Saturday 29 May 2021

Thoughts of the week

1. Winter has arrived in the south west. Even though it's not officially winter yet, winter has arrived. I love it.
 
2. Brooke Blurton is the next Bachelorette! I haven't watched the Bachelor or Bachelorette for a few years now but I'll definitely be watching Brooke.
 
3. I'm finally feeling better. I got a cold that lasted two weeks but today I'm finally back to normal.
 
4. I now have two weeks worth of mess and housework to sort out.
 
5. Now it's winter it's time to get out the slow cooker. If you have any good recipes please send them my way.

Saturday Stories

Want to know one of the most important lessons I've learned?

Lower your standards.
 
When I say that I'm not talking about personal standards, how you expect to be treated etc. I'm talking about standards around the house. Do whatever you can that makes life easier. 
 
Run the dishwasher twice a day, buy frozen veggies, wear socks that don't match,  vacuum every fortnight instead of every week. 
 
Look at what's causing you stress and eliminate as much of it as you can. 
If the dishes don't get done every night, so what?
If your socks don't match, who cares?
 
We put so much pressure on ourselves to do everything but it's just not possible. Let things go. Take the easy road. Be kind and gentle with yourself, you are worthy of rest and kindness. 

Friday 28 May 2021

FFS Friday - Not so fast

Hmm. I'm not sure what to complain about today. How is that possible? I have plenty of complaint worthy issues, they've just all fled from my brain.

Tiger has the day off today, he's very excited. If only I got days off, how lovely that would be.
 
I'm thinking that I probably won't take the job I've been offered. Even though I know it's crazy to turn it down because it's the ideal job, I just can't see it working. I can't see how I'll manage to fit everything that I need to do into an hour an a half a day. There's still a lot that I need to get done around the house which won't get done if I'm working. 
 
Our house is a horrible cluttered mess and I hate it. Looking at it causes me stress. When Tiger was working away and the kids were homeschooling I quickly realised that I couldn't have a tidy house as well as everything else I had to do. As a result, we've had a horrible cluttered house for years now. There's no storage space so I can't throw everything in a cupboard out of sight.
 
Now that the boys are at school and I've nearly got NDIS and services sorted for Chai, I was planning to start decluttering. 
I can't declutter when the boys are home. I've tried but it just doesn't work. Same with Tiger. They want to play with everything I pull out or they don't want to let it go. I need to be home alone to successfully declutter. 
 
If the job was two or three days a week I'd give it a go, but four days a week is too much. The money would be really, really helpful but I'm not sure the extra stress and pressure that I'd be under would be worth it. 
 
I'll give myself a bit more time to think about it before I make a final decision, but at the moment I'm leaning towards no.  
 
Oh! I just thought of something that's annoying me! I ordered my bff's birthday present from Mecca on Tuesday morning. I usually get my Mecca order within two days. Her birthday is tomorrow so that's plenty of time.  Not this time.
Her present has been sitting at the Perth airport since 6.44am Wednesday. FFS. 
I can drive to Perth and back in four hours. 
Now I have nothing to give her tomorrow. FFS. 
 
Have a wonderful weekend beautiful people. 

Sunday 23 May 2021

Thoughts of the week

1. I've had a cold for a week now. Ugh.

2. The good part of having a cold is that I haven't done much this week. I've watched two seasons of The New Amsterdam on Netflix and not much else.

3. By not much I mean food shopping, cooking, laundry, meal prep and all the other Mum stuff.

4. I really want to watch the third season of New Amsterdam but I'd have to watch it on commercial tv and I can't stand the ads.

5. Burt's Bees have so many new flavours out now, it's wonderful.

Friday 21 May 2021

FFS Friday - Stop.

Last weekend Tiger and I went out. It's the first time I've been in a pub at night time since before I had Chai. I haven't missed it.
We went out with his workmates, it was a get together for all the management and their partners. 
 
We had a good time and it was lovely to meet his workmates and their partners. As it got dark and the other patrons (not the people we were with) got more intoxicated I started to feel quite uncomfortable. Being in a crowded room full of drunk people is not my scene. I was driving so didn't drink. I know I could probably have had a few drinks and still been okay to drive but it's just not a risk I'll take. If I'm driving I will not drink any alcohol. Tiger and I left around 6pm and went home to our babies.
 
