Burt’s Bees
There are two kinds of people in this world: people who need
lip balm on them at all times, and people who don’t. I fall into the former
category (obviously, or I wouldn’t have an entry dedicated to lip balm). They
say (again with “they”) say that you can actually get addicted to lip balm,
which I totally believe. My lips may not be chapped or dry, but if I don’t have
access to lip balm, I won’t be able to think of anything but. (True story: I
applied lip balm less than five minutes before writing this, and I already want
more. Good thing I have some in my pocket.) However, not all lip balms are
created equal. I was a Chapstick person all the way through junior high, but
one day, my great uncle Burt brought me some Burt’s Bees. I don’t know if Uncle
Burt used Burt’s Bees or if it was just because of the name. Either way, Uncle
Burt introduced me to the brand, and my Burt’s Bees and I have been inseparable
ever since. Even better: their flavors are fantastic. Pomegranate was my Burt’s
Bees of choice for quite a while, but I’ve moved on to acai berry. I can hardly
wait to try my next flavor (mango, I’m looking at you).
dresses and skirts
with pockets
Partly (ok, mostly) because of my Burt’s Bees addition, I
hate being without pockets. I work in a business casual environment, so most of
my days are spent in dresses and skirts (because dress pants are THE WORST).
But where shall I keep my Burt’s Bees? Luckily for me, one of my skirts and
probably 60% of my dresses have pockets, and I love them all the more for it.
Whoever decided to put pockets in dresses is a genius. Even the dress I’m
wearing at my wedding reception has pockets… because I bet I’m still going to
want Burt’s Bees on my wedding day!
fun socks
I’ve told you about my penchant for fun socks before, but
I’ve just got to revisit the topic. I’ve been wearing nothing but patterned
socks (save for the rare occasion when black dress socks are needed) for the
better part of fifteen years. You’d be surprised at how quickly a neat pair of
socks can liven up an outfit, plus matching socks after doing laundry is a
billion times easier. I have quite a collection of socks, but some of the stand
out as favorites: my crab socks and my candy corn socks come immediately to
mind. As I write this, my socks are red damask (which sound a lot classier than
they actually are). But seriously, if I had to wear plain white socks every
day, I would be one sad lady.
a big stack of
library books
Like the socks, I’ve already told you about how much I love
libraries. When I was a kid, taking home a big stack of library books was the
best thing EVER. I could pick out whatever I wanted (and it usually had to do
with ghosts or Bigfoot or something weird), and my pile of books could keep me
entertained for days. I would drag these books to the lake, to school, to
restaurants… everywhere. When I lived in Denver, I couldn’t get a city library
card without paying a $100 fee (I was an unpaid intern who worked part-time at
the mall. $100? I DON’T THINK SO), so I had to be more creative. I a.) sat
around the Denver Public library reading books until I got too hungry to stand
it, b.) borrowed my uncle’s library card and visited the small suburban library
near their house, and c.) scurried over to the downtown Barnes and Noble after
work (“work” meaning “unpaid internship”) to try and score one of their tables.
If I failed (the Barnes and Noble tables were highly sought-after), I’d be
forced to sit in the Starbucks section, which meant I had to part with five of
my precious dollars and buy a coffee beverage (on the bright side, that meant I
could put off supper longer and spend more time reading). When I moved to
Minneapolis (and was initially very poor), I was elated to find out that I
could get a library card for no charge – I still held a South Dakota driver’s
license, but that was fine as long as I could provide proof of a Hennepin
county address, which I TOTALLY COULD. So big stacks of library books kept my
moneyless self entertained for ages (and I have to say, the Hennepin county
library system is AWESOME). When I moved to Sioux Falls, I got myself a library
card that December… and a job at the library that February. Now, it’s my job to
roam around the bookshelves all day, and I spend each and every lunch break
plopped in a chair with a book. And if I finish my book? I’m still in the
library, so all I have to do is wander out to the shelves and pick a new one.
The possibilities are endless.
new shampoo or body
wash
Some people find a shampoo brand and stick with it. I am not
one of those people. Be it shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, makeup, or what have
you, I seldom remain loyal to a cosmetics brand. If there’s one I really like,
I’ll add it to a rotation, but it’s a rare occasion for me to buy it two times
in a row. I like variety. When I go body wash shopping, I stand in that aisle
and sniff absolutely everything. Sometimes, nothing that the body wash aisle
has to offer is new and different enough, so I’ll end up with something tried
and true. However, on occasion, there will be something new and
fantastic-smelling on the shelves, and that’s what comes home with me. I tend
to buy new body wash before the old body wash is used up, so the few weeks it
takes to use up the old body wash are spent in agonizing anticipation (maybe
“agonizing” is too strong, but you get the idea). The first day I use the new
body wash/shampoo/whatever is always thrilling: will it make my skin glow? Will
the shampoo make my hair lustrous and eliminate winter static electricity (FYI,
all shampoo has failed to eliminate static electricity so far)? I don’t know,
but when the day comes to use the new product for the first time, I’m always
excited to find out!
