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The highlights: What is it?: a limescale remover Does it work? Yes, yes and yes! The most amazing limescale remover I have ever used, ever! Would I buy it again? Ab-so-lutley, without a doubt, in fact….I already did get some for my mum! In addition, I bought a whole host of their other products to test and review, so impressed was I by this one! So subscribe to the blog if you want to be updated on those reviews when they go live Other options?: loads of products that claim to remove limescale, but none that I have ever tried have ever been this impressive Where to buy: On the high street I have seen it in Boyes, and The Range, but you can also get it online by doing a quick google, or check out Amazon Also, if you are looking for a pretty good hob cleaner, Kilrock do that too - check the review out here . Also, did you know you can subscribe to get e-mail notifications winging their way direct into your (probably junk) e-mail box? I would love it if you would! Made in the UK, the bottle has a safety lid so the bambinos of your household can't get their hands on all those chemicals, and comes with a recommendation that you test is on small indiscreet area before using it. It also advises that you only use it in small sections at a time (less than 5 square cm). For uses, here is what the bottle says: This little tub of thick gel comes with a brush attached to the lid, so you just open it, brush it on, take a step back, and watch it work. And I mean literally, watch it work! I managed to hunt down a tap with masses of limescale build-up to give this a proper test, and this limescale is rock solid, like a barnacle on a whale! This limescale remover takes it on with no hesitation at all, in fact, you can even see the bubbles as the product eats away at the limescale…watch… So the above video is speeded up, and the real time was across about 3 minutes, but even taking three minutes this stuff is pretty incredible! You should also be aware that the little bubbles are a chemical reaction, and so release gas, which was a bit stinky and hits the back of your throat if you breathe in near it...I would very much recommend making sure the windows in the room are open, or trying to resist the urge to stand over it as it bubbles because it will make you cough! You should also be aware that limescale can actually damage whatever surface it is attached to, so it is quite possible that once it is removed, it leaves pit marks on the surface itself. All in all though, it is a truly amazing limescale remover! The most amazing limescale remover I have ever encountered in fact! Here is a quick before and after video of the limescale build up on this tap - I did apply this product about 10 times to get this difference, but I have loads of it left in the bottle because it is such a thick gloopy gel, and it was zero effort because you don't do anything once it is on there, other than maybe set a timer to come back in 3 minutes to rinse it away! So, my advice if you live in a hard water area with limescale being the bane of your existence is to go out there and buy this product right now! I have also discovered that Kilrock do a whole host of other cleaning products, so I bought the lot to review! You can subscribe if you want to be notified when those reviews go on this blog. 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?: This is my hand cream combination of Zerobase (for at home), O'Keefe's Working Hands (for my car/desk/school bag) and L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter (for my handbag/coat pocket). I have found that this combination of hand creams work the best for me. Does it (or more accurately they) work?: Yes Would I buy it (or them) again?: Yes...in fact I have, and do! Other options?: There are lots of other hand creams out there, and this post isn't to say that they don't work, but this is just the best three that I have found that work for me Where to buy: Zerobase, O'Keeffe's Working Hands and L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter are all available on Amazon. I haven't seen Zerobase in any other place (UK: Click here ; USA: Click here ). O'Keeffe's Working Hands is on Amazon (UK: Click here ; USA: Click here ) and available online from other stores, and I have also seen it a lot on the high street shops, so if you are out and about, keep an eye out for it. L'Occitane is available on Amazon (UK: Click here ; USA: Click here ) and is also available on lots of online stores and in department stores or L'Occitane stores - I used to get mine from their shop in Leeds near Harvey Nics - I don't know if the shop is still there though as it was about 7 years ago now, but if you live in Leeds you could pop in to try out their testers! Also the airports tend to have L'Occitane so take advantage of that duty free if you see it!. If you are a reader from outside of the UK or USA, click either of the above links - hopefully I have set it up correctly to match on Amazon to the identical product in your local Amazon - if there is no exact match, it is because it is not available to you locally. In which case, give it a google to see if there is a shop with international shipping, or a local shop to you that stocks these. It would be really lovely (if you like this post and want to receive updates on future posts) if you could subscribe  - it's so nice to have you here, and I would be super happy to have you come back in the future! To the review... Oh my life I have tried a lot of different hand creams! I get super dry skin on my hands (and as I have gotten older I have noticed it elsewhere, like on my legs), and it gets much worse in the colder months. The combination of wind, snow and rain has meant that my hands have taken a battering. I find this especially to when my hands are exposed to the elements, like when carrying a coffee on the walk across uni on my way to teach law to the undergrads, or when I am out and about with Obi dog on our walks, or when I have to carry a lot of stuff and can't wear gloves because then I would drop everything! Plus, I have quite short fingers, so gloves always end up having a long bit of material flapping around at the end of my fingers, making things like actually using my hands incredibly difficult! In fact, to help with my easy access to treats to deal with Obi's reactivity to other dogs (which you can read more about on my review of the Halti Head Collar that changed my life) my mum has even knitted me a pair of fingerless gloves for when we are out on our walks - look it! How lovely is she? Anyway, this exposure to the cold weather elements means the skin on my hands gets super dry. At its worse, it cracks and bleeds between my knuckles (poor me right?). So, my skin on my hands is often on a sliding scale from a little dry and tight, to somewhat uncomfortable, to actually painful. Plus, other products can make my skin worse, like when I am cleaning (and struggle with cleaning with gloves on because, as stated above, I have stubby fingers!). I also like to do acrylic paint pouring, so my skin gets a little angry at me if I get the paint on my skin. I have tried all sorts of hand creams, and some certainly did work better than others, but the three that are now my go to option are Zerobase, O'Keeffe's Working hands and L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter. I have 3 options for hand creams to cover all locations: Zerobase is for when I am at home; O'Keefe's Working