A few of our favorite things: 2016 holiday edition

Holdfast MoneyMaker: The best money I have spent on gear this year, hands down! It makes shooting with two bodies a breeze, which is so important for weddings. Plus, it distributes the weight evenly across my shoulders and body.

Anna Victoria’s Fit Body Guide: I heard of Anna Victoria when Bre Thurston photographed their wedding and I fell in love with her fit body guides! They are intense and very effective!

Kindle Paperwhite: Love love love my Kindle and take it with me everywhere! I thought I lost it for a week and had to buy a replacement immediately. I’m a fast reader, so I love that I can load a ton of books onto my Kindle and not run out of things to read on a trip.

Neulash: I’ve been using this for a little over a month now, and it actually works! My eyelashes are longer and fuller. The Neubrow filled out my brows nicely, too!

Osmo: Learning disguised as games is the equivalent of hiding vegetables in the kids’ food: sneaky, effective and they’re none the wiser. As a work at home mom and homeschooler, Osmo is one of the most amazing inventions ever. My kids fight over who gets to use it next and it keeps them busy for me to get a longer project done here and there.

Letterfolk: Whether it’s silly, supporting a favorite team, or inspirational, the whole family loves putting messages on our letterboard. At the very least, do yourself a favor and follow their Instagram – it’s one of the best accounts out there.

Cookbooks: This time of year always makes me want to cook more so I’m currently devouring old and new cookbooks to try new things. My favorites are Molly on the Range, The Dude Diet, Thug Kitchen and Keepers.

Canon 85L: This is hands-down the best lens I have ever owned. The color, clarity and accuracy far outmatch any other lens I’ve used (and I’ve used a lot!).

BLOM headband: I hate my hair in my face and hate headband headaches just as much. This headband is amazing! It stretches easily so it is not too tight, I can wear it a whole bunch of different ways, and it is perfect for travel. I may be addicted to buying new colors!

Serious Skin Care Glycol Cleanser: I used this for ten years, they discontinued it and then brought it back. I love this cleanser because it has great anti-aging benefits, too. The 12 oz bottle lasts me almost 8 months!

Nerd Skincare Acne Serum: This is pretty expensive, but it is the first acne serum that has worked for me that hasn’t killed my skin! It is seriously the best inflammation killer as well. I like to put it in a one ounce spray bottle and spritz it on to make it last longer.

Sony rx10III: This is my favorite travel camera. It can go wide and super long so that you can frame an image in infinite ways. The files are nice and clean too.

Nespresso Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother: Nespresso coffee steamer makes me feel like I’m having a fancy cup of coffee every day!

Headspace website and app: I know this isn’t a “thing” but it’s an app for meditation and it’s changed my life.

Little Partners Learning Tower: We’ve used this every day in our home for the past 8 years. It’s so wonderful for the little ones to be able to be at counter level safely.

be curly curl enhancer: Having curly hair, I can’t live without Avedas “be curly” products.

Aroma Wash for towels: I love fluffy towels, and no matter all of the advice I have had on keeping them fluffy in the past, this is the product I have had the most success with! It smells beautiful, and lasts quite a long time, too.

The Skincare Company serums: Oh my goodness these are beautiful!! I’ve always found products that are far too oily on my skin, and often ended up confused about the ingredients (and what they all did!). Enter the Skincare Company. Their serums are beautiful and clean feeling, and are made entirely of raw materials (no un-neccessary ingredients!.) My favourites are Vitamins A and C, and the exfoliating serum.

Soda Stream: Not only was this present a blast-from-the-past (I loved the flavours as a kid), I use it everyday! I am obsessed with plain soda water, and this allows me to get my fix anytime.

Breville – The Barista Express: I spoiled myself with this machine! I love the Barista Express for the quickest and most delicious tasting lattes ever! I can also whip up a vanilla steamer and have instant hot water for a cup of tea or hot chocolate! Perfect for my everyday!

Sketchers Go Walk: These are my perfect slip on shoe for a quick trip to the grocery store or running out for school pick up! Cushioned and comfortable!

F-stop Guru Backpack: While I love my pretty camera bag I could not live without this backpack! It suits me perfectly for hiking and when I need to bring more than one lens and my tripod with me on a road trip. There’s ample room to fit my Macbook and a change of clothes for an overnight trip. I also love the ICU (internal camera units) that slip inside the backpack. They not only provide protection for my gear but can be easily slipped out of my backpack and into my saddleback system on my bike making the transition from hiking to biking easy and quick!

