Online Perfection

Look! Look at my perfectly clean/ stylish home. Check out my smiling, well-dressed children. See that, that's my perfectly toned butt, on a perfect angle. Wow, we're on holiday in paradise! (And you're not). #nofilter

We are social media perfectionists. And to be honest, it scares the crap out of me. The standards in which we are setting for ourselves, scares me. These 'perfect pictures', of our 'perfect lives', are quite frankly- bullshit. 

I've touched on this subject before, but I wanted to delve a little deeper today. After recently reading an interesting article about a photographer who chooses to capture the chaotic and imperfect moments in life, rather than the pretend-to-be-perfect moments, it really got me thinking about this image-obsessed social media age we live in.

There seems to be a fine line between good and evil when it comes to social media. On the good side there is; the ability to stay in touch with loved ones, particularly with posting pictures of growing kids for the family. Also, easy accessibility- you can chat to your Mum, or even your Grandma (if she's really tech savvy) online, on your phone instantly. Having the ability to get news of your loved ones achievements/ births/ travels/ grads etc, and congratulating them immediately is amazing; as we all know, putting pen to paper then awaiting the snail mail delivery is stone-age slow these days. I also love that I can send a quick snap of my offsprings full nappies to Oli at work, just to check whether that's normal or not. 

Alas, on the dark & evil side of social media we have; endless judgement of ourselves & others. Often unachievable expectations. Bragging, which in turn creates jealousy & discontent with what we already have. Pictures, which more often than not, masked by filters & fabulous angles, create 'perfection'. Are we all living a lie in order to make others want what we have? Do we really, truly thrive off trying to be better than everyone else? It may sound harsh, but take a look on your newsfeed, it's a harsh reality.

Now I don't want to generalise our entire generation by saying we are all guilty of this. Although, I would assume it would be a safe bet to say most people my age, have been guilty of 'bragging' and/ or 'judging' on social media at least once in their lives. Fair call?

I, for one, am 100% guilty of posting perfect pics on a regular basis. You won't see me posting a snap of a messy household, or screaming kids, or even a bad angle of myself. I've definitely made my bed before I took a snap, or dressed in a particular way if I knew there were going to be pictures taken. Horrifyingly, more often than I would like to admit, I've zoomed in on photos of myself and actually thought "ew yuck, that's revolting". I know it's not only me who self critiques this harshly either, as I've had many a friend look at a fresh snap of themselves & say "yuccckkk, delete please I look disgusting...".

Since having an iPhone, my confidence has taken a serious bashing. Every wrinkle, every blemish, every double chin (ha!), I notice and whinge to Oli about. This kind of self abuse is horrid, and certainly not what anyone should be doing to themselves. The stupid thing is, all those blemishes, the bad angles & the double chins? You are going to be the only one who notices them. 

Unless your chin resembles that of Peter Griffins, then I really don't think you have anything to worry about;

(If it does, you should really get that checked out....)

Where to from here then? We're all in way over our heads with this SM obsession, it's too late to turn back. I think the only thing we can do is to try to keep a level head. We can empower others and ourselves by only saying & thinking positive things about one another. We can stop wanting what others have & just be happy for them. This goes hand in hand with appreciating what we already have. Not just materialistic items but our bodies, our minds. Be grateful you have the ability to stand up on your healthy two legs, step outside, take in a breath of beautiful fresh air and walk. Go on, do it.

For miles, just walk. Whilst your walking, be grateful for your wonderful mind which is no doubt going at a million miles per hour. Just be grateful it works. You can think, you can speak, you can choose to judge someone quickly, or you can choose to smile and focus on your life.

And on that note; my life right at this very moment involves a lot of Vegemite smears to wipe up, a toddler who is glued to the iPad (Vegemite + an iPad really isn't a good idea by the way), a baby with some questionable smells wafting off him, and I'm still in my dressing gown. It's 2pm.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends,

Thought of the day "isn't irony funny, ranting about social media on social media- hilarious"

Gem 

Week in Pics

What a brilliant week it has been. Busy, but brilliant. I thought I would let some pictures do the talking for a refreshing change...

Rainy days trapped indoors 

Creative juices have been overflowing this past week, and the wedding concept is nearly complete! 

Thrashing this every day

Sunday arv strolls

Stacked love

Oscars new adorable mate Obie. Believe it or not, Oscar is 3 weeks younger.

Facebook revolution even extends to our lemons. World domination.

Thoroughly enjoying Bikram Yoga at the moment. Not so much the visibility in my car after a class. Sweaty is an understatement. 

Sautéed shrooms and zucchini, broccoli,, spinach, avo, pesto, and some brown rice buried underneath it all. Scrumptious.

More wedding inspo, pulled from old awards files (circa 2002)

These two....

I would very much like two of these in my life... 

Not long until we will be sprawled out on that daybed, canoodling & sipping mojitos... Ahhhhh, bliss. 

