gadget crazy

I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but I am a real geek at heart.

Not because I wear thick framed glasses, or because I have a working knowledge of Marvel superheroes and faithfully watch movie adaptations of such.  Or because I'm eagerly awaiting the next Malta Comic Con.  But because I am seriously obsessed with gadgets.

Right now, competing with my long list of plaid, jacquard and heavily embellished clothing wishlist, there is a whole list of gadgets which I'm craving for.  Like, really badly.

Let me walk you through them ...

• Jawbone UP Fitness Tracking Band

If you've been following this blog for the past year (almost!), you'll know that I find it very hard to keep up fitness and diet regimes.  This little wonder is what I need.  (yes, I do need it!) Imagine having a little personal trainer with you all the time, monitoring your every move, calculating every calorie burned, reminding you to move about after some time of inertia ... and telling you whether you're getting the much needed quality sleep or not.  This gem does all of that! And I need constant reminders and monitoring to be successful in my current diet and fitness phase. Add to that, the fact that it comes in a number of colours and in a form which is very wearable on a daily basis and on various occasions and the fact it syncs with myfitnesspal account, I'm sold.  So yes, the Jawbone UP Fitness Tracking Band tops the list of my must-have gadgets.

get it here

• Apple iPod Shuffle

With my newly found fitness frenzy, having my workout playlists easily at hand and in a format which is not burdensome while I'm training has become a priority.  I love my iPhone, very much in fact, but it's turning out to be a bit too big to train with.  Luckily my Nike leggings have a hidden zipped pocket right on my backside where I can keep the iPhone, but every time I'm scared I'll be breaking it as I sit on one of the machines or lie down for those ominous crunches.  The iPod shuffle has been around for a while now, and never more than these last days has this little bad boy been more attractive.  With its clip-on feature and minuscule size, it makes it the perfect musical companion for the gym.

get it here

• Apple iPad Mini

Until a few months ago I owned a 10" tablet which was however given the cold shoulder the minute I got my Macbook Air.  Weight-wise they were pretty much the same, but obviously working on a 'proper' laptop trumps a tablet, especially when taking minutes during meetings! So why is an iPad Mini on my list? I'm hoping to get it (once the new versions come out in autumn) as an 'upgrade' to my Kindle (which I love, don't get me wrong!).  The iPad Mini just gives that little bit more than the Kindle - better internet browsing, millions of apps which can be downloaded and synced with my other Apple babies, and the all important backlight when reading in low light.  It's not like the Kindle concept is being given up - one of the apps on my 'to download' list as soon as I buy this is in fact the Kindle app so I can keep track of my virtual library just as well.

• iPhone Film Scanner

Now, even though I was born when film cameras were the only form of photography we had, I'm still relatively new to the process of film developing.  I have recently bought a Diana Baby 110 camera which uses films I hadn't seen in about 25 odd years.  As you may have already guessed from the type of photos I post here, I love the look of vintage films, so I thought to myself it would be a good idea to actually try taking photos in the analogue way as well.  However, in this digital age, the only way of effectively showing your photos is by uploading them on websites, blogs or social networks.  That's where this Film Scanner comes in handy.  Once I finally develop the film I have on the Diana Baby 110, my ego wants to share them with the world and I can only do so with this nifty gadget!

get it here

• Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Camera

Last but not least is this instant camera which, much like the Polaroids of my much younger days, instantly prints your photos in a matter of seconds! And even though the film used is brand new (not purposely expired film for that washed out, light leaked effect), the output is quintessentially late 70s/early 80s in look! And the fun of it all is that with instant printing you can keep memories not just on your phone or laptop, but physically in your wallet or wall... and you can share them with just whom you want - and not the entire Facebook community! What happens in the photo, stays in the photo ... for real!

get it here

So that's where my hard earned pennies are planned to go, more or less.  Any help on getting these little beauties is much welcome ... so be sure that I'll be dropping hints like Miley Cyrus is dropping her booty for the next couple of months until my birthday! 

confession #000025

... or, the sleep deception

i have a feeling that overtiredness and insomnia have joined forces last night.  despite having an early start to catch a flight back to krakow - make that two actually, with all the hassles of baggage pick-up, second baggage drop-off, second security control, and the occasional air pocket - i could not manage to fall soundly asleep, despite the obvious fatigue. the result is my being online since 04:30 this morning, sporting a pair of luggage sized bags under my eyes. 

in all fairness (and to my defence, in a way), i haven't been just aimlessly browsing.  the quiet morning hours can still be somewhat productive.  even though i have barely unpacked from yesterday's travel, i am already planning my packing for the next trip this wednesday.  i'm off to some work-related training which i'm very much looking forward to, both out of work and personal interest. another plus is the fact that it's in berlin - a city which i've already been to and quite like actually.  alright, alright, it's not up there with my personal top three: krakow (duh!), prague and ljubliana, but it's somewhere on the lines of london and brussels where, if you manage to avoid the tourist traps or the hustle and bustle of daily cosmopolitan life, you're in for a few quirky and interesting surprises.  

the weather for next week seems to promise some more inclement days, but (un)luckily, i'll be spending most of my days away inside.  ever since i discovered polyvore, i tend to start my travel planning there. i usually look up the one item which i'd be dead set on packing for the trip, and work the rest of the outfits around it.  i always try to find the exact items i own or, the closest to.  for instance, the black boxy blazer featured in the set below is river island, whereas the one i own is exactly the same but miss selfridge.  likewise with the jeans - mine are stradivarius, while these are mango, but they're essentially the same.  planning online first, allows me to make the actual packing procedure much quicker since i'd already know what to fish out of the wardrobe.  also, since it's still the early hours of the day, and the mister is still fast asleep (bless him!) i don't want to be rummaging around and wake him up. 

check out the individual items here

as you darling followers know, initially this blog was meant to document my umpteenth attempt at weight loss.  this journey is somewhat proving to be a tad more difficult that i hoped for it to be.  firstly, the regular travelling between poland and malta means that every time i go back to the motherland, i go back to lovely home-cooked traditional meals which are not necessarily diet-friendly.  mind you, i'm not complaining and if mum is reading this: please do not stop pampering me with your lovely meals! there is also the fact that certain things are just not found here in poland.  there's no pastizzi, qassatat, pizza tac-champs, mqaret, figolli, kwarezimal ... all things that i would usually not give much thought to, but when their availability is somewhat scarce if non-existent, become objects of unbridled craving.  after two weeks of indulgence, i find myself ridden with guilt at having sabotaged myself, yet again!

and this week won't be any easier.  airport / airline food, hotel breakfasts, buffet lunches and coffee breaks ... where can i find some discipline to stick to just the healthier, low-fat, low calorie options? can i buy discipline online? does it do next day - nay, immediate - shipping? whenever i'm having a hotel breakfast i catch myself sneering at the other guests around me eating yoghurt and fruit while i'm scoffing a buttery croissant after having already eaten a toast or some cereal.  where do they get that stamina to say no to trying just about everything on display? if anyone knows the answer, please do let me know ...