I love my iPhone more than I ever thought I could love a phone. ;)

I'm sure DH would vote iPad too. He got one from work and he has lately been using it to play Crazy Fish? Bad Fish? Some game that he and DS are obsessed with.

Whenever I use that damn leg-thing, I.....OOOOPPS!
Wrong forum....sheepishly leaving now....

;-)

Faron

HAHA, Faron. :)

We are getting iPhones this week and I hope it becomes a favorite thing. Would love an iPad, but not this month. Giving DH a Blu-Ray player and Netflix that he can stream for Christmas. Hope that is also a favorite thing.

I think one of my favorite things is having the electric candles with timers, so I don't have to go around the house switching them on and off everyday! Simple, but really nice. Oh, and 18-inch taper candles in all the candlesticks-so lovely.

I love the Pledge fabric sweeper! Except I haven't figured out how to open it to get the hair out. lol. I assume we can open it instead of throwing it away to buy another?

It's great for cat hair.

Oh, this is a good one. Last Winter I bought myself one of those book lights that you clip onto the book or a table in case you lose power. In the winter we seem to lose power for at least a couple of hours due to storms and such.

About a month ago we lost power one evening for 3 hours. We had the fireplace going and I remembered my light! I was able to read my book and see very well!

I liked it so much I bought everyone a book light for Christmas!

Mine has 3 light settings, and I got it at Barnes and Noble.

Oak, yes, they have to be replaced. I was just looking online to see if I could buy them in bulk. The least expensive was at Amazon for about $3.50 each.

With regard to the Iphone (I've recently become an Apple addict), how do you know which one to buy? I rarely use my cell phone (mainly because if I talk on the phone while I drive, even with bluetooth, I am a danger to everyone on the streets and sidewalks) and really only want it to access the web when I'm not home.

Still a fan of Aquage Uplifting Foam.

Oakley and Marlene: There was a posting (over on the Kitchen Table forum here, I believe) about the sweepers. The package says they are not reusable (of course, the manufacturer wants you to keep buying more!), but frugal folks have worked out some of the cat and dog fluff with a tweezer and the product lives to see more uses. I've done that -- with light-colored dog hair on a navy chenille-type sofa, I certainly need more uses out of the product!

My favorite thing is my Haflinger slippers. I'm on my 3rd pair and they are Heaven. I get the kind with the outside soles. They are washable and last for years. They have been my slippers of choice for two decades. Once you wear them, you will never wear anything else.

I have an iPhone 3G. DS bought the 4G, but it was the first generation and it had a lot of problems. I don't know the difference, really...he said it had some features that are way more advanced than I will use.

My favorite thing is the slim velour hangers. On HSN they are called Huggable Hangers, but I found them at Costco for an incredible deal. They are the most awesome hangers, NOTHING falls off them, and they really do save closet space. I give them as gifts all the time.

I love my rechargable electric salt and pepper grinders. You just fill them charge overnight and they last for a couple of months then another overnight charge. I have one for sea salt, peppercorns and one for spices.

As our IT guy at work told me, I have finally entered the 90's! I love my Blackberry Bold! It is so user friendly.

I love that swiffer 360 duster! And I wash out the dusters and hang up to dry and reuse them several times.

Konriko brand chipotle seasoning. Rub it on a steak, let it sit and then throw into a hot cast iron skillet( vintage I dont like the new ones)

Barkeepers friend- learned about this on Kitchen forum- I will never be without it.

Cetaphil moistureizer with sunscreen . It was recommended by my Derm. I switched from Clinique- saved a ton of money.

and finally I still love my white 2000 Town and Country minivan with grey leather seats -aka the "Mom-mobile"- 117,000 miles on it- and it still looks new and runs like a champ( of course there have been minor mechanical repairs- just expensive in labor.)It just glides down the road and is so comfortable for traveling.

This is fun learning about new products!

Shee, I ordered Aquage Uplifting Foam. My hair is just below my shoulders, and while thick, it lays flat on my head even though I blow dry it with my head hanging down.

Gold, are those slppers soft inside & cushioned on the feet? I always buy two pairs of those cheapie (but comfy!) slip-on's from Walmart which last for a good year when I alternate and wash them a lot. They have rubber soles so I can go outside in them.

Are the slippers you wear washable? Those are the style I wear with my Wallyworld brand. :)

My new favorite thing is the little blue bag DH put under the bedroom Christmas tree yesterday!!

{{gwi:1527255}}

My favorite thing is my Haflinger slippers.

What style do you have? I Googled and see some that look a lot like the Acorns dh had and loved. I couldn't find the same ones and ended up ordering two different styles ... one Acorn and one Sorel) from Shoebuy.com. Fortunately, he liked both.

Flyingflower, so funny! Very nice of your DH!

