Monday 30 April 2018

Current favourites

I've been thinking lately about a change in direction for my blog. As part of my efforts to product less waste and be more mindful of what I use, I'm making the switch to natural, locally produced products from small Aussie businesses that are zero waste or recyclable. Over time you'll notice more of my content is based around products from small Aussie businesses. If you know of any great Aussie brands, please let me know. I'd also like to come up with a list of great Aussie small business brands so we can all support them. 

Now, onto some of the products that I've been loving lately. 





Kora Organics Rose Quartz Luminiser
Being in my 40's, I usually stay away from highlighters and luminsers as they just aren't flattering on me. They either make me look wrinkly or make my pores stand out which is not how I want to look! Plus, they are often either blinding white or warm toned. I've been eyeing off the Rose Quartz Luminiser for a while, so when I saw it on sale I grabbed it and I'm so glad I did.

This is a cool, pink toned highlighter which is very, very subtle. It rubs in to almost nothing, leaving behind a beautiful, natural looking sheen.

If you like a really intense highlight this won't work for you at all. If you like the natural look, this is for you.


Behold! I have a lip balm holder and it's awesome! Kelly from Lip Lip was kind enough to send me one of her new lip balm holders. Funnily enough, I've been looking for one for a while but couldn't find them locally, so I was thrilled when this arrived in my letterbox. They come in pink, yellow and black.

My gorgeous Sakroots purse was a Christmas present. It's the purse I've been searching for but never been able to find. It zips up, fits all of the unnecessary stuff that I carry around, has a holder for my phone on the other side, plus a long and short handle. Perfect. Added to that, it's so cute!



 
Lip Lip lip balms
Speaking of Lip Lip, their balms are amazing. They come in an oval tube so fit perfectly in my pocket. Does anyone else always have a lip balm on them? I don't go anywhere without lip balm in my pocket.

The flavours are beautiful and they are available in either clear or a selection of three different tints. You can choose the flavour and tint that you want.  

My boys love Lip Lip and steal my balms, so I have to hide them. These balms are hydrating, organic and Australian made. Shipping is free and they plant one tree for every balm purchased. 

You can purchase Lip Lip balms here.


Bare Lips
You know that wonderful feeling when you meet a kindred spirit? That's what happened when I met Glaiza from Bare Lips. She loves lip balm as much as I do so we've spent a lot of time discussing our favourite lip balms. 

Glaiza hand makes each Bare Lips balm and has a range of gorgeous flavours. Her balms are all natural, vegan and zero waste. At the moment my favourite flavour is Rose Geranium, followed closely by Cocoa and Coffee.

The most surprising balm is Rosemary. I ordered it not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised at how lovely it is. 

You can purchase Bare Lips balms here


Kiss Ready
I have been using a selection of Kiss Ready products and love every one of them. The Kiss Ready Skin deodorant is the best natural deodorant I've ever used. If you are looking for a natural deodorant, get your hands on this treasure.

Louella, the owner of Kiss Ready is lovely and a wealth of information. 

So far I've tried the lip balms, light chia oil, rose omega face balm and omega tropical body scrub (I use it on my face). I love and will be repurchasing everything.

If you only get two products from Kiss Ready, make it the deodorant and face balm. Face balm is a multi purpose wonder. It's a cleanser, moisturiser, face mask, lip treatment and body lotion to name a few. All Kiss Ready products are natural and hand made with mainly food grade products.

You can purchase Kiss Ready products here

Natural AF Cosmetics
Firstly, how great is the name of this company? I love it. Their Instagram is really funny too. 

Natural AF lip balms are natural, hand made in Australia and contain only four ingredients. I've been using mine for around four weeks and couldn't be happier. It's super hydrating, smells great and looks pretty. 

You can purchase Natural AF balms here.

Sunday 29 April 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. Tiger has been a busy little beaver this week. I now have a beautiful window box with gerbera's in it and an undercover clothesline. It's awesome.

2. It pays to check your bills people. This week we got a huge Telstra bill. When Tiger checked it, we'd been overcharged $570. How bad is that!

