roll on summer roll on

is anyone else pining for summer? after yesterdays perfect weather giving me a taste i am craving the heat more than ever. denim cutoffs +  summer dresses + beach hair + coronas. shit yes.

started my sunday  morning with a gym session + chats with a girlfriend, then coffee with my good friend whom i havent seen in AGES! was so great to see him, + hope to see him again soon.

the bitch is back

monday-itis to the maximum. slept in, late for work and... the office  bitch is back from overseas. would love to staple her forehead.

chocolate v's caramel

booked in on 9th aug to have my tresses tended to, also taking the day off work for a decent pampering :)

im thinking something chocolately with some highlights tp break it up.

as for the cut, i think ill get my extensions removed and have a long bob similar to this but about an inch longer.





OR... i really like the balayage look, then it will be a bit lighter and fresher for the warmer months approaching..

dreaming of...

with all of these renovation shows (the block, the renovators, top style) ive been wishing i had enough moolah to buy an old house and do it up. it would be so much fun creating exactly what you want, creating a beautful space to cook and entertain.. ahh that would be the life.

sugar update

so in one of my first blog posts i touched on the subject of my quit list. so far i have done REALLY well with quitting the magazines and the coffee = saving moolah. i havent bought a takeaway coffee in a while and am really pleased with this. as for the sugar.. fail. The weekend was full of sugary vodka drinks and food. So this week i am trying to get back on the quit sugar bandwagon.

have any of you read David Gillepsie's 'Why Sugar is Making Us Fat'?  Its excellent. Read it, then go buy his Sweet Poison Quit Plan..  here is a little about sugar, that i cant explain in my own words, so i have copied it exactly from Sarah Wilsons blog..

her first quit sugar article is as follows:

I’m quitting sugar! join me! #1

Posted on January 31st, 2011

I’m a sugar addict. Not merely partial to the sweet stuff. I’m adddddddicted. No bones about it.
It started when, as a teenager, I moved into town from the country (where we ate subsistently and very naturally). A cocktail of girl hormones, new-found access to malls and corner shops,  as well as a kid-in-candy-store delight with foods I’d been previously denied, brought it on. I went sugar crazy. And was soon riding the rollercoaster of highs and lows and battling the desperate, distracted, overwhelming urges to down a cinnamon scroll or some apricot delights or a bakery-issue apple pie. Later, as in nowadays, it’s dark chocolate. And honey.

But I’m quitting sugar. Yes, yes I am. All of it.

I’m going to write a five-part series on it here, outlining what I’ve learned, the best techniques and how I’m tackling it. I really, really care about this issue – and my studies as a health coach have heightened my awareness of the fact that:

sugar is poison

we were not designed to eat sugar

fat doesn’t make us fat – sugar does

You might like to join me. I’m starting today. The last day of January is a good day, I think!
First up, I’ll tell you why I’m doing it and share some factoids to get you interested.

1. I’m tired of being addicted

It’s really got boring being fixated and controlled by my sugar cravings and my energy highs and lows. I’m a particularly sensitive type, which is why I think sugar affects me so strongly. More so than most. As does caffeine and pharmaceuticals. Some people can eat sugar in moderation. I don’t seem to be able to. I get a taste of it and my body, sensitive as it is to biological cues, says “quick, store energy fast”. Because it’s such an unstable form of energy release I crash and burn abruptly, needing another energy hit…fast! I’ll explain this all better shortly. One 2007 French study shows sugar addiction is more gripping than cocaine addiction. The effect on our dopamine levels is insane. It grips, it keeps us bound.
I should say: I don’t eat massive amounts at all. I don’t eat gluten – so that cuts out biscuits and cakes and muffins. I’ve never liked soft drink or lollies. But when I have it in front of me, something primitive takes over and I can’t stop at one row of chocolate or a small serve of orange almond cake. I gorge. And I’m forced to do as Miranda did on Sex and The City (when she poured water on the cake she’d put in the bin but was still eating).
I’m bored of living like this. It ain’t cool or dignified. I’m ready for a new energetic way.

