Moi-meme Luxe - The Senses Box - 2021

                                     

Hello and welcome to another post! I know that I promised in my last post in October that I would do better with posting on here, and then haven't posted anything since. Oops. Better late then never though right!? Right. 

So todays post will be paired with another YouTube video - in which I unbox the Luxe Box that I talk about in todays post. You don't have to watch / read both, but if you do want to watch the video you can find it here.

Cashmere Mix Bed Socks - RRP £23

So, this was actually the last item I got to in my unboxing, but the first when I came to write todays post. As cliché as it might seem to receive socks around Christmas time, I was very pleased to have got them - so pleased that I'm wearing them right now! 

I'm a massive lover of cosy bed socks and I have to say that my current ones have been worn to death a little bit, so it was lovely to receive a brand new pair to relax around the house in. The material is warm, but not overly thick, so you could easily wear these under a pair of boots out and about. These socks were available in three colours: Blue, Pink and Cream, and I myself received the blue pair - as these are reserved for relaxing in the evenings, I can't say that I'd have had any preference either way. 

London Botanical Laboratories - Bakuchiol + CBD 8 Hour Renew Night Cream - RRP £79-£89

I'm always very pleased to receive skincare in my boxes - especially one with a retail price such as this one, because I would be very unlikely to splurge that kind of money just to try something out. This is one of the many reasons I love this particular subscription box, as I receive items that I would typically overlook, or be too concerned about the price to try.

I didn't want to talk too much about this product in my unboxing video because I wanted to try it out first, but having now trialled this night cream for over a month I can confirm: I love it. Being a night cream I was slightly concerned that it would be thick and heavy in texture (something I usually avoid because it causes me to break out) but it's actually light and fast absorbing into the skin. The cream leaves absolutely no residue behind and my skin felt improved from the very first application. 

Having used for a month I can honestly say that I have noticed a positive change to my skin. My skin type is very much combination - I'm very oily in the summer, and then in the winter I switch to painfully dry skin. Using this twice a day has kept the dryness at bay, and kept me with clear and comfortable skin. 

There were three variations of this product, which were: Anti aging, smoothing and renewing (which is what I got) Hydrating, Smoothing and Protective. And finally Brightening, lightweight and Glow-giving. 

River Birch Candle - RRP £12    

Now, I could smell this product before I even opened the box, which is testament to how good it is! This beautiful little candle packs a good punch when it comes to the scent, but at the same time isn't sickly or overpowering. I can't comment on the burn time yet, as I haven't got all the way through this candle, but I can confirm that so far the burn has been even and clean.

This candle easily filled our large living room, and is a pleasure to use at this time of year. Whilst I received 'Apple Cinnamon', I would have been more than happy with any of the alternatives, which were: Pumpkin Spice, Maple Cinnamon, Warm Vanilla Cotton and Firewood. 

Coco Pzazz - Chocolate Bar - RRP £3    

I always look forward to the sweet treats in the Moi-meme boxes, because again, I always receive things that I either didn't know existed, or things I wouldn't think to pick up and try. In my box I received the Rose and Raspberry Dark Chocolate bar, which was one of two vegan options. 

The other possible options in the box were; Ginger and Dark Chocolate (vegan), Peanut Brittle Milk Chocolate, Toasted Almond Milk Chocolate, Caramel and Honeycomb White Chocolate, and Salted Pistachio White Chocolate. Aside from the first alternative, it's safe to say that I would have been happy with any one of these. The bar I did receive was absolutely delicious and a nice chance seeing as I don't usually have dark chocolate in the house.

Joma Jewellery London - RRP £14-£19

Next up in the box was a pretty silver necklace by Joma Jewellery. The card actually described it as a bracelet, but given the length of the chain I'm convinced it's a necklace - I've even worn it as one! 

Jewellery can be tricky for me, as I don't usually wear it, but the necklace I received is very pretty, and I'm pleased to confirm that I have found occasion to wear it!

