I thought it would be fun to share a few of my recent favorite things. Like Oprah, minus the whole giving you a car and making you pay the taxes. (You're welcome.) I did a periscope on this topic a little bit ago, you can find a video of that broadcast at the bottom of this post.
Keeping with the ideas behind 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS, I try to be mindful of what I'm spending and what is coming into our home. These are things I've had for a while, have used a lot, and would buy again if I didn't have them.
Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens:
If you enjoy taking pictures with a dSLR camera, I highly recommend this lens. The wider lens is great for taking pictures from farther back (like your moving kids, your home, landscapes), and also has a lower aperture, meaning you'll get that great blur behind your subject. I like this for taking photos of my kids, family, home, and pretty much everything.
Many bloggers use a 50mm f/ 1.8 lens (the "nifty fifty"), which is great for food, crafts, or up close pictures. I still like that lens, but this one now lives on my camera 98% of the time.
And you can't beat the price!
If you have a Nikon camera, prices go up a little bit. Here are equivalents for those lenses: 24mm f/ 2.8 lens and 50 mm f/ 1.8 lens
Honey Honey Skin Stick:
My friend Jamie sent me this skin stick recently and I am in love. My skin and lips get super dry this time of year, this has been like a miracle worker. I like that it's a stick I can grab and bring with me. I also have psoriasis on my elbows, knee, and legs which can be embarrassing. This has helped soften the area and some of my spots have cleared up.
Instax Share Portable Smartphone Printer:
I'd consider this printer a bit of a splurge, but I'm really happy we got it. It prints Polaroid-like pictures, but instead of using a camera, you can take them with your phone, make sure they're good pictures, edit them, and THEN print.
The way it works is it sends out a wireless signal to your phone and you print pictures directly to this printer from your phone. How cool is that?!
I used it when making our Christmas tree this year, the tree was filled with photos from the year before. After Christmas, I've taken the pictures and hung them up around our home.
The printer by itself: printer only.
The printer with a 50 pack of film: printer + film packs.
Film packs are sold in packs of 10, but you can save with this pack with 60 pictures. I also get these at Michaels with a 50% off regular priced item coupon!
Legging Tee, Aerie
If you have an Aerie or American Eagle store nearby, call and see if they have them in your size. It looks like most are out of stock online. I took my three youngest to the stores and bought three of these t-shirts and they are amazing. Soft, covers your bottom area, and it's loose enough that it's not clinging to things that don't need clinging. The sizing is pretty true to size.
Lately, I don't know what it is but I really dread going into stores with my three youngest. I am so, so, so happy I went to the store with them and got these. Which says something. 🙂
Parenting with Grace: The Catholic Parent's Guide to Raising (Almost) Perfect Kids
Regardless of the title, I think you will enjoy it even if you aren't Catholic. I'm a few chapters into this book right now, but it is really hitting home. I'd say the best way to describe it is a faith-based version of Attachment Parenting. In fact, Bill and Martha Sears wrote the introduction in this book.
If you'd like a little summary of the first chapter, Sarah at Memories at Clover Lane has written one for her reference. It's what prompted me to check the book out. 🙂
Other items mentioned (which I don't have links for):
- Blank books! We are bringing these on an upcoming spring break trip. Michaels has them in the section near the Crayolas, they were a few dollars for 3-6 books and also came in hardcover.
- Clothesline + clothespins. So simple, right? I've been hanging these around our home and displaying pictures on them.
- Twistable Colored Pencils. We're bringing these on our trip too, hoping to avoid melted crayons.
And if you'd like,
here's a recent Periscope I did talking about (and showing) all of these things. Enjoy! 🙂
Do you have any recent favorites?
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