i DO!

 

 image maistora

Those words will be uttered by my good friend in six months time!! I received the great news yesterday! I'm so excited to have a wedding to go to this year and it has probably given me a really good motivation now to get moving with the weight loss project.

Now I get to go wedding gift shopping too! Etsy here I come!

motivation.....where is it?

I need motivation to lose weight. I can think of a tonne of reasons that I need to lose about 15kgs and technically they should be enough to get me going, but I just can't manage it. It's like the connection between my brain and body is malfunctioning.......

Lots of it, I know, is to do with the fact that watching my diet involves a lot of brain space and forward thinking and planning and I'm not sure there is enough room in my brain for all of that at the moment, so I resort back to old, more convenient and bad eating habits. 

If I could afford it, I would go back to Jenny Craig in a heart beat. I've been a couple of times and have achieved my goal weights both times due to having such a great consultant and the accountability of having to face up to her every week, and the food all planned out for me.

*sigh* I know I need to stop grumbling and just get on with it. But it feels SO hard.

How do you find the motivation when things just seem so hard?

image

winners are grinners

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And the winner of the TummyTie giveaway is Nicky!! Congrats Nicky. Can you please email me with your postal address and I'll pop this in the post for you soon.

this little man

It's hard to believe, but this little man of mine will be off to preschool tomorrow. He has never been out of my care, or the care of my family so, as much as I know how he will love it, it's going to be hard to hand him over to the teachers tomorrow without fretting. 

It's the first step, I guess, of letting him go out into the world to fend for himself, even at only three years of age. But I know he is ready. He really loves interacting with other kids and learning so this will be a great period of growth for him in new areas. There is only so much I can provide him with at home, and I need to also remember that it will give me much needed one on one time with Zoe.

Plus you guys will be here to get me through it right?

{new find} evie the elephant

 

I discovered this gorgeous site today, evie the elephant. 

I'm a big lover of nursery art, and especially like the look of clean, crisp, fresh images that aren't too fussy, so their prints really caught my eye. There is only a small range of designs currently at evie the elephant, however they can be customised through colour and font type to suit your nursery decor. The other fantastic thing is that you can choose to order and receive your print fully framed, ready to hang on the wall. If you are anything like me, this option, though maybe a little more expensive then DIY, is so worth it if you don't want prints leaning up against walls and bookshelves for a long time!

Have a look at more great designs here.

at our house

 

Busy hands at our house today. 

Josh loves playing with this transport set*. I listen to him making up stories as he plays. It's so great for his imaginative play and his active little mind.

*{village & transport playset from little pinwheel}

at our house....play along here

sweetness

If you are ever in doubt as to whether to kiss a pretty girl, always give her the benefit of the doubt.  ~ Thomas Carlyle

This last week has been very draining......we had Josh's hospital visit and then just when he was recovering, it seemed I got the virus he had and was achey and lethargic for the remainder of the week. Josh was supposed to start preschool too, so that has now been postponed until this week. 

To make up for our challenging week, we decided to spend much of our weekend outdoors enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Saturday morning was spent down at the local park, naps in the afternoon, and then I had a lovely dinner at a waterfront restaurant with my mum and sisters. 

However the best part of the weekend was Saturday afternoon. We sat out on our front lawn with Josh's newly acquired birthday gift - the bubble machine. He had great fun chasing the bubbles and squealing with delight, while Zoe watched from afar wondering what was going on. I managed to capture the photo above from our afternoon frivolities. It makes me laugh a lot and is such a Zoe face!

Here's to a better week this week.

(Also don't forget to enter the Tummy Tie giveaway - read more here.)

tummy tie

 

Both times I've been pregnant I've been desperate to stay in my 'normal' jeans for as long as possible. Are/were you like that? I guess while much of the rest of my wardrobe had to change to get around my ever bulging belly, my jeans were one of the remaining items of my wardrobe that I could get away with for longer. During my first pregnancy, I managed to wear my normal jeans right up until close to Josh being born. However, I used to wear them with the button undone and long tops to cover up the gaping pants.

