Friday 30 June 2017

FFS Friday - Defeated

I'm finding it really difficult dealing with Chai's Sensory Processing Disorder. Between sorting out his therapy, making sure the he's being treated fairly at school, trying to figure out what is a sensory issue and what's him being a little mischief, refereeing between him and Tiger and trying to explain to Tiger that Chai isn't being naughty, it's been challenging. To make things worse, for the last month Chai's behaviour has been over the top.

He's been totally off the rails and I have struggled a lot. It's taking me around three hours to calm him down after school each afternoon, he's getting in to trouble at school, he's been a mischief at home, he's back to cling factor ten and panics if I'm out of his line of sight. Turns out the reason for all of this is because when Tigers parents were here four weeks ago Tiger and I went out on our own for two and a half hours whilst his parents looked after the boys. Both boys had a great time, they were home with the grandparents, they did some gardening, played a lot and when we got home they both said they didn't even miss us. We were thrilled. Since having Chai six years ago we've been out alone no more than five times. Five times in six years. 

After things went so well with the grandparents I was excitedly thinking that I might actually get to feel like an adult and spend some time alone with my husband every now and again. When the OT told me that she thinks that caused Chai's crazy behaviour I felt defeated. I know he's struggling and I know he can't help it, but what about me? Who's going to help me when I have a child that can't be away from me? When do I get to be an adult, have a break, do something just for me? How long will I have to deal with this? How long can I deal with this? How do I stop this breaking me and my marriage?

I'm putting a great deal of effort in to fighting for Chai. I'm reading books, meeting with the school regularly, seeing an OT, speaking with Chai's teacher, emailing his teacher, doing exercises with him for at least an hour a day, taking him for alternative therapies that are said to help and doing everything that I can.

How do parents of special needs children cope? How do they manage to be there tirelessly, day in and day out, without any reprieve?

My one glimmer of hope for my sanity, the thought of having a few hours with my husband every couple of months, has now been taken away, because if I'm given a choice of dealing with Chai's current crazy behaviour or having a few hours with my husband, the few hours will lose every time.  A few hours sanity isn't worth the four weeks of hell that we've had and are still having. Four or more weeks misery for a few hours fun isn't worth it.

All hope is not lost though. We can still have time together, it'll just have to be when Chai is at school. That's do-able and just as good as going out on the weekend. 

Another thing I'm very concerned about it school. Going to school makes Chai's behaviour so much worse. Last time we saw the OT she commented on how much happier and more settled Chai was. It was because he'd had the day off school. Surely putting him through the stress of school isn't healthy? My BFF says I have no choice as I'd go crazy having him at home all day, but what is it doing to him? He's a different child when he's not at school.  

If he wasn't so social I'd take him out of school, but he's such a social child that he wouldn't cope.

I had a meeting with Chai's teacher, the deputy principal and his OT last week to discuss what can be done for Chai and how to handle his behaviour. It's early days yet but so far he's been a lot happier at school. Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Wednesday 28 June 2017

The Foundation Files: Aldi Lacura Caviar Power Foundation and Concealer

Aldi has a pretty good reputation when it comes to skin care, it's said that their products are equal to or better than a lot of high end brands. I haven't heard much about their cosmetics range, so when I saw the Caviar Power foundation in store for $19.95 I decided to give it a go. 

There were three shades available; Light, Medium and Dark. There weren't testers either so you're taking a risk buying the product. I'm not sure if they'd accept returns, surely they'd have to when they don't have testers available.


Fortunately for me the Light shade is a good match for me. I'm NC20 in MAC foundation, so if you are pale then you won't have any luck getting a colour match. 

Caviar Power foundation comes with a matching concealer in the lid. The concealer is the same colour as the foundation. I use wear my concealer a shade or two lighter than my foundation so I wasn't sure how effective this would be, but to my surprise it worked really well and effectively hid my dark under eye circles and the dark spots on my face. 
 

I was pleasantly surprised at how nice Caviar Power foundation is. It gives medium, dewy coverage, doesn't accentuate pores or fine lines and lasts all day without fading. It feels quite hydrating and they claim that it has anti-aging properties. 

The concealer is lovely too, it effectively covers my dark circles without sinking into my fine lines and making me look like I'm 90.

