For those of you that were not able to join us at the Johannesburg and Durban #WithMyGirls event, here is a sneak peak at what you missed. We hope to see you at the next one in 2015! Thank you to all our sponsors, guests and speakers for making the events such a success!
Till Next Time
Always wear your invisible crown
There are two things for certain in life, death and taxes. I have to disagree. There is a third variable that is a certainty in all of our lives and that is change. Change is inevitable and for some change can be liberating, for others change may bring about stress for many different reasons.
I am currently going through a major change at work and am finding it quite challenging not to let this change stress me out. One of the magical lessons taught by Susuan Jeffers in her book “Feel the fear and do it anyway” is that we should just nod our heads and say “yes”.
“So often we are all set to move in a specific direction, an unexpected event changes everything.
Those unexpected events or even the possibility of the unexpected sets us up for a great deal of fear. We anticipate the worst.” Susan Jeffers
It is important to remember that saying yes is our way of agreeing to what life hands us and prevent ourselves from becoming a victim of circumstance. By saying yes we agree to let the universe open up new possibilities that we may not have seen before. I have always thought that I stood in the “adaptable” group of outliers. It turns out, I’m just as scared of change and new things as I ever was. It no longer scares me to make new friends and meet new people. Rejection is no longer a fear and I find myself being a lot more calm and happy about life until recently when a large change came about at work.
I think with life experience comes a certain amount of trepidation as most of the change in my life has resulted in something happening that is less than desirable but I find myself wondering whether these less than desirable results have been a culmination of pessimism and fear or whether the changes really did bring about problems. I have had a lot of “life experience”, more than I would wish upon anybody at my age but at the same time, had none of those tough times happened, I would certainly not be the person I am today and would not have had the chance to experience so many new and wonderful things that have happened due to the winds of change.
When I fear something, I find reading and researching about the thing that scares me makes me feel a lot more calm and in control. So I have done the research to calm my nerves and have compiled my 3 step action plan to help me adjust to this period of change.
How I choose to look at this change is going to greatly affect my attitude towards the change. I can either look at this as being scary and not what I want or I can be grateful for the opportunity that these changes will bring. The sooner I get my attitude in the right place, the easier the assimilation into the change will be. There are some changes in life that we do not have control over but we do have control over our reactions to these changes. In order to do this I need to keep a journal and everyday write three things I am grateful for that this change has brought about.
Our bodies are incredibly in tune with our emotions and thoughts. Perpetual negative thoughts are going to harm us and if I want to learn to deal with change better, I need to learn to relax. I need to do things that make me feel happy, uplifted and good about myself. Pilates, spending time with friends and family, event planning, writing, baking and doing makeup all relax me. I need to up these activities when change is on the horizon, not only to keep me busy but to keep me firmly planted in a positive mind space.
Many sources have advised that to cope with change, it always helps to voice your feelings informally or formally in either a journal format or through discussion with a trusted friend or spouse. I find it incredibly hard to voice my negative opinions as I always worry that I will be viewed as being negative and moaning. I suppose I have to learn to trust my support system that they are there to listen, care and perhaps may even surprise me with a way of looking at the change as a new opportunity I previously didn’t see.
Change is always going to have an element of fear that comes with the territory. We are all given the freedom of choice in every action we take and I choose to accept this change and all the ups and downs that come with it. What I need to focus on is that no matter what life throws at me, I will find a way to deal with it. With time and a few positive thoughts, magical things will continue to happen. It is much easier to write this than actually put this into action but here it goes…I am feeling the fear and doing it anyway!
Till Next Time
Keeping it real while I embrace change
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I stumbled upon Blend Box last year round about this time of year and was drawn to the fact that this awesome product range is proudly South African. Blend Box was established after 16 years of blending essential oils with specific therapeutic properties and all the products are hand blended with love by master blender Miemie Viljoen.
Personally I love essential oils and was introduced to the power of essential oils from an early age. I was lucky enough to receive the Blend Box Calm Body Scrub at the Bloggers Who Bless Christmas in July.Blend Box’s Calm range uses pure essential oils to calm and ease the mind, while also relaxing and soothing stressed out muscles. A was so pleased that I could add the scrub to my Calm Body Butter (my favorite product from the Blend Box range).
