My Favorite Things - and if I were Oprah, I'd give you each one!

So, like most of you out there, I have many lists going for the holidays right now.  Lists of things to buy, things to make, things to bake, things TO DO!  And I've also been thinking about Oprah's annual Favorite Things episode where she gifts everyone in her office her favorite things of the year.  Well, since there is no Oprah Show this season, I thought I'd do it for her.  Without giving you anything but some great ideas.  Maybe you might be inspired to create your own list of wishes from it. =)

Favorites for any day:

• Best travel mug ever - from LL Bean!  This will keep your hot things hot all day long and comes in some amazing colors.  (My sister in law bought me hot pink last year and I love it!)  Check out www.llbean.com for details.
• It's lip gloss. It's a LED light. It's a mirror.  And it fits in your pocket. Simply put, it's amazing. It's the Artistry Light Up Lip Gloss.  www.artistry.com or try www.amazon.com.  $12
• Scarves are wonderful right now!  It's a fun accessory that will make any plain tee with jeans look more pulled together.  Target, Macys, and Nordstroms have a wonderful selection right now.  And there is a little website called www.fashionscarvesandshawls.com if you are looking for something more specific. 
• If you haven't been bitten by the Vera Bradley bog, get to it!  These are functional and fun!  My favorite piece is my East West Tote in Happy Snails.  Check out all of the fun prints at www.verabradley.com!

Favorites for the face and hair:

• Last summer I discovered the Origins counter in Macys.  I have not been disappointed!  My favorite products from this company are Checks and Balances face wash, Vita-Zing SPF 15 moisturizer, and Brighter By Nature SPF 30 skin tone correcting powder.  Origins is natural and certified organic, free of the gunk you don't want and is helping the earth at the same time. Visit www.origins.com - they have great packages right now!
• Mario Badescu: Drying Lotion - This is an acne spot treatment.  If you have stubborn spots like me, the $24 is worth it.  You'll have to suffer with a polka-dot face before bed, but turn the lights off.  You'll be fine. ;)
• Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion - better known as "magic powder".  This stuff is the best to add volume to the roots and it's not greasy or heavy.  It gives me professional looking hair more than I ever have  before! It's really magic - and botanically based and earth friendly.  At your local Aveda salon or online at www.aveda.com. 
• Urban Decay's Eye Shadow Primer Potion is the best thing you could have in your make up bag.  A little of this under your shadow and it will stay all day without creasing...and it allows you to be a little more thrifty when you buy shadow, too.  You can find it in major department stores and at Ulta.

Favorite Recent Reads:

Pick your favorite place to buy books - or borrow these from the library! And check out the reviews on Amazon for more detail.

• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.  (She wrote The Time Traveler's Wife)  This is the story of twin sisters that move to London to live in an apartment they inherited.  The book has great characters, wonderful scenery, and ghosts! 
• Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen.  This is a great coming of age story set in 1980s Grand Rapids from a Vietnamese immigrant.  
• Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. This story jumps between a modern woman and France during the 1940s.  It's brillianly written. 

Favorite Creative Outlets:

• www.shutterfly.com is still my favorite for photo art!  Mugs, posters, canvases, and my favorite...photo books.  I do not have the patience for scrapbooking.  And this website lets me do it from my computer. 
• Tik A Tok - www.tikatok.com is a Barnes and Noble product.  This is a site that allows your children (or you) to create a book.  They have the templates and you just add in the words and illustrations.  It's a free service and you can look at other kids' work, too.  There is also an option to purchase the book you've created. 

Favorites that Give from places I admire:

There are so many wonderful charities out there.  I think a charitable donation makes a great gift, especially when many of us have so much when others have so little.  I would encourage you to think of something you care about (or think about something your gift receiver cares about) and find an organization that needs help.  These are two of my favorites:.

• Sow Hope - This small organization works hard to help the poorest 2% of women around the world with education initiatives, health care programs and micro-loans.  I have worked directly with the founder and it is truly amazing.  www.sowhope.org
• Audrey Hepburn spent the last years of her inspiring life dedicated to helping children through UNICEF.  Today, her sons run The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund and supports organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of children in the US and globally.  www.audreyhepburn.com

And if I had the money, I would buy each of you a car (current fav is my husband's Mazda3) and a trip to Italy.  But, alas, you will have to surf the internet to take a cyber trip. 

 I hope you enjoy these products as much as I have!  And not to worry, I'm working on my top fashions list right now :) Stay tuned... LP

PS...What are your favorite things right now?  I must know!