CURRENTLY LOVING | JUNE 2020

My currently loving feature here on Splodz Blogz is a bit of an excuse to share with you a few of the things I’m particularly enjoying. This might be actual things I have bought or been gifted, it might be experiences or days out, and it might be music or videos or similar.

It is always a rather random and varied list – this month I’m sharing some skincare, some sweet treats, a pair of trousers I’ve had for well over a year, and even a gift I bought for someone else that I’ve also been enjoying.

And as always, once you’ve read mine, I’d love to read yours – note your I’m currently loving bits and bobs in the comments box below, or send me your links over on twitter and let me know what you think we’re all missing…

Currently Loving | June 2020

01. Globe

I’m starting with a gift I bought for my husband for his birthday. He’s wanted one for ages, and being in lock down when we are not allowed to see the world for real seemed like a good time to get one. I wasn’t being ironic, I honestly felt that adding such an ornament to our living room was a good idea, and I was right, we’ve both loved having it sat to the right of the television. I think it’s safe to say it took us a while to discover the kind of travel that’s more than just a holiday, but now we would both agree we work to save to live and explore. We’re not adventurers, not really, but visiting new places and making memories away from home makes us happy. I chose the Hastings Globe from JustGlobes, it’s 30cm in diameter and was made in Northamptonshire. I wonder where and when we’ll get to travel next, but in the mean time we’re doing a lot of spinning and wondering.

02. Columbia Buck Mountain Pants

Making a return appearance in my Currently Loving feature are these versatile trousers from Columbia. The Buck Mountain Pant are just spot on; lightweight, comfortable, stretchy, and with pockets that have zips! My favourite thing is that they fit my unusual shape very well indeed, and I feel good wearing them. They are great for hiking in, for post-hike relaxation, for wandering into town, and have been great in lockdown because I feel both comfortable working at home in them but also like I’ve actually got dressed… it’s important! They might even be more of a favourite than the iconic Craghoppers Kiwi Pro Stretch – maybe. I’ve been wanting a second pair since I first got these ones 18 months ago, and finally gave in this week and ordered a matching black pair thanks to the 10% off offer on the Columbia website (I *may* also have ordered a tee and jumper too). Should I also have got the olive coloured ones? Hmmm, maybe.

03. Ice Cream with Hobnobs

I’ve been a big fan of Sunday Sundaes for as long as I can remember. They were something of a tradition in my younger days at home, and while I perhaps reach for the ice cream on a week day too these days, a Sunday Sundae is still a wonderful treat. What do you have on yours, I wonder? Have you considered milk chocolate Hobnob biscuits? I can highly recommend them as an ice cream topping! One or two broken up Hobnobs on ice cream, with a drizzle of maple syrup and maybe a marshmallow or two, makes for a particularly yummy sundae. I’m told that I should really be adding a spoonful of strawberry jam instead of that maple syrup, something I’ve not tried as of yet, but that does sound like something I’d enjoy. Go on, what makes your perfect Sunday Sundae? Tell me in the comments!

04. Dark Roasted Peanut Butter

Why have bog standard peanut butter when you can have crunchy dark roasted peanut butter? Oh yes! I actually discovered this because my local supermarket were all out of my normal choice when we last needed a jar, and I’m a big fan. I normally buy the Whole Earth Crunchy Peanut Butter, I choose this brand because it’s, well, whole. This Dark Roasted version is so good, much deeper in flavour than the normal one, and makes for such a good toast and bagel topping. I’m not sure if I’ll keep buying this one every time, it’s more expensive of course, but it is very tasty indeed and I would recommend it. It makes me wonder what other peanut butter varieties are out there!

05. Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

One of the things I know lots of people are doing during lock down, is making cookies. We’ve certainly been making a lot, and I’m not in the least bit ashamed to admit that – we love cookies! I wouldn’t say we’ve perfected our recipe just yet, but finding these in the supermarket has gotten us very close indeed – did you know peanut butter chips were a thing? These Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips work just as chocolate chips do, except they are peanut butter. Absolutely delicious. “Why aren’t you showing us the cookies in the photo, Zoe?”, I hear you ask! Well that’s because they don’t last long enough to be photographed!! If you’re looking to change up your next batch of cookies, I recommend these – I got them in Sainsburys but I imagine they’re available elsewhere too.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBPoHSnjCDS/

