The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

My brilliant friend Christi B. takes a moment every Friday on her blog to pay tribute to a few of her favorite things, from candy to cleaning & kitchen supplies to bath and body. I love reading her Friday Fav.'s because I get to learn a little something more about her and I always end up trying one of them out and loving it! Thanks to Christi, I now have a tiny little cookie dough scooper and a shark kitchen vac among other things. I think it's great to share the little tricks of the trade with each other because we all benefit. So starting today, I'm going to share some things that I think are the best things since sliced bread.
Microwave Mug
First on today's list is my newly acquired 20 oz. Corningware Microwave Mug. I just LOVE this thing! It's perfect for those who have to take lunch to work, eat on the run, or just end up heating up lots of left overs but don't like dirtying another dish just to heat up one serving. This mug is the perfect size and has a handy little microwave vent on the lid to heat your food up just right. Walmart: $4
Tide Pen
Next up, the Tide Pen. I know these aren't new news, but I've been a loyal fan for a long time now and people always ask me, "Does that really work?". Let me answer now once and for all, "Yes!" As long as you use it shortly after the spill happens, it works like a charm. It has rescued me from the following stains:

V8
Ketchup
BBQ Sauce
Juice
Chocolate
Melted Ice Cream
Marinara Sauce

...and many, many more! I keep one in my purse, but I really should keep one in both glove compartments of the cars, and Velcrowed under the lip of our dining room table. I don't have kids yet, but I imagine it will come in twice as handy when I do.

Walmart: $4
Creative Zen & Y-Cable
It's no secret that I love music, and I listen to quite a bit of it. I did a massive consumer reports search to find a replacement for our old iPod mini mp3 player which has served us well for many years, and decided upon the Creative Zen V Plus 8GB mp3 player. It's tiny, has a brilliant colorful display, stores any type of file (data, music, picture, video), is easy to use, includes built in AM/FM radio (unlike iPod) and also saves me from the headache of Apple's constricting software limitations. If you're looking for an mp3 player outside of the Apple family, this little guy is a gem, and a lot cheaper! The only thing that Apple still has on it, is the amount of accessories that are available.
But my favorite and most used accessory is still the simple little Y-cable that I bought years ago to plug my mp3 player into my home theater system when I'm cleaning the house or cooking or just want to hear some tunes on the big speakers. It works for any device with a headphone jack and only costs a few bucks!

HDMI
As long as we're in nerd land, another thing I bought that I love is the HDMI cable that connects our laptop to our 42" plasma screen TV. There's nothing quite like sitting on your couch and checking your email in 42" of high definition! The reason I got it is so that we could watch shows from ABC.com on our TV. VERY nice! And the cable is pretty cheap. If you've got an HDTV and a decent lap top, it's a fun accessory to have. I also recently used it to plug my laptop into the ward projector for our mutual game of Gospel Feud.

Dryer Balls
Back to practicality, the next item is something I acquired in NC upon recommendation from a good friend. They are the As Seen On TV Dryer Balls! Want big fluffy towels and soft clothes without the residue left by drier sheets? Just pop these guys into the drier with a wet load and enjoy the result! They don't make your clothes static, they last forever, they significantly cut drying time and are hypoallergenic! What more do you need?

Bed, Bath & Beyond: $10
Dr. Scholl's Gel Insoles
I spend a lot of time on my feet at work standing at the wet bench in the lab, and after a while, those dogs can really get to barking! So I scored these gems at Target several months ago and put them in my sneakers. My feet haven't complained since! Thanks Dr. S! Are you gelin'?

Target: $13

Reynolds Slow Cooker Bags
Maybe I'm just lazy, but I love my slow cooker, and I love not having to clean it when I'm done using it. These slow cooker bags make clean up a snap! I haven't used my slow cooker without them in years. Worth every penny in my opinion!

Any store: $2.49

So there is my first installment. Ok, your turn. What little things do you adore or can't do without? Is this where I have to say tag, you're it?