All The Threes!

Posted on April 8, 2013 by natalietrew

Since the new year rolled over, we’ve celebrated Mia’s 2nd birthday, Bailey’s 7th, Kane’s, Dad’s and Easter and last Thursday on April 4th I celebrated my 33rd birthday! Like most years my birthday was on school holidays which I LOVE!! It was such a fantastic day, one of the best birthdays I’ve had, especially since becoming a mum!

I spent the day doing all the things I love to do best….
During the day I went down to Wynnum and had morning tea and fish and chips for lunch. Mum came with us as well as my two nephews. The kids had a ball kicking the footy around, playing on the playground and swimming! It was a bit windy but the sun was shining – it was glorious!

The afternoon was spent lazing around before we got ourselves ready to go out for dinner with the family. We ended up at Hotel HQ, the kids love the kid’s playroom there. Again it was a great night filled with beautiful food, yummy cake, lots of laughter and I was very spoilt by everyone…especially with a custom made frame with photos of My Party of 5 from my hubby and children:)

Love it…thanks babe!

I went to bed that night feeling happy and content! I was so overwhelmed with all the birthday messages I received either via Facebook, text and phone…I was definitely feeling the love!

And if my birthday wasn’t great enough, on Saturday night I organised a small party with my friends! Since turning 30 we’ve been through so much with my health, the kids and Kane’s job, this year I wanted a night out where we could get dressed up and celebrate a birthday where for the first time in a long time I haven’t been pregnant, breast feeding or recovering from surgery! We had a great night out at the Glen. 35 of our closest friends joined in the celebrations where we laughed a lot, chatted heaps and enjoyed a few drinks or three or four…lol! I really appreciated the effort people went to. I know how hard it is to get out and about these days, so it was great to see everyone relaxed and enjoying themselves. Once again my wonderful parents took care of our munchkins, but were able to pop in for a bit and my sister and brother in law stayed and drove us home:)!

And of course what’s a birthday without a cake…my latest edition!

To end what was a great few days of celebrations, I managed to get up to Garden City yesterday to spend my birthday money. I already what I wanted in mind and when I’m on a mission there is no stopping me! It took me exactly one hour to go from home and back with my money spent and everything bought that I wanted!

A new handbag and purse, pair of havaianas and the best of all a Tomas Sabo bracelet and charm:)…very lucky lady I am!

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s birthday extra special. I feel very blessed to have a wonderful husband, three amazing children, a loving family and a number of great friends! For now all the threes has been awesome, lets hope it continues!!!

All in a Year!

Posted on March 3, 2013 by natalietrew

Exactly one year ago I started my blogging journey. I’ve put myself out there to the world and exposed myself as a mum, wife, daughter, sister and friend. I’ve covered parenting topics from breastfeeding to middle child syndrome, I’ve shared my highs and lows with you all. I’ve captured moments of my running achievements and posted pieces about my cake creations and my love of decorating and fashion!

Blogging for me is a great hobby where I can release my inner thoughts and a perfect way to capture my life as it stands. I started blogging in the hope to help people! As a teacher I love to offer something to someone and help them to learn and as my blog’s caption says ‘life is about learning’, it’s nice to know that someone out there could be learning something from the pieces that I write! And even though I started blogging to help people, it also didn’t phase me if only a few people here or there read my posts as it’s a great memory for me to always look back on.

I remember when I posted my first blog, within hours I had people respond…it was a bit weird at first! But from one blog to the next, it became a natural routine of my week! And I’m happy to say that so far I’ve had nothing but positive feedback and a wonderful supportive audience who I appreciate them talking time out of their busy schedules to read what I have to say!

To celebrate my year’s journey, I’ve included my top 5 most read blogs over the year and my top 3 that I loved the most!

Top 5:
Number 1 – Tattoo
Number 2 – Bulging Belly
Number 3 – ‘Jackpot’
Number 4 – Tiger Stripes
Number 5 – 10kg Gone

My favourite top 3:
Number 1 – In the name of ‘love’
Number 2 – Bond of sisterhood
Number 3 – End of Breastfeeding

I hope you enjoy reading over some of my favourite blogs that I’ve written. I can’t believe I’ve posted over 100 blogs now! When I was choosing my top three there were pieces I went through that I forgot I’d written about…always such a wonderful memory of what has been achieved! Once again thank you for your constant support it’s always warmly appreciated! I look forward to sharing more of me and my Party of 5’s life over the coming 12 months!