Glimmer Strings by Pier 1 Imports: I absolutely love a little sparkle and these strings are amazing! They are the perfect decorating addition and fit nicely across a set table runner, along a staircase, in a decorative vase, or strung through a headboard. The options are endless really! They are timer operated and so easy to use! Perfect for an extra special touch especially during the holiday season!

Raw African Black Soap: There are a few CM’ers who have been using this and can attest to it. This stuff is amazing! It is the only soap that has ever completely cleared up my skin for good. I have not had a single breakout since using it, even while pregnant! You can pretty much get it anywhere online, but this is the one I bought off Amazon.

Galvanina Organic Blood Orange Soda: I am very particular about what I allow the kids to drink. We try to eat as clean and organic as possible which limits us to mostly water and organic juices. So, I found this soda at Costco and it is so delicious! I will buy a 6 pack and we go through it in a matter of days. It’s that good!

Naked 2 & Naked 3 by Urban Decay: A little bit spendy, but well worth the price. If you are not using these eyeshadow pallets, then you need to! These are the only eyeshadows I use. I love doing makeup. I think it could be a career in my next life. So having access to this many colors at once makes me a happy girl. Plus the color goes on really well and stays on.

Solly Baby Wrap: This thing is so soft and comfortable and a life saver when I need my hands but the baby needs me!

doTerra oils: I can’t live without my doTerra oils… specifically ClaryCalm for me and InTune Focuse Blend for my son.

OverDrive app: Can not function in the car on the way to or from school without the Overdrive app.

My favorite shoes: Summers are for Rainbow flip flops and winters are for my Frye boots.

Levi’s skinny jeans: I live in my Levi’s skinny jeans… but any Levi’s will do!

Wit & Wisdom Absolution Jeans: These are basically my pajama jeans. I almost don’t want to admit that I own these, but I just can’t keep this level of socially acceptable comfort to myself. They look like typical jeans, but they have an inner waistband liner that’s a lot like the material baseball pants are made of. So even though they look like regular denim on the outside, they don’t cut in to your waist at all, which makes them both flattering and insanely comfortable.

Living Proof Dry Shampoo: I’ve tried several dry shampoos, but eventually gave up, thinking my fine hair just isn’t a good match for them. However, this brand claims to actually clean your hair and it really works! I used it when attending an event at Click Away after flying in earlier that morning and I actually looked like I had properly styled my hair not just dumped powder in it for 30 seconds.

LIFX Smart Bulb: I’ll admit that I mocked my husband a bit for putting a WeMo hub on his Christmas list last year. What I didn’t know is that I would go on to buy two more, plus start (slowly) replacing the bulbs on our first floor with smart bulbs. I can voice command lights on and off with our Echo, have them set to turn on when I enter the garage, and (photographers take note!) adjust the warmth and brightness through my phone. Plus the kids like to make them crazy colors on holidays.

Sanuk Chukka Boots: I love my Sanuk flip flops (which I discovered on this list two years ago – thanks, Sarah!), but they just don’t work year-round in Chicago. I found this lace-up version and I’m in love. They look super cute with skinny jeans or baby boot cuts, but I’m still walking on yoga mats. Win, win.

Speed 4 Sarah : Still not sure what the Ice Bucket Challenge was all about? Stop wondering and start following this blog. Sarah Coglianese was diagnosed with ALS four years ago at the age of 33, when her daughter was just one year old. Through her blog, Sarah openly and earnestly share stories about her life, the progression of her ALS, and the efforts being made to raise awareness and money for this currently underfunded disease. Out of all the things on the internet, her posts are those I am sure to read each week. Sarah is an extremely talented (and widely published) writer. Her posts make me laugh out loud, they make me cry, and they always leave me reflecting on what she has to say.

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording): Yep, I’m including Hamilton on my list of favorite things – for me, this is one that really lives up to all of its hype! We’ve been listening to the Hamilton Cast Recording in my home repeatedly since the beginning of the year and still haven’t grown tired of it. The lyrics and music are brilliantly written and the entire cast gives an incredible performance, but beyond that you learn the fascinating story of Alexander Hamilton and those around him and why his story is worth telling. I love that it has sparked my seven year’s old interest in the history of our Founding Fathers and the birth of our nation – I had no idea how much we would all learn from this musical!

