By now you're probably all aware that the 19th of May is a very special date.  Yup - Prince Harry is to marry Ms. Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor.  They do make a lovely couple and I wish them all the best. But I shall be having secondary celebrations of my own!  I will be celebrating my 40th birthday, hurrah!  According to the Huffington Post , I can look forward to being stronger, more resilient and knowing my own mind.  The Metro  paints a less encouraging picture though - I'm not sure I'm ready to tick the 40+ box on surveys and I don't yet have friends who are grandparents. My friends who have already turned 40 this year have taken their birthdays in their stride.  One is preparing to become a first time mum, another went on the trip of a lifetime to Asia and the Caribbean.  Another is having her third celebration this month, and why not!  We only turn 40 once, and doesn't life begin at 40 anyway!! Photo b...

A few years ago, I was complaining to a colleague about a team which had been slacking off and hadn't been pulling their weight.  I was so distressed by their inferior performance that it was affecting my own.  My colleague reminded me of the Covey Circles .  I n the   7 Habits of Highly Effective People,  Dr. Stephen R. Covey described proactive people as those who work on the things they can do something about.  These people focus on their circle of influence and as they do, the circle grows.  Reactive people instead waste their energy worrying about things they can't control, just as I was worrying about the other team.  How much time do we waste thinking about what someone else will be wearing or doing?  Or maybe a colleague is preparing a piece of work and the competitor in you worries that it'll be better than your work.  Have you ever had a sleepless night worrying about something that might happen at work the following d...

This year I find myself relying on MOOCs more often.  What is a MOOC?  It stands for massive open online course .  I remember how as a thirteen year old (way back when!) I relied on my mum's Reader's Digest Cookery Annual to complete a Cookery (it wasn't called Home Economics yet!) assignment.  It was a beautiful book with illustrations of fruit and vegetables by season. These days a quick google search or Wikipedia can often answer questions really quickly.  MOOCs replace classroom learning, lessons and coursework are all online and mostly free (some have additional paid-for features). Here are three MOOCs to try: 1.  Lynda Founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman, Lynda offers courses from Software Development to Photography.  This popular training provider is used by LinkedIn Learning  and is offered free to all members of Auckland Libraries. 2.   edX I'm starting to learn Python and R for work so edX is really useful. ...

There's nothing like getting lost in a book on a dark autumn night.  I love to snuggle on the sofa with a hot drink and take adventures into the unknown. We went to Orewa a few weeks ago and it was a perfect spot for a reading retreat.  Me engrossed in Americanah I started to read Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie while we were there.  It is such a well written book with great characters that draw you in.  Chimamanda is a wonderful speaker and I'd recommend her inspirational TED talks - We should all be feminists (also available in print) and The danger of a single story . Americanah I've just finished the Signature of all Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat Pray Love fame).  It's been a while since I read such a long piece of literature.  I was fascinated by it as it documents the history of botany from Kew Gardens in London to Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam.  It was a great read if you're in for the long haul! Phot...

I've dedicated May to getting my personal finances in check.  Here are 3 of my favourite podcasts about money. 1. Cooking the Books  with Frances Cook This is a bitesize podcast, never longer than about 15 minutes, in which Frances Cook tackles financial issues topical in New Zealand such as the impact of politics on our investments and the pros and cons of being a first home buyer. 2.  The Pineapple Project Claire Hooper hosts this great podcast which features different aspects of money, e.g. How to plan a wedding without going broke and You need an emergency fund.   Fun and full of useful information. 'Why pineapples? Because like money, they can be sweet. But they’re also a prick to deal with if you don’t know how to handle them.' 3. Bad With Money Gaby Dunn is Bad with Money.  I'm only 3 episodes in and so far she's questioned her parents about money (turns out they're Bad with Money  too), seen a financial psychologist and hidden her cre...

I'm not one for greenfingers.  In fact I have a very sad history with ferns.  However I've found three house plants that seem to be thriving with little care required.  I've named them all - Lily, Tracey and Spike and love to have a chat with them everyday.  If you want to get a house plant that will thrive then these are for you! Sansevieria (Mother-in-Law's tongue or snake plant) The snake plant can actually grow indoors in low light or outside in bright light.  I actually bought one plant but after about six months I split it into two.  They just seem to get on with it which makes this the easiest plant in the world to care for. Dracaena Known for purifying the air, the dracaena comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and patterns.  I have a small pot plant, but I have seen larger versions which look like small trees in nurseries.  They don't like too much water and I use fertiliser sticks every few months to keep 'Tracey' happy. Pe...

