Archive of ‘General/Life’ category

50 Random Facts About Me

I have loved reading this tag all over the blogging and youtube community and after being tagged by Laura I couldn’t wait to do it myself. I was expecting to find this a struggle and it almost worries me how easy it was. Too easy. Oh well, hope you enjoy learning more than a few pointless facts about yours truly.

  1. I have two big obsessions (probably more but two is enough to disclose for now): tea and nail polish. it can be a little ridiculous actually.
  2. I’m a Pisces and live up to quite a lot of the typical traits.
  3. My favourite flowers are hydrangeas, forget-me nots and peonies.

    I love Hydrangeas so much that they were a big part of my wedding!

    I love Hydrangeas so much that they were a big part of my wedding!

  4. My favourite colour is periwinkle blue
  5. I’ve been a vegetarian since 1st Jan 2014 and have loved making the change.
  6. I would love to go vegan but I also love cheese. So for now, no deal.
  7. I’m not a morning person (but would love to be). Instead I stay up all night reading pointless things on the internet when I should be sleeping.
  8. I find doing dishes super relaxing but I really hate vacuuming (no one said these facts were going to be interesting).
  9. I have pretty bad asthma and have to take my inhaler where ever I go.
  10. I also have eczema and hayfever/allergies.
  11. You probably had no idea, but my favourite animals are foxes, followed very closely by cats.
  12. I love churches as well as other religious buildings and could spend my life wandering from one peaceful building to the next. Something about their history and their stories as well as the effort that goes into them, whether its the art or the architecture or just the overall sense of spirit.
  13. I really hate asparagus and asparagus rolls are my idea of hell on earth (I’m really sorry Nana).
  14. Baking is one of my favourite things to do but I take any cooking failures extremely personally so the whole thing can be a bit love-hate.
  15. For 3 years I lived in Sydney, Australia and was lucky enough to call Manly Beach home. It’s a beautiful place and I can’t wait to go back some time soon.

    Manly was one of those places almost too beautiful to ever appreciate properly. Image Credit

    Manly was one of those places almost too beautiful to ever appreciate properly. Image Credit

  16. I try to use contact lenses but ultimately I’m too lazy and cbf putting them in every morning. Also my nails make taking them out even worse then trying to force them on my eyeballs. Its a mission that I just don’t care enough to bother with.
  17. My parents divorced when I was one year old and I find it super weird to think of my mum and dad together.
  18. I have always wanted to write fiction and I really hope that one day I can motivate myself to do so.
  19. Coke over pepsi. Always.
  20. I am extremely clumsy and always have been. I would always come home looking like I had been in a fight but it was usually just a fight between me and the concrete floor (or a glass door).
  21. When I was a child I wanted to open up an animal shelter in my home and even had drawn out floor plans of how it would all work in a giant house I was somehow going to obtain. It was a little strange but the good intent was there.
  22. I’m a terrible gambler. Don’t take me to the casino because we will all end up regretting it.
  23. I make daily to-do lists to help my chaotic mind in order. It works, sometimes.
  24. My favourite holiday is Christmas and it makes me go a little crazy. Okay, a lot crazy. Bonus fact – my favourite Christmas movie is Elf.
  25. If I had to choose one makeup item to use forever it would be a lipstick. I love bold bright colours, but if I could only have one it would by Ruby Woo by MAC.
  26. My favourite ice cream flavour it orange chocolate chip. Hands down, for life. Summer in a cone.
  27. I have a terrible tendency to sign up to things for free trials and then end up signed up for life because I am too lazy to figure out how to terminate my subscriptions.
  28. I played the flute throughout Intermediate and High School but am now trying to learn the guitar. Its not going so great.
  29. My favourite family summer spot is Hot Water Beach on the coromandel (as well as nearby Hahei). Its our yearly family getaway and I couldn’t choose anywhere better.
  30. The first chapter book I ever read was Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox.
  31. I am yet another art history nerd and my favourite artist is J.M.W Turner (but there are so many who I love).

