Tuesday 31 March 2020

February and March empties

Since I didn't do an empties post last month I've got double for this month! Despite it being a double up I don't have much to show as I haven't been using a lot lately. I've been going make-up free most of the time and haven't been using my skin care as it was just too much effort post surgery. Funnily enough my skin condition hasn't changed much since I stopped using my skin care. It's got oily (which is good as it was dry before), it's not as smooth but that's the only change.

Funny that. I'm very careful about the skincare I use so I suspect that it's the sunscreen that was the issue. I haven't worn sunscreen very often as I haven't been leaving the house or near the windows. I'll have to experiment with my sunscreen to see if that was causing the problem. 

Moving forward I'll be simplifying my routine. I'll use eye cream as my eye area has been looking dry, I'll exfoliate as my skin gets quite rough and use a moisturiser or facial oil. Easy.

Now, onto the empties. 
 

I finished 3 make-up products the last few months which I'm really pleased about. I have no idea how I managed to finish make-up because I've hardly been wearing it.  


Milk Beauty Wipes
I don't use wipes and yet I have so many packets of them.
I'm trying to use up the ones I have, so use them for wiping off makeup that I've been swatching for Instagram. I also used these ones to clean and exfoliate my face after my surgery. If I was a wipes person these are the ones I'd choose, they're really big, non irritating and they have an exfoliating side.

Olay Regenerist Revitalising Thermal Mini-Peel Treatment
This scrub is awesome! It warms up when you use it and feels so lovely. The scrub particles are tiny and there are lots of them so you get a really good scrub. Unfortunately it appears to have been discontinued, if it wasn't I'd definitely repurchase.

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mask 
Tatcha can do no wrong, which isn't great because their products are quite pricey. They're worth every cent. I loved the dewy skin mask, it made my skin look bright and hydrated. This one is a definite repurchase.

Yuni Shower Sheets
When I received this as a sample from Sephora I thought it was a silly idea so I threw it in my gym bag and left it there for months. One day I had to go out after the gym so used it and immediately loved it. What a brilliant idea. I'd thought that baby wipes would do the same job but I was wrong. The shower sheet is quite large, big enough to clean my underarms, arms and shoulders. They deodorise and left my skin smelling fresh. I'll definitely be buying a packet of these, they're a great idea.

Go-To Very Useful face Cream
For so long I've wanted to try this but never got around to buying it. Luckily for me I won it in a give away from Michelle's Musings
 Go-To products get such hype however I'm yet to find one of their products that I love. I think they're great for people who don't require much from their products, but being over 40 I need my products to do a little more than just hydrate. 
This would be great for someone who's looking for a basic daily moisturiser. I didn't find it hydrating enough for my dry skin. Plus, it smelled strange.

Clarins Fresh Scrub
I have no idea if I liked this or not. I got one use out of it and used it back in February so I can't remember. Clearly it wasn't love or I would have remembered.




My Shay Sensitive Deodorant
There are a few natural deodorants that I rotate between and this is one of them. It's the only deodorant with bicarb soda that hasn't irritated my pits. I used this throughout summer and it worked well provided I reapplied at lunchtime. I need to purchase another one.

The Physic Garden Sensitive Deodorant
This is another one of my natural deodorants and one that I also need to repurchase. I usually have three different deodorants on the go as I find that when I don't rotate them they stop working. Louella from Kiss Ready Lips tells me that this is due to hormones. As long as I use a different one every couple of days they work well. 

Liloh Skincare Fresh Daily Cleanser
I love a good gel cleanser. I love the way they feel and how light they are. Liloh Skincare cleanser is one of the nicest gel cleansers I've used. It doesn't irritate my eyes, removes all my makeup and doesn't give my skin that awful squeaky clean feeling. 
This one was gifted however it's a definite purchase.

YSL Blanc Pur Couture Emulsion Milky Lotion
What a waste of time this was. It smells great, felt nice and that's about all. It might be a great product however a 3ml sample isn't enough to figure out if it's nice or not. 

Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask Hydrant
Why are DE products so hyped? I just don't get it. Sure, they're nice, but for the price they aren't amazing. There are many cheaper products that do the same thing. I used this as an overnight mask, it was nice, however Weleda Skin Food gives the same results.