3. There's been a lot of people commenting on the Duchess of Cambridge leaving the hospital seven hours after giving birth. People are saying it's unfair that she was forced to leave so quickly etc. Here's my take on it:
I'm sure she would have left when she was ready, both physically and medically. The Dr's wouldn't have allowed her to leave if it wasn't medically okay.
Secondly, I'd imagine that she wanted to leave. Being in hospital would be a security and privacy risk. She wouldn't be able to relax as she'd be worried that someone might get through security. At home she's safe, comfortable, has all the help she needs and doesn't have to worry about someone getting a photo of her breastfeeding, or telling the media intimate details about her. I can totally understand why she'd be in such a rush to get home.

4. The school holidays are over. Send help. I'm not ready to face horrible school mornings.

5. The last post and haka being performed simultaneously at ANZAC ceremonies was amazing. Brings me to tears every time I hear it.

Friday 27 April 2018

FFS Friday - Beautiful


I've been struggling lately, feeling very isolated and alone. It's school that does it. As wonderful as they are, I feel like I just don't fit in with the school mums. I've got to the point where I am not coping very well with seeing their children thrive whilst Chai struggles. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that their children are thriving, I love seeing them get awards and succeed, but it makes me feel so sad for Chai.

As Chai has got older and his issues have got worse, I feel like I can't relate to the other mums. They don't have the struggles I have, their kids are happy, they love school, they do their homework, the parents get time out because both kids are at school now and life goes along happily for the most part.

Me...every day is a struggle. I struggle to get Chai to school, I fight with the school to get his needs adequately met, I  struggle to get him to do his reading. It's the only homework he does. There are three other homework things he's supposed to do every night which I don't bother with. He's only received two merit certificates in three years. He never gets class rewards, he can't do news because that's a reward, he can't take a toy to school because that's a reward, he can't tell the class about something that excites him because that's a reward.

I try to focus on the things that he can do but when it's in your face every day, that gets tough. I hate school. I hate it as much as Chai does. I hate that it focuses on what he can't do instead of celebrating all the wonderful things that he can do. 
He's an awesome child. He's kind, he's creative, he's considerate, he's sensitive, he has a wonderful imagination, he is outgoing and loves to chat to everyone. He has the best memory of anyone I've ever know, he remembers everything, even things from when he was two, it's amazing.

Out of school I'm regularly told what a gorgeous child he is. In school it's the opposite. I fucking hate school.

School is teaching him that he's inadequate, that he's naughty and that he's not clever. They couldn't be more wrong. He's perfect just the way he is. Without people who are different the world will never change. Chai brings a beautiful, shining light to this world. It's a pity school can't see that. School is slowly but surely putting his light out. They don't want him to march to the beat of his own drum, they want him to march to their drum, but he can't. He can't match their rhythm no matter how he tries. 

Then there's Eljay. He was supposed to be my easy child. He's not. He doesn't go to school. I wonder if it's mean making Chai to go school and letting Eljay stay home. It probably is. Eljay's staying home because kindy isn't compulsory so keeping him home is easy. Keeping Chai home is not so easy.

Tiger is thinking that next year Eljay will go to school and be okay with it. I'm not so sure. In fact, if I know Eljay at all I can tell you right now, Eljay will not be ok with going to school next year. 

So, back to me. I can't relate to my Mum friends because I don't have anything in common with them anymore. They're getting their freedom back, they're exercising, studying, working and having a little time to themselves. Their lives have moved on and got a little easier, which is wonderful. They look so relaxed and happy, it's great to see.

I, on the other hand, am more stressed than ever. I fight for Chai every day. I'm exhausted. I get no time to myself, I don't work, study or exercise. I'm not standing proudly on the sidelines watching my children playing sport, getting a merit certificate or admiring their beautiful art. I'm not doing things that I want to do. 

I'm okay with this. Whilst I'd desperately love a little time to myself, I don't get it and that's just the way it is. There's no point fighting something I can't change.  


