40 of My Most Favorite Things

After sharing A Few of My Favorite Things with you every month since 2013, I decided it would be fun (in anticipation of my 40th birthday later this month) to share 40 of my most favorite things!

Writing these Favorite Things posts has truly become one of my favorite to-dos each month — and based on the feedback I get from you, it seems they are some of your favorite posts too.

I’m certain I’ve forgotten a few things in the long list below (I didn’t even touch the Favorite Books, Movies, Music, Podcasts, or Foods categories), but as I looked back through almost 15 years of monthly favorites, I pulled these 40 out as the top winners.

A few are from past seasons of life, but most are items I use daily or weekly in my home and life. Also, a handful are YOUR favorites that have now become my favorites (thanks for sharing so many great products with me over the years!)

Thanks also to those who stuck around for all these years of favorites. If you’re a new reader, you may scroll back through all my Favorite Things here!

Enjoy!

Home Favorites

Home is my favorite place to be… and, not coincidentally, I spend a lot of time at home! My desire is for our home to function well and feel lived-in but clean. These are a few of the products and concepts that help me achieve that! (Note: I have a separate section for kitchen items).

1. Cordless Blackout Cellular Shades — These were one of the first “splurges” we added to our home during our 2011 renovations, and we’ve never regretted it. These blackout shades make any room feel like nighttime, even in the middle of a sunny day — perfect for napping babies and putting kids to bed really early!

I don’t love curtains because I like to see all our trimwork, so I love that these blackout shades are virtually “invisible” when they are open. They have held up wonderfully to daily use, and I’ve honestly never had to clean them once! We purchased ours from Home Depot (they cut them to the exact size we needed for each window), but they are available at most home stores.

2. Braided Rugs — These rugs have always been one of my favorite practical ways to add a little primitive farmhouse charm to our home. We currently have the SAFAVIEH Multi-Colored rugs throughout our home.

3. MysticMaid Window Cloth — these are hard to find anymore, but I’ve had mine since before I got married, and Clara or I use it every single week to wipe down mirrors and windows.

All you need is water, and you’re in business to wash all the windows in your entire home (just continue rinsing it out as it gets dirty).

This cloth is amazing (possibly similar to Norwex cloths, but I’m not totally sure on that).

4. Velvet Hangers — the best hangers, hands down! They are space-saving, they look great, and they keep clothes from falling off. We’ve used every size from the baby and child hangers to the adult sizes.

5. No TVs in our Main Living Areas — back in 2020, we rearranged our entire main floor, relegating the TV to inside a closet in our bedroom-turned-den in the corner of our house.

It has been one of the best decisions we’ve made in terms of the layout and function of our home — not only do we now have a massive dining room, but the TV is no longer staring at us all the time, tempting us to watch. We rarely even think about it other than our weekly family movie nights.

6. Slipcovers — I’ve always loved the look of slipcovers, and as a mother, I love the functionality and practicality even more.

They make spills a non-issue and allow us to live comfortably in our home without worrying about ruining expensive furniture.

I’ve had several of my slip covers custom-made by a local gal… and I’ve even made a few myself (like the striped cover over my grandma’s old chair below!)

7. Cordless Stick Vacuum — I use and love my Shark cordless vacuum daily, sometimes multiple times per day. It’s been going strong for over 5 years now, and the battery charges quickly. I purchased mine from Kohl’s with a pretty good discount — so keep an eye out!

Also, since I know some will wonder/ask, we do have a commercial-grade Sanitaire vacuum for all our weekly vacuuming. The cordless vacuum is mostly used for hard floors, stairs, and quick clean-ups mid-week.

Garden Favorites

We spend a lot of time outside, and we do most of our entertaining outside. These are a few of my favorites to keep out outside spaces looking nice without tons of work.

8. Patriotic Planters — I’m not big on tons of annuals as they can get pricey, but I do love creating a few fun patriotic planters for our front porch and by our pool.

10. Movable Firepit — This is one of my favorite Facebook Marketplace purchases to date. It was only a few streets down from our house, it was like-new for a fraction of the price, and we use it all the time. The kids especially love building their own fires, and I like that it’s slightly safer than just burning in a hole in the ground.

