Choose Love has raised millions to support refugees and created a movement of people putting love into action around the world.
Choose Love does whatever it takes to provide refugees and displaced people with everything from lifesaving search and rescue boats to food and legal advice. Choose Love elevates the voices and visibility of refugees and galvanise public support for agile community organisations providing vital support to refugees along migration routes globally.
Choose Love are a lean, passionate team driving a fast-paced global movement across 15 countries. In just five years, they have reached one million refugees and raised tens of millions for nearly 150 organisations providing vital support at every stage along migration routes from Europe to the Middle East and along the US-Mexico border.
There is just one vision – a world that chooses love and justice every day, for everyone.
CHOOSE LOVE // THE STORE
The Choose Love store sells real products for refugees. Items you choose will be delivered to the people facing winter in the most difficult conditions. This is the world’s first shop to sell real products for refugees and displaced communities.
Every item represents a similar product or service provided by one of the organisations that Choose Love support around the world. When you buy an item at Choose Love, they get it to where it’s needed most.
Over the last five years this pioneering model has provided refugees and displaced communities with the tools to rebuild their lives.
Support is completely essential. Why not gift someone a donation to Choose Love this Christmas, instead of buying that silly Secret Santa that you know will end up in landfill? A ‘secret santa’ gift starts at just £5 and a is a true gift with heart.
You could always buy yourself or a loved one a gift too and it will STILL benefit those who need it the most. Here is a selection of my favourite Choose Love merch.
Or if you’d prefer to donate a specific amount, head to DONATE >>> HERE.
If you’re not able to contribute via monetary means, please do follow @ChooseLoveacross all of their social platforms and share their amazing work. Every little bit really does help. Thank you.
C
Choose Love is a restricted fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, UK Charity No 1099682. In the USA, Choose Love, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, and gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
“IT’S NOT A REINVENTION, BUT RATHER AN INTERVENTION”
HIYA.
It’s been a long time coming. I’ve gone to change my username on here a dozen times or more, and “chickened out”. You see, @instagram was the only remaining social channel that I used JUDY PINK as my username. So many people knew me IRL as such, it always felt tricky to change it! While I’m sad to say goodbye to Judy Pink, this isn’t a reinvention but rather an intervention. Today I am, just me.
I thought I better introduce myself – my *actual* name is Claire👋🏻
I’m thirty something and 5 foot nothing. I’m from the North East and (somewhat proudly) reside in the North West🐝 Mama to two and a half-wife of 16 years to another. I’ve recently taken to sewing – I have no idea either – but it’s keeping me sane during this weird time 🤷♀️
So there we have it. Judy Pink is officially no more. And I’m, just me.
As you’re aware, people on the front line of the COVID-19 response around the world are showing total bravery by risking their lives and helping others.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation that is directly responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and helping some of the world’s most vulnerable people, such as those living in countries affected by conflict. This includes sanitation work to prevent the spread of the disease and supporting vital health infrastructure such as hospitals. It also involves working to ensure access to clean water for countless communities and resilience-building activities to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
HOW TO SHOP WITH KLARNA
Klarna gives you different ways to pay for your ASOS orders – so you can shop easier, and budget better.
To pay for your order with Klarna, tap ‘Change’ under payment type when you’re in checkout. Then tap ‘Add New Payment Method’ and add your chosen Klarna payment method. Place your order, and you’re done – £1 of your purchase will automatically go to the ICRC!*
Plus, don’t forget to share this one-day initiative with your friends and family, because every little bit counts.
*Only applies to eligible customers 18+ years of age in the UK, Germany, USA, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Klarna will donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross £1 from every successful ‘Pay 30 days later’ or ‘Instalments’ purchase made through ASOS on 29 April 2020.
Having suffered quite badly with SPD throughout my pregnancy with Eli, I was already feeling those familiar pregnancy aches from quite early on in this pregnancy. From around 10 weeks in, I was beginning to struggle with sleeping so looked into pregnancy pillows. I’d had a pretty flimsy one last time (7 years ago, there weren’t many sleep supports on the market!). It did it’s best, but it definitely didn’t offer me the support I really needed. So, as long as there was good enough evidence/positive reviews, we agreed we would pay the extra and really invest in the pregnancy pillow this time around.
