News & Update

Yay Me!!

I just bought my very first DSLR digital camera!  I'm so excited!  It was such a great bargain, but I would've had it even cheaper if I had followed my first instincts .

MEH . . . I paid for it and now it is mine! Ha Ha!

I did my homework on it too, for a camera of its age it is of remarkably good quality .  It has most of the same features that most spanking new cameras out these days with none of the "flashy bang bang hoopla" and just does what its supposed to (which is ultimately what I'm after), unlike this haggard old laptop of mine, but that will all soon change when Sala gets back from Australia (Sorry Doll, Mama spoiled your surprise) .

OK, granted it is so old that when it was released on the market, I was barely legal, but that wont stop me from enjoying it to the fullest .

My hubby said to me that if this gadget I buy doesn't work (like the last three...), I'm banned from buying electronic goods online . . . I think that's fair enough .  He's a smart guy, so he's probably saying it for a good reason . . .

(-_-) smarty pants .

Anyway since I now have a digital camera , and a new laptop on the way (which I have plans to bling and deco den like all my other gadgets), I'll be able to post more pics here and make my blog so much more interesting!

*squeals*

I really seriously CANNOT wait . . . but I have to because it has to be shipped and it will take at least 3-5 days . . . tick tock . . . tick tock.  *looks out window (not here yet) disappointed face*


Gah! I hate waiting!  AWEH . . . Still, I guess I could use the time to figure out what fantastic things I will be able to do with said camera and laptop combo .

And as soon as it arrives I'm going to be on it like flies on shit .

I have a few other pieces of equipment that I have to get in order to complete my ideal "beginners blogging bundle" (ooh look I alliterated! Me so clever, Yes I'm are. <<< " In " joke), all I need now is a remote, a tripod, and ring light and bucket loads of bling. Whee!

And once my bundle is completed . . . . . I shudder in anticipation . . . aaahhh, the possibilities are endless!

tee hee .

Ok, ok I will let you know when it arrives and will take some courtesy pics for you to scrutinize.  I say these things like I have an actual fan base WTF?! *giggles to self*

NVM . . . maybe one day . . .

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*UPDATE*

Anyway, I thought since my last post was about Tiki and myself quitting smoking I would do an attached update .  So here it is:

So far, so good . . . I guess.

The past week has been filled to the brim with every possible hurdle that could be thrown at us to make quitting smoking as hard as it could be .  There have been so many "Ups and Downs" and boy they do add up and wham you right in the face if you try to ignore them!!  They're like tiny insects that try to burrow under your skin and you just brush them off absently only to find that they have multiplied infinitely each time *shudders at thought of tiny insects burrowing under skin*, and the tension starts to build .

It was easy the first few days, but then we had the aid of nicotine patches to stave off the pangs of withdrawals .  After that we talked about trying to wean ourselves off the patches to make sure we don't become too reliant on them and switch from being dependant on a cigarette to being dependant on a patch . Three days in, the patches came off, and the slow but inevitable nagging and bickering began .  It was like the mere sight of each other was too much too bear, and we found the most ludicrous things to pick at .

We argued, we didn't talk for a day or two and then we went back to "normal".

Where "normal" means we have moved on from the "mean" kind of bickering to the "pretending-not-to-be-mean-but-really-are-but-doing-it-in-a-nice-way-that-still-stings-and-pisses-the-other-off-but-isn't-mean-enough-to-start-a-fight" kind of bickering and I PRAY we will move on from that too  . . .

Interesting, isn't it?  The fact that a conscious decision we made as an adult couple to make our lives better by quitting something disgusting, unnatural and costly would send us into an unusual and unfamiliar spiral of emotions .  But in saying that, it has been a total of  10 days that we've been smoke-free .

Soon all of the bitching and moaning will be a thing of the past and we will live happily ever after!

It's totally worth it, a week or two of little arguments is nothing compared to a long and healthy life together .

Here's to health and long life!! 

Wish us LUCK and SUCCESS!! 

XX

Kicking The Habit

Yes!  I quit!  I finally QUIT.