    Turner

    The Slave Ship by J.M.W Turner, and the first piece of his that I came across.

  32. I would love to work with kids, either as a teacher or psychologist.
  33. I have been married for two years and been with my husband since I was in 5th form (around 9 years ago).
  34. I’m allergic to seafood but the allergy only developed around 4 years ago (I didn’t even know that was possible).
  35. America’s next top model is my guilty pleasure and I have watched every single episode, sometimes twice. It’s not something I’m proud of.
  36. I have two fox soft toys. One is 20 years old (Cedric) and the other is 1 year old (Basil).
  37. Sticky date pudding is the best desert ever (especially when smothered in caramel sauce), closely followed by creme brûlée.
  38. My favourite comfort food is a big steaming bowl of tomato pasta covered in cheese. All of the cheese.
  39. Merlin is my furbaby. We adopted him on 1 Jan this year and he’s now 5 months old. Feast your eyes on his cuteness, you know you want to.

    50 random things about me

    I cannot deal with his cuteness.

  40. Dual citizen, woo! (NZ and Australia)
  41. I am not a sports person in general but love watching tennis and would love to learn to play but am too uncoordinated to ever be any good.
  42. I don’t like white chocolate (except for Milky Bars, cause there is something special about those). Don’t even get me started on white chocolate brownies.
  43. My favourite word is Echo and I have no idea why.
  44. My favourite movies are Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Fall. Don’t make me choose.

    The cinematography of The Fall is indescribable.

    The cinematography of The Fall is indescribable.

  45. I’m also a sucker for disney movies (Disney night anyone?) with my favourite being Beauty and the Beast.
  46. I have a Bachelor of Science (majors in Psychology and Biology) and a Bachelor of Arts (Major in Art History). I really want to go back and do more (but without the poor student..)
  47. I hated blue cheese for most of my life but in the last year or two have realised how it is actually the BEST CHEESE EVER.
  48. I had a big crush on Elijah Wood when Lord of the Rings came out (and I was around 12/13). Like an obsessive crush. Creepy level crush. I even had a movie cut out of him (its super weird, I’m so sorry).
  49. I’m not the best with crowds. Sometimes I’m late to work because I try and avoid the crowded elevators and end up letting several go up before eventually getting in and trying to hold by breath for 7 floors. Its weird (a lot of my facts seem to be weird, I should probably have chosen more carefully).
  50. I spent ages trying to come up with a fact good enough to finish on and found it the hardest part of the entire tag. Does that count as a fact? It does now.

I’m probably the last person to do this but if you haven’t yet, then I tag you! Go forth and share 50 random facts that are probably a little too revealing about how strange you are as a person (you did such a great job of hiding it up until now).

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Another case of Wanderlust

Wanderlust: strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world

Another Case of Wanderlust

I go through phases of wanting to settle down, buy a house, have kids and so on and so forth and then suddenly an urge to spend all my dollars on new experiences in new countries takes over and I realise that I’m not quite ready to put my money into anything else.

Until Edd and I did our trip in 2014 where we visited 11 countries in 2 months, I had been overseas twice. I was pretty under experienced when it came to overseas travels and countries other than New Zealand and Australia. Since our trip, you could say that I have caught the wanderlust bug pretty bad.

My feet are itching to get back on a plane and see more of the world, my wallet right now is saying no. A girl can dream though.

Another Case of Wanderlust

The beautiful Grand Canal in Venice, Italy

Genie from Bunny Eats Design proposed a bit of a weekend project amongst the #brunchclub bloggers to do a Wanderlust tag, and after getting immense enjoyment out of all the great blogs that came out of it I couldn’t help but do it myself.

Another Case of Wanderlust

Me sweltering in the hot Roman Sun, soaking up the cities incredible history

Where was your first plane to?

