How to take off nineteen years.

According to the Wiifit I am 26 years old and a friend I haven’t seen for 25 years tells me I haven’t changed a bit, so how have I done it, I hear you ask? After the last few years of drama and depression it’s a mystery.

Just over a year ago I was introduced, by my chiropractioner, to a fantastic clean, pure, botanical company called Arbonne.

Like most people I was skeptical at first, until I did some research and tested the products myself. My Mums’ breast cancer made me realise that there has to be a connection with what we ingest, whether orally or topically, and cancer. So the fact that all of Arbonnes products are botanically based with no nasties like parabens or man made fragrance, really appealed to me. Have you thought about the fact that whatever you put on your skin, shower gel, body lotion even shampoo gets into your system, into your blood, and if it’s not pure and natural it can be doing all sorts of harm internally.

Parabens, that’s been a buzz word for a while now, did you know they are a mineral oil, a derivative of petrol! Most cosmetics and beauty products use parabens for bulking up, then they add some chemical perfume and then you put this petrol and chemical mix on your face!

I decided to become an Independent Consultant for Arbonne, ie. I sell their products but it is my own part of the business, to sell in my way for my reasons. I sell it because I love the purity and green philosophy and I know that it is not harming me, my friends & family or the planet. Also I love the fact that it works, it actually does what it says on the bottle!

I have tried and tested most of the products in the catalogue, I can’t sell them if I don’t have personal experience. My favourite is the RE9 anti-aging skincare range, apart from the fact that it does anti-age you it smells beautiful and makes you feel good, so you do have a natural glow. My Mum tells me she ‘can’t live without it’ and her skin has never felt so good or got so many compliments, my Mum is 70.

If you want full, bouncing, shiny hair I recommend the FC5  shampoo and conditioner and the thermal fusion scalp revitaliser (once a week), this combination has helped me with the battle against badly thinning hair (depression, candida dysbiosis), and an aunt with post chemotherapy regrowth.

A  friend who has been plagued with nasty psoriasis, has this summer been able to wear short sleeved tops and skirts for the first time in years. She has used a combination of the baby ABC body wash, with the ABC body lotion mixed with a couple of drops of FC5 oil, twice a day. She had tried everything off the shelves and prescribed but nothing was able to help.

And another friend, who is a model and beauty queen, swears by the protein shakes to give her the kick she needs during the day and to help her loose a centimeter here and there. She loves the flavour & texture and the fact that they (you have two during the day) keep her full until her proper nutritional dinner.

These are just a few of the successes I have had with Arbonne and I would love to hear your experiences too.

It is ever so simple, log on to : http://leciafinch.arbonne.com/ and treat yourself to something that is doing us all good, especially you. There are many benefits to joining as a Preferred client, 20% discount and lots of other offers and deals but you can also become a Consultant like me and run your own business, earn a bit of extra cash (who doesn’t need that?) and feel the content knowing you are helping to save the planet and the people that live on it.

Feel like a bit of old rope?

I know when I do, it’s time to get back on track with Amelia Freer.

The news yesterday was that we all have to half our sugar intake, well I am definitely one of those that needs to stop it altogether!  I suffer from Candida Dysbiosis, a leaky gut caused by the overgrowth of yeast spores that leech and live on the yeast created by sugar and white carbohydrates. Causing, among other debilitating symptoms. extreme tiredness and fatigue, digestive issues, lack of concentration, poor memory, lack of focus and brain fog, skin issues, mood swings, anxiety & depression, headaches, sore throats and infections.

Now whilst I know this, I also have the terrible fate of being a total ice cream addict. A carton of Ben & Jerrys only lasts about half an hour in my hands, four almond magnums? don’t mind if I do, then I have to go out and hide the package evidence in a nearby bin so that my other half doesn’t know. Confessing this to you helps, but I need to have a serious word with my willpower. This has gone beyond just being about, gluttony or emotional eating it’s about my general health, ‘I must not feed the spores they make me really ill.’

So, on waking up feeling mega c**p again this morning I decided that today was the day, I put this to bed. Lets face it when I go back to full time work on the 28th I’m not going to have the time to pop to the shops and eat nonsense. The plan is to force myself to eat salad during the day and when I get home it will be too late to mess about so, steamed vegetables.

