I had a great time speaking to the moms at WMBC in Houston yesterday about this year's Favorite Things. Here they are:

Ebates - All online shopping websites receive a commission when you make a purchase thru them. Ebates shares that money with you. Sign up on Ebates.com and search for stores you want to shop with online. You will see the % of your purchase that will be returned to you via a check or paypal every three months. It is 100% free. And you get $5.00 each time you refer a friend and they use Ebates for the first time. Your friend also gets $5.00. Sign up now using this link and we will both get $5.00! http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=KlwSABkxnZ4zOyJy1W%2FxWA%3D%3D

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun. I love this book. Paula reviews all brands of cosmetics from drugstore to department store brands. You can see if you are getting your money's worth from your current products or get recommendations for her favorite products at any price point. She also has a website www.cosmeticscop.com but it does not give you access to all the info unless you subscribe and pay. So go to the library and check this book out for free!

Maybelline Full and Soft Mascara - around $5.50 at Target - I tried this "Paula's Pick" and love it. My lashes are really seperated and long.

Madison Sloan Placemats. These laminated placemats are stylish and will last forever. They are also super cute and they can be monogrammed. Check them out at www.madisonsloan.com. They are $18 each or if you buy 4 or more $15 each

Laminated kids educational placements - around 3.00 each. I love the idea of using these at home or take them to a restaurant to keep your child entertained. They come in numbers, animals, abc's, president's, states, etc.

Chinaberry.com - this company sells predominantly books but also some toys. They sell awesome audio tapes/cd's which offer a nice alternative when driving in the car for a length of time. They have everything from princess stores to pirate stories, to adventures in american history and tales from the bible. They do an amazing job at reviewing each product they sell.

I love my public library for two reasons: (1) I can walk to it and (2) it is FREE. Three of my favorite reads from the past year are: Glass Castle, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle & Double Bind.

Games for Kids - Blokus is an amazing game of strategy for kids and adults that is easy to play. It comes in a regular size and a travel size. It has won numerous awards. Both sizes are available at Target.

My kids also love Doink it Darts. It is a super magnetic dart board that is just really fun to kids. Replacement darts are also available. Both on amazon.com or we bought ours at our local Striderite.

Photo book of kids artwork. Unfortunately I save everything my kids ever do. It caused us quite a problem when we moved and i moved all that paper with us. I heard a great suggestion to take photos of your kids artwork and make them into a "coffee table" type book. I did mine on Shutterfly and it turned out great. Take your photos outside in a covered area and stand directly over the artwork to get the best picture (my awesome friend the photographer Nicole told me this tip). I made my book in 8 x 8 format and so i had to have a border around most of my artwork when i really wanted the art to take up the whole page. So having done this, I would suggest making the 8 1/2 x 11 format. But now i can throw away all that paper with is a good thing!

Canvas on Demand - There are other websites that can turn your photo into a work of art on canvas but I like this one because they can use a digital image as well as a photo or negative from film cameras. They can remove date stamps, change the image to black & white or sepia. I love this company if you want to make a real photo keepsake. www.canvasondemand.com

Real Simple Magazine & Website - Real Simple really gives me something I can use each month. The website is great because you can look up just about anything and find the solution. My microwave was so gross and I looked up how to clean on the website and it is not something I would have ever thought of. They really do the work for you and pass it along. They also have different emails you can sign up for like recipes, thought of the day, etc.

I love family devotional books. We have an awesome book that we do with our kids at night that consists of a story with a dilemma of a moral nature and then multiple choice answers. You then look up a scripture verse that ties it all together. We also have books for our boys that are age specific and involve reading a short story, looking up a scripture and then have a quick activity for them to complete. I wish I had started doing something like this younger so it would come easier to me to incorporate into my life as an adult.

VRBO.com - if you are taking a vacation check out this website. You can rent houses, condos, etc directly from the owner and save alot of money because they are not paying a management company. We have done it several times and it has worked out great each time. One of our favorite destinations where we have done this is the Destin, FL area.

Canton First Monday Trade Days - from trash to antiques to new cool stuff, this place has everything. It is held each month and starts the Thursday before the first monday of each month. If that is as confusing to you as it is to me check out www.firstmondaycanton.com. It is located in north east texas. A great girls day or weekend out! I go with my oldest friend several times a year (not older in years but in time known--she knows who she is :)!

Orleans Candles - I buy mine in the Dallas area at the Sample House. My favorite is Creme Brulee. I have never had a candle that burned so evenly--all the wax is off the sides and virtually all off the bottom when I am thru burning it. And it is a super smelly candle (in a good way) in that you will still smell it the next day when it is not even burning. Contact them at www.orleanscandles.com to see if they sell them in your area.

Mom Tshirts - I may be a stay at home mom but i still like to look cute. I'm also proud I'm a mom. So combine the two and get yourself a cute mom tshirt. Check out these websites: www.peacelovemom.com, promomcouture.com and onehipmom.com

Yummie Tummie - Expensive but worth it--'nuff said. Oprah says it hides the muffin top; I say it hides the whole jelly roll. It is a shapewear tank top but the unique thing about it is that the top fabric and the bottom fabric are meant to be seen so it is a great layering piece. Or you can tuck it in. Either way I feel better when I wear mine and it is the item in my house that gets washed the most because i do wear them almost every day. www.yummietummie.com. They currently have a thing going on where you tell your worst/most embarassing undergarment moment and you can get $25 off a purchase. I just got mine yesterday!

