We got Moby our pure white Jack Russell Terrier at 16 weeks old in 2003…he was the last left in the litter, someone had put down a deposit on him and then changed their mind.

We needed a “ratter” for our Pest Control Business. When we when to view him he was such a nervous little thing, cowering underneath a chair, It was love at first sight for me!.

I want him! I said to my Husband when we went outside to discuss it. My Husband said ok but remember he’s a working dog! don’t Mother him!!.

As we drove him back to Bishopsteignton from Dawlish he urinated all over me as he was scared, I didn’t care, I was just so pleased to have my little companion.

Puppy classes didn’t go very well, he was like a jack in a box, jumping up about 4 foot in the air…his character was amazing, he didn’t have a bad bone in his body!.

Needless to say, I Mothered him far too much…his first pest encounter resulted in him chasing a rabbit under a tree, and 2 seconds later he came running out squealing as he was chased by the rabbit. From that day on he stayed at home with me as a pet and the most amazing companion a girl could ever ask for.

He sensed when I was sad when no one else could.

We spent many weekends taking him out and entered him in various terrier racing events at local country shows, he was lean and quick.

In 2007 when my niece was born I headed to Essex to meet her, Nathan had to stay in Devon for work and I really didn’t want to medicate Moby for the trip so he stayed at home… whilst I was away our new bed and mattress was delivered, within hours Moby had destroyed the new mattress after getting in through the bedroom door. At Christmas, he also dug out our brand new leather sofa….he was a pain…but regardless of that I loved the bones of him and wouldn’t have changed him for the world!.

When Nancie came along in 2008 I was worried that Moby would feel pushed aside…but instead, those two became inseparable, it was so adorable! they really were best friends, my heart still melts when I remember the day we bought Nancie home from the hospital…He sniffed her, looked at me barked, then gave her a lick and curled up next to her. He guarded that girl whenever she was around.

He accepted Erin and Dionysus too when they were born. He cuddled up with them and they petted him when he was scared of fireworks or loud noises, he was a gentle soul.

We took him with us whenever we could, we enjoyed many family camping trips which he loved.

But in April 2012 when Dionysus was 5 weeks old my Bother In Law got married in Scotland, Moby got awful car sickness so we decided to leave him with Nathan’s best friend of over 30 years, this is where he had always stayed if we couldn’t take him with us….and he loved spending time with them.

Our friends had taken Moby and their dog for a walk along Dawlish front, the waves came over the wall and spooked our boy…he jumped onto the track and seconds later a train came along….. our friend held back his girlfriend as she frantically tried to jump onto the track, I thank god that she didn’t get onto the track!.

The British Transport was called so the lines could be stopped to retrieve Moby. Moby died instantly (I won’t go into details) but our friends retrieved him and took him to the vets until we arrived back.

The phone call was the worst …I knew by the tears in my Husbands eyes that our Moby was gone. I had never considered his death to be so close. We never did find his collar and believe me I spent weeks looking across the track. It took a couple of days before we told Nancie that her best pal had gone….at age 4 it was a hard thing to tell her, she completely broke down screaming “No” “No” “No” It broke my heart all over again.

We’ve never held any ill feeling towards our friends (although admittedly I did have a lot of what ifs), we had just lost our Moby, we weren’t prepared to lose our friends too, and they were hurting, still hurting to this day, I really don’t think they will ever get over that day…neither will we.

I never thought about what a huge responsibility it was to leave Moby with anyone.

To this day I have never forgiven myself for leaving him. I lost my best pal that day…my heart will always be broken and I don’t think I will ever have another dog again as I would never get another Moby.

I don’t think I will ever be me again, I lost a part of me that day, these days I’m a stressed person who thinks bad things can happen at any moment.

Such a tragic ending for the softest of souls.

The death of a pet is a strange one, I still smell him around the house (even though we have moved since his death), A white Jack Russell has me in tears, I shudder when a train goes past…and I still cry myself to sleep sometimes and cuddle up with his photo.

I will always love you Moby until my last breath.

