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pokerobbo · 1 year

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Week Four - Fuckin Whore.

Well as the weeks go on I was under the impression that shit was supposed to get easier but it hasn’t yet. I guess I’ll keep waiting (like I did when I was younger and I was expectant that my dad would return from getting that pack of cigarettes). Port Augusta is currently a minor with a machete holding up Woolworths away from being Alice Springs and I don’t much care for it (much like I don’t much care for paying $650 a fortnight in Child Support). What’s the solution though? Back when I was 13 I was watching Mr Squiggle and playing my gameboy, these little cunts are smoking darts and playing real life grand theft auto (legit. Witnessed it with my own two eyes.) One night earlier this week I was called a ‘fat white dawg’ because I told a young bloke (probably about 13 or so) that I didn’t speak English when he asked me for a smoke. Anyway I digress. Let’s get on with it.

Health wise there isn’t much to report on however KFC have bought back $10 for 24 Nuggets which I fully intend to support. I don’t give a fuck what anybody says there are three certainties in this world; 1 WTA tennis players do not deserve equal pay they play half as much in grand slams, 2 Liam Jacobson will always lose in a fight and 3 KFC has the best chicken nuggets hands down. End of week weight is 123.2 KG.

Financially things are moving along slower than George Pell walking through a school yard (not cause he’s a pedo but because he’s dead ya freaks!). At this rate it wouldn’t surprise me if Essendon win a finals match before I’ve paid off my debts! After my upcoming trip to see Rick Hernandez and Podge I’ll be able to put more money onto debts.

On the subject of Rick and Podge; all though they both support shit AFL teams I’d like to show them some appreciation. Rick has been with me through thick and thin and is always there when I need him (admittedly a lot of the time it’s when he isn’t in a legal state to drive, but he’s there none the less). Rick has a heart of gold and will drop what he is doing quicker than Edwin Chung on an unauthorised iTunes account to help out any of his friends. He has been one of my closest friends for the last 9 years and despite him supporting the Adelaide Crows I will put up with him for the rest of my life. (Side note: if you every need anyone to break through a door with a knife or hockey stick he’s your man. He’s allegedly quite good at it, he’s also not a bad beer pong player, not that he’s ever beaten me). Podge is a somewhat new addition to my life; and although she apparently can only bear Daughters (like seriously how the fuck else is your child going to excel at sport. Grow up Podge) she is definitely one of the people I want to have in my life long term. Get you a Rick and Podge and life improves immensely.

Mentally I’ve been doing okay (mentally I have moved from Jeffery Dahmer to Kanye West) but I have started the process of getting the right support (not that drunken phone calls with Rick Hernandez aren’t helping).

That’s all I can muster for now and I apologise for the lateness (although better a blog be late than a period; am I right?).

Until next week;

Be a good cunt.

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watchdogg · 3 years

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A Guide: Raw Feeding for Dogs

Don’t have time to make BARF? Not sold on it? If you want to know what dry foods are best check this out.

What’s on the menu? BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food). This recipe is based off of Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s own recipe provided in his book Give Your Dog a Bone. Great read, would recommend.

However, there are a couple ingredients he discusses which have been recently proven as poor dietry choices for dogs. For example, he speaks of the inclusion of milk and garlic which have been discovered, through scientific study, to make dogs quite ill. Therefore the recipe I have written below excludes any ingredients I have found research on that are detrimental to your dog’s health.

BARF is essentially everything you would find in a grain-free dry dog food, but fresh!

BARF = 50% green mix + 50% meat (30% mince + 20% offal)!

DAILY INTAKE = 60% BARF + 40% meaty bone

I DO NOT APPROVE of the Canine Ancestral Diet or Prey Model diet, which is 80% meat. I have a seperate blog post discussing why (click here to find out more)!

EVERYTHING YOU MAKE MUST BE BLENDED TOGETHER INTO A CONSOLIDATED MUSH! Your dog has to eat everything, you must not give it the choice to pick certain things out of their bowl, it all has to go in their tummy! This is how we get to deficiencies!

I will post a seperate description of my exact routine, and how I measure out everything my girl needs as an example so you have something to compare to.

DISCLAIMER: If your vet has told you that your pet MUST eat a prescription diet due to health condition/allergy, please listen to them. Every health issue has causes and triggers, there are many, and I cannot possibly cover all of them in this post. Does this mean there aren't raw options for dogs with health issues or allegeries? No. There certainly are. For example, if your dog is allergic to wheat they can go on a wheat-free dry food OR BARF. But I cannot be responsible for your failings in proper research. SO, this means that if you have a dog with congenital issues, like kidney problems, please research into what that means before going against a prescription dry or wet food diet.

Appropriate vegetables include:

- Silver beet

- Bok choy

- Celery

- Carrots

- Sugar beet

Appropriate fruits include:

- Apples

- Oranges

- Blueberries

- Pears

REMINDER: you absolutely MUST vitamise fruits and vegetables. Your dog does not have molars like that of a horse for example, they cannot grind fibre, they use their molars for snapping large food items into smaller chunks. Herbivores chew for a reason. Plant cells are surrounded by a cellulose, and most guts do not have the enzymes required to dissolve cell walls, hence chewing. DOGS ALSO CANNOT DIGEST CELLULOSE, and they do not have the mechanics required to break down plant matter into a digestible form. I learned the function of teeth during my studies into paleontology, where dental analysis is vital. (1)

SUPPLEMENTS: TO BE BLENDED INTO YOUR BARF MIX

the listed supplements contain the vitamins and omegas your dog needs to thrive. These vitamins already naturally exist in the vegatables and meats listed. HOWEVER, if your dog is not eating some kind of fish every day for example, then they need to be digesting at least flaxseed oil to make up for this. This is just one example. It is important to fill in any possible gaps, and these supplements make sure there aren’t any ;)

If you are feeding your dog fish oil you MUST also feed vitamin E oil, the dog’s body will use up stores of Vitamin E to process fish oil which oxidises very easily! If you are using one of the below supplements, you do not need to use fish oil. If you are using a supplement like megaderm or Omega blend, follow the directions on the bottle! So, this means don’t go adding it when you are making BARF, add upon feeding it to your dog.

SUPPLEMENTS INCLUDE:

- Megaderm (CONTAINS: vitamin B7, B6, A, E, omega 6&3) dosage instructions on bottle (can be bought on PetCircle)

- Vets All Natural Omega Blend (CONTAINS: flaxseed oil (omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids), shark liver oil (omega-3 and vitamin A), sunflower oil (omega-6) and wheat germ oil (omega-3)) (can be bought on PetCircle)

- just straight flaxseed oil (human-grade is the same stuff) 2 or 3 desert spoons

OTHER SUPPLEMENTS:

- Kelp powder (2-3 tsp) (contains: 60 different minerals and vitamins and 21 amino acids)

- Green tripe (contains: probiotics, essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes)

- Sardines (great for coat health)

- Tongue (fatty, good for active dogs)

- Green lipped muscle (aimed towards joint health, good for large breeds)

- Liver (contains vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, essential fatty acids) 2 tblsp per day is recommended amount for medium dogs (I buy a pack of chicken livers (500g) and chuck it into the barf mix. This works out to be 17g perday)

DO NOT OVER FEED FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTATION, keep to the recommended dose! Large quantities can cause Seborrhea oleosa (bad dandruff). It is possible to have too much of a good thing.

It is really important you do not overdose on any supplement. For example, glucosamine is great for old joints but it is also rated a top poison for dogs because of its potential for overdosing. (2)

WHAT MEAT AND ORGANS ARE BEST?

MEAT SHOULD NOT BE COOKED when fed to dogs. This decreases protein digestability and destroys essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine. That being said, meat is NOT a complete food, it is deficient in a lot of vitamins dogs need! So veggies are still a must.

Mince is great, but if you can find mince with ground bone included that would be even better. If you are living in Melbourne, The Saltiest Dog (in Thornbury) is a great store to visit to purchase such a thing. Try to stay away from ‘pet meats’, like those sold in Woolworths or Coles. They contain harmful preservatives (3). The cleaner/more human grade the better. Research into local raw food stores around you and ask about the meat they get in/what if any preservatives are in their meat.

Kangaroo is an environmentally friendly choice! They do not rely on the production of grain to survive, and they are indigenous to the land (their feet don’t compact soil and turn it infertile). It is the most humane way of harvesting red meat if you think about their lives up until the point of death.

The leaner the meat the better! Kangaroo is very lean! Turkey is another great option, but if you are afraid of salmonella, stay away from poultry. Variability of protein is not as important as what parts of the body you are feeding your dog. They need muscle, bone, and offal (tongue, heart, liver, etc.)!

I generally go by: 30% mince+bone & 20% offal.

BONES:

NEVER FEED COOKED BONES! They will splinter and cause internal injury.

Is it dangerous to feed raw bones? NO!

It is imperitive in the BARF diet that your dog is getting some kind of whole bone to eat EVERY DAY. But don’t be silly about it, think about your dog’s size. If you have a mini poodle, you should be giving it chicken necks, not beef weight bearing bones. The bones you give should be soft enough so that they don’t chip your dog’s teeth. This also means NO weight bearing bones till the dog is over 6 months old.

I have talked to customers at Petbarn who just happen to have silly dogs who won’t chew bones at all, and instead swallow them whole. If this is the case, please stick to turkey/duck/chicken necks. These are harder to choke on beause the bones are so tiny. Once again, if you fear potential bacteria or worm risks, freeze your meat before feeding (this will kill a lot of what you are scared of). DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG FROZEN BONES, they will chip a tooth.

