So, ages and ages ago Estea wrote a really cool post called Worth Every Penny. I thought it was brilliant. Here are my additions:
1. Origins “Never a Dull Moment” facial scrub is kind of expensive but really really good stuff.
2. Sheets. If I have one piece of advice for newlyweds/newlybonkings (oh good grief! as if I’d stop at ONE piece of advice!) it is this. Buy good sheets. Every night you will be happy in bed, even if you don’t get any.
3. Coffee. We have banned instant coffee from our home.We decided quite some time ago that we are Grown-ups now and Grown-ups don’t have enough years to waste any of them of crap coffee.
4. Every woman should own at least one Killer Bra that makes her boobs look fake. This bra (pictured above for your pleasure) makes my cleavage so damn hot I almost turn myself on.
Not pictured but equally valuable:
real garlic (Don’t even tell me if you use pre-minced, dried or *gag* powdered garlic. I will not want you as a friend any longer.)
good quality chocolate (see coffee reference above)
down pillows (see sheets reference above)
OK. Give me the scoop! What am I living without that I desperately need?
I am so with you on the coffee – we only ever have freshly ground coffee at our place. I think as you get older you start to appreciate the finer things in life – good wine, good food, and Egyptian cotton!
By: Lisa on March 30, 2008
at 1:30 pm
I was expecting to see the cleavage! Not that I play for the other team, you understand, just so I can see how hot the bra makes you look.
By: Shirley Goodwin on March 30, 2008
at 1:30 pm
I assume if you drink real coffee then you eat real Parmesan cheese. Parmesan comes from Italy, in a block, period. It does not come pre-grated in a plastic bag nor does it come in a green shaker. I cannot be moved on this point.
By: M on March 30, 2008
at 2:18 pm
First..thanks for the giggle…worth every penny…mozzarella, fresh, squishy, lovely, not grated in a plastic bag arrg! Also, a fabulous rolling pin…maple with ball bearings that could win the pinewood derby every time.
By: Jacquie on March 30, 2008
at 2:41 pm
LOL I hear you on the bra. A good body wash is worth every penny too. The right smell, the right lather and feel. Mmmmm.
By: lovestitches on March 30, 2008
at 3:20 pm
Lovely glycerine soap with fruity smells.
It never lasts long, so I buy the cheap stuff and make the boys use that. (the way they smell sometimes the fruity stuff is completely wasted on them!)
By: peppermintpatcher on March 30, 2008
at 3:44 pm
Cool post.
Fresh herbs from the garden or whole, gratable versions of things which can’t be grown locally.
Perlier honey body cream or anything by Burt’s Bees.
By: Tanya Brown on March 30, 2008
at 3:47 pm
A really good moisturiser – after trying every product known to man I am now happily addicted to Kiehls products – not cheap but certainly not expensive.
And a pretty lip gloss. With a bit of lip gloss I can fool myself that I have made an effort!
By: Mary on March 30, 2008
at 3:59 pm
I’m so with you on the real coffee. We regularly have it percolated at home. My contribution? At least one pair of killer high heels…..even though I don’t last long in them anymore. Makes any shape leg looks sexy.
By: Jade on March 30, 2008
at 4:00 pm
I also agree with the real coffee. It’s NEVER in my house – until my sister comes to visit. Sigh.
What have you missed? I can’t live without my hairdresser (now that I have one who I would follow to the ends of – well – Townsville). And The Byron Bay Coffee Company chilli and cinnamon hot chocolate. And fluffy towels. And good appliances – as soon as I could afford them, it was good riddance to the crappy appliances I made do with as a student. And a favourite pair of jeans. And pretty books to write in and a good pen to write with. Maybe I should do one of these posts myself….
By: Tanya on March 30, 2008
at 6:03 pm
Ah, brilliant! My own killer bra is on it’s last legs. I’m fretting that I will never again find one as good. Sob sniff.
By: Ali on March 30, 2008
at 6:34 pm
Well, this is hilarious but true. Thanks for making me smile!
By: seemownay on March 30, 2008
at 6:40 pm
Worth every penny: fluffy towels, sexy glasses, a sexy pair of jeans, Italian leather boots, Italian ice-cream, French cheese, a good hair-dresser (hard to find one), nice smelling washing powder, good cd’s, good kitchen-knifes, wonderful China, wine, books, fabrics and yarn… I can go on and on and on… (living in a material world?)
Real coffee…? We always drink real coffee in Holland. Instant coffee…? You must be joking!
By: nicolette on March 30, 2008
at 8:15 pm
good knives and kitchen appliances.
fresh basil in the winter.
fresh flowers to brighten my mood.
limes.
yes on the coffee. and to up the ante, a really good coffee maker, like a jura capresso.
good quality olive oil.
a great mattress (because i so agree on the sheets and pillows!)
By: erin on March 30, 2008
at 10:51 pm
I am glad you included chocolate! There is so much of the crappy stuff here it is unbearable! Sheets! Can I get a witness! Your list is perfect!
By: chronicler on March 31, 2008
at 2:01 am
It would figure that both my mom(chronicler) and I would agree on the chocolate bit. Life is too short to have bad chocolate! Even if you only get a little bit of the good stuff every now and then it is well worth it.
Something I can’t live without…a good camera. I know this sounds silly, but I am a horrible picture taker and since I got a decent camera I can actually pass off that I know what I am doing, even though I don’t hehe.
Oh, and good music. It may not be the same for everyone, but it can make my day happy or sad depending on how I want to feel.
Thanks for the list, I love it!
By: the1stdaughter on March 31, 2008
at 9:08 am
babycakes! yours are AWESOME!
1)i covet the origins stuff. looks good.
