Favourite Finds Autumn 2018

The last 3 months have gone by in a flash and have brought so many changes, together with a lot of stress and exhaustion but thankfully there is peace on the horizon and a few great discoveries were made!

A NEW HOME

Its official, I hate moving house! A decision to downsize from a very large four bedroom home with a shed to a smaller home without a shed brought a heap of challenges as not only did we have to pack, we had to do a huge declutter as there was no way everything was going to have a spot in our new place.

It is times like this that being a single mumma is tough as the workload was huge, but we got it done and thanks to a troupe of Miss WW friends who came to our assistance we got it done.

A beautiful lake is now part of my walk and I got to the meet the ‘locals’ on my very first visit.

Not only is moving house hard work, it does not help when you have a ‘little’ accident at work and crush your meniscus. Valuable lesson learned, do not jump down off a pallet with your hands full and land on a concreate slab with all your weight behind it. Your knee will be eternally grateful.

Seven weeks later, it is 95% healed and will eventually be perfect we hope, but at least every step no longer causes immense pain.

WHO NEEDS CARAMILK WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THIS

The release of Caramilk by Cadbury caused downright hysteria. Even though I love chocolate and caramel things, I waited patiently for stocks to arrive in the supermarket and bought I single block so I could try it. Have to say I was quite disappointed with the taste and could not understand why people were buying it in bulk and hoarding it.

One of my work colleagues suggested I try this alternative and oh boy, it is so much better and can still be purchased today unlike Caramilk which is gone. Do yourself a favour and buy this if caramel flavoured chocolate is your thing, you will not be disappointed.

CRUELTY FREE SKINCARE

Packing up my bathroom to move was an interesting experience. I was amazed at the amount of products that had amassed in the cupboards. I started reading labels as that is something I really had time for….not. But there were so many items that were literally just chemical cocktails and I had decided that I only want to use products that are not tested on animals, as I don’t see why my looks should come at the price of animal cruelty.

When the lovely ladies from KOSMEA approached me a while back to see if I would be interested in trialling a selection of their natural skin care range, I did my homework before I said yes and this range more than ticks the boxes of offering ethical products.

The first thing I noticed when I started using the products was that the clarifying facial wash did not foam up, which is proof that it is not laden with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a known skin irritant and is actually used in pesticide. It also did not leave my skin feeling taught and dry, just beautifully clean. All the other products are also a delight to use and incredibly good value for money.

Another favourite product is the jazzy cleansing cloth that is a great alternative to disposable facial wipes. A gentle massage with this cloth will remove all make up and exfoliate in one hit which is so much better for the environment and avoiding the harsh chemicals used in many of the disposable options. They have an extensive range and you can discover it all here.

REUNION

Many years ago we used to live in South Australia. I went to a local area school as we lived almost two hours south of Adelaide. I made some really good friends there, but we all split apart and headed to schools in the city in the hope of getting a decent education in year 11. I moved to Brisbane as the rest of my family had relocated here and thankfully one of those girls is still a great friends after all these years. Three of us had a reunion that involved much talking, eating and drinking as you do.

If you like to sip on a G&T, you have to try this! Not only is it visually fun to make as the colour changes from a violet to a pretty pink when you add tonic water, it is also one of the nicest Gin’s I have tried in a long time. My friend got given a bottle as a gift and hung on to it until we had our get together and I am very grateful she did. Whilst happily sipping away we managed to track down number 4 and phoned her for a catch up. Number 5’s whereabouts still alludes us but one day we just might find her.

DISCOVERING A NEW ‘LOCAL’

It is amazing how long you can live in an area and still find awesome places to eat that you didn’t even know existed!

My bestie invited me out for lunch and she took me to the Samford Lifestyle Centre. How this awesome place flew under my radar for so long astounds me. Obviously they have a restaurant that only has a smallish menu, but everything is made fresh with local ingredients where possible.

These ricotta patties with smoked salmon and homemade beetroot relish were simply amazing. They also make really good coffee and have a cake cabinet full of unique treats rather than the same old slices and tarts that come from commercial kitchens.

Not only can you enjoy dining in rural surroundings, there are shops, yay!  A fabulous gift shop, a nursery, an organic/natural store with skin care, cleaning products, a yarn store, a day spa and more. This is definitely not a place to visit for a quick bite to eat, you really need to allow a few hours to fully enjoy it.

What great new things have you discovered that I should check out this winter, as I really need something to brighten up my most unfavourite season of the year???

Sharing for the Lovin’ Life Linky at 50 Shades Of Age