#100HappyDays: Days 25-30

Yoyoyo.

We’re back! Welcome to the mundane existence of your work week. I DO hope it is a fantastic one. Here is the continuation of my #100HappyDays challenge. It is coming along very nicely but I must say it has become challenging to keep on. It takes dedication and recording, and I can really suck at both. Well, here we go!

Day 25:

I really like my family. They drive me insane as all family’s do, but I do love them quite a lot. Pictured here from my birthday dinner for immediate family was my sister, brother in-law, younger sister and her boyfriend, myself and my mama too.

Day 26:

The cafeteria was closed for lunch so I had a packet of NickNacks for lunch. Although not the end of the world, it did feel like breaking my diet, and I made sure to go for a run when I got home. I was entertained by some beautiful skies while jogging leisurely through our complex.

Day 27:

Reading some Nora Roberts, even though my 2016 reading list was waiting for me.

Day 28:

Got some lovely thoughtful gifts from a friend as a belated birthday gift, which is always awesome when you are reminded that people that you spend time with remember your dreams, as well as registering for a parkrun

Day 29:

Went for the parkrun (I really need to document these things). The 5km was not easy, I’m not going to lie, but I enjoyed the vibe thoroughly. I went for a movie and dinner with my little sister, and that, and the pictured cappuccino, made for a pretty decent Saturday.

Day 30:

Had a nice family braai at my sister’s house. We have changed so much and it is great – usually our plates would have been filled with carbs and meat, but we actively choose salads these days!

What made you happy this week?

February 1, 2016March 26, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 100 Happy Days, 2016, UncategorizedTags: 100 Happy Days, Braai, challenge, Family, Fitness, health, movie, Running, salad, Sisters, South-Africa 1 Comment

Motivation

I really like this. It can be applied to everything in life – love, happiness, finances, weight, everything.

So never give up, okay?

N

December 19, 2013December 4, 2013 by Natasha Categories: QuotesTags: Fitness, Franklin D. Roosevelt, motivation, Quotes Leave a comment

Life Lately

December is AIDS awareness month

Get tested. AIDS is not a death sentence if properly treated. South-Africa has some of the highest infection rates across the globe, so if you live here, it is essential to know you and your partner’s status. Getting tested means you are responsible and smart.

Catching Fire

Everyone is RAVING about it and I really need to watch it. Maybe I can catch it tomorrow. I really want to see how good it is, and have even reread the books to prepare for potential bitching.

Paul Walker

Death is something that reach us all, no matter our celebrity status. The world was reminded of that when Paul Walker tragically died in a car accident this weekend. His death is so incredibly sad. He died doing what he loves, and there should be some consolation there. I’ve always enjoyed the Fast and the Furious movies, and now I will always be sad when watching it – like seeing Heath Ledger in any of his movies.

Warrior Race

We went to support my brother-in-law and his teammates this past Saturday when they participated in the Warrior Race. My sisters and I are contemplating joining them in 2014, which means becoming extremely fit. It seems like a great thing to work towards to – I always need motivation and something to aim for.

Nelspruit

It is almost time to see my best friend in the whole wide world, Zoë. I can’t wait!

Vacation time

I’m going on vacation in two weeks. This year has been so long. I can’t wait to do absolutely nothing.

Book Challenge

I am busy reading my 72^nd book for my book challenge – Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts. It is a great read. The posts are relatively backed up, so I hope to catch up this week.

Best of 2013.

During the next few weeks I will post some Best of 2013 posts. Look out for it!

Unisa

Finally finished my exams last week. Now I am just waiting for good news and then it is registering for 2014. Rock on, studies!

December 2, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Books, MoviesTags: AIDS Awareness, Catching Fire, December, Exams, Fitness, Movies, Nora Roberts, Paul Walker, Warrior Race 1 Comment

Fitness

I have been feeling very icky lately. It is most certainly of unhealthy foods and little exercise. So I’m trying to get back onto the road for a little exercise!

Let me know what exercise plans work the best for you!

N

November 28, 2013November 26, 2013 by Natasha Categories: UncategorizedTags: Fitness, motivation, Weight loss 1 Comment

Weekend Motivation

“Take care of your body. It is the only place you have to live in” – Jim Roth

Have a good one!