I flew domestically between Palmerston North and Auckland pretty frequently as an unaccompanied minor which meant that I got to hand everyone their lollies and then have way more than the allocated 1 or 2. It was a pretty big deal back then and I thought myself quite the jet setter. My first international flight was to Sydney to visit my Dad and it stands out in my mind because there was an issue with my passport and me and Grandma were pretty stressed out thinking we wouldn’t be able to fly.

Another Case of Wanderlust

Edinburgh in the beauty of the setting sun

Where have you traveled to that you would love to visit again?

So many places that I would love to spend more time in but Scotland is high on the list. We spent a few, wonderful days in Glasgow and Edinburgh but I would love to go back to explore the Scottish Highlands. I also can’t wait to return to Paris and Amsterdam, two of the most wonderful cities in all of Europe.

Another Case of Wanderlust

We stayed in the perfect area of Amsterdam and fell in love with the cities character as well as its canals

Another Case of Wanderlust

I dreamt for so long of visiting the Eiffel Tower, and now I dream of getting back there.

You’re leaving tomorrow, money is no object, where are you going?

Japan. This is the next country on my list and I hope it will be our next international trip. The beautiful scenery, the incredibly polite and lovely people and the obsession with cats. I feel like me and Japan would get along pretty well. I would also love to go back to the UK, hire a car and spend a month or two road tripping around Wales, England and Scotland.

Preferred method of travel; planes, trains or car?

After training across a large proportion of Europe I have fallen in love with this form of transport. The way that you can sit back and enjoy the scenery as well as the chance to meet new people and chat about different experiences.

Another Case of Wanderlust

Favourite method of travel? Definitely gondola.

Favourite travel website?

We used Tripadvisor to death when planning our trip to Europe and also when trying to decide on what activities to partake in. Blog-wise, I love the World of Wanderlust and browse this frequently when I need to get my travel fix.

Another Case of Wanderlust

The famous Charles Bridge in Prague

Where would you travel to just eat the food?

I would travel back to Italy in a heartbeat, and that is largely due to the incredible food that we had each and every day. Also, it was the ideal place for a couple of travelling Vegetarians and we never had an issue finding something delicious to eat. Oh and need I mention gelato? We lived off the stuff. Somewhere not yet travelled that would be amazing food wise would be Thailand and Japan. I love both of their cuisines and can see myself eating my way through both countries quite happily. Sidenote: Brighton had the best vegetarian restaurants and I needed more days to try them all.

Another Case of Wanderlust

Brighton, a bit of a change from New Zealand beaches, but charming nonetheless.

 

Another Case of Wanderlust

Living off pasta and cheese in Italy.

Is there a place you would never go again?

Luckily, and also unluckily I guess, pretty much everywhere we have visited I would love to go and see again. The one place that wouldn’t reappear on a travel itinerary, even if I was in the area, is Cannes on the French Riviera. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful spot and a charming town, in a weird kind of way. But I think there are much better places to experience the lavish lifestyle on the French Riviera such as Nice. Cannes was just lacking in character, was expensive but dated and didn’t have the right atmosphere for me. Lesson learnt, take advice from family.

Another Case of Wanderlust

We found that Cannes was most beautiful after the sun had departed and the people had returned to their expensive hotels and casinos.

Can you recite your passport number from memory if asked?

Considering I can barely remember how old I am, it should come as no surprise that my passport number is a pretty big mystery to me. But I do always have a photo of my passport details saved somewhere secure just in case of an emergency.

Another Case of Wanderlust

One of the most unique sights we saw, the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin

Do you prefer the Window, Aisle, or Middle seat?

If it’s a full plane, aisle always. I get a bit claustrophobic and fidgety and like the ability to get up and wander around without climbing over people. If it’s just me and Edd in a row then I love the window because the views can be spectacular. I’ll never forget watching the sunrise, somewhere over Eastern Europe/Asia on our way to Hong Kong. It was pretty spectacular.

