I was inspired to post this list from my sister from another mister, Annie. Now if I could just figure out how to get marketing kickbacks for the product reviews below, I'd be one happy gal. Unfortunately for me, this list is provided free of compensation. (Hey - Lucky, Canon, Adobe and Target...you're welcome for the free advertising!)
Years ago, I created a "Mommy Must Haves" list and still hold true to that list as a mom of littles. Come to think of it, I might also need to create a favorite {kitchen} things, because there's a whole huge list of favorite kitchen tools floating around in my head, too. Ooh...and my favorite websites. Clearly, you need to stay tuned for more of my favorites.
But for now, these are some of my "overall" favorite things. (in no particular order)
Dry Erase Boards - I have one on my fridge for my weekly to-do list and notes, one in my laundry room for grocery lists and long-term to do lists, and a calendar board in my pantry with color-coated schedules for everyone in the family that also has my meal plan and daily to-dos to check off. Oh, and I bought a couple at the $1 store for the kids to keep entertained on our long drive to San Diego earlier this month. I love me some dry erase boards.
Lucky Big Star Jeans - My best fit is the Maddie Boot Cut, which I have affectionately labeled my, "$100 jeans." But really they're more like $120 after tax and feel more like a million bucks. They fit the same out of the dryer as they do all broken in and comfy. I {heart} these jeans.
It took me two months to admit to Mike how much these babies cost me, but even when I broke the news (after the initial shock) my frugal, Accountant husband said, "Well, they DO look really good on you..."
I have owned two pairs of Big Stars. I wore out the first pair after wearing them every day that was under 90 degrees for over a year (they have holes in both knees and in the butt that I begged Mike's mom to sew up so I can still wear them around the house) and I asked for a gift card for Christmas one year to buy the second pair. I will do my best to always have a presentable pair of Big Star jeans in my closet.
After convincing a few friends to try these jeans, I have made believers in others. Trust me. Try some on, save your pennies and go treat yourself to the best pair of jeans ever.
(Sidenote: After I bought my first Big Star jeans, random people told me how great I looked and asked if I'd lost weight. For months...it was awesome. Just sayin', these jeans work miracles.)
Target Hats - I have recently discovered that I look cute in hats AND they cover upmy hair when I'm too busy to wash it bad hair days. Double bonus! I'm a big fan of the cheap, sassy Target hats.
Victoria's Secret "The Naked" Bra - (Sorry, no picture for this one!) This is a new favorite, discovered on my birthday. (Happy Birthday present to ME!) I love how this thing fits. No gaps, no back fat, just smooth lines under my shirt. Again, the price tag kills me, but VS gift cards will likely be making my Christmas wish list this year so I can own more than one of these bad boys.
Shark Cordless Sweeper - Mykids family uses this several times a day in our kitchen. Crumbs, dropped cereal pieces, over-excited cookie helper messes...this little guy rocks my world. (I meant the sweeper, but isn't Jason cute playing with it? He has no idea that this "toy" will be one of his first chores in a few years...)
Baskets, Bins and Containers - I love to containerize like-things. It just makes the chaos seem so much neater. My pantry has a hodge podge of baskets, jars and wire contraptions. The baskets hold bags of nuts, baking items, granola bars and other snacks. There are glass jars with pasta, beans, rice, and my favorite invention: the Dessert Jar. It holds all of the loose pinata findings, birthday goody bag contents, Easter basket items and trick or treat candy. Several times a week, the kids can pick something out of the Dessert Jar and they're thrilled. (You can see in the picture below that there's still a pink chocolate Easter egg at the bottom of the jar. I wonder if it's stale...?)
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - I have no idea what the Mr. Clean people put in this product, but it has removed everything imaginable off my walls and surfaces. Pen, marker, random black marks...you name it. I don't use these guys very often, but when I need 'em, I'm thrilled with the results.
Oxy Clean - This is another miracle product. With one playing outside at recess, one at pre-school and one just learning to eat by himself, I add a scoop of Oxy Clean to every load of my laundry. If I notice a really scary stain, I soak the item in super hot water and a scoop of Oxy Clean, sometimes for several hours. Oxy Clean has saved SO many outfits in my house!
Canon Rebel T1i - I have been wanting a big girl camera for years and years and now that I have one, it's better than I imagined. Use it every day, love it every time. Love.
