Sunday 30 June 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. I don't know what to talk about today. It's been a long week, Chai has really struggled at being housebound because of the rain. When Chai struggles, we all struggle, it's not much fun. Wednesday part of our fence blew down in the windy weather. Naturally Tiger isn't here, because these things never happen when he's home. 
It's not a part of the fence that I could just leave because it meant that our pool was open and anyone from the street could get to it which is illegal. Naturally the insurance company was closed, so I rang back the next day and thankfully they came out and put up a temporary fence. The problem is that now people can see into our back yard and our house. I hate it, I feel really exposed. I'm all about privacy and hate that people can see into my private space.

2. Today we're going to help a friend pack. She's moving into town. I'll miss having her just around the corner.

3. I've been very lazy lately and not wearing much make-up. 90% of the time I haven't been wearing make-up at all. I thought I looked okay until yesterday when both the boys told me that I'm beautiful but I look better with make-up on. Hahaha, gotta love kids.

4. Butt masks are now a thing and I just don't understand. Are you supposed to lay there on your belly, with no pants on and a mask on your butt? Why? I'm confused. 
There's one that's illuminating. Don't know about you but I've always wanted an illuminated butt.

5. Lip gloss is back and I'm thrilled. I never stopped wearing it, but I'm loving all the new glosses that are available. 

Friday 28 June 2019

FFS Friday - Gone

Lately I've been trying very hard to count my blessings, not take things for granted and be in the moment. 

I've realised how lucky I am to have some wonderful people around me. 

Last week an awful thing happened to one of our neighbours. It was beautiful to see how our other neighbours rallied around to provide support. I'm so lucky that we have amazing neighbours. 

Totally random but.....I'm not having a funeral. I hate them. They're awful, torturous, traumatic affairs. So I'm not having one.

Before I tell you about what I'll have instead, I'll explain why I hate funerals.

26 years ago I went to my last funeral.
We had four weeks from hell. First up a close family friend died in tragic circumstances. He was only 33 with a beautiful wife and two young children (3 and 2). The next week Nani died (she was my boyfriends Nan, we'd been together 4 years so his family was like my own). Nani died two days before our friends funeral.
We got through that week and the next week we had Nani's funeral. We were all sitting in church waiting for the ceremony to start when Aunty Mary (Nani's sister) who was sitting directly in front of me started gasping for breath and appeared to be having a fit. 
An ambulance was called and we were all herded out of the church. Aunty Mary had a heart attack and died in the church. When all the family realised what had happened they started wailing. If you've never heard the way people from other cultures wail, you're lucky. It's the most awful, haunting sound I've ever heard.
They took Aunty Mary's body out of the church and the funeral commenced. They were trying to keep the events quiet so that Uncle George (Nani and Mary's brother) didn't hear about it. 
He was told when he got home and dealt with it ok.
The next week we had Aunty Marys funeral. It was a long winded, painful catholic funeral, the church ceremony alone took over an hour.  
That's the last funeral I went to. 

Pretty sure I'm still traumatised by those four awful weeks.

Instead of a funeral I'm going to have a party. I don't want people to be sad, I want them to celebrate my life, to laugh, remember good times and talk about all the funny, silly, stupid and awful things we did together. 
Don't just remember the good times, be real and talk about the bad times, the tough times and all the in between.
I want them to cry tears of laughter remembering our antics. 
I want them to tell stories that my other friends and family haven't heard and I want them to remember me fondly. 
I expect someone to spike the punch so that everyone gets a little drunk.
On my playlist will be Another One Bites the Dust, It's a Beautiful Life, I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight, I'd Die to be With You Tonight, Blaze of Glory and any other death songs I can think of. Not to make people cry, but to make them laugh with the irony of it. 

Celebrate my life, don't mourn my passing. 

I should add that I'm going to live to be at least 100, so there's plenty of time left to make crazy memories for people to share. 

Tuesday 25 June 2019

Frank Body Stimulating Scalp Scrub


Since I'm slightly obsessed with body scrubs, it's no surprised that I jumped at the chance to purchase Frank Body's new scalp scrub.

I've been wanting to try a scalp scrub for a while but couldn't find one that was reasonably priced. I did consider using a coffee scrub in my hair but the thought of how messy it would be put me off. Now that I've used the Frank scrub I can see that using a coffee scrub wouldn't work as well. I'm sure it'd scrub, but the Frank one is cleansing too, which means I can use it in place of shampoo.

I'm really happy with the Frank Body scalp scrub, it's extremely messy but feels great. Who knew that a scalp scrub would feel so good? 


It has a refreshing eucalyptus scent that smells lovely and feels cooling on my skin (but not on my scalp).

Unsurprisingly it's quite messy, I need to rinse twice to get it all out of my hair and usually find a few more bits when I'm conditioning.  

