tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68445589416268054082024-03-13T13:22:28.222+10:00Musings of the MisguidedTelling the truth, even when it hurtsTegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-46247010002666450202013-04-16T12:56:00.001+10:002014-08-27T11:22:26.288+10:00Musings have moved! <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Musings of the Misguided has a new home! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Check <span style="font-size: large;">it</span> <span style="font-size: large;">out at </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.musingsofthemisguided.com/">www.musingsofthemis<span style="font-size: large;">guided.com</span></a> </span> </span></span></div>
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Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-75621154666733154342013-04-07T17:57:00.001+10:002014-08-27T11:23:42.410+10:00Bio Oil Skins Stories Campaign <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">*I did not receive any products in return for this article. As always all opinions are my own*<br />I have talked in the past about my scars. There are a lot of them and up until a couple of years ago they were very red and extremely itchy 90% of the time. Any time that I sweated, or it was cold, they would dry out and be very uncomfortable. That was until I started using Bio Oil. The scars haven't completely disappeared but the difference in the colour and comfort was amazing. I was hesitant to spend so much money on a beauty product, not knowing how well it would work but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.<br /><br />Bio Oil have launched the <a href="http://new.pitchengine.com/pitches/a0b28fef-ba7e-440e-8564-f70c5f21d7a7" target="_blank">Skin Stories Campaign</a> in the hopes that through stories shared will help to rid the shame surrounding our differening skin conditions. To help get the conversation started, Bio Oil is donating $5 for each story shared on the Bio Oil Facebook Page, to the organisation <a href="http://lgfb.org.au/lgfb_wp/" target="_blank">'Look Good, Feel Better.</a> Look Good, Feel Better is an <span style="font-size: large;">initiative</span> started by the Cosmetic Industry Community that helps cancer patients.<br /><br />I shared my story and I urge you to do the same. Not only will sharing your story raise funds for Look Good, Feel Better but you can go into the draw to win a pack of Bio Oil products. The process is super easy and can help start the conversation on how we feel about our skin. You can share any kind of story and you don't have to have used Bio Oil to qualify. Awareness starts with one conversation. Be part of it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BioOilAustralia" target="_blank">Bio<span style="font-size: large;"> Oil Facebook Page </span></a></span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-88322930272922855992013-04-04T17:57:00.000+10:002013-04-04T17:57:09.806+10:00Chicken and Vegetable Nuggets<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I hate veggies. At least veggies on their own. I can handle them in a bake or mixed in with other stuff so that I can't taste them. Devil Spawn hates them just as much, so veggie smuggling is pretty important around here. One food that Devil Spawn does love though is chicken nuggets. He'd eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him but sadly they aren't particularly nutrious. That's when I got thinking about how I could combine veggie smuggling with Devil Spawns favourite foods and Chicken and Vegetable nuggests were born. I try to have pureed veggies in the freezer all the time so that I can add them to spag bog and other easy foods.<br /><br />Chicken and Vegetable Nuggets</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><i>These are better prepared a few hours before you are ready to cook them. Of course if you are short for time, preparing and cooking straight away won't make too much difference.</i><br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><u><b>Ingredients</b></u> <br />500gm of chicken thighs, pureed (you can use chicken mince but I found the thighs easier to work with)<br />2 cups of vegetable puree. (You can use any mixture of pre pureed vegetables)<br />Tuscan Seasoning (I tried it with the all pourpose seasoned salt and they just weren't the same)<br />Breadcrumbs<br /><br /><u><b>Method</b></u><br />1. Mix together the chicken and vegetables, adding the tuscan seasoning as you go.<br />2. Roll the mixture into tablespoon size balls and coat in bread crumbs. Place flattened<br /> balls into an air tight container, putting a layer of baking paper between each layer.<br />3. Put the prepared nuggets into the fridge for at least an hour. A friend gave me this tip and it's great for keeping the breadcrumbs intact when cooking.<br />4. Shallow fry the the nuggets until both sides are brown. This helps keep the mixture together.<br />5. Bake for 25 minutes at 200C<br /><br />This recipe makes about 32 nuggets. I cook them all then separate into resealable bags for easy dinners in the future. </span></span>Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-56019322148536996492013-04-02T20:29:00.000+10:002013-04-02T20:37:04.970+10:00Scrambled<div style="color: #741b47; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have notes and notes filled with blog post ideas. Ideas that are probably pretty great. Ideas that I will write at some stage, some point in the future but not right now. I can't grasp them, it hurts my head to try. The words, they are elusive. Nothing is making sense and it all feels a little surreal.<br /><br />Imagine your brain as a place filled with worker ants. At the moment my worker ants have taken speed. I tried to find a picture to represent it but I gave up after 5 minutes. Nothing quite felt disorganised enough. Nothing represented the chaos that is my brain at the moment. I have so much IN my head and no way to grab it and get it out. I feelt like a spectator to my own inner workings.<br /><br />No doubt this too shall pass but at the moment it's fucking insane. I can't concentrate, I try and it's too hard. Everything is scrambled and filled with static. I want to share the ideas that I have but the path between my hands and my mind is filled with obstacles. <br /><br />This is a short one, to let you know where I am at...normal viewing will resume soon. Until then I leave you with this </span></div>
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Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-10924716813326551812013-04-01T14:18:00.000+10:002013-04-01T14:18:30.379+10:00Self Harm Doco<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">*<i>The following post and video may be triggering to those who are experiencing self harm urges. Please stay safe and if you are at all feeling at risk please contact someone*</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Lifelife Australia: 13 11 14</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Alternatively contact your nearest emergency department.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I don't often post twice in one day but this one couldn't wait until tomorrow. This video was tweeted by someone I follow and it's a great insight into self harm. There are stories from a person who self harms, as well as professionals who work with them. I really enjoyed listening to the information presented by all parties. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I hope that it will reach someone who doesn't already know these things. If it teaches just one person about self harm, then that is great. It's possible to change the world, one person at a time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">http://www.harmlesspsychotherapy.com/webbuilder/pages/Hurting_to_heal</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">For more information about the film project click <a href="http://www.bps.org.uk/news/society-funded-self-harm-awareness-film-available" target="_blank">here</a></span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-82592715618524707562013-04-01T06:00:00.001+10:002013-04-01T06:00:00.098+10:00Techno Overload<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">This week's prompt of I must confess is 'How many devices do you have and what do you use them for?' I must admit I kind of cringed and wasn't sure if I was going to link up. I have a lot of devices. Not as many as my friend's hubby who is into all things computer but still more than your average joe. I also use them all myself. I don't do sharing well. At all. Enough rambling and on to the important stuff...the devices.