Wella Color Brilliance Shampoo
I don't think I've used Wella products before. The Color Brilliance shampoo is lovely. It gently cleanses my hair and left it feeling very soft. If I wasn't moving to zero waste products I'd repurchase. 

Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder
When I get them right I really love exfoliating powders. I like that they're gentle and so effective. This one is nice, depending on the price I'd buy it again. 


These products are all tosses. The Nude by Nature lip balm gets a dishonourable mention because it's called pink but it's orange. That's the trouble with buying online, you can't see if you like the colour. The online swatches I saw looked pink, but it's definitely not pink.

The product in the little tub is the Ethique deodorant which was just awful. It sweated all the time, was really slippery and did nothing to control my odour.  

The Essano and Glow lab moisturisers dried out and the Dermaviduals eye cream was nearly empty and expired.

 

How can they call that pink? It's orange, not pink.




  
  

Monday 30 March 2020

March update

What a time to be alive. The whole world is in lock down.
Here I was thinking I'd be posting about all the fun things we've been up to, how wrong was I? Having said that, we've still had fun, just a different type of fun.

March was pretty quiet. I was still recovering from my ankle surgery so couldn't do much. I got the cast off on the 3rd of March which made things a little easier.

Chai turned nine on the 9th of March. Tiger was at work so we had a quiet day. Mum was here so we made a fuss of Chai. Poppy came to visit and we were planning to go out to lunch but Chai had a sore belly so we went to lunch the next day.

I got my moon boot off on the 25th of March and started physio, by which time the world was in lock down. 

We had some wonderful news on the 27th, we learned that Tiger would no longer be fifo. The bad news is that was because he lost his job. Seven years of service and they didn't even bother to call him, just sent out a group email. Fuckers.

With our gym now being closed indefinitely Tiger converted the junk room/office into a home gym. Finding a space for all the junk that was in there was fun, but Tiger sorted it out. 

Despite being in lock down we're maintaining contact with family via video calls, which is nice because it's so much better than a phone call. 

Sunday 29 March 2020

Thoughts of the week

1. Whilst the world is in lock down I just want to distract myself, so if you've got any Instagram or YouTube recommendations please let me know.

2. On Monday our gym closed. Whilst I understand and fully support the need to close, I was so sad. The gym is my only time away from the boys and it's my social life. It's one of the rare times that I get to talk to other adults and just be me. I'll really, really miss it.

3. It's so nice having my computer back. I forgot how therapeutic writing is for me.

4. Self isolation is proving to be rather difficult. Chai hates being at home all the time. Thankfully due to my ankle injury we've had quite a bit of practise as we've been stuck at home since October when I injured my ankle.

5. I'll be doing a post on my ankle surgery for anyone that's interested. I'll also post photos but will password protect them for people who don't want to see wound photos. The password will be in my blog post. 

6. Tiger lost his job on Friday. He's worked for the company for seven years and they couldn't even bother calling to tell him, they just sent an email. No idea what we're going to do now. 

Friday 27 March 2020

FFS Friday - Stay strong

I'm back! I've been away longer than I expected so I've got lots to fill you all in on.

The surgery was tougher than I expected, then when I was back on my feet my computer wouldn't switch on. I wasn't in any state to deal with it, so I only got the computer working again on Tuesday. Turns out that the power cord had died. I've never heard of that before, how does a power cord that does nothing, die? I don't understand.
The computer was 2 years out of warranty but Lenovo replaced it anyhow, how good is that!

So, my ankle surgery. I had a lateral ligament repair and arthroscopy. I completely tore my ATFL and partially tore my CFL. The surgeon went in, had a look around and fixed my torn ligaments. I've never had repair surgery before, only an appendectomy and tonsillectomy so had no idea what I was in for. With my previous surgeries I was fine after two weeks. This surgery was not as easy.

Firstly, I totally underestimated how tough laying in bed with my ankle above my heart for two weeks would be. The cast was really heavy (I've never had a cast before) and being isolated was tough.
I stopped all pain meds two days after surgery and was only taking what they'd told me was an anti inflammatory.
Despite being on minimal meds my head was a mess, I couldn't keep my eyes open, the room kept on spinning and I was convinced I was dying of a brain tumour. Turns out I'm not, I was just having a reaction to the anti inflammatory which also happens to be a pain killer. FFS.

