Things I'm loving, post-surgical edition

1. Shower chair. Would literally be impossible to shower without it. Plus it's HSA eligible.

2. Foot scrubber. Not being able to bend over means not being able to reach my feet. This thing is like a car wash for your feet. It's so fun and works so well that I'm going to keep using it after I'm recovered.

3. Walker (& cup holder). We borrowed a walker from MAH, and I wish we would have thought of this before. It's WAY easier to get around the house in this than scooting around in my office chair. Plus there is storage beneath the seat. Moving around (and carrying drinks) just got a lot easier.

4. Fanny pack. I've had this for years and usually only use it when I'm hiking, but it has been essential for carrying things with me when I'm on crutches. I'm going to need to throw it in the laundry because I keep spilling food on it. 

5. Baby wipes. I only used them to "bathe" in the 48 hours after surgery before I was allowed to shower. They do a pretty good job. I have also used them a lot to wipe off the patio furniture (dust, pollen, bird poo) and scrub food spills off of my fanny pack...

6. Clorox wipes. Infection control is SO important. 

7. Resistance bands. The only reason why my foot is not blue. 

I debated getting a grabbing tool, because if I drop something it stays there until FH picks it up for me, and it would probably make it easier to get dressed. The only reason why I didn't get one is because I don't want to have to carry it around. It's only good if it's within arm's reach. 

Things I'm loving lately

Things I'm loving lately:

Scented trash bags. For some reason I have always been AGAINST scented trash bags. Maybe because I thought they'd be like air freshener- which never works and only makes it smell like ocean breeze + farts or fish or whatever you're trying to cover up. But we accidentally bought a huge box and it turns out, scented trash bags are nice! You get a whiff of smell-good-ness every time it's opened, unless the trash is funky and then all you smell is funky trash can. I have officially switched teams and now I buy scented trash bags on purpose.

Supplements: Ginger first thing in the morning, Fish Oil daily for the eyes and heart, a thyroid blend and a hormone support blend just for now to boost those areas, twice a week, Vitamin D 3 times a week for the bones and respiratory system, a B12/Folate in the afternoon, maybe with a Nitric Oxide Booster if I'm feeling particularly sluggish (that will get you through a workout), and a Magnesium Glycinate at night. I've been throwing everything I have right now at my health and energy levels, but I've stopped everything for now until after surgery because surprisingly, some of those supplements can interfere with proper blood clotting and anesthesia. 

Hinge physical therapy app. My back and knee have been flaring up, probably because of the increased activity lately, and this popped up in my inbox for free as part of the benefits package from work. So, I signed up and learned a few exercises that target those areas to strengthen them. I've also gotten some resistance bands and some kind of electrotherapy device for free after completing a certain number of exercises. Pretty cool.

The bathtub. That's definitely one of the best ideas I've ever had. I love that thing. Have I blogged about the tub? I don't think so. Maybe one day.

Tractor Supply Pelletized Bedding (for Horses). After several days of rain, a generous sprinkling of those pellets transforms a muddy, smelly chicken run into something... less muddy and smelly. Those things are magic. The soggy chickens, however, remain soggy.

Veggie straws. Dude, what are chips? I haven't even wanted a chip in months. I don't know how but veggie straws have dominated my snack preferences.

These tiny little clips. I bought them for sewing and they're a pretty great replacement for pins, but they come in a pack of 100 and that's way too many so I've been using them as chip clips and other things and they're just so cute and handy.

Things I'm loving

Haven't done one of these in a while.

Things I'm loving, in no particular order:

1. A water flosser. My life is changed. Over the past year I've noticed some gum irritation in certain spots, that's directly related to aggressive flossing due to stubborn stuck stuff. I noticed Ashley using one at Suzy's bachelorette weekend, and I got one. It is a game changer. I will never go back. I'm glad I bought a travel version because this bad boy is going everywhere with me.

2. DASH Mini waffle maker. And popcorn maker. (do NOT buy the Turbo one, it shoots popcorn kernels all over the place.) And mini griddle. I originally bought the mini griddle for travel, but I have started making little sandwich thins with it, and I use the waffle maker and popcorn maker weekly. I'm trying not to eat so many chips, so I make popcorn in big batches and store it in the freezer in sandwich bags. Works really great.

