A - Z challenge, in July?

One of my 40 before 40 goals is to complete the A-Z blogging challenge every year in April. As you can see, I forgot (lets put it down to the fact I work full time, have two kids under 5, thought it would be a good idea to do 3 courses - including a postgraduate, and you know - also have some time to myself where I blob and watch NRL). But, not one to be put off by a couple of months, I decided I would get it done now. I'm currently on school holidays and if I can smash out heaps of them during this time then boom! Let see how I go huh?

Another good thing about this is that I'm currently doing an A-Z photography challenge so I can share my photos on each post! Clever!

My 'theme' if you will, is simply to write about my life, organised with words that begin with the letter of the day. Here goes!

Artistic. I really enjoy art, but I would classify myself as an artist. I was one of those children who was always drawing and colouring, but unfortunately I still draw as if I'm around that age. Hah! I would love the time to get better, but for now, it's just doodling. I do enjoy creating things digitally - mostly because it's other people's art and I'm just organising it.

 

Awakened. Up to only a year or so ago I would have laughed at you if you spent more money on organic food, when you can get the same item for much less without the organic tag. But recently, I've been doing some reading and viewing that makes a lot of sense to me when it comes to what we put in our mouth, and chemicals. It makes sense to me now, to buy food that hasn't been tampered in anyway with chemicals or antibiotics. Our bodies simply aren't made to cope with them on such a large scale. I'm a great example of this and I'm hoping to be a good example of the opposite once I get my head around how to eat a largely plant based diet when I don't like veges that much. Tips?

Adorable. Last night I was going through some old photos to get them ready to go into photobooks (something else that's been left to the wolves while I do life) and it still amazes me how cute my kids are some times. I don't say that in a braggy way, just in a mum absolutely adoring her kids way. Mothers are supposed to think that right? It's a lovely feeling. No matter how annoying they can be and no matter how many buttons they push, I can still look at a photo of their wee faces and be in love.

30 before 30 progress report

I have wanted to do a progress report for some time, and now I've gotten around to doing it, a lot of the photos I wanted to use are potentially lost with a broken phone... hrmph.

In the meantime I will update what I can.

My sleeve got underway about a month ago and I'm SO happy with the start. I love it. Will be booking in time during the October holidays for installment #2 - a dream catcher.

 Of all my goals, the restaurant one has been the most pleasant I think. Lol. Albeit in competition with my goal to lose weight! I've lost many a photo of a few meals but have found these of my trip to Longroom in Ponsonby. What a yummy lunch!

We ordered a few plates to share - pork belly in miso sauce, hot wings, sliders and we also go salt and pepper squid (which I didn't get a photo of). The pork belly was to die for and even though I live about an hour out of Ponsonby, I would travel there happily for that dish alone. A very cool little place with very yummy food. Would highly recommend it to any and everyone.

I've also visited Red Earth. I do like the tapa style of eating, but felt like this place was over priced, especially considering where it is. In comparison to restaurants in town where I've had tapas in particular. The food was OK, I would have felt a lot better about it if it wasn't so over priced. I did like how the waitress looked after my little wriggler by offering a complimentary fluffy. She loved the chocolate fish! A very average meal though.

"Stars can't shine without darkness".

I've been mulling over whether or not to write this post for a week or so now, but I decided to because I've heard that not enough people talk about it... as hard as that may be.

For an undefined period of time now, I've been dealing with overwhelming feelings of sadness, inadequacy and a whole heaps of anxiety. I remember going to visit my doctor about it about 3 years ago, to which he told me I 'just needed to talk to someone, and here's the number of a councilor that will cost $110 per hour'. Ahh, thanks you unhelpful git. Fast forward 3 years or so and here I am, diagnosed this week as moderately depressed.