Don’t ever put me in the middle. I would rather sit on the floor or in the toilet.

Another Case of Wanderlust

Burano, a coloured little world of canals on an island near Venice

How do you pass the time on the air plane?

I doze through movies and re watch favourite series that don’t require too much focus. I also get really excited by the plane meals, although the vegetarian options can sometimes leave a lot to be desired.

Another Case of Wanderlust

Watching a puppet show on Montmatre as we watched the sun go down over Paris. Just one more memory I won’t ever forget

Another Case of Wanderlust

Because every traveller needs someone to share the experience with. Can’t wait to create more adventures with this dude.

Take a lengthy look at the rest of the wonderful posts on Wanderlust by the #brunchclub ladies!

 

Give Thanks and Praises

Things I am thankful for:

  1. Family, they may be crazy but they help me feel like my own craziness comes from a happy place
  2. Memories of Paris and Venice (and so many other amazing places) that get me through the good days and the bad
  3. Flatmates who cook the most delicious meals when I am too tired to pick up the phone and order takeaways
  4. A good night’s sleep and the lack of an alarm clock
  5. Tea deliveries. ‘Nuff said
  6. America’s next top model. Haters gonna hate, I’m going to watch this show until its death because I can
  7. Animals. I may not have any of my own right now, but my cat charming skills get a good workout in this neighbourhood
  8. A job that pays the rent and also helps with unexpected costs that could be more stressful then they are
  9. Friends who are there all day, every day and the constant surprise I feel at getting to hang out with such amazing people
  10. Christmas. Christmas. Tinsel. Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving xxxx

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Friday’s Letters: take me out tonight

Dear Flatmate: So we now have a dog for two weeks and although my sinuses hate you right now, the big labrador cuddles more than make up for it.

Dear Spring: I love you and your beautiful flowers. My hay fever hates you and your disgusting pollination. Why can’t we all just get along.

Dear Edd: Thank you for being so understanding of me and my crazy moods. Sometimes I still forget how amazing it is to be married to my best friend.

Dear Broken Dishwasher: You taunt me as I clean the dishes by hand. I hope that makes you feel better about yourself.

Dear Bill Bailey: Holy cheese you were hilarious. I don’t know how you play so many instruments so incredibly well but your Reggae dubstep remix of the Downton Abbey theme tune was pretty much the best thing ever.

Dear Body: I know, I know, I have abandoned you like Nemo abandoned his dad, totally unintentionally and I’m really sorry about it. Promise to start working on this soon.

Dear Body: Further to the above, if I try harder could you also try harder? My job involves talking non stop all day so when you decide to make me sound like Chewbacca with a pillow over his head, life becomes just a little more challenging.

Dear Lorde: You put on an amazing concert last weekend and I still get chills just thinking about it.

Dear Neighbour: Thanks for offering to keep our dog guest a secret from the landlord. You are way cooler than I was expecting.

Dear Sleep: I need more of you in my life right now.

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Say Hi to Raja/Ranger

Say Hi to Raja/Ranger

 

 

 

Taking Stock | November

I found this through Laura and kind of loved the idea. So lets not commit to anything too over-eagerly, but my thought process is that if I like doing this then I might attempt it monthly. But don’t expect it, just be pleasantly surprised if I follow through. Deal?

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So just in case you were wondering what goes on inside my head (its a pretty weird and yet boring place):

