The Biggest Loser

So I kind of became addicted to this show a few weeks back and I have been so inspired by these people who have made huge changes to their lifestyles. I mean some of these guys were huge!! and seeing them at the finale last night was amazing. Some of them had lost 50-60 kgs and they looked amazing!!
Anyway, I was soooo happy that Adro won. He really deserved to win. But they truly are all winners cause they all have their health back and they look so fit and healthy.
So I have been so inspired by them that I am doing a bit of Biggest Loser action myself. Was out in the gym for 30mins last night, 30 mins this morning and am going back out there again tonight. And I haven't eaten any crap the last two days. And I feel really good already.
I start a health kick/exercise kick every couple of months and then give up and I am just fed up with myself. This time it's going to be different. This time I really really really want to change my lifestyle not just my weight. If Adro and all the other guys from The Biggest Loser can do it, so can I.
My goal - 10kgs by the end of July! This winter I want to lost weight rather than the usual 'add a few kgs over winter.'

I'll update every week on my progress!

If you are feeling like you need to drop some k's, why not join me. I've even joined the Biggest Loser health club on their website, which has an 8 week program that you can download.

Come on - do it for yourself.

The ANZAC spirit

ANZAC day is a time for us as Aussies (and New Zealanders) to reflect on the sacrifices that were made by thousands and thousands of men and women, who fought, some died and others returned, never the same as when they left. Some ANZAC days just go by and I sometimes forget to reflect on what was done so that I could live so free. But today I made sure that I remembered, even for one minute, those men and women. It is something I really cannot comprehend and something I hope I will never have to endure.
I watched the start of the Essendon/Collingwood game today and they had John Williamson singing True Blue as some old diggers were ferried around the ground and I have to tell you there's was a slightly huge lump in my throat. What must some of these men seen? What stories could they share? What stories would be too hard for them to tell?

So these are my ANZAC day ramblings - probably not too coherent but I don't think war is too coherant and I don't think words are enough to express the gratitude I feel today towards all those how have and continue to serve our country.

Lest we forget

Born into Brothels

So I am back after a couple of days. Have been pretty busy around here. Whilst away from my blog, I realised how much I missed sharing stuff and couldn't wait to get back. But I also came to the conclusion that I don't want this blog to be just meaningless blah about my day to day life, cause frankly I am kinda boring and who would really care. I wanted this blog to also be a place where I could hopefully encourage people and inspire them to become better versions of themselves. I am hoping to do this by opening peoples eyes to what is out there in our world, and what we can do to make it a better place for our kids. I've already let you all know about Making Poverty History (and if you don't remember, click the white band in the top corner!)

But today I want to talk about one of the most amazing docos you will ever see. It's called Born into Brothels. Man, is this brilliant. It's a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York based photographer, gives each of these youngsters a camera and teaches them how to take pictures, simultaneously causing them to look at their world with new eyes. Their photographs are prisms into their souls, rather than anthropological curiosities, and a true testimony to the power of the indelible creative spirit.

It truly makes you want to be a better person and it shocks you into action to help fight for children like the ones in this film.

There is even a website dedicated to the photos that the children took and you can even buy prints of the photos. They are truly incredible children and so wise beyond their years. Find out more here at the Kids with Cameras website.

So do yourself a favour and go rent Born into Brothels. You'll be inspired!

Till next time

Diva fan

So I am here to declare that I am in love with Diva. The jewellery shop, that is. Love this store. If you have never been in one, you must go and check one out. But beware - you will not walk away empty-handed. Was at Chirnside Park shops today, just getting a couple of things for work and I decided to run in and check for any cool new stuff. I am really getting into jewellery now. Was never really a big jewellery wearer but lately I am becoming much girly - give me dangling earrings, and some funky beads, bit of make-up, some sexy shoes, a few skirts. I am really discovering the girly side of me. Anyway, have started to get a bit of a thing for dangly earrings. So go in, check out all the stuff - too much to choose from. But my bank account managed to get away relatively unscathed. Bought myself a pair of cute earrings for $9.95 and a pretty drop pendant which was $25 marked down to..... $3.50. Such a bargain that I bought 2 - one for me and one for Jessie my neice. So I think I may go back there over the weekend and have an even better look.

So fricken freezing today. Spent the day working from home - preparing for a retreat that I am running for the young adults at our church. It's in a couple of weeks. We are using the TV series 'Friends' as a theme so spent the morning working, by watching episodes of Friends for material to use at the retreat. Love the show so it was quite enjoyable to be able to watch it for work.

The reason I worked from home was so I wouldn't get disturbed, but the funniest (well I think it was funny) happened. Our house backs on to the back of a primary school and if I am home, I hear the bell go for recess and lunch, and can just hear the kids playing. I don't really notice it anymore cause I am used to it. But it was raining quite heavily, on and off throughout the morning and around 11am, the kids were obviously out for recess, all of a sudden there was a huge crack of thunderand a massive downpour and then about 3 seconds later I hear about 150 kids going 'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH' at the top of the lungs. I had a mouthful of tea and almost choked with laughter. I was just imagining all the kids running haywire, squealing at the rain and thunder. And here I was, in my warm house, in my trackies, with a cup of tea, watching Friends for work. Now that is what I call a good day at work!!