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Kindle Ereader: I love books, but I live in a two bedroom house. My one bookshelf is already filled to the brim with books and dvds. There's no room for another one. So of course the next logical step was to get a device that could hold up to 3,000 books. I already have 1,000 books on it, which will probably take me the next 20 years to read but they are small enough to carry around with me.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Iphone: I love that my phone is more than just a phone. I lost my Iphone and went back to a brick for a total of 3 days. Longest. Three. Days. Of. My. Life. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Ipad: Sometimes we just have to keep up with the cool kids. I love that it does everything my phone does, but has a bigger screen. I also use it to store books for Devil Spawn on it. He loves the interactive books that talk back to him when he presses the screen.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Netbook: I got my netbook when my poor old dinosaur laptop was packing it in but I couldn't afford to replace it with a full sized laptop. I'm not a massive fan of it, hence why it's now packed away in the cupboard. The screen was too small to view photos and play games, which are my two main reasons for using a laptop in the first place.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Laptop: My laptop was kind of an impulse buy. I went in for a hard drive and came out with a laptop instead. Yeh, yeh I am the queen of impulse buying. Thankfully for my big ticket items I don't often experience buyers remorse. My laptop is where I spend most nights glued to and is the birth place of all of you my blog posts. I haven't quite got the hang of typing too much on a tablet. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Ipod Nano: I really need to get rid of it really. It doesn't shuffle, you can't press next and I already have 3 other devices that play music. I got it when I was walking to Daycare to pick Devil Spawn up, much less thinking goes on when you have music blaring in your ears.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Phew, confession time over! Head on over to <a href="http://www.myhometruths.com/" target="_blank">My Home Truths</a> and check out everyone's posts about their devices. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Lastly, what devices do you have?</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-28761662661434393152013-03-30T16:55:00.000+10:002013-03-30T16:55:50.390+10:00Stigma Within Stigma<div style="color: #741b47; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Stigma. It's everywhere and it affects everyone. Mental illness
still in the 21st century is clouded by stigma. There are people
suffering in silence because they believe asking for help is a sign of
weakness. Imagine having your head filled to the brim with despair and
disorder and having no where to go. The removal of stigma around mental
illness has come such a long way in the last 20 years but we still have
so much further to go. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Amongst the mentally
ill there is still stigma. I've lost count of how many times I have said
to myself that I need to keep my mouth shut, need to buck up and deal
with it. This is something that I have been dealing with personally for
11 years. Yet I still tell myself the same thing that I hate hearing
from others. Things that I would never say to anyone else. </span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Self harm has a whole
different level of stigma. It's a stigma within a stigma. Even those
who suffer from a Mental Illness, who engage in activities that many
think are outlandish, ideas that stray from the norm, see people who
self harm as some kind of person to be revered. There have been many
conversations that I have been involved in, in an inpatient facility
where other patients have struggled to see the need and desire behind
the action of harming oneself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Society
sees people drinking to excess, and almost turn a blind eye. It's seen
as people blowing off steam, almost a societal norm. They are seen as
coping mechanisms, nothing more. People who drink to excess every
weekend are 'ok'. However they are doing the same thing that people who
self harm are doing. Hiding the pain, replacing it with something
else. Yet people who physically harm their flesh are seen as monsters,
attention seeking and sometimes just plain stupid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Self
harming is a coping mechanism. It's a dysfunctional one, I will admit,
but it is one nonetheless. However with so much stigma around it,
people are covering it up, pretending it doesn't exist. Why NEED to
talk about this. We NEED to say it's ok to tell someone that you aren't
coping. We NEED to treat the symptom not the behaviour. A person who
self harms is not a monster, they are simply reaching for help when
their words don't work.</span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-72838243215305180192013-03-27T16:48:00.000+10:002013-03-27T16:48:48.242+10:00Journey of Perfection<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Laying in bed one night I had an epiphany. All of my best thinking seems to be done in bed at night. Much to my desire to sleep's disgust. I have taken to writing my thoughts down in a notebook or typing them into the notes section on my Iphone. It certainly makes for better sleep and I remember my awesome ideas the next morning. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Every night when I go to bed, I have plans to conquer the world the next day. Suffice to say that I am definitely a night owl and am at my best and horribly worst in the late hours of the night. I do my best writing and thinking after 10pm. It's not always positive and it's not always productive. Which is why I feel the need to write things down. I need to get them out of my head.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The epiphany I had laying in bed one night was about perfection. Perfection is something I think about a lot. It's a source of guilt for me, as I am sure it is for a lot of people. Always striving for that elusive perfection. Then I got to thinking, when you get to the state of perfection..what then? What comes when you reach the peak?</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Then it hit me. We shouldn't be striving for perfection, we should be striving to learn from our journey. Perfection means that we have reached our destination, we stop moving. Imagine going through life and not learning because well you think you have learnt all there is to learn. Reaching perfection means that we don't feel the need to strive anymore. It is kind of an anti climax. Perfection is never really what we envision it to be. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I hope that I never reach perfection. That I am never to the point where I feel there is nothing new to learn. I hope that I will always be hungry for new knowledge. I hope that I will always be asking questions, looking for the information to satisfy the desire to learn. I hope that it is something that we don't lose as each generation passes. With so much at our fingertips now, I hope that it's not taken for granted. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When are you at your best? Do you feel the hunger to continue to learn?</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-35148737982797593932013-03-25T05:00:00.000+10:002013-03-25T05:00:01.588+10:00I'm Awesome<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">This weeks prompt for I Must Confess is 'Why I'm Awesome' and I just knew that I couldn't resist a title like that. I am self confessed Queen of Awesomness. I'm awesome just ask me, I'll tell you. I think people will struggle with this one as it's really hard to say nice things about yourself in an open forum. My suggestion? Don't take it so damn seriously. It's life, it's not like you get out alive.