Some of My Favorite Things Are Not Just For Christmas

Oprah Winfrey is not the only one who has favorite things. However, there are two significant differences between hers and mine.

• Oprah's list is for consumers to purchase her favorite items during the Christmas holiday. I do not wait until the holidays to purchase items I want during the year.
• My favorite things are for budget-conscious people.

All five of the following products were purchased from Amazon.com.

1. Air Fryer

My Deco Chef 5.8-quart digital electric air fryer is at the top of my list of appliances. I use it often, and I have recommended it to many people who have purchased it from Amazon.

There are bigger ones, but I like this one because it is more vertical than horizontal, which saves counter space. The size is ideal for me since I am cooking for one. If I needed to cook for a family, I would have bought a bigger one.

With 1400 watts of power, this air fryer needs only a little cooking oil or none at all. I can cook meats, vegetables, snacks, and even desserts. The food turns out to be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Included is the official Deco Chef cookbook with 17 mouthwatering recipes for the electric air fryer. Additionally, it comes with a pizza pan, BBQ rack, and skewers. As of this writing, the price is $66.49.

2. Echo Dot

I love my Echo Dot (3rd Gen) that came equipped with Alexa. It is a popular smart speaker with a fabric design. My Echo Dot is Amazon's most compact smart speaker that fits perfectly into small spaces.

I can ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, read the news, tell me a joke, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and more. I usually say, “Alexa, wake me up to soothing music at 6 a.m.”

This product comes in four different colors: charcoal, gray, plum, and sandalwood. The price is $29.90.

3. Essential Oils

I love essential oils because there are many to choose from. I usually purchase a set instead of individual bottles. The above photo shows Lagunamoon Premium Essential Oils Set that includes 20 individual bottles: lavender, frankincense, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sandalwood, lemon, vanilla, jasmine, lemongrass, eucalyptus, bergamot, chamomile, grapefruit, cedar, cinnamon, geranium, orange, vetiver, and tea tree.

Simply add a few drops to any aromatherapy diffuser (shown below), and the entire room will be filled with the aroma you have selected.

Essential oils are suitable for diffusion, vaporizing, inhalation, cleaning, massage, oil burner, perfume, home care (bedroom, living room, bathroom, study room), office (workstation, conference room), outdoors, campground, yoga room, car, and spa. This set with 20 bottles costs $31.99. However, prices vary on other sets. Some start as low as $9.99 for a set of 6 bottles.

4. Essential Oil Diffuser

Amazon has many diffusers for essential oils to choose from that come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. I purchased a small one that is ideal for me. It serves as a cool mist humidifier with an auto-off feature.

This diffuser can serve as a decorative piece that fits any decor. The price is $26.99. It comes with 6 bottles of essential oils.

5. Speakerphone

This AT&T CL2940 Corded Phone is ideal for older adults because of the extra-large tilt display/buttons, caller ID, and call waiting. When I purchased this phone in 2020, I paid only $29.99. Today, it sells for $52.36.