Week one, Term 3. Uniforms, PE gear, homework, bus money, making lunches…………..it’s THAT time again! Because we’re all about keeping it real, it’s totally ok to admit that you’re already tired of packing the lunch-boxes after just one week back at school. My bet is …
The first Monday back to school after the holidays has come and gone and I’m reflecting a little on what we did, and didn’t do over the past two weeks. Nix was sick for 10 days prior to the holidays so we were all out …
I was complimented recently on my skin and kinda blew it off but afterward realised I did have a bit of a secret weapon; I’ve been using Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid every second night for around 6 weeks now and I’m a convert.
You have to take it easy though, this is a serious resurfacing treatment but your skin will love it. A swipe over your face after cleansing in the evening is all it takes. When I wake in the morning my skin is super hydrated, looks younger and fresher with minimised pores. Smooth is an understatement. I’d never before heard of Alpha-H but a quick Google search showed just how much of a cult product this is.
RRP $57.95 Available from www.tvsn.co.nz
Beauty lovers, this is EXCITING. Estée Lauder has extended their legendary Advanced Night Repair range with Eye Concentrate Matrix. In stores today, July 17th 2017, this blend of visco-elastic polymer and 2X concentrated infusion of two types of Hyaluronic Acid is science in a bottle. Dubbed a multi-repair, skin strengthening, ultra-nourishing formula, the 360° Matrix technology has been designed to combat the aging effects of over 10,000 micro-movements made by our eyes each day.
I’ve just applied it for the first time via the massage applicator, which, as well as feeling heavenly under tired eyes, will also ensure that this is an investment in your skin that will go the distance. It would almost be impossible to apply too much product as the bottle/applicator design functions perfectly.
RRP $138 Available at Estée Lauder counters, online at smithandcaugheys.co.nz and farmers.co.nz.
Oh my lord. The smell, the creamy texture, the incredible hydration factor…… the shea butter collection from L’Occitane is one of my faves and should go straight to the top of your list if your skin is suffering from the drying effects of winter. Also available in a 5% Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream, L’Occitane’s natural and organic ingredient-based solutions are perfect to remedy that ‘tight’ feeling that is associated with the temperature fluctuations our skin is exposed to at this time of year.
RRP $66 Available from nz.loccitane.com/
It’s a genuinely exciting time in the health and skincare field as more and more beautifully crafted, natural products are coming to market and proving their worth and efficacy against options created by their big-pharma contemporaries.
New-to-me Kawakawa Balm by Frankie Apothecary is one such product. Wildcrafted from a sustainable Kawakawa farm in Mangawhai, this is the first NZ made, oil-based formulation targeting eczema and is completely preservative free as are all products in the Frankie Apothecary range. The balm is in a perfect semi-solid state, softening easily to the touch and applies beautifully. The first thing I did after opening the jar was to apply it to my dry, chapped lips after a morning on the sidelines at rugby. Then, I put it on my hands and feet and on Ethan’s legs which were hideously dry, scaly and looked like they had been sandblasted after his game today.
This is one of those miracle products that you will find multiple uses for. The oil-based formula feels amazing on my skin and I’m really looking forward to incorporating it into how I care for the boys.
RRP $32.90 available from www.frankieapothecary.co.nz and good pharmacies and health stores around NZ.
A’kin Natural Australian SkincareThe list of what’s NOT in A’kin products is so vast, it was really interesting running my eyes down the ingredients list and taking note of what is actually in these skincare products that have proven so popular on both sides of the Tasman. Corn cob powder, coconut water, green tea, cucumber water. Sounds delicious, but these natural offerings culminate in a robust range with an awesome price-point.
A’kin includes cult beauty faves Micellar Water (RRP $17.49) and Rosehip Oil (RRP $34.99) in their range, all of which contain; no sulfates, parabens, silicones, ethoxylated cleaners, PEGS, phyalates, mineral oil, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances or animal derivatives. Perfect options for those committed to using only vegan, cruelty-free skincare products.
Available from pharmacies and health stores nationwide, or shop online at www.akin.co.nz/
This is my second time using one of Manuka Doctor’s most iconic products, ApiRefine Radiance Serum and I was very excited to have it hit my doorstep ergo my face lol. I’ve found many serums don’t layer well under moisturiser and then makeup, but this one does. I wear serum every day, have tried many different options and I’d have to pop this in my Top 3 I think! The results are dewy but not oily, firm but not tight.
Manuka Doctor ApiRefine Radiance Serum RRP $35.95, available online www.manukadoctor.co.nz from Farmers Department Stores, selected pharmacies and department stores.
Ding-dong to Dot-com! Avon has been synonymous with beauty for 130 years now and is continuing to introduce new generations of consumers to their brand, building on a legacy of simple, honest, functional products that embody effortless beauty and uncompromising results.
I was thrilled to attend the launch of Avon True in Auckland at the end of June and get to know the brand a little more. 
