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I do not write a lot of gift guides on the blog because of the way I see it, I am not an expert in gift-giving.  But, I do consider myself an expert in buying items for myself. As we end December, here are some products that you may want to buy for yourself after you get your Christmas money.  Some of these items are already in my home. And while we are confessing, some of these items are sitting in my stocking as we speak, waiting for me to be surprised on Christmas Day.




No more bad hair days!  Now that Liza is on a cheer team, we spend a lot of time with other people. You can learn a lot from other moms. I was introduced to this Ion Steam Pro Straightening Brush Iron while at a competition early on in the cheer season. Liza begged for it, so I bought it for her birthday. Guess who uses it more than her?  It's fabulous, and I highly recommend it.

The meat-shredding utensil. I have both a slow cooker and an instant pot. I prefer the slow cooker over the instant pot when it comes to meats. The instant pot is not as immediate as its name suggests, so I get my timing wrong a lot (meaning it takes me a lot longer to cook something in the instant pot than I realize ), and dinner ends up being way later than I hoped. Being a southerner, I use a lot of recipes that say "shred the meat."  I suck at shredding meat, but this bear paws shredder claws will turn you into a meat shredding pro. In 2020, I will share a southwestern beef recipe from one of my favorite NC cookbooks.

The tool for creamy soups! It's no secret that I love soup. I also like creamy soups, but I do not make those soups often because I do not own a hand blender to turn the soups creamy.  I have decided that 2020 will be my year for creamy soups for every season.

No more fuzzy sweaters or coats! The other day I looked in my closet and realized that some of my shirts are not looking its best. I had my photo taken with celebrity chef Vivian Howard at an event, and my mom commented on my sweater having lint balls. Jack made fun of my coat that I wore out this week, saying it was covered in lint. I have come to realize that I do not have the proper equipment to take care of these clothes. Oprah has a favorite fabric shave that is pricey, but I think I'm going to get this fabric shaver/lint remover for under $15. The reviews are stellar, and the price is right.

Hot water in an instant. A few years ago, I purchased an electric tea kettle. I love it.  My brand is Capresso, but now they've come up with designs that look beautiful on countertops and for half the price. I love the blue and white design of this electric tea kettle.  Electric tea kettles are great for hot chocolate, too.

Food Huggers are a lifesaver. I adore food huggers. I use them for my dog's canned food, but I feel as if I need more in my life. They also have food huggers for an avocado now. I do not own one of those, but I need one. If you do not have a food hugger and if you have a pet that eats canned food, then you need this now.

Sustainable Olive Oil Mister. One of my family members will receive an olive oil mister by Misto for the holidays. I saw it and was impressed. I want one, too.

His and Hers Electric Toothbrushes: Several years ago, my dentist's office recommended an electric toothbrush because I have receding gums.  I was told that an electric toothbrush would help keep them from receding more because when we brush our teeth, we are guilty of brushing too hard. This Fairywell dual electric toothbrush travel set in pink and black are perfect for those family members you know who are taking out all of their aggression on their teeth when they brush.

My thanks to Moore Family Dentistry, a Garner, NC Family Dentist for being a December blog sponsor. My sponsors keep me at my desk writing and outaboutNC. 

This new Raleigh home was listed for $564,900. The house was a new construction built by Moss Construction and Design in Raleigh's Washington Heights neighborhood, which is less than a mile away from downtown Raleigh's main streets.

This home was under 2,000 square feet but had a great open floor plan with an expansive back porch.  This is why we dubbed it "The Entertaining House" for our episode title. Heather,  my co-host and local realtor with Choice Residential Real Estate, absolutely loves modern. It's her favorite style of home, so she was immediately smitten. I had to be won over to come to the "modern-side" as she calls it because I love English cottage, Charleston, and Tudor styles more.

The modern home with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths was beautiful.  It impressed me so much. The home's location is in a southwest pocket of downtown Raleigh that is going up in price rapidly as revitalization in the area continues.



You can view our entire episode below and be sure to subscribe to my channel.


 


The real estate listing was by Isabel Moss. We also toured one of Moss's listings in the Downtown Raleigh bungalow episode.  The large, spacious windows with natural light was a big plus for this home as well as its open floor plan. It lived a lot bigger than just over 1800 square feet.



The kitchen was a stunner with black cabinet and cafe appliances. Be sure to check out the entire episode and see if I turned to the modern side of life. The home was built by Moss Construction and Design of Raleigh. They are specializing in construction in these areas going through revitalization.

OutaboutNC Local Restaurant: Falafel and Co on Brookside Drive 

House Stalking always makes us hungry.  For lunch, we chose a charming Mediterranean market and cafe called Falafel and Co in the Mordecai area of Downtown Raleigh.  It's a market, wine bar, coffee shop, and counter-service restaurant. The food is delicious.


Stalk you later. Episodes One through Four of The House Stalkers are now on YouTube at
YouTube.com/LeighPowellHines

I would appreciate a watch and a subscribe to help me get into the YouTube Partner program. You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. I am beginning to wonder if I will see those numbers in my lifetime.



You can also join our Facebook community where we stalk active listing.  If you are a realtor, I also have a special realtor marketing group for you.

My thanks to Lovein Ribman, Houston Mechanics Lien Lawyer, for being a December Blog Sponsor.  Lovein Ribman is the leader in Construction Law. My sponsors keep me at my desk writing editorial content and OutaboutNC.