Sunday 31 May 2015

Thoughts of the month

1. I've started reading a blog called Five Fairies and a Fella which is written by Jules, a lady with terminal cancer. It's inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time.

2. Our neighbours dog had puppies and they are so cute! I got to see them when they were a few hours old. I want one.

3. Tiger wants one too, I said no. As cute as they are, I know how much hard work a puppy is. 

4. Winter is finally here and I am loving it!

5. My skin is not loving the sudden dramatic change in the weather. Oh well.

6. Have you seen all the lovely new goodies at the Natural Supply Co? I'd like one of everything please.  

Friday 29 May 2015

FFS Friday - Coming up roses

A few nights ago Tiger was making dinner. Not FFS.

Whilst he was cooking the house suddenly started to smell really nice and I couldn't figure out why. FFS.

I didn't have a candle burning, there were no flowers in the house and as far as I could see there was no reason for the house to suddenly start smelling pretty. FFS.

When we were eating dinner the smell was really strong and the food tasted a little funny. FFS.

Then I figured out what had happened. FFS.

A few months ago I made rose infused oil. Not FFS.

I made a huge batch and ran out of bottles to put it in, so I'd put some in an avocado oil bottle. You know where I'm going with this don't you?

I had way more than I could use so I'd got the bottle out to give to MIL then forgotten to give it to her. FFS.

It was sitting on the bench next to the stove. 

Yes, you guess right, Tiger used rose infused oil to cook our dinner in. Noice. FFS.

Speaking of MIL, we had the PIL's visiting last week. It was a disaster. FFS.

Saturday they went to move their car and it wouldn't start. FFS.

The RAC couldn't get it to start either. FFS.

They arranged to have it towed home (a 3 hour journey) on Sunday and they were going to travel in the tow truck. 

Sunday morning I was watching FIL and noticed that he was looking really unwell. FFS.

When he started struggling for breath, broke out in a sweat and thought he was going to vomit I called out to Tiger and told him that FIL needed to go to hospital. FFS.

FIL has had around 7 heart attacks, he's had so many that we've lost count. FFS.

Instead of taking him straight away Tiger started fluffing around, asking FIL if he was okay, how he was feeling etc. FFS.

I watched for a minute or two then told Tiger there was nothing to discuss and no negotiation, he needed to get his Dad to emergency asap.

Then Tiger decided he'd have a shower! FFS!

I told him there was no time for the shower, to get dressed and get in the car straight away! FFS.

Meanwhile MIL was racing around pulling their clothes out of the car, getting FIL's medication list etc. Not FFS.

The tow truck arrived ten minutes after they'd left to go to the hospital. FFS.

This meant that the PILs were stuck at our house with no transport. FFS.

Thankfully FIL was okay. He got discharged that afternoon and told to see his Dr (which he doesn't intend to do). FFS/Not FFS.

MIL is in a really bad way. FFS.

She's been FILs full time carer for years now and she's had enough. I'm not sure how much more she can take. FFS.

She was very teary most of the time they were visiting and the incident on Sunday nearly sent her over the edge. FFS.

I'm so worried that she's going to fall in a heap soon. FFS.

If they lived closer I could help but they live too far away so there's not much that we can do. FFS.

The poor woman is so over it that she got excited when her and I went to the supermarket on our own. We were only gone for 15 minutes. FFS.

FIL refuses to go into respite care. FFS.

Anyhow, I digress. Back to the story. 

After FIL was discharged from hospital we had to figure out how to get them home. Tiger has the wonderful skill of being able to make a simple situation extremely complicated. FFS.

The PILs decided they'd catch the train home. Simple.

Oh no, that didn't work for Tiger. He couldn't let it be so easy, he had to complicate things. FFS.

Tiger decided that FIL was too sick to sit on the train the whole way home and that maybe we should drive them. FFS.

Cause the car is way more comfortable than the train. NOT! FFS.

Or maybe we should drive them half way and then someone should come and pick them up.

Or maybe we should drive them to the city and someone pick them up from the city.

Or how about if we drove them to the city and then they caught the train home from the city?

Or maybe Tiger should drive them home?

Or maybe MIL should go home on the train and then Tiger would drive FIL home a few days later.

