MY 3 PRACTICAL SUMMER ESSENTIALS FOR HOME & BODY

Anyone else living in the UK feel like we’ve had the longest summer so far, with our early spring heatwave and continuous summer heat? Ok, so it’s not Barbados, but it’s been pretty solid for British standards, let’s face it. Summer just makes me so happy, relaxed and care-free… And albeit it’s been a very different summer for me, in terms of more staycations here in the UK and less jetting around (for obvious reasons), I have still been busy, with lots of mini travels, family and friends visiting, and getting the house ready for our new arrival – before I no longer will have all of this “extra” time on my hands!

So embracing the summer is just what I’ve done. And with that, I thought I would share some of my home & body essential with you guys, which I all sourced via the Amazon Now It’s Summer Shop. At the beginning of the season, they asked me to pick three products that I wanted to test out for the upcoming months, and the choice was endless, with categories including home, garden, health and beauty. But judging from my selects, you can perhaps see where I was going with it… Pampering, staying active for my baba, and most importantly, keeping me cool (who knew that being pregnant would feel like having a duvet wrapped around you at all times?). So, let’s test drive these essentials and see how I got on.

Now let’s get to the all important topic of self-pampering; sneaking off for some downtime on the sofa, catching up on your favourite mag, with re-runs of your favourite TV show on in the background – all whilst giving those swollen and sore tootsies some much needed love and care…

Is it me, or are foot baths having a bit of a come back? Or is this just all kinds of home pampering devices; when time is of an essence and multi-tasking is key (I mean, why not catch up on your fave mag or tv-series, while getting some beautifying action in your life?). I am not going to lie, there is nothing attractive with a foot bath, but this one from Beurer sure does the job. Although admittedly I have not much else to compare to – I am a virgin foot bather (not sure if that’s even a word?) – this one soothes with the aromatherapy function, massages and really helps with circulation, leaving my tootsies all nice and fresh.

And let’s not even start with how god damn good a foot bath feels, especially when you’re suffering from extra sore and tender pregnancy feet (which I am sure anyone else who is, or has been pregnant, can vouch for!).

Staying active throughout the pregnancy has been so key for me, and although I have been far from perfect, perhaps not constantly doing as much I have ideally wanted, I am still keeping active every day – even if it is just a walk around my hood or heading into town, taking the stairs (slowly) instead of the lift, doing my regular Yoga morning routine (sometimes 10 minutes is all I do), a full power walk lap in my local park, or if I’m feeling strong enough, a 60 minutes PT session with my trainer.

Every day is unlike for me, every morning I feel different with such a variation of energy levels, so there is no point in laying grand plans and setting up a full-on workout structure (which will no doubt only leave me feeling disappointed with myself); so I just play it by ear, and do as much as I can do. My motivation for working out during the pregnancy is not only to keep my body shape trim and toned (although that is certainly an important part of it); my core goal with staying active on a daily basis has been to retain as much strength and stamina as possible, which I will no doubt be needing once our little man arrives!

I have been using the Fitbit Activity Tracker near enough every day, which for me at the moment – has been an absolute game-changer, in terms of making sure I am getting in my daily activity, as well as sleep (yup, it tracks both). Obviously I have been using it slightly different then what I would probably have done had I not been pregnant; but nevertheless it’s just been a really simple way to measure and keep on top of my pulse and heart rate, whilst tracking my fitness and resting levels.

So I mentioned that feeling of having a duvet permanently wrapped around you when you’re pregnant, and for me (this summer especially), that has definitely been the case. Ironically, I am someone who is usually always cold, and prior to pregnancy, I would never really suffer from heat flushes, get too sweaty, or be the one that was all hot and bothered. Now – not so much. Especially during that crazy summer heatwave back in June… I mean 36 degrees in London, is never going to be an ideal scenario (hence the need for 8-10 cold showers a day!).

So aside from the cold showers, wearing lots of loose and airy dresses and staying in the shade as mush as possible, one of my main life saver’s this summer, has been our new fan. And it’s not just any old’ fan… It’s the Dyson Cooling Tower Fan, which just happens to be one of our best house investment (ever!). Not only does it look good (because let’s face it, fans can be pretty damn ugly), it’s super quiet – yet gives a powerful stream of smooth, cooling air. The best bit? It doesn’t look out of place in our house, blending in so nicely with our minimal and clean decor (trust me, these things make me very happy).

It’s also super light, making it so much easier for me to transport it from room to room, all depending on where I’m stationed; be it working in front of the laptop, afternoon lounging on the sofa (yep, I am allowing myself these guilty pleasures now that I’m in my third trimester), cooking in the kitchen, or during the night by my bed. The latter of which is the only thing which helps me get a good and restful night’s kip at the moment.

So there you have it, my 3 summer essentials for home & body. What has been your must-have’s this season?