Ripped Off!!!

Posted on March 1, 2013 by natalietrew

I’m sitting here on the first day of autumn, with horrendous sinus, on ANOTHER rainy day, feeling really ripped off that summer has come to an end:( Does anyone else feel the same?

It was not that long ago we were enjoying ourselves on our ‘summer’ family holiday down the coast with the best weather that we could ask for and now it feels like we’ll never see sunshine again! We’ve gone from one extreme to the next. A month ago our grass was so dead that the kids couldn’t play outside without shoes on and now it’s so green and growing so quickly it could be mowed twice a week!

How hard is it to ask for a happy medium? Mother nature really is in a foul mood of late. From drought to flooding it really has been an unfair situation for so many innocent people of Queensland! I’m SO over everything outside being wet all the time. Mould and mildew sets in so quickly with this weather and trying to get your washing dry is a mission and half (thank goodness for my dryer)! But then I think about those poor people who have lost their houses and all of their possessions and I keep moving forward cause there is nothing wrong with us!

But seriously is the sun going to shine consistently again?? If my memory serves me correctly, we haven’t had constant sunshine since mid January!!! Summer is my favourite time of year where we relish in the fun that is at the beach and theme parks and we swim to the point of being water-logged!! What a disappointing summer it’s been this year! We’ve really only had one good solid month of glorious weather and now it’s autumn, before we know it it will be winter;( I’m not ready for winter – freezing mornings, cold wind, dry skin, germ upon germ and shorter days for daylight…I haven’t had enough of a summer fix yet to go through this!!!

I’m the happiest in summer! Everyone is at their healthiest and because Christmas and holidays are in the mids of it all, summer always brings such a joyous relaxed feeling…and now it’s over:( This constant rainy, overcast weather really affects my mood and thinking and I can’t stand not getting my vitamin D fix a few times a week!!! It also spoils any outdoor plans in the way of parties and sport and don’t get me started about school drop offs and pick ups!!! Bailey started footy training two weeks ago and has trained once because of the rain. His choice of birthday activity this year is to have a sleep over with a few mates…this is today! This afternoon I was entertaining 5 children under the pergola because once again IT WAS RAINING!!!!

But I guess now summer has come to an end, it’s time now to enjoy other activities such as going to parks, having picnics and enjoying our walks and bike rides….that’s if the rain would politely go away for a while! The two things I do LOVE at this time of year though are; the weather is great for running and I LOVE autumn/winter fashion…skinny jeans, jackets and winter accessories…bring it on!!

This blog really is just me whining about this hideous weather that feels like it’s never going to end…sorry to bore you but I feel really ripped off that summer has come to an end when it feels like it hardly begun;(!!!! I’m sure most of you would be with me when I say I’m so OVER this rain…right???

Am soooo missing the beautiful blue skies Queensland is renowned for;(

A Year’s Reflection….

Posted on December 30, 2012 by natalietrew

With the chapter of 2012 about to end, I want to take the time to reflect what this year has bought My Party of 5! It’s definitely been some what interesting. Many ups and downs, new memories created, lessons learnt, there were tears of joy and disappointment, but through all of this we’ve been able to hold onto each other to enjoy the rollercoaster and all the while love, laughter and hope was certainly present!

As I write my last blog post for the year and I look back at all the memories that have been created, it brings to light how busy the year has been and how quickly it has flown by! I question myself then…have I embraced it enough? I really dislike looking back at things with regret, but I’m happy to say that I am ready to shut the chapter of this year with no regrets, only lessons learnt and am really looking forward to a new year with new beginnings and new memories!

2012….

The year started on a good note with great times spent at the coast! It was Mia’s first summer and our first summer as a party of 5! We had a few mini holidays as a family and with family! The kids love going away and so do we!

Once our summer fun was over and Kane went back to work, the reality of me going back to work after having 13 months off started to hit hard! I wasn’t ready at all. Between being diagnosed with my heart condition at the end of my pregnancy with Mia and then Mia being a very difficult baby, I was only just becoming content with everything when the time was up for me to return! It took ages, at least a term and a half for me to settle back into teaching and a new school at that! I’m happy to say I love my job now and am very settled and pleased to be Crestmead State School’s prep/1/2 special education teacher!

