Friday Recommendations, 11/21

1. Empties. Here's some products I've used up lately! And I'm not trying to play fast and loose with affiliate-linking here but I've bought most of these items multiple times and I can tell if they're seriously on sale for Black Friday. 

It physically hurt to save bottles and jars and bags I was done with because I love finishing a product and throwing it away, but I knew I'd forget to talk about any of these things if I didn't.

Some of this is worth it, some I would not buy again. 

 

I generally really do like Truly Free products. It's worth the box and the subscription!

However, this softening rinse...didn't do anything? I don't know. Apparently it was supposed to? 

In addition, I used their laundry detergent that I got in my last box but they forgot to send a jug for it so I mixed it up in this softening rinse jug once the rinse was gone. I didn't love it either. Sorry, I'll be Team Persil now because it just works so well. 

This is amazing though! I love the dishwasher soap. It's a powder, which I've never actually used before. Usually I go for the gels or liquids. 

If you find yourself ordering Truly Free, add this to the box for sure. 

I don't know what this was supposed to do but it didn't do anything. And I took it for the entire 30 days or whatever it was because I was insistent on using it up. I'm not saying the ingredients aren't helpful; I'm saying I didn't notice a real difference in anything. 

I love this natural deodorant. It does actually work! Its active ingredient is baking soda. My only complaint is that it doesn't last very long; like, I use it up pretty quickly for $14 worth of deodorant. Currently on sale though for Black Friday!

My favorite hand soap. The only place I can find it is Amazon, sadly. I used to buy it at Walmart (in Pittsburgh? 2019ish?) but they don't sell it in-store that I've seen lately. 

I usually buy lemon but the grapefruit is the one on sale right now. 

These are a great alternative to Crest White Strips. Perfect for sensitive teeth and cheaper, too. Usually they're about $22 for 9 days of strips. These are only $15 right now!

This was such a fortuitous find! It's light, has helpful active ingredients, and I put it on before bed and sometimes with my vitamin C serum in the morning. 

This is not on sale right now but you can do 30% off with subscribe and save (do I take advantage of that feature? all the time)

2.  Intensity by Dean Koontz. I read this book in 2 hours on Monday night. Here's the thing: it takes place in the mid-1990s and the ready availability of cell phones would have made this plot impossible to write post-2005. So..take that for what it's worth. I saw some reviews saying it was too wordy; yeah, I can see that, but this is a story that has two main characters so you're in their heads for most of book. (I read once that this is why they had trouble adapting Dexter to the screen--so much of the book was his inner monologue.)

Anyway, it plays out like a movie. It all visualizing and not a ton of dialogue. The first 35%, I think my hands were sweating a little bit because it's a definite thriller. Once you start, there's no point in putting it down. Like the movie 1917, this book is one continuous scene. I did guess the big "twist" at the end kind of early. It was the first Dean Koontz I've read and I only put it on hold in the Libby app because I saw a reel saying it was a thriller you may be able to get right away since it's older. I still waited two months. 

3. Landman is back. This is such a good show. It's interesting and FUNNY and kind of insanely dramatic. If you missed season one, it's worth catching up now. 

4. There is no way to segue from Landman to The Magic Treehouse but I wrote up this novel study for Wells. I tried a fancy, multi-modal novel study a few weeks ago with another book and what I realized is that I would prefer he read and retain the book, not do all the extra fluff I paid too much for from another website. 

Linking up for Friday Favorites!