Making Time To Make Me Matter

Like most mothers I am guilty of neglecting my own needs in the pursuit of attaining happiness for others. Up until recently this caused me no concern. In fact I almost relished it. I found my happiness in making sure others were happy.

Only lately something has changed.

Sure I still joy in bringing joy to others but now I am starting to understand the importance of putting my own needs first, at least every now and then. A recent trip to the hairdresser and a few little child free outings have reminded me that there is more to me than just being a mum. Not that mums ever really are just a mum but I am fairly certain you all know what I mean.

If you are a regular reader over at A Parenting Life, (and if you are not you should be that place is awesome) you may have noticed that I have been in the doldrums of late. To say life has been a struggle is an understatement. Some mornings just getting out of bed takes more energy than I can easily find.

Life, if you could really call it that, is some where between tedious and monotonous. In may even be a combination of both with a heap of emptiness thrown in for good measure. I am so busy wallowing around in a cesspool of self pity, trying to keep my head above it all that I can't see the forest for all the trees.

Or perhaps it is the never ending stream of chores that constantly need doing that are blocking my vision to happy. Washing baskets seem to be constantly overflowing, both clean and dirty. I tried putting it on the couch in the hope that would motivate me to get it folded and put away instantly, you know because I wouldn't have anywhere to sit. Then I realised I rarely sat on the couch anyway.

Oh and the dishes, don't even get me started on the dishes...

I am sure you get the point.

All of this has been creating a monster in me. One that I am sad to say has been unleashed a few too many times lately for my liking and one that I wish would just go away. Only deep down I know that I am the only one that can make that happen.

This constant running in circles, yet never getting anywhere has left me drained and exhausted. Life doesn't feel like it was meant to be and it has finally taken it's toll.

The good news is

because there is always

and I am nothing if not full of hope.

So from this day forth I will make sure that I make the time to stop and think of me and my happiness. 

I will actively and purposefully seek out something each and every day that is all about me. Carried out purely for my pleasure and happiness. Be it go for a run, write a blog post, have a coffee, sit quietly and gather my thoughts. What ever! As long as it is something that is only for me and something I want to do.

I will remind myself that being a mum and staying at home is my choice. It is something that I want to do and apart from the last little while, something I have greatly enjoyed for some eleven years. Something that has only stopped being so enjoyable because of my attitude.

For as much as I think I can't control a lot of things, there are so many that I can. In fact most of what happens in my daily life is a direct result of my actions and choices.

Joining in with Jess and the crew for

A hot date and I take being really really ridiculously good looking to a whole new level

Saturday was Mr Awesome's birthday. I was certain that it would provide me with ample opportunity to strut my really really ridiculously good looking self. After all we had lunch booked in with our mothers and while details were sketchy we had a few hours in the evening put aside for a hot date.

Lunch was to be a simple affair down at the local sports club. As a valued member, Mr Awesome, had been sent a $20 voucher to celebrate his special day. We had arranged to meet everyone at 12pm. Naturally at 11.45 we were not even close to being ready to leave so we rang and told everyone to push it back by half an hour. Turns out this suited everyone better anyway.

Even though we were rushing and running late I took the time for a bit of mascara and lippy. Well I coloured my lips in with a lip liner and then rubbed some Vaseline over them for a bit of a shine. That is like lippy isn't it?

Anyway what I didn't do was stop and take a photo of my efforts. Which is a shame because my effort also included wearing a skirt and that doesn't happen every day of the week let me tell you. As we were racing out the door I made some passing remark about how I went to extra effort now in case the whole hot date thing didn't work out. It was almost like my sub conscious could foresee the evening's events.


Cutting a long story short we did manage to make it out. Living life on an edge we randomly decided to catch a bus into the city and go to dinner. Only we didn't exactly leave ourselves enough time to get ready. This resulted in us racing out the door in pretty much the same clothes we wore to lunch except I ditched the skirt in favour of rolled up jeans. Rolled up on account it is to darn hot to wear them otherwise.

