Sunday 29 September 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. This week I discovered that you can watch animated versions of kids books on YouTube. You can also watch people reading the books. This has been such a wonderful discovery for our home schooling. We read a different book each week so with books that I didn't have I used to order from the library. Now, I just find them on YouTube and don't have to order them, when means that we can skip ahead when we want to. Sounds like a small thing but it's made such a big difference for us.

2. Another recent discovery is the author Josh Langley. We read one of his kids books and Chai loved it so much that I went to the book shop and ordered both of his childrens books. He's on Instagram and is very friendly, when I posted about him he replied, it was great.

3. I've also discovered Krumbled Foods. Their collagen bars are my new favourite snack. They're low in sugar, gluten and dairy free.
It's a yummy treat that's healthy. I wish they sold them in packs.

4. I've found my new life motto:
You just have to take it one "are you f*&@ing kidding me" at a time.
Hahahaha

5. Mecca beauty loop boxes are out on Tuesday. I'm planning to order their new Weekend Skin. It looks like it'd be great for me as it's a light tint and doesn't contain SPF.


Friday 27 September 2019

FFS Friday - Hammock

I've been a bit quiet around here lately. Every time I've sat down to write I've just wanted to complain and that's not fun for anyone to read. Things haven't been much fun lately. Chai's issues are escalating rapidly and I'm so not qualified to deal with them. I have no trucking idea what to do.

Add to that Tiger is away, a close relative is having relationship problems, other family members need help and you have a tired, worn out mombie. 

At the moment we're trying a dairy and gluten free diet for Chai. It's been two weeks and already his digestive issues are easing. We don't eat a lot of gluten and dairy so it hasn't been too difficult, the only problem has been cheese. We love cheese, especially feta. There's barely a day goes past that we don't eat feta so it has been sorely missed. 

Vegan cheese tastes like plastic and costs a fortune. I've bought around six different types, they all have the same awful taste.

One thing I'm having a win with is home schooling. It's finally registered with the boys that learning is fun so they're willingly sitting down to do their learning. The great thing about home schooling is that it doesn't take long. We learn every day other than Sunday and we spend about an hour a day. That's it. The rest of the day is play.

You wouldn't think an hour a day is enough to cover the curriculum but it is. We use a program called Complete Education which covers the WA curriculum and that's all it takes. I love the freedom that home schooling gives us. I also love not having to get up and out of my pj's every morning.

You know what else has been annoying me? We're back to Chai waking up at 4.45am. Every. Single. Day. 
Once Chai is awake everyone is awake. He won't get up on his own, he won't be quiet, he stays in bed and makes sure we're all awake.
The days are very long when they start before 5am. I do not like it. 

I've never been a morning person. Even when I was a child I hated mornings, they just aren't my thing. Having to be up and functioning in the morning is too much to expect from a person.

After nine days of hell with Chai, we went to the OT yesterday and he's now fine. FFS.
It's funny how OT helps. All they do is play but it makes such a huge difference. Yesterday he spent most of the time playing in a hammock. I'm getting one installed in our house. We need to install a beam in the roof first so I'll get a builder to come over and do that. It may look strange but it's going to make a huge difference to our lives. The household is totally different when Chai is calm and happy. 

Well that's enough of my whining. 

I hope you all have a beautiful long weekend.

Tuesday 24 September 2019

Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Lip Cream



You know how some products are love at first use? Murumuru Butter Lip Cream was one of those products for me.

I originally purchased the shade Flamingo Pink because I thought it'd be a lovely summery pink, turns out it's more peach than pink.
I loved the formula so much that I purchased the shade Mauvin to Brazil and it's the perfect mlbb shade for me.

It's a real shame that Physician's Formula isn't available in Australia as they have some great products. I'd love to have access to the full range, I was looking on their website and they have so many gorgeous products. Thankfully some of the range is available on iHerb which is where I purchase. (If you'd like to purchase, code YUF175 will get you a discount).


If you're like me and have no idea what murumuru is, it's a palm tree that's native to Brazil. The palm grows edible fruit. Murumuru butter is the fat that comes from the palms seeds. Interesting.

