My Favorite Things – Part 4

I realized that it’s been over a year and a half since my last Favorite Things post. I have no idea how time passed that quickly, but here we are, and here are my most recent favorite things:

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – Sweet mother, this stuff really works. It’s almost pointless to wear eyeshadow if you don’t own a tube. You know how after a long day your eyeshadow ends up lumped into the little creases in your eyelid (what eyeshadow is actually left, anyway)? If you put this potion on first, your eyeshadow is still exactly where you put it at the end of the day. It’s fantastic. It comes in a matte finish that dries clear, or a slightly shimmery champagne. At $18, it’s a bit pricey, but one tube lasts quite a while. I maybe buy one tube a year at Sephora.

-Kashi’s frozen vegan meals – Now, I’m not a vegan, or even a vegetarian, by any stretch of the imagination. I like cheese and ham far too much. But I am entirely in love with Kashi’s line of frozen vegan meals, like the Black Bean Mango, the Tuscan Veggie Bake (which — I’ll admit — I like to sprinkle a bit of parmesan on top of), the Veggie Medley Pocket Bread Sandwich, and (my all-time favorite), the delicious Mayan Harvest Bake with plantains, sweet potato, black beans, and kale. All of the meals are all-natural, packed with fiber from Kashi’s seven whole grains (either in pilaf, polenta, bread, or noodle form), and have a good amount of protein despite being vegan. I can find Kashi meals at pretty much any local grocery store, though I sometimes have to hunt for the vegan ones. Target usually has a good selection. They run around $4 per meal.

-Bic Grip Rollerball Pens, fine (0.7 mm) – I am a pen junkie, and this one is a long-time favorite. As Snarky’s Machine states on her office supply blog, these are “cheap, fast and out of control!” Despite being fine tipped, these have a nice, thick, even line (I avoid anything smaller than 0.7 mm like the plague — I like a good chunky line, thankyouverymuch). They’re pretty cheap — about $10-$12 for a dozen pens — and they last a long time. Love!

-Lush Butterball Bath Bombs – I’ve tried quite a few Lush bath bombs, and I always come back to the Butterball. It’s one of Lush’s least expensive bombs ($4.95 for one ball — but if you cut it into chunks it can last for 2-3 baths), but it has everything I want in a bomb — actual chunks of cocoa butter that get all melty and moisturize-y in warm bath water, and a lovely vanilla musk and ylang ylang fragrance. I never need lotion after a Butterball bath.

-This Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart – I especially love this one because so many vinaigrette recipes are really heavy on the oil — like three times as much oil as acid. I like a recipe where the acid and oil components are more balanced, and this one is great. I’ve made it 1/2 dozen times in the last 2 weeks:

-2 T of citrus juice — orange, lemon, lime, or a combination

-the zest of 1 orange, lemon, or lime

-1 T minced shallot

-1 T honey

-2 tsp. white wine vinegar

-2 T olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

You’re welcome.

-Mountain Dew Throwback – I’m almost loathe to include this because it’s a limited edition and I think it’s pretty much gone now, but oh how I have enjoyed Mountain Dew Throwback. PepsiCo has done two Throwback varieties so far — Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Both are made with real sugar instead of corn syrup, and it makes a big difference. I find that one caffeinated beverage a day keeps away headaches for me, and Mountain Dew Throwback was my drink of choice. I’m looking forward to the next Throwback that PepsiCo brings out — Crush? Mug Root Beer? 7 Up? Mmmmm.

Tell me, friends — what products are making the world a better place for you lately?

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