Once I stopped taking that things got a lot better. I could stay awake for more than a few hours, my head wasn't spinning and I didn't think I was dying. Nasty drugs.

A week after the surgery I landed back in hospital. I'd had a lot of trouble breathing and after two full days and nights of not breathing I went to the Dr.
She took one look at me, told me I was tachycardic and called 000. I had Tiger and the boys with me. Chai went straight in to panic mode, convinced I was going to die. The Dr was trying to talk to me, I was trying to calm down Chai, Tiger was getting angry at Chai's carry on, it was a total mess.

I got Tiger to call my sister to come and pick up the boys. The Dr got so flustered that instead of sending me to the nurses to be checked out she sent us downstairs. We were getting in to one side of the lift as the ambulance officers were getting out the other side. After a bit of tooing and froing they finally got me downstairs and in to the ambulance. I could hear Chai outside the ambulance screaming and begging the ambulance people not to let me die. FFS. 

They checked me out, I wasn't dying so they took me to hospital. I spent the night in hospital and they couldn't figure out what was wrong. My Dr can't figure out what's wrong. I'm still having trouble breathing and no-one can tell me why. FFS.

The Dr said that it could be anxiety and I should practise mindfulness. Surely if I had anxiety I'd know? I don't feel anxious? I've taken note of what happens when I'm struggling to breathe and I've never felt anxious. I'm confused. I've started meditating again and making a conscious effort to stay calm and grounded, but I still have trouble breathing so it's a mystery. 

My ankle is healing nicely. I got the cast off and could start partial weight bearing two weeks after the surgery. The wound is healing well and after fours weeks I could fully weight bear with my CAM boot on. 

I saw the surgeon Wednesday and my boot is off! Yay! I'm wearing an ankle brace and I've started physio! I'm so excited. I have a new physio, he's brilliant and says my ankle is strong so we can do intense physio and I'll be back to normal soon. I can't wait!

Whilst I've been recuperating the world has gone crazy. I really don't know what to say about that. It's scary.
Funnily enough it hasn't really changed our routine. We home school, go to the park when there aren't many people there and don't socialise a lot, so not much has changed for us. 

We're waiting to see if Tiger still has a job, but hoping that we'll be okay as his job is one of the essential services.   

Not being able to go to the gym and see any of our friends and family is tough, but we'll get through it.

I'll be posting resources on my Facebook page for all of you who find that you're suddenly home schooling. Just click on the post about resources and they're all in the comments. If you have any good resources please feel free to add them in the comments.

Stay strong beautiful people. 

Thursday 26 March 2020

January empties

I'm not sure what happened but for some reason I didn't post my January empties. My February and March empties are coming next week, so this is a bonus one.

It's my first empties post for the year!  I didn't finish a heap of products but I'm happy with how I went. It's satisfying using things up. My skincare drawer is slowly emptying out, I love seeing more space in there.


Daily Naturals Moisture Intense Conditioner
I loved this conditioner and if I wasn't switching to a zero waste product I'd definitely repurchase. It was very hydrating but didn't weigh down my fine hair. 

Crabtree and Evelyn Snow Blossom Hand Cream
I love the Crabtree and Evelyn hand creams. They're easily as good as L'Occitane. Snow Blossom is a beautiful scent and one I'll purchase again.

Liloh Skincare Day Cream
If you haven't tried Liloh Skincare the travel set is the way to go. The tubes last about three weeks which is long enough to figure out if the products work for your skin. 
I loved the whole range. The day cream is great, used with the serum it's magic.
Toby and Rosie Body Lotion
I didn't mind this but didn't love it.

Nivea Soft Moisturiser
If you're after a good, basic moisturiser you can't go wrong with Nivea. It does the trick and is reasonably priced.

Kopari Coconut Oil Deodorant
It's no secret how much I love this deodorant. I've gone through numerous tubes and it'll always be in my collection.

Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Facial Sunscreen
I'll never understand why companies release products that stink. Surely when they're testing new products they check the smell?
If it wasn't for the horrible scent this would be a lovely sunscreen. It's light, absorbs quickly and doesn't irritate my eyes. I used it on my body as I couldn't stand the scent, it really is horrible. 
I'm hoping they fix the awful scent cause it really is a nice product. 

