Making a Right Meal of Things!

As someone who would openly admit to not being too confident in the kitchen, I'm always dubious and very self-doubtful when someone suggests I try a new recipe. I'm not one for collecting cookbooks and getting all creative when it comes to cooking for fear of making a right royal mess over anything remotely edible. That being said I do enjoy tasty, nutritious meals but tend to rotate a small selection of dishes that I know I can make and that taste good. The same dinners every week can get a bit on the boring side though, so when a friend recommended and sent me a free trial of Hello Fresh I couldn't resist, in hope that I'd find something healthy to cook to add to my culinary repertoire.

  I ordered my Classic Box on the Wednesday to be delivered the following Monday and eagerly awaited it's arrival. The well-packed, presented box came by courier brimming with tasty ingredients for 3 meals for 2 persons, with recipe cards for each dish inside a wallet for safe keeping. 

I choose to make Roasted Pork Loin with Sweet Potato Mash and broccoli on the first evening. The step-by-step recipe card was easy to follow and had photos to accompany most of the instructions. I actually enjoyed following each step to the letter and although the actual meal itself was a pretty straightforward meat, carb and veg recipe, making the sweet potato mash with crème fraiche was something I would have never have considered before. Being a Weight Watcher, I'm keen on finding healthier options to things like cream and butter when cooking so this was perfect and a tip I'll be taking on. 

The second night I attempted what I thought would be the easiest or at least, blip-free recipe of all three. Mozzarella Stuffed Burgers on Ciabatta bread with Salad.  Again I couldn't fault the recipe card for the clear instructions given and although I conquered  each preparation step with great success and dare I say it, finesse, it was in the cooking of the the burgers that I came across a problemo......in that they wouldn't (cook, that is!) due to the amount of cheese that I had been instructed to stuff in to each burger. 

  You're given the exact amounts of each ingredient (except the herbs of which there was more than what was needed) and so I hadn't considered that here may be too much mozzarella in each.  What ensued was me dissecting and inspecting each burger, cheese oozing out of every possible gap and a good while later (well over the recommended cooking time) ciabatta baps with chunks of the burger carefully packed inside....no burger shape in sight after all the dissecting. Hubby ate it all the same (as did I, disgruntledly) and remarked on it's delicious taste and not the poor presentation.  

Note to self....next time put the cheese on the top and not inside!

Hubby's birthday marked and third and final evening of our first ever Hello Fresh experience and this dish was the one I was most unsure about- not because the recipe looked complex but the Birthday Boy aint always the biggest fan of fish. 

Fearless Pan-fired Tilapia with Choritzo Roasted Potatoes- a really simple recipe to follow and THE favourite of the week with both of us. Our first time trying tilapia which we loved and the choritzo potatoes were awesome! So tasty and definitely something I'll be making again! 

 So all in all, a great experience. Simple recipes with not too much faff or prep and cooking time (around 30-40 mins all in for each meal!) that produce tasty, filling meals. The fresh ingredients and hearty portion sizes were faultless and the recipe cards perfect for storing away in the cupboard to pull out and use when I'm looking for other dinnertime options. 

  In this instance I didn't pay for my box (Linzi kindly sent me a free trial) but at £39 for 3 meals for two persons (£49 for 5 meals) some may argue that this is an expensive subscription. I guess it depends on what you would normally spend on your evening meals and what you're looking for from joining Hello Fresh. If you want to opt in and out of ordering you can, so it means you're not paying or receiving unwanted food every single week.  Your online account allows you to mark the weeks you'd like to receive a box and so it's entirely up to you how often you splurge. Remember you're not just paying for ingredients but are receiving new recipes that you can recreate time and time again (arguably with cheaper ingredients if you shop around). If you don't fancy something on a particular week's menu then you can swap one of the meals for something that appeals more to you palette. There's vegetarian and family box options and they seem to be adding a whole most of recipes each week so you're unlikely to have to order the same meal twice. If you don't like the look of one week's menu, don't order it! Simples!

Will I pay for and use Hello Fresh again..... yes, definitely! No more boring repetitive weekly eating for us! 

Weesse x

If You Could Do One Thing......

A few weeks back, Rob and I were in Edinburgh and as walked down Princes Street he randomly stopped and started speaking with a homeless man. Rob asked if he was okay,  if he had somewhere safe to sleep, what was his dog's name etc. He then went on to give him about £10 for food. The man gracefully accepted and seemed genuinely appreciative of this random act of kindness. 

But Rob hadn't just given him the money...he'd taken the time to stop and chat with the man.  As we walked away I burst in to tears. I was sad for the homeless man and his unfortunate, desperate situation but I was so moved that I'd witnessed someone showing kindness towards another and I hoped that for just even a moment, that man had felt that someone cared and that he mattered. 

