Musings of the Misguided: January 2013

Thursday 31 January 2013

You're a winner!

I was going to just edit the Palmolive giveaway post but decided to make a special post dedicated to the winners of the giveaway!

Firstly, thank you to everyone who entered. I was a little worried about my first giveaway and thought that no one would enter! So I was blown away with the response that I got. There are so many great entries that it made my decision so hard. There was lots of household chores included that I hate just as much as you guys.

The first winner is MichVee with this entry:

' The ironing's a nightmare, not a sweet dream
A simple task that makes me scream!
A family of five ensures the basket's chock a block
Pants, party dresses, and even the odd sock!
Uniforms, tops, and even jeans
It's the worst part of my housework routines!!!'

I thought it was great that someone put so much effort into an entry and the tune is very catchy!

Second winner is Elise Ellabban with this creepy crawly entry. I hate cockroaches just as much, and I to do a squealy dance when I see one!

'Cockroaches - I do the squeally dance and spray until it is coated and shiny and eventually comes to a stop because the liquid load is too much, then my 12 year old tip toes in to cover it with a cup. When husband gets home it's his job to collect and dispose! As a family we divide and conquer the roach killing task'

The third and final winner is Jessie Hay. I know the pain of having my freshly cleaned floors covered in dirt. It's frustrating to say the least.

'My most hated job would have to be the mopping- and with 7 kids in the house it needs doing frequently! I could have cried a couple of weeks ago when just after mopping (while I was waiting for it to dry) my 3 year old son tipped dirt from one end of the house to the other, all over my freshly cleaned floors. :(
I will be enjoying the next few months though- I have a hernia and being 24 weeks pregnant mopping has become too strenuous- so my lucky hubby gets to do it instead!'

Thank you again to everyone who entered!

Labels: award, decisions

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Loose Lips

Everyone knows that alcohol loosens your lips...but should it loosen your hips. I call my vodka my 'liquid courage', it helps me say the things that I am just too damn afraid to say.

Some people may say I am obnoxious...that is only if you find yourself at the end of my accusing eye. I take everything in, ruminate on it, save it up for a rainy day. So you know if I have a 'go' at you about something, I have been thinking about you, for a long time.

Alcohol is no excuse. I have done some stupid stuff while drunk, stuff that I am not proud of. It doesn't change the fact that, I CHOSE TO DRINK. Some people seem to struggle with this. They are happy to lay blame on a liquid.

It seems to have become socially acceptable in our society to act like a complete douchehog every time there is even a drop of alcohol in our system. This needs to stop. You may feel like I am preaching from some 'high' place. I am not. I am just someone who is struggling to come to terms with the decisions they have made. People that I have decided to allow into my life. People that I have since cut off.

Where is your line? I used to think that mine was pretty clear. Turns out it is not. I let people act in ways that I wouldn't normally accept. I was lonely and didn't want to lose friendships. It came to the point where I had to choose between the safety of my son and my friends. Despite my struggles, my son will win every time.

Alcohol is no excuse. Ever. If you don't want to be accused of shitty behaviour, then don't act shitty. I have been trying to live up to my 'resolutions'. I have since added another. It's about not just sitting around and bitching, its about doing what needs to be done. So far I have accomplished that. I feel much more complete from doing something rather than sitting back and letting the evil prosper.

Labels: alcohol, don't judge a book by it's cover, honesty

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Trashy Tv is good for you!

I've made it no secret that I enjoy a bit of trashy television. With posts about vjazzling and lingerie football, I really couldn't hide the fact. Everyone's definition of trasy tv is a little bit different. Some people think Neighbours is trashy tv, these people *cough cough* Devil Papa *cough cough* are also glad that looks can't kill.

To me trashy tv is something you can watch, without really watching. You know you 'shouldn't' but after a shitty day, you just need to relax, unwind and not have to think for another minute. Enter trashy tv. I'm talking about the Jersey Shores and Snog, Marry, Avoid of the television world. Something that you can watch from any point and not have to really know a 'back' story. They also kind of make you feel a little more smart.

I very rarely watch the news. It's too sad for me and I prefer to filter the news myself. Thirty minutes of nothing but despair, is not my idea of fun. Nor is it a good way to increase my Mental Health. People may think that it is kind of head in the sand approach, but I don't care. Sometimes we need to do things to protect ourselves. Instead of the news I watch The Simpsons. It makes me laugh and it entertains Devil Spawn, it's really a gift that keeps on giving.