    Lynsey x

 

 

 

 

60 Reasons why Coconut Oil should be in your Household

I recently purchased a jar of The Groovy Food Company Organic Virgin Coconut Oil for cleansing.

The jar is 283ml,  so I decided to look into other uses, as you only need a tiny amount to cleanse with.

I found 60 reasons why Coconut Oil should be in your household.

It’s so versatile

My 60 reasons why Coconut Oil should be in your household

1. Cooking – Replace your usual oil with Coconut oil for a healthy and tasty alternative.

2. Gluten Free / Vegan – Compatible with both Gluten free and Vegan cooking

3. Cleanser/Moisturiser – This is my new favorite ritual and leaves your skin silky smooth.

4. Nail treatment – Rub into the cuticles, smoothes flaws and encourages growth.. Trust me this works!!.

5. Removes chewing gum and lots of other sticky substances off carpets and fabrics! – Trust me this works!!.

6. Headlice – Use Coconut Oil instead of conditioner…again trust me this works, beats any chemical solution on the market!. Wash as normal then apply a small amount, leave on for 10-15 minutes, comb through with the “Nitty Gritty” comb and rinse.

7. Massage Oil – Feeling achy? in need of a relaxing massage? get your loved one to use Coconut Oil…the lovely aroma is an added bonus.

8. Athletes Foot – Add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil and rub into the affected area.

9. Acne – Dab directly onto offending spots. (Gently fights bacteria that causes acne).

10. Stretch Marks – Apply on growing bump though pregnancy to help prevent stretch marks. And apply after birth to reduce scars.

11. Wrinkles – Keeps wrinkles at bay and softens them away.

12. Ringworm – Natural method to eradicate this pesky contagious itching skin disease.                     

13. Lipbalm – Fed up with buying little compact tins of branded balms? Opt for Coconut Oil, a super minimal cost “Au Natural” DIY option…it also appears to offer some protection against the sun approx SPF4.                                                             

14. Cold Sores – Rub onto cold sore when needed, adding a drop of oregano to speed up the process.  

15. Nappy rash – A natural non-chemical way to clear up irritation.                                               

16. Breastfeeding – Rub onto cracked and sore nipples to ease and moisturise, Also far better than having a Cos shoved down your bra. (Partners/Husbands), please refrain from offering to do the “rubbing”, talking from experience, you have more chance winning the lottery than having your most generous offer accepted).

17. Nosebleeds – rub onto the dry areas that can lead to nosebleeds.                                                   

18. Makeup remover – One of my personal favorites…takes waterproof mascara and lipstick off within seconds.                                                  

19. Frizz Ease – Tame those wild curls or frizz (warning use half a pea size amount, rubbed onto your hands prior to application). Applying large amounts 10 minutes prior to the school run is not advisable…unless you have a rather large hood or a wooly hat.                                                                    

20. D.I.Y dyeing your hair – Put it around your ears, forehead, and neck to prevent staining (I now use coconut oil rather than vaseline.

21. Alzheimer’s – Research shows that the oil slows down the progression of this disease.

22. Calcium – Helps the body absorb the Calcium and Magnesium.

23. Leather cleaner – Use a “pea” size amount on a uncoloured cloth and rub in circular motion.

24. Cracked Heels – This generous moisturiser is ideal to revitalise those unsightly heels.

25. Coffee – Add to coffee (my favorite one!) You need to whisk the oil into the coffee…which with form a froth (or you could use a bullet)..just adding it to your coffee will leave an oil effect on top of the coffee.                                                                         

26. Salad dressing – warm and drizzle on your salad..this tastes divine, but once it cools it will set again.

27. Facial Scrub – Add a teaspoon of Coconut Oil to a handful of Himalayan Crystal salt for a refreshing facial scrub.

28. After Sun – Soothes sunburn…but use once the heat has reduced (recommended 72 hours).

29. Forget Butter – Reduce those calories and spread your toast and crackers with Coconut oil..very tasty and a healthier alternative.