Or MIL could go home on the train and then Tiger could drive FIL to the city a few days later and MIL could pick him up from there. 

And it continued. FFS.

And continued. FFS.

And continued. FFS.

The whole time I was saying that the train was a better, more comfortable option and catching the train is fun. Tiger ignored me. FFS.

His parents were also saying that they wanted to catch the train home. Tiger ignored them too. FFS.

In the end, after a lot of umming and ahhing Tiger finally decided they'd be better off catching the train home. Hallelujah!

So the PILs got home and all was well.

Until a few days later when FIL called to see if he'd left his diabetic needles at our house cause he couldn't find them. FFS.

We couldn't find them either. FFS.

Thankfully the boys didn't have any holes in them so we assumed that the boys hadn't found them. Not FFS.

FIL found them the next day. Not FFS.

And that's the end of that.

Wednesday 27 May 2015

My top three multi-purpose balms

I'm a huge fan of multi purpose balms, I always have a tube of paw paw or some other balm in my bag. Having a multi purpose balm saves space because it means instead of carrying around nappy rash cream, nipple cream, scraped knee cure, lip balm etc I just carry one tube. Today I'm going to show you my three favourite cure all balms.  
Natralus Paw Paw Ointment - Despite having a huge multitude of paw paw balms in my collection, I've repurchased this one several times. I love it because it's a thick balm that distributes well and melts when warmed up properly. The thickness means that it makes a wonderful lip gloss as it has a lovely shiny finish and it lasts a few hours on my lips before I need to reapply. It also smells and tastes lovely, very important when I'm using it on my lips. 


Redwin Coconut Balm - One of the new kids on the block. Interestingly it's not marketed as a paw paw balm even though it contains paw paw. Thanks to the coconut it smells like summer and tastes pretty good too. This isn't as thick as the Natralus ointment but it's just as hydrating. It's been doing a great job at softening up my dry elbows. 

My boys love both the Natralus balm and the Redwin balm, probably because they taste good. I use the balms on their scrapes and cuts and because they're natural I don't need to worry about them licking it off (which they usually do).

Human + Kind Family Remedy Cream - I discovered this little gem at Priceline a few months ago. It's different to the other two because it's a cream not an ointment.  It also has an interesting fragrance which I think is due to the tea tree oil.
Human + Kind say that Family Remedy Cream is a miracle cream which is effective on a multitude of skin conditions including: eczema, psoriasis, acne prone skin, sunburn, insect bites and stings, itching, athlete's foot, razor burn, minor burns, cold and bed sores, wounds and cuts, brittle nails. 

Sounds good doesn't it? Despite not using it for all the conditions listed above I do believe it's a miracle cream. I'll tell you why, but prepare for a gross TMI story.

I reguarly get awful sores in my nose. They are really painful and I usually need antibiotic ointment to get rid of them. I got one a few weeks ago but I'd run out of the ointment and we didn't have enough spare cash for me to go to the Dr for another prescription. In desperation I decided to use my Family Remedy Cream on the sore and what do you know, it worked! I was amazed! For that reason alone it's a miracle cream!

It also works well for dry skin, cuticles, dry lips and nappy rash.



Natralus Paw Paw ointment costs $6.75 for a 30g tube and can be purchased from Coles.

Redwin Coconut balm costs $9.95 for a 25g tube and can be purchased from Priceline.

Human + Kind Family Remedy cream costs $19.95 for a 40ml tube and can be purchased from Priceline. 

Natralus Paw Paw Ointment ingredients - olus and pharmaceutical lanolin, paw paw ferment, caprylic/capric triglyceride, cetearyl alcohol, vegetable glycerin, shea butter, beeswax, polyglyceryl-polyhydroxy/distearate, olive oil, cocoa butter, tocopherol, tribehenin, cetearyl/sorbitan olivate, carrot oil, sorbic acid, mg stearate, food flavour, Australian honey.

Redwin Coconut Balm ingredients: castor seed oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, coconut oil, beeswax, flavour, papaya fruit extract, jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, marigold flower oil, safflower seed oil, carrot seed oil, tocopherol, stevia rebaudiana leaf/stem powder.

Human + Kind Family Remedy Cream ingredients: organic coconut oil, shea butter, centella, calendula, avocado oil, rosehip seed oil, white lily, chickweed, birch extract, tea tree leaf oil, horsetail extract, marshmallow, olive leaf extract, aloe vera.

