Favorite Things 2014

I've been meaning to do a post for a while about some of my new (and old) favorite things since moving out here. Melissa's Favorite Things Party is the perfect time to do that! Here are a few of the things I've been crushing on in the last few months:

1. Books. Specifically beautiful hardcover classic editions. I have several of Barnes and Noble's collector editions like The Chronicles of Narnia, Black Beauty and the Swiss Family Robinson. And it's one of the things I am always on the lookout for at the thrift stores. I've found beautiful editions of Jane Eyre, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist... the list goes on. I'd love to have a whole library of gorgeous cloth bound, embossed hardcovers someday. I also adore the Penguin clothbound classics (I have Emma), and then I just discovered the Puffin in Bloom classics at Anthropologie and I nearly bought them all on the spot. Anyways. Beautiful books. I'll take them all please. :)

2. Mega M&Ms. I discovered Mega M&Ms right after moving out here. They are every bit as good as regular M&Ms but three times bigger! What's not to love about that? I've stopped buying them for now since they weren't doing good things for my waistline, but oh my goodness deliciousness.

3. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Did you know that Christopher Paolini wrote Eragon at 16, and it was a NY Times # 1 bestseller by the time he was 19? And that he was homeschooled? Color me impressed. I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in these books, they're well written (and only improve throughout the series) and it was so enjoyable to lose myself entirely in a fantastical world.

4. Sonic Blasts. Specifically Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Delicious creamy ice cream, real whipped cream and generous amounts of peanut butter cups. YUM. We never had Sonic in Rochester, so this was always a special treat when we traveled. Now I have one less than a mile from my house. Dangerous, right? So we decided that they were only for special occasions and we've been sticking to that rule, although there are days it kills me a little.

5. Google Hangouts. I use most of Google's products, software, programs, etc. But Hangouts is my favorite. I can do SMS, or chat with other people who have Hangouts, and do video calls. Those video calls are awesome. I can chat with anybody back in NY and have a real conversation, my kids can see their grandparents, it's a blast. Sometimes we even get all three of my brothers and I (all of us in different time zones) toegther on one call and it's a blast.

6. IKEA Sinnlig candles. In Vanilla. These cheap little candles burn for a surprisingly long time, have a great scent, and then when you're done you have a little glass! I love them and used to stock up whenever we were near an IKEA. Now that we have one here in Denver I don't need to stock up, but I'm still loving them.

7. Contigo Water Bottles. I bought one of these after Javi was born and I was consuming copious amounts of water. They come in great colors, are nice and big so you're not refilling them every two seconds, and, best of all, absolutely no leaking when the spout is closed. They are surprisingly sturdy too, I can't tell you how many times they've been dropped down stairs, on concrete and floors, and they're still fine. I now have one for each of us since Denver is dry, dry, dry, and they are great. They do make a kid size, but I've never bothered with the smaller ones.

8. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm. I'm a chapstick addict, and this is my favorite. I love the scent, hint of color and how well it hydrates my lips. I've got one stashed just about everywhere these days.

9. Canon 70-200 f/4.0L Zoom Lens. This is not a new favorite for me, but I'm rediscovering how much I love it out here with all of the wildlife. It's not cheap by any definition but it is so worth it. It's always been a great lens, taking absolutely beautiful portraits, but I'm loving the pics of the deer and prairie dogs and moose and everything else we're seeing out here.

10. Nexus 7. I purchased this tablet about a year ago, and I find myself using it more and more as the months go by. It's a great size for surfing the internet, reading eBooks, playing games and whatever else you want to do. It does great with those video calls, with great sound and a nice sharp picture... anyways, I use it more and more and it makes my life a little easier and more streamlined.


So those are my favorites for right now. Maybe you got some good gift ideas from all of this? Be sure to check out all the other favorites at the party and maybe leave me some of your own favorites in the comments too?