Well hello there....

Hello there my blog world friends.

Have you been well?

I hope so.

I've been missing, caught up in everyday life and exhaustion; but thought it was time to drop in and say hello.

I've been thinking today about how people influence our lives.

How people can just pop into our world for just a moment and change a part of who we are without even trying.

Expose us to new things. 

Show us beauty in places we hadn't experienced.

The friendship can be fleeting but the impact can last.

I guess the thing is making sure not to mourn the fact that it was only a brief moment you spent together and rejoice in the fact that you have now discovered a new joy, a new way to enrich your soul.

My soul has a new love and it's one no one would ever have guessed. 

xx

(no idea where image credit should go for this one. if you know let me know)

Bedroom Makeover part IV

I got fed up of waiting to do the boys bedroom makeover so completed "stage 1" last weekend. 

Here are so crappy before and after pictures for your viewing pleasure.

I seriously suck at taking interior photos.

Enjoy x

Before:

After:

No excuses.

Yesterday I started week 3 of C25K.

Week 3 includes 3 minute intervals.

That's right. For the first time I am counting my running in minutes not seconds.

It doesn't sound like much, but to me it is.

I did it. 

I did it on a day when I felt like my eyes were burning from the inside due to weeks of not sleeping. 

I did it on a day when a felt like I was drowning.

I did it even though I had to go back to the gym three times because someone else was always using 'my' treadmill.

And I was proud. Beyond belief proud.

I can't wait to built up the confidence to run outside.

Running on the treadmill makes me feel free.

I can only imagine what it feels like to run outside.

I've decided that once I finish C25K I'm going to go outside and complete Gateway to 8k which sets you up for 50mins of running. Yeah I know. I just did 3 minutes and I'm already thinking about running for nearly an hour. 

One can dream right?

Again.

I've been rather slack these last few weeks. 

That's what happens when I hit these dark times. I'm so over struggling with this stupid depression crap. Like really over it. I don't even get it. If I had some major traumatic childhood or something then at least there would be an obvious cause. Instead I'm just depressed. For no apparent reason. No matter how many times I fight it off it always comes back.

It pushes me down.

I fight back.

It knocks me down.

I get back up.

Again and again and again.

Like I said. OVER IT. 

I seriously hate that my kids have their lives effected by this.

I wanted their childhood to be filled with sunshine and lollipops and rainbows.Not a mother who bursts into tears for no reason and struggles to leave the house or even get out of bed some days. 

This is not what our lives are meant to look like. This seriously needs to change. It's time that this changes. But how many times have I said that?

I just want to scream at this thing F@#% OFF. Let me live. Like really live. Please.

The perfect lipstick.

I've been thinking lately that I'd really love to find my perfect lipstick shade.

Actually I really wouldn't mind having a collection for different occasions.

Currently I don't really wear lipstick. Not really. I have one. But I tend to put it on and then blot it off so my lips are stained but the colour is not super strong.

I wouldn't mind if my perfect lipstick comes from Chanel. 

It fact I'm rather hoping that it does.

My current lipstick is rather intense. Without blotting it off I wouldn't feel very comfortable in it for everyday wear.
Although if my confidence grew the perhaps I could handle it.
Here it is in all it's full strength glory.

Crappy webcam picture featuring my $2 Sams Warehouse lippy.

Doubt.

 

"Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward."

Oh Oprah, you wise wise woman.

C25K

So waiting a week between runs that are meant to be every second day is rather slack. 

I used the treadmill instead of the road today. 

Find it so much easier being able to see my progress as I go along.

Last week doing day 1 I thought I would die and didn't even complete it properly.

Today I did it.

So I'm counting today as day 1 again because yeah, a week gap is too much. 

I feel good for the first time in a long while.

Guess that's why they suggest exercise for depression huh?

Book Club?

Book 4/26

Oh seriously. This book is love.

Oh the back it has praise for Natasha Solomons last book 'Mr Rosenblum's List'. 

"Prepare to be seriously charmed"

And that is how I would describe this book as well.

Charming.

