St Ives Apricot Blemish Control Scrub

I was recently reviewing a scrub that contained little apricot kernels. It reminded me of the St. Ives scrub that I used to use in my early twenties. I couldn't remember anything negative about it so I picked up a tube of the Blemish Control Scrub when I was in Superdrug.


I've been using it this week and its as great as I remembered. Why do we stop using products that we never had a problem with?


This particular scrub is perfect for oily, blemish prone skin. It smells very refreshing. It exfoliates my skin beautifully, leaving it lovely and soft. After using this for five days my skin is already looking less dull. I've also been able to use this while wearing fake tan and it doesn't take my tan off completely.


At £3.99 for 150ml I won't be so quick to forget about it this time!


Have any of you used this scrub?
Do you rate it as highly as I do?

Why is it not ok to be single and happy?

This is a rant more than anything else, sorry folks! :-)


I have been single for quite a while now. Circumstances and my situation have partially dictated it but it has also been my choice.


I split from my ex when I was very early on in my pregnancy. It was a dark time for me. I had just got out of an abusive, controlling relationship and I was trying to keep it together for the unborn life inside me.


A few months ago I toyed with the idea of dating again but I chickened out. It probably has a bit to do with confidence but I also believe that I chickened out because its not the right time.


I'm not a woman that needs to be attached to a relationship. A relationship has never validated my worth and nor should it.


Recently people around me seem to be more forthcoming with their wee remarks about getting back on the horse, meeting somebody new, getting on with my life and many more.


Do people really think my life is at a standstill just because I'm not with a man? If I was with a man for the sake of it those same people would probably be saying that I was clingy, dependant, scared to be alone etc.. It seems that I can't win!


The final straw came at a mother and baby group a few weeks ago. I've known these mums since our babies were newborns. I know them all pretty well and some of them will be lifelong friends. One particular mum who I have a love/hate relationship with made a comment which just showed me how narrowed minded and ignorant some people can be. Her husband had been working away for a few days and she was giving out about it. She then said "I tell you, this going it alone is shit, boring even". I pointed out that my life is neither boring or shit.


I'm the happiest that I have ever been. I am enjoying life and living every moment. I'm finally self employed which is what I have wanted for years. I'm focused on being a great mummy but I also get to continue to do what I love for a living. I have bought a home and been working on that too. What part of all that seems like I'm treading water?


I can't believe that in 2014 people still seem to think that I'll only really have it all once I have a man.


Rant over.


Has anyone else experienced a similar attitude?

Reverse Hair Washing

Recently I have been hearing a lot about reverse hair washing. Really? Conditioner before shampoo? It just sounds wrong but I decided that I had to give it a go.

Apparently reverse hair washing gives hair more volume. The reason being that we can never quite rinse out all our conditioner and that residue causes our hair to be weighed down and look limp.

I have a full head of hair that requires conditioner in order to be able to brush it out after washing. For that reason alone I can't use those 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioners or just shampoo on it's own. I just end up fighting with my hair and I'm pretty sure I do plenty of damage. Because of this I was apprehensive about washing my hair in reverse.

I used Tresemme Platinum Strength shampoo and conditioner. I bought it in Superdrug for £4.99 each for 500ml.

I did everything exactly as I normally would, I just did it in reverse! I wet my hair, applied conditioner, wrapped it in a towel and left it for 5 minutes. I then rinsed it out well and applied shampoo.

The first thing I noticed was that my hair lathered up a lot quicker than it normally would, therefore I probably didn't need to use as much shampoo as I did. I then towel dried my hair and began to brush it out using my big GHD paddle brush. As expected, it was a pretty unpleasant experience. Maybe not as bad as when I've used a 2 in 1 shampoo in the past but still bad enough to ensure I would have no desire to reverse wash my hair everytime.

Some positives - my hair dried A LOT quicker. I loved that! It also had more volume. Not that volume has ever been a problem for me, but if it is a problem for you, then it's worth giving this process a wee go.

And,with all that said, I won't be converting any time soon but I think I will start to reverse wash maybe once a week.

Have you tried reverse washing?

What did you think?

Silent Sunday No.12

Pulpe De Vie skincare

A few months ago Funky Skincare sent me one of their new bath teabags to review. 

This week I received a wee package in the mail and was pleasantly surprised to see that Funky Skincare had sent me a few Pulpe De Vie samples to review. I love the products these folks sell as all of them boast that they are chemical free, no SLS and no parabens. Good stuff! :-)


Lucious Glow Body Milk ~ £17.90 for 150ml tube
I have never been a fan of shimmering body milks because I've found in the past that they look too obvious on my pasty pale skin. I was genuinely impressed with this body milk though. It has a very complimentary shimmer that the light catches now and again.
It is made from grapefruit and blackcurrant waters so I expected the fragrance to be stronger than it was. With that said, it did smell lovely, very delicate.


