Life - pets are family too

When you call your pet your baby you are always going to get those people who look at you like your mentally unstable. Just like parenthood however there are militant pet owners who will on the flip side tell you you aren't doing enough or your doing everything wrong.


Hi. My name's Laura and I'm addicted to giving my love to animals (even those which are not mine). I am a super animal lover.... Not to say I'm vegetarian or vegan (I love my furry friends but I do still eat some.... 😬). Yes I love animals and not just my own. I give my love to animals I meet on the street, in parks, in zoos and at friends houses (beware friends I could steal your pet). I've long loved furry creatures but as a child left the rearing and care of my creatures to my mum. Poor mum was left picking up dog poop, cleaning out fish tanks and scooping the poop for the hamster. It's only as an adult in my own home that I've met with the other side to pet ownership..... Others opinions of you.


When I bought my first place I was all on my own for a few years. Sure the boyfriend came to visit but it's a lonely life when he wasn't about. To keep me company I invited two guinea babies into my life. It was there my zoo began.....a year later I had also gained two budgie babies. Being that I had a one bed flat I decided (the boyfriend kind of demanded) that four pets were my limit.

Here's a baby Alpha:

Next question? What goes into the keeping of two guinea pigs and two budgies? Well I'm glad I asked. Firstly you need to decide where within the limited space of your one bed flat you can keep these babies? When i bought the guinea pigs from Pets at home i followed all the advices of the sales person. Since looking this up online apparently its not only the worse thing i could of done, but i also shouldn't have even bought them from there. Pets at home do not have the best reputation for the pets they sell but also for how they keep them whilst in their care. In my mind.... that means i rescued them..... right?




Well sales advice was to keep them in an indoor cage which was 1 metre long and 1/2 metre wide. Quickly i learned that two boy guinea pigs in such close confines was not a good idea. In the first 24 hours they fought fairly ruthlessly and poor foxtrot (my lil ginger baby) ended up with an infected bite on his neck. This meant the poor baby was on a weeks worth of antibiotics and painkillers (smelt like calpol and the fact he loved the taste of it tells me it probably was calpol). The next day my baby Alpha (the alpha of the pair - SHOCKER) poked himself in the eye with hay and gave himself an infected eye. This meant i had one guinea pig on antibiotics and painkillers and the other on eyedrops......Not only is it not great that within 48 hours two pets from pets at home were poorly but what was worse was the sales persons advice. When i bought  foxtrot back (pets at home as in house vets) with his swollen neck the sales person asked "if you like we can swap him for another." I asked you. What kind of question is that? That is a living animal....Of course i kept him. I make attachments VERY QUICKLY. It was a fun time for all three of us. I then upgraded to a large outdoor double hutch. Huge in fact as it was nearly 6 feet long and 5 feet tall. It was lovely and thick and in the winter i threw a huge throw over the top with some plastic covering and it was warmer in the hutch than it was in my flat!


Here we have some festive (not so) happy faces:

The second advice given by pets at home which was snubbed by forums i visited was the use of sawdust. Fellow pet owners suggested that sawdust assaults poor guinea pigs airways and also irritates their little feet. I'm not entirely sure about the feet thing but certainly it makes sense about them breathing in the dust of the sawdust. Instead I decided to use either a shredded cardboard (very eco friendly) or horse bedding. Yes horse bedding. I found this great stuff which is made from wood pulp, especially made for ponies post op as it is DUST FREE. This stuff doesn't smell too pleasant to be honest but it agrees with the guineas feet and airways.


Sometimes they even got on:

 

Before i moved again one of my furry babies passed away. Unfortunately me and the guinea baby got a particularly bad case of food poisoning from a cucumber. For a small furry it was deadly. Shortly after his passing we moved and  I soon moved my remaining fur baby back into the house so he wasn't as lonely. I'd love to find him another friend but as foxtrot was bullied by Alpha all those years he seemed to relish having a home to himself. He's an old fella and I'd doubt he'd want to make friends at his age since he's even become a grumpy bugger with me and Glenda. He currently lives in a big 6 feet long, one level on wheels. He loves nothing more than licking his Himalayan salt lick, running through his tunnel and hiding in his hut.


Just me and Foxy these days:

With the budgies i did learn my lesson and visited a breeder rather than a pet shop. I also chose my cage based on forum recommendations. These two are brothers but like the guinea pigs fought like demons. They however unlike the guinea pigs settled with age and now have loving relationship where they share their toys and perches.

My top tip for buying and caring for your pet. Don't make a rushed decision. If you want to purchase a pet then keep in mind how long they will live and how much it will hurt when they go. If you don't have the patience to keep caring for your pets for the years they may be with you, then don't buy a pet. If you can't afford the upkeep for a pet including any possible vet bills, then you shouldn't get a pet. Animal shelters are great places to pick up a new family member, because pets are 100% family, however they shouldn't need to exist. If more people were more responsible when taking on pets then there would be fewer shelters and less pets wondering why they were abandoned and wondering when they will meet their new family.


