Just yesterday, my co-workers and I were discussing spring cleaning and if there are any real miracle products out there that save time. My co-workers laughed at me when I mentioned The Pumie – a pumice stone for your toilet bowl.
One day I was having a hard time getting the rings to come off the inside of our toilets. I was scrubbing and scrubbing. Then I remembered one of our clients – The Housekeeping Channel – had recommended the Pumie to a media outlet, and I thought I would give it a shot. Luckily, my local grocery store carried the Pumie, but it was never something I would have found on my own. The packaging is not attractive and there is little awareness for this product.
But boy was I surprised… it was amazing how quickly and what little elbow grease the Pumie needed to do its job. And best of all, this product is 100 percent natural and doesn’t require chemicals to work. It’s a win-win for me and the environment.
Have you tried any miracle products recently that save you time? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section!
I was not paid or asked to write this review. I also have no relationship with the Pumie manufacturer that would affect my review.
Besides my own garden, I don’t purchase organic produce because I’m never sure what organic produce is worth the increased cost (I’m a pretty frugal shopper). I have read many articles about this topic, including one article that said if the produce has a thick skin then it is lower in pesticide residue. However, that doesn’t seem to be 100% accurate.
This weekend I was reading my local paper and finally located what I feel to be a credible source, The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides (http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php). It ranks pesticide contamination for 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of 87,000 tests conducted from 2000 to 2007 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. The tests where conducted after the produce had been rinsed or peeled.
Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines and strawberries contain the most pesticides. Therefore, these fruits and veggies would be worthwhile to purchase organic. On the other hand onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes and asparagus have the lowest pesticide residue, and it makes sense to stick to non-organic from a cost standpoint.
Certainly there are other reasons than just consuming pesticide residue to purchase organic foods, like the fact that conventional farming produces run-off that contains excess nitrogen, heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides. But for most consumers like me, our decisions are typically based on price. It is worthwhile for me to do my due diligence and discover what organic produce is worth splurging on because it is truly better for my family and me.
I feel the need to start off this blog post by giving the disclaimer that I am a loyal Coke fan. Thanks to my college roommate, I refuse to drink Pepsi and scoff at wait staff who try and slip me one when I order Coke.
So when I saw Coke’s new “Happiness Machine” video, I immediately loved it. From a marketing standpoint, the video was real and the reactions were priceless. It was amazing how something as simple as sharing a free Coke, pizza or sub could brighten someone’s day. The video definitely resonated with me and I’m actually craving a Coke!
However, had Pepsi developed this same video, I would have still appreciated the video concept from a marketing standpoint. But as “Jen the consumer”, it would have had no effect on me whatsoever. The message would have been pretty flat and I would have went on with my day.
Maybe it was because the video brought back great memories of college and how my friends and I would make it an event to go to Wendy’s for a biggie Coke. Or maybe it is just because I’m a Coke fan. But either way, I love this video and I’m responding to Coke’s call to action to “Share the happiness, share the video”!
From powder to liquid, concentrated liquid, sheets and packets, laundry detergent continues to evolve. The focus on sustainability is what seems to be driving this evolution and likely Walmart is behind most of this. And while the benefit of sustainability alone is not enough for the majority of consumers to make the switch, not having to lug or store big old jugs will.
Method – Detergent in Pump Bottle
Just this week Method launched what it claims to be the world’s smartest laundry detergent: method laundry detergent with smartclean technology. According to Methodlaundry.com, the patent-pending formula allows more of the cleaning agents to be used, which allows consumers to use significantly less detergent compared to national brands.
What is most interesting about this new product is that it features a unique pump bottle. You simply pump the bottle four times per load of laundry. Every bottle equals 50 loads of laundry.
In addition to reducing packaging and the weight of the product, the formula is plant-based and uses 95% natural and renewable ingredients according to Methodlaundry.com.
Purex – 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets
Today, I was looking through the FSIs from Sunday’s paper (yeah.. I’m a bit behind) and noticed a coupon for Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets. The sheet is a detergent and softener and also eliminates static. You simply put the sheet into the washer and transfer it to the dryer with your clothes. How easy is that!
The sustainable benefits of this product are it reduces plastic in the landfills and because it weighs less than liquid detergent it requires less fuel to ship, reducing the carbon footprint.
Since I’m still trying to get through my big ol’ jug of laundry detergent from Sam’s (which is concentrated), I haven’t had an opportunity to try any of these new detergents. If you have, leave a comment with your experience.
I sometimes brainstorm about the next greatest advancements in technology. Internet in the car was something I considered a real possibility, but I just didn’t realize the advancement would come so soon.
This week at the Consumer Electronics Show a number of car manufacturers are showing off their dashboards equipped with the Internet. Sounds pretty cool, but what about the safety issue? With local governments just starting to make roads safer by reducing the use of cell phones and texting, how will they regulate using the Internet in the car?
As an iPhone addict, I cannot tell you how helpful the iPhone has been in the car when needing directions or calling in a take out order. But it also has the potential to be very dangerous. I’m constantly holding myself back from checking email, Facebook and the weather at red lights. It would be even harder for me to ignore Internet on the dashboard!
