Time to Vote!

Let me introduce you to the newest man in my life...

This is E, my 2 and 1/2 month old nephew.

My sister J. has entered a photo competition with the photo above of S. (her husband) and baby E.

Please pop along to Photography By Shayla and vote for photo number 4!!

Once you have voted, leave a comment to let me know...

Everyone will then go into the draw,

where 5 people will picked to guest blog,

to do a post of their very own!!!

For extra entries...

Leave a comment per entry...

-Twitter the link and tell people to vote for photo 4! @jess_barnes

-Tell you friends on facebook to vote for the photo

-Reblog!

Competition ends 9pm AEST on Tuesday 31st May

Winners announced on Wednesday 1st June.

Thanks for supporting my sister and her little family!

101 Things That Make Me Happy... Part One:

As apart of my 101 in 1001 list, one of my things is to share with you 101 things that make me happy, so here is part one... Enjoy.

1. Bubbles: It is fun to blow them and to pop them, and nothing better then watching kids play with them.
2. Road Trips: Car all packed up,
3. Smiles: A simple smile can turn your day from a yucky day to a great one!
4. Snail mail: Everything from letters to post cards, to parcels. Love the nervous butterflies when your waiting for something is coming, to the pure excitement when you receive it.
5. Music: You can express every type of emotion through music, and it can change your mood in a instant.
6. Sunsets & Sunrises: One of the most beautiful things that nature has to offer.
7. Fresh bunch of flowers: Best thing to cheer people up, to make anyone smile, and to show
8. Journal writing: My favourite way to express myself. I am a very guarded and don't trust easy, so this is a good way that I can just get everything out. It takes my stress levels down, lets me review things in my life and gives me better focus
9. Photography: I particularly black and white photos. Especially the photos that people don't know are being taken, the ones that show raw emotion.
10. Books: Nothing better then curling up and reading a good book. Plus I love the look of a shelf full of books.

BTW...

10 Simple Things will be back in a few weeks time- 9th June, just taking some time out to review my blog and redesign it! Hope you like the new look!

100 ways to uncomplicated it

Found this cute post over on Little Miss Perfectionist. Loved it so much that I just have to share! Hope you find it interesting and helpful!

Here are 100 ways to uncomplicate it...

1. don’t try to read other people’s minds
2. get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired
3. get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly
4. stick to your budget
5. start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare
6. balance your checkbook
7. don’t try to be friends with everyone. cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.
8. don’t try to do business with everyone. identify your target client and take very good care of them.
9. before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years
10. focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others
11. stay home this saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish
12. kiss and make up
13. make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market
14. ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month
15. fill up your gas tank when it’s half full
16. don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad
17. pay your bills on time
18. get an annual physical examination
19. say “i love you” to your significant other and to your children. studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day.
20. for just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are
21. give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years
22. throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended
23. when you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.
24. know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities
25. tell the truth
26. don’t cheat
27. don’t steal
28. if you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go
29. clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore
30. do your best at work, or at school
31. don’t eat when you aren’t hungry
32. eat when you are hungry
33. be yourself
34. say no unapologetically
35. cook simple meals
36. don’t try to keep up with the Joneses
37. pay off your car before buying a new one
38. organize your desk at the office
39. change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back
40. organize your important paperwork
41. take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday
42. help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers
43. have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached
44. spend your time with nice people
45. avoid drama
46. don’t text or talk on the phone while driving
47. turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers
48. don’t engage in office politics
49. refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs
50. do the dishes right after dinner
51. never go to sleep angry
52. ask nicely for what you need and want
53. walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart
54. do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger
55. leave work at work
56. don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy
57. don’t envy others
58. have your oil changed
59. take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold
60. don’t work more than 8 hours per day
61. weed your garden weekly
62. wash your car weekly
63. have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time
64. you don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships
65. don’t drink and drive
66. don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.
67. be friendly with your neighbours
68. return emails and phone messages promptly
69. schedule in free time
70. don’t procrastinate
71. do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it
72. be more flexible when you’re able to be
73. forgive and forget. end of story.
74. break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity
75. start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose
76. take care of any health issues or concerns
77. have your tires rotated
78. have your brakes checked
79. have your eyes checked
80. don’t let your imagination run away with you
81. let go of perfection in others
82. let go of perfection in yourself
83. don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves
84. find a way to reduce your commute to work
85. have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by
86. drink more water
87. eat more salmon
88. don’t make a mountain out of a molehill
89. wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style
90. finish what you start
91. wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style
92. create a daily routine
93. have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals
94. slow down
95. eat out less often
96. when you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one
97. allow your children to grow up
98. clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year
99. stretch every day
100. if a relationship is over, let it go

Spread The Word...

