Seven Quick Takes - What I'm Loving Lately

It's Friday so let's do some Quick Takes!

And let's do them a little differently this time.  I'm going to talk about seven products I'm loving lately.

1. 

Garnier Whole Blends Hair Mask.  Santa (or Santa's little helper Sarah) left this in my stocking and it is awesome!  The ends of my hair have been so dry these last few months.  In fact, part of the reason I chopped my hair off was that the ends, especially the ones that frame my face, were in really bad shape.  I was disappointed that even after I cut a lot of length off the part that frames my face still looked really bad - dry, damaged, frizzed out.  This product is a mask that you put on right after shampooing and leave on for three minutes.  I used it that way for the first week but then I got lazy and started using it as a conditioner.  I basically rub a big blog of it through the ends (the ends only!) of my hair and just finish my normal shower routing.  I've been so happy with this that I have even purchased the shampoo that goes along with it so that the rest of my hair (the top) can benefit as well.

2. 

Pampered Chef Scraper Set - I bought my first set of these scrapers at a PC party almost 10 years ago.  These things work wonders at getting stuck-on, baked-on food off of pots and pans.  My husband even loves these and when he's helping was dishes the first thing he grabs is one of these.  (Sad testament to the state of my cooking but it's true.)  Over the years though, we were down to only one and it got caught in the disposal and we have been without one for several weeks.  I just ordered a new set and am very ready for them to get here.  A pack of three is only $3.75 and it is very worth that small price!  It is honestly shocking how easily gunk can be removed from pots, pans, and even your slow cooker!

3.

Black Nikes - 2 years ago I decided I needed a cute pair of sneakers to wear with casual outfits.  So I purchased a pair of white Converse Chucks.  Y'all! What a huge mistake.  Those things were cute BUT they were so uncomfortable.  They were narrow and flat - zero arch support.  And to make matters worse - the white picked up everything.  After uncomfortably wearing them for a couple of months they were no longer a cute white sneaker but more of a dirty gray torture chamber for my feet.  So this past fall, I purchased a pair of black Nikes.  This was the best decision ever. They are black so  I wear them with everything from jeans, to joggers, to leggings and they are very comfortable.  Also since they are black they don't show dirt.  And whenever the white part starts to show dirt I whip out my trusty Magic Eraser and they are clean in seconds. And speaking of Magic Eraser...

4. 

Magic Eraser -  I imagine you all share my love of these little beauties but I had to put them on this list in case one of you isn't aware of their magic powers.  From cleaning scummy shower doors, to soles of shoes, to removing Sharpie from counter tops, to removing dirt from painted walls, to removing general grossness from the bathtub, to cleaning your razor, to scrubbing your heals when they get a little funky in the summer - these things really are magic!  And because I'm cheap I always buy the generic ones from Walmart and they work exactly the same. 

5.

Goo Gone Grout and Tile Cleaner - I picked this up on a whim at Marshall's the other day.  It was $4.97 there.   The grout between the ceramic tiles on our bathroom floors were getting really gross and I've been putting off doing anything about it because I am very, very lazy.  But I saw this at Marshall's and grabbed it.  The next day I sprayed some on the grout and let it sit for a few minutes and then grabbed my handy Magic Eraser and gently scrubbed the grout.  All the gunk came off so quickly and easily.  I was shocked.  And it smells so good!  I highly recommend this stuff if you've got some dingy grout and let's be honest - we've all probably got some dingy grout.  (Please tell me it's not just me!)

6. 

ChapStick Total Hydration in Merlot - My lips have been very dry this winter and when they are dry and chapped lipstick doesn't look very good on them.  But my lips are very pale and they need color.  Enter - ChapStick Total Hydration.  This stuff feels and works like regular ChapStick but it is tinted so my lips still have some color and don't disappear on my face.  I use the Merlot - there are quite a few other colors to choose from but this color was recommended on another blog and I love it.  I have also tried Hello Bordeaux but it was too dark.

7. 

NYX Pore Filler - I have large pores on my nose and cheeks so when I put on my liquid make-up it always settles in my pores.  Very annoying!  So I've been trying to find a good filler for the last couple of years.  I have purchased pricey ones and cheap ones and have finally settled on this one.  It is pretty cheap and works just as well as the more expensive ones.  I have yet to find one that works perfectly and makes my skin totally smooth looking but I like the price of this one and I like how well it works. 

And that's it for my Quick Takes What I'm Loving Lately.  Are there any products you guys are loving lately?  Do tell!