Quote of the Day!

Quote of the Day!

Tips on Tuesday - Are you a Shopaholic???

Hi there girls,

I went shopping again today, and got totally sucked in by this young German guy who got "me" to buy skin care........ do you get it, yes the Beauty Therapist/owner of salon/skincare shop......... oops! I am starting to think I am a shopaholic, so I looked up some tips on how to save money (yeah right), but although you may not believe me I am going to put some of these ideas into practice...... it will be my New Years Resolution!
So here goes......


1. Free Stuff

Enter rewards programs to get free stuff, but be discerning some schemes don't offer anything you want and some you have to spend too much to receive a reward. Just go with the ones that give you points for spending on what you normally would purchase. Instead of saving on purchases, you can avoid having to pay altogether. Sounds good right?


2. Banks

Check the banks for a different interest rates for both savings and loans. Don't just go with anyone, get the best rates possible.


3. Sell Sell Sell

Everybody has unwanted goods lying around their home gathering dust - Well, you might as well sell them and with the cash you get you can invest for the future. See this is what happens when you do shop too much, you need more space to put things in don't you??


4. Budget (help!!)

The first way to save money is to identify what you have to spend and what your weekly costs are. Budgets aren't boring, saving hard earn cash can be exciting when you have a long term plan.


 and controlling your spending is the first step towards saving more money.


5. Eat At Home

Stop eating out and coffee-ing all the time and start eating at home you will save a lot this way and you will know what is in the food. Help save money by preparing your food at home and creating fresh food.


6. Haggle Existing Loans

Threaten to take your business elsewhere and you'd be surprised how flexible lending institutes can be.


7. Repair Things

Repair your goods before they become very expensive to replace. Wait too long and it may cost you dearly.


8. Quit Vices

Quit smoking and other vices that not only hurt your health, but they also cost your a lot of cash in the long run. Quit Shopping?????


9. Leave Your Money At Home

Don't take your wallet or purse with you when you go window shopping. At worst take a few dollars with you but leave the plastic at home, this was the most brilliant idea yet!


10. Buy Generic

Often generic brands are equal in quality to their higher priced competition. Buy Generic and save cash. One of the classic strategies to save money


11. Bake A Cake

Actually, bake anything you want - The more the better - cakes, bread and cookies they taste better too.



12. Evaluate Grocery Items

Are the items you buy useful? Don't just buy from habit, make educated product comparisons and you will save money in the long run.


13. Make Large Meals And Freeze leftovers

By making extra you can save on waste and avoid extra electricity costs.


14. Pack Your Own Lunch

Don't buy lunch every day or you'll rack up the costs when you could save money by making lunch yourself.


15. Buy A Slow Cooker

Having a slow cooker means you can use cheaper cuts of meat and still have tender, delicious meals.


16. Home Brew

Make your own beer it's fun and you will save a lot of money.


17. Use Power Saving Appliances

Keep your power bills down by using energy saving appliances.


18. Buy Goods In Bulk

Bulk buy stores are great just don't buy too much or you may just end up throwing food away.


19. Pay Bills Online

Why drive to the store to pay bills when you can save fuel and pay online.


20. Buy A Home Gym

This may keep you at home instead of at the shop...... what do you think??

xx A

Motherhood - Its easy to fall into a rut!

Hello gorgeous ladies

I have been wondering, do you ever catch a look at yourself in the mirror and not like what you see...... I don't mean physically either, we are our own worst critics I know but I am trying so hard to be aware of what I do and how I act, knowing that like creates likeness and children do as children see!

I remember a time after my first baby Imogen was born that I realized I didn't like who I was becoming. My moment of clarity came while watching my husband bathe her. From where I was sitting, the bath water was too cold, the soap was all wrong, the washcloth forgotten, and the wrong non baby towel chosen. I seemed unable to keep myself from commenting so one enjoyed bath time that night and the feeling it left stayed with me for a long time. 