 It seems fitting that on the same week as Valentine's Day, it was International Random Acts of Kindness Week (check it out!). Yes some will argue that you don't or at least shouldn't require a specially dedicated event to be kind (and yes they'd be right!) but I don't think it does us any harm to remind ourselves of the joy that being kind brings....not only to the recipient but to the giver!  Kind is to be considerate, benevolent, helpful to others and in this cray cray world we're all battling through, being kind to others can unfortunately go way down on the TO-DO list. For all it may be on the list, sometimes it just doesn't get ticked off it. But if you could do one thing to make someone else smile, or make them feel appreciated, or help someone out just because you can...what would you do??

It seems there's a hashtag and a greetings card for everything these days and as much as I love celebrating life and the fabulous peeps I share mine with, I don't feel compelled to send a card every day of the week to a family member or friend to tell them I still love them. I tell them on a regular enough basis that I don't think a card is necessary to labour the point. It starts to feel a bit gimmicky and suspiciously like a clever selling point from the card companies who try to guilt us in to sending a different card every week.  And we all know the price of stamps these days! Day light robbery!

 Saying that, I do think it's so very important to randomly (whenever wherever the feeling takes you) to be kind and if kind means sending a card on 'Grandparents Day' then who am I to judge?! It's just that I think there's so many ways to show kindness to another human being (even to ones you don't know) that you should never be done finding ways to spread the love...surprising others with a little ray of sunshine to brighten their day. 

We'd all like to think of ourselves as kind. In fact, if someone were to describe me and my character I'd hope to be thought of as kind above other amorous qualities. I get pleasure in making being happy or taking the load off someone or doing something that I know someone will at least appreciate even if it doesn't make them ecstatically overjoyed. From opening a door for a stranger, to telling a friend they look good, being kind doesn't have to cost the Earth (not even the price of a stamp) and it's often the recipient's obvious appreciation that inspires you to continue on your quest to be as kind as you can be.  I also like to see others being kind too hence why I was so moved by Rob's #RAK that day. 

 So jumping on that hashtag bandwagon, I've recently been noting some of my #RAK contributions as well as those of others. Random being the key word. No pre-meditated niceness....it's all about the in-the-moment-let's-be-kind kinda kindness. 

Here's a few examples of what you could do to spread the love.... 

* Hoovering out my car when the neighbour's car won't start. I offered to jump start it or take him to wherever he was going. We tried but sadly were unsuccessful as his battery was capoot.  He seemed happy enough that I offered to help and made an effort to start his car. 

* I felt the urge to compliment a cast member of a production I'm involved in. She's hard working, dedicated and super talented and I just wanted her to know I think she'll be spectacular on stage. She was well chuffed.



* My colleague Eilidh woke a man asleep next to her on the bus to alert him that his stop may be coming up.



 * Rob visited a neighbour who has just had an op. He came back and immediately looked out a bottle of whiskey and the Soprano's box set and took it over to the man to enjoy as he recovers. Some guy! 


* My friend Linzi sent Rob and I an email for a  FREE trial of Hello Fresh meals(healthy ingredients sent to your door with recipe cards for you to make each meal). How lovely! 



* A woman randomly stopped Mimi to tell her she loved her haircut and that she really suited it as she has such a lovely face. Mimi really appreciated the compliment.



* Something that I do 5 days a week.... I take my colleague Eilidh tea every morning. She gets the train to my home town and then I drive us to work. 
She always appreciates a cuppa at 7.35am. 

* I came home the other night and as I sat down on the sofa after a looooong day at work Rob gestured towards to cushion next me. I lifted it to find a packet of crisps and Tanya Burr's new book that I'd wanted to buy! He's a star! 



* I always stop to give a neighbour a lift home when I see her. She's usually carrying a lot of shopping bags!


So there you have it....random acts of kindness that bring a little sunshine in to the lives of others. It really is the little things that count. No grand gestures required...just a smile, or a helping hand can work wonders and make the world a happier place. 

And those nice folks who take the time to show another human being some kindness...

Well they probably get more out of it than the recipients. 

Be kind folks. It ROCKS!

Over and out, Weesse x

January Favourites

So, erm where did my January go? C'mon who stole it? Own up!

Honestly last month disappeared & we're a week in to February, in what feels like the blink of an eye. 

Anywho I thought I'd put the spotlight on a few new products I decided to try out last month & give my feedback on them. It's always helpful I find to get someone's opinion on a potential purchase you're still undecided on, especially when it comes to beauty products as you don't want to waste your money on things that'll end up at the bottom of your make-up bag if you instantly don't like them on application.  

