Hello Lady.

Flickr Photo

A couple of times a week a man shows up at my door, does a little knock and says... Hello Lady.

It's not just Hello Lady... it's in a thick European accent and it makes my day. It makes my day because he comes bearing parcels. Parcels for me.

Not a week (sometimes a day) goes by that there aren't parcels arriving at my door. And if they aren't arriving at my door, then I get a sweet little note in the mail and I have to visit the post office and pick some up there.

Now I am regular at the post office. I walk in and they don't even have to see that sweet little note. They just look for the parcels and hand them over. I can then spend up to half an hour having a little chat about anything and everything. It's like visiting a friend. We're that close.

So, I realised when I know the people at the post office that well (and it's not due to posting a lot of mail) and when I'm close enough to the Hello Lady man that we go out of our way to ask how each others families are when we see each other out... well I might just be in a bit of trouble.

Trouble of the Online Shopaholic kind.

Shopping online is so easy. There are no change rooms with bad lighting that show up everything bump, lump and blemish. There is only browse, click, pay and wait. Easy. Ooohhh... I get all excited just writing that.

It's all a little too easy really.

So I'm putting myself on a one month ban. Sure, February is the shortest month in the year. I'm starting small, okay? I'm not taking the easy way out. Promise.

So no eBay, no etsy, no online anything. No shopping at the mall. Nothing.

I can of course buy groceries, although banning that might also aid my weight loss... Hmmm.

Groceries are okay. Eating out is not. Hubby and I can do date night, but I can't buy lunches out. That's going to be hard. I'll just have to be organised. Very organised.



Oh, I will miss that greeting... Hello Lady. I really will.

Spoiled.

Flicker Photo

Last weekend Ma and I cut a deal. I would make a whole heap of meals of the low-fat / healthy kind for her, and she would do the same for me. It would make it easier to stay on track. We'd be able to grab a homemade meal from the freezer and everything would be dandy.

I made Ma zucchini slice, spaghetti bolognese, soup and choc-chip biscotti (keeping half the meals for myself). Ma made casserole and pasta bake (keeping half for herself as well). Both were really delicious.

It was a great idea. My freezer was full to the brim.

We woke up on Wednesday morning and after a really hot night our freezer had defrosted. Pretty much everything in it was spoiled or on the way to being so.

We had weeks worth of meat, vegetables, baby purees and baby meals, as well as all the healthy meals.

We could save a few of them so popped them in the fridge and called the repair guy. We were put on the URGENT list and were told someone would be with us within hours. They were right. The repair guy was here pretty quickly.

He walked in. Looked at the freezer and gave his prognosis: Someone has left the freezer door open overnight.

Thinking back to last night we realised that that someone was... me.

Whoops.

Spot the Difference.

Lacey won't eat anything that we spoon to her ourselves. She wants to feed herself. She wants to be the boss of her dining experiences. I've been trying to come up with as many finger foods as I could. Today we decided to let her try and feed herself. Here is what resulted:


She's a cheeky little monkey. x

Zucchini Slice.

Hey you. Yeah you. Don't click away from me. I know you don't like zucchini. You say it doesn't have much flavour. Stay with me for a minute. Let me convince you. Give zucchini a chance.

Zucchini you say? Never heard of it? Courgette perhaps? Whatever you're calling it where you are, this is delicious.

I know I say delicious a lot. But this really is. I've been making zucchini slice for years now, and have been getting rave reviews. Last week I changed up the recipe, made it all healthy and holy smokes it's better. Even Hubby said so. He said this kicks your other zucchini slice's butt (or something equally as complimentary).

Get grating.


Zucchini / Courgette Slice

350g zucchini, grated
3/4 cup Self-Raising Flour
2 cups mixed vegetables diced (I used grated carrot, red capsicums/peppers, mushrooms)
1 1/2 cups low fat cheese (you could do a blend of tasty and parmesan if you liked)
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
2 eggs
3 egg whites
1 onion, diced
1 cup weight watchers bacon (or lean ham), diced

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl - with only 2/3 of the cheese.

Mix together.

Spray a dish with cooking spray or line it with baking paper. Fill with mix. Top with remaining cheese.

Cook 35 - 40 minutes.

Serves 8.

