I love finding new things and I really love it when my friends have found a product or item that they enjoy and then pass on their findings to me. I thought that it might be fun to share some of my findings with you, so here is a roundup of my picks for August:
1. David Beckham: Into the Unknown – I’m not going to lie. I thought this documentary was going to be about soccer. I was wrong; that is the other Beckham documentary. This one follows Beckham and a handful of close friends on a wild adventure through the Amazon and the only soccer we see is Beckham kicking the ball around with his son before he leaves and when Beckham and his buddies play a fascinating game of beach volley soccer with some locals in Rio (it was a seriously cool game where you play volleyball but you can only use the parts of your body that you would use in soccer). Small planes, motorcycles and boats serve as their primary modes of transportation as they head into some seriously remote regions of Brazil. The deeper they traveled into the Amazon, the fewer people recognized the soccer star, much to his delight. At one point, when meeting with a small tribe, Beckham even finds himself attempting to explain soccer to a tribal elder who clearly thinks it is insane that a man could support his family by playing a game (this is after the children of the tribe have tried to rub off his tattoos while asking if he is painted). This was a huge hit with everyone in my family and if you aren’t a Beckham fan already, this might just make you one.
2. Goodnight Darth Vader – I adore Jeffrey Brown’s charming Star Wars themed children’s stories and his latest is no exception. Brown’s homage to the childhood classic (and one of my all-time favorite children’s books), Goodnight Moon, is a sweet bedtime tale with appearances from Star Wars favorites ranging from R2-D2 and Han Solo to Jar Jar Binks (say what you want about Jar Jar… little kids love him). It has become an instant classic (and bedtime favorite) in our household.
3. Jamba Juice’s Tropical Greens Freshly Squeezed Juice: It is no secret that I am a Jamba Juice addict. David and I can actually walk into several different local Jamba locations and they start making our order long before we ever make our way to the cash register. I also love green juice, but I don’t always love how long it takes to make. While I can usually find time to make my own at home, Jamba’s new juice menu makes it super easy to grab some freshly squeezed green juice when you’re on the run. My current favorite is Tropical Greens, a delightful blend of apple, pineapple and super greens. It is a delicious as it is healthy.
4. Shea Moisture Argan Oil and Raw Shea Eczema, Psoriasis & Dry Skin Relief Soak – I absolutely love Shea Moisture products. I bought a few items on a whim one day while cruising the aisles at Target and I have been in love ever since. I appreciate the fact that they never use parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrance or a whole host of other nasty ingredients. David has become especially fond of their African Black Soap Body Wash and the kids love their baby oil. Nothing beats a nice hot bath with their Argan Oil and Raw Shea Eczema, Psoriasis & Dry Skin Relief Soak. It smells great and leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed.
5. Pamela’s Pecan Shortbread Gluten-Free Cookies: Remember back a couple of years ago when gluten-free cookies essentially tasted like cardboard and crumbled into a million pieces if you even looked at them. Well, you can kiss those days goodbye. I have been impressed with Pamela’s since I tried their pancake mix and as their product line has expanded so has my waist line. I’m only kidding, but in all seriousness I have yet to be disappointed in any of Pamela’s products. These shortbread cookies taste so good that you’ll forget they’re gluten-free. I could eat the entire box.