I laughed when I took the photo for this post. I laughed when I edited the photo. And I am laughing now looking at the photo at the top of this post. Someone was watching me when I took it, and I can only imagine what she must have thought I was up to. Are you wondering what’s going on? Are you laughing?
I hope you’re laughing, but if you’re confused I get it. My July felt a lot like this photo. An odd conglomeration of weird things that were forced to be together out of context. So upon further review, this photo is perfect for my July favorites post. Let’s dive in!
ONE.
Real Margaritas, from Ina.
Several weeks ago a friend asked me for my favorite margarita recipe. I choked on my answer, realizing that I don’t have a favorite margarita recipe. I have made several versions, but they are always not quite right. When I made Ina’s Real Margaritas for the project, I was hooked and realized I had found my go-to margarita recipe. Feel free to gift me bottles of tequila, because I want to make these all the time. In fact, I would like to make one for you!
I think what makes me love this version is the lack of sweetness and the addition of a hint of orange. They are divine and exactly how I love my marg. Just a head’s up, this version requires a quality blender to crush up some ice as part of the finished drink. I haven’t tried it without it, but I’m sure there’s a way around it if you don’t have a blender. My Vitamix made easy work of this task.
TWO.
Citrus Squeezer. If you’re going to make margaritas, you’re going to need fresh squeezed lime juice, and this tool is my all time favorite. I own the one for lemons too and use it every day. For cocktails, there is nothing better, and I have given this as a gift to friends with a bottle of their favorite spirit.
THREE.
Perpetual Calendar. Do you own one of these? In the age of online calendars and social media reminders, this might seem antiquated, but I like it. The idea is you write important dates like birthdays and anniversaries that happen every year on it, and then you use it perpetually to keep up with special dates. I love flipping the page to the next month and seeing who I get to celebrate. I found this one on Etsy after my old one fell apart from poor construction (I made it on my computer).
FOUR.
Drying Rack and Drying Mat. We have a dishwasher in our home, and yet, every day there are items that require hand washing. For way too many years we have just thrown a clean dish towel on the counter and used it as a drying pad for the hand wash items. It’s fine. It works. But it looks so sloppy and sad. This month, for reasons unknown, I decided this was the year to up my dish drying game. It only took longer than a decade to determine that our family requires an official place for hand washed dishes to dry. I love these two items from OXO. I use the gray silicone mat for big items like pots, pans, and my Vitamix. I use the white rack for smaller items like cups or lids or the parts of my French press. It looks so cute and refined while also being functional. And then, when we have guests over, it easily slips away under the sink.
FIVE.
Windex. This is a love story of sorts. I love Windex. I use it to clean everything. Glass, counter tops, sinks, my hands, the wall, the microwave, everything. But perhaps my favorite use of Windex is as a mid-air fly killer. Yes, flies. The buzzing kind. House flies or fruit flies, it doesn’t matter. Those pesky guys can dart away from me faster than I can smack them to their doom, but they cannot escape a fine mist cloud of well-sprayed Windex. I literally shoot them in mid-air with Windex, and it never fails. The worst case scenario is I get some Windex on the counter or floor, but in my book, that’s a win. Just wipe it off (clean!) or let it evaporate. You’ll never know it happened. I feel a little bit crazy admitting this trick to you, because now I’m the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but it works, and I want you to know.
Have a lovely week!
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