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New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family Lunette Menstrual Cup Review

Women’s Health: My first time using a Lunette Menstrual Cup

A year ago I never would have written this post. A year ago I would have ignored/declined the invitation to try a menstrual cup, firmly placing the very notion in the ‘too hard/too hippy’ basket.

So why now? The only answer I can come up with is simply; why not now?

My monthly period annoys the heck out of me. It’s never been painful nor irregular, just heavy and inconvenient (a bit like me in the morning before I’ve had a coffee lol). I’ve been using tampons my whole life, and while better than pads, they still totally suck. They’re uncomfortable if not quite in the right position, they leak, they aren’t absorbent enough, a heavy flow day means frequent changes, they are expensive and require disposal, plus, they are just something else waking me at night and wanting attention – I’ve already got a husband and a 4-year-old taking up night-time hours #kthanksbyetampons.

So earlier this week, with Christmas in New Zealand done and dusted and tent-life beckoning (always a PIA when you’ve got your period) I decided to trial a Lunette Menstrual Cup for the first time. I’d been gifted one just before the holidays and had been planning to give it a whirl before our trip to Japan in January.

What did I think? Short version; amazing, liberating, life-changing. Long version; read on.

Lunette Menstrual Cup Review

First tip: Get ready in advance. I was all raring to go as soon as my period began but hadn’t opened the box or read the short set of instructions that accompany the Lunette. In fact, I hadn’t even touched it! There are two sizes available, I picked size 2 which is recommended for women who experience a heavier flow or who have given birth vaginally. The silicone is super smooth and soft, but also much firmer than I anticipated. After sterilizing my cup for 20 minutes in a pot of boiling water I was ready to go.

The thing that puzzled me most about menstrual cups prior to using one, was placement. A tampon sits so much higher than a cup and feels awful when it’s inserted wrong/low and feels like it’s going to fall out! Yet, the Lunette cup sits low and you CAN’T FEEL IT! It’s amazing, and I’m sure the imperceptibility is due to the flexible silicone moving with your body when you move.

Insertion/application, whatever, was easy, fold it in half and up she goes. A bit of a jiggle and you can feel the cup unfold – that’s it! I was completely floored by how easy the process is and how completely ‘leak-free’ I feel when wearing the Lunette. I realise that describing a state of being as ‘leak-free’ is a bit bizarre and a probably a complete misnomer, however, if you’ve experienced that tampon-angsty feeling when you know you could leak at any given time, you’ll totally understand what I mean!

The stem was the only thing I found uncomfortable and as recommended in the instructions I simply trimmed it until I found the optimal length. I don’t actually use it for removal at all so cut it really short.

Am I converted?

Heck yes I am, I just wished I had been brave and tried a menstrual cup sooner. The Lunette just makes so much sense;

I feel completely leak free, even at night
I can go longer, up to 12 hours, without having to worry about reaching max capacity
I don’t feel like I’m going to get ‘caught out’ without another tampon on me when I need one
I haven’t yet, but know I’d be able to workout and run wearing a Lunette Menstrual Cup, something that was out of the question for me on heavy flow days with a tampon.
Cleaning/sanitizing is easy, there’s heaps of info here

In fact it’s all easy. The only hard part about using a Lunette is in your head, once you’re over the mental hurdle you will never go back to tampons. I never will, of this I’m convinced.

I can see how learning how to use a menstrual cup may be slightly more challenging for young girls, but to be honest, no more challenging than learning how to use a tampon. The benefit of potentially NOT having to change a tampon/pad for the entire school day is incredible and totally worth the very little persistence that’s required to get super comfortable with using a Lunette Menstrual Cup.

There’s heaps of information on the Lunette New Zealand website, so check it out if you have any questions or are keen to make the switch – you won’t regret it!

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family Dove Dry Shampoo Review

Beauty Review: Dove Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo

Fact: Dry shampoo is life. I’m a fan. Dove asked for my thoughts on their Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo and here they are internet, just for you! Thanks for making this post possible Dove.

