Health

AirPop Pocket Face Mask Review #Ad

June 14, 2021 by Erica Hughes 1 Comment

Now that we are well into the pandemic, I think we have all tried a number of different face masks. I’ve tried to avoid using disposable ones, as I prefer a reusable mask as that seems less wasteful. Of course, I have had to use disposable masks when visiting hospitals, etc. though. I’ve tried a number of reusuable fabric ones too, but so far all have had a few downsides. There’s also a concern about how effective they are as most of the ones I’ve tried are only two layers thick. So when AirPop got in touch about their Pocket mask, I was keen to try it out.

Company history and credentials

AirPop is the world’s first air wearables company and was founded in 2015. The brand combines material science with the latest technology to build ultra-high-performance products providing an unrivalled breathing experience for millions of users around the world. Founder Chris Hosmer and his team conducted lengthy research to ensure AirPop products delivered on three key elements to make them effective: fit, filtration and breathability.

Wearing the AirPop pocket mask

The Pocket mask is a hybrid semi-reusable mask designed for 40 hours of wear time (this can be cumulative). Airpop says it can be worn for 40 hours and up to 10 washes before you need to retire it. It’s made from three layers of spun-bound, non-woven polyester and nylon, which makes it similar to disposable masks. There’s a foam nose bridge which really helps with making them comfortable and creating a good fit. This was the first mask I’ve tried with the foam nose bridge and it certainly makes a difference to being able to wear it for longer. Also the ear straps were gentle on the ears, but still maintained a snug fit.

Filtration results are impressive: 99.9% before washing, and 94% after five washes. It will cost more than a fully reusable mask, but that might be a price worth paying if you are encountering higher risk situations; are vulnerable; or want to protect about a more infectious virus.

Carrying the mask

You can fold the mask up and put it away in a small carrying case. The on pack instructions weren’t very clear to me, but I was easily able to follow the online instructions. The vent on the top of the case allows any moisture to evaporate naturally between wears. This helps keep the mask dry and fresh for when you need it.

Summing up

The Pocket mask has impressed independent experts too, as it scored an impressive 94% in Which’s latest face mask round up. Not only did Which’s testing reinforce how effective the Pocket mask is, the masks were also awarded a BSI Kitemark late last year.

Overall I found the AirPop pocket mask a reassuring and comfortable mask to wear. The mask is quite thick, so it’s not so comfortable when it’s hot, but that goes for just about any mask worth wearing to be honest. It holds its shape well and folds up nicely. Wearing the mask for a long time is fairly easy though. I’d see myself using these for high risk activities in the future. That’s because I have been impressed by the effectiveness and ease of wear.

Disclosure: I was sent masks to try for the purposes of this review.

New Ninja Swimming Goggles from Phelps Giveaway #Ad

February 8, 2021 by Erica Hughes 34 Comments

Ninja Swimming Goggles

A few years ago I got back into swimming. In my childhood I’d gone to lessons for years; represented my schools in competitions and my swimming club too. Then for many years I just swam for fun with friends or family. Pregnancy saw me back in the water for a while, as it was just so easy to move in the pool, but after my son was born I transferred my efforts into teaching him to swim well. Eventually though I felt the need to get back into the water and swim on a more serious basis for fitness, health and enjoyment. Now I swim three or four times a week and clock up 50 lengths a time in a 30+ metre pool. A key part of my swimming routine is wearing good quality goggles – it makes such a difference. When you swim with your face down in the water most of the time, you do need to protect your eyes. But, finding the right pair of goggles can take some trial and error. It’s so annoying to be always adjusting your goggles because water gets in or to find that your vision is impeded because the lenses keep misting up. Getting the goggles right though makes such a difference to your swimming, making swimming a much more pleasurable experience.

These Ninja Swimming Goggles from Phelps are very luxurious with their gold titanium mirrored lens. They are a streamlined racing goggle designed for ‘serious competition’ swimmers but obviously any swimmer may like to get their hands on it! I certainly would.

They are made in Italy using Aqua Sphere technology and were developed by Michael Phelps and his coach Bob Bowman. To get a perfect fit there’s a Race Fit Strap System for one-time low-profile strap adjustment. Simply fit it and forget it.

Curved lens technology for 180 degree panoramic view, so you can spot swimmers to the side without altering your head position and messing up your stroke. An ultra soft Softeril gasket provides watertight comfort and the four interchangeable nose bridges help ensure your perfect fit. Various lens options are available, including clear, smoke and mirrored. This gold titanium coated mirrored option offers ultimate glare protection for max visibility in bright conditions and also reflective glare conditions. Super for outdoor sun/cloud and indoor artificial light. FINA approved for racing.

I have a pair of these fabulous goggles to give away to one lucky reader. Wouldn’t you like to win a pair for yourself? If so, enter via the gleam widget below.

