Nightwolf's Den

When I saw Tina of Tina Gray {dot} Me mention a 30 day photo challenge I thought I might join in.

Day 1: Anything; whatever you want. Miss K playing with her new slippers

Day 2: Something that makes you smile. Twitter (I <3 my Twitter buddies)

I most likely won’t share my photos everyday but I’ll be back at the end of the month to share my photos with you. And I’ll be sharing daily on Instagram. Let me know if you are playing along so I can check out ur pics (or follow u on instagram)

(The idea & questions for my round up come from Katie the Scrapbook Lady.)

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

The Art Journal Workshop by Traci Bunkers
What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?
Tv – True Blood, AFL, Q and A 
What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
Went & checked out the new stand, change rooms & corporate boxes @ Aurora Stadium
What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Started Xmas shopping for Miss K. Got given some new clothes from mum. Gave Mum a Pandora bead as a late birthday pressie. 
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Early Xmas presents at Target Toy sale. A new starter motor for the car.
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
Had post op check up. All is well 😀 Miss K cut her knee open.
What were my accomplishments this month?
Getting some sites finished. Making some new contacts in the PR world. Getting the review part of my blog done. 
What were my disappointments this month?
Not getting any scrapbooking done. Not keeping up with HabitHacker. Planning to start it again on 1 August. 
How did I do on my goals for the month? 
Journal every day Check Do some scrapping & art journaling Did some art journaling Exercise at least 3 times a week. Um nope Try and keep the house a bit cleaner Failing on this again Organise at least one scrapping day with mum Nope
Anything else noteworthy to include?
Had some wild weather, lots of wind.

Back up all digital pictures. DONE
Format memory cards. DONE
Sort all July photos into 2011 folder. DONE
Make a backup copy of the photos onto my desktop computer and EHD. DONE
Backup any other documents or files as needed. DONE
Backup my blogs. DONE
Clean off my work area, empty my inbox, and clean up my computer files.  DONE
Update LYM Logbook from Momento app
Print August pages for LYM Logbook

Goals for August
Journal every day.
Do some scrapping & art journaling
Exercise at least 3 times a week.
Try and keep the house a bit cleaner – start Habit Hacker again
Organise at least one scrapping day with mum

Site: http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/
About: Pin anything that catches your eye: memorable meals, places to visit, or great shopping finds! Pinterest is a virtual pinboard or multiple pinboards as the case may be.
Get it through iTunes
Cost: Free

What I think: Ok so I’m a little obsessed by Pinterest. It’s a bit of the latest thing for many bloggers at the moment. I love the fact you can create multiple boards
I like: being able to see what others have pinned. It’s also pretty much the same as the site which is great.
What I’d like to see: honestly can’t think of anything
What I don’t like: that the app can occasionally crash back to the home screen while surfing other boards.

(I started this post last night but couldn’t find the words I wanted to finish it. A day away from the net does wonders for blog posts)

There is such a stigma surrounding the word. Addict. Such negativity. Sometimes a lot of hate. Yesterday I saw the news (on Twitter of course) about the death of singer Amy Winehouse. And lots of negativity about her on twitter & the net, most because she was an addict. Now I must say I am not a real fan of her music (I admit I really dislike Rehab) but will say she was talented. Another member of The 27 Club. Joining others like Hendrix, Joplin & Morrison. But this post is not about them. It’s about the ones we never hear of. The unknowns. The ones who die and no one but friends and family know or care. The ones who die & don’t make headlines.

May of us know someone with an addiction, be it drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex. A smaller number of us know of someone who has been seriously injured or died because of this addiction. Others of us have lived through addiction first hand. I am one of those.

I was an alcoholic and drug addict before I turned 18. I woke up to find my boyfriend of the time dead of a drug overdose the day after his 18th birthday. Many said I wouldn’t make my 18th, then my 21st. (Well I’m 33 and still here ) Addicts come from so many different backgrounds. I came from a good home. My parents were (& still are) happily married. I wasn’t abused. I made the choice to start using drugs. Every addict, at one point makes the choice to start the addiction. Many make the choice to ask for help. Sadly many don’t ask, or don’t get the chance to ask for help.

I first started taking drugs to fit in with some friends, many of which I am still friends with (some sadly are no longer with us). I spiralled deeper into drug & alcohol use and became deeply depressed. I used drugs & alcohol to numb myself and because I was convinced I needed them to have a good time. Loosing my then boyfriend should have been a wake up but no I kept using & drinking. I have had many occasions where I can’t remember the evening, what happened, how I got home, who I went home with. I have many occasions I regret. There are a couple of times where I lost days (& apparently had a stomach pump that I don’t recall).

