Month: May 2016

No one is you and that is your power 

~ Fridgesays ~ 7 Comments

Quote by Dave Grohl
You can’t say my choice of quotes isn’t diverse; we’ve gone from Greek mythology, 19th century writers, a splash of Dolly Parton (everyone needs a splash every now and then) the epic ‘Anon’ and now Nivanas Drummer / lead singer of the Foo Fighters – a bloke called Dave.

Dave is talented; not only within the making music movement, but he makes an awesome speech and inspiration is his fuel. It makes sense that ‘What my fridge says’ would want to absorb it.

Today we wandered  through Brighton and soaked up the sun – it’s a diverse pallete of people wearing conventional Marks and Sparks cardigans to free loving folk ozzing in fabric and clashing patterns, Punks, 1950’s inspired fashion and so much more. And I love it.

I love to see people not looking like clones, throwing out a little ‘I’m me’, I find it humbling in a world that’s media usually preaches what’s acceptable. That and the candy floss are some of my favourite aspects of Brighton. 

Perhaps you’re going to an interview soon and are worried about the competition – don’t just be you, that’s your secret power.

May be you’re not happy in your relationship; tell them why, work at it or leave – your voice can be your power.

In a world where they’re many leaders, it’s ok to be a follower, it’s ok to have hobbies and everyone has interests – these qualities make you magical.

You are magical

You are talented

You are the most important person in your world, not your children, not your partner or even the dog…because without you where would they be?

Be the best you and the world feels amazing. Happiness will flow from you and others will light up in your company…

Your super power is you. Empowered but confused how you unleash your true power? it all begins with the spoken word. Complement others, stand up for your rights and especially those whose voice is muted for whatever reason, keep talking and ‘you’ will see your power unleashed.

Thanks Dave for reminding us our most important lesson 🙂 and reminding us of our ultimate power. 

It’s easy to be brave from a distance

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Proverb by Aesop 

This reminds me of the playground as a fight breaks out. Not the actual fight, but the pathetic individuals that are choosing to stand by and watch. Lapping up the atmosphere of negativity, encouraging the fight with chants that will haunt the victim scrabbling on the floor well into their forties.

Am I against fighting? Not at all – Marshall arts has done more for resilience building that any leadership training course I’ve ever been part of, Boxing and MMA needs spectators and is an awesome all round fitness sport…but when questioning the children standing around the edge they aren’t the confident individuals they were during the chant, nor are they brave.

Brave is the kid that stands between them, stupid is the teacher at 4ft11 (over 5ft in my heels) who’s adrenaline places them in between and who’s voice booms a clear instruction to stop, that desperses the crowd…

How often have I left a conversation with a parent or manager and wishes i’d said something else, how many hours have I reinacted conversations in my head about ‘what I should of said’…these to are not brave. 

Brave is standing by what you know is right. I’d be hypocritical to say I always do this – it’s something you have to be aware of, to engage in the moment. Sometimes no matter how transparent we are, curbing our thoughts and preventing them forming into words is just as brave. In 2006 I found a motto to life that has stuck with me (I nearly got the Latin translation tattooed on me; don’t panic Mum it never happened) and that is…

‘If you do something with good intentions, only good can come from it’

Even if you’ve seriously made an error in judgement, with good intentions comes good vibes and ultimately a less severe consequence for everyone involved. 

So while I get back to the playground, be brave and always say what you think is best in the moment, act in the moment and never judge from a distance – because that’s easy and you’re better than that.

Weird is a side effect of awesome

~ Fridgesays ~ 12 Comments

Quote by Bill Murray 

It all began just before lunch on a Saturday, my son who is three asked me if we could look in the fridge and see what was in there. I asked him if he wanted lunch and casually asked him what he wanted. 

As the fridge door swang open he asked for a cheese sandwhich (a classic fav for my little monster) and then his eyes spied the squirty cream hanging in the door compartment, confidentially he said ‘ a cheese sandwhich with squirty cream on top please mummy’ my reaction was simple. No

  • As he began to whine and I walked a way I thought, why can’t he? Why did I ask him if I wasn’t going to listen to him? How unempowering as a mother is that? I felt sad and instantly grabbed the fridge door, took out the wholemeal bread, cheese and squirty cream; his face lit up and so did my soul. 


