my favorite things:volume two
THE CHRISTMAS EDITION
1)
These are super soft, flattering, comfy and come in multiple prints. I found that they run small so ordering 1-2 sizes above your normal is a good idea, especially if y’all have a little J Lo to contend with like I do. I am always a sucker for a cute floral!
2)
For the first time in my life, I invested in a new laptop this year. Though I had an old school canvas laptop case, I was just feelin’ finding something new, adorable and not super swank price-wise. This one is “vegan leather” which seems like super high quality pleather to me, but it is attractive and I don’t feel like I have to be delicate with it like I would if it was expensive leather or designer. I’m not much of a designer backpack or handbag girl, but I do want a quality item. I digress. To each his own.
3)
This is actually a favorite of my husband’s. On a trip to Oahu, we found this at Costco; and having never had fish jerky, he was intrigued. It passed his test of good ingredients, not having high sugar content (like many jerky does) and overall deliciousness. While our Costco at home doesn’t carry it, I found it on Amazon. This would make a great, unique gift for the jerky fanatic in your family!
4)
Easy Faux Tree Hack
I have memories of going to pick out a real Christmas tree when I was very young…which I probably tie with going to get an M&M DQ Blizzard..and thus they are good ones. I do not, however, feel compelled to get one for our family now; or as many do around here, go cut down a tree (shades of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation- “It's a little full. Lots of sap.”).
It is for my fellow faux tree peeps that I share this easy and inexpensive hack. The one drag with a fake tree is that often you can see through the branches to the pole in the middle. Go to Walmart, Hobby Lobby or the like and purchase some metallic or clear ornaments (they usually come in a pack of maybe 20 for $10-ish). In fact, I just looked up what is available in Walmart Grocery pickup and there is a pack of 26 silver ornaments for $4.98 and a 40 pack for $9.98. You will also need ornament hooks, of course.
Take the ornaments and put them on the metal on the first 6 inches or so of the faux tree branch (measuring from the pole). When you have spread them all over the tree on these inner branch areas, it is amazing how they reflect the light and make the pole so much less visible. Simple, cheap and it adds sparkle..not mad at it.
5)
NEW Lemon Lime Waterloo Sparkling Water
“Possible Kiwi Sighting”
“Tropical Cardboard”
“Shy Watermelon”
“Single Skittle Dissolved in Water.”
“Previous Tenant Squeezed a Lemon'
These are all names people jokingly made for sparkling water flavors. If you have tried them and felt similarly, you are not alone. I was in that same club until I decided my love for soda needed to be replaced and the trait of carbonation was essential. I began trying many different brands and after drinking them for a while, I think my palate is more used to the tastes in general. I do get excited when there is a genuinely good one. I really like La Croix ORANGE flavor and I love Waterloo LIME; but currently, my favorite is Waterloo’s new LEMON LIME flavor. So good.
6) Parchment Paper/Little Cookie Scoop
Umm..why are these 2 things on a favorite list??! Until this past year, I didn’t realize how great they were and this is just the season to try them out!
The parchment paper has replaced the aluminum foil I lined my cookie sheets for easy cleanup after baking. But they are not just an arbitrary replacement-they are kind of magic. Whether a cookie recipe or roasting veggies, everything turns out so well! It makes it harder to burn things, evenly bakes and my food turns out perfectly crisp. Things don’t stick to it and you can even buy it pre-cut so that you aren’t getting pieces out that are too short or long. It’s parchment paper for me when I bake-no turning back, no turning back.
The little cookie scoop was a mistake at first. I ordered a cookie scoop when my old one broke and I got one smaller than normal. It turned out to be a happy accident because I love making recipes for cookies and protein balls as well in this smaller size. Here is a link to an example of this in my recipe for Aunt Danelle’s No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls.
7) Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia Body Spray
On a Girls Trip to cute, little Nevada City, California, I came across a scent I loved. These little boutiques were filled with every type of soap, perfume, lotion and such. Somehow I decided to give this body spray a try. Love, love it. Loved it so much I got it for my Mom for Christmas last year. It was a fortuitous meeting because the last time I loved a scent this much was the original Bath & Body Works Honeysuckle Scent that has been gone for years! Yes, they came out with a Wild Honeysuckle for a while and no, it isn’t the same. I also tend to go into choice overload when I walk into B&BW stores as the 5-10 scent choices are now like 50-100 and it just seems OVERWHELMING! Lol.
8)
I re-stock this in my Walmart Grocery Pickup Order on a normal basis. I have had a Goldilocks relationship to garlic for a while.
The flavor of garlic already chopped in a jar or freeze dried, meh. The messiness of peeling, mincing or crushing a clove myself, flavorful but tedious. And yes, I have bought a garlic press thing-a-ma-jiggy and it made it easy to crush, but not easy to clean the tool itself-so is that a win in the end? Not so muchies. So, my favorite and go to garlic mode is to buy the frozen garlic cubes.
They can be thrown into a skillet meal frozen; or if you are mixing into something like a salad dressing, you can pop the amount you need (each one equals a clove) into a little bowl and wait a few minutes to get it to room temp to mix in. Yes, you can microwave it, but it heats super fast so that can go badly - mess and smell wise. There are also frozen ginger cubes (among a few others) which can be pretty cool if you like to cook Asian dishes.
9)
I am guessing many have seen “The Chick Fil A Song” or maybe “The Sound of Starbucks” on YouTube? This guy is SO funny. A few years back, Ben and I got hooked up with tickets to his show in Roseville area of California and enjoyed it so much, we bought the DVD of the show’s taping that night when it came out. He is a “Christian Comedian”; but more so, he is just super funny. His jokes are accessible to all and clean (which is super rare in stand up these days). I know most of the jokes by heart by now, but I still laugh until I cry every time I watch this. SUCH a fun one to watch with friends or family. I don’t think kids would get the jokes, but you can have it on when they are awake. Better yet, since that scenario would mean missing a lot, make a plan for a Date Night at Home when the kiddies are in bed, make some popcorn or fav snack and put in this Comedy Show-it is about 2 hours. And PS-Though he does do a few songs interspersed throughout, it is mainly stand up comedy. A few friends were laughing so hard when they watched this with me, they had to take a moment to catch their breath. Right now, laughter is essential.
10)
Raising Cane’s To Go Hack
This past year, Raising Cane’s has been one of our go to easy family dinner choices. Most of the year, it has been Takeout only and we quickly realized an issue: They pack their Chicken Strips and Crinkle Cut Fries in a styrofoam container. Within minutes of picking it up, steam starts to get blocked inside the container and the fries and chicken strip breading gets wet and soggy.
This suggestion is not exactly brilliant; but we figured out that when we receive the containers, we open each one up, spread out 2 napkins over the food and re-shut them. The napkin absorbs the steam and you can safely drive the food home without compromising its quality. It is the little things in life, right?
11)
My husband does not like carrying a bulky wallet and is not a big fan of the money clip option either. This company has so many choices and their products are really well made. I am sure they will run promotions throughout the holiday season. Lots of good stocking stuffer ideas and lots of fun prints too.
12)
When I had my 2nd of 2 miscarriages in March 2004, a friend from church thoughtfully dropped by a meal that night. I mention the circumstance freely because I don’t think that these experiences need to be kept secret. I want to remember my 2 little ones I will meet in Heaven someday. I don’t think I need to pretend the miscarriages didn’t happen because I have 2 healthy kids and a stepson now.
The meal my friend brought over was this recipe. She accompanied it with a crusty loaf of french bread and a simple salad. It was so delicious and it felt like a needed, huge hug. I tracked down the recipe to an old SOUTHERN LIVING booklet and have made it countless times since. It isn’t hard, but it seems pretty gourmet. People always want the recipe.
13)
My Favorite, Simple Queso Dip & Refried Beans Recipes
Every year we have the tradition of doing Na’Cho Thanksgiving in our family. The kids have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at extended family gatherings on the other side of their family, so we do our own thing. Each element of the nachos have gotten more dialed in every year. I have also hosted a Taco Night for a local Moms Group monthly (on pause since Covid hit) and the queso has become a favorite staple. I figure there may be some who would enjoy knowing how to make both.
