When I get to sleep in, I do not want anything to possibly wake me. I hate when the morning sun comes flooding in my bedroom. I used to have a very dark bedroom, but in my latest house, we get a lot of sunlight. Solution? Dream Zone Sleep Mask. This padded silk mask with an adjustable velcro strip is perfect. It has a very large surface area, so absolutely no light creeps in. I cannot begin to tell you how comfortable the mask is, I honestly cannot even tell I have it on. I always have a few spares on hand too, for any overnight guests. The Amazon link above is $6.25, with free shipping, so pick up several.

I had a friend a few years ago who had a face lift, and her plastic surgeon told her to get a silk sleeping mask and use it while she was recovering from surgery. The plastic surgeon told her that he used to carry silk eye masks but couldn’t find them anymore. I told her about mine, and we drove to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up several for her, and one to give to the plastic surgeon so he could tell all his patients. A few years ago when I was recovering from shoulder surgery, I kept mine around my neck during the day, so when I felt the need for a little nap, I would just put the mask over my eyes and not have to worry about light waking me up.

So, if you want to block out light, or know someone who does, I would highly recommend the Dream Zone Sleep Mask. Do you use a sleep mask? Let me know in the comments section.

I am obsessed with beaded zen stretch bracelets. I think it’s because I love bracelets and the stretch are so easy to slip on and off, and stack. And I’m uncoordinated and cannot put on a bracelet with a spring clasp to save my life. Plus I’m all about karma and zen and need all the good mojo I can get.

My friend Debbie recently told me about these cute bracelets from Rockstarsz, so naturally I placed an order.

I have been looking for some natural/neutral stones and found them at Rockstarsz. I wasn’t crazy about the disco balls that were on the one I wanted, so I asked if it could be removed, and it was. I also asked for it to be a larger size because I don’t have small wrists and like everything to fit loose. That also was no problem. Most etsy vendors are happy to customize your order, just ask. I love the bracelets and think they are very well made. The stretch cords and stones are great quality and the bracelets are very well made. You can see from the picture above that I have LOTS of stretch bracelets!

They also have bracelets with charms. If you don’t have a bracelet with a dangling charm, I would recommend you get one. They really look cute added to a stack and add a little pizzaz!

I asked Rockstarsz if they would be willing to give my readers a coupon code, and they said YES. So, if you place an order, be sure and use coupon code “THANKYOU15” to receive 15% off your next order. I really need to learn to ask for these things BEFORE I place my order. But for you dear readers, I am happy that you get the benefit of a coupon code.

One wants rare, one wants medium, everyone is entitled to have their steak and eat it too, right? These handy Kingsford Steak Thermometers are just the ticket. Just $8 for a set of two, plus free shipping with Amazon, is a win-win for summer barbecues. They are so easy to read, I barely need my reading glasses! Pick up several sets and have them ready to stick in the steaks on the grill. Even though it is early in the morning as I am writing this, I wish I had a juicy steak and a big ol’ baked potato right now! Be sure and call me for your next barbecue. I’ll bring my own thermometer!

I must admit that when I purchased my first iPod many years ago, someone sent me a podcast about Ireland, and I couldn’t figure out how to play it. I had an iPod, I synced it with my iTunes, and yet I couldn’t ever find it to play it. I thought it was just too technically challenging for me, and gave up. Fast-forward to what seems like 20 years (ok, maybe 10) and I find that Apple has finally developed a stand alone app for podcasts. Does this mean there was some challenging way to listen to podcasts before and I’m not as stupid as sometimes I think I am. Or as some people like to tell me I am? You know who you are. Really, it’s a rhetorical question. As always, if this is some wide spread news and I never got the memo, just don’t tell me, okay?

Moving on. So now Apple has a released a free stand alone app called “Podcasts”.  Smart title, right? And with this app you can search for your favorite podcasts, and save to your own little podcasts library, as it were.

So you can now subscribe and listen (or view in video format) your favorite podcasts. Categories include news, education, crafts, sports, technology, science, exercise, motivation, and much more.

From Apple:

Podcasts app is the easiest way to discover, subscribe to, and play your favorite podcasts on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Explore hundreds of thousands of free audio and video podcasts from the Podcasts Catalog, and play the most popular podcasts, organized for you by topic, with the all-new Top Stations feature.

Features:
• Enjoy all of your audio and video podcasts in a single app
• Explore hundreds of thousands of podcasts including shows in over 40 languages
• Try the innovative new Top Stations feature to find new podcast series in a variety of topics, including arts, business, comedy, music, news, sports, and more.
• Browse by audio or video podcasts, or see what’s most popular in Top Charts
• Tap Subscribe for your favorites and automatically receive new episodes for free as they become available
• Stream episodes or download to listen while offline
• Skip forward and back using simple playback controls
• Turn on Sleep Timer to automatically stop playing a podcast while listening in bed
• Share your favorite episodes with friends using Twitter, Messages, and Mail
• Optionally sync your favorite episodes from iTunes on your Mac or PC
• Sync your episode playback for seamless transition between devices

Requirements:
• Requires a device with iOS 5.1 or later
• Optionally syncing episodes requires iTunes 10.6.3 or later
• Streaming or downloading episodes requires Internet access over a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection.

I do have one complaint. And it may just be me, or the fact that I still have a 3G iPhone instead of the more recent versions (although I am getting the new one in the fall!). I subscribed to a number of podcasts on my Mac, thinking they would sync up with the app on the iPhone, and they didn’t. So I had to search and subscribe again for the same ones on the iPhone. Save yourself that extra step and just search and find from the app directly.

I had to take my mother-in-law to the doctor last week, and had the podcasts all ready to go to entertain me while I waited for her. Certainly helped make the time go a little faster.