Sharing the above photo on my Facebook page Lauren kindly reminded me of what a great opportunity this could be to join in #RRRGL. Or at least it would have been had I not been wearing clothes that I was sure I had already blogged about.

Not wanting to lose an opportunity though I took a few more selfies while waiting for the bus home.

In the first couple I worried my eyes didn't look open. Clearly I then over compensated for that.

Just in case you wanted to see what my rolled up jeans looked like.
Oh and my orange shoes. I love them. Which is lucky because other than sneakers and thongs they are all I have to cover my little feet up with. And to show you that I really had gone all out there is my arm with an extra two bangles on. All out I tell you.

Joining in with all the other really really ridiculously good looking people

Not quite making the mark, but by no means throwing in the towel

So my plans of moving for thirty minutes a day have not gone so well this week. One may even think that for a few days I actually forgot about my commitment to #OperationMOVE with the ever lovely Kate Says Stuff. The main reason why one may think that is because I pretty much did.

How that happened I am not really sure but it did. After I posted on Friday it was like all thought of exercise just left my mind. Mind you it does appear as if my mind is just a little blank at the moment anyway. Two weeks into it and twice I forget to update Kate on how many minutes I have moved for.

Go me hey?

It is not all doom and gloom though. While I may not have been moving as much as I did in the first week I still have managed to kick to a few goals.

Like on Tuesday when according to my groovy little running app, I had and average pace of 5.18/min/km and a distance of 5.83km for a total of 31 minutes. Run Rhianna Run!

Me after realising the awesomeness of run

Halfway through I started to feel more than just a little buggered let me tell you. I put it down to the run the day before plus all the activity I did in the pool, moments before I embarked on my attempt to break my own personal land speed record.

Did I mention that my app tells me I ran the fourth kilometer with an average pace of 3.53min/km?

There is a part of me that keeps thinking that the app must be wrong. There must be a crossed wire or something. But then there is another part of me that thinks these apps don't get that kind of thing wrong. Do they?

If they do please don't tell me. I am really enjoying the more than awesome that I am currently feeling. Or at least I feel until I remember that I haven't done anything since then. Well I have got a heap of housework and cleaning out the way but not much exercise. Not anything that counts as moving anyway.

So what has been my movement for the week?

Well I went for my amazing 31 minute run on Tuesday. This followed a not so amazing 31 minute run on Monday. As well as 20 minute self guided aqua aerobics on both days. For a grand total of 102 minutes. Adding today/s ten minute bike ride and the week is sitting not so pretty at 112 minutes.  Some thirteen minutes shorter than last week.

So as of today my total movement minutes for the month are 250. Out of 930. Man that seems a lot right now. Best I get going I guess.

What about you? 

Are you part of #OperationMove? 

How did you go this week?

Joining in with

Being Really Really Ridiculously Active and Good Looking

Now I am sure #RRRGL regulars may have been wondering where I slipped off to. With the wedding and the road trip blogging has been at a minimal. I had hoped by now that I would have come across some beautiful photos of myself at my sister's wedding. I haven't. In fact I have barely come across any photos of me at all. Good or otherwise. I am starting to wonder if I was even there?

Thankfully he still hasn't seen the photographer's shots so there is still hope. Which means I will post pone that post for at least another week.

Which is not such a bad thing as it means I can share some of the other funky outfits that I have adorned lately. I there were of course occasions when funky outfits adorned my body.

Instead I give to you this

Yep that is me running. In my not favourite running outfit. It was all a spur of the moment thing. Not the running things, I had that planned all day long. The photo thing was a bit spur of the moment. As I was running I came across this beautiful tree. Since there was a track looping around it I thought I would try my hand at photos on the run.

Because you know, isn't that what Bloggers do?

Anyway I had the camera all ready and waiting for me to get back round near the tree and I thought I wonder what I look like while I run? Well wondering I am no more and now neither are you. And yes taking this was not as easy as you would think.

So there is me with my rather awesome Oakley sunnies that Mr Awesome and the kids got me for mother's day. They are so much lighter than my old ones that I am sure I started running faster with them.

