My Top 10 Favorite Things (Under $10)

In these difficult economic times, we've all made sacrifices. At our house, we had to stop sprinkling 24-karat edible gold leaf flakes on top of our food. We recently sold our private submarine. And now we're down to just one butler.

But there are some things that, no matter how fiscally strapped we may become, I just might not be able to live without. BEHOLD.
I give you my "Top Ten Things for Under Ten Dollars" list:

1. Satsuma Body Butter (The Body Shop)

This stuff is good. Reeeeally good. The orange-scented essential oil moisturizes your skin and provides a natural citrus fragrance that lasts all day. The key ingredients include Satsuma orange peel, shea butter, cocoa butter, and crack. Okay, not crack. But there's something in there that makes me want to scoop it in my mouth by the handful until it oozes out of my pores. (Note to readers: Please do not ingest. For external use only.) Technically, this product retails for $16 on The Body Shop website, but since I found several places on ebay where it sold for under ten bucks, it makes the list.

2. Satin Gel Eye Liner + Liner Brush (Avon)

People who have known me for longer than 17 minutes know that I don't go anywhere without first applying eye liner. Never have, never will. I'm pretty sure that I even checked my eye makeup before being wheeled into surgery to remove my gall bladder. (A girl's gotta look good, even when unconscious.) So I was hopefully optimistic when I ordered the new "Satin Gel Eyeliner and Bent Brush" combination from Avon. And all I can say is...wowza! This stuff goes on smooth (like buttah) and lasts all day. And the brush - ahh, the brush. Why have I not discovered you before now? Why did I put up with those crappy pencils that jab, streak, break and have to be sharpened? Or the liquid liners that smudge and leak? Truly, this combo (at a reasonable $8.99) deserves to be in the makeup hall of fame.

3. Chocolate Mint Flavored Water (Metro Mint)

I'm not a big fan of H2O. Well, as a beverage, anyway. (I have no problems bathing or swimming in it.) But a recent attempt at dieting forced me to re-examine my daily water consumption. I had to increase my intake quantity from zero to twelve glasses... A DAY. (Gag.) I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but then I discovered Metro Mint water at my local grocery store. This mint-flavored water has no calories, no sodium, and no sugars or sweeteners of any kind. Yet, it is refreshingly delicious and leaves you with a "just brushed" feeling. My favorite flavor is the chocolate mint. It's cocoa-licious and makes me feel kinda naughty. Oh, and the bottle design and logo = PURE AWESOMENESS. Metro Mint is available in six different flavors and sells for around $1.35 per 16.9 oz. bottle.

4. Heavy Whipping Cream (any brand)

What is not to love about cream? It tastes heavenly when whipped into a dessert topping. It adds that special something to a cup of black coffee (add a pinch of cinnamon for an extra wow factor). A splash of cream added to your favorite flavored tea is positively indulgent. Add a little cream to scrambled eggs for extra richness and fluffiness. And my absolute fave...cold cream poured over fresh blackberries. (*swoons*) A bovine bargain at under $3/pint.
The udderly irresistable "Calf & Half" pitcher is sold by Fred & Friends.

5. Soy Candles (http://www.juliesclaycreations.com/)

I love candles. I once took a part-time job at a Yankee Candle store and promptly spent my entire paycheck buying...more candles. (That was the best-smelling job I ever had.) I love candles so much that my husband actually banned them from our house at one point. So when we stumbled upon a candle/craft booth at the Baldwin City Maple Leaf Festival last fall, I was surprised when the hubster picked up one of these candles, inhaled deeply and said, "Mmmm. WE HAVE TO GET THIS." These soy candles burn clean and fill the whole house up with wonderful smelly goodness. They definitely give the over-priced Yankee variety a run for their money. The best part is that they are produced locally in Grain Valley, MO by a company called Julie's Clay Creations. You can purchase various scents (in a cute, rustic 8 oz. Mason Jar) for $5.56 on her website.

