Happy heart, happy body!

Yesterday I finally got around to visiting Edgar's Mission. It's a farm sanctuary here in Victoria and I have been meaning to visit for a good year now but had never gotten around to it. I decided to take the kids to their carols by barn light event. As it turned out my poor fair children were wilting in the extreme heat after barely 2 hours and we ended up leaving before the carols even began! A shame, but we filled the time we did have there so well. There was loads of vegan food (kids devoured vegan brownies and vegan ice cream), hundreds of likeminded people (several with the 269 tattoo), and happy, trusting, secure animals. I dont think I've ever enjoyed something more. So wonderful!!! The kids enjoyed it, petting the animals and there was an education room where they had a pretend sow in a sow stall and pretend chickens in a crammed cage and I was able to explain it to the kids. I hope it gets them thinking. I said to them when they were petting a turkey, THIS, THIS is why we are not having turkey for Xmas this year kiddos.
There were a few stalls set up too with merchandise and whatnot. I grabbed a great book from the store there as well called The Pig Who Sang to the Moon by Jeffrey Masson. I've heard a lot about this book so I am looking forward to reading it now. I feel inspired after this visit. There's something incredibly special about seeing the animals you've been wanting to save by going vegan up close and personal. It reaffirms your beliefs, and strengthens your commitment. Makes me want to do more and be more, and has me writing again. Blessings! Below is the article I wrote after interviewing Pam for World Vegan Day.

Edgar’s Mission is a not-for-profit farm sanctuary for rescued farm animals. Located in country Victoria, Pam Ahern and Edgar’s Mission are continually saving lives, conducting public outreach and offering a humane education program to the public.

In an ideal world, Pam hopes to see herself out of business, with no need for a place like Edgar’s Mission to exist. A world where the need for a farm sanctuary is no longer, where humans have moved into a deeper awareness of animal rights and cruelty free lifestyles. Pam works flat out, trying to meet the demands not only of the animals, but also in making rescues, campaigning and spreading the word, not to mention administrative tasks.

Pam suggests that a growing vegan market and awareness of a cruelty free lifestyle is much attributed to technology and the ease with which people can access information about vegan lifestyle choices. Additionally, “the threat of global warming has started a shift in people’s attitudes.  People are beginning to be open to the idea that the status quo isn’t appropriate anymore.  They understand that it is imperative to consider the environmental and ethical impact of the choices they make.”

The Edgar’s Mission website http://www.edgarsmission.org.au/ offers many ideas for the public to help the animals at Edgar’s Mission, from adoption, to donation, to volunteering for a day of hands on farming. There is also an online store offering everything from clothing to books and bags. 100% of the store’s proceeds go back into the farm and it’s animal residents.

Edgar’s Mission offers a unique visiting experience for volunteers and for vegans, it’s exciting to see first hand exactly what they dream of – a kind, happy, animal farm. By stopping by their stall at World Vegan Day, you can meet for yourself one of Edgar’s Mission’s joyful, content, animal ambassadors! 

A very vegan Christmas?

This year will be my first meatless Christmas. I'm determined to make it 100% vegan but that becomes increasingly difficult when you're planning a family lunch with all omnivores. So what do I do? I mean, it's their Christmas too and they're looking forward to a great Christmas feast. Including dead animal flesh.

So do I make my own food and let them prepare what they want, knowing only I will eat the vegan stuff? Do I insist on making at least some parts vegan only - surely they can accept vegan plum pudding? Do I skip traditional food and aim for lots of salads and appetizers instead of a great nut roast and hope that pleases?

I don't really know how to handle this. And it's the first of many. Anyone got ideas or experiences with this?

Post Christmas Sales. Or not.

I have an addiction. I am seriously contemplating if after weight loss surgery, I may have replaced comfort eating with comfort shopping. I am unstoppable. It's not a problem as such, I only spend what I can afford, but they're certainly not needs...

