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As the holiday season is fast approaching, I thought I might share some of my favorite things I use frequently in my household that may make the perfect gift or stocking stuffer for someone special.

Previous posts for the Doctor’s Bag typically highlight a single item with a detailed description.

However some items do not warrant a 500 word plus description and, until this point, never had a chance to be featured in my doctor’s bag.

So take out your naughty or nice list and see if any of the following items make the cut for your gifting.

Peeps.

“Jeepers Creepers, Where’d You Get Those Peepers?”-Louis Armstrong

For anyone who wears glasses, like myself, you are accustomed to the constant struggle of keeping the lenses clear of fingerprints and unexplained smudges.

My previous go to was the microfiber cloth.

Although the microfiber cloth does have its place in lens cleaning, it’s limitations quickly come to light the more you use it.

A clean microfiber cloth soon becomes clogged with the material you task it to remove.

Subsequent attempts at cleaning are therefore less efficient and sometimes merely spread it from one area to another.

Enter Peeps.

No I’m not talking about those disgusting, misshapen marshmallowy concoctions that descend upon us during Easter.

Nope, the Peeps I am referring to are a boon to eyeglass wearers everywhere.

 

What I like about the design is that every time you use the device and recap it, the cleaning element, made of carbon microfiber, recharges so that the next use is as effective as the first one.

It really does a remarkable job of removing all fingerprints and smudges from the lenses which emerge far cleaner and clearer than when I use a standard microfiber cloth.

Sound off.

The above described Peeps are great for cleaning your lenses, but unfortunately that is not the only part of your eyeglasses that can get dirty and effect performance.

My eyes are an important component of my livelihood and so is ultrasound.

So it is only fitting that the next item uses one to improve the other.

Every couple of weeks or so I immerse my eyeglasses in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner (my exact model is quite old, but am linking to a similarly featured item found on amazon).

 

It is remarkable the amount of oils that start to float away from the glasses, particularly in the nose piece region, as soon as you turn on the cleaner.

I truly believe this oil film can and does find its way onto the lenses so stopping it at the source is the best way to combat it.

I also feel that any dirt/grime in the hinges of the frame also gets dislodged making them last longer and perform better.

 

Hair Today.  Gone Tomorrow.

I am not a big fan of facial hair as well as hair in other undesired areas (underarms and back for example).

After my divorce, and after I started to reclaim my body by exercising and eating better, I decided to treat myself with professional laser hair removal of my back.

I underwent 5 or so sessions, driving about 45 minutes to get there and then spending an additional hour under the beam, for I believe $800 at the time.

The results actually were quite an improvement with little regrowth even after all these years so I knew the technology was sound.

As for my face, in order to keep the clean-shaven look I like, I accepted the fact that I would have to shave on a daily basis.

Years later the technology has advanced to the point that laser hair removal therapy devices were now available for home use.

I decided that I would give it a try and see if a convenient home option might eliminate, or at least reduce, the amount of shaving I had to do each morning.

After much research I decided to go with the BoSidin Permanent Hair Removal Device.

 

 

This device uses Optimal Pulse Technology (OPT) to direct specific wavelengths of light onto follicles, inhibiting their growth.

It is safe for both men and women and has specific settings for various body parts: Face, Arms, Legs, Underarms, and Bikini Area.

The head of the device can be rotated to improve ergonomics in difficult to reach areas.

I was initially a bit skeptical as I thought how could a device with this price point could compete with office medical devices costing 10s of thousands of dollars.

I was pleasantly surprised as within a few sessions (recommend initially 1 session/wk), the density of my beard had dropped dramatically and the whiskers that did form were much finer/sparser.

This made my morning shave go so much quicker and that alone was worth the price of admission.

My fiancee even gave her stamp of approval when she said that I “looked less scruffy” when I went a few days without shaving.

