Weekend report: Wedding prep fun!

This weekend was all about the wedding! Lil Sis gets married in under 5 weeks now, and we're going through the list and getting things done. Next weekend is the Hen's party, and I'm excited. Super excited.

How was your weekend? Go anything to report?

Working on my work wear

1. Next (free shipping to AUS) $92 2. Leona Edmiston $129 3. Rachel Pally via Nordstroms $128 (50% off) 4. Kiyonna $118 5. Eliza Parker $189

Now that the smaller company I work for has been bought out by a bigger company I've had to step up my wardrobe a notch to suit the conditions. The other week when I had a big meeting to go to I messaged a workmate to ask, "Do you think I can wear jeans?"

She promptly told me, "You can NEVER wear jeans. Stop with the jeans already. Jeans are for days when you're doing nothing!"

Dang. I thought tracksuit pants were for those days!

I've been lusting over the dresses above for a while. I want something not too dressy, but dressy enough. I need something with a V-neck because I'm... well... I'm well endowed. I also wanted something with sleeves so that I didn't have to add the bulk of a cardigan.

In the end I went with number 3, after spotting Sarah Jessica Parker wearing the same dress. It's probably still too casual for work, but it's a step up from jeans ... right? Did I make the right choice?

I've also purchased a few other gems, but I'll share next week once everything has arrived.

Anyways ... I'm off to a work meeting today and then this weekend I'll be seeing the dress of all dresses ... my sister's wedding dress!


I hope you have a cracker weekend. Do you have anything planned? Weddings, parties, anything?

Dead Letter Office

So the box. I wrote about the mystery box yesterday, and ever since then it's been staring back at me in a creepy kinda way. It caused us much laughter, that mystery box. Hubby and I would look at it, then back at each other and laugh, "What the heck?"

My sister came over last night, and she knew about the box, and didn't want to be near it. She made me show her the contents one by one... but she was too freaked out to come in contact with the box.

The box looked like it had been around the world. It had three return addresses. One was in Chinese, and two were addresses from the USA. It had a letter stuck to the outside and inside the letter was written in Chinese.

One of the addresses turned out to be the lady who sent me wedding invites a fortnight ago {I made them and had them printed in the States}. I emailed her and asked if the jackets were hers. She replied with, "I had to read your email twice, I was so confused. I have no idea what you're talking about. They're not my jackets."

One of the other return addresses belonged to Dianne Fox so I attempted to stalk her on Facebook but do you know how many Dianne Fox's there are in the world? Too many! The last address was in Chinese, so unless I planned on learning Mandarin in a hurry... it was a no go (Please tell me they speak Mandarin in China, geography and culture I am no good at).

So I grabbed the huge box and took it to my post office. And after a few giggles my friend Phil informed me that there is a place for these things, and it's called the Dead Letter Office. Doesn't that sound dark and depressing?

But that's where the poor box is headed. Phil marked it with a DLO and sent it on it's way.

Poor box.

Anyways, after all that I'm feeling a little 'meh' so I'm off to my mecca {aka Officeworks} to cheer myself up.

P.S. If you haven't signed up yet, there's still time to join the Kris Kringle fun. Almost 100 people have signed up already, so throw your name in the ring too. x

The mystery box!

Yesterday I was downstairs when Hubby answered the door to a delivery man with armfuls of parcels. I stuck my head up the stairs and as Hubby was signing for the delivery he mouthed, "There's heaps!"

So I meandered upstairs for a look-see and he was right, there were heaps. Some small and some big. We slowly made our way through them. There were boxes filled with lollies for my sister's weddings, new shoes for me, and one huge box on the floor. I grabbed a knife and opened it.

I like to buy things on eBay, sometimes late at night, but never drunk... although I did think when I opened the last parcel that I might have haphazardly purchased something odd. A heap of second-hand books greeted me when I opened the parcel.

"What is it?" Hubby asked.

"I actually have no idea!" I replied.

So I kept removing things and discovering more oddities, Bandaids and chocolates.

There were three jackets, all used for kids, it seemed. And a see-through apron. I was suddenly a little more weirded out. And confused. What on earth had I purchased? It had my name on the front so it was mine. But I didn't know how.

As I neared the bottom of the box, there were heavy items wrapped in several bags and I would be lying if I said drugs didn't cross my mind. I slowly unwrapped the item and it revealed a stain remover spray bottle. Weird.