Vitamix: This almost made my list the previous two years and I just can’t leave it off again! For smoothies, soups, salad dressings, and even desserts, I have used my same Vitamix almost daily (sometimes several times a day!) for the last four years, and the motor is still going strong! It’s such a staple in my kitchen that I don’t even put it away – it just stays out on my counter! Would you believe that sometimes it even travels with me?! And the best part – there are only a few parts, so cleanup takes less than a minute – so much quicker than a traditional blender!

Rewined Candles: Poured into the bottom of repurposed wine bottles, these soy candles are both uniquely pretty and smell just lovely. They come in a variety of scents, however I like to stock up on the Spiked Cider and Cabernet versions around the holidays to give my home that warm and cozy feeling. In addition to picking up one for yourself, you might want to grab a few extras as hostess gifts for all those holiday parties you might be headed off to this season – I promised they will be well-received!

The Desert Suede Brogues by TOMS: I have always been a huge fan of TOMS shoes because they are simple, comfortable, and cute. But out of the dozens of pairs that I own, THIS is my favorite: they are trendy without being too in-your-face and look equally cute with jeans or a skirt. Plus, I can walk miles in them during a session and my feet never get sore.

Beautycounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer: On a day-to-day basis, I am much more of a bare faced kind of girl. However, as soon as I found Beautycounter’s Dew Skin Tinted moisturizer I knew that this was a product I could commit to. Just enough color to even out my skin tone and a hint of shine to give me that youthful dewy glow, this moisturizer also comes equipped with SPF 20 and zero yucky ingredients.

Trader Joe’s Fresh Flowers: Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that keep you happy and one of those simple pleasures for me is treating myself to some fresh flowers when I make my weekly run to Trader Joe’s. Sure, the big box grocery store probably has some bouquets that you could grab before the check-out lane, but I love the seasonally-curated selection from TJ’s and being able to combine different varieties myself to create the perfect arrangement.

The ONA Leather Capri camera bag: It is safe to say it was love at first sight. It is big enough to hold two lenses, a full frame camera body, my wallet, keys, and phone, and yet small enough to throw over my shoulder and not look like I am hauling around luggage all day. This is equal parts practical and beautiful and I am now plotting ways to have this made in every color of the rainbow!

Beauty Counter: I’m actually in love with several products! The cleansing balm quickly and easily takes off make-up, and your skin will feel so smooth afterwards! I’m not very good at beauty routines, often forgetting to moisturize. This feels like an all-in-one!

Sintra Booties: Super cute, low profile – and comfortable! The navy is a fun and different color to add pop to your daily outfit – which in my case is jeans! I also love the silver across the back.

James Michelle bar necklace: LOVE the minimalist look – and that I carry my boys names around with me. It’s a great length to wear alone or for layering.

Nena and Co: I’m slightly obsessed with these bags. They are beautifully handmade and purchases make a difference in other women’s lives. Shopping with a purpose. The little wristlets are a great price for gift giving!

Better Together Daily Wallet: I’m in the season now where I often don’t have to carry a purse when I’m out and about but wanted something substantial enough to care those necessities I couldn’t leave home without. This zipper wallet has been my answer and I’m so relieved to say that I have yet to leave home without it! In addition to space for cards, cash and the checkbook, it holds a few pens, a hair thing or two, chapstick, and a little notebook for jotting down random tidbits!

Contigo Water Bottle: I have never been great about drinking water but this water bottle has helped me turn this bad habit around! Maybe it is the color (my favorite!). But truly, this is leak proof (I even carry it in my camera bag!), the drink area can be covered to block germs from touching where your mouth goes, and it is nice and thin so it easily fits into any drink holder.

Athleta Chaturanga Line: I’m so glad I didn’t have to shop around to find the perfect athletic short/knicker/capri/tight … I found it right away the first time I purchaced from the Chaturanga line from Athleta. They are a thick, but not cumbersome, material that is completely opaque. They hold their shape and are actually quite flattering with their compression abilities.

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible: I received this last year for Christmas from my husband and have spent time each day since writing out my favorite verses in the margins. I appreciate the quality of the binding, cover and pages and know that it will withstand all of my use, and then some when I pass it down to one of my boys. I see buying (and journalling in) two more in my future so they each can have one!

