My Favorite Everyday Things.
This is a list of things that improve my daily existence… it’s self-serving because I realized that we can trade— you can tell me YOUR favorite things, and I will get all sorts of recommendations to improve my life.
In no particular order.
Castor oil.
My skin gets insanely dry in winter. My face and hands particularly… I have tried EVERYTHING, and for me, castor oil is miraculous.
FYI– it is incredibly sticky and goopy and does not spread easily. BUT it has TOTALLY resolved my skin… AND it doesn’t make me break out AT ALL… ZERO<– that’s the miraculous part.
I get a giant bottle and then decant half into a large pump container that makes dispensing easy and mess-free.
Coldpress coffee.
To me, it tastes better. But more importantly, it means I don’t have to make coffee in the morning.
We rotate two large 44oz stainless French press containers… (dishHULK kept breaking the glass ones)… In the summer we keep them in the fridge– my favorite!
Below, the black container is an airlock for storing coffee– it has a plunger-type lid that seals up once you push all the air out… great for any food you want to limit exposure to air. Mug was from my brother, here’s the same message, different font.
Collapsible drying rack.
I hang a lot of stuff to dry… this one folds up nearly flat, but has SO MUCH hanging space! I store it standing, on the short edge, next to the washing machine.
Neoprene socks.
I don’t own winter boots anymore. What I do now, is wear my regular rain boots WITH neoprene socks… I got the low cut ones, (they come in different heights)… I take out the boot’s insole in winter— then there is plenty of room to put the neoprene socks right over your normal socks.
FACT: no winter boots I’ve ever owned keep my toes as warm as neoprene– NOTHING.
The extra bonus of rain boots is you can tuck your pant legs in and go through any amount of snow and slush– since there are no laces, nothing seeps in.
ALSO! They complement any outfit!
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Curved shower bar.
To me, a normal shower bar is a violation against basic human decency… I LOATHE being near the shower curtain. The extra inches on a curved shower bar make a huge difference.
Noise-canceling headphones.
I bought these headphones for our trip to Hawaii… I hesitated because they were expensive and I wasn’t sure I would get that much use out of them after the plane ride. But turns out I use them ALL the time.
The excellence of noise-canceling cannot be overstated — vacuuming, cooking, doing dishes, cleaning… all the stuff that is noisy and boring is much improved if you are listening to a good podcast! Also, not being connected to your phone with a cord is a radical improvement!
Sun protective gear.
There is no sunscreen that I can tolerate. No matter what it is, I can FEEL it on my skin; even after showering and scrubbing… and yes, I have tried all of the Japanese/Korean/we-promise-you-will-love-this… LIES.
I would rather look like a freak.
Fortunately, I excel.
The hat I’m wearing above is great because it’s stretchy and fits OVER the super-chunky headphones— excellent while gardening; plus it holds its shape when I throw it in the washer.
Yes, I am wearing sun gloves.
Glamour.
And if you think it cannot possibly get EVEN MORE AWESOME, below is my newest swim shirt with face protection… the straw hat is old, the ribbon is mine/added, I had to jab holes in the hat.
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Baking soda and bentonite clay.
I used to wash my face with just baking soda— I love very scrubby things…. but in the last few years, I started using bentonite clay to make our toothpaste, and now I use the same mixture for my face wash; the clay makes it less-scrubby and cuts down on my tendency to sandblast my face with overly-enthusiastic scouring.
I get this large bag of clay and make one big container, 50/50 mix with baking soda… then I fill a small container with the mixture and add some peppermint oil to make toothpaste… if you google this, you’ll see lots of options to complicate the recipe.
FYI: it is NOT anything like traditional toothpaste, so if you try it, give yourself time to get used to it– fwiw, I have come to MUCH prefer it.
For my face wash, I have another container that I can operate with one hand… (don’t add peppermint!)… fill your palm, add water, make mush, wash face.
Electric toothbrush.
This is a new acquisition for me… my brother convinced me– I got the same as him, the least-expensive Oralb.
Here is my report:
I have been living in the Stone Age.
Although, for the record, my first reaction was— this is way too much vibration in my skull… so I ordered another with extra speed-options. But the low setting was the same on both, so I kept the cheaper one.
