Candyfloss & Dreams

Category: Lifestyle

lifestyle blog posts focusing on home, lifestyle, parenting, pregnancy, family life and home and style. Home decor and working at home, working at home as a self employed freelancer and blogger. Family lifestyle blog posts including family reviews, family products and saving money as a family. Being a more eco friendly family.

  • Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    This is a collaborative post. 

    October has come along so quickly, hasn’t it? It’s that time of year to where lots of people really consider their health because of so many awareness-raising activities going on. For me, October always means Breast Cancer Awareness Month so here, my lady (and lad – men can get breast cancer too, they have breast tissue!) friends, here is your reminder to check your breasts. You don’t need to raise awareness by putting a heart or a status on facebook, you need to check them. You need to give your breasts some firm but tender squeezings to make sure they’re exactly how they usually are. Don’t make this a yearly thing because it should be done regularly. If you want to go that step further if you’re someone at risk of developing breast cancer, it runs in the family or you’re just concerned about it then you might want to consider breastlight which is a breast cancer screening device that can be done in your home. Breastlight gives you clear view inside the breast tissue to view any abnormalities developing over time.

    Getting to know your breasts, their shape and size will really help you to understand your body and also make you aware of any changes. Make yourself aware of the signs and symptoms and if you’re worried about anything at all, if you feel something different then get in to speak to your GP straight away. It’s not just your boobs you need to feel either, the tissue goes right up to your collarbone and under your pits so get feeling all over. It’s something that will only take a few minutes of your time. If you want to help raise awareness for Breast Cancer then why not share something really valuable like the infographic below? Encourage your friends and family to check their breasts too. Something so simple as getting to know your body can help save lives.

    PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.pinkribbonfoundation.org.uk/2017/07/13/breast-cancer-self-check-guide/

  • At Home Hair and Beauty Tips

    At Home Hair and Beauty Tips

    All through my twenties I’ve seen adverts for products, tips and tricks to reduce the first signs of ageing. I’m incredibly lucky with my face, perhaps that’s because I’m a little on the round side, that I don’t really have any fine lines just yet. I do want to prevent any of those fine lines from appearing anytime soon so I thought I’d put together a few of my top tips for taking care and getting the post out of your hair and skin for as long as possible.

    1. Good Tools Help – Capital Hair and Beauty have a great range of tools, products and supplies for you to use at home. Make sure you’re using quality hair brushes that are right for your hair type and style, good quality makeup brushes for smooth and flawless application and well-known and recommended products. Stay away from cheap knockoffs and fakes when it comes to cosmetics as they can be quite damaging. Don’t confuse ‘dupes’ for ‘fakes’ though – a dupe is a good quality alternative for a high-end product!
    2. Brush hair a few times a day to spread the natural oils and keep hair looking healthy.
    3. Use a good moisturiser that works for your skin type. When I was younger I just used any moisturiser that said ‘for face’. Now I know better I look for a good SPF factor and something that is balancing for my skin type. I have combination to oily skin so I like to use a mattifying moisturiser to reduce shine and balance out the oily parts in my skin.
    4. Invest in a collagen boosting night cream to help reduce those first fine lines.
    5. Exfoliate! A good exfoliator is my absolute top tip because it makes such a difference to your skin. Exfoliate regularly, at least a couple of times a week to help get rid of dead skin cells. You can even make your own.
    6. For dry, damaged or coloured hair invest in good quality hair care products. Using a deep conditioning treatment regularly will keep your locks looking lovely, smooth and stop brittleness.
    7. Consider laser hair removal. Perfect for getting rid of unsightly hair and avoiding shaving or at home hair removal products that can be time consuming.

    I hope some of these tips and tricks work for you. I’d love to know, what are your top at home hair and beauty tips?

    Unsplash Jamie Street

     

    This is a collaborative post.

  • Using Essential Oils in Everyday Life

    Using Essential Oils in Everyday Life

    This is a collaborative post.

    I’ve been a fan of essential oils, mostly as home fragrances, for ages but recently I’ve been using them more and more for home remedies. Essential oils can be used for so much in the house and in everyday life. I’ve been using mine to help with colds, headaches, getting to sleep, boosting energy levels, helping me concentrate and helping my skin. It’s simple and easy to find out more information about Essential Oils. I wanted to talk you through a few of my favourites and how I use them. Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils is a great way to help with everyday ailments but of course if you are worried about anything you should always speak to your GP. Aromatherapy can also be used in pregnancy but again make sure you speak to your health practitioner first.

