This is a question we have really had to think long and hard about in recent months.  

I have been free to pursue art, to be a stay at home mum, to volunteer in roles that are important to me. I really feel like I have been living and loving my life rather than plodding through (which is what I used to do when I was in paid employment). I have so blessed and fortunate and perhaps a bit lucky. When I am engaged in doing something that I feel passionate about I am a better wife, mum, friend, Christian – all of it gets better.

I did have to recognised though that my husband was not in the place that I was in and I really wanted to spread the joy, I really wanted him to start looking for the kind of work that would inspire him, that would motivate him and excite him again. I wanted him to be passionate about life again.

So he left his job. 

And that’s great, it really is, because he is now free to do what he really wants to do.

I genuinely feel excited about what the future holds.

But - (isn’t there always a but?!) – neither of us are working now. We have three children, a home, commitments and we have no income.

It is from this place that I have had to consider where my security lies. Is it really in God or has it been in our own ability to earn money?

Where does my joy come from? Is it really in God or has it been in eating out or shopping?

Where does my peace come from? Is it really from God or has it been in knowing we have an income?

Where does my rest come from? Is it from God or has it been in having a holiday booked? 

We have walked the Jesus walk for a few years now.

We have talked the Jesus talk for a few years too.

We teach young people that Jesus is wonderful, that He is for us, that He loves us, that nothing is impossible for Him.

Now we are being asked to LIVE this Jesus life thing.

So wherever our security has been, wherever our priorities have shifted too, we want to lay it back on the Lord. We have sat in prayer, we have opened the Bible as a priority first thing in the morning, we are singing the songs, listening to the podcasts, watching the YouTube uploads.

Because God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart. And so wherever our security and joy and peace and rest was lying our hearts desire is for it to be with Him and Him alone.

We are seeking Him first before even going after orders or looking for work.

We are lifting our eyes to Him and not focusing on the circumstances.

We are choosing to view this place we are in as an opportunity rather than a set back.

This is the place that God wants us to be so this is the place from which we will praise Him. 

It is November, so we are approaching Christmas with a more modest mindset which may get difficult come December but simpler does not have to be worse or sub-standard. We will do things differently but (hopefully) with just as much excellence as before.

And we know that through it all God will work and His glory will be displayed.

Our security is in Him knowing that:

He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me.

Plans to give me a hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I believe Christians have two testimonies; pre-Jesus and post-Jesus. Some people have a big, dramatic conversion event where God healed them of a horrific disease or God lifted them out of a pit of drink or drugs or despair or something. For others it is much more gentle, a kind of slow realisation and acknowledgement of Him. Either way, the journey does not end at the point of conversion and acceptance of Him. For some, for many, that is just the beginning.

After I decided to give my life to God I basked in the glow of His love and His Amazing Grace for a while but then I realised if this Jesus thing was to mean anything, I had to begin to live for Him. I wanted to be, but I needed to change. One of the first changes was Money 

I was living Destinys Child ‘Independent women’. I qualified and was immediately on a good salary for a 22-year-old. I had no responsibilities, no dependants, so I spent wildly and freely with occasional guilt about the sums of money I could spend on only me and my pleasure and my leisure.

When I first heard about tithing I felt sick to my stomach. To give 10% of my monthly salary to church was a ridiculous notion to me. As a child I had seen people drop pennies into the collection bag, loose change, whatever they had in their pockets, and that worked for me, not the £100s giving 10% would require of me now. Therefore, I chose to ignore that part of the bible!

Things changed when I properly devoted to Jesus sometime in my 30s.

Initially, these 3 signposts reminded me of the command to tithe and to give to God what belongs to Him.  

1, New Zealand preach. A pastor and his wife on the North Island told us their story of living by faith alone for a whole year. They gave up everything in order to let God provide for them. They had countless testimonies from that year alone of seeming coincidence after coincidence after coincidence (which was really just God providing for their every need) and it really spoke to me.

2. A man at Bethany who had been made redundant as the only earner in a family of 4. This man never stopped singing of Gods praises and his love for the Lord, he never appeared stressed or concerned about his house or feeding his family. Somehow he maintained complete confidence that all would be well.

3. I heard many preaches and teaches on the danger of idols, repeatedly, over a short space of time. Jesus is to be our first love. This is a command not a suggestion.

We were in a time when our financial situation was terrible. We regularly went without because we just couldn’t afford. We couldn’t always put fuel in the car. We couldn’t buy shoes when Shay out grew a pair. I could not get any clothes to fit my body because I grew in pregnancy but didn’t shrink to the same shape I had been before.

After our travels Matt did not want to be an Optician anymore so he began to train for a new career. He was on a basic training wage and I stayed home with the baby. It was in this place that I felt completely at peace with our finances for the first time in my adult life because it was then we decided to give God back His 10%. I knew that God was in control this time, I knew that we would be ok.

It wasn’t straightforward because we were on such a tight budget as it was, any amount would be a significant dent to our income. We thought it would be best just to take the money out on Matts pay day and give it to church straight away so that it was gone.

You don’t need me to spell out to you how faithful God was to us at that time. He provided over and above what we needed or hoped for. I have so many stories of what He done for us in that time but I am going to move on….

After baby 3 I realised that I needed to work because the family had grown and life was expensive. Optics was the most logical option due to pay so reluctantly,  I began to work one day a week.

As our income increased so did our tithe and we happily gave 10% of everything. The key word there is happily. We were encouraged by what we had learned from our previous experiences and knew that this was simply what we needed to do.

However, I quickly realised that I had learnt nothing! Even before my salary began to come in I had spent it! We were so excited to have money for the first time since having children that we spent it. We booked long weekends away, we went out to eat, we bought shoes and clothes – we discovered a whole new world. After about a year God stopped me and opened my eyes. I was reminded of how wonderful life had been, how God had been our social life, God had been our source of joy and peace and laughter and enjoyment. We had tasted a simple life and we had loved it.

Its one of those things that you just cannot know until you have experienced it.

I am so glad God only left me a year before pulling me back to Him. When I managed to focus on Him, love Him, seek Him first I genuinely so Him as my provider of everything again. It was then that He began to entrust us with more. I think that’s just how he does it. I was bad at money before because it was my security, it was my source of all pleasure, it was my means of leisure and joy and peace and independence. But God wants to be all of that to me and if I am committed to Him then He will be my security, source of pleasure, leisure, joy and peace.