The shirt is a K-Mart special and probably four years old. Though it has really only been the last twelve months that have seen it out and about. Rather pleasingly it is somewhat baggier than when I first got it. Though just between you and me that may purely be because the material has stretched as much as I have shrunk.

The tights are again a K-Mart special. We are after all a single income family and how many horror stories do we know of ridiculous amounts of money being forked out for exercise clothes that never get worn. Having said that though I did score a pair of Adidas running tights from A-Mart for $10 and OMG! The difference is certainly noticeable. So much so that now I am a running addict I may just start treating myself with more in that range.

As for the tree? Well. Don't ask. The photo was so dismal and so not anything like a beautiful tree in full bloom that I deleted the moment I looked at it. It is only now that I am thinking I should have shared it here. Nothing like a little laugh at my expense. Next time I promise.

Joining in with the gorgeous Lauren over at 

The Surprise Beginning who is frocking it up for Frocktober

Oh and it's Tuesday and I am blogging check out 

#IBOT @Diary of a SAHM

-fairy wishes and butterfly kisses

Getting back into action

For the whole month of September I sat on the sidelines watching others participating in #OperationMOVE over at Kate Says Stuff. With the wedding and the road trip and all that I just knew there was no point setting myself ridiculous fitness goals while on holidays.

Having said that though I did take my runners with me and what's more I even used them. I then delighted in telling anyone who would listen that I was a runner. Not a very fast runner but a runner nonetheless and that as all that really matters. Sometimes I wonder how even I manage to fit in my own lunchbox

Needless to say I was over the moon when I saw that #OperationMOVE would be continued in October.

While the first week of the month is school holidays I am still going to commit to thirty minutes a day. Which equates to 900 minutes over the month. One of the things I loved most about this concept when Kate first posted about was the way she explained all the different types of movement you could include.

You know playing wiiFit with the kidlets or dancing to some tunes or a who,e range of other fun stuff. This kind of idea is perfect for a non committed easily distracted kind of gal like me.

So with that in mind here is how I have made up my minutes so far

Monday October 1 - 20 minute run with kids on bikes and scooters, 10 minute walk

Tuesday October 2 - 15 minute self guided water aerobics, 15 minutes Dance Party 3, sadly I am not really a co ordinated mover or groover.

Wednesday October 3 - Rode bike 4.5km to park, walked around park and enjoyed free activities for the kids provided by the local council. Rode home via the supermarket (3.7km but not sure how that works dodgy Runkeeper). I did try and time myself but forgot to check my timer upon arrival. Pretty sure we were longer than 30 minutes but that is all I a going to claim. I also tried my little water aerobics routine as well.

Thursday October 4 - 15 minutes running in pool (water between chest to waist), further 20 minutes playing in pool with kidlets, this included a few championship races iykwim

Not a bad overall I guess but I had hoped for a bit more bike riding or running proper in there. With the onset of school next week, combined with the crack of dawn seeming somewhat earlier, I am hoping to introduce some early morning runs. The sudden increase in the day time temperature is also causing me to rethink when I run.

Above all else though I am excited to have cause to again keep fitness in the forefront of my mind. Till next week folks stay happy and healthy!

Signing up for

Why being really really ridiculously good looking matters

Well actually that is not true. Being really really ridiculously good looking is not important. Feeling really really ridiculously good looking however is something else altogether.

In fact that is what really matters.

Feeling really really ridiculously good looking

Since discovering this rather lovely little link up a few months ago I have started to change the way I think and possibly even feel about my appearance. I realised that I rarely felt anything towards my appearance.

Sure it is great to be comfortable with ones self but perhaps it is possible to have to much of a good thing.

Never having been a corporate high flyer or any other professional kind of worker for that matter, I have never had to dress for work as such. In fact the only standard that I have ever really needed to maintain is the one that states when out in public clothing of some description is worn.

Living in a tropical paradise means that everything is relaxed and comfort is the key. Both of which work rather well for me. However, as I am fast discovering with a little thought and effort here and there a relaxed, comfortable feel can still have a bit of flair.