The brain can be a hideous little organ sometimes. Logically I know I should have no worries - I'm healthy, I have a hugely supportive husband and two wonderful little girls, I have a gorgeous house and we're at a great stage in our lives. Unfortunately logic doesn't matter here. I don't ever feel like I'm doing a good enough job, at anything. At being a mum, a wife, my job, a friend. Second guessing decisions and negative talk about myself to myself all the time. The brain is the bully that never sleeps, or at least, when it does it's giving you dreams about how shit you are! Asshole.

The way I described how I'm feeling to Damien is that I will be in a moment where my brain is telling me I should be feeling happy - playing with the girls, throwing the ball for Jake, having a fun night out - but I just don't. I feel numb. And that's scary. Some days are better than others, and the positivity that I hold onto so strong is still there, or at least I'm trying for it to be - all.the.time.

So I'm looking at this as another opportunity for improvement and trying very, very hard not to feel like admitting this defeat (for lack of a batter word) is a weakness.

Selfie Nation

I enjoy taking photos of myself at the worst of times, and this proves it. Look at these muppets. I wanted to share this collage in my Colour Run post on Sunday but felt like this much brilliance deserved a post of it's own. Check out these two muppets would ya?

Things I'm Loving

Every week may not be good, but there is something good in every week.

I've been having a bit of a blah week this week. I don't know if you're aware of this but a three year old and a newborn are hard work! Lol. Wouldn't trade it in for the world though xox. Let's see how this week went...

I'm loving that our first month photo went well. This wasn't the winner but I love her little smile in it. Very cute. Having a look at the comparison between Leah's Month 1 photo has shown how similar the two of them are and also how far my photography skills have come!

Loved having a wee bit of sun and a sleeping little girl so that me and my big girl could enjoy the sun for a bit one day after daycare. I've been struggling with how I can't spend as much time with Leah lately and how my wick is very short with her. These little moments of zen, when all my moons align, are priceless.

I love my pretty recipe organiser that one of my bestest friends bought for me. Those 'just cuz it reminded me of you' gifts are what makes the world go around. <3 Thanks Nicola.

Love. My. Nails. I actually can't stop looking at them. In love. So far the line of stones has stayed on for a whole day! Almost a record for me.

Loving that daylight savings inspired a little bit of summer. So much so that it was cider time. Now if it would stop raining and being so windy I would be really stoked.

Loving this... I'm trying!

This brought a smile to my face earlier in the week.. ya know, when I knew the sun. Lol.

What are you loving this week?

xox

“The Internet is the Petri dish of humanity. We can't control what grows in it, but we don't have to watch either.”

I try not to get too serious on my blog. I mostly write about recipes, ventures with crafts and DIY, outings and a proverbial shitload of photos of my kid and dog...but in the last week, I have had enough of online bickering and wanted somewhere to express  my loathing for keyboard warriors and late night facebook lurkers everywhere. More and more often I am disgusted by the human race in general, one only has to watch the news to see why. The online environment seems to amplify this much more. I guess people forget their manners? Either that, or there are a lot more assholes out there than I was banking on.

I watched a video over the weekend of Russel Brand talking about his beliefs on life. I'm not a spiritual person by any stretch (or at least I don't think I am), but on the most part, what he stands for here speaks to me. Be kind, speak love, give, be happy. Not much different from Ellen's beliefs on the subject, someone I also wholeheartedly agree with in principle - "be kind to one another". I wonder why people can't just do this. I love a good debate as much as the next person (probably more) but I don't want to personally attack someone's ideas or beliefs...especially online where it's there for the whole world to see, forever.

We teach our children to 'say something nice or say nothing at all', but we can't do it ourselves? Online, people seem to forget this altogether. Earlier this week, I was reading this article about a woman who has spent a lot of money making sure her rottweiler gets the healthcare it needs and some of the struggles she's going through to make it happen. It was written from the woman's perspective and not subjective at all - she wasn't calling attention to the fact the vet bills are huge, she wasn't asking for money to help her with the debt she'd put herself in when paying for the bills, it was just simply her story. After reading the story and thinking about what I would do in the same situation - I'm telling you now, there'd be huge arguments between Mr. Man and I about what 'the limit' on money would be to save our Jake.

