My Favorite Things

Have you guys heard about these “Favorite Things” parties, or am I the only one who had never heard about this?!?!? Just in case I’m not the only one, here’s the gist: you bring five of one of your favorite items (preferable under $20) to a party, and everyone else does, too. You all exchange and then leave with a bag full of favorite things to try! Genius, right? And what’s fun is you can change it up and make it your own! Like today, my friends and I met for a friend’s birthday, and we all brought her our favorite thing! This got me thinking about all my favorite things. Well, the soap seemed most appropriate for my friend, but I wanted to share the rest with you guys! First up, the soap I gave my friend:

I know, I know. You’ve seen this hand soap in every bloggers kitchen on Instagram. Ha! I have too, but that got me curious, so I tried it. Could it really be that good, or is it just a pretty bottle? Well, it’s both. It’s both! Now when my friends come over, I make them wash their hands to experience the lovely smell of roses on their hands. It’s my little way of adding happiness to the world. Ha!

I’ve always had problems with my complexion. At any given moment I’ll have these random red blotches, a spot that is so dry Aquafor can’t fix it, and an oily patch somewhere else (usually all at the same time). I was on a mission to find a night cream that was going to solve all of my skin concerns. In fact, in my search I spent over $180 on one bottle. It didn’t work. Plus, I hated sleeping with it on. It felt oily. Then I tried a few with samples with hyaluronic acid. Those didn’t work. One night, I had no face moisturizer to use because I certainly wasn’t going to go back to the others, so I started looking through my drawers and under my sink for something to use! All I could find is what I use on my body, so I tried it on my face. Viola!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Viola!!!!! The red spots are gone! The dry skin is gone! My fine lines look plumper, too! And my skin’s not oily! Oh, please let this last for forever! Oh, please let them never discontinue this lotion!

Since granola bars have evolved from my beloved Quaker oatmeal chocolate chip bars I had practically everyday growing up to high tech protein bars, I have not found a single one that I didn’t feel like I was eating just to fill my body with something good. Typically they feel slimy or dry in my mouth, and I end up chewing on some seed or grain for the next few hours after finishing it. Ha! I decided to give this Luna bar a whirl because I like lemon poppy seed muffins and bread, and judging by the shelf, it looked like one of the popular ones. Well, it is so good, so I had to share! It taste like a lemon loaf with icing!

I’ve always loved L’oreal Voluminous mascara. Sure I’ve tried the expensive ones, but I keep coming back to this same brand. Whenever they bring out a new formula, wand or whatever marketing ploy they use, I willingly participate -ha! I actually prefer this new “Feline” version to my trusty original Voluminous. It makes my lashes look thicker and longer. It even has me curling my eyelashes again, which I haven’t done since before kids!

I know, I know. You’ve seen these Diptyque candles everywhere, too. They really are that good. I promise. I love Baies (most popular), Figuier (second most popular) and Tuberose. I love this small tuberose candle for the guest bath because well, it smells like roses -ha! My friend Katie jokes that she only lights it when the Queen comes over because it’s so expensive. I started off that way, too. Now I light it when I don’t want to do the dishes. Ha!