Nine of my favorite things

1. Ani Phyo’s Fuzzy Navel Smoothie Shake. I have this for breakfast at least twice a week. Full of oranges, pecans, dates, and vanilla, this is a tasty, filling beverage. The recipe is in Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen.
2. Minute Rice Brown Rice Cups. These aren’t raw AND they require a microwave, but you can’t beat these little gems on days when you need a fast, tasty meal. They are delicious and a perfect serving size.
3. Lady Gaga’s The Fame. Energetic, electro-dance music that has totally pumped up my workouts lately. My two favorite tracks are Just Dance and Poker Face, which also happen to be the first two singles. But there are a lot more fun songs on this disc, so check it out if you wanna get energized.

4. The Girls Next Door book. I still love this campy, larger-than-life show, which is now in it’s fifth (and probably final) season. It’s funny to watch now, since Holly, Bridget, and Kendra have all moved out of the mansion and into new relationships. Entertainment is all about great timing, and since the show is winding down, The Girls seized the opportunity to connect to their fans with a new book. Filled with pictures, recipes, episode mini-recaps, makeup and fashion tips, this is a fun addition to the glitzy, glamorous, glittering world of The Girls.
5. Ginger. I love ginger in cookies (like Mi-Del Ginger Snaps), in fresh juices (for an extra kick), and especially in body products. I LOVE Ohm by Olay’s ginger citrus body spray, but unfortunately, it was discontinued years ago. Lucky for me, there are lots of other ginger body products, such as Calgon’s Hawaiian Ginger line, and my favorite, Burt’s Bees Extra Energizing Citrus and Ginger body wash. Yum.
6. Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat cereal. I eat this with rice milk and I am addicted. There are some days when I’ll eat three bowls, because I just can’t get enough. It’s crunchy, lightly sweetened, full of whole grains…sometimes I have to force myself not to buy it just to detox from my addiction. It’s THAT good.

7. My Crazy Sexy Life t-shirt. Made by Alternative Apparel (whose home base is practically in my backyard), this ultra-soft, comfy gray shirt has crazy disco stars on the front, and a vegetable peace sign on the back. It also has a great message: Make Juice, Not War. Seriously. Go make some homemade juice. I made cucumber-celery-apple juice last night, and it was surprisingly refreshing.
8. Jason Volumizing Hair Care. I use the shampoo, conditioner and volumizing spray from this natural line, and I really like the results. The shampoo doesn’t foam as much as traditional ones, and I need a little bit more of the conditioner. I’ve found that I can’t mix the spray with other mousses, or my hair gets too sticky. But this line is lauryl/laureth sulfate-free, smells good, and treats my hair well.
9. Moonlight. This underrated show only lasted for one season, which is so disappointing. I’ve heard it compared to Angel, which is understandable, since it is technically about a vampire detective who wants to be human. But truly, the shows are very different, and relatively unknown Aussie actor Alex O’Loughlin brings an interesting energy to the show as Mick, a vampire who longs to be human. Rather than being brooding and tortured, Mick is fairly pragmatic; vampire or no, has still to make ends meet, so he works as a legitimate P.I., who becomes embroiled in a love triangle. Veronica Mars’ Jason Dohring also has a small but excellent role as 400-year old Josef. Seriously, he steals every scene he is in, on every show.

The pictures that I think must be connected with this did not show up either time I have checked the site.