My favourite things list

I receive many emails asking for the brand or links to particular items that I use. So to save me having to write separate responses to these emails I have decided to keep a list of the key products / items that I love and highly recommend.

I will continue to add to this list as I find products that work for me and the family! You can either scroll through the list, or click on the category that interests you to go directly to that section of list. At the end of each category you can click on the back to the top link, to bring you straight back her to the list index.

Categories:

Kitchen

  • De’Longhi Multi Cooker – I use this multiple times a week. Mainly to cook up my sweet potato! You can see my full review here which I wrote in 2015 and our cooker is still working brilliantly.
  • Breville Set and Serve Rice cooker – I also use the rice cooker weekly. We have this one and I find it is a great size for our family of seven.
  • Breville Food Processor – I have an older version of this one which is only 1000w and it is a great reliable machine. Because of the way I use a food processor however, next time I would get a food processor that was at least 2000w. I like the look of this one which has a wide food chute. That means you don’t have to spend so much time cutting up the veggies before you process them.
  • Glass containers – very slowly I am trying to convert my plastic storage to glass containers. I use them to store left over foods and also to store my weekly food preps meals that I make each weekend. I find they work really well, don’t stain, they are safer and they also freeze and wash up well too.
  • Bees wax covers – I was given my first one by a friend as a gift and I am trying to convert the whole family into using them rather than plastic wrap. At the moment I do still have plastic wrap in the house, but I am working on weaning us off it by getting us some more.
  • Sunbeam Stainless Steel Frypan – we used to have a non stick electric frying pan, but I am also trying to remove all non stick surfaces from our house too (I know the rice cooker is non stick – working on an alternative!). I first started looking in stores for a stainless steel one, but had no luck and ended up buying it from here. This is used almost daily in our house. Due to the volume of food I cook for the family, it is where I cook our taco meat, bolognaise sauce, stir fries etc and even our pikelets!
  • Scanpan impact 28cm frying pan – another daily use item in our house. Perfect for hot breakfasts, easily fits 3 eggs and a couple of pieces of bacon.
  • Scanpan Impact 11ltr stock pot – I can’t even remember how many years I have had this stock pot for, but it is still one of the most used items in the kitchen. I use it for soups, stews, cooking pasta and stock etc.
  • Sunbeam SecretChef® Electronic Slow Cooker 5.5L – this is quite big and works for us because of the volume of food I cook. If you have a family of 5 or less I would purchase a smaller size. Even when I have used it to cook smaller amounts of food, I find even on the low setting, it cooks the food much quicker than I expected.
Back To The Top 

Food

  • Pureharvest Tamari – a great gluten free soy sauce, which is naturally fermented and GMO free.
  • Pureharvest Rice Malt Syrup – an alternative sweetener for baking and other cooking
  • Kimchi – if you don’t make your own the Peace, Love and Vegetables brand is excellent. Making your own is super easy and you can see my recipe for kimchi here, which I created to be like the Peace, Love and Vegetables version.
  • Venerdi Super Seeded Bread – this bread isn’t your regular slice of white loaf! It is grain free, dairy free, no added sugar and gluten free. I would only buy this few times a year but it is great for when I am going away and won’t be able to prep my food as much, or I need something in an emergency.
  • Loving Earth Salted Caramel Raw Vegan Chocolate – this is amazing, smooth, sweet, yet not too sweet. I often buy this as a gift and put in on my list when am asked what I would like for a present!
  • Pana Chocolate Mint 45g (Raw Organic Vegan) – this is also utterly delicious. I actually love most things peppermint and with pure essential peppermint oil as an ingredient, it has a super nice mint flavour.
  • Coyo Coconut Vanilla Bean Yoghurt Alternative – this is an occasional buy too, but it is super delicious and has the best flavour of other coconut yoghurt alternatives.
  • Loving Earth Caramelised Buckinis – This is like a gluten free, refined sugar free cereal for me. I will top it with some of the above coconut yoghurt alternative and have for breakfast or snack, especially useful to take away with me when travelling (also an occasional buy).
Back To The Top 

