Every year I think back over the new things I fell in love with over the previous twelve months. Past lists have included butter bells, Droid cell phone, floor steam cleaners, and UGGs. Here are the things I loved in 2011:

iPad — I held off getting one of these expensive buggers for a long time. But dang…I LOVE this thing! It's so versatile, and it doubles as an e-reader for my son. I have a Kindle, but I don't really want him using it, since I have, er, adult books on it. I also bought the little portable keyboard to go with it, so in a pinch, I can write on my iPad. Love!

Haflinger Slippers — these might not be the most attractive things on the planet, but they are SO comfortable and warm. They mold to your foot and fit like a glove. I adore these slippers.

Lip Fusion XL — Yeah, this stuff is EXPENSIVE. I happened to get a few bottles when Sephora had a closeout sale, so they were ridiculously cheap. But boy, this stuff works to plump up your lips, and the plumping effect lasts. For days. You use it at night, and it moisturizes and exfoliates like nothing I've every used. I wouldn't pay full price for it, but you can find sales sometimes, and some good deals especially on trial sizes (which should last a month) on Ebay.

Furminator — For those who follow me on my blog, Twitter, or Facebook, you know that this year we got a puppy. She's a long-haired King Shepherd with one hell of an undercoat. We got regular brushes for her, but people kept saying to try the Furminator. I was skeptical. I mean, those things are expensive for a brush. Yeah…call me a convert. The Furminator absolutely works and is totally worth the money. Even after a thorough brushing with a regular brush, I can run the Furminator over Hexe, and in ONE STROKE, I have a handful of undercoat. A good, all over brushing will get me enough fur to make a large cat. Amazing product.

FitFlop Pietra Flip Flop — I bought these fit flops because I needed something comfortable to wear while walking around New York City last summer, and I'd heard these were great. Um…yeah. They are beyond great. The most comfortable flip flops I've ever owned, with the added benefit of toning your legs. Okay, not so sure about the toning, but I will say that after walking in them, I do feel it in my upper legs and butt. My feet have a tendency to hurt after only a little walking, but they NEVER hurt in these. I especially like this design because it's narrower than the other FitFlop designs, and I have narrow feet. The only issue is that the leather on top can rub on the top of the toes, but I solved that by working the leather a little until it was soft. No issues after that.

Waffle Maker — I love this little sucker! I make waffles for my son for breakfast, and this particular maker is nice because it stores upright, so it has a small footprint on the counter. No having to find a place to put it after using it or having it take up a ton of room in the kitchen. Makes nice Belgian waffles too! Yum!

Okay, that's all I can think of for this year. Is there anything you loved this year that you can share?