Favorite Things - December

A short but FANTASTIC list for December...

I received this amazing kitchen knife set as a gift for Christmas!

I am so excited to use these as I perfect

our many recipes ♥

I also received matching steak knives as a gift!!

These too are a welcome addition to our cutlery set...

Finally, my annual favorite!

CIOPINNO...

My Mom used to make this treat

once a year and I look forward each year

to carrying on her tradition!!!

Favorite Things - October/November

Oh boy!!!

My kids turned me onto this

little bit of heaven...

This hazelnut spread with a dash of cocoa

is all the dessert I need :-)

I have to give a shout out to our
Samual Adams beer...

We are currently working on the

Winter Classic pack - which includes

a fun Winter Ale and the yummy

Chocolate Bock...

We really enjoyed the Harvest collection too!!!

My favorite was the Pumpkin Ale...

If you are a dill fan, you are going to LOVE this relish...

I will not use sweet relish on burgers or sandwiches again!!!

Trust me ~ CHECK IT OUT

Favorite Things - September

WOW! Here it is the end of another month!!

This month's installment of favorite things

is truly a hodge podge,

but that's what makes me interesting... HA!!!

Sourdough FAT FREE pretzel nuggets ~

Sa-weet!!!

These make a great mid-morning snack at work and

I have found that if I keep them in my lunch bag in the fridge

it makes them even MORE yummy!!

Now that I have increased my mileage for running

I'm finding it very important to stay hydrated and energized.

Dear husband found these Clif Bloks and I really like them!!

They are easier for me to manage while running than Gu

and I can enjoy them a bit longer...

I was able to upgrade my iPhone 3G to a 4 this month!!!

WooHooo!!! Love love lovin' it...

The graphics are far superior and it has

so many great features (far too many to list here), but if you can, DO IT!!!

If you do upgrade, and you have a

Radio Shack in the area go there for your upgrade...

Radio Shack has a trade-in program for iPhones!!

That's right... I was given $150 trade-in value on my 3G

which I applied to the purchase of my 4!

You really cannot beat that offer...

Radio Shack activated the phone

and I had backed up my iPhone 3G on iTunes

so when I brought the 4 home I only had to 'restore'

and all was back in working order!!!

Although summer is coming to an end, I wanted to share

a little sweetness with you!

I had heard so much about 'Sweet Tea' and went on a hunt to check it out.

I found that there are several versions of sweet tea

(alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

Me, well I was looking for the 'adult' version!

I found that Olde Savannah (love that name) had a really nice version.

Poured over ice it made for a nice treat for a warm afternoon...

August wrap up & Favorite Things

Hard to believe that another month has flown by...

Since it was such a busy month and I am combining subjects,

this will be a little longer of a post!

August is probably one of my most favorite months!!!
It is the month I celebrate my birthday and our wedding anniversary ♥
This years birthday was a big one for me... 5-0

August has been filled with love, anticipation & warmth...
As always my family has provided me with much love & support

Anticipation at the thought of what my next 50 years has in store

Warmth from the very HOT days we had this month!!!

I continue to train for my next 1/2 marathon (watch for more info) and am now ready to share my favs for August!!

INK...

I continue to work on my back piece,

I added 6 plumeria flowers...

One for each of my little 'Ohana'!!!

PERIDOT!!

My birthstone - I was gifted the most beautiful ring

to commemorate this milestone birthday...

Monopod!!!

Another gift was this awesome an awesome monopod

now I can play with my camera some more

and attempt to get more amazing shots...

WICKED!!!!!
As a child I looked forward to every April,
which was the annual TV showing of The Wizard of Oz.
To this day I can recite practically the entire movie!!
I brought my kids up enjoying the annual showing too...
I was blessed to be able to see the
"Story Before the Story" about the
Witches of Oz!!!
Oh my goodness, can I just tell you how A.mazing
this show was???
If you have the chance, DO see it!!!

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings, but it feels good to share my favorite things with my favorite bloggy friends!!!

Favorite Things - June & July

Of course at the top of my favorites would be this!!!

I'm really enjoying my husband's retirement ~

Having dinner prepared and ready when I get home

from work is such a treat!!!

He has even surprised me with appetizers on a few occasions...

I am super happy with our unseasonal weather!!

