Product Endorsement

If I were being paid to endorse a product (which I'm not), here are the top 5 things I would choose.  Let's call them my "go-to" products of the moment.  You know, the things that make life a little easier/cleaner/sweeter??  I love a good tip and a great product that works!  You'll see that there is no rhyme or reason to these selections, just a random assortment of what I cannot live without right now.  Well, perhaps that is a bit overstated.  I do think I could live without them, but it would just be so much harder :) Anyway, without further delay, and in no particular order, here they are...

#1- BAR KEEPER'S FRIEND

Have you heard of this before?? My Mom has been using this for years, and has always sworn by it. Naturally, when I got married, she saw to it that I had a gold can under my sink for cleaning. Originally, we used it to do just that, clean the sink. However, over the years we have discovered there is almost nothing that it can't clean. In fact it's become like a joke between the two of us (reminiscent of the "windex" fixation in My Big Fat Greek Wedding!) Whenever we have some major stain or spot to scour, we always ask, "Have you tried Bar Keeper's Friend?" And 9 times out of 10, it is the only thing that works. I HIGHLY recommend keeping a can on hand. We always buy the gold can with the powder. You just mix it with a little bit of water to make a paste and then scrub it on the area you are cleaning. Recently, it was the one thing that worked to remove a large spot on a jelly roll pan of mine. You know, the kind of spot that has been burned on over and over and WILL NOT come off no matter how long you scrub? Well, I had been soaking it for days, only to get a tiny bit off here and there, when my Mom suggested I try BKF and guess what? It wiped off in 30 seconds. ALL of it. It was crazy. Who knew you could love a gold can??

#2- ZOUT
I bet you haven't ever heard of this.  I hadn't until about 3 months ago, when I was dying for anything that would take the stains out of Ava's clothes.  She was brand new and spitting up and pooping on her sweet little clothes.  Naturally, I was beside myself trying to do anything I could to keep them looking new, so my Mom and I googled our problem and found Zout.  I could not handle putting her in clothes with stains on them :)  I know, first time Mom...whatever.  It seemed to be recommended by lots of other Moms online, so we bought it and tried it.  TOTALLY worth it.  It is able to remove those "protein based stains" really well and I tell every new Mom that I know to have it on hand.  It's a great laundry product.  

#3- DREFT

 Clearly you can see what I spend most of my free time doing, cleaning!!  I have always loved Dreft, simply because of the heavenly smell that immediately screams "baby!"  I knew I wanted to wash Ava's clothes in Dreft, but I wasn't prepared to want to wash mine in it too :)  Because it would cost a small fortune to totally convert, I refrain from using this on our clothes, but it makes me giddy to pull her clothes out of the dryer and drink in that amazing smell.  I am so in love with it, that I washed the pillow cases that I took to the hospital with me while I was in labor, in Dreft, so I could smell it and enjoy it during the pain :) And because My Mother knows me and loves me, she washed our sheets in it, so that when we came home from the hospital, I could lay in it too.  I know, it's weird.  But seriously, I LOVE this detergent.  And, it's also a great stain remover.  Simply soaking something in Dreft works really well too.  Lately, I've had LOTS of practice removing stains of all kinds, especially the dreaded "mustard-looking poop kind."  And yes, they've all come out.  

#4- FUDGE STRIPED COOKIES

-Switching gears entirely, these are my new summer treat.  I have always liked these cookies (mostly as a little kid) but recently was reminded of just how good they are as an adult.  I like to keep them in the fridge for a little treat :) They are AMAZING when they are cold, just a crisp bite of chocolate.  Just what I'm looking for when I need that chocolate fix!  Travis likes them too, at home and also with the junior highers.  They make a great non-traditional smore that isn't nearly as messy as having to deal with graham crackers and hershey bars.  Two of those with a marshmallow in between...hello summer!!  

#5- WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA FROM CARIBOU

And finally, now that I'm not nursing quite as much, I have let myself indulge in coffee once again and oh how I've missed it!  Lately, I am in love with this drink from Caribou, although I do not order it as pictured above.  The whipped cream and chocolate shavings look so good, but they will not help me in my goal of losing the last of my baby weight!  I try to keep this drink as "low cal" as possible, but it is such a great treat too...and within walking distance for Ava and I.  Also an incentive for some exercise :) 

So there you have it.  5 random things that are rocking my world and 5 endorsements free of charge.  Enjoy!

And, you're welcome :) 

P.S.-If you want to play along, I'd love to see what your 5 go-to products are right now!  Leave me the link to your blog in my comments so I can check it out! I'll post a list for anyone who wants to join in.