Today is mostly about liquids of water and the green tea variety, with eggs and smoked salmon (good protein) for breakfast and a prawn and mango stir fry for dinner ( yes @FreerNutrition, the one you made on @itv_this Morning).

I’m busy planning all of my blogs, newsletters, posts and content for the re-launch of new look Hat Attic so I might as well add in planning menus and shopping lists for the big return, I’m not going to have time for messing about!

I have got my vitamins  lined up to top up my energy levels and keep me tip top, I need to make sure I do the rest right and practice what I preach!

I can’t be  Wonder Woman if I feel like a bit of old rope can I?

The penny has dropped!

It’s only taken 45 years 9 months!

When I was five I wanted to be a fashion designer, twelve, a textile designer, at nineteen I had to go into what I knew, fashion shop manager. So you can see I have always been a dedicated follower of fashion in one way or another.

From managing a shop in the Fulham Road, being an assistant manager of a very fancy designer shop in Knightsbridge and a concession manager in a department store I made it into said department stores buying office. I was to spend the next seventeen years dedicating my life to learning, striving and battling bullying to climb the career ladder, I was going to get my buyership even if it killed me, and it damned near did!

The MD that was bullying me died and suddenly it was all change, in with the new out with the old. Suddenly we started seeing members of our beloved ‘family’ disappearing, my turn came suddenly in October 2013, just after my 44th birthday.

I was thrown into major depression, anxiety and panic attacks, nervous breakdown country.

In the last year and nine months with very close monitoring by my brilliant GP (when I actually can get an appointment), C.B.T , my amazing counsellor and my love of reading and learning, I have managed to pull myself out of the abyss and make the improvements I feel comfortable with.

I have decided that I don’t have to meet other peoples approval by dressing, acting and being a certain way, I wear what I like, because it suits me, it’s my look. I have always refused to be anybody’s little ‘fashionista’ but even more so now, I don’t have that sort of precious attitude. I love my family, friends and the planet we all live on, I want to live as cleanly and quietly as possible, that includes my diet, skincare and all other products that I need to use. I prefer to use alternative or holistic medicines as far as I can (I find diet has a lot to do with that) and most unlike anyone in my ‘sector’ I do not want to be seen as judgmental. I have never been a materialistic sort of girl, despite my job, so to go to work and not have major responsibilities and just be able to bring in enough to pay the rent and put food on the table is enough for me. My fabulous website, that has been created purely to help people (like me now!) who have no spare time to be messing about looking all over town for that perfect gift or classic accessory, will provide me with a bit of extra, to be able to treat myself now and then.

The penny has dropped, I am now my own woman, who is practicing emotional detachment, mindful meditations, eating and living cleanly. I am happy, healthy and looking forward to living my carefree, comfortable life in my way with my nearest and dearest.

Freedom of speech not to preach.

We are very lucky, at the moment, to live in a country where we have the freedom of speech and within reason, the choice to live as we please (this of course has to be within our means). I totally appreciate this until some people choose to take this one step further and start preaching or forcing their choices down your throat.

I started to think about this when I felt really quite offended by a friends status on Facebook, on the subject of the benefits of being child free. I, just like my friend, am a child free woman, I made that choice many years ago but, a bit like not eating meat I do not enforce these choices on other people. Over my 45 years I have heard them all, ‘never say never’, ‘you will change your mind, ‘It’s different when they are your own’ and the majority of women telling me I was selfish and it was unnatural blah, blah, blah. I choose not to have children for my own reasons, I have never felt maternal, I had a career, I was never with the right guy at the right time the list is endless, but all perfectly viable reasons for not bringing a baby into this world under my guidance! But I would never be anything but supportive of those who choose to have children. Just like the non- meat eating thing, that is again my choice, I’ve never really liked it, I am a lazy eater and have grown to really not relish the thought of it. But again it is not my place to dictate to other people what they want to put in their mouths.

We are all given the opportunity to make these informed, educated decisions and as individuals can do as we please. But that does not give us the right to force our choices down other peoples throats.

Which brings me back nicely to the offensive comment, it wasn’t the posted article ’12 reasons why being child free rocks’ it was actually being told   “Should be 13 reasons, with number one being – not having to put up with a whining, crying, ugly, annoying, smelly thing.”  As I have mentioned I am not a mother but I do have three very beautiful, treasured nieces and would hate to think that anyone could see them as that. Children are very special gifts and their innocence and wonderful wide eyed view of the world is infectious and should be respected for what it is. I often think if only we could stay like that, what a much nicer world this would be to live in.

