winning endorsement

i made a list recently of the products i am currently loving. as luck would have it...i cannot find the list. anywho...maybe i still have enough brain cells left to recreate it. i'm giving it my best shot.

microplane zester/grater
if you don't have one of these puppies, run - don't walk - to get one. jessica had an extra somehow and i was the lucky recipient of said extra. i am in LOVE with the thing. it is easy to use and grates everything from hard cheese to soft cheese to lemon to cinnamon. as you can see it only costs $9.99 but it works like it costs $999.99.

aqua globes
this "AMAZING, AS SEEN ON TV" product is another gem. oddly enough it's best saleswoman is a 4.5 year old girl named lily. lily saw the commerical one day and became an immediate true believer. she encouraged her mother, heather, to go out and buy them right away even though they don't have any houseplants. she's also encouraged me to get them and given me the entire sales pitch. well, way to go lily, because i bought it hook, line and sinker. when i moved the plants inside for winter my biggest dread was keeping them wet. well, well, well...no need to worry. the aqua globe does that for you. laugh if you will but they work and they are awesome. and, honestly, i think they are kind of cool looking. in fact, i like them so much that i bought 4 and plan to add at least 2 to that collection. a tip that the makers of aqua globe don't share. the plant you put the aqua globe in should have fairly damp soil when you insert the globe. otherwise the plant sucks all the water out of the globe in one day and you are back to watering all the time...or filling the globe all time. lesson learned the hard way. if you love your plants but hate watering them, aqua globes are for you.

clorox anywhere hardsurface
if you have 3 pets and a little boy this is a no brainer. if you live alone this is a no brainer. watered down bleach that won't hurt anyone but kills 99.9% of all bacteria...no brainer.

wholly guacamole 100 calorie snackpack
guacamole in a 100 calorie snackpack? nothing more to say... i know you're thinking that it probably isn't much guac but, surprisingly, it is enough for two sandwiches or a decent helping of chips. yummy and easy.

maidenform hip fit cotton boyshorts
my friend amy swears by these. she made me buy a pair while we were out shopping during her visit last january. i resisted but bought just one pair. she was right about everything - comfortable, no panty lines, all cotton for breathing, etc. i have since purchased 5 additional pair and look forward to slowly converting all my underwear to these. woo hoo amy! (they are $9/pair in department stores...you can find them on the net at places like barenecessities.com (my fave) for much less.)

so there you have it. if you find yourself with time to grate some fresh lime zest into your guacmole while wearing your boyshorts... time you only have because the house is 99.9% bacteria free and the plants are watered...think of me.

appetite pleasin'

oh ranch style beans...how i love you. let me count the ways:

1. oooey
2. gooey
3. spicy
4. thick
5. bean-y
6. delicious
7. stylish

about a month ago i used the last can of a case that lasted exactly one year. i was stingy with the beans but once used 2 cans (!!!) in a kooky casserole i made when i was preg. because they are not available in the stores here lindsey and i drove a case from texas to new jersey last summer. having a whole case to myself was fabulous and so much better than bringing back a can or two in my suitcase. yum. if you've never eaten ranch style beans it's very difficult to explain what all the fuss is about. they are unlike any bean i know and the best way to describe them is to borrow from the can which describes them as appetite pleasin'.

i was feeling so sad to have eaten the last of the beans that i photographed the last can before we ate them. luckily my aunt becky loves me very much and felt so sorry for me that she sent me not one, but TWO, cases of RSBs for my birthday!!! people, in case the math escapes you, that is 48 CANS! yeehaw!

thanks, beck, for the beans. what an unexpected and delightful gift. i promise not to use them all at once...and if i do, i promise to stand down-wind.

product ho

i am a product lover. i am not myopic enough to limit my love to one type of products either. i love them all. beauty, cleaning, food, gadgets, baby (a whole new world!), office, animal and on and on. perhaps more than the products themselves i love to endorse them. i should've (could've...would've) been in advertising. here are some products i am using these days that are worth sharing:

clorox greenworks
genius! i love this stuff. it cleans well, smells good and is safe for people and pets. i use the multi-purpose cleaner, toliet bowl cleaner and glass cleaner. it feels good to clean with products that aren't only easy on the environment but on the nose hairs as well.

burt's bees creamy cleanser & witch hazel
i have spent many years trying to find products that clean my face, keep it smooth and moist without making it greasy and, most of all, don't cause me to breakout! this winter i had a facial at a very fancy spa (thanks ned!) and was told by the woman that gave it to me that you didn't need to spend a lot of money to get good results. she suggested this burt's bees cleanser and suggested i try using plain witch hazel (available for about 80 cents a bottle at the drug store) as a toner. she told me how important it was to use a toner and since that day i have used witch hazel after cleaning my face day and night. in my opinion, my skin looks great - better than it has in years. i use aveeno moisturizer (spf 15) during the day and burt's bees radiance nightcream at night. this little routine is not only affordable but all natural. most of all...it works!

snyder's of hanover multi-grain cheese puffs
snyder's is expanding their snack food line beyond pretzels and they are doing it the healthy way. their new line of multi-grain chips is great! best of all there is no trans-fat and most have a hearty amount of protein. wil and i especially love the white cheddar cheese puffs. try some today!

lipton cold brew iced tea
genius! this isn't exactly new to the market but there is nothing better on a hot summer day than a huge glass of iced tea and this makes that possible in minutes. yum!

pledge multi-surface
carry only one product from room to room...fabulous and soooo worth it. works great too!

atlas garden gloves
when tia came to help me do my perennial garden she bought a pair of these. we both got tickled because we thought they were cheap and thin and, more than likely, a waste of money. well, turns out they rock. i purchased a pair this weekend and love them. they are thin, yes, but that is what makes them so great. you can actually feel what you are doing with your plants and getting in those hard to reach spots is so much easier than wearing a bulkier glove. they also don't take on any water and wash off easily. if the glove fits....

i could go on and on....maybe i'll do this again sometime.