The evolution of Avon as I remember it (purely catalogue based and unattainable unless you knew an ‘Avon Lady’) to a brand that honours it’s heritage whilst providing an innovative online sales platform is pretty staggering.
Avon is now accessible to everyone including those of us that are true online shopping devotees – I love it!
My pick of the new range? True Colour Flawless CC Pearls RRP $35.99
With shades to combat all of our skin woes such green to reduce redness and yellows to combat dark circles, I’m really looking forward to adding these pearls to my daily makeup routine – there’s nothing more exciting to me than a product that quite simply makes sense!
Available online at: shopavon.co.nz
I have 5 Avon True Colour Skin Goodness Moisturising BB Cream SPF15 to give away in Shell (check the link to make sure that colour will work for you!) RRP $19.99. To enter just leave a comment below and let me know whether you’d prefer ‘Ding dong or dot.com” Avon shopping.
Comp closes Sunday 24th July, NZ residents only.
1. Tangle Teezer Star Wars Special Editions RRP $34 – available from selected pharmacies, salons, dept. stores or call 0508 734 466 for stockists. 2. BON Organic Tampons from $6.99 www.bonlifestyle.com, 3. Freeman Beauty Infusion Pods & Sheet Masks from $5.50 at selected pharmacies and Farmers stores. 4. Sukin Ultra Hydrating Body Oil RRP $24.50 available at Farmers, pharmacies and health stores nationwide.
Mushrooms are up there on my faves list, alongside avocados and cheese. All three can usually be added to anything to instantly improve it. Aside from cake. Anyway, this recipe is amazing, I wish I could take credit for it (not that clever!) but I …
Faa-heaters. Fajitas. Yay! Now that you can pronounce fajitas, let’s figure out exactly what we’re talking about before we dive in and get cooking. My first fajita experience was in a popular Tex-Mex chain restaurant in the US. Piles of sizzling sliced meats, sliced, sauteed …
One Sunday morning at 4am the sun was not up, but into the bed came a very wriggly and very hungry little boy. He started to look for some food, but Mum and Dad were still sleeping. Last week they survived; 1 professional exam, 1 swimming lesson, 1 basketball game, 1 basketball practice, 1 committee meeting, 4 rugby practices, 2 GST returns, 1 rugby Club Night, 1 science project, 1 missed meeting with the bank (the bank manager may not have survived this one!), 2 PR events, 1 EMS workout, 4 blog posts, 1 All Blacks test……………and they were still tired.
Needless to say, Mum and Dad were very much looking forward to Sunday. Until they remembered Ethan had rugby rep trials at 11am ::::::::::sigh::::::::::
Many are beginning to lament the innate ‘busyness’ of modern family life, and to be honest, last week just about broke me but, our family are joiners, participants, volunteers. We like to get involved, put down roots, contribute and get to know our little community – something that doesn’t happen simply by virtue of being a ‘neighbour’ anymore.
The flip-side of this is that ensuring we have family ‘down-time’ sometimes becomes a mindful miracle of scheduling.
Eating helps. Eating together nails it.
This Sunday, breakfast became early afternoon tea for Nixon (he woke at 4 remember!) and some combo of breakfast-brunch-lunch for Dave and I and our beautifully bed-headed preteen. Keep in mind this is intentionally NOT a cereal breakfast ala Monday through Friday. This is a ‘real food meal’ that takes time to eat so we can spend as much time as possible together, around the table without anyone on a device or rushing off .
The menu varies, it could be waffles, pancakes or crèpes but this week it was freshly made cheese scones, bacon, and omelets to share. Of course, we have to be a little bit prepared, a mindful meal begins with some mindful shopping, or at the very least making sure there are some flour, milk, and eggs on hand!
The way modern families shop for food and consider their purchases is as much a dynamic process as our hectic day-to-day lives. Food innovation now often (ironically) takes the form of simplification. As parents of a 12.5-year-old, we want to know where he is, what he’s doing and who he’s doing it with. Similarly, I want to know where my food is coming from and who is producing it, but is it realistic to expect this from supermarket staples?
Surprisingly, the answer is YES. The milk we used for our Sunday breakfast this week came from a single organic farm located in Manawatu, farmed by the Flipp family. Four generations live and work on the farm along with their 600 cows and I didn’t have to drive 6.5 hrs to the farm gate to pick it up!
Kapiti Single Farm Organic Milk was in the chiller, at my local New World 5 minutes from my house.
Mindful family routines and meals begin with mindful shopping – grocery or otherwise. Investing in a product that is the end result of the Flipp Family’s 3-year journey to achieve organic certification is definitely a brand story that I’m happy to have at my table every day.
For this post, I partnered with Kapiti Single Farm Organic Milk which is now available from Supermarkets nationwide.
If the idea of traveling with your kids is enough to induce a cold sweat, or the thought of spending 4 hours (or more!) on a plane with both your toddler AND the general public warrants a stiff drink, then read on friends. Traveling with …