Sorry about the essay

Till next time

A Visit from The Tooth Fairy

So my niece Jessie has been staying with us for a couple of days (just to give mum a bit of break) and last night she lost one of her front teeth. She was soooooo excited. So I suggested that we write the tooth fairy a letter and see if she wrote back to us overnight. You see when I was little, I used to write a letter to the tooth fairy and there would always be a reply by my bed the next morning. So we proceeded to write the tooth fairy a letter and place the tooth carefully in a special little box I had lying around the house.

Well the tooth fairy came. And she left a letter and lots of fairy dust that fell off her wings. She even left her footprints on the letter. Jessie came tearing down the hall this morning, head about to explode, so excited that the tooth fairy had been.

Did you know the going rate for the tooth fairy these days is $2. Man, I got ripped off - I only used to get 20-50 cents!

Anyway, had a ball writing the letter and sprinkling glitter everywhere. Can't wait to be a mum one day. Loved how excited Jess got and how willing she was to believe in something she didn't actually see. PRECIOUS!

Good Mail Day

Came home from work today to find not one scrapbook magazine but two! Gotta love that. Grabbed myself a cuppa and got stuck into them. Only browsed through them so I still have plenty of reading. Did read one article in Creating Keepsakes though. Ali Edwards' Studio A. Gee I love this woman. She is a scrapping genius. She spoke about scrapping the everyday and she really inspired me to look around and take photos of more everyday things rather than events. So here is my first photo. The other night as I was putting our shopping away, I noticed that in our fridge we have a lot of different sauces. All in matching bottles. I thought it was kind of funny so I have taken a picture of it. I think it's kind of cool. I may even scrapbook the photo.

So here is a challenge to all those who blog and even those that don't. Take some photos of everyday stuff and scrap it. Let those who look at our albums in the future know that we had an addiction to sauce!!!

Beautiful Day

What a gorgeous day it's been today. Been out in the garden - doing some much needed maintenance. Weeding, raking leaves - you know the drill. Andrew's even out the mowing the lawns. Anyway, said I was going to post about some of the scrapping projects I have done over the weekend so here goes.

I am participating in a circle journal with some Aussie girls from the 2Peas website. For those who are not scrap orientated, a circle journal is a book you make up (a journal, as you will) with a theme - mine was The best advice. You then get together with 7-8 friends (who have also each made a journal/book) and you post them off to each other and each do an entry. At the end you get a book full of stuff from everyone else.

The book I have at the moment is a Family Recipes book and I have just finished my entries (see above). Some of the recipes already in there look soo yummy.

Anyway, this is some of what I have been doing over the easter break.

Happy Easter Sunday

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Easter weekend.

I feel sick already!!

Hoping to get lots of scrapping done today and tomorrow. Will post what I get done tomorrow.

Stay safe

Till next time

a GOOD Friday and a lazy Saturday

So Good Friday has been and gone for another year and my Good Friday for 2006 was awesome.

Started off at my church (Mooroolbark Salvation Army) for our Good Friday service. Man was it a good one. Best Good Friday service I'd been to in a long time. Really made me think about the sacrifice that was made for me. The crap that Jesus went through - the pain, the suffering, the humilation. For me. Mind blowing stuff. So it really hit home for me this year, all this stuff that I have known for my whole life, but not really known!

Then I spent the afternoon with some friends, scrapbooking, chatting, eating, scrapbooking, laughing. Had such a brilliant time. Love my friends. I really am blessed with fantastic friends and I have lots of them. May just have to do a whole other post on why I love my friends so much. Maybe next week.

Today (Saturday) Andrew and slept in till about 9:30 and then read the paper in bed - how lazy are we. First time I've slept in on a Saturday for ages. Then we pottered around the house, did the shopping, I did some more scrapbooking and now we're about to chill out and watch a DVD.

Hope everyone is enjoying this Easter weekend. Have fun, eat lots of chocolate (Lent finishes tomorrow - WOO HOO) and stay safe.

And take time to remember the real meaning of this Easter weekend and what that may mean for you.

Till next time

Scrap Studio Envy

So I have a little scrap studio envy. One of my fav scrappers (as some of you will know) is Ali Edwards. She has posted pics of her scrap studio on her blog (and I have reposted a couple here, but go check out her blog here)

How cool is this space. Love all the open shelving and baskets. Now I totally what to do over my scrap space.

Megan 101

So I thought over the next few posts I would share a few random things about myself that you may or may not know. Just so you can get to know me better and I have stuff to talk about!!

