Last month, I made some awesome finds that I have really been enjoying. In the post I shared recently about the guest bath, I forgot to mention one change I made in that room. When I first moved into the Dollhouse, I had to come up with a sneaky way to store TP in this room since the sink is a pedestal sink. I ended up purchasing the cute, woven basket that’s visible in the picture below. It is designed to hold three rolls of TP and fits perfectly on the back of the tank. (Basket is available here: Tank Basket.)
Since that space will most likely be used to hold paper hand towels once the renovation of this bathroom is complete, I needed a different storage solution. I came across this inexpensive white canister that’s designed to hold 3 rolls. Once it arrived, I was happy to find that it neatly fits into the corner, completely out of sight when walking into the room. I could probably even place it on the other side under the sink, since once the walls are painted white, it will blend right in. If you could use a way to hide your TP in a small bath, you’ll find this canister here: White Canister for Toilet Paper.
Love these gardening boots that were a fun purchase last month. I’ve already worn them out in the garden once and found them to be super comfortable. You’ll find them available here: Gardening Boots.
Another pair of shoes that I purchased last month were these leather cross trainers. I’ve always found New Balance sneakers to be comfortable—they were first recommended to me by a Podiatrist. You’ll find these cute sneakers available in two colors here: Leather Cross Trainer.
I like the Saucony socks that I wear during the wintertime with sneakers, but the ones I have are pretty thick. Since it’s warmer weather now, I discovered that they do make them in a lighter weight, as well. The “lite” version is perfect with my new sneakers. Very happy with these and how they gently hug the feet across the instep. You’ll find them available in the lighter, cooler version here: Light Athletic Socks, Great for Summer.
My petunias and foxtail fern are doing really well. I sprinkled a small amount of slow-release fertilizer in each this spring when I first placed them outside, so each time it rains or I water them, they are being fed. The petunias are blooming like crazy, and the fern has put out several new shoots. You’ll find my favorite slow-release fertilizer here: Slow-release Fertilizer for Indoor and Outdoor Plants.
My favorite way to water both plants is with the watering wand I purchased last month. It has 8 settings, and my favorite is the “soaker” setting, which is very much like pouring water from a watering can. It’s not too harsh, and water doesn’t splash everywhere. The reach of the wand is perfect for reaching up to water the petunias. I’m very happy with how it’s working. You’ll find it available here: Watering Wand.
I also purchased these inexpensive pruning shears and found them perfect for trimming small branches on a shrub that had grown too tall in my front yard. If you need new pruning shears, you don’t have to spend a lot to get good ones. These are working great, and you’ll find them available here: Pruning Shears.
Had to mention the popcorn machine that I purchased for the movie room here at the Dollhouse. The popcorn was so good the first movie night we fired it up, everyone went back for seconds. Plus, it adds such a fun vibe to this space… love it! And it wasn’t a hassle to clean at all, probably took me 10 minutes max. If you have a movie/theater room in your home that needs a popcorn machine, you’ll find this one available here: Popcorn Machine.
Love, love, love these pillow covers that I bought for the sectional in the movie room. The fabric feels wonderful, and they look great. Whoever designed these knew what they were doing because they are the easiest covers that I’ve ever had for placing an insert inside. Usually, I have to fight to get an insert into a cover, but these are designed where the hidden-zipper opening in back is a few inches down, so placing a pillow insert inside is easy.
Also, there’s a pretty gold heart on the end of the zipper. I love that little detail! They are just so well made! I like them so much, I’ve been trying to think of other places where I could use them. They would be great in the window seat that’s in my bedroom. They come in a lot of different sizes and colors. If you are in need of pillows, I very much recommend this pillow cover. You’ll find it available here in various sizes and colors here: Soft, Cozy Pillow Covers in Many Colors and Sizes. I purchased the feather down inserts here: Feather Down Pillow Inserts. Tip: Buy inserts that are 2 inches bigger than your pillow covers. For example, if the cover is 22 inches, buy a 24-inch insert to go inside.
Had to mention the faux flowers I “planted” in the two front window boxes. They are sooo pretty and I’m so very glad I went with faux for these. Live flowers dry out so quickly in these boxes that it was impossible to keep them watered. I love how carefree these are, and knowing that they always look beautiful and in full bloom. If you’re looking for faux flowers for your outdoor pots or window boxes that truly look real, you’ll find these available here: Artificial Flowers for Outdoors. Note: When they arrive, fluff them out before placing them in your pots. They look even prettier after the first rain; it relaxes the flowers, and they fluff out beautifully!
Both of my grandsons have been playing baseball all spring, so I have been making frequent trips to the ball field. The parking areas for the various fields where they play are a good little distance away from where we like to sit when watching the games. My folding Yeti chair that I love taking to the games is a bit heavy for lugging across a gravel parking lot and a bumpy, grassy field. It can be a challenge to carry it, my water tumbler, handbag, blanket, sunhat, snacks, etc.
