Calm For The Home

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Anything that makes my life a little easier, a little cleaner, a little calmer, and a little more natural ... I'm here for it. Enjoy perusing my most recent home buys that accomplish that and more. Maybe you're in the market for a few of these items and I'll spare you the research. :)

Wool Dryer Balls

Here's your sign to ditch those toxic dryer sheets and use wool dryer balls to naturally soften your fabric! I've used other types in the past, but these are high quality, large, and come in a nice storage bag. They dry my clothes faster by moving the fabric around, and you can add essential oils to them if you need that extra scent you're missing from your unscented laundry detergent!


Essential Oils

These kits are nice because they have little bottles you can try out and it's not too much of a waste if your 4 year old finds them and dumps them out everywhere. Here are a few sets I've purchased.

Cliganic -4pk



Laguna Moon - 6pk



Pure Essentials - 6pk


I use Lemon Grass/Orange for homemade cleaners, or in my diffuser to make my house smell delicious and refreshing. I use Lavender on my pillows or in a bath for a calming effect. And I use the Peppermint/Eucalyptus in my diffuser all the time whenever someone gets sick. They relieve sinus congestion, help with aches and pains, headaches, etc.


Diffuser

Which brings us to the diffuser I use. This is such a great model, but there are hundreds out there. We bought the white one, and the kids love the different LEDs it can cycle through. It's kind of shaped like an onion, so when we turn the red light on, we call it "angry onion" and the kids laugh and laugh. Auto shut-off is a good feature. This is a great size to start off with. I highly recommend!


Under Bed Storage

Let's get organized, people! I was looking for ways to store my bulky winter clothes without hauling huge plastic bins up and down from the basement each season. These hold SO MUCH, I only needed ONE. Can you believe it? I bought the 4pk which was completely unnecessary, but now I've got 3 more I can use for other things, like extra sheets/pillows/bedding. Under bed storage is where it's at! So convenient.


Comforter

Lastly, if you're in the market for a comforter, this one is really great. I bought one for my daughter to try, then I had to buy one for myself because I liked it so much. Be advised, this comforter ships cryo-sealed, and when I opened it, I thought it was the biggest rip off. But after a wash/dry, this blanket is pillowy soft, full and fluffy! (Maybe it was because of my wool dryer balls!!) You won't be disappointed. Also, pro tip, buy the Full/Queen blanket for a Twin bed, or a King blanket for a Queen bed to get the look like the picture with plenty of overhang.



Happy shopping!

Xoxo Liz

Bathroom

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Here we are again, talking about more things I've purchased and liked. If you need to catch up, read my last few blog posts and you'll know what I'm up to. I like to spend money, but I don't like to overspend. I enjoy nice things, but not at the cost of wasting my hard-earned dough. Therefore, today I'm sharing some bathroom finds that have been well vetted and worth the bang for your buck. Let's start!

Memory Foam Bath Mat 

First up, a bath mat. I needed something small that would fit in my tiny bathroom. It needed to be machine washable, and NOT show hair. This comes in two sizes and a few colors, and if I had the room, I'd go bigger!

Pro: Super absorbent, dries quickly, and doesn't ever look dirty like other mat fabrics.

Con: Kinda hard to vacuum because it's plush, but I think that goes for any small bath mat.

Favorite Feature: I like how the ridges allow it to lay nice when I fold it over my tub. A regular towel would do this, obviously, but this has a non-slip backing, so I was impressed it wasn't too stiff to do this.

Shower Caddy 

Next up, we have this shower caddy! Oh my word, I looked high and low for an organizer that would fit my shower head but leave room for the connecting hose. It needed to be coated, because rust in the shower pisses me off! And it needed to hold a LOT of stuff.

Pro: Still looks great a year later. No rust, no grime or soap build up. Like new.

Con: Rarely it separates from the suction cups, but those aren't really holding it up and it never falls down, it's just not "connected" to the shower wall.

Favorite Feature: The hooks on the bottom are really nice for our 3 luffas, hair ties, hook comb, etc.