Well i hope you liked the advice but more importantly i hope you liked the pictures!

PEACE OUT 🕊☮

The Chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 15 - Latest in beauty with my latest in beauty box

I've been watching the Latest in Beauty website since my last delivery, adamant that I'd choose wisely this time keeping reviews, variety and product size in mind. I feel happy with my choices this month. My box is brimming with delights, each which excite me and none of which i felt even a tinge of disappointment with. Well without delay let me introduce you to this months box of delights:

As you can see I chose the following 9 items with my "Beauty Guru" subscription:

1. Burts Bees - Tinted lip balm in rose

2. Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleaner - really excited about this and am just waiting until I'm through my current cleanser before i give this a go

3. Natracare - Regular Tampons - guess why i wanted these and what I'll be using them for.....

4. Eisenberg Paris - Moistourising smoothing serum
5. Lord & Berry - Matte crayon lipstick in Chic - tried this out and I'm not entirely sure the colour suits me. Will try it out in front of my gal pals to see what they think
6. Nanogen - Root boost thickening hair treatment spray - no hair, do care 😭

7. Feather & Down - Sweet dreams pillow spray - intend to have the Mr try this. He used to suffer from insomnia and although he sleeps better it still takes him a while to drop off to sleep

8. Wellwoman - Wellwoman energy in Lime - never taken vitamins before let alone berocca type stuff. First time for everything

9. Cetaphil - Gentle skin cleanser, Moistourising cream, Moistourising lotion - why wouldn't i try this? Three products in one selection! YAY









Another yay in this box was A FREEBIE (as pictured on the right). I have tweeted Latest in Beauty my joy at the freebie and now i shall tell you blog reading folk. YAY i love a freebie!!!! Will give this a go and review another time.




 












Lastly i was impressed with two small things included in the box this week. Two things which they may not have intended to impress by, but none the less did impress little old me. Firstly...there was instructions on how to use one (well three) of my products and also a voucher for money off another product should i wish to purchase full size later. This is a small gesture but something i really appreciate.

So folks. That's all i have to say on these for now. To see individual reviews you will have to read future blogs (oh yeah; plugging my own blog) as and when i use the products.


Peace out 🕊☮

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 12 - damn you blemish stick

So folks in this not so special Tuesday me and my colleague decided to jazz up an ordinary day by renaming today Neon Tuesday. It isn't to become a national day I'm afraid but for a few in our finance team at work we are rocking the bright neon today.

Since today is a little different I wanted to put an effort into my face so what happens yesterday.... Mount Etna decides to mould itself to my face.

Sod's law, I know..I bought a blemish stick from Avon a little while back so this was an opportunity to give it a whirl... well..... Meh. It doesn't want to stick to my face and like most blemish sticks it's entirely the wrong colour for my face. So rather than conceal I'm left with a large paler lump on my face..... Yay. I tried and at least this has tea-tree in it so perhaps it's helping a little. Its currently only £2.50 so if you're tempted, now's the time to give it a go. I won't go on about my bad experience with Avon again, but here's my blog about them if you're interested.

The rest of my face I'm overall pleased with. This morning I tried a the technic primer (bought from fragrance direct for £1.75) out for the first time and then used the simple light moisturiser (i reviewed this on my recent blog so please refer back for more details). I feel the combo has made a difference as a base for the makeup and am pretty pleased. The Revlon gloss is a subtle touch to my bold look (yay neon Tuesday). I tried the Primark bronzer stick again today but this time along with the W7 liquid highlighter. The bronzer is probably too dark for me but runs in well but the highlighter... It's nice and glittery but other than that I feel it does little else. I'm also wearing my gosh foundation which I have mentioned in previous blogs and my L'Oreal eye pencil and Maybelline mascara.

Onto my fashion choices (picture care of itsshradha which the tag line #betterthanitsshradha comes from)..... Bold and beautiful i say. I am a pink Princess and proud today. I got this jumper for FREE from www.everything5pound.com when using a voucher code. I hated it when I first ordered it online and when it arrived but when I tried it on..... love at first sight. The jeans (sold out already) are also from everything5pound with a simple h&m black cami. I finished the look off with my office leather bright pink beauties which I had re-heeled yesterday. I love that these beauties are back in action so expect to see more of them. The socks were another recent purchase from ASOS, all topped off with my only accessory today which is my fitbit!

Well that's all I have on this neon Tuesday. I hope you all enjoyed and please do read my other posts for more makeup newbie reviews and fashion tips (maybe I'm not the best to take tips from).

