5 Game Changers (how did I live without these until now?!)

It’s been a hot-minute since my last blog post, because, well, to be honest, I needed a hot-minute to recharge and reset.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it seems like lately there’s been so much in the media that’s negative (Delta variant, anti-vaxxers, travel-related problems, raging fires and floods etc).

My livelihood depends on all these things (I’m a travel consultant with 30+ years of experience but have been laid off since April 2020 due to COVID). Normally I can sift through the “noise” but it just got to me and I needed a break as it wasn’t inspiring me to write.

Those disasters and issues are still in effect, but having taken a bit of time for myself and with friends (in person, not just online), I’m now recharged and feeling more like myself and ready to share with you a few game changers that have recently made my life “that much” better and I hope they’ll make yours better too!!

Before I continue, I’d like to say that this is not a sponsored post. There are no affiliate links. I gain nothing in return for recommending these products or businesses (well ok, that’s not entirely true, with one of the recommendations I DO benefit….more on this in a bit). Let’s get right to it…..

My first recommendation is the most recent addition to my life, but it’s also the most significant and that is Athletic Greens (athleticgreens.com)

Since the COVID pandemic started, with so many lock-downs and quarantines, I’ve watched more Youtube videos than I would ever have imagined…..most of them about #vanlife. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m looking to purchase a vehicle to convert it to a tiny-home-on-wheels so I follow several popular #vanlifers and almost all of them are sponsored by Athletic Greens.

Now, I get how sponsorship works….if someone is sponsoring you, you aren’t going to bad-talk their product….so I was a bit leery to try Athletic Greens based off those vanlifers even though I trust them (weird how you can trust someone you’ve never met in person, eh?).

But then I said to myself, “What have you got to lose?” A few bucks. Ok, more than a “few”…..$77 USD plus shipping comes to just over $111 CAD (more or less, depends on the conversion rate). That’s with a monthly subscription (which you can cancel at any time). They offer a 60 day money-back guarantee so you really have nothing to lose.

I checked out their website, and love all they stand for: a healthier body…..a cleaner environment….helping feed children from low-income families with nutrient-rich meals.

And I read the ingredients list and benefits: athleticgreens.com/ingredients/en

So I placed my order.

I received my order within one week (ok, 8 days to be exact)….which I was very pleasantly surprised by (I’m in Canada and they were shipped from the USA).

They arrived in a sturdy cardboard box and inside was:

• a heavy ceramic pot with bamboo lid to store the greens in – which you need to store in your fridge
• the green powder (very finely ground) – 30 Servings of 12g in One Pouch
• a lovely ceramic scoop (there’s also a plastic scoop in the greens packet but I like the ceramic one better)
• a shaker bottle
• a year’s supply of Vitamin D3 and K
• and five travel packs of the greens

After washing the shaker bottle, as recommended, I added 12 oz (recommendation is 8-12 oz) of water and one level scoop of the greens. I have a water cooler and use reverse-osmosis water. I screwed the lid tight on the shaker and give it a good shake (for about 30 seconds).

All those 30 seconds I was psyching myself up to taste something horrid….afterall, some of the ingredients don’t sound appetizing…..so I was expecting something pungent and gross.

I took my first sip.

At the very first moment it hit my taste-buds, I tasted a mild cocoa flavour, but immediately afterward, I tasted something citrusy. It’s not like a lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit citrus, I truly don’t know what it is, but it’s DELICIOUS!

Now, I know we all have different tastes and what I love you might hate and vice versa, but my 15 year old niece said it tasted good, and my sister said, “I could drink this every day” (she placed her order within the hour).

I’ve been taking the greens for only five days now, so it’s still early-days, but I can honestly tell you: I feel great!!

I have had no bloating or gassiness. No upset to my belly at all (which is a miracle because I typically have a very sensitive belly). No extra trips to the washroom. No strange side-effects whatsoever.

