Sniff sniff

I was most surprised to read this morning that Sir Philip Green's group Arcadia is not doing as well as they'd hoped due to the nice autumn weather. What about due to the cuts and the economy not doing well? Mr Cameron could be one to blame? Since when has fashion been 'in season'? One cannot buy a bikini in August when all the birds are falling from the roof as a result of the heat as the winter collection is in store. And as I was desperately looking for a warm winter coat in February I just caught the end of the winter sale and clearly nothing left in my fairly standard size. So really having clothes in season not selling does not make sense to me at all, as we haven't had a history of having clothes in store at the right time.

Anyway I was sent a lovely box of Olbas products to try and there is nothing like a keen duo of monkeys raiding your wares and giving their opinion. The products could not have arrived at a better time as boy monkey has been sniffling for over a week, girl monkey has got a sore throat and I am getting one as well.

So, instantly most products were tried and tested. I was only expecting some packs of tissues (remember those with the same "crunch and release the vapour" skill as the box we tried some time ago). Well, they were there and immediately divided amongst book and sports bags as they smell so nice and according to the monkeys, are the best for a cold at school. The big box of tissues had to be rescued as they liked it so much last winter that they wanted to divide that one too. The best thing of all I thought was the Olbas Bath, a bubbly bath product with a menthol scent that really opens the airways, and is inexpensive; how good is that?

The menthol lozenges come in two flavours, honey and lemon (given the thumbs up by girl monkey) and blackcurrant and aniseed, which I love. Anything with aniseed is a good thing in my book. On a regularly basis I get sent aniseed cubes from Holland that dissolve in warm milk, hmmm best thing to send anyone to sleep.

The one thing that I have left in the box is the vaporiser. I shall keep that for when it is really necessary. I have a real thing about air fresheners, room sprays and vaporisers, somehow it doesn't feel quite natural to me to have these extra chemical scents in the house, not quite sure whether they are healthy especially now that so many of us have allergies. Anyhow, do believe that this menthol thing will do the trick when needed. Girl monkey has no preconceptions so no doubt she'll have it in her room.

I wish I could run a bath with the nice Olbas Bath in it but sadly my boiler is poorly too; a cold shower it is in the morning. Wish I could cheer it up with a lozenge.....