Adobe Photoshop Elements - Love. Love. Love. More love. This helps me love my camera even more. Once I finally figured out how to use the stupid, instructionless program, I was in love. Check out the before and after on the picture below (taken in horrible bathroom lighting). And it's the $60 version, not the $600 version. Not sure what the big Photoshop program can do that mine doesn't do, but ignorance won't kill me.
If I could figure out how, I would make all of these products burst out of your computer screen right now and land in your lap. Specifically the camera, a Photoshop program, some dry erase boards and Lucky jeans in your size. But I'm not Oprah. I can't afford to give you each a bunch of my favorite things, so you'll have to settle for gazing longingly at the pictures I've provided for you.
So now I'm interested...what are some of YOUR favorite things???
But for now, these are some of my "overall" favorite things. (in no particular order)
Dry Erase Boards - I have one on my fridge for my weekly to-do list and notes, one in my laundry room for grocery lists and long-term to do lists, and a calendar board in my pantry with color-coated schedules for everyone in the family that also has my meal plan and daily to-dos to check off. Oh, and I bought a couple at the $1 store for the kids to keep entertained on our long drive to San Diego earlier this month. I love me some dry erase boards.
Lucky Big Star Jeans - My best fit is the Maddie Boot Cut, which I have affectionately labeled my, "$100 jeans." But really they're more like $120 after tax and feel more like a million bucks. They fit the same out of the dryer as they do all broken in and comfy. I {heart} these jeans.
It took me two months to admit to Mike how much these babies cost me, but even when I broke the news (after the initial shock) my frugal, Accountant husband said, "Well, they DO look really good on you..."
I have owned two pairs of Big Stars. I wore out the first pair after wearing them every day that was under 90 degrees for over a year (they have holes in both knees and in the butt that I begged Mike's mom to sew up so I can still wear them around the house) and I asked for a gift card for Christmas one year to buy the second pair. I will do my best to always have a presentable pair of Big Star jeans in my closet.
After convincing a few friends to try these jeans, I have made believers in others. Trust me. Try some on, save your pennies and go treat yourself to the best pair of jeans ever.
(Sidenote: After I bought my first Big Star jeans, random people told me how great I looked and asked if I'd lost weight. For months...it was awesome. Just sayin', these jeans work miracles.)
Target Hats - I have recently discovered that I look cute in hats AND they cover up
Victoria's Secret "The Naked" Bra - (Sorry, no picture for this one!) This is a new favorite, discovered on my birthday. (Happy Birthday present to ME!) I love how this thing fits. No gaps, no back fat, just smooth lines under my shirt. Again, the price tag kills me, but VS gift cards will likely be making my Christmas wish list this year so I can own more than one of these bad boys.
Shark Cordless Sweeper - My
Baskets, Bins and Containers - I love to containerize like-things. It just makes the chaos seem so much neater. My pantry has a hodge podge of baskets, jars and wire contraptions. The baskets hold bags of nuts, baking items, granola bars and other snacks. There are glass jars with pasta, beans, rice, and my favorite invention: the Dessert Jar. It holds all of the loose pinata findings, birthday goody bag contents, Easter basket items and trick or treat candy. Several times a week, the kids can pick something out of the Dessert Jar and they're thrilled. (You can see in the picture below that there's still a pink chocolate Easter egg at the bottom of the jar. I wonder if it's stale...?)
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - I have no idea what the Mr. Clean people put in this product, but it has removed everything imaginable off my walls and surfaces. Pen, marker, random black marks...you name it. I don't use these guys very often, but when I need 'em, I'm thrilled with the results.
Oxy Clean - This is another miracle product. With one playing outside at recess, one at pre-school and one just learning to eat by himself, I add a scoop of Oxy Clean to every load of my laundry. If I notice a really scary stain, I soak the item in super hot water and a scoop of Oxy Clean, sometimes for several hours. Oxy Clean has saved SO many outfits in my house!
Canon Rebel T1i - I have been wanting a big girl camera for years and years and now that I have one, it's better than I imagined. Use it every day, love it every time. Love.
Adobe Photoshop Elements - Love. Love. Love. More love. This helps me love my camera even more. Once I finally figured out how to use the stupid, instructionless program, I was in love. Check out the before and after on the picture below (taken in horrible bathroom lighting). And it's the $60 version, not the $600 version. Not sure what the big Photoshop program can do that mine doesn't do, but ignorance won't kill me.
