Twin Speak...Sales Reps!!!

In these tough economic times sales representatives must be absolutely desperate to meet targets and will even put their lives on the line...

Frankie: I can't believe the lengths some sales reps will go to get a lead. This evening, I was quietly sitting in my living room doing a bit of reading and suddenly heard someone saying ' hello', 'hello' in a funny Indian accent at my front gate.

At first I thought it was my neighbour being funny and mucking around. However, the 'hello' kept chiming and then I decided to get up and to my astonishment, see a Telephone Rep standing near my front door. Just to note, that to get to my front door you have to open the front gate that has a big metal sign stating, "BEWARE OF DOG". Instantly I freeze, hear my dog barreling around the corner and then hear his barking growl and I tell the rep to please go back behind the gate.

As soon as he hears my dog barking, he replies, "Oooh, you have a dog". Ah, yeah!!! Did you happen to miss that sign when you intruded and opened my gate??? So, Mr. Sales Rep steps outside the gate, my dog charging towards him but was now by my side and barking at this stranger, the rep continues his sales talk as I stare at him bewildered by his eagerness to make a sale???

I can't believe some people? How could you be so negligent of your own safety and ignore such warnings. "Oh, don't mind the big Rottweiler gnawing on your leg...just continue your sales spiel"???? I kinda felt bad because I didn't take the guy up on his offers even after his extreme efforts :)

Yeesh...tough times you don't say.

Bella: I have definitely seen an increase in the amount of telemarketing calls I've been receiving in the past couple of months. At home I've been getting around 5 a week, at least 1 or 2 a day at work and most annoyingly I've started getting them on my mobile. (For these calls I've had to break my 'Why Not Monday' challenge and my response is not so polite).

What I've also noticed however is the new and creative ways these telemarketers are tyring to just get an in let alone make the sale.

Telemarketer: Would you like to save money?
Me: No, I love throwing my money down the gurgler and then finding myself struggle to pay my next bill. "Thanks"...click.

Telemarketer: Now, I'm not trying to sell you anything.

Me: (thinking) Yeah...sure..now why would you be calling me from India then..just to find out how the weather is here?? "No thanks"...click.

Telemarketer: Are you interested in retiring rich?
Me: No actually I'm interested in retiring poor. Retiring rich has never really occurred to me?

Telemarketer: Are you happy with your mobile phone company?

Me: Yes, I enjoy paying astronomically high prices just to get crap service and even crappier phone coverage whilst always having this frustrating feeling of being ignored whenever I try to sort out a problem. I love it! (This is all true except for the enjoyment part but I can't be bothered dealing with another Telco to just go through it with them)

Sorry for the sarcasm but as you can see...I'm a bit over sales calls.

Twin Speak...Why Not Monday!

Hi everybody and hope you have a great week. Here are our updates and new challenges for the week.

Frankie: An interesting week prevailed. From the week, I still have not completed my task from last Monday of 'Asking this guy out to coffee'. Nothing romantic, just as a friend, because he had initially asked me and I didn't want to make it awkward.

So, I am carrying that task over to this week. I do think I am making some ground though. I have spoken to the guy on a number of occasions and it doesn't seem awkward anymore. So we will see how I progress this week :)

Also, I am adding a new task which is more of a personal goal, "To get over the $40 money finding incident from Saturday night". I have posted a
new post dedicated entirely to the incident. I was quite frustrated about it, but I vented in my post and Bella has also given me some sound advice. So, my goal is to not think about the incident again and have completely gotten over it by the end of the week.

Bella: Recapping on last week's challenge for myself, I decided to go on a 10 day detox. Well I'm happy to say that I'm now on day 8 and still going strong. Apart from a little break in the regime on Saturday night, when we went out for a Hen's night and I had some cheese and crackers, I'm doing great! I didn't touch one glass of alcohol the whole night! So I'm only 3 days away from completing this goal.

For today's Why Not Monday I think I will challenge myself this week to be extra courteous and nice to sales and customer service workers.

