Online Store Review - For Days

For Days: 2/5 Hearts 🧡🧡🖤🖤🖤

🔸 Quick reason:

Has a lot of potential to gain stars as they grow. They do some things very well, but have some business practices that I don't feel good about. I won't discourage you from using them because their store is good for what it is, but their services are gimmicky. 


🔸 What they do best:

They promote brands I would never have heard of otherwise, brands that I actually might like. It makes me go to the websites of these new-to-me brands and discover! For Days might have a better price, but they only care a limited number of items from each brand. They also offer select items from brands I already love at lower prices.



🔸 What they can improve on:

They mostly offer styles that are too trendy, and therefore not necessarily what the average person might like. I wouldn't wear the vast majority of what they sell because it doesn't flatter my body type (I'm looking at you, cropped shirts and super wide leg pants!) If you like to buy expensive trendy styles and have a body type that looks good in anything, you will probably love their selection. 

Their concept has a lot of potential, but their inventory is mostly... not for me. 

🔶 Full Review:

When I moved from North Dakota to South Carolina, I needed to downsize my closet because it was too much to move into a smaller space. I tried to donate to thrift stores and other organizations that help those in need, but they were not accepting donations in the 6 months I spent packing. I didn't want to throw away perfectly good clothes. That's when I saw an advertisement for a new brand: Fordays.com

The ad really caught my attention:
Buy a huge Take Back Bag for $20. Stuff it full of clothes I don't want anymore. Mail it to them (the $20 for the bag covers the cost of shipping.) They give you $20 in store credit in exchange. They recycle your clothes for you so they stay out of landfills. 

Okay, so I don't profit from this, but it does allow me to exchange clothes I don't want for new clothes I do want. Not a bad concept. It keeps my clothes out of the landfill, and textiles in landfills are causing quite a bit of an environmental crisis. Okay, so I was convinced. I bought 3 Take Back Bags, and I stuffed them each very full. 

I did have some trouble with the Take Back Bags. The registration code on them (to link that bag to my account) didn't work on all 3. Customer service took about 5 days to help me. It was resolved in the end, but I couldn't actually ship my bags back until they helped me. 

My Closet Cash appeared in my account. $60 to spend to on anything I want in the store. Cool! That was a decent trade!

... kind of. 

I have not used my closet cash yet simply because I couldn't find anything I wanted to buy. For Days sells clothes from a wide variety of sustainable brands, so I expected I would have plenty to choose from. But when I really started shopping seriously, I quickly discovered that almost everything on their site was way too expensive and luxurious, or was just weird. Maybe even ugly. Things I actually liked were not in my size. Other things I liked were not things I needed, like more towels.

Until yesterday. I finally found some clothes from Happy Earth, one of my favorite brands, at a really good sale price. So I added two pieces to my cart, then tried to pay with my Closet Cash. It wouldn't work yesterday. The closet cash has to be redeemed on a different website, then it's supposed to magically show up as an option when you go to your cart. It never showed up yesterday. 

Wide Leg Herringbone Flex Pants - Calathea Green – For Days

Today I was able to choose to pay with Closet Cash, now that they've sold a lot of their inventory at that great price. But, I didn't buy them.

Because I'm only allowed to use $20 of my Closet Cash per transaction. 

Whoa.... wait. WHAT!? That's terrible business for a sustainably-minded company! That forces me to buy each item in a separate transaction so I can get a $20 discount on each item. If I want something that costs $50, I only get $20 off, so I have to pay $30 for it even though I have more Closet Cash. This might get them more business, but it pisses off customers. It also means they have to do more shipping in more shipping bags, which is so not sustainable! That kind of ruins their whole model. 

So now I'm sitting here wondering how badly I want those Happy Earth pants that I've been pining over for a while. I have zero budget for clothes because money is very tight, and I'd still have to pay $40 after using my $20. 

If I don't buy things that cost exactly $20, then I'm not going to be able to spend my Closet Cash. And trust me, they have almost nothing for $20. They have a ton of $150+ pants though. I feel lied to. I feel like this company doesn't care about me, the customer. The only silver lining is that if they actually do recycle the clothes I sent them, then I am morally rewarded for doing a better thing than sending them to the landfill. 

🔸 Conclusion:

This site is probably best when treated like a search engine for brands that fit your values. 

You might like their Take Back Bag (their featured service) if you like their selection, and you're willing to only get a $20 discount per order.

Time Change - Sleep Must Be A Top Priority

Daylight Savings Time should always stay in effect. We should never end it because it really negatively affects our circadian rhythm! What do I use to deal with the time change and get enough sleep?