REFRIED BEANS
To make the refried beans:
1-I cut up one thick slice of bacon (into pieces) per standard size can of Traditional Refried Beans.
2-I cook the bacon pieces in a medium size pot at medium high heat, turn the heat down and then add the refried beans to simmer and cover.
3-Add a small spoonful of sour cream into the beans and stir.
4-I stir every few minutes. (If doing more than one can and bacon slice, pour out a little bit of the bacon grease. We save them in a small jar.)
5-LEFTOVER Refried Beans work great with Bean & Cheese Burritos OR Double Decker Tacos-a hard taco surrounded with a soft tortilla brushed on the inside with beans before applying to the outside of the taco shell. Yum!
WHITE QUESO DIP
For the queso dip, here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
1 lb of sliced White American Cheese (from the deli) - 1 lb per 5-6 adults
1-2 4 oz cans of diced green chilies (per lb of cheese) - I prefer HATCH Green Chilies.
1/2 cup half and half or whipping cream (add more if consistency too thick)
OPTIONAL:
1 lb Mild or Hot Italian Sausage - Cooked through, Crumbled and Drained
DIRECTIONS
1) Put all items in slow cooker for 30-40 min on HIGH, then LOW after that. Stir often.
2) Add more cream or milk to get consistency desired.
3) I normally don’t add sausage because we are using another type of meat in our meal; but if you are making by itself, the italian sausage is delicious.
14)
My New Favorite Way to Study the Bible
In recent years, I feel like I cracked the code when it comes to what works best for me in how to study my Bible. Each person has their own way that works for them: time of day that works for them, a devotional that they can read and jump off of the scripture in, a good commentary they go to when they want to better understand a verse, or even a certain Bible translation they prefer. There is no one way to connect with the Bible. Period. I do want to share with you what has changed the game for me.
In 2019, I realized that I wanted to focus on reading through the entire Bible. In the 20 years since I had committed my life to Christ, I had yet to finish any straight forward cover to cover study. I had tried the books that have your readings printed everyday, I had opened the first page of Genesis so. many. times. and decided THIS time I was gonna do it! I always got distracted by another study I was involved in through my Women’s Bible Study or the small group my husband and I were in. Good distractions, but I needed a new approach.
FIRST I found a Bible Reading Plan that was realistic in length and time commitment each day on the free YOUVERSION App. I located this version of THE BIBLE in a Year . Each day includes a reading from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament and a chapter from Psalms or Proverbs every other day. So far nothing was new. I had started plans like this before..and dropped out somewhere after a month or 2.
How was this time different?
I noticed right away that the YOUVERSION App has the option to listen to the verses included for each day. Hmm. So, I took my ESV (English Standard Version) Bible out and set the reading plan on my phone to be in that same translation. I opened my Bible up to the same verses they would be reading to me and clicked the button for the audio to start. I grabbed a highlighter to mark the verses I liked and put question marks by ones I didn’t understand/wanted to dig into deeper.
After listening to the day’s verses (maybe 5-10 minutes of listening and marking my Bible), I opened up the Bible Gateway site on a browser. Yes, there is an app for it too, but call me old school-I just rebel against using an App for everything.
On the Bible Gateway home page, I typed in the verse I wanted to study further one by one. There is then an option to click STUDY. I quickly figured out my 2 free go to favorites:
1-Under STUDY BIBLES, the last selection called REFORMATION STUDY BIBLE.
2-Under COMMENTARIES, I liked MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY.
This became the grid I put all of my highlighted verses through. At times, I needed more to understand and would just Google for an explanation of a particular verse (or series of verses). Part of my struggle over the years in my Bible reading was just knowing what I wanted to study that day. That issue was addressed here too.
After doing this system for a few days, then weeks, then months, I realized that having the YOUVERSION App read the verses to me as I followed along in my Bible was the missing piece of the puzzle that was now present. It propelled me through the reading and kept me focused. I didn’t wonder IF I was going to finish reading that day, I KNEW I would. I wrote short notes in the margin of my Bible (for future reference) or I began to write takeaway verses and thoughts out it in a journal I had around the house.