    1. Lemon Oil – mixed with a little coconut oil and dabbed onto pulse points first thing in the morning. Lemon is great at making you feel awake, refreshed and keeping your energy levels up throughout the day. Lemon is one of my favourite scents.
    2. Lavender Oil – rubbed onto the soles of feet and sprinkled on pillows Lavender is great to help relax the body and the mind. Using Lavender oil before bed helps me to switch off and fall asleep much quicker, I also tend to stay asleep longer and feel much more rested when I wake up.
    3. Jojoba Oil – one that I find is lovely for my skin. If I want a more dewy glow to my face I mix a few drops with my liquid foundation. It helps the foundation spread better and keeps my skin feeling really moisturised and looking fresh all day.
    4. Cinnamon Oil – I mix this with coconut oil and mix into scaring and stretch marks to help reduce them. Cinnamon is great for inflammation and the gums too. It can really help to soothe stiff muscles.
    5. Eucalyptus Oil – my go to Oil for colds and headaches. I will use this in a hot bath or shower, in vaporisers and rub into my temples to help soothe a sore head.

    Do you use Essential oils? What are your favourites?

    edens semilla essential oils, every use for essential oils

  • Evie’s Bedroom Makeover – Part 2

    We have gradually been trying to improve Evie’s room. By improve I mean throw away a lot of old toys that do not work and do not get played with. This has been a big success and we’ve now got a nice big toy storage unit to keep everything together. Everything now has a proper place and the room is, most of the time, pretty easy to keep tidy. I say pretty easy, but children are very good at making a big mess out of not a lot of stuff!

    New bedding has really helped make the room look like a new room and we recently received this gorgeous set of Owl bedding set from Room to Grow. It’s a single duvet cover and pillow case which goes really nicely with her pink and cream (well, magnolia) walls. I love the cute Owl design and think it’s pretty age appropriate now that she is 7! The bedding feels really nice and has buttons to do it up in the end rather than poppers. I usually prefer poppers because making beds is something I want to get over and done with but the buttons are nice and big and can be done up very quickly.

    Evie still has a lot of soft toys which I’m kind of reluctant to get rid of because she really does play with them all. I think we might have to say goodbye to a few of the more threadbare or opening at the seams ones though because, well, she has about 500 of them. Honestly, soft toys are such a popular thing with Evie. She is currently collecting the little Disney Tsum Tsums which are super cute. I’m glad we’ve had a good sort out, especially with Christmas coming up. She now has so much more space in her tiny box room and now I have a much better idea of the toys she actually loves to play with rather than stuff I think she’ll love to play with.

    Disclaimer: We were sent a single set of bedding in exchange for this feature. All opinions are my own.

  • Considering Plastic Surgery? A Few Things To Think About

    I am all about body confidence and promoting a healthy body image. I really do believe that a lot of people, particularly women, suffer from self-esteem, body confidence, and appearance anxiety issues because we live in an age where beauty matters. There are a lot of things you can do to improve your self-confidence and body image including living a healthy and active lifestyle, however, there are some things and some parts of the body that can’t really be controlled, altered or improved. It isn’t always about making something look better or bigger either, sometimes people just aren’t happy with the shape of their nose, their breasts, they want a more natural look and they believe that improving this would give their self-confidence a boost. In my experience I’ve known a lot of friends have corrective and plastic surgery for enhancements and the change in their mentality is amazing. It’s like I have a new, confident friend that has had a big self-esteem boost.

    There are so many procedures and surgeries available these days to help you change your body shape. The most important thing to think about is why you want to make a change and of course using a reputable surgeon to go through this with you. It isn’t all about enhancements either, some people speak to a plastic surgeon for reductions and non-invasive treatments  like a FUE hair transplant which are becoming very popular. Plastic surgery can be something to consider after weight loss or to help burn victims with scaring.

    If you’re considering plastic surgery there are a few things to think about.

    1. Use a registered, well practised and well documented plastic surgeon. There are often directories online that will help you find a reputable surgeon close to your home such as plastic surgery Toronto.
    2. Attend a consultation. Most surgeons will offer this to understand what it is you want and how best they can help you. This will explain the procedure, recovery and give you a chance to ask any questions.
    3. Speak to friends who have had surgery. Getting a personal feel for the recovery period and the enhancement that’s been had is a great experience. A friend can help talk you through everything and again be able to answer some questions.
    4. Join group boards and forums to speak with other people that have experienced plastic surgery or are going through the same process as you. Support is vital and again will give you answers to questions and help you decide if plastic surgery is the right thing for you.
    5. Make sure you can book adequate time away from work or get help in the home during recovery. You will still be undergoing a surgical procedure and you will need to rest during your recovery. Making sure you can do this in peace or at least with help and support is key. Speak to your surgeon about concerns you may have when booking time off.

    These are just a few things to consider when thinking about plastic surgery. It’s important you speak to a health professional about your plans. Ultimately this is an incredibly personal decision and is something that will alter your body. If you go through with this make sure you’re doing it for you, not to impress others. Your happiness is what is important and if you’re happy with your body then really think about whether you need to make a permanent change. If you’re unhappy then make sure you get the right advice and you’re working with a surgeon that wants to help improve your confidence and create a positive body image.

    This is a collaborative post.