BUT before I get started, I have to brief you about Amazon Smile, because I'm about to stick a lot of Amazon links in this post. Amazon Smile is normal Amazon, except for every purchase made through them, they donate a portion of the purchase price to a charity of your choosing. With over a million charities to choose from, and with what I know is going to be your dawning realization that Amazon is the best thing to happen to the world since the invention of the internet, everyone wins. And you get to soften the blow to your conscience from buying that really cool charging station that you really didn't need but wanted SO BAD.
Alright, so, things I found that I love (you already know I'm not being compensated by anyone so these opinions are legit):
I'm not even joking. Being able to reach into my fridge and grab a personal little box of cold, delicious chocolate milk, complete with my own little straw, is amazing. I don't drink milk (gives me the toots, I know you can relate), and as a short woman of Mediterranean descent, I have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis later in life, I need to consume calcium regularly in order to keep this risk at bay. I like my bones. They've served me well. So this is a fast, tasty, delightful little way to get 45% of my recommended daily intake of calcium in one shot.
I have two rescue dogs and two rescue cats. Why did I just use the word "rescue" twice in one sentence? Because having beasts that are from rough backgrounds means they never really got the housebreaking training they needed. We've made strides, but there are still times when we have an unpleasant surprise on our carpets. Since we like being, you know, clean and healthy, and having a house that doesn't smell like pee (you all know, and hate, going to those people's houses), I've tried a TON of stain and smell removers. Some are as useless as a chocolate teapot, and some are amazing. Gonzo is amazing. My husband is one of the most skeptical people of all time, so to test it out, he rubbed Gonzo onto a dot of dried paint. Nothing would get dried paint out of carpet except maybe scissors. OR SO I THOUGHT. After following the directions and letting it sit for a minute, and then scrubbing with a clean rag, the paint came out. We must have felt the same way Moses did when he saw that burning bush. Like, no friggin' way is this happening right now. But it did, and it worked the same kind of miracle on the hard-fought pee stains dotting the upper floor of my house. Works equally well on cat vomit, diarrhea, blood, mud, and grease. We live a rough and tumble life. Don't judge.
I already told you that I'm not stylish. I wear yoga pants every day of my life (click that link and buy those pants - I could do an entire post on them but I won't because it would just be fangirling non-stop. When I opened the box I said "these feel like a mother's love" and meant every word). If I have to be seen in public, sometimes I can look presentable, but even then it's mostly jeans and a long-sleeved crew neck t-shirt, and it has been for about 20 years. I'm not that old, either, so 20 years represents like, most of my life. Okay so about the shoes. Flip flops are great, but sometimes make me feel like I'm back in Daytona Beach, and not in a good way. That clacking sound they make drives me insane and makes me feel like I should be popping bubble gum and bleaching my hair, I can't deal. So these shoes are all the good things about flip flops - comfortable, open, lightweight - but they are also really cute, make you look really pulled together, and don't clack when you walk.
Remember when I said I share a house with two dogs, two cats, and a good-ole-boy-from-Texas husband? And also that I like a clean house? My house needs dusting DAILY. I neither have the time nor patience to dust my house every day and most of the time I turn a blind eye to the graying surfaces around my house. I've tried the Oxo Microfiber Duster because Oxo is usually a slam-dunk and I thought this thing would get me motivated to dust. NOPE. Then I found these dust wipes. They're the size, shape, and weight of a tissue, but they have this magical weave that picks up and traps dust and hair. Other dusting methods I've tried just relocate the dust from the surface to the air, and then settle back down two hours later. These wipes actually eliminate dust from your house. It's so satisfying. And what is easier than grabbing a wipe from a box and swiping? You know you've done this with your bare hand under your shirt before, admit it. So now you have a legit alternative.
If you've ever seen me in person, you know that I have a belly that announces to the world "I love to eat, and I know what I like." I come from a Sicilian family so good food serves as a panacea for all the ills of the world. Chef Boyardee is burning somewhere in hell according to my grandmother. So when we cook, we do it with love, and with pride. One of my favorite things to eat, especially in summer, is insalata caprese drizzled with a good balsamic. I had my rough patches when I was a poor college student and had to make due with the $3 swill from the grocery store. And then one year, my best friend introduced me to the awe-inspiring beauty that comes from consuming a real balsamic. This stuff pours out like molasses and tastes like everything balsamic vinegar should taste like - tart, sweet, umami, just perfect. It's like a good balsamic reduction in a bottle. It's expensive, but use the swill in vinaigrettes, and save this for special occasions. Treat yo' self.
Okay first of all this set is $15. For eleven brushes. That's about $1.36 per brush. They have synthetic bristles, which I love, and you should too, because not only do they require an animal sacrifice to produce, but the fibers are less porous, so they are generally more sanitary with standard maintenance, and usually never lose bristles. I bought this set because, cheap, and also I wanted some new eye shadow brushes. I'm also really satisfied when everything matches, so I couldn't have a set of brushes that wasn't identical. This set has held up brilliantly, never sheds, washes beautifully, and after my mom used them (not knowing how inexpensive they were), said "You have all the GOOD stuff!" I bought her a set. You know something's good when you buy it for your mom.
Shut up and listen. These are for far more than cleaning crayons off your walls. Candace (who you will meet later) introduced me to the wonders of these things for cleaning bath tubs in particular. I HATE cleaning my bath tub, because it's so gross. But Candace told me that if you wet the tub and just go over it with a Magic Eraser, it is the equivalent of using cleansing powder and a scrub brush. She was right. It took me about ninety seconds and my bath tub looked brand new. I now keep a Magic Eraser sponge in each of my bath tubs (I only have two, calm down), and one near each toilet and under each sink because they work their magic (har, har) just as well there. My husband loves a nice, clean kitchen sink, and this is such an easy way to achieve that. Again, burning bush stuff here.
What about you? Got anything you found that surprised you with how much you love it? Tell me about it! Angela@WhatWouldFEMSHEPDo.com!
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