Lulu's Little Lovelies

Giveaway winner and outfit post!

2012-03-02T14:54:00.001+02:00

A quick "run out to the shops" outfit.

It's so windy here, I HAVE to wear shorts most days.

Here is a VERY belated outfit post - my little boy's hair has since been cut into a page-boy style so he no longer looks SO girly (plus, here I had clipped his fringe out of his eyes because it was so long!) So these outfit pics are from Jan, I think. Naughty me.

And now onto the exciting news: THE WINNER OF MY GIVEAWAY!

I chose totally randomly: put all names into a bag and closed my eyes and pulled one out - and out came The Chantal - a totally loyal reader who used to follow my previous blog! Well done. Please send me your email address - I will post your little pressie to you asap!!!!!

I hope you all have had/are having a fab friday and wishing you a great weekend! I'll be off to my second puppy class with the little bull terrier pup, Sushi, tomorrow.
xxxxx

Catch up - hello again.

2012-03-01T16:03:00.001+02:00

I have missed you all terribly! But now that I have gigs again for March, I will try to space them out. And unfortunately, I don’t have a landline and won’t get one from Telkom because they have no budget for cables for our area, so I can’t get Mweb uncapped – so frustrating!!!! Grrrr.

Anyhow, onto some catch up news:

Still a little yellow, but MUCH better - thank goodness for hairdressers.

Hair news:I last left you 2 weeks ago when I had yellow roots – well, I went to the hairdresser and got THAT sorted out! It turned out blonder than I normally would have gone, but no hassles – we can just weave some darker streaks in next time. (I actually love being very blonde, but my roots look so terribly dark when they grow out that it’s just not practical for me – unless I visit the salon every two to three weeks!)

Dog news: The dog chaos in the house has settled to somewhat more peaceful. Our two males are getting along very nicely, with no one being neutered just yet (we’ll get the pug neutered soon, just didn’t have the budget for it yet). So walking the two dogs together really, really helped. No one is gonna get eaten in this household. Phew.

Mommyhood news: my little one is starting crèche and he’s now attending swimming lessons! It is wonderful and heartbreaking all at once. Wonderful in that he’s gaining some independence and it may give me a little more free time, and heartbreaking in that his totally innocent toddlerhood is giving way to “school” and busyness and structure. We’ve enjoyed our totally "free" days together – even though some days he has driven me up the wall. So during March we will be introducing him very slowly to the crèche by taking him for an hour here and there – I’ve already gone with him during play hour for a few days last week – and then he will officially start in April. Gulp. Pass the tissues.

Now I need to do some catch up blog reading!!!!!

No gigs

2012-02-21T17:28:00.002+02:00

Oh dear - I have run out of internet gigs AGAIN! Hence my absence. I am quickly sneaking this blog in at my husband's work. I have a million other things to do, but I just need to say: I miss you all and I'll be back on the 1st March again, when my gigs top up!

Belated purple outfit postI

2012-02-14T11:33:00.001+02:00

Finally have a bust to fill out the dress! Yay!!!

I just can't ever take a picture ALONE - LOL!

I like details like the zipper at the back.

Showing the back of the dress with the zipper.

I like the little label on the dress!

This outfit post was planned a while ago - I had all the pics ready, and then I had issues with my internet connection, so here it is. It was in my flurry of post boob-job excitement, cos I used to wear this boob tube dress with those sticky chicken-flattie boobs - but not anymore.

I've booked in to have my hair done, professionally, tomorrow. Eek. She's not gonna be happy with me, with my own little experiment gone wrong. Oh well.

Our menagerie of dogs and one cat are all getting along quite well. As I type this they are all sleeping scattered around my feet.

And now I must STOP blogging and start doing my freelance work.

Take care. Happy Valentines!!!!!

Yellow roots

2012-02-13T15:00:00.001+02:00

Eek - orangey yellow

Not too bad but not great either!

Hey everyone!

Well, as you can see from the pics, I dyed my own roots this weekend. I decided, if other people do their own blonde, why not me? Save a few bucks, you know. Well, not a clever idea. Even though I used the Garnier Nutrisse Extra Lightening Shade, and even though I did it twice and left it on longer than it said on the box, my roots just wouldn't go beyond yellow. And the hair at the back of my head, lower down, just went orange. I must have super stubborn hair. That'll teach me for not going to the salon!

Dogs, toddlers and Cesar Millan.

2012-02-10T15:26:00.000+02:00

My three babies

My big protector! Gentle giant.

Goblin: my pug cross - the older lady.

A handful for sure!

Hey there!
If you've missed my giveaway, click here and enter.
As you can tell, with four dogs (two new pups) life has been pretty hectic. Especially as we were keeping our big Amstaff and the pug separate until they were comfortable with one another. Now there is a good level of acceptance, but we are still watching them until we are sure.
The one thing that helped us enormously has been to take them on walks together. I read that on a website and it seemed worth a shot. It worked. We have gone from barking at each other to sniffing each other, to now playing together. Phew.

I'm also reigning in on my little boy's eating habits - or rather, lack thereof. I'm only putting out one meal choice at each meal time, and if he wants it, he must eat it, otherwise I take it away. If he asks for something else afterwards (which he does, and usually I've allowed him to snack) I am now offering the same thing he just rejected. If he still doesn't want it, I then "throw" it away. (Sometimes I eat it, or throw it, or pack it away, depending on what it is.) This has been VERY challenging to say the least. And it's only been two days! Heaven help me. But I need to do this for my own sanity and for his eating habits. He only eats such a limited variety and then he snacks a lot. And I have often found myself virtually following him around the room with a spoon and shovelling it in whilst he plays with his toys. Not good. So now I have to keep reminding myself that if he is hungry enough he will eat. Also, this is to help him learn to eat what we are eating at dinnertime, so that I don't have to prepare something separate for him - which I have been doing constantly! I will try this "no nonsense" approach for two weeks and see if there is any improvement or progress in the variety of foods he is willing to eat and his actual eating habits.