Photo from www.loreal-paris.co.uk

First up was L'Oreal's True Match Foundation. I've read so many fabulous reviews lately on this foundation and had been super keen to find an inexpensive, medium-full coverage dupe to my Estee Lauder Double Wear  (which is awesome  but rather high-end in the price department!).  Doublewear for me has an unnecessary staying power and coverage for my mid-week use so wanted to find another foundation that gave similar results minus the hefty price tag. My only reservation about buying a drug-store foundation was being able to find the right colour without the help of a sales assistant/make-up artist on site. It did put me off a little if I'm honest but luckily I found the patience to trawl through their entire collection one Saturday afternoon in Edinburgh until I found the colour which I thought best suited my skin tone. I also took my Doublewear along with me to compare which did help greatly. At under £10 this foundation has been a star find for me and I've also been wearing it at the weekend's too. Think I'll be rationing my Doublewear and making it last longer by only wearing it when I'm performing or going on a big night-out.  Result!

Photo from www.debenhams.com

Last year I purchased Urban Decay's Naked 2 Eye shadow palette and although I immediately fell in love every shade, I had concern that I wouldn't get the longevity from the collection that I'd expected from a high-end company. I felt like every time I used it I was packing on the product to get the desired look-something you'd expect maybe from a cheaper brand of make-up but certainly not a palette at £40.  So when I received a few samples of their Eyeshadow Primer Potion I decided to have a go.....(but truthfully) thinking it wouldn't make much difference to the application or staying power of the shadows. WOW, was I wrong or what?! It really does work! I'm finding the application is easier, the colours pop more on the skin, the fall-down of the shadows is significantly reduced and I'm using way less product each time! I think this now has to become a staple of my make-up collection for use with any eye-shadow. For someone who always applies foundation on to eyelids I'd reckoned this product wouldn't have made much of an impact to merit buying a specialist formula for under your eye make-up but it really has and I think it would be a worthwhile investment in making my eye shadows last longer. 
  There are 3 versions to choose from (Original, Eden (nude matte) and Sin (simmering)) and to be honest I have only tried the Original and Sin thus far but would probably go for the Original when purchasing the full-sized product. 

Photo from www.muastore.co.uk

Santa left a lovely new lippy in my stocking at Christmas by a brand I wasn't familiar with. I instantly LOVED the colour 'Fawn Fancy' and being a matte lipstick (which I don't normally go for) I was keen to see what else they have to offer. On searching for MUA (Make Up Academy) I've discovered they're a extremely in-expensive brand exclusive to Superdrug. £1 this lipstick cost! £1!!!!!

Here I am wearing it!

 Honestly I ADORE the colour and I'm now going be rushing to stock up on more....at that price you can afford to experiment with colours you wouldn't normally go for! Yippee! 

Lastly, I think I've found my 'forever fragrance' in Tom Ford's 'Black Orchid'.  I can only describe this scent as 'sensual' as it has a real musky, spicy heart to it. It's like nothing else I've worn before and I can't see past it now. Lotus wood, patchouli, vanilla, balsam, vetiver infused, this is likely to become a constant in my life....trust me to pick an expensive fave! 




And that my friends are my January faves which I'm happily taking with me through to February! Let me know if you try any of the above and what you think.

Over and out!

Weesse x

Everyday's A School Day

A new weekly feature on the blog (which I'm pretty darn excited about) will be the random (and they will be that!) facts & trivia I've learned over the course of the last 7 days. Mimi may also contribute to this post, although seeing as she'll probably be the one telling me a lot of these facts I'm doubtful she'll have time to learn anything new herself!

 My sources will be varied of course but I intend to avoid good old Google (as fabulous as it is) and just let the universe teach me what it will, which in turn I'll write down in my notebook (so as to ensure I have a chance at remembering them in full. Sieve-like brain!) & then relay these pearls of wisdom to your fabulous selves. It's a kinda Pay It Forward initiative, whereas instead of gifting you a nice card or a mix tape of your favourite songs, I'm giving you actual information & trivia that could be incredibly useful to you throughout your life! Thank me later my friend when you are one day able to hold a conversation on the pros and cons of deforestation in the Amazon or inform a friend that before becoming successful Walt Disney was so poor he had to eat dog food. I'm thrilled that I'll potentially be helping to win pub quizzes all over Scotland. 

Being taught & then learning & remembering facts are two different things. I often find myself privy to factoids where at the time I think , 'I must remember that!' but later, either only have a vague recollection of the facts told or just recall being taught something really interesting & worth noting but have no clue what it was. This has to stop....my general knowledge sucks at the best of times, although my trivia is a tad better. I do actually really enjoy learning new things....it's just making that info stay in my brain a bit longer that is the task in hand.  

I'll be posting everything I've learned from each week & will list my sources too. Will be interesting after a while to note who my biggest know-it-alls are and I'll also aim to post when they told me & in what context....will make for an interesting read  later down the line. Memories & all that jazz. 

So here goes with week one.....

1. In 1966 George Harrison co-wrote & recorded with The Beatles, 'Taxman'-a track written as a reaction to heavy taxation that the band members were falling victim to. For every pound earned, they were paying a whopping 19 shillings & sixpence in tax which was the equivalent of 97p!!! 