Hands is for my desk drawer, car or school bag for uni; and L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter is for when I am out and about as it fits in a small handbag or in my coat pocket. For Home: Zerobase I love this stuff - it comes in a massihoosive bottle of 500g, which means that it lasts a super long time! I have had this particular bottle for over 2 years now, and it still has about a quarter left in it - so it does last, for sure. I used to have the bottle sat on my desk at work, but now it tends to live on my bedside table. This is because I am a now hermit who spends most of my time scrunched up before a computer reading academic texts in the quest of writing my PhD, so no longer have a desk at work. Instead I have a desk at home covered in papers and highlighters! The bottle itself has a push down dispenser on the top, but do not do a full push down - it will be way too much for your hands! A quarter push is all I need, so go easy and build it up! Provided you do not use too much at once, this does not leave your hands feeling greasy, and it works so well! In fact, I noticed on my legs two spots of dry skin that began to resemble the skin of a scaly reptilian like creature from a mythical evil lagoon! You know - those little round scales that resemble a honeycomb. Why am I still single? lol! BUT using this cream on those two places across 7 days, and it is almost all gone and my skin now looks like a human's again! Success! Also, because the dispenser is exposed to the air, it can get a little partially dried out gloop of cream on the end of it, but fear not! No need to waste it - as you rub it into your hands, it sort of turns back into a cream like substance and gets absorbed into the skin. Using this just once a day is enough to keep my hands to a decent level of silky smooth, but in the winter months, I do tend to use it twice a day, or whenever I feel I need to add a little more moisture to my dried out scaly looking skin. Zerobase says on the bottle that it 'relieves symptoms of red, inflamed, damaged, dry or chapped skin'. It says this is because it acts as 'an emollient' that 'protects raw areas of skin'. I don't have eczema, so can't comment on this part, but the bottle also says that 'the cream can be applied before a bath to stop the skin drying further'. This stuff also acts as a soap substitute, which I didn't realise until writing this post. Using it as a soap substitute is quite nice, it leaves my hands feeling softer than when I wash with normal soap and water. It doesn't lather up though, like soap does, which sort of makes me feel like I'm not using a soap at all, and I'm not sure I like that feeling? The label on the bottle also says that you should seek medical advice before using if the skin is 'broken, badly cracked, infected or bleeding'. I have never had to seek this sort of medical advice. Sometimes the skin does crack and bleed, but it is only ever a very small area and once it has scabbed over (again, how attractive am I?) I find I can use this cream. If my hands get really bad (because I run out of hand cream when I'm out or use a soap that my skin really doesn't like, or its very windy and cold and icy and I am not wearing any gloves) then I also use a little Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream (yes, the one for baby bum rashes!) for a day or two to help heal the skin before I go to the moisturiser option. If I don't do this first, using Zerobase can sting a little if my skin is really bad (although not cracked and bleeding), but I haven't had that problem for a while (and when using Sudocrem for a day or two first). The Zerobase description does not say if it is fragranced or not, but based on my experience of using it, I don't think it is. It smells like a product, but there isn't any added smells like rose or some other flower like smell or anything, so I don't think this is fragranced. The description on Amazon says that it is vegetarian and fragrance free, so I guess that settles that debate! lol! It also has directions for use on adults, elderly and children (aged 1 and up), so seems to cover all stages of life. The label also comes with the warning that you should not use it if allergic to any of the ingredients. Here's the ingredients list for the bottle that I have, but you should double check the most recent ingredients list in case they have updated it since I bought this over a year ago. It also warns to stop using if you experience an allergic reaction, but this is pretty standard as a warning for products that go on your skin. I have also noticed (when searching for the link to add this into this blog post) that they do a whole host of other creams designed for specific skin conditions such as Eczema, Psoriasis & Dry Skin Conditions - I haven't tried these out but if you do, please comment below and let me know if they are any good! All in all I love this hand cream, and have found it to be one of the most effective ones on the market for tackling dry, tight skin. However, as it comes in a huge bottle, it is not the most convenient to take out and about with you. I guess you could decant it into smaller travel size tubs, like these in the UK, or these if you are in the US, but I have found with other creams that this can lead to it drying out in the tub when it is not airtight. Also, that sounds like a bit of a faff to me. However, I have now seen that they also do smaller tubes of this in 50g (which I hadn't seen before now) so I will definitely add one of those to my next order of this! So, moving on to the more portable of the hand creams... Desk drawer, Car or School bag: O'Keeffe's Working Hands This stuff is great for keeping in your desk drawer or school bag. They do it in lots of sizes . I have the tube of 80ml . I have the tube in my school bag for when I am on campus at uni. The description says that it is a 'concentrated hand cream' that 'relieves, hydrates and helps repair extremely dry, cracked hands'. It is unscented, hypoallergenic and non-greasy. You don't need a lot of this - a tiny dot will do the back of my hand - and as always with all hand creams, start with a little and work your way up until you find you've added enough. It absorbs into the skin quickly, and instantly leaves my skin feeling softer. Also, the back of the bottle offers a 100% Money Back Guarantee - I mean, anything that comes with a money back guarantee is usually gonna be pretty darn good! Plus, it means you can give it a go and (if it doesn't work for you) get your money back! Although, to do this you do have to post the bottle/tub back to them with a receipt so it may be more faff than it's worth considering how reasonably priced this stuff is! Also, the shops online selling this product should have the full ingredients list available to see before you buy - so if you are allergic to products, make sure you check that list before buying! The smallest tube they do in the Working Hands range is 80ml, so a little too large to fit in my handbag or coat pocket for a day out and about. So, I also have my go to "on-the-go" hand cream at just 30ml a bottle, which is the subject of the final part of this post... For my Handbag or Coat Pocket: L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream I have been using this L'Occitane hand cream for years! I mean like 10 years! I used to get the big tubes of 150ml to use at home before I discovered Zerobase. Since then, I stick to Zerobase at home (which is a lot cheaper for