10 Things I Can't Live Without

Now that I've gotten your attention, I'll add a disclaimer.  Yes, I could live without the below things, but I would rather not.  As a mom of many, these things are basically invaluable to me in the stage of life I'm in.  Notice, there are no people on this list.  These are things, but I will say that I really couldn't live without my husband, children, mother, friends and extended family.  Well, here are the things I'm currently "in love" with:

1. My crock pot: my life is in super speed lately, and this wonderful little device saves me so much time and stress. It's so nice to put some simple ingredients into it mid-morning or even right after lunch and not have to think about dinner again until around 5:30p and dinner is just about all done. Not to mention smell something cooking all afternoon.  I love that! I'm going to do a crock pot post soon on my favorite easy recipes for slow cookers.

2. Comfortable shoes: As I get older, cheap shoes are a thing of the past.  My feet are still in pretty good shape after going through so many pregnancies and still exercising, but they do hurt easily. I have to wear high quality shoes now with arch support.  I love my New Balance sneakers, my Danskos and my Merrills especially for comfort.

3. Tinted moisturizer:  This invention is wonderful.  It saves time and I love it. It's like two steps in one, a light foundation and a nice moisturizer with SPF.  I will never go back!

4. Coffee....lots of it with cream: this is probably my worst vice at the moment. But coffee is full of antioxidants, right? I love freshly ground beans, especially Peet's brand. We make a pot in the morning and I drink about 2 cups (it's half decaf) and then I have another cup in the afternoon. It's supposed to up your metabolism too!

5. Dark chocolate: I've loved dark chocolate even before it was found to be healthy.  I have a little piece in the afternoon or I make a dessert with my favorite dark chocolate chips, Ghirardelli. We have the extra large bag of these that you get at Sam's or BJ's.

6. My smart phone: I know, this sounds so 21st century, but this little baby is my phone, email device, alarm clock, camera, music, GPS and my laptop. We currently only have one computer in our house, so having this really helps.

7. CD player: This sounds so 90's, but it is a wonderful educational/entertainment device for the kids.  They love to listen to history CD's that I have and Christian story tapes.  It keeps them entertained for hours!  I also am using it more this year for school since we are doing Classical Conversations for our homeschool.

8. Front load washer: My washer goes strong.  I've had it for over 5 years now and it practically goes non-stop. What would we do if we had to wash our clothes by hand?!

9. Baby wipes: I think even when all my children are no longer in diapers, I will still have a stash of these in the house.  I use them all the time...on kids' faces, on clothes, on the carpet, hands,etc.  I have a box in the laundry room, my room, babies' room, and diaper bag.

10. The Bible:  I saved the best and most obvious for last.  Having time each day to read God's Word is so important.  It helps me start my day and end my day. I've been reading the Bible for over 30 years now and it is still fresh, still alive and new to me.  I would be lost without it!