Two for Tuesday

1. I just finished listening to two really good books I want to recommend. I listen to books while running, on my commute to work and sometimes while doing stuff around the house.  I am a big fan of audio books, it helps me to "read" many more books and is very entertaining.


The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is narrated by the family dog, Enzo. He shares his perspective of this family's drama.  It was both heartwarming and funny.



Stories I Only Tell My Friends is written and read by Rob Lowe. It is an autobiography.  I have always had a crush on Rob Lowe so listening to him tell me stories about his life was super, plus he does good impressions of the Hollywood people he interacts with.  We are about the same age, so I could relate to many events/movies he talks about in his book. It was an interesting insight into his experiences. I liked learning about all people he has crossed paths with.


2. I did not exercise at all last week! That was weird! I had an allergy patch test to find out what is causing me to break out in an itchy rash on my neck, shoulders and arms.I was hoping it would go away, but no such luck. The test lasts a week and during the test you cannot sweat or get your back wet. That meant no working out. For the test, they adhere 50 patches of common allergens to your back and then after a week, see if any have produced a reaction.  


I am coming into contact with something in my daily life that is not agreeing with me.  I have changed the products I use to "unscented", "free and gentle" "natural" and "for sensitive skin only", but it's not going away.

These are 3 of the 5 patches on my back . The red spots are the rash - yuck!

The test revealed that I am allergic to cobalt, nickel, fragrance mix and propylene glycol.


The good news is I now know what to avoid, the bad news is they are common ingredients in everyday products. So as long as I avoid coins, jewelry, keys, paperclips, detergents, cosmetics, creams and lotions I will be just fine. Looks like I  will be cleaning my clothes on a rock.  

I've never been allergic to stuff before, so this is big news. Initially I was overwhelmed by my task to find products that do not contain these items because these ingredients have many pseudonyms that are very technical.  Fortunately, my doctor was able to run a list of products for me that I can use.  It is not a large list, but I am glad I have options.   My new shampoo is now California Baby!

Do you have any allergies?

Do you just suffer through them or have you made changes to your life?