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20 Things I Can’t Live Without

20 Things I Can’t Live Without

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One of the magazines I read, (it must be a shelter magazine because I’ve let all of my other subscriptions lapse), has a column I love called, Things I Can’t Live Without where a famous designer gives a glimpse into their daily life.
I’m nosey as shit and I’m assuming since you’re here that you are too, and while I’m no famous anything, here’s a list of some of the favorite things inside of my little world.

Deva Premal Gayatri Mantra Chant
I play this every morning. It’s 2 hours long so I just let it run in the background and I swear to god it shifts even the worst morning’s energy from crabby-pants—to tolerable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSmToj9VZ4s

I play the chant and anything else worth listening to on this baby The Bose Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. The sound quality is amazeballs.
http://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Bluetooth-Speaker-III/dp/B00HWSXVDG/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1453319528&sr=8-15&keywords=bose+wireless

Trader Joe’s or TJ’s as it’s affectionately known. If you don’t have one in your town you should start a petition. My friend calls it “the poor man’s Whole Foods”, I call it Mecca.

Chocolate anything. Preferably dark. The darker the better. There have been studies done that suggest that consuming chocolate makes you clever. Who am I to argue with science?
“To win a Nobel Prize you have to produce something others haven’t thought about – chocolate that makes you feel good might contribute”
~Prof Christopher Pissarides

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I’ve mentioned these before but Dental soft-picks have saved my life on numerous occasions. No one wants a smile full of kale.

Nag Champa incense. Me love mucho. I burn it all the time mostly because it is brilliant at covering the smell of dog farts.

Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chips. They are my writer’s crack. I was once caught by surprise on a LIVE Blab Chat fishing one out of my bra. No, I don’t keep them there, I just missed my mouth. #brasnacks

My prescription cheaters. I have about six pairs scattered everywhere. I’ve lost more glasses than Elton John owns.They are 2.0 and I can’t read shit without them because of the other thing I can’t live without—my contact lenses for nearsightedness. I love you eyes but honestly, you suck at seeing.

My half down, half other stuff (I suspect spotted owl feather), pillow. I can’t leave home without it.

MAC Plushglass lipgloss in bountiful. And any good black khol eye pencil to line the inside of my eyelids. This is no run-of-the-mill need. This is a serious “stranded on a desert island” kind of can’t live without it kind of thing.

The Chinese chicken salad at Joan’s on Third. With its perfect ratio of chicken to crispy won-tons and a not-too-sweet dressing, it is a large bowl of deliciousness that I manage to devour at least twice a week. http://www.joansonthird.com

Writing in my dining room surrounded by all of the accumulated art.(photo at the top)

My MacBook Air, iPad and iPhone. I am seriously addicted. “Hi, my name is Janet and I’m an Apple addict.”

My morning meditation. Without it, I suffer. I am a short tempered, maniacal mess with no sense of direction and a complete lack of imagination. Yikes.

The YMCA or the ghetto gym as I call it. Cheap and cheerful, it has all the machines, free weights, lots of parking and absolutely NO attitude—and the boy at the front desk calls me “miss”.

False eyelashes. All day, every day. They are my obsession. The spiky ones make me giddy. I’m convinced I’m Korkie, the missing Kardashian sister—Don’t you dare judge me!

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White Phalaenopsis orchids. I have them in the bathroom all year ‘round. They are much easier to maintain than people think, they actually thrive on neglect which makes them the perfect plant for me, AND the blooms can last for up to three MONTHS! Whaaaaat?

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The Gap 1969 medium rise/skinny jeans. I’ve tried all the rest, but these fit me the best.

You guys and this blog. I LOVE writing this blog, it makes me so happy. You know it’s mostly for me, right?…and maybe a few of my friends (wink).

I am SO freaking curious about y’all. What can’t you live without? Care to share?
Carry on,
xox

Author Recommended Posts

21 January 2016/ by jbertolus/ in advice, awakening, awareness, blogger humor, funny, guidance, humor, inspirational, spiritual, Spiritual Humor, Spiritualtherapy, stories, Uncategorized, writer, writing/ 8 Comments

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Written by jbertolus


Website: http://theobserversvoice.com

My Life Summed Up In One Sentence
STOP GOING TO THE HARDWARE STORE FOR MILK
8 Comments
  • Nancy says:
    January 21, 2016 at 8:28

