dyspraxia

J-Pillow for Sleepy Upright People

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Even with chronic fatigue I still struggle to sleep upright. This is why I decided to review J-Pillow (£19.95 Amazon), a pillow which is supposed to support your head and neck in the correct position so you don’t put any strain on your spine.

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It’s a bit clumsy so I’m glad it comes in a travel bag and also has a little loop to hang up. There is a reason I’ve orientated the pillow this way as it looks reminiscent of something else (just me?) when stood upright.

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This one is a lovely blue-teal colour (described as ‘Navy’ also available in Red and Fern Green) and it feels so plush! It comes with an instruction leaflet with photographs, which I was glad about. It also has a handy loop with press-stud to fasten around a bag or case.

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When sitting in a normal chair at home (one suggested use in the leaflet), the pillow only works with a high-backed chair and is only good good for a light doze. If I were to nod off properly, my head and the pillow would start sliding off to the side.

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The main idea of the J-pillow is that when travelling, you squish the pillow between your head, the back of the seat and the window. I’ve found this works perfectly because I fell asleep!

When using a basic neck support when my head dropped forward I’d drool a bit (classy) and when my head was leaning back I’d start snoring (even classier). Because of the front support here, my head is kept upright so neither of these things happen.

❤Chrissie❤

October & November Round-up

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I’ve been a bit of a nomad these past few months going between home, my blokes flat and his Dads. No wonder I haven’t been sleeping, my body doesn’t know where ‘my own bed’ actually is anymore! Here is a two month round-up for you.

October (a fair bit)

I reviewed this Maleficent tee which I bought from Pop In A Box who sell Funko Pops! but also other alternative pop-culture things.

I was lucky enough to get gifted some products from my one of my fave natural brands Yaoh to review. Total skin saviours in the crazy changing Autumn weather.

With Halloween coming up I put together a Modern Witchy OOTD. I’ve found that this style of dress is perfect if you want something over-the-knee and strappy but have a bit of belly as they emphasise the right curves and hide the ‘I’ve eaten way too much pizza’ kind. I also love this style of boot because they look stylish, don’t cut across legs mid-calf (which is never flattering) and the heel is low and chunky enough to support a wobbly wench like me.

It was my blogs 6th birthday! I’m so glad that I’ve stuck with this particular blog for six whole years and that you’ve all stuck with me too. Thank you so much!

Dyspraxia Awareness Week (7th-13th Oct) celebrated 30 years. For any posts I’ve written relating to Dyspraxia just type the word into the search bar on the lower right side of this blog.

I reviewed Ciate Dewy Stix in Gleam Gold and had mixed feelings about it.

I bought some seasonal and creepy-cute pins from Little Lefty Lou and Em & Sprout (the cat I’d previously bought from Punky Pins and it tends to spin around upside-down unfortunately).

I put together 6 Simple Autumn Style Essentials as we all want to be stylish and warm!

For Halloween I also treated myself to these pre-loved Monster High dolls from ebay which were about a quarter of the price they would have been new. One is a punky vampire and the other is a goth looking ghost. #stylegoals

I reviewed Ciate polish in Paradise Lost – part of their Gelology collection as it’s perfect for Autumn and the upcoming party season.

I compiled a list of Spooky TV Shows to Binge Watch – old and new.

I was so happy to be gifted these beautiful Moonstone rings from Gemstone Silver Jewellery to give my thoughts on.

I bought the oversized bat-wing jumper from Boohoo and lived in reviewed it. Why I look like the actor Ron Perlman in this particular photograph I don’t know.

November (not so much)

My hair was very happy that I reviewed this Shampoo and Conditioner from Yaoh but I begged to differ at one point!

10 Cozy Ideas for Autumn & Winter. I love doing posts like this each year as it makes me feel all cozy and optimistic for the months ahead.

I was gifted an Exercise (resistance) Band by Care Co. and had a lot of fun and some mishaps reviewing it.

