We’re coming up on my favorite month, and before you ask, no, it isn’t merely because my birthday is in April. April also just happens to be the time that earth is most alive with hope and optimism and new buds and the sounds of birds chirping and people skipping in the streets and–

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. March deserves a round of applause, or at least a round-up of the items that made me and my business tick these past few weeks. On with it!

Everyone hand sanitizer

Since I spend my days all in up in everyone’s business, I’m extra cognizant of tracking germs home with me, spreading them to other families, and so on. I decided to make it a habit to keep a bottle of this stuff in my car, and sanitize well, constantly.

Out of all the hand sanitizers I’ve ever used, this one has to be my all-time favorite. It isn’t filled with chemical nasties, it smells perfectly pleasant but not overpowering, and, blessedly, it leaves positively no residue on your handsies.

Acrylic 8-compartment box

This is a lovely acrylic box that’s marketed for containing one’s tea bags. I had indeed purchased it for that purpose for one client, only it didn’t end up working out in her space. That was sad for all of us, because it was such a pretty sight.

The next day, a client requested help containing her makeup. So I grabbed this guy from my car, and got to playing. A few things were just slightly too tall for the lid to close, which was a real bummer, because it was such a pretty sight. And just when I was ready to click undo, it dawned on me that I could unscrew the lid’s hinges. 

It was the prettiest sight it was always intended to be, and I was officially a super genius.

In conclusion, you can use this pretty box with or without the lid, its compartments are aptly sized for smaller items like tea bags or tubes of makeup, and even if you tried, I don’t think you could make this an un-pretty situation.

Murchison-Hume cleaner

Admittedly, I purchased this specifically for the tv segment I did last week. But after the taping was done, I put it in my work bag and welcomed it into the family. I was a fan based on the beauty  of its packaging, but then I went and used it at a client’s house.

It’s effective, so there’s that. But also: it smells wonderful. Several times, I caught myself wondering what smelled so good, only to realize it was my own damn cleaner. My client totally had spray-envy, and vowed to buy herself some.

Portable tote with handle // tote divider

This has quickly become one of my favorite ways to help clients organize their travel-sized cosmetics and cosmetic samples.

The fact that it’s a tote means that it’s exceptionally easy to pick up and set down on a most convenient, accessible spot (read: not lost under a bathroom sink), and the addition of the dividers provides structured for oddly shaped vials, tubes, and the like.

[FTR, I’ve found the deeper, 7-section divider (linked above) to be more useful than the shallower, 16-section divider.]

Spice jar labels

Word to the wise: for those of you looking to beautify your spice jars sans use of a label maker, these round stickers are for you.  A set comes with 280 different spice labels, meaning if there’s a spice it doesn’t contain, you’re cooking up some pretty exotic shit. The quality of the stickers, themselves, is also top notch.

Lastly, the Queer Eye reboot on Netflix. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll marvel at how 5 gay guys and a self-pressed redneck can restore your faith in humanity.