Bones act like fibre. They help everything move along in their intestines. They also contain vitamins and proteins they need. You can learn more about bone benefits in Dr. Ian Billinghurst’s book Give Your Dog a Bone.

I give my dogs a bone of some description every morning. Generally, it is a chicken carcass and once a week they get a roo rib or beef vertebrae (you can buy a bag of 'broth bones' from Woolworths which are great) to really get their teeth into.

It is really important that your dog is chewing on something every day. Whether it be a bone or a Kong/dental toy. It is imperitive for mental and dental health. The action of chewing for a dog is the equivelant of a human doing a sudoku or crossword.

HOW MUCH TO FEED:

This model is based off of the Raw&Fresh model which you can find on their website (https://rawandfresh.com.au/collections/treats), this also happens to be where I buy my bones from.

Essentially, you pick whether to feed 2-5% based on your dogs age and activity level. For example, senior dogs need to be eating more protein and fat because they lose muscle mass faster. A dog who has a high activity level needs more energy and a dog who is overweight should be fed less.

Generally, they should be getting 2-3%.

Whatever you decide on, this should be split into two meals. You'll find that two meals per day reduces their scavenging behaviour. I tend to feed the bone proportion in the morning and the patty mix at night.

The key to feeding your dog a raw diet is to WATCH. Watch your dog's weight. It is as simple as that. Watch how they put on weight, if they are becoming too skinny or overweight. Watch and adjust accordingly.

KEEP THIS FORUMLA IN MIND:

BARF = 50% green mix + 50% meat (30% mince + 20% offal)!

DAILY INTAKE = 60% BARF + 40% meaty bone

FEEDING LARGE BREEDS:

- BARF = time and money. Sometimes it can be unrealistic when you have a large breed.

- It can be a lot preparing a batch of food for a large breed, which can potentially be up to 2kg per day depending on how big the dog is. Ideally you would want to be making a batch that lasts the month, which we can individually pack and freeze. But with larger breeds that can get difficult when you are busy or you have a tiny freezer.

- Luckily their daily intake is not 100% BARF

- My GSD, Juni, requires 600g per day as a 30kg dog with a medium activity level. That means I'd need to make 18kg of BARF to last her a month. Yikes.

- I have found two ways around this:

- First of all, 600g is her daily intake, which means a bit of that (around 250g) can be meaty bone.

- I also cut some of her food with Ziwi Peak. This is an air-dried (NOT BAKED) dog food. Once the bone has been eaten, that leaves ~350g left to go.

- Her weight requires 350g of Ziwi Peak per day according to their feeding guide. Therefore, she gets 150g of Ziwi Peak and 150g of BARF

- I increase her BARF intake depending on the bone she gets

- The end result is I only have to make 4.6kg for the month if my life is turning out to be hectic and busy. Not to mention freezer space being an issue.

- When I find I have more time, this increases to 9kg and I don't need to feed Ziwi Peak at all.

1. You can learn more about dental function in mammals here:Smith, Kathleen, Wall, Christine. (2005). Ingestion in Mammals. In Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (Vol. 10, pp. 272-277). John Wiley Sons, Ltd. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Ingestion-in-Mammals-Wall-Smith/596099f8125d6ee16f40c858fe144613a225ae14

2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/42594946_Accidental_overdosage_of_ joint_supplements_in_dogs

Nobles IJ, Khan S. Multiorgan dysfunction syndrome secondary to joint supplement overdosage in a dog. Can Vet J. 2015;56(4):361-364. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4357907/

3. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/are-preservatives-in-pet-food-products-a-concern/

#rawfeeding

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dosossos · 4 years

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Slow Cooker Thai Green Chicken Curry

Servings: 6 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 3-4 hours on high, 6-8 hrs on low

STUFF 1 lb chicken thighs 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced 2 tablespoons Thai Green Curry Paste* 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 1 tablespoon minced Ginger 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste or fresh chopped lemongrass 1 Red chilli - finely diced 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon Raw honey 3/4 cup coconut milk 3/4 cup chicken stock/broth 4 fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup red potatoes, quartered 2 cups baby spinach 2 cups Jasmine rice, optional, for serving

STEPS In a large non-stick pan set to high, brown the meat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili and lemongrass stir through for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.

Add the meat to the slow cooker, and add the curry paste, fish sauce, honey, lime leaves, stock/broth, and potatoes. Stir to combine.

Set slow cooker to cook on low for 7 hours, or cook on high for 3 hours. Add the coconut milk, stir and cook for 1 more hour.

Once its finished cooking stir in the baby spinach and serve, with steamed jasmine rice if you like.

NOTES Curry Paste: 2 tablespoons Thai Green Curry Paste will result in a mild curry. For a medium curry, increase to 3 tablespoons of curry paste.

Kaffir Lime leaves are available from supermarkets in the fresh fruit and veg section. There are also bottled kaffir lime leaves in the Asian section of Woolworths and Coles that you could try if you can’t find the fresh ones.

This recipe is suitable to freeze for up to 8 weeks.

To make this recipe on the stovetop, cook in a large saucepan with the lid on low heat for 3 hours, checking every hour. If cooking on the stovetop, you will need more liquid. Generally about ½ to 1 cup extra of either water or coconut milk should do the trick. However, do keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t dry out and burn.

#thai #asian #curry #curry paste #slow cooker #chicken #chicken thighs #onion #ginger #lemongrass #kaffir lime leaf #potatoes #fish sauce #dinner #food #recipes #easy #cozy #winter

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bloggingwithmattporter · 5 years

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My Relationship and How It Ended

All through our lives, we wonder who our partner will be and how will we find them? Going out with friends, talking online for a while or just simply a bump into each other. At the age of 20, I was amazed at the thought of how i'd meet someone I could be myself around. Myself having an incredibly outgoing bubbly personality, I always knew that I could be seen by many people, but never knew that I would find someone who I'd consider to be perfect for me. For years I've been independant and achieved things by myself with no partner by my side, I didn't want anyone nor was I looking for someone. But yet, I always thought to myself "I wonder if my future girlfriend would be proud of me", which actually makes you realise you're more lonely than you thought, but hey, that's okay because you know one day you will find her.

Everything changed for me one night, a few weeks after I started a new job. I decided to go out one night, which i remember fondly enough that I would've rather stay in and watch some films, but decided it would be a great time to celebrate the job I acquired. When you were like me and decided to drink yourself silly every single week, you had to find reasons to go out. Little did I know, going out that night would change my life in millions of great ways, which is now terrifying to think about.

After a fair few drinks, I decided to go out into another area of the club to share my loud obnoxious personality around. The moment I walked down there, was like a movie. I saw a girl, even in my intoxicated state, I could tell she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever laid my eyes upon. I instantly came up with a goal to make her laugh. It takes a lot to make me nervous, it was trait that I never had. I went up to her and at that exact same time, she walked up to me and introduced herself. You know how I said it was like a movie? I said that because when I looked into her eyes, everything around me froze, I was just standing there. After what felt like thirty minutes, I introduced myself then we sat down and had a drink. I wouldn't be able to tell you the exact conversations that we had, but I can tell you I interrupted her to inform her that I needed to do a pee followed by what I thought to be an FBI cross Ninja jump over the table, but according to her that was never the case... I still stick with what I thought it felt still to this day. When I returned we had another drink and spoke some more and introduced us to each others friends. One of my friends, Jordan, looked at me when I introduced her and smiled at me, for some strange reason, he knew I was interested, suppose I've never really introduced a girl to my friends before. As this night drew to a close, I lost her and eventually stormed out of the club because I had enough. Little did I know, she was asking about me when I left. I got home, surprisingly, and fell asleep.

I woke up to a message from her asking me out on a date. I immediately felt emasculated, but that was okay. Obviously I said yes. We went to a Shannon Noll concert, it was a perfect time spent together and the happiest i've been in a very long time. I still remember how it felt to feel true happiness after such a long time of being alone.

As messages upon messages went by between each other, it was suddenly a week or two later. We had organised for me to stay over her place, have a couple of drinks and listen to some old school music, the best kind. As she's on the floor choosing the songs to put on and I am sitting on her bed, that strange feeling erupted in me again, true happiness. I didn't know at the time, but she was radiating something I haven't felt before, whether it was her great music choice or just being around her. As the night progressed, next thing we know we were in bed together 'cuddling'. We were talking about something that made me laugh, which at the end I did something I couldn't take back. I laughed and then said I love you, which i quickly recovered by saying "lol jokes, you wish". Yes, I actually said that and it turned out more funny than what we were previously discussing. This became a running joke for years to come. I remember laying there thinking "Why did I say that", I was confused about how it happened because it just completely slipped out, I didn't mean to say it but knew I felt it. This was when I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes. In the end, it was a perfect night spent by someone whom I believed I loved very quickly. I had never felt this way about another person before.

