Tesco Chocolate Sensation Cake

I was given another opportunity to try some christmas desserts from Tesco being an Orchard member. I purchased a Cake from the desserts range online as you are all well aware now i do 90% of my shopping online due to not having enough energy. So i chose a chocolate sensation cake which was a hand decorated chocolate flavoured sponge covered with a rich chocolate ganache. It seemed appealing and thought it would fit right in with a cake display for a party. Anyway when i recieved my delivery the cake was alot smaller then anticipated but looked delish. I opened it and put it on display and everyone tucked in and enjoyed it very much the ganache was lush. It is a shame it was abit small as i on the other hand would have liked seconds.


 
       
                                     

Blue Corn 3 In 1 Deep Purifying Scrub Mask

So im back with another review this product is one of my favourites and i have been using this ever since i purchased it 6 months ago and it has still got loads left inside. This is probably because i have not used it weekly but every other week. I really like this due to the fact it's another all in one product. It cleanses exfoliates and it is a mask.

 

I just apply it to my skin and gently exfoliate and then just leave it on 15 mins before having a shower. I find it goes on quite nicely and thick with grainy bits which are not too harsh on the skin.

         

Another scary pic lol. It does dry on to the skin and the smell is quite pleasant and light. After i have finished applying my mask i mix 1/2 Tsp of sugar with 1/4 Tsp of hunny and scrub this on my lips to remove dead skin and also leave it on until i wash my mask off as due to taking so many different medications over the years i have found my skin and lips have definitely darkened and leaving the scrub on my lips does make a slight difference and lightens and softens the lips because of the honey.

After washing the mask off my skin feels so refreshed and pampered. I just need to use it more often.

Garnier Pure Active 3 in 1

I was recently sent some samples from garnier for there new Pure Active 3 in 1 which is basically 3 different uses in 1 product and i thought why not share my opinion.

So as you are aware i am unwell most of the time and the most simplest task seems like a mountain so without cleansing etc i just decided to slather it on to my face. It has a pleasent clean smell and the texture is creamy. 

I hope that did not scare anyone...so i left it on for 15 minutes and by this time it had dried up on my skin. It was fairly easy to wash off and i can definitely tell my pores have shrunk and my skin feels so fresh, less oily and the results are as good as some high end products i have used.

Thats my skin after i washed off the mask unedited but maybe the quality could have been better. I will definitely try this for the next seven days as a cleanser and maybe exfolite with it twice and update my review with any difference to my skin which is oily and prone to spots.


Update:
It has been way over a week and i have been using this daily. I can not see a huge difference in my skin however i have been having fewer spots. So overall i am quite happy with this and have purchased one to use as a daily cleanser.

Venlafaxine (Venlablue) killer withdrawal side affects

I was started on Venlablue XL 75mg in December 2015 by my GP who after a few months increased my dose as it was not doing too many wonders for me. I have been on 150mg of this since well until recently a few weeks ago when i was also put on Gabpentin by my Rheumatologist, starting at 100mg a night and increasing this to 300mg for fibromyalgia symptoms, my pain and sleep which are a big issue for me. So after being on this 2 weeks i just was not able to function very well and my symptoms worsened so i decided to just come off everything and just stick to my Rivaroxaban Xarelto 20mg once a day and Tramadol and Coedine for pain relief which just was not negotiable. I believe as i was not on Gabapentin for too long this did not really attribute to any of my withdrawal affects as apposed to the Venlablue which i was on for 8 months straight. The first 2 days felt normal but as soon as i got to day 3 i was unable to control my emotions i was angry and upset so i cried which honestly helped a little and not forgetting to mention 8 months straight while on the Venlablue i did not cry once, yes i was angry and upset but also quite dead inside. So i decided to take just one 75mg capsule which was half of my usual dose so that i could stay sane enough to function. I again missed 2 days and took one on the 3rd day along this while i was down but i was feeling again i did have brain zaps and felt just awkward. I also suffered severe nausea and the only very thing that helped was prochlorperazine 3mg buccal tablets which you place under your lip on your gum and it just dissolves away. These were left overs from another time as i did not bother getting an appointment and seeing my GP because it is a damn hassle getting a suitable appointment with a GP you regularly see hence i took matters in to my own hands. I feel i am a strong woman and well i can just deal with these many withdrawal affects though i would totally not recommend this to anyone as it can be very difficult and suicide tendencies are  a big withdrawal affect.so it has been over 2 weeks and i am feeling much better and more normal and just want to colour all day, weird i know. All i can say is this medication does not actually work or it works for a little while and then just becomes something your body is addicted to. I personally would not recommend this and by far had been the worst medication to come off. Im fighting along and have some really horrible days but the one day in all those horrible days keeps me going and looking forward to that good day.