Tribe Skincare Repair Me Facial Oil
When my skin is sensitive Repair Me Facial Oil is magic. I need to get myself a full sized bottle to use during hayfever season when my skin hates me. 

The Beauty Chef Beauty Fix
Multi-purpose balms are my jam, I love them. Originally I purchased this as a lip balm, however I also loved it as an intensive overnight moisturiser. It's great on dry elbows too.

Meeno Organics Ylang Ylang Petitgrain Body Mousse
I am in love with the scent of this gorgeous moisturiser and wish it came as a perfume. I'm not sure if Meeno Organics still make their body mousse. It's a super rich moisturiser that's great for dry skin.

Liloh Skincare Night Cream
The Liloh Skincare range is really beautiful. It's a gorgeous, gentle range that's a delight to use. I loved their night cream, it's rich, hydrating and left my skin feeling super soft. 

Swisspers Coconut Oil Facial Wipes
I don't know how I have so many packets of facial wipes. I don't use them and haven't purchased them since we moved down south seven years ago. I'm using them to clean up when I've been swatching and as body wipes after the gym. One day I'll get rid of them all.
If I did purchase face wipes I'd repurchase these. Swisspers make great wipes, they're non irritating and easily remove makeup.



This is my toss pile.
The P'ure Papaya Ointment is almost empty and out of date as is The Lip Slip One Luxe Balm.

I tossed the Trilogy Vital Moisturising cream because it smells awful.

Rimmel Lip Art Metallics and MCo Beauty lip pencil are going to a better home. They're not products that I'll wear. 

 

Wednesday 25 March 2020

To all the parents who now find themselves home schooling

To all of you beautiful people who now find yourself home schooling your children, here are a few things I'd like you to know.

A few years ago I was in the same position as you. I found myself unwillingly home schooling my child. It wasn't something I wanted or I'd planned. Having a special needs child I was scared. I didn't know how I would cope with having him around me 24/7. I struggled to deal with his behaviour during the few hours that he wasn't at school. I was convinced that having him home all the time would send me insane. I was scared, stressed and had no idea how I was going to cope. 

Two days into our home schooling journey there was a moment when I realised it was all going to be okay. I'd told Chai repeatedly that he didn't have to go to school any more and he was starting to realise that it was true. We were at the park, the boys were playing and Chai threw back his head and laughed. In that moment I realised two things. Firstly, I couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed. Secondly, I knew it was going to be okay as he was a different child. He was happy. Once he realised he no longer had to deal with the stress of school he totally changed.

If you're finding that you are now home schooling your child, here's my advice. 

Take it easy. 

Don't stress. 

Have a week, two weeks or a month off, just play and enjoy your children.

You're now free. Free of routines, free from lunch prep, free from the morning stress of getting kids to school. Enjoy your freedom.

You don't need to spend six hours a day learning. We spend no more than two hours a day.

We do maths, english (reading and writing) and one other subject. 

They don't have to be sitting still to learn. They can write on the glass doors and windows whilst standing up. They can write in the sand. They can jump on the trampoline whilst you do maths. They can run around spelling words whilst you throw balls at them. 

Most learning can be made into a game.

Keep the learning fast paced and fun.

Take regular movement breaks. Get the kids to do an obstacle course or something that gets them moving. I make it up, they'll run around the table 3 times, skip around the lounge suite 5 times, jump on the spot ten times then run through the kitchen on their hands and feet 4 times. It's maths, it's movement and it's fun.

There are a lot of free resources available. This is a great one.

Youtube has a lot of books on it, so if your library is closed search Youtube and you'll probably be able to find someone reading that book.  

Rejoice in the knowledge that you can now stay in your pj's all day. 

Almost everything is learning. Cooking is maths and science. Playing minecraft is english and maths. Learning is everywhere. 


Have quiet time every afternoon. Get the kids to do a quiet activity for an hour every afternoon. We have our quiet time after lunch every day, it gives me time to rest and recharge. 

If you hate home schooling that's okay. Don't feel bad. There are days when I love home schooling and days when I hate it.  

Let the children guide their learning. I tell my boys what they need to learn and they tell me how they'd like to achieve that outcome. 

Use this time you've been granted. It's down time, time with your children. Love them, cuddle them, bond with them, remember how truly amazing they are.
 
You will get through this and it will be okay.

If you need any help or have any questions I'm happy to help so please reach out.