I am so very proud of my boys. I'm proud of what beautiful people they are. I love how Eljay notices everything. I love how Chai can make friends with everyone. I wouldn't change them for the world, but I will do my best to change the world for them.

Thursday 26 April 2018

Kora Organics first impressions

I've been using a few Kora Organics products lately and quite enjoying them, so today I'll take you through my first impressions.


Enriched Body Lotion
I lied when I said these were all first impressions, I've used the body lotion and lip balm before. I really like the Enriched Body Lotion but there's no way I'd pay $49.95 for it. I'm on my second tube, my first was a gift and the second one I got on sale. It's currently on sale on the Kora website for $19.95, so if you've been wanting to give it a go, now is a good time.

I love the scent, it's deliciously fresh and fruity. The lotion absorbs quickly and is very hydrating.  

Balancing Rose Mist
The only difference I notice in face mists is the scent and how quickly they absorb. Rose Mist smells beautiful and absorbs quickly. I'm not sure what else there is to say about it. 

Vitamin Enhanced Lip Balm
This is my second Kora lip balm. I had the tub version which took me forever to finish. I was so glad to see the end of it, then I got the tube version with a magazine. Heh. 
I really don't think Vitamin Enhanced Lip Balm is worth $19.95 for the tube and $24.95 for the pot. It's a nice balm that does what it's supposed to, but there's nothing remarkable about it. Whilst I'll happily finish my tube, I won't be repurchasing.

Noni Glow Face Balm
When I opened my tube, I took the internal protective lid off and the whole balm came out with it. Crap. Thankfully I was able to put it back into the tube and it stayed there. It's not something I expected  with a brand new product. At $29.95 for 10 grams, this isn't cheap and it's not something that I'd use every day, but it's great for travel. I like to use it on top of my makeup to give myself a little glow. Being a balm, it's quite thick, so very hydrating, perfect for winter and dry skin. 

Cream Cleanser
This could possibly be my new favourite cream cleanser. At $39.95 for 100ml it's not cheap but I only use a small amount and it's so lovely that it's worth the cost. The Kora website is selling cleansers in the old packaging for $19.95 at the moment, so it's a good time to stock up.
Cream cleanser is gentle, hydrating, soothing when my skin is upset, non irritating, can be used on my eyes and makes a great make-up remover. What more could I want!

Hydrating Moisturiser
Whilst I'm really enjoying the hydrating moisturiser, I was surprised at the scent. I thought it'd smell really nice, but it has a funny scent that I don't associate with fruit at all. Not that I've ever smelled a noni fruit, but when I used to drink noni juice it smelled and tasted fruity. That aside, this is a lovely, deeply hydrating moisturiser that my skin loves. I wouldn't pay $59.95 for it though, that's a bit crazy for a tube which is only 50mls. Thankfully it's not too difficult to find it on sale. 

Rose Quartz Luminiser
After reading bad reviews I was hesitant to buy this, but it's so pretty that when I saw it on sale I couldn't resist. I'm glad I ignored the reviews because this is beautiful. It's a very subtle highlight, if you're looking for an intense highlight this isn't for you. If you want to look naturally luminous, this is perfect. Once on it's undetectable, I just look naturally radiant. 

I use Rose Quartz Luminiser on my cupids bow, inner eyes and on my brow bone. It lasts all day without fading or shifting. At $34.95 it's not cheap, however it'll last for ages. 


Look how cute the packaging is. You take the box off and it's sitting in a little display case.


So pretty. Of all the illumintors I've tried, this one is my favourite by far. 


Overall, whilst I like all of these products, aside from the illuminator, I don't think they're worth the price.

Tuesday 24 April 2018

SkinFood NZ launches in Australia!

Regular readers will know that I'm making the change to natural skin care and cosmetics. I've been seek out the best, effective natural skin care that I can find. Today I'm introducing you to the beautiful SkinFood NZ range. These products were sent to me for review and I've loved every one of them. 