  • Making : my chocolate cupcakes with the intent of sharing (but mainly just for eating)
  • Cooking : vegetarian dishes for my new flatmates and realising that trying new things is fun and not scary.
  • Drinking : red wine, and too much of it. I would blame stress but honestly I just really like red wine and i’m not even a little bit sorry.
  • Reading: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, and loving it
  • Wanting: to buy all the kittens and fill my house with cat cuddles
  • Looking: for my brow zings. Everyday without it makes me that much more resentful that I inherited my parent’s lack of “knowing where all my sh*t is”
  • Deciding: what I will try and kindly manipulate my family into buying me for Christmas
  • Wishing: my health would improve without me having to put in any effort. Lazy, I know.
  • Enjoying: having full two whole day long weekends. I have always worked Sundays so this is a relatively new concept.
  • Waiting: for our gardener to email me. ITS BEEN AGES SINCE I ASKED YOU FOR THE BILL.
  • Liking: getting new responsibilities at work (I am always up for a challenge…until it gets to challenging and then I just freak out)
  • Wondering: how my flowers have stayed alive so long when my other ones died in 3 days. How does that work? (I’m not a gardener, not even a flower enthusiast, just pleasantly confused)
  • Loving: the new Alt-J album. Like, a lot. Like on repeat over and over. Too much.
  • Pondering: over what direction I want my blog to take, if any direction at all
  • Considering: signing up for A Beautiful Mess’ stationary subscription (Happy Mail), because its not that expensive and I know it will be totally amazing 
  • Watching: outlander on Lightbox, as well as rewatching The Office US because as much as I adore the UK one, Jim and Pam have my heart.
  • Hoping: that I can continue to try and make positive changes in my life and the way I live it.
  • Marvelling: at my sister and gorgeous baby niece. 
  • Needing: to meditate daily, send any useful links my way!
  • Smelling: the spring flowers in our garden, they give me hay fever but I don’t even mind that much
  • Wearing: printed leggings. So comfortable, like a bowl of my favourite pasta (which is why I have to wear them in the first place)
  • Following: too many people to keep up to date
  • Noticing: a number of incredible people around me who inspire, support and are just generally amazing
  • Knowing: that I need to change my attitude about a few things (easier said then done)
  • Thinking: about what my priorities are for the next 5 years
  • Admiring: my husbands photograhpy
  • Sorting: out the new flat 
  • Buying: the new edition of Frankie magazine
  • Getting: bills that I really wish I could just ignore
  • Bookmarking: these gorgeous desktop backgrounds from DesignLoveFest
  • Disliking: the fact that it has already been 4 months since our Europe trip. I miss a different city each day
  • Giggling: because my new flatmates are hilariously inappropriate
  • Feeling: optimistic for what’s ahead
  • Snacking: on this delicious and easy to make cornflake/mars bar slice from one of my favourite food blogs
  • Coveting: all the things but mainly this
  • Wishing: for more time in the day
  • Helping: not as many people as normal. Which feels weird but is helping me be in a healthier place
  • Hearing: birds in the morning, they are super noisy by the new bedroom! But I don’t mind too much

Thanks to Pip who has the blank list right here, all ready for you to go and take stock of your current life state!

Hope November is full of good things, and not too much early Christmas music (unless you love that in which case I wish you all the Christmas music in the world) x

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PHD, But not the good kind

So I thought I should do a quick post over here. Most people know I am back home in cold, wintery New Zealand after what can only be described as the adventure of a lifetime, trapezeing (well…training) through 11 countries in 2 months and meeting as many animals as we could along the way (mainly cats).

I have been back for a month now, a simple fact that quite simply blows my mind. And in that time I have done a terrible, horrendous job of getting back in to blogging (both here and over at My Foxy Travels where I haven’t even finished up blogging about my trip, please hold while I drown my guilt in red wine). This is not because I have gone off it, quite the opposite as I am super excited for what the future may bring with my blog.

No, it is not a lack on good intention, more a lack of motivation. Maybe I have simply forgotten how to blog? Or how to make time for it rather? Life has been chaotic this last month and adapting back to the real world has thrown me something silly.

Hence the PHD. No, not a doctorate or any sense of achievement. PHD aka post holiday depression is the only way I can explain the anxiety and stress that has been threatening to drown me since returning. Its not that I am unhappy as such, being back with friends and family is awesome. But there is so much else going on with babies (not mine, don’t stress), trying to find a place to live, social commitments and adjusting back to work weeks. I guess I have just forgotten how to manage it all.