Peace out ☮️️

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 11 - Weekly, what have I used.

Going to try a new direction with the weekly "what have i used". I feel like I'm posting the same things every week because being realistic, it takes a while to get through a shower gel/Soap/shampoo/conditioner. Its not so exciting to show you the same thing over and over again. Instead let me show you new things, old favourites and used items.



So in with the new:



Above are three of the new products I've been trying out this week.

On the left we have Simple hydrating light moisturiser  which is something which I've Incorporated into my daily routine. This is such a light cream that it soaks in quickly and remains lightly on the skin (until your natural oils replace it). The only thing which could improve this would be if they could do something with the scent or lack there of. I'm a massive fan of the clean Nivea cream scent and have come to expect a fresh smell on a moisturiser.

In the middle is the Avon Sweet Vanilla bubble bath. It was our (oh the Mr do love a bubble bath) first time trying this out tonight and the scent is strong in the bottle but weak out of the bottle (and in the bath.... obviously). Would i recommend this? I wouldn't recommend anything from Avon as i did not enjoy their website experience nor their customer services (see my rage page article for further information regarding my customer service experience). This was however super cheap so get it while it lasts if you want some cheap bubble bath....

Lastly on the right is the L'occitane Supple skin oil. I've been using this in the morning and at night on and around my nails. I've been using this less than a week but can really see an improvement on the skin around my nails. I've even convinced the Mr to let me use this on him. I'm hoping if his skin around his nails is less rough, it may stop him chewing his nails. We'll see........

To the left is a new Shampoo to the Mr but an old friend to me. This the Aldi's Hydration Shampoo. Another super bargain. This shampoo has a sumptuous scent (so great I'd love to eat it). Hydration is in the name and hydration  is what it does. I tried this out previously when i was regularly showering at the gym (I haven't stopped showering, I've stopped going to the gym instead) but for me this was TOO hydrating. After a month of use i found it was leaving too much of a residue on my hair meaning that my hair was greasy even after washing. I do have super soft hair and when the Mr asked for a shampoo conditioner combo I thought this could do the job for him. He seems to like it and I'm using it once or twice a week which is agreeable with the delicate fine hair i have.

On the right is the Crabtree & Evelyn moroccan myrrh hair and body wash. This is another newbie for my mister. I bought this in the January sales from T K Maxx for a steal at only £3 (you can see I've poorly attempted to peel the labels off which is why i know the price still). I was unsure that he would like the scent but he seems pleased. Although it can be used on the hair and scalp, he is using this only as a body wash. I find it quite an old fashioned scent which is why I'm shocked that the other half likes it. He does surprise me still even after 7 years....








That ends the new stuff. Sad but true......


Onto the empties. 

Looking around online, empties seem to be a big thing among beauty bloggers. I'm not sure if its a sign of  "I've used the whole product so can review this fully" or a mark of pride almost like a trophy to say "i told you i had this and was trying it out".  Well here are my empties from this week:

My empties are the Shay & Blue perfume which i received in my Tili box recently. It was a small size so didn't last me very long. When i saw that the scent was blood orange i was worried as I'm not a fruity perfume person usually. Again when i sprayed a small amount in the lid i wasn't blown away. Perfume will always smell differently on each individual and once on my skin i really loved this!


The second empty is the The body shop seaweed deep cleansing facial wash. As mentioned before in my blogs this came from the Ashford retail outlet. I really loved this and it left my skin feeling really refreshed. I'd be tempted to get this again!







Lastly for this article i really wanted to share my hand wash. I know strange thing to want to share....

The handwash bottle is from Debenhams but it was some time ago so i couldn't say what make and price it was. Sorry too long ago and that really wasn't the point of me including this. I was running low on handwash and my other half had invited a friend over. I added my new handwash to the top of the old and its created this awesome mix effect which you can see a little in the picture but trust me when i say, its much better in person.

This mix is a mix of Aldi's Bubblegum handwash and Detol antibacterial handwash. The bubblegum wash was super awesome smelling and the scent stayed on your skin for some time. I worry about going cheap on a handwash as you want it to do its job....clean. The detol wash i cannot say anything about as its mixed with the old wash.....





Well that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed and if you did please do follow me!

Peace out 🕊☮ 

Rage page - customer service - "manners maketh man"

The motto "manners maketh man" is from a family hierloom of mine (a decorative cheeseboard) which have always struck a chord with me. Manners are for free but certainly working in London has taught me that these values haven't been installed in everyone.

