Upper Canada Soap

Every now and then PR companies will send us products that I think are kind of wacky and when the Kleenex hand towels first crossed my desk I wondered why they were killing trees when it's so easy to throw your towels in the washing machine?! Of course I do launder the towels in my own bathroom, but it suddenly occurred to me that I couldn't remember the last time I washed the towels in the guest bathroom - it's been awhile... So if I don't do it often and I have a reasonable level of hygiene, imagine how often the towels in your male friends guest bathrooms get washed?  Horrifying to think about, I know!  It then became very clear to me what an excellent idea these Kleenex things were!  I'm not advocating them for everyday use for yourself, but as something to use in your guest powder room or to throw a couple in your gym bag so you can avoid the sketchy roller towel - I'm all for this!  Kleenex Hand Towels available at major Canadian retailers - $3.49 for a box of 60.

I am by no means a hand sanitizing whore - I don't keep a tiny bottle of it in every pocket and purse or go running to it every time I see a dispenser (you know who you are!) - mostly because I just don't like the smell!  If public hand dispensers start stocking Nougat London I just might change my ways though.  Upper Canada Soap recently became the exclusive distributor of the Nougat London bath and body collections in Canada making this fabulous British line much easier for us to get our hands on!  The products are available in two fragrances:  Tuberose and Jasmine and Fig and Pink Cedar and range in price from $7-$100 - the line really is beautifully presented and saved my ass when I need a hostess gift - I got her the most beautiful soaps that she just loved!  So if you hate the smell of regular hand sanitizer but still want to be less germy, check out the Fig and Pink Cedar - it smells amazing!  Check out www.uppercanadasoap.com for retail information.

Let's get something straight right off the bat, just because I am posting this in December, does not mean that I think this is a good Christmas gift, let me make myself clear because I know there are a few guys out there that come here for gift ideas for their wives/girlfriends - BAD CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA - DO NOT BUY AS GIFT OR YOU WILL BE SLEEPING ON COUCH UNTIL NEW YEARS!

So why am I posting it?  It amuses me, this is the kind of home care line that I imagine someone like Martha Stewart would use (when she's not making her own out of leaves, twist ties and used tea bags), which means this is the kind of thing I will buy at the holidays if I think maybe my mother in law is going to stop by as a way of saying - "I know you think I'm not good enough for your son but look, I have really pretentious dish soap that you cannot buy at the grocery store!"  - I don't have issues at all!
Gift wise, I would also be fine with you giving this as a hostess or housewarming gift but I am drawing the line there...

This non-gift line is available in 4 scents: Cinnamon Orange - which sounds very holiday-ish, Herb Garden, Honey Tea and Chamomile Lavender
and the products available are: Hand Wash - 400ml - $12 - enriched with glycerin, aloe and Vitamin E
Hand Lotion - 400ml - $12 - enriched with shea butter, cocoa see butter, glycerin, aloe, olive oil and Vitamins E, C & A
Counter Spray - 500ml - $9 - contains tea tree and grapeseed extracts for antibacterial and odour eliminating and Dehypound Advanced, a safe non solvent cleaning agent that is environmentally friendly.
Liquid Dish Soap - 500ml - $9
Caddy Gift Set - 2 x 400ml - $25 - hand lotion and hand wash in a ceramic caddy.

Each product comes in a custom-designed ribbed bottle which resembles glass and is made with premium plant-based ingredients without the use of parabens, synthetic dyes, petroleum products or SLS.

You can find it at specialty gift shops and select department stores across North America.  For more info go to www.uppercanadasoap.com.