the old and the new

This little photo just warms my heart. We were leaving my mum's friend's house and when I looked up before me, I saw this and quickly snapped a photo. Zoe doesn't easily warm to many people, so this is pretty special. Friends.

a more nourished life in 2013

So, the one of my new 'things' over the last year has been health, nutrition, and organics. During the last half of 2012 I found myself reading more and more information online and learning so much. Much of it was challenging my existing beliefs, and things I had taken for granted as being healthy or safe, I was suddenly discovering were not necessarily so. 

There were lots and lots of pages I was following on Facebook along this theme. All of which I am missing terribly, as they were such a wealth of information at my fingertips. One of the pages I have been following for some time is Nourished Life. The page started as a passion of Irene Falcone's, as she decided one day to rid her home of any products loaded with toxins and replace them all with non-toxic, natural and organic products. She began sharing her findings, more and more people began following the page, asking questions and wanting to know where to purchase the products from. So Irene, then, opened her own online store, Nourished Life, which stocks all the products that Irene has thoroughly researched and found to be the best for us - all free of toxins, all natural, and many using organic ingredients.

Late in the year, I was fortunate enough to become part of Irene's team at Nourished Life, and I now assist in adding products to the online store and with other projects Irene is working on. It's so wonderful to be working for a cause that is one I am truly behind and passionate about myself. I'm really looking forward to seeing Nourished Life grow this year as more and more people choose to detox their lives and start being kinder to their bodies, both with what goes onto it and inside it. 

Please do check it out if this is something you are even remotely interested in! All the products are tried and tested by Irene before they make it in the store. I have also been buying products too, slowly replacing things that we were using before, and I have been super impressed with how good they are. My current favourite products are the Cosima cleanser and day cream. Such superior products and so much better than anything you would put on your skin from a department store! And lots of things are no more expensive than what you would spend on department store products either.

Here's to a more nourished life for me and my family in 2013!

(PS. This is totally not a sponsored post. In fact Irene doesn't even know I'm going to post this! This is just one of the things I'm super passionate about at the moment, and I can't NOT share about it.

PPS. I buy all my own products from NL to try, none are given to me for free. All opinions about them are my own!)

i'm breaking up with facebook

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Yep, you read right. I've decided to break up with Facebook. For a long while, at least.

A few things have happened in the last week or so that have made me re-evaluate my life in many ways, and I've decided that for now Facebook is better out of my life than in it. I trialled deactivating my account a few days ago, and it was utter bliss. No unquenchable urge to check for updates 45 times a day, no skimming through my endless news feed. It was so nice not to be sucked into the Facebook abyss and I really enjoyed my days at home with the kids far more. I was more attentive, I was insanely productive and have ticked so many things off my 'to do' list already.

So I've decided that I'm going to deactivate it again, and let people get in touch with me in the old school way, by phone or email.

I'm not sure how long I'll do it. And I do know I'd like to go back in from time to time as Facebook is the only way I am in touch with a lot of people and it will mean missing out on that, but I think for me, where I am at right now, I really need the space from social media. I plan to still Instagram and hop on Pinterest when I get the chance, but I don't find those mediums quite so time wasting. I will just reactivate my Facebook account every few weeks or so just to catch up with some peeps.

And funnily enough, the break from Facebook has given me the head space back to want to blog more than I have in a long time. So that's a good thing!

I honestly didn't think I could cut Facebook out of my life, but I feel so much better for it now I've made the decision and given it a little go. Currently I've just announced it to my friends and giving them the chance to grab my other contact details before I deactivate for a long while......bye bye Facebook, it's been fun, but now there is some other fun to be had!

What about you? Do you think you could live without Facebook? Does it take up too much of your time each day? Do you feel compelled to check it 60 times a day like I used to?

grateful for.....

....living so close by the beach. 

