kick start your day with LEMON WATER

4 pieces of advice for mental health

4 pieces of advice for mental health I have learnt to consider over time.

How to create a positive body image

In a world bombarded by unrealistic beauty standards and social pressures cultivating a positive body image is almost impossible. I am in my mid fifties and it has taken me this long to realise and embrace my healthy self just as I am. This is hard for everyone, I know and understand and all I want and wish for is for others to realise that everyone is beautiful just they way they are. Having a positive body image is an empowering act from of self love and acceptance. when you believe in yourself, just the way you re you radiate to the world around you. 

6 TIPS TO LOOK BETTER WHEN YOU HAVE OVER DONE IT

Did you party a little too hard? Waking up after drinking and partying into the early hours of the morning can leave you see in the New Year or any other time, feeling a little blah. 

5 GLAMOROUS WAYS TO SPEND TIME ALONE

Over the last few days I have had the evening to myself and Saturday evening was no exception. Both daughters were out at a their god sister's halloween party. Which got me thinking on how to make the evening a little special for me. I have also had time over the weekend just gone when the girls had concerts to attend. I do really enjoy alone time and I gather it will be more frequent as they get older. My youngest has said to me that she wants to say yes to doing more things before the HSC next year.

ONE - Enjoy a glass of wine with some cheese and crackers. Nothing better than to enjoy a glass of your favourite wine while enjoying a loved cheese with crackers or toasted pita bread.

TWO - Pamper yourself with a soak in the bath filled with bubbles while lying back with a face mask by candlelight.

THREE - Watch Sex and the City re-runs or have a movie marathon with Sex and the City 1 + 2. My favourite girly way to relax and unwind while waiting for the girls to get home.

FOUR - Sit in a favourite place in your home with your favourite magazines and beverage of your choice.

FIVE - Take yourself out to your favourite restaurant, sit back and take in the ambience while enjoying a tasty meal and a glass of champagne.


How do you like to spend your time when alone?

image - my own - Manly Beach

Vicki x

notes from the week

Today's belated notes from the week come while enjoying a homemade berry smoothie. Recipe to be shared later. Smoothies are all the trend lately and I have to say that I embark on this often, especially the home made version as you can add and omit all that you like.

This week has been easy, to end on a relaxing afternoon at home alone. Miss B is at the Hordern Pavillion as I am writing this waiting for British pop band The Vamps with a cousin. They have been there since the early hours of this morning to grab the best vantage point in the pavillion when the doors open in a few hours. 

NEW HAIRSTYLE for 2015

Yesterday I asked for opinions, as to a new haristyle for me. I have been thinking about cutting my hair shorter for the last few months. So I asked on my social media platforms facebook and instagram, showcasing this gorgeous pic of Michelle from A Minute Away from Snowing.

choose YOURSELF + FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

No one knows our dreams better than we do. It may take time to solidify exactly what we want as we are learning from failed attempts and misdirection, it can be hard to get it all right in the first instance. We do not all get it right on the first attempt because there is always something new to learn for us to improve on in all aspects of our lives. Whether it be how we live our lives, style ourselves, our career and life in general there is generally something to improve on. 

Then the question may arise that if we choose ourselves, we can be considered selfish, we all need to make ourselves happy before we can make anyone else happy, don't you think? So if we choose ourselves we are choosing to capitalise on our talents which will hopefully benefit those around us. What is wrong with choosing ourselves to make others happy. Our own talents can benefit those around us, similar to blogging we all aim to help our readers in some way, well I do hope that I can. Trying to improve and help others think differently to the way they do already open their eye to other avenues an way of thinking. It is a big world out there and we all have something to offer.

Sometimes people thin that choosing ourselves is selfish but in a realistic lifestyle not choosing to follow our own desires and passions can actually promote more selfish desires by bowing down to the desires of others we can tend to fill the void with instant fixes that are not long lasting. 

Take a moment today and ask yourself, are you choosing you? If you are, continue to do so and support others to do the same. If you are still thinking about it then look to those that will support you no matter what path you take.

As a mother I do tend to put my daughters need before my own, which is what we do. But if we choose to find time for ourselves we are putting our best self forward and I believe we are better people as we have something of our own to be passionate about. We are able to give our best to be the best version of ourselves we can be and we then in turn are better people for ourselves and those around us.  

Image : Self Magazine | Linking in with Jess @ Essentially Jess

10 ways to CHOOSE HAPPINESS

Every minute you are angry or irritated, you lose 60 seconds of happiness. 

If others don’t like it, then let them be. Life isn’t about pleasing everybody. If you have the courage to admit when you’re scared, the ability to laugh even as you cry, the nerve to speak up, even if your voice is shaking, the confidence to ask for help when you need it, and the wisdom to take it when it’s offered, then you have everything you need to get yourself to a happier state of mind. Begin today by taking responsibility for your own contentment. 

10 ways to choose happiness: 

1. Choose to be the best YOU can be. 

Give it your all in everything you do, commit to your goals, and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Never try to be better than anyone else, but never stop trying to be the best you can be. If you feel called to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to an earlier version of yourself. 

2. Choose to be around the right people. 

Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and likeminded. Relationships should help you, not hurt you. Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be. Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. When you free yourself from negative people, you free yourself to be YOU – and being YOU is the only way to truly live. 

3. Choose to focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t. When you appreciate what you have, what you have appreciates in value. Being grateful for the goodness that is already evident in your life will bring you a deeper sense of happiness. And that’s without having to go out and buy or acquire anything new. It makes sense. You will have a hard time ever being happy if you aren’t thankful for what you already have. 