The movable aspect is super handy as we can bring it wherever we want to have a fire — even to the end of our driveway if we feel like being extra social with the neighbors. ☺️

11. Gas Pressure Washer — I use our pressure washer for hours and hours every spring and summer, power washing our home, decks, patios, outdoor furniture, shed, etc. It’s an amazingly quick and effective way to clean stubborn dirt and debris from most outdoor surfaces… and it’s fun to use too!

This one is a similar style to ours. If it’s too expensive, you might consider renting one to test it out before buying.

12. Wooden Tree Swing — I made a large wooden tree swing for one of our big front trees last spring. It was way more work than I thought it would be (isn’t it always!) but it was one of my bucket-list items that I wanted to do before my kids were too old!

If you’re not in the DIY mood, here’s a company that makes custom wooden tree swings. Many Etsy shops also offer tree swings, so do a bit of research if you’re in the market.

13. Cast Iron Pans — It was a learning curve to make this switch, but after 10 years, I don’t ever see myself going back to cooking with regular pans again! I’ve used this 12″ pan and this 10.5″ pan daily for 10 years now.

Here are a few of my tips for cooking with Cast Iron.

14. Presto XL Griddle — I love griddle cooking all year long, especially for big family breakfasts. We use our griddle almost every morning for pancakes, French toast, breakfast sandwiches, etc.

The extra-large griddle fits our needs wonderfully, but the main reason I purchased this specific griddle is because it’s a square, not a rectangle, so it fits perfectly in the cabinet above our fridge!

15. USA Pan Bakeware — I’ve sung the praises of USA Pans for many years… and since I’ve used at least one of my USA Pans every day for roughly 8 years, they easily made my top-40 favorite things!

I now own the following USA Pan items:

• 2 XL sheet pans
• 2 quarter sheet pans (they fit perfectly in our favorite toaster oven!)
• a 9″ x 13″ pan
• a 9″ x 9″ pan
• an 8″ x 8″ pan
• 2 one-pound loaf pans
• 4 mini loaf pans
• 2 round cake pans (9″)
• 12-cup muffin tins

If you’re looking to start a USA Pan collection (or if you need to buy a fantastic wedding gift), I’d suggest this 6-piece starter set.

16. Nutrimill Grain Mill — This isn’t something I ever thought would make my favorite things list, but after more than 6 years of grinding grain on a daily basis, it definitely deserves a prominent place on my list.

They are becoming quite popular now, so they are often out of stock (and the price keeps rising), but if you’re in the market, the Nutrimill is an excellent option.

17. Ninja Foodie XL Air Fryer Toaster Oven — My parents gifted this to us in 2023, and I scoffed at how big and bulky it was. However, we had a perfect little nook for it in the corner of our kitchen… and I’m SO glad we made a space for it.

We use it all the time — toasting 10 bagel halves for breakfast, making a small batch of cookies for an afternoon snack, rising my bread dough on the lowest heat setting, and cooking an entire dinner with only 90 seconds to preheat.

It has been a huge time-saver in our kitchen and certainly one of my favorite things. It would be perfect for an RV or small appartment too!

18. Wusthof Knives — These are my favorite knives (so much so that I actually travel with them whenever possible!)

My advice would be to NOT purchase a full set of knives, but rather invest in just the few you actually use on a daily basis.

These are the knives I use every day (often multiple times per day).

• Classic 3.5″ Paring Knife
• Micro-Serrated 4.5-inch Utility Knife 
• 6-inch Serrated Utility Knife
• 10-inch Classic Bread Knife

Note: I also LOVE my in-drawer knife block — one less thing sitting out on the counter!

19. Non-Breakable Cups that Stack Well — these are a must if you have little kids, grandkids, or just don’t want to deal with bulky, heavy, breakable cups.

We use these stackable cups (in 8 ounces and 12 ounces). We actually got them from Dave’s parents years ago, and Dave’s family used them before us — so they have held up well for many years!

20. Stainless Steel Pots — I use USA Pans for baking, cast iron pans for frying and sauteeing, and I have a few stainless steel pots for soup, gravies, and boiling water. I’m not brand-loyal, but I have had very good luck with Cuisinart and Anolon pans — just make sure you’re getting stainless steel because those brands sell many other varieties of cookware too.

