Happy New Year Everyone,

Let's make this the best year of our lives. 

Let us single this one out to make some big strides to accomplishing something wonderful and create new excitement in our lives!!!!!!!

Let us start working on it now!!!  Think up big and go for it.

But I hope, before clearing the way, you had a fabulous Christmas break and ate and drank to your hearts content because now is the time to take a grip!!!  

                            Lapping it up!

Oh dear the kilos have found their way onto my stomach but I am back on the job!!!  Well, I think you can let yourself go sometimes - so long as there is control most of the time. I THINK!

             Miss C and her best curtsy

My Christmas activities started the week before Christmas when I took Miss C to see Angelina Ballerina.  Call me organised (this once!) but I zipped off to Clark Rubber beforehand and bought a large piece of foam, slid it into a cloth shopping bag to make a perfect bolster cushion so she could see over the heads of adults.  

  Waiting for the show to start

The show was held at the Sydney Opera House and her first trip inside the glamorous Concert Hall.  Hundreds of eager children arrived for this event.  Many of the little girls were dressed in ballet outfits, or tulle and flounce, wearing fairy wings and ballet shoes.  Those were obviously the Angelina devotees.  None the less, Miss C looked like an angel and was quite happy with a pair of mouse ears to dress up and a program.

We were glued to the characters and the music was wonderful and quite amazingly could be hears over the chatter of small children.  Quite a different experience from my usual concert hall ones!!!  Small children enviously eyed Miss C's bolster cushion as they knelt on their knees or sat squirming on their parent's lap. 

         It's Angelina herself...

After the show Miss C asked me why the characters didn't speak......well, it was a ballet after all but I wished she had asked me earlier!!!!

Anyhow it was a delightful grandma and granddaughter memory to treasure. 

CHRISTMAS DAY

Wow, we had our big Christmas festivities on Christmas Eve, a new experience for us.  Everyone arrived midday and the partying began.  We started with a gorgeous antipasto platter and champagne.  Quite frankly, I was full then...but there was more to follow!!!

The large turkey followed, cooked the Gordon Ramsay way I might add, was a hit.  There was also pork, ham, lashings of roast veges as well. We were stuffed liked pigs at this point, but gee, you just have to forge on because there was dessert. 

The pudding was boiled for a few hours and then covered thickly in brandy butter and custard.....the calories were mounting up like nobodies business!!!  I decided to drink another glass of champagne and not to care!!!

So Christmas Day itself was a quiet affair as the kids were off with their inlaws.  Actually, we spent the day recovering from the day before!!!  We had hired a wheelchair for Mr G's mum and took her on a four kilometre walk down to the beautiful Iron Cove Bay and sat and watched the people and the pelicans. 

Mr G and I got a good workout and Mr G's mum got a sore bottom!! 

THE GRAND FAMILY HOLDAY

                   Hey...it's holiday time

Wow, what a fabulous holiday we had.  The whole crew set out for Port Macquarie and hopefully had a ball!!  Well anyway, everyone said they did!! 

Mr G and I were over the moon to be up close and personal with our family for 7 days and everyone was relaxed and happy on their return which was what it was all about.

We laughed non stop, drank and ate way to much - this was a very bad patch of consumption I must say!!!  

We had a cocktail evening where each couple bought the ingredients to make up our own personal favourites.  I can't remember the names of the others but I do remember one tasted like liquid fruit tingles!!!! Now that was heavy going!  

                           The grand cocktail 'shake off'!!!

My favourite cocktail of all and the one I chose to do, is excruciatingly named Orgasm.  It is 30ml each of Cointreau and Baileys Irish Cream - a superb mix on ice and I think I had a few converts by the end of the holidays.  We laughed alot about how many Orgasms we had had over the holidays -  well we laughed alot really which was probably due to the Orgasms!!!

         Beautiful Flynn's Beach in Port Macquarie

We had beautiful weather thankfully (about time as it seems to have done nothing but rain lately) so we swam at the glorious beaches; visited the Koala hospital and historic house; went wine tasting and we took a walk in the Rainforest on a timber walkway.  

