Trying new things: June 2015

Every time I write one of these, I want to start the post by saying "It's that time of the month again!"

And then I'm like..."Nope, can't say that. I'm pregnant!"

And then I'm like..."Dude, even if you weren't pregnant, you couldn't say that."

And then I'm like..."True."

And thus was born the most awkward blog post opening of all time.

But seriously, I do this every month. I have this weird love of trying new products, and I love talking about them! Especially if I end up loving them -- but also if I don't end up loving them, because then it'll save you a bad buy, right? Of course right.

So take a look at the things I tried in June. Hopefully my thoughts are helpful to someone out there!

(Oh, and just so you know, I'm not nearly cool enough to use affiliate links or receive free products to review. We're just friends here, talking about some cool shtuff!)


OxiClean White Revive Laundry Stain Remover 

We can get some pretty intense clothing stains around these parts. Parker alone has a tendency to get anything and everything on his clothes. 

I've tried a few different stain removing products, and most of them were pretty meh. They made some difference, but nothing huge, and the stains were usually still there. I also tried the dawn/baking soda/hydrogen peroxide concoction that so many people seem to swear by, and it faded the shirt terribly.

I originally tried this OxiClean product to use with my exclusively white loads to keep them from getting dingy (or, you know, dingy-er). And I'm happy with how it does that, honest. It also has a super clean, fresh smell that I kind of love (and most smells aren't my friends nowadays). But I decided to really put this to the test with this shirt of Parker's:

Guys, I don't even know what was on there. There's the obvious giant red splotches, but there's also brown smears at the bottom, and some weird bluish-black substance near the top. Oh, and did I mention that the shirt sat like this for literally weeks in my laundry room, waiting for me to tackle its stains? Yeah, this was a toughie. 

Except...it wasn't! Wanting to give the OxiClean its best chance, I soaked the shirt in it for about 4 hours. I used quite a bit of it (I threw some cleaning rags and towels in there so it wasn't a total waste of product and water), but I kept it in cold water since I didn't want the shirt to shrink. (Oh and I threw in one of these in case the red on the shirt decided to get rebellious). Well, after soaking and then washing normally...

  

Stains be gone! I honestly couldn't believe how well this worked. I got right up to the shirt and seriously cannot see a single trace of any of the various stains that plagued it previously. Not only that, but the red sleeves weren't faded at all. At all!

So obviously, I recommend this stuff. I got it at Walmart but have seen it at Target also. I'm sure it's pretty much everywhere. 

Next, let's talk about LUSH foot products -- Volcano foot mask, Stepping Stone foot scrub, and Fair Trade foot lotion.

My feet have been in baaaad shape lately. Tired, dry, rough, blegh. I don't get pedicures very often (ain't no-mama got time for that) and adding pregnancy into the mix certainly didn't help matters.

LUSH is kind of a love-hate thing for me. There are a couple products that I can't live without -- this shampoo and this face mask are regular buys -- but I've also tried a few things that I've found overpriced and not super effective. I also can't use their ever-popular bath bombs or bath melts because they tend to irritate my usually-not-sensitive skin.

The last time I went into a LUSH store to get a new face mask, I brought up my foot concerns to an employee and was immediately led to this line (their workers are super passionate about pretty much every product in the store. They will try like heck to upsell you and their passion actually makes them annoyingly good at it, darn them. Don't say I didn't warn you!). I ended up buying the smaller size of the Volcano foot mask ($13.50) and a Stepping Stone ($4.50), and I got a generous sample of the Fair Trade lotion (they are usually great about giving out samples, especially if you're buying something else!).

The verdicts:

 

The foot mask wasn't exactly easy or convenient to use (although my big belly might have had something to do with that). You're supposed to wrap your feet in plastic wrap immediately after applying to keep it from drying out super fast. Then you sit for several minutes while it works its magic. I'll also say that this is not a "a little goes a long way" type thing. It has a super thick, clay-like consistency that doesn't spread well. The small jar only last me for two uses. Despite the downsides, though, I'd definitely say it's an effective product. My feet felt tingly in the best way possible, and much smoother and more "refreshed." I also felt the effects for a while; much longer than even with a good pedicure.

I had high hopes for this little scrubber, especially since it was the cheapest of the bunch and potentially the best buy. But I'd say I was ultimately disappointed. It was difficult to use; it essentially dissolved the second you tried to use it. And it wasn't super "scrubby" once it dissolved, so it really didn't do much beyond leaving my bathtub looking like Elphaba had melted in there. Maybe if you used a brush or something to scrub this in, it would work better. I will say that I used some on my elbows and it left them actually feeling smoother. So maybe it will work on feet that aren't in as bad of shape as mine.

Go figure that my favorite of the three products would be the one that I didn't actually buy! I've got to go back for more of this stuff. It's cooling, softening, and has a nice consistency that is kind of whipped and light, although it sinks in well. You don't need very much; I'd imagine that the jar will last a while. It also smells yummy -- pepperminty with a tiny hint of chocolate. This is a good one, folks. My flip flop feet approve!

So if your feet need a little TLC, drop in to a LUSH store and try out a product or two. They will actually do in-store foot treatments, which might help you decide which products work best for you!

Lastly, for something a little different, is a podcast: Spawned.

I started listening to podcasts in earnest when I was pregnant with Parker, and I kind of love them now. Is it just an adult thing to love to listen to talk radio-esque things? I remember giving my dad a hard time about listening to talk radio, but podcasts are kind of the bomb. And they're totally different from lame talk radio, right? (crickets) I love that I can listen to them whenever (cleaning, working, driving, etc.) and that it feels like I'm doing something productive while I'm doing something else productive. #winwin

I have a few podcasts I listen to regularly, including this Disneyland podcast, this happiness podcast, and this motherhood podcast. This particular one, Spawned, is newer -- they're only about 4 episodes in -- but it's so fun and I already get excited when a new episode is released. 

The two hosts have a good energy and chemistry, and their attitude toward parenting is positive, but also just a little bit irreverent, which is totally my jam. They also talk about interesting topics that are a little more universally appealing than many of the other parenting podcasts I've listened to. 

I give this one two thumbs up. Give it a listen, eh?

So there are a few things that I discovered in June! Any of them spark your interest? Anything you've tried lately that you'd recommend? Thanks for reading!