F.A.Q's and getting to know me.

2016 so far has been all about getting to know me in a new way. 

This week I've decided to write a bit about myself. 

Last week I did a call for AMA (Ask me anything submissions and questions)...

I'm a "mature" student at university. I'm an undergraduate. In my final year. I'm going to talk about this a lot, on and off for 2016. I've been enrolled in study on and off since moving to Wellington in June of 2008. I'm still doing the same degree: Bachelor of Arts, but I changed my minor and major since starting study. I'm doing a BA in English Literature with a minor in Religious Studies. (I also did a number of Linguistic papers, as well as a couple of Education ones).

I grew up in a kind of Christian home, in that we didn't go to church, but we have values like 'treat others how you would like to be treated.' And 'always respect your elders'. Even today, living in another city I still live by a number of these values. Kindness goes far. 

I'm a self taught and semi-trained teacher in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). I've taught high school kids and adults. (Aged 11-17 and 30+). I've been fortunate so far to have taught a couple of students from China and some more are from South Korea. I'm currently on a break from teaching as I'm studying for summer, but I might start again sometime later in the year*. Tough to work with students, preparing work for them as well as studying. I may readjust this again later and reassess just how much I can take on.

In 2017, after university studies are all done I am thinking to either go into teaching more ESOL, or going into full time blogging. Then again I do need an income because we need to save up for our wedding and impending move overseas!
If only studying meant I'd be paid well enough to not need to work... Haha. As if!
I just hope I can find a good job where I'm doing something I love every day and not feeling down or anxious about the work, wherever we end up.

I'm the oldest of four children. The oldest grandchild in both families too (of my parents that is).
Daniel is also the oldest child. It makes it difficult when we're both stubborn about certain things. One of us has to let the other lead and such sometimes too. We're both super stubborn with some things. Makes fighting interesting!

On top of all of that I am also aware of how lucky and fortunate I am for the life I currently have. If I didn't have such a loving and wonderful fiance I don't know where I would be living right now. I certainly couldn't afford not to work and just study full time! I am also looking forward to getting some financial assistance from the government for my studies this year, the past few years have been self funded (from fiance) and it has created stress between us. This year I'll get a little to put towards expenses so that will be nice and help relieve some of that stress we currently face.

I have a social media empire growing more and more every day.

 I'm on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and here. I also have YouTube but I'm less active on there now as I've chosen to go more of a written (blogging) and photography route with my creativity. 

This is also why the post a couple of posts back has a new Photography Theme on it. 

I want to showcase more of my creative side this year. 

I'm on a Podcast called Skepticism Today - with fellow skeptics Mark, Sara, Tim and my fiance Daniel. We talk about a variety of topics each month when we meet to record. We haven't been the greatest in getting recordings out quickly, if I'm being totally honest and blunt... The aim for 2016 so far has been to record more. We will see how that goes. 

I love listening to music, to the point I'll find something that I love and play it on repeat for hours on end. Right now? It's this remixed song: Oh Wonder - Lose It.
Sorry not sorry flatmates (and neighbours) hehe. Just kidding - when they're near I have it turned down. Also I wear awesome noise-cancelling headphones.

I'm a very busy person - between full time study, part time teaching*, recording a podcast, blogging here and being a flatmate/ fiancee/ daughter, it's a tough life! I'm also a volunteer at local theatre - BATs and currently doing a lot of shows (think every night) as the Front of House Manager for
Wellington Summer Shakespeare's show of Love's Labours Lost, tickets are available here**.

Until next Monday,
xx Lisa.


*TBC
** Until the end of the season.

Wanderlust, Anxiety and other things on my mind.

Today I have been thinking about my constant feelings of wanderlust it does not seem to matter if I have literally just walked off the plane from a prior trip, I am already dreaming of the next adventure. The next place to go. The next place to explore. Wander. Get lost in. Daniel and I have been fortunate to be able to go travel to some of the most beautiful places around New Zealand and Australia. In my life thus far my parents gave me the wanderlust bug. I can never get enough of going somewhere new and exploring my way around a new town or new city. I am currently living, studying and working in Wellington, New Zealand and it is amazing. Daniel and I have lived here together for the past three years. (I have lived in Wellington for six and a half years now, Daniel has been living here for about seven years.)

During our relationship we have travelled, at least once a year either back home the hour flight back to our families or over to Australia. We have stayed in Melbourne twice with his brother and in a hotel… as well as in the Gold Coast where we have friends who live. Both places are awesome to explore and pretend to be a local in. When I travel I like to live, act and feel, as much as possible, like a local. Visiting local markets, getting fresh food the same way the locals do. Exploring market places. I love markets. You can always find such amazing, one off pieces at markets. Whether they are clothing items, crafted items or food and beverage is another story! Some of my favourite markets include the Queen Victoria Markets of Melbourne, the beachfront markets of the Gold Coast (along Surfer’s Paradise), and the markets throughout Wellington city. The City and Sea Markets down by the waterfront are fun and colourful.

