ChessCube

Friday, 21 January 2011

Weigh In

So we’ve started a competition in our office to try and lose the most weight before the end of February. It gives us 5 weeks, and we all want to lose around 10kg. We’re each putting R50 in, so whoever does win, will walk away with R200 and a fitter, trimmer figure.

Since we’re all different personalities, we’ve all got different methods of how to approach this:
CB is taking green tea tablets, working out the gym and eating healthier.

NF is drinking protein shakes and doing motorbike races.

RD is eating healthier and carrying on with her normal activities.

I’m going to be drinking green tea and trying to get to the gym to swim as much as possible (with maybe the odd pilates lesson thrown in for good measure).

Six weeks, four participants, four methods …

Lets see which method is the most effective, what the side effects can be, and who has the will power to withstand temptation?



Until next time,
Daughter of Dreams

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

The countdown

To all those brides out there who are still in the planning stages of their wedding, here's a year guideline I've put together (via various wedding websites) that I'm working through (although the month - month guide sometimes gets carried over … but like life you learn from others experience and then adapt it to find what works for you) ^_^:

Twelve Months or more before the wedding
• Announce your engagement to family and friends.
• Introduce both sets of parents, if you have not already.
• Select a wedding date, time and a possible alternate date.
• Determine the formality of your wedding.
• Check with your pastor to determine any pre-marital requirements.
• Discuss what church or ceremony site you’d like
• Plan the reception and book location as soon as wedding date is set.
• Hire a caterer, if not included with reception site.
• Discuss menu options with your caterer.
• Discuss how expenses will be shared with all relevant parties

Nine to eleven months before the wedding
• Announce your engagement in the newspaper
• Reserve your photographer and videographer
• Reserve the church or ceremony site you’ve decided on.
• Choose the musician(s) and review music selection for ceremony/reception
• Schedule dancing lessons if you want
• Determine the number of guests you want.
• Look around for what kind of wedding dress and accessories you want.
• Select a travel agent and start planning for your honeymoon

Six to nine months before the wedding
• Buy your wedding dress (although you can wait longer if you’d prefer to buy closer to the time.) Note: Sometimes leaving it to the last minute because you want to lose weight/tone up isn’t the best idea. Dresses can be altered.
• Schedule fittings and delivery date when buying or ordering your dress and accessories.
• Select and order bridesmaids dresses and schedule fittings and delivery date.
• Arrange for transportation to ceremony and reception.
• Select and reserve florist and discuss color scheme.
• Register your preferences with the bridal registries of your favorite stores.
• Begin shopping for the formal wear for the groom and male attendants.

Four to six months before the wedding
• Check requirements for blood tests and marriage licenses in your state.
• Make an appointment for an exam with your doctor and dentist.
• Select and order wedding rings.
• Ask both mothers to coordinate and select their dresses.
• Complete your guest list. (There should be no abbreviations).
• Order invitations and stationery, such as direction cards and wedding programs.
• Purchase gifts for wedding attendants and look for favors for guests.
• Purchase accessories, such as goblets, cake knives, flower girl basket, garter, ring pillow, candles, guest book and pen, etc.
• Engage a calligrapher to address invitations, envelopes and write place cards.
• Select baker and order wedding cake.
• Finalize honeymoon details and make reservations. (Apply for a visa or passport, if necessary.)
• Ensure that all bridal attire has been ordered.
• Experiment with hairstyles if you’re doing your own hair.

Two to three months before the wedding
• Send wedding announcements to the newspaper.
• Get your groom to choose his wedding attire, and his groomsmen to go with for fittings.
• Start addressing invitation envelopes.
• Mail invitations six weeks before the wedding.
• Assist with making reservations and finalizing rehearsal dinner details.
• Finalize details with florist, photographer, videographer, musicians and baker.
• Choose a responsible person to attend to your guest book.
• Make an appointment with hairdresser and makeup artist, if you are to have it done for you.

Four to Six Weeks Before the Wedding
• Invitations should have been mailed out by now.
• Mail thank-you notes for shower gifts.
• Have your final wedding dress fitting.
• Have the final fittings for your wedding attendants.
• Purchase a gift for your future spouse.
• Finalize decor, food and beverage menu with the caterer.
• Purchase going away outfit.

