From CB: The Amazon trash bags we featured last month are quite good, I would recommend them! They’re strong and the price is reasonable. I like unscented trash bags in the house, but I use these small kitchen-sized scented Glad trash bags outside in a little covered can for the dog poo bags. (These are the best dog waste bags!) I received some of those Glad bags as part of a housewarming package from the realtor and after using them for the dog waste I didn’t want to go back to unscented ones. Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at on Amazon.
A kitchen thermometer you’ll wish you had sooner
From CB: We bought a kitchen thermometer for my son to do a science experiment years ago and I still use it a few times a week. It’s great for checking if meat is cooked without overcooking it. Plus you can use it for baking and making candy too. This thermometer by Kizen is on sale just over $10. It has 4.7 stars, over 64,000 ratings and the same score on ReviewMeta. People say it works great and is the best meat thermometer they’ve owned. “A instant read thermometer is a must for anyone grilling or cooking meat, poultry or fish. This is the secret to not over cooking! This is the best food thermometer I have ever owned.” “I can turn out consistent medium rare steaks every time with no guessing. I love them so much I started buying them for gifts so others can see how easy it is to cook great steak every time.”
Some KF94 masks for peace of mind
From CB: While I know people aren’t masking much lately, I still am. The flu and RSV are going around now! I’ve been gradually replacing the KN95 masks with these KF94 masks as they’re still protective but easier to breathe in. I wear these at the gym and around town. Right now you can get 50 black masks for just $17. They come in other colors like blue, pink, green and purple for around $26. (I got the black ones!) These masks have over 3,700 ratings, 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say they fit well while being comfortable and that they are easy to breathe in and don’t fog glasses. Some say they had a chemical smell but the ones I got didn’t smell bad at all. “These mask are so comfortable and fit perfectly on your face. They don’t suffocate you or cause your glasses to fog up.” “They’re super comfortable and aren’t flimsy. You could def get multiple wears out of each mask too.” “I like that they are compact and travel well. They do not have an odor. They fit well at the ears and don’t mess my hair when putting on or taking off. I can breathe very easily. I feel protected.”
Plant food to revive your sad, drooping plants
From CB: Some of my houseplants are thriving and others are definitely not. I’m interested in getting some plant fertilizer to see if I can help them out. This liquid indoor plant food is $10 for 16 ounces and should last a long time as you need just 1/2 teaspoon for every 2 cups of water. It has over 3,000 ratings, 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it really revived their indoor plants. “This indoor plant food has saved my green friends. The plant in the picture was near death and halfway to the garbage can when I decided to try this product. It is now flourishing.” “This product is very affordable and has made a big impact on the health of my indoor plants.”
Fleece leggings you’ll want to wear all week
From CB: Now that the cooler weather is here my leggings aren’t warm enough to walk the dog outside. These fleece leggings by Baleaf come in sizes x-small to 3x and in 20 different colors, all under $34. They have almost 24,000 ratings, 4.4 stars and a B on Fakespot, which is excellent for clothing. Women say they’re super comfortable, flattering and warm without being hot. “Warm and cozy. Washed them a few times (cold water, line dry) and they’re holding up well. I’m wearing them numerous times per week. Here’s another BIG benefit for others who live in a house with dogs or cats: These leggings don’t attract pet hair. Other fleece lined leggings I’ve bought online are pet hair magnets, but these are not.” “Pulling these pants on was like stepping into a hug. The fleece is lightweight but cozy. I need like fifteen more pairs of these so that I can live in them for the entirety of winter.”
A versatile oversized sweater vest for stylish comfort
From Hecate: I saw something similar on Buzzfeed this weekend and I think I’m obsessed. They show this cute vest with so many looks: jeans, slacks, shirt dress. So it’s not only comfy, it can be accessorized to look any way you want. And this Viottiset vest comes in so many colors and patterns, with a banded waiting or split – everyone can find the perfect style for them. The vest is sized S-XL and is supposed to wear baggy. The vests range from $30-$46, mostly around $33. The $46 vest is on sale for $34 this week. Over 1,200 people rated the vest with 4.3 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. Customers say they go with any look, “I wore it over a black skirt for church. Its a great new look. Got the burgundy. Goes great with jeans too.” And it works for different bodies too, “I am curvy. 5’3 size 10. I wore a t-shirt dress and the sweater vest was long and baggy enough.” I think these vests are going to be everywhere this fall. Be sure to check out the customer photos. They have a lot of cute looks there.
