New: Year, Country, Beginnings, Friends...

WOW! Its been almost six months since my last post, I can't believe where the time flies!

We have moved to a new country, DH has a new job, I'm learning a new language, making new friends, and trying to figure out what the heck is going on!

Unfortunately on the down side PCOS is still a b*tch but we struggle on and Soy Isoflavones have become my hero as far as shortening cycles and bringing forward/guaranteeing OV. 

The main lessons I have learned in the last 6 months is the patience of living out of a suitcase!

The lessons or things I wish to pass on to you...

• When you move country, use the first three months to put yourself out there - force yourself to meet new people, join that class, get out of your comfort zone and try out some local foods/language
• You can always do more in a day than you think. Give yourself a list of goals, not too long that you lose motivation, but push hard enough and you can always get that extra item ticked off that list!
• Never fight or lose patience with your in-laws. Its not worth it. Bite your tongue... you can do it. Just. a. few. more. weeks. living. all. together. Help. me!
• Don't let your husband walk over you. Speak up. You have a voice, it should always be heard. Your opinion matters. Don't put yourself to the bottom of the pile and don't take shit. 

Have a good month gorgeous readers...

I'll be back in 30 days (promise)

How to Make Iced Rooibos Tea - ultimate home recipe

Just thought I would share with you my recipe of how to make a healthy, moreish and refreshing pitcher of Rooibos Tea. 

Rooibos is well-known for its health benefits, in fact I have already done a post on its benefits (read more here) (or here). And not only is it good for you and naturally caffeine-free but it is also super tasty and refreshing. 

Anyway here's how I make my iced Rooibos.

Ingredients:

• 2 Rooibos teabags (I recommend Tick-Tock brand as a personal fav.)
• 1.2 litres of fresh water (I use mineral water as we can't drink the tap water here)
• 4 Teaspoons of sugar or honey
• 1 or 2 flavour enhancers from this list:   
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or even better a stick of fresh cinnamon*
•  zest and juice of 1 lemon or orange*

Directions:

Plop your sugar, teabags and cold water in a large pot on the stove. Add your flavour enhancer (cinnamon is my favourite).

Set the flame to high for five minutes, then turn to low for a further 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to infuse all the flavours and melt the sugar/honey.

Do not let the water boil but it should get very hot!

Once 7-10 minutes is up (remember not to let it get to boiling point) turn the heat off but leave the pot on the stove with teabags still in for 30mins or so to come back down to room temperature. 

After that, remove the teabags and any loose large ingredients and at this stage I run mine through a fine sieve to get out the most of the cinnamon grains although you can just leave them in and not drink the dregs which I often do when lazy!

Decant the tea into a bottle it and pop it in the fridge until nice and cold. Serve over a handful of ice blocks to really enjoy!

YUM!

Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions of how else to spice up the iced tea! 

Rooibos Tea: The Benefits by a true believer

I am a through and through Rooibos believer. Armed with Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream and some Rooibos teabags I can tackle anything... 

Having spent over ten years of my childhood in South Africa I have grown up with Rooibos and considered it standard, normal tea. Until I lived in the US and UK that is when I realised that Rooibos was herbal and naturally caffeine-free tea.

So, I now go about my life educating others on the benefits of Rooibos, or as the Brits call it by the English translation, Red Bush Tea. 

A Brief History: Rooibos is a red 'tea', natively grown and harvested in South Africa where it is picked, sun dried, then brewed. Locally it is drunk both "black" (sans milk) or with milk and sugar. Personally I like it stewed for a long while, with milk as a standard cuppa, or iced with sugar and cinnamon.  It has a warm and glowing amber colour.

