Leggings are not a substitute for pants. Please stop taking your fashion advice from Lindsay Lohan and start thinking for yourself.

Before you leave the house look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself these questions:

• Am I wearing leggings?
• Are my “pants” really tight, thin and stretchy?
• Do my “pants” accentuate my crotch?

If you answered no to all of those questions you have reached the end of the questionnaire.
Feel free to leave the house and be seen in public.

If you answered yes to any of those questions continue with these:

• Am I wearing a large/long top that covers my ass and crotch?
• Am I wearing a skirt/dress/shorts/pants?
• Am I leaving the house in order to go running or go to the gym only?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you have reached the end of the questionnaire.
Feel free to leave the house and be seen in public.

If you answered no to all of those questions please go back to bed and try dressing yourself again when you have had some rest.

1. Run like hell!!!, 2. cracks, 3. Paris under the snow, 4. swarm1

• Have your say . Stick up for yourself at work or school, make sure you’re heard! Many people in life will warn you not to make trouble, that’s it’s not worth it. But in my experience everyone’s secretly hoping someone will have the balls to stand up to the bully.
• Remember that being able to do the basics really well is a lot more helpful than being able to do some complicated task mediocre. You’re not going to be an expert straight away when you’re learning something new. Knowing how to cook a few basic pasta dishes  will help you more in life than knowing how to make an 8 tier sponge cake from scratch. Learn to walk before you  run.
• When people ask what you do don’t feel obliged to answer with your job title. If you love your job that’s great, otherwise tell them you listen to music, bake, take photos, blog, or whatever else you choose to do with the time you have.
• Taking each day as it comes is advice often given to people depressed about their situation. That’s fine advice if you’re trying to get someone back from the ledge, but if you’re not quite at the suicide stage you need to do something now! Living for the weekend; for the next holiday; trying to drag yourself out of bed everyday is not really living.Find your passion, work hard, and actually live.

If you’re lucky and organised (like me *smug grin*) then all your xmas shopping will be done and your present wrapping is underway and you’re looking forward to finishing work for the year and eating and drinking and being merry.

If not here are some basic rules to abide by when you are mad dashing it through the shops trying to find something special.

1. NO CANDLES – always abide by this rule. Candles are shithouse. The only reasonable excuses for buying this sorry excuse for a last minute present are:
   • The person you are buying for collects, cupcakes/unicorns/cows and you find an awesome cupcake/unicorn/cow candle they will appreciate
   • The candle smells amazing like coconut and looks gorgeous at the same time
   • The recipient is crazy on a certain colour, like pink, and the candle is crazy pink and perfect for the recipient, you know the recipient well, and you know they’d appreciate it
   • You have bought them a fondue set and are supplying extra tea light candles
   • You want the person to hate you forever
2. Ornaments – The candle rules apply here too.

3. Consumables are good - Rather than picking an ugly $10 statuette of a dolphin consider some chocolates or even hand picked flowers.Flowers are organic so will degrade when they’ve done their dash. Once they’re dead all remnants will be removed from the house and there will be no resentment about the ugly dolphin hiding in the closet.Chocolates will be eaten and packaging will be the only remnant which can be disposed of. Homemade cookies or cupcakes show consideration and care.

   Choose wine or alcohol only when you know what the recipient prefers or if they have a lot of guests. It’s never nice to receive a nasty bottle of red wine, especially when you don’t drink red.
   Consumables are always the best bet when you have no idea what to give someone.

4. Vouchers – Most people consider giving vouchers a cop-out. But they’re ideal for teenagers who generally don’t have much money to splurge.
   They’re also great for clothing and music because they’re both very personal things.If the person you are buying for has enough money to buy whatever they want consider getting them a voucher to an unusual shop they wouldn’t normally frequent so they can get something extra special. Buying a meal for two at a nice restaurant or a hotel room for the night if you really want to splurge is a fun idea too.
5. Don’t buy photo albums unless you:
   • Know the recipient uses film
   • Fill it with photos first
   • Give a photo printing voucher as well
6. Avoid lunch hours – The hours between 12 and 2 are crazy busy on the streets right now. Office workers are out in force at these time. You will get annoyed and give up early.
7. No perfume – Perfumes are intensely personal so avoid them unless you know the recipients signature scent. A gorgeous natural body moisturiser, scrub, or bath bomb (if they have a bath) is a great alternative and a consumable gift.
8. Donations – For the eco warrior, selfless, or people who have everything make someone else’s holiday. Donate food, time, money, or gifts in their name. Oxfam has a great scheme called Oxfam Unwrapped that I’ve been using for a few years now. There are a bunch of different “gifts” ranging from goats and chickens, to toilets and condoms. Each gift has a different price and the money goes in the general direction that you aim it. There is some flexibility so that money goes where it’s needed most, the website gives this example:
   