With me going back to work two days a week it meant my beautiful mother was back helping us out with babysitting again. It was Mia’s time with nanny as this year our Sie Sie girl started preschool! This was traumatic for us all! Unlike her brother Sienna cried and cried and begged us not leave her (I did that to my mum)! But after a few months the tears were gone and she has become such a confident little student all ready to tackle prep in the new year!

Bailey was so excited to be starting grade 1! He felt like a big boy this year and took responsibly in his stride all year. He had such an awesome year in prep so facing the new curriculum in year 1 was a little bit of a slap in the face at first, but I’m so proud of Bay he never gave up once. Even with more ear problems mid way through the year, he still managed a good report card. He excelled in semester 2 and where he started the year on a reading level 5 he was benchmarked a 21 to finish the year and received a brilliant report card!

It was a very special year for birthday’s this year….Mia’s 1st birthday, mum and dad’s 60th and nana’s 80th! This meant there was lots of cake decorating by myself and lots of family gatherings! Mia started the birthdays off in February when she turned 1. It was a lovely day spent with my little bear. Her first year had been such a trying one, but we’d made it and almost 12 months on she is the cheekiest, most delightful funny little girl, that is soooo full on lol!!!

Two 60ths and an 80th which were fantastic celebrations filled with close family and friends!

And of course we all turned another year older….

Bay turned 6:)

Kane and I turned 32 this year!

Sienna turned 4:)

Like every celebration we embraced it with plenty of decorations and cake! This year Easter was at our house for the first time! The kids had a ball hunting for eggs, playing on their jumping castle with their cousins and I made my first Easter cake:) Halloween was also a hit this year! I made dinner and dessert for everyone to enjoy, while the kids went trick or treating!

This year was the year Kane had been waiting for since Bailey took his first breath….he finally was ready to play football and that he did!! I still remember his first game. I felt nervous for him. I thought so many things that may of happen, but all that happened was my boy running, scoring, tackling, encouraging and most of all having fun! He had a brilliant footy season with his team being undefeated. Kane was assistant coach and it was a great time for him with his son doing what they both love best! They are both bursting at the seams for the new footy season to start!

Bay’s footy is not the only one we supported this year. We supported our Queenslanders to victory and were there when Petro played his last game for the Broncos! Kane still goes for his beloved Bulldogs and will never convince me to convert lol! But our biggest highlight of the year for achievement in sport was my nephew Sebastian. He made the Queensland under 12 rugby league team who took out the carnival in Mackay! This was such a special moment for our family as dad and I had made an under 12 state side as well…we even made the paper!

Our biggest challenge of all hit us mid year when the business Kane worked for went into liquidation. Kane was left without a job and we were down to one car! Thanks to fantastic mates, Kane was able to work and work and work until he finally landed a fantastic permanent job only a month ago. We were prepared for him not to find anything until the new year, so when this came up, we couldn’t believe it! We’d never lived without stability. Living from day to day, watching every single penny we spent so we could maintain our home and investment property! It has been such an unsettling time for us all, but we made it through and all thanks to my wonderful husband who is a work horse!

Visiting daddy at a job site…water playground – score!

But through the hard times I’ve laughed a lot at the kids this year! They are my everything. They are my light when I’m feeling dark. They may drive me crazy at times, but I would not be able to breathe without them….

And like I stated above, I’m not only blessed with three adorable children, I have the best husband to go with it!

I’ve learnt a lot about myself this year! Losing weight and getting fit was the best thing I’ve chosen to do since having my children. I’d never been in a position before where I needed to lose weight, but when faced everyday with a heart condition and letting myself go a bit after having my third child, this has kicked my butt into keeping myself at my best, in order to give myself the best chance of living the longest life possible….this mumma ain’t going no where! Not only am I physically fitter, I’m as mentally fit as I’ve ever been! Things that use to bother me don’t anymore (although my husband may disagree lol) and being forced into not having my husband around as much, I’ve learnt that I can do anything on my own! I owe all of this to running! I believe if I didn’t find the love of running, this paragraph may have been written differently!

Even though we had some really shaky parts of the year, it certainly is ending on a beautiful note! Christmas was so fantastic this year. We embraced it for all that it’s worth and most importantly we were together relishing in the love we have for each other!

