Anxiety and overthinking have long been a part of my life, they existed long before any eating disorders took hold and for 15 or so years were controlled largely by a carefully balanced cocktail of medications (with a dash of therapy here and there). Since the end of the last year I made the decision to come off the majority of medications, knowing we were going to be starting the IVF and being in a much better place generally, I didn’t just want to find pregnancy safe medications, I wanted to use the coping mechanisms I’ve learnt over the years and try to come off as much as possible. It’s worked, mostly. There was the two weeks where I slept little more than an hour a night (good practice for what is ahead right?), andI am still on an anti-depressant, but everything else is gone and I am surviving.
It’s not always plain sailing though, and recently there have been a few things triggering cycles of overthinking. Thankfully an email arrived from a wonderful company called Adbra at exactly the right time and I’m getting myself right back on track again.
Adbra are a small company that was founded by Adel and Libby after they faced their own mental health challenges. They decided to use their experiences and research to create toolkits that could help others take control of their mental wellbeing.
As soon as I read this I kind of fell in love with Adel and Libby, they are my kind of people! They got in touch to introduce their “happiness habits jars” and very kindly sent one out to me, which literally could not have arrived at a better time. There are 7 jars in the range and the one that I was sent was the “mindfulness” themed jar which I have been using religiously ever since.
This little jar has got me back on track so many times, and for £12.50 it’s an absolute bargain. I always used to be so sceptical of this kind of thing, but eventually a couple of years ago decided to stop being stubborn and give it a go and I’ve not looked back!
These jars make a wonderful gift for a friend or family member, or as a self-care investment for yourself. I’m definitely going to look at getting the “self kindness” jar for once baby is here as I think it’s going to be very easy to forget that I need to be a priority too.
What tools do you find help the most when it comes to mental health? I’m a very visually orientated person so this kind of thing is almost certainly guaranteed to be a success over say, a podcast.
Box gifted by Degustabox This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.
By the time the May Degustabox arrived the worst of my morning sickness/nausea had eased so I was even more excited than usual to get stuck in to trying the contents. This box had an outdoor and BBQ theme to it and contained some products which have now become firm favourites and staples in this house- read on to find out which ones made the cut…
I’m a massive Hippeas fan and have raved about them multiple times on the blog so I was super hyped to see their new tortilla snacks included in this month’s box. Whilst I definitely prefer the original puffs, these are definitely fabulous. Made from chickpeas and packed full of plant-based protein, these are super crunchy and the chilli kick certainly packs a flavour punch! I look forward to seeking out the other flavours- especially the cheesy nacho ones! £1 RRP from hippeas.com, Amazon, Booths, Boots, H&B, Ocado, Planet Organic, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
Sweets are a bit hit and miss with me at the moment but the new Dessert Pastilles from Rowntree’s instantly appealed. I loved the texture of these, and the flavours are really unique. My personal favourite was Mango Sorbet but there wasn’t any that I didn’t like. £1.29 from major supermarket chains.
We didn’t get very far with the drinks in this month’s box I’m afraid. Obviously I passed on the Echo Falls Strawberry and Pink Pepper Rosé seltzer although it sounds like a fabulous summer drink for a gathering. These sell for £1.80 per can from Asda and independent stores. Having lived on lemon drinks for the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, the very sight of them now makes me heave so sadly this gorgeous looking can from Pip Organic had to be banished for now. This is an organic sparkling lemon drink which comes in at under 75cal and counts as one of your 5 a day. A great treat for the designated drivers/kids at a gathering. £1.50 per can from Abel & Cole, Amazon or Ocado.
For me these little biscuits from Telstar/Not too Naughty stole the show this month. To the point where I sent Bob straight to Amazon to bulk order me a mixed pack of the Telstar mini cookie stars. These are lovely little bites, the caramelised mini stars especially remind me a bit of baby rusks in their texture and I am obsessed. They come in at 50p for a single pack, £10 for 25 (I picked up two of these!) from Amazon and I highly recommend everyone looking for a cheeky little biscuit break does the same. I cannot say enough good things about these.
Bob inhaled this Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme Bar before I could even tell him I needed his thoughts on it. I did manage to get a “was good” out of his though! And I agree. Whilst I dislike Hershey’s chocolate there is something about this bar and I often pick one up when I see it (when I can stomach chocolate type products that is). These are around 89p from most supermarket chains as well as discount stores.
Here we have a great little assortment of products that have all become pantry staples for us (yes, we have an actual pantry!). Bob and I love the Rosemary and Onion seasoning from Knorr (£1.80 from Tesco, available in four flavours). I’ve been chucking it on roasted new potatoes and roasted veg, but you can literally pop it in anything and it gives a great, rich flavour boost. I have a long-standing phobia of Olive oil (or any oil) so I rarely cook with it, but I do manage to cope with the spray versions so we’ve made great use of this Bertolli spray- our current obsession is using it on Asaparagus alongside balasamic glaze and griddling it. YUM! £3 from Ocado and Amazon. I’m more of a ketchup on salads kind of girl but I do make exception for this Hellman’s fat free vinaigrette dressing which I have tried and bought before. It’s perfect for adding some pizazz to a salad, I also like to dip cucumber or celery sticks in it. £1.65 from Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op and Morrisons.
Bob and I already use a lot of microwave rice pouches and really rate them but sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit. I especially loved these Mexican Spicy Grains from Whitworths- a vegan, protein packed pouch of goodness that only takes two minutes to prepare. Great as a base for a salad bowl or as a side for our favourite vegan chill as a change. Will be stocking up on these! £2 from Tesco, Morrisons and Ocado.
I’ve tried both of these Graze products before and often grab them for a snack on the go. The smoky barbecue crunch is a long time favourite for the mix of textures and the great salty, smoky flavour- £1 for a punnet or £2.99 for a share bag. The cocoa vanilla protein oat bites are a really good on the go snack for handbags- a sweet little treat with a boost of protein to keep you full, but with 45% less sugar than similar products. £1 per bite or £2.49 for a 4 pack. Both available from major supermarket chains, with other flavours also available.
Finally a couple of products that have been saviours for random bouts of nausea. I already knew I loved Nairn’s sweet oatcakes, so I had high hopes for their savoury offering of Cheese & Smoky Chipotle. They definitely did not let me know, and oddly I found them amazing for settling my stomach! £1.50 from Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and health food stores. Another odd solution to nausea was brioche, as I found out when we were trying out these Brioche Pasquier Brioche Rolls- also great for hot dogs or with nutella/peanut butter! £1.50 from Tesco, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Budgens.
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim £3.00 off of your first box (making it just £9.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.
