It’s nice to kick arse even when you don’t feel like you are

Jeanette from The Real Jenty mentioned me in her post about kicking arse. I was super honoured that she chosen me to do this little bit of comic relief from my not so comic hectic life at the moment. So here goes….

What are you working on right now? I’m still at work so working on finishing the design of the new brochure for the club. Not a designer but I think I’ve done a pretty good job if I may say so myself. Its clean and sophisticated and paints a beautiful picture of the environment we work in…who wouldn’t want to be a member here!

Where did the idea for AbdoAntics come from? I’ve always kept in touch with my family who live all over the world via a newsletter. When I was still a Wynne (maiden name) it was called Wynne’s Wind up (done on word with very low res digital pictures ) Then I got married and it became AbdoAntics. It was on a website originally but I found it laborious to maintain. Then I met the lovely Jenty who was knowledge supreme on most things digital and she literally changed my life by introducing me to blogging!!! Ironically I don’t have many family members that read my blog but I love the world its introduced me to. Blogging makes me feel a little less lonely in this thing we call parenthood, motherhood and Life

How do you bring ideas to life? Just do it. I generally don’t process things too much, otherwise I overthink it. Generally I feel that your gut is what should lead you and then you can’t go wrong.
What’s one trend that really excites you? I love watching the growth as which social spaces are growing. It does however scare me a little at the same time……I wonder if we aren’t getting to big and brainy too quickly for this world?!?!? (Too big a topic to talk about here :))

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it? I worked for Sally Lunn’s bunn in Windsor, London as a waitress. Except it wasn’t just waitressing but cleaning the toilets and mopping floors as well. I’ll never forget I was about to leave my shift one night, when the dishwasher in the kitchen flooded the floor and I was told to stay behind and mop it up. I’ll never forget I made £7 that day in tips and I left the restaurant crying when straight to the nearest payphone and called home to my friend Susan Barbour and all I did was cry for the whole £7. I learnt 3 things. 1. Sometimes a good cry is all you need to gain perspective. 2. Suck it up 3. If you can’t suck it up, change your situation (I moved to the “Crooked House restaurant” a few days later :))

If you were to start again, what would you do differently? As much as I love my music I think I did the right thing doing a Bcomm Marketing. So I do believe I wouldn’t change anything….i do feel I’m exactly where I’m supposed to….maybe graphic design angle would’ve been cool. I love design….

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it? I’d eradicate poverty……NO ONE and I mean no one , no matter what type of person you are deserves to go to bed hungry and without a roof over their head. Wouldn’t know where to start….

Tell us a secret. It wouldn’t be a secret then would it  Still haven’t found the line between what I post here or not….suppose it doesn’t then make me completely authentic but I just don’t feel that absolutely EVERYTHING about your life should be shared on a public space?!? Eish that question got serious quickly 

What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them? Mobile banking. Love it!!! HATE bank Q’s. Love online shops. I don’t do a helluva lot of online shopping but I do do a lot of “window shopping” and price research before buying. Facebook – I still love seeing the goings on of people lives….

What is the one book that you recommend people should read and why? Chasing daylight – Eugene O Kelly. Bring your tissues. What an amazing perspective on life though.

Three people we should follow on Twitter and why? @RichSimmonds – I love his quotes. Gives me a lot to think about….and that it! Oh wow I really need to start following more interesting peeps  Haven’t been very big on Twitter since I move to sleepy hollow 🙂

When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it? It was more than likely ginger related. He is at such a cute age (2 going on 20) and comes up with some pearlers. I often say to Rich that I wish I had a camera lense or video camera strapped to my eye so I could just take all of his wonderment in. It’s such a privilege to be able to watch a little person grow up.

Who is your hero? Am I allowed a combo? Well it’s my blog so I guess the answer is yes 🙂 !! I would have to say my folks. Between the two of them I can pretty much get any advice I need. It’s not always right, nor is it always followed but it’s always there and offered with a healthy dose of unconditional love!

Bloggers who you would like to take part?
Lisa Jo Baker – She has no idea who I am but was one of the first blogs I followed….fellow Safa and a mom who I think totally rocks and kick arse!! Her posts have gotten me through rough moments
Nina – I love her perspective. Another mommy that always gives me a lift when I feel like I’m sinking.