sure) and use L'Occitane when I am out and about. This is because they do mini tubes of 30ml which fits in my small bag - I hate carrying large bags - and means that I have a really good hand cream that I can use when I am out and about! Again, this tends to be more in the winter months, but sometimes in the summer if I use a soap washing my hands in bars or restaurants, and it is not moisturising then my hands can get very dry. So I pull out my trusty L'Occitane, and I am good to go! It can leave your hands feeling a little greasy if you use too much, so go easy and add more if you feel you need to. It works immediately, removing that tight skin feeling, so you should be able to tell if you need more or not. Again, if you are allergic to products, make sure you check the ingredient list before buying! This one is designed for adults and has a slight fragrance to it, but its not overpowering. I think the smell is actually just the shea butter, rather than any added scents. In fact, it kind of smells a little bit like really good quality sun creams. It is suitable for Vegans, and declares itself as being 98% readily biodegradable (although I am not sure how a hand cream can be biodegradable - I mean, its absorbed by the skin...or is that a type of biodegradation?? Any scientists out there??). Also, when looking for this product on Amazon, I can see that they have an exfoliant now too - I have not tried this yet, but I am soooo gonna be adding that to my Christmas list for this year!!! This particular L'Occitane at 20% shea butter is the one that I first bought from them, and I was super impressed by it, so I did also give some of their other non-shea butter options a go. This was about 8 years ago now, so I don't remember the exact products I used (sorry) but I didn't buy them again, so I can't have been too impressed! Lol! If I remember correctly, I tried the Lavender scented one and was not overly impressed. It seemed to have compromised on its effectiveness of tackling dry skin in order to accommodate lovely smells, so that just didn't work for me. That's not to say that they weren't a good hand cream - if you have dry hands that don't get as bad as mine do, then they might still be an option for you. They just weren't as effective for me as the 20% shea butter was. I also tried their foot gel stuff, but again, I wasn't so impressed by that. I mean, I didn't buy it again in the future - which I take a pretty clear indication of how good something is. Also, I have tried to find the foot gel I used, and can't find it anymore, so it looks like they may have stopped making it! What's more, during this effort, I have discovered that they now do a shea butter collection for feet - I might have to check that out! Another Christmas list addition please if you're reading this mum! lol! Also, their shea butter collection does have different percentages of shea butter - the one I use has 20%, but the other percentages might be nice too! I think I tried the 25% in the shop as a tester once, and it was very luxurious, but I seem to remember it being a little too rich, and leaving an oily substance on my skin, which did go away, but not as quickly as the cream being absorbed. Either way, L'Occitane is a luxury brand, so if you are looking for a present for someone, a nice little gift set would always be welcomed :) The whole range of their shea butter based products - including gift sets - is available on Amazon (or click here if in the USA) so you can always check that out if thinking of nice gifts for people! Also, because L'Occitane is a luxury brand, it is not the cheapest option out there. I have tried to find other hand creams that are in small tubes like this. However, L'Occitane is the only brand that I have found which is lovely, works, and fits nicely in a smaller handbag. Perfect for those days that I venture into London and don't want a massive bag to carry around all day! As mentioned above, you could, of course, buy one hand cream, like Zerobase, and then decant it into smaller tubs to take out and about with you (a bit like these options in the USA or in the UK ) , or you could buy the 50g tube of Zerobase to see if that fits in your handbag or coat pocket too, but I feel like we all deserve a little bit of luxury every now and again. So go! Treat yourself! In case you are convinced :) here are the relevant Amazon links again: Amazon.co.uk links: Zerobase O'Keeffe's Working Hands L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter Amazon.com links: Zerobase O'Keeffe's Working Hands L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter For all my readers outside of the UK and USA, I have set up the Amazon links to take you to exact matches in your country, but this might reveal no results. I can set up closest matches as an alternative option, but didn't want for you, my lovely readers, to not realise that when living busy multi-tasking lives, and buy a product I haven't actually reviewed. Anyway, if it doesn't come up with an exact match on Amazon, give it a quick google - other shops local to you, or those with international shipping, might stock these! with love Rebecca xxx I hope you found this review helpful! If you did, please subscribe  to be kept in the future blog posts loop. 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?: Doggy poop bags - biodegradable and made from a lot of recycled plastic, in either scented or unscented options! Does it work? Yes Would I buy it again? Yes Other options?: There are lots of doggy poop bags out there that are biodegradable, and I have tried some, but none of them were as good as this brand. Where to buy: I get mine from UK Amazon : you can get a small pack to try them of 270 bags; or if you trust me, you can get a better value large pack of 900 bags. If you are in the USA, here's the link to the same product. If you are new to this blog (hi and welcome!) you might not know that I always try to make more environmentally friendly choices. If you are not new to this site, you probably already know that from the reviews I have done on reusuable tassimo pods , Naked Sprout toilet roll made from bamboo, and the Ecoegg washing powder option. So, when I first adopted Obi dog from the Dogs Trust, I wanted to find doggy poop bags that were also environmentally friendly. I didn't want to be adding even more ever-existing plastic to landfill that the world sends there already! I have tried lots of different poop bags along the way, but I have been using Earth Rated poop bags for a long time now, because I am super impressed by them. Earth Rated , as a company is environmentally conscious and are B Corp certified to reflect the ways in which they integrate environmental choices across the company as a whole. They also say on the FAQs section of their website, that they regularly support animal rescue centres, and shelters, by making donations. Love that! Giving back is super important (and also one of the reasons, by the way, that I use PetPlan pet insurance as when I adopted Obi dog they gave me 4 weeks free insurance, and I have stayed with them since, but I digress!). The bags themselves are biodegradable and made from 65% recycled plastic. So, again, according to the FAQs section of their website , they stop 5 million pounds, or 2.2 million kilograms, of plastic going to landfill every year, and then use that plastic to turn into the doggy poo bags. Doggy poo bags which are then also biodegradable - the science baffles my mind - not only have they