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Why I go Paraben Free


Hey all! As it is breast cancer awareness month, I want to share with you all why I avoid personal care products that contain the chemical preservatives parabens.  Have you heard of them?

They are found in nearly all personal care and beauty products you buy on the high street. In 2011 they were banned in Denmark in products aimed at children under the age of 3 years on the grounds of reproductive toxicity. In fact, Exposure to high levels of oestrogen before or just after birth can be detrimental for male reproductive function. Scary to think many 'nappy creams' contain these preservatives.

All parabens have been shown to bind to human oestrogen receptors and increase expression of oestrogen. Lifetime exposure to oestrogen is among other things, an established risk factor for breast cancer so much so that Breast Cancer UK publicly supports the phase out of all parabens from all cosmetics and products designed to be applied to the skin and supports an extension of EU Article 60 (3), to ensure parabens are, by default, classed as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).

We are all becoming more aware of what we are putting in our bodies as food so perhaps it is time to take a look at the ingredients in the personal care products we apply every day to not only our skin but our families bodies too.

For more information see http://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/…/bcuk-fact-sheet-parabens/

I hope you found this useful.  It is not something I was aware of until a couple of years go, as soon as I became aware I made the switch :-)

Love Ashly xxxxx
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How to Quickly Stop People from Holding you Back

Relationships, business, work, health, mind, ever wanted to change or improve something in your life but somebody is in the way? Someone is stopping you or annoying you or not letting you do what you want to do?

Do you ever utter the words, if only my boss would give me that promotion then I could get the new car I want. I wish my boyfriend would stop putting me down then I would be so happy.  If only my parents would give me more pocket money then I could go on that holiday with my friends?

What if I told you that there is a solution to your problem, that there is an answer to that person or situation 'getting in your way'?

3 years ago I wouldn't have believed you. I would blame others for where I was in my life, that I was unhappy or didn't have enough money or time and wasn't living the dream I'd hoped for. Until a situation forced me to look at myself at the choices I had made.


What I realised was that I was where I was because of me, myself! Nobody held a gun to my head and said I must be in that relationship or be working with this person or doing that job.I realised the choice was mine.

"The degree to which you accept responsibility for everything in your life is 
precisely the degree of personal power you have to change or create anything in your life" 
- Hal Elrod

By not making my own decisions and desires clear to myself and others, I was unconsciously choosing to let others lead me and let them make decisions for me, which in the long run I wasn't happy with, so how could I blame those people?

I want to tell you this so that you don't make the same mistakes that I did.

Whatever situation we are in is actually of our own making. At first I was so scared of this revelation, it meant I had to look at myself, that I was responsible for me and my own happiness.

After sometime sitting with this I got very excited and began to feel empowered. I am in control!!! I decide my future, just like you do!!

We have the power to change anything we aren't happy with!! A great book that helped me with this is 'how to get from where you are to where you want to be' by jack Canfield.  I highly recommend it, especially if you are looking to take control of your life or are in a situation be is work, relationship, living situation that you are not happy with.

Please don't spend time moaning about others, what they are or aren't doing for you or how they are treating you, when you have the power to change any situation you aren't happy with!




















A friend of mine was always complaining about Facebook and how there were people on her timeline venting about their relationships or work and it made her so frustrated!  We spoke about it at length and she realised she had the option to change her frustration, she could either leave Facebook or delete/unfollow the people whom frustrated her.  Right then and there she unfollowed all the people whose comments frustrated her and she stopped moaning!! She changed from frustrated to empowered in an instant! Simple as that!

I hope you found this useful, please share any revelations you have had recently or any advice you have to help shift from an unhappy situation in to a positive place :-)

Love Ashly x
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5 Secrets to Maintaining Beautiful Hair Extensions


Hair extensions make your hair thicker, fuller, longer.  I've been having them for years, I got my first set in 2005! Wow time flies.  They become quite addictive actually! A bit like getting your nails done, they just make everything look better!

The hairdresser tells you a couple of tips and may even give you a care packet but nothing prepares you for extensions like talking to somebody who has had them for years. 

With this in mind I know how hard it is when you first get them done and you don't really know how to look after them, they are not cheap after all so you want to make them last as long as possible.

Here are my secrets to keeping your hair extensions in great condition and making them last as long as possible! 

1. Always dry your roots.
This is where the bonds will be so whenever you wash your hair make sure that you take a couple of minutes to blow dry your bonds using COLD air.  I would use the hot setting on my blow dryer and they would get all warm and soft which is the opposite of what we want. So always use the cold setting. 

2. Wash less
It's a good idea to wash your hair as little as possible to keep your bonds in tact.  Dry shampoo is a lifesaver for this.  Extensions tend to hold styles and curls a lot better so why wash it if you don't need to? You can also do a top wash.  Section your hair in half, making sure all the extensions and bonds are neatly tied in a bun at the nape of your neck out of the way, leaving your natural hair free at the top of your head. Put your head upside down over the bath and do a shampoo and condition on the loose/top part of your hair. I do this once per week between washes. 

3. Serum and mask
It's likely that the ends of your extensions will get dry because they are not attached to your head they are not getting any oil to them.  To combat this I use an all natural hair serum by arbonne on my ends everyday, it keeps them shiny.  

4. Shampoo sans SLS
One of the main reasons my extensions often last 6 months is because I only use shampoo with out nasties like sodium laurel sulphate and silicones. SLS is a foaming agent which strips away the colour and moisture of your hair.  Best to avoid these ingredients to promote longevity of your extensions. I use Arbonne FC5 shampoo and conditioner.

5. Brush gently
I know this sounds simple but it really makes such a difference.  Brush your hair very gently and hold on to the top part of your hair while you run a soft bristled brush from near your hand to the bottom of your hair.  Braiding your hair at night to keep it from getting tangled over night is a great idea too!

Feel free to share your tips on keeping your hair extensions in great condition…

Love Ashly xx
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To Tattoo or not to Tattoo that is the question


For a while now I have been thinking about getting a tattoo.  I know I know it is not a decision to be taken lightly.  Tattoos are for life, not just for Christmas ya know.  So where better to ask for the best advice but my readers?

I want a tattoo with meaning.  I want to look at it everyday and remind myself of the hard times I have been through, how I am so much stronger now than I have ever been.  I want it to give me strength.  Here are some ideas of what I want...

I like the idea of hearts and flying birds, for me they signify love, freedom, hope and power.

So what do you think?  Do you have any tattoos or would you get one?

Ashly xxx
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