So where did it start? Well, my birthday is August the 23rd and it’s a really crappy time to have a birthday. Not so much as you get older, but when you’re school age it SUCKED. You’d spend the whole year celebrating your mate’s birthdays and when yours came round. Nothing, nada, ziltch, diddly, bleeding, squat. Maybe the solitary card from Auntie Joan would drop on your doormat, but nothing from your friends. Everyone was either in Tenerife or had just about forgotten you after a long summer. Organising a party was impossible and then, by the time everyone was back from their all incy, it was just too late to celebrate. It doesn’t help that my birthday almost always falls on Bank Holiday Weekend meaning that even if people weren’t on their jollies, they were almost certainly busy doing family stuff. So as a kid who should be excited about their birthday, I used to find myself dreading mine as not only did it herald a big serving of disappointment, its also heralded the end of the Summer. And I guess, the week before September starts, I’m already in kind of a funk just before it starts.

But that’s not the only reason, oh there are many. And if you’re the same as me, please feel free top add your bug bears in the comments.

So here we go, reasons I despise September. lets get into it…

1. It’s spider season

And yes, this is important enough to go as number 1. Those eight eyes little bastards can absolutely go step on lego. The instant invasion has already started in our house. On the 23rd August, YES, my actual birthday. I was sitting in my dressing gown having a lovely cuppa when I felt something on my face. A quick brush off and a spider which made an audible thump fell to the floor. Genuinely, the size of my palm. It has taken all the restraint I own not to immediately list the house on Rightmove. Spiders so big they carry weapons is not a thing I can get on board with.

2. The kids are another year older.

And yes, I know that sounds ridiculous as they turn a year older on their actual birthday, but September brings a new school year. And that feels like the biggest reminder that another year has flown by. The thing is, I LOVE being a mum, it’s been something that I know I’ve nailed and honestly, the years I’ve had my kids have been hands down the happiest of my life. But our eldest are now 16 and just about t start sixth form and our youngest is in her final year at primary. And September reminds me just how quickly that time has passed, so much so I can feel my heart being crushed. This year is the first I’ve had sleepless nights, yes we have a lot going on but this September has been riddled with tossing and turning. There have been many a 3am mind race of our kids slipping through our fingers. The dread of them not being here which is compounded by the shame and disappointment that we only moved to this house for them and we haven’t even been able to finish it whilst they’re still here. What was the point! Wow, that escalated quickly didnt it. And let’s not even get into how sad I feel when I look at pictures of them when they’re little, as if those memories are just slipping further and further away.

Ok, I’ve just realise I could probably do with some therapy right?

3. Quite simply, it’s the end of the Summer

And I’m a summer gal. I’m here for the Rosé, the sun on my face, the sand in my toes, the smell of a bbq and the long bright days. September literally abruptly tips you off the edge of the cliff of Summer. It marks the start of dark night, short days, colder, damper weather. I cannot possibly see who people are OK with that. More electricity consumption, more Vitamin D requirements. And oh to be judged when you still ask for a glass of Rosé in September!

4. All of the organised people crawl out of the woodwork

So many people celebrating their new planners, their lists and their shiny new notebooks. People revelling in the new sense of fresh start that September gives them. When all it does for me is remind me just how disgustingly disorganised I am. You can guarantee that come the first day of school there will be at least three major things that I’ve forgotten to do for the kids (this morning it was realising that I’d sent Dots to school without any indoor shoes). I am perpetually an organisational shambles. I have notebooks that have never been noted in and planners that have never been opened. I’m literally allergic to order and every September reminds me just how crap I am. I’ve given up trying to change, there’s zero point but I do need to avoid the smugs on social.

5. The draughts

Ok, this is a niche one that I’m sure many of you won’t experience but for the past 11 years, we have lived in houses that are over 100 years old. And with that comes draughts of arctic tundra levels. You forget about them, a bit like forgetting about pain of childbirth enough to get knocked up again. By March, you’ve been blown about so intensely that you’re absolutely selling up and moving to a new build, but then the weather warms up a few degrees and you forget. September reminds you of your utterly stupid mistake in choosing an old house over something more hermetically sealed.

6. The pumpkins

At what point did the invasion of pumpkins happen? When did we get riddled with the ugly orange monstrosities? In shops, on clothes, on homeware and don’t get me started on mugs shaped like them. They never use to be a thing, never! I don’t remember anything other than the odd one on your doorstep when I was a kid. Now we’re all forced to ‘decorate for Autumn’ and buy a load of pumpkin tat that we absolutely don’t need. Spoiler alert, you don’t need it. I wouldn’t mind, but they also taste like shit.

7. Autumn flavoured anything.

Pumpkin spiced lattes… Get in the actual bin.

Spiced Autumn candles… Sickly sweet and worth avoiding TK Maxx for the whole of Autumn (sorry TKMaxx, I love you any other time of the year).

Overly cinnamonned cakes and biscuits… Only time cinnamon is acceptable is in a freshly baked cinnamon roll. this is not up for discussion, Do not try and sneak cinnamon into my savoury food.

Pumpkin pie… No Sireeeeee.

7. Barren bank holiday Monday calendar

From Eater to August, they’re like rats and then come September, you’ve gotta wait forever for a brucey Bonus Monday. And no, I’m not counting Christmas and New Year as Bank Hols as they obligatory festivities. But even if I did, that’s still a solid 4 months of waiting from August. It’s ludicrous, we need a Thanksgiving style holiday please!

8. It’s hair shedding season.

Now, I only learnt about this last year and now I live in dread of shedding season. Hairs that entered a resting phase during the lovely sunny summer months release and fall out in large numbers as the weather cools. Now, last year was a shocker for me hair wise. I lost a lot of weight and then brutally, in September, my hair fell out. Not just got finer, it fell out in handfuls. I’ve written a piece about it here if it’s something that you suffer with too because honestly, it was one of the worst things that has ever happened to me. And if it’s happening to you too, there are absolutely things that will help. A year on and I now have so much hair that I moan about it. Yep, I know that;s an incredibly annoying thing to say.

But even though I’m out of the other side, knowing we are about top enter the main shedding season still terrifies me, I’m literally wounded by hair loss.

9. Snot

Put simply, with 4 kids, my house will be 4000% more snot ridden than it was in August. As the kids dip their toes back into the germy pool that is new school year, our house will be riddled with coughs, sneezes and snot that comes with it. They will of course, kindly share this around which will make work again, 4000% less both enjoyable and productive. As I wave the boys off tomorrow, I do so knowing they will return practically glow in the dark with bacteria and virus.

10. Washing

Sweater weather, layering, call it what you want but all I see is more washing. School trousers with ankles splattered with mud after their first wear. Extra layers of clothes bunged in the washing pile because thats easier than putting their clothes in the actual wardrobe right. Gah that gets my goat. Please tell me it isnt just my kids. W

Things I can actually get on board with

1. Jumpers. I bloody love a cosy jumper.

2. Fleece lined leggings. You can find the elite of ALL the leggings here, and you cannot beat this budget pair. I have them in almost every colour and if I’m in the house from now until Christmas, I’ll be wearing them.

3. Warm beds. We’ve just started using the Eight Sleep Pod which is unbelievable. Full review coming soon

4. Slow braised meals. Meat that falls off the bone and that’s dripping in gravy is my love language, But I’d eat that in August too!

5. Crispy leaves. But then they turn soggy and mess your shoes up.

6. Reclaiming my house. Love my kids but trying to do a full time job with them needing around the clock snacks and attention is not the one.

7. Throws. Specifically throws used as blankets when I’m watching TV. Just need to make sure they’re shaken out first with spider season an all.

8. Staying in. No explanation needed.

OK, one final thing as I was trying to explain this to a friend the other day and I just thought it was the same for everyone. When I imagine the year, I only ever imagine is as a circle, well, more of an oval really, with December at the top right. My friend looked at me like I was bonkers. I used chat GPT to try and sketch out how I imagine the year in my head. But am I the only one? I cant possibly be?!

So tell me, are you ‘Pro’ September or are you a ‘No’ September.

It’s only been over the last three years that I’ve invested time, money and a whole lot of patience in finding out what actually works for my skin. Be under no illusion, my skin still looks in it’s 40s and you know what, I love that. I don’t want to look ridiculously young, I’m nearly 50 and it’s a privilege to be able to say that. I just want my skin to be the best it possibly can be and so I’ve done everything I can to make that happen. So, if you’re in your thirties or above then read on, in fact sod that, if you’re in your twenties make sure you are too, because this is something I wish I’d known much sooner.