stopped plastic going to landfill, but they have then turned it into a biodegradable substance! I'm impressed! (On a side note, soft plastics are now widely recycled at supermarkets - where you used to put the supermarket bags, they now accept all types of soft plastics, so do bag it up and drop it off) Also, the boxes they come in and inner rolls are made from cardboard, so are recyclable too. The bags can be either scented, or unscented. I haven't tried the unscented ones, so if you try them, do let me know what they are like! The scented ones are lavender scented, and they do smell like lavender, but let's face it, no scented anything will totally mask the smell of our beloved pets bowel movements! So, with doggy poo in them, these poop bags smell like lavender scented poop! lol! The bags are also pretty thick - according to the description, 15 microns thick, but who knows what that means? All I can say is that other bags I have used have split or ripped when picking up poop - especially where the dog decides to poop on the pavement, or on a load of twigs! So far (and I have been using Earth Rated bags for years) I have never had one of these Earth Rated bags rip on me - like never! I cannot tell you how wonderful that is - I once tried another brand that I also got from Amazon, called Greener Walker , but I was not impressed, so would not recommend those at all! They didn't rip all the time, like when Obi had pooped on grass, they were fine, but they often ripped when Obi had pooped on the pavement and I tried to scrape it up, or when he had pooped on the grass on twigs, and the twigs poked through the bag and I got dog poop all over my hand! Considering I couldn't force the dog to poop, or not poop, in certain places, this uncertainty isn't good - I mean, when they gotta go, they gotta go, right? Walking around with dog poop on your hands is not good - in fact with the Greener Walker bags, I even started taking biodegradable baby wipes out with me as standard on all our walks! Luckily with Earth Rated poop bags, the baby wipes are not required! What's more, the Earth Rated poop bags have never leaked on me either. In fact, Earth rated pride themselves on this and, in their FAQs , actively encourage anyone who has had a leak to contact them! Love that! Businesses which want their customers to love their product and to address any issues just shows a mentality which can be so lacking in some modern corporations! The bags also come in two types - refill rolls and tie-handle. I have only ever tried the refill rolls, because honestly, they are big enough for my dog (who is a lurcher, so quite tall, but not terribly broad). In fact, when I go out at the end of the day to pick up Obi's poops in the garden, I can often pick up 2-3 poops with one bag! The refill bags are 9 inches x 13 inches. According to their website , the single bags are 8 inches x 13 inches and appear to come in a dispenser, a bit like a tissue box so you can get one bag at a time; and the easy tie handle bags are wider, as opposed to taller, at 7 inches x 13.5 inches. I use the refill bags, and to give you an idea (because let's face it all poop is different sizes!), I can put a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, or baked beans, inside the bag and still have room to tie off the end. Another point to note is that there is a little sticker on the bag that is 3rd from the end of the roll, to let you know you only have 3 bags left, so you can get a new roll ready for the next walk. No being caught out with the last bag on the roll and then having a meltdown trying to find a carrier bag in your pocket, or figure out a way for you to pick up the poop with no bag, or how you are going to get home, get more bags, and then find the poop to pick it up! Yes, this is how my mind works! lol! All in all these are good poop bags - they do the job, they are environmentally friendly, and they are produced by a company that seems to care! So, if you want to try a small box, here's the link , or if you are keen to go for the bigger 900 bags box, here's that link too. I also found the tie-handle ones on Amazon . If you want to search for these yourself, just be aware that 'earth rated' is also a general term, so other companies may use this phrase to describe the bags themselves - make sure you go for the ones which match the pictures in this post, otherwise it might be another company. Also, if you are in the USA, click here to go to Amazon to find these. Happy poop picking!! 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?: It is a collar for a dog that goes around their nose and head so that you have better control and can stop pulling. Does it work? Yes Would I buy it again? Yes - I already have and now have 2 so I can use one and wash the other one. Other options?: There are other head collar brands out there, but I have only tried this one, and it works so well, I'm not planning on trying another one :) Where to buy: Amazon sell these. However, you can also get them from pet stores such as Pets At Home If you want to jump to the substantive review part below for this product, you can do so by clicking here . If, however, you want to hear a bit more about Obi and why I needed something to stop him from pulling, then read on :) Also, did you know you can subscribe  to get e-mail notifications of new blog posts winging their way direct into your (probably junk) e-mail box? I would love it if you would! Introducing Obi: The story of Obi and I Obi and I have been together for about 7 years now - although we have both lived longer than that! I adopted him from the Dogs Trust when he was 7 years old, and he's now 14. Honestly, I had no idea how much you could love an animal until Obi dog came into my life. However, being a rescue dog, he came with significant issues. When I first welcomed him into his new home, he had terrible separation anxiety - if I left the room, he would follow me; if I went outside and closed the door on him, he would scream. We worked on that, and he's now very happy to watch me leave (provided that I follow our "pre-leaving, I still love you Obi dog, have a good day and I'll see you in a few hours" routine). However, other issues he came with have been much harder to train out of him completely - the biggest one being his reactivity to dogs. Being a rescue dog, I have no idea what his history is, but he has serious issues with other dogs, and walking a reactive dog on a lead can be really hard work! When I first got him, he would jump and bark and pull whenever he saw a dog - even when the dog was at the other end of the football pitch! I love him, but as I took him out for a morning walk before work, this pulling and barking and jumping made me feel like every morning started with an argument! What's more, it was an argument that he could physically win. He once saw a cat (being a lurcher, his prey drive is very high, and sighthounds can see the slightest movement from up to a mile away). Obi's thought processes were clearly that the cat needed to be chased. He ran after it and at the time I had not discovered the halti head collar, so I was walking him on his harness. As he chased the cat, I could not stop him. He was simply too strong for me. So I literally threw myself on the floor and he dragged me about 4 foot before realising the cat wasn't worth the hard work of pulling me along the grass! I know this sounds like a funny story, and I can laugh about it now, but before using the halti head collar, I