My list is a far cry from Oprah's, but here are a few new favorites that I've recently discovered.
Artichokes.
If you can get past the prickles on this thistle, you won't be disappointed. The vegetable that most frequently makes an appearance as part of a spinach and cheese dip is so much more exciting on its own. B roasted a bunch of baby artichokes and we ate them with our dinner like they were candy. After eating 1, I wanted 12 more. I don't know how I lived so long without trying one.
RetailMeNot.com.
This website has probably saved me over $100 in the last 2+ months in discounts and free shipping and has allowed me to declare (with conviction), "I'll never pay shipping again!" On the website, all you do is type the web address of a company that offers online shopping, and you can find a list of coupon codes that other people have used successfully. You can provide feedback if the coupon does or doesn't work, and you can offer your own codes.
This website has allowed me to indulge in my two new favorite stores, Anthropologie (fabulously unique tops) and Lucy (amazingly comfortable pants), while getting a discount and/or free shipping. Risk-free online shopping--I love it! Perhaps a little too much. I justify the expenses because we can't show up in Italy dressed as tee-shirt-and-jeans Americans. And because I love to shop and can buy whatever I want with my monthly allowance. (And we're not talking an allowance in an I Love Lucy kind of way--B has one too--our allowances let us buy whatever we want without feeling guilty that we're taking money away from the central house budget.)
Cleaning house.
Cleaning has never and will never be a passion of mine, but there is a part of me that fears becoming one of those scary hoarder people who never throw anything away, so I relish every opportunity I get to prove to myself that I can let go of material items. This past weekend, I cleared out my childhood bedroom closet. Four bags of clothing went to Goodwill (along with declarations of, "I can't believe I ever wore that!"), and 7 bags of garbage went to the curb. A single box returned home with us. Sad, perhaps, but having more stuff doesn't make my life better, and I get a sense of accomplishment when I am able to simplify (simplify, simplify) my life, even if it's only a little bit.