</span><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">1. I went clubbing in trackpants. With the tag still attached. I'm still not sure what is more awesome, the fact that I went out in them or that I was still allowed in.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">2. I fail regularly at all of this housewifey shit but I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm no stepford wife.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">3. I have THE BEST group of friends. Really couldn't ask for better ones. I could ask for more normal but hey where is the fun in that.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">4. I drink my vodka out of a Wreck It Ralph cup I got from the cinema. Just for added measure I drink from a straw that is fastened to the side of my cup with a paperclip. An icecream shaped paperclip so that makes it twice as awesome.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">5. On more than one occasion I have gotten vodka in my eye. This may not seem awesome but when I drink it out of a straw it really is a super human effort on my part.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">6. I totally perfected cheesey toast that shits all over the stuff you get at sizzlers. I just never seem to have bread whenever I am craving the shit.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">7. I won an award for most awkward tweeter on Friday. I can't remember what it was I wrote because I was drunk. Apparently it was awesome though. I am however still waiting for my badge for that shit. Get to it people.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">What makes you awesome? Head on over to <a href="http://www.myhometruths.com/" target="_blank">My Home Truths</a> to check out everyone else's confessions!</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-39219673217375830682013-03-23T19:00:00.000+10:002013-03-23T19:00:04.388+10:00Personal Planner Review and Giveaway<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>I received one $40 to create my own personal planner.</b></i><br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm a self confessed stationary addict. I buy a new notebook, pen or some other piece of stationary at least once a week. When I was offered the chance to try out the great new notebooks offered by Personal-Planner, there was no way that I could pass it up! <br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.personal-planner.com.au/AU" target="_blank">Personal Planner</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I received my voucher via email with easy step by step instructions on how to activate it. The whole process took less than 30 seconds and I was off, ready to create my personal planner. The website was super easy to navigate with clearly set out site map. The design process was broken down into each section of the personal planner. It was simple to apply a component, check how it fit and undo if it didn't quite look right. There was a multitude of page colours and designs to choose from. <br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are four sizes to choose from Small, Medium, Large and A5. I chose a medium planner so that I could fit it in my bag. I was pleasantly surprised when the planner arrived and it was a reasonable sized square shape, leaving room in my bags diary pocket for pens and other accessories.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the best parts of the Personal Planner is that you can custom design the front and back covers. If you are super creative you could upload a drawing. If you are like me and don't have a drawing bone in your body, then there is the option of uploading photos. I was able to use photos that I had taken with my phone. The website did warn me that the photos may not be high enough quality but they turned out great. The website also gives you the option of a block colour with writing if you prefer something a little more simple.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The personal planner diary pages can also be designed to suit your needs. You can include lines in the note space, as well as a to do list at the bottom of each page. There is also the option to include your own key personal dates. You can start the diary at any time of the year and it still runs for a full 12 months. This makes it great if you need it for the financial year rather than the calendar year. There is also the option to custom design the pages after the diary entry pages. I included lined space, a yearly overview and table space. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> I love the feel of the Personal Planner and the pages are made of heavy, quality paper. The front and back covers are also covered with a plastic overlay to protect the great designs from damage. Each planner also comes with an elastic closure in your choice of colour, a plastic sleeve and a ruler. <br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Upon submitting my order, I was told that delivery could take three weeks. I was then pleasantly surprised when the order turned up in my mail box after only 2 weeks. I have ordered custom items in the past so I was extremely happy with this turn around. I can't wait to start using it!<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you got diary envy yet? I've got some great news for you then! I have one voucher to create your very own planner for one lucky Musings of the Misguided reader. All you have to do to enter is answer one simple question. The best answer, chosen by me, will win the voucher. Entries close 7pm AEST on the 6th of April 2013. Sorry guys Australian entrants only.<br /><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What's one thing that you would include in your custom designed planner?</b><br /><i>Terms and Conditions<br />1. All decisions are final.<br />2. Competition begins 7pm AEST on the 23rd day of March in the year 2013 and closes 7pm AEST on the 6th day of April in the year 2013.<br />3. Each entrant is permitted to enter the competition once only. Entries will be identified by email addresses and duplicate entries will be removed.<br />4. Competition is open to Australian residents only.<br />5. The winner receive one voucher to be redeemed at www.personal-planner.com.au/AU<br />6. The prize is not redeemable for cash.</i><br /><br /></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-86359103779590361832013-03-19T22:09:00.002+10:002013-03-19T22:09:57.257+10:00Lingering Love<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A post I read a couple of days got me thinking about blog linkys. It got me thinking about the good and the not so good of them. It made me second guess whether I want to play along anymore.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I love the new blogs that I find via linkys. I love that they expose me to blogs that I normally wouldn't read. I love that they bring new readers to Musings of the Misguided. The little community they can create is great as well. It can sometimes feel like you have your own little clique when you find the kind of linky that just 'fits'.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I've found and kept reading some great bloggers through linkys. I keep reading those blogs through social media. It's easier to see a glimpse into a person's life when you read more than a few words strung together on a blog post. A blog post can be a window into a life, it's up to the blogger how far open the curtains are.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The blog post that got me thinking, made a comment about how linkys make people comment just for the sake of commenting. Linkys have rules. It would descend into chaos if it didn't. It does make me uncomfortable though that something someone writes, that could be heart on the page material for them is being commented on people who are 'just following the rules'.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">How many of us go back after reading a post that a person wrote, reaching out for help, to see how that blogger is traveling? I know I'm guilty of doing the comment and dash, none of us a perfect. I really hate that a person could feel the 'love' of multiple commentors and then the echoing silence of people going back to their lives. Rules met. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I hate saying things for the sake of saying things. I don't like 'blowing smoke up your arse'. If I am going to say something, I am going to mean it, it's not going to be fluffy. I am so thankful for those who have stuck around. I have loved getting to know you all and I hope the feeling is mutual.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">If you are a blogger to link up to linky parties? Do you love them or loathe them? </span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-43433153074133876802013-03-14T16:19:00.000+10:002013-03-14T16:19:23.847+10:00New Joint.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Just a short post from me today to let you know that you can find me over at <a href="http://www.theshake.com.au/" target="_blank">The Shake</a>. It's a great site filled with thought provoking, fun poking, drool inducing posts! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">On The Shake I am talking about Boy's Fashion. Or lack thereof. Please jump over and check out my post along with the other great contributors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Some great news to add is that I will be a regular contributor so you can now check me out both here at Musings of the Misguided and The Shake.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Happy Thursday! </span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-35910215716534543742013-03-13T10:28:00.001+10:002013-03-13T10:28:59.275+10:00Growth Spurt<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">Devil Spawn seems to be on a never ending growth spurt the last 12 months! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Devil Spawn in my brothers preschool uniform</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">His shoe next to mine. These ones are actually too small now!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Last years long sleeved shirt!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Random cute pic with my Aunties dog.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Linking up with <a href="http://mylittledrummerboys.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/wordless-wednesday-meerkat-magic.html" target="_blank">My Little Drummer Boys</a> for Wordless Wednesday. </span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-62239421056869623542013-03-12T05:00:00.000+10:002013-03-12T05:00:00.772+10:00Sanity Saviour<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Depression and other Mental Illnesses can zap you of any energy or motivation you have. Sometimes the medications used to treat these can have an even worse effect. I have never made it a secret that I don't like housework. So I wanted to share with you what I do to make things easier each day. Things that make things run a little smoothly.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>1.</b> A lot of people fold their washing as they take it off the line, I take it one step further. I take the clothes off the line in order of whose clothes they are. Then when I come inside, all of the clothes are already in piles of whose room they belong in, meaning that I put them away straight away. It takes a bit longer out at the line...but then again it's quicker than a giant Mt Washmore.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>2.</b> Devil Spawn has a bath for at least 30 minutes every night. I use this time to talk to Papa Devil on the phone. Also when I'm up to it, I use the time to tidy away Devil Spawns toys and do the washing up. He's happy and I get some quiet time. It's a win/win situation.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>3.</b> On days that I know are going to be hectic or just plain hard I make dinner in the slow cooker. It means that we get a decent dinner and there is usually left overs that I can freeze for easy dinners later.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>4.</b> When Devil Spawn goes to daycare, I make his lunch the night before. I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, this means I have to do as little as possible when my brain is still foggy.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>5</b>. After Devil Spawn has a bath at night, I dress him in a shirt for the next day. Then again, in the morning while still in a foggy, not really wanting to be awake daze I can leave the house at a reasonable time. At least on the days when we have to go somewhere.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>6.</b> Daycare Days are my days. I do what I want, when I want it. I don't pressure myself to do anything. I take them as my days to relax and regain myself. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">These are my sanity savers. They help me get through the week, the day, the hour. I don't pretend to have all of the answers...I just do what works for me.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">What are your sanity savers?</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.essentiallyjess.com/" target="_blank">#IBOT</a></span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-66209513891074497512013-03-11T05:30:00.000+10:002013-03-11T05:30:01.338+10:00How to be a Hot Mummy Blogger<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I'm a mummy blogger. I kind of fail at it most of the time because I think this whole motherhood caper is mother trucking hard. I write the occasional recipe and household 'tip' aka how to avoid it and why I hate it so much. Really the only thing that makes me fit the old stereotype mold of mummy blogger is that I have a child who is along for the joy ride. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Anyone who knows me also know that I pretty much fail at the whole fashion thing too. I take comfort over looks. When a fabulous tweeter said she was going to blog about her OOTD. I of course asked what it was (only stupid question is the question unasked right) and it turned out to be Outfit Of The Day. So of course, who better to educate you on the fashion of a mummy blogger!? </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">First off...according to all sources 'Mummy Bloggers' do nothing but sit in front of their computer all day, lamenting about how awesome they are at parenting while leaving their child to fend for themselves. This of course means that we are heading for something that is comfy and can enable you to sit on your rear end all day.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Some camps may indulge in the sarong or the singlet and 'yoga' pants. The only yoga my yoga pants have seen is trying to contort myself to find the malteaser that's gone AWOL at some stage between my hand and my mouth. My old favourite and sure to bring all the boys to the yard is my halter dress that has lost all of it's elastic. Devil Papa says the sexiest thing about the dress is that one of the girls are always bound to come out and say hello. It's a sex symbol and comfy, what more could I ask for!?</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The hair of a 'Mummy Blogger' is something that other peeps are totes jealous of. It has a faux birds nest appeal that most others pay thousands in their local salon for. A 'Mummy Blogger' has the joy of stepping out of bed to achieve this toddler walk fashion. Picture if you will, grey regrowth pulled back into a pony tail or a becoming messy bun that screams abstract creation. Many have tried to recreate this look but have only achieved a cheap knockoff.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A 'Mummy Blogger' doesn't subscribe to the pressures of society and instead prefers to go about her business as a fresh faced, breath of fresh air. If she ever finds herself at the receiving end of an invitation that requires more than a fresh face, panic surely ensues. It usually involves a quick scope of YouTube videos on how to apply a face that doesn't involve remnants of your child's food. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Shoes of course are optional. You don't need shoes to sit on your but at a computer all day. However if being a mother starts to interfere with your 'Mummy Blogging' career then thongs will suffice. If you want to be classy get some with some diamonte detail on top. You'll be the envy of every one at the playground.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">What are your fashion must haves? Do you tend to go for comfort over looking stylish?