Chocolate and Kale?? YES!!

Two of my favorite things, chocolate and kale.....yet, somehow the thought of combining the two didn't sound like a great idea to me.  Boy was I wrong.  Holy Cow!  Alive & Radiant's Organic CHOCKALET CHIP Kale Krunch is Amazing.  I just tried these and I am on my way over to their website to buy more right now.  How have I never known about these before?  This is perfect for when you are craving chocolate but still want to eat healthy.

A whole bag only has just over 300 calories but it's filled with nutrition.  Perfect for travel (especially on the plane) and to get you through the holidays.  Seriously, you need these for the holidays.  When everyone else is consuming unhealthy junk food, you will have a bag of this with you for amunition against temptation, and you will feel energetic and great after eating this instead of sugar cookies.   Find them HERE. 

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Icebreaker Crush Hoodie

Need something warm and bright to spice up your winter?  Icebreaker's Crush Long Sleeve Hood jacket is cozy and will brighten up those gray days.  It's from the Journeys collection of travel pieces and is a great lightweight jacket that works great on the go.  It will keep you warm when it's cold, cool when it' hot, and it won't hold odor which is great for when you can't do laundry for a while.

It's quite long.  It will cover your bum and keep you extra warm.  At 5'5,  I wondered if it might be a little too long on me, but I soon grew to love this feature.  It looks great under a rain shell, with the bright hood framing my face.  The thumb holes are great for keeping hands warm and would be perfect for bike riding and holding on to cold handlebars.  Great versatile piece, find it HERE. 

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White Apricot Partners with Whole Foods

Whole Foods has partnered with White Apricot to create a green beauty grab bag subscription service.  For $15 per month, subscribers get a fun bag filled with at least six travel sized body care products including Hugo Naturals, one of my favorites.  Who doesn't like getting a surprise in the mail?  This would be great for holiday gifting.

As usual, I wish there were more certified organic product, but I think this could still be worthwhile, especially when the more eco friendly options tend to be scarce in travel sizes.  Worth it for the eco traveler for that reason alone.  Find out more HERE. 

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REVO Eco Friendly Sunglasses: Must Have for Winter Escape

Going on a winter holiday to the tropics?  Then you need these awesome sunglasses that are designed specifically for the water.  REVO's eco friendly HEADWAY sunglasses will protect your eyes, stay with you during play, and won't sink should they come off.  Polarized lenses are great for water, but REVO went a step further and made a lens specific for water, pulling out a brilliant contrast and enhancing blues and greens.  What you get is a lens that helps block out glare, and a high definition view.  Included is a detachable lanyard with a float so that if they fall of your face they're attached, and if they get knocked off and fall into the water, you'll be able to find them.  On top of all this, they are gorgeous.

For a lighter weight water friendly option, REVO's  DESCEND sunglasses have the same features but are so light you forget you are wearing them. 

Both styles are unisex and come with cases and microfiber pouches for protection.  It's a nice presentation that would be fantastic for the stocking or under the tree.  A pair of these and some plane tickets to Bora Bora would be my dream gift, come to think of it.

REVO's lens technology is derived from NASA, and are geared for performance.  Their Eco line uses earth friendly materials and Revo is the official eye wear sponsor for Oceana, the largest international ocean conservation organization.  The water specific sunglasses are perfect for water sports like paddle boarding, kayaking, or even lounging around on the beach and maximizing your views.  Choose from many new eco friendly styles HERE.

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Tofurky for the Holidays

See how easy Vegan is?  If you need a vegan alternative for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can pick up a Tofurky and gravy in the frozen section of your grocery store (they are that mainstream these days) and have all that extra time to visit with family and friends rather than cooking and cleaning.  This year I'm really liking that idea.  We always do vegetarian holidays anyway, but I'm in the kitchen more than I'd like to be.  This year I'm trying something different and buying as much of the meal as I can.  I have to say, I've never been one for the fake meats, but if you are, it might be a good fit.

Tofurky is a healthier and more environmentally friendly option than meat, and it' as easy as popping it in the oven.  While Tofurky is not organic, it is gmo free.  I hope they change this and offer organic options down the road.  Meanwhile, this is kid and travel friendly.  Find out more HERE. 

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CAMELBAK ALL CLEAR: Fabulous Holiday Gift

CamelBak's All Clear water purification bottle would make a killer holiday gift for the traveler or camper in your life.  It's a great thing for all of us to have for emergency reasons, but travelers will really appreciate the simplicity of this water filter system.  You just fill with water from the tap, shake it for a minute, and voila!  Clean water to drink.

Think of how many plastic bottles this will save, not to mention the sheer convenience of being able to use hotel tap water.  It's BPA free and you also don't have to worry about leaching from water just sitting in commercial bottles.  I can't wait for the day that bottled water is obsolete and here is something that will really help the cause. 

For backpackers and campers, there's a pre-filter (sold separately) that you can use to filter out debris.  Beyond that, you can filter your stream water and be safe from microbes.

Everyone should ideally have some sort of water filtraion device,  Hurricane Sandy is a great reminder of this.  The handier and easier to use, the better.

