Showing posts with label Zen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zen. Show all posts

Tuesday, 12 July 2011

10 Things about summer holidays

I'm on holiday. I'm guessing a fair percentage of you guys are, too... or about to go, or already back. Here's 10 things I think everyone on summer holidays should remember/think of/have fun with...


  1. Summer holidays require...wait for it...SUN. Ideally including sand and water of some sort or another. If you can't get to the beach, bring the beach to you... buy a mini zen garden, stirr the sand (ideally once it's warm from the sun) with your fingers (maybe sprinkle some on your hair for extra post-beach shower feeling later on). Have some ice-cold lemonade, or sangria. Put on your sunglasses and enjoy. Hey, presto, instant beach feeling. 
  2. Most summer holidays involve traffic jams or airport waiting times of some sort. So really, think about that zen garden. 
  3. Heat is nice. Unless you forget your sunscreen, your bottle of water, or your airconditioning is broken. Again with the zen garden. 
  4. Remember that pre-summer diet you meant to go on? Forget about it. Put it back on your schedule for post-christmanstime... 
  5. Summer holidays mean time to relax, to be yourself, to recharge those batteries. Don't forget that! Holidays can be stressful - don't let it get to you. Zen garden, I'm telling you. 
  6. BEFORE you go on holiday, sit down and write one of those "Last Summer I did..." essays we all used to dread be thrilled about when we were in school... write down everything you think your summer holiday should be about, then go to sleep. The next morning, read it and set out to do as much of the stuff in that essay as you can manage. 
  7. If you're going on holiday with your family, pack some extra patience (and anything that might help you with that - sugary treats, books, favourite music, whatever). You'll probably need it.
  8. Don't go for one of those student-type get-as-drunk-as-possible holidays. You do want to remember what you were up to, right? Or maybe you don't...
  9. Write postcards to friends and family. In the days of electronic everything, it's unbelievably nice to have something other than bills and/or stuff you ordered yourself in your mail. Also, it's nice to have a box of them and leaf through them on occasion. 
  10. Don't vanish off the face of the earth when you go on holiday. I have a bad habit of doing this - not answering my phone when I'm away and all that. Thanks to modern technology for making keeping in touch so easy... #lazyTessa... 
Last but not least... HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!! Let me know if you want a postcard from Spain... ; P


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Sunday, 9 May 2010

The Zen of Doing My Nails

I had a long weekend. 
Lots of people, lots socialising, lots of family. I'm now sitting at home on my couch, watching reruns of The Mentalist (and loving Simon Baker...hmmm I have a thing for blondes *sigh*). I've unpacked my nail-care stuff. Nail-polish remover, various files and buffers, little cuticle scissors, cuticle care balm, extra-rich lemon scented hand cream, clear strengthening base polish, a selection of colours and my favourite extra-shine top coat. 

This friday, I had a dinner meeting with my cousin, who's getting married end of may. I'm one of his witnesses, as we call it these parts - that means I stand up for him in church, sort of like a maid of honour but for the groom. The groom's brother is a witness, too, as are two of the bride's best friends. 
We had all planned on meeting up that evening to go over the schedule for the wedding. Various spouses and siblings came along, too. Bride and groom presided over the meeting, although the bride definitely had things well in hand. She handed out five-page printouts of her List of Stuff To Remember so we could all make notes on our own copies. 
Those lists covered everything from how many chairs we'd have to put up in church (yes, we would have to do that) to who would hoover the carpets and check the lightbulbs. 
I've taken out some cotton wool thingies and removed my current nail polish. It's Noir de Chine, or rather it was. Once I've rubbed away the most stubborn bits of black, I go wash my hands, scrubbing my fingers with a soft-ish little nailbrush I bought last week. I dry them off and go back to the couch. 
The Mentalist is over now. I channel surf until I hit Transformers. It'll do. 

I was rather surprised (and somewhat amused) to learn that my main job for the wedding (it had to be my main job, it was mentioned no less than three times on that list) was to supply a large amount of our family-made plum schnaps (lethal stuff) for the banquet on the evening after the wedding. Right. 

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