It seems Quarantine thought the parcel was a little suss too, so they let me know they'd opened up the parcel and checked it themselves.

Someone has paid US$90 to get it to me, so it's a lot of money to spend on postage!

I still have no idea what this parcel is or why I have it. I have no room in my house for a big box of things I don't need, so I am hoping that someone owns up to it ASAP.


Is this your box? What would you do with it?

10 things you really don't need to know about me

{print from Aeropagita Prints via Etsy}

1. I'm very bad at doing nothing
In fact I'd go as far as saying I don't really know how to do nothing. I'll read a magazine, cook dinner, watch a program on TV and play with Lacey at the same time. If I find my life in a lull, I'll take on or start another project of something. Right now I'm up to my hair follicles in work, helping planning a wedding, making invites and sending them out, helping planning a hen's night, and juggling day-to-day life as a mama/wife/employee/friend/sister/etc

2. I have the travel bug
I've never been one to want to travel. My sister would jet off around the world and I'd bid her farewell without a sniff of envy. I had no desire to travel overseas. I loved Australia and wanted to explore here. Now I actually read the travel section in the newspaper and I dream of planning another trip. Where to next?

3. I'm too assertive but I'm not assertive enough
Last week it came to light that I'm a little too assertive within my extended family. It's been said that 'I'm the glue that keeps our family together' but I'm also kinda a bit too sticky. I make the decisions. I tell everyone what we're doing. I've done it for so long that I didn't even notice that I did it. Yet at work, I'm always being told that I need to be more assertive. I need to find a happy medium.

4. I have an addictive personality
I easily get addicted to things. Right now it's diet coke and ricotta cheesecake. Why do they have to be food? I just got told that diet coke is so bad for me that a woman recently lost her liver because of it. I've always thought that it had so many chemicals that one day all the diet coke drinkers would grow an extra arm, or something. No more diet coke for me.

5. Finding my 'career' just after becoming a mum has been hard
Just like I never wanted to travel, I never really wanted a career. I never ever wanted to work in an office and I never wanted to experience the pressure of a business. Stumbling across my career after becoming a mum has been an interesting journey {read: hard}. I just wanted to win lotto and pop babies out. I love having a career now. I love making a difference. I do wish that I'd started in my 20's. I do look forward to my future.

6. I had a career highlight this month
We had an editor's conference and I sat in a small room with a whole host of brilliant print and digital editors. When our business had a chance to talk my boss and CEO spoke about Social Media and the role I play. They were so complimentary and suddenly my idols {magazine editors} wanted to talk to me. I even shared a toasted sandwich moment with Donna Hay.

7. I have a super fear of microphones
At the same conference I saw someone heading towards me with a microphone so I could answer questions and I froze. I couldn't do it. There was one strict rule I had at my wedding, no microphones for me. I can't go near them. I am going to put it on my list of things to make myself do to get out of my comfort zone.

8. This year has been full of ups and downs
I feel like this has been one of the worst years of my life, mainly because of losing Bluey {Hubby's dad}. Nothing feels 'right' anymore. I still get really teary and can't really talk about him without crying. At the same time Lacey couldn't possibly be any cuter, my sister got engaged, I've been overseas twice {including a trip of a lifetime to Disney World}. Still, it's all a little tough.

9. I'm losing weight
In the past couple of months I've lost 8kg {one dress size} and I'm slowly losing more. It's hard to diet but not diet, but I'm finding a happy place {eating healthy, moving more, losing weight slowly}. At my sister's wedding the other bridesmaids are size 6's and 8's. It's inevitable that I will be the chubby bridesmaid.

10. I struggle with the last 20%
I get all revved up for starting anything. Cleaning the house, cooking dinner, a new project, tackling my inbox, making something, anything. And then when I reach 80% I get unmotivated. So the fact that I finished this list, is a miracle in itself.


I was tagged by the lovely Rachael at It Must Be Coffee Time, and I'm now tagging you. You! If you have a blog, share it over there. If you don't, tell me below. What's something that I don't need to know about you?

It's all fun & games ... until someone loses a finger

On Saturday I had an appointment for a much-deserved facial {decided by me!}, and it just so turned out that Ma had an appointment for some eyebrow maintenance at the same time and same place, so we went together, taking Lacey with us.

