End Of Year 2024 Products Favorites List

 Here is a quick rundown of product favorites. I didn't get around to writing posts reviewing everything on this list (due to sickness), but I will get around to some of them in 2025. By the way, they are in no particular order.

• Jamaican Blue Soap - Love that I can use it for machine & handwash laundry; cleaning my floors; and using on my skin. The affordability helps.

• Anchor Original Chicken Chippy Salt - The one thing out of Australia that I'm definitely not frightened of! This stuff is weirdly addictive & I can't explain why. I use it on eggs, fish, burgers and, when I get teeth again, probably on every other edible thing.
• Peet's Major Dickason's Blend coffee - The coffee is good (though only about #4 of my Top 10 in coffees), but I'm crazy about the smell. It's the most coffee-smelling coffee ever.
• Topo Chico sparkling water - IMO, this is better-tasting than even Pellegrino. It has just the right amount of "bubbly" to it. The Tangerine Ginger is my favorite.
• Aunt Martha's Flour Sack Towels - I grab these when they go on sale. They come in all kinds of sizes.  I use them in the kitchen for everything, and I also use the really large ones for drying my hair and skin. They are often super affordable and are endlessly useful.

• NeilMed Nasal Gel - I suffered with dry nasal passages during every cold and allergy this past 2 years. Found this, and it's such a (literal) relief.
• Red Cow Full Cream Milk Powder - I switched from another very decent brand to this excellent one and will never be without. It's money-saving, since store-bought milk goes bad too fast the way I use it. It's awesome, with its higher fat level in my baked goods and in cereals. I sure hope the price stays stable!

• Topicrem's Ultra Moisturizing Milk and Emollient Balm completely replaced every body lotion, face moisturizer, and psoriasis cream in my home. They initially cost more than some of my previous products but work at least 5 to 10 times better.  The Milk is my day-to-day lotion and face product, while the Balm is for my extra-dry skin and my night face cream.

• French Flour - I use the Francine brand T55 as a bread flour and the T45 for an all-purpose. It's true for me that the flour causes less bloating and other gluten-related issues.

• Celtic Sea Salt - I mainly use the fine ground for everything but have tried the coarse also.
  
• So Cozy hair products - I love the gentleness (on my hair and wallet) of the shampoo, conditioner, and detangler.

There are some other products I like, but I did want to highlight the ones that just were above and beyond. I'm having to tighten the budget every week it seems, so I try to find products that are affordable or very worthy of every nickel spent.

Looking toward 2025, I'm buckling up for a rough ride! I wish everyone the best. Should the good Lord be willing to let me live to see the new year, I plan to be every more frugal and content with the basics.

Peace

-- Free

DISCLAIMER: I was not & will not be paid for listing any of the products in this post. All my reviews from 2018 forward are non-sponsored.

Let Us Make America *America* Again.

 Look, I don't want the America of the past with all the slavery and unchecked terror for some of us. I want the America of before Trump and MAGA.

Let's get back to just not liking our politicians, but not being terrified of them. I want to get back to just knowing that a president or politician would dare be less than presidential or at least adult-like.

I don't to live in an America where members of the president's cabinet are weaponized against those they don't agree with.

I want to go back to an America where at least the president and all his men and women were ashamed of lying. I want the politicians of old who knew that they should not (and could not) do certain things - because most of us as children were taught that certain things are wrong, hurtful, impolite, not gracious, not wholesome, or not good for everyone else.

I don't want this America where the president is literally a felon. Where his henchmen are just as bad as he is. I want an America where the president was surrounded with people who kept him somewhat in check. 

I don't want the mean, churlish and big-headed kid for president. I want the Sheriff of Mayberry kind of president: calm, collected, and understanding of the people he serves. I don't want a villain in charge, and certainly not one who has Tony Stark whispering in his ear and slipping money to him.

I recently posted on a platform about how I miss waking up to a calm America. We had our problems, God know, but we were not waking up in astonishment of how easily someone could put cracks in the walls of Democracy. 

The last president I was most irritated with was Reagan. I felt he was more showmen than anything. I thought that he reminisced about the days when people of certain classes and races "knew their place". But I respected the office he held. Any dirt he did, he knew to do it in the dark. Because, back then, there was shame and accountability (to a degree).