Anyhoo, enough justification and concern. The bottom line is, FUN. I have shopped my limit in the post Xmas sales (already, it's only 2 days after Xmas!) I thought I'd show you goodies, a purchase shared is a purchase even more enjoyed, after all.  ;)

First up, I ordered Richard Dawkins new graphic book, The Magic Of Reality. This one is one for the whole family. Finn has endless questions about this sort of thing, and I can't rattle off answers as much as I'd like to! I know I will enjoy it as well, and so will J. Miss RJ has a few years yet ;)

I also grabbed a cheap paperback copy of the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy. A friend loaned me the first book, and I immediately raced out and grabbed the other 2 because I couldn't put them down. Now that the movie is out in March, I want to reread the book beforehand, so I needed my own copy to go with the other 2.

Next up, Kikki-K has a great sale going. I bought their family calendar, along with some stickers for it and a pen to go with. I love that I can allocate each of our names to a column for every date and schedule our activities in individually. Then at a glance see who has what and when. Perfect.

Then I browsed Myers online sale. I found some awesome stuff and snapped them up. A new dinner set which was 50% off so I got 2.

Then, a new sunhat I needed desperately, and a beautiful bracelet. I can see that bracelet matched with my little black dress and a night on the town. It's stunning!

Finally, I spent up at Mimco. A hair clip, and I splurged on non sale items I have wanted FOREVER. A new handbag and wallet. BUTTON LOVE!

Phew! Credit card is now on ice, and I am on a spenders high. Ahh Boxing Day sales, you are lovely.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

And so this is Christmas, and what have you done...
Another year over... A new one just begun.

Or, almost. Merry Christmas, friends. Talk about a time for reflection. Moreso than at any other time of the year, we seem to reflect on where we are at around Christmas and the end of the year. I have a lot to think about this year. My heart, my mind and my body have all been through the ringer this year. It has been a real challenge. It was not an easy year, but I feel really excited about the future. Ever since my op, I desperately wanted to make it to Christmas Day. I was so scared I'd have a complication and not be here for it. To have made it through is a massive relief and exciting for me. I was there for RJs birthday, Finns end of school year celebrations, and Christmas. Phew.

For Christmas, Finn asked that we stay home for the day, rather than go and see family and we agreed. It was the best decision, it really was. For the family, and for me personally. We spent Christmas Eve with my family, and it was fun - but hot and tiring. Christmas Day was spent with the kids playing with their toys, eating yummy (and sparse!) food and enjoying time together. That and Wii Sing It Downunder. LOVE.

2012 is going to be an interesting year. I go into it having lost 17kg since October, and I feel great. I still have some niggles that need to settle, but my adventure is beginning. I am curious to see where I am this time next year. I hope I can fit another overseas trip in, and I want to write (though my PhD proposal was rejected for the marks I got when RJ was newborn and Mum was having chemo for cancer, bit unfair but such is life!) If New Years Eve came, and we started 2011 over, would you do the same things again? I have to say that most of it, I would. I'd sure as hell still see NYC! I'd still have this operation. I'd still have worked madly on getting my head straight.

I am grateful for so much.

I am grateful for amazing friends who always have my back, who love me unconditionally, and who support and encourage me every single day. I am grateful for my beautiful children who are healthy, happy, and who want for nothing. They are creative, funny, and smart and so loving. I am grateful for my health, and for knowing it will keep improving as I shed kilos. I am grateful for my family, their support and love. I have so much hope for the future, I have spent a lot of this year thinking about happiness, how t get more, how to be more content and I feel like it is working. I still have my battles to fight, don't we all? But I have come a long way and I know I can keep learning and improving in the years to come. Thats what life is all about. :)

Merry Christmas, and a happy 2012 to you and yours xx

Secret Santa Happiness!

So my adorable friend, Chantelle, over at Fat Mum Slim, organised a huge secret santa for bloggers, mostly here in Australia. It was a mammoth undertaking and one she pulled off with her usual style and flair. I was assigned the delightful Peggy from Cake, Crumbs and Beach Sand. We hit it off instantly over twitter, and I admired her blog and tuned in regularly. In a stroke of funny fate, we were assigned one another as Secret Santa partners. It was a lot of fun, I loved reading Peggy's blog and finding a gift that would mean something to her personally. I won't say here what that gift was, because whilst she has received my package, she's saving it up for Christmas Day to open.

