SELF CARE SUNDAY

It’s Wednesday and I’m chatting about Sunday. Don’t worry I haven’t lost my mind I’m just doing a little forward thinking to help you prep for a beautiful sunday that’s centred around you. Sunday is one of my favourite days of the week. It’s the day I focus a little on me, setting myself up for the week ahead. If I don’t take time out for myself I tend to have a breakdown midweek and it’s all a bit too much. Let’s face it most of the time we’re juggling many different hats and rushing here and there, looking after the important people in our lives. How often do you take an hour or two out just for you (and not feel guilty)? For me Sunday is self-care Sunday and it always starts with a bath, music, my favourite Fig and Yarrow Love bath salts, essential oils and a candle. I’m also working on my personal goals at the moment to give me more focus and direction. If I have purpose in my life and a goal to work towards it makes me feel calm and in control. You can get my free guide here on how to create goals that set you heart on fire and a vision board to help bring it to life.

First things first, book some time out in your diary on Sunday and treat it like you would any other important appointment. Discuss it with your partner in crime and make sure its in their diary too and if you have kids its over to them or your family, friends to take them off your hands for a few hours. Whatever your situation is make sure you have some free time and all the help you need to make this happen. You may be reading this and thinking this sounds ridiculous but trust me you will feel great for it and it’ll set you up for a great week. It may feel indulgent but that’s the whole point. You totally deserve this and you will be a much happier partner, friend and mother etc Now, that you have space for you each week booked in the diary here are my top tips for carving out some much needed time just for you. We like to call it #selfcaresunday - this was actually inspired by Melissa Ambrosini who is an absolute Goddess of positivity. My interpretation of this is to indulge and pamper myself but your idea of #selfcaresunday may be something totally different. How you do it is personal to you, so take on my tips but ultimately I just want you to do what makes you happy. So if you want to join me for #selfcaresunday this sunday head over to my Bathe and Beauty section and order some goodies. Tag me in any instagram post with #selfcaresunday. It’s all about being prepped so when Sunday comes along you have no excuses. If you order today you’ll have your products by Friday. If you already have your own beauty products to hand then you’re one step closer. Here are some of the things that I like to do to take care of me….

• Block off some time (hopefully this is already in the diary) - This is your time, so ask yourself what is it that I most need right now. Do you need to relax and give yourself a little pamper or do you need to laugh or you may just need to sit in a cafe on your own with your fave book. Only you can answer this.

• Losing yourself in a podcast is a great distraction from our daily grind and can help shift your mind to a positive place. Some of my favourites are Tony Robins, Happy Place by Fearne Cotton, The guilty Feminist, Melissa Ambrosini, Nick Broadhurst,Ted Talks, The High Low

• I love a bath because it’s relaxing and I seem to be my most creative when I’m in the bath. I love using our pink love salts and our matcha milk from Fig and Yarrow. I have my music playing and I read. I always look forward to this time and feel super relaxed afterwards.

• I’m terrible at taking my makeup off or giving my skin any extra attention and then I wonder why it gets irritated. So now I try to put some time aside at least once a month where I put on a face and hair mask. With this cold weather I like to inject some moisture with a hydrating face mask. and hair mask Why not even go one step further and shave your legs ;) Or why not get Blow LTD to come to your home for a pamper session for the ultimate indulgence.

• Another thing I love to do is go to the movies on a rainy day when everyone is at work. I grab a glass of wine and popcorn and lose myself in a movie. I used to hate being on my own when I was young but it now feels like a real treat to be on my own.

• Breathing is so important but I didn’t know just how important it was until I had a breath coaching session with Stuart from Breath Pod. Yes we need to breath to live but did you know that it could help with your health and wellbeing? Stuart from Breath Pod says it can help with increased productivity, communication, confidence,­ focus, alleviate stress, anxiety, fatigue and help reduce negative emotions such as anger, fear, frustration and depression. My session was incredible and by the end of it I felt the most relaxed i’ve ever felt.

Click below to treat yourself

Sold out

BUCKET LIST JOURNAL - CORAL

Sale Price: £9.00 Original Price: £18.00

Sale

OH K! HAIR MASK

Sale Price: £4.00 Original Price: £8.50

Show notes from my interview with Chloe from The London Botanists

I recently chatted with Chloe, who is one of the founders from The London Botanists. They sell a range of CBD oils and I wanted to get the facts from her to clear up a few myths. Cannabidiol more commonly known as CBD oil has had an increased in popularity due to it being available on the high street and in health food shops. It’s also now available on the NHS. Like me you may have thought it was only an option for seriously ill people but its now gaining popularity with wellness fans with the promise of being able to provide everything from pain relief to depression, anxiety and acne.

If you’re curious like me then head over to IGTV to watch my interview with Chloe to hear us chat everything CBD oil.

When trying anything new I also advise people to do their own research so that you can make your own informed choice. As mentioned in our chat I have linked a few studies and articles below that may be a good start. If you want to purchase CBD oil head over to The London Botanists to find out more. If you use code HOUSECURIOUS at checkout you’ll get 10% off your first purchase if you purchase before the 15th Feb 2019

More about The London Botanist in their own words….

The London Botanists was created in 2018 with one simple goal in mind; to take the uncertainty out of buying Cannabis related products. We are determined to drive the current revolution in the perception of Cannabis forward by always providing truly exceptional products.