A week at work progressed and we decided to stay over again, same music, but this time we felt closer than ever. It was an amazing feeling for me and I was honestly just falling harder and harder for her. I knew the next time I saw her, I wanted to do something special, so I surprised her with a little getaway to a nice resort at the Sunshine Coast. When we got there, we checked in and went across the street to Woolworths to stock up on food and the dinner I was going to cook for her, Beef Strogonoff. When we returned, we got the keys and went to our apartment to find out that there was in fact, no kitchen. So it turned out to be a KFC night. This was when I knew she was the one for me, as we finished eating, i decided to rip the KFC bags and dress her up.. it was incredibly hilarious at the time and damn she could pull the look off. We got into bed and watched Eurovision trying to understand the words they were singing, it was great and it was definitely a great weekend. Once again, the kitchen became a running joke too, I could never escape it. After this weekend away, we sat down and decided it would be best if I moved in with her, as I’m always there anyways. So a month after dating, we were living together and I’ve never felt so much happiness, everything was perfect and working out for me.

Months and months went on, we sat there laughing about the possible arguments we would have because we have never argued before. I knew for a fact that I was so in love with this woman that I never wanted to lose her. We were perfect for a very long time. I’d get lost in her eyes every time she would laugh, or how her eyes opened wide when she was explaining a story or a topic she was passionate about. She has the most incredible smile with a beautiful laugh.. which includes her little snorting she does when the laughing can’t stop.

Every morning I would wake up, give her a kiss on the forehead and say good morning. Every night, I’d give her 10 kisses on the forehead, we both made sure to count as it all became a ritual. There were so many memories, inside jokes and little rituals we had that we got so used to that it all became normal. I was still in love with this woman at the age of 23.

Suddenly, cracks started to appear because of my inability to talk. I know, how does someone not know how to talk? That was and still is the hardest thing for me. I am so used to not sharing my feelings about negative things and instead keep it bottled up inside, its a very unhealthy thing to do and still to this day I'm slowly learning.

We were having many fights, breaking up but working our way back to each other every single time. We knew we wanted to be together and we were too stubborn to admit it at times, we were an incredibly competitive couple. Ask her about the monopoly game, she'll tell you she won..... thats because she did but I can assure you we never played monopoly again. I cannot elaborate on the amount of fights and quick break ups we had, we had a severe rough patch. But everything was perfect and I was still the happiest guy in the world.

The last time we broke up was around May 2018, the month we got together in 2016. This was a tough break up but we got back together a week later. I know, people may think how is this healthy, but when you're in love with someone, you'd do anything to make sure it works. Everything was perfect for many many many months. We discussed getting our very own place and we started to buy furniture each paycheck so we would be able to move into a house that wasn’t partly furnished, having kids (even agreed on some names to respect my mother which meant a lot to me) and more importantly, the engagement I was going to do at the start of the year.

I started an incredibly bad addiction to video gaming every day for hours on end, instead of the usual couple of hours a week. I became lazy and didn't appreciate what I had right next to me the entire time. Nearly 3 years we spent together, you would think that I would be more attentive. I just forgot about every thing in my life and was just committed to video games like the person I was long before I met her. I stopped wanting to have sex and I stopped wanting to go out on weekends with her. This all hit home and completely shattered me after she told me she was getting male attention elsewhere. I stormed out with all my stuff and didn't look back once.

A week has gone by and I just sit here in silence every single day. I've eaten half a sausage roll that made me vomit, a few chicken balls and a handful of chips, against my will. During my silence, I realise how much I have changed. I have gone from the alcoholic version of myself to a guy who found out he was ready to settle down, the mature Matt I thought I wouldn't find until I was very much older. I'm not going to lie, this last paragraph is hard to type because I just fall back into the ifs and buts. I know for a fact, all I had to do was to get off that Xbox and give her attention, clean the room when she asked, give her the intimacy that we both required but I slacked out on and most of all, show her the amount of appreciation I have for her since we got together. I feel as though I never want to show another woman intimacy or become close again, unless it’s with her. The constant knot in my stomach won’t dissapear. The world knows just how much I do love her and all my good friends know how much I appreciate and love her, it just turns out I forgot to reassure the most important person to me.

I realise that I don't blame her for any of this because I guess it is all my fault. Every girl in a long lasting relationship needs to know that feeling that their partner does in fact care about them. I just guess for me, it is too late for that. I would do anything to go back to the life we had with me bringing an insane amount of changes that would make any girl feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Not only did I lose my girlfriend, I lost my best friend and the only person that knew exactly who I was and who I am still to this day. She knows more about me than anyone else on this planet and i'm not afraid to admit that. She was my definition of a soul mate. I've never felt more comfortable and open with someone in my life and I highly doubt I'm going to find that feeling with anyone else for a very long time and even then, the chances are slim. All our inside jokes and memories haunt me every single day because they were the happiest times of my life. Every song that comes on the radio, its hard to listen to. All the songs on my phone, I can't listen to because each one takes me back to a time with her. It's hard to watch Netflix alone because I watched basically everything with her many times over. It's hard to get up in the morning and go to work, because every morning I would drive there knowing how close our future home was and how ready I was to propose to her, she was the reason why I got the new job a few weeks ago. The memories are suddenly everywhere and every day you're just caught up in constant nostalgia. The pain doesn’t disappear.

If I could go back in time and change everything, I would in a heartbeat. If she messaged me and told me she wants me back, I'd be there in a heartbeat too. With Christmas and New Years coming up, this is going to be a hard problem for me to recover from for the rest of the year. We had so many plans, I had many plans she didn't even know about. Nearly 3 years down the drain because I was too stupid to show her the amount of love and appreciation I have for her.. it truly fucking hurts. Being so ready to settle down, just for it all to come up above your feet isn't the best feeling.

The hardest part about break ups, is trying to forget about the imagined future you two had planned together. Our future looked so perfect. Going from being so happy, to suddenly depression hitting you straight on the head. The emptiness and loneliness is something I haven't felt in my life and I wouldn't wish it upon my worse enemy.

I don't expect many people to read this, but if you do, thank you for letting me vent and taking it on board. If you're in a relationship, please, tell your partner you love them and that you appreciate them, that's all it takes. Listen to them, talk to them and be there for them through everything life throws their way. Don't get caught up in technology or social media, they can easily become the source of break ups in this generation, which fucking sucks. Put your phone down and just show your partner that you love them. Never would I have thought I’d lose the one piece of me that meant more than anything else on this planet.

Most importantly, to her. If you're reading this, please know that I love and I miss you more than words can explain. I'm sorry that I didn't show you just how much you meant to me and just assumed you knew. You were, and still are, my world. The things we have done together are things I'll forever cherish and miss. You were my soulmate and I wish I could just show you all the changes I'd make to prove just how happy we can be. I would do anything to have you laying in my arms again and hearing you laugh. You are the only person in this world that I need and I’m honestly shattered to know I wasn’t that person for you. My friends keep telling me to move on.. why would I want to, and how could I move on when I know I’ve already met my soul mate? I’ll forever miss and love you.

I honestly thought typing this would make me feel better, even in the slightest amount, but in the end I guess it just made things worse for me. The hardest part for me was leaving someone who I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with. I don't know where I would be or the type of person I would be if she didn't enter my life. She brought out the best version of me that was possible.

If you're going through a rough time, talk to a friend or family member. Please know, it's not embarrassing to seek professional help.

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bluesletter · 4 years

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24 — Let’s Go to the Mall

“New Oldsmobiles are in early this year.”

Soon enough, all malls will be dead malls.

A dead mall is vacant and has lost its “anchor store” — the retail behemoths like JC Penny, Sears, Nordstrom, who get rent discounts to drive foot traffic that supports the smaller stores. KMart, Alexander's, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth's, Marshall Field's, Filene's, and Hecht's. Dead, more or less, all of them! Did you know that, since 2010, we’ve been in something called a “retail apocalypse?” My friend’s girlfriend just lost her job at Barney’s because Barney’s closed. For good! Wikipedia assures me that the quantity of malls grew twice as fast as population over a 40-year period, but, cmon: I asked a robot that lives in my house to reorder diapers today. I think it’s no tjust about real estate.

And then I see the list of defunct department stores and am immediately saddened, of course — dicking around in the aisles of a Penny’s while my mom helped my brother try on church shoes is a memory that sticks. The promise of free-sample-chicken in the food court and an Electronics Boutique perusal run to look at the new video games sounds as compelling today as it was in the 1990s, but am I sad malls are done? Really?

Maybe shopping malls aren’t great. Maybe the not-so-subtle message in the Dixie Square chase scene — that a bemused appreciation of the mall is best countered by commerce’s absolute, literal destruction — is the right one. Sure, fuck Amazon forever (unless you have a baby, and then, man, it’s nice for diapers and wipes), but was the mall ever a community center? It’s hard to pick apart.

Loitering, browsing, sneaking snacks into movies, first surreptitious attempts at shoplifting — their real value in my life is nostalgic. Amazon destroyed a thing that already was destroying the good version of shopping. Consider that Dixie Square Mall was a dead mall before The Blues Brothers and Landis rented it for filming.

And consider, for a minute, the violent history of Dixie Square, which closed after only 12 years, as the surrounding area of Harvey quickly descended into blight and crime. Three murders across the first few years of the ‘70s, followed by disrepair, employee theft and shoplifting led to it closure in 1978.

After the movie shot there, the complete destruction of the property just ... congregated. Caretakers couldn’t clean it up. Drug dealers began to use its carcass for their activity. A police station AND juvenile court very close by weren’t able to tilt the scales. Weather damage and tree overgrowth took hold. The homeless found it. In the early ‘90s, it was the site of another murder.