There is nothing like the sound of the sea to soothe, the salt water to refresh and the sand beneath your feet to awaken your soul.

the cuteness kills me

The cuteness of these guys really does kill me sometimes. The big two are fighting so much less these school holidays which I am so grateful for, and they are mostly delightful to watch playing together. My favourite thing at the moment is when Josh blocks Zoe's way and he tells her she needs to say the magic words to pass through. After trying to guess what the 'magic words' actually are with 'please', 'pretty please', 'sparkles', etc. Josh finally tells her the magic words are 'I love my brother'. Hilarious. So willing, Zoe declares 'I love my brother!' and is allowed on her merry way. I've since heard Zoe use 'I love my sister' as her magic words for Josh. Cute. So Cute.

year of 52 moments - a special gift from moment watches

Just before Christmas I was gifted this gorgeous watch courtesy of Moment Watches. I hadn't heard of them before but when I read more about them and the artistry behind the watches I was captivated and more than happy to be on the receiving end of one of their timepieces. 

The watch I received is part of a very special initiative called 'Year of 52 Moments'. It's a world first, and a very ambitious task as it means creating a specially designed limited edition watch for every week of the year. Each watch will feature one of 52 personal stories translated into a modern watch design.

The great news is that little old you can submit a design that will be considered for one of the watch designs! If you have a significant story to tell or an inspirational moment to share, you are invited to register on Facebook at facebook.com/CelebrateYourMoment, and then create an illustration or artwork that tells your story or celebrates a special moment. You can also find more information at www.momentwatches.com.

The initiative kicked off on Christmas Day, so the watch I have has a very special Christmas message for me. It represents the bible verse John 3:16: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life'. For me, that is what Christmas is about essentially, so to have received this watch just before Christmas was a lovely reminder of what I was celebrating, and is also a great reminder going into the new year of where my heart needs to be.

There are many more beautiful watches being produced by Moment Watches, including their John Freeman collection. John Freeman is an Australian artist who has designed a range of watches inspired by new journeys, friendship and love. I am super excited to be having a giveaway soon of three of these lovely watches.

Even if you don't submit a design for the Year of 52 Moments, it will be an interesting journey to watch all the watch designs as they are launched each week. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing them and the inspirational stories behind them.

Got any ideas for a watch design? What moment or story would you love to see be used for this initiative?

i won i won i won!

I spotted this Papercookie giveaway last week on Facebook. I don't often click on things to enter on Facebook, but this one looked GOOD! And it was only open for a few hours. First thing this week I decided to check back just to see who had won.....there was my name staring back at me! It was just the pick me up I needed too. I've still been feeling mostly low and out of energy, and lacking inspiration due to all the kids still taking turns being sick and a non-sleeping-at-night, certain 10-month old. Low funds around these parts, too, has meant very little impulsive shopping for me, so this was a great treat!

Here's what I bought:

 

 

Love You Bear card | Hello Bear print | Love You Cheeky Monkey card | Washi Tape Hooks

What do you think?

Can't wait for it all to arrive now. The two Love You cards I plan on framing and putting on in each of the kid's rooms. Just a little friendly reminder of how much I love them, even when I'm a cranky mama bear.

And now, I'm looking forward to a (hopefully) relaxing weekend.

Adieu!

don't grow up

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Some days, I truly wish I was little again. With no responsibility and to be able to run about carefree. It's so hard to feel free and alive when you are a grown up sometimes. I think we kind of trap ourselves into a hard place when it doesn't have to be. Life can be simpler. It is nice to kick back every now and then and pretend there is nothing to worry about and just go a bit silly. Kids are good for that. They know how to have a good, honest laugh or a satisfying, silly dance around.

Might go do that now.

coming out of hiding

I'm coming out of hiding today, and will hopefully start to re-use this little space again. It's been months of a sleep deprived fog for me, which I am still in, but I can see a tiny little light at the end of the tunnel. Well, at least I hope that's what it is and not just sun glare!

I'm going to try and do a little more of this today - eat, drink and enjoy!