N

November 15, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Quotes, WeekendsTags: Fitness, Jim Roth, motivation, Quotes, Running, Weekends Leave a comment

The best motivation for squatting EVER

Haha

Xx

 

November 13, 2013November 12, 2013 by Natasha Categories: QuotesTags: Channing Tatum, Fitness, motivation, Quotes, Weight loss 1 Comment

Weekend 11-14 October 2013

Friday

Friday night I babysat my friend’s daughter. She is six months old, and an absolute sweetheart. I am sure that she is the sweetest, most well behaved baby on this planet. She may be the reason that will convince me to have one of my own one day. Sneaky little thing, I tell you.

Saturday

Saturday we went to Gilroy’s brewery. It had the most wonderful atmosphere. The place was packed, and it was enormous fun. It is sadly too far away to go frequently.

I am really enjoying summer. The weather has been great – it is not scorching yet.

Watching

My new obsession at the moment is Friends. I am now at season two. I have seen bits over the years, but have never made a real effort to follow it. It is so amusing.

Reading

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. It is good, but I find myself vacantly staring into space sometimes. Perhaps it is one of those books who would have been great had it been better edited. Finished the second book last night, Frostbite, and took out Shadow Kiss to start on if I have time today.

Eating and Exercising

I have mostly gotten my outrageous need for food under control. Mostly. Some people tell me it is the heat; some tell me it is the frequent exercise. But the truth is, I need to plan my meals better then I won’t be hungry all the time. Starting today, I am eating better, and keeping up with the exercise, which is going great.

Studying

Exams are getting close – my first one is the 1^st of November. It is chemistry, so I am stressing and studying to the maximum. I try to put in at least an hour each night, and have so far been {mostly} successful.

Irritating

Men. In general. I’m sorry, but dating and relationships are just frustrating. Contemplated giving it up permanently, then remembered that I don’t want to be old with fifty cats and a bad attitude (I already have a bad attitude, just scared of the fifty cats)

Religion

Not a huge blogger on religion, but I have thinking about all the different types and what it means a whole lot lately. Am told that it is normal with my current age to question everything. So at least I am normal in the sense that I question everything. Will let you know my conclusions.

Charlie Hunnam is not Christian Grey anymore

He dropped out. I am happy because I love that man, and I loathe those books. Yes, Charles, you do not want to lose your badass persona from Sons of Anarchy because of this. No, you don’t

Block

Not feeling the writing bug today, which is weird since I had it the past two weeks.

Nearly voting time

In South-Africa, we vote around April. A relatively new democracy, SA hosts a bunch of the most ridiculous political parties you can imagine. The latest one now is the EFF, started by the suspended ANC youth league president Julius Malema. I cannot accurately describe the antagonism I feel towards this man. I have very ugly thoughts about him and his ideas. Read about the joke of the DECADE here.

To sound off, here is a motivational pic, because we all need it on a Monday.

(image source)

October 14, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Books, Reviews, Unisa, WeekendsTags: 100 books, Bloodlines, Book, Books, Charlie Hunnam, Dating, Democracy, entertainment, Exams, Fifty Shades of Grey, Fitness, healthy lifestyle, healthy-living, Inspiration, Julius Malema, literature, Men, politics, Reading, Relationships, Religion, Review, Reviews, Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy, vampires, Voting, Weight loss, Writers block Leave a comment

Weekend and the final countdown

IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

To what, you may ask?

My sister’s wedding!

Next week this time she is Mrs. Van Vuren, and happily on her way to honeymoon.

And I will have my life back 😉

Okay, I’m joking

Mostly.

This weekend my granny and uncle arrived from Mosselbay (East Coast, South-Africa). It is so wonderful to have them here. Our family, for various reasons, aren’t very close, and they will basically be representing our blood relations at the wedding. For that I am so grateful. I rarely feel bereft of family, because I have such good relationships with my sisters and parents, and I feel I don’t need much else. I also have so many good friends – they are true family. If I have to be honest, it is a bit strange having them in the house. By nature, I am not a talkative person – I will babble your head off if I know you, but other I am very shy.

I can also with certainty say I am not a case of being switched as a baby in a hospital – the resemblance between my gran and me is staggering – I am grateful, because I won’t grow into an old hag (I was hugely popular when I told my gran I now know I will age gracefully).

Saturday we practiced walking down the aisle. I still maintain I will strut down like a supermodel, but no one believes me. Hah. (I love my life, so I probably will gracefully glide down). Respect for my little sister – she was so sick and she still refused to stay at home and not practice. Well done little one!

