Wednesday, September 5, 2007

WFMW--Brand Loyal Edition

Shannon has a themed "Works for Me Wednesday" this week: brand loyalty. What do I drive out of my way for?

Scott single ply toilet paper. Because if we use anything else, our sewer line clogs and we have to get it dug out at a cost of $225. Charmin's darling but forget it.

Method Go Naked hand soap. No smell, no colors that leave stains on my sinktops when I'm too lazy to wipe them down right away.

Staying in the bathroom, Clinique facial soap and clarifying lotion. My father was allergic to perfume (among many, many other things) and so my mother and I had to search for unscented products in the stone ages of that genre. Now my nose is sensitive to scents on my face too, but except for a brief fling with Noxema, this is the only face soap I've ever truly loved.

Oh, and Biore nose strips. My mother used them...yeah, that's it...and they worked so well for her I thought I'd give 'em a try. Not that I get anything out with them, of course.

Pampers for my older son. The shape of his tushie blew out every other diaper we tried. Happily, my second son has no such issue and we buy what's on sale that we have coupons for. But the older one? Pampers or nothing. Ugh.

Balmex. The others don't come off my fingers or smell too strong.

From there to the laundry room...

Zout. Gets out stuff the other ones don't. Am phasing out everything else.

Dreft. Just smells like a baby to me.

And on to dinner...

Creamettes elbow noodles. Hands down the best noodles for anything--mac'n'cheese, macaroni salad, you name it.

Alessi White Balsamic Vinegar. Vinegar and oil is my salad dressing of choice. My mother, grandmother, and aunts all made their own vinegar--just a huge jug with a mother and whatever wine was leftover, they'd dump it in. I have had no success whatsoever with this technique and have had to shop around. This is my favorite so far. Sweeter, lighter, and added bonus of not staining nearly as much as regular balsamic vinegar.

Fit vegetable wash. Since we started with our CSA, cleaning veggies has been very important. This stuff works great. Peaches are a revelation after this. Couldn't believe how much dust got stuck in that fuzz until I started using this.

Cracker Barrel extra-sharp white cheese. I won't pretend we don't buy anything else but this is a perpetual winner.

Oscar Meyer Bacon. I just plain don't like any others. The lower-sodium is ok too, though calling it "low sodium" is frankly laughable.

And can you be loyal to a store brand? Acme's ice cream sandwiches are our family's absolute favorites. Nothing fancy or different, just right for a summer treat. And Whole Foods' 365 brand truffles are magnificent. I stock up when they come out.

It was so fun to see everyone else's favorite brands; look for them here at Rocks in my Dryer!

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