The Right To Be Mean?

This is a topic that has been brought up by many bloggers before and even before I started writing my own blog I could never quite understand. Why people feel they have the right to be mean and nasty to people they don't even know?

I could never comment something mean on any form of Social Media, its just not in me to be mean and I cannot understand how others find it so easy? I had wanted to start my own blog for some time now, I enjoy trying out new products and I thought it would be a great distraction from being a stay at home Mammy. It was the thought of a complete stranger saying nasty things to me that held me back until one day I realised by not doing what I wanted to do I was leaving those keyboard warriors win before I had even started.

Joanne Larby (Make Up Fairy Pro) is an incredible Woman, I love watching her snaps about her fitness journey, her make up skills, and just her general day to day life and I have also purchased her book. She recently took to her snapchat to air her opinion on keyboard warriors and it was 100% perfect. I am only human and of course I get jealous of the new handbag someone has or the new shoes but does that give me the right to be nasty to those people? No! Why would I? Why would I take the time out of my day to make someone feel bad over something they have worked hard to get, and even if they got it for free, still none of my business.

One point Joanne made was to get a pen and paper and write down goals or ways that you too can get the designer handbag or whatever it may be that you want, and that is what I do. I write down all the expensive things that I want to get and I work towards them, yes I can't just go into a shop and buy what I want when I want, but who knows maybe someday I will be.

If I follow someone on Social Media that I don't really like or agree with what they say or do, I unfollow them, simple. I wish everyone else could just do the same. If you don't like someones filter on their photo or something they have said, just ignore it, unfollow them, don't be mean, just because your only means of communication with these people is through a phone or laptop does not give you the right to say what you want. You wouldn't say something horrible to a stranger on the street, Influencers and Bloggers are no different.

They are people, people we don't know personally and have no idea what they are going through in their personal lives, FaceBook, Instagram and Blogs have posts and pictures about their lives that they want you to see, they don't go into detail about every single aspect of their life, same way I don't. It costs absolutely nothing to be nice but you could be the difference between someone having an amazing day or a sh*t day. Before you comment think 'Would I like that said to me'?

Lynda x

My Summer Shoe Obsession

Summer is here and I am at my happiest when the sun is shining and I can leave the house without a jacket and an umbrella. I just love the festival inspired outfits, the bright colours and getting rid of those winter boots.

This year I am absolutely obsessed with Gladiator sandals, they are so versatile and can transform any outfit from plain to edgy and glam in seconds. All the pairs I have are from Penneys/Primark and they can be worn so many different ways, I have paired mine with everything from dresses to shorts and a t-shrit.

I have been searching the Internet and have put together some of my favourites, all these sandals are from New Look, BooHoo, Penneys/Primark, Asos and Misguided and are all super affordable. I will definitely be adding to my collection.

Lynda x

Dyson Cordless Hoover

Hi All,

I am the owner of a Samoyed named Deizel, who basically resembles a miniature Polar Bear and with him comes a lot of shedding because he is an indoor dog, which means I spend 50% of my day hoovering.

I hated dragging around my big old hoover and plugging it in only to leave it in the hallway as I would need it 40 more times during the day. The Dyson Cordless Hoover sounded like heaven to me and I knew I needed one. A hoover that hung on the wall ready and waiting whenever I needed it, perfection! 

So on Christmas morning last year my lovely Dad (probably sick of listening to me give out about the dog hair) arrived like Santa Claus with a Dyson Cordless Hoover, (Usually I would hate this kind of present) and I was never in my life so excited to HOOVER!

When the excitement of Christmas day died down I finally opened it and there was just enough charge to have a go and see what it was like. Straight away I was in love, my house was going to be so clean and dog hair free.

Fast forward to now and I am still in love with it and I still enjoy hoovering, its so easy and hassle free. The only downside that I have come across is when you want to be lazy and hoover up that big sweet wrapper or leaf instead of picking it up, well now I have to pick it up, it is perfect for hoovering up dust and everyday house dirt but when it comes to bigger things I would usually hoover, not so good.

