What fitness means...

I am a big fan of dictionaries. Whenever I am not sure how I should start a post I look up whatever it is I am planning to write about. Today I want to write about fitness. To define fitness is not easy, so in order to find out what fitness means to me I first had to find out what fitness means in the Collins Dictionary. Fitness: a) The state of being fit. b) The degree of adaptation of an organism to its environment, determined by its genetic constitution. c) The ability of an organism to produce viable offspring capable of surviving to the next generation.


Well, there you have it. Now for the BIG question: Am I fit? According to definition a) I am not, but according to definition b) and c) I am super fit. I do not have a fitness routine or a dietary advisement chart on my fridge or kettle bells in my cupboard. What I do have, however, which makes me fit in accordance to definitions b) and c) is that fact that I am alive (I have adapted to my environment) and I have an offspring, Kayla, who is capable of surviving just as I have.


So, maybe I am 2/3 fit. Emotionally and mentally I am 100% fit but physically I am not. It is definitely a goal of mine to lose weight, eat healthy food and get into some sort of a fitness regime (that I enjoy). Once this has been achieved I will be 100% fit as a fiddle and the ultimate definition of fitness according to the Collins Dictionary.

Oh, they do make it look like a lot of fun, don't they?

The not-so-traditional anniversary gift

No matter who you are as a couple, it can always be quite a challenging task coming up with exciting and fun anniversary ideas. For the couple who is looking for the not so traditional anniversary gift ideas, Celestial Gift Experiences will have the perfect gift ideas on offer.

If your other half has a passion for motorcycles then the Harley Davidson pillion is the perfect anniversary gift for them. It “includes a one hour Harley Davidson Pillion. The Harley Chauffeur can collect from your address of choice and either provides a one way or two way transfer – totaling 60 minutes”. Maybe get the chauffeur to drop your partner off at a restaurant where you will be waiting…sounds like a very romantic anniversary gift idea to me.

Maybe you are looking for anniversary gifts for a couple that loves to fly. Some of the flying experiences available at Celestial Gift experiences include a Cape Town helicopter flight, hot air balloon flights, tandem paraglide flights as well as a tandem skydive. Also available is the WACO biplane flight for two and a Johannesburg sunset flight.

For something a little different you could also choose a beachcraft bonanza flight for three. “Your flight route can be discussed with your pilot to make this flight best suited and most memorable – take in the best of what the Jozie skyline has to offer. With three seats available for passengers this makes for a great experience for friends and family.” This is wonderful anniversary gift as it can include more people – sharing your anniversary gifts with others can only make it that much more memorable.

If you are looking for anniversary gifts for the couple that likes a good party then maybe the following gifts experiences are just what you are looking for. There is a Ghost Bus and pub crawl available as well as Party Hummer, which “operates within Johannesburg and Pretoria. Your recipient will be collected along with a maximum of 3 others and taken either for a drive or to your favourite restaurant, nightclub or bar”. This experience is bound result in lots of celebrating and will no doubt be night never to be forgotten.

Does your partner love to dance? If so, why not get them a dance experience that they will remember forever. Celestial Gift experiences offers 4 saucy salsa dance lessons as well as ballroom dancing for two, which “includes 16 hours of ballroom and Latin American dancing for one person or two. It is made up of a private 30 minute assessment followed by 4 individual lessons of 30 minutes each, 8 socials and 6 parties”.

Whatever anniversary ideas you come up with, whether you are looking for traditionally romantic anniversary gifts or the slightly more unique gifts, www.celestialgifts.co.za will most certainly be able to cater for your interests or the interests of the couple. 

Birthday Gift Ideas

A 60^th birthday gift doesn’t always need to include a pair of warm wooly socks or a book about boats or flower arranging. Celestial Gift Experiences offers a wide range of alternatives to these “normal” birthday gifts. Why not opt for a driving experience or a relaxing day at the spa? Whether your friend or close family member is celebrating their 40^th birthday or their 80^th birthday, you will find the perfect gift for them at www.celestialgifts.co.za.

There are so many interesting experiences out there, such as an opportunity to do a live radio broadcast for any event – this “includes fantastic Radio Presenters who will keep your guests rocking with awesome tunes as well as electric engagement with the audience to maintain the vibe of fun, excitement and promotion of your event”.  If this isn’t unique enough (but you don’t want to go as far as getting a ‘drive a Ferrari’ experience) then how about a WACO biplane flight for two or an elephant encounter? Both are perfect for any occasion from a 40^th birthday to a 60^th birthday.

If your Mom enjoys good food (and would never want to drive a Ferrari) then I suggest you take a look at these wonderful experiences – An Italian pasta lesson, high tea for two, a private fine dining experience for two, a Table Bay cruise and lunch for two, a chocolate tasting and lunch for two or a Jazz brunch for two. Another option is star gazing and dinner for two at the Cradle of Mankind where “participants will be given the chance to make use of both telescopes and called to look through the larger telescope usually on a table-by-table basis, before and during the various courses of food ordered in the restaurant”. These are all amazing alternatives to a driving experience.

