I am listing this stuff in this post because I don’t have the qualifications to actually review this stuff, and the breadth to know how it compares to others in the same category, but dang do I love these things. So here goes:
- 8×42 Vortex Diamondback Binoculars: I got these for a road trip we took back in 2018, and I love them. I am not someone who needs or uses binoculars a lot, but they are nice to have. And these straddle the line of not costing an absurd amount of money for something I rarely use, but while also being good. They are nice and clear, easy enough to carry, and versatile enough I can use them for anything I might need such a thing for. They mostly get tossed in my bag anytime a road trip is called for, or whenever I go hiking. There are better options for more money, but I’ve been happy with these.
- Head and Shoulders Styling Cream: since I’ve been wearing my hair longer, the normal styling creams I used proved to not be up to the task. I did a lot of searching and saw this one pop up as something that is really underrated. I love it, great product, and pretty affordable too. My hair never feels gross, it lasts a while, is inexpensive and all around a great product.
- Seki nail clippers: I got this set a few years ago, and game changer. If you are someone prone to losing nail clippers, you probably should not spend this money on some. But, goodness they are great. They cut perfectly, and feel great in hand. I only wish I had gotten them sooner. Everything about them is stellar.
- Aer Face Mask: Aer actually sent me this mask with some bags to review as an add in. And I probably like it the most of anything someone ever tossed in with review samples. It is my favorite cloth face mask. Super comfortable and fits really well. Lot’s of options to it, and a clear Left/Right indicator on the inside of the mask so I always put it on correctly.
- RZ Face Mask: there’s a push right now to get people to start wearing ‘better’ face masks than just cloth, and I get that. For me I really like these RZ Face Masks. I don’t know how great they are in the medical sense, but I would find it hard to believe that they are worse than cloth masks. I have the mesh mask variants, and they are awesome. The filters are replaceable and affordable. I do recommend getting the vent blockers they sell so that you can remove the vent to help protect others. The strap is decently comfortable and the fit overall works really well. It does take some getting used to. They also don’t fog up my sunglasses or eye glasses when I wear them — yet another plus. There’s three filter types which can help if you also need to have a filter which allows for easier air flow. I wish they would get these tested against viruses so I would know how well they compare, my assumption is somewhere between a Surgical Mask and a KN95.
- Tuft and Needle Mint Mattress: I’ve owned a few Tuft and Needle mattresses now (long story, don’t ask, not because they wore out), and I don’t want to debate mattress ethics, or what have you. All I can tell you is that their Mint mattress is the best mattress I have ever owned. I will add to this something interesting I was reading about. A lot of these companies will encourage you to purchase a box foundation which is made of metal and will last as long as metal lasts. I got one, and my wife complained about a lot of noise. Doing some research is seems like people anecdotally feel that these metal frames transmit noise through the mattress. Which kind of makes sense. So I bought an all wood box foundation, and I can confirm that my wife stopped complaining about the noise (personally I have poor hearing and am rather insensitive to noise). So do note that, as Amazon sells those all wood ones.
- Bissell AeroSlim Vacuum: This is a handy little vacuum at just $40. Our dining room table is a failure of design — it has small groves running around the edge which love to collect crumbs and debris. It sucks. Anyways, I got this little vacuum specifically to suck the crud out and keep everything nice and not gross. It isn’t the best thing ever, but once you have one of these little vacuums you find a ton of uses for it. Big fan of how much this little thing sucks. And it’s small enough to store nicely out of the way.
- Red Wing Iron Ranger Boots: Copper Rough and Tough, with Vibram mini lug soles. I’ve had these less than a month, and got them as a gift from my wife for my birthday. I love these boots so much. They look killer, and feel great. There’s a lot of debate about boots out there, but dang these are stellar boots and a part of me yearns for a life where this is the only shoe I need. I did ruck in them a couple times to help break them in, not something I would really want to do regularly though. Otherwise, awesome.
Enjoy!