There are very few beauty/haircare/skincare products that I religiously use every, single day because, at this point in my life, every day is very different. We are still deep in the thick of under 5 parenting, how much sleep I’m going to get on any given night is a lottery and what time Nix (ergo, I) will wake is anyone’s guess. Even on the days when I’ve planned ahead, worked backward and calculated what time I’ll need to leave the house, picked my outfit in advance, pre-empted the 2nd breakfast Nixon will request…….there’s still going to be a mad rush for the door.

Which means something has to give.

I’m not one of those multi-talented mavens that are able to drive and apply makeup simultaneously. Heck, I can barely apply makeup while standing in my bathroom! I simply can’t hide my sleep deprivation on the run, this kind of magic requires my full attention – or at the very least what’s left over after Nixon rightly clamours for most of it lol.

So what slips through the morning cracks on 9/10 days and settles under the cosy confines of a hat is my hair.

I tell myself my hair’s thriving under the two-child regime which sees it mostly ignored, never washed more than 3 times per week – if that – and rarely suffering through the indignity of a hot styling tool. My hair and I have settled into a friendly routine and rotation of hairstyles as we move through the week, getting further away from the last shampoo and limping ever so slowly towards the next. Which I can hopefully stretch out for ‘just one more day‘.

One of the true marvels of the modern world – Dove’s Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo, gives me that extra day between washes, as well as all the lols from dry shampoo memes! I’m such a fan that I actually use it in two different ways, on both clean hair (I know!) and, not so clean hair.

Two ways to use Dove’s Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo

The spray and walk away: Obviously the reason for which it was designed, Dove’s Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo is a greasy-gals saviour. As indispensable to my morning routine as coffee, my dry shampoo helps me avoid the wet-hair kindy drop-off – the tell-tale sign that something went awry in your house that morning! It’s such a quick pick-me-up as well; I just spray any questionable areas with Refresh + Care (usually around my hairline and centre part), massage into the roots and I’m done. Excess oil is absorbed and my hair smells super fresh.
Clean hair Va-Va-Voom! Styling my hair when it’s clean, or in fact, just doing anything as simple as pulling it back into a ponytail is a slippery, frizzy, fly-away nightmare. It’s also very, very flat. Creating texture is Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo’s superpower. I swear once you volumise (not sure if that’s a word lol) your clean hair with dry shampoo, you’ll be a changed woman. Ok, that might be a stretch, but your you hair will look amazing! I use it exactly the same way as I do when I’m refreshing unwashed hair except I focus a bit more on the length as well as the roots. This helps with body and grip if I’m trying something fancy lol.

I legit LOVE life hacks that make one of the busiest times in my day a little bit easier and leave me feeling great – bonus points for being able to grab Dove’s Refresh + Care Dry Shampoo at the supermarket too

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family Arbonne Rescue & Renew Review

Beauty Review – Arbonne Rescue & Renew

Although over 30 years old, US-based Swiss heritage skincare giant Arbonne has only recently become available here in New Zealand. They got in touch recently and asked if I’d like to review one of their ranges, so, not one to do things by halves, I willingly went all-in with my first Arbonne New Zealand skincare experience and have been using the Rescue & Renew range exclusively for the past 2 weeks – something I never do. I’m a bit of a chop ‘n change, mix-it-up girl when it comes to skincare and beauty products so committing to one brand and just one range was quite a novelty!

It totally had its benefits though, particularly with the Rescue & Renew products which have all been formulated with a really holistic ethos in mind.

Why Rescue & Renew?

Arbonne’s Rescue & Renew range is based on Ayurvedic practices where the focus is traditionally whole body health and wellness, with the goal of achieving a balance between one’s mind, body, and soul. The emphasis and importance of natural ingredients and heroes are evident throughout the Arbonne catalogue but particularly in this range. Turmeric root, dandelion and ginger root are the botanical mainstays in each Rescue & Renew Detox product, designed to cleanse the skin’s surface of impurities while also protecting our natural moisture barrier.

This is a skincare range in which the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. I was trying to put my finger on why this was and came up with three elements that prescribed my experience with the Rescue & Renew Detox products; routine, ritual and therapy, all of which play huge roles in my overall wellbeing.