I will never tell the lie that America was always "great" in her morals and justice, but I can say that America was growing and maturing. We had just hit the stage of young adulthood of knowing how to mediate and govern for more than one class or race. Then entered Trump.

Actually, I think this started with the Tea Party people. It continued, quietly and seething like underground lava. Now, all hell has erupted, and we have a man-child about to hold the seat of power. And he's got a cast of strange and ominous characters around him. And a rich and dangerous hype man ready to play his part to the fullest.

As a Christian, I am not afraid. I'm anxious and always a little bit angry. I'm just not ready for another 4 years of chaos, discord, and storms of every kind.

I want to get back to the America where I voted for someone, you voted for someone else and, when a person was elected, you and I just kept living our lives. I don't like this time of friendships shattering, and even marriages being stressed... 

Last of all, I want to say something to my Christian brothers and sisters. If you ever wondered, as I have, how someone could come on the world stage and have the power to delude and seduce people against their own good, now you know.

Peace

--Free

P.S. I am not calling anyone the Antichrist. I am not trying to incite anything other than discussions and deep thinking. Like some of you, I know that no matter who sits in high offices, we serve a King.

Health Update: Manuka, Green Tea & Nasal Gel

 I guess this can be my end-of-year health update. It's been a couple of years since I lost my favorite Iowa doctor, and I think I have battled every cold and roaming virus known in all that time. Mercy!

Anyway, by mid-January, should the good Lord be willing that I am around, I will have teeth again. People, I cannot wait to be able to chew! My family teases me because every time I talk to one of them, I have something new to add to the list of what I want to eat. The most recent entry is a nicely cooked thin pork chop with just the right amount of fat around the edge...

Anyway.

As I mentioned recently, I am winning the battle against this latest infection that has me alternating between coughing up mucus (sorry bout that!) or coughing from a dry throat. Basically, there has been a lot of coughing and for the time being I sound like Marge Simpson. But I want to do a shout-out for my favorite remedies. I think they are the reason I am finally getting better.

First, there is the Manuka honey, of course. I have a small jar of the UMF 20+. I am steeping unsweetened green tea in cold water overnight, then adding some to my water throughout the day. I'm actually coming to like the unsweetened green tea - as long as it's room temp or chilled.

When the dry throat cough acts up - which is mainly at night - I am using the NeilMed NasoGel. As soon as I apply some in my nostrils, my throat feels better. And, of course, I am running a humidifier and staying hydrated with water.

Since I am on the mend and getting closer to the day I will have teeth, my mood has lifted. I was really having to battle nagging bouts of depression when the coughing and fatigue was at the worst. 

By the way, it's true what they say about the tongue being an indicator of your general health. During the worst of whatever I was fighting off, my tongue was (warning: this might be TMI and gross) this icky shade of yellow-brown. The only time it changed colors was when I was sucking on peppermints, which added a bit of red - and I should definitely mention that peppermints were so much better for my cough than any cough drops! I will be reaching for peppermints first when I get another cold...

After drinking the green tea every day, my tongue regained it's healthier shade of, well, tongue, although my tongue is never the uber healthy pink shade it was before sarcoidosis.

I'm really looking forward to being at least a bit healthier in 2025 - again, if the Lord is willing. I will be able to lose some of this pancake weight once I can eat meat and raw veggies again. I'm planning to keep up the habit of drinking green tea. Since I'm not a fan of strong-tasting green tea, I find that I am happy with this brand for the mild flavor, the organic certification, and especially the price.

I wish all of you good health, blessings, and peace in the coming year. 

Peace

--Free

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional of any type. I was not and will not be compensated for products mentioned in this post.

Meeting of a MAGA-Mind

In all the turmoil and talk after this year's election, some things got lost in the sauce. Friendship, understanding, and real communication. That's what we all need. I realized that today. Nothing is going to be solved with all the #FAFO stories. I will not stop saying that not all of us FA'd, but we might all have to FO.

I have a neighbor I consider to be a friend. She is one of the kindest, sweetest people I know. I don't talk politics with anyone outside my family (except online) so I had no idea that "Linda" was a Trump voter. I wouldn't have thought it. Not only that, but I never thought of her as being Red or Blue, to be honest.