That's about it folks. Oscar is still sleeping like a champ so things are just peachy. Oh, and I realised the half marathon I signed up for is actually on the only weekend Kathy (my mother in law) is here. So that has already been scratched, and I am re signing to the Fremantle half 5 weeks later. After struggling through a 4.5km run yesterday, I do believe I will need those 5 weeks anyway. 

Coming up we have a long weekend, Lee & Tali coming to stay, my birthday, and a wedding expo- exciting!

I hope you're all feeling sprightly! Happy hump day loves,

Thought of the day "ok Keryn and Bailey, jokes over- you can come back now"

Gemma 

City to Surf

Despite the clock only reading 9:05am, I am more than ready to crawl back into bed....

This morning, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed at 6, feeling lethargic and heavy. Coffee didn't release any endorphins, and a weak attempt at working out only added frustration to the mix of emotions. 

Ugh. One of those days eh? Can't win 'em all sweetheart, my grandad always used to say.

On top of feeling like death warmed up, I think I've lost my mind; because I just signed up for a half marathon in 3 months time. 

City to Surf Perth half marathon takes place on Sunday August 31st 2014... And I'll be there. Probably. No, definitely. Hopefully.

Today is clearly not going to be the day where I'm oozing confidence, but I'm sure it will come. 

Running a half marathon is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I can see myself triumphantly crossing that finishing line, dripping in sweat, but overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment. I see it as an amazing achievement, something I will be proud of (and gloat to my grandkids about) for years to come. It's just one of those things I've always known I've got to do, you know? 

The only problem is, I really suck at running outside. Chuck me on a treadmill and I can run 10kms easy.. Outside? 5kms and I'm about to collapse onto the curb. It is absolutely a psychological game, one where quite often, your mind hits that dreaded 'wall' and your body follows suit. I just find that my mind hits it before I've even warmed up! Maybe my mind has decided that because I've told myself I can't run for so many years, then I simply can't run. Once again, yee old powerful mind strikes again eh?

Well, thats all about to change. I'm going to reiterate to myself, day in and day out, that I can run, and I will run. 21.0975 kilometres to be exact. 

In three short months time. 

Shit. 

I'll let you know how week 1 of training goes. But first, it's nap time in this household.

Happy Friday folks!

Thought of the day "exactly one year today til the big day!"

Gem 

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Who here watches Family Guy? I, personally, am a massive fan. Seth Macfarlane is a comical genius. Peter Griffin, in particular, is quite possibly the funniest animated personality of all time. If you are on Instagram and you aren't following peterpumpkineater69 yet, you must go ahead & hunt him down immediately. One of my favourite segments on the show, is when Peter does his, "you know what really grinds my gears"- so I thought I would bulletpoint my own version of what grinds my gears (just for fun). Turns out it doesn't take much to piss me off, as this whole list came to me within five minutes. Most is trivial stuff, but some points really irk me on a daily basis, you'll know which ones I mean upon reading I'm sure...

Number 1;

Really really tight jar lids. I swear I spend half of my life trying to get into jars, bottles, dishwasher powder with the awkward pinch twist top (you know the ones?)- I think my wrist is retarded. 

2;

Hanging out the washing right before it spontaneously buckets down. Why Mother Nature, why?

3;

Elderly people who demand respect, yet give none back. The other day I was pushing my beasty double pram through the farmers market, with Oscar screaming and Blake reaching out to pull every item off the shelves on our journeys. I was trying to hold myself together before bursting into tears. As we queued up to pay & leave, an elderly lady walked right past us and straight up to the counter. I said, excuse me we are in line, she turned around- gave us a snooty glare & said with a sigh, well hurry up then. As if I were an inconvenience to her horribly busy day. Get a grip lady, you may be old but you're also rude. - this ones the real deal.

4;

No split bills in Australia. On the rare occasion we do go out for a meal with friends, huddling over the bill at the end trying to summon the exact amount of cash per person is a really crap way to end a night. 

5;

While I'm on the Australian bandwagon... Trolleys here. Honestly, who made these spastic contraptions, and why will they never go in the direction you want them too?

6;

Jet Star. I really don't think I need to elaborate on this one. Worst airline ever. 

7;

Public displays of affection/ porn. Seeing tongues dart in and out of mouths in broad daylight, in the middle of town is not only completely unnecessary, but plain revolting. And on this topic- the same goes for Facebook displays of affection. We may not see body parts connecting, but knowing that you "love your baaaayybyyyy so much", is something I, and many others I would say, really do not care to see. Privacy was invented for a reason people. Use it.

8;

Having every ingredient but one at home for a meal. Fuck!!

9:

Bad grammar & punctuation. The world of texting and social media has dumbed down the younger generation to an embarrassing level. Read a book, or ten. Dis shiz ain't kool.

10;

Misuse of authority. I've never enjoyed being told what to do, but being told what to do by an arrogant doctor or teacher, who thinks they know best but really don't- really grinds my gears. 

There. I feel much better after that! 

What grinds your gears?

Thought of the day "rain, rain go away..... No really, please go away our sheets desperately need washing" 

Gemma 

As of Late

Hi folks! How are we all? 