Ingredients:

Monday 26 June 2017

Foundations on Rotation



It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+

Often when a product is really hyped up I'm disappointed but that wasn't the case with my It Cosmetics CC+. It truly is worth all the hype. CC's traditionally give better coverage than a tinted moisturiser, the It Cosmetics version is more like a light foundation. What makes it brilliant is that it has an SPF of 50+, which is virtually unheard of in Australia. I normally wear sunscreen under my foundation but when I'm using this I can skip that step. The matte, long lasting coverage is an added bonus.   

L'oreal Infallible Matte
When I'm in for a long day this is the foundation I reach for. It gives medium to full, matte coverage that lasts all day. I don't need to powder over the top and at the end of the day my foundation looks the same as when I applied it in the morning. 

Lacura Caviar Power
For a relatively cheap foundation I'm surprised at how nice this is. It gives medium coverage with one layer, doesn't oxidise and lasts all day without fading. I like that it also comes with a matching concealer in the lid, it'd be a great space saving product to take when travelling. I'm not sure if this is a constant product or was a special buy but my store still has it so I'm guessing it's part of their regular line up.

Rimmel BB Cream Radiance
When my Nars tinted moisturiser is finished this will be my daily base. It's light enough that I can just slap it on but gives enough coverage to even out my skin tone. Whilst it won't completely hide dark spots, with a light dusting of powder over the top they aren't visible.

Bourjois Healthy Mix
I didn't get along with the old Healthy Mix however the new version is lovely. The light to medium coverage is exactly what I like, I can wear it sheer on days I don't want a lot of foundation and can layer it on days when I feel like I need extra help.   

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

This is the base product I reach for the most. It gives good light coverage, is easy to apply and doesn't fade during the day. I usually put powder over the top to help set and hide the dark spots that aren't quiet covered. I'm currently squeezing out the last few drops from my tube, it's definitely a product I'll buy again once I've finished a few other bases.

Sunday 25 June 2017

Thoughts of the week

1. We took Chai for Craniosacral Therapy this week. I'm now watching him closely to see if it worked. Time will tell.

2. Why do people argue with strangers online? I don't understand. You don't know them so why do their opinions and beliefs matter?

3. What is it with people thinking that professionals deliberately misdiagnose people? When we told MIL that Chai has SPD she told us that "Dr's diagnose everyone with that." Then this week a massage therapist told us that "Schools like to label children." You can't make up something that isn't there.

4. To my great surprise, I love Justin Bieber's new song 2U.

5. School holidays are nearly here, yay!

Friday 23 June 2017

FFS Friday - Does that make me crazy?

I'm 90% sure that I've totally lost my mind or am in the process of losing my mind. Kids do that to you. My Dad always used to tell me he wasn't suffering from insanity he was enjoying it. I can't say I'm enjoying it but it's almost definitely happening. A few weeks ago was the perfect example.

Tiger was away, it was the Saturday morning of a long weekend. Long weekends suck when you are solo parenting. I was in the shower. As usual, both boys were with me. Chai has gone back to cling factor ten and I have to be in his line of sight at all times. Fun.

Eljay totally over reacts whenever Chai touches him. Chai will touch him and Eljay will scream as if his arm has been chopped off.

So. I'm in the shower. Both boys are in the room. I'm trying to wake up, de-stress and perform my daily ablutions. Chai touches Eljay on the arm with one finger. Eljay screams, starts crying, chases Chai, grabs him around the waist and head-butts him in the back eight times. Yes, you read that right, eight times. He then lets Chai go and retreats to the other side of the room.

Chai looks at him, walks over and touches him on the arm again. Eljay screams, runs over, grabs him around the waist and head-butts him eight times. He lets him go and retreats to the other side of the room. By this time they are both screaming, crying and yelling. I've only just gotten into the shower. I contemplate getting out then for some crazy reason that even I don't understand, I stay in the shower. 

They continue with this routine the whole time I'm in the shower. I don't know whether to scream or cry so instead I face the wall laugh hysterically, I laugh so much I have tears running down my face. The whole time I'm laughing I'm wondering if I've lost my mind and think that I probably have. I don't know what it feels like to lose you mind but I'm pretty sure it feels like I did when I was in the shower. 

I got out, dried myself, calmed the boys down, fed them, had a discussion about how fighting doesn't make them feel good or happy and took them to the park. The boys fought the whole time. After I'd warned them for the fifth time I'd had enough so told them we were leaving. They both roared with tears the whole trip to the car. Naturally the car was at the other end of the playground so the entire playground watched as we walked screaming to the car. 