was certainly not laughing! If you have a dog that is reactive or that pulls to the point where it is difficult to walk him, you can probably relate to the emotional impact of the dread of every walk. This was so disheartening, because walking your dog should be an enjoyable experience! Yet, after every walk where we had encountered another dog, I was left with a sense of sadness and despair that was incredibly difficult to reconcile with how much laughter and happiness Obi brings to my life. At the point in our journey together (before discovering the halti collar), I would even get up at 4.00am just so that I could walk him with a lower risk of seeing other dogs! If you have a dog with problems, then it is probably quite a familiar situation where another dog off-lead comes running up to you, and their owner cannot stop them (recall is essential for dogs off-lead but so many dogs off-lead have terrible recall). They have a dog with no issues, so may not realise the impact of this situation. As you tense up and begin to freak out as their dog comes pounding towards you, your dog then senses and feeds off that, making the situation so much worse. Meanwhile, the other dog's owner shouts, "oh, don't worry, my dog's ok" - Great, good for you! Mine's not! Every time this dog off-lead coming bounding over situation happened, it undid any progress that Obi had made. This meant that even where I felt we had had small wins along the way, we were right back to the beginning every time an incident like this happened! It was physically and emotionally draining! However, as time went by, some of the local people out walking their dogs started to see what we were going through, and how hard I was working with Obi. They began to help by putting their dogs back on lead, and allowing Obi to approach them while staying within his threshold of reactivity. This meant that his threshold improved every time he saw the same dog. With this effort of the kindness of others, I noticed that Obi became much better with dogs he recognised and knew - he can even play off-lead with a dog he knows - so I figured his reactivity to other dogs was actually based in fear, despite the fact that it comes across as aggression to the unknowing third party whose dog is fine. Realising this, I needed a way to work on his confidence levels, but on a harness it was simply impossible - all of his power was in his chest and legs, and the harness gave him something to brace against, which just made him stronger! So I turned to the internet for help. I spent countless hours on platforms like YouTube watching videos on what to do when you have a reactive dog. I tried a whole host of training and techniques, but literally none of them actually worked - Obi's reactivity is based in some sort of post-traumatic stress, so the training out there for dogs who are reactive without it being psychological just didn't work for Obi dog. I needed to work on his psychological reaction to dogs, but to do that I had to be in better control of him. I started looking then for different types of leads and collars. I tried a slip lead, but this made no difference to Obi dog at all - he still pulled and jumped and barked, and almost choked himself in the process - we quickly turned around and went home that day! Then, as if by magic, I discovered the halti collar. And, it was magic guys! I mean, absolute magic! It made everything change! In an instant! The reason why this made all the difference is that it moves where I control him from his body (where all of his strength is) to his head (where very little of his strength is). He can no longer pull me over. He can resist me, and occasionally still pulls (like when he sees a squirrel - seriously! Sighthound!) but now I can control him and it is so much easier, because I am stronger than the power he has in his head. This little halti head collar has been a game changer! My walks with him are now enjoyable. I no longer tense up and freak out as a dog approaches us, because I can control him. I pull him behind me, stand facing the oncoming dog, and firmly say "no" - most dogs are so shocked by that they stop dead, looking at you, with tilted head. Obviously Obi dog still has his reactivity issues, and I don't think they will ever go away completely because they are so deep rooted in his past experiences, but he is so much better now. The halti collar has meant that he no longer feeds off my tensing up and freaking out. I can stay calm, which means he is more likely to be calm. When I see a dog approaching, I hold the halti collar just beneath his chin, crouch down to his level, say "dog" and then give him a treat. I then keep saying dog followed by giving him a treat until the dog has passed us. I also lower the treat before he eats it, so he has to look down, which breaks the build up of tension inside him that happens when he watches a dog coming towards him. Slowly over time he has started to associate seeing dogs with reward and positivity. Sure, we still have training to do. If a large dog approaches us, he still panics a little, and I always try to cross the road away from larger dogs, so we are still working on that. But he can now pass a medium or small dog on the same side of the road without having a meltdown. In fact, the change in him is so noticeable that local dog walkers here at my new home (we moved here about 4-5 years ago) have started commenting on the improvement in him - even they have noticed it! I cannot even begin to explain how incredible the difference is! I mean, really! Obi is happier, I am happier, and our walks are now a pleasure! So, if any of this story reads familiar to you, please read on for the review and buy one of these to hopefully make your life with your furry family member better too! The review itself So, the halti head collar itself goes around the dogs nose, and over behind their ears to clip in place with a parachute clip. Here's what it looks like on Obi dog: It also has a section below where you can attach the halti head collar to your dogs collar: This is in case it slips off. I have had it slip off once in the 5 years of using this 2-5 times a day, and honestly, it was my own fault. The strap that goes around behind his ears had loosened, and I hadn't tightened it back up again, so one side slipped off over his incredibly expressive ear! So, just keep an eye on how tight it is when you put it on, and this shouldn't be a problem. Side note: If you're wondering why we have walks 2-5 times a day, Obi now has arthritis, so we go on shorter walks more often - this is just part of his arthritis regime, which also includes daily meds, monthly injections, and weekly hydrotherapy treadmill sessions - the things we do for the dogs we love! With all these treatments, he sometimes doesn't realise he has arthritis! He is still very strong! On another side note, I walk obi with a harness as well as the halti head collar - you probably wouldn't have to do this, but I do because if the halti collar did fall off and he saw another dog, he could strangle himself on his collar! Honestly, I think this is based more in my paranoia than anything else considering it has only ever slipped off his head once in the whole time we have been using this! If I got him a collar designed for greyhounds and lurchers, which is much wider around the neck and so wouldn't strangle him, then I probably wouldn't bother with the harness as well! The parachute clip sits round the back of Obi's ear - I didn't