These Are A Few of My Favorite Things: Anna's Christmas Gift Guide

Well, if Oprah can do it, why can't I?  I decided to put together a list of my favorite things that may be good stocking stuffers for your loved ones, or even just a nice gift focused on health and wellness as we head towards the New Year.  NONE of these posts are sponsored.  My opinions are my own, but these truly are a few of my favorite things!


If you recall from my blog post, "The Crazy Things You Do When you Have Cancer" I have been on a mission to find healthy products that do not make me feel like I am giving myself cancer from the every day things I do in life.  Now, there are a ton of reasons why cancer happens, and no, I don't believe my face lotion is giving me cancer, BUT, I do believe in minimizing the body's exposure to chemicals.  The less stress you put on your body with toxins and chemicals, the better job it will do in fighting diseases.  Hence, I have no regret moving to healthier versions of my every day products.

First off, don't try to sell me your face care regimen.  For two years, I've used "Say Yes to Carrots" Daily Facial Scrub and Cerve`'s Daily Moisturizer.  I still get compliments that I do not look my 41 years, so I think I will stick with it.  I do wish Cerve` was slightly more organic, but it works great and it is affordable.   They also produce a day lotion with SPF that is great in the summertime if you are outside a lot. Did I mention affordable? I _might_ spend $20 bucks on these two products and they work.  Keep it simple: Cheap and it works?  Get it.

Finally, in this picture, is Native deodorant.  This all natural, no parabens, no sulfites, no weirdness deod is awesome.  Yes, I am telling you my deodorant on social media.  No, I am not embarrassed about it.  Well, at least not too embarrassed, because seriously, it has taken me TWO YEARS to find this stuff.  I have cycled through so many natural deodorants in a quest to find something that does not make me feel like I am absorbing chemical after chemical in my armpits and this is it. It works longer than a couple of hours, smells great, it does not itch, and it's healthy.  Amazing stuff.  It isn't cheap ($12), but it's worth it.

My next favorite item is mascara.  If you recall, I might have let a bit of crazy out in that blog post indicating a worry that my mascara might kill me.  All dramatics aside, in my healthy quest, I found Pacifica Organic Mineral based mascara.  This stuff is the bomb.  On the rare occasion I wear mascara, this stuff is it. (My apologies for the upside down picture, my computer is NOT being friendly today.) I like this stuff so much, I gave it to my niece for Christmas this year (I hope she isn't reading my blog right now).


Next, get your loved one a Fit Bit or other fitness device.  There is nothing more motivating towards a life of fitness than a tracker that tells you how far you've gone in your physical efforts in one day.  The app for the phone can let you track your workouts, steps, calorie intake, sleep and mood.  I cannot think of any other technical device I like better.  Pair it with Christ Walk: A 40 Day Spiritual Fitness Program and you are giving the gift of health and wellness.






The benefits of Green Tea are so well documented, I am not even going to get into it here.  You can look up the research yourself, but some studies indicate that two cups of green tea a day can help your body fight cancer itself.  I am not quite up to two cups a day, because at heart I am a coffee drinker (you can see my coffee pot in the background), BUT, the antioxidants in Green Team are super stars.  It took me FOREVER to find a Green Tea I liked, and here is the result. Tea Republic Honey Ginseng Green Tea.  Smooth, and well... green....this tea has hints of honey and goes down without me feeling like I am drinking tea made of twigs.  My goal each day is to replace a cup of coffee with a cup of tea.  So far, so good. Take that cancer cells!







Next up for consideration is to switch all your plasticware for glassware.  This was one of the first things I did when I got sick, and I have no regrets.  I have not figure out how to replace ALL the plastic in our house, but storing your food in glass versus plastic is a GREAT start.  Believe it or not, those plastics can degrade into your food which gets added to the toxic overload on your body.  It just is not worth it.  Plus, if you microwave food in plastic containers, it degrades the plastic further.  Why take a chance?  Switch to glassware.  The tops stay on great, and it's better for the environment.  The baby whales will thank you.

You may have seen me tweet or Instagram the next gift idea:  A subscription to FaithBox. FaithBox is a monthly subscription that includes a month worth of devotionals and several gifts from organizations that use their profits to support those in need.  For the last six months, FaithBox has sent items that support Haiti, Food Banks, Employment support, Human Trafficking, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, African ministries and others.  The donations go to feed the poor, clothe the homeless, provide healthcare and shelter to those in need.  I cannot think of a better way to enjoy a little splurge each month than with something that not only builds me spiritually, but also helps others in the process.

Finally, no gift giving guide of mine would be complete without an appeal to give the gift of my own books!  We've got "Sally the Comet" for your youngsters seeking to explore space; "Christ Walk Kids" for those tweens and teens seeking spirituality in the every day; and "Christ Walk: A 40 Day Spiritual Fitness Program" for those seeking to combine spiritual and physical practice.  Give the gift of Health, and give one of my books to your loved ones as a gift!