I was expecting this to be just a scrub that I'd use before shampoo but it cleanses so well that I don't need to shampoo after I've used it. I usually do shampoo just to help get the scrub out because the little grains are everywhere.


It's not an easy product to use. Frank Body say to part your hair, rub it in and then part another section of hair. That sounds easy but when you're in the shower with wet hair it's not so easy. I just put a little bit on my fingertips and rub it onto my scalp.  

Afterwards my hair feels very soft and clean. I use this once a week and have found that I can go longer between washes.

I purchased my Stimulating Scalp Scrub from the Frank Body website in a set with the hair mask for $34.95.


Sunday 23 June 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. This weekend has be very wet, it's rained at least 90% of the time, it's been glorious.

2. Do people still read blogs? I do, I love blogs, but there seems to be less people blogging now which I think is a shame.

3. I"ll be doing a big foundation declutter soon. I've been watching lots of declutter videos on youtube and I'm inspired.

4. We took the boys to see Toy Story 4 today and we all loved it.

5. Today the world lost a beautiful soul who was taken way too soon. Life can be so unfair.

Friday 21 June 2019

FFS Friday

Hi beautiful people. How are you all? Has your week been fun?

Speaking of fun things, I need to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I haven't had one since I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2007. My Dr sent off the referral a few weeks ago and I got a phone call from the specialists office last week. We went through the dates that they can book me in and quickly realised that every single date they have available Tiger is at work. FFS.

Both of my parents will be away for all of July and August, which means I won't be able to have the tests until September. FFS.

I have no other options, I clearly can't take the kids with me and Tiger doesn't have holidays as he's casual. How frustrating. What do people with no support do? Beg the neighbours to look after their kids? Also, how silly is it that the specialist only books in surgeries on those specific dates? There would be plenty of other people who do FIFO who can't attend on those dates, what do they do? I suppose the only alternative is to see another surgeon.

Anyhow, enough about that. I'm sure I'll find another surgeon and get my tests done. 

This is a good time to remind you all to get your tests done. Have a pap smear, get your skin checked, go to the dentist and whilst you're at it, clean your room. Haha.







Tuesday 18 June 2019

Maybelline Made for All lipsticks

Maybelline have released a range of lipsticks that they claim will suit everyone. They have six shades Mauve, Plum, Fuchsia, Pink, Ruby and Red. 
I purchased two shades, Made for All Red and Made for All Mauve.

I love mauve lipstick, it's pretty much all I wear so I had high hopes however out of the two it's the mauve one that I don't like, because it's not mauve, it's a warm brown. Luckily they have a money back guarantee at the moment, so I was able to get a refund. 


The lipsticks are the Color Sensational formula, which I really like.




See? Made for All Mauve is not mauve at all! How can they call that mauve? Search mauve and you'll see the definition as a pale purple/pink colour.




Clearly Maybelline got something wrong. There's no way this shade is mauve, there are no pink or purple tones to it, it's a warm brown colour. Unsurprisingly it looks awful on me.










I fared much better with the red. This one is matte so lasts for at least half a day. The shade is beautiful, it's a cool, blue toned red. 




If you've purchased a Made for All lipstick that you aren't happy with and you'd like to claim your money back, click here.
 




Sunday 16 June 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. Fluffy pj's are the best. I don't wear mine to bed as they'd be way too hot, but they're so warm and comfy for wearing around the house.

2. We've been reorganising our house recently. It's so satisfying starting to see it look neater, clutter really annoys me.

3. Charlotte Tilbury has released a clear lipstick with her Hotlips 2 collection. Really, WTF? Why not just call it what it is?

4. You know when people disappoint you? That's been happening to me lately and I've realised that I expect too much. Expecting everyone to be a good person and to do the right thing is just not rational because some people are just nasty.

5. How glorious has winter been so far? I love it.

 

Friday 14 June 2019

FFS Friday - Tired

Now that we've broken up with our psych I'm back to square one with Chai. I'm thinking of going alternative. 
I've tried the usual routes but they haven't worked so maybe alternative is the way to go. 
I've ordered a fish oil blend that's supposed to be amazing so I'll give it a try. If that doesn't help I'm thinking of trying kinesiology. It costs a lot less than psychology. I hate to think how much we've spent on psych visits that were no help at all. It'd be well over $5,000.

You know what would be great? If there were health hubs that had all sorts of different health options. Dr's, psychs, naturopaths, nutritionists, acupuncturists, dieticians, counsellors, physios, chiropractors etc. Like a one stop health care centre where you could go and get all your health care needs met. It'd be so much easier than trying to figure it out for yourself when you really have no idea what you need because you aren't a health professional. 

We trust these people to act in our best interests and be professional yet in my experience they are often judgemental and quite immature. 