Naturally European Lip Balm - £5

Last but by no means least was a decent sized lip balm in the flavour mint. Admittedly mint probably isn't the flavour I would have chosen out of the selection, although that is more down to a mental block about mint flavoured products than anything else. I typically find that anything 'mint' related for the lips will tingle and be uncomfortable. I urm'ed and arr'd about exchanging this item for another flavour, before deciding to go ahead and try it. I was pleased to find there was no uncomfortable tingling, which makes this perfect to chuck in my handbag to keep the winter weather at bay.

The other available flavours were: Ginger and Line, Grapefruit, Elderberry, Blackcurrant, and Pomegranate. 

All in all, this was an absolutely fantastic box to receive. If you are interested in subscribing to your own Luxury box with Moi-meme, the current price for an annual subscription is £54.95. Given everything received in the box you more than get your moneys worth, and as such I highly recommend giving it a try. 

Do you subscribe to any subscription boxes? I'd love to hear about them!

Moi-meme Monthly - The Warmth Box - October 2021

I feel like there’s nothing more difficult after a long break from blogging than getting yourself back into it. As much as you might have great intentions, you find yourself sitting there with your fingers hovering over the keys, and absolutely nothing manifesting onto the page in front of you. For that reason, I’ve opted for my first post back to be one that I’ve always enjoyed writing: A Moi-meme box review.

 

In addition to a review here, I have also filmed an unboxing video where you can hear more on the wonderful products received. You can find the unboxing over on my YouTube channel or by clicking this link. This month box was aptly named ‘The Warmth Box’ which is just the perfect theme now that the nights are drawing in and its getting colder. Here’s what Moi-meme had to say about this months box:

 

“As we settle into Autumn we’re fully embracing all the season has to offer: snuggling up in front of a roaring fire, bracing walks and comfort food. This months edition is The Warmth Box and is filled with cosy treats to keep the cold at bay”

 

Sounds wonderful right? Let’s get right into the contents of this months box!

 

MSH Pink and Grey Star Blanket Scarf

This large blanket scarf is beautifully soft to the touch, and features a grey and pink check patter with a star design woven into the fabric. The scarf isn’t over thick, but feels like it will be absolutely perfect for keeping you warm and cosy. I intend to keep this in my desk at work, to drape over myself when it’s cold – which is has been in the afternoons over the past few weeks. If I don't keep it at work, I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this with the cosy fabric and attractive design. 

 

Paper Plant Night Bath Salts

Sadly the packaging for this did open in the box during transit, so there were some bath salts floating around the inside of the box – however, this is the first time I have ever had an item in my Moi-meme box even slightly damaged. To be fair I don’t think it was even damaged, I think it was down to the packaging being slightly open at the top.

Regardless, these bath salts, derived from Dead Sea salts and scented with Lavender and Ylang Ylang aim to help provide relaxation and a restful nights sleep. These have come at the perfect time, as I have recently run out of a different batch of bath salts, and enjoy using them over winter.

Given that I've been feeling unwell with stiff and sore joints these have been an absolute godsent for me, and the lavender scent is my usual go to when I'm having trouble sleeping. 

 

Frank’s Dipped Milk Chocolate and Honeycomb Biscuits

Last but my no means least is these absolutely mouth-watering biscuits. I’ve been having technical issues with filming for YouTube, and switched over to using my laptop camera just so I didn’t have to wait to be able to tuck into these.

These are a little different to the usual chocolate bars, and recommended to enjoy alongside a mug of something warm and reviving. Absolutely perfect for this time of year, and I’ll certainly be doing exactly that!

All in all I was really pleased with this months box, and love each and every item received in it. The theme is spot on  for this time of year, and as usual, Moi-meme did a great job at producing a well thought out box.

I can't wait to see what I get in the November box, and keep an eye out for a review of the quarterly box!

Roasted Duck Breast - Hello Fresh Review

Hello and welcome to a new series I’m starting out: Foodie Friday. I’ve made a fair few food and recipe related posts in the past, and quite enjoy writing them. I’ve started to get more into my cooking of late and have started to try out ‘Hello Fresh’, a food subscription service that will send you exactly what you need (no more or less) to create your chosen meal(s).

