[Competition!] No Regret Friday = No Regret Prizes!

Remember a while back I told you all about the No Regret Friday campaign?

SAB’s “No Regret Friday” campaign allows you to show your support and encourage your friends to be responsible with their drinking. You can get involved in a number of ways:

1. Tweet about it and using the hash tag #noregretfriday
2. Log onto http://www.noregretfriday.co.za to see personal accounts by people who have been affected by drunk driving (not pretty)
3. Tell your mates about it. Friends don’t let friends drive drunk. I personally have a spare room made up always for friends who shouldn’t be driving home drunk.

My life in pictures…

I’ve really gotten into Instagram lately.  It’s become my first social network to check out daily. Although I’ve been a member for ages, I only recently started seeing the fun once Tumi showed me how to add and follow more friends.  Dumbass I am, not like I head up a social media team or anything

Anyway, I thought I’d show you what I’ve been up to lately by using photographs taken through Instagram.

Jon and I are really addicted to Supernatural at the moment.  Despite both of us having long hours at the office, we rush home to cook together and then veg in front of the TV at least 3 nights a week to see what Sam and Dean are hunting.  The story line is so whack that we can’t help but follow it religiously.  I think half the reason I love it so much is that this is the first series Jon and I have watched together from the beginning.  We have very different tastes in entertainment usually, Jon loves Stargate Universe something something, and well, I love Jersey Shore.  So that says it all!

With the exception of Snowgoose, all the girls got together this weekend for some quality time to laugh, scream, insult and love each other.  We baked scones, ordered in KFC, made Shath pasta, stuffed ourselves on The Cupcake Lady goodies and generally acted like we were at a bulimia convention.  It was awesome.

A while back I did a training course on teaching a big corporate client’s marketing team how social media works.  It was loads of fun and I’ve realised more and more how much I love lecturing.  As a thank you, I received this autographed copy of the Springbok Kitchen cook book.  How awesome!

Speaking of work, it’s been crunch time here at aqua lately.  With impending deadlines everywhere I look, and my team working like absolute little legends, I decided we needed a few extra smiles.  This is a photo of all the free smileys we’re offering people who visit us in the social media department.  No negativity will be tolerated in our happy zone!

When it comes to my mother’s driving skills, it never ceases to amaze me just how bad her sense of direction is.  On the way back from OR Tambo airport on Sunday, we ended up in Pretoria.  Even after a phone call to Jon for some GPS assistance, we managed to stray off the N1 and landed up in Diepsloot.  Joburg’s version of gangsta paradise.  It was not fun.

I miss Winter.  Not only do I now have to sleep with a fan on, kick off the duvet and sleep in a shirt and undies, but our cats have remembered how to hunt again.  A few days ago I narrowly avoided crushing a dead bird with my foot, it had been lovingly placed right outside my cupboard door.    The day before yesterday morning at sparrows fart I heard the guttural sounds of Pixel after a successful hunt.  Before my eyes had even opened I jumped out of bed to chase him outside.  I fell asleep immediately thereafter, and woke up a while later remembering the sounds.  It’s been over 48 hours since and I’ve yet to find the kill.  Which usually means I’ll smell it sooner or later.  I’m convinced Pixel does this to show me who the master of the house is.  It’s revenge for my taking over his rightful place beside Jon’s head on the pillow.  FML.

Last night I went to the psuedo-parents-in-law for dinner & celebrated the Jewish New Year known as Rosh Hashanah.  I use the term ‘celebrated’ lightly, because although there were mini glasses of very sweet wine on the table, I was told that it’s more of a last-ditch attempt at Jews begging for forgiveness of their sins.  Jon put on his yarmulke* and I had to swear blind that I would not publish a photo.  He was in full-on Jew mode and did all the phlegm prayers that go with a Jewish dinner.  His mom was giggling through three glasses of wine (about three more than she’s used to!) and telling me about all the different traditions she had to learn when she converted many years ago.  She’s so cool, she has a sense of humour about everything!  Here’s her latest favourite joke (she has a new one everytime I visit): An elephant says to a camel “What’s with the boobs on your back, bro?”.  The camel turns around and replies: “Dude, at least I don’t wear a prick on my face like you!”.

So that’s about it for now.  Hope all the Steri winners received their prizes safely.  Check back in tomorrow for a brand new and really cool competition/giveaway thinger!

* AKA his Jewish skull cap.  I’ve only ever seen him wear this two or three times.  So whenever he does I naturally tease him relentlessly.  He looks so formal and different!

20q on Mondays

I once had a brilliant brainwave and started Monday 20Q with my choice of people in online media interviews.  This took place on a Monday for a few weeks running.

