Re-evaluating New Years Resolutions

I know what you're thinking. "Uhm... it's already June, Lynette. Way too late, or way too early, to start thinking about making a list of those again."

The thing is, I get really inspired to tackle new interests and hobbies when I know I get a brand new year to make it happen and do it right. Although, after the first couple of months all those new year resolutions fade away and I find myself saying. "Nah, I'll start saving next year" or "I'll sign up for the gym some other time".

I think June is a good month to re-evaluate those resolutions that you felt oh so excited about. Here's my chance to get inspired again.

1. Cook more often

I'm proud to say that I've stuck with this one; still not a whiz in the kitchen, but i'm learning, and enjoying cooking delicious food. I'm actually cooking lunch for my boyfriend tomorrow. What's on the menu? Chicken pot pie, made from scratch, with a green salad; something simple, yet delicious. For dessert, I'm making decadent chocolate brownies.

2. Shop less ... or shop smart

Uhm... let's just move to the next one?… Okay, so I haven't gotten around to this one, since I still have a MAJOR shopping addiction. From clothes to shoes, to home decor to food. Everything pretty, I have to have. And yes, I blame my shopping addiction on everything and everyone else. Denial?

3. Learn how to play tennis

My brother and his fiancé joined the airline industry last year, and we are fortunate to live in the same building. My brother is a pro at playing tennis, and as soon as the weather cools down a bit he is taking me and his fiancé for a tennis lesson. I am super excited and a tad bit nervous at the same time. The last time I held a tennis racket, it somehow ended up hitting me in the face, leaving a print of little blocks on my forehead. True story.

4. Read more often

Yes, I have been reading a lot more this year and I'm still going strong. I'm currently on the last book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It's definitely a fantastic series and I'm looking forward to finish it, and then find a new inspirational book. Any suggestions?

5. Work out and eat healthier

Nope, still not working out, and still not cutting out McDonalds. Ask me this question again in a few months, and maybe I'll have a different answer. Maybe not...

6. Save money

This is a tricky one. It's no secret that I love spending money. However, I never find myself without money. I give freely and help people out who need that extra penny. I probably should save more and invest, like the "grown ups" say. So this is definitely my biggest challenge for the next couple of months. I strongly believe in giving a 10th of my salary to whoever needs it. Whether it is a charity organization, or a family member in need. It's important to give, and in return you will receive an incredible sense of well being. For the leaner months, a bright smile will do.

How are you all doing with your New Year's Resolutions?

May Fashion Purchases 2012

I may have mentioned before that I slightly, kinda, really LOVE shopping; from beautiful floral dresses to skinny jeans, light blouses and lots more! 

My favorite May fashion purchases:

I am a huge fan of ZARA. It's light, playful and fits perfectly every time, with no need to even try it on. Although it's summer here in the UAE, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), it's always smart to carry a light jacket or blazer for indoors where the air conditioning threatens to give you frost bite. So this is what I purchased from ZARA this month:

ZARA blue patterned blazer

I thought this patterned blazer is so interesting. Had to have it!

ZARA dress

The dress is just beautiful. Dress it up with heels and it's perfect for date night, or wear sandals with it and you are ready for a casual day out with the girls.

ZARA blouse

ZARA blouse

ZARA blouse

These blouses are all so soft and chic. Super light and fits perfectly! 

ZARA TRF sandals

The sandals are from Zara's TRF collection. I love them and wear them almost everyday.

Wedges from SPRING

I stumbled upon these beautiful wedges at SPRING. I bought them immediately and in both colors. They are super comfortable. Dress it up with a summer dress, or wear them with you favorite pair of skinny jeans.

CHANEL Chance perfume

This summer I'm taking a chance on CHANEL. See what I did there? Like my entire collection at home, Chance from CHANEL is super fresh and light. Absolutely perfect for summer. 

Schwarzkopf Perfect Mousse permanent color

 
I enjoy experimenting with hairstyles and colors, although I always tend to go back to my favorite, which is red. It may seem daring, but I think it suits my fair skin, freckles and green eyes. More likely a winter hair color, but it makes me feel confident and playful. 

Now for the shocker; I color it myself! Schwarzkopf makes it really easy with the new DIY Mousse Hair Color. I'd definitely recommend it.

Which of these do you like best? And did you buy something this month that you absolutely love?

