35 Favorite Things

Since I'll be 35 in a few days, I thought I'd make a list of all of my favorite things and share them with you. Some are silly some are not. 


1. Sugar Cookie Tea (Celestial Seasonings)- a little cookie in every cup. (add some brown sugar)
2. Aquaphor - dry skin, chapped lips, on the eyes, cuts - buy the big tub. Worth every $. 
3. Rescue Remedy - Every mom should have a bottle in her purse. For days when you wish it was another type of bottle. 
4. Pinterest - If I want to pretend I'm creative and a good cook. 
5. Mary Kay anti-aging moisturizer- moisturizer is key, everyday. Seriously. 
6. Essie - any color. :) Love them all. Currently wearing Mint Candy Apple on the toes. 
7. Piloxing - like 90's Tae Bo except combined with pilates and empowering. 
8. Starbucks - I had a McDonald's coffee the other day. They say it's the same. They lie. 
9. M.A.C. nude lipstick. Let's face it - M.A.C. anything. 
10. Otterbox for iPhone. I drop my phone a lot. My iphone still looks new. :) 
11. Squeezable Applesauce (GoGo Squeez) - best invention for kids. Especially ones who only eat applesauce not at the table. 
12. Beco Butterfly 2 - best. baby. item. ever. Gift it to someone! You can carry your kid until they are 70 lbs! ;) 
13. Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark. I've tried to recreate it. It worked, but still not as good.
14. Netflix - on the wii, tv, ipad, iphone, ipod
15. Holiday movies - Christmas Vacation is my FAV!  Halloween is never too early! 
16. Hobby Lobby - always a sale, love their decor, I can always find something I love
17. Turkey bacon - healthier, less greasy, leaves you feeling better than the real stuff. 
18. Lemon oil or any oil by Aura Cacia - I love LEMONS! Burn it, put it in the bath, rub some on your wrist, add it to your homemade scrub
19. Keyring App - never carry those grocery store reward cards again! :) 
20. Saturday Night Live - Laughing reduces stress. Stress is the silent killer. Watch SNL. 
21. My crock pot - check out Stephanie O'Dea's "Year of Slow Cooking"
22. Black forest cherry caramel apples - trust me. you want one. (no pic. pretty sure I'll have to recreate this myself)
23. Victoria Secret - No secret here. Wear what makes you feel beautiful and girly! Splurge the extra $$ on it - you're worth it! 
24. AdvoCare Spark - wanna buy some? I sell it. :) One in the AM, one in the PM - this is how I survive work, kids, etc. 
25. Blankets - Since I was little I always loved them. My favorite was given to me by a student in 2007. The tag has worn down so no idea where it came from. It soft and warm on one side and slick and cool on the other. *snuggle*
26. TOMS - Yes, the shoes you buy and someone else gets a pair. It's true. And they are SO comfy. I want to wear them everyday! 
27. Pomegranates - red, juicy, sweet, messy. What's not to love?!
28. Sally's Beauty Supply Bobby Pins - THEY REALLY HOLD! :) 
29. Chocolate Covered Cherries from Sprouts - always a weekly treat to myself
30. Criminal Minds - CBS, Wed - I know it's not light hearted but I love mysteries and the characters! 
31. Cranberry Orange Scones - a weekly treat over donuts in our house! Kids LOVE 'em! (adults do too!) Easy "fake out" for people who think you slaved in the kitchen. ;) 
32. Elf on the Shelf - by far my favorite family holiday tradition. Elf mischief is FUN! :) If you have kids, you NEED ONE! 
33. Elderberry Spray - I start it in September! The spray is much more acceptable by the kids, too!  
34.  FRXtion Sugar Exfoliator and Lip Balm - not all balms are created equal. I've very picky about mine. This is a sugar scrub and lip balm in one! The case has a tiny mirror, too! Always almost sold out when I go in for it. 


35. This quote: "We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the ONLY path. ~Paulo Coelho 

God's Gifts

What a week and what gifts God brought! I did all that I'd planned on doing and more. We spent time at Six Flags and the zoo. The girls had a blast at Six Flags and I cannot wait to take them back as they get older. I don't think I've laughed that much in years.  (or spent that much money on a single corn dog.)

Maddie lost another tooth and Avy learned to write her name (sort of). I think they both went through a growth spurt. After buying Maddie shoes, I was shocked to find that she nows wears a 3. ?! When did that happen? Probably after she began eating everything in sight. :) 

My time off was healing and rejuvenating. Well, all except for those 3 hours it took to actually get into the zoo, but the time I spent on the porch reading, drinking coffee and talking with those I love the most made up for it. 

We finally started going back to church. Its always hard to readjust to life - the new normal. New friends, new churches, new routines......we all really like this church and love the positive attitudes we walk out with each week. I have decided to join the church as they do a Daniel fast for the next 21 days. No meats, breads, processed foods, fried, sugar, preservatives. Water and protein shakes. In addition, I am doing another body cleanse. Since last year, I try to do this once every 6 months. What a difference I feel each time and how clear my mind feels afterwards. I'm excited about refocusing and re-centering myself through the fast. Unlike times before, I'm pretty confident that I can do this one. I'm guessing you have to be mentally, spiritually, and physically ready. If your not, then it doesn't work. 

Another thing I've added this week is my reading of The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Some of you might remember that I read his most recent book A New Earth last year. Such a controversial book and criticized by many who haven't even read the book. However,  I love that all the things he mentions are things I knew, but didn't really put into practice. Especially now, I realize that if we are not present; if we spent too much time in our minds thinking about the past or the future, we are wasting the gift of the moment. 

With that thought, I've decided to share with you something that my biggest girl wrote yesterday after church. When I was finished, I began thanking God for such an insightful little girl. She is such an old soul, so deep and thoughtful. She grasps so many concepts that many kids her age (or mine) don't surrender to at all. 

What is a gift? God gave you one God-given talent. My God-given talent is art. Everybody has a talent. That is what's special about them. Everybody has a word for the talent that they get. My word is artistic. The other gifts are the ones you can just have fun with. Art calms me down. Maybe other talents can calm you down. Did you know that a talent can turn into a dream? Did you know that a talent can change your life if you just use it wisely?