The Freaky Moment

I live by myself and I have found it neither to be financially viable nor healthy for my mental stability to live by myself for any further long length of time... and pretty soon I will get a flatmate. There are times I worry my habits are becoming detrimental to my own mental health.

Sure, there are all the quirky habits everyone has.

1.  Making and drinking your morning coffee in your underwear in the kitchen
2. Being completely absorbed in your own routine in whatever order you want to do it
3.  Not closing the bathroom door
4.  Shamefully leaving your place in a messy state just because you can…

But then there are the weird ones.

You know when you’re in that freaky zone of disarray. For me it’s laid back on the couch, leg over the backrest, coffee cup on the ground, toast crumbs on the plate balancing on my tummy, legs spread in stubby shorts with the undie/ groin exposed for all the world not to see.

I think to myself … What would I now do if a flatmate walked in from their day at work?  “Ahh.. excuse me for a moment. Nothing to see here… Go on, walk around me.. carry onto your bedroom...I will holler out when I have straightened myself out and I’m decent again. Sorry about all this “. *points to her ‘situation’ *

Do I need reprogramming?  I am becoming increasingly aware that I may have developed some antisocial habits and have become obsessed with To-Do Lists.  But they keep me balanced, I stay in-check, self-motivated and they give me something to do. Recently my friends chuckled when I told them I even have a list of things to do when I have nothing do. “It’s my ‘What to Do When I Have Nothing to Do’ list .. What’s wrong with that?” I asked as they snorted .. “Oh yeah, I see your point.. that is weird…” suddenly self-aware of her madness.

However, I am not alone in writing lists of things that make me happy. Along with Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Gratitude Journal’ (which I truthfully find both simultaneously nauseating and fascinating), there has been Gretchen Rubin’s  ‘The Happiness Project ‘ to keep me sane. Gretchen pursued happiness in her year-long journey by starting to write down things that make her happy. And that is exactly what I did.

Please tell me that you have your own freaky zone.

Budgie xo

Apricot Square

Returning from Christchurch, I now know why New Zealand has the nickname the Shaky Isles. Two earthquakes woke me last night, the cupboards rattled and the china shook.

To calm my own and my great aunt's nerves, I made a nice slice for our cups of tea. This square is another family favourite and appropriately enough, given to me from my great aunt a long time ago. She assures me that I did it justice, so here it is..

Apricot Square

A page from my recipe book....

I am so impressed with the perserverance, fortitude and comradeship of the people in Canterbury. Christchurch is such a beautiful city and it is pleasing to see hundreds of contractors rebuilding the 900 currently condemned buildings after the September 2010 and February 2011 quakes. In total 181 people were killed in the second quake.

Walking around the city today, there are signs everywhere of the horrific destructive forces that the quakes have also tolled on the buildings. The inner city's new 'Restart' area is an indication of the true Canterburian spirit. The army has kindly donated countless cargo containers for the shops to set up their business in again. The main street developers have brightly painted and refurbed each container with glass frontage and garden/paved entrances. It is worth a visit just to see such great innovation and despite the constant shakes, I would not be put off visiting again.

Budgie xo

Gardening

I am no gardener. My gardening experience consists of a 2x4m plot at the bottom of my stairwell, a few balcony planters and a brief past affair with compost, clay soil and fertiliser. However, the small amount of tips and tidbits I have picked up have been invaluable.

From the ambitious (growing tomatoes from last summer's seed) to the monotonous task of watering (rain showers do not cut it water-wise), I am sharing my experiences with you...

Mint needs to be potted. Too many times, I see a garden over run with mint. The problem with mint you see, it is a root- so it is extremely hard to dig out if you are over run with it. This pot was planted with another herb. I completely forgot about planting mint in here last summer, and it started to regrow an entire year later.  Leave mint in pots.

(L-R) Parsley, Lavender, Broccoli, Gardenia (bottom),Rose Bush (centre), Daisy, White Kale

Kale - plant in April, ready for winter. Purely decorative, sweet and pretty but also really hardy through the winter. The bright white contrast on dark, rich winter soil is strikingly beautiful.

Lavender - plant in Spring. Fairly sturdy through winter. Mine has successfully been repotted onto my drier balcony for summer.

Tomatoes - a small miracle has occured. Despite many of my own thoughts of abandonment and those visitors who viewed my dismal looking week seedlings and their suggestions to abort this endeavour,  my tomatoes have finally started to flower and flourish... Yay! 

Was I too ambitious to grow tomatoes from seed? Yes. But there will be a huge feeling of accomplishment once they are finally fruiting. I am hopeful. Small yellow flowers are a good sign that your plant will fruit.

