The One About Housekeeping (and Some Gratitude!)…

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AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Blogging, Diet, Format Change, Gratitude, Health, Nutrition, Thank You

(Image from here)

I hate housework. You make the beds, you wash the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again. (Joan Rivers)

A two-pronged post today. A wee bit of an administrative update. And then, some gratitude. From me to you…

First up – administration…

I had my Mum visiting from New Zealand last week. She came without Dad, which was unusual. But it did provide a different dynamic. Funny how that happens.

We had a lovely time. Like my Dad, Mum’s a fan of the blog. Only she’s not quite as confident with technology as he is. She mentioned that sometimes she finds it difficult to find recipes that she remembers from earlier posts. So, I’ve added a recipe index page. All my recipes are now listed in one convenient spot so you don’t have to go hunting for them.

You can access them through the TSL Recipe Vault link at the top of the page.

And then, because I was on a bit of a roll with the recipe index AND because TSL is now in its third year, I thought perhaps a page of my most popular posts ever may be in order… Just in case you’re interested!

Some of these are remarkably consistent in their popularity. Jamie’s lamb shanks post STILL gets more hits than any other. Unsurprising really – his recipes just work. And, Luke’s osso buco isn’t far behind. It’s still LM’s preferred go-to recipe (especially as we hurtle towards winter down here in the southern hemisphere). But, the very talented Dan Golden and his ‘Positive Energy’ remains a favourite, too. Just goes to show that clever humour is always in style…

If you’d like to know what people keep coming back to, check out my TSL’s Greatest Hits page link at the top of the page. I’ll keep this page updated as the landscape changes. Checking out some of the older posts made me a touch nostalgic..

And now, for some gratitude…

Something’s going right here in TSL land. Numbers are up – almost double in under a month – and I’m having fun sharing more foodie-oriented musings. Especially at the moment on this crazy caper that is the Autoimmune Protocol.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to you for your support in continuing to check in here with such regularity. It makes writing my posts so much fun – especially when you comment (or e-mail or call).

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. (A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh)

I’ve made so many wonderful connections through this wee blog. This blogging escapade has opened up a whole new world of interesting and supportive people around the globe. And, every day it is different.

You just never know who’s going to swing by.

And I owe it to you. So – again – thank you. Please don’t stop!

On a personal note…

I’m studying this year.

This interest in how diet (and lifestyle) impacts on my health has become a bit of a passion for me. As I pick my way through all that I’m learning and try on different theories to see what resonates most, I’m posting some of the articles that are of particular interest onto my This Sydney Life Facebook wall. There are some common themes – mostly around gut health and auto-immunity, but the way the food pyramid is failing us also features! If that sounds like it may be something that tickles your fancy, I’d love for you to swing by and check it out. Please don’t be shy about ‘liking’ the page, either!

Well, that’s all for today. Regular transmissions will resume later this week!

TSL Hits 100 Blog Posts! Blogging Lessons Learned

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100 Posts, Benjamin Disraeli, Blog, Blogging, Blogging Lessons, Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse, Ed Sheeran, Feedback, Nike, ProBlogger, Rita Mae Brown, Starting a blog, Sydney, Thank You, Wordpress

I began ‘This Sydney Life’, my ‘starter blog‘ on 2 February. That’s almost four months ago now. Today is my 100th post. It’s a bit of a milestone for me, so I thought perhaps it might be time for a few moments of navel gazing reflection…

Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.  (Rita Mae Brown)

I had been thinking about starting a blog for a while. If it wasn’t for LM suggesting I ‘just do it’ (Nike – you can pay me later), or for WordPress offering such an easy entry into blog-land, I would probably still be thinking about it. Often, it is best to learn by doing. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s all part of the learning. That was my first lesson.

My second lesson is that even a technologically challenged girl like me can blog. You don’t have to be a whiz on the computer. And, while it may not be perfect, it’s actually not that hard. Near enough sometimes can be good enough. Not always, but sometimes.

