1) Tide Total Care: This stuff does what it says it will. My clothes are softer, brighter, not stretching out in the wash, and my husband's t-shirts smell heavenly on him. It got out dried blood, old dried-in schmutz on a hand-me-down, and tomato sauce. Stains? I laugh in the face of stains - ha ha ha ha! Tide even offers a free sample here. It's a little pricey, but it's totally worth it. Don't be fooled by the smell in the bottle; it's so concentrated that it smells a little weird before it's been diluted in the wash. It may not be appropriate for people with skin allergies due to the high fragrance content, but for the rest of us, it's better than Gain!
2) Allergen Block: There are two versions of this, Chloroseptic and Little Allergies, the latter being the only one I've been able to find (I found it at WalMart). It's a drug-free ointment that you rub around your nostrils and upper lip, and it claims to have a positive charge that repels negatively-charged allergens. Although it seemed far-fetched, I've built up a tolerance to Zyrtec and needed to find an affordable alternative. You may be shocked to know that I actually like it! It does have to be reapplied every 4-6 hours or if you get your face wet or have to blow your nose a lot - it doesn't stop post-nasal drip until your body stops reacting to the allergens you've already inhaled. Once my body got over what it was already reacting to, this stuff did a pretty good job of taming the outdoor allergens! It's not so great against my furry pets and fur-covered bed, though, so a little preventative maintenance of allergens might help prevent waking up miserable. You can get a $3 rebate from Rite-Aid until May 30th [it's about a third of the way down the page of the link]. Balancing the cost against the cost-per-use makes it a decent deal.
3) Hugo Naturals: I started with their French Lavender Calming Shampoo, Conditioner, and lotion while on our vacation, then fell in love with their bar soaps after we got back. The shampoo doesn't have icky sodium lauryl sulfate or other detergents, and the conditioner doesn't have alcohol. It feels weird to use, but it leaves hair thoroughly clean yet not stripped. The lotion absorbs quickly and doesn't have a heavy smell. The soap is one of the only soaps around that doesn't leave my skin dry and itchy, but it does have one caveat: it contains castor oil. Castor oil is perfectly safe to use but extremely toxic to harvest, making it a product that contributes to unsafe work places. I intend to let Hugo Naturals know about my concern and switch to their shower gel for my next go-round. I buy it at Whole Foods/Whole Body, but it can be purchased directly here.
These are just three of my favorite things of late, but let's face it, it's not that interesting a blog entry to read. It also doesn't endorse my favorite product site, Etsy.com. You can see all those favorite things in the box on the right, and buying things there supports independent craftspeople. Go Handmade!
