I went a bit crazy overspending over presents last Christmas. I think I just got bored of lockdown, quarantine and pandemic talk and poor Mr Amex bore the brunt of my boredom and fatigue.
In fact speaking to an expatriate pension planner, (watch this space for the blog post) I realised I need to be more mindful of my spending. I’m not going to be parading around in a sackcloth, mind you. And if I need a treat during these darks days, I’ll go for it. However, I’m looking to invest in stuff I will appreciate in the long term.
This month’s love list has been as much about feeding my mind and body, as well as my wardrobe.
Kitchen cupboard
There are three types of supplement takers. The deniers, the dabblers and the believers. Gobbling a mix of supplements on a daily basis come rain or shine, I fall into the latter category.
I follow a mostly plant based diet (I know, cliche, right?) and I’m mindful about getting all the nutrients I need. With a lot of country moves, sometimes it can be hard to eat healthy, so I do like to stick to the routine of supplementing room service with some vitamin goodness.
I’m a bit of a tart with my vitamin pills, swapping one month to the next, and I tend to lug about a lot of bottles with every move abroad. So this cocktail of nutrition by luxury beauty subscription BeautyPie was a great find for me.
I’m not going to say I feel instantly energised through these wonder pills. However I’m pretty impressed with the ingredients list alone.
They’re vegan, and have all the nutrients I look for for healthy skin, nails, hair and bones, and to reduce fatigue. A great all in one vitamin boost if you’re on the move.
Perfect Daily by BeautyPie, Members price £11.37 GBP (£50 to non members)
Home office
I do like a good agenda. I use them not just for appointment reminders, but also for life journaling before bed.
I was in the habit for forking out at Smythson’s every year. This time round I discovered a much cheaper and just as cheerful version.
Papier make a series of leather and non leather journals, agendas and notebooks.
The signature engraving is very good quality and the page layout is just as a like it. I went for a very simple version, but they stock some fabulously pretty journals in other colours too.
Papier Leather diary, £37.99 GBP
Book shelf
This month I’m reading 4321 by Paul Auster. It’s a whopping 866 pages long, so I hope I finish it before my next country move. Like a lot of Auster’s work the themes and symbolism run deep, and it’s an engaging read.
The novel follows the path of Archibald Isaac Ferguson, the one and only child of Rose and Stanley Ferguson. From here Auster takes the reader through four simultaneous and independent fictional journeys.
I’ve wept, cringed and chortled to the pit of my belly in this clever, but ultimately human portrait of a young boy coming into his own.
4321 by Paul Auster, £10.99 GBP at BookShop.org
Wardrobe
There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing, they say here in the UK. Yet, it’s not always easy to find appropriate clothing, is it?
Here in Yorkshire, the weather is playing tricks on me, so I’ve been very pleased with this fedora. It keeps the sun off my eyes, the rain away from my hair, and my head surprisingly snug.
Barbour Tack Fedora, £64.95 GBP
I’ve also been rooting around in a charity shop or two (or three or four). I figured if I’m still comfort buying I could at least be helping out an organisation in the meantime.
I know the concept of charity shops doesn’t exist worldwide, but I wish it did. I am a big fan of buying second hand.
Second hand won’t work for me for everything, but I’ve made it a mission to check first if i can get my stuff in preloved format. If my kids deserve a little post homeschooling treat, our local Blue Cross is our go to.
Alas we’re in lockdown now, so my treasure hunting is on hold, but there are some good online options too. Beyond Retro, Oxfam and ebay are some of my go tos.
I snapped up this incredibly comfy pair of J.Crew jeans. I love the muted grey and they have just the right amount of cotton and stretch for home office days.
Podcast
Bit late to the party on this one… My most recent podcast obsession was The Missing Cryptoqueen.
In case you haven’t heard of it, the podcast centres on the incredulous Dr Ruja Ignatova. In 2016 she convinced millions of adoring fans to sign up to her new cryptocurrency, One Coin. After banking her self billions in perhaps the biggest ponzi scheme of all time, she disappeared off the face of the earth.
This detective style documentary is to binge for. I just wish the editor, Jamie Bartlett, would feed my curiosity with another episode.
Available on BBC Sounds.
Bathroom cabinet
I’m not shy of mixing up my skincare, but sometimes I overdo it. I detailed my routine to a facialist and she was shocked, ‘even I don’t do all that!’
Every so often I declutter my beauty shelves. I’m going back to a simpler cleanse, tone, moisturise, SPF this month.
This gentle, creamy moisturiser is lovely. It’s rich enough for a night cream, but not too thick to wear in the day. It’s soothing, simple and just what I need right now.
Celestial moisturiser by Lush. £18 GBP for a 45g recyclable pot.
Have you come across any finds this month? Let me know in the comments below!
