Providence Moved Already!

Hello sexy wordpressers! 💗 Rise and sparkle/smoulder! 🔅

I feel awesome this morning because I just finished a 30-minute HIIT and lower body strength combo workout and … it’s only 8AM 😀

So as I’m enjoying my morning cuppa, I am reflecting on the amazing fact that I am doing HIIT + strength workouts. It wasn’t too long ago when I truly thought I wouldn’t be able to do them again because … well because post baby I really had a hard time getting back into the workout zone. I tried several times, each time starting slow and having had to adjust my pace even slower … I tell you even a 20-min lower body Pilates workout would leave me sore for days. Pilates! 😭  (And my baby turns 2 this month 🤨).

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

But now let’s talk about this post’s title because it really is amazing what happens when you articulate your goals. Here’s the backstory in case you guys are interested.

So after the said post/backstory I sat my lazy arse down and proceeded to crochet, unconsciously adopting the mindset that I was gonna start working on my goals in January (because I’m a perfectionist and I’m fond of clean starts).

But then I thought … but it’s only September! 🤔 Why waste all that precious time? What can I do NOW to make sure I hit the ground running in January. (Because we all know there’s usually a lot of hemming and hawing at the start of something 😴).

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

Soooo …

Goal #4 is to find an outside interest that I could do regularly at least once a week. Preferably with a good chance of socializing.

Well, 2 Sundays ago I [finally] found a good Christian church that my family can attend every week. Mind you, this is no small feat considering we were looking for an English-speaking church. What’s even more awesome for me is that this church is made up of foreigners (like, 9 out of 10), so we have something in common right away.

Plus, they have Bible study classes for kids of all ages 😀 Score!!!

Goal #3 has something to do with my crochet & knitting hobby. It’s been a goal for almost a year now and I knew “something” was preventing me from moving forward.

Well, I finally understood what was standing in the way and it’s not what you think! 🤗 But it’s a long story and it’s about my chosen artforms so I’ve decided to talk about it in a separate post.

And as for goal #1? Well, I seriously & excitedly believe that my (sudden comeback) ability to do higher intensity cardio & strength training will help me achieve this in time. Maybe I’ll talk about this in another post too because getting to this place has been a real journey that I struggled both physically and mentally with.

I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

In any case sexy people, my message to you is this: start now. Don’t wait for January (but you can wait until Monday because I believe Mondays are perfect for starting something 😁 😁).

The start of something can be slow, filled with additional challenges & roadblocks that are usually unexpected and can undermine your efforts. I’m beginning to think it’s good to start something at the tail-end of the current year if you want to see real results by the following year. I don’t know 😏 maybe that’s just me 🤪.  But sometimes we start something in January expecting to see results in March and are frustrated that we didn’t meet our deadline. I think it’s because starts can be messy and you just have to account for it depending on your goal.

~~ oOo ~~

So okay, I’ve blabbed enough for today.

Thank you for visiting and reading and you can always give me warm fussy feelings by sharing your thoughts below 👇

Have a sexy one! 💋

Share Your World – September 25, 2017

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

I’m not an outdoorsy person but I 💖, 💖, 💖 just being under the night sky.

Every evening sometime after dinner or right before turning in for bed, I go out and just walk in leisurely circles  while contemplating life.  I stop to stare at the moon if there is one, or the stars, or I follow the lights of a passing airplane and then resume my circles while appreciating the peace and calm that envelops me.

At first I used to worry about what the neighbors would think because I’m not exactly walking for exercise or anything, just slowly going about in circles 😀 But after a while I assume they get used to it and move on to more interesting things 😁

I feel confined if I am not able to do this activity regularly enough.

In a car would you rather drive or be a passenger?

Passenger. I hate driving 😐 I have consistently answered this question “what would you buy if you won the lottery” with “a driver” for many, many centuries now 🙃 😉

If you could have three wishes granted for you alone, what would they be?

Hmmmmm ….

Ok, in no particular order, they’d be ~

• I’d give birth today, effortlessly, smoothly, safely, quickly … I’ve been feeling really fed up about the sleepiness, indigestion, heartburn and bricks-for-feet lately (among other 3rd tri woes 🙁🙁🙁)
• Everything I need to order online arrives by the end of the day, shipped absolutely free of charge
• I’d know how to speak Indonesian like the locals

What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week?  Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination. 

A recipe for an easy-peasy Microwave Nutella Mug Cake! 😍

Can you say “instant blockbuster“?! 😆 I don’t even have to call them to the table once the mug cake’s done, and I’m never met with a “no” when I ask if they’d like me to make some 😆

I just knew I hit gold when the hubs came home with vanilla ice cream last night (for topping), and the daughter volunteered to make it when I said I was feeling too tired for it 🤗

It’s super quick and easy to make, and the house smells divine to boot! Win!

~~ oOo ~~

Now what are YOUR answers?

Comment below 👇or go here to join the fun!

~~ oOo ~~

Macaques & Mittens

As a tribe of naughty macaques continue to pillage our rubbish bins daily — I’m sorry, I tried to get better pictures but they’re quick and don’t want their criminal faces circulating on the net — I look up to my most recent batch of laundry and giggle …

variety, where are you? 😄

I had pretty pink and angelic white in mind when we decided to start buying B3’s baby stuff.  I was armed with a list, with exact quantities specified.

