I’m a sucker for a good list, so when I saw another blogger share an alphabetized list of his favorite things, I immediately began working on a list of my own. Initially I made the list just for myself and had no plans of sharing it here; after all, why would anyone else be interested in the things I find interesting?
Obviously, I changed my mind. I realized that if I enjoy reading other people’s Favorites Lists, you might be interested in reading mine. It will help you get to know me a little better and hopefully inspire you to create a list of your own! So here it is, a few of my personal favorites, from A to Z.
AUDIOBOOKS AND PODCASTS — If you’ve been reading here for a hot second, you know all about this one! Whether I’m driving, cooking dinner, or out for a walk, I always like to have something in my ears. I do enjoy music, but spoken content almost always wins out . . . though I’m not above listening to music on our stereo while I have an audiobook going on in one earbud!
BREA — This is the town where I grew up and it will always hold a very special place in my heart. I lived there for 24 years (and in the surrounding area for 31 years), and if we could afford to raise our own family there, I would move back in a heartbeat.
CHARLESTON MICHAEL — The child, of course (he’s my favorite little human), but also the name. I loved it when we chose it and like it even more now; thankfully it fits my Charlie splendidly—so well, in fact, that I almost exclusively call him Charleston rather than the nickname of Charlie, as we’d planned.
DISNEYLAND (And all things Disney) — I grew up going to Disneyland, and we had passes before moving to Texas. It’s one of the things I miss most about Southern California.
EVERNOTE — This app is my digital brain. I use it for taking notes, storing documents, saving online content, and even writing blog posts. It’s one of the few apps I genuinely don’t think I could live without.
FEEDLY — I use this service to keep up with the many blogs I follow (and I sure do love reading blogs). If you follow more than one or two blogs, an RSS Reader App is a must! I’m sure Feedly’s competitors work just as well, but I am happy with Feedly and haven’t felt the need to try any alternatives.
GYMNASTICS — This was my sport of choice as a child/teenager, and it is the only sport I will willingly watch on television.
HOLIDAYS — I would be hard-pressed to pick a specific favorite holiday, I love them all! The decorations, the decor, the excuse to celebrate a special day . . . holidays are simply awesome!
INSTAGRAM — Though I don’t love the platform’s recent algorithm changes, Instagram is still my favorite form of social media. I enjoy posting there myself and following friends, content creators, and brands in a spot that seems much more civil than Facebook and more visually stimulating than Twitter. I’ve also been having fun following others’ Instagram Stories, though I haven’t worked up the nerve to post any myself.
JOURNALING — Journaling isn’t just a pastime of mine, it’s a necessity. I dedicate time each day to document my life, ideas, emotions, and more in my Day One journal and consider it the cheapest and most effective form of therapy.
KOALAS — They’ve always been my favorite animal. My favorite childhood stuffed animal was a koala (I still have him!) and I dream of holding a live koala one day in Australia.
LEGGINGS — Comfortable. Fashionable (for now, at least . . . let’s hope the trend lasts!). Easy to mix and match. Along with a tunic and some Tieks (or a sweater and boots in colder months), these are a key component of my daily uniform. If it weren’t for leggings, I might have to resort to life as a recluse because I would never be dressed.
MUSICALS — Both in movie form, and live on stage. (In case you’re wondering, my top five—in no particular order—includes Les Miserables, Wicked, Sound of Music, Chicago, and Fiddler on the Roof.) I did musical theater when I was younger and wouldn’t mind dabbling in it again if the opportunity arose.
NETFLIX — We don’t have cable, so this (and Amazon Prime) is our only source of television. I’ve discovered that I much prefer watching shows one at a time, from start to finish, to the old-school way of following many shows at once. And the content Netflix itself is putting out is awesome!
ORCHIDS — These are one of my favorite flowers, especially since they remind me of my grandfather. He was always so proud of his own flourishing orchid plants and when I was growing up, he would send my mom home with a few stalks every time we visited. I felt so grown up the day he sent me home with an orchid of my own.
PERSONALITY MODELS — This one is certainly no secret. Myers-Briggs is still my “specialty” but I’m growing to love the Enneagram almost as much. I have discovered that I’m almost incapable of interacting with someone without trying to “type” them. My friends all know of my personality obsession and come to me with all of their personality-related questions.
QUALITY CONVERSATIONS — Although I’m an introvert and have a hard time with small talk, I just love deep conversations, especially about deep/big-picture types of things like faith, societal patterns, and psychology.
RESEARCH — Learning is one of my deepest passions and I’m thankful to live in an age when answers to all of my questions are just a Google search away. Wikipedia is one of the most-used apps on my phone (I realize it isn’t totally reliable, but it’s better than nothing) and I can’t get through a conversation without looking up topics as they arise. I do a lot of quickie research on the fly, but love spending time delving deep into subjects that are new to me. Not surprisingly, my primary strength according to this test is Love of Learning.
STRUCTURE — This is another “favorite” that is actually more of a necessity. I’m constantly working on growing more adaptable, but do best when my life and my surroundings are highly organized.
TEXTING — My favorite form of communication. I don’t quite know how we ever survived without it! If you, like me, are a mom who is heavily dependent on texting for her social interaction, check out this relevant blog post (the title alone—I Love You But I Probably Won’t Answer Your Calls—is the story of my life!).
UNIQUE ACCESSORIES — Hats, jewelry, shoes, purses . . . I don’t play favorites with my accessories, I love them all. I’m pretty vanilla with my clothes themselves (see Leggings above) so my accessories must pull their weight in helping me look like a put-together individual. I especially love accessories that are just a little different from what everyone else is wearing.
VERTS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL — This is my very favorite restaurant and I am on a first-name basis with all the employees at our closest location. The falafel and sweet potato fries are simply heavenly, and the salad topping options (which vary by season) are perfection.
WORDS OF AFFIRMATION — This is my primary love language, and a solid compliment can keep me on Cloud Nine for days. I’m quick to give Words of Affirmation, too, but I understand how powerful words are, so I only pass out praise if it’s sincere.
XYLOPHONE — Okay, I know this one’s a stretch. There’s not exactly a plethora of x-words to choose from! But I did play xylophone in band in 7th Grade, and I really liked it, so it’s accurate to say that it is one of my favorite instruments.
YOGURT — Far and away my favorite food. I eat it in some form at almost every meal and snack. This brand/flavor continues to be a daily staple. And frozen yogurt is always my dessert of choice.
ZEPHANIAH 3:17 — This is my favorite comfort verse.
Now it’s your turn! What does your A to Z Favorites list look like? Do we share any favorites? And help me out with X, what would YOU use for that spot?