And let me just finish off by saying that with four dogs in the house now, and one of them being a soon to be full grown bull terrier (so that will be two big dogs) I have gone out and bought 3 of Cesar Millan's (The Dog Whisperer) books. I have read two so far and he really makes a lot of sense. I like his approach and his philosophy. I've always been amazed at the results he gets with the "trouble" dogs on his shows, and the books provide a great insight into how and why. However, he advocates walking a dog every day - he says twice a day! I can tell you right now that just aint gonna happen. Our dogs will be lucky if they get to walk once a day.

It's not that I don't want to walk them, but I can't control the big Amstaff so I leave that up to my hubby (who was the one who wanted such a big, strong, powerful dog) and the bull terrier pup I will do my best to train to walk with me, but I am nervous of other dogs whilst out walking.

The pugs, on the other hand - no problemo. Today I took both pugs out together, with my toddler in tow. It was quite a sight, I tell you that. The toddler hanging onto the end of the black pug's leash, me holding both leashes and ending up with me carrying the toddler and his shoes which he insisted on taking off, and holding the leashes in the other hand trying to control the pugs.

Happy weekend.

Giveaway! Finally! Hooray!!!

2012-02-08T16:07:00.001+02:00

Hello all! It's been a while! My internet connection has been SO slow that I haven't even been able to open pages. But it's back today, so I'll catch up while I can!
I have been dying to do my giveaway, so without further ado here it is!

LULU'S GIVEAWAY
Note: Only open to South Africans due to the cost of postage.
What is it?
I want to keep some surprise element so I'm not going to tell you exactly what the mystery gift is, but it's to do with girly stuff like cosmetics, home pedicures and bubble/bath stuff. A simple, girly kind of mixed hamper.
How to enter:
Really easy peasy: just make sure you're subscribed to my blog, then leave me a comment telling me what sort of posts you enjoy the most. Ie: fashion posts, reviews, stuff about my life, pet/picture posts. That's it.

I am just doing the giveaway for fun and to say thanks to those of you who do read my blog.

When:
I will randomly select the winner in about 2 weeks time, and then announce it on my blog, but I will also contact the winner via email.

Cool!

Bugsy - our big puppy

Now onto pet news: we have another dog! (Oh boy - I know.) We now total four dogs. But it's not as bad as it sounds because two of them are pugs. I have adopted a new pug! I got him from a breeder in Aliwal North - probably a bit of a dodgy breeder as they were practically giving him away for R700! But he arrived in good health and everything is fine - I have already taken him to the vet for a check up - but they lied about his age. They said he was a four month old pup - turns out he is seven months old. Not a huge difference, but why lie? However, the problem for us has been in introducing this much bigger, older pup to our fully grown American Staffie (which is a big, powerful breed of dog!) Our American Staffie is a lovely natured, gentle giant, but he does get overexcited a lot, which then excited the pug pup, which got him barking, which then got the big dog barking...oh boy. Luckily we had them on leashes, so we ended that meeting and have been keeping them separate and letting them have limited time together on leashes etc. Then I read a brilliant idea online about introducing adult dogs: take them for a walk together. That gets them into an activity together without actually focusing on one another. So my hubby and I did that yesterday evening and it seemed to work. We are still keeping the two dogs separate during the day, but we'll walk them together again today and see how things go. I've also been reading books by "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan, now that we have a whole "pack"! (Laughing at myself.)

I have a whole lot more pug pics to share, so let's cross fingers that I have internet again tomorrow!

Fantastic body lotion - review

2012-02-01T14:59:00.001+02:00

Love this!

I have found a really great body lotion that I have to share with you – but, once again (this seems to be the pattern with me, hey? I must check my spending…)it’s quite pricey. (About R 260 for 150ml - I can't find the slip with the exact amount but it's somewhere in that region.) It’s the Solal Peptide Anti-Aging Body Complex.

My quick rating: 10/10

I like the pump bottle too - less messy application!

I actually happened upon this lotion quite by chance when I was in Dis-Chem shopping for vitamins. I had read the Solal brochure before and seen that they do face creams and body lotions but I wasn’t planning on buying any…but whilst I was throwing in Solal Krill Oil (a better form of Omega 3’s according to their packaging) and their Cholest-Away (for my hubby, to help his cholesterol) into my trolley, I thought “Oh, why not just give this a try?” as I have never, ever splurged on a body lotion before. I usually just use Vaseline lotion or aquaeous cream.

What I love about this body lotion is that it is very moisturising yet it feels lightweight. It's not greasy at all, it has a wonderful, natural fruity aroma and I find that I look forward to using it. As for it's anti-ageing properties, I have no idea if it really does work, but it leaves my legs moisturised for the whole day! I just can't get enough of it, really.

Now I am wondering whether the Solal face creams would be worth trying as well?

Puppy picture post

2012-01-30T12:56:00.002+02:00

Here are pics of the new fur addition to our family! Her name is Sushi, and she is just over 6 weeks old. And the puppy fun has begun - cleaning up poops and wees, stopping it chewing everything, and introducing it to the other dogs. But it'll be worth it.

I am waiting for my internet gigs at home to recharge, so I'll keep this one brief. Enjoy the pics.

Puppy problem

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000+02:00

You'll never believe what happened to the puppy that was going to be ours! I could hardly believe it myself. The day before I was going to fetch it, the breeder phoned to say that the puppies had somehow gotten out of their enclosure, and our female pup had been bitten by one of their males. My word! I was speechless. Anyway, of course the breeder couldn't now sell me the puppy so he had to refund us the deposit.
"Well, it's not meant to be," I thought, but inside I was heartbroken.

This pup looks like one of the males we saw, but the female we have chosen is black and white.