2. Autoimmune disease + adrenal issues + an excitable personality + sugar = bad story

AI types like me cannot afford to have our stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), nor our neurotransmitter levels  (dopamine), nor our insulin levels mucked around with. When they are, they flare up our conditions. So does the whack of acid that sugar injects into our system. We need to keep our bodies alkalized as much as possible to combat the inflammation at the heart of AI.
Finally, sugar totally disrupts the bacteria count in the gut – massively so. It leads to leaky gut syndrome, which then causes undigested amino acids to pass through the gut wall, which causes antibodies to come out on the attack…which, of course, leads to AI.  Sugar has to go if I’m to ever fully heal my thyroid disease. If you’ve got AI you know how it is – you think you’re on the mend, then – bang – you crash again. It’s up and down constantly, with layers of interchanging symptoms. I have a sneaking suspicions it’s sugar that’s a big part of this.

3. I want to live true.

Fact is we’re not meant to be eating sugar. Again, I’ll detail this further, but for now – our bodies are NOT designed to eat sugar. Until recently (about 200 years ago) sugar was such a rarity in nature (only found in fruit or honey…which were both hard to access) that our bodies were designed without an “I’m full” switch for it so that when we did stumble upon it we could gorge on the stuff and store the energy fast.
Our genetic makeup has not changed in 130,000 years; we are still not designed to eat much sugar. And so when we do we go against our nature, our natural balance, the way we’re meant to be.
I know this viscerally. Sugar doesn’t feel right. I don’t want to live against the grain any longer.

4. And finally, truth be known, I want to lose weight.

I put on weight (12kg) from thyroid disease a few years back and haven’t been able to shift it all since, despite getting my TSH levels under control. It’s not a core issue for me (although it did take a lot of centering to come to terms with!). Mostly it’s disturbed me because I’ll be buggered if I can find the reason why not.
But, you know what… I’ve been lying to myself. I eat better than I’ve ever eaten. I exercise. The ONLY thing left to face is my sugar addiction.

So. This is the deal. My reading over the past few weeks tells me categorically that fat doesn’t make us fat, sugar makes us fat. Over the next month, as I eliminate the white poison the two barometers of whether it’s doing anything will be my weight and my thyroid conditions/energy levels. I’m referring to a number of different sources and notes from the studies I did to become a health coach with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
I can highly recommend David Gillespie’s books Sweet Poison, Why Sugar is Making Us Fat and The Sweet Poison Quit Plan, and a lot of the info I share will come from these. David was obese. He quit sugar and changed nothing else in his life. And lost 40kg without trying.

He advises never ever touching sugar again. Ever.

I’m meeting David and we’re doing a little video…if you have sugar questions for him/me…jot them below!!!

Scary, but I’m ready for it. For now. David promises once I get off the addiction cycle I won’t feel like it anyway. We’ll see…

****

Next post I’ll explain the two ways sugar makes us fat. I’m soooo fired up about this topic. I reckon you will be, too. I really hope I can get a stack of you feeling better, balanced, happier by trying out a sugar-free life with me.
I’ll also suggest how to get started.
In the meantime, some factoids to get you thinking:

• 150 years ago we ate no sugar. Today we eat more than a kilo a week on average. Over a year, that translates to almost 15kg of body fat.
• We need to run 7km every day for the rest of our lives to not gain any weight from the sugar we’re now eating.
• A glass of full-fat milk is waaaaaaay less fattening than a glass of apple or orange juice. Hard to fathom, right? But fat is good, my friends, fat is good! Better than good…we need it to not put on weight. But more soon…
• We are eating less fat and exercising more than previous generations. But we keep getting fatter… hmmm….

