Today is my 35th birthday. I thought it would be fun to share with you all 35 of my favorite things on my 35th birthday!
In no particular order:
1. my Kindle Paperwhite : I can’t read at night without it because a bedside lamp is a big no-no while hubby is sleeping!
2. audio books from the library that I listen to in the car with my girls , especially the Little House on the Prairie series! (I also love borrowing audio books for myself via the Overdrive app!)
3. Earthpaste and Real Salt from Redmond Trading Company (I’m so glad I can now get Earthpaste from Grove Collaborative!)
4. the Little House on the Prairie TV series is also my all-time favorite TV show (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Downton Abbey are also big favorites–are you noticing a pattern with the period pieces?)
5. Anne Shirley Blythe from Anne of Green Gables is my favorite literary character of all time.
6. Little Women and Pride and Prejudice are also favorites, along with North and South, and Belle .
7. My favorite Disney movie is probably Beauty and the Beast or Brave, but I’m not a huge Disney fan (well…that’s not true anymore since we had our family vacation there).
8. We order almost all of our supplements for our natural medicine cabinet and our winter supplements regimen online.
9. Grove Collaborative is where I get almost all of our household cleaning and toiletry products. They are known for their natural, eco-friendly brands, and their customer service is phenomenal!!
New Grove members can get a FREE Mrs. Meyers hand soap, FREE Mrs. Meyers dish soap, FREE Full Circle Dish Brush, a $5 store credit, and FREE shipping! Click here to learn more!
10. Acure Organics–I love their facial scrub, which I get from Grove!
11. MadeOn Hard Lotion, especially their tinted lip balms, au chocolate lotion sticks, and bug block bars!
12. Azure Standard: I LOVE this natural foods co-op and order food from them once per month! We get kombucha, frozen organic lunch meat, frozen organic veggies, soy-free Earth Balance dairy-free butter substitute, rice milk, Bubbies pickles, and more! It’s like Whole Foods online but with better prices!
13. ALDI: ALDI has had my heart for a decade now, and I don’t foresee me ever loving another grocery store this much. It’s where we get 90% of our food now, especially since they introduced their awesome organic and gluten-free lines! Check out this gluten-free ALDI meal plan plus a 2-week ALDI meal plan with mostly whole foods recipes, and Elsie named her top whole foods to buy at ALDI in this post.
14. my Orville Redenbacher Hot Hair Popcorn Air Popper: I got this for Christmas from my parents last year, and we LOVE it! It’s an easy way to pop oil-free popcorn, and it’s virtually mess-free!
15. Aqua Notes: My hubby gave me this for Christmas last year, and it has proven to be the best.gift.ever for a blogger/writer/creative. Do you ever have your best ideas come to you in the shower? If so, you need this waterproof notepad!
16. essential oils: Although I do not sell them myself and do not get into the essential oils brand wars, my family quietly uses them nearly every single day. I urge you to exercise caution while using them and do your own research, but I believe they are a great, great thing!
17. my NIV Student Study Bible: I have been using the same one since I graduated high school! It had a blue leather cover and has my maiden name engraved on it. I’ve received other Bibles as gifts since then, but this one has literally gone all over the world with me, and I just can’t seem to part with it and get used to something new! There are notes and highlights all over it, and this Bible has seen me through many beautiful seasons and many trials as well.
18. The Best Yes : This is the best book I’ve read in 2015. I highly recommend it!
19. Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Stain Remover : This stuff is seriously amazing. I should buy stock in it. My 1st grader spilled a snow cone all over her brand new school uniform dress on the first day of school this year, and it came out pristinely after using this stain remover on it! I get mine from Grove.
20. free or cheap kindle book deals from eReadergirl.com and from Modern Mrs. Darcy
21. Free Reign Farms: I love their soaps, candles and deodorants. All handmade with clean ingredients. They are our go to for natural skincare.
22. my new Defender Pad : Ever wonder about the dangers of using a laptop right on your lap? I’ve been looking more into EMFs and how to minimize radiation through cell phones, laptops, etc. recently, and I am loving this new tool I got a few weeks back. I’m hoping to write several posts on this in the new year!