My last cake of the year:)

As a new year approaches it gets you thinking what you’d like to see happen, resolutions and goals! All I want for the new year is for us all to be happy! After having such an unstable year and watching my husband feeling unhappy, I just want us to be settled and happy! It’s not about money or possessions, it’s about being settled and grounded, once these things are in place, everything else around you balances off nicely!

Of course there are lots of things that I hope don’t happen in the new year! I’d like us to go one year without having to take one of our children to the hospital to have their ears fixed. It was Mia’s turn this year and already Bailey is booked in for the end of summer if his ears don’t improve….but I am thinking positively!!!

And of course there are things I hope to achieve like cleaning out my laundry/study, the one room I just can never keep organised – it is my dumping ground. I want to get my scrapbooking in order and finish off Sienna’s baby album so I can start Mia’s! I have new running goals and the new year will be my first year where I plan to enter competitions!

Our biggest event that will kick start the year off though is our eldest daughter starting prep! How exciting! I can’t believe that the 10 pound 2 baby I gave birth to is about to start the adventure of primary school. I’m going to miss my little pumpkin so much and so will her baby sister….it’s just you and me Mimi….please be kind to mummy lol!

On that note I shall end my final 2012 blog with thanking you all for your support and reading about my life and My Party of 5! I started blogging as a way of helping others an if I’ve only helped one person with something than I’m happy with that! My goal was to reach 10 000 views of my blog by the end of the year and that has been well and truly achieved with over 10 300 views to date over the 90 odd blogs that I’ve written thus far. I wish you all a very happy new year that is filled with lots of love, laughter and good health and I look forward to sharing more of my life’s findings in the new year!

Seeing in the new year on our holiday at the coast….couldn’t think of a better way to spend it!

The End of a Road….

Posted on November 16, 2012 by natalietrew

Today marks the end of another class of graduating year 12s! It’s such a massive thing finishing school. For the past 12 years, these young adults have been spending 6 hours a day, 5 days a week institutionalised and suddenly they are now set free to conquer the world! Some will go onto study, some will travel, some will get a trade and some will get stuck into working straightaway! Amongst the class of 2012 there will be doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, builders, plumbers, athletes and the like! It’s up to them now to make of themselves the best they can be, after having many influential people in their lives since the first day they started school!

This day and moment brings me back to my last day of school! I still remember it like it was yesterday…even though it was exactly 15 years ago! For me it was such an emotional time in my life! I loved school and what it provided for me! It was fun, it was full of social gatherings be it discos or sports days! It served a purpose and most of all it brought me wonderful friends and the person I would one day call my husband!

The last week of high school was one of the best and memorable weeks of my life! The formal, speech night, graduation day, our celebration trip to Dream world…memories that will last forever!

The Formal….

Oh the day after the formal….

Lol

Speech Night….

Literally a handful of awards:)

The last day of school….

Walking out of the school gate for the very last time was both scary and exciting! Scary as I was saying goodbye to my safe place, the place where I was the most comfortable and confident, but exciting because I had the world at my feet and the rest of my life ahead of me to pursue my dreams! And that I have! I live with no regrets – wishes yes, but no regrets! I’m proud of who I am and what I have achieved in the past 15 years! I’ve become a teacher, a wife, a mother and a home owner! I’ve travelled overseas and along the way have experienced many ups and downs which has helped shaped the person I am today! But of course I owe a lot to my wonderful parents and the up bringing they provided us!

So if I was to give a speech to the graduating class of year 12 it would be….

Live life to the fullest, but keep safe. Life is a precious gift that should never be let waste away! Enjoy your younger years while you still have them and if you can travel and see the world through different eyes! Reach for the stars and don’t give up on your dreams. You have the ability to be whatever you want to be so keep striving to turn your dreams into reality! Think wisely and use your common sense! Don’t do what others tell you to do, do what you know is best for you and your future! When you’ve got something good going, don’t let it go and keep working at making yourself better! It’s up to you now….you are now after all these years in complete control. This maybe the end of the road for school, but it’s only just the beginning of what could be something pretty special!

If you are doing your absolute best than that’s all you can ask yourself of!

I’ve Been Tattooed!!!

Posted on October 21, 2012 by natalietrew

After many years of wanting one, procrastinating about what to get and where to put it, I finally got my first tattoo! Right now I know half of you will be saying really? And the other half of you will be saying cool! With my mother saying you’re a fool lol! But it’s done now and there is no turning back!

