Sometimes, I see eyes glazing over when I tell people about my favorite purchases.
It may be because, when I love something, I essentially become its pimp until my friends and family buy it just to stop the repetitive “did you get it?” texts coming from my phone.
These are some of those things.
If you love to read … shop Atmosphere Press!
Okay, yes, I’m partial. But only because, after endless research, I chose Atmosphere Press to publish my book. It has been an amazing experience with a top-notch team. Atmosphere Press was one of the few boutique publishers that actually read my manuscript before offering me a partnership.
In other words, they aim to produce great work rather than simply offering to publish anyone who will send them a check. If you are looking for a new place to purchase your next favorite book, take a peek!
Great gifts for you. Or, I suppose, someone you love.
Buy Storyworth for your family. Or friends. Or yourself.
Or, as I love to call it, StoryWORTH every penny! I bought this for my parents in an I need a present and I’m out of ideas panic purchase in 2021. It has been worth every small penny.
Storyworth sends questions to the recipient at a frequency of your choosing. The recipient sends back their responses and, in the end, a bound book is created filled with stories. It is a perfect way to nab all those narratives that may be forgotten should they not be put on paper.
You can read more about it in my blog here
Subscribe to Universal Yums.
This was a late-night insomnia purchase that has turned into our favorite family dinners. Each month a box of international goodies arrives at our house and we take it from there. Probably too far. I do buy decorations and plan a menu representative of whatever country or region the Universal Yums box is celebrating.
Added bonus? Our kids love it. Also, our kids are teens. Getting them invested in a long dinner has been amazing.
For those going through “The Change”
Look, I’m not too proud to talk about hot flashes, mood swings, or how my lowest menopausal moment was when my husband discovered me curled around our tower fan, naked, next to the bed while weeping. Okay, maybe I should have thrown up a “TMI Alert.”
It is what it is ladies and here are some helpful tools to get through it.
Buy this AKC Cooling Mat
Wait, aren’t pet things in a different section?
No, I know. Technically, it is for pets. Do you know what else it’s great for? Sleeping through the night when you’re of a certain age. Put it between your mattress and your fitted sheet. You will sleep much better with “lukewarm” flashes rather than pure hot ones.
Black Cohosh? Yes, please!
I am not a doctor. I am just a girl, standing in front of a boy, hoping not to break out in a fiery sweat. Black Cohosh is a supplement that absolutely alleviates my hot flashes. I started out taking two tablets a day but now typically take one. What I like is that you can take up to three tablets a day, so if it’s one of those weeks of lava-like symptoms, I can add one to my pill container.
From the interwebs: “Black Cohosh has been traditionally used by Native Americans for hundreds of years for women’s health and menopause support.” I have to agree.
For Your Pets
Buy this Tomahauk Snuffle Mat for your doggies
My goodness, our dogs love this thing. Well, one dog loves it – the other just follows along.
Neither of our dogs are speed eaters. Neither have a high level of interest in food. Did I say “high?” Hardly any is more like it. Well, kind of. One of our doodles stresses about the availability of food though not because she wants to eat it. It’s more one of those “hey, just need to know the fridge is stocked” situation.
Anxiety, anyone?
We bought her a Snuffle Mat as we found that putting her food in a project encourages her to eat. It also seems to decrease her stress levels and is a great distraction when Amazon is delivering.
We then bought a second because her sister felt like they should share. Of course, I went with a cheaper version on round two and it fell apart quickly. Stick with the Tomahuak.
Treat your dog to Nutramax Dasuquin
I do hate that our nine-year-old doodle is showing signs of wear.
A friend suggested Dasuquin for her as a joint supplement and we absolutely saw a difference in less than a month. I’d say she has, too, as she is back to frolicking – ears back, tongue out and tail wagging – without a worry in the world.
Also, I am not a vet.
Use the PetLibro to real in those overeaters
So, funny story – all of our pets (dogs and cats) are grazers. It’s actually amazing to have a life of leisure when it comes to feeding. I should know, I once owned a beagle with an internal clock that sent her dancing 23.24 minutes prior to meal time.
All that being said, one of our cats was diagnosed with Diabetes. Major changes commenced including the removal of the catillion’s self-feeder. It wasn’t that they were overdoing it – but we needed a way to monitor intake. We started with a basic automatic feeder and quickly upgraded to this automagic one because there are never too many whistles and bells when it comes to our furry friends.
Does this make us sound like lazy pet owners? Guilty.
For pet shouldn’t mingle … Neobay Pet Door Latch
Throw away the baby gates! Unless you have a Ph.D., then you can have my baby gate as well.
This zero assembly door latch hooks around the knob and into the strike plate keeping the door open just enough for our cats to slip through and not our dogs. Because my husband likes to collect strays (sigh), this is great for keeping them separate without having to pole vault over a baby gate. Also amazing for the litter box room or anywhere else you’d love to keep the dogs from.
For reference, our largest cat is 19lbs (don’t judge) and our smallest dog is 55 lbs.
Okay, fine. A LickMat for the cats.
Yeah, we have a cat with diabetes. It turns out, he wasn’t big-boned. Before he can have his twice-daily insulin dose, he must eat … but he really doesn’t like to eat when it’s not his idea.
Enter this lick mat. For some reason, having an activity motivates him.
For Your Kitchen
Cosori Pro Air Fryer Oven Combo
I had been fooling myself into believing that my Toaster Oven Air Fryer combo was enough to call myself an Air Fryer person. It was not. I should have known it was not because I often said, “I don’t get the big deal.”
It took my 84-year-old father to show me the error of my ways via several meals served from his own Cosori. This is the one we both have – I know there are other options but as I have not personally used them, I will not post those links. However, let me know if you’d like a link to an alternate version.
Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1
Admittedly, I hopped on this bandwagon much later than most. Holy hell, this bandwagon is delicious. We have yet to make a bad meal out of this. I may throw out my stove/oven and just start a life that only requires my Instant Pot and Air Fryer.
Instant Pot Fast & Easy Cookbook
Great starter cookbook. I do also go to the Tasty App quite frequently.