3. motion sickness glasses. They're weird but they WORK. At least in the car. I'm excited to try them on a boat.

4. Slippery elm powder. I mix a pinch into my coffee a few times a week and it has helped alleviate the tummy irritation associated with... coffee. Since there is no good coffee substitute. I've heard it described as, "Nature's Pepto Bismol." It's supposed to be good for sore throats and coughs as well. Sometimes I mix into my wine at night. Use sparingly, though, or else you'll wind up constipated. 

5. It's a 10 (lite) leave in conditioner. My hair has gotten very thin in the last few years, so I'm trying to take better care of it, especially because I heat style it every day. The ends used to get so straggly so fast. I've been really good about getting regular trims lately, and putting this on my ends. Even the hairstylist commented on how soft my hair is. Expensive, but worth it.

The secret to cleaning glass shower doors

I found it. 

The secret to cleaning glass shower doors aka the 2nd most annoying chore in the world.

Glass shower doors suck. Not only do they always leak, but cleaning them is a nightmare. 

I hate HATE trying to clean hard water deposits off of glass shower doors. To the point where when I had them, I would clean them, then shower in the other bathroom so they wouldn't get dirty again. To the point where it was a deal breaker when we were looking at vacation houses. I have tried (almost) every product out there to clean glass shower doors and was never very happy with the results.

Tell me why I wound up with glass shower doors and VERY hard well water with this house. (Ironically, this house is full of deal-breakers but I do love it)

I remember when we first looked at the house, I noted how clean the shower doors were and wondered... HOW? 

When we moved in, I found something curious: the previous owner left a box of these sitting under the bathroom sink. I wondered why he had such a heavy-duty product in the bathroom, but the guy did some weird stuff so I tucked the information into the back of my brain, ignored them, and left them there.

After we moved in I procrastinated cleaning the shower doors for about a month and by then they looked so bad that I had to do something. So I tried a bunch of stuff that I knew wouldn't work, just to get the majority of the scum off. 

Fast forward to a couple weeks later and the shower doors were, again, disgusting. At that point I was so fed up. I remembered the curious box under the sink and decided to give them a try. I was afraid they would scratch the glass so I did not scrub, just lightly wiped them over the wet doors. 

Y'ALL. Y'ALL! 

These are it! I didn't even scrub and they took the majority of those blasted hard water spots. I couldn't believe that after YEARS and trying SO MANY PRODUCTS that these humble little pads did the trick. My life is CHANGED.

I can't wait to try these little miracles to clean other things.

Things I'm loving lately

1. Disposal Genie.

We got a new garbage disposal and the baffle was getting really gross. Food scraps kept getting caught in it and there was this slime that developed around the seal and who has time to scrub it out all the time?? This thing is awesome. No food gets caught in it, and nothing smells. I'm getting everyone one of these for Christmas.

2. Kettle cooked salt and pepper chips. 

I know I have a chip problem, but oh, man these are good. Crunchy, flavorful, perfect. I can eat an entire bag in one sitting. Which is, ultimately, a very bad thing.

3. Scrunchies. They're back in style. They don't damage my already super fine hair. They're 3 for a dollar at Dollar Tree. I like the skinny ones that don't have so much poof. 

4. Omega 3 and digestive enzymes. I have been taking both for a while now and they seem to be making a difference in how my belly feels on a daily basis. The Omega 3s were recommended by my eye doctor and as an added bonus they seem to help with my belly inflammation. Yay! I'm going to ride this happy belly wave for as long as it will let me.

5. On a whim, I grabbed one of those tiny little Native Deodorant trial sizes at target. I love their sample section. I've struggled with armpit odor for as long as I can remember, to the point where I frequently layer on 3 different products. It's not that I sweat a lot, but when I DO sweat, even a little bit, it smells really bad. The problem is, even 3 layers deep I still stink, and scrubbing off 3 layers of antiperspirant at the end of the day is a task that often leaves my poor pits feeling... irritated. So a few days ago, I quit cold turkey. And what do you know... I actually smell pretty neutral. I don't love the smell of the deodorant itself but by midday it wears off and at the end of the day, I don't stink. It's REMARKABLE. Going to keep using it and maybe try the unscented kind.

Ok so there you have it. Kitchen stuff, snacks, belly calming agents, and natural deodorant. A well-rounded post. Have a nice night. 

