Happy Monday friends! First and foremost I want to announce the winner of last week’s giveaway………..Kristen F! Yay!! You have 48 hours to shoot me an email Kristen, and we’ll chat specifics!
And now, on to the some more exciting news…
Today finds Minnesconsin buried in snow, and I have to admit, it is completely wonderful. I am a huge fan of winter – though I do believe it overstays its welcome every year. There is just something so cozy about a good, hearty, blanketing snow storm. Unfortunately, especially for my southern and west coast friends, I can’t give away snow. Even though it really is one of my favorite things. But I can give away a bunch of other stuff that makes my world go round. And hopefully gets you a little excited, too!
(Sorry, guys – if I have any guy readers – but this giveaway is horribly swayed to the ladies. Because I’m a lady and like lady things. That said, you might still be interested if you have a lady of your own. Just sayin…..)
1. A skein of Malabrigo Twist worsted yarn in Applewood. (My favorite brand of merino yarn in an awesome pink-hued walnut color.)
2. A gold plated “xo” necklace from Petitor (I love this necklace – and haven’t taken mine off since I got it!).
3. “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. (Witty. Smart. Poignant. This book is a must read. But be sure to read it with a box of kleenex.)
4. Essie nailpolish (duh.) in the color that started my addiction – Chinchilly.
5. Aveda Light Elements texturizing creme.
6. Aveda Pure Abundance hair potion. (This stuff is amazing!)
7. Aveda Hand Relief. Hands down the best hand lotion on the market.
8. A herkimer diamond necklace from Mineralogy Designs. (May I also suggest her amazing Herkimer Diamond Ring? So lovely.)
9. C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve. Lips, elbows, or healing sliced off fingertips, this stuff is a cure-all (and smells like flowers!).
10. A blank page leather wrapped journal/sketchbook/scrapbook/whateverbook.
11. Lemongrass soap from Serenade Naturals.
12. A $25 Gap gift card.
13. A Stella clutch from Lucends.
These are the things that I can’t live without – or, at least I don’t WANT to live without them – and as such I wanted to pay it forward. So one lucky reader will win all this loot! To enter, simply leave a comment telling me what one thing you can’t live without. You can earn extra entries by sharing a link to this post on Facebook or Twitter, and you’ll also get an extra entry for liking my page on Facebook! The contest will be open until midnight on Thursday and the winner will be announced on Friday! Good luck!
(Contest open to US and Canada only)
Amanda Renner
One thing I can not live without is carmel flavored coffee.. Okay, just coffee in general. But if I have the choice, its GOING to be carmel flavored! I mean besides the given, cant live without my camera or sewing machine.
whit
I can not live with out… Greg. He is my world. Literally the breath I breathe. I seriously think I would die of a broken heart if anything happened to him. I pray I go before he does, so I never have to feel empty. He has saved me in so may ways.
Rhiannon
I can’t live without my kayak. I got it during a tiny window of time when I had money to burn, and I’ve never taken her for granted. She provides me the perfect escape, when necessary, into places of solitude where I can worship nature.
Tiffany
I cannot live without my day planner. It seriously goes with me EVERYWHERE!! It has everything I need, to be reminded of and what I need to focus on next! It’s a serious life saver and I absolutely cannot live without it!!
Nadia
Love your favorite things…all of them! Except the yarn…I’d have to give it back to you and kindly request that it be given back in the form of a hat or scarf…then I’d like all of them! haha! My favorite thing…my “Holden” necklace from http://www.souljewelry.com–I feel like I have Holden with me even when we are apart. Afterall, HE is my favorite thing.
Lindsay
I can’t live without my Sorel “Cate the Great” snow boots. Not only are they warm and comfortable, they’re super fashionable. So fashionable, that you can see me wearing them at least once a week in the office during winter. L-O-V-E them!
Credence
The kid is obvious……..I would have to say my slippers. The are old, smelly and I wear them everywhere. I have fixed them numerous times and the super glue is still holding up.
lena
I can not live without my flat iron. It always makes a bad hair day better.
Noelle
Oh my….so many AMAZING THINGS. Besides my iPhone, I can’t live without some sort of lip balm. Generally I use Burt’s Bees, but I absolutely adore the CO Bigelow rose salve – that stuff is made of magic, I swear. :-)
Annika
Besides technology gadgets & dogs/chickens (the obvious), I can’t live without quiet/solitude to help myself process and think. For a more material item, my Lands’ End flannel bed sheets. The BEST investment I ever made last winter–a gift that just keeps on giving, night after night.
Gwen
Can I play? I can’t live without coffee and my family. Coffee first then family, only because they don’t want to be around me until I’ve had my coffee.
Amy J Edgeworth
I can’t live without my d
aughters hugs and kisses and hearing her say, ” I love you the most in my heart, Mama”. I also could, but dont want to live without my ipad….all my music and brain games. Finally, my husband cooks for me EVERY night. Without him I would starve!
Mary H
My kitchen – aid mixer – Especially this time of year with all the baking I do. It was a gift (which typicall no appliances for gifts) but it’s been my one of my all time favs!!!