I'm struggling to pick a favourite product from the range, but if I had to it'd be either the Gel Cleanser or Coconut Mist Toner. 


Gel Cleanser - $14.99
Having dry skin, I usually stay away from gel cleansers, they just don't work for me. Surprisingly, this one does. It's gentle on my skin, easily removes all my make-up, doesn't irritate my eyes and leaves my skin feeling comfortable. 
I used this as my first cleanse at night, it did a great job of removing everything, even heavy, greasy sunscreen. 

Light Moisturiser - $15.99
This will be my summer moisturiser. If you've got oily skin you'll probably love the light texture, the fast absorption makes it ideal for under make-up. I don't find this is hydrating enough for me in the colder weather, my skin gets very parched and needs a heavier moisturiser.

Exfoliating Scrub - $15.99
SkinFood Exfoliating Scrub uses ground walnut shells to exfoliate. They're in a creamy, hydrating base which makes the scrub gentle yet effective. I've been using this twice a week to keep my skin feeling smooth. It can also be used as a light body scrub, although I prefer to use it on my face. 



Mud Masque - $15.99
Mud Masque was another one of the products I wasn't expecting to work for me. My skin is a little sensitive, so anything that say "deep cleanse" I stay away from. In the name of beauty, I gave it a try and I'm so glad I did. My skin feels amazing after Mud Masque, it feels soft, smooth and hydrated.

Coconut and Nut Oils - $24.99
Oils are an essential part of my skincare routine, my skin loves them. Coconut and Nut oils is a multi-purpose product that can be used on the face, body and hair, as a make-up remover and cuticle treatment. I like to mix a few drop in with my night creamy to make a deeply hydrating treatment. Added bonus, it smells amazing.

Coconut Mist Toner - $12.99
Oh the beautiful scent. Whenever I use this I'm immediately transported to a warm summer day, it's wonderful. I've always been a rose mist person, but I'm now converted to coconut mists.

Mud and Honey Body Bar - $3.99
Despite the name, Mud and Honey Body Bar can also be used on the face. As a face cleanser it's gentle, removes all make-up and doesn't give that horrible squeaky clean feeling.
As a body cleanser it's gentle, hydrating, non drying and fragrance free.


I love all the SkinFood products I've tried. I'm planning on purchasing their lip balm, ,SPF 15 moisturiser and nourishing moisturiser next. 

SkinFood NZ products can be purchased from their website with free shipping Australia wide.

Sunday 22 April 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. I'm loving Bad Wolves version of Zombie.

2. The rain is here! 

3. We saw the Peter Rabbit movie this weekend, the whole family loved it.

4. Friday night my cousin took us out for dinner. Tiger and I haven't been out for dinner since we moved here five years ago. We went to Lone Star and it was lovely. I was worried there'd be nothing for me to eat cause I rarely eat red meat (I'm a lacto ovo vegetarian according to my nutritionist).

5. School holidays are half way through. I so don't want Chai to go back to school.


Friday 20 April 2018

FFS Friday - TV

Well would you look at this. It's Friday and I don't know what to complain about. What a sad state of affairs. It's not like I don't have plenty of fodder, but where do I start? 

So. We've been watching Schitt's Creek on Netflix. It's very funny. We were watching Arrow and Riverdale but they got too dark and depressing.

When Tiger is away I barely watch tv (other than Bachelor in Paradise). When he's home he likes to watch TV once the kids are in bed. 

I don't understand the TV fascination. I've always preferred to read. It wouldn't bother me if we didn't have a TV. If Tiger wasn't here I'd cancel Netflix and Telstra TV. Screens are such a huge/difficult part of life now and I don't like it. I'm grateful I grew up in the 70's and 80's where there really wasn't much worth watching on tele, so we didn't. 

Now kids are exposed to so many things that they just don't need to know about. They see it on TV, at school, they play games on their tablets, etc. I try to protect the kids from all that negativity but it's very difficult.

