for a Debutante Ball!

Over the weekend I was so pleased to be invited to the Debutante Ball of the daughter of a close friend of mine! She looked just radiant and it was so nice to see that this tradition is still continuing. I think teenagers these days do tend to get quite a bad rap so it was lovely to see these young adults partaking in such a formal evening. I will admit it did warm my heart to see these young men and women inviting their Grandparents up for a dance and the pride on their faces was obvious to all.  I thank Jodie and her gorgeous daughter Taylor for the invitation to attend.

  

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys and Twinkle in the Eye for Wordless Wednesday

                                   

for an amazing sunrise

There are some advantages to getting up before the sun....one of them being you get to see it come up. This was taken Monday morning on my iphone from my back door. No filter.

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys and Twinkle in the Eye for Wordless Wednesday

                                                      

for a bit of a whinge...

I believe we are all entitled to it now and then so right now I am taking this opportunity to have my whinge! I know that all the events that I am about to whinge about are the results of decisions I have made so there is no need to point that out to me, just accept this whinge for what it is and move on!

I need more time!!!!!!!!! 

It's been 5 weeks and 1 day since I started my new job and I am loving it. Learning so much and each day something new pops up that makes me learn even more but I am not going to lie.....the commute is killing me! (well that's a slight exaggeration but it's now 8:20pm and I feel like I have only just sat down!). My place of work is approximately 90km from my place of residency and yes this is something that I chose....but for real reasons. One being that I had not long moved and didn't fancy moving again, and because I was only about 3 months into a 6 month lease that I didn't want to break and because there is no guarantee the job will continue past mid December and then I'd be on the move again.... But with the road that I am travelling on each and every day undergoing a major restoration due to flood damage and a heavy traffic load the commute is taking me anywhere between an hour and ten minutes to an hour and forty minutes one way, on average probably about an hour 20, so that's 2 hours 40 a day which is then anywhere between 10 and 15 hours per week that I am losing by sitting in a car! When I start to think about it and put it in those terms it is crazy! I do have a wonderful friend out there that has offered me a bed anytime and I have taken her up on it a few times, guess I should probably do it more often and hope I don't out stay my welcome!

This is putting some real issues around everything else that I am trying to achieve in my life right now and I am struggling to find a balance. I decided to sign up for another round of the 12wbt as I wanted to focus more on my exercise and fitness but a week into it I feel like that is not happening. I am getting up before the sun already and don't think I could function if I got up any earlier. Now that winter is fast approaching I am starting to get home in the dark, especially if, like this afternoon there is a meeting after school. This means that there is no time to do any of those downtown jobs like get to the bank or the post office, and those things are pushed to the side!

This afternoon I was determined to do some exercise so when I finally did arrive home after 6pm I didn't let me bottom hit a seat, got changed straight away and got on my treadmill! It wasn't following my exercise plan from 12wbt but I figured something was better than the alternative... Luckily I had gotten a little organised over the weekend and pre-prepared some meals for the week so I didn't have that to use as an excuse.

I noticed on Monday when I posted my I Must Confess post that it had been 10 days since I had blogged anything...... I hate that when we are so busy it is the things that we enjoy that take the back seat. I started this blog for me and to share my journey but when things get a little cray cray (as the kids are saying these days...apparently) it's one of the first things to go. I constantly feel guilty that I haven't replied to comments and that I haven't shared enough comment love!... My other great hobby love is Scrapbooking and I haven't even done any this year, to be honest I can't even remember the last page I did.....

My weeks get so consumed with work and travel and when I can fit it in, exercise and cooking that come the weekend I am busted! I don't feel like doing anything but again end up running around like a mad chook getting all the things done that I didn't get done during the week and make time to catch up with family and friends as well as fit in exercise, cleaning, washing, grocery shopping (did that at 6pm Friday night! who does that....very few people is the answer as I was one of only a handful of people at my local Coles at that time)

Mish talks about how being organised is the key to success and I totally totally whole-heartedly agree with her but sometimes even the most organised of plans go astray and have their challenges..

