My Five Must-Have Items

Do you have a few items in your house, or as part of your daily routine, that you just can’t live without? I have a bunch, but I thought today I’d share with you five of my all-time favorite, must-haves. If I were Oprah or Ellen, I’d give all the ICMB readers these items because I love them that much! But alas, I’m neither Oprah nor Ellen, and I don’t have that kind of money to burn. So if any of the items below sound interesting, I guarantee they are all affordable and easily acquired! And in case you were wondering, I did not receive any compensation for sharing these products with you today, I truly love all of these items and the opinions are my own!

Must have items

  1. Charisma Towels (Costco)
    CharismaTowelsOne of the things in life I dread the most is having to buy new bath towels. I may be alone in this, but I really don’t like using new towels. Yeah, they’re soft and fluffy, but I always end up covered in towel fuzz! And nothing annoys me more than trying to rub lotion on my fuzz covered body. When I do have to buy new towels, I end up washing them several times before ever using them, trying to get as much of the fuzz out of them as possible. But it never fails; I still end up covered in fuzz. I think I’ve finally found my dream towels! I love, love, love the Charisma towels from Costco (not to mention pretty much everything else Costco sells). They are reasonably priced and come in a variety of colors. We have a gray set in our master bathroom and an ivory set in our guest bathroom. They are soft and absorbent, and best of all? They are by far the least fuzzy! I won’t lie, they do leave a small amount of fuzz but by the third or fourth use/washing they are pretty much fuzz free!
  1. Jergens Ultra Healing LotionJergensLotion
    This is the best hand lotion EVER! At least in my humble opinion. I like to use the Bath and Body Works lotions on my body (they have some of the best smelling lotions), but I find they are too greasy on my hands. Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion is light, non-greasy, fast absorbing, and unscented. I keep one of the big pump bottles next to my bathroom sink and put it on every night before bed (and as needed during the day). I’ve been using this product for YEARS, and I’ve never been afflicted with dry, cracking, sore skin. I love this stuff so much that when I travel and forget to pack my little travel sized bottle, I get a little crabby knowing I’ll have to resort to using something that will feel greasy.
  1. Pantene Pro-V Curl Perfection linePanteneShampoo
    I have naturally curly hair. Over time I’ve had to learn the best ways of dealing with it. About seventeen years ago I started using the curly hair line from Pantene Pro-V and have used it ever since. After several re-brandings and name changes, the line today is called Curl Perfection. I use the shampoo and conditioner every time I wash my hair (which, let’s face it, is not every day since I’m now chasing a toddler around). I’m currently using the Curl Shaping Gel again, on the rare occasion that I wear my curls loose, as opposed to pulling them into a braid or ponytail. The use of the shampoo and conditioner leaves my hair incredibly hydrated, helping to tame unwanted frizz. Bonus: it’s affordable! I don’t cringe every time I buy a new bottle and I don’t feel like I have to ration it out to get my money’s worth.
  1. Shark Cordless hand vacuumSharkVacuum
    I grew up with a Dust Buster in my house, but I never fully appreciated how wonderful a cordless hand vacuum is until my daughter started eating solid foods! We all know kids are messy when they eat and food always ends up on the floor. Since we don’t have a dog to help with minor food spills, we have to clean up the mess ourselves. Our kitchen/dinette floor is hard wood, so for the most part, clean-ups are easy. Because my daughter LOVES to eat shredded cheese, the floor under our table is almost always covered in crumbs. You can probably imagine how much ends up in her mouth and how much ends up on the floor! When it gets really bad, or I know I need to also vacuum the rest of the kitchen, I’ll pull out the full sized vacuum and give it a thorough cleaning. But most days I’d prefer to leave that heavy beast in the closet but can’t stand the amount of crumbs on the floor. This is when I grab my Shark Cordless hand vacuum and suck up the offending crumbs, lickety-split! I keep mine charging when not in use so it’s always ready to go when I need it.**Note: from what I can tell, this model is no longer being made. But any similar product/brand would work just as well!
  1. Johnson’s Hand & Face wipesHandWipes
    These have been a staple in our diaper bag since my daughter has been big enough to touch things. But they’ve been the best investment since she’s been able to eat real food and play at parks. I’m the type of mom that doesn’t let my daughter leave the dinner table without being wiped off first (hands and face). When at home, it’s easy to just grab the wet rag, but when you’re on the go you don’t always have the luxury of a sink and rag within arm’s reach. These wipes are the next best thing! Not only do they wipe away the visible dirt and grime, they also kill germs without smelling or feeling like a harsh hand sanitizer. I always have an extra package or two of these at home so we never run out!

What items are you unable to live without?

Becky
Becky is a Minnesota Native and Wisconsin Badger fan living in the heart of Hawkeye Country. Since graduating from high school, she has lived in Duluth, MN; Birmingham, UK; Minneapolis, MN; Louisville, KY; and Madison, WI, but is now happy to call Iowa City home. She and her husband have been married for ten years and have a spirited four-year-old daughter and a mischievous baby boy. Becky juggles working from home and keeping two kids happy each and every day. In her free time, she enjoys working her side business, spending time with friends, relaxing with a good book, and eating snacks.

1 COMMENT

  1. wholeheartedly agree with the DustBuster! Just treated myself (haha!) to a new one. Aside from our minivan, it’s the hardest worker in our house 🙂

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