Today, during her visit to my apartment, during casual talk, it came up that she voted for Trump. I was surprised. As we talked, I explained why I am not a Trump supporter (in spite of my many moral issues with Democrats). One thing that came up was his talk of Tariffs and cutting various modes of aid to citizens.

Linda was trying to correct me about the tariffs. I told her that I worked for an import/export broker, then explained how tariffs actually work. I actually pulled up the online U. S. Tariff Schedule and explained using an example.

People, this woman was heartbroken. And I think she wanted to believe I was mistaken. Then she took a call from her doctor. When they finished whatever he called for, she asked why nobody told her that Trump's tariffs could raise prices. (Yeah, she was sneak-checking me!) He told her that we could only hope he never gets that done. (My information was confirmed!)

Anyway, because we are friendly and love each other as Christian sisters, we continued the conversation.

What Linda couldn't understand is why, if tariffs are not good for us (you know, po' folk), why would Trump want to impose them. As delicately as I could, I explained that I'm not sure Trump understands how tariffs work. Seriously, not being mean. I reminded her that Trump, Elon, and Biden don't have to shop at Walmart and Aldi's...

Before Linda left, I showed her some online news sources - that are not MSNBC or Fox or CNN. She said that she doesn't have cable or a internet access. She was very interested after I showed her some content from Ground News, Newsweek, and a few other sites. BTW, I also showed her this:

source

What struck me was how hurt Linda was. Or rather, why she was so hurt. She wasn't acting as if she'd found out Trump, as a politician, lied or misled her. She was acting as if a favorite child has betrayed her. It was very personal. 

So, while a lot of non-MAGA folk see all MAGA-ites as pitchfork-toting, evil idiots, there are probably a lot of Lindas out there as well. She is ill-informed, gullible, and a little blinded by culture, but she is not a MAGA-ite type woman.

The problem is, though, how to reach people like Linda? She only listened to me because of our Christian-ship, but she still needed to hear another source. This is a tricky situation we are in.

Peace

--Free

We Need a Reboot

What I would like to see change about elections and politicians running:

•  Stop with the rallies where the candidate gets to stand and talk at the crowd. Instead, do more Q & A sessions. 

Have the candidates (from both parties) sit down to talk about specifics. In a session about the economy, invite economists from across the political spectrum to ask the questions and moderate the session. When discussing civil rights, invite moderators with experience in civil rights law and activism. Invite qualified medical doctors and other healthcare professionals in for discussions on that spectrum.

The whole point of these directed and focused sessions would be to hold every candidate accountable for being clear and knowledgeable about the issues and for actually having a plan.

• Have public news stations do nightly takes on each currently hot issue. Have journalists from across the political spectrum represented. Highlight currently relevant topics that the candidates are featuring in their platforms. Invite in experts in whatever field of topic and have civil discussions that are informative, truthful, and useful to viewers. 

This will be an alternative to the news put out based on political bias. If at no other time than during the election cycles, we need an alternative to the liberal (MSNBC-type) and conservative (FoxNews-type) noise that outshouts common, clear, and understandable information about the candidates and parties and their plans for the citizens.

• Start doing more educational outreach. When candidates are talking about healthcare reform, put out unbiased information about the basics. There is no excuse that there were people not understanding that Obamacare is the ACA. There is no excuse, with all the news being broadcast around the clock, that some of us didn't understand how tariffs affect the consumer.

We can't backtrack and re-educate multiple generations of citizens in civic, history, and government studies. We can (at least during election cycles) clarify what candidates are saying and proposing.

Now, all of those are things I am suggesting for politicians, parties, and news providers. As for citizens, we need to start holding ourselves accountable for being familiar (or getting familiar) with current issues. (And, by the way, as I point fingers, one is pointing right back at me!)

• We (citizens) need to stop getting our news from biased sources. We know for a fact that we will hear one version of a talking point on one channel while another channel is going in the opposite direction with their opinions.
• We need to stop letting news celebrities/news personalities, podcasters, influencers, etc; direct our opinions. Those people don't live your life, they don't live like "regular" folk, and they don't understand the day to day concerns of anyone not in their orbit. If I don't let my neighbor influence my important decisions, why would I let some of those other people do so. Remember how your parents would ask if you would ~insert activity here~ just because all your friends did?
• We need to start asking more questions and listening to responses from more than one source. Voting is not like religion. I can follow more than one news source even though I follow only one God.
• We need to start thinking more about our day to day life before we start choosing sides in a political forum. When that candidate said what they would do for us as far as the economy, jobs, infrastructure, etc., we need to be able to access how well those promises stood up. 
• Last of all, we need to stop being so selfish. If I don't have problems with housing costs - or jobs, or healthcare or whatever it is - that doesn't mean I should not be concerned for my fellow citizens.