Weight Watchers Points per serve: 2.5

* I wish I had a picture... but we ate it all before I could snap one.

Stop the Press.

No really. Let's stop them. This is making headlines tonight.

Miranda likes to eat fried chicken. And not just normal fried chicken. The stuff she makes herself.

Wow. She's almost normal. x

Cul De Fat.

I was googling myself last night, as you do, and I stumbled across an Australian article: Cul de sacs make you fat.

I don't make a habit of eating cul de sacs but as a kid I lived in them. Two actually. That means that I spent the majority of my childhood living in houses in cul de sacs. That's why I'm fat, right? That's the reason.

I thought growing up at the end of the street was pretty cool. All that loose gravel to do burn outs in on our cool little bikes. No cars to worry about. No one passing through. I thought we were pretty lucky.

The Southern Star reports:

"Urban planning has a lot to do with it, with the cul de sac street - a familiar sight in new outer-suburban estates - being a dieter’s worst nightmare."

“Cul de sacs are amongst the less-friendly forms of urban development because you have to walk right around to get to a point in another cul de sac close by,” he said.

So I lucked out. If only we bought the house up the street. The funny thing is that my siblings seemed to come out of the cul de sac unharmed, and un.... fat.

All you can do is laugh. x

Whiskers On Kittens.

These are a few of my favourite things at the moment:

* Dress is from this ETSY store.

Weighty Topic.

I was reading the Sun Herald this morning when I came across Mia Freedman's column. I read her blog and enjoy reading her pieces in the paper just as much.

This morning she wrote about our bodies after we have babies. So often I see on covers of magazines how celebs get their bodies back after having a baby, and usually it's done within a matter of weeks. Just last week I was put off with the cover of Woman's Day with Bec Hewitt's Best EVER Body comeback. She got back to her pre-pregnancy weight within 5 weeks. Amazing! Really? Not really. I couldn't put the magazine back quicker. Thank goodness for my magazine ban.

I'm glad that these celebs can get back into shape so quickly, but please do it quietly. Subtlety is the key.

I loved the words that Mia finished her article with:

I've had a post-baby gutful of the way we're being sold the rubbish idea that the female body must remain frozen in time at about age 23 and that we're only sexy and empowered if we conform to a cookie-cutter media model of what's apparently hot.

Says who? How does a flat stomach empower me? What about the idea that our bodies change with time and childbirth - sometimes permanently and that's OK. What about the fact that most men don't view their partners as a sum of inadequate body parts? What about more focus on the miracle of having a healthy baby? What about gratitude for even having a baby when so many women can't? What about some respect for what our bodies can do instead of fuelling a competition to see who can erase all evidence of having created a life and race back into their pre-pregnancy skinny jeans? Stick that in your bikini and smoke it.


Well said Mia. Whilst I desperately want to be back to a healthier weight, I realise that I need to stop and appreciate what my body has been able to do and create. What a miracle that is. xx

Drained.

Photos: Frankae/Flickr

The weather is so hot over here right now. The nights are so warm, it's hard to sleep despite being so exhausted. The heat is draining every last droplet of energy out of me.

We were swimming at 7:30 this morning and then again at 4pm. It's the only way to stay cool. Well, that and passing out in front of the fan. It's predicted to be like this tomorrow... I haven't looked beyond that.

As those of us from Australia already know (if you don't... HELLO wake up!) it's a long weekend. We celebrate Australia Day. Just looking around the web Australia Day seems to be about many different things: cockroach racing, cow dung throwing, BBQ's, piss-ups, cricket. To see how Australian you are take this quiz. You better get question six right, or Hubby will be after you.

To me it's about being grateful for this beautiful country we live in. I've always believed we're the lucky ones. xx

Date Night.

I've neglected you. I have. I'm sure you've been dying for all the gory details. Praying to the Internet Gods that I finally share what we did for Date Night in December. No? Didn't even know that we went. Still don't care?

Tough cookies. I'm telling you anyway.

Hubby bought Wayne Brady tickets for his show Making Shit Up. We've always liked him since his early days on Who's Line Is It Anyway? and when we saw he was coming to Sydney, Hubby snapped up some tickets. Lucky for me.

The show was the Sunday before Christmas. The City was busy and had a great atmosphere. It was more of a variety show than a comedy act. He sang and did mostly impromptu stuff. He's talented. Really talented.

