Like Oprah, but for poor people.

in Random Crap

I’m not sure if she still does it, but Oprah used to do a thing where she picked all of her favorite things for the year and then did a show about them.  I was thinking of doing the same thing, except instead of things that millionaires love, it would just be things that make me happy that I spent an extra few dollars on.  Mostly because every time I use these things I think “Holy shit, I’m so glad I have this and I wish I could give this stuff to everyone in the world.”  I can’t though, but what I can do is tell you the stuff that I’ve been happiest about finding and you can do the same thing in the comments and then we can all find awesome cheap or free stuff that we love.  Also, this post isn’t funny.  Sorry if you were coming here for that.  But to make it up to you I’m giving away a gift certificate with enough on it to buy pretty much everything I’m going to talk about.  (As long as you live in America.  If you live somewhere that doesn’t have Amazon I’ll just paypal you the amount.)  Also, I’ve been given absolutely no compensation to write this and the people and products I’m writing about have no idea I’m doing this and some might actually be sad for having been linked back to such an irreverent band of misfits, but they can just suck it because I love them anyway.  The bastards.

So, things I love that are worth spending money on or that are totally free anyway:

Allie Brosh.  Her blog is fantastic and free and she has a book coming out in a few months which is wonderific.  She sent me a copy and I literally shot juice out of the hole in my stomach from laughing so hard.  I also told her she could use that as a blurb.  Because I’m a giver. 

J. R. Watkins Coconut Sugar and Shea Body Scrub.  I have super dry skin and this exfoliates with sugar and then the shea butter stays on your skin.  It’s the only thing that doesn’t disappear immediately on me.  (You can usually get it way cheaper at Target.)

A bath sheet.  It’s like a towel, but bigger, and when I dry off I feel like I’m at a fancy hotel drying off using the duvet (until laundry day when my two bath sheets are in the wash and I have to use a beach towel.)  I’ll know that I’ve finally “made it” when I can afford a whole set.

Neuro Sleep.  I have no idea what’s really in it but it makes me sleep better than rum, and that’s saying a lot.  I have one every few nights and my insomnia has gotten slightly less horrific.

TARDIS Beach Towel.  I know.  Two towels in one list?  Who needs that many towels?  Me and Douglas Adams.  That’s who.  (You can sometimes get this cheaper on ThinkGeek.)  The awesome things about this is that when you’re at the pool you can tell all the cool, slightly nerdy people who will be fun to sit by because they all go “OHMYGOD, I WANT THAT.”  The other people look at you like you’re a total dork.  It’s okay to pee in the pool if you’re standing near those people.

Little Snowie Shaved Ice Machine.  It’s pricey at a little over $200 but we’ve used ours almost every day for years and years.  We don’t buy the syrup because it’s expensive but we eat them plain, or with fruit juice, or with booze drizzled over the top.  My favorite is Amaretto and Chamboard when we’re flush, or Strawberry Hill when money is tight.  Also, when it’s really hot you can make a laundry basket full of shaved ice, put on your bathing suit, and have snowball fights in the yard.  Our neighbors hate us.

Neil Gaiman.  I’m a voracious reader and could probably write a million paragraphs on all the books you should read, but I’m most grateful for the day (a million years ago) I went into the comic shop and was disappointed to find the latest issue of Strangers in Paradise hadn’t arrived yet.  The guy behind the counter looked at me as if to size up my worthiness and after a few seconds came out to introduce me to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.  He had me start on book 4 (Season of Mists) and I devoured it and reread it 20 times until I could save up enough to start from the beginning and collect them all.  Sandman is my Catcher in the Rye and it saved me from a dark place by showing me I wasn’t alone.  I owe that guy behind the comic counter more than he’ll ever know.

The Suicide Hotline.  I realize this is a weird one, but I struggle with mental illness and one day I had urges that I was really afraid of.  My shrink wasn’t answering and I was afraid I was really going to hurt myself.  The girl on the other end of the line listened and gave me actual pointers on how to avoid the self-harms issues I was struggling with. I still use those coping mechanisms she gave me.  It saved me from myself, and it was free.

Jenny Lewis in all her incarnations. People are rediscovering her now and that’s awesome.  My ideal party would be me, her, Amanda Palmer, Regina Spektor and Miranda Lambert all in my bathroom with a karaoke machine and a bartender and some illegal fireworks.   Rabbit Fur Coat is one of those CD’s I buy over and over because I always lend it out to people when they’re struggling.  This song as well is rather healing for me.

Stephen Parolini ~ His blog is Counting on Rain and he’s one of my favorite writers ever.  He writes amazing, dark, beautiful short stories for free.  He doesn’t post often, but when he does it’s always something incredible.

Levar Burton explaining how not to get shot by the police.  Yeah.  This one isn’t a happy one, but I used this dozens of times this week to help people explain that just because you don’t see racism doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  There were lots of other great commentaries out there this month, but there’s something about the guy who raised us on Reading Rainbow talking about his fear for his life that makes most people at least pause and think a bit about the world as it is, and as we want it to be.  And that’s a good thing.

Venture Bros.  So good.  Impossible not to like.  Gateway drug to Archer.

 Independent book stores ~ It’s ironic that I’m linking to Amazon here for everything, because Indie book stores are my kryptonite.  Not only do they have awesome, weird stuff that you won’t find in mainstream stores, but they also are amazing resources for readers who need suggestions.  You can sometimes make friends with your local book-monger and ask them to compile a reading list for you based on your likes.  Their books are sometimes a bit pricier, but it’s worth the extra few dollars and if it weren’t for Indie Book Sellers my book wouldn’t have nearly as loud of a voice.

What Should I Read Next.  You know when you read an amazing book and you wish you could find another similar to it but you can’t?  Well, now you can.  Type in the book you like and “What Should I Read Next” will give you a list of books similar to that one.

Doctor Who.  You either hate it, or it changes your whole life and you spend nights waiting for David Tennant to tell you that you’re the key to saving all the kittens in the universe.  It’s ridiculous and silly and requires an enormous willing-suspension-of-disbelief, but some of the most beautiful moments on TV come from Doctor Who.  You can watch it for free on Netflix.  Start with the 2005 reboot.  Watch through episode 10.  If you don’t like it you can at least say that you tried and now you can spend your free time looking for the soul that you seem to have lost.

 Microwave slippers.  I have arthritis so my feet hurt a lot.  I pop these in the microwave and slip them on in bed to sleep in when I’m having a super rough day.  I feel ancient just typing this but I can’t live without them during the winter.

Okay, your turn.  What have you discovered that you now can’t live without?  Just leave it in the comment section and at the end of the week I’ll pick one random person to get a $350 amazon gift card so you can buy everything on this list.  Except Neil Gaiman.  You can’t buy a person.  That’s illegal, you guys.

UPDATED:  Alright, it’s the end of the week and I usually just send an email to the person who wins or announce it on twitter, but when I read the comment selected by my random number generator I really felt I needed to share it.

From Dangerous Lilly:  I don’t think I have a shot at winning it, but if I did I wouldn’t keep the gift card. I’d give it to my best friend. Because she’s amazing, and life handed her a big bag of suck lately, so she’s always on the brink of poor but can’t do a thing about it til after her transplant and her kids drive her nuts half the time. So yeah. I’d like to give her something awesome but she won’t let me if it’s from my own pocket. I have things that make me happy, that I can’t live without, and most of them cost money so…. I’d rather share the love.

I seriously adore you people.  DangerousLilly, check your email.

3,332 thoughts on “Like Oprah, but for poor people.”

Read comments below or add one.

  1. A few years ago I bought a really good sewing machine (Husqvarna/Viking) and now cannot live without – or your blog!

  2. Kinder Eggs!!! Seriously little chocolate eggs with a toy inside… that you could totally choke on.. but only if your in America ’cause everywhere else sells them, or just doesn’t love their kids as much, or their kids are brighter… either way.. tough to get her but just delightfully weird toys that make no sense to me but are just. so. cool.
    annnyway.. Thanks for new links and yeah I’m all about OD’ing on netflix episodes of Doctor Who… everyone should be so lucky to find something they love as much. Also… surfing youtube videos at 3am! free, unless you count the cost of internet services. Go go gadget kittens!

  3. I can’t live without Sherlock Holmes. He is like my Dr.Who. He takes me on magical adventures in Victorian England and beyond. Without him I would prooooobably die a horrible death. Woohoo fictional characters!

    and a hair straightener. because my natural hair is out.of.con-trol. no joke.

  4. Tea. For reals, hot or cold. I can drink this stuff by the gallon. LOVE IT

    Sunglasses. nuff said

  5. Lemons. They make everything taste better. Melatonin to help me sleep. My husband because sex is fun and there’s no weird issues when you have a solid playmate.

  6. My immersion blender. I love it- I hide all kinds of fruit and veggies in my kids food now! Ha!

  7. Well, you already did Dr. Who and the Venture Brothers so all I can add is Torchwood and Top Gear. Not the icky American Top Gear but the honest to God Jeremy is such a delicious asshole British one.

    I also love my re-runs of Lovejoy. It’s Ian McShane before he got all deadwood.

  8. The best $100 I ever spent was on our memory foam mattress pad. Ours came from Sam’s Club, but they’re easy to find. I can’t believe how much better we sleep!

  10. My 1200 thread count sheets. There’s just nothing so comfy and soft as all those happy threads snuggling me to sleep.

    Wow, that sounded a little horror-movie-ish, didn’t it?

  11. I can’t live without chapstick. The plane jane blue label is always with me. I have them stashed everywhere! Also knitting, it keeps me calm and gives my hands something productive to do besides strangle people.
    Side note; I’m so happy to see so many knitters here.

    Also this list just makes me smile, I have a lot of the same loves and it makes me happy to know I’m not the onlyest one.

  12. I just found the classic book ‘Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type’ for my son and it’s a lifesaver! He and I both enjoy reading it over and over. I’m also hooked on anything by V.C. Andrews because the lives the girls in her books have make my life feel so better.

  13. Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me. And knitting – “I knit so I don’t kill people” has its days!

  14. I love the TV series Castle. I discovered this show last year and have *almost* gotten through to the end of the most current season. The writing and acting are amazing, but the biggest thing about this show is the way the show makes me feel. I’m almost always in a happier, more cozy place after I finish watching. My husband and I are working our way through the episodes one by one, savoring them like chocolate truffles. Plus, Nathan Fillion. Even without twine.

  15. I love my “Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray”! All I have to do is spray it in my hair and scrunch it up!

  16. My Kindle. MUST HAVE. It’s not even the Kindle Fire. I don’t need yet another device that does all of the same stuff as my laptop and phone. It’s just the basic Kindle Keyboard and it’s much like my security blanket. I panic if I can’t reach into my purse or onto the side table and touch it at any given time. AGH! It’s out of reach. *curls up in ball* help.

  18. I love poring over the books that are on sale so hard that the book store must be trying to get rid of them.
    Because they are cheap and it seems like nobody wants them, they often exceed expectations (which are close to zero).

    “The Sleepwalker’s Introduction to Flight” (by Sion Scott-Wilson) is one of my favourite rescued books.

  19. Ok, in addition to the Sandman series, I cannot live without having a copy of Neverwhere on my Nook and bookshelf. Hands-down my favorite NG novel ever.

    Ditto a copy of The Timetraveler’s Wife by Audry Niffenegger. http://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Wife-Audrey-Niffenegger/dp/0547119798/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1374536671&sr=8-5&keywords=audrey+niffenegger The River Song/Doctor arc was in part inspired by this book. Love love love it.

    Anne Rice’s twitter and facebook feeds. She’s smart, interesting, engaging – she will make you think about the world. Oh, and also tag her assistant Becket – he’s just started writing about his former life as a monk and he’s fantastic. Oh, and a Whovian. https://www.facebook.com/annericefanpage and https://www.facebook.com/ibecket

    The great jewelry from missing pieces studio on etsy, especially this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/150426860/doctor-who-tardis-necklace-blue-police?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=tardis and this http://www.etsy.com/listing/153819161/doctor-who-keychain-keep-calm-variation?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=tardis , although she does have quite a good selection of non-Whovian goods as well.

    My great Adizero feather running shoes. Which I don’t love for running but I do use for walking all over the place. I have bad knees and feet and these shoes are fantastic and light. I posted the amazon link but there are more choices of colors cheaper from Adidas direct – their website is down right now. http://www.amazon.com/Adidas-Adizero-Feather-2-0-Shoes/dp/B008LZF1IW/ref=sr_1_4?s=shoes&ie=UTF8&qid=1374537263&sr=1-4&keywords=adizero+feather

    And finally, for those of us with bad knees – my patella strap – keeps my knees from over-straining when I run and helps with my arthritis. I like this one but there are plety of good ones: http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tec-Athletics-Patellar-Tendon-Medium/dp/B0010VUMB0/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1374537506&sr=1-5&keywords=patella+support

  20. A sturdy, cardboard, paper, magazine, really anything within reach to fan my hot flashes with.

  21. It took a year of looking scraggly, but my red bee balm is so red and so happy, it made my summer.

  22. 1)Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk: For being a healthier choice for something sweet, it’s a dang tasty beverage that hits the spot.

    2)The films Drop Dead Gorgeous and Connie & Carla. Those are my go to films for guaranteed laughter.

    3)Wellbutrin: After a really scary year leading up to letting that bitch Depression take over and cause a picture wrap for me, this has helped pull me back and give me the strength to fight back and kick my depression in the junk with a rusty soccer cleat (metaphorically anyway).

    4)A/C: Living in the trailer park section of Hell by way of Africa with a detour through a swamp, (or it’s legal name Florida) stepping into the artificially made indoor Arctic climate is like riding a unicorn that farts rainbows through a field of confetti and cotton candy.

  23. For me, I love theater books. Scripts, books on acting, anything to do with theater. I can’t live without these, and am building quite a collection. They’re not that expensive either. (Okay, at this point, the sheer number of them is making this an expensive collection.)

  24. Holy shitton of comments! Anyways…

    My short list of things that are cheap or free that I can’t live without:

    The $4 shower head I buy from Walmart everytime we move into a new place. It doesn’t have any fancy settings, but it has full coverage (no trying to rinse your body with a stupid ring of water) and is the best, especially when you’re broke.

    My library card. I never have enough money to buy books as fast as I devour them, but it doesn’t matter because LIBRARY! Also, when I was going through my awful divorce, and I was broke and alone, I rented so many cheesy romance movies and fantasy novels from the local library (for free!), and it made me happy and helped me through the misery that was my life.

    Craigslist, especially the free stuff section, and Freecycle.org. I have found and given so many great things!

  25. Crayola colored pencils. I can use them to make patterns and transfer notes. I can use them to make pretty pictures. I can use them and color things for my girls. I print off coloring pages off the website and color. It has to be crayola because the cheaper ones break with very little pressure and the colors are wonky. I’m sure the uber expensive ones are lovely too, but I can afford the Crayola.

    Books. I like books. They have always been my lifesavers in difficult situations. Just to be transported to another time, another place for maybe a half an hour, helps keep my last tendrils of sanity anchored. It gives me a point of connection with my kids, that I am able to read books I loved as a child, and new ones we discover together.

    NOT TO SUCK UP… but being able to read your website. You’ve helped me so much. Thank you.

  26. A meat pounder. No, seriously. I have this GoodGrips meat pounder/tenderizer that had changed my life. I can’t believe it took me till my 30s to learn that if you pound a chunk of meat to a uniform thickness, IT COOKS UNIFORMLY. I no longer fear you, undercooked chicken, for you are no more.