There are several reasons that I love my Murumuru Butter Lip Cream. Firstly, it smells and tastes great (very important). The colour is opaque with two layers and looks like I'm wearing lipstick.
The most important part is that it's super hydrating. That's the main reason I don't wear lipstick every day, I need hydration. I usually apply lipstick in the morning then use balm for the rest of the day.

Top: Mauvin to Brazil, bottom: Flamingo Pink

With Murumuru Butter Lip Cream I have the benefits of a balm with the colour of a lipstick. Perfect. An added bonus is that it has as SPF of 15.

There are twelve shades in the range, however iHerb doesn't yet have all of them and they go out of stock regularly, so if you see a shade you want in stock, grab it whilst you can. 


Sunday 15 September 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. Who bought something during the Sephora sale? I didn't. I browsed the site at least five times but there wasn't anything that I really wanted.

2. This week we had a taste of the warmer weather and it was glorious. I love winter, it'll always be my favourite season, but the warmer days were lovely. I'd happily keep every season other than summer.

3. The warmer weather has me wanting to chop my hair to shoulder length. I've been thinking about it for a while now but wanted longer hair for winter as it keeps me warm. Now that the weather is warming up it's time for the chop.

4. If you'd like to get free Sunbites, click here.

5. I'm really enjoying the Instagram beauty community lately. People are so kind and supportive. If only they'd go back to chronological posts.

Friday 13 September 2019

FFS Friday - The rules

Since I've been having so much fun with my strike I thought I'd tell you about my strike rules.

1. Clean up your own mess. I will not pick up other peoples mess. If they leave something on the floor, it stays there.

2. Clothes that aren't in the washing basket won't get washed. I'm not going to walk around the house picking up dirty clothes from the floor, trying to figure out what is and isn't dirty. If it isn't in the washing basket it doesn't get washed.

3. I am not the house maid. If you want something, get it yourself, I will not get it for you.

4. Put your own washing away. All the men in my house are old enough to put their own washing away. I don't do it anymore. I'll soon be teaching the boys how to fold their own washing then then whole lot will be their responsibility.

5. Since everyone else in the house dumps their stuff on the floor, on occasion I will do the same thing. Then they can all experience how annoying it is having to clean up a mess that someone else left.

6. DO NOT TALK TO ME WHILST I'M ON THE TOILET!!!!!
This shouldn't even have to be a rule but here we are.

7. When Dad is home all questions are to be directed to him.

8. If you use the last toilet roll, get more and put them in the basket. 

These are all simple things that I shouldn't even have to mention yet I do.

I must say going on strike has been fun. It's taken a lot of work off me, I'm not as annoyed as I used to be and anyone who comes to my house feels good because their house is way tidier than mine. 


Sunday 8 September 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. I don't understand why people would pre order a book that won't be available for another seven months. 

2. Sometimes all it takes is one kind or understanding person to give you the courage you need to continue on your path. I hope I can be that person to some people.

3. I've discovered Samantha Moonshine on YouTube and Instagram and I'm really enjoying her content.

4. I've spent the last two days on the couch with a sick Eljay and it's been wonderful. It's been ages since I got so much relaxation time.

5. Has anyone used the Saint Belford planner before? I never manage to stick to using one, but SB looks so good. I'm really tempted but worried I won't stick to it and it'll be a waste of $60.

Friday 6 September 2019

FFS Friday - Still striking

Do you ever wonder wtf you're living for? Not as in a depressed sense, but as in what's it all about?
I'm saying this from a totally bored perspective. I'm just wondering why the hell I bother. What's the point of this life? There must be more to life than raising kids and paying bills. Sure that's fun sometimes, tough other times. But what else?

I want plans and excitement and holidays and things to look forward to. Tiger doesn't. I don't get it. How can he not want to plan and have things to look forward to?

Life seems rather pointless without things to look forward to. Goals too. I like goals, they give you something to work towards and aim for. Tiger is happy to float along without any thought to what's going to happen next. I just don't understand.

Since I'm not working I feel like I haven't had the ability to make plans but I've decided that's wrong and I can make plans. So, I've opened a bank account and started saving. I want to go to America to visit my friend. It's not going to happen unless I make it happen. 

