I’ve come to greatly appreciate a few items in my home that are so incredibly useful and make my life a little better, so I thought I’d share them with you.
Let’s start with laundry. Now, I am a bit obsessive about recycling. Where I live our city does not accept plastic film or styrofoam in our recycling bins. (And frankly, I’m not convinced that a lot of that stuff does actually get reused.)
Large plastic tubs, like the kind that laundry detergent come in, is one of my least favorite things to recycle. It’s bulky, when full it’s heavy, and it’s just another dense plastic container that needs to be broken down by someone, or some machine somewhere. So when I heard about Earth Breeze I was delighted. These are dissolvable laundry sheets that take the place of granular or liquid laundry soap. Most loads only require one of these sheets; a heavy load could take and extra half sheet and they are easy to tear in half.
There are 90 sheets in a packet and they come in a paper sleeve. I order about two of these packets at a time. If you sign up for a subscription (I get them every two months) the company gives you lots of flexibility about delivery dates. They’re $14.95 for subscriptions which they estimate comes out to about $.25/load.
And if you need to delay or change the delivery, or add more packets that’s easily done from the site. I love these. You can get them with or without fragrance. I get the unscented ones. And if you have a friend or relative who appreciates practical things that won’t end up having to be re-gifted (because they don’t fit, are the wrong color, have too much sugar, etc.) or who has difficulty lifting heavy containers, a gift subscription would be a very useful and appreciated gift.
In addition to my recycling addiction, I am a clean freak. I have battled mold toxins that seriously impacted my health and I tend to imagine funky bacteria growing everywhere (both of which are, in fact, growing everywhere.) So I try to use materials that are as mold and bacteria-resistant as possible. And since you know I adhere to pretty stringent requirements in personal care products, I found something a while ago that makes my skincare routine more enjoyable.
Manufacturers claim that bamboo cloth (made from wood fiber) is bacteria-resistant. Bamboo is in fact very bacteria resistant. Whether or not that remains the case after the fibers have been woven into fabric is up for debate. Nonetheless, bamboo doesn’t require pesticides, so that’s a huge benefit. I buy these wonderfully soft and strong bamboo face cloths from a company called Tia and Fey (on Amazon.) My first order arrived with the outer box damaged and only two of the six in a set were included. Tia and Fey (actual people, and very lovely humans) insisted on sending me a completely new set at no charge and told me to keep the others.
One note: they arrive 10×10″ but will shrink to about two-thirds that size after washing. It’s just the deal with bamboo textiles. I have bamboo socks I can no longer wear because they shrunk and became uncomfortably tight around my ankles. I just throw these face clothes in the washer and dryer and they’re good to go again and again and again. And they don’t seem to degrade the way other cloths do. They are $15.97 for a package of 6.
Suntchen Mini Silicone Spatula Set Amazon, $3.99
This next one is one of those “why-didn’t-I-think-off-that?” items. Because I hate wasting stuff – food, old pajamas that can be reused as rags, jars and plastic containers that can store dry goods, etc. – I especially dislike throwing away a jar of face cream or body cream (or ketchup, for that matter) that still has perfectly good product in the bottom but that the pump – or my hand – can’t reach. That’s why I really love these silicone spatulas. They come three to a set, although on Amazon you’ll see many varieties. I liked this set because it comes with one that has a telescoping handle that reaches into tall containers.
I find it particularly handy when I get to the bottom of some of my BeautyCounter products. The All Bright Facial Oil and Tripeptide Radiance Serum are two of my regulars that have bottles with pumps or squeeze tubes. I use these little spatulas when I get down to the bottom of the jars and they are really effective at scooping up what remains.
BeautyCounter Tripeptide Radiance Serum on sale for $65.25
Beauty Counter All Bright Facial Oil $on sale for $57
Speaking of which, don’t forget that Beauty Counter is having a 20% off sale now through the 23rd on the entire website. For my new customers I will be sending you some product samples from the CounterTime and the CounterMatch collections and the Counter Sun sunscreen while my inventory lasts. I also have some samples of the CounterMan collection for the guys in your life.
OK – I’m recording a new video next week with Suzanne Blons, the Beauty Shaman, about holiday outfits and trends. Stay tuned! And if you are looking for gifts for your friends based on their style archetype, check out this post from Christmases past! and this one for book recomendations.
[As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission on any item you purchase through my links. Thanks for helping me keep this site going.]
Andrea’s books and new video series:
