- Beauty (213)
- Friendship (322)
- Haiku (107)
- Pleasure (191)
- Project Worthwhile Life (169)
- Virtues (13)
- Wealth (112)
- Wisdom (245)
- Writing (5)
Forever free, unsponsored, and proudly primate produced! If you’ve enjoyed reading, please consider buying me a coffee.
Breakfast Stress Free Dinner Party
Toseland was describing his recent Oxfam Trailwalker experiences to me and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a Breakfast Stress Free Dinner Party. In case you don’t know, the trail walker is a gruelling challenge…
Why You Should Start Reconsidering Activity Trackers
I haven’t lost weight, built a consistent exercise habit, or slimmed down. In fact, it’s completely the opposite! I should be reconsidering activity trackers.
How to Build an Outfit to Conceal Your Identity
I witnessed a guy trying to get into a pub where he was barred, and I thought it would be useful to have an outfit to conceal your identity. I mean, if the Queen can…
Life is What Happens When…
Just recently, I have heard many different iterations of “Life is what happens when you are planning other stuff.”
May 2017 Progress Report
Well, May 2017. What can I say? I think May 2017 may be the month my ball of string unravelled. I woke up heavier, wider, messier and a whole bunch of other -ers with no idea…
Sheepishly I Sit
I’ve been sheepishly waiting a lot lately. With all the legalities I’ve been taking care of it’s been hard not to wait docilely in line until my number is called.
Double Jeopardy in Jumping to a Conclusion
I confess that I saw this drawing “Jumping to a Conclusion” first. And having found the image I knew I had to write something to write about so I could use it. Like the creative…
The Pleasure in Merely Existing
What with one thing and another I have spent a lot of time just existing lately. By existing, I mean sitting passively through periods of time with next to no obvious brain activity. I don’t mean…
Soup Stress Free Dinner Party
While inspired by the idea of a 7-day Soup Diet, this Soup Stress Free Dinner Party is not an attempt to translate a weight loss fad into an event. It’s just a fun look at…
When the Darkness Comes
Grief, like darkness comes and goes. It ebbs and flows over time; keeping weird unsociable hours and turning up at inconvenient moments like a door-to-door salesman.
Signature Wardrobe Unveiling Outfit
Unveilings are generally solemn afternoon ceremonies that reveal a statue or monument for the first time. Some cultures and religions conduct them on the first anniversary of death when the gravestone is either set or…
How to Effectively Manage Your Mental Clutter
As I was closing out my funeral trip by (unpacking and what-not), it occurred to me that it would take me a while to get back to normal mentally. I had accumulated a lot of…
April 2017 Progress Report
April 2017 turns out to be my “mense horribilis”. I mentioned in March that my mother was ill, and in April she passed away, which overtook everything else. You might want to give up, avoid…
Why Pigeonholing People is a Problem
It is human nature to classify things, most commonly into good and bad categories where they can be safely forgotten. But pigeonholing people can be problematic for you as well as the person you are…
In Memoriam Gwendoline Busby (1927 – 2017)
Gwendoline Dimes was born in the East End of London in 1927. She survived the poverty of the Depression and bombing during the Second World War but never really got over her evacuation or the…
How to Tell if You have Expensive Taste
There have been several recent instances where I have been identified as a person with expensive taste. It’s said with affection, but there is a definite moral judgement to the pronouncement. That it is “wrong” to…
Why You Are Lost Without Your Family Photos
As you know, I have been making arrangements for my mother’s funeral, and I spent almost a whole day looking through family photos for pictures of her. They will be placed up large on a…
How to Cope When Monotasking Goes Bad
I confess I am a monotasker, but right now, I’m struggling to cope as my monotasking goes bad. I prefer to do one thing at a time, generally until it’s done. Starting with the most…
The Perversity of the Business of Death
My mother’s last illness has reached its logical conclusion, and I am struggling to deal with the business of death.
What Would Your Life Without Electricity Supply Be Like?
With the changing of the seasons, the recent closure of our largest coal-fired power station, and my increasingly unreliable electricity supply, I’ve been considering modern life without electricity delivered to the house. Mind you I’ve…
Signature Wardrobe Errand Outfit
In my recent wardrobe planning posts (Winter 2017 and Summer 2016) I mentioned my need for a Signature Wardrobe Errand Outfit, and Jane reached to ask what that is. Thanks for your email Jane. Climate/Location/Activities…
March 2017 Progress Report
March 2017 turns out to have been a big family month for me. My mother was ill, and I flew cross-country as you do when it seems like the end is near. KeyWord CLARITY …
2017 Signature Wardrobe Winter Plan
The mornings are cool and dark, we’ve had recent storms and showers, and Katy has started The Great Wardrobe Switcheroo. Summer time ends this weekend so it’s past time to think about my 2017 Signature…
The Melancholy of Ghosts Passing in the Night
I’m back at home, tired, jet lagged, and don’t fit into the Alexandria shaped hole I left behind. Feels like we’re all just ghosts passing in the night.