What are your favourite multi purpose balms?

Monday 25 May 2015

My favourite hand washes

In the past I used to be a cheap hand wash kind of girl, I'd just buy whatever was on special at the supermarket. Then when I had Chai I was given the Bloom Organic Gentle hand and body wash. It's not cheap so I decided to make it last by using it as a hand wash. I am now a convert to the expensive hand wash, it's a brilliant way to use a luxury product because it lasts for ages. I used my Bloom hand wash in my ensuite and it lasted me 12 months. When you consider it like that it's not so expensive. 

Hand/body washes don't last me quite as long now that Chai and Eljay use them, but they still last a lot longer than they would if I used them as shower gels. The thing I've found with pricier hand washes is that they aren't as drying as the cheaper versions, possibly because they use better quality ingredients.

Subtle Energies Revive Body and hand wash - At $39.50 for a 250ml bottle this isn't cheap, however it's one of my favourites. Revive is a beautiful, uplifting fresh scent that lingers for about 15 minutes after I use it. It doesn't dry my hands out even when I use it multiple times a day and it's SLS free. 

Method Sweet Water Gel hand wash - This one isn't expensive, it only costs around $5. Big W sells Method now but I find their stock levels are hit and miss, so I usually get my Method products from iHerb. Code YUF175 will get you a discount off your first order. Sweet Water has a very subtle scent. I like this one as it's very gentle on my hands and I don't mind the boys using it.

Bloom Organic Gentle hand and body wash - As mentioned above, this is the hand wash that started my love for luxury hand washes. It's not that expensive, a 500ml bottle costs $38.00 and when used purely as a hand wash it lasts for ages.

Mor Black Currant Iris Hand and Body Wash - I'm using this one in my kitchen at the moment and it smells amazing. Mor describe the scent as rich black currant and soft iris married with seductive rose & warm woods. I'll buy this over and over again just for the heavenly scent. At $19.95 for a 350ml bottle it's very affordable and one that I'll buy over and over again. 

Please tell me what your favourite hand washes are so that I can try them.

Friday 22 May 2015

FFS Friday - Wine

It's Friday! Time for me to get my whinge on. 

The PIL's are here. FFS.

They announced that they were coming down, without checking that it was okay with us. FFS.

MIL talked so much last night that I was convinced my ears were going to bleed. FFS.

I'm not joking. FFS.

My beautiful Chai has turned into a monster lately. FFS.

From the second he wakes up he's a monster. FFS.

I have no idea what the problem is. Nothing has changed recently, his diet has been good, he's been getting lots of exercise, we've been playing a lot, he says he's happy at kindy and the teachers say he's happy when he's there, so I have no idea what's going on with him. I'm hoping it's just a phase that four year olds go through.

I read a blog written by a lady with terminal cancer. She has four children under 12 and isn't expecting to live more than a few years. In one of her latest posts she was talking about the joy she felt when she was pregnant and that she no longer feels joy because she's dying. Perfectly understandable. One person commented that there are a lot of people who get cancer without having had children and she should be grateful that she has them. WTF? FFS.

The poor woman has terminal cancer and this idiot thinks she should be feeling grateful that she has children? Four children who are going to lose their mother before they even reach their teens? Fuck off. What a stupid fucking idiot. FFS.

Of course she's grateful that she has kids! If I had the choice of dying and leaving my young children motherless or never having had kids, I'd chose the latter. I'd hate my children to go through the heartbreak of losing a parent when they are so young.  

Amazingly she responded very politely and nicely to the person who made that comment, shows what a wonderful person she is. My reply would have been all swear words swiftly followed by the block button! FFS 

My family are all messed up and I'm so sick of being in the middle of itl. FFS.

My brother and sister in law are going through a divorce, my brother isn't talking to my mum, my nephews don't want to see their dad (my brother) and everyone wants to talk to me about what's going on. FFS.

I'm thinking about moving to Tasmania to get away from it all. Karen, I may turn up on your doorstep one day soon!

That's all I have to whinge about today. I hope you've all had a great week and have an amazing weekend planned. I'll be in my bedroom, hiding from the PILs with a bottle of wine and some chocolate. 

