Posts Tagged blogging

I love Packages in the Mail

Feb 2

Posted by ness in Blogs, The Pioneer Woman, Web Stuff, food | 5 Comments

Aren’t packages in the mail like *totally* exciting!!

Even if you know what they are, they’re still super exciting to receive.

Even my 4 year old spied the package and asked me all wide-eyed, “Is that for ME mommy?” to which I responded by throwing back my head, cackling like an old hag, hugging it closer to my chest and said, “NO, it’s MINE, ALL MINE.”

Then I did a Jim Carrey (as Ace Ventura) type run to the bedroom with it so I could open it without the kids getting their hands on it.

Want to see what I got?

So you can see where it was ordered from, and made it’s way all the way here to sunny SA (not so sunny yesterday I might add).

Trust the Yanks to have a super easy way to open a package. My bread knife that I’d taken with me for the purpose of hacking open the box was rendered totally useless…sometimes I’m so third world, I annoy myself.

The 4 year old, was all like, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! What is it Mommy? Let me help you Mommy!!?? Is it from Farmer Crimsus?!?” (Note to self, do not be tempted to dispel the Father Christmas myth just yet, no matter how much the continuing talk about Christmas is annoying you right now).

My mother, who had brought over the mail (we share a PO Box), walked into the room at this point, and said, “Honestly! Why are you taking photos of opening a box?”

So I said, “For my blog.” (She is vaguely aware of the fact that I have a website, but let’s just say she takes the word ‘technophobe’ to the extreme, she nearly had a full blown panic attack when I banned her from using Internet Explorer and installed Firefox instead. Of course the next time she opened the browser she didn’t even realise it wasn’t the same…)

So she gives a sort of dismissive snort, as if *anyone* would be interested in reading about my little parcel in the mail. Feel free to assure me that you’re on the edge of your seats right about now okay?

I won’t keep you in suspense for ever… buwhahahahaha.

…

Sorry, the childishness, it’s a disease.

I can see the head!

Yes, I’m drawing parallels between childbirth and opening Ree Drummonds cook book from it’s packaging.

But in all the good ways!

Because soon the inconvenience of ripping it from the box will be forgotten and soon I will be gazing into it’s many colourful pages and just enjoying it.

Aaaah, there is she is!

Now I just have to hide the book until I’m ready to unleash it’s culinary magnificence, because other wise the husband is going to expect some kind of fancy dinner tonight.

First I need to hit up the shops for some supplies, and butter.

Yes definitely more butter.

As a seasoned PW cooks recipe reader, I know that I am going to need that.

Thanks to her I already have about 6 different kinds of vinegar in my store cupboard. Basic necessities like bread and milk are like hens teeth around here, but Rice Vinegar, I have you covered!

Maybe I’ll just take a quick peek…

Ree wasn’t kidding when she said that this was more than a cook book. I can actually sit down with this and see a whole lot more stuff about her life and on their ranch.

Stuff that we don’t see on her website.

This is a cook book that I will put on the nightstand and read when I get into bed tonight, and enjoy the photographs, drool over the dishes and if I’m feeling at all inspired (which I know I will be) I’ll be planning some menus for the coming week.

Now I just need to find some cattle to wrangle, to work off all that butter.

Hey, if you want a copy, they’re still priced really well, and these photos are proof that they can make it through the SA Postal service unharmed! Go and get your copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks here.

Possibly Related Posts:

Tags: blogging, food, Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, The Pioneer Womans Cookbook, Where can I buy the Pioneer Womans cook book?

Weekend Round-Up

Aug 1

Posted by ness in Animals, Design, Dogs, Graphic Design, Mac, Technology, Web Stuff, dreams | 1 Comment

This post is a lot like my brain.

Full.

Of Stuff.

My brain could really use an iPhone. That I could synch stuff with my MacBook. Or at least that’s the excuse I’m using right now.

Anyhoo, so here we are back online.

I have decided to become a planner. Someone who plans.

No longer will I simply fly these blogs by the seat of my pants and spew whatever chooses to come up at that moment in time.

Henceforth, I Plan.

I’ve enlisted the help of my awesome iCal application to create some sense of order of my time spent on the computer, I’ve even scheduled stuff like housework (see this is why I need an iPhone – cos that baby will synch right up with iCal on the phone and make sure that even when I’m not eyeballing the computer screen, I can be kept on my toes) and other important things like remembering to fetch my kids from school etc.

My study time, scheduled. (Am still buzzing hugely on my graphic design course - it COMPLETES me)

Also on my calendar are things like “blogwalk and brainstorm” then each blog has it’s own hour a week for me to actually write posts (or transpose them from the notebook that I now carry around with me at all times (again an iPhone would help here for me to record my thoughts like a dictaphone, I’m just sayin’ s’all).

Tags are now planned.

Categories categorised.

