This weekend marks my first Mother’s Day. Last year, I remember I had planned to run in the Mother’s Day Classic but came down with the flu the night before and couldn’t do it. This year I have no thoughts of fitness as such, except to perhaps soak in the awesome weather we are having (um, 25C in May?!) and go for a walk. Although I hadn’t really planned for it to be so warm at this time of year so I am trying to squeeze Rehan into some of his newborn clothes. And they fit – just barely. Boy is growing fast.
I’ve already done the mushy post for Rehan’s one month, so really all I can say now is that it feels…strange. That I can now add “mother” to my ever-changing roles. It’s still a side of me that I am coming to terms with, but maybe I’ll grow into it as well. Just hope I can keep up with Rehan!
Links I’m loving this week:
I miss Hong Kong and would love to go back even for a few days – this mini-travel guide for one of my most memorable cities had me nodding and wishing I was back.
I saw this link on a friend’s blog and then shared again on Facebook, and it is probably the hormones but as per everything these days, it brought me to tears. The force of love – whether it’s for a child or anyone else is something to behold.
A beautiful letter from a Dad to his daughter about her future husband (this is of course assuming she is straight and actually going to get married, but you know the sentiment is there )
I have more and more friends of mine these days, taking that deep breath and then the plunge to leave everything and follow their dreams. Even if they don’t know what their dreams are as yet. It both inspires and scares the shit out of me. I thought particularly of this girl when I saw this article, but it applies to anyone who has a friend who has done this.
If you, like me, find the way to people’s hearts are through their stomachs – here is a great list of yummy things to make for that special someone this Mother’s Day. And it doesn’t have to just be your mum – as Annie says “The role of a mother is a big one, no matter who is filling it.” I’m loving the baked French toast.
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” As we get busier and busier, the first thing to go is self-love. This great article from Tiny Buddha shows you how to be kind to yourself in a busy world.
I loved Monsoon Wedding, and this post for Design Sponge’s Living In series reignited that love again. The colours!!!
Is it Friday already?? Ha – I say that because I honestly have no idea what day it is half the time. My days consist of snuggling, rocking, one-handed eating and trying to do everything else in the moments of quiet.
I’m slowly getting back into things – Evs is transitioning back to full-time work and so the days that he is home I am taking full advantage and letting them have their daddy-son bonding time which gives me space to just…be. And sleep. Mainly sleep really. We’ve also managed to get out of the house a few times and even braved the shops to get Rehan some new clothes (he’s in that awkward in-between stage of being too big for his newborn clothes and too small for the 0-3 month ones).
One good thing about having a baby is the time you have to catch up on reading – I spend the times with Rehan attached to my boob scrolling through blogs on my iPad and attending to him as he makes cooing noises or somehow manages to fall off or asleep.
So, here are a few links that I have read and loved this week.
This made me snort out of my coffee in the morning – kids can be disturbingly creepy. My favourite – “I want to peel all your skin off”. I cannot WAIT till Rehan starts talking.
Being an Instagram addict – I love the idea of this DIY wall art. Am very tempted to get a frame and put this up in the hallway.
I’ve always thought that running is more than just a way to get fit and exercise. It’s literally a METAPHOR for life. Here’s 17 things running teaches you about life. I love very single one of them.
Dealing with a squealing baby sometimes (ok, most of the time) makes your nerves frayed and ends frazzled and the importance of me-time has never stood out so much for me. There are just MOMENTS where I know I just need to be quietly by myself before I can be a better person to those around me. Kinda like the oxygen-in-the-airplane scenario. This post from Tiny Buddha (one of my newest fave sites!) write about how taking quiet time for yourself helps people around you.
If you have not heard of Bad Lip Reading you need to go see THIS. It will make you pee your pants. And then when you’re done – watch the latest one for The Walking Dead. The exchange between Rick and The Governor at the end nearly made me split my stitches. You have been warned.
Yep, I’m still here. It’s been hard not to be impatient and I’m actually really glad for the Easter break because it means that Evs will be home for FOUR days and he can entertain me. Well, at the very least distract me. I have been getting Braxton-Hicks contractions all morning, but that means nothing. Could still be days and my due date is still a few days away.
We don’t have much plans for this weekend, aiming to try and stay close to home (or the hospital!) as much as we can and so it’s going to be a local affair. Maybe brunch out at a cafe over the weekend, some last minute shopping but mainly just relaxing and trying to get as much sleep as we can before this baby comes. My Mum has forbidden me to go into labour on Saturday because they have a wedding to go to. Yep, sure Mum – I’ll pass that onto the baby
It’s insane to think in about a week’s time, we will be parents.
PARENTS.
Anyways, baby-talk aside – I hope that wherever you are, you get to spend some time with your loved ones as well. And, of course, indulge in a little chocolate. Whether that’s a Lindt Gold Bunny (Evs’ tradition – ever since we have been together, each year he gets me a Gold Lindt bunny. This year, it was gone within the day. Took me much of the day, but it was gone.), or some raw, dark chocolate (I bought a bar of Loving Earth’s raw choc-mint flavour – like a fudgy after-dinner mint).