How to Plan a Stress Free Emergency Trip
My 90-year-old mother has just come out of hospital, so tonight, after an emergency trip I am sitting in a hotel room in the town I grew up in.
Picnic Stress Free Dinner Party
We’re in the midst of seasonal change; some heading into warmer weather, the rest leaving it, but all of us wanting to enjoy it. So let’s do something different and have a Picnic Stress Free Dinner…
First Aid for Old Injuries
Just recently I have been spending a lot of time on trains, racing in and out of town for different appointments. I should have been editing Holistic Personal Finance, but it was easier to catch…
Signature Wardrobe Picnic Outfit
Whether you’re heading into Spring or Autumn like me, we are united by the desire to enjoy the good weather. And one way to do this is to don your Signature Wardrobe Picnic Outfit and…
5 Things I Hate About Representative Government
So I’m reaching the point where the next fat old white man politician who tells me he’s in politics (representative government) to do what he thinks is right is in danger. I won’t be responsible…
February 2017 Progress Report
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″] February 2017 feels like a momentous month, though I’m not…
Why You Should be Grateful for Your Life
Thanks to a whiney conversation overheard on a train, I’ve been thinking recently about how spoiled and ungrateful we all are. How you (and I) should be more grateful for your life, and that you…
The Metaphysics of the Control Clarity Continuum
Thanks to my neighbour’s deep desire for a neat, weed-free manicured lawn, I spent a hot and sweaty morning pulling out a dead shrub. Which gave me plenty of time to contemplate whether you can…
Give Confusion the Slip and Cultivate Clarity
Having had a recent temper tantrum when confronted by refrigerator chaos resulting in an inability to find an open packet of bacon, I realised that it was time to restore order and cultivate clarity. When…
Cat Lovers Stress Free Dinner Party
Cat-loving Katy felt that if we could commemorate dogs, we should also celebrate cats with a Cat Lovers Stress Free Dinner Party. (Edited 6 March 2017) Potential guests could include Max from Sydney (and probably…
Signature Wardrobe Valentines Day Outfit
Today’s Signature Wardrobe Valentines Day Outfit is something to wear on a dinner date rather than something to commemorate the Christian Saint Valentinus. Climate/Location/Activities You’ll probably be indoors in a climate controlled restaurant – hopefully, a…
January 2017 Progress Report
Is it just me, or did January 2017 disappear without a trace before it had even really begun? I was a little preoccupied with planning and website maintenance but it does seem rather unfair to…
Dog Lovers Stress Free Dinner Party
Katy mentioned that she was having a small commemoration for Fido’s passing, so today we’re having a Dog Lovers Stress Free Dinner Party. Food We’ll be focussing on things dogs love to eat. Drinks While…
Pride and Vulnerability
The other day Katy made a stray comment about how my desire for financial independence entails a reluctance to depend on my husband. I’ve been thinking a lot about pride and vulnerability since then. According…
Signature Wardrobe Fresh Start Outfit
It’s a new year, and many of us are looking for a fresh start. This year, we tell ourselves, is THE year that we will finally quit smoking, lose the weight, and become a better…
Planning a Happy and Worthwhile 2017
Depending on who you listen to, a Worthwhile 2017 will either manage new beginnings and growth or endure greater turbulence and difficulty.
2016 Year End Review – Project Worthwhile Life
And now it’s time to look back and complete my 2016 Year End Review. It started with my 2015 virtues because I felt they continued to be a sound basis for a worthwhile life in 2016. Beauty Beauty has…
December 2016 Progress Report
Looking back, December 2016 seems like a chaotic and ultimately futile scramble to get things done. Virtue November December Notes beauty: body Weight ≤59kg by 6 February 2017 😐 63.3 kg 🙂 62.2 kg I’m feeling…
Will HARD, SMART or Better Goals Make You Happier?
I think that one of the essential components of a happy life is setting and achieving goals. Many others agree, that’s why the planet is awash with exhortations to set goals for 2017.
Happy Holidays 2016!
Happy Holidays 2016. Twas Christmas week and there was chaos throughout the house…
2016 Signature Wardrobe Summer Update
I hadn’t intended to write a post detailing my 2016 Signature Summer Wardrobe update, but you asked, so here it is. 2016 Signature Summer Wardrobe Plan The original plan was to build a summer wardrobe around five…
Impromptu Stress Free Dinner Party
Now and again things happen, and you may need to host a dinner when you didn’t expect to. And if you don’t want to order takeout, you’ll have to use what you have in your store.…
Regency Empire Line Outfit
When you hear the term “empire line outfit” (or dress), this is the sort of thing that is referred to; the signature style of Emperor Napoleon I’s first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais. Or, if you were…
November 2016 Progress Report
November 2016 was all about the flu. Which was a shame as I had planned to be all about NaNoWriMo, but spent most of the month coughing, and sneezing, and sleeping, and blowing my nose instead. I’m…
Reflections on the Joy of Mastery
It’s getting to the end of the year, and my well of creativity is drying up. I was looking for a different kind of picture for a different kind of post when I found this…
Who is the Essence of Your Person, Role, and Identity?