I have come to the conclusion that we cannot count on our politicians to get it together until we push for that. So let's start pushing. Let's start being Americans - not Democrat, Liberal, Republican, MAGA, and so on. We all have to breathe clean air, have good food and water, and live. There are no dividing lines when it comes to just living our lives.

Peace

--Free

P.S: Forgive me for any grammatical errors or lack of clarification. I have an illness that affects my cognition at times. However, I am sure most people can understand what I have said.

Manuka Honey Is the TRUTH **UPDATE**

**UPDATE** (Added a postscript with links at the end of the post)

 Let me repeat that with some emphasis: Manuka honey is the cha-ruth!

I have been hit with this whatever-the-recent-crud-is that's gone around Iowa. I had a new cough (after finally recovering from the other never-ending one earlier this year) that is still hanging on. Apparently, I have something called a mucus plug (which I thought was only for pregnant women!) and a viral situation. So... 

With all the coughing and spitting out disgusting mucus, I was absolutely worn out - rung out, is more like it. There were days I could only get up long enough to say my prayers, take my meds with a bit of food and have some coffee. The coughing kept me awake most of time so I was mostly napping instead of getting any stretch of time asleep.

I'm whining but a couple of my neighbors were dealing with the same thing.

Anyway.

I still have the cough but it seems to be dying down. For the last few weeks, I have been on a steady rotation of Mucinex DM and Dayquil/Nyquil. Finally, I remembered that I had a little bit of Manuka honey left. There was maybe a teaspoon and a half to be scraped from the 15+ jar and a tablespoon from the 10+ jar.

Now, here is where I prove what I've said about Manuka being expensive but worth it. I got the 15+ in May 2021. It is a $36 7.9oz jar. The 10+, which I got in April 2018 was $25 (I'm sure it was a lightening deal). 

The honey is so old that, I swear, it was a job just to get the lids off!

I have used both jars to fill up little lip tubes like these...

I add in a little stingless bee honey

...to have in my purse. I use the honey to stop a cold sore from starting (applied at the first itch, I will never have to deal with the blister) and to treat minor cuts and burns. I sometimes add the honey to tea when I feel beat up by my weekly injection. And you see how much I have left. It does not take much to deal with most things.

So when I remembered I had a bit of honey left, I raided the pantry. I put a dollop of both types in my mouth and let it melt down with some lukewarm tea. You might want to think I am lying when I say that my throat felt a little better (from all the coughing) within an hour. I am still coughing but, still.

In light of the recent election and the talk of raising tariffs (which I don't think will be restricted to China), I checked Amazon for the current price of Steen's. I saw that it's currently almost $50 for a 7.9oz jar of 20+. And that is with a deal... 

The nieces and nephews had already started asking what I'd want for Christmas. I told one niece that I had the Steen's in my cart and she got it for me. 

You can bet I will be taking a little bit of Manuka every day as soon as I get it. As I said, the first doses made my throat feel better and so much less irritated. I might be delusional, but I swear the coughing is better. 

I never even think about giving medical advice (and you'd be stupid to take any from me!), but I love being able to use a honey for some things. There is proven (and documented) evidence of Manuka being a "medicinal honey" This is a nice write-up to peruse.

Anyway, this is the first time in a long minute that I've had the energy to write a new post instead of digging up one from my stash! Hopefully, I will be back to post more soon.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I forgot to add links to other posts I've made about Manuka and healing honeys:

• This was about stingless bee honey
• This was about Manuka & alternatives
• This is one about fermenting things in honey
• This is about the onion & honey tea

Check The Sidebar for Recipes & Tips

 Times are hard for a lot of us (and might be getting harder yet!) so I thought I would make better use of this blog's sidebar.