I have no such willpower. My package from Peggy was barely in the door before I was ripping into it. Look how beautifully she wrapped it! A gift in itself, the wrapping!

And boy did she stalk me well. She read of my knee high sock fetish, and she gave me a gorgeous pair, she also read how I adore elephants, and I love love love the statue she put in for me - trunks up! And look at the gorgeous cylinder of pencils! I can't wait to create something lovely with them, I'm going to use them for my gratitude journal. She also sent me a copy of her eBook which is a brilliant self love guide for working mums - go grab yourself a copy, you won't regret it AND until Friday, 50% of all her sales are going to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal. So worthy and you get a brill read at the same time. Win Win!

Thank you Telle and Peggy for making my Christmas so much more joyful. I feel really lucky to have made a new friend in the process, the best gift of all!

The true meaning of Christmas

Every year, at this time, I try to find something that means something to me, and a way to make a difference to someone whose Christmas is not as magical and blessed as my own.

Last year, we helped out a family who were struggling to find money to feed and buy any gifts for their children. The year before, we sponsored a child through World Vision.

This year, I was really affected by the story of Kristie and Avery. On July 14 2011, Avery was stillborn. The grief that Kristie continues to experience, the unimaginable pain she has endured this year, broke my heart. I don't know Kristie, I know only what I read, but it takes a special person to reach out, in the midst of their pain and offer a suggestion on how to make things better. This post does just that. And it was that post that inspired me, and showed me who I wanted to make my charitable donation to this Christmas.

I had read about the organisation, Heartfelt, before, and always admired the powerful work they do. Heartfelt is a volunteer staffed photographic company, that give the gift of photographic memories to families that have experienced stillbirths, premature and ill infants and children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of their local hospitals, as well as children with serious and terminal illnesses. Heartfelt is dedicated to providing this gift to families in a caring, compassionate and heartfelt manner. You can read more about their work on their website, but you can imagine that when you are going through this, you aren't thinking about creating memories, you aren't thinking about that moment down the track when you think "I wish I had gotten a photo..." But these people are. The cost of a session is only $40. That's such a small amount for something that means SO much. You can donate here.

I had not, however, read about Little Angel Memory Boxes before. These are beautiful ways to honor the loss of a baby, and to create a memorial for the families in grief. Each Memory Box includes:
*Teddy
*Memorial Seeds
*Candle
*Knitted blanket or Baby Wrap
*LAMB Keepsake Journal- which includes space for parents to record some of their child most precious memories, including hand and foot prints, photos, poems, hospital cards and other special memories.
*Information about creating those final precious moments.

Their service does not stop there, though. They offer a firm support network, to people grieving the loss of a child. Again, one of these boxes is worth just $40. I think that looking at the candle, planting some seeds in your lost childs memory, and recording your thoughts in a journal for some kind of therapy, some desperate way to make sense of chaos, would be worth so much more to someone experiencing this. You can donate to LAMB here.

I am really grateful, that I have never had to experience anything as wrenching as the loss of a child, I cannot even imagine it, I don't ever want to have to. I am so lucky to be excited for Christmas, with 2 healthy, beautiful children, and only good memories. I hope that my small offering is enough to help someone out, it won't be much, but it's the least I can do.

Merry Christmas.

48 sleeps?

I know, Christmas again.

I am adding to my must buy list for kids. I have a 5 year old niece, I got her some of these Lalaloopsy dolls. They're pretty cute and quite popular at the mo from what I can gather. I got a few of the mini ones, you can get ragdoll sized ones too.



My 4 year old nephew got this cute Lightning McQueen racing suit. He's Cars mad so it should go down a treat, I'm hoping!

I also had a set of twins and another 3 and 4 year old to buy for, but since their Mama and Papa may read this entry, I'll have to keep hush on those ones!

Also, I found the most amazing bargain for RJ. Check THIS out!! Win!

Christmas Shopping Part 2

So last post I gave you a guide for a 3 year old and an 8 year old. I'd do an almost 34 year olds list, but you can just head to Tiffany & Co. and we'll call it good.