Stuff I love right now

 Another round of things I think are awesome:

1. Squeeze peanut butter. 

This is the best thing since sliced bread! Just squeeze it on whatever you're snacking on, and move along. I hope they keep this a thing because I'm loving it. PLUS, no gluten crumbs ever make their way into it. (I'm generally a fan of things that squeeze because of this important little factor.)

2. Maybelline Rocket Volum' Express mascara. 

Since I've started wearing this, I've been asked by three people if I was wearing false eyelashes. That's a big deal. I switched to this mascara because the old mascara that I've used for years started irritating my eyes and I chose it because it has one of those hard spiky brushes- which is a deal breaker for some, but a must for me. I love the formula. It goes on smooth and doesn't clump, and after a long day it doesn't flake or smear. Plus, it washes off with my normal facial cleanser.

3. the Aerogarden.

It was a birthday gift from FG. This thing is so cool. It's kind of a "set it and forget it" kind of garden. All the work is done by this little machine and things grow like crazy. If something doesn't grow, they send a replacement. So far I've grown herbs that I transplanted into dirt and are doing great, and I started a salad greens set that is going strong. When I want salad, I pick some. No more sad wilted greens in the back of the fridge.

4. Maty's heartburn pills.

I bought these as a stocking stuffer for FG, but have found that they work very well for my frequent nausea and indigestion. I take them more often than he does! I love that they WORK and they don't contain any weird stuff. They are a life saver and I feel comfortable taking them on a regular basis.

5. Liquid fabric softener. Really. I've never used it. (Did mom never use it?) I thought it was an old people thing bc FG uses it, and when I discovered that, I rolled my eyes and continued my laundry routine. But then one day, I was moving his wet clothes from the washer to the dryer, and they felt... soft. Even when they were wet. And then I washed the bedsheets without it, and they felt noticeably different. So I started adding a little it to my laundry and wouldn't you know, it's a big deal! It kinda makes the fabric fibers seem more flexible. Cool stuff.

Products I'm loving lately

 Another round of stuff I'm loving lately:

-Olay Glow Boost mask. I found this on sale, but when I run out I'm going to buy it again full price. I love that it's in a stick so it rubs on easy with no mess. It's less harsh than some of the other charcoal masks I've tried. It washes off easy with no residue. I've been putting it on every day after I come home, and my mask-related irritation and breakouts have diminished. 

-Dawn Powerwash. This stuff is cool. It's like a degreaser but not as harsh. I've used it to clean greasy dishes, but really, it's good for cleaning anything that's really dirty. I've used it...
-In the bathtub to clean bath oil residue.
-Grimy blinds. After they were removed, I laid them down on the pavement and sprayed it on, scrubbed them with a broom, and used the hose to rinse. Sparkling clean.
-Super old grease on kitchen cabinets.
-Filthy AC vents.
Next I'm going to try it on some patio furniture.

-Stovetop Espresso maker. So simple, makes the super strong coffee that I like. I use it whenever I have a mellow morning or need an afternoon perk.

-White cotton gloves and vaseline. My hands have been beat up lately because of moving and various home repairs, cleaning, etc. I rub some neosporin on the cuts, coat my whole hands in vaseline, and sleep with the gloves. FG thinks it's a little weird but it has seriously helped keep my hands from becoming chapped, cut up messes.

Let's get some shoes

I spent 80 bucks on flip flops yesterday.

It all started when we went on vacation to Memphis and I didn't have the proper shoes for walking around GraceLand. Well, I did. But tennis shoes didn't go with my outfit. So I wore flip flops. 

Mistake. That place is huge and at the end of the day, not only did my feet hurt, but my shins, knees, and back hurt. 

Let's face it. I'm old now. Too damn old to wear shitty $2 flip flops, especially when it's for longer than a trip to the grocery store.

Yesterday I finally had a minute to run into the shoe store, and they were having a sale!

Wow, the difference between $2 flip flops and $35 flip flops is real. 

I wound up getting a basic, extra-cushy pair:

A sparkly pair that are so freaking comfortable that I was shocked. The bottom part is soft and cushiony, not hard and rigid.

I also got this sunshiney pair that makes me happy:

I got these for free because of the sale, yay!

These shoes rule. 

