Dear Wendy readers are some of the most intelligent, stylish, super cool people around (it’s a proven fact), so, when a commenter suggested I create a regular feature for them to recommend some of their favorite products, it was a no-brainer and Reader Recs was born. Today’s recommendations come from Rachel, who is a scientist who studies weather, though she just moved to San Diego where there is very little weather to speak of. She lives with her fiancé, dog Toby, and cat Kydoimos. For fun Rachel enjoys watching football, bowling, live music, and patio drinking. Check out her recommendations below!
Young@Heart
This movie tells the story of a chorus filled with senior citizens, who do good justice both to classic songs and newer stuff you would never expect to hear your grandparents sing. It’s a sweet, sad, and funny movie – I’ve given it to a few people as a gift and it’s never disappointed. I’ve actually seen the Young@Heart chorus live, too!
Snowball White – Adjustable Cat Safety Collar
My cat is a master at getting out of collars, and this is the one that seems to have outsmarted him. Whether it’s built better, or is just light enough that he notices it less, who knows. It’s cheap, and comes in a ton of colors!
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
This is one of my favorite books of all time. I’ve re-read it a few times and it still makes me laugh out loud.
Vera Bradley Zip-Around Wallet
I love, love, love this wallet. It’s big enough for all my crap, and it zips closed and has a wrist strap, so I can shove my phone in it and use it without a purse for a night out. Also, since it’s Vera Bradley, it comes in roughly a zillion colors/patterns. I get compliments on it all the time.
Original Hoberman Sphere–Rainbow
Because I couldn’t think of anything related to weather to recommend, I figured I would include my favorite nerdy toy. You can hang it – but I think it’s more fun to toss around, and puzzle out how exactly it can fold up so small.
Thanks, Rachel!
If you have some products you’d like to recommend to the DW audience, shoot me an email at wendy@dearwendy.com with links to five recommendations. (Write “reader recs” in the subject line please). Your recommendations can be from any store or website, but they need to be accessible online — and I would love it if at least two items could be found on Amazon where I am an affiliate. If your list is a good fit for the site, I’ll ask you to write a brief description of each item/ explain what you love so much about it.
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Lyra June 5, 2014, 1:12 pm
I’ve used that sphere to teach kiddos dynamics such as forte and piano (loud and soft) as well as crescendos (gradually getting louder) and decrescendos (gradually getting softer). It’s a great teaching tool!
rachel June 5, 2014, 1:24 pm
Cool, I never thought about applications to music! Yay physics 🙂
Lyra June 5, 2014, 1:30 pm
Yeah, a lot of music teachers use it actually — it doesn’t take up very much space, kids love the visual, and you can even fit a kindergarten (or two) inside when it’s spread out. Little kids learn through experience!
Boobs Magee June 5, 2014, 1:28 pm
Yay, let’s hear it for recommendations from San Diego! But what’s all this nonsense about having no weather to speak of in SD?? Pffft. We have weather – sunny, hazy, sunny, partly cloudy, sunny… Yeah, I’m being a total idiot here. 🙂
Rachel, I’m loving that Vera Bradley wallet!
Katie June 5, 2014, 1:31 pm
Weird I saw those wallets recommended as a solution for my purse issue!
lemongrass June 5, 2014, 1:42 pm
Lamb is fucking hilarious. One of my all time favorite books. In fact, I’m going to reread it now.
veritek33 June 5, 2014, 2:18 pm
I have that wallet in a different print! It holds so much! Great stuff.
Moneypenny June 5, 2014, 2:23 pm
I have one of those wallets too! Super handy!
Banana June 5, 2014, 3:03 pm
Oooh, I want one of those Vera Bradley wallets. I loved looking at the names of all the patterns too. One of them is called “Happy Snails.”
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I’m thinking: Dogwood, English Meadow, or Provencal. Thoughts?
lets_be_honest June 5, 2014, 3:09 pm
Dogwood!
Banana June 5, 2014, 3:11 pm
Gah now I want that one AND Provencal! And the matching tote. Okay, I’ve fallen down the Vera rabbit hole.
Copa June 5, 2014, 4:03 pm
I was gifted the Provencal wallet for Christmas and haven’t used it (because I’ just gotten a new one last summer and prefer it). I can take a look around and try to find were I put it — if you want mine (for free), it’s yours!