We headed to Double Bay on one of the most perfect days Sydney has seen. Seriously, the whole weekend was pretty darn delectable. After the facials and eyebrows were done we headed to look at the shops. For those that don't know Double Bay is often called Double Pay, simply because it's where the ridiculously rich like to play.

I love Double Bay because I feel like an imposter. I've got as much money in my bank as they probably have in their purses on a daily basis and my shoes are from Target. But also it's clean, I love the shops and well, it never fails to amuse me either.

Lacey has an obsession with dogs. We don't have one so she'll ask politely of anyone with a dog whether she can pat it. So after buying some sandwiches and broccoli salad {seriously we had to do as the locals did, and it was delicious!} we saw a sweet little dog sitting outside with his owner. Lacey asked the lady if she could pat the dog, with my Ma by her side, and the lady said 'yes' as she gave us a smile.

Ma and Lacey showed the dog their hands so that he could smell them, and then gently patted him on the head. Before I could figure out what was happening Ma and Lacey were shuffling off and back to the car.

"Thank you so much," I said to the kind dog-owner.

"Did he say no?" she asked.

'Did he say no?' I ran the question through my head. What was she talking about? I suddenly clicked that she meant the dog. Did the dog say no? "I don't know," I smiled wondering if she knew I wasn't fluent in dog and followed after Ma.

It turns out the dog actually did say no by snapping at Lacey and Ma. As we walked through the cafe I realised Ma and I weren't the only ones getting some maintenance. There were two lovingly bandaged people recovering from a little nip and tuck. I fell in love with Double Bay a little more.

{I gave colour blocking a whirl}

So we headed back to our modest little homes, me with glowing skin and Ma with impeccable eyebrows. Oh and Lacey with a missing finger {kidding!}.


How was your weekend? Do you have any stories to share? Do you speak dog?

Win a hamper of lunch-time goodies

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Peanut butter cookies recipe

Whenever we visited my Nanna she'd always make things seem so super special. I've talked about her before but she was so lovely and gentle. The perfect grandma. Her skin was soft, her touch so calming. She really was such a lovely soul.

Each time we'd visit she'd whip up {and I say whip up but I'm sure it was more 'made with love'} some peanut butter cookies and some pumpkin scones. To us it felt like she had them on endless supply, but the truth is that she probably only made them for when we visited.

I know my Ma has her recipes somewhere special, and I will dig them out one day but instead I mixed up a few recipes and made my own peanut butter cookie recipe. They're pretty good.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
pinch of salt
125g butter at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup crushed peanuts {or chopped if you prefer}

Extra
1/2 cup white sugar {to roll the cookies in before cooking}

Method
♥ Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
♥ In a bowl beat the butter with an electric beater until light a fluffy. Add the sugar. Beat. Add the vanilla and the egg. Beat until all mixed together.
♥ Add the peanut butter and peanuts and beat on slow until completely mixed in.
♥ Add the flour and the salt. Mix again on slow.
♥ Roll the dough into balls {mine were about the size of a heaped tablespoon}. Roll in the sugar and place on the baking tray.
♥ Use the back of a fork to gently press down on the cookie to slightly flattened.
♥ Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden.
♥ Enjoy!


Do you have fond memories of your grandparents? Do any of them involve food?

Parenting makes my head hurt

Ugh. I've woken with a little bit of a headache. But then I realised that they're called hangovers. It's been so long.

Last night we went out for Japanese with my cousin and her beau. I asked for half a glass of wine, but my glass kept getting refilled by someone and before I knew it my skin was all tingly and I knew I was getting tipsy. It only takes a glass and a half. I started downing water like it was nobody's business in order to fight off the inevitable hangover. A little vegemite on toast and a bottle of water this morning is making things better.

We went to our favourite little Japanese place. The same place that Lacey ate the mouthful of wasabi. Thankfully she's wise to the wasabi now, but the girl makes me smile. She'll give anything a whirl when it comes to food. She ate sashimi, tofu and even gave eggplant a go.

We're off to Lacey's orientation today {I'm hoping I'm all chipper by the time that rolls around}. I've now entered into the serious end of parenting. I'm thinking of sending her to two different kindergartens next year. One is more of a pre-school and the other is her current daycare {but they follow the curriculum}. Last night it hit me that it's probably too much for her. Does anyone have any advice? {Pre-school can only do 2 days, and I kinda need 3-4}.

And then she's an April baby, so I need to decide do I send her to big school early or hold her back a year. My heart says hold her back, but her teacher says send her early because she'll be ready.

