Amazon $19.99

Pros
You don’t have to leave your house.
You’re not limited to local selection.
Your car won’t get dirty. lol

Cons
You don’t get to pick a plant that looks great to you as the consumer.
Plants can struggle during transit and some never bounce back.
It can be a lot more expensive.
If you’re like me, you feel bad reaching out about an issue (Especially if it’s a small company) bc you realize the cost associated with shipping plants is high and most things are probably not the grower’s fault...

The jury is still out on that. At the moment I’m leaning toward no. But not because it was a bad experience, just because I’m anticipating a different summer and fall this year than in 2020 and trying to care for more plants isn’t part of it. I love the plants, i wish I could care for more and have them flourish, but for any number of factors it just doesn’t seem to work out. So instead of making myself frustrated at how many plants I kill in 2021, I think I’m just going to cherish my monstera and snake plant, try to help them thrive in 2021, and be content with my two happy little houseplants. Quality over quantity is the name of the game right? Two live houseplants are better than 15 dead or dying ones, right?

Well... when 2020 hit and I knew I was going to spend literally every day of summer at home all day, I decided NOW was the time to finally get some patio furniture. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what I wanted - was it comfy chaise loungers, a bistro set, a traditional picnic table, a conversation set, a bench swing? (Read 6 Things To Consider When Choosing Patio Furniture)

There were so many choices. But finally I decided at really wanted a simple dining set. A weatherproof material that wouldn’t require maintenance (ie no wood!), chairs with backs, a table top that was equally good for dining on as it was for working on with a laptop or iPad. I found that some of tabletops were wicker and I just didn’t anticipate that being ideal. Imagine cleaning up food crumbs getting stuck in all those cracks? Other tables looked really cheap in quality. Still others came with a hefty price tag or a size that didn't suit my space.  Finally I decided on a set from Best Choice Products.

More Like This: Reviews • Amazon • Home • Lifestyle

The assembly process of the Best Choice Products Patio Furniture Dining Set was okay. It’s not a super quick assembly, but it’s also not that hard. Just take your time. When you’re assembling the chairs, and maybe this is obvious to most people, make sure to only screw in each area part of the way at first and then tighten everything down. If you tighten one area totally sometimes you can’t get the screw to reach on another side. But if you screw everything in just part way then somehow you can get everything together and screw them all in tightly. (If that makes sense?)

The one issue that we had was with the table. The rod that goes across the table and has the umbrella hole in the center of it was literally not long enough to reach either side as you can see in the photo below. I tried to reach out to the customer service via Amazon but I’m not sure they understood the scenario. We were able to kind of bend the frame just enough to get the rod and screws to catch and be secure. We didn’t have any trouble with it all season, so that worked out, fortunately.

Another thing to note is that some of the screw holes were partly covered over, making it a little more challenging to assembly. However, once you get it put together, it's already forgotten. Still, just wanted to share as many details as I can remember in case it is helpful for you in your purchase decision or assembly process. 

More Like This: Reviews • Amazon • Home • Lifestyle

I am really impressed with the quality of this 5 piece wicker dining set from Best Choice Products.
Is it perfect? No. But at this price point, why would I expect it to be?
For instance, it’s true that the cushions are kind of thin and not especially plush. But they are fine.
It is true that it should really have some pillows too, I had a couple already so that was perfect.
The glass top scratches fairly easily. There are some fine scratches on my table top and I’m not even sure when/how they got there..

But let me tell you something crazy. This patio set was outside all winter in a snowy northern climate. At one point there was more than a foot of snow on top of this table. I thought for sure it was going to be broken, damaged, rusted somewhere etc .... but here I am. Typing on it right now. It looks exactly how it did when I last used it in the fall. I am so impressed. YMMV, I can’t tell you what’s going to work for you, but I can tell you this set has worked well for me and was definitely one of my top purchases of 2020. Easily. I wish I would have bought it 5 years ago.

More Like This: Reviews • Amazon • Home • Lifestyle

To fully enjoy this best choice products 5 piece wicker dining set, I also purchased a 10 ft tilting solar led umbrella from Best Chocie Products as well as a steel umbrella base from abba patio store.

