This is your brain on drugs...

First of all I jut wanted to apologise for my lack of posting over the weekend.  Busy lady I am what with a newborn and hosting dinner for 10 people.  I think you can give me a little leeway :P

Right, back into it.

 

Day 3: Your views on drugs and alcohol.

I was never one of these teenagers that got completely off their face every weekend.  That's not to say that I never have had a bender or that I didn't have friends during my teenage years that did... I just thought there was more to things than having a 'great' weekend only to forget it when I woke up the following morning.

I had plenty of friends who thought the only way to have a fun time at parties or even just hanging out on the weekend was to drink and a small handful who thought this way about taking drugs. 

Being a teenager I followed this trend.  Clearly I would not be liked if I didn't drink.  And there were a few times where I needed to be carried to my sleeping destination (Mr. Man will remember one such occurrence quite clearly).  When I got my license I had a bit of an out and would often offer to be the sober driver - which was always amusing, slurred conversations home and wot not.

I can honestly say that drug taking is something I've had little experience with and that I've never really liked drugs at all.  I don't get them.  And what I mean by that is I find it difficult to understand why people need to take them.  I smoked cigarettes throughout my teenage years in what I would describe as a "social" fashion. Smoking also goes hand in hand with drinking as it's something I did when I was younger, so I often feel like I need to smoke when I'm out on the town, drinking or not, for something to do! Luckily I don't get out on the town very much, so I'm now a non-smoker. I do still feel like I need one when I can't cope (which isn't often).  I think the last time I had one because of this was when my dad was really ill. 

Because I enjoy money (Lol) I also didn't like drinking at pubs and clubs. At $7 a pop, three drinks was enough for me a night, especially when I was a student and income was close to nil. This meant that I got pretty flat around 12 or 1am when all of my friends were just getting going.  Enter Party Pills.  A legal high. Now I said before I don't really understand drug taking, and I really don't, but the ones I can somewhat understand people taking are ones that keep you awake.  This is how I got through my clubbing years.  Legal party pills that would keep me awake all night.  I was able to dance for hours and hours and this I liked.

Once I hit 21 I didn't really like that scene anymore and having met Mr. Man I had settled down a bit.  

PHEW! Man I go on!

So, in my round-about way (now I've given you a bit of background) here's what I think about drugs and alcohol;

I don't think people should take drugs unless they are ill or in pain.  Illegal drugs are stupid. They muck with your health - both present and ongoing - and I think that if you 'need to go to another place' there are better ways to do it.  If you don't like your life and you need an 'escape', it'd be better that you worked on making your life a more positive experience rather than just running from it with drug use.

Alcohol is fine as long as you're not getting mashed every day or every weekend and that you are a happy drunk, not a mean one.

I personally don't take any illegal drugs obviously.  Nurofen is about as hard as I get on the legal front (offer me an epidural during child birth and I am in there, lol).  I don't drink very often either.  I sometimes wish I was one of these classy women who know a lot about wine, but alas, I'm not.  Just a lemon, lime and vodka on a very rare occasion and I'm a happy camper.

Things I'm loving...

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.

1. The cute wall friezes I got from the plunket nurse.  In true teacher fashion I cut and laminated them before I put them up.

2.  Loving the way we amuse ourselves in this house.

3. Loving our new canvas and that it was me that took the shot :D

4.  Loving this smile.

5. And loving the relationship between two of my most favourite people.  Yes, Jake is a person... just a hairy one.

A little rest :)

Having a rest from my 30 day challenge today - next installment on Saturday as tomorrow is 'Things I'm loving' Friday :).

I thought I'd take this time to write about something I'm getting really excited about.

When I was reading through my RSS feeds of my favourite blogs the other day I came across this from Jazzyboo. What a great idea.  I've been compiling my list the last few nights and will be ready to reveal it around next week sometime (maybe Thursday next week?) but, just like Jazzyboo I'll be doing it from birthday to birthday, starting in January.

What a great opportunity to do some things I've always wanted to do including a tonne of feel good things.  Very excited!

"When I look into the future, it's so bright it burns my eyes"-Opera Winfrey

Day 2: Where I'd like to be in 10 years.

In 10 years I will be nearly 36. I always hate this question in job interviews because I know I want more out of my career and life but I sort of play things by ear.  It's served me well so far.  I have a general idea of where I'm heading but no specifics really.  So this is a curly one.  Bear with me.

