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  • Another look inside the upcoming ebook

    Another look inside the upcoming ebook

    Here’ another excerpt from the April released ebook. And it now has a title: Only Hearts Should Be Worn On Sleeves – The Snotty Truth About Motherhood.

    We’re getting closer (and extremely nervous)…

    pregnant
    The bump

     

    All-day sickness — milk it for all it’s worth

    Vomit, wind, dribble and burping — and this is all before the baby’s even born. To be honest, right now I’m in the midst of the easy part of being knocked up. The worst I have to complain about is being kicked in the guts repeatedly or having a foot poke out from under my skin.

    It’s a far cry from those challenging early days, trust me. In the initial months, a Queensland holiday sounded like just what the doctor would have ordered — except that the doctor probably knew better.

    Having scoffed at women who carried on about morning sickness (oh please, it can’t be that bad!), my payback was falling victim to something that combined sailing, show rides and partying — or rather seasickness, dizziness and hangovers.

    And morning sickness, my foot. Try all-day sickness. Mind you, for two months I got breakfast in bed every morning and my dinner cooked every night (couldn’t stand the fumes.Honest!).

    But back to the holiday. Arriving at a Gold Coast shopping centre, 15 minutes in I start to turn green. Then there’s panic. No toilet. No rubbish bin. No time to think. So I just close my eyes, bottom up, head down and heave. When I open them again, two women are staring at me like I’m a junkie, while I stare at a once immaculately manicured garden, now far more colourful than before.

    I’ve never been so glad to get home from a holiday — there’s nothing quite like spewing in your own toilet.

    While the worst part is that all-day sickness arrives just before you’re able to announce you’re preggers (try explaining to work mates you’ve still got your 24-hour bug two weeks on), the best part is stringing the sickness out just that extra month longer. Come on. Breakfast in bed is hard to give up.

    Read another excerpt from the book.

    What was the early stages of pregnancy like for you? Did you suffer morning sickness?

  • She just got framed

    She just got framed

    We went to select a pair of frames for Ella’s new glasses this afternoon. Ella and I left more confused than a chameleon in a bag of skittles. Here I was thinking the biggest issue would be shape and colour.

    We’ve bought three pairs home, not because we can’t decide on whether to go light pink, dark pink or medium purple. No, it’s because we’re having to decide between different types of material, whether the arms bend 180 degrees and if they have a two-year warranty.

    Ella is no help. She thinks she’s liking the same pair every time, but is actually choosing a completely different pair. She really can’t tell the difference. In my day, the only option I had was whether they wrapped right around your ear or not. Hideous, I tell you.

    So, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Adidas children's glasses

    Adidas – Two-year unconditional warranty. Will replace, no questions asked for two years. Even if she treads on them!

    OIO children's glasses 

    OIO – Made out of titanium, which is one of the most lightweight and strong materials.

     Hush Puppies children's glasses

    Hush Puppies – 180 degree hinge, which means the temples bend right out.

     What do you think?

  • When Ella’s view of the world suddenly changes

    When Ella’s view of the world suddenly changes

    The call I’ve been dreading for the past six months came through this afternoon. “You can pick up the prescription when you’re ready.’’ To be honest, I think I’ll be ready the day Karl Stefanovic wins a Gold Logie. While my little issue is pretty insignificant in the scheme of what some of you deal with on a daily basis, it still didn’t stop a little tear today. OK, so maybe it was full on, snotty nosed sobbing.

    While there’s great relief in knowing Princess Ella won’t ever look like this:

    school photo with glasses

    (Yep, don’t you just feel sorry for that kid… Ahem) she will have to go tomorrow and pick out her first pair of glasses. She wants purple ones. We could be unveiling the modern-day version of Esme Watson come 3.30pm.

    Since heading to the opthamologist last week for the follow up appointment, I’ve been trying to ignore the idea of her two eyes multiplying. If you don’t know the back story of the mad rollercoaster ride we’ve been on with Ella needing and then not needing glasses, then brace yourself for the full story here.

    However, the clincher, and the reason I’m now quickly getting over my hang-ups with her wearing glasses, is that as if her eyes overcompensate her slight vision impairment there’s a chance the eye could turn in. This is me.

    Source: cbsnews.com via Jacqui on Pinterest

     


    Well, not that photo exactly, but I do have a lazy eye that will never be straight without glasses or contact lenses. I’d never forgive myself if my petty reasons for not wanting her to have glasses caused this.