We have only had one 10 day period of 100+ degrees...

Quite a change from our normal summer weather ~

Oh dear...

I am quite sure that these little morsels

were made by the devil himself!
A little sweet, a little salty ~

YUMMY goodness!!

Pretzel M&M's...

I'm really enjoying the iPhone 4.0 OS upgrade!

I love how I can clean up my applications

into organized folders!

Favorite Things - May

Oh my goodness!

Can you believe it is nearing the end of another month!!

I am posting this a little early, since I tend to forget (wink wink)

Knocking live video is an iPhone app

that is like having a live mobile phone web cam.

See what I see, LIVE anywhere!!!

The ONLY thing missing with this app is sound...

but I'm sure Apple is working on it ~

Flip videocam...

is an easy to use, pocket-sized HD camcorder.

Our purchase came with the Flip Videocam,

rechargeable AA battery pack

(recharges when connected to USB);

HDMI cable (you connect to your HDTV & watch your videos)

and a carry case! A power adapter is sold separately.

The camcorder also functions with two standard AA batteries.

A convenient flip-out USB arm plugs

directly into your PC or Mac

to launch pre-loaded FlipShare™ software.

The software makes it easy to email videos,

edit individual clips, make custom movies,

capture still-image snapshots,

and upload video to Facebook, MySpace,

YouTube and other sharing sites.

GARDENIA's...

♥ ♥ ♥ them!

It hasn't been warm enough just yet for full bloom

but they're coming!!!

I have two huge bushes lining my walkway to the front door

and I just adore the welcoming scent ~

STAR JASMINE...

Another fragrant favorite of mine ~

These little babies are popping out everywhere are here!!

Many folks use them as ground cover and

they make a lovely trellis also!!

Favorite Things - March & April

Dang it! I can't believe I skipped a month again ~

So, without further delay, here are my latest faves!!

I believe I have found the holy grail of snack foods! I adore chips! However I don't adore the saturated fats, calories, and preservatives found in most chips.

That is why I welcome this snack treat that is popped...

All the flavor and half the fat!!

If you know me you know about my love of anything BBQ'd!!!

Fortunately, Popchips come is BBQ flavor ♥ ♥

Ahhhhh, VitaminWater ZERO... How I love thee...
Here is great-tasting, healthy enhanced water that is packed with nutrients with ZERO calories.
There are seven flavors; each with a variety of vitamins and minerals
my favorite is "RECOUP" a peach-mandarin flavor packed with B3, B5, B6 and B12!

Smartfood (popcorn clusters)

A Frito-Lay product made with no trans fats and packed with fiber and calcium.

The bags are a great treat for 100 calories!!

I couldn't make my list completely about FOOD!
Here is my most FAVORITE thing -
My amazing little family!!!

They are all healthy, happy and full of love & happiness

Favorite Things - January & February

I'm a bit behind, so please be patient with my longer list. As I gathered all of my items, I realized there was a general theme... Any guesses???

I have been feeling pretty great about my training and treated myself to a splurge!!

I found the Brooks Nightlife jackets and vest on eBay for a decent price. These jackets/vest should allow me to be seen better than in my current plain black jacket.

The Marathon Stick is a muscle massage tool that is designed to simultaneously compress and stretch muscles.

The primary benefit of the marathon stick to runners is the elimination of "trigger points". Trigger points are contracted bundles of muscle, which feel like bumpy tender knots.

Muscles containing trigger points feel tight, fatigue quickly and often hurt.

The marathon stick extinguishes these trigger points.

I have developed some discomfort from plantar fasciitis.

The Strassburg Sock was designed to keep tension on the tissue (plantar fascia) so it heals in a stretched position at night.

I am already noticing less morning discomfort and with continued use hope to have it completely healed!!

The Road ID identification system...
Is for outdoor enthusiasts (runners, cyclists, triathletes, skiers, snow boarders, kayakers, walkers, and anyone that doesn’t spend all of their time on the couch).
Road ID enables First Responders to immediately contact family members and friends in case of an emergency.
It’s not just a piece of gear, it’s peace of mind.




Finally, I have to tell everyone about the MapMyRun iPhone app... It logs my mileage, pace and time; best of all it has a GPS that maps my routes! On the website you can track your training and also share your workouts with friends via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Favorite Things - December

Yes indeed it is that time when I get to share some of my favorite things found in December!!