I last touched drugs (the non prescribed kind) in 2003. I gave up smoking in 2005 and the last drink I had was before I was pregnant with Miss K. Well actually I did have a small glass of something on my birthday but it was only one glass – I’m a cheap drunk now LOL I made the choice that my life was worth living and I made the choice to get clean. I don’t judge those who are still addicts. I offer support by means of an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or support should they choose to try and get clean. I also support families of addicts because they are often judged because of the action of the addict (I know this from experience). The families are often forgotten. We need to support them too.

When Miss K asks I will tell her the truth about what I got up to when I was younger. I will warn her of the dangers. I will let her know I am always around if she needs to ask something. I will tell her not to give into peer pressure. Doing drugs is not cool. Sadly I feel some musicians, movie stars & TV stars can make it look cool. I feel as parents, we need to let our kids know that drugs aren’t cool and that there are real consequences. Deaths like those of Winehouse can bring that home.

To finish off this rambling post I want to link up to two great posts.

The first by celebrity Russel Brand. Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter. Brand is also a self confessed former heroin and sex addict and a recovering alcoholic. This post about Amy Winehouse is beautifully written. I love the quote ‘We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government funds rehabilitation.’ So true.

The second is by fellow mum blogger Tutu Ames (she is awesome – you should check out her blog & follow her on Twitter). It’s an amazing post by an amazing woman. She says ‘Judge me on my past and you could be judging your neighbour, best friend, boyfriend, sibling, parent or yourself. If you judge someone on their addiction ask yourself why? If you aren’t an addict or alcoholic count yourself lucky that you can stop at your second glass of wine.’ I love that.

For more information about drug & alcohol addiction and how you can help yourself or someone you know please check out ADIN

This post is part of Product Talk by Nuffnang

Time for us to get personal.

I have dry skin. No, that’s not correct, I have super dry skin. Desert dry skin even.

Image source

You know the type of skin that sucks up moisture & then is dry again. That itches cause it is dry so you scratch, lots. Bad habit I know. That’s my legs & the result of the scratching? Still dry legs with lots of scars and a rather dry sad looking tattoo.

I’ve seen doctors & skin specialists and they all tell me I just have super dry skin & to moisturize frequently. Cue the long list of products I’ve tried, both cheap & not so cheap. Most work for a few days then seem to leave my legs as dry. One or two even made my skin worse *sigh*
I was given an excellent product when I was pregnant with miss K (& it was used on my belly as well. Credit it as the reason I didn’t get stretch marks) as a gift. Went to buy some more but it’s a little out of our budget.

I was recently given the chance to try Vaseline Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion

The product arrived. A pump pack. One plus already. On the nightstand so I can use it b4 bed. I’ve since had to move it to the bathroom so a) Miss K can’t reach it and b) I can use it of a morning after my shower. I’m going to try it for a week, morning and night and get back to you with what I think….

Ok so it’s a week later, what do I think?

Positives
Comes in a variety of sizes. So one for the bag, one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. heck maybe even one in the kitchen – might stop dishwasher hands
Price – it’s not very expensive (200mL: RRP: $ 4.99, 375mL: RRP: $ 7.29, 750mL: RRP: $ 10.99)
Smells nice.

Negatives
Left my hands feeling a little icky for a few minutes after use
Miss K keeps stealing it lol

Verdict. After using it for a week, both morning after my shower and at night before bed, I have noticed a big difference in my skin. It’s nowhere near as itchy as it used to be and doesn’t feel anywhere near as dry. I plan on keep using it and may even replace my regular hand cream with it.

Image Source

Disclaimer – I was provided a pump pack of Vaseline Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion for the purpose of review. All opinions above are my own.

but I can’t share it yet. but I will soon.

Sometimes I wished I lived on the mainland. I mean I love living in Tassie but then things like Nuffnang Blogopolis, Digital Parent Bloggaroke and the Organic Expo & Green Show International 2011 come along. Maybe I just need to become rich so I could fly over to these things

But back to the reason for this post – the Sydney Organic Expo & Green Show International 2011.

I try where ever I can to buy organic and I try to live green (but in no way consider myself to be a Greenie – a bit of a hippy/spiritual/goddess yes). I grow my own vegies, well when I have a veg garden (it’s on my list of things to do in our back yard – I’m growing veggies in pots atm). We recycle as much as we can. Miss K wore reusable nappies until recently – I need to find eco friendly disposables or just buy some new reusables. I can’t bring myself to use moon cups or the like yet. I love going to organic/sustainable living/green expos and finding out ways I can impact a little less on the environment. When I found out about the Organic Expo & Green Show I knew I had to check it out. Shame I can’t get there

The Organic Expo & Green Show International is returning to Sydney for it’s 7th year. There are over 200 exhibitors predicted to take part this year. Exhibitors will be representing the very best from fashion, beauty, health, food & wine, gardening and much more.

