Hello out there, internet friendos! Hope you're doing well on these balmy summer days! It's definitely warming up here in Seattle and your girl is feeling the heat, with a bit of self-aware shame because it's only rising in the 80's here versus the 100+ degree temperatures I experienced throughout my life in Vegas...but there's humidity here! And wow, boy howdy, do I sure spend a lot of time stuck in traffic...in an old steel car without air conditioning...so perhaps that's factoring into my appraisal of the weather... or maybe it's global warming, or just my desert rat blood struggling to adapt to the added moisture in the air via humidity. There's a lot of factors to be considered, for sure, but as of today, we are officially in Summer 2019 in the northern hemisphere! Woo! Do any of you have exciting plans with the family? Many of my clients at work have been eagerly telling me of their grand adventures to come, and hearing about trips along the Vancouver coast or plans to cool down at Glacier park, I'd be lying if I said it didn't tickle my sense of wanderlust. Perhaps this weekend I'll drag Antho out for a hike or something...If there's one thing Seattle and the Pacific Northwest have to offer, it's the opportunity for outdoor exploration in some of the most absurdly gorgeous and diverse landscapes the country has to offer!
I suppose it's only natural that with the closing out of spring and the sweaty days of summer looming, cleanliness and freshness have been weighing more heavily on my mind. I, for one, thoroughly enjoy feeling clean and fresh, and back in the sticky days of living through warm Japanese summers on Tokyo bay without air conditioning, I would rely on cold showers to cool off throughout the day. I'm a big fan of cold tubs at bathhouses, too, for bringing your core temperature down fast on a hot day, but I can't afford the amount of spa-days I feel these summer temps might have me craving... To get by, I've been focusing on upgrading my beauty and cleaning routine towards cleaner, more environmentally sound products and practices. It's definitely a work in progress, but it's better to make some positive steps than none at all! The past year we've been working on slowly using up the products we'd accumulated previously, which included an absurd amount of shampoos and bar soaps. I'm down to my last three bars of soap and a handful of shampoos and conditioners lingering in the shower, so I'm eager to finally move towards making more conscious purchases in my personal care going forward.
One place we decided to start was with our toothbrushes. Antho got a pretty gnarly tooth infection late last year, and it motivated both of us to take better care of our oral health. Part of being diligent in your oral hygiene is using the right toothbrush and replacing them after they begin to wear out and lose their efficacy. Ideally, we'd all be switching out our toothbrushes or brush heads (for those who swear by electric) every three months. Three months! That goes by SO fast, and I don't know about you, but unless I specifically write it down or program it into Google, I'm not going to remember when I started using my toothbrush and when it's time to change it up. Not only is it a hassle to remember, but the amount of additional waste that creates -from the toothbrushes themselves to the packaging- adds up! That's why when Antho mentioned his toothbrush looking a little past-due, I sought out a minimal waste alternative. Luckily for us, Zero Waste Cartel has these beauties made from sustainably harvested bamboo that are lightweight, fun to use and they send you an entire year's supply for an affordable price so that you won't have to remember and re-order after a few months. I've been using the minimalist beige, which makes my teeth and gums SO happy, but if you need firmer bristles the rainbow ones will be right up your alley.
Have you ever found yourself hours deep into the rabbithole of Youtube and discovered your eyes glued to DIY videos for an item you've never previously thought you'd be interested in making? I sure have, if you can't tell, and somehow soap has become a major fixation in my youtube history. There are so many varieties, so many options! In the past, my only real exposure to the concept of shampoo bars was through Lush, and I didn't have the greatest results with it back when I first dabbled. The Oyin handmade grand poo bar, however, is made with moisturizing oils and butters while devoid of detergents and sulfate, meaning it's better for you and the environment. Right on! I haven't gotten mine yet, but I'm excited to try it out once it arrives. At only $7 it's a reasonably priced entry point for people curious to try a shampoo bar but hesitant to shell out an exorbitant amount, so even if I find it's not my favorite I won't be breaking the bank.
Going forward with the shampoo bar theme, which helps reduce plastic wastes by the by, is the By Humankind Shampoo Bar. I opted for the Lemon lavender, which sounds delicious! This bar claims to allow you the possibility of skipping conditioner due to it's moisturizing nature, and it's made with all natural ingredients to boot. They also have a Thyme scent, which sounds woodsy and herbacious enough to appeal to the manly man in your life. I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, but I'm excited to experiment with another low-waste alternative to traditional shampoo bottles. I've got 3 or 4 bottles of shampoo and conditioner currently cluttering up my shower and I've been working to use them all up, as I don't want to waste things that already exist and have been bought, but I can't deny that I'm excited to finally see the bottoms of them showing through! These shampoo bars have been pretty well reviewed, so I'm curious to try them for myself. You can sign up for a membership where they'll ship you new products every few months, but I opted for a one-time purchase in case it just doesn't work for me. You don't know until you try!
For those who travel, and often, these mouthwash pellets seem like a dream come true! I'm always on the road for work, and I've noticed I don't make time to use mouthwash nearly as often as I'd like... Sure, I always manage to brush my teeth before darting out the door for the day, but freshening up after devouring my lunch in my car isn't the easiest, especially without ready access to running water... I do, however, always keep a bottle of drinking water on hand, and these dissolvable mouthwash tablets can be used with just a mouthful of the liquid. Mint and spearmint, the original gangstas of the oral hygiene flavor world, make an appearance but I went with the variety pack that includes fun new flavors like grapefruit, lemon and orange. I love me some citrus! Because these tablets don't actually involve any water, they're ideal for stashing in your carry on for staying fresh during flights. Brilliant.
As I've mentioned, I'm constantly roaming around the city of Seattle for my job, but I don't have time to stop and take a leisurely lunch from a local restaurant on the daily- nor could my wallet handle such luxuries. During the cooler months, there's no issues with leaving a sandwich hidden in the car (aside from potential racoon or squirrel theft) but as the thermostat has been climbing I've made it back to my car more than once only to discover that the cheese on my sandwich had actually melted and I wasn't so sure about the safety of my meal anymore. Food poisoning sucks, and I'd rather not have it, ya dig? In an effort to ensure food safety protocols and also to simply have nice, cold, things in my life, I invested in this cooler bag from Ban.do. They've gotten my money before with their adorable sticker packs and handy yearly planners, but I'd debated buying the bag until it had an actual practical use, at which point it was in my cart and ordered at the first sign of sale! It's a LOT bigger than I'd originally expected, and is fully capable of holding not only a tupperware containing my sandwich and an ice pack, but also my ginormous waterbottle, bottles of cold pressed juice, teas, energy drinks, whatever my heart desires. This will also be a super handy bag to have on hand for our next beach day or hiking outing! Given the flexible nature of the bag, it's easier to stash in the various crevices of my car than a bulky ice chest would be. Plus look how cute that grapefruit design is! I love it so much. It adds a nice pop of color and coolness into my day, and I haven't gotten sick from a hot sandwich!
Happy Solstice everyone! Hope your summer is starting out fabulously!
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XOXO,
NAU
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