Happy 2019!

It's been a while since I wrote a blog post. About 16 months. You might be wondering why. Honestly? Life...life happened. But this evening, after spending an amazing day watching cricket at Newlands with my family and having too many coffees too late in the evening,so I am unusually awake for this time of night, I felt the urge to check in and share my goals (NOT RESOLUTIONS) for the year with you. After all, we are more likely to achieve the goals we set ourselves if we write them down. So here goes...

1. Limit my screen time
I am the first one to agree that I spend far too much time on social media and on my phone. I feel like a smoker who starts feeling for their cigarettes as they finish one if my phone is not nearby. So, when the latest iOS came out with a Screen Time Limits setting, I was thrilled. My excitement soon turned to horror when I saw how much time I actually spent on my phone! As of January 1st, I have set limits on my phone to shut down social media after I have used it for 2 hours in a day and it shuts down at 10pm and only allows phone calls from my "favourites" contact list. So far, so good! I have also made a point of leaving my phone on charge at night once I put the kids to bed with a double purpose - avoid screen time 2 hours before bedtime and also to make an effort to actually talk to my hubby, instead of us staring at our phones and blindly scrolling through our Facebook or Insta feeds. I also want to make a concerted effort to put my phone away when I am with my children.

2. Slowing down
Our world is usually one big rush from one activity to the next. This year I want to make an effort to slow down and have more time to rest and recharge - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. This means saying no to play dates or parties or requests for my time without feeling guilty and saying yes to things that recharge or energise me. It means ensuring our weekends are not over scheduled so that we can spend a lazy Saturday afternoon together as a family to strengthen our bond or have a Sunday afternoon nap or catch up on laundry, if it means making our lives easier in the week ahead.

At the beginning of 2018 we found a church where our whole family felt happy. We felt like we had come home. However, there was always "something" that would come up which prevented us from attending in the latter part of the year. In 2019 I want to make an effort to enjoy fellowship at this church again and to become more involved in that community to serve others.

3. Spending time with family and friends
I love spending time with my friends and family and feel energised after spending time with them.  One way that I want to intentionally serve is by inviting friends and family over to our home more often. The past year I have felt so drained that each time my hubby suggested we invite people over, I have said no, and opted to rather sit on the couch and watch TV (and by "watch TV" I actually mean watch TV for 5 minutes before falling asleep on the couch). So in 2019, instead of spending time with the TV remote, I want to entertain those I love and hold close to my heart on a more regular basis...even if it means I need to clean up for an hour or two afterwards. I intend to make standing coffee dates with friends to ensure we physically meet up, not just "see" each other on facebook or chat via whatsapp. This year I want to strengthen bonds with both friends and family.

4. Having a better approach to my health
I know, I know...the good ol' cliche "New year, New Me". But in all honesty, in 2018 I neglected my health. I had all the right intentions but, as it normally goes with resolutions, they soon petered out after a couple of weeks. BUT in October I joined Weighless and really enjoyed their program and best of all is that I saw results without feeling deprived. I have lost the plot a bit these holidays though, but my intention is to get back on track as soon as the kids are back at school. I also want to start walking more regularly again. In an attempt to get this right, I have scheduled 3x one hour blocks in my diary per week. I know that in order for me to give of my best to my family, I need to look after myself...but putting it into practise is a bit harder than it seems. Therefore, in 2019 I am making my health a priority - eating whole, unprocessed foods, getting my walks in every week and getting enough good quality sleep (I suffer from bouts of insomnia, but that's a whole different blog post).

5. Reading
I love books. I might even go as far as saying I hoard books. Thankfully, I have a kindle which means a hoard digital books, as I am not sure where I would actually go with them if I physically had them. But the fact remains, I love buying books...but I very seldom get to read them. BC (before children), I used to read a lot. But in the last few years, I have maybe read one or two books a year. Therefore, my mission this year is to read more! I have also subscribed to Audible and really love it. In the latter part of 2018, I managed to listen to a few audio books while I was mom's taxi or playing the waiting game in the car.

