It's The Little Things

The small things that make me smile.

The windchimes hanging on our back verandah.

Every so often I hear the twinkling of the chimes during the day, and it makes me happy.

Rainy days.

I don't think I would like them everyday, but sometimes I just love waking up to rain and falling asleep to the sound of rain.

The view of our backyard.

I love the view of trees, but what I love most is the beautiful birds that live in them. It's a joy to watch them flying around from tree to tree. 

My pet chickens and cat. This is the gorgeous Mary.

I could sit all day and watch our chickens scratch around the backyard. They are such happy little ladies clucking about eating grubs and pecking at the pegs near the clothesline.

We have a beautiful cat, Louis and he is the most friendly and chilled-out cat you could ever meet. His cuddles are always appreciated.

Cooking and baking.

I love food and I love cooking it. Once a week I will sit down and plan meals for the week. This is possibly my favourite duty as a house wife because it gives me a chance to discover new recipes to try out.

Flowers from our front garden.

Our garden is full of native plants (and some weeds) and I find some really pretty flowers in there. I am looking forward to Spring when colour will burst but Winter delights me too.

I guess what I am saying is, appreciate the little things around you. Discover the beauty of nature. And laugh when something amuses you.

Have Fun!

Renee x

Treats In The Mail

Aussie Subscription Boxes for the Eco Lover.

Im still captured by the world of subscription boxes. Every month or so to recive a small parcel of goodies is always nice right? My first subscription was with Bella Box a few years ago, I loved receiving mail and new beauty products to try. Then I signed up with Lust have It! And more joy came in the post. I quickly discovered that after a while these boxes didnt really fit my niche for cruelty free, eco concious cosmetics. So I went looking for some others.

There is a huge range of Eco subscription boxes out there for those people who like beauty, snacks and tea, right here in Australia.

The Vegan Box costs$26.95 month: The fresh way to discover the best new vegan, cruelty free, healthy, and natural products out there!

Every month you’ll receive a box bursting with vegan goodness, delivered straight to your door!  You’ll get to try 5 – 8 assorted snacks, superfoods, skincare and/or lifestyle products, in a combination of full size, travel size and sample sizes. Always 100% vegan and palm oil free.

The Vegan Beauty Box $49.95 every two months: The Vegan Beauty Box is the easy way to discover luxurious, cruelty free and organic brands for your body. You can rest assured knowing that every product is 100% free of animal ingredients, and animal testing.

Every 2nd month you’ll discover 5 to 8 of the best new natural, chemical free and palm-oil free beauty products. No nasty parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, paraffin, lead, SLS, PABA or other dodgy ingredients you can’t pronounce!

The Vegan Beauty Box is bursting with skin-loving goodies, ranging from full size, sample size and travel sized items, and is always valued at over $60. A new Vegan Beauty Box is released every 2nd month.

Native box: $16.60 month: Every month receive a box of natural samples delivered straight to your doorstep, with only the finest products sourced by the Native Box Team.

Native box Beauty: $22.45 per quarter: This is our most requested box and is ideal for the eco conscious women who loves to know that all things natural are going on her skin. Delivered straight to your work or home. A range of the newest and best selling natural and or organic beauty products. A box full of natural skin care and cosmetics for the healthy ladies! 
Reviews:
Autumn 2015
Summer 2015
Spring 2014
Winter 2014

Notox Box: Snackfood $28.95 per month: Our original healthy subscription box is best for discovery!  

If you're new to healthy living, want to find non toxic products, or are overwhelmed by the choices available, this is the box for you!  We hand pick a range of natural & organic products and pack them up in a surprise box for you to enjoy each month.   It has a little bit of everything!

Each month, you'll receive 5- 8 products including:

• All products are natural, organic, eco friendly or ethical (cruelty free, sustainable, fairtrade) 
• organic food, health food or superfoods 
• natural and organic skincare and beauty products
• wellness, eco home or healthy lifestyle products

Notox Box Superfood Snack Subscription Box starting at $28.95 per month: A surprise delivery of superfoods and healthy snacks for you to discover every month!

Picture: Eco Brides

Beauty Box Flora and Fauna Seasonal $29.99: Flora & Fauna craft seasonal beauty boxes so you are able to discover and try different natural products you might not have used before.

We always choose seasonally relevant products and have a mixture of full size, trial and sample sizes. 

We send seasonally so we don't overload you with product and so we can select stunning, relevant product you'll want to use.

Buy one box or four seasons worth to really experience all of Flora & Fauna throughout the year. And with the Four Seasons box you get free delivery on each box.

Note this is not a subscription where you pay monthly, seasonally or annually; it's a one off payment whether it be one box or four so you don't have to worry about cancelling payments or getting something you don't want. 

Harvest Box 7.95 Per snack box, Delivered Monday to Friday.

Receive a box full of delicious snacks straight to your desk without any 'snack guilt.' Each box contains four delicious snack varieties for you to nibble on during the week!
Review:
For The Healthy Snackers

Goodness me box $25.00 per month: Our aim is to provide you food with integrity. We source only the highest quality health food brands that share our passion to provide wholesome and natural food products that are GMO-free and which are two or more of the following: Organic, sustainable, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free or vegan.