First, I want to take you on a journey back to 2018, when I wrote a post about my blue light blocking glasses. You can review it here:

https://kindlingheatlh.blogspot.com/2018/12/product-review-computer-glasses-gamma.html

Quick highlights:
- Helps me sleep even after using screens
- Reduces symptoms that cause pain and keep me awake
- Prevents the bad mood I get from too much screen time

These glasses are still very useful for me, but this week I've noticed how much more I need them after Daylight Savings Time ended. It's dark by 5:30 pm now, and any screen time when it's dark outside strains my eyes even more than in the daylight. These glasses reduce my squinting, tears, headaches, strains, and poor mood caused by screens. I'm not exaggerating. These make that much of a difference for me. 

I'd like to highly recommend the Gunnar Brand, although I want to explain why I'm recommending the specific pairs I'll show you. In order for them to work most effectively, the lenses should not be small. They should wrap around your sides, and they should cover a large surface area around your eyes. The point is to block blue light from your eyes, and that won't happen as well if you're using small lenses for the sake of their aesthetics. I have also found that I dislike a thick frame, because I'm always looking at it when I wear them. I notice the glasses the least when the frame is small. 

I know many people claim (especially biohacker Dave Asprey) they need the TrueDark glasses, which have a deep red tint to the lenses. While this is probably the healthiest and best choice because it reduces harmful light the most, I'm not a fan of making my vision red. Why look at a screen at all if I'm just going to see red? If I want to read e-books in bed I think they'd be ideal. For anything else, I feel like Gunnar gets it right: the amber tint is enough to relieve symptoms, without affecting the color we see on the screen much. 

Style I prefer:



Good sale price:

Same pair I have:

My next tip: sleeping on a new schedule. Sleep couldn't be more important, and I prioritize it above all else in my life. Without quality sleep I simply cannot do anything with my days.

Training your body to change a sleep schedule is extremely difficult, and I'd like to say it's an inhumane practice to make us do this 2x per year. Did you know that the time change in the fall has been linked to higher risks of heart attacks, traffic accidents, and other cardiovascular events? 

Personally, I sleep so poorly that I don't have a good solid sleep time. I tend to fall asleep around midnight and wake up around 8. Now I'm falling asleep around 11 and waking up around 7. I get tired at different times in the evening, and it's almost impossible for me to fall asleep when I'm not so tired that my eyes are crossing. Even if I do fall asleep, I'm likely to wake up again. 

If I break any of these habits, odds are I won't sleep that night: 
- Caffeine after 2 pm
- Exercise too late in the evening, and not enough in the day time
- Doing something stimulating after 9 pm, such as a video game or listening to music 
- Eating dinner after 7:30/8 pm
- Not taking my supplements 20 minutes before I want to be sleeping


So let me talk about supplements I use in the evening. I am not able to link you to some that I rely on, because some are from my Naturopathic Doctor and others are from my Acupuncturist. I have, however, found good alternatives when I can't buy from them. I'll link you to those, because they do help me:

Organic India Holy Basil. This is a cortisol suppressant that is effective at lowering my body's reaction to stress. It tends to make me lose interest in whatever is stimulating me, helping me to switch gears into a relaxed state:



Now 3-in-1 Sleep Regimen. I need melatonin, but you may not. This could be wrong for you. I am someone who really cannot fall asleep without taking melatonin (and before you say it's because my body is reliant on it, you should know I had these problems years before I started to use it. It makes it possible for me to sleep.) I need to take 3-4 of these a night, which is 9-12 mg of melatonin. If I take less it has zero effect on me. I always start with 3, and if it's not working then I take a 4th. This also has 5-HTP (promotes melatonin production and reduces anxiety) and L-Theanine (promotes muscle relaxation and reduces body's reaction to anxiety.)



Now Magnesium Citrate Softgels. This certainly does help me sleep better once I fall asleep, but it doesn't put me to sleep. This is a blend with magnesium citrate, malate, and glycinate. They all absorb differently because each type binds to different receptors and is used differently in the body. Citrate is best for calming the nerves and softening the bowel. Malate creates ATP energy in the muscles, which can reduce stiffness and soreness in the muscles. Glycinate builds up levels in your body well, unlike citrate, but it has a similar effect at citrate in that it calms the nervous system.



BUT... if you're someone who doesn't get enough minerals and electrolytes during the day time, you will probably find this formula more helpful than the magnesium softgels above. Your body needs all the minerals! 




I've used a lot of herbs too, such as valerian with hops and passionflower. The trouble is, I use the one from my Naturopathic Doctor. I also don't need them as much as I need these. I take the herbs too when nothing else is helping and I can't fall asleep. Even if I don't fully sleep, I can at least keep my body so relaxed that I'm getting some level of rest. 