Vote in Love

I loathe discussing politics.  The current climate of the election process has me wanting to bury my head in the sand and not come up until its over.  I know I am not alone out there in this feeling.  The current situation in America makes me hugely uncomfortable.  I am uncomfortable as a Christian, a mother, a female, a writer, an individual, and as a spouse of a military member.  I’m uncomfortable in my skin, and in my head, and in my heart.  I wish deeply that God would simply send me an email telling me to whom I should cast my vote.  Alas, God has once again put the onus of action on my shoulders, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me.

I also don’t generally talk politics in social media.  I believe greatly that the ability to discourse rationally is lost when you cannot have these discussions face to face where you can see facial expressions, body language and nuance.  Despite these notions, I found myself on a podcast with my buds over at Priest Pulse discussing politics in a round table.  I prayed fervently that I wasn’t offensive on either side of the line and to say I felt sick to my stomach the whole time doesn’t begin to cover it.

I really don’t like talking politics.

However, because I did go on the round table, and because you can only express so much in a half hour show, I am following up with a blog post to really lay out my thoughts on this election season.  

We are conflicted.  On the right and on the left, there are conflicted people.  We are a conflicted nation.

You see, I am a deeply committed Christian.  I deeply want to vote as a committed Christian for the right candidate that represents my beliefs and feelings about our great nation.  There are deeply committed Christians on both sides of the Democrat/Republican fence.  There are deeply conflicted Christians on both sides of the Democrat/Republican fence.

Read this again:  There are deeply conflicted Christians on both sides of the fence.  This doesn’t make any of us less committed Christians. Or less committed Americans.  It just means that by nature of how we were raised, what we were exposed to, what preacher led us on Sunday mornings (and his or her personal platforms), and many other factors contributes to how we are shaped as deeply committed Christians.  On both sides of the fence.

You see, I’ve heard pigeon-holing slanders thrown about the last several months:  Commie-liberal, Christian Conservative, Redneck, Country Bumpkin, City Girl, Gun-toting NRA lover, Pro-lifer, Pro-choicer, Nazi-Democrat, Narrow-minded Republican,  just to name a few.  The problem with any of these labels is 1) I can identify personally with aspects of all these labels in some way, and 2) all they do is paint a picture of one or the other; black or white, good or bad; and doesn’t contribute to the shades of grey that individuals bring to the table.  It’s horrible.  And the major problem with these divisive labels is that it creates a divide where it is very difficult to come to consensus where we can lovingly agree to disagree.  A friend challenged me to find the place to heal, and I think we need to heal this great divide between these labels that have been cast with abandon.  You see, whether you vote Democrat or Republican, or something else, I’d rather that vote be cast in love as a deeply committed Christian towards a basis of reconciliation and togetherness. America will never be great again unless we make America great TOGETHER.

We’ve been led to believe that we have to choose between the lesser of two evils and I think most people I know are tired of choosing between evils and they really want to choose something good.  “Make America Great Again” appeals to some people because at heart, that’s what most Americans want whether or not it is a mis-placed sentiment.  We want a Great America.  America isn’t going to be great in the middle of a great divide.  We need to work together to make America great.

I’ve been told if I don’t vote for Hillary, I am a traitor to my sex.  I’ve been told if I don’t vote for Hillary, I support rape.  I’ve been told if I don’t vote for Trump, I am contributing to the downfall of America.  I’ve been told if I don’t vote for Trump, I am allowing the killing of babies. I’ve been told if I vote third party, I am throwing away my vote.  I’m told if I vote third party, I’m simply indecisive. I've been told so many things about my vote. None of what has been said provides me with much resolution as a deeply committed Christian trying to do the right thing.

These negative voices about what is right and what is wrong are on both sides of the fence.  Both sides tell me I am doing the wrong thing, no matter which way my vote is cast.  Which one is more right?  Who gets to decide who is more "right" than someone else? And which one is more right when we are left with two candidates that leave us deeply conflicted on a moral level as deeply committed Christians?  If you fit into this category like me, I think you have to pray deeply on your choice;  you have to read the Bible; read history; read theologians; dive deeply into the issues and find something that resonates with your beliefs.  And NEVER be suckered into believing you only have two choices.  We have lots of choices as Americans, we just have to take action on them.  We were instructed by God to Walk in Love.  In order to do this, we can cast a vote that works with our Christian conscious. Only you know what that is.

God might not have sent an email, but God did send us a message.  No matter the outcome of the election, God consistently, says “Trust me.”  As Christians, we don’t believe this is the end of the story.  There is always more to come and the number one way we can demonstrate our commitment as Christians is to Walk in Love with our brothers and sisters on both sides of the political fence. Let's hang up nastiness, name calling, and labeling.  I think as deeply committed Christians, we are held to a higher standard.

If you are still feeling conflicted, The Reverend John Wesley provided us this guidance in 1774:

"I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them

1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy

2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and

3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.”

—Anna