I've spoken before on how hard I find it to hard to relax without falling asleep so it's an ongoing journey to discover how to unwind and have a few moment of calm to myself without nodding off.

Over winter we tend to burn scented candles in the living room which adds a lovely ambience to the room or adding essential oils to our burner. For a romantic scent the jasmine oil gives a gentle fragrance which is sweet and warming for the room which I love. Or for a more refreshing and invigorating scent I enjoy tea tree or eucalyptus oils which are deliciously fresh and promote an energising feeling.

Perhaps the best uses of the oils are in the bath, it's fabulous to run a hot bath and add a few drops of either the the jojoba carrier oil or sweet almond oil then a few drops of the essential oils for a luxurious scented bathtime. It's not just the fragrance that makes the moment, the carrier oils both make your skin feel moisturised and soft too. I'm so glad I have discovered the joy of oils in the bath in time for winter, pretty sure it's the way forward for me.

The best way to relax may be to use some massage oil and get Chris to make himself useful. Here's hoping.

Sophie

Oils sent to me by Simply Supplements for review. All opinions and content my own as always

I love fruit teas or as they like to be know 'herbal infusions'. It's not just the pretty colours, the delicious aromas or the refreshing tastes that makes herbal infusions a good choice of beverage. There are plenty of health benefits too!
I'm sharing my thoughts on three SimplyEnhance teas from Simply Supplements sent to me for review
Daily Cleanze  “detoxifying and refreshing blend” with green tea, lemongrass and fennel.
This was my least favourite because of the subtle flavour of fennel which isn't something I enjoy. I will be finishing off the teabags as they were ok but just not something I would re-purchase.
Sleep Tight “relaxing and restful night” with camomile, ginger and lavender
Oh this is delicious. You really can't beat a mug of camomile tea as your last drink before bed. The ginger must be pretty minimal as I didn't pick up any and I think it must be the lavender that gives a scrummy aftertaste as I've not found this with my usual camomile tea. It definitely helps me to feel more like sleeping than any other hot drinks.
Perfect Waters  “purifying infusion for women” with apple, rosehip, hibiscus and red berry
I have no idea why this is women specific, however, it has to be one of my favourite red berry teas because it is just so fruity and light.
At £0.95 for 15 teabags, which are individually sealed for freshness and have the string and tags for easy steeping I consider them pretty good value too.
Sophie

It's all well and good eating clean and taking part in regular exercise but sometimes you just can't seem to cram in everything your body needs into your diet. I've never really explored the concept of supplements much, barring the odd chewable vitamin c jellies, mostly on the basis that I just can't swallow tablets. When Simply Supplements  got in touch to ask me if I wanted to review some of their products I thought I'd have to reluctantly pass, but they explained to me about their range of Easygest capsules which can be opened and popped on your breakfast if you can't or don't want to swallow them whole. What a relief! It's solved my dilemma. There are over 40 products in the Easygest range which is perfect for me, so I know that when I decide to try adding another supplement to my diet they will be sure to cater for me.
So what did I decide to try?

There are three herbal teas which I will be reviewing in a separate post coming soon.
Ginkgo Biloba  which contains flavonoids and terpenoids (which are lost on me, but they are the beneficial active ingredients). Ginkgo Biloba is recommended for people like me with poor circulation, who often get cold hands and feet, plus it is said to aid short term memory. It's an obvious one for me to choose as I'm forever getting pins and needles in my legs just from sitting quite normally, with freezing cold extremities. I'm hoping that this winter I might feel a little bit of improvement regularly taking this!
I would say, on the negative side that this smells quite nasty so either swallow it whole or pop it on a spoonful of yogurt to take it as opposed to making your whole bowl of breakfast rather unpleasant. Can't have everything I guess.
Glucosamine Sulphate which is a well known supplement for maintaining healthy joints. Keeping your joints in good working order is a must, especially if you lead an active lifestyle. My family have bought these in tablet form from Simply Supplements for years and I never knew they could also come in swallowable form!
Acai Berry  is one of the most nutritious fruits out there, each berry containing a great number of beneficial nutrients for the body across the board, often thought to aid weight loss and promoting healthy skin. The powder is a bright pink colour!
Lutein  is something that is personally very important to me. Lutein is a 'carotenoid that is naturally concentrated in the macular of healthy eyes'. I have a family history of eye health degeneration with age (isn't that something to look forward to?) so I think that maintaining a regular intake of lutein is pretty key to keeping my eye health as tip top as long as possible.
Thanks to Simply Supplements for sending me this parcel of goodies. If you are looking to buy any supplements then I would definitely recommend them for their comprehensive selection of products and excellent service.
What supplements do you take? Any recommendations?
Sophie