Wednesday, August 25, 2010

These are a few of our favorite things

A week or so before the RWA conference last month, I realized I needed a full-length mirror. Up til then I'd been making do with standing as far back from the bathroom mirror as possible or even catching my reflection in the sliding glass door. But that wasn't cutting it, so I went on a search for some sort of full-length mirror that would hang over a door.

I live in an apartment now and while they don't mind that I put nails and screws in the walls for art work and curtain rods, I thought they might frown on the mounting hardware for a mirror on a door. I'd dearly love a cheval mirror, but I have no room for it. As luck would have it, I found the perfect mirror at the first store I visited. Once home I pulled out my handy dandy pink girly tool kit (a gift from the Playfriends) and prepared to mount the over-the-door hooks. Then I spied a little package of something else and discovered something I think is one of the greatest things since sliced bread.

Command Picture Hanging Strips.



They use the same adhesive technology as regular Command strips that allow you to hang things damage free on walls. But these picture hanging strips are like Velcro with the Command adhesive on it. I decided to try this because it would give me a more finished look. I stuck the Velcro-like pieces together, pulled the liners off and positioned one on each corner of the mirror. Then I pulled the rest of the liners off and positioned the mirror on the back of my bedroom door. I held it in place for a minute, them gently lifted from the bottom and pulled the mirror away from the door. One set of strips stayed on the door and one on the mirror. An hour later I stuck the mirror back up and fully expected to hear it come crashing down in the middle of the night.

The mirror's still there.

Yesterday I put a cork bulletin board on the closet door in my office/spare bedroom. It's still there too.

These little things are FABULOUS! I've loved the regular Command hooks since they came out, but the picture hanging strips are now on my list of favorite things.


I figured others had favorite things too, so I polled my Facebook friends and some other friends on various Yahoo loops and have compiled a list of things that make like special or easy. I told them up front to just skip computers, cell phones and DVRs because those are a given.

Here, in no particular order, are the responses I received:

~ Digital camera
~ Handheld calculator -- my first one in 1975 cost $25 and only had 4 functions. Now they give away free ones that will also compute percentages and square roots.
~ Cordless phones and answering machines
~ Ball point pens
~ Birth control pills
~ Polio vaccine (and any other vaccine too)
~ Superglue
~ Disposable diapers
~ Fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water
~ Sunless tanning lotion
~ Microwave oven
~ Wireless networks
~ Caller ID
~ Fleece
~ Microfiber
~ Electric kettle (I know I love mine)
~ Memory foam
~ Netflix
~ GPS
~ Post It Notes
~ Mechanical pencils
~ Remotes -- car, TV, garage door
~ My own washer and dryer as opposed to visiting the coin laundry each week
~ The Popeil Pocket Fisherman (I have some weirdo friends)

But my absolute favorite answer was this:

Yeah, I rather like the ones in my bathrooms too. I'm old enough to remember the chamber pot my grandmother put under the end of the bed at night because the bathroom was off the backporch and unheated.

What are YOUR favorite things? What makes life special or easy for you?

One commenter will win a book from the stash I brought home from the conference!

23 comments:

Jane said...

Some of my favorite things are:
Cable/Satellite and DVR
Concealer(makeup)
Tylenol with codeine
Hand sanitizer

Jane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scarlet Wilson said...

I want some! I feel as if you read my mind! I've just redecorated my bedroom and want to mount a mirror inside my wardrobe door and these sound perfect - unfortunately I'm in Scotland not the USA and I've never seem them. I wonder if I can order them online?
Favourite things??
1 My new bedroom
2 Sky plus so I can tape everything I love without missing an episode
3 George Clooney as Doug Ross
4 Cadbury's chocolate
5 Being snuggled under the duvet hearing the rain batter off the window outside
6 A Really, really good book that you can't put down even though its 2 in the morning
7 Fake tan - the worlds gift to a woman with skin SO white its illuminous
8 The smell of something gorgeous cooking or baking
9 A really good gossip!