4. Choose a good attitude.

What often screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be. And the reason so many of us give up is because we tend to look at how far we still have to go, instead of how far we have come. Remember, life is a journey, not a destination. This moment, like every moment, is a priceless gift and an opportunity. Be positive, smile, and make it count. Pretend today is going to be great. Do so, and it will be. Research shows that although we think that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. A great attitude always leads to great experiences. 

5. Choose to smile more often. 

A smile is a choice, not a miracle. Don’t wait for people to smile. Show them how. A genuine smile makes you and everyone around you feel better. The simple act of smiling sends a message to your brain that you’re happy. And when you’re happy, your body pumps out all kinds of feel-good endorphins. This reaction has been studied since the 1980’s and has been proven a number of times. Bottom line: Smiling actually makes you happier. 

6. Choose to take care of your body. 

Taking care of your body is crucial to being the happiest person you can be. If you don’t have your physical energy in good shape, then your mental energy (your focus), your emotional energy (your feelings), and your spiritual energy (your purpose) will all be negatively affected. Recent studies conducted on people who were clinically depressed showed that consistent exercise significantly raises happiness levels in the near-term. Not only that, six months later, the people who had continued to exercise were less likely to relapse into depression because they had a higher sense of self-accomplishment and self-worth. 

7. Choose honesty. 

Start being honest with yourself and everyone else. Don’t cheat. Be faithful. Be kind. Do the right thing! It is a less complicated way to live. Integrity is the essence of everything successful. When you break the rules of integrity you invite serious complications into your life. Keep life simple and enjoyable by doing what you know in your heart is right. Don’t get involved with drama that doesn’t affect you. 

8. Choose to help others when you’re able. 

Care about people. In life, you get what you put in. When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life. Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less. 

9. Choose to let go when you know you should. 

Sometimes you have to be strong for yourself. Love is worth fighting for, but you can’t be the only one fighting. People need to fight for you too. If they don’t, you eventually have to move on and realise that what you gave them was more than they were willing to give you. Some relationships and situations just can’t be fixed. If you try to force them back together, things will only get worse. Holding on is being brave, but letting go and moving on is often what makes us stronger and happier. 

10. Choose to embrace the next step in your life. 

You can hold on to the past, or you can create your own happiness today. Never let success get to your head and never let failure get to your heart. Every day is a new beginning and a new ending. Embrace it, make the best of it, smile, and keep looking straight ahead. And don’t forget, a smile doesn’t always mean a person is happy right now; sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems going forward. 

Remember to never let someone’s opinion become your reality. Never sacrifice who you are because someone else has a problem with it. Love who you are inside and out. No one else has the power to make you feel small unless you give them that power. You are the only one who can create your happiness. 

The choice is yours. CHOOSE HAPPINESS!  

- Mark and Angel Hack Life | Linking in with IBOT

confession time | why I am missing PROBLOGGER

I actually purchased a ticket for this most exciting event. I was excited and really looking forward to the event. I have to say that I am kicking myself that I sold my ticket, but you know what I had to. This is my favourite time of year. I celebrate both my daughters birthdays within in 10 days of each other. The main reason though, besides a little anxiety, why I pulled out is that my step daughter had heart surgery a week ago and I needed to be here if she needed me, but all be it she is going fantastic.

My step daughter, has a heart condition which we new nothing about until 6 weeks after the birth of her little man Master H. It was Christmas night back in 2008 we were on our way back from family celebrations to receive a phone call from her husband saying that Miss K had collapsed and passed out. Lucky we were just around the corner, as they lived close. We all rushed to see Miss K all slumped on the floor with Mr H doing CPR. I quickly turned around to usher my daughters out, who were 13 and 10 at the time, as I did not want them to see their sister in that condition.

The ambulance were on their way to which seemed like a life time. They finally arrived and continued CPR on Miss K all the way to the hospital and they asked all the normal questions about drugs, alcohol, epilepsy and so forth. Miss K was sent home the next day only to relapse again on Boxing Day. CPR was administered again and Miss K was placed in an induced coma while they worked out what was going on. 

It all turned out it was Kim's heart and that she had Long QT syndrome. Long Qt is a cause of sudden death in children and young adults. The cause is an electrical fault of the heart, which causes the heart to beat too fast. You can read more about Long QT here.

Miss K was in hospital for two weeks after having an ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) fitted.  A small battery-powered electrical impulse generator that is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death. 

After Miss K was home and recovery we as a family had to have genetic testing to see where the condition was coming from. It was discovered that it was from Miss K's mothers side. Miss K's brother has the same genetic gene and is doing well. Her younger sister does not have the gene. Master H was then tested and found that he also had this heart condition. A year later Master H had is own ICD fitted and has not looked back. 

Miss K has had a few episodes with treatment and medication to even passing out in her sleep, thank goodness for the ICD to bring her back. We are so lucky and blessed the Miss K is still with us and survived having no damage to the brain after having no oxygen to the brain for long periods of time.

Last Thursday Miss K was back in hospital getting a new ICD fitted to replace the one she received back in 2008 and she is doing really well with her new device and new medication.

Master H will have the same surgery in the next year or so.

I have shared this to raise awareness for this silent yet deadly condition as it is really close to my heart and I want to raise awareness and hop that others can be saved. ( recently in our local school community, a 15 year old died as he had the same genetic disorder, only no one new about it).

Thank you for your time and please share or make others aware. V x

linking in with My Home Truths