Ann & Eli Apothecary- Happy Period Tea

We knows how many women dread that ‘time of the month’ and at The Amazing Blog we like to find new ways to help ease period pains. Welcome Ann & Eli Apothecary who have created a solution with their Happy Period Tea.

Founder Andrea Bomo is a holistic wellness coach based in Montreal with a background in journalism. After her own rocky path in life, and after hearing others stories, this propelled her on to the natural health and wellness path. She spent her early twenties not paying much mind to her diet or mental health and suffered from chronic illness and depression. She was later diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome; which is when she decided to prioritise her health. Bomo is a great believer that there is a connection between our emotional and physical health. Thus her drive and inspiration behind creating Ann & Eli Apothecary is to help other women in need of support and guidance, especially to “ live naturally healthy lives and take care of their little ones.” Ann & Eli Apothecary specialise in a wide range of healing organic herbal teas and tinctures.

 The Happy Period Tea comes as a loose tea in a 57g bag with twenty five servings/portions. This tea is labelled as a menstrual cramps relief tea, but it can also help PMS and to help regulate the menstrual cycle. We recommend you use this tea if you have period pains before or during menstruation, experience PMS, have irregular periods, heavy bleeding, or have missing periods (amenorrhea). NB: They say please do not use this tea if you are pregnant. The suggested intake is to drink one to three cups a day, starting three days before the first day that your period is due. Scoop around one teaspoon of the tea into a cup or tea infuser before adding in boiling water, then allow the leaves to steep in the water for up to 15 minutes. After steeping, strain the leaves out and enjoy. Red raspberry leaf helps support healthy menstruation, toning the uterus, lessens cramps, and helps to regulate mood and hormones. Yarrow is used to relaxing the muscle in both the intestine and uterus. Sage is another ingredient that helps regulate the menstrual cycle in amenorrhea. Lemon balm also helps to relieve menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome. Mugwort, sounds worse than it is (!) and increases circulation to warm up the uterus, and also regulates hormone levels. The zingibain enzyme found in the ginger helps your body fight against inflammation. As mentioned, Ann & Eli Apothecary have a range of other herbal teas. These range from those for nursing mothers, pregnant women, and some are for the everyday person for everyday use, such as Cleanse Organic Liver-Detox tea and Morning Boost, to even Beauty Sleep and an immuniTea – something we all need now that we’re in #lockdown! To take period pains away try Happy Period Tea here 57g for £12.70.

Tanzee - Fairy Dust Self-Tan Drying Powder & Self -Tan Bed Sheet Protector

Yup, it’s the self-tanning season upon us again. With the very sporadic sun here in the UK, we prefer to rely on sunless tanning for our summer glow. Glove hand, self-tan applied – but then, there’s the hanging around waiting for it all to dry… hmm we don’t have much time for that! This is when at The Amazing Blog we made one of our #amazingfinds with the self-tan solution-based brand Tanzee with their Fairy Dust Self-Tan Drying Powder and their Original Self Tan Bed Sheet Protector. 

Tanzee is an Australian brand founded in 2015 by Marissa Rapa, who has a keen eye for both creation and innovation. This brand has found some ingenious ways to make self-tanning easy – the way it’s should be. As trailblazers, they were the first company to introduce their ingenious Self Tan Bed Sheet Protector. Tanzee is known for pushing the boundaries and finding solutions to issues that present themselves to the dedicated self-tan user. What we like, is that they’re all about listening to their customers’ needs.

Let’s start with the Fairy Dust Self Tan Drying Powder. We all know how draining it can be to wait for our self-tan to dry, especially when we’re in a rush. With this new Self Tan Drying Powder, you can wave goodbye to that because this Fairy Dust Self Tan Drying Powder really does dry your tan in seconds, plus prevents any stickiness or streaking A talc-free product, it is made of ingredients targeted at nourishing and hydrating the skin. These include baobab oil, rich in vitamins A, B, and C as well as fatty acids omega 3, 6, and, 9. It also contains potassium, magnesium, and calcium, together with green tea that contains a powerful antioxidant called EGCG that actually helps in fighting DNA damage from UV rays. Lastly, it contains organic coffee oil which improves skin elasticity, tones and even gives it an overall glow. However, let’s not forget that it is infused with a shimmering mica to make you sparkle! Therefore, not only is it going to allow you to enjoy a perfectly tanned skin, it will leave you with healthy, glowing and smooth skin free from chemicals. We think this is a must-have product for any self-tanning aficionados. Purchase here for £13.71.

