These are a few of our favorite things

Since we were asking authors to present their favorite things "Oprah style," we thought we'd do the same. Some of us have favorite things in common with each other. Do we have any in common with YOU?

Melissa A:

I did a post about my favorite things at my personal blog a few years ago. While some items changed, many stayed the same and I'm sharing a few of them here. I am not listing books here because they're the main reason I'm here at this blog to begin with.

I love Vanilla Almond Special K so much that I  practically hoard it. I buy it whenever it's on sale. I would give someone else a year's supply of this delicious morning treat so they too could experience a good breakfast!


I love movies, so I would share a DVD pack of my favorite movies, including Where the Heart is, Sing, 50 First Dates, and The Princess Bride, along with a box of my favorite movie candy (Raisinets) and a box of popcorn. (All links are to the trailers.)

I also love Broadway musicals and would give everyone vouchers to see whichever Broadway show they desired.

I'm a big fan of mint tea. The best is Tazo Refresh. I stock up on it when it goes on sale at Target. I would give someone a year's supply of Tazo Refresh tea. It's just that good!

Finally, since I'm all about country music, I'd give a country sampler pack of CDs that had all my favorite singers and groups, including Luke Bryan, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Sugarland, etc.

Amy:

Once Upon a Time has been my favorite show since it went on air. Therefore I'd give someone the first three seasons on DVD.

I LOVE country music. That being said I'd make them a mix of some of my favorite country songs, including ones by Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker and many more.

I'm a makeup junkie, so what I think would be fun is take someone to some of the departments stores on 5th Avenue in NYC and have a blast shopping at the makeup counters.

Of course I have to include books in this list. That being said, I'd give them a gift certificate to their indie bookstore of choice.

And last, but not least, I'm a chocoholic. Because Harry & David makes the best chocolate truffles, I'd send them a Henry & David gift card.

Melissa P:

This was hard because I had WAY more than five!

Wearing my
favorite scarf

I love anything Lilly Pulitzer, but specifically the Murfee scarves. They are super soft and gauzy and have the signature brightly colored
patterns that Lilly is so famous for. I would give everyone the choice to pick their favorite pattern to suit their personality.

Kate Spade handbags. Although these can be pretty pricey, you can sometimes find them at nordstrom rack or on Rue la la for a fraction of the price. I got my favorite one a few years ago and it has held up really well. They are worth the investment for the incredible quality.

The show Sex and the City. It got me through my twenties and the witty banter and sarcastic comments always made me laugh. I love shows about the power of female friendship and I don't think any show has ever come close. Boxed sets for everyone!

Red Berries Special K bars. I carry one with me at all times. Sometimes I'm out running around all day and don't get a chance to stop and eat for a while, so those tasty little bars come in handy!

Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco. It's inexpensive but delicious whether in a mimosa or on it's own. It's my "go-to" wine to bring when I'm having brunch or dinner at a friends house. I would give everyone a case of this tasty bubbly.

Gail:

Okay, probably my favorite thing that I'd want to share with everyone is my giant fuzzy zebra blanket. This time of year everyone needs one of these, and it's AMAZING to curl up under because it's really heavy and so warm. If we put this on the bed I don't move at all while I'm sleeping, which is almost never happens. If I could I would want to give everyone one of these to snuggle up with on chilly days.
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My next favorite thing is a sports bra. I'm not even kidding. The Knockout bra by Victoria's Secret has done ridiculous things for my workout. It's basically 2 bras in one...it has one underneath that clasps in the front and has 2 separate cups, and then a sports layer that you close over top of that and zip up. I've been searching for a good sports bra forever, it feels like, and I can't say enough about this one. I'd give everyone a gift card for $100 to Victoria's Secret, with the stipulation that half of it be spent on one of their sports bras. I'm a fan for life!

Next up would be David's Tea. I cannot get enough of that store: the adorable cups! The delicious teas! The flavored agave nectar! I'd want to give everyone a gift card for $200 just so they could try a bunch of teas, get some cool accessories, and find their perfect mug. Also? One of the girls at David's taught me about the magic that is made from combining different flavours of tea. SO amazing! Current flavour favorites of mine: Cold 911 (intense peppermint and juniper berry), Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait (sweet and tart and delicious), and Chocolate Chili Chai (the sweetness of chocolate, the heat of chilies, and the smoothness of chai).

I would also want to share DVDs with everyone of some of my favorite TV shows and movies. Definite inclusions: all available seasons of Suits, American Horror Story, Friends, and Nurse Jackie. Also: Million Dollar Baby, Pretty Woman, Mean Girls, Blades of Glory (don't judge me!), Happy Gilmore, and a documentary mini-series about the Royal Winnipeg Ballet called Ballet Girls.

My last favorite thing I would want to share with everyone would be books. I love reading, and I LOVE my Kindle, so I think it would be super cool if I could give everyone a brand new Kindle, pre-loaded with a $500 credit to fill it up to their hearts' content. Oh, and a nice cover. Don't want to scratch it up!


Jami:

One piece of advice new writers are given in trying to describe a scene is to use all five senses. What does the main character see, hear, taste, smell and touch? I decided to use this list to narrow down my five favorites. Otherwise, I’d be here all day.

See. There are plenty of fun things to look at – art, TV, movies, but since this is a book blog, I’ll keep it in the realm of books. And rather than choose just one favorite, I’ll give the device that completely changed the way I read – A Kindle.

Hear. Music has charms to sooth the savage breast, and there’s nothing more soothing than your favorite music. For me, it’s the soundtrack to my favorite movie, Dirty Dancing. Did you carry a watermelon? "Cry to me."

Taste. Hershey’s Kisses. The original, classic kind. Sure, the caramel and cookies-and-crème ones are fun, but nothing beats that thumb-sized chunk of pure chocolate.

Touch. Is there anything better on your skin than a pair of cozy flannel pajamas? Everyone’s getting a pair!

Smell. Good smells make a cold day feel warmer, and nothing’s better for that than a Yankee Candle. Right now I’m burning Salted Caramel, but I would also give away Mountain Lodge and Autumn Leaves.




Becky:

I love tulips, my favourite flower. To be honest I rarely buy flowers so when i do have some it's a special treat. I bought myself some 'Christmas flowers' last year for the first time and these were lovely to have in the house for a week or so.

I love a good pampering and enjoy a lovely spa day every so often. If I had a magic wand I'd give everyone I know a relaxing spa day for themselves to just chill out and enjoy some time out from the day to day worries of life.

Never underestimate the power of a toasted teacake. I adore these. I like to test ones at different cafes with my mum, the more butter the better! So I'd give everyone a toasted teacake to enjoy with a nice cup of tea!

Cadbury's chocolate. Nothing comes close, it doesn't matter what kind of cadbury's chocolate, it's all good, and the bigger the bar the better!

A good book! I love it when I've enjoyed a book so much I have to tell everyone about it and pass my copy on and say "you have to read this."