Drink

  • Kombucha – is a fermented tea that is easy to make at home. I follow this recipe from Real Food Agenda. If you aren’t up to making your own you can try these brands Remedy, Mojo or Bodkombucha.
  • Pukkah Teas – I have put so many of my friends on to Pukkah Teas. They are seriously great teas! They are sustainably produced, organic herbal teas which unlike some herbal teas, contain no artificial ingredients. Honestly check the ingredient list of your current tea, you will be surprised and saddened at how many contain fillers, sugars and artificial flavours. My favourites from the Pukkah range are Peppermint and Licorice, Cleanse, Detox and Three Ginger.
Back To The Top 

For the kids

Back To The Top 

Health and fitness

  • Bare Blends Organic Vanilla WPI – so many protein powders have long ingredient lists with words you cannot even understand. Bare Blends has a short list and it is easy to understand. Most importantly it tastes great in my breakfast smoothies!
  • Lululemon Tight Stuff Tight II – these tights are as they say tight! As well as training in them, I actually find them super useful to wear after a long run for recovery + they have sparkles!
  • Lululemon Tracker Short IV – it took me a number of years before I would wear short shorts training (worried about how I looked, varicose veins etc!) and these were the first pair of shorts I bought (I have linked to a newer version and different fabric but they are essentially the same shorts). Now I wear shorts more than I do tights even in winter!
  • Lululemon Swiftly Racerback – I have had my racerback for about 3 years and it is still one of my most preferred tops to run in.
  • Lululemon H2Om Waterbottle – I much prefer to drink out of glass and I have had the water bottle for over a year without smashing the glass. I did however drop it and crack the lid. I went back to Lululemon to ask if I could buy a replacement lid and they replaced the whole bottle for me for free. Lululemon has exceptional customer service.
  • Amazing oils magnesium products – I reviewed Amazing Oils Magnesium products earlier this year on the blog and you can read it here. I still continue to buy their products and find they really help with recovery and pain relief.
  • Garmin Forerunner – I actually have the Garmin Forerunner 220 which has now been superseded by the Garmin Forerunner 225. I ran my first half marathon and marathons without a Garmin, so by no means do you have to have a running watch to run, but I really like the ease of use of the Garmin and how well it connects to other platforms.
  • Plantronics BackBeat FIT Bluetooth Headphones – these were my birthday present last year from the family and I adore them. I have had them for a year and not had any problems with them. While they can seem expensive, prior to having these headphones, I would usually go through a couple of pairs of running headphones a year, so they are worth the investment. Also currently Catch of the Day has them at almost half price ($89). My husband ordered a pair from them and they are just the same, so if you are thinking about getting some, try there.
  • CrossFit Boxhill – If you read my post 10 things my 40 year old self would tell my 30 year old self you would have read how going to CrossFit BoxHill has helped me make many positive changes to my life. And it isn’t just my life either, I have seen this happen to so many member from all different backgrounds. If you are wanting to make changes to your health and fitness I can highly recommend checking it out.
  • Twenty8 Essential oils – I know oils are very on trend right now, but these oils are really amazing quality. Twenty8 Oils are pure, high grade, therapeutic essential oils sourced from environmentally aware farmers around the world. They aren’t cheap but as they are so high quality you use less and they last longer. My faves are Instant Calm Synergy Blend , Peppermint Pure Essential Oil, Lemongrass Pure Essential Oil and Detox & Strengthen Synergy Blend.
Back To The Top 

