Relationships! Where do I begin? We all want the fairytale Disney ending, to find Prince Charming and live happily ever after. But you're probably old enough to know that life doesn't usually end up like the movies. Approximately one woman a week loses her life to domestic violence in Australia and one in six women experience physical or sexual abuse from their partner (https://www.aihw.gov.au). And this doesn't take into account the thousands of women that find themselves in toxic relationships. Teenagers can find themselves in toxic relationships too. I have seen girls stay in relationships that were damaging because they were in love, but love can be blind.

According to Karen Young from https://www.heysigmund.com, A toxic relationship contaminates your self-esteem, your happiness and the way you see yourself and the world. She outlines 15 signs that you might be in a toxic relationship - I have included seven of them in this post. 

1. It feels bad. All the time. Every relationship has some hiccups along the way - a misunderstanding or argument, but if these are more frequent than the good times then it might be time to rethink the relationship.
2. They don't make an effort - you are the one that does all the work and makes all the compromises.
3. They keep score of your failures - and constantly bring them up.
4. You feel like you can't say no.
5. They are physically or verbally abusive.
6. They are passive - aggressive - when someone says, "It's ok, I'll stay home by myself while you go out and have fun," they clearly don't think it's ok.
7.  They don't listen to you or belittle your opinion.

This list is not exhaustive but just an idea of the types of behaviour you will find in a toxic relationship. If you're in a toxic relationship, or if you are guilty of these behaviours, you might want to see a counsellor.

Sometimes it's better to walk away than to stay in a relationship.

This is what I did when the latest Teen Breathe rocked up in my letter box this week. I ran a bath, added some relaxing bath salts, lit a candle and soaked and read. You will find articles about:

• un-bee-lievable bees
• breathing
• bmx 
• racism
• looking on the bright side
• some delicious, healthy chocolate recipes and much more.

This gift idea is so easy and pretty cheap. I washed an empty tomato tin and punctured a couple of holes in the bottom for drainage with a hammer and nail. Then I covered it in blackboard contact from K-Mart and wrote a corny label in chalk pen. The good thing is it's chalk so if you mess it up you can just wipe it off with a damp cloth and start again. I bought the thyme at the local farmers' market but you can buy herbs at the hardware store or garden centre. I love a good pun and couldn't resist this one! 

Cinnamon scrolls are making a comeback. Here's an easy recipe to make your own - perfect for the cooler Autumn weather. You can find the recipe on Emma's website - https://www.emmafontanella.com.