Monday, September 22

The Inexpensive Road to Self-Discovery

Today was the "Favorite Things" send off. Susan if you see this- don't read it! ;)

I've been looking around my house, racking my memories, taking extra long at the grocery store, and reading old journal entries, trying to figure out what the heck are my favorite things. The catch- they have to be things I can put in a box and mail to someone.

August 28th: Hoping to have original, creative, maybe even exotic and impressive favorites that I can wow my swap partner with. By September 22nd: I had realized I can't afford jewelry or vacation tickets, and settled for quirky and well-intended.

The results of a kind of disappointing scavenger hunt- a list of my favorite things (that I can put in a box) in the order I thought of them:

1, 2, 3 and 4) Chocolate. Very boxable. Very favorite. I couldn't decide which was my absolute favorite, though.

5) A little book of Mad Libs- for the nerd in us all. No- really, because I remember them helping me remember sentence structure, and one of my favorite things right now is home-educational tools, especially those disguised as games. An odd materialization of this particular joy in my life- maybe. We tried one at home, and laughed at least as much as we groaned. I highly recommend doing at least a few with your spouse. Nothing like a little word disassociation to shed some light on that weirdo. "I love our computer lab at school. It's so fuzzy! Every morning after navel class, our teacher George Clooney takes us to the lab so we can work on cool projects like finding out what flying squirrels eat for breakfast."

6) A book of Sudoku puzzles. Before I even heard of these I was most enthusiastic about the video game my brother let me try, "Brain Age." It felt great to stretch my deteriorating brain muscles, turned almost completely off since college, (to which Zach will quickly attest after my most recent brain fart. "Why don't you guys borrow our space heater?" offered as a solution to the chilly mornings without power. Yeah.) Anyway. One of my favorite things is not being stupid, so Sudoku went into the box.

7) A Secret Platinum- Vanilla Chai. Yes. Anti-perspirant. After much deliberation I realized I love it when someone (in my family) says I have a scent. One of my favorite things is being all nice and clean (you don't savor it as much until regular showering is prevented and replaced by regular feedings, do you) and my honey saying I smell so good. He likes his sweetheart smelling like food. I also love it when ordinary, humdrum things we have to deal with every day come in sparkly packages- (see "deteriorated brain.")

8) "Better than Bouillon." The best kept secret of Molly Mormon. Thanks to one of the most incredible ladies in the world, who came to help when the babies were born, I know the secret to the perfect pot roast. After seeing my amazement when she described how to cook a pot roast, she took pity on my ignorant self, went to the store, bought me my own jar, and some oven bags. We had just bought a new jar, but when I went to get one for my swap partner, they were on sale! I didn't know they had chicken, too?! We are well-stocked on bouillon. One of my favorite things is finally getting that durn recipe right. This stuff is like the magic you stick in, so the dinner makes itself. Please nobody tell me the magic is fat and salt.

9) Last, but not least, Burt's Bees Lip Balm. This covered a few of my latest favorites. I just read "The Secret Life of Bees," and have inducted it into my bookcase of fame. I also love the whole Bee-line. (hee hee.) I'm not proud of it, but the lip balm is not my favorite Burt product. It was just the cheapest. So I abandoned "quality" and went for "quantity." Now you know.

My point? No point, really. I'm just hoping to hear what everyone would put in their favorite things box.

10 comments:

Marsie Pants said...

My favorite things box would include chapstick. Because I'm addicted to it and can't go anywhere without it. Seriously. I have at least 2 sticks in my purse, one in my church bag and always have one in my pocket. If I find I don't have one with me, I either have to go to the store and buy one or go home and get it, whichever I'm closest to at the time. Don't worry, I'm getting help for it. Also, it would include books. How would you put sleeping in a box? But that would go in there too.

Duncan said...

1,2,3, and 4) my laptop! But I wouldn't send it anywhere!!!!

5) the internet

6) fresh homemade whole wheat bread, mmmmmmmm

7) funky earrings

8) librarians (although I don't think they would fit in a box)

9) ice skates, water skis, snow skis

10) comfy shoes and foot-rubs

11) good parking spots (again- box challenged)

12) porch swings

13) dear, dear friends

14) hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, a good book, and a fuzzy blanket on the porch swing on a rainy day (okay, so none of these things fit into boxes- phhh)

15) fresh fruit

16) deep fried seafood

17) cats

18, 19, and 20) my laptop!!!!!