I’ll be running this alongside of my brand new YouTube channel, which will have a step by step visual showing you what to do with the ingredients listed in this post. As I’ve already fallen into the routine of a plant video every Tuesday, I think I’ll start this off as every other Friday – starting today! You can find the first Foodie Friday video that covers this recipe here.

 

Today I’ll also be doing a review of the meal itself, as well as my thoughts on Hello Fresh, having now used their service for a few weeks.

 

The ingredients you need to make this recipe are:

 

225g Chantenay Carrots

1-2 garlic cloves – depending on preference

450g potatoes

2 Duck breasts

1 teaspoon of honey

100ml of water

25g Redcurrant Jelly

Red wine stock paste

1 Bunch of flat leaf Parsley

 

Each serving counts towards 1 of your 5 a day, and contains 560 calories. Most of the meals I’ve had from Hello Fresh count towards 2-3 of your 5 a day,  but given that this is very much a ‘treat’ meal and not one I would have all the time, this isn’t a problem for me at all.

 

Now, I found this recipe extremely easy to follow, which was great given how delicious the meal turned out to be. It was easily equivalent in quality to what I would pay for in a restaurant, and although I did have to pay a few pounds extra per serving for this meal, it still cost no where near what it would if I ate out.

 

The cost of your Hello Fresh box will vary according to what plan you are on. Mine costs £34.99 per week and contains 4 meals for two people. This works out to £4.00 per serving – although the cost will increase if you choose certain menu items. These items are always marked that they cost extra, with a price per portion. I tend to avoid these unless I want a more extravagant meal for one reason of another, be it date night, or that I just wanted a particular meal that week.

 

The food comes in a large box that is fairly well protected. Items that need to be kept cold are kept in a padded bag with freezer pack inside. The freezer packs can be reused, and I’ve been taking the padded lining out of the bags to use as and when I send plants in the post to keep them more protected.

 

I did have one box turn up with things missing from it, which was kind of irritating, and whilst I fortunately had the missing ingredient in my cupboard, it does kind of defeat the purpose of having this box. There is a section on the Hello Fresh website to report damaged or missing items, but as I had the missing things I didn’t need to use it – so therefore can’t comment on how efficient it is as getting the replacements to you.

 

All in all I’ve really enjoyed tying this box out, and aside from the one missing item the whole process has been really easy. Now that I’m working in the office part time again it’s really nice to be able to arrange my box for a weekend or day I’m working at home and not have to spend time in a supermarket when I want to get home after a long day. This box has also introduced variety into our diet, as so far we haven’t had two meals the same.

 

It's brought joy back into cooking and I would highly recommend giving it a try – even if only once. So, if you haven’t already, head over to my YouTube and watch me put this delicious dish together!

Moi-meme Monthly - The Coconut Box - August 2021

Hello and welcome to another Moi-meme monthly box! If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you’ll know that I’m a big fan of this subscription service and look forward to it every month. This month’s box is coconut themed, in honour of our much loved beach holidays – a distant memory of the past, but hopefully they’ll be back soon!

 

Here's what Moi-meme had to say about this months box:

 

“The heatwave may have passed but this month’s ox will have you picturing yourself in the Caribbean in no time: the gentle crash of the waves, palm trees swaying above your head and a coconut shell filled with fruity rum punch in your hand. Our latest edition is a celebration of the coconut – a multipurpose mystery (is it a fruit? A nut? A seed!?) that brings something special to everything from sun cream to cooking oil to Bounty bars.”

Moi-meme

 

As with my last post I’m trying something a little bit different and creating a little video to accompany my post. If you’d like to watch it just head over to my new YouTube channel and watch it here. So, without any more talking from me, let’s have a look at what I got in this month’s box!

