Week 2 is done and dusted and while my body is aching I am incredibly happy.
No candy, no chocolate, no coffee – go me 🙂 and substituting soft drink for soda water.
I have the best support crew any girl could ask for ..2 other challengers , a wonderful Pt and my ever supportive boyfriend (yes he is even eating salads ) and am already making new friends in our 6am Saturday group sessions.
The food has been surprisingly awesome and the menu plan ideas are really easy to follow & very simple and deliciously tasty (hello lamb wraps with garlic yoghurt).
Stil a long way to go but the motivation is still in full force
Well Yesterday marked the completion of the first week of the Goddlife Health Club 12 Week Challenge.
Honestly the first day is the hardest ! Measurements including skin folds and a before challenge photo …At 6am – egh
but after that I felt ready to take the challenge head on and embrace everything it throughs my way …including copius amounts of Burpees.
I’m fairly happy with the first set of fitness test results but I cannot wait to see the improvment 12 weeks will bring .. 30 pushups on day one is a good place to start and I hope to double that by the end !
The Nutrition seminar was incredibly informational and Dan took the time to explain even the little things 🙂
The wonderful, beautiful , talented , hilarious , fantastic , creative , Melissa is the brains behind one of my favorite blogs EVER  : Suger Coat ItÂ
Usually on my morning tea brain break I will grab a cup of tea and hit the compute to *stalk* my internet friends and see what is new in their world.  Today there was a post that caught my eye and I will admit curiosity caught the better of me -I think it’s the bold title  :  You’re a bitch . Back off .
I loved this post more so than any other posts I have read recently and relates to 99% of the women I know – whether they are the ones who do the bitching or are the ones on the receiving end of someone else’s spiteful tongue
So don’t hold back – head over and get your Suger Fix
I could write a million words on why I love them and why you should be listening to them right now but instead I will let the music do the talking for me.
I’ve always wanted to know if I have the right to miss something that I never had.
Is it okay that when I think about the gigantic hole in my life where my father should have been I get teary?
Is it okay that I hate going to weddings because I am jealous of the bride who gets to have a Father Daughter dance because I will never have that opportunity?
Is it okay that every Father’s Day I have a silent cry in the shower even though I tell myself it’s stupid to waste a second being sad over someone that has more than likely never even thought of me?
If I ever met you I how would I refer to you –Dad and Father certainly don’t seem right for someone who has been absent my entire life and Sperm Donor sounds too gracious for someone who walked away not really thinking of the effect it would have years later.  Although I’m sure in your own head you thought you were doing “the right thing”.
Don’t get me wrong even with the rocky road to adulthood my life has been alright – Mum was there when I was really sick and had to stay in hospital, Mum was there when I fell off my bike and skinned my knees, Mum was there every sports day, Mum was in the audience when I graduated and the day my OP score for university acceptance came in the mail she danced around the kitchen with me while I laughed and cried happy tears. When my heart was broken for the very first time Mum was there to pick up the pieces. So while things may have been different with you around;  Mum & I had so many wonderful times without you. I hate that she has had to do it all alone though – It wasn’t easy for her having to carry the workload of a mother and a father but she did it – without complaint or resentment even though she was fighting her own demons in the form of an illness a child could never understand.
At 15 with a heavy heart I asked Mum about you for the first time (we had spoken of you before but this was the first time we actually sat and went through things in detail) – not because I needed you or even wanted you but because you form half of me. I watched a movie about a girl my age wanting to know about her dad and it broken down the walls that my subconscious had built up around the emptiness that was you. It was one of the toughest things I have ever had to do – not because I was afraid of the answer but I didn’t want mum to feel like I didn’t want her anymore.
I have formulated many opinions about you over the years and I won’t lie but at times I have felt nothing but resentment towards you. Yes resentment for a stranger that I have never met After finding out that you had created another family I went through a stage of bitterness – How could you have children when you already have a child that you have never met? I’m not bitter anymore – empty is probably the best word to describe it . Yet again I am left with so many questions that only you can answer.
Maybe one day I will continue this letter and maybe one day after that I will find the courage to try and find you to have my questions answered but for now this will do.
No matter where I have been in life or where I end up I know that I have a a handful of treasured loved ones who will always have my back. People that I can call no matter the time of day or night – no matter the circumstance ; If I called they would be there as fast as humanly possible. I know that if my world caved in tomorow – I have someone to pick up the pieces.
Unfortunatly there is an unbelievable number of people of all ages that do not have such a luxury and this is something that breaks my heart on a regular basis. I have spoken before of my desire and dream to help orphans in Cambodia and while this is stil something I am working on – over the last couple of months I have been looking at ways to help others in need closer to home.
A few months ago a friend of mine Phoebe started a facebook donation page for a “Big Issue” vendor in Brisbane city by the name of Grant Richards – A fellow blogger and all around amazing person who touches the lives of everyone he meets.
After meeting Grant in person and listening to his story – I wanted to help but had no idea where to start when Grant started advertising for donations towards a BBQ he was putting on for the homeless in Brisbane. I took to Twitter to share Grants blog page using #GrantThePoliteGuy to promote awareness. Over a couple of days I noticed a few people who follow me on twitter using the same hash tag on their own posts as well. One such person was the absolutly delightful Alicia Wright otherwise known as Girl Friday .
Alicia and Grant decided to lodge an application to become a non profit organisation to help cut through the legal nonsense that made the last BBQ difficult and at last minute I joined in to help form a “Governing Board” . Once the application is approved we will be able to continue the amazing work Grant has been doing within the community and hopefully reach out to more people in need.
I’ve always been afraid to donate to things in the past for fear that the funds won’t actually reach those in need and that is one of the biggest reasons I am so passionate towards this. All funds raised will go back into the homeless community at BBQ events where the homeless will have access to food , blankets , resources and most importantly people to talk with – who will not judge.
I am so very very excited to be apart of all the exciting plans Alicia and Grant have for Mates Helping Mates and as more plans come to light I will share them with you here. If you would like to help out in the meantime – head over to Grants blog GrantThePoliteGuy and click on the donate button.
After all the paperwork was filled in Grant and I sat for hours talking about life and all the things we want to accomplish before our time on earth is up and I was so humbled by Grants willingness to put others first and his desire to change the way everyday people see things. Grant has already changed my life and I hope that I can repay his kindness and generosity.
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 18cm (base) square cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
Place the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on Medium/50% power, stirring every minute, for 1-2 minutes until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
Add the sugar and eggs to the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the choc bits and flour until well combined. Pour into the pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until crumbs cling to a skewer when inserted. Set aside to cool completely than slice into pieces
Alternatively you can serve this warm with Ice Cream
I also like to melt a little bit of extra chocolate and drizzle it over the top and let set
2 weeks ago we swung past the Iron Fist Australia warehouse and distribution center to pick up some bargains from the end of season sale.  Luckily for me some of the new stock had arrived and I was given a sneak peak aka I got to call dibs.
On saturday the mister and I went and collected our our new additions.
Mine ?
Brand new turquoise & black platform heels  featuring a  Frankenstein print with fabricated silver staples running down the heel and topped with a gorgeous satin bow.
No matter where I travel to , something always brings me back home to Brisbane.
I love the serenity of sitting with a cup of tea watching the sun slowly disappearing behind the high rise buildings leaving the skyline a melange of glowing colours that fade to black.
Photos all taken using Instagram for Iphone so the quality is not the very best .
PennysPerspective 