I recently watched The Crown, a fictional dramatisation of the early years of Queen Elizabeth II. I found the portrayal of the young Queen struggling to balance her person, role, and identity engrossing. And watching…
Alexandria’s Adventures in Food and Nutrition
Following my transplant review, I’ve done some research on food and nutrition. It’s been interesting, entertaining, and frustrating in equal measure. It is a whole other ball of string.
Cough Cough Coughy Cough
I’ve had the direst couple of weeks because DB kindly brought me the latest flu doing the rounds and it seems that all I did was cough. Cough cough cough.
Where in the War Zone is the Peacetime Blue Sky?
This weekend, in retrospect, has been a little surreal. Despite being at its core a perfectly ordinary peacetime weekend for this time of year. The weather was beautiful – a real taste of the summer…
NaNoWriMo Dinner Party
So, the key to a Stress Free NaNoWriMo Dinner Party is having everything under control before you start writing then you won’t have to think about it later.
Unidentified Man
Victoria has its fair share of characters, but more frequently, the pictures are of unidentified people. Like this unidentified man described as:
NaNoWriMo Outfit
You come home from work ready to get changed and settle down to get your 1,667 words down. What are you going to wear? Your NaNoWriMo Outfit!
How to Eat Well and Save Money on Food
As I mentioned for my 2016 Transplantiversary, I’m hoping to make some significant lifestyle changes to get down to the hospital recommended weight. I’ve ordered new cookbooks to help! During my cookbook shopping, I found…
October 2016 Progress Report
October 2016 was a big month for getting my tax affairs in order and developing business administration systems to get my sh*t together for next year. It was more fun than it sounds. Virtue September October…
2016 Transplantiversary
Yesterday was my 2016 Transplantiversary. We’ve been together for five happy years now.
Alexandria’s Adventure in Adventure
My October adventure was compiling my first business tax return, but I’m fairly confident no one wants to read about that. While I found it was almost as exhilarating and terrifying as learning a little…
Sleepy Hollow Stress Free Dinner Party for Halloween
I’m writing this Sleepy Hollow Stress Free Dinner Party a little ahead of time. Appropriately enough, a bloated full moon is resting low on the horizon providing almost (but not quite) enough creepy light to…
The Feeling of Bliss…
The acutal, literal feeling of bliss you get when you’ve done something really hard. Like get your taxes done.
2016 Summer Wardrobe Plan
Like many others, I’m starting to think about new season clothes. It’s time to plan out my 2016 summer wardrobe plan
How to Choose a Signature Perfume 3: Trying Perfume Out
Now that you know what perfume is, and have an idea of which one fits your lifestyle, it’s time to start trying them on to see if you can find a signature perfume. Trying Perfume Out Assuming…
How to Choose a Signature Perfume 2: Planning a Perfume that Fits
Like the other aspects of your wardrobe, you need to think about how your signature perfume is going to fit your life before you go to the store. Plan a Stylish and Appropriate Perfume. Let’s go…
How to Choose a Signature Perfume 1: What Is Perfume?
You probably don’t need me to tell you that I am the kind of person that prefers to have one of something, and that goes for fragrances too. While Katy’s dressing table is strewn…
Signature Wardrobe Working from Home Outfit
One of the outfits that has vexed me for some time is a Signature Wardrobe Working from Home Outfit. For me at least, it’s going to be similar to the outfit for office work, because that…
September 2016 Progress Report
September 2016 feels like a missing month. There was managing August fallout, physically as well as mentally. And that’s about it. Virtue August September Notes beauty: body Weight ≤ 61 kg by 10 October 😮 66.0…
12 Weeks of Festive Preparation for an Easy Christmas Day
Now that we have moved to Summer time, we are 12 weeks from Christmas. It’s time to think about festive preparation.
Wealth Management for a Happy Retirement
The tender “winners” are an older couple in their sixties who can’t afford to retire, so they have started an office cleaning business. Instead of the happy retirement life of sun-seeking travel, relaxation, and comfort…
I Fear it’s All Chaos; I Must Refocus
It seems I have been too scatterbrained recently; I must refocus.
