Heathcote and Ivory – Drawer Liners

With the summer months upon us, The Amazing blog has been using Heathcote and Ivory’s scented drawer liners to pack away all of our winter clothing. These sheets are designed for drawers, cupboards, and shelves, and keep our clothes smelling fresh with a subtle fragrance. Last May we covered the company’s Sweet Pea and Honeysuckle scented sachet and Eau de Toilette, so when we saw they came out with the same scent in a drawer liner, we couldn’t resist!

Sweet Pea and Honeysuckle’s floral scent isn’t overwhelming, but rather the smell of white jasmine and gardenia flowers which is both light and refreshing. The Neroli and Lime Leaves fragrance is a combination of Neroli flowers, lime leaves, white blossoms, and precious woods, sweet amber and rich musk.

The liners are an ode to spring with its pastoral colours, and floral pattern etched onto each. The sheets come with a thick paper folder with a Velcro fastening – complete with a ribbon bow. Heathcote and Ivory pays close attention to the intricate and feminine details of the product and packaging.  With five 33.5 x 50cm liners, all you have to do is cut them to the size of your drawer and lay them at the base.

You can purchase The Neroli and Lime Leaves Fragranced Drawer Liners here for £7.00. The Sweet Pea & Honeysuckle Fragranced Drawer Liners can be purchased here for £6.50.

The Somerset Toiletry Co. – Mr Manly – Soap, Mug + Bag

Let’s face it – men can be challenging to shop for, but The Amazing Blog found the perfect solution. We previously wrote about The Somerset Tolietry Co. Naturally European Sage Hand Cream and are thrilled to share their newest male products. The company created The MR Collection, a unique line of men’s products that includes Mr Soaps, Mr Mugs and Mr Toiletry Bags. The Mr Collection began only as a line of soap and after much success, expanded to toiletry bags and mugs.

The Mr Soap Collection includes four different scented soaps: sage (The Mr Manly Soapy), spearmint and patchouli (Mr Perfect), black pepper and ginger (Mr Hipster), and cedar wood and lemongrass (Mr Groomed).  Each comes packaged in a colourful paper wrapping with an image of a bearded man. The soaps are triple milled, ensuring the highest quality product, and blended with shea butter to protect and moisturise the skin.

The MR Collection includes two mugs – a Mr Manly Mug and a Mr Perfect Mug. These enamel camping mugs are a fun and different gift that won’t break the bank. Painted on the bottom of each is the phrase, “Yes, I am!” So, when your man drinks from it, everyone will be reminded of how manly/perfect they are. The mug is multi-purposeful and used as a shaving caddy or a desk tidy.

The collection’s Mr Perfect and Mr Manly Toiletry Bags are heavy duty canvas bags with a colourful water-resistant lining. The outside of both bags is a sleek grey colour with minimal decorations and either blue interior, for Mr Manly Bags, or orange interior, for Mr Perfect Bags. The bags are 255 x 170 x 120 mm making them the perfect size for travelling.

You can purchase soaps from the Mr Soap Collection here for £4.95 or the Mr Perfect or Mr Manly Mug here for £4.95. You can also find the Mr Perfect or Mr Manly Wash Bag here for £11.95.

Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

After a busy workday, cooking can be put on the back burner of our to-do list. We gravitate toward meals that are most easy and convenient, often eating the same foods over again. That’s why we have made it our mission to revitalize the way we perceive cooking by searching for cookbooks that are equally as unique as they are healthy. Say goodbye to monotonous cooking with the help of these four books, handpicked by The Amazing Blog.

Plant-based cooking has gained its popularity, but have you ever thought of incorporating flowers into your recipes? The Fragrant Pantry by Frances Bissell uses flowers as its main ingredient. While flowers are commonly featured as decoration in cookery, Bissell shows how its delicate scent and flavour can take the place of herbs or spices. Although this seems like an unconventional approach, don’t mistake it as a fad or fashion. Instead, Bissell pays homage to English culinary traditions through her use of flowers. Her recipes include jams, spreads and pickled foods with easy-to-follow instructions. You can purchase The Fragrant Pantry here for £11.99. To get a 20% discount use the discount code FRAGRANTP at purchase on the Serif Books website. 

Interested in more of Bissell’s recipes? Check out the other two volumes in her acclaimed trilogy: The Scented Kitchen and The Floral Baker.

Calling all Mediterranean lovers! Get prepared to transport yourself to Greece with Mazi Modern Greek Food’s vivid imagery and authentic dishes. Co-authors, Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré’s goal are to revolutionise Greek cuisine by combining genuine flavours with a modern twist. The recipes are ingrained with a trendy tapas vibe and cover cocktails, hot plates, signature dishes and desserts. You can purchase the book here for £17.99.

The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks by Michael Isted offers non-alcoholic plant-based drinks. Isted offers careful alchemy with each recipe that acts as cleansers, restorers, energisers, brain boosters and more.  The cookbook includes step-by-step directions in processes like hot & cold brewing, fermentation, distillation, juicing and tincturing. The first section provides a brief informational introduction to the plants used throughout the book and the second section includes 58 different recipes serving different functions for the body.   Isted uses ancient practices as the foundation of his creations. This guide brings purpose and intention to the kitchen by uniting intuitive and healthy eating. You can purchase The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks here for £12.90.