The next day we got a phone call. One of Tigers workmates was in an induced coma and not going to make it. He'd got into a fight as they were going home.
I don't know the details of what happened as I wasn't there, but I do know this.
Two men got into a fight. One man is dead, the other is facing a lengthy jail sentence.
 
In situations like these no one wins. On man has lost his life, his family and friends will mourn him for the rest of their days. Another man is facing a jail sentence, he, his family and friends will also have to live with this for the rest of their days. For what? Whatever started the fight I'm sure it wasn't worth the loss of life. It's stupid, senseless violence and in needs to stop. 
 
Men, please stop killing people! Stop the violence, stop the aggression, stop killing people! 
 
What's going on in society that is causing our men to be so stupidly aggressive? It scares me. Violence doesn't help. It doesn't solve any problems, it only makes things worse. 
 
The only way this will stop is if men make a stand. Men are the ones who need to tell each other that violence is not okay. We need to teach our boys that violence is not okay and to speak out against it. 
 
If something upsets you, fighting will not help. If someone says something rude to you or your partner, so what? Is it worth dying for? Think about the consequences of mindless, unnecessary violence. It's just not worth it. 
 
Men, we love you, but please stop killing people. 
 

Tuesday 18 May 2021

Glamourflage Caviar Eye Cream and Essence

 

 

If you haven't heard of Glamourflage Skincare you're missing out. They have a gorgeous range of luxe, vintage looking skin care. They're the type of products that I'd buy just because they look pretty sitting on my bathroom counter. 
Luckily, the products work well too. 

Glamourflage recently released a Caviar eye range and I was sent two of the products to review. I received the Caviar Illuminating Eye Cream and Caviar Eye Essence. 
 
Caviar Illuminating Eye Cream contains caviar extract, caffeine and niacinamide which improve radiance and lighten dark circles.
 
Caviar Eye Essence contains caviar extract, peptides and yeast extract to moisturise, rejuvenate and improve the absorption of other products.


Whilst both products can be used alone, I like to use them together. I use the Eye Essence first followed by the Eye Cream.
 
In summer I used the Eye Essence in the morning and Eye Cream at night. Now the weather has cooled down I use them both together morning and night. 
 
I like that the Eye Essence is very light. It absorbs quickly so is perfect for when I'm in a rush and hot days when I don't want to use heavy creams on my face. 
 
The Eye Cream is hydrating, soothing and illuminating. It only takes a few minutes to absorb and has a noticeable plumping effect. 
 
I've been using both products for over three months now and can happily say that they work! My dark circles are lighter and my fine lines are less noticeable. 
Immediately after application my eyes look brighter and more illuminated, as if I'd had a good nights sleep (it's been years since I had a good nights sleep).  
 
With both of these a little lasts a long time, I'm not even a quarter of a way through either of them despite twice daily use. 


 

Caviar Eye Essence costs $58 for a 20ml bottle. 
Caviar Eye Cream costs $52 for a 15ml pot. 
 
You can purchase Glamourflage skin care from their website and selected stockists.

Sunday 16 May 2021

Thoughts of the week

1. My beauty posts have been few and far between lately. They'll be back soon, probably in the next week or two.
 
2. I was offered a job yesterday. After wanting a job for years, now I'm not sure if I really want one. How typical.
 
3. Who else uses hair and body mists? I've been really loving them lately.
 
4. Mecca are now selling clay butt masks. I'd like to know, who has the time to lay around waiting for their butt mask to dry? I wish I did.
 
5. Kosas have a clear brow gel in pastel rainbow packaging. I want it just because the tube looks so good, but a clear brow gel isn't worth $33.

Friday 14 May 2021

FFS Friday - Firey

It's Friday! We made it!
 
I'm not quite sure if I'm happy about it being Friday or not. Chai's struggling at the moment so weekends haven't been much fun.
 
I wish I knew how to help him. He's so easily irritated. It just takes the smallest thing to set him off. Even first thing in the morning when we're still in bed, he'll start. We'll all be in bed having a cuddle then Eljay will roll over so the blanket moves and that starts Chai off because Eljay "pulled" the blanket off him.
He didn't, there's always plenty of blanket, but that's all it takes. The tiniest thing and Chai's off ranting. Once he starts it's all downhill from there. 
 
Eljay and I walk on eggshells trying to keep Chai calm but it never works. No matter how calm I am, how easy and peaceful the mornings are, some tiny thing always sets him off.
 
I'm hoping it's just a stage he's going through.  
 
