“This is the applicator to use on walls with our patterned paint rollers to create a wallpaper look.”
Ummm, amazing. And sounds ridiculously hard to do right, but amazing nonetheless.
Available for purchase here.
Get This Ice Pack
I asked for and got this ice pack this past Christmas and it’s probably my best gift of 2012. No, I’m not sad. I just know what’s up. This ice pack is gonna last me fifty years. I can feel it.
I used it for the first time a few weeks ago when I was sick and it helped immensely. It was worlds better than the trashy, lopsided, ziplocked bag of melty ice I’ve had to use in years past.
There is absolutely no mess with this ice pack. The ice stays securely inside, with no water dripping ANYwhere on the outside. And you can balance it on both your head and/or forehead, depending on your preference. You will look like you fell out of an early nineteenth century novel with this in place and it will be glorious. Yeah, glorious.
Also, the material it’s made from feels indestructible, yet soft. You can buy one for $9.95 here.
Moo Business Cards
This is where I buy my business cards. Why Moo? So many reasons:
- Inexpensive
- The card stock is smooth as can be
- The designs to choose from are way less corny than on other business card sites and/or Staples
- You can get round edges instead of square ones
- Most of the designs are two sided
I can’t remember who/what introduced me to the site, but it’s definitely my go-to one as of right now. Also, it allows for this conversation:
“Oh, your business card is great. Where’d you get them done?”
“I think it was Moo.”
And I’m sorry, but the stupidity of saying a sentence like, “I think it was Moo” makes me very happy.
Aritzia Online
If you’ve ever shopped for anything online at Urban Outfitters, but have somewhat become sick of shopping there, the next step in your life would be to shop online at Aritzia.
Why do I endorse such a place? Mostly because almost every fabric in that store feels like it fell down from heaven, it’s all so soft. I bought a fake fur stole from there in the winter and once accidentally fell asleep in it. I know. That’s pretty money. But it was just that comfortable.
They’ve recently started selling online and I’ve only bought one item so far. Why was it great? Well, because they send you a full collapsable shipping bag incase you want to return it (with postage!), and that’s just thoughtful as hell. And rare for a business to do.
Anyhow, give a gander. Maybe you’ll be all, “Liz! These clothes are ugly!” and I’ll be all, “Well, that’s your opinion.”
Superstay 24 Hour Color by Maybelline
Do not buy this product. Why?
- IT CAKES LIKE CRAZY. Just mad cake-age.
- Costs $10 and has the consistency of DOLLAR STORE CHILDREN’S PAINT.
- Granted, I hate this product - but they only give you a quarter of what the packaging looks like (half of the tube is a clear lip balm to put OVERTOP). And quantity matters.
I’m usually smarter about buying things. Or… no, maybe I’m not. I gotta try some things out SOMEtimes, for Christ’s sake. And this was a fail. The only reason that I even ventured into that stupid aisle was because of this conversation I had with a woman who was doing my makeup once:
Me: “Is it all right to just not use any lipstick? I hate that stuff.”
Her: “What’s wrong with you?”
Me: “I just think it looks too phony.”
Her: “Are those your real eyelashes?”
Me: *nervous laughter*
Me: “I just don’t think it looks good on a lot of people in real life to have lips so outrageously colored.”
Her: “That’s insane. You’re insane. Go buy some lipstick.”
SO I DID. This isn’t lipstick, but a lip stain, so I thought this would be my first step into the realm of possibility. I will now be taking a step back. Just a fucking terrible product.
I would take a photo of my lips right now to show you how ugly it looks, but I don’t want the only photo of my lips on the internet to look ABHORRENT.
The Dogbrella
This is the dogbrella. I saw this in a Hammacher Schlemmer catalog years ago and scanned the page so I never forgot to buy one of these should I ever have a dog again. Seriously.
Maybe it looks like a joke gift or something, but man - dogs get so wet on rainy days. What with their tiny little legs being so close to the ground and all. Anyway, it obviously won’t make them super dry since their paws will still be amongst water, but it’s gotta help a little bit, I’d imagine.
Anyway, their yearly catalogs are great. They’re basically like a higher-end SkyMall (ie. amazing).