  27. Puzzle books. The variety ones with all kinds of logic problems, crosswords, cryptograms, sudoku and lots of others. Since my kids/husband/job don’t allow me more than 10 minutes of peace at a time, I don’t get to read real books anymore. Puzzle books make me feel like I’m not a complete idiot, but don’t require hiding in the closet with a flashlight.

  28. Someecards. Seriously, I could be in the worst mood in the world and something on there will make me crack a smile. It’s a beautiful thing.

    Sherlock, BBC episodes. Uhm, hello, Benedict Cumberbatch.

    Samaritans (samaritans.org). UK people can call, but everyone else can email and get a response in ~12 hours. If you’re in full crisis mode, call 1-800-SUICIDE instead, but when you’re just dwelling on the same shit over and over again, it’s incredibly freeing to write it down and send it off to someone and know you’ll get a response back that isn’t judgmental. Seriously, sometimes all you need is validation that your feelings are overwhelming (just me?)

  29. Chocolate is an important food group. I have recently discovered UnReal candy at Target. It is awesomely delicious and doesn’t have all of the chemicals and preservatives regular candy does, we love it! Also, Crunch Bars have come out with Girl Scout Cookie favors for a limited time. The Thin Mint and Peanut butter ones are amazing! I don’t eat chocolate everyday, but these make me happy when I do indulge.

  31. Two things I don’t want to live without.
    1. My Kindle Fire. Because it has enabled me to read again after several eye surgeries and diminishing vision.
    2. My 13 yr old puppy, Manny. Because he has saved my life multiple times.

  32. My cat, cheap booze and a cute boy to snuggle with! And ghost stories.

  33. – Community Coffee http://www.communitycoffee.com
    – Sandalwood & Ginger room/body/linen spray and candle from The Body Shop
    – Clinique Black Honey lipstick. It’s been around forever but it’s a classic for a reason. Even if the rest of my face isn’t done I can put on the lipstick and look fresh. It’s also inexpensive for a dept store cosmetic.
    – BBC America
    – blues jam. find one in your town. it’s good for the soul.

  35. I’m a nanny to 5 kids and I occasionally stay with them when their parents are out of town. I’d die without the Playplace in McD’s. Srsly. It’s free (ok, cheap since I buy them a drink) and they play forEVER without needing me. Also? I can indulge in a sweet tea, my drug of choice.

  36. My Nook from Barnes and Noble, I love to read and being able to have my entire collection on one device is amazing.

  37. Reading this was exactly what the doctor ordered today. I am off and running on things I love lately.

    Boomerangs: a line of thrift shops that specifically supports Aids research: they get really cool stuff from their supporters, mark it really cheap so it is fun to indulge in shopping. I can make my Christmas budget $5 a person and be as happy as if I had spent $50. It supports a great cause, plus it reuses things that would otherwise be either in the way or trashed.

    Pinterest; this indulges my collector spirit without filling my house with more crap.

    ThisIsMyJam.com: a great way to share the music you love with other people and discover new artists through other posts.

    Raw Chocolate recipe: virgin coconut oil, real cocoa powder (not hot chocolate mix), maple syrup and cashew butter. Vary with sea salt, etc. I stir these together, pour the mixture onto wax paper and have a chocolate bar in five minutes. Best of all, no turning on the stove.

    Microfiber washcloths that remove makeup with water. Reusable, gentle on hyper sensitive skin.

    Taking myself and my dogs through the splash pads fully clothed during the last heat wave.

    Grocery stores that will steam your lobsters so you don’t have to heat up the kitchen,

    The Core Program: Fifteen Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life, by Peggy Brill. When I remember to do this simple routine my body feels about 15 years younger.

  38. I’m adding the the Kindle users. It’s one of my “would save in a fire” items. It’s an old school model (no stinkin’ Fire for me) with a luscious leather Cole Haan case on it. The case was stupid expensive, but it’s just so yummy, and keeps getting better with age

  39. Two cheap things I can not live without….
    Take5 Candy Bars… Salty, chocolate goodness in a relatively small package.
    candy crush…. stupid puzzle game but it stops me from murdering the children.

  40. So, is it weird that I was JUST making a list in my head yesterday of things I love? I do that. Make lists. Real ones and mind ones. It’s probably a wee bit bizarre, but so am I, so whatdya gonna do.
    This is what I love right now: Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Cookie Bars. I thought I loved the thin mint best, ’cause duh, it’s Thin Mint. Then I had the caramel coconut. Holy mother. Then I ate the peanut butter one. Now I can’t decide which one I like better. I know, first world problem. I love Beecher’s Flagship cheese like I gave birth to it. Cougar Gold is another cheese I pee myself for. Gardening. It’s the best damn free therapy known to the human race. Dean Martin. Because his voice is like butter and cooking with Dean on the stereo takes me to my happy place. (I have three kids, it really doesn’t take much.) Wine. Red wine in particular. Every day at 5:00 I pour the first glass. Today, I started an hour early. See the prior comment in parentheses. Bacon. I do love pork products. I will be partaking in a BLT tonight with fresh mozzarella and basil. And red wine. Reaching: A Memoir. An amazing book, written by an amazing lady, who I hope someday to have the privilege of meeting. Okay, that’s all the secrets I’m giving up for free. I’m gonna do a post this week with more. I have to leave ya hangin’ a little, right? Off to cook that bacon……

  41. I think this a great idea because:
    1. I love lists
    2. I’m finding cool stuff
    3. There are other people who are weird and like the same stuff as me!

    I couldn’t live without:
    1. Coffee (Dark and Black) *not the same thing
    2. A Contigo coffe thermos because I drink a lot of coffee (I live in WA state) and I’m clumsy and work with kids.
    3. Ghirardelli’s Dark Chocolate (refer to #1)
    4. Dickens, Charles Dickens
    5. My favorite poet Amy Lowell
    6. NeilMed Sinus Rinse and Allegra Allergy Med (in order to have the ability to taste said coffee and chocolate)
    7. Origami paper. There is something therapeutic about the repeated folding.

  42. Ugh, this depressed me when I realized I don’t even know anymore. I can’t find anything I’ve done for myself lately. I used to love reading and my purses and movies. Finding some new books and time to read would be great!

  43. The Shedding Rake, I have Rottweiler and Beige carpet. The fur just lays across the carpet like a nasty sheen. The shedding rake is the only tool that really gets a ton of hair off before it goes to the floor.

    Also Mud boots and Crocs, even though many times they are ugly to look at. They are on the feet and we are out the door, just like that.

  44. Allrecipes.com is my go-to when I’m looking for a new way to cook something. I look for the most-reviewed recipe with the highest rating and then read through a bunch of the comments to make sure everyone has not made the same crucial change that makes the recipe work. Who needs expensive cookbooks?

  45. I think my favorite discovery has been these notepads I use for work. They are lined on the front and on the back they have grid paper. I make lists with them but they are so expensive (considering they are notepads) I ask for them when our office orders supplies and they order them without asking any questions. I honestly use them for work. And birthday lists. (They’re Tops Docket Gold 77102 Project Planning Pads with wide margins). So much better than yellow legal pads!

  46. Dark chocolate sea salt caramel (Ghirardelli squares preferred), or Justin’s Dark Chocolate peanut butter cups.

    Best PMS food in the history of the monthlies.

  47. I’m not the first to say it, but, really: internet! Also pharmaceuticals, and insurance to pay for them.

  48. So… I’m 25 and I can’t live without my “bobby” which is a cloth diaper turned security blanket. I’d be sad without a lot of other things, but I can’t sleep without my bobby.

    I can’t believe I’m putting that on the internets! Eek.

  50. I have two:

    The first is my Magic Bullet (No people not THAT magic bullet..get your fricken mind out of the gutter!) I am trying to lose weight and it is so easy to clean and use that I really have no excuses to NOT make them.

    The second is this: http://www.salazonchoc.com/products/organic-dark-chocolate-with-sea-salt-organic-cracked-black-pepper I have a dairy allergy (cannot have anything cows milk) and finding GOOD chocolate that I can have is hard. The best part, the flavor is so strong, I cannot eat a ton of it at once (see above weight loss issue) but it is DELISH!!

    Also, a special request…IF I win, please take the card and send it this Christmas to someone on your list who needs it. While I would LOVE the money since I may be making a cross country trek soon, there are far more people at the holiday time that could use it and that kind of money could make a Christmas for a large family.

  51. Girlswithslingshots.com — an online comic I can relate to!!

    And also my Keurig. My one yuppie affliction. Also, it can make cup o’ noodle.

  52. Wil and Anne Wheaton. On Facebook and twitter.

    Also the Stuff You Missed In History Class podcast and the Stuff Your Mom Never Told You podcast. And Garrison Keillor/A Prairie Home Companion/News From Lake Wobegon.

  53. Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Crazy cheap and their life saving properties are well documented in the library where I work.

  54. My son loves hard boiled eggs. I am forever forgetting to boil them the night before, or getting distracted in the middle of cooking them until the smoke alarm goes off. Because I’m a mom like that and I am always doing about 87 things at the same time and none of them particularly effectively. And then I found this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007M2BN0/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It is an egg boiler SHAPED LIKE AN EGG (which of course is the best part). So instead of having to pay any sort of attention you just put in some water, put in some eggs, stick it in the microwave and forget it. Like seriously, for like an hour after it is done cooking you’re still good to go. Truly makes the process of boiling eggs so easy I can actually come out looking like mom of the year when there are eggs in the fridge in the morning. Just don’t grab it out too soon without pot holders because that shit is HOT.

  55. Netflix. So much Netflix. It kept my kids entertained while I worked on my senior thesis about porn. And when I find myself in a dark place, there’s always something to entertain me. And at $8/month, it’s a steal.

  56. Stuffed weasels. (Uh, not the taxidermied kind.) If you Google “stuffed weasels,” I have the first two picture results, and they both have stood up to extended snuggling.
    Clorox wipes, lemon scent. They don’t have bleach but they have some other antibacterial ingredient. I grew up spraying Windex on counters, then wiping with paper towels, and wipes were a major revelation for me.
    Dr. Bronner’s.
    Paula’s Choice and beautypedia.com.

  57. Soda Stream water with Crush Singles to Go, because I am an orange soda addict and this tastes even better than orange soda!

    Sansa Clip Zip mp3 player with an added 32 gb micro sd card — 36gb player for about $50. Loaded with my favorite podcasts, The Morning Stream and <a href="http://www.2g1b.com2 Guys, 1 Brain. And a lot of audiobooks. It gets me through hours and hours of custom cookie making (which I do for a living) and helps me fight my wicked insomnia at night.

    And I, too, can’t live without my Kindle OR my Kindle Fire… both are loaded with books, movies, comic books, and everything else that keeps me from dying of boredom during slow work days :).

  58. Can’t live without my kindle! Between that and my library card I’m set for life!

  59. Head Slick. I recently discovered this stuff and it’s making me think maybe sometime this year (or next) I might wear capris without thinking my legs are gross and stubbly. (It’s cheaper elsewhere.)

  60. I can not live without my Kindle!! It goes everywhere with me. It contains my calendar, my e-mail, half of my job, Pandora, and Candy Crush. My life goal at the moment is to save enough to be able to upgrade to a bigger, HD version.

  61. I can’t live withoutymy dogs, my cat and my husband. Oh, and massages. Loooove a good massage.

  62. I love books. Actual books. So it may sound strange, but I have fallen head over heels with my Kindle. I love having so many great things to read right at my fingertips. And the free daily book offerings introduce me to new authors that I don’t know if I would have found any other way.

    Hot baths with a good book – and generally a cat or two perched on the end of the tub. Those will only get better when I have a deeper tub and have engineered a way to keep the water as hot as necessary to finish the book.

    Tabletop = Wil Wheaton + guests + board game. Basically, about an hour of awesome every week. And, this has also resulted in a vastly expanding collection of board games. (Friends always ask where we find them!)

    Munchkin games. Fun family time – with backstabbing involved. Great way to pass an afternoon, especially if you go for more than 10 levels.

    Cards Against Humanity – with good friends. Let your inner depravity out. (And, if you don’t care about having liquid proof cards, you can even print them out from the website for free!)

    Geocaching. It’s a high tech treasure hunt. You can take on as easy or as difficult a challenge as you wish. We love getting out for hikes and finding new places in our neighborhood. It’s sometimes surprising how many little locales you wouldn’t otherwise know were there!

    TopGear (BBC version only). I am not a petrol-head, but I do love the stunts these guys pull with cars… Kind of like a live blooper reel. (Which I also love.)
    And, of course, The Doctor. Because. That’s all there is to it. =)

  63. As so many others have shared:
    Friends, family, Internet
    Burt’s Bees lip balm, especially the tinted kind
    Pumpkin spice coffee (I live for it all year)
    eggnog (same)
    Goodreads.com
    Bath and Body Works pink grapefruit hand soap
    Diet Coke with lime
    Sally Hansen Hard-as-Nails
    Books, and any method to read them, esp. libraries

  64. Roku! It let me turn off the cable and save money, but still have access to lots of distracting television, like the entire many seasons of In Plain Sight.

  65. My Kindle Paper Bright. I figured out how to use it to borrow library books and it changed my life. My subscriptions to Mother Jones and The Week and Utne Reader. Lush bath bombs and massage bars. They smell so good and are made of really good stuff. Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc for after work. My yellow stuffed moose. An internet ready DVD player. Blue Bunny Birthday Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches (for after the wine, lol). And of course, your book, which I read when I’m blue and need a laugh. And when I need to remember I’m not the only weirdo out there.

  66. Astronomy Picture of the Day ( http://apod.nasa.gov/ ). A different astronomy-related image every day. A lot of them end up as my phone’s wallpaper. Today’s image is the Earth and Moon, as seen from Saturn.

  67. Butterscotch blondies. (Google the recipe from Cooking Light, laugh at how they called it light, and make it with salted butter, 3 eggs instead of “egg substitute”, and add another 1/4 cup of flour. They’re like crack in a pan.)

    Stila smudge sticks eyeliner in Turquoise.

    Sanuk Yoga Mat flip flops.

    Kindle deals of the day.

  68. So, good thing I came back to finish reading this to find out about the giveaway… I got so excited about the tardis towel that I immediately went to amazon and put it on my wish list along with several other dr. Who products I hadn’t yet discovered.
    Now, things I am thankful for;
    1.doctors, both western and eastern. Without them I would be dead, not to be morbid, but seriously. I have a super rare autonomic nervous system disease and bipolar2 disorder. Fun times.
    2. Colloidal silver. Antibiotics in metallic form. 🙂
    3. My beautiful, sweet, ridiculous, Great Dane Margot. She’s my suicide hotline.
    4. Photoshop. Enough said.
    5. Mother Nature, when I’m not getting hives from it. I’m constantly inspired as an artist. Seriously, sometimes I go outside and am just overwhelmed by it.
    6. Haagen Daas chocolate chocolate chip ice cream.
    7. 8tracks.com awesome music site. Connect with other users, explore your mood, find new and unique music. So worth it.

  69. Things that I can’t live without.
    1. The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion. This keeps my skin in check like you wouldn’t believe. (The whole Tea Tree Line is an addiction
    2. A Smartphone. Totally missing mine at the moment. Can’t wait until I can have it back.
    3. My kindle and/or books. Seriously, reading is needed in life.
    4. Let’s face it, most BCC Dramas (this includes Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock, and Downton Abbey)
    5. Skype/VOIP. Let’s me talk to my love when I have to go home…or when I move back my family/friends in the states.

  70. Free and easy…Burying myself in laundry fresh out of the dryer. 🙂 Even better when the laundry is sheets!

  71. A lot of my answers are already on your list — especially Doctor Who and Neil Gaiman! I’m super disappointed he’s not available in the giveaway. 😛

    I would add Arrested Development, which is hysterical and has jokes so subtle you only notice them the second or third time through.

