is long and I’m not. So if it has things in it and my arm is extended down fully, the bag touches the ground. If you like to carry things that way, you’ll have to either shorten the handle yourself or find another bag.

But the goods far outweigh that which is why I’m going to order a few more!

BUY AT: Flip and Tumble

This lead me to look for a space heater since I didn’t really need to heat my whole place at once. I wanted something movable, easy to use (and install), inexpensive, silent and efficient. After a lot of research I found the Bionaire Silent Micathermic Flat-Panel Radiator Heater.

First, it was very easy to set up since it’s light and only has three parts. Within minutes I had it turned on and heating my room – quietly. There is literally no noise when this is running yet it really does manage to get the heat throughout the room, perfect since I spend most of my time in my office which is really the living room that connects to an open kitchen. Toasty!

There are two levels of heat and you can select a setting you want and the heater will keep it at that setting, shutting off for periods of time to save energy and turning on to keep it at your preferred setting.

If you have children or pets, you don’t have to worry; it’s not going to burn them if they touch it and if it tips over, it automatically shuts off. It’s also very light so you can move it from room to room if you need to (I sometimes move it to them bathroom to help dry hanging clothes).

BUY AT: AMAZON

With a built in filter that works wonders if you add herbs and garlic to your oil, this non-aerosol mister easily sprays just the perfect amount of oil. It’s much more economical and eco-friendly that those areosol sprays in the supermarket, and this way, you get to choose what oil and what herbs (if any).

With just a few pumps you get a lot of spray which allows for easy coating of a pan or a coating on your salad as well the spray allows for a lot less oil being used which is great for those who are trying to keep their fat intake down or who are trying to save money by not using up their expensive oil all at once!

BUY AT: Williams Sonoma

First, both are pretty expensive. And while I love how Blinc’s mascara is waterproof and works great as an every day, if I don’t wash it off each night it can dry out and snap off my lashes. The same with DiorShow but with the additional problem that it really is only good for a few hours (or a night out on the town).

My experience with eco-friendly mascaras hasn’t been good; they have always smudged, clumped or failed to give fullness. So when I started to see rave reviews for Kiehl’s new Marvelous Mineral Mascara, I was very skeptical.But since I needed to replace my mascara and this was at least $10 cheaper than what I’d been using, I decided to try it out.

The first thing I noticed was how it glided easily onto my lashes. It made them look very look and healthy and there was no clumping. Lashes were separated, shiny, full. As for milage? I went the whole day without any issues (which involved an hour outside walking in the sun, a nap, and receiving some bad news). The best part for me was that my lashes always felt soft, which was so important since the other mascaras had often dried out my lashes and, at one point, made a big chunk of them fall out!

The mineral pigments really do add a rich, luscious colour that looks natural but noticeable. You get length and fullness without parabens which is always a plus. Finally, an eco-friendly mascara that actually works without working the pocket book too much.

BUY AT: Kiehls

I kept hearing all the buzz about Sedu products and how they were the best but at their high price tag I thought it was some kind of gimmick and kept buying relatively inexpensive brands through beauty supply stores (Babyliss, Chi, Salano).

The problem with those brands was always weight and temperature. I thought I needed something hot and fast to blow out my fringe quickly but I always had frizzy hair with a kink from the round brush. Even after having lessons from my stylist I kept having the same issue. So I thought maybe the lower heat and speed of the Sedu would make a difference combined with the Tourmaline ionic generator.

And I hate to report it, but it really, really did.

This light weight, ergonomic, compact dryer has six settings; I use the hottest and the fastest which is still pretty low. However this actually dries my hair faster than the other dryers and makes my hair the softest, shinest, straightest and the most frizz-free ever. And no more kinks from the brush!

I use it in conjunction with the diffuser (which you need to purchase separately; other diffusers won’t fit) and the large air nozzle and my hair has the perfect balance of waves and straight fringe. I didn’t know a dryer could make such a difference but this one really does.

It comes with a two year warranty and, if you buy via Folica, a 30 day return policy. I highly recommend trying it, especialy if you’re prone to frizzy, coarse hair that you’re tired of spending loads of time on and not getting the results.

BUY AT: Folica

Wrong.

I wanted something that would withstand a lot of wear and tare because I have a dog that tracks in everything and a kitty who loves to lounge and scratch a carpet. I also wanted something eco-friendly that wouldn’t have a lot of chemicals put onto or dyes that would come out. Reversible, too in case of spills or accidents and the kicker? Under $150.

I scoured every online web site I could think of, visited countless stores but most rugs were either out of my price range for the size I needed or didn’t match all of my criteria. So I was so happy when West Elm launched these eco-friendly Jute Rugs for $129.

Because everything I have is white or light and I didn’t want to darken the space, I chose the rug in Ivory. It has really enhanced my furniture, defined the space and made it cosy. The jute is soft to the barefoot (no scratching as with some natural rugs), durable (has survived a vacuum and a kitty) and really stylish (goes with my modern, boho, shabby look). Best of all? It’s eco-friendly, sustainable, and affordable!

Buy at: West Elm

Searching for a well made, hardy, sizable and affordable oven was a challenge. There are a lot on the market for a lot of money. I wasn’t comfortable shelling out $100 or more dollars for something I wasn’t sure would work or be used a lot.

A friend directed me to QVC where she had recently bought the Staub Cast Iron 5qt French oven. She told me since they have a 30 day money back guarantee if I didn’t like it, back it would go. So I bought it.

That was about four months ago and I kid you not, I use this about three times a week. Granted I’m making the same chicken dish but I love it. It has made cooking a fantastic, easy experience.  Staube has been in business for over 30 years and has received numerous awards and high ratings. This cast iron oven has a honeycomb surface which is needed for even heat distribution. The lid has basting spikes which helps keep food inside moist whilst cooking. It’s dishwasher and oven safe and can also go straight to the table. Easy clean up, too.

With this I have been able to buy inexpensive pieces of meet (whole chicken legs) and within 45minutes have tender, juicy chicken meat that can be enough for 4 meals. Now that’s my kind of cooking.

BUY AT: QVC

Several years ago a dermatologist recommended SkinCeuticals Phyto+ to me because it’s a botanical green gel that contains Kojic acid, arbutin, and natural alternatives to hydroquinone that are designed to work synergistically to not only reduce and eliminate discoloration but also help heal your skin. The anti-imflamitory ingredients such as cucumber and thyme soothe skin and a hyaluronic acid base hydrates. What this means to me is that my skin is calmed almost instantly and what maybe took 6 moths to a year to heal (if at all) can usually heal within a month.

I use it at night under other creams, I find it a little too sticky to use during the day (but if you have the time to wait before applying creams and letting everything dry, then daytime might be fine for you). A little goes a long way so one bottle can last me about six months.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor

But the sun, as we know, is a huge ager. So I was happy to discover Murad’s Essential-C Eye Cream with an SPF 15. Since most regular face SPF creams are too heavy for my under eye area (causing millia or make-up to ball), it was nice to find an spf made just for the eyes and promised to help work on wrinkles.

It’s become a staple eye cream for me for day-use only; it hydrates, protects and I think it’s helped lighten dark circles. I love the pump bottle (less contamination + you can see how much product is left) and the size (perfect for travel but lasts about 2 months for me). What I don’t like is that if it gets directly into your eyes it stings like crazy. I haven’t had sensitivity issues with other creams the way I have with this but if I can avoid it getting into my eyes, it’s great.

BUY AT: DermaDoctor