My 16-year-old daughter has grown up with a health writer mom and never took an interest in the sample products I had around for review – until Toasty Pig. She’d been having some cramps, so I brought home the cute little guy (part of the Sootheze Toasty Spa Friends Line; $17.95-$38.95; www.sootheze.com).
She immediately had to hug him. Then we popped the soft little plush piggy, filled with nine different herbs and natural flax seed, into the microwave for a minute. Now he was cuddly, and warm! And he smelled really nice.
She curled up on the couch with the pig on her tummy and smiled. And I haven’t seen him since.
The critters come in an animal kingdom of different versions – from bears to bunnies, cows to sea creatures – and they can go in the freezer, too. Perfect for a bruise or a bump on the head. In fact, it’s tough to imagine a situation where hugging one of these sweet animals wouldn’t make you feel at least a bit better.