I DO notice one thing I wasn’t expecting: I feel less hungry. I DO need to lose some weight and I’m not using the greens as a meal replacement, but I take my greens between 9 am and 10 am each day and I don’t feel hunger pangs until 3-4 pm.

I’d like to mention too….the ingredients themselves are impressive, but how much of your daily requirement is included it mind-boggling:

• 700% Vitamin C
• 334% Vitamin E
• 200% Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
• 118% Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
• 100% Niacin
• 150% Vitamin B6
• 100% Folate
• 367% Vitamin B12
• 110% Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• 100% Zinc
• only 2% carbohydrate and 2% sodium

(label lists many others but these are the ones that WOWed me!)

To put this into perspective….you would need to eat more than four cups of cooked broccoli to equal the amount of vitamin C in just one serving of Athletic Greens per day…..I love broccoli but I wouldn’t be able to consume that much broccoli every day (plus it would upset my belly AND it would be very costly….especially during the months when broccoli isn’t in season).

Or, forget broccoli….most people think of oranges when they think of vitamin C (but just as an fyi, broccoli has MUCH more vitamin C than oranges)….you’d have to eat more than six medium-sized oranges to get the same amount of vitamin C as one serving of Athletic Greens. Again, I love oranges, but I would be hard pressed to eat six of them in one go (plus that takes a lot of time AND again, costly).

I mention the cost because that’s just ONE of the vitamins, C. Look at that list, there’s a lot more than vitamin C on there….imagine the amount of food you’d need to consume to equal that same amount of goodness….so yeah, it’s maybe “pricey”, $77 USD/month with a subscription, but it’s still less than I would be paying if I had to buy, and consume, so much other stuff (fruits, veggies, bottles of probiotics, vitamin pills etc) AND if you DON’T take are of your health, imagine your health care bills!

Also, if you break it down, say $110 CAD/month = less than $4 CAD per day…..how much is a Starbucks coffee?

I don’t know about you, but my health is worth $4/day.

Switching gears, from health to home goods…..my next game changer is Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com)

I’ve ordered from them in the past and was very happy with their product (it was a photo book), but more recently I ordered a few other items: a beach towel, a hoodie, water bottles, a deck of cards, and a puzzle……all items that came to me in good time, are good quality, and of course, personal to me as I chose family and furbaby photos.

My favourite of those items was the beach towel. It was made using one of my favourite photos that I took during my time on the Amalfi Coast, on the island of Capri; it’s a high quality towel which I know I’ll have for many, many, many years to come.

In need of a new duvet (one of the furbabies had torn my duvet and the stuffing had come out) and loving the quality of Shutterfly’s products, I went back to their website and ordered a 60″ x 80″ Sherpa Blanket, using 15 of my photos of human and four-legged family members…..with the tagline, “Family Is Everything” (you can select your design and background colour/pattern).

I received my order within only four days! I couldn’t believe how fast it arrived!

The side that has the photos on it feels like a micro-suede, and the “underside” feels like the softest fluffiest fleece. It’s very cozy but not heavy. I absolutely LOVE it!

Yes, it was more than I would spend on a same-sized blanket from a big-box store, but this blanket is filled with memories of happy times with my family and pets, it’s personal to ME, and with proper care, will be with me for the rest of my lifetime….so to ME, that’s priceless and worth every penny.

Speaking of one-of-a-kind…..I recently jumped on board with Le Galeriste based in Montreal, Quebec (www.legaleriste.com) as they work with artists and create beautiful high-end (but not exorbitantly expensive) fashion and home accessories.

To find my “shop” on their site, click on the little magnifying glass icon near the top, type in Elizabeth Anton, hit the Enter key, then you’ll see a section of one of my abstract paintings, click on my name beneath the painting and then you’ll see photos for each item…..click on the item to get full description, size chart, composition and care, and shipping info.

Alternatively, you can select from the left-side of the screen the category of item you’re interested in: home accessories, accessories, over pieces, dresses, tops, bottoms, etc.