The mall is everything that unfettered growth at all costs — the new American expansion — can ruin. Like Jane Jacobs’ criticisms of the Garden or Radiant City, malls are communal but not containing a community. Organized but to no purpose. Public but providing no utility or function outside the commercial. Left alone, the enclosed suburban space becomes itself dangerous, as we see.

Over Christmas, I went to Seattle with my wife, and we visited two malls, one in Lake Forest Park that has a still-functioning BASEBALL CARD store, along with a sprawling three-restaurant food court that opened into a tremendous indie bookstore, replete with massive kids’ section, swarming with children — and I’ll be damned if it didn’t seem like a declining-but-vibrant still-going quirk, hungover from decades prior. It was wholesome and lovely. And then we went to Northgate Mall, preparing for its overhaul/facelift, but completely abandoned. Shuddered breweries, blocked walkthroughs, dead ends. It had, only a few years prior, been bustling in the day or so after Christmas, full of gift-card shoppers and gift-receipt returners, and the takeaway in December 2019 was nothing shy of “totally freaky.”

I guess, like we discussed earlier on the blog, anything is better than nothing, and so we’ll mourn the demise of the shopping mall — every one reflected the character of its community, maybe not because of their unambitious architecture, but in what those communities said and did and bought in those malls — commerce can tell a story, even if that story doesn’t have meaning. In the meantime, Dixie Square Mall was revealed to be full of asbestos, and then began a 7-year journey to force its eventual demolition in 2012. Its story is not dissimilar from the whole story of American commerce, labor and land exploitation, and the decline of the middle class, but, much like Landis, celebrating gleefully in its destruction, we will not mourn it.

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redpandatoocute · 5 years

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Amazing Chicken Laksa

Laksa is a spicy Malaysian soup and one of my favourite meals to order when I’m at an Asian restaurant. Laksa is amazingly delicious. It’s rich, creamy, spicy and just full of flavour. This Chicken Laksa recipe is super easy to make. You can have an amazing dinner ready in under an hour with this recipe. I have based this recipe on recipetineats recipe, but I have added some of my own flare to it as well.

Is Laksa Gluten Free?

To make this beautiful Chicken Laksa gluten-free, make sure you use gluten-free products. I used gluten-free soy sauce. My favourite brand is Kikkoman soy sauce. The laksa paste I used is also gluten-free, if you are cooking gluten-free, make sure to always check the ingredients list. The only thing I didn’t add to the gluten-free version were hokkien noodles, as I was unable to find a gluten-free option. Though, even with the one variety of noodle, this soup is still amazing.

Chicken Laksa

Want to make restaurant style laksa at home? Follow this recipe to make the perfect chicken laksa at home.

Chicken Broth

1 ltr Chicken Stock

500 ml water

6 drumsticks

Chicken Laksa

1 tbsp oil

4 cloves garlic (minced)

4 cm ginger (grated)

2 stalks lemongrass (grated)

4 chillies (chopped)

350 g laksa paste ((2 jars))

800 ml coconut milk ((2 tins))

2 tbsp fish sauce

Add-ins / Garnishes

1 packet vermicelli noodles

1 packet hokkien noodles

beansprouts

green beans (chopped in half)

tofu puffs (halved )

fresh coriander

fried shallots

chilli (sliced)

Chilli Sauce

1/2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp laksa paste

1 tbsp chilli paste

Chicken Broth

In a large pot, add in the chicken stock, water and drumsticks. Bring to a boil. Simmer the drumstick for about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Once the chicken has cooled, strip the chicken into bite sized pieces. Set chicken pieces aside.

Chicken Laksa

In a large pot, heat the oil. Then add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilli. Sauté for a 1 minute.

Next, add the Laksa paste. Ensure to stir constantly (we don't want to burn it). Cook for roughly 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and fish sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Finally, add the green beans and the coconut puffs. Leave on the stove, but turn off the heat. Let the Laksa sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Noodles

Follow packet instructions on how to prepare noodles. I soaked my noodles in boiling water.

Building your Laksa

In a large bowl, add some vermicelli noodles and hokkien noodles. Then, add some shredded chicken.

Ladle the laksa over the noodles and chicken. Top off with beansprouts, fried shallots and coriander.

For people who like their laksa extra spicy, add some chilli sauce on top as well.

Gluten-free?

You can make this laksa gluten-free by, not adding hokkien noodles. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find gluten-free hokkien noodles.

Make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce as well.

Making Laksa:

For this recipe, I used pre-made laksa paste. The laksa paste I used was Por Kwan Laksa Paste. I got this from my local Asian grocery. Coles and Woolworths don’t have this brand. They have other brands, but I recommend going to an Asian grocer instead. I also bought the tofu puffs from my Asian grocers.

I can’t stress enough, how easy this Chicken Laksa is to make. You essentially throw everything in the pot, then off you go.

Dice all ingredients

Fry the ginger, garlic, lemongrass and chilli

Add in the Laksa paste. Stir continuously.

Add in the coconut milk and chicken broth.

Add in the green beans and tofu puffs.

Plating up the perfect Chicken Laksa:

Make sure you prepare the noodles and the chilli sauce while you are making your broth or the laksa itself. I simply followed my noodles packet instructions on how to cook. Then, I left them soak in water to prevent them from sticking together. I also made my chilli sauce. This chilli sauce can be used in other dishes as well. So if you’re a chilli addict, you should make extra 😉.

Making the chilli sauce.

Divide noodles into a bowl.

Ladle in the delicious laksa. Top with fresh beansprouts and coriander

Add some chilli sauce and some sliced chillies for all the spicy freaks.

More Soups:

Want to try a different type of soup?

Soupa Avgolemono – Greek Chicken Soup

Korean Spicy Beef Stew

Chicken Laksa Soup Laksa is a spicy Malaysian soup and one of my favourite meals to order when I'm at an Asian restaurant.

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guitarpanda8 · 5 years

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8 Amazingly Easy Summer Recipe Ideas With 10 Minutes Prep!

These recipes are brought to you by Woolworths.

Want to make the most of summer? These 8 easy recipe ideas will have you enjoying your time outside the house but still eating well. Think a crowd pleasing 6 layer salad; refreshing Limeade; polenta & parmesan fries with pesto aioli; my favourite ever chicken salad (and I mean it, pinky swear); Nashville Hot Chicken with maple and waffles and to finish a quick freeze Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake! Best of all these take between 5-15 minutes prep thanks to some smart shopping!

For me, while I love to cook, you may have noticed that my summer recipes are simpler. That's because I don't want to spend too long in the kitchen. I'd rather be out with friends. Winter is another matter where I braise and roast for hours and stay indoors reading or watching movies while waiting for summer to reappear. But summer is really an outdoor season.

6 layer salad to feed a party!

That’s why I’ve come up with some quick and easy Summer recipe ideas using Woolworths’ ready made products. Because sometimes you want to cook something that takes 10 minutes prep but you know me, I like to fiddle with things. And you shouldn't have to sacrifice flavour or taste in order to save time. And here I show that you can use ready made items to come up with canny shortcuts to make a yummy dish!

My favourite ever chicken salad

If I could do one thing it would be to be able to control time. Because I feel like I'm in a constant battle to do things while fighting time. By the time the end of the day rolls around I really wonder where the time went.

Quick Freeze Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

The other night I was up late-much later than I wanted to be. You know those times where you just wish you were home in bed? I was out at dinner and I was bone tired and they had cleared out dessert plates. And sometimes when I am tired I get sort of tired tipsy. I'm not actually tipsy but I feel like it. I get sort of delirious.

Refreshing Limeade

We were all eager to leave but one guy had gone to the bathroom and been gone for so long we had almost forgotten about him. And I think I almost dozed off and when I woke up I was thinking, "What are we waiting for???"

DIY Peanut Butter and Salted Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Except I blurted it out loud. Like very loud. I only realised that I had actually spoken out loud when everyone turned to me. I honestly try and be polite most times but when I get tired, things fly out of my mouth.

Nashville Hot Chicken & Waffles with Maple Syrup

"Did I say that out loud?" I whispered to my seat mate. She nodded laughing. Thankfully our host didn't take offence as I think he too was wondering where he had gone and he too wanted to be home in bed too.

Smoked Beef Brisket with quick Japanese Potato Salad

So while I usually offer you from scratch recipes there are times when shortcuts and time savings helps. Sometimes you just don't have the motivation or means to smoke an entire beef brisket and sometimes you do. But save these recipes for when you are short of time. And don't get delirious tired like me ;)

So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever blurt out things? Do you get a bit delirious when you are tired? And do you ever wish you could control time?

Polenta and Parmesan Chips with Pesto Aioli

My Favourite Ever Chicken Salad

All Original Recipe ideas by Lorraine Elliott

This is one of my favourite salads and a real crowd pleaser if you're taking it to a picnic or a gathering. Even though I'm not a huge celery fan, it earns its place in this salad by adding a fantastic crunch along with the walnuts.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

Serves: 6-8 (perfect for a crowd)

1 Woolworths Macro free range roast chicken

1 green shallot, sliced

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1-2 sticks celery, chopped

1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles

3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted

Step 1 - Remove the meat from the chicken-you should get around 3.5-4 cups of chicken meat. Mix this along with the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve with greens or on its own.

Refreshing Limeade

If you've ever baulked at the cost of limes but love citrus drinks like limeade these frozen lime slices are perfect to keep in your freezer. They come already sliced up so all you do is muddle them in a light sugar syrup. This is utterly refreshing and perfect for a hot day!

