the most amazing soap in the world

A year ago I took this amazing trip to Pemba island for work. It was a work trip, a photo shoot for a customer, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the beautiful views, and soft soft sands on the island. To this day it is the most amazing place I have ever been in. So beautiful, soft beaches, no one around. I hope I get to visit it again some day soon.

The lodge we stayed in is an eco lodge, and among other things they also provide the rooms with locally made clove soap. This soap changed my life.  Luckily after knowing the owner for years he stocked me up and gave me contacts to find it in Dar. I use it to wash my face, hair and body. I've shared it with my friends and family and everyone loves it. Since it is handmade natural soap it does not dry your skin, and the properties in clove clear up even the most troublesome skin. Clove has been said to help with aches and it is anti bacterial and anti inflammatory. Either way it clears up any heat rash, sun allergy and whatever you can think of. All at the whopping cost of 600 shillings = 30 euro cents per bar. Of course this is my personal experience and I am no scientist. But hey, I've struggled with my skin for Y-E-A-R-S.

I'll be loading up my luggage with it when we come spend Christmas in Finland, so please let me know if you want to try this amazing bar of natural skincare.

wardrobe update

I have read. And re-read. And Pinned and googled, anything and everything about minimalist wardrobe. There several main stream solutions for this. There is project 333 where you choose 33 pieces of clothes to use for three months. Emphasis is mainly on finding items that match that you can keep combining and changing outfits all the time. And then there is 10 item wardrobe by the Daily connoisseur, who two times a year creates a 10 item wardrobe of beautiful outfits and then sticks to those until the next season. None of these seem to fit perfectly. But I think I am finding my path to my minimalist closet.

I don't need to have everything match. 10 items seem a bit extreme, but what attracts me in that one is that she focuses on rather having 10 perfect, high quality outfits that hundreds of H&M pieces that unravel within months. A good example is underwear. I have been struggling to find good underwear in Tanzania. Firstly all except one set from Finland has lived its life. Sadly last time I was in Finland I didn't focus on quality, and living in 30+ degrees with uncomfortable underwear is not fun. Learned that lesson. The one pair that remains was a gift from the hubby in 2010. It is still like new, and crazy comfortable. So good quality items definitely are the key.

So is it 33 or 10 items that I will go with. Actually I think it will be close to 30, excluding (as the "rules" state) lounge wear, underwear, workout gear: that I currently need several because of the daily coaching sessions. And a couple of nicer dresses that I keep around for the weddings, embassy events etc that seem to be somewhat frequent.

This step took me a lot longer than I assumed it would. Actually identifying the clothes that I want and need. I actually had to think about the weather, and my life style as well as the style I want to portray. I think I am somewhere between fun and chic. I want to look like an adult: put together and polished to a certain extent but I also want to look 32 (soon 33) instead of 52. So finding the balance between fun, young, energetic and chic, polished, poised has been my challenge. BUT I finally feel like I have been able to identify the list of clothes that don't overwhelm me in quantity and options but also offer me enough variety to work with my different roles.

So without further rambling here you go, my updated minimalist wardrobe plan:

If you would go through your closet and choose just the clothes that you love, really truly love, how many would that amount up to? Could you live with just those? Do you think it would make you life easier or harder? 

I love the fact I can get dressed in seconds every morning, that everything (except those jeans) are super comfortable, and fit me perfectly. More variety? Maybe at some point, but for now I'm happy with my selection - or will be once it is complete.