So many things to write, don't know where to start!

2012 has become a busy, busy year!

I/We have......

• Decided to become Foster Parents :) A really full on training and accreditation process has been endured but we are almost there and are so excited about being able to hopefully make a difference.
• Started my fitness/training again and really getting into it, and results are starting to show!
• Taken on a role as a consultant selling Cloth Nappies - for baby BeeHinds! so if you know anyone wanting to get started on using cloth!! refer refer refer :)
• Started to nanny for a family one day a week!
• Decided to get a bigger car - a follow on from Foster caring and nannying and extending our family ;)
• Crazily made the decision to buy a new house....... maybe keeping this one as well as an investment.. fingers crossed xx
• Begun to plan a new bubba
• Also I am now an Aunt which is super fun!

And of course in amongst all that I'm still working as a teacher part time, a wife to B, a mumma to the Little Monkey and full time house keeper!

What is keeping you busy?

xx

Our Idiot Brother

Apparently EVERYONE has one....

I'm sure that anyone who has a brother has maybe once or twice called them an idiot. I actually have two idiot brothers :)

Nuffnang is giving bloggers opportunity to score a double pass to head to the movies in gold class style to see the new movie 'Our Idiot Brother' starring Paul Rudd and Zooey Deschanel.

Ned Rochlin (played by Paul Rudd) is a somewhat gullible guy and sees the positives in all people he comes across - which sometimes lands him in tricky situations. Selling drugs to a uniformed police officer is just one of those situations!
Upon Ned's release from jail, his girlfriend kicks him out and won't allow him custody of Willie Nelson his adored pooch. Ned is forced to move in with his three resenting sisters played by Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks and Emily Mortimer. Whilst reluctant at first, his sisters come to realise that maybe Ned isn't such an idiot after all.

Watch the clip below - a light hearted comedy with a life lesson too!

DVD and Blu Ray available on March 15th.

Enjoy guys
xo

Cherish Your Cherubs - Praise

I'm joining in this week with Naomi @ Seven Cherubs.

Praise is something we have been practising more and more lately as the little man is understanding and seems to be listening to wht B and I tell him. It amazes me at times - the things he understands.

Yesterday we were watching the football and at half time I started cleaning up all the mess the little man had been making, packing his toys back into their baskets etc. As I was doing it I verbalised 'Time to pack up' 'Put your toys away' and similar things ;) and he suprised me by grabbing toys and putting them into the baskets! It was so cute actually and he was so proud of himself. I couldn't help but shower him with praise. He had the biggest smile on his face.

I'm really trying to keep things positive in our house, I try to only say 'No' when he is doing something that could be dangerous for him.

I also try and explain why I want him to do or not do different things, even though I don't know how much he understands. Like the other day when he was pulling all the MCN's (Modern Cloth Nappies) out of the basket. Even though it was frustrating to watch as they take aggggggggggggggggggges to put together, I tried to remain calm and asked him to stop and then explained why. B and I are really trying to let him explore and allow him to be naturally curious. Whenever he does something really well we give him the necessary praise and I think that this has helped especially recently with his eating and touching of finger foods.

No matter what though - This parenting thing is always a challenge no matter how cute your kid is
xx

Ouch!

I went for a run today. Yep me. I know - I shocked myself too!

As part of my 12WBT journey I have to do pre tests to gauge my level of fitness and part of that was a 1km timetrial. It's been a while since I ran anywhere to be honest. I have bad knees and use that as an excuse too! This morning I asked B to come down to the oval with me and time how long it took me to run a kilometer. I set myself a goal of being able to do it within 8 minutes and managed to do it with a time of 6m37s.

It wasn't pretty, I had to stop and walk for a bit - but nethertheless I acheived my goal and completed the fitness test! Onwards and upwards. B, Little man and I then went and did the grocery shopping using the meal plans set. I am looking forward to eating some nice and healthy meals. Looking at the menu and the amounts of meat allocated it has already made me realise that I overeat! But I guess that is the whole point! I then spent my afternoon cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Some of those meals are going to be delish :) I'm trying to pre cook as much as I can. That way I'm organised and less tempted to grab take-away.

