Welcome to this month’s random selection of “things I’ve really loved”. There’s a full video version further down the page and I do highly recommend you watch it if you’ve a spare ten or so minutes. It gives you an extended ramble about each of the bits and pieces I’m about to talk about whilst also bringing them alive in full technicolor and Doby surround sound.
(I have no idea about the last two things I just promised, it just sounded good.)
I did want to include “dried flowers” in this month’s favourites but ran out of space – it is an unwritten rule that I never go beyond five items – and so you have that to look forward to in January. Honestly, my passion for dried stems has gone slightly out of control and yesterday I had to force myself to cross Milsom Street in Bath so that I wouldn’t casually pop into the flower shop again and find myself leaving with a box of desiccated poppy heads or an armful of pampas.
Instead of the dried flowers I included some really good eye drops. You’re welcome. Let’s get cracking with this month’s spoils, shall we?
One of my only Vinted purchases that has been successful (I am now the proud owner of three skirts that are too small and a Stella McCartney jumper dress so large I could fit two of me inside it) but boy do I love it. Beautiful colours, the finest silk and the perfect fit, I have bought loads of Equipment shirts over the past couple of decades but this one is my favourite.
Bonus was that it cost me £18 on Vinted and looks as though it’s hardly been worn; Equipment shirts are usually hundreds of pounds. I have now saved this as a search on Vinted to see what else comes up in my size (small).
Interesting to note that the two successful second-hand purchases have been a) items I actually needed and b) items I had previously tried on, or from a brand where I knew exactly which size I needed. I suppose this isn’t interesting at all, just common sense.
Never thought I’d be writing so enthusiastically about eye drops but I have to say that one of the significant after-effects of my laser eye surgery has been that I do now have dry eyes. Intermittently, and it’s not something that ever really affects my day in any sort of serious way, but it’s definitely there. More than any feeling of scratchiness or soreness, I tend to get the feeling that I have gumminess on my eyeballs that I can’t quite get rid of – that stuff you get in the morning, the residue or whatever you’d call it, except that it’s not just in the morning.
I know that I desperately owe you those follow-ups to the first eye surgery post I published (it’s here) and I will get onto those straight away after Christmas, but suffice to say for now that the eye dryness isn’t something that would put me off laser surgery. The benefits significantly outweigh any downsides or annoyances, of which there are only two.
Anyway, these Hycosan Extra eye drops are the absolute best. I’d been using Thealoz Duo, which seem to be widely recommended, but the Hycosan are a different level of instant lubrication and relief. Both the Thealoz and the Hycosan are preservative-free, which is apparently very important if you’re going to be using eye drops long term (though it does mean you need to use them up within the stated time) but I’m pretty sure that the Hycosan are slightly thicker. I’ve done some very basic tests with both drops on the backs of my hands and the Hycosan has more “slip”, to steal a beauty term.
I find that I only need to use the Hycosan every other day, once a day at the most. The Thealoz were a twice-daily affair at least, which was how I knew the Hycosan Extra were working harder for me.
I picked up my drops from Vision Express, but they are on Amazon here (affiliate link) for slightly less if you want the convenience of having them delivered. They really are one of my most satisfying discoveries of recent months!
At this point I can’t even begin to estimate how many hours I’ve lost on the Pooky website, creating various lamps that I don’t even need. Actually that’s a lie: I did need one, but I’ve bought that and it’s now happily down at The Dorset Nook waiting for the next lucky holiday guests. It’s the time I’ve spent looking at lamps since then that’s more of a problem!
