There is a small office that focuses on better hearing for its customers via hearing aids and tests. Amdahl Hearing is actually a small company under the umbrella of Audigy Group, which is known for housing some of the most elite private practices across the country. They pride themselves on customer service and have won awards for their ability to serve the customer’s needs.

Amdahl recently became affiliated with Audigy Group, which is a huge accomplishment. I went to visit them a couple weeks ago to entertain the notion of hearing aids (I’m 33 years old and only have lost 18% of my hearing which is significant). Immediately upon walking in their office, I felt comfortable and at ease. The lobby is very nicely laid out with the option of cookies and coffee set up in an attractive array. The doctor and front desk receptionist were both impeccable in their manners. They spoke loudly and clearly and included the person I brought with me in the conversation.

The cost for hearing aids of course is extremely high, but after hearing my concerns, they looked into getting me a (cleaned up, non-gross) demo pair for a cheaper price. They seemed to want me to hear better no matter what, even if it meant taking a pay cut for themselves.

There are so many different kinds of hearing aids on the market today, but Amdahl/Audigy offer a private-label brand which is supposed to be top of the line. Amdahl spent a lot of time and money researching many different brands and decided on the AGX brand. Like I said, expensive but they offer a 3-year warranty included in the price, checkups anytime, and batteries for three years. plus one year interest free financing. 

After having all my questions answered and feeling very confident about the path they were suggesting, they let me try on a demo pair they had in the office. The difference was indescribable and they were just a non-fitted demo pair.

I know this medical expense isn’t for everyone, but after working with the Amdahl/Audigy Group, I’m confident and satisfied with the service they offer.

Did you know the average household’s air is more toxic than most outside air? That’s partially because of dirty air ducts, poor circulation, and believe it or not, cleaning supplies. Most cleaners contain strong chemicals that, although effective, leave behind residue that you might find in a toxic dump.

Each time you clean out your toilet, you might add in a bowl freshener that sustains the life of your scrubbing. But did you know it can decrease the life of your toilet bowl? Over time, it can eat away at non-porcelain fixtures simply from the exposure of the toilet bowl cleaning chemicals.

So what’s a concerned consumer to do? Not clean? Use less cleaners? That hardly seems effective.

Normally I don’t endorse direct-sale products, but one I’ve tried and liked it a lot. It’s called Norwex and they sell cleaning supplies that only use water. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? I mean, how can you really get a deep clean without using cleaners?

The answer is microfiber and silver. Microfiber is about the size of a split hair. A hair split multiple times. The addition of silver thread woven into the microfiber locks in, holds, and kills any bacteria it picks up. If it sounds too good to be true, here is an actual testimonial that I witnessed first hand.

The Norwex sales rep took a piece of raw chicken and rubbed it on a countertop. She took a salmonella testing swab, rubbed it on the chicken-stained surface, and the indicator clearly showed there was bacteria. A lot of it. Then, she takes Norwex’s simple antibacterial cloth, moistens it with water, and wipes the spot where the chicken was rubbed down. Finally she takes another testing swab, rubs it over the area again, and beleive it or not, there was no trace of salmonella or bacteria. Just from using water and the microfiber cloth.

The cost is reasonable. I got a pack of four mini cloths for $10 and the bigger ones are $15. Of course that’s just the ti

So if you can use it on countertops, tables, cutting boards, floors, and even carpet stains, it’s safe to say that your home will be safer and cleaner in no time.

A friend of mine had a Scentsy party last month. I went out of “friend guilt” but was surprised when only three of us showed up and I was once again guilted . . . this time into buying something.

Scentsy is company that direct sells items such as ceramic warmers, special scented wax, and other scented products. Basically a flameless candle, it uses the heat of a special light bulb to melt Scentsy wax in a special warmer, therefore aroma-tizing the room.

Of course, being guilted into something the first thought in my mind was: what is the cheapest thing I can get away with buying? Well, the wax and the special warmers are sold separately, so it’s not possible to just buy the wax. The cheapest warmer was a $20 wall plug-in, and the cheapest wax I could buy was $5. So $25 to make my house smell nice. And to help my friend by buying it. I grudgingly handed over my money and waited for my order to arrive.

It did arrive a couple weeks later and was delivered by said friend. I plugged it in with a block of wax placed in the warming tray. It did smell nice and it IS a safer alternative to burning candles, but was it worth $25? Not really. I have some essential oils that smell better and with a diffuser, seem to cover a larger area in my house.

After I received my order, a different friend told me that you can’t use regular mini bulbs in the warmer either, you need to buy special Scentsy bulbs. Yes, they last a long time, but it’s just another accessory to keep buying. However, I also learned that Walmart sells similar scented wax blocks to use in the Scentsy warmers. Apparently they aren’t as strongly scented as the Scentsy wax, but if they’re half the price for double the product, it makes sense.

So the bottom line is that the Scentsy product line is great. If you have some extra money to burn. But if you’re watching your budget, get a candle.