Recently I have started upping my exercise routine by walking and doing Pilates regularly and a common side effect of this is sore muscles. I love using the Blend Box Scrub in the bath and find the smell incredibly soothing. The scrub is revitalizing and excellent to give your body that all over fresh and soothing feeling. You do need to mix the scrub a bit with the oil so that the oil does not get everywhere but when you in the bath, does it really matter?
Some of the benefits of the Blend Box Calm range include relief of chronic anxiety, depression, fear, shock and stress and its calming effect can also be beneficial to the digestive tract. BONUS!
The Neroli smells incredibly comforting and after a nice long bath, applying the Calm Body Butter is a non-negotiable for me. I love the texture of the Calm Body Butter as it’s nice and thick without being oily so it really moisturizes and I often find that I sleep better when I have used the Calm Body Butter.
I love hand made products. I can honestly say that all the Blend Box products are made with love. You can order from Miemie by visiting the Blend Box website. These products make lovely gifts so why not spoil a loved one to a Blend Box treat? They will love you for it.
Till Next Time
Do all things with love
Girls just want to have fun! And that’s exactly what Fawn and I did while looking over the Johannesburg skyline at the Shine Studios in Braamfontein last week Thursday evening. Picture this….two girls running late, one because of her awesome busy social event calendar, the other because she decided that a pretty skirt with a white polka dot top was not enough to capture the essence of a true pin up gal from the 1950’s.
Makeup and hair were thoroughly researched and so bold red lips with Marilyn Monroe defined cat eyeliner, victory hair rolls and plain eye shadow followed by false lashes and some pearls, you can imagine can take a gal some time. We prevailed and although fashionably late we made it to our OTT entrance with a hop and a skip. I don’t know how ladies found the energy and time to dress like this every day way back when frisbees, ant farms, 3D movies, diners and pink bubblegum were all trendy at the time. Dressing in the fifties is not for sissies but hey, it sure is ultramatic (new word of the day)!
I have to say that although the entrance was seducing us with its pin up fifties gals and pink blossom gum lined hallway where we later embraced a #groundie moment,
#Groundie #4thStreetParty
the main attraction for the evening was the 4th Street Wine that conveniently fit into one hand while the other could rest on our hips to take some awesome pink carpet poses. I love dressing up. Especially period pieces and not gonna brag or anything but a few peeps wanted to have a photo with me. How do you like them toffee apples? LOL
Let me take you on a quick journey of the evening………lets pretend we are in roller skates in our large poofy skirts with poodle badges, we have our victory rolls in and pointy girl glasses on with white socks and frills and if you are my boyfriend, you have used half a bottle of gel to create that perfect John Travolta coif and away we go.
Time Warp to the 1950’s
Greeted by ladies in pink (I couldn’t tell which one was Rizzo or Frenchie), we were handed gorgeous 300ml sleek and sexy bottles of pure convenience and elegance that are perfect for a girls night out.
I never thought I would be able to say that its awesome and not bad etiquette to drink wine from the bottle but here we were, among some of the most awesome SA celebs, fashionable fashionista’s and vibrant socialites sipping on the new 4th Street Wine. A refreshing easy drinking and flirtatious lightly sparkled low-alcoholic pop wine that is inspired by the bright lights of big city living and keeping a finger on the pulse of what is hip and happening.
To the left side of the room, looking out over Nelson Mandela Bridge through the large walls of glass windows we were able to sit at truly 1950’s style diner type counters surrounded by flower milkshakes and pink bubblegum stands.
On the right side of the room stood the ever so tempting candy stand which took every ounce of restraint to only take a picture and swiftly move on. Oh the pain of quitting sugar!
To tantalize our inner party animals, we were treated to an awesome show by the Shoowap Shop band that definitely got our boogy going. At one point in the evening, I found myself taking shameless amounts of mirror selfies with a fellow victory roll wearer in the bathroom while reapplying our red lipstick. Heavens to Betsy, Red lips are another thing when it comes to reapplying without a brush or liner handy because OMG, that stuff gets EVERYWHERE!!!! None the less, we prevailed and then it was time for some fun in the pod chairs. (I don’t know what else to call them) but holy moly- that is what I want for Christmas. A pod chair that swivels and is like a big 1950’s hug wrapped in velvet.
We were surrounded by pink and white ambiance, lighting and mood whilst being treated to non-stop food goodies on trays that made their way round the room. All that was missing were the roller skates. Perhaps it’s never a good thing to mix roller skates with wine. Gold star goes to the waiters.