Both boys spent the whole trip home crying at the top of their lungs. I turned up the music as loud as I could and cried the whole way home too. Even with the music up full bore I could still hear them screaming. 

Parenting is tough. There are times I think it'll break me. In fact it has broken me, over and over again it breaks me, but like the phoenix I rise again to parent another day.  

Thursday 22 June 2017

Final Lipstick and Lip Gloss Challenge Update

Well this is awkward. I tossed both of the glosses I'd planned to finish. Oops. I realised that I didn't like the Clinique gloss at all and the Australis gloss was so old that using it on my lips was gross. So they went in the bin. In future I'll make sure the products I'm using in a challenge are ones that I like and will use.

I did keep on using both of the lipsticks so at least I can report my progress on them!


I haven't finished either of them. To be frank, I got sick of using the same lipsticks all the time so started using other products. For my next challenge I'll select at least four lipsticks so I'm not just using the same two all the time, it's too boring. I was planning on tossing the Revlon lipstick but now that I've seen how close it is to empty I'm determined to finish it. 

I feel a bit funny about finishing my Chanel Boy. It's the lipstick that Tiger bought me the day I was being induced with Chai. It's six years old so definitely needs to be finished, but the sentimental side of me doesn't want to finish it. I'll definitely replace it when it's finished. 

So there you have it. Not a very good effort but some progress made.  

Wednesday 21 June 2017

The Foundation Files: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and Concealer

Healthy Mix foundation lovers will be thrilled to know that Bourjois have recently re-released the foundation in a new, improved formula. I wasn't a fan of the original formula, it just didn't work for me, but I love the new version.


I've used Healthy Mix almost daily for the last three weeks and am very happy with it. It gives medium coverage with one layer, lasts all day without fading and doesn't accentuate fine lines or wrinkles.I get the best application when I apply with a foundation sponge.

The shades are the same as they were in the old formula so you don't have to worry about trying to get a colour match. I use shade 52 in the foundation and light in the concealer.

In short, the new Healthy Mix foundation is beautiful. It gives lovely medium coverage that is matte without being drying and lasts all day without fading. 

Any concealer labelled Anti-Fatigue sounds good to me because I'm always tired! Never having used a Bourjois concealer I wasn't sure what to expect. I expect a lot from my concealers. I need them to hide dark circles, brighten up my under eye area, last all day and not sink in to fine lines. It's a big ask that the majority of concealers just aren't up to.

Health Mix Concealer is up there with the best concealers I've used. It gives opaque coverage, hides my dark circles, lasts all day and there is only minimal creasing. I get a little creasing after around six hours of wear, but that is easily fixed with a swipe of my finger or a brush.  

I'm very pleased with both the foundation and concealer, I'd definitely recommend trying them out.

Note: These products were provided for review. 

Monday 19 June 2017

Shanghai Suzy Charlotte Rose Lipstick

It seems a bit mean blogging about a lipstick that you can't buy, but it's a special one so I'm going to.



On Mother's Day this year, She is Sarah Jane along with Shanghai Suzy released the beautiful Charlotte Rose lipstick. It was a limited edition with only 5000 lipsticks made. All proceeds went to Bears of Hope.

The lipstick was made to honour Charlotte Rose, the daughter of Sarah Jane who was born sleeping at 21 weeks. To help deal with her grief and to raise funds for Bears of Hope, the Charlotte Rose lipstick was created. The lipstick is also to honour all the babies who grew their wings too soon. 


Bears of Hope are an organisation who provide pregnancy and infant loss support. Their website contains a wealth of information on miscarriage, infant loss and bereavement. 

I sincerely hope that none of you ever need to use a resource like this. If you do, it can be a comfort to know that other people have had the same experience. When I had my first miscarriage it was the support of my girlfriends that got me through. They listened to me, shared their stories with me and helped me to deal with my grief.


I'm hoping that the Charlotte Rose lipstick will be re-released as it's a beautiful lipstick. It's exactly the same colour as my lips so I wear it like a lip balm. I'm kicking myself for not having bought two of them!

Did you buy a Charlotte Rose lipstick?

Sunday 18 June 2017

Thoughts of the week

1. Bullet Journaling is still going well. I can see this being my new way of keeping my lists, diary, events and everything in the one place.