30. Eczema, Psoriasis, and Dermatitis – Rub onto affected areas to soothe pain and reduce scarring. I personally do this method for my Psoriasis and it really does keep it at bay with twice daily applications.

31. Energy –  Boosts your energy (Even more so with a low/zero carbohydrates diet).

32. Deodorant – Mix with Bi-Carbonate Of Soda, Cornstarch and your favourite essential oils for that Au Natural deodoriser.

33. Furniture Oil – Coconut Oil is a fabulous wood restorer which smells divine(Most oils are good at restoring wood, but they are not all completely Organic Raw oils).

34. Chicken Pox – Dab onto the affected spots to soothe and reduce any scarring.

35. Stings/Bites – Rub into the bite, Soothes the infection.

36. Toothpaste – (I really want to try this!) Mix 1 part Coconut Oil with 1 part Bi-Carbonate of Soda and a few drops of Peppermint Oil. Naturally, whitens teeth, freshens breath without added fluoride, sweeteners, preservatives or Chemicals.

37. Aftershave – Rub into hands and apply as you would your usual balm.

38. Toothache – Mix with Clove oil and gargle…whilst cloves are strong and over powering, I personally find that the Coconut balances this out.

39. Haemorrhoids – Said to be a natural remedy (not personally tried this one out) Rub into or around the affected area.

40. Metabolism – Increases Metabolism.

41. Thyroid -Improves the Thyroid Function.            

42. Preserves Eggs – Paint a thin layer over the shell to extend shelf life.                                                

43. Hair Conditioner – Strengthens and repairs. Massage in, leave in for 10-15 and rinse thoroughly (I personally wrap my hair up in a warm towel after).

44. Cradle cap – My 3 suffered terribly with cradle cap..it drove me crazy! when the light from a flash hit their heads, the cradle cap shone like a beacon!. Gently massage in the coconut oil (teaspoon measure) leave for 10 minutes and gently comb through, rinse thoroughly.

45. Lubricant – (Not tried this to date) All-natural lubricant for those most intimate moments **NOT TO BE USED WITH CONDOMS, AS COMPROMISES PROTECTION***                                                        

46. Stye  – Rub onto affected eyelid. reduces inflammation and redness.

47. Bruises – Rub onto bruised area to moisturise and bring out the bruise.

48. Shaving cream – use as neat Coconut Oil, allows the razor to glide smoothly over your skin.

49. Curbs appetite – This really should be in the top 10 for me really (but as usual I didn’t plan ahead!). I have a minimum of 10 teaspoons a day (plus in my foods) and my appetite has noticeably dropped).

50. Pet care – Improves breath as well as giving a shiny coat. Help’s reduce fur balls, rub onto your cat’s paws (or dogs I guess) to help improve digestion and reduce hairballs (fur balls).

51. Sore Throats – Use one teaspoon and let it trickle slowly down your throat, I found this really helps but it does take a bit of getting used to.

52. Smoothies – Add a tablespoon to your smoothie and blend thoroughly (Coconut Oil needs to be whisked in order to eradicate the oil film effect.

53. High heat cooking – Coconut oil is ideal for high heat cooking.

54. Bath – Add to your bath to give a refreshing moisturising relaxing bath.

55. Alternative spread – Use on toast, crackers, and bread instead of butter or spread.                

56. Popcorn – This is a favorite with my three kids. add a tablespoon of oil in with the kernels on a high head with a deep based pan with a lid.                      

57. Pan seasoner – Ideal for cast iron seasoning.    

58. Acid reflux/Heartburn – Small teaspoons with foods to keep them at bay.

59. Vapor rub – Mix with peppermint oil, rub onto chest and back.                                                          

60. Detangler – Put a couple of melted drops into a water spray bottle and spritz over hair before brushing.

I hope you have enjoyed my 60 reasons why Coconut Oil should be in your household.

I would love to hear from you if you have any great ways of using Coconut oil.

I will soon be sharing my Coconut Oil detox journey….so keep checking in.

Love Lynsey x