Today

Big Love, rain and winter sockies. 

Bliss.

LBD Polly

This weeks Polly is all about the LBD.

The first thing that came to mind was Audrey Hepburn so I decided to channel her (it's been happening a lot lately). 

I thought this could be a day look with the bolero which could also be worn at night or ditched. 

I NEED those earrings and ring, anyone have a spare $20,000 for me to buy them? As I said previously my Polly is a rich, skinny bitch with perfect boobs and legs. 


The nude shoes are to make her legs look even more like they never end.


Yes, I am jealous of my Polly. Who wouldn't be?

by Tutu Ames 

Wanna play along? It's fun, a little bit mean (limitless, free credit card anyone?), perfect procrastination and if you are anything like me you won't be able to stop at just one!

Check out other Polly Dollies at Danimezza. While you're there check out Danimezza's other posts. She is one happening woman!

Own Little Bit of Paradise

Want to play? Join in the fun - Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love.

Anxiety, My Story. Part One

If you have ever suffered from anxiety you not only should read this article from mamamia.com.au but also the comments. You are not alone and deserve living your life to it's full capacity which you can do with help. For where to go for help look at the end of this post (and future posts on this topic).



I had to comment on the post and did so as soon as I read it. Here is my comment;

Thank you mamamia for articles like this.

I have anxiety that severely impacted on my life to the point where I stopped leaving my house. I’ve always been an anxious person but after having my son it got worse. I would stay up at night having panic attacks about dying and wouldn’t go anywhere in case I got sick or someone judged me about my parenting (when I had pink hair this was rational as I was judged often).

I suffered from stomach migraines. I do get the racing heartbeat, sweating and the feeling of being faint though. The main thing is the instant stomach dropping. I then became anxious of being sick and constantly had to know where public toilets were if I needed one urgently.

Nothing helped; no matter what I told myself, no matter where we went, no matter how irrational I knew my anxiety was, I still felt anxious.

I stopped seeing friends, stopped going shopping, stopped going with my bf and son to the doctors or daycare – I stopped doing everything.

It finally got to the point where I decided I had lived with this long enough. I went to one doctor who told me I wasn’t anxious and just needed to change my diet; pretty much didn’t listen to me. I was hysterical and made my boyfriend take me to another doctor straight away. As soon as I told him my symptoms and worries he asked about medication.

I’m now on Aropax and it has changed my life dramatically. I take my son out for random trips (we sit on a bus till the last stop or go into the city to run around), take him to daycare twice a week and am socialising more than I have since I fell pregnant.

I’ve been told by many people that it is all in my mind and medication isn’t the way to go. Yes, it is all in the mind – it’s a chemical imbalance. Yes, medication isn’t always the right thing to do but as I have an obvious chemical imbalance it is right for me.

I feel the need to be more detailed here on my blog. I'll begin at what I've lived with the longest - Trichotillomania.


Since I've had hair (so from when I was a baby) I've suffered from trichotillomania (simply put; pulling hair out) or as I call it 'twirling'. Basically, if you've ever seen me playing with my hair then chances are I've been twirling - twisting my hair into little knots then pulling them out. 


I don't do it for pain, I don't feel anything when I pull and often don't realise I am pulling. To me, it's all about the knot of hair; the smaller, tighter, harder knots are way better than the big, loose, soft knots. I like the feeling of the knot between my fingers and can fiddle with them for hours.


I pull when I'm not using my hands, so that can be at any time of the day or night. Sometimes I'm aware I'm twirling and other times I'm not.


I haven't pulled since I last got my hair cut and coloured. I find if I'm totally satisfied with my hair I won't ruin it by pulling. It isn't easy. Since I recently began on medication for anxiety it has become harder to resist pulling. I've found myself twirling string, doll's hair, ribbon and even paper. If this medication wasn't so helpful in other aspects of my life, I would stop taking it as the urge to pull is so great.


To be honest (why stop now?), I think it's more a habit then anything. I've been told it's like being born with extra sensory needs. It makes sense. I can't watch a movie or TV without reading, eating or being on the internet, I can't read with my hands free (I read while holding a bookmark at the moment) and I can't eat while reading, watching TV or surfing the net. Is it any wonder why the mister thinks I have ADD?!


So this is one part of the insight to my mental health. It's not completely healthy but it's not completely ill. It's... interesting.


