threelilprincesses.com

Author: Kellie O’Brien

  • The difference a year can make

    The difference a year can make

    girl with clip

    Where were you 12 months ago? The Bloke in the Shed and I were doing this excruciating 6km community walk the other day – excruciating for me; a leisurely stroll for him – when he piped up with: “I couldn’t have done this a year ago?’’.

    He’s right. He would have been struggling to complete it, if it wasn’t for taking on a personal trainer 18 months ago and having dropped a significant amount of weight. He now does 10-12km runs every night – without breaking a sweat. I know. Makes you sick, doesn’t it?

    Janelle, his trainer, is a huge motivator for him. She’s lost 90kg (that’s two of me) and is a totally different person to who she was a few years ago. She’s also a mum. Like Julian, her kids become the catalyst to get healthy.

    girl with cheeky smile

    It’s made me think about how far I’ve come in 12 months (which might be interesting to look back on in another year). Here are some of the things I was struggling with then:

    THEN: I swore I was going to turn into ol’ black eyes rocker Jon English from the effects of sleep deprivation and, like Jon English, it would last forever. I was still getting up at least once during the night – on a good night.
    NOW: I’m like a frizzy-mopped child getting their hair brushed if one of the girls wakes before 6.30am. It’s strictly non-stop 7pm to 7am sleep here now.

    THEN: Managing two to three business clients on my own and dreaming one day I’d be drinking pina colada’s from my private island home (ah, too many Richard Branson books, maybe). At one point, maybe six months ago, I contemplated shutting the business down.
    NOW: I’m writing a book, have two exceptional team members on board the business, a list of super talented clients, doing public speaking/sessions on blogging and social media, gaining media attention and more exciting opportunities coming up in the near future. Still working on the island though…

    THEN: Holly was about to turn one and was totally dependent on me – still couldn’t walk, unable to really communicate what she wanted and I was having to feed two mouths at once at meal times.
    NOW: Holly is about to turn two and can walk; never stops talking (and singing the full lyrics to High School Musical); does dance concerts with her sister in the lounge room; has developed an incredibly cheeky personality, complete with selective hearing; can feed herself; is starting to toilet train; and has a strong group of little friends she’s close to. Best of all, her and Ella are now able to play properly together, leaving me in peace to unpack the dishwasher.

    THEN: Blogging every day, struggling to come up with unique topics, putting an incredible amount of pressure on myself and watching my stats like my life depended on it. Apparently, it doesn’t. Phew for that!
    NOW: I blog 2-3 times a week – either when I feel like writing or have something to say. OK, so let’s be honest, I just don’t have the time for daily blogging anymore (says she who’s doing a #BlogFor30 challenge on her other blog). I rarely look at my stats but, when I do, it seems this space is continually growing without any great effort. I also seem to be falling into collaborative opportunities, including with the recent Mum Blogging Masterclass and now via a group of bloggers I’ve long admired who work together to help each other – and our readers.

    It’s amazing the difference a year can make. Imagine what another 12 months will bring. Let’s hope it’s: getting fitter and healthier (time to curb the chocolate habit), finding a better work/life balance (some days are harder than others) and having an updated wardrobe (seriously, there’s only so much white, cream and pink one person should legally have).

    Where were you 12 months ago? Where do you want to be in 12 months? Are you actively working towards it?

  • #MumBlog: Join the free Mum Blogging MasterClass

    Join us as Three Li’l Princesses, the University of Tasmania Cradle Coast Campus and ConnectPink host the Mum Blogging Masterclass on Monday from 2-4.30pm. It’s a chance for those of you who want to learn about how to start a blog and connect on social media to gain some tools to get you started. In the second session, there’ll also be service providers on hand to discuss how, once you’re online, you can connect with relevant services.

    Simply click on the link below at 2pm on Monday and join the conversation (we welcome any questions you have from home). Feel free to come and go as you please. We’re all mums, so we understand that children come first.

    If you have an iPhone you can also download a free app to use with the blog at the iPhone app store or on www.coveritlive.com

    If you would like to learn more about blogging after the session, be sure to follow the blogging series happening on Mum PR at the moment.