So I went on Gumtree and searched again, and found an ad for bull terrier pups right in our area! So this weekend past we went to have a look, chose a female and we will collect her this Saturday. So somehow, the other puppy was not destined to be ours. But another one is (hopefully) on the way. Cute pics to come soon! (Internet connection willing).

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

2012-01-24T16:37:00.000+02:00

Quick Rating: 9.5/10

I love this foundation! It’s become my favourite. I recently bought it again now as my old one had run out. I was debating trying another brand, as this one is pretty pricey, but then, when I considered the fact that it has lasted me around two years, I decided not to chance buying a cheaper foundation and having it just lie around (like others’ I have bought and not liked and used.)

I love the coverage this Estee Lauder Double Wear gives – enough without being cakey – and it kind of “sets” on your face after application. It doesn’t give as much coverage as a cream foundation but that is not what I want for daytime wear when I’m just out and about. It really does last all day – even in hot, humid weather which we are experiencing now here down the coast. Okay, so it doesn’t stay matt in humid weather, but I think nothing will in this kind of extreme heat so if I need to I just brush a bit of powder over it. But usually in winter this foundation stays matt enough without looking too dry. For me this long-wear foundation is not drying but it’s not oily either – the perfect balance for my combination skin. It’s a liquid foundation so I find that applying it with fingers works best (but a brush or sponge is fine too.) The only reason I didn’t give it a 10 out of 10 is the price (but it’s worth the cost!) and the fact that I wish it came in a pump dispenser so that it wasn’t so messy getting out the last bit when it’s starting to run out. But the foundation itself is really tops!

PS: Apologies for posting this now - my internet connection has bombed out at home again - having major problems with the cell c modem - so I'm posting this from my hubby's work. Very painful. Missing blogging!!!!

How to forgive a criminal?

2012-01-19T06:56:00.001+02:00

Clearly my mother's recent break in has got me thinking, a lot! It brought back memories of when I was living alone in a granny flat and awoke to find a guy standing in the bedroom doorway. (Luckily he jumped back out the window he had entered from when I screamed, but it was terrifying!)

It has also caused me to re-examine my own values and beliefs. As you may have seen from previous posts, I am trying to live my life in a conscious, God-guided way. I am trying to live by Jesus' words to "love thy neighbour as you love yourself." So how does that apply to the people who commit a crime against us?

Clearly it doesn't follow that I can forgive some smaller crimes against me (or my mother) but not the bigger ones. A true spirit of forgiveness means total forgiveness. But how to react to people who break in to your house with true forgiveness? Not easy.

My initial reaction was anger, which is the "automatic" reflex emotion when someone trepasses against us. I wanted to "get the bastards" (sorry, bastards is the only word!) and all that. Fine and well. But then does that make me much better than them?

I am guessing that the only real way to forgive is to put myself in their shoes. I obviously don't know each of those three guys personally, so I can only be guessing at what drove them to a life of crime, but I assume that they grew up without much parenting, if any parents at all. Probably they had no love as little kids. They may have been beaten, abused, hurt and left to go hungry. They may even not have gone to school. The gang life has probably been their first sense of belonging. Breaking in and waving a gun around may be the first time in their lives that they feel any sense of real power.

Not that any of that makes what they did right. NOT AT ALL. But it does help bring in the light of forgiveness. Because I wholly believe that no baby is ever born evil, or with evil intent. So something must have happened along the way to turn them.

These are just things I'm mulling over in my head. I am actually, at this stage, not really able to forgive. But I would like to see how it could be possible. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this.

A puppy is coming my way!

2012-01-18T13:26:00.001+02:00

Getty Images: This is not MY pup, I will post real pics real soon!!!

I am SO excited! Our puppy has found us and is coming on Friday! Well, technically I found her, on an ad in gumtree. She is a female bull terrier pup, from a reputable breeder in Newcastle and they are dropping her off in Pietermaritzburg with me (I have to trek there to fetch her, but we are kind of meeting in the middle). I am just so excited that I thought I'd share the news. I am not looking forward to the chewing and mess, but I can't wait to hold my new little bundle.

Funny how life works, because I had actually given up on getting this pup as she is so far away and it didn't look like they could organise a lift and there was no way I could go all the way to Newcastle to fetch her. But today I got the call. So now I know she is meant to be with us! Yay. We already own one big, beautiful dog but after all the break-ins my mother has been having, and with me oftentimes alone at home with my child, my husband believes two big dogs are better than one. Especially if, heaven forbid, something were ever to happen to one of them. (ugh, be gone nasty thought!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone.

Stronger

2012-01-17T13:38:00.000+02:00

Image: Getty Images

Hi everyone

Thank you for all your amazing support. It really has touched my heart!
Taking a strong stand and leaving my husband seems to have had the desired effect of shaking sense into him - we had a long phonecall last night and he admitted that he has a problem that needs changing (this is a first for him) and he is willing to make a commitment to change. (Finally! Not just a promise, but a commitment!) I feel very positive about this, even though I'm aware that this is probably the first step on the journey to real change. But so far, so good.

So I have learnt this: when you love someone and they are involved in destructive behaivour, you have to take a firm stand. This is the only real chance they have to change, because to stay, even if you are saying to them that they need to change, is sending them a silent message that you are just going to take it. That you are all talk and no action.

I feel stronger and more empowered than I have in a long time. I was feeling trapped, resentful and weak when I thought I had nowhere to go, no choice other than to stay. But then I realised that, if need be, I could leave, I could go it alone. I could actually live on my own means (with the help of my family, of course, I don't know what I'd do without my folks!) But basically, with my mother's help, it dawned on me that I had a choice. I always had and always will have a choice. That was the most empowering choice.

