Offering a convenient, eco friendly alternative to disposable razors, subscription services like Friction Free Shaving are booming in popularity right now. They make a chore like shaving feel a bit more like pampering, thanks to their luxury engraved rose gold razors and cute packaging.

I already knew of the brand through the countless good reviews and gorgeous pictures I had seen from fellow bloggers, but when they offered half of their starter kit for NHS workers, I was sold, and headed straight to the site to sign up.

The website is easy to navigate and I soon had my starter kit ready to go. You are prompted to choose whether you choose most days, to receive refills every month, or a few times a week, to receive them bi-monthly. I'll be honest, my shaving routine is entirely weather dependent, but I opted for the latter.

Friction Free Shaving Starter Kit

The main pull of the starter kit is the gorgeous rose gold handle, which I had engraved with my name at no extra cost. It features a peach rubber grip underneath, and has a nice weight to it. I had heard that some metal handles are very heavy and cause lots of nicks while you get used to them, but I'm happy to say this wasn't the case with Friction Free Shaving.

Alongside the razor is a matching peach and pearl clam case, ideal for keeping your razor clean and safely tucked away while you travel. Or rather, it would be, if it secured closed with the razor blade inside it, which mine does not want to do.

Lastly in the starter kit is of course the set of 4 razor blades, which feature 6 diamond-coated blades, a Vitamin E strip, and a built in bikini trimmer. These blades are then sent out to you every month or two depending on your plan, and can be sent back and recycled. 

I also threw one of Friction Free Shaving's own natural deodorant tins in my cart so that arrived with my kit to save packaging, and they do offer other bits like scrubs and post shave balms, which are all cruelty free. 

Everything came packaged in cute, printed recycled cardboard with some pink shredded paper to protect it. It was all slimline to prevent waste and easily fit through the letterbox. The only plastic was the tray that housed the blades, which I hope will be traded for cardboard in the future.

Friction Free Shaving Review

The website, the packaging, and the rave reviews all had me hyped. I was ready to have the quickest shave of my life and feel my legs softer than silk. But I'm now 4 months in and honestly? I don't feel any difference from my usual cheapy plastic razors.

Obviously FFS offer a more planet-friendly experience and this was a massive selling point for me. My 5 for £1 BICs might be good for my wallet, but I'm aware that each one adds to landfill, while the FFS scheme is more green but far more expensive at £9 for 4 blades which you are advised to change weekly. £108 on sub par shaving per year does not sit right with my money saving plan.

Luckily you can adapt and pause your plan at any time, so moving forward I will probably pause it in Winter and keep a disposable on hand for the rare occasions my legs see light, and keep it going in Summer when I shave more regularly, to try and make my own middle ground.

Would you try Friction Free Shaving?

Etsy is an absolute treasure trove of gifts for book lovers! Of all my Shop Small posts, this one was probably the most fun to curate because there are just so many talented makers turning their passion for all things literature into beautiful products. I've tried to keep this guide pretty general, but I do have a dedicated Shop Small: Harry Potter if you're looking for a little magic.

Prices correct at time of writing. All photos are the property of respective sellers. Affiliate links used throughout.

Bookmarks

Are you a page folder, or old-KitKat-wrapper user? Your books deserve better, so treat them to a lovely bookmark.

Happiness Is Vinyl Sticker £1.50, JellyButtonUK

Beatrix Potter Tea from £3.60 RosieLeeTeaUK
Name an author, and this seller has a tea inspired by them!Book Lover Socks £6.50, LiteraryEmporium

When my cousin died, I experienced the 'anger' stage of grief very quickly, kicking the chairs and bushes at the hospital as though they were to blame. That night, and all the next day, I cried those enormous, heaving sobs that seem to use every muscle in your upper body.

And then I was fine. Or so it seemed for a little while. I still felt a small sadness, but as if it had happened years, not weeks ago.

Then the guilt came. Sneakily, it had waited until my family had started healing, then crept up on me and told me that I was to blame. I'd said the wrong thing, ignored that sign, made everything worse. They'd still be with us if I had acted differently. 

I tried to argue back, telling it that I had tried, and anyway, my cousin wouldn't want me to feel guilty and awful. But still it gnawed away, warning me not to tell my family how I felt because they would realise it was right and turn away. 

Fortunately, what guilt didn't realise is that there were other people I could talk to: Samaritans. You see, they're not just for people considering suicide, as some people still think. They're there to listen and discuss any problem with any person. I didn't feel comfortable ringing their number (116 123- memorise it, save it in your phone, please) because I'd be a snotty, incoherent mess, so chose to email jo@samaritans.org and wait a few days for a reply. 

Typing down my feelings and organising them on a page made that evil little voice stop for a moment. Seeing my story in black and white started to untwist what it had said, and when it came back it was much quieter. 

The Samaritan who replied assured me that many people feel this way and it is a normal part of grieving, they sympathised with my feelings, and asked me questions that made me think deeper to prove that guilt wrong and shut it up for good. If that was the devil on my shoulder, they became the angel.

It's important to remember that while they are trained to help, Samaritans are not the same as counsellors or psychologists, so if you feel you need this help it's best to speak to your doctor about a referral, look for self referral groups in your area, or pay for a private therapist if you are able. The important thing is to talk, and not to let that sly voice silence you.

At the start of the year, mum and daughter duo Becky and Wendy from I Do Handmade were all ready to start their craft classes, teaching people how to stamp their own fabric, but lockdown sadly put a stop to their plans. Instead they chose Plan B: sending kits out for customers to get crafty at home!

Full disclosure: I was gifted this set but with no obligation to review.