6. Practise being thankful
I want to make a concerted effort this year to recognise and appreciate all my blessings. So often we take for granted things that others would long to have or experience.  I recently purchased a Gratitude Journal for Moms from Cum Books (Click here to view the book). It gives you weekly prompts to journal about the things you are grateful for, so if you are like me, you won't get stuck on the usual "roof over my head, food on my table...". It covers all aspects of a mother's life.

I also want to start a "grateful jar" for our family. Each week I would like us each to write down something we are grateful for or something good that has happened to us in that week to us and put it in the jar. So often we get stuck on just focusing on the negative and the bad. This will "force" us to see all the good in our lives. Then, on new years eve, I want to open the jar and be reminded about all the good things that have happened this year.

There you have it! My goals for 2019.

May 2019 be filled to the brim with love, laughter and friendship for you all and be your best year yet!

Until next time,
XX-L

The Power of Positivity

The last few weeks have been very busy for us as a family. We have had to juggle school events, extra murals, family obligations. Even though our lives return to "normal" as from today, I woke up with a heavy heart, grumpy and exhausted.. I didn't do any weekly prep work over the weekend, so I felt irritated and ill-prepared to face Monday. Having a Melancholic/Phlegmatic personality...this was not a good start to the week.  I just could not see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel as even our normal weeks are rushed and busy.

I felt like I was being sucked into that deep, black hole again. I have not been taking my medication as consistently as I should...partly because my routine was out of whack and partly because I had gotten too comfortable with how well it was all going that I felt I could "cheat" here and there and that I could handle it. But, like any other addiction, a little cheat turned into a complete binge and I have not been following my prescribed eating plan. Nor have I had the time to go walking. Parkrun has taken a backseat to Master J's soccer matches, at least until the season finishes in September.

I had an appointment with Amanda this morning and was very near to cancelling it. I was feeling downright fat and frumpy and even went as far as sending Amanda a message to say that this weigh in was not going to be pretty. She was waiting outside for me when I arrived and welcomed me in with a warm smile and a hug. She listened as I literally off-loaded what had been happening in my life for the past two weeks.

Amanda's attitude towards me reminded me of what Roald Dahl wrote in The Twits:

To cut a long story short, Amanda showed me immense kindness and we worked on a plan to get back on track. Quite simply, I need to do what I did the first few weeks:

• Follow my meal plan.
• Shop according to the meal plan.
• Have no junk or anything that might temp me in the house.
• Keep my meals simple.
• Keep a food diary.
• Have a very small dinner so that I go to bed slightly hungry.
• Dry body brush daily.
• Drink lots of water.
• Walk at least three times a week.
• Drink my meds.
• Get as much rest as I can.

After going over my plan of action, it was time to weigh. I even wore jeans as I was not expecting much. To those of you who are not familiar with the whole weigh-in thing, this is a big no-no as they are so heavy. Anyway, I took off my shoes and jersey and got on the scale, completely expecting to have gained at least a kilo. But to my surprise the scale said I was down a whole kilogramme and I have also lost 3cm over 2 weeks!

I left my appointment feeling not only physically lighter but also emotionally. Amanda's positivity and "can-do" attitude was contagious and just what I needed to get my head right again. I feel like I CAN beat this weight problem. That I CAN improve my health and fitness. It just goes to show that surrounding yourself with positive people can have a huge impact on your state of mind too. 

So, I have added one more thing to my action plan and that is to try and have a positive influence on someone else's life too. I want to be the energy I want to attract.

Until next time,

XX-L

No More Morning Madness

Hello Everyone

Most of the schools around the country started Term 3 this morning. I have to admit that I am quite pleased that our first week back is out of the way and that we seemed to have gotten back into the swing of things quite easily...although Mondays are never easy. This week most of my kids' extra murals and sports matches start up again which means this Mama needs to have her ducks in a row to ensure that our lives are not one big rush. I have found that how our mornings go generally sets the tone for the rest of the day. So today I am going to share a few of my tips to keep mornings relatively calm and fuss-free.

