Guaranteed Party Nirvana

I was with a few friends discussing the common flop of parties when it spawned into collective party planning and, quite possibly, the Best New Year's Eve Ever. More or less, we got together to split responsibilities (i.e. location, food/drink bringing) and each went away with a handful of invitations to dole out as we saw fit. It was great because in the end no one was overwhelmed, there was lots to eat, and a good-sized crowd showed up mixed of people I knew and people I didn't.

Kiss This

Reasons I am a huge fan of Lifeguard's Choice Weatherproofing Lip Balm:

• No more chapped lips after a day in the sun and wind!
  
• Puts a thick, long-lasting protective layer between my lips and the elements.
• Petroleum-free, made by bees and sheep (lanolin is the stuff that makes wool water-resistant).
• Tingly-cool mint flavor.
  
• No weird chemical taste (unlike my big-brand SPF 30 lip goo).
• Inexpensive and easy to find (Burt's Bees junk is, like, everywhere).
  

into the frying pan...

my favorite way of cooking is on the stove. i have no microwave(please don't give me one, i really just don't want one)and i have to get on my knees and light a pilot light to use our oven, so stove it is. Between scraping eggs off metal pans and absorbing carcinogens from teflon coated death pans, i have found that my favorite kitchen tool is my cast iron pan.

iron is a safe and even beneficial substance to cook on, and you get an upper body work out moving it around. when it has charred food stuck to it, fill it half way up with water and boil it for a few minutes, then it wipes right off. all you have to do then is empty the water and return it to the hot burner until the water has evaporated(to avoid rusting). then you drizzle some canola oil on it to make a healthy and happy little pan.

the best part about these pans is that if you don't use soap on them(never use soap on them) they will outlive your grandchildren. i have 2 pans that i got right after my wedding. one i exchanged some stuff and bought one new, and the larger, i got handed down to me. so used and new alike, they are the best pans i have ever used.
stores you can find them at:
st. vincent de paul
goodwill
your moms garage

New Noodles in the House

These noodles are wonderful! A high fiber, low calorie substitute for pasta made of tofu and yam flour. Only 40 calories per serving. Use in soups, salads, or with spaghetti sauce.

House Foods offers these recipes. Also available in fettuccine shape. Look for them in natural food stores, Whole Foods, or Asian markets. (Be sure to rinse thoroughly before adding them.)

Brown Paste, Not Brown Teeth

Herbal Vedic Ayurvedic Toothpaste is brown. It gives the finger to all the glistening, tinsel-y white pastes out there.

This company isn't afraid to print the ingredients directly on the tube, touting 26 different herbal extracts. It has no saccharin, no dyes, no scraping granules of any sort. And it leaves you feeling spearminty fresh without the ferocious listerine bite.

I got it for $2.70 at the Kiva, but it's also here.

Where Tea Meets Art

In all my years of tea-drinking, I have never found a more aesthetically pleasing way to steep loose leaves than the Teastick. At $18, it's a little pricier than your standard-issue teaball... but no teaball was ever this cool.

Soup du Jour

Pacific Natural Foods has the best soup! Organic, kosher, gluten-free, creamy, and ready to serve. My favorite is Cashew Carrot Ginger. There are several other flavors worth trying. The company also makes good organic broth and gravy. You can find it at your local natural food store, Fred Meyer, or even at Winco Foods.

Mightier than Average

Since I don't get to carry a sword on a daily basis, the Sakura Pigma Micron is my weapon of choice. It's marketed "for serious technical and artistic applications," but its smooth, precise lines infuse a certain subtle pleasure into even my grocery lists. (I recommend the black 03 tip for writing.) Don't look for it at whatever-mart or the office products store, but your local art supply will have a nice selection. About $2.75 apiece, and worth every penny.

For the Cold-Blooded

The SmartWool Midweight Long-Sleeve Zip-T. This top is described as a base layer thermal to wear skiing. I wear it everyday as a shirt...as an undershirt...as a sweatshirt. Made of 100% wool but not thick or scratchy. And it can go in the dryer!

Runs you $60-75.
Probably cheapest at the sporting goods store that decorates with taxidermy. Also available in men's.

Inaugural

It's about the good stuff. The simple pleasures. The little things that make us happy on a daily basis.

It's about the useful and the ridiculous, the nifty and the essential. It's about the happy intersection between the virtuous glow of frugality and the unmatched high of the good purchase.

It's about what we like, and what we think you'll like too.

Welcome to The Suggestions.

ccheck one