Laurie G said...

hairdryer, refrigerator, tampons, electric garage door openers, power lawnmowers, electricity, antibiotics

catslady said...

Don't think anyone mentioned the coffee maker - I live on the stuff lol. Oh, and gas grills for the summer! And was electricity mentioned roflmao.

catslady said...

Laurie beat me to it - sorry lol.

Cheryl said...

How can all of you forget the one thing that is essential?

DUCT TAPE!!!!

No self-respecting red-neck would be without it!

Angel said...

Hmmm... definitely air conditioning! The weather this week is down to 90. Who would have thought that would seem cool?

Bare minerals makeup :)
Diet Coke
Hand sanitizer (I have kids)
Microwave
Dishwasher

I'm sure there are tons more, but those are high on my Must Have list.

Angel

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I know you said no cell phones but I have to give a shout out to smart phones like the iPhone. Cell phone, iPod, mini tv, computer, gameboy, calculator, gps... Everything. It is my everything.

Other things I can't live without... Water filters, microwaves, credit/debit cards, modern birth control, swiffer vac, chapstick, sunblock, pay at the pump, my very own major appliances like washers that don't require quarters, dishwasher and a fridge that filters water and makes ice, modern plumbing, hair detangler and anti frizz gel, keyless entry on my car, air conditioning and instant oatmeal. :)

Alicia Hunter Pace (aka Jean Hovey and Stephanie Jones) said...

Indoor grill with downdraft
Swiffer Wet Jet
Pledge animal hair remover
Ice maker
Cookie press with ergonomic crank
Car seat warmer
flash drive

Julie Cabot Brown said...

How about stainless steel? I remember having to polish my grandmother's silverware as a child and I swore I'd never own the stuff. I love my Oneida stainless knives, forks and spoons. Also love my stainless pots and pans.

Rebekah E. said...

I have to say:
Washer
Toilet
Shower
My bed
Heat for the house
BOOKS

runner10 said...

ipod!!! Beats carrying all those CDs around.

chey said...

Some of my favourite things are:
running water
electricity (just had a 3 hour outage)
an internet connection
the microwave

Maven Linda said...

paper towels.

gigi said...

I love those command strips. I found out last year when I moved Alison into a dorm how great the Velcro kind are. like you she needed a full length mirror in her dorm room and the dorms had been remodeled and they didn't want nails or anything like that put on the walls or you would be fined when check out day came. Boy the Command poster and the more heavy duty Velcro strips saved the day.

I think two more of my favorite things would have to be the dishwasher and the automatic ice. maker.

robertsonreads said...

Ditto on all above listed items and then some.
My favorites would include:
A&E tv and trutv, bravo, usa
Divorce - on what freedom I have
Books
Online banking
My current employment
My home

Playground Monitor said...

Y'all have some great favorite things.

I *love* online banking and bill pay. I save a ton in postage stamps.

Tampons -- I haven't needed those since 1986, but I have to say they are far better than those pads.

And yes, duct tape (and it's cohort WD40). Gotta have those. You can solve most any problem with them.

Problem Child said...

Downy Wrinkle Release Spray.

Carla Arpin said...

My 2 cents and then some *g*:

NO MORE PERIODS, YAYYYY! Only downfall - now I have to wear poise pads periodically, but I can suffer through those!

My husband aka my rock.

CONDOMS since my 17 y.o. became sexually active a couple of months ago - prob TMI, but...Oy...at least he TOLD me!

My computer

BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS!

And, last, but not least, one of my favorite *things* is Marilyn - I just wish we had as much contact as in the past. :(

Carla Arpin said...

P.S. - Those Command Strips sound like they could quickly become one of my fave things, too. Remember Sticky Tac? I'm sure it's still around - we used it in daycare all the time to hang progress charts, etc. It came in little squares that you could mold into gummy circles and stick to anything. It held some stuff really well. Don't know how it would be on heavier stuff, though.

Carla, the gabber. ;-x

Mary Reeves said...

My vote is with duct tape.

robynl said...

my favorite things:

Tetley Infusions
Crockpot
e-mail
glass top stoves