Want to know a little secret about me?
I see the world as a treasure hunt. I LOVE finding treasures. I like finding things that make me feel like I’ve come across the holy grail of whatever the item is.
For example, if I’m buying myself an eyeshadow palette, I want to make sure that it’s the best eyeshadow palette for me. Not the most expensive one, but the one that I’ll love the most based on a trusty recommendation, my prior experience with the product or on hours of research (and yes, I spend hours of research trying to find the best version of even the simplest item).
Bottom line, I want quality. A pleasurable experience before I buy something, while buying, while receiving it and most importantly in my daily life. It’s not that I think that things should be the bulk of our happiness, but they do influence our quality of life.
So today, I’ll be sharing the treasures I enjoyed using in April in an effort to not keep them a secret and allow you to see if they will be your treasures, too.
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Health
My Fitness Pal
Why I Love It
Because it helped me confirm my intuition that:
- Yes, I was eating a little too many carbs. (Unfortunately, It’s my favorite food group, but at least it’s followed by fruits and veggies 😉 )
- I needed to eat more protein.
- My serving sizes can be better.
- Calories add up quickly even if you’re eating healthy food most of the time.
- It’s a free calorie counter and a manual exercise, weight and water tracker.
What It Helps Me Treasure
My overall health because it’s easy to not be aware of exactly how much we are consuming or exactly how inactive we are if we don’t track it, at least from time to time. Even tracking your habits for one week is a huge eye-opener and a strong indication of how we’re living our life. Using it is like pressing a reset button, because in combination with working out, it’s easier to double or triple check my health options and ask myself things like: Are you sure you want another cookie? Is that bread good enough to the point that you would rather work out? Or is it good enough to the point that you’re actually enjoying it or would you prefer eating something else that you enjoy more?
Media
Married At First Sight
Why I Love It
- Perhaps my guiltiest pleasure in life is that I love The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I know, I know, perhaps it’s the cheesiest show I can watch. But can you blame me? I have a site called Love and Treasure, for goodness sakes. 😉 Anyway, when The Bachelor or The Bachelorette is over every season, I don’t have that added enthusiasm on Mondays knowing that another episode has come out. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Mondays. (It wasn’t always that way, though).
- Watching The Bachelor LITERALLY does my body good. Really! Believe it or not, it boosts my estrogen and my oxytocin levels because it’s romantic. Did you know that that’s the reason why ladies enjoy watching romantic movies? Why? Because we literally feel better. (So gentlemen, if your lady drags you to watch yet another romantic comedy with her, it’s literally for her good, and yours). 🙂 Oxytocin reduces cortisol, which is a hormone.
- So since The Bachelorwas done in March, apparently I was totally “estrogen and oxytocin deprived” because I went on my first-ever Netflix binge with Married At First Sight. I saw several episodes back-to-back and it took me about a week to finish season 1. I then watched Married at First Sight The First Year. But my fascination with the show didn’t stop there. I watched Season 2 and Season 3. (Yikes! Yes, I know I watched a lot of TV, but I watched most of the shows while I was multitasking and doing other things like cooking, cleaning, folding laundry, loading and unloading the dishwasher, exercising and even writing and editing, which surprises me because that means that the show has “become a part of my life” to the point of no longer is a distraction while I write).
- And, in case you’re wondering, Season 1 is is my favorite, followed by Season 2 and Season 3 in that order. So, I can save you lots of time and recommend Season 1 the most. You won’t miss too much if you don’t watch Season 2 and 3.
- So why do I like Married At First Sight? Because it’s interesting to see that love can sprout in either a natural environment or in a “control group or scientific” environment. It’s wonderful to see that love can blossom in unlikely situations. As long as it’s watered with care, of course.
- Married At First Sight is like a guessing game, in which if you use your skills, knowledge and intuition you can see if you’re right about which couples make it and which couples don’t. Seeing other couples helps you see yourself in them. You see some of their mistakes and some of their victories and you learn from both, especially their mistakes.
- I warn you, this show is not everybody’s cup of tea. (Heck, not even my mother likes The Bachelor or Married at First Sight)…. but it’s worth a try.
- In my opinion, there are many, many, MANY worse things you can watch on TV.
In a world that is obsessed with violence, it’s much more refreshing to focus on love, even if the love lasts less than one would have hoped.
- My main desire for watching it, is that as many people as possible get a happy ending. Plus, the dynamics of falling in love are super fascinating to me.
What It Helps Me Treasure
It is a great reminder that I’m blessed to be in the marriage I’m in. I have a wonderful husband. And while reality TV romance is great to watch, I prefer the real thing in my own life.
Beauty
Why I Love It
- I’m not a make-up fanatic or anything, but I really have been enjoying the Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow Collection. Aside from a Benefit makeup compact kit I purchased years ago (which I’ve used up), the Two Faced compact is my favorite.
- The eye-shadow creases a little, but it’s so worth it.
- You can find it on Amazon, but it’s less expensive on Sephora or the Too Faced Website.
