My favorite things | Offbeat Home

This is Offbeat Home's archive of My favorite things posts.

We like raindrops on roses too, but sometimes we get materialistic. Sometimes it's just about writing odes to our favorite stuff.

Most Recent Posts About My favorite things

Bronto wants to read © by gaelx, used under Creative Commons license.

I'm reading a terrible book.

Well, I'm actually reading two really good, meaty non-fiction books: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life and The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. But neither of these books are the kind of thing you can read before falling asleep, and I really enjoy reading myself to sleep… so I needed some fluffy fiction.

In thinking about what I wanted, I recalled what a friend said at the first meeting of our book club last year. Everyone was all, "I like magical realism" "Oh, well I like suburban ennui" "Yes, well I'm into historical fiction" bla bla. And we get to Tim, and he's all, "I like books with sex in them."

Tea freaks, ASSEMBLE! Assemble and admire the ways your steeping habits can show up at home: lights! Art! Even something you can use in your garden!

Circo? Is that a kid's brand? It had some circus-y merchandise around it, sure, but certainly I didn't buy something aimed at kids again, did I? Yep, that's my burden. To search the world for elephant-shaped mugs and eyepatch-wearing bird art. Hi. I'm Superman, and I buy children's decor but have no children (that I know about).

I'm about to move with my husband and toddler son from a much loved house that we own, in a city we know well, to rented accommodation in a town we've visited once.

We are nervous, excited, and deeply nostalgic. These are the items that make our house a home — and will make our next house a home.

First confession: I am a materialist. I like stuff. I like acquiring it, I like having it, and I like organizing it.

Second confession: I am a preener. I need to interact with my possessions — I need to use my things, touch my things, smell my things, and wear my things, to fully appreciate the things. This love of interacting with my stuff combined with sharing a one-bedroom home with my family of three means that I am a hoarding materialist. I need my possessions close at hand — if it's stored, I can't touch it and I might as well not have it. My friends with overstuffed, intimidating storage units packed tight with crap will tell you this quirk is a blessing. As much as I love something, if I'm not actively engaging with it, then it's time to get rid of it. And if I want to get something new to preen over, then I need to get rid of something old. One in, one out.

This means I give a lot of stuff away.

I originally discovered Blythe dolls somewhere on the internet many years ago and lusted after them. I just LOVED everything about them: their big oversized heads, colour changing eyes, endless combinations of hair colours and styles, the amazing outfits people dress them in — and the best thing is the photography!

The other half and I have long made a game of ridiculing silly kitchen tools we see at the shopping mall. My favorite is the thing you use to cut avocados — you still have to cut the avocado in half with a knife to use it.

So what am I supposed to do when she tells me she wants a mandoline?! I thought I knew you.

The world needs more not-ugly nightlights. Lucky for you, I've rounded up a little herd of them to browse. They include mushrooms, friendly aliens and a glass of milk. Way better than a Spongebob night light, yeah?