A Few of My Favorite Things

When the dog bites...when the bees sting...actually, we don't have a dog, and the only time I've been stung by our bees is when I grabbed a towel outside where a bee was resting to wait out a thunderstorm, so it was very much deserved sting.  So!  When I told Ryan I was posting about some of my favorite things this morning, he asked if he was on the list. I had to think quickly and told him that he was not a "thing".  ;)  I thought it would be fun to share with you and you to share back with me some of our favorites.  Kind of like a good friend over, sitting down to chat about our discoveries of things that make our life easier.  Ready?!

I recently had our dishwasher rack repaired and the servicemen always leave me with great tips of what makes doing dishes easier and more efficient.  The first is always to run your hot water in the sink when you start your dishwasher because it will have the water heated up as your dishwasher begins.  But he gave me a new tip which, if I knew his name and number, I'd call him up and take over some warm bread and backyard honey, because it has done miracles, a term I don't use lightly.  Ever since phosphates were banned in dishwashing detergents (is that what was banned?) I've had a hard time getting our dished REEEEEEALLY clean.  In fact, we have some frosted glasses that I thought were ruined until I tried this Lemi Shine.  It's powdered citric acid.  That's it.  Nothing chemically derived or harsh to the environment (or us!).  I was lamenting that I didn't have a before and after of our glasses, but I found this bowl that had pennies for our vintage scale and represents very well what things were looking like.  All you do is add it to the "prewash" section of the soap container, with your soap in the main compartment and run your dishwasher as normal.  I love it.  It's available at our local grocery store, so I imagine you can get it at any of the big box retailers.  You're welcome, all you hard water users out there.

My next favorite is this eyeliner.  I thought all liquid eyeliners were the same: difficult to use.  Until I found this one.  It has a very fine felt tip, like a pen, so no dipping and trying to get the eyeliner equally applied.  It supposedly contains a serum to boost eyelash production, and I'm not confident that it really does, it applies like a dream.  Trust me, if I can use it, you can, too. (Target carries it.)

And then we move to the nails.  Have you tried Jamberry, yet?  I'm hosting my second party here if you missed out on the first one.  And while my collection is a very limited color pallet ;), there is something for everyone, even little girls.  (Start stocking up for Christmas stocking stuffers!)  They've got 150 new designs including holiday designs.  As always, if you buy 3, your 4th set is free, and if you order within the first 3 days, you will be entered to win their new heater (it's as small as a cell phone!)  They really do have something for everyone.  If you don't want anything too flashy, they have clear wraps with a design and hint of color, or you can go all the way with bright colors and sparkles and fireworks (well, not the fireworks part).  When you check out, click No Big Dill Katy as your party name (because, in full disclosure, I get credit when you buy through my part ;)  They getting easier to apply, and they're cheaper and faster than a manicure.  Go ahead and treat yourself.  

Favorite thing number four.  This little clippers!  They're made by Clover brand and I keep them right by my sewing machine for quick and easy thread clipping.  Although don't take them traveling because they were confiscated at security the last time I flew. :(  The guard kept asking me what they were, turning them over and over in his gloved hand, eyeing my suspiciously.  I'm a harmless seamstress, sir.  Please don't take my thread clippers.  They can be used as a weapon, ma'am.  Grrr.

And my final favorite thing.  What are these?  You ask.  Quick story first.  A. We live where there is high humidity all the time.  B. Ryan has the most sensitive nose you will ever meet.  When something is sour, he will smell it from the moment he walks in the house.  Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but not really.  We've had an issue with our towels not drying after a single use.  It was getting to be a sore point in our marriage (not really ;) when he'd throw a towel into the dirty clothes basket after a single use and I'd say, I just washed that!  They were simply not drying in between uses.  Well.  When I stayed at my parents house over the summer, they had these Turkish towels in their guest bath and I began wondering if these were the answer to our sour problem.  I ordered some on Amazon and when they came all folded up Ryan said, they're so small!  But they aren't.  They're just thin.  Americans have a tendency to think bigger is better, but when researching these, I discovered that this is what most Europeans use (am I right, my European friends?)  I got 100% cotton, but they also make 100% linen which I would be curious to try.  I wasn't sure if the fringes were going to be annoying or exotic, but right now I'm leaning toward exotic. ;)  And they've gotten even softer with a few washings.  I'm a fan.  And Ryan's nose is, too.

So, now tell me what some of your favorite things are!