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Dr. Bronner’s Just about every week, I try out a new brand of green cleaning products. For the most part, they are all okay—meaning just okay. I usually find myself circling back to Method (probably because the packaging is so appealing), but do it slightly unwillingly because I have read the brand has tested positive for 1,4-dioxane, a cancer-causing toxicant that is readily absorbed through the skin. I extend them the benefit of the doubt that they’re doing something to remedy this issue. Two weeks ago, however, my cleaning life changed and—because somehow I turned into June Cleaver—I am so excited about it. For $11, I picked up a big ol’ bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds. This wonder-cleaner is a multipurpose scrub-a-dub-dubber made from plant-based surfactants (I had to look that one up) with natural spruce and fir-needle oils. And not only is the price right, but it actually cleans well. My litmus test is always my big white sink, which formerly only looked good after using a harsh, bleach-based scrub right before guests arrived. With just a dab of Sal Suds, the sink shines like top of the top of the Chrysler Building (Annie reference, anyone?). I actually delight in using it everywhere: on the floors, on the countertops, in the fridge, for the dishes and even in the laundry. Recession-friendly and eco-smart—hey, I’ll take a success wherever I can find it. ($11 for 32 ounces, www.drbronners.com) |
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California Baby Citronella SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion My kiddos, ages 1 and 4, are loving this whole summer thing. My mom hangs with them at her pool on the weekends (while I hole up in my office working—violins, please), and they return sun-kissed and sugar-giddy (ice pops and ice cream sandwiches are the requisite food per my daughter). So, while I’m not there to regulate the sugar intake, I can rest (or work, actually—more violins, please) knowing that the mean ol’ sun ain’t gonna get my babies. They go on their merry way wearing their UPF hats and suits and leave my house properly sunscreened up with SPF 30, courtesy of California Baby. This hypoallergenic, PABA-free, nonchemical, nonstaining, nonwhitening sunscreen scatters and reflects UV rays; is water-resistant, retaining its efficacy after 80 minutes of water activity; and also protects against those pesky bugs thanks to its citronella, lemongrass and cedar-scented fragrance. Now, if only there were a lotion to protect against consuming copious amounts of sugar. ($19.99, www.californiababy.com) |
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Exergen TemporalScanner Oftentimes accurately getting a read on your little one’s temperature is as frustrating as trying to get him to sleep past 5:24 a.m.—sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve tried all the top thermometers and have recently found myself using the Exergen TemporalScanner…again. I tried it a while ago, as its reputation for being easy to use preceded it, but stopped because it didn’t seem to work. When I’d use it 10 times in the span of a minute to attempt to figure out if one of my chickadees had a fever, the read would be all over the place. Well, speaking of read, I didn’t read—the directions. You’re supposed to wait a minimum of 30 seconds in between readings. Oops. Now that I know how to use it, it works like a charm. Easy, reliable, helpful—maybe there are more things in life that come with directions that I’ve been too impetuous to read, like men and mothers-in-law. Geez, I hope I didn’t throw those directions out. ($49.99, www.babiesrus.com) |
