A Spring in my Step

September! You pretty old thang you, bloody good to see you. If I sniff really hard, I can definitely smell summer. Salads, and sand, and sun, mmmmmmm. 

The last few days have whizzed by in a blur of colours & carbs. It has been delightful. 

On Friday, Oli and I l hit the rink for some mid morning ice skating (as you do). We had wanted to give it a burn for a while so when we finally made it there, and laced up those skates, it felt magnificent. Until we stepped onto the ice.

As I dug way back into the memory bank from my single ice skating experience in 2002, I didn't recall it being that slippery. So I tentatively clung onto the edges for the first 30 minutes until I built up enough balance to go hands-free. Fast forward 20 minutes & I had pretty much gone pro. Oli was going about 100km an hour & well on his way to a few broken bones, alas, we both escaped unscathed & pumped full of adrenalin. It was SO.MUCH.FUN.

On Friday eve we packed our sleepover bag (we don't have a sleepover bag as we don't have sleepovers, therefore it was a grocery bag) toothbrushes and all, and headed out to Abbey & Leon's for the night. 6 hours of cocktails, sushi, cranberry cheese, charades & jenga later... We were all lol'd out! We met a new Gemma that Friday actually, 'competitive charades" Gemma. It's all fun & games until somebody (Abbey) throws Good Charlotte into the hat. C'mon, how the F are you meant to act out Good Charlotte? SO.MUCH.FUN!! Waking up to a quiet household the next morning was definitely a strange moment for us though. It was actually my first ever full night away from the kids so I had thought I may freak out in the morning. But no, after a quick gulp of water, and a maccas pit stop en route, we were home & normality resumed fairly fast. I don't even think we had a chance to miss them as we were too busy laughing our asses off. T'was a hoot! 

Before we knew it, Sunday arrived & we had switched into full piggy party mode. (Blake is abnormally obsessed with pigs). Giant balloons, pig snouts on sticks, ham club sammies (ironic), a piñata, and an impressive picket-fenced mud cake were laid out, & the entire arvo went off without a hitch. Blake is such a socialite, so she was lapping up all the attention like a dehydrated dog with a big old bowl of water. 

So many pigs, so many laughs, so many spectacular spoils. SO.MUCH.FUN. 

It's been really wonderful having Kathy here with us this past week. She so easily slips into our world as if she doesn't live a casual 7 hour plane ride away. Blake loves spending every waking moment with her Nana, and Oscar loves all the goofy faces she pulls in order to get a wee gummy grin.

The kids are so lucky to have their Nan, and I also feel lucky to have such a kind hearted mother-in-law. Hopefully one day soon there will only be a 5 minute car trip to conquer rather than an international flight. Fingers crossed! 

Lined up this week, we have Blakes actual birthday on Wednesday so we will most likely do something a little special for her then. Maybe a trip to the zoo? Kathy only has a few days left here so we want to make the most of that. I'll most likely continue on my quest to gain 100 kilos in 10 days, and then "forget" to do my 6 month postpartum update too. 'Oopsie daisy'. That mud cake is eyeballing me as we speak- smug bastard. As things simmer down, I'm going to knuckle down on this healthy regime, first stop- yoga this evening. First exercise in nearly 2 weeks, wish me luck! 

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and I hope your Mondayitis isn't too debilitating,

Au Revoir spring chickens,

Gem 

Thought of the day "

This 11:11 thing is really starting to freak me the fuck out!"

A Bad Case of Mastitis

Turns out that mild cold I was whining about, wasn't a cold at all. Hello mastitis you malicious bastard! If you haven't heard of mastitis, this is wiki's sypnosis;

"Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that results in breast pain, swelling, warmth, and redness of the breast. It may also cause fevers & chills" 

And here is my definition;

"Fuuuuccckkk, a ninja ghost is repeatedly knifing my boob with an invisible (but very real) samurai sword! And my body seems to think I got in a street fight down a dark alley last night"

Fun! 

