With me being booked off for a few days to recover from my smashing ordeal on Friday, I have spent the entire day doing absolutely nothing, apart from lying on my bed and cuddling with Lola.
It has actually really made me think of how much I usually get done in a day and as today draws to an end I realise how much I could have done today but didn’t. You would think that with the usual busy schedule that I have (who does not) I would be grateful for some time to rest and recuperate but strangely enough it has left me feeling wrecked with guilt.
I feel so bad that I did not work today.. I could have quite happily from my laptop in bed but I did not. I suppose the point is that I do need to rest and I can really feel my body telling me to but I am finding it extremely difficult to do so without remorse.
There are often not enough hours in the day to get things done, as we all know too well. Our lives are filled with chores, jobs, kids, errands and commitments that we often have to re-schedule for another day because so many of us take on more than we can manage.
When we get some “time off” you would think we would automatically take it as an opportunity to get things done, and catch up on all the outstanding things we still need to get too.
But, alas I have not. I have done absolutely nothing today.
In the second edition of the Flow Magazine International that I bought with my July 2013 copy of the Ideas Magazine there is an article titled “Life is About Finding the Balance”. I read through it briefly today and I knowing me I will read it again and mull over it for a bit. It truly is a great read, and quite fitting for me today, feeling the extremes of constantly doing too much and now doing too little.
One thing the article suggests is that we should all develop our own slogan for life, and I think this a fantastic idea. The article also says that if we live our lives with our values and morals in mind we can learn to live more mindfully.
It’s given me a lot to think about, and seeing as I have all this time to think I might just as well! You really, really need to get a copy of this magazine if you haven’t already!
Showing posts with label Ideas Magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ideas Magazine. Show all posts
Monday, 22 July 2013
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Easy Chocolate Crunchy Recipe
I found this recipe in the August 2011 Ideas Magazine and it looked so simple I had to give it a try. The recipe in the magazine provides beautiful step-by-step instructions which I am waaay to lazy to post here, so here it is:
Chocolate Crunchy Ingredients:
500 ml Flour
500 ml Rolled Oats
500 ml Desiccated Coconut
60 ml Cocoa Powder
10 ml Baking Powder
370 ml (340g) Margarine
10 ml Vanilla Essence
Chocolate Crunchy Icing:
500 ml Icing Sugar
30 ml Cocoa Powder
10 ml Butter (I used margarine)
Chocolate Crunchy Method:
Mix all the dry chocolate crunchy ingredients, add a pinch of salt. Add the vanilla essence and melt the margarine and stir into the dry ingredients. Press into a greased baking tray and flatten with a fork or spatula, prick with a fork and bake at 180 Degrees Celsius for 10 – 15 minutes, taking care that the crunchies do not burn.
Icing Method:
To prepare the icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter and some warm water in small increments until a smooth spreadable mixture forms. As soon as the crunchies come out of the oven, pour the icing over them and spread evenly. Cut into squares while they are still warm and once cooled remove from the pan.
Delish!
I must add that I did have a slight problem with my crunchy mixture. Perhaps I used too little margarine, so really do not try and skimp on this and in so “fool” yourself to believe they will be less fattening if you try to use less. Just go the whole hog, you won’t be sorry!
Chocolate Crunchy Ingredients:
500 ml Flour
500 ml Rolled Oats
500 ml Desiccated Coconut
60 ml Cocoa Powder
10 ml Baking Powder
370 ml (340g) Margarine
10 ml Vanilla Essence
Chocolate Crunchy Icing:
500 ml Icing Sugar
30 ml Cocoa Powder
10 ml Butter (I used margarine)
Chocolate Crunchy Method:
Mix all the dry chocolate crunchy ingredients, add a pinch of salt. Add the vanilla essence and melt the margarine and stir into the dry ingredients. Press into a greased baking tray and flatten with a fork or spatula, prick with a fork and bake at 180 Degrees Celsius for 10 – 15 minutes, taking care that the crunchies do not burn.
Icing Method:
To prepare the icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter and some warm water in small increments until a smooth spreadable mixture forms. As soon as the crunchies come out of the oven, pour the icing over them and spread evenly. Cut into squares while they are still warm and once cooled remove from the pan.
Delish!
I must add that I did have a slight problem with my crunchy mixture. Perhaps I used too little margarine, so really do not try and skimp on this and in so “fool” yourself to believe they will be less fattening if you try to use less. Just go the whole hog, you won’t be sorry!
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| Chocolate Crunchies |
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
What's Between your Covers?
This month’s issue of the Ideas Magazine had a special offer which included a copy of the amazing Flow Magazine, a popular Dutch magazine that is simply packed with inspiration, interesting articles, and even beautiful window art pieces and MORE!
