Over the last few weeks I've been volunteering my Saturdays at a mobility-based charity in Chelmsford (Essex). Initially doing a full day, to provide cover, I've been doing half days more recently (cover not needed) and then spending a few hours looking around the shops on the high street. I had some money that I was given for my birthday a few weeks ago, and I thought I'd see if I could find any nice bits and pieces to buy. It's been such a long time since I last went shopping! I don't do a lot of shopping. And when I do, mostly, I buy bits online - it's easier and quicker to fit it in with day-to-day life, especially from where I live since I am out in the sticks.
I thought I'd share a few of the bits I picked up...
I've seen
this owl purse a few times now, but had never really taken the time to stop and look at it properly. I love owls, and have been looking for a new purse for some time. It's such a good purse! It's quite large - bigger than my other purses (which are those long, big leather ones) - and quite thick as well. I'm not sure what the material is, as I can't find a label and the website just says textile, but it feels pretty sturdy and hard wearing. It fastens with a zip - there are no additional poppers or magnets or straps to bother with.
I really like the inside - there's plenty of space for everything you need! I've managed to cram all my rubbish inside, and there's still lots of room left! I'm one of those people that tend to carry around far more than they need all of the time. So lots of space is super useful. There are less slots for cards than on most/some of my longer leather purses (there are four on each side/eight slots), but the coin pocket in the centre is much bigger - with space to hold more than just coins (keys, memory sticks, etc). I'm not really worried about the card slots anyway as I have a separate RFID multi-card holder, and I tend to keep my different cards all in there. But these are useful for store-type cards (nectar, library, etc) or business cards, perhaps. There is also a pocket behind each of the card areas on each side for notes, receipts, shopping lists, etc.
The best thing though is the high sides! You can see them on the photo above. It's a simple thing really, high sides, but it makes such a difference! I've not seen a purse with high sides before, as least not as high as these, and it makes the contents so much more secure and private. You could quite easily open your purse in the middle of a busy shop and know that nobody can see anything at all inside except for you. It also helps to make sure that everything inside is nice and secure. I really like that. Plus, it's owls!
This purse cost me £6 at
Deichmann Shoes in Chelmsford. I choose one with a cream background, but there were also ones (same print) with a mid grey, or navy/dark blue background as well. The navy one was a little dark for me, but I really liked the grey one as well.
While I was there, I had a look around at some of the shoes and got
these (below) at the same time.
Most of my evening/occasion shoes are pretty high, so I thought I would invest in some nice flats for those more-walking/hills-than-I-expected trips out! These white ballet pumps have an elasticated back, and studded toe. I've had a few 'Essex girl' comments already because of the white, ha ha, but with a summery skirt or some denim, these are ideal for more casual days out as well. And they're perfect for packing away to take on holiday. They were reduced from £14.99 to £7.49. I also saw
these flats at the same time (though, they did look nicer in the shop), but they didn't appear to be available in my size. I really liked the pastel toe though, so I might pop back again next time I'm in the area.
I also bought a couple of tops from
Bonmarche. I'd not been in any of their shops before - and there's so many pretty things! It's a good range of sizes as well - with sizes up to UK24. The lovely butterfly and lace neck scarf I got for my birthday the other week I think must have come from the same shop as they had other really nice ones as well. I'll post a separate blog post about these soon.
I also made a stop at another shop I'd not been into before.
LUSH is a cosmetics company that makes all of their products by hand, and actively works and campaigns for various causes. They make a variety of different items from bath and shower gels, bombs, lotions, shampoo and so on to perfumes, hair treatments and make up. Their packaging and shop window displays feature two boxing hares with a 'Fighting Animal Testing' message. An issue close to my heart - and one amongst a number of other campaigns and causes that they are actively involved with. The packaging too, is almost entirely paper and so easy to recycle.
I bought a few bits to try out for now, but imagine I'll be getting quite a lot from here in future! One of the things I've been trying to do over the last few years - slowly, but steadily - is to reduce/remove products that are less natural, or poor quality, unethical, etc, from my life/diet/and so on. Some ways are easy and simple - others are not so, and take longer to achieve. I'll post more on this in a separate blog post too. So LUSH ticks a number of boxes - especially since the majority of their items are self-preserving, and so they don't need to add chemicals as other similar products do to make them last longer. The products can be a little bit more expensive than the cheaper standard bits you might buy in a supermarket, though not always, but they are completely natural and good for both you and the environment. They are also freshly made by hand, ethical, and some of the money goes towards campaigns and good causes. I also found that my dogs - who usually shy away from any scented bath bits I usually have - have taken to the smells of these items with relish! So that tells me a lot about the other bits I've been buying...
Anyway. Here's what I got:
This
Sweetie Pie shower jelly smells amazing! And it makes your skin feel so so soft! It's a dark purple and sparkles mix that smells of fresh cherries and blackcurrant. It was also available in
Dirty Springwash - a blend of spearmint, thyme and menthol - but I preferred the smell of this cherry, coconut, bergamot and blackcurrant one. It is made from carrageenan seaweed (forms the jelly) Advertised as 'the love child between shower gel and soap', this is good for your skin - and you can even use it on your hair and scalp. One of the few LUSH products that uses plastic packaging - you are encouraged to either reuse the pot, or return it to the store for them to reuse. This cost £3.25 for a 100g pot, but it is also available at £6.75 for a larger 240g pot.
The
May Day bath bomb has a slight aniseed scent, made from a mix of fennel, citrus and rosewood oil. It smells lovely, even though I'm not particularly fond of aniseed. I haven't tried this one yet, but it's supposed to leave your skin feeling smooth and revived. It's a plain white bomb, flecked with black and a simple badger face design - with a hidden surprise note inside. Excluding VAT, all proceeds made from the sale of these bath bombs goes to anti-badger culling projects in the UK - so it's all for an excellent cause. It costs £2.95, and is only available for purchase during May!
The
Brightside bubble bar is a large funky orange bar, with a swirling orange, red and yellow pattern. It is designed to be used over a couple of baths - so lasts for longer than just a single use. To use it, you break bits off from the bar and crumble them under running water as you fill your bath - it gives you the most amazing orange scented water! I got to test this one a little bit in the store before I bought it, with a jug of water and a tester bar, and the scent was divine! I love fruity smelling bath bits - though I don't have much that's orange scented, so this is extra nice. I can't wait to try it out. It's £4.50 per bar, and though the packet says it should last for 2 baths - I think there's actually enough for 3-4 baths. The reviews on the website for this item mostly say the same as well - so it's extra good value. It smells so good!
Finally, I bought this deodorant bar to test. It's the
T'Eo solid deodorant and is made from green grapes, juniper and citrus essential oils. It's really fresh and clean smelling - and is suitable for use by men as well as women. Something I've been looking to find for some time is a more natural deodorant - as I am allergic to the alcohol and fragrances (chemicals) that are put into a lot of other ones. Plus with various health-related concerns about deodorants over the last few years - a more natural product seems like a better choice. Deodorant stones and crystals have their own health-related concerns, and other standard shop bought products that don't have the chemicals, etc, or at least as many, are often also tested on animals. So I've spent quite a while trying to find something different. Hopefully this might make a good solution - it has absorbent powders and anti-bacterial oils that are designed to keep you fresh and dry. You simply rub the bar against dry skin. It costs £4.75 per bar.
Besides these bits, I also bought a book, a CD, and a couple of DVDs.