  • Aussie Giveaway Linkup #65: Father’s Day edition

    Aussie Giveaway Linkup #65: Father’s Day edition

    Father's Day

    You know I can’t get through today’s post without mentioning Father’s Day, so here we go on some winning lines from the week:

    • Ella had the Father’s Day stall at school during the week. I mentioned to her how he’d love some of the Collingwood items I’d spotted earlier in a bid to help her spend her $10 wisely. After school, I asked her what she’d finally bought. “A lovely tea cup. It’s really beautiful.’’ Coffee drinking Dad will love that one today.
    • And yes, that’s floral paper wrapped around his present in the photo. It was either that or Christmas wrapping.
    • If you’d like to learn more about blogging and social media, make sure to take part in the Mum Blogging Masterclass tomorrow from 2-4.30pm. If you’re in Tassie, get along to the University of Tasmania Cradle Coast Campus or if you’re stuck at home or interstate, visit the Mum Blogging MasterClass live blog. Note: if you visit the link now, you can insert your email address and it will send you an email reminder tomorrow (Monday). And yes, this point had nothing to do with fathers.

    What are you up to on this Father’s Day? Do you have anything special planned?

    OK, onto some other wins. Just click on the links below to start entering some fab Aussie giveaways.

    If you’re a blogger or business wanting to take part in the Aussie Giveaway Linkup:
    1. Only link directly to the giveaway post/s and include the prize and end date in the linky tool below. Link each giveaway separately. If you need to delete it, hover over your link, wait until the red “x’’ appears and click.
    2. Giveaways must be open to Australian residents and be run by Australian-based bloggers or businesses.
    3. Grab the button below to add to your post.
    4. A new list is added each Sunday so bloggers need to add their links weekly.
    5. Start entering the giveaways! Entry is at your own risk. We do not take responsibility for unfulfilled prizes or a blogger/business not abiding by their own terms and conditions.

     



    Aussie Giveaway Linky
    Hosted by Three Lil Princesses



  • What Dolly Parton taught me about blogging

    What Dolly Parton taught me about blogging

    At 7.20am I’m speaking about the Mum Blogging Masterclass on ABC Radio, so I thought it fitting I have a post on blogging today. I wanted it to be of mammoth proportions and, really, how could you go past blogging lessons from the Queen of Country, busty blonde Dolly Parton.

    Not that Dolly is a blogger. I know. I Googled. She does have a community blog, but I didn’t learn anything other than what it takes to create a good Dolly Parton collection. Frightening stuff.

    Dolly Parton

    What Miss Parton has taught me is this lesson:

    “Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, scare the hell out of ‘em and then go home’’.   Click to tweet

    Basically, what I’m saying is: “be entertaining”. I’ve tried to adopt this mantra into the blog. I’m not sure I’ve always succeeded though. Especially during those horrid sleep-deprived months when I couldn’t differentiate between what I posted on the blog and what happened in my dreams. There was a scary moment once when I thought I’d posted a 1000-word spiel on my love for Australian cricketer Mark Waugh. Seriously, I don’t want to be admitting that sort of thing in public.

    I do hope that over the past few years I have occasionally:

    Made you laugh: When life goes bottoms up
    Made you cry: A father’s tears
    And scared the hell out of you: Read this and you will never speed again

    I often wonder if we’re moving mountains on this li’l blog with educating, entertaining and informing you about some elements of parenting – or at least how to make pretty birthday cakes. If we’re not, then I’ll just leave the mountain moving to Dolly, who’s doing a darn fine job of it on a daily basis – and I’m sure her back is paying for it too (I know, you saw that one coming, right?).

    Do you have a blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that’s made you laugh, cry or scared the hell out of you? Feel free to share.

  • How do you toilet train a toddler? (potty training)

    How do you toilet train a toddler? (potty training)

    Dora toilet seat

    Potty training sends some people… well, a little potty. When we toilet trained Princess Ella just before her second birthday it took all of a week and she was trained. So you can imagine I have these incredibly unrealistic expectations for Li’l Holly, who has started repeating the words “nappies are yuck” and pulling her nappy off to do a nudie run up the hallway at every opportunity.

