This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
We are always on the lookout for products or services that would appeal to 50 plus women. This week, I found 9 such products, podcasts, and a radio station just for our age group. My selections seem to reflect the upcoming season of Spring, fresh skin, feeding the birds, storing winter woollies, and my favourite new cooking pan.
The NETT Exfoliating sheet:
I first heard about the NETT exfoliator from India Knight in the Sunday Times. And as I suffer from dry skin and do need to exfoliate regularly, I was hooked.
The NETT Exfoliator, originally from Ghana – where it is known as a ‘sapɔ’ – is a unique exfoliation sheet that has been an essential part of the bathing culture for a very long time. The unique texture is perfect for maintaining smooth, soft skin and the length and shape is great for getting to those hard-to-reach places.
Furthermore, the exfoliator dries quickly after a shower avoiding any mould or mildew and can be thrown into the washing machine to refresh. The NETT will last for up two 2 years, making it a sustainable choice.
I have to warn you that NETT has been inundated with orders, and due to general import problems, there may be a bit of a delay. However, I can promise you that it is well worth the wait as I think I must have taken off pounds in weight after my first use of the NETT. I now have a quick exfoliate once a week, and my skin feels softer ready for a moisturiser to be applied.
For more info and to purchase click HERE
CELTIC & CO Wool refresh spray
This week I have decided to put my really thick sweaters away until next winter. They are clean but a few may have been worn once or twice and so don’t warrant washing. Obviously, I know that moths love dirty wool sweaters. However, I have a trick – I spray my jumpers with the Celtic & Co wool refresh spray. I often use it during the winter. However now I give my sweaters an extra special spray, fold them and then put them in a storage box. They will come out next winter smelling fresh and not a moth hole in sight.
For more info and to purchase click HERE
Nokular bird food:
Have you been noticing your bird neighbours more in lockdown? I have two dogs, so only the bravest birds enter our garden. However, we have a resident Robin who has been with us for a very long time. More recently, we have two grey Wagtails (with a flash of bright yellow under their tails) who come and dance on the lawn. So this winter, I decided to subscribe to Nokular Bird Nutrition with the Lockdown starter pack.
Nokular Bird Nutrition is carefully crafted to provide only the best meal for your birds. Their locally sourced, hand-selected, high energy Bird Nutrition is designed to attract and maintain a variety of healthy birds. If you subscribe, they send you regular packs of food that vary with the seasons, i.e. depending on birds’ needs.
I have seen Blue Tits and even a very timid Bullfinch with his pinky-orange breast coming into the garden time and again to feast on my Nokular bird food. They clearly love it, and I love watching them.
For more info click HERE
Josh Wood Home Colour System Miracle Shot
Many of my girlfriends have become big fans of the Josh Wood Home Colour System during the lockdown. They have been using permanent colours and the colour shot gloss, which is semi-permanent, depending on their needs. Many say that they will not be returning to have their hair professionally coloured because it works so well and is so much more affordable than the salon.
The recent addition to the range is the Miracle Shot. After 3 and a half years of experimentation and development, the answer to the inevitable long term hair damage that permanent colour can cause is finally here with the Miracle Shot.
Here’s your Miracle Shot cheat sheet, walking you through what it does, how it works and most importantly, how to use it.
To purchase click HERE.
FLAVORSTONE ONE-PAN
Have you ever wondered why all cooking pans are round when a square one would be so much more space-efficient, not only for cooking but for storage too? My daughters, who have become keen and very proficient cooks during the lockdown, started to complain about some of my pans’ state. The non-stick ones were more like will-stick. I have had them for a few decades, and they have served me well.
Anyway, I treated myself to a FlavorStone – The Pan That Can (Family Collection), and I have not looked back. The non-stick wipe-clean coating means I don’t even need to add oil. It has a removable handle to cook on the hob and then transfer it to my oven for grilling or just further cooking. The square shape means there is 25% more cooking space compared to circular pans. It is deep sides, so there is little or no splash or spill. Finally, it stores easily with the handle lying in the bowl.
For more info and to purchase click HERE
Amazon Fire stick
We have all been watching more TV during the lockdown. Netflix has been an absolute bonus with their catalogue of old and new TV series and films. However, Amazon Prime Video has some wonderful programmes too – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Catastrophe – two comedy series that are well worth watching. Husband and I have been working our way through their film catalogue. The more recent voice-activated Firestick means that you can find all that you want with one voice instruction. I also love the facility to create a wish list so that when scrolling through, you don’t forget the ones you like the look of. Netflix doesn’t seem to have this. It is £49.99 and is a great gift for anyone who loves their TV entertainment.
For more info and to purchase click HERE
Telephone call blocker from Amazon
We all get irritated by a scam and/or nuisance calls. There seems to have been a big increase in these during the lockdown. If you are a BT customer for phone calls and broadband, there is a free service. However, this won’t suit many people. The solution is this little gadget that plugs into your wall socket, and then the phone is attached to it. It is pre-loaded with 5000 know scam numbers, and you can add a further 1500. It is so easy to use. I know this because whilst I don’t have one, a friend has bought one for her elderly parents, and so far, they have added another 18 numbers.
For more info and to purchase click HERE
Boom Radio
This is a radio station just for us. I know I love Times Radio, but that is a news station, whilst Boom Radio is a music station. The first time I tuned in, having been alerted to it by a friend in Canada, I heard the DJ David Hamilton, which took me back in time.
The Boom Radio tagline is: The UK radio station for Boomers – because you’re still busy LIVING! That’s us!
You can hear Boom Radio online wherever you are – on your phone, laptop, PC or tablet. On your smart speaker, it’s ‘Alexa – Enable Boom Radio’ or ‘Hey Google – Talk to Boom Radio’.
You can also listen in on DAB in many UK areas, including London – and parts of Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Portsmouth.
I have been singing along and even dancing in the kitchen whilst cooking in my new FlavorStone One pan!
For more info and to sing along to all those songs you know so well, click HERE
Podcast: RENEGADES – Born in the USA with Barack Obama & Bruce Springsteen
This podcast is available on Spotify and is superb. These two voices are so easy to listen to – the smooth-talking Obama with the more gravelly Springsteen. It is a series of conversations between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen about their lives, music, and enduring love of America—despite all its challenges. And yes, President Obama was born in the USA despite Trump trying to prove otherwise.
For more info and to listen click HERE
I hope you can enjoy one or two of these products or that they might help you have an improved life as with the call blocker. But don’t forget, as Boom Radio says, life is still for living for us 50 plus women.