CURRENTLY LOVING | JULY 2024

My currently loving feature here on Splodz Blogz is a bit of an excuse to share a few of the things I’m particularly enjoying at the moment with you. This might be actual things I have bought or been given, it might be experiences or days out, and it might be things that have been entertaining me in other ways.

It is always a rather random and varied list, often with a leaning towards getting outside, as my whole life tends to be, but there’s always a few home comforts in there, too. This month I’m currently loving a new-to-me solid shampoo, a retro watch, the best caramel sauce I’ve ever tasted, a luxurious summer duvet, a couple of motorcycling accessories that kept me happy on my recent trip, and a few other bits and bobs.

Oh, and what’s this, no shoes this currently loving list?! I know… don’t worry, I will be sure to have some on my September list (no, I didn’t just order new trainers, honest… … …).

What are you currently loving at the moment? Your favourite things right now? Take a look at my list, and then drop me a note in the comment box below with a few of yours (or come and tell me on Threads).

Currently Loving | July 2024

01 Buying Forthay Granola in Person

I’m starting with a repeat offender, as Forthay Granola has been in my currently loving list before (November 2023). But this time it’s a little different, as it’s the fact I can now buy it from my local farm shop that means it appears. It’s so good to see this little granola brand I discovered while hiking the Cotswold Way for sale somewhere I can buy it in person.

The one in the photo is the Cacao, Orange and Boabab flavour, and it is absolutely delicious. It smells just wonderful, and tastes even better. It contains almonds, cacao and seeds, along with dates, maple syrup and orange extract. The slightly more unusual ingredient is baobab fruit dried into a powder, which has an almost sherbet-like citrus tang. Apparently, this is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world, but I don’t know enough to comment on that – it just tastes good to me, especially with the Cacao. I also recently tried the Sour Cherry Bakewell flavour, which is equally as delicious; almost as good as the Pecan, Pumpkin Seed and Spiced Apple one I normally go for.

Forthay Granola is hand baked to order in small batches on the farm, and it’s all natural, with no additives, no refined sugar, and only up to a maximum of 45% jumbo oats and cereals in every bag – this is really good quality stuff. I don’t eat Forthay Granola every day, this is an expensive and luxurious breakfast, but it’s okay to treat yourself to good quality stuff here and there!

02 Orange Casio Watch

I said to a good friend the other day that I feel silly how much this watch makes me smile. She assured me it wasn’t silly because it’s okay for simple things to brighten our days. So here I am, including it in my currently loving list.

I have a Montaine watch which I wear almost every day. It’s one of those very Swedish-clock looking time pieces with a very simple and clear face, but it’s not something I (want to) wear on adventures. This hasn’t bothered me until recently, but for some reason on my last few adventures, both motorcycling and hiking, I’ve really missed having a watch to wear.

I therefore treated myself to a little gift in the form of this orange Casio F-91W digital watch. It isn’t fancy or flashy, but I genuinely love it. It’s a classic-shape Casio watch with simple digital display, stopwatch, alarm, and one of those old can-almost-see-the-time microlights. You know, exactly the kind of watch we all had as kids in the early 90s (this style was released in 1989).

I could have bought the black version for a couple of quid less, but saw this orange one and knew it had to be mine. I’m very pleased with it. Simple, functional, and hopefully hardwearing – I look forward to taking it on lots of adventures.

I got mine from Argos because it was cheapest there at £14.99. It’s also available on Amazon and direct from Casio.

03 Tomtoc Laptop Case  

Like the watch above, this is another purchase I made with adventures in mind. I bought this Tomtoc laptop case as I was looking for a proper amount of protection for my MacBook when we are motorcycle touring.

I don’t always travel with my MacBook, but having it when touring is incredibly useful, as it gives us something with a proper screen and keyboard on which to plan routes and book accommodation. It’s possible to do those things on a phone, but the laptop makes it much easier. And of course, also means I can write and watch films too.

While I really like my thin and low-profile sleeve for normal everyday use, I wanted something with padding and edge protection for when it’s in my motorcycle pannier. I chose the Tomtoc Defender (called the 360º on Amazon but it’s the same case) for exactly those reasons – the spec (and reviews) promised edging which absorbs shock, strong and protective corners, and thick padding. I also went for the Tomtoc as they make them specifically for my MacBook model (it’s not a generic 13-inch case), so it is exactly the right size.