My Biggest Pet Peeves!

In general, I see myself as a very happy and accepting person, who loves people and try to understand situations for what it is, and why people act the way they do. Getting irritated from time to time is normal; however I came to realize that ever since stepping into the real world, it's usually the same things that really tick me off.

1. Toddler beauty pageants

In my day, it was heaps of fun; putting on a dress, yet still barefoot, and parading down a catwalk, which mostly consisted of wooden planks, decorated with flowers. We answered questions like, "What is your name and your favorite game to play?" It was appropriate because we were only 7 or 8 years old after all. These days, I don't know which is worse; the tiny little human beings painted with more makeup than a clown, or the scary pageant moms. They compete for trophies and money, with so much pressure from the scary pageant moms. Aren't they supposed to be outside playing on a swing set like any normal child their age?

2. Noisy chewers, especially gum

I don't care who you are or where you are from, it IS considered rude to chew out loud in someone's ear... and with your mouth open at that. Gross!

3. Attention-seeking status updates

There seems to be so many social portals these days, where you let your friends/family/strangers know what you've been up to. Where it's intended to be fun and interesting, you still get people who see a status update as a chance to seek attention or complain ALL the time. A recent Facebook status read: "why does this always happen to me *sigh*…". Then someone will comment: "what happened" only to get a reply like: "i cant say" or "ill inbox you". STOP putting your life dramas on status updates just to get attention. And what is the *sigh* about?

4. Animal-like yawners 

Yawning is normal. And, bonus, you were blessed with two hands to cover your mouth when a yawn happens. Maximum one hand required for this action, actually! No one wants to see whether you still have your tonsils or wisdom teeth. 

5. Combining of celebrity couples' names:

Tomkat (Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes), Brangelina (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie), Bennifer (Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez) Apparently, according to gossip mags' writers, the shortening of celebrity names intrigue the readers more to read the article. I just think it's stupid.

So, these are my biggest pet peeves. What are yours?

Hotel Secrets

Being an air-hostess, I travel a lot. And by "a lot" I mean sleeping in a different hotel every other day, meeting hundreds of new people every week and trying to remember my current hotel room number. Staying in hotels so often, I've learned many helpful things, and I'd like to share my tips and tricks with fellow flight attendants and travelers.  


1. Knock, or else - Now this may sound crazy, but when you reach your assigned hotel room, knock! Don't just swipe your key card and enter. Here's why; hotels often do double bookings and the last thing you want to find after an exhausting trip is a hairy old fella doing naked yoga in your room.  Yep, that's happened.  


2. Laptop light - When you've located the light switches and figured out how they work, please let me know.  From turning nobs to flicking a switch, from touch screens to inserting a key card... I have officially given up and rely on my laptop light to find my way.  


3. Don't forget your stuff - The in-room safe is very helpful, especially if you have valuable items to keep safe when you head out. But it has happened numorous times where people check out and forget about those items. Here's what I do; store something of absolute need, like your work shoe, with your valuable items. You can't leave your hotel room and go to work with only one shoe on; that way you'll remember the rest of your items.  


4. Be lazy, and save money - No one wants to go out and buy groceries when you just arrived from a long trip. So feel free to indulge in the most expensive beverage and snack items in that minibar. And then, before you check out, find the nearest 7/Eleven and replace those items. Score! 


So there you have it. Happy "hotelling". Yep, that's a word I just made up.

A picture of my day

As i've mentioned before, I work as an air-hostess and on my days off, I am back in Dubai in my apartment that I share with my best friend. Today has been a typical lazy day, sleeping till 10, going to the supermarket to stock up on snacks, and hitting the pool with my brother and his fiancé, who I happen to introduce to people as my other sister.

We had a great time in 40 degrees Celsius, tanning, swimming and floating around on our lilo's. After that, we went to the mall for lunch, had delicious burrito's, with a giant Coke, and a "little bit" of shopping afterwards. Here's the deal; I have a major shopping addiction, which I don't have under control, despite what I may try to convince you of. But my sister asked me to get her this really cute dress at H&M, I tried it on myself, and next thing you know, i'm at the check out counter buying one for myself with a matching ring and handbag and shoes and ....

