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The highlights: What is it?: An all natural cleaning clay Does it work? Yes, but in a rather unexpected way Would I buy it again? Yes Other options?: I don’t recall seeing other cleaning clays, but chances are there are other brands on the market. Where to buy: I got it from Must Have UK Ideas Want to stay updated with new posts? You can also subscribe The cleaning clay is a hard white clay within the tub and you have to wet the sponge to rub it out to use so that the clay becomes damp. as a result, this little tub should last for quite a while! As a cleaner I was pretty disappointed by this product. I live in an area with very hard water, so limescale is an ongoing issue. I had to put in a lot of effort to clean the limescale off the tiles in the bathroom, and the cleaning clay didn’t work very well at all. In addition, I used another cleaner (with harsher chemicals in it), on the limescale to compare, and all I had to do was leave that for 2 minutes and then wipe it away, and it removed all of the limescale super easily and super quick. On a side note - if you are looking for a limescale remover that works and is absolutely amazing, check out my review of Kilrock Gel Limescale Remover - it is undoubtedly the best limescale remover I have ever tried, ever! Plus, if you want to receive e-mails to let you know when a new review is published on my lil blog, you can also subscribe . I also tried this on the oven door, and it did clean the build up on the door well but I had to put masses of effort into it. In addition, after using this, it leaves a white film that sometimes I had to rinse off twice, which again created more work. Also, you can’t put the lid on the clay pot and put the clay away if there’s moisture on it, so you have to leave it out to dry off, which is annoying if you like to do your cleaning and then put everything away. Despite these observations, however, where this product really shined (and the reason why I would buy it again) is the way in which it continued to protect the surface it had been used on for weeks after use. I tried it on the shower screen in a small circular area, and this is the shower screen some 6 weeks later...check this out! As such, this is amazing to use at the end of your deep spring clean! Creating a protective barrier for weeks later, this makes later cleaning so much easier, and I am all about making life easier so that we have time to enjoy more important things like spending time with loved ones, walking the dog, reading a book, or just having free time to decide what to do with! With love Rebecca xxx If you want to get e-mails to let you know when a new review has been published, you can subscribe

The highlights: What is it?: A little tea bag made of a super thin cotton to allow movement of the water through the bag and tea within it and a pull string on the top to secure the bag. Does it work? Yes Would I buy it again? Yes, but there are also those little metal strainers or the teapots that come with the strainer inside. Other options?: I haven't seen any sewn tea bags elsewhere yet, but imagine there's a few on the market. Where to buy: I got them from here The tea bag itself is pretty self explanatory: Open the tea bag up, pop your loose tea in, pull the string, and you’ve got yourself a reusable tea bag. When you’re done, empty the used tea out into your compost pile, and dump the tea bag into the washing up bowl. The tea will dye the bag the colour of your tea, so mine went green with the spearmint tea I had bought, but I don’t suppose I mind green bags too much! Especially considering how much plastics are in tea bags and being dumped back into landfill, and how using this type of tea bag is more environmentally friendly. Some tea bags are now advertising that they don’t use plastics in their tea bags, but if your favourite tea maker isn’t in that small pool, and the level of plastic in tea bags is something that concerns you, then definitely think about this as an alternative. You could also get a diffuser teapot, but they are more expensive, and harder to clean, so if you want to trial it without paying out a fortune from the beginning, the reusable tea bags are an option available to you. Especially at the bargain price of 55p per bag! With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: Some beads that are on elastic attaching two hair combs to each other in a pretty pattern that you pull over your hair to tie it up. Does it work? Yes Would I buy it again? Yes, for sure. Other options?: There are lots of different styles available on the market, but the idea is the same Where to buy: I got mine from an eBay shop, but there are tonnes of other suppliers to check out too. The hair clip looks like this: To use it you push the comb in one side of your hair while you hold it up in a bun or pony tail, then pull the elastic part with the beads over the bun or pony tail, and push the comb in the other side. You don't need a mirror and can do it in seconds. Honestly I love this little hair clip thing! It is a