My Routine

I’m definitely a creature of habit. My routine (where I can find it) is familiar, comforting and welcome as I find working for myself, I don’t generally have any two days the same. Slotting new, beneficial products in as replacements for existing ‘blah’ products is an easy way to make a positive change in my existing skincare routine. Using Rescue & Renew Detox Body Lotion and Body Wash daily are perfect examples of how I’ve done this. Like most women (I imagine), I use a body wash in the shower followed by body lotion each day and have done for years. The major difference with the Arbonne products is the inclusion of the essential oils – the grapefruit and orange in the Rescue & Renew Body Wash is amazing. I can have had the worst nights sleep and step out of the shower feeling fully energised and l00% better, I absolutely LOVE this stuff. Layered with the Detox Lotion which contains orange, lavender, anise and bergamot oil and I’m literally invincible (at least whilst Nix is at kindy lol).

On a purely functional note, I also love the caps on this range; no flip tops or screw off lids, you simply twist to open and close. Genius.

Ritual

Once a week, 99% of the time in the weekend when Dave can be fully ‘on-duty’ for the kids, I generally opt out of whatever family activity is going and simply embrace my inner home-body. I love being at home, I really, really do. Taking time to appreciate not having to rush anywhere is such a treat for me that I find it super important to intentionally enjoy the experience – guilt free. I light a beautiful candle in an effort to banish the smell of sneakers and Lynx that usually permeates every corner of our boy-filled house, and I cleanse my face and follow up with a face mask. Clay masks are my favourite and always have been. Arbonne’s Rescue & Renew Detox Mask uses French pink clay that draws out excess oil (very visibly!) as the mask moves from wet to dry. The first time I used it, I was super tired after the initial, mega-busy first weekend in December and I was legitimately thrilled with the results. My skin looked and felt hydrated, rested and renewed.

I also love to take a bit more time with after-shower care during the weekend, so the addition of a hydrating oil under my body lotion is a luxe touch that pays dividends when I think about how my skin looks and feels. The Rescue & Renew Detox oil contains the same essential oils as the lotion so the natural fragrance layers well, plus the key ingredients; Vitamin E, grape seed, sesame and argan oils do such a fab job of providing skin support by firming, moisturising and conditioning.

I LOVE my weekend ritual!

Therapy

Ok here’s where I’m going to introduce my two FAVE Rescue & Renew products. The whole range definitely has therapeutic benefits, but the essential oils and the straight-up magical Gelée are next level in my opinion.

I’ve been really, really slow to jump onboard with what I considered the essential oil ‘bandwagon’, but the Arbonne oils have changed my mind. Peppermint and Lemon, how did I even get through the day without you guys?! Peppermint is my ‘working’ oil. I’ve been diffusing it whilst writing or tapping a couple of drops onto my temples to help gain/maintain focus. It’s the most incredible pick-me-up ever, and totally natural for the win.

My friend Lemon. Such a perfect addition to the Rescue & Renew family; Pure Essential Lemon Oil just makes everything smell clean and fresh plus actually MAKES things clean and fresh! One of the many ways I’ve been using it is adding around 5 drops to a microwave safe bowl of boiling water, popping it in the microwave for 3 minutes, letting it stand for 2 minutes before wiping clean with a paper towel. TRY THIS GUYS. No elbow grease required it’s amazing.

The Rescue & Renew Detox Gelée is such an interesting product, something that’s so awesome you’ll wonder why you’ve never found anything like it before. I describe it as a mashup between a cooling gel and your fave body lotion. Heaven on a hot day when typical lotion gets sweaty and slick, Detox Gelée is exactly what you want to apply after a workout or sun exposure, perfect summer skincare.

Shop the entire Arbonne range of health, wellness, skincare and beauty products online here, or via an Arbonne consultant.

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family yarns Kiwi Kids Bed lInen

Summer Bedroom Refresh

Oh my lord it’s HOT! Seriously, these temps in December are crazy, but crazy good for sure. Being able to throw open the bedroom windows and freshen things up is so therapeutic for me. Both of the boy’s rooms have had a big spring clean that included purchasing fresh, new linen for their beds. Over the weekend, I finally had the time to do the same in our master bedroom.

You know those dumping grounds that ‘some’ of us have throughout the house? I have two; one is our dining room table and the other is our bedroom. It’s so odd that I despise clutter and mess yet the very place that should be somewhat of a peaceful sanctuary for Dave and I, has become the epicenter of chaos in our home.

