LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING

Life isn’t always about the big milestones—it’s often the little things that carry us through. The tools we reach for every day, the routines that smooth our rough edges, the objects that feel almost invisible until we realize we can’t function without them. Today, I’m sharing a few of those unassuming treasures that have quietly earned their place in my world.

There are few things in my life that I don’t think I could live without.  But there are some!  Maybe you already have these and love them.  Or maybe you’ll discover something invaluable. And all of them very very affordable.

In the kitchen.  A very inexpensive 1/8” (paper thin) slicer.  I’ve had one with me where ever I have lived.  It's $10 or less in an Asian store.  Onions, radishes, cucumbers, potatoes (for potatoes dauphinoise or au gratin), fennel.  It doesn’t take up space and sometimes a recipe needs identical thickness.

Also from the kitchen… a three blade ground meat chopper.  To stretch our budget and appease kid appetites, we use ground beef or turkey a lot!  Jesse was more persistent in getting it all chopped up into tiny little bits when they boys were little and didn’t really like meat.  I was not … I don’t remember how I discovered this Oxo brand helper but he got one for Christmas.  Think spaghetti sauce, taco meat, lettuce wraps using ground turkey, sloppy joes, shepherd’s pie, lasagna etc.  A time saver for sure!

Although mostly useful in Maui when I had a lemon tree, this affordable plastic juicer.  Deacon loves to make lemonade so when lemons are affordable, its a fun hobby for him (and me!)  We all use lemons in cooking and this little gadget separates the seeds and the bottom part has measurements.  I keep it in my room as no one was putting it back in the same spot … now everyone knows where it is (I also keep large items across the top of my Ikea shelves for soup tureen, huge salad bowl, my cooking for one casserole dish, my serpent shaped olive dish, large serving platter … they only get used a few times a year and there was no space in the teeny tiny kitchen.  

I’ll end with my night time routine.  I use a delicious foaming face cleanser and decided to get a face brush.  What a difference as it does seem to removed old dead skin.  But this is a messy endeavor as the water used to run down my arms until I found these absorbent wrist bands.  The boys both have facial brushes (not pink) and their own wrist bands.

I use a head band to keep my hair off my face (also when I take the time and trouble to wear makeup).  The boys started using one also so I bought two sets.  They are very comfortable to wear during the day while on my laptop as they curve back and it is more comfortable to wear my glasses.

   

What are YOUR products you can’t live without???