There are 6 kits to choose from, including makeup bags, baby vest and bags, and family bundles. At checkout you choose your stamps and paints, and a few days later a beautifully wrapped parcel arrives with everything you need.

Mine could not have arrived at a better time, because at work we are advised to get changed at home time, and chuck our uniforms in a hot wash as soon as we arrive home. Having the big drawstring bag means that I can put my uniform in it and just put the whole thing in the wash, easy peasy.

I chose black and turquoise paints for my design to match my uniform. You receive a really generous amount, and the squeezy tip of the bottles means it's easy to add dots or writing to your design should you wish. I also chose 3 stamps, which are the star of the show! Hand carved and fairly traded from Ghana, they really make the bag stand out from high street offerings and it feels lovely to own something that somebody has patiently handmade.

Alongside the bag you'll find sponges for applying the paint, full instructions, and some design ideas. All you need is some newspaper to pop inside the bag, and an iron to smooth it out, then set your finished design.

Sure, my design isn't perfect because I'm new to stamping, but for half an hour I wasn't flicking through my phone reading more bad news, nor was my mind filled with it, I was just relaxed and focused on the task, and at the end of it I had a finished product to be proud of. 

The kits start at £14.90, which is worth it for the therapeutic value alone, but considering you receive everything you need plus the paints and stamps to use on your clothes, napkins, or whatever you fancy, it does work out really well. I also imagine that for the parents out there it's an absolute bargain to keep the kids occupied while they drink a hot brew!

What kinds of mindful crafting do you enjoy?

You know what lockdown needs? A little bit of magic. So, if you're enchanted by all things Hedwig, Hagrid, and Hogwarts, grab your quill and give my Harry Potter quiz a go.

Step 1: Set the scene
Okay, maybe showing the night sky through your living room ceiling like the roof of The Great Hall might be a stretch, but you could either hold your quiz in the conservatory, or deck the room with candles and fairy lights for that enchanting atmosphere.

I'd also recommend putting the soundtrack on for a bit of background music.

Step 2: Get in character
I'm not expecting anyone to have a full Minerva 'fit in their wardrobe (hey, I'm not judging) but this is your chance to get creative. Whack an orange scarf on your head and be a Weasley, put on an old pair of glasses and your palest foundation and hey presto, Moaning Myrtle. Award extra points to the teammate with the best costume!

Step 3: Brain food
You'll need some snacks, so pop a bag of Dumbledore's favourite sherbet lemons in your bag when you do your weekly shop, pour out some butterbeer (Horlicks!), or try your hand at these Ferrero Rocher Snitches or Mrs Weasley's fudge.

Step 4: Eyes on the prize
A winner's got to have a prize, right? Set a budget then have a gander at my Etsy Harry Potter finds and pick out your favourite from the pins, prints, and other goodies- losers have to buy it! Small shops will really appreciate the support right now, so it's a win win situation.

Step 5: Game on
Print out my parchments, get your friends and family on the video call, quiz away, then swap and mark from the answer sheet. I'm kind and give half points and extra points if the quizzer gets all the potential answers, but that's up to you. Finish your night with a Harry Potter movie marathon!

Sick of being skint? Bored of being broke? I've collected five pieces of my best financial advice to help you spend less and save more money. 

Money is a difficult subject. I get it. I get that people can often be insensitive and speak as though everyone has a money tree in their back garden. Before you read this post I want to make it clear that I'm in the very lucky position to live at home and pay a small rent from my part time salary, and I don't have dependants, or debt beyond my student loan.

Whether you want to bring chocolatey cheer to a friend, or need a sugar-laden lift yourself, there are plenty of small businesses still working hard throughout lockdown.

Now more than ever, we need to support them, partly because they won't be attending their usual fairs and events, and partly because they are able to produce and pack your products from their own home or studios, which is much safer than the cramped conditions that big businesses push onto their workforce.

Mummy Meagz- GIFTED

Dairy free and vegan treat hunters don't have to miss out, thanks to Mummy Meagz and her Rocky road! I raved about Mummy Meagz' Orange rocky road bars in my review of The Vegan Kind selection box, and they recently sent me the Original and Sea Salt Cinder Toffee Varieties.

The latter is great for lovers of sweet-and-salty, while the original is perfect for, well, just about anyone! My workmate is Muslim so I gave her one to try, knowing there was no pork gelatine (and no gelatine at all) in the marshmallows, meaning she still got to enjoy sweet, fluffy mallows combined with crunchy biscuit bits.

Charlene's Chocolate Factory

I'm 99% sure I have a cavity just from looking at Charlene's Chocolate Factory Instagram. These are bars and Easter eggs amped up to the max- think white chocolate with zingy passionfruit martini filling, or their This Little Piggy bar, filled with Percy Pig sauce and topped with faces and tails. 

Maybe you prefer milk chocolate, and would plump for their banoffee bar, oozing with thick toffee sauce. Whatever the flavour, a bar of this through the letterbox guarantees a grin.

Holly's Lollies

If fruity sweets are more your bag, Holly has lollipops, drinks stirrers, and boiled sweeties, all with an alcoholic twist! Passionfruit mojito, whiskey and coke, and raspberry prosecco are just a few of the mixes on her menu. If you're quarantining with kids, you'll definitely want to hide these out of sight, then enjoy them all to yourself when your monsters darlings are in bed.

To make them even sweeter, some of her signature giant lollipops are sold with message stickers such as 'love you more than prosecco' and 'you're the gin to my tonic', ideal for sending to loved ones to remind them how much they're missed.

Which small businesses do you like to buy sweet treats from?