To make this a priority, I set a time for it to realistically be accomplished each day and I kept it like an appointment. After doing it for a while, it became routine.
Did I miss days? Heck to the yeah. I figured out that when I opened the App and it said “4 Missed Days” in GREEN, I could click on that and then select CATCH ME UP and then just hit the back arrow button in the top left to the main screen of the reading plan and BOOM! I am on track again. I (and only I) determine the pace I will get this plan done. If I missed a bunch of days in a row, I would sometimes do 2 days’ readings if I had the time. It would not have been necessary to though.
So, all these details shared to tell you this was life-changing. Not only did I read through the entire Bible; when I got done, I opted to locate a 2 year Old Testament reading plan-knowing that I am less acquainted with the Old Testament. I wanted to go slooooow and I am now 161 Days into that 679 day journey.
When people ask my biggest take away from all this, it is really that the books that I had always written off as probably as exciting as watching paint dry turned out to be freakin fascinating. There is not a day where I sit down to read and pray that I don’t leave with something of value-God shows me something I haven’t seen before, He confirms something I am learning, or He shows me how to best support or encourage a friend.
One last tool I love to use in study is to watch the brilliantly made short videos created by The Bible Project. Whenever I am beginning a new book of the Bible, I look up the video for that book. It gives both clarity and context as it paints an overview of that book in a way you can understand. Their main goal is: “Helping people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus.” For an example of one of their videos, check out The Bible Project’s Genesis video. Sidenote: There is also the well-written READ SCRIPTURE App that intersperses the videos with readings and scripture in a Bible reading plan. Yes, I just recommended another App after saying they annoy me sometimes. A glorious contradiction am I.
15)
Formerly known as “John Frieda 1.5 inch Drying and Styling Hot Air Brush”
My completely amazing hairdresser just recently shared about blow brushes. She suggested I check out a particular brand whose price point is closer to $99-ish. After some research, I realized that this less expensive one is recommended for shorter hair and has OVER 13,000 Amazon Reviews!
Slightly skeptical, I took a shower and then waited for my hair to air dry a little and sectioned my hair out to give this do-dad the benefit of the doubt to work. Annnnnnd…it was amazing. No longer did I need to blow dry and then style with my flat iron. I could just use this tool to do it all at once.
16)
I love these slippers! Super soft, a little bling bling. I know, I know. I hate when people say that too.
By May of the pandemic, I was realizing that I wore these slippers so often that I could consider them now aging in dog years. Lol. I wore (and wear) them a good part of each and everyday.
17)
Every suction cup or air conditioner vent version has failed me. Not a big fan of the cup holder ones either. For those of us who still have a CD player in our car, this is perfect. It secures easily to the CD slot, is stable and easy to use.
18)
For those dreaming of an adventure to a nearby lake or ocean, these masks are the business. When they came out, I only saw the ones that cost a mint. I was skeptical to try the more reasonably priced versions, but wow. The difference between the experience with these and using the traditional snorkel set is night and day, in my opinion.
For my 40th Birthday, we went to Kona, Hawaii, and did the Night Snorkel with the Manta Rays. While other people around us were fiddling with their glasses and mouthpiece in their snorkel gear, we were super comfortable, breathing normally through our nose and mouth watching the amazing 5-6 feet long creatures doing flips like they do there and nowhere else every night.
19)
If you are like our family, the kids have all been about wearing VANS and CONVERSE style shoes for a while. It seems like even the normal no show socks can look or feel awkward with those styles of shoes. This year I discovered these no slip socks and will never use another pair of socks for the low cut shoes like VANS or low cut CONVERSE style. I have a favorite floral pair of VANS, so I use these too!
20)
I wanted to end on a random, yet funny note and share this favorite, short video. If we have been friends on Facebook for a while, you will likely have seen me post it multiple times. Perfect blend of humor, wit and all out silliness. Hope it brightens your day like it has mine for so long now. “Hydrangeas, Begonias, Crepe Myrtles…Ornamental Turtles!”