Yes, this case is bulky, but I can deal with that, because it’s the protection that’s important. Maybe I should add that I know a hard case would offer even more protection, but that also adds weight, so this is a good middle ground. I’m happy with it.

04 Pyjama Shorts

Why did no-one tell me that sleeping in shorts is more comfortable than sleeping in long pyjama bottoms?! At least in summer… Okay, they did, especially my husband, who has forever questioned why I sleep in long trousers regardless of the weather. I guess that’s just the way I’ve always done it – and I do love my pyjama bottoms. Especially for lounging about in the evenings and mornings (and any time I can get away with it).

Anyway, I bought some pyjama shorts in advance of our recent trip to Spain and Portugal. I found them so comfortable, that on my return to the UK, I immediately ordered a second pair. Including them in my currently loving list is therefore a must.

I actually bought the exact same brand as my favourite pyjama bottoms (not the same print, although I could have done), from Canada-based Little Blue House by Hatley. They are 100% cotton, a must for everyday nightwear in my opinion, with a loose-fitting boxer-short fit – not too short and not too tight. No pockets, sadly, but you can’t have everything!

I’m sold. They are comfortable, lightweight, wash well, and are clearly my new summer staple.

05 Friendly Soap Solid Shampoo

I’ve exclusively used solid shampoo for quite a few years. I don’t get it all right in terms of removing single use plastic from my daily life by any stretch, but this is one place where I’ve completely cut it out. Switching from shampoo in bottles to solid shampoo was an easy one for me.

I’ve tried all sorts. Some have been good, some not so good. My favourite comes from Lush – the Seanik – but while it is a really fantastic product, it is on the expensive side at £9 for 55g.

A month or two ago I found out that Yorkshire-based Friendly Soap, the company who makes the soap bars I buy (plastic free and palm oil free), produces a small range of shampoo bars – and theirs are £2.95 for 95g. It cleans my hair equally as well as the Lush stuff, and lasts as long (well, longer, as the bars are bigger!).

I’ve tried two ‘flavours’ so far. The Peppermint and Eucalyptus is my favourite, with the Lavender and Tea Tree coming a close second. I have fine hair that gets greasy quickly, and the formulation seems to work well for me. They also make an unscented version, if you prefer.

I still think the Lush bars are probably better for travel, as they dry out nice and quickly. But for at home, the Friendly Soap shampoo bars are my new go-to. Talking of which, if you use solid shampoo – or soap bars in general – and get annoyed by the slimy residue they leave on the sink/bath as it dries out, then I highly recommend these soap savers. I have found my soap and shampoo bars last longer since putting one of these in each of my soap dishes/in the shower.

06 Cotswold Pudding Co Salted Caramel Sauce

This super tasty recent find easily makes it onto this currently loving list. We’d gone to the Coop with two things on our list – milk and chocolate sauce. Disappointingly, they didn’t have any decent chocolate sauce (just Nutella and a more expensive version of the same), but they did have The Cotswold Pudding Company Salted Caramel Sauce. I am very glad we bought it.

It’s got surprisingly few ingredients (double cream, sugar, golden syrup, unsalted butter, sea salt). And while I know I could technically make my own caramel sauce, we all know it’s nice to have something tasty on hand that someone else has worried about perfecting. It’s been a very welcome ice cream topping in the recent heat – the jar pictured in my currently loving image is very nearly empty.

This 185g glass jar was on offer at £2.15 from my local Coop, which I didn’t think was a bad price, and I will definitely be repurchasing. It’s nicer than the Tesco Finest version I’ve had before.

While I’m talking ice cream toppings… If anyone knows a good replacement for the Gu Chocolate and Salted Caramel Velvety Spread (this one) that was discontinued a couple of years ago, please let me know. I miss it far too much!

07 Simba Duvet

Gifted item.

I have had my Simba Summer Hybrid Duvet for a little over a month, and I am completely sold. It does exactly what Simba claim, and is very of a worthy place on this currently loving list.  

If you read my weekly blog episodes, you’ll know it arrived just before the summer solstice, when things finally started to heat up here in the UK. As someone who gets too hot in bed even in normal weather (thanks, perimenopause), I was very happy to receive it.

It’s a light 4.5 Tog duvet, made using technical fabrics that don’t sound dissimilar to those used in outdoor gear, is cool but cosy. The cotton cover with ‘Stratos cool-touch technology’ draws heat away from the body to keep you feeling cool all night. And the ‘Renew Bio’ fill offers down-like comfort without being down – it’s made from recycled PET bottle fibres. Which is good for me as can’t sleep under down, and not a bad deal for the environment, either (Simba are a certified B Corp and have decent ethical practices and sustainable UK manufacturing).

