The post you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for.....
A RANDOM smattering of some of my favorite purchases in the last few years....do you NEED them? likely not, but they are investments I have found very worthwhile!
Heres the round up because I love a good story and tangent....
Read on if you want the details...
- Tenergy Rechargeable Batteries...my guess is you all throw your batteries in the trash? No judgement. You can now recycle them at Staples which is great. (PS did you know that every time you recycle anything at Staples they give you rewards/a coupon....they have expanded their recycling A LOT. So while I have all the local recycling resources on the site...some of them apply to non-locals...like this staples list! Pro tip! I have a bin in my pantry area where I have a list on it of all the things i can take to staples (dead markers, batteries, random cords etc) and when it gets full, I make a trip! Okay, again, tangent....so instead of buying all the batteries all the time..grab some rechargeable ones! I had initially cheaped out and bought Amazon brand ones years ago.. they were TERRIBLE. Grab the tenergy ones. and make sure you get the charger dock. Yes they have them on Amazon, but if you like to avoid lining pockets of billionares... well you can find them other places. We have a batch of AA and AAA for remotes and walkie talkies and things that are oft left on and drain batteries......you're going to want to purchase maybe 25% more than you need on a regular basis so you have some ready to swap when they need recharging.
- the Brabantia Rotary Topspinner Clothes Line- its a drying rack plain and simple for outside. I like to dry things outside when I have time/the weather is suitable/etc. I cannot tell you how much frustration this caused me when we moved to our current home. My husband is a good builder, which I am incredibly appreciative of, but he is also is more aesthetically particular...issue #1, no trees. I couldn't just hang a piece of rope (which is option one that I would recommend...) I wanted just some two by fours and a rope. issue #2, septic, we cannot dig far enough to hold that sort of structure. Except that was really just a cop out because the issue was really the "eye sore." (insert Julia's eye roll). So then said wonderful husband was like 'oooh we can install a pulley system from out the laundry room window.' I think this was just fun for him....So we had a pulley, from a second story window with a rope that went from one part of the house to the other (our house is a T shape so it just went diagonally across). issue #3, ummm leaning out a second story window to hang your clothes is not recommended. Also, because of the structure, there wasn't enough cross breeze. Also limited in what it could carry. Julia to husband "why can't we just get one of those weathervane looking things?! Husband "No Way" So then one day I saw one on @thoughfullysustainable's instgram account and showed it to husband, and he said hmmmm, I'm okay with that. A few days later, install and I'm in love. WHY??? Okay well first it opens and closes like an umbrella. so it doesn't need to stay open and look like a weathervane eyesore. 2, it only requires a small hole so no septic issues or placement difficulties 3, it comes with a plug so if you remove it, you can 'plug' the metal bit in the ground if you want to move inside for a party or extreme weather and not cut yourself on a metal stake. 4, it has a cover. keeps it clean 5, it can be different heights for people that are short..in particular CHILDREN. Any task that can be made adaptable for 'independence,' I'm all for. okay and last yes, it dries my laundry, saves energy, saves your clothes, etc, etc. Next project...moving our laundry downstairs to be closer to said drying rack....including the link for the one from William Sonoma which is the cheapest currently, but worth googling to see whats best for you. Home Depot, Amazon and many other retailers carry
I found a picture of said pulley! Note that the washing machine is there so I had to sit on the window ledge to access said pulley system...
- Pela Cases, Okay no long story here. Just a phone case thats compostable. Pros: plastic free Cons: if you get a new phone you'll have to wait a few days without a case, kinda of pricey IMO, but have good sales
- Epicurean Cutting Board- just google it. It's a cutting board...sustainably made, low tox, plastic free AND dishwasher safe. I chop everything on our butcher block counter top, but when I get out raw meat or something of that nature, I break out this one. Still using a plastic cutting board? I don't say buy new things and throw things out, but this is one area where i am going to say it, THROW OUT YOUR PLASTIC CUTTING BOARD. If you avoid the news, microplastics have been found essentially everywhere in humans...brains, blood, sperm...it's not good and it's unfortunately unavoidable at this point BUT you can mitigate this one (oh and grab a filter, and avoid drinking and eating from plastics, and microwaving in them, as much as your can....)
- Ego Power Tools, I mean we're going on year 7 with our Ego Lawn Mower. I think these are definitely more commonplace now which is great!
- Put a Cup it In... the whole menstruation thing is a blog post in and of itself (in fact, I just updated it for 2024 for ya'll) so more reading if you like reading.
- Thrive Market sometimes you just need a pre-made snack... and there is so much junk out there. I really like Thrive Market because it has good prices and processed foods that are less processed and filled with junk. I try to get what I can locally, but also appreciate convenience and once Amazon bought Whole Foods and went downhill and when we broke up with Prime, we set on the monthly delivery for all the chips and our favorite Noka smoothie pouches. Referral Link for $40 off!
- Wildgrain in that grain, (pun intended), we also love Wildgrain since I'm not making all the bread from scratch. As someone who had a lot of inflammation from gluten in the past, sometimes its just the highly processed stuff....! But for those with gluten allergies, they recently launched a GF box too! Referral Link the sugar waffles and the tortellinis are delicious. (yes, packaging is ugh, but it is what is it sometimes).
I think any of these things, well apart from maybe a menstrual cup, that might be awkward, would be a great alternative gift idea!