Organising and decluttering our bedroom is a work in progress, so I’ll update you on that as I get to it in the future, but, as focusing on both the quality and quantity of hours spent asleep is a big priority for me heading into 2018 (thanks Fitbit lol), I decided to begin with a bed linen makeover.

Our prior duvet set was cozy, grey cotton jersey. Lovely and snuggly and perfect for winter but it didn’t invoke any ‘light and bright” summery feelings whatsoever. Despite my reservations (those reservations being a very sticky four-year-old and two dogs that love to sneak on the bed!) I knew I wouldn’t be happy with anything but 100% crisp white < insert sighing husband here.

I flipped the bed’s colour palette inside out, opting for grey linen sheets this season and that fresh, white goodness for the duvet cover. Texture was also a consideration, and I’m loving how our new bed linen provides lots of depth and variation, considering the very neutral colours I chose to work with.

What do you guys think? I’m loving how it came together. The muted trio of white, natural and charcoal is exactly what I was looking for to draw the eye out of the room via our large windows, to the garden beyond – which is super lush and green right now.

That’s the fun part over, now to declutter, cull and organize!

Shop this look from Logan & Mason here;

Duvet Covers and European Pillowcases, Langley Linen Knitted Throw $159.95, Solaris White Square Cushion $69.95, Cove Natural Square Cushion $89.95

The items above were all sourced from the extensive linen range at Logan & Mason with whom I collaborated on this post.

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family yarns Kiwi Kids Glamping Party Bell Tent

Kids Parties: Garden Glamping + Movie Night

Ethan turned the BIG 13 at the end of November and though we celebrated at the time with a Breaker’s game and burgers with his friends, we really wanted to do something a little more special at home to mark the occasion. The end of the school year is a super busy time for everyone with summer quickly approaching here in New Zealand and Christmas around the corner so, we waited a couple of weeks until Ethan’s two basketball leagues had finished and planned a wee surprise.

Ethan loves sleepovers but sleepovers do not love him back. The child basically can’t deal with lack of sleep, plus his sport schedule is so ridic with rugby over the winter and basketball taking up six days per week recently, opportune weekend nights to have friends stay over are few and far between. Saturday night was w i d e open however, and happened to coincide with a rare, vacant booking for the awesome husband and wife team at www.partyinabox.nz. So, we locked it in, called it a Movie Night and I (secretly) gathered the troops.

I think when I (and Ethan) were younger, I wanted complete control over his birthday parties and spent days and weeks meticulously planning and agonizing over every detail. One year I handmade fish-shaped chocolates to decorate his homemade cheesecake birthday cake after I had hand stamped the goody bags with a beautiful fish-shaped motif I carved from a freaking potato!

I honestly don’t even know who that person was lol. Suffice to say, these days I’m all about outsourcing and simplifying birthday parties. I say HELLO to $5 Pizza Hut pizzas (1 each!) and YES to a tub of Tip Top ice cream for dessert. And, if the outsourcing results in the 5 teenaged boys (and his girl bestie) sleeping in the front yard, then a birthday blessing was just bestowed upon ME.

Party in a Box Glamping Packages

We decided on a Night Out Package for Ethan and 5 friends which included setup and overnight hire of a gorgeous bell tent, 6 x mattresses, bunting, fairy lights, rugs, floor cushions, tray tables, super cool decor items, popcorn, huge tv and DVD/BluRay player. All delivered set-up and then packed away again the following day.

It was spectacular, roomy and totally picture perfect. Dave and I loved it so much we almost considered handing the house over to the 13-year-olds and treating ourselves to a night glamping in the garden!

The best way to describe how utterly amazing the bell tent and set-up was on Saturday night is to let the pictures speak for themselves.

The kids had a blast, we had a quiet (ish) night and a clean (ish) house thanks to the kids being in the tent lol and I know we celebrated Ethan’s very special birthday with an event to remember.

Get in touch with husband and wife team Christian and Wencke at Party in a Box to make a booking enquiry. They have a range of options and themes available – if they can make a glamping experience work perfectly as a Movie Night for a 13-year-old boy and his mates, then trust me, you will be blown away by how stunning this experience is!