This post is sponsored by Renew + Me who have played a huge part in my skin story. I will share a discount code below if you’d like to try

Now this post is going to mostly feature the devices I use on my skin because I covered the products I use in this article here. If you haven’t read it, it really is worth a read because it goes back right to the beginning. I also share my PCOS beard battle which, quite frankly, no-one talks about anywhere near enough these days. Us hairy girls think we’re going it alone and it’s pretty miserable thinking you’re the only one who could stuff a pillow with the hairs they pull out of their chin. Heck, I even have designated ‘coma’ friends. Friends who I have trusted to come and pluck me should I ever end up in a position where I am unconscious for any length of time. Heaven forbid that ever happens but lying there growing a beard is something that keeps me awake at night.

The Foundation of My Skin Transformation

But before I talk about devices, I have to talk about the one product that in my mind has made one of the biggest differences. And trust me, I have tested a LOT of very expensive products over the years. Renew + Me’s Nightly Active Treatment is a product that I swear by and is non-negotiable. I’ve been using Renew + Me now for nearly 3 years. It’s a product that changed my skin within weeks of starting to use it and it’s a brand that I deeply trust. It’s designed by Dermatologists and is packed full of active ingredients with a retinoid that is 20x more potent than highstreet alternatives and quite frankly, I now wouldn’t be without it. It’s helped every aspect of my skin complaints and there was a fairly long list of those. Redness, broken veins, dryness, large pores, fine lines and wrinkles, deeper in some areas). In fact the only thing I don’t seem to suffer with is acne or pigmentation. Lucky right? But let’s refer to the aforementioned beard, which would you rather have?

As you can see in the photo above, my redness has cleared up significantly—consistency really pays off. But look at my nose, go on zoom in if you dare! Look at the difference in the pores and the texture! And then the fine lines around my eyes too. Seriously impressed.

As much as I didn’t want to think about it in my 20’s, that is the time that your collagen starts depleting. Actually at a rate of 1% a year. That’s the stuff that gives you the plumpness, the elasticity, the glow! Renew + Me Nightly active Treatment is proven to increase skin cell turnover and boost collagen, helping to keep your skin lovely and juicy. My goals were redness and fine lines but they also treat adult acne, pigmentation, wrinkles and texture.

What I love the most about it though, is the access to experts. It doesn’t feel like you’re just pulling a bottle from a shelf because it’s pretty, or because you’ve seen an offer. You start with a full deep dive into your skin which is assessed by experts. A consultation where you identify your personal skin problems. Problems that are then listened to by experts who can tailor your specific dose of active ingredients to your skin and to you. It’s highly personal, unlike any over the counter product. But what I REALLY love is that you have access to those experts. Once you know your skin can tolerate those actives, you can request tweaks in your doses. I’ve upped mine considerably over the years and the difference is insane. Can you tell I love it! And Renew + Me are so confident in their formulas that they offer a 12-week money-back guarantee if you don’t see results meaning you can try it risk free

If you fancy giving it a go, you can try your first custom month for just £6.99 (a saving of over 75% off regular price) using code TOTHEWOODS at checkout.

Click here to start your consultation & claim your £6.99 first month

Right, let’s get into the devices.

My top 3 devices for my skin that have given real results

There was a time when there was only one little rechargeable handheld device in my bedside table and that was stored in a little black bag for no-one to see. But now, well, now there are multiple and if I’m entirely honest, I would 1000% rather reach for the skin ones than the little black bag.

I’m gonna keep it simple because I think the beauty device world is overwhelming, I’m just going to share the 3 that I use the most, the 3 that if I’m going away on holiday, I will actually take with me. The 3 that have the most science behind them because that’s exactly how my brain works;. If I cant read a paper on how and why they work, I ain’t buying it.

What I love about devices is that are non invasive. That’s the medical term for not entering the body or breaking the skin. I have always been really open with you and openly admit that I’ve absolutely had some medical treatments in my time. Some that I love, some which I will never have done again (looking at you here under eye polynucleotides you ouchy little devil). I will absolutely cover this in another article. But for now, these are for the people who want results with no needles.

1. CurrentBody light mask.

Another non negotiable for me. It truly is an excellent piece of kit. Now, I’ve been lucky enough to try a number of different masks over the past few years but I keep coming back to this one for comfort and storability. Many of the competitors are rigid whilst the CurrentBody one is flexible and moulds to your skin. I can store it flat and it packs in my case easily without the worry of it breaking.

So, how does it work? Here’s the science bit. The mask emits a red and near infrared like so unlike UV light, it doesn’t damage the skin. Instead, the specific wavelengths of light are absorbed by molecules within cells. This then stimulates cellular activity, which in turn promotes tissue repair, collagen production and a reduction of inflammation. And do you know what, I think that’s probably all you need to know about it. I did a deep dive on the science so could easily bang on about the ATP and mitochondrial activity but honestly, just trust me, the science behind red light therapy is there and this is definitely worth investing in.

There are different types of mask available. A red light mask, a blue light mask and then one that has both. I just have the red light which tackles aging. The blue light works on calming spot prone skin. If you can stretch to it, get the one that has both blue and red light.

Link is here and if you use the code KATIEWOODS there should be 10% off too.

I’ve also banged on multiple times about how good the helmet is for hair growth too. Completely different ball game with how easy it is to store but it really is excellent.

I’ve linked here and the code works on this too.

2. The Zip Halo 2

Oh my goodness, I never thought this would work as well as it did. I watched demos on Instagram and genuinely never believed what I saw. And then I tried one myself and the results are instant. It’s a small handheld device that delivers microcurrents and nano currents. Again, both of these promote cell activity which tackle aging and inflammation.

So it works in two ways, cumulatively in the way that I have just described, and also immediately. The latter is the added bonus effect with the Ziip Halo, the electrical stimulation of facial muscles can temporarily change their tone and give the face a more sculpted and lifted appearance. I’ve done multiple demos over on instagram and shown the real time effect. You can see them here.

Just look at those immediate results. The brow lift is insane, really opens up the eye.

So whilst the LED light mask involves the stillness of the light persuading the cells to behave like younger versions of themselves, the Ziip takes a slightly more aggressive approach, electricity. Whilst it isn’t powerful enough to electrocute you, it will excite youthful little skin cells into more stimulated versions of themselves. Both work, and both work really well, it’s not beauty witchcraft, it’s actual science.

I’ve linked the Ziip Halo here and if you use the code WOODS you’ll get 10% off

3. The Foreo Luna 4 facial cleansing brush.

Ok, this is bougie but I really do rate it. Yes applying the right product for your skin is vital, but so is getting it off. And we all know that make up will go on eleventy hundred times better if your skin is prepped properly. Not only does this remove 99.5% of dirt, oil, sweat and residue, it also gives a really, rather lovely massage.

I’ve linked this one because it’s the best on sensitive skin, and although I’ve been working hard on my skin over the past few years, it’s still super sensitive and will tell me in the most obnoxious way possible if it doesn’t agree with what I use or put on my skin. This is usually in the form of instant flaking, particularly in my eyebrows for some reason, along with peak tomato tones. This sensitive one has the softest silicone but is also really powerful and makes a huge difference.

You can shop the Foreo Luna 4 here. This is the cheapest place that I’ve found it.

(Quick Disclaimer on Combining Devices & Actives: Depending on the specific active ingredients in your custom formula and the device you’re using, you might need to pause your Nightly Active Treatment while using certain devices. If you’re ever unsure, just reach out to the Renew + Me Dermatology team—they’re super helpful and can advise on your specific routine!

So, there you go, my compact but bijoux list of my favourite handheld devices (omitting the one in the little black bag)

Any questions, please just shout

Don’t forget you can try your first personalised month of Renew + Me Nightly Active Treatment for just £6.99 (saving over 75%) with code TOTHEWOODS.

Click here to start your consultation and redeem the offer!

During our first visit to look round I nearly aged 20 years. We were in what was the dining room (now the room with the pink chandelier and blue ceiling). The estate agent was in there with us and we happened to be talking about ghosts, I literally said, ‘this place has gotta be haunted right’. At that exact moment a bell rang out in a distant room. All of us fell silent, the colour instantly lost from our cheeks. Was it a spirit that really didn’t want us as new custodians? And then we realised, Chris had, at that exact moment stepped on the servants bell that was hidden underneath the carpet. The bell that would have been under the dining table to call to summon the servants. Panic over but genuinely, it took me all day to recover from the fight or flight adrenaline surge that the bell had caused. Maybe we should have taken that as a sign to walk away from the sale.

So, what’s been happening within these four walls over the past 1600 nights. Well I need to firstly start by saying I absolutely do not believe in ghosts, 100% non believer here. But you know what, so many crazy things have happened that there just doesnt seem like any other explanation. To the point of both Chris and I being wide awake in the middle of the night shaking our heads and squeezing each others hands in disbelief. So, are you sitting comfortably? Are you alone? Are you ready to hear things that genuinely I would never have believed? Then let’s get into it…

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We built a 60m2 extension, floor to ceiling glass sliders, new kitchen, a new garage and utility room. Green r…

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Somehow, over the years, things have changed drastically.