Today I had a horrible experience of having to call my telephone company to dispute some charges. I was speaking with an Indian call operator for a total of 30 minutes and there was absolutely no resolution. I was querying online charges on my account that are yet to be charged for the month but I could see them listed. I was basically told that until the company actually bills me for them I can't query or complain. I have to wait for them to make the error. Ok..fine...whatever but couldn't he have perhaps told me that at the beginning of the call when I said I wanted to dispute the online charges before having me explain for 20 minutes and then him putting me on hold for a further 10!!! I am a bit frazzled from the whole experience and I'm afraid to say I did loose my cool towards the end of the conversation. Not that I feel I am wrong for loosing my cool but maybe I could have handled it better.

So this week's challenge I am going to attempt to do a bit of reverse karma psychology and hope that by being extra nice and polite to sales and service staff...maybe, just maybe my own dispute will resolve as well!! Hopeful but unlikely?? We'll see.

Twin Speak...Finders Keepers???

Frankie: So what happened to the age old saying, "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers"?? Or does that only apply when you're a little kid finding a shiny bottle cap or something else of non-value??

A group of girls went out the other night for a Hen's night. I was getting a lift to our next destination and as we were all walking to the car, 2 girls passed in front of me to the car and I was trailing on behind. As I looked to the ground I see two $20 folded into each other on the ground. I pick it up and ask, "Oh did anyone drop $40?".

Everyone looks around confused and I explain that I just found it on the parking lot ground. Everyone checks their wallets and kinda confirms, "No I don't think so". Well you either did or you didn't I think to myself?? I know exactly how much I have in my wallet at any given time, give or take a few dollars. But I think I would notice $40 missing??

Anyway, the girl driving the car says to me, "Well I'll have it" and to that I reply, "no (and I'm smiling by the way) did you lose the $40" to which she replies, after checking her wallet mind you "well I don't know, I'll just hold on to it" (and she says this in a rather vague and abrupt tone).

So, I give her the money until she can better assess her wallet situation and let me know whether or not she lost it at all. However, as we proceed through the night, she is very vague about it and even when we have to pay for one of our Hen's night activities during the course of the night she still doesn't bring up the found money??

I then checked my money and count it to be sure that in fact, 'could it have been mine' because I never actually checked my own wallet. And as I start counting my money the girl asks, "Oh, could it have been your $40'. Well, 'No' I say and leave it at that; but what I really felt like saying was, "No. It's not mine, but is it yours. Because if we can confirm whether or not you lost the money, I want it back...Finders Keepers".

But no, she 'holds' on to the money and throughout the whole night is buying herself and the Hen drinks and other girls might I add and never once, offers to buy me a drink or never once gives me back the money.

Now, our relationship is a little strained to begin with. It's not as natural as with some of the other girls. So I don't push the money thing. But come the end of the night we all leave and yes...she still has the money???

Does anyone else find this strange??? I find it very bizarre and just can't seem to find any reason why she could justify her keeping the money herself. It has put me in a very uncomfortable position.

I am going to leave it because after all...It was never my money to begin with, but it wasn't hers either. But I think it was more the principal of the matter. I felt like a little kid who found some money and was being taught a valuable morals lesson in always trying to return lost goods to its owner?? In this case, when all else fails at returning the lost goods, give it to the more responsible person???? WTF?????

Frankie: Mental Note

A reminder to myself...

Frankie: You know it's time to stop shopping when you've pulled a muscle trying on clothes....ouchie!!

TwinSpeak: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Recently Frankie and I saw the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic". The movie itself was enjoyable and a good laugh but after, it made me reflect on my own and other people's shopping habits.

Bella: I'm not much of a shopper. In fact when I mention 'my own shopping habits' I should probably say my lack thereof. Of course I shop for groceries and household items but I'm talking more about shopping for pleasure. Shopping for clothes, personal items and anything else your heart desires. It's not that I don't like clothes, fashion and having my own things. Quite the opposite. I think I have my own unique sense of style and I love clothes and taking pride in my appearance. It's just that...I hate to shop.