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Instant Gratification…I don’t do well without it

So I wrote this post and then realised how pathetic I am that I was actually able to write a whole post about this …..so I was going to delete it but thought, why not…its my blog and I’ll blog if I want to!! 🙂

Hi, I’m Lauren and I an instant gratification addict!

Seriously people it’s a real problem. I’m the type of person that buys biltong  from the store and just HAS TOO open the packet for a little taste, or when we buy Macdonalds I steal a chip before we’re even out of the drive thru!

So its killing me people that I can’t get an appointment to cut my hair until NEXT WEEK WEDNESDAY!

That’s 7 days!

You see I have been having a little crisis in my life over me and feeling yuk about myself and part of that has been my hair.

1. I am on a serious diet (yes I know my 50th this year!) but I just figured I have GOT to lose the last 5kgs I’ve been talking about for like two years now! Plus I live in a coastal town and over weekends , coastal people live on the beach. Problem is I can’t cover my bad bits because I have a super active ginger and so I have to be IN the water watching him and not lying on the beach suntanning …stationery so that my bad bits don’t wobble. So I gotta get me some skinny bit before Christmas!

2. Then there’s the hair drama. I have cut a fringe 5 times in 5 years, this being my 5th. I have been growing my fringe out since December and finally it was tie-upable. But I have a big forehead and I really do like a fringe. Sooooo two weeks ago I cut a short one and loved it for about a week! We’re entering windy windy time here at the coast and a result my beautiful coiffed fringe gets blown in every direction and I end up pinning it back. And as for my locks they get tied up in a pony. So my haircut has not been a success and I’m feeling yuk about my hair.

So I’ve decided to cut if all off for the summer but can only get an appointment for next Wednesday and let me tell you it’s totally messing with my head!

• I’m now having doubts and I NEVER have doubts about stuff when I make a decision.
• Its making me miss my long hair (that’s not even gone yet) and I’m play with it all the time.
• It’s all I can think about (how sad has my life become)
• I’m realising how bad I am with my patience levels
• I’m questioning… do I take it as a sign that I can’t get an appointment till next week and keep my locks……
• I’m also realising that this instant gratification thing is totally genetic because Daniel is the same (or is that I’m teaching him the errors of my ways and turning him into a mini me…eek??!?)

Ok so because I have time on my hands (YES A WHOLE FRIKKING WEEK, just in case you’d forgotten 🙂 ) lets get a pole out.

Yes or no to the cut?

This is the way I wanna go – Gywneth Paltrow in the movie Sliding doors.

This was me in 2010……

   

 

Too good not to talk about

This is not a sponsored post I just love a bargain when I get one 🙂 And I love to share a bargain especially when it works as well at these three products.

There are few things in this life that irk me:
1. I do not love that when I’ve found the product of my dreams and they discontinue it!
Problem is it happens to me lots cos I’m not a big make up person. I’m the liner, mascara, blush type of gal (they call me a classic natural 🙂 )
2. Another thing that irks me is when I, against my better judgement, try a new product and think , let me NOT go cheap and nasty and rather try a more expensive product and its HORRID and I end up throwing it!

MASCARA:
I’ve had a few episodes like this recently with Mascara’s…..but my last purchase was a Yardley and I loved it. Problem was after 6 months (yes I know I didn’t throw it away after 3 months , shock- shock- horror- horror, can you IMAGINE the bacteria!) I decided I really needed to get another one…..guess what I encountered??? My first irk (see above)

So now what. I’m standing in front of the Yardley counter and I think do I try another brand or do I wing it and try another Yardley product? Enter Bargain gene….yay it’s on special and was R20 bucks off. So I picked another Yardley (the Luxurious lush) up and yay me I made the right choice!!

Two reasons:
1. Its separates the lashes really well
2. You don’t have to put on layer after layer. Quite frankly I just don’t have the time!

LIQUID LINER:
My next buy, also due to it being time to chuck, was a liquid liner. Now here’s the thing. I’m desperate to do my permanent liner, for the simple reason I don’t have the time or energy to stuff around with makeup. I still like to wear it tho, because I don’t think I’m the kind of naturally pretty girl who can wing it without makeup, so I like the little help it gives 🙂 BUT I really like a liner that is THIN hence the reason I use liquid liner and I’m a little scared I’m going to end up with permanent liner that is thick.