Pro Tip: Be sure to get an umbrella base that can safely hold your size of umbrella. They are stupid-expensive, but worth it for the piece of mind they will bring.

As for theBest Choice Products 10ft umbrella - I love it! It’s great to be able to tilt it to get the moving sun out of your eyes or to give a little privacy from neighbors. It’s also quite fun to put on the led lights when it starts to get dark. Is it waterproof? Not really. I mean, this is a patio umbrella mainly to shield you from the sun. Light rains will bead off of it, but if it starts pouring you will get wet. Speaking from experience lol. I got the navy color and by the end of summer you can see where the sun bleached the color out. A lot of people complain about that, but if I’m being honest, I don’t really care. When I’m outside and it’s opened, I can’t see that at all? That’s just me. Overall I would recommend the umbrella. It’s a good price (around $80, shipped) compared to other options and unless you abuse it, you should get lots of use from it! Hope this helps you if you were on the fence about this particular set!

• Encircled The Unbodysuit
• Puracy Review - Natural, Non-Toxic Plant-Based Cleaning & Personal Care
• Last Tissue Review - Reusable Organic Cotton Tissue Pack & Discount Code
• Everlane 40 Hour Flat Review - What I Think After Wearing This Leather Point Toe Flat For Over 40 Hours
• How To Enjoy Staying Home More During The Pandemic
• Twig Razor Review - Zero Waste Shaving from Leaf Shave
• Quince Turkish Waffle Bath Towels vs. Brooklinen Waffle Bath Towels

The makers of Exploding Kittens just released a new game called Tacocat Spelled Backwards. If you love an easy, fun game and palindromes (when a word or phrase is the same backwards and forewards) you’ll have a lot of fun with Tacocat Spelled Backwards. It's a very quick to learn and quick to play game to enjoy with someone you're sheltering in place with. Plus It’s only $15!

Every game I've tried from the makers ofExploding Kittens has been a blast.

I made my second Brooklinen purchase after the waffle towels (here and here).
​
Initial impressions:

Washcloths
Of the washcloth series, I think the best all around choice is the Classic/MidPlush. I also tried the waffle, ultralight, mid plush, super plush... basically I tried one of each wash cloth type brooklinen currently offers. You can read the full wash cloth comparison here and it may help you decide which full towel set is best for you!
​
Brooklinen Silk Eyemask
I also snagged a silk eyemask with some rewards points - it is sooo soft. The only bummer is that it is a little loose on my head. I wish it was a little more fitted for me. Sidenote: The box is worth geeking out over! Its suchhhh a nice box and has a magnetic closure. If you get it, you get it.

Brooklinen Tufted Bath Rug
Finally I ordered the Brooklinen tufted bath rug to replace a (literally) 10-year old bath rug from ikea. This rug is made in Portugal and it’s not really a soft, cushiony type of rug, but it is really nice quality. I can see why it has the price it does. The one thing I dislike about it is how long it takes to dry.

​An easy everyday headband is on my capsule wardrobe ISO list. I decided to try the Wardani lambskin leather headband made in Brooklyn ny. I ordered from etsy here. First impressions: This headband is very lightweight and beautifully made. It’s not too tight on my head at all and feels comfortable. One regret I’m having is I ordered it in black for versatility, but now I wish I would have gone for the beautiful red leather or gold. For quality, I expect this headband to last as long as I want it to be in my collection.  

Not really a purchase, since it didn’t cost anything but just to say if you’re having trouble with your AirPods Pro audio (if older than Oct 2020), reach out to apple support in case it’s an issue covered under their quality program. They’ll send you a replacement, put a hold on your credit card until you send back the originals, and then refund your card. (Unless you’re trying to scam them. Don’t do that.) So this is more of a PSA - don’t procrastinate, just hop on the chat with them and let them know what’s going on so they can trouble shoot or replace if needed.