Slowly, He began to increase our income and we learnt how to live a simple life focused on Him even with money in the bank. No doubt about it, getting distracted is easier with money in the bank but He always reminds me when I have strayed too far from Him for too long and gently, He guides me back to Him.

Our financial situation today is shaky and very uncertain but I am so happy in the place we are in.  I am very excited about what God has in store for us next.

Bring it on!

I was a newly-wed 26-year-old, I was doing the job that I had wanted to do since I was 14 years-old and I was facing the prospect of doing it for the next 40 odd years.

I was bored. I was happy with my life but bored and discontented with my 9-5. Seeing that I had only been working for 3 and a half years it was no wonder that I was beginning to have those big, life, ‘what is it all for’ type questions.

There had to be more.

I was working in a really quiet Opticians, doing around 8 eye examinations a day when I could comfortably do 20. It meant that in between eye tests I had a LOT of time to think, to wonder, to read – I just knew there should be more to my life. So, when the opportunity came to travel we took it. Work would hold my job open for 3 months but not as long as 6. So I handed in my notice and we went for 11 months.

I knew that travelling would be a fabulous experience but I also knew that after it all I could not return to the consulting room doing 8 eye tests a day. Something was going to have to change.

I have always been intrigued by faith and spiritual stuff so I decided that I was going to find out what the real deal about this Jesus was. I attended church sporadically as a youngster, Sunday schools, prayer meetings, but all of that had been under my Grandparents direction. This time I wanted to discover Him on my own.

I figured if God was real and if what the book said was true then He was worth finding out about. If I went looking for Him then He would be found – I had heard Christians say something like that.

At that point in my life my big stumbling block was that I really didn’t want to be a Christian girl. I had met Christians. They were all ‘praise the Lord’ and ‘Hallelujah’ whilst whining and moaning about other people and life so much more than my non-Christian friends! I didn’t want that. Also, the Christians I knew  seemed to live by an ancient book that bore no resemblance to real life, heads stuck in their God- bubble. I didn’t want that either. I just could not deny there was something attractive about Jesus - not Christians, not the Christian life - but Jesus. If He was real and if what they said was true then I could not deny that there was something about Him I wanted.

I didn’t want to be a Christian but I did want to find the Christ.

I felt like I needed to see God but needed to get past all the fluff and all the people and all the songs and platitudes that were blocking my view. I needed to meet Him. For myself.

After all, if what they told me was true, then with Jesus my life would be satisfying and would make sense and I would live an exciting life with a greater purpose than I currently had.

Planning the trip, the first journey to the Airport, the whole time we were away I was bubbling with excitement, I was giddy and I had an amazing time.

What if real life could be like that?

John 10:10

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

The Message

Something about Jesus, God, The Bible kept turning me from following the normal path I had laid out for myself and turning me towards Him. I needed to find out what it was.

I am not one to plan ahead but I looked around one day back in my 20s and I realised that I somehow managed to have it all

Job

Boyfriend

Money

Holidays

Shopping

Friends

Health

Everything had a tick beside it so everything should be perfect, yes?

Yet still, still, something was off. I didn’t get it. And I really didn’t like it.

So there was no big event, no tragedy, no big push forced me to choose God as some kind of a crutch when I was in a bad place. Conversely I was in a very good place and that is why I began to explore those big, life questions for myself and those explorations led me down the road to Jesus. As I walked everything began to make sense.

My top 3 curly hair considerations are:

1. The Time Factor; I don’t want to spend ages doing my hair each time I leave the house

2. Frizz control

3. Avoiding droopy, lank, hang-dog curls

That being said, whatever I do with my hair now is about nourishment first and bouncy curls second. I think that when my hair is healthy and looked after well it automatically looks better so good health is always my first focus.

1. Time – About once a week I spend a great deal of time pouring goodness into my hair. I style it properly on that day and then, for the rest of the week, I do little else with it. Here, I will let you know what works for me.

2. Frizz control –  Whilst I now limit the number of ‘products’ I use I do use hair products to get curls that are detangled and bouncy and I have looked into the ingredients as much as I can. In doing this I hope to be adding nourishment to the goodness I pour into my hair rather than stripping it all back as I used to.

3.Hang-dog curls – My hair bounces and swings on the first day I wash and style it and that lasts a day or two. Day 3 is definitely a droopy day though. My full routine is detailed below.  

Product list 

I have used Shea Moisture products since de-toxing my hair a few years back and they are great products. However, I have discovered others on the market with better ingredients, fairtrade and less plastic. Currently, I am in the process of trying them out with a hope to switching. This range has worked well on my hair though.

See ‘What comes after coconut oil’ for other simple curly hair hacks  

Process

Day 1

o   Finger massage my scalp with coconut oil

I literally park myself in front of Saturday morning TV or sit with my Kindle, scoop some coconut oil onto the palm of my hand, rub my hands together to soften and use the oil on my fingers to massage my whole scalp.

o   Finger detangle my hair using an abundance of coconut oil.

I begin at the dry ends of my hair because the ends need to most attention and doing it this way minimises the hair loss. I quite enjoy the process now and take my time, I try not to view it as a chore but as a bit of pamper time.

o   I Leave my hair for at least an hour before washing

o   I apply shampoo and rinse as normal in the shower.

I have been using Shea Moistures coconut and Hibiscus curl and shine shampoo for a little while now. I do apply conditioner whilst in the shower BUT I don’t wash the conditioner out with hot shower water, I use cold water for the final rinse [see wash hair routine blog]. I swap between Shea Moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine conditioner and Shea Moisture raw shea and cupuacu frizz defense conditioner because I think mixing it up products is good for my hair

o   When ready to style I apply shea moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine smoothie all over my hair, detangling as I go

o   I find my parting and apply Argan oil, not on my scalp or roots, just on the rest of my hair. I am not generous with the argan oil, I use the smallest amounts I can, partly because it’s expensive and partly because too much makes my hair look greasy – not a good look!

o   Finish with Shea Moisture coconut and hibiscus curl and shine style milk or I apply a leave in conditioner of some kind or I just leave it at the argan oil step

o   I ensure my parting is when I want and leave it to air dry. I do not touch my hair again until it is fully dry

o   When fully dry I ‘rough up’ my hair, flip my head forward, gently run my fingers through it, break up the curls and bring back the bounce!

Day 2

Finger detangle. Generally I won’t  need to apply anything to it.

Day 3

Finger detangle with coconut oil. If my hair is feeling dry or looking a bit matted I use a small amount of coconut oil and apply to the ends.

If I did the works on Day One it may not need anything on Day Three.

