Ten Reviews

Here are some products I’ve tried lately. Some were bad, some were okay, some were good, and some were awesome. So I figured I’d share. I have no affiliation with any of these companies. These are simply my honest opinions.

1. I’d heard great things about this sauce (from what I understand, it’s fame grew from a farmer’s market in SD) so when I saw it in Whole Foods I thought, how cool, now it’s sold in stores!?  I should try it!  So I did.

Um, holy spicy hot hot heat!  This is just way too intense.  I like spice well enough (I don’t seek it out, but I’m not averse to it either).

Way way too hot.  Like, inedible in a moderate serving.

I was really bummed but then I was browsing Whole Foods again a few weeks later and saw there’s actually more than one version of bitchin’ sauce and not just the one flavor I bought (I guess they were out of stock in the rest when I first shopped and bought it).  So now I’m kinda interested in buying the OG flavor, but I dunno, is it really THAT good?  I could probably just make it myself…looking at the ingredients it seems pretty easy to replicate.

2. A new kind of kombucha!

This Health-Ade brand was on sale and we all know I’m a sucker for sales…AND kombucha…AND cute bottles, so DUH I bought it. And yes it was a as good as the flavor combo sounds.  Super ginger-y, which I rarely find is the case because my taste buds have a strong ginger love that most products can’t quite meet.

3.  Still can’t get enough of this Pitaya business.  I think they are the “it” item of my summer.  Smoothies are what I crave first thing every morning so it’s no surprise these are what my taste buds gravitate towards.

4. Finding quality sunscreen with safe ingredients isn’t too hard these days but finding the right kind PLUS a decent texture (as in spread-in-ability with a good sticky/greasy balance).  So far we’ve tried Honest, Babyganics, Badger, and Goddess Garden Organic Sunny Baby.  I’ve heard good things about Alba and Neutrogena, too, but Block Island will probably remain our go-to.

Like other natural sunscreens, zinc oxide is the main ingredient for UVA protection.  And yet, unlike Badger or Goddess Garden it doesn’t take an hour to rub in and leave your face white.  It actually spreads (so a dollop can be used for a larger portion of skin) and doesn’t leave your skin tacky or oily at all.  It’s perfect.  At first I thought it had a weird smell – similar to a bug repellant – but it goes away once rubbed it and smells neutral and pleasant when on.  Definitely like it the most of all the natural ones we have tried.  Now if only we could find a spray one that boasts similar specs (without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, petrochemicals, artificial dyes or fragrances, etc.).  It’s also vegan FYI.  To learn more about what non-nano means in terms of zinc/titanium oxide in sunscreen read here.

5. These Sanuk yoga sling sandals are my faaaaaavorite.  I want them in every print and every color.  So cute and comfy. I’ve had Sanuk flip flops since my Santa Monica days and don’t think I’ll deviate from the brand ever.  They are awesome.

I am usually an 8.5 in shoes and I got an 8 (they only have full sizes) and it fits great. I think the strap would be too loose if I got a 9.

6.  Ever since I decided to let pacman DIY in the utensil department, I figured I better get some kid friendly plates/bowls/etc. [Way back when P was a newborn (and not eating solids) we got gifted a cute children’s serving set – and I only recently rediscovered it.  But it wasn’t enough and I kept finding myself putting our (nice) plates on P’s tray and that kinda seemed risky.]

So I went with two solid brands that have proven successful with toddler stuff thus far – munchkin and oxo.  So far, both are hits.

Both are dishwasher safe and made from non-toxic ingredients (no BPA).

The oxo plates have a “training ring” which is like a lip around the edge that helps food go onto the utensil when using the side of the plate and is removable (for once they graduate from needing it).  I got two plates – one with dividers and one without – and a fork and spoon.  The fork is good but the spoon may hold a bit too much food.  He still uses these munckin spoons for most things.

The plates are nice because they have a bit of grip on the bottom so they don’t slide, but as far as being “weighted”, that’s not really noticeable or helpful in keeping it on the tray.  By contrast, the (above) munchkin plates are way more lightweight and slide all over the place.  However, they are microwaves safe, which the oxo are not (or at least not advertised as).

The munchkin bowls have a suction on the bottom but it’s not very strong and after a while it seems to come off regardless of P’s activity.  I haven’t tried sealing it with moisture, but perhaps that would help it stay in place.  They are a good size though, and he loves eating rice and quinoa and other grains out of them.

Moms – feel free to offer other recs if you have various utensils/plates/etc that you love.

7. I’m the worst when it comes to buying new running shoes.  With the mileage I do I should replace them four times more frequently than I do.  I think my last pair of shoes are almost two years old.  Not good for my knees!  Anyway, these are fine.  Nothing really exciting to differentiate them from other running shoes.  I generally stick to asics but beyond that my choice is entirely dependent on what colors and styles look cutest to me.  And what’s cheapest.  I’m not a professional runner and I’m not training for anything so I don’t really care about fancy footwear.  As long as I don’t feel it while I’m pounding the pavement, I think that’s a good enough marker.

8.  This Simply Lite chocolate bar was an impulse buy at the TJs checkout (shopping solo with two kids and feeling like I deserved a treat).  I ate the entire bar in one serving and my gut nearly exploded on me.  What the what!?!  I don’t know how I managed to miss the label that says sugar free!  Sugar free???  No.  Just no.  Xylitol disaster.  Never again.

Life it too short to eat sh!tty chocolate.

9.  By contrast, Trader Joe’s dark chocolate honey mints are divine.  They remind me of peppermint patties but with a more caramel texture inside (but don’t confuse that for meaning they have caramel – they don’t).  They are pretty sweet so you can’t OD on them by eating the whole bag at once.  I like them paired with super dark chocolate and candied ginger.  Excellent way to end the day – a nice refreshing minty sweet treat.  FYI, I don’t even really like mint, so take my recommendation as even more noteworthy (I know you’re balking at this mom).

10.  I’d never heard of the Amylu brand before, but I saw their breakfast sausages at Costco a while back and decided to do some research.  I originally wanted it for P (because he LOVES the Applegate breakfast sausages).  So after contacting the company and finding it’s facilities were allergy friendly I decided to give them a shot.  Of course the next time I went back to Costco they didn’t have the same kind.  🙁

I bought the andouille chicken sausage instead.

Ingredients: chicken raised without antibiotics, water, spices, parsley, crushed red pepper, paprika, extract of rosemary, onions, garlic, salt, sugar, vinegar, lamb casing.

Unfortunately P was not a fan.  I’m not sure what the issue is (too spicy?) but he had no interest.  Kyle, on the other hand, is very excited to have his son’s rejections.  He loves them.  And the good news is they are just as clean ingredient wise as Applegate with a better price tag.  Yay.  Because the package comes with a ton, I froze them individually (2-3 per bag) so we can grab them out whenever the mood strikes.