My most-used sizes are the 1.5-quart, the 4-quart, and the 6-quart.

Personal Favorites

I don’t do a lot of “personal care” — especially not if it involves pricey products. However, these are a few of the tried-and-true items I’ve used and enjoyed daily for many years.

21. Bend Soap — I’m forever grateful I stumbled across Bend Soap back in 2015 when Simon was struggling with flaky skin/scabs all over his scalp. After switching to Bend Soap’s non-toxic goat’s milk soap products, we haven’t had any issues.

I love that this is a family-run company right here in the United States, and I love their bar soap!

22. AirPods — Many years ago, I used the corded earbuds, but when AirPods came out, it was an easy switch for me as the cords were always in my way. Dave and I have enjoyed using our AirPods for a few years now — for everything from listening to books and podcasts while we’re walking the dog to watching a movie after the kids are in bed and we want to be really quiet.

The sound quality is excellent, and they hold their charge for days.

23. Oil Cleansing DIY Face”wash” — Back in 2010, Dave and I switched to using mostly non-toxic products on our skin. This involved doing a bit of research, which eventually led us to start using oil to clean our face (yup, it still sounds a little strange to me!)

Since then, I’ve shared my recipe for this DIY Face Wash and Make-up Remover on the blog, and hundreds (maybe thousands) of you have also made the switch!

24. Prarieland Herbs Face Cream — In addition to using non-toxic facewash, we also switched to Prarieland Herbs 3-Citrus face cream in 2010.

It smells great, it works so well on my very dry skin, and I love that it’s a mother/daughter team who creates everything in small batches over in Iowa.

25. Birkenstocks — I’m generally not a brand-name girl, but for years and years, Birkenstocks are continually my favorite choice of footwear (year-round). Since Nora and I have the same size feet now, we can share — which makes it a little more doable to spend so much on one pair of shoes/sandals.

We currently have 2 pairs of sandals (Arizona Big Buckle and Mayari) and 2 pairs of Boston clogs, and we wear them daily. In fact, a few years ago, I donated all my sandals except the Birkenstocks and one dressier pair I wear to church.

26. Joggers — I have 3 pairs of joggers that I wear almost every day, all year round. They are comfy enough for yard work, walking the dog, or blacklight dodgeball, but they can be dressed up with a cute shirt and a jean jacket (and maybe my Birks!)

They work for almost every occasion, they’re great for traveling because they don’t get wrinkly, and they always fit — even if you gain or lose a few pounds. ☺️

In my opinion, Joggers are the perfect clothing for busy moms, and a great way to simplify your wardrobe.

27. Tiny Purse — For my entire life, my goal has always been to use the tiniest purse/bag I can because I dislike lugging around heavy bags. For many years, I carried a Vera Brandly wristlet, but for the last 3-ish years, I’ve been using a small belt bag that I like even better (it was only $7!).

When I had a backpack (college) or a diaper bag (new mom) I could throw the wristlet in and not worry about a purse. Now, I just keep the belt bag strapped to me all the time, and never need to think about leaving or losing my purse. I also don’t need to spend time organizing my purse because it’s only big enough for the essentials!

28. Digital Photo Books — I’m so thankful for the woman at my very first post-college job who told me about Blurb Digital Photo Books back in 2006. Since then, I’ve created more than 60 books (most of them for our family but a few as gifts)!

Our kids love looking through their individual books and our family books, and I honestly love working on them each month.

Here’s a massive post I wrote about our Blurb Books, if you’re interested.

Favorite Routines

I love routines and have integrated many of them into my day, home, and life. However, if I had to pick just a few favorites — these would be it!

29. Family Movie Night — this tradition transpired out of COVID when we were home all day… and we’ve stuck with it for over 5 years now.

It started on Sunday nights, but now we usually do it on Saturday nights. We enjoy lots of snacky foods set out in a big charcuterie board buffet, with a second buffet for dessert foods.

30. Weekly Cleaning/Laundry Routines — There’s nothing like starting the week off with a clean home, empty laundry baskets, and full refrigerators… and that’s why I love my Monday routines of cleaning the entire house, doing all the laundry, and running errands.

During summer months, Dave and the kids help out, so it goes significantly faster.