I fell in love with the main character Elise.

The whole thing.

Charming.

Lovely.

Read it.

xx

Well that went well...not

I think I'm going to have to remember the quote from my last post.

"No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch."

Cause boy was I slow.

And breathless.

I may be more unfit then I though.

It was defiantly depressing.

Sunday I completed day 1 of Couch to 5k.

Well I kinda completed.

Good enough right???

This is going to be more challenging then I thought, but I need this. I need to put myself and my health first. What good am I to my kids of I neglect myself?

So the 'stats'.

Starting weight: 60kg

Pre-baby weight: 52kg

Will be happy with: under 55kg, even if it's 54.9

Motivation O'clock

It's time for me to get fit.

I want to lose the last of this baby weight and I want to be able to go for a walk/jog for some alone time rather then locking myself in my room reading blogs and eating chocolate. 

I love blogs, but surely exercise would be more productive?

So I've developed a plan.

I have one day a week where all three children are gone.

One at kindy and two in daycare.

So on this day I have no excuse as to why I haven't been exercising.

I know that I feel better when I've been exercising, so why don't I do it?

I also have at least one afternoon a week free whilst the children are playing with their dad. (They play more then just this one afternoon, I'm talking about scheduled "mummy with no kids time")

I have both a gym membership AND access to a gym within our complex.

I really can't complain about lack of resources can I.

Every second weekend the children spend the weekends at their dad's place.

During this time I'm sure if I wanted to I could fit a workout in.

So my plan is:

Friday mornings straight to gym from kindy drop off.

One afternoon a week 'sceduled' gym time.

Every second Saturday make time for the gym.

I'm going to follow the 'Couch to 5km Running Program'.

I've even got MP3 downloaded with instructions of when to walk and when to jog, all ready to go.

All I've been lacking is the motivation.

I'm thinking I may even be brave and post my weight and a before picture on here so everyone can follow my progress (exciting blogging here folks).

So there it is.

My plan all written out and sent into cyberspace.

Hopefully someone kicks my butt if I don't update with progress.

That can be your job.

xxx

A bedroom makeover III

I am loving the process of gathering things together for the boys bedroom makeover.

I've never sat down to really think through a room and consider each piece before.

It's seriously fun.

And seriously takes up a lot of my online time.

Thought I would share some of the pictures from my inspiration file, cause everybody likes a little bit of inspiration.

A Song For My Sons

Last week I got given the Sara Groves album Tell Me What You Know.

I have wanted it for ages but never got around to grabbing a copy.

So yep, it's now on repeat in the car and this is my obsession song of the day.

Had to share.

ETA: When I searched youtube for the song this was the only clip that I could find. It was made by some woman who liked the song but has daughters not sons. Sorry should have mentioned that before.

xxx

This is a song for my sons for when they understand it

You know how life is full you know we couldn't plan it

your dad and I prayed for strength and understanding

for things we couldn't see or comprehend

This is a song for you, to carry in your pocket

take all our love with you in all the paths you walk in

I can't say your life will always go like it should

but I can say that God is always good

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will

and when you feel alone like I know you will

and when the cold wind blows like we know it will

Don't let your love grow

Don't let your love grow

Don't let your love grow cold

This is a song for my sons for when they understand it

You know how life is full you know we couldn't plan it

your dad and I prayed for strength and understanding

for things we couldn't see or comprehend

This is a song from my heart a small refrain to hold you

for times when we're apart and I cannot console you

Be honest with yourself and don't forget to pray

and read your bible everyday

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will

and when you feel alone like I know you will

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will

Don't let your love grow

Don't let your love grow

Don't let your love grow cold

Book Club?

Book 3/26

I was given this book as a gift yesterday and realised fairly quickly that I had actually seen the movie a few years ago with a friend.

Was a nice quick read and the 'moral' of the story does leave you thinking.

Could imagine passing this one on.

xx

24 things to do.

Take a family holiday (that doesn't involve visiting family)

Go on a hike.

Lose 10kgs.

Get a manicure.

