Not a gift guide 2023
| December 25, 2023 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
You ready for it?
For those of you that may be new to these posts, a few reminders.
This isn’t a sponsored post. In fact, this blog doesn’t have sponsors. I’m not compensated for clicks, buys, or views.
This post isn’t a list of what you should stuff stockings with, or a wish list of things I wish I had, or the most current trendy gifts.
It’s is merely the things that brought me the most joy in 2023, and might bring you joy too.
Speaking of joy, let’s talk about something that is most definitely not giving me joy at this moment.
WordPress is giving me issues with uploading pics right now. Some unknown HTP error. It’s annoying. It can probably be traced and tracked and fixed. But I. Don’t. Want. To. I don’t have the time, creativity, or motivation to fix some pesky crappy little error. I probably need to start by disabling all my plug-ins (this site has a LOT of plug-ins), updating my theme blah blah blah blah. So guess what? No new pictures except for those that were already uploaded to this post draft prior to that error happening. When am I going to fix this error? Maybe never because I’d rather be writing and creating. So, instead I’ll be posting a companion piece to instagram (@polo_ponie) to this post for pics.
Let’s get started.
Bread dates
I’m meh to eew about dates except…bread dates! A friend gave me some prior to Fig being born and I was blown away. They are not easy to find and their season is short. Fortunately I managed to visit Indio, CA at exactly the right time and found a whole pound! They are sweet but dry, imagine something you could put into a pouch or a pocket and not have them get squished and icky. What a wonderful treat to splurge on this December.
Spurtles
Have a talked about my love of spurtles before on these not-a-gift-guides? Maybe. I can’t be bothered to check. It’s a love triangle between me, them, and my husband that is years strong. Bought by my sister for a xmas gift years ago as a “maybe these are good but also this might be a joke, but they had a as-seen-on-tv sticker so how back can it be” sort of thing….and they have instantly become my favorite. In fact, I’ve bought 3 more sets to give other people this xmas season. Spurtles! They have replaced scrapers, spatulas, spoons, and serving utensils, and will even drain a pot – colander style.
4H
I signed up Fig for 4-H this year. Things have changed quite a bit since I was involved – some for the better and some not, but still I think it’s one of the strongest kid community organizations there is.
Charger with cords
On the recommendation of a friend I bought a portable charger pack with the built in cords and it’s awesome! I thought it was kind of gimmicky, but I love it. I hate hate HATE cords piling up in my bags, twisting and getting borrowed and lost. The built in cords (and built in apple watch charger) is sleek, simple, and quickly became the only charger I carry with me. The down side is that the cords are fragile and wear quickly, but IMO it’s worth it and I’d buy another.
Bird feeders
You know how some people are crazy cat ladies? I’m a crazy wild bird person. I love watching them, identifying them, and sipping my coffee to the antics of Anna’s hummingbirds marking their territories over my nectar feeders. I love watching the interactions of the various sparrows, robins, towhees, and jays as they coexist around my feedings and variety of snacking. I have different kinds of feeders stashed around my house so that no matter where I sit and look out of a window, I can watch the antics (and yes, keep track of species of numbers. Because of course I’m that person that makes lists too).
Thia Pants
This style of pant has replaced my yoga pants as my lounge around be comfy pant. As a bonus, they also dress up nicely. They seem ideal for the hot summers of CA, and it never gets cold enough here to really prevent me from wearing them. I did try to order some pants off of Amazon and they just didn’t feel the same or have the same fabric flow, so I stick to the ones from Thailand – either from friends, or from places that import directly from there. Many thanks to the friend that introduced me to these pants and is responsible for 2 of my favorite pairs, one which is pictured above.
My favorite cup ever
This hydro flask cup that is my straw water bottle AND my coffee cup. It’s probably been featured before, but it’s still around and I still love it. Hydroflask really nailed it with this product and when I invariably misplace this cup (There was a close call when I moved last month…..) if the universe has any mercy at all this cup and the lids will still be in production.
My ceramic pasta bowls made by a fellow vet
- I finally figured out what the bowls that me and my husband call “plate-bowls” are actually called. Pasta bowls.
- I found a fellow vet that loves making pottery. It’s beautiful and stamped with animals and catchy sayings. That make me laugh. What kind of inspiring sayings stamped onto the edge of eating ware makes a vet laugh? Things like…..”All bleeding stops…eventually”. and “Don’t forget the nail trim” and “He just nips”. My husband used these bowls for MONTHS before actually reading them. >:).
She doesn’t make her stuff available widely, but my point is….Find an artist you connect to – maybe even just because they have something in common with you and do an art thing on the side….and then take a chance on them. Support them in their passion, and support yourself by surrounding yourself with things you love and that have meaning. My day is better every time I open my cupboard and choose one of these bowls.
50 mm camera lens
Last year we gave thanks for my camera. This year we are going to talk about my favorite lens. True,, my telephoto lens is pretty darn great. But, if I was stuck on a desert island, the 50 mm lens is what I would bring with me.
It wasn’t love at first sight…..After a couple of months of using the lens I finally made myself a photography challenge – shoot everything with the 50mm fixed lens, even situations it was “unsuitable” for, until I figured it out. I did sporting events, candids, landscapes, and all sorts of things that I normally would have gotten frustrated with and picked up one of my other lenses. One day it just clicked and now I have to force myself to use a lens that ISN’T this 50 mm lens. It takes beautiful pictures, requires some work on my part to compose the shot I want during the shoot, but the results are always worth it.
That’s it for 2023!
Thanks for sticking around for another year. I don’t know what 2024 holds for me, but I’m hoping that it includes lots of creative projects and outdoor adventures.
