Recipe: Rolled & Poached Chicken Breast

April 23, 2013 in Food & Recipes, Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition

This afternoon I’d like to share a recipe with you for a heart-friendly rolled and poached chicken breast that was not only very easy but also healthy and fancy looking! That ticks all my boxes when it comes to food. As you would know, I recently attended a cooking class hosted by Brand Meets Blog for the Heart Foundation. The class was held to educate bloggers about healthy food and the health message of the Heart Foundation, and also to build some ongoing relationships between the Heart Foundation and bloggers. After posting a photo of the dish we made, I [...]

Real Beauty and My Ideal World

April 23, 2013 in Body, Body Image, Entertainment, Face, Gender, Health, Mental Health, People, Society, Style

Last week a Dove ad went viral and while Mandi has given her opinion, I wished to give mine. It features a forensic artist drawing a number of “real women” without seeing them – he draws by the women’s description. The women describe their perceived flaws rather than their best features. “Tell me about your chin?” the artist asks one woman. “It kind of protrudes a little when I smile”, she says. “Your jaw?” he asks another. “My mother told me I have a big jaw” she replies. After this first drawing session, the women are encouraged to spend time with [...]

This Week: Heart Health, Anniversary & New Jeans

April 20, 2013 in Anecdotes, Comedy, Fashion, Food & Recipes, Health, Humour, Marriage, Nutrition, Stories, Style, Wedding

This week has been, and will continue to be, a busy one. After pulling on my jeans last Thursday morning only to discover they were ripped right in the crotch (stylish, no?) I began my search for the ‘right’ jeans. I had pretty specific ideas of what I wanted in this pair of jeans. They had to be tight, stretchy enough that I could move comfortably, long enough to scrunch a little at the ankle, dark blue in colour, super skinny and high waisted. Not a long list of requirements at all! It took 3 different shopping trips with the [...]

Real Beauty Sketches by Dove: My Take

April 19, 2013 in Body, Body Image, Current Affairs, Face, Gender, Health, Mental Health, News, People, Self, Society

This week, Dove released a video called Real Beauty Sketches. I had been holding off watching this, purely because of the people’s reaction to this video. There were those who thought, while the message was lovely, “ERMAGHERD Dove is owned by the same company that make Lynx body spray! How can we listen to anything they say?” Apparently both brands being owned by Unilever is enough for people to miss the point Dove were trying to get across. Then there were those who were almost euphoric with how awesome it is, and how awesome the message was, and awesome Dove is, and [...]

Ask A Brothel Receptionist: Part 2 (NSFW)

April 19, 2013 in Anecdotes, People, Sex, Sexuality, Society, Work

Cassie worked as a receptionist in a brothel. She’s written a series answering the most common questions. This is Part 2. Go here for Part 1 4. Well, I’ve never seen a sex worker. How pathetic are people who have to pay for sex? Don’t you just hate them? Okay, so this one isn’t so much a question as a statement I heard over and over again. And while, admittedly, the clients could drive me nuts sometimes, they were also paying my wage, so they got at least a little bit of my protectiveness as well. Clients aren’t assholes – assholes are [...]

Why I Care New Zealand Voted in Favour of Marriage Equality

April 18, 2013 in Dating, Family, Gender, Health, Human Rights, Marriage, Mental Health, News, People, Politics, Relationships, Sexuality

I’m sure you would know by now New Zealand has voted in favour of marriage equality, winning at 77 to 44. If you haven’t already heard about this, you can read all the details here, but I had to share this news with you even if you already know, purely because I am just so excited and so proud of the country my father is from. Well done New Zealand! I can’t explain how much this news has meant to me. Equality is something I am incredibly passionate about, whether it be discrimination based on race, gender, on gender identity, [...]

Politeness Gone Too Far

April 16, 2013 in Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, People, Self, Society, Travel, Work

Lately I’ve noticed I seem to be suffering from a case of politeness gone too far. I seem to have a fear of inconveniencing other people. This could be considered normal manners, I suppose, but in me it’s accompanied with such a paranoia it’s taken to extreme levels. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve leapt up from a train seat to let someone past so fast I drop my bags in the process and end up taking longer to retrieve them. Or the number of times I’ve had my name called in a waiting room and I’ve [...]

Young, Famous, Rich…and Happy?

April 16, 2013 in Body Image, Celebrity, Entertainment, Film & TV, Gender, Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Music, Work

As a little girl I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be a singer, a rock star. I’d have loads of cash, I’d help out those I loved, it would be glamorous and life would be easy. It turns out the path to achieving fame and success at a young age seems to have a nasty aftertaste. The teenage years are awkward for everyone. I’d hate to have mine played out in the public eye, being scrutinized and torn apart by the media and lurking paparazzi. Maybe that’s what has sent so many young ‘starlets’ over the edge. Possibly [...]

Ask A Brothel Receptionist: Part 1 (NSFW)

April 12, 2013 in Entertainment, Film & TV, Gender, Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Nutrition, People, Sex, Sexuality, Society, Work

Cassie worked as a receptionist in a brothel. She’s written a series answering the most common questions. This is Part 1 You probably won’t be surprised to hear I’ve gotten into quite a few heated arguments with people over my acceptance of the sex industry and the people who work in it. It’s an issue that can set people off very very quickly, and I’ve seen people go from zero to Hitler with appalling speed as soon as sex work is mentioned. But I’ve learned that head on arguments take more out of me than they chip away at the [...]

And Now For The Good News

April 10, 2013 in Entertainment, Film & TV, Lifestyle, News, People, Self, Society, Technology

Ever since childhood I’ve hated watching the news. I would daydream or leave the room if my parents insisted on watching the news at home, consistent in my attempt to avoid knowing what was going on in the world. Why? Because they only ever report the bad. With the exception of the token “good news story” of the dog riding a surfboard, or what’s happening in Hollywood, the news is primarily about the important things that happen in the world, and this seems to be predominantly the bad. North Korea’s latest threats, the death of public figures, murder, accidents, robberies, the [...]