These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

10 of my must-have items:

1. Victoria Secret Beyond Bronze Lotion. This lotion is not a self-tanning product; it's bronze tinted lotion. You put it on the exposed areas based on your outfit, and voila - instant tan until your next shower. Perfect for a night out. Unfortunately, some idiot at Victoria Secret decided to discontinue this product a couple of years ago, but you can still find it on ebay. I paid $50 for my last bottle, but compared to $30 for one spray tan, it's totally worth the money.

2. Keurig Coffee Maker. I love a good cup of coffee! Too bad I have zero ability to brew one. But Keurig makes drinking good coffee at home dummy proof - or in this case, Amanda proof. A perfect cup of joe in less than 60 seconds... it just doesn't get any better than that.

3. iPhone. Apple is the most financially successful technology company in the world, so there's no doubt that you've heard of the iPhone and already know how awesome it is. No need for me to elaborate here.

4. P90X. It's worth all the hype. It's intense and few people actually complete the 90 day program as instructed. But even if you don't, and you only use the videos a few times a week, you'll see big results. Best $120 you can spend on any in-home workout.

5. Nikon D5000. The Facebook phenomenon has made having a good camera almost essential. My sweet hubby surprised me with this camera last year and I love it! Spring for the upgraded lenses, too. Your family's memories are worth the investment.

6. Inoa Hair Color. I don't claim to be a cosmetology expert, but I am an avid cosmetology patron - dropping a couple hundred bucks a month on my mane. Since I've switched to this hair color, there's been a noticeable difference in the shine and texture of my hair. Ask your salon about it.

7. Kerastase Hair Products. While we're on the topic of my high maintenance hair, I'd also like to plug Kerastase hair products. Thank you very little to all the celebrity stylists who worked so hard to bring back the natural look. It can take me up to 2 hours to look "natural" and only ten minutes and a bottle of Aussie Scrunch Spray to look like the front row of a Whitesnake concert. But these products make my hair straight and smooth, even with the Georgia humidity.

8. Push-Button Start. My Nissan Altima has this feature and I love it! If your purse is anything like mine, you probably have 15 unnecessary items causing annoying clutter. But with push-button start, you don't have to take your keys out of your purse to crank the car anymore. And since I use a garage door opener to get into my house, I never even use my keys. I'm uber inconvenienced if I have to take my keys out of my purse for any reason now.

9. Stuart Weitzman Black Pumps. Before you google it, look at the price tag, and send me a nastygram, please know that these puppies are worth every penny. I bought my pumps almost four years ago and they still look brand new - even with me wearing them a couple of days a week. Now, think about how many times you'll spend $30-$50 on a pair of shoes that you'll wear only one year (or only one time). I think that making the investment in a good quality pair of classic heels is smart money.

10. "Goodfeel". If you are over the age of two, this one probably doesn't interest you in the least, but I couldn't make a list of my favorite things without including my blankie. I named it when I was two and it seemed to make sense at the time.  By the way, you are not the first person to call me Linus.  One piece of satin makes the world look just a little bit brighter. Goodfeel: my anti-drug.