Scott’s Cheap Flights: My love of travel is no secret to anyone who knows me even a little bit. This guy emails out amazing international travel deals all over the world that leave from all sorts of US and Canadian cities. He has a free email list and a premium list – the free list gets about 1/3 of the deals and the premium list gets to find out about all of them. I upgraded to the premium list after a few months and within a week I had booked 2 round trip tickets for my husband and myself from Portland, OR to Madrid, Spain for $ 600 each. Normally those tickets are $ 1400 each!

LifeSpan Treadmill Desk: I spend so much time working at my computer. And that means a *lot* of sitting. I got this desk this spring and I LOVE getting to get in a little movement while I’m also checking things off my to-do list! It did take a little while to get used to typing and using Photoshop while walking, but now it’s no big deal at all and I love that I’m knocking out my daily steps goal (and then some!) while I’m also feeling accomplished work-wise.

Olivine Atelier: I started with More Than the Stars perfume oil last fall and it’s become my signature scent that I wear nearly every day. I purchased the beachy, summery Amongst the Waves prior to a tropical vacation in the spring and I kid you not, the first time I wore it I sat down next to my husband and he nearly knocked my drink out of my hand and told me I needed to start bathing in whatever perfume I was wearing. Since then I’ve also added Oxley to my growing collection and I love it for date nights.

LaCroix Sparkling Water: I’ve always been a big diet soda drinker, but about 6 months ago I was introduced to these flavored sparkling waters and I’ve totally become a convert! I love the variety of flavors and I feel healthier getting in so much more water now. I’ve never been good at drinking as much as I should, but now I still feel like I’m getting my carbonation craving satisfied.

Spider Camera Holster: I love that I don’t have to hang my camera around my neck anymore. It easily slides in the holster and I can lock it, too, if I want.

Boots: My red Hunter rain boots and my Sorel winter boots. They are perfect for harsh weather and chasing after my little fellas.

Clarisonic Mia: I’ve had it for a couple of years and use it on my face almost everyday.

Nishida Bobby Pins: Who would think that perfect bobby pins make the world a better place? Ladies with extremely thick/difficult hair, that’s who. My friend sent me a box while her family was living in Japan and I have loved them ever since. Normal bobbies pop right back out of my hair, but these stay in place without pulling or shifting. Truly, awesome.

Lowepro Slingshot Edge 150 AW: This crossbody bag is made for mirrorless systems. However, my D750 with Nikkor 24-70 2.8 attached fits in (snugly) and I still have room to toss in a small lens and some accessories in the camera section of the bag. The fact that the bag is small, and hangs tight to the body, makes it the most wearable travel bag solution that I have found so far.

Bonavita Electric Kettle: I bought this for pour over coffee. The pouring action is smooth and easily direct-able, but I find myself using the kettle for tea, hot chocolate and cleaning needs that would benefit from really hot water, more often. It takes less than a minute to produce boiling water and allows me to avoid using the microwave.

UniBall Jetstream Premier: Super smooth writing and comfortable in my hand. I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pen, and this is pretty close!

GoToBags: I’m often switching out which purse/diaper bag/camera bag I’m using. These zipper pouches make the process super quick and keep my bag organized at all times and I love how durable they are. I use one for diapers, one for snacks and one as a first aid/beauty kit.

Sanuk Women’s Cush N’ Blaze Chukka Boot: These boots are my go-to when wearing jeans. They are perfect for warm weather, super comfy and feel almost like wearing a slipper!

Philosophy Live Joyously Perfume: I lean toward a warmer scent, especially in the winter. After searching forever, and making some, not so great, choices I smelled this while out shopping and knew this was my new signature scent!

e.l.f. Cream Eyeliner: I grabbed this from a checkout line figuring I’d give it a shot. Pleasantly surprised, it went on super smooth and has become quite the favorite! I’m able to keep the line straight even though I have shaky hands! Do make sure to wipe the brush after each application and smooth out the cream every so often.

Chuao Firecracker Chocolate: This chocolate is amazing. Spicy dark chocolate with a pop and a crackle (think spicy Pop Rocks for adults) – there’s nothing quite like it!

DJI Phantom 4 Drone: I love this drone! I use it to capture video for family projects as well as for educational videos/my Click Photo School classes. It is easy to fly and quite smart – you can fly it manually, or you can use one of the program modes – you can set it to follow you or to simply fly circles around you.