little too big for my hair length which is just below shoulder length, and I have medium thickness hair (the comb is 12cm and I think 8 cm would have been a better fit for my hair), which is why bits of my hair stick out of it, but it so so easy to use and looks so much prettier than tying your hair up! I also love that you can lie down with this in without it hurting the back of your head, unlike when you have a bobble in and it stabs your head as you lie down. I would definitely buy this again, although I think I will keep my eye out for a shorter one. The picture below, for example, shows how the longer hair clip means that my hair doesn't fill it out completely so you can see the hair clip beneath...I reckon with a slightly shorter one that would no longer be an issue. There are a few different styles you can play with, depending on how long your hair is and I think I could have had more of a play around if the hair clip had been a wee bit shorter. Overall, I reckon that for less than a fiver, this is definitely worth having in your hair styling drawer. With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: It's an egg made of reusable and recyclable plastic that you fill with these little beads and it replaces the bottles of washing powder/liquid and fabric softener Does it work? Yes, but with it struggles with tough stains Would I buy it again? Yes, definitely - although check out the update at the end of this post - in a year I have not had to buy any more of this because the same little egg is still going strong! Bargain for a tenner! Other options?: None that I have seen like this Where to buy: I got it from here but I have also seen it on Amazon and in Dunelm on the high street and there are probably lots of other options if you give it a google I love this little egg! It is a plastic egg that you unclick to open, pop all your beads inside (which are your washing powder and fabric conditioner) click it closed and chuck it in with your washing. The beads inside the egg need to dry out for a day or so between wash days once you are done using it for the day, but I just pop mine on the windowsill and it does not look too bad...in fact it kind of looks like some sort of air freshener. It has significantly increased the amount of space under the kitchen sink as it replaces the big bottles of washing liquid and softener. You know when to change the washing beads based on flipping the egg upside down and checking where the beads sit in comparison to a line across the egg. Once the beads inside the egg drop below that line, you bin your beads and buy some new ones. The refills then come with 50 washes per refill and cost £4.99. The egg also comes with a 10 year guarantee, so no need to fear it falling to pieces within a few uses and having to buy a new one! Also, see the update at the end of this blog post re: saving money! The down sides are as follows: I ordered the one which was Spring Blossom fabric softener, but it is not particularly strong smelling, so I couldn't really smell it all, although this may be because I am so used to strong smelling fabric softeners. However, I like my washing to have a lovely just washed smell so this means I still have to top it up with softener, which is a bit disappointing, but I am on a hunt for a really good sustainable fabric softener, so will update this post when I find one with those details. The cleaning part, whilst fine on everyday wear, struggled with stains such as mud or grass so that they needed pretreatment, which some washing powders would require regardless, I know, but I feel like this was more so the case than other washing powders / liquids I had used in the past. You can only use the egg in washes with temperatures from 15 - 60 degrees C, so if you want to do a hot wash you will not be able to use this. That said, it works with the handwash option on a machine too, to that's an up side! All in all I am impressed by this little egg; it does the job and takes up much less space under my sink than the bottle or boxes of washing powders and liquids I had before. Also, I love that it is reducing my carbon footprint which, if you've read any of the other blog posts on here, you will know is important to me. I won't be going back to other options now, so it must have impressed me well enough to impact on my buying choices - that in itself is indicative of a thumbs up from me! UPDATE - I first wrote this blog in October 2021 and I am still using the same egg and beads now in September 2022! Talk about value for money! Sure I am only one person, but I still do at least 3 washes a week...I didn't realise it at the time of purchasing this, but this little egg has managed to save me quite a lot of money in the long run and in our current economic climate that is so important! Using normal washing powder or liquid I definitely would have had to buy more than one bottle in a year! Love this little egg! With love Rebecca xxx P.S. Please note that this blog post may contain affiliate links. When you click on the link and purchase the product, I receive a small commission.