One psych we saw told me that it's up to me to heal my family.
One told me that parents who refuse to medicate their children are non compliant.
One was very inconsistent and got really upset when I questioned him. He lied about what had happened, then refused to see Chai again. 

I can totally understand why people give up and just bumble along on their own. It's been four years now and we're yet to find help for Chai. It's not for lack of effort.

We've seen 3 psychs, 3 OTs, a craniosacral therapist, a neuro-emotional practitioner, a chiropractor, a speech pathologist, a physio and a social worker.

We've tried bach flowers, cell salts, fish oil, calm drops, aromatherapy, magnesium, massage therapy and all sorts of other things that I don't remember.

I'm drained. I don't know where to go next, I'm tired, I have no idea how to help my boy and I need a break. I'm questioning my parenting ability, I'm wondering if it's all just me and I'm so very very tired. Staying strong when you're surrounded by people who are telling you you're doing the wrong thing is tough.

It really shouldn't be this difficult to get help that is not medication. 

Tuesday 11 June 2019

Laneige Lip Glowy Balm

When a new lip product is released and people compare it to Lancome Juicy Tubes, I'm onto it! I loved Juicy Tubes and am still upset that they were discontinued. I don't understand why Lancome discontinued them, they were awesome. I don't think I'll ever get over Juicy Tubes being gone from my life.


Whilst Lip Glowy Balm is similar to Juicy Tubes, it's not the same. Having said that, it's a gorgeous product and I'm tempted to buy more, I'd really like the berry flavour.

As you can guess from the name, this is a glowy, hydrating balm. Upon application it feels moisturising and soothing, exactly like a lip balm.  

Lip Glowy Balm is a great lazy person product because it feels like a lip balm however it's glossy so looks like you've made some sort of effort. I like to wear it over matte lipstick as I find that it helps the colour last longer. 

Laneige did really well with the formula, it's super hydrating and glossy with no hint of stickiness.




I've seen claims that these are tinted, however mine isn't, it applies clear. 

I have the shade peach. The balm is peach coloured in the tube, however on my lips it looks clear. If you have very pale lips you might see a hint of colour but it's so sheer that I think it'll look clear on most people. 

The balm smells like peach with no flavour. 



I purchased mine online from Lila Beauty for $14.80.
I'm not sure if they are available anywhere else in Australia, if you've seen them anywhere else please let me know. 

Sunday 9 June 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. Winter has truly arrived in the south west. We've had severe weather warnings, cold days and lots of rain. I love it! Chai does not. It's been challenging trying to keep him amused and give him enough chances to get his energy out. Winter with an active kid is tough.

2. How amazing is the library? We have a little local library at the shopping centre and it's brilliant. I can go online, pick the books I want and have them sent to the local library. A huge range of amazing books that I can access for free. I've also started reading books online too. As much as I don't like reading online it's great for those times when I don't have a book with me. Technology can be a wonderful thing.

3. Finally lip gloss is making a comeback. Not that it ever really went anywhere, however I'm glad that it's becoming more popular again. I've got my eye on the new Hourglass gloss, it looks amazing.

4. I don't want to speak too soon, but it appears that our issues with HC (horror child) might be over. We've been told that he isn't allowed to play with my kids and the two other nice children that go to the park and that he has to go to another park now. We've had a week without him there and it's been wonderful. Fingers crossed our issues with him are over.

5. Why do children ask so many questions? It's exhausting!

Friday 7 June 2019

FFS Friday - Own your space

It's FFS Friday! How are all you beautiful people?

Today I want to talk about sorry.

Yesterday at the gym a lady walked behind me. There was plenty of room, she didn't bump into me, she wasn't in my way, I didn't have to stop and wait for her to pass, she just walked past me....and apologised. 
She said sorry for walking behind me when she had every right to walk behind me.

What's with that? Have you ever noticed how often women apologise? We say sorry all the time. We say sorry when someone bumps into us, we say sorry when someone gets in our way, we say sorry for things that we have no need to be sorry for. 

It's like we're sorry for existing. We shouldn't be! Women are strong, capable, amazing creatures, we have nothing to be sorry for. 

I've stopped saying sorry. If someone bumps into me that's their fault not mine. If I get in someones way, too bad. I have as much right to be in that space as anyone else does. We aren't second class citizens, we aren't inferior, we don't need to apologise all the time.  

Ever noticed how often men say sorry? Not often is it? So if they aren't sorry why should we be?

We spend our lives being obliging, trying not to make a fuss, fitting around others and bending ourselves to keep the peace. That needs to stop. They can fit around us, they can change for us and if we want to make a fuss we can damn well make a fuss! 

So next time someone bumps into you don't apologise. If you walk behind someone, don't apologise.


Take that space, own it and don't be sorry. Know that you have as much right to be here as anyone else does. You're beautiful, you're worthy and you have nothing to be sorry for. 


