What Mel Wants

Self Publishing is a Blessing of Freedom Convenient Communication My messages are more easily brought across through open convenient communication. Self-published blogging is the quickest easiest way to share a candid opinion. Quantity and Frequency So many opportunities exist to say more and more, when sharing your own publications. You choose the pace. Your schedule is followed. Flexibility is possible. You could publish one article on a particular day, then three articles on the next day. The quantity is at a pace that can be managed. Targeted Niche Audiences Each of my web sites caters to a different audience. Separate sites exist for communication skills, lifestyle, design and personal life. These digital publications all serve different purposes. Relating Ideas to My Life Digital self-publishing provides opportunities to relate known concepts with my own life experiences. We all have unique experiences, that can be of benefit to other people. My own web site

Why I Cook More Than Ever Cooking is more enjoyable than I could have imagined. It is best done during nights at home, when there is more time to spare. This is a matter of health and quality. I enjoy knowing what foods go into my meals, and how I will feel. Portions of Meal Sizes Plenty of reasons exist for the controlled portions, which are achieved through making our own meals. Portion control prevents waste, encourages healthy moderation, and ensures more of the good foods can be enjoyed later.  Controlled Servings Avoid Waste Home cooking is a way to control serving sizes. It saves that feeling, when eating out, having to leave food untouched and wasted. I do still enjoy eating out. However, there is a feeling of pressure to finish everything that is on the plate. People often push themselves even when feeling full. When not eating out, some homemade sensible portions are awesome. Store Convenient Leftovers for Later Leftovers are a matter of enjoying further benefi

My engagement is a blessing and the most important thing in my life. However, it is not the only thing that takes up time in my days. Couples have the right to spend hours preparing for months. We, as the bridal couple, have a right to life balance when we can do the things we enjoy doing together - work, self publishing, hobbies and pub visits with mates. We treasure our upcoming wedding, but do not revolve around it. With this decision, it is still the most important thing in our lives. But not the only part of our lives. Past Events Experiences Influence Our Special Wedding Wedding planning feels easier for us because we both have past experience with organising events. Toastmasters and other organisations became practice in planning statewide conferences, local themed parties and everything in between. I had three years of involvement with small club celebrations, such as Halloween theme complete with themed catering. It showed me the requirements of practical foods with a

I Am Not Strictly Dieting In Preparation for My Wedding Be comfortable instead of skinny. Image: iStock I will gladly eat what I want in the lead up to my wedding. All foods will be in healthy. But I do not feel the need to strictly plan extreme weight loss. The wedding is about my relationship, not my body. This should not even be a question. Pre-wedding dieting is encouraged by many lifestyle leaders, from women's magazines to Martha Stewart. Everyone should feel beautiful on a wedding day. But it should be because of healthy balance instead of pressure to fit an image. Weddings Are About Relationships (duh) My wedding is about my relationship. It feels like the most obvious statement in the world. Of course a wedding is about the relationship. We decided to get married because we want to express our commitment in an official celebration.  We were addicted to each other within weeks of being together. We agree on the big decisions on life, and compromise on o

Follow Melanie's Blogs on Bloglovin' Melanie Suzanne Wilson is the creator of multiple blogs, as part of her communications projects. All of Melanie's blogs can be followed on Bloglovin' for convenience. Melanie's Blogs:  Blogs about new ways of living and working. Image: Getty/iStock What Mel Knows This industry insight blog explains communciations strategies to new users. Shake Up Your Style Melanie's own fashion and lifestyle blog features general advice for creative outfits. Fresh Fashion The Fresh Fashion is the voice of new design. Melanie speaks with fashion designers who are emerging in the industry. Learn With Your Community An focus was on education news for this blog, with contributions from Mengyu Chan.    Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Junk Food in Moderation  Balancing the Temptations of Junk Food with Healthy Options Food doesn't have to be an either-or. Image: iStock I do not feel guilty for eating some junk food. It is all in moderation. I will not turn hipster and live every minute on organic raw produce. Maybe sometimes, but not always. All respect should be given to those who choose the consciously health conscious route. They have freedom as individuals to enjoy putting time and energy into such lifestyles. It's just not me. Yes, I do feel joy from so-called "naughty" foods. But it's more than that. I don't want to live my life in a moral dilemma of a "right" and "wrong" of eating. That is so much brain power and consciousness that could be dedicated towards something else. Some treat foods are alright. Emphasis here is on the word, "some." Part of my daily diet might include occasional sugary treats. But that is occasional fun, p

Start Dressing in Style for Spring through Online Shopping This blog post is sponsored by FashionMia - the online fashion clothing store. Click here to visit the FashionMia web site.  Dresses for Women are in Diverse Styles  Spring is the time to be more creative with dresses. The weather is warming up. This time is known for days at the races. It's time to dress up and have fun! Feel Pretty in Lace  Lace is a fully feminine way to dress up. It is elegant enough for slightly formal occasions. But it can be dressed down all day. Lace dresses for women will stand the test of time. Stand Out in Bright Colours Colourful dresses for women will truly turn heads. Everybody will notice that dress in a bright hue.    Be Yourself Most of all, get creative in developing your own personal style. Anything is possible, as long as you feel comfortable.

Give Yourself a Weekend Give yourself a weekend during any schedule. Image: iStock. Weekends are more important than ever. Technology allows us to multi task around the clock. Yet every individual deserves relaxation with dedicated time for breaks. Multiple definitions exist for weekends. There are long weekends, unplugged distance from devices or quick half days away. Whichever the schedule, every weekend should be peacefully happy. Work smarter not harder Work efficiently to allow more time for real breaks. Image: Pixabay. Productivity is not greater when working throughout a weekend. Resting and reviving can result in more focused achievement later on in the week. Be detached and free from distractions An entirely relaxed time off will have more impact. One option is to limit the use of work-related technology. Tech use is about moderation, not going for all or nothing. Keep devices on hand for emergencies. Evaluate messages during the day off. If

  Differences Make Us Stronger Human kind are beautifully diverse. We gain strength in our differences. My relationship with Clay Halford is filled with amazing contrasts.  Getting from A to B: To Drive or Not To Drive I Avoid Driving I never enjoyed driving. My attitude is partly due to the environment, also my slight perceived inability and also preferring to do other things. There are too many things to pay attention to at the same time. Very little control exists for the other people on the road, who do unpredictable irresponsible things. My Fiancee Relaxes When Driving Clay, my fiancée, feels more relaxed when driving. We sometimes go on 'drives' where he simply drives us to the beach or around a few suburbs. I do not fully understand the recreational side of cars. They seem boring to me. There is very little to do when cooped up in that little space. But Clay gets to focus on s