How liquid breakfast pulled me through a mini-crisis.

Image by James Lee Parry for Oyster Magazine.

Image by James Lee Parry for Oyster Magazine.

I recently had an epiphany on Up&Go’s claim of possessing the ‘goodness’ of 2 Weetbix and Milk.

It’s an inventive marketing ploy, to embed ‘goodness’ into something as simple as 3 breakfast ingredients, but the events of a certain yesterday have taught me that such combinations really are, inherently god sent.

I’ll break it down for you.

The events which took place less than 24 hours ago, saw me:

  • Experience one of my worst fears: getting a flat tyre, driving high speed on the freeway,
  • At the most inconvenient of times: on the way to an end of semester exam worth 70% of my overall mark,
  • In undesirable circumstances: 120km northwesterly winds, torrential rain and a deep dark sky.

Needless to say, my insurance finally came in handy after an almost perfect 3-year term on my P-Plates. I mean, I was running a stellar track record, and was was pretty proud of having acquired nothing more than a cheeky bump into the back of an old commodore, in my attempts to escape the Safeway car park up to this point.

But this was a whole new playing field, one requiring me to jump on board a tow truck, and effectively miss the essential 10 minute duration of exam reading time (not to mention the ENTIRE exam).

It was horrible, literally the worst possible thing that could have happened, but I have surprised myself in thinking that it was the BEST sequence of events to occur on that very, Melbourne day.

Firstly, I didn’t swerve off the road and cause a major collision, disrupting the homecoming traffic on a major freeway.

Secondly, I didn’t have to suffer a wrongly, prolonged exam duration – the lecturer accidentally prescribed the 3 hour exam as 4 hours on this exam day. Ew.

Thirdly, I came out alive without so much as a broken nail. AMEN!

My RACV ‘knight in shining armour’ says if I’d driven any further, the rubber part of my tyre would have completely stripped off, leaving me rolling fast paced on the metal part of my wheel – a prospect which could have been extremely catastrophic given the weather and road conditions.

This deserves another AMEN, because to be honest, I am in no position to accept any liability – I have a flight to all things Rome: Meatballs, Nonnas, Vespa rides and Italian stallions, in 48 hours time.

So essentially, I am one grateful cookie that these whole shenanigans played out they way they did. I am alive, I am safe and I finally got a chance to make use of those endless insurance fees.

Sure it doesn’t have the protein, energy and fibre of 2 Weetbix and Milk like my favourite, Chocolate Up&Go carton, but it’s pretty damn full of goodness.

Yay for being alive!

Where can you source goodness today? Holla!

.

Chess Mate: 20 essential pals you need in your life.

Image by Hurry Up And Smile Already via Tumblr.

Image by Hurry Up And Smile Already via Tumblr.

I am a huge fan of having countless best mates, inexplicable memories with someone whose name I am not quite sure of, and exposing myself to random social circles. There’s something somewhat magical about once-off memory making which can make someone you actually, legit have only met once, into a life-long pal. I just had this thought while I was washing the weekend mess from my hair, and I thought I’d compose a non-musical compilation of the 20 friends, that EVERYONE must have. Standard shower musings right?

1. The Worst Replier: Lezbehonest, it takes the guilt away from being non-responsive back (you know, sometimes you just can’t be bothered).

2. The Hugger: This one is great for a hug, will pat your head when you’re tired, and hold you close when it’s really cold and you’re walking down Chapel Street after exhausting every indoor option for warmth at 4am.

3. The Puzzler: Someone who is totally cool with staying in and doing a puzzle – to good tunes and good company, puzzling is actually a really enjoyable event!

4. The Friend with the Coolest Friends: You get excited when a house party invitation arrives in your Facebook notifications, because you just know that you are going to meet some of the raddest people ever. I’m not sure how some people just attract rad friends; rad times and are just bloody rad themselves. #rad

5. The old-Best Friend: Someone who saw you go through your mullet and flared jean stage and still agreed to associate you anyway. These guys are essential to gas-bagging the ‘past you’.

6. The Music Scout: Car trips are the best with type of friend, they always manage to have the best playlist ever, full of songs you love within the first 5 seconds. Not sure how they know about new artists before they are even ‘unearthed’, but they manage it. (Could it be alien insight?).

7. The Hippie: Someone who keeps you earthed and always makes you wish you were a) vegan, b) a yogi, c) living in Byron bay d) willing to devote your room to incense, or e) all of the above.

8. The Surfer: There’s nothing quite more attractive than a guy/girl who surfs. Maybe it’s the endlessly ‘beach hair’ hair, or the remembrance of Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush, but I dig it. Surfers are always so chilled, look incredible in surf clothes, and are just so down-to-earth. Enviable right!

9. The Motivational Speaker: We can’t all have Dr. Phil or Oprah on speed dial, but I really think everyone needs a friend like them. The kind of friend you can call when you’re stressing, feeling a little blue, or just really need motivation to start running again. It’s mind-boggling how these people are forever motivated, but it sure is nice to have a taste of the magic when you are with them!

10. The Photographer/Artist/Design Student: Decent instagram pics. That’s all.

11. The Ludicrous Snapchatter: You may not actually be mates, but the genius of their Snapchats makes them best mate worthy! You know the type.