Watching trashy tv really has an indulgent factor to it. All day we are bombarded with images and messages that we 'need' to do things to better ourselves, things that use our brain. Some days though, we just need to switch off. We need down time to let our brain recoup, especially after a long day of kid or career wrangling. I like to set myself up with my laptop, after Devil Spawn has (finally!) gone to sleep and lose myself in good old no brain needed television.

I also love a bit of crime shows that make me think. It's all about balance and realising when you need timeout. Our brains can't cope with constantly being switched on, it needs down time too. We start to feel physical effects after prolonged periods of adrenaline...if something as simple as watching half naked Brits with no fashion sense can help, then who is anyone to begrudge you that indulgence.

Linking up with Jess for #IBOT

Do you like a bit of Trashy Tv? What do you do to give your brain a bit of down time?

Labels: don't judge a book by it's cover, IBOT, media, staying well, tv is my friend

Sunday 27 January 2013

What not to say to someone who self harms

After reading the post Kate from Kate Says Stuff wrote about 5 things you shouldn't say to someone who is depressed it got me thinking about things that have been said to me why well meaning people. Not about depression, but about self harm and being in hospital.

Here is my list of things to not say to someone who has just self harmed and/or has found themselves in hospitial.

1. Why would you do that to yourself, there are people out there who have it worse than you.
This is one of my biggest pet hates around depression and mental illness. People are always quick to remark that there is always someone out there who has it worse. Do they not think that we are aware of that...sometimes there is nothing we can do, its all about a chemical imbalance. Everyone has different levels of being able to cope. What may seem small to you, could be insurmountable to another person. Don't judge them, they have enough guilt as it is.

2. You did this to yourself, so you don't deserve to be treated with respect.
This is more aimed at medical professionals and I use the term 'professionals' loosely. There has been many times when I have be stitched or stapled without anesthetic. Or they have done it so soon after administering it, that it doesn't have a chance to work before they start stitching. Contrary to small minded belief, self harmers do actually feel pain. A small minded Dr refusing to use anesthetic is not the same as an act of self harm.

3. People who self harm are people to be feared.
The key word in the term is SELF harm. We don't set out to directly harm others, we may indirectly hurt loved ones emotionally, but very rarely does an act of SELF harm involve another person. I was removed from UNI housing as the UNI was afraid for the safety of other students. Another example of how far small minded stigma spreads.

4. Why are you in the 'looney bin' it's full of 'crazy' people.
To put things a bit simply...in order to want to harm yourself to 'feel better' you have to kind of be a little bit crazy. Also, the other people in hospital are no different from your friend, they are lost like them. Their medication might have stopped working, or they fell into old habits and they found themselves at rock bottom again. Hospital is a place to gather yourself, you won't be instantly better, but it helps to get yourself back on your own two feet.

5. I won't visit them or call them because they might want to be alone.
Don't make this assumption. Hospital is a lonely place, the days seem to tick by so slowly. There isn't much to do other than to be lost in your own thoughts. At least not in the public wards I have been in. Make a phone call. Sometimes even a 5 minute conversation can make someone feel like there is people out there who care about them. Why is it that when someone is in hospital for a medical issue, people have no issue in going for a visit but as soon as someone is in the 'looney bin' then they are something that is to be feared. Step outside your comfort zone and make someone feel a bit special.

What can you do to make your friend feel better?
The truth is there might not be much, but just being there, judge free can be enough. Lending a listening ear and letting them know that they aren't alone.

Labels: asking the right questions, doctor, don't judge a book by it's cover, mental illness, self harm, stigma, this is what's wrong with the world

Saturday 26 January 2013

Don't be a dickhead

Over the last two days, the Rockhampton region has received close to 500mm in rain. It rained non stop for the last two days. My backyard looked like a swimming pool. Thankfully my house is built up a little bit or I would have been fighting the water out of my house. Many people in the region were. The large amount of rain in a short amount of time meant that essential services were lost to some regions. Some areas lost electricity and water. The the worst happened...the internet died. If it had happened on the 21st of December I am sure it would have caused a panic of epic proportions. Instead it just caused boredom and no outlet to voice our frustrations. Nearly 24 hours without internet = Longest. Day. Ever.

There is something about rain, that just brings out the morons. It's like the rain fertalises the one brain cell they have and they decide they need to be heroes. Much to the dismay of the Emergency Services. Every time there is a flood, the Emergency Services need to say over and over again 'If it's flooded, forget it' and still people don't listen. In the 2011 flood, there were so many rescues that just wasted precious resources that could have been used to help those who were genuinely in trouble. Not the people who decided they were above the law and that the signs were for pansies.