I have added a couple of spots where I can post easy recipes or money-saving tips and hacks. Whether we vote Red, Blue, Green, or other, we need to stand together in tough times.

The first 2 recipes I put up are pretty affordable meals. The stew and the cornbread can fill the bellies of a small family, or sustain a single for a while. 

If you add additional sugar (brown or white) or honey to the cornbread, it can almost be a dessert substitute. To give more heft to the stew, you can add veggies (or even substitute them for the meat or beans). 

Both those recipes are filling and not too bad as far as sugar and salt. I hope it helps.

Peace

--Free

A Crappy $9 Bag I've Come to Love

 Last month, I saw a cute-looking ("looking" is the key here) bag on the Walmart site. I have recently developed a love of backpack purses (or convertibles). When I saw this one priced at under $10, I laughed. Then I looked again and realized I could return it for free. I ordered it. 

Thin & wrinkled/bent

When the bag arrived, I laughed. Hard. I immediately started writing a scathing review saying that the bag was overpriced and belonged in the clearance bin at an "Under $0.99" store. I ranted about the paper-thin material that I was sure might not even be real plastic. I made jokes about the toy-like straps and handle. I basically had a field day ragging on this bag. My review had a mean "are-you-kidding-me" vibe. (I am not proud of myself.) 

It came in a package
as flat as an envelope

I intended to return it but, first, I wanted to get photos. Then, for better photos, I filled the little purse up with things from my "good" purse. I thought I should get a photo of my actually using the bag - with the pitiful straps on my shoulder or holding the bag by the crappy handle. 

Even cheaper-looking inside.
Shiny nylon?

A funny thing happened while I was handling the purse. I started to like it. It's still made of cheap, can-you-even-call-it-genuine plastic. It still has a thin handle and strap. The thing is, though, I started loving how roomy it is without looking bulky. I liked all the little inner pockets. 

Looks BETTER when filled!

Basically, I have fallen in love with this cheap,  "raggely" (that's West Texan for "raggedy") bag. If only I could find a purse just like this one but made with better materials... 

Side pockets, back pocket, front & interior pockets.
So many pockets.

It's hard to convey the cheapness of this bag in photos. It's highly photogenic (which is how the seller duped me!). The color (black) helps disguise the low quality of materials, and it has a matte texture that looks expensive (or at least not cheap). You cannot tell how cheap the bag is just by looking. 

The bottom line is, I have come to love this bag. Now I just need to find the same bag made with halfway decent materials. I'm not sure this one is going to hold up to much use. I'll be lucky if a strap doesn't come loose while I'm holding it...

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I have since seen several similar designs & some of them are actually made of a better grade of plastic! LOL

P.S. P.S.: Keep me in your prayers. I'm still struggling with whatever is going around the state. I have 1 good day, then 2 days of coughing and being bedridden fatigued. At least 4 of my neighbors have the same thing going on Lord have mercy.

**REVIEW** Bamboo Queen Microfiber Baby Washcloths

 First off, know that these are not like every other microfiber cloth (dishrag, makeup rag, duster, etc.) I have seen and used.

I love using microfiber cloths for the kitchen dishes and for cleaning around the house. What I love about them is that they are soft and durable and get the job done. They are especially good for drying dishes and counters. They are awesome for face washing because they are so soft and gentle.

What I do not like about the microfiber cloths I've used in the past is that, once they get a bit of use, they start to get slimy when wet. I can wash them at this point but they only work for another day or so before they get that icky texture again. This is when I usually use them to clean my trash can then toss the rag.

When I got these cloths, I thought I was just getting a great "lightening deal" on a giant pack (32) of the usual. It would still be a good bargain but I expected to deal with the "ick" factor at some point. But, I could tell almost right away that these from Bamboo Queen are different.

These were $9.50 for a day...

When these get wet and I ring these out, they get very dry. Also, they feel stronger when wet than the others I've used. The best part is that, after using these for a few days, I made my usual mistake and left one in puddle of sink water for several hours. That usual ruins the other brands. If they are new, I can probably rescue them from the early "ickiness" but sometimes not. With this Bamboo Queen brand, once I rinsed the rag and wrung it out, it was good as new.