So this is me, just letting you guys know that I am still here and this blog is still a priority (just not the top one at this stage). So bear (bare?) with me and I promise that in no time at all I will be back and hopefully ready to recommit to this hobby that I love doing. In the mean time, meet some of the cats we met whilst in Europe. 

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Cat of the canals, in Venice

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We found this wild guy on a hill looking over Barcelona, a little rough around the edges but so incredibly friendly and up for a cuddle. How could we resist?

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Rome was like the Cat Capital of Europe and this little area of ruins in the middle of the city was home to over 200 wild cats, some of which were housed in a little sanctuary and some which roamed wild. One of the best moments of the trip, which most people think is quite strange.

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And this handsome fella was from this weekend just past, back home in New Zealand, in a small beer garden/cafe outside of Rotorua. Cats are great, no matter where in the world I find them.

  

My Foxy Corner is on Holiday

So I should have done this post couple of weeks ago but the good intention was lost in a blur of travel related stuff so here it is now, better late than never.

In case you hadn’t noticed the obvious, this blog feels a little abandoned but there is a good reason behind it. Edd and I are on a two month holiday in the UK and Europe and won’t be back home util early July.

I’m blogging over here if you want to keep up with travel related posts (a public travel journal really) but if not hold tight and in a couple months My Foxy Corner will be back in action!

Below are a few photos of what we have been up to so far.
Xx

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Photo Diary: The Coromandel

Hi Guys!

So I may have taken a rather long break from blogging. It was well worth it for a week long holiday away from the big smoke and staying at our favourite bach in the Coromandel at Hot Water Beach (near Hahei). I thought the most appropriate thing to do upon my return would be to share some snaps from our week away, showing off a few of our favourite places to go. Edd and I go with my family to Hot Water Beach every year and I can never get enough.

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Our first couple of days were pretty dramatically terrible in terms of weather but this made for a good excuse to go visit Coromandel township on the other side of the peninsula and eat plenty of good food.

 

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We stopped in to the Driving Creek Railway which is full of amazing art and also hosts a wonderful train ride into the native bush. Well worth a stop, especially with kids.

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There was also a lot of wonderful bird life in the native bush.

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These little guys are so fluffy.

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A very small taste of the incredible sculpture at the railway. The pottery in particular is stunning.

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There is no such thing as too much beach

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Just ask Mr 6

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Evening walks along Hot Water Beach and candy floss skies

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These two had an awesome time once the sun came out.

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Lucky for us it stayed out for the rest of the trip. Most of our time was spent on the beach, usually with a book nearby.

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Occasionally we ventured away from the beach to visit some of our favourite spots. This place is amazing and does a huge range of delicious liqueurs.

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And Eggcentric cafe is another place we always ensure we stop at. The food here is amazing and again, the art in the gardens is wonderful to be around.

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There is always the little ferry ride across to Whitianga if you are in need of some serious shopping or a bit of night life (by that I mean the sports bar…)

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This guy was sitting right outside the bach, just waiting for his photo to be taken.

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On the way home we stopped at a wonderful hidden river spot, just by the state highway.

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My 12 year old brother is much braver than I am.

All in all it was so wonderful to get away from work and general life in the city and take some time to be with family. I’m already excited for next year.

Lizzy x

A Mindful 2014

2014 new yearsHey Guys!

So I haven’t really posted in a while due to the crazy, psychotic time that was Christmas and New Years! I spent some of it working, some of it drinking with friends and a lot of it with lovely family. Still, we are 6 days into the New Year so time to start thinking to the future and what 2014 may hold. 2013 was a great year in some ways and awful in others but there is no way but forward and this year will be something different again.

