The credits hadn’t even started before I had whipped out my phone in the theater and promptly posted an Instagram photo that proclaimed, HOLY SHIT! This is truly one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time (coming from a seasoned filmmaker with choosy taste). Benedict Cumberbatch is remarkable in The Imitation Game. And the story is both a testament to the power of the human mind (and heart) and a gut-wrenching commentary on society. Run (don’t walk) to see this film before Oscar time!

Even though I’m a big scent girl, sometimes you just want your home to smell nice, clean and . . . well, scent-free. With all of the synthetics in most of the candles and incense on the market today, it can be nice to take a break and let your airways (literally) breathe. I’m a big of fan of simple scentless beeswax candles to add glow and ambiance without the added fragrance. They’re particularly useful during a dinner party when you don’t want your gardenia scented candle to compete with the cuisine. You can source them online here and here or, if you’re the DIY kind, this tutorial is uber helpful!

Are you a blamer? Do you blame others (or yourself) when something bad happens?

In this excellent little short animated video, the Queen of vulnerability and shame and research, Brené Brown considers why we blame others, how it sabotages our relationships, and why we need to move beyond this toxic behaviour. If you listen to nothing else this weekend, please take 3 minutes and 26 seconds, to listen to this!

I’m all about the digital world. Digital tools make me smile from the inside out (I’m looking at you Evernote). But nothing can replace the exquisite, tactile feeling of a notebook. These days I’m into the leather variety. Specifically, this newly acquired beauty: my Roterfaden. Made of full grain calf leather, vegetable-tanned and dyed and lined with pure felt wool — it is a German work of art. Combined with its incredibly thoughtful organizational elements, this is really a notebook system to rival all others. I’ll be using my new baby for organizing business lists and ideas, as well as my calendar. This system is hard to acquire in the U.S. but you can get your hands on one at Baum-Kuchen (one of the best shops in my L.A. neighborhood)!

It’s that time of year when I’ve got chocolate on the brain. For some reason February has me dreaming of all things cocoa. And as I’ve learned over the years (through “laborious” and “painful” hours of experimentation and education), not all chocolate is created equal. One brand that I’ve been loyal to for more than a decade is the 80+ year old Swiss company, Teuscher. With locations around the globe, this luxury chocolate maker has fine tuned the art of blending the perfect chocolates. They use all-natural ingredients, no chemicals, preservatives or addivities and only the finest chocolate.

If you are ever in Los Angeles, their Beverly Hills shop is worth a visit. Or you can order from the comfort of your own home, anywhere in the world. Be sure to get a few champagne truffles (their signature item made with Dom Perignon champagne, and one of THE most delicious things on the planet).

We all want to feel confident, radiant and fully alive. Yet our modern day lifestyles can get in the way of us having that. I recently popped into one of my favorite L.A. juice shops called Moon Juice and decided to sample a few of their non-juice products. And wow. Just WOW! Their herbal “dusts” are my new favorite thing. The spirit dust especially called my name. Designed to bring about greater levels of insight, it totally amps up your intuitive capabilities, eases stress and boosts confidence. Be sure to check this and all of their dusts and tonics — so many amazing, healing goodies.

Since this weekend is all about love, and this month is Hearth Disease Awareness month, I thought it was important to feature the important work of Go Red for Women. Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women? Most people (myself included) assumed this was more of a man’s disease, but as it turns out it is running rampant among women and the symptoms can often go unnoticed. Check out the Go Red for Women website, get to know the symptoms, and more importantly, what you can do to prevent it. Education is everything – so take time this month to educate yourself about heart disease!