    Also DVD commentaries, because I’m a huge nerd and want to know all the juicy behind-the-scenes details of my favorite movies/TV shows.

    And my Tardis hat, which cost me $40 on Etsy but was worth every penny for the old guy who stopped me in the grocery store right after I got it and asked why the hell I was wearing a phone box on my head.

  72. The thing I can’t live without or get through the day without is hand soap. I wash my hands a ridiculous (crazy person) amount of times during the day and I love having different types of soap to use! My favorite right now is from Rite Aid and smells like lemons. It’s amazing!

  73. My new favorite thing is Brownie Brittle. I love brownies, but especially the crispy corners. Brownie Brittle is all crispy corner sheets in a bag. You can get them at Costco for a lot cheaper than the grocery store. OMG, they are amazing.

  74. Fanfiction. There is something incredibly awesome about everyday people writing stories about the characters we all know and love. Fanfiction.net is my addiction, I am usually writing something, and if not I’m reading somebody else’s something.

    Also I saw you mention Archer… Check out Frisky Dingo, same people, just as awesome.

    Love you Jenny, you’re the best!

  75. Flavored bubbly water. It’s cheap, has no sugar, and delivers the burn I crave. I love all the citrusy flavors the best – your mileage may vary.

  76. Honestly? Skullcap tincture. The herb relaxes and quiets your mind and body without the hangover/headache/tiredness, etc. LOVE.

  77. Cinnamon pop-tarts without icing, bubble baths, cheap notebooks and expensive pens, and YOU!

  78. OK, I didn’t buy this for myself, but it was one of the best gifts ever. My co-worker got me a bamboo back scratcher as a joke birthday gift one year. She said it was $0.99. Under a buck, y’all. I had never indicated a need for a back scratcher, yet somehow she nailed it. I have it hanging from my headboard in my bedroom. I told my family members that they were welcome to use it, but that they must stand next to my headboard, use it, then hang it back up. Things have a tendency to walk off in my house. It worked! It’s still there. I use it almost every day. It’s the little things, people. Everyone should have one. When I am queen of the world, I shall decree that everyone gets one. You’re welcome.

  79. My huggie pillow. It’s old like 20 years old. A high school graduation present. Kind of an odd one but I still sleep with it every night. I refuse to think of how much dust mite poop comes out of it every night as I lay on top of it.

  82. Beano and luxury sock yarn. Magnetic notepads that stick to your fridge. Central air conditioning. New Balance shoes for supa-wide feet.

  83. I love post-its, dark chocolate, chillin’ in my snuggie and fuzzy socks. I also just recently joined the Netflix and Dr. Who is in my queue. AND I love my chair. I got it for myself for my birthday last year and It was totally worth the ridiculous amount of money I spent on it.

  84. I LOVE Trader Joes coconut body butter – cheap!

    I also love the Yes to Carrots line – it’s not the cheapeast out there, but it’s reasonable.

  85. I can’t live without a laser pointer, which I use to tire my cats out before bed time. If I don’t use it they stomp all over the bed alllll night!

  86. I can’t live without a sketchpad and/or notebook with me at all times. It lets me be creative, and make lists, and generally keeps me feeling like a sane human, even though I’m pretty sure I’m not one.

  87. I am stuck on my tablet. I am on it all the time. My other must have that I cannot live without is lint rollers. I usually have at least 2 or 3 around the house. I have 2 shedding ass dogs and am constantly covered in dog hair.

  88. Electric WIne Bottle opener!! I really is so much better than the manual ones.

  89. Well, you already have Dr. Who everything on your list…so My Harry Potter DVD’s. Believe it or not, they got be through my divorce.

  90. Magnetic Poetry – Doctor Who or Harry Potter themed that I got off Etsy – it’s fun to combine the two and make two worlds I want to be a part of collide.

  91. Those paddle-shaped jelly ear buds, because they are the only ones that don’t hurt my ears;
    The crazy public domain section at Feedbooks, because it’s hilarious, awful and awesome;
    and Sleepytime tea, iced down.

  92. I can’t live without coffee! It’s one of the few luxuries I allow myself. Also, books. Books of all kinds – they have been my method of living a thousand different lives. (By the way, do you read Christopher Moore? If not, you OWE it to yourself to read him. Start with ‘Lamb: The Gospel of Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal’ – I am 100% sure he will be bloggess-approved!).

  93. Kaiser Permanente has, on their website, free downloadable affirmations and guided imagery. You don’t have to be a member of Kaiser, either, to access it. I give this resource to all of my clients (I’m a psychologist) and its FREE, so if you hate it, you’re not out anything! I downloaded all of it cuz I don’t know when they’re going to pull it down!

    https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health/care/!ut/p/c5/dYxRjoIwFADPsifoq7s18AmCYqFFFgqkPwTRNBIQzNaiPf2yB9iZ38kgiVbvrbmpVt-mezugGslts6d56vvYg5SkBI6MHFy65RuICapW5V8D_-ABokiqYTqvtwq-GtE7yxTn4yL6MuO5MnHYp_atqc019Z-JOA4iaNo-nOaEEfoSTabqErSVmNUlBptbZmvBgxL45Rt-ij2GZLfoogNuuxf73G0ubvaQfhWN9Cm8IARdMMPx29JCmBPunNmJvEOgZqMRj6bxiubRPY2O9_ELtkfb4Q!!/dl3/d3/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/

  96. I love handmade soaps. A friend bought me some years ago to thank me for referring her for a job assignment, and I’ve never gone back to conventional soap again.

  97. Things I cannot live without:

    Urban Decay make-up – seriously, I spend so much money on their stuff AND I enable my bffs until they hate me – not really, but if they weren’t squealing with glee, they would TRY really hard to hate me.

    Bubblewrap – Sorry, but because my 120 lb Labrador is actually AFRAID of the popping noise, this is a necessity in my house.

    My phone, tablet, etc. – LOVE LOVE LOVE my Samsung products. I want a Samsung computer like a girl wants a damned pony.

    Plus I want a pony, dammit.

  98. A subscription to magnatune.com (you can also listen for free). Good, amazing, unusual, odd, sometimes, dare I say it, bad music from a company that lives up to its motto: “We are not evil.”

  99. I can not survive without yarns and knitting needles. My sister calls me Grandma, but I don’t care. Without them, I would probably kill someone on a weekly basis. There’s nothing better in life than knitting with good yarn and watching Doctor Who (yes, I wait daily for David Tennant to show up and tell me I’m the key to saving all the kittehs in the universe)

  100. Cake Camp! It is three days of classes for cake decorators in Las Vegas. I just got home from it this morning and I am SO inspired and ready to start making cakes with all of the new techniques I learned!

  101. Baby blankets or receiving blankets. I get them at yard sales. I buy ones really broken in and soft. I’m a massage therapist and I always have people lay their heads/faces on the baby blankets for extra comfort. Plus it’s really good karma, I figure, to put your head where a baby’s head once was. You can also use them at other times when one needs a super soft cloth, like when I’m suffering from a depression flare-up. Sometimes it’s nice to put my whole face into a baby blanket and weep. (I keep the massage ones and the weeping ones separated, of course.)

  102. another kindle-r here! it’s seen better days, but as someone who used to carry three books and a magazine just on my daily commute, having all of those things on one small device is a godsend.

  103. I love my kindle and ebookshabit.com. I have so many free books, there is no way I can read themall

  104. Vodka martinis & green olives. Mmmmm they keep me happy. Never knew what I was missing before. I also find swiffer cloths to be extremely useful. And your blog because it makes me laugh & helps me realize that everyone is going through shit, it’s how you shovel yourself out of it that matters.

  105. For me, my splurge is the really good dairy-free ice cream from Trader Joes. It is more expensive than regular ice cream, but it will not come back to haunt my digestive tract like a regret boomerang.

  106. Folgers 1/2 decaf 1/2 caff coffee
    Cigarettes
    & 1/2 a Klonopin
    BBC Period films & tv series all on Youtube, whenever I want!!!

    in that order. It helps keep my adrenal tumor in check.

    P.S. The slow Loris that you posted ~ creeps me out but made me laugh when the person lifted up the box and handed it a rice-ball. o m g.

  108. I actually love my Ped Egg. Bought it on a whim years ago thinking it wouldn’t work, but it’s delightful. I used it recently so it’s fresh on my mind.

    Also, while I’m on maternity leave, my husband and I have fallen in love with both Orphan Black and The West Wing. Thank goodness for cable and Netflix. How did people survive maternity leave without them? (I have twins, so I spend many hours on the couch nursing)

  109. I bought a pair of Rainbow sandals that have a double layer between the foot and the ground. I’ve never really spent ‘real’ money on sandals, but these are by far the most comfortable sandals that I have ever tried on. They actually have arch support, for one, and enough padding between the foot and the ground that you don’t have to feel every little rock that you might walk over.

  110. I love Neuro, too! I drink the Neuro Trim one and I pretend that it’s making me magically skinny.

  111. One of my absolute favorite things is my iPad because it helps me easily and quickly access other favorite things like pictures of my family, books, Portlandia clips, Dr. Who episodes, Pinterest, and your blog. 🙂

  112. I love my Oil of Olay cold cream. It’s cheap, it works and it smells divine

  113. and (last but definitely not least) your amazing, thoughtful and gallblasting funny excerpts of your life on thebloggess.com.

    thank you!

  115. I like Sally Henson’s Salon Effects. They can come in houndstooth and keep me from shewing my nails. Houndstooth is the best pattern ever.

    I also like Udi’s gluten free Snickerdoodle Cookies. They are like real cookies but they don’t make me sick.

    Moon Hooch. They are a band and I saw them open for They Might Be Giants. You can buy their album at Amazon and you can go watch them on Youtube. Really. They are banned from a subway platform in Brooklyn because they would busk and people would just dance on the platform and not get on the train. Listen to this and see if it doesn’t make you happy.

  116. I live in the cold winter state of Wisconsin and I could live without my mattress warmer. I’ve had electric blankets before but they don’t even compare too the mattress warmer. It’s been years since I bought it and I hope it never dies.

  117. Second Yoga Jeans! They are probably as pretentious as they sound but they are so comfortable its like having your legs and ass wrapped in a hug. All. Day. Long. Also they come in a variety of fantabulous colors! So bright and happy making!

  118. My latest discovery is Revlon BB cream. I don’t wear a lot of makeup but it’s really light and kinda perfect.

  119. I would say Tang because I drink it when my family drives me bat-shit crazy. I tell my husband that I drink it instead of drinking wine every time they are working my nerves because otherwise there are days that I would walk around loaded. Plus, I figure Tang is doing just as much damage to my liver as booze, so big deal.
    But if I were to be more socially acceptable (and honest) I would have to say it’s my phone. That little devil is constantly in my pocket so that I can play Wordament, look up recipes, figure out how to birth a calf and most importantly, settle arguments with my husband by looking stuff up on Wikipedia. Love you, love your blog. Love Tang more.

  120. Ooh my addi Turbo circular knitting needles are keeping me from hating an amazing but difficult project. I didn’t think they could be that much better than regular needles but they so are.

    My Crane cool mist humidifier kept me from dreading waking up last winter because for once I knew I wasn’t going to wake up with all of the moisture sucked out of my face.

    Plus Sartori cheese. Oh my God do I love cheese.

  121. Mini Koosh Balls. I didn’t have one as a kid and it seemed like EVERYONE else in my class did. Now I have…a few… I take a Koosh with me to meetings to stroke like a cat (I do not do very well in meetings. THAT IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE KOOSH!) I try to land it on my forehead when I’m stressed (WHAT? It feels neat, and forces me to concentrate on something else.) I use them in emergency juggling situations (THEY COME UP! STOP JUDGING ME!)

    *coughcoughcough* Ahem. Moving on. Chocolate milk in the freezer. I make a glass of chocolate milk, stick it in the freezer, and stir vigorously every fifteen minutes to a half-hour for an hour to an hour and a half. It’s not a milkshake, but it is tasty.

    My Sonic Screwdriver Pen which I keep in my purse and was totally worth the price just to see my sister try to use it without breaking into giggles. Also useful for checking for Vashta Nerada under my desk.

    Todd in the Shadows. I’ll put him on as background when I’m browsing. He does in-depth pop song reviews, one-hit wonder retrospectives, and the occasional music related movie review. He does not like stupid. He does not like boring. He does not like…”rapey”. He REALLY does not like Chris Brown. He DOES like pop songs, and that’s why he’s so hilariously hard on them. His filming/sound quality has gotten better over time. I don’t follow pop music, so I kinda use him to keep somewhat up with what’s going on. Check out one of the top ten worst of YEAR videos for a decent look at what to expect from his full-length single song reviews. If you don’t like critics, stay away from the reviews, but by all means check out One-Hit Wonderland Kung-fu Fighting or I Get Knocked Down. He makes no qualms about loving them and does a great job giving them context.

    Analogue clocks. The passage of time seems more real compared to digital.

  122. The American Cancer Society. It’s free and gave me increditable support during a tough time in my life. I give back to them anytime anyway I can.

  123. Netflix! I’ve discovered so many wonderful things through it, but namely Doctor Who!

  125. I love that my dog wags her tail in a circle. and I agree with others that it has been my pleasure listening to your stories and hearing that it’s okay to just air your shit out. Xos

  126. Are you sure I can’t buy Neil Gaiman? That would really make my life better.

    Number one thing that perks me up has to be books. I used to be a voracious reader, but I stopped when I got behind my reading for work in an attempt to make myself do that reading… it has failed and I should just give up and go back to reading my fun stuff.

    I love cookbooks, but hate that I have no time to make stuff. Part of me wants to quit my job and cook/bake things all day long.

    Stupid little toys that my kids love always get me. I love buying them little things to play with (and of course books, they both have way too many books already).

    Chocolate is the only other thing I can think of. I eat too much of it, but when I want chocolate, nothing else will do.

  127. art by ‘Henry.’ If you’ve spent any time in Seattle, you’ve seen his murals. He’s whimsical, dark, light, twisty, colorful and kind. He also does custom work.

    We just recieved our custom-made family of four…sasquatches. Completely rad.

    his website is ryanhenryward.com

  129. My favorite things are Terry Pratchett, my dogs, and crystal lite mojitio mix

  130. Reuseable ice cubes. They take up way less space in the freezer and now my Pepsi doesn’t get watered down.

  131. liquid sublingual melatonin. I suffer from absolutely horrific insomnia, and this is the only thing that works without giving me massive stomach upset. I took the pills for almost a year before I heard of this stuff, but they always made me really nauseous. Now I can get delicious orange-flavored sleepy syrup and no tummy ache. I order it off Amazon, too, so when I forget I can still get it with 2-day shipping most of the time.

  133. I love Allie Brosh, and I’m so glad she’s back. I needed her.

    I bought one of those plastic travel cup that look like to-go cups for five dollars at Walmart and honestly I’m pretty sure it’s the bests purchase I’ll ever make in my life. Five bucks. And the receipt for it says “CHILL ZEBRA”, so I kept it and when I think I’m going nuts I think about my Walmart receipt yelling at me to CHILL, ZEBRA.

  134. I love my Kindle and my spoonulas from Williams-Sonoma. I hope you are doing well with your recovery from surgery.

  135. The at-home recipes for Red Lobster Biscuits and KFC Chicken.

    Why do I even need to go out anymore?

