2018 Favorite Things

My favorite post of the year

Before I list my favorite things I wanted to share with you

some of my favorite ways to enjoy the holiday season by serving.

Go to justserve.org. 

Just put in your zip code and opportunities will be listed for your community.

It is a helpful resource for helping after natural disasters too. Hurricanes, Fires, etc.

I also love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Light the World campaign that they put on each December season.

It's a great way to serve your home, family, community, and others globally.

Check out their website for how to involve your home and family this season.

Onto some of my favorite things from 2018:

1.Tillamook Ice Cream in White Chocolate Peppermint Bark. So Yummy!
2. A 2 cup measuring cup. This is so fun to have. Especially for all you bakers out there.
3. This KitchenAid chopper. It's the perfect size appliance. Not big at all. Easy to put in the dishwasher too. Chops up veggies, nuts, etc. I use it almost daily. I love it.
4. Larger size popcorn kernels. This is great for making popcorn recipes this time of year.
Sara Wells from Our Best Bites got me onto this. Try it with their Peppermint Bark Popcorn recipe.
5. These Spatulas. They are heat resistant and dishwasher safe, and they work so well when you're stirring, cooking, and baking. I can't live without them. They are 1 piece. My older spatulas kept coming apart, staining, and melting if I left them on hot surfaces.

1. Sherpa Hoodies for my kids. My boys especially love them. They refuse to wear coats to school or outside. We have 20 degree and under weather in Idaho. But they'll wear these.  They are extra thick because of the sherpa inside. You can find them at Wal Mart, Old Navy, Land's End, etc.
2. Cover Your Assets card game and Telestrations. Both fun games, that everyone enjoys.
If you need more games ideas, Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe does a fabulous game list every year.
Her blog is a favorite of mine for recipes and her annual family game post.
3. Penny Boards. My kids have enjoyed using these. They are smaller than other skateboards.
4. Simple Modern water bottles. They come in all sizes and colors. They are the same as HydroFlasks, just more affordable. They keep your drinks hot or cold no matter the temps. outside. The con is you must wash them by hand. My kids who are in sports love these.

1.  Loreal Burgundy Mascara. I LOVE, LOVE this mascara.
The color is fun, but it's more brown. Don't worry you won't have pink or purple eyelashes.
It just makes me happy every time I use it.
I think it works with every hair and skin color. It does smudge by the end of the day. I tend to wear it for nights out, or when I need make up for a couple of hours.
2. Cream eye shadows. I love them. It's easy to just pick a color and swoop it over my whole eye lid.
I just use my index finger to apply. Cream eye shadows simplify the everyday make up look, quickly and easily. Revlon has the drug store pricing, Bobbi Brown is the splurge price.
3. Jockey Bralette. I don't like sports bras. They are always uncomfortable, and I can never get out of them. I also get tired of other bra straps falling off my shoulders, This bralette from Jockey has been great. It is comfortable, and I no longer deal with annoying bra straps. Get one and try it out. If you like it, get more.
4. I'm not ready for an apple watch. I'm trying to do less social media. But I still like having a watch on my wrist for telling time, and for a piece of jewelry. I wanted a white watch that was semi-water proof. I picked this Caravelle one our for my birthday and I LOVE it. My teenage daughter who is fashion conscious told me to get a larger watch. She said small watches are for old ladies. I took her up on it, and I'm glad I did.
5. I love fresh flowers from Trader Joe's They are affordable usually under $5 and seasonal.

 1. We like using VidAngel. You can set filters on your movies or tv shows through amazon, netflix, etc. to take out inappropriate scenes, swearing, violence, etc. It's been helpful when my teens wanted to watch The Office, or Stranger Things. I worry less when they use VidAngel. I like it too. I DON'T think it's a free for all to watch everything. There are still DARK, inappropriate movies and tv shows that should still be avoided even with filters. There is a monthly $10 fee. But it's worth it for my family at this time. You can try it free for a month, and cancel at anytime.
2. Mailed DVD's. My sister got me onto this again. We used this service years ago, before Red Box and streaming. But Red Box never had the new releases we wanted, Amazon rental prices are too high, and Netflix streaming rarely had new releases we wanted to see. So back to mailed DVD's it is. You can keep the DVD's as long as you need, and the library is surprisingly large. There are different price points to fit your budget. Our mail is exciting again!

There you have it, my 2018 Favorite Things.
For more favorite things go to 320 Sycamore,
she did a week long post of blogger's favorite things.

What's SAVING me right now, February 2018

Modern Mrs. Darcy,
likes to do a post about some things that are saving her right now.
She invites us to do the same.
I love this idea, especially in the winter.


Here's what's saving me right now:


My Red Kitchen Aid food chopper, that I got for Christmas.
It really makes food preparing so much easier, and it's easy to disassemble and throw in the dishwasher when I'm done choppin'.




