Random follow #82 - @NZMcKenzie

Some of the loveliest people on twitter are the one's who go about their business, don't make much of a fuss and enjoy conversing with others in a friendly and open way. @NzMcKenzie is just one of those people.

Being a mum is a full time employment opportunity for any woman (or man if you're lucky enough).  The more children you have the more your time gets spread amongst all the various hobbies, interests and sporting commitments of your kids.  So taking the time to spoil yourself every now and then is an absolute must.  And Tina knows this fact well and is able to take time to treat herself - "Post holiday washing & unpacking complete. Post holiday pedi & mani must surely be next. ;)".

And there is something really nice about mum tweeters.  Mums seem to have a certain appreciation of the little things in life that many others of us take for granted or don't have the time to notice due to the busyness of our lives. Such as @NzMcKenzie tweets like - "Slumber party in the lounge tonight with my kids. They're still up, we are laughing, and having fun while their Dad is away. Life is perfect"

She is also a people person who places high value on her friends.  And contained in the final few words of this tweet is a truth that stands the test of time - "Home after a fab Easter Break in #Waiheke. Caught up with friends, made new ones & spent time with family. People make all the difference :)"

And then there are the quite funny tweets that capture the little things in life - "Crap! Miss1 has disabled my iPhone. Any ideas on how to fix it???" or "Miss 1 has only just got down for her afternoon nap, a builder turns up nextdoor and starts up his skillsaw. Typical! #Murphyslaw"

From what I can tell Tina tweets fairly regularly but not excessively.  She has a healthy relationship with twitter and knows how to use it in such a way as to add value to the timelines of those who follow her.  So there you go.  There are plenty of reasons to follow a down to earth, genuinely honest and really likable SAHM (stay at home mum) like @NzMcKenzie.  These have been but just a few of them.

Random follow #79 - @brig_be

"Home after an overnight trip to Auckland. Exhausted. I am a small town girl!"

Often times there is no better way to talk about someone or describe who they are than by the person being able to do it themselves.  @brig_be is exactly one of those people.  If I can apply the old cliche of "you can't put her in a box" (metaphorically - not literally) then that is certainly the case.

@brig_be is a mum, a runner, a creative sewing person and someone whose smile can light up a room.  She has an infectious enthusiasm for life and is an inspiration of others.  She is open and attentive to the needs of others and goes about living life in her own driven  self determined way.  Not that you could tell this is if you met her in real life because she is sooooo sweet.

Over the last month or so her life (and tweets) were taken over by one thing - the Tarawera Ultra Marathon.    If you look through her tweets from February and March you will be able to get a better understanding of how much emotional time goes into preparation for an event as big as the one she completed.  And now having knocked off what rally was a huge effort in anyone's book (approx 50 miles) @brig_be is looking for what next?

A lot of how she tweets is influenced by both where she grew up: the King Country and where she lives now: Wellington.   Location based tweets are always interesting because they give the reader both a sense of belonging as well as giving them an insiders view to what is happening in that part of the world:

"Very cool to see dolphins in the harbour! Binoculars now on the office shopping list.""

"Washing's on the line, now getting wet.@#*^&%&^ Wellington weather."

"Wellington - loving you today! #wgtnwx"

"I got propositioned by a walking banana on Lambton Quay today. Ah, the sevens!"

As always (and like most of twitter) she has a great outlook on life and sees the cup as being half full with room for possibilities.  She Brigbee isn't afraid to pursue her dreams - "Dream job on @TradeMe: retail at the Gibbston Valley cheese shop in Queenstown. Oh all right, if I have to."  She goes after her dreams and goals at her own pace, in her own way but always with the wise advice of others to guide her.

Did I mention she can cook?  All FABULOUS women can bake!  "Advice please! Baking for fundraising - which baked treat would you most likely shell out for? Tx :)"

If you take the time you can view her blog here - runbrigbee.blogspot.co.nz/.  Hopefully she will add some more content to it as she embarks on her next great goal.  (And I may even get a wee mention in that blog somewhere along the way).  I would like to say that I do have one disappointment and that is having not made the acquaintance of @brig_be sooner.  Be it in real life or on twitter.  But life has a way of ensuring you meet the right people at the right time in the right places.  (And that right there is a whole story in itself).

The last word goes to the lady herself, with a tweet that describes her perfectly in so many ways - 

"Donated plasma this morning. What a treat - lying still for an hour while sipping tea and reading magazines, and doing a wee bit of good :)"

Random follow #53 - @thesewphist

Not everyone who uses social media is open about themselves.  Some people, like today's tweeter, do a great job of keeping their real identity secret.  Its like twitter allows them to showcase their skills, talents and creativity in a safe and public way without the hassle.

@thesewphist is someone I have tried to write a post on before.  but I just couldn't get the right angle or approach to this person.  This is my attempt to try and correct that now.

Here are a few things that I think I do know -

1. This person is a teacher or works in education.  And they also have to deal with all the struggles that go with working in an educational environment. 
   Tweet exhibit #1 - "Arggh, someone nicked all the whiteboard markers from my room AND left a packet of flip chart markers under the whiteboard. #grumpy" 
2. This person loves to express them-self but waits for the right opportunity to do so.  I am picking up a bit of shyness here.
   Tweet exhibit #2 - "Husband popped out for a quick photoshoot, neighbours are away. I'm honour-bound to take up this opportunity for solo SingStar, aren't I?"
3. This person is bubbling with creative talent and skill.
   Tweet exhibit #3 - "Hmm, being in the midst of the workroom makeover, my ironing station is rather obscured. But I have the urge, nay, the need to sew..."
4. This person has a keen sense of nostalgia and appreciates the memories of yesterday. 
   Tweet exhibit #4 "I'm going to gaze out the window at the Avalon studios and imagine the Goodnight Kiwi snuggling down, then do the same myself. #NightNight"

@thesewphist is yet another hearty soul who hails from the nations capital of Wellington.  (What is it with Wellington and the use if twitter???).

In reading through @thesewphist timeline and in observing the way she interacts with people I am 100% confident that she is a very sweet, warm and loving person.  She is also very shy but still carries within her a definite strength that can at times be overlooked and undervalued by others.  She also is an encourager of others and looks for the positives in any and every situation.

If you would like to tweet @thesewphist go right ahead.  If you would like to see some of her sewing work then you can check it out at her website - http://www.thesewphist.com/.

 @thesewphist is a total gold medal tweeter.