A Few Of My Favorite Things {September 2018}

A day off from work and school for Labor Day is one of Dave’s favorite things about starting school before this holiday weekend. It’s such a nice little break after the first couple weeks of school. And seriously, how is it September already!?!?!?!?!

Today I’m sharing a few more of my favorite things!

Oh, and some of you early-risers  might notice that I published this post at 6:01 instead of 8:01. Now that Dave and I are waking up SO much earlier, I decided that I would bump up the publish time of my posts as well!

DISCLOSURE: None of these products are sponsored; however, some of the links below are affiliate links — which means that at no cost to you, I may get a small commission. Please know that I use these products daily in my own home and life. Read my full disclosure policy for more information.

Also, check out my Amazon Market for all my favorite things.

Flip-Top Spice Jar Lids

Last spring, I shared a post about how I store and organize my spices…. and one thing I noticed after writing that post, was that almost every single one of my spices are in jars with flip-top lids.

This might not seem like a big deal, and it might actually be a negative for some of you, but considering the fact that I rarely ever measure my spices and seasonings, it’s SO much nicer to have a flip top lid that I can simply flip open, sprinkle into my food, and flip closed again.

I can even manage the whole process one-handed, while my other arm holds a baby!

I like the flip-top lids so much more than any other style that I actually save those spice jars and refill them.

For example, the Meijer and McCormick brands almost always have flip-top lids — so I buy those brands first, then save the containers and refill with larger bottles from Costco or Penzey’s spices.

Transferring spices might sound like a silly waste of time, but given the number of times I use our spices on a DAILIY basis, the flip-top lid is a game-changer for me (and worth the effort to transfer!)

If you prefer to have all matching spice jars, these are the jars I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. They have the convenient flip-top lid with a sprinkle option AND a scoop option. Plus, they are square, so they will hold more than round jars.

.

Sturdy Travel Neck Pillow

Although Dave and I hardly ever travel anywhere, I have a fantastic neck pillow that I use almost every single day… and although it’s getting old and ratty, it’s still one of my favorite things!

I keep the neck pillow in the nursery and use it whenever I feed babies (especially in the middle of the night).

I just hook the pillow over the armrest of the chair so it’s always ready the next time I sit down with the baby. I also use it to keep track of what side I should start nursing on (especially helpful in the middle of the night when I can’t remember anything).

Oh, and I mention a “sturdy” neck pillow because the pillows with the little styrofoam beans/balls in them aren’t sturdy enough to hold my head up. The beans just squish to the side and my neck isn’t supported.

.

The Second Coat of Paint

Anyone who has ever painted anything can most likely attest to how glorious it is to paint a second coat of paint over a first coat.

The first coat takes SOOOOOOO much longer and requires much more precision. However, when you get to the 2nd coat, it almost feels like I can slap it on as quickly as possible and it instantly looks 100 times better.

p.s. The new half-bath off our kitchen is FINISHED (mostly!) I shared a few pictures and a brief update last week! I’m working on the last few finishing touches… and then I’ll hopefully be sharing a full before/after post with lots more pictures SOON!!!

.

All-In-One Cross-Body Wristlet

Several years ago, I shared my Vera Bradly Wristlet wallet in my Favorite Things post — and it truly was one of my favorite things for many, many years.

However, this past winter, I decided I wanted a bigger wristlet so it could accommodate a smart phone. I used a little of my Christmas gift money and “splurged” on a Vera Bradly All-In-One Crossbody / Wristlet.

I’ve been using it for roughly 7 months now… and although it seemed big at first, I absolutely LOVE it!

I can wear it across my body when I want to be hands-free, or I can wear it as a wristlet.

winter… infant baby… wearing all black and grey… crossbody bag (photo credit: Dave)

summer… bigger baby… wearing all black and grey… wristlet (photo credit Nora)

It easily accommodates my phone, gum, chapstick, a pen, a few coupons, bandages, Smarties, and of course, my money and various cards. It’s the perfect wallet/wristlet/purse for me right now — especially since it fits nicely into any of our various diaper bags.

.

A Super Long Driveway

One of our requirements when shopping for our “dream house” was that it was set back off the road a ways with a nice long driveway for kids to play in… and that’s just what we got!

Our kids (and our friends’ kids and our neighbors’ kids) thoroughly enjoy every square inch of our driveway on a daily basis. It’s THE place to ride bikes and scooters, roller blade, do chalk, etc. and there’s no worry that the kids will get too close to the road or another car will back out of a driveway.

We just have to remind ourselves how much we LOVE our long driveway when we’re shoveling the snow! 🙂

Don’t feel too badly for us though… we have plow service that gets most of the snow!

.

That’s all for me this month.

Check out my previous months’ favorite things — and feel free to share some of YOUR favorite things in the comments below!