 

Dock and Bay – Cracked Coconut Beach Towel

The first item I pulled from the depths of my box was this rather attractive beach towel. Dock and Bay have revolutionised holiday towel by using recycled plastic to create them. Not only is this a massive plus for the environment, but the design of the towel will dry you three times faster than the standard cotton towel – so it’s convenient to! Even better, the towel doesn’t get sand stuck to it so you don’t have to worry about brining half the beach home with you.

 

I do rather love the cracked coconut design on the towel itself, and it’ll be absolutely perfect for it we manage to go on our holiday to Mexico later this year. The neat and compact pouch will also come in handy and ensure it doesn’t take up too much space in my suitcase.

 

Dr. Botanicals – Cocoa & Coconut Superfood Reviving Hydrating Mask

Time outside with prolonged exposure to the sun can leave our skin feeling a little dryer than normal, so this mask was included in this month’s box to add some much needed hydration back into the skin. This mask is packed full of antioxidants and fatty acids to protect the skin, while also helping to smooth and hydrate it.

 

I was slightly hesitant to try this mask out, simply because coconut in skin care tends to not agree with my skin. Nine times out of ten it’ll clog my pores and give me a minor breakout. However, upon trying this mask for the stated 10 minutes and then following up with a cleaner, I can confirm that  my skin was fine. It felt soft, supple and moisturised without any pesky spots appearing as a result.

 

Joey Koala Toasted Coconut Gourmet Caramel Popcorn

Makers of gourmet, air-popped popcorn, Joey Koala have devised their own recipe to coat the corn with their own caramel. This toasted  coconut popcorn is on theme with the box, and combines the delicate flavour or coconut with the sweetness of caramel.

 

I always look forward to the sweet treat in my Moi-meme boxes, and this one did not let me down at all. Rather than eating it right away (which is my norm to be honest) I saved this one for a movie night with the Husband. As is usual for everything chosen by Moi-meme it was absolutely delicious, and rather moreish.

 

 

All in all I really liked this box, and it’s very handy to have another item ticked off the list of things I need for my holiday later in the year. So thank you Moi-meme for yet another fantastic box!

 

Do you have any subscription boxes? Tell me all about them in the comments below!

Plant Diaries June & July 2021

Hello and welcome to another instalment of the plant diaries! It’s been a crazy few months for new growth and there have even been a few propagations recently too! I didn’t actually think I would have any new additions to report the last few months, but I actually have two, one of which is rather special!

 

As per usual, I’ll follow the usual layout of new growth, new additions and then finish up with my wish list plants. So with no further delay, let’s get stuck in;

 

New Growth

Pilea Mojito

I decided to try my hand at propagating these, as the mother plant had sprouted a few pups. I simply pulled them out of the pot (off the mother plant) and put into their own pots with soil. You can root these in water before potting apparently, but from what I read they are happy to be rooted straight away in soil.

 

I can only assume that this is correct and they are happy because they’ve both suddenly started making new little leaves for me! It will be interesting to see if the variegation that is present on the mother plant will also be present in the babies, as at the moment they are too small to really tell.

 

Philodendron White Princess

When this new leaf starting to form I was slightly concerned that I was going to get a pretty much all white leaf. Whilst these are very pretty, the white part cannot photosynthesise, which means the leaf can’t sustain itself and eventually dies. The new leaf has emerged fairly white, but there is a health splash of green on it as well. Enough I think to sustain the leaf. I had considered taking a cutting off this plant when it got a bit bigger, but I don’t think I want to at the moment, and will leave it to get a bit bigger first. Plus the spacing in between the nodes is quite tight still, so it would make for a rather difficult cut if I did it now.

 

Variegated Monstera

As I suspected when this featured in my last post, this leaf has come out with a fair amount of white on it, which is great. It’s slightly larger than the previous leaves, but not much, so I don’t think I’ll be seeing any splits in the leaves for a while, but for now I’ll enjoy seeing how each new leaf looks. There has since been another new leaf, and again, this is one I'm considering cutting so that I can have two and make for a fuller plant.