17th January- Dad told me this just as mum & I were about to go do my tax return online. Think he was trying to make me feel better about the whole situation. 

2. When ordering your favourite coffee from your local friendly barista, if you're perturbed (as I often am) by the notable lack of coffee in a cappuccino as opposed to the gallons of foam on top, ensure you ask them for a WET cappuccino!  Wet caps are about 1 part espresso, 1 part steamed milk, 1 part foam. A dry is 1 part espresso, 2 parts foam. The latter is what you'll be served if you don't specify I guess. 

21st January- In town having a coffee catchup with my lovely fellow freelancer friend Shelley,  who was made aware of this distinction between 'wet & dry caps'  by the barista at Starbucks on Buchanan St when she asked how she could go about having less foam. She then came back to the table & kindly relayed the info to me! I think I'll be asking for a wet cappuccino from now on. 

3. In 2009 fashion designer Raquel Guimaraes approached Brazilian maximum security prison, Arisvaldo de Campos Pires when she struggled to find knitters locally to help with her latest collection. Although originally extremely reluctant, the authorities finally allowed her to train up 18 prisoners, including bank robbers & murderers. An incentive for the inmates, aside from learning a skill & being proactive during their incarceration, was having one day taken off their sentence for every three days of knitting performed & accumulating a wage which was set aside for them to collect on their release. 

21st January-On the way in to Glasgow I stumbled across BBC Radio 4's item on the ever-increasing popularity if knitting & the history of the art. Very interesting indeed! Who knew knitting was so fetch! 

4. In the Victorian era, the word 'leg' was considered a swear word! Even table & chair legs were covered with skirts to protect their modesty. 

22nd January- a p7 class I was working with kindly informed my colleague Eilidh and I of this fun fact that they'd learned from their current topic. We guessed correctly that they would have probably have used the word 'limb' as a substitute! Got us to thinking & having one of our many random car-chats about words that have changed or have several meanings.

5. Penguins have knees!

22nd January- My 3rd year Jazz and Contemporary students are a fun bunch to be around and each week they come bounding into class excitedly nattering and eager to tell me a story or ten! One of the students shared this fact with me as we finished off our stretch at the end of a great session. Random but still, it's a goody and one I did not know! 

I wonder what pearls of wisdom next week will bring.....

Over and out,

Weesse x

Review: Jillian Michaels' "Maximise Your Life" Event

Mimi here!

Been a bit absent of late...my apologies! Work and general life has been very hectic, but oor Weesse has been keeping you all entertained with some FABBY blog posts #siblinglove. 

So, it's true...I am a gym nut. I love me some exercise. I also love ANYTHING to do with health and nutrition. I am *that* person you see in the supermarket reading the back of the box/packet/tin of everything I pick up. I am *that* person who checks MyFitnessPal before lunch to see what of my options are the most nutritious. and yes, I am *that* person who knows the calorie and nutritional content of many a food off the top of her head! 

*Not me, but it could be. Image from http://www.sheknows.com/

So, if there is ever a weight loss/exercise/transformative programme on TV, you can bet I'll be watching it. I am a huge fan of the USA version of The Biggest Loser, and any other fan will tell you that the most exciting part of that show is ANYTHING involving either of the main trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. Which leads me nicely onto an event I attended with fellow Kennedy Cupcake Carol on Sunday night!

Jillian Michaels, is one of the world's leading health and wellness experts. Her "Maximimise Your Life" tour has come to the UK for the first time ever...and I was at the first show in Glasgow! Her website states that "In this intimate and uniquely personal experience, Jillian shows you how to harness your potential, kick-start your goals and live an exceptional life, sharing her keys to health, success and happiness. No hype, no false promises: just results". 

Carol and I were both really looking forward to this event. I knew JM mainly from The Biggest Loser (but also from her really quite brilliant workout video 30 Day Shred) whereas Carol knew her mainly from her videos. for anyone that doesn't know much about JM, she has an infamous no nonsense approach to health and fitness. Don't expect any (no pun intended) sugar-coated advice. This is real. Hard. Stuff. And...it works. 

Carol and I went for a GORGEOUS yet quick dinner at La Rotunda, just next to the "Armadillo" venue in Glasgow. Carol opted for a salad with red onion relish and baked goat's cheese, while I chose pan fried fillet of salmon, Mediterranean veg and baby potatoes. I did take pictures but I think we all know what a salad and some salmon looks like. If not you've clearly not been for dinner at my house #staplediet. 

The event doors were opening at 6:30pm, so Carol and I scoffed our 1 course and made may to the venue.

 

HOWEVER for whatever reason the doors didn't technically open at 6:30pm. Or 7pm. Or 7:30pm. No joke. Unfortunately we were waiting in the foyer for quite some time, lamenting our starters we could have had but didn't. When it comes to food, I MOURN for the meals I have missed out on!