Being in a shop lined wall to wall with clothes, shoes and handbags with no real idea about what you want is my personal nightmare. Then throw in all the other crazed shoppers and I'm positively having a full blown panic attack. I don't have the patience, persistence or courage to wrangle my way through racks of clothes, fight girls for the discounted pair of shoes or hop from one table to the other grabbing anything that might look ok on me. Then getting to the fitting rooms to try it all on...NO THANKS!

I recently read an article on the economy and lengths people are going to to save a buck on shopping. And some of the suggestions were interesting while some were just too much effort in my opinion. Like I said, I have no real shopping habits and don't really employ any of the shopping tactics suggested on a regular basis. I'm curious though to know if anyone else out there practices any of these?

Codes: Buying things online with discount or special offer codes.

Rebates: Purchasing off websites or stores who offer cash back offers.
Coupons: Shopper dockets or going to websites online where you can download and print coupon offers.

Comparisons: Shopping around online and elsewhere for the same product and getting price comparisons.

Auctions: Online auctions with eBay being the obvious option.

Buying at the right time: Waiting until there are sales and stores mark down their goods.

Haggle: Negotiate on the price when shopping in store. If the item is faulty or damaged, ask for a discount.

Opt for excess: buying in bulk or purchasing online through stores that sell excess stock and liquidated items.

Frankie: Yes as opposite as we can get on any trait, this would be the extreme. As I watched the movie the other day, I must say, I felt like I was watching a Bio. Of course I denied it the whole time we were watching the movie while Bella was poking me and staring at me with that, "that is so you" kind of look.

My name is Frankie and I am a shopaholic. The feeling I get when I walk into a store and see all the beautiful clothes lined up, the exhilaration when I find that fabulous purchase and the excitement when I have my hot little purchase in my hot little hand after buying it, gives me such a rush and joy.

But of course, it all comes crashing down when I see my credit card statement. Lately though, with the tough economic times, I have been one of those people that go to lengths to save and grab a bargain. I can't be as careless with my money now. So the few strategies that Bella listed I have to say, I am not unfamiliar to them and some of mine include:

Auctions: Yes, I am not a stranger to ebay. You can get some good bargains on there. But of course, it is so much easier sometimes walking into the store and having it straight away.

Online Shopping: I have found a few good local and international websites that offer great reductions in prices and lower RRP due to the country off season rates. Of course, like above the waiting factor can be annoying.

Waiting to buy at the right time: I have done my research, and a few of my favourite stores seem to reduce most of their items at the end of the season or sooner and have a wide selection of sizes still. I have been holding out now and purchase during the massive reductions. I haven't missed out on too many items this way, but of course even when I have, I normally have new piece of clothing that I am interested in anyway.

Vintage stores: Yes, I have renewed my love of vintage stores and have frequented them more often of late. However, it can be a tiresome effort sometimes. Having to go from one store to my next store, carefully inspecting the clothes for flaws and then having to make necessary alterations that are sometimes needed for vintage threads.

Trade-off: My latest and most hardest choice, has been the trade-off. Due to the tough times and the fact that I really shouldn't be shopping bargain or no bargain...I have been sacrificing my current wardrobe each time I buy a new item. If I buy something, I must sell something or things, on ebay until I make up the equivalent value. Of course, I still could be using this money for other more necessary items but hey...at least I am trying new ways instead of solely relying on my trusty credit card :)

TwinSpeak: Mid Week Update

Where has the week gone already?? It's already Wednesday which means it's only 2 days until the weekend!! But before we get ahead of ourselves we thought we'd fill you in on our week so far.