My head hurts! I think moreso from all the thinking now, and less from the hangover. Do you have any advice? When is your birthday? Did you go to school early or did your parents hold you back a year?

Sit-ups & sprints... oh my!

{source}

After we got married and before I fell pregnant I used to love exercising. Actually I might not have loved it, but I did a fair bit of it. I used to exercise most mornings, and a handful of personal training sessions each week too.

I'd run from Bondi to Bronte non-stop {with my personal trainer leading the way, making me too scared to even contemplate a quick breather}. I'd even spend my weekends finding new walking paths, through various suburbs.

I used to write in a forum a fair bit back then too, so we'd check in and say what exercise we've done each day. Below was a typical day of exercise, with a walk or run thrown in on top:

Now my exercise revolves around newsagents. I bribe myself to go for a walk with the lure of a newsagent stop somewhere in between. I do love my magazines. There are newsagents scattered all over Bondi, so it quite works.

I've been getting back into exercising of late. Not the sprints and sit-ups just yet, but walking more. The bonus is that Lacey quite likes being in the pram {she didn't for soooo long} so it's treat for us to go out for a walk. Yesterday I decided to take a path I hadn't traveled before, because I knew it had hills and would be a hard one. Of course there was a newsagent pit-stop somewhere thrown in too.

OMG. It was the hardest walk ever. I was red like a beetroot for about 3 hours afterwards. So hard! I am kinda excited to do it again though...


What exercise have you done today?

Letter to Lacey: Forty Months

Dear Lacey,

I quite like 3 and a half. You're my little shadow. We laugh together. Play together. Tell jokes together. Bake together. Three and a half is all sorts of fun.

On the flip side, three and a half is a bit of a hard work. As much as there is laughter, there are tantrums. Tantrums of diva-like proportions.

The other day, as I made my way back from a walk, I ran into the young guy from upstairs. We started chatting and I asked, "I hope we're not too noisy for you. I hope you can't hear her crying from upstairs?"

"I can," he said with a smile, "but it's OK. It's not that bad."

Finally, after three and a bit years of broken sleep, you started sleeping in your own room. You still wake three or four times some night, but we're getting there.

In the biggest news of all, you have a boyfriend. He's three months your junior but just as much in love with you as you are with him.

Three and a half is fun Lacey, but it does kinda make me scared about what four will bring.

Love Mama. xx

This week...

{source}

This week has been an emotional, exhausting one. Here's what I've discovered:

♥ In good news, dumplings are my new sushi. I love those guys.

♥ After being a magazine fan for as long as I can remember, being in a room filled with magazine editors yesterday was like being in a concert with one of my favourite artists. Sad, but true. And I'm going back today for more.

♥ Tomorrow is my anniversary and I completely forgot until Facebook popped up with this this morning. This year the traditional gift is candy. Yum! Happy Anniversary Hubby!

♥ After writing off YouTube as a time-waster for years, I got the bug this week while searching for videos for work. There are some super cute animals and kids on there. Plus I'm totally learning how to do my make-up and hair on YouTube. Win!


There's so much more I want to write... but I have to get ready for work. How has this week been for you? Do you plan on a whole lot of relaxing this weekend, like me?

Letting strangers near your smalls

You know what I don't get about apartment living? The sharing of the clothesline. I can't get used to the public display of people's clothing. I don't want Johnny's undies next to my jeans. I just don't. And I can kinda tell what belongs to who without even knowing the person. The pretty blonde in apartment 4 most certainly owns the teeny crochet bikini, and the Batman quilt cover has to be the weird guy in the apartment out the front.

Luckily enough I don't use the public clothesline as we're lucky enough to have our own backyard, and our own prized clothesline. Something country people probably take for granted. I know, as kids, we thought everyone owned a Hills Hoist. None of those clothing horses for inside, and especially no clothesline off the side of the house.

This week our washing machine stopped working. We're a-load-a-day type people, so this, naturally, devastated us. We live 100 metres from a laundromat, but I couldn't bear the thought of someone else handling my smalls {which funnily enough aren't actually that small}.

So every couple of days I've been loading up my basket and heading over to Ma's house across town to wash my clothes {and Hubby's and Lacey's too}.

Lucky enough Ma is on holidays so I work away while my clothes are washing. She makes us lunch too. Monday was ricotta and tomato on crackers {my new favourite} and yesterday was healthy mushroom risotto {how do mums always make things taste better?}.

