Jolly Holly’s Boxes of Joy by Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent

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In these cold and dreary days it is so refreshing to see a rainbow which brightens your mood as well as your day. Jolly Holly is just that, a lovely, cheerful, beautiful rainbow which shines brightest against the darkest of skies. Based right here in my beloved West Country I knew that I simply had to talk to her, so here are a few questions I had for her. Her PO Box, Amazon wishlist and Tik Tok handle can be found at the bottom of this article.

1. What is a box of joy and how do people get their hands on one ?

A box of joy is a box full of goodies aimed to help someone who is really struggling with their mental health. Full of things like sweet treats, hot chocolate, bath items, sleep aid, self help books and gifts with positive affirmations. I make them randomly and post to my tiktok and simply ask all who wish to enter to comment the chosen word, which is normally something like family, kindness, joy, etc. After one week I pick a person at random and send them their box completely free of charge.

2. When did you start making up the boxes and why ?

I believe I started around a year ago. I’ve wanted to make them for years. Suffering with many mental illness myself I wanted to try to make a tiny difference. I make them simply to make a struggling stranger smile. I know that it won’t take any of their struggles away but even if it just lifts their spirits for a moment then that make me so happy.

3. Can people donate towards a box? If so how ?

I have had so many donations through an Amazon wishlist and I also have a po box which some kind people have sent bits here and there which really help.

4. How can people support boxes of joy ?

The best support is the people who help, the people who send donations and the people who help me by answering people’s questions in the comments.

5. What does 2022 have in store of you and your boxes of joy ?

I hope that 2022 means that many more people can receive one, I will keep doing this as long as I can because it means so much to me to help others. I aim to donate a box every week if I’m feeling well enough.

6. What are the biggest obstacles you face doing the boxes of joy and how do you overcome them ?

My biggest obstacle is that people always ask for me to start selling them, unfortunately that’s something I will never be able to do, having so many issues myself, I would find keeping up with orders incredibly difficult and I don’t like dealing with other people’s money and I feel turning it into a business would take the fun away, also as not everyone could possible afford one so they will always be free. I also struggle a tiny amount with some of the comments. My rules are to comment using one word, I say one word because many people write very guilt tripping comments to try and influence me, and I’m a very emotional person who is easily influenced so I feel it’s unfair on others who play by the rules. That being said, so many amazing followers ask people not to do this when I’m absent which really helps. I’ve only had a handful of hate comments, but they are mostly just people calling me ugly or saying I do this to get free things for myself which hurts a little but it’s ok.

7. What do you enjoy most when making up a box ?

I enjoy every single part! Sometimes I make themes, like colours, Christmas, flowers, etc. So I love hand picking each item, I also love my hand-made help sheets. Each box contains a jolly help sheet with a small activity to help the individual feel grounded, safe and write down things they are grateful for. And I also add a list of helpful numbers to offer in times of crisis. But I must say my ultimate favourite thing is my profile photo sticker on top, as my 10 year old sister drew it for me and I love adding something that means so much to me as I love my little sister so much

And there you have it, I have been one of Jolly Holly’s  followers on Tik Tok for a couple of months now and she never fails to bring a smile to my face with her content. She is so selfless and kind and I can not wait to see what this year has in store for Jolly Holly.

Here is where you can find her wishlist :

https://linktr.ee/Jollyhollysworld

PO box 5487

Radstock

BA3 9DF

@jollyhollysworld

SUNDAY SCENE: CLARE SWATMAN ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM BEFORE WE GROW OLD

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It’s so hard to pick a favourite scene from any book, so for this, I’m plumping for the very first scene in my latest book, Before We Grow Old – partly because I like it and partly so I don’t give anything else away! In this opening scene, Fran and Will bump into each other by chance in a busy London cafe – and the last time they’d seen each other had been 25 years before, when they’d been teenagers in love. Here’s the moment they meet:

The next few seconds were a scramble of wiping the table and floor, and apologising and stammering. Which is why it took me so long to actually look at the man who’d accidentally bumped into me in this busy café. I noticed his mop of expensively cut blonde hair first, peppered with streaks of grey and tousled into subtle spikes. Then I noticed his smile: the friendly mouth and glistening white teeth, followed by his sparkling blue eyes, which lit up as he looked at me.
‘Oh…’ I stammered, and almost fell into my seat, my mouth open like a goldfish.
‘Fran?’
‘Will.’ I stared at him for a moment too long.  ‘I – do you want to sit down? I think it’s dry now.’ I looked at him again and indicated the seat opposite me as my stomach rolled over. ‘If you have time, of course.’

