Currently.

Watching: as I've mentioned before, I have the unashamed viewing habits of a 16 year old girl. Well OK so slightly shaming, but hey, I am what I am.  So it's only natural that now I've exhausted all my Gossip Girl/Vampire Diaries/Ringer/Pretty Little Liars/Revenge mandatory viewing, I've been casting about for another puerile pre-pubescent show to get addicted to. So it just seemed fitting to make my next TV crush The Bachelorette. I didn't see Emily on her series but she seems sweet and I'm looking forward to watching the latest batch of attention-seeking media whores charming gentlemen trying to sweep her off her feet. All together now...awwww.

Listening to: Darren Percival's I Believe (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever) from The Voice. This show has become addictive viewing and whilst I always liked Darren, he was secondary to some other standouts. Well that was until last Monday night. All I can say is that he OWNED it. There is something about watching him sing that is incredibly moving, he clearly is just born to perform and as Joel put it, it felt like we were all baptised. It sounds so cheesy but he's the kind of guy that when he smiles, the whole world smiles with him. If he was a born-again preacher, I'd be a convert. Enough said.

Thinking about: how much my life has changed in the past month but just how incredibly RIGHT and natural everything seems. All my anxiety is gone and I realised today that it really seems so odd that I've only been working in my new job for 2 weeks...it feels like I've been there for so much longer, I feel so settled and welcomed and at 'home'. And in two weeks E has made a group of firm friends, has eased into school like he's been there forever, and has even had a girl or two slipping him their phone numbers angling for a date! (oh God, it's starting).

We love our house, particularly now the shower 'issue' has been resolved (and I can I just say that last night's shower was probably the best one I've ever had!) and life right at this minute is really quite wonderful. I am so excited and happy to be here and now just wonder why it took me so bloody long to leave the rat-race in the first place. I've put in a couple of long days but instead of being shattered when I walk in the door, I simply feel like I've done a good day's work and am pleasantly tired. What a difference it has made already to our lives! E simply adores having so much more time to practice on his Ripstik down the driveway, and just knowing he's playing in the fresh air instead of being trapped inside a unit watching TV makes my heart sing. I still occasionally walk through my house and get that start of, OMG we LIVE here! I hope that feeling never leaves because I really think we've hit on the secret to a great life here in Toowoomba. Even little things like listening to dogs barking (which is a novel experience, having not heard it in the neighbourhood for some years) is lovely, although I may contradict myself in weeks to come if it continues!

I really felt like I would miss Brisbane so badly and of course there are people I miss talking to every day and it hit me today that I haven't opened Excel since I left my last job (and in my last role I LIVED in that bloody programme) but otherwise (or in the case of Excel, in SPITE of) I really just feel quite free. Jumping off that cliff and praying for the best has paid off.

Missing: My sister and beautiful nephew and niece. Having a second television that picks up reception. Sushi.

Anticipating: our first Brisbane visitors! Our planned visit from E's mate was delayed due to poor Z getting shingles of all things, however he's well enough and not contagious to come tomorrow after all and stay through to Monday. Looks like the airbed purchase is not in vain after all! Apparently I'm  now charged with writing a blog post on what it's like to have a drunk guest in my home, and I also better beef up security as I've been warned Z's mum may just hack me and post something of her own. Ha.

Loving: this blog from an old school friend Rebecca Conway and the following quote from her Facebook page:

You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down. Ray Bradbury.

Funnily enough I heard the quote just this week as it's my new boss's favourite quote, and absolutely reflects my whole leap of faith to move to Toowoomba. Life is funny like that. Bec's speciality is shifting blocked energy to help you make changes to your life. A quote from her website is 'clearing long held ancestral and self-sabotaging patterns allowing for great self-confidence, more vitality, physical flexibility and inner peace'. I've only just heard of what Bec does and I'm really intrigued and want to know more. She really puts into words what I've been feeling for quite some time, and taking my own cliff-jump has really proved to me that she's onto something.

It must be a Bec thing.

I must be making up for my poor writing performance earlier in the week as suddenly I can't seem to shut up. Not that this is remotely unusual.

What are you up to currently? Feel free to write your own 'currently' post and link back to me in the comments. And don't forget to follow me on the link below!

xx

Sick kids. Advertising. And Ninjago...what else?

I'm at home with a sick child today, E has been suffering recurring tummy pains for years that have been investigated up the wazoo, with the only theory being that he suffers from 'stomach migraines'. I'd never even heard of such a thing, but after suffering alongside E when they attack, I can assure you it is real and awful with his pain being about a '9' on the scale and has him hugging a wheat pack and hanging over a bucket for the duration. The only small mercies are that he doesn't usually vomit, just feels extreme nausea, and doctors have assured me they generally grow out of these in their teens, something to do with their systems being immature when they're younger and sending pain messages the wrong way. Here's hoping.

