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This is the 9th annual edition of Sarah’s Favorite Things. New wellness ideas for 2025 for healthy living, an eco-friendly home, and gifts for friends and family.
My annual list of “Sarah’s Favorites” has officially become a Healthy Home Economist tradition!
I’ve been putting together these posts gradually throughout the year as I discover new and creative wellness products that are great quality, affordable, earth-friendly, and improve my well-being.
I hope you enjoy it and get some great ideas for your family’s wellness journey and the upcoming gifting season.
Need more ideas? Check out my list of favorite things from the past few years to see dozens of evergreen products that I still love and use!
Safe and non-toxic lipstick
I stopped using lipstick a few years ago because I literally couldn’t find a single brand that was completely non-toxic.
This year, Araja Beauty introduced a line of coconut lip colors (10 shades) that I feel safe and comfortable to wear!
Ingredients include:
- organic castor oil
- wax
- organic coconut oil
- castor wax
- Stevia Rebaudiana (Stevia) Extract
- Eugenia stipitata (Araja fruit) extract*
- Non-nano inorganic oxide (color)
- Tocopherol (vitamin E)
I also recommend Araja’s non-nano coconut cream makeup, which was selected as Favorite Things last year!
Whole Food Zinc and Vitamin C Combo
Perfect Supplement’s new ZinCerola supplement combines whole-food zinc (from guava leaves) and vitamin C (from acerola cherry) to naturally boost your immunity.
Equally important, the amounts of zinc (11 mg) and vitamin C (90 mg) per serving are perfectly within the range obtained naturally from nutrient-dense foods (unlike synthetic versions that compensate for lack of bioavailability with excessively high doses).
I haven’t found a similar quality product on the market.
Microhydroxyapatite (non-nano) toothpaste
This new line of toothpaste from my good friends Will and Susan from Orawellness is the best I’ve ever seen.
Non-nano hydroxyapatite helps remineralize teeth and is available in two flavors: Orange Vanilla and Cinnamon Mint.
I encourage you to give it a try!
bath filter
I was excited to discover the new tub filter model, which is a significant upgrade over the previous model.
Tested to NSF standards, the filter contains three filtration media that help remove not only chlorine, but also chloramines, harmful microorganisms, odorous hydrogen sulfide, iron, and more.
If you don’t have a whole house filter, a bath filter is essential for a safe bathing experience.
Health & Wellness Gift Subscription
For health-conscious family and friends who could use some advice on their wellness journey, a Healthy Home Plus subscription may be the perfect gift!
We will personally answer all member questions in the chat window!
Have you had a recent doctor’s visit? I’ll give you my two cents on what you heard (or didn’t hear).
The chat box in the bottom right corner of the screen is also where you can request a review of a product or supplement you’re considering but aren’t sure if it’s safe or legal.
Healthy Home Plus is ad-free and has over 250 articles in its member library, including 5 eBook downloads, and custom tags for your favorite recipes and content.
To gift a subscription, click the “Gift Subscription” box when signing up and use the recipient’s email address along with your payment details.
If you would like me to contact you directly to welcome you to the program, please let me know.
Sourdough Cranberry Bread
This new Organic Sourdough Cranberry Bread from my favorite family bakery is also sugar-free (sweetened with date syrup). 😋
This classic sourdough bread is a healthy meal that’s great for sharing or serving at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
It will satisfy every type of palate at your table.
organic cotton underwear
More and more research is coming out showing that synthetic clothing can significantly impact our health in harmful ways.
The best place to start solving this wardrobe problem is to wear only 100% organic cotton underwear.
And while reviewing many companies that offer this type of product, we chose Cottonique as our top choice and price.
healthy lighting
Choosing the right light bulbs to light your home is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, decisions each of us makes. This affects our circadian rhythm, sleep quality, eye health, mitochondrial health, and more.
Fortunately, with incandescent lights becoming available again, I recommend the best health lighting I’ve come across as your one-stop source for the full spectrum lighting needs in your home.
Best Multi-Strain Probiotics
It’s really difficult to find probiotics that contain the different types needed for gut repair and maintenance.
This year saw the release of AzureWell Next Step Advanced Probiotic, which is by far the best I’ve seen in years (there were others, but sadly they went to the Dark Side after the company was acquired).
raw cheese
Can’t find a high-quality line of raw cheeses where you live?
We recommend taking a look at Petaluma Gold, a raw, grass-fed cheese (with over a dozen options to choose from) available through the Azure Standard cooperative, which has hundreds of delivery points across North America.
New York Natto
If you don’t make your own natto, which is the food with the highest amount of vitamin K2, it’s important to buy a genuine, organic brand of natto (if you want to try it, check out the recipe here!)
New York Natto is the best I’ve ever had, and it’s the brand I turn to when I run out of homemade natto. I personally eat 1-2 tablespoons of natto (along with 1/2 teaspoon of grass-fed ghee) daily to meet my vitamin K2 needs.
Safe Air Fryer
One of my kids really wanted to buy an air fryer this year, so I helped her find a safe brand that wouldn’t leach toxins into her food.
This stainless steel air fryer is his choice and it works great! Making Safe Suzy Air Fryer French Fries is a favorite dish, especially when paired with grass-fed grilled burgers 🙂
Nut Butter Graham Sandwich (Gluten Free)
These Organic Gluten Free Graham Cracker Nut Butter Sandwiches are my go-to snack choice when I travel.
Tasting and filling will keep your tummy happy, making it easy to avoid many toxic snack options on the go until you get to your destination for a real food meal.
Organic Chocolate Syrup
My husband loves homemade ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup.
Although I don’t use it myself, this brand’s organic chocolate syrup is by far the best on the market.
Using only 5 ingredients (organic dates, organic cocoa, filtered water, vanilla, and sea salt), this is the best brand on the market to date. It’s also legal for people doing the full GAPS diet (not Intro).
Solar infrared sensor alarm (13 sounds)
These solar-charged, motion-activated lights and noise alarms have been really effective in keeping predators away from our chicken coop and paddock this year. We haven’t seen a bobcat or coyote since we installed it!
It would also be effective at keeping deer away from your backyard garden and probably many other uses I hadn’t thought of!
Magnesium Chloride Powder
These 1-2 pound bags of magnesium chloride powder are a very affordable way to reap the therapeutic benefits of magnesium.
I use this in my DIY magnesium lotions (and sprays), but if you find that magnesium chloride works better than epsom salts, you can also use it in your baths instead of the more expensive flakes.