 

Snake Plant

These are really easy to keep, and my original plant has sprouted up some pups recently. Removing the pups is my favourite way to duplicate this plant. You can cut the tops of the leaves and root them, but as the original leaf then doesn’t grow back where you cut it I’m not a fan of this method. I gave one of the pups to a friend of mine a little while back and it needed to be moved to a bigger pot. So I’ve put some more pubs in with it for her so she can have a fuller looking plant.

 

Syngonium Albo

I decided to chop my albo in June to grow out a new cutting! Whilst I had partly cut it with the intention of rooting and selling, I think I'll to it instead so that I have two mother plants. My Albo is among my favourites, so the more of them I have in my cabinet the better! I'll actually be tacking another cutting soon, so I'll then be up to three of the same plant! I've also promised a cutting to my friend Katie, so having three on the go means I can (hopefully) get one rooted and with her soon.

New Additions

Calethea White Fusion

I’ve been wanting one of these for a little while, but haven’t got one because there has always been something else that I want more. I spotted this while out in my local garden centre, and as they aren’t normally in regular shops, and it was a good size decided to snap it up.

 

It appeared to pretty root bound when I got it, but after I’d removed the substrate from the roots it became apparent that some of the roots had died off. I’ve cut these away and popped back in its original pot with a Soil Ninja mix specifically designed for Calethea.

 

The White Fusion is known to be the most picky of the Calethea, and doesn’t like to live in low humidity. In fact, they seem to like quite high humidity levels. On that basis, I’ve placed mine in the plant cabinet, in the second from the bottom shelf, where humidity levels rarely drop below 60%. Even there it started to crisp, so it is now in with the tropical plants that sit above 80% humidity.

 

Philodendron Florida Beauty

This is a rather special new addition, and one that I actually mentioned in my last post as a wish list plant! As I said in my last post, I didn’t think I’d be getting one of these for quite some time. Mainly because they are quite sought after and expensive, and I’ve got a holiday to save for first.

 

Well, turns out that my friend Katie has been paying a lot of attention to my wish list, because she got me a Florida Beauty cutting as an early present for my birthday in July. It was a lovely surprise, and for the time being I initially left it in the perlite she’s put it in and popped it into the plant cabinet, but I have since moved it to PON, which gave me a chance to check the root growth, which is coming along very slowly. Being a Philodendron, I was hoping it will be as easy to root as the White Princess was, but from a little reading, it would seem that they are quite slow, which is fine by me.

 

Wish List

 

There are just two plants on my wish list at the moment, and neither are going to be added to my collection any time soon. At the top of my list at the moment is the Syngonium Milk Confetti (not to be mixed up with the regular confetti) and a Monstera Aurea. The Aurea in particular is out of reach in terms of pricing, but I'm happy to take my time waiting for the prices to drop to get one.

There sums up my plant additions and changes for June and July! I have actually had another three arrive recently, but as they came in August they'll be featured in the next instalment. Have you made any new plant purchases recently?

Moi-meme Luxe - The Jet Set Box - July 2021

Those of you who have been around for a little while will know that I currently have two separate subscription boxes with Moi-meme. As I couldn’t decide which one I wanted between the two, I have both, the monthly box, and the quarterly luxury box. 

 

Today’s post is about the quarterly box, also known as the Luxe box. The Luxe box is £54.95 per box, or £199.95 for four boxes. Subscribing will result in a box delivered to you in January, April, July and October. Now I know for some the Luxe box came appear a little pricey, so if you wanted to try the brand out I would recommend subscribing to the monthly box, which is £22.95 per month and can even be purchased as a one off box. You can check out my latest monthly box here.

 

For July we had ‘The Jet Set’ box. The inspiration for this box came from the world slowly beginning to open back up. From the hopes of freedom and international travel, the Jet Set Box was born. So, without any further delay, lets get stuck straight in with the contents of the July box!

 

Chasing Threads – Stitch Map Luggage Tag – RRP £25.00

 

First up in my box was this gorgeous little leather luggage tag from ‘Chasing Threads’. I’ve haven’t come across this brand previously but when I read the little story about how it came to be, I thought it was quite sweet story. Chasing Threads was founded by Em Royston, and it all started following a road trip across the USA with her boyfriend back in 2015. As a little memento of their trip together, Em stitched the route they had taken onto a map to frame as a gift for her boyfriend’s birthday. Em then developed this into a fabric cross stitch for the company she was working for at the time, before eventually setting up on her own.

