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I came across this excellent post the other day from Jen Bishop over at Interiors Addict and it made me think: How my home was growing up affects how I live now.

The first thing to note is that I still live at home so am still confined to the habits I was raised with, but that hasn’t stopped me from mentally developing my own habits for when I move out (aka when I can control my finances better)

The second thing to note is that I know I have had a very privileged upbringing, the daughter of a highly corporate banker and a highly dedicated stay at home mum, it has been rare that I have ever really had to fend for myself. In saying that though, I would say myself and my two sisters are far from being spoilt brats as we were raised to value our things, work hard for what we want and to have good manners in every situation. We were never given anything for free there was always a lesson attached.

Speaking for myself I would also say I am much less of a brat and rather more so just plain useless. But my efforts are not without heart. No I don’t know how to use a washing machine- the thought actually scares me with how much I could ruin all my clothes. I was informed the other day that even when I try to hang clothes on the line I still do that wrong – I didn’t even know there was a right way!

 

We did chores when we were younger for pocket money but that was after the hard part was done for us, like unloading the dishwasher and putting away the washing up- I can do all that! However at 25, I can use a dishwasher (hesitantly) although I can’t stack the dishes properly. I can wash up although my sisters always have to re-do it because apparently I am just not scrubbing hard enough. I make my own bed getting easily sweaty and frustrated with how annoying it is to keep walking around to get to each corner. Instead of sweeping I dust bust. Every Saturday I clean my own room and literally can’t begin the weekend until it is nice and fresh! My dad has now implemented the one thing in, three things out rule when I go shopping (nice plan, hard to action).

Having had my parents away on holiday for the past ten years(7 weeks whatever) self-sufficiency has had to kick in and oh my- what an effort! Don’t get me wrong, people do this every day and I am not playing victim but I was never aware of how much goes into just running a household.

 

Firstly our LED long light bulb/globe/stick blew out and neither sister knew how to change it. Then a kookaburra moved into our fireplace. Then our oven broke and it was a week of stir fry meals to be had. The floor doesn’t sweep itself. The benches are dirty so easily. The pantry and fridge contents lessen and don’t refill. The bunny doesn’t feed himself. Meat doesn’t come out of the freezer and defrost on its own. Dinner takes time. Shows don’t automatically tape themselves and rubbish doesn’t empty and replenish itself. We have pulled through all these issues and the house is still standing and for the purpose of this post while I may not be able to do the ‘bigger’ things, how I was raised shines through how I act today.

For example, I would never dare bend the corner of a book page to mark where I am at. As one of three sisters we always had our own things so admittedly I am not great with sharing because I was lucky enough and even still today, to have an overwhelming amount of things that I rarely need to ‘borrow’ or share. When I stay in a hotel room it will always look like how I first walked in I keep all my things neatly together and “put it all back where it came from” words which, when I was younger used to receive an eye roll but now is instilled in me. When I was younger and went mental with plastering tv hits posters all over my wall now resonates in always needing to be surrounded by colour and inspiring pictures (JTT poster is now swapped for small pic of One Direction).  My punishment as an early teen used to be getting  banned from watching Home and Away and that had the effect of a smack with a wooden spoon- I would be gutted. Now I am addicted to buying dvds by dozen so I can watch them whenever I want.

 

Im not totally useless, I love to cook and have even made a copy of mum’s homemade recipe book for the fantasy day when I become a loving time abundant housewife. I do like things clean, I once got picked up from a sleepover because the girl’s house was a dumpsite and I couldn’t stay there! I value all my belongings, perhaps too much, yet in a way that if I ever borrow from anyone I return straight away in the same condition and I get anxious when I feel like I’ve had it for too long. I believe I am handy I just am better when left to my own devices. I can’t wait to be super house proud when I have my own place, and being orphaned has brought out a little of the domestic skills I will need to use which is daunting yet exciting. But for now mum and dad are banned from any more holidays!

*I also didn't realise plants need watering

Train Pains

The other day coming home on the train I struck the pinnacle of public transport woes.

It was a Friday, I was pleased with myself as I went to a Zumba class and didn’t stumble too awkwardly through it (which is hard when the teacher is hot Latino and the student is stiff white girl), I felt light and fresh and plans to be social were cancelled at the last minute so I was smugly smiling and looking forward to heading home for a night of indulgence on pizza and Gossip Girl. (Yes I ate pizza after the gym and no I did not feel bad)

Woe #1
I am reading my mx and my attention is constantly dragged away from it due to this clicking sound. After a while of ignoring it, I sit up and do the subtle turn and glance around the train to see that the lady in the seat across from me is CLIPPING HER NAILS!!! Yuk, words cannot begin to describe how filthy she is for doing this. Oh wait, but there’s more. When all her nails were neat and tidy and she held them out at arm’s length for self- approval, the train stopped at her stop and I imagine she left feeling quite chuffed at how well timed her nail removal session went. HOWEVER, the next poor sod who dared to sit in this newly available seat, then had to use their mx to brush away all her NAILS that she had left on the seat. Nuff said.

