Five Favorites: Helpful & Happy (01-15-14)




Today, I'm linking up with Hallie at Moxie Wife for Five Favorites since I have a few odds and ends that don't really need their own individual posts:


1.  Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner



Picture from http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Conditioner-Peppermint-Eucalyptus/dp/B002LMNJDA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389756745&sr=8-1&keywords=trader+joe%27s+conditioner


My youngest daughter has beautiful blonde curls.   If you've ever tried to comb--even finger comb--through gorgeous curls, you'll know why I spend more on hair products for her than I do for myself and I'm always on the lookout for good detangling and styling products.  




Recently, I read a few reviews for this conditioner from Trader Joe.   It is FABULOUS!   It leaves Clare's hair soft and loosens the curls a bit so it is easier to finger-comb or brush her hair.   She even wakes up with soft, non-frizzy hair!   All the females in our house are using this conditioner now.   I also read somewhere that lice do not like the peppermint extract in the this conditioner.   For a school-age child, that can only be a plus.   We'll stock up on this next time we head to Houston.


2. The Bitter Southerner

This on-line magazine makes me look forward to Tuesday mornings.   Every Tuesday is Bitter Tuesday when a new article is published.   These are beautifully written articles, gorgeous photo essays, and reflections which represent the complicated south of today.   No clichés, no overuse of y'all, no anthems, just real stories about real people and you can subscribe to read more each week.   This week's story about The Southern Foodways Alliance was terrific.

From the "About" section:

But there is another South, the one that we know: a South that is full of people who do things that honor genuinely honorable traditions. Drinking. Cooking. Reading. Writing. Singing. Playing. Making things. It's also full of people who face our region's contradictions and are determined to throw our dishonorable traditions out the window. The Bitter Southerner is here for Southern people who do cool things, smart things, things that change the whole world, or just a few minds at a time.
The world knows too little about these people, which is, alas, another reason to be bitter. But it prompted us to create The Bitter Southerner™.



3. My Boots

I've posted pictures of these pretties before, but that was just my post-purchase euphoria over them.   They were a very early 40th Birthday present for me and I've felt a bit guilty about the price for a while.   I've owned several pairs of boots in my life, but they were all bargains.   I no longer feel so guilty about this purchase, though.   Trying on over twenty pairs of boots paid off because these have become a go-to choice since my back pain has flared.    A good pair of boots is supposed to be one of the best things you can wear and I'm thankful for these right now.   And yes, they're pretty, too!







4. Good Neighbors/The Good Life

This British sitcom, now on Amazon Prime Video, is pure 1970s.   The kids even like watching it.   Tom and Barbara Goode decide to leave the rat-race and practice self-sufficiency on their suburban lot.   Tom quits his job, they buy chickens and a goat, and turn their front and back gardens into vegetable and fruit plots.   Their posh neighbors, Jerry and Margo, are their best friends, but not always overjoyed with this new lifestyle right next door.   I don't know; this show just makes me smile.   It also makes me want to build a chicken coop and buy a tiller.   And I probably have a bit of a crush on the late Paul Eddington, who also starred in the classics Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.





5. Wrapping Paper Storage

I'd like to know how much wrapping paper normal people usually own.   My mother owned many, many rolls of Hallmark wrapping paper.   We bought rolls after Christmas each year when they went half-price.   This year, I wrapped one of Emmeline's gifts in Raggedy Anne paper from a roll that Mama used to wrap my presents when I was a little girl.  




Mama owned four of the plastic paper organizers shown below.   We kept two of them and they are full, with smaller rolls inside larger ones.  





This week, I found this great idea on Pinterest from Practically Martha.   I emptied all but three rolls of one of those plastic bins into one hanging garment bag!   I can't wait to hang the rest of the rolls.   I think I've justified about an hour of Pinterest time with that.







Check out more Five Favorites at Hallie's site!

Comments

  1. Jen M15 January 2014 at 06:27

    LOVE your boots and that Pinterest idea is terrific! My mom still has rolls and rolls and rolls of gift wrap. She buys it after the holidays on clearance but it's still out of control. On the other hand, I had to buy gift wrap at Christmas because I didn't have a spare roll in the closet. Now I'm thinking "why didn't I go raid her gift wrap stash?" :)

    ReplyDelete

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