This and That...

recently.

HOME
Life is quiet on the home front. I'm not a winter person, I hate the cold and tend to become bear-like, not the grouchy bear kind but the hibernating bear kind! In saying that, I do love my winter clothes much more than my summer clothes. I'm all about, jeans, jackets and boots. While hibernating at home, I have been doing lots of cleaning, sorting, organising and rearranging, all due to my new found energy levels. The Cowboy and the Cats are quite perturbed by my sorting, organising and rearranging. It's good to keep everyone on their toes, and paws...

Diary and Planning and Lists

Rearranging

These two hate change

SCHOOL
This term I am working almost three full days and now have 18 children in my Writing Enrichment groups. It's fast and furious. They come in groups of three for 30 minutes a time, three days a week. I probably say this every time, but I really do love working with them. They are cute and it is so rewarding to see them progress and to gain confidence in their writing ability, range of vocabulary and oral language skills. It's so funny to hear them using their new-found words, they are big on the word 'pizazz'!  I don't miss being in a full class...until I visit one and then I do, but I'm not sure why - haha! Because of my increase in hours, I am now at school for both breaks and it has made me realise how much I missed spending time in the staffroom with friends and colleagues. It really helps that I am able to communicate again haha!

READING

I have got a bit behind with my book club reading. The June book was From Darkest Skies by Sam Peters. It was late arriving from Book Depository and then I struggled to read it. It's a futuristic story which is not a genre I normally enjoy and I just could not get into and eventually stopped reading it, which is most unlike me. I forgot to order the July book, Once upon a Time in the East by Xiolu Guo so missed that discussion! August's book is All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg which arrived on Friday along with July's book which I ordered at the same time. Now to read the August book in time to participate in the online discussion. Goodness, so much pressure in reading, that I put on myself!

WATCHING

After months of binge-watching, all sorts of action, suspense and violent shows we came across Schitt's Creek and binge-watched the two seasons. At first, I wasn't sure but it quickly grew on me. The character development is wonderful and the entire show is absolutely hilarious. I had a period of mourning once it had finished but fortunately, it has been renewed for a third season and also a movie. It's so annoying when you get into watching something and am left with a cliffhanger and lots of loose ends only to find it hasn't been renewed for another season.

FOOD

I've been cooking! Comfort food like soup, casseroles and curries. Last week I set myself a challenge, to cook a new recipe each week. You know, put my cupboard of recipes books to good use. Anyway, we have had Lamb Rogan Josh and Beef Ragu, both from Chelsea Winter's Scrumptious recipe book. Both dishes were, well, they were scrumptious!

Lamb Rogan Josh

Beef Ragu

FOLLOWING

Now, you must follow DreamPuffBakes on Instagram. Heidi is a former student of mine. She is only 13 years old and is a future patisserie chef. She creates the most wonderful edible confections of which I am able to testify to the deliciousness of her work. Heidi is also an incredibly talented hip-hop dancer and is the sweetest, bubbliest person ever! Go and show Heidi some Instagram love by following her!

Marshmallow Caramel Slice - DECADENT!

I may have had three slices of this...

Randomness

• Health - Amazing, I am going to do an update soon.
• beautyreview.com - I recently trialled some new skincare products and will share my reviews soon.
• Pixi by Petra - I ordered a cleanser and toner and am obsessed!
• I bought new bowls over the weekend so that my recipe challenge photos are more aesthetically pleasing. The Cowboy asked if they are like the show pillows on the bed!
• Kindness - One of my teacher friends brought me back this divine bag from Singapore. I really felt overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness and kindness and I absolutely adore the bag.
• The Princess is a real live teenager, she rolled her eyes at me twice on Saturday. I laughed!

beautyreview.com trial

Obsessed!

New Recipes = New Dishes

I'm sure I had more to share, but I have left This and That for so long that I have forgotten! Haha

Thanks for reading.
Rachaelxo

This and That...

this week.

HOME
The Princess and I finally finished clearing her room. We left the hardest thing for last, her wardrobe and china cabinet. What a job! We carefully wrapped everything in bubble wrap and tissue paper and itemised each item, cataloguing who gave it to her and the occasion. She has lots of things that have been passed down to her from great-grandmothers and lots of beautiful treasures that have been made for her. One day she may want to pass things down to her own children and her cousins' children. I told her it is her responsibility to do so, she looked thrilled. Not!

Some of her precious things were absorbed into the house, such as a beautiful handmade cross my Mum brought her back from Armenia. We popped it into a frame and added it to the cross wall. Funny story about the cross wall, one of my students visited me at home last year and asked why I had lots of T's on my wall-haha

I had angst doing her wardrobe as it was the last of the 'little girl' stuff in her room, she, on the other hand, had no such qualms! 

