My Favorite Things Spring 2014

I can’t believe it has been a full year since I originally shared my favorite things and my favorite kitchen things. Those posts have been hugely popular and I’m excited to share another round of favorites with you today! These favorites encompass both kitchen and general items and activities because, honestly, I’m also still loving the things on my last lists! There are some affiliate links below because, why not? However I haven’t been compensated for including anything in this post, these are all things I genuinely love and want to share with you!

Mini Boden Swim Trunks – I bought a pair of these last year for Cas because my husband and I can’t stand how long boy’s swim shorts are. I think they’re ugly, he thinks they’re a safety hazard. This pair from Mini Boden is so adorable and I just bought a new pair for each of the boys. Maybe my kids are small, but I would recommend buying them a size smaller than you think you might need because they stretch and get water logged.

Nut Butters by Mary LouderMilk – I had the privilege of meeting Mary at Go Blog Social and she almost let it slip by us that she was the author of this amazing book. It is beautifully photographed and full of healthy nut butter recipes.

POPSUGAR Must Have Box – These boxes are legit. I’ve tried a number of paid subscription boxes ranging a variety of items, and this is by far my favorite. It’s packed with full sized, premium products. I couldn’t believe the beautiful scarf I received as well as some tasty snacks. It can be scary spending money on a mystery box but this one is so worth it, you will not be disappointed! They also have a food specific box if you prefer.

Dogeard Jewelry – I received a Dogeard necklace in one of my Must Have Boxes and it might be my favorite piece of jewelry ever. It’s super delicate without feeling cheap and the design options are really cute.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris – I don’t get to read too many books, but I found this one at Goodwill during some much needed alone time and has to have it. I love David Sedaris. He’s kind of like the middle-aged, male, homosexual version of Hannah from Girls. So he’s exactly like Hannah from Girls.

Mezzetta Sun Ripened Dried Tomato Pesto – I used this pesto to make my Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Panini and I want to put it on all the things ever. It has actual red wine in it. It’s a pure dream.

CafeMom and BeFit on YouTube – Now that it’s finally an acceptable temperature outside I’ve been running most evenings, but I still get up early in the morning to do some toning and abs. I’m super cheap when it comes to workouts, so YouTube is my best friend. My favorite videos have been from CafeMom and BeFit. They are challenging without being miserable to do and don’t require anything other than the occasional single hand weight. I’ve done them enough now that I can watch The Office on Netflix while running YouTube through my laptop. Win win win (name that episode).

Radio Flyer Ziggle – This is something Cas got for his 3rd birthday. I just love it. With three small kids I just can’t be holding everyone’s hand while they try ride a bike in our driveway. Cas just wasn’t wanting to work on learning to use pedals, which was making it difficult to push him around on a bike. The Ziggle lets him use his awesome wiggle powers to motor himself down the driveway unassisted. Now I just need to teach him how to turn.

Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter and Homemade Lip Balm – These are my go-to’s for lips. I was turned on to the Lip Butter through Jessica’s beauty posts. I’m so not a fancy lip lady which makes this perfect for me. It’s creamy and moisturizing without really feeling like makeup, plus it has a pretty, sparkly color. I first received the lip balm when I bartered some homemade vanilla extract with Gillian. As easy as it looks to make, I’m super busy (lazy) and basically whined at her until she replenished my stock. I tried going back to Chapstick and it was like I hadn’t even put anything on my lips. This stuff is silky and smells great. Plus it looks kind of glossy without being sticky like a gloss.

Haagen Dazs Gelato – I’m a total sucker for a super thick ice cream. I can’t even handle soft serve any more and the cheaper store bought versions tend to be too fluffy for me. I usually think of gelato as a little softer than ice cream, but let’s be real, I’ve never had the real thing so I don’t know what’s what. This gelato is super thick and firm without being rock hard. So far I’ve tried sea salt caramel and pistachio, both of which were ah-mazing, but I think the caramel might have been my favorite.

What are you loving right now?