We are coming along in leaps and bounds over here, but before I go into brag-mode about Oscars sleep routine, I would just like to say a huge WELCOME to our niece Sadie Emma Tabak. Olis brother Tyler and his gorgeous wife Laura, gave birth to the latest addition to the fam in the wee hours of this morning. We can't wait to give her massive squeezes this Christmas, but for now Skype squeezes will have to do! Ive never been an Aunty before so it's all a tad exciting, and it also means Blake and Oscar have their very first cousin which is so cool! 

Now, I'd just like to take a moment here to tell you a tale; about a little boy who would not sleep. This little boy would wriggle and squirm, grunt and cry, and never succumb to the sweetness of sleep. For 8 tortuous weeks he kept this up. Until 8 nights ago when this little boy slept for 12 hours straight. 5pm to 5am without so much as a peep.... (!!!!!!)

That first morning, after his 12 hour stint,  I sat bolt right up in bed after checking the clock & started physically trembling. I thought Oscar was dead.
I held my breath as I crept to his room and gingerly opened the door. All I found was a snug baby, breathing softly, & looking as peaceful as ever.  Phew. Although I was as fresh as a daisy that day, full of promise and endless energy- I still didn't want to believe he would do a 12 hour stint again. I mean really, it's a little abnormal isn't it? What 8 week old infant sleeps twelve freaking hours each night? 
My 8 week old infant does. 
Eight nights in a row, twelve hours straight each night. Ninety six hours of blissful slumber.  

However, I don't expect this to last forever, there is bound to be some kind of spanner in the works soon, but for now....you cannot wipe the smug smile off my face.
I have no idea what changed by the way- I wish I could tell you the secret recipe to sleep, but in all honestly, I didn't change a thing. I think it's just down to him being in his own room and learning to self settle. Either way,I'm bloody stoked!

(By the way I'm so glad I didn't give up breastfeeding like I kept getting told to do- whatever it was clearly wasn't about my milk supply, always trust your instincts eh?)

So our household is all smiles and incredible cuteness at the mo. I took the opportunity to delve into my creative side yesterday, and got some snaps of Oscar in between naps;

I know right? You're thinking how impressive those arm rolls are, well he is a pretty impressive baby. And if I do say so myself, we sure make incredibly good-looking children.  

***OK, just quickly; I've just switched over to a samsung from my beloved iPhone, and I am struggling. Big time. Right now I'm juggling the iPad, laptop, and phone just trying to get this blog post to work! Shit this is frustrating. So if there is awkwardly long spaces or grammatical errors, it isn't me, it is this phone (bad grammar and punctuation is a pet hate of mine)

In other news, I just received an early birthday gift in the form of a gorgeous necklace and set of earrings from my mum & mother-in-law in NZ. Talk about spoilt! They're both so stunning & they both have a touch of kiwiana to remind me of home. Thanks a million guys! *Mum also gave me this new S4, haha thanks Mum! I'm sure I will get used to it soon.

And finally, this was my set up in the lounge as of 5 mins ago.... I even have a glue stick on hand. So 1995. But now B is up so I better put it all away before it gets torn to shreds/ eaten. This wedding planning business is not getting very far very fast. 

  

Spot that bowl of goodness in the middle though?  Lemon mint & parsley couscous (the food so nice you say it twice) with spinach, chicken, corn, and broccoli. Um yum! On the food front I've been uncharacteristically healthy. It's been two weeks since I've had chocolate- two whole weeks!! I hadn't even meant to give it up completely, but I genuinely haven't felt like it- which is very unlike me. Those late night Lindt sessions have just vanished into thin air (excuse the pun). So now that I've accidentally kicked my sweet tooth, my skin is better & my energy is through the roof already, I may just keep this up.

I better run, a certain toddler is tearing the joint apart. On the other end of the spectrum, the newly appointed 'good' child has been peacefully napping since 9am & it's now 2pm.....? Those jabs really knock out the poor buggers don't they :( ugh I hate the process. All for the greater good though... 

Sorry about my spontaneous rambling today, I'm about to throw this stupid phone against the wall. 

Ciao,

Thought  of the day "ffffaaaaarrrrkkkkk you technology"

Gemma 

Parenting 101

"It never ceases to shock me, the familiar jolt, the umbilical nature, of parental love"

"The Girl You Left Behind", by Jojo Moyes

This extract from a book I'm currently reading really struck a chord, and left me pondering on what exactly it means to me, to be a parent...

Becoming a parent completely and utterly changed my entire life. 

A few grunts, obscenities, a fair bit of blood, and HELLO- there's your baby. Suddenly, the following days, weeks, months, years of your life, are no longer selfishly your own. They belong to this tiny creature who grows at a mutant rate. 

From day one, I was overwhelmed by a fierce protectiveness that made me feel like a lioness with her cub. Although I was, by no means, in a dangerous environment- you couldn't tell me that. The teeth were bared, and the claws were out. As time went on, I reluctantly learnt to let go & let other mammals interact with my offspring, yet the overwhelming protective feeling never fades. Not one bit. 