So he's been in pain since Sunday and also complaining of a sore throat. As I have been headachy and sore throat-y myself, I'm wondering if we've picked up the same bug and his has just manifested in his stomach instead of his head, like mine.

Anyway so I've been catching up on work emails and doing bits and pieces whilst waiting for our doctors appointment just after lunch. I hate having time off so close to my finish date but when you have a sick child, what do you do? I think this is a lament famous among pretty much every working mother in the world, yeah?

The guilt can really eat you up, you feel guilty if you stay home, you feel guilty if you go to work and send your unwell child to school, it's an awful feeling. You always want to put your kids first but we've been on this tummy merry-go-round for a while now and it does become draining.

Hopefully the doctor will be able to figure things out and I can have my gorgeous, ridiculously energetic guy back soon.

Moving on...

So anyway, in the last week or two you may have noticed an ad or two popping up on my blog.

I write this blog because I enjoy writing and hope that occasionally something I say or something dumb I do that I relate to you resonates, makes you laugh or think or makes you want to slap me. I don't mind, unless you actually do slap me, in which case I probably WOULD mind. Or cry. Or something.

You could say I write for the love of it. Most days.

However, I am human, and a broke human at that, so I thought if I could actually get something tangible (read: cold hard cash or at least a free sample or two) out of something I love, then is that a bad thing? Don't they say that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life?

Well I won't be giving up the day job in any great hurry but I have made the decision to put a few ads on my site.

Never fear, there won't suddenly be some carnival-esque flashing banner across the top with a 'brought to you by' flash video popping up on your screens, but I have made contact with a few businesses that I regularly use myself and that perhaps might be of interest to you as well.

If like me you're into reading and makeup and playing more with your kids toys than they do, then maybe you'll find something that piques your interest. And if not, you can scroll on by, that's all good too.

You can be sure that I would never advertise anything that I don't use myself, and I'm proud to say that I am a loyal customer of all of the businesses I have chosen to advertise and would recommend them highly. In fact, I've just spent the morning on the Lego website picking out presents for E's birthday in July. Love the fact that I can access products that I can't find in stores! And the website is so damned cool. At E's age he is really into creating his own pieces, so I am absolutely loving the bricks section where you can choose windows, doors, ladders, fences, pretty much whatever you like. I remember these from when I was a kid, but these days you can't just buy the pieces in the stores. And of course, there's Ninjago...a whole section just for this. I don't think I'll show it to E just yet as there's still a few months to his birthday and I'd prefer to contain the pestering and heavy hint dropping until a later date.

xx

Seafood pizza. Bacon. Doing nothing. Happiness Day 17

I'm now standing on the precipice of my last few days of my Happiness Challenge and it's made me rather reflective. It's been a fairly time consuming exercise and some days have been really tough to fulfil. There are simply some days that I don't want to be happy, dammit! Although perhaps I can credit this challenge with ensuring the last two weeks have probably had the lowest ratio of bad days I've had in ages.

The challenge has made me think a lot about what makes puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step. Everyone seeks happiness, everyone wants happiness, but what is happiness exactly?

If you google 'happiness' there are over 62 million hits ranging from deep and meaningful to clever and silly. Everyone has their own interpretation of what happiness is, but so many say the same sorts of things just using different words. My two favourites are at the opposite ends of the spectrum but essentially say the same thing:

'Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony'. Mahatma Gandhi

and 'Happiness is like jam. You can't spread even a little without getting some on yourself'. Anonymous

Incidentally, what the hell did we EVER do before google?

Gratitudes:

• I woke up feeling slightly unwell this morning so am thankful that a) it's a Sunday so I can legitimately do nothing and b) it's a long weekend so everything that I probably shoulda, coulda, woulda done today I can do tomorrow instead. Mucho gratitude for this
• I haven't actually left the apartment today but instead have once again been enjoying the glorious weather on my balcony. I really love my balcony and will definitely miss it when I leave, although I'll be trading it in for a backyard and a covered outdoor area which will likely be far more private and green so it's all good. I love to be outside and have missed that in unit living, so my balcony is a godsend
• Thank you for the great response on my post about being a single mum. Sometimes it's really difficult to write about things that are deeply personal however it is extremely liberating and gratifying when your writing catches people's imaginations. I'm still learning about this whole blogging business and trying to find my feet and what people like to read, and if someone can read what I write and identify with or get something out of it, then that is a wonderful feeling

Journal:
The day has whizzed by despite a (too) early wake-up and a lazy day of doing absolutely nothing. I was about to go for a nanna nap when I realised it was past 4pm and that I probably missed my window if I'm going to sleep tonight.

