Mothers Day

My beautiful mom and I on my wedding day

Sunday 13 May 2012 was Mothers Day.

This is a wonderful tradition, albe it a money making opertunity for retailers, to honour our first protectors, teachers, disciplinarians, coaches, motivators, nurses, comforters and banks to name a few.

Our Mothers always have a special place in our lives and in our hearts that can rally never be replaced. The Love of a mother we gear so often, is unconditional and accepts al lthings about their children even if its not entirely what they would have wanted.

We as children go through many different stages with our mothers - we love them entirely, then they irritae us, then we cant wait to be out of the house to live our own lives, but when this finally happens, we run back home for food, money and washing!




Mom and I - Mothers Day 2012

 The reality of your mother is that she will not be around forever, even though we think we have enough time with her and one day we will spoil her and do special things with and for her, time really fly's by and before you know it your mother could be gone, even before you are a mother yourself.


 So, like any valuable relationship in your life - treasure the time you have with your mother, live with no regrets, talk to her often and do what ever you can do for her, give of your time more than of your money and make memories to last forever.

I hope all moms had a fantastic and blessed Mothers Day.

Love

Tanya B

Try a Cliche

I'm hoping this is not someones name necklace

We are always told to avoid clichés like the plague when delivering a speech or talk of some kind, but reality is a cliché can break the ice in a crowd that you are new to when presenting something, it may even actually really relate to the topic you are talking about or can be used to buy the interest or support of the crowd you are presenting to.

A cliché is (as defined by Wikipedia) an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel.

Some examples of clichés are: As bright as the sun, Many hands make light work, Opposites attract, live and learn, what goes around comes around, time will tell, all is fair in love and war, life is unfair, As light as a feather.

These are very well known terms and sayings and I’m sure it’s used by all of us at some stage. The problem with clichés is that it has no originality and people may think you are disinterested in them or their situation when you use one of the abovementioned statements.

Clichés have positives and negatives, like anything in life (now that sounds cliché) it’s all about timing and where it is used.

 

Feelings Follow Behaviour



Thoughts - Action/behaviour

 It is said that who we surround ourselves with is what we become; the same could be said for the way we feel about things or what we think. I personally think thoughts create certain feelings which in turn create certain actions.

If we become suspicious of certain things we start creating our own realities in our minds and our feelings and actions towards that thing/person is seen in our behaviour. Have you ever been in a situation where you have mulled over the worst case scenario about something or someone and hey do something that really amazes you? Maybe it’s even someone you know that you are avoiding because of how you think they will react and suddenly they call you up or you see them and the reaction is completely different.
It is in our human nature to have an opinion about everything really – we don’t always agree with those around us but that’s what makes our lives so fun and interesting and that how we grow and develop ourselves.

How do feelings and behaviour work together? Firstly we need to understand what the connection between the two is – feelings, thoughts and behaviour are a process almost always followed in that order. Your feelings are directly associated with your thoughts.  If you want to control your feelings you must first control your thought life.

 Your feelings are directly associated with your behaviour. If you want to control your feelings you must also change your behaviour. When your behaviour is sinful your conscience will accuse you. These accusations enter your mind through your thoughts and then affect your feelings and emotions

In order to control your thoughts and feelings you must make some choices, those choices can only be made and implemented by you also choose to examine your behaviour and thoughts on a continuous basis in order to check in with yourself and measure your growth in a certain area that you have worked on.

At the end of the day, this is a very personal decision and process and a wonderful way to grow and get to know yourself.

Family Matters

Family moments

All of us have families, some of us love our family and cannot stay away longer than a few days, while others keep a happy and comfortable distance and only gather to chat and catch up at big family events of overt big holidays.

Either way we all have a place where we come from, a name we carry, a way in which we were brought up and a set of values and morals that have set the course for our lives. Only when our Mother and or Father is faced with possible death do we realise what we have and how much we value all those funny sayings, “irritating” times spent together and stories shared.

I would like to tell you a bit about my family – I am the Eldest Daughter of 2 siblings, I have an amazing brother who is wise beyond years and has been my pillar for most of my life. I have the most wonderful mother, with a huge heart, she is always happy and contented and accepts all kinds of people for who they are she makes a little go a long way and has the most beautiful smile. She makes people feel good about themselves and she is warm and kind hearted. My dad has always been the more distant one but loves us beyond anything I can imagine, He has always provided for us in all ways and still today always tries his best to make us happy beyond his own wants and needs.

I now have a husband and a little baby on the way so my immediate family has broken away from what I have always known. Marriage is the most wonderful experience, but also the most challenging. I have learned to do lots of introspection and growing within myself. I feel blessed to be married to a kind and gentle soul, we are very different but that’s what makes us know we love each other – lol.

My extended family is a mix of everything I guess – my cousins all have different personalities and very special qualities that I love them all for. I don’t see all of them often but we have a great love for one another and our support system is one to be reckoned with.
All in all family is wonderful, with our up’s and downs and in’s and out’s we strengthen and learn from each other all the time. I believe life is to be lived, always be happy, be true to the higher power which you serve and always be available to learn and grow.