Being a parent means living in fear. Living in constant fear for the safety of your children. All of a sudden, everything poses a threat. The door frame, tv stand, toilet, book, even the soft toy with the long dangly bits of string hanging from it (bits of string scream danger). I feel slightly maniacal, as I scan around from object to object in every new place I go, envisioning the worst-case-scenario each & every time. That's all part of being a parent. 

It is about a lot more than unjustified fear & crazy possessiveness though. In a few words, parenting, to me means; responsibility, teaching & being taught, perspective, exhaustion, uncontrollable laughter, mentally physically and emotionally demanding (all.the.time), preparation, routine, discipline, stress, patience, energy, giving, balance, consistency, following your instincts, and above all else... Unconditional love. Ridiculous amounts of love. A scary amount of love.

I would be lying if I said I don't think about the pleasures of a past life. One that involved late nights & lazy sleep ins, a wardrobe of pretty clothes, annual holidays, weekends away on a whim, many brunches, and exercise wherever and whenever I felt the need. It was an indulgent life, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and think back on with great joy. Alas, nothing compares to watching a human being, your human being, grow each day in front of your very eyes. I write this as Blake is perched on my knee looking up at me as if to say, I know you Mum, I trust you, and I love you. 

Now feed me. I'm hungry. 

On that note- I must dash, slavery is yet to be abolished around here. 

Thought of the day "how did that come out of that? Amazing"

Gemma 

 

Arctic Monkey Madness

Oh my freaking god. 

Wow.

Just wow.

These ridiculously talented four fellows blew my mind last night. As soon as Alex Turner swaggered up on the stage with his psychedelic sequinned shirt & jet-black slicked back 'do, grabbed the mic, & let his soulful soothing tones escape his throat- I absolutely melted. And from there on out, I was a quivering mess of emotions. (All well hidden by my cool, nonchalant "this aint no thang" front... obvs) 

Admittedly, before last night, I was barely even what you would call a 'fan' of the Arctic Monkeys. Sure, I knew a few of their songs & thought their new stuff was pretty cool- and I knew it would be a good live act to see. Alas, what I expected to hear, and what I heard/felt/saw- exceeded my expectations by a gazillion miles. 

The drummer was absurdly talented, never missing a beat & all whilst having an awkwardly craned neck to back-up sing into the mic- hugely adding to the all round deliciousness that was taking place. The bass was so heavy and thick, I felt like it was suffocating me, in the very best way possible. And Alex's bony fingers whipping up & down that gat at the speed of light, had my jaw almost hitting the floor. My mind body & soul completely succumbed to their music for those two sweet, sweet hours. I was, and still am, completely enthralled.  

To actually see a group of people that are that talented, with no help from audio-editing or whatever it is Katy Perry does to get fans (apologies to Katy fans, but she sucks)- is phenomenal. Every sung word meant something, every chord strummed meant something, every beat of the drum meant something- it was real music. Real, heart-warming, adrenalin-rushing music. I feel like my life is instantly better for seeing the Arctic Monkeys, & I will now proceed to no doubt thrash their albums over the coming months to try to re-live one of the best experiences of my life. 

You guys are thinking my extreme enthusiasm for a band I barely knew yesterday morning is a little weird aren't you? That's cool, I probably am a little weird- but I'm a little weirdo with a love for good music. And when you find new love you always have the honeymoon phase right? Well, consider me a cheesy old honeymooner. 

Oh Alex, marry me? (Sorry Oli but I would definitely use him as my new hall pass). I'm the biggest sucker for a sexy voice- it is definitely make or break for me when it comes to the male species. And this guy? Sultry, soulful, silky smooth, and so deep....

Ok I'm off to jump onto You-Tube to watch more. 

Sayonara & happy hump day friends

Thought of the day "should have been a groupie"

Gemma 

30 Min Circuit Workout

Ever since I've been (gratefully) getting all of those extra zzzz's I've been bursting at the seams with excess energy, so what do I do with it all you might ask? .... 

I get good & sweaty. God I love it. 

When Nicole was here we started doing an outdoors routine each day which involved taking the kids for a brisk stroll to the park, and then doing park bench jumps, press ups, tricep dips etc... It was really cool & has given me the slight push I needed to get back into resistance workouts. 

Introducing the 30 minute at-home circuit;

I've been doing this in my teeny tiny patio area when the kids have their midday nap, and all you need is a mat, a skipping rope & some weights;

Doing it in three 10 minute blocks is more than enough to start burning, and you can easily switch up the exercises for different ones of your choice. Just make sure you do 60 full seconds as hard as you can continuously with each one, & I promise you - you'll be a sweaty mess by the end of it.

(I actually half assed it today to be honest so you can do it as per how you're feeling at the time really- anything counts!)

I also did Jacobs ladder on Saturday morn & start my ballet tomorrow eve- it never eventuated last week as I had a killer headache!