I asked the question – Can you recommend a brilliant pregnancy pillow please? – to my IG stories following. The top three answers were:
I wanted to wait until post-12 week scan to order, because I still had pregnancy anxiety. After a lot of further research, and although the most expensive of the pillows we looked at, post-12 weeks we ordered the BBHugMe Pillow in the luscious Dusky Pink colourway. (The pillow also comes in several additional colours – there are also additional spare colours available too – I’ve added these all to my SHOP. CLICK HERE). We felt there was more than enough evidence to suggest it was the best one for me – plus it could be used post-partum with the babe being able to relax on it/Eli being able to relax on it/us being able to relax on it, as well as a support whilst feeding.
bbhugme makes mums and babies happier, through a simple idea: a pillow for support to sit, lie and sleep comfortably throughout pregnancy and early childhood.
We managed to get quite a good deal on the pillow by going via Topcashback and then had a promotional code for Jo Jo Maman Bebe itself! The pillow looks great in the bedroom, it really doesn’t look out of place aesthetically – like my old one did – it looks like its just a luxury additional pillow! It also looks smashing on the sofa, where I have been using it more frequently when laying watching TV (when I’m not swaying on my Yoga ball of course).
I’m now 30 weeks pregnant and I can quite honestly say that this pillow has changed my life. Nay, it’s changed the life of Eli and indeed, James too! We all absolutely love it.
At 30 weeks, I’m currently up once in the night for a toilet trip – by this point with Eli, I was up several times. I’m not saying this scientifically, but from my experience, I’m going to put my excellent (current) bladder routine down to the BBHUGME Pillow. The way it supports my bump and pelvis MUST be working alongside in support of my bladder too.
And whats even better is, I get so comfortable, so easily and quickly, that I’m drifting off to sleep in a much more relaxed way too. I’ve often had to read/watch TV/listen to music to fall asleep – I’ve always need distractions to ease me off – but not now! I can happily and proudly say, I fall straight to sleep, on my own, no distractions necessary! I can see this pillow in bed with me for the long run… sorry James!
SO, to surmise, I’d say so far, this is the best pregnancy item that we’ve ever bought. Yes, its more pricey, but you cannot put a price on the comfort, support and peaceful slumber I’ve been able to get from the pillow this time. This pillow can be adjusted to just how you like it as the beads inside are flexible – this means the pillow will grow with all shapes and sizes throughout pregnancy and beyond. It comes with a carry bag if you’re travelling about – and guess what else? The cover is machine washable – praise be!
I cannot recommend this product enough! Currently pregnant? GO GET A BBHUGME NOW!
For product details, information on the design of this product and the experts behind the BBHUGME pillow, please read below.
C
✖️✖️✖️
MORE ABOUT THE BBHUGME PILLOW
Developed by natural and medical health professionals
Bbhugme was created by three chiropractors from Norway, Hilde, Ann Kristin and Elisabeth, who shared a deep interest in chiropractic care of pregnant women, moms and babies. They saw many teary, sleep-deprived women who were suffering from pelvic and back pain before, during and after pregnancy. The three realised that the women needed even more support and care – a long-lasting, take-home solution that could support them beyond the care they get at clinics. This was the origin of the bbhugme pillow.
A better pillow
The three chiropractors got together with designers to make a unique pillow that mothers could count on for support. The pillow comes from focus on the details that mapper. The right shape, filled with a specific size and type of mirco-beads, gives sturdy, but flexible support for every body type. The pillow fabric is elastic, yet strong enough to avoid being ripped when used. Allergy- and eco-friendliness are also important. For nursing the baby, it helps if the pillow can be strapped around the body. Zippers and velcro aren’t soft enough, so we use a tie that allows mothers to remove and wash the outer sleeve.