Two to Three Weeks Before the Wedding
• Contact guests who have not returned respond cards.
• Arrange name change on documents for business, banking, insurance, etc.
• Send change of address notice to post office.
• Order travelers checks for honeymoon, if needed.
• Pick up wedding rings and make sure they fit.
• Meet with photographer. Give him/her a list of special events or props you want in the videotape.
• Meet with the entertainer and give him/her a list of the music to be played during special events such as bouquet and garter tossing.
• Continue writing thank-you notes for gifts received.

One to Two Weeks Before the Wedding
• Write or have calligrapher do the place cards or a reception-seating chart.
• Provide the caterer with the final guest count and seating arrangements.
• Confirm honeymoon reservations; pick up tickets and travelers checks.
• Assign tasks for your wedding day; written out for each wedding party attendant.
• Pick up wedding attire and make sure everything fits properly.
• Finalize details of transportation for out-of-town guests and wedding day,

One week before the wedding

• Attend rehersal dinner and give attendents their gifts.
• Put together the tip envelope for the vendors and ask the best man or bridesmaid to give to them.
• Get facial/manicure/pedicure/massage.
• Try to get to bed early each night so you’re well rested.

One day before the wedding

• Go for a final massage.
• Put together the tip envelope for the vendors and ask the best man or bridesmaid to give to them.
• Get facial/manicure/pedicure/massage.
• Try to get to bed early each so you’re well rested for your big day
• Layout everything you’ll need for your wedding day in a safe place (dress, shoes, marriage license, etc).
• Reconfirm hair and make-up appointments if you’ve booked them,
• Call everyone in the wedding party to make sure they know where they’re meant to be at what time.

The wedding

• Eat breakfast even if you think you’re not hungry.
• Have your hair and make-up done.
• Begin dressing two hours before ceremony is scheduled to begin.
• Relax, de-stress and have fun. If something goes wrong on the big day, chances are no one but you will notice, so smile and don’t let it get to you.


- Phew, it kinda helps to have it all out of my head and on a page. And now it's made me realise I need to catch up on some of the things I can't put off anymore.
*Scuttles off to be busy and industrious)*





-Daughter of Dreams

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Five months late ...

So it's five months late, but here it is. The new blog post into the life of me a capite ad calcem (from top to toe) in 2011.

What to say? 2010 was a good year filled with its own highs, lows and wonderfully motionless weeks where nothing extraordinary happen, but nothing terrible occured either. I was one happy girl when life continued at it's snail crawl, but sitting getting complacent unfortunately, isn't something life thinks I do well at. So it decided to heave-ho and stir the pot for me, with the end result being that I felt as if a hurricane had torn through me while I was on a sinking ship.

In December, on my birthday (the 12th if anyone cares), I was informed by my boss that I unfortunately don't have the necessary skills needed to continue my job in the new year. That they're splitting my position into two roles and upgrading them, so people with years of experience can swoop in like vultures and take over from me (who's had to learn via being thrown in the deep end and come out swimming like a champ). So my current contract ends on the 28th of Feb 2011.

Needless to say I was more than a bit heartbroken, and the little girl inside me just wanted to wail:"What did I dooooo? Why don't you liiiike meeee? Why not traaaiiin meee?! Waaaah". Instead I smiled calmly and said I understood, while inside I was gripped with a heart wrenching panic as everything I'd planned crumbled away and I was stuck thinking "I'm getting married and going on honeymoon! No one's going to hire now if I can only start in May! What am I going to do!?!?".

Still, after pondering on the intricacies of business for a full minute, (something I know exists, I have been part of, yet still fail to comprehend the full magnitude of), I came to the conclusion that though it was tough luck for me, it's a good decision for them. They need someone who can handle the umpteen magazines they're bringing on board, they need someone who isn't going to collapse when we've got five magazines going off at the same time. I'm not that someone. I'm doing fine with two, but would start to sink a little without help after four or more. And I can be happy in the knowledge that in this building, I do one more magazine then every other department, so at least the knowledge I'm not lazy or stupid can booster my slightly shakey confidence.

And self pitying aside, I'm now looking into the shining road of the unknown, striking a Tarzanesque pose and screaming in my head "Aaaahahaahaaaa", as I prepare to swing off into this uncertain future, feet first and heart on fire, looking for the next big adventure that's somewhere up ahead waiting for me ...