  136. I can’t actually say I’ve “discovered” it, because of course it’s been around for decades, but good Lord do I love libraries. They should start paying me to advertise, I talk about my love of them so much. I get books, movies, workout DVDs, music CDs, and audiobooks (on my mp3 player and on CD when I’m going on a long road trip), all for free, on pretty much a weekly basis.

    I also adore my apple peeler/corer/slicer because I can make an apple pie with it in only 10 minutes. I make SO MANY PIES now!

  137. A good set of tweezers, Vaseline Intensive care lotion, sweatshirts at their new super-soft state, Spotify, Google maps, books that automatically hook you, Augusten Burroughs, Conan, Ellen, concerts that give you chills, prismacolors, Kleenex with lotion, general tso’s chicken.

  138. I’m an avid reader as well and when e-readers came out, it was like I won the lottery. No more carrying around ginormous heavy books (I love fantasy novels, and they can be pretty big)! They all fit on my e-reader! Mine’s a simple Kobo from Chapters book store up here in Canada 🙂 I tell everyone, it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought myself 🙂

  140. Books. Not the electronic kind…the kind that sit on my bookshelves and take trips to friends and family. I couldn’t survive without books and Barnes and Noble is pretty much my paradise.

  141. My e-reader and the public library’s epub books!! You can borrow books and read them, and then they just magically disappear off the e-reader in three weeks! It’s so great, you never have late fees and you never have to leave the house.

  143. Upbeat top 40 radio stations I howl along with when driving in my car. Coffee – especially if it’s made for me by someone else. My camera. My amazing family and friends. And quiet time.

  144. I finally had to stop reading the awesome lists, as I would never get to post my list……

    1. http://www.ariva.com/lhecocatrtr5.html – L’anza Healing Color Care Trauma Treatment. I have red streaks in my hair along with Blond. This stuff is AMAZE BALLZ, It says that it keeps the color 107% long and it does not lie. My hair can grow out over an inch and I still have RED steaks, not pink or brown – RED- I get compliments all the time.
    2. NOOK COLOR – yes we had to replace the battery already. BUT, this thing keeps my house from becoming a book horders home. My husband eats up a book like every 3 days. If he can make a book last longer I sigh in happiness. We got $175 in B&N cards for Christmas, yeah, they were gone by February.
    3. Vanilla Coke- new favorite and what is even worse- I now live in KY where they don’t have it. I keep taking trips back to Michigan to stock up.
    4. Terry Pratchett- I love his books and I’m soooo sad that he is having brain issues. Each time a new book comes out I expect it to be the last. Oh but I am so happy to read it.
    5. IMDB- I taught my students to use it and get blamed for that on a regular basis.
    6. Reese’s Peanut butter cups. It’s even more poignant now that my hubby is allergic to peanuts so I try to avoid them, sometimes I just need to hide somewhere and eat them.
    and lastly 7. Thigh High Socks, mostly just ones that managed to get over my knee. I have a whole story about why, but just to say – I went searching at all the DSW’s at the end of the season and snatched up every pair I could find. :~)

    Love your blog. Stay well.

  145. I just got into Instagram after resisting for the last year or so. Because I needed another way to be up in my friends business. I still think the filters are dumb, but it’s fun to upload random crap that people bitch about seeing on FB.

    Totally unrelated, I’m also way into ZPalettes, which are these magnetized makeup palettes that you can fill with whatever makeup you want. So if you’re like me and gave one palette that you use 3 shades from, and another mostly two, you can tear those palettes apart and put just the colors you want together.

  146. I am currently obsessed with Navajo pottery, especially horsehair pottery. When the pot is still hot from the kiln, they put horse hairs on it in a design. The heat turns the horsehair to carbon and creates black designs that look like marble. It’s really cool. I’m studying Art History in university and people have some horribly racist beliefs about Native American arts, so I’ve been studying them so that I can change those attitudes.

  147. I love my Hamilton Beach Brew Station coffee pot. I can’t afford a Keurig and I certainly can’t afford those little K-cups. I’m a tree hugger and I hate all the packaging anyway. My Brew Station brews a pot of coffee and keeps it hot without burning it for TWO HOURS. It has an internal storage tank or something like that. My first Brew Station sat on my counter for about 7-8 years before it developed a leak I couldn’t seem to get rid of. I just bought my second one. Only downside: The smaller version makes a sliiiiiiiight hissing sound when it’s not. Not terrible, but the 10-cupper was quieter.

  148. My little town has 6 independent book stores. I don’t even really need to buy anything at them for them to make me happy (but I do).
    Fluffy towels, Whole Foods brand lip balm, the Let’s Pretend this Never Happened audiobook, my kitties, bright toe nail polish, books about the history of weirdly specific things/eras, and lime flavored selzter water.

  149. The Container Store…it’s my happy place. Even if I don’t buy anything, it’s just so organized!

    The Bloggess, of course! The best free thing.

    My antifreeze-filled ice cream scoop (from The Pampered Chef). It melts the ice cream as you scoop, yo!

  150. One good, comfortable, soft cardigan sweater. I wear it in the winter when it is cold out, and in the summer when my husband has the air conditioning turned up so high that penguins are showing up in my bedroom as if to say “S’up man?” and when I’m feeling slouchy and when I’m feeling blue and when I’m having that time of the month cramps that make me want to hide in the closet, and when I’m sleepy and just because I’m home from work and want to prove it to myself by not wearing my work clothes. Yeah, maybe it’s because I’m over 40 now, but a cardigan sweater. I swear, everyone needs one. Go buy one. You’ll thank me!

  152. I can’t live without science-fiction. I studiously avoided anything that had even a whiff of sci-fi in high-school because I didn’t want to be a nerd (except for Star Trek Next Generation because, you know, Wil Wheaton). After marrying a total geek, I have come to love all things sci-fi, even the really crappy stuff because it’s all pretty awesome really.

  153. The back up camera on my car. It came with the navigation system, or I wouldn’t have spent the money for it. I will never again own a car without one. It’s nice to know I’m not backing over some kid who has run behind my car (especially as I get older and turning around seems harder and harder).

  154. Audio books on my iPod. I’m not a huge music person, but the old “books on tape” totally make mundane/border-line drudgery totally acceptable. After reading above I think I *need* a Kobo or Kindle for my vacation.

    My Keurig machine. We all like different types of coffee in my house. This saves compromising – and who wants to compromise at 6:30 a.m.? (Who can)?? I will be packing mine for my vacation. Don’t judge me.

    Post it notes. Am I sad that I love them? I use them for everything – especially as bookmarks. I will use them on my vacation when I am reading on the deck or the beach.

    Google Maps. Not sure how I functioned before they existed. For sure I got lost more. Especially on vacations.

    Vacations – short or long. But you probably intuited that.

  155. My Granny’s recipe book. Handwritten recipes that I love with little notes about where she tried this recipe or comments like: “we made this together for that Christmas Eve!” She’s passed on, but I love looking at her words on a page, every recipe means something to our family, and represents hours her and I spent in her kitchen.

    I love so many things on your list! I’d be happy to receive anything!

  156. Nivea. Because I have been living under a rock for the last too many years,

  157. Two things I use every day: coconut oil (I love that I can use it on my face and it doesn’t make my breakouts worse) and my body pillow (I literally can’t sleep in an empty bed).

    Free stuff: Podcasts! I’m fortunate to work in a lab that lets us listen to things while we work and there are podcasts for everything! I love Stuff You Should Know; My Brother, My Brother, and Me; Stop Podcasting Yourself; Judge John Hodgman; Throwing Shade; Mugglecast & Alohomora (because I’m a super Harry Potter dork); Snap Judgement; America’s Test Kitchen Radio… I think I would have gone insane after a week without these people talking to me all day.

  159. Nordstrom. They carry women’s shoes in size 12 and don’t mock you for needing them.

  160. I have to go back and read these, because I either already love them, or I suspect I could. But that will take all day, so here are mine, and apologies for duplicates.

    Site: I go back and reread this every year or so, because it makes me shrieklaugh, even in my horror. http://www.thesneeze.com/steve-dont-eat-it/
    I also have complete snickerfits watching the series An Idiot Abroad.
    Song: Riverside, Agnes Obel. I am mesmerized by this one right now. It’s like sleepwalzing, and I find it sad and hypnotic and utterly serene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjncyiuwwXQ
    Timewaster: This puzzle site, there are several sizes per game, and a huge database of games. Two favorites: http://www.puzzle-bridges.com/?size=11 and http://www.puzzle-nonograms.com/?size=4
    Books: so many. Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, George R.R Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, so many great classics out there.
    Fast-dry topcoat that makes whimsical polish experiments possible, because you can have something else, set and dry in 5 minutes when you top off with this. http://www.amazon.com/Seche-Vite-Fast-Nail-Ounce/dp/B00150LT40/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1374539875&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=seche+vite
    Crispy snack. You never thought coconut could be crisp, but they have it down! Link to see what they look like, but they have them at Whole Foods. http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Crispy-Roasted-Coconut-2-Ounce/dp/B002VZUW0A/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1374540329&sr=1-1&keywords=danielle+coconut+chips
    Also:
    Cerignola olives (huge, mild, meaty, nutty flavor)
    Castelvetrano olives (very mild and buttery. Yes, buttery)
    Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt (slightly sweetened, tastes fantastic as a fruit dip. Any kind of fruit.)
    Torani syrups (because Italian sodas or cremosas are wonderful, easy, and feel so special),
    Ciao Bella gelato in Key Lime Graham flavor. They get it just right. Not too sweet, perfect pie crust note.

  161. Things I can’t live without:

    Doctor Who…swoooooning over David Tennant

    My Nook – with about 8 books going at any 1 time

    Memoirs of a Geisha – both in book and the movie adaptation…this was my “aha” moment. How to make beauty from tragedy; how to pick yourself up when everything is crumbling around you; how to be a strong woman…beautiful, colorful language that pops out of the page but translates so well onto the screen.

    My mini version of Beyonce – she makes me laugh when times are tough

    My otterbox for my phone – saved my phone more than once from a shattery demise

  162. My list is a really weird but so am I so here we go….
    Magic Shell on orange sherbert. I once saw a guy in the line in front of me with just magic shell and rasberry sherbert and I said nothing, I think he may have been my soul mate.
    Googly eyes- no matter how bad things are googly eyes make me smile every time. My sister gave me a package of 2,000 of them and I keep a small bag in my purse for googly eye emergencies. You’d be amazed how they come in handy.
    Discovering a new fabulous author, my brother introduced me to Aimee Bender and I was wondering how I survived without reading her before.
    Iced coffee- as long as it is above freezing out I will probably be drinking iced coffee, I think the caffeine gets into your blood faster that way.

  164. Let’s see…
    Failblog.org its hilarious and cheers me up sometimes when I need to see something funny.
    Strawberry scented hand cream from bath and body works, my hands are so dry so I use it constantly and it smells good enough to eat.
    http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=17818676&cp=12586965.12587140.4191873
    My brita hard sided water bottle, I carry it with me everywhere, and its filtered so I feel better about filling up at the mall or park water fountains.
    http://www.amazon.com/Brita-Sided-Filter-Bottle-Violet/dp/B00AB8NON6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1374541423&sr=8-6&keywords=brita+water+bottle

  165. I am in love with that song now, thank you.

    I wouldn’t want to go without Infusium shampoo and conditioner. My hair is almost knee length, and very curly, it does not tame easily, but with that shampoo and conditioner I can run a brush through my hair straight out of the shower, almost no detangler needed. The extra expense is worth the 15 minutes of hair brushing it saves me every morning.

    I’m also in love with Fruit of the Earth 100% aloe as a hair gel. It holds my flyaways (which are legion) in check, but it doesn’t look like I’ve used any product at all, and my hair still feels satiny.

    Method makes a soap that comes out of a mickey mouse shaped dispenser that smell like lemonade. Every time I wash my hands I think of the happy parts of childhood summers.

    My very favorite things in the whole world are, without question, my hearing aids, a pair of Hansaton Cemia Minis. I’ve had them for 15 months and they don’t cease to amaze me. I had forgotten what it was like to be able to fully engage in conversation without putting most of my concentration into reading lips. Music sounds amazing, some instruments can bring me to the verge of tears they are so overwhelmingly sensory. The hearing aids themselves are black with a silver wave, and they make me think of classic racecars.

  166. A soft, oversized comfy tshirt. To lounge in on those days when it hurts too much to get out of bed, and to sleep in.

    Cheese. Tillamook Cheddar is my fave.

    Dark chocolate.

    A book. I’ll read most anything, and love my ancient Kindle and the Kindle apps, but lately I’m really into YA, and sci-fi/fantasy. Something that will take me away from the world for a bit.

    Also, the internet and kittens. Or any animal pics really. Because sometimes you just need to look at something fluffy and cute.

  167. My Keurig. I got it as a gift from my parents and it is a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Have 22 months apart, it has been a life saver for instant caffeine. Also, the hot water makes for an even better bottle warmer. Win on two fronts.

  168. Hmmmm…I can’t go without those that mean much to me, normalizing conversations other girlfriends, and seeing folks choose good. After all that twatishness, I really dig trashy books, dark chocolate in the freezer, good music, cava, and amazing blogs. I love this one.
    Other authors that I would recommend (other than the incomparable Jenny) would be Laurie Notaro and Sarah Vowell.
    Cheers!

  169. OMG Strawberry Hill…I like that whether it is cheap or not. In fact, I could use a glass or two or three…wait, I digress. Ok, I just got a Kindle Fire and the thing is great but I covet my real books and oh, my CD’s. YES!
    Let’s see…I get the whole suicide hotline, although not had to use it but for those that need it. I will however go with happy pills, yep, I am certainly happier with them than without.
    Hmm…oh yes, Snoopy anything and the Minions! LOVE THEM!
    One last thing, the hand-made quilt made by my Great-grandma that I inherited from my Grandma.

  170. Since coming to love Doctor Who, I have thought maybe there should be a charity to help those who haven’t watched it. That and it would help pay for me to turn my car into a Tardis

  172. For cooking I’ve discovered I can’t live without my mincer, mostly for garlic, because it’s so quick and easy.
    And gooey butter cake cookies, the easiest cookies for someone like me who is baking challenged to make, and it helps that they’re so delicious people go crazy for them and I get awesome credit.

  173. The things I need to live are simple, same for everyone. As I’m unemployed and pretty much homeless, I’m more appreciative of them. Right now, friends are topping the list. They are giving me places to stay, which is top priority. But there are other things, little things, that are pretty damn awesome, so here are some…

    -Probiotic supplements. Basically acidopholus and whatever other ones get mixed in to whichever one I bought. Keeps my tum from hurting all the time, and I guess they’re good for general health, too.
    -Nail polish. Especially shimmery and/or glittery colors.
    -Music. I could name specific artists and bands, but the truth is there are so many I love, and it almost doesn’t matter who I name now, it changes every day anyway. I just love music. But I’ll tick off a few, for good measure: Amanda Palmer, The Manic Street Preachers, David Bowie, Regina Spektor, Justin Timberlake…
    -Books. Same as above, there are far too many to list, but I’ll throw a few out that are at the front of my brain. I just read Neil Gaiman’s newest, which is lovely…Stephen King is a favorite, I tell everyone to read The Dark Tower series, and I just read Lisey’s Story which was heartbreaking…Charles de Lint’s stuff, the Game of Thrones series, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials…
    -Facebook. Yep. It’s terrible and addictive, and it’s the best way to keep in touch with friends from all over the country and world.
    -This blog and Allie Brosh’s blog. Make me laugh, make me feel less alone in my particular brand of crazy, make me feel better, and that’s something.
    -Doctor Who. Just started watching it a few months ago, finally, with Eccleston’s incarnation, and now I’m hooked! I even started Torchwood too, just last week.
    -Threadless.com and their wide assortment of shirts. I own a bunch, and when I get a job I will buy more. Some are nerdy, some are beautiful, some are creepy, but they’re all cool.
    -A battery-powered facial scrubbing brush. Mine is from Beauticontrol, but I imagine they’re all pretty much the same. I use it every night with Simple face wash, and I swear my skin is clearer, lines are less noticeable, pores are smaller…
    -Hot dogs. I just like them, and I’ve been eating a lot of them lately, and they are good.