Last night we went out to dinner (as I was telling you yesterday).

The Icebergs Dining Room + Bar is probably the best restaurant in Bondi, some people might say the best in Sydney, or at least one of the best. It was so nice to not have to worry about the bill at the end of the night.

It was actually the perfect day for it. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. We'd read earlier that there was a chance of storms. We were secretly hoping that there would be storms. That would have been a beautiful sight with an uninterrupted view. Sunshine was just as good though.

The service was impeccable. We went early so that we could soak up the view. It was a good idea because we had the best table in the house, without anybody remotely near us until the mains arrived. Plus it can get a bit trendy as the night goes on.

We started with half a dozen oysters. I have only had one oyster in my life, and it wasn't anything to write home about. These though... well I'm writing here about them, so that tells you something. They were delish.

We then had entree. I had a risotto with four cheese and pistachios, Hubby had a seafood pasta. The flavours were pretty intense in my meal, so I only ate half. For mains we shared a t-bone steak (it was actually 1kg and meant for sharing) and some sides. We had the most beautiful white wine that I had ever tasted. It was really crisp and fresh.

We then had dessert. I had a pana cotta and Hubby had cannelloni with sweet fillings.

I was so done by the end of it. We still had lots of money left on the gift voucher so left a nice tip.

At the end of the night the waiter asked if we wanted him to call us a taxi. It was nice to be able to say no, we were local and would just walk home. And walk home we did. Or perhaps stumble. I think we were a little bit tipsy. xx

*Dannii Minogue was at the table next to us. Thus the ^^ photo.

Yawn.

Etsy Photograph

I'm still here. Sorry for not letting you know where I am, and what I am doing.

Lacey slept so badly last night. It was like she was sick or something, but she's not. I finally got her to sleep at 11pm, but she woke up an hour and a half later. She was up for such a long time then. I'd feed her, rock her to sleep, place her carefully in her cot and........ waaaaaaaahhhhhh!

I got 3 hours of broken sleep last night. I hope I can fit in a nap somewhere.

She is getting some more teeth through. The others didn't bother her like this though. Maybe these ones are different.

When she woke this morning, I glanced over at the clock and was elated to see it was 5:14am. This sleeping charade was over for another night. I'd rather just get up and roll with it than fight it.

This morning I'm off with Ma and Lil Sis to get manicures and pedicures. Then tonight Hubby and I have a date. We're having a very special dinner. We were (very kindly) given a voucher for Christmas. The voucher is very generous so we can have a bottle of wine and 3-4 courses. Delicious.

At least I don't have to worry about being on my game tonight as far as conversation goes. Hubby and I will probably fall asleep before dessert arrives.

Strike That.

I have crossed so many things off my 29 by 29 list.

This is just a boring post really. Just to strike the things off my list that I have done.

1. Get to a size 16.
Not quite there. I have lost a few kilograms so I am heading in the right direction.

2. Be able to run a lap of the beach without stopping.
I have been exercising a lot more, but am nowhere near being able to do this yet.

3. Get the lounge steam cleaned.
Our lounge/couch is back to brand new. Buying a white lounge wasn't such a stupid idea.

4. Exercise 3 times a week (again).
I have been doing this and will be keeping it up too.

5. Sort through my wardrobe.
I have done this too, and made $400 on eBay in the process. I just have 4 tubs of clothes in the garage to go through and then that's it. My wardrobe looks really good.

6. Work out a five year plan.
This one has been keeping me awake at night a bit - as well as Lacey! Hubby and I had a chat yesterday and we sorted out a plan.

7. Try a new recipe each week.
I've been cooking up a storm. This week I made a delicious risotto (I'll share the recipe soon) and that brownie cheesecake.

8. Plan my 30th birthday celebrations.
I'm still thinking this one through. I'm tossing up celebrating in Fiji, renting out a house up the coast or just a party at home. Stay tuned.

9. Get my haircut in an edgier style.
See previous post. :)

10. Get to 100 posts on my blog.
See a few posts before that.

11. Get un-addicted to chocolate.
Oops. I forgot about that one. Need to get on top of this one ASAP.

12. Get a Mimco handbag.
Done. And I love it.

13. Simplify my life.
Not quite there.

14. Get properly fitted for bras.
It was weird, but I'm glad it's done. I went in and secretly hoped it was an older lady. I didn't want some perky young thing being exposed to my upper-body-nudity. Thankfully it was an older lady. I was 2 sizes smaller than I had been wearing, and 1 cup bigger. Whoops. Sorry ladies.

