What would At Home with Joanna be without talking about products for the home? Yes, I write numerous articles about a variety of topics. But when it comes to sharing about products I love? This only happens every now and then.
Sometimes it’s in the form of a research-based article. Other times, it’s in the form of reviews based on my actual experience with a product. In some cases, it’s to learn about a brand I find interesting. In either case, I like being able to share my thoughts on products you may be interested in but are hesitant about trying yourself. Whenever possible, I even share discount codes so you can try the products I write about!
It has been quite some time since I did a round-up of a few of my favorite items. The following are a few of the products I have tried over the past 6 months.
For the sake of full transparency, some of the links are my personal referral links. This is simply due to me signing up with the company. I may, or may not receive perks if a sale is made, but this truly is not my goal. I honestly can’t even keep track of all the rules that come with each brand. These items are marked with a * so you are kept aware. I know what it’s like to have items forced on you just for the purpose of making a sale- this is not my intention! If you have any questions about this, feel free to comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Health Items
Hydrojug
How many times have you been told how important it is to stay hydrated? “8 glasses a day minimum!” I know; at times it can feel redundant. Nevertheless, it is important to stay hydrated during the day! And no, drinks with sugar and caffeine do not count (they actually act as diuretics and can therefore dehydrate you).
The thing is, I truly don’t mind drinking water. I don’t find it “boring” and if I do, a few drops of lemon juice quickly change that. What I really wanted, was a solution to having to get up in order to refill my glass/water bottle a thousand times a day. It’s not a matter of laziness; it’s more just knowing myself and my habits.
If I have to stop writing, working, exercising, etc to fill my water, I sometimes lose my momentum or get distracted by something else.
For example, I’ll go into the kitchen for a refill and possibly see a plate that could be washed. Two hours later, I not only washed the plate, but I reorganized my spice rack and washed the floor. What can I say? I like to clean! However, whatever I had been working on will be left to the side for longer than desired. The solution? My Hydrojug.
When I say that it is in my top 3 favorite purchases of the past year, I’m not kidding. I fill it up about two times a day (the largest size they offer is 1 gallon). No one can say I’m not doing my best to stay hydrated!
For more information about the different types of HydroJugs, their advantages, and extras you can get with your purchase, their official site can be found here. I just discovered that they sell apparel too… which means I have to stop browsing before any impulse purchases are made.
Portable Pedal Exerciser
This pedal exerciser has become my new favorite way to exercise at home. Don’t get me wrong, I love other forms of at-home exercise too. If you have kids, I urge you to try Cosmic Yoga with them- it’s so much fun and it’s free to follow along on their YouTube channel! My Son would ask me to do it with him all the time.
Back to pedaling- I purchased a portable pedal exerciser from Amazon just to give it a try. Due to a few circumstances (and let’s face it, COVID didn’t help), I was in a rut. I didn’t have energy for anything, let alone exercising. I weigh more now than I ever have before. For someone who was naturally slim for the first 30 years of my life, it hasn’t been fun. I actually get emotional over my weight and let’s just say, that I am fed up. Crying about it won’t help me lose the weight, right? Movement and exercise WILL… Right?
I’ve been using my iHomey Pedal Exerciser Portable Mini Exercise Bike Trainer (for Arm and Leg with LCD Digital Monitor) for about a week now. It hasn’t been long, and I won’t claim that an unrealistic and magical transformation has taken place. However, instead of just sitting on the couch while I watch tv, I cycle. When I sit at my desk to work, I cycle. Even during our movie nights, I use the movie as a distraction as I cycle away. (We recently watched The Last Duel and I cycled the entire time. It’s a LONG movie.)
Basically, I wake up in the morning and I cycle for a bit.
At the end of the day, if I didn’t cycle again earlier in the afternoon, then I do so before I begin to unwind for the night. Some people say it isn’t smart to exercise before getting into “sleep mode” but I find it helps me burn off any anxious energy I have before I get into bed.
I finish the night cycle session with a relaxing shower and some TLC and then it’s time to get some VERY restful sleep. I’m definitely beginning to feel better about my routine. I’m not saying I’ll take part in a triathlon anytime soon, but even a little bit of movement is better than merely being a couch potato.
TLC (Tender Loving Care) Products
Speaking of TLC, I lost interest in it for a long time. I don’t believe I’ll ever be that interested in it like I used to be, or like some others are. Nevertheless, I am actively making a point of doing one small act of TLC each day. Some days, I say drinking adequate amounts of water is my TLC. Other days, you’ll find me with a face mask on while I do my nails.
