5 Products I Discovered & Love So Far This Year

I’ve put together 5 products I discovered and LOVE so far this year. As a blogger, I often receive products to review & I am always on the hunt for new products too. No doubt readers are often left wondering if we still love the products we mention or review. Do we still use them later down the line or do we find a replacement? I have fallen in love with 5 products so far this year.

5 Products I Love

Skincare

Altruist Dermatologist SPF 50 Sunscreen

One thing I HATE about sunscreen is how sticky it is & how sweaty we all look covered in the stuff. Altruist is totally different though, it feels much more like a moisturiser and soaks into your skin so quickly. It also doesn’t stain clothing, a big win when you are rushing to sunscreen a child before school or topping up at the park! An affordable sunscreen option that is perfect for all the family. Having used this several times, including Saturday when it turned into a scorcher whilst we were at the local park, I can safely say I won’t be touching another sunscreen from now on!

Yarn

5 Products I love - Drops yarn

 

Drops Paris Yarn From Wool Warehouse

I decided I needed to step out of my crocheting comfort zone and try to make the girls some cardigans. Naturally, I asked Twitter for help & having a quick browse through suggestions Drops Paris Yarn seemed ideal. 100% Cotton, this gorgeous yarn is so soft and comes in amazing pastel shades, perfect for the paste rainbow look we wanted! I ordered one lot for the first hooded cardigan & instantly fell in love, as did the girls. I quickly ordered an even bigger stash of Drops Paris and am halfway through Eva’s cardigan. This will definitely be a yarn I’ll be buying again and again!

Crochet cardigan using Drops Paris

Food

Peter's Yard Charcoal & Rye Sourdough Crispbread
Credit: Peter’s Yard

Peters Yard Charcoal & Rye Sourdough Crispbread 

The Mr got to try out a fab Fathers Day Hamper from Prestige Hampers which included these amazingly moreish crispbreads. Since we finished the packet I have consistently moaned that I want more. They taste amazing with cheese & having now discovered where I can order them online, I can see them being a regular in the cupboard! Who doesn’t love cheese & a good cracker/crispbread!?

Mental Health

Happy Post

Happy Post Cards

The name says it all really, how can you not love something designed to give happiness? Happy postcards are sent to those that need something to brighten their day & now Katie has added printable Happy Post Cards too. Now everyone can spread a little happiness!

Tech


ZAGG ifrogz Little Rockerz Children's Volume Limiting On-Ear Headphones, Kitten & Princess

ZAGG ifrogz Little Rockerz Children’s Volume Limiting On-Ear Headphones, Kitten & Princess

When you have 2 children who own tablets, headphones are absolutely necessary. I am so done with hearing Peppa pig & Scooby Doo on repeat, cheesy pop songs & ‘prank’ videos drive me insane! When Izzy broke her super girls headphones I got the girls a set of these funky headphones each, Kitten for Izzy & Princess for Eva. They are amazing! Not only do they protect my ears but they protect theirs too with an 85 decibel sound limit. The second best thing about these? No, not that they are cute, they have buddy jacks! This enables the girls to plug their headphones into the other set and listen from one tablet. Perfect when Eva’s tablet dies sooner than Izzy’s and great for long journeys too.

These are the top 5, stand out products we’ve used & fallen in love with this year that I couldn’t recommend more!

Do you have 5 Products you have discovered & loved so far this year?

 

 

Craft, Mental Illness And Happy Post

.Relentlessly Purple covers, Craft, Mental Illness, product reviews and more. Blogging gives me a creative outlet, an excuse to craft and show it off across different platforms. I love hearing how others do the same and seeing their makes. I especially love the idea of Happy Post which I’ll let Katie tell you more about.

Craft, Mental Illness And Happy Post

Craft, Mental Illness and Happy Post

I have always been very creative, right back to my childhood days and before mental illness really took hold of my life but even then I found it relaxing and something I could really get in to. I have taken craft with me throughout my life and now have an Etsy shop, where I sell my makes Katies Cabin Handmade. Crafting is like a part of me, if I didn’t have it, I am not sure who I would be, it’s almost built into who I am.

Craft and Mental Illness

I have had a very long battle with mental health issues starting with self-harm when I was 14. In my late teens I started struggling with anorexia and later in life was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Throughout these times creative activities have been extremely helpful. They really help to focus the mind on one activity rather than the million thoughts going round my head. If I am depressed and struggling to do anything, sometimes, if I can just get myself to do something small but creative, it helps me to feel like I am being productive. Crafting can boost a mood, if only slightly.
Craft is a very mindful activity and always helps me to just zone out to everything else going on around me. Within craft groups and communities that I am part of it seems that a large proportion of crafters actually struggle with mental health issues. They use craft for this very reason whether they then go on to sell their makes or not, so there must be definitely something in the fact that crafting does help mental health issues!
People may think “I’m not creative” or “I couldn’t make that” but you really don’t need to be a crafting genius to benefit from crafting. It can be an adult colouring book or doodling – these are also very mindful creative activities. If you wished you could teach yourself a craft such as crochet or knitting – something that interests you! There are so many tutorials these days on the internet and even books that learning a craft in today’s day and age is easier than ever and it’s so rewarding when you finally manage to make something which in itself is a real mood booster!

Happy Post

Happy Post

I decided to put my crafting to good use and offer ‘Happy Post’ to those struggling with mental illness.

I make and sell a lot of prints and so I decided to make “quote cards” with an inspirational theme. These are to send to those currently having a hard time with mental health issues. The smallest of things can sometimes help when you are in a dark place. I wanted to offer a little bit of hope with the aim to make people feel less alone.
I also blog about mental illness and am in the process of writing a book of my own experiences to try and help raise awareness.
You can see my blog, about me and nominate someone for a happy post at www.mentalhealthjourney.co.uk
If you’ve never tried a craft then give it a go! You never know you may just find something that you love!

Thank you for sharing your Craft, Mental Illness and Happy Post with us Katie! I love the idea of Happy post. I know this will put a smile on many faces that need a little something to brighten their day!