When we look back on this odd period of history I reckon some of the things that will stand out in my mind will be rainbows, people genuinely living the #BeKind mindset and having time to actually focus on me and mine.
Without council and committee meetings to attend (apart from much shorter online versions) and a break from many of our usual commitments and chores, we have found time to tick off lots of our long standing jobs in the house and garden.
And since my friend and neighbour Shelley from Wild Earth Herbs became a Neal's Yard Remedies consultant and was kind enough to give me and some friends a session on face care, I have finally got to grips with a proper grown-up facial routine. I am not exaggerating when I say I think my skin is the best it's ever been.
I ask my smart speaker to play me spa music and light a lovely candle to set the mood for a regular home spa facial. Bliss!
Even on a "normal" morning (whatever normal looks like in these weird times) I take just a few extra minutes in the bathroom to properly clean and moisturise my face. (Before you berate me for the cotton pads, these are the last of my old stock of disposable ones and reusable ones are on their way.)
In the evening I quickly cleanse and moisturise again and go to bed feeling relaxed and smelling lovely. I particularly love the Frankincense and Rehydrating Rose ranges.
I am eagerly waiting my recent order of the award winning Wild Rose Beauty Balm which you can use for facials, moisturiser, burn, sting or bite balm, hair mask, foot mask and more. One glossy magazine review I read said if you have just one product for home and travel, this should be it!
If you are interested in checking out what Shelley has on offer you can visit her NYR Organic website. Feel free to email or call her for advice. She is a trained beauty therapist and recently completed a degree in Professional Practice in Herbal Medicine so is very qualified to assist with all matters relating to beauty and natural health remedies.
Rainbows adorn our streets with everything from children's drawings to full on flags. As keen supporters of the LGBQT+ community as a family we are slightly concerned that people have somewhat hijacked the community's six-stripe Pride flag.
The rainbow flag has of course been a symbol of peace and love for many years and no-one "owns" the rainbow but in Pride month it's a shame to see some less than scrupulous shops and online stores repurposing the Pride flag as "Thank You NHS" flags.
At our home we have NHS support pictures in the windows but the Pride Flag is still displayed in support of the LGBQT+ community as always.
If you are a fan of rainbows, for Pride, for the NHS or just because they are pretty you could treat yourself to one of these gorgeous home-made bath bombs made by a fellow blogger Abi whose bath bomb website features lots of lovely designs including the rainbow in many forms.
Prices range from £1.50-£4 and if you are interested in how they are made you can pop along to the Abi's Bath Bombs Facebook page and actually watch a video of her making some.
So where does Be Kind come into this? This pandemic has brought out the best in many and in our village our new COVID_19 community group has proved to be the epitome of kindness. Through the group we have had donations of uniform, face masks, garden stuff, expertise, cookies and more from lovely friends and neighbours.
Sadly I have heard reports of less than kind behaviour, especially online but my general experience for the past few months has been a positive one.
There's lots of disagreements about how the lockdown should be handled and it has already become a little tricky as we probably sit in the middle between "stay completely shut in at home" and "carry on as normal" but I've stayed resolute and firmly but politely stuck to our comfort zone.
But this situation will be with us for a long time I believe so I'm concerned that peer pressure might make our stance uncomfortable and could potentially cost friendships.
A friend says she spends a lot of time typing "Let's agree to disagree" and I think that it's not a bad motto to live by in these difficult times and beyond as people just try to do the best for themselves and their families.
Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post - Just wanted to support some friends.