And then, on the other hand, you might also have friends and family members who are passionate about cars and racing and who would love to drive a Ferrari and enjoy a unique driving experience. For those people you could choose to get a Birkin 2-seater hot lap session, which “includes a 10 minute introduction to the car and its mechanics/history followed by being strapped in and then 20 minutes experiencing this rare beauty at top speeds in the safe hands of a Professional Racing Driver. Once you have finished your session you can then enjoy light refreshments in the VIP hospitality tent”.

For your businessman uncle, who is celebrating his 60^th birthday, you could get a tailor made shirt consultation where “each tailor made shirt is cut to your individual specifications using the highest quality fabrics and craftsmanship”. For your sister, who is celebrating her 40^th birthday, and who loves to fly, you could give the gift of a Johannesburg sunset flight for two, a Cape Town helicopter flight or a hot air balloon flight, which also includes breakfast for two.

 Lion cub encounters for two, Vaal River fishing cruises, which “includes the private charter of a luxurious cruiser for 3-hours, all gear, equipment and training” and wine estate picnics for two – there is no doubt that Celestial Gift Experiences is the place to go for unique and exciting gifts that create memories that last a life time.  

Celestial Gift Experiences Vouchers

Buying 50^th birthday gifts for people you do not know is not easy. Celestial Gift Experiences has an experience voucher or gift vouchers, which are perfect 50^th birthday gifts for someone you do not know so well. Not everyone wants to test drive a Ferrari, so gift vouchers allow the person to choose, for themselves, an experience that they will enjoy.

At Celestial Gift Experiences there is a selection of three beautifully presented gift vouchers. Pluto is valued at R500, Saturn is valued at R1000 and Mars is valued at R1500. The experiences you could get with R500 or less include a rock climbing introduction, river rafting, a Segway lion park tour experience, advanced quad biking, chocolate tasting, horseback safari, an introduction to microlight flight, a Sushi lesson and a facial spa treatment, just to mention a few.

For R1000 or less, if you get one of the Saturn gift vouchers, you could get a live radio celebrity experience, a Lotus Exige driving dash, a hot stone massage, a Table Bay cruise and lunch for two, a Cape Town helicopter flight, a tandem paraglide flight, four saucy salsa dance lessons for two, a gyrocopter flight and even a canopy tour.

As you can see, Celestial Gift Experiences has so much more to offer than just the “test drive a Ferrari” experience. If you give someone the Mars gift voucher they will be able to choose from these amazing gift experiences. Here are just a few of the experiences on offer for R1500 or less – an Aston Martin driving dash, dinner in the sky for two, tailor made shirt, tie and cufflinks, an introduction to kite surfing, a Super Decathlon with aerobatics, a gents ultimate escape as well as horse whispering for two.

So, if you don’t want to get the ‘test drive a Ferrari’ experience you can always opt for one of the other amazing experiences instead. For the perfect 50^th birthday gift check out www.celestialgifts.co.za and choose from their selection of gift vouchers and experiences. Whether you chose a gift voucher or an experience voucher, you will be making the right choice and even if the gift is for a distant acquaintance they will not only remember the gift but they will, without a doubt, remember you as well.

An experience voucher or any of the gift vouchers are all wonderfully unique 50^th birthday gifts for the people closest to you but they are also perfect gifts for your boss’s wife’s sister or your uncle’s helpful elderly neighbour. You can’t go wrong with giving people, no matter how well you know them, an experience of a lifetime and memory that they will cherish forever.

Weighing up my options.....

I joined Curves a month ago and today was my first weigh in and measurement day. I have been going 5 days a week (for the exception of one week where I went 3 times) and I have been changing my eating habits as best I can. So, as you can imagine, I expected some results. Unfortunately, I have put on…..wait for it…….1.5kg! Obviously it can’t possibly be the Curves gym routine, it has to be my eating habits, which the gym lady, let’s just call her Skinny Malinky, suggested immediately.

So, now my option is to either enjoy food and steadily put on weight (even if I go to the gym 5 times a week) or, as she says, “just drink a big glass of water before each meal and then you won’t eat as much”.

Has it really come to this? That we can’t just eat what we want and eat as much as we want. I hate that I have become this person who feels bad about eating chips or a slice of cake every now and again or eating a meal that contains starch….oh no, heaven forbid I eat bread…..bread is the devil’s food!

I never used to worry about this at all. Food was never an issue for me because I LOVE FOOD! Food has been my dear friend for 27 years and now it has just turned its back on me and is leaving its calories in my ass. My relationship with food has changed without me making the decision to change it and now I feel almost forced to change because I want my body back.

So, I guess there is my answer – I want my body back (the one I had a year ago) so I will just have to say good-bye to my other dear friends bread, pasta and awesome Mr. Potato and hope that we are reunited one day by candle light and a good bottle of wine.

I know that it all comes down to changing my mind-set and soon this will all feel very natural (it bloody well better start quickly) and then I will laugh at the thought that I once got excited about roast potatoes and cheese sauce.

…………….My goodness, I can talk a lot of bull poop…..I think for now I’ll just do the water drinking thing before meals. I take it back my starchy friends….tonight we shall reunite.