Picture from here

If you can't see the road, chances are that it's too deep to drive over. Even worse, there might not be a road there to see. Yesterday a young boy had to be rescued from raging flood waters because him and his friend were playing in the water and he fell in. Children need to be educated on this! Adults need to make them aware of the dangers, there is so much debris and there is no knowing how fast the current under the water is flowing. What could look like a calm river on top, could be a fast flowing death trap underneath. A child, even an adult is not strong enough to fight a river that is a full force.

Please for the sake of your loved ones and the loved ones of the people who risk their lives to save you, just don't risk the flood waters. It's not the end of the world if you don't reach your destination on time. It may be a huge inconvience, but it's better than your loved ones receiving the phone call that no one wants to receive.

During this time the Facebook page CQ Flood Updates has been an absolute godsend and a wealth of information in keeping locals and their families up to date on what is happening with the floods.

Labels: crisis, decisions, don't judge a book by it's cover, kids, teenagers, you are an idiot

Thursday 24 January 2013

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

I'm not big on posting recipes here because well, I'm not a big fan of cooking and I kinda, really suck at it. I burnt a microwave dinner the other night, I wish I was kidding. Sometimes though a recipe just works and it's easy. It's always a plus when it's yummy too.

Clearly I am not a foody photographer. But the cheesyness (is so a word) is sooooo good.

Ingredients

Wraps. I used Herb and Garlic flavoured ones to give it a bit more flavour. In my recipe I used 4 but you may need more if you are feeding more than 2.5 people.
500g chicken thighs, diced and cooked.
125g Cream cheese. Philly is always yum!
200g Sour Cream. This is kind of a guess. I have no idea how much I actually used.
Can of corn, drained. I used a small one as that is what I already had in the cupboard but you can use a larger one.
Cajun seasoning.
Taco Sauce. It might be a good idea to get two jars if you are cooking a few as the sauce doesn't go far. It would be nice with chunky salsa too.
Grated cheese. I just kind of guestimated this amount too. I used both tasty and Parmesan but you could also use mozzarella.

Method

Preheat oven to 200C and grease your dish. A reasonably deep tray is really vital for this recipe.
In a bowl mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and half of the taco sauce. I also put in a handful of each cheese but Devil Papa thinks that it could do without. It really depends on your love of cheese. I thought it was perfect.
Add chicken, cajun seasoning and corn. Mix it well. Make sure you have a decent sized bowl or don't get too vigorous with the mixing or, like me, you will end up wearing some of it.
Spread some of the taco sauce across the bottom of your tray. I didn't use a great deal, just a thin layer will do.
Spoon mixture onto the wraps. I used a decent amount per wrap. Don't worry if it looks like it's going to spill out the sides, it all adds to the cheesy goodness.
Place wraps into your tray, pushing them as close together as possible.
Spread taco sauce over the top of the wraps and sprinkle more cheese across the top.
Put your tray in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top has started to brown.
Undo the top of your pants or eat sans pants, this stuff is THAT good.

Labels: food

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Holidaying close to home

We went on an impromptu mini holiday with my mum and dad. It was only 40km away but it was nice to have a change of scenery.

He's grown just a little bit since the last time we were there.

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

Labels: isn't he cute, kids, wordless wednesday

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Obsession

I've talked before about my struggles with food. Food and I have never had a good relationship. I could list reason after reason, point to some obscure moment in my childhood where it all started but that's not what this is about. No, this is about obsession and the hold it takes over you.

I can't really pinpoint the moment when it turned from flirting to obsession. It was so subtle I hardly noticed the change. Eating 'normally' was never something that I did. I am an all or nothing kind of girl. I swing between eating nothing and eating all of the food in sight. Which is probably why my weight yo-yos so much. Disordered eating is that one step up, it's when it turns to obsession.

I hadn't regularly eaten lunch at school since I was 14, the year I turned 17 however it got 'serious'. It started off as a 'health kick'. Adding exercise to my routine. Then it wasn't enough. The food got less, the exercise got more. The weight started to drop off. School work suffered. I honestly have no idea how I managed to graduate.
An obsession consumes you. There is no room for anything else.

You are exhausted all of the time, you pull away from friends. I became my obsession. Every waking minute was filled with thoughts about much had I eaten, how much exercise I was going to do, when the next time I was going to eat. Even though I had ridiculously reduced my calorie intake, my thoughts were still obsessed with food. I would allow myself one thing to eat a day. I would spend hours thinking about what that one piece of food could be.

I rarely slept. If I ate too much I needed to punish myself. Too much could be an apple. I knew the calorie value of a food by just looking at it. My math skills greatly improved, pity I didn't use them for my schooling. I might have done much better. Anything above 6 hours sleep during the week and I was doing well. No wonder I was a bundle of nerves. Going off at the slightest thing. My body was starving of all the essentials it needed and all I saw was things to make me push harder.