My third lesson in this ‘learn as I go‘ blogging adventure was that ideas for blog posts are everywhere. Almost all of these ideas are not new and have already been written about before. The challenge is to put my handwriting on it. Add my voice. I think we human beings are naturally drawn to things that are more personal, but as a blogger, I’m still coming to terms with this. It continues to be the hardest lesson for me. I’m sure I’m not alone in this – it requires a level of bravery to share bits of yourself when you write. What if people don’t like it? What I do know is that the more of myself I put into a post, the more comments I get*. And, comments are blogging gold. I love it when you guys take the time to comment. Thanks for every time you do.

I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. (Benjamin Disraeli)

Before I took my leap of faith into blog-land, I had done some reading on the subject of blogging. I even went as far as to read Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett’s ‘ProBlogger’ book. A girl should always be prepared, I reckon’. Every article I read said I needed to find my ‘tribe’ or ‘posse’. The people – often fellow bloggers – who would stick with me as I fumbled my way through learning about blogging. I had no idea how I was going to achieve this. I didn’t even know where I should look. It turns out I needn’t have worried. They found me. My blogging buddies are the biggest reason I am still blogging and (inside my head) I thank them for their support every day.

My band of blogging buddies come from all over. Some have been with me almost since I started, and some have come on board more recently. Their blogs are dedicated to a variety of things – food, health, photography, every-day life, quirky finds, design, and more. To date, I have never met any of them in the real world. I don’t even know what most of them look like. Yet, they check in with me almost like clock-work. They tell me when I have written a good post, when a post has made them laugh or when I have made a particularly special find. I can often tell when a post hasn’t been as successful by what they don’t say. They are warm. They are supportive. They are funny. They are consistent. They know who they are and I thank them, every one.

(Image sourced from here)

The other thing all the articles and books say about creating a blog is to find your niche. I’m not so sure I’ve been entirely successful in this. ‘This Sydney Life’ is written from Sydney, but it’s not exactly about Sydney. It has morphed into a blog about stuff (read: design, good craft, art, performance and very occasionally food) that turns me on. I’m sort of OK with that; it is my blog after all. But, I am interested in learning what you think I could make better? What do you like? What don’t you like? Is there anything you think I should change? Do you have a favourite post? I would greatly appreciate some feedback from the people who matter – those who check in and read my blog (that would be you!)… And, if you do, I thank you (in advance!)

One last thing before I finish up. If you have somehow made your way here because you’re thinking about starting a blog (and you’re still reading – Wow!), all I can say is ‘just do it’! Really. If I had known how much enjoyment I would get out of this blogging gig, I would have started so much earlier. I just love it.

That’s it for the navel gazing. We will resume our usual programme tomorrow!

*Please note I said comments. Not hits. If I just want hits, I’d be posting lots more about things like a video clip of Ed Sheeran‘s Lego House!

The art of ‘Thank You’…

Tags

Able and Game, Benjamin Disraeli, Etiquette, Graphic Design, Kate Spade, Letter (message), Letterpress, Manners, Photos, Post, Snail mail, Thank You, Vera Wang

I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. (Benjamin Disraeli)

Call me old fashioned, but I love a hand-written thank you note.  I probably know I don’t write them enough.  I also know how much I love to receive them.  There is something very special about someone taking the time to pen a personal message and send it by snail-mail.  E-mail is nice, but snail-mail is so much better.

Opening the letterbox to the sight of a hand-written envelope sandwiched between all the bills and direct marketing is a small joy, especially because it means that somebody has been thinking (nice thoughts!) about you…

I guess you don’t need a card to say thank you – a hand written letter will do the trick nicely. But, there are so many gorgeous choices in stationery that just seem to scream out to me.  I am building a wee collection, but there’s always room for more…

Here are some that I particularly like:

Found here

Found here

Found here

Found here

Found here

Found here

And, not strictly a thank you card, but a range that I particularly like:

Found here