    Thankfully, Ella doesn’t give two hoots about my concerns. She even said to her Dad tonight: “Yay! I’m getting glasses, Dad. Mum’s really sad about it. Are you?’’ The combination of not needing “raindrops’’ at last week’s appointment– her term for eye drops – and running into a friend with glasses in the waiting room, has made her super keen to sport specs. All the cool kids are wearing them, it seems.

    Eyes

    “I loved having the little windows on my eyes, Mum’’, she said after the opthamologist put lenses over her eyes to check her vision. Apparently, the “windows’’ made everything look brighter. As long as she doesn’t think she gets to hold up little lenses to her eyes all day. That could make going to the toilet difficult.

    As for me? I just need to get over it!

    So tomorrow afternoon we’re going shopping! Any tips for buying glasses for children? Are there things I should be aware of?

  • WIN: Aussie Giveaway Linkup #41

    WIN: Aussie Giveaway Linkup #41

    Red Balloon voucher

    Well, there’s been some interesting wins this week:

    • Finally getting through to Ella that you can’t visit things that are pretend. She asked if she could visit Snow White and Cinderella. It resulted in a detailed explanation of why they’re pretend. “Tell me all the things that are real and all the things that are pretend, Mum’’. After a long sigh, I explained how she can’t visit The Faraway Tree, Play School, Robbie Rotten and more. “But we can visit Sesame Street. Can’t we? Sesame Street’s real.’’ Oh dear.
    • While the debate over whether Ella should have glasses was reignited during on Thursday (final verdict to come Monday), it also led to discovering Ella now DOES want glasses. “I’d love to have some little windows on my eyes,’’ she said. As long as she doesn’t think she has to walk around holding the two glass slides the opthamologist used to check her vision.
    • I forgot to mention that last week I won a $200 Red Balloon voucher courtesy of Mojito Mother, Nuffnang and this little linky. Now just to figure out what I’m going to spend it on.

    If that last one’s not incentive enough to start clicking on the below links, I don’t know what is. Good luck.

    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.
    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 unfilfilled prizes or a blogger/business not abiding by their own terms and conditions.

     


    Aussie Giveaway Linky
    Hosted by Three Lil Princesses



  • When did being a mum become so complicated?

    When did being a mum become so complicated?

    smiling girl

    At what point did parenting become more complex than a Rubiks Cube after someone’s tampered with the stickers? Sorry, that was usually me. A week or so back I saw Kochie (of Sunrise fame) tweet:

    Gee Poppy, dates to park are complicated… Sunscreen, hats, drinks, snacks, spare nappy, clean clothes. Was it always this complicated?

    It’s one of the reasons I’m happier sitting on the couch watching the princesses slide down the indoor slide. Now to figure out how to get a swing set through the door.

    A fellow mum and I were discussing the “old days’’, when you were brought up by your mum, your nan, your aunties and half the neighbourhood who, really, just told you to “go outside and play’’. What exactly were all those women doing inside, anyway? They certainly weren’t on Facebook.

    When did being a mum become so complicated?

    Nowadays, we mums do much of the parenting role alone (unless you struck gold in the partner stakes). We sometimes also work or run businesses, we juggle five social media accounts and still manage to declutter every inch of our homes.

    We put added pressure on ourselves that our children’s Pumpkin Patch outfit stays clean, that their hands are constantly sterilised, they’re fed wholesome meals made from scratch (well, the packet says “homemade’’. Or is that “HomeBrand’’?) and their ponytail sits at a 45 degree angle from the top most point of the head. You do that, right?

    messy eating

    What happened to sending them out in the same pair of clothes they wore yesterday? Letting them eat a little dirt, along with some extra protein goodness via a worm or two? Why can’t their hair look more akin to a member of Rolling Stones than Justin Beiber?

    I think as parents, we’re our own worst enemies. Sure, keep our kids safe with sunscreen, boundaries in which to play and curfews. But do we go overboard when it comes to letting them be kids? Aren’t kids meant to have faces full of snot, dirt on their knees and a nappy showing off their plumber’s crack?

    Are our kids just too… perfectly pampered? Should we get rid of this notion of the perfect parent and cut ourselves some slack? The important thing, after all, is that our kids are healthy and happy. Right?