Almost 7 years and two kids later, I've become skilled at noticing the little ruts we mums can find ourselves in - patterns and attitudes that transform good mums into people we don't like. I've sorted these morphed-mums into groups.

The Critic: 

This is the bath time experience I just described - mum is commenting from the sidelines as dad tries to bathe the baby. The Critic believes that her way is the best way and a pattern emerges: My husband says his self confidence has disappeared since the kids were born - apparently its "my way or the highway"!
For example:

• - Dad attempts to interact and care for baby;
• - Mum disapproves and ‘helps' by providing suggestions (ha ha criticism;)
• - Dad loses confidence and is reluctant to care for baby;
• - Mom gets frustrated and resents dad of not pulling his weight.

Mum has now created her own monster. Dad has been made to feel useless and that is exactly what he has become. These days, when dad dresses the children in uncoordinated outfits, I keep quiet. Before the Critic speaks, she needs to ask herself  "does it really matter?"

The Nag:

What differentiates the Nag from the Critic is her tone of voice. We know we can be polite and respectful because we hear ourselves talk to our friends and her mother. However, when the question or favour is directed at our husbands, the tone completely changes and all "pleases" and "thank-yous" are completely abandoned. My husband still calls me Jekyll and Hyde, he says my mood completely changes when around people other than him. oh does that mean I am a nag and a critic?? When mums are exhausted by a new baby or energetic children, it's easy to fall into the habit of barking orders at your husband.. At the end of the day it doesn't make either parent feel good. 

The Score-Keeper: 

This is the mum who thinks nappies should be changed according to a schedule of "whose turn it is." If the man is going out with friends on Friday night, you better believe mum's going to spend all day Saturday at the gym or shopping. After all, it's only fair, isn't it? I believe children can interpret this score keeping as parents getting "stuck" spending time with their children. Kids should feel that both parents want to be with them all the time - even during those times we might not.

The Complainer:

I don't think there's anything wrong with having a good rant with your girlfriends - they can make for good sounding boards. But the Complainer takes it to a higher level. She can recognize herself by asking: does the phrase "I'm tired" find its way into every conversation she has? A sub-category is The Competitive Complainer. This describes the mum who if husband had a tough day at work, she had a tougher day at home. The reality is, being tired is what we signed up for and it is exclusive to no one. This mum needs to remind herself that complaining is not pro-active. If there is a problem, do something about it. I've personally never found that saying "I'm tired" lends itself to more sleep, have you??

Motherhood is hard work, very hard work. It's no surprise that at various times during this journey we find ourselves developing some of the symptoms that put us into one of these morphed-mummy categories. I've learned that catching myself as the Critic, the Nag, the Score-Keeper or the Complainer, makes me unhappy with my behaviour and certainly doesn't make any valuable contribution to my family. We all find ourselves falling into these ruts from time-to-time, but with some quick recognition of the signs - there's plenty of time to climb out!

Food for thought
xx A

Happy Monday!

Good Morning Ladies, It has been ages, a good friend of mine pointed out to me last week that she has been missing my posts (sweet) so I thought I would write again, and I have really missed it.  Time is just slipping me by at the moment. The "Silly Season" is just that for a reason, but mine seems to start way back in September for some reason..... I suppose that is the start to our busy time at the Salons.

Anyway loads and loads has been happening.... we have a puppy!! Ruby, she is a Cavoodle and is Red in colour and so adorable, we searched and searched and finally had to fly her over from NSW. Funny, I don't often buy online, this (or Ruby) was my first real purchase ha ha and she came fully delivered to my door last Friday. I have also been busy Christmas shopping, trying to settle new staff and new treatments and fitting all the "school stuff" in, and then there is the "list"!

I have this list........ my husband hates it........ and he is right. He says "throw it away and don't have one", but I cant, I literally cant function without my list, and it does get longer and longer and..........longer!

I DO HAVE TO GET RID OF IT........ but first I have to finish it.

Happy Monday ladies xx A

Quote Of The Day

I love this, its actually believable for once xx A