Little things in Life do Matter

So it has been quite some time but my thoughts have totally been suppressed by this debilitating illness. I try and try to be the person i was once but i fail daily and struggle with just trying to even change the little things to how they were.

My life is the best right now, better than it has ever been, unfortunately though my health has failed me however if i had good health then everthing would be perfect but then again nobody has a perfect life thats just not possible there is always something that lacks a perfect life.

As i lie awake at night i plan my day the next day but when the day arrives i am unable to carry out any chores. Yes i do have a few good days when i am able to do many things but then i have to pay for it that night or the next day.

My life has taught me how to cope with my pains and all the pain has made me strong, so i can survive the pain but the fatigue is definitely a killer. Fatigue has really affected my quality of life.

I have lost alot of hope but Allah has given me so many reasons to stay strong and be happy so i still keep a little light of hope in the corner of my heart for all those people i love and whom rely on me.

Little by little things get done, i will take each day as it comes and i will not lose more hope or be ungrateful i have been blessed with countless blessings and i will enjoy these beautiful moments.

Trust me the little things in life do matter.

Flowers From Tesco

I was given the opportunity to try fresh flowers from Tesco courtesy of the Tesco Orchard programme. So i went in to Tesco in the evening however there was still a wide variety of different fresh flowers available. I picked the Belle bouquet which was pink and white and consisted of rose, chrysanthemums, Gerbera and white daisies. I gave the flowers to a friend who was delighted with the flowers and many other friends also commented on how pretty and colourful they were. I was happy with my purchase of flowers from Tesco and will definitely be buying flowers from Tesco again.

                

   

JAWBONE UP3

I have spent most of this week just sleeping and yet i can not get enough of it, it is hard to believe as i spend most nights dwelling in insomnia however i surprisingly met my sleep goals according to my JAWBONE UP3 tracker which brings me to talking about this tracker that i waited so eagerly for to come on the market and have been wearing ever since purchasing it in November. So since hearing about it a while ago i tried to preorder the thing but due to not being on the market i was unable to do so and just kept checking the website whenever i remembered, so finally i was able to buy it in November and was definitely eager to get it on my wrist and use it asap, what made this one so special was the fact it automatically measures your sleep stages and heart rate so being medically unfit this was totally my calibre.

It was previously on my left hand but due to causing irritation i had to put it on my right arm which has not made any difference still working fine just more comfortable and for some weird reason does not cause any irritation on my right arm. The dimensions are 220 x 12.2 x 9.3mm and it weighs 29g – making it Jawbone's thinnest and lightest tracker so far and it looks pretty good too though it has however fallen of my arm quite easily.

There is a trio of lights that indicate the mode the UP3 is in: sleep (orange) or activity (blue). There's also a white LED for notifications from the UP app. The Jawbone UP3 is built on an advanced multi-sensor platform that packs in a newly designed tri-axis accelerometer, bioimpedance sensors, as well as skin and ambient temperature sensors. These sensors sit on the inside of the band – they measure the resistance of skin tissue to tiny electric currents like a treadmill heart rate grip – and there's five little metal squares clearly on show, after a day of wearing the UP3 you'll see those five little square imprints on your skin as you have to wear the device pretty tight for maximum accuracy. However, it's honestly not uncomfortable, despite the pressure tattoos left behind.

So basically i showered with it thinking hey it's waterproof that is why they took so bloody long to launch it but guess what it's only splash proof, i guess they were not able to waterproof it and lucky for me it is still working without any problems even after being showered. Lucky i went back and checked though.

The UP3 also calculates your calorie burn, based on your step count, using a basal metabolic rate (BMR) method; derived from your age, weight, height and activity. 

  

This gadget also aims to keep you active by nudging you - using a vibration – when you've been idle for too long which is a great help to me. You can set how long you want periods of inactivity to go unnoticed for in the app, as well as periods of time you want these alerts to be active for and the smart alarm is pretty amazing even though i still can not get out of bed now if only there was some gadget to help with that.

The battery life is meant to last 7 days however after the upgrade i would be lucky if it lasts 5 even if it is fully charged.

So bottom line the craze has died down now and i don't even notice it though i update it daily to check my heart rate etc. I would not be without it though i wish it had constant heart rate monitoring it only tells you when you are at rest.

Patchouli & Clove Hand Cream

So after quite some time i was able to get out and go shopping with my sisters today, we had a great time however it left me quite exhausted. Most of my shopping was ordered online and it was a matter of collecting it from each shop. I find it is easier for myself due to my health, and it is less time consuming seeing as i do not get out much, so when i do finally get out the tasks have piled up. My two main purchases today were the Florence Anne Patchouli & Clove hand cream from Boots and the  Sanctuary Spa Buff & Polish Face & Body Brush which i also purchased from boots. 

