Favorite Things Summer Edition!

[Melaine]

I am going to be honest: this summer has been a rough one. Lots going on, people having babies, people getting pregnant, dealing with my mom's cancer and other illness, dear friends moving far far away, family moving much much closer (this is a good thing, don't get me wrong), dealing with personal issues. I am grateful for a lot of positive things but in general it has been an emotionally taxing summer.

Which is why I think it is time for a favorite things thread! These don't have to be summer themed necessarily, I just think it's nice to do them ever so often and this is the time I start perking up my ears thinking about Christmas gifts, etc. Also, my list won't necessarily all be THINGS because I am really working on simplifying our home so trying not to necessarily focus so much on stuff. But who am I kidding, I still love stuff! Please add your favorite things, places, events, tips, etc. Anything big or small that has added to your life!

Here are mine, in no particular order. I am sure I have mentioned some of these before.

1) Coaster tray. This is by far the most valuable DIY project I have ever made. Here's a random link to what I am talking about. We use this every day, all day. It has saved me dishes, annoyance and clutter. When we clear the kitchen table, people take their glasses to their coaster. If I am filling water bottles for the day, they go there.

2) Color coded towels. I can't believe I haven't done this before. One color per kid, and I bought cheap easy dry towels from target. No more asking who forgot to hang their towels. No more arguing over who hung whose towel where. No more washing them because they were left on the floor and no one will fess up. NO MORE FOLDING towels! I have three hooks in the kids' bathroom, and I take the towels from there, wash and dry them and replace them. I thought about getting a second set, but since we still have lots of other towels for backup, it really isn't necessary. I wash clothes nearly every day so keeping three towels clean is no problem.

3) Bidet. I always knew I would love a bidet but I never expected to love a cheap one. My parents bought me one off Amazon and I love it. It has helped so much with my "issues" and works really well. I'm not sure it will last forever but it's going strong after two months.

4) FSOT on Facebook. This is the new craigslist, IMO. I have sold a TON of stuff over the last two months and it's stuff I never ever could have sold on craigslist. I've made about $800 just selling little odds and ends mostly and typically just meet people in my regular day to day stops (grocery store, Target, mall, Chick-fil-a). I feel a little more comfortable with this than CL because you get a bit more info on them (I can at least see if they have friends, etc.) I have bought only a couple things but I have traded clothes with a couple ladies and that has worked great too!

5) Bullet Journaling. I got it from ya'll and I know there has been tons of talk already, so I won't elaborate. I LOVE THIS. It's like my brain is finally working like it needs to! 5 stars for bullet journaling!

6) Windex touch-up. I didn’t expect to share a cleaning product (especially a non-natural one) but this thing is genius. I haven’t used up all the windex, but when I do I plan to refill with vinegar (been using lavender vinegar, LOVE!). I will update you guys if refilling works. Basically, you just push your cloth, wipe, or paper towel on the top of this and just a squirt of cleaner comes out onto your rag. This is a big time-saver and keeps from spraying where you don’t want it (like trying not to get windex on the toothbrushes). My one caution is that if you push it down with too much force it can kind of spray you a bit. And I wonder if folks may try to use it as hand soap if you leave it on the bathroom counter. I don’t leave mine accessible because of DS but might once it’s just vinegar.
This was like $3 at Big Lots!

[rlu]

Box fan. We don't have any type of ac in this place and the box fans are wonderful. GoldPup is sleeping in front of one right now.

I'm still trying out the bullet journal - I got tired of flipping through pages so I cut out the old dates and am only keeping the list pages and future dates. It is convenient to have one place for all the lists.

utility totes from Target - loving the tote in the car to keep things corraled. OOS now. http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/sho...arget-for-4-50

fresh berries

[Mikey0709]

Two things that immediately came to mind when thinking summer... are oldies but goodies.

1 - my saltwater canvas whale bag. Bought off of a recommedation on this site YEARS ago and it's still looks like new. We joined a pool this year so it's used ALOT. I love the fact that it is lightweight, and i can easily see in it. this bag RULES!.

2 - My orthaheel (vionic) sandals. I couldn't live without them.... i have been pain free.

[Mopey]

I'll play!!

1- The week old baby boy ..........

2- .....sleeping in the Fisher Price Rock N Play!! Amazing and I wish we had it last time!! Get it or give it!

3- www.Instacart.com I have no idea how widely this is available or if it's just a city thing but it's been totally amazing - worth every penny for saving my time and energy!!

4- These sterilite boxes for corralling toys in drawers and on shelves and toiletries under the sink! http://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-Larg...ords=sterilite

5- my leaking (breastmilk!) boobs! ()

[Simon]

I'll play!!
1- The week old baby boy ..........

Yay! The baby! Congratulations.