As I'm a glutton for punishment at the moment I also went to the gym and did a 500cal workout while the little man had his afternoon nap. I am not too sure how I am going to get myself off the couch tonight though! My body is exhausted. As soon as I sat down I felt my muscles relax and now they are stiffening. I'm thinking an early night and lots of sleep will help :) Luckily for me Sundays are a rest day!

Hope your weekend is looking good!
xx

Thankful Thursday - The dreaded photos!

As I blogged about the other day - I have signed up to 12WBT this round. I've started working my way through the pre season tasks.Some of them were challenging let me tell you and they really required a deeper thinking and also admitting a few things to myself about why I make excuses :(

This morning I asked B to help me take some 'before' photos as part of task eight. Well let's just say the photos will be ALL the motivation I need! I don't think i'll be posting them but they are an eye opener for me. But I am more determined than ever to acheive results! I

Today I am thankful for my determination. I am going to work hard, I am going to succeed and I am going to lose this baby weight! I am motivated :) and looking forward to the challenge!

What are you thankful for? I'm playing along here with Kate Says Stuff
xx

Wordless Wednesday - Chubby Thighs

Playing along here and here
xx

The simple things

Today Little man and I had a few things planned. We went into the city and had lunch with Cooper's Grandad for Fathers Day (My Dad). Little man showed off to Grandads office (although just quietly Grandad was looking quite chuffed).

Afterwards we shopped for a new hat! Little man has grown a bit since summer - definitely needed a new one :) we also printed out some new photos.

Then we came home and did something unplanned. We played outside with the cats and explored the backyard. Here are a few pics from our afternoon.

Modelling my new hat

hmmm that didn't last long

Look Daddy missed some when he mowed!

intrigued by a feather :)

Malibu and Little Man

Balancing!

A fun afternoon exploring for us. What did you get upto today?
xx

12 WBT - Here we go!

I was flicking around on the internet the other night and came across some 12WBT stuff. I looked into signing up last round, but honestly thought it would be a waste of money and that I could do it myself...... Well that totally has not happened and I find myself feeling like I have lost confidence. Quite simply it comes down to the fact that I am not happy with the way I look :(

So here we go! I signed up before I could change my mind and now a few other people I know have also joined. I am determined to make a real go of this and make lots of changes. I'm going to post some of my goals and stuff on here to make it real. I'm telling you guys so that I can't back out! I no longer want to blame pregnancy. I need to visit the gym more often and make better food selections!

I'm ready to change and looking forward to the next 12 weeks :) and beyond!! Summer!!!

Anyone else joining the 12WBT journey? Or anyone who has completed round one or two? I'd love to hear about what you thought of the program and any tips/pointers for me

xx

Happy Fathers Day B!

Today is Fathers Day - and the first one for B and the little man.

Little Man was super excited about the day and decided he couldn't wait to see his daddy! So started crying out at 4:30am...... B went into him and got him back to sleep but the day started for us @ 6:15 (how I wish my son took after me with loving sleep....). B received some new socks (his request) a picture from the little man and will receive a photobook when artscow comes through with the goods!

Little Man making his picture a few days ago

We had a nice family breakfast of bacon and eggs and then headed to the beach for a day out with Daddy.

It rained on the way there and I was thinking it would be horrible but when we arrived the rain stopped and the clouds started to part.

Somehow B managed to sneak a fishing rod into the car.... so we dropped him off to have a fish and little man and I went shopping for our picnic lunch. We passed a market on the way and pulled in for a look.
There wasn't very much there but I did pick up some delish choc peppermint fudge for B and I. Although it was $5 a piece so it would have wanted to be good!

Then we headed back to meet B. I decided to grab out the baby bjorn (perhaps for the last time as he is WAY too heavy) and walk across the sand to see if B had been catching any. Little man loves being outside and he was flapping his arms and kicking his legs like crazy! Probably one of the reasons why I think it was the last time!

Our picnic lunch was beautiful - A nice simple day spent with the two people who make my world spin.
Happy first Fathers Day B. We are so lucky to have you!
xx

Love

Love is a beautiful thing and this week I am grateful for the love I have in my life.

