I wasn't in need of a new foundation, but I was, as always, persuaded into spending more when placing an online order, to qualify for free delivery. I'd rather spend a few more quid to get free delivery and another item, than just spend it on delivery fees, anyone else? That's how The Ordinary Serum Foundation ended up in my basket when I was doing a skincare essentials shop at the beginning of lockdown here in the UK. I knew it was an incredibly popular product, often selling out, so it seemed like a good time to try it. It's been years since I swayed from my faithful foundation favourites, what if this budget-friendly base could be a new favourite?

I really enjoy buying cookbooks that are visually pleasing. For me, if I'm going to be enticed into making a recipe, or even persuaded to buy a cookbook in the first place, then I need nice big photos of the meals I am making. Simple instructions help, too, I'm not one to go to the effort of making anything too fancy as we stick to budget brands in more budget supermarkets and don't have any unusual ingredients in the house as standard, unless we plan for them. 

It's been nearly 7 years since I first tried Pixi Glow Tonic, at the age of 25 when I didn't have many skin concerns and had pretty easy to manage skin. At the time, after desperately wanting to try a product which had quickly become a cult favourite among beauty bloggers, I didn't find myself falling in love with it like everyone else and I dismissed it as not worth the hype. Now, as I am about to turn 32, I am swallowing my words.

I am an all-year-round soup fan. Sometimes there is nothing I love more than a bowl of homemade soup and a good chunk of flatbread or crusty bread. I shared a family favourite homemade soup over on social media over the weekend, and a few people asked for the recipe, so here goes!

In June I took a big step back from the being online so often, mostly with social media, and it's something I needed to do because I was spending hours and hours mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds, even when there was nothing new to see. I would find myself lost in comment threads, pulled into topics that are detrimental to my mental health and overall, I felt like I spent so much of my time dedicated to online spaces, that my offline spaces were suffering for it. 

Eye creams are an important step for me in my skincare routine as the delicate skin around my eyes is a favourite for my eczema; I need something that is going to help hydrate the area more than anything, but as I creep into my 30's, I also need something that will be kind to my ageing skin and lack of sleep. I found myself interested in The Organic Pharmacy products back when I was at University in London, and their Lip & Eye Cream has become a surprising favourite.

It seems being limited on what you can do and where you can go was just what I needed to finally get my head stuck into a book or two again. I feel like my reading pace is slowly creeping back to pre-motherhood levels and I am really enjoying making time to sit down and read more again. I recently finished The Flat Share, a very popular book by Beth O'Leary; here are my thoughts on this Sunday Times bestseller.