Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . .
Seriously, below is a list of my . . . well . . . favorite things. These are products that I’ve discovered that I truly find helpful, tasty, or just plain amazing.
This is the best DIY facial mask I’ve ever used. Be sure to mix it with the apple cider vinegar though and not the water. The fizzing sensation is amazing on your skin. One container of this bentonite clay lasts a very long time.
Smells great? Sure. But that’s not why I like it. This is – hands down – the very best gnat repellent ever. Seriously. It is. If you live in the south, or anywhere where the humidity attracts those big nasty biting gnats, try this stuff. This is the only scent that works though, so don’t get one of Vickie’s other fragrances, unless you just want to smell nice.
This hair product does double duty. It holds firm like hairspray, but combs out effortlessly. If you have curly or wavy hair, spray it on and smunch up handfuls of hair for that beach-ready look. Super easy to use and it smells good to boot.
This stuff is the bomb. I’m kind of a tea connoisseur, who is partial to Earl Gray to begin with, but add in that lavender and you’ve got yourself a world class cup of tea. Try the loose leaf for better flavor (in my opinion). There is also a loose leaf black tea with rose petals that is fantastic. Give them both a try if you like tea. Hot or cold – they’re delicious.
This is a fairly new product to me. There are several kinds of couscous, but the Israeli variety is my favorite. It’s like miniature pasta pearls that cook quickly and provide a variety of serving options from plain, covered in cheese sauce, to soups to salads. Hot or old, this tiny pasta is wonderful.
Only the blue will do. This is the best home cleaning product to keep in your house, garage or workshop. It literally cleans everything even living things. You can wash your dishes with it, wash your car, clean the BBQ grill, wash the dog, remove stains, get rid of bacon grease, and hundreds of other uses. Seriously folks, get yourself some Dawn Blue. You won’t regret it.
I have had trouble sleeping since I was a teen-ager. Not sure why, just haven’t been able to find the off switch for my brain. I lay down, no matter how tired I am, and many, many, many minutes tick by before I snooze. I tried some of this spray on my pillowcase and it seems to help. Just one quick spritz will do the job. It’s got a pleasant aroma – in my opinion – but it’s rather pungent. I sometimes spray my pillowcase then turn the pillow over before laying my head on it. That way, I get the fragrance but not quite the in-your-face intensity. If you have trouble sleeping, give this a try – if you can find it. The product has been discontinued. I was able to find a bottle on e-bay, but it’s pricey.
This is quickly becoming my favorite drink mixer. As a carry-over from last week’s post, I’ve been experimenting a little with new cocktails and have found the “mule” drinks to be very refreshing. The rum raspberry mule (recipe on last week’s blog) is still my favorite so far, but I’ve also tried the Crown Apple mule and a blackberry variation on the rum raspberry. Move over tonic water and make room for more ginger beer in the cupboard.
And finally . . . charcuterie boards!
I could eat one of these things every single day. All of of my favorite snacks in one convenient place. Cheese, fruit, salami and other cured meats, dried fruit, nuts, fancy crackers, breads, spicy condiments, all kinds of yummy snacking goodness. All I have to do is find someone to fix it up all fancy for me and I’ve got it made.
Tell me dear readers, what are some of your favorite things? Got any secret weapon products that I should know about? Come on, share-and-share alike. We’re all friends here.
Word of the Day: Epispastic
Fun fact about me: I think I would have made a great bartender in my younger days.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, September 2021. Images by P. Rickrode, Pexels, Amazon.com, ebay.com and VictoriasSecret.com
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Patricia…. are you doing charcuterie boards in the evening at the Baer House? One more reason to visit V-burg again. A hot cup of coffee in the morning to kickstart my day. I love Dawn dish soap it really cuts the grease and it gets the hard work done. Another love are lavender sachets for the laundry – get ’em at Trader Joe’s make your laundry fresh out of the dryer smelling good. Gonna be a great day – it the last day of September. Peace.
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I used to have snacks and wine during check-in but people started taking advantage so we stopped. Only takes 1 person to ruin it for everyone. But, you let me know when you’re coming and I’ll fix one up for us to share.
I’ll check out the lavender sachets. Sounds intriguing. Thanks for sharing the info.
Patricia
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I can’t think of anything new and exciting in my life recently. How sad is that? But I think I’ll try that sprunch hair spray…and you know I love all the kitties! Last year, I discovered mojitos in Kauai, and one of my favorite things this summer was sitting on my garden swing in the evening, mojito in hand, with a fresh sprig of mint from my garden.
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A yummy cold mojito sounds like the perfect way to wind down from a long day. I’m not a huge fan of mint or sweet drinks, but I do like a good mojito on occasion. I’d love to share one with you on that garden swing.
Try the spray. I think you’ll like it. The old formula used to smell like watermelon, but they’ve change it a little so now it just smells “nice.” Let me know what you think.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Patricia
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