Because obviously I realised that I couldn't change him (much as I wanted to) but I didn't have to stay and take it. I didn't have to be a part of what I found to be unacceptable. And in realising this I have realised my strength again.
**********************
On a very sad note, my mother has been broken into (luckily no one got hurt) during the day. There has been a really bad spate of break ins along her street, so she is feeling quite vulnerable. I love this country, but the crime casts a dark shadow over the beauty of South Africa. Really, it does. So the new year has had quite a rough start for us, but here's hoping to a better 2012! The only (small) upside to this is that my mother's break-in has gotten my hubby and I thinking about our security. We have two dogs - a big one (Amstaff) and a pug. We have often spoken of getting a second bigger guard dog so that there are two mean looking dogs around. SO we are now looking for a female bull terrier. I love dogs (all animals, really) and am quite excited at the prospect of getting a puppy. Even though it's going to mean more work for me - housetraining and disciplining - but like a little kid I'm jumping for joy at the puppy word!

Tough times

2012-01-14T17:06:00.001+02:00

Hello my blog friends
I was going to do my giveaway post on Friday (as promised) and then my stupid cell c internet connection f-ed out so I had no internet at all!

Now I am at my mothers house, having upped and left my hubby after another Friday of steady drinking. I'm hoping to shock him into realising I'm serious about this - especially because we have a child together - because clearly words alone are not getting through to him - so I must apologise but the giveaway will get put on hold until I have a clear head. I'm in a little bit of turmoil at the moment - and as much as I wish I could pour my whole heart out onto my blog, it's not fair to my husband.

So basically, things are tough, but I believe I'm doing the right thing. I hope I am. I don't know if there is a right or wrong way to deal with this. Please send me strength and wishes. I need it.
Love Lulu
xxxxx

Boob tube outfit post

2012-01-11T08:57:00.002+02:00

Hello lovely bloggers and people!

Gotta have the sunnies as well!

And the necklace that I wore to go with

Here is a nice, easy, superficial post - what I wore to go to breakfast on Sunday. Yes, it's that tangerine top again - I thought I'd show you how I combined it with a skirt. Nothing amazing, just a simple outfit. Enjoy! And have an awesome day! PS: My next post is gonna be a giveaway - I know I did promise one at the end of last year - I have just been shopping for the goodies!

Top: Mr Price

Skirt: Woolworths

Shoes: BS Creations

Necklace: Passed on to me from my mother

Sunglasses: Edgars

Inspiration NOW

2012-01-09T08:09:00.000+02:00

Eckhart Tolle: author of The Power of Now and Stillness Speaks

As much as I love products and cosmetics and sparkly stuff, I also know I need to reconnect with something deeper. I already mentioned after my accident that I realised how far from my true self I seem to have drifted, how lost I have been, on the inside, and so I'm going to share some inspiration here with you all that is helping me get back on track!

Most people have heard of this book and the author, but it's still one of my all time favourite books: "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle.

So without more rambling by me, here are some choice parts out the book.

"When someone goes to the doctor and says, 'I hear a voice in my head,' he or she will most likely be sent to a psychiatrist. The fact is that, in a very similar way, virtually everyone hears a voice, or several voices, in their head all the time: the involuntary thought processes that you don't realise you have the power to stop. Continuous monologues or dialogues."

"The good news is that you can free yourself from your mind. This is the only true liberation. You can take the first step right now. Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can. Pay particular attention to any repetitive thought patterns, those old gramaphone records that have been playing in your head perhaps for many years. This is what I mean by 'watching the thinker,' which is another way of saying: listen to the voice in your head, be there as the witnessing presence.
When you listen to that voice, listen to it impartially. That is to say, do not judge. Do not judge or condemn what you hear, for doing so would mean that the same voice has come in again through the back door. You'll soon realise: there is the voice, and here I am listening to it, watching it. This I am realisation, this sense of your own presence, is not a thought. It arises from beyond the mind"

"Your mind is an instrument, a tool. It is there to be used for a specific task, and when the task is completed, you lay it down. As it is, I would say about 80 to 90 percent of most people's thinking is not only repetitive and useless, but because of its dysfunctional and often negative nature, much of it is also harmful. Observe your mind and you will find this to be true. It causes a serious leakage of vital energy."

I hope that inspires you all as much as it does me. Have a fantastic Monday everybody!!!

Tangerine tease

2012-01-06T12:15:00.000+02:00

Hey lovely people!

Top: Mr. Price R49.99

I even have boobs from the side view!

I found this stunning top at Mr. Price today and I had to share it with you all because not only is the colour so yummy and summery but this top makes my new boobs look great!!!! Before my boob job I would never have been able to wear a top like this, I would have been flatter than a wall (even though this style of top has little padded cups but the padding is so thin and wasn't enough to give me any illusion of having breasts.) So when I saw this bright top on the mannequin this morning I thought, why not give it a try now? I wasn't planning on buying clothes today....but.. I put it on...and ta dah...I can pull off a boob tube people! Wow. Who woulda thunk it? I had tried on a very similar JT One top like this at Truworths a few months ago (pre-boobs) and it looked so dismal on me. Plus, because I had zero boobs, nothing was there to hold the strapless top up - which was also annoying. This one, however, stays up just fine! This is truly amazing to me. The doctor said I shouldn't really go bra-less because fake boobs droop as much as real ones - the idea is not to let gravity win - but now and then is fine. So now I can wear a top like this with confidence. (Smiles)

Accepting my wrinkles

2012-01-05T15:09:00.000+02:00

Hey guys! Here is a video I've uploaded onto youtube about my early wrinkles...because I've been quite freaked out by them as they've started to appear (I guess you can tell that by all the fancy moisturisers I've reviewed and tried). But ultimately I've realised that one can't prevent wrinkles - possibly only make them appear a little better - and lately it's hit me that I'm no less because I have a few wrinkles - we're all going to get them and they're inevitable. (Unless I get a facelift, but I'm going there right now!)

Oh sweet Xylitol!

