Thoughts of the week

1. Mecca Beauty Loop boxes are out.

2. Is anyone else concerned about CBDC's (Central Bank Digital Currency). I do not like the idea at all.

3. Rimmel have expanded the Kind and Free range. The new products look really interesting.

4. Why are glass butter dishes so difficult to find?

5. Hayfever season is upon us again. I am not at all happy about this.

FFS Friday - Toasty

Hello beautiful people! How are you all? I have no idea why I ask this every week because no-one ever answers. I hope you are all well and happy.

 

We're back to the crazy now. I didn't schedule it very well. I usually keep the first week of school therapy free but this week I scheduled two therapies. Not clever. Chai was not impressed at all and to be frank I wasn't impressed either!

 

It's been lovely and cold here. I feel so much better in winter. I love the cold, I love cold weather clothes and I love rain. I also love being outside in the rain. Eljay has inherited this love and spends hours playing outside in the rain. Did you know that if you go to the playground when it's raining the slides turn into water slides? It's so much fun, the kids go flying down them and watching them fly off the end of the slide is hilarious.

 

Tiger thinks that if you get wet and cold you get sick. No amount of logic has changed his mind. We've proved him wrong time after time and yet he still persists with his belief. By that logic you'd be sick all winter because you get out of the shower wet and it's cold, so you'd be constantly sick. 

 

I think our washing machine is about to die. It's been playing up for a year now so it's only a matter of time. We need a new dryer too. Ours is 24 years old, makes an annoying squeaking noise and takes ages to dry things.  I don't want to know how much it's going to cost to replace them both. I'll leave that up to Tiger, he loves shopping around and getting a good deal. I do not. I just want the things to appear in my house without me having to have gone out and haggled for them.

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies.

Peach Mango Carmex

 

Look what I found at Priceline last week! Peach Mango Carmex! It's so good. I'm yet to find a Carmex product that isn't brilliant. If only we could get the full range here, they have some great products that we don't have access to.

I love my Carmex buzz but sometimes it's nice to have a  balm that doesn't tingle and Peach Mango fits that brief. It's super hydrating, soothing and healing. The flavour is lovely and it tastes really good. I get so disappointed when a balm smells good but doesn't taste good. If you're going to add fragrance add flavour too!

Funny, Carmex contains all the ingredients that I don't like and yet I love it. 

Thoughts of the week

1. Since when did Target clothes become expensive? I was looking at a dress there and it's $100. I thought $70 for a Target dress was bad, $100 is a joke!

2. The holidays are over for me and I'm back to work tomorrow.

3. The days are cooling down and I couldn't be happier about it. Thursday morning was really cold. I love winter.

4. Who's tried the MAC Squirt balms? I haven't heard much about them but the colours look interesting.

5. I've got nothing else.

FFS Friday - No choice

Hello beautiful people. How are you all? We've been having fun here, bad fun not good fun.

 

I don't know how I'm going to keep on doing this. I know that I have to but I don't know how I'm going to manage it.

Chai's symptoms are getting more severe as he nears puberty and I'm finding it really, really difficult to cope. I am only just coping now, in fact I'm not sure that's correct. I'm only just holding on now is more accurate. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through when his symptoms are worse. And how I'm going to get through years of those symptoms being severe. 

 

Yesterday he lost his words. He knew what he wanted to say but couldn't get it out. Even when I told him the words he was looking for he couldn't say them. I'm so scared about what the future holds for him. Am I going to see my baby slowly regress and lose his ability to talk? My little boy who hasn't stopped talking from the moment he found his voice? Is that how it will look for him or was yesterday just a glitch? What do I do? Who do I ask for help?

I so wish that there was some help available. As much as I hate medication, if that would help him I'd do it, but everything we've tried has had the opposite affect so his paed now will not prescribe any more medication. It's not worth it because some of them caused his symptoms to escalate and they stayed that way. Medication is supposed to make him better not worse. Definitely not permanently worse!

And what about us? There's all this information saying carers need to care for themselves, but that really just puts the burden back on the person who's already overloaded and struggling. How exactly am I supposed to look after myself when all my time is consumed with working, housework, arranging and taking Chai to his therapies, emailing or meeting with his school and all the other things that come with having a child with additional needs. 