I enjoyed imagining what it might feel like to suddenly be confronted by someone who you’d not only loved so deeply, so obsessively, but who had hurt you so badly when they’d upped and left that it had affected you for the rest of your life. It’s not necessarily something that you would think about every day, but the way something like that makes you feel definitely has an impact on the way you see things, and the way you react to people. There’s always a before and an after to any kind of heart-breaking moment, and I really wanted to get it right.

I enjoyed imagining how awkward Will and Fran might both have felt after Will bumped into her, and left hot chocolate dripping all over the floor; the realisation that they knew each other, that they’d loved each other once. I wanted to capture how Fran might have felt such a conflicting range of emotions, from excitement to shock to anger to embarrassment, all within the space of just a few seconds. And although I wanted them both to feel awkward at first, I also wanted to let them have a conversation, to talk to each other – and they do just that, even if they end up skirting round what they really want to say. Here’s where I think it sums it up best:

I blew across the top of my hot chocolate, watching as the cool air skimmed across the foamy surface. Okay, so he’d decided not to talk about the past. That was fine with me. More than fine, in fact. That was good. It was too early to be raking over old ground. Besides, what would be the point?

And yet my hands still gripped my mug so tightly that my knuckles turned white, as the words I wanted to ask him hung in the air between us, unsaid.

I hope this makes it clear that there are lots of things that are unsaid between them – and that this is the launchpad for the rest of the story!

 

www.clareswatmanauthor.com

 

 

Frost Loves: Roccabox Beauty Box + Tia Roqaa’s tips on Nighttime Skincare

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I love Roccabox. It is a fabulous box of carefully chosen goodies that brighten every single month. January’s box includes products that are all about cleaning up your beauty act with products that are as clean in their formula as they are in their imprint on the planet. February’s is all about getting a good night’s sleep. January’s box contents are worth £81, but available for £15 on roccabox.co.uk and includes the following:

Tia Roqaa, Founder, Roccabox
Roccabox’s ‘Perfect Night’s Sleep’ box goes on sale 1st February

How does skin work when we sleep? And why is it important to have a good night skincare routine?

When we’re asleep our skin goes into recovery mode, a time of intense repair and regeneration. Dermatologists consider the hours of 9 to 11pm to be the time when skin is at its most optimum for absorbing – making evenings such a prime opportunity to use your topical treatments. Throughout the night while your skin is warmer your skin is also more permeable, allowing it to absorb products more effectively. This is also the time when DNA repair is boosted. An effective nighttime skincare routine should create the perfect environment to allow all this to happen most effectively. The rise of melatonin, the ‘sleep hormone’ that occurs at night, also plays an important role in your skin’s repair: it helps to balance out the damage caused in the day by aggressors such as UV light, Blue Light and pollution. Finally, HGH – Human Growth Hormone – also kicks in overnight, and this helps to increase the skin’s cell regeneration process. A good quality and effective skincare routine works in two ways: it prepares your skin by creating the conditions that will allow it to optimise these processes. Secondly, a regular skincare ritual at night will help create a sense of calm, that our bodies start to associate with winding down and preparing for a good night’s sleep. Better still, a routine that incorporates some form of facial massage will really help to alleviate tension in the face and neck muscles and encourage a deeper sleep.

Order to use skincare at night?

Firstly, you need a thorough cleanse to detoxify the skin and remove traces of make-up, daytime products, SPF, environmental pollutants, grime – pretty much most of what has accumulated throughout the day. This will prepare the skin for the topical products that should come next: these could be retinol, to boost collagen production and support the cell renewal process; or glycolic acid if you’re looking to exfoliate and remove dead dull layers. These should be fairly light formulas: lightweight lotions or serums. Next you need to compensate for the moisture loss that occurs at night – your skin loses water overnight thanks to its increased temperature, which is why you’ll often notice skin is at its driest first thing on a morning. A hyaluronic acid will deeply hydrate to counteract this effect, although drier skin types will really benefit from a nourishing skin oil as well as or instead of. ‘Locking in’ these ingredients with a night cream or overnight mask will be the final step in your nightly routine. This should be your thickest formula of the routine.