2. We've had some wonderfully cold weather lately, I love it.

3. I am so very grateful for the beautiful group of strong women who I call friends.

4. Just putting this out there. I need to raise a few million dollars very quickly to start a private, non religious, free range school that deals appropriately with special needs kids and doesn't expect kids to sit still in a classroom all day.

5. It's become rather apparent that I need a wardrobe overhaul. I'm sick of my daggy mum style, I need to start looking (and feeling) decent again.

Friday 16 June 2017

FFS Friday - Witty

Sometimes (okay, nearly all of the time) I just can't help being sarcastic with the kids. I know they don't understand it but the temptation is so great that I can't resist.

They ask so many silly questions it's begging for some sarcasm. Here's a few examples from the last week.

We're at the park. We've just got out of the car and I'm waiting for Chai to close the door so I can lock the car.
Eljay: Can we go to the park?
Me: No, we're just going to stand here and look at the park, you can't play. 

When I'm putting yoghurt into cups for them.
Eljay: Can we have some yoghurt?
Me: No, I'm going to put it into the cups and put it in front of you, but you aren't allowed to eat it. 

Whilst waiting for dinner to cook. It's in the oven.
Chai: I'm hungry. Is dinner ready?
Me: Yes.
Chai: Can we have it?
Me: No. I'm waiting for you to tell me you're hungry a hundred times before I give you dinner, you've only told me twenty times so far. 

Standing outside looking at the rain.
Chai: Is it raining?
Me: No.
Chai: Yes it is. 
Me: It's not, someone just turned the hose on.

When we're laying in bed at 5am because Chai has woken us all up early for a change.
Chai: Is it dark?
Me: No, it's broad daylight.
Chai: No it's not, it's dark.
Me: Exactly. 

When they've asked for pizza for dinner, I've made pizza and it's on plates in front of them.
Eljay: Are we having pizza for dinner?
Me: No, we're having lasagne.
Eljay: But this is pizza.

At 5.30am, pre dawn.
Chai: Can we go to my cousins house?
Me: Sure, let's get in the car now, I'm sure they'll be awake.
Chai: Really?
Me: Yes, let's go.
Chai: Everyone is still asleep aren't they Mum?
Me: ....

Wednesday 14 June 2017

May empties

The Body Shop Shea Butter hand cream 
I love these hand creams, they're one of my favourites. I love how hydrating these are and how quickly they absorb. The little size is perfect for my handbag. I buy them at christmas when they come in packs with the lip butters.

Skin Again Youth
I have a review of Youth and the cleanser coming up soon. The Skin Again products are lovely, as is the philosophy behind the company. I really enjoyed using this serum. Whilst it didn't product any amazing results it did keep my skin feeling smooth and soft. 

Milk Baby Nighty Night room spray
The boys loved this room spray. I'm not sure if it helped them sleep but it smelled nice.

Lush Ultra Blast toothpaste
Ultra Blast is mint and wasabi flavoured. It was okay but I wouldn't buy it again. It'd be great if Lush would release a mint flavour. I thought that the wasabi might make the toothpaste hot but it didn't, it just made it taste a little sour.

It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream
I used this as a night cream and it was lovely. I can't say it did anything amazing for my skin but it was pleasant to use and very hydrating. 

Elektra magnesium cream
I massage the boys feet with magnesium cream every night. It helps them sleep better and they love the foot massage. After going through a heap of the Elektra magnesium creams, I've found a much cheaper alternative so will be using that instead. The Elektra creams are lovely, they have a range of different scents and the tube packaging is convenient.

Korres Cranberry Instant Lifting mask
This was nice to use but did nothing for my skin so I won't purchase it again.

It's the Bomb Sugar Scrub
These are my favourite body scrubs. I still love my coffee scrubs, but the sugar scrubs are a lot less messy and the scents are amazing. This one was Mimosa scented, not sure what scent I'll get next. Whatever scent I choose I know it'll be awesome. 

Alaffia deodorant
I've finally found a natural deodorant that doesn't irritate my pits and works in the harsh Aussie summer. Even better, it's under $7 (depending on the exchange rate). 

Schwartzkopf Live hair colour
Now that my favourite hair colour has been discontinued I'm on the hunt for a new colour. This one was on sale at Priceline and turned out quite well. I'll try it a few more times and then decide if I want to stick with it or try something different.  

