Lorie’s Favorite Things 2008

I would never presume to think of myself as like The Great Oprah, but I do have some Favorite Things of my own that I would love to share in this holiday season! People do ask me often for gift ideas, so I wanted to put some thoughts together here.

Audible.com Gift Subscriptions: People who know me well know that I am always listening to something or other, whether a podcast or book. Right now I am into Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. I get all of my audiobooks from Audible.com and have had an ongoing subscription for at least 7-8 years. All you need is an MP3 player (I prefer iPods). You can also burn the books on CD, but I don't like doing that because it usually takes 5 to 7 CDs to contain the whole books. Kind of cluttery for an otherwise clutter-free gift. I am always telling our members that you can get a lot done on your organizing projects by listening to something like this while you work!

Powerstick Portable Charger: WOW, I love this thing. It's a rechargeable charging device you can carry in your purse, slightly larger than a pack of gum. It comes with different tips for your various devices. I have two tips I carry with me, one for my iPod and one for my Blackberry Curve. I have used it SO many times, mostly when traveling and I am upset that my iPod charge has run out and I am right in the middle of a good audiobook. You can plug it right in and keep listening–it can charge while you use your device. To recharge it, you plug it in to a USB port, so no bulky adapter plugs, etc. It can hold a charge for 6 months waiting for your emergency to happen. Brilliant, efficient, and organized!

Driinn Mobile Phone Charger Holders: Do you have charger cords dangling around and phones and iPods cluttering up your counterspace? These clever products keep them up and out of the way! This photo is from my own kitchen– that is my Blackberry and its charger resting on a white Driinn. I fell in love with these things, so much so that we have now started carrying them in our shopping cart. I got them made in two colors, black & white, which I thought would be the most unobtrusive colors in most homes. We are selling them at a special Two-Fer price, because they make great stocking stuffers and other gifts. Everybody in my family is getting one in their stockings! (Shhh, don't say anything about that)

Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones: This is the one luxury item on the list… I got a set of these for my birthday this year. If you do any traveling, you will appreciate how noisy planes and airports can be. Imagine just turning all of that noise off, while still being able to hear your own music or other audio! I originally wanted these because I had trouble hearing my music while on the plane and had to turn it up super-loud. What I discovered is that I wanted to leave them on whether or not I was listening to music, because it's just QUIET. The flight attendants always let me leave them on without saying anything, even when they ask for portable devices to be turned off.  I just unplug them from the iPod and turn that device off. I arrive feeling much less fatigued from the noise. So, they are a favorite thing!  I know they're not organizing-related, but they are just too cool to ignore.

Bed Spectacles: I confess, I have been trying for quite some time to find a way to write about these in my blog because I just LOVE THEM. (Monica, I did it! LOL!) They do help a person be more productive, sort of, in that they help you get more done in a prone position… the ideas is that you can lay flat on your back and be able to see what's in front of you, like a book or the television. It's quite extraordinary! You wouldn't believe how comfortable this is.

My brother discovered these when he had a back injury, and my husband and I both got a pair. Now we have both a pair and a spare, and we travel with them, and we give them away a lot as gifts. We are HILARIOUS to see in the evenings, both completely prone with these spacey glasses on watching the Daily Show. "The Dork Couple!"

I have had a hard time finding them sometimes– this place called Maxi-Aids carries them often but they are temporarily out of stock, as are a lot of other vendors. You can search for "Bed Spectacles" on Google and find a few choices. The last time I ordered a few pair was from Edmund Scientific, but they are out of stock too at the moment. I found this place, LS&S, that has some in stock as of this writing. You can expect to pay about $30 for these–if you get in the mid-twenties that is an excellent price. By the way, you can wear them over your existing glasses and they still work great.

Happy Holidays, everyone! What are YOUR Favorite Things? Tell us in the comments!

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