I found this place this morning and I love love love it. I ordered a gift for Finns teacher, a gift for my folks and a gift for myself from it. The store is called Mad About Christmas and it does the sweetest personalised Xmas decorations. They are adorable! They have gifts for teachers, grandparents, and Christmas aside they also do graduation and new baby etc gifts. I'm yet to receive my order obviously, but I will be sure to let you know what I think when I do.



I also shopped up a bit of a storm at The Christmas Warehouse, where they have a pretty awesome range of decorations and stuff. If I had a money tree, I'd have gotten some cool outdoor decorations this year. How festive I am.



Anyhoo, you can contact me directly about how to get that Tiffany order to me ;) Happy shopping!

Top Ten Xmas Gifts 2011

So Christmas is only 52 sleeps away, and the panic has begun. WHAT DO WE BUY THE CHILDREN!?!?!? Yeah, I dunno either. I decided to compile a list to help other frustrated parents. Except, I couldn't be arsed covering every age group. It'd take me forever, and I don't wanna. So below I have my top ten picks for Christmas presents for 3 year old girls, and for 8 year old boys.
Seriously, other than these 2 ages I have no idea. Wait, including these I have no idea. But I like the look of this lot, and I reckon my 2 would love any one of these (or, all of them, if their over-spender father gets his way...)

Three Year Old Girl Top Ten Xmas Gifts 2011

A doll. But not just any doll, these are gorgeous Aussie made dolls, really pretty (read: not skanky) and with cute outfits you can buy as added extras. Super cute!

Sand and water play. What kid doesn't like sand and water??

Zhu zhu pets. Now, I can't work these things out. They're weird. But man are they popular!!!

Kitchen... I know, I know, it's stereotypical crap. To be fair, the 8yo boy got a wooden kitchen for his birthday, so I am not stereotypical. Again, any kid loves this sort of role play. You can get plastic food sets super cheap to go with, too.

Leapfrog learning system. My girl loved a little version of this we found once, was just a pen that traced shapes and numbers so I reckon she would love one with stories. You can get them for all kinds of ages, and with all the popular characters.

Dress ups. Another one for lots of ages and both genders. my two have boxes and boxes of dress ups they have accrued over the years. They are one thing that never seems to grow old. They're constantly using them for games, fun, parties etc. Always a winner in my book.

Horse and Carriage - I had something like this as a kid. I reckon any little girl would go nuts for it. So cute!

Craft. Painting easels, packs of miscellaneous crafty bits and pieces, beads... You name it, they'll use it.

Jewellery box. Every wee Princess needs a vanity table with costume jewellery. And every collection of jewels needs a box to keep them in. Personally, I am a sucker for the ones that you open and they have the dancing ballerina in them. Just precious!

Milkshake Maker. This one might be specific to my girl. She freaking loves her milk, especially pink milk. She would LOVE one of these cute milkshake makers. Naww!




Top ten Christmas gifts for 8 year old boys 2011.

Chocolate moulds. Aside from the fact that it is about chocolate (lets face it, even we might steal this one), so many kids are wannabe Willy Wonka's. This little kit has all kinds of fun to it.

Anything NERF. We have at least 5 different kinds of nerf gun in this house. Including one that would put Rambo to shame. I hate the things, myself. I hide when they come out, but the boy loves them.

Anything magic. Finn loooooves magic tricks. Books, hats, wands, kits... All of it. Putting on a magic show at home, at school, for grandma and grandpa - winning.

Nintendo DS. Whether its old school or the new shmancy 3D version, these are brilliant. Finn uses his endlessly, not always using games, but the photos and voice effects keep him amused for ages.

Spykee the Robot. Okay so mine has this already too. I fail at this. But, aside from it needing an adult to put it together, this is awesome. You watch it on a computer screen and drive it about remotely. You can get smaller versions of him that might be easier for kids to put together themselves, too.

Books! Every kid needs books, you can never give or get too many. Great ranges for this age include Zac Power, Captain Underpants, The Undy's, and Diary Of A Wimpy Kid.

Popcorn Maker. Or Donut Maker. Back on the food theme, kids like cooking. Kids like yummy food. So combine them!

