Favorite Things

Just got back from spending 3 fabulous days in Long Boat Key with one of my besties and her daughter...oh and my two kiddos. It wasn't exactly days spent lounging by the pool alternating between napping and reading gossip magazines. But we did manage to have tons of fun and slip in plenty of relaxation in between judging pool jumping contests, collecting shells, and many, many games of Candy Land (Parker's newest obsession).

I'll post some fun re-cap pictures later this week, but first I wanted to post a new list of my "Favorite Things." All of these can be found at either Target, online, or your local grocery store. None of them cost more than around $10, but they are all fabulous, at least in my opinion...and lucky for me, that's all that matters on this here blog. :)

Without further adieu...

First item up is one of my most exciting finds. I love the "Connoisseurs" brand jewelry cleaner. I've used it ever since Brian proposed and I had a reason to actually clean my jewelry. I went to buy a new jar of the liquid "Precious" jewelry cleaner for my rings and other precious stones, when I stumbled across this:

Connoisseurs Dry Jewelry Wipes

I was skeptical at first, but willing to give it a try since I often wear silver necklaces that tend to tarnish after a few wears. I was SO thrilled when I first used it on my silver monogrammed necklace. One quick wipe, and BAM! it was shiny silver again. I was shocked! I grabbed another favorite silver necklace that is not sterling silver, but has held up quite well over the years. I swiped that wipe across it and again - BRILLIANTLY shiny!

Now, I keep this little case stored right next to my jewelry box and anytime I put on a necklace that looks a little dingy, I just give it a quick wipe, and it's back to it's original shiny goodness!

And since we're on the topic of great Target finds, I'll share a few of my latest Target favorites (by the way, when you read the word "Target" on my blog, I love to think that you're actually pronouncing it "Tar-jaaa" all fancy-like.)

I found these beauties in the Dollar Section last week:

Two fully-lined zippered bags. 

Perfect for my purse to hold makeup, gum, etc. ($3 )

 Beautiful Chevron Thank You Notes with contrasting fuchsia envelopes. LOVE! ($1)

Not nearly as cute, but also a new favorite is this water bottle I found on clearance at Target:

Britta Kids' Bottle Water Filtration System ($3.94)

 

I wouldn't have paid $7.99 for it, but for $3.94 it is a good deal for a self-filtering water bottle. Parker loves it and I can fill it up anywhere and know that he's getting clean, filtered water.


And check out this adorable wall calendar I got on sale!

 Blue Sky Monthly Wall Calendar, Dabney Lee Designer Series

 I am so excited to start filling it up with all sorts of fun things we have coming up! (Yes, I'm a bit obsessed with chevron lately, but who isn't?) Plus new calendars always make me feel more organized. Is that strange??

Okay, leaving Target to share some other great products that have become my all-time favorites.

My sweet sis-in-law sent me a tube of this lip gloss from Bath & Body Works a few years ago:

C. O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint in Magenta Mint

 

She swore by it and said it was one of her favs. Now, I can officially say I am hooked! It's a bit pricey at $7.50 a tube, but you can get it on sale (right now it's buy 2, get 1 free) and it lasts forever!! It's the perfect shade of pink and the perfect amount of shine, and has an amazing mint taste to it. I wear it every. single. day. Seriously.

Another product I swear by is this detergent:

Dr. Bronner's Castile Lavender Liquid Soap ($6 for 8 oz)

Both of my boys have sensitive skin. Payton breaks out in eczema every winter when the humidity drops and the weather drys out. I finally took him to my dermatologist last year and she told me to immediately start washing all of his clothes in "free & clear" soaps. She said anything with perfumes or dyes will continue to irritate his skin and truly are not good for anyone's skin. So, of course I immediately switched all of my detergents when washing the kids clothes. However, I missed that "clean" scent. Enter: Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap!

I just add a tiny bit (and I'm talking maybe 1-2 Tablespoons) to the detergent section of my washer when I'm washing towels or sheets and they come out smelling so wonderful with the tiniest hint of lavender. The best part is, that it is super mild and doesn't contain any harsh chemicals (particularly Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) that irritate my boys' skin. It's a win-win for everyone! Oh, and it's got 18 other uses aside from laundry detergent. Pretty snazzy stuff.

And my final product, which I'm sure is not new to many of you, but worth mentioning just in case you haven't tried it:

Neutrogena Wet Skin Sun Block ($8-10)

This stuff is amazing. I say it makes my kids skin seem like duck down...the water just beads up on them. It can be applied on wet skin and will still work just as great as applying lotion to dry skin. Since it is a bit pricey, I usually only use it as a "re-apply" sunscreen when we've been at the pool or beach for a few hours. If you have kids who hate to sit still for sunscreen reapplications, try this product - it's worth the $!

Okay, that's all I've got for now. I hope some of these products become your new favs too! And I'd love to hear about any of your favorite items as well. Please leave me a comment or email me anything worth giving a "shout out!"