Tuesday 4 June 2019

May empties

I'm really not doing well with empties lately which is strange because I'm using the same products all the time, just not finishing anything.

I've been quite lazy with my make-up routine, I use my skin care but can't be bothered with make-up, it's too much effort removing it at night so I don't put it on. How's that for laziness, haha.

I'm making an effort to finish all my shower gels so that I can switch to soap bars as they're more eco friendly. I have a pretty good stock of shower gels so it's going to take a while.

I did manage to finish a few bath and body items, let's check them out.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Cocoa Butter Body Wash
I loved this, it's hydrating, gentle and smells amazing. 

Natio Rosewater Hydration Gentle Cream-Gel Face Cleanser
My all time favourite face cleanser. I love the scent and how gentle this is on my skin. 

Nutrimetics Loofah Shower Gel
It's been ages since I used any Nutrimetics products. I won this from Kat's blog and thoroughly enjoyed it. There's something about the lovely apricot scent that I just can't resist.

Kiss Ready Skin Sun Veil Balm
It's only been a week and yet my skin is really missing my gorgeous face balm. If you have dry skin you'll love Sun Veil. It's super hydrating and a little goes a very long way. I like to apply it, let it absorb for a few minutes and then massage it in. My skin feels soft and looks glowy.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid + B5
I was underwhelmed with this. People rave about how amazing hyaluronic acid is, however I didn't feel like it did anything for my dry skin.  

Soap and Glory Glad Hair Day Shampoo
My hair is pretty easy to take care of and I'm very lazy with it. Gone are the days when I had to carefully nurture it so it didn't fall out (thanks to being blonde). Easy hair means that I can use most shampoos with out any issues. I was hoping that Glad Hair Day would have the traditional Soap and Glory scent but it doesn't. It still smells nice and did a good job of cleaning my hair. At only $10 per tube I'd happily buy it again. 

Naked Bean Coffee Cream Body Scrub
I usually find creamy scrubs not scrubby enough but this one was great. It was super scrubby, smelled lovely and the tube is very convenient. This one was gifted to me however I'll definitely be repurchasing. 

Alaffia Deodorant
Alaffia has been one of my favourite natural deodorants for years now, however the last tube (and the one I'm currently using) just haven't been working. I'm not sure if they changed the formula or if I'm just more stinky now. Either way I won't be repurchasing. 
  Klorane Shampoo
As I mentioned above, my hair is easy maintenance so I'm probably not the best person to do shampoo reviews. This was nice and did the trick. 

Nivea Mix Me Body Lotion
Oh how I loved the scent of this gorgeous body lotion. If they released it on it's own I'd happily repurchase. It was a gorgeous sweet floral that smelled amazing. 

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
I'd love to know how many tubes of Burt's Bees I've gone through. It's been a staple in my collection for around twenty years now. 

L'Oreal Botanicals Geranium Shine Vinegar
I received this to review for Beauty Crew. The whole Geranium range is beautiful and I'd happily repurchase all of it. I used Shine Vinegar as a leave in treatment. It worked well on my fine hair, didn't weigh it down and kept my hair feeling soft. 

Samples

These were all nice, other than Skyn Iceland Oxygen Infusion Night Cream none of them were outstanding.

I really liked the Skyn Iceland Night Cream and would love to get a larger sample to try.



Tosses

As usual I'm clearing out products that I don't love. Most of these ones were old so had to go. They're all well used so I was okay with getting rid of them.

There's a bit of a story behind the Flower Beauty Palette.
I ordered from Chemist Warehouse and the first one turned up broken thanks to them not using bubble wrap. 
I phoned customer service and they had another one of the way to me that day. The palette above is what they sent me. A used tester with 4 of the shadows totally gone and the others well used.
I phoned customer service again and they sent it out to me a third time. Once again it wasn't wrapped or secured in any way, but it thankfully arrived unscathed.

I'm all for minimising packaging but make-up really needs to be wrapped with something. There are plenty of eco friendly alternatives to bubble wrap, Chemist Warehouse really need to sort that out. 

Sunday 2 June 2019

Thoughts of the week

1. Weleda are doing minis of some of their products and I want them all purely because they're cute.

2. Yesterday we were at Aldi before opening time to get hold of the cast iron cookware. I got everything I wanted but I'd say a lot of people would have missed out as there wasn't much stock when we left.

3. This week I managed to clear all the clothes, toys and mess off our dining table and I'm determined to keep it that way. Usually it's covered in clothes, toys and other random crap that Tiger and the kids throw there. It looks so nice when it's clear.

4. Now that we've broken up with our psych I'm thinking of breaking up with our OT too. We've been going every fortnight for three years and I'm yet to see any benefits.

5. I'm really enjoying the new Frank Body hair scrub. It's lovely to use. I've only used it three times now, so will post a full review once I've used it for a few months.