Today the repairman is coming to fix our machine and I'm hoping and praying that it's a quick fix. If there's something I hate more than airing my clean laundry in public, it's paying hefty prices for boring white-good repairs.


Do you live in an apartment or a house? And could you let a stranger handle your smalls?


{image via ooilike}

The reading pile

This is just one of my pile of books beckoning for me to read it. I'm far too optimistic when buy books. I'm all, "I'll find the time!" And I never do. I think the solution is a lamp beside my bed, especially now that I don't have a toddler sleeping next to me {whom I was scared of waking}.


What are you reading at the moment? What book/s are in your reading pile?


P.S. The Artist's Way was a birthday gift from my boss. She thinks I'm too creative for my own good and that it sometime sends me a little batty. It's on top of the pile. Not literally, but I'll be reading it next. I promise.

P.P.S. The Choice Guide to Baby Products is a work book. No, I'm not pregnant.

What I'd save in a fire

I'm scared of flying. I know this has nothing to do with fires, but bear with me. So when I flew to Melbourne in July with bloggers Eden and Simone I was a little anxious during the flight. Eden kindly piped up more than once during the flights and told me, "We're going to crash!" or "We're going to die!"

After I removed my heart from my throat and the colour returned to my face she comforted me by stating, "If I say it, it won't happen."

So now I feel safe in saying what I'd save in a fire, because then - according to Eden's law - it just won't happen. Meaning there won't be a fire, not meaning I won't save this item. Right?

This would be the thing that I'd grab first, once all the people in my family were safe. It's a book my Ma and Lil Sis gave me on the night before I was married. It's filled with photos, and stories from my life.

My Ma and Lil Sis even asked everybody from my life up until that point to write a little something, a letter or a note for me. I don't know what guidelines they gave everyone, but most of the letters are wishing me well and saying why people love me, or even sharing memories from our friendship.

I have very few photos from my childhood, so these are special.

This is not me, but we laugh because it very well could have been!

Me and Lil Sis.

The book is filled to the brim.

Me and one of the beautiful kids I nannied.

My good friend Rowe and I.

A letter from Shane's mum & dad, welcoming me to the family.

Shane and I at the zoo, taken by a 4 year old.

The book is so so so much more than these photos show. It's so special and was the best gift I could have ever imagined.


What would be the one item you'd save in a fire?

Bake it today: blueberry muffins recipe

I have a love for berries. I'm crazy about blueberries, strawberries and raspberries too. It I had a mulberry tree in my backyard I'd be happy. Very happy. Hubby hates berries though, so it's up to Lacey and I to eat our way through them. Sometimes I go a little overboard and buy too many berries. Just like I did last week.

I had a punnet and a half of berries waiting to be eaten, and I thought I'd turn them into a little baking fun for Lacey. So we whipped up this deliciously perfect blueberry muffin recipe. I'll be freezing them so that we can get through them as we need.

Ingredients
1 x 300g tub sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of milk
55g butter, melted
1/4 cup plain flour
1 2/3 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries {if frozen - don't thaw them}

Method
♥ Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius. Prepare the tin by lining a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases
♥ In a small bowl combine sour cream, egg & vanilla. Allow to sit while preparing flours and sugar
♥ In a medium bowl combine flours and sugar. Mix berries in and coat them in the flour mix
♥ Add melted butter and milk to the sour cream mix. Add to the flour and blueberry mix. Stir to combine. Don't overmix or you'll burst the blueberries
♥ The mixture is quite coarse and dry {but oh-so-delicious}
♥ Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cases
♥ Cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden

Serve warm or freeze them like we are.

What's your favourite fruit? Are you a berry fanatic like me?

{recipe is adapted from Exclusively Food}

Bridesmaids, Blueberries & BBQs

Can I be predictable and say that weekends just roll by way too fast? Well I did, and they do!

My weekend entailed:

Accidentally sleeping in
Getting ready at the speed of light
Picking up Big Sis
Picking up Ma
Heading down South
Getting breathalised {Lacey calls it a blood test}
Eating a naughty bagel for breakfast
Trying on my bridesmaids dress
Cheering that it fight perfectly
Find the perfect bridesmaids shoes
Having lunch
Heading back home
Sleeping
Waking
Reading the papers
Having a BBQ lunch
Making blueberry muffins
Playing princesses
Burning dinner
Sleeping


How was your weekend? I won't reveal what colour our bridesmaids dresses are, but if you were getting married what colour would you pick?

