23 Mar THIS MONTHS OBSESSIONS

Money CAN sometimes buy happiness in the form of products and services that solve problems, make life a little smoother, save time or bring you joy.

Some of my all-time favorites and a couple of new discoveries AND the issues they solve.

Phone dip

Problem it solves:  No more cracked or scratched screen protectors (or screens!).

I have mine done at my local Staples store. They demo’d it by throwing a case-less phone across the room and asking me for my keys so they could scrape across the screen of their own personal phone!  SOLD. Once and done for a 30 minute wait and $30, no more phone damage stress or that ugly line of demarcation with standard screen protectors.

Bormioli Bodega Glasses

Problem they solve: Drinking glasses that break if you look at them wrong but still look beautiful.

Repeat:  they do not break. They will last you a long time. I’m a big dropper, tosser, person who trips/falls and wins every clumsiness competition. I’ve had 36 of these for a year now and not one has broken on us. I have the small and medium sizes but the small is admittedly less useful unless you’re a scotch on the rocks gal….

Note:  make sure they are the Bormioli brand!  Knockoffs are not the same.

Korean Wash Cloths

Problem they solve: Dry, rough, scaly skin

I DO expect messages from you all on this aha recommendation! No one is more obsessed with exfoliation than I and I have an arsenal of products to prove it. One day I booked myself for the 2 hour Wi Spa Special (their Cadillac treatment) at the Wi Spa in Los Angeles (Korean Day spa). I will elaborate on that eye-opening experience in another piece but know that it and this tool are THE WAY to babys-butt smoothness for all your parts (except for your face – too aggressive!). Ingrown hairs, no more. Rough heels begone. Fine white scale on your legs – NO MORE.  Sandpaper elbows.  I use it every day on my problem parts and NO dryness since.  I add a little moisturizing shower gel and go to town in the shower then deep moisturize afterward. You’re welcome in advance! Note: there are aggressiveness levels, much like sandpaper. I suppose it’s wisest to start on the most gentle (pink to red to green to blue) and work your way up but, you do you!

CND Solar Oil

Problem it solves: Jagged cuticles, peeling, weak, unhealthy nails

When I was 11ish, my mom got her nail technician license and I promptly hopped on the hamster wheel of fake nails. Once you start its hard to quit because they trash your nails sentencing you to a lifetime of fake nail type treatments in order to have decent looking nails. 30ish years of nail “enhancements” later, I was ready to step off. I knew it’d be a long ugly phase but focused hard on the idea of creating an environment for my nails to heal and thrive. After some research I found this gem. I must say that it’s been pretty dramatic. You can hardly tell I have cuticles they are so soft and pliable, the overall strength of my nails has gone from flimsy like a piece of copy paper to healthily rigid.

I keep a bottle at my desk which I’m spotty with but apply to the cuticle AND under the nail tip every night before bed then a deep, rich hand cream.

Zella High Waist Legging

Problem they solve: Leggings that check all the necessary boxes and don’t break the bank

I LIVE in leggings. So forgiving, so comfy, so universal (workout class to Costco, change shoes/add jacket and now we’re date-ready. My testing experience is vast. Though I really like my Lululemon’s, they simply don’t stand the test of time; getting pill-y or stretched or snagged and they cost $100. My Alo Goddess leggings are the next favorite as they solve a lot of the Lulu issues but again with the $100, simply not a universal option.  Enter the Zella.  I wait till Nordstrom Rack has em on sale for under $30 and that gets us all top in class muffin top and belly flab abatement, flattering leggings that stay in place, soft but not pill-prone fabric and they don’t cost a small fortune.

Let me know your RIDE OR DIE’s and the problems they solved for you so we can all bask in the bliss of crossing another micro-annoyance off our lists!

XO