This week’s Monday Must Have is Saphira Mineral Mud

I used to have curly hair that was prone to frizz until I discovered Keratin treatments. I typically get one treatment a year at a salon to help keep my hair smooth & frizz free but when the treatment is wearing out this mineral mud does the trick. It makes my hair soft, shiny and prevents frizz plus it smells wonderful. This healing treatment is enriched with 26 dead sea minerals and pure keratin. My mom first turned me on to this mud and it seemed expensive at over $40 but I was surprised how little I needed to make a difference so the container typically lasts a long time.  I use this product when my hair needs a pick me up, after shampoo I typically apply this treatment to my ends and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing out. I have also tried Saphira’s Shampoo, Conditioner & Mineral Treatment and they all had similar benefits to the mud.

 

Where to Register

We registered at two places William Sonoma & Amazon. We chose William Sonoma because we know they have high-quality items & offer brick & mortar options for guests who like to shop in person. Then we chose Amazon because we figured they would have pretty much everything else & offered convenient shipping options.

We also really liked that Amazon offers a universal registry option that allows you to select items from anywhere on the internet. This allowed us to choose the items & brand names that we really wanted rather than being limited to the options sold at a particular store.

What to Register For

My mom had gifted me The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner which I highly recommend to all brides to be. In the planner is a list of wedding registry essentials which was a great starting point. I then took that list and went through it with my fiance and crossed off items that we already had or didn’t need. I also talked to our parents, recently married couples or anyone else I knew who liked to cook. I asked what they had that they loved, what they didn’t ever use and what they wished they had for example a Mandoline (recommended to us by my Uncle George).

With our edited list of wedding “essentials” (mandoline included) we started to register. To determine which brands and products to register for I read Amazon reviews and used sites like Best Reviews & The Sweet Home. 

Best Reviews was great since they narrow it down to 5 items & select one as “Best of the Best” and one “Best Bang for Your Buck”. The five options were usually the perfect amount for a weary couple planning a wedding and suffering from decision fatigue. They also usually linked directly to Amazon which made adding items to our registry easy.

The Sweet Home is big on testing the products and then reviewing them based on things like wear and tear. They also offer up different options for different users such as “The Best towel for most people” or an upgrade pick “More Luxurious and Soft”

Here are some of my top picks for registry items…

Kitchen Tools

The Ultimate Set – OXO Good Grips 15-Piece Everyday Kitchen Tool Set

Don’t be ungrateful – Cheese Grater by Utopia Kitchen

 

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

These two sided spoons are genius, you can use one side for liquid and one for dry ingredients and then you only have to wash one spoon – Prepworks by Progressive Magnetic Measuring Spoons, Stainless Steel – Set of 5

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps

You don’t think you need a garlic press until you have a garlic press (or if you use blue apron) – Kebley High-End Garlic Press 

Glasslock 18 Piece Oven Safe Assortment Set, Blue

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls Set of 5 for Kitchen Ingredients by Cozyna, Anti Slip Base

Pots & Pans

All-Clad 4112NSR2 Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Bonded Dishwasher Safe PFOA-free Non-Stick Fry Pan / Cookware, 12-Inch, Silver

Drinkware

Duralex Picardie 18-Piece Clear Drinking Glasses & Tumbler Set

Don Draper is that you? – Marquis by Waterford Markham Double Old Fashioned Glasses, Set of 4

Serveware

Lenox Portola 65-Piece Flatware Set

Appliances

Ninja Professional Blender & Nutri Ninja Cups BL660

For that caffeine fix – Cuisinart DCC-3200 14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ, Silver

KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers (French Blue)

Cleaning

Dyson Small Ball Multi Floor Upright Vacuum

Bissell 19404 PowerFresh Pet Steam Mop

 

BLACK + DECKER CHV1410L 16V Cordless Lithium Hand Vac

simplehuman 45L Semi-Round Sensor Can, Touchless Automatic Trash Can, 2nd Generation, Stainless Steel with Plastic Lid, 45 L / 11.8 Gal

Bed & Bath

Heaven for side sleepers, careful you’ll never go back – Indulgence Standard/Queen Side Sleeper Pillow by Isotonic 28″x20″

Pinzon 400-Thread-Count Egyptian Cotton Sateen Hemstitch Sheet Set – Queen, White

Outdoor

Indoor/Outdoor Accent Pillows, Indigo, Set of 2

 

Pineapple Heritage Rubber Doormat, 18″ x 30″ x 0.40″, Black

 

Travel

Travelpro Platinum Magna 2 22 Inch Express Rollaboard Suitcase

 

 

 

 

Cleanser

I’ve tried a lot but I always come back to this one Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.I have sensitive skin but this one never irritates me and always leaves my skin feeling soft.

Daily Moisturizer with SPF

We’ve all heard it before, wear SPF and wear it daily. The only problem with this was when I was about to go spend the day in the office, I didn’t want to feel like I was lathering up for a beach day. After a lot of trial and error I finally found this one Olay Total Effects 7 in One, Anti-Aging Moisturizer with SPF 30. It’s lightweight & doesn’t feel or smell like suntan lotion & its anti-aging hooray! This moisturizer even stood up to the Hawaiian sun on my honeymoon without causing me to breakout like other lotions have.

 

Vitamin C Serum (For Fighting Father Time)

Before my wedding I had my very first facial (highly recommend) and the esthetician  told me that I should start using a Vitamin C Serum for anti-aging and to help reduce dark spots. At first when I looked them up the options were expensive but then I found Claire-ity Skincare Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin on Amazon. The serum had nearly 5 stars and over 1,000 reviews so I figured for less than $15 it was worth a shot, bonus it was made in the USA. I’ve been using this product for about a month and I am very happy with the results, plus I feel very fancy applying a serum every night, without the fancy price tag.

Makeup Remover

I always hated the consistency of makeup removers, they felt greasy and would sting when I was removing my eye makeup. Then I received Micellar water in a Birchbox and immediately became a convert, it feels just like water but is surprisingly effective at removing makeup. I am a fan of this one Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Makeup Remover