Five Friday Favourites

How are we in mid April already?! This year is flying by and it's only 78 days until Hamilton which is exciting, we're actually going to book flights in the next two weeks so once that's done then we can start doing all the fun planning like what we should see/do/eat. 

These past two weeks have been a mix of busy and relaxing. Last week was the first week in a long time when I didn't have any appointments so it was nice to just take things as they came and not do much. My mum decided it was time to pull out some plants and plant some different plants in the front yard so I got roped into that. The front yard does look really good though so it was worth it and thanks to some rain we had over the weekend the plants are establishing well. I also went out to dinner with some friends on Saturday night and it was really fun, so we're hoping to make it a 6 weekly catch up. 

Then this week I caught up with two different friends on Tuesday and today then yesterday I had both a doctors appointment and an employment agency meeting. 

My dizziness increased on Wednesday, it was due and I had a feeling on Monday and Tuesday that it would increase but hoped it wouldn't. But I knew when I woke up at 3.00am on Wednesday that it had increased and this was confirmed when I woke up at 7.00am with a headache and nausea. So I am once again in the transitional period which always happens when it increases. Thankfully I had a doctor's appointment already booked on Thursday and I arrived early enough to grab a Sprite Zero from the shops opposite the doctors surgery which helped with my nausea. The specialist my doctor wanted me to see who he felt would be a good fit actually can't see me due to me not being in the catchment area however my doctor did ask for his advice on me. The advice was that it seems neurological and when my doctor told him that I had already seen the neurologist he was suggesting which gave us no results he said that there was another neurologist who is now specialising in vertigo/dizziness. So now my doctor is going to give them a call and see what they can do. He also wants me to go on the public waiting list if possible as it will be cheaper for me but knowing the current medical system waiting periods it might just be easier to pay out of pocket. I mean I have already paid so much and it's gotten me nowhere what's another few hundred dollars? My doctor is refusing to give up even though it is making him dizzy and giving him headaches (I told him now he knows how I feel haha). As he said yesterday if his theory was correct (a super tiny stroke) we would be seeing improvements after 18 months and not it getting steadily worse. 

The thing is as I have discovered over the past 18 months is that it's so easy to label the medical unknowns as mental illness related. But when you've had a mental illness over half your life it drives me mad when doctors think they can put it into the mental illness box when it's a not mental illness related. My dizziness started at a time in my life when I was mentally stable, my meds were working, I was seeing my psych regularly, I was eating healthy and going to the gym 3 times a week and I was slowly starting to apply for jobs after finishing my diploma. I was content and happy, there was no big event that happened or possible trigger Covid wasn't even a thing. So I know it's not my anxiety and increasing my meds has only proved that as if it was my anxiety then my dizziness would've gone away with the medication increase (or gotten worse if the medication was causing the dizziness). It's just hard to stay focussed and knowing that one day this dizziness won't rule my life. 

Onto Friday Favourites...

A Week Away (Netflix movie) - I was really sceptical when I first watched this movie but honestly once you get over the cheesiness of it, it's a decent film. It's pretty much the Christian version of Camp Rock and I could totally see a youth pastor doing a talk on this film. I like how it incorporated modern Christian music into it like the song below.

 

Thursday Plantation Tinted Tea Tree Blemish Stick medium shade - I was hesitant to buy this as I love the clear version but I really like this and it provides good coverage while also helping reduce the blemish. I can't fault it and I am surprised that more brands don't make these (though I vaguely recall a similar product when I was a teen but I'm not positive). 

Manicare Make-Up remover towels - I love these so much, I use them daily and they work so well. I like the size of these ones as they aren't bulky but they still do the job plus having four on hand means there's always one available. They remove all make up with minimal effort and are a great reusable alternative to facewipes. I tend to use them with a face wash but you can still use them with just water and they will work. 

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter -  the blurb reads: Eleven months had not been long enough

to prepare Sophie Lawson for the sight of him . . .

After her mother was bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie became a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a book shop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

But now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth just got a new job, the family house is sold, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance to run an extreme sporting business in Florida.

Much to Sophie’s chagrin, seeing Aiden again resurrects familiar feelings—which she promptly tries to bury in the tumult of the day. As soon as the wedding crowd fades, Sophie turns her focus back to establishing her beloved bookstore.

But then an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove and with the hotels booked to capacity he asks Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. But can Sophie trust Aiden to stick around? And does daredevil Aiden have the courage to risk his heart?

This made me want to open up a bookshop by the sea in a small coastal town and fit into the community. But then I remember that I'm not the biggest fan of the beach and I don't have the finance to do such a thing. This book gave me a great escape from reality and I really enjoyed it. Sophie was such a great character and it was great to see her realise she needed to stand up for herself and have the courage to do so. She had put her dreams on hold for so long and she was going to make them happen despite all the challenges that happened along the way. I will admit it took me a while to warm up to Aidan but you could tell his heart was in the right place and he was going through his own battles. I liked seeing Aidan and Sophie work together and rebuild their friendship. The story was beautiful and if this doesn't make you want to open up your own bookshop by the sea I don't know what will. 

Bookshop by the Sea is out now and is well worth buying. 

Once again I was given access to an early copy of this book thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dimple popper keyring - I am a fidgeter and when my anxiety is bad it means that nothing is off limits (like biting my nails). I recently bought 2 of these keyrings (I tried the fidget cube and fidget spinners and they did nothing for me) and I really like them. I like how I can discreetly play with them as they fit in my palm and make no noise. I would describe the sensation like bubble wrap but a lot bigger. I highly recommend getting one if you need something to keep your hands busy.