6. Dollar Movie Rentals (Redbox)

New DVD movie releases. $1 per night. Ability to reserve movies online. Available in almost every McDonald's, Walmart, and grocery store on the planet. Need I say more? (Go to http://www.redbox.com/ and sign up for their newsletter to get a FREE rental.)

7. Wrinkle-Release Spray (Downy)

Our family doesn't iron clothes, per se. Nor do we fold them, per se. Our current method of doing laundry is more like: Wash. Dry. Wad. As you can imagine, this often creates an environment for unsightly wrinkles. To combat this, we've always just spritzed a little water on the item we want to wear, then toss it in the dryer for a few minutes. However, I recently discovered Downy Wrinkle Releaser, which not only helps release wrinkles - but it smells great and makes clothes feel softer, too. It's simple - just spray, tug and smooooooth. So until we decide to actually fold laundry (never gonna happen) or until someone invents disposable clothes, this product ($4.99) works pretty darn well. Now if only I could spray some on my face and make those wrinkles disappear.

8. Bubble Bath (any brand)

Ahhhhhhh. There's nothing like running a hot bath, pouring in a capful of luxuriant bubble bath, lighting a few candles, then slipping into the water, all the way up to your chin. Perhaps you even have a good book or a glass of vino handy. Mmmm, reeeeelaaaaaxing. Unfortunately, since becoming a mom, I haven't had one of those kinds of baths in a long time. Now my bubble baths are more like a sprint to shave my legs and wash my hair before my 3-year-old starts pounding on the door, demanding to be let in. ("Hey, Mom. Mom? MOOOOM! Um. Can I come in? What are you doing? Are you pooping? Just let me in, okay? Are you taking a bath? Hey, can I play with the bubbles? Mom? Oh, I need to pee. MOOOOM!" More knocking and door rattling.) Hopefully I'll be able to regain some privacy in the near future so that I can, once again, soak in the $3-$10 bodaciousness that is...bubble bath.

9. Olive Oil Shampoo + Conditioner (Organic)

I've struggled with the complexities of bad hair my whole life. Dull, coarse, dry, and thick describe me ... it best. I'll be honest - it's been no picnic styling my locks all these years. (Though I did have one brief respite in the 80's when crimped, scorched hair was all the rage.) Most days I style my hair with a pick. Brushing this mane would be a BIG NO-NO. I've tried just about every conditioner and oil out there that promised to moisturize or detangle or add shine. Nothing really worked. Then, while shopping one day, I inched my way down to the "ethnic" section of the hair products aisle. It was more out of curiosity than anything...I must admit that I had no idea what most of the products on the shelf were for. Relaxer? Hair butter? Curl pomade? Huh? But then I noticed a pretty green bottle with the words "ORGANIC" and "OLIVE OIL" practically jumping out at me. Hmm, could this be the answer to my moisturizing problem? At $4 a bottle, I thought it was worth a try. And lo and behold, my hair has never been more soft and cooperative. It seems that my kind of hair is prone to breakage and dryness, and the olive oil (rich in essential fatty acids that moisturize) improves hydration and elasticity. Well, there you have it. Everything you ever wanted to know about my hair (but were afraid to ask).

10. Hand Sanitizer (Vicks Early Defense Antibacterial Foam)

I am not a germiphobe. Far from it. But as I get older, I grow a little more squeamish about certain things. Like bathroom door knobs. Or computer keyboards. Or shopping cart handles. Or other people's children. Or my own child. So I was happy to discover a pleasant-smelling foam hand sanitizer that kills 99.9% of germs for up to 3 hours, without drying out your hands. (Or whatever body part you choose to put it on.) I can't tell you how many times Allison has sneezed a big gob of boogies into her hands, then wiped them on whatever is nearest to her. Usually, I just reach for the hand sanitizer pump, squirt some foam into her hands, and voila! I am mother of the year. The nicest part is that the pump doesn't clog up, and I can throw the bottle into my purse without worrying that some blue slimy stuff is going to spill out and leak all over. It's a great buy at around $2.

I've also heard that the CVS brand hand sanitizer with "shea butter and sugar beads" works well, doesn't dry out your skin, and smells deee-lish.