    The real challenge is she doesn’t like the turtle potty and only wants the “big girl toilet”. This means it’s hard to tell if she’s actually done a wee on there yet. She has made some lovely facial expressions though as if she’s squeezing something out. She is also highly fascinated with wiping her own bottom, even though she hasn’t done anything.

    So, how are we going to tackle this one?

    • Dress her in big girl pants when she’s around the house so she can literally see when she’s done a wee. Then take her to the toilet straight after and give her praise.
    • Dress her in training nappy pants when out so she can feel she’s done a wee, but not make a mess in public.
    • Put her in proper nappies of a night till she starts to have dry night nappies (although, she’s already having dry night nappies – but I’m not taking any chances).
    • Keep up the praise around her asking to go to the toilet. I’ll buy her a unicorn when she finally does that first wee on the loo, I swear.
    • Taking the fold-up Dora potty seat in my handbag with us everywhere.

    fold up Dora toilet seat

    When we went hard with this strategy for Ella we had wee spots everywhere for three or four days. Then nothing. Sure, there was still the odd accident – and the smell of urine in the air for weeks afterwards until we got the carpet cleaner in.

    I will be honest and say that No. 2s were a whole other story. That did take a while. One of the tips we were given by a child carer was to sit her on the potty and read her a book. Surpringly, this worked. Whether it was allowing her to relax or just simply slowed her down to give her time to “do her business”, I don’t know. But I’ll be adopting that method again, complete with an appropriately titled Pooh Bear book.

    What are your toilet training tips or favourite toilet training products?

     

  • Come join the Mum Blogging Masterclass

    Come join the Mum Blogging Masterclass

    I can finally let the cat out of the bag…

    This li’l ol’ blog is playing a part in hosting the Mum Blogging Masterclass next Monday from 2pm to 4.30pm.

    Mum Blogging Masterclass

    It doesn’t matter whether you can get to the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus in Burnie on Monday or not, because we’ll be live blogging from the event right here on Three Li’l Princesses and UTas will be tweeting from its account @UTASCradleCoast.

    Here’s how the afternoon will pan out:

    2.15‐3.00pm: A session from myself and and ConectPink Editor Angela Carey on how blogging, Twitter and ConnectPink can act as a catalyst for social inclusion through the creation of social networks.

    It’s an opportunity for those who struggle with BookFace and Tweeter to experience firsthand the benefits of blogging and social media. It’s about assisting those mums who find themselves staying at home most days on how to better communicate with the outside world. As mums, we all have a limit on how many times a toddler can ask you the groundbreaking question: “but why?”.

    As I have said before, it takes a village to raise a child. Problem is, nowadays we barely know our own neighbours and our parents are working later into life. Those networks we once relied on aren’t there. This is where blogging, Facebook and Twitter have enabled mums to feel reconnected and supported. They no longer feel a sense of isolation and loneliness. Especially when bub is crying at 2am and you don’t know what the heck to do – there is nearly always someone in the same situation online eager to help. The neighbours are generally not quite as nice at 2am!

    It can also be an avenue to professional support, educational opportunities, stepping back into the workforce or even starting your own business (and yes, I am proof of that).

    3 – 3.30pm: Afternoon tea break ‐ mingle, chat and relax. Well, I probably won’t be!

    3.30 – 4.30pm: A “chat room” on education and training opportunities, child and maternal health and access to government services. This will be a roundtable style discussion on the need for people to get professional advice and not just `‘rely on the internet’’. Do NOT Google what that small lump on your toe is. Trust me! Eight community service providers and the all-female Tasmanian ALP Senate team are confirmed to attend to provide insights into these three areas.

    That’s right, you have direct access to all these people to ask questions and put forward ideas on things that matter to you as a mum.

    If you can’t be there, follow and contribute to the sessions on  www.threelilprincesses.com and on Twitter via @UTASCradleCoast and the #mumblog Twitter hashtag.

    You’re more than welcome to leave comments here, email me on kellie (at) threelilprincesses (dot) com to ask a question anonymously or head to the blog on the day and post your comments as part of the live blog discussion.

    Learn more about starting a blog.