Wine Diva

Have you ever asked yourself why hundreds of Britons head down the local “Caff” every Sunday morning in order to treat themselves to a slice of fried pig’s bottom in lard whilst being surrounded by alcoholic, chain-smoking grannies with rollers in their hair ?

So have I !

This rather erratic behavior is usually followed by a day of “telly” (also known as the electronic income reducer),”footie”, shopping, more coffee at some sort of coffee chain, and an evening out at a “nice” restaurant. Out comes the credit card, up goes the debt, and yes, we have had a marvellous time!

By the way, the diet starts on Monday…

It seems to have become some sort of weird social obligation to dine out at least three times a week. Cooking in one’s own kitchen is now being regarded as boring, tiring, stressful and unnecessary. On the contrary, sitting in an overpriced restaurant next to a bunch of random estate agents with clicky heels and cheap suits who spend half of the evening on their mobile phones is now seen as cool. Hello???

Furthermore, the times when one would just visit a restaurant because the food was particularly good seem to be over, too. When I was recently served a single “Raviolo” on a “bed” of two lettuce leaves in a well respected London restaurant, I quite frankly had to ask myself whether this meal had been prepared by a genuine chef or a florist coming down from an ecstasy trip.

I keep wondering whether it had all been an evil plot, secretly designed by my weight watchers leader Terace. Surely a meal of one “Raviolo” and two lettuce leaves would make me lose weight more quickly?

Hmmm…suspicious…but I am losing the plot here – what was the subject ?

Aaahh…eating out. It now is as fashionable as fashion itself. Got it.

Let’s look at an example:

My flatmate Fred recently spent £1000 in just a week – yes, that’s right, £1000 in ONE week – on wining and dining an apparently “fit” female lawyer at “cool” restaurants (his words not mine)- she certainly wasn’t fit enough to head down the local supermarket and buy her own pasta!

Gone were two thirds of his monthly wages. He then proceeded by wasting more of his money on some sort of on-line gambling nonsense – a great strategy if you want to end up broke, busted and disgusted.

The poor boy is now trying to save some money by buying Easy 4 Men aftershave and Easy 4 Men styling gel – Easyjet’s home brand by the way – which I in my snobby ignorance didn’t even know existed !!

But a girl has got to learn…unfortunately it smelled like a rather sickening mixture of toilet duck and cider vinegar.My friend Reetan made matters even worse by suggesting that Fred should convert to the Ryanair range.

But why go through all the stress of having to downgrade to Easyjet toiletries?

It’s totally unnecessary. And let’s face it:

Eating out five times a week is the same as declaring yourself socially and emotionally bankrupt.

What on earth is wrong with having people round your house and having a bowl of Spaghetti or a salad, combined with a bottle of wine and some good, inspiring conversation?

The answer is nothing!

I have made it a habit to have one dinner party a month at my house – all my friends absolutely love my parties and think that I am the greatest hostess on the planet. And I can’t cook THAT well ! Plus it doesn’t even matter – we eat food to stop ourselves from being hungry ( have you ever tried that ? It works!!!), and it’s all about the company.

Therefore, the focus isn’t on some weird food such as “ragout of giraffe a la hairdresser”, but on real conversation with real people.Even though my flat is on the small side, I have successfully entertained Brazilian artists, Scottish diplomats, Austrian geologists, as well as work colleagues, family members and more.

It’s great fun – and it doesn’t cost a lot of money. There are no credit cards involved, and I certainly earn a lot of interest – spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.

Above all, it reminds me of the fact that I am alive.

And incredibly lucky.

Lucky to have such great and interesting friends.Lucky to have a nice home to invite them to. And bloody damn lucky to know what really matters in life.

It’s pure happiness baby.

Vanessa Bsirsky is a life coach and the author of the new book “Happiness Secrets Revealed.” Vanessa has got great leadership skills and is a natural motivator.She is particularly interested in creating abundance on all levels. To read more and obtain your Free 7-Module Happiness Report please go to http://www.happiness-secrets-revealed-online.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vanessa_Bsirsky

If you’re tired of your gifts looking like everyone else’s, put some creative thought to it. Gifts don’t have to just be paper and ribbon that you bought at the store. Let some of these ideas inspire you.

Name Tags – Instead of using name tags, use the front cover from leftover Christmas cards or other holidays. Just cut along the crease and glue or tape the card to the top of your wrapped package. Most designs have some unprinted space to allow you to write the name of the recipient and a short note.

Decoration – Instead of using ribbons and bows, make the decoration part of the gift. Tie a bunch of cinnamon stick on top with ribbon. Tie your package with satin or velvet ribbon and let the ends of the ribbon flow down the package. Add a silk flower inserted in the knot of the bow. If your recipient likes to cook, tie wooden kitchen utensils in the bow. Your ribbon or wrapping paper could be replaced with a decorative kitchen towel.

Festive boxes – For small items, buy small Chinese take out cartons, the ones that have a folded top and metal handle. Decorate the outside with brightly colored stickers of hearts, flower, or Christmas themes. Write the recipients name on the top flaps.

Original Wrapping Paper – At the craft store, buy sponges that have been cut into shapes of flowers, sailboats, etc. Dip them in paint and press them onto plain white wrapping paper or Kraft colored paper. Your decoration can fit the gift or the recipients taste.

Trimmings – Instead of using bows on every package, buy ornaments or small toys when they are on sale. Use these items that best fit your recipient’s hobby or lifestyle and tie or glue them onto your package.

Name Sacks – Sew up some red, blue, yellow, and green velvet squares into sacks. Turn down the top edge, sew in place to allow a small opening for a drawstring. Write the recipients name on the bag with glue and sprinkle the glue with glitter. Fill the sacks with candy or small novelties. Use more string to wrap around the package and through the drawstring to secure the sacks.

About The Author
Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don’t blow the bank at http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com. For more articles by Adriana, visit http://www.free-content-resource.com/