This will eventually be in the form of a newsletter, but rather than wait until that is launched, I’m going to put the first monthly roundup here! Too many cool finds this past month not to share.
NEW DISCOVERIES
Oh, I’m excited about this one. Finally, FINALLY, a clean, non-nano zinc-based face sunscreen that breathes! You know when you exercise with your mineral-based sunscreen on, and it feels like your whole face is a wet sloppy mess (because it is)? It’s like putting a sheet of cling wrap over a warm zucchini…all that condensation just gets trapped and slides around. Well I’m excited to say that the Kinfield is no cling wrap. No mess, no crazy sweating, smells great, very little white cast, not hard on the budget, water-resistant and reef-friendly. I will say it’s a bit glowy (I prefer a more satin finish), but it does seem to play nicely with makeup and other skincare products. I need to use it a bit longer to make sure my sensitive skin is good with it, but fingers crossed, this one is a gamechanger.
I went on the hunt last month for a new beach bag (again, 10 years in, my old one was barely holding on), and came across this company. I bit the bullet and purchased the Day Tripper, and I just love it! Perfect size for the beach, but it’s also the perfect tote for shopping, easy to pack in case of needing an extra bag, zippered pockets galore, the material is waterproof and the print I went with is perfection…so vintage tropical (you can still get the With Love from Paradise Hibiscus Palm through Amazon!). On the main site you can sign up for their newsletter and get 20% off.
These guys make great disposable masks, but the Fog Eraser is genius! I’m so glad I randomly popped one into my cart when I was ordering more masks for my college boy. It’s a reusuable cloth that uses nanotechnology to prevent fogging up of your glasses for up to 24 hours!! No odor, no chemicals or sprays, you just rub your lenses for 10 seconds and voilá! No more glasses fogging up from mask wearing. Or camera lens fogging up going from a/c to outdoors. Brilliant.
Simple Grilled Pork Chops with Homemade BBQ Rub
I bought some thick pork chops on sale and did a quick search for ideas on grilling them, as it was a beautiful night and I’m not quite ready to let go of grilling season. I don’t know about you, but I don’t often think BBQ when I think about chops. But oh my was this good, and EASY. The fam loved it. Keeper recipe for sure!
Way cute and useful iPhone Wallet case
I have never had a wallet-type phone case before, but after seeing a friends’ and envying the fact that she popped in for a drink carrying nothing but her phone, I had to try it. It’s one of my new favorite things for sure! Love running out the door for quick trips out with JUST my phone (which has my license, debit card and frequent flyer card for my fave coffee shop in it). The design is lovely, it has withstood tons of drops from my clumsy self, and it’s yet to show any signs of wear. Highly recommend!! Just do a search for your particular phone if the one I’ve linked above is the wrong size…lots of options there, and several colors to choose from.
BEST REDISCOVERY
Vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. I generally don’t eat a lot of ice cream so this little treat fell off my radar, but luckily I was reminded of it recently, and it’s just so damn good. Yes it sounds weird. But try it. Sweet, spicy and salty…. Do yourself a favor and buy a wee carton of really good vanilla ice cream or gelato, a good extra virgin Spanish olive oil (like this one) and coarse sea salt, and report back to me.
WHAT I WENT HUNTING FOR
Mama needs a new portable coffee grinder, as my old one is on in her years. I moved to making my coffee on the stove long ago, and switched to the Giannina Espresso Maker a couple of years ago after my Bialetti moka pot began to erode (yuck). 3 years in, and the stainless Giannina is still fantastic, but my grinder has begun leaving chunks o’ beans in the mix so I’m on the hunt. I know I want a burr grinder and it needs to be able to handle different grinds (hubby makes his coffee in the Chemex), but not sure if I should go manual like this one, or stick with electric. Let me know if you have one you love!! I’ll report back next month on what I end up with.
…and some happy
Pure joy and love. Man do kids get it right. These 2 cousins/besties reunite, and it’s the sweetest thing.
Photo by Nicole Avagliano from Pexels
Tracey is the founder and writer of Life in the Happy Medium. She’s also a freelance graphic designer, Mom to 2 teens, Wife, and Friend to a tribe she holds dear, who’s prone to some fairly serious car singing and dancing much to her family’s chagrin (old school R&B is where it’s at!).
From cleaner beauty to healthy-ish eating, she’s blogging here to share favorite finds that keep her happy in the middle.