Broccoli - winter. Not recommended for planter boxes. I would suggest you plant these into rich, dark soil in the depths of your garden.

Yuccas - Soo easy to repot and replant. Just take a cutting from the baby sprouting at the base of any yucca. Keep the trim moist wrapped in cloth/newspaper for up to three weeks, then bang it into rich, moist soil in a pot. Be careful of stem rot, this will look like yellow leaves in the centre of the cutting and leaves will easily be tug out. There really is no cure for this, so instead I suggest you take three/four cuttings to ensure that at least one is viable.

As for my tomatoes- the fruits of my arduous labour...I will keep you posted.


Budgie xo

Festival Chic

I have attended enough outdoor music festivals in the UK, Belgium and New Zealand for them to be put on despite terrible weather. Without becoming one of the countless wee girls stranded, with no friends, muddy, soaking wet in a dress and jandals on supposedly on 'one of the best nights of the year', make sure you prepare yourself.

Festival Tips:- 

1. Go with the rain, don't fight it, have fun

2. Gumboots and ponchos are a must

3. Sunscreen, water and a hat- if you are lucky with warm weather

4. Drink through it, alcohol can help!

5. Go with like-minded people

Get to know where the toilets are and any other amenities you might need like a clean bathroom, good food stalls and a meeting place for your friends.

Unfortunately a lot of concerts especially festivals, aren't held in big cities but in smaller residential areas or in the middle of the country. Cell phone towers are often jammed with the sudden large quantity of people, so don't count on the fact the you can text / ring to meet up with people. Organise meeting spots prior to going. 

Likewise, take enough cash with you and purchase gumboots and ponchos before leaving home- they often sellout and you don't want to be queuing either. If you are tenting, take loads of rubbish sacks for wet/muddy clothes or these can be even used as ponchos if you're stuck.

Have fun!

Look forward to getting clean. I love this sweet orange and tangerine soap at Lush. All profits are donated to the Sea Shepherd, anti-whaling cause in Antarctica.

Sea Shepherd Australian Director, Jeff Hansen says “During its past seven campaigns, Sea Shepherd has saved the lives of over 2,781 whales and has exposed illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary to the entire world. Last season, 863 Whales were saved from the brutal harpoons of the whaling fleet.

“During the 1900s, the majority of soap was made from whale blubber, making the launch of Lush’s  Divine Whale soap even more significant. Lush’s strict no animal testing policy and its dedication to creating ethical, sustainable cosmetics makes us proud to stand alongside them.”                          - Lush.   




Budgie xo                                                    

Happy New Year!

Call me superstitious, but there is something I don't like about sharing New Years Resolutions- it is though if I were to, then they wouldn't come true. 

What I will tell you is what they will not be:-

1. Resolutions should not be viewed as hopeful outcomes, they must be goals. 

The difference being is that you will strive to achieve goals rather than wish good luck upon yourself. Otherwise, what is the point?  It'd all just be wishful thinking ...

2. Weight goals has been surpassed by fitness and health priorities. I have started to realise the importance of holistic health, how important balance is in my life and that everyday struggles are still part of my life too.

Thematic Goals

(without being too specific for my superstitious ways..)

* Include a furry friend into my life

* Save, not spend.

* Blog and stay blogging

* Act, don't react to situations 

* Make general and everyday good habits

2012 Mottos:

- I will choose to be someone who takes control of the decisions in their life, rather than dealing with the aftermath of problems or being tossed around like a leaf in the wind. 

- I will be an executive decision maker in my life. Not choosing to act on a issue, is still a choice. You can't blame other people for an outcome you could've foreseen or have chosen to ignore.

- Be the thirty year-old I dream of being. 

This is not a hard one, have a vision and stick with it.

Mantras

Nikau Gabrielle

"No self-degradation". Stop yourself in your own tracks with this one. Take a moment to realise why you feel remorse or embarrassment to a certain situation and then put in a plan of action so you don't have to feel that way again.

No regrets? My late teens and early twenties saw ambitious and unrealistic goals. I don't like this mantra, it is though you don't regret your mistakes and you have disregard for any consequences altogether.

No mistakes? My late twenties saw me fuss and bother over the pedantic non-essential details, and if someone pointed out a mistake, it would be hard to take criticism. Instead it drove me away from other people's opinion. This too is not a good way to live.

No self-doubt? My thirties have been off to a bumpy start, but I think every knock of confidence is note-worthy and that some element of self-doubt is natural. What I would like to do this decade is to learn from my mistakes. Once you make a mistake, ensure it won't happen again. 

Avoidable mistakes are my downfall and I feel, to put it dramatically, are the bain of my existence.