We are members of the CTA (Cannabis Trades Association) and bring customers comfort in the knowledge that they are buying a product that is completely safe and of the highest quality.

We also believe that as a business, we have a duty to make sure that we do not impact the environment negatively. We ensure that packaging is kept to an absolute minimum, is recyclable and, where possible, use recycled materials.

Links to articles and research pieces:

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a22126593/what-is-cbd-oil/ - mens health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29241357 - research by Professor Phillip McGuire, Kings College London

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/health-fitness/cannabis-oil-616927 - Marie Claire article

A good site summarising studies that have been done:

http://haleighshope.co/blog/17-compelling-studies-cbd-2017/

Other interesting links

This video is heart wrenching and fascinating. About a little girl called charlotte with crippling epilepsy. CBD saved her life and now the strain is called charlotte’s web named after her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWWLULr_-9I&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop

A slightly conspiratorial view of cannabis prohibition:

https://www.wakingtimes.com/2017/06/21/brief-history-cannabis-hemp-prohibition/

Interesting talks on the commercialisation of cannabis:

https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_cort_surprising_truths_about_legalizing_cannabis?language=en

Ginger Tonic recipe (Makes 1 litre= 15 shots)

Ingredients

200 grams ginger

1/2 sliced lemon

3 lemons

1 Tbsp of honey (to taste)

1 small tea bag

15 small pumps of CBD Syrup

Instructions

Add chopped ginger and sliced lemon to a pan of water, cover and boil for 1/2 an hour. 

Meanwhile, juice 3 lemons. 

Once ginger has finished boiling add lemon juice and teabag (for about 30 seconds). Add honey to taste. 

You can either add CBD oil

Leave to rest and strain. I keep mine in the fridge and lasts about one week.  You can either add the pumps of CBD oil at this point or add the CBD to each shot once poured.

BBQ prawns with zingy, spicy Thai sauce, BBQ Thai Chicken, with Asian tomato salad and steamed rice

Friday night is usually treat night where my husband and I indulge in wine and order a takeaway, falling into a heap watching netflix. I’m bored of all the takeaway options in my area so I’ve come up with a quick and delicious home cooked alternative. It’s fresh, healthy and beats any takeaway. It does require a bit of forward thinking with some prep the night before but once you’ve done that Friday night will be a breeze.

This Thai BBQ recipe has been a favourite of mine for some time and is a simplified version of the BBQ Thai chicken that I discovered in Thailand. The recipe is from Bill’s Everyday Asian by Bill Granger. The great thing about this recipe is that you can prep it the night before, which is brilliant if you’re entertaining or if like me you just want something easy and tasty for an alternative Friday night takeaway.

Method: Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Pour over the chicken and rub into the skin making sure every part of the chicken is covered. This can be done the night before or two hours prior to cooking.

You can either cook in an outdoor BBQ or alternatively in an oven. If using an oven cook accordingly to the packet instructions. I cooked mine in the oven for 30min on 170 degrees (fan oven) and then finished it off on my indoor BBQ until the skin was crispy and charred. If you’re throwing a BBQ with friends pre cooking the chicken in the oven will ensure you spend more time chatting with your friends and less time at the BBQ.

Once your chicken is cooking away you can start prepping the prawns and make the zingy, spicy Asian sauce. Again you can also make this sauce the night before or up to a week in advance. Now would be a good time to put the rice on. Further below is my tip to cooking perfect fluffy rice.

Prep the prawns by using scissors to cut down the back of the spine, removing the vein. Leave the shell and head in place. You can of course remove the head but keep the shell on to lock in the moister when you cook. Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. Once the chicken is coming off the BBQ add the prawns and cook until the prawns turn orange and meat is opaque. It’s ok if the shell gets charred this adds to the flavour.

Method: Now on to the sauce. This sauce or dressing transforms any dish and can be used with grilled seafood, meat or as a dressing for a salad. I like to make it in bulk and keep a jar of it in the fridge

In a pestle and morta add the garlic, chilli and sugar. Grind until you have a rough paste. Put this in a bowl with the lime juice and rice vinegar, mixing together. You can store this in the fridge until you are ready to use it. To serve add it to a small dipping bowl and add the chopped coriander on top.

Sometimes the simple things are often the best and that’s certainly the case with this tomato salad. It’s so refreshing and the toasted sesame oil adds another layer of flavour. This is easily one of my fave salads. Roughly chop and slice the tomatoes and if you like use a variety of different colour and shaped tomatoes for extra wow factor. Sprinkle with spring onions and nigella seeds. Mix together the white wine vinegar, sesame oil and pour over the salad just before serving and if you like garnish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper.

Perfect fluffy rice every time

Once the chicken has been in the oven for 15 min put the rice on. To get perfect fluffy rice simply put equal parts water and rice into a saucepan. One cup of rice and one cup of water or two cups of rice and two cups of water. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add rice, then turning down to simmer, cover with a lid and leave a little opening to let some of the steam release. Leave it for 10-12 min according to the packet instructions. Once the time is up the rice should be dry, fluffy and ready to serve. To finish of sprinkle with nigella seeds and coriander on top.

Serve everything at once and get stuck in. It really is a quick and easy meal to prepare and is super delicious. It’s also much healthier than your local takeaway! Winning! Enjoy and let me know how you get on. If you would like to see more recipes like this please comment below or like this post.

to shop story click here

Have a great weekend,

Sommer xx