Ten Things I'm Digging Right Now.

I won't call it a top ten, because that might imply some kind of coherence or actual ranking. But here are ten things that are on my "yes!" list right now.

1) Contigo travel mugs. Is it possible to love a travel mug? After hating so many, I'm fonder of this one than I expected I would be. This mug uses "autoseal" technology that makes it truly spillproof. It's so spillproof that I can actually put my coffee in my purse and it doesn't spill. This is a vast improvement over previous spillproof mugs that I've managed to spill in the upright position. I loved mine especially during the early days of breastfeeding when I wanted to have a drink on hand when I was sitting on the couch feeding the baby, (sometimes water or tea, not coffee) but my 3 year old and/or my cat was constantly knocking my cup on the ground.

2) My new baby-sitting co-op. I had heard wonders told about such things as baby-sitting co-ops, but they're not that easy to come by. For the longest time I didn't know anybody nearby who would be interested, plus, some people had their own set-ups with regular baby-sitters, nannies, or in-laws. Finally, though, a group of us with similar needs banded together and decided to start swapping sitting. I've sat for other families a few times now, and every time, their kids were asleep and I just played on the computer or watched a movie. I earned credit I can use for a few hours of sitting at my house one day. It's a win-win situation!

3) Composting. During our gardening adventure this year, we probably learned more about composting than we did about growing stuff. I'm not sure why we never did this before. Actually, I know why--we didn't know much about it and it sounded "complicated." I'm here to report that composting is very easy and quite worthwhile. We converted a trashcan into a compost bin. We have reduced our waste big time and, in theory, have some really nice, rich dirt. We're about to start planning our fall garden, so I hope we'll be able to use some of it! But even if we don't, I've learned that making the dirt isn't the point. We were throwing stuff into landfills (in our trash bags) and there was a simple and easy way to get rid of it here at home.

4) The library. Duh, right? I've been an enthusiastic library user since I was Nora's age, and I have used our DeKalb Library quite a bit over the years. I'm just particularly loving it right now. Sometimes I forget that it's a great source for nonfiction books, like cookbooks or gardening manuals.

5) Twitter. Twitter had been around for a couple of years before I caved and joined, and I used it for many months or maybe a year before it really started making sense for me. I like it because it's easy to read on my chosen wireless device, whereas Facebook is kind of a pain. Facebook is better for catching up with old friends and looking at pictures. Twitter is pithy. It can be mundane, but despite it's reputation I don't think it's actually more mundane than Facebook often is. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is that I often follow random links and end up reading thought-provoking articles that I wouldn't have otherwise stumbled upon. When I post on Twitter, I don't worry as much about other people reading/responding, probably because they usually don't. My thoughts just float out into the ether, with no burden of being particularly important.

6) Snoballs. This love has been facilitated by the fact that there have been new snoball businesses that have popped up in both Decatur and Pensacola. Snoballs are shaved ice with flavored syrup dumped on top. My favorite flavor is cotton candy. I can't escape the fact that these are pretty horrible for me, health-wise, which is one reason I'm glad that school is starting back and I can finally break my habit. I have heard rhetoric arguing that a snoball is a "healthy treat," but I'm not buying it.

7) Amazon MP3. Amazon has hundreds of free songs available for download every month. It's a great way to hear new music in all genres. It also has a massive rotating selection of $5 album downloads. I stopped buying physical CDs a couple of years because I don't have a good place to store the jewel cases and I found I was listening to my Ipod more than I was listening to actual CDs. I also love the monthly sampler from Paste Magazine, which features all of my favorite types of music, but my subscription is on hold right now.

8) Flip Burger Boutique. Burgers are obviously the trendiest restaurant fare of 2010 with localvore restaurants coming in a close second. A marrying of the two? All the better. Most people I know adore Farm Burger, which I have tried and liked, but is not at the top of my list (yet). Flip Burger Boutique also features a grassfed burger, but it's menu is a little more gimmicky. I happen to like gimmicky burgers and wacky dipping sauces for fries, so Flip is right up my alley. The fries are the closest to my personal ideal I've seen at any of the restaurants I've been to lately, also I also give fry props to Leon's Full Service for their fries and sauces. Our family is going to attempt to swear off restaurants for a while, so I wish the above burger boutiques a fond farewell...for now. I'm sure I will be back in your loving arms soon, but I hope to return weighing less and with more money in the bank.

9) Bray Family Farms. We finally signed up for that meat CSA we've been talking about for a while. Our first pick-up is later this week. Since I haven't tried their meat yet, this is premature adoration. However, I have faith that the food will be delicious, we will learn a lot, and we will be glad that we are greatly reducing our consumption of factory-farmed meat. So, whoo-hoo. Bring it on!

10) These folks.

My sweet, loving husband; my two effervescent girlies, and myself. That's right: I dig myself. Photo credit goes to my amazing friend Dara, who takes pictures of lots of interesting things on the Gulf Coast and everywhere else she goes.