How to be a demanding but fair consumer {Part One}

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Give feedback, good and bad, to make the world a better place

Customer service is a big passion of mine. I probably take my quest for good service a little too far at times, but I like to give companies my feedback, good and bad.

In my local Sainsburys the staff are always very helpful and friendly. They're well trained on small talk and ask me how my day is going, plans for the evening and so on. It seems totally genuine as they seem to have hired fabulously nice people. I enjoy the little chats and get the impression that Sainsburys staff find their work all the more satisfying for the interaction with their customers. I'm sure that they provide an invaluable service to elderly people who may have little contact with the outside world.

I wanted to tell Sainsburys how valuable their staff are, how hard they are working. I asked for a contact and was given an email address. Sadly, although I was eventually thanked for my feedback, nobody at Sainsburys told the people in question about the praise I'd given, despite that fact that I'd named the employees who had helped me. I felt sad that Sainsburys had missed this opportunity to let their staff know what a great job they were doing. I made sure the staff members knew that I'd given excellent feedback on them and that I appreciated all they were doing.

This seems to be a problem with large companies: getting a message through to the right line manager can be tricky. If a manager in Sainsburys had been prepared to see me I could have told them personally and perhaps there would have been a different outcome.

A similar thing happened with DHL - I regularly use DHL and the chap who looks after me is always friendly and enthusiastic, despite the fact that his working morning starts at 5 a.m. and ends long after mine does. I emailed DHL about him twice but didn't receive a reply. Again, I told him that I'd tried to feedback to his management. And I tell him frequently what a great job he does. 

Ideally, companies would recognise the importance of valuing the people who work so hard for them; those who interact with the public and represent the brand. Sadly, it's all too easy for these little details to be lost. 

As consumers, we can certainly make the world a better place by telling people what a great job they're doing. I give positive affirmations whenever I can to the people who look after me.  
Let's spread the love around. 

Via

A pink Gedy moment

 

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There's clearly nothing glam about loo brushes. Except when you discover a pink Gedy loo brush and then it all gets a little more exciting. I've just ordered this one (above) because I think little touches of pink in an interior feminise the space beautifully. For objects which are clearly rather unglamourous, like loo brushes, it's worth splashing out and making them into a novelty item.  

My rule for pink is that it's got to be an expensive splash of colour rather than wall-to-wall pink. Like a whole bathroom I painted candy pink in 2001. Biiig mistake. There are few things in this world more nauseating than a cheap pink trolley on wheels, cheap pink children's clothing or cheap pink plastic accessories. OK, that's me off my pink soap box.

Prenatal vits for long tresses

Fancy growing your hair in a speedy manner? Prenatal vits will cost you a pretty penny but may be worth it if you want lustrous locks asap.

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Do you remember how long Gwn's hair was when she was expecting Apple? She wore it unusually long (in fact, in my opinion it probably needed a bit of a trim, but just because I'm not crazy about really long hair). Anyway, my point is that the condition was good. And Gwyneth processes her hair a lot to get it that blonde, so I was impressed. Speaking as a blonde, I know just how hard it is to maintain good condition when you're after that sun-kissed baby-blonde look. 
 

At the time Gwyneth was kind enough to spill the beans on the cause of her amazing hair growth spurt: 
 

"It's vitamins. Take New Chapter Organics' Perfect Prenatal. It doesn't matter if you are pregnant, I swear to God. I have double-processed blond hair, and it's so long and not damaged. Those vitamins, they are the trick!" 

 Via
 

I've never forgotten this tip from Gwneth. These babies aren't cheap at £35.33 a bottle. There are 45 caps in the pack, so each one costs about £1.25. But if you're growing out a hair disaster or looking to achieve a swish-swish mane in time for summer, these could be worth trying.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

 Via

If you've ever questioned what on earth you might be putting down below when it comes to sexy time, you are right to be cautious. Thrush is the bane of many women's lives and is thought to be in part caused by ingredients such as glycerine, which can be found in generic lubricants. To avoid pesky irritation there are some great natural products on the market to make loving a bit more, well, loving. Yes is approved by the organic soil association and according to Yes their product is as identical to nature as possible and 'actively nourishes mucous membranes'. Yes, there's even more nourishing and self-loving for us to do...
 

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Here's the science bit for the sex boffins out there:

'Mucous membranes are the moist layer of semi-permeable tissue lining the mouth, nose, eyes, vagina and anus. Because they do not have the protective layer found on the surface of the outer skin, mucous membranes can be damaged, irritated and penetrated by synthetic chemicals much more easily. Rectal and vaginal absorption is, generally speaking, many times greater than oral absorption.'