</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-76361572913813447202013-03-10T11:38:00.000+10:002013-03-10T11:38:11.349+10:00Pressure to Procreate<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">As a woman, it's always expected that you will want to procreate. That your one mission in life, eventually is to be a mother. I remember in high school my friends talking about the names they had picked out for their eventual babies. I didn't feel the same and while I didn't have a life plan, kids didn't really feature in the image I saw of myself. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">You would think that once you are 'with child' that they pressure would stop. That society would think, 'ok she's made her contribution, we'll stop hassling her now', but that couldn't be further from the truth. The minute you have one child, everyone is wondering when you are going to be giving them a brother or sister. Labeling you as 'cruel' if you tell them that your child will be an only child. In fact one of the cards I received when Devil Spawn was born had the sentiment 'he's gorgeous, can't wait until you have another one'. I had pushed this baby out a mere week earlier and the pressure had started.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Let's talk about what is cruel shall we, about the reality of being pregnant and unmedicated. Hormones already do strange things to normally rational women. Add to that a Mental Illness that can't be medicated while pregnant and you have a recipe for disaster. I was, for lack of a better term, bat shit crazy while pregnant. I would go from crying, to screaming in a matter of minutes. Poor Devil Papa didn't know what to expect or how to handle it. I could not bring myself to knowingly put Devil Spawn through that. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I use what little motivation I have most days on Devil Spawn. I don't think that I could spread it over 2 or more children. Am I still being cruel for being happy to stop at one child? It is cruel to realise my weakness and work with what I have? No it's not. I know my limitations and Devil Spawn will always come first. I know that if it did happen, I would somehow make it work but I would never knowingly try for another child because society has this notion that it's 'cruel' for a child to grow up alone.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I say it's cruel to bring a child into an environment that can't cope with it. It's cruel to have a child not because you want one but because it's the norm. It's cruel to bring another child into a family that is already struggling. It is not cruel to realise that you have reached your limits and that you know you can give everything you have to one child, but will struggle with two. It is not cruel if having one child means that they will have a better life, will get what little their mama can offer them at this time. A little spread over 2 is even less. I love Devil Spawn more than I thought it was even possible to love another human being and if I had my time again I'd do it all the same.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">How many children do you have? Do you still feel the pressure to keep popping those bubbas out?</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">Are you childless by choice and feel the pressure to procreate?</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-64424049720513903732013-03-07T05:30:00.000+10:002013-03-07T05:30:01.701+10:00Parenting the Testosterone<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">It's no secret that having a child changes you in ways that you couldn't even begin to imagine before having a child. You have these romantic ideas when you are pregnant of how you are going to be as a mother and well rarely does it turn out that way. Both for the good and the bad. There are times when I want to pull my hair out but I wouldn't change having Devil Spawn. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Now there is somewhere I was going with all this. I have noticed over the last few weeks how different it is as a mother to be a parent to a boy. Yes a smelly, farting boy. I wanted to share with you my take on being surrounded by a toddler with testosterone.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Be prepared, once they can talk, for the endless questions on why it is that you don't have a penis. Also be prepared for the look of horror when they realise that you don't have one. The usual response is that they think it's been chopped off and you need to go to the doctor immediately. This of course is met with hysterical laughter from me.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">You will see LOTS of penis. Like more than a porn movie. Why? Because boys like to show off. Many times Devil Spawn has yelled from the toilet...'look at this mummy' because he has found a new trick that he can get his man appendage to perform. There is also the habit that never goes away, of always checking to make sure it's there. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Fart jokes are always funny. Always. Even when you are in the middle of Coles and he lets one rip louder than a jumbo jet and stinkier than a day old cup of milk...he will think it's funny. You will generally want to crawl under a rock because there will always be a judgey mcjudger within ear shot that can hear him screaming at the top of his lungs 'MUMMY I FARTED'. Just smile and nod. The more you tell him to shoosh, the louder he'll yell. Every time.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The pile of 'house' clothes will always be bigger than the pile of 'good' clothes. Boys and toddlers in general seem to be big old magnets for dirt. I think the only time Devil Spawn is completely clean is the 30 secs it takes him to go from the bathroom to his room after a bath. </span><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">This is why we can't have nice things.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Do you have a boy? What are the things you are getting used to about having a son? </span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-32330533423624279452013-03-05T05:00:00.000+10:002013-03-05T05:00:00.975+10:00Jo-Baz Hair Colour Remover Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #741b47;">I received one Jo-Baz product to review. All opinions are my own.</span></i><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I have already tried the Jo-Baz straightening product so when I was given the opportunity to trial the colour remover I was excited. I have been dying my hair since I was 15. I was 'gifted' the awesome family genes that meant I started going grey at 13. Now at 24 I'm all salt and pepper. In the past I have gone with blue black as a favourite colour, which of course meant that it was next to impossible to go anything lighter. My one attempt at doing a home job of going lighter resulted in me having bright red roots and no change the rest of my hair. Going lighter was something I trusted to the professionals. My last hair dressing appointment took 4.5 hours to lighten and redye, so I was a little skeptical when this product boasted being able to remove colour in the same amount of time as a hair dye.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47;"> This is what my hair looked like when I started. The last colour that I put in was a Burgundy, which went from a nice purple to a kind of washed out reddish brown within a few weeks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47;"> According to the <a href="http://www.jo-baz.com.au/products/hair-colour-remover1" target="_blank">Jo-Baz website</a> the Hair Colour remover works on the artificial dye molecules in your hair by shrinking them and allowing them to be washed away. It is great for that colour that doesn't quite look how you want it or for when you want a quick change. It is available in Normal and Max Strength. Normal is used for medium tones, while Max is used for darker tones. The product that I used was the Max strength.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When reading through the instructions I was surprised with how straight forward it seemed. I wondered if it would be that simple. I was thankfully pleasantly surprised. It was in fact much easier than putting a dye through my hair. There were only a few simple steps and I was all finished in about an hour. Normally a hair dye takes me close to 45 minutes just to apply!