This might not seem like a big deal but it is to me. For one thing, that slimy texture of the other cloths makes me think "bacteria". When I first noticed the problem, I would try soaking the cloths in really hot water with some Listerine or vinegar and baking soda. Nothing worked. And I forgot to mention the smell. Ugh!

So, yeah, I am really into this brand of microfiber cloth. I would probably never have tried them if not for the temporary deal price. Judging from my orders' history, I've been using microfiber cloths for over 4 years now. Just imagine what I'd have saved by getting more use from each pack of them!

At any rate, if you like microfiber, make sure to find some that don't get icky or hold odors.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: BTW, when I looked up why some microfiber towels are better than others, it comes down to the obvious reason: quality. Do a quick search and you will probably see the same reason shown.

My Dupe For Repair Vita Oil

 I fell in love with the first (and only) bottle of the Repair Vita Oil that I got from Making Cosmetics. At that time (2021), I paid less than $20 for an 8.4-ounce bottle that lasted for MONTHS.

about $2.14 per ounce

 I was so happy to find something so good on my aging skin. I think it wasn't until several months - maybe even a year or more - that I needed to reorder. Well. Child. 

about $43.40 per pound
and 11 LBs is ONLY option

Who has that kind of Elon de Bezos money???? Don't look at me. I was rearranging things in my budget to get the twenty-dollar bottle! Obviously, MC decided to ignore the smaller customers and go for selling in bulk.  (Even if I could afford the stuff, I wouldn't indulge. That kind of excess is morally stupid, no matter how much money you have!)

Okay so... it was time to improvise. Actually, after I thought about it, I realized I should have done that in the first place. It was simple to find the ingredients and, because I already use oils for my skin and hair, I had most of them in my pantry and a couple of the missing are those I don't use anyway. This ended up being my base blend:

• Plum kernel oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Perilla Seed Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Vitamin E
• Frankincense EO
• Neroli EO

The only thing I did not have much of was the Rosemary. Apparently, adding just a very little bit was good enough. Because my skin and hair aren't crazy about coconut oil, I omitted it and, because I am me, I didn't worry about the other ingredients because I was testing the blend as I went. When I got to the Neroli, I found I liked my blend much better than the MC version.

repurposed a good bottle.
This is after aboeut a month's use

Of course, I made 2 variants of the oil because I happened to have some vanilla bean oil that I'd been infusing in sweet almond oil for several weeks. I added a little of that to another bottle of my Vita Oil blend (which I call Skin Food!) and it is lovely. I was worried about the vanilla because I've never used an infusion on my skin before now but it turned out nicely and has a really faint delicious scent.

If I add up the ingredients used to make the 2 one-ounce bottles I already had, I would guess it cost me less than $0.40 to make all of it. You can see why I will never buy any more from MC...

If you decide to make a DIY oil and can't figure out what percentage of each ingredient to use, ask ChatGPT. It gave me percentages and drops. Okay. That's one safe use of AI, I guess.

I now have 3 oils (and will be making more until I run out of ingredients). I have the one I use on my face every morning; one that I use in the evening; and one that I will be using during the dryer winter months.

Morning Oil:

• Plum kernel oil (which feel amazing and absorbs so well)
• Rosemary oil
• Pure Vitamin E oil
• Coconut oil (just a drop of the fractionated version)

Evening/Overnight Oil:

• Plum kernel
• Rosemary
• Vitamin E
• Vanilla bean (oil from a sweet almond infusion)

Dry Weather Oil:

• Plum kernel
• Jojoba
• Vitamin E
• Helichrysum (and E.O.) ~this smells angelic~
• Neroli
• Sweet almond oil

(I use the Dry Weather formula under my Nivea cream.)

And, no matter what time of year it is, don't forget to use sunscreen...

As I said, because I have always used oil for my hair, skin, and cooking needs, I didn't need to buy much. One recipe I saw in a forum called for EVOO mixed with tea tree and coconut. I think that one was for combo or acne-prone skin (?).

It absorbs even more after 3 or so minutes

Anyway, I am glad to say goodbye to MC's Vita Repair oil. I think they figured out how popular it was becoming and so they upped the minimum quantity and/or price. If I can't trust the availability of a product, why even bother falling in love with it?

Peace

--Free

P.S.: There might be some discrepancies in this post. After I wrote the original draft, I played around more with my formula, so I (clumsily) have made some changes to this post.