It’s got some weight to it despite being a mere 4.5 Tog, feels lovely to sleep under, and is always slightly cool to the touch. I wondered if the material used, which rustles a bit when shaken around, would be noisy at night, but it isn’t – no issues there in practice.

A king size duvet costs £219 from the Simba website. While I got mine for free, I would say it’s worth a look if you want to add a bit of luxury to your (indoor!) summer sleep set-up. Much nicer than any duvet I’ve had before, it’s an example of ‘you get what you pay for’ investments.  

08 Rev’it Access Motorcycle Gloves

Back in summer 2021, I bought a pair of Oxford Brisbane Air textile motorcycle gloves thinking they would be good for my trip to Iceland. I wanted something lightweight and flexible for the offroad riding elements of the trip. Given they were cheap and cheerful, I intended to use them in Iceland, then replace them with something better. As it turns out, they lasted much longer than anticipated – Iceland, Portugal, Morocco, and a bunch of other trips in between. Well done, Oxford.

But these basic gloves have now done their time, and I took a trip down to Sports Bike Shop in Bristol to replace them last month. The lightweight summer gloves I chose are the Rev-it Access ladies textile gloves. There’s not a lot to these, as you might expect, but they fit well (they have a ladies-specific cut) and are good quality. They’re made of microfibre, have decent knuckle armour, the fingers are touchscreen compatible, the grip is great, and they are incredibly breathable.

I lived in these gloves the last couple of weeks, and am impressed – they can definitely have a place in my currently loving list. They are very comfortable, the air flows right through them, and I am happy with my choice. If only Rev’it made them in something more interesting than black (but not pink… …!).

09 Klean Kanteen TKPro Flask

This is another currently loving repeat offender – two in one list! Having used it to keep hydrated in the heat of Spain and Portugal again recently, I was reminded just how good the insulation is. Cold water stays cold in it all day – and then some.  

The Klean Kanteen TKPro (here on Amazon, here at Decathlon) is an insulated flask to keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold. Completely plastic free, the screw lid has an internal thread with a silicone gasket to ensure leak-free travel, and I can confirm that the seal is still good even after rattling around in a motorcycle pannier for thousands of miles (I’ve had this since late 2018). It has an integrated cup, which is traditional with flasks like this, and a useful twist-and-pour cap which means you can get at your drink without taking the lid off fully.

Mine is the 1 litre (32oz) size, and while it is a large and relatively heavy bottle, it really is fantastic. Not one for backpacking, certainly, but ideal for car or motorcycle travel when you have the space. In fairness, I highly recommend Klean Kanteen cups, flasks and bottles as a whole (I have quite a number in my collection!), you really can’t go wrong with them.

10 Cool Covers Motorcycle Seat Cover

Having just come home from ten days or so riding in very hot weather, I can confirm I am pleased with my decision to get a Cool Cover fitted to my new F750GS before I went. It was the last piece in my accessories puzzle to get my bike ready for touring.

Cool Covers are designed to allow air to flow between you and your seat, to keep you cool when riding. Air conditioning for your butt, if you like. They also don’t soak up the heat when the bike is parked up (even though they’re black), so you never have to sit on a boiling hot seat.

It works an absolute treat, genuinely making a difference. And it looks neat, too. I was happy to introduce at least couple of Portuguese riders to the wonders of the Cool Cover when on holiday!

Apart from cooling in hot weather, I also find it helps to expel water when it rains, meaning water takes a lot longer to soak into my trousers. And because the material can’t be fully compressed, it’s also a nice cover to have on for big mile days, because the seat feels less hard.

If you’re a motorcyclist, especially if you like to ride in warm weather, I highly recommend Cool Covers, well worth it. Tell John I sent you!

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

Read all my Currently Loving posts.

For full disclosure, this is not an advertorial or sponsored post, however I have included some gifted items in this currently loving feature – each marked clearly above. None of the brands involved asked to be included in this article, they appear in this list because I am genuinely currently loving them.

There are also affiliate links on this page, the funds from which help me go on the mini adventures that make life interesting. If you buy something from a website after using one of my links, I receive a very small commission. This does not cost you anything. Thank you for supporting my future adventures.