Super happy about my upgrades.

favorite things, lately

This year I'm hosting Galentine's day. Yay!

I'm happy to be throwing a party that's actually mine, instead of on behalf of someone or stolen. Never matter, a party is a party and I have this big party house for at least 4 more months and I want to take advantage of it. Do you think I can throw a party a month?

Anyway, we're playing the 5 favorite things game, and although I love the Litmas version (which is co-ed), I particularly love the Galentine's version, which is all gals so everything can be girly.

These are my most recent 5 favorite things:

1. Bio Oil. I started using it last summer in the hopes that it would help me avoid acne scars during a bad bout, and I have been using it ever since. I love this stuff. It absorbs nicely and makes my skin really soft. I will even mix it with sugar to make a nice exfoliating scrub.

2. Drawer organizers. If you peek into any of my drawers, you'll see this:

Nuff said. I get them at Dollar Tree so they're really cheap.

3. Epsom Salts. I like them better than bubble bath because they don't irritate my skin or leave my bathtub dirty. I like the plain kind, but every once in a while I like to use the lavender kind. It smells so good.

4. Simple face wipes. Loved these for years and they still come in clutch when I'm too tired or drunk to properly wash my face before bed. Also they're great for traveling or camping.

5. This knife sharpener. I run my knives through it frequently. I did not know I had become a sharp knife snob until I used FG's knives that were NOT sharp. So I brought this over and sharpened all his knives. Much better.

removing hard water spots

Let's talk about my guest bathroom. It's not updated (although I actually kind of dig those old-school seashell sinks), and it's in need of some repairs.

I never use it, but I'm motivated to fix it up so that I can use it while updating the master bathroom.

I figured it would be a quick project; just replace the gross caulk, clean it, and seal it.

I did not know that it would be a huge pain in the ass. When I started, I discovered that whoever put down the new caulk did a horrible job. Not only did they use the wrong kind of caulk, they caulked right over the old caulk. So I pulled up the newest layer of caulk, then had to pull up the older layer, which was practically mummified and black from mildew. Gross. It took a lot of elbow grease but I finally got it clean and applied the new caulk, properly.

Then I cleaned the tiles. Except... they weren't clean. They looked fine if you looked at them straight-on.

However, if you looked at them from an angle, for example if you were sitting in the tub, you saw all the hard water spots and old soap scum residue.

Now, it's not a huge deal. If I was just cleaning it for routine use, I would have moved on.

Except, I plan to seal the tiles and grout, and anything left on the tiles gets sealed in. I don't want to seal this grungyness on the tiles, I want to seal CLEAN tiles so that they don't get dirty like that. That's the point.

So began my crusade.

I'll make a long story short and tell you what didn't work at all:

Kaboom (did not touch the spots and smelled terrible)
Comet (My faithful standby couldn't get the job done)
Bleach (I wasn't optimistic, but it did get the grout clean)
Vinegar (I think this would have to soak on the tiles to make a difference)
Dryer sheets (I've used them before but this is way too labor-intensive to be practical)
Soft Scrub (again, good for the grout, bad for the hard water spots)
Full strength CLR (how disappointing)
Magic eraser (what a joke)
Borax (nope.)

Scouring stick got an honorable mention. It did a decent job but still could not clean some of the grimier tiles, and it required SO MUCH SCRUBBING.

What finally worked?

Good Old Bar Keeper's Friend. I use it all the time on the sinks, but I've never used it in the bathroom. I saw it in the cupboard, thought, "Well that might work," and tried it.

Well, it worked like a dream. I thoroughly rubbed some on with one of those green scrubby pads, rinsed it off, and now the tiles are all shiny and clean and I am SO SATISFIED.

You could eat off these things, they're so clean.

Products I'm loving

Tried my first barre class today. It was intense. I'll stick to yoga for now because flexibility and mindfulness are my focus, but when I want to bump it up a notch, holy crap that does the trick. (My ass would be super perky if I kept it up.)

Anyway, some products I'm loving lately:

-Que Bella Charcoal Mud Mask. I can only find it at Target and I love it. I squeeze it from the packet into a small container. Then I dab it on any problem spots and it dries it right out, seriously halting the progression from pre-breakout to big hurty red spot.

