No news !

So 9 weeks from when we returned home and discovered the burts pipes, and still the house is drying out! I am hopeful that the dryer machines will be removed any day now and the plans to rebuild the interior of our house can commence soon! We are living in a very comfortable house on the edge of Exmoor, which is beautiful, but a little remote for my liking! Still it has its benefits, we woke to find 3 deer in the garden yesterday morning! How wonderful is that! So I am having to pop my little bath and skin care projects on hold, the legistlation for the making of these skin care items is so strict, I would not want to comply fully and create any more difficulties for me than I already have!

Happy Holiday - Burst Water Pipes !

Well I have been away for the last 3 weeks having a fabulous holiday in Thailand, and really looking forward to creating my blog on my return full of fantastic hints and tips from my travels, all blown out of the water when we opened our front door yesterday afternoon! To the sound of running water and complete chaos, with our ceilings lying in bits all over the floors! And the carpets soaked to bone!

It is everybody worst nightmare when you are enjoying sunny climes, in the winter, what is happening at home. however we always thought living in the west country, and the slightly higher temperatures we normally enjoy would have protected us! Clearly not!

So as the house is uninhabitable, we have spent the night at a local hotel, and very warm and comfortable it is too! Now we have to wait for the Loss Adjuster and a plummer, which I do hope arrives soon, as I am quite litterally freezing !

So needless to say my postings will have to be put to one side for a while, along with my new business which I was planning on launching when I returned!

This was our kitchen ceiling now on the floor! So apparently we are not the only ones to have suffered this fate, and the Loss Adjusters cannot make a visit unil next Wednesday ! Just as well the hotel have offered us a good rate, at least the insurance people are happy for the time being to pay !

Travelling Light - Natural Skin Care Travel Kit

6 Essential Items in my Natural Skin Care Travel Kit ! Holidays are a wonderful opportunity to not only restore your body and mind, but also treat your skin and hair to lots of pampering, and have a fabulous holiday too! Despite having a late night in the freezing temperatures of Bideford Quay seeing in the new year, today I have spent this afternoon putting together my own natural skin care travel set, ready for a forthcoming holiday to Thailand. Lip Balm and Body Balms - Moisturise, nourish and re hydrate your skin

Included is my own natural lip balm, decanted into a cute little pot, not only keeps my lips in tip top condition and prevents my lips from drying out during the long flight, but nourishes every night whilst I am away and is the perfect protection during the day agains the sun shine! Plus is a rich in flight moisturiser as well ! My skin dries out so much more when on a long flight, and I find the natural skin nourishing ingredients of the lip balm, the cocoa and shea butters, are the perfect way to noursh my dehydrated skin ! Great for for a mini shoulder massage as well!

Lavender Oil - Relax, Air Freshner ,Anti Bacterial, Burns and Bite treatment

The most versatile of Essential Oils is the fantastic Lavender Oil, I always make sure to take a bottle of this when I travel,first I make a little Lavender Spray, using a finger spray bottle, this is a great to aid relaxation on the flight, I spritz a little on a hankerchief which I can use to inhale and help me to relax and catch up on some relaxing sleep too, plus it is a superb air freshner, full of anti bacterial properties too! When we are away, it is ideal for a quick treatment, too much sun, it can be applied to treat sun burn, so soothing, plus any bites of stings, helps to alleviate and heal straight away due to the high anti bacterial properties! Keeps the room smelling nice, and a little spritz on the pillow is a delight, totally indepensable!

Insect Repellent - Keep those bugs at bay

I blend mineral water with a a selection of Rosemary, Citronella, Eucalyuptus and Lavender Essential Oils, and not a chemical in sight! Not only do I spritz this onto and around myself, but my hotel room too.

Protect and Nourishing hair Treatment,Hair Serum,Body Moisturiser & Massage

Coconut Oil, another fab favourite, which I just love due to it's versatility, there is no reason at all to return from your hols with dry straw like hair, it is the perfect opportunity to restore your hair to strong shiny and nourished condition, every morning before going to the beach or pool, simply apply a litte in the plam of your hand and warm gently by rubbing your hands together and apply a little to your hair, apply throughout your hair, for my long hair I brush it, secure into a pony tail and twist it, then secure with a hair clip/grip and not only is the coconut oil, nourishing and proecting my hair from the harsh sun shine, salty sea water, as well as the cholrine from the pool, but also keeps it in place looking stylish all day too! A great bonus is at night time, wash your hair, and you will have beautifully shiny moist hair for the evening.

Keep your flyway hairs from being annoying and no need to bring your serums with you either, simply rub a drop of coconut oil between your palms of your hands and smooth onto your hair, sleek and shiny! Plus I also like to apply a little as a skin oil, makes my skin feel great and moisturised too! Lastly it makes a fabulous massage oil, perfect way to enjoy some relaxing moments on holiday !