15. Take Lacey to see a Roosters football game.
The football season hasn't started yet. We might try and take her to the Anzac Day match.

16. Keep a food journal for a month.
Almost.

17. Get un-addicted to magazines.
Hubby is helping me with this one. I am allowed to buy one magazine a week.

18. Get a full night sleep.
I am going to try and better this one. That night Lacey slept from 9:30pm until 5am, and whilst that has been our best night yet, I think we can do better. I'm in talks with Miss Lacey.

19. Visit 3 new places in Sydney.
I'm a few down, but will come back with photos when I've completed this one.

20. Get a nice photo of us as a family.
I have a voucher for a photo shoot so will get this when Lacey is one. We got a great photo yesterday of us at the beach... so that could possibly do as well.

21. Do an aqua aerobics class.
I've looked up the timetable but haven't gone.. yet.

22. See 3 non-kids movies.
I saw Marley & Me the other day, so that's a good start.

23. Swim in the ocean.
Done, numerous times.

24. Learn how to do aperture on my camera.
Haven't even thought about this either.

25. Read a book.
Soon.

26. Take Lacey to the Zoo.
Hubby doesn't want to take Lacey to the Zoo until she is older, but we might take her to the Aquarium instead.

27. Relax more.
I haven't been this relaxed in a long time. I hope to maintain it.

28. Catch up with my BF from school at least fortnightly.

She only just arrived in Sydney this week, so I haven't been able to catch up yet. We will tomorrow.

29. Be grateful each day. And breathe.

I am trying. And if I wasn't breathing.... well I guess I doing that, right?

The Ex Factor.

Someone (kindly) brought it to my attention that I was pitting two of Brad Pitt's ex-girlfriends (wives, whatever) against each other in selecting my new hairstyle. I hadn't even thought twice about it. I don't have a Brad Pitt infatuation. Promise.

Today was one of those days where pleasant surprises just seemed to find me. I felt light and lucky.

I turned up to my hair appointment and my technician (snazzy word for hair colourist) got all passionate on me.

Technician: When you walked in through that door I just knew what I wanted to do with you. I can see it all now. Pink blond here. White blond there.

Me: Okay. I trust you. Do what you want. Do what you think.

Technician: You should never say that to a technician. (Evil laugh).

I consulted with my hair cutter (she didn't have a snazzy title, so I'll leave it at that). I told her what I thought my two options were. She was really excited about the shorter style. So we went with that.

She tied my long hair back into a ponytail and asked me one more time: Are you sure about this?

To be honest in that very moment, I wasn't so sure. I did want to take a moment and rethink it all, but instead I nodded and said: Sure. Do what you think.

In one swift snip, my ponytail was gone.

The salon was really quiet and I felt really relaxed. There was the usual chatter about nothing. I didn't mind it.

The young guy washing my hair apologised for sounding so nasal-y. I hadn't noticed. He said he was coming down with a cold and began to cough and splatter. Thanks for sharing the ... love.

I couldn't get a good photo. I don't have a monobrow like this photo is suggesting. Promise.

I went through four magazines in the time it took to get my hair done. It was bliss. No one trying to tear the pages out. No one needing a feed mid-page. I decided to catch up on some text messages. I messaged my employer to confirm my return to work date. It was a week later than I had assumed. One week more holiday. Bliss.

Whilst I was getting my final rinse, just after the magical head massage I got a text from Hubby. He just bought a brand new car. Shock. Elation. Excitement. New car smells. Yum.

So all in all a good, no scratch that, GREAT day.

In the end Gwyneth won. xx

Bondi.

It was hot here in Sydney yesterday. It reached 33 degrees or higher I think (91 Fahrenheit). It was a bit of a stinker.

Now I've lived in Bondi for about 5 years, but never had a dip in the beach here. (Well once I went for a jog on the sand and we had massive waves at the time. I wasn't quite paying attention and a big one hit me. I'm sure that doesn't count!)

Why not? Bondi is filled with people that look like this.

