Fank F*ck It’s Friday! #4

Here are some awesome sites and pages you should totally check out:

• The graphics on this page are unbelievably crap, however the joke is so hilarious it makes up for it.
• If you’re a Pokémon fan from back in the day like I am (I haven’t watched it in 10 years but back in the beginning I was obsessed) you’ll enjoy this list of real life creatures that are just begging to be Pokémon!
• I am slightly fanatical about mythical beasts of all kinds so I found this article on Malaysian Ghouls and Vampires fascinating. The Polong (pictured below) is my favourite)

• These are literally the best wedding pictures ever. Love, love, love, love, LOVE!
• www.drawastickman.com – Loads of entertainment :)
• I love the idea of using Christmas lights all year round. These ideas for incorporating fairy lights into your bedroom are just beautiful.
• I want to be friends with Rob…

• Did you know that HBO has lists of every single outfit worn in every single episode in every single season of Sex in the City? I am amazed and totally overwhelmed! I’m not even hugely into fashion but now that I’ve come across this I do not see me doing anything productive for at least the next year or so. Check it out: http://www.fashionist.ca/2010/05/sex-and-the-city-carrie-bradshaws-20-most-memorable-fashion-moments.html
• I thought this was cute:

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Photo a Day Challenge – April Week 3

My second weekly instalment for Fat Mum Slim’s Photo A Day Challenge for April.

15. SUNSET – It is near impossible to get a nice photo of a Canberra sunset on account of all the trees! This was the best I could come up with.

16. FLOWER – Aww, the pretty flower I got for free at the Majura Park Shopping Centre Open Day (and my washing in the background, haha!)

17. SOMETHING YOU DON’T LIKE – Peak hour traffic! One of the perks of being a stay at home Mum (for only three more weeks – gulp!) is that you get to avoid majority of traffic. Alas, I was stuck on this day.

18. HAIR – I’ve had more hair colours than I can count. I’m currently ultra violet purple and loving it, however I’m not sure which colour suits me best of these three…. brunette, blonde or UV??

19. ORANGE – I couldn’t think of anything interesting to take for this pic, so I failed again this month!

20. SOMETHING YOU DREW – I made this pin board with little pictures on it for my boyfriend on Valentines Day.

21. BOTTLE – This one was hard, all of the bottles in my house are uber plain and uninteresting. This is a view of my kitchen bench through my cool pink drink bottle… I’m feeling rather uninspired at the moment so it will have to do I’m afraid.

50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind

FOR THE LOVE OF HAPPINESS - Like the majority of humanity I enjoy talking about myself. I am not saying this is one of my best traits, it is quite clearly the opposite (though there are rarely awkward silences around me!) but I regrettably take immense satisfaction from it anyhow.

I found these questions on http://www.marcandangel.com (link) and as I am reading through the questions I thought I would post you my answers. I would love to hear your answers!!!

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? From the outside I would have to say about 18. I look young and I act like I’m always having fun. From the inside looking out I’d have to say about 35. I feel older than my 26 years.
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? When it comes to little things that don’t have a strong affect on your life (i.e. baking a new kind of cake or painting a room) I would have to say never trying. However when it comes to major life decisions and trials, failing. I wish I didn’t say that but I have to. The thought of losing security petrifies me.
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? To make life better for those around us.

   

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Definitely, but that’s because I talk too much!
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? I’d like every person to treat every other person the way they would like their loved ones to be treated. The whole “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” does not quite cover it.
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Gosh, I LOVE the way this question is worded. I would be a cook, an artist, a blogger and (of course) a stay-at-home-Mum who hosts fabulous parties :) Oh I’d possibly be an actress too, I loved drama in school.
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?  I am currently doing what I believe in – I am a stay at home Mum. Before this I was working as a public servant, another position I believe in under general circumstances, though I am not happy with the current Australian Government.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I’d be pumping out more kids ASAP! I’d also spend more money on holidays.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? The only part I have had any control over was getting out of previous relationships and entering the happy one I am in now :) I have just gone with the flow my whole life and everything has turned out right. Even my beautiful son was a surprise!
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? 50/50 for this one. I want to do the right things and I want to do them right!
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do? I’d like to think that I would stand up for her, though it would depend on the criticism and who it was harming. If it wouldn’t harm my friend and it could potential harm whatever prospects the three people might bring me I would let it go for the mean time, however if it could harm my friend I would speak up!
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Be yourself and don’t worry about what other people think!