Tigers parents gave Chai a tablet (without consulting us) when he was three. To say I was unimpressed is an understatement. Screens are not good for Chai, it effects his behaviour and he turns into a monster. Eljay is unaffected. I wonder what it's doing to Chai's brain that it makes him behave so badly. 

Tiger gives the kids a lot more screen time than I'd like them to have. I give them more screen time than I'd like to. When he's away and I need a few seconds of sanity, they watch TV. If Chai had his way he'd be in front of a screen all day. It's not healthy. Kids should be playing, not sitting still watching tele. 

Even at school they're expected to use screens. Chai is also expected to use a tablet to do his homework. If we did the homework they expect, he'd be on his tablet an hour every night. Homework for primary school kids is not something I agree with, homework that requires screen time I refuse to do. It's not healthy. 

The urge to run away is strong. So very strong. Run away with my babies (and Tiger) to a big bush block with no TV, no school and no pressure. 

Monday 16 April 2018

March Empties

Now that we're halfway through April, it's high time I talked about my March empties.


Edible Beauty Velvet Coffee Body Butter
If you're in the market for a luxe body butter, look no further. It smells like fresh coffee and is beautiful to use. I received it as a gwp when I purchased the Luminous Angel Drops. 
At $55 for 100ml it's not something that I'll be purchasing again, but it was beautiful to use. 

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme
I was so glad to see the bottom of the tub, Night Fix Pads Extreme are not a favourite of mine. I didn't find them effective at all, they did nothing. The First Aid Beauty pads are so much better.

Issey Miyake Perfume
Issey Miyake is one of my all time favourite perfumes. I wore it on my wedding day and have been saving it, but this bottle is seven years old, so needed to be finished. I'll replace it soon.


The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel
Oh how I love the Satsuma range. Whenever it's re-released I pick up a few pieces and savour them for as long as I can. As this was my last satsuma product I'm now eagerly awaiting it's next return.

SkinFood NZ Gel Cleanser
SkinFood NZ have recently launched in Australia and I was lucky enough to receive some of their products to review. I've been using the gel cleanser as my night time make-up remover and loved it. It doesn't irritate my eyes, easily removes all my make-up and isn't drying. My dry skin usually doesn't agree with gel cleansers, however I have no issue with this one. I'll happily repurchase. 

Eve Lom Cleanser
I still don't understand the hype this gets. It's a balm cleanser, it smells strange and doesn't do anything different to the other balms cleansers available. Audra James and Kiss Ready Skin make balm cleansers that are natural and a lot nicer than the Eve Lom one. 

Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant
For years I've had a love hate relationship with powder exfoliants, but I've finally figured out how to use them. I alwayso struggled to get the right mix of powder to water, it'd either be too dry or totally wet. Now I know the secret. All I do is wet my hands, pour some powder in then rub my hands together. Easy. 


Sanctum Conditioner for Treated Hair
I love this conditioner, I've repurchased it countless times.

MooGoo Moothpaste
I grabbed this when I saw it on sale at the chemist. It's not love. There's nothing wrong with Moothpaste, I just prefer my Grant's toothpaste.

The Aromatherapy Co Rose and Patchouli Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser
Back when I was using hand sanitisers all the time, this was my favourite. The scent is beautiful and it's not at all drying. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available anymore.

Tarte Pack Your Bags 911 undereye rescue patches
Slowly but surely I'm working my way through every eye mask on available. I particularly like these ones, they have instant results and make my eye area look refreshed and bright.

Kiss Ready Skin Omega Tropical Body Scrub
The scent! It's amazing! I like to use this as a face scrub, I prefer sugar or salt scrubs for my body. As a face scrub this is beautiful, it has a very fine texture and makes my skin feel very smooth.

Body Blendz Collagen Eye Mask Kit
These masks are lovely and I'll definitely be buying them. (They were sent to me for review.)
I like to use them in the morning before I put my make-up on as they make my eye area look bright and awake. 

Maybelline Sponge
This was crap, just crap. 

Round Cotton Pads
I'm going to switch to material pads so that I can wash and reuse them, much better for the environment. 


