the atmosphere of a place; the mood, special quality, or atmosphere of a place
and
relaxed [ri-lakst] adj.
Not rigorous or strict, free from strain or tension, easy and informal in manner.
At the end of a busy day all I want to do is to relax in my home. I want to be able to easily find somewhere to put my feet up, sip a glass of wine or a cup of tea, ignore the world outside and just be free from any kinds of stress or tension.
As a child all I ever wanted to do was grow up. I thought life would be so much fun if I could stay up late, eat whatever I wanted, have my own money instead of relying on my parents....how foolish was I?!
Today I am always staying up late but wish I could go to bed early, I am always on a diet and even though I have my own money I'm always paying bills!
Sometimes I just wish that I could live the carefree life of a child...
A child who does not play is not a child, but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived in him. ~Pablo Neruda
Always jump in the puddles! Always skip alongside the flowers. The only fights worth fighting are the pillow and food varieties. ~Terri Guillemets
I'm sure my inner child is in there somewhere but I just have to find it. I need to stop taking everything so seriously sometimes and nourish my own needs.
I need to take time to keep my heart and mind young and vibrant!
The end of childhood is when things cease to astonish us. When the world seems familiar, when one has got used to existence, one has become an adult. ~Eugene Ionesco
So, from now on I am going to think more like a child! I'm going to skip more, get really enthusiastic about the smallest and simplest pleasures, laugh out loud, smile more, let my imagination run wild and I'm going to dance more! I'm going to move around, release a loud 'Woo Hoo' and dance like a kid!
I'm going to find and unleash my Inner Child!
What about you?
Will you join me and release your Inner Child?
Thanks so much for visiting today. Please say G'day if you have a minute and be sure to join in with this week's Say G'day Linky party if you haven't already.
I hope you have had a wonderful week. Can you believe that it's Saturday already? This month is just flying right by isn't it? It seems like only yesterday that we were getting on a plane and flying to Paris and London for our Christmas vacation. I guess that's why I've been looking at all things London online lately and why I have featured one of my favourite British designers on my blog this week.
If you haven't seen my post on Kit Kemp's London Townhouse and some of the gorgeous rooms she has decorated for the hotels she operates here's a sneak peak! To see more just click here.
Onto this week's Fabulous Features! Thank you SO much to everyone who joined in and shared so many wonderful ideas, projects, recipes, tips and tutorials. It's always so hard to find only five Fabulous Features each week as there are SO MANY amazing ideas out there.
This week I have chosen to feature some wonderful projects that were all inspired by Pinterest!
Just click the picture to be taken straight to the post....
G'Day sweet friends. Welcome to Natasha in Oz! Thanks so much for stopping by.
I haven't shared some pictures of interior decorating ideas for a while so today I thought I would do a little virtual 'Home Tour'!
Today I would like to share some gorgeous decorating ideas and inspiration from one of my favourite designers who is from London.
Kit Kemp and her husband, Tim are responsible for some of the world’s most stylish and eclectic hotels. Since founding the Firmdale Hotels group with London’s Dorset Hotel 25 years ago, Kit has inspired many home owners and design fans to follow her 'no rules' approach when decorating their homes.
You can tell why I love her style just by looking at the hotel rooms she has decorated!
After seeing these pictures I am desperate to stay in one of the hotels Kit has decorated. I just love the way she uses colour!
These next pictures are from Kit Kemp's own home, a London townhouse, located on a private square near Hyde Park and are courtesy of Elle Decor.
Welcome to Kit Kemp's Home!
The entrance hall includes an Italian commode, a Scandinavian mirror, and a beehive found in France.
Living Room
Drawing Room
The mirror above the limestone mantel is 18th-century French
Sunroom
The gorgeous grey kitchen features an enormous Aga and a wing chair upholstered in French tea towels...divine!
Master Bedroom
Another gorgeous limestone mantel and I love the books!
All images from Elle Decor with photography by Simon Upton. Kit has recently launched her first book, A Living Spaceand it is full of gorgeous images and ideas.
What do you think? Do you like the way Kit Kemp uses colour and her 'no rules' approach to decorating?
Before I go I just want to thank Sherry at The Charm of Home for having me at her Home Sweet Home linky party each week and for always joining me at my Linky Party! Thanks also to all the other lovely bloggers who host their linky parties each week!
I hope you have had a wonderful week. I have been busy as usual but have been trying very hard to relax, de-stress and take time to just breathe. I have actually posted about my efforts to include more herbal remedies in my diet and the benefits of listening to music. If you'd like to learn more about the psychology of music and hear an amazing song from Tina Turner just click here!