Hair and body care

  • Schmidt’s Deodorant Stick – I tried out many natural deodorants before I found one that worked well for me. It does take time to adjusting to using a natural deodorant. Most of us are used to using an antiperspirant combined with a deodorant. The antiperspirant stops you from sweating which really isn’t a good thing, so when you go to just using a deodorant you do notice you sweat A LOT more. This does however settle down, so I can highly recommend sticking with it. Fave types are lavender and the lime one.
  • ecostore Lemongrass Soap – super gentle to use with a beautiful fresh fragrance.
  • ecostore Sleepy Time Bath – this product is designed for babies, however I still buy it and I use it! I find it works wonders after a stressful day in the bath. It also brings back the most precious memories of when my kids were babies (which is no sooooo long ago!).
  • Davroe Moisture Senses Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner – this has been a new find for me this year. Davroe is an Australian company that make hair products that are vegan and cruelty free and use natural plant extracts. I am using their Hydrating range and find it has helped my dry hair.
  • Davroe Ultimatum Non-Aerosol Hairspray – I was pretty sceptical as to whether this would work but it does and I am super happy with it. It is also vegan and cruelty free and made from natural plant extracts.
  • Davroe Fibre Creme – I use this when I don’t have time to fully style my hair and want to go with the more ruffled look!
  • Red Seal Natural SLS free Toothpaste – this is a natural, lightly mint flavoured toothpaste which has no sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), parabens, artificial sweeteners, or added fluoride. I buy this from our local whole food store.
Back To The Top 

Clothing

  • Yuki – for the teenagers. Great hoodies, tees and track paints. They are a new Australian company who’s Winter 17 range is manufactured responsibly using 100% Fairtrade Organic Cotton (GOTS certified) and they donate 1% of all sales to 1% for the Planet. While the hoodies are designed for snow, they are perfect for cold Melbourne winters too. The hoodie is a fave item of our eldest.
  • Patagonia – are a clothing company that has a mission to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. They have clothes for mum, dad, teens and younger kids. They are into making sure you get a long life out of your clothes and will assist in repairs. They also donate 1% of all sales to 1% for the Planet. I received their W’s Radalie Parka from the kids and husband for my birthday and it is possibly my most favourite item of winter clothing. The outside is made from 100% recycled nylon and it is insulated with almost all recycled materials.
  • Nudie jeans – I love my Nudie Jeans! Not only are they soft and a great fit but they are made from 100% organic cotton denim, from a socially responsible company who has a transparent production process. They offer a free repair service, resell second hand products and recycle worn out products.
  • Etiko – are an Australian family owned and operated apparel, footwear and sports ball business. The key difference with Etiko compared to other businesses of its type is their “engagement with fair trade certified suppliers means we are working with raw material and factory suppliers who are investing in the economic and social development of farmers and workers. Producing Etiko garments, footwear and sports balls is a vehicle for these people to lift themselves out of poverty and create a better life for themselves and their community.” They have a small but high quality range of t-shirts, hoodies, footwear and sports balls.
  • Boody Organic Bamboo Clothing & Eco Wear – I have Boody socks, underwear and basic tops. The quality is great, it all washes up and wears well. The fabric is amazingly soft and because it is made from bamboo, it has huge positive environmental credentials. Bamboo is a fast growing wood plant and needs little water other than rain, so a very sustainable product to make clothing from.
Back To The Top 

Do you want some free tools to help you organise the chaos of family life?

The Planning With Kids Newsletter is called NOW with Nicole Avery. It is an upbeat weekly newsletter that aims to help you organise the chaos of family life and find simple ways to enjoy it more.

My philosophy is to organise the known and repetitive tasks of family life so you create a solid foundation that allows you to manage the more unpredictable and challenging elements.

You can sign up for the free newsletter in the sign-up box below! To say thank you for signing up for the newsletter I have created a simple but super useful guide for you to help you organise the chaos of family life. The free download helps simplify some of the repetitive and time-consuming tasks that occur as part of daily family life. Guide ✼ Plan ✼ Check ✓ contains 10 separate printable tools that you will be able to use over and over again.

Sign up and organise the chaos of family life!

* Some of these items I have been introduced to as I have worked with these brands on campaigns on the blog, but even after my commercial relationship has finished with the brand I continue to use them. Other links may contain affiliate links.  This means if you purchase an item through this link, I will receive a small commission, which does not affect the price you pay for this item. Regardless, these are still items that I personally buy, use and love!