Bella: Today marks day 3 of my 10 day detox diet and I'm feeling pretty good. Day 1 went by without any hitches. I was only slightly wistful for my morning coffee but other than that I wasn't feeling any massive symptoms...yet. The restricted diet has been surprisingly easy for me to adapt to so far. I'm eating lots of fresh, raw vegetables,wholegrain carbs and protein in the form of tofu, lentils and beans. The biggest surprise for me was this morning when I made a soy banana smoothie, with natural yogurt a dash of honey and a spoon of oats. The soy milk was great!!! I didn't get that bloated yucky feeling I get after drinking a milk smoothie. I think I'm converted.

Day 2 though marked a new symptom. At first I thought maybe I was just imagining it. Just being a bit of a drama queen but no....by 2pm I knew I truly had the dreaded detox headache. My brain vibrated at the drop of a pin and if I knelt down to pick it up it would explode!!! I was squinting all day to try and focus the pain away. I also had a few flu like symptoms which I also marked down to the the detox.

Day 3 and I'm feeling much better. I feel a little niggling head pain but nothing like yesterday. I'm not craving anything at the moment but it does get a bit tense when my work colleagues have their morning mochaccinos.

The supplements I have to take are all fine except one. There is a bitter digestive liquid that I have to drink 15 minutes before meals. This alone makes me not want to eat anything just so I don't have to drink it. It's vile, horrible, disgusting and makes me want to puke. Apparently the bitter taste kick starts the whole digestive process and prepares you for the food to come. My god though...it is so bad. I've tried drinking it mixed in lots of water. Not good..that just makes the torture go longer. I've tried mixing it with a bit of juice. Also not good for me. I found there were just too many flavours to focus on all the while this bitter gross taste overpowering it all. It was too overwhelming. So no I mix the dose in about 30ml of water and shot it down. This works but still tastes very strong. Oh well the things we do?

Frankie: Yes well my week is not going as well as planned. In regards to my weekly challenge that is. I was suppose to go for coffee with the guy who asked me to go for coffee with him.

Well, I have so far failed my mission due to the fact that he has been MIA for the whole week. I won't be in the office on Thursday, so that leaves me only Friday now, to pluck up the courage and ask him for coffee??

Me thinks he is avoiding me now?

Twin Speak- Good Intentions!

Friends who flake, cancel or just plain ignore you once they've made plans.

Frankie: Something that recently came to my attention, reminded me of one of my biggest pet peeves... 'People who say 'lets catch up' with absolutely no intentions of doing so??'

Is it just me, or does this happen to anyone else? Twice now, I have had two friends give me a call and state that they would love to catch up. One of the statements was a more casual comment however I said to her to give me a call as soon as she's free, because she had been busy every time I tried to organise something, and I would be keen as mustard to meet up. No call and its been a month?? Then she had the nerve to facebook me and say, 'So when are we catching up'...again she throws her empty promises out there.

With the second friend, we went as far as organising what we were going to order at the coffee shop practically, but come the day of meeting up, no call, no message, nothing, zip???

I give her a buzz and no answer? So, needless to say I was slightly pissed off. I was left with nothing to do on a glorious Sunday and I even turned down another offer because I thought we had plans. So no, no chocolate cake and mocha for me on Sunday. Not Happy!!!!

Why??? Why do people say these things with no intentions to follow through. And there we have the key words...'Follow Through'. Good intentions means jack unless you actually bother to put them into action.

Bella: Yes, I have a few friends like this as well. Actually from memory of one of our previous posts about pet peeves, people who flake after making plans is actually one of my top ones.

I actually make a great point of when I have commit ed to something I make sure that I carry through with it. If I accept a friend's invitation to do something I will 99% of the time follow through. Unless for some unforeseen circumstance, I will never cancel on someone I've committed to because I know how annoying and frustrating it is when someone does it to me. Also....If I've said yes to do something with someone, it's usually for good reason and that's because I enjoy that persons company!

