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How my ToyToggle conquered a throwing toddler {Review}
So this child of mine has decided that she likes to throw stuff. I’m serious. Bottles, books, toys, bowls, shoes, my cellphone, nothing is spared. Toddler’s find cause-and-effect experimenting especially delightful hence the constant dropping and bouncing of items. But come on, it’s the 21st century, surely there is SOMETHING a modern mom like myself can do to prevent having to dig around under the bed every time her favorite sippy cup goes missing?! Where’s my batman utility belt when I need it?! -
My friend, the car guard
Photo: Joburg Truth Last week I did a big clothing purge and ended up throwing out a whole bunch of Curly’s small clothes. Yep, it’s official, my kids grow faster than the speed of light. We ended up with 2 bags of toddler clothing that needed a new home. I was so in awe of how blessed we are. We may not live in a fancy house or drive expensive cars, but we have so much more than those who have absolutely nothing. Suddenly discarded clothing took on new life and I realized that I could use it to spread a little bit of hope.
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Nail Art: DIY scribbled nails
This past week was a crazy one. Hubstopher was sick, and you know how it goes when the man of the house does not feel well. We walked around on tippy toes and only spoke in whispers too each other… I mean, we couldn’t allow our foot steps and voices to influence the intensity of his man-flu! Anyways, things are back to normal (the Lord only gives you what you can handle and all that) and I could finally remove the polish from my nails on Sunday night after staring at the horrible chipped mess that it was, for far too long. I hate when my nails look unkept. Anyways, I spotted really cool nail art on Juanita and Michelles blogs last week and thought I have to try it out! They’ve dubbed it “scribbled nails” and it pretty much means that the design gives the impression of doodling. -
Should I friend my work colleagues
Social media has added yet another layer of relationship dynamic for us to manage. (Thanks a lot Mark Zuckerburg) The popularity of certain sites has created a portal for just about anyone to “friend”, well, just about anyone else. And with app’s constantly prompting you to share your location or milestones or photo’s, I often find myself treading on the barrier between privacy and stupidity. I mean, why would I want anyone to know my street address? If you recall someone once took all my info and pretended to be me. It was especially fun. But it got me to thinking: Should I friend my work colleagues on social media?
These sites have opened a door that is normally kept shut. This open door may find you begrudgingly accepting your boss or work colleague’s “friend request” on Facebook. It creates this grey area where exposing your personal life to your professional acquaintances has to weigh against the opportunity to build on your relationship with them. What to do, what to do…
Whatever your choice or reason, mixing work relationships with social media has it’s pros and cons. For starters, I am able to celebrate success and wins more publically with my work team on social media. But that would mean that my boss gets to see photo’s of my grandmother’s 80th birthday party. Is it worth it? Work place politics can sometimes be worsened when employees have instant access to each other’s personal lives and opinions. Sharing that funny, disparaging pic or commenting on that derogatory post could be offensive and potentially harmful to the way your co-worker’s view you.
Another thing to take into consideration is the fact that your posts can be used against you in court. If your company deems your Facebook or Twitter posts to be harmful to the company’s image, it could result in your dismissal. If your posts are harmful to the business of your employer, they can do something about it. Yes, this includes those “I hate my job so much right now” posts.The legality around the weight of your social media posts will also get you into trouble if you’re that guy who calls in sick on Monday morning and then posts a dismal looking selfie with the caption “so hungover right now”. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure that one out. But, with that said, employers will also need to tread lightly as far as allegations are concerned. I mean, a picture taken from a balcony of a (far away) beachfront does not mean that your employee has been lying on the beach, sipping pina colada’s. One would hope that common sense will prevail.
With that said, there is the wonderful prospect of being able to connect with each other on a more personal level. On some occasion, it’s great to know where someone is coming from or what they are going through in order to help understand them better.
“Well, is there a middle ground?!!” I hear you cry. Settle down. Yes there is. Let me tell you about it. It’s called ‘privacy settings’ and Facebook, in particular, has introduced a bunch of these privacy controls that would allow you to add people to specific groups and then decide which of your posts they are able to see. There is a very informative article on Techlicious about it.
So there you have it. At the end of the day though, nothing beats actual human conversation. You know, the one where we use our mouths to communicate (instead of our fingers). Maybe the answer to these modern day problems lies in our lack of face to face communication, more than our lack of privacy settings. Something to think about!
For more info on social media vs labour law check out this interesting article I found on News24.
