Soooooo…winter might be almost over (dear Lord, please let winter be almost over), but my current view is a snow-filled backyard, roaring fire, and the sleepiest of pets who spent all morning playing in said snow – all which make me think this wet & windy season remains alive and well. But fear not! This also means I’ve had the last few months to stumble upon, try, enjoy, and truly fall in love with the following products, rituals, and recipes, and am ~more than~ ready to rave about them. Plus…you all loved when I shared my fall favorites, so as promised, I’ve got the winter edition of “Amanda’s Picks” comin’ right up.
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Here you’ll find the things I couldn’t help but text my best friends about, recommended to patients, and am non-negotiable-ly incorporating into my everyday life. And the best part (that I literally just noticed)??? Everything on this list ranges from FREE to under $75, so (mindfully) scroll, click, and try these yourself with zero guilt, my friend!
This is the kinda info and insight besties are for, and I hope you enjoy and benefit from the following just as much as I have – for the rest of winter and well into the year ahead.
This (*chef’s kiss*) soup recipe –
Every fall and winter our family makes one soup a week with the goal of not repeating the same recipe twice. This leads to a whoooooooole lotta Pinterest searching and results in tasty wins, a few flops, and multiple pin-worthy soups in between. My hands-down favorite this season (and maybe EVER) was a roasted butternut squash and bacon soup recipe that had us breaking the “can’t make the same soup twice” rule the very next week with #noshame. Delicious, easy, & packed with nourishing ingredients – it doesn’t get much better.
And because I can’t just follow a recipe, I’ve made a few tweaks that you can consider an insider approach – (1) always, always double this one, (2) add the chopped, raw bacon to the pan of veggies and roast altogether, and (3) use the little sweet rainbow peppers rather than a big red pepper for even better flavor. We’ll be making this soup well past winter, and my fingers are crossed that most of the ingredients will come from our garden as we get into the warmer months.
Tongue scraping…trust me here –
Balanced oral bacteria, fresher breath, improved taste and digestion, happier internal organs, and better overall health in less than a minute a day with this $7 tool?!? Sign me up! I’ve been diving deeeeeeep into the research learning more about the connection between oral health and the pelvic floor (blog post comin’ soon!), and tongue scraping was too cheap, easy, and beneficial not to try. I’ve recently added this simple practice into my morning and night routine, and can already tell a difference in how my tongue looks and mouth feels. It’s still too early to comment on the gut health results, but I’m officially a believer.
The perfect wool blanket –
Winter just won’t quit in my little corner of the PNW (as I shared earlier – it’s March and we just got another fresh batch of snow), so we’re still snuggling up in front of the fire more mornings than not. Between Lolo and our pup, Oden, all the blankets are stolen in the first five minutes of our cuddle sesh, so we went searching for another blanket to add to the pile. This merino wool blanket is soft not itchy, warm without being heavy, comes in the perfect neutral colors with the prettiest fringe, is machine washable, and will be sturdy enough for camping and nights around the bonfire once spring hits. This is one of those online purchases you go back and hit “buy again” a time or two, so take my advice and grab at least two while you’re at it.
This podcast episode –
Sometimes quality women’s health information is hard to find, so when I stumble across a worthwhile resource, you better believe I’m gonna send it your way! “The One About Regaining Your Sex Drive with Irene Fehr” on The Papaya Podcast is worth tuning in for both women and men alike, as it goes into the psychological, relational, and social reasons women lose their libido (aaaaand how to get it back). While I’d like to think I know a lot about this topic, I learned so much and this episode was so real and relatable that I’ve hit “replay” a few times! I highly recommend hitting play on this one during your next commute, morning walk, or daily chores.
Dry brushing –
I was never a bath person until I discovered detox baths, and now I’ve upgraded this newfound weekly ritual with a few minutes of dry brushing right before and…*sigh*…let’s just say self care doesn’t get much better. Dry brushing is shown to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, exfoliate the skin (buh-bye cellulite and butt pimples!), and detoxify the body (aka flush out toxins, strengthen the immune system, prevent sickness, and increase energy levels).
All this takes only a few minutes, and this is how ya do it for the best results –
- Before showering or a bath, use a dry brush to make gentle, short strokes starting at your feet and brushing upwards, ALWAYS TOWARDS YOUR HEART.
- Brush in a counterclockwise direction over your stomach (this helps improve digestion!), and then use the same short and gentle strokes to brush from your hands to your heart.
- To finish, brush down toward your underarms to help flush out toxins and improve lymph drainage.
- Always use light pressure – the point isn’t to scrub off your skin, but to effectively get blood and lymphatic fluid moving.
I’ve tried quiiiiiiite a few dry brushes, but this one from Primally Pure reigns supreme. The bristles are that “just right” balance between soft and hard, it’s the best size and shape for comfortable use, and the icing on the cake…it’s made of the most beautiful wood that looks great sitting on your bathroom counter. Use code MANDM10 for 10% off this and all your other Primally Pure purchases.