If I didn’t have time to do everything on Day One it may need a bit more attention by Day Three. It all depends on how much good stuff and looking after my hair has had.

Day 4

Finger detangle with coconut oil.

Day 5

By Weds or Thursday (usually) my hair is properly dry and matted with a bit of frizz. To revive it properly it requires wetting again.

o   I wet my hair, apply the deep conditioner or normal conditioner, cold rinse and re-style with just the smoothie or oil (rarely both mid-week).

If I am not doing very much before the full Day One routine I won’t do very much with my hair mid-week. My preferred methods for midweek haircare are coconut oil and tie it up in some kind of a bun to hide the grease OR (my absolute favourite) wear a hat. I love my hat; it hides my roots, hides my messy hair and hides a lot of my face as well!

You can go nuts with the coconut oil by Day Five, in fact my hair is like a parched marathon runner by Day Five and drinks the stuff up. Sparingly does not work at this point in the week!

Day 6

Depends on what happened on Day Five and what I have planned for Day One/Seven! For instance if I have plans to be out Friday I may do my whole routine then. If I have no plans at the weekend I may do a reduced routine or not much at all or I may decided to do a deep condition PLUS everything detailed here.

It is my hair and my routine, I do what I need. You will need to adapt everything here to suit you and your hair, the environment where you live and work as it all has an effect. 

My Day One tends to be a Saturday.

Not everyone has hours to spend on their hair come a busy Saturday; ‘this is not real’ I hear you shout BUT most of us do have sit down and chill on a Friday night, half an hour of that time could be hair time. When the dinner/lunch/baking in in the over and brewing or stewing that could give you another half hour hair time.

The time is in the day it is up to us what we do with it.  I cannot do this every week, this is the best scenario. When I am mad busy I do the bits I can ie shampoo and conditioner or do my ends with a wash – whatever I can fit in. I do unapologetically prioritise looking after my hair because I enjoy it and I think it is important to make the most of those little things that make you happy. 

But if all of this is still too much for you to fit into your life at the moment just shelve it and go buy yourself a hat!

The first 5 changes were pineapples, satin pillowcases, coconut oil, cold rinse and tee-shirt towel. (Previous Blogs). I was so pleased with those initial changes that I decided to take a look into what else I may have been doing wrong with hair and beauty. The result of my investigations scared me.

It is easy to believe that a company would only use completely safe ingredients because someone in authority somewhere will have done the safety checks for us. To a point, that maybe true. Remind yourself of these three things:-

most of the checking and previous testing has been done in a lab on animals

does that mean it is safe for humans in a real world situation?

most of the tests and experiments are not done over a lifetime of use

how do those tests translate to growing and changing human bodies?

most of the chemicals in our shampoo will also be found in conditioner, soap, cream, make-up, cleaning fluid etc etc etc.

how does the ‘safe’ amount of a chemical in my shampoo react to my skin and my body when it is in everything else I use? 

I looked at the ingredients of the shampoo and conditioners we were using and googled each of them. You can do it yourself if you have the inclination to do the research but to save you time and to get you started I have summarised some of them below.

I would like to state the obvious here; ingredients are listed in composition order meaning that there is a higher percentage of the first ingredient listed and least of the last.  This is the rule for everything from shampoos through to chocolate cake.

Also, I use the Clean Beauty app often when looking for a new product for something or someone. With this app you take a photo of the ingredients list on the product or on your computer screen and Clean Beauty will inform you if any of the ingredients have been highlighted as harmful or damaging in some way. It then gives you a brief overview of the product. I like that it gives me all of the information so that I can make a decision about it for myself.

SLS

AMMONIUM LAURYL SULPHATE

SODIUM LAURETH SULPHATE

SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE

In my uneducated opinion these are the worst of a pretty bad bunch. These sulphates deal with grease, remove oils etc from anything they touch which is great when you want to clean something, obviously. It can produce the foam that we really love to see when washing because foam means cleaning!

The problems are these….

-They don’t only strip grease, they remove moisture too which leaves you hair dry and brittle. Of course, it is very difficult to wash your hair without getting the shampoo on your scalp and the SLS can also leave your scalp itchy and irritated.

SLS is prevalent in EVERYTHING! By the time you have shampoo’d, conditioner-ed, showered, moisturised, washed up, wiped the surface down, used hand soap your skin has handled and absorbed SLS countless times.

PARABENS

BUTYLPARABEN

METHYLPARABEN

PROPYLPARABEN

ALKYL PARAHYDROXY BENZOATES

Research around parabens is sketchy and vague but they are known to mimic the hormone oestrogen and 99% of people show parabens in their urine! We do know that parabens are preservatives, put into cosmetic products and food to prevent bacterial growth. We also know that they are chemical compounds. A link to cancer has been reported but I don’t know how strong or tenuous that link is but I do know that we do not need to absorb any more chemicals.  

FORMALDEHYDE

QUATERNIUM - 15

Formaldehyde itself is not often used in cosmetics as it is a known human carcinogen and has been banned from use in some countries. Other types of preservatives are used instead and some of those release formaldehyde over time. Again, any harmful links between these substances and us are not proven which, to me, does not guarantee safety either.

ALCOHOLS

Cetearyl alcohol

Stearyl alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol

Propanol

Alcohol is commonly used in many cosmetic products and the main problem is that alcohol can have a drying effect. However, if the name begins with a C or an S chances are they can help your hair retain moisture – just beware of the other alcohols.  

SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE AND COLOUR

FRAGRANCE

PHTHALATES

FD &C - number

D&C - number

The problem with ‘fragrances’ and colours is that they are almost always synthetic or chemically derived unless specifically stated otherwise.

If it sounds like a substance from a science lab it probably is. If it is naturally derived it will say so (often in brackets) because there would be no benefit in hiding it. 

SILICONES/DIMETHICONE

This silicone is a great agent in hair products because it coats your hair and makes it look shiny and silky smooth. What it is actually doing is coating it in a thin layer of plastic which weighs the hair down, collects dirt and residue and stops moisture and other nutrients/hair treatments from penetrating the hair shaft.

TRICLOSAN

This agent has been banned from soap in many countries but can still be used in many other cosmetics  and other products (like j cloths!). Look out for it on your labels, it can cause loads of health problems.  

This list is a basic list, it is not at all exhaustive, so please do your own independent research remembering that manufacturers will say anything to sell their products. Remember also that what is illegal in Europe maybe ok in other countries so if you are buying online beware of where it is coming from.