I felt like it called for a list (:

1) Mr. Man and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary. Tin is the traditional anniversary gift material for 10 years so I guess I'll be getting a rusty old car that he will zhuzh at some point (probably closer to our 20th anniversary than our 10th). He's a charmer that husband of mine.

2) Little Miss will be 10 and she will have 2 little siblings.  One of them will be about 7 and the other about 3 or 4. 

3) Jake WILL still be around and will have a little brother Rottweiler to pass all his sock stealing wisdom onto.

4)  We will still be living in Auckland but hopefully somewhere a little more rural with a teeny bit of land - perhaps an acre?

5) My career will go one of a few ways (haven't decided which yet).

 (5i) I'll be working in a school in management.  I always said I never wanted to go any further in school management than a team leader but the idea is slowly growing on me - perhaps because of how well I see the management unit working at my current school.

(5ii) I'll be working as an ICT facilitator in a variety of schools for Team Solutions of something of the like.

(5iii) I'll be working in and own an early childhood centre.

Whichever one of those will depend on a multitude of things - mostly the family situation and when we'll have the kiddies.  Who knows - I'll probably still be a happy classroom teacher 10 years from now, I could happily do it forever :).

6) My blog will be a total success and I will be able to update it on my iPad Gen57 by just thinking my post.

Lol xox

"I hope you don't mind that I put down in words...how wonderful life is now you're in my world."

Day One: You current relationship.

I wrote about how Mr. Man and I met here, and that is a cute little yarn,  but I'll take any chance I get to talk about the man I'm spending my life with <3

!!!Cliche' alert!!! 
Lol

I married my best friend 10 months ago and we just had our first baby last month.  We've been together for 5 years and I could probably count on one hand the amount of serious fights we've had. We just fit and I think others looking in see this when they see us together.

Back in 2006 I had just completed my Bachelor of Education and started teaching at a great little school in Otara, Auckland. One month into my teaching career I met the love of my life and we had a cute little date at a local cafe. That's all it took - he had me.  And I'm pretty sure I'd worked enough of my fantastic charms on him too.

Since then we've pretty much been inseparable. A few months into it he moved into my parents' house with me.  My parents loved him.  So much so in fact, a few months before my father died he sat me down for a "little talk" on how he would like things to go - I was to "marry that boy". We bought our first house about a year later and moved in on the 7th day of the 7th month 2007.

Since that day we've been through a few work places, a few celebratory parties and a few flatmates! We got engaged in May of 2009 which was just a small affair at our house, sitting in front of the TV - very low key, very us. As was our wedding in January of this year - surrounded by a few family and friends in the beautiful Bombay Hills, south of Auckland.

Having lived together for 4 years now you would expect us to be in somewhat of a rut...and yes things have become what I would refer to as 'routine'.  I think a lot of people see this as a bad this for some reason (?), whereas I quite like it.  We just exist together and I couldn't be happier. He sees when I need him and I (hope I) do the same for him - whether it be a cuddle, a listening ear or a hand cooking the sausages (I suck at it!).  We know what makes each other tick, smile, laugh, grumpy, excited and we always try to make the other happy.

I read somewhere that 'Happiness is when you marry your best friend' and I've done that. Lucky me!
I have my girl friends and they're great but no one truly knows me like he does.  I can be completely myself with him and that makes me feel safe. He is my rock.  I wouldn't be where I am today without him and I cringe to think what I would do without him - hopefully I'll never know.

I love how I don't have to work hard at my relationship, or... it doesn't feel like hard work. I enjoy doing little things to make him smile.  Making a batch of muffins, letting him sleep in on the weekend (and removing the noisy dog and child from the room so he's able to do so), making him breakfast in bed.  I don't see that as working hard  because they're things I just want to do.  It makes me feel good making him happy. Win win!

So all in all, in regards to my current relationship - I am thrilled!  What more could I ask for? Because of that I'm thrilled with how my life is turning out in general.  I can be positive about the past, the now and the future, I can dream about what great things we have coming up and I can be content in the now. I hope we're one of those couples people look at and think, "Wow, they just have it.  They've found that love thing"...

...because we have.

Yet another Challenge!

