OBB Faves: Sara’s Winter Picks

If you’re here looking for our cute Candy Turkey Craft, Just look down the right hand side of the page and you’ll see the photo.  Click on it for the tutorial!

We haven’t done a Friday Favorites, or a Goodie Box post in quite a while, so let me explain what it is!  First and foremost, we want to make it very clear that these posts are NOT sponsored, ever.  There is no advertising or promotion going on here- in these posts we simply highlight things we’re loving at the moment.  Things we buy and use ourselves, things we’re always talking about on Instagram, things we want to tell our friends (you!) about.  And sometimes we go out and buy all of the stuff we’re talking about (we buy it ourselves, this isn’t free stuff that’s sent to us) and we put it in a hand-packed care package (because how fun is that?!) and we mail it to one of YOU!  Now, this isn’t one of those Blogger-Favorite-Things posts where we give away ipads and designer purses.  It’s the little random stuff from around town that you can actually go out and buy yourself after you read about it.  Stuff you can look for at Target and the mall.  Because we like to keep it real around here. So let’s get on with it- eh?  Here’s some of my favorite things!

1.  Bath & Body Works 3 wick Candles: Kate and I have a small hoarding problem obsession when it comes to scented candles, but not all candles are created equal.  We love Bath and Body Works, not only for the endless variety of fun scents and the fact that their shipping boxes are lined in blue gingham, but for the fact that when those babies are a burnin’ the smell really does fill up your entire house.  I have a lot of favorite scents, but one of my favorites these days is Tis the Season.  It’s a little fruity, a little spicy, maybe a tiny hint of evergreen in there…basically it just smells like Christmas.  I’m sending a mason jar size in this scent!

2.  Angie’s Kettle Cooked Crack Popcorn: People who follow me on Instagram sometimes get the impression that I work for Angie’s Popcorn.  I do not.  I wish I did because I’m guessing the job comes with perks like lots of free popcorn, and then I would have half of my 2013 income back (you know, the half I spent on popcorn this year).  If you haven’t tried out Angie’s products, stop waiting.  I actually waited, because I figured what the heck- it’s popcorn.  Don’t people know you can make this stuff at home?  (And we make really good popcorn.) But then I tried some.  And I was addicted at first bite.  Angie’s is kettle cooked, comes in amazing flavors, and most of them are just ever so slightly coated in sweet, sugary, deliciousness.  Just enough to make you feel like you’re eating something naughty, but not enough to ruin your diet.  They’re all fairly low calorie and come in amazing flavors.  It’s seriously a dieters dream.  Two of my favorite holiday specials (BOTH going in this box) are Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, and Iced Gingerbread.  The peppermint is great too, but I make enough of my own Peppermint Bark Popcorn!

3.  Jif Whips Peanut butter with Chocolate Mint: I instagramed a photo of this a while back because I thought it was so, SO weird.  Like, whoever even thought of this idea?  Were they on drugs at the time?  How did it pass focus groups?  Of course I had to buy it simply because of intrigue.  I like peanut butter, I like chocolate, I like mint.  I like peanut butter chocolate, I like mint chocolate.  But peanut butter chocolate mint??  That’s crazy talk.  What a bizarre combo.  I opened it expecting to be repulsed and something else happened.  I ate a spoonful, and then another spoonful, and then before long I was thinking of anything and everything I could think of that I could dip in there.  Graham crackers, cookies, more spoons.  I’d say it’s more of a chocolate mint spread, with a hint of nuttiness.  I don’t really know how to explain it, but I like it.  And I want someone else to try it out too, so it’s going in the box!

4.  Candy Cane Bliss Handsoap:  Of all of the amazing yummy smells at Bath and Body Works, Twisted Peppermint takes the cake.  This candy cane bliss spells pretty much exactly like it, only the container is cuter (if you ask me).  Peppermint soap that is refreshing and yummy, and makes you want to eat candy.  Enjoy it.

5.  World’s Softest Socks:   Do you all have a pair of these?? At Costco you can buy a 3 pack for 10 bucks and they’re literally called “World’s Softest.” Like the brand claims, it’s like walking on clouds.  In the winter, when I’m hanging around the house I wear them every day, and my husband stares at my feet every time I pull them up over my skinny jeans.  I don’t care; they’re the coziest socks everrrr. Also, they’re super good for sliding contests, if you happen to have family sliding contests down your hard wood hallway.  Just my family?  Okay then.  I actually forgot to get these (along with half of my grocery list) at Costco today because I was completely sidetracked and overstimulated by the onslaught of holiday sample stations.  But I did grab Target’s version, which if you ask me, are plenty cozy themselves.

6. Market Pantry Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies:  Soooooooo Goooooooood.  These are amazing.  Pumpkin Spice Cookie.  Cheesecake Filling.  Find them at Target.  Only during the fall months.  I dare you not to finish off that entire box in one sitting.  That is all.

7.  Holiday Mint M&M’s:  My favorite specialty variety of M&M’s.  My first bag of the season is as exciting as the first snow.  I could easily down an entire bag of these single-handedly.  There’s a white-chocolate candycane version too, but don’t be fooled.  These are the best.

8.  Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup:  I know.  Kind of random that there’s a box of soup in here.  But I’m sitting here writing out this post while sipping it out of my favorite mug, like I do at least once a day, every single day.  So I thought, dang.  I’m tossing a box of soup in.  People need to be eating this stuff.  If you haven’t been buying a case of this soup on every trip to Costco, you’re missing out.  It’s super rich and creamy, but also super low calorie.  And it’s a work horse in the kitchen.  I love it plain, but it’s awesome as a base for any other soup, or smothered over enchiladas,  or loaded with sour cream and bacon.  It has a great, great flavor that I can’t get enough of.  There’s an open carton in my fridge just all the time. You should be able to find it in most grocery stores, or like I said, you can buy a case at Costco for a killer price.

9.  Baby Lips Dr. Rescue: All of my friends are obsessed with the Baby Lips line from Maybelline.  They come in sheer colors, and make your lips super soft.  It now comes in medicated, giving soft pretty color with a soothing peppermint scent and tingly feel. Love it.  I’m tossing in one in the coral crush color!

10. Jo’s Candies Peppermint Crunch: There was a little specialty market near my childhood home that we stopped at on almost a daily basis for last-minute things like milk and bread.  They have an amazing deli and bakery, and always stock their checkout lanes with unique little finds.  One thing that was constant was packs of Jo’s Candies.  These dark chocolate covered lemon crunch things are amaaaazing, and we’d anxiously await every Christmas when they’d stock Jo’s Peppermint Crunch.  Squares of pure holiday heaven.  The centers aren’t crunchy, but they’re not soft; it’s somewhere in between and they’re awesome.  My Mom would often get the little pack of 2 and quietly sneak one to me and eat the other one herself.  I haven’t seen these in years, and last night when I was checking out at World Market, I heard a chorus of angels and SAW THEM.  I totally yelped out loud.  And then I came home with a bag full of Jo’s. I’m parting with a tiny little 2 pack because I love you.  But I’m hoarding the rest.

My package is all packed up and ready to go.  I just need a name and address on it!  If you want me to send this YOUR way, just leave one comment in the comment field below, and tell me one of your current winter time faves.  Winner will be chosen in about a week and will have 48 hours to respond to my email or a new winner will be chosen.  Go!