little white technology lies

"I put it in the post last week!"
"Oh, goodness, my phone must be playing up again"
"I sent it yesterday - don't you have it yet?"

Sometimes, my phone plays up, it's true. Sometimes I post cheques and letters and they don't arrive. Sometimes I send emails and they bounce.

Believe me, I get really annoyed when this happens, because I did make the effort to send it, I did call when I said I would and I did take the time out to write the email.

But sometimes, and I can't believe I'm admitting this (but I'm sure it's good to be truthful, ouch) I pretend that my phone has gone on the blink, I turn off the computer even though I've not sent the email, and I find the letter I should have sent weeks ago, lurking in the bottom of my bag.

You see, the thing is, it's easy to lie nowadays, isn't it? Because technology, although quite incredible and utterly life-changing, can be totally unreliable too. And of course the Royal Mail strikes have ensured we can make up as many 'it's in the post' lies as we like, because even if it was, we know it wouldn't get there on time.

So, there you go, I've confessed. I'm a naughty girl, I sometimes tell tales about computers crashing, phones playing up and post not arriving.

Say it's not just me, surely?

I'm off to send the emails I meant to last night, post some letters and phone some people. I reckon I can redeem my ways!

Have a good day Busy Girls, a fabulous weekend and see you soon...

Eva xx

Buying myself Christmas presents

I did it again.

Went to the Vivienne Westwood Shopping evening last night at their glorious store on Kings Street in Manchester. It was a lovely evening, well it always is when you combine Christmas shopping with pink champagne cocktails...

So there I was loving the store and thinking of who I could buy presents for, I was having a little personal celebration as it had been a miracle of an evening already... I parked right outside the store - what a find!

So I'm browsing the jewellery and accessories and suddenly I catch myself - I'm shopping - for myself.

Yep, I'm trying on, prodding, posing and outrageously toying with which ring and necklace suits me more.

I'd forgotten within two seconds that I'm supposed to be Christmas present shopping and have settled on a lovely Vivienne Westwood ring and keyring - pour moi.

The next minute I hear myself saying 'well, it is nearly Christmas, so why not?'

With this level of resolve it's not surprising I've spent up for Christmas already, on myself *chuckle*

Have a good day Busy Girl and enjoy your Christmas shopping this weekend - hope it's more successful than mine!

Eva xx

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Is it my fault I'm so Busy?

Every now and then I tidy up and get things straight. Whether it's my clothes which are strewn on the floor, which get a good tidy and file, or my kitchen cupboards covered in sugar which get a good clean, I seem to do things in chunks.

But quite frankly, I'm a bit all or nothing.

You see, there's no consistency in my efforts. I may spend a good couple of hours sorting a room out, but that's only when it's become too unbearable to keep looking at. By the time I'm done, I'm too tired or bored to do another room!

Should I blame myself for the mess in my house? I blame my job, I blame how much I try to cram into a week and I blame the fact it's only me who ever tidies.

But this brings me back to a point which has been bothering me for a while. I'm a busy girl, but it's definitely me who has got me here. It's my fault I've taken on so much. Don't get me wrong, Himself could definitely help more, but I think the only reason he doesn't is because I do it for him. I offer or I start doing things, so why would he interrupt and take over?

I've caused my own chaos. And the funny thing is, there's no point trying to change it now, because I've done it for so long it would pile up in days if I stopped now. I'd be climbing over washing and dirty pots in defiance.

I could be a bit more consistent with my cleaning and tidying though, I do drive myself mad - how did those clothes get on the floor? Wish I had some help...

Tidy wishes, Eva xxx

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Christmas Shopping Nightmare

I have to admit it. I have one Christmas present so far. Just one.

It's not that I can't be bothered, I have tried. But, I can't cope with shopping at the moment. In fact, I've tried three times so far, with disastrous results:

Attempt one...

On Thursday night, I thought it would be a good idea to pop into Manchester and have a little look around the Christmas Markets. Big mistake. I drove around for 40 minutes trying to find a parking space. It took me 30 minutes to get there, 40 minutes to try to find a space and 30 frustrating minutes to get home, having not even managed to get out of the car!

Attempt two...

I went to the local John Lewis on Saturday, just for a little browse, see what I could find.

Good God.