Electric Scooter. These are cool, and being electric, no skill in riding and steering and concentrating is required. Throw on a helmet and steer. That's it. I think I want one...

Solar System Mobile Kit. This is pretty cool. What is it about boys and space anyway? Let them get some smarts about space and have fun at the same time.

iPod Touch. Along the lines of the DS, but this keeps the kids off mum and dads iPhones and iPads. No phone element, so no carrier needed, but they can still play all the fun (and occasionally educational) apps and games they love.



So, there you go. I just did your Christmas shopping for you. Assuming you have a 3 year old girl and an 8 year old boy. Otherwise, get shopping yourself. :D

ooooh!

Something I have just realised - the year Finn was born, we bought a fairly large xmas stocking - a felt one with patchwork type prints on it. I said to J at the time, we ought to buy 2, because we will need another soon (pfft, HA!) and this way they will match and won't be impossible to find!

I held onto that bloody thing for a good 4 years+ and came across it today in the garage. I almost burst into tears. I can finally use it!!!!!! I cannot believe I had it all this time, hoping, and that it will actually be used this year. Oh, my, god. Very special!

Happy New Year!

How hard does he rock?!!?

So, welcome to 2008, huh? Our NYE was very quiet, I slept through midnight. I am indeed, old and staid. I blame Finn's arrival, since that, NYE is just another night. Before that, I swear I was a party animal. Sort of. Party sloth? 2007 was a good year, a turning point for us, and I anticipate 08 being good to us too, its time. I can feel it!

Christmas was good, again fairly quiet. Watching Finn open his presents was awesome, he was pretty impressed and reacted well this year. When the sheet was thrown back from the drumkit, he got all teary: "It's exactly what I asked for!!" Bless! He was spoiled mad rotten, so much stuff. Need to sort through his toys again and pass some on, give some away etc. And tidy up his room. Its a shambles! J is making him a new storage cube which will help, I hope!

We spent boxing day driving down the Great Ocean Road to Airey's Inlet, where we camped a couple of nights. First night SUCKED. I knew we were in trouble when the 5 guys 2 sites over arrived with no fewer than 5 slabs and 5 bottles of bourbon. And yes, til 4am they yelled, sang, carried on generally. And yes, this brave (stupid?) woman that I am went over TWICE, alone, to tell them to STFU (politely). It worked for 5 minutes each time, but of course when one is drunk, one forgets fast.. A complaint the next day to reception worked and second night was blissfully peaceful. Finn had a ball at the beach and the pool etc.. We saw the Split Point Lighthouse and generally just relaxed. It was good, and needed. I suspect Finns highlight (aside from his first experience at a urinal as opposed to a loo: "Ooh a waterfall, can I touch it?!" NOOOOO!) was the friend he made at the caravan park playground. Maeve was a fair haired, sweet little girl a year older than Finn. She took him under her wing and they had a lovely time playing together. Chasey, Mums and Dads (innocently in a make-believe car trip to QLD all buckled in with doll and teddy babies) and general play... was so cute to watch!



I don't think I would rush back to camping. I enjoyed it, but we were lucky with weather, a beautiful 22-23 degrees. But, if hotter, there is no escape from the sun and if colder, you're trapped in a tent. Noisy in a park, but no amenities if not... I don't know. It was okay...

So J goes back to work on Thursday :( And Finn is not back at school until 4 or 5 Feb so he and I best get some plans made to stop us sending each other loco! He did get some cool learn to read books and stuff for xmas that we can use to keep his brain active which is good. I have started my writing project for next year, very excited about it! Just need some time to actually write it. We have had 5 days of 30+ temps here now, yesterday was 42! And it only got down to 27 overnight, so thats taking a toll at the moment. Cabin fever as we hide from heat, and tired and cranky: lots of fun as you can imagine. No respite for another week yet either, I hate summer!

To Santa, or not to Santa?

I was just reading this blog entry by the hilarious Alice Bradley (of finslippy) and I was thinking about the whole conundrum parents face in the Santa fable.