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family yarns Kiwi Kids Mindlabkids.com

Parents, this is how you win at the internet – MindLabKids.com

Summer school holidays are almost upon us here in New Zealand and, as far as I can tell, there are two distinct methodologies parents use to tackle the school holidays;

The Organized Planner: Days, playdates, excursions, picnics are all planned with military precision – only to be completely at the mercy of the sometimes/usually unpredictable January weather (especially if you live in Auckland!)
The She’ll be Right Parent: No planning necessary – it’s the holidays after all!

Whether you identify as a #1 or a #2 or a happy mix of both, it’s inevitable that weather, exhaustion or, real-life necessity such as parents having to adult and go to work, will result in days spent at home. If you find this heralds the ‘I’m bored’ chorus we all dread, well, I’m all for letting kids ride out their boredom (if you can stand it!). Giving kids the space and independence to be bored allows them the creative freedom to ‘un-bore’ themselves in ways adults may never have imagined.

If that doesn’t work, or has run its course, some intentional time online may be just the ticket. Screentime for the kids; they’re happy, combined with educational, productive activities; Mum and Dad are happy.

Everyone wins! (So bookmark this website now before you forget >> www.mindlabkids.com

What is MindLabKids.com?

The Mind Lab by Unitec is an award-winning, specialist learning lab dedicated to increasing knowledge and understanding of modern technology via workshops, school visits, holiday programmes and teacher professional development. Emerging from this cutting-edge combo of education and fresh ways to deliver it, comes MindLabKids.com.

The website itself is an engaging, exciting online destination where kids can discover science and technology at their own pace, through hands-on experiments, challenges, and safe collabs with other kids. Three new challenges are released each week around kid-magnet topics such as; robotics, 3D design, animation, and stop-motion, movie making and more.

How we use MindLabKids.com

First points to note, rego is free, quick and easy. Ethan was instructed NOT to use his own name as the username, plus, the only contact information requested was a parents email address – which I had to verify before the account was activated.

That was it! Ethan was off, with Nix observing at elbow height, of course, intrigued by the fact that his big brother was stoked to be using the computer with Mum’s encouragement.

The home feed is a collation of challenges, fun facts, members responses to challenges, surveys, and cute memes – essentially everything kids want or more importantly NEED from an educational site that is kinda a cross-over with an age-appropriate social network. You can respond to user-created content in a positive way via likes and even ‘favorite’ accounts that are uploading videos you love.

But obviously, the very BEST part, which the boys are loving, is getting their curious neurons firing and getting stuck into the online challenges.

Nix and E both have a Mind Lab Kids Starter Pack (which got them so pumped to get cracking I gotta say!) These are definitely not necessary to participate in the challenge responses, but Ethan found after looking at the kit inclusions such as a propeller, 3V motor, battery pack, pager motor, hovercraft plate (stuff we generally don’t have lying about the house), his mind was a little more open to the creative, problem solving process, knowing that he had some extra tools on hand.

On that note, seriously great Christmas gift right?! Create your child’s login, write their username and password on a gift tag, wrap up the Mind Lab Kids Starter Pack and you’ve got the perfect parental gift trifecta; it’s educational, not a toy they don’t need and can be reused over and over again in different ways.

Boom.

The first challenge the boys tried their hand at was Professor D’s Hovercraft Challenge – obvs Ethan and I helped Nix a lot with his, he was just down to go crazy with the glue gun to be honest, but that’s every 4 year old’s prerogative lol.

Check out our Hovercraft Challenge Response Video here on the MindLabKids.com website.

Win a MindLabKids.com Starter Kit!

Get your kids excited about science and technology and they could win their own MindLabKids.com starter kit!

To enter;

Join Mind Lab Kids, if your kids are already a member then they are good to go!
Film and upload a challenge-response video to www.mindlabkids.com before 10am 10 December 2017.
That’s it!

Full terms and conditions can be found here, otherwise, the main point to note is that you must be a NZ resident.

This post was made possible by www.MindLabKids.com.

