Category: Friday Morning

The Playground Mafia

~ Nisha ~ 3 Comments

 

This is my first book review for a book I received from Britmums.  Normally, I think once I’ve finished doing everything, I will sit down and read the book and I’m sure there must be some format to do a proper book review but as soon as I got this book, I couldn’t put it down.  I opened the book and thought I would have a quick review but as soon as I started reading, I could feel myself nodding my head in agreement.  The Hot Mum? –  Oh yeah, I know her at the school gate!  The Snooty mum – I know her too.  The Naughty Child mum – oh no, that sounds a bit like me – eeekk!  It’s so funny especially as my daughter has just started school and I’m still getting to know all the mums,  it’s easy to put a label on them.  Although, in real life once you get to know them, the snooty mum is not really that snooty and the hot mum is quite normal too!

It’s a nice pocket size book with a sketch of each type of mum (and a couple of dads) and a checklist of what to expect from that type of mum and then a little description or a little story about each mum and the type of cocktail they would be. The paralyser sounds about right!

I think these should be on sale at school gates on the first day of school for all new parents!  It’s such a funny book.

Practising Certificate

~ Nisha ~ Leave a comment

I can’t see the point in me having a practicing certificate.  I know when I first started to apply for it, I was getting frustrated at what a long process it was, trying to update it, get everything signed, send everything off etc.  When I got the certificate it really did feel like a sense of achievement but I am (fairly) happy doing work for others on a subcontract basis. I do a few tax returns, only two that I get paid for and I think my ATT certificate covers that so at the moment I really can’t see the point in having a practicing certificate.  Continue reading “Practising Certificate” →

Writing 201: Poetry Day 5

~ Nisha ~ 6 Comments

An Ode to Holidays

How I love the sun always being switched on
The soft white sand melting into my feet and fingers
The complete stillness of the perfect paradise

How I love the crystal clear waters covering my feet, calf then knees
The exotic multi-coloured fish swimming too close to your toes
And the legs getting used to the cool water from the hot sun

How I love eating out and sleeping in
No cooking, no cleaning, and no guilt
No deadlines, no housework, no lists.

Massages at will and all-inclusive cocktails on the beach
No kids, no stress, no worries,
How I long for those carefree holidays!

Cultivating your talent in 17 steps

~ Nisha ~ Leave a comment
  1. Buy a notebook and write stuff down and reflect on it
  2. Watch the skill being performed
  3. Choose 5  minutes a day every day to practice
  4. Practice alone
  5. Think in images
  6. Pay attention immediately after you make a mistake
  7. Take a nap
  8. Read, close the book, write a summary
  9. Stop before you are exhausted
  10. Just before you sleep, watch a mental movie of you performing your talent
  11. Embrace repetition
  12. Don’t waste time trying to break bad habits – instead build new ones. Ignore bad habits. Build new habits by gradually increasing the difficulty, little by little.
  13. To learn it more deeply, teach it.
  14. Give a new skill a minimum of 8 weeks
  15. When you get stuck, make a shift.  Do it slower, faster, upside down, inside out.
  16. Cultivate your grit
  17. Keep your big goals a secret.

After reading ‘The Talent Code’ by Daniel Coyle, I decided to write down the main points that I thought were relevant into 17 steps above.  Now I’ve just got to get round to doing it and one day in the future, teaching this to my girls!

You Baby Me Mummy

7 Questions to find your Life Purpose

~ Nisha ~ Leave a comment

I found a list of questions that I had written down, obviously from somewhere but not sure from where now but I thought I would make this blog a series of questions and answers. So here goes:

1. What were you passionate about as a child?
I have no idea. I used to love reading and I would carry a book around everywhere. I would almost feel lost without a book in my hand or in my bag. It’s strange considering this that I didn’t go into a more literary field. I also loved organising and arranging things. What a random thing to like but I would organise my desk first before I would start any work. I also loved making things out of boxes, scrap paper, clay type thing. I like Maths too which is why I went into accounting. I loved solving problems and I was good at doing it.

2. If you didn’t have a job, how would you choose to fill those hours?
Reading and watching films and doing yoga and cooking and cleaning. Easy!!

3. What makes you forget about the world around you?
Reading a good novel and not watching the news. The news always has bad news and it freaks me out and makes me wonder why we live in this world. It feels like we are on a verge of a great apocalypse. Constantly. I think I would hate to be a newsreader.

4. What issues do you hold close to your heart?
Women’s rights and education especially for girls.

5. What kind of conversations do you have with your closest friends?
Talk about our kids, random jokes, keeping fit.

6. What is your bucket list?
Not sure what that is but for some reason it makes me think of a KFC bucket!
I just googled it. So it’s a list of things you want to do before you die. This isn’t a definitive list as it is the first time I’ve thought about a bucket list but for now, here it is:

1. Read all the goddamn books I keep buying before I die!
2. I’d love to do a 10k charity run for cancer as it has affected so many people I know. But actually run it and not walk it.
3. I’d love to experience a sun rise on a beautiful beach and also go stargazing.
4. Publish a book.
5. Go on a meditation retreat and/or a yoga retreat.

7. If you had a dream, could you make it happen?
I’d like to think I am but it keeps changing and I get side tracked with other things especially kids but that was part of my dream so I don’t know. I even got side tracked answering the question!

I’m not sure that by answering these questions, I’m going to find my life’s purpose but it’s interesting. While researching the bucket list, I found this quote:

Be the change you want to see in the world.    Mahatma Gandhi