I am going to be starting this tomorrow. 

I hadn't seen it anywhere before and came across it on pinterest.com a few days back.  I love a good writing prompt as I'm fairly idea anemic. Now with a 7 week old baby in the house I might not be able to write on consecutive days as I'm wanting to make sure I don't just do a rush job, but it will definitely be my aim to get one up  a day.

Wish me luck!

Silent Sunday

Day 19: Something Orange

Things I'm loving...

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.

1.  Loving this little lady and my special man. No reason really in particular.  Little Miss is a smiling fool now.  She's been able to smile since Week 2 (real ones, not just windy grins...promise!) but now you can really get her going accompanied by goos and gaas - ADORABLE.  Mr. Man is very helpful with housework and bubba also - could not ask for a better husband. <3

2.  Loving that I can keep a plant alive! *Touch wood*

3.  Not sure whether I should be encouraging the shops but, loving that I am this organised.

4. Love fresh fruit salad thanks to producepronto.co.nz :D

5. Love my new Well Child book cover.

6. Loving wonderfully thougthful family members. <3

Wordless Wednesday

Day 18: Your Shoes.
My new shoes :D

Silent Sunday

Day 17: Technology.
I think I single handedly paid for Steve Jobs' funeral..

Things I'm loving...

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.

Here is my week's list of wonderful things I'm loving...

I love still being able to do things that make me, me, after having baby.  Sometimes I'm able to do it because the beautiful baby sleeps like a dream.  And more recently, growth spurts and immunisations have meant that she's not as settled, my lovely husband helps to give me time to be me.  

Today, I did some baking.  Chocolate chip muffins with cream cheese filling :)

Loving my new book in which I list my to dos and all sorts of other lists I enjoy making - yes I'm an organisational FREAK.

I love continually being inspired by pinterest.com.  What an easy way to find the things I love on the internet and boost ideas automatically.  Here are 2 photos that were inspired from it as well as the snazzy button magnets in the next shot.

I went to warehouse stationary to buy a pinboard for next to the computer but instead bought these cute little magnetic boards - you can also write on them in whiteboard marker - cool!  Note the button magnets! I plan to buy two more so they are in a square formation :D

Wordless Wednesday

Day 16: Long Exposure

PRINTABLES!

As I've become more and more involved in the blogosphere and the pinterestosphere (you heard the phrase coined here first folks!) I find that many of the blogs I enjoy are self helpy type deals where people share tutorials or helpful printables.

Being a teacher I'm quite a dab hand at seeing a need and filling it with some form of paperwork (LOL) and I enjoy making what we call 'resources' to aid our teaching in different curriculum areas.
As a little aside.  If you are a teacher reading my blog and you would like to see some teaching resources I have shared with the big ol' wide world you can find some here at one of my websites :) One of the resources tabs will get you to what you're lookin' for.
Map that onto my personal life and the bits and pieces I've seen as I rove around the web and I'm one very motivated little chicken. So I thought I would delve into this myself.

Starting with two printables I whipped up this morning - weight loss printables to help me with my post baby weight loss.  I hope someone finds them helpful :)  Let me know what you think.

Weight Loss Tracker:

You can download it from google docs here.

1st Quarter Goals:

You can download it from google docs here.

Things I'm loving...

1) Nutella cookies!  I must say I was a little bit skeptical about these as they were so simple, but they're yum!  Got the recipe off pinterest of course!  Here is the link to the actual website here.

2) Having waited for bubba's birth I'm happy that I finally have some photos in this frame Mr. Man bought me for Xmas 2010.  Yay! It's Little Miss with her brother Jake, one with mummy and one with daddy <3

3) Loving having a great day with my Aunty Shreyl and Great Aunty Glen.  Leah got to have cuddles too :)

4) Loving reading old love letters from my grandfather to my nana and looking through old photos at Aunty Sheryl's place. On the back of a photo with my nana at 16 and two navy boys it reads "They were very nice boys, we only held hands. No kissing in those days".  Had a good chuckle at that.  

Also got to look at the baby books my nana kept for two of my Aunties.  Was amazing to see.  LOVE!

5) I had my engagement and wedding rings sized this week and got them back today.  Feel soooo much better about having them back on my finger where I know they are all the time and aren't afraid of them falling off a chain around my neck.