Paper Pumpkins!

We made paper pumpkins today in class. It was a really good activity for the children and they absolutely loved it.

I loved it too! They're so cute!

I'll post photos when I get the chance.

Pampering

I went away for the long weekend with some friends. We didn't go far, just to Waiwera, but it was far enough to feel like we were a long way from the city. We stayed in a lovely little apartment in a complex just down the road from the Waiwera Pools.

Saturday was busy. It was sunny so we went to a couple of markets. But on Sunday it was raining, so it was the perfect day to have a relaxation and pamper day. We lazed around for most of the day, reading and listening to music and chatting. Then we headed along the road to the spa at Waiwera Pools.

We'd booked a massage earlier in the week and it was amazing. I had a neck, back and shoulders massage. It was so good I could barely make myself move once it was finished. It was a really great way to relax and ease any tension out of my body.

May have to do something like this more often.

Mexican Night

 
My friend Iona is absolutely fabulous at coming up with really good opportunities to get together with friends. And she always uses little touches to make the evenings special.

Yesterday she had a Mexican Night. The table was really well decorated. There were decorations on the wall and in the entry when you walked into the house. The food was so tasty - tortillas and rice and chilli. And the company was great. We were just chatting and laughing the whole time.

It was a really, really good night. Thanks Iona.

ULearn 2012

So much to learn. So much thinking to do.

Need to rearrange my brain ... but in a good way.

What a fantastic conference.

Bus Drivers That Wait

Yesterday I went into the city at some horribly early hour for a conference. It being the middle of the week I went in by bus and even though I was only half awake I was really impressed by the bus driver. He was very aware of people racing to catch the bus, and if he had to wait a minute for someone to reach him before he shut the doors, he did so.

Now I don't use the bus a lot, especially at this time in a morning. And I'm aware that timetables must be stuck to. But this little thoughtfulness made several people's day a lot better than it could have been if they had missed their bus.

Yes, another one would have come along fairly quickly, but that's not the point. That bus driver didn't have to wait, but he waited all the same. And that made me smile at a time in the morning when my eyes aren't even properly open yet!

Lotions and Potions

I have spent another fantastic day in the kitchen with my sister. But we weren't making cake this time. We were making moisturiser, face mask and a body lotion bar (in the shape of a sunflower).

She's so clever.

She likes to use natural products, but was having a little difficulty with the cost and postage costs of buying them. So she popped online and found some recipes. She's making detailed notes of what works for her and what doesn't and having a great time doing it.

She makes products for both herself and her husband. And now me too!!! My body lotion bar smells of grapefruit and beeswax and it should be just fabulous. I have to wait a week for it to fully set and I'm not sure how I'm going to wait.

It was a new experience for me today and I had a great day. Thanks Charli!

Mmmm ...Cake!

This is the lime and coconut cake that Charli and I were making earlier. Doesn't it look good? It tastes it too. Don't think it will last long. Mmmmm!

Baking With My Sister

 I don't get to see Charli that often, but every time I visit, we always do a little bit of baking.

She is a baking queen.

She's always making bread or biscuits or cake or some other tasty treat. I love it.

And I usually get sent home with something sweet and yummy too. Today we're making a lime, coconut and almond cake with a creamy lime frosting.

I'll try to post a picture when we're finished. But I'll have to be quick, as it may not last long!

School Holidays

I don't really think I have to say much more about this. But it makes me really, really happy to be on holiday. Especially after a horrendously busy 11 week term. I've spent my first day sleeping, gardening, playing games and reading magazines, It's been sunny and absolutely brilliant. Yeah for holidays!!!!

Orchid

I got a different type of orchid  for my mum for Mothers' Day this year and liked it so much that I thought I'd try to get one for myself. After a bit of random searching (when I remembered to look) I finally found one (or lots, and it was so hard to decide which one I wanted). Here it is. Isn't it pretty?

Lime Blossoms

I have flowers on my lime tree! I was out in my garden doing a little bit of tidying up and suddenly saw a few small flowers and quite a few buds. I'm so excited. Now, guess if I want some limes I ought to start feeding it again huh?

Robots

Okay, so robots don't make me happy all that often. But today they did.

One of my boys wasn't doing what he should have been doing. Which isn't all that great. But instead of doing his work, he was drawing robots. These were quite possibly the best robots that I have seen a 5 year old draw in a long time. And he was so excited about them. He spoke more about his picture of robots and what they could do, than I have heard him speak since he started school. They were really cool.