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Repurchased

Image credit
It's pretty rare for me to repurchase something. Even if I love a product I have a pile of things to get through so I'll finish it and move on to something else. One product that I've fallen in love with and repurchased is Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase. I started using it last winter when my skin was really dry. I had a gwp size which I really missed when I'd finished it.

I think the true test of a product is how my skin feels after I stop using it. If my skin doesn't feel any different then the product probably hasn't done anything for me, but if my skin feels worse then it's a great product. When I stopped using Bi-Phase my skin felt a lot drier. I tried substituting other products but they just didn't cut it. To my delight I discovered another gwp size in my collection and I've just ordered a full sized bottle from Mecca (great excuse to get my beauty loop box too).

HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase a very strange product. It feels like water and absorbs immediately, I can't feel it on my skin at all. When I apply it it feels like it's doing nothing, but when I don't use it I notice how tight and dry my skin feels. I use Bi-Phase in addition to my usual serum. So I'll use a serum, Bi-Phase, moisturiser, sunscreen and BB or foundation. It is an extra step but very worthwhile.

The full size bottle costs $68 (AUD) which I think is a bargain. It's 30ml and the gwp size I had is 5ml. With daily use the 5ml bottle lasted around four months, so the 30ml bottle will last for at least 12 months.

If you have dry skin Bi-Phase is worth a try, it could be a game changer for you.

Tuesday 19 May 2015

Derailed

I'm stating the obvious here when I say that Project Life Detox has become totally derailed. As has my no buy. That came to a crashing halt a few weeks after I started (Revlon's HD lipstick and the Natural Supply Co are to blame for that one). The last few months I've been running on empty, struggling to make it through each day with a shred of sanity intact.

Over the last six months I've spent a lot of time thinking about life and how I want my life and the boy's life to look. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not happy with our life. I'm happy with Tiger and the boys but I'm not happy with the way we are living our life. About a month ago I started reading a blog called Five Fairies and a Fella. It's written by Jules who has terminal cancer and she isn't expecting to live much longer. One of her posts really got me thinking. She was talking about how she'd thought that she'd have a lifetime with her kids, she'd see them grow up, get married, have children etc. 

That got me thinking. What if I don't have a lifetime? What would I do differently if I had a short period of time left to live? What would I want my life and the boys life to look like? Any why aren't I living that way now? I would want my life to be different, totally different. I want a smaller house, a cosy little cottage with land and trees around. I want the boys to be free to roam around the property, to have trees to climb and a cubby house to play in. I want them to have grand adventures. I want our life to be exploring and traveling and having fun. I don't want it to be about possessions and working hard to pay off a mortgage. I'd be a hippy, growing my own fruit and veggies, making my own skincare, meditating regularly, I'd be calm and serene not stressed and on the edge. I'm not interested in having a huge house and lots of stuff. I want lots of photos and memories, not stuff. Stuff is irrelevant.

I want the boys to look back on their childhood with joy and remember all the wonderful adventures we had, nights spent by the campfire looking at the stars, carefree days and snuggly nights. When I think about the childhood I want for the boys the words that come to mind are free range. I want them to be free to roam and explore and be happy. 

This week I started to declutter my life again. First up was the boys plastic drawer. It sounds silly, but it was a start. I went through all my skin care and donated a huge pile of products to the womens shelter. It felt good. My wardrobe is next. Anything that doesn't make me feel good is going. A clutter free house equals a clutter free mind. When Tiger gets home I'm going to tackle to junk room. And I'm going to be brutal. A whole pile of things will go. I'll donate what I can, give away what I can and the rest will be recycled or thrown in the bin. My maternity clothes and newborn baby items will go to the pregnancy help centre, other clothes will go to the women's shelter etc.

And that's it. I have no idea what the purpose of this post is but there it is.

Monday 18 May 2015

Sensitive skin saviours

A few weeks ago my skin spat the dummy. The weather turned from warm to cold overnight and my skin didn't like it. It got very rough, red and irritated. Everything I used stung and caused further irritation. I pulled out my two trusty sidekicks that I use every time my skin spits the dummy and I also found two new products that worked wonderfully.

