Some thoughts on Self-Harm

A blank screen can be really daunting, which is why I’d like to just ramble for a little while, and tell you about some of the changes in my life. I've now moved in with my friends the Scott’s who are a family of 11; it’s an amazing environment full of mad people and animals. I’d been staying with them for a while and they then asked if I’d like to live with them. After weighing up the pros and cons of both living in a family environment and living alone in my bungalow, the decision was pretty obvious. Being surrounded by Christians in a safe environment has done wonders for both my physical and mental health.

Talking of mental health, I had a bit of a blip a few weeks ago and attempted suicide twice in a fortnight. Both times I recovered well and I'm now on the road to recovery, with a lot of help and support from those around me. Today I want to talk to you about self-harm, and so if you’re easily triggered by such matters, I suggest you don’t read this post.

I was trying to describe self-harm to a friend of mine a while back. I thought long and hard and eventually decided that he (self-harm) wasn't like a playground bully, who pushed you over and stole your lunch money. He was more like a two faced friend who manipulated you into doing things you don’t want to do. One day, he will act like your best friend, and then the next day perhaps he would ask you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. But, because you don’t want to lose the friendship, you go along with it, and before you know it, he has complete control of you. You might not recognise or realise that he’s using you like a puppet on strings, but you have a feeling something’s not quite right. You feel like you’re in too deep, and if you upset the balance now, the whole world will come crashing down. It’s just easier to do as he says. You feel like he is just a part of your life now, and imagining life without him seems impossible, and just when you feel you can cut the ties, he entices you back in with false promises and lies. You feel like a fly trapped in a spider’s web, pushed into a corner with no escape, you become resigned to the fact that self-harm will always be there in the background, around every corner, waiting for you. You start to kid yourself with thoughts like ‘If I was in a different job, self-harm would leave,’ or ‘If I had the car I wanted, self-harm would leave,’ or ‘If only I was a stronger person, self-harm would leave.’ You start hoping for your circumstances to change, and sometimes they do change for the better, yet he remains with you, your constant companion; your addiction. You might try to get away from him, run away, hide away, and you might be successful, but you feel like one wrong move, one throwaway comment from someone, one dirty look, and he’ll be right beside you again, luring you into his traps, undoing all your hard work. You begin to feel like you've got no hope. You feel powerless, helpless, and hopeless.

I'm writing this to tell you that there is hope. It might not seem like it at the moment, but I believe in you with every part of my being. Self-harm is still a part of my life, I'm not saying this from a position of authority or superiority, simply as someone who is going through what you’re going through. Someone who is starting the process of recovery, with the help from a whole bunch of people, someone who is saying we’re in this together. I believe we can, little by little, live without self-harm in our lives. I believe that, with the right support from those around us, we can look forward to a life of freedom ahead of us. I believe that my Jesus will help me to live life to the full, as it says in John 8:36 ‘If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ I wouldn't feel right writing this post without a bit of input with regards to my faith and how much it’s helped me with the underlying issues that have caused my self-harm. I believe that God hand crafted my body, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and so to harm what he made, what he gave me, is insulting and ungrateful. If you made the person you love most in all the world a gift, spent a lot of time, energy and effort on it, poured love and care into it, and you saw them deliberately damage or break it, how would that make you feel? It breaks God’s heart when I hurt my body, and I know that I should look after it.

You are amazing, you are strong, and I believe you can do this. Self-harm is a really difficult issue, but it’s not impossible. I'm on this journey with you, and I believe you can do this. I love you all so much, and the thought that any of you would feel so unhappy you’d want to hurt yourself makes me just want to hug you and never let you. Stay strong you lovely, lovely beans, and hold on with me. Together, we can make self-harm a thing of our past.

