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Native Deodorant is the deodorant you didn’t know you needed.

Native Deodorant by Gaby Zagoridis

Here’s the deal, Native Deodorant actually works better than I remember any deodorant working for me.  It goes on relatively smoothly, they have some really cool scents and it keeps me dry – without needing to rely on Aluminium or Talc.

Why use Native Deodorant:

Sure there was that time in high school where all of us were more a collective cloud of Lynx and Impulse sprays than we were people. Back then it didn’t matter how much you had sweat as there were layers of protection designed to mask it. Then we moved on to the more sophisticated Rexona where sweat wasn’t supposed to occur since you were using the antiperspirant but somehow a bunch of people still ended up with yellow pit stains anyway.

Here’s where Native comes in.

Instead of masking the odours or clogging up your sweat glands with aluminium, Native uses “baking soda to neutralize odors, arrowroot powder to absorb moisture and acidophilus to eliminate odor-causing fungi, yeast, and bacteria” and let me tell you it works.

My referral link for a free travel sized deodorant: https://refer.nativecos.com/x/Ht8nRB

I’ve been using Native for nearly 2 weeks now after switching to ‘natural’ deodorants for about 3 years and not using anything with aluminium in it (unless I was desperate) for about 8 years. With the exception of one aluminium-free Rexona deodorant that I could only ever find at one specific chemist, I have been disappointed in my deodorant for 8 years.

The worst offenders:

  • are sprays or occasionally a really watery roll on that have you fanning your underarms as you walk around the house hoping for them to somewhat dry before you finish getting dressed. Or give up and acknowledge your shirt is going to be reasonably wet before you even start sweating.
  • require a reapplication after 1-2 hours.
  • make you wonder how there are people out there who never sweat and if you can become one of them.

By comparison Native is:

  • that weird American style deodorant block thing but goes on smooth and dry.
  • doesn’t require reapplication.
  • makes you feel like you don’t sweat! (At least under your arms anyway)

Other benefits include:

  • free shipping and free returns! (Though mine did take just shy of a month to arrive, so I would definitely re-order before you run out)
  • funny emails that make you feel like you are the only customer that matters to them, even if you know that it’s just a mass email template.

My most sweat filled day that Native held up against like a pro:

  • an hour long body pump class
  • the world’s most terrifying bike ride to work (you try not riding a bike for 12 years, the subsequent terror is real)
  • a 3.5 hour shift at after school care with over 100 kids in what is basically a stuffy tin shed
  • dinner and a movie

And all of that was in one day with no reapplication and no body odour at the end of it. It has honestly been life changing, I didn’t even know I spent so much time worried about body odour until I didn’t have to any more.

The Scents

When I ordered my first lot of Native Deodorant, I didn’t know what scents I wanted so I figured I’d buy the classic women’s pack and add on two travel sized deodorants (from the sensitive range just in case).

Then in true Gaby fashion, I conducted a weird experiment.

I wanted to see not only how well the deodorant did but also how the various scents held up against each other. Now a normal person might try to find four upcoming days with a fairly similar structure to compare the deodorants from day to day. Instead I wore 1 scent on one armpit and another on the other, and made my friends and family sniff my armpits throughout the two (technically 3) days.

The results:

Unscented deodorant: after 8 hours still holding strong with no body odour seeping through.

The unscented deodorant is just that. There’s just nothing there – no body odour and no fruity deodorant, so if you like your deodorant to be as subtle as a cat burglar go for this one.

The subtle scented deodorants:
Cotton & Lily and Coconut & Vanilla. Like the unscented deodorant I had no body odour after 8 hours of wear but by about hour 6 the scents of the deodorants themselves had basically disappeared.

The Cotton & Lily did seem to last a little bit longer but that could be that that it reminded me of that scent of really clean sheets and so stuck in my mind even after the scent disappeared. My cat also seemed interested in that one as she spent the time between me taking off my shirt and putting the laundry on just sniffing at it.

The Coconut & Vanilla one should have been one that I loved (and it is considered one of Native’s best sellers) but it just brought to mind the absolute mess of a time I had with one of the DIY natural deodorants 2 years ago and apparently that unease to trust anything coconut scented has remained. That being said it is a really nice scent and my mum has had exceptional results while using it.

The strong scented deodorants:
Pear & Lavender and  Lavender & Rose continued to ward off the body odour at 10+ hours of wear and still had a bit of their scent left.

Pear & Lavender is my absolute favourite. As my dad said, it is something that you would think shouldn’t go well together but actually smells really pleasant. I’m not sure if it actually smells like pear and lavender mixed together but it makes me happy and isn’t that what you want in a deodorant?