 

Woe #2
Swapping trains feeling somewhat disgusted and pining for a shower so that I could feel clean on behalf of Nails Nancy, I then encountered train punish type #406: the expectant stare. On a not so busy train with plenty of complementary seating available, the expectant starer decided that no other seat could possibly suffice and she must immediately have the remainder of my two seater. As I had just sat down I myself admit I was being train punish type #231: bag on seat, BUT this was only due to needing a few more seconds to work out the right balance for giant gym bag, leather jacket, handbag and ipod/book positions. Feeling flustered and rushed as I awkwardly piled everything on top of my lap, this bird sits down without any acknowledgement of the fact that yes, I did read your mind and have hence moved everything to accommodate you. She then pulls out a bag of hot chips and consumes them via the throw-your-head-back method (for people who fear missing their mouth the normal way, this method allows for food to simply fall down your pipe with a 99% success rate). All nommed out and nothing left to do but click her tongue on every 5^th second all the way to the same stop as me- 45 minutes later.

All board and hello weekend!!!

Mercury Rising

The other day I was listening to a hot little tune from the 90’s on my ipod- play video if you are prepared to have the song stuck in your head for a few days at least- and it got me thinking: Tell me where you’ll be five years from now?

Five years ago I was in a entirely different world to the one I live in now. See interview with my past self and my current self below:

Where do you see yourself in five years?

20: If I am not with my life partner by at least 25 I will die.  If I have not begun to have my children by 27 I fret that I will not be able to be the MILF I dream of being. Working at Hogs Breath as a Hogstar is also a nice means to an end.
At 20 I was also with my first love and whilst I was not so entirely naive to assume we would have a lifetime together, I did lose myself in thinking I already had the fairy tale ending signed, sealed and delivered so when time was called on the relationship, the world as I knew it was taken from under me. I went into a massive 1.5 year downward spiral stemming from figuring out just how someone you could love and give your all to, suddenly decide that eh, I’m just not that into you (now a hit movie- you're welcome world, I did that). At 20, you have no idea and no one can prepare you for this hit. At 20, you think 30 is ancient and you cringe at being Miss Independent not necessarily by choice. Yes, we all have that first heart break but at 20 you don’t know this is your first, all you know is that it was your first and potentially your last as you have no idea how you will come out of this. The world is your soap opera and your only line in the script is ‘but why?’

25: Now, if I was lucky enough to once again feel the added happiness that love brings by 30, I would be so blessed however my life no longer centers on the earlier goal of being a very efficient, organised romantic and having to find my other half according to my critical path which is in sync with my pros and cons list. After a lifetime investment in self help books (whatever gets you through it!) I have become the self helper and am able to envision a life whether it be on my own or shared with someone. My current goals are financial independence and a strong and successful career whilst still maintaining an interest in learning as much as I can. I hope I can one day do more with my writing and maybe sit in the audience of Ellen on a day when she pulls an Oprah and gives out cars.

What do you love?

20: Bob *(name has been changed). Thursday pub night, Friday Fusions, Saturday Carmens and Sunday northies aka Bobs world.

25: My workplace, my family, my friends, my music, my learning, Gangnam style, my zumba, my nana lifestyle, the Kardashians, shopping for my house that I cannot even afford the doormat for, my blog, and my books.

What do you hate?

20: Bob’s ex

25: Everything I think of to list here, the Positive Polly side of my brain shouts out with a counteractive argument as to the good side of hating these things so in conclusion, I don’t hate much at all! i.e 'Brain: train people -Polly: but they are funny!'

What do I want for myself NOW?

Today I feel like I have my shit together, I know what I want, I know I can achieve it and I know that I don’t necessarily need a partner to define what I am worth. I am happy outside of being in love, the search for ‘the one’ has now ceased and become an occasional amusing story that just passes me by with little analysis as to the ‘why’ it did not work out. I am driven to develop a career in marketing. I cherish every moment with my family. My friends are now people I choose to have in my life and relationships that I treasure- between work sistahs and ‘real life’ gal pals I have the most solid crew of laughter, venting, socialite and gig/foodie lovers that are all the number ones in my life. By focusing on a myriad of different life goals and achievements in the path ahead yet being so ‘at one’ with the now I find that life is full and prosperous on its own without requiring me to plan out where I should be. Funny how things change and you can become less self obsessed- by 30 maybe I'll be so changed that Michael Buble finally notices me...?!

** At 20 I also thought Mercury 4 may have made their comeback by now…

SOS Save Our Skin!

In a past life I was a make up artist. Or at least attempted to be. At the root of that fork in my career path I maintain a high interest in new products and runway looks in the make up world. In my current life, I have a shopping addiction and a weakness at the knees for all things advertising. Hence today’s random product recommendation. I think its nice to give credit where it is due: from me- the good Samaritan, to you- my good deed.

Clearasil Blackhead Clearing Scrub

This literally scrubs the skin in the most gentlest form I have ever experienced. I use it morning and night and you can instantly see the removal of all the daily grime. It does not aggravate the skin nor does it leave it feeling tight due to the conditioning moisturiser in the product, and nor do the beads fizzle away before you can rub them in a circular motion. You only need the smallest amount and it prepares your entire face for the rest of the cleaning process. It is just a damn good scrub!

Nivea Cleansing Mousse

I follow with Nivea's latest product seen regularly in this months weekly mags, and dare I say it, but it actually works! You can feel the product cleansing your skin, the light foam spreads easily around your face and leaves you with a deeply fresh, clean feeling to your skin. It would have to be one of the first facial cleansing products I have used that felt soft and left my skin feeling healthy, without that plastic shine look to it.

So go on, do your self a favour and if you’re in the market for some supermarket skin care savings, hop on the bandwagon.