Developing mastitis at 6 months in isn't very common, it usually occurs within the first month when your milk supply is overflowing and your boobs are boulders. So to start getting fevers & chills, along with an intense pain in my boob, came as quite the surprise last Friday. Needless to say, the weekend wasn't too joyous. I managed to combat it like a true hippy, by popping garlic cloves like panadols, and wearing cold cabbage leaves in my bra. God they felt good. However, I didn't smell too pleasant. I learnt those two tricks from our first antenatal teacher in Tauranga & they saved my life back when I got it twice with Blake too. Save the antibiotics for when my body really needs them I always say! 

The pain managed to disperse by Sunday evening, just in time for daycare the following day. So stoked! *sarcasm sarcasm sarcasm*

It isn't all bad though, it's already Thursday now & I am currently situated in a rather cosy chair, drinking midly satisfying coffee, and getting my fro tended too. Tis nice! 

Olis ma arrived a couple of days ago, so I've been relieved of most mothering duties, which I'm more than happy to hand over. Blake is relishing in all the attention like a pig in mud, thoroughly enjoying every minute of tickles & renditions of "head shoulders knees and toes". It's only 10am & so far today I've heard "nanaaaa, whatcha doooin?" At least 20 times. Cute factor is through the roof. Especially when it isn't "Muuuuummmm whatcha doin", far easier being a spectator for once. 

Blake is in her final week as a 1 year old now, and I may just cry at her party this Sunday. It could be a single soulful tear slipping down my cheek discretely, or it could be a waterfall of emotions & snot. Who knows? We'll have to wait & see. Either way, her "piggy" party is going to be loads of fun, I can't wait to see everybody, eat sausy rolls, and boogy with my groovy gal. 

As B turns two, simultaneously Oscar will hit 6 months;

You had better lock up your daughters. Not joking at all, this ones going to do some damage. (That sounds highly inappropriate... Meh)

I'll be doing up a progress report on those two darls at some stage next week when things have calmed down around here. 

Meanwhile, Oli and I have ice skating, movie, and dinner dates up our sleeves, and our big night away tomorrow night at Abbeys place. Cocktails & no noise restrictions. Possibly even a sleep in? I doubt it, something tells me I'll be up at 6 smelling like a brewery but eager to get back to the kids. Such a sucker aren't I? 

You'll be sure to be inundated with pics of all of our adventures in the days to come, 

Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of your week won't you?! 

Hahah, so good! 

Gem 

Thought of the day "Third cracked phone screen in 3 months, back to the blue Nokia 2200 I think" 

Slump

Hi folks! How are you all going?? 

This morning the Warner/ Tabak household woke up with dirty old winter colds. The noggins are running, the bods are aching, and Blakes new handkerchief is her hand. Gross. 

Not the best way to end the week/ start the weekend, but such is life eh? 

It's not unusual for the kids to get sick, but for me to get onboard aswel is rare. 

Since starting the wee daycare business 3 weeks back, exercise has been put on the backburner, and meals have been quick & easy (and far from healthy). Not only that, but yee old sweet tooth has made an unwelcome return, and with a vengeance. In turn, negative thoughts have been flooding in, my self confidence has taken a bashing, and now I'm sick. That ain't no coincidence. It just goes to show, you don't eat right, you don't exercise, your body says "uh oh" and immediately your immunity plummets. So I'm in a bit of a slump, but I feel as though life is all about the highs & lows, and without these lows, how would we even recognise the highs? You see what I did there? I made that glass half full. Luckily this is just a measly cold, it'll be gone before we know it, and then we can work on a bit of time management to get back to the tippy top of that mountain. 

Oscars methods for combatting a cold are snooze, snooze, boob, and more snooze. Then he wakes up floating on a cloud, because those 14 hours straight were so bitchin;

Such a spunk. 