Even though i can not wait to talk about the Spa Buff & Polish Face & Body Brush i will merely be focusing on the hand cream today as i have yet to try out the Face & Body Brush before making any judgments.

So it was easy to shop online at Boots and the collection was easy and quick. I once tried a Patchouli handwash at my mums house and i fell in love with the smell of it. Patchouli is a bush herb of the mint family and it is a addictive smell so when i saw it online and on offer i had to buy it.

                          

The box and packaging looked really simple and posh and as soon as i removed the cellaphone wrap the smell was intense and could not wait to try it on my hands. After doing so i have come to a conclusion that though i love the smell of Patchouli i can not say quite the same for the Clove in the hand cream. My hands do feel less dry but the smell after a short while disappears and is hardly existent in the cream itself which is quite bizarre as i thought it would be alot more.
                    
                      

My Insomniac Life

So i have been struggling with this debilitating condition for most of my adult life and as time has gone on it has seemed to get much worse and it is definitely affecting my day to day life. I really do not want to be depending on sleep medications as i know how addictive they can be but sadly right now it seems like it is the only way to get a decent nights sleep. I can probably write a whole essay on  all my problems however i will not bore you any further.


So insomnia affects 1 in every 3 people in the UK and suffering from Insomnia you may:

• find it difficult to fall asleep
• lie awake for long periods at night
• wake up several times during the night
• wake up early in the morning and not be able to get back to sleep
• not feel refreshed when you get up
• find it hard to nap during the day, despite feeling tired
• feel tired and irritable during the day and have difficulty concentrating

Normal amount of sleep is considered around 7 to 9 hours for an adult and as everyone is different some may need more sleep than others, there's basically no official guidelines.


Here are some causes that can affect a good nights sleep:

• stress and anxiety
• a poor sleeping environment, such as an uncomfortable bed, or a bedroom that's too light, noisy, hot or cold
• lifestyle factors, such as jet lag, shift work, or drinking alcohol or caffeine before going to bed
• mental health conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia
• physical health conditions, such as heart problems, other sleep disorders and long-term pain
• certain medicines, such as some antidepressants, epilepsy medicines and steroid medications

You can do quite a few things to help the situation by:

• setting regular times for going to bed and waking up
• relaxing before bed time – try taking a warm bath or listening to calming music
• using thick curtains or blinds, an eye mask and earplugs to stop you being woken up by light and noise
• avoiding caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, heavy meals and exercise for a few hours before going to bed
• not watching TV or using phones, tablets or computers shortly before going to bed
• not napping during the day
• writing a list of your worries and any ideas about how to solve them before going to bed, to help youforget about them until the morning

I just hate lying awake at night watching the world sleep. Only one suffering from insomnia can understand one going through it.

Tesco Free From

So as an orchard member i was given the opportunity to try something from the free from range I did my regular online Tesco grocery shop and added somethings from the free from range upon recieiving my order and seeing the packaging i could not wait to taste the Free from carrot cake and Free from triple chocolate cookies as their packaging is really apealing especially as i have a sweet tooth and i am a sugar addict. The carrot cake was shared with my mama and aunty and a friend who were round for tea and they totally enjoyed it and i for one loved it and it is definitely replacing my usual carrot cake as i love carrot cake i am quite suprised though as it is gluten and wheat free so i thought it aint going to be tasty however i totally loved it. Any how moving on to the Free From triple cookies which looked tasty in the packaging but upon taking out of packaging i found they were much smaller and though they were triple chocolate with a layer of chocolate under the cookie they did not quite hit the spot but being gluten and wheat free they were definitely quite nice.

Tuesday 12th January 2016

So the new year has started and i have been very busy... Well hibernating nothing else nada what an excellent start to this new year i must say. I have tried my level best to get my shit together and maybe change a few hopeless things in my life and also introduce a routine which is sooo lacking right now and at the moment well im at the very bottom of that ladder however im hoping to climb the first step in the morning by awaking early and getting out of my bed no matter how much the bed wont let me go or my body will reject getting out i will try my utmost best to put this plan into action and give my life a new meaning. It has been a very hard few days, as always heres me moaning again bla blah blah but trust me i have had it hard another ride in the ambulance a few days ago due to severe pain in my chest and back and difficulty breathing and after lots and lots of tests and sitting waiting they said Nothing can be done and i am to speak to my haematologist even if there are more clots hence i discharged myself instead of more waiting, with a canula in my hand and came home and my darling husband took the courtesy of removing it for me. So anyhow i have now recovered from that devastating pain and carry on to my own vices. So today was alright i was booked in for a treat from my loving husband a full body wax lol and the therapist was amazing i had a great time lol seriously virtually pain free after my coedine meds. Then i went to see mummy bear and daddy bear who are currently redecorating and i must say it is going really well. I will upload some pictures soon seeing as i have instructed some of it. Anyhow another long night....x