2012-01-04T12:18:00.003+02:00

I'm sure many of you have read/heard about it, but I'm so excited about this product that I have to share it! My new favourite thing is Xylitol! I love it! I have been searching for a sugar-substitute for ages now, not only for myself but also for my toddler, as I don't believe that too much sugar is good for him (even though I grew up on an overload on sweets and sugary things - didn't we all? My parents had no idea about the dangers of sugar like we know now). Anyway, getting back to my point...I have discovered, used, and now love Xylitol!

Here's what I love about it:
I can buy it from my local Spar (no extra trips to health food stores or ordering online)
It's in white granular form just like sugar
My toddler likes it
When I have it in my tea it doesn't leave any furry feeling on my teeth like sugar does
It's actually good for your teeth as opposed to sugar
Medically, it's been used to treat ear infections in toddlers
It helps combat candida (which I suffer from)
It has an extremely low GL/GI
It's not metabolised like sugar -it's metabolised independently from insulin
It has numerous other side benefits like being linked to lower levels of osteoperosis
Although it's more expensive than sugar, it's not unaffordable - around R35 for 350g. I don't use a lot - just a little in my tea and a little in my toddler's rooibos and a little sprinkled here and there.

Overall it's a great product, however, even though it's been said that it's sweeter than sugar, I have to disagree - it's not. I find that I have to use more xylitol in my tea to get the same sweetness, and it doesn't seem to bake very well - either that or I'm not using enough xylitol to make up for the sweetness difference. But as a sprinkle sugar substitute it really is great - I sprinkle a little on plain yoghurt, I add it to cereal or sprinkle it over strawberries just to take away that tartness that you sometimes get with fruit. But as I've already said, best of all is that a little of it is perfectly safe for my child as well.

Do any of you use any sugar-substitute? If so, what product? And how has it been? I'd love to know.

Hello 2012

2012-01-03T14:51:00.002+02:00

Hey lovely people!
I'm back. Happy New Year! We went away for a few days down the Transkei coast (very far away from civilization!) where there was no electricity and no cell phone reception either. It was great to "unplug" and get away from the constant "pressure" (self-imposed, I know) to socially network. But whilst we (the hubby and I) were away things were brewing in our marriage (it always is) and I've had to get away from him for a few days to think things through. The few of you who used to read my old blog may remember some of my marriage problems from back then - well, nothing's really changed. He's still drinking quite heavily.

Image: Getty Images

So since my car accident I had a huge wake up call and I've realised that I've been a doormat for too long and the time for change is NOW. So please excuse me if I'm quiet or irregular in my postings - I have some serious domestic issues to resolve, and I will blog a bit more about it when I can, but for now I have a LOT of thinking to do. I need to decide what my limits are, what is acceptable to me and what I can do to move forward in a positive way.

I apologise if this sounds cryptic to some of you but I will definitely come blogging back with more clarity.
For now I let's say I have some major 2012 resolutions to make!

Fashion Friday (but on a Wednesday)

2011-12-28T06:47:00.000+02:00

Hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas and that it was filled with love. I'm blogging just a little this week before my little family goes away down the coast for a break.

I know my title seems weird, it's just that I'm posting outfit pics of what I wore last Friday when I braved the mall for my last mad pre-Christmas shop. What was I thinking, going to a shopping center two days before Christmas? But it had to be done. So this is what I wore. It was raining that day, so a light cardi was in order.

These shoes are from Hang Ten a few years ago, but I still love them! I love how they match without matching, being made, obviously, from a big piece of fabric with varying print - so as you can see the one shoe is more purple, the other is more cream. My husband laughs at me every time I wear them, but I don't mind.

Cardigan: little Chinese shop in Hillcrest, Durban

Leggings: The Hub

Shoes: Hang Ten

Dress Top: Liquidity in Pavilion

Have an awesome New Year's Eve, everybody! Wishing you a great end to this year, and an even better start to the next! Lots of love

Lulu

Review: Clarins Mulit Light Day

2011-12-23T08:02:00.000+02:00

Images: my own

My Quick Rating: 8/10

I’ve been wanting to review this day cream since I bought it, but have been waiting until I used it for a good while to be sure of what I wanted to say about it.

In a nutshell, this is a lovely moisturizer. I bought it after I tried one of those little eensy weensy samples that came in a magazine, and I have not been disappointed with my purchase. It’s a lovely lightweight yet rich cream – all in one. The Clarins website describes their creams as having a “melting” texture – and this is so true of this cream. As you put it on it seems to melt into your face, which I love, and it has a wonderful, subtle fragrance as well. It’s not a thick cream at all, but it leaves my skin feeling hydrated, but not oily, which is key for my oily T-panel!

The reason I rated it 8 out of 10 instead of more, is that I find I do seem to use quite a lot of it to feel as if my skin is fully moisturized, and, like with most luxury products, I feel that this cream is a bit pricey. It’s R850 at Edgars. (I know - for those of who read my La Mer review you are probably thinking that this is nothing, but the La Mer was truly a once off, and this cream I was thinking of as a repeat purchase). Also, like all these creams, it did NOTHING to make my beginner wrinkles appear less, even though it claims that it will. And although it says "illuminating" on the jar, I didn't notice any more luminosity than with any other cream.

The sales lady told me that the Vital Light is more for women in their 40’s, but I bought it anyway because I so loved the sample, and I didn’t want to risk being disappointed with the other Clarins cream she recommended for my age group. However, the cream she recommended for women in their 30’s was cheaper, around R450, so I may give that one a go next and see how it compares.

My only disappointment with myself here is that I should have bought the Vital Light with SPF 15 – I have since seen that it comes both with and without sun protection, and the one I have is without. But nevertheless, I really do like this moisturizer, and I’ve been using it at night too. It’s lasted just around 3 months, so overall a good buy if you can splash out that kind of cash.

I love these dresses!

2011-12-21T07:38:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone and happy midweek Wednesday!