 

The story made me think back to when Mike and I spent a few months travelling in the USA a few years ago. The brand doesn’t just do luggage tags either, the range includes passport covers, tote bags, travel wallets and much more. If you don’t want something travel related, that’s absolutely fine because Chasing Threads has all kinds of other products to choose from.

 

For the ‘Jet Set Box’ we were sent these cute leather luggage tags, that came in a variety of colours. Those who have opted to receive vegan products were sent a slightly different PU tag instead. I got the navy tag with gold and teal thread, which probably would have been my first choice or colour, closely followed by the grey tag.

 

Lola’s Apothecary – Body Soufflé – RRP £38.00 - £43.00

 

As a long time subscriber of Moi-meme, I have actually come across this brand before in the form of a candle that I really enjoyed. Lola’s Apothecary are based on a cattle farm in Devon and formulate all their products in small batches by hand. Each and every product is designed to bring an element of self-care to the user, be it a relaxing scent, a salt bath, some yummy chocolate or wonderfully soft skin. The brand is quite pricey, but from what I’ve tried so far it’s safe to say that you are paying for a quality product that’s a real treat to use.

 

This gorgeously presented Body Soufflé is said to work wonders on dry or rough skin, which I’m suffering a little bit of at the moment thanks to an eczema flare up. The soufflé itself is vegan friendly, and made from 100% natural ingredients. Subscribers were sent the soufflé in one of two scents: ‘Tranquil Isle’ and ‘Monsoon Paradise’. Mine was the latter, and is a blend of Citrus, Amyris and Lisylang Heart with notes of Jasmine an Rose. It smells absolutely wonderful, with a fresh citrus smell with the lightest touch of a floral tone. Whilst it is fairly thick in texture it melts to an oil like consistency on contact with the skin and leaves my skin feeling wonderfully soft. I’ve found that a little goes a very long way as well, which with a product priced like this can only be a good thing. Perfect for your own mini spa day at home.

 

MSH – Navy Kaftan – RRP £25.00

 

Here is a brand that has featured a few times through various Moi-meme boxes. They offer a huge range of items from gloves, scarves to beachwear. Based in Glasgow, the founders Maggie and Ann work with local designers to create their high quality and affordable range.

 

For this box we received a light, floaty Kaftan, perfect to pop on over a bikini. The design is ‘one size fits all’, and the light material flows nicely.

 

Pivotal – Facial Cooling Globes – RRP £25.00

 

Now, these came at a fantastic time for me, because after seeing some very positive reviews, this is exactly what I was looking for to add to my beauty tools. Pivotal are based in the USA and are focused on tools such as make up brushes and these cooling globes.

 

Cooling globes are said to assist with a multitude of skin and health issues. The main thing I’ve seen them used for is to aid in puffiness, in particular to the undereye area. According to the booklet that came in my box, these can also be used reduce facial tension and help stimulate blood flow to the muscles of the face. This then aids to give a tightening and lighting effect.

 

I can speak quite highly regarding how these globes help to reduce puffiness to the face, but I’ll need a far more prolonged use to determine the claims to help with the firmness of the skin. Whilst the booklet states you can keep these in the freezer, I personally opt for the fridge so that they aren’t as cold and have used these in the final step of my skincare routine to help work in my moisturiser and any residual serums into my skin.

 

Seacret – Mineral Rich Body Mud – 400g – RRP £30.00

 

Another brand I’ve come across before is Seacret. I’ve trialled both the foot mud and the sunscreen and really enjoyed using both, so I have high hopes for the body mud. Seacret are a brand that harness the powers of rich mud, salts and minerals from the Dead Sea to create luxury products.