I'm Grateful for B - he is an amazing husband and father, I still smile when I see the way he interacts with the little man. He is so hands on with him, without me having to do a thing! He is and always has been a wonderful source of support for me through this journey of motherhood and I love him more each day. (soppy I know).

I'm grateful for each and every day I have had so far with the little man. I still am amazed at how much I can love a single human being. He has in 11 months taught me more than I ever thought possible. His smiles light up my days. His laughter melts my heart and his growing personality makes me so proud on a daily basis. I'm grateful for all that he teaches me about being a mum. He has definitely made me a better person :)

Lastly I am grateful for my family. I love how close we are. This week has showed me once again that when it comes down to it my family will be there to help me out - no matter how much they need to put themselves out. My sister, my brothers, my mum and dad would do anything for me and in turn my little man. With the illnesses and events we have had this year, the love in our family has proven to be strong. I love the way that we are always here for each other.

Love. So blessed to have a life full of it.
xx

Back to before

Last night I went to watch a basketball game.
This would be seemingly insignificant to most people but for me it was something that used to be a major part of my life. You see before my little man came along, I was a basketball coach for Representative basketball. I would have games each Friday night and training each Sunday morning and Wednesday night as well. I travelled back to where I grew up to coach and for those of you who are Melbournites - I travelled down the dreaded ring road... yep three times a week... generally peak hour (that part I do not miss!) Even whilst pregnant I coached - right up until I was eight and a half months!

So when one of the kids I had previously coached asked me to come and watch her play a final I decided to pack the little man into the car and head into Albert Park. Even though the game was right at his bedtime the little man behaved like a champ. I took his dinner with us and fed him whilst we were watching the game, although I do think he will be a basketballer when he is older! It was so hard to feed him! He was tracking the game and even clapping when the people around us clapped :) That was pretty cute.  He sat in the pram and watched for the most part and towards the end when he started to get cranky, one of the players little sisters came over and played peek-a-boo with him which he loved!

Meanwhile I sat and watched with a few of the parents and I must say I loved it! It was like stepping back into my previous life. My life before becoming a mum.

It made me think about if/when I'd like to return to coaching in the future? I think I really would - but I'm unsure if the travel would be too much for the little man and whether B would be as keen as I am.

I don't know - but I do know that stepping back to before, even just for a night was great!

Do you have something that you used to do and miss? even just a little? I'd love to hear about it :)
xx

Night in the kitchen

Have you ever had those moments where you feel inspired to grab a recipe book and make something a little more interesting then the same old chicken and salad dinners? Yes? Well that was me tonight.

I must admit I do enjoy cooking. Particularly if it turns out deliciously tasty...... and I think I find it relaxing in an odd kind of way!

I had some apples that I wanted to turn into a dessert for the little man - and B and I had forgotten to take out any meat for dinner. So I grabbed a few cook books and after about 5 minutes of flicking through, decided upon a Beef Vindaloo from the CSIRO cookbook. I have made it before (burnt the bottom though) and decided it might be a better idea to stay close by this time :)

Concurrently I decided to whip up an apple and oatmeal dessert using a recipe I found on the wholesome baby food website. There is some really good stuff on there so if you are into making the food for your bub I recommend hitting it up!
So I sent B to the supermarket with the little man in tow and while they were gone I started on the apple dish.

 

Apple pieces and oats cooking slowly

With cinnamon added

Served up ready to go!

Then when B returned from the shops I started the 80 minute cooking process of the beef vindaloo. I took my laptop into the kitchen and cooked/facebooked/blogged all at once to pass the time. A tiny bit of 'me time'. Here are the results

simmering away

almost cooked and ready to serve

The finished product



B and I sat down to eat and he was suitably impressed. The taste was sort of sweetish with an added spiciness (if that is even a word).The two empty bowls proved the meal was a success. Cooking a meal from scratch did however make me realise that I'd like to try and do that more often, less processed and less preservatives - but also good for the soul...

