Monday, January 27, 2014

And One More

As soon as I finished my last post I realized I had forgotten one of my truly favorite things I discovered last year. 

One day we were in Costco and they had a special display of sheets.  I had been wanting some new sheets, but hadn't gotten around to buying any.  I can't stand cheep sheets-I am kind of a sheet snob, so was a bit leery about buying sheets from Costco.  I'm super picky about sheets and bed making.  I want my sheets soft and snuggly and I like the bed perfectly made with hospital corners, so they have to be wide enough to tuck in the way I like it.  Anyway, I talked to the salesperson there and she convinced me I would LOVE these sheets and since they felt so nice to the touch I bought them.  I never thought I could love a set of sheets, but I do.  They are Jennifer Adams Eternal Collection sheets.  Holy smokes, I am not one known to sleep in, but I really do not want to get out of bed in the morning!

When Christmas rolled around and I was deciding what to get my kids (who now seem to have everything they need) I decided to buy them a set of my favorite sheets.  My friends who I told what my kids were getting no doubt thought I was no fun.  I was a little nervous that the kids would be disappointed when they opened their gift on Christmas, but knew once they slept on them they would think it was an awesome gift.

I knew it!

Now the coolest part about these sheets is that if you buy them anywhere but Costco they are ridiculously expensive, like almost $400, but when you can find them at Costco they are just under $100.  Still a little pricey, but oh so worth it.  


Sunday, January 26, 2014

2013 Favorites

I do this every year.  Keep track of things that I discover that are new to me that I LOVE.  So for last year here are MY TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS

MAYLEE-Hands down number one on this list.  There is nothing better than being a grandma.  We had a Relief Society lesson last Sunday and the teacher asked us to list some things that we love and someone said our children, and then joked that was sort of a love/hate relationship.  But then added, not with grandchildren..it's only love.



IPHONE- I held out for a really long time, but  last spring I decided it was time. I had no idea how much I would love it.  There are so many things on this phone that I thought I didn't need, that I now know I don't want to live without.  Some of them made this list.

FACETIME-Grandbaby living far away...being able to talk to her and see her smile wherever we are at...priceless.

ANGIE'S HOLLIDRIZZLE popcorn-This was a Christmas Costco find.  Yummy... and sorta healthy. After we started our healthy new year resolutions no more Hollidrizzle, so SkinnyPop is now our go to snack.


DILETTANTE CHOCOLATE COVERED MINT DROPS-Costco had these for a short while last summer.  These little mint green balls are to die for.  Nothing healthy here unless you count how small they are.

DIGITAL KITCHEN SCALE-In our quest to be healthy a food scale has helped us keep our portions in check.  It gets used several times a day and I feel a little OCD about that.    It comes in really handy when you want to know how much you can really eat without totally blowing your diet.  Apparently, 6,101 people on Amazon agree with me on this one.


MY FITNESS PAL APP- Speaking of love hate relationships, I have one with this.  Keeping a food journal is a pain, but using this app makes it a little less painful.  One thing I really like on it is the pie graph showing the carbs, proteins, and fats.  The goal is to make it look like close to this at the end of the day.


FOODUCATE-This app is just plain fun.  If you have nothing better to do, use it to scan items on the shelves at the grocery store.  It gives each food a letter grade.  Maybe the school teacher in me is why I love this so much.  Check it out and see why I won't ever be buying strawberry Pop-Tarts again.


GRANITE DEPOSIT SINK-Last summer we replaced our laminate countertops with granite.  I like the countertops a lot, but can't really say I love them.  But I do love the new sink that came with it.  I thought I was fine with doing stainless, but the salesperson convinced Ray we should pay a little more and get a granite composite sink.  Boy am I glad we did.  I love how this sink looks clean all of the time with no water spots or scratches.


SPICE STACK-Every time I open this cupboard it makes me happy.  My spices used to just be on a shelf in a cupboard.  I would have to remove about half of the jars each time I searched for whatever spice I was looking for.  This tray has changed my life.  It holds 30+ jars and I organized them alphabetically in the case.  The drawers pull out and down and I swear I can find a spice in one second flat.  Brilliant.  It has made me wonder how much time I have wasted the last 30 years looking for spices.


There are more things to love about the last year, but hey you have to stop somewhere.