My flat mate Lisa shared this on her blog today...

This is a message everyone need to share!

10 Simple Things!

Hey everyone!
Sorry about the day delay with 10 Simple Things post,
Things have been a little bit busy around here.
I need to organise myself better and not leave it to the last minute!

This week I would like to introduce you all to Penny from Dancing in Bare Feet.
Pop over to her blog and say hi!

10 Things that make Penny happy!!

1. Lists. Hence why I am here! List's make my brain feel clean and uncluttered. They inspire me to get a move on and achieve all of the things I aspire to.
2. Guitar solos. Those notes make my blood dance through my veins. I'm a huge music fan from pop to rock and country to metal. Anything that either gets me moving or stops me in my tracks.
3. Leaving the Hairdresser. I colour my own hair usually because I am cheap (aka saving for a big trip through Europe), but anytime I go to a salon I leave feeling amazing. New colour, new cut, silky, untangled strands of happy.
4. Pilates. When you mesh well with the perfect instructor, Pilates is the best thing that ever happened to you. I love leaving feeling open and stretched and relaxed and ready to take on the world.
5. Fresh food. I love markets more than most things in the world, and I love eating straight from a market stall. Fruit, bread, honey, dips, oils, cheeses... heaven.
6. Strawberries. OK so I already said food, but strawberries are in a league of their own, as is Mexican Food. We'll let strawberries take the limelight on this one because they taste like summer.
7. Summer. Couldn't have predicted that one, could you? Leaving the office for a walk through the sun at lunch time leaves me feeling refreshed and recharged. Maybe I'm solar powered?
8. Sing-a-longs. A lot of my friends play guitar and I love sitting outside taking turns strumming and then everyone joining in on a spontaneous sing-a-long. Spontaneity always wins.
9. My dog and my cat. Little furry faces of love and trust and learning and understanding. There's something so perfect about communicating with an animal, with so few words at your disposal, knowing you just get each other. And then having a cuddle afterwards.
10. Boys with long hair. Preferably carrying a motorbike helmet and listening to good music. A scenario I fantasized about for many a year, and then I found one.

**If your would like to be a guest blogger as apart of 10 Simple Things**

Here is how!

Mr. Men

Happy 76th Birthday for yesterday to Mr Roger Hargreaves.

For those of you that don't know who he is,

You will most likely recognise his work.

He is the creator of the Mr. Men series.

And this is how Goggle celebrated his birthday...

Awesome idea Goggle!

Which is your favourite Mr. Men charactor?

Mine was Little Miss Giggles!

Mothers...

Happy Mothers Day mum, and also Happy Birthday for tomorrow.

Thank you for being the amazing women that you are.

Thank you for the example that you are to me.

Thank you for the strength and courage that you show.

Thank you for the support and advice that you give me.

Thank you for sharing your talents with me and teaching me new things.

Thank you for just being there to listen to me.

Thank you for all the hard work and dedication that you have put into our family.

Thank you for raising us in the Gospel.

Thank you for always having faith in me.

Thank you for being there for me at any hour of the day.

Thank you for caring about me and loving me.

Thank you for being my best friend.

Thank you for being my mother.

Thank you for everything that you do for me, and everything that you continue to do for me, and for everything that you will do for me in the future.

I love you Mum, for now and all eternity.

Come What May... And Love It!

Scrabble....

My flat mate Lisa showed me this video from a blog that she was looking at.

I think that this video is awesome! Would be so random to just walk past and see it happening and so much fun!

10 Simple Things!

This week I would like to introduce you all to Hayley!

When Hayley sent me her email with her list I fell in love with A: her photo, it's awesome! and B: her list! She a person who loves adrenaline, just like me! Now I'm craving going skydiving again!

Pop by Hayley's blog- Learning The World and say hi!

