Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Today I'm thankful for Saturday morning sleep ins, because I'm really not good at mornings. My plan this week was to start waking up at 6am, and I haven't made good progress so far, but hey, there's always tomorrow!

(image from http://uppercasemagazine.com)

Anyway I think it's good to ensure you get the sleep you need, and I am pretty renowned for having power naps. I never get sick anymore, (touch wood), because as soon as I feel run down, I sleep, and it seems to keep my immune system ticking along happily. 

I owe a lot of this napping style to my sweet Dad, who has always felt relaxed about taking a nap when one is needed. He is a night owl like me, and compensates for lack of night sleep hours by crashing out during the day when he can.

I also owe my belief in napping to the incredible SARK, a writer of colourful self-help books who wrote this one to my utter delight:

If you're into napping, this book will help free you of guilt. I've had my own copy for years!

Anyway, who doesn't love the look of a welcoming bed?

(image from http://piajanebijkerk.com/)

In the 1001 Ways to Relax book, which is a fantastic book for ideas to beat stress, you can invite peaceful sleep by doing these things:

"Lay your head on a pillow or cushion to release anger and tension. Imagine it's a sponge sucking and absorbing all the tensions and frustrations out of your mind, like blotting paper, from which they evaporate into the air."

"Select your bedtime reading carefully. Current affairs can re-renergise your mind at the wrong time. Restrict yourself to poetry or fiction suitable for mulling over as you drift off to sleep."

(image from http://davidrobertsbooks.com)

"Never take work to bed! However tempting it may be to read a report in bed, this will blur the boundaries between work and rest, making it more difficult for you to switch off from work concerns when it's time for you to sleep."

"Make peace with the world before you go to sleep with a simple prayer of forgiveness for yourself and
anyone else who may have disturbed your equilibrium."

"Use images to prime restful sleep. Some people can cue pleasant dreams by meditating on a positive subject - a cherished friend, a much-loved landscape, or a masterpiece of art - for a few minutes before they go to bed. Choose a subject that evokes calm. Meditate on it before sleeping and after waking from nightmares to avoid slipping back into the same bad dreams."

Enjoy and celebrate sleep, and take that nap if you need it!

Linking up with Maxabella Loves 52 Weeks of Grateful.

and Rusty and Redone's Keep It Simple Saturday

 xx

My Dad's 70th Birthday Party!

On Saturday night it was my Dad's 70th birthday party! Here he is, about to blow out the candles on his cake. (Sorry about all the blurry photos on this post, I need to figure out properly how to use my camera at night!)

It was a HUGE yummy-looking cake...

It was great to catch up with all of Dad's and my stepmum Jane's family and friends. There were a heap of family and friends from Collie, from the Apex Club, from the SEC, where he used to work, and from his work in cinemas. I got to catch up with a few of them and we had a good natter.

My nephew James and his girlfriend Sarah had put together a heap of photos (about 85) of Dad and his adventures over the years. The photos were shown on a big screen throughout the night and were very entertaining (I cringed at one of me from the eighties! Bad hair moment!)

Here is a nice one of Dad when he was young:

My nephew and his dad had set up the sound system for the venue, and after dinner, Dad's friend Barry sang a few old 60s songs with his acoustic guitar. Shock me, I even sang back up with my sister on Gloria!

My sister Leonie's family are way into music and have always encouraged Dad to sing along on karaoke nights.  After she sang Happy Birthday, by Concrete Blonde, with a beautiful crystal clear voice, Dad and Leonie got on stage, and gave their rendition of Dream, by the Everly Brothers. It was great! I was so proud of my Dad for getting up there and singing in front of friends he has had for 50 years!

Then my nephew James had a turn, singing When You Were Young, by the Killers. Man, he rocked the place! James has always been a drummer, plays guitar, has played in bands, and generally knows all things music, but singing up there like a true rock star really surprised me! He was amazing, and I think he should be the front man in a band!

My brother-in-law, Mal, is a singer from way back. He sang David Bowie's Let's Dance.
 (Again, sorry about the blurry shots!)

Then James' girlfriend, Sarah sang along with Britney Spears' Lucky. She is so pretty, and a real sweetie.

After a few more songs by James and Leonie, everyone started heading for the dance floor, with Dad and Jane, jiving the night away. Dad loves a good jive - there's no slowing him down!

Just before we went home at midnight I managed to get Jack to take a photo of me and Dad. Dad was a bit puffed after dancing for about an hour straight.

I'm so lucky to have a Dad like mine. He's a good, kind, straight-laced man, who loves music and movies, and looks out for his family and friends.

Hope you have a ton more birthdays, Dad - love you!!!