06. Shorter Mug Tree

It’s such a simple thing but I love my new mug tree for one very simple reason – it is short enough to fit underneath the cabinets in our kitchen. You know I’m a big tea drinker, and having mugs to hand is absolutely vital to my survival. But our old mug tree, which we’ve had for over 15 years, was just too tall to fit underneath the upper cabinets in our kitchen and so got in the way a bit. It’s of those things I’ve been meaning to swap since we moved into this house two years ago but have only got round to it now! I bought the Morphy Richards Accents Kitchen Roll Holder and Mug Tree Set in Titanium from Amazon, and they look and work exactly as needed. The mug tree holds the same number of mugs as before, but it now slides to the back of the worktop out of the way. Job done.  

07. Bath Shelf

I love a bath, and I enjoy using the opportunity to switch off an relax. Which for me involves watching Disney+ or YouTube while I soak. I know I’m not the only one, so don’t shake your head too vigorously! In order to watch something, I’ve been balancing my iPad on the toilet, which I realise is far from ideal, and so finally treated myself to one of those handy bath shelf things that goes across the tub. I chose this one by Relaxdays from Amazon, which looks similar to every other bath tray on the market, and works very nicely across our standard sized bath. I didn’t want anything fussy or fancy, and this bamboo one is simple and effective. My iPad now sits on there, instead of the toilet seat, along with my shampoo and other bits and bobs, and it’s nicer, more comfortable, and closer to my eyes.

08. Soap Saver

Using solid shampoo and facewash in the shower is great until you try and pick up the bars that have dried onto the shower tray at home, or when travelling, you don’t really want to put the bars on the shower tray at all. At home I use a soap dish to keep my bars by the bath, and a tin when I’m travelling, but I don’t want either in the shower because they fill with water. Enter the soap saver, which I discovered thanks to Backpacking Bananas’ recent videos, a useful bit of meshy plastic that your shampoo bars and soaps sit on in the shower to both protect them from dirt and to allow them to drain and dry properly. I have this one by Smith’s that I ordered from Amazon, but there are lots of similar products out there. I now leave my soap saver in my shower at home permanently, and when I travel I’ll use one I’ve cut to fit in the bottom of my Lush tin. Worth getting if you are also a fan of bars but not of having to prise them off the shower tray before you can use them!

09. Lush Face Soap

I’m not afraid to say on here that my skin is terrible. It really is. Spotty and oily and dry and red and blotchy. Yuk. But I’m getting there, working out what works and what doesn’t. One of the things I’ve discovered that cleans my face properly and helps to calm it down is the Fresh Farmacy Facial Soap from Lush. It’s one of their solid face soaps, which helps with my environmental footprint too. It’s gentle and soothing, but also cleans and clears. Apparently, this is all down to the calamine powder, chamomile oil, tea tree oil and rose; whatever it is, it works. I’m nearly half-way through my third bar, so consider this a definite recommendation. When I travel, I cut off a bit with a sharp knife and take that in a tin with my shampoo bar and that’s my wash kit pretty much done.

10. Bamboo Cotton Pads

Being as sustainable at home as we can is super important, and one of the ways we can do that is to ditch the cotton pads and balls and replace them with washable cotton or bamboo pads. It’s such a simple swap, and one I made a good couple of years ago now. I’ve included these ones in my Currently Loving this month because I recently bought a second batch so I don’t have to wash them quite as often (I found myself running out between washing loads), and I think I prefer these to the load I bought previously. I bought these ones from Amazon but there are lots of brands and types to choose from. They’re made from bamboo fibre, are super thin and absorbent, and wash really well. If you’re still buying cotton pads for removing your makeup or applying lotions I would highly recommend switching to these washable ones.

What are you currently loving this month? What do you think of my choices? Tell me in the comments below.

Want to see all my Currently Loving posts? This link should help.

If you happen to be interested in purchasing anything from my Currently Loving posts, I’ve set up an Amazon storefront to make things nice and easy. If you purchase something via that link (or any of the affiliate links on this page), I receive a teeny bit of commission from Amazon as a thank you. It doesn’t cost you any more than it would have otherwise, but means I can go on my next outdoor adventure a little quicker, or be a bit more comfortable while I’m doing it. Check out https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/splodz to see.

In the interests of full disclosure, the Columbia trousers were originally a PR gift but I’ve bought the new pair myself. There are also affiliate links on this page, including all Amazon links, the funds from which help me keep playing at this blogging game.