10 Things that make Hayley happy!!!

1. Blowing bubbles: Maybe it's childish and silly, but it's pretty much impossible to be unhappy while blowing bubbles. Seriously. Blowing bubbles instantly brings a smile to my face.
2. Traveling: I'll admit it--I've caught the travel bug. I've had it for about five years and wouldn't change a thing. Sure, it means I'm always broke, and yes, it means being away from home. But the truth is, the experiences, challenges and relationships I've gained from travel are so addicting that I doubt I'll ever give it up!
3. Earrings: I've been known to wear the most outrageously colorful, big and bold earrings. They stand out, they're great conversation starters, and they're a great addition to any outfit (even my Northface fleece and sweatpants!)
4. Kids who speak languages I can't understand: Not only are kids in general adorable, but you can pretty much gather the meaning behind what they're saying, no matter what the language. They speak simply and from the heart, and you can always count on a child to wave, smile and say hello, even if you can't understand exactly what they say after that.
5. Adrenaline rushes: I crave them all the time. They make your heart beat, they quicken your breath, and they tell you that you just did something so wildly outrageous that you might just need pictures to prove it! Skydiving, bungee jumping, cliff diving or zip lining--doesn't matter the activity, as long as I get that rush!
6. Peanut Butter: I've traveled a lot in the last five years, and so I've grown accustomed to eating foods from all different cultures around the world. However, there is one food that I always bring with me as a reminder of home, and that is Peanut Butter. Nothing says comfort like a big old spoonful of the stuff.
7. Dog love: No matter what, a dog will love you unconditionally. When you mess up, they're wagging their tail at you. When you say something stupid, they lick your hands. When something goes wrong, they curl up next to you and put their head in your lap. I've got three dogs at home, and I always know that I can count on them for some good ol' fashioned dog lovin'.
8. Skype: Whenever I'm away from home, I know that I can still talk to my family, friends and boyfriend thanks to the amazing technology of Skype. Whenever I'm feeling down and a little homesick, all I have to do is call home (for free!) and see the faces of the people I love the most and who love me right back!
9. Being silly: Celebrating ridiculous holidays like Leif Erikson Day, playing dress up, talking in funny voices, coming up with home-town adventures to keep from being bored, or just plain old ridiculous with friends always makes me happy.
10. Bear hugs: Having been abroad for four months makes me appreciate the bear hugs I get from my mom, sister, boyfriend and friends all that much more. They're warm, they're comforting, and they make me feel loved. It's definitely the first thing I'm looking forward when I get home in two weeks!

**If your would like to be a guest blogger as apart of 10 Simple Things**

Here is how!

Love Never Dies

Who is a fan of Phantom of the Opera??

I have grown up listening to this music playing through out my parents house.

I have followed in my mothers footsteps and fallen in love with musical.

Phantom of the Opera being one of my favourite.

A longtime dream of mine is to see it live on stage.

So when I heard about a new musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber

I was super excited!

Even more so when I found out that the new musical is a follow on from the Phantom of the Opera!!

In LOVE NEVER DIES, one of the world’s greatest love stories continues.

For years the Phantom haunted the depths of the Paris Opera House and isolated himself from the world. It was not until he fell fiercely in love with a young soprano Christine Daaé that he first felt the rush of his existence. His love quickly grew into obsession, and his madness drove Christine into the arms of another - her childhood sweetheart Raoul.

The year is 1907. It is 10 years after his disappearance from the Paris Opera House and the Phantom has escaped to a new life in New York where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak-shows of Coney Island.

In this new electrically-charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar. All that is missing is his love - Christine Daaé.

Now one of the world’s finest sopranos, Christine is struggling in an ailing marriage to Raoul. So, it is with excitement she accepts an invitation to travel to New York and perform at a renowned opera house. In a final bid to win back her love, the Phantom lures Christine, her husband, and their young son Gustave from Manhattan, to the glittering and glorious world of Coney Island… unbeknownst of what is in store for her…

This is one of my favourite songs so far from the production!

Love never dies opening in Melbourne Australia in later this month!

I feel a trip to Melbourne with my mother is in order!!

Can't wait to this it!!

Music Hunt! Please Help!!

HELP WANTED!

I am on the hunt for awesome music to put onto my iphone.

Sure I have music on there at the moment, but it's just random stuff shoved on there.

I want to clean it up, and put up been music onto there.

So I need your help!

I have a question for you all...

What are your top 10 songs?

The type of songs that put a spring in your step

The songs that would cheer you up,

The type of songs that make you smile,

Songs that make you want to break out and dance

All suggestions are VERY welcomed!

I have a wide range of music that i listen to, from country to rock, pop to opera etc.

Can't wait to listen to your suggestions!