Scout Bags - super sturdy, lots of shapes, sizes and really cute patterns. I use the baguette style because i carry alot of prepared food to school since i'm on the hospitality committee that feeds our teachers once a month. This particular style would also function great as a grocery bag. www.pineandivy.com carry them and you can good "scout bags" for other shapes/sizes

Favorite Things from March 2008

Monograms - I think anything monogrammed has instant class.
Monogram stickers - www.electrasmonograms.com
All things monogrammed - www.threehipchicks.com

Personalized sippy cup "labels" (bumpy name orbit labels) www.inchbug.com

Cupcoats for your coffee cups--cute and better for the environment than the cardboard that gets thrown away - www.wishingfish.com

Piccomolo - gelato chain - awesome--check out the birthday cake flavor

Pronto Cucina - awesome italian restaurant in Houston--two locations--super reasonable and fast

Wall graphics - if you can't afford someone to come in and custom paint your walls check these sites out:
www.wallwords.com
www.modernwallgraphics.com
www.artisticsensations.com

Squid soap by airborne - made for kids--when they pump the soap it leaves a mark on their hands-hands are not clean until the mark is gone--genius

Plaque disclosing tablets - SHOW your kids how much they are missing when they brush - www.plaksmacker.com

Simple Human automatic sensor hand soap dispenser - everyone who comes over loves mine when they use it in the kitchen - you don't have to touch anything, eliminating the spread of germs especially in the kitchen when you are working with meat - Bed, Bath & Beyond (use your 20% off coupon)

Violight toothbrush holder/sanitizer - can you tell i'm a germophobe yet??? Uses an ultraviolet light to sanitize your toothbrush each time you replace it back into the holder. Bathroom and travel versions available at target and other locations

Bellacucina Rocket Blender - available at Target - makes individual smoothies with much less cleanup than a regular blender--a total investment piece--you will use all the time

August to August Calendar/Organizer - available at The Container Store during back to school time. If you live like most moms, it's on a school year not a calendar year. Awesome organizing tool. You can see online at www.mixedroleproductions.com

Cranium Hullabaloo Game - we love all the cranium games--this is good for younger kids

Zobmondo's Would You Rather Game - Our older and younger sons love this game - makes for interesting conversation and lots of laughs! Would you rather loose your sight for the rest of your life or your hearing for one year?

Exposures - beautiful ready made frames and neat photo gift ideas. www.exposuresonline.com

Flip Video camera - comes in 30 minute or 60 minute versions. Awesome small video camera that is simple for anyone to use. I've given it to my kids on vacation and they love making their own memories on the video camera. Much easier for kids to use than a camera. And it keeps them occupied in a productive way

Etsy.com - if you are not shopping on etsy.com you are missing out. Wonderful jewelry, stationery products and lots of other items made by the individual crafter - cut out the middle man and buy directly from the artist

Past Favorite Things

First, let me say that I do not get paid by anyone for recommending these products--although I certainly wish I did! I just decided that since my friends seemed to like hearing what I liked that I should share the love with a wider audience.

November 2006 Favorite Things
Nordstrom Bra Fitting - FREE - did you know that most women in America wear the wrong size bra? There is no reason for that when you can go to Nordstrom's and find our your correct size for free.

• Zingo game - Bingo for the younger set with pictures and words. My kids loved it when they were younger.
• Kids on Stage game - Charades for the younger set. It's alot of fun when the whole family can act out their card thanks to pictures that tell even the youngest player what they are acting out.
• Shout Color Catcher sheets for the washing machine - I can't live without these. They have simplified my life because I can do less loads by mixing whites/colors--yes, that is what I said--mixing is allowed now because these sheets that you put in your washing trap any dye that escapes from your clothing.
• 9 Nested Glass Mixing Bowls - This is one of the first gifts my husband ever gave me and I use them constantly. He got ours at Williams Sonoma.
• Spatula Spreader from Cutco. It's kind of expensive but I use this almost daily. You can make a peanut butter sandwich and then cut the crusts off with the cutting edge. I also use it to spread frosting and serve pies, brownies, cakes, etc.
• Shu Uemura eyelash curler - makes your lashes look longer and this is the best curler out there
• Origins Shedonism Shaving Mousse - I have incredibly dry skin so shaving my legs was torture until I found this product. Extremely moisturing and smells really good too
• Tyler Candles - I love their kitchen scents - Sugar Cookie, Butter Vanilla, Cinnabuns. Your family will thing you've been baking all day.
• Marye-Kelley Picture Frames - this artist lives in Houston, TX and makes the most beautiful decopage picture frames. They say things like "The Boys", "The Ranch", etc. She can also do custom orders. Find her work online at marye-kelley.com if you are not in Houston.
• Ncolephotography.com - My beautiful friend Nicole is a photographer located in the Katy, TX area. She does weddings but she also does the most amazing children's photographs. Her photos are the ones I cherish most.

Okay--those are my picks from three years ago. Later this week I will post last year's picks. I'm speaking to the MOPS group on March 10th so you will have to wait till after then to see this year's picks.

Here I go. . .

Ok, this blog started because of Oprah. I am one of her biggest fans. I won't bore you with all the reasons I like her. I LOVE her annual Favorite Things show. So three years ago, I did a talk for my local Mothers of Preschoolers group sharing my "favorite things". I'm about to give this talk for the third time so I guess I am doing something right. I do love to shop so I have lots of things I think I can't live without--things I use on a regular basis. But so you don't think I'm a completely shallow person I must say that my favorite things are not really things. They are the people and relationships I am blessed to have in my life.