I was finding however that my last liner was hard to manage and also some days if I had a wobbly hand I’d end up looking like I was heading off to a goth party so this time I really wanted to get a liner that would help me create a thin line!

Enter my new find and friend, the LA girl fine line. What a beaut! It’s in a pen format so it works just like normal eyeliner and not awkward to hold like these other ones I’ve used before.
Best part is it leaves a dark but THIN line without much effort and lasts all day so I actually look half decent still at 5pm 

Next mission is to find a pink/nude lipstick I can apply on the run, no lipliner and all that time wasting but one that doesn’t wash me out and make me look like I’m on my way to the morgue. If you think my purchase fails on the mascara front are bad I’m on like my 5th bad pink lipstick purchase.

FACE CARE: (sorry for my overseas readers this is a SA product 😦 )
Last win has been my face care. I would LOVE to be able to afford Dermalogica or the like but the truth is I have a kid and other financial responsibilities. I’ve always looked after my skin and can proudly say that even in my complete rat faced state at my bachelorette party I still washed my make up off before I passed out 🙂 I have for many years used Garnier because I felt their products were reasonably priced but good. Recently my sister told me about a product range that her Dermatologist Dr Nel has designed and my ears pricked up , cos he’s a Derm so surely the guy knows a thing or two about skin?!?! Ok so maybe my initial reason for purchase wasn’t that sound, but I was reaching the end on all my products and so I went out and bought his range of stuff: Gel Cleanser, Toner, Day and night cream. Its comes in various ranges….for the young ,middle ages, oldies 🙂 I’m using the Vita Balance range for Normal/Combination skin.

All I can say is WOW. I’m so thrilled with the product and (Q Bargain hunting gene:) ) it’s REALLY really reasonable!! I think I paid R260 for the entire lot! Oh and one last thing is it lasts! I have just replaced the gel cleanser after 3 months and I still have half a bottle of toner and day cream left and 2/3 of the night cream. I bought mine at Dischem but i think you can also find it in Clicks.

So there you have it. If you’re running out of the above products I can highly recommend these. Glad I could be of assistance 😉

The ginger turns 1!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today my baby turns 1. ONE, how the hell did that just happen?

As I look back on the year and can only but exclaim EISH!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been the hardest year of my life! It has been the most incredible leveller, where I have realised that this little ‘A’ type is no longer in control.

• It has been a sleep deprived whirlwind!
• I’ve lost hours of sleep
• I’ve self-doubted myself
• I worried about whether he’d crawl
• If his poop was the right colour
• Is he is eating enough
• I cried buckets of tears

 But in return I look back at what I’ve gained……

• I was the first one to see him smile
• I was the first one to experience him eat his first solids
• I watched him roll over for the first time
• I heard him giggle, that I could but only join in
• I saw him sit on his own for the first time
• I saw him crawl
• I heard him say Dad-dee and saw Daddy Abs melt into a puddle
• I’ve watched him look at the birds and point at the sky in amazement.
• I watch on as he looks as everything with such awe and sees the beauty in everything
• I watched as he figured out how to work a toy, learn where its buttons are.

And that’s just in the first year.

 It’s been the both the hardest and best year of my life.

I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. He is truly the best thing I have EVER done in my life and I’ve loved this rollercoaster ride called motherhood, it is truly the most awesome God given blessing.

 

Reheating Rice….Seriously what am I gonna do now!

OK, so a colleague told me a few weeks back that reheating rice is seriously dangerous.

Now as long as I can remember my mom always did rice in bulk, froze it in glad bags so that we had easy to reheat bag to accompany her yummy lamb stew. So naturally I’ve followed suite.

So I banked this info, for a few weeks until I needed to make rice for  lunch today and as old habits die hard I made it in bulk (to freeze like my momma of course!) So there I was left with loads of rice and not sure what to do with it. Normally I really wouldn’t have worried about it, about thing change when you have kids and now that the Ginger is around I take thinks like serious food poisoning seriously. So I turned to my trusty friend G. Oogle and this is what i found out.

So long story short, in case you don’t have time to read the article is that its safe to cook in bulk but you need to cool it down and freeze straight away. And only ever reheat once.

Shew I must say I’m relieved, would’ve changed how i do things in the kitchen a bit!