A tasty & healthy tea –
Tea is was not my thing. My drinks through the day usually transition from coffee to water to kombucha to something a little stronger on the weekends. Bob, however, started drinking yerba mate tea, and when he told me about the supposed benefits, I decided to give it a whirl. Not only is it pretty tasty (with a bit of honey), it’s also rich in antioxidants and micronutrients, contains caffeine for an energy boost and mental focus, and may protect against infection, help with weight management, lower blood sugar, and reduce the risk of heart issues.
I still have my shots of espresso in the morning, but now I drink a cup of yerba mate tea as I drive to work, and continue on my regularly scheduled beverage journey from there. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed “non-tea drinker” like me, this one mayyyyy just make you a believer and is definitely worth a try.
Daily journaling practice –
I’ve been toting the benefits of journaling for a while now, or at least since I started (and *ahem* finally stuck to) my daily five-minute journaling practice late last year. I was all for cozy, quiet time on the couch, buying cute notebooks and smooth, inky pens, and the promise of improved mental, emotional, and spiritual health, but not knowing what to write always stopped me from taking action. Then I created The Journal Club, a subscription text service that sends hand-written journal prompts directly to your phone 365 days a year, and suddenly my excuse was gone and the life-changing results started pouring in.
RELATED POST: My Daily Journaling Practice – Wanna Join Me?
I’m forever changed by this experiment that turned New Year’s Resolution and is now a ritual and part of my morning routine. From a stronger self-love to increased clarity, more creativity, and a deeper connection to and appreciation for my life, experiences, and relationships, I can’t say enough positive things about this practice I thought would be a chore, but is actually an activity I look forward to every morning…and I ~really~ think you’d like it too.
Pinterest –
I know, I know…who doesn’t love Pinterest!? Between the garden we’re starting this year, a few home renovation projects that are officially underway, my goal to ~finally~ pare down to a capsule wardrobe, and the ongoing hunt for yummy & easy & healthy recipes…I’ve been a bit obsessed with Pinterest lately. I personally love that you can search the app with a specific goal in mind, or scroll for that “let the universe guide you” kinda inspiration. If you’re on Pinterest too and you want to see everyyyyything I’m up to (and get Make + Manifest blog posts like this directly in your feed)…click here to follow along. I’m a multi-passionate woman with a passion for holistic health, easy projects, and pretty things, and if those are your cup o’ tea too, then come on over!
This time-saving, stay-focused app –
One of my goals this year is to spend less time on social media, and when I do scroll through Instagram or browse Pinterest, it’s with mindfulness and only for a limited amount of time. To support this desire, I searched for an app to help me manage my screen time and stumbled across one sec, which prompts you to pause and take a breath prior to opening your app or website of choice.
I personally set one sec to trigger when I open Instagram, and it not only forces me to think twice before proceeding, but also tracks how often you try to enter the app and calculates how much time you’ve saved based on your average user habits. With the pro plan (which is only $14.99 per year!) you can use one sec with more than one app or website, take advantage of it’s regular “stay focused” prompts, and unlock more mindfulness exercises other than breathing.
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Don’t get me wrong…despite using this app, I’m not perfect and still find myself scrolling occasionally. But I feel more aware of why and how long I’m on social media, and love seeing those “you saved X hours this week” add up. That newfound time is now going towards people, places, and experiences far more meaningful, easily making one sec one of my top three items on this list.
These whole ingredient potato chips –
I’m a salty and savory > sweet any day of the week kinda gal, and chips & dip are my ideal snack at every opportunity. But it can be hard to find chips that don’t contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like vegetable, sunflower, safflower, canola, corn, and soybean oils, which are highly inflammatory and proven to contribute to multiple diseases. I’m always on the lookout for PUFA-free chips, and when I found these Siete sea salt chips (which are fried in avocado oil), I *no joke* bought six more bags at the grocery store and tried all the flavors the following week. I wouldn’t consider this a “healthy” snack by any means, but now I have a treat I feel more comfortable indulging in a bit more regularly.
This fiction novel –
I read for self-improvement on my lunch break at work and for pleasure at night before my kindle hits my face by the third page. My favorite “for fun” read this winter was “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover, and it’s on this list because it’s the first book in a while that I literally couldn’t put down. (Like…I lost hours of sleep in the week it took me to read this.) It’s romantic, drama filled, witty, and has messages of female empowerment scattered throughout. I found myself laughing, crying, biting my nails, and thanking the good Lord above there’s a sequel which I’ll be starting ASAP.
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And that’s a wrap!
Last fall I started doing a seasonal round up of my favorite things, and IMO, this winter edition is the best so far. I hope you love these items, rituals, and recipes as much as I have, and please let me know in the comments or send me a DM on Instagram when you try something from this list for yourself, this winter and beyond.
See you in the spring, friend!
– Amanda
Disclaimer: The content provided here does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for personalized healthcare. I’m a doctor, but I’m not your doctor. If you have concerns about a medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment, you should consult with a licensed healthcare professional.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. No pressure, but I have a feeling you’re gonna like what I’ve taken the time to put my recommendation behind.
