You know how when you, as a blogger, really only have one thing you want to talk about? But that’s the one thing that’s off the table for blogging? Yes. THAT.

Instead, let’s indulge in some retail therapy, shall we?

SOME STUFF I’VE BOUGHT LATELY.

Although I have a confessed addiction to a more expensive facial scrub, I decided to give the Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub a try when I ran out of my old standby. Also because AndreAnna raved about it. Also because it’s about $30 cheaper. And? Not bad. The scrubbers are a bit larger, so it’s a little more harsh on my skin (which was what I love about the Clarins scrub.. smaller scrubbies mean less abrasion on my skin), but it’s not bad at all. Plus it’s pretty “pure” as far as facial products go. So if you’re looking for a cheaper solution, this may be your new best friend.

I am pretty awful about forgetting to eat during the day. You wouldn’t know it to LOOK at me, I know, but I do. I often skip breakfast and don’t even think about eating until I’m home and cooking dinner. I’m trying to fix that a little bit, or at the very least, keep around decent snack bars for when I have ten minutes at work. I am pretty much in love with these KIND Fruit & Nut bars. The flavors are ALL amazing – seriously, I’ve tried everything I could get my hands on and I’m  hard-pressed to pick a favorite – and they’re pretty filling. Most of them are under 200 calories, and most of them also contain other good stuff. And I can pronounce everything on the ingredients list, which is awesome.

I have been making my own laundry detergent and fabric softener for about a year now and have no qualms about it. It literally takes me ten minutes to do either and the detergent lasts me five or six months. (The fabric softener lasts a little over a month.) While I love doing this, Bryan complains that the laundry doesn’t smell clean to him. (Translation: it doesn’t smell like ANYTHING. Which is clean, but unscented.) So when I make detergent, I throw a bottle of these pellets in for a little touch of scent. But Gain’s new Sweet Sizzle Fireworks smells SO good that I throw some in with every load. And the scent really lasts! So now everyone is happy: my laundry has minimal additives and Bryan smells good. Win win.

THINGS THAT I WANT

I am a CRAZY hot sleeper. I get overheated quickly, I don’t want to be touched, and I am generally miserable through most of the summer as a result. When I saw the Bed Fan from Brookstone the other day, I immediately emailed it to Bryan with a simple WANT attached. Because OH MY GOD, IT’S LIKE THEY KNOW ME. Now, we have a footboard, so I’m not sure how well this would actually work with our bed. Chances are, I’d just need it on my side anyway. BECAUSE EVERYONE SLEEPS ON MY SIDE.

I am not one to believe in the power of pillows. Mostly because I’ve always had hand-me-down pillows and I just stack two or three on top of each other to get comfortable. I’ve NEVER found a pillow to be firm enough. UNTIL. Oddly enough, this is ALSO a Brookstone product (they taunt me with expensive, ideal sleeping conditions), but I found it at Bed, Bath and Beyond. As I tend to do, I just squeezed it as I walked by .. and then I came back. And squeezed it again. And laid my head on it. And then began to wonder how I could convince Bryan that I NEED A $70 PILLOW. Because I do. My God. This pillow .. it is magical.

If anyone has any other ideas on how I can sleep cooler, lemme know.