The hard work that went into the design process was recognized in 2015, when bbhugme won “Best Design Award” from The Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture.
Serving mothers around the world
From serving Norwegian customers, the company has grown and is now expanding into Europe and the USA. Sales through retailers, chiropractors and online are growing quickly. What remains the same is that we’re a company driven by professionalism, passion and care for the pregnant women and mothers that we created bbhugme for. It’s their stories of relaxation, contentment and comfort that have made this project worth it.
Meet the experts
bbhugme® products are tested and quality approved by out panel of specialists in health, motherhood and design. They know a lot about caring for women and new families. They’re also curious and caring, always out to learn more – and share what they know.
DR. HILDE TAVARES
FOUNDER | CHIROPRACTOR
Hilde is an innovator, instructor, speaker, entrepreneur – and mother to three lively children. She’s practiced family wellness care in Norway since 2002 and has an advanced degree in musculoskeletal health in pregnancy and paediatrics.
“I’m passionate about supporting and caring for women and their partners through pregnancy, birth and infancy.”
ANN KRISTIN HOMDRUM
FOUNDER | CHIROPRACTOR
Ann Kristin is a chiropractor, author, speaker and entrepreneur, who has dedicated her life to learning and teaching about conscious health decisions. She specializes in chiropractic care for pregnant women and children and breastfeeding support.
“I believe in enjoying family life to the fullest, through a natural and healthy lifestyle.”
TINE FJELDSTAD
PSYCHOLOGIST | PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Tine is a specialist in neurology and cognition for the female brain with hormonal influence. She runs a clinic in Oslo, offering
therapy for individuals and families, in partnership with other experts in pregnancy, yoga and holistic medicine.
“I’m dedicated to supporting and preparing pregnant women and new families for a new phase in their lives.”
ÅSA LIND MELIN
MIDWIFE
In 25 years, Åsa’s nearly done it all, in midwifery, birth, pregnancy care, and women’s health.
She’s trained in baby massage and Shiatsu massage for pregnant women, worked in delivery wards, managed a private practice and operated her own midwifery practice, and counselled clients on pregnancy and birth.
“I help prepare families for the rollercoaster that starts with a new baby arriving in the home.”
—– For clarity, this is not a sponsored or paid post – but does contain some Affiliate links.
I only shout about items that I genuinely believe in however, so be safe in the knowledge that I’m in love with this product!
The big day is just shy of a month away…. but there is still time to treat yourself or gift a loved one with a brilliant Advent Calendar, from booze to beauty, theres something for everyone! Advent Calendars are a real tradition in our house – it really marks the start of ACTUAL CHRISTMAS! But gone are the days of eating stale chocolate come the 1st December, (unless you’re weird like me and actually really love the cheapest Kinnerton calendar you can get your mitts on!). So, cheapo chocolate aside, here is my pick of the best Advent Calendars that are available online, now.
The must-have jewellery advent calendar of 2018, Orelia’s 12 Days Of Christmas Jewellery Advent Calendar contains a stunning gold plated necklace and bracelet chain, along with an eclectic mix of charms behind each door, so you can create your own piece, layer up with lots of charms or pick your favourite to wear alone.
They’ve also included a pair of the bestselling gold plated Micro Hoop Earrings, which you can add a charm to or wear alone.
Each door reveals a new Christmas track culminating in an awesome Christmas playlist for Christmas Day. Ideal Music Lover Gift.
Choose any name to be printed on the advent calendar.
Open a door each day and hold your phone or tablet up to the calendar to hear the Christmas hit for that day. Each track plays straight away and after that track, the album that the track is taken from continues to play.
The perfect gift for every Music Lover or to help ease those Bah Hambug’s into the festive spirit throughout December!
The carefully curated tracks have been selected based on the most popular Christmas Hits of all time, including classics such as:
All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid, Driving Home For Christmas by Chris Rea, Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Michael Buble etc.
On Christmas Day, scan the Spotify code to listen to all 25 tracks as your Christmas playlist throughout the big day.
made from:
Our personalised advent calendars are made from 350 gsm box board card and comes with a small clip to hang the advent calendar with. Size – A3.