This platform never used to be about competition, it used to be a way to express yourself and inspire. But as the opportunities for paid work grew along the way, your ‘friends’ started to turn into your rivals. And slowly but surely, that support that your ‘friends’ used to give you was replaced with silence or frostiness as if supporting your success could stifle theirs.

Individuality and creativity used to be celebrated. You were rewarded with reach for being the trailblazer, for being the one with the ideas. Now it seems that the only way to get any traction is to do what is deemed popular, cookie cutter creators just doing the same thing as everyone else. Following trends like little pocket lemmings. Creativity is being stifled by the desire to be popular.

But sadly popularity is the metric of success. More followers means the ability to impress, the ability to have more influence and ultimately the ability to charge more for your services. I get it, I understand the need for more. But genuinely, I have never understood the need to be unkind or unsupportive, especially as women who claim to be supporting each other.

Of course, it isnt just because people have become meaner, there are other factors in play. There are billions more people on the app, yep BILLIONS more. The choice of who to follow is vast meaning that you’re probably not at the top of people’s list anymore. Also, excellence has become the norm so it’s incredibly hard to get people to double tap now. I vividly remember back circa 2020 creating a stop motion piece of content for a job I was doing with Method. It went wild, the shares, the reposts, the comments about how clever it was. If I put that piece out today I’d get so few likes I’d probably end up in insta jail for a month. Punished for unpoularity. I was so proud of it at the time but the bar is so very high now. Standing out is hard, and often when you really ‘try’ and stand out you look needy.

What always shocks me is the amount of people telling you that they have the secret to social media success, you know, those reels with the ‘hook’ at the beginning telling you how to get views or how to be grow your account. Those posts might gain traction but next time, go click on the account, they are very unlikely to be large accounts. It’s sad that the posts we get served are the ones telling us how to succeed without really succeeding themselves.

There is no secret, there is no map for success, but there is a list of things that you can do that will help you get the most out of instagram. That’ll help you feed the Instagram beast without losing your mind and ensure that you really do get the most back.

So lets get into it…

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So before I share my bathroom cupboard, let’s chat about my main piece of dental advice, something that if you take on board for yourself (and your kids) it will be a game changer. .

It’s not how much sugar you eat, it’s the frequency that matters.

Incase you didn’t know the mechanism of tooth decay, Bacteria live in our mouths, and many of the decay causing bacteria live in plaque. The bacteria feed off sugar and the by-product of that feeding is acid (essentially the bacteria poop out the acid) The acid is what causes the decay. Remove the plaque and you won’t get decay, remove the sugar and you won’t get decay. But the reality is it’s near impossible to remove either and it’s way more about getting a balance that works. And here’s the truth, It isnt about quantity, its about frequency. Your teeth can cope with having five sugar hits a day as long as they are brushed well twice a day. Any variation in that balance and you will absolutely get decay.

And by sugar hit, I mean any type of sugar in your mouth. Now that could be a sip of a sweet drink, it could be a mega bag of haribo. It’s still classed as a sugar hit. And trust me there are hidden sugars everywhere, it’s so hard to eat something that is completely sugar free. Those hidden sugars are sneaky little suckers, they creep up where you least expect them and are often really prevalent in ‘healthy’ or ‘diet’ foods. Ketchup, baked beans, yoghurts, cereal bars, cereal, there blummin everywhere. So basically, any time you eat or snack, that’s a sugar hit. And I would say, every one of us has a munch five times a day. Hence why it is so very important that you keep your drinks sugar free. We all drink way more than we eat right? So every single one of those drinks will count as a sugar hit.

Now have a think about every time you ate and drank over the past few days? I would put money on it that you didn’t get that balance right. Maybe you skipped brushing before bed, maybe you you had a snack happy day. But too many of this kind of days and you will get decay.

People moan about how much dentistry costs, but the truth is, decay is totally preventable, decay is kinda your fault. so if you want to save yourself some dental bills then stick to that 5:2 rule. Here are a few things that will make that easier.

1. Save up your sweet stuff. A handful of treats here and there during the day is so much worse than eating them all at once.

2. If you have kids, have a big treat day rather than small treats every day. May mean the sugar high and low will be unbearable, but from a teeth perspective, it’s the way forward.

3. Save your sweet stuff until directly after your meal. Modern processed foods mean that you will likely have had sugars during your meal anyway, so adding a pudding will still count as just the one sugar hit.

4. Start looking at packaging more, you’ll be surprised just how much sugar is in every day hidden foods. Heinz tomato ketchup is 22.8% sugar with 4 g in a tablespoon. Thats nearly a teaspoon of sugar, thats the same as 3 small jelly cola bottle sweets.

5. This one is THE most important one out of them all. Drink sugar free drinks only. Drinks with sugar are a complete waste of money, calories and health. Every sip of a sweet drink is a sugar hit, and with only 5 to be playing with you don’t want to be wasting those on a drink. If you are going to have a sweet drink, have it with a meal. Now, I’m going to be controversial here, I’m going to include sugar free but sweetened drinks in with this too. ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS! I could write a whole article on this but I believe so strongly that sweet drinks should be restricted, if not banned for children that I will shout it naked from the rooftops. If you have kids, (or plan to have kids because it’s even more important for you) please let this be the thing that you take home from this. If you give your children sweet drinks, even if they are sugar free, you are training their brain to need something sweet when they are thirsty, not something wet. These habits are almost impossible to change as they get older and I can assure you, when they have a few quid in their pocket and they’re thirsty they will give zero farts about the sugar content. they will buy the brightest, sweetest most syrupy drink because that’s what their brain has been trained to crave. We’ve made parental mistakes along the way, we aren’t perfect, but this is one thing we are so proud of. We dont have juice, we don’t have cordial, we are a water only household. And our kids definitely have more than their fair share of sweets and sweet snacks but they are filling free and I believe this is entirely because of our drinks policy.

Sorry, I know that was a long one but it’s so vital and it will save you a small fortune, not only in drinks but in dental care.

6. Learn how to brush your teeth again. Look, I know you think you’re doing it right but theres a 98% chance you aren’t. And you know how I know? Because when I meet you, I can see it (and sometimes smell it). Most people think they’re doing a great job, but it’s actually quite difficult to brush your teeth to an expert level. If it’s helpful. I could maybe do another post on this as I’ve already wanged on enough about dental health but again, if youre going to take some dental nuggets home from this then here’s another…Do not rinse your mouth after brushing. Yep you heard right, just spit and go. Think of toothpaste as a topical cream. You wouldn’t apply moisturiser packed full of retinoids and then wash it off would you? Same with toothpaste. coat your teeth and then let it sink in. If you rinse, you’re washing away the topical effect of the fluoride.

Ok, I’ll stop banging on now and share with you whats actually inside my dental cupboard, what are the things that I actually buy and use. What are the things that will actually save you money in dental bills in the long term. And let’s start with electric toothbrushes. I have a bit of a love hate relationship with leccy TBs. Love them because they really can do a fantastic job, hate them because honestly, I think some people can get a bit lazy with them. Just thinking that they do all the work. And you need to know what to do with them. But if you like an electric toothbrush, this is the one I would buy.

The Suri 2.0 Sonic Electric Toothbrush

I’m MAD that I’m talking about this toothbrush and potentially selling it for the brand. Like really furious. I’m furious because I’m bitter that they wouldn’t work with me. They reached out to me regarding a collaboration and then ghosted me. Honestly, there really isn’t a better fit for an in influencer and brand. Shock horror, someone that actually knows what they are talking about in that field, but no, they ghosted me. I must get asked at least once a day about my thoughts on Suri and I’ve always kept quiet, because why would I want to sell for a brand who ghosted me. But very, VERY annoyingly, I really like the product and actually have one myself. So, I’ve decided to stop gatekeeping and at least I might make enough to buy myself a few new heads on my affiliate income!

Jokes aside, why is it the one I bought?

There are so many on the market but I love Suri. First and foremost it uses sonic tech which personally, I find gives me a better feel after brushing. And trust me, as a dentist, I was sent them all (not as an influencer, I rarely get approached by dental brands which I find crazy). The battery life on this mighty machine is unbelievable, it beats all others by a country mile. You won’t have to recharge for at least a month which is insane. Also, its eco credentials are amazing which is so important, an estimated 3.5-4 BILLION plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year. Suri uses recyclable aluminium which makes it long standing and the heads are again recyclable (for free). They’re also a fully B Corp brad so you know they care. They also just look really good in your bathroom. The only thing that I really didnt like about them was the lack of pressure sensor which could mean that you could over brush. the 2.0 now has a pressure sensor. So really, they’re pretty ruddy great. I have the green but there are some beautiful colours.