  176. I glad I’m not the only one recognizing the glory of Dixon Ticonderoga pencils.
    Also anything peanut butter is perfect. The venture bros make me happy as shit, too! So does Dr. Who. My TARDIS lunch box functions similarly to your beach towel.
    Oh, and there’s this beautiful feral cat that’s adopted us and lives in our swing set. Her name is Grettith and she is the sweetest thing ever. She’s fixed and healthy, and we’d bring her inside if she’d let us, but she’s too smart for traps.
    And finally, having a beard. I gotdamn love this thing. It totally disguises that I have the weakest chin imaginable and I can play with it.

  178. My kindle? Good Penn State Creamery Ice Cream… my kids (but no one else can buy them so I don’t know if they count for this list, altho you had Neil Gaiman, so they MUST count). I also can’t live without my friends that have dogs. Because of them, my kids are mostly satisfied and I don’t have to buy my own dog… yet.

  180. You are so right about the bath sheet. I bought one recently at Ikea, that is enormous….I mean, I stand a *cough* willowy 5’3″, and am you know…voluptuous and this towel wraps around me and quite a bit more. Probably the best $20 I ever spent. I want one in ever color. And it’s one of those things that I have claimed as mine and mine alone.

    The next two require a visit to the doc but have restored my brain function….and I am giddy about being able to think and get stuff done again. (Pernicious anemia is a vicious thing….) B-12 injections once a week=LOVE and celexa (so I can get out of bed and be happy!!)

  181. Science fiction. Also, my cat’s fluffy tail. Especially now, since I had him shaved for the summer because it’s so hot, and they left a puffball at the end of his tail and I can’t stop fiddling with it.

  182. I frequently drive 4 hours or more a week, so one of my favorite things is audible.com. I download audio books and listen to them as I drive. I frequently listen to them on my Kindle (I own both the keyboard and Fire HD 8.9 models plus my kids love their Kindle touch models). So — I love audible and kindle.

  184. Frosty Frog slushies while on vacation in Hilton Head.

    Netflix

    Buycott App for my phone

    Remote open doors for my minivan. In fact, I am a little bitter that the children get their doors opened automatically and I still actually have to pull the handle…

  185. I can’t live without my knitting. My yarn and needles allow me to relax and be creative. It’s fun to look at all of the patterns and yarn and plan what pretty things I want to knit next.

  186. This is yet another type of towel. I can’t live without my Aquis Hair towel. My hair takes forever to dry and by using it it allows me to sleep in a little bit longer every day.

  187. I love my mandoline with a ceramic blade even though I chopped a fingertip with it. I cook from scratch because of food allergies in the family, and I couldn’t live without it – I’m a little scared of it right now, but still using it!

  188. I’m a big fan of Biscoff Cookie Butter. That stuff is the shizzle. I take a jar to work, and will eat a spoonful, just to help me forget that the douche in room 10 just threw a shit-laden bed pan at my head.

    I also have an unhealthy attachment to blue gel pens. Extra fine point. If I see one laying on the desk, that sweet little thing is going home with me at the end of the shift. To join the hundreds of brothers and sisters I have already rescued. I leave the black pens alone. That’s not racist.

    And probably the one thing that I could not live without…butt wipes for grown people. Why would you use something dry to clean your cash and prizes? You wash everything else when soiled, why should your secret garden be any different. Wet wipes…never leave home without them!

  189. My Keurig. My iPad (it houses my reading apps, facebook and music). Bath & Body works body cream (way better than hand lotion). My 24 oz. Starbucks double walled cup (not for coffee, for booze or soda). Satellite radio. Goes w/o saying family and friends.

  190. My favorite perfume buy Clinique is their Happy Citrus, it’s a wonderful and they only put this out around the holidays. my Canon Rebel camera, love it so much. taking photos makes me happy. The Scy-Fy channel, gotta have it. Hockey, my fav sport to watch or play.

  191. I can’t live without the Apple TV in my bedroom. For the longest time, I was very anti-TV-in-the-bedroom. Hello, my insomnia is bad enough, I don’t need the siren song of all my unwatched shows calling to me at night. But the first time I had one of my Down Days, I curled up in bed with Lay’s potato chips and watched A Christmas Story. All day.

    …completely worth it. Now, I use it all the time and I’m not sure I could sleep without it. I drift off to Fifth Element more often than not.

  192. This is really nice of you, Jenny! I recently listened to your audiobook, which kept me on the gym treadmill longer than I usually would without something funny to listen to, and then I found your blog.

    Here is my list:
    (1) Pie, because life is just better with pie. When I reached a milestone birthday, I had a pie party.
    (2) Books, because they totally work as wall insulation, too. Kidding, I love reading them. Especially books by Adam Rex, including my all-time favorite, THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY. Also, he illustrated a book by Neil Gaiman, CHU’S DAY. And he has a little stuffed mouse under glass just like the one on the cover of your book.
    (3) Pilot G-2 07 pens, because they just make the ink flow.
    (4) Public gardens, like the one at the Huntington. Or Central Park. Places you can lose yourself in and ramble forever.
    (5) Museums, for pretty much the same reason. Hello, Unicorn tapestries.

  193. The Pitch Perfect DVD. It is now my go-to movie to cheer me up when I’m having a panicky-stabby-hide-myself-stab-all-the-things day. Funny how a movie about teen angst and A capella can help me get out of my head and back into my life. Second runner up? Sister Act (1&2). Singing nuns!

  194. Belle and Sebastian (the musical group, but the cartoon was awesome too). Their music always makes me smile, particularly all the innuendo in “Step into my Office.” I will forever be in debt to my brother for sending me that song.

  195. My Silicone Baking Sheets…..LostOne…It Just Disappeared, So One Day I NeEd To Buy Another….

  196. I’m a texture person (as in foods, not just general feeeeelings), so I can’t stand chunky salsa or slimy slivers of onions floating around in my soup. Ewwwww. Point is, I adore my cuisinart immersion blender. Like, when I go visit friends, I take it with me.

  197. I have a small child… I recently bought a Boba carrier and I use it dai, ly! It is the most amazing kid type item!

    Non baby.. um We got hulu and I started watching downton abbey… Love it

  199. Holy shitballs! People be needing books, alcohol, coffee and lip balm all up in here!
    I’m too needy and lazy to list everything I can’t live without but I have gotten super
    swell ideas from your followers. Love you Jenny Lawson!

  200. For my big ol’ 40th birthday this past year, a relative (still don’t know exactly who) bought me a scented wax warmer shaped like a sock monkey. That was awesome enough, but they included a package of scented wax squares to put in the warmer. The scent was called “Maid Up” and came with the tagline, “Your mother doesn’t live here (but it can smell like she does.)” THEY WERE RIGHT. This stuff makes your house smell like someone just came in and cleaned the entire place for you without you knowing it. There’s even the tiniest hint of bleach under the lovely fresh laundry and the-scent-of-wildflowers-drying-in-the-sun-being-gently-breezed-through-your-open-window. I KID YOU NOT. I’ve been on a hunt to find more of this stuff and until I do, I’ve been hoarding what I have left, cutting the last square into tiny pieces and using just the littlest bit to keep the scent going. I can’t live without this stuff. I CAN’T SPARE A SQUARE.

  201. Things that I return to again & again:

    Jane Austen, especially Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. But really, I read all of them at least once a year, usually in August when it’s hot & humid and gross and my brain doesn’t work and all I want to do is pretend I’m sipping tea in a crisp white linen gown in a cool, green English garden. Bonus round: Pride & Prejudice, the TV miniseries with Colin Firth. Perfection.

    Christopher Moore, especially Lamb and A Dirty Job, but really all of them. Can turn around the worst of days.

    Buffy The Vampire Slayer on Netflix. There are approximately 800 episodes. Totally bad-week-marathon-worthy.

    Newish things that I am so, so happy I got:

    A really big, sturdy wooden cutting board. Makes cooking that much more pleasant. I’m grateful for it every day. http://www.catskillcraftsmen.com/Boards/1326.html

    T-shirts from Marine Layer in San Francisco. Splurgy, but oh-so-comfortable and made in the USA. http://www.marinelayer.com/

    And? Twitter. I’m so in love with Twitter that I should marry it. The GOP warned us this would happen, y’all.

  202. Nail polish. It’s my new eight dollar crack. I have too much time on my hands and don’t know how to paint my own nails so nail polish is keeping me in recovery and making the insomnia tolerable. Maybe one day I’ll get better at it.

  203. Funny, I already have the towels, including the TARDIS one, and microwave slippers! I have cocoa body scrub, but a different brand!

    Other things:

    My lap top and iPhone, although I really should unplug more often!

    I love Lilla Rose flexi hair clips. I wear one almost every day because I’m too lazy to style my hair. They are pretty and don’t snag your hair like the clasps on other clips. I don’t even sell them, I’m just a satisfied customer!

    Mad Men! I started watching the series about 3 months ago and find it very relaxing! Takes me out of my own reality, sort of like a sophisticated, retro soap opera!

    Cracker Barrel. Total comfort food!

  205. My SodaStream. Like your shaved ice machine, it may seem like a splurge, but nothing gears being able to gorge myself on bubbly water he never I want for almost free.

  206. I can’t live without soda, sparkly nail polish and my stupid cats. Oh man, I would *prefer* to not live without my Kindle – but I can make do (sigh) with a library card if necessary. And chocolate. I cannot live without chocolate chip ice cream.

  208. Okay, this is really sad. Everyone loves such cool stuff, and the first thing that came to my mind was microfiber rags. Rags. I like rags. They’re neat. They clean stuff. Like really, really well. Dang it, I hope I win this, so I can get some ACTUAL cool stuff from Amazon and not be “the rag lady” anymore. I’ll get something awesome and impractical … like $350 worth of decorative thumb tacks. But not a cork board. That would make them useful.

  209. My Kittens, I didn’t have pets for a very long time, but now I have kittens and wonder how I survive with out them. I have a pair of them. They play together which brings me joy to watch them play, when I am down I can hold them and I feel better. Even more importantly when I am having a stressful day I can tell them anything and they don’t judge me.

  210. Can’t live without my running shoes. My daughter probably wouldn’t be living if I didn’t have them either… Some days they’re the only thing that keeps me from committing murder. And because I use them frequently, I also can’t live without Epsom salt baths and a foam roller since I’m not rich enough to have a massage therapist on call.

  211. So grateful for my freezer full of grassfed beef. It’s a pretty steep investment up front, but it comes out to really good beef at low cost. Half a cow feeds three of us all the beef we need for a year. If I’m going to eat cows, I like knowing that it’s only one per year.

    I didn’t know about this one till 30 or so minutes ago, but this comment thread is ranking right up there among things that I love.

  212. Books! I’m obsessed, seriously. I have a huge stack I need to read but I can’t help buying more every time I go into a bookstore. Also tea, I’ve recently developed a love for flavored teas. Tea of Life is a good brand, I normally find it at target. Eastern Shore Tea Company is really good too, my favorite so far is the Chocolate Strawberry tea.

  213. I’m on the same page as Kelly R…. audiobooks make my life. And as a college student, I’ve found that it’s WAY easier to get everything done when you can listen to your homework while cooking dinner, for example.

    More specifically, LibriVox (librivox.org) is the cat’s pajamas. They have a ton of audiobooks that are totally free because they’re all in the public domain and read by volunteers. And it is awesome.

  214. ok so my suggestion is a game like Apples to Apples for horrible people…. so most of the people reading this blog will likely LOVE it… if they don’t already have it like me. So basically twisted sense of humor is a must. =O)

    http://www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/

    the game is Cards Against Humanity. It is a freaking blast….

    not recommended for kids….

  215. Beeswax candles. They don’t release weird chemicals into the air, they smell good, and they emit negative ions that cleanse the air. Love them.

  216. If I had to give up all of my possessions (other than basic necessities like clothes), I could do it, as long as I had access to a library. Other than that, I love my bike, and I would automatically choose a bike to be my one “unnecessary” possession if I were to be moved for work and could only take one personal item.

  217. And making food for people I love. Wether it’s the fruit cup I just diced for my girlfriend, casseroles during thanksgiving, dinner for my household, or the drinks I make at work, sharing food made with care is my very favorite way to express love and friendship, and I do it as often as I can.

  218. PBS (free!) or Netflix streaming – waaaay cheaper than cable, and a place to go when I can’t stand normal consciousness anymore. Lemon curd mixed with plain greek yogurt as a fruit dip. Frozen damp washcloths when the heat gets unbearable – so awesome!

  219. It’s really weird that just today, a close friend I was having lunch with noted that she found it really funny when I said “So SUCK IT!” and that I’ve said it for years but she’s never picked it up (as friends sometimes do with each other’s lingo) and then here you go and write it in this blog. Yep, totally irrelevant and probably will be construed as ass-kissy, but I thought I’d just mention it.
    Things I have discovered and can’t live without? This blog (Jesus, I’m really NOT an ass-kisser, despite appearances). My daughter (although I didn’t really discover her, our social worker did, so don’t disqualify me from the prize, which by the way CAN be used in Canada, as I have actually purchased items from Amazon.com and they have arrived…eventually). My 3 cats (I did discover each of them at animal rescues, but I know that answer won’t hit the target because so many other people have already said their cats.) Vaseline (for my lips. On my face. The other lip balms don’t last as long on my lips. Damn, I didn’t discover Vaseline either.)
    Ok, it’s becoming obvious that I haven’t discovered anything that somebody else hasn’t already discovered, except this bizarre fact that makes me laugh in a gross-out kinda way: If you stick your finger in your ear for those deep ear itches, your cats will lick the residual goo off your finger right afterwards. They dig it. Try it with your cats. It’s a cool party trick.
    I’ll shut up now.

  220. I cook a lot, so I can’t live without my Garlic Zoom….
    I have a child loose in the house, so I can’t live without Lysol wipes….
    I don’t have time to catch TV shows when they air, so I can’t live without my DVR and Netflix…
    I live in the deserts of West Texas, so I can’t live without Fresh® ‘Lotus Youth Preserve’ Face Cream…
    I have an anxiety disorder and I have to make time for myself to unwind, so I can’t live without books to temporarily take me into another reality…
    And last (but not least) Twitter, because it puts me into directed contact with my favorite writers (oh yes, I’m talking about you here, Jenny)…

  221. I keep reading comments and thinking, “YEAH! That’s awesome too!” — but one thing nobody has mentioned is Graeter’s ice cream, made in Cincinnati, Ohio, and available to the US now that they’ve expanded their distribution. I’m sharing the love, y’all.

  223. Beads. I got into making my own jewelry a couple years ago, and it’s one of the few things I can do to calm my mind when it gets into that frantic-I’m-about-to-have-a-really-bad-panic-attack RIGHT NOW mode. I can pull out my box of beading stuff, find a couple things that catch my eye, and play around with them to make something unique until my brain switches back into its more normal mode.