In other news, two magnificent events occurred for four wonderful people in our lives this week. Firstly, our long time friends, Micaela & Ricky got engaged on her birthday this past Wednesday. These two are a match made in heaven, and I'm so incredibly delighted for them both! When she sent me a snap of her exquisite antique ring, I welled up & nearly shed a tear. (For anyone that knows me personally, I'm not a crier, so this was a big deal). Maybe I'm getting soppy in my old age, I dunno, but it immediately bought back memories of when Oli dropped a knee & asked "would I do him the honour of being his wife", so breathtaking & magical, a moment forever cherished. Isn't love just the bees knees?

Secondly, our friends Lucin & Mel welcomed Archer Bryce McFall to the world just yesterday. Funnily, I was chatting to her the night before, and gave her the idea of trying castor oil. She was nearing 41 weeks & I couldn't even fathom her frustration. Lucin made a late night dash, and waddya know, hey presto! 7 hours later her waters broke & she delivered a beautiful, healthy boy that next afternoon. When she messaged me to tell me she had an amazing birth experience (the first wasn't so great) & she was so proud she did it drug-free in the pool, she was floating on cloud 9, once again, I welled up with joy. What is going on with me this week? No really, hearing about beautiful births make me stupendously happy. Mel said I was her inspiration & thanked me, however, I really didn't do anything (obviously) she did it all herself, but being told that I played a very small part in such an empowering and emotional experience really reiterated just how passionate I am about natural birth. It also made me clucky as hell. I was almost jealous she had given birth. Fuck, I must be losing it. 

A couple of other things from the past week are;

I completed my wee raindrops piece for the kiddies play area, and trust me, it looks a lot better from a distance. 

And I also got our poster wall up. I had big plans to frame every pic & make a wall out of it, until I realised a trillion holes in the wall isn't ideal at a rental, and a trillion frames ain't cheap. Frameless is still pretty cool, how rad is the black & white shark? 

I think I've talked your ear off enough for today, I'll wrap it up & head on back to the couch where B is watching Toy Story 3 for the seventh time this week. I still laugh at all the jokes too. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week, and you all enjoy the simple pleasures of life this weekend (for all you childless people, please sleep in for me)

Gem

Thought of the day 

Thank F dinner is already prepped, and thank F for 8am energy bursts. 

Fleeting Visit

Just like that, Aimee has been and gone. Would somebody care to tell me why time goes excruciatingly slow when you want it to fly, and 'blink & you miss it' fast when you just want it to chill out? 

It took us approximately 4 hours after she flew in to crack our first bottle of red. Two more down the hatch & Friday night turned out to be quite the slur-fest. Seedy Saturday soon arrived & we were feeling less than ideal. Alas, we soldiered on & manned up for our planned day out. Brunch, wedding dress fitting, & shopping, followed up with fried chicken & chips is exactly what I would recommend for a hangover cure ladies & gents (if you're into that sort of thing)! Although I did briefly feel the urge to vomit in the fitting room when the dressmaker zipped me up. Classy. 

Saturday eve arrived & on went the party frocks & the wonky lippy. Dark lipstick is really unforgiving when you're out of practise! We ventured out into the city & had Mexican tapas + margaritas and we began to warm up. Fast forward to 3am & I had the most irritating blisters on my little toes as we arrived home, alas, we banked a whole heap of brilliant memories & hearty laughs. It was a hoot! 

Sloth Sunday reared it's unattractive head faaaaaaar too early & we quickly came to the realisation that we are just not cut out for this shit anymore. After 12 solid hours of ass indentations in the couch, we hit the hay. **So this is why we don't do this anymore huh? Was the general consensus by 8pm. Although some might say we wasted a day, I would say I wouldn't rather morph into a sloth with anyone but Aimee. I will cherish our absolute smack talking for life. 

Mopey Monday arrived and it was time to say adios;

This pretty lass has been my shoulder-to-lean-on for nearly a decade now, and let me tell you, it is quite the cosy spot. She is the epitome of a great friend, and I treasure her good, kind nature & sick sense of humour. It was a brilliant weekend, and I simply cannot wait to do it all over again in Bali next year! With a much better view than our patio. And cocktails, and dancing, and day spas. Oh yeeeeah. 