When Hunkemoller asked my to choose something from their range of PJ’s and loungewear range I knew I wanted these velour joggers immediately. Here’s what I thought of them.

I thought it only fair to share My Autumn and Winter Skin and Hair Saviours with everyone.

I’d say this photo pretty much sums up my October and November lol

❤Chrissie❤

Care Co – 4 Week Resistance Exercise Plan

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Pretty much every Physio I’ve seen has taken into account my little noodle arms, my easily misplaced balance and chronic fatigue and suggested I exercise with a resistance band. So when Care Co – who sell discount mobility aids – asked me to try out an item, that’s what I chose.

What is it?

The Exercise Band (£10) helps you to improve your muscles, fitness, control and co-ordination. You use it’s resistance and your own existing strength to build up more strength. This one smells strongly of latex and is a lovely teal colour. It has numbered positions on it to show you where to place your hands so you can increase the difficulty as you get past the first month.

How and Why?

The booklet contains a four week plan of six different exercises per week. It describes them with easy to follow instructions and illustrations (I’m not great at following instructions thanks to be Dyspraxic but I found this really simple) and also information on diet, general exercise tips and mental health tips, which I all found useful.

I have Hypermobity Syndrome meaning my soft tissue, muscles and joints are too stretchy, flexible and weak so I’d have really preferred the band had a loop on each end to help me hold it better (the booklet does mention consulting your GP if you have joint problems, right at the start). It does have enough room to wrap it around your hands though, if you don’t mind them getting squished, which I didn’t. However, I did need to wear wrist supports when using this.

I really enjoyed working my way through this plan and, I’m not going to lie, the novelty of this weird rubber band. It felt more like I was having fun rather than exercising but I also loved how structured the plan was as I have zero attention span and sporadic motivation, at best.

The Shoulder Press totally defeated me however, as I just didn’t have the strength in weak two or three or four to stretch the band over my head. I actually lost my grip at one point and smacked myself in the jaw! Hardly the first time that I’ve done this over the years btw. My Dad tried it, who stays fairly fit for a bloke in his Seventies and he got it to his jaw, the same as me. My bloke tried it who’s 6’2″ and 16 stone and succeeded immediately. So it is possible!

Can a giant rubber band really make a difference?

I didn’t have the energy to use this everyday but it certainly encouraged me to use it when I did have some. I’ve gotten better at the exercises with practice and my balance and co-ordination have noticeably improved – a big deal for someone with Hypermobilty Syndrome and Dyspraxia (which also effects co-ordination). I also noticed that in just four weeks my muscles adapted to the new kinds of movements.

My lower back was not happy at first but I realised it was because it was already incredibly tense from holding up my slightly floppy spine all day. A massage relaxed the muscles and I’d say the exercises will continue to make my core stronger in the future.

The band immediately highlights your strengths and weaknesses so, if like me, you have chronic fatigue and have to pace your workouts, you could just focus more on the areas that need improvement and reduce the amount you do in just four weeks with the areas that don’t need it as much.

Conclusion

Overall I found the Care Co exercise band to be fun, incredibly versatile, confidence building, easily transportable and storable but more importantly, something that gives me a reason to exercise, rather than an excuse not to.

Rating 4/5

❤Chrissie❤

You Don’t Have To Hide Your Disability Or Condition

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I have what is referred to as an ‘invisible disability’ because Dyspraxia is part sensory, part co-ordination and part comprehension/attention/memory related, it’s not always an obvious physical thing. Invisible Disabilities have their own problems when it comes to mingling with the general pubic (yes, I know). I’m going to list them because I like lists!

