Friday, October 26, 2018

Going Mental: Learn about Mental Health

October is Mental Health Awareness Month.  It's an important issue for us to talk to about.

I have already shared a little of my Mental Health Journey (I have depression and several members of my family have mental health issues) so  I want to discuss Mental Health in a broader sense.  I won't be able to touch on everything, but I will point you in the direction of more information if you want it.  Please stay tuned!

Let's focus for a moment.

Mental Health is a person's condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being (from Oxford Dictionary).  You could have good mental health and you can have a mental illness or mental health difficulty.  Everyone in their lifetime will be affected by mental illness.  If they don't have a mental heath problem, they will know or love someone who does.

Good Mental Health is about living life, coping with stress, working or studying, being involved in the community and having good emotional and social wellbeing.  It doesn't mean that you are never sad or angry.  It means that you can manage your emotions.  It doesn't mean that everything is perfect.  It means that you can handle it when things don't go right (I took this from the Headspace Mental Health Webpage).

This Pin sums it up fairly well.  

Mental Illness or Mental Health issues can be minor or major.  They can be short-term or long-term and can have a lasting impact on your relationships, work, finances and physical health.  In fact, your mental health can have a huge impact on these other aspects of life in the short-term and long-term.

If you are over the age of 30 you will probably remember a time when Mental Health/ Illness was only discussed in hushed tones and never admitted to openly in a public setting.  There was a great stigma attached to mental illness.

Some people over the age of 40 might remember the idea of stress leave being a bit of a joke.  People who had "stress" were just 'weak' and needed to just get on with it.  Pick themselves up and move on.  Anxiety, Depression and Stress were unheard-of and when they became to the forefront of public knowledge you might remember they were pooh-poohed as exaggerated and not quite real.

If you are over 50, you will probably remember a time when mental illness was an extreme situation.  When the only public concept of mental illness was of someone being admitted to a mental institution for treatment.  Medication, electric shock, straight jackets, padded rooms and other things we don't like to think about were considered "therapy".  Everyone else had to just deal with it. 

I'm glad we have come a long way from those days.  However, I know that about 80% of our population still has many misconceptions about mental health and mental illness.  Mental Health is a complex issue and while there might be misdiagnosed and unnecessarily medicated people out there, many people who claim to have a mental illness actually have one.  Mental Illness comes in many shapes and sizes, it can be mild or severe.  Mental Health is different for everyone and what works for some may not work for others.  There is lots of research and there will be more, I'm sure.

If you want more information about Mental Health and tips for staying Mentally Healthy, check out these links.
5 ways to Stay Mentally Healthy (powerofpositivity.com)
Mental Health Month Events (Australia)
15 things to give up and heaps of Infographics about maintaining your Mental Health (theWHOot.com)

If you have a mental illness or you know someone who does and you are looking for help, check out these links (all Australian services)
Headspace is an organisation focusing on the Mental Health of young people. You can talk to someone or just explore the site and get the information you need.
Beyond Blue focuses on depression and anxiety. The link will take you to the Get Help page, but you can explore the site for more information too.
Lifeline phone numbers for crisis support, resources or to donate to the cause.


Don't Judge. Be Kind to everyone, including yourself.
Until Next Time..





Friday, October 19, 2018

Why I'm Joyful


Earlier this month, I was asked to speak at my church on the topic of Reasons to be Joyful and why a particular verse encourages me to be Joyful.  Below, is a transcript of what I said (almost).  You might know some of this story if you have read my blog for a long time.  It might fill in some gaps for you too.  Here goes...
There are some things you need to know about me…

1.     I have a medical condition which causes chronic pain.  I experience physical pain every day.  (I’ll tell you more about that in a minute).

2.     I have clinical depression.

3.     I am a learning support teacher in a high school.  I work with students who struggle to perform academically in school (for various reasons).

How’s it going, am I sounding joyful yet?

I know it’s easy to be joyful when things are going great.  Today I’m going to talk about being joyful when things are tough. 

Here’s my story.  I grew up the Salvation Army and my family has always been an active part of our church.  In my late teens, I began getting headaches (everyday).  I spent a lot of time going to doctors, physios and specialists.  I tried lots of alternative medicines and treatments.  The doctors eventually put it down to a combination of issues and put me on some medication which helped but it didn’t really solve the problem. 

In my teen years and my early twenties, I was an active member of my local corps.  I played in the band, I was the timbrel leader, I was a SAGALA leader and a youth group leader.  I was at university and later at work during the day.  Most nights I was at church or doing something at home that was for a church activity.  My worship was in my service.  I was joyful and busy.

