Moonlight Melts NEW Gemstone Keyrings!

I have a candle and wax melt addict. My current favourite wax melt shop is Moonlight Melts. But now alongside the amazing scents Moonlight Melts have a new range of gemstone keyrings!

There are 3 gemstones to choose from at the moment with a few more coming soon. These are high quality gems and each keyring arrives in a small grey drawstring bag, which I wasn’t expecting and adds a touch of class.

I chose Howlite White which is described as being good for promoting calmness, self-esteem and spirituality.

“Howlite is a lovely stone to use when needing to reduce anxiety, tensions and stress. It can be used to facilitate awareness, encourage emotional expression and assist in the elimination of pain, stress and rage.”

Now, before I go any further I want to make it absolutely clear I don’t believe that gemstones or crystals have any kind of health benefits. However I do believe in the power of having a totem. Much like Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Inception uses a totem (a small spinning top) or a religious person using a rosary, there is something about a physical representation that can soothe us.

I decided that instead of adding this beautiful keyring to my keys, I’d use it for the dog walk. I use walking my dog in the woods to get exercise and to clear my mind. But due to ongoing health problems even something as seemingly simple as walking can be incredibly painful.

I have a front door key on a lanyard that I wear around my neck when I’m out walking the dog. (Shout out to
Jägermeister!)

When I’m having a low mood day or the pain in my back and neck is high but I still want to carry on with the walk…I hold the keyring in my hand for a few steps and I repeat a couple of healthy affirmations.

Nothing too wafty mind you, just positive reinforcement.

⭐ I am getting stronger

⭐ I am feeling calmer

⭐ Perfection is not the goal

I love this keyring. It’s surprisingly robust and I like the plain silver effect. It may be all in the mind but I really like being able to carry it around with me and it’s there if I need a little more than words. Plus they’re stylish and that never hurt anybody!

I like to support small businesses and if you’re looking to support small businesses this Christmas I cannot recommend Moonlight Melts enough. Always high quality, always giving back to regular customers and a super friendly company!

I look forward to seeing what they bring out next!

Moxie McMurder

My Mental Health is a Shit Show…How’s Yours?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I wanted to talk about the mess that is my brain. Actually, calling it a mess is kind. It’s a total shit show right now.

Back in February I was celebrating my birthday when I got a message saying my Dad had gone into hospital. He has Alzheimer’s and he’d been admitted to hospital after they thought he’d had a fall. It was worrying and stressful.

A couple days later a familiar sensation started to creep in and I knew I was headed for stormy waters. I have not been coping well with my Dad’s Alzheimer’s. In fact I’m willing to admit I’m in total denial about it.

I don’t usually have a trigger for my depression, it just kinda happens. This time I was worried about my Dad and I’d also launched a project I’d been working on and it was failing – more on that in another blog post!

Before I knew it I had been hit with the sledgehammer of a depressive episode.

This depressive episode hit right in the middle of a chronic pain flare up. I’m writing this post on my phone, adding to it sporadically when the pain in my hip back and legs subsides. I really try to stay as positive as possible but having a chronic pain flare up and a depressive episode hit all at once is just too much.

I feel exhausted all the time and everything I do is taking from an already depleted source. Insomnia stops me from being able to drift off to sleep at night or I manage to fall asleep but only for an hour or so.

My energy levels are low and I’m struggling to get excited about anything. And yet, the impulse to create is strong. Which makes me feel like I’m lazy because I don’t have the energy to create and I start to spiral. I feel disconnected and frustrated.

My brain is not my aly in times like these. It tells me awful things about myself and judges everything I do. Which is frustrating because the voice that tells me I’m a piece of shit comes from the same place that positive reinforcement comes from. The same place that says go on, you can do it…reach for the stars!

And that’s not even getting into the things my brain tells me about food and body image. I’m exhausted just thinking about it let alone putting it into words.

I have to work so hard to battle that voice and sometimes you’re just too tired to fight it.

I realised that this month is Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s also the first anniversary of my friends passing. She was struggling with her mental health and sadly she lost the fight. I think about her often and I don’t want anyone to feel like suicide is the only option.

If you need help please reach out to friends, family and professionals. Here is a link to the some helpful phone numbers via the NHS.

Take care of yourself!

Moxie

The Badass Manifesto

What to Expect from visiting a Breast Clinic Part One

Hello my fellow Badasses!

I wrote this post at the beginning of September and October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, which tied in nicely with what I wanted to talk about.

Life got in the way and so I’m sharing this now. Spoiler Alert – I’m ok.

This the first part of the story.

Today I had my first appointment and my first experience of a Breast Clinic.

To give you a little background I had been feeling pain in my breasts that was more than the usual pain you might have before or during your period. And uncomfortable as it was, I ignored it. Not very Badass of me I know but I convinced myself it was period related.

Problem is because my contraceptive pill has stopped my periods all together. I have no idea when I’m having what I like to call ‘my phantom period’. So it’s hard to say if the pain was connected to my cycle.

I became a bit concerned about how uncomfortable my breasts felt when I was in bed. I gave myself an exam and while I didn’t find a lump as such my breasts felt lumpy in places. So I made an appointment to see my doctor.

I’ll admit that I became good friends with Google. I must have read every website detailing all the symptoms and probabilities of developing breast cancer. Just dealing with the pain was worrying enough but I really did feel a bit overwhelmed, mostly because I couldn’t find much information on what I should expect from an appointment with a Breast Clinic. I didn’t really know what to expect other than a physical exam.

When I arrived for my appointment I had to fill in a form with my medical history and some family health history – which is its own nightmare for me. My Mum had some serious health problems but she was from a generation where you didn’t discuss that sort of thing. Until earlier this year I knew absolutely nothing about my birth mothers health. (We are estranged, she didn’t raise me).

But earlier this year I found out through a family member that my birth mother was recovering from breast cancer. So as I’m sure you can imagine, I was now hyper aware.

Anyway, after filling in a form (it’s a good idea to make a note of any medications you’re taking so you’re not put on the spot – brain fog is real!) I met the specialist.

The doctor was a man, which I don’t have a problem with but you can ask to see a woman. There was a nurse in the room with us who is a woman so if I’d felt uncomfortable she was there. They are both friendly and that helped put me at ease.

He asked me a few more questions regarding family health history and then I had a short physical exam to check for lumps. He also checked the glands in my armpits, which were just as tender as my breasts. I was surprised at how sore they were, I hadn’t noticed any pain there until they examined me.

Because my breasts were so tender that he decided I shouldn’t have a mammogram at the time. I didn’t know that was an option!

I now have to wait for an appointment by which time perhaps my breasts won’t be so sore. I was told to take painkillers before the mammogram and was assured that if the mammogram was too uncomfortable or painful they could do an ultrasound. I also didn’t know about that before hand.

The specialist wasn’t overly concerned which was a bit of a relief and he thinks my back and neck problems might be playing a role in the pain.

I have a tendency to rush through doctor and hospital appointments. Which means I often forget to ask questions or mention symptoms etc

All in all the appointment wasn’t bad but it did feel a bit rushed. I’m sharing my experience because there’s really not a lot of information out there in terms of what to expect.

I’ll post part two soon!

Moxie McMurder