As I was cleaning up the kitchen this evening, I accidentally tipped over a vase of flowers that had been sitting on my kitchen island. The water inside spilled over the island and onto the floor, making quite a mess. However, just a few Bounty towels and I had it sopped up quickly. There are no paper towels sold in supermarkets that are better than Bounty.

I moved over to the sink to finish up the dishes, and got my favorite aluminum saucepan sparkling clean with my trusty Zud cleanser. I inherited the pan from my grandmother, and because I’ve scoured it with Zud after every use it looks like it’s brand new. I have tried Comet, Ajax, Bon Ami, and many others, but none make my aluminum cookware sparkle like Zud.

For the dishes that wound up in the dishwasher, they were washed using a Cascade 2-in-1 ActionPac. I like my dishes clean with no spots, and Cascade is the best dishwasher product out there.

This information is coming from a Domestic Goddess with over 20 years experience. I can put these thoughts to print with no hesitation or worry. I do not have any contracts with any famous companies to tout their particular products, and can throw my allegiance (as well as my money) at any merchandise I desire.

As I type these words, I feel my power. What’s the best shampoo for my color-treated waist-length hair? Pantene! What are the only body lotions my ultra-sensitive skin can tolerate? Aveeno! What is the best smelling laundry detergent they have ever formulated that gets your socks clean, too? Tide Simple Pleasures in the Vanilla & Lavender scent.

I could make a copy of this article that I have typed on my trusty Toshiba Satellite P25-S607 computer (the only one I have ever owned that is free from crashes, glitches, and other computer demons), climb on my roof, and shout it out loud for anyone to hear. No one could stop me, except perhaps my husband, out of concern for my falling off of something that is currently dusted with snow and ice.

While standing on my roof, I could glance down at my very cool, Rally Yellow, always reliable Chevrolet Cobalt, which is sporting a sharp-looking LeBra car bra (I looked at other brands of car bras, but wasn’t impressed with the products or their prices).

This is another area of power: I can support any driver I want to, or just as importantly, NOT support them, by the products I purchase. For instance, why did I choose a Chevrolet Cobalt over other cars in the same category? For several reasons, not the least of which is because my favorite NASCAR driver is in a Chevy. When making my choice of products, whether or not they are a NASCAR sponsor does play a part. Am I shopping at Lowe’s or Home Depot this week? Yes, it does depend in part on how angry or happy Jimmie or Tony has made me over the weekend.

True, the perks of being a famous NASCAR driver include an income to be envied and fan adulation. But they cannot have all of that fun stuff unless I, the fan, continue to support them in any economical way I can. Is it an equal trade-off? Maybe not, but that’s okay.

I can go to the mall, the bank, the grocery store, and the movies without getting stopped once by an avid and relentless admirer with a Sharpie (Oh, by the
way, Sharpie really does make the best markers to keep in your purse in the event you run into a famous NASCAR driver, hands down).

This article, filled with links to the products mentioned, was brought to you by someone just for the fun of it, and while I made no money doing so, I enjoyed sharing my favorites with you. Because I can.