Lazy But Frequent Assumptions People Make About You

  1. People loose patience with you because they think you are being lazy or just taking your own sweet time.
  2. People think you’re just a big weird goof and make tactless observations or find it easier to avoid what/who they don’t understand.
  3. People scowl at you for using things/spaces for disabled people because you aren’t in a wheel chair or you don’t have a big neon “DISABLED” sign hovering over your head.
  4. People think you are acting precious or being a bit of a diva because you’re asking for special attention or more frequent attention compared to everyone else, who’s just ‘getting on with it’.
  5. People think you are being an ignorant arsehole. Yes, I just love loosing the plot of our conversation about your baby who’s just started walking (and who’s name I can’t remember) or literally bumping into you on the street when we’re the only two people on the pavement or over compensating and giving you a ludicrously wide birth (hilarious to watch apparently!) or struggling to join in a group conversation and then blurting out what I want to say when it’s not even relevant anymore.
  6. That you are just plain stoopid.

Talk About Your Condition/Disability! Tell people!

Don’t stop strangers in the street and regale them with details of your latest Dr’s visit like, but do get a dialogue going with people you are going to be spending a lot of time with.

In hindsight I would have found it so much easier in every college, every job and every new circle of friends I’ve made, if I’d have just had ‘the talk’ with them. Alright, back then I had no understanding of why I struggled so much but I knew which things I struggled with.

 

Yeah, I know it shouldn’t be up to the disabled person to set the standard and to feel like they have to justify their actions but explaining them might possibly make it easier for said person in the long term. Your disability shouldn’t be something you are ashamed of either.

Why Covering For Your Disability Won’t Always Work

I did an Office Administrator apprenticeship in my 20’s where I wasn’t much older than most of my colleagues kids. They noticed straight away that I wasn’t coping very well but falleveryone was lovely and they all really helped me. After a year the apprenticeship was over and I had to find a new job.

I fell in with a group of people that had started a month earlier and had bonded with each other quickly. After 6 months I still felt a little like I was ‘the new girl settling in’ and had an uneasy feeling I hadn’t meshed quite right with them. I automatically assumed it was down to my wonky social skills. Other people in the office had previously dropped subtle hints to me about ‘knowing who your friends are’ etc. but subtlety isn’t my strong point and anyway, these people were doing just enough to con me into thinking they genuinely were my friends. I think that they knew I was (intentionally) hiding something from them and something i_m_fine__by_halliova-d5jex0lwasn’t quite right, so they all thought it gave them the right to treat me like shit. I ended up leaving because of it, with no other prospect of employment on the horizon but that’s not the point. They were a bunch of knobs, obviously, but that’s not the point either….

Accept It And Own It!

The point is, I was trying to hide my condition in plane sight and failing miserably. One minute I was chatting a mile a minute and the next I was being evasive and not making eye contact. Fine not fine. Basically I was really embarrassed by my ‘weirdness’ and was bright enough to quickly be able to come up with a vaguely plausible excuse for every symptom, while t the same time feeling really rather stupid. We need to remember we aren’t wrong or broken, we just function differently. We shouldn’t be making excuses for being who we are or acting the way that we do regarding being different.Every single person on the planet has things they are good at and things they are crap at. The only difference with us is that we are more determined to give the things we know we’ll struggle with, a try in the first place.

If people notice you are acting or doing something that’s a little different don’t try to hide it,uniqueness-quotes or make excuses for it. People will see through you and wonder what on earth is going on. If you continue to behave like that, it’s pretty obvious people are going to get tired or even annoyed. It’s not fair I know but there you go. Either find a quiet time to have a casual chat or wait until someone brings it up and then just be open and honest with them about it.

 

Even if you only make your lecturer/manager aware so that they can make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to help you cope. For instance, amassing angrier and angrier warnings from your boss for being late, when you struggle with time management and planning might actually be avoidable! Maybe you could start and finish slightly earlier/later to avoid rush hour?

What To Say About Your Disability or Condition

Maybe talk about specific things you struggle with, if you’ve been diagnosed with a certain thing or the reason why that condition effects you (if you are lucky enough to know) or how long you’ve had it. Go into as much or as little detail as you want but try to keep your sense of humour. At the very least it gives people a better understanding of you, and why shouldn’t they!