Onto this week's Fabulous Features! Thank you SO much to everyone who joined in and shared so many wonderful ideas, projects, recipes, tips and tutorials. It's always so hard to find only five Fabulous Features each week as there are SO MANY amazing ideas out there.
This week I have chosen to feature some wonderful ideas for the garden or ideas that are inspired by the garden.
Just click the picture to be taken straight to the post....
Hello sweet friends! Welcome to Natasha in Oz and welcome to this week's Tuesday Tune post.
This week I'm focusing on relaxation, The Psychology of Music and ways to reduce stress!
The first thing we need to do is to breathe deeply!
Are you feeling stressed, worried, over-worked or anxious? I know that I am feeling a little anxious at the moment because assessment will be starting soon for my kids, for me and for and my students and exam time is always a terrible time of year. Mr Attorney is also very stressed, so much so that we are closely observing him for signs of hypertension.
To try and help our family cope with the stress in our daily lives I have been looking at ways of incorporating more herbal remedies and relaxation techniques. This infographic shows some of the ways that herbs can be used to reduce blood pressure and anxiety.
I've also been starting the morning with quiet relaxation music playing in the background and the effect has been quite dramatic. Starting the day filled with a sense of inner peace instead of rushed chaos just seems to make the rest of the day seem more harmonious. Indeed, research shows that music can influence both psychological and physiological processes and is therefore an important alternative in the practice of stress management.
The bulk of this research in the area of stress reduction has examined the effects of music on the physiological processes of relaxation. Numerous studies have reported significant decreases in, for example, heart rate, skin temperature, and muscle activity when music has been used in the relaxation process. www.mtabc.com
This infographic about the Psychology of Music from the University of South Florida School of Music clearly shows the importance of music in our every day lives especially when it comes to reducing stress.
Music can be a powerful tool in relieving stress but it is also a language that so many people can 'speak'. Tina Turner has seen the potential of music to promote peace, tolerance and unity by participating in a beautiful Buddhist-inspired project called Children Beyond.
Together with 30 children from different cultures and nations, the three singers have recorded sung versions of twelve prayers and mantras from the religions Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. The three artists are passing on all of their proceeds to their respective foundations (the TINA Foundation, the SEESCHAU Foundation and the DEWA CHE Foundation) in equal amounts. In this way, the singers are supporting intercultural, peace-promoting projects in musical education and research for children and youths, as well as projects for children, mothers and women in distress.
I hope you enjoy listening to this beautiful music and that the spirit of their mantra is with you while you listen to today's Tuesday Tune.
May well-being, peace, wholeness and tranquility, happiness and prosperity be achieved by all.
I hope you will find some time to listen to some music, to relax, to find your inner calm and to be peaceful, today and every day.
Please be sure to come back on Saturday to see the top 5 posts from last week's link up and, of course, to join in with this weekend's
I was also SO happy this week because the Say G'day Linky party was the best one ever with 191 links -so close to 200! Thank you SO much to everyone who joined in and shared so many wonderful ideas, projects, recipes, tips and tutorials. It's always so hard to find only five Fabulous Features each week as there are SO MANY amazing ideas out there.
So, since it is Mother's Day this weekend I am going to feature the Most Clicked Mother's Day links!
Just click the picture to be taken straight to the post....
Welcome friends to Natasha in Oz, my bloggy home in my little corner of the world Down Under. I hope you have had a wonderful week and are ready for the weekend! I also hope you are ready to try a delicious version of pancakes that our family just adores: The Pioneer Woman's Lemon Blueberry Pancakes!
The Pioneer Woman's Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
I am looking forward to Mother's Day this weekend so I can be spoilt and have my family wait on me all day...Well in my dreams that would be happening but this Sunday my husband has a meeting at our church in the morning, my daughter has a United Nations conference all day and my whole family is coming to our place for lunch! I really don't mind though as I actually think I'm treated like a Queen every day of the week by my sweet husband!
I will however be catching up with a few episodes of The Pioneer Woman that I have recorded over the last few weeks on Saturday. I have been following Ree Drummond's blog for years now so I know her story and have tried many of her recipes but her TV show has only just come to Australia in the last couple of months so I have a lot of catching up to do!
For my Aussie friends who haven't watched her show or read her book The Pioneer Woman is well known for her down home, country-style comfort food. She lives on a cattle ranch in Oklaholma and blogs about her life on the ranch with some great photos to boot!
She also shares good old fashioned recipes and has written two cookbooks. Her first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, was published in October 2009. Her second cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier, was published in March 2012.
G'day sweet friends. Welcome to Natasha in Oz, my little corner of the world Down Under!