Perfect our daily routines.

Keep a food and exercise diary.

Go to Yungaburra markets.

Take a camping trip.

Go to the shooting range.

Fix up my car.

Buy a kind size bed.

Plan another fundraising tea party.

Blog more consistently.

Go a month without facebook.

Complete Couch to 5km's.

At least once explore some local touristy rainforest near by.

Learn to play poker.

Find and purchase the perfect dining table.

Read a book a fortnight.

Try a food I don't think I like.

Go to the theatre regularly.

Have saving aside for nothing.

Don't kill my children.

Be happy.

I did it.

I didn't actually think I would get to tick this one off.

But I am.

We went camping.

Two nights in the Daintree.

It was fun.

It totally sucked.

Don't know which one is the winner.

Perhaps will try again when the little miss is a bit older.

She spent the weekend crying, and sulking, then crying some more. Oh there was definite refusal to sleep as well.

Perhaps if I had gotten a few hours sleep at some point of the weekend I would have enjoyed it more.

But it was OK. I'm not refusing to ever go again. Just refusing to go again within a year. 

Big difference.

It's baking time.

As we speak I have a White Chocolate Mud Cake baking away peacefully in the oven.

I am beyond nervous.

I never used this recipe before.

The cake is for a friends 30th birthday party.

A formal, special birthday party.

Eeek. Pressure much?

I'm going to attempt to make my first two tiered cake. 

White chocolate mud for the base and Red Velvet for the second tier.

Fingers crossed for me please.

xxx

Easter.

image via weheartit

Have a great Easter extra long weekend. 

See you next week.

xx

A bedroom makeover II

Nearly two years ago I bought the boys some rather boring draws from 'Sams Warehouse' on special.

They are seriously nothing exciting. 

The plan was always to cover the fronts of the draws with wrapping paper/fabric/wallpaper. 

You get the idea.

The plan has had it's place in the back of my mind since the day we first out them together but I've never seen anything perfectly perfect.

That was until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across wrapping paper by Mae.

I have always been I fan of their fabric decals but never knew they did wrapping paper too.

After weeks of staring at the pictures on my computer screen I decided to take the leap and buy some.

So now I have wrapping paper in the post waiting for be modge podged onto some draws, where I'll quite possibly stare at it some more.

And no, I'm not going to tell you which one I chose. 

Life is better with surprises anyway.

The bedroom makeover is starting to take shape in my head. 

Can't wait for it to start to take shape in for real.

xx 

A bedroom makeover.

I'm currently in the planning stages of a bedroom makeover for the boys shared bedroom.

Their room drives me batty.

I count buying the bunk beds as in my 'Top 5 Home Purchase Mistakes'. (hmmm more of that later)

So their room looks wrong even when clean, this is going to change.

The problem with decorating for older (if you count nearly 5 as older) is that they have opinions about everything. It's not just a matter of me deciding I like something and them going along with it.

There is also the fact that really I don't know what I want it to look like in the end.

I do know that today I'm totally perving on the fitted sheet from this set.

Dot to Dot Percale Bedding by Garnet Hill

Also kinda digging these but doubt the boys would approve.

Everyday Percale Bedding also by Garnet Hill

Hmm I see a day of online window shopping coming right up.

xx

Sew Fun.

Bit of sewing goodness from last week. 

Mummy and Kayla love to have matching prams.

I get the feeling more sewing may be happening tonight. 

Stay tuned.

xx

24 things to do.

Take a family holiday (that doesn't involve visiting family)

Go on a hike.

Lose 10kgs.

Get a manicure.

Perfect our daily routines.

Keep a food and exercise diary.

Go to Yungaburra markets.

Take a camping trip.

Go to the shooting range.

Fix up my car.

Buy a kind size bed.

Plan another fundraising tea party.

Blog more consistently.

Go a month without facebook.

Complete Couch to 5km's.

At least once explore some local touristy rainforest near by.

Learn to play poker.

Find and purchase the perfect dining table.

Read a book a fortnight.

Try a food I don't think I like.

Go to the theatre regularly.