The highlights: What is it?: A silk hair wrap that you slip on at night to sleep in. Does it work? Yes Would I buy it again? Yes, but only if I had the regular disposable income (see below as to why this extra cash would be needed fairly often) Other options?: You can also get silk pillowcases that I would imagine would be similar, although they would not lock in your hair's natural oils to help condition your hair while you sleep, which the Silke claims to do Where to buy: I got it online from Silke's Website but places like LookFantastic have started stocking this now too! So when it arrives in this little decorated box reminiscent of vintage days gone by, I have to say I was impressed by its appearance. The back of the box explains how it works: a silk hair wrap handmade in London with elastic along the seams so you can slip it on and off. The box explains that as you wear it over night, it stops friction on your hair caused by tossing and turning in your sleep, which leaves your hair feeling soft and silky. Also, it goes on to say that, as it is a hair wrap, it envelopes your hair and secures in those natural oils that mother nature created to help keep hair conditioned and smooth. The product also states on the box that when used, it will reduce the need to restyle your hair in the morning. As you open the cute little hair wrap, it looks like a bow tie, again reminding me of bygone days. When you pop it on, it does snugly secure around your head and it does feel very luxurious, I mean, it's made of silk right! There was a noticeable difference in my hair feeling softer, looking shinier, and generally leaving me pretty impressed with this product. What this meant in practice, was that I could spend less time and money on hair conditioning products like leave in conditioners. The only thing I cannot comment on is whether it held styles better, thereby reducing the need to restyle the next day as it claims to, but just because my hair does not hold styles at the best of times, so I did not think that would be a fair thing to comment on. That said, if you read this blog and give this product a go let me know what impact it has on the need to restyle on a morning, and I will use your experiences to enhance this post! THE DOWN SIDE: After using this every night for three months, the elastic starting to give so that I ended up popping it on before bed, and waking up in the morning with it lost somewhere within my bed sheets! Gutted! Perhaps I have an abnormally large head that I never knew about that stretched the elastic in ways never experienced before, but I would like to think that that is not the case. I think it is more likely that over time the elastic does what elastic does, and simply lost some of its elasticity. Perhaps the Silke guys will read this and will develop up a new Silke that uses buttons, or velcro instead? The other downside is that it is dry clean only...not the most convenient, especially considering I personally put clothes back when shopping if I see they are dry clean only! So, the general take home for this is that if you have the cash to spend £50 every 3 months, then absolutely get one of these! Or if you are happy for this to only work for 3 months, then also get one! I supposed cost per wear it works out at just over £16 a month, so if you usually spend more than that on conditioning your hair, styling your hair, spending time on your hair (because lets face it, if it buys you time it'll be worth it!) then give this a go and let me know your experiences. I got to say, as a student I simply don't have the cash to a buy another one, but if I did I would probably buy one every three months! With love Rebecca xxx P.S. Please note that this blog may contain affiliate links (including those to Amazon).When you click on the link and purchase the product, I receive a small commission.

The highlights: What is it?: So this is technically 2 things - a reusable tassimo pod and a milk frother - both of which when combined make every single morning an absolute pleasure! Does it work? Yes, Yes and Yes - but more than works, it means I start every single day on a happy note. Would I buy it again? Definitely - I cannot imagine my life without these contraptions now! Plus, see the update below for how much money I have saved with these! Other options?: Loads, and if you don't have a tassimo machine, there's likely a reusable pod for your machine out there too, so definitely give it a quick google! The milk frothers come in all shapes and sizes (and price ranges) but the one I got does the trick for a reasonable price. Where to buy: Amazon has the reusable tassimo pods these days, and ao.com is where I got my milk frother from but it is a Lavazza MilkEasy one, so you could also get it directly from them. Or if you want to add it to your Amazon shopping basket with the coffee pod you can check it out here . Jump below to the UPDATE on how these pods are working, since I wrote this blog post in 2022, and it's now 2025...the amount of money I have saved is ridiculous!!! Also, want to keep updated on new blog posts? You can subscribe here . So I basically bought the Tassimo reusable pods because I didn't like that the Tassimo pods you buy normally are not recyclable, and I have increasingly cared more about my carbon footprint over the last few years, so I am always looking for ways to make small changes that can make a difference in the world. The pods themselves are pretty cool - made of plastic and silicone, they are easy to fill, empty and clean (you can chuck them in the dishwasher too!). Filling them with coffee was pretty easy too, and they come with a little white cup dispenser to transfer the coffee into the pod from your coffee jar, and a brush if you spill any on the pod that needs wiping away (although I generally just use my finger!). However, the coffee produced by the Tassimo reusable pods by themselves was a little disappointing. The biggest let down was that the reusable pods came out very much like it was from a cafetiere, which sort of defeated the object of having a tassimo machine, and I did miss the little frothiness that comes on the top of the