Anzac Day  is a New Zealand public holiday which falls on 25 April, marking the  anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers at Gallipoli in 1915.   It is  commemorated by military and returned servicemen  with a dawn service at a local war memorial, joined by other members of the community.  In the lead up to the day, the public wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance. Another tradition is to bake Anzac biscuits on the day.  According to the National Army website  there were no Anzac biscuits at Gallipolli, although the troops did eat a 'rock hard tooth breaker' which was a standard Army biscuit.  The majority of Anzac biscuits as we know them today were sold at fetes and fundraisers, raising 6.5 million pounds for the war effort. I love Anzac biscuits.  They are similar to the oat 'crunchies' that my mum baked for me as a child.  Here is a simple Anzac biscuit recipe. Ingredients:...

How well do you know the area you live in?  I love researching holidays and things to do, but often forget how much there is closer to home.   Papakura is a nearby suburb that I sometimes visit to go shopping at Farmers department store or visit Mottletop Cafe.  I decided to go on an adventure one afternoon and was surprised with how much there was to do.  Here's what I found...

As part of Mindful March I decided to do an Instagram photo a day challenge.  Everyday I posted a photo on Instagram about something that made me feel good that day.  You can see my photo diary using this link . These were the three that got the most likes! With my mum and sister, posted on International Women's Day Taken at Cable Bay on Waiheke Island Sunset at Muriwai Beach

The Commonwealth Games run from 4th April until 15th April.  They are being hosted in Australia's Gold Coast and will feature athletes from 71 nations competing in 25 sports.  I'm not very good at participating in team sports but I do love to watch them!!  The athletes have put so many hours into training for their events and their tenacity and determination is inspiring. My favourite sports to watch are gymnastics and swimming.  This year beach volleyball makes its debut and I'm sure that'll be a hit with the fans too. The Commonwealth  is a collective of 53 nations who share common values and principles.   The Commonwealth Games brings together the member nations so that athletes can compete in a spirit of friendship and fair play.   The Commonwealth Games have been conducted every four years (apart from WWII) since the first  British Empire Games were held in Canada in 1930.   Gold Coast  is renowned for it's bea...

Earth Hour is a global movement for greater action on climate change.  It started as a  symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007 and has since grown worldwide.  Each year lights are switched off from 8:30 to 9:30pm.  This year Earth Hour falls on 24th March and here are 3 ways to take part. 1. Sign up to take part at the Earth Hour website  and switch off your lights for one hour. 2. Grow some plants.  I'm a beginner gardener and have three small wall planters filled with daisies, spider plants and pansies.  I love succulents and am so proud of my echeveria!  I find gardening, even weeding very therapeutic.  Gardening gives us a deeper connection with our surroundings. Echeveria 3. Reduce plastic waste.  Plastic is so harmful to the environment.  I've spoken before about the harm plastic causes to our oceans  but the main problem with plastic is that it never goes away.    Exposure to t oxic chemi...

I'm trying to live more consciously this month.  These podcasts discuss ideas on ways to live more sustainably. 1. Conscious Chatter Conscious Chatter is a podcast about the potential impact connected to what we wear. In episode 44, the host Kestrel is joined by Andrew Morgan, whose 2015 documentary The True Cost has become a go-to source for eye-opening information about the realities of the global fashion industry. 2. The Slow Home Podcast Brooke McAlary immersed herself in the  Slow Living philosophy a fter being diagnosed with severe post natal depression in 2011.   Over 2 years she decluttered more than 25,000 items. In episode 19, Brooke talks to Rhonda Hetzel,   the author of two books on creating a slower, simpler home. 3. Becoming Your Best Becoming your best is a leadership development podcast.  In this episode Steve interviews Courtney Carver, who created Project 333 , a minimalist challenge where participants dress w...