Have saving aside for nothing.

Don't kill my children.

Be happy.

Time for celebration.

I've completed my first item from 'the list'

Friday was a pupil free day for Noah but the younger two still had daycare so we decided to take advantage and go on a great Noah and Mummy adventure.

I had my camera on the wrong setting. Well done me.

We had such a perfect morning though.

xx

Finally.

Finally after keeping an eye out for nearly 18months I stumbled upon the perfect mobile for Miss Kaylas bedroom. 

It matches seamlessly and she adores it. Bonus.

Mobile by Tiger Tribe 

I think she now needs the matching bag.

Fruit loop.

A friend sent me the link to this super cute print.

Print by Candidate

It makes me smile every time I catch a glance at it out of the corner of my eye, even as I type this.

Yet somehow I can't help but think that maybe it's just not that easy.

I'm sure it was sent in a simple 'isn't this cute' kinda way, but to me?

To me, somehow this cute little print stirs up all kinda rubbish.

Stupid right?

I don't even know what it is that makes me just a little upset.

Maybe it's that I wanna be a different coloured fruit loop.

I know that I'm definitely no cheerio (especially seeing as Cheerio has me instantly thinking of the cheerleaders in Glee....yes Liz, Glee.)

But right now, I'm also not the 'save the world' red fruit loop.

More like a soggy yellow one floating near the bottom of the bowl trying to survive. 

Cause that's how I feel these days.

Soggy, tired and worn out.

Like nothing is good enough.

And fighting desperately not to sink all the way to the bottom.

Saving.

I think I need to save some dollars and spoil myself with some lovely from Secrets Shhh...

Nothing wrong with dreaming about sparkle.

xx

Book Club?

Book number 2/26

I can totally do this.

xx

My Place and Yours.

Green.

Super messy but super green bookshelf in my study.

Bought it cheap at The Warehouse and couldn't decide whether to do it a sensible white or something fun and bright. Obviously I choose bright. 

I loved it and it really brightened up a dull corner but I think it may be repainted soon.

Play My Place and Yours.

xx

Book Club?

I didn't know what to call this post. But if I stick to my 'read a book a fortnight' plan then this will be a semi regular post. 

Originally I was going to do a book a week. But thought the kids would most likely interrupt that plan. So fortnight it is. Which really just means: get through 26 books before my next birthday.

I doubt I'll be doing full reviews of each book. I'm not really the book review type. But I will be keeping track of  how I go.

Book #1

The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs.

Cute book. Don't read if you don't have young kids.
If you do have young kids guarantee you'll find something funny.
Though I found sections odd to read, as though perhaps it needed more editing??

What book are you reading at the moment?

xx

24 things to do.

Birthday = new list.

Some of the things are yet to be completed items from last years list.

Most of them are new.

Hopefully I can complete them all this year.

Just a wee bit excited.

Take a family holiday (that doesn't involve visiting family)

Go on a hike.

Lose 10kgs.

Get a manicure.

Perfect our daily routines.

Keep a food and exercise diary.

Go to Yungaburra markets.

Take a camping trip.

Go to the shooting range.

Fix up my car.

Buy a kind size bed.

Plan another fundraising tea party.

Blog more consistently.

Go a month without facebook.

Complete Couch to 5km's.

At least once explore some local touristy rainforest near by.

Learn to play poker.

Find and purchase the perfect dining table.

Read a book a fortnight.

Try a food I don't think I like.

Go to the theatre regularly.

Have saving aside for nothing.

Don't kill my children.

Be happy.

xx

Melbourne Fun.

I arrived home from my super awesome birthday weekend last Monday but things have been super crazy with the little people since then. 

When I say super crazy really I mean they have been driving me super crazy.

But at least I'll always have the memories of five days of child free fun.

Seems we managed to fit a tonne of different experiences into the weekend.

Overnight stay on Great Ocean Road.

Beautiful country drive.

Jazz Lounge Bar.

Markets.

Theatre. (Hairspray.... AWESOME)

St Kilda.

Tram rides.

