did you win?

Check the bottom of this post here to see if you won a Moment Watch. Please get in touch with me if it's you! I don't have any contact details for two of the winners.

detox & declutter 2013

I'm on a mission this year.

I want to detox my body and declutter my life.

I want to start on the journey of nourishing my body with the right kinds of foods, and hopefully, along with that, lose most if not all of the excess weight I have added over the last few years. I want to eliminate as many toxins and chemicals as I can from body and skin care products as well as all those non-stick surface and plastics lurking in the cupboard.

And I just want to simplify life really. Have less stuff. I just want things in the cupboard that we use all the time rather than excess. My cupboards are usually chock full of the containers and pots and pans that never see the light of day. There is no point them being there taking up space and cluttering my life.

So yesterday I began. First on the list was the plastics cupboard and then the pots and pans cupboard. I now have a mound of things to get rid of, and I will post them on my local freecycle network so that at least some of them can find a new use rather than going to the trash.

My cupboards now look a little like this. I can actually see what we have. And nothing falls out when I open the door!

If you want to embark on a similar mission and want to share photos along the way of how you are detoxing or decluttering, would love it if you could use the hashtag #detoxdeclutter2013 on Instagram and I'll come take a look. I'll be sharing my photos that way too. Or share your blog post in the comments below. I'd love to hear about it.

3/52

"A portrait of my children (and me!), once a week, every week, in 2013."

Josh: Still loves cars. Always has. Not sure if he will ever outgrow them.

Zoe: Her first love. Sweets. Must be her mother's daughter.

Ben: Peg playing. It's the simple things.

Me: Struggling/cringeing when it comes to the selfies. Looking a little pensive.

Linking up with Jody for the 52 Project.

2/52

"A portrait of my children (and me!), once a week, every week, in 2013."

Josh: At Madame Tussauds this week, Josh posing on the podium with Dawn Fraser.

Zoe: Meeting Marilyn at Madame Tussauds.

Ben: Found him asleep on a pile of his soft toys. Usually he throws them out of the cot, this day, he cuddled into them.

Me: Happy faces. Seeing a very missed friend again.

Linking up with Jody for the 52 Project.

why oh why didn't i think of this??

One of my friends shared this little find with me this week, and I was so excited about it I had to share it, because I'm almost certain you will all be glad to know about these, just like I was.

The other part of me was kind of sad to discover them, because I was annoyed I didn't think of this idea myself. Oh well. I'll keep trying to come up with the next best seller.....

Anyway, these are what I learned about: Squeezems! 

image from Squeezems

Yes, you know, those things us mums spend a fortune on at the shops.....those pesky and expensive squeezy yoghurts? A mum in Australia thought to make these herself and sell them. Genius! So now we can all make our own. 

I've just stocked up in both sizes. They come in 80ml and 200ml. The 80ml is probably a tad too small for my crew. 80ml is about 2 mouthfuls for my bottomless pits, so I ordered the 200ml ones too and these are what I will use for their school lunch boxes. I'm going to go back to making my own yoghurt too now I think and try and save even more money.

Aren't you glad I shared? Had you heard about these before? Do your kids love squeezy yoghurts as much as mine? Why does yoghurt taste better in a pouch?

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!)

win one of three moment watches - the john freeman collection

Remember this special watch I was gifted that I shared with you? Well, now it's your turn to be gifted!

Australian artist, John Freeman has partnered exclusively with Moment Watches to launch the world’s first watch brand inspired by stories of love, relationships and new journeys. Following his work as an art teacher, Freeman’s inspiration is drawn from the work of his students, incorporating the use of intense colours, strong lineal elements, and storytelling in the product’s design.

The John Freeman Collection comes in three 'stories' each presented beautifully in a large format mock book, which also comprises a second easel for displaying the watches – making it the perfect gift and collector’s item.

              

The watches come in male and female designs and can be personalised through interchangeable wristbands, available in a variety of bright leathers and glow-in-the-dark synthetics.

To celebrate the launch of Moment Watches and The John Freeman Collection, mum/toddler/babe is providing three readers the chance to win one exclusive watch from this new collection. The three watches are:

The John Freeman Story of a New Journey watch celebrates new experiences and events that make a positive change in us and in the way we see life. The bold shape and monochrome style of the watch makes it the perfect accessory to symbolise a new beginning. Its monochrome design with flashes of red makes it unique within the range.

The John Freeman Story of Friendships watch reflects friendships that energise us and add meaning to our journey. Perfect for changing styles from day to night, this watch comes complete with interchangeable black and white modern styled straps while the watch face features Freeman’s classic bright colours and emotive stories.

The John Freeman Story of Love watch conveys life’s most cherished moments; those of love, and the fruits of that love. Those moments that invariably involve the people we hold dearest to our hearts- husband, wife, partner and children. With its bold use of colour and romantically styled box the watch is a perfect gift for a loved one.

Watch specifications

·        Story presentation book which doubles as a beautiful gift box

·        Mini easel to display watch

·        Rubber-coated watch case

·        Leather strap and design-patented PU strap

·        30 metres water resistant

·        Japanese-made Miyota three-hand movement

·        Stainless steel buckle and case back

·        RRP $90.

To be in with a chance of winning your Moment Watch, just comment below in 25 words or less, sharing your story of either a new journey, a special friendship, or a love story. Each winner will be able to choose which watch they would like to win! This will be a game of skill, and the three most entertaining stories will be chosen. Entries must be made by Friday 18 January 2012 midnight EST. Competition only open to Australian residents.

You can visit http://momentwatches.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/CelebrateYourMoment for more information on Moment Watches.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for entering! The winners of the three Moment Watches are Big brother, little sister; Suzie Love; and babycakequeen. Congratulations! Please email me within the week with your watch preference and to claim your prize.