Alley-Cat xxx 

© Alice Daley 2015

She

I've written little pieces about four of my friends who also have M.E. and who inspire me every day:

She speaks with her brush, her hands steady though her heart is trembling. The pain behind those quiet eyes is intense, yet what she creates is beautiful. Every day is a day on the battlefield against her body, yet she fights every day with such grace. She is a tree-fairy, a girl of the forest; she steps lightly amongst her friends. They know what it is to stand like a stone, battling the elements, shading those weaker than themselves. She is the whisper in the wind, the colour in the sky, the laughter of children. Her soul pours onto canvas after canvas as it’s such a vast sea of radiance and love. She is full of love, but also full of sickness. Each hour is fought with bravery, each paralysis terrifying, each day a victory. She is a beautiful soul, who shares the beauty within herself with many with her brush.

She is a feather, dancing in the wind, clinging to the trees, laughing with the breeze. She is a brave knight who fights her dragons every day; she is fiercely courageous yet quietly gentle. She is the sun kissed hair of children; she is paw prints in the show. Her pain is indescribable, her loss immense, her suffering tragic. Yet her life consists of making others smile, showing those dear to her that she thinks of them often. Her imagination is another realm; it is exciting and full of adventure. Her dream world sometimes leaks through to this one, in glimpses of beauty and love. She is a beautiful soul, a child of the earth and the sky, and whenever you see a feather, she is with you in spirit.

She is a mad cat lady, she’s funny and kind and sends people cards, she gives away old possessions for free and likes to wear clothes from Nomads. She’s gentle and loving, but she’s still got the spark of her punk days twinkling in her eyes. She’s adventurous and inventive; she creates beautiful crafts, and heart tugging music. She isn’t afraid to be honest about what this illness has done to her, she’s brave and funny and an amazing friend. She’s down to earth and yet has her head in the clouds; she is loved deeply and widely. She’s not bitter, but accepting, she is nurturing and comforting. She always knows when to let someone know she’s thinking of them by sending them cat stickers.

She is beautiful, she’s brave and she doesn’t know it. She has a house full of creatures that live in the lap of luxury. She’s stronger than she knows and faces this illness daily with a quiet confidence that she will last another day. Although she struggles, like we all do, she always has time to look out for others, and sends happy mail to those she keeps in her thoughts. She’s intelligent and bright, she’s spirited and kind, and she loves all people, and is accepting of all she meets. She’s a joy to know and has the most beautiful smile.

Alley-Cat xx

© Alice Daley 2015

It's only a mug

The one problem I have with my depression is when the smallest thing can trigger me into a downwards spiral of feeling rubbish. Today it was a mug. I know, a mug. Let me begin with an anecdote from my time on a psychiatric ward in Gloucester…

The hospital in Gloucester had a very active occupational therapy department where patients could cook, go to the gym, and learn arts and crafts. One day I was invited to do mug painting and thought I would go along because I had nothing else to do. I decided to make a ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ themed mug and it turned out pretty good. It very quickly became my favourite mug and I used it a lot.

A few months back a friend accidentally dropped my TFiOS mug and broke the handle, he glued it back on but I’m too scared to use it as a mug again in case it breaks. So I decided to buy a couple of new mugs from my friend who makes them. I bought an M.E. mug and an Aspie (Asperger’s Syndrome) mug. The Aspie mug had my name on it and it very quickly became my favourite mug.

Today, whilst putting the washing up away, I noticed it was ruined. Whoever washed it up last must have been a little heavy handed with it and had scratched off most of the design. It wasn’t their fault; they weren’t to know that the design would come off so easily. I’m really gutted.

But the point is that something little like that can really throw me off, it’s put me in a really low mood this evening and that’s not okay. I don’t like the fact that these little things bother me, I don’t want them to, and I’m not consciously letting them bother me, they just do.

Still, it’s only a mug at the end of the day.
Alley-Cat

© Alice Daley 2015

I don't know where to start

So a year has passed since my last blog post and oh my days so much has happened. But I'll fill you in on the basics, if I go into too much detail I'll be here until next year!

So, firstly housing:

• I moved in as a lodger with a Christian family last September. For one reason and another it didn't work out and therefore firstly my mouse, Isaac had to be adopted by my good friend, and then I had to find somewhere to live in January this year.
• So I moved in with my friend Sam, and it was going great until his landlord decided he wanted to sell our house. So by the April I was looking for somewhere to live again!
• Finally, on the 17th April 2015 I moved into my own adapted bungalow! It's in a little sheltered housing complex in a nice village with public transport access to most places I need to go, it's lovely to finally have somewhere I can call home.
  

