The soap is 100% natural (the ingredients are only: coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil, lemongrass essential oil, hemp bran and water) so is free from palm oil and chemical nasties. This was the main selling point for me as we were bathing and walking through the river, I didn't want to be putting anything damaging into the ecosystem. The soap is also vegan friendly and not tested on animals so there's no harm done during production either.
Not only did the lemongrass smell super fresh and energising, it also has antiseptic, antibacterial and natural deodorising properties!  I feel like I should probably list something bad to counteract all of these good things but I genuinely can't think of anything ;)

Hey friends! Sorry for the quiet, I've just been away to Borneo with university, but there'll be plenty of posts on the way soon.
Last month Leon and I visited the Eden Project on the way home for the holidays, and despite being more excited than a 6 year old on Christmas Eve, the day somehow managed to exceed all expectations!
I've visited a few times before with family, but never been to their 'Shadows and Light's show.
After exploring all day and marvelling at bright flowers and colourful birds, as the daylight faded the domes started to come alive again. The photos really speak for themselves!
As it was getting dark we found ourselves in the Mediterranean dome, which came alive with colour and lights. All the olive trees had streams of fairy lights, and the projections onto the plants made it feel like we were underwater. We'd spent the day looking around the domes, but when night came it was completely different and it felt like we were on a different planet! In the middle of the dome there was a laser forest, where you could walk through and as each laser moved it made a different sound. It was so surreal and magical I'm sure we enjoyed it more than the children did!
Now to the rainforest dome! This one appealed to the scientist in me- the lights and mist were based on an algorithm that took into account precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind speed and cloud cover from real time rainforests. You could easily have missed it, but if you watched carefully you could see the slight changes to sound and colour as you walked among the plants. Even regular leaves were transformed into something from Avatar, and the whole experience was mesmerising. I really don't think there's much I can say to do the whole experience justice, so I'll leave the photos to do the talking...

Finding & Identifying

Please remember only to pick the amount you need! 

• Find areas where there is plenty of wild garlic growing and only take small amounts for personal use, making sure to leave plenty for other foragers and for the ecosystem and wildlife as a food source.
• Some areas you may need permission to pick from so make sure to ask before you pick! 
• Make sure you stay in public areas and don't trespass, as well as keeping to footpaths to avoid trampling plants.
• Most importantly, be mindful of the woodland and be careful not to cause damage to the habitat and wildlife that live in it! If in doubt, don't pick <3

Let's Cook!

Emma xo

Get yourself comfy, pop the kettle on and find your favourite mug, because today we're talking about the world's coffee obsession. After all, it's justified- dashing into your favourite coffee shop to pick up your drink of choice, smelling the roasting beans, watching the swirl of frothy milk get poured, the list goes on! However,  I'm not here to tell you all about coffee, caffeine or where to buy your coffee. I'm going to be talking about the humble cup.

They're small, simple thing that may not have crossed your mind, however coffee cups have been given a fair bit of media limelight recently. Having just got back from volunteering in Cyprus, the extent of waste on our beautiful planet really has hit home to me, so I'll be sharing tips on how to live more sustainably- one step at a time! Think you won't be making a difference? This article reminds us that the average American generates 4.3 pounds of waste per day, enough to cover the space of you and 5 friends on the beach!
So, where to begin?

I’d love to hear in the comments section if you have a reusuable coffee cup, or if you’re interested to get one! Let me know your favourite brands and coffee places :)

Emma xo

Statistics from:
The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/15/coffee-cup-britons-3-billion-so-few-recylced)
The Sun (https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/3300210/the-coffee-chains-that-give-you-a-discount-for-bringing-your-own-reusable-cup/)
Carry Your Cup (http://www.carryyourcup.org/get-the-facts)
Ecoffee cup (https://www.ecoffeecup.co.za/)

*This post is not sponsored. I got given this cup by a friend a few years ago and have enjoyed using it :)

Ingredients

• Half an onion, chopped
• 1 medium courgette, cut into 1cm size pieces
• 1 generous handful of kale
• Half a tin of chopped tomatoes, or three chopped fresh tomatoes
• Half a mug of dried red lentils
• Vegetable stock
• 1 generous dessert spoon tomato paste
• A generous pinch of each- garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, paprika and curry powder

Since starting my zoology degree last year, I've become a lot more conscious of what products I buy and the impact they have on the planet. After learning about the effects of waste, and living near the coast, I've seen plenty of litter on the beaches. There is one main culprit: plastic. It goes to landfill and inevitably ends up in our water systems, which causes big problems for marine life. So, I've started making changes to the way I shop- saying no to straws, buying loose fruit and vegetables, bringing my own bags to supermarkets and using less single use plastic as much as possible.

So, I've headed to the main high-street retailer known for natural, animal testing free, handmade beauty products... LUSH. I've found that although LUSH is a little more expensive, it does tend to be more cost effective (and planet friendly) in the long run. A bar of soap will last me up to a year, instead of buying a new bottle of shower gel every month or two. My personal favourites at the moment are Outback Mate and Serendipity, but I loved a Christmas special a few years ago called Old Father Time.
Having enjoyed their soaps, I popped into my local shop the other day to try out some hair products. This time next week I'll be in Cyprus for two months on a volunteer project, so I need to save as much space in my bag as possible. That's were these bars come in...
 For the first time ever I actually approached on of the staff to ask for recommendations, and it was really interesting to find out more about the products. I was recommended the Montalbano shampoo bar for my blonde hair, and also good for oily roots which will be inevitable after 8 hour shifts in the heat! I then picked up the Jungle conditioner bar to keep my hair hydrated in the heat and sea.

 Montalbano is packed with lemons and olives, and Jungle has bananas, coca butter, avocado, figs and kumquats, so both smell amazing! After trying them, my hair is in really good condition, and the fresh smell hangs around for a while too (I washed my hair with these yesterday and my hair still smells amazing!).  A few friends have noticed my hair is looking blonder too, so there's a visible difference to my usual bottled shampoo.
I'd say that whilst my hair is soft, it's not the exact same silkiness you'd get from traditional brands, but you  an definitely see that my hair is bright and clean! However, I do like being able to pronounce the ingredients list of these due to them having so many natural ingredients :)

 The lady in the shop also said they have less of an impact on the local water systems, because many mainstream brands have micro plastics in the formula, which I wasn't aware of before. Obviously that's a winner for me as I'm going over to Cyprus to help marine life! The bars should last up to 80 washes, so will take up much less space than bottles and have less packaging too. The only one downside is that the conditioner bar will need to be kept in the fridge due to it's high cocoa butter content, otherwise it may melt!