Admit If You Need Help WithA Task

I know with invisible disabilities it’s possible a person can keep on scraping by and covering up their mistakes or their needs but that knotted stomach feeling of dread can lead to anxiety and depression. It’s much better to ask for help or clearer guidance from your teacher/lecturer/manager/colleagues/friends from the start, even if that help is just a little more patience or understanding from them. Absolutely everyone needs help sometimes so if you are really really struggling with a task don’t feel embarrassed to ask for some!

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Being more open about it might make you feel vulnerable at first but as I’ve learned, hiding it can make you just as vulnerable. They are some awesome people out there with more empathy and understanding than you might first realise.

The more people talk about disabilities, the more people get to hear about them and gain a greater understanding of them :o)

Chrissie xx

5 Aids Which Really Help with Dyspraxia and Related Disabilties

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For Dyspraxia Awareness week I thought I would share an old post of mine.

Jar Opener

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Or as the Bloke likes to call it ‘the openzy shifter’ lol This is so easy to use with a little wheel which winds in the rubber band until it’s tight around the jar and then you angle the handle to lock it and only need the slightest turn – ta da! Similar here.

Reinforced/Non Slip iPad Case by STM

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The entire edge of this case is surrounded by chunky rubbery plastic meaning my iPad is protected if I drop it and so much easier to grip. I actually hate the person who came up with polished aluminium finishes! It has a cover which folds into a stand position, making it easier to type or watch and a clear back so you can still read your engraving. It’s also fairly water resistant and fastens with an easy open magnetic grip. Buy it here.

Shower Chair

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This can completely fold up so it’s out of the way for other people but when unfolded it’s very sturdy and safe. The arms can be folded up if they get in your way while sitting on it. Because I have so much hair to wash it takes me about 25 minutes, which used to really make my back ache. Not to mention the whole spacial awareness probs causing me to bounce of the walls and door and worrying about slipping and knocking myself out. Similar here.

Multiway Opener

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This gadget is genius! It opens the lids on plastic bottles, beer bottles and you can slide the ring pull of a drinks can into a groove and use it for leverage instead of breaking your fingernails. It also has a hook to open peel back food tins. Similar here.

Wrist/Ankle Support

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A lot of people who have Dyspraxia also have hyper-mobile joints (which bend/stretch too much) and get fatigued easily (not surprising seeing as we use up more energy trying so hard to do ‘simple’ things) but this Boots wrist support really helps. It was recommended to me  by a waitress with Hypermobilty who carries a tray all day. Can’t get a better recommendation than that! If you are having trouble with the fit, go to Decathlon who will measure and fit you with one of their supports.

Kitchen Timer

I find having a timer so handy for so many things. Setting myself reminders of when to turn things on or off like a cooker or a heater; setting how long I want to spend doing something so that I don’t get too hyper-focussed and loose track; to remind me to do things at certain times of day. I used to use my iPad but found it confusing, similar to when using a timer with multiple timers on. So now I use a simple egg timer and big post it notes, along with general routines I’ve got down over the years.

Do you have any suggestions?

❤Chrissie❤

Monthly Round-up June

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Style

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Find this in a pile of the Bloke’s old clothes and ‘adopted it’.

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I finally found two dresses, that hide my pizza handles; are a practical but un-frumpy length (at least for me) and aren’t too prom-dressy. Both from EMP.

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When you can’t be arsed hiding your natural resting bitch face, ha! This Casual Urban Summer outfit felt surprisingly cool (before the heatwave) and also worked well with gladiator sandals for casual evenings.

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I’ve been trying to find sunglasses like these very old ones but haven’t been having much luck, as I guess they are very early-2000’s in style. I’m also learning how to take selfies with a point and shoot camera…I need more practice.

Food and Drink

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Someone gave us an Aloe plant about a year ago and this is the first time that I used it in a drink. It tastes so bitter but if you only use half a finger, somehow that tartness goes away when you mix it with anything sweet, like perfectly ripe strawberries.