This month I am focussing on how I can live more consciously.  Living consciously means actively evaluating our decisions and options, and thus creating a life that we  want.  I would like to be more conscious of how my decisions affect others.  I believe that making small changes every day can have a bigger impact. So to start with, I am looking at what I consume.  Everyone knows that I love chai Friday .  If I'm honest when I asked my hubby to buy me a KeepCup for  Christmas it was because I liked the cute cup, I wasn't actually considering the environment at all.  In my research for this post I've found out that  because of the polyethylene plastic lining in paper cups, they can't be recycled in New Zealand.  Which means that for someone having 5 coffees a week, 14kg of waste  will end up in landfill each year!   March Resolution #1 - Carry my KeepCup with me every day! More reading - WASTE – What should we do wi...

The bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house.  Most modern bathrooms are fitted with ways to save water with half-flush toilet settings and low-flow shower heads and taps.  But there are other ways to be more eco-conscious in the bathroom, here are three suggestions: 1.  Tree Free TP smartass  is made from   a combination of sugarcane and fast growing bamboo that can be grown year on year with little wear and tear on soil quality.  It  is also free of bleach, inks, dyes and perfume.  Every day we flush the equivalent of 27,000 trees down the toilet.   Trees play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases and contribute to the water cycle by returning water vapour back into the atmosphere. Without trees, millions of species will lose their habitat and global carbon emissions will rise by 15-20%.   smartass offer different subscriptions for cartons of 48 rolls, as well as one-time purchases...

Social enterprises are purpose-driven organisations that trade to deliver social and environmental impact.  Here are three social enterprises, that make a big differences to the lives of the people they touch. 1.  Inuka Dixon Chabanda is one of 12 psychiatrists in Zimbabwe - for a population of more than 16 million.  He started Inuka to help support people who need mental support.  Listen to his wonderful TED talk about the friendship bench  and the impact it's had on many Zimbabweans. 2. Plastic Bank Can we clean the plastic from the ocean and make a difference to the lives of the poor?  The Plastic Bank provides a consistent, above-market rate for plastic waste, thus incentivizing its collection. Individuals who gather the plastic can trade it for money, items or services.  The plastic collected through is then recycled.  Listen to the founder of the Plastic Bank, David Katz' TED talk . 3.  The Soular Backpack Found...

I've been in my new job for almost a month and although I still feel like a deer in the headlights most days, I'm really enjoying the opportunities for learning new things.   My first week in the new role was spent meeting new colleagues, reading, and getting set up on all systems.  Then it was all go as I travelled down to Wellington for my very first week long  Sprint .  Before you ask, no it wasn't some kind of corporate relay!  A sprint is a set period of time during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review.  In our case, our squad of 4 from different areas of the business sat in a meeting room and drew on our inspiration to tackle a problem and design a prototype solution. This is the premise of Agile management  which includes collaboration, self-organization, and cross functionality of teams with the aim of changing the way we work to meet the ever-changing demands of the global market. Not that kind of spr...

As the end of January draws nearer, motivation levels start to wane and New Year's Resolutions seem a distant memory.  Here are three poems to help perk us up and get us going in February. 1.  Desiderata Max Ehrmann was an American writer of German descent.  Desiderata is a wonderful poem about being kind to yourself. 'With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.   Strive to be happy.' Max Ehrmann 2.  If Best known for The Jungle Book , Rudyard Kipling won the 1907 Nobel Prize in Literature.  If  is a poem of fatherly advice. 'If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;' Rudyard Kipling  3. Still I Rise Maya Angelou was an American poet, writer and activist.   Still I Rise is an inspirational empowering poem all about the struggle to overcome prejudice and injustice. 'You may ...

Bitcoin has been in the news a lot lately.  If like me, you’re clueless as to what bitcoin actually is, here are 3 great podcasts about the cryptocurrency: 1.  David Baddiel Tries to Understand The British Comedian finds out exactly what Bitcoin is.  This short podcast (only 15 minutes) explains all the concepts really clearly. 2. Unchained In this episode  Everything You Need To Know About Bitcoin, Ethereum, Blockchains, ICOs, And More , Laura and Elaine cover all questions about crypto. 3.  Bitcoin Losers Kenny joins his guests in a search for their missing bitcoins.