Pirates Stress Free Dinner Party
Tomorrow (September 19) is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. While it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, it’s as good a day as any to host a Pirates Stress Free Dinner Party. The day has its…
Signature Wardrobe Clothes Shopping Outfit
The weather is changing, the shops are selling off old stock, and you’re adapting your wardrobe for the new season. It’s time to plan a Signature Wardrobe Clothes Shopping Outfit. Of course, before you shop,…
How To Manage Your Rage in a Non-Life Threatening Way
It looks like I was tempting fate when I suggested that all was well with the website. I’m not saying much more about that as I am running out of hair to sacrifice. But, it…
August 2016 Progress Report
August 2016 has not been my favourite month of all time. Things could have been a lot worse, and I have no right to complain about my first world problems, but I fervently hope that…
How to Write a Book
’ve been asked several times recently how I came to write a book, so today I’m sharing the answer.
Day is Beginning
August’s Haiku is inspired by dawn, the start of a new day. I’ve noticed that each new day is beginning earlier and earlier.
Apocalypse Survivors Stress Free Dinner Party
I have to be honest here and say most of us are not going to do very well post-apocalypse because we don’t know what fruit and vegetables look like in their natural habitat, and are…
Why completing your census form will make me happy
It is census year in Australia, and thus far it’s been controversial. Most people assumed it would be paper booklets as usual, and were surprised to be sent online. Along with crashes, concern about hacking,…
Signature Wardrobe Elvis Tribute Outfit
If you didn’t know, Elvis Presley died on 16 August 1977, and today (10 August) marks the start of Elvis Week; an annual Elvis festival in Memphis Tennessee. There is an action-packed schedule of events…
How Not to be a Bully
I went to the football, and was lucky enough to be sitting in a stand with a fairly even mix of supporters. During the match, people took turns to bully each other as the fortunes of…
July 2016 Progress Report
July 2016 was another backwards and forwards month with nothing to show for it. It feels like yesterday I was reviewing June and nothing has changed. Virtue June July Notes beauty: body Weight ≤61kg by 10…
How to conquer fatigue; Physical, Mental and Spiritual
I don’t know about you, but I am really tired. I need to know how to conquer fatigue. Not just the physical fatigue that’s at the root of it, but mental and spiritual fatigue too.…
Deliberations on Luxury
With the research for my new book Holistic Personal Finance progressing nicely, I’ve been thinking about luxury. Partly inspired by the old guy who just paid $55 for a packet of cigarettes (I believe they…
Alexandria’s Adventure with The Style Podcast
Sadly, The Style Podcast is no longer available, but I decided to leave this post here, because it’s partly about taking risks, trying new things, and also quite flattering 😉
2016 Mid-Year Review – Project Worthwhile Life
Now that the year is half over, it’s time to check in for the 2016 Mid-Year Review to see how I’m getting on with the 2016 goals.
Wind Blows Fiercely
I love it when the wind blows fiercely. I’m just the right size to have to fight it; not so small I blow away and not so large I can easily resist it. And I…
Zombie Dinner Party
Now, it seems very clear why soulless, unstoppable monsters are everywhere. And that makes it a good time to write a Zombie Dinner Party.
Is Your Appearance Equal to Your Virtue?
The sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatvs tells us that among the impressive things about him, it turns out that his appearance was equal to virtue.
Signature Wardrobe Yard Work Outfit
We lost another shrub to the storms, and with a fair bit of clean up to do, it seems the right time to talk about building a Signature Wardrobe Yard Work Outfit. I have already…
The Perils of Disrespect
I grated my finger and nail the other day, and had to cut off the hanging edge (it’s still sore). Embarrassing, but this is what happens when you disrespect your tools.
June 2016 Progress Report
June 2016 has been a difficult month. I’m not sure what the problem was, but it was a one step forward two steps back kind of month. Maybe it was as simple as the last push…
Election Day Reflection
Today I fulfilled one of my obligations as an Australian Citizen and voted in the Federal Election. Barring political tantrums, that’s it until the 2018 state election! Now that it’s over, it’s time for some…
When Life Gives You Lemons…
Sometimes things don’t go quite to plan, and as they say, when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade. So what with today being one of those days, I’m sharing my version of Mrs Beeton’s…
How to Choose an Appropriate Cardigan
I know that some people don’t quite get what I mean by appropriateness in clothing. So today we’re talking about how to choose an appropriate cardigan by discussing why I have two red cardigans in…
Alexandria’s Adventures in Morning Routine
Following my brush with the collapse of control, I’ve been noticing a lot of chat about “morning routine” in my podcasts and webinars lately, and there has been one thing that stood out for me.
Looks Like Rain Will Fall
As you know, I have been planning to include pleasure in my life. This year, I am focusing on trying new things. One thing I’m trying is Haiku; an ideal indoor activity for when rain will fall.…
Gluten Free Stress Free Dinner Party
Before we dive into the Gluten Free Stress Free Dinner Party, let’s look at what gluten is and why you might need a gluten free (GF) dinner party. Gluten is a cereal protein found in wheat, rye,…