The food, OMG the food…little mini hamburgers and fries, Strawberry milkshakes topped with donuts, pink candy floss and bubblegum. Pink and white homemade marshmallows…being on a diet was not ideal but lucky for all you lovely readers out there, my diet has also prevented me from enjoying the three gorgeous convenient wines I walked away with in a goodie box. I have it on good authority (Thanks to Fawn’s unwaivering commitment to try each flavour) that the wine is delicious and so I am giving away my gift box from the 4th Street Wine party which also comes with a sweet lollipop. Can you say YUM?
Thank you to Fawn for inviting me to one of the best launches I have been to in a while and to 4th Street Wine for hosting an incredible evening with Girl About Town PR. You guys rocked our socks off!
All you need to do is follow 4th Street Wine on Twitter and tweet which wine you would like to try most. Let me know in the comments section below that you have done so and I will then select a winner randomly by Monday evening. Please note that you need to be willing to pick the wine up from an agreed location either in Centurion or Jhb North.
Let me know if you would like us to do a video tutorial of how to dress in the fifties and we will get right on that. I love reading and appreciate all your comments.
Till Next Time
Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride
See you there
I want to share a few thoughts on a little huge problem I have. Maybe some of you can help me with this problem or give me the will to carry on the journey to do this thang. I love sugar…..ok no, in the name of honesty; I am addicted to sugar. Since changing my meds and stopping the pill at the beginning of this year, my body has decided to triple in size (ok I exaggerate) it’s probably only gone up 1/5 but let’s face it, no woman is going to tell you straight up what she weighs. Well maybe I should change that. Here it goes: I have put on a good 10 kgs since December last year and I am convinced my addiction to sugar has been one of the main culprits.
Now 10 kg’s for some people may not seem like a lot but when you are short and have a little frame, 10 kg’s is huge. It’s T-Rex kinda huge. Yep, that’s the first big thing that came to mind so I’m rolling with it. T-Rex it is. Have you ever noticed aside from the short chubby arms and legs, a T-Rex has a huge tummy? Well that’s how I look now. I look like a T-Rex with a pregnant belly. All my extra weight that I have put on has gone straight to my waist. It’s quite comical especially when I stand to the side. My belly protrudes like….well I will let your imagination take over here. Anyhoo, lets continue…
Hubby and I decided that we are ready to start trying for mini Cash’s (Cam and Sasha’s – bada bing bada bang) at the beginning of the year so not only have I gone through a hectic rigmarole to change my meds (so that they are vastly safer for bambino’s), I have also stopped my pill. Since stopping my pill I have started eating so much more junk and have noticed that my waist has gone from bad to worse. I was very noticeably not doing much exercise either and noticed that I wasn’t receiving my lady visitor like I should soooooooo I went to go see the gynea who diagnosed me with PCOS. Something I kinda knew about from my early twenties but never really paid much attention until now. The one positive thing with PCOS is that your (I wanna say “See You Next Thursday”) period is very irregular and some cases like mine, it is nonexistent. Fabulous you might say. Yes, it is super-duper awesome not needing to worry about a monthly visitor but not so super-duper awesome when having a period is an indicator that you are ovulating. For those of you who are a little unclear on the rules of the birds and bees….you need to be ovulating to fall pregnant.
Anyhoo, another wonderful side effect (this time I am being sarcastic) of PCOS is that because my hormones are all out of whack, I tend to put on weight quite easily and it is triple as hard to get the weight off. Grrrrrrrrrrreat.
I then find out yesterday from my doctor that the new meds I am taking that I mentioned earlier are marginally safer for baby making and will make my weight issue even worse. So as a good girl I promised I wouldn’t stop taking my meds which has all kinds of bad consequences I don’t wanna go into right now so basically my only other option is to try to minimize how many harmful carbs I eat, up my exercise and hopefully start losing my belleeeeeeeeee.
All I want right now is a COOKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And a huge slab of Dark chocolate Lindt Hazelnut Chocolate.
Onward we shall stride, two weeks ago I decided it was time. Yep, it was time for me to get serious about this baby making business. Hubba hubba she says while raising her eyebrows. Buttttttttt in order to up my chances I have to try lose weight as I can’t imagine being another 10 kgs heavier with a little bam bam in my belly and quite honestly I really just want to fit into my clothes again.