Anyone else been on an adventure in the kitchen lately?

xx

Wordless Wednesday - Cheeky Monkey

Playing along with My Little Drummer Boys and Faith Hope and a Whole Lotta Love
xx

Kudos to Cudo

I've admitted on here before that I am addicted to online shopping. Shoes, clothes, baby stuff! When the deals come straight to your inbox how can you not click BUY? They sound so great!

So I have a few daily emails with super dooper deals sent to me and I casually flick through and delete all the laser treatments and teeth whitening ones (which seem to be there almost daily) and ponder the food deals. I love food and B loves not spending money. ever. bargains. So way back in March I bought a deal for a restaurant in St Kilda. Now I may or may not have already let one of these deals expire so I decided I would not let that happen again and have called a few times to try and get a booking - but nights free of the little man are rare (which is how I like it) and they have been booked out when I have called.

The last time I called, the friendly waiter dude told me to try mid week as you didn't need to book so far in advance. Nice tip :) So yesterday my childcare plans for tomorrow fell through and I had to make other arrangements which needed to include the little man sleeping at his grandparents place which is over an hour away as there is no chance of dropping him off before work. So suddenly B and I had this 'free week night' that the waited dude had spoken of. So I booked and off we went.

I tried to take a photo of the Melbourne skyline on the drive in but iphone and dirty car windows made it almost impossible. B attempted to warn me annoyed me by telling me it wouldn't work so I am posting this photo in spite of him and to maybe try and prove a point even though I know it looks terrible.

The voucher was $39 - but I had a ten dollars off coupon so paid only $29. This entitled us to a antipasto tasting plate, two mains, two desserts and a bottle of wine. I thought it sounded pretty good!

B and I have never been huge on the eating out - I think it was because we lived together early on so we never had much to discuss at dinner, so we'd eat and leave quickly. Since having the little man in our lives we probably value that time more though and it was lovely to just sit for a couple of hours and chat uninterrupted.

The food was delicious! I had a steak with some yummy potatoes and B went for a beef stroganoff. Usually he chooses whatever meal he thinks will be the biggest - he's a tight ass value for money kind of guy :)

I really enjoyed relaxing with B and was very impressed with the quality and quantity of the meal. The suckered me in with a chocolate mousse at the end too. Ahhh well gym tomorrow.........

I'm off to find my next online deal!
xx

Destructo-Man

He cannot walk - He cannot talk! But my oh my can he make a mess!


The little man is getting around the place faster and faster these days. Toys are apparently now obsolete for the most part. whacking and dropping remote controls, tissue ripping and pulling washing from clothes horses seem to be the most entertaining things to do so it would seem.

I've always had a thing about playpens. I guess it's one of those things that as a mother you either use or don't use. I don't really like the look of them - Whilst I can definitely see the merit in them (especially today....) it's just something that I've got a thing about. I have no idea if it stems from my childhood? (Note to self to ask parentals if we had one).

To say the little man dislikes tissues is an understatement. He throws a massive turd like tantrum dislikes it intensely it when you try to wipe his nose. So it makes me smile when he sees a tissue lying around or even the box of them and his eyes light up like it's Christmas. He looks at you cheekily and even if you say NO (which frankly seems to encourage him) and rips it to shreds. I'm not talking ripping in half, literally piece by piece ripped apart and thrown on the floor. It's like he thinks 'haha you can't get me with this one!'.

So constantly now I am having to monitor his every move. As soon as he is on the floor he either crawls to the TV cabinet pulls himself up and bangs it like a drum, finds tissues to destroy or chases his ball around the floor and when he sees the clothes horse pulls all the washing in his reach off. I don't love hanging washing out. But I really dislike hanging it out again and again and again. I do not like this game little man. It does make it fairly hard to get any facebooking/blogging housework done whilst he is awake.

Today I had a plan......We have a safety gate on his room so that Malibu and Roxy are deterred from entering. He loves playing in his room and I have babyproofed it all so he can only reach things that are safe for him. So I changed his nappy and left him in there to play while I hung a load of washing out.

This is when destructo-man came to visit.....

I walked back in and heard silence - Which ever parent knows means only one thing.... I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

This is the trail of destruction a 10 month old cause in less than 3 minutes :)

I wonder if he found what he was looking for?