date night this week

planning on hitting the drive in movies in Coburg tomorrow night, + will grab some takeaway dinner on the way to eat before the movie. sometimes just getting out of the house (we live with his family of 5), is really refreshing. getting a little bit dressed up and some special time together really gives me something to look forward to, and time to enjoy his company.

oh, we are going to see Bad Teacher. been dying for this to come out, i'm a Cameron Diaz fanatic (Amanda, i can already see you rolling your eyes at me!)

happy birthday boyfriend!

today is my wonderful boyfriends birthday. i love him more than anything in the world and he makes me incredibly happy. he is so caring, sweet, kind, funny, mature. he makes me feel safe and loved and needed.

honey if you are reading this, i hope you enjoyed your party and i hope to spend the next 50 birthdays by your side xxxx

hungover sunday

so the party last night was lots of fun. the boyfriend made it hard for me to get everyone here by the time he got home, so the shock value wasnt there. he was still really suprised and happy that his mates were here. thanks to my lovely friends for all your help- couldnt have done it without you!! special thankyou to amanda and katie for cooking such yummy things.

feeling a bit seedy today. was hard getting out of bed to clean up, but didnt take long and have had a really quiet day at home washing, tidying etc. 

had a message from Jane of Safe Sitters to work last night, but obviously couldnt. its nice to know there is work there when i want it.

will attempt to get up early and go to the gym tomorrow, if i dont then i WILL go after work. no netball this week so i have to do something.

x

the wolf pack

as i was walking to my car last night, with a belly full of red wine and a sense of complete contentment, i thought of my friends.

amanda: you call a spade a spade. your attitude is so refreshing in this day and age where people get so caught up in the un important things, and lose sight of who they are and what they were put on this earth to do. i love that you say to me about 4 times a week 'who cares'. you're amanda. nobody will ever change you, and if they try they are not worthy.  you're beautiful.

elizabeth: you are selfless. you are such a ray of sunshine every time i see you. you fill me with optimism and you make me laugh with your antics, excitement and enthusiasm. so proud of you for smashing the 10km run, i wish i could be more like you. i have 100% faith that in time, you will achieve more than you ever knew you were capable of :) xx

emily: my little em. i feel a real sense of loyalty to you and am sorry for all of the hurt you have had to endure for the past 12 months. you're a trooper. i have watched you grow and turn into a beautiful, gracious young woman. your determination to not sit around and feel sorry for yourself is something i admire.

jayde: jaydles. you never cease to brighten my day with your overtly dramatic stories, awkward moments and little adventures. do not let the negative people around yo impact on your decisions or your happiness. you are worth your weight in gold and i am so glad we were introduced, you're a friend i never want to be without.

katie: i am SO thankful our age has changed us and we have found one another again. since you moved to melbourne i feel our wolf pack is almost complete. you are the most caring, supportive, maternal member of our group and i appreciate your wise, honest words more than you will ever know.

i love and appreciate all of you. thankyou for always having my back and being you.

i had a blow out...

okay so i didnt eat this much cake, or with a crazy look on my face, but this morning i was feeling a little hungover and bought a coffee and a little cake thing on my way to work. slap on the wrist for me. sugar blowout AND i bought a coffee. double whammy.

for emily.

my mum

i would just like to do a quick shout out to my mum. she is strong, she would go to the end of the earth for me and my brothers, and i am so glad she is the happiest i have seen her in a long time. xxx love you mum

pictured below with my nephew, who's 4th birthday is today! happy birthday little man

almost forget to tell you...

last night the boyfriend was extrememly thoughtful and took me to Max Brenner for date night :) was deeeeelicious and very sweet of him. had a lovely time indulging in a warm chocolate brownie with a pot of melted chocolate and vanilla ice cream. thanks honey!

today has been a good day

• so i had a quick interview with Jane Kasby of 'Safe Sitters', a local nannying agency here in Hawthorn. She was great, gave me the low down on her little business. She has about 30 families she has babysat for, whom are her client base. She makes a profile on each of her familes, and sitters, and matches them when there is work required. So now i wait...

