The one with stuff I like

It's "Stuff I Like" Saturday! It's where I tell you all about my favorite things.
But not in an Oprah way.
Let's just say that when I really like something, I want to tell the world about it. I get giddy about silly things. For example, my favorite pen of all time, the Bic Atlantis (go buy one now, you'll never go back).  If I like my food when we're out to dinner, I will REALLY want you to try it. Possibly to the point where it might annoy you.  I don't mean to be pushy; I sincerely want you to be as happy and giddy as I am at that very moment. So here goes...

Thing #1.  Duncan Hines "Simple Mornings" Blueberry Streusel Muffins

My hubby and I are trying to start family traditions now that we have the girls. We want to have "happy weekend mornings" in which we wake up, listen to upbeat music, and have a fun breakfast. (i.e, not cereal.) It gives us something to look forward to. We really want the girls to be excited to wake up on the weekends so we can be productive and spend quality time together. We want Sunday mornings to be positive for them, rather than, "Hurry up! We are late, throw some clothes on and sing to Jesus or you're grounded." Naturally, muffins, cinnamon rolls, or pancakes are the way to go. Some might call it bribing with food. Others might call it "providing positive correlations" via pastries.

Anyways, these muffins are really great for boxed ones. They are quick and delicious.  The best part is that it comes with this fun crumbly streusel topping that you sprinkle on top. Also, all the ingredients are natural, so there isn't any corn syrup bleh in it.

Thing #2. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Products 

                                                        (my real life sink and laundry room shelf!)

I could go on and on. I use their hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and countertop spray. Ironically, I heard about these products on a blog I read. Dang, that girl was more obsessed than I could ever be. With good reason.

The best things about these are:
a) They smell AWESOME. They don't have any crazy harsh, fume-y chemicals in them, and everything is plant-based and aromatherapeutic. I first started using them when I got pregnant and I was super sensitive to smells.  I love the basil, lemon verbena, and lavender scents. If people are coming over, I just spray down my countertops, wipe them down, and the house smells fresh and nice. When I had the babies and people came to help me, everyone always commented on my detergent smell!

b) The containers adorable. I know this might sound shallow. But I firmly believe that if you need something sitting out 24/7 in your house, it might as well be aesthetically pleasing. Nobody likes looking at a giant, 2-foot aqua bottle of Dawn at their sink. The packaging and graphic design have a retro look to them that is cute and simple, so I don't mind having them sit out all day long.

The cons are that they don't sell this stuff everywhere, although my Target carries a lot of their stuff now. I recently found the hand soap at my Wal-Mart! If you want a more extensive line of their products (toilet bowl cleaner, etc) you will have to go to Central Market or perhaps Whole Foods. Mrs. Meyer's stuff is more expensive as well, but it's not ridiculous.  I guess if you were feeling really "thrifty" you could buy the soap bottles for your counter and refill them with cheaper soap. That does defeat the whole good-smelling point though. I think the hand soap is around $3 and the detergent is $16 or something.  http://www.mrsmeyers.com/Products/Laundry

That's all for now. In the meantime, enjoy this of my children enthralled with my hubby's storytime.