So far I've got $4.49 in the account, hahaha. But, I have plans. I'll start saving my $5 notes again and I'll also clear the change out of my purse every week. Every few months I'll put it into my savings account. Another thing I plan to do is keep a list of everything I want to buy. When I don't buy those things I'll put the money that I would have spent into my savings account. That'll help two ways, it'll stop me buying things I don't need and it'll also help my savings grow. Winning.

Not sure how else I'm going to save up, but I'll think of something. 

Do you make plans? Or do you just wander along aimlessly like Tiger?

My permanent strike is ongoing. Wednesday I cut some hanger strap things off my jumper and left them on the floor. It's what everyone else in my household does so I decided to do the same thing. 
They're still there. I'll pick them up in a few days when I can be bothered. Heh.

Tuesday 3 September 2019

August empties



Ultra Violette Supreme Screen
Ultra Violette have been getting a lot of hype on social media. They've done a great job of their marketing. After all the hype I had to try it for myself to see if their products really are as amazing as people claim.
After using the entire tube I've reached the conclusion that whilst it's a nice product it's no better than La Roche-Posay Anthelios and Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face, both of which are significantly cheaper.
Personally I prefer La Roche-Posay, purely because it doesn't irritate my eyes.
I'm glad I tried Ultra Violette but I won't buy it again, it's over hyped and over rated. 

Soap and Glory Hand Maid
This winter I've been obsessively using hand sanitiser in an effort to prevent us getting the flu. One of my all time favourites is Hand Maid. It smells beautiful and doesn't dry out my skin.
The bottle costs $4 and lasts for ages. I've already got another one on the go. 

Nivea Clay Fresh Shower Gel
The texuture of this was interesting, rather clay like (funny that) and a little gritty. It felt very strange to wash myself with it, mainly because it's quite thick. Overall it's a nice shower gel, it smelled pleasant and if I wasn't switching to plastic free I'd probably buy it again.

Thankyou Coffee Body Scrub
I've gone through so many of these, I'm sure regular readers have had enough of hearing about it. If you like coffee scrubs this is a great one. The Geranium and Rosewood scent is lovely, it's non greasy and gives a great scrub. I pick up a tub every time I find it on sale. 

Kudos Spa Bath and Shower Gel
Tiger picked this up from a hotel somewhere. I don't know why he insists on keeping hotel shower products, they're usually mediocre. This one was okay.

Blessed by Nature Deep Cream Cleanser
I usually love cream cleansers however I found this one to be slightly irritating. It stung my eyes and irritated my skin. The irritation wasn't severe, there was no redness or rashes, it just stung and tingled.

Botani Olive Repair Cream
Many years ago I used and loved Botani products, then I moved and they weren't available locally. To my delight I've recently found them at my local Priceline and I was also sent a few products to review (this was one of them). I've long loved the Olive Repair Cream, it's super hydrating for dry, dehydrated winter skin. I'm waiting for a sale to repurchase.

Botani Acai Berry Active Antioxidant Serum
I hadn't used this before but I'll definitely purchase it again. It has a beautiful berry scent, is very hydrating and quickly absorbed. Since I stopped using it my skin texture is worse, it feels rough and has dry patches. This is another product I'll be repurchasing. 

La Roche-Posay Toleraine Ultra
I've fallen in love with LRP products, they're my new favourite skin care brand. The products have been an absolute miracle for my allergy skin. I've never found anything that soothes and heals my skin as quickly as LRP products do. The Toleraine Ultra is a heaven sent for dry, irritated skin. It's super hydrating, non greasy and quickly absorbed. I've already purchased a full sized version and will never be without it.

La Roche-Posay Effeclar Duo
Whilst this isn't suited for my skin type (it's for blemished skin) I'm considering buying it because of how smooth it made my skin feel. I used it at night time and woke up to soft, smooth skin with no rough texture. It tingles pleasantly upon application for a few minutes then the tingling is gone.

Hask Argan Oil Hot Oil Hair Treatment
Last time Priceline had their haircare sale I went shopping with my bff. She has dry hair so picked up several of these and I copied her. I used these years ago and had forgotten how silky smooth they make my hair feel. I'll be repurchasing them again soon. 

Bobbi Brown Instant Detox Face Mask
Meh. I wasn't fussed with this mask. It was okay.


Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
I have a little tube of this sitting in my drawer that I haven't bothered using, but after using the sample sachet I'm going to dig it out. I used this one night and woke up with noticeably soft, smooth skin. I'd love to see what the results would be after using it for a few months. 