Benefits of Rooibos

1. It is a pure and natural product: no colorants, preservatives or additives
2. It's calorie free
3. It's rich in antioxidants (fight cancer causing free-radicals)
4. It's rich in Vitamin C
5. It has anti-inflammatory properties (soothing to stomach, colic or skin irritations)
6. It lowers the production of cortisol (the body's stress hormone)
7. It is caffeine free

Well, off to make a brew. Drink up and Enjoy!

sources:

SA Rooibos Association

Health24.com - Rooibos

Goals for June

I am a total lover of goal setting, I have enough time in my life to focus on self improvement and therefore have set the following goals for June:

1. Drink rooibos tea everyday
2. Gym 5 times a week
3. Walk 30 minutes a day

Well so far I haven't quite managed to stick to it. I am about 90% there which for me is good enough. Unfortunately I totally fell off the wagon last Saturday at a free flow 'brunch' function where I drank so much wine it ended in me falling asleep at 4pm and not getting out of bed until 8am the next day. I don't think that much wine or 16 hours sleep is that good for anyone. <SO embarrassing>

Anyway, the outcome of all of this so far is:

• I feel good about myself, confident, sexy, healthy (disappointed in the wine-overdose though)
• My skin is much clearer having recently been overwhelmed by spots and grease due to having stopped hormonal contraceptives, finally it seems to be balancing nicely
• Skin texture is improved 
• I am definitely slimmer and more toned

So far so good on day ten. Lets make this week count and get back on track!

Good luck to all you other goal-setters out there. What are your goals for June? 

Moving Forward - onwards and upwards

Time to pick yourself off the floor, out the gutter, get back in the driving seat. Moping time over!

I think that in life you are one of two characters when it comes to dealing with problems, either the type to: 1) Bury your head in the sand or, 2) Move on.

Dear Husband is quite happy watching TV, swimming, eating, relaxing, reading or playing games to avoid dealing with the issue/problem/failure. 

Us avoiding dealing with the issue

I, on the other hand simply cannot just “be”. I need to deal with the problem whether “dealing” is going to help move forward or not, I need to feel in control and proactively taking steps to remedy the issue in order to feel ok with the set-back. 

Recently DH was not selected for a job we really had our hearts set on. The country, the company, our new life was all a perfect fit and perfectly planned out. All that came crashing down with the rejection email that he unfortunately wasn’t successful in the interview. Cue heartache, disappointment, sadness, helplessness, feeling that life is unfair, frustration… arggghhh. But, life goes on. Ce la vie. 

Personally, in order to feel back in control of our destiny, I want to fire off some emails, apply for the next position, study and rehearse for the next interview, and move forward. DH wants to mourn the loss of this job and mope. But he doesn’t even want to mope which would almost be acceptable… he just wants to exist. Its so frustrating. How can you possibly relax just being left behind as life goes on?!?

I think I need my own focus which I am in control of. If I fail I can pick myself up and move on. What’s happened in this situation is DH has failed which affects me, but I’m not the one in control here, he is, so I can’t pick us up and move on, thats up to him. My destiny is in his lazy hands. 

Alas, being a pilot’s wife means it’s very difficult to have my own focus (ALL/ANY suggestions welcome) because anything I do has to be totally portable to pack up and move along to our next country. So personally I am at a loss of what to do. Need a hobby job. A “jhobby”. I have a job which my heart just isn’t in. I need a passion!

I'm currently trawling these great websites for inspiration, check out these sites if you have time, very motivating:

careerinyoursuitcase.com

Babes, Blogs & Business

Risk VS Returns: Dare to Dream!

You gotta have a dream!

So my lovely Pilot husband is preparing for an interview. I’m not going to lie its not easy… he is dreadful at tests, pressure, studying, (he’s convinced he’s dyslexic), and overall is a total dreamer so battles to concentrate on actually getting the job done in terms of preparation as in his mind he’s already decided where we’re going to live, what car we’re going to drive and where we are going to shop. 

So my dilemma is constantly one of pushing, nudging, guiding, moulding. 

Helping by being a study buddy, doing call-outs for PF/PM, practising emergency procedures, doing limitations tests...

Helping by shopping, cooking, washing up, laundry, banking, admin, organising, emailing, booking sim practise slots, booking flights, hotels…

Helping by taking shit. I swear I am the stress punching bag. The iPad doesn’t work… shout at the wife. The internet doesn’t connect… shout at the wife. He can’t remember his air systems flashcards he just studied… shout at the wife. His notes are misplaced… shout at the wife. 