London is a tough environment where it is hard to keep up a positive demeanor. For starters, try smiling at someone on a tube/train. The resting bitch face (RBF) response is almost comedic... Almost but more than anything it's disheartening. I'm not sure how this London standard have become the normal but it took moving out to Kent to realise that this isn't a nationwide standard. Hold a door open in London and you could well be standing there for sometime without perhaps a single thanks (I have experienced this on a number of occasions). In London, especially when I'm on the move I take on another persona these days and it's not particularly one I like. My response to rudeness in the face of my manner is not usually loud "you're welcome" (one day this knee jerk reaction may get me injured so I would not recommend others to take on this stance) which in itself makes me ill mannered. If I held true to my manners I would silently take rude ignorance and move on... But how can I when it's a daily occurance? Come on london! Bring back manners.

I've got off topic. On a personal level individuals without manners is bad enough but when you experience a lack of manners from a customer service representative for a business it's most certainly unacceptable on so many levels. I am the worse twitterer in that I use it mainly for two things being complaining (about trains, product issues and rubbish customer service) and complimenting (for great customer service or if I love some new product or range or song/artist). I've added to my tweets recently with the addition of this blog but really I signed up with twitter to complain. There! I said it...  I have twitter to moan. On the past two weeks I've contacted four companies on twitter and another smaller company on email. From this I've had three good customer service experiences, one unsatisfied experience and one which angered me further.

Primark I contacted over a product which could potentially harm others. Thier immediate response to my tweet was to ask me to direct message with my email address they then emailed soon after asking for more detail. They have asked for a receipt copy which I can only assume is for a refund which really wasn't the point of my tweet. Point being from this experience is that they took note, responded quickly and professionally ensuring company image is represented in a polite (well mannered) fashion. As a customer it's nice to know that they take note of my negative experience without becoming defensive and are looking into my issue. This is something we expect from a company this size but it's still nice as a customer to know they are listening. Good experience no.1.

Good experience no.2 was with new look. I bought a product, wore it once and then it broke. They were extremely quick to apologise and offer a refund. This was really impressive as I didn't expect a refund considering the product was bought some time ago (even if it wasn't worn til August of this year) and I no longer had a receipt. I was very impressed with their twitter team and messaged them to thanks them. The store customer service (Oxford Street branch) wasn't as impressive when stood in front of  a sales assistant with RBF while the store manager looked up the product. Overall this was still a positive experience.

Good experience no 3 and the most recent was today with a smaller company called sample beauty. I ordered some samples from them and when they arrived one of the pots had smashed and was covering the other items ordered but of course most importantly I had less of that samples than I wanted. I emailed in this instance as being a smaller company I wasn't sure which company was them. They responded within 10 MINUTES of my email! Super impressive. Thier email tone was friendly but professional and they offered to send a replacement. Job done in few words really.

Onto the not so good but not so bad..as noted in my yesterday blog, I wasn't chuffed with my latest in beauty box. I still stand by them and their product as it's great to be able to choose your product for a month box. What sucks is that first order i received on addition to the choices I made a fair amount of samples. With my most current order I received one other sample. This was disappointing but I was far more disappointed when i queried this with latest in beauty on twitter they admitted that you only get so many samples with the first order. This is misleading and upsetting. I'm not alone in this as I can see other bloggers on twitter are saying they same. So although they answered my tweet quickly and fully the response didn't seem to take note of their customers disappointment and so the query is resolved by a abrupt oh well in a sense.

Now for the negative customer service experience. I emailed and tweeted these folks. I placed my first Avon order on Sunday. I'll be honest that I couldn't remember what delivery I chose (naughty me) but when I emailed to ask when i can expect it the response was a reminder not to chase until I've exceeded the delivery window and a delivery code to search on Hermes. Now I got my required question answered and that isn't up for dispute however if I had been given this Hermes reference earlier o could have checked this myself. Secondly I'm sure it is annoying to be queried over orders which are enroute to the customer and within the delivery window, however if you are working in customer services I'm sure this is a common question and you should have a better prepared and politer response. I tweeted to say as much and have heard nothing back. This is just as disappointing considering the size of the business.

As a customer I want to know that my opinions and queries and respected and noted. Do I expect an apology for all my complaints and questions? NO. I expect a response which shows respect however as a paying customer and that even if there isn't a resolution they will note this for the future.

An acquaintance i once knew in customer services once said it's always "arsehole Friday" as for some reason returns and complaints often come in a friday. I hope I'm not one of those as I always try and phrase my queries and complaints in a polite but factual manner HOWEVER if you are rude to me you better expect a snappy response.

Reader (or readers if there are more of you out there) always remember that behind a computer or phone is an individual. Don't hold them accountable entirely responsible for issues you are having. However customer service folks out there, remember you represent a business (even if it's your own) so anything you say will make a business look good or bad. EVERYONE please remember manners are noted when used and it's a free kindness which isn't as used as much as they once were/should be.

PEACE OUT ☮️🕊️