ANYWAYS, after being seating in our original seats, we were kindly offered seats closer to the front due to the event not being sold out. RESULT. The talk eventually started at 8:10pm (which, to be honest was a bit late) but we were seated and we were excited about what the event would hold.

What followed was a 2 hour long talk split into 3 main sections:

• Food
• Exercise
• The Self

Being interested in health and being a fitness instructor, and Carol being a Personal Trainer, there was a lot of the first 2 sections that was already known to use. HOWEVER there were a few tit-bits that were actually extremely useful to us. The final section of the talk was extremely insightful in how to motivate, visualise goals and make them a reality. What follows below is a sort of whistle-stop tour of the main details I took from it, and what I think we could all use in our daily lives. I have applied everything I have written to weight loss and health, but the tips in the third section can be applied to ANY goal you might have in life. 

1. Fuel your body and mind. Eat real food...and if you want a treat? Make sure it's only 20% of the time. Know what to AVOID. Jillian also gave us a list of 10 Additives to AVOID. You can find them, and other tools, at http://www.jillianmichaelslive.com/myl-tools/. (There are obviously more detailed nutritional approaches to take if you need to but I'm not a nutritionist so will not be giving out that advice). 

Jillian highlighted that those interested in losing fat would benefit from knowing a few key figures (you can get calculators for the first 2 by Googling them):

• What is your BMR (the calories your body burns just LIVING)
• What is your AMR (the calories your body burns LIVING and WORKING)
• Know what calorie level you SHOULDN'T go under (men = 1600, women 1200) 

Provided you don't go below your lower calorie limit, if you ensure you have a 500 calorie per day deficit (through reducing food and through exercise), this should lead to a 1lb weight loss per week. If you don't wanna lose weight, don't go above your AMR. It's all in the math (which for me is a bummer because I still use my fingers to count). 

Got that? GOOD. 

2. Next on the list is to move. Doesn't have to be much. Just get your heart rate up. Get a sweat on. Go for a brisk walk. Run up and down your stairs. Do star jumps. Walk your dog. Dance in your pants in the house. COME TO A ZUMBA FITNESS CLASS (totes not biased). She gave us some other sums about calculating your the beats per minute your heart should reach for fat burn. These can be found quite easily by Googling something like "target heart rate for exercise". 

Got that? GREAT.

3. Lastly, we discussed goals and self improvement. Jillian proposed that if getting "healthy" is so easy...then why is it so HARD?! If losing weight is just 500 calorie deficit per day for 1lb weight loss per week while avoiding 10 main additives  then WHY do 95% of those who lose weight gain it back? It's not like people don't want to lose weight. Have you ever said or felt any of these things?:

"I'll start exercising once I'm fitter." 

"I'll go to the gym / a class once I'm smaller." 

"I'll feel better about myself once I've got healthier".

Fitter. Healthier. Smaller.

****What does that even MEAN?***** What does health, fitness or size even look like? 

Jillian encouraged us to be specific about our goals and to manage them in chunks. It was more productive to have a larger goal with smaller milestones, than 1 single massive overarching goal upon which you rested on all your hopes and dreams. Day by day, minute by minute results that you can congratulate yourself on when you reach them. Give your intentions some PERSPECTIVE and some ACTION. Ensure that every choice you make every day is CONTRIBUTING towards those goals.

So if we have all these small and large goals, why is it so hard to us to attain any goal and maintain that success? 

The answer? FEAR. "What if I fail? What if it doesn't work? What if I feel worse? What if it's too hard?" Or, sometimes, more scarily...WHAT IF I SUCCEED?

It is never a question of CAN you do it, it was a question of WILL you. 

If you need motivation-Look inside of yourself. Look at your specific goals. LIVE THEM in your head. Same with your moments of hesitation. About to make a decision that isn't going to get you to your goal? LIVE IT. Stop and THINK about it. LIVE IT in that moment before you live it for real. Breathe. Make a different decision. Then do a happy dance cause you rock.

And if you do something you regret? If you fail? If it doesn't work? Learn from it. Get back up. Do it again, but differently. You did something, you learned from it, you moved on. HOW GOOD ARE YOU?

NONE OF THIS will do you any good unless you truly believe you deserve to reach your goals. Don't go on a mission to get healthy because you're "not good enough" as you are. Because you "need to be better". Do it BECAUSE you ARE good enough and you deserve to live a better life than one filled with discontent, illness, aches, pains, money worries, anxiety, feelings of guilt, inadequacy, WHATEVER. Enlist the help of a friend, someone you trust, or someone else with similar goals. Congratulate each other. Encourage each other. LIFT each other. And importantly, lift yourselves.But no one can believe in you if you don't believe in yourself. 

Got that? FABULOUS.

Ooft. Anybody else squished under the sheer WEIGHT or the awesomeness in that advice?