Recently, through another online community I have been a part of, I came across Camilla Cavarra and the fabulous little product she has created - the Tummy Tie®.

Oh boy I wish this had been around while I was pregnant to save me from the 'undone pants' look I so desperately had to cover. Camilla came up with the idea for the Tummy Tie® when she was pregnant in an attempt to help other mums-to-be remain in their own clothes for longer and still look stylish. It's also possible to use it when you may have gained a little weight and need a little help staying in your jeans/pants (*mmm nodding ashamedly*) or even right after bub has been born and before everything tightens up again (it does, doesn't it?).

The Tummy Tie® is super affordable too! It comes in a 3-pack of 2 x Black TummyTie® (11cm & 15cm) and 1 x White TummyTie® (11cm) and retails at $16.95.  

Spread the word about these! I think they are fabulous. They are really well made and look super stylish. If you want to read up more on Camilla's story or follow TummyTie® on Facebook or Twitter, here are the links:

+ Tummy Tie® website

+ Tummy Tie® Facebook

+ Tummy Tie® Twitter

I also have one Tummy Tie® pack from Camilla to giveaway to one lucky reader. Please visit one of the links above and leave a comment below telling me your favourite maternity outfit. I'll draw a person next Thursday morning and announce it here on my blog.

emergency room

 

image / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

We spent 6 hours in the paed emergency room yesterday. Birthday boy Josh was not well yesterday.  I knew something wasn't right. We visited our GP in the morning who attributed his strange breathing and sore back to anxiety. I wasn't convinced. Later that day his breathing was getting more laboured and worse so after dropping Zoe off with my sister,  I rushed him off to the ED at a local hospital. After several tests, which all came back clear, he was diagnosed with a viral infection. They think his fever was causing the funny grunting/breathing thing he was doing. I'm just glad he's ok now and that we got to leave the hospital last night.

There were a few very sick little people in there including a three month old that needed to have a lumbar puncture done to confirm whether there was something bacterial going on that might affect his brain. It was so upsetting to see. I'm incredibly thankful that my little man is mostly healthy. Besides having the flu, gastro and general colds we have never had to make an ED run before or had a hospital stay in his short little life. Hopefully it will largely stay that way. My heart really goes out to those parents watching their sick little ones.

the birthday extravaganza

I think it's safe to say that Josh had a great time on the weekend. We cut a cake on Saturday morning (mummy's attempt at a number 3 Postman Pat cake!) and family dropped in to celebrate with us. Josh loves his dollhouse from us (and I'm sure that Zoe will get much use from it too), cars from grandparents and his favourite present from Grandpa - a remote control Jeep!!

I had loads of fun preparing the night before by blowing up lots of balloons for Josh and putting up streamers in his doorway. He was suitably impressed in the morning. It was the first time he really 'got' what his birthday was and it was so special watching the delight in his little face all day.

I love you little Joshy boy. xo

zoe margaret

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. - Unknown

 

happy third birthday little man

Tuesday 13 February 2007  1:30pm

I still remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. 

The way you looked, the way you smelled, the way you fed. I could never have anticipated the strong feelings of protection over you that I had even though we had only just 'met'. If I heard cries from the hospital nursery I knew instantly which ones were yours.

My beautiful little baby, you are now a three year old, vibrant, spirited yet sensitive little soul. There is no-one else exactly like you. You are unique and special.

You make your mummy and daddy burst with pride, joy and love. You have blessed our lives beyond what you can imagine.

Our wish for you is many more days of sunshine, happiness and good health.

xo

have a {LOVE}ly weekend

image D Sharon Pruitt

Tomorrow my little boy turns three! Where did that time go?

Our weekend will be filled with birthday celebrations and spending time with loved ones. 

Make sure you show your appreciation of those you love with three little words this weekend.

today

♥  I am working (urgh!)