• this paragraph is dedicated to my friend Helen. No, Alan. I mean ELLEN! okayy so the season finale of Offspring was pretty good.. patricks alright. chris havell lost his chance. billy is a legend. jimmy will be a really awesome dad. capiche?

• very much looking forward to this evenings catch up at Rococo with my beautiful friends emily + amanda + katie + jayde + liz. you girls are amazing and i am so blessed to have such genuine people in my life. after our chats i always feel so enriched and i appreciate you each so much, in your own special ways, cant wait to have a wine with you :)

so bloody true

wednesday = date night

so the boyfriend and i came up with an idea a while ago to set a regular date night. we had to settle on wednesday because he has footy training tues and thurs. we usually just grab dinner + a movie, so im after some new date night inspiration.

a few ideas for the winter are...

• ice skating
• after dinner dessert / coffee date
• drive in movies + takeaway in the car
• hit the gym and work up a sweat together
• ten pin bowling

i am however dying for the weather to crank up and can get back to summery things...

• take the dogs for an afternoon / evening walk
• ice cream
• fish + chips on St Kilda beach
• cook us a bbq + salads + cold drinks on the deck.
• hit the pool

study

so recently i have been really anxious about my study and trying to figure out what is right for me. i have never been a good studier, and barely went to school in year 12 so exams are not my forte. i enjoy assignments and the actual sitting down and writing aspect of my study but when it comes to an exam i freeze up. my mind goes blank.
on monday i emailed my boss and opened up about this, and how past comments from other staff members have impacted on my confidence and my attitude toward study. to give you the low down, i work for a boutique financial planning company, run by a family of four. father, two sons and daughter. there is only myself and one other paraplanner that are non-family.
i feel a huge sense of relief after requesting i continue my study at my own pace, using my own funds and my own time to pursue it. the boss was very understanding and wants me to be content at home and at work, and not filled with anxiety as i have been.

great result.

i want my own home :(

so the boyfriend and i have opened a UBank Usaver account (i like saying that fast), which when set up with automatic savings plans accumulate 6.51% interest. not too shabby. we put away $200 each a fortnight, which isnt much but the boyfriend is an apprentice so its what we are comfortable with at the moment.

desperately trying to find ways to save more.. so far i have cut out magazines and takeaway coffee, changed phone providers and lowered my plan by $20 per month, i pack my lunch for work instead of buying, have advertised for regular babysitting work...

any other suggestions for my piggy? 

thanks Ikea!

just spend my lunchtime in search of some party essentials. i tried a little junk shop for the hanging paper lanterns.. Failed miserably. so then i braved the extremely hectic Ikea, whizzing around like a blue arsed fly. found THE perfect lanterns, $4.00 each!  i'm going with a royal blue + white theme so these will be absolute perfection out on the deck. royal blue beer cups, royal blue table cloth, white fairy lights, white candles, white serving platters, while lillies. oooh yeh its gonna be pretty :)

asos + babysitting + thursday catch ups

• so the countdown is on! 4 days until the partay and i am really really excited to have friends over to celebrate the boyfriends birthday. i have received my pretty dress from ASOS online and have tried it on = stoked! im not sure what shoes to wear or what jewellery.. suggestions?

• i'm going to wear it with my hair out and a side part i think, kind of like this....