Aren't these dresses just gorgeous? I found them all at www.forever21.com - I stumbled upon this website quite by chance (a blog of a blog of a blog...you know how randomly it can go...) and I just found that I loved dress after dress after dress! I am still gasping at the beauty of some of them! I love all things bling so the sequinned dresses have really caught my eye, but there are SO many lovely ones! And I keep thinking New Years Eve party or something like that...(especially with my new boobies!Happy!)

The prices are not bad either - only problem is that it's a USA based company and I've never ordered anything from overseas before, so I would be nervous to just go and buy a dress online - especially if it's not a local company. I mean, how much would import duties be? And what if the dress deesn't quite fit?

So what I would love to find out from any of you is: whether you have ordered any clothes online from overseas companies and how did it go? Was it a good experience? Were you happy with the purchase?

Inspiring Christmas quotes

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000+02:00

I am not really into the whole Christmas thing. Don't get me wrong, I love what Christmas is meant to be, but I reckon the modern world has moved so far away from the true meaning of Christmas that I mostly find Christmas to be a big pain in the ass! All the decorations, preparations, queues at stores, the rush, the whole commercialisation...oh dear, I feel ill just thinking about it all. But I do love giving really thoughtful gifts (if I can manage to skip the mad Christmas rush) and I love making my own cards, and that sort of thing.

So this weekend I was handmaking (gasp) Christmas cards and decided to look for some inspiring quotes on Christmas to put inside the cards. In my search I found many quotes, of course, but I really liked these two (above) and thought I'd share them with you. And just to illustrate that Christmas in Africa is not snowy and white, I thought a pool scene pic of me and my little one would fit nicely! He he.

Body Thrills

2011-12-17T14:14:00.000+02:00

I just wanted to share a delicious body/bath product site that I found on Skinny Bitches' blog - but this range of products was just too good not to share! Their products are all natural, handmade, and from what I can tell, smell good enough to eat! Click here to view their online site/blog. I'm pretty sure you'll love it! I am now itching to order some stuff myself, but have to hold back until the new year! I think I've spent enough money on myself this year! He he.

2 weeks post op breast augmentation

2011-12-15T14:57:00.000+02:00

Here is my 2 week post op video blog which I have posted to Youtube. I am not going to flood my blog with youtube videos, but thought this one may be of interest to those of you following my breast op story. And it may be helpful to anyone who is thinking of getting theirs done. I promise that there will be no more breast op posts for a while (hahaha...) as you may be getting sick of them. I'm planning a giveaway soon too. Yay!

On making the decision to get implants

2011-12-12T10:14:00.000+02:00

I just want to make it clear that getting breast implants was not a decision I took lightly. Not at all. I don’t, in any way, want to encourage women to go get theirs done, especially not young women with nothing wrong with their young breasts. However, I do feel it is a surgery that some women can benefit from, and I think that overall, a balanced view needs to be taken.

I had actually made the decision to get implants before I even had my child. When I fell pregnant, I had said to my husband that we needed to start a boob job fund, because I had heard of women losing their breasts after breastfeeding. And I only had a B-cup to start off with, so I knew that if I lost breast tissue I would likely end up with very little. (Of course, I hoped that I would end up with bigger breasts, but alas, it was not my lucky fate!)

So the first thing I would say to all young women who haven’t had children yet (and this is just my opinion, nothing more) is to wait until after you’ve had kids and breastfed, if you’re planning on doing so. I had considered getting my breasts “done” before, but I’m now so glad I waited, because your breasts do change with breastfeeding and then your surgery results will look different. Not that it is a major issue for some women, and I know that nowadays you can still breastfeed after surgery. But my personal view is that I’m glad I waited because of the change my breasts went through.

The next thing I want to say is something I’ve learnt from all my research into breast augmentation going into this: there is no perfect implant. Nothing can mimic breast tissue (yet) and implants are second best. Saline is very likely to leak, and is very prone to wrinkling. To combat this they overfill them, but then there is more pressure on the bag, and the end result is very round looking implants that stand up even when you lie down. On the other hand with saline your incision can be smaller, because they only inflate the implant once it’s inside. With silicone implants the incision is around 5 cm long. Silicone gel has come a long way from the liquid gel to the new form stable gel, but that is not perfect either. These “gummy bear” implants (as they are called) are relatively new and so, as my surgeon said to me, they just don’t know what these implants will be like after 20 years or so inside a woman’s body. Plus the textured shell is more prone to rippling than the smooth shell, but the textured shell is better for reducing the risk of capsular contracture (hardening of the body around the implant.) So you see, it’s a game of give and take, or taking a calculated risk. And in South Africa, there are only two surgeons who now do saline implants, with the rest of the surgeons only doing the cohesive gummy bear implants. So I had to know my risks before going into surgery.

The other point I want to make here is that once you have the surgery to get implants, you are more than likely going to need a revision surgery at some later point. Either due to leaking (more so with saline) or hardening or bottoming out of the implant or something. So one needs to bear in mind that signing up for one surgery is more than likely signing up for another one later as well.

Also, one needs to be realistic in one’s expectations. I have learnt this the hard way. When actually deciding to “go for it” with my boobs, I think we (yes, me too – my husband and I) got carried away on fantasies of me coming out of surgery looking like a Playboy centerfold. (Weird as it may be, I actually do have an alternate-life fantasy of being a Playboy bunny – but that’s a whole other post!) I told the doctor to go as big as was safe (I didn’t want to put myself at any major risk) and I assumed this meant that I could possibly go from an A to a D cup. But because I was going under the muscle, the doctor said he could only fit in a 280cc implant – which is not a bad size, I’ll admit, but that’s all he could give me. He said that if I still wanted to go bigger I would have to wait a couple years till everything had stretched a bit – skin, tissue and muscle, so that he had space to go bigger. So overall, sometimes the surgery will not match your fantasies or expectations. Sometimes you have to accept the limitations of your own body. And the catch 22 is that the bigger your breasts already are, the bigger you can go, because you have more skin and breast tissue to cover a larger implant. The very small ones, like me, can only stretch and conceal so much.