On top of the exercise, I've been eating loads of goodies;

LSA crumbed chicken with brown rice spinach & avocado lunches

Fish Tacos 

Slow cooked beef and veggie stew 

Chicken Cashew stir fry, with a mandatory red- my ultimate happy place

I'm feeling good folks, full to the brim with healthy goodies & on track to being a super-fly version of me!

Ha ha, super-fly.

Oscar has slept 10 hours straight two nights in a row now, I'm a little afraid to jinx it but.... WOOOHOOOOOOO!! Even it it only happens those two times I'll feel safe in the knowledge that it could very well happen again! So obviously, things are chipper around here- we are feeling sprightly & full of smiles. Tonight, Nat & I are off to see the Arctic Monkeys & I am bouncing off the walls- seeing as Lorde cancelled on us a couple of weeks back, this was exactly what I had been waiting for! Even if it is a school night. (Every night is a school night)

I'll be sure to inundate you with pics,

Hope everyone is having a stellar week 

Thought of the day "it hurts to sit on the toilet"

Gemma 

The Meaning of Life

John Lennon absolutely nailed it on the head with this quote. 

This Mothers Day, I've been reflecting on all the complexities of happiness & how amazingly versatile it is. Happiness is like playdough, it moulds into many shapes & forms, and is entirely up to the artist at hand. To some, happiness could mean seeing your dog when you get home from work, or taking a stroll in the sunshine, or listening to your favourite song, or baking, or it could simply mean sitting in a completely still & silent state for five minutes a day. 

To me this Mother's Day, happiness means to still have my wonderful mother here with us, to have two healthy & happy babies, to be well slept, to be planning a wedding with the love of my life, to walk to the park in the sun, and to feel so loved and needed from three wonderful human beings. 

This is the epitome of happiness to me, my family. 

At times, I feel happiness can be cleverly disguised by other emotions such as; exhaustion, stress, jealousy, frustration, or even anger. Everyone in this household knows I've had my fair share of all of the above feelings lately, exhaustion mostly- and it has left a huge gaping hole upon my happiness. The thing is, even though it is totally ok/ normal to feel these things occasionally, it is also really easy to change your mindset to view them all differently & therefore make light of a shit situation. Yes, I'm exhausted- but only because I'm looking after my two healthy bundles of energy, and I know it is slowly getting easier. Yes, I've been jealous of people with one child or none at times lately, but I should feel lucky to have my two at all. Anger, stress & frustration all came about due to the extreme exhaustion, but if I let them get the better of me, all that does is create a big black cloud over our entire household- and therefore affects everyone negatively, particularly the kids. I've noticed whenever I'm feeling really grouchy, Oscar will be grouchy- and whenever I get stressed out and upset, Blake will start acting up. It is amazing how strongly my emotions can affect Blake and Oscars emotions, so I feel like to at least try to look at the glass as half full rather than empty is the least I can do. 

The cool thing is, anyone from anywhere in this world can have a happier life solely from viewing things from a different perspective. You can get up in the morning, and see the rain beating down on your window pane & think "look at how the water makes everything glisten" rather than "urgh rain, shit". That there will instantly start your day off chirpier. I'm not preaching that we should all be happy hippies who are forever hugging strangers (and trees), and never feel anything other than euphoric- just think about how you react to situations & see if you can deal with it in a healthier way is all. Making an effort to do this everyday has made my life a lot happier lately, and having a much sleepier baby helps too. 

In my experience, negativity spreads like wildfire- being around a negative person instantly creates a negative environment. I've definitely been that person before & felt myself bring an entire room down by barely saying a word. How f'd is that? Don't be that person, that guy sucks. 

Just be happy. It's way more fun. My remedy for instant happiness is chucking on a great song that floods you in glorious memories and emotions, yesterday I turned on the radio to hear "give a little bit" by supertramp which is one of my all time favourites and it instantly took me back to Olis brothers wedding last year. This was their first dance song (great pick) and I recall feeling so overwhelmingly happy for them whilst watching them dance, and when Oli and I joined in we waltzed around whispering about how this will be us one day soon & how excited we were. Not only that though- it is a double whammy as we saw Supertramp live last year & it was the best live act I've ever seen, it literally touched my soul and will forever be one of the greatest nights of my life. So I well up everytime I hear it & I love how it can automatically make my day.

What's your 'instant happiness' remedy? 

For me on a personal level rather than the family, it is; having a wine with my girlfriends,  dancing (whenever, wherever), writing, reading, having a bath, exercising, and reaching the top of the Mt instantly gives me a glow. 

I truly believe in what John says, happiness in its many different shapes & forms is what life is all about...  find it, enjoy it & embrace it friends.

Have a lovely Sunday , and for all you mothers- have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Thought of the day "7 hrs straight from Oscar last night, best Mother's Day present ever" 

Gemma 

Oscar- 2 Months, Blake- 20 Months

Oscar is officially 8 weeks old!! Where on earth does time get off on whizzing by so fast? I can still feel his head coming out like it were last night? (I'm not entirely sure that memory will ever fade...)