Everything you put ONTO your skin – good and bad - soaks INTO you.

Adding coconut oil to my life was not the only change that I had to make, it was just the first change I made. Khyanna and I are the only curly haired people in our household yet her needs are quite different to mine. The ends of her hair were always so matted and tangled, dry and course looking that it was impossible to get a comb through it, we would just have to trim the ends off – which meant that she couldn’t grow long hair.

After I oiled my hair that first time I sat her down with me the following week and we did it together. She hated it. She complained and flinched and cringed at me just as I did with my Granny. I felt for her and her scalp, I really did, but I persevered. One year on, we have gotten ourselves into a routine of that deep coconut oil, detangling, sore scalp treatment once every week or so depending on how the hair is feeling (not looking, feeling).  

Initially, it could take all day because we would put the oil on in the morning, tie our hair up into a top knot once it was fully coated and de-tangled, then later in the day we would wash it out.

Two years on, we no longer take all day, my daughter still dislikes having to detangle and oil BUT she now can do it herself and she does appreciate the fact that she finally has long, healthy, curly hair. The crucial thing for me is that we are using oil. Just oil. It is not a serum or a cream containing coconut oil; it is not coconut oil that has been taken and processed into something and then processed into something else and then something else. I would imagine that hair products containing coconut oil are probably better for you than the ones without but, for me, nothing beats the pure, unprocessed stuff.

As well as the coconut oiling thing, we made a few other changes and I think most of them would benefit everyone, no matter the hair type.

 Satin pillowcases – Satin (or better still, silk) does not absorb the moisture from you skin and your hair as much as cotton does. Therefore, changing your bedding means that the moisture that we busily, and expensively, apply to our hair and skin by day will not be removed as we sleep at night.

Cold rinse – Hot water can be quite damaging so we try and use only cold water for the final rinse on our hair. I live in the UK, so of course I am NOT taking cold showers but after my normal warm shower I wrap myself in a robe, flip my head over the tub and use cold water through the shower attachment only. Yes, it’s a shock to my scalp but so much better for my head and hair.

T-shirt towel  - The whole point of using a towel is to absorb all of the moisture – that’s why we use them! It can be kinder on your hair, especially delicate hair, to use a micro-fibre towel. I didn’t have one in the beginning, so I just used an oversized t-shirt, which works very well too.

Detangling – If you don’t have curly hair then for you it maybe an alien concept to leave the house without combing your hair but, if you have curly hair, then you know as well as I do that combing/brushing your dry hair is not an option. Therefore, determined detangling has been a major change for both Khyanna and myself in the pursuit of healthy hair. Fingers are first coated with coconut oil or argan oil then gently pulled through the hair, detangling as needed. We only ever comb our hair – with an actual comb - when it is wet.

Pineapples – When our hair has been washed, treated and dried to perfection it seems such a shame to sleep on it and squish all of that effort. We now pull it all up into a pineapple ie a high, loose ponytail on the top of the head. It means that as few curls as possible lie between my head and the pillow when I am sleeping. Most of the hair that is in contact with the pillowcase is the hair that lies underneath. The next day, generally, I can pull the hairband out, comb my fingers through, and I am done.

Caked coconut oil, satin pillowcase, cold rinse, tee-shirt towel, pineapples and detangling – these were some of the first changes we made. It has been a learning curve and we have not yet figured out swimming, beaches, holiday hair, but we have rebelled against what the media tells us and it has worked wonders.

None of those changes were expensive. The most difficult was the coconut oil issue because of the time factor and the smell [gag] however, we have sped up and got used to the smell. We have both been so much happier with our hair, almost from day one, that it has all been worth it and the changes keep on happening……!

I lost my curls. It must have in my late 30s when I mislaid them. I wanted them back.

The timeline of my hair goes like this……….

 6-15 yrs        Frizzy

15-30yrs       Curly

30-40yrs       Frizzy

    40+             Curly 

What changed? It is after all the same hair on the same head!

My mum has smooth, sleek, naturally glossy hair which she can wash with any shampoo and she can leave product free - she can even comb hers when it is dry (a definite NO for anyone with curly hair!). As my hair is not like hers I don’t think she really knew how to take care of curls very well which perhaps explains the frizz from my younger days.

 My granny somewhat understood the frizz. When I stayed with her she would sit me down and smother my head in stinky, gloopy coconut oil which she would drag though my hair, detangling with her fingers as she went. I loathed the painful and long process, especially as my hair was still frizzy after she was done.

Whilst I envied those pretty girls at my school with pony tails that swung about as they skipped I accepted that my hair would never swing like that. And I vowed to forever stay away from coconut oil!

When I was a teen I started to explore the seductive (and expensive) world of hair products. After much trial and error I settled on a routine that worked for me. I would only comb my hair when wet, never dry, I let it dry naturally as a diffuser just made it too big. I played with straighteners, a lot initially, when I first discovered them but then settled down to perhaps once a month. I revelled in the fact that I was finally in a place where I could confidently say that I liked my hair. And yes, I too could have a pony tail that bounced if I chose to skip anywhere!

Then I lost my curls. My hair often felt coarse and wiry, it would frizz after every wash and when I straightened it, it would resemble straw. Was this another pregnancy after effect? Or was it to do with the increasing number of grey hairs I have, do they just not curl well? Could it be hormones? Or climate?

I didn’t really know but one day I stumbled across the curly haired you-tuber/vlogger SUNKISSALBA. She had also lost her curls due to heat-damage, so began to nourish her hair and build its strength from within.

I love her philosophy.

I did not love the secret to her healthy hair: coconut oil.

It ‘softens your hair’ she says, ‘nourishes’ she says, ‘great natural remedy,’ she says.

It played on my mind for a week or two but I did nothing because I still really did not like coconut oil. One day, whilst trying to detangle my young daughters curly hair, which so often looks dry, matted and frizzed, I decided I would have to give the coconuts a go because my daughters curls were also at stake here!

I sat down one evening and gently pulled the oil through my dry hair, detangling with my fingers as I went, massaging the oil into my scalp  and somehow relishing the experience. Yes, a part of me felt like that child again, sitting with my Granny as she pulled and tugged at my scalp but somehow it was no longer a bad memory. I washed it all out an hour or two later with Pantene 2in1, used Frizz Ease serum (as I had been doing for 15 odd years) and I had to admit I was really happy with the finished result.

I began my journey there - with that tiny purchase and small addition to my routine.

I could have stopped at that but the ‘strengthening and nourishing from within’ resonated with me so I didn’t, I continued to make changes.