</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">For the rinsing out the colour remover the instructions stated to take 5-10 minutes depending on the length of your hair. It was 5 blissful minutes of standing under the shower, no interruptions, alone. Letting the shower wash over my head. It was definitely my favourite part of the process.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">This is the colour that I was left with. I did notice as I was rinsing out my hair that it was quite dry on the ends. I think if the product included a conditioner, like the hair dye packs do then this would easily combat this. It actually did my oily roots some good thought so it wasn't all bad. I was quite happy with the results and would gladly use it again if I had a colour mishap.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-87251340929935220282013-03-04T05:11:00.000+10:002013-03-04T05:11:08.511+10:00I kinda suck at being a housewife<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I'm linking up again this week with Kirsty for 'I must confess'. This weeks prompt is 'What household chores do you hate most'. I'm really glad that Kirsty said chores because I think I would struggled to just come up with one. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Washing up:</b> Most of the time it's just Devil Spawn and I so I have to do the cooking AND the cleaning. I would be happy to cook dinner if it meant that I never ever had to wash up again. Sadly at 3.5, Devil Spawn is a little too young to start washing up. He loves playing in the sink but I don't think I would have any plates left afterwards!</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Clothes washing:</b> It really is the chore that seems never ending. There is the putting it on, hanging it out, taking it off the line and then the folding and putting away. It really should be outlawed. Although if you have my shitty washing machine, then there is an extra step of repositioning the clothes every spin.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Cleaning the toilet:</b> I actually didn't mind this up until recently. When it was generally only me using the toilet and because I remain seated for the whole experience I don't piss all over the floor. Now that Devil Spawn is toilet trained (well as well as any male can be) the toilet is cesspool of piss and skid marks.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Mopping:</b> I live in government housing. In someone's 'wisdom' the house I life in has cream tiles and lino. I live on a road that leads to the industrial area of town. So that means that there is fuck tonne of trucks going past at all hours of the day. That also means that my nice cream floors are a nice grey most of the time. Even 30 minutes after I mop. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Ironing</b>: I don't do it. Ever. I have an iron that I was given as a birthday present. Thanks Granny. I think my Mum has used it more often than I have. My desire to use it is so low that I don't even have an ironing board lest it be easier to use.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Taking the bin out:</b> I always forget (writing this post at 11pm actually reminded me) so have to do a mad dash at ridiculous o'clock to make sure it's on the gutter reading to be emptied. It always stinks. I usually do the mad dash while holding my breath. Did I also mention that I am scared of the dark. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">What are your most hated household chores? Head on over to <a href="http://www.myhometruths.com/" target="_blank">My Home Truths</a> and check out everyone's confessions!</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-54744303369511538972013-03-02T16:40:00.000+10:002013-03-02T16:40:40.310+10:00Generalisations Can be Harmful to Stigma: Psychiatric Hosptials<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">After <a href="http://www.babblingbandit.me/2013/03/australian-psychiatric-hospitals.html" target="_blank">BB</a> posted the link to the article of a person's account of their friends stay in a psychiatric hospital, it got me thinking. If you would like to read the article then it can be found <a href="http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-wellbeing/inside-a-psychiatric-ward-20130227-2f5id.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I really struggled with the gross over generalisations that were made in this article. Things that could easily be seem as scare mongering. Imagine being a person whose psychiatrist has suggested you have some time in a psychiatric ward and you read this article. It's likely to make you shy away from even thinking of the prospect. Being inside a psychiatric facility isn't easy, it's far from it but that is because you are working on issues that are plaguing your mind, stripping yourself bare and starting again. A psychiatric facility is sometimes the only safe place that you can do that.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I get the impression from the article that the writer's friend was in a private facility. Something that I have no experience with. There were somethings in the article that did ring true for a public hospital but they were still gross generalisations. I have seen patients who looked like walking zombies. These patients were violent when not medicated. I have also seen these patients months down the track, once the medication is settled and they are a completely different person. They have gone from a person with delusions, suicidal behaviour, someone who couldn't function in society, to someone who you could sit down and have a conversation with. They are someone who can string words together. They are the good outcome of the psychiatric facility. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Comparing the modern day facilities to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is just the tip of the iceberg. While some nurses and doctors really shouldn't be in the profession anymore as their passion is gone, this is no reflection on the end result that a stay in a psychiatric ward strives for. The author saw a glimpse in a persons journey. She had no idea how far they had come or how far they had to go. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The comments of the writer about her friend being 'normal' except for needing to be in a psychiatric facility are extremely harmful for the fight of stigma removal. Everyone is 'normal' until they suffer from life event that renders them helpless. There is no shame in needing to be hospitalised. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #741b47;">‘Everybody hates being here. People talk about killing themselves, not because they want to die but because they want to get out of the hospital’, said my friend Julie.</span></i><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I have no idea on the amount of times that I have been admitted but I would say it would be over 20 times. Some of these stays have been for a month at a time. Not once have I seen a patient express these words. I do wonder if they have been twisted. It was a common thread amongst depressed patients that they just wanted to get 'so that they could kill themselves' and so the hospital kept them in. It was not the hospital itself causing these thoughts, but the depression. They were already suicidal before coming into hospital and saw the people who were trying to help them as one more road block to their desire to be gone from this world.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The author of this article has no medical training, and yet commented on the medications that her friend was allowed to take. The Drs and Nurses in a psychiatric facility want things to run as smoothly as possible. They are not there to make your life difficult (even though it may seem like it when you are being admitted) but to keep you and the other patients safe. They will give you the medication that will fit your medical needs. Just because one med worked for another, does not mean that it will work for you. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">This whole article just did not sit right with me, especially being from the friend of a friend in a psychiatric facility's perspective. She was an outsider looking in. She had no idea the issues that the other women were facing, or why they looked scared and unsure. It can be pretty daunting to go into a strange place, even without suffering a mental illness. Add to the mix anxiety and you are bound to get a few people who look like a deer caught in headlights. It may have come across more realistic if the friend had written it. Seeing a glimpse of a ward, during visiting hours is not the same as staying in the ward.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The article has really done nothing to help the stigma that people feel about the 'looney bin'. It saddens me that in 2013, we are still facing such close minded views. Views of those people who are looking from the outside, and get to go home to their cookie cutter life at the end of the day, not realising the damage that their words have done. </span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-61267808756085475232013-02-28T18:26:00.000+10:002013-02-28T18:26:48.208+10:00You can keep your bandwagon <div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #741b47; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The trouble with being on social media is that you see every single bandwagon there is to be jumped on. I admit to jumping on a few, when they interest me or are something that I feel strongly about. What I don't like is being persecuted because I don't want in on the joy ride. I chose what I want to be outraged about, I don't need your opinion forced on me.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The latest outrage, if my twitter feed is anything to go by, seems to be the word Cunt. Apparently as women we need to start reclaiming this word. In simple terms the word cunt is used as a derogatory term for the female anatomy. So a feminist movement has started, saying that we need to reclaim this word from the men. What if we never lost it in the first place?<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's a word, a word has as much power as you give it. It may seem simple, but it's true. If I call you a cunt, chances are that I kinda like you. If I want to insult you I'm usually a little more inventive. It's not really a socially acceptable word, so if I feel comfortable enough around you to use it, then chances are I count you as one of inner posse.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I very rarely use the word Cunt as a derogatory term. When I do, I'm usually talking about a bloke and I'm not calling him a giant vagina. My meaning is that well, he's really not a person that is worth my time. Just like reclaiming this word. I've never lost it. I just don't give it the power that other women do. Cunt is certainly not the worst thing I have been called, far from it. Maybe though that is because well I just don't see the badness of it anymore.<br />When I was a teenager I hated the word, thought it was vile. Now? I just use it as an extra swearing describing word. It kind of makes conversations seem a little more exciting. To me anyway. The sentence 'The person was a little bit naughty so he needs to go over there, away from me', just doesn't sound the same without all of the describing words.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> So I won't be reclaiming the word in the name of feminism or any other cause because well I don't give the word the power that others do. To me it's just another word. <br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are your thoughts on the word cunt? Hate it, love it, or really couldn't care less?</span></div>
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Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-70955716819328369812013-02-28T06:00:00.000+10:002013-02-28T06:00:01.347+10:00Creamy Cheese Chicken Pasta<div style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I pretty much suck at all things housewife. Give me a hammer and some tools and I might be a bit more comfortable. When I do have a bit of a housewife win though I just have to share it with someone! You lucky devils! Today's housewife offerings are a recipe for Creamy Cheese Chicken Pasta. I got the basic recipe off the jar of Cheese Spread. Who knew you could use it to cook with!? Then I added my own little lazy housewife touches.<br /> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Creamy Cheese Chicken Pasta</span></b><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ingredients:</u><br /><b>Cheese Spread</b>. (Yes I'm serious, trust me on this)<br /><b>Mustard</b> (I used Honey Multigrain)<br /><b>Chicken Thighs</b>. ( I used two but if you are feeding more than 1 adult and a fussy toddler I would suggest more)<br /><b>Onion</b> (I used brown onion but it would be nice with spring onions or red onion)<br /><b>Ham</b> (or bacon)<br /><b>Splash of milk</b><br /><b>Veggies</b> (I say veggies but all I added was corn)<br /><b>Pasta</b> (Because I am mum to a toddler all we had was simpsons pasta, it would taste nice with macaroni though)<br /><b>Shredded Tasty Cheese.</b><br /><br /><u><b>Method:</b></u><br />1. Dice the chicken and place in a frypan. Cook until heated through. Put the pasta on at the same time. Or if you are lazy like me just chuck them in the microwave.<br />2. Add diced onion. Cook until onion is soft.<br />3. Add Veggies.<br />4. Add the Ham. If you chose to use bacon then it would probably be a good idea to add it earlier but ham is so much easier to use. <br />5. Add a splash of milk, 3 massive tablespoons of cheese spread and mustard to the frypan. <br />6. Mix well, until everything is coated nicely with the cheese spread mixture. <br />7. Add a hanful of shredded cheese and mix well. You will have a nice cheesy mixture.<br />8. Combine the pasta and cheesy chicken. <br />9. Take your pants off before consuming.<br /><br />This whole meal took me 20 minutes to make. If you wanted to cut a few corners you could use a cooked chicken. <br /><br /></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-18611931451061083292013-02-27T05:30:00.000+10:002013-02-27T05:30:00.173+10:00Tina's Pet Peeves. <div style="color: #741b47; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Today I have a great rant guest post from Tina of TinaGray{dot}me fame. She has a list of the things that drive her up the wall. Make her welcome and also go check out her site for more great posts! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US">A peeve or few</span></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">I remembered why it has been such a long
time since my last guest post. It's a lot of pressure! Not only do I need to
impress my own readers who will (hopefully) come over to read my post, but I
also have the readers of Tegan's blog to impress.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">If you've read just a couple posts on TGDM,
you'll know that I don't tend to write <b>~ahem~ </b>deep, thoughtful posts. I
like to think of my blog posts as fluffy. The type that you read and click away
smiling, thinking “awww” or “SO glad it's her and not me”. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">So I spent valuable shower time -because
it's the only place I can lock people out and have some alone time AND it's
usually the place my best ideas come to me – thinking about what I was going to
share with you.</span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">And after doing some research (read:
trawling through Tegan's archives) I noticed that Tegan doesn't mind a bit of a
rant, so I figured I'd just word vomit a bit for your pleasure. Even though it
still might seem fluffy to some. Heh.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">There are a few things that have been
pissing me off lately....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">One... <b>am I the only one who can't see
the Coles sign on the roof of my house?... </b>We've had neighbours (or their
kids) come knocking on our door asking for toilet paper, sugar, cups of milk,
money(!), and fly spray. Now don't get me wrong. I don't think there's anything
wrong with borrowing a cup of sugar from the neighbour occasionally but when
it's almost every week, and the same neighbours, it gets a bit tiresome. I shop
for MY family, not for the neighborhood.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Two...<span>
</span><b>empty beer bottles on the chest freezer</b>... the recycle bin Is.