The countdown to Christmas will be merry, warming and aromatic with this Edinburgh Gin Advent Calendar of 25 mini 5cl gin bottles. Enjoy a variety of tastes including clean, fresh and spicy on-the-nose gin. Delighting the palate of gin connoisseurs, hints of juniper, pine, floral, lavender, soft spice and citrus wait behind each calendar window.
5x Edinburgh Gin, 5cl
4x Seaside Gin, 5cl
3x Cannonball Gin 5cl
13 x Fruit Gin Liqueurs, 5cl
Suitable for: Vegetarians, Vegans, Gluten Free. Does not contain Nuts.
Start every December day leading up to Christmas with the joyful feeling of giving. Perfect for the season of goodwill, this Advent of Change calendar reveals a new charity recipient every day that benefits from the purchase of your calendar.
With this one simple purchase you will be making a donation to 24 amazing charities – helping the environment, endangered animals and even improving the lives of children.
Each of the 24 perforated doors represents a £1 donation, and will reveal:
1. The registered charity recipient for that day.
2. How your contribution can be used, showing you how you’ve changed the world for the better.
With 85% of the sale price going directly to charity, Advent of Change serves as a thoughtful conversation piece and the most meaningful gift for family, friends or, of course, yourself.
Open up to change this year and help 24 charities to make a difference, this Christmas and beyond.
Each calendar is wrapped in a biodegradable potato starch film and manufactured in the UK using FSC-certified paper, vegetable oil-based inks and biodegradable glue.
Advent of Change is a not-for-profit organisation, and gives £24 of the sale price directly to charity. The remaining £3.95 is used for production, operational and fundraising costs.
When you choose Advent of Change, you’re making a donation to the following 24 amazing charities – to see full details, take a look at the John Lewis & Partners product page, here.
A beautiful wooden advent train, personalised for the festive season! Use year after year!
A fantastic alternative to the usual paper advent calendar to be used for years to come, this amazing wooden train engine with two carriages has with black, white and gold paint detailing as well as fixed shiny round wheels. Each carriage features 12 drawers (6 on each side) ready to be pulled out and filled with sweets and tiny trinkets!
All 24 drawers are labelled with the numbers 1 to 24, so every day is covered over the advent period until Christmas day.
The carriages and engine are connected via small metal hooks and can be linked or left separate depending on your preference, and each drawer can be removed to rearrange if you want to create a search game for the kids!
Personalisation:
A name of your choice printed in black on one train, with ‘Santa Express’ to follow on the other train. We can allow up to 10 characters, including spaces and punctuation. Your font size will be adjusted accordingly.
This train is a decorative item and not a toy.
made from:
Wood
dimensions:
Engine – width 13cm x height 13.5cm x depth 8cm
Carriage – width 15cm x height 10.5cm x depth 10cm
Inside of drawers – width 3.2cm x height 2.4cm x depth 3.1cm
Mixed case of 24 craft beers, by the team at HonestBrew.
Feast your eyes upon a seasonal selection of 24 festive brews that will light up the life of any self-respecting beer lover over December! Containing a range of beer styles, from light and hoppy, to dark and roasty, there’s a beery surprise each day. Tis the season to be jolly… and drink great beer.
After selling out in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the HonestBrew Craft Beer Advent calendar is once again back & better than ever before.
24 beers, 15 styles, 12 countries, 7 exclusive beers, plus free standard shipping! Guaranteed fresh & on time.
Only the best breweries go into our advent calendar. That means award-winning, quality-driven and innovative producers from 12 countries behind every door. This premium selection includes 7 exclusive beers, limited edition collaborations, and seasonal releases for a festive journey across the craft beer landscape.
Expect a wide range of beer styles to sample. Including: IPAs, Pale Ales, Saisons, Pilsners, Porters and Stouts. Breweries include Magic Rock, Cloudwater, Northern Monk, Buxton and many more!
made from:
Beers come in glass bottles & craft cans.