I read a story on Instagram from the mother of a child with autism. She was saying how having an autistic child is a joy and that the people who have negative things to say are usually the parents of children who've been recently diagnosed. I have so many feelings about that. 
 
Firstly, I really hope that I can soon find the joy in parenting Chai. I really, really do. At the moment I can't see the forest for the trees. It's been five years of struggling to find out why I'm not coping. Five years of trying to get help for him and for me. 
The diagnosis was a relief but really just the start of another journey.
 
I got the diagnosis, was told to apply for NDIS and Carers Allowance, was offered a few different medication choices and that's it. The rest is up to me to figure out myself. So yes, being the parent of a newly diagnosed child is difficult. It's been difficult for a very long time.
 
The entire time I've been trying to find the joy, I really have. 
But surely they can't honestly tell me that parenting their ASD child is always a joy? Surely not? I'd love for that to be true but I just don't see how it could be. 
 
Life is difficult for these kids. Society expects so much from them and there are very few concessions made for their needs. They're expected to change who they are to fit into society, instead of society accepting them as they are. Because of that they struggle and the family struggles.
 
I wish the story that I saw showed how to find the joy in parenting. I'd really like to know how to do that. I'd like to know how to help him be calm and happy. 
 
You know what else I see a lot on the Instagram posts and stories about ASD kids? They say parents should learn from Autistic adults. How am I supposed to do that? Just where do I find a network of Autistic adults willing to allow me to bombard them with my questions? I have questions, so many questions. I'd love to have Autistic adults that I could message with questions. I'd need quite a few so that I wasn't overwhelming one person. 
 
I just want to make life easier for all of us. That's it. I want a calm, happy life for myself and for my boys. Surely that's not too much to ask. 
 
On a positive note, we have our wood heater on and this makes me very happy.

Friday 7 May 2021

FFS Friday - Firey

Hello Friday you beautiful thing.
 
It's no secret that I really don't understand how the world works. It really doesn't make sense to me. 
 
One thing I've been thinking about a lot since I had kids is the way they're treated. We expect things of kids that we would never ask of an adult. If it's not okay for an adult then why is it okay for a child? Makes no sense to me. 
 
For example. The last few weeks Eljay has had swimming lessons. They're expected to get changed in a communal change room with a whole pile of other kids. The first day, when Eljay asked to get changed in a private change room, he wasn't allowed to. 
 
I don't know about the rest of you, but there's no way I'd get naked in a communal change room. I get changed in a private cubicle. Even if I knew everyone in the change room I still wouldn't get naked in front of them. So why do we expect kids to be okay with that? 
 
I understand that there are logistical and safety precautions, but really, I can understand how some kids don't want to strip off in front of other people. I was talking to his teacher about it and she said that the kids start swimming lessons in pre primary when they aren't worried about privacy, so that by the time they get to year two it doesn't bother them.
 
I'm of the opinion that it should bother them. Kids being desensitised to things that don't feel right really scares me.
 
Thankfully the school were brilliant and Eljay is allowed to get changed in a private change room. It was either that or I would have cancelled the lessons, I refuse to make him do something he's not comfortable with and something that I wouldn't do. I'm glad he won't get naked in front of strangers!
 
That's just one of so many things we expect kids to do that seem very unreasonable to me. If I wouldn't do it then I won't expect my children to do it. Why should they eat foods they don't like? I don't. Why should they finish everything on their plate? I don't. Why should they spend time with people they don't like? Why should they be forced to do things they don't feel comfortable doing? 

It's nearly wood heater weather and I can't wait.
 
 Have a beautiful weekend.

Sunday 2 May 2021

Thoughts of the week

1. There are some lovely new Flower Beauty products on the Chemist Warehouse website but I can't buy any of them because they're only available in store. How annoying.

2. It's suddenly got cold here in the south west and I've realised that I'm woefully unprepared. I have no winter sneakers as I killed my last pair, I only have one jumper and two pairs of jeans. Time to go shopping.

3. Speaking of shopping, I really don't like buying clothing and footwear online. It's so hit and miss, you never know what you're going to get. Being in WA things take at least a week to get here, so if I buy something that doesn't work for me the return process takes weeks. Unfortunately there isn't much variety here so I'm forced to shop online. First world problems.

4. This week I spent a whole day in front of the computer doing emails and admin that I've been putting off for ages. It was so good to get it all done. Now I can ignore everything for another few months.

5. Anzac slice is so good.