I checked out the website & there are some awesome presentations & guest speakers including Tobie Puttock, Costa Geogiadis, Kylie Kwong and many more. Things I’d love to check out (if I was going) would be the Foods the harm and foods that heal presentation by Holly Davis and Kylie Kwong Freestyle (I LOVE Kylie, so does my Dad). Then in the Speaker’s Corner I’d check out Natural Mama – Before, During & After Birth with Dr Sarah Lantz and Gardening 101 with Jerry Coleby-Williams.
AND there’s the Organic Kids Fun Zone and the Organic Vineyard.

So when & where is the Expo? Saturday August 6 (10.00am-6.00pm) and Sunday August 7 (10.00am-5.00pm) at Hall 3, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

Why visit the Sydney Organic Expo & Green Show International? At the Organic Expo & Green show you can indulge your senses in so many ways with an extensive range of exhibitors showcasing the very latest in green and organic products from all over the world.

Where can I buy tickets & how much will it cost me to go? You can buy tickets online (& go into the draw for an exclusive Meet & Greet with Kylie Kwong). Ticket costs are as follows:
General Pass $18
2 Day Pas $30
Family $55 (2 adult + 2 concession)
Concession $15 (kids 12-16 yrs & holders of senior, full-time student & disabled ID cards – proof may be required)
Under 12 years FREE (proof may be required)

I’ve been given the opportunity to give three of my readers a double pass to the Sydney Organic Expo & Green Show 2011. The double pass will be valid for EITHER Saturday August 6th or Sunday August 7th.
What do you have to do to enter? Leave me a comment sharing your favourite organic recipe or green tip. Tweet or Facebook about the competition (& then come back & leave me a note) for an extra entry. AND if you have a question for Garden Guru Costa Georgiadis* leave that too (I’m hoping to do an interview with him soon) for yet another entry.
The winners will be chosen by a random drawing. Tickets will be held at the Trade Registration & Ticket Collection Booth for the winners to pick up. This competition is open to Australian residents only. Competition closes 20th July 2011 – extended by one week

* Costa Grogiadis is an Australian landscape architect and television personality, best known as the host of the SBS TV gardening show, Costa’s Garden Odyssey.

Disclaimer: I have received no monetary compensation for this blog post. I was given the opportunity to give three readers tickets to the Expo and decided to write about it as it is something that interests me & hopefully a few of you

(The idea & questions for my round up come from Katie the Scrapbook Lady.)

1. What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
   Finally finished That’s What I’m Talking about by Shane Crawford
2. What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?
   TV – True Blood, S**t my Dad says, The Glee Project, Sarah Jane Adventures 
   Movies – I am Number Four
3. What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
   Celebrated Mum’s birthday
4. What gifts did I give and/or receive?
   Gave/received a iPod Touch (hubby & I bought one to share)
5. What special or unusual purchases did I make?
   New cases & PSUs for our PCs. an iPod Touch
6. What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
   Had a small op at the beginning of the month. Nothing serious
7. What were my accomplishments this month?
   Getting some blog rebuilds done.
8. What were my disappointments this month?
   Tas Govt agreeing to North Melb playing games in Hobart.
9. How did I do on my goals for the month?
   Managed to do a fair bit of art journaling. Still journaling everyday. No exercise due to surgery (no exercise for 6 weeks!). Still managing to keep house clean
10. Anything else noteworthy to include?
    In laws had 5 weeks in the US. Miss K had first hair cut

Tasks to do
Back up all digital pictures. DONE
Format memory cards.
Sort all June photos into 2011 folder. DONE
Make a backup copy of the photos onto my desktop computer and EHD. DONE
Backup any other documents or files as needed. DONE
Backup my blogs. DONE
Clean off my work area, empty my inbox, and clean up my computer files.  DONE
Update LYM Logbook from Momento app

Goals for July
Journal every day. Note to self – Print out LYM 2011 logbook pages for July
Do some scrapping & art journaling
Exercise at least 3 times a week.
Try and keep the house a bit cleaner – working on this with HabitHacker
Organise at least one scrapping day with mum

Finally getting around to taking part in Yay for Home’s Things I know.

This week I know

• no matter how hard I try, Miss K will not have two day sleeps

• hubby will always be out when I need him (& have forgotten his mobile)

• this letter from singer Pink is amazing. Willow is a cutie too

• that if I plan to have some me time, something always comes up

• I love Twitter & the new friends I have made because of it

• and the amazing blogs I have found

So there you have it. That’s what I know this week.

Hoping to have a #saturdayscrap tomorrow on Twitter. Feel free to join us.