(Long Island, N.Y.) Every year, Oprah does her annual ” favorite things” show and I’m always glued to the tube to scope out the latest and greatest products she recommends. While I’m no Oprah–I’m often asked; what do you use for…what’s the best…? So here’s my current “favorite things”. Feel free to snag any of these ideas as your own! FYI–I have personally tried, tasted and tested all of these.
Banish the Gift-Basket
If I have to buy a birthday present for a child–no problem. But what on earth do you buy a friend/co-worker/relative for their birthday? This idea totally blows away the gift basket and trust me–you’ll never send flowers again—for any occasion Want to buy a gift and really wow them? Manhattan-based Bake Me A Wish! (www.bakemeawish.com), a nationwide gourmet cake provider is guaranteed to deliver a smile.. Cakes are made with only the finest, freshest ingredients by an award-winning family-run New York bakery. They’re elegant and sophisticated, yet taste homemade. (Really delicious!). Specialty cakes retail for $39.99 plus shipping and handling, and the crumb cakes retail for $19.99 plus shipping and handling. All cakes are packaged in a customized box with a personalized note. On-time delivery is guaranteed via Fed-Ex and one of the nation’s largest fulfillment houses. Gift certificates are available and if you want to give a gift that gives back–consider this: Project Wish Cake. The company donates five percent of all online cake sales to Make-A-Wish. In addition, thirty percent of all sales of the Make-A-Wish specialty cake (the chocolate mousse torte with the MAW plaque) goes to the foundation.And just to tantalize your taste buds–here’s just some of the flavors you can choose from: Carrot Cake, Café au Lait Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse Torte, Tiramisu Classico, Vanilla Bean Cake, Red Velvet Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Short Cake, Triple Chocolate Enrobed Brownie Cake, Old Fashioned Crumb Cake.Yum.
Make-A-Wish specialty cake (BakeMeAWish.com)
A Spa that Rocks!
There’s nothing more heavenly than a great massage. Get a bad massage—and you’re burning mad. Hot Stone massages are growing in popularity and spas all across the country are rocking their menu with this trendy treatment. I’ve certainly had my share of massages but bluemercury, the day spa located at The Tropicana in Atlantic City, was–hands down–the best hot stone massage I’ve ever had. In fact, I spent the entire day there, getting facials and massages and with all the spas around–I’d book another appointment there in a heartbeat. The staff was friendly and my girlfriends and I felt like celebrities for the day–lounging in fluffy white robes and sipping mint water. It’s a also a top-of-the-line beauty store that made a beauty product junkie, like myself feel as if I died and went to Bliss and Nars heaven. If you’re heading to Atlantic City–trust me–a stop at bluemercury is worth the money. There’s lots of other locations in the area. Want to book a blissful, unforgettable day, check out: www.bluemercury.com
My New Special-Tea
Believe it or not, my husband was the first to try this out and because he rarely rants and raves about anything–I knew I had to give it a try. I like to drink something warm at night–even in the summer- but I was getting bored of herbal tea and coffee wasn’t quite doing the trick either. So we are now devoted Red Tea drinkers. African rooibos tea, or Red Tea. Red Tea was discovered by European explorers over 300 years ago in a specific mountain region of South Africa and was not widely available until the early 1990’s when sanctions on South African products were lifted at the end of the apartheid regime. It’s now a trendy sip–that’s gaining popularity Nira Meslin, owner of The Rooibos Tea House, located in Southern California says there’s plenty of the health benefits– it has been used to treat insomnia, mild depression, excellent for digestion and for the skin. I must say–it tastes great and really does have a relaxing effect on me. Every night, my husband an I unwind with a cup of this tea. I also started using some red tea beauty products and I absolutely adore it. If you want to take a sip or try it–go to www.africanredtea.com
So these are my current favorite things and I’ll be writing up some more items–tried and true. I’d love to hear about YOUR favorite things. Drop me a line and tell me about it!