The miracle products are.....
Egyptian Magic, Trilogy Everything Balm, Biyani Organics Rosehip and Raspberry Face Serum and Biyani Organics Frankincense and Jasmine Hydrating Face Cream. 

Egyptian Magic and Trilogy Everything Balm I use in a very similar way. They are both all purpose, do everything balms. I could easily used only one of them but I love them both so use them both. For the first few days when my skin was really upset I used Everything Balm as my day time moisturiser and Egyptian Magic as my night cream. At lunchtime I'd pat another light layer of Everything Balm on to help my skin stay hydrated. I find Everything Balm to be a little lighter and less greasy than Egyptian Magic, which is why I prefer to use it during the day.

After a few days once my skin had started to calm down I got brave and tried the Biyani Organics Serum. When it didn't cause any irritation I used the face cream and was delighted when that didn't cause irritation either. The face serum is light but hydrating. It absorbs quickly and leaves no residue. The face cream is a rich, non greasy cream that I foresee being my holy grail winter moisturiser. Both products smell beautiful and are a real delight to use.

I used this combination of products for two weeks and my skin was back to normal.

Egyptian Magic can be purchased from Nourished Life for $49.95.

Everything Balm is available at Priceline, chemists and online for $18.95.

Biyani Organics can be purchased from The Natural Supply Co. I got my products as part of the Face Care Travel Kit which is currently on sale for $40.60.

Egyptian Magic ingredients: olive oil, beeswax, honey, been pollen, royal jelly, propolis extract.

Trilogy Everything Balm ingredients: sweet almond oil, beeswax, papaya fruit extract and soybean oil, marula seed oil, evening primrose seed oil, rosehip seed oil, wheat erm oil, calendula officinalis flower extgract and soybean oil, coneflower extract and soybean oil, coconut oil, vitamin e, jojoba seed oil, olive fruit oil, honey, parfum, citral, geraniol, citronellol, limonene, linalool. 

Biyani Organics Rosehip and Raspberry Face Serum ingredients: rosehip oil, pomegranate co2, raspberry seed co2, sea buckthorn co2, vitamin e, sunflower seed oil, frankincense oil, geranium oil, carrot seed oil.

Biyani Organics Frankincense and Jasmine Face Cream ingredients: water, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, jojoba oil, shea butter, avocado oil, evening primrose oil, leucidal, phytocide elderberry, vitamin e, kakadu plum extract, sea buckthorn co2, jasmine oil, frankincense oil, lavender oil, carrot seed oil.

Friday 15 May 2015

FFS Friday - Telstra

Ah Telstra. Years ago they used to be crap on all fronts, terrible plans, terrible customer service. Lately they've picked up their game and we've had great service from them for a few years now. Until a few weeks ago that is.

Tiger decided that we needed the new Samsung Galaxy phones. I disagreed but he was getting one and I didn't want to miss out (FOMO!) FFS.

I wanted the 128g version but they weren't available in store locally so Tiger ordered online. By the time he placed the order the 128g version was no longer available so he ordered the 64g. FFS.

Telstra told us that the phones would be delivered between 8am and 5pm Monday. They were supposed to send us an email confirming this but didn't. FFS.

The Friday before Tiger called to check and was told that the phones hadn't been sent yet but that we would definitely receive them on Monday. 

I had an appointment in the morning (and had four kids with me). I went to the appointment and raced home hoping that I hadn't missed the courier. I hadn't. By 5pm our phones hadn't arrived. FFS.

I'd stayed home all day with four active boys, purely because of the phones and they didn't arrive. FFS.

When Tiger called Telstra he was told that the phones were on back order and they didn't know when they'd be in stock. FFS.

Nice of them to let us know that. FFS.

Tiger cancelled the order. FFS.

He found out that the Perth store had 128g phones in stock which is what we'd originally wanted. Not FFS.

They wouldn't post them to us though, we had to go in to the store. FFS. 

Tiger arranged to fly home from work early so that he could pick the phones up. We were hoping that he'd get them and be home by 1pm. He wasn't. FFS.

He was stuck in the Telstra store for three hours trying to sort things out. FFS.

When he arrived at the store the phones were on hold for him and everything seemed fine. Then he was told that they couldn't give him the phones because the order that we'd done over the phone hadn't been cancelled yet. FFS.