   For example, your purchase of a donkey will be used for:
   Buying local donkeys (this saves us a lot of wrapping and postage costs)
   Getting them to the families they will be helping
   Training families in how to care for their donkeys
   Other essential parts of our rural livelihood work, like farming tools and training – helping impoverished farmers take the first essential step out of poverty.

   Each purchase come with a card featuring a cute picture of the gift you purchased, you can choose e-cards for instant delivery.
   This campaign has been superbly delivered over the years and the cute donkeys and ducks draw me in every time.

9. Most of all think before you buy. What would you honestly think if you received that present. Now put yourself in the recipients shoes and really think about what they would appreciate

Going flatting for the first time should be an exciting experience.
Once you’ve moved onto your second or third flat you will begin to learn exactly what you do and don’t want out of a flat and out of your flatmates.

This guide is for first timers that don’t have that experience.

• Number 1 rule – Don’t flat with friends
  Flatting with friends will almost always ruin the friendship on some level. When you have to live with a friend who’s untidy, bad with money, or just has too many strange quirks you will get annoyed.
  The biggest problem with this one is that the annoyances won’t be evident until you’re living together.

  I’ve seen it work. But only with older more experienced flatties who are capable of taking care of themselves.

Get the best place you can afford for happy home living!

• No one living above you – Noise from below you and beside you can be terrible when you’re living in an apartment, but worst of all is the noise from above. With wooden floors you’ll hear every creak and footstep.When all you want is a sleep in on a Saturday morning you’ll dread the day you ever moved into the house where the people above like to vacuum at 8am
• Live with as few people as possible – Lucky for us we are in a position where me and the boy no longer need flatmates. In the end you’ll likely hate having flatmates. They’re great to help you find your feet at first though. As long as you don’t have to share the place with 8 others.
• Boys or girls? – A tough one to get right. Too many girls can cause a bitch fight, but too many boys can a smelly house make. Know who you get along with better or go for an even mix
• Property manager or landlord? – Landlords often lack the organisation or time needed to properly care for their property, or their tenants. This can mean they’re hard to get hold of when things can go wrong; and proper processes aren’t followed when the rent needs to be raised, they want to do a property inspection or when you want your bond paid back. There are some excellent landlords out there, but they are as hard to find as great flatmates.Property managers will have a lot of houses to look after and their business depends on keeping the owner of the house happy. The sheer volume of houses property managers have to deal with everyday can mean they are also hard to get hold of sometimes. They generally know what restrictions are placed on entering a property and the procedures they need to follow along the way. Try to find people that have rented off a particular property manager before to see what their style is.
• Know what your flatmates do for a living
  Before you sign yourself up for your new residence know what hours your flatmates are going to be working. It can be a real pain in the ass when you’ve got 4 people all wanting to use the shower at the same time.
  It an be equally annoying when the bar worker gets home at 3am and slams the front door right next to your bedroom.
• Where is the flat situated?
  Are you happy to live far away from town so you can afford a nicer place? You will have to factor in your travel time everyday.
  We prefer to live within walking distance to town so that we don’t have to rely on public transport.

You’ve found a place you like, and you’ve been accepted as a flatmate (or tenant). What now?

Know exactly where you stand and what is expected of you
You should know the following things, preferably in writing:

• When is the property available?
  What date can you move in?
• Are you a tenant or a flatmate?
  You are a tenant if you have signed the tenancy agreement. This means you are jointly responsible for the flat as a whole (including rent payments) with anyone else who has signed the agreement.

