My Favorite Things

 In no particular order:

*Public Libraries – a wonderful resource and I recently discovered I can request new books!

*Moisturizer – I have dry skin – especially during the winters up here! Here is what I use at night and in the morning: Joyome ^

I also love this Moisturizer: ExfoliKate Moisturizer = 

*Running water in my home – ’nuff said

In case the water out of your faucet isn’t great, I really like this system: Reverse Osmosis Filtration = 

Some of my colleagues have said they will work until they die. I do not plan on that being me(knock on wood). So I co-wrote a book to help increase the Financial Literacy of Educators in Alaska: Book Financial Literacy for Alaska Teachers = 

*Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream – I have her first ice cream book= and her second ice cream desserts book=, and have made some very yummy deserts! I appreciate vanilla beans because of her. I highly recommend her recipes for Lemon Frozen Yogurt (w/blueberry sauce), The Darkest Chocolate Ice cream In The World, Ugandan Vanilla Bean Ice cream, Lemon Cream Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, and Macaroon Cake (I have used almond flour, hazelnuts, and almonds, yum!), I still haven’t figured out how to effectively make the Salty Caramel Ice Cream, and I’ll keep trying.

*Flowers – cut and “au naturel” 😉 I’m not the strongest gardener, I do love me some perennials, like Asiatic Lilies, bleeding hearts and Irises!

*Chai Tea (Alaska, Zen, Oregon=, etc.)- For the longest time I thought there was no caffeine in chai tea – as I avoided coffee and sodas to avoid caffeine. I also fell asleep through half my classes in 10th grade through college.

*Bicycles/Unicycling – I love my local bike shop, Alaska Bicycle Center, Richard and Reese Clayton have always helped me find what I was looking for. I even was able to realize my dream since Sophomore year of college of learning how to unicycle, even sponsoring a unicycle club for four years at school. I just read Jennifer Weiner’s book The Breakaway = and love how it showcased the freedom and power that one can feel from cycling.

*TMI: Regular Bowel Movements – I love my probiotics ^ and biocleanse ^

*Skirts, Dresses and athletic wear from Skirtsports and Terry Bikes and Infusion Boutique

Having a place of my own

*Aftershokz bone conduction headphones – so comfortable, I listen to a lot of podcasts. I want to be able to run outside and hear my surroundings. My next one will be waterproof for the pool. I have challenged myself to go to the gym, I will pay myself $5 each time I workout at the gym and purchase these.

*Socks – cute ones to wear every day and running socks low cut with the little piece sticking out so it doesn’t disappear into your shoe, like the balega socks I got when I signed up for Another Mother Runner’s Heart Rate Training 8 week program and half marathon program, or the Bombas= L/R socks I accidentally bought that I really enjoy.

*Kal-bi – Korean BBQ ribs – my favorite!! Here is my grandma Loo’s recipe

*Causebox and lots of the other boxes also – I like that I’m helping support these small businesses with my consumeristic tendencies and I find great gifts to give to others from these items also.

*Bags my mom has given me. My mom is really thoughtful and some of the gifts she gets me I realize later on how much I use them, plus they are way more stylish than what I would normally choose for myself. Bag for phone charger. Lunch bag. Bag with wood handles from the 1970s. School Bag – it is large enough it fits my papers to grade, but doesn’t scream “bag lady” or “teacher”. Dooney Bourke Handbag =   

*Creating music – not particularly well, but the process and the skill building, Clarinet and piano when I was a kid, guitar, violin, cello, marimba – I even did my senior project on making my own marimba – thank you for teaching me Portland based Dean Marimbas!!  Update: I’ve been taking this great program called Piano in 21 days – I’m on day 16 and I’ve already learned a lot!!

*Nuun tablets – I like the vitamin and immunity and sports ones – fizzies to add to your water.

^Full disclaimer – These links will take you to a website I will make some income or benefit  from if you purchase the products