                                   

Spiced Fig $55.00 Per tote bag: Your tote will be contain 6-8 full size artisan products, boutique products for you to discover. Start creating delicious meals & desserts, share photos & connect with the community. Schedule some time for indulgence and look forward to your next tote delivery.

Crave Good Food $149.85 3 month subscription: We scout the country for quality food finds made by Australian food makers to treat you to a new food discovery. At Crave Good Food, ‘artisan’ signifies food made with passion & integrity. We celebrate food makers & producers who are not afraid to experiment & be creative with their quality ingredients, tools or technique.

Crave Good Food not only supports the food maker who creates small batch food with much passion & detail, but also the talented producer who chooses local ingredients to turn traditional, family recipes in to good quality food that we crave.

Tea with Alice: $24.95 month for fours teas: Tell us what types of tea you like, and that is what we will send you to explore. Each sachet of tea contains about 8-10 cups for you to enjoy. Great to gift the tea lovers!

Review:

For Lovers Of Tea

What is your favourite subscription box service? Have I missed any out?

Have Fun!

Renee x

Hair Rejuvenation Treatment

Frizz No More!

 The Time has come the walrus said to talk of many things. Actually, just one thing today. My experience with the Hair Rejuvination Treatment from Hair and Me*. This comes in a handy squeezable sachet type packet that ensures you get every last drop of product out. The Hair Rejuvenation Treatment is 100% oil based and is designed to be used as a pre shampoo treatment to help repair, strengthen and moisturise your hair. An impressive ingredient list contains nothing other than 100% Organic Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Oil and Jojoba Oil.

Now to 'What I Thought'. As per instructions I applied the treatment and left it in for more than 45 minutes (1 ½ hours) before washing it out. The application was a tad messy as I neglected to place it in the fridge for a few minutes to help the oils solidify, but that's OK. I threw my hair up with a clip and went about my evening, not dripping oil everywhere.

One thing that bothered me was that after I shampooed my hair twice to wash out the oil, then condition it, there was still an uncomfortable layer of oil covering my hair. It actually took me about two days to get rid of all the excess oil on my hair. And let me tell you I hate having oily hair.

But I suppose the big question is, did it work? I can't exactly say that my hair felt totally moisturised, however that horrendous-Winters Frizz- has significantly died down. I feel that this hair rejuvenation treatment would be a wonderous thing if you had frizzy hair and you have the patience to wait a couple of days for the oil to completely wash out. I also feel that this Hair Rejuvination Treatment would be best served as a long term hair care routine because I didn't really see any major happenings after just one application. However I'm dubious about reapplying it because of the above mentioned 'two days to de-oilyfy' situation. I have one more application of this sachet left but I will wait until summer and see if it does anything major for my -Summer Sun- type hair.

What do you think about hair oils?

Have Fun!

Renee x

Ho Ho Ho! Jingle all the way with Lush!

Lush Christmas In July.

July is a wonderful time of year where the rain comes out to play, frosty windows greet you in the morning and Lush bring out their Christmas range just for the nostalgic Christmas lovers. That’s me.

I have used a few of the Christmas range last year and loved the Celebrate Body Lotion $32.50 but this week I was sent the Candy Mountain Bubble Bar* and the Eggsnog Lip Balm* to try out.

The Candy Mountain Bubble Bar $6.95–which my husband pointed out smells like Jelly- is completely visually appealing. A shimmering swirl of white and candy pink in a mountain shape is the best way for me to describe it. And yes it smells like Strawberry jelly to me. A candy sweet scent wafting up my nose only reminds me of the sweets on the table at Christmas time. The water in the bath turns to a gorgeous pink colour that my daughter loves and it fills the bathroom with such a fun and uplifting scent. This is a gorgeous little treat when I have had a bad day.

Eggsnog lip balm applies clear and leaves a slight pearlised sheer to the lips. Its very hard in the tin and I needed to rub my finger a few times to help it melt, I have to admit I prefer softer lip balms . The scent of this lip balm is definitely interesting, it smells like a cosy winters day. Quiet literally! Hazelnut and walnut oils bring warmth and cinnamon adds spice and depth to this simple but ultra yummy balm. My lips enjoy the moisturising benefits of Cocoa, Shea and Murumuru Butters and a touch of Lemon oil helps to tone the soft and delicate skin on the lips. I am feeling the love for this lip balm and I hope Lush brings this out for Christmas this year because I will certainly stock up!

What Lush Christmas In July Products are you dying to revisit?

Have fun!

Renee x

*Review* Dr Hauschka Night Serum

Revitalising Night Care

For as long as I can remember I have always used a moisturiser or serum at night. I believe that your skin works differently at night when you are sleeping, It repairs itself and fight environmental damage, as well as many other things. The DR Hauschka Night Serum* $79.00 is designed with night-time skin in mind. This serum is supposed to be ' revitalising night care that supports this skins essential process'. I have been using this for a few weeks now and I can say two things about this serum. 1. Yes it does revitalise your skin. 2. Don't expect it to happened straight away.