Spot the baby :)

So all the toys were pulled off the shelf. Poor teddy got thrown around a bit! He obviously tried to find a book to read :) Pulled clothes and nappies out (not his MCN's thank god!) but the funniest part was that I actually had to look to find him! He was under the change table and he thought he was pretty funny yes? I love the fact that he knew he was being cheeky!

Ahhh that face makes my heart melt.
xx

A little dose of Sunshine

This week Melbourne has turned on the weather and it has been fantastic! I'm the first to admit that I hate winter so having 5+ 20 degree days smack bang in the middle of it has been quite enjoyable.

Before I had the little man in my life I think my hate for winter wasn't as passionate but as any parents out there would know - with winter comes sickness and to be honest I am SO over having a house full of snot :) The little man has had an on/off runny nose and cough since April and for want of a better word it SUCKS!

So because of the never ceasing sickness and lack of sunshine over the past few months there have been few opportunities to get outside and enjoy the weather. Last Saturday with the sunshine gods turning it on B and I decided to take the little man for a play at the park - and also to suss out a place suitable to have his birthday party.

We packed the pram and some lunch, tried to find a hat that fit the little man and off we set. The place we found would be perfect if it wasn't for all the graffiti (note to self - email council about that). It has a BBQ area and seating and an awesome playground for the kidlets. The most important part though was that the little man gave his tick of approval.

It was only his second trip to the park - but I think that he is definitely going to be an outdoorsy kid! He had so much fun bouncing around, sliding and even playing in the sand.Afterwards we took him for a nice walk around the lake, it was a lovely family day out in the sunshine. I am so looking forward to many more of these throughout summer!

The sunshine this week got me thinking about how a little vitamin D improves my mood. I found it easy to get out of bed every morning and hit up the gym (something that I constantly battle with) which in turn increased my motivation and energy levels! I had such a lovely week - but am I the only one who feels these effects from sunshine and beautiful weather? Anyone else have these feelings?

Keep it up Melbourne - I'm loving it

xx

How much is too much?

So Fathers day is less than 10 days away - Is it wrong that I am so excited about it?

I decided to make B a photobook as his gift. It took FOREVER! I expected it to be a little time consuming (I made some for gifts at Christmas time) but it honestly took me a few days to complete. Mainly because now that the little man is 10 months old and on the move, I cannot just put him on the floor with a few toys - He is destructive and fast! but that is another post entirely...........

So basically I found all the photos of B and the little man as well as some of our favourites from the past 10 months and combined them with some captions written by the little guy (if he could string words together). I love it and I'm really hoping B feels the same way!
Then came all the fathers day catalogues..... So now I'm thinking do I need to get him something else? B is an active/outdoors kind of guy and has wanted a table tennis table for aggggggggggggggges.

We have never really had anywhere to store it though but now we have an undercover area out the back which would suit it well I think. So now I am contemplating getting him one but is it relevant? too much? should I wait until christmas? arghhhhhhhhhhhh

I really want to make the day special for B as he is such an awesome dad - So i'm thinking of heading to the beach with my little family and having a picnic :) Hope the weather holds up!

What are your fathers day ideas? Any family traditions for the day?

xx

Party Time??

I am starting to organise the little man's 1st birthday party. I have always said I wasn't going to go huge - but when I sat down to make a FB event write a list I was amazed at how big it got so quickly.

I do have a big family but am I going overboard? I want to invite friends that have already played a big part in his life too. Clearly I know the little man is not going to remember the day but isn't it also about celebrating us? a year of being a family? The year that our lives changed for the better?

I don't know......

Well anyway my ideas for the day go like this. A BBQ at a local park where there are playgrounds/skateparks etc for the older kids. This way I dont have to make my house spotless, nor will I have guests still hanging around well into the night!

We will do drinks/sausages/salads and have a pinata and maybe some lolly bags if I get around to it :) Mostly I just want to have a low key day celebrating the first year of the little mans life.