Friday was the school's traditional Father's day breakfast. It also happened that Miss Eleven was performing at assembly. Such an occasion is surely worthy of both a blog post and a little extra omphff on the day?

Well I thought it was, so I made sure I chose something bright and cheery.

The skirt, in case you are wondering, is a handmade original from Monsoons & Mangoes. I used to be able to say a local designer but she recently left the tropical wonderland that is my home for a more southern location.

Due to my poorly emerging photo skills I neglected to capture the rather groovy side pocket. It is a gorgeous blue and just the handiest thing ever. Generally speaking I am a pants gal due to the pocket factor. I am lost without pockets. The novelty of a pocket on a skirt is beyond awesome.

I normally like to wear a blue singlet with this but black won out on Friday due to jelly making that was planned with the year one class that afternoon.

Once again this was a big week for dressing up. Saturday I tried something different by rolling my jeans into 3/4 length. They are quite wide so it works rather well and allows for a bit of extra (and needed) air flow. Adding to the list of reasons as to why I am not a blogger of the year is the fact I forgot to take a photo. I always seem to forget the photo, well apart from the one above that is...

What I don't forget though is that on Tuesday bloggers unite,

So this post not only joins in with Lauren for

but also with the lovely Jess for

Making Time to Look Pretty

On the whole I spend somewhere between little to no time on my appearance. Thankfully for me I pretty much live in hicksville so it doesn't really matter. As long as all the important bits are covered no one really cares what you are wearing. Thanks to the sweltering heat that is present for nearly ninety percent of the year there is also no expectation for make up either. Which is also great because my skills in that department leave a lot to be desired.

Mind you I haven't always been this way.

Well I have on the make up front but there was a time when I would give some thought to how I looked. Back in another life, before children, when I was fresh out of home and high school, I worked in the fashion industry. Well I worked in the only surf shop in a town that had no surf. It also happened to be the only place in the surfless town that you could purchase a whole range of exclusive labels.

Oh how I loved those days. Sure it might not have been high rolling fashion, but it did provide me with the largest wardrobe ever. Some days when the washing had eluded me, or rather I was out partying and neglected to get around to ensuring there were clean clothes for the next day, I would just go to work ten minutes early to allow myself enough time to get a new outfit.

Staff discount and a layby I was able to take home before I had paid it off are certainly some great perks that I sorely miss, even to this day. But I digress. This was not supposed to be a nostalgic walk down memory lane. This is supposed to be are rather awesome post telling you how really really ridiculously good looking I am.

It has been a month or more since I first came across this awesome meme. To start with I didn't think it would be something I could join in with because seriously who wants to look at photos of this week in and week out.

Since that is pretty much all I wear. Simple, comfortable and totally suitable for kid wrangling in warm weather.

Actually sometimes I spice it up with a singlet rather than the T-shirt and lately I have been seen at school of a morning in some running gear as I pretend that is what I am going to do upon completing drop off duties. Sadly my running has stalled a little in recent weeks, apparently just wearing the clothes is not enough. But again I am digressing.

Thankfully a few weeks after I discovered this link up I had a hen's night and a wedding to attend. A reason (or two) to actually get dressed up and dust off the lippy. All with the added bonus of getting to blog about it.

Since then however my social calendar that requires my 'special' or non everyday clothes as been somewhat blank. The few occasions I have gone to any extra effort I was wearing the same clothes as I first posted about...oh for my younger surf shop working days with endless choices.

Last week however something happened. Breaking from the traditional mundane that some weeks can be I spiced it up with a lunch date in the city with a friend. An adults only lunch date actually. Taking full advantage of this great blogging opportunity I thought I would dress myself up a bit.

Now I just need to work on my selfie photo taking skills!

This highly fashionable post joins in not just with The Surprise Beginning but since it has taken nearly all night to write and it is now the very early hours of Tuesday it gets to link up with Diary of a SAHM for her rather awesome meme