Highly recommend this version as it comes with a UV cleaning case which basically means that you can sterilise your toothbrush. There is also 25% of in the prime day sale which lasts until 26th June.

And if you don’t fancy a leccy TB you can always stick to a manual.

Curaprox Ultra Soft Toothbrushes.

Of course you can go and buy a multipack of cheap toothbrushes at Home Bargains and honestly, if it’s that or nothing then please do that. But If you want the elite level tooth brush then I love a Curaprox. They are Swiss built (and they do good chocolate right) and they are ridiculously gentle, If you’re an over brusher or you have sensitive gums then these will change your life. They have an octagonal handle which aid better positioning for a 45 degree angle to your gemlike (essential) and I also find they just last loads longer too. I would also really recommend these if you have braces on. They aren’t the cheapest but you really will love them and I’ve found another prime day deal on the 3 pack linked above.

Plaque disclosing tablets

OK, these are only a few quid and I recommend that any of you that have teeth (I suspect that’s 99% of you) all go and buy a pack. These really aren’t just for kids although we all remember chewing those tablets when we were at school right? I guarantee that most of you are missing spots in your mouth, and if you continue in ignorant bliss, its’s going to become a problem for your teeth and your gums. Keep a pack of these in your bathroom and have a little chew every now and then, it’ll keep you on your toes. Sand if you have kids, you absolutely need to spring these on them every now and then. Its such a great way to actually visualise where you’re missing.

Water flosser.

Ok, so I’m recommending this because flossing is really bloody hard. even with full dexterity and ALL the knowledge about what and where I should be flossing, I find it a royal PITA. It’s fiddly, it’s messy and it’s wasteful. But it needs to be done. I used to tell my patients who didnt floss to go ahead and do it and then smell the floss. It’s RANK, because brushing your teeth anime misses out around 30% of all surface, a brush simply cannot get in-between teeth, and those tight areas are mostly the arras where decay and gum disease start. A water flosser, although big and can be a bit cumbersome, is easier to use than floss if you dont know what you’re doing. Floss can actually be pretty dangerous if you’re just moving it up and down.

I like this water flosser from USmile

Tepe Brushes.

No bathroom should be without tape brushes. In fact, I carry them around in my bag. Another one for interdental cleaning and just much easier to use than floss. there are various different sizes depending on how big the gaps are in-between your teeth. But the blue ones are a good place to start and you can work up or down from there.

So there you have it, I could go on (and on) tbh. Because genuinely, I don’t want you to have to spend a fortune on your teeth. Dentists aren’t relying on you to need treatment, in fact, our favourite patients are the ones that come in regularly with a really healthy mouth. And you know what, writing this has made me really miss my job. Either I need to write about it more, or go back to my old job, what do you think?

If like me, dental care really is your thang then I’ve expanded this in my amazon storefront. You can find that here

And you know what, it makes me feel a little sad when I look back on that person from a few years ago. No energy, terrible skin, confidence through the floor. But you know what the turning point was? It was the unwelcome presence of the word no. I’d just started to notice myself saying no. I wasn’t socialising as much, I was saying no to jobs that were front facing, jobs where I had to step outside my comfort zone. I noticed myself saying no to photos and shying away from opportunities. I just realised I was hiding. And whilst I was hiding, I just wasn’t living.

It was time to make a change.

So, let’s chat about all the things over the past 18 months that have helped me reclaim my mojo. It hasn’t been easy, it’s been pretty uncomfortable at times but I finally feel like I’m at a peaceful balanced place in my life. here’s what’s helped.

My hair growing back

Ok, this is a biggie. In the words of Joni Mitchell, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’. But also, it takes a while to notice it going. My hair had always been my crown, my identity. I had the type of hair that everyone used to want to touch when I was younger. On reflection, I’d been losing my hair since the beginning of my 40s, I can see it now on old pictures. But I just didn’t notice. The beginning of 2025 took its toll on my body and by Summer of last year, I’d lost about 50% of my hair. I literally watched it disappear down the plughole every time I was in the shower. By Autumn my scalp was visible through my thinning hair and if I stood with the light behind me, it was practically ghost-like. Genuinely, this felt like the single worst thing that had happened, I felt out of control and I started spiralling.

I think unless you’ve experienced hair loss, it’s hard to wrap your head around how it feels. There’s the simple side effects like genuinely, your head feeling colder but the more complex ones like loss of identity and anxiety. What has been a complete game changer for me has been Hair + Me. I will always be 100% honest with you. I first started using it in June as part of a paid ad. I was full of hope and excited to show you the results but for me, my scalp just didn’t get on with the drops. It’s really unusual to have a reaction but my skin is horribly sensitive so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. At that point, I just gave up and thought I’d never speak of Hair + Me again but as the Summer went on and I lost more and more hair, I reached out to the team and they were amazing. they connected me to the experts who suggested using the tablets instead of the drops and sweet baby cheeses, I genuinely can’t believe the results. It took a few months but by Christmas the new hair that was coming through was unbelievable. Nearly a year on, I have never had hair as thick. My head now actually gets hot and I have never had as many compliments on my barnet.

My hair growing back has not only been a game changer, it’s been an actual life changer.

You can try your first month go Hair + Me for £4.99 with code KATIEW499 just click here and use the code.

If you’re interested, I wrote a longer piece on my hair loss journey, you can read it here.

Learning to not care what other people think

Now this has been way harder to implement than any of the others. If only it was as simple as just deciding that you aren’t going to care anymore. We all have years of scars to deal with and then for me its amplified as I live my life online. Apparently, if you put yourself out there, you have to expect the unsolicited opinions of others. Personally, I think thats that’s utter nonsense, I will never understand the need for a human to lash out a stranger. It says so much more about them than it will ever say about me but sometimes it’s just hard to unsee what has been written.

It’s taken a while but I really can genuinely say that I am unbothered at the options of others, I don’t care if they think I’m too fat, too thin, too anything! The only thing I would ever be bothered about is if someone said I wasn’t kind. Kindness is the most important trait of them all and the one I want to be ‘too much’ of. Which means you will always see me responding to the hate with kindness.

Last week I got stung by a ‘friend’. Someone I met online but have also met IRL who accidentally sent me a message that was meant for someone else, someone she was bitching to about me. It was a horrible one to receive, obviously she thought I was being too much of something but it hurt more than any I’ve had before, mostly because I used to chat with her weekly. It also hurt because when I called her out on it, instead of apologising, she just blocked me. Instead of ‘outing’ her online as I think many of you would have been shocked, I just took it as an opportunity to spread some kindness. I love bombed people I’ve met here, left voice notes telling them how proud I was of their achievements, I told friends I loved them, told creators how much they inspire me. Like Michelle Obama says, ‘when they go low, we go high’. And kill it with kindness, always. That’s the kind of mojo I want to be channelling.

Losing weight

I HATE that I’m saying this. I just don’t want it to be true. I’ve always spoken about body positivity and inclusion and always thought that a smaller body doesnt equal more happiness. And on the whole it doesnt, I was happy bigger and I’m happy now. But the truth is that there are many things that are just easier. And some things that are just more fun, and fun brings the mojo! I’ve written a whole article on this that you can read here, but I cannot believe the joy that I have rediscovered dressing my body. Historically, I’ve hidden it under large dresses and baggy trousers, but since I’ve lost weight it feels like I’ve shed the baggy clothes like a snake and its skin. I used to wake up in a morning and instantly worry about what I would wear that day, now it’s never something I think of negatively, I just grab what I fancy without thinking. And last weekend I went to a festival and wore sequin shorts. SEQUIN SHORTS, there is nothing that brings more mojo than actual sparkle.

Being honest about what I need

Like I mentioned before, when you’re a mum in the sandwich generation looking g after this above and below you, you’re pretty low in the pecking order. Your needs are last in the queue. But more recently, I’ve been prioritising mine, being more vocal about what I need to keep me happy. And I’ve learned that knowing and understanding the love languages is vital if everyone wants to feel loved and heard. Now, I could write a whole post on this one, maybe some day I will because as dramatic as this sounds, if I hadn’t learned the five love languages, Chris and I would definitely be divorces by now. So what are they?

Acts of service

Words of affirmation

Physical touch

Quality time

Gifts.

Whilst I’m a words of affirmation and a physical touch kinda girl, nothing makes me happier than a snuggle on the sofa while being told how much I’m loved. Chris is 100% acts of service. I don’t think he’s told me he loves me since 1998. But what he will do is fill up my car with petrol, get me a blanket when I’m cold or go through the unopened post I let pile up. So that cup of tea he makes me every morning, well that’s him saying it the only way he knows ‘I love you’.