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The best goals involve cheese

So goal setting doesn’t seem to be that effective for me. I am only being honest when I admit that I did not look at my 2013 goals once, the entire year. Which is extremely sad but also kind of demonstrated that this year would need to be different. So instead of a list of specific goals I have one theme for 2014 and that is going to be Mindfulness.  Confused? Don’t be. Mindfulness for me relates to being present in each moment, attentive to each event whether it be a beautiful sunrise or an unexpected emotion. According to Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn mindfulness relates to “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.” and so in my mind this translates to being more aware and contemplative of what happens in our present moment. Being receptive and contemplative in life I guess. Ok so maybe I am a little rusty on the concept but hopefully you grasp the idea.

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So for me this year is about being more aware and accepting, of my external environment but also my internal one (thoughts and feelings in all their weird, complicated wonderfulness).

Basically this year I want to be more mindful in general of different aspects of my life. I think a theme is easier for me to refer back to as it is simple and easy to remember without referring to a list of goals that really don’t change from year to year.

So having a theme doesn’t mean there aren’t specific areas that I think this will be most applicable to. The first one is my health e.g. how I look after it in terms of exercise and eating. One life change (in relation to what we eat) Edd and I have chosen  to make and started on the 1/1/2014 was to become vegetarian which terrified me before hand but now that I am doing it seems like the most natural thing in the world. Other areas I think will benefit from some mindfulness include how I treat myself mentally and how I let others treat me. Lastly I don’t think a blogger could blog about New Years resolutions without referring to their blog so of course I am hopeful that by being more mindful of what I enjoy about blogging and what I find stressful I can optimize my little hobby and get the most out of it possible.

Other things that this year will bring include the start of my first ever book (and wine) club and I am VERY excited. Although not quite as excited as I am for the two month Europe trip that Edd and I are planning for May/June (tickets to be booked asap!).

All in all 2014 will be an exciting year with lots of new things and challenges and hopefully with a bit of mindfulness I can make the most of it!

What are your goals this year?

Xx

If you want to read a little about Mindfulness Google brings up a host of easy explanations such as here and here. I should warn you that my idea of mindfulness may not be 100% the same as the technical definitions but it is a theme I would still like to incorporate more of into my life.

A Glimpse into My Foxy Christmas

Hey Guys!

So as this year draws to a close I wanted to share a few photos from my rather hectic Christmas day. We have our Christmas routine down to a science now and I kind of love it. It involves 3 families, a few animals, lots of driving but also lots of presents and as the photos will show too much food. Also, thanks to my husband for all these awesome photos. I was far too busy eating.

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I love a Christmas tree with mountains of presents underneath. Best sight ever.

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Does anyone else get sad thinking of the moment all the decorations are packed away?

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Oooo Blurry lights….so arty

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I think my favourite part of Christmas is all the nibbles. Cheese and salami and crackers, Oh my!

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I also love bringing blue cheese to parties cause no one else likes it which leaves more for me!

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That face.

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Spider is not impressed by Christmas. Not at all.

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A day of family means wine is a necessity. Just kidding. But not really.

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Meet cookie the devoted yet extremely scruffy jack russell.

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Each time I spell Poinsettia correctly I give myself an invisible pat on the back.

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Watching kids open presents can be extremely satisfying. The end result is a wrapping paper bomb site.

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A better combination than tomatoes and fresh basil does not exist. Except maybe peanut butter and jam.

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A fresh take on an old classic (Waldorf salad)

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This salad was amazing. I was fed so much good food its not even funny.

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The best part about a Kiwi Christmas? The ham.

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This had whiskey in its glaze. It was fantastic.

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Okay I spoke to soon…The pavlova makes a worthy competitor for the ham. It wouldn’t be Christmas without one.

Our Christmas also involved turkey, a very cute baby, pancakes, our car deciding to break yet again, terrible Christmas jokes*, a hilarious game to end the evening and a game of mini golf to round off boxing day (which I very much won, highest is best right?).

What did your Christmas entail?

*My personal favourite: What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinsilitis! (okay, its funnier with a couple of glasses of wine I admit)

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