Seriously, if you have not bought it yet.. you simply have to! I went to three stores before I found the offer, but let me tell you it is WELL worth the money and effort. The magazine screams “read me!!” and has the most beautiful inspirational quotes and illustrations.
Let me tell you.. here in South Africa all our magazines are rife with adverts for laundry powder, baby nappies and even hardware products.. yes.. all in one magazine!? Can you make a connection between these random items!? Because I don’t think I can!!
Anywho.. the Flow Magazine is nothing like what we have here in South Africa.. it is filled, I tell you FILLED with information and articles you actually want to read! I’m seriously considering subscribing to this magazine, I just hope they post to RSA, because I couldn’t find any areas in the country which stock the magazine!
Which brings me to my second point.. This month (July 2013) if the Ideas Magazine they announced a HUGE price increase which they justified by saying that they do not want to have to fill the pages of the magazine with numerous adverts. They go on by saying that they may have been forced to close the magazine if they did not increase the price. (I would die if they did!!)
Now, I totally so understand this, however how can it be possible that a magazine (such as Flow) is able to provide such quality without a single advert in the entire issue?
Well one thing is for sure.. I will be keeping my eye on the content if the Ideas Magazine and it better be bursting with really informative information. Now that I have seen what other magazines in the world can create, only time will tell if it will deliver.
I am not sure how often the Flow Magazine is published. But perhaps the great folk at Ideas should consider having a bi-monthly magazine? That may be an option? But let me tell you I would not mind paying over R100 per month for a magazine such as Flow. It is truly a keeper and I know I would refer to it again and again!
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| The amazing Flow Magazine |
Let me tell you.. here in South Africa all our magazines are rife with adverts for laundry powder, baby nappies and even hardware products.. yes.. all in one magazine!? Can you make a connection between these random items!? Because I don’t think I can!!
Anywho.. the Flow Magazine is nothing like what we have here in South Africa.. it is filled, I tell you FILLED with information and articles you actually want to read! I’m seriously considering subscribing to this magazine, I just hope they post to RSA, because I couldn’t find any areas in the country which stock the magazine!
Which brings me to my second point.. This month (July 2013) if the Ideas Magazine they announced a HUGE price increase which they justified by saying that they do not want to have to fill the pages of the magazine with numerous adverts. They go on by saying that they may have been forced to close the magazine if they did not increase the price. (I would die if they did!!)
Now, I totally so understand this, however how can it be possible that a magazine (such as Flow) is able to provide such quality without a single advert in the entire issue?
Well one thing is for sure.. I will be keeping my eye on the content if the Ideas Magazine and it better be bursting with really informative information. Now that I have seen what other magazines in the world can create, only time will tell if it will deliver.
I am not sure how often the Flow Magazine is published. But perhaps the great folk at Ideas should consider having a bi-monthly magazine? That may be an option? But let me tell you I would not mind paying over R100 per month for a magazine such as Flow. It is truly a keeper and I know I would refer to it again and again!
Monday, 1 July 2013
Love is a Verb
In the May 2013 issue of the Your Family Magazine there’s an article about Ashley Hayden It’s a great article about her and her life and all the amazing things she’s done, I truly admire her. What struck me in the article was what she said about love..
She said and its really so true! She goes on to say that love is “letting them have the first bath while the water is still hot, its buying Bovril and not Marmite because you know that’s the one they like”
This really struck me, because I have actually been doing a lot of thinking about love for a while. It has actually inspired me to “jazz up” a painting I have in my TV lounge - which I have already started on but will post the “before” and “after” photos once I’m done.
This month’s issue (July 2013) of the Ideas Magazine had an entire article about the Rijksmuseum in The Netherlands and the amazing fact that you can create an account on their website and download digital versions of the art in the museum and use these masterpieces to create your own works of art. If you haven’t done so already, make sure you visit their website here!
So for today I have created my own little artwork, inspired by Ashley and the amazing works at the Rijksmuseum.
“Love is a verb, not a noun”
She said and its really so true! She goes on to say that love is “letting them have the first bath while the water is still hot, its buying Bovril and not Marmite because you know that’s the one they like”
This really struck me, because I have actually been doing a lot of thinking about love for a while. It has actually inspired me to “jazz up” a painting I have in my TV lounge - which I have already started on but will post the “before” and “after” photos once I’m done.
This month’s issue (July 2013) of the Ideas Magazine had an entire article about the Rijksmuseum in The Netherlands and the amazing fact that you can create an account on their website and download digital versions of the art in the museum and use these masterpieces to create your own works of art. If you haven’t done so already, make sure you visit their website here!
So for today I have created my own little artwork, inspired by Ashley and the amazing works at the Rijksmuseum.
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| This is from the Declaration of Love, Alfred Silvester, 1855 - 1865 |
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