June 11, 2021
Healthy snacks delivered to your door, very unnecessary face-cleansing accessory and sunscreen news no one wants to hear.
If you like healthy snacks, this box is for you!
My husband and son make fun of the foods I eat. ALL. THE. TIME. From coconut-based cookies to virtually anything comprised of nuts and seeds, I have my own basket in the pantry and very rarely have to worry about anyone else going in there and raiding my stash. My go-to sources are usually Thrive Market and Whole Foods—and as far as my purchase criteria go, the more random the better.
Last week, I got a text from a loooong-time friend saying she was in my ‘hood and wanted to drop something off. She was in my driveway before I even had a chance to respond, and in addition to my pleasure seeing her for the first time since we went to Depeche Mode (three—possibly four years ago!) she and the founder of an amazing new natural and organic monthly subscription called Peace, Love and Organic had a big old box of goodies for me.
I’ve been making my way through it slowly but surely—and it’s been an eye-opening experience for my taste buds. OK, I’m a hard no on vegan jerky (or any jerky for that matter), and while I fully believe in the digestive benefits of ginger, I prefer it in natural as opposed to “chew” form. BUT, I have discovered a few new snacks that are worthy of a permanent place in my rotation.
#1: IWON Organics Protein Sticks
Sometimes you just need to munch on something with crunch, right? For the record, I am NOT a fan of spicy snacks, but the hubs and I plowed through the entire bag in less than 24 hours. And much to my shock, he asked me to get more. (This is coming from a guy who eats Doritos on the regular).
#2: Pasokin Peanut Butter Bites
I LOVE halva more than words can express. Every time I got to the Israeli bakery 30 minutes away to stock up on “the good pita” for my son, I get myself the smallest slice they have. These have all of the crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture and nuttiness I love in a 70-calorie pre-packaged portion. No chance of going overboard here!
#3: Small Batch Organics Granola Bark
I have a thing for granola—but I have to make sure it doesn’t contain wheat. (Easier said than done—trust me.) In addition to the granola I sprinkle on my mix of Greek yogurt and berries a few times a week, I was thrilled to find this bark form covered with CHOCOLATE. Boom.
#4: ChocOx Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Enough said.
In addition to these, I also got roasted pumpkin seeds, oatmeal cookies, crispy edamame beans and spelt pretzels—plus all-natural face wash, cleansing wipes, toothpaste and insect repellent for what would have been $50 (including shipping)! And every month’s box is different so you’re constantly introduced to new stuff.
I have to admit, I’m kind of obsessed…
I can’t decide if this is the best or most unnecessary cleansing accessory ever
We’ve all been there… You’re washing your face and the water is flowing down your arms and getting all over your vanity. This isn’t always an issue if you wear a “Tier 3” tank top or tee-shirt to sleep like me (yes, I have a grading system—my husband does, too), but what if you’re washing before you’ve gotten undressed for the day or wearing long sleeves?
Enter these wrist bands. These scrunchie-like “bracelets” catch the water at wrist level to prevent any unnecessary saturation of your body, pajamas or countertop—think of them as sweatbands for those of us who treat skincare like an Olympic sport.
On one hand, I think they’re GENIUS. On the other, I have plenty of extra scrunchies lying around—but I have yet to test their water-absorbency. If you happen to have Kitsch microfiber scrunchies (which one of my friend’s SWEARS by), would you mind putting one on each wrist when you wash next and letting me know if they serve this additional purpose?
Hold up, THIS was just found in a ton of sunscreens
I hope everyone had an awesome Memorial Day weekend, and my apologies to my Northeastern friends who didn’t exactly have the best weather. But if you did enjoy some fun in the sun, I hope you slathered yourself with sunscreen from head to toe—but you may want to read this before you do that again this weekend.
Last week, a pharmacy that tests medications for safety (yes, sunscreen is technically a drug—hence that oh-so consistent label on the back of every bottle or box) dropped a bomb: 78 sunscreens and after-sun products they tested were found to contain benzene, a potential carcinogen linked to blood cancers like leukemia.
The company reviewed 294 batches from 69 different companies, and while the FDA limits benzene concentrations to 2 parts per million (PPM), some of those that tested positive contained 3 times that. And just so you know, the offending products include physical- and chemical-based sunscreen lotions and sprays (as well as post-sun soothing gels).
A far-reaching recall of these products has been proposed, but you might just want to check your beach bag, scan this list (just keep scrolling in the name of your health) and toss anything you might have—because there’s no word on when that may actually happen.