♥  I am taking deep breaths

♥  I am enjoying some one on one time with my little girl

♥  I am pleased it's not raining so that I can finally see the bottom of the laundry hampers

♥  I am thankful for my parents who spend 2 days a week caring for my 3 year old monster sweet little boy

image D Sharon Pruitt

good day sunshine?

image Pink Sherbert photography

Are we ever going to see the sunshine again in Sydney? Everywhere is still rain, rain, rain, wet, wet, wet. The kids and I are getting a little stir crazy being inside so much. Lucky daddy was around yesterday to take Josh for a walk to the creek to throw rocks and get his 'outdoor fix'. 

I've had to face facts that I'm going to have to resort to using my dryer if I'm ever going to wear clean clothes again.

I'm in birthday plans mode now for Josh. His birthday is this Saturday, so I need to get my thinking cap on about his cake and I want to try and make the day special for him now that he really understands it better. I'm thinking helium, balloons.......

my beautiful little people

Just because.....

 

 

hard yards

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I'm finding life a little draining at the moment....Life with a three year old is HARD work. Who would have thought my little boy would turn out to be such a bundle of energy. My days are filled with such highs and lows. I just love him to pieces and he says so many things that just make my heart burst with pride and love. And then there are those very challenging moments where he is really trying to exert his independence but it's no fun for me. Trying to teach boundaries is tough. He thinks he's being funny and I just get frustrated. It's making me challenge myself a lot and think about what sort of mummy I want to be. And there is all the guilt over how I've handled some situations that I'm not proud of but I can only use those experiences to change and grow.

By the end of the day, at the moment, I'm more drained than I have ever been as a mummy. There's very little left of me to devote to other things including my little blog, so please excuse me if things aren't as busy around here for a bit. I've got loads going on in my head, and lots of things I want to write about, but the hard bit is moving it from head to computer.

I'm looking forward to daddy's arrival tonight and an extra pair of hands over the weekend! Hurrah!! Perhaps even a glass or two of bubbly?

halle jay

 

If you love stamped jewelery, head over to the Halle Jay blog for an initial necklace giveaway ending on Sunday. 

For more great products, you can have a look at the Halle Jay made it store.

Speaking of giveaways....SIMONE!!!! Where are you? I'd love to hear from you so I can send out your prize from the lulufroufrou giveaway. If I don't hear from you by the weekend, I will redraw on Monday morning.

{product feature} mums card

 

The Mums Card. These are such a brilliant idea. Motherhood often involves making many new connections on a regular basis and with the amount of brain overload that happens as well, these cards are the perfect way to exchange information with others quickly and without having to rummage around for paper and pen at the most inconvenient times (and there are plenty of those when you have kids in tow)!

 

I recently received my own cards from Tanya at Mums Card and I have to say I was so impressed with them. They came all beautifully wrapped in the little tin you can see above. It's a great way to store them in your nappy or hand bag. The cards themselves are GREAT quality and are fully customisable so that you can have exactly the information you need to share. You can use them to communicate emergency contact details, any allergies your children may have - you can even put one in your child's back pocket in case they get separated from you! The uses for these cards are endless. For more ideas, see here.

There are lots of fabulous designs to choose from including photo cards so your new friends can put a face to the name. They are also really affordable and great value for money with 50 cards starting at $19.95.

I now keep a few of these all over the place so I always have a few with me to hand out. Go and check Mums Card out now. Once you've got them you'll wonder how you ever did without them!


Mums Card website
Mums Card blog

Mums Card on Facebook  

Mums Card on Twitter

lulu froufrou winner

 

image WoodandPixels

The winner of the lulufroufou giveaway is Simone!!

Please email me with your address and I'll post off your gorgeous little hair pretties pack to you this week.

Thank you to Linda for sharing her gorgeous handmade hair delights with us! Be sure to pop over to her store and stock up for all the gorgeous little girls in your life and become a facebook fan so you can stay in the know about all things lulufroufrou.