I like this game. My favorites are hanky pankys and coobies

Oakley, You'll have to let me know if you like it. It's pretty hard to make your hair funky/greasy from using too much like I've found with other mousse.

I'll also always use Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion. I can literally leave the gym soaked from sweat and my eyes look untouched/uncreased.

I love Pampered Chef's can opener. It cuts around the outside and doesn't leave a sharp edge. Ours disappeared and I'm not loving the Kitchen Aid replacement. Will be ordering a new one in the near future.

Natal, currently I have the style linked to below. I do think this style runs a bit small but since I tried them on in the store, I was able to size up. DH bought them for me just before Xmas last year. I had the enclosed heel slippers the last two times. They don't run small.

I wash them in the washing machine and stick them in front of a heater vent to dry. They are pricey but so supportive. Mine are a year old and show no wear on the sole.

Here is a link that might be useful: My most recent slippers

LOL Flyingflower...nothing bad comes from those bags! But it's kind of evil to leave under the tree asking to be peeked into!

Ok what's a favorite thing....Well umm we're tasting wine now, does that work?

Frankly, I like old things LOL I love shopgoodwill . com. I've been in heaven buying antique ornaments for nothing :) I adore things with history and they indulge me without breaking the bank very often!

One of my favorite things is a food product called True Lime. It's 100% natural crystallized lime, in packets the size of sugar packets; there's also True Lemon and True Orange. I use it to flavor bottled water. Sometimes it's on the shelf near Crystal Light, other times it's near iced-tea mixes, sometimes near the Real Lemon bottled stuff--stores don't really know where to put it!

(My other favorite thing is the Control/Z trick on the computer, to go back to where you were when you did that weird things that's gotten you someplace you know you shouldn't be! Sometimes I wish there was a control/Z for life...

It was only a week before Christmas and I could see DH was completely oblivious that time was running out. So I decided to add a subtle hint...I put all of his Christmas gifts under the tree. He sees them and asks who they're for and I say, YOU! Instant panic came over him. Next day he went shopping and then Little Blue Bag appeared under the tree. :D

On the contrary Igloo, I'm enjoying my time with LBB very much. :D This morning DH watched me walk around the house in my bathrobe carrying Little Blue Bag over my wrist like a pocketbook. Last night I set it on the nightstand next to my bed so LBB would be the first thing my eyes gazed upon in morning. LBB and I are rarely apart. :)

Oh, I didnt know this was about NEW favorite things.OOps never watched Oprah. The stuff I recommended has been around for awhile- it just took me some time to find them.
LOL!

Cooper, it can be old favorite things too. I've learned about items I never knew existed. Like Hanky Panky panties. I think I'll skip on that one. lol

FF, you sound like me at Christmas! We're such kids at heart. :)

Iphones are definitely one of my favorite things.

I love lingerie but had never heard of the hanky panky. Love the boy short style.

Pammyfay - that crystalized lime is interesting. I'm going to look for that.

tina

I'll be the lone voice of dissent - I do not love my iphone. My biggest complaint is my inability to hear it when it rings inside my purse - I have the volume on max and downloaded an "extremely loud" ringtone, but I still can't hear it. The only time I ever answer my phone is in the car, but only because the bluetooth kicks in and the car tells me it is ringing! I also find that the music spontaneously turns on, and on more than one occasion I have gone to use it only to find the battery is nearly drained (my old, basic cellphone could go a week without charging!)

It is handy to access the internet and my email while I am not at home, but so far it is not worth the soul-sucking three year contract I signed to get it :(

Carrie

I love our hanging toiletry bags that I found Travelsmith.com. Not every place we travel has space for a regular toiletry bag on a counter and so these hanging one work wonderfully, hanging from towel bars, door hooks and even shower curtain rods. They were a godsend on our Caribbean cruise, as those bathrooms were minuscule! One year, I bought one (in varying sizes) for everyone on our gift list. They make great gifts for college kids living in dorms and shared student housing, too.
Lynn

My other favorite thing is the Control/Z trick on the computer, to go back to where you were when you did that weird things that's gotten you someplace you know you shouldn't be! Sometimes I wish there was a control/Z for life...

LOL! I also love Control/F, and find myself wanting to Control/F when I'm reading the newspaper, looking for my keys, etc.

I also love my DVR. I love being able to pause live TV to answer the phone or the call of nature, and to be able to replay a scene when I need clarity on what a character has said. When I'm at the movies and miss a bit of dialogue I want to rewind to hear what they said!

Maybelline's Brow Styling Gel. This is not applied like a pencil. Instead, it clings to pale or white brow-hairs and looks completely natural. Next to lipstick, I'd take this over any other cosmetic item. Hard to find, though; I buy it online.

Other things mentioned here that I second: Barkeeper's Friend, battery-run candles (safe, and you can have glow anywhere you like in your home), Huggable Hangers (everything hangs neatly and they're pretty - great invention!).