Lastly, and most importantly (I believe),is for women to realize that having bigger breasts won’t really change anything that matters in your life. Yes, it’ll change how you look in your clothes, and it may change how you feel about your body image in the mirror, and it may even get you a few free drinks, but other than that, having bigger boobs (or any other kind of cosmetic surgery for that matter) won’t change your problems, and it won’t change the fundamentals in your life. It’ll just be you, with bigger boobs. (And about R40 000 out of pocket to boot!)

My first "after" pics - 1 week post op

2011-12-10T11:12:00.000+02:00

Quick apologies for not posting much - I have been at my mom's house for a week recovering, and now I'm home. Hopefully will settle back to a more normal life soon!

But...ta dah! Here are my one week post op pics! I have boobs. OMG! I mean, I vaguely remember having boobs before...but I haven't had anything for about a year and a half! They are still swollen up top, and so are a bit funny looking, but even at this stage they look better to me than before! Enjoy!

Boob job recovery

2011-12-05T12:41:00.000+02:00

Hey there everyone. I'm slowly recovering from my operation - phew, not easy when you have a little child! All I can say is there is a HUGE thanks to my mother for all her help! Here are some pics of what I looked liked on day 2 after the operation. That is my blood in the bottle I'm holding - eew, gross, I know - from the drains. It's one of the worst things about this whole recovery period - everywhere I go, there goes my little blood bottle. Yuck! Some surgeons don't do drains, they just cortorise the area really well and send you home all sealed up. But sadly for me, I am stuck with the drains. They only come out once the bleeding has slowed right down. And because my implants are under the muscle, I am bleeding a bit more than if they were over.

I'm not supposed to use my pecs if I can avoid it, which is also really, really hard, because oddly enough, they are involved in most arm movements. (Only when you can't use them do you realise this!) Like opening doors, opening jars, lifting objects...really frustrating! I'm not even sure if I should be typing right now...?

Anyway, I'm still all bandaged up, so I can't see what my new boobies look like just yet, but they feel big enough, and they are sitting up quite high. I believe they still have to "drop" into place. So nothing exciting just yet. There is some pain, but it's manageable with pain medication. The worst pain is in the incisions themselves. The boobs don't feel sore at all. And I have to sleep on my back, which is really frustrating, cos I'm usually a side-sleeper. I would say overall the caesar op was a lot harder to recover from than this - but maybe that's because I also had a little baby to take care of at the same time. Whereas now, my little boy can walk by himself, and understands that mommy is sore. He is dying for me to pick him up, of course, but he realises that I can't and so he gives me hugs and kisses instead.

The night before my breast augmentation/boob job

2011-12-03T15:56:00.000+02:00

Here is my youtube video. Enjoy. I have done a few for Youtube, just to help other women.

Pre-op post: before breast augmentation

2011-11-30T09:57:00.000+02:00

Today is the last day of having no boobs for me! I go in tomorrow for my breast augmentation. Eek! So herewith my "before" pics. As you can see, I don't fill out the bikini top at all. And I used to. I really need boobs. Hold thumbs for me that all goes well, and that it turns out alright! I'll chat to you guys on the other side of my op! Love Lulu

The Battle of the Mascaras!

2011-11-28T13:46:00.000+02:00

I'm going to do a "multi-review" on all the mascaras I have used in the past two years. I have numbered the mascaras in the picture from 1 being my favourite to number 5 being my worst.

As you can see from, I like Maybelline quite a lot (I have three varieties!), so overall, I give Maybelline the thumbs up for being the best brand of mascara all round! I've always loved their Volum Express range of mascaras and have been using it for years, but recently, in a magazine was a sample of Clinique's High Impact Mascara. I had never used Clinique before, and to be honest, I bought the magazine just for the sample mascara, and I have to say - wow, I'm super impressed. I love this mascara. (Hence my rating it number 1!) I tend to prefer drier, slightly thicker formulas in mascara as I find the very wet, runny ones make my lashes stick together leaving me looking like I've been swimming and have wet lashes. Not cool. Maybelline has always been good at getting their formula right, but I must say I sometimes find that I have to wipe off the excess mascara on the brush before I apply, else it clumps my lashes together. With the Clinique one, I just open, apply and go - my lashes look great! So somehow, Clinique has gotten their formula almost perfect in my eyes (excuse the pun!). I don't know what the Clinique mascara costs for the full size, but I'm sure it'd be worth it. Otherwise, generally the Maybelline's are all around R100 or so, which make them great value for money in my humble opinion. Oddly enough, the Estee Lauder Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara turned out to be the worst of the lot for me - too runny, the brush wasn't so nice either - it gave me spiky looking lashes. Also, the Maybelline Classic Volum Express is a great mascara, possibly nicer than the Colossal one, so I only rated it 4 because this particular one is waterproof, which I don't really wear because of the battle to take it off at night. (My mother gave me that one).I haven't tried the regular one but am thinking it would be a nice all round mascara.

What mascara do you use? What has been the best one for you? I'd love to know.

I'm getting boobies!!! Help!

2011-11-23T07:27:00.000+02:00

Image: Getty Images

Well, my blog friends, it looks like I'm getting me some fake boobies. Yip.

I really need them. I was about a B-cup before I fell pregnant, and even back then, I had been considering getting a boob job, but it was just a thought. Anyway, whilst breastfeeding I ballooned up to a C-cup, which was quite nice and suited my frame - I am somewhat pear-shaped, so bigger boobs balanced me out, I thought. But then, after breast feeding, I dwindled away to an A cup. If that.

My mom was one of those lucky women who actually got bigger after breastfeeding, so I was hoping I'd go down that same path, but alas, I have gone in the other direction - to the point where even my mother says "Ag shame".