Flickr Photo: BondiBeachBabes

Well, okay, not everyone looks like this, but let's just say that I can guarantee that you'll see at least one person looking like this on a hot Summer's day, maybe thirty. I know I just can't compete with that. :P

Really though, it's that the crowds at Bondi get crazy when it's hot. There is barely moving room. The locals are all at home. Every man and his dog is trying to keep cool in the water.

Flickr Photo: Devon

I walk down at the beach early in the morning, but am out of there before everyone else arrives. It's nice and peaceful at that time. As for swimming, there are plenty of other beaches to go to.

Yesterday we were heading for an early morning swim at one of those other beaches. We were driving past Bondi and it looked really tempting. We decided to go for a nice swim there instead. We would give Lacey her first dip in Bondi beach.

Hubby has lived in Bondi all his life, so it was quite special for Lacey to swim at his beach. The water was chilly at first, but beautiful once we were in. Lacey loved it. She's pretty good with sand now too. I expected that she'd just put it straight in her mouth but she doesn't. She'll play with it, but that's it. She's smart, my Lacey.

My own Bondi Beach Babe + Baby

Yesterday was exciting as well because my little sister was flying home after being overseas for 3 weeks. We missed her like crazy. She is Lacey's Godmother and boy is Lacey keen on her. She was so excited to see her. It was very sweet.

We had everyone over for dinner. We talked about the trip and looked at all the photos and videos. She had a really fun time. Of course we all got little presents too. Yay for us!

Hubby made dinner for everyone and for dessert I made Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie. What can I say, Jenny made me do it. It went down really well.

Well, I'm off to get my haircut. I have no idea what I am going to do with it. I am hoping the stylist will decide for me. Wish me luck. xx

P.S. The I.T. guy ended up calling me back, almost a week later. Typical male. :P

Cut.

I am trying out a new hairdressers on Friday. Looking back I realised that I change HD (hairdressers) about every two years. I don't know why I break up with them. By around 2 years they're like good friends, I know all about their lives, they usually know very little about mine. I'm a good listener.

I like change and I'm ready for change. I want to be able to sit for the two hours in silence (well, besides the humming of the hairdryers and the gossip going on beside me). I feel like my days are filled with noise and I just want to not have to pay attention to anything. Not have to act like I care what someone is doing on the weekend, or if they're going out tonight.

So my hair is pretty long at the moment. Not down to my bottom, but almost past my bra strap on my back. (Remind me to tell you about getting measured (read: felt) up for a new bra today).

So what suits a not so slim face? Do I go for a shorter cut now, or treat myself with it once I've lost more weight?

I recently watched Marley & Me. I loved Jennifer Aniston's fun fringe and layered look. I could do that.


I'm also loving Gwyneth Paltrow's fresh new look too.

But she really rocked the long hair look too, didn't she?

I had a before photo to share with you but that all went bye-byes when my computer got wiped.

I'd love to hear any opinions or see any other hair styles you can think of. xx

Day Six.

I'm back. Everything got wiped from my notebook and now it's like brand new. I am glad that I saved everything on to my external hard drive so it's all safe and sound. It's just a matter of downloading everything back on and getting it back to normal.

Lacey is sleeping a little bit crappy again. She is waking almost every 1.5 hours. It's exhausting me right now, I don't know how I worked and survived. I know I better get used to it because in two weeks I'll be doing it all again.

Yesterday I went and got a manicure and pedicure. It was delicious. As I was putting my shoes back on at the salon, I looked down and realised something. I was wearing two different shoes. I had put on two different shoes in the morning. That's a first, and hopefully a last.

Today we went to visit a girlfriend who has a beautiful little daughter. Lacey had a nice play in her room with all her toys. Afterwards I took Hubby and Lacey out to lunch at a shmancy seafood restaurant. Half way through dinner I looked down in my top. Lacey had smuggled a little mattress from her friend's dollhouse down my top. I don't know what's more disturbing - that my daughter is already stealing things, or that I didn't notice for 2 hours that I had a mattress down my top.



I'm grateful for my beautiful, reliable notebook. I missed it being in working order and am glad to have it home and in my lap again. xx

Cough, Cough.

I wanted my 100th post to be all exciting. Confetti falling from the sky, someone blowing a big party horn in your ear, a nice piece of chocolate cake.