This product is different from what I take, but I have used it with good results. Skullcap can work magic for my nerves. I trust Oregon Wild Harvest, and I don't trust many supplement brands with herbs. If the herbs are not organic or wild harvested then I assume they're going to contain concentrated levels of pesticides. 




There are a few other things that help me to relax and prepare my body for sleep:


Magnesium Chloride bath. Not Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate.) The reason is because espom salts don't absorb well enough for me to notice that I feel more relaxed. They do help my muscles if they're sore, but they don't relax me as well as magnesium chloride. Our bodies have an easier time absorbing the chloride form. Yes, it's more expensive, but it's worth paying for what actually works. Why pay less for something that doesn't work well enough?



Acupressure Mat. Read my 2015 blog post about my mat here. I gave that one to my husband, and then bought a new one for myself. But I have to be honest and say I don't love the new one I bought for myself. The spikes are not as long or as sharp, and it doesn't help as much. It has magnets built into the spikes, which is not entirely a gimmick, but isn't worth it if the spikes don't work well. I'd like to buy a better one someday. Unfortunately the brand I bought first is no longer in business, so I cannot link to it. I'll link you to the one I'll probably buy next. It's affordable, has a foam core (the coconut fiber core ones don't have the right kind of support), it's cotton (no polyester), and the reviews show me that it's probably effective. 

(Don't get the full length version. You actually don't want to have the mat under your upper back at the same time as your mid to lower back. One of my acupuncturists explained to me that you don't want to draw the qi to your kidneys when you're working on other points. It can mess you up. All I do is put the mat under my upper back and use the neck the pillow. It's very effective for me.)



And finally... a good silk sleep mask by Alaska Bear. Any light at all disrupts my sleep, and it's surprising how much of a difference this mask makes for me. I choose silk because it doesn't cause my skin to break out, it's super breathable, and it's gentle on my skin. I've tried other styles, but I prefer this one because the two straps help keep the mask flat against my face so less light gets in.




Tell me: What habits help you survive the time change? 

Tea Is Amazing When Done Right

I want to talk about this. Yes, going organic makes a HUGE difference. Not a little one.

1. Yes, conventional tea bags are filled with plastic and bleach that do in fact break down into the hot water. Microplastic consumption is not well studied yet, but there are some concerns that are obvious and others perhaps not so obvious. We have been finding microplastics in our organs, including our hearts. Plastic may be a post for another day, but I will point out that it is a source of xenoestrogens, which can make hormonal problems much worse. (If you're like me, this is seriously bad for endometriosis.)

2. Conventional tea has a serious pesticide problem. It's heavily sprayed, and cannot be properly washed without losing the oils that make it flavorful. You end up steeping plastic-lined leaves coated in pesticides in hot water, then drinking it. 

3. Fresh loose leaf organic tea is the highest quality, yes, but not necessarily the best thing for everyone. It takes more education, time, and equipment to make it well. It's messy if you don't have the right equipment. And... paper bags are actually better than stainless steel tea balls. I know I know, that sounds absurd, but the reason is because metals can deactivate properties of herbs. Brewing tea in metal can weaken the strength of the herbs. If all you care about is the flavor and caffeine, then this isn't an issue. If you drink tea for the benefits, such as trying to relieve cold symptoms, then metal is not the best way to brew tea. 

4. There are brands that use certified organic or wildcrafted leaves and herbs (meaning you don't need to worry about the pesticides and the natural oils will still be in the leaves), and they do not use plastics or bleach in their bags. I want to share some of my favorites with you!

5. Pay attention to the bag, even in organic brands. Some use paper, some use hemp, and some use a nylon-like substance made from corn. The corn-based "plastic" bags are difficult to distinguish from synthetic plastic, so I wouldn't trust a brand that doesn't prove it or certify it.

(Disclaimer: I make a small percentage off any product you buy through my link. I would show these products on other websites or encourage you to shop at your local health food store, but I'm showing you on Amazon because they offer this marketing program. Also, Amazon can be a life-saver for many of us who live in remote areas and are too disabled to go shopping regularly.)

Numi Tea

Numi is one of my favorites! Their teas are full of rich flavor, and they use tea leaf and herb combinations that are really interesting. They're creative, and they source from the best areas in the world. You really will taste the flavor difference. If you are someone who doesn't like black tea because it tastes weak, then you really ought to try Numi's breakfast blend because it's not weak at all. 

The Sampler:
This is an awesome place to start. Try a good variety of their teas! 

Favorite Numi Tea:

Breakfast Blend! This is so full and rich, with complex flavors that mingle perfectly. There are bitter elements, but it's so smooth! I drink this on days when I need a little extra caffeine (caffeine helps my POTS, not hurt it like it does for many.) I'm linking to a 3-pack because that's simply how it's sold on Amazon, but the price is actually really good. You would probably pay about $7-8 for one box in a retail store. 