I have a 9 year old daughter struggling with the world around her.
Her socks, the temperature, her homework, her brothers, EVERYTHING.
This book is helping me understand her better, and quite frankly helping me survive right now.



These Paper Mate flair pens are helping me survive the doldrums of the paperwork to run a family.
Not quite a marker, but WAY better than a ball point pen, no smearing so far, and great colors.
I highly recommend. "You need me to fill out another form? Sure! as long as I can use this pen!"



Blue Sky Calendar Planners at Target. I still can't do the digital app calendars. These planners save me every day, week, and all year. They are affordable, and I like the designs to choose from.

I can't get Enough of this song, Never Enough from the Greatest Showman movie soundtrack.
I just might listen to it every day, on repeat.





I've been watching Victoria on PBS masterpiece. This has been a great series.
The actors who play the Queen, and the Prince are dating in real life. I always like that.
Season 1 was last year and now there is Season 2.
You can watch this on PBS or Amazon Prime.

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.

1. JBL Clip 2 Speaker 

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.

2. Nike Slider Sandals for all ages

My whole family loves these, they are soooo comfy.

These also come in different colors.

3. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow

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.

4. Roller Ball Perfumes

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.

5. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Foundation Cream

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

What's SAVING me right now

After reading this post about what is saving a fellow blogger through winter, I decided to do a similar post. Thinking about the simple, happy things right now is better for me than focusing on what's driving me nuts.

And I am going NUTS, because I'm a 1st time dog owner of a new puppy.

The small things are saving me and keeping me sane right now!

Here's what's SAVING me now:

The Dog Crate:

With having a new puppy inside because of our cold winters;

being able to crate him as needed is saving me BIG right now.

I believe in the dog crate, yes I do. 

Blogs:

I still love blogs over Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, news, etc.

I check in on my favorites every morning. It makes me happy. I miss the days when blogs were more popular and more women and moms posted. It was so raw, real, interesting and less profit oriented.

Here's a couple of my favorites right now: dandee - emily - barefoot in the kitchen

Prayer:

I like being able to pray everyday to our Heavenly Father. Sometimes my prayers are quick, with lots of pleadings and requests for help. The other day in Sunday School our teacher reminded us how amazing it is that we can talk and communicate to the Supreme Creator of this universe who is listening to everyone's prayers all over the world - 7.5 billion of us. Our Sunday School teacher asked us if we still believe in prayer after putting it in that context. I do. I do believe that he is hears and answers my prayers and your prayers. That saves me every day, every hour.

Easy Dinner Recipes:

I get tired of my same-o, same-o recipes. I'm sure my family does too. The Six Sisters new cookbook called Dinner Made Easy with six sisters' stuff has saved me this winter. The book has similar ingredients I'm used to using, but just gives me some fresh, new ideas to put dinner on the table. I have loved it and my family has enjoyed the meals. Double Bonus!

TV:

Oh how I need good tv and movies with great characters, plots, and acting. It really is my therapy to help me survive this life of mine. Here are some of my favorites this winter and how I watched them: Victoria on the PBS tv app. It's on Sunday nights, but I prefer watching it on the tv app so I can watch it on my own time without kid interruptions. Crown on Netflix. The Lemony Snicket Series on Netflix for my kids. I need good shows for my kids to watch too. That saves me as well.

Sunday Night Treats:

I like to bake a treat on Sunday if possible, maybe this helps be gear up for Monday better. I tried Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake last week. I'm hoping to try Vanilla Pudding Cake next. 

Hand Held Milk Frother:

I got this little tool for myself for Christmas and I LOVE it.

I like to microwave milk for about 90 sec. and then add flavored syrup or hot chocolate mix to it.

Then I use my hand held frother, and it makes it all frothy and creamy, and it really does make it taste better. YUM!

2016 Favorite Things

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 girls or boys // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16

I love sharing my favorite things with you.

They aren't exciting or glamorous items.

It's just a list of basic things.

Each of these items have helped me smile, survive,

and enjoy my home and family during 2016.

You can buy most of these items in your local stores.

Most of my links take you to Amazon to give you a price idea, and

to use as a resource to help you find the product and read reviews.

I am not affiliated with any of these products, companies, or websites.

Romantic Songs

The movie Houseboat with Cary Grant and Sophia Loren is

one of my favorites.

I love when they dance to this song in the movie

Almost in your Arms by Sam Cooke

Sophia Loren sings it too

La Vie En Rose is another favorite song that I like to listen to.

Favorite Short Hair Products

Here are my favorite hair products that I use with my short hair.

I have thick hair, so keep that in mind,
as you consider these products and the texture of your own hair.