Anyways, Carol and I left the event feeling positively motivated. So much so that I have been following Jillian's nutritional advice and it's working for me. We got the (later than expected due to the later than expected start time) train home with scores of Slipknot fans (nope, Slipknot fans are not generally really into their kale, Pilates and motivational speaking...the band were playing next door in the Hydro). 

I suppose the only potential challenge particularly to the advice contained within the third section of the talk is, well, how REALISTIC is all this? We can't ALL be skinny billionnaires. We can't all give up our "mundane" jobs (speak for yourself, I like mine!) and become Martha Stewart-esque characters who go about driving top of the range cars bought  via our successful business selling books on knitting, working from home (part-time) in our 5 bedroom detatched beach house with our 3 perfect kids, our significant other and a labrador, taking long weekends doing downward dogs at sunrise. We have bills to pay. Doctors appointments to make. Tax returns to fill. Meals to cook. Sinks to unblock. Traffic to sit in. Arguments to have. Tears to cry. Necessary evils of life. 

I don't really think that's what it's about though. You can still hate your job and be earning shed loads of cash. You can LOVE your job and be earning buttons. I think the main message was that success looks very different for everyone, and whatever your "success" looks like, whatever that photo finish is, you have to run with it and make the choices to get there. Nothing happens by accident, and we are just about exactly where we have chosen to be in life, with the exception of those unfortunate tragedies that occur in our family and personal lives and are genuinely out with our control.

Now, what choice will you make next? 

What A Weesse Wants. What A Weesse Needs.

 A new year encourages you to think of your hopes, dreams and aspirations for the next 12 months and possibly further. In early January, the year ahead to me feels like this long and winding road where life potentially could change entirely from beginning to end....and I guess in reality it could and often does and you make big plans to ensure that road is as exciting and interesting as it can possibly be. But in contrast,  I often feel in December that the year has passed me by. Sounds a bit negative and I don't mean it to. I'm a super busy person who I'm sure friends and family wouldn't label remotely lazy or unambitious....I do like to cram a fair amount in to a year it has to be said. But I always feel I've let myself down a bit at the end of the year, like I could've tried harder at life or let myself go a bit. There's some deep-down psychological shenanigans going on there for sure, eh?! My report cards at school would have NEVER read, "Lisa must try harder" and I guess once a swat, always a goody-two-shoes and so it may be that's why it's always 
'I could've done more or that I WILL do this year'...

 And something's gotta be done about making that so......

 In turn, I aim to list (as they come to mind and not in one fell swoop) and go about achieving any goals I set for myself this year, however small or large, monumental or seemingly insignificant. The phrase 'Life's too short. Buy the Shoes' springs to mind. I'm a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to treating myself. I see things I like and instantly begin to mull over the pros and cons of committing to a purchase, before making the final decision which I then in turn furthermore agonise over, regardless of whether it was a YAY or NAY. I think it stems from being self-employed and the uncertainty of the next pay cheque. I'm pretty sure I used to buy way more stuff for myself when I wasn't one's own boss....although I still agonised over the purchase just as much!!  Anywho, that aside, don't know about you but I continually see beauty products, fashiony bits and just random nice stuff that I rrrrreeeeally wanna try/buy but for some reason or other I just don't get round to. It would seem that in 2015 Weesse is gonna be that girl buying those shoes.....trying not stress about it afterwards!!

 I've made myself a lil' wish list of 'must have/try' bits 'n' bobs that, over the course of the year, I'll aim to road test or make a long-term investment in. Of course, I'll be adding & scoring off items as the year goes on but along the way I'll be sure to review & feature many items on here for your perusal. 

 I really want to invest in a decent pair of black heels/stilettos. There's those shoes we were just talking about! I feel that years of continually opting for cheaper weekend/going-out footwear (guilt-free shopping perhaps??) may becoming a thing of the past pour moi. I just don't get the longevity in terms of the quality and durability that I want and it's often false economy, as you end up having to repurchase more regularly, hence spending what you would have on one quality pair of shoes. I want a pair of black leather pointed-toe heels with very little detailing that will go with everything! First mission of 2015 I feel! I will chant the mantra that is 'Life's too short. Buy the shoes. Life's too short. Buy the shoes' as I go!!

 I literally boycotted books post-university for several years. I did an English Degree (and Spanish lit for a while too) and with devouring (at lightening-speed!) umpteen books a week for 4 years solid I just found that after graduating I had no real desire to make the time for reading at all. It had become a chore rather than a pleasure (despite enjoying my course and the literature immensely). I was well-read in more ways than one. There's well-read and then over cooked!  My interest was sparked once again a few years down the line but I found that I had no real stamina and never completed any books on a regular basis. 

 More recently though I've gotten back in to it. Nothing heavy. Just some light reads that for various reasons have taken my fancy and so thus far,  the book list for 2015 looks like this....and yes, I'm a little late to the party on these particular selections.... 