So what happened between that and the (excessive number of) “uniform” pieces that I now have? And no, I was not planning on opening a baby clothing store myself!

Okay well ….

🌸 the store was hot and stuffy, we were the only customers at the time which meant all 3 (4? I dared not look) sales ladies plus the cashier were following us around. (Is it just me or do you also feel rushed along when sales ladies do this? 🙄)

🌸 every clothing meant for newborns come in that same carnival print

🌸 I saw some pinks and whites but each time I’d pick one up a chorus of “besar! besar!” (too big – for a newborn) would freeze my hand mid-air

🌸 turns out you couldn’t buy just 1 or 2 of each style (except for the onesies),  all the rest come in packs of 6

Look, even the swaddle blankets (top right) come in a similar pattern. I swear I’m going to have a hard time finding my baby amidst all those bears and balloons and what-nots! 🤣 The only things I got right according to my preferred color scheme were the mittens and booties, but now they are off-scheme 😆

Oh well, I don’t think B3 will actually care. Might even like it!

So what made YOU smile this week? 🙂

~~ oOo ~~

Click here to join the fun!

Odd-Photo Prompt #2: Self-Help

Sometimes, a group of words can come at such the right moment that I just have to take a screenshot of it for repeat reading throughout the day.

I don’t have a lot of these but since the words aren’t as powerful to me anymore, this is another one for deletion from my iPhone’s treasury of odd photos (and screenshots).

But before that, maybe some of you might like it too so here it is:

Odd-Photo Prompt: Brains In My Lawn

I’ve been going through my phone’s photo album and realized that, not only do I take quadruplicate shots, I take so many pictures of odd, random stuff 🤔 Do you do this too?

Most of the time I do it because it sparks an inspiration for a blog post … but then I never get around to writing about it.

I figured before I delete all this ‘junk’, why not use it for its intended purpose and maybe learn a few things along the way! 😁 (Nifty, eh?)

And so this week’s entry is the puffy puffball mushroom. Ta-daaaah!

I remember coming out the front door one day and exclaiming to my daughter “there are brains on our lawn!” because it was the first time I had ever seen such ‘growth’ 😄

In making this blogpost I’ve found out that these are called puffballs (mayhaps Calvatia craniformis). Puffballs vary in size from 3″ in diameter to the size of a dog. Some puffballs are edible, one way to identify these is to slice them open and see if the flesh is white and solid. However, it’s best to consult a professional shroom connoisseur to avoid death by  accidental shroom poisoning. 😨😨

When the puffball matures and is ready to spew its spores out into the world for the continuance of its species, it will turn brown and look like turd 💩

For our perusal, I have diligently documented this as well! 🤗

And this is our odd-photo prompt of the week, the puffball mushroom 🙌

Share Your World 2016 #30

With your answers, please remember we are in the SYW world which may not always match our reality.

Do you prefer a bath or shower?

A shower. Rain-showers included 💜 💜 💜

If you had an unlimited shopping spree at only one store, which one would you choose? Why?

Any store that has everything I love (books, yarn, fitness paraphernalia, interior decoration) and has pricey quality items preferably from all over the world.

Why?

Because this is an unlimited shopping spree people! As thus I want my purchases to be limited only by the strength of my dreams and my willingness to pull the items off the rack and into my cartS 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would that be?

Physically = 24, the time during which my waistline mirrored my age XD XD

Mentally and emotionally … hmmm, maybe 89? XD XD

List at least five movies that cheer you up.

Nacho Libre XD 💘 💘 XD

I know I’m supposed to name 5 but really, ONLY Nacho Libre has the power to instantaneously pick me up.  Just show me the winsome tandem of Nacho and Esqueleto and I’m already grinning!

I’ve even chosen this song as my official in-case-of-(singing)-emergencies song:

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week ~

Eve 💓

and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

Adam! LOL XD XD Seriously, I’m beginning another knitted sweater project, for my husband this time, and I’m trying circular needles on for size 😀 The (knitting) fun never stops!

And now what are YOUR answers? 😀 😀

~oOo~

Join the fun! 😀

~oOo~

Have a wonderful weekend, y’all! ❤ ❤

Today …

… I opened up some additional doors (creaky old ones I didn’t know could be opened any wider!)

… I did my yoga in another location (of the house)

… I did the laundry (all of it!)

… I cleaned up my online bookmarks

… I cleaned up my desktop

… I emptied my laptop’s recycle bin

… I cleaned up my email subscriptions

… I cleaned up my YouTube subscriptions

(MUAHAHAHAHAAAA!)

… I organized my underwear drawer (hello, pretties!)

… I organized my crochet WIPs

… I organized my small collection of ribbons

… I decided to throw away leftover yarn

… I did not put on music

… I wanted to listen to myself

Because last night I realized I will still be spending the next 7 months of 2016 here in my small, uneventful, unremarkable, beautiful but un-exciting corner of Indonesia.  Where I can’t even find English reading material. (Or have it shipped to me). There! I said it.

Oh. My. God. Look. At. Her. Butt.

… I also started a new daily habit: hair pulling.  Errr no, not hair pulling! Oil pulling. Oil. Using coconut oil.

… and then wrote frantically in my notebook.  Anything that came to mind.

Dear Lord.  I have to somehow find a way to make those 7 months count.

Bitch. Better. Have. My. Money.

Now what shall I do tomorrow?