I have returned to Pilates (my favourite activity of all time except for….let’s keep this PG) and as some of you may have read in my previous “get real post” I have now started walking every day for 30 minutes and doing the Delta Park Run (for me the Delta park dawdle) on Saturdays with Jade. You are more than welcome to join us. It’s actually kind of fun, we talk smack about well whatever topic comes to mind in between holding our tummies in, clenching our butts and breathing (if you can call huffing and puffing breathing). Jade is also a seasoned runner and I would be happy to let you guys run off into the far distance while I waddle up to the finish line. It doesn’t cost anything than maybe a few hours extra beauty sleep but other than that, it’s super nice. I’m hoping a few of us will do this in the near future and there will be the highflyers who can run with Jade and the not so high flyers who can walk with me. Let’s say it’s aimed at giving us tight bikini bwuns. Yes bwuns.
I have also started a new lifestyle diet. Notice, I had to get the lifestyle part in otherwise this would be yet another failed attempt at quitting the sugar. So, this lifestyle diet is called the Dukan diet which some of you may have heard of. In basic terms it is a high protein, low carb, low calorie diet that has four phases. I have completed my first phase, the pure protein attack phase and have successfully lost 2.6 kg’s. Yay me. I also managed to squeeze myself into a pair of jeans I haven’t been able to do for a long time as the attack phase makes you lose any water retention you might have lying around. The jeans were not sitting comfortably round my waist but I was in them. That counts right?
I am now in the second phase, the cruise phase where I can start reintroducing vegetables into my diet. I was very sad to find out that this does not include fruit.
No fruit! For four months!!!!!!!!!!! Nope, no ways, nudda, not gonna happen. I love fruit and if you ask me for my five cents; Fruit is a thousand times healthier than ice cream or a Big Mac or chocolate cake or brownies or biscuits or sugary treats or candy floss or ….ok I’m gonna stop now. So I have decided that instead of only vegetables on my PV (Protein and Veg) days, I’ma gonna have me sum apples and all other kinds of fruit. As my hubby so kindly pointed out, the Dukan way is a general guideline….(um). Anyhoo, my goal weight is 54.4 kg’s and I have a long way to go. I want to be able to feel good about myself on the beach in Hermannus in December. I want to say in a bikini but even when I was at my thinnest, a bikini was a far stretch for my porcelain white skin so if you see any pictures of me on Instagram in as much as a bathing costume in December……ps. I’ve won!
So that’s my get real post for this week. Let me know if you like the get real posts and whether you have any interesting healthy recipes you think I would like that are high protein, low carb and super delicious. Have you got any addictions that you think you need to kick? Or how about any exercises that you love to do to keep you healthy. I would love to hear your personal stories too so tag me in your next post. Are you keen to hear about any of the recipes that I have tried so far? I love reading your comments and appreciate the time you take to read my posts. Love and hugs to you all. Ps. by now you may have realised, I still haven’t actually declared my weight but if you clever and use your math skills, you could probably figure it out.
Until Next Time
Keeping it Real
Silly me forgot to get my ever important medicine yesterday as I was having too much fun which has resulted in the most wonderful result. I woke up super early this morning and not ready to get up, decided to read my beloved Twitter feed and came across a blog that I haven’t really indulged in before. Femmegypsy has captured my heart this morning and my imagination. A beautiful blog that I think resembles what I originally wanted my blog to be. A personal space that is dedicated to telling her story, sharing the good times and the not so good times. An honest space that oozes her love of writing and family with very little focus on marketing products and events. The kind of blog I love to read but battle to write. I love blogs that tell a story and share a bit of the bloggers true self.
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to organize an awesome Christmas in July party for a few fellow bloggers from Bloggers Who Bless. Part of the fun was each of us were assigned a Secret Santa except mine was not so secret as I was doing the assigning. We each had to stalk our fellow bloggers that we were buying gifts for to surprise them with a special gift on the 25 July. My Santa wrote to me and said that I don’t post many personal things on my blog although when she blessed me with my beautiful gifts, she could not have got it more spot on. I was surprised by the comment that I don’t really post personal things on my blog as I always thought that I did.
Looking back I can see that although what I have shared on the blog in the past has been more than I have ever shared in my life and I have let in so many other people into my life this year, I think I am ready to share just a little bit more. FemmeGypsy has inspired me this morning to write for the love of writing and so as I sit and wonder whether I will be brave enough to post this, I am excited to pour a little bit of myself into this post.