12. The Husband/Wife Material: It’s nice to know there are some goodies out there #amirite.

13. The Friend who gets ALL your jokes: Personally, I am specifically referring to my delirious obsession with throwing in a movie quote here and there (specifically Mean Girls) – It’s nice when others appreciate this kind of gesture. “That’s just, like, the rules of feminism.”

14. The Masterchef: Dinner parties/lunchbox steals are a win when this person is around.

15. The Health Nut: When you really want to feel guilty abut your ‘cheat week’ or want to be reminded that healthy food can be bloody delish!

16. The Connected One: Need a list at a club? Give this pal a call as they are bound to have SOMEONE they know on the door a.k.a free entry, a.k.a drink cards, a.k.a gooooood times!

17. The Shopper: When you are poor/saving for Europe/saving for South America/at Uni and have no spare cash to splurge on a good outfit, it’s great to have a friend who doesn’t know the perils of being broke. They have the best clothes, and have always just gone shopping, again, for the third time, that week. And actually bought good stuff! Its essential here, that you a) fatten up, or b) slim down, or c) get taller – in my case – so you can actually take advantage of this GREAT type of friend.

18. The Breakfast Lover: I have never encountered anyone who would pass up a breakfast date. If you have, then we are probably not friends anyway so it doesn’t matter! Yay for breakfast.

19. The Secret Keeper: No judgment, no scrubs, just nods and agrees and totally is on your side, even if they shouldn’t be. These guys are needed for moral support.

20. The Joker: Laughing. Its gotta happen, and its gotta happen often. There is not better feeling than gaining an almost 6-pack after a non-gym sesh. These types of friends are great for both a hilarious gag, and the summer bod!

So here’s to my friends, your friends, our friends and your mum’s friends!

“I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy.”

Hope I didn’t miss anyone, if you think of another essential type of pal, i’d love to know about it! Send love to [email protected], or use the form below!

xo

.

Kiss My Date by Rebecca De Unamuno, a MICF Review.

When the opportunity arose to gallivant on over to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I was pretty unaware of what the experience would entail. I mean, was I signing up for a Dave Chappelle style show in a huge auditorium, … Continue reading

The Barbie Belief System.

Image

It’s easy to be a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, if you’re not in a Barbie world though – which many of us mere humans are certainly not (Jen Hawkins my friend, you are an exception) – its pretty damn hard to be a Barbie girl.

My guess is that the same law of physics applies to the whole “happiness” thing. It’s easy to be happy if you live in a happy world complete with loving parents, cool siblings, a lot of shifts at a job you love, a cool car, an awesome place to live, crazy fun friends and a constant tan. I’m basically referring to the the Pounder Meal with chicken sauce on the side to dip your chippies in; the whole enchilada; or as my beloved year 12 Maths teacher would say, ‘the whole sha-bang’.

What I mean, is that, it’s easy to be happy when everything is going super well, our beliefs that “everything happens for a reason”, that “every failure is a lesson is disguise”, that “(insert whatever inspiring quote turns you on)” seem so solid.

For sure, why wouldn’t we believe that we were MEANT to land that internship, MEANT to make that new friend, MEANT to get a day off on the hottest weekday? Seems logical to me!

But how about when we crash a car, have a fight with a younger sister (who constantly wears your clothes without asking…I wouldn’t name names), fail that subject, or lose the job you love. Surely all that was 100%, NOT MEANT to happen. Surely.

How much would you want to throw eggs on the head of anyone who attempted to tell you that “crashing your car is certainly for the best”. Like, I think I would actually cut you.

No way am I “happy”, and I DO NOT believe that this was for the purpose of some profound “life lesson”.

There is no way.

José.

(This was getting too serious, so thought I’d invite my Mexican friend to join the post :D).

But seriously. When a winning streak collapses, what do you believe then? Do you still believe that you live a wonderful life? That Santa is still real and that the monsters won’t find you if you hide under the covers for long enough?.

(On this note, can I just say, WHAT is Rihanna’s deal with being friends with the monster that’s under her bed? She is one crazy gal!)

It’s hard. But in the midst of the most challenging, heart-breaking, spine-chilling and uncertain times, I think the only thing we can believe, is that life will go on.

Tomorrow the sun will rise, 9am will become 10am, we will get hungry, get thirsty, hear a song, see the stars, hug, talk, and soon enough, smile, laugh and believe in all those beautiful things again.

As we grow and see this cycle re-emerge with the same certainty as the seasons that pass, a new belief is borne, one which takes precedence over all others. And it is this: that something good will actually, eventually, one day emerge.

Not before bedtime, or before the weekend. Maybe not even before your 21st, Christmas, or before you graduate. But one day.

One day you will look back and smile at what you thought was the end of your world. Smile at your naïveté in allowing you to lose that ‘spark’, along with the happiness you vowed to always believe in.

We soon can appreciate that yep, they were right, it was for your own good. It was just, life.

Image

I would love to know which beliefs keep you sane in the midst of difficult times, please feel free to contact me and and share your recipe for lemonade when life gives you lemons!