Part of my reasoning for being ‘like a local’ as much as possible is due to the fact that I tend to get annoyed that Tourists have a certain air about them. Of arrogance. Self righteousness. Of wanting things always, done now. I try and be more cool and calm about things. My room is not ready yet? I am happy to sit in the bar and have a drink while I wait. How long will it be? Oh, half an hour. Totally fine. When things go wrong, being nice is the biggest compliment to give. It is so easy to hit the anger switch and break down into tears… Much harder to be the better person who smiles and asks nicely when something will be done. As such I am more likely to find a hotel or accommodation spot which allows me to cook, or bring in any kinds of food I like. I am not big on sitting and eating in a restaurant when I am here in Wellington.

I am a bit socially awkward and find restaurant small talk difficult. I think it comes down to me liking written words more than spoken ones. Good thing I write on a blog each week! I am slightly paranoid in that I do not know who is listening to me, and I do not like the feeling that someone is overhearing me, even when it is an innocent everyday conversation. Strangely I do not have this feeling as much when I am actively teaching a student in the public library, go figure!?

Hair Update with the Purple Dye

So the initital dye didn't take very well, maybe because I'd left it (as per instructions on the bottle) for 30 minutes and really it needed longer. So I used the remaining dye about 48 hours later on the rest of my hair, really focussing on brushing through on the right hand front side, not so much combing the left front side. This lot I left in for a whole hour. I used the same technique with the shower cap to help hold my head heat in to help the dye develop. The only other difference is with the combing, it's needed with this dye. So do it!

Easter 2015 hair changes

Easter 2015 is here already! Time flies when you're having a great year.
Somehow it is already April, and the first part of the term just finished - I'm now on break for two weeks but still studying hard with assignments and essays due when I get back.
This Easter I decided to have a little more fun than usual...

December 2014 and January 2015

I can't believe that it is already halfway through January already!
 I've had a very busy Christmas.  I ended up home in Taranaki for a couple of weeks staying with the boyfriend's family. Had a safe holiday and a lot of fun in the sun was had by all. Sober driving on New Years Eve lead to my first breath test (I passed) and ended up driving well into New Years morning.




Some recent changes include the decision to return to university and the acceptance letter came a little while ago.
I've been working diligently on this - Send Me to School Funding I've raised $70 of the much needed $200.





Another change is the acceptance to join a local Skepticism podcast; I've been on it twice now. You can listen to the podcasts I've featured in:

Skepticism Today Ep 007

Skepticism Today Ep 008





Tonight is Wednesday evening so we're planning and plotting at Skeptical Activism. Haha. Just kidding, writing complaints for the ASA about medical and other claims that are breaching the rules.
I've been writing a large number of Ear Candle treatment ones recently, so I expect they will be submitted soon.





“Which is why I am writing this book. To think. To understand. It just happens to be the way I'm made. I have to write things down to feel I fully comprehend them.” 
― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood.

I've been drafting up an eBook recently too, on the No Shampoo technique. I've been so busy lately though so I really need to knuckle down and get it all planned out and written up in full. Hoping to have it published online sometime before university returns so I can then focus solely on my studies.

What happens if... ?

Tomorrow I'll be writing a post about Beauty and some quotes around that, as a pre-emptive I've chosen to also cover a few of those "beauty blunders" we have among other things...

1. Yellowed, stained, embarrassing teeth. You know the ones - where you're afraid to smile since you don't have pearly whites? Yeah those. Teeth whitening - does it damage your teeth?
2. The hair that just won't be tamed, it can't be tamed, it's wild. Uncontrollable.
   My good friend Leah has the secret to wonderful hair and it starts with washing - or rather not washing it!
3. What happens when we mess up common sayings?  I've noticed this more since deciding to teach English - the fact some people (myself included) can absolutely butcher the English language!  Ten common sayings you're saying all wrong.
4.  I was on Facebook and noticed on a Facbeook group I'm in recently that someone asked "What happens if you don't bath regularly?"  Granted the person asking had a mental health reason behind their question - but from a science, health and well being point of view, what would happen if you never bathed again? Cleansing Myths what if you never bathed?

Tomorrow I have more quotes and it's the start of Thinking Thursday!!

Until tomorrow - L.

Wellington Women's Expo and thoughts

This weekend (August 9th and 10th) was the Wellington Women's Expo an event run by Peacock Promotions Ltd. It was open between 10am to 5pm each day. At the TSB Arena. Entry cost $10 p/person ($5 on Sunday with a voucher). There was also an optional $20 Goodies Bag. 

I went along both days. Saturday felt busier, but then I did go (with a friend) in the afternoon. Sunday was a little slower, but still had good crowds. On Saturday I went along with Neil and then on Sunday with Dan and a skeptic friend. 