The Ecologist

Happy loving. xox

Oh so kissable lips

 Via
 

Kissing is one of the biggest joys in life, but it sure does dry out lips. That along with some of the biting winter winds means that a girl needs to keep on top of lip maintenance. I see so many women (and men) applying Vaseline and other generic lip balms. Although anything moist gives instant relief, many of these mineral oil based products simply sit on the skin's surface. They may well provide a barrier, but they don't permeate and moisturise. What's more, they can cause blemishes around the lip and chin area because the surrounding skin can struggle to breathe. For this reason I suggest a natural and inexpensive alternative. I'm loving Burt's Bees Mango lip balm. It's beautifully scented and works pretty darn quickly too. Perfect to pop into your handbag for top ups.

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Friday Favourite

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I have a bit of a thing about Links of London at the moment. I love their take on casual teen style friendship bracelets. Simple, stylish and divine. Cat Deeley is the perfect poster girl for this cool and feminine brand.

Have yourself an amazing weekend. You are lovely. xox

Cosy just got cosier

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Would you wear a OnePiece? I'm not sure I would...pretty 80s and not quite the calm aesthetic I'd want for a cosy night in...plus I sure as hell wouldn't want to shiver on the loo in the night like I had to as a kid in my all in one PJs! But they do look pretty darn cosy all the same...

I heart this...

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Totally heart this image of Kate Winslet. She looks strong and beautiful. She claims there is nothing about herself she hates or wishes she could change. If that's true, given the lifestyle she leads, I'm uber impressed.

Become a politician...and rule your inner world

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In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, one of the recommended exercises is to write a manifesto for yourself. Imagine yourself as the politician of your own inner world. You might be Cameron bringing in tight new spending cuts and a healthy new eating plan. You might like to be a little more Liberal because you feel you need to stop worrying and relax and enjoy yourself more...whatever works for you. 

Draft some ideas down and then put it together as a pertinent, concise manifesto of how you want to live your life right now. This can be revised over and over; our priorities change all the time, and that's because we're always growing and changing. 

An example of a manifesto...

I will make time for my meditation daily.

I accept that I need a day to myself so Sundays are now dedicated to pleasure.

I am working towards my payrise/new job/qualification with the following actions...

I am putting more time into connecting with my loved ones by...

You may want to put it all into the present tense because this can be more powerful - it's no longer aspirational language for the future but a reflection of what your life is now - so by saying it is, it is...

I meditate daily when I awake

Sundays are for pleasure

I'm enjoying my payrise/new job

I connect with loved ones during quality family time each week...

Enjoy writing your manifesto; be the politician of your inner world; you are the architect of your own life. What an awesome thought. 

Are you a Care Bear?

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I've just noticed that this cute little fellow has a heart tattoo on his butt. Nice. Anyway, the reason I'm talking about care bears today...is because they are a useful analogy for our purposes. The Care Bears were all about being loving and cuddly...and that's a great place to draw inspiration from. 

My point, my friend, is this. Sometimes we are not very caring or kind to ourselves. There is a fine line between self indulgence and self sabotage. There are the easy ones; a soak in the bath, relaxing with a book, laughing with a friend - all enjoyable, healthy and self-loving things to do. But then there are the other temptations which come our way; alcohol, food we know isn't good for us, illicit encounters which seem like fun at the time but can wreak havoc on many lives. Some quick fixes leave a feeling of utter hollowness. 

It's always a difficult balance, and for most of us, there will be times when we choose a quick fix or a 'treat' and then pay the penalty, whether the price we pay is bad skin, a sore tummy or a feeling of remorse and self-loathing. 

There is no divine answer unless you're prepared to live in an ashram. But it is worth taking some time to redress the balance when you feel you've gone overboard. Take the time to re-connect within, spend a few days focusing on vibrant and healthy food, or dedicate a few days reaching out to friends and family...all good ways to restore and self-love.

In life, we can ask ourselves: what would the most caring option be now?  That is, the most caring option for you personally. Ironically, that is often the option that would also be kindest to those around us, because when we nurture ourselves, we automatically become more loving and calm as we interact with others.

If we look after  ourselves in the way we would a child or a best friend, we are going to tow the line a lot more. Sometimes it might mean feeling like a killjoy and not having that additional glass of bubbly.  But sometimes the caring thing is to try something that might not make you feel great, just because you need to have that experience and learn from it. 

So as I say, it's not fool proof, but when you're feeling a little low, tired out or that you've put yourself in emotional danger, ask yourself what a care bear might do, were she (or he) in a similar situation. 

Or...you could get a heart tattoo on your butt.