Mama A's Favorite Things: January 2018
I remember as a
teenager (and even as a college student and young teacher) trying to get home in
the afternoons to watch the Oprah show at 4pm.
I loved watching her sing along with her musical guests, interacting
with her audience, and I thought she was a smart host and not afraid of saying the hard things that sometimes need to be said out loud. I don’t agree with everything she believes
in, and I don’t agree with everything she says, but I sure did love watching
the audience on her “Favorite Things” episodes.
They would absolutely lose. it. in the audience—and
who could blame them? Each person would
receive thousands of dollars worth of Oprah’s favorite things (sometimes
including a CAR!)
As much as I would like
to be able to say, “You get a car! You
get a car!” to each of you sweet readers, I’m just not Ms. Winfrey and rolling in the dollars. However, I do
have a few things that I’m loving these days and thought I would pass along to
you.
I have been on the
fence about Ugg boots for quite some time.
I like the idea of my feet staying warm, but I’m not in love with the
idea of spending a lot of money on shoes.
I had a pair of LL Bean duck boots, but they always rubbed blisters on
my heels, so sadly I had to get rid of them.
The Cecile is a fantastic boot and we just had several inches of snow
and I’m happy to report they kept my feet dry and warm.
This came from my cute
cousin in Delaware as a Christmas present and I LOVE IT! It is a chunky and not perfectly round mug,
and I love her signature font on all of her pieces. I can see where this line of dishes could
become a bad habit, so it’s probably good she doesn’t have a store around here.
A year ago we were all
down with the family flu—stomach virus, colds, fever, and exhausted. My good friend, Kim, loaned me her Young
Living diffuser and some oils and I was so sick and tired of being sick and
tired that I gave it a try and I immediately ordered my own starter pack and
jumped on the oils train. Now, I do not
believe that oils will fix everything that ails you, but there are a lot of
wonderful benefits I’ve seen in my own home.
We’ve used them for stress relief, sleepless nights, aches and pains, congestion,
headaches, and aromatherapy.
Grits have been one of
my most favorite foods since I was a little girl. Mixing in some sharp cheddar and bacon or
sausage, a little salt and pepper—heaven on a cold morning, or perfect for
dinner. I’ve experimented with making
them off and on for years, but this week I made the most perfect pot of grits
thanks to this recipe. My husband did
not care for the garlic, but my daughter and I ate them until our bellies were
hurting.
Podcasts
I used to enjoy
watching The Weather Channel when I got ready to go in the mornings, but once I
became married to a night owl who enjoys sleeping in (and small children), I
decided to not turn on the television and remain quiet to keep people sleeping
as long as possible. For the last few
months I’ve enjoyed listening to podcasts on my phone while getting ready. I have a variety that I love, the these are
the ones I keep coming back to each week.
Luckily, they all release new episodes on different days, so I have new material
almost every morning:
For the Love I know Jen is one of those
people that Christians either love (or love to hate) these days. But I think she’s witty and so far I enjoy the
topics she’s covered on her podcast (friends, fall, food, new beginnings).
The Lazy Genius: Kendra is a regular person with good ideas
about systems, appreciates pop culture, and a mom just trying to make it
each day. In short, she’s normal.
Relevant: This is a favorite for my teenager and she
loves to listen to it while we’re riding in the car. Current events, funny stories, great guests,
and new music.
The Next Right Thing: Emily is one of my favorite
writers. Her voice is soothing and she
invites grace into the ordinary. Perfect
for a Tuesday morning when I’m feeling less than graceful.
*****
Full disclosure, if you sign up for Young Living using this link I receive a small compensation which helps me purchase more oils for my family. All other links in this post are things I love and adore and just wanted to share--these people/companies do not know me and I will receive no compensation for my reviews.