Remember you are lucky to have the freedom of speech, but do not cross the lines into preaching and offending people by pushing your opinions at people, especially on a subject that is so subjective and human.

Diamonds are a girls best friend.

Last night, despite the fact that I felt really stressed and uncomfortable with my back pain (that’s another story altogether) I went to see Mr Neil Diamond (otherwise known as my Dad!). As I’ve have mentioned before I do have periods of depression and anxiety and have to do a lot of work, practicing mindfulness, detachment and meditation daily. I have always loved music and it is key part of my practice, I love going to concerts and clubs and just losing myself in it.

Neil Diamond was on fire last night, I have seen him several times over the years and can honestly say I have never been disappointed, he is the best showman ever. Last night this unstoppable 74 year old sang for two hours and fifteen minutes, non stop, literally the soundtrack of my life. I made two new friends Stuart and Laura from Chester and despite our various injuries, we danced ourselves silly, relaxed and had a ball.

My point in this is, that whilst we spend the bulk of our working years striving for perfection and battling to the top rung of the career ladder, many of us forget to relax and actually enjoy the life we have been given to live. I have, as you know been there and done that and learnt a very hard lesson when it was all taken away. I have learnt and more importantly decided, in the last year and ten months, that I am now going to live and enjoy my life. I don’t need the responsibility, stress and ‘glamour’ of being at the top, I want to sleep at night. I don’t want my anxiety levels going through the top of my head, I don’t want panic attacks, I don’t want to be crying with fear and frustration, working myself into an early grave for other people who just sit back and expect it, then can wipe you out over night.

Here is my plan:

I go to work, do my thing, put money in the till, I come home.

I then work, for myself, on my own business Hat Attic where I know I am providing a service, making life easier, saving time and energy for others looking for beautiful, exclusive goodies for themselves and others.

I spend time with my friends and family, I go out dancing, go to exhibitions, the theatre, cinema, everything and anything I want to do.

I get to sleep soundly, carry on learning to cook, study my nutrition and skincare and so much more.

And most importantly get to dance and sing around my flat to Neil Diamond with a happy heart.

Rewind and start again!

I have taken on a 30 day blog challenge, I don’t know if I am supposed to tell you that but hey ho!

So  I am just going to tell you about how this relates perfectly to a new start in my life.

In two weeks time to the date (Tuesday 28th July) I shall be going back to full time work.

After being unfairly dismissed from my 17 year buying job in October 2013, having a breakdown and enduring another major Depression, I set up my own online business www.hatattic.com soft launching in October 2014.

Despite the fact that I am social media-ing myself silly, blogging, sending newsletters and basically doing everything I can people do not want to buy. I know that we as a country are under a lot of pressure, we have had this ridiculous election, which quite frankly has only made things worse! And a lot of people are now scared of spending, but somebody must be shopping somewhere. One of my main reasons for Hat Attic is that I know a lot of people out there do not have the time or the patience to hike up and down the high streets, only to find the same old stuff in all of the stores, so I thought I would make it easy for them. My aim is to have a one stop shop with lovely, unusual, exclusive accessories, gifts and treats, that you can just click on and I will get it to you hassle free. Anyway maybe one day you will get it.

Meanwhile I am having to go back to the day day job a 10-7, to be exact, to keep the roof over my head and the wolves at bay. I am excited at the prospect but also a little scared as Hat Attic will now become my second job.

Can I cope working 10-7, getting home at 8pm and working on Hat Attic as well as doing all the washing, cooking and cleaning?

I do realise that this is the society we live in now, most people have two jobs and families to deal with.

I do wonder though, is it this kind of pressure that pushed me to breakdown in the first place (the dismissal didn’t help obviously)?

I am not giving up on my dream of being my own boss and my website being a great success but until that time I still need to live, pay my own way because even though I have been a good tax paying citizen for 28 years, the government are sure not going to help me. The DWP have just given me the absolute run around for the last 22 months, stopping and starting and looking for reasons not to help me get back on my feet. I’ve never asked for help for anything in my life but when I did I was treated like just another useless drop out statistic that they brought in on their shoe.

#25 Can you hear me at the back?