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declutter and simplify

I'm on a mission. This year I'm hoping to really simplify and declutter our house. I'm sick of storing stuff that we don't use or need anymore, or things that are broken. I'm tired of sifting through all the useless stuff to find the stuff we actually DO use and need. I'm tired of cluttered up spaces. I just want what we need around us and for everything to have its place so we can live efficiently and so that things can be easily tidied up at the end of the day.

I started this mission in earnest when we first moved to this house but quickly I let things slide a bit with the busyness of life with two children under 5. Now that I have Josh at school all week and Zoe at preschool for two days, I've found that even though Ben is now here, I have a lot more time to start getting organised at home. So far I have cleared most of the main spaces in the kitchen - bench and pantry. Clearing out the pantry was so cleansing. The way we eat has even changed in the last year or two, and there is a lot less pantry type food now than what we've been used to in the past. I now have more room in there to store other things which has allowed me to clear most of the bench space in the kitchen.

I've also tackled most of the lounge room, and most of the bedrooms. Above are some pics of my bedroom after I'd done some spring cleaning in there. It feels so relaxing, peaceful and calm in there now, which is exactly what I wanted out of a bedroom, especially with having the baby rooming in with us at the moment.

I'm feeling more on top of things at home now and less bogged down in mess and clutter, which has been great for my mood and is making it an easier space to use and live in. I still have a growing list of things I want to achieve, but I have all year to slowly plough my way through. Next on the list is wardrobes. I'll be culling clothes from our wardrobe as well as Josh's. I did Zoe's wardrobe a few weeks ago, and I feel like I know what is in there now! Clothes don't get hidden and I can see everything that she has available to wear, and I know it all fits too! Can't wait to do that for my room.

How often do you declutter? Do you have a plan for how you do it? Any tips? Or are you a bit of a hoarder perhaps?

first day of preschool

So here she is. My baby girl. Now the big sister. I've dropped her off for her first day at preschool. I'm not much of a teary mama with milestones like these. And actually I still haven't cried, I just feel sadder than I thought I would be today. For so long I've been looking forward to this year when I would have Josh at school, Zoe at preschool and a few days of breathing space with just the baby. But as much as I've been looking forward to it, there is lots of sadness as well. She's not my baby anymore, she's grown up enough to be going to preschool finally - a little bit more independence and a little further out in the world on her own. It always seemed such a long way off but we are here already. I'm sure I will feel the same way about Josh when I drop him off at big school on Wednesday.

Even though I have had days of just being at home along with Ben already thanks to my mum, today feels a bit different. The silence is more obvious somehow, since it's the first time Zoe has been left with anyone but family. She is totally fine. I stayed with her a little to get her bearings and put her bag and lunch away. But she is familiar with the preschool already since her big brother lead the way for her. Finally I said to her 'are you ready for mummy to go now?' and without hesitation she said 'goodbye mum'. I feel sad without my little miss, but I'm sure she's having a great time and I'll be used to it in no time.

Love you baby girl. xx

lazy day

It's just me and the boys hanging out today. Miss Zoe is out with her grandma. Josh is being pretty good today and we are having loads of fun, including trying to FaceTime daddy at work (reception was a bit ordinary). I'm still hanging out in pj's (oops), and the boys, well this is what they have been up to:

Ben has been:

+ drinking milk

+ letting out gas

+ watching Josh and smiling

+ drinking milk

+ having nappy changes

+ sleeping

+ drinking milk.

Josh has been:

+ enjoying some tv time with mum

+ enjoying chocolate frappes made by mum

+ enjoying choc chip cookies made by mum

+ watching Cars 2 on mum's laptop

+ playing lego city in the man cave downstairs built by dad

We're about to have lunch. I'm about to think about getting dressed for the day. We'll have lunch and laze about the rest of the afternoon. Must start thinking about Josh's birthday in a few weeks too. Need to do some research on where I can get Fireman Sam cake decorating goodies. Off a-ebaying I go!

'ave a good one!

Hope you are having a grand day whatever you are doing.

