When I was in third grade, I desperately wanted to play the Gretel, the littlest member of the Von Trapp clan, in our school production of the holiday classic, The Sound of Music. I’m not sure why I wanted to be Gretel, except her name kind of sounds like “pretzel” and well, who doesn’t like hot, twisty bread?
On audition day, the entire 10-year-old population of Big Lake Elementary was corralled into a classroom and given their marching orders: read two lines from the script and then pass it on. When it was my turn to read, I cleared my throat, straightened my shoulders, opened wide my eager mouth, and then … whispered the words so quietly, they were less a dramatic dialogue and more a strange, sleepy lullaby.
Predictably, my theatrics (or lack thereof) didn’t land me the plum role of Gretel, but I did—out of pity, I suppose—get cast as A Few of My Favorite Things Song Leader #1 (of 6). And that singular experience—captured in photographs where I’m dressed in a billowy, white top, apron, knee socks, and braids, amidst a backdrop of butcher paper edelweiss—is one my favorites of childhood.
Hännihaus is not a gift guide or shopping-type blog, but there are a few things I’ve discovered (and/or re-discovered) in 2009 that really rock. I thought I’d share them here.
JUST IN CASE YOU’RE WONDERING, IN 2009, THESE WERE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
1. Yeowww! Catnip Banana 
I like my catnip like I like my raisins: organic and awesome. The Yeowww! Catnip Banana is not only cute, it’s also stuffed with 100% organically grown and intensely-scented catnip. Bella and Sphynxy go crazy for this toy! The only downside? The banana has been known to inspire annoying Internet phenomenon flashbacks. Can you say, ITS PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME?
2. Student massage
With the economy in shambles, I feel so blessed to have a steady, salaried job. The tradeoff for gainful employment in these tough economic times is that I am expected to do more with less—to work harder than ever before with fewer rewards and resources. To earn my corporate keep, I have sometimes felt like a sopping sponge that’s gone rough from being wrung dry; More than a few times this year, I have felt overwhelmed.
(Photo credit: thomaswanhoff@flickr)
Therapeutic student massage has saved my sanity, and at a fraction of the cost of professional massage, is a luxury I feel I can afford.
If you are in Houston, I highly recommend the Memorial Hermann Massage and Spa Therapy School. A 60-minute massage with an intern therapist will set you back just $29. So cheap.
3. Yummery 
Psst, my other blog is a foodie shopping blog. When I’m not posting here, you can find me (most every day) at Yummery.com. Yummery is a unique, product-centric Web site focused on all things food, where all manner of unique items are showcased, from aprons to zesters and everything in between. Personally, I specialize in posting about items that—like alien juicers, ninja salt shakers, and ravioli sponges—have a quirky distinction….Or maybe they just stink. You be the judge. Check us out.
4. Regina Spektor
If love is like oxygen, then you’ll want to take in alt-rock, piano mama, Regina Spektor with big, greedy gulps.
Regina’s charming, Far, with its sweetly sung, slice-of-life songs about God, lost wallets, and steamy summer hookups, is my favorite album of 2009. Highlights include: the delightfully disturbing, “Genius Next Door” where Regina sings about a lake that turns into butter overnight and the man who drowns in it; pop-eccentric ditty, “The Calculation” where computers are made from macaroni pieces; and the ominous and infectious “Machine” which delivers—over a clanging metallic background—a strange story hinting at impending doom (“living in your prewar apartment/soon to be your post-war apartment.”)
Other albums that got play on my iPod in 2009? Yeah Yeah Yeah’s It’s Blitz!, Fall Out Boy’s Folie A Deux, Where The Wild Things Are Motion Picture Soundtrack, and John Mayer’s Battle Studies.
5. Netflix
In addition to adjusting my thermostat, re-tooling my cell phone plan, and signing with a less-expensive energy provider, my efforts to save during the recession paid off big time when I killed my expensive ($40/month) cable and joined über-affordable, Netflix. 
For $9-something per month, I get unlimited 1-disc DVD rentals delivered directly to my home. A fan of TV on DVD, every week I enjoy hours of viewing my favorite shows—House, Gossip Girl, Dexter, Ugly Betty, Weeds, Mad Men, Big Love, and True Blood—all without commercial interruption.
A subscription that saves me both time and money? Dear cable: I’d tell you I miss you, but then I’d be lying.
6. My triumphant return to blogging!
(Photo credit: HikingArtist.com@flickr)
OK, not a product. But still, this is totally awesome. Right?
7. NYX Eyeshadow Trio 
After seeing it featured on a Girl Next Door makeup tutorial, I became obsessed with the Bobbi Brown Nude Eye Palette, but at $60, it was not in the budget. Enter the NYX Cosmetics Eyeshadow Trio: at just $6.99, the Nude/Taupe/Dark Brown palette—which I’ve found to be comparable to higher-end boutique brands in both quality and pigmentation—is my best beauty find of 2009.
8. L’oreal Colour Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss/ Milani Crystal Gloss 
The perfect complement to a nude eye is a glossy, beige mouth. Kim Kardashian routinely rocks this look, as does J-Lo, Rihanna, and Heidi Klum.
MAC Underage and C-Thru Lipglasses are popular for creating a neutral pout, but I hate their sticky texture and $18 price tag. L’oreal Colour Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss in Bubble Gum and Milani Crystal Gloss in Secret are perfect dupes of Underage and C-Thru but have a better texture and price point ($8 and $4 respectively). Love.
9. The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
This year, one of my favorite food bloggers released an amazing cookbook. Elana Amsterdam (of Elana’s Pantry) is a culinary wizard whose focus on whole foods and grain-free cooking very closely aligns with what I do in my own kitchen. Her wonderful Gluten Free: Almond Flour Cookbook is an epiphany for people like me who strive to banish bad-choice foods from their households. I can tell you from personal experience, Elana’s delicious (low-carb) almond flour pizza crust, herbed crackers, pumpkin pie, and pancakes taste just as good as their traditional counterparts, but are nourishing in a way that white-flour foods just aren’t. Three cheers for delicious nutrition!
10. Twilight Edward Bookmark
I am a fanpire. I have read all the Twilight books and am now working my way through the Sookie Stackhouse series. On opening night, I made Andrew Hotpants brave an Ugg-booted throng of squealing teens and cougars to accompany me to Cinemark’s 8:15 New Moon show. And the girl who yelled, I’m having an orgasm!, as a shirtless Edward stepped toward the sunlight in an act of Voluturi defiance? It may or may not have been me.
I am not ashamed. I totally own this bookmark:
Team Edward 4 ever.
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And that concludes my awesome countdown. Tell me, what are your favorite finds of 2009? Movies, burgers, jeans, books, bikes, cars, kid stuff, mom stuff, man stuff—lay it on me.
Leave your love in comments and I’ll totally love you back.