I have bunched them all together here for your reading convenience.  You’re welcome:

• Jeremy Nell, Editorial Cartoonist for the Times, Trash Media blogger & general all round whackhead from Cape Town with an offside and dry sense of humour.  Monday, 21st Jan 08
• Living Bridget, a fellow female blogger from Jozi who happens to have disappeared into the big blue yonder known as real life.  Tuesday, 22nd Jan 08
• Tertia Albertyn, an infertile mother who inspired me to start my blog & confront my inner demons.  Monday, 29th Jan 08
• Nic Haralambous, 20 something greek adonis media guru working for the Mail & Guardian.  04th Feb, 08
• I interviewed myself, Tuesday 08th April, 08
• The IT dude I work with was interviewed too, Thursday 26th June, 08

All future 20q entries have been placed on hold for a while until I solve the mystery of where all my time and energy goes to.

Brand new Steri ad – just for you guys <3

Just because I know you all love Steri as much as I do, I’ve decided to show you their brand new ad.  Not even airing yet, so it’s completely exclusive.  You saw it here first!

Click here to view.  It’s Steriffic!         On that note, your steri hampers will be on their way to you soon. xx

Cath squared, coming up!

I really am ridiculously excited.  I get to see the two Cath’s in my life this weekend, plus one small person named Cam.  I haven’t seen Cam since I moved out of the Shath at least three years ago – can you believe it?   Other Cath, I haven’t seen in months and have spoken to even less.  I think she’s busier than I am these days, so having her over at the same time will be amazeballs, we rarely ever get to spend time together.

In order for Other Cath to have a nice smelling bed replacement, Gloria has her work cut out for her this week.  Not only will she need to actually dust something, I’m about to ask her to wash the covers of our big fluffy sofas too.  Which makes me nervous because the last time I asked her to wash anything other than our daily clothing, my blue bathroom mat turned all of my undies purple.

So I did some online research for a possible Plan B and found this awesome website with fabric sofas that made me turn green with envy!  Of course, now all I want to do is redo the upstairs lounge sofas.  And possibly renovate the balcony into a bigger chill room.  With an indoor pool.  And a jacuzzi.  And palm trees with hammocks.  Do you think my ever loving boyfriend will let me?*

Also, I wonder if I can do all of this before Saturday morning…

Although Cath and I chat almost daily, I’ve also only seen her for a collective three hours over three occasions in the last three years.  I suppose that’s the beauty of online friendships though – we lived together for a year and managed to not kill each other, yet since I moved out we’ve not physically spent much time together.  Yet we know exactly what’s going on in each other’s lives.

Jon has been warned, there will be emotions.  There will be squeals, there will be loud volumes of girl noises and giggles.  I cannot WAIT!

*Noooooooooooooooooooooooo.  Keep practicing the art of persuasion dreaming, Sheena.

Protected: Make way for Emotional Bear!

For Shar.

To my special friend,

We’ve laughed, cried, lived and partied together since we were kids.  You’ve shared so much of my life and I’ve shared so much of yours, my family is your family and vise-versa.

You told me years ago, as we sat around a candle-lit cupcake dedicated to a little girl who was no longer with us, that I was the strongest person you knew.  I told you then that it has nothing to do with strength, it’s all about determination and taking things one day at a time.  Years later, I watch as you have to do the same thing.  But I look at you now and am amazed at the things you’ve coped with.  I’m so proud of the woman you have become.

I’ve never seen you look as beautiful as you did on your wedding day. You chose your life partner well, my friend, his love for you warms my heart.

I wish every love, happiness and joy to you and your brand new and awesomely awesome husbank.

Love always,

Bean.

Going on a boooze cruise in…

Locked out but I got back in

For some reason I was locked outta this here blog for a few days, which makes me exactly 6 days late in announcing the Steri Stumpie Competition Winners.  Not too bad for me, I’ve been known to be way later.  Anyway, I’m back inside my blog (oooh, feels so good!) and have some news.

1. I was Amy Winehouse last Friday

2.  Immediately after that, I must’ve channeled Amy’s current state of mind and got into a car accident.

Okay, so it wasn’t a serious car accident – but I totally could’ve died.  If it had been quicker.  And harder.  And more tragic, but it wasn’t.  Thank goodness, because I really do enjoy being alive.

How’d it happen?  Some chick jumped a red light and flew into the back of me and then hit some other guy too.  My car is okay – needs a bit of panel beating, but the important thing is that Jon and I are both okay.

3.  Because I have an awesome, awesome boyfriend, I will be going on a cruise to Madagascar in T-minus 4 months!  How amazing?  I’m so excited!

So that’s what happened in the last week.  What’s up with you?