I would much prefer and have more respect for someone if they were just honest and up front from the beginning. Without sounding too harsh, I understand that some people genuinely want to catch up and then due to things out of their control they can't. That's fine I understand that. It's the people who make plans and then constantly cancel on you or a few days before tell you that something's come up. Or the people that don't actually give you a definite answer and always put off committing until the very last minute, to then finally tell you that they can't make it. It's like they're waiting for a better option or just trying to psyche themselves up??

TwinSpeak: Why Not Monday : 16th March

Welcome to a second week of 'Why say Why when you can say Why Not Monday'!

Bella: As you know, last week we decided to give Monday's and official name and event! Because most people need that extra little push at the beginning of the week, we thought it was high time to use this as an excuse and start using Monday's to do some goal planning.

Just to recap, Last week I decided instead of complaining or getting annoyed whenever something doesn't go my way, I think why not try and find the positive in every situation and something to be grateful for. Why not change my outlook for the rest of this week and see if I'm a better person for it. This was definitely a challenging goal for me and one that I might need to revisit again but I'm happy to say that I did focus on the task even though I had a few touch and go moments.

This week I'm choosing to focus on my health and I've decided:
Why Not finally begin a detox plan that I've been wanting to do for so long!

I have told myself countless times that I should really one day do a detox plan to cleanse my system. I've been feeling sluggish and just plain average for a few months now so what better opportunity to start? I've investigated a few detox options out there. I don't want to go on a full liquid diet for the first time and there are some pretty extreme options like this on the market. I've opted for a 10 day detox plan incorporating natural supplements while also focusing on a restricted diet. Well this sounded do-able to me. I can still eat on this plan but just have to make sure I stick to a light diet for the week. Suits me fine.

So I'll keep you updated on this little adventure throughout the week.

Frankie: My last week's "Why Not Monday" thought was: "Why not say 'Hi' to a complete stranger each day this week."

Well, this 'Why Not' had some interesting turn of events. I had some great responses and some not so friendly ones. All in all, it was a fun experience anticipating how the next person would react to a stranger approaching them and saying Hi. Such a simple thing and yet, some people have become so weary of this gesture. Anyway, my 'WNM' task for this week is going to be...

Why not go to coffee with that guy at work who asked me? The catch is, well I am seeing someone and he just broke up with his someone.

I was quite taken aback when he asked me to go for coffee because he isn't someone that I regularly talk to at work. But he assured me that he was only asking because he always saw me at my lunch break reading and he thought it would be nice to get out of the office?? Okay then.

Now Bella thinks that I should go for a casual coffee with this guy. You know, initiate the offer so nothing gets too awkward at work between us now. I thought that this might confuse the situation but Bella argues that the guy made his intentions known, "just as mates, to get out of the office, nothing else" and well, I told him I was seeing someone so, it's all good right??

So, my why not Monday is going to be about casually going for a coffee one day, nothing out of the ordinary and nothing out of my way, if I just happen to be going for coffee, I might just ask the guy to come...yeah that should be okay right??

Twin Speak...Where is your haven?

Over the years, living in my little home town, I have come to appreciate the qualities it offers. However, I know that I still have so much more to appreciate and discover...

Frankie: It's sad for me to think that I have lived almost 28 years in this one town and have yet to discover its natural beauties and splendour. Why do we let ourselves get carried away with the less joyful things in our lives. Yes, I know, 'To Survive'. Who has time to enjoy the little wonders of our world when we need to work to eat and live. Yet, I am not happy to think that just because it is, it should be?


Therefore, I have left you with a picture of one of my favourite safe havens that I love to go to when I need to remember what I should be grateful for.

The Beach
I come here whenever I need to think. I love sitting on the soft sand, and depending the weather, enjoy the cool feel of it between my toes or the warmth as I lie there looking at the sky. I always let my mind wonder into endless possibilities when I'm here.

How many other people have sat in this exact spot and contemplated the world. How many have run their hands thought the delicate sand and watch it blow through the air as it falls from their palm.

Whenever I feel at a cross roads, a dead-end or just overly contemplative, I come here to think and it always puts things in perception. How can you not be grateful, how can you not be happy living within such breathtaking paradise.

