Chooseday: Stopping Girl on Girl Hate

It's Tuesday again. I didn't post my Thursday for Friday post because . . .

Anyway it's Tuesday and it's my post on things I'm experiencing, if it's news or just things in my life and choosing to see the better side.

Recently the past few weeks I've been experience some girl on girl hating. It's what’s always happening but me and my sisters have retrained the way we react to other more powerful, successful, beautiful women. It came down to it, it all about “just because you blow out someone else's candle does not make yours shine brighter”.

Let's use shoes:

The battle between conservative and sexy (“Slutty”). This I see on my Pinterest. Motivational pins on how you should be free to express yourself as a woman. The very next pins is about being conservative and cover yourself.

If you choose to be conservative, don't come judge a girl who decides they like a spaghetti strap top. Just like she can't force you to not where your ¾ sleeve t-shirt.

This is who this conversation should go:

Black boot: Girl you look bangin' in your red bandage dress. You're a bad bitch.

Red Heels: And I love your beautiful navy cardigan. Slay sister slay!

Why be jealous of other women's success or beauty? Or be nasty if they are not? Especially if we don't even know them!

She's got money, dresses expensively, drives an awesome car and has a hot body. Normal reactions:

• It's her husband's money
• Her clothing account is probably so high. She looks cheap.
• Fake boobs.
• She probably doesn't eat.
• Not her real hair

Just congratulate. She probably has Britney's Work B*tch on replay. Hustling at her career, working like a boss at the gym and bought her own boobs. So what. What has her lifestyle have to do with you and how and why she has it all? Don't be a hater. New Reaction:

• Love your hair. Beautiful style and colour.
• Your style is fantastic. You know how to dress your body
• Your lifestyle looks amazing. I love your car.

Same with the other side. Not all girls have the same budget and WE STILL JUDGE THEM:

• Girl's a mess
• Look at her roots
• She's fat
• Is she going to eat all that food?
• Can't she spend a bit more money on what she looks like?

Again we don't know her situation. Maybe she is one of those creative types who are a bit eccentric. Ever thought that this girl may not have money or don't give a f*ck about what anyone thinks. It's none of your business. Make sure your own nails polish don't have any chips before you criticise someone else.

There is also weird vs. basic issue.

Weird like candy coloured hair, spike accessories, pierced faces, tattoos. . .

• Green hair is so disgusting
• Hello Goth grunge ended in the 90's
• Piercings look so disgusting. They can get infected.
• How can you get a job with tattoos like that

Humans are made to conform and as soon as someone steps out of your frame work of conformity we dislike them. They are ugly and unacceptable.

• Do you know how well the have to look after their hair to make that green last and look fresh?
• Have you ever looked how cool some of those girls' make up is?
• Have you looked at the artistry in their tattoos?
• Tell me you never looked at some of the ear piercings on Pinterest and considered piercing some cartilage.

Then there are the Basic/ ratchet girls. These are the girls who love pop culture and fall into the girl stereotype. I read up on urban dictionary that it's a female with unoriginal thoughts. Are we really going to call out girls who do these “unoriginal things”.

• Don't you like to show your nails after spending time making them seasonal or reflecting you personality?
• You've probably enjoyed some popular music. Even just a song
• Of course you never enjoyed a cup of coffee from a coffee house.

All in all it comes down to accepting yourself. We have to stop hurting each other because it's not making you better.

In the end we are all the same. Different shoes, all the same size. We all have dreams. We all have daily inner demons we battle with. The girl you called basic is dealing with depression. The girl you judged for having piercings helps at a shelter for abused animals. The girl you called fat is dealing with the loss of her mother. The girl you insulted for being good looking was a victim of child abuse. The conservative girl is an owner of a successful business who could offer you your dream job. And the girl with the short skirt lost half her weight and is starting to accept herself for the first time in years.

Don't judge, just love. Give a compliment. You've got beautiful eyes. I love your make-up. Hair is on point sister. What dress are you wearing? It's amazing on you.

Unless you've walked in her shoes, don't be hurtful.

How do you feel when another girl compliments you?

é

Choose-day: Making the best of load shedding.

No one asked for this. For my non-South African Readers: Our Power supplier can not meet the demand for power in our country so we have a “share power” schedule forced on us. I use the term schedule very loosely as there is more of a general time it might go off and on.

There are a lot of angry people out there and I would not want to be their social media manager. I personally love the hash tag Eksdom. Hilarious.

I want to give you suggestions on how to use this unplugged time to your advantage.