The Cowboy bought an atomiser last week whilst picking up his prescriptions. It changes colour and matches our fake KMart candles in the living room. We have eucalyptus in it, for our health, of course.

The After. The Before housed a china cabinet, clothes squished into a corner, stuff on the shelf and boxes on the floor. Her shoes didn't actually fit in there. Girly, she is not.

Real life is crooked. Don't worry, I will be getting my spirit level
 out tomorrow and realigning myself.

Armenian Cross

fakery

SCHOOL
The first week of Term 2 is done and dusted. I am loving being back and am really enjoying the little people I work with. Their enthusiasm is infectious and they are hilarious without meaning to be. This week I introduced them to my 'pizazz' words (oral language - words of the week) which are lovely big words that make their writing sparkle. When we talk about the 'pizazz' words we mime sparkles with our hands. So cute! 

READING

I finished reading the Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi and can't recommend it enough. Such an incredibly powerful and moving story. I participated in my first online book club discussion at 6am NZ time one morning. It was so good and I didn't feel out of my depth as the questions were generally opinion based so I was able to contribute quite well, plus I had time to think about my responses. The May book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which I am hoping arrives from Book Depository this week. In the meantime, I am reading The Spaghetti Giraffe which I saw on my Associate Principal's desk and borrowed. It's quite a different read to the Book Club novels haha

WATCHING

Our latest Netflix binge was The Sinner. If you love a good thriller/mystery type story you need to watch this. It is an incredibly well written and well-acted series which twists and turns in every episode and just when you think you have it figured out it changes again. 

Don't judge me but I am also obsessed with watching 'How do I Look' on Bravo from Monday to Friday at 3.30 to 4.30pm. I love a good makeover!

FAMILY
The Cowboy is on his second lot of antibiotics. This chest infection has really knocked him around.
My Mum and one of my Aunties have been in Auckland staying at Domain Lodge while my Aunty has some treatment at Auckland Hospital. They came for a visit on Friday, it was so nice to see them and fun and I loved seeing what they had bought for their latest craft projects. The bonus was they brought down a big bag of Feijoas for the Cowboy, who loves them, I don't, and homemade pickles and relish made by the Aunty. Her beetroot pickle is the best, I have been spooning it, read that as heaped and plural, onto my frittata for the last two nights!

FOOD
It was the Cowboy's birthday on Anzac Day (25 April) and because he was so sick we stayed in. I cooked him a nice dinner, steak which I marinated using this Chelsea Winter Teriyaki Marinade. It was for chicken but worked well for steak. I must make the chicken dish though, it looks so good!I used to have a fabulous Teriyaki marinade recipe that I got from a lady way back in my past called Mrs C. It was the best, but I have lost it. Grova, if you are reading this, try the Chelsea Winter one, I reckon it's close to Mrs C's.

a really good girlfriend would have made ganache and decorated with raspberries. Mine is the slack girlfriend version.

I also made this enormous Annabel Langbein chocolate cake. Mine was enormous because I didn't have the right size springform tin so I cooked it in my 25cm one. It was too easy, put all the ingredients in a bowl, beat, pour and cook. I didn't make the ganache icing or decorate with raspberries, instead, I did plain chocolate icing and one candle haha. It was still really good though.

FOLLOWING
I love following travel vlogger/Instagrammers and the best by far is this girl here, findingx. She is super clever, super funny, super gorgeous, has a super obsession with cheese and does life super well. I may be ever so super biased because she is actually my god-daughter! Seriously though, she puts so much into her content, and what I really love is she doesn't do the ordinary. Last weekend she glamped in a treehouse tent. Amazing! And you really want to check out her Iceland photos and stories. Incredible!

Last time she was in NZ she visited and I grilled her about behind the scenes of her travels. It was fascinating and an eye opener as to how much time, energy and personal expense goes into what she does. She also has a full-time job!

You can find Alexx on Instagram and on her website.

God-daughter, I hope you don't mind that I stole your photo xo

RANDOMNESS
I finally got around to dyeing my hair so don't need to 'Spray away the Gray' for a few weeks.

I also bought this 'device' because after my hair stylist cut my hair she gave me lovely big wavy curls and I want to replicate them. I researched first because that is what you do when buying a device and this one had the best reviews from real life ordinary people like me! My hair device came from Farmers, reduced from $70 to $30, I do love a good bargain!

Oh, and the L'Oreal Sugar Scrub I talked about last time. I used it last week and did it all wrong. I scrubbed without wetting it and aggravated my skin. I now have big acne type breakouts on my 53-year-old face. Great!

My new device.

THE WEEKEND
Is it sad that the highlight of my weekend was buying a new front door mat and glowy spring pegs for my laundry and that both items make me very happy!

My life happiness comes from a doormat

As my 7-year-old students would say,"have an amazing week".

Thanks for reading.
Rachaelxo

Where it's at...