Everybody, his brother, auntie, grandmother and cousin was there. It was a Christmas Shopping Nightmare. I'm not doing that again - I couldn't park, there were cars off-roading on the pavement and I got the back of my legs clipped about ten times by browsers' trolleys.

Attempt three...

Fancied buying a yoga mat from Tesco for a friend, I'd seen some quite nice ones. So, off I popped. They've added a second floor to Tesco for non food products so I thought I'd have a little browse at the clothing section whilst there.

Before I'd even got up the escalator, I was nearly mowed down by hoards of people coming down from the new Tesco second floor. I would have had to queue with thirty others to get up the escalator. Good grief.

Three attempts at Christmas Shopping, three attempts failed. And they wonder why we're all going onlineto buy presents? I'm off to do a bit of online shopping from the comfort of my sofa with a nice cup of tea.

Stuff shopping!

Eva xx

www.busygirlsguide.co.uk - The Busy Girls Guide to Life

Busy Girl Eva goes to the gym, for 3 seconds

Last night as I drove up the final half a mile stretch to my house, the traffic ground to a standstill as usual. I just happened to stop before the turning for the gym, whose second exit just happens to come out past my house.

Hee hee... I can drive through and out the other side!

So, I followed a stream of cars into the gym. The car park was absolutely packed, I've never seen anything like it... every single parking space was full, I can only imagine how hideous it was to actually try and work out with that many people packed into the gym.

Funnily enough, research released yesterday stated that we are going to the gym more than ever, with more of us having membership (I think the whole country has membership to my local gym). But, and it's a big but, as a nation we're still getting fatter and more unfit.

That's because they assume going to the gym means we're actually doing something. I've seen, and been one of, the ladies who flits around doing nothing, trying to look busy pumping a 1kilo weight pointlessly.

Anyway, last night, I merrily drove past all the cars, to the second exit and scooted down the road, loving my cheeky short cut. By walking to the car in the first place, I probably did as much of a work out as half the people in the gym...

If you're off to the gym today, hope you put in a bit more effort than me! Have a good one,

Love Eva x

http://www.busygirlsguide.co.uk/ The ultimate lifestyle guide for Busy Girls

Home from fat camp

So my friend (I'll call her 'Anne' as she'll not be best pleased to be publicised) has just returned from Fat Camp. She doesn't call it that, she calls it 'Training' but it was a real life, whole hearted Fat Camp for people to get sweaty, shouted at & lose weight.

I've always wondered what Fat Camps are like - according to 'Anne', it was "the best week & the worst week" of her life.

'Anne' never goes to the gym, ever. She's always complaining about her excess weight and quite frankly never does what anyone tells her - she's a law unto herself. I couldn't wait for this story...

I've never fancied marching around cold, miserable hills with an ex-army general shouting at me, pushing me to run when I can barely breathe, or making me do press ups in the mud. But people pay good money for this treatment, even my friend did.

Obviously it's the self motivation we lack. For me, it's akin to going to the gym alone. I don't know about you, but unless I go to a yoga class, I wander around the gym half-heartedly doing sit ups feeling like everyone knows I'm not trying.

So, Fat Camp. Did it work?

Well, Yes. 'Anne' lost 1/2 stone in weight in a week; had the motivation to work out out on cold and wet hills; did what she was told for once (without complaining too much) and she felt a huge sense of achievement at the end.

'Anne' told me she felt rather lost when she came home, she'd had so much attention and company all week she nearly missed having the shouting General with her.

Crikey, so pigs might fly after all.

Eva xxx

http://www.busygirlsguide.co.uk/ - The ultimate lifestyle guide for Busy Girls

Are horoscopes fact or fiction?

At the beginning of every month, some Busy Girls religiously read our horoscopes desparate for some good news, fortune or romance on the cards.

I'm really quite torn when it comes to horoscopes, can't decide if they're worth reading or not - it just seems that some are so ridiculous, you know, like the Mystic Meg versions "... someone beginning with K and a man in a dark coat will cross your path today..." oh, give me strength.

Spookily though, horoscopes sometimes speak right to you, don't they? I've just read our Busy Girls horoscopes and I'm so hoping that this month's is right because it sounds fab!

Sucked in, right? Or just an optimistic soul? Either way I guess it's just nice to have an idea of what life's going to be like for the next few weeks... don't even get me started on tarot, now there's another minefield!

I hope you have a lovely day either way Busy Girl, predicatable or not...

Speak soon,

Eva xxx