It has been a really lovely day, I cooked bacon and toast for E and myself for breakfast which I haven't done since I can't remember when. Then...blissful nothing.

Now we've made homemade pizzas (seafood, my favourite) and they're in the oven for an early dinner. Mmmmm.

And tomorrow a few bits and pieces of tidying up and then meeting dad for dinner, lovely.

Loving this weekend, if this is what happiness is, I'll take it.

Meditation:
I stayed up far too late last night for no apparent reason and once again fell asleep at some mid point during the bedtime visualisation. Perhaps that's why I feel lousy today?

Random act of kindness:
This is lame but I let E run over and grab sushi for lunch and that's about as far as I got. He was happy so I guess it counts?

So have you had a good day? Do you get a long weekend too and if so, what have you been doing with your time? Would love for you to let me know.

xx

Happiness. Date Night. The Hunger Games and more Ninjago...Day 16

So day 16 of my challenge is upon me and I am happy that it's crazy!

I just got home from date night with my son after what has been the most excellent of days and a brilliant beginning to a long weekend.

So let the gratitudes begin!

Gratitudes:

• I am so grateful to be finally making some headway on my Toowoomba Project. We visited the police station today to lock up my son submit my police certificate request so that is now out of the way. I've been also making lots of lists of things that I still need to do so whilst there's heaps there I'm feeling much better organised and like I have some direction. Small blessings. I get my boxes from dad on Monday so packing and sorting will begin in earnest then.
• I say this a lot but Elijah is quite simply the light of my life. He has the craziest sense of humour and is forever running into me to tell me this nutty story or that...he has me in stitches daily and is turning into a right little character. Me being me completely encourage him to embrace his nuttiness individuality and made him go and change out of his boring blue shirt into his fangs one. His enthusiasm for our move is making me even more excited. I think if he was really against moving I would seriously reconsider as he's quite a wise little soul underneath that crazy persona.
• Lastly I am grateful just simply for the most perfect day. We woke up reasonably early and went and had breakfast, haircuts, did a bit of shopping and then came home for a lovely relaxing afternoon followed by date night. Everything was just perfect.

Journal:
So I surprised E tonight with tickets to see The Hunger Games. We saw it a few weeks ago and loved it, but I was so focused on matching the movie to the book and trying to remember what came next, and REALLY REALLY hoping it wouldn't suck to watch it in detail. I felt kind of like a third party observer rather than getting absorbed in it. So I really wanted to see it again to just really sink into it and WATCH.

And it was even better the second time around. Going in knowing it was going to be good allowed me to really get into it and appreciate the nuances of which the movie is full of. I know all the critics have said this, but Jennifer Lawrence is quite simply brilliant. She has captured the spirit of Katniss and played her with depth and feeling, I really don't think any other actress could have topped her performance. She WAS Katniss. I'm a big fan of a fabulous strong female character (see previous Scarlett O'Hara admiration post), and no-one who's read the books can doubt this woman is one. However, I was really afraid whoever won the role would just play her as a straight out badass without really capturing the emotional backstory that brought her there in the first place. Watching her quite literally shaking in her boots just as she was entering the games was worth the price of admission.

I cannot recommend this movie or the book highly enough. If you haven't read or seen it yet, then what are you waiting for? I've asked E to write his own review on the movie and I will post this as a comparison to mine (I'm sure his will contain an overuse of the word 'RAD' - just saying).

Check out the link to Amazon at the bottom of the page if you want to get your hands on a copy - I promise you'll be just as hooked as I am. Just a hint, the second book is even better than the first and you CANNOT imagine how much I'm anticipating that movie!

Random act of kindness:
There's been a few today and all centre around E. I just love to surprise and delight him because he gets so excited and it's just infectious. We went browsing through Toyworld and of course Ninjago was the hot topic of the day (for the uninitiated, see my post I don't speak boy). Some of the spinners, whatever they are, were on sale for half price so I let E get one. We had to toss a coin as he couldn't decide between two, and don't ask me what they were due to the language difficulties experienced when speaking Ninjago (all I hear is blah blah blah). Crazy how a $9 item can make you feel like the best mum in the world. I followed this up with his favourite breakfast and then The Hunger Games tonight, so all in all, my son has gone to sleep with the biggest smile on his face and his parting words of 'this was the best day ever'. Job done.

Meditation:
I am either getting better or worse at this, I always fall asleep during the process but am sleeping so well lately that I'm clearly very relaxed. And despite the millions of things running through my head of all the things I have to do (two weeks...eek!) and the copious quantities of caffeine I consume right before bed, it doesn't seem to stop me from dozing off really quickly. So despite the niggling feeling that I'm doing it all wrong, I'm pretty cool with it all.