It seemed to end as soon as it started. Sneaking away like a thief in the night.

Linking up with #IBOT

Labels: binging, decisions, dump and run., food, habits, honesty, IBOT, mental illness, sleep

Monday 21 January 2013

Listmania: Currently I am

On my usual morning social media read, I stumbled across a new linky party by Deb from Home Life Simplified. It's brand new for 2013 and has a new list of prompts each week. The linky is open for a week so if you are a blogger then come along and join the party!

This weeks prompt is Currently I am:

Reading: I just finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I quite enjoyed it. I think I'll read a Janet Evanovich one next as I like to have a filler in between 'heavy' books.

Listening to: Napoleon. Devil Spawn has taken a liking to the movie. I'm just waiting for the disc to die from overuse.

Laughing at: The phrases that Devil Spawn comes out with. It's amazing seeing how his brain works when he comes out with some of the stuff he does!

Swooning over: In light of the Breastfeeding debate that was sparked by a woman getting asked to leave a pool, the images of Ryan Gosling that are circulating. He thinks Breastfeeding is sexy ;)

Planning: I've gotten into the swing of the Menu Planning and it's actually working, most of the time.

Eating lots of: Lattice Slice. It is yum yum and the recipe can be found here

Feeling: Completely overwhelmed...still

Discovering: Not everything is as it appears. It's better to to stabbed in the front by an enemy than stabbed in the back by a friend.

Looking at: Ways to improve the blog. Let me know what YOU want to see more of here

Wearing: As little clothes as possible when I'm at home. It is ridiculously hot here at the moment. I feel like I am sitting in a giant pool of sweat, even at midnight.

Cooking: More meals that are easy, but still nutritious. Ones that also appeal to a fussy toddler are also winners.

Wondering: If I am taking the right steps to making 2013 my bitch. It feels like two steps forward, one step back at the moment. I will OWN it!

Trying out: A bit of goal orientated exercise with Kate and signed up for Operation Move.

What are you currently....

Labels: asking the right questions, decisions, feeding, health, honesty, I am woman, political correct at its worst, staying well, this is what's wrong with the world, you are an idiot

Sunday 20 January 2013

Fairy's don't wear shoes

I love getting dressed up in costume. No I'm not talking about the bedroom you dirty minded people! I'm talking the kind that you can wear out in public. Although some girls get the two mixed up. In the town that I grew up in, Halloween parties were an excuse for everyone to go all out. It was great fun to see everyone dressed up.

When I was 16, I went as a fairy. The costume involved a blode wig, floaty pjs, a crown, a wand and a piece of tulle that was masquerading as a tutu. What it didn't involve was shoes, which, later in the night was to become my undoing.

Early in the night there was a pre party, party. Complete with Jelly Shots that the coppers wife had made*. They were potent and soon became the initiation to the party. My 'terrible' parents would only let me have one. It seemed that the blonde wig had 'magically' transformed my logs and one of the party guests, a friend of my parents started hitting on me. Up until the point where his wife politely reminded him that he was married and I was only 16. The poor bastard was flat out standing, let alone being able to see further than 2 foot in front of him.

The town party was in the town hall. I don't think you've really 'lived' in a small town until you have attended a disco or event in the town hall. It's usually got polished wood floors, no aircon, and 1000's of windows. At least the ones when I was growing up were. Not so much now. It also wouldn't be complete without sneaking out the back (they always have a yard out the back) and drinking smuggled alcohol. Usually Rum, which I think kind of tasted like arse. You stay out late and feel bad arse cos you were the last to leave.

One thing that I had failed to factor into my costume choice was the walk home. My feet are pansies. I can't walk barefoot on anything other than cement or indoors. They are so fucking sensitive. This doesn't bode well for the gravel road that I had to take to get home. I decided that it would be 'safer' to walk in the gutter, it being cement and all. I was wrong. The cement had corroded away and the metal was sticking out. The metal went straight into my pansy feet and ripped it open. There was blood and it hurt like a mofo. I was still half a block from home, so had to walk on my heel and the cut was on the ball of my foot. It got worse.

I managed to limp home. I was crashing around the house looking for tissues and a bandaid or bandage of some description. This woke my mum, who before that was in a drunker stupor. I was sitting in the bath, trying to work out what the fuck I was going to do with my foot. Mum came in and had the brain fart idea that it needed to be washed out with dettol, in case it would get infected. She insisted she would just dab a couple of drops on. Turned out her version of a couple of drops is half the bottle. It stung like a mofo. Funnily enough it never did get infected.

