A Few of my Favorite Things:

One of my friends has a "Favorite Things" party each year in which you buy a few small items like your favorite lip gloss, a candle, or chocolates, and share them with other guests. Each person leaves with 3 little gifts, and you find new products that people really love. Kind of like on Oprah, but without the free cars or $80 t-shirts.

Anyway, I was thinking about some of my favorite things. Not like, Peace, Joy, and Hope, but things you can buy in a store.

This was hard because my two most favorite things, flannel penguin pj's, and the blue bathrobe that I am wearing right now at 11:06 a.m., are from a thrift store, so I don't even know where you could buy them.

So, what are my other favorite things?

Breville Electric Kettle: $79.99

Tea lovers rejoice! My most prized possession. I use it 8-10 times a day! It uses less electricity than heating up the stove, and it turns off automatically, so I can walk away from it without worrying about it boiling over. This is important since I almost burned down the house boiling lice combs.

Cuisinart Panini Maker and Griddle: $79.95 (sale!!)

I bought this for Tim because I was hoping he'd make me Paninis on it. Success! He can throw any kind of meat and cheese on bread and it comes out well. Add some pesto or sun dried tomatoes first...yum! We use the other side of the reversible plates for making pancakes or frying bacon or eggs. Amazon says it's regularly $185, but I always see it for under $100.

Clear Plastic Christmas Balls from Walmart: .88

At under a buck, these ornaments have endless possibilities. You could fill with sand from a beach trip, a photo of your kids, love notes, or colorful, shredded paper. I filled mine with some of Jack's Legos to hang on our tree.

Method Spray Cleaner: $2.99

Per Tim's and my pre-nup (just kidding, kind of), I clean counters frequently. I love having the kitchen smell like Cucumber, Lavender, or Grapefruit instead of chemicals and my bad cooking.

Jack's Promise Pendant from Holly Lane Designs: $48.00

Looks great when paired with a small crystal teardrop, also from HLD. This pendant is inspired by Jack and his interests. Verse, "For with God, nothing is impossible."

Chevron Scarves from Pick Your Plum:

Shoot! I just checked and these lightweight yet cozy chevron scarves are SOLD OUT! At under $5 a pop, that shouldn't surprise me. You won't catch me without one of these around my neck, inside or outside the house. I hope they'll bring this deal back!

Flocked Hangars: $1.00 each

Huggable Hangars, Slim-line hangars, call them what you will. These have transformed my closet. Somehow they miraculously make 1/3 more clothes fit into the same amount of space. And no strap slippage either! I usually buy mine at Bed Bath and Beyond or Target.

 Jesus Calling Devotional by Sarah Young: $8.00 (sale) - 15.99
Great gift for a friend! This little devotional addresses the reader as if Jesus is speaking to him/her. The right words as the right time, for sure. Margaret and I just finished reading the kids' one together.

So there you have it-- a few of my favorite things. The box of rosemary and olive oil Triscuits I ate while typing this probably should have made my list, too.

What are a few of YOUR favorite things?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Okay, so I'm no Oprah, but I'd love to do what a lot of other bloggers are doing and share some of my FAVORITE things with you.

1. Gummy Vitamins for Adults

All that throwing up I did while pregnant may not have been morning sickness. It could have been my prenatals. Vitamins make me barf. These don't. Yay.

2 Spray Paint. Oil Rubbed Bronze, Heirloom White, Blue Ocean Breeze

I just want to kiss my spray paint. Is that weird?

3. Frozen Chopped Onions

Did you know you can buy frozen chopped onions at the grocery store for about $1 a bag? I haven't chopped an onion in 10 years. They are always on hand and you don't have to worry about them getting all sprouty and weird in the pantry. Or are those potatoes? Whatev.

4. Clairol Root touch up.

It's cheap, it blends perfectly, and it saves me big bucks. Tom did if for me last night, oh yes he did, and it looks fabulous!

5. Melatonin.

I have a child who has a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. A friend who has a child with ADHD recommended melatonin and my child loves it. 3 mgs a night and it's so much easier to drift off. Please check with your doctor if you want to try this.

6. Moroccan Miracle Oil. My hairdresser calls my "hair coarse and unruly." Waaaah. This oil helps smooth things down. The oilier the better.

7. Modern Family. What's not to love? Cameron in bike shorts? Gloria's accent? There's something for everyone on this show. Anyone have a spare Season One DVD sitting around?

8. Jane Austen. My fave author by far. Strong heroines, witty banter, idiotic relatives-- kind of like Modern Family without the modern. Great movie adaptations, too!

9. Craigslist. I don't think I'm smart enough to do eBay, but I have been trying to earn some Christmas money by selling things on Craigslist. Purging makes me happy.

I'm excited to try Craigs Easy, a new bookmark that organizes photos of what you have searched.

10. Used Clothes. Inexpensive AND good for the environment (especially since I've been depleting the ozone with all that spray paint). And if I start to look out of style or shabby you will tell me, right? RIGHT?

I hope you've enjoyed my list.

What are a few of YOUR favorite things?