Anti Aging, After sun cooling moisture

Rose Aloe Gel, I usually always have some Aloe Vera Gel in the cupboard, either a plain clear gel, or perhaps one with the beautiful Otto Rose Essential Oil, at the moment I have the Rose, this I use as my anti anging treatment gel, perfect to apply around the delicate area of your eyes, as well as my mouth too, we often overlook the lines so close to our mouth! As this is blended with the healing and cooling Aloe Vera Gel, it also makes a gorgeous after sun body application, particular if you can keep it in the fridge, the coolness of the gel against the warmth of your sun drenched skin, it is heaven!

Natural Face Masks

One of my favourite relaxations on holidays is to make use of some of the beautiful fresh fruits that you can pick up, so I will take some Rhassoul Clay, not only to cleanse my face and body but when made up with some mashed Avocados, or mango flesh, or even bananas, then applied to my face and the back of my hands, really helps to nourish, moisturise and replenish your skin, particularly benefical after a day in the heat of the sun!

That's my travel bag, all set and hopefully will cover all eventualities !

See you soon !

Bideford Quay ! Happy 2009

So despite all the freezing temperatures many thousands of people converged down onto Bideford Quay in true Bideford style - dressed to impress! The fancy dress outfits were fab, and including some friends of mine too! Go on make my day !

It was so cold, but the fireworks were fantastic and seemed to last for ages too ! Definitley worth the freezing wait !

Happy New Year to everybody!

Nourishing Natural Face Mask

This is one of my favourite and particularly nourishing natural face masks, feel free to adjust the ingredients but this is just how I like mine! Whilst I am relaxing in the tub, which I have filled with warm water and some skin loving moisturing natural bath tea with calendula, cocoa butter, shea butter and oatmeal, light a little tea light, and lie back whilst my mask goes to work! I

rinse off the mask with warm water after approx 20 minutes, and gently wipe my face with some rose water, before applying a nourishing borage oil cream. My skin just adores all this attention and feels plumped, soft and silky smooth!

When applying any treatment to your skin, don't forget to apply some to the back of your hands as well, I always apply any face mask and moisturiser everytime I pop some on my face, my hands look fab, and many people often comment on just how smooth and good they look!

40% Rhassoul Clay 30% Banana Powder 10% Honey Powder (or use some of the real thing) 20% Oatmeal Simply mix all your ingredients together, then when you are ready to use some or all, mix with some warm water, and leave for a few minutes for the powders to dissolve and the Rhassoul to absorb the water. Gently apply to your skin. Leave for anything up to 20 minutes, or longer if you prefer, then rinse with warm water. You may wish to add some natural yogurt as well. Don't forget - treat your hands too ! They will thank you for this tlc !

Borage Oil Dry Skin Luxury Body Butter - Love your skin!

Along with making your own Shea Whipped Butters, I also like to adapt a body butter to include some additional skin nourishing properties as well, in particular Borage Oil, which is particularly beneficial for dry and more mature skin types. borage oil is a rich source of the essential fatty acid GLA (gamma linolenic acid), which helps to nourish and strengthen skin and is widely used in natural skin care ranges.

Body Butters Recipe 250g Shea Butter 250g Cocoa Butter 50g Beeswax 50mls Borage Oil 50mls Coconut Oil 50mls Vegetable Glycerine 5mls Vitamin E Oil 2 x 5ml Fragrance Oils (Optional)

• Instructions to make : • Chop the Cocoa and Shea Butters into small pieces.
• Melt the Cocoa Butter slowly and gently first, once melted take off from the heat and add the Shea Butter.
• When melted, turn the heat back on and add your beeswax and allow to melt.
• Once all melted, slowly add the Coconut Oil, Vitamin E and Vegetable Glycerine, stir thoroughly.
• Adding fragrance, if you wish to make 2 or more different fragranced butters, simply divide your elted mixture into different bowls, then add your chosen fragrances to each bowl. NEVER add the fragrance whilst the mleted mixture is still hot, as the fragrance will simply evaporate - wait at least 10 minutes then add and stir.
• Voila! Once cooled spoon into your chosen containers and you have some delicious skin drenching and nourishing natural body butter.

Top Tip - don't foget when moisturising your skin, to include your hands, we often forget and neglect them and frequently complain how they give our ages away!

New Year Eve Mega Celebrations in Bideford

Happy New year to everybody !

I will be celebrating New Year's Eve with 10's of thousands of other party people in our town - Bideford. Just a few years ago New Years Eve in Bideford was mentioned in The Times Newspaper as one of the top 10 places to be in the world on New Year's Eve! Quite a compliment for our little town !

SO what exactly happens, well firstly and this is the most important part - everybody dresses up - fancy dress is the only dress to be seen in, the majority of the revelers, go really out of their way to dress to impress, this is a link to some of the photos taken at last years event ! I rather liked the gnomes!

These are my 'French Friends' oooh la la !!!!!

We all enjoy the good humour, dancing,music and of course the fireworks !

So Happy New Year to everybody and I look forward to posting some of tonights photos in 2009!