We also want to talk about The Original Self Tan Bed Sheet Protector. This nifty Bed Sheet Protector stops your self-tan from staining bed linen and we all know how messy that can be… Simply slip your Tanzee between the sheets, insert the pillow into its case, fold the protective flap for arms over the top of your quilt - et voila! The material is 100% vegan friendly and comes in two sizes and three colours, a medium and a large in black, rose gold or silver. We had the medium black coloured Bed Sheet Protector and would advise you to wash it first before use to avoid any dye runs i.e. if have light coloured bed linen. It is simple to use and has saved me from having to endlessly wash the bed linen every time I tan (I can’t stand fake tan on duvets or sheets!) For regular sunless tanning addicts, we’d highly recommend both these products. To purchase the Tanzee The Original Self-Tan Bed Sheet Protector see here for £32.99. 

Jeffrey’s Tonic

With the party season nearly upon us, we’re always looking for a fresh take on our favourite cocktails in order to impress! At The Amazing Blog we love a good gin and tonic just as much as the next person, however, we’ve found ourselves getting a little jaded with just plain tonic water, which is normally on offer. That’s where our #amazingfinds and discovery of Jeffrey’s Tonic comes in.

Jeffrey’s Tonic started when Mike and Maureen Robinson received a book for Christmas all about gin, tonic waters and syrups. After experimenting with the recipes and getting glowing reviews from family members, it finally clicked to the Robinsons that this might be something they should share. The distinctive ingredients are what make Jeffrey’s Tonic stand out. The syrups are made from cinchona bark straight from Ecuador. While most other syrups use quinine a extract, Jeffrey’s uses bark straight from the tree which gives it a distinct amber colour. Discovered in Peru, cinchona bark is known for its anti-fever properties. Did you know that Robert Talbot used cinchona bark to cure King Louis XIV of France of malaria?

Jeffrey’s Syrups come in 4 varieties and it is recommended that you mix them in a 1:5 ratio with soda water. The Not So Plain Tonic Syrup is simply made with cinchona bark and organic Sicilian lemon juice. We recommend pairing it with complex or fruity gin for an interesting cocktail. The Original Recipe is the first recipe that Mark and Maureen made, with cassia, nutmeg and allspice, The Original is a great addition to any Christmassy drink. We recommend adding a splash to your whisky cocktail for a round, bold flavour. The Lime, Galangal & Orange pairs perfectly with your bubbly prosecco or with soda water for an adult soft drink astThe galangal gives depth to the delicious citrus flavours. Whereas the combination of their Yarrow, Rosehip & Elderflower provides a really delicate flavour, perfect for pairing with a floral gin or dry prosecco!

If you want to add an original twist to your drinks this season, the individual Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrups can be purchased here for £7.00 for 200ml. Apart from being able to purchase them individually, we also like the Gift Set with all four varieties of Tonic Syrups, and think it makes the ideal stocking filler this Christmas, as it’s only £14 for four 50ml samples here.

Urban Cordial

As the temperature rises, our taste buds are craving something refreshing to cool us down, and the array of choice in the soft drinks sector is greater than ever before. However, with our awareness primed these days to know exactly what we are drinking, the challenge now is to source the perfect taste, but without all those sugary additives which are going to send our glucose levels rocketing. Fortunately, we at  The Amazing Blog only have to look as far as  Urban Cordial who have brought their delicious concoctions to market with a mouth-watering array of pairings. How do Strawberry & Sage , Pear & Ginger, Blackberry & Lavender or Apple, Lemon & Fennel  sound as an introduction to the range? Pretty impressive, when further investigation revealed that these tantalising flavours are just the tip of the iceberg - or should that be ice cube?

Now, a cordial may conjure up images of Grandma’s pantry, but these colourful offerings pack quite a punch in the zing department - both in each bottle’s contents, and also outside on each brightly illustrated label. All of course are alcohol free, and made from the best ingredients, although Urban Cordial are justly proud of bringing these to us with a laudable mission of sourcing their fruit on quality of taste and nutrients, rather than how they may be shaped! In a bid to incorporate a solution to the serious global problem of food surplus, Urban Cordial do not discriminate on appearance and is to be congratulated on saving over 30 tonnes of fruit from landfill.

Each bottle costs £5.50 plus £4.99 p&p, and the complete range is available for the bargain bulk price of £44.00 and with p&p free on orders over £40 here everyone’s a winner! However, some small independent grocery stores and also one or two of the larger high street names are taking up the option to supply, so getting our hands on these wonderful libations, is thankfully, becoming easier for all of us.