Sight seeing.

Shopping, shopping, shopping.

Hmmm I think the next trip should be tropical island style.

Time to start dreaming.

xx

loving.

print from Breeding Fancy

My Place and Yours.

This weeks My Place and Yours is: Where do you blog?

I used to use a crappy old laptop that could never be unplugged so all blogging was done from my desk in the little office/study nook.

It needs a serious clean up, but I've been sick so all energy used has been going towards getting organised for  my upcoming weekend trip so you'll just need to deal with looking at the mess.

Now that I have a beautiful new laptop I can blog from where ever I want. 

Most often either my desk or the couch.

Mr Rudey just got out of the bath and wanted to be in the picture, but then changed his mind, nice shot huh?

  So there. Now you know. You also now know exactly how messy my house is today.

xx

Pain Pain Go Away.

Have you ever had the never ending headache?

The one that hurts so much more then any other headache you ever remember having and lingers so much longer then welcome?

This headache has been with me for two full days now.

Doesn't sound like long.

Until you factor in that it's one of those "I can not even bare to move my head, I want to hide under the blankets in the dark" type pains. 

And that the children seem to have hit their 'quiet threshold.'

I'm putting my order in for some supernatural healing please God.

Overnight delivery would be great, I have a holiday to pack for.

Thanks.

xx

Oh what fun.

Web cams are fun for playing with the little people when they are cranky.

My kids are Skype addicts.

(Check out the eyes. Perhaps I was just a little shattered??)

I play Point and Shoot.

Do you?

xx

One.

Exactly one week till my trip away.

Let the daily countdown begin.

WooHoo.

Can you tell I'm excited.

23 Things to do.

I'm in the process of writing my list of '24 things to do before I turn 25' for the next year. 

So of course it's the perfect time to go back over last years list.

Plant a pot plant.
Get a tattoo.
Go on a hike.
Take a family holiday.
Become more involved in church.
Clear out some clutter.
Buy a strangers groceries.
Finish part 1 of my Interior Design course.
Lose 10kgs.
Get a manicure.
Perfect our daily routines.
Create new art for our home.
Keep a food and exercise diary.
Go to Yungaburra markets.
Get into the breakfast habit.
Finally fix up our TV cabinet.
Resize my wedding ring.
Send someone a homemade gift for no reason but I love them.
Exercise daily (yeh right).
Take a camping trip.
Fix up my car.
Buy a bread maker.
.Take the kids to the cinema.

So I guess I lost momentum at some point in time so a few of these will be transferred to this years list.

Imagination.

As I'm sure most of you know, the opening scene of Toy Story 3 features the fabulous 'Evil Doctor Porkchop' as some kind of flying spaceship like craft.

So I, being the awesome mother that I am, had a stroke of inspiration and suggested that next time they play with their 'Buzz' and 'Woody' dolls they could perhaps use Kayla's piggy bank to be 'Evil Doctor Porkchop'.

Obviously I wasn't thinking clearly because I was very quickly informed that Kayla's toy couldn't be Evil Doctor Pork chop because "He has no blips."

That's Noah speak for wings, in case you missed that.

So I tried to explain that Andy uses his imagination to give the pig wings.

This just confused him.

"Can we go to the shops to get some imagination?"

"No, your imagination is in here" {taps forehead}

At which point I got leveled the best 'mum has finally lost the plot' stare.

"Mum. {sigh} That is not my imagination. That. Is. My. Head {eye roll}"

Awesome Noah. 

I can not wait to tease you one day when you are all grown-ed up.

xx

Kitchen Fun.

Yesterday I did the "I'm going to pull everything out of my kitchen cupboards and rearrange" moment.

It's something I'm sure everybody has encountered at some point in time.

I even took pictures to show you lovely folks exactly how messy the pantry was.

And now:

And my new (whatever you call the plate cupboard):

In an effort to encourage independence plastic are now within reach.

Noah is loving getting his own cups for water.

I even organised the freezer:

I feel like I'm on a roll. Wonder what will get fixed up next?

xx