What happens to skin, mood, body if we don’t get enough sleep?

I think we can all agree the effects of just one bad night’s sleep are pretty instant and noticeable on everything, from your complexion to your mood! If skin can’t go through its usual repair process due to interrupted sleep or a lack of sleep, and if this then happens on a regular basis, it will lead to an increase in fine lines and reduced elasticity. Skin starts to look dull and loses its glow and ‘bounce’. Cortisol levels in your body can then become dysregulated following a lack of sleep or poor quality sleep: which puts your body into a state of ‘stress’, where your blood

sugar levels struggle to stay balanced and you lack energy. Over time this can lead to increased appetite, weight gain etc, as well as poor mood, bad concentration etc.

What’s your bedtime routine to ensure you get a good night’s sleep? Any rituals, what do you recommend, skincare tips etc?

For me, avoiding my phone from 7pm is crucial. It’s not easy at all, but if I make sure it’s in another room it makes it easier. Avoiding the blue light from your phone screen is so important for allowing your body to fall into its natural sleep state. My aim this year is also to start setting a regular bed and wake time, as I can be guilty of lying in on a weekend or staying up too late bingeing on Netflix, and I do notice that regular sleep and wake-up time over time drastically improves my ability to fall asleep and rise naturally. My evening routine is really designed to encourage better sleep, so I indulge in a long hot soak, at least an hour before bedtime (your body needs to be able to cool down properly afterwards – this is what encourages sleep mode, not the heat, which people often incorrectly think!) and I will ideally elevate that bath with some bath salts or a bath oil that contain magnesium, to ease muscle tension and induce calm. At the moment I really love Skin and Tonic’s Bath Soak. I will burn my favorite Neom Sleep candle as I massage in Paul Yacomine’s really indulgent body oil. I find the whole process of massage so meditative. Next, on double-cleansed skin I’ll use my ‘nightime’ wardrobe of products: I switch between retinol, which my skin loves, and salicylic acid, if my skin is going through a hormonal outbreak, followed by a nourishing facial oil, as my skin can get particularly dry overnight. Finally, I like to spritz Feather & Down’s Pillow Spray – which contains a dreamy blend of calming ingredients – onto my bedding and whatever I’m wearing for bed. Only then do I feel truly ready to sleep!

 

Once upon a time Nicholas Jubber wrote The Fairy Tellers… Sublime, fascinating, a must read

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Once upon a time …a fascinating book plonked through my letter box. The Fairy Tellers, a journey into the secret history of fairy-tales by award winning travel writerNicholas Jubber.I have a difficult relationship with fairy tales – they horrify me but at the same time delight. As a child they used to keep me awake at night – the magic, the ghoulishness, and then the sheer happiness. This fascinating history explains so much.

It appears that fairy-tales are records of historical phenomena and through them we can understand how Western Civilisation was formed. So  off I traipsed with Jubber wondering if I should peek at everything through my fingers. But no, he explores with verve the people who told the stories,  the landscapes that forged them, and the cultures that formed them.

Heavens, how Jubber and I travelled together through Southern Italy across the Medsiterranean, and then choked on the dusty Maghreb alleys, on into the Black Forest, peering around beneath its canopy, then on with the thermals into the depths of Siberia, and let’s not forget Lapland.

As I journied  with Nichola Jubber I came to understand the complicated relationshp between Western civilsation and the Eastern cultures which are perhaps our bedrock. Not just the cultures but  so too the lives of those who told these stories long before they arrived in our Christmas stockings, nicely packaged, and in some cases, sanitsed. (But they still scared the living daylights out of me)

Read it. I loved it. A monumental work, I felt. Bravo Nicholas Jubber. Another level of understanding attained and in the most accessible style.

