Some great things

good jeans, the AirCard and detergent sheets

Some great things I want to share with you.

The AirCard. The AirTag, Apple’s answer to the fact that we lose everything, is a genius bit of kit and I have many. But the problem is that the smooth little pebble-like AirTag is incompatible with many modern, slimline wallets. Yes, you can buy a wallet with a screw-in section to fit the AirTag. But you could also get an AirCard for the wallet that you already have.

The AirCard is a non-Apple product, shaped like a thick credit card, that will fit neatly in a normal-sized wallet. There is always some hesitancy when it comes to unbranded or unfamiliar tech like this, but Apple must have given their blessing to the functionality of this, otherwise they wouldn’t have let them call it “AirCard”.

The card arrives in a brown cardboard holder and, so far, is as user-friendly as my other Apple products. It is compatible with FindMy and either sends you its location or trills loudly when you hit “Play Sound” on FindMy. I recommend.

Moving on. I have tried on approximately 400 pairs of wide jeans in a search for a new pair because my old ones from Dr Denim are falling to bits. I won’t lie, it’s been a dispiriting search, that has found me making silent scream-faces at myself in the mirror and saying out loud, to no-one, “What fucking shape do they think people are??”

I finally found a very good pair in Zara - the TRF mid-rise, full length jean. They come in different colours and yes, you and I are unlikely to be the same shape, but I really think these are worth a punt. I’d say the sizing is true, veering to small. So if you’re a large 10, go for a 12. A note: Zara jeans are always far too long - just factor in that you will have to take your jeans straight to the nearest alterations place, so that when you do actually have to complete this onerous, gratification-delaying task, it won’t feel like such a chore.

Freddie detergent sheets. Any family goes through laundry liquid like the clappers and I’m fed up with those little squidgy pouches or the gigantic plastic bottles of gloop, so gave these detergent sheets from Freddie a try. They are so good. They arrive in a little cardboard box and are compressed detergent in sheets; you use a whole sheet for a big load or half a sheet for a smaller load and they work perfectly. I buy in bulk in the Spring Blossom fragrance and it’s delightful.

A hand in the air, again, for Cetraben. Technically for eczema-prone skin, this moisturiser is also just great for sensitive skin - by that I mean prone to breakouts, dryness, redness or rosacea. Bland and non-comedogenic but also rich and cosseting, this will suit anyone who just wants to moisturise their damn face. Cetraben, perhaps witnessing the runaway success of that other utilitarian brand, CeraVe, have now brought out a facial cleanser. This is also no-nonsense and unscented, but reasonably priced and nice to use.

I have been watching Apple Cider Vinegar, a Netflix series about the Australian “Wellness” grifter Belle Gibson, who faked having terminal cancer in order to flog an app and a recipe book. It’s pretty good, although the timeline jumps around quite a lot and, as Kitty pointed out, every shot looks like a stock photo from Getty Images. It’s all a bit perfect.

But it did get me thinking about why we love female con artists on a big con so much: Belle Gibson, Elizabeth Holmes, Anna Delvey/Sorokin. The people who are obsessively, negatively fascinated by Meghan are this way because I think at times it feels like she’s a bit con-adjacent. I don’t know what is so compelling about this subject, is it that it’s fascinating to see women misbehaving so brazenly, when the world demands that we are “good”? Or do we like to see women, particularly, busted lying? Or do we just like true crime and when men commit crime they murder people, but when women commit crime it’s more likely to be fraud.

Anyway, enough about me: how about you, have you bought anything or watched terrific recently that you want to share with the group? Please leave a comment in the handy box below.