realise I got this photo mid lick, but look at that tongue! lol!: As you clip the parachute clip into position, just be careful the plastic of the parachute clip isn't touching your dog's ear. The clip has a bounce back to it as it fits into position and once Obi's ear was touching that. He yelped. I learned to put my hand against the clip in future! The nose band that goes over the top of their noses is also slightly padded for extra comfort. There is also reflective material stitched into the head collar, so at night it has some reflection in the headlights of approaching cars. You can see from the photo, however, that this isn't a lot of reflective material, so you might prefer to have some reflective coat or collar on, or to get one of those rechargable light up collars that you can put on dogs for night time walks. I do use one of those, but cannot remember where I got it from, so have never reviewed it on this blog. I do like it for walks on dark mornings or nights as it is very clear from a distance as mine is flashing pink lights! If you are wondering what they are like, its this type of thing. Just know that I have not reviewed any of these items in this link, so cannot comment on which are individually good, but you should pick one that is rechargable, adjustable in length, and water proof. Once the halti head collar is in position, you then clip the head collar to your dogs collar and then attach the lead onto the metal ring that is part of the head collar, and you are in control! Also, the ones I have are machine washable, so I alternate between the two I have when one needs cleaning. And they do need cleaning because they sit around the dog's mouth, so saliva and bits of treats mixed together can make them dirty. Mmmmmm Yummy! When picking your head collar, you need to check the measurements of your dog's head. You can also get these in a whole host of different colours. I have one in red and one in black . Just make sure that you check the size chart to get the right size for your pup! Also, your dog's breed might make a difference as this might not work for all breeds of dogs. Because of how this goes around the dog's nose, I am not sure how well this would work for dog breeds with shorter noses, like pugs - I imagine it won't sit right and would easily fall off. That said, it looks like they do make one with an adjustable clip around the nose part, designed for breeds with shorter or broader noses, so do check those out . Also, if you have a breed with shorter or broader noses, you can always call or pop down to your local pet shop supplier to see if you can have one to fit and test in the shop before buying it. From his perspective, Obi dog isn't a huge fan of wearing the head collar. The very first time he ever wore it, he pawed at his nose to try and get it off. Now, he tolerates it, but he often rubs his head along my legs to scratch his nose when its been on for a while, or when I have just taken it off at home after our walk. It doesn't, however, seem to bother him once we are out on the walk and there's all those "new sniffs" to distract him, so I figure having him rub his nose along me when I take it off is a small price to pay! I just have to be aware that he's going to do it or he gets me behind my knee and my leg gives way! I would also mention that Obi isn't much of a chewer, so I have never had the problem where he has tried to chew through any of the material, but I have seen other reviews where dog owners have said that this has happened, so this might be a consideration for you if your dog does chew through leads etc. on walks. That said, I do struggle see how they could chew through it once its on because of how it sits on their head, but you know your dog best, so can make this decision. So, if you have a dog that is reactive, or a dog that pulls on walks, and you are looking for a no pull dog walking option, give this a go! I did, and as explained in our story above , it has revolutionised our walks together! Here's the link  to the Amazon shop again in case you are convinced! Happy walking! And, please subscribe  if you want to get e-mail notifications of new blog posts! Would be lovely to see you here again! 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?: it is a spray cleaner that, according to the advert, is capable of cleaning through build up of dirt on the underneath of a used pan by a simple spray and rinse. So, by extension, should be able to clean through all tough stains! Does it work? No, not at all, not even in the slightest. Would I buy it again? Absolutely not! Other options?: loads of cleaning products and each time I trial another new one I am more often let down than not. However, I will keep going because that’s the whole point of this blog! Where to buy: I got this from here on the basis of an advert I saw on Facebook. The product: Here is the Facebook advert: Here is what turned up: I don’t think I need to elaborate anymore on these videos...they definitely speak for themselves! Avoid this product! And the worst part is that this company now send me regular e-mails trying to get me to buy something else! I am pretty sure what they sent me is the same stuff you get in bubble wands as a kid! It certainly smells like the same liquid! If only I’d know I could have got it for 99p from the corner shop! With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: Its a bag in a bag - reusable for shopping etc. Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. In fact, I now own 3. Other options?: Lots of bag in a bag options out there, but none that I have come across that are as good as this one! Where to buy: I got them from B&M and haven't seen this particular bag in a bag anywhere else, or any that have the same features that makes this one stand out. I LOVE THIS BAG IN A BAG: Since plastic carrier bags became chargeable, there has been a boom in bags on the market that you can buy that come within their own bag to keep them nice and neat. There's tonnes of different types and manufacturers out there, but what I don't like about other bags I have seen is that once you take your reusable bag out of its container bag, you then have to put the container bag somewhere like your handbag or pocket. Worse still, when coming to put them away, I had to spend time folding a bag so that it would fit back into its container bag. Who on earth has time to spend folding away a bag to fit back in its bag! NO MORE! This bag in a bag comes with a couple of little features. Aside from being cute as hell with these little animal faces on the bag (note there are plain options available, but these were too cute!): There is a also tag that attaches to your belt, bag, handbag etc so that you don't have to go hunting for your bag in a bag inside of a bigger bag. Then, and this is the true game changer, the bag stays attached to your bag: No more hunting for the bag to put it away, or worse still, loosing it somewhere! This bag is always attached to its bag! The only potential down side is that the bags can come out creased, but that doesn’t worry me at all, and once the bag has stuff in it, it soon stretches out. So all in all I love this product! Everything I need it to be! And all for £1! Boom! Feel free to click on the “f“ below to share to Facebook, and subscribe to keep up to date on new posts With love Rebecca xxx