The only bras that actually fit me now are kiddies training bras - I am not joking. (In all recent pics you have seen of me, I am padded and stuffed to the hilt to look like I have something.)

So I have consulted with two doctors, one who only does "overs" and one who does both "overs" and "unders". If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll explain quickly: you can either place the implant over the pec muscle, or under. There are pros and cons to either way, but in a nutshell, going over the muscle is a simpler procedure, and the pain afterwards is less, but there is a chance of visible rippling with a thinner woman like me who has little fat on her chest. (My fat is in my butt and thighs.) Going under the muscle smooths out the visible transition between implant and my thin chest, and will hide any possible ripples, but when you flex your pecs (lets say, whilst doing gym or even turning the steering wheel of the car hard) you will get a twitch, whereby the implant is pushed out to the side. It goes right back to normal, aparently, but you do have this "muscular twitch" which can happen and obviously does not look great at the moment it's happening. Also with under the muscle, the implants can't be placed quite as close together as "overs" as they have to leave a slight gap where the muscle joins in the center.

I have a lot of thinking to do - do I go over and take the risk that I could have rippling? (Because I have one of those chests where you can see my bones sticking out, this is a real risk.) Or do I go under and live with implants that move when I flex? And have a more painful recovery? Can anyone help? Does anyone know of/has had implants and can advise?

(Once I've decided and all is said and done, I will share my boob job experience, recovery and results, with all of you!)

Book Review - Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg

2011-11-22T10:41:00.000+02:00

Elizabeth Berg has become my favourite author lately because she has that rare ability to tell the emotional truth. It's hard for me to just review this book because a lot of what I say about Elizabeth Berg's writing applies to all her books - but I'll try. This little book (it's a short book, but satisfying!) Click here for Amazon's review of it.

My quick rating: 10/10

From what I read, this was Elizabeth Berg's first book of fiction and she draws on her own childhood as an Army brat. The story is about twelve year old Katie, her older sister and their father, who hits them and is very strict. Their mother has recently passed away from cancer and the story follows Katie in her emotional journey. Her writing is deceptively simple, making it for very easy reading, which I like, but the emotions run deep. The story is not so much about what happens, but more about the internal life of Katie. By the end of the book you feel as if you know the characters so well, as if they were real people. They actually come to mean something to you, which I find rare in books nowadays.

I found I couldn't put the book down, and if I stayed up reading, the time just flew. I find Elizabeth Berg so readable - meaning, you just end up turning page after page, not knowing how the time goes by.

What I also really like is that she doesn't try to be witty or clever in her writing - humour just happens, wit just happens, naturally, when it's fitting. The best thing I can say about this book and any book by Berg is that I can just relax when I read it - not cringing at old, used cliches, or bad writing. And she always shows and never tells (a secret to great fiction writing, I believe)- so you find that the book just unfolds in your imagination like a movie playing out.

The value of an accident

2011-11-21T14:08:00.000+02:00

I wasn't really intending this blog to be a "what happened in my life" type blog, but when something major does happen in your life, you kinda have to write (blog) about it.
Saturday 19th November 2011 (this Saturday just gone) I was in a car accident with my little boy in the backseat. Scary stuff. Luckily there were absolutely NO injuries (just mild whiplash for me) at all in the accident. It had been raining all weekend, the roads were very wet, obviously slippery, visibility poor and there is a section of the toll road that has been extremely narrowed down for roadworks. Anyway, I basically aquaplaned and lost control of the car. I slid into the side of a truck, bounced off it and into and oncoming car. It hit my front passenger door - luckily not the back where my little boy was strapped in.

It was a split second of extreme disbelief (Oh my God, this can't be happening) and then extreme belief (Oh my God, this is happening) to almost blanked out nothingness until the car had stopped. It was a moment of Grace when I saw that my little boy was alright. And then more Grace when I found out that everyone in the other car were alright too. And then a car full of angels in the form of four middle-aged men stopped to help me. They literally took over, got me to sit in their car to keep my little one out of the rain and they got all my stuff out the car. They stayed with me until I was safely on my way home with the tow truck. Truly amazing.
Funny, when you’re in the midst of having the accident, a million thoughts flow through your brain at lightening speed, but they are more feelings than thoughts. Immediately I knew why (on a grand scale, on a life scale) this accident was happening, I just prayed God would spare my child and he did. I knew that, for personal reasons which I will not go into, I needed a wake up call in my life, as did my husband. But I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was my wake up call. I also knew, when I realized my child was absolutely fine, that there is a Higher Being and He has mercy. He sent me enough of a shock to make me realize some things, but no real harm done. It’s like I’ve often heard Oprah say “First, life gives you a nudge, and if that doesn’t work, a brick falls on your head, and if that doesn’t work, then the whole brick wall falls down.” Well, I think this was my brick on the head. And I can assure you, I am not waiting for the whole brick wall to fall. I am going to make the changes in my personal/spiritual life that I believe God/Higher Intelligence is telling me to make.
So, in a nutshell, this accident made me realize a few important things:

· I have lost my way, my blog friends, on the inside, I mean. I have lost my true north. I need to find it again.

· There definitely is a God or a Higher Order or a Plan to things. For sure. Well, I believe now, again, after I had almost totally lost my belief.

· I have been too obsessed (like we all tend to get from time to time) over stupid and superficial things. In the moment of impact (twice) I thought “Who cares about wrinkles and botox now? And shoes?”

· The time is NOW to fix relationships, say what’s really important and tell people you care, you love them, or that they made a difference in your life. I phoned those men that were so kind and helpful to me and have thanked them. They really were angels. And I am going to try, and try again to repair and mend my very wobbly marriage.

· I am so truly glad and grateful that I am a mother.

· The importance of a car seat for your child!!!! It totally saved my child from any bad harm.