My life is full of unanswerable questions. Some are deep and philosophical, some are not. This one is decidedly in the latter category, but it does pop up every December, when I hear Julie Andrews singing about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, and that question is this: Why on earth is My Favorite Things a Christmas song?
I may never know the answer to that one. But thanks to a couple of my favorite authors (Deb Raney and Becky Wade), from whose blogs I stole/got inspiration for this idea, I present to you a few of MY favorite things. Most of these are not life-changing, but they definitely lift my spirits. And in the dead of winter, when the holidays are past and football season is almost over and my Sooners have lost in the college football playoffs—AGAIN—I think we could all use a little pick-me-up. (Click on the title of the item for a purchase link).
Paula’s Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel
This has been my go-to cleanser for over twenty YEARS. I am not kidding. It’s undergone a couple name changes, but the basic formulation is the same. It is a simple, basic cleanser without fragrance or irritants; it gets the makeup off without drying the skin. Seems like a simple thing, but apparently it’s pretty hard to get this just right, because this cleanser is the only one I’ve ever found that does its job with this level of excellence. If they ever discontinue this, I will CRY.
Soylar Candles is an online candle/soap company owned and operated by Irene Guoz, who seems like one of the sweetest people imaginable. Her products are made with natural, non-toxic ingredients using earth-friendly processes; her candles mostly come in reused baby food jars and aluminum cans. Her list of scents is long, and everything I’ve tried is utterly drool-worthy, plus she includes samples, extras, and a lovely hand-written note with every order. You can customize the intensity of the scent (important for me, since I’m actually not huge on scented candles; I just like to burn one after dinner to eliminate cooking odors and set the tone for a relaxing evening), and even order little free extras like glitter or candy sprinkles on top. Plus, right now, they’re offering free shipping on any size order!
I vary my scents with the season, but since two out of three Wenlets were born in January, Birthday Cake seemed very apropos.
I picked up this luxurious faux fur blanket on impulse at Target the day after Christmas, and it has quickly risen to the top of my favorite things list. Since I bought it, I’ve spent many hours on the couch in The Fuzzy Blanket’s cuddly embrace, snuggling Wenlets (the thing is a Wenlet magnet), watching the fire, reading books, listening to football, and seeing just how much parenting I can accomplish while still Under The Blanket (answer: more than I thought!). Cream is the color that followed me home, but the blanket does come in a variety of colors. Grab one. I promise your feelings about winter will be more positive.
I am a fidgeter. I have to have something to do with my hands pretty much all the time. When I was a kid, I was a devotee of Silly Putty (why my mother let us have it, I have no idea). A couple years ago while Christmas shopping for the kids, I discovered this stuff at a local toy store and have been pretty addicted to it ever since. It’s the perfect texture and comes in a lot of different colors and finishes. There’s even a kit where you can combine colors and special effects to create your own custom putty, although I personally have not gone that far yet (Middle Wenlet has; it was one of his Christmas presents). Putty isn’t for everyone, but if you need something pretty and satisfying to play with while you dream up your next novel, I highly recommend this.
Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend K-Cups
I love coffee. And while I adore the idea of having a fresh cup from a French press every morning, two things stop me from doing this: Limited time and the cruel paradox that I must consume coffee to be awake enough to make coffee. When my sister-in-law introduced me to the Keurig a few years ago, a solution was born.
However—and this is a pretty big however—most K-cups taste pretty nasty, at least to me. The only K-cup I have found that I really, really like is this one: Major Dickason’s Blend from Peet’s Coffee. It’s a delicious dark roast, not bitter, just yum, and very effective at getting me from the “Go Away” to the “Now You May Speak” phase of morning. It’s the only K-cup that doesn’t taste like a K-cup to me. Creature of habit that I am, I always drink it out of the same mug, this gorgeous handmade ceramic one I picked up at the College of the Ozarks in Branson, Missouri two summers ago.
So there you have it. A few of my favorite things. But I’m always up for trying something new, so now it’s your turn! What are a few of your favorite things?