Bamboo for your bum - who'd have thunk it! The highlights: Where to buy it: Naked Sprout Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Other options?: Yes there are. However, whilst other companies are creating more environmentally friendly toilet rolls, Naked Sprout do a sample box for £2.99 that includes 2 toilet rolls and shipping, so it won't break the bank to give it a go. Why should I care? This year I have started to look into more sustainable alternatives for the products that we use regularly. In the cases where they are not sustainable, then at least those which have a less negative impact on the environment. In my quest for hunting down these unknown gems that help me feel like a better person, I came across Naked Sprout. A UK based company, Naked Sprout offer a toilet roll alternative to the standard high street options that are cutting down trees and polluting our rivers and skies in the name of making our lives more luxurious. I had no idea of the number of chemicals that are used on toilet rolls to make them white and soft! According to Naked Sprout's website, the chemicals include a massive list of scary sounding things. The full list can be viewed here and it includes a host of chemicals I don't even understand, but amongst them is bleach - if someone told you to pour bleach on your skin you definitely would not do it, so why would you use toilet paper that has been into contact with it? All of these chemicals poison the waterways, damage the environment and are bad for our health, according to the UK based company. So I looked into it myself... It transpires that the production and disposal of toilet roll does have a significant detrimental impact on our environment. According to an Ethical Consumer report in 2019 the negative impact of toilet roll is far reaching. Their report can be accessed at here check it out - it is a bit terrifying! So Naked Sprout do not use chemicals, and make their toilet paper out of bamboo. What's more, every box you buy, according to their website, gives safe water to a child at school in Kenya for a year via a charity called "Just a Drop". The product It arrives in a cardboard box - so no plastic wrapping at all, which I love. The cardboard is recycled and can be recycled itself. One side of it is quite rough but the other side is as soft as the standard high street brands I have historically used. Not being white feels a bit strange but after one toilet roll, seeing a white one there instead feels strange now! I am sold, and converted. I will be purchasing this toilet roll moving forward. That said, if my income drops I may not be able to afford this anymore. Whilst I have the money I will be purchasing it, as increased sale results in lowered costs to the consumer. Although I am on a mission to improve my personal carbon footprint, I totally understand the expense of these toilet rolls may mean that I won't be able to continue using them in the future. Until then, I will do my bit. Feel free to click on the “f“ below to share to Facebook, and subscribe to keep up to date on new posts. With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: It is a crocheted sock that you pop your soap in, and then hang in your shower Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Definitely, but it is reusable, and I bought 2 so I can use one and wash one, so I may not have to. Other options?: Yep - loads. Where to buy: I got it from here but there's probably loads of places that sell this sort of thing - a quick google and, yep, there are... The product: This is a crocheted little pocket with a hole in the top where you thread the hanging section through so that you can pop your soap in and hang it in the shower. It means that you can use soap instead of shower gel, thereby reducing unnecessary plastic use. It also reduces wasted soap itself as it keeps it all nice and snug inside the pocket whilst allowing soapy suds to work their way out. You have a whole host of soap options out there too - from the standard run of the mill high street options to the organic and handmade. I used a dove sop in mine because I think that is probably one of the largest soaps on the market, and it fits snuggly in the pocket. The soap sock is made from cotton, so can be washed and reused between each soap. The down sides: I genuinely haven't come across one yet - you have to lather it up to use it, but that's true of any soap. It may be harder to use as the soap gets smaller, but I am purely guessing at this point because my soap is still going strong. I will do an update if, during my soap sock journey, I discover a down side...promise. With love Rebecca xxx Feel free to share on Facebook, or subscribe below.

The highlights: What is it?: A replacement for the plastic sponge. Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Other options?: Not that I have seen yet, but please let me know if you come across any. Where to buy: I got them from here but it looks like Kerry has her own ebay shop too with free delivery. There is also a facebook page . There are also a few other places that stock them, so you can also google it. The product LIKES: So I really like this. It is longer than most sponges or other cleaning pads available on the market, and can be bent in half to go around pan lids etc. as it is more like a thick cloth in texture than a traditional scrubber. It is biodegradable, so once you are done with it it will not harm the environment, or you could chuck it in your compost heap! 100% plant based and vegan, they are described as even the inks having been tested for harmful substances! The Scrubbies have a bamboo lining which is described as being naturally antibacterial, so that's a bonus, and will alleviate any fears of nasty bugs breeding within it. Plus, they are machine washable, so watch this space to see how they fare after a wash. If washable and totally reusable without any issues, I will be super impressed! They are advertised as being reusable for 3-12 months, which is pretty impressive, and will replace multiple plastic sponges in this household across a year. Plus, if one lasts 12 months, then this will also save pennies in the long run - cost per use is an important calculation. It also works well on cleaning the kitchen surfaces. One side of it is made of interwoven bamboo threads, which creates an rougher surface for scrubbing, and the other side is a softer material, so can be used like a cloth. I have not yet tried them on cleaning the bathroom, but when I do I will provide an update here. Even my dad said “This is alright this, isn’t it?” High praise, I can tell you! They also come in over 80 designs, so you are bound to find ones that can match your kitchen or bathroom. LIKE LESS: The issue was in cleaning cups, and maybe it is just that when brand new it is not very pliable, but the middle of the base of the cups I just could not get to so I had to use the sponge on those. These cups are fairly narrow though, and the wider cups did not present a problem. The future of this product I will continue to use Scrubbies in the future (or Scrubby if only one?) and have a sponge on standby for the occasional times that I can't reach somewhere. That said, I have also now googled environmentally friendly sponges, so watch this space as I hunt down some to buy and review. Either way, I believe in the idea that every little action can help make a difference. Even if I end up using a few sponges a year for those odd moments I need them, but use a more environmentally friendly option the rest of the time, then I will be actively contributing to a better world. In addition, and in the interests