Unfortunately there are some situations where this device is not recommended:

• There is a range of skin tones which are optimal for this device (ranging from pale to light-medium brown).
  • This device is not recommended for individuals with dark skin.
• The effectiveness of this device also depends on hair color.
  • Grey or white hair is not optimal for treatment.
  • This is unfortunate as I do have greying in my beard now and it is these hairs that tend to still show light regrowth despite numerous treatments.
• Although for women the bikini line area is approved, it states that this device is not to be used on the male “nether region.”

 

Apart from these exceptions, I definitely am sold on the device and will continue to use it (after the initial phase, it is recommended that maintenance sessions once every couple of months is in order).

 

The Latte Factor.

It might have been a bit of sensationalism at play, but years ago a concept that spread through the personal finance landscape like wildfire was how enjoying a daily cup of Starbucks could cost you 7 figures.

One of the reasons why store bought coffee drinks taste so good is because of their ability to create a nice milk froth.

There are certainly less expensive options to go with home milk frothers but I chose to splurge and get one of the more luxury offerings out there, the Breville BMF600XL Milk Cafe Milk Frother.

This truly is a game changer for me and my ability to produce some really high quality “Starbucks-like” quality drinks at home.

There is a temperature setting that allows you to have the froth from room temperature to piping hot.

It uses an induction heating element that reduces mechanical wear and tear so I feel this item will last a longtime.

One of my favorite items to add into this frother is the following featured item….

All Aboard The Chai Train.

Maybe it’s my Indian background, but Chai Tea is one of my favorite beverages, both hot or cold.

I’ve had my share of subpar powdered pre-mixed Chai drinks in the past, so I was thrilled I stumbled across this particular brand, Big Train, that closely approximates what I can get in coffee shops.

You certainly do not need the above mentioned frother to enjoy this beverage (which is amazing following the instructions for preparing it either hot or cold) with only the addition of milk required.

If you happen to have the above frother, my favorite way to prepare this beverage is putting 8 oz of whole milk into the frother at the highest temperature setting and then adding 1 scoop of this mix as it starts to heat up.

Staying on the beverage train:  It’s “Turrific!”

This may date me a bit, but I remember television ads back in the 70s when I was a kid regarding Calgon, with the catchphrase, “Ancient Chinese Secret.”

Well not to be outdone, the Indian culture has some ancient secrets of their own, especially when it comes to Ayurvedic medicine.

One of the star players in this holistic style form of bringing health is Turmeric, which is featured in a very popular health giving drink, “Golden Milk,” which has multiple known benefits.

Like the Chai drink featured above, I happened to stumble across a great version that is very simple to prepare, by the company
TUR LATT.

 

My favorite way to prepare this is again using the above milk frother.

I add 8 oz of whole milk, crank up the heat to max and then slowly incorporate a scoopful of the mix into the chamber and then adding honey to taste.

It’s a great drink to have right before bedtime.

And speaking of bedtime…..

Sweet dreams are made of these.

Stealing a line from the classic Eurythmics 80’s song, this next product has upped my sleep game.

In the past I have featured a product for dry eyes that I wore at night.

A few months ago I decided to go with a version of a sleep mask I saw featured on the show Most Expensivest hosted by 2 Chainz.

That particular sleep mask was $300 (and no longer available), but a base model from the same company, the Dreamlight Ease 3D Contoured Sleep Mask, caught my eye and I gave it a shot.

I really like this mask a lot.

It has a slim profile so allows you to sleep on side without issues (bulkier masks I have tried are uncomfortable if you sleep on your side).

It completely blacked out ambient light and was quite comfortable.

And even better was it also addressed my dry eye problem, obviating the need for my other contraption.

 

Well that’s it from my doctor’s bag.

Hopefully you found one or more items to your liking that would make great stocking stuffers/gifts to you and your loved ones.

Hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Cheers!

Curious to see what other items are in my doctor’s bag?  

Just open the bag and peer inside, you may find something of use.

 

 

 

-Xrayvsn