The Jojoba Company Absolute Serum
Absolute Serum is a silent hero. It's one of those products that you don't realise is working until you stop using it. Having used about five bottles you'd think I'd know how amazing it is and yet I still forget. I finished it a few weeks ago and I've been wondering why my skin has been so crappy lately. It wasn't until I started listing my empties that I realised what the problem is. I'm off to get another bottle today. 

Inika primer
I loved every one of the Inika products in my trial pack, they're all definite repurchases. The trial pack is a great way to test out the range, I got at least a months use out of each item. If you are a fan of the Hourglass primer you'll love Inika's primer, They are very similar. Out of the two I prefer Inika as I find it more effective.

Andalous Luminous face mask
I picked this up with my last iHerb order. It's a single use face mask that's meant to leave you with glowing, luminous skin. It was pleasant to use, although it did tingle a little. When I removed it my skin looked fresh and healthy with no redness.



*Note: Skin Again Youth was sent to me for review. All other products I purchased myself.

Monday 12 June 2017

Get a winter glow with the Divine Company


I rarely use fake tan for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'm a total fake tan klutz, no matter how I try I can't get it right. The other reason is because I'm allergic to most of the fake tans I've tried. The first fake tan I found that I could use without irritation is Eco Tan and I've now discovered that I can also use The Divine Company Naturally Bronze.

Being fair skinned I don't want a deep, dark tan, I want to be a little darker but not so much that it looks unnatural. If you are after the same result, Naturally Bronze is what you're looking for. 

Naturally Bronze is certified organic, hydrating and doesn't have that awful fake tan scent, it smells lovely. When I apply this it looks and feels like a moisturiser. The tan develops over six to eight hours, so I apply at night and wake up with lovely, healthy looking skin. You can apply every day if you want a deeper tan, but if you are after a natural looking glow you'll only need to apply twice a week. 

In the interests of testing out how klutz proof this is (and because I knew my legs would be covered) decided to test out Naturally Bronze on one leg. I exfoliated with the Divine Company Body Scrub, haphazardly applied Naturally Bronze, rubbed it in a bit and then waited to see what would happen. To test things even further, I put my pj's and socks on straight away then jumped into bed. I was expecting to wake up with a streaky tan and no tan where my socks had rubbed, but check this out!


An even, streak free tan! How amazing is that! You can even see the mark where my socks were, but the tan didn't rub off! All I did was rub the product in, that's it. I didn't wait for it to dry, although it did absorb almost instantly, I just rubbed it in and then got dressed. So easy!

As this is so gentle it's suitable for use all over the body, even on the face. Now that I know how easy it is to use I'm going to give it a go on my face. I've never been brave enough to use fake tan on my face, so stay tuned to see how I go.

Enter code WINTERGLOW to get a free body scrub when you buy the fake tan from the Divine Company website

Note: These products were provided to me for review. The website link is not an affiliate link. 

Sunday 11 June 2017

Thoughts of the week

1. The last few weeks have been a huge struggle. I've felt so very alone. There are times I feel I'm destined to walk my path alone. I'm okay with that, it just gets lonely sometimes.

2. What's with bloggers who block you when you unfollow them on Instagram? It seems so childish. It also quickly ensures that they never get your support again.

3. Did you know that flushing a toilet uses nine to twelve litres of water? It was news to me.

4. Why on earth would there be sweat running down dirty laundry? I don't understand. How? Why? It makes no sense to me.

5. The Candle Shack's Floral Delight candle is divine.

Friday 9 June 2017

FFS Friday - One thing I don't ask my kids to do

I don't make my children share. 

I know we're all about teaching children to share, it's so important etc. But is it really? Adults don't share so why should children? They won't be expected to share when they grow up and yet we expect these small people who have very little control over their lives to share the one thing that they can have control over, their toys.

Not only do we expect them to share with their siblings and friends, we also expect them to share with strangers who they meet at the park, friends kids who they're meeting for the first time, kids at school etc. It doesn't make sense to me. 

Can you imagine if someone came to our house, walked into our bedroom and started using our things? We'd be so angry and yet we expect our children to be okay with that happening to them. Even my BFF who I've known for twenty years wouldn't go in to my room and go through my things. Likewise I don't use her things without asking.

I tell my boys that we share with the people we love. I also tell them that it's okay for them to have special toys that they don't want to share but it'd be nice if they have some toys that they do share. This works really well for us. They share the toys that aren't really precious to them and don't share their special toys.  