I try and keep my blog as a happy space that serves as a reminder of all the good things that happen in my life but I have realized that although this is generally what I want my blog to be about, it can become quite unbalanced and not a genuine reflection of my life. Don’t get me wrong, 2014 has most probably been one of my best years EVER and there have been so many wonderful experiences and people I have met, I welcome the nuance of writers block I have when it comes to writing about “negatives” as I have to be honest, this year has been pretty dam fantabulous and each experience I have had has resulted in something positive. That’s not to say I haven’t had my bad days or struggles. I guess I have just sort of turned a corner this year, a new leaf if you will, that I tend to focus on the good.
There is no age where you are too old to make new friends
One of my biggest fears which I can safely say is no longer a fear of mine is was rejection. This fear held me back from meeting new people or letting people into my life and I mean genuinely letting people into my heart.Last year after I started engaging in Twitter, I set up my very first Twitter coffee date with a very special person that inspired me from the very first tweet I read of hers. I gravitated towards this person, not only for the struggles she has faced that I can somewhat relate to but for her enthusiastic bubbly online personality. Lucky for me, Fawn said yes to meeting for coffee and as nervous as I was, I invited her to my all-time favorite spot in Jhb ( a first for me as I would usually not invite strangers to places I loved- probably a senseless fear of them not liking my spot) and yes the first meeting was a weird sensation but I left on a high.
Fawn and I parted ways for the December holidays and when we returned to our home city, we met for supper, this time at an even more personal space…..Fawn’s home. I still remember getting dressed for the occasion which was on a Sunday evening (another first for me as I never used to go out on a work night- oh how things have changed), anyways I was standing in front of my wardrobe wondering how to dress for this “date”. As I struggled with my internal ramblings of what not to wear and excuses to get out of this dinner that was making my palms sweat, I stepped back, took a breath, gave myself a stern “stop your nonsense” talk and chose my cheap yet comfortable black jumpsuit I had purchased from Pick N Pay clothing that made me feel a little sexy (to try and boost my confidence) but not too overdone because I didn’t want to scare this new person away. I made an important promise to myself that evening,
never again will I break plans unless I have a very very very good reason.
Anyhoo, turns out I needn’t have worried as Fawn was an excellent host and made me feel right at home. We chatted over her kitchen nook while she cooked her amazing chicken stir fry. She even made the dinner table look gorgeous with yellow flowers and bamboo and fairy flower lights telling me that since her double lung transplant, she always tries to make even the smallest of things in life a special occasion and so began one of the most precious and incredible friendship journeys that is now but one of so many I have been blessed with this year. A piece of advice that I doubt she knows really had the biggest impact on my life:
Make even the smallest occasions special
For the first time ever this year I really enjoyed my birthday. I mean I really embraced it and loved it with all my heart. I made a special promise to myself that I would thank each and every person who wished me Happy Birthday and treasure each and every word. I have even kept all my birthday cards on top of my newly installed shelves that my loving husband put up for me (this is a big deal) and I often look at them to remind me to
treat everyday as if its my birthday
(a piece of advice reinforced by FemmeGypsy’s birthday post). I don’t fear waking up in the morning early anymore and although I do love to sleep I now find myself excited and eager to wake up at 06h30 on a Saturday morning to meet my beloved Jade at Delta Park in the overcast weather to walk 5 km’s around a park. Every person I have met this year has brought something special into it and I have learnt so much about life through these wonderful people. Jade has taught me that it’s ok to come last in the race, the important thing is that I participated and I finished.
You don’t need to win or be the best to be happy
I was ecstatic that I received my Delta Park run race results and although my placing was 557 out of 560 participants, I did the 5km walk and what’s even better is I enjoyed it. I not only got my heart rate up which has its obvious benefits, I made a wonderful new friend that has taught me that even if you are really good at something,
it counts to hold somebody else hand and motivate them to push to even greater heights.
Jade is a seasoned runner and yet she patiently walked by my side the entire 5 km’s always encouraging me that it wasn’t much further and I was doing great. Seriously, could I ask for anything more from a walking buddy. BEST WALK EVER!!!!! Needless to say, we had a great time talking and chatting about things and I even got to learn about Jade’s love of London and the colour blue. My favourite part was that I now have a wonderful walk to look forward to every Saturday morning either at Delta Park or Florida and I am excited to watch this friendship grow.
