11/15/2017

My Favorite Things in 2017

This post is always one of my favorite things to do on my Blog every year.
They are things that I love to use for myself, and things my family enjoys.


This is a great portable speaker. I love it!
I got it for my teens last year, but I might use it more
around the house.
It's waterproof, small, and has a great sound.
It comes in lots of different colors.

My whole family loves these, they are soooo comfy.
These also come in different colors.

I was introduced to this years ago to wear as a primer
on my eye lid. I find I love wearing just 1 color as my
eye shadow for a natural, fast, every day look.
My favorite color is shore, for every skin color.
There are lots of colors for your preference too.

I just discovered these at Macy's.
They are affordable, the perfect size for gift giving,
and just fun to use! I like the scent Romance by Ralph Lauren.

I had used a drug store foundation for years.
But, I noticed in pictures,
it was making my face look pale, pasty, and white -
whiter than my skin tone. I was ready for a change.
In our local mall, I visited Bare Minerals, and took home
several small samples of foundation colors to try after a clerk
directed me to the right shades.
I tried each of them for a couple of weeks, until I found the color 
I felt matched the best. I have loved using this cream.
It feels natural, and not too thick or pasty.

6. Ticket to Ride Game
We got this game last year for Christmas.
My husband and I love to play it with some of our kids.
It's not a favorite among all of my kids, but
we can always get enough of us to play it. I love it.

7. Beddy's Zipper Bedding
These bedding sets cover the whole bed mattress
and you just ZIP them up! They really work
great on bunk beds,  and kids whose bedding and blankets
are always coming off the beds - like a hurricane
has come through every night. It keeps kids rooms looking
cleaner. They are pricey. That is the downside. You can follow
their website or instagram for their sales.
The bedding set comes with the sheets, blanket, and pillow covers.
If you have to change/wash your kids bed sheets a lot,
then I don't recommend this product. They aren't meant
for weekly washings.

8. Mrs. Meyers Hand Soap
Ok, I got hooked on these.
I got tired of refilling the Bath & Body hand soaps
around my house. I tried these and I love them.
They last longer with kids. The pumps seem stronger,
and don't pump out gobs of too much soap.
Target has them on sale a lot too.
I do buy the refill bottles as well.
The peppermint scent looks fun for the holidays,
but I love the Basil scent.

9. Handheld Milk Frother
Anyone who loves hot chocolate,
or even steamed milk will love this!
It makes your drinks frothy, and
my kids and I all agree it makes it taste better.
Plus, it's so small and doesn't take up a lot of space
in your kitchen like large appliances.
It cleans easily with a little water.
This is a fun, great gift idea, I love ours.
Steam Milk Recipe: Microwave 1 c. milk for about 90 s.
Then, add about 1/2 T. sugar and 1-2 t. vanilla or almond extract, stir or
use this handheld frother. Yummy, my favorite drink in the winter.

10. Extra Tall Mugs
The only con to the above frother, is that it makes the liquid go
up as it spins and froths. Trust me from experience,
you need taller mugs if you want the frother.

11. Aluminum Baker's Big Sheet
These Aluminum baking sheets are the best.
Aluminum sheets really do make your baked goods
bake and taste better. I love this Big Sheet.
It makes baking and cooking for a family so much easier.
Cookies are done faster, instead of baking several batches
over and over on 2 smaller sheets. It saves TIME!
The only con - they are too large for the dishwasher.

12. Rival Ice Shaver
I picked this up several summers ago,
for my kids to make shave ice. It's small, and
doesn't take up tons of kitchen cabinet space.
It has survived several years of kids using it
A LOT. Kids can do it themselves.
It has been a great thing for our family.

13. Scrub Daddy Sponges
My son, Tate had us get these last year for Father's Day,
because his teacher loved them so much. They really
are the greatest sponges. I don't know what they are made
of that makes them work so great. They are the best, really.
Makes kitchen cleaning, much easier..

14. Scented Kitchen 13-Gallon Garbage Bags
I got these one time by accident.
Now, I can't live without them. Scented Garbage Bags,
for your kitchen. Do it! Pay the extra for the scented.
It is worth it.
Your nose and your family's noses will all thank me.

15. The TV show Madam Secretary on Netflix and CBS
I love this show. The characters, the importance of family-
their marriage relationship, and doing what's right.
Is every character perfect? No.
I love the actors, Tea Leoni, and Tim Daly.
They are also dating in real life which
makes the show even better for me.
Plus, they are parenting teenagers on the show
and I need all the help I can get in that department.
Is the show fairly clean, yes. If you can watch Downton Abbey
then you can watch this. Downton Abbey was not squeaky clean,
either.

16. Jane Eyre
I have loved the movie versions of this story for years.
This summer I finally read the book for the first time.
Oh, how I loved it. She is my favorite heroine and character
of all time. I also think it's my favorite book, ever.
A classic.

17. The band The Lumineers
This band I've been listening to a lot lately.
The song Ophelia is great and I love their song Ho Hey.
My teens and I both like their music and songs.
This is always a win-win.

18. The #LighttheWorld campaign in December
This is such a great way to get in the right spirit for the Holidays.
It reminds us to focus on Christ and others.
I really love that you can do simple things each day in the month of Dec.
Follow this link for the calendar, and ideas.
Our world needs your light!

My Previous Years Favorite Things:
2016 Favorite Things
2015 Favorite Things
2014 Favorite Things
2013 Favorite Things
2012 Favorite Things


4 comments:

Sally said...

We love, love Ticket to Ride!

Amy Makechnie said...

Fun list! I finally need a foundation - a light, natural, glowing one. I'm not sure which shade to get from Bare Minerals!!! I'm also a big fan of Madame Secretary, Ticket to Ride, and the peppermint soap.

Amy Makechnie said...

Oh, and Jane Eyre? AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE!

Melissa said...

Zip up bedding?? I have never heard of it. SO cool. And I need to watch Madam Secretary. Thank you for sharing!