Samples:
The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Cream 
Glam Glow Gravity Mud 
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Day Cream
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Weleda Evening Primrose Age Revitalising Day Cream
Lancome The Overnight Recovery Sleeping Mask
Lancome Genifique Sensitive 
The Body Shop Polynesian Island Tiare Perfume
The Body Shop Coffee Cream

Sunday 15 April 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. I've discovered how to make fried rice and it's now my favourite lazy meal. I use microwave rice, chop up whatever veggies I have in the fridge, throw it all into the frypan with an egg, some oil, a pit of stock powder, a splash of soy sauce and that's it. Cook for five minutes and dinner is ready. Quicker than take-away and healthy.

2. To my great relief, school holidays are here. Yay! No more stressful mornings.

3. Yesterday we celebrated my Aunt and Uncles 50th wedding anniversary. What an amazing achievement.

4. I also saw some cousins that I haven't seen for over ten years. It was wonderful catching up with everyone.

5. That's all I've got for this week.

Friday 13 April 2018

FFS Friday - Intentions

Today, I'm announcing to the world my intention to stop yelling at my kids. 

I'm not going to yell at my precious babies any more. It's not okay, it's not necessary and it's not who I want to be. 

I am going to leave behind that angry, overwhelmed, stressed, yelling person and become the happy, calm person that I want to be. 

I know it won't be easy and that I'll fail over and over again, but that's okay. I'll apologise, get over it and try harder next time.

I never wanted to be this person, it's not nice, it's not necessary and the kids don't deserve it. I could give you plenty of reasons to justify why I am this way, but they're just excuses and frankly they aren't good enough. I am in charge of myself, I get to choose who I want to be. This is not who I want to be. I am not being true to myself. 

So, it's going to change. I'm going back to the person that I want to be. Happy, calm and centred.

I won the smacking battle and I'll win the yelling battle, minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day.

Wish me luck.

Monday 9 April 2018

2018 Project Pan Update Two

Now that we're four months into 2018 it's time for another update on my project pan. I'm really pleased with how well I've been doing. I've stopped impulse purchasing, my Priceline points have gone down drastically, I no longer peruse the make-up aisle every time I go to the shops and I'm considering every purchase. Yes, I've still purchased products that I don't need, but they've mainly been samples and I'm okay with that because I use them up quickly. 

I did have a bit of a blow out with eye liners. My all time favourite Essence eye liner was discontinued and I was desperate to find a replacement. I managed to find three of the Essence liners, which I bought, then I also bought three different liners trying to find a replacement for the Essence one. So now I have a whole pile of dark taupe eye liners that'll probably take me the rest of the year to finish, if not longer. Oops. 


Now for the good news. I've finished 16 make-up items! Even better, that count includes two foundations! I have quite a few foundations to get through so I'm now using the same one every day until it's gone. I used to swap between four or five, but I realised that using the same one every day didn't bother me and it means that I get through them faster.

After thinking about it for a while I decided to include lip balm in my count. I wasn't sure if I should, however I often wear it in place of lip gloss so I'm counting it, plus, Emma told me to, hehe. 

Along with trying to finish my products, I'm also doing a rolling cull. Every chance I get I go through my collection and weed out products that I don't love. There are so many products that I don't love, they're items I don't mind, but they're not favourites. Why hold onto them when I can pass them along to someone who'll enjoy and appreciate them, it's just not worth it.

I've been pondering the whole panning concept recently and have decided that I'm not going to make it my sole focus. I find that when I'm focusing on panning only, I get bored quickly and don't enjoy my make-up. To stop that happening, if I'm getting bored with something I'll rotate it out of my daily make-up and use something else. There's no point forcing myself to pan things if I'm not enjoying the process. For me make-up is fun, it's something I do for myself, a few minutes each day where I do something solely for me. I don't want it to become a chore. Thankfully, so far I haven't gotten bored with any of my products. I'm using products that I like and that I'm happy to use every day, which is exactly how it should be. 

Are you doing a project pan or no buy? How's it going?