New experiences and opportunities are everywhere
When you start to let people into your life and genuinely open up your home and heart to new things, the most amazing things start to happen. Just this week, an evening of dressing up fifties style turned out to be one of the most fun girl evenings out in a long time. What happened in the fifties stays in the fifties…..except of course the slow mo’s. Those slow mo’s need to be talked about because they were just so much fuuuuuuun. I got to be Fawn’s plus one at the 4th Street Wine Party which I will do a separate post on but we ended staying up until 03h00 in the morning and have since then decided to start our very own reality TV series. Lol. Just kidding, we want to start filming some of our awesome new adventures and ever important opinions about life (wink wink) and cut them into tiny little bite sized chunks, add some awesome music and pass them as first grade filmsters (yep, that is a word now) on YouTube. That’s right!!! (say that in a Daisy voice from Mario Party and you will get what I mean) Watch this space……
Anyhoo, I digress. I have found so many loving people in the world this year and even though I have come across some not so loving people (so very few I must add), my life has become a magical place this year that I am finding new and wonderful things every week to enjoy and I just want to thank FemmeGypsy for being so real and open in her blog as she has inspired me to be a bit more me on mine.
Being your true authentic self rocks
Here’s to the next adventure and chapter…may it be a wonderful one!
Now I am off to have my morning walk and get ready for another day filled with fun activities from tea at my beloved coffee shop, La Vie en Rose to meet with one of the nicest people you will ever meet, A Taste of Tea, then off to see my gorgeous sister in laws new home that is being built at the moment and some very much needed and long overdue time with my bestie Buzz this evening but first, let me take a……..nah my mascara aint on yet (some things will never change).
Till next time
Keeping it real
Introducing Guest blogger Tammy otherwise know as @TamsW9 on Twitter and her review of the Bioderma Atoderm Nutritive Nourishing Cream. Here is what she had to say:
I was beyond delighted to receive this product because winter has been really harsh on my skin this year, especially my forehead and cheeks!! Let me tell you girls, dry, scaly skin is NOT a good look for winter!!
This specific cream is great for dry to very dry and sensitive skin so it was PERFECT for targeting those nasty dry areas! Fortunately I don’t have a sensitive skin but it’s nice to know that it’s great for any skin type because it is fragrance free, paraben free and hypoallergenic!
“It combines two natural active ingredients (Shea butter and Avocado extracts) and two hydrating active ingredients (Vaseline, Glycerine). Highly concentrated in a non-oily “rich cream” texture, these active ingredients help to restore the skin’s water and lipid balance, so it quickly regains its original comfort and suppleness”.
It comes in a 40ml tube which makes it great for travelling with as well.
I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE this product! Although it felt greasy going onto my skin, it did not leave any greasy residue on my face as it absorbed quickly into my skin. My skin felt dewy and instantly hydrated and the flaky skin on my forehead disappeared immediately! The best way for me to describe how well this product works is it I compare it to when you are really thirsty and you down a glass of water and feel immediately satisfied and nourished, well that’s exactly what this Bioderma Atoderm Cream did for my face! I have been using the cream for 2 weeks already and have not had any breakouts or flare ups so it is definitely a winner in my books and I will continue to use it and purchase it again…and again…and again!
There are 6 Bioderma ranges, namely:
These products can be viewed at www.bioderma.com or you can contact Shakti Behari (SA Brand Manager) on 082 221 9632 or Shakti.b@mweb.co.za and are all available from leading pharmacies nationwide.
Till Next Time
Protect your skin
Let me introduce you to an online store that you can trust and know that there is a very dedicated person behind your orders who is always willing to help and offer personalized quality service. Beauty Worx is unlike other online stores and although SA have been quite slow on the uptake of online shopping, I strongly believe that if you try out Beauty Worx, all your online shopping fears will quickly be dispelled.
Click on the picture to take you to the awesome Beauty Worx Online Store
Beauty Worx is for people who want a personal shopping experience from the comfort of their own homes, for those of us who don’t have the time to go trawling the shopping malls and for people like me who can get so easily distracted when I go shopping and always come home with triple the goods I intended to buy. Online shopping is a convenient fun way to shop although it does take a little leap of faith the first time trying it.
Wendy takes pride in testing all her products that are sold online and has made sure that she sells only the best quality and niche products in her store. The Beauty Worx online store is very user friendly and easy to navigate right from browsing the categories all the way to check out. An added bonus of using the Beauty Worx online store are the additional beauty bux you can earn with your purchases. Every time you make a purchase from the Beauty Worx online store, you will earn 5-Beauty-Bux for every R150 spent, which can be used on your next purchase.