Read:

Yup. Sounds super obvi but do it. I realize some people find it to be a chore but read a book your interested in. There are really books out there for every person. Don't even read an adult book. Teen and young adult fiction has become more than Sweet valley high. . . In fact this is what FrancinePascal is writing now:

Exclusive books link

Draw: 

 

Get a B2 pencil, a sharpener, eraser and a book (a cheap one is about R18) and start drawing. Start easy by just drawing your hand. If you want to get good at drawing something specific search and print a how to before hand and practice. Link for pony. Link for Kio.

Many people are all like:”but I can't draw”. You don’t have to show your book to anyone. You don't even have to tell any one you are drawing. Even if you start by tracing and shading the picture or wringing your name in a creative way

Jonathan Harris

Get awesome candles:

Hit up Mr Price home. They have the awesomest range of colours and scents. I have vanilla, Espresso, Cinnamon, Gardenia, and the beachy Miami. Arrange them on a dinner plate. Check their bargain bin rack for single plates or serving dishes. Pudding bowls are also nice

 Feeling even cheaper? Buy a few shot glasses and cute coloured Costas candles. Just R17 for 6. I love the pink and purple. Why have the plain white standard 'We have no power' candle when you can have these pastel wonders.

Beauty it up:

Clean your nails and paint them properly. By that I mean actually waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next.

Do an oil facial with some olive or coconut oil. Do any face mask. You have the time to switch off and relax.

Start a journal:

Buy a really nice pen and start wringing. It's doesn't have to be a diary entry (tho' some people use twitter and facebook for that). I could be for your reference to see who you have changed or for inspiration, like a to do list.

Here are some ideas. Write about things you love, places you like to go or where you would like to be. Answer some questions about yourself. After these rolling black outs, pick a time to write. Every Sunday or before bed or while you are waiting for someone.

Also remember don't only limit your journal to writing. Draw a picture, add an inspirational article. Just keep it positive. Don't weigh yourself down with the deep shit. The world has enough of that.

What are your ways to keeping yourself amused when Eskom is unamusing?

#nowifi #nolife #eskdom

é

PFF ~ Creamed Spinach for Nozipho

This PFF (Post for a friend) is for Nozipho, Who was my co-worker of 5 years. She is also mother of Lifa, whom has become my little brother. (I love that little dude)

 

Nozipho,

Here is a recipe for creamed spinach. I put it for you onto the internet.You can't lose the recipe!!!

250g Spinach (Rinsed well)

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 tablespoon Flour

1 Cup Milk

Salt and pepper

1. Start by melting the butter and add the flour. Mix this together until it becomes dough while still over the heat.
   
   
   
2. Slowly add the milk. Add a bit and mix and a bit more and mix. If you add everything at once the sauce will have lumps. Boil it for 10 minutes.
3. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more milk, then flavour with salt and pepper.
   
   
   
4. Put your white sauce aside and cook the spinach. You can chop it up (I chop it up with the white veins) or you could steam the whole leaves an pull them apart later with the sauce (like my mother) (*note to other readers we steam the spinach in just a bit of water. Boiling it would destroy the leaves and ruin the colour and taste)
   
   
   
5. When the spinach is cooked add the white sauce.

Tips for you:

• It’s not called creamed spinach because there’s cream in it. It’s because the spinach is fine. But if you feel like getting a bit fat, you can add a touch of cream. A TOUCH NOZIPHO!
• If you are lazy to make white sauce buy this from Knorr
• When you are feeling even lazier but some of that frozen spinach
• I usually add a bit of Aromat to my sauce.
• You can add a bit of cheese, especially for my little brother.
• Add this to a boil potato for that potato at Zuppaninni.

Nonos let me know if you came right. <3

É(sther)

July Favourites 2014

My post have been slow as I have this wedding thing now. Here are some of my favourite things for July.

Beauty favourites:

Good stuff In Good Hands 2in1 Rooibos, Lemon grass & Ginger.

As the name states. . . it's good stuff. My sister got Raspberry body cream from them that absorbed so quickly. I immediately thought of them when I wanted to buy hand cream. I like Nivea's little blue tubs BUT hate the greasy, wet feeling on the palms of my hands. This stuff is just not the same.

Bonus: It's antiseptic. Perfect for germy work

Not so cool: That I forgot it at work and a co-worker decided she help her self to my hand cream . . . :-(

Get it at: I got mine at Pick'nPay but they have a section at Dischem as well.

Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo:

I bought the conditioner as well but the 'poo it what immensely impressed me. I have washed my hair since I was six. My fave 'poo's are TRESemmé Breakage Defence, Hands On B Blonde Silver Shampoo and when I now and then have my dry scalp moments I grab some good old Head and Shoulders from my sister.

This shampoo is next level. Have you every washed your hair with shampoo that you could put your hand through you hair JUST after you shampooed with NO conditioner? . . .

