MY LATEST DISCOVERY: PERFUME SAMPLES AND DECANTS

I'm an addict. A perfume addict (I can't stop drinking the stuff!!!) But in all seriousness, I buy too many perfumes to actually use up. I fall in love with one, buy a bottle, then get used to it and not reach for it as excitedly as I did when we first met. So I go sniffing around for another one. 

I discovered a way to ensure I don't have the problem of 3/4 full bottles, forgotten about because some other fragrance blend came by and flirted with my nose. This discovery also allowed me the opportunity to have a great variety of fragrances at my disposal without having to spend a lot of money to acquire them all.

I couldn't afford to buy all the perfumes I was lusting for recently - 2 were Hermes, the other was Chanel - but I desperately wanted to enjoy the smell of them on my skin whenever I wanted. It was a simple google search of "buy sample fragrances" that took me to Surrender to Chance.

I know you might be thinking "I can eeeeeasily just get a sample from the department store" but, my friend, I'm going to have to tell you that you are wrong on this one. Often they don't have them in stock, especially if they're super exclusive, niche or even just discontinued. But the real selling point for me personally is the actual size of the bottles. They range from your usual 1mL right up to 30mL so, in reality, you can buy more than just a "sample" of your favourite fragrance. As for cost, it's an efficient way to pay for the spray - often 30mL here will cost you less than the 30mL bottle in store.

I chose these 8mL samples (perfect for ye olde handbag), which apparently give me 115 sprays each. By the time I've used them up, I'll know which ones have become too familiar and which ones I'm going to need to invest in... I think I'm onto a good thing here, what do you think?

 

A TIME YOU THOUGHT ABOUT ENDING YOUR OWN LIFE - CHALLENGE DAY 4

I have not experienced this type of thought, but I believe mental health is something we need to be more comfortable talking about. I once had a period of depression in reaction to difficult life event and one of the things I remember was my parents urging me to speak to my GP. I really hadn't considered that as an option before. When you're at the lowest point in your life, it is easy to believe that no-one can possibly understand or help you, but unless you seek help, you can't possibly know that. Sometimes that prescription, that dialogue, that plan a therapist helps you implement, can make the biggest difference to how you feel and how you cope in tough times.

It's the same with my PNE (Pudendal Nerve Entrapment) - I see a physio and doctors every few months so they can see how I'm progressing and what we need to do moving forward. There's medication I know I have to take, exercises I need to do and lots of tears and venting in between. I wish this was the way we treated mental health; that we would realise it is just as important as our physical health and that if something isn't right, we can see someone about it.

Neglecting our mental health, just like our physical health, can have life or death consequences, so it seems obscene that we aren't taking it more seriously. Most of us experience depression at some point in our lives, so we have to ask why we aren't more candid in discussions about it? And what if it's someone we know that seems like they could be experiencing depression? If there was a suspicious looking mole on their face, we'd ask if they'd had it checked, urge them to get it checked, even. Why not mention if you've noticed a change in their emotional state too? 

As you will see below, suicide rates in Australia are a significant issue. But I know this is something we can all do something about. Sometimes it's as simple as just really being there for someone. I'll leave some links at the bottom of the page that I think are really useful and that we should all take time to read.

http://www.beyondblue.org.au

http://www.lifeline.org.au

http://au.reachout.com

http://www.sane.org/index.php

http://www.suicideprevention.com.au

MY VIEWS ON RELIGION (CHALLENGE: DAY 4)

I've found myself talking about topics I normally wouldn't address on my blog in this 30 Day Challenge. I'm not one to feel the need to express my views on such personal things as religion, politics or people's lifestyle choices in real life. As such, I hope you will take my beliefs here in the manner that they are intended, that is, I am merely sharing where I stand now because the challenge asks me to. I am not telling anyone who thinks differently to me that they are wrong, as I don't believe anyone on this earth is qualified to judge whose beliefs are right and wrong.

Today's challenge is to discuss my views on religion. Religion is a word that carries a lot of meanings and connotations, isn't it? I differentiate religion and organised religion because I believe you can have a set of beliefs that guide your life (your "religion") without being a member of an organised religious group. 

I find it very difficult to feel part of a group that holds certain beliefs that they won't change unless a majority of that group agrees they should. I generally feel it is far better to try to understand than to judge and often I feel that these organisations tend to come across as being judgemental. Some of these judgements I don't feel comfortable with and hence I can't say that I subscribe to their "religion", their interpretation of the bible (or other religious texts). This might explain why there are many different churches around that you can join or not join depending on what you believe.