I hope you have had a wonderful week so far. If you follow me on instagram you will have seen that I have been baking, cleaning, cooking, decorating, visiting my favourite blogs, going on walks and of course, instagramming!
I have also had a wonderful week at school teaching Pride and Prejudice to my Senior class. Next week I'm going to start watching Bridget Jones's Diary with them and we are going to compare Austen's novel with Bridget Jones which was written as an homage to Pride and Prejudice! Can you imagine how excited I am to be teaching this exciting unit of work but also to be literally FORCED to watch Colin Firth and Hugh Grant for a week?!?
It's only fitting then that this week's Tuesday Tune features another good looking chap singing "Have you met Miss Jones" which featured on the soundtrack to Bridget Jones's Diary.
Here's Robbie Williams!
Now, onto something completely different...
Yesterday I shared a picture on Instagram and Google+ about my favourite Fall vegetable and I asked the question....
Do you love Brussels Sprouts as much as I do?
Lots of people commented on how much they love them and a few actually asked me how I serve them because I mentioned that I always cook mine with bacon. If you haven't tried them with bacon you are really missing out! Here is one way of cooking them with bacon from Katharine Marsch, Sous Chef at The Breslin Bar & Dining Room in New York. She blanches then roasts Brussels sprouts before tossing them with sweet caramelized onions, bacon and sage. A finishing touch of lemon juice, olive oil, chile flakes and flaky sea salt deepens the flavors!
Here is the recipe if you would like to give it a try!
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Kosher salt
1 pound Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves removed and trimmed
4 ounces slab bacon, cut into medium cubes (about ¼ cup)
5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 medium lemon
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Crushed red chile flakes
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet set over low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are sweet and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. In a large stockpot, blanch the Brussels sprouts in salted, boiling water until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the Brussels sprouts from the water and set aside to cool. Cut some of the larger Brussels sprouts in half but leave the smaller ones whole.
3. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp on all sides, about 5 minutes. Pour off the excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the halved Brussels sprouts cut side down to the pan and cook without stirring over medium heat until the sprouts are tender and nicely caramelized. Add the remaining sprouts to the pan and cook until browned, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the caramelized onions and sage. Finish the dish with a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice, sea salt, chile flakes and a drizzle of olive oil, all to taste. Serve immediately.
Don't they look delicious! If you aren't a fan of Brussels Sprouts please try this recipe ~ you might find out you love them as much as I do!
If you would like to keep up with my comings and goings please feel free to follow me on instagram!
I do tend to post there quite a lot and it's such a fun and different way of keeping up with many of my blogger friends. Please let me know if you are on instagram so I can follow you there!
Also, if you haven't joined in with this week's Say G'day Linky party it's not too late! Just click the button below to link up your latest and greatest!
Well, I'd better go and find more pictures of Hugh Grant prepare for my English lessons. I hope you have a gorgeous day and a happy week!
I hope you have had a great week. I've had a wonderful week at school this week as I'm teaching Pride and Prejudice at the moment and am loving it! I've also been having fun in the kitchen this week and I made a great big batch of Granola and am so happy that every single person in the family is eating it and enjoying a healthy breakfast each morning. If you haven't seen my post with the recipe I used please just click the picture to check it out!
This weekend has been so relaxing too...both of my kids are on a school camp so Mr Attorney and I have are having a date night at our favourite French restaurant tonight! Of course I'm missing the kids but I must confess that it has been really nice to just stay at home and not ferry them around all over the countryside!
I've also had a fun time looking at many of the links from last week's Say G'Day Party! I haven't seen them all yet but have been so impressed by the enormous talent of my sweet bloggy friends. It really makes me smile when I see comments from others who have mentioned that they are visiting via the Say G'day Party too. I really hope that you can try to visit as many links as possible each week so you can meet new friends from all around the world.
I found it very difficult to limit myself to featuring only five links for this week's Fabulous Features! There were SO MANY amazing ideas shared last week. Here are the Five most clicked links from last week's #SayGDayParty Just click the picture to be taken straight to the post....
![Best Herbal Remedies for Stress Reduction [infographic] - An Infographic from Solstice Herbal Health Blog](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/ALY8t1s6Dng9WaThpQC5xsrM7U0n5v-3MBIN8OoOeifGUakYk9joisIrwxCYXecU0TA2T0aDD0Yhcbc3czXiqiq8EPO16VzinWwHlgV5-y6aDnbfT7nLPh2ZeYgD8_z4-FarRjrsAM67jgYB7wnIbEQHNbn64AHiv7bAjfTtB1IZMPzt74jm=s0-d "The Psychology of Music and Ways to Reduce Stress via @natashainozblog")
.JPG "Say G'Day Saturday Linky Party {65} and Fabulous Features!")
