Five Simple Things (December 31)

Hello. Happy New Year!

1. These Resolutions.

These were Woody Guthrie's New Year's Resolutions in 1943. They were found in the center section of a journal he kept and it gives a bit of insight into what he was thinking at the time. There's 33 resolutions to this list in which he names "New Years Rulins."

2. These Boxes.

This is my first box with Kinder Beauty. I've been searching for a replacement for Yogi Surprise ever since they dropped their subscription boxes. I look forward to this box because it's vegan, cruelty-free, and clean ingredients. You can try this box here.

Kiwi Eco Box this month had some great holiday items in it. From the mulling spices, to the plant(able) seed card, it was a great box. You can get this box here.

Also, Yogi Secret box. I found this one to replace Yogi Surprise, but it isn't quite what I am looking for. It's a great box, but doesn't have a lot of yoga-type items in it that Yogi Surprise had. I will be canceling the subscription after this box. If you're interesting in this box, you can get it here.

3. These Gloves.

We had been on a mad hunt for some wetsuit gloves to use during the colder months here in Oregon. We searched for the same brand as our wetsuit, which are Xcel, and we found the perfect ones at Seaside Surf Shop. These are great, 3mm, and work great on even the coldest days. 

4. This Morning.

Christmas this year was a cool one. I was able to get a few gifts I've been wanting to get for Skylar and Jeff. It always gives me a lot of joy making other people happy, especially the ones that deserve it.

Side Note:

Find out more here.

5. These Reminders.

If you've added "Be more sustainable" to your New Year's Resolutions, here's some tips to help keep you on task with those plans.

1. Lower Your Expectations: 

Focus on the things that you can still do "right", rather than focusing on what you're doing "wrong" during this time.

2. Assess Your Routine:

Use this time to assess the plastic you're using, and set a fame plan to work towards plastic-free alternatives. 

3. Focus On Foods:

Use what you have. Focus on buying low-impact, plant-based foods. Keep using your reusables, if you're able to (wash them with soap after use). Buy larger quantities of things you will use (less packaging waste). 

4. Clean Sustainably: 

Look for products with natural ingredients. Use bar soap. Use rags over paper towels. Be sure to wash rags after each use.

5. Vote With Your Dollar:

Use this time to repair or repurpose items that you already one, or support ethical, sustainable, small businesses-Not fast fashion. Also, buy from better companies with your food choices, clothing, appliances, etc. Your purchase is a vote for that product, so make it count.

6. Educate:

Check our some environmental documentaries, books, or podcasts. If you're a voter, brush up on your election candidates and their stances on climate change and other green initiatives. 

Did you catch Sirius this week (25), or Mercury meeting Venus (28), or the Moon near Mars (30)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Exercise, healthy eating, waking up earlier, taking note of the things you enjoy and doing those things as often as possible, keeping away from negative people and those that drag you down and serving those that bring out the best in you, getting outside more and getting sunshine whenever you can, work on your own talents, and ignoring those that are an anchor. These are the things for the new year that will bring you into your real, true self. Happy New Year, make this the year you celebrate yourself more!

Have a nice weekend and an even better January First.

Hilife Handheld Steamer for Clothing and even Surfboards

I had a great opportunity to team up with Hilife and test out their handheld steamer the last two weeks. Hilife has been ranked as one of the top-ranked Amazon sellers and they focus mainly on home appliance products. Along with the handheld steamer, they also offer humidifiers and space heaters of great quality and of affordable prices. The handheld steamer is ranked at an Amazon #1 Best Seller for its easy of use, compact and portable design, and price. You see all the products they off on the Hilife website.

The Hilife steamer is a great steamer to use for pretty much any mild wrinkle in clothing, curtains, or even getting out folds in rugs. It's also great to use on bed sheets, and pillowcases, too. We used it as much as we could to see exactly how much this little gadget could handle, and we were pleasantly surprised. We also discovered this little handheld steamer can also help in an unconventional way towards removing wax from surfboards. 

Use code: LAASP at checkout for 30% off and free shipping here.

It tackled wrinkles in linen fast. Although linen is an easy material to get wrinkles out of, I was pleased with how easy it was to use the handheld steamer over pulling out the ironing board. 

We tested it on cotton t-shirts...

Cotton button-downs...

And, even on easily creased dress shirts. It took about 10 minutes to get the shirts fully wrinkle-free.

Handheld steamers have an issue with spitting out too much water when they are being used, but following the directions with the Hilife Handheld Steamer we didn't have that issue. There were times when the clothing would get a bit of moisture on them while steaming, but it disappeared within a few minutes and didn't affect the overall steaming quality of the clothing. 

The machine and attachments come in a small, compact, recyclable cardboard box and easy to follow instructions on getting started right away with the handheld steamer.

One attachment I enjoyed using on the clothing was the brushes. I noticed while we were using the brushes with the steamer it actually picked up lint as we steamed the clothing and helped remove the wrinkles more quickly. 

The added cup makes filling the water reservoir easy and convenient. We used filtered water as not to get any contaminants on our clothing from the tap water.

We filled the steamer to the max-fill line, plugged in the machine, and turned it on. It was really that easy in getting started. The steamer holds 240ML of water when filled to the max-fill line.

Less than a minute the machine begin heating the water and producing steam from the nozzle. The steam from the steamer was consistent and produced enough steam for a solid 15 minutes.

We then got curious as to what all this machine could actually "steam." We steamed curtains, couch, chair, and even pillowcases. We weren't disappointed with it actually steaming wrinkles out of cloth, but we wanted to use it in a different way to see it it would hold up to being used in a different way other than steaming. We are surfers and one of the worst things about surfing is wax removal from a surfboard. So, we decided to see if this little handheld steamer would work for wax removal. And, let me tell you, it not only helped removed it, it actually got down into the layers of wax with one swipe. 

It didn't work too well removing the little bit of wax from the Wavestorm, because of its ridged surface, but it did help in loosening up sand and dirt that was stuck on and helped sanitize the surface of the board, so definitely a win there.

 

We were extremely impressed with this little handheld steamer. Our vehicle has an electrical outlet in the back and this handheld steamer is definitely going to be road-tripping with us in the future. The steamer comes with a nine-foot power cord and is 700 watts. It would be perfect added to a suitcase, or even a carryon when traveling. 

You can get this exact same handheld steamer from Hilife here and also use get 30%, free shipping, and a two-year warranty with code: LAASP (at checkout). If you've been holding off on getting a portable, handheld steamer, and been waiting on a sign for a good one, this is it! There's a 30 day free return and money back guarantee if you aren't satisfied with the steamer. 

A few additional features of the Hilife Handheld Steamer include: 

1. Super easy to use, just add water and plug in for continuous steaming.

2. Works efficiently on wrinkles and creases on most materials.

3. Portable and lightweight makes it easy to carry and travel with.

4. It's an Amazon Choice with 50000+ reviews.

5. It's priced under $40.