Favorite Products

Remember this post from back in June? I've decided to add to it (with a few links!), and in fact change my stance on one product in particular. As Glenn and I have grown more comfortably in the new house, we have learned a lot about particular products we like and don't like. It's isn't all necessarily about generics v/s name brands, although I have learned a little more about my preferences when it comes to both. There are certain things I just really like. At first glace it looks like this is mostly about cleaning products, but that isn't so. There is so much more to it :) Here are 6 things on my mind right now...

1. Dish Soap. In my old post, I mentioned how I quit buying Dawn once they stopped promoting their Saving Wildlife campaign... I figured since it really wasn't any better than brand X when it comes to cleaning my dishes, I should just stick with cheap if they were no longer supporting a good cause. I'm telling you, Dawn must have internet snoopers because it wasn't but a few weeks after my post, they started posting their Saving Wildlife campaign again... so guess what is sitting on my kitchen sink? Dawn with a cute little ducky on the front. ;) How can you resist those adorable little creatures?

2. Swiffer Pads. Since the upstairs of my home is now 90% hard floor, the Swiffer comes in handy quite a bit. We have the old fashioned one that you use disposable pads on and it works great. However, I have noticed that the Swiffer brand of wet pads is awful. They are too wet and drip all over the place. I have found that I actually prefer Kroger's Everyday Living brand of the Swiffer pads and they are half price. They smell the same, work the same, but aren't as messy. They seem to clean the floor a lot better. Who would have thought?! I am sure they are made in the same place and even the same way, but for some reason the store brand is so much better... they are around $2.30 for a box, whereas the Swiffer brand are $4.50 for a box. Same quantity.

3. Draino. This is in the same exact boat as the above post. I have found that the Everyday Living brand of brain opener is just as effective as Draino... it's so much cheaper and it does the trick very nicely. I cannot justify spending so much money on Draino brand when I can get the perfect-sized bottle of the store brand for less than $3. Half a bottle takes care of the job until you need it again... it's great at knocking out the hairballs in the bottom of your sink!

4. Green Works. These cleaning products are better for your home environment, smell wonderful, and clean really well! I'm typically a generics girl when it comes to most cleaning products, but I happened to have a coupon for $1 off a bottle of Green Works cleaner, plus it was on sale at Kroger... so after it was all said and done, I got it for $0.80. After using it once, I have decided that I will purchase it again, with or without the sales and coupons. I love this stuff!

5. Ollo Olive Oil. This Australian olive oil is absolutely wonderful. I've been buying the Mild & Mellow one for about a year now. I never knew there was a big difference in oil brands, I just happened to buy this one day because it was on sale and I thought the bottle was nice. I find that it's on sale quite often... perhaps not enough people are buying it. Either way, I love this oil. It's smoother than most and has a nice fragrance and flavor. I haven't tried the Fresh & Fruity one yet because I figure I won't use it nearly as often. Maybe once I get over this "I hate seafood" phase in my pregnancy, I'll try it out because it sounds like it'll be delicious on fish. The website describes both as such:
--Mild & Mellow: "Mild & Mellow is a delicate, delightfully sweet and soft oil blended with ripe later season black olives. It yields subtle olive flavors with buttery texture and aromas to complement any dish--particularly pasta and vegetable dishes. It is 100% natural and not infused."
--Fresh & Fruity: "Award winning Fresh & Fruity is blended from early harvest green olives that produce an oil with rich and distinct fruity olive flavors, fresh grassy aromas and a delicate peppery finish. Fresh & Fruity adds life to green salads, grilled seafood, shellfish, meat and poultry dishes. It is 100% natural and not infused."

6. Bath & Body Works Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap. I love this soap! I got tired of hand soaps drying out my hands. I started to feel like an old woman. I took advantage of the B&BW 3/$10 hand soaps sale and I'm so glad I did. This is a sale they do quite often. My two favorite scents are in the kitchen... Fresh Lime Basil and Gourmet Spice. They smell wonderful, keep your skin soft, and fight off all that nasty bacteria floating around right now. The foaming soap is better than the one with the little beads in it when it comes to moisturizing your hands, to stick to the foam!