The plus side to all of this was that I got to go to school in thongs for a week as I couldn't possibly fit my bandaged foot into my joggers. Any excuse really.

Have you had any costume party mishaps? Are your feet pansies too?

Labels: alcohol, lowk at mwee, parenting, teenagers, you are an idiot

Friday 18 January 2013

How do you dine?

When you sit down to eat a meal, how do you eat? Do you eat because it's simply a fuel, a sustenance that must be eaten as quickly as possible in order to get back to your life? Or do you like to sit and enjoy the flavours, let them roll across your tongue and enjoy each burst? Are you distracted, doing 100 things as once while shoveling food in because it's 'time' to eat? Or do you try to make time to sit down and take a bite at a time, eating until you are full and no more?

Did you know that the French can spend hours eating one meal. To the French a meal is about sharing conversation, enjoying each morsel of food and savouring the time they are spending together. Dining is an experience, something that is to be enjoyed and shared with the ones you love. Food is not simply a fuel, it is a way of life. Food is intertwined into their life. However not in the way that other cultures (Australians included) center around the over consumption of processed and sugar rich foods. The French rarely have processed food, the food is all about fresh produce and making things from scratch.

When it is Devil Spawn and I at home, my dinner is usually consumed in front of the tv and computer. I hardly notice what I am eating and no doubt this has contributed to my weight gain. On daycare days I usually only eat dinner as I just couldn't be bothered to eat lunch when it is just me at home. I have gotten to the point now that I can't sit and do one thing at a time. The only time that I sit down to watch a movie without being on some form of social media is when my phone is flat or I am at the movies. It doesn't make for a very enjoyable dining experience. It is nothing more than a 'it's dinner time' experience.

However when we go out to dinner as a family it is a whole different experience. We usually get an entree or bread of some description and we actually talk, you know the real kind of talk that isn't just about crap. We discuss the food, the atmosphere and how the textures make us feel. When we order our mains we discuss and contemplate what we want. There is no rash decisions. It must be painful for other people when they dine with us but we don't care. We usually can't decide between two meals, so we order both and share. We make our dinner a sharing experience, we talk about the foods. We take the time to enjoy the food and the flavours that go into making the food what it is. It truly is a wonderful experience. Something that I really feel like we need to incorporate into our every meal.

How do you dine? Are you an eat and dash or do you savour the food?

Linking up with Grace from With Some Grace for Flog Your Blog Friday

Labels: aha moment, asking the right questions, food, habits, health

Monday 14 January 2013

Palmolive Review and Giveaway.

I received products from Palmolive in order to perform this review. All opinions are my own and are no way influenced by the gift of products. Digital Parents Collective covered the administration costs of the review.

Pssst. I let you in on a little secret...I hate washing up with a passion. In fact in the top 5 of household tasks I would happily never do again, washing up is right up the top. So when I was asked to review the Palmolive dish washing liquid, I knew it had to be a good product to make washing up that tiny bit more enjoyable. I received two different products, Antibacterial and Pomegranate.

Antibacterial

Palmolive Ultra Antibacterial Dishwashing Liquid with Lemon Extracts fights germs on the sponge for a least 24 hours. It contains natural antibacterial agents that combat unwelcome bacteria.
By taking care of your sponge, Palmolive Antibacterial helps to thoroughly clean your dishes.
Palmolive Ultra Antibacterial Dishwashing Liquid costs (RRP) $4.99 (750ml)

Palmolive Ultra Pomegranate Dishwashing Liquid comes with a fresh and fruity Pomegranate scent to infuse your kitchen
Its rich formula cuts through grease and leaves your dishes sparkling clean
The perfect marriage of scent and shine
A great accessory for the kitchen sink
Palmolive Ultra Pomegranate Dishwashing Liquid costs (RRP) $4.99 (750ml)

I'll let you in on another secret. I hate washing up so much that if something looks too hard to wash up, I will throw it in the bin. This is the reason why I only buy cheap pots and pans. However Devil Papa bought me a set of pans for Christmas that were a little bit more than my usual $10 so I really hoped that the Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid worked as well as the hype it produced.

I really wanted to put the stuff through it's paces so I purposely (ok I was just lazy but it sounded good) left the pans and plates from dinner on the sink, without rinsing them, until the next morning. We had steak, eggs and chips for dinner. All of it perfect for baked on stuff. Here's the result.

Lots of baked on goodness....