Upon Aimee's departure, the rain really started to pour, as if reflecting my gloomy mood. Realisation hit that I hadn't eaten any vegetables all weekend, and my stomach churned at the thought. So whilst the kids were enthralled in Toy Story 3 (bless you Pixar), I whipped up the most delicious Chicken, potato, coriander, capsicum & chickpea curry;

Totally hit the spot, after 4 bowls I definitely would have passed for 6 months pregnant too. Could not get enough. Recipe is as follows;

Ingredients;

1 Chicken breast 

1 tin chickpeas 

5 potatoes diced (royal blue ones are best)

1 tin coconut milk 

2 tins diced toms 

Red capsicum 

1 onion 

2 cloves garlic 

1 tablespoon garam masala 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp curry powder 

1 tbsp ground coriander 

1 bunch fresh coriander 

Method:

Chop up the onion & garlic, sauté in a big saucepan on high. Add in all the spices & the chopped potatoes & sauté for 5 mins. Season with salt & pepper. Add the tinned tomatoes & coconut milk. Turn down to low- medium heat. Cover, and bring to the boil then turn right down to low. Simmer for an hr or so. Meanwhile, fry off the chicken breast for 2 mins then add in to the pan after the hour of simmering. Leave for another hr. Add in the chickpeas & some fresh coriander, season again. Simmer for another half hr. Add in the capsicum & leave for a final half hr. Sauce should be thick & fragrant. Serve with basmati rice & a handful of coriander. Mouth- salivating as we speak. 

Last night it dawned on me that Blakes birthday party is next weekend & I am yet to organise a single thing. I plan to plan & then end up blogging instead, I should really stop that. Also on the cards is a hunt for the perfect wedding shoe, some sort of outdoor play area for the kiddies, and exercise (slack is an understatement as of late). 

But first; keeping four children alive. That sounds dramatic but in actual fact, daycare is getting easier every day. The kids are really easy- going & the days fly by! Can't say the nappy changing gets easier though.... 

Happy weird in-between Tuesday folks,

Gem

Thought of the day "1 week til Kathy arrives, and after that I will get serious about this wedding bod"

 

Getting Jiggy Wid It

Yesterday was shitty. Without getting into too many details, there was an emotional breakdown at the post office. Tears & all. Can't win em all right? As soon as Oli arrived home I knew I needed to go to yoga. I was physically & emotionally exhausted, but I knew if I went I would cheer up. Turns out it wasn't the yoga that did the trick, it was plugging in my earphones & blasting some sweet sounds on the way there. I think no matter what my pod played, I would have felt better, however, this is what shuffled & this is what turned my mood a 180;

(Fitting)

Had you pulled up next to me at the traffic lights, you would have witnessed quite the scene. Some may have thought I was spastic & surely incapable of obtaining a drivers licence, but I was just having fun. Music makes everything better, bless it.

In other news, it's mo fo'ing Friday! And Aimee touches down in four short hours, yahoooo!

Enjoy your weekend friends, we sure will!

Gem 

Thought of the day "moccona really does have more mmmmmmm"

Hitting Home

Late yesterday afternoon, I found myself flicking through our digi cam pictures. As most photos are taken on our phones, I never seem to think about this forgotten camera. Much to my surprise, I found this  pic; 

How I did not know about this picture is beyond me? It is utterly magnificent. Oli my rock, my wingman, my love, holding Oscar as he is welcomed into the world. Taking his first breaths, seeing and feeling love for the very first time. Gulping back oxygen, feeling his dads thumping heartbeat against his soft skin, and all from the comfort of our lounge. 

It only occurred to me yesterday, that Oscar was born at home. Of course, I knew it were true, and I was happy with the birth at the time. I just don't think I ever really let it sink in, that such a massive & significant event actually happened right here. Where I am sitting at this very moment. 