I used this serum for two weeks and I ready to give up on it when, 'BAM' almost overnight I realised that my skin does look a teeny bit improved. That's when the dramatic changes started taking place. My skin didn't particularly feel moisturised but it was noticeably smoother, like babys' bottom smoother. I'm impressed. My chin doesn't have a flushed look to it and my cheeks feel soft and did I mention smooth? So very smooth.

I seriously can say that my skin has never looked better and it may have to do with this night serum.

The Dr Hauschka Night Serum works by stimulating the renewal process at night making the skin look fresh and radiant in the morning. The two main active ingredients are Organic Berner Rose Apple Blossom Extract and Apple Fruit Hydrosol. This combination invites the skin to open up leaving a radiant, fresh and firm complexion in the morning.

I would recommend this Night Serum for all skin types as it is not oily or drying. For Women 40+ Dr Hauschka Regenerating Serum is a better pick.

Do you like the sound of this? 

Have Fun!

Renee x

Moreish Exfoliator and Clay Mask Review

Moreish Is Superfood For Your Skin

Top: Exfoliator

Bottom: Clay Mask

Walking into Priceline the other week I decided to try something completely different. I knew I needed some new skincare, but what brand should I try? It's hard to walk past the beautiful packaging of Moreish skincare. Large writing on a blue background make this eye-catching box worth a double-take and I am a big fan of the floral detail on the side.

Pondering over the enticing range of cleansers, moisturisers and Serums, I finally decided to take home the Exfoliator and Clay Mask. Moorish is made in New Zealand and is a company that uses 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil, no artificial colours or fragrances and is free from Parabens and Phenoxyethanol (chemical preservative).

My initial thought on the scent of the Exfoliator was like 'soapy roses', such a delicate and old-worldy fragrance belongs in your grannys bedroom. But somehow it really works. This is not a synthetic smell either, thanks to the Argan, Kiwifruit and Jojoba, they blend together to create a subtle and pretty scent.

The Exfolatior has a creamy consistency and is suitable for all skin types. With tiny Jojoba beads throughout, this gives a thorough but gentle clean. Creamy exfoliators are my preferred choice because I feel they are not as drying on my skin compared to gel based formulas. After using the Exfoliator I can see my skin looking refreshed.

However its after I use the Clay Mask that I really notice a difference. I have to admit this is my favorite. Again, there is only a slight scent which is good if your going to wear something on your face for 15 minutes and I felt no tingling or sensitivity that I have been getting a lot with other brands. My skin is loving the Kaolin Clay, Manuka Honey and Organic Argan Oil that is sucking up all that yuck congestion but also putting some of that much needed hydration and healing into my skin. The most important thing for me about masks is how they dry. I don't like it when clay masks crack and shed and I prefer them not the become a goopy mess and slide off like many gel masks. The Moorish clay mask does neither of these which is a relief.

I think it is safe to say that these two products are on my repurchase list. My dull Winter skin has soaked all the goodness from these two wonders and is bouncing back and looking fab.

Have you tried Moorish Skincare? What do you think of them?

Want to try? Head to the Moreish Website: http://moreishskincare.com/

Have Fun!

Renee x

Basics: Cruelty free, natural ingredients, made in New Zealand

5 Beauty Hacks For Busy Mums

5 Practical Tips

As mum we compromise and multi task almost everything. One thing that I have spend a great deal of effort doing is making sure I have a healthy skin care and beauty regime.

1. Wear a face mask whilst doing the dishes. It takes two seconds to apply a mask, but who has fifteen minutes to spare waiting for it to do it's magic when there is housework to do? Pop your mask on and sweep the floors or fold the washing, it may not be that relaxing experience that you hope for but at least your skin is getting a little TLC. ( I always apply my face mask on before I do the morning dishes.)
2. Keep a couple of hair bands around your wrist; and a bobby pin in your hair at all times. I can't tell you the amount of times I have had lovely neat hair when I walk out the door, then I pick up Miss E and she grabs it with sandy hands or the wind fizzes it up. Having a hair tie handy is very practical.
3. Keep facewipes on your bedside table. Hands up who goes to bed and can't be bothered cleansing, toning and moisturising before snuggling up in your comfy doona? I can put two hands up. Having a good quality facewipe next to you will make it easier to clean your face and not actually get out of bed. 
4. Have a Tangle teaser in your hand bag/nappy bag. This is something I have recently started to keep in my everyday bag. If your out and about and your hair needs a quick touch up these hand sized brushes make all the difference. They are also handy for quickly brushing out knotty toddler hair.
5. Keep a nail file in the kitchen. We have a lot of quick bursts of time waiting for the kettle to boil or toast to pop so if you like neat nails now is the time to reach for that nail file and maintain those pointers.

 Do you have any other time saving advice?

Have fun!

Renee x