My mum and sister both found the Lavender & Rose to be the most appealing out of the scents (though mum found the Coconut & Vanilla one appealing as well). I personally found the Lavender & Rose to be a bit too overpowering for me but that’s why the fact that Native has such a range of scents is so great.

The sensitive option:

As I have a history of reacting to products like shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions, hair removal products and many, many more (including deodorant) the fact that the scents I prefer are part of the sensitive range works in my favour and I’d recommend maybe trying them or buying the classic pack (which comes with 2 sensitive and 1 non-sensitive) if your skin is similarly inclined to hate anything chemical.

Either way have fun on your deodorant journey,

Gaby

My referral link for the both of us to receive a free travel sized deodorant: https://refer.nativecos.com/x/Ht8nRB 

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Welcome to the Wild: Taronga Zoo

On the ferry by Gaby Zagoridis

Ideally I’d like my first post to be about something that you could do that’s fun around Sydney for free. However, I figured a better place to start would be a place I have visited many times over the course of my life.

Why Taronga Zoo?

For me there are six main reasons:

1. It’s fun. I’ve found that it doesn’t matter how many times you see the same animals, there is still a level of joy in it. I can almost recite the seal show alongside the staff running it but there is still something so amazing about seeing what those seals can do.

2. It’s reasonably affordable. Especially if you have zoo friends (which comes with quite a few benefits) or you’re visiting with kids under 4.

3. The small water area is a less sandy version of taking your kids to the beach and it manages to make the day feel like you managed two seperate adventures in one.

Water Zone at Taronga Zoo edited by Gaby Zagoridis
Directions to the Water Zone

The easiest way to find the water zone is to go down the first set of escalators at the centenary shop (located between the seal show and the elephants) and then turn left. There is a lift for strollers, prams and wheelchairs.

4. The Sky Safari. I have a photo of the kids with their noses pressed against the glass for each group of kids I’ve gone with. While I have no photographic evidence, adults do this too. There’s is something magical about looking down at the zoo and realising that’s where you’re going next.

Sky Safari by Gaby Zagoridis
Sky Safari by Gaby Zagoridis

I would recommend doing the sky safari first, I find it a useful way of getting the kids to decide what animals they want to see and it stops them from barrelling head first into the zoo and potentially running out of steam twenty minutes later. I will use the Sky Safari to either go from the bottom of the zoo to the top if I’ve caught the ferry or just for a quick round trip if I parked at the top of the zoo.

5. Tantrums! The animals are more interesting than a kid throwing a tantrum. So while you can almost guarantee you won’t be the only person who has a kid throwing a tantrum, even if you are no one is going to be staring at you and your perceived inability to manage a child when there are so many more interesting things to take note of.

Things get particularly crazy once a fun day out turns into the child missed their nap and is having irrational responses as a result of tiredness (not that I have much room to judge). I even managed to reach 4 tantrums for 3 kids one day, with each child having their own meltdown and one kid having two.

Learning about Elephants by Gaby Zagoridis
Learning about Elephants by Gaby Zagoridis

6. It’s educational. I’ve learnt about sustainable fishing, while the kids I’m with have learnt a little bit more about the negative environmental impact of gathering palm oil for our food. Of course you learn about the animals too.

My experience visiting with children under 5:

Taronga Zoo, I’ve come to discover, is a place I try to take as many kids as possible. There’s nothing quite like the wide-eyed wonder on their faces when they first spot the giraffes (every child I know has asked me to see the giraffes).

Spotting the Giraffe by Gaby Zagoridis
Spotting the Giraffe by Gaby Zagoridis

Perhaps the best thing about Taronga Zoo though is the sheer volume of animals to see. Even when I’m being rushed through the zoo with barely a second to glance at the actual animals (one of the benefits of stroller-bound vs free-walking children is that you have the ability to set the pace) it still takes at least three hours to see everything.

Once the kids have gotten over the starry eyed enjoyment of the giraffes and the elephants there generally comes the slump. This is usually the point in time where one of the kids will ask when it’s time to go home. Mind you, I have had the ‘I want to go home’ conversation 10 minutes into the zoo one day and while I managed to redirect her attention to what animals she wanted to see, I will forever be grateful that children under 4 have free entry and turning right around and leaving doesn’t cost much. So when this dreaded question is asked, I generally steer the kids in the direction of the aforementioned water zone. I think Taronga might call it a lagoon but water zone works for me.

Taronga Zoo Water Zone by Gaby Zagoridis
Taronga Zoo Water Zone by Gaby Zagoridis

Let me paint the picture for you. This water zone consists of a pool of ankle to calf deep water, that runs maybe 6-8m long and 2-3m wide. There is a wooden row boat that has been ‘abandoned on the beach’ that the kids can climb on, a few rocks for

the parents to perch on or dry some wet clothes on and while a nice place to cool your feet it is not overly amazing (if you ignore the view). However for the kids, Christmas might as well have come early. That wide eyed wonder that had slowly faded as the day dragged on is renewed, and this is generally before they spot the rushing stream of water that comes spilling out of a ‘cave’ in the wall with an action not dissimilar to a wave.