-Bio Oil. I was particularly sold on this product because I tried it out of desperation during the development of another rash-fest this spring. [Horray, unexplained rash of tiny bumps around my noise and eyes, coinciding with allergy season.] The whole month of April was stressful and not a good time for my skin.  I put this on at bedtime. It absorbs nicely and has a pleasant fragrance. I'm convinced it has helped, as the bumps have cleared up and I've noticed an overall improvement in my skin tone and texture. I'm using WAY less concealer nowadays.

-Speaking of concealer, Shape Tape is the BOMB. I dab on a teeny, tiny bit and it covers great and stays put all day. I follow this chick on instagram who sang its praises so I checked it out and it's every bit amazing and worth the $30 price tag.

-Scouring Stick. This product is AWESOME. I tried so many things trying to get rid of the nasty hard water ring in the hall toilet. Nothing worked.
Not an overnight soak with coke, vinegar, bleach, scrubbing, CLR, nothing.
The scouring stick was on the shelf at home depot right next to the CLS. It cost three bucks so I figured why not? And to my amazement, it worked. scrubbed that hard water grossness right off, without scratching the porcelain finish. Nice.

Lastly, in my crusade to find a sulfate-free shampoo that gets a decent lather, I came across this Orchid Oil shampoo. Smells good, cleans good, and sudses up better than any other sulfate-free shampoo I've tried. I also enjoy the (sulfate-free) lavender shampoo.

Honest Multi Surface

Can we talk for a second about cleaning and cleansers? I have to share something. (Not that this is one of my top 5 favorite topics of conversation, or anything.)

You know the two great loves in my life.
Bleach, for its ultimate germ-killing properties, and vinegar, for its ability to dissolve hard water deposits and freshen up funky fabrics. (Comet comes in third if I need an abrasive.)
That's the way things have been for many years and I'm happy with it.

However.

Recently I picked up a bottle of the Honest Multi-Surface Cleaner because I saw that it was recommended in an issue of Good Housekeeping. I don't really care what makes it 'Honest,' I was mostly intrigued that it won above all other cleaners tested.

I started by using it for cleaning the kitchen counters. For everyday use, not when I'm cleaning raw meat juices or anything. I'm still all about bleach for that.

My immediate favorite thing about it? The smell. I got the grapefruit one and OH MY. It smells so freaking good. It's all citrusy and incredibly pleasant.

I used it to clean up a small spill during a party, because not everyone loves the smell of bleach... or vinegar. Then Suzy mentioned how good it smelled. The bottom line? It smells good, y'all.

Then I started using it for tabletops and such. Once I used it to clean up an orange-smashing incident on the floor when Mississippi State wasn't having a good football game.
Then I wiped the bathroom counters with it.

Basically I used it as much as I could, to see what the fuss was about.

I became legitimately impressed when I used it to clean the bathtub. Abrasive cleaners are not recommended on a refinished tub, but they are my favorite thing for getting rid of that bathtub ring. So to further my personal experiment, I sprayed this cleaner on the tub and used a sponge to wipe it off.

I couldn't believe the grime that came off, so easily. Several layers of LUSH bath bombs came off immediately. With a simple sponge. No scrubbing. Whoa. Nice.

Basically it cleans well on everyday surfaces. I've never noticed a residue, and nothing has been damaged, even Chris's grandma's table that's probably older than all of us.

I'll buy it again for those reasons, but mostly because of that sexy tub action, and that delightful smell.
Heck, I'd even give it as a hostess gift because the packaging is really pretty.

Oh, I should mention that I have not tried to clean glass or mirrors with it yet. I don't know if it's recommended but I figure a product with a "multi-surface" claim should be able to clean glass and mirrors.

Double-oh. I should try it on the master bathroom shower. Because that's the biggest pain to clean. Stay tuned for that.

Loving lately

Couple of things I'm loving lately:
(AKA I'm typing as much as I can to see if I'll get used to this new keyboard)

Christmas light timers. I tried two different kinds: The kind that turn on at dusk and stay on for a pre-determined amount of time, and the kind that you set exactly what time they're on. The ones at dusk are not as good, because they will turn on if a storm rolls in at noon and be on all day only to shut off at night, but overall they're both good. I like them for two reasons:
1. When I was traveling no one had to worry about turning them on and off. Plus when lights are on it looks like someone's home. Plus it took a lot of work to put up those lights and darn it, people are going to look at them even when I'm not home.
2. At night before bed when I'm in my jammies, I don't have to put on pants to go turn off the Christmas lights. Or, more accurately, I don't have to hope that no one sees me when I step out my front door real quick sans pants to unplug the lights.