If I finish my writing, assignments, blog scheduling and other tasks before their allotted time is up. Then I’m allowing myself to do stuff on facebook. Not Before. If I need to search for random, things on google, like the need for the services of a Seattle personal injury lawyer, then this is when I do it. Not Before. Sure, I could *totally* need one, one day, you never know.

I AM A PLANNER!

Occasionally, in between ‘proper’ posts you may find a ’shortie’ like the one just before this one where I showcase something from the web that has caught my eye. Sharing is caring. Linking is (insert word that means something good and rhymes with linking here).

So here is some more stuff that I’m loving on the web right now…

Smashing Magazine

If you like this related to the web, design, fonts, icons and pretty much anything ‘design-ey’ then you should *really* subscribe to their rss feed. They are one of those sites where I click through to nearly every post because, well, they just blow my hair back.

Check them out. They inspire me to make my blog more interesting, to stretch as a designer, and to even mentally give some thought to starting my own magazine. Total ego trip I know, but still, wouldn’t *that* be *totally cool??*

Right now I’m still trying to come up with a title, since Ness Magazine (yeah why can’t I be like Oprah and call it after me?) is already taken. Boo.

Better Browsing Now With Firefox!

Firefox 3.5 for Mac. I usually wait until I’m using wifi bandwidth to do upgrades, because of my ludicrously small cap on 3G, but this morning I figured that upgrading to the latest firefox is totally worth it. I’m already enjoying better, more secure browsing by having upgraded, AND it now features ‘private browsing’ meaning you can surf a site without leaving any trace that you were there.

So if you would like to surf Amazon for instance – without them remembering your preferences etc that is the kind of thing that it does. There may be many reasons why you would not want to leave digital footprints, and this is just one example.

For those of you who don’t know, Firefox is a web browser for Mac and Window’s PC’s. It is much safer, faster and better in every way than IE. If you are still using Internet Explorer please, please PLEASE do yourself a favour and stop! Firefox is open source, totally free, and the *best* browser out there right now.

For both Mac and PC.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Did anybody notice!? I has a donation!!

Thank you *SO* much to the person who kindly donated $20 toward my doggies quarantine costs.

That money has been set aside into a special account where it is now earning 8.5% interest per annum, and it is appreciated MORE than I am able to express.

The images is click-able if you would like to read about why I’m trying to raise funds for my dogs.

It also offers some helpful suggestions if you aren’t able to donate outright, on ways that you could make a difference nonetheless.

Lastly, if any of you are still reading out there:

The Nominations!

Now before I even try to the fake ‘beauty queen walk’ (in a swimsuit and heels) and wave to you all, and wipe away a fake tear, and plan to change the world, cure world hunger, halt climate change, and bring about world peace:

I’m going to confess here and now to the entire world (that’s all 3 of you reading right now any anyone who may follow you), that yes, I did indeed nominate myself.

Egotistical? No.

Any hope of winning? No.

Do I really believe that I have the ‘Best Geek Blog’, ‘Best Blog About Stuff’, ‘Best Photography Blog’ and ‘Best Parenting Blog’ ??

Well, the answer is that yes, my blog (and others) is all of these things to me. I love it. It’s why I write it. I visit it daily, gently tweak its sidebars, lovingly create new graphics for it and so that, in a nutshell is why I nominated myself.

Now here is where I insert a plea to all of you to follow the link of your choice (out of the two provided up there) to go and vote for ME.

(Waves to crowd, adjusts tarnished tiara, grins cheesy grin, and exits stage left)

Possibly Related Posts:

Tags: Bloggers Choice Awards, blogging, Dogs Quarantine, Donation, Firefox for Mac, Organising, Planning, Scheduling Posts, SEO, Smashing Magazine

Beautiful Writing…

Aug 1

Posted by ness in Blogs | No Comments

I am a rock under the stars. | Sarcastic Mom.

Is this not the most beautiful, poignant post?

Seriously, I wish I could write like this.

Possibly Related Posts:

Tags: blogging, Post Review, USA

What’s this Internet Thing? Huh. That’s Cool.

Jun 9

Posted by ness in Animals, Australia, Dogs, Quarantine, Web Stuff | No Comments

One of the things I love about blogging, is that I become SO aware of the world. It goes beyond the obvious geographical reality of distance, and culture.

What I mean, in a nutshell, and if you’re not aquarian, you may already have lost my train of thought, moving along, so in a nutshell, the day to day experience of blogging and reading blogs, helps me to remember that the world turns a certain way, and that timezones are a very real thing. And that’s cool.

I wake up in the morning, (remember that I’m GMT +2 okay, so *almost* bang in the ‘middle’) and by then, usually the Aussies, and Kiwi’s have either posted to their blogs, or commented on mine, or I’ve gotten an email from an old friend who lives there.

It’s interesting to see how many of them are night owl bloggers, and I’ll see them a bit later during the day, when they should in fact already be snoring.

Then it’s the European and local bloggers turn, and they usually stop by or post on their blogs. Then it’s as if, all of a sardine (yes, sardine, not sudden) WHOOOSH, North America wakes up, and finally my RSS feeder heats up, and gets rolling with all the blogs I like to read from *that* side of the planet.