Once I was sure it was baked on enough, I started the washing up process. Something which I expected would need a lot of elbow grease and a scourer. I was pleasantly surprised. The washing up took no longer than usual and I didn't have to use the scourer at all. Normally for baked on foods like the plate, I would have to soak it but I was able to simply wet the plate and then wash with a cloth.

Something else that I was also impressed with was the amount of suds. Now some people will say that too many bubbles are a bad thing, not me. If it has lots of bubbles, to me it's doing it's job. Even though there was lots of bubbles, it didn't leave a slimy film on the sink and plastics like a lot of other dishwashing liquids I have used do. It also didn't seem to clog up the cloth, so I was able to use to wipe down the benches after washing up. Another surprising aspect was that there was still a large amount of suds after I had finished washing up. Previous products that I have used, the suds have all disappeared half way through the wash and it kind of feels like you are just washing up in water.

Now comes the fun part! Thanks to Palmolive I have 3 Antibacterial and Pomegranate Dishwashing Liquid packs to give away to my readers...that's right YOU!

To be in the running all you have to do is tell me the household chore you hate the most and why. The 3 entries that make me laugh or shake my head will be the winners.

Entries Close on Thursday the 31st of January 2013 at 8pm AEST. Please make sure either your emails are visible on your accounts or include your email in your comment so I can get in contact if you are a winner.

Good luck! I look forward to reading everyone's entries!

Labels: asking the right questions, don't judge a book by it's cover, housework, product review

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Are you ready?

Recently a friend asked me when was the right time to have a baby, thinking that I must know because I already have a child. At the time I offered the stock standard, you are never ready answer. I have been thinking about it a bit more lately. There's more to it than that.

It's true, you are never ready. There are so many things that all of the baby books and experts in the world couldn't prepare you for. Your baby. It doesn't matter if this is your first baby or your 10th. No baby is the same. Hell, what worked an hour ago might not work now.

You will never have enough money. You will never have the right job. Your partner will never be in the right position. Children are unpredictable. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a curve ball comes from the left field. You'll make it work though. You have to.

You will never have all the answers. No amount of reading, attending information nights or antenatal classes will prepare you for the amazing, humbling experience of bringing a child into the world. Sure it's better than going in blind, just don't feel you know it all. There is always room to improve, things that your little human beings will teach you.

There are so many things that I wasn't prepared for. The loss of sleep. You don't know sleep deprivation until you have a child. There is no taking a day off. They have endless amounts of energy, while you have none. It is amazing the things that you somehow manage to complete while running on about 4 hours of broken sleep. All dignity goes when you have a child. Be prepared to have a running commentary of your life. Guess what, talking about toilet habits in public no longer phases me. I have no qualms walking through Big W and telling Devil Spawn that we need to go because mummy needs to do a wee.

Even though you will never be ready 'enough', you make it work. You work with what you have. Sometimes it is not much at all, it's always enough. A child isn't going to remember the things you bought them, the money you spent. They are going to remember the times you smiled, the times you encouraged and loved. They won't remember you not having all of the answers, they'll remember you making the best with what you have.

Do you think there is ever a perfect time to have a child?

Labels: aha moment, honesty, parenting

Stepping back through time - Wordless Wednesday

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday

Labels: kids, lowk at mwee, the past

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Dentists and being preggers

One of the *joys* of nearly 7 years of not giving a damn about my physical self is that it's having repercussions. One of those repercussions is my teeth falling apart. The medication I am on doesn't help either. One of the worst would have to have been when I was pregnant.

My teeth usually hurt on and off all of the time. I was about 33 weeks pregnant with Devil Spawn. I had been eating on one side of my mouth for a while and had been putting up with it. I was pregnant, what was one more body part hurting. Then the unthinkable happened....another tooth started hurting and I had to do something about it.

Most stupid thing I have ever done in my entire life.
We're lucking in the Great Southern Land...we have access to free health care. It might take forever and a day to get to see someone, but then at least we still get to see someone at the end. There is also the emergency lists. Ringing up the dental clinic and complaining about how much pain you are in, then casually throwing in that you are pregnant, is pretty sure to get you seen pretty quickly.

Obviously the baby had stolen any kind of rational thought I had left in my brain. Which I admit pre baby wasn't very many to start with.

I figured a filling and I would be outta there. Oh how wrong was I! What I wasn't aware of was that unless you are willing to wait elebenty hundred years on the public waiting list (or can afford to pay for it yourself) then the only 'treatment' the offer is to rip out the offending tooth. In my case a molar.

I avoid dentists like the plague. Hate them. Hate the drill. Hate the smell. Hate them altogether. I have to be pretty desperate to go to one, and I was.

