Saturday, July 28, 2012

Favorites Extravaganza

I was pondering last night about how much I like stuff. I love stuff! Since we are currently in-between jobs and must save every penny of our rapidly depleting savings, I have not been able to buy any new stuff. I haven't been wanting much though, because the stuff I do have...is awesome. I have no stupid stuff. (Warning: This blog will overuse the word "stuff"). As I was pondering my love of stuff, I thought "I wonder if anyone else knows how wonderful this stuff is?" So I am making a favorites extravaganza to showcase the top 5 best things I own in each category. I use all of it, but I am not being paid or anything to write this...so don't worry about that. I wonder what that would be like....*sigh*.
Onward!

Top 5 Favorite Food Products
*Brummel & Brown Yogurt Butter-This is the tastiest butter spread ever. I do not exaggerate. I don't use it for baking (I use regular butter for that), but I use it on toast, fresh baked bread, baked potatoes, rice, and any other foods you would use butter as a condiment on. It's less fat, less carbs, no trans fat. Superb. Try it. You can get it at Walmart.
*Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt- I am not a brand fanatic of any greek yogurt. Chobani is good. Oikos, Fage....all good. Right now, I have Cabot in my fridge. I use it in place of sour cream. It's healthier and lighter. My favorite is to spread it on corn tortillas and fill with taco fixin's.
*Kirkland Macadamia Nut Salted Caramel Clusters- These don't need to be explained. Super addicting.
*Diet Coke- I love it. But I also hate it. But I still love it. 


*Coconut Oil- This stuff is supposedly a super food. I use it for oil pulling, as a lotion, and a substitute for butter in baking. 



Top 5 Favorite Beauty Products
*Burt's Bees Blemish Stick-This feels refreshing and has a pleasant scent (to me at least). It has a roller ball and goes on smoothly without dripping or pooling. If I have a zit, it doesn't stick around as long when I use this. 


*Revlon Lip Butter- This stuff is so smooth and creamy and fabulous. I have two different kinds; one in creamsicle, and the other in cherry tart. The creamsicle is basically the same color as my lips so I use it more of a chapstick, but the cherry tart is a lovely coral color for when I feel fancy.
*Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara- It's the best mascara I have tried. It makes my short, stubby lashes seem long and sexy. 
*Essie Nail Polish- This is the only nail polish I can use because I am totally inept at painting my own nails. The brush is flatter and wider than other brushes and the colors are amazing. 
*Ped Egg- This might make some of you laugh because its from those "As Seen on TV" products, but I have smooth feet and you don't so HA!


Top 5 Favorite Health Products
*Biotin Vitamins- Less hang nails, less dry skin, silkier hair...Yes Please! Take one of these a day.
*Bath and Body Works Vanilla Berry Hand Sanitizer with PocketBac Holder- So easy. I need one for all my purses because I forget to switch them. I just attach it to the strap loop or zipper so that I don't have to dig through my purse. Efficient. Also, I love the Vanilla Berry scent. Mmm.
*WaterPik- Okay, so for an experiment one night I brushed my teeth and then I flossed and then I used the WaterPik....I was disgusted by how much stuff came out after brushing AND flossing traditionally. Ewe.
*Spinbrush- Love the clean feeling. Sometimes I switch back to a regular toothbrush but my teeth don't feel as "scrubbed" as with my spin brush. 
*Kleenex Wallet Pack- Not only are these packets super cute, but they last so much longer in purse or diaper bag than the other travel sized kleenex. 

Top 5 Favorite Kids Toys (for Atrion)
*Buzz Lightyear- Seriously one of the coolest toys of all time. It's Atrion favorite.

* Woody- This is Atrion's second favorite, because who is Buzz without his pal Woody? Not as cool as Buzz, but still fun and just like the toy in the movies.


*Melissa and Doug Blocks- These toys are pricey, but so worth it. Even Cody and I have a good time playing with these blocks...and we have zero imagination.
* VTech laptop- This laptop has helped Cody and I teach Atrion about the alphabet and animals. there is even a blog and email function, but we haven't messed with that. 
*Melissa and Doug Wood Puzzles- These are also expensive, but Atrion is seriously a puzzle genius now. This pictured puzzle is actually his favorite. 
Top 5 Favorite Zombie Items
I am a little  a lot obsessed with zombies. Which is why I am loving the recent zombie craze and all the zombie wonderfulness that is going on. 
*Last Night On Earth board game with expansion- This is my favorite board game of all time. I could play it over and over again. It plays out like a zombie horror movies. One or two people play the zombies and up to four people play the heroes. There are different scenarios and a ton of different heroes and items. the board game even changes. It's neat. It's more for the teen/ adult age group though. 

* "Walking Dead" TV Series- This show is gruesome and pretty graphic, but I love it. I shouldn't...but I do. They do an amazing job with the zombies and the actors are amazing. 
*Zombie Dice- Another zombie game. This one plays really fast and is a fun one to break the ice or just casually play.
* "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan- Love this book. It is about zombies, but the word zombies isn't mentioned once. It's a trilogy and the third book "The Dark and Hollow Places" is my favorite. 

* runforyourlives.com - This site speaks for itself. It isn't an "item" and I have never done it, but I love it and want to do it. 

Top 5 Favorite Purchases of the Past Year
*iPad- I love my iPad. I watch netflix on it, I check my facebook, I skype with it, I take pictures with it, I draw on it, I play apps on it, and I read on it. I can also do my homework and check into my classes with it. If I have a question, I look it up in safari. I can even blog with it. Best of all, I can keep Atrion entertained on long drives, when I need downtime, in Sacrament meeting (I only let him use the drawing app in Sacrament...equivalent of crayons and paper), in the morning when I am not fully awake, and when he wants to watch a show, but I want to watch TV.
*Smashbook- If you don't have one....get one. I don't have a lot of time to scrapbook all cute and neat, but this smashbook make the chaotic pictures, movies stubs, and other things I gather look chic. I have the retro blue one. 
* West Elm tea cup-  I know I am silly, but these tea cups make me happy. I got them on sale with free shipping so it was a steal. In the picture, I have the light blue and yellow one in the back.

*Blue plates from Target- Pretty, oh so Pretty!
*Maurices Jeans- These make my butt look good. 

Well that's all folks! If you have favorites you want to share, let me know!










Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Best Banana Cake Ever

So my mother in-law made the best banana cake I have ever eaten. It also might be the best cake I have ever eaten, but I would need to do a panel to be sure. That sounds divine. A cake testing panel....mmm.....