Andi
Love this Athena! My must-haves-to-be-happy are, in NO order: Coffee (whole bean, must grind because I’m picky like that), minty or medicated Chapstick (you DO not want to be around me when I cannot find my Chapstick!), my iPhone and a trendy case (duh), gum, and my sweet Boxer Lola. Of course I have a gazillion other things I can’t live without, but those are pretty close to top on my list :)
Andi
PS I was so excited to post that I spewed off too many things! LOL
Mackenzie L.
I can’t live without chocolate(Ghiradelli :) and my favorite Norwegian chocolate sent my Grandpa’s cousin each Christmas) and my overly large family (4 siblings & 30+ cousins). Let’s also face the facts: one cannot have one without the other, especially around the holidays. They bring me light in the winter wonderland of Minnesota.
Kristi R.
French Vanilla Coffee Creamer. Not the fancy kind, just the kind I can buy in bulk at Costco. And if I have to buy it in bulk, you know I love it.
Sarah Jane
Hmm, I think now that winter has arrived I’d have to say warm scarves. I’m rarely caught without one on, inside or outside. I wish we would have gotten some of that snow down here in central Wisconsin- we only got the tiniest blanket of it.
Joni Mcdonald
Seeing as how it is snowing there, my answer will sound crazy…but I cannot live without my air conditioner. Like…seriously. It was in the 80’s here just a few days ago and it’s a humid heat which makes it sticky hot. (And bad for the hair, but that’s another story). We run the a/c even in the winter…true story. I have many things that I enjoy and even love, but my a/c is definitely a necessity.
Elizabeth
I feel compelled to enter, and because I know for everyone that their first choice would be husband/fiancé/family, I chose the next best thing…
One thing that I cannot live without is art. While it used to be a career choice now it has become more of a luxury and comfort. I can’t live without art because there are so many different forms that there is always one that will be the piece to the puzzle to make me feel more whole. Whether it is a film to commiserate with, a photograph or painting to empathize with or a song to celebrate a victory with – there is always a piece of art to bring the feeling to completion.
Jen
I cannot live with the pause I take every morning to find where my heart is, and align my day from the inside out. I rush, I hustle and bustle, I hardly sit still through my day. I need my pause, however long I am able to take. It’s my salvation.
Amy
New York City. She’s always got my back and I wouldn’t be who I am without her. (Like my mommy…that goes without saying that she’s one thing I can’t live without too, right?)
tahni
okay look. i’m going to go the whole superficial route. i mean, we all know we need our friends and family right? so, like you did, i’m going to comment with my things and products i can’t live without. then maybe i’ll get to experience some of the things you can’t live without! :)
1. my feather earrings handmade by you! (i’m serious, i wear them nearly every day.)
2. origins mega mushroom skin relief soothing treatment lotion
3. burts bees original peppermint lip balm
4. rainer maria rilke’s the book of hours
5. swatch’s cranberry wrap around watch
6. victoria’s secret very sexy perfume (haha i know)
7. emergen-c in acai berry
8. sufjan stevens’ songs for christmas album
just to name a few…
and i’m going to share on facebook and twitter now!
Jessica
I don’t want to live without coffee or my cats!
Dayna
The one thing I can’t live without, besides my furry children, is my iPod. It saves me while running, for without it I wouldn’t make it a 1/4 mile. It also saves me on my looong communte, as audiobooks are a safe distraction to traffic.
autumn
Material-wise, I can’t live without a pen and paper. It’s so simple but I have so many thoughts and ideas throughout the week!
Selah V
I loved reading everyone’s responses!
I love ALL of these things…and I believe you use a random web-thingy to determine the winner so I won’t spend a ton of time trying to be extra witty….will just pick a top Selah ‘must have.’ The camera on my iPhone – thing I grab for MOST often throughout the day and count on to be there when needing to snap a pic or recording of a magical moment. need it. ultimate must have. love you.
sharing on FB now.
Cory Schmidt
I can NOT live without iheartradio. Honestly, I can listen to it on my phone while I’m getting things done around the house. I enjoy listening to it and that actually makes me want to do more things around the house so I can listen to sports talk radio. Awful? Perhaps, but I have never done this much work at home than I have in the last year…and my iheartradio is to thank.
Tina
This is pretty awesome of you to do. The one thing that I cannot live without is MUSIC. Simply, it’s what brings me back to where I need to be. It brings me comfort, joy, perspective and to a place in my soul that feels like home.
Bonnie
Like everyone my daughter, Soleia, and my friends and family are the top for me.
But, my MEMORIES are the one thing I can’t live without. Some of the best times and people live forever in my memories and without them life wouldn’t be what it is.
Ps: You’re work is amazing! And this is so awesome! I love that clutch…skulls are an obsession!
Mandy
There are so so many things that I absolutely cannot live without! How do I choose…besides the obvious being my kids and oxygen, I think I would have to say make up! All different kinds ofcolorful items shoved in my cute bag :)
lo
Besides friends and family, obviously, I would have to say photography. It’s my biggest passion!
amalie rose
I could not live without my french press. In combination with my fave Alterra blend, it literally makes my every morning.
And my god, woman, you have amazing taste. You haven’t posted a single thing yet that I don’t love!