Well. The July edition of this post was pretty damn heavy with wildfire-related gadgets and gizmos, and I hate to say it, but — thanks to a later-than-usual monsoon season that extended Arizona’s wildfire season into mid-August — so is this post is as well.
Here’s some of the stuff I’ve recently bought, or rediscovered, or have found to be worthy enough of my time, money and energy to share.
Pst… affiliate links!
・・・
Rockin’ Green Active Wear Detergent. My Lululemon was disgusting and I didn’t even know it! Over the summer, I read something on the internet about how traditional detergents don’t work the best on synthetic fabrics like activewear, and enzyme-based detergent is best. I decided to give this brand of detergent a try after reading that, and after soaking my washed and (allegedly) clean activewear in two scoops of this stuff with some cold water for two hours, the water was brownish gray. So satisfying! But so gross! If you click the (affiliate) link above and scroll to the reviews, you’ll see I’m not alone! If you buy one thing from this post, buy this. It is incredible.
SideTrak external monitor. My MacBook Pro is falling apart, and the latest injury on it is the screen… which no longer works. Luckily, I found a stray SideTrak monitor, and rather than using it as a side monitor, I just taped the thing to the screen of my MacBook. It’s a very, very professional set-up.
Magnetic mechanic bowl and extendable magnet. I stopped at Harbor Freight during a fire assignment to pick up these two tools — also for my PIO kit.
Tribe running arm band. I actually finally upgraded the running arm band I bought in 2017 — it still had a home button hole on it and after six years, the elastic had degraded to the point it wouldn’t wrap tightly around my arm anymore.
Smith “Persist” bike helmet. I’ve gotten back into trail biking a bit this summer, and was in need of a new helmet. I ended up with this one because it wasn’t too expensive, is super lightweight and came in white.
Teleties hair clips. I’m glad the claw clips I grew up with are back in style because my hair is getting more and more prone to breakage the older I get. I ordered some clips from Teleties and so far I’m thrilled with the size large. It keeps my hair out of my face without tangling it up in an elastic. It even holds well enough that I can wear it on walks without it falling out. However, if you buy — keep your hair length in mind. My hair is super thin, but it’s really long. Teleties advises those with thin hair to buy a size medium, but I bought both a medium and a large just in case. And it was a good call — the size medium is WAY too small, but the size large is almost perfect.
Matador FlatPak soap bar cases. I’m pretty vocal about my hatred of single-use plastics, and in an effort to remove more plastic from my life, I’ve started using shampoo, soap and conditioner bars. For the most part, they’re great — Ryan and I installed wire shelves in our shower so our bars easily dry. But when I travel? They end up as a mushy mess. I bought one of these soap bags on a whim this summer, and it makes traveling with my bars so much easier.
Amaretto sours. I have a huge sweet tooth, and earlier this summer I found myself craving an amaretto sour — something I don’t think I’ve had since I was 19 with a fake ID? My preferred recipe is 1.5 ounces amaretto liquor (preferably Disaronno), 0.75 ounces simple syrup and the juice of one lemon (strained). Shake everything together with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass with a large ice cube, and top with a cocktail cherry (my favorite is Traverse City Whiskey Co.).
Frozen yogurt! Flagstaff opened a new froyo shop downtown, called Yogaert, and I’m in love with the horchata flavor.
Scotch thermal laminator. I got this during a recent fire assignment to add to my PIO kit, and I am obsessed with it. It makes populating info boards SO much easier – especially during inclement weather.
・・・
So, that’s some of the shit I’ve been liking lately. I’m excited for the late summer and early fall months because hopefully it means less work stuff and more fun stuff.
Happy shopping!
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.