Peppermint Extract For Lips
If you’ve ever bought any sort of product that advertises itself as a lip plumper, then please read on. If not? I don’t know, maybe go here and make your brain better or something. (Also, if you’re a woman who’s adequately happy with what her lips are doing for her? I envy you.)
I never buy any of those products anymore - mostly because the majority of them are trash. Expensive trash. I read the following tip in a “Fun Facts” section of a cookbook once, so that’s probably why I trust it.
After you put your lip balm on, dab a bit of peppermint extract on next. It pumps them up like mad. I’ve been doing this for about, oh, say six months or so and I feel like it’s been working.
(Extra tip: using hot sauce does the same thing, in very small quantities, of course. Though, I wouldn’t fully endorse that idea because then you just smell like you ate something spicy all day. Not the hottest, but I’m sure some people are into it.)
Peardrax
This is a drink from Trinidad. It is delicious. I suggest you seek it out and drink it.
Sorry to be so blunt. It’s just that fabulous, so I don’t need to get wordy. Also, jesus, do I have to have a million reasons why you should try it? Trust that I’m not an idiot in my recommendations, please. You’re embarrassing us both.
If you want to pay way too much for a bottle online, you can order them here. Or you can be a human being and just find a West Indian or Caribbean market in your neighborhood and get a bottle there.
Secrets of White Teeth
If you’ve seen me in real life, have you wondered why I have such white teeth? It’s genetics.
(That’d be really funny if the post just ended there.)
Ignoring the fact that I compulsively like to talk about when I’m “being really funny”, the real answer is because of whitening toothpaste and mouthwash. Colgate Optic White, to be precise. The toothpaste and the mouthwash. Over the years, I’ve tried a bunch of different ones but, in my opinion, this one is the cheapest, the best tasting and the most effective. I was going to put a side by side photo comparison of my before teeth and after teeth, but then realized that I have been using this stuff so long that I only have after photos. I know, it’s a hard life.
Also, if you’re reading this and you’re a smoker? Wow. That’s cute. Stop smoking, dummy, and then you can benefit from my inadequate years of experience.
Mouthwash Tip of The Day:
Don’t pour a whole lot into your mouth when mouthwashing, that’s a waste. Just put, say, less than 1/4 of a cup (why am I using baking measurements? Sorry, but those are the only I know). Anyway, just pour a tiny bit in your mouth, but then swish it around like a madman for double the amount of time it says on the back label (usually about a minute). You’ll go through your mouthwash much slower than you regularly do, but with double the results.
I know this post sounds like a commercial. Frankly, someone should take these words, make it into a commercial somehow and pay me some money. It’s a great line of products.
You can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
iMAginNiff Board Game
All right, if we’ve spoken in real life before, you may already be aware of this game’s existence. It is possibly the most fun game there is on the market (what market? The board game market, of course…?). Mind you, it’s especially fun if you’re playing with about four or more people.
Here’s how to play:
It’s simple to play. A set of names is chosen, usually the name of every player plus those of several absent friends. When it’s your turn, one name is selected as the subject of the question. You pick a card—one of hundreds—that poses a question and six possible answers (for example, “Imaginiff _____ were a crime. Which would he/she be?”). Read the question aloud, plugging in the subject’s name. Then read out the six answers (in this case, they range from “homicide” to “indecent exposure”). Each player picks an answer to fit the subject; those who have picked the most popular answer move forward. But though you win by advancing, winning is obviously not the point: laughter and arguments are. The questions on the cards range from the ridiculous (“Imaginiff _____ were a body part.”) to the provocative (“Imaginiff _____ had to decide which of the following values is most important.”). The game is a fun cross between Scruples and True Colors. —Elisa Murray, Amazon
There are a bunch of different versions with different covers, but they’re all the same game essentially.
I can’t remember who, but someone I know was all, “I hate board games. They’re useless and they waste time,” so I brought this baby out and they it took them five minutes to get totally into it. I don’t know if they’ll admit that, but their smiles were vast.
Buy this game. Have a ton of fun. You’re not above board games. Maybe you think you are, but Y’AINT.