'Not That Kind of Girl' by Lena Dunham

  'It' by Alexa Chung

'How To Be Parisian'  by Anne Berest and Audrey Diwan

'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

This list ain't a 'New Year Resolutions' list but more a 'Let's Get Sh*t Done in 2015' affair. There's already a few things I'm thinking I'd like to try/achieve/keep doing/be better at and I better start now as I'm confident that each month the list will have many additions. 

Sing More

Generally in everyday life but also performing. Singing with others too (again in everyday life would be nice!)

Try New Things

Whether it be food, restaurants, activities, clothing styles, ways of walking downstairs....Anything new I wanna be down on the list for!

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Emphasis on the 'worry' part and definitely the 'don't' of that. I'm a wee stress-head worry-wart and although I'm chillin'-out a little more in my old age, I think there's still room for improvement in the Worrying vs Not stakes.

 For instance, I no longer worry if the plug is out of the socket.....not now that I just take a photo of it before I leave the house. Winning life right there peeps! 

Become a Successful Blogger

And you my friends hold the key! 

Read, like, share, comment and Tweet! The more the merrier to this one thanks. I'm finding this blogging malarkey  really good fun and actually super relaxing. It's a nice way to take stock and reflect on certain aspects of your life and after also giving up writing (other than appointments in my diary) after uni, it's lovely to be putting pen to paper once again (well finger to keyboard to be exact....but you knew what I meant!). Good for the soul this stuff! 

That'll do for now me thinks. 

Gives you lot the time to go away and make that last one a reality! That way I can tick it off the list, you know?! 

Right off you go.... Share, Tweet, Like away my friends! 

Over and out 

W x

 

The Pursuit of Happiness...and JLo and Dirty Patios

 I spotted on Facebook that ITV's This Morning are doing a week-long feature on what makes you happy. They're asking folks to Tweet and tag them in Instagram pics and so it naturally got me to thinking about what makes me happy. If I were to send one photo to the show, what would it be of? 

 Encouragingly I'm having a hard time to pin it down to just one! I have so many things and of course, people in my life that bring me so much joy that it would be a near impossible task to select the one thing/person/scenario that beats all others.....without offending folks too I guess. I also get so much pleasure in being kind to others and trying to be the best the person I can be. We could be here all week folks.  However, my nearest and dearest aside and forgetting all the 'being a good person' malarkey, I thought it important/interesting to look outside the box a tad (negating the obvious like, dance, dogs and beautiful sunsets...blah blah blah) and focus in on the simple things in life that make me happy....even if it's only for a moment. Unlike Pharrell, I don't require a room without a roof. I ain't no diva,  my daily rider merely specifies just a few little things that are guaranteed to brighten up my day. Forget the 7 Deadly Sins, I have seven ways to make one Weesse very happy. 

 They're in no particular order....just as they came to mind.

1. Colour schemes

Yup! Love a good colour scheme me! I emphasize the word good as I see many decorating situations on social media daily, where I would say the choice in colour collaborations ain't to my liking sadly. Each to their own and all that. Rob and I were in the 'pound shop' (not sure of it's exact name-there's that bloomin' many of them!) only just the other week, waiting in the queue to be served, when I remarked on the collective colour scheme of their display of 2015 diaries at the tills. On sight, the pistachios, muted corals and dark beiges instantly pleased me to the point of, well....happiness!. I can trawl Pinterest for hours just looking at colour swatches and combinations. Rock and Roll!

2. Coffee

 Adore the stuff. I drink waaaaay too much of it and do not discriminate when it comes to blend, brand or condiments. If you say it's coffee....I'll have it thanks! Of course I do have a few faves but I ain't too fussy and will take whatever's on the go really. Everything about it makes me happy-the smell, the taste, the look, the warm, fuzzy feeling.....this is getting a bit weird, eh?! Anywho, I love it more than tea (sorry tea jennies) and drink it every day in life and I have no intention of giving it up in any way, shape or form. It's my only vice and it makes me reeeeeeeeally happy. Got it??!!!!!!!(Oh, maybe I need a cup right now??!)  

3. An Unread Magazine

 Don't you just love it when you have a brand-new, untouched magazine sitting on the coffee/bedside table awaiting your attention?! The pages are pristine and the spine unbroken.... actual perfection. It's all glossy and smooth and new....and yes, I'm the person who'll take the one at the back of the pile to ensure these requirements are met before purchasing. 

  If we're then moving on to what doesn't make Weessa happy, it's when folks pick up said magazine you've bought and flick through it before you. They don't even commit to reading anything or stop to inspect a particular article or item of clothing, they're merely flick and flippantly return the now partially spoiled magazine to it's resting place, where you then have to look like that situation didn't just boil your blood and make you have a mild inner panic attack! Yup, take note, don't touch my unread magazine. That my friends, would make me happy!

