Have ultra sensitive skin? Do a patch test on any insect repellent first!

July 16, 2026

Before I left on my trip last week, I picked up a can of the Off! Clean Feel Fragrance Free insect repellent because I knew South Georgia would be full of biting insects. I’m the person that will let you know if there are fleas or mosquitoes in an area before you ever see them. ‘Cause I’m apparently a magnet for biting insects.

The product worked exactly as described. No smell, no sticky feel, and I didn’t get bit by mosquitoes, flies, chiggers or no-see-ums on my trip. I applied the product as directed and showered each evening to remove the product. However, after two days of use, I was sporting an angry red rash on my feet, ankles and upper arms that continued to spread. Benadryl, calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream helped, but I had to see my primary care doctor to get a 10 day round of prednisone to help my body process the histamine response. Allergic contact dermatitis was my diagnosis.

I’ve used Off!, Cutter and other insect repellents for years with zero reactions. Not this time. This particular insect repellent contains picaridin 20% instead of the usual DEET. I don’t know if it was the picaridin, percentage of picaridin, or one of the unknown “other ingredients” in the product that caused my allergic reaction, but you can bet I’ll read the active ingredient list more closely on the next bottle of insect repellent that I buy.

Cutter Skinsations was my most recent bottle of insect repellent. It has a DEET 7% as the active ingredient. No reactions and no biting insects either. Adding that to my shopping list.

Reaction to insect repellent containing picaridin 20% as the active ingredient

Traveling with Sadie

July 11, 2026

Sadie and I embarked on a long anticipated getaway this week. We visited a place that’s been on my personal travel wish list. I also wanted to see how well Sadie handled traveling for a few days to an unfamiliar location. We spent three days at the Laura Walker State Park in Waycross, Georgia. I rented one of the pet-friendly cottages, complete with a lake view. An unexpected, but very welcome bonus, was the really nice, shaded dog park adjacent to the visitor center.

My plan was to hike the park trails, explore the surrounding area (3 quilt shops within a 1 hour drive) and have a mini-quilt retreat. I know South Georgia is hot and muggy in the summertime. That said, the extreme, brutal heat of the past few days was not expected, nor was the smoke from burning debris leftover from logging activities in the vicinity. This meant outdoor activities were limited to short walks and frequent visits to the dog park instead of hiking park trails. We explored pet friendly businesses in the area, but mostly stayed inside our cool, air-conditioned cottage.

Overall, Big Girl handled the trip well. She made herself right at home in the cottage once she saw her water bowl, food bowl, bed and a non-skid throw rug laid out. She was not a fan of the laminate and tile floors in the cottage, however. We have carpet and hardwood floors at home, with scatter rugs strategically placed on the hardwood for traction. I had to buy a second non-skid rug to place in front of her bed, so she could easily find her footing when she got up. The beach towel wasn’t cutting it.

I’d definitely like to visit again in the early spring or late fall – when the weather is cooler – to take advantage of the trails and to be able to drink my tea from the screened porch each morning as I look out over the lake (without sweating at 6:30 a.m. and without the smoky smell).

Sadie, now a BARK ranger!

Letting go of things that no longer serve you

July 5, 2026

A significant price increase notice from Adobe started me down the “subscriptions” rabbit hole. As a teacher, I received a substantial educator discount from Adobe, which continued into retirement. I’ve consistently used some of the applications, but not InDesign and Illustrator – the two primary reasons I continued to pay the fee each month. My rate would double at the September renewal. I canceled. For how I use the applications, the juice was simply no longer worth the squeeze. Other, more affordable, options are available.

Next, I addressed the other item bothering me – our dental insurance (not!). After 15 months of dental and vision insurance through my alumni association, I canceled the dental coverage, but kept the vision plan. Why? I view optional individual insurance like this as a prepaid plan for services. My expectation is that premiums paid in and benefits paid out should be about the same at the end of the year. The math didn’t math. Our dental plan paid out in benefits about 25% of the premium amount received, whereas the vision plan actually paid for itself.

I didn’t cancel everything. I actually switched my Cricut Design Space subscription to an annual one to take advantage of a 30% discount. It made “cents” as I frequently use the service.

Lastly, I set my Craft Industry Alliance membership to non-renew at the end of the current term. While not expensive, I don’t really do anything other than read the email newsletters (which are free). I can always rejoin, if FOMO strikes.

The unexpected surprise? I let my Spotify premium membership (which I’d had for YEARS) return to the free plan when my annual subscription ended in April. Why? They allowed ads in the podcasts, which weren’t removable, even with a paid plan. I primarily use Spotify to listen to podcasts. Why would I pay to listen to ads? Know what? All is well. Absolutely zero FOMO.