Some of My Favorite Things

DHC Hand Revitalizer
I don't quite remember how I discovered DHC products, but almost everything I've tried is great. This hand cream is no exception. I think it's my favorite product of theirs by far. It instantly softens and smooths my skin, making my hands look and feel younger. Works well on elbows, too. The only con is the price for such a small container. I think I paid $19.50 for this 2.8 ounce tube. It's well worth the price if you have extremely dry skin... especially in the winter months.

The thing I love about DHC skincare products is the emphasis on olive oil and the absence of additives that is so bad for your skin and the environment. From their web site:
Bursting with nutrients, olive oil is one of Mother Nature’s finest creations. With its ability to make you look and feel wonderful—not to mention its capacity for making food taste incredible—virgin olive oil is truly a gift from nature that we’ve woven into the very fabric of our product lines.


Manuka Honey Cream

This AMAZING, miraculous cream from New Zealand CURED my eczema. I know this sounds like one of those made-up claims in order to sell something, but I solemnly swear that it is TRUE! Scientists have discovered that honey has a powerful inhibitory effect on no fewer than sixty species of bacteria! Most of these bacteria are notoriously resistant to antibiotics, but they are powerless against the antibacterial properties of honey. Read more about Manuka honey with UMF here.

I had dry, itchy, peeling skin on my hands and feet which prevented me from playing tennis. I had been to my doctor and dermatologist several times and nothing they prescribed worked. My dermatologist had me on oral medication and different ointments at different times. He even told me to wrap my feet in plastic after applying the cream. No difference. No relief.

For 10 years I suffered with this problem, then one day I received a phone call from my mother telling me that some program she'd been watching on tv talked about a special honey for eczema sufferers. I pretty much hung up on her and started Googling. Not really, but I was pretty desperate for help. Since my doctors were unable to cure me, what did I have to lose with honey?

I ended up on Amazon's web site where I discovered Active Manuka Honey Cream. The $31.00 price tag for a tiny tube of cream made me wince, but I had already spent a ton of money at the doctor's with zero results, so I thought this was worth a try.

From the moment I applied the cream I experienced relief. Finally! After two weeks I saw dramatic improvement--my skin was healing and returning to a healthy pink color, the itching was gone, and the peeling was subsiding. After a couple of months my eczema was all but gone. This was 2009 and as of 2011 I am still eczema-free for the most part. I keep a tube on hand for small flare-ups that occur on my right thumb. The area on my thumb is so small that I am going to consider myself cured.

Manuka honey cream can also be used for cuts, burns, chapped dry skin, poison oak, insect bites, and newly diagnosed shingles.

Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 Lens

Purchased in 2010, this has been a great-performing lens for wildlife photography. Prior to this I had the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 and was not impressed. Even when using a tripod I felt the images were not sharp.  I purchased the 55-250 because of the Image Stabilization and the reasonable price ($229) and I have not been disappointed. I only wish it was a little longer, but that is not the fault of the lens! It does what it's supposed to do, and quite well, I might add.

The 55-250 stays on my camera 90% of the time. Check out my Wildlife set on Flickr to see the results from this awesome lens.

I am hoping to add the 400mm to my Favorites list sometime this year!

The Furminator
This wonderful grooming tool is awesome if you have a thick coated dog like I do.

Chance, my Golden Retriever/Chow mix, stood patiently for nearly 20 minutes while I de-furred his coat. After all was said and done, I filled a quarter of a trash bag with his fur. I could have kept going, but he decided he had had enough, so I stopped because I wanted him to have a good memory of getting brushed. He looked absolutely beautiful, as though he had been professionally groomed. And he felt better, too.

I don't know exactly how, but The Furminator's blades or teeth penetrate deep into the undercoat, removing more fur than any tool I've previously tried. Other tools have caused discomfort and didn't remove nearly enough fur. This product also claims to reduce shedding in between brushes. Guess what? It really does.

I purchased the one shown above which is the medium size. Chance weighs about 50 lbs. and this size is not really adequate. I'd recommend if you have a larger dog to get the larger tool. Be prepared to fork over some moolah, though. The medium comb was about $50.00 and the large was $60.00; however, the performance you get from this tool is worth every penny.

Canon 50d
The Canon 50d is my 2nd SLR and I love it! My passion is nature photography, even though I have a hard time coping with the elements. Go figure. I love animals, flowers, birds, water, etc. This camera does an excellent job of capturing wildlife.

If you're thinking of upgrading from a point and shoot or a lower level SLR, I would highly recommend this camera. The menu is easy to navigate and the results from this camera make me feel like I know what I'm doing. :)





Kindle

I bought the Kindle 2 for my daughter's 29th birthday and she loved it. At first I didn't think it was something for me, even though I usually embrace technology and used to love books. Several months later I found myself wondering if this might help reignite my love of reading. In my teens and 20s I devoured books, losing myself in them. The price had recently come down significantly on the Kindle, so I thought, 'why not?'

The Kindle did what I thought it would do for me and more. For instance, I had always wanted to read John Steinbeck, so I did. I read The Grapes of Wrath first and was so impressed that I ordered East of Eden immediately. Wow. Fell in love with John Steinbeck.

I also love that you can download samples of books for free. This way you can determine if a book is worth buying before you make the commitment. I also love that in my purse I have my entire book collection at my fingertips should I find myself in waiting room hell.

Although my reading appetite has slowed recently from voracious to barely eating, it's not because of the device. Life can sometimes get in the way so I need to make time once again for my beloved Kindle.

Dyson Vacuum

With 3 dogs we have pet hair in our house like you wouldn't believe. For years I convinced myself that the Dyson vacuum was probably overpriced and underperforming. After going through many mid-priced vacuums that were obviously no match for our hair problem, I decided to give the Dyson DC24 ball vacuum a whirl. I figured if it didn't perform as it should, I would return it to Amazon, and be proven right!

Surprisingly, it was a breeze to put together, so I put it to use immediately. It maneuvers easily, adjusting from carpeting to bare floors effortlessly. It's also extremely lightweight which means I can vacuum without feeling like I'm going through a Biggest Loser Last Chance workout. The hair fills up the bin quickly, letting me know that it is doing its job.

We've only had it since December, 2010, so I can't speak to its longevity, but I will update with any issues as they arise. Overall, I really do love this vacuum. Well, as much as a vacuum can be loved.


Philips Sonicare Toothbrush
After my last dental cleaning, I decided that I would splurge on this product because I wanted to prolong that tingling, clean feeling. I purchased one for me and one for Double D. We both love it. The two minute timer is great and the feeling afterwards from the vibrating bristle action is amazing. The hardest part for me is keeping my big mouth shut so I don't splatter toothpaste everywhere.