In my mid-twenties (about 10 years later), symptoms began to spread and I started experiencing pain in my joints and my neck.  After lots more doctors and tests and about 3 or 4 years of failed attempts to fix it, the medical profession got its act together.  They worked out that I have a disorder which means that my brain perceives pain differently to ‘normal’ brains.    The long and the short of it is that everyday activities can cause me debilitating pain.  We soon learned that my Dad had a similar condition, although the cause of his pain was clear (cancer and diabetes), while the cause of my condition wasn’t.  I was unable to work for some time.  I found that many activities I had once enjoyed were now practically impossible.  This condition has no cure and it often leads to depression.  Of course, I was no exception… I had some very dark days, weeks, months.  Treatment is focused on helping those with chronic pain accept their illness and focus on having some quality of life. 

This was a struggle for me and I was confronted with making choices between what I wanted and what was best for my health.  Playing the drums or playing the cornet caused me to be in bed for two days – or worse struggle with work and take pain medication that made me dopey.  Playing my timbrel meant wearing a wrist brace and taking strong pain medication to be able to write my name the next day (which was hard as a teacher). Sometimes even eating with a knife and fork was exhausting. Having a shower meant that I needed to lie down for an hour afterwards.  There are still times when I over do things and I need to limit the time I spend doing things.  I’m in a much better place now.  I have a wonderful team of medical professionals who work together to help me balance medication, specific and modified exercises, going to work and having a life.  It still need to avoid some things but, in general I’m okay. 



I had to learn how to live my life differently.  I have spent a lot of time with doctors, nurses, physios I read lots of books, pamphlets, websites and journals to learn about my illness.  I spent a lot of time with my Bible to learn about healing and why God doesn’t heal everyone.  I learned where I could get some of that peace that passes understanding.   I didn’t know it, but all that time I spent learning how to live with my illness was preparing me for the most important thing I’ve done in my life.



Most of you knew my Dad.  Most of you know that he was promoted to Glory (he passed away) in January 2017 after a long battle with cancer.  The cancer was caused by kidney/liver disease which was caused by diabetes.  I had the privilege of living with Mum and Dad in the last few years of Dad’s life and caring for him alongside my Mum.  All the time I had spent with doctors, all the reading I had done, all the medication I had taken and learned about, all the dark days and all the strategies for managing my pain and my life, became priceless knowledge and experience.  I was comfortable to speak with Dad’s doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.  I was not afraid to ask questions, because I had learned how to do that for myself.   I was able to manage all of Dad’s medications.  I could work with the physio to help Dad with exercises to improve his mobility.  I knew lots of strategies for managing pain and living with pain. I used everything I had learned to help Dad make the best of his last days.  I was also able to use many of the skills I had learned in SAGALA.  The best program in the Salvos!  I still had hard days and I still grieved for my Father.  It was hard to watch my hero get confused and frail.  However, I was equipped to make that difficult time easier for Mum and Dad and it was an absolute privilege to serve them in that way.  I thank God for that. 

You might be wondering what all this has to do with God’s promises and being joyful. 

James 1:2 says “Dear brothers, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”

When I have had dark days or difficulties, it has been hard to be joyful and reading James during my most difficult times really challenged me.  However, I see in my life where God has used my difficulties to help others.  So, when I hit a rough patch, I cling to God’s promises and ride out the storm, knowing that God has a purpose - even if I can’t see it. 

I have to say that this verse in Psalm 145 is not one of the Bible verses that I recite or re-read when I am having a hard time or need to remind myself to get it together and smile. However, it has been ingrained in me that the Word of God is True and I can trust every promise I read in it.  So, this verse is the reason I know all the other verses are true.  I can memorise them, or have them hanging over my bed or keep them in my phone as reminders.    

It’s true that I can be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).  Jeremiah 29:11-13 is true when it says that God has a plan for my life and when I seek him I will find him.  Lamentations 3:23-24 is true when it says that the Lord’s mercies begin afresh each morning (I read this one every morning and claim it over my day).  Romans 8:18 is true when it says that “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.” I can be joyful in the valleys because I know this is only temporary. Philippians 4:19 is true when it says that God will meet all my needs and I don’t worry about paying my bills or buying the things I need.  I know that in this world I will have trouble, but I can take heart because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). 

I want you to know that there are some wonderful things happening in my life.  I have a loving and supportive family.  I have caring Christian friends who encourage me and pray for me.  I have a comfortable place to live with a roommate who makes me laugh everyday (in case you don’t know, I live with my mum). I have a job that pays well and challenges me. I have access to the best medical care in the world.  I have everything I could possibly need. 