 On the same line, I like new diaries, notebooks etc. They're so pretty and new and lovely! Sadly I don't have particularly neat or nice handwriting, so the minute I have to start inputting info in to a new pad, the happiness rapidly depletes. I instantly (even if I'm trying my damnedest not to) make a mistake and have to score it out or write over the top of it...basically just eradicating the joy in one fell swoop. Real-life problems peeps!  

4.  Photos of JLo

Putting it out there folks. I love me some JLo time. She is my ultimate girl crush and there's nothing I like doing more than Pinteresting pics of the Latino goddess (between colour schemes obvs!) and appreciating her insane good looks and awesome body. There, I said it! It comes from a burning desire to want to be JLo but that ain't happening any day soon, so I take it on the chin and do my weekly research (aka stalking) in the hope that one day (when I'm 45....she is 45! What the actual?!?) when I grow up, I'll look like her. Better make a start on the abs work and facial surgery now, eh?! 

 Don't you be dissing JLo...I love her music, films, book (hubby bought me it for Crimbo) and I don't care what you say, she is dabomb.com  and you'll all eat your words when I'm running around, age 45, looking like all sorts of JLo-ness. Until then, photos of her will continue to make me unapologetically, blissfully happy. 

5. Crumpets.......and Breakfast in general.

As you'll already know from my post 'My Name is Weesse and I'm Addicted to....' ( and if you don't, why haven't you read it?! Call yourself a mate?!!) I have a love affair with crumpets. Can't get enough of them but really, I just love breakfasty things and breakfast time in general. My all-time faves include crumpets with hot, mashed banana and cinnamon; pancakes; Eggs Benedict; smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and croque monsieur. All of course served with cwaaffeee! Whether I'm preparing it or dining out,  I just love so many of the potential dishes open to me (using my basic culinary skill set) and the scope for having, not one, but a selection of different things....fruit, juice, coffee, eggs, toast, yogurt etc. Hotel breakfasts are the shizz! I'm not your fry-up kinda gal but I do like me some mushrooms and scrambled eggs with a slice of wholemeal toast. Yum! The pastries and the continental options float my boat big time and I get a tad excited at the prospect of what a new hotel will have on offer. 

 It's the first thing I think about when I wake up everyday and if I'm not getting my bahookie out of bed and heading straight for the kitchen, then there's something seriously wrong with me. Call the doctor! Breakfast is my favourite meal....there was once a time when I lived on Fruit n Fibre (true story!) and although I'm not currently a big cereal fan, I'll take anything breakfasty really. It is my most important meal of the day and as I write this I'm already excited about tomorrow's. Happy is a plate of toasted, buttered crumpets.

6.  New Pants 

 And bra....matching ones that is. I adore new underwear. I honestly think wearing a matching set (especially if it's brand new) lifts the spirit. I am guilty of not always (and by that I mean, almost never...) wearing matching underwear. Feel like I'm starting to over-share here but I'm hoping many of you gals out there will identify with this and appreciate my honesty. Underwear shopping hasn't always been my favourite of tasks to be fair (it's up there with trying on trousers....avoided at all costs!) but in saying that, when I do find the perfect set there is an excitement and sense of occasion when I wear it for the first time. Maybe I should aim to buy and wear more matching undies in 2015...that way I'll be continually happy. Boom, done! If you meet me in the street though and I seem pretty chirpy, please don't ask if I'm wearing matching underwear as that's just plain awkward. 

7. Seeing the Dirt Come Out of Things

Hubby will chuckle on reading this as he has first-hand knowledge of the sheer joy that is felt when I witness the dirt come out/off of any item. This has in the past included, the patio being jet-washed; the leather couch being steam cleaned; shampooing carpets; using Oven Pride. Sounds like our house is bogging. I assure you it ain't. These were all separate incidences where we decided to give these items a good old clean and the results for me were stupendously satisfying. I mean I'm not a clean/neat freak or anything, going around scrubbing everything in sight but I just love that moment when you've decided to give something a proper deep clean and you can see it working beautifully. Shiny, squeaky cleanness.  
  Hubby has also fallen victim to this on a number of occasions  when I have persuaded him to let me give him a facial after a hard day's graft. If you've got the day's dirt on your skin, I'm more than happy to clean it off for you. Just sayin'. 

 So to summarise, HAPPY for me is....

 Jennifer Lopez bringing me crumpets and mashed banana in my beautifully colour coordinated room, as I admire my untouched copy of Grazia, sipping coffee and wearing my new new undies, as hubby (in sight) jet-washes the patio. 

Note how I said hubby jet-washing the patio! I don't need to actually be the one doing the cleaning per say, just witnessing it is enough.

I'm pretty sure the above scenario (as weird and slightly perverse as it sounds) is relatively achievable.......

Although, Grazia ain't out til next week..... bummer! 

Over and out,

W x