  If you are a flatmate you need to make an agreement with the tenant about your responsibilities and notice requirements. Know what happens if the tenant wants to move out. Does this mean you have to move out too?

• Is it a fixed-term tenancy or a periodic tenancy?
  If it is fixed term understand you may have to move out when the term is up. If the landlord wants fixed term and you don’t you could try arranging it so the lease automatically switches to a periodic tenancy when you’ve done your 6 month/1 year fixed term.
  In New Zealand periodic tenancy requires 3 weeks notice when you want to move out. Your landlord may agree to a shorter time but arrange this before anything is signed.
• How much is the rent?
  Set up an automatic payment so it goes to the right place, on time. Your flat may have a joint account where money for power, phone, internet, food etc goes. Make sure you know what it’s going to cost you.
• How much bond is required?
  Also, when will this be paid out to you? People often move into a flat by taking someones place and make casual arrangements for bond refunds. You may lose your bond if the previous flatmate left with unpaid rent and the landlord claims it.
• Get insurance!
  I don’t know the laws in other countries, but not having insurance in New Zealand could ruin your life.
  When you have contents insurance this should include legal liability insurance. This means if you accidentally cause damage to the property (like burning it down because you left the stove on) your insurance will cover the cost of reparations. Without it you could spend the rest of your life paying off a mortgage you get no benefit from.

The Department of Building and Housing has excellent advice specific to New Zealand law for tenants and landlords through all stages of a tenancy. Unfortunately the Department of Building and Housing can only help with disputes for tenants, your rights are different if you are a flatmate. Make sure you keep a record and receipts of rent payments in case anything goes wrong.

Got questions about going renting for the first time? leave a comment or send me an email.

Piercings are a great way to express your individuality without the permanency of a tattoo. They can easily be changed in colour or design to suit your mood, and when you’re over it just take it out.

Make sure your employer is OK with you having a facial piercing. Although I don’t have a problem with facial piercings, many people do, especially when they are trying to project a corporate image.

Do your homework

Piercings may not be permanent but they can still cause infections and holes in the wrong places if done incorrectly.
You should find a reputable piercer. Do this by talking to others who have piercings and doing some research online.
Finding a reputable piercer with experience and skill will ensure you are happy with the outcome. Their studio should be clean and you should be comfortable with them.

Be sure to call them or go to their studio before you want to get the piercing done to make an appointment and find out the price.

Decide what style of piercing you want

Before your appointment you will need to know what style of piercing you want. You will need to know if you want it on your bottom or top lip, in the middle, to one side, or further down for a labret piercing. You may want a combination of them, like snakebites.

Getting it done

Eat a light meal (to combat wooziness) and brush your teeth before your appointment. When you arrive have a look around the studio. If you are uncomfortable with the piercer or the place looks unclean just leave. Don’t worry about offending people, your health is more important. If you’ve done your homework it shouldn’t come to that.
You may need to fill out a consent form and pay when you arrive, you might be asked for ID if you are young. While it’s not illegal to pierce young people (depending on where you are) many studios give an age limit for both of your safety.

The piercer should now discuss with you what type of piercing you want and where you want it. You will need to choose if you want a stud or a ring. I find a stud is easier to get used to and is more discreet. You’ll be stuck with this decision for a few weeks, but then you can change the jewelry as you please.

Next the area around your mouth will be disinfected and the piercer will use a marking pen to mark the spot to be pierced. You should check this in the mirror. Be very sure you are happy with the positioning.

If you are getting snakebites make sure the positions are symmetrical.

You should also take into account any future piercings you may get.
When I got the bottom left side of my lip pierced the piercer let me know he had placed the mark in a spot that would suit me and look symmetrical if I ever decided to get the other side pierced.

Once the correct spot is identified and agreed upon a brand new(!!) needle will be taken out of its packet for use. Your lip will be clamped and the needle will be pushed through the mark, usually into a piece of cork. It will pinch but shouldn’t be overly painful.
The piercer will then need to remove the needle and you will feel another pinch as the jewelry is inserted.

My piercer wore gloves, changed them a couple of times and washed his hands 2-3 times during my short appointment. He made me feel comfortable, explained what he was doing every step of the way and made sure I was in charge of all the decisions.
There was a remarkable difference between him and other places I’ve been pierced with less experience and skill.