Although it's really only the beginning of my smoke-free journey, I already feel like I am making HUGE progress.  I have not had a cigarette in 33 hours and counting and the same goes for Tiki.  We decided to do this together and keep each other strong.

The power of unity!

So I am currently using "the patch".  Its called Habitrol. You have to put it on and wear it for 24 hours, then you change it.  It slowly releases a controlled amount of nicotine into your blood stream via your skin, which seems to be effective in curbing the urges.

I thought WE were going to go through such MEGA withdrawals, but in fact we haven't suffered many side effects if any at all. I have to admit, I have thought hard about taking "just one puff" but used my inner strength and great desire to quit to stop me from indulging.  I think it has less to do with the fact that I want a cigarette (because I actually really don't), and more to do with the fact that I just need something to do with my hands.


FML! - like I'm not fidgety enough as it is.

I KNOW I don't want  a smoke, but I THINK I want one.

I like "mind-fuck" myself...WTF?

Usually, in the morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is reach for a cigarette. I light up, inhale deeply and then...COUGH.  Then  five minutes later I repeat the process, and this is before I can get anything done. This morning though was entirely different, but to be honest, I woke up and laid awake in bed thinking about it for half an hour, after this time had passed, I realised I still hadn't lit up AND I didn't really feel the urge to.

What an amazing feeling!

If I knew what it felt like to fly, it would be seriously close to that.  I think my lungs were having orgasms all day.  I haven't coughed, not even once!  I went for a walk and didn't get breathless.  And I've been on some sort of high too, like I've been annoyingly happy since quitting. *quizzical face*

It makes me think what a difference a day makes...

The coolest thing about quitting and wearing patches is that Tiki and I have been getting mad praise for quitting.  I know it's an achievement but I don't think it merits that much attention.

But I like it, so please don't stop ;)

And besides, we have so many patches (and I feel I may not need to complete the entire program in order to quit based on my progress thus far, but we'll see) that we have offered our friends and family some patches too.  I hope they will take up the offer and quit as well.

The price of cigarettes has gotten so expensive that to maintain the habit would mean to sacrifice things in life that are more important, which I am not prepared to do.  The pack that we used to smoke set us back like $35 NZD! And we usually buy two packs a week.  That's $3640.00 a year we'll be saving! Hell, we could go on holiday at the end of the year, or a shopping spree!  Not to mention the pictures they put on the cigarette packets of what smoking can do to you are fully disgusting and should've put me off years ago...I don't want to be one of these people.

(Note: be prepared these photos are quite horrendous)

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Makes you think, doesn't it?
. . . . . . 

(I should really invest in one of those "electronic cigarettes" to help with those days when I think I might crack!)

The one major downfall to quitting is that now I have eat all day to compensate, so my next goal is to make sure the only food I shovel down my throat is whole foods that are high in protein to make sure that instead of losing one dangerous habit and picking up another, I maintain a healthy weight.

Now that I think about it, I should really be more active.  Hmmm...yeah and while I'm at it I'll end poverty and hunger and bring peace to the world shall I? AWEH...at least dreams are free...

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Anyway after such traumatic exposure, to cleanse your eyes I have provided some pics of my baby Legend:

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When we first got her...AWWWW!!!

(I made that bed with her name on it myself! Genius!)

 And now...so adorable! xoxo

*sparkly eyes*

Well, it's almost reached the time where I must change my "patch" so I will segue (google it, I didn't make it up) to another subject with all the grace of a newborn giraffe...LOL

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At the moment I'm currently conducting an experiment to prove whether or not using Vaseline to lengthen and strengthen eyelashes actually works.  I came across a video on youtube where this woman says she uses ONLY Vaseline on her lashes and !O...M...G! she has the most amazingly long and luscious eyelashes - so jelly! I WANT! I WANT!

So since a jar of Vaseline only costs like a few bucks and all it takes is a  minute or two to massage a blob of it into your eyelashes and around the eye area, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. I will keep you updated in future and post results at the end of a month.

