I’m such a sucker for a Favorite Things page. I love recommendations that save me hours of searching and shopping on my own because P.S. - I hate shopping. I get easily overwhelmed by too many choices which means the mall and the internet leave me exhausted and crabby. I much prefer when someone I trust tells me, “Oooo, I love this lipstick, bra, candle, book, and coffee! You will love it, too.” Yes, please. Done and done.

Hopefully you too can find a “yes, please, done and done” on this page. Email or message me if you have any questions about why I’m loving these!

Current Favs

Books

I could have added so many more books to this section, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time narrowing down my final picks. And even as I write this, I’m thinking I should add a few more. The reader, literacy coach, former first grade teacher, and mom in me is always ready with a book recommendation for all ages. I also write for a local tutoring company where I posted some book reviews for school-aged children. You can check those out here, here, and here.

Non Fiction

Fiction

Preschool & Elementary

Upper Elementary

In The Kitchen

if I could go back and tell bride-to-be Joy one thing it would be to chill out in the Bed, Bath & Beyond aisles and stop scanning so many dog-gone things with that registry gun. A well stocked kitchen does not mean I need every tool. I like drawers and cabinets that can breathe, and I’ve learn to run a kitchen with fewer items that are of better quality. These are some favorites I use every day, and friends, it took me ten years to get that cast iron skillet. Those are years I’ll never get back. I loved my big one so much, I got a tiny one to make my egg in every morning. Look at that thing; it’s so cute.

And the pages for those three cookbooks are spotted with pasta sauce, red wine, and bacon grease, so you know they’re good ones. Never trust a clean cookbook.

Toys

These are the few that have stood the test of time: the toys that have entertained my children for hours and hours over the years. Even when I go all crazy mom and start wandering the house with a big trash bag ready to throw away every toy in sight - I never touch any of these. They get to stay. We are pretty big on games in our home, so I also included the ones my 4 and 6 year old are loving these days.

*Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase using one of these links, a few cents will come my way. You can be sure I only recommend things I have and love. All earnings will be used to keep this place up and running. And maybe buy coffee. Thank you!