I have found that the key to fuss-free mornings is preparation....

1. Pack lunchboxes the night before

Lunchboxes are my WORST! I detest trying to come up with innovative ideas of what to pack my kids for lunch. With Master J being the fussiest eater on the planet, they generally get the same thing every day - sandwich (marmite...otherwise it doesn't get eaten), fruit, yogurt and some sort of protein like biltong or droëwors. You can check our my Pinterest board here for some super cool lunchbox ideas, if you have the time or inclination to jazz up your kiddos school lunch.

Bentoboxes seem to be all the rage. In the hopes of getting a bit of inspiration I bought a Bentobox made by Sistema at Pick 'n Pay for Master J. I love all the different compartments and it's ideal for my little man who insists that all his food needs to be separate. I try to make their lunches while our supper is on the go and store them in the fridge over night so that in the morning I can just pop it in their school bags.

2. Invest in a coffee machine with a timer

The very last thing I do every night before bed is to fill up the coffee machine and set the timer so that my morning cuppa is ready and waiting for me as I walk into the kitchen. There is also no better way to wake up than to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. I don't think many moms could survive without a good, strong cuppa in the mornings.

3. Pack school bags and get clothes ready the night before

In South Africa we are fortunate that our kids need to wear a school uniform, which limits their options of what to wear. But it still is very handy to make sure that each item that is required for the next day is laid out and clean/ironed and ready to go. There is nothing worse that rushing about looking for that missing pair of school socks or having to haul our the ironing board 5 minutes before you need to leave so that it doesn't look like your kid got dressed out of the washing basket. 

Packing school bags the night before is also a must. It saves an enormous amount of time in the mornings and also ensures that your kids have all the books, sports equipment etc that they need for the day. And if you are as OCD as I can be at times, you could even pop those school bags in the boot of the car the night before (just don't forget the lunches in the morning). I have, on more than one occasion, opened the boot at school and realised that in our rush to get going, we have forgotten school bags at home.

4. Get up 15-30 minutes before the kids

I try to wake up and get dressed before my kids wake up. Granted, with my early risers it is not always possible. However, on the days that I do manage it, our mornings run much smoother as I have had the opportunity to start my day a little slower and I'm completely awake by the time the kids surface.

5. Before morning cartoons, the kids need to be completely dressed and ready to go

As I mentioned before, both my kids are early birds. Before, they would get up and watch morning cartoons and would get so engrossed that I would end up ranting at them to get dressed for school and nag and scream and shout. So to avoid the early morning fight and to start our day off on a better note, I implemented a rule that before they do anything else in the mornings (TV, Lego, Barbies etc), they needed to be dressed, faces washed and teeth and hair brushed. Only then are they allowed to watch TV or play.  I also then given them a 10 minute warning so that they can have a last play before we need to head out the door.

Well, those are my top tips for fuss-free mornings. Let me know in the comments below if you have any of your own.

Until next time,

XX-L

Progress, parkrun and personal bests

Hello everyone

I cannot believe how quickly our three week stay-home holiday flew by! In a previous blog post, which you can read here, you would have seen that I had planned a few activities for the kids and I to do. We had three weeks of slow mornings, a few pyjama days, fun outings, play dates and I even managed to get a few walks in.

June saw my return to Root 44 parkrun. I was dreading going back, purely because of that hill. But the parkrun bug has bitten me, good and proper and I have even improved my personal best time to 55:35...which I am very happy with as it means a shaved off more than a minute. Some Saturday mornings have been absolutely FREEZING and this past one was wet and muddy, but I have loved every minute of it.

The grass was covered in ice on our first parkrun.