Lets get back on topic; tomorrow I am going on a 6-day trip, so most of my evening consisted out of packing, cleaning up my room, doing a bit of laundry and catching up with my roommate. And that wrapped up a pretty awesome day.

And yes, this is how every day off goes down here. Except for the ones where my lovely boyfriend is home. But more on him later. I love my job and that I get loads of time off. I am truly blessed with amazing people living close by, whom I get to share all these amazing sunny days with. Whats everyone else been up to?

A picture that makes you laugh

"Come on kids, lets hop on the couch, scooch together and show of our blindingly colorful and over-sized Crocs!"

I don't think I even have to say anything? Not only do these clown shoes get bigger and brighter by the day, but they come in different styles now! Aaaaahhh!!!

Why? Numerous articles and reports confirm they are not healthy, nor comfortable, instead they make squeaky sounds, you look like an idiot, they don't go with anything and they don't even up your level of cool. And quite frankly, they scare the crap out of me!

What happened to good old fashioned flats and sandals? (Which are actually in proportion with your feet.) Sometimes, when hanging out at the Starbucks downstairs from my apartment, I count the amount of Crocs parading past me. This is not something I'm particularly proud of, but never fails to give me a good laugh.

A picture of the cast from your favorite show

It's obvious to everyone who knows me that FRIENDS has been my favorite TV show for as long as I can remember. I don't even have to consider or think about this one.

When it still aired, I could be found, along with most of the town, glued to our couches, waiting to discover what the writers came up with, and how funny the cast will act it out. From hysterical laughter to Ross & Rachel's break up's, it always made for great TV; it even made you feel that you were a part of it.

One of my most exciting memories was the day my brother came home from working on a cruise ship for 6 months, and he surprised our family with the entire series. Needless to say, no one could get any action out of us until every episode was watched, replayed and discussed. 

It was sad to watch that last episode, which was all everyone could talk about for days. The perfect ending; the cast hanging out in Monica & Chandler's apartment, they leave, and the camera zooms in on the photo frame that's been on their door since forever. The music gives you chills, and before you know it, everyone's in tears!

Since then I have only managed to find a few really good TV shows that I love. My favorites include, Modern Family, How I met your Mother, CSI Miami, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy and New Girl. Care to share yours?

A picture of yourself with 10 facts

1. I grew up in a typical small town in the country side of South Africa. I have a big family where I consider my friends and their families as part of my extended family. We all grew up playing in the streets, riding our bikes and using our imagination to make everyday an adventure. My mom and dad are really cool. Mom used to bake delicious cupcakes and dad had this special whistle, which every kid on our street recognized as the end-of-our-play-day whistle. It meant, dinner's ready! We grew up happy and carefree.

2.  These days I work as an air hostess for an international airline. Seeing the world and the people living in it broadened my mind and horizons. We tend to focus on ourselves more than we should and neglect those around us. I had a major mind shift and now embrace every culture and every moment.

3.  My favorite color is white. It's happy, light, positive and goes with everything!

4.  The first movie I ever saw in the cinemas was "Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs". It was the most exciting event, as it meant the popcorn was never ending, and a giant soft drink that had to be held with two hands, and endless candy! I was very young and don't remember much of the movie, though I remember the experience and how happy I felt! Naturally I'm still a big movie fan, and enjoy everything from action to rom-com, and sometimes even something scary.

5. I have freckles on my face, mostly across my nose and lightly on my body. (Although, not in a scary way like Lindsay Lohan's...). When I am in the sun, my freckles go out of control!

6.  I love going to the beach; I enjoy the summery feeling, the smell of water and the feeling of soft sand under my feet. I also own more bikini's than I'd like to admit.

7.  My first language is Afrikaans. Now that I live abroad, English has become my most spoken language. Yet, I tend to mix up grammar and pronunciation all the time; don't even get me started on spelling! I'll just say that I use English in my own unique way.

8.  I love making lists! From grocery lists to holiday lists. I make them, read them, get really excited about them, and never look at them ever again or follow them.

9.  I love life. I feel free and happy living it. I treasure happy moments, grow stronger from sad ones and strive to embrace every moment given to me.

10.  My mom once came to visit me abroad. I sent her to buy milk from the convenient store downstairs for tea, coffee and cereal. She returned an hour later with a bag of Lay's chips (lightly salted) and a 2 liter can of pink strawberry milk… she's awesome!