2)gettin’ some from the sheets works for me
3)dude, i could be living in a box and panhandling in my socks and i’d find a way to get good coffee. life is too damn short.
4)i SO need a new bra. used to wear the cute ones when dating, now married and i’m all about the sports bra…whassup with that?
you’ve inspired.
xoxox
estea
By: estea on March 31, 2008
at 12:43 pm
I would give the same advice to not just the newlybonkers but ANYONE setting up their own home. Buy the good sheets.
I also agree on the real coffee, but may I also add real tea, made with leaves in a bone china pot? Because teabags are as bad as instant coffee, and I know it’s mean to be judgemental but I think less of people who don’t realise this.
I also think life is too short to spread margarine on ANYTHING. Butter, always please. And bugger the cholesterol.
By: Stomper Girl on March 31, 2008
at 1:22 pm
I agree on the sheets they are a must and the down pillows.
Good moisturizer
Really cool black leather boots
and you are right about the bra, i really need to remember that
By: denise on March 31, 2008
at 2:15 pm
Double cream, not that ghastly thickened with glycerin stuff.
Homemade bread. Cakes and muffins made properly, not from a box. Heck, anything made properly and not from a box.
By: suse on March 31, 2008
at 2:18 pm
I’m so with M on the parmesan — we only do freshly grated. Sharp knives are a must as well. I’m afraid I don’t have a hot bra, as they all make my patheticly small breasts feel inferior and eventually get weird wrinkles in them from the lack of enough proper filling. However, l have recently found the perfect T-shirt suitable, no lines, non-intimidating, comfortable, bra for small women and I’d pay double what I did for it! Oh, and I personally couldn’t live without my excellent sewing machine.
By: Kristin L on March 31, 2008
at 7:55 pm
Alas, only fake breasts would make my breasts look like the are fake (I have had too many kids!).
By: Kellie on April 1, 2008
at 12:25 am
good , big bath towels!!
and i cant live without my coffee machine!
ditto on good chocolate,down pillows,good sheets,parmesan,olive oil,butter,and champagne- the real stuff!
god , how spoiled do we sound??
By: robyn on April 1, 2008
at 1:46 am
Can’t live without…
Big Train (brand) Vanilla sugar free chai.
Our feather bed… goose down below and above.
High thread-count sheets
Our small fridge just filled with all kinds of diet soda, and water. Icy cold.
Amazon.com
Elizabeth Arden moisturizer
My ‘Night White’ teeth whitener.
Donna Karin perfume
And there are starving people out there! I feel as though God is shaking his head at me.
Joni
By: YUMMERS! on April 1, 2008
at 2:49 am
What a fun post — and fun to read the replies you’ve had. Your sheet section cracked me up — thanks for the laugh! Here are three oddballs that I love right now:
– TOP quality sewing machine. I sew too much to scrimp. Life’s too short to have to deal with thread locking, goofy tension, etc. And give me bells and whistles.
– A GOOD quality metal ice cream scoop. Like the kind Williams Sonoma sells. They’re expensive, but I use mine for cookies all the time. The spring action and “let-go” quality just can’t be matched in the cheap plastic imitations.
– An good quality SLR camera. Like one of your other commenters said…turns a dope like me into passable!
By: Thimbleanna on April 1, 2008
at 4:59 am
Good list – I would advise on checking out the rest of the Origins range, I love it!
My other must-haves are all listed above…us bloggers obviously have the same needs!
By: Dragonfly on April 1, 2008
at 6:21 am
and 8g nano minimum. must have tunez.
and real pecorino romano
and down comforters. there is no other way to sleep, people.
vetiver eau de toilette
the sweetest on sale 3″ strappy sandals for going out with the husband this summer on balmy evenings.
which i just found yesterday.
xoxo
By: estea on April 1, 2008
at 7:28 am
I’d have to add cats (cost a fortune in food etc, but oh so fluffy and purry!) and a long, hot bath at the end of the day. Yes, I know it’s bad for the planet but I live in Scotland and it’s cool and often damp. We have water in plenty.
Missed your anniversary but congratulations anyway. What a beautiful picture. And also, clearly, a beautiful marriage.
By: Isabelle on April 1, 2008
at 7:43 am
Oh, yes! Real, not instant,not fake, not in-between. (Except “fake” hair streaks.Y’know, the kind that tone with the natural silver-blonde. Or wacky red. That’s allowed!)
There’s such an evil as powdered garlic? Really? I must go and brew some extra strong coffee to recover…
By: dinahmow on April 1, 2008
at 1:54 pm
hahahahaha “newlybonkings”
!!
By: pricklypearbloom on April 2, 2008
at 5:17 am
hair dye…..or if i could have it sucked out, tired up … cut off… or dyed i would have it all. all i need is courage and money….. getting old sucks… but i am giving it a good go….yer no cheap sheets you will regret it for ever . and avocado… although the 8th wonder thinks it tasts like cotton wool… all the more for me.. m x
By: Margie on April 2, 2008
at 7:28 pm
I’m having a sudden brain fog, so I can’t bring anything new to the party right now, but your choices are so good! They’re all things I consider crucial to making the most of life’s simple pleasures. And thanks for the reminder that it may be time to treat myself to a new jar of the scrub.
By: meg on April 3, 2008
at 8:51 am
Good sheets, good towels and good socks.
Good knives, fresh herbs and real butter.
By: ivyarts on April 9, 2008
at 11:09 am
I just found your blog and I have it in my favorites. It is hilarious and I love your sense of humor. You nail it everytime. lol. I have emailed some of my friends to check the blog. I know when I come back I will again get a good giggle and a great day. Thanks.
By: Carol on April 12, 2008
at 12:48 pm
Love your blog!
I always say, spend money on haircuts and bras!
By: Rachel on April 13, 2008
at 11:58 am