Is it all worth it for the dream of the next job. Do you DARE TO DREAM. What if it doesnt come thru. What if he doesn’t get the job offer. 

If you’ve ever read The Secret by Rhonda Byrne you will know that you should never think like that. Quash the “What-if’s”.  Amazon "The Secret" Book

I can’t wait for the interview. I can’t wait for the phone call of the interview run-through by my husband with a blow-by-blow account of what happened, what he nailed, what they asked. I can’t wait for the email confirming his job. I can’t wait to celebrate and feel the YESSSSSSSSSS. F**k yeah! YESSS!!

The return will be so worth it. Just take the risk and believe. 

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Dealing with the "Four Day Schedule"

So my husband is away for four days. This means I am alone for four days. Literally not a soul to speak to.

Here are my top ten activities to keep busy while he is away to avoid going insane:

1) Catch up on all emails, whatsapps, texts, face books, tweets etc. Write to friends or family you haven't heard from in a while and make sure you keep in touch.  Follow me on twitter @imupforlife

2) Go to the GYM! We've covered this already: gym = positive body, positive mind, positive attitude. Check out Pop Sugar Fitness Website or Pop Sugar Fitness YouTube Channel which are both amazing for motivation & have ten minute workouts you can do from Yoga, Treadmill, Weights, Cardio......

3) Go for a walk. Not related to "exercising" but simply related to clearing your mind, having some peace and embracing the alone-time

4) Put down your cellphone. Stop playing Bubble Witch/Candy Crush/Tetris or whatever your poison is. You're wasting your life and getting a headache

5) Cook. Google a recipe you're craving, go grocery shopping and cook up a storm. Cake? Pancake? Curry? Gnocchi? Find something on Pintrest and give it a go!

6) Sort out your computer. This sounds super duper dull but don't you have a load of crap on your laptop? I do. 5 photos of the same thing really aren't needed. De-clutter and organise your life starting with your tech.

7) Sort out your junk drawer. Again this sounds dull but this time its not the act that counts its the feeling it gives you. This is a tip from a book I read which deals with depression. The act of sorting out a stationery/junk/kitchen drawer, as small an act as it is empowers you to sort out the rest of your life. I dare you to try this 'crazy' idea. Worst that happens: you get an organised junk drawer

8) Do the laundry. Boooooringgggg, but it will keep you busy. And if all the washing & ironing is done before hubby comes back it means more Quality Time together coz the administration of life is done.

9) Change the bedsheets. Mmmmm... nothing like crisp fresh linen. This one is for you and your soul. Relish and enjoy laying in fresh bedsheets before the wild animal husband comes back and sweats/crinkles/'dirty's your blissful bed.

10) Lastly, to keep yourself busy, feel good and get ready for hubby's return; Shower, Shave, Pluck, Paint nails, Blowdry, Exfoliate, Tone skin, Fake tan, Moisturize, Whiten, Floss... you get the picture. Get yourself totally beautified. Not just for him, for you to feel good and worthwhile.

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Gym Time: Expats abroad, nothing to do, GO TO GYM!

Living abroad with not many, hardly any, very few friends can leave you little to do on a weekend while Hubby is away at work.

So, what to do... go to gym! 

The simple benefits of gym (in case you need reminding, we ALL need reminding) include:

• its uplifting / mood booster
• healthy
• keeps you occupied both mind & body
• its natural to keep active and I know in my usual sedentary lifestyle if I didn't go to gym I would be considered horrendously inactive.

I go to gym about 4 or 5 times a week usually. Having quit smoking this year I can now achieve this:

One Hour as Far / Fast as you can

CHALLENGE: If you don't feel like working out; just go to the gym. 

Once you arrive you can turn around and leave if you wish. Just Go There. 

(You'll probably stay...)

For my my latest motivation is the Runkeeper app on my phone. Previously I had it on my Android and now on my iPhone. You can set it to auto track steps it is AWESOME. Runkeeper 

My personal challenge for April is to run/walk/cover 100km. Like I said I have a very small/sedentary life so this is a real challenge. 

Off to the gym then! xxx

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