Not Another Bunch of Flowers

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I am sure most, if not all of us, will know someone or know of someone with it, has had it or has sadly passed away from what is a truly horrendous disease. I have known, in my lifetime, 4 people who have had it, two of them are still alive and they still fight it.

Not Another Bunch of Flowers is an online web shop set up by Anikka Burton to help friends and family of poorly people make thoughtful gift choices for their loved ones. Anikka herself was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 aged 33, and has had the full works of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and 5 operations to date. When she was first diagnosed, Anikka’s friends, family and colleagues sent so many bunches of flowers that she ran out of vases, jugs, pint glasses... until she was putting them in saucepans and anything else that would hold water! From here, Not Another Bunch Of Flowers was born.

The first thing we do as humans when someone is unwell is reach for the phone, internet or shop for some flowers.  Flowers, which are bright and beautiful instantly make people feel cheery and much better but, having friends with breast cancer, flowers are a lovely gesture, but sometimes there are other things that can also make the difference and this is why Not Another Bunch Of Flowers is such a great idea.

I know from experience that doing the simple things in life like the shopping, buying ice cubes and even doing the ironing or walking the dog were as much appreciated as the flowers but I also get that buying something other than flowers is sometimes a bit of an alien thought process. So buying an alternative present can be a difficult choice and this is where  Not Another Bunch Of Flowers helps shoppers pick out the right practical gifts for those going through chemo, such as eye masks, button front pyjamas, beanies, and all sorts of bits and bobs you would never have thought of if you hadn’t been through it yourself.

Not Another Bunch of Flowers is generally known for supplying gifts for cancer patients – due to Anikka’s personal story and the resulting PR. However,  Not Another Bunch Of Flowers  also sells general get well gifts, hospital gifts and gifts for mums-to-be and new mums.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Introducing Noble Naturals

Nano minerals are not a concept I had heard of until recently, but now I have, I am incredibly intrigued. Throughout the years, The Health Factory has specialised in the research and development of 100% bio-available minerals and other natural products. Described as being something our body needs, Nano minerals can do a whole host of amazing things and here is how.

L'Ords des Pharaons is a face and body mist which contains purified and revitalised water with added nanoclusters of pure gold, platinum and pure zinc. From the beginning of time gold is considered to be a gift from the gods and going back to the time of the ancient Egypt, the gold of the Pharaohs was used for face masks to help preserve the skin whilst monatomic gold, which was very highly-valued by ancient cultures for its "mystical properties" and "magical powers", was used to rejuvenate and extend the lifespan of a human. 

Fast forward to today and what we have in L’Ords des Pharaons Face and Body Mist, £40 is a product which when applied on the skin before make-up and creams; L’Or des Pharaons’ pure ingredients are absorbed deep into the skin layers. Thus the revitalisation is deep and lasting. L’Or des Pharaons combats the visible signs of aging at cellular level and helps rejuvenate your skin – defying the effects of time.  It contains no allergens or chemicals.

Nano Silver (or Colloidal Silver) is described as being a uniquely formed mineral water which contains silver particles and it is these particles which kill bacteria and fungus in minutes. Noble Naturals’ Nano Silver is available in three different sizes; a 15ml spray, a 100ml bottle with a handy dropper and bigger bottles in 200ml and 1 litre sizes. Prices start from £10.95

I had a quick chat with a science teacher friend of mine and I was more acutely aware as to what a great little find this is. Apparently, the world’s oldest and original antibiotic which was used before the discovery of penicillin to fight off illness, Silver has, for centuries, been used to protect the body from disease and illness and also to kill harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi within the body! Something I never knew until now which shames me as a history graduate!  Before the invention of the refrigerator, it was common practice to drop a silver coin into a container of milk as a preservative because silver was known to prevent the growth of algae, bacteria and other undesirable organisms.

So, when applied directly to the skin, this product can treat problems such as nappy rash, burns, sores, cuts, skin conditions such as eczema, toothache, throat infections and eye infections to name just a few.  As someone who suffers with tonsillitis and am allergic to penicillin, this is definitely a product I intend to try the next time I am ill. 

I absolutely love learning about products such as Nano Silver and L'Ords des Pharaons, they fascinate me and one of the reasons I enjoy blogging as much as I do is because without it, I would never have the chance to discover and try products such as these.

All Noble Natural products are available at The Health Factory. 

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise