{REVIEW} JĀSÖN Calming Lavender Deoderant Stick

On my quest to eradicate all unnatural, chemical laden products from my life, I have discovered a new deodorant, by the Californian brand JĀSÖN.

Founded in 1959, JĀSÖN's products are clinically tested, free from aluminium, parabens & other nasty chemicals & thankfully not in any way tested on animals.  Which makes them perfect for me, now that I'm back to shopping more consciously.

Having always been a fan of aerosol spray deodorants, after a disappointing experience or two with roll-ons, I was surprised by how much I liked their calming lavender deodorant stick.

The minute you pop off the cap, the intense smell of lavender hits your senses.  I like this stick because, unlike many other roll-ons, this one is not in any way sticky & doesn't leave you feeling like you need to dry out before getting dressed.  It's more like a moisturiser.  Goes on light & sinks in fast.

Having used this stick for over four months now, I've been really happy with it.  It's kept me feeling fresh & odour free.  There are five other scents in the range & I'm quite keen to try the apricot one next.

Now that I have been suitably impressed with their deodorant, I'm quite keen to try out the rest of their product range, which includes body lotions, dental care, hair care & more.

What's your favourite natural deodorant?

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{Insightful Sunday} Self Recognition

I recently came across this pin on Pinterest & it kind of summed up exactly how I've been feeling of late.

After four months of traveling, the last place I visited, before my Christmas break in England, was a Buddhist monastery near Rome.  Spending two hours a day meditating, really centred me & made me realise who & where I wanted to be.  I went back to England on a high & then seemingly, came crashing down, with great force.  It's one thing to find 'inner peace' in a monastery, a place of no distractions, but to take that peace & keep it with you, in the big troublesome world, well, that's a little harder.

I fell apart a little & although I managed to pull myself together in time to return to Italy, a week went by & I started to feel disillusioned again.  By the time I arrived in France, I was on full meltdown alert.  A part of it is knowing what I want to do, but accepting that I don't know how to get there yet.  I have learnt to accept that it's about knowing the destination & trusting in the journey, but sometimes, when you feel like nothing's changed, like you haven't got any closer to the end goal, it's hard to keep the faith.

Life can be so distracting & I constantly worry that I'll end up way off track, because I lost sight of where I was going.  Although, as John Lennon famously said, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."  I know I can be a rigid individual, afraid to let go & I do try to embrace life & what crops up along the way.  Even the past few weeks have proved miraculous for me & been evidence to how life can work out, without you having to worry or force things.

The worst thing I could imagine, would be to get to the end of the year & look back on my travels & regret anything.  Not doing what I wanted to do, or embraced the moment enough.  Even if I don't make it to my apartment in Paris, if I'd had a year of blissful memories, then that would truly be enough.

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{RECIPE} Mushroom & Quinoa Vegan Meatballs

Let it be said, that one should never underestimate the value of quinoa.  This ancient grain was introduced to me by mère, who essentially fills me in on every unheard of superfood going.  I was about sixteen, had not long been vegan & took to having it instead of rice, which I was never too fond of.

When I gave up being a vegan & returned to eating meat once more, I stopped eating quinoa & instead, started a love affair with couscous.  However, whilst being entirely delicious & quick to cook, couscous, essentially being from the pasta family, makes me bloat & isn't particularly of any nutritional benefit.

Thus, upon returning to my vegan ways, I also returned to quinoa.  It had been so long since I'd had it, I'd forgotten how good it was & how versatile.  Great in salads, cakes & even...

Mushroom & Quinoa Vegan Meatballs

This great recipe by 84th&3rd, was really easy to follow & made delicious, flavoursome meatballs.  Kate & I made them together, slightly adjusting the ingredients to what we had to hand, such as using spinach instead of kale & served them with the tomato sauce & a plate full of spaghetti.

Quinoa is a complete protein & like couscous, it soaks up the water you cook it in, which means that you fill up on very little.  So even a couple of these little balls is enough per person.

What do you make with quinoa?

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