Over anything else: Netflix. It revolutionized the "entertainment" side of our life!

Hankypankys.... I just don't want to know.... thanks for going there for me oakley.

I never thought the pampered chef garlic press was that big a deal until I finally bought one. I LOVE that when I am done I rub my fingers on the metal and the garlic smell leaves my fingers. Way cool if you have not tried it before.

Dyson vaccum. I thought it was a horrid gift until it made my 10yr carpet look like new. Then I thanked dh properly.

Swiffer pet hair things, I aksed dh to get me one since his Dyson idea was such a hit.

My ceramic snowman I made in Kindergarten 1972. I did not know how to pick him up so I squeezed ears on his head. Teacher did not have white glaze so I used the sparkly one. It ended up being tan flecks. So he is a dirty looking snowman with ears.

Backup camera on my pathfinder. Vehicle is too big for my garage so when I pull in I can see how far I need to pull in to clear the garage door. Oh, it is great to see the neighbor boy come running to play with my ds.

Sirrus radio- got a 5mo trial for $20! I listen to 80's music to and from work. Drives my dd crazy. Tonight it was Karma Chameleon by Boy George!

Faron- we can always count on you to join in the fun!

Fruit Spritzers lip gloss #510. It makes your lips look and feel so good, and then apply lip liner.

flyingflower, I'm LOL about you carrying the blue bag around. One year DH bought me a Kate Spade bag. I barely knew who KS was, and he had never bought me a purse before. Well, that purse was a work of art (with a price tag to match) as far as I was concerned. I carried it all over the house Christmas Day -- put it on the kitchen counter while I cooked, carried it while still in my pj's, etc. Fun when the DH's come through! PS The following year, he tried to repeat his success with another bag... that one was returned.

I love my Clarisonic! I use it all the time, and it really does leave my face more more luminous, because it exfoliates, big difference, IMO.

Tassimo Coffee Machine, a girlfriend gave me one of hers and my DH and I love that it makes our one cup of morning coffee.

IPad, is THE best thing for kids and airports and traveling. We flew over Thanksgiving and a flight was cancelled, so it was put to good use! Besides, I am addicted to Scrabble on it.

iphone, just got one, finally caved and gave up the Blackberry. I am still going through a little mourning period, but, I have to admit, I do LOVE the iphone.

Absolutely love Paula's Choice new "Resist, Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% alpha hydroxy acid." This stuff is great! Don't ever want to be without it now that I've tried it.

Also am loving Estee Lauder's "Nutritious Vita Mineral Moisture Lotion." It has pomegranate extract in it, which is loaded with antioxidants. It smells nice. It's light and non-greasy, but still emollient and silky on the skin. You can't buy it anywhere but Nordstrom. Not even the Estee Lauder website carries it.

Sanyo's 3-cup rice cooker. How did I ever live without this? Makes Perfect rice every time and is the perfect size for dh and I. It's so easy to use and so easy to clean. Love it!

Eureka's Easy Clean hand-vac. It's taxi cab yellow which I could live without, but I couldn't live without this little machine's power with all the cat hair around me! Gosh this thing works like a dream. Love the on-board crevice tool. It's just one of those labor-saving devices that really works and works great. Makes me so happy! Got it from Amazon for less than $50.00.

Golddust, thank you so very much! I've been searching for comfortable slippers that are NOT made in China, and those Haflinger slippers look perfect. I almost didn't open this thread and am so glad I did. I will order two pairs today, one for dh and one for me. They can be our 12th Night/Epiphany presents. : )

For those rare times I go out, I love my Littlearth Cyclone bag. They no longer make the pattern I have, but I like their song bird one, too. The purse seems impossible to damage and holds a surprising amount for its size. They're made in PA, too. I plan to buy a NOLA Saints bag for my future DIL's birthday.

I'm very pleased with some RADA cutlery I bought through Amazon earlier this year. It's made in the US, and I like their new black handles that are dishwasher safe. The knives have held a sharp edge as well as any expensive European knives we've had for a fraction of the cost.

Here is a link that might be useful: scarlet song bird bag

Those silky, fleecy throws that feel soooo soft. I bought two for gifts and one for me and my dog to snuggle in.
He adores it and thinks it's his new blanket which it is not.

After we snuggled for an hour, I set him on the floor and he looked longingly up at the throw still laying on the chair (he doesn't get to sit in the chair by himself).

Well, I left the room to take a shower and when I came back out, he was sitting on the throw in the chair. He has never done that!

Rockmanor, I hope you like them as much as I do. Just don't buy them large. The wool does stretch a bit as you wear them so make sure they start out a bit snug and you will love them.

What style did you get?