1. Aveda, Brilliant Hair Retexturing gel
I use this one when I have wet hair.
I need to put product in my hair after I wash it.
This allows my hair to be more manageable, after it's dry.
It's a little pricey, but it works so well, I let this be a beauty splurge.
We all need at least 1 beauty splurge, right?
Cheap gels don't absorb in my hair very well,
and don't last throughout the day.
This one absorbs great, with out being too goopy,
and doesn't give my hair a wet, crunchy, look.
It looks natural while keeping my hair more styled.

2. Style Sexy Hair, Slept In creme
This one I use in the mornings on my dry hair,
when it's sticking up everywhere.
This creme is my quick fix, to help me fix my hair fast.
The title is exactly as it's described - it fixes your slept-in hair.
Sometimes I use it on my wet hair too. This one maybe my favorite!

3. Aveda, Control Paste
This one I use on my dry hair, and you need a little product to control some fly aways,
or just tame your hair a bit. It only takes a finger-tip of paste,
that you rub into the palms of your hands,
and then rub into your hair to style it a bit.
It's great for an evening out, or just to fix your hair
when you need to look a little more polished.
This one is pricey, but I use it for years since you only use a little at a time.
It doesn't smell the best, but it works so well, that I overlook that con.
I also use this one with my longer hair too.
It helps with straight hair, without making your hair look wet or sticky.

Secret Hideaway

I love finding and taking my kids to secret hideaways.

I call them secret hideaways,
because they are usually hidden in some trees.

We can hang out, read, and relax there,
and forget our cares for a while.

One of my new favorite songs, Catch and Release
by Matt Simons includes these lyrics

that perfectly captures how I feel about our secret hideaways,

"There's a place I go to,
where no one knows me,

it's not lonely,
it's a necessary thing."

A few years ago I posted about a
Secret Hideaway, from our last home.

Here's that blog post for a trip to the past - 5 years ago!

I kinda look the same because I had short hair in that post.

My kids, DO NOT, they are so young,

and we didn't even have Brandon yet.

What'cha Watchin?

I loved watching Joan of Arc on our BYUTV channel.

I just discovered the Feeln' channel for watching hallmark movies
and clean family movies! There is a monthly or annual fee,
depending on which plan you choose.
We don't have cable, and I was missing
and wanting to watch all the Cheesy Christmas movies from Hallmark.
Feeln' takes care of that for me!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

 has a great Christmas website.

With lots of great mini videos, and ways to celebrate the season.

Happy Holiday Watching

2015 Favorite Things

Here's my list for this year.

This is always a fun tradition from 320 Sycamore Blog.

All of these things I have truly used

and loved all this past year.

Shoes/Outerwear

Roxy Slip-on Shoes

SOOOOO comfortable -

so easy to slip-on for women on the go!

Various fabrics and colors.

Purchase at Famous Footwear and Amazon

Kamik Olivia Rain Boot from DSW.

Rain is never gloomy when I where these!

Love them.

Gerry Brand UltraLite Coats

My kids love these coats - a little puffy and very lightweight

These coats still keep my kids super warm.

They love them for school, so they can move more at recess,

and stuff them in their backpacks.

My husband loves his,

and I got myself one to put under the tree this year.

My husband has the GoLite brand coat.

I got my kids the less expensive Gerry brand at our local Costco.

Watch/Jewelry

A  Rose Gold Watch.

My new favorite jewelry color.

*Make sure the watch is water resistant.

I like this Fossil watch. 

Movies/Media

I loved the new Cinderella movie.

I prefer purchasing digital copies of movies.

The movie had such a great message too.

(Quote Art from missbrimley.com)

Home Decor

Any Wall Art from Pier1 imports.

I don't have enough walls to hang all my favorites!

Games

The dice game Tenzi

Make sure to get enough dice for 4+ players.

The card pack is great to have too.

You can get it on Amazon

Kitchen/Food

Torani Flavored Syrups

I love using these flavored syrups to make Italian Ice Sodas.

That's a favorite thing for sure.

These syrups are also great to add to your hot chocolate, or steamed milk.
I get these at my local grocery stores or on Amazon.

I have found myself using The Romney Family Table Cookbook a lot.

Anytime you use a family favorite cookbook,

there will be some great recipes to choose from.

I love Ann's parenting advice and stories

she sprinkles into the cookbook as well.

Kids Misc.

TYR brand goggles for my kids.

Finding good goggles for my kids has been a challenge.

I discovered this brand, from lots of positive online reviews.

I bought them for my kids.

Success!! Each pair endured great for my 5 kids ALL SUMMER.

This says a lot. Highly Recommend.

I purchased them from Amazon.

Home/Office Organization

If you're starting to get the itch to do some family genealogy,

or record your grandparents, or parents stories.

FamilySeach website is so helpful and FUN!

You can also print out a fan chart for your family

which makes for a nice gift idea or decor for your home.