 Those who have been following my blog from the beginning will remember that I came stone last in the first few parkruns I did in 2015. I am pleased to say that there are now about 90-100 people who cross the finish line after me. The day I walked my PB, I did it alone as my usual walking buddy is soaking up some sunshine in J-Bay for the holidays. However, having a friend to talk you through that loooong hill definitely makes it seem less painful (even if you cannot respond to their conversation because you need to concentrate on breathing), so hurry home, Lee! So I was so happy to see one of my besties, Ali, return to parkrun last Saturday. Even though we didn't walk together most of the way (Ali is training for a 10k race), it was good to know that she was there and waiting for me at the end.

Ali and I in the rain at the start of parkrun.

The kids went back to school yesterday, which meant that we can regain a little bit of routine. I will definitely miss the slower mornings and not having to pack lunchboxes but I love routine and my kids thrive when they know what's coming. 

When I started walking again, I was cautious not to over-do it as I didn't want to hurt my foot again. So I stuck to the safety of walking laps around our school field. However, after completing parkrun now and realising that I can actually do it, I decided to try out the vineyards surrounding our school. That way I can also train on an incline to prepare for the parkrun hill. The elevation of the incline at school is 71m compared to that of parkrun which is 87m. So hopefully that will help me tackle my Saturday morning nemesis.

Halfway down the hill at school.

I have also been seeing Amanda on a weekly basis for a quick weigh in and every fortnight for an in depth session with her. A couple of weeks ago I hit a bit of a plateau with my weight. After consulting my GP, Amanda increased my Glucophage to 1000mg per day. This seems to have gotten the weight moving again. Last week I lost 600g and 7cm in total. I am happy with that. After all, this way of eating is a lifestyle for me now and not a diet...so I don't expect miracles overnight. I need to make a conscious effort every day to make healthier food choices. I can tell you, it was not easy during the holidays when we were out and about and everyone was eating delicious smelling slap chips or drinking chocolate milkshakes! But I survived! 

My total weight loss since starting with Amanda is now 5.4kg and I'm not sure about the total centimetres....but I can definitely feel a difference in my clothes and generally feel so much better - emotionally and physically.

Until next time,

XX-L

My Winter Reading List

Hello Everyone

I think all moms can agree with me that once you have kids, the amount of free time you have to read decreases drastically. Before my little ones were born, I used to inhale books. We spent many a Friday night perusing the aisles of Exclusive books before we went to the movies...and usually left with a book or three to read during the week.

 Not long after Master J  was born, my family gave me a Kindle for Christmas. Now, I am quite a traditionalist, so the idea of reading an ebook was strange to me. At first I missed the smell of a new book, the feel of the pages between my fingers. But soon the convenience of having an entire bookstore at my finger tips on my kindle won me over.

One of my goals for this year has been to watch less TV and read more books. Quite honestly, I have struggled with this as the draw of sitting mindlessly in front of the box after a long day with the kids has been a strong one. But with winter having arrived, I can think of nothing nicer than having a hot (quick, due to the water restrictions) shower and then jumping into bed and snuggling under the duvet with my kindle.

This winter holidays I want to set the example for my kids by rather picking up a book than switching on the tele. I have been browsing through the kindle book store and have rediscovered some of my favourite authors. The following titles are first up and I cannot wait to get stuck in:

14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson 

This is the 14th book of the Women's Murder Club series. They are real page turners and if you enjoy a good whodunnit then you will love this series! I've had this book on my kindle for close to two years...I think this school holiday it's time to get stuck in.

The Missing Wife by Sheila O'Flanagan

Any Sheila O'Flanagan novel has always been a firm favourite of mine. I enjoy her style of writing. The Missing Wife blurb sounds a bit more serious than some of her other books that I have read, but I look forward to delving into yet another one of her stories. It's price on Kindle is also fantastic - $1.20!

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes' Watermelon was the very first "adult", door stopper sized book I ever read. Before that I devoured teen fiction such as Sweet Valley University. Therefore, MK will always hold a special place in my heart. I haven't read any of her books in the last 5 years, so I am really excited to read this book of hers. I love her sense of humour and all her books have always put a big smile on my face. Just the right thing to brighten up a grey, winters day.

Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks

No holiday reading list would be complete without a Nicholas Sparks novel. A Walk To Remember was his first book that I ever read and I was hooked after that. There is something sweetly romantic about his books that tugs at my heart strings. Be warned, having a box of tissues nearby is a prerequisite for any of his stories. 

Let me know in the comments below what you are busy reading and if you have any suggestions for me.

Until next time,

XX-L

Busy Bag Exchange

Hello everyone

A couple of years ago the prospect of being stuck indoors with a then 5 year old and 18 month old for the duration of the winter school holidays scared me senseless. We were tired of our toys and I could sense cabin fever setting in already!

One evening while scrolling through countless Pinterest posts, I discovered something that American moms were going nuts about - Busy Bags. A community of moms would get together and each decide on an activity to make. Each mom would then replicate her activity by the number of moms taking part. A few weeks later, a busy bag exchange would take place and you would leave with a variety of activities for your toddler.

At the time, Miss E and I used to attend a weekly Moms & Tots class. I placed an "ad" on our local mom's facebook page and quite a few mom's responded saying that they would like to take part. So together with our Moms and Tots class, we got started on making a variety of activities. Each activity came with a set of instructions as well as what the desired outcomes were or what skill your child would develop.

Some of the activities that were included: 

• Fruit loop counting and sorting
• Sensory fidget box (looong before fidget spinners were around)
• Colour wheel with matching pegs
• Sequencing caterpillar
• Go Fish game
• Alphabet Cards
• Lacing cards
• Popsicle stick puzzles
• Shape matching and sorting
• Felt shape snake

My busy bag exchange loot.

For more ideas, you can check out my Busy Bag Pinterest board here.

The activity that I made is called an "I Spy Fish". I sewed fish out of felt and used a durable plastic for a window in the fish's belly. 

Once they were completed, I filled each fish with rice and a few trinkets such as a big brightly coloured bead, different coloured paper clips, dice, plastic fish and then sewed the tails closed. The aim of the "I Spy Fish" is to have a key printed of what is hiding inside it and then the little ones need to maneuver the rice around until they have found all the objects on the key. This is a great activity when you need your kiddo to sit quietly for a while. I carry our fish around in my handbag (even though it's quite heavy). It's great to keep the kids busy in the doctor's waiting room, at church or in the car. This activity was definitely worth the effort!

All the I Spy Fish ready for our busy bag swop day.

I really enjoyed this project and it was lovely to meet a few "new" local moms. We have used our busy bags over and over again. This is definitely a fun project that I would recommend getting involved in!

Until next time,

XX-L

An open letter to my husband on Father's Day

"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there but a guiding light who shows us the way."

Photo credit: Tracey Baard Photography

To my Darling,

Today we celebrate you. I have loved you for so many years but with each passing day that I see you with our children, my love for you deepens.

You are the rock of this family. You are our guiding light. I could not have asked for a better example of what a loving, devoted father looks like for our children. You wear the noble title of "father" with pride. So today I want to say "Thank You".

Thank you for putting us first, always (especially when the fish are biting).
Thank you for being such a hands on, capable, 21st century daddy.
Thank you for allowing me the space to take some time out for myself to recharge my batteries.
Thank you for putting up with my moods.
Thank you for putting up with my obsessive cleaning and organising.
Thank you for doing the groceries every single week.
Thank you for working tirelessly to make ends meet so that I can stay at home with our children.
Thank you for always "making a plan".
Thank you for your endless patience.
Thank you for loving me when I'm at my lowest.
Thank you for always seeing the glass half full when I see it as half empty.
Thank you for not giving up on me.
Thank you for your words of encouragement.
Thank you for always listening and being willing to work out our differences.
Thank you for always protecting us.
Thank you for playing musical beds every night so that we can all get some sleep.
Thank you for your unconditional love.
Thank you for holding my hand through this journey of parenthood. I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else.

I love you.

Photo credit: Tracey Baard Photography

Until next time,
XX-L