    What do you think? Is parenting getting far more complicated? And who’s to blame? *runs away quickly*

  • My Tasmanian Backyard: Devonport Food and Wine Festival 2012

    My Tasmanian Backyard: Devonport Food and Wine Festival 2012

    Tasmania is nearly half way through the Devonport Food and Wine Festival 2012 and I think I’ve already experienced the two highlights (and gained a sizeable belly from it).

    Friday night was the Taste the Harvest Celebration Dinner – a five-course degustation dinner, with Melbourne’s Pure South chef Dwayne Bourke. It was led by a Melbourne restaurant that champions Tasmanian produce. The owners even get their gummies on and tread the paddocks where the produce comes from. There’s nothing qute like getting a bit of cow excrement on your boots.

    Pure South sources the main ingredient for its dishes from Tassie, including Petuna seafood and Mount Gnomon Farm’s free range Wessex Saddleback pork. Then add a splash of Barringwood Park and Ghost Rock wines. Yummo. If you live in Melbourne, seriously, make a special date and go. The food was sublime.

    Devonport Food and Wine Festival Taste the Harvest dinner

    Apologies for the quality of the photo. You’ll need to click on it to see a bigger version.

    Devonport Food and Wine Festival Taste the Harvest Dinner Petuna Ocean Trout

    Here’s the recipe for the above dish from Petuna Seafoods:

    Petuna Seafood recipe

    Again, click for a bigger version.

    And apologies, but I kept forgetting to take photographs of all the dishes. I’d only remember when I’d finished eating. I didn’t think you’d care for an empty plate.

    The dinner was followed by yesterday’s Taste the Harvest Festival on the Mersey Foreshore. The question is, what didn’t I have? After sushi was a Moroccan chicken burger, a taste of the girls’ Ashgrove ice cream and finally this:

    Pardon My French Taste the Harvest Festival

    The Pardon My French dessert tasting box – minus the vanilla slice because I ate that before remembering to photograph it. I would make a hopeless food photographer.

    I’m ashamed to say I ate 90% of it myself. I didn’t feel much like dinner last night. I swore The Bloke in The Shed was going to make me sit at the dinner table until I’d finished all my veggies. Or put it in the fridge and make me eat it for breakfast this morning.

    If you’re planning on heading to Tasmania, make sure you make it for the Taste the Harvest Festival next March. This year it had more than 50 food, wine and beer businesses showcasing local produce, interactive agricultural marquees with cooking demonstrations, live music, roving performances and a dedicated children’s area. Although, I swear Li’l Holly’s been having nightmares since about the puppet show.

    And make sure you tell me if you’re heading this way. We’ll share a Barringwood Park or Ghost Rock vino!

    Some other highlights for the rest of the Devonport Food and Wine Festival (sorry, but my tired fingers couldn’t type out the entire program):

    Tomorrow: Cooking for Families on a Budget – Nigel Squibb, The Zone

    March 14: Cooking with Primary Schools, Country Women’s Association

    March 15: Mediterranean Night, Bella’s Restaurant

    March 16: Cherry Tapas, The Cherry Shed

    March 17: Forth Valley Blues Festival.

    March 18: Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting, Ghost Rock Vineyard + A Taste of Life, Barringwood Park Vineyard

    March 19: Taste of India, Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant

    March 20: Chocolate Masterclass, Anvers

    March 21: Thermomix Cooking Class, with Deidre Triffitt, Girl Guides Hall

    March 22: 100 Mile Dinner, Drysdale Restaurant Devonport

    March 23: Sweet Treats, from The Edgewater, Roundhouse Park

    March 24: Hop Picking, Seven Sheds Brewery + How to Cater for a Dinner Party, 5 courses with Ben Burgess, Tranquilles Bed and Breakfast, Cafe and Gallery

    March 25: Australianising the American Plate, with Sally James, Waterfront Function Centre + Devonport Motor Show

    March 26: Traditional Chinese Cooking, with Anthony Kwong, Reece High School

    March 27: Heaven’s Kitchen, Gateway Church

    March 28: My Favourite Secrets Revealed, with Nigel Squibb, Reece High School

    March 29: Cocktails and Jazz, Laneway

    March 30: Thai Tasters, Thai Imperial Courthouse

    March 31: The Finale Dinner, Waterfront Function Centre.

    Learn more about the full program via http://www.facebook.com/devonportfoodandwinefestival and Taste the Harvest at http://www.tastetheharvest.org.au/

    What’s been your best foodie experience?

    Read more about Tasmania in the My Tasmanian Backyard series.