Secondly, health:

• My health has been very up and down over the last year. 
• In January I made the very difficult decision to purchase an electric wheelchair, as I was finding using my manual wheelchair very difficult. Wilbur Wheelchair has changed my life. I am now much more independent and able to do things.
• Mentally I've been quite unstable, having been passed around between CMHTs and the Crisis Team, I have thankfully avoided another stay on a psychiatric ward. Today I have a meeting with the Crisis Team and the local CMHT for a handover, so that's a really positive step.
• In my adapted bungalow, I've had a lot of equipment to try and make day to day living possible. This includes a hospital bed, a commode, a swivel bather, a raised toilet seat, a Supa kettle (after I severely scalded myself) and some other bits and bobs. It's made things so much more manageable.
• As well as this I've been given 10 hours per week of care, and have employed my close friend Jacob as a Personal Assistant. We're pushing for more hours but it's so great to have some help with the basics.
  

Thirdly. animals:

• Now, I've already said that I had to rehome my Mouse Isaac due to issues with my landlady. Thankfully in my bungalow there are no such issues so I've been able to start a small animal sanctuary.
• I'm full to capacity at the moment with 7 rats, 10 mice, 3 hamsters and 2 outdoor bunnies.
• I will do proper introductions in a different post and I'm thinking about starting a side blog called 'Alley's Animals.'
• I'm also going to be studying a foundation degree in September, in Animal Science with Animal Health Management, so I'm really looking forward to that.

  

  Top Row Left to Right: Emily Mouse, Marley Mouse, Billie Mouse (RIP), Hazel Hamster, Ash Hamster, Ginger Hamster.
  Second Row Left to Right: Kira Mouse, Skye Mouse, Felix Mouse, Jeff Rabbit, Rupert Cat, Dixie Rabbit.
  Third Row Left to Right: Bellatrix Rat, Arwen Rat, Gabby Rat, Tess Rat, Benjy Mouse, Marius Mouse.
  Bottom row Left to Right: Peace Rat, Hope Rat, Joy Rat, Eponine Mouse, Cosette Mouse, Fantine Mouse.

So, I'm going to sign off here for now, but I'm looking forward to starting blogging more regularly again. Lots of love and Toodle Pip,
Alley-Cat xxx

© Alice Daley 2015

Pillow Fights Pyjama Vlogs and Blanket Forts!

So guys guys guys...

I found this really awesome group of people...

It all started with a girl called Lizzie...

Lizzie had a chronic illness, and was part of several online support groups, the type of which I am sure you'll recognise. Mostly full of miserable, self pitying people who wallow in their illnesses and generally make each other feel worse instead of better. I mean, it's always a risk when you get a load of chronically ill people together, as there's bound to be issues, but my friends, there is a better way than wallowing! You are not a hippo, wallowing rights are reserved for hippos only!

So... What is this 'better way'?! I hear you ask...

To be honest, it pretty much says there what The Pillow Fort is all about, it makes chronic illness suck less. Cause let's face it, chronic illness is a bit rubbish- however, you can acknowledge the rubbishy parts and still maintain, or at least try to maintain a positive outlook on life. The Pillow Fort is about realistic positivity, not airy-fairy optimism, nor self-pity parties, but a perfect balance between the two. The website features an online magazine, a blog, and an awesome little shop where you can buy extremely cool things... I bought these slippers!

But the best bit about The Pillow Fort is the online community attached to it- The Pillow Fighter's Club. It's free to join, and they have a Facebook group full of AMAZING people all living with chronic illnesses, conditions, and disabilities, both physically and mentally. I have made so many friends through The Pillow Fighter's Club already, including the lovely Isabel, who gets a shout out cause she's amazing and awesome and inspired me to start vlogging again.

Which reminds me...

I have something to tell you...