All beer is made from mighty fine ingredients (water, malt, hops and yeast) and some love.
Packaged in recyclable cardboard box with protective packaging.
I hope this gives you some idea’s for the lucky ones in your life! For us, we’ve already got the LEGO City calendar for Eli, which our Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf, FRODO, will be bringing on 1st December, as he does every year.
Hello all and Merry FRIDAY. It’s been quite a week. A lot of tiredness and all the emotions. But here we are on the brink of the weekend, we just about made it!
So let’s get going with this week’s round-up of PETITE New Arrivals that have hit the Online Stores this week. I do this every Friday, just in time for the weekend – though, sadly for my purse strings, as we all know, online shopping definitely isn’t limited to the weekend! All items are available online, at time of publishing this post.
Let me know if you see something you like! And don’t forget to tag me in any shots of your purchases – tag me @judypink and use the hashtag #NeverConciseShopping
——
Off the back of my THIS IS ME blog post, I will now be mainly focussing on Petite styles for my blog. Going forward, I feel like this is most relevant to me and what I would WEAR. Being mid-size and petite is really difficult – so if I can find some styles that would suit my stature, then I hope they give you some inspiration too! I want to be completely honest in my focus and I really think embracing my “mid size, size” is the way to go forwards!
This is the first weekly round-up of PETITE New Arrivals that have hit the Online Stores this week. I’ll do this every Friday, just in time for the weekend – though, sadly for my purse strings, as we all know, online shopping definitely isn’t limited to the weekend! All items are available online, at time of publishing this post.
Let me know if you see something you like! And don’t forget to tag me in any shots of your purchases – tag me @judypink and use the hashtag #NeverConciseShopping
——
Off the back of my THIS IS ME blog post, I will now be mainly focussing on Petite styles for my blog. Going forward, I feel like this is most relevant to me and what I would WEAR. Being mid-size and petite is really difficult – so if I can find some styles that would suit my stature, then I hope they give you some inspiration too! I want to be completely honest in my focus and I really think embracing my “mid size, size” is the way to go forwards!
I absolutely love this NEW dress from Marks & Spencer, who by the way, are consistently smashing the dress-game this season! I’ve not seen it IRL yet, but I think this in the shorter length would be a perfect shape for women with my stature. The silky-golden goodness makes it a perfect Christmas dress too (yep, I went there!). And you KNOW this dress is gonna fly out of stores and online, so in the words of M&S themselves, “GET IT OR CRY LATER”. Eeek!
I mean, does it get any better than fluffy heels?! And such a good price! These Marks & Spencer beauties will be smashing with dresses, skirts and allllll of the jeans!
And how could I not include a little bit of animal print? I love this shape that M&S keep reviving. It’s just the right shape for my stature. It nips in at the waist, which is flattering for ALL body shapes and sizes, and the long sleeves are always welcome.
This is my second weekly round-up of New Arrivals that have hit the Online Stores this week. I’ll do this every Friday, just in time for the weekend – though, sadly for my purse strings, as we all know, online shopping definitely isn’t limited to the weekend! All items are available online, at time of publishing this post.
Let me know if you see something you like! And don’t forget to tag me in any shots of your purchases – tag me @judypink and use the hashtag #NeverConciseShopping
——
Just a note for next week: from next Friday my weekly round-up of New Arrivals will be focussing on Petite Fashion styles only. I will be posting a separate blog post next week regarding my size and feelings about this. I want to be completely honest in my focus and I really think embracing my “mid size, size” is the way to go forwards!
My first weekly round-up of New Arrivals that have hit the Online Stores this week. I’ll do this every Friday, just in time for the weekend – though, sadly for my purse strings, as we all know, online shopping definitely isn’t limited to the weekend! All items are available online, at time of publishing this post.
For a side note, I’m Mid-Sized. I’m 5 ft nothing. I’m somewhere between 10-14, depending on the shop. We are the forgotten women. I hope my pick’s are inclusive for all. But just to give you an idea of my stature; and I hope my pick’s help you too, whatever your dress size!