An effective wrinkle-reducing serum with pure hyaluronic acid and B5
From Hecate: This hyaluronic acid serum is good for deep wrinkles. It uses two types of pure hyaluronic acid & vitamin B5 and claims to replump skin in only 4 hours, which is the kind of thing I need. Plus it’s a great price because you can get a full ounce bottle for only $33. I’m really encouraged by the fact that over 15,000 people have rated it with 4.6 stars which ReviewMeta confirmed. People who bought it swear by it, “Obsessed with this serum. My derm gave me a sample to use and I fell in love and ended up buying the big bottle.” I really want to give it a try. Oh – and it works on rosacea as well! “Ok…so honestly I have NEVER found a treatment for rosacea as good as this one. I have only been using it at night and when I wake up in the morning my face is not irritated at all!”
Pretty glass pumpkins to complete your fall decor
From Hecate: I was the Lone Thanksgiving Dissenter around here. BUT – I’ve tried my best to change and it’s worked… mostly. I still don’t decorate much. However, a few years back I bought a small blue glass pumpkin and it’s become one of my favorite pieces. I look forward to the time I get to display and my husband loves it too. It’s like that pumpkin that brought Hecate to Thanksgiving. Amazon has some nice glass pumpkin/gourd offerings, like this one. I love this color. It also comes in different pumpkin shapes and gourds. The prices depend on the version you choose but this little guy is on sale for $21 this week. That’s a great price considering this is mouthblown glass. Almost 700 people rated them at 4.8 stars which ReviewMeta confirmed. The company says the packaging is “drop-proof” and the customers back that up, “These glass pumpkins are beautiful and timeless fall decorations. The price was great and handled with care.” People also like how the blue blended with the usual fall decor coloring, “they are a different way to decorate for the autumn season besides the usual orange, brown, red, and yellow autumn color.”
I love these posts thanks so much! I’m not sure if you have ever featured the Amazon leggings that “broke” Utube, but I cannot recommend them enough. Their called Satina and they are $14.99. They only come in 2 sizes but somehow fit perfectly. I use them as everyday leggings and wear them in place of tights.
I am totally buying a couple pair of those nice fleece leggings and I love the La Roche-Posey projects. They are fantastic for sensitive skin.
Some quick, indoor-specific plant fertilizing tips ~
Do not fertilize if your plant is dry..root hairs will get burnt and then you’re on the ‘over-water, under-water symptoms’ pendulum which is REALLY hard to get off.
Best to not fertilize during winter, plants need some dormant time. Cut down on your watering, also. A good way to check is to become familiar with the weight of each plant when thoroughly watered, after a week as it dries down, after 10 days, etc. Don’t allow plants other than cacti & euphorbias to go bone dry, but remember in summer months, they love water too.
Most fertilizers and labels are focused on a US market. For those of us north of the 49th parallel, best to divide instructions by half.
Best to fertilize lightly more often than a lot once a month. Less is more when using fertilizer indoors, especially if plants cannot be leeched with clear water (ie: drainage or no drainage). Every 2nd watering during growing season with a weak solution is good, assuming your plant has not gone bone, dusty dry.
Interior plantscaping is an inexact science at best. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you lose a few. As they are alive, they will also die at some point, as do all living things.
Thanks for the tips! I still rue my nearly killing a beautiful cactus plant that someone gave me. They had been growing it outdoors and I just assumed that it didn’t need any water during the hot summer months! To save its life I had to pass it on to someone else who knew better. 😢
I got a pair of those fleece leggings last year, and while they are SUPER cozy and comfortable, mine were too small. There wasn’t a lot of stretch in them at all. I ordered my normal size in those kinds of leggings, especially from baleaf (Medium) and I should have gone for a large I think. They still “fit,” they were just a smidge too small and kept falling down if I was doing a lot of walking or whatever. So I’ll buy them again but in a size up.
Thanks for weighing in – I was just dithering about which size to order, definitely going up now.
I was also not a Thanksgiving decorator, but we bought a few hand-blown glass pumpkins and I love them. I’ll probably add one to the collection every year.
I was just in the hospital for a kidney stone (there are very few people I would wish that level of misery on), and was cursing the fact that I didn’t have a more comfortable mask with me. 2 days in my KN95 was pretty miserable. Also, yes, RSV is really bad right now. The children’s portion of the hospital I was just in had people waiting 20+ hours in the ER for pediatric beds.