Of course initially when wanting a tattoo I always focused more on how much it was going to hurt rather than the final product! Then there has always been the biggest issue of what to get and where to get it! I know I always wanted my children’s names. I always wanted a frangipani, but the position well let’s just say that I have procrastinated over the most!

Four years ago Kane booked me in to get a tattoo for Christmas but because I was breastfeeding Sienna at the time, they wouldn’t do it in case of infection….well in the mean time I’ve had another baby breast fed her for 15 months which has taken me to where I am now finally getting what I want! No more excuses, no more babies so everything was set!

A few months ago I found a saying on Facebook from Quotes central and the minute I read it I knew that is what I wanted etched into my skin for the rest of my life! I changed the wording a bit but the concept stayed the same.

After knowing that I wanted the above saying, with my children’s names and some frangipanies the position was the last thing to decide! I ended up going with my thigh as what do I love doing…running and that’s the part of my body that is worked thoroughly when I run! I also wanted it in a position where it can be covered for work and essentially it is something that I wanted to do and I’m happy that I am the one who mostly gets to see it!

I think the biggest decision in all of this is where to get it done! It’s not like getting a hair cut or your nails done where those things can grow back…this is something forever!! After returning back from school holidays I was chatting to one of my lovely teacher aides who said she got a tattoo over the holidays. Well by the end of the day I had designed my tattoo and was booked in for two weeks time. I was happy and content to go with someone who was highly recommended….plus seeing 11 tattoos he had done on my friend I was impressed!

Leading up to today I was not nervous, scared or anxious at all, I was only excited! I kept saying to my husband…I can’t believe I am finally getting a tattoo!! I didn’t tell anyone – well maybe one of my besties but I had to tell someone!!! I got there early (I know shocking lol) to find out the guy who was suppose to do it didn’t work on Sundays anymore!!! Not off to a good start. And then they didn’t take EFTPOS so I had to go and get money out. By this point I was a bit nervous and thought do I go ahead with it??

My lovely friend from work was always coming and she reassured me that this guy was good too. I went with my gut feeling and did it. I was there and wasn’t going anywhere until I had my tattoo done! I was so proud of myself. I was calm the whole time and didn’t flinch once! That first moment when he was about to put the needle on my skin was a bit overwhelming but it didn’t hurt anywhere near like I thought it would have! It was more annoying than anything.

This is the sequence of events:

Stencil on my leg all ready to go….bit nervous by this stage!

No turning back now….pain was minimal and so bearable!

Coming along nicely!

Most annoying bit to go – the shading!

The finished product…love it!! The stinging had just started though!

Close up all cleaned and stinging subsided:)

I’m so so happy with the end result! This tattoo means a lot to me…when I became a mum it changed my life forever and I will fight everyday to be here for my babies for as long as I can!

Well I’ve done it! I’ve finally taken the plunge to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but hesitated so much! I’m addicted now! I’ve already picked out two more to add to my one collection….three will be enough though…for now lol! Only kidding mum:)

I’ve Earnt My Tiger Stripes!!

Posted on September 23, 2012 by natalietrew

It’s been 7 years now since I had a flat, flawless belly where I didn’t have a handful of excess skin that hangs over my shorts when I bend over….but I’m not depressed or sad about it, as without the state my belly is in I wouldn’t have the three gifts of life I’ve been given:)

On our honeymoon 8 years ago before I became a mum!

I write this blog as the bikini season is approaching and since losing 13 kilos and working hard to get rid of my bulging belly, I’ve come to the realisation that my bikini wearing days are over! No matter how hard I try or how much weight l lose, the state my belly has been left in, from carrying my three babies, will always be an everlasting reminder of the miracles I have!

My body changes have all been worth it if it means being a mum to my children!

How things change once you become a mum:)! I’ve gone from this vein precise person to someone who worries about herself after everyone else is all settled! Before children my belly was the most toned part of my body and I was fortunate enough to wear whatever I wanted but now I chose outfits wisely that cater to my belly’s needs!

I don’t look at my belly and feel as though it’s ruined, it’s an area of my body the kids like to cuddle up to. They love it! Bailey calls it squishy and loves to see it wobble, Sienna loves the feel of it and Mia loves seeing how far the skin stretches out! Every night after dinner when we are on the lounge Mia always lifts up my shirt and relishes in the area of my body that they once lived closely to for a whole 9 months! Together they giggle and feel safe and secure. I’m not embarrassed by it, I would be more upset and mortified if the kids (and my husband for that matter) were repulsed and didn’t want to come near it!