 

 

 

ZAG: The Soft Drink That Stops Dry January From Being So Dry

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Dry January is probably getting boring now, so grab a ZAG. ZAG gives the experience of a beer or fizzy drink without the alcohol or sugar. We tried it and loved it.
Are you underwhelmed by alcohol free alternatives or unhappy with imitations of your favourite beer or wine?
ZAG is guaranteed to take the ‘dry’ out of Dry January (but still keeping it alcohol free). A sensational soft drink that’s low sugar, low calorie; it’s not too sweet and perfect drunk in place of your usual beer or wine.
zag , alcohol free,
A complex blend of ingredients gives ZAG it’s unique flavour with  herbs, citrus, and cucumber flavors, as well as a unique hoppy hint that makes ZAG completely unlike any alcohol alternative you’ve tasted before.

Bored of trying to find a non-alcoholic drink that you actually might like? Or fed up with soft drinks that give you sugar crashes, furry tongues and a bunch of additives? Then it’s time to ZAG. A grown-up soft drink, that’s low in sugar, high in taste and the closest thing to freedom in a can you’ll ever find! 

Forget compromising with sugary soft drinks that make you feel like a kid again (and not in a good way) and try the individual drink for people who do their own thing. Not drinking means that evenings out are way more memorable for all the right reasons, plus knowing you’re not knocking back tonnes of sugar as well as alcohol could make you the life and soul of the party! 

ZAG literally defies description because, thanks to a stunning and unique blend of ingredients, it tastes different for everyone.  Not only that but because it has less sugar than other leading soft drinks, you can start 2022 without the sugar crash or the hangover.  

Many people who give up alcohol in January may be drinking far more sugar than they would normally.  An evening spent drinking an average fizzy drink would be equivalent to 9 teaspoons of the white stuff.  Fruit juices, whilst healthy in many ways, are not low in sugar.  The fibre which would normally allow our bodies to digest the fructose (the main type of sugar in fruit) is absent meaning we are consuming more than the recommended daily amount of sugar in drinks alone. *

We can tell you what’s in this curious tipple, but we can’t tell you how it will taste for you, because the beauty of ZAG is in its uniqueness.  It’s like nothing else on the market.  Botanicals, hemp, citrus, cucumber and kombucha are blended to create a completely different kind of flavour.  It’s got to be tried to be believed. 

Let 2022 be the year you start to ZAG – do your own thing and do it with flair. No more compromises, no more sugar crashes and no more hangovers (unless you want one of course!). 

ZAG is available online at www.zagdrinks.com price: RRP £17.49 for 12 pack of bottles. 

 

Experience your strongest hair ever with K18 Hair

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I love a good hair mask and this one is top of the range 

Experimenting with hair colours and styling with hot tools can take its toll on your hair in the long run – you are met with breakage, split ends, and some damage to your hair bonds which are integral in keeping your hair strong.

K18, hair, hairmask

What if we told you there is a way to reverse all this damage…in just 4 minutes?!

K18 Hair is an innovative bond-building intensive hair mask treatment which repairs your hair back to health and strengthens it with its impressive scientific bond-building technology!

Loved by celebrities around the world – including stylists who have used the product on Khloe Kardashian, Naomi Osaka, Rihanna, Selma Blair and Emily Ratajkowski – as well as in the UK – hailed by Montana Brown, Olivia Bowen, and Laura Anderson – the K18 Hair Mask is a must-have hair staple you need in your cupboard!

Here’s how it works…

 

K18 uses a patented molecule – K18Peptide™ – which is clinically proven to reverse hair damage from bleach and colour, harmful chemical and heat, in just four minutes. Suitable for all hair types and vegan and cruelty-free, K18 renews hair from the inside out to heal damage by repairing broken polypeptide chains (keratin chains), restoring strength, softness, smoothness, and bounce. This is a lasting solution that leaves hair looking radiant and feeling like new, highlighting that damage does not have to be permanent.

 

Simple

  1. Shampoo your hair (no conditioner) and towel dry thoroughly
  2. Begin with one pump of the Mask, working from the ends to the roots, and add more as needed depending on length, thickness, and hair condition
  3. 3. Let it sit for 4 minutes to activate. Style your hair as usual and do not rinse out.