Obviously, it’s not as simple as just a morning cuppa, but I am way more vocal to both him and the family about what I need and that’s a game changer.

Supplementing the heck out of life

Seriously, if theres a supplement to take, I’m, taking it. I rattle when I walk and have more collagen than a newborn now. Seriously though, I’ve done a lot of work on this one. I am eating better which already gives me a a baseline of decent nutrients but I’ve found a wonderful balance now in the supplements that I take and genuinely it puts a spring in my step. And don’t get ,e started on protein, the pressure to get enough protein in your 40s is more than any peer pressure I’ve ever fely=t before. All worth going that extra mile for.

If it helps, these are the vitamins that I swear by. I love them because they also have Biotin in which is amazing for skin and hair. There are well known supplements with added biotin that are three times the price of these.

I also take collagen and electrolytes along with all the protein I can cram in.

Taking care of my skin

I look back on photos of me a couple of years ago and don’t recognise my skin. It’s angry, it’s red, it’s blemished and far more wrinkly than it is now, which seems wild really. But I think your sin says so much about you, taking care of your skin gives you an armour. And if I could have a pound for everyone who has told me how glowy my skin looks, the milky bars would well and truly be on me. You wouldn’t believe how badly I treated my skin in my 30s, it was lucky if it ever even got make up removed from it and even if it did, sometimes it was a bit of lick on a finger rubbed under the eye. I know, gross right, but you know I’ll always be honest. But now, I’m fastidious and the difference is incredible. If you’re after product recommendations then click here. It has everything I love listed and linked. Interesting that Hair + Me’s sister brand Renew + Me is what I rate the highest for my skin health.

Good skin will make you literally glow, you won’t just get your mojo back, you’ll get your glojo too.

Starting HRT

If you’re sitting on the fence with HRT, I cannot recommend cracking on with it highly enough. Yes, there’s that icky 10 minutes every night when you’re laid out wet and naked waiting for your gel to dry but the balance that it will give you will be so very worth it. I’m only a few months in with my HRT but I feel more focussed and just overall more balanced. I’m also sleeping so much better. The biggest difference for me has been my anger levels. Over the past year, I felt like I’ve gone from zero to raging in a heartbeat. To a point where I’ve felt dangerous hot fury. Of course, it’s always been aimed at Chris but I guess it’s much safer to aim it at him than anyone else. Since taking HRT, everything feels better.

Saying yes

Whilst everyone else is telling you to say no more, I’m here to tell you that saying yes has made me feel great. Maybe because I’d stopped saying yes so much, particularly when it comes to work. A viral case of imposter syndrome had kicked in an and I’d found myself shying away from new opportunities. Then in August, I had a phone call from the team at Princess Cruises. It was probably one that a year before I wouldn't have even taken but last year I started saying yes more and it has opened up do many more doors. I found myself saying yes to a weeks worth of filming in the Caribbean with a huge crew. I knew I’d have to be camera facing, I knew I’d have to deliver lines and ‘perform’ but I said yes anyway, even though I didnt quite believe in myself enough to think I could pull it off. The result was the most fantastic week a human could have. I stepped so far out of my comfort zone, I was in another postcode but it left me with a roaring confidence that hasn’t really left. It also left me with friends for life. Say yes people, say a big fat YES!

Boundaries

Now, it might seem crazy to be recommending the yeses and then immediately big up boundaries. But boundaries don’t have to be the word no, they are just working out your limits. And often they’re in place because you’ve been scalded before.

Like a few months ago, I sent out hundreds of free copies of a paid substack for anyone who couldn’t afford it. Out of those hundreds, I got seven thank yous, SEVEN. I was so disappointed with the entitlement. So my boundaries were re established and I refuse to do it again, guess what, no disappointment.

Boundaries are there for protection, they’re a lovely cosy buffer and honestly, I’d love more.

So there you go, 18 months on from implementing some of the biggest change in a decade and honestly, I feel more like me than I have in years. Now go forth and reclaim your mojo xx

And don’t forget, you can try Hair + Me for the first month for £4.99. Just click here and use code KATIEWOODS499

If I had a pound for every time someone ‘accused’ me of taking a GLP-1, I’d be writing this from my first class seat on the way to the Maldives. I’ve seen the gossip, I’ve read the Tattle threads, and that’s just what I’ve seen. I’m sure there are many more DM’s and WhatsApp threads along a similar vein. The noise that weight loss generates is deafening.

And if I did, indeed have the aforementioned pounds, I would be feeling less rubbish about turning down one of the best paid jobs I’ve ever been offered. A few months ago, I was offered a five figure sum to be involved in a campaign for a GLP-1 brand. The fee would have taken a huge amount of financial pressure off us, it would have been a complete game changer. But like I mentioned in my previous post, even though I believed deeply in the messaging around the campaign, something about it made my bum twitch. And let’s be 100% honest, despite me vehemently proclaiming that trolls don’t bother me, I was petrified of who and what would come for me if I wrote about my feelings with a sponsor behind it. The message of the campaign was encouraging people to access support if they wanted to make changes. I believe in that, but people would have made snap judgements about me and the message would have been lost. At least writing it this way, you know each and every one of these words is mine and mine only.

So I waved a sad farewell to potential financial security (my agent thinks it was a stoopid move to turn that job down) and contemplated opening an OnlyFans foot page to make up for the loss. Shame I actually have pretty nice feet, apparently the worse the better income wise. Anyway, despite turning down the job, I couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to open up Mounjaro’s box. To delve in and share my honest feelings about it, and trust me, I have very strong ones.

So, let’s get into it…

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A few months ago I shared a very small and very new brand on my stories and they sold out within 24 hours. I’ve had messages from lovely Melanie since, saying that it absolutely put their business on the map. I’ll talk more about how it all came about further on but theres a very good reason why I went above and beyond for TheNuts Uk. And yeh, SUPERB nuts so check them out.

NGL, it’s tricky, especially if you are a small business. Your product is precious and your budgets are likely tight. You’ll want the big dogs because that means big prizes but probably can’t afford them. And it’s impossible to think that anyone wouldn’t want your product gifted to them, I understand that. But some influencers are on first name terms with their DPD drivers, they likely get product sent to them by the truckload. Many of the products they get sent will never even get featured online, so I’m here to help you make sure that doesn’t happen. I want the big dogs to get their hands on your product and there are definitely strategies that you can employ that will make that more likely to happen .

And as a little Brucey bonus for this one, if you’re a paid subscriber, feel free to to slide into my DMs and ask me anything you want about the perfect pitch to an influencer. Maybe you have product you want to get out and have no idea what to do, maybe you can’t find the right people. Maybe you have budget but don’t know what to offer or get in return or I could even look over a pitch email and Gove my opinion. This wizened old influencer has been round the block a few times so I’m happy to take a look individually. You can become a paid subscriber below.

Where do you start, the pool of talent is vast and the waters are stormy.

Ok, let’s get into it and warning, I call out some brands with screenshots and breakdowns of how they’ve done it wrong 😳😬.

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But it’s been a ruddy lovely week and I’m very much grateful for the busy, I will never take that for granted.

So he…

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So why now? Well, a few months ago, I was approached by a weight loss management brand with a view to working with them. It was very much a ‘no thank you’ moment but the message of the campaign was something that lit a little fire in me. The overriding message was ‘support’. Advocating for those who, if they want to make changes, get to do it carefully and with the most amount of support they could possibly access. And this resonated with me because I absolutely didn’t do that, I went headfirst with no safety nets. I restricted myself and I also did it quietly and almost secretively, which looking back on it was totally unhealthy. Will I take the job? Well my gut reaction was no so I passed (on a very healthy budget) but who knows, the more I talk about weight loss, the more people I have in my inbox telling me they want to make changes too. And it’s made me realise how wildly passionate I am about people being able to access care and help with no judgement. But despite me passing on this job, it made me want to shout it from the rooftops, do it safely, do it with support but do it knowing that YOU ARE ENOUGH ALREADY! So here I am shouting.

What lighting that little fire has done though, has made me open up a lot more and it’s brought hundreds of you here along the way. And you know what, that’s wonderful. I know that there’s many of you here for the gossip, lots of you here to find out what the ‘secret’ was to the weight loss. I can’t guarantee you either I’m afraid, there really hasn’t been any magic recipe. But what I can guarantee you is honest chat about the highs and lows of making changes to your body, especially at this really tricky stage of our lives. I can promise you support and encouragement from the sidelines and some essential community spirit. Substack really is a pretty cool place for that. So, I guess I’m just thanking each and every one of you for trusting me with your £6 a month, times are tricky and I don’t take it lightly. I really do hope that you stick around.