The magic is right under the cap where the UV bulb is housed, you just push the button and it zaps your water and an LED screen let's you know it worked.  You recharge the cap with a USB charger--plug it right into your laptop or use a wall charger--and you get 80 treatment cycles per charge.  There's a regular cap to replace the UV cap when not in use, and you can also use other CamelBak caps if you prefer the kind with the spout.  Find it HERE.

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ART Doing Good

PRINT AID NYC is a group of artists who came together to help New York City get back on its feet after the second worst hurricane the Atlantic coast has ever known.  One hundred percent of proceeds will go to the Mayor's Fund For Hurricane Relief which will then be dispersed for emergency supplies and restoration. 

These limited edition prints are super affordable at $30 each and they are beautiful.  Artists from New York City were asked to contribute based on the theme of Light.  This warms my heart.  I guess we need disasters to remind us that we are not separate.  Find out more HERE. 

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Just in Time for the Holidays: Win a Sleepypod Ultimate Pet Travel Package

Sleepypod has the most innovative, colorful, fun and useful pet travel line on the market (I think).  So much thought and care goes into every product they make and they as pleasing to the eye as they are functional.  I love the modern designs and bright color options and high quality.

Sleepypod is giving away an Ultimate Pet Travel Package for your dog or cat (note the cat set above works great for small dogs too) and there are several fabulous options to choose from.  The giveaway ends November 15, just in time for Thanksgiving travel, go HERE to enter. 

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Winter Must Have: Acorn Slippers

Slipper weather is here again my friends, time for a new pair?  I love my Acorn slippers so much I wear them to tatters.  I learned that in order to lower my thermostat, I had to keep my feet warm and toasty.  You lose so much heat through your head and feet and you can handle a much cooler indoor environment if you can just keep something on one or both--especially your feet because walking around on a cold floor is not good.  I know I save a fortune on my heating bill just by wearing slippers, not to mention the savings on socks.  As soon as those leaves start dropping off the trees, my extra-warm slippers come out.

If it's time for you to upgrade (or if you need an awesome holiday gift), check out these Chinchilla Collar Slippers.  They are like furry little clouds for your feet--so cozy and comforting!  A pair of these, a cup of hot tea and a good book and you are set for heaven.   They feel awesome but they also look really good, they're quite elegant, so you still get your fur (faux) and warmth, but they look very feminine and would look great with that sort of sleepwear.  Think cashmere robe (one can dream...). 

I also like Acorn's mules.  These are a must have standard for three seasons and are great by the door for when you slip your shoes off and slide these right on effortlessly.  Once you get used to wearing acorn slippers, you may not be able to live without them, you've been warmed. 

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Justin's Nut Butter: Wickedly Addictive

Warning:  Justin's Nut Butter is ADDICTIVE.  I got my hands on the chocolate almond yesterday and have eaten half way through the jar since then.  It's pretty much all I have eaten since opening the jar.  Holy Smokes it's good!  Way way too good!  I had a spoonful, then another, then another.  Then I had to put it in the freezer.  Do you think that stopped me?  NOooooo.  I had to get it out of the house, now Justin's Nut Butter is in my car!

I love the ever so slightly grainy texture and the perfect blend of sweetness--but not too sweet--and a tiny bit of salty.  It's obvious I cannot be trusted with this stuff, so good thing they come in individual reasonably portioned packets.  How fabulous for travel!

My son went as bananas as I did for it and with almond butter and organic ingredients, I can feel good about him eating this.  And by the way, this stuff is much healthier and just as tasty as that other famous nut butter ending in ...ella.  I do wish Justin's would go the full distance and get these butters certified organic.  Raw would be even better.  Their nut butter cups are certified, so maybe it's something they are working on. At any rate, I would strongly recommend this nut butter with a caveat that you may not be able to stop once you start.  Find them HERE.

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ExOfficio Hoodies for Winter Travel

Need a hoodie for your winter travel?  Hoodies are awesome on the plane for helping to regulate your body temperature and giving you that extra layer when you need it.   When it gets hot and stuffy, you're just a zip away from comfort.  When you get really chilled, or just want to get some privacy, you put your hood up, headphones on and it's like having a "do not disturb" sign. 

If you are going somewhere warm you need a light weight hoody, someplace cold, you want fleece.  Either way, ExOfficio has you covered with some great options.   For your trip to the tropics, the DriLattice Hoody is flattering and functional.  It's ultra light weight and thin, perfect for a hot climate.  You'll need something on the plane and this will double as sun protection.

It's rated UPF 15 and will wick moisture away from you on hikes and during activities.  It has thumbholes--great for when you're riding a bike, and a stripey pattern for added style.  It's wrinkle and odor resistant and dries fast. 

The Jandiggity Fleece Hoody is butter soft and super light weight.  I love how thin it is while still being warm and cozy.  It has a secret pocket on the sleeve perfect for a hotel key, credit card or id.  The longer length is great and it has a subtle grid pattern.  This is not your typical bulky fleece that you put on and feel like you just gained ten pounds, it's very elegant.  It comes in some great colors--enough to make you want more than one. 

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