    Ok. I’ll play. Things I couldn’t live without (in no particular order):
    1. A Course in Miracles – anyone who really knows me (or reads my blog), knows this
    2. My Kindle – I’m a book addict and since discovering the simplicity of having them all my loves (books) together in one place, I can’t live without it. It travels with me most places
    3. My spiritual community – I need to be surrounded my people who see the best in me and who remember the truth of me when I’ve forgotten in myself
    4. Water – I usually don’t care if there is anything else to drink as long as I have purified water (if it’s tap water then it requires lemon). I never go anywhere without carrying some with me.
    5. Don Francisco Hawaiian Hazelnut coffee. I’ve been drinking it for at least ten years. I even take it with me on vacation.
    6. Miss Dior (Originale!) perfume. I’ve been wearing it since I was 17. I can live without make-up but not without my perfume
    7. Affirmative Prayer – I pray a lot. It brings me back to center.
    8. Writing – it is how I process things. You don’t want to be around me if I haven’t written for a while
    9. My laptop – I’ve had many over the years and I don’t really care about brand, etc. But I need my laptop
    10. The Internet – I can disconnect for a while and that’s fine, but eventually I need to be able to do my online banking, check my favorite blogs (primarily this one!), post to my blog, go on Amazon, and check my Facebook account
    11. My husband – okay, he’s not exactly a thing but I can’t imagine life without him. I know that one day he will probably go before me (he is planning on dying at a relatively young age, I am not), so I know that I will have to figure the living without him in the physical at some point, I’m just not ready to do it anytime soon.
    12. Sunshine – Once I moved to New Mexico, I figure out that I’d been light deprived for the last 20 some years. I get crabby on the days when it’s cloudy here (luckily not too often).
    13. GPS – I have a terrible sense of direction and I’m a realtor so I need to be able to get to where I’m going. I use the MapQuest app on my phone almost every day, though I’m happy with Garmin or Magellan if need be.
    That’s all I can think of. There are no foods (aside from the above mentioned coffee) that I couldn’t live without as much as I love food and cooking. There are few objects aside from those mentioned that are indispensable to me. Of course, I don’t know how much curiosity I’ve satisfied – you’ve been reading my blog so you probably know all that shit. Love you! (p.s. – thanks for the chant – loving it! Also the orchid tip: I’m going to have to check on that)

    • jbertolus says:
      January 21, 2016 at 8:28

      omg Nancy! I love that you play along with me!
      I love this shit, it’s like looking inside someone’s’ medicine cabinet! Or not.
      So many good ones! I should have included the Internet on my list dammit! I love that perfume is on there, that tells me that you smell good and I like that in a person. GPS is a great one too.
      Love you!
      xoxJ.

  • Kimberly says:
    January 21, 2016 at 8:28

    One question..how the hell do you put false eyelashes on without looking like a crack whore??? I’ve “practiced” for years and never been able to pull it off. Share with me your stellar secrets!

    • jbertolus says:
      January 21, 2016 at 8:28

      Okay, Kimberly! There is a learning curve and You WILL fuck up.
      I just started trying them every day. Now, I can do it as fast as applying mascara, which btw you should do first. My number one essential tool (and something that should have been in the top five on my list), is a x15 power magnifying mirror. I have a drugstore one stuck to my fancy-pants wall installed one in the bathroom because it is SO much better. Go figure. Anyhow, once you have that (which opens up an entire NEW can of worms ie. little black hairs all over your chin and upper lip that you’ve been walking around with, just living your life completely unaware! Oh, the horror!), I make sure to hold it up to my eye and trim the outside edge or it’ll give you the Carol Channing droopy eye effect. Start with the Ardell #110. They are light and on the shorter side, and don’t scream “crack whore”. Use a minimum of BLACK glue, and nestle it as close as you can to the base of your own lashes. I pay special attention to the edges. If those don’t look right, you’re fucked, I mean you have to start over, which is not the end of the world. I just pull all of the dried glue off and try again. I do that to reuse the eyelashes up to five times.
      I hope that helps and crack whores unite!
      xoxJanet

      • Kimberly says:
        January 21, 2016 at 8:28

        Thank you JB! I will definitely give these tips a try. I might even send a picture of the results LOL.
        Also, thanks for opening up your Fave Lists – they are beautifully fitting choices for a beautiful soul.

        I must say that I NEED my morning coffee time with devotional readings. It takes about a half hour to get through all of them with a centering prayer. I “summarize” all that He has spoken at the end of the week and always recognize a clear message that speaks to me deeply.
        I’m in Colorado and can’t live without fresh air! Walking or riding my bike along the river is equally as mind cleansing and opens the lines of divine communication 🙂
        A day without laughter might as well be slept through.
        I CAN. NOT. LIVE without my Hip Hop class! I’m well aware that some things can’t be “unseen” and a bunch of 50 + women twerking, convinced we’re ready to be in the next Justin Bieber video could be one of them. But hey, it’s a fricking kick ass work out and it keeps my heart healthy and happy.
        Which brings me to the fact that I really can’t live without a hot muscle soothing shower and some tylenol either.
        Love to you, my blogging guru friend.

        • jbertolus says:
          January 21, 2016 at 8:28

          Oh, Kimberly, this is so juicy! Coffee (another one that should have made my list), fresh air, exercise (that hip hop reference is hysterical! )—and laughter!! duh! Why didn’t I say that?
          We are kindred​ spirits for sure.
          love, your favorite crack whore
          xox

  • Dominator says:
    January 21, 2016 at 8:28

    I share many of your choices (not the eye lashes or the lip gloss, of course) but although I love the anonymity of being a comment-er on this blog (the most prolific, I must humbly say) from my avatar you probably have guessed I can’t live without “boxers and motorcycles”.
    To which I will add good food, good wine, an early Sunday morning drive/ride, just about any sunrise (yeah, made it another day!), the communion of a meal with good friends, car porn (thank internet), Sudoku (it’s more an addiction), a good debate (theology and other mental masturbation), quiet time, the smile of a pretty woman and my favorite, the love of a good wife (you read this blog so you know who you are).
    That’s eleven. I’m good with that!

    • jbertolus says:
      January 21, 2016 at 8:28

      I have to say Dominator—you never disappoint! Thanks so much for those insights into what appears to be a Life Well-lived.
      xoxJanet

Hi, I’m Janet

Mentor. Pirate. Dropper of F-bombs.

This is where I write about my version of life. My stories. Told in my own words.

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