Whilst some of us stuck with the tour guide on this walk, and were actually given a brilliant tour of what could have been boring bushland, Miss C took off with her mum and a couple of the others and gave her own guided tour.  This was fortunately was videotaped and will go down as one of the all time greats in our family videos.  'Getaway' here is a future presenter coming right your way............. 

        Little Koala recovering from her injury

I must say I spent hours lying in the pool at the resort.  I am glad I don't have a pool at my house as I love it way too much. No pool has definitely saved me from ruining my skin by too much sunning and soaking.  But oh, what a joy it is when you are on holidays. Hey, this is the perfect time to let it all hang out!!

Port Macquarie has the thumbs up from me.  It used to be a sleepy fishing village and some people are sad to see it developing and becoming sophisticated.  But honestly, I love this all new look.  It is visually beautiful, there is so much to do, gorgeous restaurants, divine beaches and you would need a couple of weeks to do all the attractions.  So book in and have a great holiday.  On a good run, it is only about four hours north of Sydney.

Such lovely memories.  I hope you enjoyed yourselves over Christmas too......

Let us know if you got away. 

What is your favourite holiday place? 

Do you have a recommendation?

PLASTIC SURGERY AT 82

This is mumsie before her operation - looking pretty darn good for 82 already if you ask me

Our very own writer Roslyn Motter has been talking about her mother's pending plastic surgery for ages and finally, Mumsie actually did it.  Yes, Mumsie was so adamant that she would do it that she set aside any risks for her new look. 

In my book bravery doesn't adequately describe her adventure!!

Roslyn looked after her and diligently took photos for days on end so we get to see detailed results.  They are astonishing.  This is a must see article for anyone contemplating a facelift and have a laugh as well as you join Roslyn and her mum during the post operation dramas.  Roslyn has a natural talent for making little dramas into hilarious happenings!

A big thankyou to Mumsie who allowed herself to be photographed and the star of this amazing story. 

And now I am sure Roslyn's mother would much prefer to be called 'Gorgeous' rather than Mumsie in the future!!!

FITNESS FIRST

How are you going with the fitness?  Bad time to ask?  Gosh if you are like me, you didn't really exercise over Christmas and are now paying the price!!  But be like me, and try not to feel like it is now a hopeless cause......!!!  Don't despair;  just jump back into your routine and give it your all. 

At KiMax the other night I spoke to a Wisewomen I see regularly at the gym.  She is looking fantastic because she wisely used her holiday break to attend the gym for three hours a day on some days!!!  You certainly get results when you put in the hard work that was plain to see.  Ummm - mental note - must increase my attendance! 

Yes, it is hard work but the rewards are there for the taking.  I literally dragged myself to PUMP tonight in a grand effort to get back in the swing and oh how it hurt, but hey, I did it.  That's the whole point.......don't give in to your lack of motivation!!!  Get into your clothes and go.......

I keep reading articles and books that tell that exercise is a way to youthful looks and energy.  It is so often overlooked as a youth treatment....but it is free to everyone and not only do you end up looking good...your body will be healthier and happier!!  Great reasons for getting on out there and either banging the pavement or working out at the gym.  Whatever you choose, you will benefit all round and the whole thing is - it is at your fingertips and completely up to you.....

Come on, this is a new year and you want a new you don't you!!!

Why not click here to gee up your enthusiasm and a laugh.....by watching this!

NOW WHY NOT WATCH THIS UTUBE CLIP which is nothing about exercise at all really but I had to pass it your way!!!!!

This one was sent to me by my sisterinlaw and I am totally addicted to it!!!!  The clip has gone viral and the group are very very happy they say - ecstatic actually!!!!

Take a look and bop along!!!  You won't get this song out of your head or check the original one to a different take!

LANA'S WISE WEEK

You will all be thrilled to know that Lana is back on deck and check out her Wise Week to see what she has been up to.  It will be good to have more of her stories coming to you, and I know she has something special coming your way soon....so keep posted...

QUOTATION

Just a little bit of inspiration from Andrea Boydston when she says:

If you woke of breathing, congratulations!  You have another chance!!

So as this is the theme of this Wise Week....shake yourself up, break out of the mould and grab your chance. This is the time to live your life....

THANKS

Thank you everyone for your Christmas wishes and for all your feed back over the past year.  Lana and I look forward to bringing you more Wise women this year....