Our big boy is sprouting by the minute & learning to take in his surroundings more and more every day...

Likes;

Boob boob & more boob, sleep (finally!!!), Blake (she's his fave), riding in the car, Paps (Oli), the vacuum, looking at his reflection, being swaddled, being held and walked around, the swing, music 

Dislikes;

Getting out of the bath, getting dressed, getting a nappy change, when Blake 

pokes his eyes, when I'm out of his sight, the dummy (trust me, I've tried), wind in his face

Sleep;

He is getting a lot better with his sleep patterns & is now doing 4-5 hrs straight at night, therefore only feeding twice, and having solid naps throughout the day too. After much trial / error we've come to see that he loves being in his bassinet, in a quiet dark room, swaddled and with lots of blankets even when it is a warm day. He has just moved into his own room now too, so we are (quietly confident) we may get some sleep throughs in the near future. Fingers crossed! (On that note- I don't know how people co-sleep or share a room for longer than a few weeks, is it just mine or are babies unnecessarily noisy?!!)

Although OJ is still so fresh, I feel as though he'll be running circles around me in no time at all. In such a short time SO much has changed- it's hard to comprehend how they grow so quickly. Pretty soon he'll be eating solids, then sitting up, then crawling?!! Ahhhhhh! I might actually buy a baby leash. Don't judge me. 

I think I'm finally starting to enjoy him now, admittedly, it hasn't been the smoothest start to our relationship- but we're finding our groove (especially with these 4-5 hr sleeps) & I'm learning how to help him blossom in this wonderful world. When he looks at me & his face breaks into an all encompassing smile, and a trickle of milk dribbles down to his chin before letting out a squeak of delight, my heart just soars. He's well & truly won me over.

And as for this one;

Blake is such an independent woman!! I spend half my day watching her in disbelief & the other in hysterics over her antics. She is such a talkative wee thing & seems to learn a new word each day. Her vocab includes (but is certainly not limited too);

"Hi, Byee & See Ya!"

"Da paaark da park!" - the park

"Wart warts" - bottle of water 

"Bot bots"- bottle of milk 

"Peeeeeeaase" - please 

"Nyum nyuums" - food

"Nose, mouth, eyes"

"One, two, three" 

"Da piiiiggg" - peppa pig

"Alwight" - alright 

"Maarrrmmmyyy" - me 

"Dadda" - Oli

"Bookshhhh" - books 

"Hat!"

"Flower!" 

"Shoes!"

"Teds!" - teddies

"All done"

"Nearly home"

"There ya go!"

"Peewwww" (along with smelly hand over nose gesture)

And lastly, "Oh shit!" -  which still gets me every time.

Her latest thing is to "dancy dance" to pharrels song 'happy'. We were in Big W one day and she just started busting a move to it in the middle of the aisle when the chorus started- swinging her hips and saying "yaaaayyy!". It drew quite the crowd actually, I was impressed. So now I put it on at home and everytime the words "because I'm happppyyy..." start she just breaks it down. Hilarious!

This girl knows what she wants & when she wants it. If we are going to the park she's banging at the door with her hat on saying "park park!", if dinner is on it's way she's gone & got herself a bib and will be sitting in her eating spot ready to rock, and at bedtime she's rounded up her teddies, given everyone mwahs with her hand & is shaking on her cot rails at 6:30 sharp. I whole heartedly believe she is a miniature genius. 

Likes;

Da park- slides mostly now that she can climb up and go down herself. Bath time or splish splash, the beach, throwing the ball, repeating everything she does at least 3 times, high fives, the IPad (too much!), peppa pig, shoes, Oscar or buubbbyyy, sleeping in our bed, singing twinkle twinkle & wheels on the bus, doing handstands with me

Dislikes;

Leaving the park (tears every time), having anything taken off her, eating at any time that is inconvenient for her, and teething- but that's about it, mostly she is a really good kid 

Sleep;

She is finally doing her 12 hr stints & 2 hr naps again, it was all over the show when Oscar came as she simultaneously was getting her molar teeth, but as of the last week she's back on track! (Thank goodness) I think we'll move her into a toddler bed soon & give Oscar her cot, I don't know how I feel about this though? Blake in a bed? A real human sized bed? It seems so soon!

Food;

This child loves her food, particularly; apples, broccoli, anything sweet, beans, smoothies, cottage pie, avocado, rice, milk, sushi, cucumber, bananas, potato chips, and crackers. The only thing she doesn't seem to like so far is mushrooms , but I reckon I can sneak them past her in some mash. We really need to get cracking on her self-feeding, she eats her lunch & snacks independently but her breakfast & dinner bowls are still spoon fed. It's mostly due to me not being bothered with the mess to be honest...  But she is certainly ready for it. 

 (Enjoying a berry smoothie this morning)

Blake is currently tugging at my leg to chase her around the house so I gotta scoot- 

Yay it's Friday! 

Ta ta,

Thought of the day "nothing beats the sound of rain on your window pane"

Gemma 

Berry Bliss

It's official, Nicole has left the building. 