• today i have emailed a contact at 'Safe Sitters' and have a meeting with her Thursday to put my name on her books for some regular babysitting job, which i really want to get back into- extra cashola to go into mine + the boyfriends house saving account. will keep you posted.
• thursday night i am catching up with my lovelies: amanda + jayde + liz + katie, looking forward to a vino and some party prep. xo you girls!

mondayitis

had a really lazy weekend. friday night just bummed at home, saturday watched the boyfriend play footy, then out for dinner, yesterday went to Camberwell Market. bought some fresh flowers, then spent ALL day at Doncaster shopping for a birthday present for the boyfriend. it is said boyfriends SUPRISE birthday this coming saturday.. eek how am i going to keep it a secret until then. about 30 people confirmed at this stage, so i really hope he likes it and appreciates it :)

so i wont be able to go watch him play saturday as i'll be super busy setting up. i spend some time in Sparties yesterday and i really wanted those big red american beer cups they alwasy drink from at harvard parties haha. but they were sold out so i settled for royal blue ones, napkins etc. come saturday i will  be running around like a little bee.. im thinking:

• pre-mixed vodkas for the ladies. one mango and one lime and soda with fresh limes. we have these cool drink dispenser things at home which will be perfect. i bought pretty champagne glasses  yesterday.
• we have a huge ice bucket thingy where the girls that bring wine can put their bottles etc
• eskys for the lads
• we have a great deck area where the party will be, so i am going to either use fairy lights or candles to decorate. swoon! i may even try pick up some cheap lanterns.. where can i get these??
• music- downloading a sweet playlist tonight
• my beautiful friend Amanda is going to make home made sausage rolls- cant have drunk people going hungry! and i will organise other treats.

tonight straight after work i start netball. pretty excited to get back into it, meet some new girls and have something to look forward to each week, not to mention get active again.

quitting certain things

okay so i have come to the conclusion i am addicted to a few things. bad things, unnecessary things.

my quit list includes:

• coffee. $4.70 per cup coffees mind you. i have tired to give it up before, but faield miserably. i can't stand the taste of green tea, and peppermint tea just doesnt do it for me. i'm not really quitting for health reasons, more so beause i will save myself roughly $1,410 over 300 days of the year. looking at that figure now i feel rather ill, considering thats what it cost me for 10 days living like a queen in bali!

• magazines. at either $4.00 or $7.60 a pop, these puppies must go! i would also like to use this opportunity to say how shattered i am that Borders has closed down. my regular sunday haunt used to save me lots of money by allowing me to read all the trashy mags from front to back, in a big comfy leather chair, with nobody to tell me off. i estimate by quitting magazines i will save roughly $500 a year, probabaly more!

• sugar. yep. i have done this before.  i was initially inspired by Sarah Wilson and her lovely blog. She had caught on to the sugar free craze brought on by author David Gillespie. i went out and bought both his books, and was jolted by the evidence against sugar. our bodies arent made to process it. fats not the enemy, sugar is. i ended up quitting sugar for about two weeks, and i felt amazing. so i am going to do it again. i must say, my main sugar intake is from coffees. bring on the mood swings!

• swearing. (sorry mum!) i am a big swearer. so if you hear me cussing in the street, please kick me and remind me i am supposed to be giving it up!  althouh i like the idea of a swear jar at home, theres no way i would adhere to it. so lets not and say we did.

these are a few of my favourite things

 i need a breather from work! Sooo i thought i would share a few of my favourite things, that may or may not tell a story about me.

1. cupcakes: all shapes and sizes. i particularly like making them and seeing everyones reaction when they see the pint size delight awaiting them

2. pretty, clean interiors: if only i could save my pennies for a house deposit faster so i could decorate my own home :( boo hoo

3. Lauren Conrad: i thought she was a real toolbag on the Hills, but i do love her fashion sense. She always looks classy and put together

 

4. Glasshouse candles: what can i say? divine.

5. tattoos: i recently got my first tattoo. then the next day i got another. and i think i would like another..  

day dot

hi blogosphere

so this is day dot of my little blog. i have been inspired by the lovely Nikki Hasset of 'Flair to Remember', a natural writer, mother, graphic designer, amazing woman all round. Nikki if you are reading this (puh-leasssse be reading this), you are such a gem!

keep your eyes peeled for my daily (eek, hopefully i can commit to daily) blogs. i have discovered of late that i need some form of creative outlet, and i am hoping this is what i need

xx