5 Things We Love Right Now

B.R.A.K.E.S

There’s no sugar coating it, teen drivers, especially MY teen drivers make me all sorts of anxious. Enter the B.R.A.K.E.S (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) program, a proactive advanced driver course that puts kids through all sorts of situations. Topics covered include panic breaking, crash avoidance, off-road recovery and more. My older took this after a good six months of driving experience, and I highly recommend it. Details at PutOnTheBrakes.org.

Spotify

In our family we love music, and Spotify is our service of choice on which to listen. We have the family plan, and it more that pays for itself with how much we use it. Here’s the thing—most days, Spotify just gets me. My “Daily Playlist” made just for me always has the perfect song I didn’t even know I wanted to hear. Slade’s “Run, Run Away” to start my day? Yes, please! Want to hear U2’s “Lady with a Spinning Head” on the daily carpool run? Yes! How did you know? Thanks, Spotify! Spotify.com

Sweet Tea

I don’t care for tea (hot or cold), but my husband, on the other hand, loves the stuff. More specifically, sweet tea. Through him, I’ve learned there’s a large difference between sweet tea and tea with sweetener or sugar added. The first is acceptable, the second, not so much. For the real deal, he enjoys McAlister’s sweet tea. It’s made the right way (according to him), and you can enjoy it at the restaurant or pick up a gallon and sip at home. McAlistersDeli.com

Spot Shot

Sometimes my well runs a little dry on things to feature in this column. I reached out to friends for things they love, and our very own copy editor, Susan, shared how she loves Spot Shot. I’m always on the hunt for a good stain removal product, especially on carpets (my nemesis). Susan reports that it's gotten both old and new stains out of carpet (even the majority of some tar that was tracked in from a roof repair project). I’m sold and on my way to purchase Spot Shot!

Puzzle Time

We started a new tradition a few years back having my mom spend an extended weekend with us when she comes to KC for the Thanksgiving holiday. We love tradition and routine in our family, so her visit always includes watching the Macy’s parade and having our first peppermint mocha of the season. She also brings a puzzle each year that we work on during her visit. After some trial and error, we’ve found Springbok puzzles to be the best! Sturdy pieces and great designs!  Springbok-Puzzles.com