If you need to talk to anyone (they are there for a reason) please contact one or all of the following numbers and talk to your doctor (if you aren't satisfied, use your intuition and go elsewhere):

• Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au, Phone 1300 224 636, Email infoline@beyondblue.org.au
• Sane: www.sane.org, Phone 1800 187 263, Helpline Online http://www.sane.org/helpline/helpline-online
• Lifeline Australia: http://www.lifeline.org.au/, Phone 13 11 14 (24hrs)
• headspace: Youth 12-25yrs http://www.headspace.org.au/ 

Remember, your mental health affects your physical health.

Today

Today we went to a park we hadn't been to before with munchkin. He needed to burn some energy and we all needed some fresh air to try and clear rid the flu we are all sharing.

 We chased ducks.

We watched water be all crazy.

We had fun near waterfalls and munchkin even flew.

 Munchkin picked me a flower which went into my hair after smelling it.

We played swings with the mister and I running in front of the swing much to munchkin's delight. 

 We saw HEAPS of lizards who were friendly.

 We went on the slide. Well munchkin and I did.

Another lizard. This one even closer.

Today was a good day.

My Place and Yours - Tea Towels

This weeks My Place and Yours is all about tea towels. 

I won't lie. I don't have pretty tea towels. To me they are just a functional item. Don't get me wrong if I looked and cared I would get the prettiest ones. Instead we have green ones. Mind you these are my favourite, they work so damn well. I love them!


One thing I do adore is my new pot stand. My Opa just went into a nursing home and I scored some amazing kitchen stuff which included two of these. They are so gorgeous I want to hang them on my walls.


That counts as a tea towel right?


Every Tuesday there will be a new My Place and Yours and you can find them all over at Hello Owl. Check out the rest of Danielle's blog. It is wonderful. I can't wait to meet her next month and find out all her secrets ;)

Book of the Week 2 - The Woman Who Fell From The Sky

THE BOOK - Jennifer Steil 'The Woman Who Fell from the Sky'

The memoir of a Western woman (Jennifer Steil) working in Yemen. Jennifer answered a calling to train young journalists for three weeks at The Yemen Observer but found herself staying longer and becoming the editor-in-chief of the newspaper.


As expected, many challengers are faced as a Westerner and a woman living in a Muslim, male orientated country, but she makes friends for life and the blurb on the back of the book hints at love being found.


WHY I BOUGHT IT


I bought this just days after the demonstrations began this year in Yemen. 


I have always found the Middle Eastern culture interesting. So much so that as a teenager I wanted to convert to Islam as I thought the message of the Qur'an was beautiful but I didn't see it working with my atheist family and I like pork. 


Despite my adoration for the Middle East, the first I heard about Yemen was this year and it wasn't positive. This was not good, so when I picked up this book I saw it as a sign. I saw it as an interesting way to learn about an ancient country and culture. Hopefully next time I hear about Yemen it will be more positive news.


READING IT


I'm almost half way through and have trouble putting it down. It's interesting and I've learned so much already from it. I'll post my thoughts on the book when I've finished reading it.

What are you currently reading?

Disclaimer: This is entirely my own opinion. I have not been paid by anyone for this review and have done it because I like the book. I also do not claim to be a writer, reviewer or anything other than a book lover.

My Place and Yours - Where I Blog

Ok, I'm late. I know. 
I didn't want to miss out on this My Place and Yours before a new one tomorrow. 
So deal with it. I am.


So this My Place and Yours posed the question; Where do you blog?


This is where I blog;

Our desk. 

It is an Expedit bookcase with some alterations made into a desk. It has awesome storage as we have left the bottom four holes the same and use these black boxes to hold paper, stationery, cloth nappies and computer extras.


The back is a cork-board covered with a beautiful Ikea fabric (can you tell we love Ikea!?) and then covered again with drawings and pictures by munchkin.  


Ignore the 3Ms around. They were holding up star lights but munchkin broke them so they are down waiting to be fixed. 
Also ignore the lonely hooks. They were holding these which had pens, highlighters and paper clips in them but munchkin got hold of one and broke it so they know sit on our kitchen bench.


Instead look at that little storage basket that holds all our cords for the computer. Best thing ever.


We all have the flu at the moment so the tissues are necessary. The pretty little tissue box cover is from my Oma. While it is tacky, I love it! It's so pretty and every time I see it I am reminded of her, which instantly makes me happy.


Lastly, our beautiful Mac. She is amazing. I'm am fully converted and will never go back to a PC again. Want more Apple products please.