So although I won't ask you to share your goals, I will still wish you luck... or rather, wish you the best of intentions to help you achieve your 2012 goals. With any good luck or achievement at my end, I will happily report back in a year (as a self-proclaimed regular blogger in 2012), the progress of my own goals.

Happy New Year!

Budgie xo

A very talented young New Zealand art student... check out her work.
http://nikaugabrielle.tumblr.com/

http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/n/new_years_fireworks-3659.jpg

Festive Kumara Salad

Mum has given me her blessing (even if she wasn't too impressed with the minor adjustments I made this year) and I am passing this family treasure onto you. This dish is an all time hit every year, great with roasts on the big day and even more delicious with cold ham and bbq dinners for the days after- that's if it isn't gobbled up!

Kumara Salad.

Festive Nail polish:  O.P.I's Gold Shatter thanks to a Christmas fairy (:   
Note: my nails are short ready for a three day festival camping trip next week for New Years Eve!
For those readers in the Northern Hemisphere, Kumara is a New Zealand vegetable much like the sweet potato. If you can't get hold of kumara, then go for fresh sweet potatoes, not the canned variety.

I swapped out sultanas for Craisins (dried cranberries) this year for a festive twist, but I will leave the craisins out until right before I serve it. The reddish colours may bleed and I don't want pink salad!

Ingredients. Serves 4-6

5 large Red and/or Golden Kumaras (Sweet Potatoes)             1 peeled, diced orange

1 Red and Green capsicums (Bell Peppers)                            2 tablespoons curry powder

1 cup Sultanas/Craisins                                                        1 teaspoon Prenzel Smoked Manuka Salt

1 cup low fat mayonnaise                                                      Cracked Pepper to taste

4 slices of cooked, diced bacon- optional

Boil a lot more kumara than you think. This year I used golden kumara with the orange skin, mixed with normal red kumara. The golden kumara is a lot softer and you won't need as much cooking or mayonnaise because of its moisture. Also, I love this Jamie Oliver Roast Pot for boiling large batches of veges.

Cool.

Chop and dice capsicums (bell peppers) into small pieces.

Mix 2 tablespoons of curry into the jar of low-fat mayo to kick start and develop the spices. Add salt and pepper, cooled and diced bacon (if you wish) and then craisins/sultanas. Mix to combine. Add in peeled, diced orange and more mayonnaise depending on desired consistency.

This recipe can be made a day or two in advance and actually tastes better if you do, because of the developing curry flavour. The craisins can be added last minute.

Delish!

Merry Christmas!


Budgie xo




Prenzel link for Ma Prenzel's Manuka Salt. 
Facebook the talented Prenzel agent, Kelly Devoy.

Big Hair and Dry Shampoo

Come summer time, I love me some big hair. This goes hand in hand with teasing the crap out of my roots and big soft curls. 
As promised and predicted, now that I'm a few tones lighter my Big Shampoo has made a come back to the front edge of my reach-for shower line up . It definitely is a cuter look for blondes with beachy curls and a spritz of glossy spray to make your locks sparkle. 
But I also love big hair on brunettes.

muliloaboutthings.blogspot.com

90's Nostalgia

Didn't we all want to live in a loft apartment, have off the shoulder rope jumpers and not to mention... rope curls with some mahogany shade of Napro Live colour?  Anne Hathaway's look in 'Love and Other Drugs' would've been my dream come true as an adolescent growing up in the early 1990's.  If only she had Mariah Carey's 'Vision of Love' blasting on her walkman ...
I wouldn't say no to Jake Gyllanhaal either.

 1960's vibe
Adele's classic curls. Beautiful.  I love her makeup here also.

billboard.com

Products
Dry shampoo I recommend for blondes. This stuff seriously keeps your hair volumized and fresh for an extra day before you wash it. De Lorenzo's Et Absorb with rosehip and rice extract. Purchase at most hair supply mall shops.  Smell:  bearable, like hair spray.

Dry shampoo I recommend for brunettes. Fudge's Dry Shampoo. 

Smell : Unfortunately like Thai stir fry due to the coconut fragrance disguising the various alcohols, which is a pity as Fudge products are known for their incredible edible smells. Warning: douse hair in perfume to smother stench. Otherwise, a usable product.

Lush Big Shampoo. (Sorry, couldn't resist). This is a big old pile of rock salt you wash out.  
A seaweed infusion to soften and fresh lime juice for shine. Great for volume and massaged into my roots. 

An honourable mention...
I love this wooden handled teasing comb to throw in my handbag. Purchase at any pharmacy.

My next possible hair beauty purchase... a 1 - 1 1/2 inch barrel curling tong. 
Any thoughts, recommendations or suggestions?


Budgie xo