The first step in ~~tooth ripping out~~ extraction was to make the area numb. I'm all for feeling no pain. What I'm not all for is the big arse needles. Yeh I'm not too keen on them. I don't faint or anything like that but they freak me out. So there I was 33 weeks pregnant, 21years of age, with my eyes clamped shut like a child while they stuck a giant (obviously) needle in my gum. After a few minutes I was drooling out the side of my mouth like a zombie.

Next came the tooth ripping out. Have you ever had a tooth ripped out? You can't feel it but you can hear it. It is gross, horrible and disgusting. It feels like it goes on forever and I'm sure the dentist was mere seconds away from putting her foot on the chair and pulling like something out of a cartoon. I had no idea what she was doing of course because I still had my eyes closed.

The dentist then informed me that because of the state I was in..all I could take was paracetemol for the pain. The pain that was likely to radiate through my head for the next three days. Here is the clincher...I have an intolerance to paracetamol. Multiple OD will do that to you. Turns out I was just past the threshold for being able to safely take nurofen unsupervised. Yay!

I may have gone into my local chemist and asked if they could give me anything at all that didn't have paracetamol in it. The answer was a bit fat no. I lay in bed for the next few days being shit scared of getting dry socket. The dentist had been so lovely and outlined, complete with pictures what happens when dry socket occurs. She reminded me of our crazy Year 9 wood work teacher who told us the worst horror story about a machine then expected us to use it.
I am embarking on the public dental journey again. However this time I can take ALL THE PAINKILLERS!

Do you avoid the dentist like the plague too? Or am I just a big sooky la la?

Linking up with Jess for #IBOT

Labels: balls, crying like a bitch, IBOT, pain oh pain

Sunday 6 January 2013

Jo-Baz Review

I received the following product to review. I received one box of product to use. All opinions are my own.

Anyone who knows me in real life will be able to vouch for me when I say that I have really, really thick hair. Lately it has been a pain in the arse to control. It has been frizzy and unruly. Thankfully it is now long enough to pull up into a messy bun and it looks half decent. So when I received the Jo-Baz Everyday Straight Hair, I was excited to try a product that would help keep my hair under control.

*image from here

I don't have the time (or the energy) to sit and straighten my hair every single day, so this product is perfect. According to the website Everyday Straight Hair works for up to 3 months by adding Keratin to the hair. "Everyday Straight Hair's key ingredient is keratin, the hair's natural protein. During the formula's smoothing and straightening process the hair's internal structure is permanently changed and keratin is introduced back into the hair. The result is straight, smooth, controlled hair with renewed vitality and condition due to those returned keratin proteins."

This is what my hair looks like on a normal day

I'm a sexy beast.

I will admit when I read the instructions for the first time I was a bit daunted by the amount of process there seemed to be, but I was pleasantly surprised just how easy it was to use. I'll be the first to admit that I am no whiz when it comes to whipping together a hair style, so the ease of this product once I got going really appealed to me. However I would suggest before you start that you have large clips, hair dryer, a comb and plenty of cling wrap. I didn't have a hair dryer so the process took a little bit longer.

In the running for sexy Mama of the year with my cling wrap hair do.

As I have mentioned, my hair is very thick. I wasn't able to get the super straight effect that I desired but I do think that after another run over with my straightening iron and a dose of fixing cream that it will become more sleek. Although my hair is not super straight, it is a lot healthier than it has been a long time. My hair has lost the frizz and it's not such a pain to do anything with. One thing that I also noticed is that there is more moisture in my hair so it is a lot easier to brush each day. Instead of having to take 10 minutes and some leave in conditioner to be able to get the knots of one day out, I can now pull a brush through it and there is only a couple of knots. My hair does still have a couple of waves through it but they are much more defined.

All up, it took me about 2 hours to put the products through my hair. It is a 4 step process that you need to do, if you want to make it more permanent. If you don't want it to be as permanent you can skip straight from keratin, to the fixing cream without ironing out your hair. This dramatically cuts the processing time but it doesn't give you the straightening effect. The straightening time will vary depending on the length of your hair and how thick it is. It took me about 45 minutes to iron it all out. If you can manage to wrangle a friend to help you out with that step then I would really suggest it.

The instructions called for an olive sized amount of Keratin B. Obviously my olives have had the super size treatment. p.s don't you love my hawt pink gloves.