App Favourites:

My Fitness Pal:

It's a calorie counter but also measures your water intake and takes into account work outs. You can make yourself sick and beat yourself up and develop a mental illness with this app but I'm using it to make healthier food choices. It even calculates vitamin, fat, mineral and protein intake.

I upped my water intake and made better food choices and already lost 2 kgs in two weeks.

*PLEASE NOTE: I may have lost 2kg in two weeks but I've been using this app for 4 weeks. The first week I was awful. The second week I starved myself that also didn't work. I changed up my snacks and this week really started drinking water.

Download here

Battery Doctor:

Fitness Pal robbed my battery. Battery doctor kills apps. Problem solved.

Download here

Food favourites:

Slow cooked chicken:

Rotisserie chicken ain’t got nothing on this. My recipe is one whole chicken, Salt and pepper. Set oven to 100ºC. Salt an pepper the inside and outside of the chicken. Put in the oven and forget about is for 5 to 6 hours. Take it out of the oven. Enjoy.

Himalayan Pink Salt:

When you eat salt this is apparently the salt to have. It's has antioxidants. I used it on the chicken above. It has a little sweetness. And it's PINK.

Bought this at Checkers.

Living favourites:

Woolies Memory foam slippers:

Fuzzy and comfy. I always use to do the socks and slop thing for slippers (NOT OUTSIDE THE HOUSE tho') but my feet were never really warm. But these are amazing. It's got a short term memory or my feet are a shape they don’t want to forget.

Drinking more water:

Read what sweet Lauren has to say here and this woman's awesome experience here
Water bottle: BPA FREE Pure and Go Water bottle

Bonus: It awesome for your health

Not Cool: Peeing so much in the winter.


What's your secret to peeing in winter?

é

Haulling like a trucker

My hauling has become slower because of my wedding issues. I don’t twit as much either but when I did this is what I tweeted :

Full on Queen bedding from Mr Price Home.
 

I’ll be for reals with you. I don’t what I’m doing but I have inspiration and a Pinterest Board with a name : For the Home. I don’t have a house nor an idea what it looks like inside but I had to have 5 star hotel white bedding. It’s neutral and I can add any pop of colour. I also see it’s Aloe “infused” (there were anti bacterial ones too)


 Silk pillow case:

Everywhere I read about growing hair they recommend silk pillow cases. I bought this one also at Mr Price home for R39.95. (That awkward moment it’s the same material as your My Little Pony’s princess dress . . .)

Dischem add buys:

Dquip Facial cleaner: I enjoy YouTubing BubzBeauty and she raved about Clarisonic. I can’t throw my money at them because I enjoy eating and mascara. I picked up this at Dischem with my gran’s Christmas voucher (Last year’s was a NYX pallet). What a cool machine. My skin texture already feels different. I actually buffed out my one zit. It started getting red and ‘hatching’ but that thing just washed it out before it became an issue. Buy two AA batteries.

Basics heated eyelash curler: 15 years ago there were annoying infomercials with a heated eye lash curler. I bought this one. When it’s heats up, the rubber pads turn white. Don’t worry, it won’t fry your eye balls. I’m still out if I like this concept. I’m use to seeing through the curler so it feels awkward.

Compact mirror: Because Leopard print.

Gingerbon

Something about this sweet makes me feel super healthy. Maybe it’s the ginger, maybe it because I can actually understand what the ingredients are.

Have you tried any of the above products?

é

Make up is Easy – Basic as it can get

I took all the photos with my Samsung S3 mini to see how they edit BUT also falls into the easy theme of this blog. Recently I assisted a first time make up user to purchase her first items.

Now a lot of people think they have to buy the whole, Dischem, Clicks, Edgars AND Woolworths' make up, when all I need for basic face make up is this:

Garnier BB Cream

Essence Matt Fixing Powder

Powder Brush

Maybeline Great Lash in Lots of lashes

Lip Balm

First moisturise your face. I bought Clicks’ own brand Rooibos day Cream SPF15. It’s got sunscreen in it but isn’t greasy at all. Remember your neck needs some too.

Then apply your BB Cream. For first time make up users this is just the easiest. No need to test colours on your jaw line. It isn’t heavy. This specific brand blends so easy. I’ve bought a more expensive drug store brand that also changed shades to suit your skin before and it turned orange. What a disappointment.

I simply use the back of my hand to dispense the BB and apply it with my finger tips. Here you can throw your money at sponges, stippling brushes, foundation brushes, beauty blenders or what ever magazines tell you is the new must have foundation applier. I know each has their own merit but I’m just stripping everything back to basics. When I need to get my make up on quick I use my fingers. Natures applicators. 100% organic. Dispense a little at a time. You can always squeeze more out of the tube but you can't put it back.