    

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Definitely, 100 times over.
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? Not that I recall. I’ve always been blessed with an open mind.
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?  I’m right handed but wipe my bum with my left hand, haha! I also sing a lot.
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Well people usually make me happy, people with a similar sense of humour. A difference in humour is a major factor I’d say.
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? I want to be a famous actress (obviously – who doesn’t), my looks, my age and my family are holding me back. Also the fear of failing and losing everything.
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? I still hold an anger deep down inside about the betrayal of my ex and a family member. I’ve tried my hardest to let it go but every time I think of it I feel so hurt and angry!!!
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? I would move to Perth for a while. I’ve always wanted to go to Perth. I’d also love to move to New York just for the culture. Melbourne would be sweet as too. I love the fashion there!
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? Haha, yes I used to, no I didn’t believe it came faster. HOWEVER, the timing of the elevators at my workplace is determined by the amount of people that want to go to each floor so pressing the button several times DOES make it come faster!!
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?  Definitely a joyful simpleton. All that matters is happiness after all.
22. Why are you, you? Mum and Dad made me this way; Mum raised me this way; my friends, family and society allow me to be this way!
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?  Yep, I can honestly say I will not die with the regret “I wish I had been a better friend”.
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch with a good friend who lives near you. It’s happened to me several times since having my beautiful baby boy and it’s very sad :(
25. What are you most grateful for? My healthy beautiful baby boy!!
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? Lose all of my old memories – I think I have more than 26 years worth of new memories ahead of me!
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Not for me, no. I want cold, hard evidence.. otherwise to me it’s not a truth, it’s an opinion, a point of view or a possibility.
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? Yes, someone close to me passed away. I miss you Grandma, every single day.

    

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now? I sure do! I was upset about an incident between my ex and my sister and it still hurts me every single time I think about it.
30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special? Putting out cookies and milk and other various goodies for Santa Claus when I was little. It was so special to me because the magic was so real!
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? It’s totally lame but I love taking my son for a walk to the shops. It just makes me feel soooo good. The exercise, the fresh air, the fact that I get to spend one-on-one time with my gorgeous boy. I love it all.
32. If not now, then when? Usually tomorrow or next week. The end result is never far too many times than I’d like to admit.
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Money mainly and with that a lifestyle for my son.
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? No. That’s weird.
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Your guess is good as mine. I don’t believe in religions or wars.
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Not with everything, no. I mean, a lot of things are both good and evil, aren’t they?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Nope. I’d pay off a house and do all of these things.
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work I actually enjoy doing – wouldn’t everyone?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Definitely… such is life of a stay at home Mum.
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? I do it regularly. My Dad has often likened to me to “a bull at a gate”. I either over-plan and never execute or under-plan and over execute!
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My Mum and my bestfriend, Jenna.
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No way.

    

43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? I think truly living is about enjoying your life and creating a life you can be proud of. Being alive is about breathing and having functioning body parts, i.e. not dead.
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? Well this question is silly, it is the right time when you decide it is right.
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Because the repercussions could be monstrous! 
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? I would spend more time in the nuddy! I would also go outside without make up on more.
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? Last night, I noticed how much slower my breathing is compared to almost everyone I know.
48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? I love drawing, cooking and my friends and family. Yep yep, I cook all the time, I draw when I can and I tell my friends and family all the time how much they mean to me.
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?  I will remember what I did on Saturday, I went to my cousin’s house and her interior decorating was absolutely amazing. I doubt I will ever be able to forget that. The rest of it, not so much.
50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? I suppose you could let me say that my son is making them for me. There are things I want to do but I want to be with him and do what is right for him more…

Photo a Day Challenge – April Week 2

My second weekly instalment for Fat Mum Slim’s Photo A Day Challenge for April.

8. INSIDE YOUR WALLET – I love, love, LOVE my hoochie girl wallet. Inside are some of my favourite possessions: a silly drawing of a cool crab by my random best friend, my pink credit card and (of course) my Costco membership card.

9. YOUNGER YOU – Obviously I didn’t take this photo. I was only about 8 months old. The same age as my beautiful baby boy!

10. COLD – My beautiful little man all rugged up. ‘Tis chilly out there today!

11. WHERE YOU ATE BREAKFAST – I skipped breakfast this morning and had a bit of a lie in. I’m a lucky girl :)

12. STAIRS – There are absitively posilutely no stairs ANYWHERE around here so this is the best I could do under the circumstances.

13. SOMETHING YOU FOUND – FAIL! I totally forgot to take a photo for this day. I went to take one today but that’s cheating…

14. HOW YOU FEEL TODAY – Old. I woke up aching everywhere and feeling terrible.  Also I only just realised how much my face has changed since my teenage years. I feel so very old. Luckily I downloaded the awesome Oldify app which made taking this pic a breeze.

