From CB: I recently started using these vegan, environmentally friendly laundry detergent pods by Dropps. These have over 2,700 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. They wash just as well as store brand pods and they’re fragrance free and great for sensitive skin. Here are some more things that Rosie and I are looking at on Amazon.
An adjustable, portable sun umbrella for comfortable shade this summer
From CB: The Sport-Brella is an adjustable sun umbrella with a rotatable, universal clamp. It would be great to keep in your car for shade outside this summer. It starts at $28 for the regular size, with the XL on sale for the same price, and comes in 9 colors. These have over 55,000 reviews, 4.3 stars and the same score on Reviewmeta. People say they’re great to have on hand and have saved the day. “Great protection from the sun without having to reattach throughout the day. Folds up easy. Fits inside of chair bag with chair. Multiple angle points to change shading so you are protected throughout the day.” “I used this on the scooter at Disney. I am very sun and heat intolerant and it saved the day several times. It could also be used on any type of chair as well.”
Mouthwash that does more than just mask bad breath
From CB: Ever since I switched to a vegan toothpaste (see this post for an explanation) my mouth hasn’t felt as clean. TheraBreath is a gentle, pleasant mouthwash that targets bacteria to give you cleaner, fresher breath. It’s said to be nicer to use than alcohol-based mouthwash and it’s vegan, kosher and gluten free. This listing for the mild mint variety has over 78,000 ratings, 4.7 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it got rid of their bad breath when nothing else worked. “We love the flavor and it really eliminates bad breath. It seems to work really quickly and works great. The taste is very nice and keeps your breath feeling fresh.” “I really like this mouthwash , I had previously been using another well known brand . I have now been using this one for two months and I can feel the difference. My breath is fresher longer and it’s not harsh to use.”
Protect your outdoor garbage from flies with this pest strip
From CB: Now that it’s getting warmer out I’ve noticed that flies are attracted to my garbage in the garage. This stick-on fly and insect deterrent from trusted brand Terro works to deter and kill insects around your garbage. Note that it’s only for use in garages and outside. This has 19,000 ratings, 3.9 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it really works to kill insects and keep flies away but that it falls off when your garbage is emptied. They recommend attaching it with velcro or zip ties. “It took about a day and a half for the flies to disappear, but they are now gone!” “This really does the trick at keeping flies at bay! I personally used Velcro to attach to the top of my trash can lids so it can easily be removed on trash day.”
Revitalize your tile and chalk with this rubber whitening gel
From CB: This is a chalk and sealant whitening gel that removes mold and staining on older tiles, sinks and more. It has 4.1 stars over 5,500 ratings and a B on Fakespot. People are amazed at how well it works. “I seriously wish I’d taken a picture of the before and after. The caulk was stained brownish/orange. No amount of spray cleaners, soft scrub, etc would get it clean. For $15 I figured I couldn’t lose too badly. To my total surprise it worked as advertised!” “I wish I had thought to take a before picture! I had tried cleaning my caulking three times and nothing. I was going to just suck it up and recaulk the tub until I tried this. Every stain is gone, I’m so happy.” “I get sucked into buying products on Amazon all the time and this is one of the few that truly delivers. Our bathrooms are all filled with unsealed white grout. It stains and molds like crazy. One application of this product and everything looks clean without any scrubbing.”
An affordable ice cream maker to make tasty memories
From Rosie: When I started researching ice cream makers, the Cuisinart ICE-21P1 appeared on multiple lists as being a really good and affordable one. The NYT called it “humble yet mighty.” At $68, it makes up to 1.5 quarts of ice cream and comes in a few different colors – although the prices vary by color. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 23,000 reviews, and a B on Fakespot. In reviews, people marvel about how tasty the ice cream is. “I was expecting soft serve like ice cream but this was so much smoother and creamy. Truly the best vanilla ice cream I’ve ever tasted.” “This little gadget has been fun to use and it’s so easy, almost foolproof, to have great-tasting ice cream without the mess of an old-fashioned salt-and-ice freezer.” “To be honest one of my best purchases here. Love it and going to buy 2 more as gifts for my sister and friend!”
A jewelry organizer for traveling and storing your favorite pieces
From Rosie: I saw someone mention BAGSMART having a travel jewelry organizer in the comments of last week’s post and since I have the worst jewelry-traveling situation going on, decided to look into it. It’s pretty cool! It comes in nine different colors and two different sizes, small and medium. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 10,700 reviews, and a A on Fakespot. People rave about how great it is at keeping their jewelry organized when they travel. “Keeps all my jewelry organized in a compact way while traveling.” “I’ve tried several options for bringing jewelry on vacation and this is my favorite one yet.” “This keeps everything neat and separated and visible. So happy with [this] purchase.”
A leak proof water bottle that encourages you to stay hydrated
From Rosie: I’ve always been a big water drinker and got this half-gallon water bottle for Christmas. I know the quotes are super cheesy but it helps me keep track of how much water I’m drinking. I also rarely use it with the straw unless I am in the car. It comes in 10 different colors and is only $12 with Prime. It has 4.5 stars, 1,700 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. Users also appreciate it for being easy to keep track of water intake. “Very cute bottle, and most importantly it doesn’t leak! A great way [to] get your water in.” “I bought this bottle because my workout group highly suggested it. I’m glad I bought it…This bottle will help you reach your water goals.” “There were many more expensive water bottles to choose from. This was inexpensive and works great…Easy to use and easy to clean.”
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My little sister has been asking for an ice cream maker. Gonna get this before she arrives for the summer.
@TheOriginalMia – The reviews on Amazon have a lot of really helpful tips in them, like freezing the bowl ahead of time, etc. 🙂
Lol I’m sitting on my deck under that umbrella right now. 😂 it’s awesome and was a great purchase!
I have it too, and use it at outdoor craft shows. It’s good!
That mouthwash is amazing! There is also a mint version in a blue bottle that’s great (doesn’t sting, but as mint should be). Several of my family members have also sworn by it for years; one in particular had serious issues with bad breath and this (and a little tongue scraper) did the job when nothing else would.
I’ve been looking at that Cuisinart ice cream maker for a while. I had a great one that was similar, but hand cranked instead of having a motor. Lasted for years, but finally busted. Now they don’t make them. Boo!
I will say that my neighbor got a Ninja Cremi and it is amazing! Much more expensive though. However, it works in the opposite way. Instead of freezing the liquid ice cream mix, you freeze your concoction and then whip it into ice cream. The Cuisinart type machines only make a quart at a time, but with the cremi, you can have multiple containers in the freezer and then whip them all, so you can serve lots of fresh ice cream in different flavors. Don’t know if that’s worth the $175-250, but it is great if you need to feed more people ice cream.
So many necessaries in this post! But the one I needed asap was the jewelry bag – I ordered the “soft pink” one which is sort of beige-on-beige. I’ve been having a hard time keeping the jewels in order so looking forward to sorting them out properly with this organizer.
I have the Cuisinart ice cream maker and it really is as easy as advertised and the ice cream is delicious. Making ice cream with it is one of my grandchildren’s favorite activities when they stay with me. They have so much fun and also have a great sense of accomplishment when they use it. I highly recommend it!