Happy Friday!!
Rip dear Aretha Franklin. Nothing but RESPECT.
My second son heads back to college tomorrow. He’s a busy, social man. He’s always on the go, with future plans always churning. So yesterday, I decided that I would love to have lunch with him before he goes back. (when you have four kids, one-on-one time is special and hard to come by) Early in the morning, I went into his room while he was still asleep and asked him if he would like to have lunch with me. He said, “Sounds great.” I figured I would get on his schedule before he got up, got on his phone and started planning away. So, an hour or so later, when he got up, he said, “Mom, was I having a dream or did you say something about lunch today?” LOL We did go to lunch and it was great.
Without further ado, Favorite Things Friday:
Goat’s Milk Soap Bar with Sponge from Lori’s Soap and Sponges – I live by this cute little town in Florida called Tarpon Springs. It has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the United States. Every year it has an epiphany celebration where young boys dive into the gulf searching for a cross which will bring good fortune to their families for the entire year. The town is also known for its natural sponge industry. In fact, their high school mascot is The Spongers. Anyway, the only soap we use now, are these soaps. They are infused with olive oil and they have so many wonderful scents. Coco Mango is my favorite. The soap bars are attached to a natural sponge, so the sponge works as almost an exfoliator while the soap seeps through it. I am a big believer in the little luxuries in life and these are one of those wonderful luxuries! They make my shower experience one that’s very hard to leave. You can order them online if you google Lori’s website.
Gourmet Garden Garlic Stir-In Paste – Now, I am nothing close to being a good cook, so I am sure that there are chefs out there who can do wonderful things with this stuff. I’ll tell you what we use it for, though, and I always have a tube of it in my refrigerator. We love to press our sandwiches on our George Foreman Grill (another favorite thing, for sure!). Why do sandwiches taste so much better when they are pressed? I think it infuses all of the flavors together and makes the cheese so hot and melty and delicious. Anyway, we spread some of this paste on top of the bread, before we press the sandwiches and it takes the taste sensation to a whole new level. They have a really good Ginger version, as well. These are found in the refrigerated produce area at your local grocery store.
Wild Birds Unlimited eliminator Bird Feeder – I am a nature/animal enthusiast. I love almost all animals except that I’m less than thrilled with squirrels. (sorry, squirrel lovers) This is the only bird feeder I have ever owned, that effectively stops the squirrels from draining my bank account from constantly having to buy more bird seed. The squirrely squirrels now just have to wait patiently at the bottom of the feeder, hoping that the many beautiful birds that come to our “Avian Cafe by the Lake” will drop their crumbs for them. I recommend Cole’s Blue Ribbon Blend bird feed if you want a large, colorful variety of birds to come and add a little dried meal worms (yuck, I know) if you want woodpeckers. I got my feeder at the Wild Birds Unlimited Store and I order my bird seed from Amazon.
The blog is getting more readers every day! I so appreciate your support! Feel free to add your favorites in the Comments section. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend!!!