Whatever thoughts, sadness or worries I had slowly lifts as I feel more and more indebted to be able to witness this, something that some other person may only have dreamed!

Let me know what your place of escape looks like? Tell me what makes it your own, why or where it is...enjoy!!!

TwinSpeak: Mid week update on Why Not Monday's Challenge

It's Hump Wednesday which means we're half way through another week and we wanted to give you an update on how we are managing with what we resolved to achieve on 'Why Not Monday'.

Bella: My goal was to focus on the positive aspects of my job this week and not complain every time something doesn't go to plan. Whether it be when a client is being a bit more demanding than usual or if a job doesn't go to plan, it was my goal to take minute and focus on things that I should be grateful for.

The task is going well...but it's amazing how difficult it can be to change a mindset or habit. When I feel myself starting to go into a rant I have to take a conscious step back, take a breath and then reevaluate what I'm going to say. Once though I got the hang of it and started remembering my goal, it was actually very uplifting and relieving not focusing on the aspects which were only going to make me more aggro. It was like a weight was lifting. Once I told myself not to stress and to just relax...these things happen...I found it much easier to then get on with the job.

Frankie: So my challenge for "Why not Monday" is going moderately well. To ease myself into the scheme of things I decided to say "Hello" to one stranger each day for this week. I thought it would be nice to add a positive touch to my 'WNM'.

So, being on the third day of my challenge, I have had mixed reactions.

Day 1: As I pulled in to my local gas station on Monday morning I thought, why not start the 'Hellos' right now. The gas attendant came over to pump my gas and I automatically said 'Hi'. I realised though, that this wasn't much of a change to what I would normally do since it is common courtesy to greet your service attendant. I wasn't going to let myself off that easy. So, as I walked to the shop to pay for the gas, I said 'Hi' to another gas customer walking out of the store. He also greeted me with a 'Hello' and a nice smile. It felt kinda of nice being the person to spread a little bit of unexpected friendliness. Day One accomplished.

Day 2: Again, due to my limited social expeditions during work hours I was left with only a handful of places to venture to to say 'Hi'. As I walked to the small snack bar near my work, I passed the local mechanics and noticed one of the staff walking towards a car parked on the sidewalk waiting to be moved for service. As I passed him I chimed in a quick 'Hey'. From the look he gave me you would have thought I was some obsessive stalker. He grimaced at me with uncertainty and then laughed under his breath??

Day 3: I want to challenge myself a little more, so I have decided to branch out and say 'Hi' to a fellow grocery patron when I do my shopping tonight at the local shopping market. Who knows, maybe I could even spark up a convo about the shooting prices of green vegies and fruit?? Let you know how it goes.

TwinSpeak: Why say Why when you can say Why Not Monday

Unlike most days of the week, Monday is one where we need that little bit more motivation to get us going. Once Monday's past, it seems the week starts to get better and we begin to look forward to the rest of the week. We're all familiar with Hump Wednesday, the much anticipated middle of the week which takes us that much closer to....Foot Loose and Fancy Free Friday. I even know some people who refer to Tuesday as; Tomorrow is Hump Wednesday Tuesday. Well we thought it was only fitting to give the most important day of the week an official term as well.

Bella: From now on we are going to refer to Monday as "Why say Why when you can say Why Not Monday". More often that not, it seems that Monday can bring out the worst in us perhaps because it signifies the beginning of another long, hard week. In anticipation or dread of what lays ahead, it's almost as if we already have the mindset to be negative so at least then we're not too disappointed when something does go bad. Maybe we're not all like this to this degree but I think we can all relate to the Monday Blues?

We want to put a stop to this mindset and try and put a positive spin on the day that most people look forward to the least. From now on, why don't we treat Monday as the day to stop saying 'Why' and start saying 'Why Not'? Let's start setting challenges for ourselves on Monday's so we do have something to look forward to and we do have a positive outlook.

