Day 353 - Refresh Citrus Body Wash (with Vitamin C)

Remember when I tried Trader Joe’s “Nourish” shampoo back in November??  shampoo review here  It was amazing and such a pleasant surprise!  I loved it.

So I was really looking forward to using this “Refresh” Body Wash.  The label extolled so many virtues that I could barely contain myself! 

·         “With our unique aroma-therapeutic blend of orange blossoms and grapefruit”

o   Ahhhh, that must mean it is gonna smell INCREDIBLE! 

·         “More than just a body wash, this cleansing formula was developed to nourish and moisturize, leaving your skin tingly clean and silky smooth.”

o   TINGLY CLEAN???  I am in!

·         “This citrus blend is sure to energize you on even your most tired of days.”

o   Helllll-o, who doesn’t need energizing every now and then??

Trader Joe's Refresh Body Wash

So I tried it.  And took the most carefully staged photos of this year long project.  J  I wanted you to see the product in action, mind you, but I didn’t want you to see the USER, if you know what I mean…

Body wash on pouf - here we go!

We are in Florida for the holidays and our house here has an outdoor shower in the backyard.  It is nothing fancy, but it is a greeeeeat place to shower.  Look, here is my view while I wash!!

View from the outdoor shower.  Note:  shower was not ON when I took this photo.  :)  Didn't want to break my camera!

I always beg David not to trim the trees in the backyard too much, cuz I want it to stay private and “enclosed” and greeeeen.  This panorama photo of my shower view also shows 2 of our pride and joys – TRIXIE, the magical fruit cocktail tree we planted this summer who surprised us when we got here this week by having not only BLOSSOMS but A REAL LIVE PIECE OF FRUIT (which I think is a Meyer lemon, my favorite kind of lemon that you can get at TJ’s if you do not have one in your backyard and was reviewed in this blog here ), and you can also see AVA, the avocado tree (not yet giving avocados, she may be barren…) that we grew from a pit and is now taller than me!!

Ava - grown from an AVOCADO PIT - it is working - she is turning into a real tree!!

David and TRIXIE, the Magical Fruit Cocktail Tree.  She is going to actually produce real live citrus fruit!

Trixie blooms

A bee pollinating some of Trixie's blooms.  Lovely!  Nature in action.

FIRST EVER CITRUS FRUIT GROWN BY US!

Teeny tiny fruit-to-be s.

You can see photos of Trixie when we first got here and she apeared in this blog here.  My has she grown!!!

Anyway, let’s look at the product:  I didn’t fall in love with this body wash.  From all the hype on the label, I thought it would smell FABULOUUUUUUS.  In truth, it doesn’t “smell” nearly enough (for me anyway).  It is just sorta slightly citrus, but no “bam” scent.  The NAMES of the scents sound incredible, the label lists:  sweet orange blossoms, succulent pink grapefruit, herbal extracts of chamomile, ginseng, ginger, Echinacea, pure jojoba oil, vitamin b 5.  I mean, all of those scents sound like they if they were poured upon my shower pouf and rubbed into my skin I would float away on a olfactory voyage.  But, alas, it just sorta smells vaguely citrusy.  I don't like my body wash to make me SMELL after I use it, I might want to put on perfume and I don't want my soap scent to compete with that.  But I like it to have some scent as I lather up.  

Not too smelly (as in, not quite enough smelly)

And it didn’t bubble up as much as I would like, either.  It just sort of bubbles instead of BUBBLING!!!  Do you get my drift? 

And not many bubbles, either...

The good stuff about it is it cleans my skin.  It is not tested on animals.  It is quite cheap.  And I presume it is good for my skin, too.  oh, and it’s not expensive.

As for scents, I will continue to go out every day and sniff the citrus blooms on Trixie (the magical fruit cocktail tree) and keep wishing there was a way to bottle that glorious scent and bring it home with me. 

As far as this body wash, I don’t love it like I did TJ’s shampoo.  But I don’t hate it.  I guess I just expected more.  But, like they say in the movie “Babe”, “It’ll do, pig.”

If it made more bubbles and had more scent, I wonder if they would up the price?

Price – $2.99

Rating - 3

Day 256 - Turkish Honey

We bought this honey in early 2015 in a LaJolla, CA Trader Joe’s.  As sometimes happened early on in this project, we would see a product in another state at a Trader Joe’s and think, “Wait!  We do not have that at our LOCAL Trader Joe’s!”.   We would be envious!!  And we would BUY said product, thinking we had scored a special gem.  Later, upon returning home and going to our local Trader Joe’s, we would inevitably find the same product on the shelf there…  In truth, most Trader Joe’s carry the same products.  There are a few local items at some stores, but 9 times out of 10 you can find the same products in different states.  (Local BEER is an exception, and some local wines as well.) 

La Jolla, CA Trader Joe's signage - cool lettering, eh?