Since I have been wearing more makeup I wanted to be sure that I get my face REALLY clean and I got tired of leaving my face towel all dirty after one use. Thanks to my daughter (the knower of all things makeup!) I have found Neutrogena to produce a great product. One towelette nightly and my face is free of the days makeup.

These little babies are ONION GOGGLES and I simply cannot say enough about them. I love using onions while cooking, but can't stand cutting/chopping them as they get me all teary (usually pass that chore off to my Fireguy..) Trust me they are the best thing since sliced bread ~

Next up is a great wine... Beaujolais Nouveau!! This wine is sold but once a year at one of our local specialty stores. Usually brought out the week before Thanksgiving ~ The wine was recommended to me by a dear friend, and of course she did not dissapoint. Probably too late for this year, but you should check it out next holiday season.

And of course one needs a way to open their special wine, right? I received this amazing addition for Christmas; an Automatic Wine Bottle Opener!! Once charged this doll will open 30 bottles before needing a recharge. Simply hold the unit over the wine bottle and press a button; WAH LAH, wine is open! Simply perfect cork removal ~

pictures from:

amazon

jericowines

brookstone

Favorite Things - November

I know it's rather late, but I thought I would throw in a couple of items to stay on track!

I DVR'd our local PBS airing of "Great Performances" as it featured Andrea Bocelli, who I simply adore.. The entire performance was amazing, but since hearing this particular song sung by Andrea & Mary J. Blige on Oprah I have been infatuated with it!! I have played it so much I can tell you how many breaths they each take (no joke!!) It is such a beautiful rendition and who would have EVER thought these two could do any justice as a duet???

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do ~ (P.S. Be sure to pause my player at the bottom of the page to enjoy the song).

KitchenAid found here:

With the baking I have been doing recently, I have grown to LOVE my KitchenAid mixer so much more. I have to wonder what I was ever thinking when mixing cookie dough and kneading bread dough by hand!!!

Lastly, since I did not post a Thanksgiving Day blog I wanted to say that I am thankful for and they are my favorite things; My family!!

Favorite Things - October

Alright my little blogger friends, here are my October favorites; a short list but I have been so pre-occupied it's all I can come up with...

We just purchased this little beauty! It is a Toshiba netbook... Little gal weighs in at a mere 2.8 pounds! The netbooks do not have a CD-ROM/DVD drive nor any other programs. Her primary purpose is internet access and e-mail checking. She came pre-loaded with the new Windows 7, so I was a bit apprehensive but it is super simple! This model has a larger keyboard and raised keys (built more for a man's hand IMHO) which is just perfect for the Fireguy!!

Bio-Oil® is a specialist skincare product that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone.

Bio Oil wont get rid of your stretchmarks... it can only improve the texture and tone of your skin which in turn will slightly improve the look of your stretchmarks.... Once they're there there really is no getting rid of them so its best to accept them as part of you, part of the story of your body, your life...

I use this product and both my kids have used it on scars with fantastic results!!

My last favorite of the month comes with a little story...

On my last visit to the mall I was approached my someone from one of the mall vendors. Somehow he sucked me in to a conversation and proceeded to tell me what lovely natural nails I had!!! Ppppshah!!

Bottom line, he wanted to sell me this FANTASTIC nail care kit for a mere $115!!! When I started to walk away he succumbed and with puppy dog eyes offered me the set for $79, meaning the buffer was FREE!! Still telling my story of 'that is just way too much money' he began to act like he was telling me this BIG secret by now offering me two kits for the $79... Yeah, no I'm still not spending that for a nail kit!!!

I told a little white lie by saying that I needed to get to another store but had to walk right by here again and I would think about... Actually I was headed out to my car, but seriously this guy was a great salesman, but the product was just too danged expensive.

Me, being me got home and began my research on SEACRET as I was really impressed by the look of my nails after one session of buffing!

I found said nail care kit on eBay for as little as $8!!! with a high of $35/40 - So guess what I did :-) of course I bought the $5 set and am completely happy!!

The nail care kit really is a good product for those of you that have natural nails, you will be amazed at the results and they need only be buffed every other week!! The kit includes cuticle oil, nail file and hand cream; which by the way is OCEAN scented...