Its better to practise a little than talk alot



Talk less and do more

 Actions almost always speak louder than words in most instances of life; this is true for your personal life amongst friends and family, your work life and career with colleges, subordinates and superiors and even in your religious/spiritual life. 

I have found that more actions and less words/speaking in any of the above mentioned aspects of one’s life leads to greater understanding – understanding of the topic or subject at hand and most importantly a deeper understanding of one’s self. A certain maturity comes with being able to hold your tongue and practise patients when you are being hurt or over ridden by a comment or conversation, always seeming to be the underdog and giving others the benefit of the doubt or the conversation – but I say if you argue with a fool you will end up looking like a fool.

Trust is a very rare but utterly precious quality and once its broken we all know it takes forever to rebuild, if you are lucky enough to be able to rebuild it. I have found that the action of speaking less and doing more instils trust in those around you be it your mom, dad, husband, boss or your friend and if you say you are going to do something then do it!
There are so many sayings to the effect of silence is maturity, don’t fight fire with fire and be the better person and walk away – while these may leave you feeling like a bit of a loser you will be the ultimate winner.
Personal insecurities often are the root cause of overcompensating with fancy words and retaliated arguments, look inside yourself and work on your issues and shot comings and learn about yourself so that you become happier, more at ease and brighter with yourself and your world.

My First Trimester of Pregnancy



First trimester of pregnancy

 So finally I have decided to blog about this little miricle growing inside my tummy. I am now 13 weeks and 5 days pregnant, moving into my second trimester already.
The experience so far has been wonderful. I have had minimal morning sickness and all nausea is over (I hope). I feel energetic and not as tired as I was in the beginning. I must say I really have a good baby! *proud mom already*

We went for the second scan on Thursday this week - it was an amazing experience. Our first scan was at 7 weeks and baby basically looked like a bean, on Thursday we saw a real breathing and busy little person, baby had hiccups during the scan - it was so cute. I saw and heard the heartbeat (beautiful) and the spine, the brain, legs, arms and tummy, even sweet little fingers.

We also received our first beautiful gift from my Uncle and Aunt from New Zealand - Jerome, Sam, Gunther and Jordan sent the baby so many clothing items and a cute little lamb (So NZ).
Jordan (my little cousin) is so excited about the baby its really cute and I feel so blessed to have such love from so far away.

I already have a storage basket filled with goodies for this little one and am looking for baby room ideas on the Internet. I really like the neutral colour schemes and the less is more look.
As soon as we know if It’s a boy or girl we are going to buy a pram and car seat and start buying clothes and other goodies, I can’t wait for that. I have another scan n 4 weeks ad I am very confident that we will see the baby's gender then. I don’t want to rush my little one - we will get to see when the time is right.
Whatever the gender is this child is already so loved and adored
I also have a few maternity items I'm starting to wear as my own clothes do not fit any longer - all part of the fun.

Until 31 May 2012 - I wish you all happy days and lots of smiles

Love

Tanya B

The Worlds Most Beautiful Marathon



Louis my Husband running the Most Beautiful Marathon in the World - The Two Oceans Marathon 2012

 
Over the Easter weekend The Two Oceans Marathon took place in Cape Town. The Two Oceans Marathon has been dubbed the most beautiful race i bnthe world - and so it is. People from all over the World and the Country were gathered to run and support the runners.

It was a rainy day, but the elements did not kill the spirit or excietement for anyone who ran. The runners were determined and some even ranin costumes for charities. We met up with Louis at a certain point to give him some energade (the power drink in his hand in the pic) he was still fresh and still enjoying the race at that point.

I am so proud of Louis achievemenet and dedication. This is his second Ultra Marathon and he came in an hour earlier than last year stil llooking fresh.

Mud and mush did not stop the runners from crossing the finish line with passion

Louis had a beautiful new and sparkling white pair of Oasis takkies for this race - as you can see, after crossing the finish line - that was something of the past!

Well done Louis for completing the race in good time. We are all proud of your committment you are our Hero

Love

Tanya B

Cortereal Cousins Braai at the Philanders



Cortereal Cousins Braai at the Philanders

 Finally - I am blogging about our cousins braai which happened a month ago.

This right here is some of my crazy beautiful cousins. My brother came home from his studies in America for my mom's op and Merlin and Janine had just come back home from being in Johannesburgh for a few years, so Jack and Wayne aranged a vraai at their place for all the cousins to get together and chill.  

It was such a lovely evening to just sit back and chat with those who we have not seen in a while or even spoken to in a while, We all lead hectic lives and don't spend enough time together, before you know it a year has passed and you have not touched base. A few of our Cousins could not make it to  the braai, Natasha and her family, Gary and Cindy, My husband Louis, Eugene and his family as they were overseas, as wel las Jason, Ashley and Robin in Australia, Katelyn our littilest cousin is not legal to drink or drive yet so she was not here due to that.

