Epsom Salts

I’ve been taking warm baths several times a week, for a few reasons – I’ve been working out more, and it’s great to soak my sore muscles, I’ve been using it as a way to relax after a long day of work and stress, and I’ve been using it to help detox and drop weight.

I’ve been adding epsom salts to my baths, as they’re known to help relax stiff muscles and a strung out mind, they’re great for insomnia, and while they don’t shed actual weight, they help reduce water retention and shed water weight.

I found that Dischem stocks Dr Teals, but at just under R70 for a bag, and with them recommending using the whole bag in one (you need to use a decent amount to get the full benefits), it was a little pricey with me taking more than one bath a week.  I started out buying the boxes of epsom salts from the grocery store, using half a box of that and then a couple of handfuls of the Dr Teals Eucalyptus and Spearmint (damn this smells incredible), but after I finished that bag, I began adding in my own other bath treats with the epsom salts – scented bath salts, a bit of bubble bath, bath bombs or just straight up drops of essential oil.

I now found a man who sells epsom salts in 25kg bags for R110 – even cheaper than the boxes of them at Spar, which were R19 for 500g – and can be a lot freer in my amounts I add to the bath.

Absolute bliss.

Dove Derma Spa Goodness Indulgent Hand Treatment for dry skin

I bought this hand cream from the new Dove range, after seeing quite a few local bloggers enthusing about the range on Instagram.

Granted, these ladies were talking about the variation for very dry skin, but I thought this one might work better for me.

It’s lovely and nourishing, but don’t use too much, as it can leave your hands feeling a tad greasy.  Just use a small amount, massage it in and wait a minute.  It sinks in like magic and your hands are left feeling super soft and moisturised.

I’m tempted to get the other version to keep on my bedside table and use at night!

‘Three Sisters, Three Queens’ by Philippa Gregory

I am a huge Philippa Gregory fan – I love medieval history, and I love reading, so her historical fiction books are just right up my street.  I have most of the books she’s written on my bookshelf at home, and would love to own the whole collection.

This particular one is told from the point of Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII, and is about her life, and the lives of her younger sister Mary, and her sister-in-law Katherine of Aragon.

Beautifully written (as per the Philippa Gregory standard), captivating and exciting.

Image courtesy of: – http://www.clinique.co.za

Hot water with lemon

I’ve been trying to lower my caffeine intake – not cut it out, as I love my regular cups of tea, my coffee and my green tea (which has caffeine in it too).

But just to help up my water intake during the colder weather, I’ve been having hot water with a slice of lemon in.  It’s tasty, keeps me hydrated, and it has numerous benefits, especially when you have it first thing in the morning as well – it helps to balance out the acidity of your body, also hydrates, helps aid digestion and detox.

I’ve been having a mug of this each morning before I consider having tea, and I’ve found that my morning cup of tea is more of a habit than a caffeine fix – I just crave a warm drink first thing while I’m still in bed.

Ed Sheeran – Nancy Mulligan

Ed Sheeran’s new song is apparently about the love story of his grandparents, who met during World War II.

Give it a listen – it’s beautiful!