I’m also standing by my decision to keep this chat behind the paywall. Not only do I not want my kids (or anyone else’s) accessing this, but also, these posts take hours to write. And these in particular take an awful lot of emotion. The last post I wrote was deeply personal, as is this one. I share parts of my life that I haven’t shared with IRL friends. I haven’t written these posts for idle eyes to gloat or be nosey. It’s in the hope that someone will read the words and connect with them, and maybe just feel less alone. And whilst I was happy to send out a copy to those who requested the last post, Of the hundreds that I sent out, I can count on two hands the amount of thank yous I got back. Boundaries this time, are well and truly up.

So, what was the tipping point, why did I choose to make a change and how did I start.

Let’s get into it.

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But now, the global influencer marketing industry is currently valued at approximately $32.55 billion, a value which has tripled since 2020. And these figures are predicted to rise over the next decade. Why? Because Influencer marketing is generally regarded as one of the most successful forms of digital marketing with a ROI (return on investment) of $5.78 for every $1 spent.

Brands are spending a lot of money out there and why wouldn’t they, to create a piece of work to take to an advertising platform, a brand will need to employ…An ad agency to come up with the idea, a director, photographers, filmographers, actors, a location, editors, stylists, lighting, caterers, hair & make up and runners to name but a few. That’s before they have even paid to get that content out to a target audience. An influencer will be all of the above and then distribute it to their audience, answer questions and engage with comments. There is no magazine or TV that has the ability to do that…yet.

And so this isn’t an industry that is going away, it’s an industry that has given many people (me included) both an incredible life experience and a healthy income. Pivoting career in my 40s was genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever done and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities that have come my way. But I have made no secret of the fact that I fell upon this accidentally. My social media journey was born for a desire to be social, the connections I made, the inspiration that I gained. Nobody was really making any money online at the point at which my audience grew, I was doing it because I loved it.

A quick google will show you how much money an established influencer can make from one post, I’ll chat more about that further on in this piece. So it’s unsurprising that becoming an influencer would seem like a great career choice.

Not gonna lie, this job has changed my life, it’s wonderful and as I sat down to write this I reflected on all of the amazing things I’ve got to do I couldn't help but fell all the joy. I’ve travelled to the Maldives, designed my own range of furniture, been to movie premiers and next week I’m walking the red caret at the BAFTA’s. I’ve had opportunities come my way that I could only ever dream of. But I have been incredibly lucky, for me, it was very much a right place right time situation. My account boomed in the heady days of 2017-2020. On a normal day I would get about 400 new followers, on a day when someone shared my account, thousands. It was average to get a couple of thousand likes per post in the first hour ad engagement was off the chart. Now, getting a like out of someone is like wringing a cloth fresh out of the tumbler. What I’m saying is that growth and success came easily for me, its just not the same anymore and if this is the pathway that you (or your kids) are considering, then this is a post worth reading.

So, you wanna be an influencer? Of course you do, there are so many pros. No boring 9-5, control over your work schedule, creativity to the max, ‘freebies’ galore, a whiff of fame and masses of earning potential. What do you need to know. I’m going to share what I’ve learnt from nearly a decade of being online. I was an influencer before I even knew I was an influencer, let’s say an OG. And trust me, not only have I learnt a lot along the way, I’ve also made a lot of mistakes.

Let’s get into it…

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Now, in my gardening, joyfully staying in and unexplained aches era, I finally feel like I’m at a point where, dare I say it…I’m pretty darn happy with the way that I look. I mean, maybe it’s just that I give way fewer farts than I ever used to, maybe other people’s opinions matter far less than they ever used to, or maybe my standards have just mellowed in my older and wiser years. Either way, it feels so blummin comfortable and I and here for it!

So, let’s talk skin, one of my favourite topics since I hit my 40’s, because quite frankly, it just wasn’t really a topic in my 20s and 30s. It really wasn’t something that I ever really had to think about. I was actually one of those really annoying people with great skin, trumped only by one of those really annoying people who tells you that their babies sleep through the night. I never really had spots, I never really wore any make up and my eyelashes and brows were dark enough that it always looked like I had mascara on. It wasn’t all plain sailing though, I have PCOS and before I even started my period, I had started on growing a moustache that any Bavarian pipe smoker would have been proud of. And this was in the 80s, there was no laser, there was no access to information or support. I literally thought that every knock on the door was someone there to cart me off to the circus. It was brutal growing up bearded in the 80’s and 90’s. But underneath the fuzz, was skin to dream of.

So my 20’s and 30’s were relatively plain sailing as far as skincare. It wasn’t reactive, it wasn’t spotty and once I’d found my groove and battled it out in the hirsute olympics, things were pretty simple.

And then I hit my 40’s…

And I’d LOVE to say it went ‘tits up’, but to add insult to injury, they very much went down around the same time. So let’s say, everything changed.

My incredibly glowy, incredibly peachy and plump skin changed almost overnight. As my ovaries sensed a whisper of the ‘peri’ my skin turned red in protest. A literal red flag. What I thought was just angry and inflamed skin, turned into a fast paced dose of rosacea with a side order of fine lines, broken veins, wrinkles and dryness. And it didn’t go away, not for years. In an attempt to treat my skin, I bought every expensive lotion and potion I could, unaware that my skin had become more sensitive than a toddler’s feelings and would flare up wildly at most new things I tried.

And so the 5 year battle with my skin started, it’s not been a pretty battle. There have been very costly casualties over that time. The eye watering big branded retinols that I’ve had to casually give to friends. And the product that have ended up straight in the bin after not living up to their hype. I hate the phrase, but it really has been a journey.

When I sat down to write this post, I honestly thought that it would be a simple bullet list of all the products that have worked for me, but as the words have flowed, I’ve realised its so much bigger than that. It’s not just the things you put on your face but it’s also the things you put inside your body. It’s the way you look after yourself on a holistic level and its also just the way you feel. It’s not just a question of slapping some product on. I’ve used devices on my skin. I’ve also experimented with some tweakments and some injectables too and I’m perfectly happy to share that with you aloof the way.

But as always, with me, it’s a long story so let’s break this down so I don’t lose you to the washing pile or a doom scroll. This is Part 1. Diet, supplements, devices and tweakments will follow.

And those of you who have been around for a while on Instagram, it goes without saying that I will only ever talk about products that work.

Part 1. Skincare that I swear by

1. Renew + Me Nightly Active Treatment £6.99 for the first month £29.99 thereafter.

I cannot shout loudly enough about Renew + Me. I’ve been using their product for well over 2 years now and it’s the one thing that I’ve been 100% consistent with. Genuinely, this was the first product I started using where I actually noticed a huge difference. And the thing about Renew + Me is that it IS different. It’s a product that is designed by Dermatologists and it’s specifically tailored to your skin. It’s not a question of ‘quick buy’, the product needs to be prescribed and that takes a whole team of experts. Your skin is assessed via photos and a questionnaire and your formula is tweaked to address your specific skin needs. The active ingredients are formulated for you and you only, for me, they were based on redness being my problem area but the active ingredients also treat fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, hyperpigmentation and skin texture. They also boost collagen production which savagely diminishes after the age of 20, 1% each year to be precise.

What I’ve also found amazing is the after care, it’s easy to speak to skin specialists to talk about your treatment. Over the course of the 2 years I’ve been using it, I’ve tweaked my dosage and upped the percentage of active ingredients. This is something that relies on specialist help and guidance, yes, you could probably do it yourself but you could damage your skin in the process. You can’t muck about with retinols and these ingredients are 20x stronger than high street retinols. Renew + Me comes with a nightly doser that delivers the perfect amount prescribed for you and

I’ll pop some before and after pictures in here which will show you the wild difference to the images that I submitted on my first consultation in 2023. I find it pretty hard to recognise the skin (and the person) in that before shot.

You should start seeing results after 8 weeks and Renew+ Me are so confident that they offer a full money back guarantee after 12 weeks.

You can try your first month for £6.99 with my code WOODS699

Just use this link here

2. CeraVe cleanser £13.88 for 256ml

I have skin angrier than my teens when the Wi-Fi drops out and honestly, this has been the best cleanser I have used so far. So much so, aforementioned teens have been known to steal it. It’s so unbelievably gentle on the skin. It’s also crazy good value and will last you for yonks. I use the Hydrating cleanser which you can find by clicking here, but if you have skin prone to blemishes use the one with Salicylic Acid and if your skin is dry, rough or bumpy, use this smoothing formula instead.

Trust me, I’ve tried some horrifically expensive cleansers over time and I keep coming back to this one.

3. Rosealique Anti Redness Formula £32.99

If I could only have one product in my make up bag forever more, it would be this. I adore it for the way it makes my skin look but I also adore it because it is packed full of amazing ingredients that help treat redness too. It genuinely is a miracle cream and I would feel emotionally itchy if I dont have it nearby. genuinely, thats how much I love it. It’s a little terrifying as it’s bright green but if you can relax into the Elphaba, it will give you the warmest glow and leave you confident wearing that and no other make up. It’s also Factor 50 which is a proper Brucey Bonus.