This verse encourages me to be joyful because it reminds me that I can trust in my Lord and Saviour.  I’m joyful because my joy doesn’t come from the ‘good’ stuff in my life.  I’m joyful because my Joy comes from Jesus!

Friday, October 12, 2018

7 things you need to know about travelling with Chronic Pain

I planned on writing a list of travel tips for Chronic Pain sufferers.  As a woman with Chronic Pain, I think I have a unique perspective of this issue.  These days, before writing a blog post, I tend to do some research (And by "research", I mean a "Pinterest Search") after which, I found lots of pins that linked to lots of articles about the mighty people who have chronic illness and travel the world.  Some of them are linked below.  If you think some of the items on this list seem a bit obvious to you, that's okay.  It might be worth sharing this with someone who plans to travel with someone who has a chronic illness so they know what you do. 

1. It's worth the extra money!

Chronic Illness comes with Chronic Complications and they don't take a vacation just because you do. Yes, a 4 star hotel is a bit more costly, but it's worth it to sleep in a comfortable bed and have a bathroom that is steps from said bed. Yes, taxi's might cost more than the bus or a leisurely walk to explore the town.  However, if that walk exhausts the chronically ill to the point that they can't enjoy the restaurant, museum or tourist attraction, pay the extra cash for the taxi.  There are a lot of things that you could save money on, but don't scrimp on the first day if it means the next three days will be spent in bed. 

2. Plan for your Illness

You will get tired.  You will need to take your medication.  You will need to stay hydrated and eat nutritious food.  It's worth carrying the extra bag with water bottles and a bag of nuts or fruit.  It's important to have all your medications with you (even the 'just in case' ones) and prescriptions for them.  Plan for time to rest.  Plan for the pain or other problems that might arise from a long plane or car trip.  Do your research before you go and use this to help you plan a great experience. Check in with your Medical Team during the planning stages and take their advice on board.  Check out these tips from Probe Around the Globe. 

3. It's okay to be sick/ sore/ ask for help

This is true and important all the time but especially when you are travelling.  Accept the special assistance offered at the airport, let your friends carry your extra bag, get the lift instead of the stairs, sit or lay on the ground if you can't wait until you get to a bed. Accept that this is what you NEED and remember that this is supposed to be a great experience for you too.  Don't be afraid to take care of yourself and let someone know if you need help. Check out these tips from Pins and Procrastination. 

4. Choose your Travel Buddy Wisely

We often don't tell people what we are really feeling. I get it.  Choose travel companions who understand your illness (or make sure they understand it before you leave). Make plans together and schedule time for you to rest.  Make sure your companion has important information about your medications, sleep aids and the best ways they can help you if you fall to pieces (AKA need help). Frugal First Class Travel has some very helpful information (from a medical practitioner) about medications and medical info you should have with you when you travel. 

5. Start Small

When planning to travel, make sure you know what you can handle.  Everyone's body has limits.  Know your limits.  Try a day trip and see what happens to your body.  Try an overnight trip that's closer to home.  Take a 3 hour flight and stay for a few days before you plan a long haul flight.  Learn from the experience.  Caravan Sonnet has some great tips about Cruising with a chronic condition. 

6. Stay Flexible

Things may not go according to plan.  Things will probably not go according to plan. Be prepared for it and let it go. Check out Travel to Recovery for advice from a woman who has travelled internationally with Fibromyalgia.  

7. Have Fun

Travel should be fun and educational! Relax and remember that the goal is for you to have a great time.  If that means being in bed at 8:30pm, so be it.  Enjoy what you can, but don't push yourself.  


Happy Travels


Friday, October 5, 2018

World Card Making Day 2018!

Did you even know this was a thing?
Me neither.  At least, not until last year when my Aunty hooked me up.  ;) Thanks, Aunty Crafty (see what I did there?).

World Card Making Day is the first Saturday in October, every year.  Who knew? Lots of stamp and crafting companies have big sales to celebrate! The card makers of the world, unite (let me say, they are often found in groups, so uniting isn't a great stretch for them, ha) and celebrate the joy of paper crafting.  I would add, that these people celebrate every time they get mail, so they're really good at it! Everyone in the world can send a handmade card in October.  It doesn't have to be as gorgeous as mine (stop, I'm blushing) you can knock something up with markers and construction paper.  It's the thought that counts.

It's not news to the regulars around here that I make cards.  I fit into all of those card maker stereotypes.  I also love crafting at home, in the quiet and sometimes I celebrate when there isn't even any mail.  However, I have to admit, I love sharing my insane love of paper and ink and pretty things with others who understand me. I also love introducing people to the craft and teaching them all about it.  That could just be the teacher in me who loves to boss people around.  Lol.