After one game, I noticed a woman pulling a cart to her car. It was filled with a chair, her camera, and all the other goodies that she had brought along. I asked her about it, and after hearing how much she loved it, I was convinced that day that I needed one. She purchased her cart from B & H, but I didn’t like their prices went I looked up their carts online. I found this one that looked similar and that I liked even more than the one she was pulling. I think it’s a lot nicer and more substantial. The reviews were great, so I ordered it knowing I could return it if I didn’t like it.
It’s awesome! I love tucking my water bottle/drinks into the bottle holders. Its big wheels roll over a gravel parking lot with ease, and the bumpy, grassy fields I have to traverse to get to the ball field don’t even slow me down! I love it! If you could use a heavy-duty cart to carry your stuff, you’ll find this one available here: Heavy Duty Foldable Wagon/Cart, Great for Beach, Baseball Games, Camping. Note: If you’re going to be using it to carry a chair, measure your chair so you know what size you need. I went with the longer 37.4-inch (length) size because I didn’t want my chair hanging way out and possibly toppling out across the bumpy fields.
Love the baskets that you helped me pick for the movie room! They are great for holding all the things we need for snacking and movie watching. They weren’t the cheapest baskets, but they are well-built, and they didn’t arrive with some stinky, strong smell that had to wear off. lol I’ve had that issue before with IKEA baskets. You’ll find these beautiful baskets available here: Baskets for Storage.
The first week of June is birthday week in our family. My son, DIL, and one of my grandsons all have birthdays during the first week of June. I found some cute paper for wrapping the gifts, but couldn’t find any bows that I liked. I wanted bows that were extra pretty and special-looking, but not insanely priced. I came across these and decided to give them a try. They are the most unique bows! They arrive flat, so they are super easy to store. To turn them into bows, you simply pull two narrow ribbons, and they automatically bunch up into these gorgeous bows! There’s a video showing how to turn them into bows, and it’s super easy once you know the trick. They come in a bunch of different colors. I chose these to start, but I definitely plan on buying many more batches in different colors.
So, are you ready for the price? You get 15 of these big, beautiful bows for just $9.99! That works out to just .67 per bow! All the other big bows I saw online that were this size were way more expensive. You’ll find them available in 18 different styles/colors, as well as a video showing how to pull the strings to turn them into big, beautiful bows here: Beautiful Bows For A Bargain.
Last month I purchased an air purifier for the basement since that area probably doesn’t get as much air circulation as the rest of the house. You can just barely see the one I added to the movie room in the bottom right corner in the picture below.
The top of it is visible in the photo below. On the lowest two settings, I can barely even hear it running, so it’s super quiet and very effective. The night I made popcorn in the popcorn machine, it magically cleared away the smell so quickly! I was amazed when I went downstairs the next day and realized you could not even tell that we’d popped popcorn the night before.
If you could use a great air purifier, I am very impressed with this one! You’ll find it available here: Air Purifier for Large Room.
So, those are my favorites for May. There were a lot of great ones! Hope you found this post helpful!
Love your “favorite things” posts! My grandson played baseball and my granddaughter plays softball, flag football and runs track so we are constantly outside, often in the blazing sun. We’ve worn out one cart and chose an extra long one for its replacement. I love having the extra room for blankets when we attend winter sports. I’d like to recommend adding a shade umbrella to your cart. We have found them to be “necessary” LOL. I’ve always bought “Joe Shade” because it’s big enough without being too big. But Amazon has quite a few umbrella options with stands that don’t have to be inserted into the ground or sand. So glad you’re getting to enjoy your grandsons. They grow up way to quickly!
You just solved a problem that we have at outdoor art fairs. I had no idea that there were umbrellas with tripod stands! Ordering my “Joe Shade” now.
The umbrellas are light weight and easily carried – but if you are in a windy area, you’ll want to wedge it down – especially if you need to tilt the umbrella – we often put our chairs and/or our cart over the tripod base – “just-in-case”
Thank you for sharing your “Finds”. The bathroom white container and grass basket are on my TO BUY LIST, along with the socks to wear with my orthopedic shoes! You have saved me so much time in not having to go down so many rabbit holes on the internet.
I look forward every month to your favorite things posts, I have found so many items to purchase that are really great, it’s very rare that I don’t find something. Keep up the good work!
The pruners you posted are definitely affordable, but Felco pruners are far superior and last forever. I have two of the smaller pruners and treated myself to the loppers a few years ago. Back when my son was in high school or college, he was helping me with some gardening work and using some of my old pruners. I encouraged him to use my Felcos, and he unenthusiastically switched and then immediately understood what a difference there was.
I agree with Barbara’s choice of Felco-I recently purchased 3 items to replace my other brands, and they are definitely worth the price.