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The Bloke has bringing me veggie koftas by Gosh from the ‘posh’ Tesco in Didsbury. I don’t always have enough energy to make and fry my own falafel or to get to the deli before they close so these are a great alternative and last for ages in the fridge.

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We bought some chilli seeds around two months ago and now we have this lovely gangly thing. In the morning it raises it’s leaves and then bends toward the sun in an arch throughout the day. Just after sundown, it lowers it’s leaves again and stays still. I’ve just pollinated it, with it’s own flowers but I can’t see any yellow pollen so I have no idea if it worked and we will get chilli’s.

Beauty

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Hempz, Herbal range are some of the best products I’ve ever used to style my crazy, frizzy natural hair so they were a joy to review.

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These three are the most borrow-able items in my blokes bathroom and they smell great too so I thought I’d review them in Pinching My Blokes Skincare.

Lifestyle

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I was offered a free star map from Modern Map Art and chose to get one done for my Dad for Fathers Day. Here’s my review if you want to know more.

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I found this, which made me laugh as it was so appropriate at the time ^_^

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I’ve nearly finished series 5 of Gotham. It has it’s usual gangster slant and a new intelligent baddy for young Bruce. They’ve added more of a horror element this series and also the violence is less comic book and just plain graphic. I’m not a big fan of either of the above. Poison Ivy and Butch aren’t pictured here, probably for good reason, so as not to spoil the surprise of how they look.

I made this using the Geek Alphabet created by The Nifty Nerd. Such a great idea!

❤Chrissie❤

10 Reasons Why I Love My Wonky Body

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I’m going off when my body and energy levels are on good form because I’m trying to be nice to myself these days ^_^

  1. It’s got a lot of natural rhythm which makes it easier to dance without me really loving-yourselfover-thinking it.
  2. My legs are long and surprisingly strong, through them having to correct my balance constantly when I stand and walk. The Amazons have nothing on me lol
  3. I have a really fast metabolism which is great for never having to worry about getting overweight (just hangry) and it means I can totally justify ordering sides with my main meal.
  4. Being tall is pretty handy to not feel claustrophobic in a crowd and to see where I’m meant to going if it’s somewhere new.
  5. My immune system may attack me but cold and flu viruses beware, it’s effectively coming for you too!
  6. I tan quickly which is awesome after a grey winter – I mean my skin, not the weather.
  7. I have weirdly good balance if I really concentrate.
  8. Being hypermobile is actually really handy when trying to reach past a load of clutter or when the lid off something has rolled under furniture.
  9. I’ve gotten some interesting scars over the years but I also heal surprisingly quickly.
  10. I’m going to be inhabiting my body for the rest of my life so I might as well appreciate it!

❤ Chrissie ❤

Note: Incase you wondering, the conditions I have are Demyelination (similar to but not actually MS), Dyspraxia, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder (relating to the latter three conditions), allergies, PCOS (suspected by GP), Hyperthyroidism, Hypermobilty Syndrome (including food intolerance), which can all have the symptoms of chronic fatigue/brain fog in common.

More ‘Funny’ but Very Earnest Things I Said and Did as an A-typical Kid

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I remember the Dr’s making a fuss that I wasn’t crawling yet and thinking I was ‘backward’ – a supposedly acceptable medical term in the 80’s. My Mum called my name and I noticed the new Dr and shouted “Hiya!” as I determinedly pulled myself up onto my feet and stood up.

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Another time the Paediatrician asked me “Can you draw me a picture” with a little frown I replied incredulously “Yes!?” My Mum had to explain to the Dr that he needed to ask “WILL you draw me a picture?”

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I got sent to speech therapy as a kid as I wasn’t saying (repeating parrot fashion) the ’normal’ amount of words for my age. The therapist who had a thick London accent said “Lorry” and pointed to a truck. Little Northern me said “No silly, it’s l-u-r-r-y! Mam, the lady needs school!”