It can be a small goal to start with and even something as simple as deciding to say hello to every person you come across for the day? Whatever it is, it's something to work towards and achieve. Monday can be our day where we step out of our comfort zones and try something new and different. After all....the beginning of the week should signify the beginning of change too?

Today instead of complaining or getting annoyed whenever something doesn't go my way, I think why not try and find the positive in every situation and something to be grateful for. Why not change my outlook for the rest of this week and see if I'm a better person for it.

Frankie: Okay, so my 'Why Not Monday" thought is: "Why not say 'Hi' to a complete stranger each day this week."

I don't like putting myself out of my comfort zone and this gesture, even though small, does make me uncomfortable. So, I am going to say 'Hello' to at least one stranger each day this week :)

Of course, I will be a little selective and ensure that my stranger looks moderately harmless :) but this can be my first, small why not? Who knows what changes this could bring :)

TwinSpeak: What are your comfort foods?

There are just some foods that make me all warm and gooey inside. Foods that I look forward to eating and just brighten my day. Foods that make me think, even though I've had a crappy day...knowing that it's there at home waiting for me just takes the edge off :)

Bella: For some, it may be just good old fashioned home cooking or to others it's the really guilty, naughty stuff that does it for them. Others might prefer exotic tastes and rare delights that get their happy factor up but whatever it is I think we all have our form of comfort foods. I love all food and it's hard for me to pick favourites but I definitely have my list of ultimate foods. Some of it may seem strange and some of it is just boring to others but for whatever reasons these are my comfort foods:

• Chocolate chip cookies- But not just any chocolate chip cookie; Kmart Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies are the ultimate cookie. Jam packed with so many chocolate chips it's heavenly and decadent, hence the name. 90% choc chip, 10% cookie. These cookies are so jam packed in fact they should be renamed: Cookie chip cookies.
• KFC- I know, I know...not the healthiest option but I'd run 4 hours on a treadmill any day just so I could have a bucket of yummy fried chicken.
• Chocolate Mousse- One of my all time favourite desserts ever since I was a kid. There's no limit to how much I'll eat.
• Creme Brulee- To me this is the ultimate dessert and one that demands respect. I won't overindulge on this one because I think it's so special you should only have it is small doses.
• Omelet- I love a good old omelet and I often factor in an omelet for dinner at least once a fortnight. I load mine up with all the trimmings too...a Bella Spanish Omelet.
• Satay & peanut sauce- One from my upbringing and Mum's famous home cooking of traditional Indonesian fare.
• Paella- I love, love, love Paella
• Crumpets- I don't know why but crumpets never fail to get my day off on a good start.
• Warm crusty white bread- Getting a freshly baked warm loaf of crusty bread is one of my ultimate guiltily pleasures. I then love to smear butter over a slice and savour the goodness.
• Macaroni & Cheese- I think Frankie and I are the same on this. Our favourite brand is Continental Mac & Cheese and it's the processed cheese type....Mmmm all that yellowy goodness.

Frankie: I have so many foods that I indulge in, but my all time favourites are:

• Peanut-Butter and Chocolate Ice-Cream - I love ice-cream but this would have to be my all time favourite, with the big chunks of peanut-butter mixed in with chocolate. Yummy!
• Chocolate and custard creme crepe - I was addicted to these for a brief time until my office moved to a remote location with no food spots. But I used to get these yummy warm crepes each and every day.
• Hot Dog- Yep, I loooove a good ol' hot dog with cheese and mustard.
• Macaroni & Cheese - It has to be the microwavable kind :) the one that has the powdered cheese sauce to mix in...lol.
• Corned-beef and rice - again, this has to be the corned beef in a can. That's right people, I eat food out of a can. I love eating this and would never get sick of it. Gag if you must!

TwinSpeak: Do you know an Emotional Vampire??

You know...the kind of person who just can't seem to function unless there is drama in their lives and then in the process drains you of all your optimism and happiness whenever they are around!!

