Are you getting enough sun?

Image

Thankfully, these days we are well aware of the damage the sun can cause us. From premature aging (or as my girlfriend and I like to call it - 'leather skin'!) to skin cancer, the picture that has been painted for us is pretty damn grim.
Nowadays many of us lather up the sunscreen and make sure we stay in the shade where possible on a daily basis.

But did you know that by avoiding the sun all together we may in fact be doing ourselves more harm than good?

You see the sun produces a lovely little thing called vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, is required for bone growth, and is essential for the human body to function properly.
Whilst you can get vitamin D from foods such as fish, dairy, margarine, ready-to-eat cereals, liver and beef, the best, most effective way to get your daily hit of vitamin D is simply by sitting out in the sun!

Now I'm not saying go and bake yourself on the beach for 5 hours until you start to resemble a lobster. Here in Australia (in the often not-so-sunny Melbourne) getting yourself around 10-15 minutes sunshine daily in Summer, and a little more (aim for 30-40 minutes) during Winter months is all you need. And even if it's just some rays on your legs and arms, that's all you need!
Sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin D so try to get your dose of sunshine before you lather up.

Just because I feel like I'm seriously lacking some vitamin D I'm heading off to Port Douglas this week!
7 whole days of sun, swimming, sleep and ice cream - I can't wait! :)
x

All things beautiful... October

Image

Being smack bang in the middle of renovations I have to be careful not to get too carried away just yet with decking out our nursery. Especially seeing it's currently our make-do bedroom/storage room for boxes...

But I can still plan!

And boy are there some gorgeous things out there for me to check out.

Seeing we're not finding out the sex of bubs-to-be, we have to make sure the nursery is kept neutral. 

We've decided to go for white furniture and we've found a beautiful cot and change table.

To help me get organised with all the things I need for changing bubs, I found this sweet paper rope change table set. You can buy it online at Mor Store and it comes in white so no need to worry about choosing pink or blue! Mor Store also has some other gorgeous storage ideas for the bathroom, laundry and living room.

Check them out and let me know what you think!

Sweet weekend - how to read skincare labels

Image

Making sense of labels on skincare when you're trying to 'clean up' your products can be totally confusing.
The majority of ingredients on many skincare products you'd find on your regular supermarket shelf are too difficult to even pronounce, let alone understand whether they're on the 'naughty' or 'nice' list.

Gorgeously Green recently discussed this very topic. And she has given some handy tips you can use when you're on your next product-shopping-spree:

• Always keep in mind that ingredients are listed in descending order of concentration, beginning with the largest. On many products you will find the first ingredient is often something like water or oil. Fragrances and colours are usually last. 
• Keep an eye out for terms used such as 'hypoallergenic', 'allergy-tested' and 'safe for sensitive skin'. The FDA doesn't require manufacturers to validate these claims so they're pretty meaningless. 
• Other red flags to keep in mind are terms like 'Natural', 'Natural Ingredients', 'All-natural', 'Ultra-fine' or 'micro-fine'. Again, meaningless without certification.
• Look for products that are hand-poured, and made in small batches as they tend to be fresher, therefore containing more active ingredients.
• Keep a look out for products with one of the following third-party certifications: USDA, Soil Association (UK), ECOCERT (Europe), BDIH (Germany), AIAB (Italy).
• A few ingredients to always look out for and avoid when purchasing new products include: parabens, petrochemicals, SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), fragrance and talc.

Sure, there are plenty more nasties that you may find hiding in your skincare, but learning all the bad guys can be a little overwhelming.
My tip is try to stick to the basics, as mentioned above.
Another favourite trick I have noticed many skincare companies using is 'organic'. Many people believe that just because a product is stocked in your local health food store and it has 'organic' on it, means that it must be ok.
Well, think again!
There's really no hard and fast rules for the use of this one either. A product may use organic coconut oil for instance, and so with the use of this (along with a multitude of other not-so-organic ingredients), they decide to plant the word 'organic' in bold on the front of their packaging. I'm sure we've all fallen for that old trick before!

If you're interested in learning more about cleaning up your skincare then I'd highly recommend reading 'No More Dirty Looks - The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics', a book written by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt. These girls also write a fab blog that's worth checking out!

It's been a long time in between drinks... literally!

Image

So after a very lengthy break from this blog I decided it best I pop back in and say hello.

Where have I been, you ask? Well, the past couple of months have been somewhat hectic for me, and I think a part of me got caught up in the madness of life and lost a bit of my passion for sharing my thoughts in this blog.

Last time I was here I had not long found out my husband had been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis and I had made the decision to take a leap of faith and jump back into study, deciding to follow my passion for alternative health by studying Naturopathy. Not only that, but we decided to put our house on the market and we have bought a new home, in which we are living amoungst the mess of a renovation. And just to make things a little more interesting I was blessed with the amazing news that I was going to be a mum!

So this week I will be halfway through my pregnancy, which totally excites and scares me all at the same time. I can't believe how quickly the past 20 weeks have gone!
We are now in our new home, and I have started studying.
I really can't believe how much has happened this year.

So even with the madness of my life at the moment I am hoping I will once again have time to stop in and share my thoughts, dreams and learnings along the way...
x