The value of each Beauty-Bux is R1, therefore 1x Beauty-Bux = R1
I love that Beauty Worx brings salon quality goods straight to our doors. One of the new brands available from Beauty Worx is a hair care range that hails all the way from Australia.
Suigo is an international boutique salon hair range that has been developed in Australia and formulated in Japan. Only top quality natural ingredients, essential oils and botanicals have been used to a create a highly sophisticated range of hair care products that not only look after your hair but also focus on caring for your hair.
Disney’s Frozen is the most successful animation movie of all time. Being the highest grossing animated movie and the 5th highest grossing movie ever. Of all the millions that have watched Frozen, I was definitely a laggard!
I was first introduced to it by fellow blogger Porcelain Rouge in a very “jolly state” at her birthday party. She kept singing “do you wanna build a snowman?”. It was her birthday so I was happy to oblige in the snowman building. I did however need some clarification. Where was the snow? 🙂 Thereby revealing my ignorance. I did not know the famous line nor the movie Frozen at all. So in a bar, surrounded by only adults, I was met by gasps and implored to watch this fantastical, frosty, fairytale film. Naturally I did.
There are many explanations for the movie’s success. Spectacular graphics, a magical music score, a timeless tale fit for a contemporary audience. It is also championed as a feminist triumph. A refreshing new era of Disney princesses. Generations have been fed stories of helpless princesses waiting for knights in shining armor and princes to rescue them making them complete. In Frozen there are many examples of where the traditional fairytale mould is broken. The lead characters sisters Princess Elsa and Anna, are heroines who face very harsh challenges, deceptive princes, the death of their parents, their hearts are broken and there are times they are isolated and loney. In the end, it is not a Prince Charming with a magical kiss that saves them. It is love, friendship and sisterhood.
Here are my life lessons inspired by Frozen:
1. When we don’t use our talents and strengths we harm ourselves and the world. Play to your strenths. Princess Elsa hides her magical powers from the world, causing an eruption of bottled up magic.The town of Arendelle is then placed in an eternal icy winter. Elsa is isolated and others are left well…hurt and in the cold. Only once Elsa understands how to harness her powers, is the town of Arendelle freed from the eternal winter and their doors were opened to the world. Elsa and Anna are happy and free for the first time in years. What are your talents and strengths you are not leverging? What are you and the world missing out of because you are not using them?
Princess Anna harnesses her powers.
2. To make your dreams come true, you need to carry your own weather. In Stevan Covey’s book 7habits of highly successful people he discribes “having your own weather” as being proactive, not allowing external factors to get the better of you. Olaf the snowmen quite literally had to carry his own weather and made his impossible dream of experiencing summer come true. With Princess Elsa’s help Olaf gets his very own flurry, a stormy snow cloud keeping him frosty even in the heat of summer. If you have an impossible dream, people and circumstances may get the better of you. You will need to be resilient, proactive and make your own destiny despite circumstances. Are there opportunities in your life for you to carry your own weather?
Olaf the snowman with his own flurry. Now he can enjoy his dream summer.
3. Be your own hero. When Princess Anna was under Elsa’s spell, in dire peril of freezing to death. The Troll King told her the only way to break the spell was through “an act of true love”. Everyone assumed this meant a kiss from Prince Hans, her finace. Hans turned out to be an asshole, and there was no kiss or act of love. Later on, when Hans tried to kill Elas, Anna courageously threw herself if front of Elsa thereby saving her sister’s life. This was an act of love for her sister, the act of love performed by herself and no one else, the act of love that saved her too as this act of love defrosted her . Sometimes we wait for others to transform our destiny, without taking action ourselves. Are there any actions heroic or not that you think could get you to where you want to be?
Anna’s “act of love”, shielding her sister from certain death. This act of love set Anna free.
4. We all make bad decisions and fail. Forgive yourself and move forward. Princess Anna falls head over heels for Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, turns out that he is charlatan, only interested in the throan, and not in love with Anna. Even I was fooled by Hans! So dashing and seemingly perfect, a fairytale prince. Anna was wrong, she made a mistake, but she moved on and found Kristoff the real love of her life 🙂 Are there mistakes and failures you have made that are holding you back? Maybe its time to move on, it happens to the best of us.
Hans, the charlatan.