of transparency to you my readers, I need to make you aware of my personal bias that I believe in supporting local, independent or small businesses as much as I can. Kerry's Scrubbies is a UK based business, that appears to be one woman working out of her house, so this has inevitably had an impact on my review. However, mostly I was impressed because I believe in supporting businesses that are taking innovative ideas and pushing new boundaries, which is what this business is doing: bravo Kerry's Scrubbies! With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: A garlic press that presses the garlic flat against a hard surface, as opposed to squishing it through a small space like traditional garlic presses. Does it work? I guess, but it is hard work. Would I buy it again? Nope. Other options?: Yep - lots - an I will keep my eye out for a other impressive looking garlic presses: I am a big fan of things which make life easier. Where to buy: I got mine from Warmday UK , but if you google it, there's lots of online shops selling this or similar. The Product: So instead of the traditional garlic press, where you pop the garlic in a hole and squish it down, this one you pop the garlic on the worktop and push the press on top. Pros: It is easy to clean, and fairly easy to use. Cons: It takes a lot of pressure for this to work. I tried on a whole garlic, which failed miserably: Then I sliced the garlic, which worked better, but I still had to put my whole body weight behind it to get it to work: So yes, this does work ok, but it is not as impressive as I was hoping. The video on Facebook made it look like this was dead easy to use with minimal pressure, and this is simply not the case in practice. I have used other products for garlic crushing before I started this blog which were cheaper and easier to use. I shall see if I can remember where I ordered them from to review them in full! The disappointment: I bought this product because of a video on Facebook, but the product I received is not the same as that in the video. It is similar, but the one in the video was all metal and looked of a better quality than the one I ordered. Don't get me wrong, when I clicked on the link on the video, it took me to the website which pictured the exact same product I was sent, but this is a pet hate of mine: just advertise the product you are actually selling! I was in a rush and did not notice when clicking on the link from the video and being taken to their website that what I was buying looked slightly different to the one in the video. Maybe that's on me, but when I have googled this, I think this is bordering on an example of what trading standards describe as "bait and switch": where you show an awesome product - the bait - but then sell them something that isn't as good - the switch. So, Warmday UK, if you are out there and listening, please do a new video showing the actual product you sell! Its not hard! If I can do a video, so can you. I am not one to shy away from admitting my mistakes though: we learn more from the things we get wrong than the things we get right! So I will learn from this mistake, and in future pay extra attention to the product on the website I am ordering compared to the video that enticed me in! With love, as always, Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: Magnetic earrings that are supposed to result in weight loss simply by wearing them - perfect idea if you are trying to get rid of additional weight caused by lockdown! Does it work? No Would I buy it again? No Other options?: I have googled it and there are other types of these copycat acupuncture type earrings of different shapes and sizes Where to buy: I got mine off an ebay shop, but there are loads of places selling these Did you know I have started e-mailing with notification of new posts? Wanna be kept in the loop? Would be lovely to have you! You can subscribe by clicking here . The product: Like everyone, I have put on weight during lockdown that I am now trying to get rid of. I have been doing slimming world for a while, and whilst I have lost some weight without having to exercise at all, I have now hit a wall. My weight loss has depressingly plateaued off. It is my own fault! I know I need to start exercising, and it is my intention to start running again (I am a wimp and stopped in the winter because it was too cold and miserable!). So before I start running again, I thought now would be the perfect time to try these. They are strong magnets and they do stay on all day, in fact, I found them quite painful after a while. You do not wear them to sleep in, so I did get some respite when I took them off on a night. They look quite gothic when wearing them, and they are very reflective, as you can see from the picture I took where you can see me reflected in them! I have been wearing them for 2 weeks whilst maintaining a healthy diet but not doing any exercise...here is my weight loss app that connects to my scales... As you can see, it has made no difference whatsoever to my weight loss. I also still have a raging appetite similar to that of a horse! So on both counts of dropping weight and suppressing appetite, these magnetic earrings failed miserably for me! Maybe for some people these do work, but I have done my research, and I cannot find any medical peer reviewed evidence or studies that support that these work. I suspect it works for others based on a psychosomatic phenomena, what is more familiarly termed "the placebo effect", as opposed to anything else. Am gutted! Guess I am just going to have to start going running again! No weight loss cheating for me! I was really hoping I could eat a chocolate orange danish every day and still lose weight! Wishful thinking! With love Rebecca xxx ps - if you want to join my mailing list with notifications of new reviews, you can subscribe - please do! The more the merrier! :)

The highlights: What is it?: This is a shampoo and conditioner which claims to "to promote hair growth and help reduce hair loss" Does it work? I don't think so. Would I buy it again? Nope. Other options?: Yep - lots of products out there claim to achieve hair growth and reduce hair loss. I haven't tried any of them, and to be honest, won't bother after this experience. Where to buy: I got these online from BondiBoost The product: It looks very flash in slick bottles, and it smells amazing - like a eucalyptusy minty heaven. It definitely wakes you up in the morning (conversely, I would not recommend using this just before bed time). It is administered using a pumping system, and it does successfully clean and condition my hair. The experiment: I measured my hair by drawing on a white t-shirt the hair start point...I then measured it 4 weeks later to see my normal hair growth...I then started to use this product and measured my hair another 4 weeks later. Then I thought maybe 4 weeks was not long enough, so I have continued to use this and measured my hair again on15 April. My normal hair growth revealed a 2mm increase. My hair growth after using this product revealed (at best) 3mm hair growth. My hair also feels and looks no thicker than before. Even after prolonged use, I cannot confidently assert that this product does what it claims to do. The Verdict: I just don't think this product really works, and I am absolutely not comfortable with spending this much money on a product that does not work to the value of £33. Sorry BondiBoost, I will not be buying this again. With love Rebecca xxx