Weekend 5+1 – 5 Things I Love + 1 Thing I Don’t – 7.10.22

I know I’ve been sparse – it just seems like every time I think about posting, something sad happens in the world, or even locally.  It just makes it difficult to put something out on the blog, so I pull back and wait. Add to that, my daughter had her second knee surgery in June, so things have been busy around here.  She’s recovering well, but will be on crutches for awhile, but is managing better than we both expected.  We’ve been watching Friends, ventured out to the movies, so the mother/daughter time together has really been a gift. She’s getting back to spending time with friends now, and I’m so happy that she’s adapting. Let’s get on with the 5+1!  This post contains some affiliate links.

Vegetable Chopper

I always love a good chopped salad, but have a hard time replicating them at home.  Until now.  I recently purchased a veggie chopper, and now my chopped salads are off the hook.  I don’t know what it is about the way a vegetable is chopped that makes a difference (to me), but it does.  I actually eat more vegetables as a result of using it.

Super Comfy Shoes for Home

I spotted these as a share on social media, and they are amazing.  I don’t like walking around barefoot, and these Cushionaire slides are like walking on a cushy kitchen mat.  They are my designated “house shoes” now, and my husband has bought a pair as well.  I’m gong to pick up some more in different colors, I love them so much.  And they’re very reasonable too.

Hair Masks

Having a 16 year-old daughter has opened up new doors to me when it comes to beauty products.  My daughter is way more in tune to these things than I am (or ever was at her age).  Since her knee surgery in June, she’s been spending more time at home, so we’ve been spending time together experimenting with products, and it’s been so much fun.  One thing that I really like, and will continue to do myself, is a hair mask.  My daughter does them once a week, so I’m following her lead.  The OUAI hair mask is the most recent one that we did, and we both noticed a difference in her hair after using it.  It’s quick – you only need to keep it on for 5-10 minutes before washing your hair, and you can feel the difference even as you’re rinsing your hair.

Dry Shampoo

Since we’re talking about hair products, let’s add dry shampoo to the mix, shall we?  I know that I wash my hair way more than most people these days (I workout, wear a hat, and sweat, so hair washing just seems to be a necessity).  But, my hair is getting longer now, and it’s giving me some wiggle room.  This dry shampoo from Living Proof caught my attention again, thanks to my daughter.  Mainly because it smells so good.  But I’ve given it a try as well, and it works.  Feels light and cool on my scalp, and really makes my hair feel fresh.

Saatva Mattresses

I’m not getting paid in any way, shape or form, for this endorsement – Saatva Mattresses deserves the shout out.  As with most people, it seems like the search for a new mattress is prompted by back or neck pain from an old mattress.  That’s the case for me, anyway.  I never in a million years would think that I could buy a mattress online, without testing it firsthand.  Saatva has a six month return/exchange policy, and their reviews were great, so I gave it a try.  In true Goldilocks form, our first mattress was a bit too firm.  I called Saatva, and spoke with an actual human being, and sure enough, they were able to exchange it for a different model.  Our new model is perfect.  My back pain is completely gone, and the quality of my sleep has improved dramatically.  

You can take a quiz on their website, and they’ll recommend a mattress for you, if you’re unsure of where to begin.  It seems like quality customer service experiences are in short supply these days, so I thought it was worth a share.

My +1 for the week – Buying once, paying twice

Allow me to explain.  We have been in a cycle of fixing things around here – air conditioning, water heater, windows, etc…  I have now gotten to the point that when something breaks, I no longer expect it to be fixed in one try.  I can’t tell you how many things have been “repaired”, only to discover another issue.  Or, we think it’s fixed, and the problem resurfaces.  Case in point, we had our water heater replaced, and in the process of that work being done, discovered a pressure valve had been installed upside down.  When the plumber was working, a smaller tank that wasn’t secured very well, hit the ground and water exploded all over the place, ruining our big screen projector in the process.  I know things could be worse, but boy is it frustrating.

 

 

2 Comments

  • Reply
    Chrissy Hannemann
    July 10, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    Hi Jenny – Hang in there with your daughter and her 2nd surgery and count your lucky stars too. I just learned my 3rd son tore his ACL while playing basketball away from home. First tear was days before his senior basketball season started. This makes 7 ACL replacements in my family of 7. 3 of my most athletic sons will now have 2 each.

    I like how you tried to find the positive in the situation- For me I will need to temporarily relocate to a kind relative’s home to help my son recover from the surgery while he navigates his first weeks as a freshman in college the same month as surgery. On the bright side – this means more one on one time than either of us were planning! LOL
    At the same time trying not to feel our family is cursed, and wondering if the story of Holes has some application to our life. If you have any references for a local fortune teller or tips on how to find a pig to carry up the mountain and break the family curse please DM soon!

    Chrissy Hannemann, Alpine Utah

    • Reply
      Jenny
      July 10, 2022 at 8:51 pm

      Wow! That’s a lot to take in Chrissy! I’m sorry that your son is dealing with this along with an already stressful transition to college. Wishing a speedy recovery for him and sanity for you!

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