Fact #1 - I love all things African
Since going on a trip to South Africa in 2000, I have fallen in love with Africa. The people, the culture, everything. My home reflects this love of Africa. Dotted around the place are things I brought back from my travels there and also that I have picked up around the place over the last few years. The pictures above are of a painting I bought at a market in Cape Town - watched the guy paint then went back the next day and bought it. I love it. It's called the Dance of Joy and it makes me smile everytime I see it. The little carved ornaments I picked up at a roadside market just out of Johannesburg.

Fact #2 - I love to collect miniature perfume bottles
This is probably cause I love a lot of the expensive perfumes but can't afford to buy big bottles of all of them, hence the minis. But I just think the little bottles are way cuter too. I have a little collection of them that sit on the chest of drawers in my bedroom.

So there are the first two facts about me that you may not have known. I'll post more another day - you may not want to know this stuff, but too bad - it's my blog!

Till next time

Lions & Tigers & Bears - OH MY!!

Well not quite tigers and bears, but there were lions. Went to the Werribee Zoo yesterday, with the youth group from church. Had so much fun. It is such a brilliant zoo. You can get so close to the animals - I mean we were about a metre away from a real lion (through fencing, of course!) The safari bus tour was really good and gave us a chance to see some beautful animals up close. I have been on a real life safari in Africa a few years ago and this is just as good (if not better as you are pretty much guaranteed to get a good look at the animals!)

All the photos above were taken by Andrew and I - pretty impressed with how they came out. Had to throw in the silly one of me - just pretending to be a lion.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. It you haven't been to the Werribee Zoo it is totally worth the trip (it took us 1 1/2 hours but was so worth it!)

Pretty tired now though (had a busy weekend) and it's only Monday! Might have to get an early night tonight (Desperate Housewives isn't on) Although I could do some scrapbooking. Mmmm - sleep or scrapping. Such a decision.

Till next time

Inside Man & IKEA

So it was our 5 year anniversary yesterday (see post below). We went off to catch a movie at Eastland. We saw The Inside Man. It was brilliant. So well done. It's about a bank robbery. Didn't think it would be one I really enjoyed but I was totally surprised. You don't find out how it all happened till the very end. And the cast is absolutely stellar - Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, William DaFoe. Big name people! You all must go and see it. The only thing I had an issue with was when one of the characters used the disgusting 'C' word. Totally uncalled for - HATE that word!

Anyway, today Andrew and I went off to IKEA in search of a better CD storage unit. Love IKEA. Love storage. Love gadgets. Love how they have set up rooms so you can see what stuff is like. I definitely think I could live there. So many places to sleep, sit, hang and I could live off Swedish Meatballs!!

So Andrew and I found exactly what we were looking for (see picture above) and have just spent the afternoon putting it all together (the downside of IKEA - flat packed furniture!) and now Andrew is in his element, busily sorting and stacking our entire collection of CDs into their new home - in alphabetical order! So cute!

Anyway, sorry for the essay. Off to have tea with our friends Pete & Marina. Made a lemon meringue pie for dessert - YUM! Then tomorrow I am taking the youth from church to Werribee Zoo - should be stacks of fun - will post pics tomorrow night.

HAPPY 6th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO MY SCRAPPING BUD KATIE AND HER DARLING HUBBY BRETT. Hope you've had a fabo day

Till next time

5 years today

5 years ago my gorgeous hubby Andrew and I were married. We had the best wedding day - it was so much fun, lots of laughs, family and friends. It was the perfect start to married life.

Five years seems like such a long time, yet it's not really. So much has happened for us in that time and so much more is to come.

So just wanted to say that I love my hubby so much and don't what I would do without him. I am so blessed to have him as part of my life and hope that will be together for as long as we both live.

Off to have some dinner and catch a movie together tonight. We're celebrating our 5 year achievement!

A cold day at the beach

Today the craft group at our church went to Ricketts Point Beachside Cafe for lunch. They needed someone to drive the bus and that someone ended up being me. Actually had a really nice time. It was freezing but still beautiful and so refreshing to go for a walk along the beach after lunch. I love the beach - totally sucks that I live so far away from any so when I get a chance to go, I jump at it.
So that was how I spent this 17 degree day in Melbourne - wishing it was summer by going to the beach (and taking photos of course!)

Off to do some scrapping (have 8 LOs to do before I can shop again!)

Till next time

The scrap your stash challenge

So my good scrapping bud, Katie, has set a challenge on her blog to scrap 10 layouts from stuff you already have before you can go scrap shopping again. So I am taking up that challenge.
Here are my first two LOs already. 1st one is of some Christmas photos I've had lying around for ages. Star brad is MM, Patterned papers are Basic Grey, Cardstock is Bazzill. 2nd one is of my lovely husband Andrew. Title is MM jigsaw letters, prima flowers. Mini clipboard is something I made at SS all day scrap.

So that's 2 down and 8 to go. Hopefully I can get a few more done this week.

Thanks for the challenge Katie