I know that coconut oil is not much of a rebel purchase for hair – everyone knows of its benefits – but it was only the beginning.

The dream is to have shiny, strong, healthy hair but the road to achieve it is in dispute.

Is there only one route we should all take? I don’t know.

Perhaps there is one road for you and a completely different one for me. Or maybe there is one road for you and a slight detour for me. Maybe those roads change as we travel through life. Could it be that 20 year old hair is not the same as 40 year old hair? 

I don’t know about all of that but I do know this; I used to think that surface gloss was ok. I thought the primary aim of hair care was to make it look good simply because surface gloss made my hair look healthy and feel soft. 20 years on I have realised that surface gloss means exactly that - it is only a surface veneer. There is no substance, no foundation. Exactly as the statement implies that surface gloss did not penetrate which meant that my hair was in very poor health and no amount of fickle remedy could rectify it.

This called for drastic solutions - I could either shave my head or begin the walk down my road to healthy hair. The remedies available in many high street shops were not going to work and that is why I went Rebel.

I was speaking with 3 teenage boys the other week at youth club and we got to speaking about Christmas.

In our home, much of Christmas is centred around presents, food and games. It is a day of excitement, noise, mess and everyone joins in.

So, when these youth club boys told me that it can be quite a boring day, that the presents are OK, if, they get any, but usually it’s just money, I felt really disappointed for them.

When pressed though, they admitted that they ask for money, they would actually rather have the freedom to go and buy what they wanted, so naturally, I followed up with……

‘Would you prefer stuff to open?’

‘Yes,’ was the unanimous response

‘Well, what would you ask Santa for?’

‘Just clothes, probably!’

Remember that these teens were once small boys, kids who dreamt of all the things small children dream of. When did that change to ‘just clothes, probably?’ When did that happen? Why did that happen?

Does your teenager know that it is okay to still dream big?

Christmas should be magical, but when you become an adult and too aware of reality, the magic can be dulled. But teenagers spend their waking hours being told what they should know, what they don’t know, what they could know, what they must know. They are bombarded with the dangers of all their choices. They have the pressure of exams and their futures looming large ahead of them - they should still get excited about having a break from all of that pressure and routine, shouldn’t they?

They are in that transitional phase between childhood and adulthood.

They are so aware of what is acceptable and what is not.

Perhaps having a magical Christmas is just NOT acceptable anymore.

Perhaps it is not allowed by the cool kids.

But surely their dreams always should be.

What do you dream of?

What is your best day ever? What is your favourite meal? What would you do if you won the lottery?

What do you dream of?

Why don’t you share those dreams with the people you live with and find out what’s in their dreams. Let the people who are closest to you, know your hopes, your dreams, both the realistic and the absurd because that is what dreams are made of.

More importantly, let your little ones know that it is always acceptable to dream, even for those cool kids. Dream for the big money, for the material stuff, for the houses, clothes, cars and shoes. And dream for the simple stuff too; for love, for someone who gets you, for acceptance, for laughing til you think you are going to wet yourself, for a hug.

Dream big and dream small.

Dream extravagant and dream simple.

Don’t bottle up your dreams with a cork in the top and save them for a rainy day; place them in a treasure chest and take them out often to examine and cherish them.

Know what you dream of doing with your life.

Know your dream house and the dream location for it.

Know you dream holiday.

Your dreams are vital and they should be enjoyed. Your young adults need to know that they are still allowed to dream, they can dream of being a fairy princess or famous footballer if they want to! Their dreams are also vital and should be big and loud and mad and colourful and weird. They are young and creative and have their whole lives to achieve whatever they want. Let them know that that’s ok!

And what about those three teens who are not really looking forward to Christmas Day? I gave them all evening to name me one gift that they would really like to receive this year, money no object, something that can be wrapped up and handed to them. Not one of them could do it. I may have been a fairy Godmother with a magic wand who wanted to make their dreams come true, but I can’t do that with people who don’t know what they want!

Name your dreams, not just for Christmas but for life, name them and treasure them and then you will be ready when someone asks you what you dream of.

Baby, toddler, child, tween, adolescent, adult.

Adolescence is the last jump before adulthood yet much of their lives are probably not adult at all - their money situation, leisure activities, energy levels, responsibilities, interests – definitely not adult. However, in many other ways they are living in very grown up ways. Consider the stuff they can watch on TV, the music content, sarcasm, the clothes they fit into, the youtube content, amount of food they consume, humour – all of that can be very mature.

This stuff, is a list of the visible growing up bits, but we must remember that inside of them is a whole mess of other growing up stuff pushing through the limits of their childhood and branching into the hairy, scary world of adulthood. They are now able to question everything they thought to be true. They are wondering about their place in this world. Their sexuality has been awakened. They have their own ideas about priorities for their own life. Crucially, they have realised that their parents don’t know everything.

Think back to your ten/eleven/twelve-year-old self and consider what kind of pre-teen were you? Were you someone who always pushed for independence, for the chance to finally be grown up? Or were you the kind who needed to be kicked out of the nest? What kind of child or teen or tween do you have?

As parents, before we send our child into the jungle of secondary school, we are told to help them become independent in many ways. Then, all of a sudden, they need to:

-manage their own money

-be responsible for their own clothes

-look after their own school supplies

-manage their own work schedule

-be responsible for their own personal hygiene

-manage their own social life

-take care of their online profile

-ensure they get enough exercise

-watch what they eat

-get their 5 a day

-avoid carbs

-not get addicted to sugar

-read their bibles

-pray every day

-engage in worship

-live wholeheartedly for the Lord

-not be self-conscious about an ever-changing body

-learn how to relate to people they like, that they get on with and people they don’t

-learn who they can trust and who they cannot

-learn what each teacher is telling them in 5 lessons a day, 5 days a week and retain all of that information

-take responsibility for the crucial exams that loom and could define their future

We look at teenagers and so often complain about what they are not doing or how they are doing things badly but these young people have SO MUCH TO DO! When I was 14 my mind was full – full of all I wanted to do and wanted to be and wanted to become. I had kiddy stuff that I still wanted to be a part of, I liked to play, but I had adult stuff that I wanted to explore and discover. I had new friendships, I discovered the joy of chatting and hanging out. Make-up and hair products could turn a good day into a great one. I realised there were boys and they didn’t all act like they were from another planet.

No, I did not care about the washing up and clean clothes and respectful talk and sitting with relatives and world affairs. I cared about the Bruno Brooks and the top 40 countdown. I cared about what was happening in Eastenders that week and what was on at the cinema.