Fabulous Meat Pies

I am incredibly proud to say I invented these pies and they are perfection . So so so soooo good. I’ve made them several times and fed them to heaps of visitors and they always comment about how awesome they are and ask for the recipe.

I make these in a pie maker (I’m a bit useless with an oven) but if you are capable enough to make them the old fashioned way the power to you!

FABULOUS MEAT PIES
MAKES 8 MINI PIES

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 rindless bacon rashers, finely chopped
• 200g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 1 tbs instant gravy powder (or cornflour if you would prefer)
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce (ketchup to my American friends)
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp Vegemite (if you don’t have it you can skip this step but it adds just that extra bit of awesome)
• 2 sheets shortcrust pastry
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 1 cup grated tasty (cheddar) cheese

1. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Add bacon and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until onion is translucent, mushrooms have softened and bacon is browned.
3. Add mince and cook, stirring, until browned.
4. Combine 1 tbs stock with gravy powder (or cornflour) and mix to make a paste. Add remaining stock.
5. Pour gravy mixture into mince and add sauces and vegemite. Stir to combine and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 mins. (NOTE: If you don’t want your pastry to go soggy you should leave your filling to cool completely – I never do… )
6. Meanwhile, preheat the pie maker (or oven) and cut 8 pie bases from the shortcrust pastry and 8 pie lids from the puff pastry using the cutter that should’ve come with your pie maker.
7. Place 4 pie bases in the pie maker. Fill bases with mince mixture. Top with 1/8th cup cheese. Place puff pastry lids on top. Close pie maker and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining mixture and cases.
8. Serve!

Once cooked these pies can be kept in the fridge for two days. They also freeze quite well but are best served fresh.

FULL DISCLOSURE – This image is actually not of my pies (I stupidly ate them all before I took a shot) but it looks very similar. Click on the image for full attributes.

Le Weekly Love List #30

In case you are not a loyal reader of mine (sob!) my Le Weekly Love List idea was inspired by Gala Darling’s Things I Love Thursday. She used to do this thing where once a week she would post about all the things she was loving that week, then she would allow her followers to link up their love lists in order for the love to spread. Unfortunately you can no longer link up your lists but I do always find her “TiLT” posts good inspiration.

Without further adieu here is what I am loving this week:

AMENDMENT: Since writing that it has actually been two weeks so this weekly love list is almost three weeks in the making! There has been sooo many glorious things happening to me, but here are the highlights :)

• Wearing my new glasses and watching my spunky boyfriend wear his.

  

• Participating in Fat Mum Slim’s photo challenges.
• Taking bets on when my beautiful baby boy is going to stand on his own AND anticipating a win!
• How much I am getting done not being on Facebook (in saying that it is nearly killing me not sneaking a peek!)
• Being in the newspaper for being the first customer to enter the Big W Majura Park store. The entire Majura Park Shopping Centre open day was loads of fun.
• Singing in the shower.
• Cold and Flu tablets – until 18 months ago I’d never taken cold and flu medication. F*ck knows why, my colds would always last the better part of a month, I’ve since given in and I’m much better for it.
• Getting free stuff.
• My beautiful best friend, Jenna, being ever so supportive.
• My brand new dining suite. 
• Downloading the trial version of YNAB (definitely going to buy this one on pay day!)
• My beautiful baby boy’s very first Easter!!

  

• Cooking and eating my favourite food, Vietnamese turmeric chicken with coconut milk.
• As always, my beautiful baby boy – he provides me with endless happiness and deep, squishy love :)

Photo a Day Challenge – April Week 1

My first instalment of photos for Fat Mum Slim’s Photo A Day Challenge for April.

1.  YOUR REFLECTION – I was sick as a dog on the first of April so I went with an old photo here. Look at that long brown hair and nice thin body… Inspiration to exercise!

2.  COLOUR – The free coloured pencils I got from King’s Swim School at the Majura Park Shopping Centre Open Day.

3.  MAIL – The absolute prettiest piece of mail I have received in a very long time. I’m sooo excited about this wedding, it’s going to be fantastic.

4.  SOMEONE WHO MAKES YOU HAPPY – Double whammy. My gorgeous girlfriends Mell and Jenna always make me smile.

5.  TINY – My beautiful baby boy when he was an hour old. You forget just how tiny they are.

6.  LUNCH – Spaghetti!!! Nom nom nom.

7.  SHADOW – Fail! I was out all day without a camera (on a beautiful sunny day mind you!) and by the time I got home there was no natural sunlight and I literally could not think of ANYTHING worthy of being my day 7 photo that was related to “shadow”. Super lame excuse, I know.

