Favorite Things Friday (on a Monday)

I felt inspired to do a Favorite Things Friday post, so even though it's Monday, here are ten(ish) things that I'm loving these days.

1. Bean-B-Clean Baby Scalp Massaging Brush for Cradle Cap and Bella B Gone Cradle Cap Foaming Shampoo. Cradle cap is a common condition that causes scaly, crusty patches on an infant's head -- kinda like severe baby dandruff. Bean had it, and I tried in vain to get rid of it with vegetable oil and shampoo. The doctor assured me he would grow out of it, and he did, but it took forever. There may even be a couple of tiny patches still under Bean's hair today. The good news is that cradle cap is not itchy or otherwise annoying for the baby; but it is, however, annoying for the new mom who wants to take care of her perfect little one. Nix was spared from cradle cap, but my poor Gax had a pretty good case. This time I turned to the expert on all things -- Dr. Amazon.com -- for some new advice. I ended up buying this special brush and shampoo. I followed the directions diligently, and in just a few days, there was a HUGE improvement. Within two weeks I would say it was virtually gone. I mostly credit the brush, but I used the shampoo as well so I want to give that props too. Well done yet again, Amazon.com. Well done.


2. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. If you have ever met my Mom or have seen her in pictures on my blog, you understand why I take her advice on skin care products immediately and without question. People often mistake her for my sister or the mother of the twins when we go out. She recently revamped my skin care regimen, and I am thrilled with the results. I wash my face only once a day now -- at bedtime -- and I use this deep cleansing oil. First of all, it's fun to use, because your face is dry when you start. Second, it conveniently takes off my eye make-up so I save a step (other than waterproof mascara, which I rarely wear these days anyway). And finally, my skin hasn't been this clear since I had a poster of Joey from New Kids On The Block on my bedroom wall. Love it!



3. Chez Jane Garlicky Garlic Spread. My parents discovered this recently at a local fair. We love garlic sumpthin' fierce in this house. Chez Jane has different flavors of this spread (like basil and chipotle) that are also good, but when it comes down to it, the more garlic the better. I love to spread this inside a grilled cheese sandwich, then I sprinkle garlic powder and parmesan cheese on the butter on the outside of the bread before grilling. Y-U-M!



4. Pretzel M&Ms. This one doesn't require much of an introduction. I am generally not a fan of pretzels. But shove them inside an M&M, and I'm all about it. I can polish off two giant bags in less than 48 hours. I dare you to beat that. GO!


5. Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation. I have been a loyal bareMinerals powder foundation user for years, but recently a friend of mine guilted me into going to a Mary Kay party with her. I bit back snarky remarks (except one, nobody's perfect) during the way-too-serious follow-along-with-the-products presentation, but I was pleasantly surprised by this foundation and actually purchased some. I haven't ditched my old stuff completely, but I love how quick and easy this goes on for a light yet smooth finish. Perfect for a busy mom on the go with just seconds to get ready in the morning. There, now I'm being too serious about it myself. When do I get the pink Caddy?



6. Godiva: Chocolate Lava Cake truffles and Dark Chocolate Banana Chocolixir. I couldn't decide which of these two to include for the Godiva entry, so I'm going with both. First, let me recommend that you join their rewards program, it is AWESOME. Every month you get a free truffle, among other benefits. This month, you must try their Chocolate Lava Cake truffle, part of their newest seasonal line. DH said it might be his favorite truffle EVER. I'm not willing to go that far, but it's delicious. As is their new Dark Chocolate Banana smoothie-type drink. I get it every time we are at the mall. DH and I see differently on this one -- he thinks the banana tastes too fake. But I'm the woman, who are you going to believe?





7. Keen Kids Coronado Hook & Loop shoes. Bean's summer sandals were so stinky that you could smell him across the room, and since the weather has turned crisp anyway, I decided it was time for some new fall shoes. I ordered these from Zappos on a Saturday night, and they arrived on our doorstep Monday afternoon. All with free shipping, to boot! They are just adorable on him, and super easy to slip on and off. Now he'll yell, "Mommy! Put on my Keens, please, I want to go outside!" Because nothing is cuter than a label-conscious two year old.



8. Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo. I never got a jumperoo for Bean because I've read questionable things about suspending children from their pelvis like that. (Hello Baby Bjorn...) Anyway, one fussy twin later and I couldn't hand over my $40 to Random Lady on Craigslist fast enough. Now Gax can literally spend an hour happily bouncing himself around in this thing -- often the only time he is content all day. We put him in it during our meals and we can actually eat. Not only that, but it's hilarious to watch him, hopefully I'll figure out how to post a &!$^! video soon so you can see it. I may be shelling out thousands of dollars to correct his body later, but for now, best $40 I've ever spent.



9. Lullaby: A Collection. When Bean was an infant and I was trying to develop a naptime routine, I desperately threw together a mix of smooth Sade songs and started playing those at every sleep time. Two years later and I'm still humming "This Is No Ordinary Love" when Bean goes to sleep. For the twins, I was determined to find something a bit more age appropriate. I again consulted the expert and found this CD that got rave reviews on Amazon.com. The first time I listened to it, I was kinda like, meh, it's okay. But it quickly grew on me and I am really enjoying it now. Which is saying a lot considering between both twins I am serenaded with it for about eight going-to-sleep routines per day, plus however many return-to-sleeps in the middle of the night. Luckily there are very few lyrics (in English at least) so I don't end up singing "Lovers Rock" in my head as I try to then put myself back to sleep.



10. Davines Defining Relaxing Fluid. My hair is that tragic combination of being just wavy enough not to be straight and just straight enough not to be curly. It drove me mad for years until I fell in love with the straightening iron. When I was getting my hair cut recently, I asked my stylist for a product recommendation, and she gave me this. "It's so good," she insisted, "that you won't even need to use the straightening iron." I smiled politely and nodded in complete doubt. But she was right! Although the flat iron is still a favorite, I don't have to wear a baseball cap or pony tail outside the house if I don't have time to straighten my hair in the morning, because this does a great job. And their other products are good too -- I also have a mousse that's made for wizards. Not sure what makes it magic-friendly, but abracadabra, baby!



So what is making your life better/easier/prettier these days?