Minimising Made Easy by Sammie Robinson

My name is Sammie, and I’m a beauty hoarder. Or at least I used to be.

A few months ago, my family and I embarked upon a journey that saw us venturing into veganism and dabbling with minimalism.

There are so many benefits to minimising the amount of ‘stuff’ in your home. Here are just a few that I’ve noticed in the last few months:

 1. It saves me a tonne of money. I had so many half-used bottles of products that would just loiter in my bathroom. In fact, one of the first things my husband did when we moved in together was throw away loads of my half empty bottles of lotions and potions, and you know what? I didn’t even notice until he told me months later he had done it!

2. Fewer things to clean/move as I tidy. I hate cleaning. I hate moving things around and having to clean hundreds of little bottles that always get a bit gunky and dusty. Having just a handful of products in my bathroom cabinet means I can spend my time doing better things, like catching up on Love Island, or trying to convince my toddler to let me brush her hair.

3. It saves me time. Time is so precious as a mum. My bathroom is my sanctuary: the place where my three-year-old knows not to follow me, and the place that intimidates my husband with all its marble and copper accessories and strong scent of flowers. I love nothing more than putting on some music, lighting a candle (sometimes sneaking in a glass of wine) and just escaping for a bit. Multi-purpose products help me maximise those precious moments that never seem to last as long as I want.

4. It helps me feel less stressed. I am terrible at making decisions. Give me five different shampoos and I will agonise for hours over which one to use. Decluttering my life means I can save up my stress quota for worrying about how many vegetables my kid has eaten this week or what that mysterious smell is coming from the corner of her bedroom.

Needless to say, I was really happy when I discovered Bloomtown’s range of multi-purpose products.  Here are three that have saved me space, look great in my bathroom and smell amazing.

 First up is the Organic, SLS-Free Hand & Body Wash. I have this next to my sink in the bathroom and use it for everything from hand-washing to washing jam off my kid’s face. Normally, I find liquid soap too harsh, and I wouldn’t dream of using it on my daughter’s or my own skin, but I find that Bloomtown’s nourishing coconut and olive oil formula keeps our skin silky smooth. I also really appreciate that it doesn’t contain any palm oil, parabens or synthetic detergents. I absolutely adore The Cafe scent because it smells like coffee and caramel, which is right up my alley. 

I’m also absolutely obsessed with anything lavender, which I think is just the most soothing, relaxing scent in the world, so I love Bloomtown’s Nourishing Body & Bath Oil in The Meadow scent, which is the perfect blend of lavender, rose geranium and chamomile, no synthetic fragrance. This is a product that can be used pretty much everywhere: in your bath, on your face, on your hair.  I like to add a few drops to my bath and also massage a small amount neat onto my face before bed. I find that the smell really helps me relax and fall asleep much easier, and I wake up with the softest base on which to apply makeup to in the morning! It really is a wonder product that can be used on any areas of dryness, and if you can you can persuade your other half to give you a massage, even better as it rubs in beautifully. I really prefer oils to lotions as I hate that ‘claggy’ feeling you get after applying a lotion.

Last but not least, Bloomtown’s 3-in-1 Exfoliating, Cleansing and Nourishing Sugar Scrub is quite possibly my favourite multi-purpose product. I have it in The Hedgerow scent, which is a blend of blackberry & honeysuckle, and before I talk about anything else, I need to tell you how good this stuff smells. Seriously, sometimes I just find myself in my bathroom, nose in the pot and breathing it in. It is out of this world.  

I love that It contains only natural, locally grown sugar as an exfoliant, so you don’t have to worry about nasty little micro-beads being deposited into the ocean. Speaking of scrubbing your skin, do you ever find that with some exfoliators it doesn’t feel like you are actually getting a satisfying scrub? Well you definitely get it with this product. Not only that, but it cleanses and moisturises, too, so you can literally hop in the shower with this one product, spend five minutes having a good scrub, and then you can get out and be good to go. One product that does it all. Amazing. I fake tan quite regularly and this is perfect for prepping my body before I apply my tan as it gives me a nice smooth canvas to work with.

So there we have it. I really hope this information helps you, and if you have any top tips on how to minimise your life, I would love to hear them! 

Sammie Robinson

Shropshire based wife, mother and blogger at Porridge and Parenting. I'm also a lousy cook and a lazy vegan and can often be found hiding somewhere, shirking my responsibilities drinking coffee (or wine after 5pm...ok 4pm).

Instagram: @PorridgeandParenting

Twitter: @porridgeparent