A week of utter madness...

This has been a particularly hard 10 days for me. My glorious holiday in the Caribbean is a long distant memory as I came back to a seriously busy period. First off was London Fashion Week which I have posted about already. I don't do the shows (been there, done that, got the bruises) but we do host a suite at One Aldwych providing TLC for fashion and beauty bloggers who are on their feet all day.

This is exhausting as we are on the go all day with fetching and carrying and generally running around to make sure that our partner clients and our blogs are happy - it is all quite stressful. That came to an end at the beginning of the week but there was no respite there. Oh no, for I was going into a week and weekend of enormous change. Both my babies (yes, to me they still are) were leaving the nest for university on the same weekend. One to her second year at Leeds, the other for the first time to Sheffield. So along with working at full tilt to catch-up with everything neglected due to LFW, I had to prepare for a big weekend in the parental calendar...

Why is it when you are feeling at your most 'raw' emotionally and need the strength of a minor god (just a minor one will do) you find that it coincides with 'time-of-life' stuff that makes you feel extra weepy and sweaty and anxious? It really is just not fair! You worry about them being alright of course, but when you have had them to include in everything you do from the minute you wake up to the minute your head hits the pillow for at least 18 years, then suddenly you don't, it's a very, very strange feeling. Without feeling too much self-pity you can't help being a bit introspective about what life will be like when the house is quiet and you're not 'double-thinking' for other people the whole time... Plus the sheer volume of brain power it takes to ensure that they are fully equipped with everything they need - after all they are no longer around the corner...

So when Dove Deodorant approached me asking if I would trial their Dove Original deodorant, putting it thorough it's paces for at least a week I thought 'Well, I have just the week!'! So here is proof that I am not making things up - part of my hallway this Saturday morning and an opportunity to plug the sponsors of this post!

So I started using these deodorants the minute I received them - they are not my usual brand so I can genuinely say this was a first trial for me.

Saturday was a long day. First off we had to pick up the van from a good 25 minutes away and drive both car and van back. Then we had to load said van with enough stuff for a student accommodation flat and a student house all the way from London in Yorkshire. Pots, pans, duvets, enough clothing to not have to visit a laundrette for at least a month, printers, laptops, enough shoes to create a shoe-mountain, books (well a few), glasses (wine and shot), rugs, posters - all the things a 21st Century student labels 'essential' were loaded into the van.

I then had to shoot with eldest daughter to the underground to catch a train to Sheffield (the van only took two people) to then be reunited for the first van load to be unloaded and carried two flights to the new student room of daughter number two.

Two hours of unpacking and moving in ensued, then I had to take unwanted items and suitcases to Sheffield station to catch a train to Leeds for part two of the moving in exercise...

Then it was a drive to Bradford to spend a drunken night with my sister-in-law where, to my shame after such a splendid dinner, I fell asleep on the table. Yes, really, I did, that was the level of physical and emotional exhaustion...

The next day we walked the hills around Haworth and had a pub lunch which was a welcome break then it was back in the van for the long-haul through driving rain to London.

It is always difficult to write about a deodorant and normally I would have balked at doing so - but as I knew I would really be putting anything like this through it's paces this week I was happy to do so. Results? Well I certainly didn't feel the need to refresh it at all during such a mad weekend so I can only say, it really really works! I will be changing as I am sure my old one would need refreshing by the end of the day after so much but this one didn't!

The lowdown...
Both the Dove Original Anti-perspirant aerosol and roll-on care for delicate skin under your arms. I shave regularly and there was no stinging sensation and my skin is not at all dry after using it. It also did definitely give me 24 hour protection as promised! It contains a moisturising cream which I believe does do the trick - I must admit I don't usually moisturise under my arms so this is quite welcome... Available from Boots.

This is a sponsored post which was well timed and very welcomed!