TFG's Must Have It List

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Be your own summer blockbuster in this old-Hollywood-chic meets functional and modern frock by maternity wear glamor house Isabella Oliver. Done up for dinner al fresco or played down for a day out and about with your gal pals, this soft and elegant dress with ruche embellishment on the side makes you feel like you're floating down the red carpet at Cannes—paparazzi not included.
($155, Isabella Oliver Empire Wrap Dress in green, www.isabellaoliver.com)

Click here to win this Isabella Oliver dress.

WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO
Instead of writing a witty-ish blurbicle about why you should read Deepak Chopra's latest and groundbreaking book, Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment, a fictionalized re-imagining of the journey of the prince who gives up his royal trappings (interesting word, eh?) for a life of wisdom-seeking, we thought it more fitting to share a story that Dr. Chopra recounted when he recently spoke at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

To paraphrase Dr. Chopra: When Buddha was very close to his death, his disciples repeatedly asked him who he was. Every time one would ask, “Who are you?,” Buddha would not answer. He wouldn't even acknowledge the question. Finally, after incessant questioning, Buddha turned to his students and responded, “I am awake.”

Are you awake?
($14.97, www.amazon.com)

Click here to win a copy of Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment.

CAF-FIEND
Wean, baby, wean. No, we're talking to your little one; we're talking to you. Kick caffeine to the curb with these herbal coffees by Teeccino. A nutritious alternative for expecting and new moms and anyone who's tired of the polluting their bodies with health and beauty-robbing stimulants, these organic caffeine-free coffees are as rich and robust as their addictive counterparts (they even brew like regular Joe) without any of the negative effects. In fact, many nutritionists recommend it as part of a weight loss program, while skincare specialists taut its natural vitamins and minerals and claim a noticeable change in skin sans caffeine-intake.
($8.50, www.teeccino.com)

Click here to win a can of Teeccino coffee.

LOCK BLOCKER
Safeguard your mop top with Ouidad Sun Shield. Infused with sun filters to protect from UVA and UVB rays, Sun Shield Spray reflects sun damage away from the hair. This nourishing (conditioning agents include quartz crystals, amino acids and antioxidants) strand protector is an essential beach bag must-have for the hair and now.
($20, www.ouidad.com)

Click here for a Ouidad Sun Shield Spay.

MAKE WAVES
A good guest never shows up empty-handed. Gift your hostess with a very sea-sonal present: a SeaCloth Hostess Box, complete with two mini-bloom oven mitts, mini-bloom apron, key lime cookies in mini-bloom petal tin and a set of four mini-bloom petal/solid tangerine reversible coaster. This charming and so-useful kit is sure to make a splash.
($120, www.seacloth.com)

Click here to win a Hostess Box by Seacloth.

ONE SHEET TO THE WIND
If the hot weather and dry summer winds have blown your hair to oblivion, freshen it up with these styling sheets by celeb lock star Ted Gibson. These individual towelettes, formulated with an exclusive complex of silk amino acids, vitamins A, B5 and E, wild orchid extract and more, eliminate the look of dry ends and add polish (minus the grease) and shine to your season-beaten 'do.
($25, Ted Gibson Styling Hair Sheets, www.saks.com)

Click here to win Ted Gibson Styling Hair Sheets.

SIP THE LIFE FANTASTIC
A cool glass of wine on a hot summer evening is the perfect potable for a mid-summer night's dream. We heard through the grapevine that this Chardonnay from the ultra hip Cameron Hughes Wine (the first American wine negociant to go carbon neutral) is the season's best of the best. With its crisp and robust tropical notes of peach, mango and pineapple bursting from each sip, this big and beautiful juice is de rigeur all summer long.

($13, Lot 30, Russian River Valley Chardonnay, www.chwine.com).

SOUL ASYLUM
Escape the usual fate of a kiddie music sentence (read: annoying songs that get stuck in your head long after Junior's been tucked away for the night) with this upbeat bluesy collection by guitar legend Taj Mahal. With origins rooting back to Western Africa and the deep South, these songs along with Mahal's finger-picking-good stylings are sunny enough for kiddies and soulful enough for their hipster parents.
($14, Shake Sugaree, www.amazon.com)

Click here to win a copy of Shake Sugaree.