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family yarns Kiwi Kids

Raising Kiwi boys – the good, the bad and the muddy

Karicare Toddler is about as Kiwi as the kids that are we are raising here in New Zealand. As a Mum to a couple of Kiwi boys, Karicare Toddler asked me to have a think about what it means to me to be a Kiwi mum. Made right here in New Zealand, Karicare Toddler have been committed to using the goodness of New Zealand cows’ milk from Kiwi cows on Kiwi farms. How awesome is it that our kids can enjoy the benefits of amazing NZ dairy from their earliest years?!

13 years ago when I thought kids were (maybe?) a distant possibility in my future, I could only imagine parenting boys. The thought of raising a mini-Melissa terrified me – and rightly so if you ask my mother!

So imagine my ‘surprise’ when Dave and I fell pregnant whilst in the very early stages of planning our wedding. “Boys it is!” I assured Dave, only to be told at every single scan that we were expecting a girl.

The pink presents began rolling in. Despite living in Southern California at the time, baby girl had more pink blankets then she would ever be able to use and Mum had Pumpkin Patch on speed dial ready to snap up every cute girls outfit released that season.

Luckily most shops these days have a fantastic return policy. Baby girl was indeed, an Ethan. And then 8.5 years later, another bouncing, 10.4lb bundle of joy – Nixon – arrived.

Those are my qualifications for writing about Kiwi boys. I know nothing I can assure you, and what I and other mothers of boys do know is learned (or earned) through the school of hard knocks, lost socks and empty pantries.

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family yarns Kiwi Kids Two children deep, hindsight has proven what an absolute angel our first child was. It’s almost unfair that we didn’t realise how easy those first 8.5 years of parenting actually were. Because the bomb sure dropped when Nixon arrived.

The large age gap seemed like a dream initially. Ethan was completely smitten with his little brother, he’d waited for him a long time after being present at the sonographers appointment where we found out I’d miscarried during my previous pregnancy. He was/is a proud and protective (exasperated, tormented) big brother.

Nixon is ::: dramatic pause:::, the exception to every rule I thought I knew about parenting. He is, without doubt, the loudest person in the universe, the most full-on, stubborn, energizer bunny, tackle everything in his path then poke his finger in your eye just for kicks kid I have ever encountered. He is also, unerringly cuddly, affectionate, verbose and crazy smart.

We completely redecorated the house in 2011/12 and post-toddler-Nixon we will have to completely redecorate again. Rimu windowsills, painstakingly stripped and refinished are now scarred, scratched, chipped and dented. Walls, all re-plastered and painted have met the same fate. Cushions vs marker pens, couch vs ballpoint, carpet vs play dough/dirt/dinner, brand new kitchen flooring vs laundry basket zoomed across it at top speed. If you scoff and say “well, that’s just life with kids”, well perhaps. Toddler destruction totally caught me by surprise as Ethan in his 13 years on this earth, has never, ever damaged our home or furnishings.

Nix must have known I needed a great shot of him for the blog today so he obliged by mixing dirt for his vege planters………in his bedroom!

So, despite looking very, very similar our boys are as different as chalk and cheese and are also probably as different as night and day to the other million or so little boys that are growing up around New Zealand at the same time. That’s really the beauty of our little country in these modern times, differences are (for the most part) tolerated and celebrated. We are all raising our children in different family configurations, different housing arrangements, with different cultural influences and religious beliefs, more diets than you can shake a stick at but we are at peace amongst an alarming and ever-increasing rate of intolerance in the world around us.

The joy of both being a Kiwi kid and having the immense privilege to raise one – or 2 or 10 or however many you want – is an awesome journey to be on. Of course, it’s made infinitely easier when there are fab products such as Karicare Toddler that are made in New Zealand and help us give our kids a great start in life.

This post is brought to you by Karicare Toddler.

Win with The Best Nest!

I’ve got three $50 Gift Cards to the Warehouse to give away. To enter, just comment below with one thing you love about raising kiwi kids or one thing you love about living in New Zealand!

Competition closes Dec 10 2018. NZ residents only.