Honorable mentions:

Japanese Green Tea Variety Pack. I love green tea more than any other type. The issue is, I tend to drink Matcha every morning. So I don't drink bagged green teas as often. They're so good, but I shouldn't drink that much caffeine in a day! Ha! 

Rooibos Chai. No caffeine, but has more of the dark bitter taste I enjoy in tea vs other naturally caffeine-free tea. It's earthy, warming, soothing, and flavorful. Rooibos can be helpful in relieving stomach pressure and cramping, and the spices can help warm your digestive tract up to help with flow. 

Organic India

This brand is not for everyone, but it will be amazing for some. The reason is because they include Tuli (Holy Basil) in all of their teas. Holy Basil is quite amazing in its ability to lower cortisol levels. Feeling stressed? Holy Basil will calm you down. If you have high cortisol in the mornings, you will probably feel better drinking their green tea. If you're like me and have low morning cortisol, then you'll feel a lot worse in the morning if you drink it. (I made this mistake when I was a church secretary. I bought the tea thinking it would wake me up, but my eyes were crossing so bad that day. I learned about Holy Basil after.)

If you're like me and have high night time cortisol, then I HIGHLY recommend their Tulsi Sleep. This one is a staple for me each evening: 

Choice Organics

This brand is awesome. They offer a really pleasant full-bodied cup of tea without any worry. They are certified in many areas, including using compostable paper tea bags. The brand is trustworthy, good quality, and offers a good variety. Choice Tea is not quite as rich as Numi, but I think many will prefer that anyway. 

My personal favorite from their is their decaf black tea, for days when I don't want more caffeine, but I want to warm up in the afternoon. I may add some coconut milk and peppermint to it occasionally too. 🤤 



Who is a fan of Darjeeling and Oolong tea!? ME! Haha! They offer it - fully organic, kosher, non-GMO, compostable... it's one of the primary reasons I love Choice so much. They offer the best Chinese Teas at high standards! That's not easy to find in other brands.

Stay tuned for more posts about tea! I drink A LOT of tea, and I do have more great recommendations. 

I'd love to hear from you - what kind of tea do you like best? If you don't like tea, why not?

(Hahahaha - I'm not saying the song is good, I'm just saying it's appropriate. 😆) 

Derailment... ha!

That derailed. Ha! What happened? Well, I'm now without regular acupuncture treatments and my fatigue and pain is becoming more difficult to manage. My husband took me on a few trips in North Carolina while he was at conferences. I have to do more chores in this house, spending an hour a day washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. My allergies have been kicking my butt. I'm exhausted. I get about 4 hours of usable energy each day, and I feel like my days have only been 4 hours long because I have too much to do. And I haven't even found a job here yet! 

I've been thinking of ways to refine my plan for advertising products I use to manage my illnesses (and just live a healthy life in general.) I wanted to do a big social media campaign along with this blog, but I think it's overwhelming me. So I'll do one step at a time instead of doing all the work all at once. 

One problem I'm having, which was actually a surprise to me, is that Raynaud's is really affecting me. My fingers and toes are going numb for a little while almost every day. It makes it difficult to use the computer or phone. I feel like hot baths are not hot enough to help, and a heating pad on my hands or feet only helps while it's on them. I think my regular acupuncture and chiropractic therapies in North Dakota were keeping this problem at bay. I'm struggling to do that here in South Carolina, because the nearest acupuncture clinic is 30 minutes away and I'm not always capable of driving that far. Especially not regularly. I found a chiropractor in the tiny town I live in, but she's not traditional. I like the results I get from her, but she doesn't actually do physical manipulations. Her method feels good, but I'm still assessing it. 

Also... can I just say that life is stressful? Wow. I think I need to find some purpose before I collapse under the weight of looking for the point of living like this. I'm not afraid of hard work to live. I would be very happy managing a small farm to support myself and barter as needed. I'd be happy being self-sustaining. I'm afraid of working hard and not benefiting from it. Working a mind-numbing job that I don't agree with for $10/hr, just to pay inflated rent? I wasn't built to mentally survive those types of conditions. I'm built to make the world a better place for a wage that can sustain me. I'm too old to go back to minimum-wage high school level jobs. So I've been considering getting a degree or certification so I can qualify to work at home in a decent job. The problem is that I'm already in too much debt to take out more. I'm also genuinely unsure if I can handle it with my health like this. And I need money now, not later. It's certainly a conundrum...  

Anyway, I want to try this project. Even if I can't make much money, I want to be a source of information for people. Educating gives me purpose. So I'm going to simplify my approach... here we go!