In no particular order:
Kindle Paperwhite - hated the first Kindle and returned it, was resistant to getting the Paperwhite and now use it daily
peppermint foot lotion - no particular brand - for nightly foot rubs
a wireless TENS unit for my back (we have two different brands, both bought from Amazon)
power recliners in the basement for binge watching the Great British Baking Show & old movies
heated bathroom floors - they’re a wonderful indulgence in winter, even in the south
our new Thermapen - readable from any angle, unlike our first one
crab (crab cakes, crab dip, crab & corn chowder, steamed crabs with lemon butter, etc.)
Lindt dark chocolate caramel truffles
my grandmother’s china and Depression glass
a small statue my dad bought >60 years ago that reminds me of him every day
- My leather chair and footstool
- My bed
- My bathroom
- My car
- My wool Burberry trench coat
- My Allbird sneakers
- My denim jacket
- My running group
- My local library
- My yoga studio
@FallGirl I’ve been curious about Allbirds!!!
The library…that would be a solid replacement for one of my 10.
I might or might not still have the leather jacket I bought 30 years ago during the one time in my life I was making a lot of money. (I was clerking at a big firm after my second year of law school. That fall, I decided big law and make-a-lot-of-money law were not for me, but I did have that wonderful jacket as a reminder.) The jacket was so warm that I kept wearing it long past the time its attractiveness ended.
I also love the actual camera (not a phone) that I use to take photos.
I’ve always loved and respected the things that we’ve acquired since we were married 38 years ago. I’ve relished every single home improvement/car/furniture purchase for way beyond the “new” factor, and usually way past the point when the thing has outlived its usefulness/stylishness. I turn 60 this year, and still am amazed that I get to own grown up things. This thread is a great idea and I love reading about what others love!
- My KitchenAid Mixer, with attachments. 35 years old, and still doing the job.
- Henckels knives: They were right, I never had to buy another set. Just add knives as I got better at cooking.
- Immersion blender. I'm starting to notice a trend here.
- Microplane Zester.
- Lemon AND Lime Squeezers: These are new, and I enjoy them so much, for cooking and for cocktails.
- Old signs. My husband has an old sign from his grandfather from a business he owned. I have two old signs from my parent's garage, advertising a psychic (which I think was from the Asbury Park Boardwalk WAY before Madam Marie) and one advertising a needlework shop. We hung them up years ago, way before "Fixer Upper" and I still think they have style and history, and they make me happy. 7.Our swimming pool. Our original pool was damaged in a storm last year, and we had to decide whether to replace it or remove it. I am so glad that we decided to go for a new one, even though we are older and don't have kids to swim in it. Our entire back yard is being transformed, and it's actually been a boost to our entire outlook.
- My car. 2010 Lexus, the nicest car we ever had, and still looks nice and runs beautifully. The 2001 Toyota Camry that preceded it I also loved for over 300,000 miles.
- Pre-lit artificial Christmas tree. We're into the fifth year of this baby, and I still get a kick out of the programmable light selection.
- My eyeglasses. This was the first year that I splurged and bought two pairs, and one pair is transition, so it's a wonderful convenience.
So many things that I love for different reasons–things that make my life easier/more comfortable, things that would be hard to live without: my car, my phone, my glasses, my household appliances (microwave, dishwasher, washer/dryer, stove, vacuum, refrigerator, furnace/AC, water heater), computer, shower, tempurpedic mattress.
Things with sentimental value: my engagement ring (H’s great-grandmother’s ring), photo albums, our teapot, my grandma’s house blessing, a crocheted throw my sister made for me as a wedding gift, kids’ artwork, houseplants, my raspberry patch/gardens. My cat, of course.
Fun thread!
- My adorable and damn-near-perfect cat, Niu.
- Gaggia Classic espresso machine, and Oxo conical burr grinder. SO much better than Starbucks!
- Olokai leather "slippahs" (flip-flops), which I wear almost every day (unless I wear my Onex black sandals, which I like almost as much - I'm on my 3rd pair of them). Finally broke down and splurged on "serious" slippahs, and so glad I did!
- My 2010 Prius with the sunroof and solar fan options (which put it ahead of the 2006, which I bought new and put > 120,000 miles on before turning it over to hubby, who's still driving it).
- Stickley oak sofa (they call it a "settle" but it's basically a sofa) and Morris chair. 24 years old, used every day, through kids, teens, and still practically good as new.
- Lands End swimsuit (one particular model, which I like so much that I have it in 3 colors).
- Guild Ashbory bass. Small enough for my little hands, but still sounds like a real bass.
- Our waterbed (no baffles, just a bag of water, seen hubby and I through 38 years of great sleep and we still love it).
- Pebble Time smartwatch. They're not making them anymore, and I dread the day it dies.
- My stand up desk.
- My new tungsten carbide wedding ring, which we got on our 30th anniversary after I accidentally lost my original in a recycling dumpster and couldn't retrieve it. I love that it can't be scratched, it's super-durable - like our marriage! Hubby loves his too, since he works with tools all day and it's indestructible.