If I could figure out how, I would make all of these products burst out of your computer screen right now and land in your lap. Specifically the camera, a Photoshop program, some dry erase boards and Lucky jeans in your size. But I'm not Oprah. I can't afford to give you each a bunch of my favorite things, so you'll have to settle for gazing longingly at the pictures I've provided for you.
So now I'm interested...what are some of YOUR favorite things???
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13 comments:
A BIG fan of expensive jeans. Sorry, people, Old Navy doesn't cut it for this girl. Their $12 jeans fit like....$12 jeans. I am a dedicated Buckle (the store) shopper for my jeans. I may pay $75-$120 for my "nice" jeans but better two super-expensive pairs that I LOVE and look fabulous than 10 that make me look short, fat and dumpy. You will never regret great jeans-at any price!:)
I totally agree about the jeans. I just got my first pair of BUCKLE Big Star Jeans and they are the BEST jeans ever!Several of my friends encouraged me to fork out the extra money and now I am in love!
how did you fix that bathroom photo??? I have photoshop but am having trouble figuring it out.
Leanne - I JUST discovered this! Add a "levels" layer to the picture you're working with, then click the "auto" button on the right hand side. It does amazing things for some weird-lighting pictures, but nothing for others. I hope that helps!!!
I have a tip for saving 'favorite jeans that are wearing thin in places but still want to be worn around the house':
Those ugly iron-on denim patches from the fabric store. BUT here's the ingenious part.....iron them on the INSIDE of the fabric.
I do these with our jeans all the time and get tons more use out of them. Mr T goes through the knees of all his with his slide-like-a-rock-star-on-the-playground-cement moves (ouch!) and Big Chief rides his bike to and from work every day which causes friction....well, in 'other' places. Both of them get saved by ironing on the patches on the inside, which strengthens/supports the fabric and prevents any holes that are starting from getting bigger. Yes, you can kind of see the shape of the patches through the denim, but they're certainly good enough for around the house or quick trips to the gas station.
Have fun loving your favorite jeans for a very long time!
xoxoxoxooxox
LOVE Oxy-clean and Magic Eraser. Oxy has saved many a stained item of clothing at my house.
Another life- (not to mention money-)saver is Dawn dishwashing liquid. It gets out grease stains, even AFTER they've been washed AND dried. I had a huge bag of clothes that needed to go to the cleaners just to get a little grease stain out. Somehow I came across the tip to use Dawn, and within minutes I saved about $100 in dry cleaning bills. I let it sit for several hours, too...most of the time overnight. If you've dried it in the dryer, you might have to do this twice, but it WILL work. Here's the post where I talk about it.
Love this post, I might have to do my own. :-) Just wondering where you find those jeans? It seems from the comments they come from The Buckle, is that correct? I am in need of a GOOD pair of jeans!
@Kendra - Yes, if you have a Buckle nearby, get them there. Go in and tell one of the little 20 year old employees that you need a pair of great jeans. They'll look you up and down, maybe measure your waist, hand you a few pair and send you to a dressing room to transform you into a $100 jeans girl.
You will LOVE THEM!!!
I plan on getting some good jeans as soon as I drop some weight. Hopefully soon.
I have photoshop elements and really need to learn how to use it.
I love the baskets, bins, magnetic board, oxy clean, magic eraser -- OK, I love everything on your list too!
I also would like to "love" photo shop but have yet to figure it out. Currently, I use blurb.com...which has served me well!
Thanks for sharing!
as soon as i get to my goal weight i am investing in some good jeans!
i am going to do a list too maybe tomorrow...
Hi, new reader here. So far loving your blog! I just wanted to comment about the lighting and give a tip and link on how to correct it in camera without using your photo editing program. Its called "white balance" and most of the time your camera does a good job of getting it right when set to auto white balance but does a horrible job when shooting in tungsten or fluorescent lighting. But its easy to fix! When shooting in either of these lighting conditions you can change the WB on your camera to either tungsten or fluorescent light and voila, instantly better white balance to your photos. You can even go one step further and create a custom white balance but I'll let the link tell you more. http://www.digital-photography-school.com/introduction-to-white-balance Happy shooting!
This is TOO funny! Me and my sister went jeans shopping this weekend to find some amazing jeans. We went to 3 places and tried on probably 60 pairs of jeans (some of them were really high end jeans). But none of them fit that great. Our last stop was the Buckle and I tried on several I really liked, but by far my favorite were the Maddie Big Stars!! I love them! I kept thinking, were did I read about those jeans... and it hit me today. I should have just listened in the first place and saved a ton of time :)
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