I feel like I’ve tried most of the redness colour correctors on the market, I could write a whole post on those but close runners up to Rosealique are Erborian which is slightly lighter in texture and paler in finish. And Medik8 which again is lighter.

4. Tatcha Dewy skin

Now this is a splurge, and if I’m honest, I havent yet replaced it since my full size sample from an old Space NK advent calendar ran out. But one day, when I dont have to pay for roof tiles and insulation anymore, I’ll get some more Tatcha Dewy because it absolutely does what it says on the tin. Dewy AF.

5. Dennis Gross facial peels

Not sure how I ever lived without these before. Bold statement but genuinely, it’s an amazing product. they are daily peel wipes that literally blast any debris from your skin surface. Like very mini acid peels that. You can double cleanse all you like but try using one of these after a cleanse, I guarantee you’ll be shocked at what’s on the wipe. Again, these are spenny, they are for everyday but personally, I dont use them everyday. Also, top tip. but them in half and you’ll get 2 uses out of them.

6. Ultra Violette Clean Screen Sensitive Sunscreen £32 50ml

In the words of Baz Lurhman, wear sunscreen. It’s the kindest thing to do to your skin. I was brought up in the. times when you went pink because you thought it would turn brown later. What a wally! I have to say though, I find sunscreens so very heavy. This is super light and fragrance free and it doens’t irritate my skin at all. Yes, 50 would be better, but I already use 50 with my rosealique so this really is just belt and braces.

7. UBeauty The SCULPT Neck + Décolleté Concentrate

OK, this one is a bit spenny, not gonna lie, but if your turkey neck has been warbling at you then this is what you need. Honestly, I feel like after losing 6 stone, I’ve got away pretty darn lightly with loose skin. The inly place that I’ve really noticed it has been on my neck. We all know that moment when we open our camera phone right and you’re greeted with dewlap. Yep, google that word and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Anyways, this cream has been utterly brilliant. I also have the sculpt arm compound that takes care of any loose arm skin. It’;s a dream too. My code KATIEWOODS20 should work for a 20% discount.

8. GATINEAU SKINCARE - Age Benefit™ Regenerating Cream

I adore anything and everything Gatineau. I have super sensitive skin and this just agrees with me. It feels rich and plumping and just beautiful on my skin. There is also an amazing collagen range but I’m a sucker for anything with Age in the title. I will link a set here which is a good one to try and it’s investment skincare and you need to know that you like it. Linked here.

So there you go, that’s Part 1. Thank you to Renew + Me for sponsoring this post. I can assure you that you won’t regret trying it, my inbox is full of people telling me that they love it as much as I do.

And remember, love hard on yourself, I promise you will look back on pictures of yourself in years to come and long to look exactly as you do now. And if you cant do that right now, just mellow your standards a bit, it feels great.

What do you fancy next week? Shall we go supplements, devices or straight into juicy tweakments?

https://www.renewandme.com/i/TOTHEWOODS

Deep breath, I’m going in.

It’s funny, I have spent a year wriggling out of any questions that people have asked me about this. I’ve been adamant that sharing would be the wrong thing to do. Why? Well because my space online has always been a very open and inclusive one, and the last thing I would ever want to do is make anyone feel that they need to shrink or change themselves to feel better. So a few months ago I delved deep within my heart to write a post all about the uncomfortable things that had happened since I lost weight. It was a heartfelt piece that was uncomfortable to write, but the noise around my changing body had become deafening online and I felt I had to respond. You can read the piece here if you missed it. It was my most read post of all time and that says a lot right?

It’s interesting that I chose to quieten the noise with a relatively negative piece on weight loss. With hindsight, I just think I was trying to shut the conversation down. But the questions haven’t stopped coming, in fact, they’re coming in quicker and faster than they ever have before. And if I’m honest, the questions that I got, always triggered me a little, they made me put my defences up even higher and I almost certainly made them about me. But recently, I’ve been having a good old ponder about why that might be and I’ve realised, those questions aren’t an attack on me, they are simply from people who want to make changes themselves. And me not talking about it will never change that, but perhaps if I do share my experience, it could genuinely help.

So, I’m going to open up a little more here about what I’ve done, how I’m maintaining (harder for me than losing if I’m honest), how I feel about GLP-1s, and all the lovely things that I’ve noticed since my body has changed rather than the focus on the negative. I’m going to stagger it as I have a lot to say, I’m going to start this one with an intimate, yet positive post.

I also want to explain why all of this will be for my paid subscribers only. I’ve always been very honest online, and I haven’t been shy about sharing the amount of trolly messages that I get. Some of which cross the line into abuse. I’m strong and I’m thick skinned but there are some things that just cannot be unseen and honestly, the majority of the trolling that I get is mostly about the size of my body. Too big, too small, too much, not enough, it’s impossible. The paywall is there entirely to protect me. I’m not writing this for big numbers or virality, I’m writing for those people that have a genuine interest and may benefit. Not for the nosey people who will then jump straight on Tattle because if you’re gonna take advantage of me, you’re at least going to have to buy me a drink first.

I’m also mindful that this is not the kind of content I want my kids (or any kids) having access to.

Doing it like this is the only way I can keep my circle small and keep those boundaries intact. I’m not bulletproof, as much as I sometimes like to think I am. So if you fancy becoming a paid subscriber, it’ll be lovely to have you along for the ride. There are 4 posts per month that free subscribers don’t get access to. I’d love to say they’re weekly but my brain and life can be quite chaotic so they may be like buses and all cone at once!

And if that £6 is out of your reach and you really think you would benefit from reading this, drop me a message. Like I said, this isn’t about making a quick buck, it’s about protecting myself.

So, lets get into it…

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Now, I’m a woman in my very late 40’s and I spend an unhealthy amount of time on Instagram. Interesting thing is, I’m not alone. There is huge proportion of the population that spend way more time on social media than they do watching TV, reading magazines, or listening to the radio. Those traditional ad streams just don’t reach many people now, in fact, I can’t really remember the last time I watched an actual TV ad. Actually, I can and it was DREADFUL. Honestly, I’ve seen better, more creative ads on my morning scroll shot by people just like me on their iPhones. But that’s another post in the making.

Anyways, the key to any content that you’re putting out is to get people to take a closer look. You want people to be intrigued and want to know more about your account or business. You want people to head straight for your profile and take a deeper dive.

But what happens when they get to your profile and it all goes wrong. They can’t quite work out what you do or what you sell. They can’t get the info they need to drop you that follow, they want to contact you but can’t work out how. They want to know more about who you are but it’s just not clear. well, they’ll skip straight past to the next reel that they’ll likely only watch the first 3 seconds of. Attention spans are pretty hard to come by nowadays.

Whenever I give advice to businesses, especially those that are reticent about upping their social media presence. I explain to them that I do not either buy anything, or access any service until I’ve been on their Instagram page. I just find an Instagram profile page gives me everything I need. I don’t have to click through multiple buttons to an ‘about’ page. And the gallery that is normally multiple clicks away is just there right in front of you. 12 squares of everything I really need to know. Having an instagram page that you don’t curate or keep on top of is pointless, it’s like putting in a telephone line to your business and then not answering the phone.

So let’s get into it, how can you build that perfect landing page so that anyone can access what they need and then hop on board for the ride with you.

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And who says that there is any difference in the quality anyway. A few years ago I found some bar stools on Cox & Cox, they were wicker and exactly what I was looking for. The delivery time was 6 weeks because at the point in time there was a 400m container ship blocking the Suez Canal and apparently, that stock was in a queue waiting to get past it. So I decided to look around and found some that looked awfully similar for less than half the price in Dunelm. I ignorantly assumed I’d be taking a dip in quality but wanted them sooner so clicked add to basket. And lo and behold, guess how long the delivery date was, yup, 6 weeks. My guess is that they were exactly the same stools, stuck on the exact same container ship somewhere between Africa and Asia. Obviously I ordered the Dunelm ones and I’ve been basking in a smug glow ever since.

They are also still available to purchase here

Just before Christmas I did a big Dunelm shop, we needed bar stools and some chairs, and I needed them fast as typically, I’d left everything to the last minute. I’d had my eye on some monochrome accent chairs for a while and whilst I was there, two others fell into my basket. They arrived on Christmas Eve and honestly, I cannot bang on hard enough about how good the quality of the chairs are. Solid, heavy and super comfy, if I told you they were from Soho Home, I really don’t think you would doubt it.