I was not lazy, thoughtless, careless, selfish or arrogant.

I was distracted and learning and growing and discovering.

Your teen is finding their feet. They are just as distracted by life as you were. Your head maybe full of the business of being adult while theirs is full of childhood ending and approaching adulthood. Your little person is still in there though and they are still in need of all that love that you have for them. Perhaps you have to show it in a different way now they are older, perhaps you have to be available to them on their terms - perhaps - but never doubt how much they still need you.

This is a summary of our presentation on ‘DISTRACTIONS’ given to the young people in 2016 during a Friday evening RECKLESS session. We had a mixed group of around 12 kids aged from 7 to 15. We placed the chairs in the worship area in a small semi-circle but had the kids standing up to begin with.

Activity one

I stood on the platform with the microphone and had the young people gather around in a kind of semi-circle with a little wooden cross in the centre. I said to the group that I would give them some instructions and with each one that applies to them they were allowed to take a step forward. The first person to reach the cross at the centre of the semi-circle would win. I had two adult stooges stationed and primed with props around the room. I began to deliver some simple instructions and spoke quite loudly into the mic.

‘If you are wearing shoes, take a step forward’

‘If you brushed your teeth today, take a step forward’

As I spoke, my adults helpers threw Maltesers at the kids, threw balled up paper at the kids, danced in the semi-circle, waved their arms in their faces, sang, yelled - generally the adults were given the go-ahead to be as annoying as they wished without touching anyone.

After a while took the volume down a bit so that I was speaking into the mic but I made sure I was still audible. I kept up a steady stream of instructions, slowly becoming more obscure.

‘if you are wearing M and S clothes, take a step forward’

‘if you have eaten a grape today, take a step forward’

No one won the game. I just decided when we would stop and moved on the next activity.

Activity two

I had the A-board at the front of church and I asked the group to tell me all of the things they have to do on their normal Monday to Friday’s. I wrote down their list of school, homework, sleep, eat, drink, shower etc etc.

Then I asked them to tell me all of the things they like to do. Our list included dance club, swimming, TV, phone, laptop, football, friends, shopping, gym, praying, reading.

Then I asked them to list anything else that they do during their week. There was little else to add.

Message

“Why do we worship?

I worship for three main reasons.

1. Gratitude. I am genuinely thankful to God for all that He has done for me. He has saved me, liberated me, taught me, guided me, blessed me with more than I could ever imagine. I am so thankful to Him for all the above that my worship comes from my gratitude to Him and just simply how much I love Him.

2. Obedience. God wants to have a close relationship with us and part of that is our worship to Him and only Him - so that is what I do.

3. Focus. Worship helps me to focus my thoughts. It helps me to get my mind fixed on the Lord when I come into church. Sometimes I am distracted, I have stuff going on in my head, and I find it hard to suddenly put all of that aside and concentrate on God. When we fully engage in worship we have a way of shutting out the world and looking to God.

[I directed the kids attention back to the A board].

When we have all of this stuff to cram into every single week how on earth do we find time for God? He is speaking to us all of the time but we do have to stop and take the time to listen. If we have a busy week with all of this stuff going on, when can we take the time to listen?

Remember the game that we played at the start of the evening - how did you find it? Was it easy or hard?

‘It was hard, it was really hard’

And why was it hard?

‘Because Matt was getting in my face’

‘Because there was too much noise in the room’

‘There was too much going on’

‘it was too loud’

‘someone was throwing maltesers at me!’

‘I couldn’t hear you properly’

You guys couldn’t hear me properly and I was speaking into a mic! Hearing God is so hard when our world is so loud? But when you engage in worship, properly engage, when you think about the words you are singing you can focus on the Lord despite all of that distraction that surrounds us.”

I love the young adults that I have in my little youth club.

I love that they act like adults until a game or competition is on offer. They still love to play and no one is too cool to do so.

I love the silliness, the banter, the humour and that they understand sarcasm.

I love the acceptance and the forgiveness.

I love that they are teachable and open to all views and ideas. They may have strong opinions but they will listen to another view point, absorb it, assess it and then decide whether to accept or reject it.

It is wonderful that God stirs up different passions in different people. People take a stand for the environment and children and wildlife and all sorts of things – and that’s great, really REALLY great because we need those people to take a stand and make a difference in the world we are living in now.

My thing is to educate the next generation because I think that the real change will come from giving young people the information they need to choose well in their lives. That’s what I really love about spending time my youth.

Healthy shopping. What does that even mean? We have enough ‘health’ issues to concern ourselves with without adding shopping on to the list! Well, it was a few years ago that I began to feel uneasy about how – or more importantly where – we were spending our money. I felt that I could be somehow funding the human trafficking problem or keeping young kids in work and out of education with the money I give to a supermarket on my weekly shop and that really bothered me. I got to the point where I had to take action.

Unsurprisingly, I discovered that most retailers do not want us to know the ins and outs of their supply chain and they don’t want to give their customers any clear information about their ethics. There are a few exceptions; if you scroll to the bottom of the page some retailers include a ‘modern slavery statement’ (Amazon is a good example) which is great. I did learn this - the problems surrounding the consumer world in which we live are truly vast.

I thought about it, (often) and prayed about it, (not so often) because I really didn’t know how to begin to address the problem. Thankfully, after a few months, the answer was presented to me by way of a Facebook ad.

The Good Shopping Guide

This amazing website provides us with some incredible, amazing information in a really simple way that I could understand! It is not affiliated to anyone so the information they give is unbiased and really helpful. Here are the reasons why I love it…… 

1.  The Tables

This is the most useful tool on this website in my opinion. As a family we use it often. The Good Shopping Guide produces an easy to view table of many retailers, from loads of different sectors (home to fashion to beauty) with their ethical rating – a number out of 100 showing how ethical they really are. An example is given below:

 This means you can very quickly, at a glance, check who is the best supplier for whatever it is you need. You can also check how your favourite shops are rated. Armed with knowledge you can start to make changes where you are able. 

2. A rating for different issues

The good shopping guide gives you a breakdown of how their ethical rating is put together. This means if you want to focus your support on human rights you can arm yourself with the knowledge you need. 

3. In depth information

They give a more in-depth discussion of the problems surrounding different industries, what the main concerns are and what changes we can think about making.  

The problems are vast so if you set out on a crusade to sort out ALL of the worlds problems many of us would probably just want to dive under the duvet and hide. I think the way to start out, is to put your finger on the issue that bothers YOU the most. Take some time to consider what really makes your blood boil, what concerns you most about the world in which children from today will inhabit tomorrow.