Sweet Frappe Face 2 in 1 Scrub and Mask ~ £19.50 for 75ml tube
I loved this, loved, loved, loved it.

 It contains little apricot kernels which make for a fantastic exfoliator. You basically massage this onto dry skin, leave it for 5 minutes and then massage again as you rinse it off. My skin was so soft afterwards. It didn't feel tight like it normally would after a face mask. It also wasn't difficult to rinse off. The scrub turns into a type of milk as you rinse it away. Lovely!


Cozy Cuddle Moisturising and Anti-Oxidant Face Cream ~ £20 for 30ml pump action bottle
My first concern when trying a new face cream is whether its greasy/oily. I tend to have a shiny T-zone so I don't need an oily/greasy moisturisers encouraging it! :-) I only had the opportunity to apply this once so I can't be 100% sure its not oily/greasy, especially as I didn't get the chance to wear it under my makeup.
I know scents are irrelevant to some people but I'm very much led on what things smell like whether its skincare, candles or perfume to give a few examples. This stuff smells beautifully peachy.


Love Me Tonight Night Cream ~ £21 for 30ml pump action bottle
A fragrant, spicy anti ageing night cream. I loved the almost musky scent this cream offered. It feels quite rich on the skin which I like in a night cream. I like to know that I'm giving my skin plenty of goodness to soak up while I'm getting my beauty sleep. :-)


Have you tried any of the Pulpe De Vie products?
Any favourites?

Silent Sunday No.11

Style on a budget

I recently asked the Twitterverse what they thought of online stores like Just For 5 pounds. Those that got back to me were really positive. 

I'm a mum and a childminder. I love nice clothes as much as the next person but what I don't like is when I get the likes of "washable" paint on my clothes (it's never really washable!) and can't wear that piece of clothing again...not in public anyway! 

Online stores like Just For 5 Pounds solves that problem for me. They have some lovely pieces on their website and if they did happen to get ruined at work...it's ok! It was only a fiver! 

Just For 5 Pounds kindly offered to send me something in the post to review. I had no idea what I was receiving but I was pleasantly surprised! 

They sent me a lovely black soft feel blazer. 

In the photo it needs a quick iron but I wanted to get the photos taken before my wee man woke from his nap. 

It's one of those blazers that you could dress up or dress down. I wore it to lunch a few days ago with a nice white top and jeans. I got a few compliments from friends too which was nice. They're so used to seeing me in boring work clothes. :-) It has padded shoulders (but not Pat Butcher style!) just enough to give me a shape. It also has a cute wee nautical style button that was impossible to take a decent photo of but I tried!

See...cute! :-) 

I'll definitely be having a browse on Just For 5 Pounds in future. They're perfect for those that are shopping on a budget. 

Silent Sunday No.10

Keep moisturised with MyPure.

I recently had the opportunity to review two lovely products from MyPure. I love these guys because they are all about natural, organic beauty.

I decided to review the Lovea SPF 50 Daily Face Cream (new formula). Its currently priced at £17.99 for 50ml. This wee pot is jam packed full of anti-aging ingredients and given that I'm in my early 30's now I'm all for fighting the signs with any artillery I can get my hands on!
I often find sunscreens quite drying but I've been using this for a week now and it leaves my skin feeling surprisingly soft.
The only con is that while it states that it can be worn under makeup I've tried and it certainly can't be worn under my particular make up. I suffer from shiny patches as it is and these appear within minutes while wearing Lovea and foundation together. With that said, I would rather wear Lovea face cream on a hot day and protect my skin, as opposed to wearing make up and damaging my skin.

The second product I picked to review was the A'kin Pureman aftershave balm. Its priced at £9.60 for 75ml. I have been using the A'kin serum recently and I was curious to see if the men's range stood up as strongly as the women's. The fragrance of this aftershave balm is a mixture of orange, Ginseng and spice. It smells great, even my dad commented on how nice it smelled. I gave it to him to try out for me and he said his skin felt less "angry" after shaving once he applied this. He also said that it wasn't greasy which is a big deal breaker for him. He mentioned that if the fragrance is an issue for anyone then to let them know that it fades pretty quickly. He is liking it so much that he has asked me if I could pick him up another bottle once this one runs out so I think that's a big thumbs up!


Have you tried any of these products?
What were your thoughts?
                       



~ While I was sent these items for review purposes all of the opinions are honest and my own.