If they don't want to share something that's okay. 

I don't understand why we make sharing such a big deal. MIL got annoyed with me a few weeks ago when I told her I don't make the boys share. Even after I explained why I don't make them share she was still annoyed. Not my problem. 

Funny how people think they have the right to question other peoples parenting decisions. They wouldn't question or criticise their diet choices and yet they question their parenting. IMHO people should mind their own business.

Wednesday 7 June 2017

Current lip favourites


When I got the idea for this post I was expecting all of my favourite lip products to be the same pinky mauvey shade that I love and always reach for. As I collected my current favourite lipsticks I was pleasantly surprised to realise that they aren't all the same! Some of them are similar, but there are a few surprises in the mix. 


Weleda Berry Red lip balm
Weleda really nailed it with these balms, the formula is perfection. Berry Red is a lovely mauve pink that looks very MLBB on me. The shade names are misleading, I have the pink balm and it's very pale, almost too pale for me to wear. Berry Red sounds like it'd be a bright colour but it isn't. If you have pigmented lips like I do, it's a very natural, wearable everyday colour. 

e.l.f. Berry Sweet lip balm 
This was quite a surprise. It's a gorgeous bright berry maroon shade. I was expecting it to be an okay balm but it's really lovely. The pigmentation is almost opaque, more like a lipstick than a tinted balm. Even better, it smells like mint and tastes good too. I find this too pigmented to use when I'm on the go, I need a mirror to apply or else I end up looking like a clown.

Revlon Ultra HD Gel lipcolor in Desert 
If you are yet to try the new gel lip sticks, get onto it. They're amazing. With a balmy texture and an extensive range of beautiful shades, there's sure to be several colours you'll love. I bought mine when they were 40% off at Big W. Desert is a pink with a hint of peach that warms it up. I love this shade for every day use but am starting to wonder if it's a little too warm for me. 

Revlon Ultra HD Matte lipcolor in Devotion
I mentioned in a recent post that I don't like liquid and matte lipsticks. The Ultra HD Matte lipsticks are the exception. They have a very creamy texture and don't dry down to a horrible matte finish. The comfortable cream texture means they feel good on my lips whilst having the lasting power of a matte lipstick. For those of you who don't like matte liquid lipsticks, these are worth a try. Devotion is the perfect pinky mauve.

Jane Iredale Rose lipstick
I had this on my use it or lose it pile and it was one of the few that I kept. Usually products in the pile end up in the bin, but I really like the way this feels. It feels very moistursing and lasts about four hours. It's a beautiful rosy maroon colour, perfect for winter.

Shanghai Suzy Charlotte Rose
I know I'm teasing you with a lipstick that you can't buy, but it has to be done. The Charlotte Rose lipstick is in the moisturising satin luxe formula that the winter range has. I recommend that you check them out and pick up a few shades, they're all beautiful and the formula is gorgeous, hydrating, long lasting and strawberry flavoured! Charlotte Rose is the exact colour of my lips so perfect for those days when I'm wearing barely any make-up but just want to look like I made a little bit of effort.

Have you tried any of these lipsticks? What lipsticks are you currently loving?

Monday 5 June 2017

Minimalism: Small handbag update

It's been a few months since I switched to a small handbag so I thought it was time for an update to let you all know how it's been going and if I've stuck to a small handbag or moved back to a larger one. 

You can read my original post here. I quite enjoyed having a smaller handbag. It took a bit of getting used to but it was so much lighter, it didn't allow me to carry around a whole pile of unnecessary items and was much kinder to my shoulders.


Handbag after first declutter
I'd pared back the items in my handbag down to a few essentials and found that there were other things I wanted in my bag and was inconvenienced when I didn't have them. So I added them back in. I'd taken out the baby wipes, but put them back in along with hand cream and hand sanitiser. They are all things that I use regularly and not having them was rather annoying. I also put a notebook in my bag. I'd thought that I could just use my phone for any notes I take but I'd underestimated the number of times that I write things down for other people. Not having paper was very inconvenient. 

As well as adding things in I also took a few items out. I don't need a purse and a coin purse, so the coin purse was removed. Eljay ate the Scooby Snacks and I didn't replace them. The calm spray and little bear toy also went.  