Tested a couple of air quality monitors including this EG indoor air quality monitor. Didn’t love this one and actually returned it and bought the Awair Element Indoor Air Quality monitor. The design is sleek and modern and it integrates with an app. You can track your air quality over time and get alerts with any concerning changes. It’s comforting to know the air quality in your home is safe or to be alerted to make adjustments to improve it. Sometimes that just means opening a window or turning on a fan to get some circulation. The Awair Element Indoor Air Quality monitor is pretty sensitive. If you’re cooking without the fan on, it will sense it in the other end of the house before you can even smell food cooking back there. This is really a great investment for most people spending more time at home and working from home because improving your air quality will doubtless improve your mood, productivity, and overall health!

After trying quince towels (review here) I decided to fill some wardrobe gaps with their silk camis and button up. I later ordered a pair of sweatpants for the Mr. and their Extra Fine Australian Merino Cardigan. Overall really pleased with the items. They do seem to be coming up with new items very fast and their prices are pretty low compared to other brands, so make out of that what you will. I still think buying one cardigan and having it for years from a brand like quince is a better choice than buying 5 cheap, low quality cardigans that barely make it through a season. Progress over perfection! If you want to check out quince here’s $10 off.
​
For more details and pics:

Quince Stretch Silk Cami Review
Quince Stretch Silk Button Up Review
Quince Men’s Heavyweight Organic Fleece Jogger Review
​Quince Extra Fine Australian Merino Cardigan Review

With all the videoconferencing we’re all doing these days not to mention other hobbies, I decided to finally get a ring light and overhead phone mount.This one was about $40 on amazon and so far I’m pleased. I like that it isn’t a chip clip style grip at the end of the arms, but it is actually a clamp, so it’s highly adjustable to fit on the ends of your desk, table, counter, wherever. I’m using an IPhone 10 Xs Max and I haven’t had any problems with it holding the phone securely.

I snagged a secondhandTradlands Lakeland Dress at a huge bargain and I totally love it. I’ve been wanting to try Tradlands for a while now and this secondhand purchase gave me a lot of confidence. The quality is great, this is a piece that is made to last. A new piece is something you will save up for, but if cared for, should last for years based on this purchase at least. Get $25 off Tradlands here.

​Tradlands Lakeland Chambray Shirt Dress Full Review Here

While puracy products do come in plastic pump bottles, you can buy a large refill pouch for a lot of items which is helpful. I’ve been really happy with the  puracy laundry detergent. It’s so convenient to just pump it into the detergent spot instead of having the mess of pouring liquid detergent. Sometimes with tablets or powder detergents, at the end of a wash you will see some remnants in your washer or worse yet, on your clothes! Since it's liquid, you won’t have any issues like that. 

More reviews here • more Home content here • get $10 off your first puracy purchase or buy on amazon

The puracy body wash has also been a hit in our house. We opted for the citrus and sea salt option.  My husband just uses that for his shampoo, but I decided to try the shampoo and conditioner in citrus and mint. I’m so sad that this doesn’t work for me. It has rave reviews from hundreds of customers on amazon, so I know it just depends on the person which is true for basically every product ever made ?

I’ve been struggling to understand my hair better for the past 18 months or so. Trying to switch to no-poo, low-poo, other natural options. I can't seem to find the right one. When I first started using this shampoo I found I needed to shampoo twice for it to suds up nicely and get my hair feeling really clean. I have noticed this is the case with a lot of natural shampoos. After a couple days I didn’t need to do that anymore. But my head was still itchy. It actually got so itchy, I began to wonder if I am allergic or sensitive to some of the coconut based cleansers contained in it or if it’s just a problematic scalp? I stopped using it for a while and the itching improved but didn’t ever go away 100%. When I tried using it again the itching got worse. My husband finished the bottle but like I said, I won’t be repurchasing the citrus and mint shampoo/conditioner from puracy. They do have a baby shampoo and possibly it could be a better option for a sensitive scalp. 

I also snagged the NATURAL MULTI-SURFACE CLEANER in green tea and lime. I had been on the whole Norwex kick for a while, but fell out of love, sadly. So I’ve now been using this cleaner for everything, along with microfiber towels, scrubbing the tub, toilet, counters etc! I love that I can clean everything and not have a headache from awful chemical laden cleaners. I’ll be restocking on this! 

Puracy has a lot of other products, but these are just the ones I’ve tried.
Highly recommend you check them out if you’re looking for some more natural products. 

Click any pic below for the most current discount!