Frank Body Green Tease
Frank Body scrubs never disappoint. I always have a few of them on rotation. The Green Tease scent was lovely, fresh and gorgeous. 

L'Occitane Immortelle Reset
I liked the way this made my skin feel but at $95 I won't be purchasing it anytime soon.

Weleda Arnica Sports Shower Gel
As per usual, I can't really tell what I thought of this shower gel as it was only a sample satchet. It seemed rather oily but that's about all I can say. 

Elemis Peptide4 Thousand Flower Mask
As I slowly make my way through my face mask stash I've come to realise that I don't like sheet masks, I much prefer cream masks. The Elemis Peptide4 Thousand Flower Mask smells beautiful and left my skin feeling wonderfully soft. I'll definitely consider buying the full size of this once I've gotten through my current stash. 

L'Occitane Radiance Scrub
L'Occitane have recently released quite a few new skincare products and the Radiance Scrub was one of them. It's nowhere near scrubby enough for me, however it smelled nice and was pleasant to use. 

Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Face Mask
I have a full sized tub of this and really enjoy it. I'm not sure how I got a sample of it, but it's one I'm happy to use. I find this great for soothing 

Weleda White Mallow Face Cream
Whilst I'm constantly saying that a sample sachet isn't enough for me to decide if I like a product, White Mallow Face Cream is the exception. My skin felt so lovely after I used this that I ordered a full size straight away. 

L'Occitane Intensive Repair Face Mask
I can't say I noticed any intensive repairing, but perhaps I didn't really need intensive repair. I did have soft, hydrated skin and the dry patches were almost gone, so that's a good result. 

Etude House Collagen Eye Patch
These were quite dry and didn't feel like they did much.

Co-enzyme Q10 Mask Sheet
This stung my skin so I only wore it for five minutes before I had to take it off.

Skin Physics Collagen Hydrogel Under Eye Patch 
I think these are my favourite eye masks. They stick well so I can walk around whilst I'm using them, they're cooling and soothing and they brighten my eye area. I like to use them in the morning before I put my make-up on. 

Skinvitals Hydraflex 3d Face Mask
This was really unique because it also covers your neck. I've never used a mask that covers my neck before. 
It was lovely to use and left my skin looking plump and feeling very soft. If I knew where I got it I'd buy it again.

Sephora Rose Lip Mask
I really don't think these do anything but they look funny wuen I use them and they're cheap so I buy them when I need to add a few $$ worth of products to get free shipping. 

Skin Physics Snake Detoxifying Oxygen Bubble Mask
After seeing bubble masks all over Instagram I was itching to give one a try. I've now used two of them and I must be doing something wrong because they just don't foam up on me. I've followed the instructions but I only get minor bubbling in a few spots. How disappointing. Despite that, I liked the way this made my skin feel (soft and smooth),  I'd buy it again. 

Wei White Lotus Hydrating Face Mask
Oh this was truly lovely. It felt so beautiful on and the material was thick so I found it easier to put on. I have no idea where I got this from so I probably won't repurchase, however if I came across it in my travels I would. 

L'Oreal Revitalift Filler+ Hyaluronic Acid
I received these to trial for Beauty Crew. It's not the sort of product that I'd buy so it was great that I got to try it out. These cost $49.95 for what is supposed to be a 7 day supply, which is a little expensive in my opinion. Having said that, 1 ampoule contains enough for two applications and if it was used as a weekly deep hydration treatment it's probably worthwhile.
I didn't get amazing results other than a great hit of hydration. I think it'd be great as a weekly treatment for winter dry skin. 

Sunday 1 September 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. THE CHOKITO WRAPPER IS GONE!!!!!
Tiger was standing behind me when I was editing the photo of it, so I suspect that prompted him to remove it. Finally!

2. Lanolips have a new website where you can buy all their goodies including the new products and Rose Gold 101. If you sign up to their website you'll get 10% off your first purchase.

3. I made sticky date pudding last night, it was soooo, soooo good.

4. This lady is awesome. I'm going to be like her when I'm 70.

5. It's the first day of spring and we're having a cold, wet and windy day. I'm not ready to say goodbye to winter yet.