Now I’m really not one to boast but I understand that to build a viable retail website you need to instill trust into your customer.

In my previous guise as Miliinery buyer at Fenwick of Bond Street my customer knew they could rely on me to have exactly the hat they needed for any occasion and they knew I understood and loved my business.

I found a few articles that were in the press that may interest those that don’t yet realise that the person behind www.hatattic.com is in fact me, the hat lady, that they followed and grew with at the hat department that I made at Fenwick.

The Telegraph

The Hedonist

The Feltmakers Guild

Feeling quite proud of myself, I’ve actually achieved quite a lot in my life.

# 24 A year in Arbonne.

A year ago I became an Independant Consultant for a beauty, health and wellbeing company called Arbonne.
I was having a very hard time, having lost my job and direction in life. I can honestly say that being involved in the business and using the products has helped me greatly. Having hit rock bottom my skin was grey and lifeless, thin and sad hair and yoyo weight issues due to depression, eating disorders and medication.
The first product I used was the RE9 anti-aging skin collection, cleanser, toner, eye cream, serum, moisturiser and night cream. I laughed when I read ‘shows visable difference within 24 hours’ , but it really does and a year later my skin is better than ever and shows no signs of the trauma I have been through.
I swear by the Intelligence thermal fusion hair & scalp revitaliser, when used in conjunction with the FC5 shampoo and conditioner. It has helped boost the growth and texture of my hair so it now looks quite ‘normal’. My Mother uses it, after years of back combing and bleaching her hair is now soft, shiney and better than ever. It has also helped my Aunt after Chemotherapy to boost the regrowth.
As a self confessed ice cream addict I generally have one of the chocolate protein shakes, blended with lots of ice and cold water everyday. There is the minimum of sugar but all of the vitamins and protein that I need for the day, so much better than a carton of Ben & Jerrys.
Also living in a sun starved country, we are all deficient in vitamin D so I get mine from the Vitamin D with B12 spray, just three sprays on the tongue every morning and I’m done ( it tastes yummy too).
All of this and more from a range of products that are pure, safe and beneficial. Arbonne products are botanical, vegan certified and green in substance and packaging. In this age of free radicals and harmful chemicals I feel confident that I am not doing myself, family or friends harm by reccommending Arbonne.
Please feel free to contact me directly or check my Arbonne page http://leciafinch.arbonne.com/ I am happy to answer any questions or meet you for a consultation. Maybe you might want to join me in the business!

#23 What happened to respect?

I just need to get something off my chest.

This is a tale about my evening with Seasick Steve.

Before going to the Hammersmith Eventim (the odeon to most of us!) we went for a quick bite in the pub. As my boyfriend sat down a guy from the adjacent table plonked an empty (beer filled) tray on the table we were taking. The group of guys ( and one girl) grew whilst my boyfriend was at the bar ordering. One person asked if they could take the spare chair nearest to them, fine, I don’t need it. Then the tray ‘abandoner’ just came over, to the other side of the table, and just picked up my boyfriends chair! No hello, may I, nothing! I told him the chair was taken, he just looked at me like I was filth so I repeated that the seat was taken, but that he could have his tray back. I was then told ” don’t give me your attitude, it’s not necessary” , excuse me? Rude?

Now I am a 45 year old woman (not that I look it ), old enough to be his mother, I don’t think that behaviour is acceptable. For two pins I would have smashed his beer sodden tray over his stupid head, but I was not prepared to stoop to his level or risk ending up in hospital

Then during Seasick Steve’s show  there was a gang of about six lads near us, who were very drunk and were shouting very loudly throughout, this seems to be standard behavior. I was quite shocked and upset by hearing one of them shouting “And who is this c**t”  at a young girl that Steve had pulled out of the audience to sing to.

Now I would not say I am a raging Feminist, I agree that we need equality in many areas but I do not think that common decency should still be applied. What has happened to make young males feel that they can treat people in this manner. I am not saying that some young women behave any better, I’m just going by my evenings experience.

Where has this disrespectful attitude come from? Their parents (my generation) ? It’s disgusting, it makes me want to stay indoors away from harm, I don’t like the attitude, language, behavior.

That’s all I have to say, I just needed to say something.

I don’t know what we can do about it, or indeed whose job it is to do it, but it makes me very sad and scared for our world.