So this is where I blog. As I mentioned before tomorrow there will be a new My Place and Yours and you can find them all over at Hello Owl. Check out the rest of Danielle's blog. It is wonderful. I can't wait to meet her next month and find out all her secrets ;)

Point and Shoot

This photo was taken Saturday morning when we were leaving the West End markets. 


See that fence? Munchkin and I squeezed through a gap in the fence while the mister went over the top. 
Why? We were lazy and couldn't be bothered walking around to get to the car. Plus it was an adventure :)


Want to play Point and Shoot? Head over to Fat Mum Slim and play :) It's fun. Plus check out Chantelle's AMAZING blog. Seriously it's amazing.

Weekend

Family photo cuddling on the couch. It's a three seater with a chaise yet, for some reason, we all have to touch. Well my feet have to be on the mister's legs and munchkin usually jumps on top of both or one of us.

F1 on TV for the grown ups and a movie for munchkin. Bad? Very.

The mister's birthday - trying to think of a wish to make.

Pavlova birthday cake (thanks mum) with the mister's piece decorated with Starburst Babies. Apparently it was yummy.

Flower Polly

This weeks Polly Dolly is all about flowers.

 I love floral and wear it often - my wrap around skirts are almost all floral. 

I thought I'd go for a winter, work look. If I was a corporate flyer this is definitely what I would want to wear. Of course my Dolly is a rich bitch so money is not an issue. 

I'm pretty sure I want to be my Dolly. If I ever win Lotto I'll be buying this and wearing it anywhere and everywhere. 

Flowers by Tutu Ames

Wanna play along? It's fun, a little bit mean (limitless, free credit card anyone?), perfect procrastination and if you are anything like me you won't be able to stop at just one!

Check out other Polly Dollies at Danimezza. While you're there check out Danimezza's other posts. She is one happening woman!

Happy Monday

Mondays aren't usually the brightest days so I thought a happy start to the day would make at least me feel better about the day ahead (usually a cleaning day). So here goes. If you want to join in please link to your post in the comments. Smiles :)

"I'm not a body with a soul, I'm a soul that has a visible part called the body" 

p.75 'Eleven Minutes' by Paulo Coelho

Image

Happy Birthday my Prince

The mister and me on his birthday weekend two years ago.

The mister and me last year around his birthday.

Happy 24th Birthday to my amazing man. 


May your day be full of laughter, good food, beer and Webber winning the Melbourne F1!


Here's to many more birthdays together *cheers*.

Happy Birthday Princess

Miss Paula two years ago on her 21st

Happy 23rd Birthday to one of my very best friends, Princess Paula. 


May your day be amazing, your dinner be fantabulous and drinks be flowing.


I look forward to laughing with you over good food tonight for your special day.

My Community

University of Queensland (UQ), St Lucia

No, this is not where I study. 


It is, however, where I used to study (less than one semester in 2007), where the mister currently works and where munchkin and I go to run wild on the seriously large grassed areas.


UQ is a beautiful campus. In both it's architecture and landscape. Seriously amazing.

We catch the bus from our house to here at least once a week. Usually when the mister is finishing work early.


Munchkin and I love laying on the grass watching the clouds then chasing each other around. We could do that at a park but, for some reason, I feel safer here. I like the atmosphere - busy yet relaxed.

What does your community look like?

Today

Chocolate, vanilla coke, Twitter, Janis Joplin and tissues (thank you cold).

F1 first practice. I'm addicted. Already.

How does your day look?

Bloggity Blog Blog

Soo... I've been reading blogs for about two years now. Mummy, fashion, celebrity, technology - you name the genre and I've [most likely] read it. Here are some blog questions you may have and I can answer. Any more and I'll answer in the comments :)

Image

Have I written a blog before? 
Yes. 
Link?
No.
Where is it? 
Buried. 
Why?
It's ugly.
How?
The page was ugly to look at and the content wasn't consistent or well written.
So why start a new one? 
I'm taking a break in my studies so thought I would jump back on the blogging wagon. 
What's changed?
Me. I'm more experienced in reading and knowing blogs. I don't just 'follow' any blog I like the look of. I read a few posts and then decide. I guess I'd rather a blog relationship than a one-night-stand.
What is different with this blog?
It's pretty (I'll get to my thanks). Also the content is more thought out. It's not so much a 'what I did  and didn't do today because...' blog. Don't get me wrong, there will be a bit of that but not so booooooring.
Who are your all time favourite blog links?
Mamamia
Born This Way
Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Sock at a Time
Danimezza
Good Golly Miss Holly
IHeart Organizing
Random Ramblings of a SAHM
Suger Coat It
The House that A-M Built
What do you want to get out of your blog?
Satisfaction. My own.
Thanks?
Major thanks to Melissa @ Suger Coat It. She is amazing. Seriously. If you need help making your blog pretty - ask her. She is friendly too.
Also thanks to the people who write the above blogs. You have gotten me back into blogging (blame them).
Thanks to you for reading :)

Ok it's late and I'm off to bed. 