The Liebster Awards

Lindsay over at Newcastle Family Life recently nominated me and my wee blog, Kid And Capers to take part in the Liebster Awards. Thank you! I had never heard of the Liebster Awards before even though it seems to be all over Twitter once you do a wee search! Basically it seems to be a really fun way to get to know other bloggers a bit more. I spend so much of my free time reading through other people's blogs that its nice to find out more about them on a more personal level.
I hope that Lindsay doesn't mind me stealing the rules from her post! :-)


The rule's to the Liebster award are as follows:

• Promote the person who has nominated you and link their blog in your post.
• Answer the question's giving to you by your nominee, then create a new list of 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
• Nominate your own 5-11 blog's that you feel deserve the award
• Inform them that they have been nominated for The Liebster Award and provide a link to your post so that they can learn about it.

Here are the questions that Lindsay put to me:-


1.) Why did you start to blog?
I had read a few blogs in the past and thought I might enjoy blogging, but I always felt like I never had anything to say that people would want to read. When I fell pregnant I thought about it again but I was going through quite a lot at the time and didn't think I was in the right place. When my baby was 5 months old I decided that I was going to give it a go. I liked the idea of having somewhere to log my parenting journey. I'm also a beauty products fiend so any opportunity to blabber about that and I'm there! ;-)

2.) what gives you the inspiration to write?
I just like having my own wee "space" to talk about whatever takes my fancy. One day it might be dating as a single parent, another day it might be about the latest beauty product that I've fallen in love with.

3.) what do you love about blogging?
I love that I get to meet new people that I would never ever get to know without the blogging community. Its been very slow (and I thought it was pointless a few times) but I'm finally beginning to feel like I have a place in this wee corner of the internet. I've got to know some lovely people and look forward to reading what they're up to every week.

4.) which one place would you love to visit?
I would love to do a safari in South Africa or I would love to go back to New York again. I've been a few times and I'm totally and utterly in love with that city. Any bloggers want to go on an adventure? ;-)

5.) what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
My absolute favourite thing in the whole world is spending time with my wee boy. He's growing way too fast for my liking but I'm so proud of him. I can't believe I created something so perfect! I also enjoying walking/hiking, cinema, comedy gigs, shopping, spending time with family/friends....not necessarily in that exact order.

6.) what is your greatest achievement in life so far?
It has to be my son. I don't think it matters what else I do in life, it will always pale in comparison.

7.) what has been your most memorable meal?
It was a meal I had in the Grand Central Oyster Bar in NYC. Everything from the location (beautiful old terminal) to the food was just divine and unforgettable.

8.) what is your favourite book?
I couldn't pick just one book. I'm firstly a bit of a Harry Potter fan but some of my other favourite are: The Help, One Day, The Colour Purple, PS I Love You, Pride And Prejudice, A Time To Kill.

9.) where do you see yourself in five years time?
I hope that I'll still be self employed and making enough out of it to save towards my little man's fortune.

10.) your most treasured possessions?
My son and anything to do with him, whether its photos, hospital bands, paintings he's done. He's only just turned one so I'm sure I'm going to pick up a lot more treasured possessions along the way.

11.) describe yourself in five words.
Happy, determined, caring, friendly, emotional (babies bloody break you and I was bad enough to begin with!)


Now its your turn! I nominate:
Amanda at Niescior's Notes
Leighanne at Bump and Beyond
Crystal at Crystal Says
Tanya at Polka Dots and Cups of Tea
Dani at Heavy In The Day
Carol at Flitty Chick
Katy at Modern Mummy
Gemma at Sunshine On A Cloudy Day
Debbie at Super Busy Mum

My 11 questions to you lovely lot are:
1. How long have you been blogging?
2. Do you have any pets?
3. Is there anything that you would like to have achieved by the end of 2014? Doesn't have to be a big thing!
4. If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
5. Are you passionate about anything in particular? It can be a topic or hobby, anything!
6. Any there any bloggers that you would love to meet?
7. Do you have a favourite TV show?
8. What is your pet peeve?
9. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
10. Do you have any advice for new bloggers?
11. What was the last book that you read?


Make sure you send me a link so I can read your answers. Have fun, I certainly did!

Empties #2

This is my second Empties post. I keep forgetting and throwing things out! :-)

Palmer's Cocoa Body Scrub
Price: £4.99 in Superdrug
I love this stuff. Its a great wee exfoliator and smells gorgeous. Its tough enough to do the job without being harsh on my skin.