Peak Design Capture Clip: Hiking or working off the beaten track with your camera can be a bit of a pain, but I love this system from Peak Design – I can simply clip my camera onto the strap of my backpack. That means I don’t have to worry about it bumping into rocks as I climb or not being able to reach it quickly if I put it in my pack. It’s a great clip!

Fujifilm X-Pro2: This is my favorite camera from Fujifilm yet! Fast autofocus and beautiful image quality… this new camera from Fujifilm quickly became my go-to primary body.

Tinker Crate: I had the hardest time at Christmas last year figuring out what to get my 11 year old boy besides Legos. This was the perfect solution! He loves getting these in the mail each month and they weren’t too expensive!

Pro Lip Palette – 6 editorial Reds: I have searched for a long time for the perfect red lipstick and always come up short! They are too pink, too purple, too orange, etc. Enter in Mac cosmetics lip palette and my problem is solved! I love to mix the reds to get my perfect shade when I want to wear red! If red isn’t your thing they also have other color combinations!

Triple Action Cleansing Water: My mascara is stubborn to remove, but this cleansing water by Sephora does a great job on that and the rest of my face. The larger size has a nice pump where you just press a cloth down on the top of the bottle to wet your cloth. Best of all, it’s not drying to my skin at all!

Tivo Bolt +: We recently got cable after years of satellite tv, but we weren’t super happy with the DVRs they gave us. We switched to the Bolt and love it! It’s a bit of an investment, but will eventually be more affordable than paying the fees we were paying the cable company for multiple DVRs. The Bolt allows us to record to one device and watch it in any room, plus the skip commercials button is so worth it!

The Catalina Weekender: I love this bag for travel, both Emma and I have it!! The best part is that there is a place for your shoes in the compartment below so they are not with your clothes!

Lauren Clutch wallet: My favorite wallet ever. I can use it alone or throw it in my handbag! there are lots of fun colors to choose from.

Sonos: I can not say enough about this. It is so convenient to be able to turn it on and off from my phone or computer. I can have the same music in every room… or different music in each living area!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind® Eraser Dark Circles Treeatment Concealer: I have been looking for the perfect concealer for awhile (to not let my late nights show, ha ha!) and this is the first product that I have absolutely loved! It not only covers my dark circles but I swear it tightens the skin a little bit, too! So if I am up until 3am the night before, no one knows the next day!

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Angel™ Washable Mascara: I know, another Maybelline product but seriously, this mascara is everything! It lengthens and volumizes perfectly. I will be honest and let you know that I can never resist buying makeup – whether it is at the MAC counter or Target. I have just about every brand and this mascara has replaced everything else.

Jessica Drossin Illumination Instant Overlay Actions: I love everything Jessica Drossin creates and this set is no exception! It is the perfect one-click addition to any image that needs just a little bit of light or tone. Adding an overlay has never been easier and it is so easy to change the orientation, color, intensity, etc… It is a must-have to any workflow!

Nexxus Emergencee Shampoo and Conditioner: Not only do I love the smell of this shampoo and conditioner, it does amazing things for my long hair! My hair has better texture, feels strong and silky, detangles easily, and did I mention how great it smells? It is amazing!

Hint Water: I’ve never been much of a water drinker, but after getting a sample bottle of this stuff in my PopSugar Must-Have box earlier this year, I was hooked. It’s zero calories, zero preservatives, zero sweeteners – but so much more enjoyable than plain water. I have several cases delivered on a subscription basis. My favorites are Cayenne Lemon Hint Kick (which is caffeinated!), Peppermint, and Blood Orange.

Threshold Acacia Wood Cake Stand: This is great for holding a plateful of chocolate chip cookies or blueberry muffins – because if I’m going to have a super-mom moment, I want to put it on display! And the best part? The lid is plastic, so I don’t worry about it being too heavy or fragile for little hands. It’s not airtight, but baked goods don’t last that long enough to get stale with four kids around. We keep two right on the counter.

Nikon 24mm Tilt Shift: 24mm is my soulmate lens length, and the creative challenge of working with a tilt shift lens, together with the limitless opportunity to adjust the optics just so and really make it your own, makes this one something special. When I attach it to my camera, it’s to marry wide angle storytelling with dreamy surrealism. Never boring, this lens has a tendency to help me produce both my biggest failures and my most powerful successes – what more could I want?

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit: I have tried most of the contouring kits out there, but for fair complexions, this one is the best. Get the powder, not the cream, formula.