Munchkin Bath Letters 

These are a lifesaver. I can't tell you how long Jane can play with these letters in the bath. They stick to the tub, or shower tiles, just from being wet. They stay up until you take them down. They float so it's easy to take out when play time is over. It's just an all around a cheap way to have bath 'toys' that aren't going to fill with water and get super moldy. Yuck!

Pro: Easy to store in a bucket or net and they dry quickly.

Con: If you don't let them air dry in an open container, they might get moldy. We haven't had a problem.

Favorite Feature: You can leave messages in the shower for your husband to find. Sometimes you have to be creative and use letters and numbers, but it's worth it! ;)

Aveeno Body Wash 

While we're on the topic of kid's bath time, this is the only body wash I like, that is still sensitive enough for my kid with eczema. It has the faintest scent and is really moisturizing. I bought this for years at Target, but it kept going up in price. First it was only $7, then $8, then $9, and now it's almost $11 bucks for one bottle. No thanks. I'll save some money and buy it off Amazon, thank you!

I don't think you need a pro/con for this. It's body wash. ;)

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Tablets 

Okay, I love this product, but it's possible I'm way out of line and these are terrible for our toilets, the environment, the diagnosis of my stool color, etc. Who knows. All I can tell you is that my daughter thinks it's awesome after that first flush, when the water turns blue. She says "abracadabra" and waves her hand, and it's a big treat. This cleans my toilet really well, and keeps it from smelling like a toilet! Will I keep buying this until someone tells me otherwise? ... Yes. So let's discuss, people!

That's all I have tonight, peeps. 
Happy shopping.

Xoxo Liz

Dreamreader

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My fabulous mother has finally released her debut novel, Dreamreader. I am SO proud of her! This has been YEARS in the making. It just goes to show it's never too late to work toward something amazing. 

Dreamreader is about a girl named Grace, who is trying to make sense of these visions she's been having since falling off her bike and getting a concussion. These visions lead her to seek counsel, and eventually team up with a detective, where together, they begin down an adventurous path searching for answers about a tragic incident from her past.

You will really enjoy this book, people. I'm not just saying that because I want my mom to do well. She's already won an Amazon.com Bestseller award, so she's happy as a clam. But I know YOU'LL be happier if you commit this one to your bookshelf. And then call me, so we can talk about it, cause I'm dying to dish!

Here's my review that I tried to post on Amazon, but I think it knows we're related and won't post it. ;) 

Wow! What a fantastic story. So much happening, so many twists and turns. This novel reads like a fast suspenseful adventure, but the way the author writes dialogue had me feeling so connected to each character, soaking up each moment. Loved the dual perspective. Kept it so fresh! I finished in two days. The plot was an obvious page turner, but I laughed at myself reading too fast a few times. Ya know when something really exciting is happening, and you hold your hand over the page so you don't spoil it by skipping ahead? Yeah, it's one of those books. 5 stars. Highly recommend!

View the press release here!

Buy Now on Amazon!

Way to go, Mom. Being a published author is no small feat!

Xoxo Liz

Amazon

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Hello. It’s been six years since my last confession, I mean, blog post. My desire to restart has been thwarted time and time again by insurmountable overwhelm. As you can imagine, a lot has happened since 2018. How can I possibly pick up where I left off and not have a 60 page novel of information? I could spend days reliving the nerve wracking global pandemic, writing about how we all endured it. I could be typing for weeks just on my growing family, how I birthed an entire second human being, who is now 4 YEARS OLD. But ain’t nobody got time for that! Please accept my sincere apology, (future self), that this time capsule isn’t as complete as it could have been. Life is busy, and crazy, and eventful and boring, and these past six years have been all that and more. Above all, life has been full of blessings upon blessings, and for that we are truly grateful to God.

So … you may ask … why did I bother starting this blog back up again? Quick answer: Money. ;)

Long answer: I wanted to become an Amazon Associate. That’s where you share links for things on Amazon, and when people click on those links, maybe, just maybe, you can make a teeny, tiny, miniscule, nanoscopic commission in the process. Will this work? Absolutely not. Why? Because I’m not an influencer with 5 million followers. I’m just a girl, standing in front of a social media shitstorm, believing the Instagram lies that prey on desperate mothers of young children trying to make ends meet. The more I started watching these “stay-at-home job opportunity” reels, the more they kept on coming. The algorithm force feeding my overstimulated consciousness, thinking a get-rich-quick scheme was simply waiting around the corner.