I'VE STARTED VLOGGING AGAIN!

I am continuing with The Pyjama Vlogs series, as I like the idea of making chronic illness vlogs, as I've found people like Isabel, Bree, and Kelly's videos to be so helpful and amazing. Here is episode 4:

However I'm also starting another video series called 'Pet's Corner' as I'm moving house tomorrow... and I'm taking two of my three pets with me to my new place, so I'll be filming pet care videos as well. The first of which is this one:

So guys, check out The Pillow Fort, join The Pillow Fighter's Club, and subscribe to my Youtube channel!

Pretty please with a cherry on top...?

Alley-Cat
xxxx

© Alice Daley 2014

The Perils of Insomnia (gorillas come at night)

My Gorilla keeps me up at night, it’s his favourite time to play. He pours boiling acid onto my skin, so that it itches and burns me, he stuffs cotton wool into my head so I can’t think clearly enough to deal with the racing thoughts that clatter through my brain. Sometimes, he lays next to me in the bed, making me uncomfortable by shifting and wriggling and fidgeting around. Sometimes I let him take the bed and take the chair, because it can be more comfortable like that.

But the worst is when he gets tired too, and then he gets really angry. He starts squeezing my chest and pounding my head with his giant powerful firsts, and sometimes will full on shake me violently for minutes on end. I can’t seem to knock my gorilla out with sleeping medications, or if I do manage to knock him out, he sleeps on top of me for most of the next morning, so I am unable to even wake up properly until after lunchtime.

I try to distract myself from him sometimes, by writing or drawing or reading, but sometimes I’m too tired and in too much pain to even think or do anything, I just have to lie there, silently sobbing until the agony finally subsides enough to let me pass out for a few hours.

It doesn’t help that my gorilla needs me to take frequent naps throughout the day, which means it doesn’t let me sleep at night as much. I’ve tried to cut out these daytime naps but then my gorilla gets super grumpy and doesn’t let me do anything for the remainder of the day, until I get a chance to sleep. On days after I’ve not had a nap the day before, my gorilla follows me around closely, sometimes making me carry his entire weight on my shoulders, until I am in crippling agony and utterly exhausted.

Do you have any insomnia tips or hints? I’ve tried most of the conventional ‘have a milky drink,’ or ‘turn off all digital devices an hour before you go to bed,’ ideas and none of them seem to work for me as of yet, but hopefully once my pain is under better control, I’ll be able to get some decent shut eye.

Alley-Cat
xxxx

You don’t have to be healthy to lead a fulfilling and successful life. You don’t have to put your dreams to rest because you are ill or disabled. They may be simply on hold, until the time comes when it is right to achieve them. In the meantime, quit waiting- be inspired by new dreams and ambitions, and work towards them with the grit and determination I know you have. Your life is not over, simply different. Let a new way of life begin and embrace it- live each day as fully as you can, and always be thankful for at least one thing a day.

©Alice Daley 2014

Being friends with someone who is chronically ill

Being friends with someone with a chronic illness is hard work, it really is. They appear to be demanding, they cancel plans last minute, they give the impression of being self-absorbed or selfish, and they seem to be too dependent. I am going to attempt to advise you in how you can maintain a friendship with someone who has a chronic illness. If you want to read more about my personal struggles with friendship then click here, but for now I want to try and keep things fairly generic.

I’ve written this based from my own experiences with my friends, witnessing the struggles they face when they try to maintain a friendship with me, and my own struggles when trying to be understanding towards my own friends who have chronic illness. This isn’t directed at any particular person or group of people, these are just general observations that I’ve picked up over the past few years whilst I’ve been ill.

First thing to remember:
Your friend probably realises that their illness makes them a hard person to be friends with, and they probably feel really, really guilty about it. They’ll feel as if they don’t deserve you, and as if they’re ruining your life by being ill and (in their mind) forcing you to be friends with them. They’ll probably beat themselves up over their over-dependence, their unreliability, and the way their illness affects your relationship with them. The worst thing you can do is to make them feel guiltier by telling them how hard it is for you. You have other, healthy friends to support you (I hope!) but the chronically ill person does not need you telling them how hard they’re making your life- not helpful.

