How to keep a rabbit safe in the summer heat

Before I launch into this (what I consider) very important post, can we just take a minute to appreciate how cute this little floofer is?! His name is Ted. He's an almost 4 year old male cross-breed bunny. And he's the calmest, friendliest lil bun that I've ever cuddled.
I always get worried about him and our other small furries in the warm weather, and the heatwave we had a few weeks ago had me in overdrive making sure he was always okay. If it's hot enough for us to pass out or get ill in, then it's definitely hot enough for your pets to suffer too. So, here are some things you can do to help keep them safe and healthy in the summer sun:
1.) Make sure at least one part of their hutch is always shaded. Most hutches have a 'bedroom' area with an opaque door, but if yours doesn't, then make sure the hutch is positioned so that your bunny can get out of direct sunlight if he or she needs to.
2.) Ensure that their water is always topped up. This seems obvious, but it's important to keep an eye on it. Ted prefers to drink out of bowls rather than bottles, so we fill one up in the morning and top it up in the evening so he doesn't end up thirsty overnight.
3.) Protect them against fly strike. This is really important, and my family had a bunny that actually passed away due to this before we had Ted. Fly strike is more likely to happen in summer as there are more flies about. The flies are most likely to be attracted to your rabbit's anus due to its warmth and wetness. Once there, they will lay eggs in and around the anus, maggots will hatch and they actually eat into your bunny's flesh. We've got a fly strike spray that we use once a week all over Ted's fur. It repels the insects, and can be used as a treatment once fly strike has set in. Obviously if you notice that it has take your bunny to the vets straightaway. Ensuring that their hutch is disinfected weekly and soiled bedding (which attracts flies) is removed regularly helps a lot too.
4.) Brush their fur daily whilst they molt. Ted is actually still getting his summer coat in at the moment. Brushing their fur means that they won't end up with matted fur, and will help them stay cooler, as you brush out their loosened winter coat.
5.) Place a frozen water bottle in their hutch. They can lie against it if they need that little something extra to cool down. I usually place one in a bit of hay so that it doesn't sit directly against Ted's fur. He seems to really enjoy lying against it during the heat of midday. We take it out again in the evening, pop it back in the freezer, and bring it to his hutch again in the morning.
Do you have any small pets? How do you keep them cool?
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Bunny Care | Nourish Your Pet

I've really been getting into Youtube a great deal more recently (and you can find my channel here), so as Easter's rapidly advancing, I shared a video with you all about why a bunny is NOT a good Easter present. Is there a better excuse to share pictures of Ted looking adorable? I think not, so I've shared some good'uns from the past few weeks for you in this post.
I wanted to give you a little glimpse into the world of house bunny ownership with them. You can see parts of Ted's MASSIVE hutch, which takes up SO much space in our living room. However, it's really important that bunnies have their space. In my personal opinion it's a little cruel to have them living in a tiny cage as most house bunnies do. As well as the size benefit, Ted's hutch also has a dark bedroom in it which he can hide in when he's feeling timid (or wants to go to the loo without the hamsters seeing!). 
Ted also has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to personal space, especially when it comes to food. 'You have a free spot on your chest? It's fine, I'll fill it. Oh, I see you wanted to take a selfie alone, PAH, my sass makes it MUCH better.' 
Unfortunately, he's also a chewer. I've lost phone cables, parts of my favourite handbag (why?!) and as you can see here, part of some of my favourite stationary before I managed to tear it from his little gnashers.
These are just a couple of things I really wanted to stress to you, as well as making sure your bunny's health is in tip top condition and their environments are sanitary and stress-free. So, here's the video: 

Finally, here are a couple of links to helpful websites if you are considering buying a bunny:
Blue Cross RSPCA Pets at Home
Would you like to see more detailed posts about how I look after my house bunny? Let me know in the comments!

REN Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask

With another 5 000 words of essay hell out of the way, I'm ready to get back to blogging and creating new recipes for you guys. This is probably the most expensive facemask I've ever used (costing around £18), but it is absolutely fantastic for your T-zone. It was recommended to my sister as something to use on that part of your face to really get into your pores, making your skin much softer, cleaner and largely blackhead free. 

It is far kinder to your skin that the majority of cheap drugstore facemasks which use masses of chemicals, so it's fab if like me you've got sensitive skin. I learnt this the hard way with a disaster of a facemask in December which made my face look and feel like I'd been sunburnt. Safe to say, a lot of foundation was used prior to the event I was supposed to be talking at a mere two hours after this incident!

Plus it got my little bunny Ted's seal of approval - what more could you ask for?!

Love and Light 

Steph

**All photos are property of Sophie Hartley**

Comments/questions are very welcome 

Wiping Away Eye Bag-Blues

B. B Cream (SPF 15) 

Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer (020 True Ivory) 

B. Sculpted Contour Kit

It seems that no matter how much sleep I get, I always wake up with seemingly all-encompassing purpley-grey bags under my eyes. Maybe it's something that runs in my family, or maybe I have a skewed sleep pattern that hasn't rectified in years. Who knows. Anyway, this means that I'm always trying to find a way to make it look like I've had more than four hours sleep on any formal occasion/night out I want to impress on. With these products, I think I've pretty much round my answer - for now at least.

I'll start off with the B. B cream, as this is what I applied first. For someone with combination skin, this product remarkably leaves my skin feeling better than before I put it on. It's refreshing and really feels as though it moisturises my skin. It's also definitely something that needs to be put on with a make-up brush, as otherwise half the product will end up helping to smooth the skin of your hands!

The Wake Me Up concealer is great for going over the bags under your eyes. The stick looks like a lip gloss stick, and you apply it in a similar way. I found that it's best to wipe a bit of excess off before using, because otherwise you end up spending forever gently blending it half way across your face in an attempt to not make it too obvious that you're under-eyes don't naturally look like that in the morning.

Finally, I applied the contour. As you can probably tell from the pictures, it's not too bold or extreme, but just gives a nice edge to your cheekbones/jawline. The main problem I've found with it is that if you do want a more definitive contour, this product can be quite hard to blend. 

I couldn;t resist popping up a picture of me and Ted as part of this one! He turned a year old a couple of months ago and is definitely one of the things I get most homesick for when I'm at uni! 

Love and Light

Steph