Current handbag contents

I also switched to a larger bag. I realised that I need a bag with a little bit of extra room so when I've picked up the mail from the post office, bought something small or need to put some of the kids toys in there, I have the room.


I'm currently using a bag from The Sak and it's perfect. It's not too big, not too small, it's the perfect size. You can see from the photo that it's not much larger than my other bag, but that little bit of extra space is all I need. I clean it out every afternoon when I get home so that I'm not carrying around anything unnecessary. I'm still contemplating getting a smaller purse but at the moment I can't bring myself to let go of the purse that Tiger bought me. 

In case you're wondering the beautiful bag that I carry now is The Sak Iris Blue Diamond Crossbody.

Sunday 4 June 2017

Thoughts of the week

1. Last weekend Tiger and I went out on our own for three hours whilst his parents looked after the boys. It was blissful. I don't remember the last time we were alone. Next year it'll happen all the time because both boys will be at school. No doubt then we'll miss the boys and long for the days when they were home with us full time.

2. I get tagged in all sorts of crazy stuff on Facebook and I really don't like it. Recently I discovered that you can hide the comment with your name in it! I wish I'd know that ages ago, I don't like having my name written in the comments of all these weirdo posts.

3. Do people really think that a coffee body scrub will reduce cellulite? I'm no scientist but I have a lot of trouble believing that a body scrub could penetrate the skin and get rid of cellulite. Scrubbing the area might help to increase circulation but any scrub can do that.

4. The cold weather has been wonderful. It'll be even more wonderful when we've got our wood fire installed and I can sit in front of the fire watching the flames with a warm drink in my hands.

5. Lately I've realised that we are becoming a very intolerant country. It was the whole Margaret Court bashing that bought it to my attention. Since when is it okay to harass someone because they have a different opinion to ours? We are all entitled to our own opinions and not everyone is going to have the same opinion. It doesn't give us the right to harass or belittle them.

For the record I think she is totally wrong and I couldn't disagree with her more, but that's my opinion. 

Friday 2 June 2017

FFS Friday - People are strange

Remember when I said a few weeks ago that Tiger and I had the chance to go out together at night and I didn't think it'd happen? 

I was right.

Saturday morning came and things were looking good.

My stomach was still feeling dodgy but I was well enough to soldier through it.

Chai was feeling better and we were all happy. 

We had breakfast and Eljay didn't eat anything. I didn't think a lot of it because he'd had a chai so I thought he was full.

A little while I noticed five sores on the top of his foot. 

I checked his hands and found blisters there, then tried to check his mouth but he wouldn't open it cause it was sore. 

He had hand, foot and mouth disease. 

I broke the news to Tiger and told him that he and Chai could go to the party and I'd stay home with Eljay.

About half an hour later Tiger came down with gastro.

We all stayed home.

I can't describe how disappointed we were. 

Chai spent a few hours Sunday telling us how disappointed he was that we didn't go to the party.  

You're not the only one kiddo.

It's starting to sink in the we have a special needs child. 

In a way it's a relief knowing why we've struggled for so long, but in another way it feels like such a huge thing to deal with. 

I know we're lucky that Chai's issues are relatively insignificant and easy to deal with but I still find it slightly overwhelming. 

Trying to get Tiger to understand that Chai isn't just naughty is tough. This is made more difficult by me not having a full understanding of how everything affects him. 

It's only early days yet, I'm sure things will get easier as we go along. We've already seen a huge change in his behaviour since we started Occupational Therapy so I'm hoping over time things will sort themselves out and my baby will be a happy little vegemite. 

Working out his triggers will help a lot too. Last weekend he really struggled. We had the in-laws here. Can't say I'm surprised that MIL is a trigger. She stresses Tiger and I out so naturally she has the same effect on Chai.

MIL was really upsetting him so we had a word to her. First thing she said was that he doesn't have SPD and Dr's diagnose all kids with SPD.

We told her that's not right, that a Dr didn't diagnose him and that he's not on any medication so there would be no advantage to misdiagnosing him. Tiger showed MIL information on SPD. After she'd had a thorough read of it she came and told us that it was very interesting and that she used to work with special needs children so knows all about how to help them. I left the room. 

I don't understand why people think that a medical professional would want to misdiagnose a child. What would be the advantage of that?

Also, why would a parent want their child diagnosed with something they don't have? Getting treatment is expensive and time consuming, you wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary. 

People are strange. So am I.