Some key things I took home from the expo; 

(other than the Goody bag which I'll go into in detail below)

Growing out the Pixie Cut

This post features on the No Poo & low poo hair forum on facebook which can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nopoo

In around May 2013 I had my hair cut into a pixie cut. I went for a long version. Sort of like: http://www.thehairstyler.com/hairstyles/casual/short/straight/carey-mulligan
My hairdresser didn't want to cut my hair that short, which is why the long version was good, I could work out exactly what the length was and how the hair reacted to it. (Some hair [types & colours] suits certain styles better, as do certain face shapes. I'm no expert on either.)
This is another image I used: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164240717635351836/
This is the Long Pixie in a picture of me: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164240717635351831/

Three months later it was growing out already so I went back to my hairdresser and asked for the 'short' version of the Pixie cut. [He was much happier to do the short version after I'd been rocking the long version for a few months.] 
So it transitioned to be like this: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164240717635350419/ (Oh yeah, that is me in blue).

I waited for it to grow out, so 7 months later I needed urgent help for a "mullet problem". (Refer to the mullet photo in the link on instagram - below). It is hilarious. I actually didn't realise how bad it looked until after the haircut. I mean I knew it was bad... but wowsa. Haha. If you get more regular trims at around 3-4 months the Mullet won't become such a bad look. Trust me I barely left the house during this time.

I'm due for another trim in about 3 weeks time, so hopefully I can just get a little off the ends and although it sounds counter-productive to be trimming the ends, it is actually helping me ensure they're healthy. No split ends and stuff. It's a personal choice, but it also helps to ensure the haircut/style is looking good as it grows further out too. I try to stretch between trims as much as I can, which is why I go approximately every 3-4  months. When it's grown longer (to tie up) I'll go less often, and only get the ends done. 

If you have bangs you'll need to trim them more often I guess. I've decided to grow mine out, it's just getting to the annoying hair in the eyes length. So now it is an angled fringe and kind of swept off to one side. This is just how I'm dealing with it while it grows out. 
Bandannas or scarves can help with this. Same with hair bands... 
When the fringe/bangs are long enough you can also clip them back.  

** Another recommendation came from my hairdresser who said - it is good if you have some kind of vision board. pin board (or pinterest board in my case) to show where you've been and where you want your hair to go. Now bear in mind that the images you'll see of celebrities etc will be touched up with hair products containing silicones and sulfates, their shine looks addictive, but you can get shiny hair on the no/low poo journey so keep at it. Healthy hair shines too. Here is my board: http://www.pinterest.com/listay1/growing-out-the-pixie-ultimate-hair/

              I've got a bunch of photos of my hair growth and changes on Instagram...

Pre-Mullet - http://instagram.com/p/j54kUdNdyx/

Mullet Pride - http://instagram.com/p/j1m_1yNd5p/

Haircut - rid of the Mullet - http://instagram.com/p/kD270ZNdzP/ 
(This is a classic bob cut, not an inverted one. With bangs).

Hair changes - hair cut etc - http://instagram.com/p/kNu7pINd0B/

Length (about 3 months ago) - http://instagram.com/p/kivp5rNd9s/

Another collage collection to compare length - http://instagram.com/p/kqD2SmNd9s/

show night - (2 months ago) http://instagram.com/p/lAGNbGtd6u/

Australia trip - (3 weeks ago) http://instagram.com/p/mAIpwJtd-_/

Two weeks ago: fringe is getting grown out too- http://instagram.com/p/mUTZxMtd4B/


These photos are of my hair before I was doing this and before I'd cut off the really damaged hair: 
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164240717635350422/ (Long hair, mid back).

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164240717635350418/ (shoulder length hair, this is the length it was for the first pixie pre-cut).

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164240717635350424/ (Really, really damaged hair. I was doing CO washing at this stage).


Here is a post about a quick up-do I did on June 1st, 2014. Excuse how messy it is, and the red face: sick at the moment.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nopoo/permalink/294605010706011/ (You may need to join the group to access this link).


*** The links to Instagram and Pinterest are linked to my profiles - feel free to follow, like and share if you use these services. 
*** The journey is my own and no other, so I may be offering advice which counter-acts what your own hairdresser and research says, so do your homework and follow the advice of your hairdresser regarding how often you should get your hair cut or trim. 

Rose Tinted Glasses: Washing and the joys of being sick with the flu!

So I took the pillow cases off my pillows today because I've been sick for the past 48 hours with a chesty cough (maybe the flu?) and as a result I just want to sleep - so much. I decided maybe I should change my bedding so I can help stop my bugs getting everywhere. Cleaning always seems like a good idea when I'm sick. I don't know why, it makes no sense really. Cleaning takes so much energy and effort!

Rose Tinted glasses and No Poo Technique.

Okay so in January or something like that this year... I do know it was months ago...

I came across No Poo on Pinterest.

Pink Hair, Pink glasses?

Just a bit of a flashback of a memory in that title there. About a year ago I rocked some pink hair.
Might be able to find a photo...

Rose Tinted Glasses: A Psychic and Skeptics

This weekend Dan and I went along to the New Zealand Skeptics Conference held in Wellington. A two day conference with some amazing speakers. We met some awesome people in various fields, doing various jobs, and responding to the world in different ways.
Basically a bunch of "non-believers" in a room for a weekend to talk, discuss, debate and question things.

Low Poo and No Poo hair journey.

There's something on pinterest called No Poo it's a hair system and it's an interesting journey.