Miss this lass already 

Which means we are aaaalllll alone, and I am somehow responsible for two children. That sounds daunting- although already this morning since dropping Nicole at the airport I've managed to; do the washing, vacuum, mop, dust, clean bathrooms, send emails, and most importantly- get both infants to sleep!! Uh- huh, thats right, they are both currently asleep. The serenity is marvellous. I daresay it'll be chaos again in no time, but I feel a sense of accomplishment & it's not even lunchtime, that's a win! 

Perth has done a 180 lately & we've been getting thunderstorms, showers and cold winds. So as we have been trapped indoors, the obvious thing to do is bake. There's nothing quite like the sweet aromas of fresh baking wafting up your nostrils on a cool autumn day. Particularly when that baking comes in the form of a brownie. We decided to try a different flavour than your classic choc, and went for a raspberry and white chocolate brownie. I admit, I was hesitant about this one as veering off from the usual milk or dark chocolate doesn't sit well with me- but this wee gem was a slice of heaven;

Look at those delightful swirls. So good. This recipe only made a small batch (8 slices) so I would recommend doubling it if you're as ravenous as me.

Raspberry & White Choc Brownie;

Ingredients;

250gm good quality white chocolate 

50gm butter 

1 cup flour 

Pinch of salt 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 eggs

White choc chips (handful)

1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries 

Method;

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a small square cake tin with baking paper. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave. Melt the butter & beat in with the sugar. Then beat the eggs & vanilla extract in, followed by the melted white chocolate. Stir in the flour & salt, the trick is to not overmix this though, just enough to see the flours mixed through. Gently stir in white choc chips & raspberries and transfer to baking tin. Then cook for 45 mins if raspberries are fresh, or 50 mins if frozen- or until the top is golden. Once done- leave to cool within the pan, slice up & enjoy! 

Seriously good brownie. It almost has a cake like texture too rather than really dense, I repeat- so good. (I also think next time I may throw in some macadamias, the crunchy texture would be amazing!)

This morning, after realising I now have a lot of frozen raspberries in my freezer- I decided to try a smoothie recipe out that I had seen on Instagram a few days back... And once again, we hit the jackpot;

Banana Berry Breakfast Smoothie;

Ingredients; (makes two)

2 bananas 

1 cup raspberries 

2 dates

Tsp almond butter 

1 cup almond milk 

Chia seeds 

1 cup oats 

Method;

Blend and serve!! 

Pink slurpy deliciousness, and healthy- I highly recommend!

It has now been 30 mins since I began writing this post and the children are STILL asleep, this is miraculous, I think I will actually survive after all.

Look at these two though;

Does that not kill you? Probably not as I am a typical bias mother, but they are exquisite creatures to me. 

Speaking of exquisite creatures;

Blake Lively at the Met-Gala this week. How? Why? Who...? Is this even possible? 

Absolutely beautiful. Add Ryan Reynolds in the mix and we have ourselves one extraordinarily good looking couple. That dress is so gorgeous, if only normal human beings could pull it off.

Anyway, I must go & enjoy this peace and quiet while it lasts!! 

Au Revoir friends,

Thought of the day "I never knew silence could be so soothing"

Gemma 

Wedding Fever

Ok, who here has planned a wedding? If you have, I take my veil off to you. I feel as though I'm all wedding'd out and all we've done is book a venue & write up a draft guest list. Not even a definite list- a bloody draft! The venue is probably the biggest decision to make (besides the dress) though so I am hugely relieved that part is sorted...

Oli & I talked about having a destination wedding well before we ever got engaged. The idea of having everyone we love partake in a week-long celebration with us was beyond appealing. We felt like it was the perfect excuse for a holiday & a honeymoon in one, and to be honest - an easy way to cut numbers & have the small wedding we were after. Bali was the most obvious destination choice as it was the place where we first holidayed together 6 years ago and fell head over heels in love with. The weather, beaches, people, culture & not-to-mention value for your dollar were all big selling points in our decision, so when we went over last November we had a wee browse for a venue. Semara Villas in Uluwatu literally took my breath away upon arrival, the view in itself brought tears to my eyes;

Yes that is a bar right on the water in which you take an elevator down the cliff face to access

Can you actually imagine your wedding with that view? I couldn't, we were so sure it would be well out of our price range - so we felt a little silly even just browsing. Turns out, although it's not considered cheap, it wasn't over-the-top expensive, so the seed was planted in our minds & over the past 5 months the idea grew by the day. We knew we had to get married here.

Fast forward to last week, and we are officially booked and confirmed for next May. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! 

Now comes the hard part... To say I totally underestimated everything that goes into a wedding is an understatement;

Photographer/ Videographer 

Invites

Wedding gown 

Bridesmaids dresses & accessories

Groomsmen suits & accessories 

Hair & Make Up / Nails

Tables & Chairs

Decorations 

Lighting

Sound 

Music choices (so hard to pick a first dance song!!!)

