My Favorite Things

Summer Edition!

Well, summer has come and gone once again, but at least we still have the memories. And the products that captured our hearts while the heat shimmered and the days gloriously passed us by. Although we Smiths had an admittingly casual summer, we nonetheless found ample things to make us smile. Observe:

(1) If you know me at all, you know I love food. All types. All flavors. All but shrimp. Anyhow, I discovered Tastsefully Simple products this summer, and I was hooked. My cousin, mother, and myself all hosted parties and garnered delicious and easy products to help us cook. Again, if you know me, you know I need help in that department. ;) Problem solved.

(2) As previously mentioned, Ava recently started kindergarten, and I wanted her to have a nice back-to-school pair of shoes. Her choice? These Sketchers Twinkle Toes. Seriously, that's her personality captured neatly in colorful design.

(3) We'd always talked about it, but never could commit, until on a whim we grabbed these double DVD players at Wal-Mart one heat-induced night. Yes, it will make our next summer trip to Disney much more bearable, but in the meantime it's helping make even shorter trips more pleasant for the whole family. Double score!

(4) Hudson is handsome. In this hat, he's a heartbreaker. Period. (Pictures to come as soon as I can get Mr. Stubborn to cooperate.)

(5) Thanks to my brother, I became a hardcore True Blood fan. But before the HBO hit came the even-more-addictive novels by Charlaine Harris. Thanks to my cousin Hannah (who let me borrow the first few books), I feel even closer to my favorite characters, human or otherworldly, and am devouring my way through the written series.

(6) Lastly, I must give a shout-out to my new laptop. I will admit that it took me awhile to adjust to this monumental change, as I was quite attached to my old, trusty one. But my new buddy is faster, sharper, and just plain prettier. Yeah, I like!