I have never organised a kids party before so I really don't know what else I should do. Any ideas for me? I'm feeling a bit under pressure, particularly when speaking with the mums in my mothers group! They all have such creative ideas.
I'm thinking of going with a NEMO theme as that is what is on the little mans walls (and his daddy is a obsessed fisherman!) Think blues and greens and maybe a splash of orange.

And then comes the big part - THE CAKE!?!?!?!?!?!
Think I might have to cruise the net for a Nemo cake :) It is going to test my chef skills thats for sure.

So if you have organised kids parties and have a tip or two for me please share. I need all the help I can get!
xx

Teeth - you are ruining my weekend

I hate teeth.

There are many reasons why - I guess it goes back to being a child and having to visit that smelly dental van that came to your primary school.
Then when I had a massive toothache in high school and had to get a root canal.
Then again when I went on Christmas holidays to Merimbula and had a toothache for 3 days, couldn't sleep, eat, or see a dentist as Christmas and boxing day were on the weekend so the Monday/Tuesday were public holidays... my oh my I still remember that pain.

But most of all I hate teeth because of the little man. I can't stand seeing him in pain. This would honestly be the worst part of parenting by far. Seeing your child in pain breaks your heart. EVERY TIME.
He is such a happy bub most of the time, and generally gets through teething fairly well (or he did last time). But this time he has been dealt a cruel blow. This time he is getting 4 top teeth. At once. This has been happening for about a week and a half now. Little man will be happily playing and then all of a sudden screaming in pain. It's horrible.

Yesterday was the worst. B has been away with work this week so it makes it even more difficult (Respect to the parents who do this alone 100% of the time) because I'm the only one who can get up and console him. Teeth don't really care that I only had 2 hours sleep. Nor do they care that after trying to console him for an hour and a half (think constant screaming) I had to break my no co-sleeping rule. They also don't care that my baby is almost 10 kilos and is hard to restrain/hold tightly and cuddle.

I don't think the little man has fallen asleep in my arms since he was a wee little thing. But yesterday after crying his eyes out he did - bless him.

Ignore boobs - look at his poor red eyes :(

We don't have much planned this weekend thankfully but I do want to take the little man to the footy as he was ill last time we were going to go. Maybe this is a sign he isn't a footy fan!

So hurry the heck up please teeth! cut through and then leave the little man alone.

xx

I love Tony.... and the mailman

Last month I celebrated my birthday :)

When I say celebrated I mean I woke up and little man was sick so B had to take the day off. I went to work and B didn't get me a present because he used up his good idea for Mothers Day (the negative to a birthday/mothers day in the same month I guess). However he did clean the house!

So when I received a birthday VIP email from Tony Bianco I decided I was owed a present. And with a 30% off birthday discount it hardly felt like spending!
Now I love Tony Bianco shoes - I am however a tightarse when it comes to buying shoes though as being a teacher my shoes do yard duty in mud/rain/heat so generally I buy cheapies for work and have some expensive staple shoes.
Last birthday I bought myself a pair of Tony Bianco flat brown boots to wear with leggings and dresses to work hmmmm I see a theme here......

So I bought them a couple of weeks ago online and today the postman came a knocking.......

Shiny white boxes........

I bought myself 2 new pairs. One of them is a little adventurous for me (the name of the shoe suckered me in).

The wedges I bought because they are blue! I haven't seen a whole lot of blue shoes lately so I thought they'd be a bit different to everyone else - and they are not black which I tend to stick to!

Front on view

The heel is pretty high........

My foot is a size 10 and I love the way these shoes look smaller - I hate being noticed for big feet.

see how the bottom of the shoe is smaller because the length of the foot is elevated in the heel ;)

I am in love

Now the second pair I bought were a sucker purchase as I mentioned before. I still love them - but they are very different from what i usually wear. I don't often wear heels so I can't imagine that these shoes will get 'worn out' but nevertheless I still love the different style. I feel very fashionable!

Ignore my jeans..... 

off centre

The photos are a bit crap - I was using self timer...but you get the idea.

So clearly you can tell how excited I am about my 'Birthday Presents'.

What was your latest exciting purchase? Anyone else loving Tony and the postman right about now?

xx