1. Summer swim team. For us, it did what swim lessons could not. My non-athletic kid has muscles. Its amazing! He finally learned what it feels like to push yourself, physically, enough to grow stronger. No other sport/activity has ever done that for him. He is finally safe in the water alone. He has strength, confidence, and it was great!

2. Holmes window fan. We haven't needed our window a/c at all this summer because this fan is enough all by itself. That is a lot of energy savings. To be fair, its crazy hot during the day without it on, but once it cools off outside this fan is powerful enough to cool the boys' bedroom quickly.

3. Costco pound cake in the muffin size. I love to serve strawberry shortcake in the summer. Using a pound cake loaf, its always an issue when there isn't quite enough to go around and I have to break into a second loaf. Now, I can easily plan to have enough for guests and not too much left over so I end up eating the left-overs.

4. Bicolor sweet corn. Steamed, roasted, on or off the cob. It tastes like summer to me.

5. Albuterol. I have crazy bad summer allergies, but I am feeling so grateful that this inexpensive and plentiful medicine is around to help me breathe more easily.

[wallawala]

Love these melamine plates from Sur La Table (and they're on clearance now!)
http://www.surlatable.com/product/PR...l+Plate+Cobalt

I bought them in turquoise, which looks sold out on line but they still have at my local store. Also got the small square appetizer plates in the batik print. We've used them all summer indoors and out. They don't break. They've held up despite putting in the dishwasher (lower rack, even though labeled top rack only) and my 3yro's excessive knife and fork abuse without cracks or scratches. They look brand new! Wish they had a matching bowl of a different shape (not so tippy looking), but I can deal. Love these. We now own 16 for our family of 4. Only thing I don't use them for is microwaving stuff.

Edited to add;

#2. I adore our Saltwater Canvas bag too! It's the bomb. I think they have a zippered top version of the whale now. I might need a second....

[♥ms.pacman♥]

great thread. this summer has been a super rough one for us as well, with stress of selling our house, moving out, living in temporary housing, and then now keeping tabs on our builder for our new house. plus my oldest is starting Kinder in a new town 10 days after we move in. No summer vacation for us this year as we just have had so much going on. i normally love the summertime but this one has been stressful to say the least. the weather is super super hot here (triple digits here in TX) ...i am BEYOND jealous of those who don't need to run A/C (that's just not feasible here!!).

-FB for sale pages - I agree, these are awesome and way better than craigslist. I've used them for a year or so, and DH used it a ton recently to sell stuff when we were moving out of our house.

that is cool about the bidet. I've always wanted one, actually..but DH thinks it's weird. I'd love one of those fancy Japanese toilets that has a built-in one. Though DH points out that the water would be cold so it wouldn't seem as nice.

as for my favorite things..this is lame but first thing comes to mind is my HE washer/dryer (currently in storage) and a working dishwasher. In our apt, the W/D units are very basic (rather crappy) and dishwasher is so bad (super loud, doesn't work great) we can't even use it. Washing every.single.thing by hand this summer after cooking makes me close to losing my schmidt most days!

oh and one big thing I use HEAVILY in the summer...my bags from Thirty-One gifts ! Large utility totes, and all the thermals - Bags, totes, zippered pouches. use the thermals a ton to keep drinks/snacks cold in the car while we stay out of the house. I think i have six of the LUTs..and we used them a lot when we are moving, and we use them for goign to splashparks/the pool. Don't know how i'd do without.

And one good thing about our apartment complex -- it has a nice pool, which is by 7:30pm is mostly in the shade and is not crowded at all. SO NICE to cool off in this crazy weather and let the kids get some energy out. the kids beg every day to take them pool and are so happy when i actually have time to take them and they have so much fun there. i now see why people here put the $$$$ to pools in i would have gone CRAZY this summer without it!!

[gymnbomb]

that is cool about the bidet. I've always wanted one, actually..but DH thinks it's weird. I'd love one of those fancy Japanese toilets that has a built-in one. Though DH points out that the water would be cold so it wouldn't seem as nice.

My husband worked in Japan for a few months several years ago and says the fancy Japanese ones will warm both the toilet seat and the bidet water!

[94bruin]

My husband worked in Japan for a few months several years ago and says the fancy Japanese ones will warm both the toilet seat and the bidet water!

Actually, my parents got a bidet seat from Costco a few years ago that has a seat warmed AND warm water option. So they are available stateside!

[California]

Something free: First month of summer I made sure to watch the sunset every day. Often from the beach, sometimes on my own (which was very relaxing.)
Guinea pigs: We adopted two young bonded brothers from a rescue group. The boys were in a foster home getting tons of handling. They are extremely comfortable with kids, and I had no idea how much I'd like hearing their little chirps and rumbles in the house and watching them interact with each other.
Conversations with my kids... probably my favorite part of summer. I'm working part time but we're still getting in lots of conversation time.