I am starting to think that as we age we can’t worry about everything that seems to be deteriorating with our bodies.  I mean one minute we are able to multi task, run marathons, stay out late and then turn up for work on time the next day and still look amazing.  You know what I mean, we were almost super human, our bodies would simply bounce back at whatever we threw at it.

Then one day we wake up and hello, things aren’t in the same place they were last year, come to think of it can I even remember where they were, getting out of bed is harder and the thought of running a marathon next Sunday, well you would but you do have that brunch with friends you really shouldn’t miss. 

So when I picked up John Shacks book called Life is for Living and it’s about getting the best out of our lives and he really has made me think.  So often we just push through life, being busy not really making conscious decisions on how we live and John, with this book, challenges you to think about that.

‘This book wont tell you what to eat or what exercise to take - there are loads of books on the market which will give you that information…..but primarily this book is about attitude and thought processes you’ll need to adopt to achieve your health and fitness goal.’                John Shackleton

If you hurt now at whatever age you are when you exercise, what are you going to be like at sixty.

Now there aren’t any stunning new revelations on how to get fit and loose weight in two weeks, or that he has been the one to discover the magic pill that really does melt the fat off with not effort required.  But what he does say makes sense, if we are out of shape, tired and stressed now at our current age, what on earth are we going to be like when we are sixty.  I am scared and probably should be.

You can also choose to buy the CD and listen to an interview with John which is very easy to do, I found it funny and was at the end of it before I realised I had been listening for a while.

Available:www.johnshack.com

Price:$24.95  book        Price:$20.00    CD

   I found this site which I often refer to before I go out shopping.  We all need a bit of a helping hand right now when it comes to finding a good deal and this site is really useful.

It’s called SaleFinder and it tells you what sales are on now and, lets face it, any help we can get to find a good deal these days, is a bonus.  You can sign up and receive regular updates when new sales start, which will enable you to keep track of anything in particular you are in the hunt for.

Essentially SaleFinder is current catalogues of some of your favourite retailers converted to the web, so for someone like me who never receives the flyers in my mailbox, this is really exciting.  Why wouldn’t you check out what’s on sale before you go shopping, just in case you can actually find a bargain.

This really is what you would call ‘letting your fingers do the walking’, it doesn’t get much easier than that.  Sign up or just keep checking in regularly for that not to be missed bargain.  I would have given this site four stars but I would like to see a few more retailers sign up to really make it really useful.  That aside, it’s still worth checking out before you head to the shops.   www.salefinder.co.nz

   I have just finished reading one of the best books I have ever read.  Now that’s a big statement to make, as you know I do read alot but this is a really good book.  It’s Suzanne Paul’s new book called ‘But wait there’s more’ and I couldn’t put it down.

Now I haven’t ever been a fan of hers but thought that the book would be interesting about her rise to the top and her then very public fall to the ground.  What I didn’t plan on was how honest she was going to be about everything and helpful, this is for anyone wanting to achieve their goals in life.  It also gave me a reality check on how hard you really do have to work, if you want to succeed at anything in life.  It doesn’t just happen, you have to make it happen.

Her story is one of courage to go after her dreams when her life was pretty bad and her determination not to let anything get in her way.  She just never gave up and she still hasn’t.

I kid you not, she hit some really bad times, arriving in New Zealand with $18.00 in her wallet, having to spend two hours each way on a bus everyday to get to her job, changing buses multiple times.  Amazing when alot of us would consider having to take one bus to work is a big deal.  The worst part was when she realised she had lost it all.

But while all this is very interesting and makes you realise how hard she really did have to work to achieve her success, what’s really great about this book is she gives you advice on how you can do it.  This was the really cool bit for me.  It’s smart, practical and really makes you think I can do this.   I found it inspirational and have been motivated by her advice.

Her story is amazing, her message is simple.  It’s a must read and a great gift idea for anyone who you know has big dreams.  One of her great quotes is:

                                       Dreams become your goals

                                      Goals become your plans

                                         Plans become your reality 

Available: all leading booksellers

Price:$37.00 (Whitcoulls price)

  I just about need a P A to run my life and that of my family, due to the how busy we are and complexity of all that we do.  It’s a given that I need a fool proof organisational system to help run my business and family.  So imagine my delight when an organisational diary turned up on my desk for me to trial and blog about.  It’s called a ‘Who Does What When’ and is the ultimate in diaries for those tasked with the challenge of managing multiple people.

It’s just slightly smaller than an A4 piece of paper, so it fits nicely on my desk or my bench at home.   There are five columns across the top and I only need four so I use the spare to write birthdays in.  There is, however, a section for birthdays.  The squares are nice and big so I can fit multiple appointments in them and the all essential ‘to do’ column, with a notes section as well.

Who Does What When is the brainchild of Michele Hamblin who lives in Australia and runs her online business from there.  This just makes my life so much easier, when I am always trying to keep track of everything as a family we need to do. 

Never shall I be concerned about missing an appointment again, an essential for any busy family.

Available:www.whodoeswhatwhen.com

Price:$27.00  Aus  (plus postage & handling)