Makes 1 litre Limeade

Preparation time: 7 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

1 cup water

1/2-2/3 cup white sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

1.5 cups Woolworths Frozen Lime Slices (freezer section)

Caviar beads from 2 finger limes

750ml soda water, chilled

Step 1 - Boil the water with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lime slices and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and muddle using a French rolling pin or end of a thick wooden spoon. Allow to cool completely.

Step 2 - Pour into a large 1 litre jug along with finger lime caviar and top up with soda water.

Polenta & Parmesan Chips with Pesto Aioli

Like a lower fat version of hot chips, these polenta and parmesan chips are just like at your favourite restaurant. Baked rather than fried they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'd even suggest making double for a crowd they're that good.

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Woolworths Polenta & Parmesan Chips (250g, freezer section)

1/4 cup Woolworths Garlic Aioli

1 tablespoons Woolworths Select Pesto Basil

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Basil leaves for decoration

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment. Place chips in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Step 2 - Meanwhile mix the pesto and aioli and place in a small side dish. Grate parmesan cheese on top, add basil leaves and serve with the pesto aioli.

Six Layer Salad

The perfect entertaining salad, this six layer salad melds fresh vegetables and potato, quinoa and bean and pasta salads. This is a real time saver and can feed up to a dozen people as part of a spread.

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

800g Woolworths Potato Egg And Bacon Salad

2 avocados, skin and pit removed and chopped

800g Woolworths Ancient Grain Salad

2x200g punnets Solanato Tomato, 3/4 of them quartered, 1/4 halved

2x350g Woolworths Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

300g corn, drained

1/4 cup chives, chopped

Step 1 - Take a trifle bowl and layer the bottom with potato, egg and bacon salad. Add the diced avocado. Then layer with ancient grain salad pressing down gently to create a smooth surface.

Step 2 - Then add the tomatoes-I put a layer of the halved tomatoes cut side facing out and then placed the quartered tomatoes in the centre. Add the basil pesto pasta salad on top of this. Then add the corn on top and then sprinkle with chives.

Nashville Hot Chicken With Maple & Waffles

Now Nashville hot chicken is an entirely different beast than chicken and waffles. Usually Nashville hot chicken is served with a piece of white supermarket bread and not with maple syrup and waffles. But hear me out Dear Reader, sweet goes so well with spicy (think sweet chilli sauce) and while this was delicious without the maple, once I drizzled maple syrup on the chicken it became one of those things that I could not stop eating!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

850g Woolworths Southern Style Crumbed Chicken Pieces (freezer section)

2 teaspoons smoked hot paprika

2 tablespoons rice bran oil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

130g packet English waffles (6 pieces)

250g Woolworths Maple & Bacon Salad Kit or American slaw

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment. Lay out chicken pieces in a single layer and sprinkle with hot paprika. Combine oil and cayenne pepper and brush it over the pieces. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until done.

Step 2 - Make the salad by adding the cranberries and bacon bits and then add dressing and toss. Just before serving toast the waffles and add the salad and chicken. Serve with maple syrup (it may sound odd but trust me, it's delicious!).

Beef Brisket & Quick Potato Salad

This recipe saves so much time but the end result doesn't show it (honestly you have to try this!). Beef brisket is a big deal. It takes ages to make and you need a smoker as well. This beef brisket is super soft and tender and tastes like it came from Texas. All you have to do is heat it up in the oven for 30 minutes. For the true Texas experience, eat it with your hands, unadorned without sauce.

Japanese potato salad is definitely not on the menu at a bbq restaurant but hear me out. Most of us have probably tried potato salad but have you ever tried a Japanese potato salad? It's amazing! A Japanese potato salad is mostly made up of soft mashed potato with boiled eggs, mayonnaise, onion, carrot and cucumber. It too can be quite a production but I found a fun use for the Woolworths roasted garlic mash. All I had to do was add the mix ins and condiments and I had a divine Japanese potato salad to go with my beef brisket!

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves 4-6

2x 750g Woolworths Simply Heat Smoked Beef Brisket

2x 475g Woolworths Roasted Garlic Mash

3 boiled eggs

1 small red onion, finely diced

3/4 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, shredded

3/4 cup kewpie mayonnaise

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper to season

Step 1 - Heat BBQ with the lid on to medium heat. Cook the brisket for 30 minutes per 500g of meat. OR cover with oiled foil and roast in a 210C oven for 25 minutes per 500g. Remove foil and cook for 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes then slice.

Step 2 - Make the potato salad while the meat is cooking. I find it easiest to have all the ingredients measured out and then you just mix it all up together (don't heat the mash). Season with salt and pepper.

Quick Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

Ice Cream cakes usually require freezing for a few hours or overnight to set the entire thing. This one sets in an hour as it uses ice cream sandwiches wedged with some peppermint chocolate cream so freezing time is a lot shorter! The decoration is a cinch too!

2 packets Woolworths Peppermint Chocolate Flakes Ice Cream Sandwich (8 in total freezer section)

600ml cream

4 tablespoons honey or sugar

5 Peppermint crisp bars

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Fresh mint leaves to decorate

Step 1 - Line a long loaf tin on the base and sides with parchment. Smash up 2 of the peppermint crisp bars and set aside. Whip the cream with honey or sugar until soft peaks form and then mix in the smashed chocolate bars.

Step 2 - Spread some on the base and sides of the lined tin. Line with the ice cream sandwiches and the smooth some more cream to fill in the gaps and make another layer of ice cream sandwiches. Cover with some more of the peppermint cream and cover and freeze. It should be set in about an hour or so since the inside is made up of frozen ice cream sandwiches.

Step 3 - Dust with cocoa powder and then the remaining smashed peppermint bars.

Peanut Butter Salted Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

These peanut butter salted chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches are the ultimate easy dessert. Sometimes biscuits can get soft in the freezer but these King of Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies stay crisp as you make them fresh every time!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

1 litre tub of Woolworths Peanut Butter and Salted chocolate Ice Cream

1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter

310g box Woolworths The King Of Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies

Step 1 - Leave ice cream out for 5 minutes to soften a bit. Spread peanut butter on the inside of one cookie. Scoop some ice cream on top and press down with another cookie. Freeze until needed.

Source: https://www.notquitenigella.com/2019/02/12/easy-summer-recipes-10-minutes/

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beehealthydaily-blog · 5 years

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🌿🍔15-Minute Thai Chicken Burger🍔🍅 . • Ingredients (4serves): . 1tbs olive oil 2 Macro chicken breasts, butterflied 1 tsp minced garlic 4 whole grain burger buns or bread rolls, halved 2 fresh beetroot, thinly sliced 1 x 315g bag Woolworths Thai style salad kit 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced . • Method: . 1. Heat grill on high. Heat oil in non-stick frying pan over medium to high heat and cook butterflied chicken breasts with garlic for 4 minutes each side, or until cooked through . 2. Place the burger buns or bread rolls under the grill, turning after 1 minute or until golden on both sides. Steam beetroot in a microwave-safe bowl with a little bit of water for 2 minutes or until soft . 3. Place thai salad into a bowl, dress and toss to combine . 4. To assemble the burgers, slice each chicken fillet into 2 pieces. Place 1/3 cup of salad onto each bun base then top with 3 to 4 slices of beetroot and tomato, chicken slices and bun top . 5. Serve with remaining salad on side and ENJOY✨ . Credits: @woolworths_au #burger #health #healthyfood #healthy #realfood #foodporn #nutrition #motivation #thai #diet #fit #fitness #fitgirl #fitnessgirl #happy #happiness #enjoy #live #love #life #family #cooking https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvr8ktGhoXk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1u5505m569dg4

#burger #health #healthyfood #healthy #realfood #foodporn #nutrition #motivation #thai #diet #fit #fitness #fitgirl #fitnessgirl #happy #happiness #enjoy #live #love #life #family #cooking

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elevenhoursinfront-blog · 7 years

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21st May 2017

Steve woke up early as per normal. I'm not sleeping (this time) because of my cold. I'm so bunged up that I'm struggling to breathe. Awful things colds. They're so underrated. When someone else has one, you always think "man up, it's just a cold". When you have one yourself, you're boarder line dying.

We went downstairs for breakfast around 0830. For a Sunday, that's ridiculously early. We sat on our own until Meg and Dan joined us. Meg and Dan are arguing so much at the moment, it's getting a bit awkward for Steve and I. They do say travelling will either make or break a couple. Usually, they break. You're spending every living second together and it just gets too much. It's definitely going that way for them.

Steve and I got dressed and ready to go out straight away. We had no plans but we weren't staying in. The sun was beaming. We left the hostel around 1145 and walked to Fed Square. There was the "Buddha's Day and multicultural festival" on which was nice to walk around. I'm really interested in Buddhism so I was glad to walk around listening and watching. People were praying, laying flowers and lighting incense sticks. Nag champa is my favourite. There were Buddha statues everywhere - some big and some small. Flowers, arches and water.

It was stunning but it seemed to be very much a Chinese festival. There were red lanterns everywhere, Chinese food stalls along the Yarra river and Chinese dancers. I would've called it the "Chinese festival" but never mind. I enjoyed my time nonetheless.

We were absolutely sweating in our clothes. It was a lot warmer than we thought. I was only wearing a hoody and jeans but it was way too much. We went back to the hostel to change. We bumped into Sophie who said that she was going to the aquarium if we wanted to go. Tickets are normally $42 each so we've never gone. She had found 2-4-1 tickets online which was a great find so we said yes. We had about an hour before we were leaving so Steve and I went for another walk.