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

I know everyone's talking about the loss of Steve Jobs, but wasn't he amazing? Didn't he do and say some pretty brilliant things. I am yet to listen to his TEDtalk or his University speech, so I plan on doing that this weekend. I was devastated to hear that he was so sick back in August. Shocked actually. And then so sad to hear of his passing yesterday. Thanks for being such an inspiration Steve, from one geek to another.

I've heard a lot of great quotes from Steve, but this is one of my favourites - so I made it up into a poster on my iPhone. It seemed like the geeky thing to do. xx

Puppy dog tales

One of the most drama-filled moments I experienced as a nanny happened in the City. We were on a day out during the school holidays and were visiting Centrepoint Tower. For those that don't know it's name has changed now but it's Sydney's tallest building and it was pretty busy that day.

The four kids and I waited for a lift to take us back to street level. People were everywhere, so I had my little ducks all huddled in nice and close to me. A lift arrived and opened but it was going up instead of down, so we waited for the next one. Except one of my smallest charges who was only 3 at the time, he hopped into the lift. Before I had time to grab him, the doors closed and my little boy was in the lift alone, going up.

It was one of the worst moments of my life. I intitially screamed, but then realised I needed to stay calm. I yelled into the lift, hoping my voice would carry up the chamber for him - assuring him to just stay in the lift and that we'd be with him soon. It felt like forever, but I kept talking to him - all the time hearing his screaming as the lift went higher. Eventually the doors opened and inside stood a very sad, scared and teary three year old.

As he got older he loved hearing that story. Of course I told him with much drama and enthusiasm, so he understood just how traumatic the situation was and still seemed to be so many years on.

I was watching a re-run of Modern Family on Wednesday night and that same thing happened to one of the families. It was much more funny watching it happen to someone else. It instantly reminded me of my nanny family though, and suddenly I missed them.

Yesterday as I drove Lacey to Kindy I thought about them. Lacey goes to Kindy right near where I used to work, so I often think of the family as I drive through those familiar streets. I quite miss nannying, a lot. I miss the kids and I miss the lifestyle. I dropped Lacey off and headed home to work, but spotted a stray dog out of the corner of my eye.

The family that I nannied for had a dog who fancied himself a bit of a Houdini {Houndini if you like!}. Many of my days were spent searching for that dog. He was cheeky bugger who could find his way out of anywhere. One day I even found him at a cafe, on a leash, lunching with old ladies from the neighbourhood. They'd kindly taken it upon themselves to look after him for a while.

I pulled up beside the dog and called him over. He came running towards me, so I popped him into the car. He looked different though. A little greyer, and scruffier than before. Suddenly I wondered if I'd picked up someone else's dog. "Is that you?" I asked him {funnily enough, he didn't reply}.

"Does it smell like you?" I asked taking a big whiff.

I pulled back the fur from his eyes and looked him square in the face and asked, "Is that you? Or have I picked up another dog?"

He still didn't reply, so we drove along to my old work feeling secretly thrilled that I'd get to see the kids again.

It turns out that I did have the right dog. And let me tell you, kids grow mighty big quickly when you don't spend every day with them. They had a trillion new freckles, as I imagined they would. They were much taller. Much older, even though just a year has passed since we said goodbye {I've seen them on and off since, but it feels like forever}. It kinda made me a little sad. A whole lot of sad to be honest. Oh, I miss them.


Do you have a job that you miss?

Walking the path to self-love

This time last week I shared about the past 12 months of my life and stopping the dieting dance that I've been doing my whole life. I was overwhelmed and touched by the response from everyone. To know that other have walked the same path, was sad but comforting at the same time. I have been speaking to Julie from Beautiful You regularly for over a year now, and she's helped me along the way. She's amazing and I adore her. We spoke on Friday and wanted to share in some way a little bit of advice. Julie has kindly written this piece for me to share here.

I’m honoured that Chantelle has asked me to write this short, but hopefully sweet, guest post, to follow up on her beautiful and poignant ‘The Dieting Dance.’ The words she shared with you about her journey to learning to love her body and give up a dieting merry-go-round has clearly touched many hearts. Not only are her words a lovely sharing of her life, they clearly mirror the many feelings and experiences so many of you and many others, have.