Second thing to be aware of:
Your friend feels isolated and lonely, due to the fact their illness limits their ability to participate in activities. Be sensitive towards this, and be understanding when they express feelings of abandonment and loneliness. They understand that you’re not intentionally leaving them out of things, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult for them. I realise it’s unreasonable for you to cater all your activities to their needs, but perhaps schedule in a time when you can visit them at their home and, if they’re well enough, do an activity with them. Make time to spend time with them rather than expecting them to fit in with your plans- after all, you are the healthy ones and they have the limitations that their illness puts on them. However, don’t make a surprise visit as many chronically ill people need time to prepare for visitors, as they will usually need to rest prior to having visitors and afterwards as well. Try not to stay longer than your friend can manage- shorter, more frequent visits are preferable. And try not to go on to them too much about all the fun activities you’ve been doing, as it is probably quite painful for them to hear.

Third thing you should know:
Your friend understands that you can’t be there for them as much as you’d like to be. You’re a human being, you have your own stresses and strains and issues to deal with, and your friend understands this. Contrary to popular belief, your friend is unlikely to be bitter that you’re not there as much as either of you would like, instead they understand that they are a difficult person to maintain a friendship with, and they are incredibly grateful for any time you can spare to spend with them.

Some things you can do:

1. Even the small things such as taking a picture of something they’d like and sending it to them can really cheer someone with a chronic illness up. If you think of them, send them an uplifting text or email, it doesn’t have to be long, even a line saying you were thinking of them can mean so much to them.

2. Send them post (mail.) I know as a chronic illness sufferer, receiving letters or parcels always brightens my day and fills me with excitement, so if you can, send your friend something.

3. Ask if there are any practical ways in which you can help, for example if they need anything getting from the supermarket when you do your shopping, or whether they’d be grateful if you mowed the lawn, or whatever practical help they need, if you can lend a hand then do, you have no idea how much it means to a chronically ill person to have offers or practical help.

4. Try to include them as much as you can. If you’re planning an event, perhaps think about how you can adapt it so that your chronically ill friend can attend- look into wheelchair friendly venues, restaurants that cater to dietary requirements etc. and if your friend is unable to leave his/her house, perhaps see if they can attend via skype. Obviously I’m not expecting you to plan every single social event you have around your chronically ill friend, but a little consideration for these things goes a long way.

5. Understand that your friend may have to cancel their plans last minute. With a chronic illness you never know if your health is going to be in crisis. A bowel problem, a sudden migraine, a seizure- anything could happen that could cause them to be late or unable to attend events, which can be extremely frustrating for them, especially as most people with chronic illnesses look forward to their little outings and events. So if possible, try to postpone or rearrange an event that your friend cannot attend last minute, it will mean so much more to them than if you just carry on regardless. What might seem like a pretty negligible meeting, to them might be the only social interaction they’ve had in months.

6. Rely on your other friends. Friends are for support, however it is unlikely that your chronically ill friend will be able to support you as much as they’d like. They may be able to listen to you and offer advice, but sometimes their health means that they have to focus on themselves before they can worry about other people. This may make them seem self-absorbed or selfish, but they don’t mean to be, it’s just that sometimes all they can focus on is surviving. Make sure you have other friends around you to support you, so if your chronically ill friend is unable to, you have others to turn to.

And finally, treat them like you would any other friend. Your friend probably doesn’t want it to appear obvious that you have to treat them differently because of their illness, so try not to be too different around them. If you laughed and joked before they got ill, then laugh and joke with them, if you had heart to hearts over a cuppa, then don’t stop doing that, try to make them feel as normal as possible, and remember, they want to maintain the friendship just as much as you do.