As I typed out the birth story all those months back, I remember thinking only of the actual birth process. Which would have been exactly the same no matter where I had been. Birthing centre, hospital, or at home. And now that I'm (semi) past the memories of labour pain, I've come to the realisation, that what we experienced, was nothing short of magic. 

Many women around the world dream of having a birth like ours. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way for everyone. After seeing a few "home birth mamas" up on IG over the last few days, talking about their disappointment in having an emergency C-section, or having to transfer to hospital at the last minute, I realised we should count ourselves lucky. I hadn't even really thought about how fortunate we were to have everything go so smoothly. The slightest thing could have altered our entire experience, and I feel as though I may have taken it for granted. Here I am thinking, yup we planned a homebirth, and therefore we had a homebirth. Simple right? Well, not really. 

Firstly, we had a healthy thriving baby, a marvellous midwife & back up midwife, a community run program that funded homebirth in WA, and I had Oli who backed me all the way. Secondly, the actual birth went according to plan. This is where a lot of problems occur as every birth is different, and every process is different. Without ticking all of those boxes, we would have been in that car mid surges- juggling Blake and a strong urge to claw my way out of a moving vehicle.  

We got the birth we wanted. When so many women don't have that satisfaction. And I think it's only now, that I have gained the gratitude for the entire experience.

On top of that, I'm also incredibly proud of myself. I am grateful for all of the above reasons, but I cannot forget to be grateful for being who I am. I think too many people are too scared to pat themselves on the back these days. Me included. What I did was amazing. The strength, endurance (mentally & physically), and courage that it took to birth at home, was everything I had. My 100%, and I really do feel as though I deserve a medal. That's not just for me though, I feel as though any woman who has given birth, naturally or not, needs a medal. It is a life changing experience & one that should be commended. Women are incredibly resilient humans after all. 

The passion I have for birth has flourished hugely over the past two years. So much so that I am planning on becoming a qualified home birth midwife upon our move back to NZ. Just thinking about being a woman who helps women through the most significant experience of their lives give me chills! 

So that's where I am at today, reminiscing & feeling extremely grateful, as well as dreaming of bigger things to come. And possibly even another birth for us, I'm hooked!

Honeymoon baby? 

Happy hump day!

Gem 

Thought of the day "last day of work!"

Thought(s) of the day

There are far too many bits & bobs racing through my head today, so I'm just going to bulletpoint a few key points. Trying to fluidly piece it all together into a few paragraphs seems far too daunting;

. Aimee is arriving in 3 short sleeps!! Excited doesn't cut the mustard. Ecstatic, hysterical & delighted shall suffice. We are planning 3 sweet days of over zealous banter, so much so that I expect our throats will be hoarse come Monday. 

. Saving money makes weekends unbearably boring, and worth it all at once 

. "The Goldfinch" is a brilliant read. All 800 pages left me wanting more.

. 

Friday night steak & beer night makes me abnormally happy (especially when prepared by my handsome hubby)

. 

$20 cotton on dresses also make me happy 

.

Tickets to Bali in feb are booked! Abbey & I are having a quick 5 day gals trip to Nusa Lembongan. Once again, excited just doesn't cut the mustard! 5 days of freedom, bintangs, sunburn, & cheap cocktails- who wouldn't pee themselves with pure joy?! (Oh & wedding stuff, it's clearly a business trip)

. Using Blakes bonjella for my wisdom teeth is genius 

. I have a wedding dress appointment this Saturday which I am following up with my first trip to superstar waffles. Going afterwards makes me feel a lot less guilty.

. 

My calves are still ridiculously sore after doing Jacobs ladder on Saturday, alas, the view was marvellous 

. Finding the perfect flower girl dress for B is proving near impossible 

. I'm nearly halfway through my working week already, jackpot! 

. 'Orange is the new black' has sucked Oli and I in like a giant black hole 

. Trying to convince Oli a third child might be a great idea is also proving to be near impossible 

.

