A Week That Made Me Think šļø
The bigger picture, one I keep reaching for, and a conversation that stayed with me
This weekās edition is in paid partnership with Dove. As always, only ever something Iāve actually used and would share anyway.
This week did that thing.
The thing where youāre rushing through the days, ticking things off, half-listening to your own lifeā¦ and then something pulls you up sharp and reminds you what actually matters. A conversation. A piece of news. A moment with one of the kids. The kind of small jolt that makes everything else look a bit smaller.
I wonāt bore you with the details. But itās been one of those weeks where the perspective has shifted slightly. Where Iāve found myself stopping more, looking around more, and noticing the bits I usually rush past.
So this weekās a more personal one. A few honest thoughts, the Dove Whole Body Deodorant thatās saved me, and a podcast conversation thatās stayed with me for days.
šļø Dove Whole Body Deodorant
The kind of week where the small daily things matter even more.
I started using Dove Whole Body Deodorant (the cream version, in Lavender & Chamomile scent) a little while ago, and itās become one of those things that just works across all of it. The school run sprints, the Tube, the studio, the red carpet, the āwhy is this dress thicker than I rememberedā events. Itās designed to be used in places beyond the underarms (under the bust, between the thighs, anywhere skin meets skin), and alongside your regular underarm deodorant. Which, honestly, when you think about how much we ask our bodies to do in a normal week, just makes sense.
What I really like is that it doesnāt feel like a deodorant. It feels like skincare that is soft on the skin, properly moisturising and itās dermatologically tested. The Lavender & Chamomile is gentle and calm. It sinks in. No tightness, no drying. Just all-day odour protection, keeping me feeling fresh and confident from head to toe.
It comes in spray, stick and cream but I decided on the cream because I liked the idea of something that melts into the skin. Itās the kind of small addition you donāt realise you needed until youāve got it, and then it just slots in across the whole week.
š³ Whatās Worth Holding Onto
A few things this week has quietly reminded me.
That no one ever looks back on a random Tuesday and wishes theyād been more productive.
That the people who matter want your time, not your perfect version of it.
That you can be doing fine and still need to stop for a minute. Both can be true.
That a slow walk, a proper conversation, or twenty minutes outside can shift something nothing else will.
That perspective is something you have to keep finding, not something you arrive at and keep.
š¤ The Thing I Keep Coming Back To
The older I get, the less I trust productivity as a measure of anything.
The weeks Iāve been most productive arenāt the ones I remember. The ones I remember are the slow afternoons, the meals that ran late, the conversations that werenāt planned. The small, slightly aimless stretches where nothing was being achieved and everything was being felt.
I think Iām slowly making peace with the fact that a meaningful life and an efficient one donāt always look the same.
And thatās okay.
āļø Just Released | My Anguilla Travel Guide
If reading this has nudged you toward planning something slower, this might be for you.
Iāve just released my full guide to our recent family trip to Anguilla ā a week of boat days, beach hopping, barefoot dinners, and the kind of slow stretches that genuinely reset you. We stayed at two very different but equally brilliant hotels (Malliouhana and Zemi Beach House), explored the island by buggy, ate our weight in seafood, and ticked off a wish Iād been holding onto for eighteen years.
Itās properly detailed with flights, ferries, where to eat, what to book, which beaches are worth the drive ā and put together with the team at Inspiring Travel, who tailor-made the whole thing.
If a holiday like this has been on your wish list, Iād love to help guide you. Inspiring Travel also work across destinations all over the world, so whether itās Anguilla, somewhere closer, or something completely different, they can put together a trip that fits your family and your budget properly.
š Small Business Nominations!
This week Iām flipping it around.
The small business slot is one of my favourite parts of the week, and so much of whatās ended up in here has come from you ā readers, founders, friends-of-friends, all telling me about something brilliant.
So if thereās a small business you genuinely love, or one you run yourself that deserves a moment in the spotlight, Iād love to hear from you.
š§ Email brands@mamastillgotit.com with the name, the link, and a line on why you love them. The best ones will get featured here.
Canāt wait to see what lands in the inbox!
šļø Podcast Drop ā Kelsey Parker
This weekās episode is the kind of conversation that genuinely puts everything in perspective.
Hannah and I are joined by the brilliant Kelsey Parker ā actress, dancer, podcaster, mum, and a real force of nature. Sheās been through more before her mid-thirties than most people face in a lifetime, and yet somehow she remains one of the warmest, most hopeful people you could spend an hour with.
We talk about losing her husband Tom in 2022 and her baby son Phoenix last summer. About being pregnant again now with her partner Will, and the strange bittersweet beauty of that. About being trolled online while grieving, and refusing to let toxic culture dictate her timeline for happiness. And about the spiritual signs Tom still sends the family (small, undeniable, often funny) that keep him present in their home every day.
Itās raw, itās hopeful, and itās a conversation Iām still thinking about.
So hereās my challenge for the next few days. Just stop. Properly stop. Even just for ten minutes. The bits we usually rush past are often the ones worth seeing.
Louise x
*Affiliated links used for some products and brand partnerships.