You can read my other project pan posts here and here.

Sunday 8 April 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. I purchased this brush from iHerb and it's awesome.

2. The Body Shop are adding three new shade adjusting lip glosses to their Shine Lip Liquids. I can't wait!

3. Laura Mercier have announced that they are withdrawing from the Australian market at the end of the financial year. Another huge company that will no longer be available here. Australia has always been a lucrative market, I wonder what the true story is.

4. Wonderful news time. I can still have coffee! Turns out it was just a strange tummy bug. Yay!

5. As I stand here typing this I can see mist amongst the trees outside. It's cool, damp and beautiful. Winter is coming.

Friday 6 April 2018

FFS Friday - Still

For the past few months I've given Tiger the pleasure of dealing with the boys school. I'm done with their particular brand of torture, it's time Tiger got to enjoy it. 

He's been getting rather frustrated at their constant run around tactics.

Withdrawing Eljay was the perfect example. 

He went to Eljay's class and said he wanted to withdraw him. 
They sent him to the office.
The office staff said he had to talk to the deputy.
He talked to the deputy who said that he needed to email her.
FFS. How difficult do they have to make it?

Then, get this. She asked if we'd re-enrol him next term if a position comes up. Right.
So a week after telling us that there's no way he can swap classes, they suddenly might have a position coming up in the next few weeks.
I'm sure that's not a coincidence.

It's all smoke and mirrors. They try to call your bluff with their refusals and scare tactics, but when that doesn't work you find out what they can really do. 

It's all about money. When a student is withdrawn they lose money. If you don't give an explanation as to why a student was absent, they lose money. Everything is about money. It should be about the kids but it's not, money rules.

Pity they couldn't realise that being open, honest and transparent they'd be more likely to keep the students than by their constant lies and bluff. 

If you can't already tell, I'm done with school. I swear, if anyone at school looks at me the wrong way I'm going to take my babies and run, never to return.

The good news is that after dealing with the school and sitting in on classes with Eljay, Tiger finally understands the major issues I have with our school system. I don't think it'll be long until we're happily homeschooling, YAY!

 Now for what's annoying me this week. 

Remember a few weeks ago I was talking about self care and how my lack of self care led me to having oral thrush? Yes? Well. I got the medication from the chemist, took it as directed but the symptoms didn't go away so I assumed it wasn't thrush and that I must have an issue with my gums and lips. Being a typical, totally paranoid person, I googled it and naturally came to the conclusion that I had oral cancer. As you do.

I finally got to see a dentist yesterday, who informed me that I still have thrush and that the reason I still have it is because it needs to be treated with prescription medication for at least 21 days. 

Great. So the chemist was wrong. Lovely. I've now got some wonderful lozenges that I get to suck on four times a day. Good news is that thrush is a lot better than oral cancer, so there is that. 

Have a beautiful weekend lovelies.

Tuesday 3 April 2018

Interview with the lovely Glaiza from Bare Lips



I recently discovered Bare Lips on Instagram, flicked through to their Etsy store and being the lip balm addict I am, promptly placed an order. A few days later I got a lovely email from Glaiza checking to see if my balms had arrived safely. We had a bit of a chat via email and she kindly agreed to do an interview with me.

How and why did Bare Lips get started?
I have been collecting lip balms ever since I can remember. It's been an (expensive!) obsession, but so incredibly fun! I landed myself on a handmade Facebook page a year ago, as a buyer supporting small businesses. I came across so many wonderful creations, and new amazing lip balms to add to my collection. One night, I spent hours on Etsy shopping for lip balms (as you do!), and that's when it hit me; "maybe I can make my own". From there, I basically spent countless hours researching and determining whether it was something worthwhile that I could do... turns out I can :)

Did it take long to come up with the perfect formula?
It definitely took many hours of research, and many batches of testing! testing! testing! before I was happy with the end formula. The test ones didn't go to waste as I still use them (and so does hubby) even if they aren't perfect. I love that nothing goes to waste!
 
