10 Things I Can’t Live Without: Freckles Chick

I have been a fan of Freckles Chick for quite some time now. Her bargain finds and fabulous do-it-yourself projects are a huge inspiration. She has a great eye for style and she knows how to spot a great deal!

 

1. Our furry monster Hiro. Aka the Hairy Bastard. Other petowners will understand when I say that this dude brings so much indescribable joy to our lives. He makes us laugh, immensely proud, more fit (hello, hikes & walks). He's our baby. He's our family. P.S. Is it sick that I didn't list my husband or family as #1? Of course, no list is worthy of how much they mean to me. :::good save, FC:::

2. Texting. For my job, I'm on the phone sometimes 10 hrs/day with patients & clients. By day's end, the last thing I want to do is talk on the phone, so texting it is. It's the Cliffs Notes of phone conversations. (Rest assured, I never ever text while driving.) While my husband and my friends all own fancy phones that can govern a small country, I'm perfectly content with my humble little phone with no bells and whistles. You know that scene in the first Sex & the City movie when Samantha hands Carrie her iPhone so she can find out where the hell Big is and Carrie was all "Yeah no, I can't use this thing."? That's me. Confession: I do have to resist the urge to proofread texts for grammatical errors.

 3. Coffee/French press. Must have my coffee. A cup of French-pressed coffee is amazing. We own this one. Put good coffee grounds in the carafe with hot water (we prefer the glass carafe--no BPA's), slowly press down the plunger, and voilà! Because there's no paper filter in the way to trap all that essential bean goodness, the result is so much richer and aromatic. A Sunday morning on our patio, a cup of this in hand, and the world sort of melts away. We even take it on camping trips.

 4. Down comforter. Living in Colorado, it can be summer & winter all in one week. Of course I'm always cold at night, so I can't live without our Ralph Lauren down comforter. We've had it for 6 yrs. I never knew such blissful warmth existed (natural down regulates the warmth of those underneath it, thus keeping everything from becoming too warm). This lofty thing is in full rotation all year-round for us.

5. Scarves. How I love these suckers. Seasons don't matter to me when it comes to scarves. I don't spend much time putting together outfits, so a scarf is my simple go-to for a pop of color & texture. There's possibly tons more in a storage box in my closet. I have a problem.

6. My best girlfriends. Aside from the Husband, my girlfriends provide me with a support system unlike any other. I can rely on them for blunt or tactful honesty, glorious insight, and endless inspiration. All laced with an understanding and an energy you just can't get from dudes. They're better than therapy, indeed. Which leads me to my next item.........

7. Wine/Wine vac. It's how I unwind after a long day. Contrary to popular belief, I do not go thru a bottle every night (hush, peanut gallery). My father-in-law gave me one of these not too long ago and I wonder how I ever got by without it. It's a simple pump that sucks most of the air out of the bottle, thus allowing the wine to retain most of its true taste and last longer once opened. So there's no rush to drink a bottle ASAP by myself. Wine vac, my liver thanks you.

8. Soymilk. I'm really lactose-intolerant. I'll spare you the details. I'm doing myself & everyone around me a favor by sticking to the lactose-free deliciousness that is soymilk. Hey, you're welcome!

9. Burt's Bees replenishing lip balm (w/ pomegranate oil). I've got plump lips (They're not fat, they're just big-boned!). Colorado's got a crazy-dry climate. I haven't found a lip balm better than this. I LOVE the pomegranate oil for how it adds a different realm of moisture without being waxy or sticky. Burt, my lips thank you.

10. My day planner. I'm a list maker, an organizer, a control-freak. I've tried fancy computer/phone calendars but by the time I figured out how to input the event, it's already passed me by. Nothing works better for me than the old-fashioned way of putting pen to paper. It is so satisfying to cross an item off a list. My planner is my organized chaos, the method to my madness, the calm to the craziness jostling around in my head.

Thank you for letting me share my life's "have-to-haves" with you all. How fun was this brilliant series?!

As always, a heartfelt thank you to the inspiring & lovely Paloma for this opportunity!