Post-It Note Blank Weekly Calendar

I need to post our family's weekly schedule on our fridge for the week.
This post-it note solution has been fantastic.
It's smaller than an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper, about 7X8,
but still gives enough space to write our weekly family's plans.
There are different patterns and designs.
Look at Target, Amazon or Wal Mart

Chatbooks has been great for getting
my instagram photos off my phone,
and recording our family's events in a mini journal book.
It is an app for your phone.
Here is a discount code
to get your 1st chatbook free:
JR3MJUA2
Super simple and convenient.
I get 60 photos in a soft or hard cover book.
Chatbooks automatically sends the books to me;
each time a new book is created using my last 60 instagram photos.
I'm only making about 2 books a year.
Which is just right.
I can edit the books.
That way not every photo is included in the book.
FREE Shipping!
I can also link my other family's instagram accounts into 1 account.

 Even with our digital society,
I still love to read a good magazine to relax.
RealSimple is still my #1 favorite.
It's inspiring and helpful.
Get yourself a subscription for the new year.
Pamper yourself.

Enjoy the Holidays!
We still have so much to be grateful for.


My Previous Year's Lists:
2014
2013
2012

2014 Favorite Things

This has become a fun tradition on my blog to share with you.

Everything on this list are things
I have used throughout the year, and have loved!
These are just my own honest opinions,
and where I have found it easy to purchase these products.

1. The Wet Brush

This is the best brush of all time

for combing you or your daughter's long hair.

It is has been a life saver in our home,

My girls hate it when I comb their hair.

We have less tears now,

and less threats from me that

I'll chop off their hair.

The brush is made for wet hair, specifically.

You can order it from Amazon.

2. The Apple Peeler

My kids love to help in the kitchen with this.

Making an apple pie has never been easier.

You do have to clean it carefully when done.

That's the downside, you can't put it in the dishwasher.

I got my peeler at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with my 20% off coupon.

P.S. Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons never expire,

and you can use as many as you want during 1 purchase at the store.

I'm not familiar with how to use multiple coupons online.

3. The Lodge Enamel

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

My husband gifted this for me last Christmas as a surprise.

I have loved it!

I use it weekly for soups, casseroles, pasta, etc.

I have the 6 qt size,

which is the perfect for our family of 7.

It's more affordable than other competitive dutch ovens,

and is less maintenance.

You don't have to season the iron. 

You can get this at most stores. Walmart, Fred Meyer, etc.

Here's the amazon link.

4. DownEast Wonder Tees

I wear these shirts under my shirts or dresses for layering.

It's the best under shirt for modesty. The best.

They come in lots of colors.

Most of you probably already know about these shirts,

but just in case, I thought I would share it anyway.

I get them at DownEast online or at my local DownEast store.

DownEast also has the essential tee, which are the same as the wonder tee, 

but they have a nicer finished edge around the collar, and sleeves.

They cost a couple dollars more than the wonder tee.

They also have the classic tee which is made for everyday wear,

and not as much as an undershirt and more loose fitting.

5. and 6. Garden Kneeling Pad

and Fall Planting Bulbs

My Garden Knee Pad makes planting,

and weeding so much more comfortable.

I use it to sit on in the dirt too.

It's the perfect gift for any gardner.

You can get these at any store in their gardening section.

I love planting fall bulbs for spring flowers.

I get my bulbs at Costco.

I know this is usually a Christmas list,

and past planting time for some of you,

but I thought I would include it in this year's list anyway.

Here's a map for easy reference of the best time of year to plant bulbs where you live.

Bulbs are super easy to plant.
If you get a lot, though, it takes more time.

You just make some holes and plop each bulb in the hole,

then cover it back with the dirt.

I like planting a lot in a small area.

You plant once in the fall,

and then every spring for years to come

you have beautiful flowers.

It's the perfect sight in your yard after a long winter.

I never do any fertilizer or anything. 

My bulbs usually last 3-5+ years.

Sometimes longer depending on how much I disturb the soil with planting

other flowers in the summer,

or how much my kids get into the dirt.

7. Small and Simple Things
by Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I love this little book from the prophet's wife, Sister Hinckley.

It's a small book, easy to read, and glance through.

You only need spend a few minutes,

and you're quickly cheered up from her.

She shares some favorite quotes and scriptures,

easy recipes

(I've tried them, they're delicious),

and some stories.

She reminds me of my grandmother too.

You can get it on Amazon.

8. Maybelline Color Whisper

Lipstick

A favorite drugstore find.

You can get this at any of your local box stores.

These are great when you need a new lipstick,

and you don't want to break the bank with dept. store lipstick prices.

9. Netflix Finds

Any Cheesy Romantic Movie

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Enjoy it.

Here's some previous favorite posts:

2013

2012 - My Mom's Favorite Things