So I guess I ask you, how do you make things work? How do you get all the things done in your day and still find times for the things you love? I know some of you have crazier busier lives than me so how do you do it??

Am hoping some of you IBOTter's have some advice! (or at least some sympathy!)

to confess my reality tv addiction

This weeks confession with Kirsty from My Home Truths was

Are you into reality TV shows? Be truthful – are you a talent, renovation, lifestyle or cooking tragic?

Now I am not sure that I am really that addicted or that I am a tragic but I do tend to get a little sucked in. I tend to be more of a drama series addict... (this will come as no surprise to some people!)

Revenge

Grey's Anatomy

Hart of Dixie

Nashville

Criminal Minds

Bones

Arrow

Dexter

Smash

Dallas

Packed to the Rafters

A Place to Call Home

House Husbands

Winners and Losers

Home and Away

Sons of Anarchy

Downton Abbey

Homeland

Private Practice

are among the many shows that I have spent hours and hours of my life watching and analysing and discussing with friends as if they were reality!! Lol...

When it does come to the reality tv shows I am more of a results watcher.... I quite enjoy The Block but during the week it clashes with H&A and I don't really like watching all the drama and fighting and carrying on, I prefer to watch the Sunday night episode and see how the room turned out. When it comes to shows with auditions like Australia's Got Talent or Australian Idol I much preferred to wait until all the cr@p has been weeded out and wait until the get to the top 10 or top 5 and then start watching. That did however all change with The Voice, I really enjoy watching the blind auditions because with those you know (well at least they strongly make us believe) that it is based on their talent and not their appearance. When I heard the news that this year Keith Urban was going to be replaced by Ricky Martin I did swear I was going to boycott the show but it has still managed to suck me in!!

Some reality TV shows turn me off just from watching the ads! I know that they deliberately choose couples of people for these shows that will make headlines and cause contraversy but in some cases that has been exactly the reason why I haven't watched!!

So given a choice I probably wouldn't chose a reality tv show over one of my many other tv obsessions!

What's your tv obsession...?

 

a Pinterest win!!

Saw this on Pinterest and thought I would give it a go and it worked!!

And it's still going strong!



Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys and Twinkle in the Eye for Wordless Wednesday
                                  

for a 12wbt round 1 roundup!

I cannot believe that it's been 12 weeks and that it's all about to finish! Sunday was officially the last day and we ended with a bang...an amazing mushroom risotto!

I have certainly had my ups and downs and challenges during the last 12 weeks but I am so proud of what I have achieved.

About half way through I suffered from some back and neck issues which meant no more Body Pump and moderate exercise and then around week 8 I had to drop back to light exercise due to some other medical issues so while I could do was walk I made sure I stuck as close to my meal plans and calorie intake as much as possible.

I did not reach my goal weight (1.5 kilos short) I am not disheartened in anyway!

So here goes....my stats..

Total Weight Loss - 5.6kg

Measurements
Chest - 3cm (really can't afford to lose weight here! lol)
Waist - 4.8cm
Hips - 6.5cm
Left Thigh - 6.9cm
Right Thigh - 8.3cm (how random!)
Left Arm - 1.7cm
Right Arm - 1.7cm

So that's a total of 32.9cm and I have definitely noticed it in my clothes as I have had to throw out so many pairs of pants that are now all saggy and big in the waist! A great problem to have I figure!

 My before and after pics - Week 1 to Week 12!

It was SO hard trying to take pics of myself in the bathroom mirror but this is as good as I could get it. Next time I am going to get my sister to come over and take them for me!

Obviously I still have work to do and that's why I have decided to sign up for another round! This time my focus will be on improving my fitness as that's what I have lacked in this round due to the health concerns!

Wish me luck....again!

And of course it's Tuesday so time for IBOT! Linking up with Jess from Essentially Jess

for a perve!

OK - So I had this whole Pinterest win thing that I was going to share but I can't for some reason get the piccies to work so will hold that one off til next week (hopefully!)

However having just seen this on Facebook I thought it would be the perfect follow up on my post from yesterday!

Enjoy ladies...................

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys and Twinkle in the Eye for Wordless Wednesday