Who dunnit? When I walked outside to see Blakes rabbit sprawled out on the patio yesterday I couldn't help but giggle & think of Sherlock Holmes.

. 

Finding inspiration for our very first family home is incredibly fun! Blake may have a sleepover buddy in me each night if her room is as funky as this! 

. I cannot wait until these children of ours wipe their own bums & love sleeping in

. Fresh out of dinner ideas, yet again 

Better scoot, kids are running amok! 

Au revoir pretties,

Gem 

** there's no need for a thought of the day with all of that! 

Beetroot Risotto

If I had to choose my favourite winter meal, I would have to go with risotto. (Followed closely by a classic roast)

The versatility, simplicity, and comfort that a risotto brings is unbeatable. Provided you have arborio rice, and stock, you can pretty much make any flavour you like! 

This beetroot risotto was actually my first for the season, and my first attempt at a beetroot one. I didn't follow a recipe, and I feel like once you know the basics of a good risotto you won't need too either.

It turned out perfect. The earthy beetroot, with the fresh, flavoursome thyme, really hit the spot. Although it was almost too pretty to eat;

Ingredients;

3 large fresh beetroot, peeled & chopped to 1cm pieces

1 onion chopped 

2 cloves garlic finely chopped 

3 cups vegetable stock 

1 tbsp butter 

1/2 cup red wine

3 sprigs fresh thyme 

1 cup arborio rice 

Parmesan to serve 

Method;

Preheat oven to 180. Roast chopped beetroot for 30 mins or until soft. Meanwhile, in a deep frypan on medium heat, put the butter, onions & garlic in. Sauté until soft. Add the rice and allow it to simmer in the butter and onions for a couple of minutes. Add the red wine, and allow the rice to absorb it for 5 mins. Season with pepper. Slowly add the stock, 1/4 cup at a time- stirring continuously for approximately 30 mins. Take the beetroot from the oven, mash it or leave it as is. Add this into the pan. Stir in the thyme. Turn off the heat & allow it all to soak in for 15 mins. Voila!

I served mine on a bed of spinach, & with a sprinkle of Parmesan, & it was delish! 

(You can change the recipe to anything you like such as pumpkin, mushroom etc)

Enjoy! And happy Friday!

Gem 

Wednesday is the new Friday

We made it folks. Week one of work, done & dusted. 

When it came to 7pm last night, and I plopped down on the couch with a big fat red in hand, I took some time to reflect on the past 3 days and weigh up where my head was at with it all. To say it wasn't easy, would be a massive understatement. Four kids under two, constantly wanting something from you is incredibly draining, particularly when two of those kids are practically strangers & I don't really understand what it is they want. But it's all a learning curve, & I felt I already understood them infinitely more after just 3 days. To get food down their throats, get them all napping, wean them off ABC for kids channel for a few hours, and to still have dinner ready for when Oli arrived home each day, gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. To top it off, receiving my first pay was fabulous! As much as I am told (and tell myself), that raising our children & having one income is more than ok for us at this point in our lives, the satisfaction from earning my own money was hugely gratifying. To be able to contribute a solid amount of savings each week, will help to pave our path back home a lot quicker. Not to mention, considering my somewhat expensive taste, it makes me feel ok about choosing the more elaborate options for these impending nuptials.

All in all, despite the extreme exhaustion, I'm feeling really grateful for this convenient opportunity, and even if I often want to bang my head (hard) against a brick wall, and the snail-like trails of saliva are on every object we own, (and the carpet stains are beyond repairable), and - actually I'll stop there, I just need to remember the pros far outweigh the cons at the end of the day. I'll keep you updated with my mentality in the impending weeks. 

**I would also like to add in that staying sane wouldn't be possible without my partner in crime. Oli arrives home, strips off his work clothes, puts on his dad clothes (trackies) and starts shift number two without any complaints, each & every day. That man has no idea how brilliant he is, and how much this family unit adores him.

