Today I’m excited to share my list of favorite items from 2018! So here they are, in no particular order:
#1. Torani Syrup!
You all know how much I love my flavored sodas…and if you don’t….well, it’s a lot.
I love to add a squirt or two of coconut along with a fresh lime to diet coke or a squirt or two of almond syrup and a fresh orange slice to my Dr. Pepper or a squirt of Mango and a squirt of Coconut to my Fresca…and the list goes on and on. (As I’m writing this I’m sipping a Mountain Dew with a squirt of Grapefruit and a fresh lime…and it’s delicious!)
Torani makes like a billion different flavors and I haven’t tried one that I haven’t liked. If you are new to adding syrup to your drinks Torani Coconut Syrup is a great flavor to start with. It goes great with just about any soda and is delicious in italian sodas as well!
Then….may I suggest that if you are a syrup junkie (like I am) that you get a few of these:
They are syrup pumps that fit right into the bottle and screw on tight like a lid! Brilliant!!!
(And you can find them HERE.)
#2. One Line A Day: A 5 Year Memory Book
I love journaling…always have. But, recently my life has been, well, busy. Which is one of the reasons I love this journal so much. There really is only room to write a line or two every day. Which helps me decide what was the most important part of my day.
The other really cool thing is that this journal stacks 5 years worth of days on the same page….Ok, that might sound confusing. Let me explain. I’ve had this journal for several years now so I can turn to the December 12th page and see what I was doing on 2017, 2016, and 2015. Cool right? I think so. It has been interesting for me to see patterns and changes in my own life over the years. I totally love this journal. (And you can order it HERE.)
#3. New Dish Towels
At this point in my life I’ve lived on my own longer than I lived with my parents…and it’s been 20 years since my wedding shower….and one day over the summer as I was folding stained, tattered, dish towels I asked myself why in the world I was using such beat up rags! Rags that were 20 years old!! (No lie.) And…I didn’t have an answer. Dish towels are something I use a lot but don’t ever think about.
I went out the next day and bought myself some new dish towels and it was like I had a whole new kitchen! I love my new towels. Maybe too much. I don’t care. They make me happy. So now I say if you are in a kitchen funk buy yourself some new towels and retire the old ones to the dust rag bin. I think it will make you happy too.
These are just like the kind I got…and you can buy 6 of them HERE for less than $10.
(Also I know terry cloth dish towels aren’t everyone’s favorite…but they are my favorite!)
My brother gave me this book about a year ago….and I loved it. Still do. I just spent the last 15 minutes thumbing through it’s pages trying to find my favorite quote to share with you. I couldn’t narrow it down. I know the subtitle is “The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone” but it’s not like just another self help book. It talks about loneliness, fear, and understanding those who are different than we are. It is a book pertinent for our times and I would put it on everyone’s must read list.
Braving the Wilderness can be found at pretty much any book store or you can find it HERE on Amazon.
#6. English Paper Piecing Shapes
I have shied away from English Paper Piecing for a long time but this summer we went on a road trip and I packed along some hexagon shapes, fabric scraps, glue, scissors, needle, and thread in a ziplock bag. On the trip we got stuck in some serious traffic for HOURS…at which time I pulled out my project…and from that moment on I was hooked. We even “had” to go buy more fabric on vacation so I could keep working.
There are many brands and shapes you can try but hexagons are a great place to start. And you can find a package of them HERE.
#6. A Tiny Crock Pot
I love crock pots. LOVE THEM. I don’t go for more than a day or two without using one of my…ahem….6 crockpots. And since Elizabeth shared my favorite one in her favorite things post I will share the crock pot we are using most at our house lately…the tiny one.
These mini guys only hold 1.5 quarts so no cooking hearty stews or pork roasts in these slow cookers…but what they are great for are dips and sauces….namely NACHO CHEESE!!! Awhile back we switched from having pizza every Friday to nachos and this little baby keeps our nacho cheese nice and melty and gooey and delicious all evening as we watch movies and play games. Its a winner.
You can get one HERE for $20
#7. Graph Paper Notebooks and Mechanical Pencils
I will never be too old for school supplies. Plus I actually use both of these items every single day.
First of all the graph paper notebook.
I buy these 3 at a time…and use them to plan EVERY SINGLE quilt I make. No exception. I draw out the layout and write in the colors and figure how much yardage I will need….they are my favorite. I try to stock up on them during the back-to-school sales but if I run out I just order me a few HERE on Amazon.
Then there is the matter of the mechanical pencils…my degree is in art so I’m kind of a writing utensil snob. That said…my favorite thing to use to write or sketch with is a plain old bic mechanical pencil. They are my favorite. My absolute favorite. Again, I try to stock up on them at back-to-school but all my kids use them to so we go through a lot of them. You can find them almost anywhere or you can also order them HERE on Amazon as well.
#8. Necco Chocolate Wafers and Sweet Heat Skittles
I love to crunch these at night while and always have them on long car rides. I think the crunching helps with my anxiety.
They are hard to find so I asked for THIS GIANT BOX of them for Christmas. I doubt I get them but….it doesn’t hurt to ask! 🙂
MMMMmmmmmm Sweet Heat Skittles. Spicy and sweet. With flavors like Blazing Mango and Fiery Watermelon they aren’t for everyone In fact, no one at my house likes them…which means I get them all to myself! Yum. They can also be tricky to find but you can get some HERE (although if you can find them at Wal-mart or Target they cost less).
Lately I’ve been totally taken with embroidery scissors and have at least a half of dozen of pair. They come in so darn handy. I keep a pair with my paper piecing and a pair next to my sewing machine and a pair by my serger and a pair in my purse and yes…a pair in my glovebox (which is also where I keep my emergency paper piecing kit…you know…in case I get stuck somewhere and need a project:) )
They are cute and practical and come in so many new colors and shapes. I am particularly fond of this unicorn pair that I found HERE.
#10. Disneyland Scented Candles
I JUST heard about these and am obsessed. Do they really sell like the rides and shops at Disneyland??? I don’t know but I want to find out….so…if I am on your Christmas shopping list I totally want one of these.
There are a bunch of different makers and ones to choose from like Soarin’ over California, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Main Street Bakery and then of course a Hitchhiking Ghost version from the Haunted Mansion.
(Have any of you tried any of these??? Which brand is the best? Which scent is the best? Inquiring minds want to know…or at least I do!)
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And there you have it…10 of my favorite things from 2018.
I actually made a list of 32 but….tried to control myself.
Also in regards to full disclosure…all links go to Amazon and are affiliate links (except the link that will take you back to Elizabeth’s favorite things post)
Ok so that is that. Time for me to turn on a podcast and get to sewing!
-liZ