As a child, I remember Christmas as utterly magical. The dull glow of the colored lights on the tree, the anticipation, and the indescribable leap of my heart when I'd see my stocking - limp and forlorn the night before, now misshapen and bursting with untold delights. Diving into it, til my entire head was buried within, squealing in delight with each new discovery. As an adult, Mum has told me how she spent literally all year collecting bits and pieces for our pillow-case sized stockings and would slowly build up a stash of quirky, cheap, yet novel items.

When Finn was a baby, J and I discussed our stance and decided that we would go ahead with the Santa tale, but perhaps only make the present he delivered a small thing, and the main things from us. This way, we felt, when the truth was revealed, it would not be so disappointing, or such a big deal.

It doesn't seem to be happening that way the last 2 years, though. Santa keeps bringing a kick arse present! I wanted to recreate the magic for Finn, that I felt as a kid. That has made Christmas eve remain my favourite day/night of the entire year, in fact, I still regret not marrying that day though it would have been a logistical nightmare for our guests!

I guess I feel that children have that innocence and purity for such a short time, they truly believe in real magic for what is really the blink of an eye, that I don't want to be the one to take that away early. I want to indulge it, stretch it out and enjoy it myself, too, as a parent.

Finn enjoys the Santa idea, he is a little annoyed he cannot seem to catch sight of the elves that I see monitoring his behaviour (especially when he is having a tanty - yes I unashamedly I use bribery as well as 'lie' about Santa's existence, I really am going to hell); but he is not totally caught up in Santa - or even Christmas for that matter. He is excited, but I suspect he would be the same kind of excited with or without the Santa concept.

I understand some parents feel it is 'lying' to the child and so tell them the truth. Some of these kids blurt it and ruin it for others, some manage not to. But what DOES get my goat a bit, is when the parents try to limit these instances of blurted thoughtlessness by telling their children it is 'an idea that some like to believe is real.' I feel patronised by that. It irritates me. I understand the intentions are well placed, but it just feels like these kids are being told some children are slow and like to be a bit silly... Perhaps its just me.

We all like to do what we feel is right and best for our children, and so I don't like to judge others for their decision on the Santa thing, but I dislike that attitude towards those of us who DO decide to perpetuate it.

Anyway, I have presents to wrap, and biscuits to bake with Finn so that we can leave some out for Santa to devour tomorrow night. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Tis the season...

... To be unwell. I got a cold 2 weeks ago, came on from the grief/stress of the failed IVF; as it started to ease, Finn hurt his arm and I got all stressed out about that and I ended up with a cough/chest infection as well. So its been 2 weeks of fairly heavy sickness. Have truly had enough, very very over it. Finn had xrays and such but was nothing serious in the end, just a strain of some sort and after a week it has returned to normal and he is using it again. Poor bugger had his vaccinations as well and has contracted my cough and cold, so hes had a tough time as well. Its been intense!

Getting ourselves ready for xmas, Finn wrote to Santa last week and asked for a drum kit. Santa, silly old fool that he is, has decided to grant the wish. Crazy! Still have a stocking to fill, and need to decide what he gets from his parents - minor thing. How many days have I got again? 18? Best get organised.

J and I are getting one another a ticket to Frank Woodleys new solo show next year. Not sure what else I will get him... His birthday is this week and I have his presents bought but now need to get paper to wrap them, card, something from finn etc. Would help if I was 100%, but it all feels like a super effort at the moment being this sick.

Finn and I are off to see The Wiggles next week. WAAAAY back at the start of this blog I wrote how I got tickets for us and my brother and niece. For some reason at the time, I was sad about our crap seats so bought 2 good seats as well, just from sheer frustration. I must have known something because brother bailed last week and I had to sell the 4 together (not quite making the money back :( ) - thank god I hung on to the 2 second row seats or I would have been really pissed off. We have gone the last 2 years and had front or second row as well, Finn loves it. Hes so wiggle mad. He is 4 now, so I think our wiggling years are not far from over, so best make the most of it!! It is always hectic though, so not looking forward to that part.

Looking forward to camping over xmas/new year down at Aireys Inlet. Need the getaway! Having fun buying new gear as well, its fun. I think the boys are having a test run in the backyard tonight, means I get the house to myself.. bliss!