In the meantime you can watch the video here, ENJOY!

xoxo

2012 Resolutions

Ok, ok...

I know its a bit late to be writing about New Years Resolutions but I usually make them and then break them immediately. So this time around I decided to make the resolutions internally and try them out for a week or so and see how it goes.  Now that it is the 10th of January 2012, I am confident enough in my progress to share.

The first internal resolution I made was to stop drinking fizzy drinks and drink only water.
This one was easy to start off with as I had a rather EPIC drinking session on New Years eve which then carried on till around 7pm on New Years DAY!  Obviously there's no explanation needed as to why this resolution was made...I spent the next TWO days hung over as a MOFO and could only keep water down.  So I have to say that this resolution is a keeper!
Note: And Please do not get on my back about how bad binge drinking is BLAH BLAH destroys families BLAH BLAH bad for your health BLAH BLAH ruins your kidneys, can end up on dialysis BLEEEHHH...

I KNOW OK? I'm not stupid I was just having a really good time...and I don't usually drink that much.

Anyway, like I said, its the 10th of Jan and I have only had maybe 2 sips of cola and got such a bad headache afterwards (I know I wont be doing that again any time soon HA!), but other than that I have drank 1.5+ litres of water a day and LOVE it! After the initial Coke withdrawals wore off I am feeling much better and healthier...

Which brings me to resolution number 2 - No more sugar!

I'm not much of a candy fan, and I don't like ice cream and cake is really a once in a while thing for me.  The only weakness I have is chocolate.  I don't eat as much of it these days but I will pop chocolate squares in my mouth non-stop without even noticing it!  So yeah, no sugar for me...This one is not so hard to keep I think, I mean, I'm already mostly sugar free anyways...

Lead on resolution 3! - Eat healthier.

I'm not new to diets and eating healthy and such, its just that there are so many more delicious foods that are "non-healthy" that I prefer.  This on is going to be a little tougher than the others because although I'm sick to DEATH of greasy take out foods, I'm ashamedly addicted to them. So far I have been doing OK but I'll have to keep you posted on that one...

The rest of my resolutions are rather clichéd...Stop smoking, lose weight etc....these are the ones I'm really going to have to put REAL willpower and hardwork into!

So yeah that's that.

What are your New Years Resolutions and have you been successful?

Let me know in the comments section and subscribe if you like or don't, up to you...xo

Why Knot?

No its not a spelling/grammatical error, "Why Knot?" is a store on Springs road in East Tamaki.  Its like a super cheap discount grocery wonderland!  I have been there only twice but I like it so much I decided to blog about it.

The other day I went there with Tiki (my LOVELY boyfriend!) and spent about $50 NZD and walked out with like a weeks worth of groceries plus snacks and junk food and also some long life soup bases, sauces and stocks.

OMFG!

I was so elated I walked out into the sunshine feeling all blessed that I was introduced to this shopping heaven.  Usually if I shop at my local supermarket (which is so nearby I can walk there - Countdown) where I spend a lot of my time doing grocery shopping, I could spend up to $80 NZD just to get the same amount of stuff.  I'm a big fan of Countdown since they have daily, weekend, week and monthly specials and as long as you have time to take a look around you can find some really quality goods for a very low price.

But I digress, back to "Why Knot?".

The only thing they don't sell there is fresh fruit, veggies (but I have a store I go to that is equally as affordable and local *winks*), fresh meats and specialised ethnic foods for example: foods from Japan, China etc, which I am VERY fond of.  But I can learn to look past this.

So now Tiki and I have made the conscious decision to shop there every week and have set a budget for each store now and lets just say I'm really looking forward to going grocery shopping next week! Yay Me!

And since I touched on the subject of Japanese and Chinese foods, I have to say Japanese food items are quite hard to come across unless you are willing to drive a bit, although Chinese food markets are popping up everywhere *Delighted* and are easily accessible which is awesome because over the last few years I have graduated from mediocre "Chinese Take-away" foods to at home authentic Chinese cuisine.