Apparently when you cancel a phone order it takes a few days to process. FFS.

They wanted him to fill in all the paperwork and they once the order had been cancelled they'd send the phones to us. Funny how they were suddenly willing to send the phones. FFS.

If they'd agreed to send the phones in the first place Tiger wouldn't have had to fly home early. FFS.

Finally, after three long hours of Tiger being in the store they gave him the phones to bring home. But they didn't work. FFS.

Yes, you read that right. We had our new phones but the new sim cards wouldn't be activated for three to five days because of the cancelled order. FFS.

As it turns out, they were activated the next day. Not FFS.

Tigers was activated first. When he was out. FFS.

And running late to take Chai to kindy. FFS.

He couldn't call me to tell me he was running late and I couldn't call him, because he had his old phone which no longer worked. Typical. FFS. 

In the end it all worked out but it was a very long and complicated process.

Gotta love Telstra.

Wednesday 13 May 2015

Mocha Mousse Lip Lites

Yesterday I was playing with my lip glosses (as you do) when I came across my Bonne Bell Lip Lites in Mocha Mousse. It's getting difficult to find in Australia now, which is a shame because it's a beautiful gloss. Mocha Mousse is the first lip gloss that I ever bought and one that I always have in my collection, it's a holy grail. In fact, if I could only use one lip gloss for the rest of my life this would be it.

There are only a few products that I've been using for over twenty years. Carmex, Mocha Mouse and Clinique Super City Block. They're products that have all stood the test of time and I love them as much now as I did when I first started using them.


Mocha Mousse is the perfect my lips but better shade for me. It brightens my face whilst still looking natural. Added to that it's the perfect gloss formula. Hydrating and not sticky with a great taste. Even better, it only costs around $8. 
Unfortunately Lip Lites are getting very difficult to find in Australia now. They pop up in Priceline every now and again, so if you see one, grab it! Failing that they are easily found on ebay.


Monday 11 May 2015

April Empties

Last month was okay empty wise, nothing amazing but I finished a few products so I'm happy.I really need to finish some makeup. I'm using the same products constantly but I wear so little makeup now that it takes me forever to finish anything.
Mecca Cosmetica Come Clean Body Wash -  Meh. I read a few reviews saying how lovely this smells so had high hopes that were dashed as soon as I opened it. It smelled okay, but not amazing.

The Jojoba Company Absolute Serum - Love, love, love! You can read my review here.

Sugar Queen Body Scrub - Another gorgeous scrubby sugar scrub to add to my favourites list. These come in some beautiful scents, warm sugar cookie and enticing espresso are next on my list.
Rexona Sport deodorant - Whenever my pits are irritated this is my fall back deodorant. It's one of the few deodorants that work and don't irritate my pits. Nothing exciting but it works.

In Essence Hydrating hand cream - I liked this and will buy it again one day. It smells lovely, hydrates well and isn't too greasy.

Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream - This came free with Prevention magazine a few months ago. I absolutely loved it! It's a rich, hydrating moisturiser, perfect for dry skin. If I didn't have a whole pile of moisturisers to get through I'd buy this immediately.
Aurora Spa Rituals Rose and Shea hand and cuticle cream - This is lovely and the huge size means it lasts forever. I used this every night for over two years. In the end I was glad to see it go.

Milk body scrub - One day I will stop buying body scrubs that aren't sugar or salt based. Every single time I'm disappointed because they aren't scrubby enough. And yet I continue to buy them. Silly. If you like gentle scrubs this is worth a try, if you like intense scrubs, skip it.

Natio Spa Pep Up body cleanser - Tiger is a fan of cleansers that give him a bit of a boost in the morning and this fit the bill perfectly. It has a lovely zingy scent and we really enjoyed using it every morning.
Everything all together because it looks like I finished more than I did. 

Friday 8 May 2015

FFS Friday

I'm late! FFS.

With my post that is. It's not a baby announcement. I'd happily have another baby though. I think I'll be permanently clucky. But I really don't think I could cope with three boys. Hmmm.

Anyhow, onto FFS Friday.

A few weeks ago the PILs came to visit. FFS.

MIL was trying her best to help me, but it was a total train wreck. FFS.

You know when someone is trying to help you and they just make things worse? That's what happened. FFS.