Food & alcohol 

Cake 

Rings 

Flowers 

Flower girl's outfit (crucial)

Speeches

Celebrant 

Vows

And on top of all of this, for a destination wedding we need to organise flights, accommodation, and nannies for the rest of the trip too. 

Luckily, the normal procedure with Bali weddings is to hire a wedding planner for your big day. Thank goodness as I don't think I would be capable of organising all of this myself. So they will have loads of experience in Bali weddings which will be a massive help- as I feel like I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head, but whether they would all work together? Probably not. It's a bit like a mixed bag of m n m's up there. 

I can't even decide whether to go for coloured or plain lanterns? Votes?

Pinterest is running hot on my phone at the mo & we're slowly piecing together some plans. I fear the next 12 months willl whizz by & before we know it, I'll be a blubbering mess next to my handsome hubby. In all honesty- I cannot wait... not only for the huge celebration, but to be Olis wife and share the last name of my children, it sounds so surreal. 

Anyway, one thing at a time- firstly I want to find my dress. My friend Tali recommended an amazing Australian designer Anna Campbell & she makes exquisite dresses that still have a 'beachy' feel, I tried some on on Saturday & although they were beautiful, I didn't find 'the one'. She has a new range coming out shortly though so I'm holding out for that, I'll let you know how I go! Meanwhile, no maccas for me!

I'll keep you in the loop with the planning in the coming months & ask for many opinions too- feel free to throw any ideas my way.... Please!

Thought of the day "Pinterest pics would be a lot different to reality" 

Gemma 

Ups & Downs

Hi lovely friends, 

How are we all?

Well, I for one, am exhausted. Really and truly exhausted.

Oscar is coming up 8 weeks now (!!!!!) and all I can think about is the fact that I haven't slept for longer than 4 hours at a time for 8 whole weeks. That's 56 days of slow, sleep deprived torture. 

Lately, it's been 2-3 hour stretches mostly and I'm really feeling the pinch. I'm horrendously grumpy, lethargic, and totally over it. Whyyyy will he not sleep for longer? I don't know whether it's because he's just incredibly hungry, or whether he just needs to learn a bit of self soothing or what, but either way- something's got to give before I crack & have a major meltdown. 

Introducing formula is one option, although I'm really not keen on giving that a go just yet. Supposedly a bottle of formula before bed should help really hungry babies sleep longer- but I'm a firm believer in 'breast is best' and I want to give him that goodness for as long as possible, particularly now as he is still so fresh. Once he hits the 12 week mark, I may have to re assess though as it is really affecting my quality of life. I have found myself feeling really down and out some days and its horrible, not only for me but for Blake & Oli as well. I just don't feel like myself and I miss me to be honest- well-slept Gemma is cool & full of smiles and jokes.

It isn't all bad though, there have been really great days lately (particularly with Nicole) where everyone is full of life and laughter (wine)- alas today wasn't one of those days hence the above rant. 

I just want to sleeeeeep until next Saturday. These bags are growing darker by the day..

Anyway, enough negative hoo haa! The ups are also endless at the mo;

My new housemate is the bees knees, although I only have her for another two days & I am not happy about this. New Zealand is far too far away from Perth I've decided, I'm feeling rather stranded over here. Keryn & Bailey who are mine & Blakes absolute favourite local gal pals, have also decided to pack up and ship off back to the land of the long white cloud just to top it off- whatever will I do without you?! 

Oops- that upside kind of took a U turn back down didn't it?

Ups, ups, ups....

A massive up this week was trying on wedding dresses on Saturday. How friggen cool!! I really wish I could share some pics but I can't have Oli creeping on them so I better not, let's just say I'm more than ready to skip up that aisle already!

And Blake, despite throwing some whopper toddler tantrums, is always a big up to my day. Especially when she pulls this hilarious face upon request.

I immediately forget how little sleep I've had when this spew face smiles at me- definite up. His butt chin is the best. 

And what's better than a spot of retail therapy to put a smile on a woman's dial?

New navy jumper & a bad ass tee to keep up with Perth's unpredictable climate. (On that note, I swear I am never going shopping with children ever again- I break out in nervous sweats)

Another Up- this weekend is Mothers Day, and I'm pretty stoked for any excuse to be fussed over for an entire day. When I say day it'll probably only be an hour in the morning, but I'm excited nonetheless. And on top of that, I'm turning the big 25 in a couple of weeks too, there are no plans in place as such but I don't plan on letting that one pass by without a bang. I'm thinking I'll have a big sleep party-  I'll invite everyone I know around to our house and let them all take turns babysitting whilst being very very quiet so I can snooze for my entire big day. Yes, that sounds grand.

But seriously, 25? That's kind of a big deal. That's also scarily close to 30. Although I'm actually excited for 30 as by then we'll have a 7 and a 6 year old both in school, and a shitload more sleep- bring on 30 I say! 

That's enough from me- I hope Monday wasn't too dreary for you all, think of all the ups, such as; you're one step closer to Friday already! 

Thought of the day "is that a new wrinkle?"

Gemma