Mission: Merry Mama - Progress 1

No knickers!!! 
You heard me right, I refuse to buy new knickers, well that is knickers in the next size up.  It’s like admitting defeat.  It’s a good indication it’s time to lose some weight. 

A few weeks ago I shared how overwhelming life had become for me and the fact that I was on a mission to make some changes.   Check my previous posts Whirlwind Mama & 5kg to Christmas

Well in the background I have been working away at making such changes. 

I have certainly taken some well deserved quiet time for myself.  I have got some creative relief from a few craft projects with littlelion which has been fabulous fun as well as maintaining my aim to write daily.  But I have made weight loss a priority goal at the moment.  When I bought home some new knickers in my normal size that I’ve been for at least the last 5 years I was horrified by the fact that they were a little snug.  Yes I might be sporting a little VPL at the moment but I refuse to go up a size and give in to the flab monster. 

From little things big things grow

Recently I posted about being overwhelmed and stuck in a whirlwind of negativity and judgement upon myself.  It made me reevaluate my expectations. I need to make some changes. 

I know I won’t maintain big changes, it’s unrealistic to think that I can, so instead of setting myself up for failure and feeding the procrastination monster so much that nothing changes, I am going to be kind to myself and allow small changes. 

Here are a few goals in mind;

• Read more.  Reading is a great outlet to relax and take time for myself.  So whether it be a book, a magazine or a blog, I want to allocate some time each week to read.
• Learn.  I love to learn, but for now I’m going to learn about a passion not for employment opportunities or because I have to.  So each week I want to find time to learn about something of interest, something topical.   This will give me subjects to read!!!  For now it will be around parenting, blogging, writing, photography, craft. 
• Increased family time.  Aim to improve household systems to provide more harmony and more family time. 
•  More creative time.  Growing up I treasured the times spent with my gran doing craft, it gave me great joy.  I still like to dabble and it is something I want to share with my littlelion.  For now I am really enjoying writing so my aim is to write 100 words a day.  This might be blog, an entry into littlelion's book or just random nattering’s. 
•  Lose some weight.  I need to get more active!  It’s not so much of a vanity concern (although it will definitely make me feel better about myself) but becoming more of a health concern.

5 kilogram to Christmas - Merry Mama

Okay so one of my goals is to drop some kilo's!!!

I have never lost weight!  I have been blessed with good genes, well I was up until the age of 30 and then progressively over the past decade I’ve blossomed into a buxom mama.  So I think I am really going to struggle with this. 

Ideally I should be dropping 10kg, but I need to start small.  So what is greater motivation than Christmas and long hot summer days!!!  I’ve given myself the very realistic challenge of dropping 5kg before Christmas. 

In order to stay motivated I really need to have a clear purpose or I will find it too easy to eat more cake.

Why do I want to lose weight?

Whirlwind Mama

Have you ever felt stuck?  So overwhelmed by life you can’t see the end of the line?  I have!   In my mind I was trying to be the best mama possible, a domestic goddess, a caring wife and to continue the development of my skills to make sure I remain employable in the future. On top of my desires I was dealing with the guilt of not working and not providing financially for my family.  I had worked for the past 25 years and always contributed so it's difficult to become somewhat dependant. 

I wanted a new house, a home that littlelion would have all his childhood memories in and ofcourse all our family memories.

At the same time I had hit a milestone birthday.  However wonderful turning 40 may be it made me reflect and take stock of my existence, where I have been, where I wanted to be and where I am.   And whilst I am very blessed, when you are stuck in that whirlwind you can only see the negative. 

Holy candy cane people

I walked past a sign today in front of a cafe that kindly reminded us all 'only 20 Fridays until Christmas' 

The pelican ate my lunch

As parents of a busy toddler it's easy to allow distance to creep into your relationship, so on this glorious sunny day we took advantage of an afternoon to ourselves.  First on our agenda was a lunch with no interruptions.  On route to our favourite cafe we decided we would grab takeaway and sit along the river.

Our favourite meals in hand we strolled along the rivers edge and the found the perfect sunny position to sit. We had unwrapped our perfect foccacia's and made comment on how peaceful the surroundings were before we noticed a couple and their child hurrying to their car only to expose a pelican waddling towards us.  I'd grown up with pelicans in my backyard and dismissed the approach telling my husband 'don't worry it will just walk around us'.  However we could sense fear in two teenage girls sitting nearby as they screeched 'watch out for the bird'.

my interpretation of crazy eyed pelican

Being a mum....a few things nobody told me....

....becoming a mum has seen many changes to my life, some incredibly fulfilling, some a little harder to accept.  Regardless it really is the most wonderfully, rewarding and exciting role I have ever undertaken.  However just when you think you have it all under control, sleep routine down pat, good systems in place they go through the next development stage and it can all be turned upside down.

I attended the parenting classes offered by the hospital, I kept my reading prior to birth to one book, I wanted to have a more organic, nurturing, make it up as I go approach.