Then start there.

We can’t do everything for everyone, we all just need to do our bit and then we will see change in the following 4 main categories:

Planet

The problems are massive and well-publicised. We all know the problems that humans are causing from the beautiful Ran Tang/palm oil issue to the land fill mountain.

Animals

Animals are relentlessly abused and harmed by us in so many different ways. We cause them harm from the ridiculous – dancing bears – to the controversial - animal testing.

People

Human beings, who do not have, are so often taken advantage of by those that do. Large companies are able to swoop into communities and make promises to gain what they want, but often those promises do not come to pass.

Ingredients

The reality of what we put on us and in us is something really quite scary. Ingredients in this sense is not limited to food or beauty products, it also applies to clothing and everything else we use.

When I began my research and started to make changes a few years ago I was in the same place as many; I was happy to do my bit, but I didn’t want to become some kind of a fanatic or (stereotype) hippy and I certainly didn’t want to make any drastic, complicated or expensive changes to my lifestyle. I already wore lots of hats with lots of different labels, I really didn’t need to add anymore! And as a family we were doing what we could - we recycled what we could, we avoided plastic straws and bought fair trade when we were able but that was about it.

Initially, my main concerns were centred around ingredients, so we began to make those slow steps toward better health, remove toxins and go natural where possible.

(read - what is in my shampoo and starting off)

The next thing for me was Human Rights. It dawned on me that if a shirt can be bought for £3, there is no way on this earth that I have paid enough money to cover the cost of the material, the dye, the thread, the designer, the seamstress, the transportation, the packaging and whatever else I have missed from this list. Someone somewhere has missed out on fair pay for the work they have done, so my shopping behaviours were keeping someone in poverty. Worse still, my shopping habits could be funding someone else’s drug business or modern-day slavery. I love Fairtrade. I think what they have begun is amazing.

But shame on us that it is even needed.

As you shop this Christmas, if you can take some time to have a look at the Good Shopping Guide, just the simple table if that’s all you have time for, then please do that.

www.thegoodshoppingguide.com

The desire for more money is one of our biggest drives and large companies are not immune. We each of us have the power to drive change sitting right within our purses and wallets.

Every one of our shopping actions cause a reaction – it is for us to choose if that reaction is good or bad.

Every one of our purchases impacts someone somewhere.

Let us begin to choose well.

Since Spring, 2016, I have been making changes to the way I care for my skin. The changes which began small grew more dramatic as my confidence in nature and natural products grew.

Jojoba oil

I love it, I am completely in love with the stuff. I no longer use face cream because one or two squirts of jojoba is enough to moisturize my face and my neck. It feels lush! I love it! I even give myself a little face massage sometimes because I enjoy the feel of the oil on my skin so much. It is pricey but one 250ml bottle lasts me 10-12 months.

Water

I love tea, black tea, all flavours, any time of the day. Because I drink so much of it I decided I needed to ditch the first tea of the day and I substituted it for water; cold in the summer, warm in the winter. However, there is something about warm water that seems ‘off’ I don’t know what it is but I just couldn’t get used to the taste or more accurately, the lack of taste. Nowadays I have warm water with a splash of apple cider vinegar in it, perhaps some vanilla essence, very occasionally a slice of lemon or lemon and honey. I have grown to enjoy my morning cuppa but it has not been something that came easily to me and I did need to persevere initially. I try and remember to sip water through the day regularly because I do believe it is beneficial. I try not to wait until I am thirsty to drink water. I try to keep water with me in a glass at home or an aluminium bottle when out and about.

If you are used to drinking squash, juice or something fizzy during the day and think that drinking water is too difficult don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember that squash, tea and coffee contain plenty of water! If the lack of water you consume concerns you then make the changes slowly and keep them manageable. Perhaps alternate your drinks (one glass of water for every can of pop) or perhaps keep a day fizzy free. The changes you make really depend on what your goal is and where you are starting from. For me it was relatively easy because I find the sugar content in juice and fizzy is too much for me and my bad teeth but you are on a different journey to me.

Apple cider vinegar

I have ACV in the bathroom and use it on a piece of cotton (old pjs ripped up into squares) directly onto my face and this has evened out my skin tone better than anything else I have ever used. When my skin was very sensitive and still recovering at first I would put a drop of water on the cotton as well but now my skin is used to it so I don’t dilute it. I cover my whole face in the ACV, in light upward strokes, avoiding the eye area because it makes my eyes smart a little. The smell is disgusting, it is not something I have got used to, but the benefit has been so great that it is something I am willing to put up with.

I also use ACV in my bath water about once a month, just a splash, because I have heard it is good for skin pH or something. I am not sure and have not seen any huge benefit to the skin on my body but I am sure its not hurting anything.

Sugar scrub

Oh those plastic micro beads! Why did we ever think they were a good idea? Why did we ever think they were necessary?!? I found a little empty pot, filled it with brown sugar, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil and orange essence. I simply mixed it all together and use it as an exfoliator over my whole body. It is great, especially for elbows and knees. I have happily used it on my face, only once a fortnight, not too often and have not had any problems with it but if your skin is more sensitive or irritated in any way you may find the sugar too abrasive.

I have made other scrubs over the last couple of years using coffee grounds and different oils. The coffee grounds are definitely gentler on the skin but I like the abrasive sugar. If you need to go easy on your skin though coffee can be a good alternative. Salt is also a good substitute. 

Future….

I have explored other oils, looked extensively into the ingredients of our toiletries and made drastic changes – much to the disruption and upset of my household! I will let you know of my discoveries in the next few posts. Stay tuned!

I never, ever got into the ‘cleanse, tone and moisturise’ routine. Even though the beauty counters and beauty scientists and beauty therapists will tell you that all of the steps of the routine are necessary, I have never done it.

The rebel in me questions the necessity. Often.

I am Indian, half from the North and half from the South which means my skin is not as fair as most North Indians nor as dark as many South Indians. When I was younger my main skin issue was the dark circles around my eyes. I have never been worried by spots, my skin tone is fairly even, so I use foundation when I have contact lenses in. As a result my skin care routine has always been pretty limited.

What do we want to achieve with a skin care routine?

What do you need to do to achieve all of the above? Is it even important?

In my 20’s my skin care routine was this: Nivea face wash 3 or 4 times a week,  Lancome Hydrazen moisturiser daily, Oxy10 spot tonic if needed (I would dab a bit on if a spot tried to break out, or if I had a lot of make up on or if I had been somewhere like central London and I felt grubby).

