This month’s faves are:

1. Premium Nut N’ Berry Wild Bird Food
2. Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment
3. Fiskars Original 8″ Orange Handled Scissors

Are you a birder?  I am.  I proudly call myself a birder or even a bird nerd.  I can be talking to someone and in the middle of a sentence, see a bird and throw out the name of the bird species and go back to the conversation.  It’s kind of an obsession of mine along with all my other ones.

I have numerous feeders in my yard and use various types of seed or bird food in them.  Bird seed can get expensive, especially when you have multiple feeders to fill so here’s what I do to get the most out of my favorite expensive mix, 3-D Pet Product’s Nut N’ Berry.  Start with a basic song bird seed.  I prefer the Pennington Classic Wild Bird Seed mix to use as my base.  This is a great basic mix that attracts many different varieties of birds.

I always buy the 40lb bag from Wal-Mart for three reasons.  The first is that it’s less than $16, second, it doesn’t contain corn (I feel like corn attracts grackles and starlings) and the third is because I know the seed will be fresh.  They always sell a ton of food and I don’t want seed that’s sat around and become buggy.  I’ve had that happen when I bought a bag from another store and it was horrible!

Bird seed can go bad!  Try to buy fresh.

I take an old cheese ball tub or any other large plastic container I have on hand and scoop enough of the basic mix into it to fill it 4/5 or more full and then add a cup or two of the Nut and Berry mix.  There are different brands of Nut and Berry mix but I use this one from 3-D Pet Products.  Mixing it in with the Pennington Classic helps to stretch it out but still gives the visitors an extra special treat while stopping by the feeders.

Another thing I love about this mix is that when my little chipmunk friend visits I can grab a handful and set it out for him.  He gobbles it up and stuffs his cheeks full.

My second fave this month is Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment.  This is not a lip balm but a white creamy ointment that needs to be worked into the lips.  I purchased my three pack from Wal-Mart or Target. This is wonderful for anyone who suffers from dry, cracked lips any time of year.

I rub it on/into my lips at bedtime and my lips feel so much nicer the next morning.  They feel plumper and softer and appear more moisturized as well.

The ointment smells very much like menthol but I don’t mind because I’m going to sleep so who cares!  Blistex also offers another ointment that comes in a small white pump and that one smells wonderful but I like the results I get from this version better.  With drier winter weather coming I definitely recommend getting some to keep on your nightstand.

Keep your lips super smooth.

My final favorite item this month is an old favorite of mine.  I’ve had them for years!  I’m referring to my Fiskars Scissors.  These are hands down the best scissors for cutting fabric!  I spent years sewing and using them to cut everything from soft cotton batting to tough denim.

I own the Original 8″ Orange Handled Scissors but I also have a pair of Fiskars Pinking Shears and Fiskars Detail Scissors.  Both of those work great too but I admit I don’t use my Pinking Shears that much anymore.  The 8″ scissors are always on hand and still cut perfectly even though I’ve never had them sharpened.

Use your Fiskars 8″ Originals on fabric only!

In order to keep them cutting from back to tip evenly make sure you do not use them to cut paper.  This is something I’ve had to teach my girls because when they need scissors for any project they just grab whichever pair they see.  I try to keep paper cutting scissors stocked and in a drawer away from my Fiskars so they don’t use them out of desperation.  They’ve been pretty good about it as they’ve gotten older.  Occasionally fabric stores offer blade sharpening services, too so if yours do dull they’re not necessarily ruined.

Fiskars offers lots of great cutting tools but I would never get rid of my 8″ Originals.  They are a must for sewers, quilters and anyone who may need to cut fabric materials.  So stop fighting with your fabric and just get a pair to have on-hand.  You never know when you’ll need to turn a pair of pants into shorts or chop a maxi dress into a mini dress.