Saying Goodbye to Traditional Deodorant

I told myself that when I ran out of my Degree Clinical Strength deodorant, I would switch to a deodorant without aluminum. I know aluminum isn't good for me, but I hate sweaty pits and my sweat can smell icky. I decided that I didn't want to risk breast cancer, especially since I've watched my mom's fight with it.

Ironically, I made my switch in the summer. At Natural Grocers, I ventured to the deodorant aisle to try to fine something that would do the job and smelled good. There weren't as many options as I'd hoped for, so I started reading labels and smelling the options. What caught my eye and nose was Magic Mud Pineapple Mango Charcoal + Magnesium Aluminium-Free Deodorant. I appreciated that it was cruelty free too. That it contained charcoal was attractive as it has such great properties, such as removing impurities, cleansing skin, and removing dead skin cells. The product also said it neutralized odor and reduced wetness, so I decided to try it out.

What I didn't realize is that it can take some time for your body to regulate to the new deodorant after going off traditional ones. After the first day, I thought it wasn't working and almost gave up. Then for at least a week, one of my arm pits smelled worse than the other, which was so annoying and odd. Thankfully, after a few weeks it regulated. I'm glad I stuck with it. Now, roughly six weeks in I'm happy with how it's working. For those thinking about making the switch, remember to give it time.

Movie #19: Harriet

We're back to watching movies again and thankfully, the library is up and running again. We started out with the movie, Harriet. It shows the life of Harriet Tubman. I knew that Harriet saved slaves, but I really didn't know her story until now.

She was a slave along with her mom, brothers, and sisters. Her dad and husband were free. Her sisters were sold off to another plantation years before. Before he died, their master had promised to free Harriet's mom and the rest of her family when she turned 46, but alas she's in her 50s. Since he died, his wife and son won't honor his wishes. Harriet who goes by the name, "Minty" is the son's favorite slave. She gets visions from God of the future.

Harriet wants to be free. She decides to go escape on her own. She's directed to talk to the local minister, even though he doesn't seem sympathetic to fellow African Americans. He gives her the name of contacts to help her in Philadelphia. Her master's son tracks her and traps her on a bridge. But she's not going back, she jumps off the bridge. She wakes up hours later, coughing up water. She picks her free name as Harriet Tubman.

Once she arrives in Philly and with the help of her contact, she gets lodging and a job. She works a year as a maid. It's an emotional year without her family and husband. She goes back for him. Unfortunately, she learns that he's remarried with a baby on the way. He was told she died. She is absolutely gutted. Instead, her family sends her with her brothers, their wives, their baby, and some other friends. She hadn't planned to take so many. With God's help, they cross a large rover and get to Philly.

Over time, there's a large bounty for "Moses," who they're calling the person helping slaves run away. That doesn't slow down Harriet, she's passionate about helping free slaves. Laws change and people are allowed to go get their slaves back. This brings violence and trouble to Philly, as well. Harriet looses her close friend to someone looking for Harriet.

Harriet frees her mom. They all move to Canada. This was a great movie. It wasn't overly graphic, but still showed what slaves went through. This is a must-see movie. Check out the trailer here.

I LOVE Panera Iced Coffee!

Driving my mom back and forth five hours from cancer treatments weekly, this year, has been draining to say the least. To help, I started ordering iced caramel macchiatos from Starbucks. They help me have a little more energy and be sharper for the long drive.

Unfortunately, they were pretty expensive and at that point in time, Starbucks closed due to the pandemic. When they closed, I started going to get something similar from McDonald's. While they were MUCH cheaper, they couldn't substitute in almond milk, which left my stomach feeling unhappy. So, here and there, I tried alternative iced coffee drinks like one at Aldi's and a healthy version from Califia Farms. Unfortunately, the Aldi's version didn't have almond milk and was very sweet. The Califia Farms version just didn't taste good.

I've always loved Panera food and their iced green tea, but I never realized they made iced coffee drinks. Through their emails, I learned that they did have iced coffee. I also learned about their coffee subscription for $8.99/month and their promotion for signing up for the program and getting free coffee through the end of August. What I like most about their coffee is the fantastic taste of the drink. They can fulfill my preference of using almond milk and add caramel. I actually like it better than Starbucks. With the coffee subscription, it shows that I'm saving $2+ per drink and that adds up. I place my order online and the pick up process is super easy, as I just go to the Rapid Pickup area in the store. To learn more about their coffee subscriptions, check out this link: https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/mypanera/mypanera-coffee-subscription.html?ref=COFFEE8f161d or click here.

Where do you buy your iced coffee from?