August Favorite Things

Here it is August and time to do another of my Favorite Things posts...It does seem I just did one for July!  Each month I wonder if I shall have anything to share with you the next month but then someone asks a question or I become aware of how often I use a product and I know that for at least one more month, I've got something to post!

Remember these posts are strictly my personal choices.  I am not being sponsored by any of these products nor am I receiving any compensation.  I'm not even an Amazon affiliate yet, though I have used all Amazon images and links this go round, simply because it was convenient and I've had a very busy morning.  So let's see what products I'm sharing this month as my favorites.




I mentioned last month that I have been lining the glass shelves of my fridge to protect them from scratches and because it just makes the shelves so easy to clean.  I have seen some mighty pretty colorful plastic placemats on Pinterest.  I love the look.

I have a thing about light in my fridge.  Maybe because we went YEARS without a light in our last fridge because the bulb wasn't a standard issue 40watt bulb.  We finally tried a lava lamp bulb and that worked just great.    Anyway, digging in a dark fridge is not my idea of fun.   I didn't want anything that would reduce the light in mine if I lined the shelves.  I came across this shelf liner at Target, but I'm sharing an Amazon link to the product:

This liner is NOT adhesive.  In fact, I used Velcro dots to hold mine in place on the shelves.  I bought the pack of Velcro dots that has adhesive on the backs and put one on the back of the shelf and one on the edge of the back of the shelf liner.

This plastic shelf liner is thick and durable.  I take mine out and wash them, hang to dry and put them right back on the shelf.   I like that I could cut it to fit each individual shelf.


Just about the time I was finishing up my last tube of mascara, I stumbled upon one of those 'What Older Women Should Know" articles related to makeup.  The article stated that many women above 55 are buying volumnizing mascaras.  The trouble is that our lashes age just like hair does.  As we get older the lashes get a little shorter and they tend to be straighter.  The article suggested we use an eyelash curler and use lengthening mascara rather than volumnizing mascara.  Okay, that sounds easy enough, right?

So I took myself off to the drugstore with my list of things I meant to buy: red lipstick, check.  Eyelash curler, check.  Under eye puffiness reducer, check.  Lengthening mascara...

That was a tough find.  Save yourself the trouble of looking for it on the shelves and just order sraight from Amazon or beauty supply of choice. Of all the cosmetic brands there was ONE that had a lengthening formula and it was buried on the very bottom of a row!

I will say, I've been much more pleased with the appearance of my eye makeup.  I was glad that the only mascara I could find was LOreal because it's one of my favorite product lines anyway.  My eyelashes appear to be LONG and I get far more definition than I'd been getting using a volumnizing formula.  The wands on these mascaras are super skinny and fine, so you don't get great glops of mascara on each lash.

My plants look a bit rough at present after last week's major heat wave and the neglect they suffered while I was ill.  However, I truly believe what has helped them hold on as well as they have is the potting mix I use.  I always buy the same product and yes, it's pricey but it works.

Miracle-Gro Moisture Control  works in two ways to prevent over watering and to prevent plants drying out.   Now mind you, a plant will dry out if left un-watered and without rain for a long length of time, but this potting mix does more to help prevent drying out than most.  There are little pellets that hold water in longer.

Being the frugal person that I am, I reuse my potting soil from year to year.  Because I start with a quality product I am able to use the same soil up to three years without any loss of moisture control.  I generally buy the biggest bag available.

I bought two sets of Pyrex bowls many years ago.  I got two sizes, a 1 cup and a 2 cup size.  They are meant for packing lunches in a heatable container.  I have been slowly transitioning from plastics to mostly glass containers and I bought these when I first began this transition.  The bowls are just great and the lids are long lasting but I the two larger bowl lids split and then one was lost forever.  I'd often start to use the bowl and realize I had no lid to cover it.

So the other day at the grocery I was standing in front of the Pyrex contemplating the new bowls when I asked myself, "Why not just order replacement lids?"  So I came home and went straight to Amazon and found that indeed I could buy just the lids. 

Am I saving any money on this?  Not much.  But I am going to be able to use what I have for a longer period of time and when I do buy new bowls it won't be just because of missing lids!


It all started with a conversation with Katie last month.  Taylor is doing what most two years old do and maturing weekly just now.  She'd gone from needing someone to feed her to pretty much feeding herself and she wanted to use a real fork.  Katie bought a packet of  Gerber Graduates forks.  Life was great in their household until two things happened: all the little forks were in the dishwasher waiting to be washed and Taylor had discovered the Gerber Graduates spoons at her Aunt Lindsay's home the previous weekend.  Katie tried to get her to eat with a regular teaspoon but little Miss T threw a tantrum over it.

Well!  Gramma laughed over the story but realized that a supply of her own special cutlery would help settle future eruptions.  So I ordered her several sets of forks and spoons.  Katie was pleased as punch.

Then Bess mentioned that Josh, age 3, had been unhappy when given something other than his favorite Gerber fork.  I ordered her a supply as well.   Kids just love these Gerber Graduates pieces because the bowl of the spoon and the tine head of the fork are stainless steel, but the rubber grip handle on the pieces are perfect for little hands to manage their own cutlery without help.

While Josh was here last week, Bess opened one of her packages for him to use.  She wanted to leave me with one but I realized that if I had a couple of sets then the girls wouldn't have to bring cutlery along for the children which would be one less thing to remember to pack.  So now everybody has a supply though Gramma's is a smaller one since littles don't live here day in and day out.

I can't leave our infant out of the equation.  He's just started eating baby foods and Bess mentioned, when speaking of cutlery, that she especially liked Munchkin Infant spoons because of the soft rubbery bowl and the non-slip handle which made it easier to feed Isaac.  She also mentioned she meant to order some, but I told her I'd get them for her.  I ordered an extra set to keep here for visiting parents.

So there you have my favorites for another month.