Bella: I have a friend like this and it's always drama, drama, drama. I often wonder if perhaps I live the most boring life in existence or does this girl really have this many problems??? Granted some of the problems she faces really do suck but who doesn't have a sucky week, month or year!! C'mon we all go through it! Yet this girl seems to attract drama and problems life flies to sh*t! Sorry about the terminology but I've just had to endure a 10 page email (if emails had pages) and after finishing it I promptly wanted to throw myself out the window in front of a bus and hope that it finishes the job off.

The email went something along the lines of:

Hey..sorry to hear about (recent family member passing). Yeah my (family member) is so sick...hospitalised...I have to visit her everyday. I'm just so tired and over it. Why can't things ever go right for me.

How's work ? My work is crap. Everyone is giving me problems. Why can't they just like me. I just can't seem to find a job that is good for me. My bosses and all my work colleagues are just ars#holes. God poor me. Why can't things just work out for me.

Well...I have to find somewhere else to live too now. Geez...everything is so crap! My flatmate she's just a b#tch. I mean so what if I stay up late watch TV all night and my boyfriend completely ignores her in her own house! As if we're being rude! God people are so unreasonable.

And on and on this went. For a long time I've noticed this pattern evolving around her and her problems. If all you think is negativity=All you will attract is negativity.

Frankie: Thank fully I don't have any happiness suckers around me anymore. I had to make a decision for myself because I knew that I could be easily drained and affected. However, I feel like I'm becoming like one of those downers; that suck the fun, light-heartedness and warmth out of a situation.

My glum and in-depth views on things can sometimes get me very anxious. I need to focus very hard on being the person that I want to be. I read in someones Bio on here the other day and one statement caught my eye, "I laugh and smile a lot"...I actually wished to myself that I was more like that. Laugh and smile everyday of my existence. Ok, well maybe not everyday because that would be unnatural, but I would like to do it more freely and without having to think about it.

So I am going to force myself to smile and laugh at least 10 times a day and then work up the quota until it's something that just comes second nature. :) It's a small start to a more positive and goofy life that I want to live. I am tired of the up and down emotional spirals. Just give me LIGHT!!!!!

Twin Speak: How Embarrassing!

Unlike the title suggests, thankfully I can't recall having had an embarrassing moment for quite a while.

Bella: We've all had them though...those cringe worthy, want to make you cry moments when you do something really really embarrassing and all you wish is the ground would open up and swallow you whole. Thankfully I mustn't have done anything really stupid for quite a while, or otherwise my memory is failing me, but I can't recall any moments like these.

Recently I found an article on a new survey which reveals our top 10 most awkward social situations. Which are yours?

1. Wardrobe malfunctions Zips left undone; tucking skirt into underwear.
2. Lost for words Having no response in conversation; forgetting someone's name.
3. Mistaken baby bump Congratulating someone on a pregnancy when they're not pregnant; offering a woman a seat, assuming she is pregnant when she isn't.
4. Romantic mishaps Seeing one's ex with a new partner; Saying "I love you" for the first time and not having the sentiment returned.
5. Looking foolish Making an inappropriate joke.
6. Nigel no-friends Having someone turn their back on you or, even worse, no-one talking to you at a party.
7. Embarrassment by proxy Your partner acting stupidly in public; the drunken behaviour of friends.
8. Dating disasters Awkward silences on a first date; spilling food or drink on a partner
9. Caught out Making an excuse for not going somewhere, then being caught in the lie; being overheard by the person you're gossiping about.
10. Clumsy catastrophes Slipping over when attempting to get up after tripping; dropping food on your chest while eating.

I can actually recall experiencing a 'Lost for words', 'Mistaken baby bump' and 'Embarrassment by proxy' moment all at the same time when my husband and I were at a social outing and he forgot my friend's name while asking her about her pregnancy when she wasn't the one pregnant, thus rendering us both mortified and embarrassed!