(I couldn’t actually bring myself to squirt the cream ‘on top’ but he was happy and ate every bite) 

My little miracle son, who has been on this planet for just over three years empowered me. I spend my life telling him and my students at school that they can do what they like, that limitation is a state of mind and to dream big. In articles like Tigers I hopefully inspire you all to do the same. 

Now before ‘nutritional experts / haters’ or may be even angry lacto intolerant people comment on what I gave my son today, negativity is not welcome here. My  monster can eat for England, has a fabulous varied diet and had all of his 5 a day by 10am this morning. He isn’t under or over weight and to be honest every now and then I may let him assemble his own creations from now on. It didn’t do Heston Blumenthal any harm in his career and this was more about choices and creativity than nutrition – although I’m thinking his calcium intake for today is taken care of, right?

To my little rascal, a huge thank you for giving me a sense of empowerment and here’s to occasionally letting you take the culinary reigns, even if the menu may resemble Letitia Cropley’s (old lady in the Vicar of Dibley) taste palette. 

Stay empowered and listen to your inner tuition, it’s very rarely wrong. 


Integrity…

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Quote by the talented C S Lewis

When I was a little princess I wasn’t very good at playing hide and seek. This is a big deal as an infant – I hated the tension of waiting to be found and I was even worse and knowing across the playground were people hiding from me.I avoided tension at all costs and as a result am an adult that still can’t do films with ‘jaws’ affiliated music, any sort of ghost house or theme park ride where people may jump out. The other thing that I have is a huge conscience – I’m just under 5ft but my conscience is easily 7ft. The great thing is that it is with me even when people aren’t watching. At work I can’t walk past litter without popping it in a bin, if the corridors are empty and I’m in a hurry and walk past a piece of litter I can literally hear it calling me, I usually walk back to pick it up and I guess the two allow integrity to blossom in my world. Integrity is far deeper than litter, but I think it’s the small moments of acting ‘morally’ whether people are watching or not. I use morally lightly as this is subjective to personal interpretation. 

It’s amazing how much our primary socialisation impacts us as adults. I’m not sure you can build on integrity if it’s not there? (Although you can build on any aspect of your life that you aren’t happy with) Integrity is the foundations of your soul, the cement of your thoughts and the dial to your moral compass.

If you constantly worry about what people think and only act in a positive manner because they are watching – you’ve forgotten your foundations and perhaps your dial may need ammending. Worst still is acting in a poor manner because others are watching and you think they’d approve.

Spend time this week thinking about your core morals and never shift from these beliefs. It may be helpful to jot them down. Integrity is the essence of you, and if you can’t do you then you’ve lost the best asset that you will ever have. I told you C S Lewis was a clever chap.

Collect moments #3yrs

~ Fridgesays ~ 1 Comment

Quote by Aarti Khurana.

Before you think I’m going to waffle on about cleaning out the cupboard that no one dare open for fear of death (or in my case suffocation of thousand of carrier bags cascading out), I’m not. 

Instead I’m going to focus on an idea I’ve seen across the net for your little ones. In essence you ask them 20 questions and record the answers every year. I’m using my blog but you can use your Facebook page, a note book or even the notes section in your phone. I may actually do the note book too, as I like the idea of having a scrap book with the questions all together to look back on; you could include pictures and maybe even handwritten responses as they get older.

Simple but so blooming gorgoeus. J loved being asked and it’s definetly something you’ll see here annually. Enjoy and why not give it a go yourself. As I was doing it I wondered (with an adjustment to the questions) how an adult version may be just as inciteful

1. What’s your favourite colour? Green 

2. What’s your favourite toy?    Ohhh my cars 

3. What’s your favourite fruit?   Blueberries (really? Stop eating all the bananas in the house then)

4. What do you like to watch on TV? CBeebies, Rah Rah.

5. What do you like to eat at lunch? Cheese sandwich 

7. What item of clothing do you most like to wear? My crocodile t-shirt 

8. What game do you like to play? The owl game (a phonic game he recently got from ELC)

9. What’s your favourite animal? A crocodile.

10.  What song do you most like? Miss Polly had a dolly and Up town funk (haha eclectic taste)

11. What’s your favourite snack? Coss-ants (croissant are eaten in huge quantities every weekend) 

12. Favourite story book? Billy Goats Gruff

13. Who’s your best friend? Thomas (from Nursery)

14. What’s your favourite sport? Rugby (Daddy may of encouraged this answer)

15. Which holiday do you like the best? Christmas 

16. What do you sleep with? Muzzy (Muslin) and my pillow (he has forgotten the toy box he usually sleeps with) 

17. What do you like best for breakfast? Jam and porridge with jam…just jam.

18. What do you like to do outside? Play 

19. What’s your favourite drink? Pineapple Juice

20. What’s your favourite dinner? Pizza,ooohh pizza can we have pizza? (No) *sulks complete with bottom lip

Until next year, thanks for reading. Please share any that you do, as I genuinely would love to read them.