And that’s it!

Now your piercer will discuss aftercare. Ask questions about anything you are unsure of. You will be given a sheet with instructions, this sheet should also include the gauge and length (if a stud was chosen) of the jewelry. The jewelry information is important for purchasing future jewelry.
When your piercing is healed and you are choosing new jewelry you will need to get some the same gauge. If you try to insert jewelry that is too big it will cause your lip to swell and will probably hurt.

An iceblock is a good option at this stage to help with the swelling.

Aftercare
The most important thing to remember is that your piercing is a wound. You should treat it like one to avoid unnecessary damage and infections.

• Clean it with soap – Clean the area twice a day using antibacterial soap. Using warm water lather the soap in your hands and then apply it to the jewelry and skin. Dry by dabbing the spot with a clean paper towel or napkin. Do this until the skin heals.
  Never use alcohol or peroxide to clean the area. It will dry out the piercing and may cause it to heal improperly.
• Avoid touching it – When you do you must clean your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap first. Don’t let anyone else touch it.
  You will, in reality, have an overwhelming urge to touch it all the time so carry clean gauze (or something like it) with you. Use the gauze if you simply MUST touch it.
• Use mouthwash – This can be a 50/50 mix of mouthwash and water, or you can create a saline solution (1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to every cup of water). Use it after meals and smoking.
• Avoid oral sex or kissing while your piercing is healing.
• Use ice blocks, cold drinks, ice chips, frozen yoghurt etc to help with the swelling.
• Oral piercings will close up very quickly when the jewelry is taken out. Make sure you replace it straight away with new jewelry or a retainer if you do remove it, and want to keep it open.

You should be able to change the jewelry yourself after about 8 weeks. If you are uncomfortable doing this or having trouble with it you can go back to your piercer to get it done.

If you got a labret stud as your jewelry you may want to get it changed earlier as you are pierced with a long bar initially to allow for swelling. Once the swelling has gone the long bar will get in the way and you may find yourself biting it accidentaly.

What happens if things go wrong

It is normal for the piercing to be a bit crusty at first. This means it is healing. Keep an eye on it though and if you do get an infection DO NOT remove the jewelry. It is the only thing allowing the piercing to drain. If you remove it the wound may close around it.
Visit your doctor for futher advice.

Enjoy!

Most of all >>> This advice should not be a substitute for the advice your piercer gives you. They are the ones in the business and in general will know what they are doing.
I am not a piercer now and never have been. Feel free to leave comments if you have any questions.

With the news the Barack Obama has won the Democratic presidential nomination I decided I needed to find out how the US election actually works.

It seems there are many many other people, Americans included who want to know, but it can be hard to find simplified information. Americans appear to be too angry with the way the system works (and rightly so) to give a simplified answer and instead go into a rant about how it doesn’t matter how it’s supposed to work because it just doesn’t happen.

From what I can gather in the simplest terms…

1. In the lead up to a presidential election a Caucus or a Primary is held in each of the States and these can be run in a number of different ways (which I won’t go into).
2. The Caucuses and Primaries decide the delegates that will vote on who the final candidate will be for each Party (the Democrats and the Republicans).
3. The number of delegates for each State are assigned in a way that represents the population of the State, so a more populated State has more delegates.
4. Then the delegates for each party vote for who they want to be their presidential candidate and the one with the most votes carries on and campaigns for the presidency.

Once the voting is done in November the winning party for each State will take the delegates they have (according to the population of the State) and the delegates then vote again for their party candidate.

The party with the most votes win. This party is not always the most popular with the public.
A good example of this is the 2000 election where George Bush won with 271 electoral votes against 266, but only 47.9% of the popular vote against 48.4%.

I have found a good blog about what can happen after an election and how the other party can gain much of the control through the Senate and House of Representatives, elections for these are held every 6 and 2 years respectively. Have a look at The American Government made simple by Jenna Spataro [unfortunately this web page has been removed].

Hopefully this clears some stuff up for all of those like me who didn’t have a clue. I have even less faith in the US elections now I know how they are run, o dear.