coffee when you use one of the official pods. This is what it looked like: However, I did not want to be disheartened by my quest to reduce my mini carbon footprint, so I googled frothers for coffee and discovered that there is quite a large market for it! I went for a run of the mill middle range model by Lavazza which I got for £40 (but the price has since gone up I believe) and found it to be amazing! It can do foam (the super frothy milk that I like) or latte which is the milk warmed with a little bit of froth on the top, and is electrical as it heats the milk at the same time as frothing it. It can also do milkshakes by cooling the milk and making it a tiny bit frothy, but I didn't massively rate the milkshake option, and I just use my frother for making hot coffees...that said, I might have a go at iced frothy coffees in the summer! Ooooooo actually that's a great idea - if I do that I will update this post too! UPDATE Sept 2022 - I totally had a go at iced frothy coffee over the Summer...not gonna lie, it was amazing...and here it is.... The machine itself is dead easy to use - there are lines inside it with the words for what type of milk you want, so you know where to fill the milk up to. Then you just press the button either once for foam, twice for a latte or hold it down for 3 seconds for a milkshake. It whirls away whilst the coffee pods are on working. Once they are both finished doing their thing, pour the milk into the coffee... And what you get is this little cup of happiness: I have started this year expressing gratitude for one thing a day, and this foamy yummy coffee has already been on that list. There is no better way to start your day than with an amazing cup of coffee (which you didn't have to pay a fortune for in the barrista's). If you do give this one a go, I invite you to savour that morning coffee! Think of the things that you want to do for 20 minutes on a morning with a really good cup of coffee and then do them. Enjoy it, don't let yourself be distracted by anything else! Me, I do nothing! Nothing at all! I leave my phone in another room, and sit and enjoy my cup of coffee whilst cuddling with Obi, my dog, and ignoring everything else going on in the world! Believe me, if you start your day really enjoying that first cup of coffee, it will put you in a really good mood for the rest of the day! And all of this for the bargain price of £60ish, which cost per wear, is nothing! I've had these coffee pods and milk frother for about 9 months now, and they are still going strong! One proviso I would put out there is that the coffee mugs that taper so they have larger tops compared to the bottom of them tend to make the froth dissipate pretty quickly, so it might take you a while to find the best cup for this frothy coffee, but once you do it is so super worth it!! Treat yourself - you deserve it! with love Rebecca xxx P.S. Please note that this blog may contain affiliate links (including those to Amazon). When you click on the link and purchase the product, I receive a small commission. Thinking of subscribing ? Go on, I dare you :) xxx UPDATE - January 2025 - I have been using these pods since I wrote this blog post in January 2022, and they are still going strong! Each one takes about 7-8g of ground coffee, and I have on average 3 coffees a day. So, here's some math.... I buy coffee at £5.50 for 454g, so out of this I get just over 56 coffees. That works out at 0.0982142857p per coffee. I have on average, 3 coffees a day, which is: 0.294642857p, so let's round that up to 30p a day. A quick Amazon search finds 40 pods for £21.39, that's 0.53475p per coffee. For 3 coffees a day, that's 1.60425, so let's say £1.60. That's means each day I have saved £1.30. So in one year, I have saved £474.50 - WOW! I am impressed - multiply that by 3 years and since I discovered these little pods, I have saved £1,423.50! Oh my life!!! Who knew??? definitely worth getting the reusable pods !

The highlights: What is it?: A gel spray to clean hobs Does it work? Yes - really well! Would I buy it again? Yes - absolutely! Other options?: Loads, but this is awesome cos you don't have to scrub at all Where to buy: I've seen it in random shops on the high street (like Homebase  although it is hit and miss if they have it) but places do not always have it in stock, so you could keep an eye out for it, or just get it from Amazon or somewhere like onbuy.com ...and while you're at it you could buy the limescale remover that I have reviewed here (which also has the amazon link if you prefer to shop there) and is totally worth the investment too! UPDATE - I can't find this hob cleaner anywhere anymore - I think they must have stopped making it! So, I have found another one to review, the HG Hob Cleaner , if you want to check it out! Also, to keep updated with notifications via e-mail of new review posts, you can also subscribe - it would be lovely if you did! :) This is super easy to use - just spray it on and it comes out quite thick, almost like a gel, so I use a sponge to gently and lightly spread it about. Wait about 1-2 minutes (or longer if you have stubborn burnt on bits) and then wipe it all with a damp clean cloth to get rid of any residue. I tried to wait until my hob was looking pretty bad before I tried this one out...so here's the before picture: After I have wiped away all the product, I then dry mine with a microfibre cloth to get it super shiny and its done! I only moved into my house about a year ago, so I am not 100% sure how old this hob is, but it has to be at least a few years old, yet this stuff still make it shine...imagine how well this would work on a brand new hob! All in a couple of minutes and the hob looks like this: AMAZING! Based on what it does and how it works, I think this is best is you have an electric, ceramic, halogen or induction hob, although the bottle does say it is ideal for all hob types. This is now a permanent fixture under my kitchen sink for sure! With love Rebecca xxx P.S. Please note that this blog may contain affiliate links (including those to Amazon). When you click on the link and purchase the product, I receive a small commission.