Unknown to me she decided to hang my washing out. It'd been raining for a few days so I had a huge pile of washing to get through. FFS.

Instead of hanging everything next to each other she hung things at random spots all over the line. FFS.

I discovered this when I went to hang out the next load of washing. FFS.

I had to take almost everything off and rehang it along with the huge load of washing that'd just finished. FFS.

For her next trick MIL decided that every single one of my hand towels (including the ones that I'd just washed) needed to be soaked. FFS.

She soaked them in bleach and dettol. This wouldn't have been a problem if she hadn't put them into the bucket that my muslin face cloths were already soaking in. FFS.

Thankfully I discovered it just after she'd done it so managed to save my face washers. Not FFS.

That meant I had to rinse and wash the face washers immediately, instead of doing them the next day like I'd planned. FFS.

The next day MIL was intent on washing the towels. I didn't want to wash them because I didn't have a full load and we had guests leaving in a few days which would mean more towels to wash. I told MIL four times that I didn't want to wash the towels but she ignored me. FFS.

Pretending she was interested in my washing machine she insisted I stop drinking my first coffee of the day (bad idea) and show her how the washing machine worked. FFS.

I told her again not to wash the towels. FFS.

Instead of listening to me she asked Tiger if she could wash the towels. FFS.

He told her he'd have to check with me, I told him no and she listened to him. FFS.

Clearly me telling her no five times wasn't enough. FFS.

As if that wasn't helpful enough, she washed a pile of dishes with cold water and no soap, then put them all away. FFS.

They were still dirty. FFS.

I'm still finding dirty things in the drawers and cupboards. FFS.

Just for good measure she threw out my olive oil bottle and steam mop pads. FFS,

Poor Bella has a skin irritation at the moment. FFS.

We've taken her to the vet and it's being treated. Not FFS.

MIL took one look at it and told us that we need to get a second opinion. FFS.

Then she decided we should take Bella to the hospital. FFS.

The human hospital. FFS.

In the city, which is a two hour drive away. FFS.

Whilst she was on a roll she told us that you get asthma and rheumatoid arthritis from going barefoot. FFS.

She knows this because her father told her and she believes him. FFS.

I'm not even joking. FFS.

It must be so difficult being her, I feel sorry for her.

And there ends my FFS Friday whinge. Next week I have a Telstra whine.




Friday 1 May 2015

FFS Friday - Beauty Bay

Beauty Bay gets very mixed reviews online. Some people love it, other people hate it. I regularly hear bad things about them but I've never had a problem  until my last order when it all went wrong. I discovered that they have terrible customer service. Let my experience serve as a warning to you all.  

Here's what happened.

I placed my order, selected my delivery address (my home address) which is the same as my billing address and checked out. Prior to making the final click I checked that everything was correct, that I'd ordered the right products and double checked the address. Everything went through fine and I had no idea there was a problem until I got the order confirmation email and it showed the wrong postal address. 

I got onto their website and emailed customer service immediately. It was 6 minutes after I'd placed my order. They got back to me an hour later and told me that my order had already been sent and there was nothing they could do. WTF?

Firstly, I didn't select the wrong address and secondly, they sent my order an hour after I'd placed it? Really? I highly doubt it. At the time they were telling me my order had been sent, it was showing as pending, not sent. If they really were sending orders so quickly you'd think they'd be responding to customer emails about their orders immediately, not an hour later. 


I went into my account and checked what address I have selected for my billing and delivery and they both show as my home address. I haven't used the address that Beauty Bay selected for over two years now and I definitely didn't select it.

There were a lot of emails going back and forth with Beauty Bay and ultimately they refused to do anything to help me. They told me that I selected the wrong address, took no responsibility for taking an hour to respond to my email and they're saying that they can't do anything to refund my money or resend my goods until the package is returned to them. WTF!


It's truly terrible customer service. Even if I did select the wrong address there should be opportunity for amendments to be made to an order before it is posted. If you know an order is going to be sent within an hour of it being place, emails re orders should be the highest priority. 

Frankly, I feel like they robbed me. They took my money for goods that I'm not going to receive. If I get lucky and the orders gets sent back, it'll be months before I get a refund.

It goes without saying that I'll never be purchasing from Beauty Bay again!