 

SUNDAY SCENE: JENNIFER BOHNET ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM VILLA OF SECOND CHANCES

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Everyone deserves a second chance, don’t they? But sometimes other people and life itself gets in the way of that happening.

The scene I am about to share with you is from ‘Villa of Second Chances’. In this book several of the characters find themselves at a crossroads where their lives can only move forward when they fully embrace their past. But those long ago secrets and mistakes all conspire to throw complicated shadows from the past into the present.

Freya and Marcus are re-marrying after realising their divorce a few years ago, was a mistake. In this scene, Freya is remembering their first wedding as she drives to have lunch with her mother Effie, in Antibes.

. . . The chosen day had been bathed in blue skies and April sunshine. Her dad had been alive then and had proudly walked her down the aisle of St. Petrox Church – the ancient church out on the Dartmouth headland. Clemmie and Angela had been her bridesmaids, and Marcus’s boyhood friend, Rufus, had been his best man. Marcus’s fellow officers had formed the traditional archway of swords for the two of them as she and her new husband took their first steps together as man and wife. The reception at the now defunct and much-missed iconic Gunfield Hotel on the banks of the Dart had been a wonderful, relaxed affair. . .

Gunfield Hotel (Jim Cozens Photographer)

The Gunfield Hotel on the banks of the River Dart did actually exist years ago and was, let’s say bohemian, in its dealings with guests. If you wanted formal perfection, you went to another hotel. The Gunfield Hotel was a fun place that did its own thing and plays an important part in my story as it unfolds.

Over lunch Effie turns to Freya and ask the question . . . 

‘So, what’s happening with Verity?’

Freya stiffened. ‘I’ve sent her the invite, as you wanted me to, but haven’t heard anything. To be honest, I’m hoping that it’s too short notice for her to come. She’s probably spending the summer on some Greek island or the latest “in” place she’s discovered.’

‘She’s family,’ Effie said. ‘Hyacinth would be turning in her grave if she knew her daughter was persona non grata at your wedding.’

Freya sighed. ‘She’s not exactly persona non grata, but even you have to admit Verity can be difficult. . .

. . . ’If she does accept, she’ll expect to stay with you and the others at the Villa Sésame. Is there room?’

Freya hesitated before shaking her head. She knew Effie would be cross when she told her the truth, that she was deliberately not mentioning the villa arrangement to Verity because there was no way she wanted her cousin spoiling the run-up to the wedding for the others. . .

. . .  ‘Clemmie is definitely coming?’ Effie asked as she picked up her cutlery.

‘Yes, and Angela.’ Freya had her fingers firmly crossed as she answered. No way did she want Clemmie backing out because of Verity’s presence, if indeed, her cousin decided to show up.

‘I’m really looking forward to having time to catch up with them properly – especially Angela, after all she’s been through with the accident and Paul’s death. Clemmie says the last time she saw her she was still a shadow of her former self. Only to be expected, I suppose, and it will take time. I’m hoping the invitation to Villa Sésame has given her something to look forward to.’ . . .

 

Find out more about Jennifer on her Facebook page:  https://bit.ly/3qglPh4

 

 

 

 

New Year – New Fragrance – Happy Soul From ChloBo – by award winning author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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It’s been a tough couple of years and we’re all hoping 2022 will be a wonderful new start. So maybe time to freshen our image – new dress style, makeup revamp, and how about a completely new perfume? I recommend you check out Happy Soul by ChloBo.

But, I hear you say, ‘Isn’t ChloBo that British company that make those fabulous bracelets and necklaces? Has Dr Kathleen Thompson lost the last of her few remaining marbles?’ Well yes … and maybe, but trust me, ChloBo now have a great perfume which complements their stunning handmade jewellery.

I love the name – Happy Soul – and couldn’t wait to try. The perfume is described as ‘flirty, fig-infused scent will have you drifting from day to night’. I would categorise the fragrance as Woody, with an Oriental undertone. Packed with layers, the fragrance lasts and evolves over hours. I personally would use it in the evening – I’m thinking summer evening, dining al fresco by the sea. Happy image? You’re welcome.

At £30 from the ChloBo website this is a good price for a quality perfume. Give it a try.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk