Product Reviews - Pocketful of Joules

Problem Solver: Nivea Crème

I shared last year that I was fighting a battle with dry heels. I don’t know if it was perimenopause (isn’t everything at this point…?) or a never-ending psoriasis flare, but my poor feet were suffering. I had dry, cracked and even peeling heels for almost TWO YEARS straight.

I tried gel heel socks, various oils and creams, urea, cracked heel sticks, heel peeling masks, and even a steroid prescription from the dermatologist. I have pumice stones, and scratchy gloves, and a scary cheese grater type thing in my shower.

I tried it all.

And while there was improvement, it just wouldn’t get back to *normal* no matter what I tried.

That’s when I randomly came across an article about a woman in Antarctica where she mentioned that the only thing that works for her dry, chapped skin is to throw on a layer of Nivea Crème before she goes out into the elements.

So, I figured if it works for her, I might as well give it a try.

I ordered a 13.5 oz tin in mid-February (find it here):

As you can see, I’m not quite at the bottom yet. I’ve been using this EVERY SINGLE DAY since it arrived. Every morning. Every night. And once a day, after applying it, I top it with Cocoa Butter Vaseline and cotton socks to really seal in the goodness.

It has been an absolute game changer.

My feet are NORMAL again.

They look great and most importantly they feel great again. And as you know, if I find something that works for me, I absolutely need to share it with you all in case it helps someone else!

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Funem Swift Loom: Learning a New Skill

I’ve talked about my love of visible mending in the past and over the years have mended jeans, sweaters and quilts. When I saw a little loom pop up on my Instagram feed with a way to cutely patch small holes, I immediately clicked through to check it out.

I ended up purchasing a Swift Loom set from Funem Studios, which came with the swift loom pieces and a Cotton Warp Thread bundle of three colors. (It doesn’t look like my set is currently available, but the loom is here)

And yes, I’m also quite tempted by the larger looms to make scarves, napkins, place mats and even bookmarks (SO FREAKING CUTE), but I figured I’d try the little loom first to see if I enjoyed it. Also, I JUST set up my stained glass studio, so I don’t have a ton of other crafting/art making time…

Anyways, it was honestly pretty darn easy. I had a couple smaller holes in my jeans to experiment on, so I followed the Funem Studios instruction video that came with my order and hooked the loom into my jeans.

I made a few mistakes initially. Stopped the video. Rewatched it again. Tried again. Repeat. Repeat.

After my first square, I moved onto the second and realized that I might have made a mistake in the weaving portion the first time, so I experimented with a different way. This actually worked out great because I could look at both weaves and see exactly what the changes I made did as a result.

I LOVE it. Once I figured it out, it was pretty easy, quite quick to do and there are so many ways I can personalize it with different thread colors, thread weights and weaving patterns. Each mend becomes a tiny piece of art… kind of imperfect, visible and full of character.

Most importantly, it’s so satisfying to turn something worn-out into something uniquely mine. I can’t wait to use this new mending loom on everything from jeans to sweaters to tote bags!

Also, I am really wanting one of the larger looms too. Perhaps in the fall/winter when it’s too chilly to do my stained glass work in my sunroom…

Oh I do have one question though — does anyone know what that hook/needle thing on the top photo with the bend in the middle is for? It came with my set and I have no idea what it’s used for!

Disclaimer: Not sponsored and no affiliate links.

Empty’s: April 2026

I’ve had this series called “Empty’s” for a few years now and basically it stemmed from the thought that it’s helpful to revisit an item after it’s been used long term and you decide whether to repurchase it. Or not.

I have two items in my empty bin today:

Bioelements Iconic Hyaluronic – find it here

I initially purchased this from my esthetician when I went for a facial last fall because my poor skin was SO DANG DRY and I needed relief. She recommended this serum but said for best results to dampen my face with water and then apply it and let it dry. Then, top it with facial moisturizer and SPF (if daytime). And holy WOW was she right!

This stuff is absolute magic. According to the description on the Bioelements website, it is designed for significant dehydration caused by hormanal shifts and restores the softness, healthy vibrance, and hydrated glow that age, perimenopause or menopause can steal. That is 100% right! In fact, it’s so good that as I was nearing the end of the bottle and looked to order more… it was on backorder! I quickly purchased another hyaluronic to hold me over and it was absolute crap. As soon as this one came back in stock, I ordered it and I’m back to having happy, soft, moisterized skin again. This one is absolutely a re-buy for me!

Nector Hydration Packets – find it here

My doctor advised me to start using one hydration packet each day to help with some of my hydration issues, so I immediately ordered a bunch of kinds to try. I wanted something that would give me my electrolytes, but not be too sugary and a good flavor is very important.

Out of a bunch of taste tests, my favorite is the Nector Hydration packets. I initially ordered the Classic Variety but quickly found that I only liked a few of the flavors. I just ran out of that set, so it is time to reorder and this time I went with the Wild Berry flavor for all 30 packets. I like to use half a packet for a full corksicle cup of ice water, so I spread my full packet out throughout the day. When I run out of Wild Berry, I may go with Cherry Pomegranate or Watermelon to mix it up. If you’re planning to start adding hydration packets to your day, I do recommend trying the variety pack first so you can figure out which flavors you like best!

If you enjoy my Empty’s posts, you can find my previous posts here:

Disclosure: Not sponsored. This post contains affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.