I haven't been to the gym for over a year now. Maybe that's what I should focus on. That's achievable. I'll aim to get to the gym twice a week. I used to go three times a week when I wasn't working, but now I'm working twice a week is more realistic. 

That's what I'll try. Small steps. Slowly add in small things. One thing at a time until there is more happy in my life. 

As for Chai, I have no idea what I'll do. I will just have to wait and see how things turn out.

Dreaming

I've had a little time to relax lately so I've been thinking about what I want. What I want for me, not what I want for my family, just what I want for me. It's been a long time since I've really thought about what I want, I've been too consumed with my family. It's time for me.

 

My motto for this year is Me First. Everyone else has come first for years, now it's my turn. I'm putting myself first and not feeling one single bit of guilt about it. 

 

I've been thinking about the type of house I want. I've decided a want a really homely feeling cottage. Something warm and inviting with a gorgeous garden and lot of greenery inside. With a verandah out the front and a comfortable, cozy feeling inside. I'd like a yard, not too big, not too small, with lots of plants, something that's nice to walk around and pretty to look at. I'd like some seats outside so I can sit there on a cold winter morning and enjoy the garden. A fire pit for those cold winter nights so we can sit around and toast marshmallows.

I want fairy lights around the patio and in the kitchen. I want colours and patterns, wood, textures and cozy blankets. I want a home that feels like a big warm hug. 

I want floor rugs and wood floors, no carpet just nice fluffy rugs. An en-suite with a separate toilet, no bath and a decent sized shower. I want a big pantry and lots of storage. Salt lamps, candles and soft lighting everywhere. A window seat filled with soft cushions so I can snuggle in there and read. 

A well stocked library/office with a view of the garden. Windows so that I can see my beautiful garden.

That's what I want.

Thoughts of the week

1. I've been reading kids books lately (for years actually). Kids fiction is wonderful, so fun and innocent.

2. I'm thinking about turning my Instagram into a lip account. Lip products are my favourite and what I enjoy posting about the most. I probably won't though because I like posting about other things too. Probably shouldn't post the random thoughts that run through my mind.

3. You know when you really like a song until you properly listen to the lyrics? That.

4. I've just discovered Fava Beans, they're so good. Low in sugar, high in protein and low in saturated fats. Such a great snack.

5. If you have any recommendations for a sheer red lip gloss, let me know. I've decided I need one in my life.

FFS Friday - Cool cool cool

Hello beautiful people. How are you? I hope you are doing well. 

We've just finished the first week of the school holidays. It's been okay. Eljay still refuses to stop breathing so Chai is still upset, but we've managed to keep things relatively calm so far. 

I'm getting a few things done which is good. I cleaned up my room a bit, put my washing away (it'd been sitting there for three weeks) and finally put in Chai's Companion Card application. I've been meaning to do that for months but never got around to getting the photos taken. It's nice to have that off my list. 

 

Thanks to the public holidays I've also done a fair bit of relaxing which has been lovely. I watched Wellmania and loved it. I hope they do a second season. Also, I really want Olivia's bag. It was custom made for the show so I can't get one, but if you know where I can get a similar one please let me know. If I was crafty I'd make it myself but I'm not that clever. 

I'd love to be one of those people who can quickly whip something up on the sewing machine. I've wanted a machine for years, I'm sure that when I get one I'll magically turn into a sewing wizard. I'm sure I remember the basics from my home economics classes in high school.

Last night I read an article about quiet quitting and I've realised that's what I've been doing at home for years now. I've stopped doing everything for everyone and only do the bare minimum. See, I'm ahead of the trend, I've been doing it for ages! Heh.

That's all I've got today folks. Have a wonderful weekend.

Leather Neo Passport Size Travellers Notebook

I was sent the most gorgeous travellers notebook and have to tell you all about it. It's so cute! Both the boys and Tiger have all tried to steal it but I refuse to let them have it. 

 

It's the Leather Neo passport sized leather travellers notebook. You can choose lined or blank paper (or both) and you can even have it personalised!

 

I chose the passport size as it fits easily in my handbag. I love larger notebooks but find I don't use them as much as they're just too big to carry around easily. 

 

It's the little details that make it extra special. This notebook is so well made, the paper is thick and the elastic is sturdy. I can see it lasting me a lifetime.