I think experts would say there would be long term repercussions to my negligence but my skin was fine.

For the year we travelled I would wash my face with whatever shower gel I was using and moisturised with whatever body cream I was using. I never used make-up on my skin for that year because I had such a deep tan all of the make-up I had taken was the wrong colour and in truth I never really needed to, my skin looked fine without it. In fact, in America I was stopped in the street on two separate occasions to be told that I had beautiful skin! It has never happened when I have put make up on!

In my 30s, when we returned to the UK we had no money so Hydra Zen was out. After a few years of sleepless nights (kids) and UK climate (no holidays) I noticed my skin was becoming blotchy and pale, almost sickly looking. As well as that I developed itchy patches over my face - no spots, just itchy skin. It started on both of my eyelids and then spread down my face, in front of my ears, around my mouth and chin. I scratched and fussed around it so much that for a while I caused dark patches to develop over those affected areas.

That was when I realise I needed to do something about it and am really thankful that I have found some easy and quick remedies that work well for me to combat most of those issues however if I am being totally honest here I will say that I embarked on a Rebel Pathway but I did not have high hopes.

I had to admit though that my hair was getting better having made some changes and I really love the strengthening from within/nourishment philosophy. Also I knew the benefit to my kids was great so in May 2016 I began to make changes.

Since then I have noticed a vast improvement in the quality of my skin, no itching, a much more even skin tone. No, my face is not permanently glowing and yes, I still have blotches and the odd breakout but there has definitely been a change for the better.

Does that mean natural works?

For me, yes.

Is it worth a try?

Perhaps you need to decide for yourself.

You would think it would be great to be blessed with good skin – and it is. It did mean that when my skin started to fight back the first time when was in my late 30s, I was woefully ill-equipped to deal with it. I didn’t know what to do with combination skin types, toners, cleanser, scrubs, moisturisers, emollients, t – zones, or even your bog-standard pimple. Not only could I not deal with my own skin but I had nothing to offer my kids who were, by then, trying to figure out their own skin care routine.

Some beauty products smell so toxic that my eyes would water and my nose would burn when I took the lid off! I have children beginning to explore the world of beauty products and I want to protect and preserve their bodies as much as I am able. Therefore I knew I had to take steps down that road into natural beauty, beginning to learn and to experiment in order to discover. Of all the roads I walk in order to learn, this one has been the most REBEL of all.

There is so much more to art and illustration than picking up a paintbrush. Why didn’t anyone tell me! I get the image from my head onto the paper but that has only been one small step. The image then needs to get onto the computer – scanner? Camera? The computer shows up all the little flaws and imperfections in the original, some of which are necessary but others need to be removed. Then the image needs to get from the computer back onto paper!

After months of trial and error, frustration, really sore eyes and using muscles in my arms and hand that I had forgotten I had I do feel as though I am getting there.

I am learning so much yet there is still so much to learn. I know that I am a long way from where I want to be but I know that I can get there because I think the improvement has already been vast.  

The drawings are coming quicker. The editing has become easier. The paint is handling better.

I am getting there.  

REBEL BLOGS ONE’S

KIDS ONE - INFORMATION OVERLOAD – BLUEBELL WOODS AND SOFA

Sofa - April 2018

This is my favourite Rebel Kids painting to date. I sketched it out a couple of times but painted it only once. It was probably the easiest to do because the kids faces are all direct on and I have sketched them often. Also, crucially, it is a direct copy from a photo. I was not confident at the time to mess around with the composition too much so I left it as I saw it.

Bluebells – April 2018

This is a copy from two different photos. The bluebell woods were too ambitious a subject for me to tackle I think. The outcome is ok but I see many flaws and was a bit disappointed with it. The main problem is, of course, that the baby is out of proportion to the other two, she is way too big. I think I know how to edit that image size digitally and that alone would improve the whole thing but, in a way, I like to keep hold of those mistakes. It was an achievement for me to even be able to pinpoint the main flaw so for now I have chosen to leave the image as it is.

FAITH ONE - SOMETHING MISSING

M25 – April 2018

This was my first piece completely coloured in using copics and, although I see the problems with uneven colouring and splodges, I love it. I feel it is quite dramatic and depicts exactly what I wanted to say. There is one main road, like the M25, which everyone joins. Once you are on the road you hit the same sign posts as everyone else, the same milestones which take you to the same end destination. The tunnels beneath the main road show all the other possibilities.

HAIR ONE - THE DREAM

Tropical Path– April 2018

The aim was to show the chaos and confusion of hair products whilst surrounded by all the stuff we actually need. The plastic bottles were meant to sit uncomfortably against the beautiful foliage. The result has not quite achieved this. I would love to say that the original is much more successful but actually no, it needs to be re-done. And one day it will be, but for now it is on display as a mini-stepping stone on the way to the successful final piece.

The Multi Coloured Medusa - April 2018

I wanted to paint something more grown up but the result is quite immature. The profile is not well executed and the lines are inconsistent. However I do like the colours and the sense of movement. It is all about the womans hair so it is good that it is the main part of the picture

YOUTH ONE - GEN Z

Generation Z - April 2018

I love bright, chaotic pieces with bold, striking colours. This is exactly how the world around teenagers en masse often is. I had fun with the background but found the figures frustrating to illustrate. As a result I seem to have shelved my pens to focus more on paints. I will come back to them though and beat the frustration

Watercolour Group with Selfie - April 2018

These are my stereotypical teens, a happy group with a selfie, a grumpy one with a stroppy parent. I like that the group in fare bold, the group in the background are faded, I like the characters themselves. The real let down are the random swirls – what was I thinking!

I was actually trying to create an interesting background but clearly I did not want to put any time or effort into dreaming one up.

HEALTH ONE - STARTING OFF

Wooden Steps and Native Indian - April 2018

I loved creating this and I do really like the outcome. Obviously it is not perfect – the foliage is almost incomplete and there is not enough contrast to the women BUT the fully natural feel of the scene is exactly how I feel about Rebel Health. Also, this is a path that I would love to walk, it is personal but I do really like this watercolour

The Native American Indian - April 2018

Rebel Skin was the original name for Rebel Health. With that in mind I some images of Native Americans with the beautiful face paint on and it showed off lovely natural skin perfectly. That is what I wanted to depict. The painting is fine but with a bit more skill and time I think it could have been dramatic and amazing. It just falls short of that.