The Highlights: What is it?: A cashback system that pays you for shopping online Cost: free (or £5 if you go for the premium option, but they just deduct it from the cashback in your account when you hit £5 so you don't transfer money to them or anything, which is good) Does it work? Yes! And it is free money! Would I use it again? Yes - like I said - free money! Other options?: Probably, but none that I have tried yet - let me know if you know of any! Where to get it in the UK: TopCashBack Where to get in in the US: TopCashBackUSA Ok, so this isn't a product in the traditional sense that I usually review, but I do love this website! You get cashback for doing your shopping online on things you would be spending your money on anyway! Not gonna lie, I was a bit sceptical at first, but I have been using this for a while now and it does add up over time...I signed up to it in December 2021 and it has made me a total of £46.22 so far...not masses of money, but it is free money! Considering the cost of living crisis and the fact that I am a student again, I will take that money for sure! Plus it is a really easy site to navigate both for finding websites that you might be able to click through onto for buying things, and also for seeing what cashback you have earned and been paid. Here's a snapshot of my oversight dashboard: And the more detailed payments section: One Downside is that it can take a substantial amount of time for the payment to be authorised before you can claim it, and I mean, like, months. As you can see from the screenshot above, I bought a gift in November and I am still waiting for that to be authorised as payable and it is January now. That said, I don't mind that too much as I still earn money as I go. You also have to remember to go into the app or online to arrange for the cashback to be paid out to you so keep an eye on that! I use my credit card to purchase the products online, which also has a cashback in which I can request gift card vouchers, so I actually get the benefit twice. If you have a cashback facility on your credit card which is not compatible like mine is, then this may not be for you, but it is worth checking it out - especially considering it is free! Plus there may be some sites that your credit card offers cashback on and others that it doesn't but this site does - definitely worth having a look! Another downside is that if you buy through an app, no cashback is payable, so you do have to click on the link to go to the website itself and buy from there. It is worth noting that if you are on a smartphone or tablet, so just make sure that the link doesn't open the app but takes you to the webpage. Potentially both a downside and an upside is that they charge you £5 to be a Plus Member. You do not have to sign up to it, but if you do then you have access to more cashback benefits. What is good about it though, is that they take the £5 from the cashback in your account, so you do not actually have to pay out any real hard cash, and can just wait until that money is in your cashback account. On the upside you can add an add-in to your web browser on your laptop that automatically tells you when cashback might be payable, so you just click on that link and then it is activated! It looks like this: Another upside is that they run referral programmes where you and the friend you referred can get credits so it is also worth having a look at if one is running when you sign up. At the time of writing, they are running one which gives £30-£35 free cashback to you as referrer and £10 free cashback to your friend who signs up! I have not used that referral link here as I think that would be a bit cheeky, but you can certainly share yours with friends and family! Another upside is that they have an app that you can download so you can keep an eye on your cashback earnings etc. making it super easy in busy life to quickly check in to see where you are up to! Give it a go, free money! What's not to love! With love Rebecca xxx P.S. Please note that this blog may contain affiliate links. When you click on the link and/or purchase the product, I receive a small commission.

So this is the bit where you can tell me stuff that you have seen and thought, hey that is pretty cool! I wonder if it works??? Tell me what you want List your stuff below - be as descriptive as possible please - include links / photos / descriptions whatever you can to tell me what to look at next. Whilst I am not guaranteeing I will be able to review the item (mostly dependent on cost and whether I can realistically trial it - I doubt I could trial a cement mixer, for example!), I will certainly consider the things you have suggested to see if I can help. If you see something that someone else has asked for and you would find interesting also, comment on their post and let me know. Once you have made a suggestion, enter your e-mail address on the subscription section below, and click submit so that you can be kept in the loop if your request is something I can buy and review. Thanks all Rebecca xxx