Favorite Things of 2013

Today I am a part of a "Favorite Things" blog hop hosted by my super talented friend Melissa over at 320 Sycamore. Yesterday was the first day so if you missed it, hop over to Melissa's blog to get all the links :)

If you are here from Rhoda's blog, Southern Hospitality, WELCOME! She had some fun things didn't she?

 

I am so excited to share with you some of my favorite finds from 2013. I had a very hard time narrowing it down to 10 and they may seem pretty random, but here you go!

1. Cold Stone Chocolate Bars

My good friends at Utah Truffles were asked to produce chocolate bars for Cold Stone Creamery. If you aren't familiar with Cold Stone, they are only the best ice cream parlors ever. So next time you are in a Cold Stone, pick up some Chocolate bars! They rolled out this summer and may not be in all stores yet. You can also get them online in 12 bar boxes (mix and match 5 different flavors). The mint bars (just like with the Utah Truffles) are my favorite!

 

2. PaintStick by HomeRight

As a DIYer I paint a lot. Not just my house, but other people's homes as well. I got to review the EZ Twist PaintStick from HomeRight earlier this year and fell in love. It is so handy and helps paints walls quickly. My favorite part is not having to worry if you are going to knock over or step into a paint tray.

 

 

3. IKEA BYHOLMA baskets

I adore these and have them scattered all over my home. They are brownish grey so they work in my rooms that have warm tones and my rooms that have cool tones. I have all the sizes and the best part is this is one of the IKEA items you can purchase online. So even if you don't have a store close to you, you can order them.

 

 

4. eos Organic Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

I got several of these in my swag bag at the Better Homes and Gardens event that was in NYC this fall. I had never heard of them before. But it didn't take me long to become addicted. Not only do I love the lip balm, but the size and shape make it easy to find at the bottom of my purse. They were make an excellent stocking stuffer!

 

5. Gorilla Clear Repair Tape

This is my new favorite tape. It is airtight, temperature resistant, weatherproof, UV resistant, and you can tear it by hand. You can basically fix anything. I have used it to fix a broken door shelf in my fridge, broken spines on books, some inflatable tubes, and some toys. It basically rocks my socks. Speaking of socks, it would also make a great stocking stuffer :)

***UPDATE*** Apparently it is so new that it has not hit stores yet. You can buy it on Amazon or get a 6 pack on Home Depot.com.

 

 

6. Ryobi JobPlus Multi Tool

This is one of the newest additions to my tool family.  It includes a multi-tool attachment head that cuts drywall, metal, wood, plastic, composite and many other materials; it also sands the finest details.You can also use accessories from most other brands with the included universal adaptor. I felt like a little kid when I got it and wanted to sleep with it like my kids do when they get a new toy.

 

 

 

7. SnapSeed app

I learned about this app when I was at the blogging conference called SNAP! this spring. It changed my instagram world, people! It is like having photoshop on your phone. And it is quick and easy to do. Even the best phone can take pictures that are too dark or that don't show exactly how colorful something really is. So this app lets you fix the picture.

This is a picture I took up the canyon this fall. It was near sunset so there was the light blue cast you get at that time of day (or in shadows). The picture turned out lifeless even though in real life it was stunningly colorful and bright. I used a few options in the app to make it look more like it was suppose to look. I tell everyone I meet about this app. I get excited about it. So if you guys wan a full tutorial, let me know and I can write one up :)

 

 

8. Downy Unstoppables

I am a smell person. I am always concerned with how my home smells and how I smell. And I live with five boys..... So anytime I can do something to make my world smell better, I am all over it! No laundry in my house lasts 12 weeks in the closet, so I am not sure if it really stays fresh for that long like it claims, but it does make our clothes smell amazing for a long time! This is my favorite scent.

 

 

 

9. Moroccan Oil

My sister has a hair salon and she is the one who got me hooked on Moroccan Oil Hair Treatment  for my hair. I don't use it every day but when my hair seems extra dry or has static I will use it. Or if I have an event to go to and want to make sure my hair is extra pretty and shiny. A little goes a long way so only use a tiny bit.

 

 

10. Calhoon Light 

When I decorated my family room I made almost everything (furniture included). But the one thing I splurged on was a pair of these Calhoon lights from Pottery Barn. I did wait until their lighting sale and got a good deal on them, but it was more than I normally would have spent on lights. I ADORE them and I get comments on them from everyone who comes over.

Now that you have seen my favorite things, hop on over to Brooke's blog, All Things Thrifty, and see what fun things she picked :)