Monthly Archives: April 2021

Hot Wax!

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If you’ve heard me talk about self-care for well-being and productivity before you’ll have heard me say that self-care is about more than just bubble baths and candles…. Because it is! But…..

It sometimes is absolutely about bubble baths and candles!

I was overjoyed to find out about a new local venture in Newcastle – Hot Wax. So, I hooked up with them to have a look at their candles which are made of soy wax. What’s that you may ask!? All you probably need to know is – as you’d imagine – it’s made from soybean oil. There are ‘green’ benefits to using soy wax. It’s made from plants, it’s a renewable source, it is clean burning so doesn’t release toxins, and soy wax candles burn 40-50% slower than paraffin wax candles so they are good for your finances. Who would have thought!

Hot Wax sent me a Eucalyptus and Rosemary candle to try from their range of hand poured candles in a jar.

Eucalyptus is well known for its health benefits and is a prized fragrance of master perfumers all the world over. It has a fresh clean aroma which is sometimes described as minty, woody or citrusy. What’s not to like! And then you add in Rosemary! Magic. And it is. The candle smells great and fills the room with fragrance.

A study at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok put some science behind the magic when they found that there were benefits to inhaling the gorgeous smell of Rosemary that produced beneficial effects on mood! Northumbria University in the UK found that Rosemary improved contentedness. Being in good mood and content is something we’d all like to strive for as an outcome of our self-care!

So, you see bubble baths and candles do have their place in your strategy! What better thing than on a Friday night lighting a candle, putting some quiet music on, and clearing you head ready for the weekend. (Or any other night, or time of day, for that matter!)

Give Hot Wax a try and indulge in an olfactory experience! Or put another way – light a candle and smell something awesome ….and drift away!

Trying to do a bit….

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It’s really difficult to figure out where to buy things for the best. Companies sometimes aren’t what they seem. How do you factor in all of the costs for a product? How do you figure out if a product is ethical or the company that produces it is ethical? And why am I talking about this on my self-care page?

Well, I think that self-care is rooted in values. Self-care is not selfish. Looking after yourself first is important but once you have that sorted then you need to think about looking after other people and things. The planet is high up on the list of things I want to look after. So as self-care, I feel, is about living a life that aligns to your values I want to do what I can to align what I can to my values as closely as I can. This is not going to be perfect and is a work in progress… so before you start with ‘ah but, yes but….’ bear that in mind. I still eat avocados. But have it under review while I figure what, if anything, I can do. They are really good for you (and lush) – so what do you do?

As ever my maximum is small steps over a long period of time have big impacts. So far I’ve started having my milk and eggs delivered by a local producer rather than buying from the supermarket… and a few other things. Let me tell you

My strategy is this. Buy local from independent retailers or producers. Then, buy from national independent retailers and producers. Then, buy local from larger organisations. Then buy national from larger organisations. Then global if ya gotta!

This lead me to discover a coffee roaster in a little village close to where I live. Fika! Matt and Lynn are the founders of the company because… as they put it…..

“we’re mad about coffee.”

They also go on to say “We also have great respect for the land and the people that farm it to bring the best quality speciality coffee to the UK.  Fika means a social break in Swedish and our brand is inspired by Swedish folk art but our love for coffee actually originated from a six-year stint in Melbourne. We’re based in the fine cathedral city of Durham and are super excited to open the city’s first speciality coffee roastery so if you’re ever in town, please drop by or call in advance for a special sneak peek into the wonderful world of coffee roasting.”

The coffee is great! My favourite is Fika Brasil – Bom, Jesus .

And I’m currently trying the Fika East Timor – Cristo Liuria – which is devine. Click the link to find out more about East Timor and it’s coffee growers. It’s the kind of information that Fika provide alongside selling me coffee that I love as I can find out where my coffee is coming from and the positive impact (however small) my purchase may be having.

There’s also some great advice on the Fika blog about making your brew. Try this – To plunge or not to plunge?

So while I’m not exactly buying local – in the sense the coffee comes from Brazil and East Timor – I’m buying from a local company that strikes me as being interested in the growers with an ethical eye. My purchase is also stimulating the local economy rather than lining the pockets of some corporate giant. That makes be feel pretty good. Oh… and Matt and Lynn seem to be lovely people! That helps as well!