But the best thing to me is that I now know this boy a lot more. I know what excites him and what interests him. I got to see a whole other side to a little boy that I've been having a little problem connecting with. And I now have a way to switch him on to his learning...

...through robots!

Increase your life

Just finished watching one of the TED talks by Jane McGonigal. It was called "The Game That Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Life". In it she talked about the power of games and ways in which you can increase your life expectancy. One of the things she said (or I remember her saying) was that if you can think of 3 good things for every 1 bad thing you think about, then you can actually help increase your life.

And it made me think about my blog. No I'm probably not thinking of 3 good things for every 1 bad thing, but by trying to pay attention to the positive side of life, I'm definitely on the right track.

I got quite a bit out of this talk, so I'll probably be doing a bit more talking about it on my blog. It was really quite inspiring.

This Is My Best Day at School Ever!

One of my boys said this to me yesterday. His whole face was lit up and he was excited to actually be in school and learning.

I felt proud of him and a little bit humble all at the same time.

How often do we clue into what really fires children up to give them a 'best day at school ever' moment? How often do we feel that way ourselves?

Wouldn't it be great if you had children saying that regularly? I think so.

That Lightbulb Moment

There's nothing better than watching a child suddenly understand something they have been struggling with. It's as if someone has switched a light on. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Yesterday, one of my boys finally got the idea of forming a set in maths. He was having a great time and enjoyed showing me his new skill. He had this huge smile on his face and was so proud of himself. It made my day.

Pretty Flowers!

Some of my ranunculus have finally flowered. They're a lovely cream colour and they've got so many petals. I think they look a little like a crinoline petticoat upside down (or what I imagine an upside down crinoline would look like). So pretty!!

A Job Well Done

I've been helping my friends Vicky and Bruce this weekend. Vicky and I have been painting her fence in her garden. It's taken us a while, the whole day in fact, but there's nothing more satisfying than a job well done. It's finished and looks so much better. I'll post a photo when I've got one. Off for take out now. Tired, but happy.

What a lovely fence!

The Moon

There's a really nice moon out tonight. I don't think that it's a full moon, but it's large and bright and shiny. It makes me feel so calm and peaceful. I love it.

Random Acts of Kindness

Tomorrow is apparently Random Acts of Kindness Day (according to the radio this morning), and it made me think of some random acts of kindness that I have received from strangers.

There were a few that I remembered, but one that stood out to me was when I was grocery shopping. The queues were huge (as always when you're in a rush). I only had 3 items and instead of joining the extremely long queue for the '12 items or less' tills, I joined one of the other queues. There was a gentleman in front of me (and I use that word for a very valid reason) who had a trolley full of shopping. He looked at me and my shopping and indicated that I should go in front of him. I tried to politely decline, appreciating the offer all the same, but he insisted. And I thought, "How nice!" I can't even remember why I was in a rush, but the idea that someone would do something so selfless really impressed me.

So often in our busy lives it is hard to see beyond our immediate needs and wants. We get caught up in the day-to-day business of  living and find it difficult to see the bigger picture. But random acts of kindness don't just help the person on the receiving end. They also make the person giving the kindness feel good too.

So I'm looking for some random kindness to put out there. Be warned!

Funny Films

I've just got back from a Chicks at the Flicks viewing of "Hysteria" and I have laughed my evening away. It was so funny and quite unexpected in parts. It's got Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhall in it, as well as a lot of other actors who I'm going to look up on IMDB shortly. I don't want to let on too much about the story, but it is definitely worth watching if you're in need of a good laugh.

A Really Good Book

There's nothing better than reading a really good book. Apart from maybe finishing a really good book.

I have just finished reading "A Wise Man's Fear" by Patrick Rothfuss, and it was briliant! I read "The Name of the Wind" (which was the first book in the trilogy) a long time ago, so I had to read it again. What a shame! They are so well written and it left me feeling very satisfied with the story, and yet desperate for the last book in the trilogy.

And I'm going to have a long wait because it's not published yet. But that's okay. I'd rather wait and have a book just as good the the first 2, than get it quickly and it be a disappointed. It also gives me the chance to read the books again when the final book in the trilogy is published. Not a hardship at all really.

Shoes on Sale

I never realised how much my mood is increased by shoes, until I had my own income and could buy any shoes I wanted. Now I don't go mad and buy horribly expensive shoes (although I would like to at times), but I don't know of anything more inclined to make me happy than shoes on sale (other than books on sale - that makes me very happy).