Summer said...

Awww- Steph! You broke the rules!! ;D Oh, well- that was fun to hear your favorite things. I had no idea about deep fried seafood.

Sahara said...

1. mmmm yeah chocolate. Really expensive chocolate. Sees Candies and Godiva and yummy truffles...home-made, hand-made...filled, crunchy..ok you get the point.

2. My bed. I have the most comfy bed in the entire world.

3. Sleeping in my bed. (I'm breaking the rules also, aren't I?)

4. Warm days soaking up the sun with friends.

5. Books that you can't put down.

6. Books that you can put down and then come back to.

7. A fresh yummy cup of some lovely herbal tea.

8. windchimes

9. Running...(box shmox)

10. luxurious baths

hey that was fun.

Ally said...

See, you think of cool things!

I'm not even going to say what I would put in a box, cuz I'm still embarrassed that when I did this a few months ago, it was a terrible flop. The woman I sent my favorite things to, didn't even blog about it, and only acknowledged it after I asked her a few weeks later to make sure it arrived. And she didn't even say 'cool stuff!', even if she would have been lying when she said it. It was just 'Yeah, it arrived. Thanks!'

I'm no good at swapping favorite things. I'm too quirky, and I've learned (mostly from comments made by both my husband and father-in-law, who are apparently made from the same mold - darnit) that only I could like the things I like.

Cuz yeah, I'm 'unique' like that. :-S

I think your stuff sounds awesome! And now I'm wishing you had picked my name. ;-)

Anonymous said...

My favorite things would probably be:
1- Quicken (I seriously couldn't live without knowing where we spend our money)
2- My kids (I would loan them to someone, but not for good)
3- My scriptures (again, I wouldn't send mine, I would have to go get some to mail)
4- My bed (a little big to be sending someone)
5- Gyros (There is a place in Nashville that is super and the street vendors in New York are also a favorite)
6- CANDY - especially Caramello. And peanut butter m&m's. And hershey's chocolate dragged through peanut butter. And Kit Kat. I give up. I love candy!!
7- A pedicure. I just love pretty toes!!
8- Porch Swings - I agree with Steph, there is nothing better.
9- Sitting around the campfire with a bunch of great friends late at night after a long fun day telling stories.
10- Vacations. I don't care where to, I just like getting away with my family.
I am sure if I sat and thought about this for more than 10 minutes my list would be much longer, but for now those are my favorite things.

Tulsi said...

I have an award for you over at my place if you stop by!

Zicker said...

Lets get some things straight - Fuzzy navel is a funny no matter the context, I am fascinated by the fact that we have flying squirrels here in the US and they carry the bug that causes typhoid fever but I am not too sure where George Clooney came from. Does he have a fuzzy navel? Did he play a squirrel in a movie once? Wait, that was Bruce Willis.

Susan said...

Yeah, I just got my box and it came as I was putting the kids down for their naps so that I could open it peace. Thank you God!
I love all of it. I will take some pictures and post about it either later today or tomorrow. I will email you when I do. I would tell you exactly why I love all the stuff, but I am afraid it just might give too much of the contents of my box away.
I am now really excited for you to get my favorite things!!!

Breezi@ Not Your Average Fairytale said...

Lets see, I have been thinking of this for a while and I think I finally have something that is "me".

1)Dark Cherry Red nail polish. I love my toes that color.
2) a Scrapbook magazine. Nuf said.
3) A candy bar bouquet. I love crafting, and it is chocolate and crafting wrapped up in one delicious and cute package.
4) baby wipes. I love how you can use them anywhere.
5) Pride and Prejudice DVD set. (The one with Colin Firth)It's my favorite movie. I watch it when I'm sick, I watch it when I'm happy... heck, I watch it more than anything.
6)Peanut Butter M&M's, Ritter Sport (corn flakes) candy bar, a diet Pepsi, and a Dr. Pepper. my fav snacks.
7) Mild sauce from taco Bell. Seriously... that stuff is the bomb!
8)mints. happy people have happy breath.

Alright, That's what I can think of as of now.... I'm sure there is plenty more things that make me happy.... :o)
thanks for sharing in your happiness!