Living in Korea I’ve come to completely & truly recognize the value of a buck…and what I spend it on.

Life before Korea I would see something in the store & think, ‘Oh, that’s cute!’ And pick it up without a second thought (if I had the money).

Now, not so much.

Now everything has to do triple-duty. Buying a single pair of shoes means they need to be more than ‘cute’. They need to dress up; they need to dress down; they need to last; they need to keep my feet warm & dry during the Korean winter; they need to be chew-proof.

(Ok…maybe that last one is a stretch.)

But buying something I can’t buy in Korea means paying to ship it to Korea.

So when I do buy something online, it’s something important – something of real value – something I honestly can’t live without.

And it makes going to the mail room feel like Christmas – even though we already know what’s inside the box.

This box?…This box contains something of real value – something I can’t live without – and surprisingly it’s something that can’t do double-duty, let alone triple-duty. But it’s worth every penny.

Williams-Sonoma Turkey Brine.

Specifically the ‘Apple & Spices’ turkey brine.

But just look at all the goodness inside!

Apples, juniper berries, lemon peel, star anise, garlic, bay leaves, onion….

The smell alone is divine….it’s intoxicating & almost narcotic.

And I can’t imagine ever cooking a Thanksgiving turkey again without it.

So yes…I spent good money on brine & have yet to find a pair of shoes.