Here, well, daddy is home (hurrah!) and it's pretty cloudy and rainy where we are, so we're just having a lazy day hanging around the house. Daddy is playing Barbie with Zoe, Ben is asleep and Josh is at his grandma's, so mummy is having a little 'me' time for now. Feeling a touch tired as Ben has decided to wake for an extra feed overnight for the last two nights.....*yawn*.

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it's over

Yes. My hairdresser. She is pregnant and leaving very soon. She has been my hairdresser for the last two years, and is the only hairdresser I can remember having who has cut my hair perfectly, and the way I like it. I don't want to go anywhere else. I've never really been a person who has bothered about who my hairdresser is, but since finding her.....well, she is a gem! She even knows the right balance of being chatty and leaving you to read your mag in peace. How do you find the perfect hairdresser again?

I'm going to make sure I book in for a cut before she is off, and then maybe as we chat I will find out her plans. Maybe I can convince her to cut my hair while she is on leave? Do hairdressers sneakily do that, or even want to? Maybe I will just have to grow my hair until she is back? Will she ever come back?

What have you done when your hairdresser has walked out on you?

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get your grass greener

Lawn. Grass. Turf. This is the most I will probably ever talk about the stuff! It's not really my thing. The garden is my husband's domain. We have plenty of grass, and my husband is obsessed with getting it looking good. We have had a few bad patches here and there and he is always trying to fix the problem spots and loves to talk turf. Turf Australia recently offered to provide us with a lawn consultation and hubby needed no convincing on this one.

Most people don't really pay much attention to their good, old grass. It's under our feet in most of our backyards, covering a massive area, and yet we tend not to give it a second thought or really understand how best to look after it. A lovely man from Millers Turf in Sydney was sent out to us to check out our lawn, tell us how it looked, give us tips on how to best care for it and offer advice on how to fix problems or go about making any changes, as well as answer any questions. We learnt about the different types of turf and the different conditions they are best for. Our backyard is always in part sun and part shade and you could really tell this by how the grass was growing. You can see in the pic below.

Lots of questions were answered and hubby is keen to try the Sir Walter turf (which was the turf most recommended for our yard, and in fact most yards) out in a section of our yard to see how it takes. We may then slowly re-turf our yard with it.

It was certainly worth having Millers Turf come out to our place. Hubby was given a fair bit of reassurance that some of the care strategies he was employing were good, including how he was fertilising and watering the lawn. It was interesting to hear  about the different types of turf and how they respond in different conditions and also how fast they grow which translates to how much mowing it will need!! Very important information for the mowers out there.

If you want to learn more about turf, head over to Turf Australia. There is information there about the different types of turf, care tips and there is a directory of professionals in your local area who can help you out like Millers Turf did for us.

And for mum/toddler/babe readers, Turf Australia are giving you the opportunity to win a $150 Bunnings voucher to put towards looking after your turf. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me a little about the lawn at your place. Does it get lots of sun? Do you mow it or does hubby? What are the main activities that you do on your lawn? You can tell me anything you like!

Entries will close on Sunday 29 January at 11pm EST. I will announce a winner on Monday 30 January.

things I'm going to do this year

I was hanging out with Zoe and Ben this afternoon, enjoying the last light of the day. I suddenly remembered the days from when we first moved here, when I used to hang with Josh while Zoe slept, and how nice those times were, and I was usually armed with the camera, trying to capture our moments together. There were some great photos from that time. I did this a little less with Zoe, and then came the iPhone. I realised all the photos I have been taking were on my phone. So this afternoon, I grabbed my DSLR camera and made the most of the afternoon light, and took some snaps of my two littlest people, and just enjoyed 'being'. It was lovely.