- A pendant that I had made from the stones in a horribly ugly "cocktail ring" that my Nana left me. Also her good china and silver, which I actually really like using.
Ok, I’m over the limit, sorry…
Ipad
Thermopen
La Creuset pans
Ice socks (keep in the freezer for swollen achy feet)
Trunk of my car where I store something for everything–shoes, candles, jacket, sweater,
ER stuff
Tire Socks for winter (if you do not know theses look them up on Amazon)
Must add-- my Apple Watch
I’ll preface this by saying that I interpret the original post to be about the things that you really love for their function, or the way they make life easier etc. Rather than sentimental or valuable or things you would grab in a fire.
- My rice cooker - although I use it almost exclusively for making oatmeal. I have been trying to make oatmeal for years and got so frustrated when it boiled over or didn't absorb enough. Then I realized my rice cooker (that was gathering dust) could also do oatmeal! It has changed my breakfast routine!
- Redken's No Blow Dry cream. First product I can use in my wavy hair and let it mostly air dry into nice waves with no frizz. Game changer on days I don't want to blow dry and use a curling iron.
- Yeti cup - a friend gave me a Yeti cup for my birthday and it is fabulous to have hot coffee all day or in the summer, iced coffee. Plus no sweating or dripping!
- Easy walk harness - our dogs were not the best walkers, and most of it was due to not enough training I'll admit. But the easy walk harness magically transformed them into great walkers! It is such a pleasure to walk them now without the constant pulling.
- Not a thing, but the Our Groceries app has made food shopping so much easier. The whole family can access it and put something on the list when needed and also if someone is at the store they can see what is needed. NO more forgetting the list at home!
- Spiralizer - I had a small device to make zoodles but it required a lot of work. Then I got the hand crank spiralizer and it is fabulous for making veggies into noodles and many other shapes.
- Mason jar and coffee sock. I make cold brew coffee in all but the coldest months. This set up is the easiest to do it, and I no longer mess with a sieve and cheesecloth or two pitchers etc. Perfect for the item in #3!
- The Costco soft wool socks in winter - read about them here on CC! Made a huge difference in keeping my whole body warm.
Can’t think of 2 more at the moment. This was fun!
Library card
Apple products that all work together seamlessly - bought a Macintosh in 1984 and have been hooked ever since
Variable temperature electric kettle for perfect tea
Tea - especially oolong
Crafting supplies of all sorts - yarn is my favorite right now
Backyard gas fire pit
I also love a pedicure and a massage
My library card - I love my library.
My passport - so many memories of great trips and family moments and so much promise yet to come.
Q-tips - I think I’m addicted. No generic brands for me.
Hand-thrown bowl made by one of my kids - It’s beautiful, my favorite color and a perfect size
Grandmother’s rolling pin - functional and sentimental. I think of her whenever I use it. She was a wonderful baker.
Theater room - We’ve gotten so much use out of it over the years making it worth the cost.
Brita pitcher - clean, cold water. I drink it all day long.
My bed - so comfy.
My Cuisinart food processor - versatile and reliable at 33 years old (hope I’m not jinxing myself!)
Indoor plumbing - sure would be crappy not to have it. 
@garland - you mentioned a cast iron skillet. Can you explain the charm? i had one once, but i didnt get it. how do you use it? i want to know what i’m missing
Hmm, we don’t have most of the things mentioned. I suppose my list is far more basic:
-
My cat - or at least a cat, but we only have one left and he’s adopted me as his primary human, so right now he’s my favorite.
-
Running water - couple this with indoor plumbing.
-
Hot water
-
My computer - with some sort of internet access
-
My phone - preferably with some sort of internet access
-
Sturdy shoes for walking/hiking
-
Comfortable bed
-
Carry on luggage
-
Passport to explore with
-
Reliable vehicle with some height to it to not feel like my bum is on the road.
There’s very, very little I feel attached to or feel I must have X brand, etc. Part of the fun of wandering is discovering new things and figuring out how to making things work.
Oh, wow, so fervently endorsing love for indoor plumbing, running water, hot water!
Another thing I love is our wood stove. It heats the whole house and has a cooking surface which we use in power outages.
When we get a generator I will love that too!
+1’s for the fire pit and cast iron skillet - now my most used pan in the kitchen.
(cast iron skillet = conducts high heat so gets a great browning/crust on food items, can go from stove top to oven, good for cooking AND baking. I have two sizes both so useful.)
My grandfather used the cast iron pan just as abasket described. From making sunny side up eggs to baking a pie. Then the handles fell off… and it became a dog food bowl! It made an excellent dog bowl. So heavy the dog could not nose it around!
During my visit with my mom this morning (90 years old, currently in rehab after knee-replacement surgery), the topic of her parents’ kitchen came up and Mom mentioned that when she was a child they had an icebox (not a refrigerator) and didn’t have indoor plumbing for awhile. This was suburban Chicago!
Oh definitely indoor plumbing! I take it for granted but there is a reason I don’t do camping?