2017 panned out to be the crappiest of years. The Cowboy and I, and both our families had some really traumatic stuff happen. It felt so good to kick 2017 to the curb and start afresh!

Family things aside, the year passed in a blur of appointments and therapists, routines and exercises, binge-watching Netflix shows with the Cowboy and not remembering what I had watched the night before, discovering makeup videos on YouTube and finding it strangely soothing watching people apply makeup, good days and bad days and just life.

This year has been crazy busy so far, especially the month of March, where we had birthday celebrations for what seemed like all month long, including the Princess turning 15 and the Cowboy's boy turning 21. 

My cricketing Cowboy in batting form.

The Cowboy himself plays cricket (not for Australia - haha) and for the last year or so has been practising hard and talking a lot about getting his match fitness up to par. He really loves it, but oh my goodness I never realised what a dangerous game it is. He always seems to be bruised, I'm talking massive bruises, sprained, torn, twisted or 

broken in or on some part of his body. Anyway, he is currently away for the week with his team, the 'Never Weres', playing in the 'Golden Oldies Sports Celebration 2018' cricket tournament in Christchurch. He is having a lot of fun but the injury reports being texted to me are increasing on the daily. 

This girl, who hates her
photo taken, turned 15!

It is really strange being home alone. We realised I have never been in this house alone. In saying that, there are some things I am really enjoying such as the free reign of the TV, the towels remaining straight in the bathroom and closing the windows and curtains when I want to. The Princess comes home from her Dad today and the Cowboy comes home on Sunday and I really can't wait to see them both. 

From dark furniture and a gallery wall
to white, bright, clean lines.

We have slowly been working on turning the Princess's room into a sophisticated teenage girl room. This has involved sorting through her belongings and passing things on that she no longer needs or has outgrown, stuff she has had since at least 4 years old! She does not have a hard time letting things go whereas I can find sentiment in anything!

How can I part with it,
it has sparkles and fur!

I have also been working on sorting my wardrobe out my Mum will be pleased) and seriously culling my clothes. I have things in there that date back to pre-Princess that I am struggling to part with. There goes that sentiment thing again or is it just hoarding tendencies? 

I'm making some really good progress with the Post Concussion Syndrome thing. While I'm still symptomatic when I leave the house, my tolerance is far greater and once I adjust to a new environment and am not too fatigued I cope well. 

What's really nice is people at school telling me how much better I look and seem. That makes me happy!

This happened as I was in the process
of finishing this post.

At home, I think I function really well (the Cowboy disputes some areas of this)but I'm doing more and more even if I still stuff the online ordering up, mess up recipes I shouldn't and do really weird things with the coffee machine. I even did some gardening over Easter weekend, it felt so good to be out there giving the hydrangea bush a savage haircut.

I really don't have hair
extensions
but I did have to 'arrange'
my fringe for months.

Speaking of haircuts, I had one! I desperately needed it because at some point of last year I had cut my own fringe, not pretty and my hair had gotten really long. The hairdresser told me it at been 11 months and 24 days since my last haircut! 

This year I've had day trips and longer trips away to some of my happy places. At the end of January, we went to Rawene which is a four-hour drive. I was desperate to go to my stepfathers birthday party so we did it! I have also been to Mary Thistle's farm - twice, one of which was to celebrate her birthday. So good!

Port Waikato on a wild and windy day.

My little people loved this writing activity,
the title had huge appeal!

The best thing is that I am back at school parttime. Very baby steps to start with. I'm working with children who struggle to write, a bit like me at the moment! I love feeling like a teacher again and working with small people. It is great to sit in the staffroom and have conversations that are not about me!

Some other things I have achieved are reading books, doesn't matter that I can't remember what I have read, I can read without feeling ill. I am drinking again, that sounds bad, what I mean is having a glass of red wine here and there which does not seem to impact on my condition. Bubbles on the other hand... I have ventured into the supermarket and shopping malls but find it is still a pretty nasty experience. 

Beauty out on the driveway

Things I want to do desperately are DRIVE MY CAR! And, read magazines, there is something about glossy paper and the magazine page size that is still really unpleasant to look at. I really want to go into shops and try clothing on instead of buying online and then returning because they look bad on me. I also want to go shopping with the Princess. I want to be able to do needlework, I've tried to hand-stitch a hem and I can't seem to coordinate my eyes and hands to make nice neat stitches. My hem looked like something a toddler had sewn. 

Mindfulness at work

I have started journalling after receiving this beautiful journal for Christmas (thank you again, you!) and really trying to become more mindful by better looking after myself physically and spiritually. 

Just this week I joined an online book club and I'm waiting for my book to arrive from Book Depository. I'm hoping the discussions will help improve my comprehension and communication skills. You can find the book club here if you are interested.

All in all, life is definitely on the up!

Thanks for reading,

Rachaelxo