I’ve ordered a few items for my self and family so we can check out the quality of workmanship because each item is made-to-order. I especially love the kimonos as they are great for any size or shape, they’re perfect for travel, lovely for everyday or a special occasion, and they flow beautifully in the breeze.

Alternatively, the duster cardigan is great for fall and winter!

Yes, you can find lower-priced kimonos (or cardigans, tops, bottoms, etc) elsewhere, but keep in mind those are mass-produced, very likely in a third world or developing country.

Anything that you order through Le Galeriste (which you can do in English or French) is made-to-order, in Montreal, Canada.

Also, you will be wearing something that you most likely won’t see anyone else wearing (I WISH I could say otherwise!); each item is created based off an original piece of my wall art (which I have stopped creating by the way, so these really are rare pieces).

The turn-around time from order to shipping is typically about 10 business days, but that depends on what’s going on in the world (even with COVID shipping delays, I still received all my orders within the 10 days though).

Staying on the topic of clothing, but away from high-end and unique items……my next game changer has been bamboo-blend tank tops and socks from Serisimple and Femofit, via Amazon.

I started ordering bamboo socks back in the winter-time as I needed a layer of thin socks to go under my thick socks (as I mentioned, I’m in Ontario, Canada, and this past winter we had temperatures in the “feels like -40C” range).

Now, during the summer, I put on a pair of these bamboo socks before heading out for my 10,000+ steps, and often get home, take off my shoes, and my socks are wet with sweat (funny though, only on the top part of my foot, like where the laces would have been with shoes on) but then within 10-15 minutes, they dry out!

Likewise, I started ordering bamboo-blend tank tops as an under layer during winter, but now wear them outside, and I hardly sweat at all in them….and if I DO sweat (boob sweat lol) then that dries within minutes once I’m back inside!

They wear well, they wash easily, and are well-worth the investment.

Pre-pandemic I RARELY bought through Amazon but we here in Ontario had so many lock-downs, I’ve lost count, I think four or five, that shopping in-person wasn’t an option….but anyway, my final game changer is this Pievlev cat litter trapper mat.

I have a Persian cat, Tabasco, aka Tabi, who’s got a luscious thick fur coat, and even his paw-pads are covered with long hair, so when he jumps out of his litter box onto the floor, BEFORE I got this mat, there would be cat litter scattered all over the house.

NOW, with this mat, yes, there is still some sweeping to do, but 1% of what it used to be. The mat is designed with a honey-comb pattern and is layered, so when Tabi jumps out of the box, any litter stuck to his paws gets trapped under the honey-comb layer. It’s also designed sort of like an envelope…..so about once a month or so, I take the mat out and open the “envelope” to release any trapped litter pieces.

I don’t think it was designed as a cooling mat, but I’ve noticed on our hottest days of the summer, Tabi will often sleep on the mat as it allows air to circulate and therefore feels cool to his fluffy little self.

One thing that each of the above companies has in common: great customer service!

Yes, I want to feel I’m getting the best quality and value when I purchase something, but right up there in importance is customer service and follow-up, something each of the above mentioned entities offer in spades.

As I mentioned, this post is not sponsored (but hey, if any of these companies want to sponsor me, I will gladly accept!) and other than Le Galeriste, whom I’m partnered with, I don’t stand to benefit in any way if you buy their products.

Likewise, since I don’t work for any of the above mentioned companies, I’m not the one to turn to if you have specific questions. But as I said, they all offer great customer support, so just reach out to them directly and I’m sure you’ll be well taken care of.

Lastly, I’m not a health care professional, so if you have any questions or concerns, specifically in regards to incorporating Athletic Greens into your life, please speak with your doctor.

Just my personal observation: doctors (Western doctors) aren’t in the “make me healthier” business, they are in the “fix me” business….they won’t make money from you if you’re healthy, only when you’re sick.

Sorry if I’ve offended some people by saying that, but that’s my opinion and what I’ve experienced so far in 54 years on this planet.