Competition Terms and Conditions

1. No bulk, third-party or automated entries allowed.

2. Entrants must be aged 18 years or older and resident in the UK.

3. The winner or winners will be chosen by a random draw using the competition widget.

4. Promoter is responsible for fulfilling the prize and full contact details of the winner will be passed onto the promoter to enable prize fulfillment.

5. The winner’s name may be published on this site.

6. Competition closes at the end of Sunday 28th February 2021.

Ninja Swimming Goggles

Making Kombucha With Freshly Fermented #Ad

November 19, 2020 by Erica Hughes 23 Comments

kombucha kit

My first experience of kombucha was at a vegan restaurant event for food bloggers in Birmingham. I quite liked the taste, although my plus one on that occasion was less keen on it. I’d taken the odd glass since then, but I’ve never drunk kombucha on a regular basis until very recently.

Freshly Fermented got in touch and asked me to try out making my own kombucha with one of their kits. Whilst I was waiting for my own to brew, I could drink some of their ready made kombucha. Freshly Fermented offer the largest selection of organic & vegan fermented food cultures in the UK. I was sent one of their organic kombucha starter kits to try.

The kit

In the organic kombucha starter kits there is everything you need to start fermenting. To be honest you don’t need anything else at all really: the ingredients are all there, as are all the utensils. There’s no danger of you not having the right tools for the job. The kit comes with a high quality Kilner jar for fermenting in, plus some glass bottles for your produce. The remainder of the utensils are plastic (a stirrer, funnel, measuring jug and strainer), but of good quality and they were the right size for the job too. As well as your ‘hardware’ you’ll get sugar, tea and the magic ingredient: your scoby with starter tea. The instructions are on the website and you can either read them online or print them off (they print off nicely: no odd words on a separate sheet or any margin problems).

kilner jar

Making kombucha

Getting your kombucha started takes a couple of hours in total. Just to be clear this isn’t because there’s a lot of work, but you do have to wait for the mixture to cool down and I found that was the most time consuming part of it. The actual work is only a few minutes in total. First you heat up your sugar and water mixture – this only took a few minutes on the hob in a saucepan. I did use a meat thermometer to check the temperatures, but it’s not essential. Next you add tea leaves and let your tea brew. I did this for 15 minutes, but you can go for a stronger brew if you prefer. It’s a good idea to set a reminder on your phone or use a kitchen timer, so as not to overdo it.

Then strain off the tea leaves and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature – this is where the waiting comes in, but obviously there’s no need to sit there watching it, you can just get on with whatever you want. I was surprised how long it took to get the temperature back down. Then you transfer your mixture to the kilner jar and add the scoby with starter tea. You close the lid and leave for five days (or a bit longer if you prefer).

fermenting kombucha Obviously, I knew I would have to wait to try my kombucha, but you can buy kombucha drinks to tide you over till your brew is ready. Alternatively, some will prefer just to buy the drink and not bother with making their own. I was sent some bottles of the Organic Black Orange Kombucha to try out whilst I was waiting. As it’s a real, unpasteurised kombucha, it continues to ferment when bottled meaning it has a short shelf life and murky appearance (the stuff you can buy in the supermarket really isn’t the same thing at all). You’ll also need to take some care when opening the bottles as the kombucha is quite fizzy. Kombucha may also contain low levels of alcohol (less than 1%).

Drinking kombucha

So whilst my kombucha was brewing, I started drinking the organic black orange kombucha every day. I liked the taste: quite sweet and fruity. I liked the fizz. Drinking it became part of my daily ritual. The first two days I tried it, my stomach made some very loud gurgling noises (apparently this is quite common) for half an hour to an hour. I have never heard my stomach make so much noise for that length of time before. So probably best to start drinking when you are at home for a couple of days or drink it after work, just in case it happens to you.

After two days my system seemed to get used to it and my stomach was silent from then on. I did notice a difference though. It felt like my whole digestive tract had eased and I felt lighter. I wasn’t suffering from any particular problems before started drinking kombucha, but there was a definite feeling of ease. Everything seemed to slip along much more smoothly. I was surprised at the difference it made. It made me want to continue drinking kombucha.

Organic Black Orange Kombucha

The results

How was my kombucha getting on? It sat there for 5 days without much obvious difference occurring. Maybe the scoby had grown a little and the mixture was slightly murkier. After five days I took out the scoby and the top 10% of the mixture to use for setting up my next batch. The remainder I transferred into my glass bottles ( I filled about one and a half bottles). The mixture is ready to drink. I liked my home brewed kombucha. If anything it was a little sweeter than the organic black orange kombucha and it was less fizzy, probably because it hadn’t been bottled for as long. I’ve already set up my next batch to ferment and I think kombucha will be a regular habit for me. I like the idea of experimenting with different types of tea and a variety of flavourings too.