My computer died this afternoon. I wasn't expecting it. It's only new. It's meant to be all shiny and perfect for a lot longer than this.

Actually, about two days ago it showed signs of illness. I spent an hour on the phone with a guy in some foreign country trying to figure it all out. In the end I think his shift was over. He gave me a reference number and said he'd call me tomorrow. He never called. Stood up by the I.T. guy.

I actually ended up fixing it myself. This time no matter how hard I try I can't repair it.

My posts will be few and far between, perhaps non-existent for a bit until I can figure out what is going on, or get someone else to figure out what is going on.

Hopefully that is before Friday. I am off to the hairdressers then and I need help in picking an edgier hairstyle (which is on my list of things to do before turning 29).

Wish me luck. x

Fashionista Lacey.

I was having a bad hair day and usually when that happens I put on a headband/alice band. I was sitting with Lacey after feeding her lunch (spaghetti bolognaise) and she looked up at my hair and laughed. She started reaching for my head so I passed her my headband. Look how cute she is trying to be just like me.

Quiche Make-Over.

Trying a new recipe each week is on my list of things I want to do before I turn 29.

Usually I don't get the time to cook very much, and Hubby happily does all the dinners. He is really enjoying it and trying new recipes all the time too.

Last night I pulled my finger out and made a quiche for dinner. Usually when I think quiche, I think pastry, cream and loads of fat. Not so with this recipe.

Rice-crusted Quiche with Ham + Vegies.

Serves 8.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Low Fat. Low Saturated Fat. Gluten Free.

1 tsp olive oil (I used cooking spray instead)

2 leeks, white part only, sliced

300g baby spinach

4 eggs

3/4 cup (180ml) low-fat milk

pinch of nutmeg

300g sliced lean ham off the bone

1 small bunch of parsley, chopped

1/4 cup (20g) grated parmesan

1/4 cup (30g) grated gruyere cheese (I used low fat tasty cheese)

green salad, to serve

rice crust

3/4 cup (150g) short grain brown rice

1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Lightly oil (I used the spray again) a 20cm pie dish.

2. To make rice crust, place rice and 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Transfer rice to a bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Add egg to rice and combine. Press into dish with the back of a wet spoon to line base and side. Bake blind for 15 minutes, until shell is firm.

4. To make filling, heat oil in frying pan on medium. Cook leek for 5 minute, stirring, until soft (add a little stock or water to looked it if needed). Add spinach and cook for 1 minute, until wilted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl. Add nutmeg (I left this out), ham and parsley, then stir in leek mixture, parmesan and gruyere. Season with pepper.
5. Carefully pour egg mixture into rice crust. Bake for 55 minutes, until top is golden and set.

6. Set aside for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, or at room temperature, with a green salad.

The finished product.

From the magazine.

Each serve costs around: $3.20

In each serve (made in the orignal recipe): 923 kilojoules, 17g protein, 9g total fat (3g sat fat), 17g carbohydrate (2g sugar), 3g fibre, 703mg sodium.

Weight Watchers Points per serve: 3 points (made the way I did).

Review: It was nice to eat, it felt fresh and healthy. I wouldn't put the parsley in next time. The flavour overpowered all the other subtle flavours. I think it needed something else in it though - perhaps tomato or capsicums (peppers). It was easy to make. I thought the rice crust would be too complicated and fall apart on me, but that part was no worries.

I guess the real question is, would I make it again? Probably. It's cheap, healthy, and satisfying. I would just add those tomatoes or capsicums and try it that way.

Enjoy.

Corker.

I had such a nice day yesterday.

It's been so nice being on holidays. I've been exercising and achieving a lot. I feel like my days are really productive. I write lists, and I tick things off. My house is nice and clean. It feels good.

My Mum visits on Wednesdays for dinner and to hang out with Lacey (and us too, I'm sure). I asked my older sister to come along too. She's always a hoot so we know that we'll always end up having a good laugh at some point or another.

I took Ma and Sis to visit our new favourite beach. Yesterday was a corker. It was one of the hottest days we've had in years. As the afternoon had rolled around, as too had the storm clouds. Rain was spitting and there was lightning in the distance. It meant the beach was empty, which was perfect.

