Oprah Was On to Something

I suspect Oprah and I lead different lives. I could be wrong. She could be soaking a boy’s sweatshirt right now because he blew his nose directly into the sleeve and then wore it all day so the boogers dried into the fabric, but I’m guessing she’s soaking her newly pedicured feet in a warm, salt-infused tub prepared by a loyal lady-in-waiting. When I gain five pounds, the only thing that takes note is the tongs on my jeans that have to work a little harder; I have no need for Spanx. I love Oprah, but our life dichotomy leaves me less interested in her favorite things. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the concept. Every girls night out I snoop around for the services and products my friends swear by. Here is a list of “favorite things” I’ve gleaned from fellow domestic warriors:

• Clear brow gel on fly-aways, especially the weird short ones near your ears
• White vinegar as a natural, inexpensive cleaner
• Curly Girl Design cards:

  

  

  

• Gaia Cleanse & Detox tea before bed every night to support longterm liver health for those of us who enjoy fermented grape juice
• A memory box to store your family holiday card– over time it becomes an annual photo booth
• Set a calendar alert for your monthly free book from AmazonPrime (if you aren’t a Prime member, look into that stat)
• Enjoy buttery chardonnay? Celebrating something? Buy Rombauer.
• Spend 2 minutes every morning reading TheSkimm so you can know all the current events that will be talked about during the day; sad that’s all it takes
• Use a wand instead of a curling iron
• Dry Shampoo– it buys me two extra hours a week
• Solicit babysitters who have day jobs that require a willingness to work with kids and a background check, like ski instructors and lifeguards
• Get a Dropbox account on your phone, iPad and computer, so you never have an excuse for bringing your laptop on vacation. (Some prefer Box, but I went to a college that chose the beaver for its mascot, so I’m all done setting myself up for ridicule. “It’s in Abby’s box” is not something I ever want said.)
• Sephora snag free hair elastics– the name says it all
• Goodreads! The best place to find books you’ll like. Connect so we can be book buddies!
• Whenever your kids fake whine about tummy aches or illnesses say, “Oh, dear. Since you’re unwell, we’ll cut out all sugar today and get you to sleep nice and early so your body can rest up.”

A small tangent for those who have been involuntarily forced to go gluten-free like me:

• Van’s The Perfect 10 crackers
• Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread
• Pamela’s GF pizza & pasta flour– I can make homemade pasta that almost tastes as good as it used to
• Ginny mini cookies: chocolate chip and coconut oatmeal bliss
• If you’re in New England, Legal Seafood makes a GF version of fried whole belly clams– a fact that brought an actual tear of happiness to my eye
• Download the Gluten Free Me app for nearby restaurants with celiac-friendly menus

A thought as I finish up this post: another major difference between Oprah and me is that people actually give a shit about her favorite things, whereas most of you are likely thinking, “Who is this person and why would I care what brand of cards she buys?”