A few of my favorite things: Mama Edition

Prior to having a child, I used to spend money on myself. Times they have certainly changed! Now every dollar I spend on myself is carefully considered, mulled over, and compared against our monthly budget. So the things I do buy for myself, I have to love. Here are my favorites that have stood the test of time:

St. Ives Apricot Scrub
I have been using this scrub since I was a teenager. I absolutely love it. It makes my skin feel very clean and smooth without irritating it, and at under $4 a pop it's not a budget buster. I have strayed from time to time (and infamously called the generic brands "crap in a tube") but I always come back!

Vera Bradley Tote in Cafe Latte
I'm a big Vera fan, and I carry my life in this bag. It goes to work with me everyday, on overnights, errands, and anywhere else I go. It's roomy and full of interior pockets to store my cell phone, keys, digital camera, toys and diapers if needed. With it's charming and stain-concealing print, flat bottom, and toggle closure, it is perfection in a tote bag.


Macbook
Once I went Mac in grad school, I never went back. I love, love, love my Macbook! Mostly because it is so user-friendly, visually appealing, and impenetrable to nasty PC viruses (virusi?). It is stellar for photo and video editing, and with a first baby in the house, I do a ton of these. I happen to have a pretty pink skin on mine which makes me love it even more for its originality. I don't need an iphone, ipod, ipad or anything else that starts with i. Just my trusty little Macbook.

Diane von Furstenberg Sunglasses

Before you go thinking I'm into labels, don't ;-) I don't own designer anything...except sunglasses. And that is only because I know somebody in the business. This is my 2011 pair and I adore them. The shape is both classic and modern, and her trademark lip motif appears on the temple. But more than this pair of artfully oversized shades, I love that DVF, whose label was huge in the 1970s and 80s, was virtually absent from the fashion scene until very recently because she took time off to raise her kids. I feel ya, Diane, I feel ya!


The Furminator

I know, I know, it sounds like something you'd see on an infomercial at 2 am. It's also not something I use on myself, but regardless, it is A.MAZING and it makes my life easier. So it deserves a spot on this list. Our bigheaded, long-haired shepherd sheds like there's no tomorrow. Trying to keep up with it is like trying to alphabetize M & Ms...you could work on it all day but you're not going to get anywhere. Thanks to a coworker of mine who lent me this little gadget, Bighead has been furminated! Imagine me and my dog enveloped by a cloud of undercoat - an entire garbage bag full. That's a garbage bag's worth of hair that's not embedded in my carpet, in my kid's mouth or stuck to my work pants.

North and South: The Miniseries
I am a total sucker for a love story, and this epic miniseries that originally aired in the 80s has more than one of them. Plus it's a period drama featuring a very young (and very hot) Patrick Swayze, drool-worthy costumes and sets and a host of compelling, lovable and notorious characters. It's like 763533895 hours long, and Lord knows I don't have that kind of time anymore, but I've seen this so many times I can put any of the disks into my DVD player, start it from any point and know exactly what's going on. It is good television, I promise. Netflix it.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

(But a special Happy Mother's Day to all the first time mamas out there :)