The 6th Annual Chiodo's Top Ten Favorite Things

1. Ana-White.com: Here's a little secret...this website could be life-changing. I'm just warning you before you take a look at it. This is definitely my most favorite thing this year. Just happened to find her blog, and I have become a bit obsessed. Ana White is an Alaskan stay-at-home mom who makes stuff with wood. Her website used to be called "Knock-Off Wood" but she recently changed it to her name. She is one amazingly talented woman who can look at furniture at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Land of Nod, West Elm...draw up her own knock-off version of it, and then make it from scratch in her garage. This summer, Jason and I made a kid picnic table from her plans, and I can't wait to make more furniture soon. She has only been doing this for about a year, and her popularity has soared off the charts. She has definitely caught the attention of Pottery Barn and also TV executives. There is also talk that she has her own TV show in the works.


2. The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com): My second most favorite thing of the year. She cooks, she homeschools four children, she calls her husband the Marlboro Man, she lives in Oklahoma, and she makes me (almost) wet my pants with her funny stories. You must sit for a spell and look at her blog. I love, love, love her (and her cookbook).


3. Amazon Prime Membership: I signed up for their free trial month of Amazon Prime earlier this year and became hooked immediately. As a busy mom, I do a lot of my shopping online...many times at Amazon and usually at the last minute. With Prime, you get free shipping with no minimum purchase, and the shipping is super fast. Totally worth the annual membership fee.


4. Becky Higgins (beckyhiggins.com): I have followed her for several years from when I first started to scrapbook. This woman is just a neat, neat person. She has great ideas on everything from decorating, organizing, cooking, and scrapbooking. She is very simple and real in how she goes about life. Her newest invention is called Project Life....a very fun and easy way to scrapbook/record the most meaningful moments of your life (without all the hours of scrapbooking).


5. Contigo Travel Mugs: We are big fans of these mugs. Costco sells a 2-pack for $19.99 and they are worth every penny. They are stainless steel travel mugs with a vacuum-sealed lid. They do not spill (ever!); they keep your liquids hot for a long time; they are dishwasher safe; and they are perfect for gifts. They seem to be more popular these days...they are for sale in several places now like Amazon, Kohls, or Target.


6. L.L. Bean Personal Organizer: For traveling, this item is a must have. It comes in various sizes and colors and can be personalized as well. I bought us a large one to use as a family when we were away. It keeps everything organized, easy to get to, and is very convenient to zip up and travel with without worrying about spilling toiletries all over your bag. For a personalized gift, the price is awesome too!


7. Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Cookbook: I seriously could not function in life without my crockpot. It makes me look like a good wife when my husband walks in at the end of the day and the house smells like I've been at the stove for hours. I love having dinner prep done and cooking at 10 o'clock in the morning before life gets busy and kids get cranky. This cookbook is written by the woman who blogged about cooking with a crockpot for one whole year. She picked out her favorite recipes and made a fabulous cookbook from her experience. What I love about this book is that the recipes are very good and include pantry items that you normally have on hand. She also has her recipes written as gluten-free which is fabulous for anyone who can't have wheat.


8. Pottery Barn Kids Preschool Backpack: Each of my kids has this cute little backpack. I got it for them when they were around 2 years old. It's perfect for a little coloring book, crayons, a few small toys, a diaper, and anything else that you might need for your child for a little outing. The kids love to put their backpack on and wear it...and it saves you from hauling a big bag of stuff by yourself. It is smaller than a normal kid backpack...so even though it is too small for school use, it is great to use for many other times when you are out and about.


9. Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer: We use these at Yale for taking patient temperatures because they are so accurate. I think I have sold many for Walgreens because patients and their families always comment on them. I bought one a few years ago to use at home...my kids love them, especially since I don't use the old-fashioned method on them anymore. They are accurate, simple, and very easy to use.


10. Little People Nativity Set: Jason and I are of the belief that Christmas is really about Jesus' birthday. We tend to act like Santa Claus is a fun character like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We try to instill in our children that Christmas is also about giving more than getting as well as spending time together as a family. I thought that this cute little set would help explain the story of Jesus a little better since it is a fun, hands-on toy to play with. It definitely does the trick in making it more real for them. Silly me thought that I could hide it with Christmas stuff and bring it out once a year. They always find it and play with it year round....Abby says she "needs to play with Baby Jesus all the time, Mom!" So there you have it.....