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We went to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom with the kiddos last week. It was non-stop action all week, which I like, but I also relish quiet time alone. This week Kirk and I are still in Jacksonville, FL visiting our son, Nate. However, now that spring break is over he is back to teaching 3rd grade (in person here), Kirk is working remotely in Nate’s home office, and I’m planning to do some creating with watercolor as I take a couple of classes I’ve signed up for as well as catch up on The Creative Exponent Mentoring courses I’ve missed.
Before I settle in to creating and learning, I’m sharing a few of my favorites from February and March with you. If you are a grandparent, auntie, uncle, or parent, I have a few for the littles in your life too.
Since Easter is only a few days away, I’ll share a couple kid favorites first.
Favorite toys for children
The EggMazing Easter egg decorating kit can be found on Amazon (or Target). Not only does our 3 year old granddaughter enjoy it, but so does her mommy! This little gadget takes the mess out of dying eggs!
Another idea for kids is the Picasso Tiles.
Magnolia and I have had so much fun creating “Frozen” castles for her frozen characters and dollhouse people with these. If you can afford it, I recommend getting two sets, although one is sufficient.
Picasso magnets are for kids 3+ but our one-year-old likes them too! These tiles are very easy to use and the creativity is endless. As a grandmother of 5, I highly recommend these.
Favorite breadmaker
For my birthday in February, Kirk surprised me with this Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus bread maker. It has been on my Amazon wish list for a couple years and I’m so excited to start making bread again when we return to Rochester. Because we were heading to FL the week I opened my gift I only had a chance to make one loaf. the Zojirushi is highly rated and comes highly recommended by my friend who makes bread every single day.
Favorite new book
We went to Chamblin Bookmine in Jacksonville over the weekend, which is an incredibly large new and used bookstore. Imagine a building with floor-to-ceiling books all in a maze wandering through the entire large building, complete with annex buildings. You can read about our 2020 visit to Chamblin here (just as the country CoVid shut-down was starting). There are so many books in this store (over two million!) it is unbelievable. To stay focused I head to the cookbook/entertaining section first, then art books, crochet books, and Minnesota history books. Here’s a link to all the Chamblin Book Mine categories.
Of all the books in the store, this is the only book I bought, and I am so glad I did! This used book is full of tips and tricks and, of course, recipes. I’ve already tagged several recipes I’d like to try first and have learned a great deal about using newer bread machines, including mine.
Favorite new shoes
These Steve Madden shoes. They are fun and comfortable and were a tad bit out of my comfort zone, however, when I saw my BFF wearing them I knew we’d be twinning! I purchased my shoes at a Dillard’s store here in Florida. You can find them at Zappos Here. I wear a size 7.5 and that’s what I purchased. Size 8 was comfortable, but had way too much room so I recommend ordering your usual size.
My last favorite this month is my Owala water bottle.
I have never had a water bottle that works better than this one. I’m not a fan of taking swigs from bottles. I prefer drinking from a glass or a straw. The straw feature sold me on this water bottle. The Owala water bottle is insulated stainless-steel with a FreeSip spout which is designed for sipping upright through a built-in straw or taking swigs from the same spout opening. I took this to Disney World and my water stayed ice cold and at the end of the day, there was still ice remaining. The double-wall insulation keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours! The water bottle comes in a 24 oz and a 32 oz size and 6 colors. Our family loves them and all of us have one!
For more information you can also check out the Owala website HERE.
I’d love to hear some of your favorites from our 2021 first quarter!