I really enjoyed today and vowed that I want to get back to time I remembered. Enjoying life a little more. Doing the things I loved: being the moment with my family, not distracted by technology, blogging, taking photos, being inspired by others and that motivating me in my life. I started thinking about what I want to try and accomplish this year. So here's my list of what I'd like to achieve:

+ visit thrift shops
+ frame and hang artwork around our house
+ de-clutter our house
+ make my house more homely creatively
+ enjoy my little family more while I'm not working
+ take more photos with my DSLR and stop relying on Instagram
+ enjoy and spend more time in our backyard
+ lose weight
+ have a family session with tim coulson
+ get organised with structures and routines now I have 3 little people to look after
+ sort out what I want to do career-wise once I finish raising the little people into school and work towards it - I'm close to finalising what that might be!
+ bake a little bit more.

Do you have a list like this? Please share if you do!

putting some loving in the kitchen

These loooooovely little red love heart Salvation Jane tea towels will be making their way to my kitchen very soon. Just in time for Valentines Day perhaps? Speaking of which, does Valentines Day rate as much of a day in your world? I've always found it a bit 'meh'. Never been interested in it. Just think it's one of those days that is designed to put the pressure on and make you feel like you are missing something, when there really is nothing to be missed at all....did that even make sense?

Anyway, since 2007, I've been even less interested in Valentines Day, because my first born was born the day before, on the 13 February. So now all my focus goes to my boy at that time of the year, the best possible Valentines Day gift there could ever be really!

What do you think about Valentines Day?

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weekend time is family time

Grandpa came over on the weekend and the kids jumped all around him while he was cuddling little Ben. It quickly turned into photo time! I so love this. We didn't even need to set it up. It was a moment that created itself and hubby and I just jumped in quick to take a snap. Ben is one very loved little 8 week old that's for sure.

point + shoot

meal planning monday

So in an effort to get healthier, and finally shift some of this baby weight for good now that our family is complete, I've decided to try and meal plan a little, because if I don't organise what I'm going to eat in advance and have the food already in the fridge and pantry, I will be more likely to eat rubbish! I'm also breastfeeding at the moment, so really want to make the most of that situation too. After I had Zoe, I did Weight Watchers for a little while, and I found it so much easier to lose weight while I was breastfeeding than normal. '

I'm planning on using some of the scrummy meals I learned during Michelle Bridges' 12 week body transformation program that I did some time ago. I had lots of success with that program at the time and found it the best 'diet' I had tried. It really teaches you how to be healthy, mind, body and soul. All the meals are pretty easy to cook or prepare and I can easily adjust the calorie intake to more in snacks or meals as needed (for breastfeeding situation). The other great thing is that there is a treat meal each week, so I don't feel like I have to miss out on my favourite foods permanently. If there is something I'm desparate to eat, I still can, I just have to plan for it within my calorie allowance for the week. Best of all, it's the sort of food that the family can eat with me too.

So I'm armed with my new kikki-k meal planning notepad, plus receipes and meals from the 12WBT and I'm going to create my first week....with me luck.

Do you meal plan? Is it easy to stick to? Does it help with the shopping and keeping to a budget?

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fashion sos

Ok fashionistas! I need your help. In a few weeks time, I'm going to be one of those school mums who race around morning and afternoon dropping off and picking up kids. Now thing is, every morning I will have a newborn plus two little peeps to help get ready, leaving me probably about a fraction of a second to get myself ready for the school run. Now while it would be lovely to do the school run in my pj's and bed hair, I'm not sure my kids would appreciate it too much, and I probably wouldn't be giving Josh much of a flying start in making new friends at big school. Plus, we can't all be as naturally stylish as Zoe (see above).

So I need some fashion help from the school drop off fashion experts out there. What do school mums wear? Normally this wouldn't be such a big deal for me either, only I'm yet to shift this baby weight too, so I'm not at the point of feeling confident with just throwing something on and walking out the door. Getting dressed in the mornings is rather stressful, as I don't fit into much and I'm desparately trying to hide everything around my middle.....

So, how can I look half good when I only have half a second to get ready every day? I need some trusty outfits that look good without the effort (and without the smell and sight of possited milk on my shoulder). I'm thinking jeans/tops etc might be a good option? What do you wear everyday? Any tips you can share with me?