 

Provided you remember to bring a towel and a change of underwear I find that in summer the little 15 to 30 minute splash in the water is enough to cool them down for the rest of the afternoon and it also reenergises them and allows you to see the bottom half of the zoo that you may not have gotten around to yet.

A handy hint – you might think it’s not so bad doing the zoo from the bottom up but unless you really want to get the extra exercise it is a lot easier staring at the top of the hill and working your way down. Especially if you have a stroller with you.

My experience visiting with children with autism

Luckily for me, the little girls I took with me to the zoo were perfect angels that day. They happily allowed me to put sunscreen on them, were content to sit in their strollers and let the adults set the pace, seemed interested in the animals and only showed a little resistance about wearing their hats.

But from my other experiences with the girls, I can tell you they can have a meltdown just the same as any other kid, just perhaps with a little more frequency if they don’t quite understand why they have to wait in line for something or why the place we’re going isn’t open yet.

However unlike every other place where strangers that have no idea what your dealing with will openly stare, express their disapproval or go to extreme lengths to avoid looking over at the child having a tantrum, at the zoo there is so much chaos that a child having a meltdown is nothing of importance.

This is perhaps one of the most freeing experiences that the zoo provides. (Let me tell you it is not the same in the crowded and cramped hallways of the aquarium).

When I went to the zoo I didn’t know that Taronga Zoo had worked with Autism Spectrum Australia to provide a variety of services and some Access Taronga Days throughout the year. While we managed our day out without these services it’s always helpful to have a read through what’s available to you.

My experience visiting with teenagers:

The benefit of visiting with teenagers and possibly tweens is that even when you might not be able to set the pace completely they are generally willing to go at a pace that actually indicates they’re appreciating the animals. The potential downside is that they’re at an age where having an opinion is not too high on their list. Consequently when I got a ‘whatever’ response to what animals they wanted to see, I said ok, we’re going to see all of them and planned the walk through the zoo in advance. We then narrowed down the animals they wanted to see first by going on the Sky Safari – it works whether they’re 3 or 13.

My experience visiting with a foreigner.

You know the wide-eyed wonder at the giraffes (and their view) that I mentioned earlier, you can often view that very same look on adults. This wide eyed wonder I’ve discovered usually remains on everyone’s faces through all the animals including the koalas (though it might slip a little when you explain that they’re actually the devil wrapped up in a cute, smelly package that spends 90% of it’s day sleeping – of course this might just be my own opinion).

The takeaway:

Taronga Zoo is a place that will give you and the kids your with lots of memories. With the exception of endless playgrounds and routine trips via ferry to Manly, Taronga Zoo is the place I remember my Nanna taking me to the most. I will always cherish those memories and that’s what you want from a day out. For me this has proven true as at Christmas I found my little cousins asking for the third year in a row if we were going to go to the zoo during the school holidays.

It is also only now that I appreciate how much it took out of her to take me to Taronga Zoo as I recently went with a 14 year old and an 18 year old and watched them both fall asleep in the car on the way home.

It is a lot of walking! So make sure you wear appropriate shoes.

So remember to bring:

1. A camera (or just your phone). You may have those memories forever but photos are fun too.

2. Sunscreen and a hat.

3. Your water bottle – hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Taronga provides lots of water bubblers throughout the zoo and from memory you can refill your bottle at some of those too.

Forgetting number 2 and 3 and underestimating the sun is how my not-used-to-the-Australian-sun foreigner ended up sick the following day as a result of heat stroke.

And remember have fun. Taronga Zoo is great even when it rains (speaking from personal experience).

Until next time,

Gaby.

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Zoo Friends Membership at Taronga Zoo

Elephant at Taronga Zoo by Gaby Zagoridis

If you’re like me and enjoy going to the zoo, Zoo Friends is the way to go.

Why I’m a Zoo Friends Member:

  1. Cost of entry:

    While the cost of entry for a one time visit may not be something you’re all too excited to spend when you’re a relatively broke twenty-three year old, the zoo friends membership is truly something worth buying, especially once you realise that if you go more than twice a year you’ve already saved money. The price of the membership helps fund Taronga Zoo and their conservation projects, which makes me feel like my money is worth something.

  2. Kids go free:

    Not just the usual under 4 years old either.

    In 2017, Taronga Zoo introduced a new sign up system where each paying adult or concession can have up to two children (under 16) added to their membership. Keep in mind these two children have to be the same two children for the duration of that membership, so it’s not a transferrable guest pass.

