The List

Hello ye handful o'readers,

After safely returning from a delightful holiday stint in Chicago, I've decided that I need to make a list. "A Few of My Favorite Things" list for 2010. Enjoy.

TEA. I've always been a tea fan but recently I've become obsessed with exploring the world of tea and have upped my intake to nearly 6 cups a day. also love: Teavana. glorious tea store that is expensive as can be but oh so delicious. the always have free samples that are fabulous so if you ever pass by a store, have a sip or two or twelve.

Twitter. I joined twitter this summer and it has been a most satisfying addition to my online life. you don't have to worry about lengthy posts cluttering your feed because everyone's only allowed 140 characters per tweet. short and sweet. also love: following the twitters of Diablo Cody, Katy Perry, Mindy Kaling, and Taylor Swift.

Bonnie Hunt. Many are familiar with Bonnie's movies( Return to Me, Jumanji, The Green Mile, Jerry Maguire, Cheaper by the Dozen...) but my latest Bonnie love is her daytime talk show on NBC right around lunch time on weekdays. The Bonnie Hunt Show has a wide variety of guests, gags, segments, and of course, a superb host. Bonnie reminds me of my dad's sisters (she was also one of 7 that grew up in a catholic family on the north side of Chicago) so she's like Aunt Bonnie to me. The accent, the stories, the witty sense of humor....she's the real deal. also love: Bonnie's mom, Alice, who often Skypes into the show for a segment called "ask alice" which is always hysterically funny and adorable.

Edamame. This veggie treat is the perfect side dish or snack. hot or cold, in the pod or shelled, lightly salted....delicious. and healthy which makes it a great go-to food that's super easy due to the fact that it requires practically zero preparation.

Sparkling Mineral Water. I know that most people see this purchase as unnecessary or glorified yuppie water but guys...IT'S SO GOOD. I have yet to find anything that is quite as refreshing as glass of S.Pellegrino, La Croix, or Perrier. The carbonation is also great for settling your stomach. They also have it with lemon which basically tastes like 7-up but without the sugar and high fructose corn syrup. no calories, no sodium, no sugar, just water n'bubbles.

The Addams Family:The Musical. Our family saw this a few days after Christmas during it's preview run in Chicago. With inspiration drawn directly from the original Charles Addams cartoon that was printed for 50 years in The New Yorker, the infamous macabre-obsessed family is back in a fiercely entertaining new musical that will open on Broadway in March. It's headlined by Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as well as 3 other Tony award winners. My personal favorite scene stealer was Krysta Rodriguez who plays daughter Wednesday Addams. She was in the original cast of Spring Awakening and In the Heights. Fab voice and perfect embodiment of Wednesday. I urge everyone to take advantage of any opportunity to see it.

Pandora. Isn't this music genome project stuff great? I love Pandora because you can custom make a station to the styles of any artist, band, genre, or song. It's also a great way to discover new music that coincides with your musical tastes. and it's free. two thumbs up.

Rain Vodka. Drinking accounts for a generous portion of college weight gain. Vodka doesn't have calories. It's about what you add to it that puts sugar and calories in the mix. Rain is organic vodka that is 7 times distilled so it's nice and smooth. It's about $24 a bottle but totally worth it in my book. In an effort to be at least semi-health conscious about weight/drink habits, I like to mix it with V8 Fusion so I get a full serving of fruits and a full serving of veggies as well as a full on buzz.

V8 Fusion. It can be hard, especially in college, to effectively weave full servings of fruits and veggies into your daily diet but with V8F you can get can a serving of each with just one glass. and it's delicious and relatively low-calorie. it's easy, healthy, and affordable. my favorite flavor is Cranberry Blackberry.

Mix Tape Clubs. I love this whole concept. You get a group of friends (preferably 12 with no slackers) and assign a month of the year to each person. That month, the assigned person makes 11 copies of a mix CD they create and mail it to everyone else. You get 11 cds a year plus your own. Everyone can get crafty with their cover art and packaging. It's a win.

That will conclude the first list of 2010. I'll try to put out one of these every few months or so.

Cheers 2010.

love