I just think how that’s a cool sensation to have. I liken it to flying overseas on holiday, and when crossing several time zones, so that it seems as though the sunsets seem to last forever. Maybe I’m just well overdue for a holiday, but hey, it gives me thrill just like it, so I’m not going to knock it, and yes, I’m probably just weird.

But hey, if you can experience the world turning in your own chair? In front of your own computer? Without the need for travel medical insurance? That’s a good thing. Although having said that, I worked as a travel agent for a number of years, and I can tell you now that you should *always* take travel insurance when you travel internationally, because I know some really scary stories of people who didn’t, and what happened, subsequently…

Also, please take a look see over at my side bar there at that new shiny red widget I put up there.

If you haven’t been around for awhile, then you may not know, but we are much closer to emigrating, than ever before. We just have a few things to sort out (financially) in order to cover the cost of various visa fees and flights and then we-are-outtahere. The date on the widget says 1 June 2010, but in reality as soon as we have the money together for the abovementioned things, then we can leave.

However, we really, really, really need help with our dogs quarantine costs because they are beeeg, very very beeeeg. Our dogs are like our kids to us and we a) don’t want to put them down! b) We don’t want to rehome them! c) we want to take them with us!

The reality of us moving is that having our dogs with us (aside from 6 months in quarantine – during which we are allowed to visit them everyday – contrary to popular belief that you don’t see them) is that it’s a form of continuity for us as a family, and our kids.

Secondly, we *love* our dogs. They are members of our family, and I could no sooner leave them behind, then I could leave one of my kids. (My husband maybe….no I’m just kidding, ha ha). The sad reality is that South Africa is experiencing emigration on a massive scale right now. Think post second world war Europe and you might come close.

Everybody, knows somebody that is leaving, or has left. This has left rescue centres and veterinarians full to overflowing with animals to be rehomed, or worse, euthanased by desperate owners who can’t afford to take their pets with them. We desperately want to do the right thing for them, and in our hearts we know, that that means taking them with us.

So yes, I’m asking for money. If you don’t have a spare dollar or two to give, (and believe me just one goes a heck of a long way around here!) then could you help me by advertising their plight on your blog? Otherwise I’m happy to provide some kind of service in return for a few bucks. Photo editing, buttons, banners, headers for blogs, you name it.

(To those of you for whom I’m already doing stuff, don’t worry our agreement is already in place – so this does not apply to you okay I promise no bills arriving out of the blue! Unless you want more stuff )

I’m busy designing a 250×250 button that will feature them, and click through to a page on my site that features them and what we need, and why. If you’re able to stick that on your blog for a few weeks that would also help.

Some of you guys out there have already given, and believe me it is SERIOUSLY appreciated. Don’t feel pressured to give unless you really can, I would never ask someone to give, who didn’t feel that they had it in the first place.

Okay, begging session over. I’m going to get back to work on that page for Roxy and Chanel.

Possibly Related Posts:

Tags: blogging, Dogs Quarantine, insurance, International, Time Zones, travel

Writing, Writing, Writing, Rawhide!

May 21

Posted by ness in Flipper, Fun, Hubby, Illness, Skippy, Web Stuff, family | 2 Comments

I am home.

After spending the last 24 hours (okay so it was more like 20 hours but who’s counting?) in a very uncomfortable chair at the bedside of my youngest cherub, in hospital.

He’s okay. Just suffering from something viral, which will pass, after having had him hurling, and spiking fevers for the last 24 hours. Yeah, it was in just my last post that I was saying how much better he was…

Anyhoo, we’re home now. We managed to cope somehow, I stayed with Flip, Skip went to my moms house (she took a day’s leave from work) and the husband stayed home, and was forced to fend for himself. It is *such* a hardship for him having to clunk into the kitchen and make himself a cup of tea and a sandwich, but let’s focus on the positive shall we?

Heh.

Anyway, I’m back at my desk, doing what I love best, and that of course is, the internet, and blogging, and writing and just generally sending out my opinion to anyone who will listen. Hah!

This time I wrote a hub page, about Which DSLR Camera you should buy! Remember the hub challenge that I talked about (yeah the one that NOBODY took up? At least on my end anyway), well it’s forming part of that. The main challenge from hubpages, is to try to create 100 hubs in 30 days. I decided that since I’m a slacker and procrastinate like mad, that 30 hubs in 30 days is more likely to be my style, and more achieveable, and plus I had sick kids, and I have a doctors note to prove it. So there.

If you’re interested in contributing a few hubpages, why not give it a shot? It’s like the funnest thing since, I dunno, blogging? Be sure to sign up here and tell ‘em I sent ya okay?

Hope everyone has a good one.

p.s. I don’t care who won American Idol.

Possibly Related Posts:

Tags: blogging, children, family, Flipper, Hub Challenge, Hub Pages, Illness, Parenting, Writing