It so amazing to see how everyone has their own path in life, we all have famalies and the newest member of the family Sienna (Natalie and Duanes daughter) is showcased in the pic on her dads arm at the back, too cute.

The evening was spent laughing out loud, checking in on what s happening and where everyone is and even learning new things about one another - all in all family are friends that yo uwillalways have around no matter what.

I feel blessed to belong to such an amazing group of people, the support, care and love we show one another is rarely found in this world today, no mater you always have a shouldeer to lean on.

Thanks guys for a woinderful evening and heres to many more?

Love you all

Tanya B

Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road



Louis and Tanya Wedding Cake 4 December 2010


If any of you reading this blog has been a bride or are planning a wedding you would probably relate to this blog post titled Wedding Cake in the middle of the road. Sit back with a nice cup of tea or coffee and enjoy!

So the big day came when my boyfriend popped the question after three years of dating. It was the most perfect proposal (bar the fact that my hair was not clean and I had no makeup on and was not wearing a really awesome dress to dinner).It came as a total shock and surprise but it was the most amazing evening, so perfectly planned.

Louis proposed on Valentines weekend of 2010, we had a table set in the wine cellar of an amazing restaurant, with champagne on ice and rose petals all over the floor and tables and the perfect amount of candle light, he wrote me a beautiful letter and went down on one knee! I had found my prince and I was on top of the world!

So the planning began – we decided we wanted to get married that December and set a date to 4 December 2010. The lists were made of venues, guests, colour schemes, décor and of course dress.

Every Saturday was booked out for the wedding to do list. After a few months all the plans were in action and everything booked, what was left was to decide on a cake style, colour and flavour. We decided on a humming bird and chocolate mousse 4 tier white chocolate wedding cake with white roses, pearls, crystals and green ribbon for décor – perfect!The wedding day had arrived and I was stress free, my day was perfect and so would be the rest of my life, I arrived at the guest house to have breakfast with my bridesmaids and we had a pleasant morning preparing for the church. My cousin was my co-ordinator for the venue so she was arranging that the cake get to the hall on time before any of the guests, one problem – she asked her brother to collect the cake and transport it to the venue and as he was carrying it to the car, it fell in the middle of the road – wedding cake in the middle of the road!
All the drama aside – I had a beautiful wedding and made another plan for wedding cake – luckily there was dessert and a sweet table.

It is a poor idea to lie to yourself



What you percieve is what you believe


We all do it once in a while, especially as woman, we try and justify things in our lives or reasons why we have done certain things that may be otherwise questionable or inappropriate or just plain nasty!

We first start off by lying to ourselves about what we like, we seem to like the things our friends like when we are teenagers, then we grow up and move away or start studying and truly discover who we are and become comfortable with ourselves, but then we lie to ourselves about life, maybe we fall in love and convince ourselves that this amazing guy is crazy about us, which he is not and we end up heart broken, after that we hate all men and are super indeependent graduates and start working, we lie to ourselves again and think everyone at the office loves us and cannot do without us but we are actually a glorified secretary and mail boy or girl, being used as interns usually are.

Then after a while we may marry and have kids, we lie to ourselves about being thin, having the perfect family, having the perfect marriage and the most well behaved and mannerly kids.
Until one day when our families are grown up and we sit back and reflect on life and how quickly it has all gone by, reality and a sobering truth hits us as we realise that for most of our lives we lie to ourselves to please others and we end up a bit empty, moody and frustrated with ourselves. If we are lucky we have salvaged up enough wit through the years to laugh at ourselves and take life by the horns and live a little, travel, shop and read, spend time in beautiful gardens and interesting museums and bake and cook and just enjoy breathing and life.

Here’s to hoping we can stop and do an internal reality check on our lives and make the best of the opportunities we are given.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping



The sound of one hand


The sound of one hand clapping could be an odd thought or concept for most. I certainly took a while to wrap my head around it. This title could mean different things to each of us, for me personally I think of it as my inner voice or voice of reason guiding me through life, assisting me in every day decisions and pacing my life.

The rhythmical almost drumming sound is like a compass reminding and directing me, reminding me to stay calm in a storm or to slow down and take care of myself, directing me in decisions and directions in my personal and professional life. It’s almost like a moral and ethical compass, that voice that sounds like your mom’s when you do something wrong and you are reprimanded or scolded.

We all need some kind of voice, beat or rhythm that realigns us when we lose the plot at times, something inside of us that guides us to do the right thing or make the right decisions for our lives.

The sound of one hand clapping is a bold reminder to me when things get crazy, busy, stressful or really tough at times. The mention of this sentence creates a “time out” space in my head and even for my body and when I take time out for a massage in a tranquil place I can actually hear the drumming beat of the slow clap of one hand.
I hope this blog creates a thought process for everyone who reads it to find their own mantra of rhythm and calmness for their body, mind and soul.