I hope this post has been helpful to those of you who have friends with a chronic illness,
lots of love to you guys
Alley-Cat
xxx

© Alice Daley 2014

Supplements and other medications to try

A close friend of mine who’s had ME for a long time, has suggested a few different supplements to me which I’m going to try in due course, because at the moment, I just want to try anything that’ll make me feel slightly better. The supplements and medications he’s suggested to me are:

• Magnesium Glycinate – Apparently many ME patients are magnesium deficient, magnesium is used up by medications, pain and stress and so it may help to replace the magnesium in your body. You start by taking 100mg once daily, increasing your dose by 100mg every 4 days until you reach bowel tolerance (that is, until your stools are long and sausage like, but not loose) and then stop at that dose. If your stools become loose after an increase in dosage, then decrease your dosage by 50mg and stop there.
• D Ribose – This is good for energy replemishment. 5g is to be stirred into a drink, three times a day. It can cause nausea initially but when it works, it has a good impact on your energy levels.
• Epsom salts foot baths – I’ve been told that these are really good for inflammation, pain, and burning sensations. I’m looking forward to trying these.
• Pregabalin – If the Gabapentin doesn’t have any effect, then hopefully this related drug which is used to treat neuropathic pain will do the trick.
• Nortriptyline or Amitriptyline – Both tricyclic antidepressants used to treat chronic pain. I was on Amitriptyline before until I overdosed on it, and since that I’ve become a little scared of it to be honest, but I’m willing to try it again now I’m in a much better place mentally.
• Buscopan – Suggested to me as a way of treating IBS symptoms, I’ve tried it briefly before but didn’t really give it a chance to work properly before giving up on it. Apparently it can also be used to treat muscle spasms and cramps.
• Baclofen – Could also be used to treat muscle spasms and cramps, if Gabapentin and Buscopan don’t work.

Obviously I want to try some of these suggestions, as if they work they’d really improve my quality of life. However I don’t really want to become dependent on medication, as silly as that sounds, because I kind of want to get better on my own. However, I may at some point have to face the facts that any ‘getting better’ I’m going to do is going to be helped along by some helpful and relevant medications that will help to manage my symptoms in a way that will allow me to lead a more productive and fulfilling life.

If you’re interested in any of these supplements or medications, leave a comment and I’ll get in touch, see if my friend has any more information on them and how they worked for him. Or you could just Google it!

I love you guys!

Alley-Cat
xxxx

I was playing a game the other day when I had to travel across London on the tube (an experience that made me so ill I do not wish to repeat it again anytime soon) of how many Londoners could I make uneasy, simply by smiling at them. The results were astonishing- instead of smiling back at me, they looked at me as if I’d just shot a puppy! A smile is contagious, and it costs nothing. Studies have shown that smiling can increase your mood, so even when you’re feeling low, try to remember to smile. If you smile at another person, you might just make their day. I love it when I make eye contact with someone and they smile at me, it makes me feel all warm inside. So if you’re prone to looking a bit sulky most of the time, or even if you’re just feeling down, try to smile, you never know who might see you!

Disclaimer - Obviously because I am recommending medication, I must warn you that these medicines might not have the desire effect for everyone and for some, might even worsen symptoms of M.E. I am not a medical professional and these are just suggestions based on experience and recommendations from friends in similar situations, if you have any doubts consult a doctor or search the internet for more information. This post is intended as advice, not an instruction, and so ultimately the choice to take these medications falls to you as individuals, please do not lay blame on me if your body does not respond well to these treatments. Thank you

©Alice Daley 2014

The Fault In Our Stars Movie Review

 I had been waiting for the book to be written and published, following every Vlogbrothers video and tweet, pre-ordering it as soon as I could, and once my copy arrived I’d finished reading it the same day! It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me feel every emotion and took me on a journey I will never forget. ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ is my ‘Imperial Affliction,’ I could read it over and over until the end of time.

I followed every video, every update, every leak, every tweet about the movie, I counted down the days and the hours until I had my chance to see it and boy was it something! I sobbed my heart out through so much of the film, and going to the cinema took up so much of my energy, but it was so worth it!

Best parts about the film:
1. The casting
Shailene and Ansel were the PERFECT Hazel and Augustus, they fitted the roles perfectly and had an amazing on-and-off-screen rapport. My other favourite casting was Lidewich, the actress Lotte Verbeek was an exact replica of the Lidewich I saw in my head when I read the book.