 

For The Jet Set box we received the Mineral Rich Body Mud, intended to help prepare the skin for a sunny holiday due to its detoxifying and hydrating benefits. To use, just spread a layer of mud over any areas of the body that need attention – of all of it so long as you avoid the face.  Leave for 15 minutes and then rinse off in the shower.

 

Now, I haven’t tried this yet, and I’m a little sceptical about how messy it might end up being given that it’s described as a body mud. That being said, the mud therapy foot mud that I’ve tried in the past wasn’t messy at all, so perhaps this will be much the same. I’m saving this for my next at home spa day, so I’ll report back with my final thoughts over on my Instagram when I’ve used it!

 

 

 

And that sums up the contents of the July Luxury box! The total value of this box comes in at just under £150.00, which is pretty great for a £55.00 subscription box. The standout product for me is absolutely the Lola’s Apothecary Body Soufflé, I can see myself using this very frequently, although to make it last I will probably reserve it for my Sunday night pamper. This is one of the many reasons I love Moi-meme, because I wouldn’t typically look to go out and buy a £43.00 moisturiser. This subscription box allows me to try out products I haven’t discovered or would typically be hesitant to purchase at full price.

 

If you’d like to see these products a little closer, go check out my video over on my brand-new YouTube channel. 

July 2021 Look Back & My 30th Birthday

I suppose I should probably start this post with an apology for disappearing off the face of the earth for the past few weeks, but as you’ve probably guessed from the title of this post, I had a reason; on 22nd July I had my 30th birthday!

 

It feels really weird to think that I’m no longer in my 20’s. Even more so because I still don’t really feel like a ‘proper’ adult. Which I probably should by now, given that I’ve ticked off plenty of adult-y things like buying a house and getting married. That being said, literally everyone I speak to about it feels the same so maybe that’s the catch – no one really feels like a ‘proper’ adult and we’re all just muddling our way through and pretending we know what we’re doing.

 Anyway, let’s have a little look back over July and the month of my birthday!

I kicked off the month with a relaxed evening with one of my closest friends, Maria, as well as her husband and absolutely stunning doggo Otto. They came to ours for the evening and we had a massive take away together and talked the night away. Our cat Boots even got to meet Otto, very briefly before he decided to dart upstairs.

 

The following weekend I had a day seeing my Mum, and we went for a long walk in the stunning weather with the beautiful Willow before heading for lunch. I followed up that same evening with a D&D session with friends. We’re all getting quite into the game and are now all fairly competent when it comes to playing.  

During the actually week of my birthday, I have the whole week off work. I had no real plans when I booked the time off, but I knew that working was most certainly not going to be on my agenda. Mike and I spent a few days having a massive clear out of all the weeds and debris in the garden, something we’ve been meaning to do for some time but not got round to. I also made a start on our fences, jet washing, cleaning and repainting. With the lovely weather we made really good progress with the painting and are now almost done. Next up is the decking, and then we need to work out whether we are doing the planters or not. It should all look really good when it’s finished.

 

On one of my days off (the day before my birthday) my gal pals surprised me by turning up at the house unannounced to kidnap me for the day. They brought my an ice coffee and took me off in the car. I did work out where we were going pretty much straight away (it was a toss-up between Taverham Garden centre, Yo Sushi, or both) but, that’s because they know I love both of these places. We had a great lunch, and then went off the have our nails done and chill out together.

 

To celebrate my birthday, Mike, with the help of our friends threw a Hawaii themed party. My friend Katie decorated her house with tropical themed decor while Chloe made some absolutely delicious cupcakes. We had a bar fully stocked with everything we needed to make tropical themed cocktails and I got to see plenty of people, some of whom I’ve not seen in quite a while.

It was a great night with lots of laughter, and topped off the end of July really nicely for me. I’ve even put a little video together to immortalise the day! When I returned to work from my holiday the following week I felt well rested and refreshed and ready to tackle the rather significant number of emails in my inbox!

The end of July was fairly quiet for me as work has been absolutely crazy. I’m still in the office just two days a week, but a lot of the other teams have started to get more people back in. Our ground floor is a very large open plan room, and to be honest, I’m finding the additional noise and stimuli really difficult to deal with.

