February Favourites

apart from the fact that i'm mildly panicking that we're already into March (wtf?!), i'm looking back over February and wanted to share a few things that i really enjoyed throughout the month. also, it was fun to do these flat lays aha!

starting with foodie stuff (of course), i'm really grateful for this vegetarian recipe book, it has some really easy and practical every day veggie meals. i've tried and tested about half the recipes and not one complaint so far! sometimes i struggle to get inspiration for meals, so this book has really let us experience new foods and combinations. thumbs up all round!

if you didn't see my previous post on chia seeds, go and read it HERE now! then you'll understand why i love these tiny little seeds of goodness and how you can use them in pretty much every meal of the day!

a new discovery last month was OATLY dairy free milk alternative. for personal reasons i've decided to cut out dairy milk and so have been trying out a few substitutes such as soya, but was really impressed with the smoothness and also the nutritional factor the oat milk has. the chocolate flavour is really yummy, i warmed it up as a sort of healthy hot chocolate. definitely a popular one in our household.

moving onto the gorgeous tin of Kenco millicano coffee, it's pretty much the only instant coffee i like and hits the spot every single time. if you're a coffee lover and haven't tried it yet.. well what are you doing?!

lastly, is a small but mighty tub of natural bee pollen tablets. whenever i run out of these i feel like a complete zombie, because they're natural energy givers, one or two a day keeps me on my toes and more importantly lets me keep up with an energetic toddler. i'm going to do a separate post on these because bee pollen i feel is underrated and has a plethora of health benefits

moving onto the beauty stuff! there's a couple of new discoveries which i'm loving at the moment.

starting with the Cantu conditioning hair lotion, free from sulfates, parabens and mineral oils YAY. any curly girl will understand the joy of this. since going natural (read THAT blog post HERE), i've been trying out lots of different natural hair styling and conditioning products to tame my curls and give them that needed TLC. this product smells really good and is very thick and creamy without weighing my hair down too much. it doesn't define the curls as such but i can feel it is protecting and conditioning them. i'm still on the search for that perfect hair styling combo so please leave your suggestions in the comments below fellow curl sisters!

speaking of hair products, i've also heard lots of good things about the Shea Moisture range, so after many trips into Boots i thought i'd give a product a go! the leave in treatment masque, again all natural, leaves my hair super soft. and i mean SUPER soft! it also smells yummy and is great for a once a week intense treatment. i'll definitely be purchasing that one again.

i could probably write a whole separate blog post about coconut oil (and i think i will soon!), there are so many beauty uses for it and this particular brand is great because it's chemical free and high quality, it does have a slight coconut scent (but i quite like that). the main things i use it for is a daily body moisturiser (just massage it in last thing while i'm in the shower and pat dry) as well as a hair conditioner. and occasionally as a facial cleanser when my skin feels particularly dry.

a couple of make up items i'm enjoying is the rose gold eyeshadow pencil which i received in a recent Birchbox, i don't often wear eyeshadow but this one looks gorgeous and actually stays on without creasing!! it's nice when we go out for a meal or if i go to an event and wan't to make a bit of an effort (aha).

i couldn't go a day without my Sonya flawless mineral foundation. it literally is flawless! it's light enough to feel like i'm not wearing makeup but gives me a really smooth looking finish - i've never been one to like heavy coverage, and i find a bb cream is too much for me - this is the perfect balance.

i'm a bit of a nail varnish hoarder, but the two products i keep going back to are the Sally Hansen double duty, i'll always use this as a base and top coat because not only does it protect the nail but it also makes the varnish last longer. and the colour i keep going back to is the models own (i forget the name) metallic gold-y colour. it's really unusual but very attractive!

my saviour in the cold weather has been the heat lotion, with natural heating agents and eucalyptus, with flu season being in full force it really helped with my sinuses, simply rub some on the feet and it opens the airways, or on the chest at night which helped me breathe better, i even use it as a headache relief because i don't like taking paracetamol every time i have a pain or ache. it's a great natural remedy for pain relief.

i'm also being a lot more conscious of the environmental impact of daily items such as toothbrushes, cotton pads and ear buds. so i've found an eco alternative with this 'save some green' bamboo toothbrush. it took a while to get used to as the texture feels really weird at first! but considering we go through new toothbrushes every few months, i feel a lot less guilty about throwing more plastic into the earth.

now to round off with a few practical items and book recommendations.

if you haven't already seen my review on Youtube on this flexi-tripod then get on over and watch it HERE like now! it's an amazing product for you keen bloggers, youtubers and photographers.

also how cute is my new purse up in the corner, it's just a little change but makes all the difference so i don't have to faff around with lose change all the time in my pockets.

i've also been really enjoying using some essential oils day to day to either lift my spirits or use in cooking. a good friend has sampled them to me to try and i'm really impressed. i've been learning so much about all the uses of essential oils and their benefits, they are great natural alternatives for so many every day things.

by reading the first few chapters of Lean In i was inspired to write THIS post on being an ambitious woman, her words really struck a cord with me. it's a book that i think every woman (and their partners) need to read. it's inspiring, empowering and eye opening.

i've also recently recieved my copy of GO Pro which is a book all about the network marketing industry which is the profession i'm currently in, so i think it's important for me to understand it but also work on personal development every day.

so there we have it, a round up of my February Favourites. is there anything on here you love to? what did you enjoy using last month? i'd love to read them in the comments!