New Zealand's Top Mummy Blogger Parenting Travel Blog Family Herb Farm Serum Review

New Beauty – The Herb Farm Facial Serums + Skincare Minis

The Herb Farm NEW Enhanced Formula Facial Serums

If you love beautifully natural, New Zealand made skin care, you absolutely MUST visit The Herb Farm’s website if you’re not already familiar with their skincare and healing and therapeutic ranges. All products are produced on the farm, a family business that believes that ‘living a natural life shouldn’t cost a fortune or the earth’.

It’s easy for individuals and companies alike to rest on their laurels when they’ve got a good thing going. In contrast, The Herb Farm’s founder and herbalist Lynn Kirkland seems committed to pushing forward with new product development and improving existing formulas, which has resulted in the relaunch of their two serums.

Radiance Boost Facial Serum RRP $39.90 which targets; uneven skin tone, pigmented skin, redness, dull, tired and stressed skin, has been enhanced with Elderberry Extract resulting in a more easily absorbed formula

Renewal Advance Facial Serum RRP $46.90 gets to work on ageing concerns; fine lines and wrinkles, skin elasticity, environmental stressors and free radicals. The new formulation includes Gotu Kola Extract, further targeting the visible signs of ageing.

I use a serum every day under my moisturiser, I absolutely love them. The two little beauties from The Herb Farm will become firm faves in my routine. They are lightweight, silky smooth, absorb quickly and leave my skin feeling and looking fabulous. Really impressed with the 2 year BB date also as a little goes a long way with serum.

The Herb Farm Skincare Minis

I love skincare minis for two reasons; they are the perfect way to fine-tune your skincare routine, discover what works for you and experiment with a new brand or product before spending a lot of money on a full-size product. Secondly, I love them for travelling. I have way too much kid gear to lug around to be adding weight to my toiletry bag with large bottles and glass jars.

Just in time for Christmas gifting and summer roadies, The Herb Farm has released four Skincare Mini packs across each of their skin concern ranges; Signs of Aging Skincare Minis, Oily and Combination, Dry, and Normal/Sensitive.

Each system contains a cleanser, exfoliating powder, toner and face cream and is perfectly sized to slip into your hand-luggage. We are heading to Japan in the New Year so I’m super happy to have a complete skincare system – in mini! – to take with me.

RRP $ 34.90 – $39.90

Health – 5 Easy Ways to Improve your Sleep

This post was made possible by the world’s number #1 selling mattress protector, Protect-A-Bed, who know a thing or two about helping us get a good night’s sleep!

How many times have you caught yourself complaining about how tired you are, how you could sleep for days, how you need to go to bed earlier………only to repeat your unhealthy nocturnal habits over and over again? Every. Single. Day. Right?

Of all the health-related science that is becoming increasingly more available to consumers, info around the importance and wide-ranging benefits of adequate sleep is one field of research that provides equal benefit to all of us. A good nights sleep is crucial to both our mental and physical well-being, often identified as the third pillar of health along with exercise and nutrition.

If you’re wondering how much sleep is enough; adults need 7-9 hours of sleep, school-age kids require 9-11 and pre-schoolers need 10-13 hours. Nix heads to bed at 7 pm and wakes up at 6 am so he’s tracking well, Ethan (13) heads off at between 8.30 and 9 pm to wake at 6 am so he’s falling a bit short, but, it’s Dave and I who really need to hit the hay earlier. We wake up at 6 am every day so our late night Netflix bingeing has got to stop! In bed with the lights off by 10 pm at the latest should be what we are aiming for each evening.

Re-training our body clocks and resetting our natural circadian rhythms will no doubt take some time, but there are some tried and true tips for enhancing and encouraging sleep. I’m working on introducing the 5 ideas below into our night-time wind-down.

Sleep, COME AT ME!