So though we BOUGHT it early on in this project, we only recently got around to opening it.  Yes, we flew with it in a checked suitcase (couldn’t carry it in our carry on, honey is liquid) from California, put it in the cupboard, and waited months to open it.  We do not get through a ton of honey in our household so this one waited for us until another bottle was empty.

It was worth the wait!

Here is the bottle - can you see the pretty color of the honey?

I served it the other morning over Greek yogurt and peaches.  Here is what we thought of it:

David – “GREAT.  HONEY.  Smooth.  Rich.  Sweet, but not overly sweet.  And with the fabulous lingering afater-taste – no, it is really a taste at the “back end” of the experience like a Crème Caramel Brulee.  I have had many honeys, this is my favorite.  (I clarified here- your favorite of ALL THE HONEYS YOU HAVE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE, or of the Trader Joe’s honeys you have had, or what??)  Of all the honeys I can REMEMBER, which severely limits the field (this concept cracked us both up, because David, though he has an amaaaazing memory for the physical work in his solo shows, in general has a pretty crappy memory).   It is nice.“

Susan – This honey comes in a larger container than most honeys (1 lb 8 ounces), which worried me because, as I mentioned above, we do not get through a ton of honey.  David eats the majority of honey consumed in our house.  The last year or so I have taken to putting sugar on my yogurt (I know, I know, spreading SUGAR on yogurt immediately negates any and all health impacts the yogurt may have had…).  The “sugar on yogurt-y like food” thing is something I learned in Paris when we used to cover these little Petit Suisses with sugar.  Yummmmmy. 

Isn't is BEAUTIFUL?  Look at it pouring out - ahhhhh....  

Anyway, I was worried the container was too big for our use, but I think we will get through this one.  David loves this one so much he swears he will get through it.  We usually buy the cute little Honey BEARS, you know the ones.  But this honey is muuuuch tastier than those bears.  It is a darker, more golden color, too.  The cheaper honey bear honey is more yellow and see through.

The label says that the honey bees making this honey primarily foraged Rock Rose, Citrus, Wildflowers and Turkish Pines.  Maybe it is the PINES that give it that different taste.  It almost tastes a little bit burnt, but burnt in a GOOD WAY – a warm, nice, toasty way.  It is SWEET, but with a warm, toasty taste. 

Ahhhh- yogurt, fresh peach, and this golden  honey, what a tasty breakfast!

I like this a lot better than other honey we have had.  It is a good product and we think you should try it.

Price – $5.99

Rating - 5

Day 66 - Cara Cara Naval Oranges

GO TO TRADER JOE’S NOW AND GET THESE CARA CARA NAVAL ORANGES.  Seriously – today!  They are a “seasonal product”, meaning the store will only carry (or should I say, “carry carry” J ) them a short time.  And you need to taste them!

This is the bag you are looking for - go get one!

They are delicious!  They are juicy, sweet, PINK inside, and amazing!  David picked up a bag and it didn’t take us long to get through it.  We do not EAT many oranges, normally we buy them for squeezing into fresh orange juice.  But these cara caras are ideal to cut into slices and enjoooooy.  They will put a smile on your face and a bit of summer in your heart.  They just taste GOOD! 

Aren't they pretty?

 Go to Trader Joe’s and get some before the season is over and they are gone.

Cara Cara Naval Oranges will make you smile - they do me!

Price - $3.49 per 3 lb. bag

Rating - 5

Day 3 - Meyer Sweet Lemons

I discovered Meyer Sweet Lemons as a variety at a grocery store in Florida a couple of years ago.  I assumed they were like “regular” lemons when I bought them, and boy was I WRONG.  They are far juicier, sweeter, fruitier, and more delicious!  I am a fan!! 

Bag of Meyer Sweet Lemons

So when I saw them at Trader Joe’s I was elated!  If you see them grab a bag, they go fast and are not often in stock (I have learned that they have a limited season – December/January – May).  We use them to squeeze on top of cooked veggies (like broccoli) and as a salad dressing (Meyer lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt).

I hope one day to have my own Meyer Sweet Lemon tree so I can pop outside and pick a fresh one.  Until then, I will pick them up whenever I see them at Trader Joe’s.

Learn more about Meyer Sweet Lemons and find recipes for them here –

http://localfoods.about.com/od/lemons/a/meyerlemons.htm?utm_term=what%20is%20a%20meyer%20lemon&utm_content=p1-main-1-title&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=msn&utm_campaign=adid-8ff7574b-c446-42f6-acbc-47a36d95a504-0-ab_msb_ocode-4604&ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=broad&q=what%20is%20a%20meyer%20lemon&dqi=&o=4604&l=sem&qsrc=999&askid=8ff7574b-c446-42f6-acbc-47a36d95a504-0-ab_msb

Price - $1.99 per bag

Rating – 4.5 stars