  224. Rewards/Savings Cards and apps! I’m an AVID couponer and I go nuts paying full price for anything, so if I DO have to pay full price, at least I know that by using some of my apps and cards I’m at least saving up points for the things I’m buying! My favorite right now is this one : http://get.shopkick.com/arrow13524 It’s like a mini scavenger hunt and it keeps my kids well behaved and quiet in the store because I let them scan the items. Plus I get points for purchasing and just walking into certain stores. I then can cash the points in for gift cards and stuff that I use at Christmas to….”help Santa”. (Although right now, it’s all about me 😉 I’m saving for a gift certificate to Tiffany & Co. I need a little treat)

    Also – Toddy Clothes They are this super awesome microfiber cloth with cool designs. I’m a glasses wearer and I HATE when they are smudged. But I have a 4 year old. So they are always smudged. This wipes them clean away in seconds. Plus its awesome for cell phones and nooks.

  227. Pinterest…I love to take multiple fun DIY crafts, combine them, and create something fantastic.

  229. Yankz Lacing Systems for all my sneakers… because if I’m going to be motivated to do anything active enough to necessitate wearing sneakers, I don’t want to be derailed by the tedious effort of actually tying my shoes. I need to just slip them on before I change my mind

  230. Freezer pops. I’m pregnant and the weird little human I am growing hates all sweets, except freezer pops. So helpful in the humid Midwest summer. And don’t worry, I won’t send you pictures of my weird little human once it comes out.

  231. I can’t live without “The Killing.” Best show on tv. I have given up all my other shows. Let’s face it, “True Blood” and “Dexter” have totally jumped the shark anyway.

  232. Hazelnut coffee creamer. I could drink it without the coffee.

    My keurig coffee machine.

    My son. But he’s not so much a commodity that can be shared.

    The Internet. All of it.

  233. My list? My Lypsyl lip balm. I use a CPAP machine at night, and the Lypsyl keeps my lips moist at night. Without it, the air blowing into my mouth and nose would cause me to get chapped lips.

    My Pyrex glass teapot. Not only is it beautiful, it brews wonderful tea, especially loose leaf and flowering teas.

    My Pandora One subscription.

    My subscription to Renaissance Magazine.

    Books!!!

  234. McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Fabulous writing, a quick fix for those without a lot of time, and the funniest thing on the internet after the Bloggess.

  236. Holy. Mother. You have so many comments already. I can live without it, but it has changed the way I think about things… http://www.amazon.com/Motley-Fool-Have-More-Think/dp/0743201744 I am a teacher. I have very little money because of student loan debt, and this book has really made me less stressed about money. I never ask for help, I never like to admit that I have debt aside from student loans, I spend too much on beer and things I’m sure I could live without… this book has been awesome. And it’s so easy to understand. I feel like recommending it to people I don’t even know.
    I enjoy your blog and such.. keep up the good work!

  237. Love this list! The first two things that come to my mind as favorite things are both food items (yup, I LOVE food!):
    Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. Ah-mahz-ing. I can eat that stuff straight out of the jar.
    Also, Talenti Sea Salt Caramel Gelato. Perfection!

  239. So many of these comments are making me go “ohhh hey I love that too” and other comments are helping me explore new things. I fear if I make a new list of tings I love it will be really REALLY long!

  240. I know your blog isn’t political, but I can’t believe you didn’t mention hoodie sweatshirts. Even in July, and even in Texas.

  241. Game of Thrones. The show, the books, the maps, the vinyl Funko dolls and all the delicious time i spend with my coworkers talking about it. And the GoT personality test which says I am like Tyrion Lannister. I am short, and funny, and I do drink, but beyond that I wouldn’t be caught dead in his outfits and my dad didn’t have my first wife killed. Not many people seem to be mentioning TV shows, so maybe I’m missing the point. (Or maybe I stopped scanning the comments after the first two billion). I would use the money to download GoT and other TV shows I love to tkae my mind off everything I really should be thinking about.

  242. Midnight PM is amazing for when you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. You can chew them, no water required. Plus, no valerian, which gives me nightmares that make the Saw movies look like a kindergarten play.

  243. Passion Fruit Grapefruit sorbet from Yogurtland. It’s hot as fuck here, but a bowl full of that makes me feel less like I’m going to bake to death.

  244. The SCA. It’s not exactly cheap, especially if you get super into the crafting and costuming, but without it I wouldn’t have found my own little tribe. They feel closer than family, even if I only see some of them once or twice a year.

  245. Dream Cream from Lush is the best, most luxurious body lotion I’ve ever used. It’s relatively costly but sooo moisturizing.
    I also love my microwavable beanbags. Perfect for my upper back injury or budding tension headache.

  246. It’s a good thing there’s not a ‘Like’ button under each comment or I’d’ve spent the day clicking madly away. Thank you to every single person who took the time to post.
    C.O. Bigelow lemon lip balm at Bath & Body.
    Bigelow Tea’s Constant Comment. Yes!
    …and whoever posted the Demeter Fragrances – Wow! that one sent me off on a spending spree.
    Ravelry? But of course! Isn’t a yarn stash beyond life expectancy the most current, politically correct form of alternative home energy conservation measures?

    So, to post what others have not… (along w/Amazon links so you can look, not necessarily the best/cheapest source) in no particular order…

    Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream (http://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Lemon-Butter-Cuticle/dp/B0027KXUN0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374530622&sr=8-3&keywords=burt%27s+bees+lemon+butter+cuticle+cream) There’s a tin in every room of my house.

    Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream (http://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Norwegian-Formula-Cream-Chapped/dp/B005C4WPUW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374530558&sr=8-3&keywords=neutrogena+norwegian+formula+hand+cream) Really! The little tube costs less than $3 and the tiniest of smears on the back of each hand at bed time & after getting dressed in the a.m. and OMG!

    Contigo Travel Tumblers (http://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Stainless-Insulated-Tumbler/dp/B001RMIWJ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374530648&sr=8-2&keywords=Contigo) I love to take the one I tote to work and quickly turn it completely over to demonstrate to folks how it never even drips. Leak proof. But the best thing of all about these is that they keep hot drinks hot for hours. Not tepid mind you: HOT! I’d get busy at work & every other travel mug greeted me with lukewarm liquid by the time I got back to it. No more. It’s a miracle. Works even more efficiently for cold things, but it was the heat keeping, leak thwarting that made me a convert.

    Lavender Simple Syrup. Make your own. Google it. Your house will smell amazing while you’re brewing your concoction but if you don’t have the time or inclination to do that, then Torani makes a lavender syrup. (http://www.amazon.com/Torani-Lavender-Syrup-750-Bottle/dp/B00C2UCB2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374530680&sr=8-1&keywords=Torani+lavender+syrup) Add a glug of this to a tall, iced green tea. Nirvana.

    Litter Locker II or whatever its latest iteration is. (http://www.amazon.com/Litter-Genie-Disposal-System-White/dp/B007IHY5CM/ref=sr_1_5?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1374530854&sr=1-5&keywords=litter+locker+ii) If you think your current method of storing used kitty litter is not unpleasantly aromatic you’re fooling yourself. The Litter Locker is basically a re-branded Diaper Genie. I have one cat. Two weeks without having to dump the Litter Locker. Truthfully, odor free.

    Sonic Ice. If you live near a Sonic Drive-In you prolly know what I mean when I say, Sonic Ice. It’s not crushed, cubed, shaved or whatever’d; it’s Sonic Ice. Did you know you can buy big bags of Sonic Ice at Sonic for $1.99. Make it your last stop before immediately heading home to cache your treasure in the freezer but it’s far superior to anything you’d pick up at the grocery, etc for a party.

    Like tea? Like Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints? You’ve got to sample Stash Tea’s Chocolate Mint Wuyi Oolong Tea. (http://www.amazon.com/Stash-Chocolate-Tea-18-Count-1-2-Ounce/dp/B001HTI4WO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374529902&sr=8-2&keywords=Stash+chocolate+mint+tea) I linked to a 6-count deals at Amazon because once you try this tea – think Thin Mints w/o the guilt – you’ll be like the local thin mint tea pusher, pressing a tea bag into every tea-loving friend’s hand with the admonition, “Just try it…” You’ll run low quickly.

    Pens. My boss told me it was his all-time, favorite pen. It was the only pen he couldn’t live without. If his pen went missing, all work had to come to an immediate halt until it could be located. I ordered spares and secretly stashed them away for those emergency situations when the pen truly vanished. (A broken sibling pen once became encased in red Jello by a merry prankster. Bedlam ensued. I knew better.) But you know what? My boss was right. The. Best. Pen. It glides. It caresses your hand. It’s fat enough that there’s no finger fatigue. It’s the pen that we shall never be without. I truthfully carry mine around with me if I need to leave my desk lest someone ‘borrow’ it and walk away with it. It doesn’t break the bank. Even The Walmart carries them if you search diligently enough. (http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Retractable-Platinum-Metallic-36272/dp/B0000AQOA1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374530529&sr=8-1&keywords=pilot+dr+grip+gel)

    The Brain Scoop. No, it’s not for serving up brains. It’s Emily Graslie and she shares her delight and glee at the discoveries found within the Chicago Field Museum. Be sure and check out the video series called “The Chicago Adventure”. Who knew there were seals with teeth like THAT?! (http://www.youtube.com/user/thebrainscoop)

  247. My Nintendo DS cuz I get to play really fun Lego games on it. And Marissa de los Santos whose lyrical style of writing allows her readers to savor her every word and truly appreciate the joy of reading again. And fan fiction cuz sometimes it’s so bad it’s hysterical (but makes great subject lines on emails)!

  248. Lip Balm – I swear, I think better and faster if I’m in the process of repeatedly applying lip balm than if I’m standing around with slightly dry lips. And since I like to pretend I’m an ethical force to be reckoned with, I usually bu Burt’s Bees lip balm in a multi pack. God forbid I run out!

  249. My favourite thing right now is my iPad because even though it’s an old one, it lets me draw stupid pictures and those stupid pictures make associate editors sometimes take a second look at your pitch and then you get to write for a magazine.

    But it’s not cheap. The iPad, I mean. My drawings are pretty cheap. And also ridiculous. Still, it’s one of my favourite things.

    Also, dark chocolate caramels with sea salt. Because duh. Even Jesus loves those, and I know some Baptists who don’t think Jesus likes anything.

    (He totally does, though; he throws the best parties, too, and you never run out of wine. He’s still working on his tequila technique, though. You can’t expect him to just be good at everything all at once, y’all. Damn.)

  250. Oohh my god… you really going to read through all of these? The daily mail web site… everything crazy in the world on one web site. Including an occasional grizzly Adams reference. The only other thing: the rock we move every night to cover the crack under the fence that the neighborhood opossum uses to get into our backyard when we are trying to read or hang out at night. I would have said broom… but we broke that trying to help him find his way out. Which reminds me, I’ve got a rock to move.

  252. Big, bold, smoky red zinfandel. Because wine.
    Creamy havarti cheese. (with wine)
    Cotswold cheese. (with wine)
    My Victorinox kitchen knives.
    Xanax for flying.
    Maxalt for migraines.
    And mostly my girls: couldnt live without the girls in my ‘hood Susan and Corene

  253. i love my track ball mouse. it’s way too expensive to justify but i love it so much.

    and there’s a free bookstore here in baltimore, md called ‘the book thing’. it costs gas money to drive to there, but otherwise you take what you want free of charge. all they ask is that you sign your name, the number of books/magazines you took and then leave a comment. when you’re finished you can return your books and get more. unless you’re a book hoarder like me. then you just go back for more.

  254. I just decided that I can no longer go on without Neuro Sleep. I need to try this stuff really soon, although the receding purple nebula I stare at when I close my eyes probably thinks its a bad idea.
    I have a nice towel. But I do like the sound of a Tardis Towel.

    yours most sincerely,
    John aka “eubieland”

  255. I am seriously addicted to “lip chap”. (Normal people call it lip balm.) My favorites are Eos, Yes! To Carrots, Burts Bees and Badger Balm. I have them everywhere. In my purse, next to my TV spot, at the head of my bed, in my bathroom. Yet I would give lip chap up if I had to choose between it and books. Without books, life would be so sad.

  258. THings I cant live without. My Kindle, ice cream, my yorkie, chocolate, my family.

  259. I love my SwitchFlops and on vacation I discovered KGB (kahlua, grand marnier, baileys) ice cream, unfortunately they don’t deliver. It was awesome!

  260. My favorite thing is that apricot scrub from CVS. I don’t even buy the “fancy” $3 version anymore. I just go straight to the store brand $1 apricot scrub. Can’t live without it.

  261. The Sally Hansen cuticle pen. Makes my nails look nice even when they are super dry and craggy. Also, L’oreal’s new lip gloss because it’s super sparkly and probably not appropriate for my age. 🙂

  262. I received a free sample of Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray with a Sephora order and fell in lust! It’s the first thing I’ve found in a long time that helps fatten up my very fine, naturally curly, thin hair. I am one of the cheapest persons around when it comes to beauty products and I keep shelling out $28 for a bottle of this stuff!

  263. Well there are obvious things like a microwave(which we really need a new one, but my boyfriend insists that his grandma’s old one works great, yeah… great if you love radiation seriously stand in front of that and my hair blows in the wind. I try to keep the cats out of the kitchen when I use it just in case)
    Red wine and aged cheddar
    Also my tablet, saving my butt during school by making books or cost effect and much lighter!

  264. String! I love making friendship bracelets. They keep me from setting small fires everywhere.
    I also can’t live without the public library. Free books. Woot!

  265. Yarn and my knitting supplies in general.
    Hard cider.
    Books.
    These are the things that keep me sane.

  266. This isn’t a little thing, but I adore my Kindle. I’m a huge reader, so being able to haul multiple books everywhere is great. I still buy my most favorite-est books paperback, but reading, even for a few minutes while waiting in line, is a lifesaver.

  269. My chiropractor, my Asics, and my sunglasses. All things I thought I didn’t need and was proven wrong.

  270. RIght now, my Teva Mush flip flops, they’re squishy and comfortable and my feet enjoy them a lot, Also Mountain Dew in mass quantities from the time I wake up until 4PM, then water. My e-cig that my dear husband bought me for my birthday. I have not had a cigarette in 23 days…go me!

  271. my cousin, who is 14 months younger than me, and my best friend.
    several other friends who have supported me through thick and thin
    my three cats
    chocolate chip pancakes
    sleeping late and
    reading good books

  272. I can’t live without my three-year-old son, Internet access, my dvd collection which includes everything Joss Whedon has ever done, my comic book collection filled with Neil Gaiman, Vertigo titles, and ElfQuest, and my books which are all I have ever needed to escape from my day-to-day life.

  273. As lame as this sounds, my favorite thing is my y-peeler for vegetables. I cut my self using a regular knife, I cut myself with a potato peeler (I don’t know how). But I can peel a whole potato with my y-peeler in like 2 seconds! I might be the most boring person ever…

    By the way, love your blog. My best friend and I crack up over you!

  274. OMG this list is awesome! Yes. All the yes. All the things!!! Love it.
    I also hope you are feeling better. Sorry your innards tried to murder you, I’m glad you fought back.

  275. You. Cannot live without you. The fact that you like Doctor Who and rum only further proves my point that you are the most awesome woman I have yet to meet.

    I promise I will not stalk you or show up at your house. I will just hope to meet you at a book signing someday, because I know you are busily writing a second book, right?

  276. The neurosleep looks intriguing! I take melatonin but maybe I’ll try this next time!

  277. Amazon Prime. I’ve been a member for years, just for the savings on shipping, and then they started adding all kinds of other cool shit that makes it worth way more than the annual fee (to me, anyway).