not having to go
grocery shopping
Forgive me for stating the obvious, but there is a direct
correlation between how much you like to cook and how much you like to go to
the grocery store. It should not surprise you, then, that since I do not enjoy
cooking, I also do not enjoy the grocery store. My dislike for the grocery
store is compounded by the fact that the place is usually a zoo. If you go at
the wrong time, you risk loss of life and limb. I never enjoy grocery shopping,
so that’s why NOT having to go is such a treat. I’m really good at putting it
off until my cupboards are more or less bare, but if I run out of milk, it’s
game over. I simply can’t go without milk, so that’s when I’ll brave the
grocery store. But if I have plenty of milk (full cupboards are a bonus), that
means that I don’t have to go to the grocery store. And that is wonderful.
 |
| Note: not my actual cupboard. I've only ever dreamed about cupboards this full. |
casual Friday
I’ve bemoaned wearing tights and dress pants before, so it
shouldn’t be much of a surprise to find out that dress clothes in general just
are not my cup of tea. When I lived Minneapolis, I worked in an office whose
sole redeeming quality was that you could wear jeans every single day. Nine
times out of ten, I wore jeans to work, and it was fantastic. But then I got a
real job (with insurance! whoa!) with a real dress code. Wearing business
casual clothes certainly doesn’t kill me, but man, do I miss my jeans. That’s
why I love casual Fridays. I can put on my trusty jeans (as long as there are
no holes) and sneakers (which I also really miss during the week) and head to
work. Working at the library has a really sweet hidden benefit as far as jeans
go: if we have a holiday off on a day that’s not a Friday, we can wear jeans
the day after. So you not only miss a day of business casual for the holiday
itself, but you get an extra day with jeans. Example: we had President’s Day
off, which was a Monday. That meant jeans on Tuesday AND casual Friday, so only
TWO DAYS of dressing up for work! Hooray!
a fresh crossword
puzzle
I love a good crossword puzzle. I don’t have a newspaper
subscription, but I’ve seriously considered buying one just so I could have a
daily crossword puzzle. (And yes, I know that you can buy crossword puzzle
books, but I find those much less satisfying than the puzzles in the newspaper.
I must be a snob.) When I worked at the coffeehouse in Morris, we used to get a
couple of Star Tribunes every
morning. If I worked the closing shift, I’d scout for the newspaper remnants
before we threw them away – if I was lucky, the crossword puzzle would still be
intact. I love the Star Tribune crosswords:
they’re challenging enough to make you think, but easy enough to make you feel
smart. The Brookings Register has a
good puzzle, too: my dad, uncle Mike, and I can team up and get it done in less
than four minutes. (I can tell you’re impressed.) Want to know the reason I
finally got a smartphone? Not so I could have Facebook on my phone, or even the
app where you whip your phone and it makes a whip-cracking noise (although that
was probably the second most important reason). It was so I could have a
crossword puzzle app on my phone, and my friends, I use it every single day.
crunching fall leaves
Fall is, hands down, my favorite season. I realize fall is
an awfully long way away, but I spend all year looking forward to it. I love
the fall colors, the crisp weather, the pumpkins, and Halloween! I originally
wanted to get married in the fall, but now I’m kind of glad I’m not. James and
I are getting married in the summer, so by the time fall 2013 rolls around, the
wedding will be done and we can relax and fully enjoy fall. There are so many
things I love about fall, but topping the list? Crunchy fall leaves. Nothing
beats talking a walk on a lovely October afternoon and hearing the leaves
crunch under your feet. I may be almost 26 years old, but I will still (and
probably always) head out of my way to step on a particularly crunchy leaf.
Some people never grow up.
getting mail
Few things are more exciting for me than receiving personal
mail. Christmas card season is the best, and I look forward to my birthday
mostly because I know I’ll get cards in the mail (that will be proudly
displayed on my refrigerator until my next birthday). At the risk of sounding
like an old person, I have to say that it’s kind of a pity that email has taken
over. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good email. It’s fast, saves you a stamp,
and you can attach a bazillion pictures without having to get them printed at
Walgreen’s. However, for me, receiving an email will never hold the same thrill
as getting a letter in the mail. When I was a kid (and before I had an email
address), I would write all sorts of letters to my cousins in Colorado. Before
I had a digital camera, I would mail big packets of pictures to my friend Sue
in Connecticut. When my sister was in boot camp, I had a lot of fun sending her
my wordy letters about what was going on in the outside world. In New Orleans,
I sent tons of postcards. But now that I live in Sioux Falls and my life is
officially boring, I don’t have much to mail. Now that I’m so used to typing
out a quick email, it’s hard to find the time to sit down and write a letter.
But you know what? I’d love to get back into the habit. Anyone want to be pen
pals?!
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