So Christmas light timers are awesome. For both myself and the neighbors who probably talk about that lady on the corner with no pants.


Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning. I think this may be in my 5 favorite things this year. It's delightful. I like it on eggs.

Oh, speaking of being THAT neighbor, new neighbors moved in and I think they're sort of my age and I'm excited to make friends with them. I'll be showing up at their door with a bottle of wine sometime soon.

Product love

Dude, I'm popping in just to tell everyone how much I LOVE these Simple face wipes. I started using the Simple products back when my face decided to become one big rash, and I love them so much I haven't stopped.

I use the Day/Night cream on my face and decolletage. Now I'm raving about these things:

I knowwww you're supposed to wash your face every night. I know that. But while I ALWAYS brush my teeth before bed, I don't always wash my face. Especially if I've been drinking. Especially if I don't have work the next day and a shower can wait until morning.
And I've been getting mascara on my pillowcase and I've been breaking out. (Mostly due to hormones, but not washing my face isn't helping.) So I bought these wipes to try and I'm really surprised at how much I love them.

I simply wipe. And they even take off most of my eye makeup. No irritation, no rinsing.
Then when I wake up in the morning, my skin feels great. If you can believe it, my skin almost feels better than if I had showered and washed my face. My skin tone looks a bit more evened out, and any acne I currently had seems better. Because of that, I might try switching to a Simple cleanser.

Anyway, these are my new favorite thing, and I had to share. Try them.

products

A few random products I'm loving lately:

• Scentsy. I'd gotten a bit tired of the scents I had, so I got a bunch more, plus a new warmer. I simply can't be trusted to remember to blow out candles... and they really help my house not smell like dog.

I am especially excited about the car bars, which are new to me. My car doesn't exactly smell new anymore, and I've been putting those laundry crystals in a mesh bag in an attempt to make it smell fresh. The car bar is sooo much better!

P.S. Chris has the Weathered Leather one in his truck. Very manly.
P.P.S. Yes, the above links are shamelessly pointed to my sister's Scentsy shop. Remember, it's only September, but Christmas is coming...

• Upgraded household items. 

• Like the dish drainer. I traded in my old cracked plastic dollar store one for a metal one that is way more aesthetically pleasing. 7 bucks on sale. Not bad.

• TOWELS. I noticed a few of our hand towels have disappeared (How?), so I wandered down the towel aisle at Target. There was a sale! I usually lean towards bleachable colors, but you know what? You only live once, and you might as well have pretty towels that make you happy.

P.S. It bugs me to no end that these look blue and red in the picture but they are actually mint and coral. That bathroom lighting is still kind of weird.

• Bed Skirt Pins. These are little spiral nuggets of genius. I have spent years constantly adjusting the wonky bed skirt. These keep the skirt straight and seriously make a huge difference in how tidy the overall room looks. Even with an unmade bed. Plus they're like 3 bucks for 12, which is more than enough to pin down a Queen sized bed skirt.

I think these win the award for weird but cool and "didn't know I needed it until I got it" product of the month.

Things I'm loving lately

Spray sunscreen.
No more greasy hands. Seriously. You just spray the heck out of yourself and go. Especially good for when there's no one around to sunscreen your back. Because skincare in the sun is important.

Black Box Wine.

Frank turned me on to this. He buys it because Chelsea doesn't go through an entire bottle in one sitting, like the good non-alcoholic that she is. I tried some at his place and I was surprised at how good it was. I ended up purchasing a 3-glass portion of Merlot to comply with the no-glass-containers-at-the-pool rule. I'd buy more. Especially because I spotted a 3 Liter Malbec at my local grocery store.

RTIC Tumblers.
Cheaper than Yeti. Works just as well. Running back and forth between biohazard areas and clean areas of the lab, it takes me a couple of hours to finish my coffee in the morning. I've been on the search for decent road cups that actually keep my coffee hot. These win. We bought 2 at the local Buc-ee's but I will get a couple more when I find myself in that area again.

That's all I've got for now.