My Favorite Things

That's right y'all! It isn't just for Oprah. Anybody can have a favorite things list, and I figure since my birthday is on Friday - what better time than now to list all the things I love (and want) and maybe entice a few of you to jump on the bandwagon with me and start using all this awesome stuff, too!

On Friday, I turn 37. THIRTY-SEVEN! I can't even believe it. It feels like only yesterday I was complaining about turning 25. When I look back on the last 37 years, I see a lot of change. There are times that I fondly miss, times I am eternally grateful are behind me, and a few times I think that the door of opportunity was open to me and I failed to commit and walk through. I guess we all have those, don't we?

Thirty-seven years has been long enough to bring me some great joys, and experiences that have changed me for the better. I'm thankful for that, and hope that the years that follow are as good as these last few have been.

Now, onto the good stuff. Ready? 

I've blogged about this before, and of course it had to be on my list. The Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day basil scented hand soap, is far and away the most wonderful smelling hand soap at that price point I've ever used. I constantly keep this in either the kitchen or the bathroom, and can't count the number of people who have asked me where I bought it. It's fresh and clean, and perfectly scented. It's not feminine, it's not masculine - it has managed to rest perfectly in that suitable in between and remain wholly affordable. You won't be disappointed, and P.S., it's cheaper here than anywhere else.

The Fruits and Passions brand Coriander and Olive Oil products are also perfectly scented, and part of my daily routine. They have a hand soap, dish soap, all the same products you'll find in the Mrs. Meyer's collection. I personally have switched over to using their hand butter all the time. If you've ever used a butter as lotion before and felt like your hands were left more oily than soft, I am totally with you! But then I found this, and haven't looked back. My hands feel soft and not at all greasy for hours. And a small tube, like the one above, can last you for a month or more. 

Rosehip Seed Oil has been a wonderful find. The older I got, the more I started to care about my skin. I wish I had the forethought to be more mindful of the sun and moisturize more consistently in my youth, but live and let live, right? I've been very lucky my whole life to not have too many skin issues, but still - I needed an easy and inexpensive product that could be a part of my daily routine to help moisturize. I took to Rosehip Seed Oil after doing a lot of research, and I couldn't be happier. I love the Kate Blanc linked above. I put it on with this brush.

From the moment I smelled this burning at an Anthropologie in Austin, Texas - I knew that I had to have it at my house. I've been burning the scent for years, and it's a constant staple at our house. I love the fresh, clean, almost citrus fragrance, and the clean burn. So many candles leave you with soot and unused wax, You definitely get the most from the Capri Blue candles, and without a doubt, Volcano is my favorite scent. If you're not a candle burner, they also have wax melts and reed diffusers. 

New York State recently passed a ban against plastic bags, which I couldn't be happier about frankly. We don't need those pesky plastics. I've been using this market bag for the last couple of years as my grocery bag, and I LOVE it! Definitely worth the money. Super beautiful and sturdy, plus so useful for trips and storage in your home.

I got this little portable speaker from Tyler's mom for Christmas, and I can't think of a day since that I haven't used it! The sound quality is perfect, and it's small enough to really fit anywhere. It wirelessly syncs to your phone or music storage device, and I've been told that it floats. I haven't tried the floating thing out, FYI! Right now I've got it in the Cross Bottle Guy studio, playing Sara Bareilles' new album, Amidst the Chaos. Oh - so so so so good! 

You know I love design books, right? 

This is still a wonderful book filled with glorious inspiration for projects, even though the first printing of the book was way back in 2016. If you don't already own a copy - give it a look! 

This is the only thing I've asked for for my birthday. The new Jeffrey Bilhuber book, Everyday Decorating. Fingers crossed somebody grabbed it for me. 

I've been using these for a while now, but since I got back from Hawaii, I've been buying them left and right to give as gifts. Everyone in my office now uses stainless steel straws, as well as my friends and family. 

If you don't already have one of these, I'm about to make your life a lot easier and healthier folks. What feels like forever ago now, I had an Italian "pasta" dish from a local restaurant that had no pasta at all. I finished the entire thing thinking I had just eaten the most perfectly cooked noodles but no. I had just eaten the most perfectly cooked spiralized zucchini. I immediately ran out and bought some expensive machine which broke about a year later. Then I found this, and it's been a staple in my kitchen. I love it, you will too - I promise!

These things are the most fun wine markers I've ever seen! Friends of ours have them, and when we were at their Super Bowl party these little guys hugged the wine glasses of those who chose wine. I bought them before we even left that night, and thanks to Prime shipping, got them the next day! I've been using them ever since. 

Alright y'all - that's it! My favorites! Take a look and see if they tickle your fancy, too!