Disclosure

Earlier this week we spent an evening at the high school learning about scheduling choices for our incoming 9th grader. The principal surveyed the group and asked who was here for the first time and many like us raised their hand. Then he asked who was here for the last time and many raised their hand. He proceeded to tell us that those parents will attest that these are the fastest four years of our lives. With a nephew already in college (when did that happen?), a niece graduating from high school this year (wasn’t she just in middle school yesterday?) and a daughter getting ready to start high school (gasp!), I totally get it.

Then it got my brain spinning about moving out, growing up and learning to make real-world decisions. The whole process of adulting can be so overwhelming, but we all walk into it more prepared than we realize. Hopefully all parents talk to their kids about money management, social responsibility, manners and work ethic. Even for those individuals who haven’t, there are many other things they’ve learned from their parents through osmosis.

As young adults venture out on their own, there is so much to learn about things like insurance and home ownership, but there’s a lot they already know about the basic day to day necessities! Like options for laundry detergent, air fresheners, toothpaste or facial tissues. We gravitate to what we know and have known our whole lives. As we mature and start making our own decisions, we solidify what we like and look toward replacements for the ones we don’t. Some are discovered by trial and error, but if you’re anything like me, awards such as Product of the Year can help me discover something new.

The Product of the Year program was established 30 years ago in France and currently operates in almost 40 countries. It’s a showcase of the best products launched between a designated time frame as noted in the rules. A global research company surveys over 40,000 American shoppers evaluating various criteria such as innovation, product satisfaction and uniqueness. It’s no surprise that many of this year’s winners are from trusted brands that have been around for years!

2017 Product of the Year Winners in Home / Personal Care

Car Care: Rain-X® Latitude® Water Repellency Wiper Blades

Foot Care: Amope® GelActivTM Insoles & Inserts

Skin Care: Kleenex Facial Cleansing, Exfoliating Cushions

Feminine Care: SweetSpot Labs Washes & Wipes

Lip Care: Carmex Comfort CareTM Lip Balm

Hair Treatment: Schwarzkopf Keratin Color

Oral Care: Sensodyne True White

Eye Care: Clear Eyes Pure Relief Preservative Free Eye Drops

Health and Wellness: Centrum MultiGummies for Women & Men

OTC Immediate Relief: Mucinex® Fast-Max® and Sinus-Max® Liquid Gels

Home Care: Lysol Disinfecting Wipes

Bathroom Cleaner: Lysol Power & Fresh 6 Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Bath Tissue: Charmin Essentials Soft

Liquid Laundry: Tide purclean

Laundry Pacs: Tide PODS Plus Febreze Odor Defense

Fabric Conditioner: Snuggle PLUS SuperFresh Dryer Sheets

Laundry Booster: Downy Fresh Protect with Febreze Odor Defense

Air Care: Air Wick Bloom Scented Oil Warmer

2017 Product of the Year Winners in Food / Beverage

Sugar Confections: Werther’s Original Soft Caramels

Chocolate: Russell Stover Pecan Delight

Salty Snacks: SimplyNature Organic White Cheddar Puffs

Healthy Snacks: Del Monte® Fruit RefreshersTM

Specialty Bread: Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Bread

Dessert: Inspired by Happiness Cravin’ for Cookies & Cream Layered Cake

Sweetener: SPLENDA Naturals Sweetener

Beverage: Tetley Super Tea

Wine: Broken Clouds Pinot Noir

Spirits: SMIRNOFFTM Red, White & Berry

The nature of the Product of the Year program is focused on new and innovative products so these aren’t the products you grew up with, but they’re definitely from brands you should recognize. Upscale your bread from Sara Lee white sandwich bread to Artiseno bread or try Tide purclean instead of the original orange bottle. Not sure where to start? Enter our giveaway for a chance to win an assortment of the award-winning products! You can learn more about the 2017 Product of the Year winners by visiting the POTY website, visiting them on Facebook or following their Twitter feed.

What brand did you grow up with that you still gravitate toward?

Product of the Year Giveaway