Please feel free to ask more or add your blog. I like reading :)

Best useful apps (in my opinion)

Oz Radar - Using BOM and GPS you can choose the radar closest to your city and be one touch away from seeing whether you need to get your washing in or can do more. We started with the lite version but purchased it later as we love it so much.


Shazam - Need to know that song on the radio or on that show? Use Shazam while the song is still playing and it'll send through the song via iTunes. I've used this app on songs in kids movies and it's worked. It's free too which is even better.


Bump - Share photos, music, contacts, apps, calendars and social networks with friends for free via Bluetooth. All you and a friend do is go into the application, bump your phones together, choose what to share and share. The mister and I use this a lot to share photos - usually him to me so I can post them on facebook. It's free and easy as to use.

First page of my iPhone back in December

Convert Units - Convert angles, area, data, energy, force, length, mass, power, pressure, speed, temperature, time, and volume all for free. I often use it when watching overseas programs as they use different measures for units such as mass, temperature and length. It's easy as to use.


Toilet Map - Toilet map was created by the Australian government and shows public toilets, including service stations, close to your location. It eased my anxiety while travelling and is perfect for a toddler who is toilet training.


Wikipedia - Need to know what, when, why or how about almost anything? Then you need this app. I've used this app while travelling to find out such things as the difference between a crow and a raven, cyclone and tornado, and what Arizona would be like to live in (blame NBC Today for their real estate segment).


IMBD - Want to know what that movie is about or who that actor is? IMBD has everything you need to know about movies and actors. I've used this countless times, ok every time I watch a movie. It's perfect for impatient people (me) to find out what happens in the movie they are watching.

What are your favourite useful apps?

Seriously another disclaimer - what the hell? Why do I feel guilty? Consumerism has taken a hold of my soul! Anyway, I was not paid for MY opinion, however if you would like to pay me please do (I like money and gifts). The above views are mine and mine alone. If you want to use it then see previous, previous sentence (money and gifts).

Today

The dreaded task that greeted me today. 

What makes this easier? Big Love season four marathon and munchkin being at daycare.

Inner City Life

Want to play? Join in the fun - Wordless Wednesday.

Book of the Week 1 - Beneath The Pale Blue Burqa

THE BOOK -  Kay Danes 'Beneath The Pale Blue Burqa'

Kay Danes and a group of 'normal' Australian and Americans travelled to Afghanistan in November 2008. Their mission; to help the native women, children and men of the war torn country. This is Kay Danes' story of that time and is personal while highly educational to those Westerners who cannot embark on the same adventure.


With the aid of Rotary and other financial contributors they visited schools, universities, female jails, remote villages and hospitals. They helped in any way they could, including teaching young girls crafts, reassuring the Afghani people that  they are not forgotten and they are cared about, and presenting at a Women's Health Seminar held at a university.


WHY I READ IT


Kay is the mother of a wonderful friend of mine, Jess. The mister and I both have an interest in and yearn to learn more about other cultures including the middle east so we jumped at the chance to attend one of the many book launches held for this book. It was an amazing experience and we learned a lot from many of the influential speakers, including Kay.


Afghanistan should be a country of interest for all Westerners to understand their culture, people, lifestyle and why our countries felt it necessary to bring down the Taliban with force. If you only read one book to gain that understanding be it this one.


Beneath The Pale Blue Burqa has not made me want to go there any less but has made me want to do more to help the Afghani people. The courage these people hold could help anyone, regardless of culture or gender.

What are you currently reading?

Disclaimer: This is entirely my own opinion. I have not been paid by anyone for this review and have done it because I like the book. I also do not claim to be a writer, reviewer or anything other than a book lover.

Om nom nom

Would you believe that this is my almost-two-year-old's favourite food and has been since before he was one?!

Yes they are better than lollies but damn he already has expensive taste.

Hi!