    Despite that small concession, it works out that if bought online 2 Adults and 4 Children could visit the zoo for a year for $198. Split evenly that works out to $33 per person and if you pack your own lunch it is quite a reasonable expense for a single day out, let alone unlimited days out for the year.

  3. Freedom to leave:

    After watching a mother at Disney Word try to get her children to behave by threatening to leave even though they’d just arrived, I appreciate the sense of security that Zoo Friends gives you. While you likely wouldn’t follow through on that threat unless you had an annual pass to Disney, it’s the same thing with the zoo. By having the Zoo Friends membership if you happen to go on an off day (whether it is an off day for yourself, the people your with, the animals or the weather) you can leave with absolutely no worries about how much that visit just cost you – except maybe petrol and parking or public transport costs.

  4. Parking:

    Having spent 1 hour waiting to get on the ferry because so many people were trying to leave the zoo at the same time, I have a new appreciation for driving to the zoo. Yes the ferry brings with it it’s own excitement but once you’ve done that enough times, parking for (I believe) a $12 flat fee is something I will be eternally grateful for. Especially as it allows the tired zoo trekkers to fall asleep without having to worry about herding them on and off the ferry and subsequent other transportation.

  5. Discounted prices around the zoo:

    There’s something weird about having fish and chips at the aquarium but I have no such qualms at the zoo, I generally split the adult serving between myself and another adult or myself and two kids because I find it is too much food for me. Despite this reducing the cost of the meal I do appreciate the 10% off food that Zoo Friends provides. I am also definitely a fan of the 15% off the Zoo Shops because one of my little cousins seems to live for the souvenir shop whenever we go somewhere.

  6. Free admission to other zoos:

    Not only does Zoo Friends give you free admission to Taronga Zoo and Western Plains Zoo, you also get free admission to Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth Zoos. (Note: the free child pass does not transfer in Perth and Adelaide.)

    While you will have to pay for your transport and lodging (unless you’ve got some very nice friends) having the ability to go to something for free in another city is always something I enjoy.

The Takeaway

While these are some very nice perks for me it always comes back to cost per visit, for as long as I know I’m going to visit the zoo a few times a year I will be a zoo friends member and if it suits you I’d definitely recommend it too.

See you next time,

Gaby

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Welcome to my brain

Selfie in Paris by Gaby Zagoridis

My brain is like my room, it’s a bit of an organised mess and I figure that’s what this blog will likely be like. That being said it’s generally an enjoyably place to inhabit 90% of the time, so I hope you’ll stay with me.

Why You’re Here:

To come along on the journey while we (myself, my little cousins and anyone else I drag into this) discover the hidden (or maybe not so hidden) gems around Sydney and review them.

Hopefully we’ll have a lot of fun on the journey too

These reviews will explore cost, ideal travel group, level of fun and occasionally the potential suitability for neuroatypical or special need children.

How I Got Here:

I’m a 23 year old who managed to get 5 years into a minimum 7 year psychology degree pathway before realising no matter how much I wanted to be Dr. Gaby Zagoridis, psychology just wasn’t for me.

However over the course of those 5 years I discovered a few other things about myself.

What I Learned:

  1. I love photography – mainly taking photos of other people, ideally strangers, when they don’t know I’m taking their photos. Photos of crowds are the best. I get a thrill out of seeing all the different lives and stories that can be captured in one frame.
  2. I enjoy helping children learn and watching the awe they experience about the world – to increase my chances of getting into the final stages of my post-grad psychology degree, I became an Applied Behaviour Analysis therapist and through this met two little girls with autism who were simultaneously the absolute cutest kids and the biggest troublemakers I’ve ever met. Working with them was exhausting at times but one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
  3. I don’t actually like children past the 5 hour mark – despite enjoying taking my little cousins to the zoo numerous times, having an endless supply of toys in my boot, countless babysitting hours under my belt and my current job in after-school care people are often surprised to learn I don’t actually like children after 5 hours. I’m more than happy to give them back to their parents at the end of the day. That being said for those five hours I aim to be the most involved and interesting babysitter they’ll ever have and give them an experience they’ll be talking about to their parents for the next few days (even if they don’t remember my name in those stories)

With these 3 facts in mind, I’ll be attempting to find, photograph and review, fun, awe-inspiring places to visit that ideally don’t exceed 5 hours (occasionally they do exceed this but the time the kids fall asleep in the car at the end of the day doesn’t really count). They’ll also not break the bank because as a 23 year old with an unreliable income spending lots of money is not in my wheelhouse.

So let’s see where this adventure takes us. Next stop Taronga Zoo.

See you there,

Gaby