Products Keeping Me Calm, Cozy and Relaxed This Fall
It’s officially fall and you know what that means…shorter days, longer nights, sweater weather, diet changes, the start of flu season, and pumpkin-spice flavored products EVERYWHERE. While I love the autumn months, especially here in NYC with the beautiful changing of the leaves, I’m mentally getting ready to hibernate. So while I am game for Central Park strolls, and finallyyyy booked tickets to visit Storm King in October, I’m looking forward to cozying up at home with all the warming and nourishing things.
Here’s a list of my current favs that I just can’t live without:
My Heated Blanket — Seriously. It all started with a heating pad I bought to help ease period cramps. But then I found myself using the heating pad for no reason other then I liked the warmth and that’s when I knew….a heated blanket will be my best friend. And when the temp drops, I use this blanket every single day. It’s big enough for two to stretch out or cuddle under and you can adjust the heat setting from 1-10. I usually keep mine at a steady 7. I imagine this is very similar to a weighted blanket since it does have some weight to it and I feel warm and fuzzy inside when I’m all wrapped up.
Essential Oils — Aromatherapy has become a daily part of my life. Every night, without fail, I add DoTerra’s Serenity blend, copaiba, and vetiver in my diffuser before bed. The smell is so calming and very quickly puts me in sleep mode. I also love a good easy roller applicator, especially DoTerra’s Adaptive essential blend blend that’s calming. Might as well throw diffuser into this list too, because you need one if you want to diffuse the oils. My top picks are Vitruvi Stone Diffuser which is a higher priced diffuser, but I found one from Target that almost works better.
Supplements — ashwagandha to naturally ease stress and boost energy, probiotics to flood the microbiome (gut) with good bacteria and balance the immune system, higher dose of Vitamin C and D now that we’re getting less sun and have to defend against the flu (and covid), omega 3 to support heart health, and reacted magnesium to restore magnesium levels in the body which is critical for proper hydration, stress response, muscle relaxation and supports a good nights sleep.
Warming Recipes — on chilly nights I often crave Ethiopian (I always go for the vegetarian platter), or some sort of curry, but when it comes to home cooking, I have my tried and true go-tos that never let me down, in fact they usually lift me up. Like my Mom’s Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Chicken Soup which is packed with immunity-boosting foods like ginger, garlic, cayenne, oregano and of course turmeric. And the other is my Wild Salmon Bowl With Miso-Ginger Dressing. Really anything salmon I gravitate toward. As a rich source of Omega-3 fats, wild salmon may help reduce symptoms of anxiety. Which is probably why I cook it so often, that, and of course the flavor.
Best Soups — Let’s start with Amy’s Vegetable Lentil aka the BEST canned soup I’ve come across. So good, but I like to turn it up a notch by adding in some green garnishes and seasonings after heating it up, like avocado, green onion, fresh squeeze lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, chili pepper flakes and fresh cracked black pepper. And then we’ve got Egyptian Red Lentil from Juice Press — if I’m out and about in NYC and in the mood for soup, Juice Press’s Egyptian lentil is what I’m after. They change their soup selections daily so you never know what they’re going to have but if you come across this one, grab it to go and enjoy it at home. The aroma, the flavors, the heartiness, the thickness….it’s a big hug in a bowl.
A good book — my favorite books to read are mindset books or anything that’s motivating, inspiring and under the self development section. I’m currently reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield and I can’t say enough about this book. This is a book that everyone should read — if you follow the exercises in the book it can change your life.
Comfy Sweats — I know, you can literally find these anywhere, but my all-time fav comfy, grey sweats from Brandy Melville (the store for teens. Yes I still shop there!) are on my legs more so than the closet. Get yourself a pair of joggers that love you back too.
Facial Oil — My obsession with face oil is very real. I have about five different oils in rotation but hands down the one that I cherish most is Eminence’s Facial Recovery Oil. In the drier, cooler months this luxurious oil leaves my skin hydrated, dewy and glowing all day long. The smell is also DIVINE. We can thank super calming and balancing essential oil Ylang Ylang for that. Next on my list is their Eight Greens Youth Serum and Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Concentrate. They also plant a tree for every product sold.
I’m not affiliated with any of these brands. I just love the products and felt compelled to share. Leave a comment below and let me know if you try any of these. Would also love to hear what some of your favorites are. Xo Jannika