The Saturday Six

One.

This is for those of you who have kids or know people who do. Please take just a second to watch and learn! The mom in this story is a friend of mine from college, and the beach where this happened is a beach Ryan and I have been to before up in Michigan. Like Susanna, I never would have guessed that this could happen, so this is a chance to learn something that could save a life!

Two.

It is h.o.t.t.t.t.t.t.t.t. here in Indiana. Like dangerously hot. Like even if today is beautiful, you probably shouldn't go outside, because you might legitimately fry like an egg. So if you're stuck inside with kids who need cool-down games, here's a post with some suggestions of ways to play with ice!

Three.

Have you been using all the emojis correctly? I haven't.

Four.

If you like essential oils and need some new ideas for summer diffuser blends, here's a great list! Unfortunately for me, spearmint makes me gag (not just the oil, but all spearmint scents) so some of these are out for me, but there are some unique ideas on here!

Five.

I discovered this week that one of the twin actresses who played Grace Ingalls on Little House actually has a blog an a book coming out. Many of the actors and actresses from the show have written books at some point, but I didn't know about Wendi! Since she was so young when she played Grace, I probably know less about her than any of the other actors on the show. I'm not sure she ever even had a speaking part! But I've read through some of the blog posts and it's interesting to see her take on her co-stars from a behind-the-scenes perspective.

Six.

This week I'll close out by telling you about something I purchased recently that I really liked, so I case you're on a similar hunt, I'll introduce you!

For the last couple of years, I've been searching for a safer deodorant. I'm guessing you're familiar with the news that most standard deodorants that we've all used for years and years are not the best for your body. They contain chemicals and ingredients that could be scary to think about from a long-term-use cancer perspective, and the anti-perspirant part of them (while delightful for comfort and clothing preservation) actually works against what your body was designed to do.

I don't get super intense about these sorts of things because it produces way too much anxiety within me, so if you're looking for stats, research, and deep arguments about the dangers of all this, you're not going to find it here. I'll just keep it pretty basic.

Having said that, I did think it was worth the few extra dollars per bottle to try to find something that was safer and healthier for me. I started with deodorants from the regular store, but I couldn't find any I liked. It seemed like the sticks were either crazy hard and impossible to apply or they were crazy slick and felt like they never dried under my arms. One I tried even made me break out HORRIBLY (which is really odd for me - I'm never sensitive to skin products) and it burned like fire when I shaved after using it. I tried one from Lemongrass Spa (where I've been buying all my skincare products) and loved the first stick, but then they made some changes and the second stick didn't work AT ALL.

It was really frustrating, because I was trying to do a good and right thing and couldn't find anything that worked and felt good. (And though we're not talking super high dollar amounts here, the cost was enough that I didn't want to keep burning through sticks that didn't work.)

Finally, I decided to try Etsy. I spent the better part of an afternoon researching all kinds of shops, reading the stories of the makers and the reasons for their creations. I read hundreds of reviews, and at last I landed on one I thought I might want to try.

Here were the selling points for me:

* The shop, By Robin Creations, is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. On my search, I looked for USA companies only, partly to support American-made products, and partly so I didn't have to wait six months for a little bottle of deodorant to be shipped from some far reach of the world.

* Free shipping in the US. I learned that as you shop on Etsy, you can adjust filters for what you want, and free shipping is one of the filter options. I always put that in, because I try to be budget-conscious for our home, and I wanted to try to avoid paying shipping costs to keep this more like what it would be if I continued to shop at the store. (Her entire shop has free shipping in the US, regardless of how much you spend. Some shops offer free shipping with a certain amount spent.)

* Price. Her sticks of deodorant are listed at $10.00, which is just a couple of dollars more than the ones I had tried that didn't work. I was willing to add a couple of dollars to see if this would work. Before I placed the order, she put them on sale, so my total was $8.50 - almost exactly the same as I paid at the store. (And again, free shipping.)

* Great reviews. She had over 600 positive reviews on her products, and that was good enough for me! I read through several of them to get a feel for people's specific thoughts, and I was sold.

* Freebies. Her information page and several reviews indicated she also sends free samples, so I knew I would be getting even more bang for my buck.

* These two things don't matter to me personally, but I know they do to a lot of people: her products are vegan, and she's moving toward being a plastic-free shop. The items I received were packed in plastic (which I'm okay with) but her "about me" page indicates she is moving toward plastic-free.

I ordered a stick of her deodorant in the Ocean Breeze scent. (She also offers Tangerine-Grapefruit, Eucalyptus-Lemongrass, Jasmine-Gardenia, Lavender-Pine, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Rose-Geranium, and Unscented.)

It arrived a few days later with a handwritten note from Robin, thanking me for my order, a coupon for a future order, and TWO free samples. She sent a tube of her unscented SPF lip balm (which also comes in scents) and a trial size tin her of her sunscreen.

I was skeptical about that sunscreen. That's another thing I've been trying to find in a healthier version, and so far, it's been a dismal failure. (I tried a stick version of it from Lemongrass Spa, and it didn't go on evenly, was way too sticky, and way too soft. The stick actually broke off and I had to shove it back in the tube. I was not impressed.)

The day that Ryan and I painted the deck was ridiculously hot and sunny, so I gave the sunscreen a try that day. It goes on like regular lotion, but it left not a single trace of stickiness on my hands. (Unfortunately I applied regular sunscreen to Ryan's back right after that, so I ended up sticky anyway.) I did get a tan that day from the sun, but I did not burn. Not at all. And if I was going to burn, it definitely would have happened that day. So I'm sold on the sunscreen and will be buying that.

I'm also sold on the deodorant. I've been wearing it for about two weeks (maybe a little more) now and I love it. It goes on as it should - not too hard and not too slick. I love the scent. I notice it, but it's not overpowering. I do still sweat, since it's not an anti-perspirant, but I can tell the deodorant is still working, despite the sweat. (I don't know how to explain that any better than what I just said.) It has not made me break out. A little bit goes a long way (which is great for my budget)!

So this is my recent find that I like! A stick of deodorant, a free lip balm (which I also like!) and a free sunscreen for $8.50? OKAY!!!!