Skincare
The facial cleanser/mask that I am using lately is the Bioré® Charcoal Whipped Purifying Detox Mask With Natural Charcoal. I use it as a mask once a week. As a daily cleanser, you only need to use a little bit and it feel so good.
I also got their cleansing nose strips (with witchhazel) because I haven’t used nose strips in general for years. Some say they’re actually not good for your skin because they take out more than just impurities. You read more about this here. I don’t use them too often (about once a month) but they just feel so good sometimes.
I grew up with- what I would say is- the average amount of acne.
Even the average amount was enough to make me want to bury myself in a hole, though. It goes without saying that skin changes over time. Pregnancy, diet changes, natural aging- there are many factors that affect the health of your skin. My skin right now would be categorized as combination skin. I find that I’m having most of my breakouts along my jawline, which I found some interesting information on.
Touching my face isn’t one of my habits, but with the past few years I’ve had (correction: that we have all had), the fact that I’m having breakouts more often isn’t too surprising. It’s just another reason for me to take be more mindful about my skincare.
I follow my face cleanser with the Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner which is about $10 at Walmart,
“This effective alpha and beta hydroxy formula delivers visible results. First, it sweeps away dead surface skin and smoothes over rough, uneven patches. Then, it penetrates deep into pores to visibly reduce their appearance for cleaner and flawless-looking skin. Skin is left soft, smooth and refreshed.”
Next, I’ll have to find a gentle moisturizer for acne-prone skin to use. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Home Items
I’m not sure why I’m in such a mood to create a clean, cozy, organized safe-haven at home lately. I truly just want to donate all of the things that don’t bring me joy, organize whatever is left, and be happy with what we have. I’ve never been someone who buys things just for the sake of trying the newest and in-style item. If I had to be compared to something, I think it would have to be a Hobbit. Cozy home full of books, a fireplace, food, and tea? Garden in the back? Yes, please.
9 Cube Multi-Use Organizer
Since we live in an apartment, I wanted a way of keeping my Son’s room organized, and maximizing the use of the space we have. I thought of my childhood bedroom; I had a closet that was smartly used for hanging clothes, several toys and that also had shelving that was used for books. This lead to getting this 9 cube multi-use organizer by Jiuyotree.
It can be used for toys, books, clothes, tools- basically, anything you’d like. The fact that you can play around with its shape/layout is fun and quite practical. Tastes change and so does the placement of the furniture in your home.
Lastly, it can be used both in and out of the closet, which is a bonus. I’m putting ours in my Son’s closet so he can use it to organize his toys, books, and clothes.
Pet Care
The most we usually purchase for our cat, Pippit, is canned food for a treat and some toy mice. Since she had been without a cat tree for some time now, we got her a nice cat tree from Feandra. It wasn’t expensive, and it’s more compact than her old one.
Pippit is getting on in her years (don’t talk to me about this because I’ll begin to cry). This is why, I wanted to make sure that if she ever got to the point of having mobility issues, she wouldn’t have to jump up too high. The one we got her comes up to right in the middle of my thigh. As you can see from the photo, it has four levels. One of these levels is a basket, which our cat hasn’t had in this apartment yet.
The lowest level is a circular enclosed space, which Pippit went in once so far. Her favorite spot is the very top of the tree which is a nice bed. It is a great tree for cats of any age, but I think kittens and senior cats would especially appreciate it. Feandra has quite a range of differently sized trees, so no matter how big and tall, or small and short, they have a cat tree for your furry loved ones.
It wasn’t purchased but…
One item that I was two clicks away from purchasing was a small compost bin specifically made for small spaces. I often think about all of the things that are thrown out when they could be used for other things. I am FAR from a hoarder- too much clutter makes me anxious. However, I care about recycling and reusing items whenever it’s clean, safe, healthy etc.
When it comes to things like food and other biodegradable items, I was curious about how I can do my part. More specifically, how I can do my part while living in a small “city” space. They’ve been putting these huge inground garbage and recycling “tubes” in our area.
I’ll be leaving this topic for another day- there may be a lot to say about this at a later date. In the meantime, if anyone can shine some light on how I can do my part while living in an apartment, I would appreciate it.
Have you discovered any home organizing tips that you wish you knew of before? Have you found a new favourite home and/or health product? Let me know by commenting below!
Related:
Essential Steps to Improving Your Home