5 Easy Ways to Improve your Sleep

Routine – The human body LOVES routine. Giving ourselves the same cues every day that it’s time to wind down and head to bed will set the scene for a great nights sleep. Here’s my new sleep-prep plan; drink 500mls of water, take my vitamins – including magnesium, wash-up, relax on my Shakti mat and read for 20 minutes, then lights out – by 10pm! Sounds so virtuous!
Turn off the Tech – Just. Do. It. Ethan is turning 13 next week and Dave and I had been allowing him to use his iPhone as an alarm clock. Before we made a rod for our own backs later on when we are deep in the teenage years, we purchased him an actual clock and implemented a no-screen policy in his room – much to his disgust. It’s well documented that the short wavelength blue light emitted by our digital devices disrupts sleep-inducing melatonin production. Dave and I will be walking the walk and removing our chargers from the bedroom, this should also help with late night Candy Crush zone outs when we should be snoozing!
Invest in your nest – Create a cozy, bedtime space that you crave at the end of a long day. Think linens you love, a clutter-free environment that promotes a sense of calm as well as the opportunity for healthful sleep and don’t forget to start at the bottom with your mattress protector. Look for one that is compatible with your needs; for eczema or allergy sufferers or those with sensitive skin, do your research. The entire range of Protect-A-Bed® products have been approved by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand’s Sensitive Choice Program plus, the TENCEL® range gets the tick with approval from the Eczema Association. I’m switching all of our beds over to Protect-A-Bed mattress protectors as the fitted sheet style is an absolute game-changer. I can’t believe I’ve been struggling to make the beds with those super-annoying, corner-loop style protectors for so many years, it makes me shudder just thinking about them to be honest!
Watch your temperature – I’m one of those annoying people who is cold all the time, so I LOVE being warm and snuggly in bed. But, our body naturally cools down as bedtime approaches, helping us both to fall and stay asleep. Evidence also suggests that allowing the body’s temp to drop naturally whilst sleeping has a beneficial effect on metabolism. So, if you haven’t ditched the heavy, winter weight duvet yet this spring, here’s your reminder!
Cut the consumption – Whether it’s nicotine, alcohol, caffeine or eating a large meal before bedtime, what you put in your mouth affects your quality of sleep. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants, no surprises there and though alcohol may have the perceived effect of helping you drop off to sleep, hours later, after alcohol levels drop, you may find yourself awake, restless and struggling to nod off again.

I popped the Protect-A-Bed® king-size Traditional Cotton mattress protector on our bed last weekend and we have slept like babes this week. No more crinkly, crunchy, plasticky feel which is awesome, but somehow the genius fabric is still waterproof and breathable – perfect for those nights (4/7 I’d say) when Nix sneaks into our bed.

Shop the full Protect-A-Bed® range here, or find a New Zealand retailer here.

Win yourself a Stay New Cotton Terry Mattress Protector!

Leave me a comment below with your preferred size and I’ll pick a winner to receive 1 x Protect-a-Bed Stay New Cotton Terry Mattress Protector!

Competition closes 24th Nov 2017.

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Parenting – Bright Ideas for Young Minds

A couple of weeks ago I attended an event that was a little bit different from those I normally go to each week. It wasn’t a cosmetic/foodie/makeup event, it wasn’t a glamorous, heels and frock, dress-to-the-nines occasion (thank god!). It was a book launch. A beautiful thought-provoking, inspiring book launch that gave me all the feels and left me with an innate desire to be a better mother.

Cripes that’s pretty heavy!

Bright Ideas for Young Minds is a book that screams for your attention as soon as you lay eyes on it. It’s big, robust and beautifully designed, printed and bound, with fun and exciting content to match. But what is it? It’s an activity book brought to life by New Zealand’s largest early learning provider, BestStart and written by kiwi educators with contributions from Plunket, Heart Foundation NZ and Jumping Beans.

In short, it’s amazing.

As well as providing parents and caregivers with a resource chocka-block full of 70 step-by-step activities that cost little or nothing, what Bright Ideas for Young Minds does so well (for me at least!) is remind me how easy it is to bring great joy to my kids. Showing love through mindful, yet incredibly simple play is the very best education every child deserves. The great part is, creating positive interactions such as those included in the book, are play options accessible to every New Zealand caregiver. Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration, a gentle reminder that the currency most cherished by children is our time.

Bright Ideas for Young Minds (Mary Egan Publishers $39.95) is an amazing resource for anyone caring for kiwi kids age 0-6 years and is available now from all leading bookstores.

Win a copy of Bright Ideas for Young Minds!

Tell me how you’d benefit from this beautiful book, or, who you’d gift it to in the comments below. I’ll draw the winner drawn 11/12/17, NZ residents only.

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