23. Reeses Cups : Yes, they are so not healthy, but I don’t think these will ever stop being my favorite candy. Of course, you can always make your own!
24. KLOVE.com: This is basically the only music I listen to on a regular basis. I love the uplifting praise music, devotionals, and encouraging stories they share each day.
25. natural birth: OK, so I know this isn’t really a “thing,” but giving birth naturally has been one of my greatest achievements. And it’s so beautiful. You can read about my first natural birth here (part 1) and here (part 2), and you can read all four parts of my third birth (and second natural birth) here, here, here, and here. If you want to read about my first birth, which was medicated, you can check it out here.
26. pumpkin chai lattes: Really, chai lattes in general have my heart, but there is just something extra special about pumpkin.
27. peppermint mochas: This is my favorite coffee drink. I order them year round! You can also make your own homemade peppermint mocha with homemade peppermint syrup!
28. encouraging quotes and Bible verses (check them out on my Facebook wall each morning!): We have decorated our home with Scripture wall art!
29. colorful, crisp fall leaves: Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love the cool air and the vibrant colors.
30. fuzzy socks: I make socks last forever. I think I’m still wearing some I wore in high school (and that was a long time ago now that I’m 35!). Perhaps my hubby will read this and get me this new pair for Christmas. 😉
31. strawberries: They are my favorite food! (Check out this amazing strawberry crisp if you have some berries in the freezer!)
32. my church family: So this isn’t a “thing” either, but seriously, y’all: About a year ago I wrote about my online world being crowded and my real-life world being lonely. A week after that we visited our new church, and the rest is history. This community of believers has become our family.
33. Costa Rica: I’m not going to lie: Costa Rica is my favorite place on the planet. It’s where I met my husband, it’s where I got to fulfill some dreams, and it’s where we took our girls for 5 weeks this past summer. If God made a way for us to move there, I might just start packing my bags right now.
34. my Blendtec: I LOVE my high-powered blender. I use it to make smoothies nearly every day, but it can also make a ton more than just smoothies! I wrote more about why I love my Blendtec so much here.
35. Lexie: Natural Deodorant: It’s the only deodorant my husband and I have used for about three years now! Lexie was generous enough to give my readers her full recipe for the homemade deodorant too!
I would be remiss to not mention that, to me, people and relationships are always, always above things! If people were things, my husband Will and my three little girls would trump them all (after my relationship with Jesus Christ, who has saved and redeemed me!!!).
What are some of your favorite things? Let me know in the comments!
p.s. If you want to bless me on my birthday, an email at erin at thehumbledhomemaker.com would make my day!!
Kate
Happy birthday, Erin! I think we are kindred spirits–I love Anne of Green Gables, too! Thanks for sharing your list–what a fun idea! Hope your family spoils you today!
Erin
Thank you, Kate! We must be kindred spirit, indeed!
Keelie Reason
Happy happy birthday! My birthday is on Tuesday. 🙂 Hope that you have a great day!
Erin
Thank you, Keelie! Happy birthday to you!!
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
Happy birthday! This was fun to read. It’s funny how many things we have in common, but also how unique everyone is. 🙂
If you like North and South, have you read/watched any of Elizabeth Gaskell’s other works? Wives and Daughters and Cranford are both really good!
Also, so glad you found a good church family. That makes such a huge difference!
Erin
I love that we have a lot in common, Lisa! It’s so much fun to find friends online!! I have not read or watched her other works yet! Thanks for the recommendation! I need to read/watch them! I just discovered North and South (and Gaskell) in January of this year!
Sarah @The Teacher's Wife
Happy belated birthday, Erin! I’ll be turning 35 in March! I’ve been reading “The Best Yes” recently and it is amazing. So, so good!
Violette Ruffley
I moved to Costa Rica in 1969, and lived there 8 years. When I moved back to the States, I left behind my oldest daughter, who had married a Costan Rican. Of course I traveled back and forth many times. Now I have 4 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren in Costa Rica. However, since I am now 93 years old, it is unlikely I will ever travel there again.