Right. Next. To. The. Fucking. Freezer. Literally. Move your arm like 5cm to
the left, lift the lid of the bin and place your empties in there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7zootTMz58/USb-_C6auJI/AAAAAAAAAqU/PO72yu-tZ5Y/s1600/tina+grey.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i7zootTMz58/USb-_C6auJI/AAAAAAAAAqU/PO72yu-tZ5Y/s320/tina+grey.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Three... <b>trying to disguise sponsored
posts as guest posts</b> – don't email me and ask if you can “guest post” on my
blog and be sneaky by inserting links into the post for the company you are
working for. Your post is not a guest post. It is a sponsored post. If YOU get
paid for every post you manage to get posted, then YOU can pay<span> </span>for putting it on my blog.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Four... <b>teenage attitude</b>.... Good
God, I could write an entire post on this right now. One of my children is
about to hit thirteen and the attitude is starting to show. And the death
stares. And the chatting back. I usually ignore it with a passing comment that
I have three children older than her and I have already been there, done that.
Oh and I was a teenager once too. I know all the tricks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Five... <b>back stabbing “friends”</b>...
The problem with having “online friends” is that you don't REALLY know them.
Unless of course your relationship has gone beyond the interwebz and you hang
out with those friends often. I try to be nice to everyone and if anyone asks
for help, I will. If I can. But to be taken advantage of is really sucky. And
there really are no secrets on the interwebz. Excuse me if I am not so generous
with my time and knowledge any more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Six... <b>my Sharpies going missing</b>...
yes, it is enough for me to go psycho on you. Sure, you can borrow my things
but if I need to go looking for my own things, you will be in trouble.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">So there you have it. A bit of a snapshot
of what goes on in my head. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Now excuse me while I tend to the kid at my
door asking for a hole punch.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-US">Bio: When she's not blogging at <a href="http://tinagray.me/" target="_blank">Tina Gray {dot} Me</a>, she's being mum and wife,
trying to create a bit of organisation in Chez Gray, playing tourist in her own
town, taking lots of photos, eating sushi and playing music loud enough for her
teenagers to tell her to turn it down.</span></span></div>
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Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-44433342806437793652013-02-26T04:30:00.000+10:002013-02-26T04:30:00.634+10:00The Physical Side of Mental Illness<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">It's no secret that having a Mental Illness is fucking hard. It takes over every part of your life, until you start to wonder where you end and the illness begins. However what about the physical side effects. Not just the tiredness and lack of motivation, but the long term effects. The effects, that once you are stable on meds, still come back to bite you in the arse.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">A lot of people who have a mental illness need to be on medication to stay stable. For some people they will be on that medication for the rest of their life. These medications can have long term side effects. These can include softening of the enamel on your teeth, restless leg syndrome and sensitivity to sunlight. For these people there is no alternative. You take the medication that works the best with the least crappy side effects. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Another swell physical side effect of many anti-psychotics is weight gain and increased appetite. Yep because I hate my body enough already without ballooning to twice my size while deep throating the entire bakery because you just never quite feel full enough. When I was on zyprexa I put on 10kg in 7days while still exercising and eating how I normally do. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">When you can barely drag yourself out of bed every day, and most days you don't then the finer points of personal hygiene fall by the wayside. Teeth brushing falls to the wayside. Showers only when you need to leave the house. Food involves things that are easy to make, generally coming straight out of a packet. All of this, coupled with medication that softens the enamel on your teeth, means that a few years down the track your teeth are going to be shit. No amount of making up brushing will stop it because your teeth are the only part of your body that doesn't regenerate itself.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;">When I felt myself on the cusp of letting go, I would go walking, late at night, barefoot. I didn't care about myself and the damage that it was doing at the time. I would walk across glass, anything that would cause pain. As a result my feet are now super sensitive. Even standing in good shoes for longer than 30 minutes hurts. It feels like my bones are bruised. </span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">I have scars from my wrists to my shoulders. My arms are nothing but scar tissue. This makes a few things difficult. Taking blood was already a pain in the arse, now it's damn near impossible. Pregnancy was fun. I can never escape the looks. I love summer but feel more comfortable in Winter. I can wear long sleeves, I look like any 'normal' person. I don't have to deal with people who think that I am blind and can't see them pointing at me.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Do you suffer from a Mental Illness or does a family member? What are the long term side effects that you have witnessed.</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6844558941626805408.post-69886336281322042482013-02-23T15:01:00.000+10:002013-02-23T15:01:32.162+10:00Unofficial Guide to Twitter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wtfhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/grandma-meme-twitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://wtfhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/grandma-meme-twitter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Image from <a href="http://wtfhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/grandma-meme-twitter.jpg" target="_blank">here</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Even though the title says that this a 'guide' to twitter, it's not one of your run of the mill do as I say guides. I'm not interested in telling you about the etiquette of twitter because quite frankly I don't give a shit what you feel the need to post on your twitter. If I don't like it, then I unfollow you. If it's really dodgy then I will block you so that you cannot follow me. So if you feel the need to talk about that giant pimple on your arse then you go right ahead sunshine. It's your freaking timeline.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">So can you stop waffling on and tell us what this damn post is about already?, I hear you ask. It's about making the most out of twitter for you. That's right it's all about you. A lot of my friends don't understand twitter and find it quite boring. So that prompted me to write this little guide.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">1. Find some real people to follow. Twitter is about conversation so if everyone you are following is a celebrity and never replies to anything you ask or say to them, then it's going to be pretty boring. If you want to find out more about celebrities, just save yourself the hassle and buy a trashy magazine.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">2. Search for topics that interest you and you might find some tweeps that are interesting to you. There are over 2 million users on twitter. I'm sure you will find someone that tickles your fancy.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">3. Don't be afraid to get involved in a conversation. Like I already said Twitter is about conversation so get put yourself out there. You might just find some new people with similar values and interests to follow.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">4. Follow some parody accounts. Life is already too serious, we all need a bit of humour in our day.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">5. I know that I said that this wasn't a what not to do guide but this one has to be said. Don't click on those fucking links. You know the ones you get via DM or from half naked chick telling you she saw a cute photo of you? Yeh them. Don't click on them because they will spam everyone you follow and that's really not good for making people want to continue to follow you.</span><br style="color: #741b47;" /><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">What are your tips for people wanting to get the best out of twitter?</span></span></div>
Tegan Churchillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437605496110028625noreply@blogger.com0