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Hubstopher’s near death experience
Have I told you guys about Hubstopher’s near death experience? No? Gasp! Well, girlfriend, grab a chair, you need to sit down for this one! This story has become our party trick – you know, the story we share at parties, when everyone’s doing “show and tell”. Hubstopher loves telling it to people simply because of the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. It goes a little something ilke this:
One day, a couple of years before we got married (when Hubstopher was still Christopher) he asked me to get all dressed up, because he wanted to take me out. Normally I wouldn’t freak out about a dinner date but the dude specifically told me to “wear heels”. It immediately sparked my attention because he prefers me to wear flats and be comfortable. Being the rational, sane, female that I am, an immediate thought crossed my mind: “It’s about to go dowwwwwn! He’s going to propose!! AAAACK!!!”
Now, the thing about knowing when your man is going to propose is that you have to remember to be selfless and act as if you were not expecting it 😉 So that’s what I did! Well, I first (OBZ) had to tell my closest friends that homeboy ’bout to put a ring on it (okay, I don’t actually speak like that in real life) and then I got dressed in my recently purchased best, donned a pair of heels, applied make up and spritzed some perfume. I said a thank you to the heavens that my nails had recently been done because hello engagement ring photos. When Chris picked me up, he looked especially dashing and had a twinkle in his eye and I could tell that he appreciated the “extra care” I had put into looking good, that night.
We took a long drive and ended up at a really fancy shmancy restaurant. I swear when we got there the doorman looked at us as if he had been waiting for us… It was a set up! He knew something I did not know! Aaack! The waiter showed us to what appeared to be a specially thought out table, in the corner, where a freshly lit candle had aptly been waiting to welcome us. We sit down and I stare across at Chris, wondering how he was going to propose and what I was going to say. The restaurant wasn’t as full, so I knew not to expect a full on, everyone clapping hands, kind of reaction when he went down on his knee. I was prepared for it. But I wasn’t prepared. You know? Like, somewhere inbetween nervous and excited.
Anyways, Chris cooly opens his menu (mine was laying down in front of me) and scans the detail. For someone who usually is an energy ball, he was keeping his composure like an expert. I was super impressed! He then gestured to me, to open my menu. And that’s when it dawned on me… the ring was probably inside the menu!!! AAACK! Hot flushes, cold sweats, goosebumps on goosebumps, freaking out on the inside, keeping my cool on the outside…
He said: “Open your menu, and see what’s inside.”
I replied: “No, no thank you.” Because nerves.
He urged: “Please… open your menu… I want to show you something…”
I responded: “…uhhh… okay… ” I opened the menu, slowly, turning the cover back, to reveal the blank first page. What witchcraft is this? My heart could not take anymore!He encouraged: “Turn the page, it’s on the other side.”
I replied: “No, I really don’t want to!” I was scared. It was that realization that this could be it! My palms were sweaty and I felt a smile twitching, but I held it back because I knew that he had put a lot of work into this and I wanted him to think that I truely was surprised.He asked again: “Please, will you check the menu?”
Right. This could be it! I flipped the first page over, to reveal…..
Nothing. No ring.I pointed out: “There’s nothing here.”
He replied: “Scroll down, and see what it says at the bottom. “And then it dawned on me: The guy had printed a special menu!
He probably had the words WILL YOU MARRY ME, engraved at the bottom! AACK!!!!
I scanned the menu, excitedly, looking for those magic words… and found:Still nothing. Hmmm…
I said: “There’s still nothing here.” Maybe I missed it?
He replied: “Look! Right at the bottom!….
They sell chicken livers here!”
And that’s how Christopher Williams almost lost his life.
Just joking! But I was pretty peeved off for the rest of the night and I couldnt even tell him why. Needless to say, the ring did not make an appearance that night.
He did, however, propose a while later, on a stage! And this time it really was a surprise! And a big one at that! But you can read more about it here 🙂 Ahhh my spreadsheet brain… the gift that keeps on giving.
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How to take back your joy
Are your pursuits worth pursuing? I often have moments where I sit and reevaluate my frivolous activity and weak attempts at “living this life right”. Ladies, let’s be honest, our lives are inundated with unimportant stuff we deem as “sooo very important right now”. And, I mean, we’re human, and we totally base our decisions and pursuits on how much money and comfort we will get out of it. But I sometimes wonder if it’s worth it. Is there joy in having money and worldly comforts? If not, then WHERE can you find it and how can you take back your joy?
I mean, we totally freak ourselves out by striving to “successful” on other peoples terms. How do you rate whether you are living a successful life? Maybe it’s (subconsciously) based on the size of your house or the cleverness and well-adjusted behavior of your children. Maybe it’s calculated on the amounts of charities you support or the size of your group of friends. Perhaps you are working towards a hefty retirement package or that trip overseas or a boob job. Maybe a successful life, to you, means you are finally able to make it through the month without taking out a loan at work.
Whatever your mantra, my question is: Are your pursuits worth pursuing?