It’s common knowledge that baring a child is going to have some affect on our bodies! I mean for goodness sake we are humans growing a human and it has to grow and stretch and come out some how! Some women are lucky enough to have none or very little scare wounds and then others are hammered with a lot! I was less than 60kgs when I had my first baby who was 9 pound 5 at 38 weeks – yeah you would think he did the damage to my belly, but it was my daughter who cracked the 10 pound mark. My pregnancy with her was the one that left me with my tiger stripes….the third just added a bit more stretch to the already over stretched skin!

My everlasting reminder of the miracle of life….and I always wanted a tatoo on my belly, imagine what it would look like now if I had of got one lol!

I don’t ever think why me! I would far rather have a belly looking like this and my three munchkins than the alternative. Would I have it fixed? Not at this stage….I don’t think my children would allow it! Lol! I have far more things I would rather spend our money on. Since finding out about my heart condition, it has changed my life for the better. My aim is to keep fit and healthy so I can be the best mum and wife and watch my children grow….anything beyond that is not a priority anymore! So for now I’ll wear my tiger stripes proudly and embrace a one piece swim suit this summer!

I Can’t Even Imagine:(

Posted on September 9, 2012 by natalietrew

Why? Why do bad things happen to good people? Whenever you turn on the news at the moment it reeks with one tragedy after another. It signals another one’s pain and loss. My husband and I just sat down and watched the news to witness the story of a beautiful lady, 35 weeks pregnant who has a 2 year old daughter and loving husband, had been struck down by a car and tragically killed….what has hit us the most is that we know this lovely person from high school.

She wasn’t a close friend, in fact she was a year older than us, but I remember her being so friendly and she was always so happy. My heart aches for this poor family. A husband is left without a wife and a little girl without a mother:( and her family will not only grieve the loss of a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, they will grieve for the loss of the little baby she was so close to giving birth to.

Again why? She was so kind and friendly. She was happily on a family outing enjoying her last weeks with her daughter and husband, minding her own business and was sadly in the wrong place at the wrong time:( Seriously everyday has to be lived to the max as you just don’t know what’s around the corner!

This tragedy has left me feeling so sad and guttered for her family! Life throws some pretty shitty curve balls and it just seems so unfair why so much tragedy happens to the innocent! It also makes me appreciate even more what I have and that anything going on that seems unfair in my life is irrelevant!

My thoughts and prayers are with this lovely person’s husband, daughter and family tonight! I can’t even imagine what her poor husband is going through right now, but with the support of a loving family and the innocence of his adorable little girl, he will find the strength…it will just take some time:(

RIP Kerryn Blucher….xoxoxox!

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/woman-killed-in-car-park-accident-at-redland-spring-festival-was-35-weeks-pregnant/story-e6freon6-1226468295334

Spring is in the Air!

Posted on August 24, 2012 by natalietrew

I write this blog with a ‘spring’ in my step (I know pretty cheesy lol) because winter is almost over and spring is in the air baby!!!! Thank goodness!!! I dislike winter – except for the fashion of course! Freezing cold winds, layers of clothes, shorter days, runny noses, coughs and colds. Nothing in that sentence appeals to me at all! I get to autumn and look forward to wearing my jackets, scarves and jeans again, but the thrill of that is overcome by the cabin fever that can sometimes exist during the winter season. Thank goodness we live in Queensland and some of our winter days can be just sensational!!!

It’s funny how everything seems to go into hibernation during winter and as the temperatures start to increase and the sun starts to become warmer and warmer, the birds are visible, plants look more vibrant and people’s status updates on Facebook are evident that it is a much more happier time of year! From now, after the school pick up, you’ll find us outside playing, eating and soaking up this beautiful weather. The kids just love it. They already seem so much happier! Which means happy kids = happy mumma = household runs smoothly!

Spring is my favourite season of the year! The weather is usually perfect – not too hot and not too cold! It’s the lead up to the festive season and the start of beach trips, catch ups and swimming! And of course it is the best time of year to exercise:) no more breathing in cold air on my morning runs, more time in the day to go for a run and getting up in the cold of winter is no where near as appealing as during the warmer months! This afternoon I took a few snap shots of what life will be like for quite a few months ahead:

Fruit is there to munch on between playing!