It is expensive, so is it worth it? Yes in my opinion definitely, if you are a dog owner you will love it and if you hate hoovering you will also love it, I don't think I will ever go back to the traditional hoover.

Lynda x

My Graves' and Me

Hello, I'm back again,

If you read my 'About Me' post you will know I suffer from Graves' disease, if you didn't read it well you know now. This post will be about how I was diagnosed and how I have dealt with it since. 

I gave birth to my son in July 2014 and dealt with new Mama exhaustion for the first few weeks and although I got used to being a Mammy pretty quickly I also got used to being tired ALL the time. It wasn't until my son was around 6 months old coming up to Christmas when I started to realise how I was feeling wasn't right, I no longer had a new born and was well settled into my new way of living at that stage. I looked and felt awful all of the time, my hair was still falling out, dry and breaking every time I brushed it, my face was dull and tired looking, I had little to no energy, I was having palpitations, no appetite and just generally felt like sh*t everyday even though it was supposed to be one of the happiest and most exciting times of my life.

As a teenager I had suffered with thyroid issues but never severe enough that I needed treatment. I started googling my symptoms (I know I know, never google) but I eventually found that your thyroid can actually flare up after giving birth, I said this has to be whats wrong with me and straight away I made an appointment to get a full blood count done.

When the results came back my TSH levels were through the roof which then meant I had an Over-Active Thyroid, I was referred to a consultant who gave me my actual diagnosis of Hyperthyroidism due to Graves' Disease. Hyperthyroidism is a disorder in which your thyroid gland makes and releases more thyroid hormone than your body needs. Hormones released by the thyroid affect nearly every part of your body from your brain to your skin and muscles. They play a crucial role in controlling how your body uses energy, a process called metabolism. This includes how your heart beats and even how you burn calories.

So I had gotten a diagnosis, straight away I started on my thyroid medication and also a beta blocker to stop my heart racing. Months passed and I wasn't feeling any better and overtime I went back to my consultant my blood count wasn't changing and my medication was being upped everytime. Eventually after almost a year I got back good blood results and I started to see small differences, I wasn't as tired and my appetite was slowly coming back. I was finally on the right track, I have visits with my consultant every three months, and by the time the next appointment had come around all my results were going the right way and I was able to come off the beta blockers.

Its almost a year an a half after my diagnosis and only now am I starting to get my life back on track, my skin looks better and my face looks more alive, my hair has stopped falling out and is slowly growing back, its still very dull and brittle so it needs constant TLC. I definitely have more energy now and thank god for that because toddlers aren't easy. I am on a long road to recovery still, its not easy and some days are great, other days I still can't get out of bed and I pray that my son naps during the day so I can too.

Having a baby while suffering from any health problem isn't easy, I struggled a lot after I had my son but I had great help and support from my family and I never pushed myself to be Super-Mam, when I was tired I slept and some days I'd only wake when my son would wake for a feed and I'd go back to sleep as soon as he had. I do feel guilty over not being able to do some things with my him, often we would have to miss his swimming class or cancel breakfast with Nanny because I just didn't have the energy but what I didn't know then is how serious Graves' can be if left untreated and I try to remind myself that my son needs a happy healthy Mammy, and he won't remember the swimming class that he missed when he was 10 months old but as he gets older he will remember more and thankfully I am going the right way to be back to full health by the time he can.

Just because I have no physical symptoms doesn't mean I am not suffering, chronic illness is a real thing no matter what form you suffer from. Don't suffer in silence, and don't put everything down to being a new mother. If you feel in your heart something isn't right well trust your gut, if I hadn't of figured out what was wrong with me I could have gone undiagnosed for god knows how long. I am on a learning journey everyday with my Graves' and if anyone is suffering similarly I am always here to talk or share more of my story if I can. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments or email me directly at lifeoflyndablog@gmail.com

Lynda x