Either way, it’s nice to know most areas of our home are getting scrubbed each week, and super nice not to worry about laundry every day.

Read more about my cleaning routines here.

31. Quitting Social Media — In 2020, I decided that I was done using social media for personal and business reasons. It was initially scary because everyone said my online business would tank. But, 5 years later, I can confidently say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time!

I still use Facebook Marketplace to find used items for our home and family, but I don’t miss any of the other aspects of social media one bit. Plus, I save SO much time and mental energy!

32. Early Bedtime Routines — In 2015, we hired a sleep consultant after James struggled to sleep well at night, and we couldn’t bear the thought of dealing with another sleepless child after 3 years with Nora!

The absolute best thing to come out of those consultations was the concept of putting our kids to bed ridiculously early (like sometimes at 6:30 pm). For many years when our children were young, Dave and I had several hours to ourselves after they went to bed. And even now, 10 years later, our kids still go to bed super early, mostly on their own accord.

Summertime is different, but during the school year, Clara willingly goes to bed before 7:00 most nights, the boys are in bed by 8:00, and Nora (our night owl) regularly asks if she can go to bed and read whenever Clara finally falls asleep.

It’s crazy, it’s amazing, and I think it’s one of the reasons our kids are almost never sick.

33. Half Birthday Celebrations — Since the very early days of having babies and toddlers, we’ve enjoyed celebrating their half birthdays with half of a cake (or half of their favorite dessert).

It takes almost zero effort for me (I made dessert regularly anyway), and everyone loves it. One more chance to celebrate each child for a few minutes after dinner!

If you don’t feel like baking, just pick up a store-bought cake, pie, or cookie cake, cut it in half, and sing “Halfy Birthday” to the special child!

34. Working From Home — I’m not sure if this is actually a routine, but I can’t share a favorite things post without sharing how much I’ve loved working from home for the last 15+ years (I was working from home even before we had kids!)

There are pros and cons to every choice, but for me and for our family, the “pros” of being self-employed outweighed the “cons” by a landslide.

It has been a joy and privilege to run this website and work for a handful of other websites from the comfort of my home office, while raising 4 children and volunteering for so many opportunities at school and church.

Kid Favorites

Although I’m not actively using all of these items anymore, here are a few of my favorite kid items from the last 14 years.

35. All MAM bottles, sippies, and pacifiers — after trying numerous brands and styles of pacifiers, cups, bottles, etc. we found MAM… and we never looked back! I now keep several packages of pacifiers in our gift closet to give to anyone having a new baby. We love MAM products!

36. BabyBjorn Bouncer — These bouncers were the best. At one time, I had 3 of them because kids can use them until they are 5-6 years old.

This bouncer, our high chair, and a few board books are the only things I saved from our babies because it folds up super flat and is so handy for tiny babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers. Side note: I purchased mine for $40 on Marketplace!

37. TinyHiney Potty Seat — These seats were the best, easiest, and cleanest way for us to potty train our 4 kiddos. We still actually have 2 toilets with these fold-down seats for younger cousins and friends.

They take up zero extra room, they are so easy to clean, and they work well. Plus, they look a lot nicer than any other child’s potty seat I’ve ever seen.

38. Bold & Easy Coloring Books — these are the best coloring books for young kids (and honestly, they are fun for adults too). I love the big, bold pictures and the huge variety of themed books to choose from. I have a small stack of these in our craft cabinet and they still regularly get brought out when the kids just want to color.

39. Foaming Hand Soap — I switched to foaming hand soap when we potty trained Nora and she had to learn to wash her own hands. It was SO much easier, and wasted significantly less soap.

We actually still use foaming hand soap in our kids’ bathroom because it’s what they prefer, and it’s a really great way to stretch one regular bottle of hand soap. Get my DIY foaming handsoap recipe here.

40. Keekaroo Height Right Chairs — These chairs are so fantastic as they grow with your child from about 6 months through 6 years (and beyond). We actually had 3 chairs at one point because our kids were so close in age and they all loved sitting in them.

The seat and footrest were both adjustable, so we could fit the chair to each child, making it much easier for them to get in and out by themselves AND sit still during meal times because their feet had something to rest on.