These are a few of my favorite things that are currently making my life run smoother…..or just plain make me happy so I want to share them with all of you.
Last fall, I shared with you a few things that I was currently obsessed with and had such fun response that I decided to try to do a quick article like that every month. So I got a few months in but Christmas snuck up on me and I got to go away for a little red carpet premiere of Moana…..and my favorite things got pushed back. But I’m back on it and here to share with you some fun today.
So here my friends, from me to you, a few things that have made me smile this past month, that I hope can make you smile too.
Instant Pot
Back in November, I started seeing people post about this revolutionary cooking tool – the Instant Pot. I was skeptical that a pressure cooker/slow cooker could really live up to all the hype that people were raving about. But I had a friend convince me to try it and I am SO HAPPY I DID.
Y’all. It is the easiest, most convenient way to cook. It makes the tenderest, most delicious dinners in less than an hour – really! My first meal we tried was stew in 45 minutes – my kids said it was the best stew I ever made. We have tried BBQ pork chops, tortilla soup, green chile pork, teriyaki chicken, and Zuppa Tuscana (yes, the Olive Garden soup!) in our IP and ALL have been delicious.
Many of my friends have said they are intimidated by the Instant Pot, so I wrote a few tips to get you started. And I am working on a post with my favorite IP recipes. If you are on Facebook, join the Instant Pot Groupies group I started to ask questions and share recipe ideas. In the meantime, check it out!! Amazon has a never version than what I have and it’s an even better price than what I paid!!
The Crown
Over the Holiday break, I took time off from writing and read books and binged watched a few shows. One of my absolute favorites was The Crown on Netflix. I love historical drama. The Crown is all about the region of Queen Elizabeth II. It is so well done – the actors are fantastic. I wanted to watch every bit of it in one sitting but you have to pace yourself so you enjoy every second. I don’t know how historically accurate it is, but it certainly makes you respect Queen Elizabeth II and look at her a little differently. I read that Netflix plans on creating 6 seasons – each 10-episode season represents a decade of her life – so there is much to look forward to.
My Casetify iPhone Case
How much do you use your phone throughout the day? I’m on mine a lot so I like to make it as personal as I can. When I upgraded to the new iPhone 7 Plus in November, I bought a stock case to give me some time to look around for something more personal. During Christmas, I found Casetify and finally after the Holidays, I sat down and created my own iPhone case out of Instagram photos. It took less than 15 minutes to make, the hardest part was narrowing down which photos I wanted to use. I love being able to see all my favorite photos each time I pick up my iPhone.
Bullet Journal
Does January come around for you and you get excited about organization? You make all these grandiose plans to get organized or to simplify life around you. Just me?
I saw a friend’s post about her Bullet Journal and it intrigued me. So I started digging and WOW – this thing had been around for YEARS! It’s basically a blank journal that you can create your own system of organization with. There are basic guidelines to help you get started but what you put in your bullet journal is up to you.
Towards the end of last year, I was working with a calendar, 3 spiral notebooks, a small notepad for a to-do list and sticky notes. It was just too much. So I decided to pull it all together into one system. My bullet journal contains my monthly and weekly to-do lists, future blog post topics, notes from school meetings, and my ongoing job list. It also has a “bookshelf” for all the books I plan to read this year, a list of movies I have seen, and every birthday I need to keep up with. That’s the beauty of the bullet journal – it is 100% customized to what I want to use it for.
I started with the Leuchtturm1917 Medium Size A5 Hardcover Squared Notebook as my journal and these colored markers (don’t use sharpies – they bleed thru the pages). Now there are some really creative folks who have created much prettier journals than me, but I am happy with the way mine looks and have enjoyed much less clutter on my desk because of it.
UGG Slippers
Don’t laugh at the shape of my favorite slippers. I debated back and forth about putting them on my list but as I looked down at my feet and saw myself wearing them, I knew I HAD to tell y’all why I love them so much.
Everyone has heard or seen or possibly owned a pair of UGG boots, right? My darling sister-in-law give me a pair of UGG slippers as a gift and these slippers rarely make it off my feet. I put them on at 7AM as I quietly paid upstairs to wake my kids for school, I wear them as I do carpool (I’m not getting out of the car!), and many days, I find myself having to change out of them at 3pm before walking uptake street to the bus stop. You see, they are just the warmest, most comfortable thing you will put on your feet. And as I work from home, I want to do it in comfort.
Now, let me address the shape they are in. I babied these slippers the first few years I had them – only wore them in the house, and they had a special spot on a shelf in my closet each night. Until a baby german shepherd named Jake found them. I was so upset, I didn’t wear them for months. Realizing that was incredibly stupid to let them just sit there, my slippers now have personality. This is what they looked like before they had it:
A Few More of My Favorite Things
Disclosure: Some of these items may have an affiliate link with them. Please keep in mind, it’s support from you with these clicks that keeps my coffee brewing all morning so I can keep publishing fun articles like this. Thank you!