Go the extra mile

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Quote by the wonderful and talents (all be it slightly bashful) Anon.

Don’t panic this post doesn’t mention the swear word ‘exercise’.

The quote doesn’t require me to delve into a huge ramble of meaning and metaphor, instead it says it all. I adore a quote that hits you with motivation and love and then walks away, I imagine it’s must like David Beckham walking over to you for a peck on the cheek (okay, that would be way better right?) you think at the time you’ll be cool, sassy and looking totes hot – instead you are blushing like a strawberry and wearing stretchy pants (Victoria wouldn’t approve of either the peck or the stretchy trousers)… I digress 

I guess simply many people settle. They plan small and within the reality of now, they settle and make adjustments where necessary, they live day to day and then one day…they die

Not sounding like the usual ‘fridge vibes’ because I spend my life (in my head) screaming at people to want more, to go bigger to enjoy the enjoyment, to actually feel ‘life’ before its gone and sure we all get caught up in the supermarket shop and the kids homework…but we can all dream and live a bit bigger right? Otherwise what’s the point and how come ‘other’ people achieve the things we desire? Because they dare to.

I have a good friend who is currently talking about marriage to a man who, when she got with originally thought was ‘too nice’. 

My Mum has ‘best China’

Other friends are happy settled in finances stretching to a holiday every other year and all the bills paid.

Now I’m hoping that if you’re reading and following the fridge and all its lovely positive contents – maybe your are ready or have  already gone the extra mile.

Settle only with the best of partners, eat off the fancy plates and dream big…because that’s life and what’s the point in life if your goals are around painting fences and a week in Majorca…and if your are the Majorca / fence person then go with the top brand stainer and upgrade to all inclusive. 

*im sure Majorca is lovely, sorry for picking on you. 

No one knows how to love anybodies troubles 

~ Fridgesays ~ 4 Comments

Quote by Frank Stanford

For better or worse? Hmm it seems a little out dated. Of course once in love, you can see imperfections and negative qualities – which at times can even be adorable. Love truly defined is ‘He / She still loves me with flu, greasy hair and when I have sloth like qualities’…

However, I spent most of my early twenties like most of my friends ‘saving people’ and if there is one thing I’ve learnt – you can’t save another; you can help and guide but ultimately we are all in control of our own car crashed and bad hair days, and a little sad but somewhat true is that some people live for the drama and chaos, they spring from disaster zone to complex doomed relationship and from the outside it seems they are celebrating in the misery. Of course, they are really just reliving negative patterns of behaviour and  ingrained habits. We’ve all been there, got the tshirt and the destruction of the ex partners in our history. So why is a positive place like whatmyfridgesays depressing us all…

Because I want to remind you (and myself) that negative people let out negative energy and it’ highly contagious. If you want to love and live happily ever after, listen to others but don’t become absorbed in the energy they are feeding you, because this doesn’t make you selfish, afterall a happy you is better for everyone around you.

So, when the ladies in the office are moaning about their other halves – make a cup tea, rather than swap stories that really are irrelevant and don’t push you in a positive direction.

Seems easy…it’s not, the world is sadly full of misery (one of the reasons I rarely watch TV and never watch the news), I’m guilty too of being absorbed and it’s something I watch, monitor and try to remove myself from.

So this week, think like a butterfly and take the best nectar from the best flowers…and leave the bees to spend all their energy buzzing when they too are just a petal away from the best nectar in town.

Little girls with dreams…

~ Fridgesays ~ 2 Comments

How can this quote be from ‘Anon’ it’s too amazing to not have a owner, like a shiny new coat abandoned on the school peg the day before the school holidays.

Dreaming comes easy to me, as a child I remember thinking I could fly, certain that much like Toy Story my dolls sprang to life as soon as I closed the bedroom door and that one day I to would be become a mermaid. 

My imagination has been busy since forever, I knew I’d be a teacher – I decided when I was around four years old after lining my teddy bears in regimented order and taking complex registers with giant ticks and crayons. 

I knew I’d marry; if Barbie can, so can I. I knew I’d have children and live in a big house (now working on it being bigger and convincing the boys a pink plastic mansion is the way forward)…from experience it’s true, I am now a woman of vision. 

Vision occupies my day to day mind, I’m always looking for improvement in all I do, climbing the ladder of career (insanity?), growing whatmyfridgesays to a level of greatness (in my own perception and not statistics someone else thinks it’s ‘worthy’), raising my son in a way that hopefully means he is a happy and fruitful human…vision is working productively, enjoying all life has to offer, vision is seeing new cultures and finding better ways of completing simple tasks…vision is seeing what others can’t.

A great way to do this is using Pinterest, I have a secret board of my visions…the dream house, aspirational quotes (obviously), the perfect body and places I will one day visit. I enjoyed putting it together – like shopping for that perfect outfit without the financial burden. My next step is to print the images off and transfer it to a collage in a frame that can enhance my vision and bring it closer everyday. Why not do one yourself?

So to my female readers I ask you to clean your lenses this week and make time to think about the reality you want for tomorrow. To read to your children, that’s where imagination and vision begin, as tiny words in bright illustrated pages of wonder (this was something Einstein encouraged)…and watch out because #thisgirlcan 

Dream big x 

Lovely things #9

~ Fridgesays ~ 4 Comments

Is it me or has someone put 2016 on fast forward? I feel like I only just started this year and it’s nearly May?

Being a UK blogger I have to comment on the weather, if you read this abroad then you have climate, Britain just has ‘weather’ and the last few days have seriously delivered, in five minute intervals we’ve had rain, sun, then the bonus of rainbows…oh and snow, hail and serious winds. If that’s not a sign that global warming is already taking effect I’m not sure what is?

So this picture captures my car roof on a sunny morning (covered in frost?)

I took the picture because the tiny pieces of frost seemed to be pointing upwards, plus the swirly patterns made me smile. Lovely things are so often the cause of Mother Nature.

2. My next lovely thing is gratitude. I’m currently working on being grateful for what I have (which is seriously so much more than most) without moaning about my materialist desires or discussing the things I lack. It’s hard because it’s habitual but I’m starting to see the positive aspects of life and not dwell in the drama and negativity.


If you too have lost focus on the happier aspects of life then try ’30 days of not moaning or making a negative comment’ it’s so hard at first, but I promise it soon becomes a new habit and your universe will be better for it. My top tip for this is do it with a friend, it helps you stay focused and you can even share your grateful moments with each other. You can text them to each other which makes a really cute ‘vertual keepsake’ to look back on. 

3. My little man loves books. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I will continue to remortgage so that we can bring home bookshops, hunt charity shops and stalls and generally develop his imagination in every direction. He loves to ‘read’ to me and at three I never seem to get over his sponge ability to absorb a story in seconds. This weekend we have ‘Harry Bear’ from nursery staying, so J was kind enough to ‘read’him Winnie the Pooh, so that he wasn’t scared. This picture melts my heart and completes my April lovely things.


Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle

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Quote and wisdom from Plato. 

I collect something invisible – it’s sad but true. They are free and it stems from a game I use to play with myself when I was a little lady (yup I’m an only child with an imagination as big as the wardrobe door in Narnia) and it’s called Karma points. I collect them all of the time and a bonus is there is no storage involved: In my car I let people out of junctions, I buzz off of a busy one way street, I let people out of shops and all the while I’m collecting karma points for later in the day when my toddler is having a tantrum and the possibilities of me needing to claim in some tokens is high…it’s silly but in this whirling swirling crazy world – it helps me to be nice. In my humble opinion the twenty first century is losing this quality and kindness is essential. 

As parents we encourage it ‘use kind hands’ ‘make sure you share…Ahhh that’s kind’ and then as the biggest hypocrites going we often forget ourselves. 

Life beyond the fridge is pretty good for me most of the time and it’s worth remembering that most people do have it much tougher, be that health wise, financially or just because their partner acts like a part of the male anatomy usually found below the waiste line. 

So as you go about your daily duties, picking children up from various childcare facilities, groups and team activities, make time to let the single mum in the Ford estate out of the car park or the Dad on the edge of sanity in Tesco with twins on a Saturday morning pass with his trolley…because it might be you that needs those karma / kind tokens cashed in one day.

Thanks for reading and please continue to share the fridges positive vibes with friends and loved ones. Have an awesome week 🙂