There are days when I cannot stop sniffing my hands. Before you judge my ocd-like statement, let me explain. If you think about it, most of the great pleasures in scent involve your hands. Peeling an orange, picking fresh rosemary or basil, lotion, perfume, or baby shampoo lovingly applied to your tiny treasure. All of these leave traces of beauty on your hands. None of this is evident when I walk through a store sniffing my hands, but even the thought of someone misinterpreting my gesture cannot stop me. I. Must. Sniff. My. Hands. whenever I come into contact with something wonderful.

When tiny T was born, Patrick and I went into scare mode about germs. We recommitted ourselves to the most stringent sanitary standards. I cannot stop myself from asking him horrible questions such as, “Did you adequately wash your hands after working out?” and he has told me that no one is to touch the tiny one without sanitizing. We are on an equal playing field with our fear of germs.

I do not like boring products in my house. Products that are used on your person should be enjoyable. I like certain hand soaps. I want to enjoy frenetic hand washing and quite frankly, I want to sniff my hands for a while after I use them. For my low end choice, I stock up on Bath and Body Works hand soap during their sale. The creamy/moisturizing kind is the best because you do not need lotion afterwards but it’s hard to find outside the sale. I love, love, love the eucalyptus mint scent. It allows me to sniff my hands for a good 20 minutes and it fills your bathroom in a minty fresh aura after you use it. My high end pick is from Temecula Olive Oil Company; their foaming hand soap. Everything from the store is from their ranch and they do not use chemicals. I love the packaging, the scent, and the moisture in the soap. Actually, this store is an absolute gem. We devour their oils and vinegars, and it is my go to reference for hostess gifts. You can find them in old town in Temecula, or on the web at www.temeculaoliveoil.com.

Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Mint soap.

Temecula Olive Oil Company hand soap