I truly believe the bible to be one of the best guides to life ever written. Personally, I don't think it was meant to be taken literally. For instance, I take "God" to be a metaphor for a state of being. That is, God is wisdom, compassion, love, etc.

I haven't had a lot of exposure to other religions but I am sure their texts are similarly enlightening. I believe Jesus is no more divine or perfect than you or I have the potential to be. And I think Jesus Christ might have believed that too.

My approach to life is to do my best to make the world a better place. I love people even when it's hard to; I try to be compassionate and not judge people. I don't think I need to be a member of an organised religion to do be the person that the great teachers Buddha, Muhammed, Jesus etc told me I could be. This pretty much sums it up for me:

MY VIEWS ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL (CHALLENGE DAY 3)

I love these 30 Day Challenge posts because not having appropriate accompanying photographs gives me an excuse to share my favourite music on the blog. 

If there is one thing I can say about illegal drugs and alcohol it's that they can be harmful to your brain. I am all about looking after one's brain: it's your very best asset! For some people, the short and long term effects of drugs and alcohol will be worse than for others. I know even after one drink, my memory isn't anywhere near as good as when I am sober. Marijuana is not for me personally - I've had it a few times in my life and most times it made me paranoid and fearful. But I do know that it isn't as addictive as any of the other drugs, including coffee (which I am addicted to).

I think Australia has a terrible culture of binge drinking.
I know people who can drink in moderation, who can say no to another glass, who don't change at all after a drink. But for every moderate drinker I know, there are a good half dozen binge drinkers and I know plenty of people who have struggled with alcoholism. I think that alcoholism goes undetected in a lot of cases because drinking to excess or on a regular basis is seen as normal in our country. I have seen a lot of ugly sights when it comes to binge drinking in Australia. I've seen countless fights, some that end in blood and bruising. I've seen people vomiting in the street. I've seen young girls in the emergency department, too drunk to walk, legs wide open, vomiting all over themselves. It's a state no-one wants to be in, but it happens every weekend to vast numbers of people.

Alcohol can tear apart families in the same way heroin can.
I've been in AA meetings and Alateen meetings. I've heard children of alcoholics tell their stories and seen the heartbreak on their faces. I would like to see more conversation about the way we drink in Australia. I would also like people to understand that alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs out there and what it really means to "drink responsibly". 

In the same way we have changed our attitudes about tobacco and junk foods, we need to do with alcohol. I think one of the best things in my childhood was the fact that my parents never drank when we were growing up. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like as a child to see them change under the influence. It was in my early teens that they actually did drink in front of us and I honestly wish they held out for a few more years because I think we got used to seeing drinking/drinking behaviour and didn't see it as an issue by the time we had our first drinking experiences.

As well as taking an ice cream scoop to your brain, you might as well put a gun to someone's head somewhere along the drug trail every time you take illegal drugs.
The more people buy illegal drugs, the more they perpetuate cartel activity, violence, corruption...

I fear that legalising drugs increases access to them and their potential ill effects. Not everyone is a responsible user. Not everyone can exercise moderation. We can't predict what will happen to each individual when they consume drugs. Having said that, I believe that marijuana has been proven to be excellent in managing many illnesses and I don't have a problem with it being made legal for medicinal purposes.

Drugs such as ice, heroin and cocaine I really wish did not exist at all. Alcohol, marijuana and pills aren't anywhere near as addictive as these things. You might think "just this once" but when you invite them in, sometimes there's no turning back. I know lots of people who can't have a night out without having a craving for cocaine. If they've got easy access to it, most people who have tried once will want it again. Same goes for heroin and ice. Very troubling stuff.

Drug addiction is one of the saddest things to ever witness. I have met a guy who stole from his own grandmother, a woman who sold her body, to fund a heroin habit. Can you imagine watching your father, mother, sister, brother or the love of your life going down this path? It has to be one of the most depressing things in the world. You don't need me to tell you about the sadness or angst that people experience when someone they love is gripped by addiction. You've all heard the stories of mothers and fathers answering the door to the police, who are there to tell them that their son or daughter is now dead from a drug overdose.

I think, as a society, we need to have more open conversations about drugs and alcohol. People from all walks of life take recreational drugs "just for fun" but no-one talks about it. Some people feel drugs are unnecessarily stigmatised, while others could tell you about the weird/dangerous/shameful/regretful things they've done while under the influence and put you off for life. I don't think we should be afraid of letting these conversations take place, if only for the comfort in knowing that people will be better equipped to make informed decisions.