Our pursuits are almost always linked to our happiness. I mean, that’s why we gun for certain things anyways. You know how it goes: “if only I could just…… then everything would be so much better!” I don’t know about you, but I think it’s rather depressing to live a life where your happiness is based on one thing or the other. Your happiness – your joy – is so much more valuable than that! Your joy is free of charge, yet holds so much power. Allowing something (of lesser importance) to influence it, is simply unacceptable!
Sometimes we rob ourselves of our joy, because things do not look the way we want it to look. We expect a certain outcome or work towards a specific goal and subconsciously connect our happiness to it. But the truth is that happiness – REAL happiness – is not co-dependent on anything or anyone.
My joy is not for sale. My joy is not dependent. My joy is valuable and it is not easily shaken!
My challenge, to you, this week, is to consider what you are putting all your focus and energy on. Is it worth it? Try to determine whether it is important enough to influence your happiness or steal your joy.
And then… take it back!Nehemiah 8:10 – The joy of the Lord is my strength
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Is my Tommee Tippee sippy cup safe?
When it comes to social media, it takes me a while to believe the hype about some things. Like, for instance, did they really find a mermaid off the coast of Spain? Like, for real? And these baltic amber beads – what witchcraft is this?! Show me proof! I want to see for myself! So when I started hearing stories that Curlys beloved Tommee Tippee sippy cup is no longer safe to use, I had to investigate! I breastfed my girl for as long as I could and found the Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature bottles to be top notch, as she switched from boob to bottle. I mean, you can’t go wrong with Tommee Tippees!
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Video: That tomb is still empty!
It’s Easter Monday and guess what, That tomb is still empty! Today I don’t have the words, so I thought I would share a Youtube video posted by adoptive father, Joel Mullen. This family has really touched my heart and I am once again reminded of God’s love and ability to restore the broken. Oh and Levi and Lia are super adorable and really clever too! Enjoy the vid – make sure you watch until the end to hear Lia’s beautiful singing voice. 🙂
A blessed Easter to you and yours!
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Life changes when you hit 30
Life changes when you hit 30. Well, I’m convinced. I don’t know about all you other 30-somethings, but I could feel the change in season the year that I said good bye to my 20’s. (Which was not this year, btw) I mean, it’s not a popular way to think and you won’t find it on a Drake swag note or anything, but when you end your 20s, you kinda say goodbye to your youth… your wonder years, if I may. You grow up. You grow OLDER.
For most, when you turn 30 years old, you acquire an amazing super power (some choose not to indulge in this super power, mind you). It’s called SENSIBILITY. You apply it to your everyday life and find yourself concerned with things that probably did not come up when you were younger. Things like: are you banking with the right financial institution and have you bought enough life cover. You take out insurance and pay school fees and make sure your drivers license is renewed. You try to eat healthy and value your parents more and notice when a young child says “please” and “thank you” because it’s so rare nowadays.
You also find yourself being super picky about who you surround yourself with. Life gets busy and you’re not the “stay awake until 3am” business anymore, so idly sitting around with people who you do not have a relationship with becomes less appealing.
You become so aware of time… the amount of hours you get to sleep and the amount of leave days you’ve accumulated at work and how long it will take you to drive to your kid’s school, from home, when your whole household woke up 20 minutes late. You learn to savor the fun moments, because it’s a break away from the norm. And you reach a point where you either long for the things you were passionate about in your late teens/twenties OR you find yourself eagerly pursuing them.
I think that 30 is where you realize that life is short and you have to make the most of it! It’s a season of reaping whatever you’ve sown in your 20s and for some, that could be a really scary harvest to reap. For the longest time I thought that I had to survive my 30s… because when you’re 40, it’s that much easier to accept the fact that you’re not 20 anymore (hahaha)… But hey, I don’t want to SURVIVE my 30s… I want to THRIVE in my 30s! How about you?
I mean, don’t get me wrong friend, 30 does not mean that your life is over and you need to start preparing for the grave. Rather, it’s a reminder that it’s not too late to do the things you said you’d do when you were a teenager. You know, writing that book, climbing that mountain, studying for that degree or starting that family. In fact, I dare you to do it!
So that’s where I’m at… regroup, regroup, reeeggrrroooouppp! Because life is too short to wonder about what could have been. Unless you’re Adele. Then you could just write a song about it and become a millionaire.
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Creative journaling with the Inspire Bible {Review}
I love Easter time. I love that we get to celebrate the life of Jesus and how this period acknowledges his life and death to be real and not some fictitious story, made up and put into a book. There are so many cool ways you could celebrate this time with your kideos. I’ve recently spent some time celebrating with my Inspire Bible but I know many people opt for Easter egg hunts and chocolate parties (and hey, I love chocolate yo!). This is one of those times where I can’t wait for my girl to be a bit older so that I could explore the other ways of celebrating the cross.