I’ve always been quite hyper aware of things happening around me (most likely to do with my ADD / ADHD) and the increased number of people around me is taking a bit of a toll. I’m finding that I have a headache by the early afternoon, and I’m absolutely shattered in the evenings when I’ve worked from the office. I’m hoping that this is something I can get re-used to, but I guess we’ll see.

Mike and I also decided that we would quit (or at least heavily reduce) drinking after my birthday. There are a few reasons, but a main one is that we just aren’t interested in returning to bars and clubs. To be fair, we were getting bored of our regular haunts before lockdown, and the long break hasn’t changed our minds. I’ve also been having some health issues that I think are down to whatever has been going on with my heart. I’ve been on a list for a week long ECG and another cardiology appointment for over a year now (covid screwed it up for me) and I don’t think that binge drinking on the weekend is going to help.  

I also want to have a healthier August, with more activity and better eating. Not only will this help me prep for our Mexico holiday later in the year, but it’s good to be kind to your body as well.

That sums up what I got up to in July! Here’s hoping the weather stays nice so that I can finish off the garden and enjoy the sunshine a little more!

Moi-meme Monthly - The Summer Scents Box - July 2021

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m absolutely amazed that we are in July already. Over half way through the year, and now in the month of my birthday, I feel like we’ve sped through this year at the speed of light.

 

Time is going so quickly, that I wasn’t expecting my Moi-meme box on the day it turned up, as it didn’t feel like that long ago I’d already had one. Needless to say I was thrilled to have my monthly gift to myself arrive, and I have to say this box is pretty great. For July we have The Summer Scents Box, and here’s what Moi-meme have said about it on the information card that comes in the box;

 

“When we’re asked to think of the scent of summer, it is the season that offers the most diverse range of answers. For some it’s the coconut aroma of sun cream or the citrus of fruit trees, for others the smell of grass after a warm rain shower or bowl of strawberries and cream.” 

- Moi-meme

 

The first item I homed in on was the Electric Pear Fig candle by Chickidee. This rather massive candle boasts up to 50 hours of burn time and smells absolutely amazing. Moi-meme have previously given us a room spray from Chickidee (mine is Peach Ice Tea an smells divine!) so I’m confident that it’s a quality brand.

 

The candle is made from soy wax, with blends of uplifting citrus, verbena flower and fig tree. The candle itself is poured into a heavy concreate vessel, which Moi-meme have suggested can be used as a desk tidy or a planter. As someone with many plants, with lots of them in boring plastic pots I’m more than happy to have a pretty outer pot to pop one in when this candle eventually burns out. Its nice to have the added sustainability that the packaging can be re-used for something useful as well. 

Next up in the box was the sweet treat, and oh my, what a treat it is! The edible item for this months box is a twist on the classic Eton Mess desert – which is one of my favourites by the way! Kacao Chocolaterie have created this absolutely delicious bar of creamy white chocolate topped with meringue and freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries.

 

Both my husband and I ate this on the same day the box arrived, and I have to say, this bar is every bit as wonderful as it sounds. In fact, I would even go so far as to say it’s my favourite of all of the chocolates and sweet things we’re had so far.

Last but by no means least is the ‘Vegan’ by Happy Skin Coconut Cream Cleanser. This cleanser is designed to gentle remove grime and make up using all natural ingredients such as aloe vera and as you may have guessed; coconut.

 

The product is designed to provide an effective cleanse without drying out the skin. I’ll admit that I haven’t actually tried this yet. I currently have a flare up of eczema on various parts of my body, including a few spots on my face, so I want to stick to my regular skincare routine for the time being and not mess with it too much. Rest assured I’ll be reporting back soon! 

 There we have a round up of this month’s box! As I touched on at the start of this post, I really enjoyed this box. I’m looking forward to a beautiful smelling home and to try out the Coconut Cream Cleanser when my skin has had a chance to clear and recover.

 

Do you subscribe to any subscription boxes? Which are your favourites?