While the car manufacturers are incorporating some restrictions of use while driving, the risk is still very high. And it doesn’t seem like it will stop with the Internet. A Ford executive was quoted in a recent New York Times article as saying “We are trying to make that driving experience one that is very engaging,” said Jim Buczkowski, the director of global electrical and electronics systems engineering at Ford. “We also want to make sure it is safer and safer. It is part of what our DNA will be going forward.”
Making driving engaging? Isn’t watching the road, checking the stations on satellite radio, talking on your cell, putting on make-up, filing your nails, eating, reading a book, watching a movie, and checking your GPS system engaging enough? When will it stop?
Retailers and manufacturers would likely consider me their ideal holiday customer. I spent 8 hours with my mom and sister shopping for deals on Black Friday, and the day after Christmas I was at it again.
To my surprise, I didn’t find much at all the day after Christmas and was rather disappointed. Macy’s shoe department pickings were slim, and it was hard to find my size in their outerwear section. Express was out of sizes in jeans unless you were a size 0 or 2. Dick’s had little to no selection in North Face jackets, and J. Crew’s shelves were practically bare.
Just today the Associate Press reported that retailers kept inventory so low that they are having to bring in new merchandise to fill the shelve space. It is certainly good news that retailers experienced slightly higher sales than expected (a 3.6 percent increase from last year), but it didn’t translate into great deals or savings for consumers. Bah humbug!
This morning I opened my Retailing Today Email Newsletter and was shocked to find the following headlines:
“Target extends store hours in areas hit by blizzard”
“Borders extends store hours in snow-affected cities”
“Online retailers extend shipping date in wake of snowstorm”
“Kmart to open for 64 hours, celebrities offer gift ideas”
“Macy’s to open 12 stores 24/7 for holiday shopping”
Certainly this is not an extension of hours and online shipping dates to help consumers snowed in. Rather it is a way for retailers to bring in some extra sales during what was expected to be a fair holiday shopping season.
For some retailers though, like Macy’s, staying open has been part of the retailer’s strategy. Macy’s has been offering 24/7 shopping at 12 retail locations for the past 4 years. Kmart on the other hand will keep 352 stores across the country open for 64 consecutive hours from Dec. 22 at 6 a.m. to Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. to help last-minute shoppers.
Personally, I think this is crazy. I have worked retail during holiday breaks from college and for retail personnel Christmas is something they dread (and that was when retail hours weren’t that bad).
My biggest concern is when will this stop? Pretty soon all retailers will start following suite… unless no one is shopping during their extended hours. Even if I wasn’t done with my Christmas shopping, I would refuse to support these retailers ridiculous hours!
Today is the last day for most retailers/manufacturers to provide free shipping and delivery guaranteed by Christmas Eve. In fact, more than 700 retailers are participating and have coined the term “Free Shipping Day”. There is even a consumer web site devoted entirely to this event – www.freeshipping.com.
From the looks of my inbox (I have one email address devoted entirely to retail/manufacturers offers to stay on top of emarketing trends), retailers are pushing hard to get the message out.
Kodak: Last Minute Shopping? Gifts Delivered by 12/24
Express: Winter Sale 40% Off! + Free Shipping Today Only! + The More You Spend, The More You Save!
Ulta: Hurry Up! Only TWO Days Left to Ship Great HOLIDAY Gifts for FREE!
Pottery Barn: One Day Only! Free Shipping on all orders
It appears that retailers are on the right track. According to a survey released yesterday by the National Retail Federation, consumers had completed only 46.7% of their holiday shopping by the middle of last week. These numbers are slightly less than the 47.1% the National Retail Federation reported the same time last year.
Additionally, the same survey reported 35% of respondents would shop online. This data suggests that online shopping has the potential to peak today and even exceed Cyber Monday numbers.
Two new product announcements caught my attention this week. First, Martha Stewart Clean, a new green cleaning line that features 10 new products, will be hitting Home Depot selves in January. The products will carry the DfE and Home Depot Eco Options labels.
Second, P&G launched Tide Swash – a product line targeting college students and young professionals who want to put off doing laundry. The product line includes products that remove small stains, wrinkles and odors. To my surprise, Tide Swash is only available online at the moment.
Hopefully, this is a sign of the times ahead. According to a recent article in AdvertisingAge, CPG companies are expected to launch “bigger, better, and more plentiful innovation and products in 2010”. While this is only speculation and debatable at this point, I think we all want to believe that 2010 will be a better year.
With the weather getting colder, I just had to rave about my favorite Burt’s Bees product – Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème. It is hands down the best cuticle cream I have ever used. In fact, I keep it in my desk and apply it at least once daily when I’m chatting on the phone.
It is not greasy or oily and always makes my nails look 10 times better. Best of all, it is 95% natural (hmm… wonder what the 5% unnatural part is). According to the packaging it is “A soothing blend of natural ingredients for intensive care of dry, brittle nails and chapped, cracked fingertips.”
I promise this product will not disappoint you. I found mine at my local grocery store.
Disclaimer: I was not paid or given free product by Burt’s Bees to write about the cuticle cream. I simply wanted to share my love for the product!