I still think it’s too vibrate-y… BUT my teeth are so super squeaky clean that I will never go back.
This outfit, below.
This is it— my peak.
It’s been a good run.
The plaid cape is a new-to-me vintage acquisition, and when I opened it, I was like… YUP— here it is: what I will be wearing every day for the rest of my life.
My sunglasses are here… SO MUCH do I love them, I ordered two more pair on Black Friday, (they come in a bunch of colors)… They are totally flat, which pleases me; PLUS $25 is cheap enough that if I lose or break them I won’t be upset… they are nearly identical to these $400 Celine.
Now, for my own satisfaction, I will enter into the record, past evidence of my excellence-in-capes and RIGOROUS ATTENTION TO PLAID.
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Ok.
Now it’s your turn.
WHAT THINGS IMPROVE YOUR DAILY LIFE THAT OTHER HUMANS WILL FIND USEFUL?
December 19, 2019 @ 12:56 pm
To the mentions of rubber gloves I would like to add: Ansell Alphatec Solvex 37-185 Nitrile elbow length gloves. I have used them for years in my bronze casting studio for patina work, but one day I brought a pair home for dishwashing and other household cleaning jobs, and they have been fantastic. Getting dishwater down inside rubber gloves is unpleasant, but it never happens with these, as they are so long. They are not flocked, but I do not find that to be a disadvantage. I have had one pair in service at home for five years with no sign of wear. They are 22 ml thick, but I find them flexible enough for most all tasks. Because they are sold for industrial–not domestic–use, most vendors sell only in case lots, but I buy single pairs from my industrial supplier, R.S. Hughes, and their price is low, less than $6 a pair. You may never go back to the junky gloves sold at the supermarket.
December 30, 2019 @ 8:18 pm
I second, or third, the endorsement of Bar-Keepers Friend. Two other cleaning products have changed my life: The O-Cedar rag mop (from Home Depot and probably other sources) comes with a foot-operated salad-spinner in its bucket—no stooping to wring nasty water by hand, no sponge to get torn up after a few uses. The joint between mop and handle is very flexible so it flattens out to go beneath low-lying furniture and swivels to clean vertical surfaces like the sides of bathtubs. Oxyclean is the other miracle and it has a gazillion uses beyond laundry. I used to scrub our rough stone kitchen floor on my hands and knees and still never felt it was clean. The first time I used Oxyclean on it, to my amazement the original color, several shades lighter, was revealed. Also, I wouldn’t recommend this except in an emergency, but on Chistmas Eve I turned my hands charcoal grey while polishing silver gloveless (what was I thinking?) and Oxyclean was the only thing that got them clean before guests arrived.
January 3, 2020 @ 5:05 am
This OXO cold brew coffee maker is my favorite, though you might have to build a special shelf to keep it off of your counter:
https://smile.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Coffee-ounces-Filters/dp/B00JVSVM36/ref=sr_1_143?crid=2TIOUU3DPS10N&keywords=cold%2Bbrew%2Bcoffee%2Bmaker&qid=1578045687&sprefix=cold%2Bbrew%2Caps%2C269&sr=8-143&th=1
(It doesn’t need paper filters, not sure why they are sold with it.)
You only need 100-200 ml per day, so it lasts a long time, has a trendy beaker, and tastes AMAZING. Replace two coffee makers with one!
Getting castor oil now for my ezcema-prone son. I make him moisturizer (coconut oil, shea butter, some essential oils, beeswax (which FYI is not a substitute for lentils in soup)), which protects but doesn’t heal if eczema comes in.
January 25, 2020 @ 12:33 am
Hi Victoria,
Are you willing to share where you shop for those amazing clothes?
Thanks!
May 16, 2020 @ 9:17 am
Oh my gosh, the castor oil! Thank you SO much for sharing that! I’d never heard of using castor oil as a face moisturizer, but lately my skin has been very dry and also very picky about what I use to moisturize it (breaking out easily). This is a game changer. So grateful! Thank you!
September 3, 2020 @ 4:13 pm
Do you dilute the castor oil with anything? Other oils? Use it straight?