As someone who is passionate about helping people learn to love their bodies, the following are my most powerful and best used tips that may help you on a path to body love and a positive relationship with food too:

♥ If you’re tempted to go on the latest diet or just give another diet ‘one more go’ please remember you’re embarking on something that has a 95% long term fail rate. Also – just in case you’re thinking it’s your fault the diets you are trying are not working – it’s not. It’s the diet. Not you.

♥ Don’t for a moment think that being thinner will make you happy, or be the answer to all your prayers. Weight loss does not give that to you. Only you can give that to you by choosing to love yourself and develop the type of thinking that supports a happy mindset.

♥ Don’t focus on numbers. Give up counting calories, weighing yourself and measuring yourself and instead focus on how you feel. Beautiful and healthy people shine with energy and vitality; something that is not determined by size and weight alone.

♥ Saying things such as “You’re disgusting. You need to lose weight” to yourself means you are operating from a position of self hate which will likely see you move into a mindset of diet and deprive. Think instead what you might achieve if you said “I love my body. I honour it and respect it.” How might that change how you feel, eat, exercise, live and love?

♥ The most powerful way you can develop a more positive relationship with food is to learn how to eat mindfully and intuitively. It’s all about slowing your eating down, eating foods you love, not depriving yourself, eating when you’re hungry and not eating when you’re not.

♥ Learn to love and appreciate your body for what it does rather than what it looks like. Express and think grateful thoughts to yourself about how it supports you to walk, play with your children, work, love and experience the world. When you learn to think of your body in this way you will become less concerned about comparing yourself to others and what you look like, and more grateful for the amazing things your body can do.

♥ Know that a loving and positive relationship with food and your body is absolutely possible no matter what your history, dress size, weight, age, gender and anything else you can think of. If you want it, you can have it.

Wishing you much body love,
Julie Parker


Julie Parker is a certified coach and clinical counsellor for women who want to shine with passion, confidence and unshakable self-respect - and take magnificent strides towards beautiful bodies, beautiful businesses and beautiful lives. Through 1:1 sessions, both in person in Melbourne and virtually around the world, Julie’s clients sift through their dreams, set crystalline goals, dissolve limiting beliefs and celebrate their successes as they begin to live their song. At Beautiful You, Julie shares inspiring images and empowering words to help women cherish their bodies and claim their brilliance. Find her online at BeautifulYouByJulie.com, Facebook and Twitter.






{image via pinterest}

Social Media Secret Santa: join the fun!

I know it feels waaay too early to start thinking about Christmas. I know. But I'm the anti-Grinch. I love Christmas. And I want you to love it too!

I've been cooking up this idea for a while. I've hosted gift exchanges on my blog before, and they were fun. I thought this might be another good way to give and have fun. For those that haven't heard of a secret santa before, it's where you buy gifts for another person and keep it as a surprise - until you reveal later on.

You'll submit your details in a private form and then at a later date be given your gift recipient's details. You can stalk them on their blog and on Twitter to take a guess at what they might like receiving. The gift limit is $30. This doesn't include postage, sending the gift to them is on top of this cost. You can buy things online for them, or at your favourite local store. You could even make something yourself to add to the gift.

Details:

♥ To take part you must submit your details by November 10th 2011

♥ Partners will be allocated and emailed by November 15th 2011

♥ You must send your gift by December 10th 2011

♥ Gift limit is $30 {postage is on top of that}

♥ This is open to bloggers who have had a blog for 3 months or more. {I'm sorry to those who don't blog, but in the past with gift exchanges it's been difficult to make people accountable - I am hoping this will solve that issue}. If you're on Twitter but don't have a blog and want to play along - please email me so we can work it out

♥ Your details will not be shared with anyone except the person buying your gift

♥ I've created a Facebook group for any conversations around the Secret Santa, including the final reveal

♥ The lovely Sarah and I will be allocating partners. This will be done randomly. If you live overseas {not in Australia} but would like to take part, you must be willing to post a gift to someone living in Australia. You will note that I've asked in the survey if you're willing to send overseas. This applies to Australians as well, who are willing to send to bloggers who live overseas. Obviously postage overseas will cost slightly extra.

♥ The hashtag for Twitter is #SMSecretSanta

♥ Please only participate if you can follow through. It can be very disappointing to play along and then not receive a gift. I can not take any responsibility for gifts not arriving or participants not playing properly

Do you want to take part in the fun? Enter your details here.

