January Favorites
In January, we all are working on our resolutions. Promises that we make to somehow better ourselves with the turn of the new year and those promises usually last maybe a week or two before we go back to our normal routines. I decided this year not to make resolutions, but to instead take baby steps in doing things I love, such as travelling, being creative, and moving forward with my life and career…things that I had been working on for some time now.
I started the year off with a cold. There was no celebration and I ended up being a designated driver for a neighbor on New Years Eve. Luckily, I had a few days off of work due to the holidays to feel better and then I hit the ground running. The most memorable part of this month was my trip to Cozumel and getting Open Water Scuba Certified through PADI.
And now this month’s favorites!
Bee Raw Honey – I can go on and on about the benefits and wonders of raw honey and why I love it so much, but we’ll cut to the chase. Honey is my go-to for everything and while I normally buy locally made honey at farmers’ markets, Bee Raw is one of my favorite online shops for raw honey. Their flavors are subtly different and not overwhelmingly sweet. The perfect additive to my tea for aiding a sore throat.
Dean and Deluca Diner Mug – I love diner mugs. The shape, the feel…it makes me feel like I’m at a little diner or cafe.
Graze Cranberry and Hazelnut Toasts – Graze is a subscription box for snacks and can either be a four or eight pack. I prefer the sharing sizes, which are about three or four servings per bag and I get five bags a month. They’re great for on the go, a quick pick me up, or in this case, at the airport. The cranberry and hazelnut toasts, with black quinoa and Himalayan pink salt, are my absolute favorite and I’m on a mission to try to make them on my own. (To try Graze, use this code to get your first and fifth box free: NP9CCT15P.)
Lululemon Run All Day Backpack – I have a thing for little backpacks. They’re incredibly convenient and this one fit me just right and wasn’t uncomfortable to wear around all day. It was large enough to fit my camera, a couple water bottles, and dry clothes for when I was out diving. You can even put in a water reservoir inside it as well. And it’s perfect for hiking!
Ugly Doll – Love this thing. I use it as a pillow when I travel.
Sun Bum Sunscreen and After Sun Lotion – I normally prefer organic and natural skincare, but these were convenient and they smelled like bananas and coconuts. Always wear sunscreen!
GoPro Hero+ – Since it was my first time diving, I wanted to document the amazingness that is the ocean. I purchased a GoPro Hero+, which is very user friendly for a novice GoPro user. I ordered mine in a bundle to include a plastic handgrip mount, an SD chip and a head harness. I figured that if something happened to it, it wouldn’t be the end of the world since I didn’t fork over that much money for it. Other than my horrible filming skills, it worked better than I had hoped! I kept the GoPro on the entirety of the dives, filming as much as possible, and sorted through the video afterwards. GoPro has a free software available on its website that can be used for editing and sorting through videos and my Hero+ also has WiFi capabilities so I was able to look at the footage on my phone. An accessory I wish I had while diving is a light so that the bright colors of the coral and the fish could be seen. I’ll definitely be an upgrading in the future.
Aldama Milk Candy Wafers – Mexican candy! I’m a fan of candy from foreign countries and these light wafers are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Dive ring – One of the divemasters on my trip told me that buying a dive ring after getting certified was a rite of passage. The PADI dive flag is red with a white diagonal stripe running across the center and the rings replicate the look. These rings are commonly found in many of the shops in Cozumel because of the high demand and popularity of scuba diving in that location. We shopped around in Downtown Cozumel looking for the perfect ring at a decent price. We finally found one at Joyería Ix-Chel, a small jewelry store on the main street across from the pier. It had a more feminine feel to it and I loved the imperfections in the red coral.
Sea urchin shells – I found one of these in 2007 while in Baja. Unfortunately, it broke. While walking along the beach in Cozumel, I came across a large sea urchin, still alive and stuck in the sand. I kicked it back into the ocean and shortly thereafter came across two, small, and perfectly intact shells. A fun little addition to my shell collection.