Overall I am happy with the result from Jo-Baz Everyday Straight Hair. While my hair still has a bit of a wave, it looks much better than before I used the product. I think what I struggled with the most was not being able to tie my hair back for 3 days after putting the product in my hair. So I suggest doing it when you don't have a lot to do and can have your hair down. It is also recommended that you don't dye your hair for at least 14 days after the product has been used in your hair as it may effect the results, especially if the dye uses bleach. Bleach will remove any effects of Everyday Straight Hair.

The end result. Much more contained!

Jo-Baz Everyday Straight Hair can be found at your local Priceline or Big W store.

Labels: fashion, product review

Friday 4 January 2013

FFS Friday First for 2013!

FFS Friday time again! The holidays give ample opportunity for plenty of FFS moments.
It has been ridiculously hot here this week. Looking at the weather forecast you would think that the temperatures aren't too bad but we live in Rockhampton. The humidity fucks you over. I have sweat pouring off me at 9am in the morning FFS
I stupidly bought Play-doh for Devil Spawn for Christmas. There is play doh smushed into my rug. The only piece of carpet in the whole house FFS
I hung my washing out at night in the hope that I wouldn't be so hot. It was just as bad, there was just no sun FFS
I've been unsuccessfully trying to get Devil Spawn to use the toilet instead of his potty. He is fine using it for wee. Poo not so much. I usually know he's done one only after gettting knocked out by the smell of a giant log left in the potty. How can a small child smell so bad FFS
I still haven't unpacked from our trip out west. It was nearly two weeks ago FFS
I went for a walk yesterday. I don't know what was worse, pushing the 19kg Devil Spawn or having to answer his commentary on the surroundings FFS
I stupidly went at 3pm FFS
I made a 'resolution' to drink more water. Devil Spawn keeps taking the bottles out of the fridge taking one sip then leaving them somewhere so every time I go to have a drink there is nothing cold FFS
Devil Spawn has gone right back into the sleeping dodging. Wednesday night it was 1030pm before he went to sleep. I of course then couldn't switch off after dealing with and didn't get to sleep until 2am. He was up for the day at 7am. FFS

I took Devil Spawn to see Wreck it Ralph on New Years day. He was so well behaved, which is more than I can say for the teenagers sitting near us. If I can keep my hyper 3yo quiet I am sure you can manage to keep your trap shut for 2 hours FFS.

Devil Spawn has gotten a few puzzles lately. He got one from Santa when he got his photo taken...it is unbelievable hard and I am contemplating throwing it in the bin FFS

I have lived in just my underwear for the last few days. Pity it's not socially acceptable to go out like that FFS

What's been pissing you off this week? Let me know in the comments! If you have a blog then head over to Dear Baby G and link up with your FFS for the week.

Labels: ffs friday, habits, health, kids, sleep, tv is my friend

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Healthy Me

I've decided that things need to change around here. I'm not going to make the usual 'I am going to lose x amount of kilos', only to feel guilty in a weeks time when I am stuffing my face with food I told myself I wasn't going to eat.

This year is going to be different. This year I am aiming for health instead. Losing weight will be just one of the bonus'. Physically my body is feeling the effects of my not giving a damn. My hair is dry and frizzy, my skin is forever in a state of break outs, my nails are growing at a snails pace, my energy levels are lacking. I go to bed feeling crap, I wake up feeling crap. It is a giant rut and I am stuck right in the middle of it.

This year instead of being a year of cycles of deprivation, followed by guilt when I 'give in', I am going to follow my body. Eat healthy but not deprive myself. Live realistically. Everyone is different and I know for myself, the minute I say that there will be 'no more (instert food here)' that is the exact food that I crave. I won't be following any fad diets. I will just be getting back to basics.

This year I am starting from the inside and then the effects will show on the outside. Every time I go to my GP and she does my iron it is always ridiculously low, I need to start taking Iron supplements, as well as multivitamin. Filling in the deficits that I know are there, getting energy back that I used to have. Drinking more water, flushing out my system from the sugars and chemicals of months of drinking nothing but cordial and soft drink.

This year I will become more involved. Working my way back up to being active like I once once. Pushing for the endorphins that exercise gives. Enjoying being in the outdoors again. Becoming involved with actually playing with Devil Spawn. Working towards a better fitness level. Allowing myself the opportunity to feel good physically again.

This year I won't be getting caught up in the details. I will be taking it a day at a time, moment by moment. I won't be leaving things until tomorrow because tomorrow never comes. Seizing the moment, no matter how strange it feels. Using my energy to it's advantage. Getting back into a routine. Fixing what needs fixing and moving on. Letting go of the negative and allowing the positive to flow through.

What have you decided needs to change in your life? Are you already making steps or are you waiting for the tomorrow that never comes?

What are you waiting for? Seize the moment, you never know when it will come again.