My Own Velvet Room
Menu
  • Blog
  • What’s in a name?
  • About
  • My Books
  • My Photography
  • My Poetry
  • 2026 Reading List
  • Contact
Menu

A Few of My Favourite Things

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Linda

Thought I’d do something different today, and tell you about a few things that I’m enjoying these days. (Please note that I have no affiliation with any of these companies.)

First up, Norwex kitchen cloths. I’ve had an ongoing battle with dishcloths over the years. Gerry washes the supper dishes so my need to use them isn’t as great as it could be but they have been a burr in my butt for a while.

I knit a bunch, using knitting as stress relief, a little less than a decade ago and they served their purpose for a time. Then, I purchased matching towels and cloths—enough cloths to use a fresh one every day—but they still got musty smelling no matter what kitchen tips I employed to freshen them.

When we moved to Moose Jaw, the problem only increased because our water here is, shall we say, interesting, even though we installed a water cleaner (sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it?) shortly after we moved in. My smooth quartz countertops always looked streaked and smelled funky after I wiped them. Norwex to the rescue.

Now, I (we) use a Norwex EnviroSponge to wash dishes and a kitchen cloth to wipe counters and appliances. No streaks. No funky smell. We pop the EnviroSponge in the dishwasher before running it and I switch out the kitchen cloth every day or two. Problem solved. (I’ve used Norwex wet and dry mops and Envirocloths for dusting and cleaning for many years.)

Image by Matej Madar from Pixabay

Epicure seasonings. I may have mentioned this company, and their African Sweet Potato Stew seasoning before. Recently, I tried a couple of new things. The Cheesy Fries Seasoning is great sprinkled on popcorn. I haven’t tried it on fries yet, but expect it to be delicious. A bit on buttered pasta would be tasty too. I like instant ramen and know those little seasoning packs are the worst. Epicure’s Ramen Broth Mix is tastier and much better for you.

Image by Melanie from Pixabay

Sun River Honey. I’ve never been a huge fan of the taste of honey, but this stuff is in a class by itself. It comes from a family-owned apiary right here in Saskatchewan. I bought a jar of tumeric and ginger infused creamed honey for Gerry, who’s dealing with a dry cough and added a sampler pack to the order at the same time. Well, let me tell you, this is good honey. I’m smitten with the cinnamon honey and have taken to scooping some from the jar for a treat in the evening. As I type this post, I’m enjoying a cup of cream of Earl Grey tea with a spoonful of the lemon flavoured honey. I placed an order for larger jars of both varieties earlier today.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Meal prep kits. They’ve been around for ages. I’ve gotten coupons in the mail for them just like you probably have, but I’ve been reluctant to try them. Recently, a friend gave me a code that allowed me to get five meals for free (zip, zero, zilch, nada) from HelloFresh and having tried it, I’m sold. I also ordered a few meals from Chef’s Plate (they’re owned by HelloFresh but offer a slightly cheaper plan with reduced options) for comparison. So far, between the two, we’ve enjoyed about ten meals and every one has been absolutely delicious. Sometimes, I feel like a master chef when I’m plating our meals! I won’t use them every week, but intend to order a box every few weeks or so. I’m convinced I can save money if I’m smart about it, and anything that puts a fresh spin on the endless chore of meal planning and prep is well worth it in my book.

Have you tried any of these? Tell me about some of your favourite things in the comments if you’re so inclined. 🙂

Like this:

Like Loading...

4 thoughts on “A Few of My Favourite Things”

  1. Karen says:
    February 16, 2024 at 4:14 pm

    We used Hello Fresh for a while and I loved it. It was great to have new ideas, everything planned. I kept some of the recipes. I like the idea of just using it occasionally, like you’re doing. It would be a great pick me up!

  2. Nancy says:
    February 16, 2024 at 7:00 pm

    I have a few Norwex products. I especially like their envirocloths and window washing kit. I used Hello Fresh for a while. The meals are delicious. My husband used to say it was like eating at a 5/star restaurant every time I made one of their meals. I’ll have to check out some of the other companies you mentioned. That cheesy fry seasoning from Epicure sounds great.

    1. Linda Hoye says:
      February 23, 2024 at 3:58 pm

      Thank you for stopping by, Nancy. I’m with your hubby in regard to HelloFresh. I feel like a Masterchef contestant when I plate our meals!

  3. caitlynnegrace says:
    February 16, 2024 at 10:36 pm

    Both Chef’s Plate & Hello Fresh look wonderful and I’m happy for you that you have access to them. I’m all for anything that makes life easier especially for the days when energy levels are low. Right now, I’d settle for a farmer’s market right outside our home.

Comments are closed.

Hi, I’m Linda Hoye. Welcome! I live in Saskatchewan, Canada with my husband and our Yorkie, Molly. Retired from my corporate career, I appreciate having time and opportunity to fill my days with things that nourish my soul and spirit like writing. watercolour painting, reading, gardening, and blogging about the simple joys of every day. I’ve been blogging since 2008, starting fresh here in 2022 when we moved home to Saskatchewan. May this space be a sanctuary in a very noisy world. 😊

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Follow on Feedly

follow us in feedly

Popular Posts

Sorry. Not Sorry.

Things I Would Tell My Younger Self.

Trying to Make Sense When Nothing Makes Sense

I’m Not Optimistic About 2025.

How the Grandparents Are Making Out

A Stormy Day Ramble.

Categories

  • Daybook (1)
  • Five Minute Friday (1)
  • Friday's Fave Five (24)
  • Monthly Musings (1)
  • Poetry (13)
  • Slice of Life (269)
  • Sunday Stealing (2)
  • Thursday Thirteen (1)
  • Wednesday Hodgepodge (5)

Tags

acrylic painting advent afternoon aging autumn birthday blogging canning Christmas contentment creativity Easter evening everyday faith family flowers friends garden Good Friday grace gratitude grief home intention joy kitchen life memories Molly morning photography place prairie prayer reading Saskatchewan seasons simplicity spring today winter writing Yorkie Yorkies

Archives

  • March 2026 (4)
  • February 2026 (19)
  • January 2026 (3)
  • December 2025 (7)
  • November 2025 (7)
  • October 2025 (3)
  • September 2025 (4)
  • August 2025 (3)
  • June 2025 (3)
  • May 2025 (3)
  • April 2025 (6)
  • March 2025 (6)
  • February 2025 (7)
  • January 2025 (4)
  • December 2024 (9)
  • November 2024 (6)
  • October 2024 (3)
  • September 2024 (5)
  • August 2024 (7)
  • July 2024 (6)
  • June 2024 (6)
  • May 2024 (9)
  • April 2024 (26)
  • March 2024 (5)
  • February 2024 (7)
  • January 2024 (7)
  • December 2023 (11)
  • November 2023 (5)
  • October 2023 (9)
  • September 2023 (12)
  • August 2023 (14)
  • July 2023 (7)
  • June 2023 (11)
  • May 2023 (16)
  • April 2023 (12)
  • March 2023 (13)
  • February 2023 (7)
  • January 2023 (13)
  • December 2022 (8)
©2026 My Own Velvet Room | Theme by SuperbThemes
%d