5. Even though time passes true friendships will hold as though time did not pass. One of my favorite scenes is when the Princesses see each other a Elsa’s coronation. Even though they had not spoken for years, they notice a beautiful nostalgic smell in the air, and scream out in unison “chocolate”:-) They share a giggle as though no time has passed. If there is a good friend or family member you have not seen in a while, make the time to connect, it will recharge you 🙂
Sisters enjoying the yummy smell of chocolate.
6. Love is a verb, a series of actions that make it real. Kristoff walked with Anna to find Elsa, Kristoff took Anna to the Trolls to heal her, Kristoff road Sven the reindeer to the castle to take Anna to Hans for the “true love kiss”, Kristoff upon realizing his love for Anna,crossed the stormy fjords to find Anna. All along Kristoff was showing love to Anna, whilst Hans was just singing about it. If you love someone show them 🙂
Kristoff carrying Anna to the Trolls.
7. You are never too old to play and learn something new. The tale starts off with Anna and Elsa as children gleefully playing. Building a snowman. The tale ends with Anna and Elsa as adults, gleefully playing, as Elsa teaches Anna how to iceskate. Don’t miss an opportunity to play 🙂. When was the last time you had a giggle? Is there something you have always wanted to learn, a new language, how to ski, how to dive, how to salsa, its not too late 🙂
Sisters playing.
There are countless lessons , and layers to the movie. What were your highlights?
Check out Lady Marilyn’s blog here.
Till next time
Live the life you love
My last action before I turned 29 was to sign up as an organ donor. I met Fawn last year through Twitter and we have become really close friends since meeting. From the very moment I started following Fawn on Twitter, she has been a true inspiration for me. Fawn suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and in March 2013, Fawn survived a double lung transplant. You can read the full story here.
Fawn Rogers – Survived a double lung transplant
Since meeting Fawn I find that I appreciate many of the smaller things in life like being able to go the movies without worrying if my coughing will bother the person next to me. The fact that I can swim and hold my breath under water. The fact that every day, I have the energy to wake up and brush my own hair. The fact that when the electricity goes out I don’t need to worry whether my oxygen supply is going to have enough power to keep me alive. The fact that I am able to drive independently and go to work everyday. The fact that I had the chance to study and although I have my own health issues I was able to study and experience University. The fact that my growing years were not spent in hospital. I find myself living everyday a little more than the last one and I am taking chances and doing things that would previously have frightened me. I have let new people and new experiences excite me and I find I have fallen in love with life and appreciate what I have more than worrying about what I don’t have.
Before meeting Fawn I hadn’t given much thought to becoming an organ donor. The process of signing up could not be any easier. I went to sign up online and a few weeks later I received my letter with my organ donor card and three stickers. The stickers go onto my driver’s license, my medical aid card and my ID book.
Fawn organized a #ChariTea in aid of the Organ Donor Foundation to celebrate Womens Day. Besides the weather, the #ChariTea was awesome. 60 ladies came together at Bella on Rivonia to support the Organ Donor Foundation. We were all treated to delicious sugar free treats accompanied by bottomless Tea sponsored by Five Roses while having the opportunity to meet and hear from Nicci, a recipient awaiting an organ transplant as well as the touching story of a recipient, Alice who has already survived a transplant. It was so refreshing attending an event that catered for diabetic needs and those of us trying to watch our weight.
The goodie bags were superb as well which included a pair of gorgeous earrings from Trinket Trove reminding us to share hope, love and faith for the Organ Donor Foundation.
The black and white theme was classic, elegant and simple and the perfect setting for such an event. We were given the chance to enter additional raffle tickets for the amazing hamper prizes and quite a bit of additional funds were raised for the cause this way.
Ladies were also offered the chance to sign up to become an organ donor there and then at the #ChariTea. Over 28 new donors signed up which means 196 lives could potentially be saved. You can become an organ donor today and register here.
Here are a few things I have learnt about being an organ donor:
I truly believe that our souls leave our physical bodies when the time comes and knowing that in death I will be able to save 7 lives makes me happy and feel like my death will mean something good. All the funds that are raised for the Organ Donor Foundation go towards the emergency flight fund to fetch organs from distant places, organ referrals education for emergency rooms and public awareness initiatives to raise more registered organ donors like myself.
If you are unsure how you can make a difference and are not quite ready to take the step in becoming an organ donor then at least help us to raise awareness in our communities so that more people know that they can choose to take the step and become registered organ donors. I am, are you?
Till next time
Live Life then Give Life
Porcelain Rouge 