At this time of year a lot of people put out holiday wish lists. We did it over at Chic Critique and I’ve seen countless ones go up in the last few days. Here, I decided in the spirit of Thanks, instead of wishes I’d write an I’m glad I have it list. Just for the sake of truth, I either bought or was handed down all but one of the items below so as always these opinions are mine and not influenced in any way.
Here we go:
The Traveling Circus Reviews’ I love it so Much You Will Too Holiday List 2010
- Hamilton Beach Brew Station Coffee Maker
: I went in search of a thermal coffee pot again after breaking my fourth glass carafe. I figured thermal would be more cost effective than continuing to replace glass. When my shopping partner and I stumbled on this, we fell in love with the idea of a fresh cup of coffee at any time of day. The coffee is hot for The Husband who leaves the house when it’s still dark and for me when I finally get to coffee (usually 10 in the morning) after shuttling to and fro. Genius! And at a price that’s cheaper than most thermal versions, it’s a two-fer!
- Breadman Breadmaker
: Now this was a hand me down from my sister so there are fancier versions available but I have to say mine does the trick. If you’ve read The Traveling Circus lately you are familiar with my love affair with freshly baked bread. I couldn’t do it without my Breadman.
- Barnes and Noble NOOK E-Reader: I know, I know. A year ago I went on a tirade when my husband asked for a Kindle.
I was all, “the crack of the spine, the smell of the memories, the feel of the paper between my fingers, blah, blah, blah.” Then I had to travel to California right at the time I was about to start a 500+ page book. The thought of carrying that thing through security, or even worse, having to pay extra because it weighed down my checked luggage was enough to compel me to the book store. You’ll notice I’m using Amazon links for most of my list and I will say my husband loves his Kindle. But I’m a sucker for the Barnes and Noble’s Marketing and thus, their product. (It didn’t hurt that they were the cheapest at the time either.) They aimed their ads at people like me-readers who love the book almost as much as the story. The didn’t go after techies but instead to those of us who want our book friends with us everywhere. They sold me and now I can’t imagine my life without my Nook. I still browse bookstores for hours on end, but then I go home and download my picks for half the cost and without the worry of where to store or donate them when I’m finished. And of course, it’s so much easier to read in bed than a 20 pound novel!
- Leggings: I mean what is there to say? I get to dress like I wish I could (in sweatpants) and still be fashionable. I love my Simply Vera version from Khols. For $20 they are the perfect length and weight. Throw them on with a long sweater and riding boots
and you’re the hippest and most comfortable mom at pickup.
- MyTouch 3G: This one I have to tell you I didn’t buy. I won this phone from TMobile, but I was already a TMobile Customer and previously purchased the G1 Phone which I was also mildly obsessed with. I have tried just about every phone short of iPhone and this one is my favorite because it does everything. I have all my contacts that I already have in Google. The data is all saved on that server, so I never lose my stuff even when I upgrade phones. I can also link my emails, (both gmail and Yahoo!) my calendar and there are apps for tracking my food intake, exercise, budget, coupons and grocery lists as well as music for me and games to keep the kids occupied during doctor’s appointments. And of course, I have access to Twitter 24 hours a day! It’s amazing. It acts like a computer in all ways except the obnoxious freezing and shutting down. It rivals the bread maker for the love of my life.
There you go-products I love that you should wish for! Tomorrow I’ll do a kid version so check back to update those holiday shopping lists. I listed links here for you to check products out, but I will say don’t forget FreeCycle, ebay Classifieds and Craigslist as places to look first. Because, for every one of me that loves these things, there are at least 5 people who are ready to get rid of theirs. You’ll save yourself some dough and save the earth from one more Breadman in the landfill!
Happy Holidays!
