My favorite things 2014
A couple of years ago I linked to a blog that I really like. Melissa does a "Favorite Things" post every year and invites people to join in the fun...because it is fun to stop and think about your "favorites" -- especially since most of the time they are the smallest of things. How easy it is to forget that pleasure can come in the simplest of ways! Go check out her blog (and those of the other participants!), Just click on this button!
Here is my list of favorite things (in no particular order), 2014 edition.
1) Kerrygold butter. Sure, it's more expensive that your average 4-stick box of store brand butter, but once you try Kerrygold, everything else will taste as waxy and flavorless as Chapstick. I put a tablespoon in my coffee every morning instead of creamer and I might sometimes eat it straight off the knife...
2) SONS OF ANARCHY on FX.
I didn't get hooked on this show until last season and now there are only 2 shows left before the series is OVER! Good news! All six of the previous seasons are available on iTunes.
This show is all at once dirty and sexy and violent and moving and emotional and philosophical....the series creator Kurt Sutter really knows how to get into the very deepest, darkest recesses of people's minds and hearts. His wife, Katy Sagall (aka Peg Bundy) is phenomenal in this series....and the guys are not hard to look at either.
3) FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint
I wanted to change up the look of a sofa table in my house, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time or money doing it. I knew that chalk paint would be the best option but I was too cheap and too lazy to order the wildly famous "Annie Sloan" brand and wait for it to arrive. After a bit of research on the internet, I found out that FolkArt now has a line of chalk paints. I went to JoAnn fabrics armed with a 50% coupon and spent less than $4.00 on a container of paint. I made my daughter go through a separate line with the same coupon so I could spend the same amount on the dark wax. WOW! Totally great results! The paint went straight on to my untreated, unprepped table in a smooth, even coat and dried almost instantly. The project took me less than 2 days and I'm thrilled with the results. Awesome find!
4) BUZZFEED - especially the quizzes.
It's the ultimate time-wasting site, but oh, so worth it! It runs the gamut from important news to silly videos and everything in between, but if you want to feel socially relevant and somewhat informed about the news of the world, Buzzfeed can accommodate. The most fun are the quizzes. Some are more "scientific" than others, but who doesn't have 2 minutes to find out what color M&M they are?
Here are a couple of fun ones:
For the literary snob.
For the TV watcher.
For the child of the 80's.
5) DAILY ODD COMPLIMENT
Everyone has "that" relationship with someone that requires more than your average, "Thanks for being a friend," tip of the hat. Daily odd compliment fits the bill. One example: "I like having you around because my weirdness doesn't look so weird when you're doing it too."
6) Fabletics
This is the athletic wear site founded by Kate Hudson. You can become a VIP member and receive special discounts on entire outfits on a monthly basis or you can buy ala carte, but either way there are some great deals to be had. I own a huge amount of workout gear, and I daresay that some of these pieces rival (for me anyway), the quality, fit and comfort of the pricey lululemon brand. I just purchased the pants in the picture and I LOVE them - so does everyone else based upon the many compliments I receive.
7) PINE BROTHERS Cough Drops
These are a blast from the past that have just recently become available again. All natural, firm texure, and sweet flavor - all perfect for soothing a scratchy throat without leaving a bad taste in your mouth or a cloud of eucalyptus smell around you! You can get them at most Walgreens or buy them through the link above. I have to remind myself that they are NOT candy.
8) Synergy Kombucha Chia Drink
It's an acquired taste, and kind of pricey ($3.50+ per bottle) but this is one of my favorite drinks. The health benefits aren't bad either.
9) Jewelry from World Market
World Market has a wide variety of baubles suitable for any taste. Their pieces are colorful, unique and wonderfully affordable. Every piece I've ever purchased has merited a, "Where did you get that??" Perfect as gifts!
10) This picture.
It's random, I know...but no matter what my mood, this photo of someone injured while wearing a frog mascot costume cracks me up.