2. The egg-throwing scene
So brilliantly executed, you can see this scene online as it is an authorised teaser that was released before the movie, but it had me in stitches of laughter, especially as Monica’s car is an obnoxiously awful shade of green.

3. The music
I really enjoyed the soundtrack to the film had some great music in it, and I especially love the Ed Sheeran song ‘All of the Stars.’

4. The feels
I felt the same emotions during the film as I did in the book, even though I know the story almost word-for-word now, I still felt like I was experiencing it for the first time.

A couple of things they could have done better (or at all!):
1. They missed out the scene with Isaac and Hazel in the hospital, and I was really looking forward to seeing that scene as it was one of my favourites in the book.

2. I didn’t think they put Van Houten’s character across very accurately, and there was a lot of deviation from the book during the Van Houten scene in Amsterdam.

3. They changed some of the small random details for seemingly no good reason whatsoever (for example they make Augustus a year older in the film than he is in the book) and although it doesn’t impact on the movie, it kinda bugs me.

All in all though, the film was fantastic, and as soon as it comes out on DVD it will be mine! If you haven’t seen or read it yet, I’d encourage you to check it out, because it is one of the most insightful, inspiring, life-changing books you’ll ever read. And don’t just go see the movie without reading the book, because although the movie is amazing, it still has nothing on the book, in my opinion.

Big loves,
Alley-Cat
xxxx

Start treating yourself like you would treat your closest friend and a lot of things will change. If she told you she was ugly, what would you say to her? Would you tell her she was beautiful and had the prettiest eyes you’d ever seen? Start saying that to yourself. What if she stopped eating? Would you support her and encourage her to try and eat something, tempt her with her favourite foods, tell her it will be okay? Of course you would! So start doing that for yourself. What would you say if she told you she was hurting herself? Would you beg her to stop, tell her she’s worth so much more than that? Look in the mirror, and start telling yourself the things you tell your closest friends. Because you are unprecedentedly outstanding, a true masterpiece, and until you start believing it, you’re your own worst enemy.

©Alice Daley 2014

Make Pine Cone Hedgehogs

This is a great little craft to do with children of any age. I made it up when I went to visit my sister and her family and my two year old niece picked up a load of pinecones in the garden. I looked at the shape of a pinecone on its side and to me it looked just like a little hedgehog!

You will need:
• Foam or felt, cut into small triangles
• Miniature pompoms
• PVA glue or glue stick
• Glitter
• Googly eyes

So here’s how you make them:
1. Collect as many pinecones as you would like hedgehogs (I recommend about 5, to make a cute little family)
2. Set them out on a table on top of some newspaper, and pick out eyes and a nose for each of your hedgehogs
3. Facing the hedgehogs with the wide end towards you, use the glue to stick on the pompom nose, and the googly eyes
4. Pick two felt or foam triangle ears for each of your hedgehogs, and apply a little glue to one edge of the triangle (an adult may need to help you) and stick them into the first available gap back from the end of the pinecone.
5. Now use the glue to cover the spikey pinecone prickles on the hedgehog’s back.
6. Finally sprinkle glitter over the backs of each of your hedgehogs, and leave them for half an hour or so for the glue to dry properly.

Et Voila! An easy-to-make cutesy little family of hedgehogs for you to display (they go great in Christmas trees) or play with (but beware of the small parts) until your heart is content!

Alley-Cat
xxxx

Don’t be afraid of spending time alone, it is a healthy thing to do. Turn off your phone, shut down your laptop and just spend some time with yourself. Get to know yourself, because knowledge is power, and the more you know about you, the more you’ll understand yourself. And if you find things you don’t like, make an effort to change them- for you’re not a completed sculpture yet- still clay in the potter’s hands. But as he moulds you, he works out the deformities, the blemishes, and the imperfections, as long as you are empowered to affect a change within yourself for the better. Self-discovery is the key to self-improvement.

©Alice Daley 2014