We walked around the CBD before heading into Metro (Woolworths, but a small version) for some soup. They do different flavoured fresh soup everyday. You fill up your own cup and take a large crusty bread roll for $4.50. Bargain if you ask me and the creamy pumpkin soup is delicious! Steve had chicken and sweetcorn.

We took them back to the hostel and ate lunch with Sophie, Rachel and Tom. There were a few of us going to the aquarium which is nice. That's a good thing about hostels, you only need to know one person (if that) to be invited out somewhere. Before you know it, you've got another 10 friends from different walks of the earth. Brilliant.

Unfortunately, the majority of our group is English. There was one guy called Paul who didn't know anyone that got invited because he was sitting next to us eating lunch. He's from Germany. He wore a lovely pink Hollister top. I love a man in pink! There was 8 of us in total - Sophie, Rachel, Tom, Tom (2), Paul, Steve and I. There was another guy but unfortunately I didn't catch his name.

We caught the city circle tram which Steve's mum said about on the phone when we last spoke to her. I got really excited. It was a really old tram, majority of it made out of wood. It creaked and cracked loads. We only had 2 stops before jumping off at the aquarium.

We walked around for hours which was really nice. Steve absolutely loves anything animal related. He loves a Zoo and an Aquarium. His favourite animals are penguins and there's meant to be quite a few in this one so he's excited.

There was the largest salt water crocodile there which was 4 times the size of me. Pretty miserable though, as you would be, he didn't blink an eyelid. We went into the 4D cinema and watched a short ice age movie which was good. There were fans, water and fake snow.

We went into the children's play area because they had a really cool design your own fish thing. You basically drew a fish and colour it in however you want, the staff scan it and it comes alive and swims along the wall. It's with everyone else's fish too. It was so cool. We looked like idiots though because it's for 2 year olds and the stalls to sit on went just above my ankle!! You had 8 of us trying to squeeze round a tiny table and chairs.

We got to the penguins and Steve was in his element. I was really sad because I hate animals being stuck in a cage and I'm sure the penguins were getting agitated. They kept coming up to the glass and waving their wings about, shouting at us but we couldn't hear them. They couldn't hear us. Their tank is pretty big, it has loads of snow, a slide and a massive pool. Half were separated from the others for an unknown reason but I reckon it's breeding season, maybe. Who knows.

We left the aquarium and got the tram home. It was about 1730 and Steve and I were hungry for our dinner already. We had salad which was really nice. We will probably be hungry later on, but never mind. We sat with Sophie and Becky until Megan came back from her shopping trip. She had to buy a new coat so she's been out and about today. I think Dan was meant to be going with her but he's still in the room. Megan said they had another argument this morning.

Steve and I went upstairs to chill out before getting ourselves ready for bed. My friend Nicola from home had been asking for awhile about FaceTiming so we did that for an hour or so which was really good. She's just had eye surgery so she looked like a pirate.

After that, I got showered and washed my hair. Megan dried it and straightened it for me, ready for my new job tomorrow. My mum FaceTimed me whilst she was on her work break which was nice, even if it was only for 10 minutes. I got my work bag ready afterwards and got into my PJ's.

Dan and Megan had an argument in the room around 2200. I'd say it was quite awkward but we're pretty used to it now. Steve and Dan left shortly after for the casino. They were going to watch the last game of the season. They won't be back until roughly 0300 and Steve has work at 0730. He'll be getting about two hours sleep, at most. Good job he loves his football.

My plan was to FaceTime home but I fell asleep straight away. I love my new bed, away from the door. It's still fairly loud but much better than normal. 0645 alarm on and ready.

I’ve been writing my blogs every night but the wifi is awful, it doesn’t let me post which is annoying. Here’s hoping this works.

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cooksuck · 7 years

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Valentine’s Day 2k17

First up we have king virgin boy with his fucking red crayon eating alone wishing his non existent followers a happy Valentine’s Day. Look at the shadow from his phone – it’s like the lunar eclipse of loneliness.

UGHH kooky ironic couples who think they’re so fucking top shit and carefree because they act like children. Oh how free spirited and young at heart you are, what are you going to do next, snuggle up and watch The Lion King [edit: great film] The Little Mermaid and give him a shitty handjob like you’re 15 again and it’s cheap Tuesday’s at the cinema? Stop running away from the horrible realities of adult life, this charade is a FUCKING LIE your innocence is GONE it’s NEVER EVER coming back

Everyone, save this picture on your phone and text it to your partner next time you fuck up and they think you’re just the shittest cunt because this’ll remind em how bad it actually gets. Just imagine the sickly saccharine-varnish notes of luke warm Omni brand sparkling drinking wine coagulating in your mouth with all that sour cream, supermarket cheese and taco sludge; like a big pissy Sao. I hate those fucking Old El Paso tacos, they always fucking break in the middle just like the heart of whoever had to deal with this Milhouse’s Dad’s Racing Car Bed bullshit.

Chicken and budget wine, look this is totally fine. His wife wanted chicken and she got herself some fucking chicken - nice work my man.

The problem with Valentine’s Day is guys try to step too far out of their zone and fumble through some fucking mess of a dining experience that is just totally beyond their capabilities. She’ll tell you it’s cute, you and your embarrassing single rose, but for reals - she’ll be looking for an exit from your training wheel bullshit. Fumbling over the pronunciation of all the menu items like a fucking DICKHEAD ordering the wrong wine; just making a fool of yourself. There’s been 30-40 years of neo-capitalism and buddy I hate to say it but you didn’t quite make it up the stream - there’s no shame in that so just stick to your more racist, garlic bread heavy venues like Hogs Breath Cafe or middle class shitholes like Wagamama

Now we’re talking - I truly want to meet the fucking MONSTER who thinks they could get away with pulling this cake out as a Valentines gift. Like it would take a truly special breed of horrible person to even contemplate it. I love how Woolworth’s don’t even fucking care anymore as well, they just underpay some school kid to draw terrifying hearts on these fucking disgusting cake flavoured sweetened flour products and dump them in a box for emotionally vacant animals to give to people they don’t give a shit about.

Oh look, the shittest two people on earth have found each other! Not only has he found someone who loves him enough to place a heart shaped piece of dry, semi-toasted bread under two other dry pieces of semi-toasted bread, she has found someone who is totally fucking okay with the the absolute mediocrity of this totally vacant romantic gesture. No effort, no expectations, just G rated bliss all the way to the grave - just imagine the sex; they’ll probably make a child without even penetrating.

Okay we have the new King and Queen of #ausromance here; some fucking Scott and Charlene level relationship goals are being kicked right here. A “Candle Lit Milo” have you ever heard a better phrase? This is fantastic! I bet they just rooted like dingos after this (whoever made this contact me I’ll send you a free shirt)

Ahhh, the sweet scent of dying alone, cradling a tear soaked pillow in your fucking filthy unwashed sheets wishing you’d just tried a little harder, put in the extra effort. Hey, at least she’s happier now than you could even possibly have hoped to make her. You’re a good guy for staying out of her a life, a top bloke. Go on, pour yourself another tea cup of cask wine, you’ll be asleep soon enough, there there, the agony of tomorrow morning is but a terrifying three hour sleep away.

<3 Happy Valentines! <3

#valentinesday #valentines valentinesday2017

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twasonceahuman · 7 years

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aaaaansweeeeerrrr ttheeeeemmm aaalllll theeeeeennnn 8D

all 100...of course you would xD

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora?- tried all 3 but Spotify won.

is your room messy or clean?- usually clean but right now it’s a dump, trying to get my life packed up- we’ll ignore that I have not even started

what color are your eyes?- hazel, but they appear brown because they are brown in the middle and green on the outside

do you like your name? why?- yes and no, only because everyone spells it wrong.

what is your relationship status?- errr. complicated xD

describe your personality in 3 words or less- introverted, odd, shy

what color hair do you have?- dark brown

what kind of car do you drive? color?- don’t drive

where do you shop?- Woolworths *the joke is that it’s a grocery store

how would you describe your style?- whatever fits over the tits

favorite social media account- TUMBLLLLLLRR BOIII

what size bed do you have?- king single

any siblings?- 1 older brother, 1 younger brother, 3 older stepbros, 1 younger stepbro, and 1 older stepsister

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?- probably England because at least shit happens there and it’s not hot.

favorite snapchat filter?- anything to hide my acne

favorite makeup brand(s)- probably maybelline but I don’t wear makeup much anymore, will probably get back into it going to school again

how many times a week do you shower?- 7 days

favorite tv show?- DAAS Kapital, South Park, Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, The Adventures of Lano and Woodley

shoe size?- fucking 11 mate- THAT’S THE BIGGEST SIZE OF WOMEN’S SHOES THEY MAKE!

how tall are you?- 170cm so 5ft 7

sandals or sneakers?- thongs mate

do you go to the gym?- HAAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHA

describe your dream date- doing something fun like going to an arcade or mini golf- as long as theres icecream involved :3

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment?- 40 cents

what color socks are you wearing?- i fucking despise socks

how many pillows do you sleep with?- 3, two for the head and 1 for a cuddle buddy

do you have a job? what do you do?- I did, I was a waitress

how many friends do you have?- maybe 3 or 4 online? irl- none xD

whats the worst thing you have ever done?- I accidently broke a girl’s wrist once by tackling her at touch football practise *fyi: you’re not supposed to tackle in touch football, you tag them xD

whats your favorite candle scent?- I don’t like candles, but anything vanilla would be okay I guess