Next is one of my favourite products. Essence all about matt loose fixing powder. With my Palladio powder brush I press the powder into my T-zone as well as the areas right next to nose on each side. Don’t dust, press it into the foundation. Dust the rest of your face lightly. This helps blending the BB cream as well.

Stop, It’s mascara time. As a teen I was IN deep deep LOVE with BLACK EYELINER. I didn’t have a boyfriend, I had an affair with black Kohl eye liner. Especially inside the waterline. I did not feel made up unless I had eye liner on. My mother always tried to steer me towards brown but how can I cheat on my black eye liner. These days I barely wear the stuff. I brush some mascara on my bottom lashes and that lines my eyes. Also read what the mascara manufacturer on application. With Maybeline I don’t have to wait for it to dry. I know some brands prefer another coat after it's dry. First time mascara buyer? I won't recommend buying waterproof. It's a real pain to remove. I also experienced that it got tacky and all my lashes would clump up together,

É's top tips:

• First time make up user? Buy a BB or CC Cream. It's light and super easy to apply. They aren't just beauty buzzwords. Every company has it's own little things it does but every one is easy to apply and match your skin.
• NEVER BUY A FOUNDATION WITHOUT MATCHING IT TO YOUR SKIN. Just don't. Weird orange glow, too pale, too dark. Please people, we need to stop this.
• Blend the foundation. Especially around your jawline into your neck. Make up is about looking natural with a touch of flawless. It shouldn't look like a mask.
• We all know the Moisturiser, Foundation, Powder routine. Try the moisturiser, Powder THEN the foundation. I know it sounds unnatural but check out Wayne Goss do it.
• Don't brush the powder on. Press it into your face. This is a trick to really set the powder to the foundation.
• Mascara your bottom lashes first then the top. I found it just works better that way around.
• Made a mess on your eyes with mascara? Take a small brush or cotton ear bud and dab a little foundation on it and correct your mistake by dabbing on the spill over.
• Remove your make up every night. Trying to put fresh mascara on yesterday's coat is impossible. It's just not good for your skin. If you enjoy break outs . . . be my guest and say hi to you wrinkles for me.

Higher Grade tips:

• Whip out your eyelash curler. Heat it with your blow dryer and curl away.
• When I have spare time I like to apply my foundation with a stippling brush. I don't have the cash to buy one so I bought a cheap make up brush set and use the blush brush to stipple and blend it.
• I sometimes line my eyes on the waterline with a white eye pencil. Especially when I feel tired. So I can at least look awake.
• Gel your eye brows. Seeing as it's on trend at the moment and I'm lazy. I just shape my eyebrows with Essence eyebrow gel.

What's your 'easy make up' game?

é

That time I went to . . . travel on the N3

I had the privilege of going on a vacation this year with my family. Because of the high cost of flying down and renting cars and tradition, we drive down.

Here are my items I need for a road trip:

Full charged cellphone:

On this you can update your social media, listen to music, Candy crush. OR when you get stuck or lost it an invaluable tool.

Jacket: I love my Woolworths leather jacket. I use to be a huge hoodie wearer but the jacket is just more on point.

Hair clips or ties: With the tropical climate form about Pinetown it's pretty humid. I like to keep my hair out of my neck. It's easier to deal with when it's out of the way.

Sun Glasses: I can almost guarantee you that if you drive as early as we do (04:20 get up at 04:00) that you will look crappy at 10:00. Not only do they protect your eyes from the sun, it protects your identity.

Sunscreen: I don't want my arms burn even before I hit the beach.

Lip balm: Pictured is my trusty Zam-buk. I just love the stuff. I use it on bite marks, scratches, what ever.

Camera: I charged all the batteries and cleared the memory card.

USB Stick: I added a whole bunch of music on it for everyone to enjoy (Be sure for everyone because we had an awkward situation with Jay Z a few years ago.)

Hand cream and Hand sanitizer: so needed. My face and hands feel so dry coming back up to GP. Going down to KZN everything seems to get a bit greasy. We always a have some snacks so it's always awesome to clean your hands.

Water and Snacks: I made the mistake of not drinking enough water and the next day I felt hung over. That's exactly what dehydration does. Drink water regularly. Have a snack or few as well. For some unexplained reason I'm always hungry at 5 when I wake up at 4. Some dried fruit or energy bars.

é's top tips

• Follow @n3route on Twitter. They update weather conditions, road works and accidents.
• Stretch at stops and stop regularly. We have the most fun at stops. Drink a coffee, buy a magazine.
• Remember that your vacation started! Breathe deep and relax.
• Take photos. My best funniest vacation photos are ones we've taken on the road.
• Remember to drink water. I did say that above but I can't stress it enough. I didn't and I felt hung over the next day.

What do you do/ need for an excellent road trip?

é