This weekend I went browsing for sports shoes with a friend. We were really browsing for her, but, as I've said, I like shoes, so it wasn't an arduous task to join in as well. We got her a couple of pairs of shoes and were just about to head back to the car when we had a last minute look in Overland.

And there they were. Some really nice shoes and half price to boot! They had them in my size and they were really comfortable. What could be better? And then I got to the till and there was even more money off. Score!

So I am now the proud (and happy) owner of a new pair of shoes. I just couldn't resist.

Cake, a Cuppa and a Catch Up.

I managed to fit in another catch up with some friends today. This time it was over a cuppa and a cake. (There may have been some hash browns involved as well, but that doesn't fit in with the title, so we'll just ignore that okay?)

And the sun was shining too. What more could you want for a Sunday morning?

Magnolia

I went to the Mt Eden Gardens after brunch. I'd recommend it to anyone as a nice place to go and lose yourself for a couple of hours. It was the Tulip Festival, and while the tulips were very pretty, the thing that amazed me the most was this magnolia tree with huge flowers. They were nearly as big as a child's head! And the inside of the flowers looked like fabric (I can't quite think of what fabric right now, when it comes to me, I'll add it) with a jeweled brooch pinned inside it. So pretty.

And it smelt nice too!

Good Friends

I was able to catch up with some good friends for brunch this morning. We used to be very good at meeting regularly, but it's become more difficult as we all seem to have become busier as time has gone on.

We tend to meet at random intervals and promise to meet more often - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

But what I really like about good friends is that it doesn't seem to matter how long it's been since you last met, it feels like hardly any time at all. The conversation flows as does the laughter. And the time flies too.

You know who you are. Let's meet up again soon.

Fish Shaped Eggs!!!

I found this fabulous blog called Little Japan Mama while I was looking for a nori punch to make my rice balls a bit more fun. It is written by Shinobu who is currently living in Japan. Not only does she sell an amazing range of food preparation items to make lunches more interesting, but she also posts recipes for lots of tasty dishes. I can't wait to try to make the cream puffs when the holidays come around.

I went a little bit mad, but one of the things I purchased was an egg mould. It makes a normal hard boiled egg into a Fish Shaped Egg (hence the title!). It's so cool!

This was my first attempt and I don't think it looks that bad. I've also got a car shaped egg mould to try. I'll post the photo of that when I get a good one. I'll also try to take photos as I make them as well to show the process.

Smiley People at Roadworks

You know, the people who hold the signs telling you to stop and go.

There's roadworks on my road at the moment. I don't know what time they started, but it seems like they were working before I was even awake. Yes it's sunny, so st least they have the weather to be happy about, but it was really nice to have 2 people smiling at me this morning (one for stop and one for go).

I smiled twice before even leaving my road! I normally don't smile until I get to work. Sometimes not for a while after that - depending on how awake I am.

Smiling makes me happy!

Unexpected catch ups...

... with friends. One of my friends popped round for a quick chat today and ended up staying for tea and a movie. It was really nice and we had a good gossip and caught up on each other's news. I had expected to spend my evening sitting at home doing some work, so it was a pleasant change to be sociable. I'm not wonderfully sociable during the week at the moment, but this might make me try a little bit harder at it from now on.

Sunshine

Simple things please simple people and I have to say that I was very happy today to be wandering around in the sunshine during playground duty. I'm not sure whether most of this was due to the fact that it's been fairly dreary recently and any sign of light has been something to rejoice over, or not, but it still made me happy.

Just feeling the warmth of the sun on my back made me feel calm and peaceful. It also helped that just about everyone else was making the most of an outdoor playtime too.

Spring is definitely in the air.

Creative Writing

This one is for yesterday.

We got to do some creative writing during our staff meeting today. We had to 'show' what was happening, rather than 'telling' what was happening. For example, instead of just saying "It was cold", we had to find a way of showing in our writing that it was cold. I had forgotten, in my current life of report writing and planning, just how satisfying it can be to try to put a group of words together for no other reason than that they communicate your ideas in a pleasing manner.

I had a ball. I'll have to try to remember this and do more of it when I have the time.

Garden Centre

It was such a lovely day today, so I took myself off to the garden centre to look at the pretty plants. They had some really fabulous bright flowers. I managed not to give in to the temptation to buy anything, but it was a close call. It was just nice to enjoy the sunshine and be outside.