- Why do I like this eyeshadow despite the fact that it has a little bit of shimmer? Because the hue, the intensity, the longevity and the silkiness in the product is superb. It’s the color that makes your eyes favorably pop… not the shimmer. But just so you know, there are 5 colors with shimmer and 4 non-shimmer colors in this palette.
- Oh, and by the way, after years of using this product, I found out in preparing for this post that, the Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow palette was named the best eye-shadow to wear on your big day. You know? Your wedding. Apparently my taste isn’t so far off. 🙂 This is what they said, “Natural Eyes is a 2014 Brides Magazine award winner for Best Palette to Wear On Your Big Day!”
- But in case you have hooded lids (did you know that hooded lids do best without the shimmer?), or would prefer a palette without the shimmer just because, there’s a palette that was inspired by the Too Faced Natural Eye Neutral Eye Shadow to create a non-shimmer palette called the Too Faced Natural Eye Matte Palette. You can buy it on the Too Faced website or Sephora, but potentially pay for shipping. Or you can buy it on Amazon and most likely not have to pay for shipping.
- These palettes almost deserve a P.S. because while there are some dark colors on the palette, you can either jump in and use them, or gradually work your way up, like I did. Since I used up the lighter colors first, I have been using the darker colors combined with what was left over from the lighter colors and I have come to like pretty much all the colors on here…. especially because the colors are “blendable” and a little eye-shadow goes a long way. Plus, since the darker colors are quite pigmented and I just need a little color to do my eyes, this palette, and especially the darker colors has lasted me a really long time. Thank goodness the company has upgraded their palettes from being cardboard to being tin or plastic.
What It Helps Me Treasure
- It helps me treasure me
- it helps me increase my “I’m worth it” factor because it is more expensive than a typical superstore palette
- But it’s high-quality and makes me feel like I know how to apply eye-shadow better than I do.
Lifestyle
ClosetMaid Cubeical 9-Cube Organizer
Why I Love Them
I think you can divide your life into two sections. The before you incorporated cubical storage units in your home and the after.
Remember when you were in school and you used to have cubbies in the classroom? You never went to your teacher to say, “Teacher, I ran out of space,” did you? Why not?
Because:
a) you really didn’t run out of space and
b) because those little suckers hold a lot of things.
With cubical storage units, it’s pretty much the same way. Only that now, all the cubbies are yours, unless of course, you want to share them.
ClosetMaid Cubeical 9-Cube Organizers are super helpful for:
- People who like me, would rather not put things away if there isn’t a logical, well-planned-out designated spot to put things. I hate stuffing things into a drawer, a box, or a room simply because there’s no time to sort it out. Me? I would rather think of the logic and pair like things with like and theeeeen I can put things away with confidence knowing that when I need that item, I know exactly where to look for it. Cubicals are great for this organizing preference because every little cubical can correspond to a specific set of items. Otherwise, every cubby becomes a junk drawer. Not good.
What It Helps Me Treasure
- I love cubicals because they help me organize what would otherwise be all over the place
Cubicals are also great for:
- children’s clothing
- books
- toys in a kid’s room
- toys in the living room or family room
- baby blankets
- decor
- craft supplies
- office supplies
- shoes that you may keep by your door if you live in a shoe-free home
- make-up, lotions and potions.
Food
Raisin Nut Bran, My Favorite Cereal
For some years now, I have been avoiding buying sugar processed cereals.
But since I had a craving for my favorite cereal again in April, we purchased Raisin Nut Bran.
Why I Love It
I don’t know what it is about this cereal, but everything about it is delicious. From the almonds, the heavenly covered raisins (I don’t necessarily love raisins or know what they’re covered with, but they are so good)! Even the cornflakes, which are usually pretty “blah” in most cereals are delicious in this one… with a perfect honey flavor. And by the way, I’ve been a cereal lover all my life.
What It Helps Me Treasure
The morning. I don’t know about you, but when I wake up and know that I’m going to have something good for breakfast, I wake up with a bit more pep in my step, with more enthusiasm. Raisin Nut Bran gives me that I’m-so-excited feeling.
Overall, it makes my day a bit better. And all it takes is a box of cereal.
You know what the neat thing is? That this cereal isn’t too bad according to My Fitness Pal. Good to know. Maybe I’ll enjoy it a little bit more often.
Kid’s Item
Why I Love It
- My toddler is going through that phase where some toys entertain him for the grand total of five minutes.
- I was pleased to know that that wasn’t the case with this toy.
- He has been enjoying this toy.
- Coincidentally, he’s really into cars, so this toy fits the bill… in addition to fostering his love for letters.
What It Helps Me Treasure
- That it’s a high quality toy both in its content and in its construction
- That it’s educational
- That it supplements what I teach my son
Now It’s Your Turn
- What are some of your favorite products you’ve tried recently?
Please share with me in the comments below. I’m always excited to add an item into my treasure-trove and transform them into well-loved items.
Good items, I like them as well!