My relationship with social media has evolved considerably over the years. I first discovered Youtube per chance by stumbling upon someone who was showing anyone who wanted to watch how to apply make-up. I was enthralled. Later on, beauty vloggers would share what clothes they bought over the weekend; what products they bought. Their favourites. And then they started to share their home. And that’s when I got hooked. Not because I have voyeuristic tendencies (which is also true), but because it was a great way to discover smaller, independent companies who were working really hard to put themselves out there – wherever “there was”.
I discovered brands I love today from all manner of categories: candles, skincare, clothes, books, food. And because of my strong interest in gardening, plants and wildlife, I have inevitably drifted towards natural materials, cruelty free, paraffin-free, etc. Now, I’ll put my hand up and admit that I am by no means perfect, but I do try to practice what I preach. I try to avoid plastic items – wicker and wood over plastic boxes, for example. We have switched from Fairy Liquid to Ecover. We are trying to reduce the amount of paper towels we use by wiping down surfaces or soaking up spills with tea towels which we chuck straight into the washing machine, ready to be cleaned in the next wash.
With this in mind, I want to use this platform to shout about these brands, as I think they need all the publicity they can get. The attention to detail is exquisite, and why shouldn’t you want to know where your products come from? Similarly, I am a strong advocate for second hand and vintage, so you will also see some quirky shops and lovely old furniture on here as well. Gardening will still be the main feature on the blog. But I think it is time to branch out and share a lifestyle I want to see more of, will you join me?