Banana June 5, 2014, 4:22 pm
Seriously? Wow, at least let me pay you shipping or something! FB message me!
Astronomer June 5, 2014, 3:11 pm
I like Provencal. It’s so bright and happy!
KKZ June 6, 2014, 12:32 pm
My everyday purse is a Vera Bradley in the pattern shown here – and even better, I got it for $16 at a consignment shop. Now I feel I must have the wallet. I get compliments on it a lot too and because I wear a lot of blue, green and purple, it goes with most of my everyday outfits. And has lasted a lot, lot longer than previous bags.
Astronomer June 5, 2014, 3:09 pm
That cat collar is super cute! I’m going to buy one as soon as I can choose a color.
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I made the mistake of letting my husband pick out the last cat collar we bought. It’s got a little green bow-tie, so it’s adorable, but it’s also really impractical. I have to adjust it 17 times a day when his tag gets caught up in the bow-tie part. Thankfully he likes collars and doesn’t mind me messing with it, but still.
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On another note, my husband needs a DW name. Typing out “my husband” all the time makes me want to vomit a little. So far, the only things I can think of are Astro-Man and Kitty Daddy–like baby daddy, only funny because it’s about cats. I don’t know. Anyone?
theattack June 5, 2014, 3:10 pm
What about Astronoman? AstroMan is good too though.
lets_be_honest June 5, 2014, 3:11 pm
Astro reminds me of the Jetsons, so I say pick another Jetsons’ name. Your options are:
George
Elroy
Orbitty
Mr. Spacely
Mr. Cogswell
R.U.D.I.
veritek33 June 5, 2014, 3:18 pm
I vote cogswell!
lemongrass June 5, 2014, 3:19 pm
Mr. Spacely has my vote.
snoopy128 June 5, 2014, 3:21 pm
Elroy has my vote.
I now want to name my future dog Elroy.
Holly June 5, 2014, 4:54 pm
I’m fond of “Rocket Man.” Ha.
Astronomer June 5, 2014, 3:12 pm
Astronoman! I like it. It sounds vaguely dirty, too.
theattack June 5, 2014, 3:13 pm
Is that because of all of Afroman’s dirty songs?
Astronomer June 5, 2014, 5:22 pm
Ha! No, I was thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets a license plate that says “ASS MAN.”
lets_be_honest June 5, 2014, 4:27 pm
Sorry, we voted and Mr. Spacely won.
Astronomer June 5, 2014, 5:24 pm
Well, I can’t argue with democracy. I think Mr. Spacely would love his DW name if he knew DW existed.
muchachaenlaventana June 5, 2014, 3:13 pm
Young at Heart is seriously one of my favorite things ever. Never fails to bring a shitstorm of tears though, but provides great catharsis if you are a bottler like me.
No Pants June 5, 2014, 4:06 pm
Oooh, Young @ Heart is on Hulu!
jlyfsh June 5, 2014, 4:09 pm
that is pretty exciting news. thanks for sharing i was too lazy to check.
No Pants June 5, 2014, 4:13 pm
I can’t take the credit – I definitely texted He Pants and asked him to check for me.
jlyfsh June 5, 2014, 4:19 pm
texting takes effort!
Liquid Luck June 5, 2014, 4:15 pm
I love Lamb. My copy has almost completely fallen apart from re-reads and lending it out to pretty much everyone I know.
Also, I used to work at the bookstore in your picture!
CurlyMomNJ June 5, 2014, 4:28 pm
Go PSU! Look at you, hanging outside of SBS! I’m an alum too!
Oh, and I love anything and everything Vera Bradley. I have the full luggage set of the old breast cancer awareness pattern, but I’m bummed they’ve since retired it. Don’t have this particular clutch yet, but maybe I should for the summer.
No Pants June 5, 2014, 7:34 pm
I lied 🙁 He Pants saw the trailer for Young @ Heart on Hulu and thought that meant the movie was available too. No such luck :/
Berrribabe June 6, 2014, 9:38 am
I fucking adore LAMB! I splurged and got myself the special edition with a black cover, gilt edged pages, and the red bookmark when my first copy fell to pieces.