October has been a strange month. I did a fair amount of travel (Japan and China) mixed with sitting on the couch trying to get my foot to heal. So most of my favorite things for this month were connected to the two polar opposites of my life: constant motion and complete stillness. The things that I fell in love with this month were almost all gifts or recommendations from girlfriends. Here are a few of my most favorite things from October:
Bubble Water Bottle
Both at home and on the road for the past few weeks, I've relied heavily on my Bubble Water Bottle. I'm always one of those people who carries around a bottle of water but it's been even more vital lately. I know staying well hydrated helps with healing and I'm also spending lots of time on airplanes, so I need to combat the dry air with water. What I love the most about this bottle is the replaceable filter. I travel to lots of countries where it is safe to drink the tap water (Japan) but I still prefer to run it through a filter. It also comes with a cap that closes the bottle completely, meaning I can throw it into my bag without worrying about spills.
Garden of Life Mood + and Garden of Life Ocean 3
A friend introduced me to the Garden of Life line back in April and I've taken them religiously ever since. At the time, I was suffering from what I can only call as brain fog. I just didn't feel like I had enough energy and my brain never could access information as fast as I wanted. It was such a strange and frustrating situation. I think changing my diet helped some but I'm sure adding the Garden of Life Probiotics for Mood and the Garden of Life Oceans 3 (Omega3s) for Better Brain really was what shook off the fog. I notice if I stop taking these for a week or so. Additionally, I love that I can travel with the probiotics. It helps keep my crohn's stomach in check.
Native Forest Coconut Milk Powder
My sister sent me this coconut milk powder in one of her fantastic care packages (because don't all adults send each other care packages?!) She knew that finding a non-dairy substitute is tough in foreign countries and I try to avoid soy when possible. Yet it would be stupid to have extra liquids due to weight and security. I told her I couldn't find any non-dairy powder and she went on her own hunt and sent me this coconut powder. It is super coconuty and a little goes a long way but I love it. It is great to mask some terrible hotel coffee, top off a cup of airplane coffee or even for coffee at home, when I get back after a trip and don't have any other options.
Swift Wick Compression Socks
I was gifted these socks from a good friend last year and have used them for every single flight since. Typically, I just wear them because it helps me avoid that cankly, swollen foot at the end of a long travel day. Yet since the surgery, I've been required to wear compression socks when I fly. These socks are the perfect combination of tight but comfortable.
Scar Erase
I've been rubbing a scar cream (not this exact one, but an all-natural one from Belgium that sounds similar) and it is working miracles. My foot scar looks amazing. Once it fully heals, I think it will be barely noticeable. It is a little over a month old and already looks better than my 10 year old knee scar.
I definitely was not paid for any of these recommendations.