Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase through clicking my link. It has no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more information.
At The Healing Connective, I want to be able to share the brands I personally utilize on a daily basis that doesn’t entirely relate to food. I have created a dedicated page on this topic as I have a lot of products and tools that I swear by. You can find that page here. You can also shop my Amazon Storefront by clicking here which has an array of products beyond just culinary items!
If you have any questions at all regarding the above recommendations, please feel free to DM me on my Instagram. It is where I will respond the quickest to these types of questions!
Foodie Links
LettuceGrow: This is by far one of my favorite products I’ve gotten my hands on. Get $50 off your first order!
Purity Coffee: Organic lab-tested coffee for pesticides, mold, mycotoxins, and heavy metals – Get 20% off your first order with CHEFDEE20!
My Favorite Eco-friendly espresso pods: Link
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides: Get $10 off with my link!
Continuous Glucose Monitoring: Get $25 off with DEANNAB25
Saving Apps, Investing, & Tools
Rakuten: While I don’t have a discount code, this entire website is access to TONS of cashback & amazing deals. If you click here I will receive a small kickback for recommending this company. Rakuten allows you to get cashback simply by making purchases at your favorite stores. I love this company as it’s free money on items you already planned to purchase! Once you receive cash-back they send you a check or deposit funds into your account!
What’s great about this extension is that it notifies you when an item is cheaper on another site. Rakuten showcases which stores provide cash-back right on their website.
American Express Blue Business Plus Card: This is my favorite credit card for personal & private chefs as grocery shopping gains 2x the points when using this card. You can get up to 15,000 points when you sign up using my referral link below! Stack up even more points when using on sites like Amazon. If you have employees, this card allows you to request a card for others as well. Have a chef that buys groceries for your clients? This is the perfect card for our type of business and many related ones. Grab my referral link here to get points as well when approved!
Quickbooks: This is one of the most important tools I can recommend to a small business. You NEED to stay on top of your finances and understand how to properly classify your spending habits and manage your accounting. Quickbooks is what I use to stay organized which makes it easy at tax time as everything is in one place with a program most accountants use.
Amazon Prime: I cannot stress how much easier Amazon Prime makes your life. This is especially true if you’re a Whole Foods shopper or a working professional that’s short on time. Amazon Prime makes it easy to receive your day to day needs, as well as groceries. All you have to do is shop through the Amazon Fresh, Pantry, or Whole Foods Market section of Amazon.
Instead of paying shipping costs every time you shop, pay a small yearly fee. In my opinion, it’s worth every penny.
Sofi Money: I cannot stress the importance of financial wellness as a part of overall wellness. Sofi makes it easy for me to feel confident in storing my emergency fund. Since it’s a high-yield savings account, I’m more pleased with interest growth.
Join me on SoFi Money! You can save, spend, and earn interest—all in one account. Use my link to sign up and you’ll get a $50 bonus once you add $500 to your account! *To get the bonus you MUST add $500.00 to your account.*
Personal Capital: This platform (and app) is how I track my net worth, investment accounts, and keep an eye on everything money all in one app. I like this as it shows you an in-detail shot of all of your finances, both assets and any potential liabilities. Click here for my link for your free $20.00! If you join, we’ll both get $20.00 (however you must link an investment account of some sort!)
E-Trade: This is a financial trading platform for investing which I use for a few of my accounts. Financial wellness is such an important aspect to overall holistic health, one of which we must invest in early to secure our future wellbeing. Grab my link here to be rewarded when you set up an account and make a qualifying deposit.
Health & Wellness
My Green Mattress: I cannot speak more highly of this company. Initially discovering this brand through a holistic podcast I was immediately interested in learning more. My Green Mattress creates eco-friendly and chemical-free organic mattresses and foam toppers for those of us who want to ensure our sleep safety. Not only are their products a healthier alternative to the traditional mattress, but they are extremely comfortable which is often a concern with these types of eco-friendly mattresses due to how they are constructed! My unique link and code “CHEFDEE” will get you $125 off a twin or larger mattress and $20 off an Emily crib mattress by entering the code above.
Bissel Steamshot: Eliminates up to 99.9% of germs without any chemicals! Link
Berkey Filters: This was likely my #1 purchase of 2020. I even wrote a blog post all about it. CLEAN water is so important and I’ve never been happier with a kitchen purchase that wasn’t my Vitamix, or my mandolin. (Dont forget to use Ratuken if you buy a Vitamix!)
You can click here to learn more about Berkey Filters on their website or read my blog post by clicking here.
Scratch Labs Electrolyte Mixes: Get $10 off your first order of $30+!
Nutrisense: This is a CGM (continous glucose monitor) that allows you to track & manage your blood sugars. Additionally they have programs to help you improve your health along with registered dietitians to assist in guiding you to correct glucose management for your unique eating habits and glucose+insulin needs. Use my code by clicking here or “DEANNAB25” for $20 off to get started!
Lettuce Grow: LettuceGrow towers allows you to grow sustainably grown produce in the comfort of your home. With a unique modern design with space-like lighting, it’s a visually pleasing talking point for any home while bursting with your choice of fruits and vegetables. Use my unique discount code by clicking here for $50 off your first order!
Website Creation & Hosting Recommendations
For the below items you’ll need to decide which company you will build your website with (wordpress.org, wordpress.com, or squarespace.) I recommend WordPress.org for bloggers, while I recommend Squarespace for those looking to build service-based websites without monetization, and true simplicity in it’s building process.
WordPress.org: If looking for a website software that may be more SEO-friendly, be sure to check out wordpress.org for details. You’ll need to create an account with them prior to moving to the next step! This is what I have used to build this website while my business website is built with the Squarespace platform. (Remember wordpress.org is NOT the same thing as wordpress.com.)
17th Avenue Designs: This is where I purchased my website theme or my website design. While you need to have a hosting account (below) I purchased my theme through 17th Avenue Designs whom I absolutely love. They have amazing affordable designs as well as fantastic customer service! Keep in mind this is a wordpress theme and I do not recommend wordpress to beginner builders of your website. Seek a professional or try wordpress or other drag and drop builders.
Genesis Framework: For the above theme, it runs on a framework called Genesis. You can learn more about the Genesis framework here.
Site Ground: As a WordPress newbie, I looked into website hosting through Siteground. At the start, I had a few website hiccups. I was blown away by the level of professionalism and customer service Siteground provided! You can click here to find out more!
Squarespace: If you’re creating a service-based or portfolio website, I highly recommend building it with Squarespace if you’re looking for a more “user-friendly” approach to building a website on your own. Squarespace has an array of designs and their interface is one that even a technology-challenged individuals can master in building.
Design & Aesthetics Recommendations
Canva: While I will always recommend Adobe-based programs before anything else, I do believe that for the average person Canva works well to create a cohesive vision among social platforms and print. It is incredibly user-friendly and creating content can easily be done in a few minutes. I recommend Canva as a supplementation program to your overall design vision, however, if just beginning, and with a low budget, you can get this for free, or for the low price of under $60 dollars if using Rakuten to receive cashback! I recommend the “Pro” version so that you can have access to everything!
Tailwind: If you’re trying your best to be consistent on Instagram but you just can’t seem to make it work, this is by far the best tool for you. Tailwind is a comprehensive scheduler tool for both Instagram and Pinterest. I use this tool for Pinterest which helps to drive traffic to my site. I HIGHLY recommend this, especially if being consistent is important to you and your brand.