Fridays

Just for the fact that I've got 2 days to sleep in. What a joy!!!

A Good Night's Sleep

There's nothing better than a good night's sleep. Especially after a period of stress and/or insomnia. Yes, it would be nice to not have to get up when the alarm goes off, but that's what the snooze button is for. It makes you feel like you're stealing time for sleep, when in reality it's just a couple of minutes.

Roll on the weekend for even longer snoozing!

Homemade Cheese and Onion Pasty

I made some homemade cheese and onion pasties this evening. My sister made some a while ago and told me her recipe, so I thought I'd have a go. They are really tasty. I'll have to make some more soon. Good job I've got some pastry left. Mmmmmm!

Hot Ribena

Sore throat. Stuffy nose. Headache. Enough said.

Ice-cream

After a lovely time at the Auckland Town Hall, we finished the day out at Giapo Ice-cream shop. Oh my gosh they were so good! I had a scoop of organic chocolate brownie and a scoop of Californian pistachio. And then they put some broken pistachio bits and some white chocolate syrup on top.

I felt like a child and fully expected to have a chocolate smear around my mouth by the time I had finished. It was the perfect end to a great afternoon.

Auckland Symphony Orchestra

Auckland Symphony Orchestra had a free family concert today. They played music from Stage and Screen. There was almost a fully house and everyone was in good spirits. It was amazing!

They played music from "Chicago", "Schindler's List", "West Side Story", "Star Wars" and we even had a sing-along to 3 songs from "The Sound of Music". The soloists were fantastic and the whole event was just so good.

What a fantastic way to spend a sunday afternoon.

Sunshine

Or, more specifically for today, sunshine when it was forecast to rain all day. I woke up this morning expecting non-stop rain, and it's been mainly sunny all morning. There's such a feeling of satisfaction when there's sun instead of rain. It's almost like a gift.

Chocolate

I found a chocolate bar in my bag this afternoon. I'd completely forgotten I had it. My friend gave it to me yesterday and I didn't eat all of it. I have such good friends. So now I can have it as part of my lunch today. Sometimes it's the simple things that make me happy. And if it's chocolate, then I'm happy every time.

Fellow Driver

Someone overtook me this morning to go through a red light. That's not a good thing at all, but it's what happened next that made me smile. The driver of the car next to me caught my eye. He shrugged his shoulders, raised his hands and shook his head as if to say "What was the point?". It was so close to what I was thinking that I responded by smiling and shaking my head too. I don't often take notice of the drivers next to me when I'm stopped at a red light, but I'm glad I did this time.

Dancing

I've just got back from my latin/ ballroom class and I have to say that I love dancing. Any dancing. Give me some music and room to move and I'm happy. I feel so graceful and light. I can forget about everything else and just concentrate on the music and what my feet should be doing. I even laugh when I go wrong. It was the perfect thing for me to do today.

My Little Blog of Happiness

I've been thinking about this blog for a little while now. And I've done nothing about it. Mainly because I thought that I was too busy, that no one would be interested, and that it would be difficult to find things to write about.

I really was 'down'.

But just thinking about it made me start really noticing the little things that made me smile. I started thinking that this blog could actually be 'do-able'.

And I still did nothing about it.

Then, the other day I came across this article by Hillel Fuld. It promoted the use of blogs, and talked about how they can be used to share your knowledge and ideas with others. It also discussed the use of blogs as a resume and a way to brand yourself online. It got me thinking again. Did it matter if anyone else was interested or not. The main person I would writing this blog for was myself. If it helped anyone else to smile and be happy, then that would just an added bonus. I thought that maybe, just maybe, this blog was a good idea.

But I still did nothing about it.

Until today. Today I had a moment of clarity. It had been a fairly normal day. Busy as always, but not manic (or maybe I've just gotten used to manic, I'm not sure). But for some reason I was unable to shake myself out of my displeasure and stress. And it got worse as the day went on. I just couldn't seem to stop myself being negative. Even the slow speed of the internet irritated me! I realised that I could go on putting off the creation of this blog forever. But that no one could help me to be more positive. I had to help myself. And I have a lot to be positive about and a lot to be grateful for.

So here I am. I've done it. I've started my blog. And I'm really looking forward to making a note of the things that make me smile and the things that make me happy.

I hope that anyone reading this blog will find something posted here that makes them happy. Or reminds them about something else that makes them happy. I think I'd like to read about what makes other people happy too.