Where is this blog going?

All the great blogs, well all the ones I consider readable anyway, have focus. They have direction. They have a theme.

My blog is annoyingly random. I have been searching high and low for the past six months for a single subject that especially sparks my interest and makes me happy. Then it dawned on me…. being happy and making other people happy is what makes me happy!

It’s been decided, from now on www.missfabulousjess.com will be dedicated to the pursuit of extreme happiness. That means no more sooky la la stuff, just positive vibes heading your way!

Facebook Free April – Help Me Twitter and Instagram!!!

It’s only day 4 of Facebook Free April and I’ve spent the last two days shaking from what I can only guess is withdrawal symptoms.

In an effort to sedate my raging need to communicate with the outside world I have turned to Twitter and Instagram.
The only drama is I barely know anyone that is using Twitter which means I am following 30 people (about 6 of which I actually know – almost all of the remainder are from Glee) and only have 9 followers of my own. I have a slightly higher fan group on Instagram though I’d love some more!

Please help keep me entertained! You don’t even have to follow me (though you would be missing out on some stellar pics and tweets!) just let me know your @name and I will follow you. Comment below or send me a shout out on Twitter or Instagram and I will become you most loyal fan. Promise…. until Facebook Free April is over anyhoo.

My Twitter name is @msfabulousjess and my Instagram name is @missfabulousjess. Talk to you soon :)

Pikachu, I Choose You!

This bra is so cute.

I found a similar one on eBay that claims it is from Victoria Secret… not so sure I believe that. Check it out.

March Photo A Day Challenge – Final Instalment!

The final instalment of my pictures for Fat Mum Slim’s March photo a day challenge.

I failed. I took at least three of my pictures a day or two late and I didn’t end up doing two of them at all. Well, here’s hoping I will do better in the April challenge!

Anyhoo, here is my take on the remainder of the challenge:

17. GREEN – The colour of the grass at the park that Ryan did everything he could to avoid touching!

18. A CORNER OF YOUR HOME – My favourite corner, our sun nook. My beautiful baby boy holding the flowers his Daddy gave him and looking as sweet and innocent as pie :)

19. FUNNY – Obviously this isn’t a photo I took. However it is HILARIOUS! Cracks me up every time. I do laugh, but in reality this comic in existence is my worst nightmare.

20. BEFORE/AFTER – Before being knocked up and after… Sigh, my body will never be like that again – my youth is over!

21. DELICIOUS – I didn’t get this one done. I’m a slacker I know.

22. KITCHEN SINK – My kitchen sink used to be covered in beer cans and pizza boxes, now it is a landing bay for baby bottles, dummies and sippy cups!

23. MOON – The moon in the sky was far too hard to photograph with my iPhone so here is a shot of a fuzzy blanket moon.

24. AN ANIMAL – My ever so patient cat, Alley, relaxing in the sun.

25. BREAKFAST – Alas I do not eat breakfast so had nothing to photograph.

26. KEY – Only the coolest kids have Nemo keys!

27. YOUR NAME – I’m known by many.

28. TRASH – Half way through a much needed inbox cull I came across the perfect image.

29. FEET – My baby boy and I making footprints in the sand…

30. TOY – Ryan’s current favourite toy is his block trolley. I helps him walk like a pro!

31. WHERE YOU RELAX – The shower. The only area of the house I get 5 minutes peace!!!!

N.B. If you would like to see my other photos for this challenge they are posted here and here.

Facebook Free April

This morning I was reading a post on Gala Darling entitled Kill Your Television: An Idea for April. Now I don’t actually have television at home (we haven’t had reception since May 2011) but I do watch a lot of movies and TV series. I’m not ready to give these up as watching movies in the evenings helps me switch off and stop stressing before I go to bed.

However, like the majority of the world I spend far too much time on Facebook. I had a sudden brain fart along the lines of “all of my laziness related problems are Facebook’s fault! I would be so productive without Facebook, I would be a super human production machine!!!”. So, without any more thought than that I updated my Facebook status to “I have decided to stay off Facebook for the entire month of April to see if my productivity is increased. See you guys…”.

FAIL! It’s be about half an hour and I’m already desperate to log back on and see if anyone has commented. Also I’ve got a bunch of Mummy’s Group outings coming up that I only find out about via Facebook. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I hope I can make it to the end of April….