3 favorite boy names- ain’t telling

3 favorite girl names- still ain’t telling

favorite actor?- Ewan McGregor yasssssssssssssss

favorite actress?- hmmm- this one is harder to figure out. Idk

who is your celebrity crush?- just one? Obvsly the DAAS boys, Matt and Trey, Tom Hiddleston was one for a while back, Danny JJ is still good but I’ve kinda moved on with RD for now. I’m not a normal 20yo cause I can’t think of someone I have ever had a crush on celebrity wise that was anywhere near my age- plus these are more like platonic crushes because of the huge age difference xD

favorite movie?- Ironically I just found out I follow a girl with the same fav movies which is fun- so that’s Moulin Rouge and Anastasia, but recently I’m loving Spin Out (Tim’s movie), Orgazmo, Cannibal the Musical and Baseketball ;D

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book?- I did when I was younger before technology ruled the earth *pffff* but not so much now. Current faves are Housemeeting by Lano and Woodley and Carry A Big Stick by Tim Ferguson.

money or brains?- Brains

do you have a nickname? what is it?- My family call me Beka but I hate it, but the only nickname I have besides that is Plum/Plummy and Kate calls me that :3

how many times have you been to the hospital?- I’m surprised I haven’t been besides when I had ‘digestive problems’ when I was a toddler. I’ll let you think whatever you want with that

top 10 favorite songs- Enjoy the Silence- Depeche Mode, Big Time- Peter Gabriel, My Weakness- Moby, Muchacho- Kings of Leon, Lemon- U2, Here She Come- DAAS, The Only Thing I Know- Gotye, Deep Surprise- Samantha James, Solsbury Hill- Peter Gabriel, and for the shits, Shatterproof- Trey Parker

do you take any medications daily?- the Pill OOOOOOO spoopy

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc)- combination

what is your biggest fear?- heights, medical stuff and death

how many kids do you want?- maybe 2 or 3, that’s if I feel up to pooping them out.

whats your go to hair style?- straighten my fringe and brush my hair

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc)- medium, but I’m moving into a share apartment with just a room and bathroom soon

who is your role model?- currently Tim, just a really nice dude and someone to look up too

what was the last compliment you received?- can’t remember

what was the last text you sent?- schit. “this whole scene is full of beautiful tim” I’M MAKING DAAS GIFS OKAY I GET SIDETRACKED XD

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real?- probably about 9? maybe earlier?

what is your dream car?- idk I’ve never really looked at them, something on the smaller side though

opinion on smoking?- fucking disgusting

do you go to college?- nope, TAFE soon, but no uni.

what is your dream job?- concert film director, i’m coming for you Anton

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs?- suburbs

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels?- not really, sometimes the moisturizers cause they are good to have when travelling

do you have freckles?- yes, everywhere unfortunately

do you smile for pictures?- depends on how I feel

how many pictures do you have on your phone?- 471

have you ever peed in the woods?- this is Australia, if you don’t live in the city, everywhere is the woods.

do you still watch cartoons?- depends on what qualifies ;D

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds?- we don’t have wendy’s here, so maccas

Favorite dipping sauce?- sweet and sour

what do you wear to bed?- currently in summer its a shirt or singlet with shorts

have you ever won a spelling bee?- I won my class spelling bee once

what are your hobbies?- singing, dancing, drawing, making gifs (even if they are killing me rn)

can you draw?- not really but I give it a crack

do you play an instrument?- I used to play drums and trumpet for a while in school, but I can only really play notes on pianos now

what was the last concert you saw?- the DAAS Live show is the only thing I’ve come close to a concert- because CERTAIN bands and singers won’t come back to Australia T.T

tea or coffee?- tea but I wouldn’t mind coffee if it didn’t make me ansy anymore

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts?- We don’t have either of these- there’s Starbucks in the cities but no DD.

do you want to get married?- yes but finding someone is the hard part

what is your crush’s first and last initial?- abcdefg...

are you going to change your last name when you get married?-yes

what color looks best on you?- I think maroon.

do you miss anyone right now?- Katerina D:

do you sleep with your door open or closed?- WHO SLEEPS WITH THEIR DOOR OPEN?!

do you believe in ghosts?- not really

what is your biggest pet peeve?- people dirtying places I’ve just cleaned.

last person you called?- my mum when she was babysitting my niece.

favorite ice cream flavor?- Mint Choc Chip :3

regular oreos or golden oreos?- I just had regular, and I haven’t tried golden

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles?- Chocolate

what shirt are you wearing?- a plain greyish blue one

what is your phone background?- Paul sneaking behind Tim

are you outgoing or shy?- super shy

do you like it when people play with your hair?- yassssssssssss

do you like your neighbors?- no they are all old and like to do yard work or home improvements at godless times of day T.T

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning?- whenever I shower, but I tone it every morning and night

have you ever been high?- definitely not

have you ever been drunk?- still dont drink so no

last thing you ate?- oreos xD

favorite lyrics right now- “You don’t turn me off, I will never fail. Things I loved before are not for sale. Keep yourself away, far away from me. I will forever stay your Perfect Enemy.”

summer or winter?- winterrrrrrrrr

day or night?- nighttttttttttttttttt

dark, milk, or white chocolate?- milkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

favorite month?- july

what is your zodiac sign- scorpio

who was the last person you cried in front of?- my dad

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studyshrine7-blog · 5 years

Text

Use Your Noodle: My Mother's Amazing Picnic Hokkien Noodles!

This recipe is brought to you by Woolworths

These hokkien noodles are the bees knees. It’s what I always ask my mother to make for any sort of family picnic or gathering. They're a flavoursome mix of chicken, prawn and stir fried vegetables topped with egg omelette.

It has been a good 10 years since my mother first shared her hokkien noodle recipe and in that time it has actually evolved quite a lot. I think it has improved and I love these hokkien noodles so much that I although I love eating new things, I always ask her to make these. She is probably bit sick of making them but they really are so popular at picnics and family gatherings and easy to make.

My mother's method for making these noodles is to layer things and cook everything separately so that it doesn't stew in juices but instead fries properly. What I also like about these is that they aren't oily or greasy whereas I find a lot of hokkien noodles tend to be.

To make these noodles, we used Woolworths Simply Stir-fry Hokkien Noodles as well as a shortcut using the Woolworths Layered Stir-fry Kit With Honey Soy Sauce for convenience.

When you use both of these the cooking and prep time is less than 30 minutes. The Woolworths Simply Stir-Fry and Simply Cook range are designed to do all the prep for you so you are still cooking from scratch but save time on prep.

We didn't use the honey soy sauce packet in the vegetables for this particular recipe because my mum makes her own sauce, but you certainly could especially if you were just stir frying the vegetables and were short on time but the honey soy sauce is delicious and full of flavour

These noodles are comfort food to me. I will say one thing now that we're moving into cooler weather, comforting Winter food is my favourite part of winter. That and barricading yourself in and cooking food.

I ventured out the other night to a food festival but I sort of wished I had stayed at home. My friend Sophia and I were standing there minding our own business when a woman hit Sophia on the head with her phone while she was busy taking a video. I guess she didn’t see a human standing there.

Then a couple of minutes later a woman walked straight into me. Then she rolled her eyes and said to her phone, "Well I guess SHE ain't moving!". I was caught in that moment between being flabbergasted at her rudeness and laughing. I don't know who she was speaking to, maybe she was live streaming but yes I wasn't moving. So perhaps it's safer to stay at home, bury yourself in and make the most of winter and comfort food!

So tell me Dear Reader, what is your favourite comfort food? And have you had any incidents like that where people have been caught up with technology or rude with their phone?

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes enough to feed a crowd of around 8, halve if you would like but this also freezes well and is great for lunchboxes

Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Pinch white pepper

Mise en place

Mixing the prawn meat with the cornflour, salt and sugar

Step 1 - Place the Woolworths Simply Stir-fry Hokkien Noodles in hot water for 2-3 mins, then drain. Set aside. In a bowl, mix the prawn meat and chicken and add the cornflour, salt and sugar and stir to season the meat. Set aside. Then in a bowl mix all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside until needed.

Frying the omelette

Step 2 - Add 3 tablespoons oil and heat a wok or a large frypan until very hot. Add the scrambled eggs and fry on both sides. Remove from the frypan and set aside. Fry the prawn and chicken mix until cooked through and remove from the pan. Then fry the Woolworths Layered Stir-fry Kit vegetables adding more oil if needed. Remove from the pan.

The chicken, prawns and egg cooked through

Step 3 - My mother now cleans the wok or frypan with hot water and dish soap - this is to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom. Return to the heat and turn to medium high heat, add oil and then add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry until translucent. Add the noodles and the sauce mixture and fry until softened. Then add the stir fried vegetables, the prawn and chicken mixture and then the shallots.

Stir frying the vegetables

Cutting up the egg omelette

Step 4 - Using scissors or a knife, finely slice the egg omelette and scatter on top of the noodles.