Dunelm has always been great but they have upped their game consistently over the past few years with incredible affordable pieces. Hats off to the buyers who have done a cracking job. There’s also a great Spring Sale on at the moment so in my edit, I’ve tried to include as many pieces as I can with a discount.

So let’s get into it. I’ll try and stop banging on because I’ve noticed I do that on Substack, my plan is to always make these a less than 10 min read so I don’t bore the knickers off you but every time my fingers just keep going. so I’ll shut up and show you all of my beautiful picks. And trust me, I could have gone on for a lot longer here because there is so much loveliness.

Let’s start with the big ticket items, the furniture. I couldn’t go to the press show this year but you bet I had a good look around what was there. Stand out to me was the burl desk which I’ll be purchasing once we get the office sorted. But the pops of colour with the side tables and the curves of those side board. Absolutely STUNNING!

FURNITURE

1. Tarla curved sideboard

2. Ludo Kidney Shaped coffee table

3. Seana Burl desk

4. Scalloped storage bench

5. Tilbury marble side table

6. Indus Arched storage unit

7. Beatrice striped ceramic side table

8. Elsie 6 drawer chest

OK, the chairs. This is what Dunelm do incredibly well. The price point on some of these chairs is insane. The Fallon chairs (1 & 8) are under £300 and we have pairs of both. Also loving the checked cube chair. Dunelm also do a range with William Morris. I cannot believe the price on the Blackthorn chair (7).

CHAIRS

1. Fallon accent chair

2. Amina cut velvet zebra print ball foot chair

3. Marlo woven mid stripe snuggle chair

4. Jude checkerboard cube chair

5. Armitage chenille snuggle chair with ball feet

6. Beatrice II Woven Stripe mix snuggle chair

7. Jolene William Morris Blackthorn print velvet snuggle chair

8. Fallon Woven Stripe bolster chair

Fun and frivolous are Dunelm’s middle and last names. there are always quirky pieces that add colour and a smile. I think that ice-cream basket has to be one of my stand out pieces of the whole range.

FUN

1. Raspberry blossom vase

2. High ball chilli glasses

3. Scruff Cat tree

4. Ice cream storage basket

5. Sardine salt and pepper

6. Sophie Robinson Prism Stripe square cushion

7. Hestia set of 4 lemon plates

8. Dog bone basket

Knocking it out of the park with the lighting. Here are my top picks from the range but if these aren’t your bag, there are hundreds more to choose from. Loving the pops of colour from the Sophie Robinson range (1).

LIGHTING

1. Sophie Robinson Beldi ceramic lamp

2. Centrino Pendant ceiling light

3. Mirabelle oval striped table lamp

4. Suzie striped table lamp

5. Rory boho rattan floor lamp

6. Pippin ribbed lamp

7. Pacific Lifestyle lamp

8. Lacey alabaster pendant light

Now, I couldn’t help but include a best of the rest section which was incredibly hard to whittle down. And seemingly, I’m partial to a wiggle and a scallop. I could have quite easily renamed this the curvy section. I’ve already bought the oven gloves and the bar stools and the rug is the next on my hit list. Special shout out to those bar stools, they come in loads of different colours and I get so many questions about them. Super comfy too with the back support, incredible vfm there.

1. Coastal stripe oven gloves

2. Elements wave natural border wood rug

3. Elements Cooper barstool tonal boucle

4. Scallop baskets

5. Scallop edge square cushion

6. Baines made to measure curtains

7. Dryden wavy mirror

8. Eleanor Bowmer star glasses

So there you go, my top high street picks. What’s your favourite and what shall we do next?

This post contains affiliate links.

For those of you that might be new round here, I’m Katie and at the beginning of 2020, we bought our dream holiday cottage in South Devon. Six years and many, many mistakes later, we are very sadly listing it on Rightmove. You can read more about what went wrong here but it’s safe to say, we are absolutely gutted. It’s beautiful and we love that place with every tired little bone in our bodies, but sadly, selling is the only option we have now. We tried everything to make it work but ultimately, with a big renovation up here in Leeds, the numbers were giving us sleepless nights.

It’s an incredibly special place that we worked so hard to make beautiful. And beautiful it is! We even made it wheelchair accessible to cater for as many people’s needs as possible. It was meant to be a place we would retire to, a place our grandchildren would get to use, but sadly, it just wasn’t meant to be.

I’ve sat with a deep feeling of failure for a while now. The realisation that despite my best efforts, my little business has failed. It felt vast and dark and quite honestly, I didn’t want to admit to anyone online that we were selling. I wanted to quietly list it with the least amount of fuss and let is dissolve off my socials. That way I wouldn’t have to face the failure. But last week, I put my big girl pants on (I’m 47, I wear big pants daily) and shared our news.

Honestly, I can’t thank you enough for being so ruddy lovely. I mean, obviously there’ll be a thread on Tattle somewhere about ‘poor little Katie’ blubbing online about her second home, but genuinely, Tattle crew can all go and step on Lego. And if you’re one of them, reading this now, then wow, just wow, you really are obsessed with me aren’t you.

So my last post was the why’s. Working out how that perfect storm brewed, analysing the costs, and the economy, and the wild ride that was buying a house in a small village (spoiler alert, people are mean). This time, it’s all about exactly what I would do differently if I could eBay myself a Time Machine. And yes, ironically we do talk about Hot tubs and time machines in this post.

Because I truly believe that it is possible to make a holiday let work just don’t fall into the same traps as we did!

So the door to the Time Machine is open, come on in, buckle up and join me for a bumpy little ride, lets set the dial to 2019…

OK, so what would have done differently?

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I need to start this by saying that we are utterly heartbroken to be selling the Smurf. It represents so much to us as a family. She holds so many precious and treasured memories and will be part of our kids childhoods, hopefully forever. Even just thinking about how to write this has had me in bits, because it feels like more than just selling some bricks, it feels like I’m closing a chapter on those memories. The most beautiful chapter of our lives so far.

My kids will never be little again, I’ll never feel their little sandy legs wrapped around me as I carry them off the beach, I’ll never wipe ice cream from their perfectly pudgy faces again, I’ll never feel a little bottom on my lap, or the weight of their heavy head as they fall asleep on my chest. And I can’t make those new memories anymore. I used to hate it when people told me that ‘it goes so quickly’ but genuinely, it’s the blink of an eye. The Smurf holds all of those perfect little memories, the ones where, as a family we had time, and patience and calm. It holds them like a big blue trinket box and now I feel like we are locking that box up and giving it away.

For me, it also represents something else brutal, and that’s failure. We never just bought the Smurf House as a second home (despite what the trolls think). It was a business, one that should have worked and should be providing us with a passive income. But that business failed for us and honestly, that just feels rubbish, especially given just how hard we have tried to make it work.

So let’s go back to the beginning…

Picture the scene. It’s Summer 2019, the sun is shining, business is booming, the kids are all still young enough to not answer back yet. And we are all on the beach at our beloved seaside holiday spot, Salcombe. Life was GREAT, little did we know we were about to light a teensy weensy little ticking time bomb under it.

We’d been holidaying in South Devon, in and around Salcombe since 2017. Four kids meant that flying together as a family had become less and less attractive slash absolutely revolting, so we’d stuck to holidaying in the UK instead. Those holidays were bliss. Sandy toes, salty faces, ice-creams galore and rain, rain, rain. But it was ours and it felt so very special. Every time we went we would would book a cottage and then I would spend all week ‘virtually’ redecorating and redesigning a house that wasn’t mine to make it better for people who I didn’t even know. It’s a thing, I cant help myself. But I had an itch, if other people could do it, why couldn’t we? And like I mentioned, life was peachy, we’d finished off our own home renovation at a time when renovations could be done at a sensible cost, work was abundant and we could do our weekly shop without having to consider remortgage. We were at that glory point in our lives when we had…….drumroll please…..expendable income (no I’ve not heard those words muttered for years either). It made perfect sense to look at places that we could turn into our own little letting business.

Of course, for as long as we’d been holidaying there, we’d been partaking in some South Devon Rightmove porn, if you tell me you don’t do it too when you’re away, I shan’t believe you! As usual, I set my upper budget limits way too high and had to scroll through the sea views and personal moorings section. But then we found her, shining like a beautiful blue beacon, our Smurfy. Great location, great price and big enough for us to bring our friends and family along for the ride. Yes she needed TLC but her bones were good and strong and I knew that I could do something completely magic to her. Like every project we’ve ever done, we jumped in headfirst and eyes closed but with more enthusiasm than a toddler’s party at a Haribo factory.

Here’s a video of the first time we ever looked around. Quite the change from now!

We were seasoned renovators, we had some savings, we had vision and we had very healthy projected figures from a letting agent. Yet, six years later, we find ourselves listing her back on Rightmove with actual broken hearts. So, where did it all go so wrong?

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