a few of my favorite things...

Lately, I have found myself saying often, "Man, I love that!".

And when I love something I'm always up for sharing.

So here goes.

Some of my favorite things as of late.

The most favorite of all is that we FINALLY found a chocolate chip cookie that we LOVE!

This one does not sink in the center when you bake it and it's the perfect amount of sweet.

{I overdosed the first night the hubs made them.}

And even better cookie news?  You can make them deep-dish, pizookie style.  Yum!

Here's the recipe.  It won't disappoint.

While we are talking food, let's talk my other latest love.

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

I ate this stuff for a week straight and didn't get sick of it.  I even boiled and peeled beets for the first time in my life.   The creamy goat cheese and sweet beet make the perfect combo.

Go try it.  It's good for you.

And lastly, if you are looking for a family-friendly main dish, these tacos are fantastic!

I'm a taco fan but I also hate building my kids tacos at dinnertime, and by the time I'm done doing theirs, mine are cold.  Well, this one dish taco casserole makes all of the tacos done and crispy warm at the same time.  We love ours with fresh guacamole.

Next up, my latest home favorites.

I hate multi-level marketing.  Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.  Let it be clear.

So if I ever talk to you about Norwex or Doterra it is NOT because I sell it, I don't. Never will.

It's because I LOVE IT!

Norwex...

It takes some time to get used to the idea of washing everything with one rag, I'm actually still not there yet.  I have multiple cloths.  I was leary but once I used the cloths I was so impressed!  

My Norwex must-haves...

The Enviro cloth- cleans everything with silver (anti-bacterial)

The Window Cloth- NO STREAKS PEOPLE!  It shines up mirrors, windows and anything metal.

The Dusting Mitt- my VERY favorite Norwex item- the best and fastest way to clean blinds.  You just put it on your hand and swipe between every blind slat and it gets them very clean using static electricity.  It also cleans window screens really well.

The Descaler Spray- my glass shower doors have never been so clean.  It takes off hard water.

The Mop- no buckets, no plugs, just a velcro tile pad on a stick- simple, fast and effective.  It cut my mopping time in half.

The Body Cloth- I have fought acne and excema my entire life.  These cloths are all you need to remove your makeup at night.  They take it right off and clean & exfoliate your face.  

The BEST things about Norwex is that you don't have to keep buying bottles of cleaners AND it's safe for your family- no harsh fumes or chemicals.  It's pricey upfront but worth it in the long run!  And your house will actually be more clean than ever before!

Next up...

Doterra Essential Oils

I have always had a hard time popping pills.  I try to avoid medicine when I can.  So when I heard about essential oils I was sold because they are completely natural, treat ailments naturally and smell soooo good. 

I bought the family physician kit (shown above) to give me a good jumpstart.

My favorite oil successes have been...

Deep Blue Rub- for sore muscles. The smell is the best.

PastTense Roller- put it on my temples and the back of my neck every night before I go to bed. Relaxing.

Peppermint Oil- brought down James' fever by rubbing it all over his neck and back when Motrin wouldn't.

OnGuard- diffuse it into the air and rub it on the bottoms of my kids feet to boost their  immune system during this sick, cold winter.

Breathe- put it on my kids chest and diffuse it in their rooms when they have a cough or a cold.  Also, when I diffuse it in our room at night Preston doesn't snore!!!!

DigestZen- rub it on my stomach and chest when I have heartburn and it disappears within minutes.

Lemon- a few drops a day into a glassful of water removes the toxins from your body.

Balance- I'm an anxious person and this rubbed all over my feet at night calms me.

My favorite part about Doterra is that it's pure essential oil- you get the most bang for your buck- no added water, oil or fillers.  I hardly use candles anymore because I can diffuse a few drops of oil and it makes my whole house smell good.  And, you can pick and choose and mix and match according to your mood and your needs.  Lately, we've been diffusing a whole lot of OnGuard (for immunity), Citrus Bliss (for mood lifting), Eucalyptus (for cough), and Purify (to clean up this dirty air).

This is the diffuser I use in my main living area, but you can get this one for a great price....I bought one for each of our bedrooms and have loved how it works!  

I also find using oils fun.  Whenever we have an ailment I do a little research and try it out- it's like a fun experiment...and usually, it works!!!

And on a lighter note, we have been to the movies a few times lately, and I'm usually the type that catches a nap in the theater, but these movies were intense, moving and amazing!

Les Miserables, of course.

I had never seen Le Mis as a play or as a movie, and I must admit, I was blown away.
It was one of those movies where after you left you wished you could go see it for the first time all over again.

It was so, so good.  I loved the music.  

My favorite part was "I dreamed a dream".

I knew the song, which helped, but that part of the movie was so sad, so real and so emotional.

The filming is what got me- the extreme close-ups.

I also never knew that such pretty people could look so ugly.  Sorry, but it's true.

But, to be honest with you, Le Mis wasn't my favorite movie.

My favorite movie was The Impossible. 

It was emotional, as well, but hit closer to home for me.

Natural disasters happen.  I have small children.  This is my worst nightmare.

But the movie is rivoting.  I liked it because it was all about human triumph and family.

GO SEE IT!

When the boys reunite I was sobbing!  Sobbing!  I wanted to hide in a hole and cry for an hour.

It was so sweet and touching.  I just can't even imagine.

My latest fast food favorite.

Takes me back to our days in Texas- Good BBQ!

And my favorite new place to shop.

You'll never guess.

JCPenney!

{my dad will be so proud}

They have great workout clothes- cute for a great price!

I can't quite rock these psychedelic capris yet, but they do have some fun prints and styles.

And, my favorite new game...

Thanks to my sister, Keely!

This game is hilarious, especially when played with your funny neighbors late at night while the kids are in bed. 

They have these awkward photos that you have make up a caption to (or other equally as funny tasks).

I think this one could make it into the game...

{Please add a caption to this photo if you chose to comment}

Well, that's it.

If you lasted this long.

Now go enjoy some of the things I love!
Or don't, and you'll be missing  out!...at least I think so.