 

Leather Neo have a great range of travellers notebooks, laptop cases and handbags. I have my eye on the green leather tote crossbody handbag. 

They are based in Macau and ship worldwide.

 Note: This was provided to me for review.

Thoughts of the week

1. I got a bum plant! It's real name is Lithops, but it looks like a bum so that's what I call it. Also, if you google bum plant, Lithops is what comes up. 

 

2. I hope you are all happily full of chocolate.

3. We had our first soup of the season yesterday, it was wonderful. I'm planning on making lots of soup this winter.

4. Who's watched Wellmania? I haven't yet, I'm hoping I'll get to watch it over the holidays.

5. I have the urge to throw everything out. No idea what I'm going to throw out but I'll find something. I've gone through the medicine cupboard, done a little bit of tidying in my room, not sure what I'll get to next.

FFS Friday - Heartbeat

Hello beauties. How are you?

I am now on school holidays. The boys start their holidays this afternoon. 

This week I went to parent night at Chai's school. I didn't realise until the next day when I was speaking to another student that parent night was sad. 

His teachers are lovely and they're all happy with his progress and how he's fitted in. One of them asked me what my aims are for him and I said that I just want him to get through high school. They said that he'll definitely be able to do that. They then went on to explain that high school now is not just about getting your TEE and that there are other options and pathways. They also told me that they didn't see uni in his future. I'm okay with that, it's not something I think he'd want to do. 

It wasn't until the next day as I was talking to the other parent that I realised how different his pathway is and how much more challenging it's going to be. Other parents wonder about what their child wants to do for a career, I wonder what job he's going to be capable of doing. Other parents plan for when their children will leave home, I wonder if he'll be able to live independently.

As he approaches puberty I see more and more signs that his diagnoses are affecting him more and it breaks my heart. I don't want life to be difficult for him yet I know that it will be. The planning that I need to do for his future is totally different to the planning I'll need to do for Eljay. 

 

We're not having much fun at the moment. Chai struggles with noises and different noises affect him at different times. Chewing is a constant, he struggles with the sound of people eating so never eats meals with us. 

 

At the moment Eljay and I are suffering with allergies. Eljay is particularly snuffly. It's driving Chai crazy. He can't stand the sound of Eljay breathing. I can't change the way Eljay breathes. You can't even imagine what it's like in our house at the moment. 

 

The boys sleep in the same room. Both of them refuse to move to the other room as it's at the other end of the house so away from us. Chai struggles to get to sleep, wakes up several times during the night and can't get back to sleep because Eljay is breathing. Earplugs don't help and nothing I've tried so far has helped Eljay's snuffliness.  

Poor Eljay is constantly upset because Chai's either yelling at him to stop breathing or waking him up by throwing things at him because he's breathing. Then they both end up in my room so I'm awake too. It is not fun. 

Chai's angry with me because I won't stop Eljay breathing, he knows it's allergies but thinks that I can get Eljay to breathe differently. I can't. Frustratingly you can't apply logic to sensory issues like this. Logically Chai knows that Eljay can't help being snuffly, but at the same time Chai can't help that it's driving him crazy. I separate them as much as I can, but that's only possible to a certain degree. 

As my journey of parenting my beautiful boys goes on it just gets harder and harder. I wish that we could go out and do fun things together but we can't. We all miss out on so much because they boys can't do things together. Even a simple trip to the beach is not a simple trip to the beach. 

 

One day things will get easier but I think that will be may years in the future. For now I'm just doing the best I can and hoping that they don't end up too messed up. 

 

The good news is that it's chocolate weekend! I hope you all have a wonderful time!

The Body Shop Haul

 

A few weeks ago The Body Shop had a 20% off sale so we headed down there to have a look. I was hoping to pick up the new Avocado Lip Mask but it's not here yet so I'll have to wait.

 

Both the boys love their Banana Shampoo. They refuse to share so I got the one each. Eljay loves the Banana Conditioner so he got that and a coconut hand cream. 

Tiger uses the Hemp Heavy Duty Body Moisture Protector on his face so picked up another tin. 

We all loved the scent of the Luscious Lychee Shower Gel. I was tempted to get the body butter too but I already have too many body lotions so just got the shower gel. It's a shame this is limited edition as it's gorgeous.