I foolishly decided to keep scrolling down and have a read through the comments, perhaps other people had been through the same thing and had some advice, or at least some words of love and encouragement. But boy was I wrong. Although many of the comments were love and support on what a lovely person she was for doing this for her dog, the vast majority were not. Ranging from slagging off the vets for charging so much to condemning her spending 12k on a dog when there are starving children in the world. How irrelevant!

So now,  here I am ranting. Forgive me! It's only once in a while.

My advice? Be nice to people, face-to-face as well as online. Heck, especially online. What you say and do tells us more about the person you are than anything else. Make 'em good things. Oh, and especially when you're commenting on my blog. Lol

xox

Strangely enough...

...I've just crossed this off,

which  makes me a little bit excited! Excited for all the new possibilities.

I'm getting to crunch time with my 101 list now and I vividly recall about a year ago needing to fill in 101 spots of challenges. It would seem that in my need to complete the list I've put some things on there that aren't as exciting as I thought to begin with and I'm now struggling to get through them. But I will do it! 

Anywho, I've learned a lot about making a list having now (nearly) gone through one. The #1 thing I've learned is that the longer the list the more things on it that are just 'fillers', so next year's list is a teeny 52 items. 52 things in 52 weeks (an idea I came across in the blogosphere sometime this year. #2 is to not be afraid to change things in and out - hence why I've started it early, to give myself time to do this editing. And #3, try to make as many of the items as achievable as possible. Yes they're challenges, but lets face it, I'm a wife, mother and full time teacher too!  There's only so much I can do!

I'm so excited about the things that I'm putting on there though. I started the list about a month ago and have been adding things to it here and there. Some are easy(ish) like;
- Get my full license (hilarious at 26 I know!)
- Go to the dermatologist (something I keep putting off)

Others are going to be more difficult I imagine;
- Save up for a Kitchen Aide mixer
- Cull my cookbooks
- Learn how to use photoshop

Things I'm Loving

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.

A few of the things I'm loving this week...

I love the little lady who, despite her sickness, had fun fun fun in the sun with mummy.

Loving new traditions <3 Little things I've started to do (and will keep doing) on Leah's birthdays. The monthly photos are all complete but I'll be doing a age one every birthday, writer her a letter every birthday and taking a photo of her 'in' my wedding dress (yet to be shot).

Loving the opportunity to photograph this gorgeous little girl.

Love that these overalls now fit!

Geez, lots of babies this week!

What are you loving?

“Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others.”

Isn't that true?  The two things I managed to cross off my 101 list today were an interesting exercise.

I've been working on this for weeks.  Yes, weeks.  It took me that long to finally agree with myself that I had some things that I do really like about myself and that that is OK. I would write something down and then think... "isn't that a bit up myself to think that?" and delete it. All out of the printer in ink to go up on the mirror now so there's no turning back!

The second was similar in nature but again very difficult.  I had to be very selective.  There's so many things I would love to be and be thought of as.  These are what made the top ten.  Let's see if I can live up to them.

Things I'm loving...

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is. 

1. 1 year wedding anniversaries. And a husband that knows me very well - iTunes voucher present = one happy mumma.

2. Breakfast juice from Jerry the Juicer <3

3. Walkies at the beach....

...and how this boy loves riding in the car.

4. My lovely bubble bath experience.  Post to follow :)

5. Baby date in the spa.

Things I'm loving...

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is.

1. Loving being married for almost a year! Can't believe it was a whole 12 months ago.  I love him more every day (collective 'awww')

2. Love learning to sit up time in the pillow fortress.

3. LOVE these rolls.

4. Loving my juicer and having lost almost 6 kgs in 13 days!

5. Loving organising a baby shower for my best friend.  Even if I won't be able to attend :( boo.

Not particularly loving my husband having to go back to work this week :(