A year of Bests
12-31-05
By Jena Monahan
Courrier-Journal

Who really is The Best

You, dear readers, clued us into some great products in 2005

It's the last SCENE of the year, and you know what that means: It's time to look back at all of the treasures you, the readers of this newspaper, wrote about in The Best column in 2005.

I've looked back over the dozens of columns to see if I could group things together somehow and came up with the following compendium, by no means complete. Maybe you'll spot something here you forgot about, and you can put it on your list to check out in the New Year.

Personal care products

One thing for sure: We think a lot about our skin. How to keep it soft and supple and protected from the elements. To that end Denise Glaser Malloy, who is a regular contributor to this column from Bozeman, Mont., wrote about Banana Boat Quick Dry Sport Sunblock Spray, a rub-free clear spray that is waterproof and sweatproof for long days in the sun. Fran Coffman, recognizing the dangers of prolonged exposure to the sun but still desirous of a golden tan, wrote about Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer.

Melissa Uhl Draut extolled the virtues of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant for dried, cracked, chapped skin, while Martha Katz swore by Surgeon's Skin Secret, which she said medical professionals use for dry skin caused by repetitive hand-washing.

Of course, you could always stay out of the sun by sitting under a JoeShade Portable Umbrella. That's what Kathleen Gumbel did. And when the bugs bit, Ethan Hunter simply applied Cactus Juice.

Jessica Thomas loved Victoria's Secret Balmy Nights, a bedtime lip balm; and Savannah Hunter was keeping after those germs with Bath & Body Works' antibacterial hand gel.

If all else fails and you do get sick, Honi Goldman had this recommendation: Give in to it. Pamper yourself. Drink ginger tea, eat homemade mushroom soup and keep Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream dabbed on your pathetic red nose.

Household help

Best item The Best editor bought this year for her new home? The Cascadia showerhead by Waterpik, which Randa Barr told us about. Best item The Best editor wished she'd invested in for the new house? The Roller Wizard, which Scott Coffman swore made painting less of a nightmare.

Best item The Best editor has at the ready for the first time a drain backs up at the new house? The $2 Zip-It, an ugly-looking plastic gadget that'll pull a clog out of a sink drain that looks like the creature from the Black Lagoon. My fellow Hoosier Lucynda Koesters told us about that one.

Erik Eckel sang the praises of Mechanix Wear Original Gloves, which keep him from being all thumbs around the house. Gary Pollock made sense of all of his remote controls with the Sony Integrated Remote Commander, and James Edwards got all teched up with the Flash2Pass remote garage-door opener.

Lance Gothard got excited when his girlfriend asked him to join her in the bathroom for a surprise. Turned out, he got to take his pick of cleaning chores, all made simpler with method cleaning products. And when winter storms left many of us in the dark, Patricia Shaw McGee had her Excalibur Forever Flashlight, which requires no batteries.

Food, glorious food

It doesn't get any more decadent than fresh oysters FedExed overnight from Taylor Shellfish in the Pacific Northwest. For David Dillard, they were a special treat. And everything is better with a little garlic, right? Elaine Rooker Jack found the Garlic Twist to be the best way to process fresh cloves, while Barbara H. Franklin found Garden Fresh Gourmet Artichoke Garlic Salsa to be the best snack for someone trying to watch those calories. Kroger sweet potato casserole brought back fond memories of her childhood for Mary Rhode.

When you watch as many DVDs as Vince Staten does, you learn a few things about popcorn. And Vince swore by Pop-Secret Homestyle popcorn.

And last but not least in the food category, Honi Goldman again, with her bourbon-marinated turkey. I got more requests for this column than any other this year.

Furry friends

Readers love to share items that helped them keep their pets safe, healthy and happy. Holly Gray liked the Pet Blinker because it helped her keep track of her pooch in the back yard and kept him visible on their nighttime walks. Sara Heitz splurged on Pampered Pet cookies for her dog so he could eat healthier. Joe Gerth invested in a PetSafe Spray Bark Control Collar for his dog and got some peace and quiet as a return.

And, we actually printed the first Best written by a dog. Skipper Vize, who sounded a lot like his owner, Clare Vize, wrote about what great exercise he got playing with his Classic Kong toy.

Baby things

Becoming a parent opens up a whole new world of Bests, things you never knew existed until that little one came into your life. For Maria Giacalone, it was the Amazing Miracle Blanket, which more than lived up to its name by swaddling her newborn and helping lull her to sleep.

Cynthia Schultz, a doting grandmother, found that "Baby Einstein" DVDs helped keep her grandson entertained and stimulated. Beverly Bartlett found the Barnes & Noble mini-album to be the perfect way to show off pictures of her son. John Hultgren went one step further and turned his family photos into books using the MyPublisher Bookmaker software.

Pure fun

Finally, there were those items that seemed to have only one thing in common: fun. High school student Annie Kim told us about the Indo Board balance trainer, which lets her and her brother hang 10 right here in the Ohio Valley. Cynthia Schultz had a ball with all her grandkids. Actually, it was a Gertie Ball, "the world's most catchable ball." And Sara Thompson came up with 20 Questions, an artificially intelligent version of the classic party game that I can testify is a blast to play.

So there you have it. Just some of what you wrote about this year. That's right, you. This is your column. I received submissions this year from people all over the area, young and old. And I heard from even more who said they'd always thought about someday writing a Best of their own. Why not make that your New Year's resolution?

Have a great 2006.

Submit! What do you think is "The Best"? If we publish your submission, you'll get 40 bucks and all the fame you can stand. Address submissions, with your address and daytime phone number, to Jena Monahan, "Best" Editor, The Courier-Journal, P.O. Box 740031, Louisville, KY 40201-7431. E-mail her at jmonahan@courier-journal.com.