Please let me know what you thought of The Hunger Games! I am pretty damn obsessed with this series and despite having read the trilogy three times now am already itching for a fourth go-around. I can't decide if I'm on Team Peeta or Team Gale. Obviously Gale is Thor's bro, and seriously hot, but then again he's dating Miley Cyrus so there's your downside right there. Peeta on the other hand is kinda dorky but so sweet without being sickly that he's kinda winning me over too. Torn.

Twilight who?

Would love to hear your thoughts on the books, how they compare to the movie, did you love, hate or meh?

xx

Date Night - The Hunger Games

Currently.

I wrote a 'currently' post recently and really loved writing it. I got the idea from Danielle Hampton's Sometimes Sweet and thought after everything that has happened, it was great timing to reflect and write another.

Reading: The 19th Element by John L Becker. I've mentioned before the brilliant Amazon Top 100 free titles list that I stumbled onto. I am trying to save money for what is proving to be an expensive move so this list is a complete godsend. I've read quite a few 'freebies' and make it a point to regularly check back for new titles so there's always something in the queue. I'm reading-obsessed and get an awful feeling if I don't have something new on hand to sink my teeth into. And some of these books are great! Because they're free, I download them no matter what genre (except for cookbooks, overtly Christian titles or those aimed at 5 year olds - anything else is fair game). The best part about this is that I get to read things I would never usually pick up or buy. And some of them are fantastic.

The 19th Element is much heavier fare than I would usually choose, centred around an ex-government spy who makes a connection between certain events to detect a nuclear terrorist threat. I'm surprised that I've been riveted by it, it's well written and the storyline is pretty gripping. I'm about 85% of the way through so just at the really exciting part where I can't quite tell how it's going to end.

Thinking about: my immiment move. I've been working on my Toowoomba Project book and have ticked off a couple more items and started a wishlist which contains some realistic items and some not-so-realistic ones! I've come to believe that you have to get out there and create your ideal life and I am going to be embracing a lot of change once I move 'up the mountain'. Thoroughly excited - stay tuned.

Loving: E's and my 'his and hers' haircuts we got this morning. We're on a strict budget and I can no longer afford my expensive hairdresser but luckily have discovered a great girl at a local cheapie place who did our hair this morning. It's no frills but the cuts seem decent and the price is right - so it's a good win. I've had quite a bit of length taken off and it feels weird to run my fingers through. I keep forgetting it's the length I usually wear it - it's just grown so quickly lately. Love that feeling of freshly washed hair, too, it smells delicious.

Eating: I took E out for breakfast this morning at 'our place' at Chermside Shopping Centre. We haven't been there in a while but with only two weeks left in Brisbane I thought it only fitting to give it a 'last meal' as residents of Brisbane. It's lovely to have a place where the girl at the counter sings out 'the usual?' as we walk up (the 'usual' being their heavenly thick toast, hash browns and cappuccino for me, hot chocolate with marshmallows for E). I am taking special note to really take notice of and enjoy these 'lasts' we're experiencing.

Watching: The Vampire Diaries. I'm way too old for this show but Ian Somerhalder, seriously? How could I not? I love that it's like a mini-movie in each episode, there is no 'filler' time and there's at least 2 dramatic 'game-changing' events per episode. I love it.

Anticipating: a visit from my dad and stepmother on Monday. They're in town for a few days and since their move to Tenterfield I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like. They run a motel so time off together is really rare. One of the wonderful things about moving to Toowoomba is that I will only be 1.5 hours away from them, makes a visit that much more manageable. I am so close to my dad and the relationship he shares with E, his oldest grandson, is something that almost brings tears to my eyes. My son is my father's 'mini-me', they are so alike in looks and mannerisms that it's quite eerie. And his grandma of course spoils him rotten as only a grandma can. Grandma is famous for her 'jellybean jar', a huge, foot-high glass jar of beans that gets raided constantly throughout visits and huge handfuls taken for the ride home. Sugar overload much?

Enjoying: the most glorious Brisbane autumn day. It's about 25 degrees, hardly a cloud in the sky and so beautiful. After a hectic morning, I've spent the afternoon sitting on my balcony soaking up some vitamin D and reading my kindle. It's cool out but the sun is gorgeous. Once I move to a house I'll have to mow lawns and do things on weekends so taking advantage of this restful time, the lull before the storm, if you will. Fingers crossed this weather continues throughout the long weekend, it is lovely to have 2 more days to look forward to.

So what are you plans this weekend? Hope you're having as lovely day as I am. I would love to read about what you're up to. Meanwhile you can laugh or cry at our before and after hair shots below!

xx