After being couped up all week, we were all looking forward to getting out for a big stretch of the legs today. However, after having 3 consecutive clear-sky 25 degree days, we woke up to rain this morning. But ain't no body gonna bring us down, so when Oscar awakes (he slept 5pm to 7am, and he's now back down at 8:30am- snoozaholic!), we are going to head up to Abbeys to escape & hopefully take a long-ass stroll if this weather simmers down. Otherwise I'll probably just scoff her baking & drink her delicious coffee anyway. Bliss! 

August is shaping up to be a rather exciting month for us. Next weekend, it looks like my long-time gal pal Aimee is popping over from the east coast for a visit. We haven't had a catch up in nearly a year now, so my fingers are firmly crossed she does come & we can party like its 1999 (2006)!! 

God I've missed her mug.

At the end of the month, Olis mum is also popping over for 10 days, so we can smell the freedom already. Being a long-distance Nana means she can't get enough of the kids, and we can't escape fast enough- it's a wonderful combination! We are planning our first official night away from them at the moment, I'm a stage 5 clinger so the thought sends me into a mad panic, alas, it desperately needs to be done. Kathy will also be here for Blakes big second bday bash (I well up just thinking about the fact she is nearly two), so I'm in the process of organising that partay at the mo aswel! Crazy to think it would have been a whole year since we were back home in our beloved Mount Maunganui. We had just seen Oscars mug via ultrasonic waves, Oli chucked a fresh sparkler on my finger, Blake turned 1 and got showered in gifts and in gastro, and we saw all of our loved ones including my favourite Grandpa. Could have been yesterday. A lot can happen in a year, and yet, it can also feel like nothing has changed. Times a funny old thing. It also means this blog is nearly one year old too, stone the flaming crows (as Alf would say), that's a bit of a milestone. Might have to piece together a 1 year specialty! 

That's what's on our plate at the mo anyway folks! Oh, and a spot of wedding planning of course. My current dilemma is I'm really unsure about how to get that golden glow for the big day. Au naturale could turn out pasty, or pink & blistery, and fake tan with orange pits & patchy hands is not an option. Any tips? I refuse to do a Don;

It's nearly Friday!! Hope everyone's having a brilliant week, and if you're reading this Annah, I hope that baby arrives any minute now! 

Gem 

Thought of the day "I'm malting like a dog"

P.p.s Oscar, stop it. 

Week in Pics

Well, We survived day 1 of daycare. Just. Everything went semi smoothly, there were minimal tears, and I didn't hit anybody. I would call that a win. I had written up a daily plan with high hopes of following through with it, like I was running the show. 

Who was I kidding? 

Those kids ran rings around me for 9 hours straight. Yes ma'am, no ma'am, would you like milk with that ma'am? No lunchbreaks, no exercise, and I nearly pee'd myself once from holding on for so long whilst trying to feed everybody. But we had four happy children, and we survived. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to Thursday already though. As much as I love cute kids & earning my own money, I also love my sanity. 

Most of the snaps collected over the last week are corny family ones, I do realise I probably appreciate them a lot more than you will, however, it's all I've got. Without further ado;

Saturday brunch with the tribe. So much teeth. (Notice how breastfeeding is balding me? Brilliant.)

Mon amour 

Avo, feta, lime, coriander mash up with poached egg on rye bread

Sunday morn strolls

Wedding bouquet inspo

I love this pic Oli took yesterday afternoon. Full to the brim with love, and milk. 

Day Spa 

Daycare day #1

Care package courtesy of Ma, I squealed with delight

Pout down pat 

The invites arrived all the way from the Gold Coast, yeooooow! They shall be gracing some letter boxes very shortly! 

And one last pic of Blake for good measure. Apparently Sundays are for stripping off your pants (notice olis in the top corner? Rudey!)

Happy Monday folks,

Gem

Thought of the day "uh oh, I'm feeling slightly clucky"