Andrew Barton - The Straight Answer Hot Iron Protection Spray

Price: Its £3.90 in Asda for the full size, though I have been using the travel size bottle.
I'm in two minds about this product. I loved the smell. It did give me very sleek, shiny hair. According to the instructions you can use it on wet or dry hair. I've always been told not to put a hot iron on wet hair so it felt very wrong doing it. That said, the result was great!

Herbal Essences - Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner
Price: £1.87 each in Superdrug
You might have realised by now that I'm very much drawn to products based on their fragrance. This smelled fantastic with its coconut and orchid scents. My hair was easy to brush out afterwards which is sometimes a problem with other shampoos and conditioners but I won't be buying it again. Its such a small thing but I hate the bottles. I got about halfway down each bottle and had to shake and squeeze the life out of it to get any product. A faff! Someone tell me they feel the same!

Original Source - Orange and Cinnamon Shower Gel
Price: It was about £2 at Christmas but its one of their seasonal range so almost impossible to pick up now.
I bought a few bottles of this in December. I love that it smells exactly like Christmas. I've also been told by friends that it reminds them of Lush which can only ever be taken as a compliment.

Lush Lip Scrub - Mint Julips
Price: £5.50 in Lush
I wrote about the Lush lip scrubs in a previous post. Yes, I know that I could make up a lip scrub at home but would it smell and taste (I try not to eat it!) as good as this one does. I doubt it! :-) I use it every second night and my lips are always soft and smooth.

Sanctuary Sleep-In-A-Box kit
The set contains:
Comforting night butter

Smoothing silk polish 

Restoring body oil
Soothing bath float (missing from the photo because my mum pinched it)
Price: £12.50 in Boots
I was given this as a gift. I tend to not like Sanctuary products. There's nothing wrong with them as such, I'm just not a huge fan of how they smell. This scent smells lovely though with its Patchouli, Frankincense and my favourite...Ylang Ylang. I'll definitely be looking out for it again when I'm next in Boots.

Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Leave in Treatment
Price: £3.85 on the Avon website
I'm trying to be kinder to my hair at the moment. Just as with my skin, I haven't looked after it as well as I used to since having my wee boy but I am trying to take care of it now. I normally apply it to my hair after washing it just to nourish and protect it. Its also good to use as a means to control those wee fly away hairs after styling.


Have you tried any of these?
What did you think?

Huge kind gestures - eternally grateful or eternally indebted?

I don't know what this post is to be honest. It's certainly not a rant. I guess I just want to get it off my chest.


When I found out I was pregnant in 2012 I started house hunting with a view to buying. I wanted to put down roots for myself and the little baby that I was growing. :-)

I started looking at all the different options available to me but I seemed to always be stuck at the deposit. I strongly considered co-ownership, it seemed to be the only way I could make it all work. 

When I spoke to my dad about what I was doing he didn't say very much. He's the best man I know but he's the silent type so you never really know how your news has been met. :-)

He contacted me a few weeks later to say that he had the deposit for a house set aside for me and each of my siblings. He had never had any idea what each "pot" would be used for but as the market changed over the years he started to realise that the "pots" would more than likely be used for house deposits.

To cut a long story short I was able to get a wee dream house using the money as the deposit. Amazing! Fantastic! That incredible gesture changed my life. It gave me the life I wanted for myself and my baby. It gave me a new start after a very rough few years. It brought me closer to my family after living over two hours away from them for years. It just seemed to bring everything together.

In the beginning I felt guilty. That was my parent's money. I have no doubt that they worked bloody hard for it. How could I take it off them?! I spoke to one of my friends at the time and she said "Even now, with that baby still in your tummy, is there anything that you wouldn't do for him/her?" When those words sunk in it sort of made sense and now that my little boy is here, they ring true all the more. I accept now that thank you isn't enough. I accept that I'll never be able to repay them but I also realise that's not why they did it - seeing their daughter and grandchild settled and happy is all they wanted out of it.

All of that aside, I feel eternally grateful, of course I do, but I also feel eternally indebted. I don't know that feeling this indebted is a such a great feeling though...

I'm trying to pick my words carefully here because as I said at the beginning of my post, this is not a rant. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I just don't know how to separate the two things - grateful and indebted. They're vastly different when you're living with them daily.

I've always been close to my parents and helped out whenever I could on the farm. Though, since the deposit, I now feel like I should be at their every beck and call. This isn't something that they've put on me. It's something I have put on myself. When they've mentioned needing a "wee helping hand, just whenever you have time" I've changed my plans immediately just so I could go and help out straight away.

I don't know how to move forward and feel eternally grateful rather than eternally indebted.
 

Has anyone else been in a similar position?
Any advice?

Silent Sunday No.9