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Apparently on my first day of nursery, it didn’t occur to me to play with another kid at the table-height sand pit. I just queued up behind them and patiently waited my turn!

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Also at my first day of nursery school when the teacher announced it was story time I headed straight for the beanbag, curled up and closed my eyes. It wasn’t until I heard everyone laughing that I realised they were all sat on a square of carpet cross-legged. Feeling totally embarrassed I guess I decided to style-it-out and just dragged the beanbag over onto the carpet and curled up on it again.

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In junior school the dinner lady brought out the big skipping rope but got distracted talking to another kid. Knowing that when you mess up – which I usually did after only three jumps – you have to join the back of the queue all over again, I saw my chance. I got my mates to hold the rope and began awkwardly skipping. When she noticed, the dinner lady freaked and told me to form a queue. I stopped and asked “So you’ve stopped me taking my turn skipping, to form a queue, to be the first one in the queue, so I can start skipping again?!” She waited until a big queue had formed and then sent me to the back of it – the cow!

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As a kid my Dad tried to engage me in math homework by asking “If you had nine oranges and you gave three to Mum and three to Nanna, how many would I get?” I replied “Two.” “No love, I’d get three.” With a rather perturbed expression I replied “Er, I’m really sorry Dad but you’d only get two otherwise I wouldn’t get ANY and you said they were my oranges!”

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Do you have any examples of you or your kids wonderful logic? I’d love to hear them!

❤ Chrissie ❤

Happily Eating Gluten & Dairy free at Pizza Express

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My bloke treated me to a meal at Pizza Express, Didsbury to celebrate my 5th blogversary and to check out there new Autumn menu.

Starters

I ordered the Leggera Superfood Salad (gf v) as a starter which is made up of ‘black rice, edamame beans, red quinoa, mung beans, chickpeas, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and kale in a flavoursome vinaigrette on a bed of seasonal mixed leaves, rocket, cucumber, roasted red & yellow peppers, red onion and fresh parsley.’ It’s a very varied and tasty salad with all of the ingredients working really well together and is gluten and dairy free.

I also could have chosen Dough Balls (v), Bruschetta (v) or Mozzarella and Tomato Salad (v, gf) to help with my food intolerances. 

Main 

I knew I was going to cheat with my desert so I decided to be sensible with my main. Luckily for me, the dairy free option sounded like the nicest pizza on the menu. I ordered  the new Vegan Giardiniera (v, gf option) made up of ‘artichoke, closed cup mushroom, red onion and black olives, with tomato, vegan mozzarella alternative and garlic oil, finished with fresh parsley’ and specified a gluten free base. The result was the best pizza I have ever eaten at Pizza Express! The vegan mozzarella was so creamy, I just wished there were more of it. Because of my dyspraxia I really struggle to cut up pizza using a pizza cutter or a knife and folk but the gf base was thin and stretchy enough for me to manage fairly easily. I imagine this is similar to the base of a calzone.

I could also have chosen Bolognese Rigatoni (gf), Broad Bean Rigatoni (gf, v), Cannelloni (v), Every pizza (gf option) apart from a Calabrese, with 7 of them having (v) options.

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Side

Polenta Chips with Honey and Mustard Dressing because I love these strange little sticks and they don’t fill me up too much. I was naughty and got them with parmesan.

I also could have chosen Coleslaw (gf), salad (gf) or the left off the grated parmesan from the polenta chips to help with my food intolerances. 

Desert

Not the most sensible choice, ok the least sensible choice but I absolutely adore cold chocolate fudge cake with vanilla gelato or ice cream. Nom….

I also could have chosen pretty much any other desert (v or v option) and chocolate brownie (gf) or Caffe Reale (gf) to help with my food intolerance. 

We’ve honestly never seen a menu which is so flexible and inclusive of vegetarians, vegans and people with food intolerance and allergies. Well done Pizza Express!

❤ Chrissie ❤

 

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