We then headed home for a delicious dinner cooked by Hubby. Sis had picked up a bottle of Merlot of the way home from the beach. Now, I haven't had a drink in a while, so one glass of Merlot and I was pretty much gone. Cheap drunk.

Hubby, Lacey and myself had visited the Farmers Markets to pick up some supplies for dinner. We were going to skip dessert but I eyed some delicious looking chocolate cakes. I went over for a better look. The lady (who I assume bakes them) was so passionate about her work. The cakes had no sugar, no gluten and no dairy, as well as being low in fat. They were sweetened with kiwi, banana, apple and dates. I picked up four for the pricey sum of $17.

We held such high hopes for the cakes. We really did. I wanted them to be all gooey and delectable. They weren't. They'd be a great treat for someone that couldn't have gluten, dairy or sugar. I shouldn't have them, but I can. That's what was running through my head as I was tasting it. I was thinking I want real chocolate, real sugar, real... everything. So I probably wouldn't get them again. I'd consider trying something else she bakes, but I know that when I really want chocolate, I should have real chocolate otherwise I'll eat that goody (that doesn't quite hit the spot) and then the real goody (which I didn't last night. Gold star for me).

After dinner the storm clouds cleared and the heat returned. At 8pm, in all my tipsiness, we headed down to the beach. Hubby, Sis and Sis's boyfriend all jumped in. It was such a perfect evening. The beach was busy with locals. There were people everywhere exercising and enjoying the night.

Lacey slept well last night (after reverting back to her wakeful self the night before). We still didn't sleep well though. There was a huge bunch of backpackers somewhere singing all night long. Seriously, all night long.

This morning we took Lacey for her visit to the park. Here she is on her first swing. She loved it. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Momversation: Losing the Baby Weight

I have been a keen watcher of Momversation clips for a little while now. I have been meaning to share this one on losing weight after having a baby. Enjoy.

True.

Beach Baby.

23. Swim in the ocean.

Yesterday we took Lacey for her first swim in the ocean. It was a little chilly at first, but after a while she loved it.

Bondi was packed. Crazy busy. You could hardly see any sand as we drove past. We went exploring and found a beautiful little beach that was nice and quiet. It's going to be our new little haunt from now on.

Hubby is a beach baby. He has been swimming since... forever. I have been reluctantly swimming since forever too, but I seriously lack his water confidence when it comes to the ocean. Waves are not my friend. I think it may have something to do with a few hairy encounters as a kid. I do love being in the ocean though. I just love it. I think Lacey might end up being a beach baby too.

Another one crossed off my list. xx

This is how much Hubby loves the ocean. He's the sweep at the back of the boat.

Letter to Lacey: Nine Months

Wow. I can't believe how quickly the time is passing us by. I can't remember what you were like when you were tiny. When I see a newborn little baby out and about I always find myself staring, daydreaming, wondering what you were like at that age/size. Were you ever actually that small?

You are such a happy little mite. At the moment you have about four teeth ready to break through your little gums, but you're still pretty happy. In the afternoons you get a bit cranky and want to be entertained constantly... usually by me. Some days we'll go down into your room and crank up some Beyonce and have a play. Yesterday we took you to the beach. You're a real sticky beak so that was wonderful for you.

We're on holidays at the moment, so everything is all about you. We don't have to run to anyone elses schedule. It is really working for you. You're having great sleeps at night and we're figuring out what works best for you during the day. I can happily say that last night you helped me cross one thing off my 29 by 29 list (you didn't tell me you read my blog!).

18. Get a full night sleep.

I feel like a million dollars today, and you seem pretty chipper yourself!

Right now you're in your spaceship, eating vegemite on toast. How you love vegemite! An Aussie kid for sure!

You also love standing on your own. You look at us for acknowledgement and we, of course, give you a big round of applause. You aren't yet crawling but you have mastered the backwards bottom shuffle. And you love the water. Any water. Drinking, swimming, bathing.

So to celebrate we're off to the beach today for your first dip in the ocean. I know you'll love it.

I love you Miss Lacey. xx

*Please excuse the dodgy photos of photos. Getting my scanner out if a huge task (well maybe not so huge, but I'm lazy and time poor). These cute photos were taken by a girlfriend and I just had to share. She did also get some of Miss Lacey and myself which I might share soon-ish.