Trampoline is one of the favourite things the kids love to do!

Footy never gets old…even though it’s the off season now!

Mia loves being able to see her feet again and run around in lighter clothing.

Today was a beautiful day! I opened every window in the house, gave the house a really good clean and am now enjoying watching my munchkins laughing and playing nicely (as nice as it gets here lol) together in our backyard with the dog as happy as ever! So I encourage you all to embrace this weather while it’s here, as for a little while longer we will still have a bit of cold here and there…..It’s now time to shave your legs ladies and paint your toenails because spring is in the air and the season for thongs and sandals is fast approaching!

Legs are shaved and toenails painted….My Havaianas live on my feet during the warmer months!!

My Mid Year Resolutions!

Posted on July 22, 2012 by natalietrew

Sometimes, well let’s be honest most of the time, life just keeps traveling too fast! I mean for goodness sake it is almost Ekka time again!!!! Before we know it tinsel and Christmas carols will be staring us in the face and ringing in our ears literally! Where has this year gone or should I say why does it seem like each year flies by faster than the year before???

I don’t know about everyone else, but I felt like I started this year on the back foot! I went back to work in January after having 13 months off having my third baby and because last year consisted of a whole whirlwind of events, one – I wasn’t ready to go back to work and two – my household really wasn’t ready for me to either! We are half way through the year and I finally feel like I’ve got my act together! I don’t dread going to work (most of the time lol), I’m becoming more organised and on time and all three kids have settled into the routine of me going back to work!

I feel like the past 18 months has been a complete blurr…..which could have something to do with my burning tired eyes lol……so now that I finally feel like I’ve come out the other end, I’ve made some ‘mid year resolutions’ with myself, as I was quite in denial that a new calendar year had even begun when it did and my head space was only just coping with starting a new routine in life let alone fixing stuff that was already happening!

They are…..
*I will make sure I stop and enjoy my beautiful family:
Just recently we went through a massive month of one thing after another. Parties, football carnivals, reports, sickness, birthdays! I felt like I barely had time to breathe! Even though I get to stay home five days out of seven, some weeks I feel like I hardly get to spend quality time with the kids! They are growing up way to fast before my eyes and I’m determined not to miss anything and embrace my family for who they are! By last Saturday I had had it and I forced myself not to do much except for play with the kids….it was awesome! So Saturdays are my do nothing except for relish in the love and care Kane and the kids give me and so far it has been awesome:)

*I will listen to my body:
Since April until now, I have been sick several times. The kids have been spreading their germs as they do, but somethings have taken me longer to get over than usual. As we all know as mums we put ourselves last and get lost in the busyness of life until we get ill and realise it’s time to get a reality check. I’ve learnt now to rest when I can and stop worrying because if something doesn’t get done, there is always tomorrow!

*I’m going to start saying “no!”:
I have this problem where I find it hard to say no! Even if I’m busy and someone asks us to do something, we do what we can and fit it in. I’ve come to realise that there are just times when I have to say no!

*I’m making sure everyday I treat myself:
When I started loosing weight, it took a lot of will power for me to give up some of my favourite treats. Now that I have reached and maintained my goal weight for a few months, I happily treat myself to my favourite foods (within reason) without feeling one bit of guilt!

*I’m going to take my husband out on a date:
Before Kane and I became parents, we had the best social life and spent so much of our time going to the movies, out to dinner and generally just hanging out together. That gets pushed to the side once little people come into your lives, but I think it is still important for a husband and wife to go out and enjoy themselves once in a while. I am going to make sure Kane and I go and see the last Twilight movie together and maybe we might even be able to start a date night routine once a month or so!

*I’m going to make sure I start to be on time:
If you know me well, one of my worst traits is being late! It’s never intentional, my problem is I try to fit too much in before I go somewhere. I start the day on time but some how I always find myself racing around in the end like a chook with its head chopped off. From now I will do the necessities first and leave the rest for a later time or if I have time once I’m ready to go!

My mid year resolutions are only a snap shot of what I want to achieve by the end of the year. I still have cupboards I want to clean out, a toy room to redecorate, scrapbooking to finish from years ago, but I figure you have to start somewhere. I know I’ve jumped on the ‘resolutions’ bandwagon quite late in the year, but I believe if someone is attempting to make a change to something, you can never be too late! I think it’s better to attempt change when you are really ready, in order to have a chance of experiencing success!

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