“Did you know you could be making $30,000 worth of passive income each month? All you need to do is sign up for this FREE online program to learn how. What are you waiting for?”

My poor little soul kept getting sucked in, and my big, strong, realist husband had to pull me out of despair a time or two. The pipe dream of making bank was lost, but upon reflection, I could see what kept drawing me in. I actually appreciate the concept of this mythological business practice. I enjoy telling people about the things I buy; where it came from, how much it cost, what features influenced my decision, etc. Anyone who knows me can attest that I’m an oversharer by nature, so why stop now? I’ve posted links for family and friends on this blog long before Amazon made it cool, so I’ll continue to do so in spite of this nasty conglomerate that monopolizes our society. 

Truth is, I shop online all the time. We all do. As a busy mom and wife, with a full time job and disdain for shopping in person in a post-covid world. Usually looking for a solution to some big life problem like, “Where the hell do I put all this wrapping paper?” and “How do I contain these cashews so they don't taste stale?” You know … first world problems. 

If I do manage to find something, and buy it, and like it, you can bet your bottom dollar I didn't spend too much money. That's the other thing about me; I refuse to spend more than I have to. Whether it’s my money, or my company’s money (oh yeah, I buy things for a living at my job, too). The things I purchase have been so well vetted that I'm embarrassed to tell you how long it takes me to decide. I compare reviews, cost, features, and quality so painstakingly, because let’s be honest, the market is saturated and we’re all just trying to weed through. Everything from my $200 vacuum cleaner to my $8 spray bottle got the ol’ Liz stamp of approval, and hopefully I can save someone else the headache of searching.

So! Click my links, or don’t click my links. I’m just here, on my own blog, oversharing because it comes naturally. And who knows, maybe there’s an item or two you didn't know you needed, but do!

Today I'll share 5 home/beauty items I've been enjoying:

Airtight Food Storage Containers

Why: We always have half-filled bags of chips, nuts, dried fruit, candy, etc. The bags don’t stack, and fall over, and hit me in the face when I open the cabinets! Not cool.

Pro: Can’t beat that price for great quality containers.

Con: They’re a bit tapered at the bottom so they don’t meet flush side by side.

Favorite Feature: They lock super tight, but are easy to release one tab at a time.

Wrapping Paper Storage

Why: OMG I have so many wrapping paper rolls and ribbon, and tape, and bags scattered in random locations around the house. Needed one central location.

Pro: Fits my really long rolls and the top pockets are great for bags and tissue paper.

Con: Zipper could be sturdier.

Favorite Feature: Slides under my bed!

Shark Vacuum

Why: My old vacuum broke, and I didn’t want to spend more than $200 bucks.

Pro: Love that I can separate just the top part of the hose, or the longer stick wand.

Con: Sometimes the base falls over if I stretch the hose too far when using the wand.

Favorite Feature: This washes out SO nicely. I love swishing some hot water, or a tiny bit of soap in the canister to make it look brand new every time I clean it!

Hair Dryer

Why: Old hair dryer was getting really worn out and too heavy for my weak (lazy) arms.

Pro: The attachments are great and snap on nice.

Con: Sometimes I accidentally move the air flow dial when switching hands.

Favorite Feature: Super lightweight. Just what I wanted.

Continuous Mist Spray Bottle

Why: Saw this at the salon, and wanted it so bad! I hate regular spray bottles that you press with one finger. My fingers are weak! LOL I’m noticing a pattern here … Anyway, I use spray bottles to wet Jane’s hair when pulling it into a ponytail, but you could use this for homemade cleaning supplies, etc.

Pro: They come in cute colors! Of course, I just got white. ;)

Con: Haven’t found one yet!

Favorite Feature: If you keep squeezing the lever, it really will just keep spraying continuously. Amazing!

Okay friends and family, that’s all I have for today!

Let me know what you think!

Xoxo Liz