What makes Bare Lips so awesome?
Bare Lips is not just another label on a product, there is so much more to it. It's a person making each individual lip balm with absolute love. It's supporting other small businesses by using their products to create ours. It's ensuring we only use natural and cruelty-free products and that our packaging is reusable and recyclable so that there is zero waste. On top of all that, Bare Lips is super affordable. I wanted to make sure people could still spoil themselves with a quality lip product without having to spend a dime.

I love that your balms are natural and zero waste. Is this something that was important when you started formulating your range?
When I started formulating my range I wanted to make sure I used fewer, but effective ingredients. It's important to me that my customers feel at ease knowing they won't be applying any nasties to their lips, which can often be the case with commercial lip balms. Being natural and zero waste is something we advocate as the reality is we need to play our part to protect our environment.  

Rosemary is such a unique flavour for a balm, what made you choose it?
I was speaking to a close friend of mine who makes her own lip balms as a hobby, and out of curiosity I asked her which was her favourite flavour. Her answer was Rosemary, which surprised me, as I had never come across this flavour before in a lip balm and it's not something I would have been able to magically come up with on my own. I'm so glad I gave it a try, because it's now such a huge hit.

What are your top five favourite lip products?
This is a hard one to answer! There are so many amazing lip products out there. But here are a few that I love.
1. Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Green Apple.
2. Hurraw Chai Spice Lip Balm.
3. Grown Alchemist Lip Balm Vanilla and Watermelon.
4. EOS Strawberry Lip Balm Sphere.
5. Herbal Hiraeth Chamomile and Jojoba Herbal Lip Balm (one of the small businesses who inspired me to start my own.

What's next for Bare Lips? Any exciting news?
It was always my intention to share my love of lip balms to as many people as possible, so that's an ongoing goal. Besides that, I have a few ideas in mind to keep my passion alive...So stay tuned!  

Thanks so much for your time Glaiza, I love your balms and can't wait to see what you come up with next. 

Monday 2 April 2018

Bare Lips Lip Balm


A little while ago I was scrolling through the lip balm addict hashtag on Instagram when I came across Bare Lips lip balms. I looked at their feed and then visited the Etsy store where I promptly placed an order. 

I was very restrained and only ordered three balms, Coffee, Cocoa Butter and Rosemary. The one scent that I wasn't sure about was Rosemary. I've never heard of Rosemary lip balm before and wasn't at all sure what it would smell like. To my great surprise I love it. It smells like a fresh, herbal floral, it's very unusual and lovely. 

The cocoa butter smells like chocolate and makes me want to lick my lips.
Coffee lovers, you all need the coffee balm, it smells exactly like a cup of unsweetened coffee. I'm planning on buying the Cocoa and Coffee flavour in my next order, then I can smell like a mocha all day! And how nice would Cocoa, Coffee and Coconut be! Maybe Glaiza will do that combination in the future (hint hint).

Out of the three balms I really can't pick a favourite. They have a beautiful creamy texture, last around three hours before I need to reapply and they leave my lips feeling soft and hydrated. 



All Bare Lips balms are natural, vegan and hand made in Australia. Glaiza is currently working on some new flavours and one will be rose! I'm so excited. There is also a natural sun protection balm coming in the future, which she'll start working on once the next round of scents are completed. 

Bare Lips balms come in a reusable tin. A 15 gram tin costs $8 and postage Australia wide is only $3.

Come back Wednesday for my interview with Glaiza, she's really lovely. She patiently answered all my questions and we've been chatting all things lip balm over the last few weeks. I get so excited when I find a fellow lip product addict who's happy to chat with me.

Sunday 1 April 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. So. Australian cricket.

2. By Terry Baume De Rose now comes in a chubby crayon formula and I need it.

3. Today is day four of no coffee. Woe is me.

4. Along with converting to using natural products, I'm also trying to buy from small, Australian businesses. If you have any recommendations for great Aussie small businesses, please let me know.

5. This week I made hummus and it's the best thing I've ever made. I'm obsessed. It's super easy and soooo good.