Golddust, I ordered the Classic this afternoon, and am considering the Salome, too. I read a review that mentioned it has good support and is comfortable for someone with heel spurs. Thanks again for the suggestion!

Cute story, Bumblebeez! What a glowing endorsement for the throw too! The manufacturer could make that story into a great commercial!

Sable, I just ordered the brow gel from Amazon. Free shipping!

Anyway, the reviews were great but they all said Maybeline has discontinued it! Amazon still has some left, so you might want to stock up.

Here's two more items:

1. Jewelry. I've always worn jewlery but it's been the "real" stones, gemstones or diamonds. When I was looking for Christmas presents a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon "Fashion Jewelry"..I was looking at rings.

Oh my gosh! I know I'm late to the party on this, but I bought two of the prettiest rings I ever saw, total for both around $30. lol. They look real. Not gawdy or anything, very simple designs.

2. I mentioned this creme before but the other day I went to the bathroom, as I was walking out I glanced at myself in the mirro, then I did a double-take. I could NOT believe how good my face looked.

I decided to use Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Creme for a year to see if it worked. After using it for a month or so, my face actually looks young again. I didn't have makeup on that day, so I was really able to tell the difference.

Well worth the money! I can finally vouch for a good face creme!

I think this thread has become too dangerous for Oakley. She's liable to buy herself everything listed!!

tina

Newdawn, Talk to me about this lipgloss. I saw it at the store today and it's yellow/gold. Does it look gold or shimmery on your lips? I'm guessing it's more like a lipgloss with a nice sheen. Do you use a nude liner?

Bobbi Brown has a lipgloss called Pink Sugar that looks beautiful on and lined with a nude pencil. Feels super gunky but I put up with it for the look.

Not really Tina, I've bought a few items, very inexpensive, and they're things I need. Especially the eyebrow gel. I use a gel on them already, but I wanted one with a tiny bit of color.

I live in the country and I don't want to drive 20min. when I can get something online and not pay S&H. I also can't count on my store to carry these items.

Shee, I can't wait to get the hair stuff!

Oakley - thanks for the heads-up re the gel. As far as I know, Amazon is the only place where you can get it. I hope you like it. The outer sides of my eyebrows started to turn white a few years ago - odd, because my hair is still light brown. I mentioned it to my hairdresser and she suggested the Maybelline gel (she also pushed me into using Bare Essentials, bless her). I am going to be very crabby when the supply runs out -

Stinky-gardener mentioned the Sanyo 3-cup rice cooker as one of her favorite things. Same here, I use mine every week, it's such a time saver. I love the small size, used to have a 10 cup Zojirushi which made no sense when all I ever cooked was a couple cups of rice at a time. You will eat more rice if you own one of these handy little counter appliances.

Another vote for Netflix, especially streaming. I also love the DVR, it remembers everything I want to record so I don't have to think about it.

cooper, if you're reading this have you tried using baking soad instead of barkeeper's friend? It works the same and is much cheaper. I fill a cheap salt shaker (needs to have large holes) with baking soda I buy by the pound at Walmart and leave it out with the dish soap.

One of my new favorite things is 100% Argan Oil. Not the stuff Adienne sells on HSN but the pure form that comes in a bottle. It goes on like a serum and disappears into your skin after a couple minutes, after that you can put on face cream if you need it.

stinky and flyingflower, I have a 10 cup rice cooker that I never use because of the size. So when you mentioned the 3 cup, my eyes lit up. However, wondering if my family of 3, DH, DS (7yo) and myself, would need a 5 cup? The 3 cup just sounds so handy to me. I don't want anything big on the counter or hard to clean up.

Wondering if I got the 3 cup, how long would it take to make more, on the occasion, if needed.

We don't eat a lot of rice unless I'm making gumbo, etouffee, or a stir-fry, but I've never understood the need for a special appliance. Then again, I use an egg cooker to make hard boiled eggs when most people do them on top of the stove. I guess it's all about what seems the least complicated.

Never mind! DH said 3 cups was plenty, I'm a dork! HA!

Natal, that sounds like a good idea using the egg cooker for hard boiled eggs!

My 3 cup rice cooker is finally doing something other than taking up room in my cabinet. It's busy making dog food every day.

Several favorite things new to me:

Roc Retinal Deep Wrinkle Night Cream and Olay Regenerist Serum, ( my skin is at it's very best in many years after a few months of these two)
I need to thank someone here for the recommendation as that's where I heard of them. But I don't remember!
Stinky perhaps?

- Mrs. Bridges Dundee Marmalade- thick and thin cut together with cane sugar. Wonderful.

-Oikos Caramel Greek Yogurt. This is amazing- I prefer a serving cup of this any day to any dessert. And it has no fat. I can hardly believe it. Downside, kinda pricey.
I attribute recent weight loss to this product as it's so satisfying.