Anyway, you didn't come here to hear me rant about how much I love the smell of freshly trimmed cardstock in the morning.  Oh, how I love it.  You want to see some cards... right?

My First Shaker Card


I will admit that I practiced this before I did the real thing. Nope, I'm not going to show you the disaster that preceded this triumph.  This was high pressure, as I wanted it to be just right and (of course) things didn't go exactly to plan.  However, I'm very pleased with myself.  I used Lawn Fawn's Year Two stamp set for the sentiment and the Dare2BArtzy Soccer stamp set for the "1".  I performed a bit of stamp surgery... it's okay I used anaesthetic... to cut the number away from the hashtag.  It fits back together perfectly and I have used it in both forms since making this card and it's all fine.  Chill.

The background is a patterned paper I bought about a decade ago (no, I don't know the name of the paper pack or where I bought it). The shaker elements were an assortment of sequins from various places that I just had in my stash.  Most of them were from my local discount variety store.  For the acetate part of the shaker, I used an old overhead transparency.  My mum brought home a big pack of about 200 from her work, instead of throwing them in the bin.  I have enough acetate to keep me busy for a LONG time.

Here is the coolest thing about this card... and proof that you really can just use what you have at home.  See those big silver discs in the shaker... those are from a shirt I bought a few years ago, and when they started falling off, I realised I could use them on my cards as embellishments.  So, I saved them.  Then, I started cutting more off the shirt.  It was ruined anyway.   No one will ever know.  Except you and me.  But you're not gonna tell.

I used a rounded rectangle die and a stitched circle die to make the white card panel (using Neenah Solar White cardstock).  Inks are from the one and only Catherine Pooler: It's a Girl and Party Dress.
That's that.  Yes, there is a lot to making this card.  It's so worth it, though.  I used 3M foam tape and Ranger multi-medium matte as my adhesive.
If you are interested in making a shaker card, check out these tutorials. I found them all very helpful!
Catherine Pooler makes a shaker card (10 minute video)
Another Shaker card with Catherine Pooler (7-8 minute video)
Justine Hovey's shaker card (6-7 minute video)
Kristina Werner's shaker card tips (6-7 minute video)

Phew... now for Card #2.

Baby Boy Congratulations Card!


Inspired by this pin

My Mum asked me to make a card for her to send to some friends of ours who have recently become grandparents.  So exciting! She wanted Blue for a Boy.

I used a circle punch and cut two circles.  One from blue card stock and one from blue and white wrapping paper I had in my stash.  I then held them together and cut a triangle shape from both circles using scissors.  I decided the blue and white paper looked a bit odd, so I used an ink blending tool to lightly cover the paper in "Something Borrowed" ink from Catherine Pooler.  This way the paper looks like a two tone blue pattern.  I adhered them off set so the solid blue looks like a trim on the patterned pram/buddy.  I used an embossing folder in my Cuttlebug to emboss a polka dot pattern on a white card panel that was half an inch smaller than my card base.  Then adhered my circles to my card panel and was about to adhere it to the card base when I decided it needed more.
I used the same ink and blended a border onto another white card panel that was an eighth of an inch larger than my main card panel.  I die cut the word Congratulations three times and stacked two of them on top of each other.  I ink blended the third die cut using the same ink, but made it darker at the bottom of the word so it looks Ombre.  That's what I was going for anyway. I then adhered the blended die cut on to the other stacked ones.  Then glued it onto the card under the circles.  I used white buttons for the "wheels" on the "pram".  This one was easy, but had a lot of steps.

Fuurrinally, some Kitty Cards! 

For Aunties' Day this year, I received a set of cat dies!  Puurrty! I also had some cat die cuts that good ol' Aunty Crafty gave me.  So, these were used to make some fun and (I think) gorgeous cat cards.  I used a swipe stamping technique on these cards so my dots would look like little balls of wool or at least look textured.  This technique is demonstrated by Jennifer McGuire in this video.  I was also inspired by the cards on this blog post.  Check these out! Excited much!





The beauty of these cards is that apart from the cat dies, you can use dot and circle stamps from pretty much any other stamp set you have.  You can use bakers' twine, string or yarn along with the cat dies or a stamp that looks long and twisted.  Almost any sentiment would work well, or a cat pun sentiment if you have one.  I love these cards and I will definitely be making more of these.  I would dare say they could be mass produced.  :)

It's simple enough, choose your colour scheme and go a little nuts, or keep it simple.  I stamped onto a card panel and adhered that to my card base, but you could make it an almost one layer card if you like.

Comment with pictures of your own cards for this World Card Making Day.  Remember, it's the thought that counts!

Happy Card making.