I have always had a love for Japanese food although admittedly its mostly been limited to store bought or home made sushi, ramen and udon dishes but I'm looking to expand my horizons as it were in authentic Japanese cuisine.

Like this

After trolling the net (like I do on most days) looking for like what a typical Japanese family would eat at home so I can make it and enjoy the benefits, I was only able to come across meals that were mostly made up of items that are typically only available in Japan or things that had no explanation as to what they were or how to get a hold of them.  Most websites that I viewed were actually written by someone living in the US and only had information on where to get them from in the US...BLAH *rolls eyes*.

But even the stores that are here are quite expensive to buy from and like I said are quite a distance away.  So unless I am able to magically make petrol and money appear with a click of my fingers, that will have to wait until I'm within its vicinity.  Also another frustrating thing? They do not sell online which means I really have no other way of getting my hands on these delicious morsels.  AWEH...

So where does this leave me?  In a very bad place between hunger and annoyance.  I'm here often actually when I cannot decide what to cook for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and it is such a pain in the ass!  I'm so sick of western food, with its greasy grease and fatty fats.

UGH.  My body swells to obesity at the thought...

I want to eat something that is healthy and nutritious that I haven't had the chance to eat much of.  I've tried other "healthy and nutritious" diets and although I have had some enjoyable meals it tends to become tedious and boring.

If I could, I would spend a year in Japan, learn the language (which I have tried and abandoned due to laziness) and to experience the wonderful food and culture, which in fact is now my current obsession.

This may seem like a waste of space and I have made myself hungry so I'm off to go cook whatever I can get my hands on...maybe some ramen...

P.S: If you know anywhere in New Zealand where I can get my hungry hippo hands on some good quality Japanese food items for a bargain, pretty PLEASE let me know in the comments section.

And for your viewing pleasure I decided to add a few pics of insanely cute Japanese food...

 Gorgeous!

 So cute...I have never wanted to eat Pooh Bear...till now

Adorbs!  I could just die...

For me its RAMEN time! xo

My MacGuyver Moment

So yesterday in our rush to leave the house Tiki and I inadvertently locked the keys inside our room.

DUH!!

And since we are notoriously paranoid about being robbed, all the windows were locked up tight also.  So without a spare key and no other way to get in we were quite stumped.

I have broken into my own house a few times before using a credit card trick that a friend once taught me in high school.  So armed with this limited knowledge, I tried my best to get the door unlocked.

Suffice to say there was no joy after a good 10-15 minutes of trying, and since the day was very hot I was sweating and getting more frustrated by the second.

In the mean time my lovely boyfriend Tiki was outside the house trying HIS best to "jimmy" a window open.

...Still no luck.

I was almost out of patience and was about to get Tiki to kick the door in when I had an epiphany!

I quickly ran to the living room and grabbed a flower from his Grandmothers fake flower arrangement and pulled the wire out of the stem.  Then I went into the bathroom and got out this weird blackhead scraper thing that I saw in the shop (and was curious enough to buy) and proceeded to try and unlock the door with this method.

Now I have seen this done numerous time on television, with various tools and I have always thought it was near impossible unless you:

A: had the appropriate tools;
and
B: was well practised in the art of B&E (break and enter, not bacon and eggs!).

And so there I was, under no illusion that it would work, but still trying to maintain the faith that I could do anything, I poked those two tools in the keyhole and fiddled around until...

. . . CLICK

It turned! The locked actually turned and the door swung open.

Oh the joy and elation and feeling of achievement that flowed through my veins is indescribable.  Tiki pats me on the shoulder and says to me "Love, you are the BOMB! Way to go, my MacGuyver."

I have to say, I was pretty full of myself for the rest of the day and even did my best not to brag about my accomplishment.

Just as soon as "Grandma" goes to her rest home I will be able to stop locking my bedroom door.

And if you're thinking "Wait, you live with your boyfriends Grandma?" I have this to say to you: First of all SHE lives with ME and it is because of necessity and not by choice, so keep your fucking opinions to yourself OK?!

Know me before you judge me Fool.