Once you've selected to join in the Secret Santa fun, you can join the group on Facebook - in case you need hints and tips on what to buy your gift recipient.

What on earth did we use to do?

Hubby and I are heading away in November for a weekend up the coast when our friends get married. We've asked Ma to look after Lacey, and she wanted to get a bit of practice under her belt before November rolled around. She has Lacey a lot during the day, but Lacey can be a bit of a nightmare at sleep time so we wanted to make sure she was ready to take her on.

So yesterday Ma came to take Lacey away for two days and one night to my little sister's house, and to see my little brother too. Hubby had a few days off work, so it was just me and him.

We ate lunch and then sat together on the couch while I worked away. After I while I looked at him and asked, "What on earth did we use to do before Lacey?"

I couldn't, for the life of me, remember how we used to spend our time before kids. Either could Hubby. Is that crazy?

I know we definitely nursed more hangovers, and had more spare time. Oh, and we definitely slept a whole lot better.

For the mums among us, do you remember what you once did with your time? How has your life changed since having kids?

Is social media making us lazy & stupid?

Over the weekend, as we weaved our way through the back streets of Sydney, I directed my mum to where we need to go. We first stopped in Kings Cross and then over to Crows Nest for a Charlie Lovett sandwich {try them, they're delish}.

I've lived in Sydney for around 12 years now and for the most part, I didn't own a GPS. Actually, I still don't own a GPS in my car but Hubby has one in his. I know my way around Sydney, mostly the Eastern Suburbs, the City and the North Side. I get a little lost when it comes to the Inner West and Western Suburbs.

As we were driving, I wondered if I'd have been able to learn where to drive if I had a GPS to lead the way in the early years. I doubt it. When I use my GPS it takes me where I need to go, and I don't really have to think. I'm on autopilot.

Maltese Philosopher, Edward De Bono, has said this week that Social Media is making us lazy and stupid. He says, "That we can get information our computer and our communication systems are getting better and better, people say ‘I don’t have to think, information will make my decision for me’, and that completely rules out creativity using the information in a different way, or new way."

“{Social media causes} laziness, that we just feel we’ll just get more information and we don’t need to have ideas ourselves – we’ll get ideas from someone else, we don’t need to look at the data we’ll just see what someone else has said and so on.”

I kinda agree. I used to read encyclopedias for fun as a child. I know, I know. But now if I need to know something I just look it up, or ask somewhere online.

The other day, while we were driving, Ma asked me how my girlfriend was. I told her she was well and updated her briefly on her life. "Oh, did you see her recently?" Ma asked.

"Umm, no, I read it on Facebook," I sheepishly replied to my non-Facebook using Ma.

Social media has definitely made socialising easier. At the same time making us lazier. It's definitely a lot less satisfying catching up online, rather than offline. Don't you think?

So social media has made me somewhat lazier, but stupid, no. I know so much more about so many random different things because of social media. Would I have known that Jessica Simpson is supposedly pregnant without Twitter? Or that I'd have to get married 100 times to beat this record-breaking couple? Or what a duck looks like when it yawns?

So see, I'm not stupid. I know stuff. Social media taught me.


Do you think social media is making us lazy and stupid? What's the best thing you've learnt online?

{image via I'm in a trance}

Basic pancake recipe

On Sunday night I promised Lacey I'd make her pancakes in the morning, in an attempt to urge her to go to sleep. I thought/hoped she'd forget.

By the time morning came around I'd completely forgotten about my empty promise, and it seemed Lacey had too. I made her honey on toast and put it on her little table in front of her.

"But... where's my pancakes?"

So of course, I whipped up half a batch of pancakes for my princess and she happily gobbled them up. Here's the recipe I love, as it never lets me down.

{All pancakes should be made whilst sporting crazy bed hair, right?}

Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
3 tablespoons of caster sugar
2 1/3 cups milk
80g butter, melted
1 egg

Method
♥ Measure flours into a bowl {sift if you like. I don't sift anything!}. Add sugar and stir.
♥ Add milk, butter and egg. Whisk until well combined.
♥ Brush a small frying pan with butter and put on medium heat.
♥ Add around 1/3 cup of pancake mixture to the frying pan. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the pancakes starts to bubble on the surface. Turn the pancake over and cook for another minute.
♥ Serve immediately with your topping of choice. I like lemon and sugar. Lacey is a maple syrup kinda girl.

How do you like your pancakes?