    My Frieling Stainless Steel French Press – the one time I hired a cleaning service, one of the nice ladies broke my glass French press. The second one managed to break itself all around the base, sending a lovely cascade of hot semi-coffee and grounds all over my kitchen. Plus, it keeps the coffee hot longer – it’s no Thermos(tm) but at normal coffee consumption rates, every cup is hot.

  278. This. I smiled the whole scroll down.

    Demeter Fragrance Library’s “Thunderstorm.”

    Also, little spoons.

  279. They’re nothing special, but my knitting needles. Or my craft supplies in general. There have been a few too many occasions in my life when I needed to entertain myself on the cheap side, and for the hours I get out of it, knitting/crocheting/chainmaille (which is hell on then hands, but a lot of fun) are all worth the price of admission.

    Audio books – especially Neil Gaiman’s. If you (general public) haven’t heard “Anansi Boys,” you should download it immediately. The reader is incredible and does wonderful accents. And most of Neil Gaiman’s other books are read by Neil Gaiman, who makes everything a worthwhile thing to which to listen.

    Netflix. Again, for entertainment purposes and bang for buck, it’s worth a lot. I like to rewatch things, too, so I’m always watching something on Netflix. (Foyle’s War, guys – it’s great!)

  280. The upgraded MapMyRun app trainer. The coaching feedback tells me to speed up or slow down as needed, and always tells me good job when I hit my desired pace.

  281. I cannot live without my Mane Message hair ties. They don’t leave a crease in my hair and they look more professional than regular rubber-bands. I also recently discovered the Cut & Run series. And now I cannot live without the books or their community of fans.

  283. Things I love:

    First and foremost, You. Not that you are a “thing”. Really, it should go without saying but everyone needs to hear they are loved. That is why I said it.

    Of course I have “deep” things that I am thankful for (my wonderful husband and son to name a couple) but I think this was geared more as a “things we love” post and not a “people we love post” so I’m trying to keep it light.

    Things on Youtube that crack my ass up:
    Convos with my 2 year old – especially the cookie and pants episodes
    Man vs. Toddler by BeratsandBereta
    Bad Lip Readings
    Epic Rap Battles in History

    Stuff:
    Heated mattress pad
    Window a/c unit (often used in conjunction with the heated mattress pad. Earth be damned. Don’t judge).
    Rosebud Salve for my lips and other scaly bits. It used to just come in a tin but at Sephora, they sell it in a lip gloss applicator tube now. It rocks!
    Tweezerman Tweezers – these really grasp those little stray hairs and pulls them right out!
    Generic Benadryl – these Georgia mosquitoes are chewing my ass up!
    Iced tea with fresh mint
    Kindle and my oh so many books
    IPhone – mostly for pics/videos and checking FB. Oh. And making phone calls.
    The Internets
    Locoid Rx cream for my son’s eczema
    My lava rock bracelet from spoke-nfor.com. This guy makes awesome custom bracelets using bicycle spokes and cool beads.
    Etsy (there are so many AMAZINGLY CREATIVE people out there).
    Regretsy
    Pinterest (even thought it makes me feel like a shitty, inadequate wife and mother)
    My DVR. I have a love affair going with my DVR. How else could I keep up with wonderful shows like The Killing, The Walking Dead, True Blood and my guilty pleasure of the”Say Yes to the Dress” franchise?!

    My Birchbox, TestTube and Ipsy subscriptions.

    There are so many other things and I could go on but then I would be sounding more and more like a needy bitch who wants a lot of stuff! Or is it too late for that?

  284. I hate vacuuming and have cats, which is a bad combination. I bought a Roomba and HOLY SHIT, it was totally worth the large amount of money – I have no idea how i lived without it. IT VACUUMS FOR ME.

  285. Hmm, I think I’ll have to agree witha few others and say my public library – otherwise I could never support my paperback habit 😉

  286. My favorite things this week were:

    Creating a treasure map for my 2 year old son. My dad made me cry when he saw a photo of him wearing a hot pink Dora the Explorer hat- he told me that I was a terrible mother and was going to ruin my son. After I hung up on him, I let my kid wear my hot pink skirt that he loves, his Dora hat and his backpack and we made a treasure map so he could explore his little world wearing whatever the hell he wanted.

    Filthy Farmgirl soaps. I found them at the Farmers Market and totally laughed myself into a seizure when I saw the names of some of their stuff. EPIC. http://shop.filthyfarmgirl.com/

    40 gorgeous fresh flavored bagels for $10 at my local grocery store.

    Buying a walker for my 5 month old and seeing him cruise around the entire house in it, completely independent of mom and dad.

    It’s been a good week. Despite the fact that we have started watching Mad Men, and my affinity with Don Draper really makes me want to cry.

  288. I cannot live without my dirty white smashed teddy polar bear that I’ve had since I was born (23 years) named Ashley Chicken. (please, don’t even ask me about the name)
    He was given to me by my great grandma when I was born and he has been my pillow since my mother re-stuffed him when I was 14. Now he’s just my sleeping companion, and he will continue to be so until the day I die.

    Yes, yes I am weird. lol My boyfriend reminds me of this fact everyday.

  289. Not exactly cheap, but worth every penny: my favorite thing that makes me happy every time is the maid service that cleans my house very 2 weeks. Totally saves my marriage (I am a slob and my hubby is not) and it’s so wonderful to walk into a clean house at the end of a long day and know that I didn’t have to do any of the mopping, vacuuming, scrubbing or sweeping involved.

    Second favorite right now is vinho verde. Because wine. And because my favorite bottle is just $7.99. Hard to beat that price! I mean, without getting into the rotgut class of wine.

    I’m not sure I could get either of those on Amazon, but I’d be happy to try the other stuff on the list if I win. 🙂

  291. I love my Ryka slip on shoes, great for my old knees and back. Plus my Soda Stream machine. Have you tried this? Most excellent for flavored seltzer and they have Kool Aid grape and cherry flavorings that make grape and cherry soda! Makes me feel like a kid again.

  292. Fage Greek Yogurt and maple syrup. It fills me up, tastes good and makes me happy (and reminds me of my trip to Greece). Plus it is quick!

  293. Doughmakers Great Grand cookie sheets. But only if you love to bake perfectly browned cookies on oversized sheets (more cookies at once, yay)! BTW, I just moved and these don’t fit into my new oven. Will have to buy the next size down (fewer cookies at once, boo).

  294. I cannot live without my Norwex body cloth (wow, I sound like such a nerd). Seriously though, LOVE it! I use it everyday and on my nasty dirty kids too!

  295. I almost forgot. One critical thing is my anti-depressant and anti-anxiety cocktail that has been finely tuned over the years. I hate having to medicate but I would literally not be here if I didn’t.

  296. My husband’s Thai beef salad. Before I met him, I had no idea this existed. In the 19+ years that we’ve been together, I have him make it at least twice a month. He must love me.

  297. I love Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer – I took students to China last summer and it made it possible for me to function there (with this thing called a squat toilet – look it up, I’ll wait…yep, that’s pretty much all I used for 17 days…now you see what I’m talking about). It was a little piece of home whenever I smelled it and it only costs a dollar (except when they have the big sale, then it’s only .50!)…

  298. My husband and I are always different temperatures. Most notably, I am always freezing, especially in the frozen hell that is upstate New York in the winter. We discovered that the Sleep Number bed folks make a heated mattress pad with dual controls so one side of the bed can be deliciously toasty roasty and so so so warm, and the other side can be slightly-less-frigid-than-the-frozen-hell-that-is-upstate-New-York-in-the-winter.

    A few years ago he got me one for Christmas, and I think it saved our marriage (not that it was ever in any danger, mind you. It was kind of like saving you from an awesome concert by giving you a fishbowl-sized frozen margarita at the concert).

    Every night we turn it on about 30 minutes before bed. When I slide in to the tropical paradise of my side of the bed, I reflect that I could not survive without my favoritest of things, or the fantastic bed warmer that he bought just for me.

  299. http://www.popcornopolis.com/ I’ve discovered I really can’t live without this stuff. we are *kinda* popcorn snobs and this is by far some of the best I’ve tasted (and I’ve tasted a lot of popcorn). I pretty much will devour all the flavors. it’s the gateway to all kinds of horrifyingly fattening carnival food (minus the carnival).

  300. I am adding that sugar scrub to my list of things to try for my ridiculously angry legs. Along that vein, I cannot live without men’s razors. Seriously there is no razor made for “women” that I can survive without the top 3 layers of my skin tearing off and me screaming bloody murder in pain and razor burn. They don’t make it 2 inches along my legs before being thrown at a wall in frustration. So hopefully your recommended sugar scrub can help with the exfoliation and moisturizing that I need to make shaving less painful 🙂

  301. My shazam app. Finally I can know what that great song on the radio, it keeps it stores it for me PLUS look up the lyrics so i dont have to mumble along anyore. I love that app.

  302. Personally, the one thing I can’t live without is probably stupid to most people, but to me, it’s my everything. I have one simple, plain, silver ring that I wear on my pinkie. It was given to my Great Grandmother, by her Mother, and she in turn gave it to me when I was little. My Great Grandmother was my best friend growing up, teaching me about the wee folk, and dancing with me underneath the willow trees, in the soft glow of fireflies. She told me stories about her childhood in Ireland, and all about the Fae she believed in. My grandmother inspired me to write at a young age, and she cultivated my creativity to an absurd degree. Without her input in my life, I would never be who I am today. So now that she’s gone, and all I have is her simple silver ring, it’s the most precious item I own. It let’s me keep a little piece of her with me, always.

  303. The TV shows that make me happy are Firefly and Dr. Who. Authors are Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and Robin Hobb. Items that I like and recommend are:
    Honda cars and motorcycles because they are very reliable.
    Skagen Titanium Mesh watch because it fits all occasions and is thin and rugged.
    Leatherman Micra multi tool. It is small and useful in an office. Not everyone needs enough tools to build a boat with them all day long.
    eBay and Amazon Prime.
    Publix store brand Vienna Finger clone cookies. Better than the real thing.
    Vanilla.

  304. My awesome wine bottle opener. It is a less fancy version of this one. http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-Vertical-Rabbit-Corkscrew-Cutter/dp/B001B60TQC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1374546354&sr=8-6&keywords=Wine+bottle+opener

    Cast iron skillets. We use ours so much that putting them away just means putting them back on the stove top for the next meal we will fix in it.

    My bed. We finally got a new one a few months ago after suffering way too long with the old bed. My hips don’t ache like they used to!

    Books, but then that is a given because I love to read AND I work in an awesome used book store.

    Music. I love playing ukulele, singing, and listening to music. Usually not all at the same time.

    Huh…and here I couldn’t think of anything! Lol

  306. They make mini snickers ice cream bars. Seriously, this has made my whole year. They are just as good as the regular ones, but I feel like I can eat like 3 or 4 but it’s cool. Cause they’re MINI.

  309. My favorite free thing is dog-shaming.com. Whenever I am having a bad day, I just go look at that and at least then I can think to myself “well at least my dog didn’t cover the house in garbage today…” or something else like that. Also they dogs often make cute faces. 🙂

  310. My current faves: Handmade pottery coffee mug – makes my coffee seem to taste much better. Public Library. Blueberries in season. Capital Cities album “In a Tidal Wave of Mystery.” Stitcher’s Revolution embroidery patterns (etsy).

  312. Ottlite Makeup Mirror – Good quality mirror, good lighting, and can use when I’m not wearing contacts.
    Cerave Moisturizing Cream Tub and Hydrating Cleanser – Everything feels so much better,when I remember to use it.
    Smartbitchestrashybooks: I like romance novels (otherwise known as brain candy), and they tell me when books I would be interested in are on sale…now I just need an equivalent site for mysteries.
    Psoriasis meds: Because going without sucks…as does psoriasis even if it is one of the better autoimmunes to have
    Cherry vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper cuz it tastes as good as real thing to me.
    Tex-mex–my comfort food

  313. OMG – Doctor Who – if it doesn’t make you sob at least once a season, you’re probably really a Cyberman or Dalek.

    My Keurig – not really cheap, but I’m hopeless at making a pot of coffee and it’s cheaper than having the fine people at Starbucks make me coffee every day. Our broke once and I thought I was going to cry and then Bed, Bath, and Beyond replaced it for free, WITH A BETTER ONE, even though it wasn’t under warranty anymore.

  314. My favorite new discovery is microfiber. I bought a very small microfiber handtowel and use it as a handkerchief during the summer. It absorbs all my face sweat and then dries like instantly. Lifesaver during the summer for those of us who don’t sweat gracefully.

  315. I didn’t list it above because it sounds so girly, but I really love my Uspa Bidet toilet seat. Especially on cold mornings.
    If you decide to start a hate list, add automatic spelling correction for me.

  316. My two favorite things today are:
    Dryer sheets (I can put them under my coffee syrups to keep the ants out
    Every Jasper Fforde book ever
    My flying pig ornament (it reminds me that anything could happen)

  317. The internet! LOL
    (I CAN live without a cell phone, facebook, twitter, etc… because I’ve never had either…….)

  318. My android phone, my iPad and a stuffed plush toy pony. Pony sleeps with me every night and helps me “parent” myself

  319. My iPhone 4s. I keep it in my back pocket all day.
    I have a small farm. My kids can reach me. Their school can reach me. I can check if it’s going to storm or freeze, so I know how to prepare the garden or animals. I can set reminders because after 3 kids and getting older, I’m scatterbrained. I can read something funny when I need a laugh. I can keep in touch with people I care about.
    And most of all, when those special little moments happen in life, that show its beauty, I can snap a quick picture right there. My camera roll is full of random life: candid kid shots, pretty flowers in my yard, little chicks brought home from the farm store, big-earred calves at my fence, cowboys shopping at the supermarket, gorgeous sunsets, weird bugs, places I’ve visited, etc. It’s magic, in my pocket.

  320. My iPad: making it possible to check my email, facebook, watch movies and play games while laying flat on my back in bed. Blooper reels on DVD’s. Google- seriously, what did I do 10 years ago when I had an important question?

  321. Things I love: Gel nail kit. I hate paying for manicures & I’m pretty good at polishing my own nails. I love that they are dry when I’m done. Fancy coffee creamer. Pandora rings. Fan with a remote control.

  323. Fluevog shoes. I have about 75 pairs currently and I love them all. They make my feet happy and that happy feeling goes straight to my brain, soul, heart. Love them!

  324. Okay, this is my second entry and I own that. I’m the one who responded before that I have to drink LIDOCAINE and DONATELLA for a rare esophageal condition, and if for no other reason than I can spell 3 really rare words in this sentence so far, I should win the free stuff. But I need to add a P.S. (don’t sound that out phonetically because it sounds really rude.) So, here are my ADDITIONAL reasons I should get the free stuff: Not only do I have the aforementioned rare esophageal spasm situation (SO MUCH FUN. You should try it.), I also have severe asthma. When I laugh A LOT, I get an asthma attack and have to go to my armory (dangit I wish I could have thought of a better word) of “rescue” medications on top of my usual $1000 a month regular asthma stuff. AND I READ YOUR BLOG AND LAUGH MYSELF INTO AN ASTHMA ATTACK, knowing full well ahead of time that it’s going to happen. The second additional reason I should get the free stuff is because if I do, I would totally give it to your other reader who said she’d give it to her friend who has fallen on tough times if SHE won it, on the condition that the free stuff would go from me to her to the friend in need. I, too, have a friend whose life has been really sucky……but that other gal posted the idea first and I would totally like for the 2 of us to give the free stuff to her friend. There. The ball’s in your court and thanks for being charmingly disturbed. It is so validating to know I’m not alone.

