Getting to Know Me

A little while ago, Maz from Caffeine and Fairydust (one of my all time favourite people and blogs), tagged me in this chain of “getting to know me” posts. I love reading these and apparently I love writing them too. Since there are more of you now than there were when I started this journey, maybe a little insight into who I am might provide some context (or not). Either way, here’s to you getting to know me 🙂

1. Are you named after someone?

Nope. My mom liked the name Amanda, but my dad didn’t. They compromised and I became Mandy Lee.

2. When was the last time you cried?

4am this morning. Charly is going through something, I’m thinking it might be her molars coming through early. Essentially she is impossible; non-stop tantrums, outright disobedience and physical thrashing which ends up with me being hit, kicked or punched. She is also waking up for hour long stretches in the night and starting the day before 5am. I am at my end and I keep losing it and shouting at her and then bawling my eyes out.

3. Do you have kids?

The aforementioned exquisite, adorable, impossible Charlotte Rose who is 2 in February.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Yes and no.

Yes, because I worship my friends and do everything in my power to love, support and lift them up whenever they need it. I am loyal to a fault and want to kick the world’s butt every time one of them hurt.

No, because I am insanely busy and very rarely get to see anybody unless they come to me (which bugs the hell out of most people). I am an incredible “online” friend, always willing to engage and chat on FB, Twitter, email or whatsapp; but try to call me or invite me out and I am the worst.

5. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Cocopops and filing. Yes, you read that right – filing. I love sorting chaos into reason. I am currently sitting through 700 emails in my new magazine’s email account and filing them away. Before Charly (and MLM and Pregnant in Cape Town and South African Sisterhood and Tums 2 Tots Online), my ultimate relaxing activity was sorting my thousands of series into folders and ensuring the naming was all correct. I can procrastinate for hours simply creating folders and moving things around. It allows me to do the same mentally.

6. Do you like handwriting?

I love my notebooks and I find I remember things more easily if I write them down. I’ve always been a diary keeper too, until this blog, when my diary became online for all of you to read. While I still make notes, I find if I try to write for too long my hand cramps terribly and my writing becomes illegible. So while I like it, it isn’t really something I do a lot of.

7. What is your favorite cereal?

Cocopops; but not for breakfast, it’s a treat. If I actually eat cereal for a meal, it is All Bran Flakes (I know the boredom is killing you); but I do really enjoy them especially for lunch in Summer with too much milk.

8. What is the first thing you notice about people?

How they speak to others in a “lower” position to them, whether it’s a junior staff member, a waiter or a younger person. I immediately take on whether they look people in the eye when they speak to them. And I can sense anger in people, a self preservation thing likely.

I think that outside of these active thought processes, I mostly actually go by “feel”. I can generally sense when somebody isn’t a “good” person and I find I get quite anxious around them. From my poker playing days I know that this is likely just a natural propensity for picking up on people’s “tells”, tiny non-verbal things that I register in a subconscious level.

9. What color are your eyes?

The standard response is blue; but they have as much green and grey in them depending on everything from mood to lighting to what I’m wearing.

10. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings at the moment. I find scary movies far more disturbing since having Charly.

11. Favorite TV show?

Gilmore Girls! And I got to visit the set when I was on honeymoon and nearly exploded with excitement!

More currently, Scandal (or The Fixer as they call it in SA) or Nashville.

12. Summer or winter?

Winter. I hate being hot and sweaty and outside; I hate never being able to get cool enough and I get sunburnt every single Summer and then peel and go totally white again.

Winter suits my personality; wanting to be inside, wearing layers of snuggly clothing, under piles of blankets, reading, writing or watching series. and the grey stormy weather inspires great writing too.

13. Hugs or kisses?

All the hugs from all the people. And butterfly kisses with Charly, it’s our thing ❤️

4. What’s the furthest you’ve been from home?

Los Angeles California on our honeymoon

15. Do you have special talents?

Finding the most amazing people to be part of my life.

Helping others share their thoughts or stories in a way that gives them a new perspective on themselves.

Being a safe space for people who need one.

Finding potential in people and businesses and helping them to reach that potential.

16. Where were you born.

Kingsbury hospital in Claremont Cape Town.

17. What are your hobbies?

If you had asked me that a few years ago, I would have said writing, reading and editing things for fun (all of which are part of my current businesses) and yoga and poker, neither of which are viable pastimes at this point in my life.

The dictionary defines “hobby” as “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure”; by that definition, work or sleep.

18. Do you have any pets?

Two cats. Trigger, who is small and incredibly soft and fluffy and gentle in nature. And Gizmo, my big fat black and white cat baby; he is a gentle giant who loves to play and has endless patience with Charly which amazes me since she enjoys having tea parties with him or riding him like a horse.

19. Favorite movie?

Curious George (1&2). I love them, for real. I find the music incredibly soothing, the stories are lovely and they make my baby laugh out loud. They are good for the soul.

20. What color is your car?

White. I never “chose” the colour though, that was just the colour it was. If I were to choose a car colour, it would be gunmetal grey or red (red is actually my first choice, but apparently red cars are in more accidents than any other colour car).

21. What did you want to be when you grow up?

A writer (I wrote and “illustrated” my first book when I was 9 years old).

A clinical psychologist (I’m a “helper” by nature, I’ve always wanted to save people, and I am fascinated by human psychology, particularly abnormal psychology).

A criminal profiler (because I read endless crime fiction and watch shows like Criminal Minds, and the same reason as point two).

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Thanks Maz for the tag; I’ve been wanting to fill this out since you shared and it was the perfect thing to do on my phone while Charly napped!

I tag Jonelle from Tyranny of Pink; Zoey from BornGeek, Cassey from Bits and Pieces, Zayaan from Surviving the Madness and Celeste from My Friend Thinks I’m Supermom. You all have new readers that aren’t as lucky to know you as I am!

In case you missed it, I am running a very special giveaway this week with the incredible Watercolour Heart – go enter ASAP <3

Sending all the love xx