You probably have seen the images of Rick Perry drying up completely during a TV debate. Anybody who has ever spoken in public will have felt enormous sympathy. There but for the grace of God go I. So where did he go wrong? He started his sentence by saying that there were three things that he wanted to mention. That immediately provides a hostage to fortune. Much better to use a phrase such as “a couple of things”. No number, no pressure. If you can’t remember, only you know 
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Surely, couple denotes two, just as “a few” denotes more than two.
I would venture to say that the best phrase to use would be something even more neutral, such as “let me say this” or “here’s what I think”.