Sunday night I received an email from someone I have truly forgotten about. It is one of those friendships that just died after school, and I am not sure it deserves a resurrection. Still, I will feel petty, childish and rude if I don’t reply, but as this friendship was fraught with drama, I can’t see how we can restart it. I wish someone could just tell me what to do, honestly. It is so difficult.

For such a busy weekend, I actually managed to an impressive amount of material. I finished Watermelon by Marian Keyes. I have been wondering about the missing link in the Welsh family series for ages, but never knew there was a book about the eldest sister, Clare. (I can hear you thinking that I should just have used Google). I enjoyed the book, but my favorite Welsh character remains Rachel from Rachel’s holiday. This book falls somewhere between my second and third favourite of the series. I am now really close to have read all Marian Keyes’ books. I think there is two left – I will see and read them. I really like her writing style.

I started on another Nora Roberts book – I know. It is one I read last year quite a bit. It is the first book in her Bridal Quartet series – the Vision in White. I love the entire series, and am now reading it through. It is fun and easy to read, which is just what I need right now.

I have taken a hiatus on Wuthering Heights for a few days. I am nearly done with it, but I am struggling. It is heart wrenchingly sad and depressing. I like love stories with happy endings, dammit.

Fitness and weight loss update: Just GUESS who lost 2kg’s last week?! ME! It is just amazing what happens if you don’t eat chocolate all the time and exercise properly. I am working really hard right now to maintain that loss, and even lose some more. I am now in a wonderful gymming phase – I am enjoying it. I think it is the warmer weather. Everyone seems to be in the mood for running if you take a look at the queue by the treadmills.

Unisa: I submitted my last two assignments this morning. The one is chemistry, so I really hope that the questions I think I did right, I did right. it is statistics all over again – I just want to pass. I can literally kick myself for not taking science as a subject in school. I can sense I will love it if it can just stop being so foreign and new – and it is my own damn fault. I have to seriously sit down and focus if I want to attempt passing in November. It is essential to pass, since most of my other subjects require me to do this properly. SIGH.

What did you do this weekend? I hope it was great!

September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Books, Reviews, Unisa, WeekendsTags: 100 books, Books, Bride Quartet, exercise, Family, Fitness, friends, Marian Keyes, Nora Roberts, Planning, Reading, Studying, Unisa, wedding, Weekend, Weight loss, Welsh Family, Wuthering Heights Leave a comment

What’s your excuse?

As South-Africans, we don’t have many people to look up to.

Here is one of the most inspiring South-Africans I have seen in a very long while.

Lucas Sithole

Winner of the wheelchair quad singles title at the US Open tennis tournament this year.

Lucas lost both his legs and an arm in a train accident as a child.

What’s your excuse for not getting off the couch again?

Have a good day!

N

September 11, 2013September 11, 2013 by Natasha Categories: UncategorizedTags: Excersise, Fitness, Inspiration, Lucas Sithole, motivation, Tennis, Weight loss 2 Comments

Weekend and stuff

This weekend was so busy. At the moment it feels that there will never be something like a quiet weekend again. It is just so crazy right now.

Friday I went to the gym, and then watched movies with my sister, whose fiancé went away on his bachelor’s weekend. She was stressed so we spent the night watching movies and series. We watched some 2 Broke girls, which is always ridiculously funny and stupid, and we watched Silver Linings Playbook again. It is probably the most messed up and accurate portrayal of most relationships.

Saturday we had my sister’s kitchen tea. It was really nice. I love when people just click and have great conversation when they just meet. I can’t wait for the wedding! Two week countdown. My gran and uncle are arriving this Saturday. It will be amazing to have them here with us.

 

Sadly, my book challenge went nowhere this weekend. Just had no time. I am still working through the most depressing book on the planet, Wuthering Heights, and also started on the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. So far, I can confess it completely unique and well written.

 

My dieting and exercise is just an uphill battle. I am exercising really well, but not seeing any results on the scale – no running away from a bad diet. I thought the wedding would motivate me enough, but alas, it hasn’t. I just need that final push to get my mind in the correct way of thinking.

 

What did you do this weekend?

Read my review on Silver Linings Playbook here.

September 9, 2013 by Natasha Categories: Books, Movies, Quotes, WeekendsTags: 100 books, Bachelors, Books, Bradley Cooper, Family, Fitness, healthy lifestyle, healthy-living, Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, Jennifer Lawrence, Kitchen Tea, Movies, Romance, Silver Linings Playbook, wedding, Weekends, Weight loss, Wuthering Heights Leave a comment