Source: https://www.notquitenigella.com/2019/06/17/best-authentic-singaporen-hokkien-noodles/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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adoringbeautyblog · 5 years

Text

To my readers,

Are you running around like headless chickens trying to squeeze in some last minute shopping before the 25th of December? Can you relate to breathing a huge sigh of relief for having finally arrived at the shopping mall when the dreadful question of, “What should I get Johnny, Sally, Simon, Betty and so forth for Christmas?” hits you like a ton of bricks? Then to make matters even worse, just as you begin to look around at the in-store products, you realise that you are in a dilemma and a particular thought, “so many options, yet so little time!” is stuck inside your head. If you have been nodding while reading this, then today is your lucky day! The ten heartfelt ideas on ‘How to Give Money as a Christmas Gift’ will definitely calm your nerves for this festive season.

Giving cash or a voucher to a loved one can easily be misconstrued as an effortless or impersonal act, when in fact that is almost never true. Do you want to spark up your gift with a little love and Christmas cheer? Then have a quick-read below. To my fellow ‘headless chickens’, I’m holding thumbs that we won’t find each other in the shopping malls for the rest of the season.

The following are gifts for,

The Christmas Enthusiast

The person that absolutely adores the festive season, from bold and cliched decorative elements to the most absurd stocking fillers.

Gift Idea: DIY Christmas Bauble.

How can I do this?

Open up the bauble (either on the top or in the middle – depending on which type you bought)

Roll up or fold a few bank notes as tiny as possible or gather a small handful of coins

Insert the banknotes, coins, a special note or a small gift (i.e. nail polish) and perhaps a few sprinkles for decoration, if the bauble is clear.

Paint the bauble a festive colour and write a Christmas wish or a friend’s name on the front of the bauble.

Where can I buy this? Takealot, Woolworths, Dischem

Photo by Pixabay

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

@ Dischem Lynnwood

The Neat Freak

Almost every family has a member who is obsessed with planning, making lists, scheduling events and frankly just organizing everything. Or, perhaps, if your family is anything like mine, “the more the merrier” comes to mind.

Gift Idea: Notebook, Diary, Daily Planner, Calendar

How can I do this?

When there are dates present in the gift, just put the voucher or banknotes into an envelope and stick it to the page of the 25th of December.

Perhaps choose a bright coloured envelope and allow it to extend beyond the top of the page, acting as a bookmark.

The book will probably be according to 2019’s calendar, but not to worry I’m sure your loved one will catch on to the idea.

Where can I buy this? Typo, Woolworths, Cum Books, Mr Price Home, CNA

Photo by Renáta-Adrienn on Unsplash

Photo by Laura Olsen on Unsplash

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The Chocoholic

Gift Idea: Chocolate Gift Box

Now, who doesn’t LOVE chocolate? This one is for almost any family member or friend. Definitely a safe option and very unlikely to disappoint.

How can I do this?

Purchase a gift box of a selection of chocolates.

Remove a few of the chocolates from the box (I’m sure you already know what you’re going to do with these), however, leave the packaging.

Then fold or roll banknotes so that it fits into the empty spaces. You can even fill some spaces with a heap of coins to make it more interesting.

Where can I buy this? Pick ‘n Pay, Woolworths, Dischem, CNA, Clicks, Game, Gift Shops, Lindt, Geldhof

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Photo by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash

The Curious Mind

This gift is for the loved one who cannot help but snoop around the Christmas tree. Yes, I know what you are thinking, “that one person who shakes and weighs the gifts in order to determine its contents”. The one who simply can’t survive the ‘long haul’ until Christmas morning to unwrap those awesome gifts.

Gift Idea: Gift Box with a Surprise Balloon or Gift Bag Inside

How can I do this?

Choose a Christmas themed gift box.

Choose a balloon in the shape, size or colour of your preference and then insert rolled banknotes and a tiny “Merry Christmas” note. Fill the balloon with air and place inside the gift box.

You can choose a heart-shaped balloon or even a clear balloon and fill it with folded cash and confetti.

For a less risky task, fill a tiny gift bag with a mixture of folded banknotes & coins. If you really want to be creative, add in a few CHOCOLATE COINS.

Where can I buy this? CNA, Cardies, Gift Shops, Woolworths, The Crazy Store

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Photo by William Montout on Unsplash

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite from Pexels

Photo by Pixabay

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The Sweetheart

This gift idea is a bit ambiguous and can even be a little sneaky. It can either refer to a loved one who has a sweetheart personality that everyone adores OR it can be a pretty obvious clue to reveal the secret sweet tooth of the family.

How can I do this?

Purchase a clear glass jar and fill the entire jar with sugar candy or anything that is colourful and delicious.

Then insert a tiny gift bag or envelope in the centre. Of course, the idea is to fold a few banknotes and hide it inside the gift bag or mini envelope.

Decorate the jar with a ribbon or a name tag.

Where can I buy this? Crazy Plastics, Console, Plastilon, The Crazy Store, Mr Price Home

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Photo by Paul Stollery on Unsplash

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

The Shutterbug

This is for the photographer of the family, the person that can’t pass up an opportunity to capture a memory with a photo. It can even be a great gift for the ‘Kim’ of the family… ‘selfie time’?

Gift Idea: Personalised Photo Album

How can I do this?

Purchase a photo album and insert a few photographs of special moments inside the clear pockets or buy a notebook and stick a few photographs on the first few pages.

Be creative and write on the photographs or on an empty page next to it.

Somewhere in between the photographs, find an empty pocket or page to insert a small envelope with a few folded banknotes and a card or little note, saying “Merry Christmas”. Write on top of the envelope, “Christmas 2018. The best memories are yet to come”.

Either wrap it or just tie a ribbon around it and fold a tiny bow.

Where can I buy this? CNA, Mr Price Home, QPhoto, FotoFirst, Kodak Express, Game

Photo by Studio Media on Unsplash

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Photo by Fancycrave.com from Pexels

The Romantic

This person is the soul of the family, the soft-hearted and sentimental loved one. This is the friend or loved one that is the epitome of the saying, “looking deeper than the surface”.

How can I do this?

Purchase a photo frame of your choice and decorate it by sticking chocolate hearts on top of the frame.

Either leave the promotional image that the frame is sold with inside the frame or replace it with a personal photo or note. Perhaps write a Christmas blessing down or a relevant clue, such as, “Looking deeper than the surface”.

Hide the cash or voucher in between the promotional image and the back portion/cover of the gift frame.

Tie a piece of ribbon around it with a big, love-filled bow.

Where can I buy this? Mr Price Home, @ Home, Woolworths, Game

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Photo by Natasha Fernandez from Pexels

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

The Health Nut

This is for the tree-huggers in the family, who truly loves and respects nature. On a funnier note, only if the person won’t take offense, a gift of nuts might just mean, ‘what you see is what you get’. The nutty one in the family! The person that you love because of their bold, passionate and excitable personality. If it is for your girlfriend, boyfriend or life partner, then the perfect romantic gesture would be to choose a one coloured gift box i.e. silver and write, “I am NUTS about you!” on it.

How can I do this?

Purchase a gift box, bag or jar and fill it entirely with nuts, leaving just enough space to create a hidden centre.

Insert a small envelope/bag filled with coins or notes and hide it in the centre.

Wrap it and leave it underneath the Christmas tree.

Where can I buy this? CNA, Mr Price Home, Woolworths, Clicks, Dischem, Montagu Dried Fruits & Nuts, Lynnpark Food Hall, Spar

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Photo by Deryn Macey on Unsplash

Photo by Miroslava on Unsplash

Photo by Tetiana Bykovets on Unsplash

The Joker

This is the person in the family with a great sense of humour. Perhaps, the entertainer and the one you can always count on to ‘break the ice’ in an awkward situation. The one that makes you laugh so much, that tears start to roll down your face.

How can I do this?

Purchase a standard deck of playing cards.

Then remove all the ‘Joker cards’ from the packet and replace it with bank notes folded according to the size of the of the cards.

Add a little note as a clue (ensure it is easily visible), perhaps saying something like, “this time the joke is on you!”.

Close the packet back up & gift wrap it.

Where can I buy this? CNA, Game, Clicks, Dischem, Makro

Photo by Vladislav Klapin on Unsplash

Photo by Jack Hamilton on Unsplash

Photo by Quentin Rey on Unsplash

The Caffeine Addict

This is the person in the family that you honestly can’t have a memorable conversation with unless they have had their daily dose of caffeine. They simply can’t live without coffee! On a different note, we all love someone who has not yet mastered the skill of keeping a secret quite so well. Let’s just be honest, we have all slipped up sometime or another. This gift might just be the best one yet.

How can I do this?

Purchase a Hessian (Burlap) fabric bag in whichever size you prefer.

Fill the bag with coffee beans from your favourite supplier.

Create a hidden centre in which to hide the coins or cash that you would like to give.

Then close the top with a ribbon or thin rope, including a little note or tag that either says, “be full of beans” (be in high spirits/excited) or “spill the beans” (telling the story).

Where can I buy this? Truth, Terbodoro, Woolworths, TriBeCa, Metro

Photo by Tina Guina on Unsplash

Photo by James William on Unsplash

Just remember that Christmas isn’t about the how big or small a gift is. It is all about how much love the gift is given with. It is the thought that counts!

Note that statements made and opinions reflected in this blog do not represent those of any of the entities mentioned or discussed herein. The blogger is furthermore not a representative or agent of the entities referred to in this blog.

Ten heartfelt ideas on How to Give Money as a Christmas Gift To my readers, Are you running around like headless chickens trying to squeeze in some last minute shopping before the 25th of December?

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