She hands small cuts out as samples. I asked to buy some to hand out one year as gifts while hostel traveling and she gave me a bunch for free.

Not sure where you are but you might want to check local small makers/ farmers market. The soap lady at my local farmers market has the best soaps - I no longer use anything else for showering. It looks pricey but the bars are large and last a very long time. She finally has an online shop. https://skincarebyfeleciai.com/collections/soap

I'm doing this now. I have to limit the size of the area im re organizing to what i can manage in a day or two. And if I don't finish I put things in bags to keep it organized until I can get back to it.

Some great recommendations from industry folks already.

But if you're not frequently in such high volume environments and you want something for the occasional concert you may want to start with cheaper options.

Don't take your hearing for granted - hearing loss is disabling and isolating - whatever you choose it is important to have something comfortable and convenient to carry that you will use and is up to the demands of the environment you'll be using them in.

I have Eardial for concerts (1-2/yr if that these days). ~$30. They are very comfortable, fit well (even though most earbuds pop out of my ears), easy to clean, and have a small clip on carrying container. Manufacturer says 11db reduction. Great for music but conversation in crowds is a little muffled. I've had them for a few years (prepandemic) and there's no sign of deterioration since they are lightly and gently used.

That put a lot into a new perspective for me. Thanks for sharing.

I agree. Unfortunately this country has a big problem with education, intellectualism, and science.

I'm not sure how we dig our way out of this hole since it's decades in the making and there's renewed vigor for opression.