Whenever starting a new diet, snacking is an inevitable part of the process. Gracie and Sophie Tyrrell, founders of Squirrel Sisters, have created a range of all-natural bars that will satisfy your cravings. In their book, Naturally Snacks & Treats: Over 100 Healthy Recipes, the sister duo has formed over 70 recipes using ingredients found at your local supermarket. The on-the-go snack is easy, convenient, and accessible. The Tyrrell sisters reassure their readers that eating healthily can be fun! Recipes range from sweet roasted almond and cinnamon butter to sushi rolls.The beautifully illustrated book is separated into four chapters where you will find breakfast recipes, snacks and lunches for on-the-go, sharing plates and, our favourite, sweet treats. Cocktail-lovers will even find low-calorie options. We can’t wait to try more recipes. You can purchase your own book here for £9.99.  

Let us know what your favourite recipes are!

Myrto Argan Bio Body Wash

Cold weather and dry skin go hand-in-hand, so it has been our mission here at The Amazing Blog to stop the cycle. It’s hard to resist a long hot shower or a bath when the weather is so currently dreary, Summer? What summer! So instead we have made it a point to find a bodycare regime that keeps our skin seriously hydrated. We were sent the Argan Bio Body Wash in Cassis Schizandra from Myrto  This is one of our favourite and most recent organic brands #amazingfinds  and our skin has never felt or looked better!

Most shower gels contain harsh ingredients that focus on cleansing, which often leaves our skin even drier than before.  We used the Argan Bio Body Wash because it uses mild amino acids that cleanse the skin, and are gentle enough to preserve and protect the skin lipid barrier without any use of irritating alcohols, preservatives, or emulsifiers. Instead, Myrto uses skin-loving ingredients like hand-pressed organic Argan oil, which instantly nourishes the skin. This is so gentle with a pH value of 5,0 to 5,5 that you can use it as a 2-in-1 product for both body and hair!

There are three different body washes that will cater to your specific skin needs. Both the Pomegranate and Cassis Schizandra Body Wash have been formulated to suit sensitive skin types. The Myrtle Tea Tree is perfect for sensitive skin that is prone to impurities, while still maintaining the skin’s moisture. Myrto also recommends this one to men with very short hair who want an all in one product.

All three of the Myrto Argan Body Washes are organic, vegan and come in two sizes: A 100ml size for £10.50 and a 500ml for £43.40 and you can purchase them both here.

Anima Mundi Apothacary

Here at The Amazing Blog, we have tried everything from juice cleanses to vitamins to keep our bodies in tip-top shape. however, sometimes we forget about certain organs, that require specific care, such as the liver. The liver has many important functions in supporting the body including making bile, metabolising carbohydrates/proteins/fats, and filtering blood. With all of these crucial tasks at hand, it is essential that you keep your liver healthy. Our latest discovery is Anima Mundi where we found a selection of tasty products that help to make taking care of our liver easier than ever. Anima Mundi's mission is to 'preserve the wisdom of ancient botany'. With roots in Costa Rica, Central and South America, Anima Mundi contain only the finest ingredients found in nature. They support fair trade practices, permacultural outreach in developing small economies, and plant-based remedies that benefit people from all walks of life. All products are handcrafted in NYC with the team is composed of aspiring herbalists, utilising biodynamic standards.

The first product we suggest using is Anima Mundi’s Liver Vitality Daily Jungle Greens. This is a green powder that can be added to any of your favourite beverages. This powder formula is a chockfull of natural vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and many other nutrients that all help to detoxify your liver and gallbladder. The product contains Dandelion Root, Burdock, Moringa, Chlorella, Spirulina, Graviola, Chanca Piedra, Turmeric, and Milk Thistle and is both gluten-free and vegan. We like to use this product when we make green smoothies in the morning for an added vitamin boost at breakfast. 

The second product we suggest is Anima Mundi’s Chanca Piedra which is a tonic that is used to treat kidney and gallbladder stones. Brazilians have been using this plant for many years to treat a wide variety of health problems. You can add this to your favourite juice/smoothies or you can even make tea with it (our personal fave). Chanca Piedra can help with a wide variety of both viral and bacterial infections, diabetes, hypertension, pain relief and a variety of other symptoms. The only ingredient in this powder is the Chanca Piedra, meaning that you are getting the most naturally pure ingredient there is.  

Finally, we suggest trying out the Viridem Cleansing Elixir. This product is full of iron-rich super-foods that help to oxygenate the blood, expel toxic build-up, and detoxify your gallbladder and liver. The product also contains high levels of chlorophyll that digests old fats in the liver, releases bad oils, and reduces inflammation.  To use this product you simply drink 1 tsp of the Viridem Cleansing Elixir 2 times a day 30 min before eating. You can drink this product by itself or you can add it to your favourite beverage.  We think that all these products are perfect for either using in your detox regime or for just giving your liver a bit of an 'uplift'.

You can buy the Liver Vitality Jungle Greens here for £21.04. You can buy the Chanca Piedra Liver Cleanse here for  £16.53 You can buy the Viridem Cleansing Elixer here for £12.02