  325. I am not poor but couldn’t afford anything on Oprah’s list e v e r, my favorite things that I don’t want to ever live without are – i’m another cat person, so yes, my cat who I have a love-hate relationship with. I love him even though I hate where he pees, gotta have coffee and am spoiled by a Keurig (i didn’t buy it), my son who is so much smarter than I (I’d wonder if he was mine if I didn’t go through 20 hours of labor and then an emergency C-section), my daughter who is so talented (again, she passed through my body but boggles my mind that I can claim her as mine), my luck and my thrift store – where all of my designer clothes come from. This of course is not necessarily in order, oh, and this may sound wierd, but i love books and writing – and this is the wierd part- writing in pen on a not quite ripe banana is just the best writing surface! I write little fun notes to my fiance on a banana when i make his lunch and he brags that he gets “banana mail” and his co-workers rag on him about it, and even as I’m writing this it sound so stupid, but it’s like writing beautiful caligraphy… except on a banana. i’m embarrased to send this, but i’m going to anyway. Bananas are cheap, writing is free and banana mail is apparently awesome.

  326. The Walking Dead, which I came to very late, and which has literally changed my life. Oh, and Twitter, because Norman Reedus. Those microwave slippers sound fabulous!

  327. <3 my bath sheets and my comfy robe. I really want some comfy terrycloth slippers though.

    Oh and York Peppermint Patties.

  328. That JR Watkins scrubs is AWESOME. It’s the only thing that stays on my skin and doesn’t result in massive breakouts or itching. I have three in my shower right now. Just ’cause.

  329. Streaming videos of good tv shows, specifically The Office from beginning to The Wedding, which took me through some down, rough times during sequential recuperations. Also because now I can scare (or scar?) my kids with The X-Files too. And watch Dr Who. And other important things like that.

  330. Aveeno hand lotion – I probably use it 50+ times a day. Even after moving from the desert to the Pacific Northwest, I still desperately need hand lotion.

    Coffee – especially now that we aren’t seeing the desert sun every day.

    Amazon and Amazon Prime – we seriously use this at least once a week, some times more often than that. It’s so much easier than loading up the baby and driving 35 mins to Target.

    Cheese – we love it and our diet would be significantly lacking without.

    The local aquatic center – It’s so nice to be able to get out of the house with the baby and find some adults to talk to.

  331. Holy Megablog Batman! Thanks for the tip about where to start Dr Who, with so many episodes on Netflix it’s hard to know where to start.
    Walking is the best exercise ever, and it’s free!
    It’s going to sound kind of weird but here’s two things I love. First my Waterpik, once you use one you’ll never want to give it up. Second, Neil Med Sinus Rinse. It’s like a warm shower for your nose and sinuses.

  332. I have this great potato peeler shaped like a monkey. Its arms are lifted over its head, holding the peeler. You hold it around it’s fat little belly. I have Carpal Tunnel, so gripping small things can be a real challenge for me. This monkey peeler sits just perfectly in my hand & its the best peeler ever! And I only paid $7 for it.

  333. I’m in love with my mini Black and Decker Orb hand vac. It’s tiny and round and sits discreetly on my kitchen counter. It is the perfect thing for quickly cleaning up spilled sugar, excess flour, crumbs from slicing crispy crusts and all sorts of annoying kitchen messes. Saves from having wet counters and wads of pasty paper towels when all you need to do is quickly vacuum something up. It’s much smaller than most hand vacs so you can leave it out just where you need it.

    http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-ORB4810-Hand-Grey/dp/B005YXEBP8

  334. I’ve been trying to lose weight for a few weeks and my new favorite addiction are those Mio water bottle flavoring things. I love that I can drink sweet tea and koolaid without worrying about the calories.

  335. Some things that I love (besides this blog and all twitter craziness):
    Cool Whip Frosting from the freezer – it’s light and cold. Way better than ice cream.
    Creole tomatoes – perfect this time of year
    Sunsets, esp when I’m walking the dog and enjoying the quiet
    The cheapest bunch of flowers from the grocery store
    LED lightbulbs – they are super energy efficient and the light is beautiful. It’s not as bright and harsh as compact florescent bulbs.

    Thanks for the opportunity to reflect on these favorites. It was fun and really made me appreciate the small things.

  336. these are a few of my favorite things..
    *chromebook- replaced my loud crazy computer that overheated itself and my house, it was super loud!
    *smartphone- lived in the early 80s, where people didn’t have any of this shit! everything’s awesome on it.
    *keurig- no matter how long i live, i will never tell the difference between shit coffee and good coffee, all tastes the same to me. now at least, my guests won’t complain as much.
    *dune- for when my family feels manipulative and hateful. a holiday read!
    *dyson- makes me look like a neat person in less time than it would actually take for me to be or become one. sucks up legos and bugs and all sorts of breakfast cereal and doesn’t die! otherwise, i’d have to pick that up, you know, with my hands. and bending.

  337. Books. I cannot live without books. They make my world go ’round. <3 Love being transported to so many new and exciting places and being submerged in so many life stories.
    If I could only pick ONE thing to do for the rest of my life, it would be reading. 🙂

  338. High thread-count sheets. Seriously. If you, like me, had only ever had the Wal-Mart 150/300 count sheets, try going up to an 800/1000 count. They’re super smooth, and just get softer with every wash.

    A stick blender. So much easier than trying to pour hot soups and sauces into the blender, perfect for doing small batches, and mine has both a whisk and a mini food processor attachment. (Also, if you don’t prefer the texture of meat chunks, try blending your lasagna meat sauce slightly. It’ll make it nice and thick.)

    Benefit’s Benetint lip and cheek color. It’s a liquid blush! It’s a lip stain! It’s both!

    Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. Looks good on a large variety of skintones, semi sheer, a nice classy shade.

    Ginger beer. Reed’s is good, as is Sioux City. If you’ve only ever had the pale, weak ginger ales, these things will knock your socks off. Would probably be great for clearing up a stuffy nose.

  339. Kaki King: http://www.kakiking.com She is a musical genius with the guitar. Her music is amazing, but actually watching her play is phenomenal. If you’ve seen August Rush, then you’re already familiar with her music, and she really does play like that.
    Ukelele: some friends were playing their ukes backstage at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival this weekend and managed to convince me to buy one. I already know one song!

  340. Dr Who, is an obvious first. I sometimes turn on a random episode and just sit back and relax, because without fail, it makes me laugh every time.
    My blender has also recently become a life staple, as it is my way to make Bailey’s Frappes. Yes, you read that right. Bailey’s. I’m not sure why Starbucks hasn’t capitalized on that yet.
    One final thing – I love to read and the Harry Potter books are my go to. I love the feeling of being able to escape this world and getting lost in those stories is one of the best feelings ever.

  341. Miranda Lambert’s music… and I love the fact that she’d be a guest at your ideal party, because my ideal party would definitely include you and her. I’d probably opt to take the fireworks out of the bathroom, though.

  342. keurig coffee maker

    the “jar pop” jar opener. because weak grip. http://www.amazon.com/Cedar-Fresh-Jar-Pop-Colors/dp/B00020BHP0

    freezer jam

    the flagship Half-Price Books in Dallas. or maybe inter-library loan

    a correctly-sized bra – I seriously want to stop women on the street to proselytize. I just can’t think of any way to tell a perfect stranger that their bra doesn’t fit that doesn’t end with me arrested… http://www.epbot.com/2013/04/everything-you-never-knew-you-needed-to.html

  343. Podcasts. They’re awesome and funny and free! My favorites are Pop Culture Happy Hour, Professor Blastoff, Throwing Shade, Savage Love and Judge John Hodgeman. They are made of awesome.

    Books and audiobooks. Because books = life.

  344. As far as “can’t live without” goes, I suppose it’s probably the Internet. Which kind of sounds pathetic at first, but think about it: entertainment, news, and it’s probably the most affordable means I have of maintaining something that vaguely resembles a social existence. Without it I’d be just another crazy shut-in with a far too large collection of something absurd like used moist towlettes or taxidermied insects. (Does insect taxidermy? Or would it be like fish where they just build the whole thing from scratch because real fish scales fall apart too fast?)

  345. No question, my wife. Without her, my life is darker, and I only exist. With her, my life is worth living, and there is joy in my life. She will never know how much she means to me, because words will never express it.

  346. Porcupines! I am a zoo docent and am fortunate to be allowed to walk an African crested porcupine, Homer, once a week and educate the public him and his species. I also get to fraternize with a prehensile-tailed South American porcupine, Barbee, and tell people all about her and her kind. When I am not at the zoo, I take walks in the Bosque (cottonwood forest) and delight in pointing out porcupines up in trees to unsuspecting strangers–spotting porcupines in trees (or on the ground in the early morning) makes my day instantly 100 percent better cuz PORCUPINES ARE COOL.

  347. Bota Box chardonnay….it keeps me from having to go to the liquor store so often…

  348. I meant to say “does insect taxidermy even exist” in that comment, but realized it wasn’t actually typed out just as I clicked Submit. Oops.

  349. counting crows – seriously. the words, the music, the everything
    chookaloonks – the positivity has helped so much
    your blog and book – this and the counting crows are pretty much the only things that kept me going for a few years there. literally.
    george r.r. martin – getting lost in winterfell makes me less sad (is that fucked up or what?)
    stephen king – it’s like coming home…to an incredibly fucked up house filled with scary ass shit
    my nook – being able to read anywhere without having to carry 6 books has been nice, and they regularly have sales on their books
    my camera – it’s not cheap, but even when all i had was a point & shoot, my camera has been my outlet

  350. Vibrating cock ring. I am not kidding. I want to give one of these to each of my married friends, and brighten their lives from that day forward, but they would all think I was fucking nuts. Then they would go home and use it, and their marriage would be saved.
    Hard to believe, you can now by stuff like this at Target, right next to the condoms.

  351. For the record, I will totally be your bartender, FREE OF CHARGE, for that party because the awesomeness it promises would be payment enough. In addition to my eight years of bartending experience, my credentials also include the fact that my roommates and I had a slushie machine in college and frequently made rum slushies, and I can make a Bushwacker that will get you drunk in half a glass. Just keep that in mind.

    My can’t live item is the quilt my mom had made for me when I graduated from high school. It’s made of patches from tshirts of school plays I was in and pieces of my Catholic school uniform. I almost dumped my boyfriend when he suggested I get rid of it because it’s starting to fall apart after a decade of loving use.

  352. Lisafreemontstreet Youtube channel/blog. Great for all styles (hair/makeup) vintage. There’s something to be said for channelling the poor man’s Rita Hayworth while waiting for the Doctor to invite you into his Tardis.
    Also, Belle Blossoms – vintage styled hair flowers and more to go with said Rita Hayworth hair. ”
    Orange is the New Black” original series on Netflix.
    Doctor Who always. Got me through a horrible bout with the flu recently.
    Jungle Red nail polish by Nars. Apply while watching “The Women”, one of the best screwball comedies ever made.
    Cary Grant.
    Cowgirl boots.
    Hendrick’s gin.
    Zoolander (especially when one’s husband wins the walk off at the local art house cinema’s quote along of said movie.). (Yes, I am bragging. My husband is awesome.)
    Did I mention gin?
    Did I mention Cary Grant?
    Did I mention The Doctor?
    Sephora liquid liner – reasonably priced and available in a multitude of colors.
    Hacking one’s Nook into an Android tablet.
    I also should mention Juliet. (getjuliet on etsy) She makes crazy beautiful dresses, bloomers, etc. out of old slips/lingerie or from scratch for really reasonable prices.
    Punk Rock.
    Also, and I really don’t want to suck up, but this blog makes me realize that I am not alone. I’d really like to get together and compare meds someday.

  353. Cannot live without my corn Chex cereal! Sounds stupid, but its delicious.

  354. I am with you on the bath sheet! I could wear mine as a long dress, and it’s the most comfortable thing I own. Ummmm…I mean…I don’t wear it OUT or anything. Just in. And not when we have company, because that would be weird. But, yeah, I love my bath sheet. I don’t know how my husband makes do with just a towel.

    By the way, I thought of you a couple of weeks ago when we were at a B&B and up sauntered this polydactyl cat. I turned to my husband and said, “See, this is how cats plan to take over the world. First, thumbs. Then, the world. I’m glad it’ll probably take a few more decades before it happens, though. I like to cuddle with them.” The polydactyl cat opened one eye (it had lain down in the interim of my monologue) and looked disinterested. The next day, I attempted to pet the polydactyl cat, but it wouldn’t let me until later in the afternoon. I then found out that there were two cats: one had thumbs and one didn’t. The be-thumbed one didn’t let people pet it (plotting? no fraternizing with the enemy? just some guesses…) and the un-thumbed one did. So I thought I was petting the future ruler of the world, but I was just petting its sibling. *sigh*

    (Oh, and I’d love to get Warehouse 13 on DVD. Seriously. It’s good.)

  355. Hands down one of my favorite things to be given ever was our mosquito zapper. It’s a metal tennis racket that with a push of a button becomes an electrified mobile death sentence for Mosquitos. I am not a typically driven by violent impulses person, but my childhood spent with baseball size swelling mosquito bites (think eyelids and those fleshy behind the knee creases) really built a vendetta against the tiny buggers. I feel like I am channeling my internal Antonio Banderas out to take down the all the corrupt drug lords in Latin America. But with Mosquitos. And a tennis racket.

  356. Turtle night light. I know it sounds stupid. But I gave it to my ex-boyfriend for our anniversary once (we started dating in the winter and had this thing about going stargazing but it was too cold blah blah blah) and this turtle seriously projects the stars onto your ceiling. And I feel really horrible for saying this, but I wanted it back when we broke up. More than the computer and printer I’d lent him. It was just awesome. And that’s not something you can easily just up and buy yourself, you know? If he gave it to me, it’d be like, well, I broke up with him, and it’s not like I can just throw it awayyyyy. The link is below. All of my children will have one.

    http://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Twilight-Constellation-Night-Turtle/dp/B000BNQC58

  357. iPod
    Sleeping beauty mask
    Tea
    Yarn
    Laughter
    Cats
    good hair days
    Loreal lip stain

  358. Louise Penny’s murder mystery series set in a small sleepy village in Quebec. I get them from the library, so they are free (unless you count my average overdue fines of about $3/book, but really, that is more of a donation and I am a patron). Chief Detective Armand Gamache teaches us all about how folks decide to kill! (All while sipping cafe au lait and eating brioche).

  359. I was going to say Red Rose teabags because a day never goes by without me using one or two or five. But then as I was starting to comment on my phone I realized I had to use my phone. I use it to call people, I use it to text, I use it for my internet, for my email, weather reports, googling anything and everything, my camera, calender, (alarm)clock. Oh-sometimes I use it as a telephone! AND…to keep up with theBloggess!!!

  360. Chapstick. If I ever am on that tv show Survivor and you are allowed 1 thing to bring, that would be it. That, and a bunch of books. And the internet. I`m thinking I would probably suck being on Survivor…..

  362. Stephen King books–because I can read one and remember what I felt when I read it for the first time

    Red wine–because hot tea just won’t cut it some days

    Manual transmissions–because what else is your right hand and left foot going to do while you’re driving?

    Migraine medication–because sometimes I need to actually function as a human, not as a moaning lump on the couch

    Solitaire–because I am the kind of person who made the US Government eliminate solitaire on all of their computers

    Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfumes–because they are amazing (even their names are fantastic)

    My KitchenAid stand mixer–because I never had a stand mixer until about a year ago. I never knew what I was missing!

  363. I love most of the things on your list, but the thing I couldn’t live without is fiction books. Just in general. I had to suspend my love for them for most of my first year of law school and it just reinforced that I need to read to be able to be a person when I’m with other people.