And if you get the chance to sit and have a moment to yourself, here are some links to read this weekend:
Um, as of July 1 2013, Google Reader is shutting down! I have already made the move to Feedly (love it!), but here’s a post to help you get sorted for the move.
My gorgeous friend Lesh contributed a moving post to one of my favourite blogs, Tiny Buddha about the way she dealt with life when it didn’t quite go to plan. I loved it because it was so relatable in any context and amazing to see how she has squared her shoulders, lifted her head and just lived life even when seemingly it felt out of control.
So, if you’re wondering how to not go too far with the chocolate overload this Easter, or even wanting a healthier version of your favourite choc dishes – perhaps this tahini and chocolate mousse recipe will hit the spot. Yep, I just said tahini and chocolate mousse in the same sentence. Also contains avocado
Maybe I’m just hormonal, but Melissa’s posts at Dear Baby always get me going. This letter to her daughter, Everly, summed up everything I hope for my own child – the fear and the anticipation, the proud moments of watching them thrive and turn into their own person.
I am no fashionista and always struggle to figure out what exactly are the essentials I should have in my wardrobe – for any occasion. I was racking my brains and then I remembered this post that listed it out for me.
Hey folks! It’s the weekend again! Not that it really matters for me – the days also have melted into one. BUT, I can still be excited because it does mean that Evs is home for the next two days and he can help alleviate some of my boredom free time.
I am plodding along and literally waiting for baby to arrive. My due date is in about a week (Easter Monday in fact), so every post could be my LAST. Duh duh DUH.
(Yep, I like to be dramatic somewhat).
Despite my lack of internet, I have painstakingly gathered some links that I have read over the last week and that caught my eye. I hope you enjoy them too!
For those people who aren’t really into heavy breakfasts – typically with either some sort of grain or bread – Maria over at Econest has some ideas to switch it up without getting all blah. Bonus – sugar-free as well.
I was looking at this list and thinking I should have known half of these things while I was in my corporate job. A great post for any professional woman with career tips from the most successful women in the world. My favourite – “Forget the ladder, climb the jungle gym”.
A beautiful post that reminds me that everyone’s love language is different. So Evs might not be a classically romantic guy, but he shows love in a different way.
I am really, really wishing I could go along to this – but alas small thing called a baby will be here. Melbourne peeps – if you are free – I’d highly recommend it. These girls are amazing.
With Winter coming upon us (and thus the shorter days and lack of natural light!) and the urge to take better photos (it’s half the reason I don’t post many recipes – Instagram can only do so much lol) – I’m considering building my own light box. Here’s a great tutorial on how to DIY one of your own.
Did you hear about Lululemon’s recall on their new line of yoga pants because they were too sheer?? Jimmy Kimmel give us his (hilarious) opinion on it through this video about the yoga pant shortage.
Also, given my sporadic blogging – for the first baby news you’re more likely to catch me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
It feels like it’s been a while since I have a done a weekend post, and I blame…well….there’s a few things to blame, but I won’t go there. Because it is the weekend and that deserves happy thoughts! I have officially started my maternity leave so for the first time in a very long time, I have endless days in front of me (well as endless up until the point baby decides to make an appearance!) with nothing to do and nothing to think about. The last time I felt this way was when I finished my university degree and hadn’t started my first job – those few months in between were glorious and so full of possibility and TIME.
The heat has been relentless over the last week or so with temperatures way above what is considered decent for Autumn, and only in the last day or so have I been able to get some relief from the weather.
So what am I doing with my time?? Good question.
Well, because Evs has always said that I’m quite insane – I signed up to Marie Forleo’s b-school that started on Tuesday. She is insane, she is hilarious and no-nonsense and I feel like I have learnt so much in the mere days I have started this course. It was a huge investment on my part, both financially and given I don’t actually have a business yet – but I have an idea, actually two, and that means a lot of change for me in the coming year.
What does that mean for this blog??
Nothing much really – but, what it will be is that I am going to keep this space as a space for me – to write. To share my life and ramblings, to not try and fit every passion of mine into one little box. As I inch closer to having my world completely turned upside down, I need a place that I€ can come to and just pour my heart out. I had stopped that with my old blog, fearful I had given away too much of myself, but you know what – it was HONEST. It wasn’t always positive but it was REAL.
I like to think I have grown since that time, and I will keep this place a positive and safe one for me. I will be sharing what’s on my mind, motherhood, marriage, my daily life and of course – these weekend links.
What I am then going to do is sometime in the near future (not sure when yet, perhaps once I have slightly gotten over the sleep deprivation-survival stage of parenthood) is launch my new site that will primarily focus on everything health and wellbeing. This passion of mine, I think is too big for this blog and it deserves its own place in the internet. I am going to be gentle on myself and take it very slow – these are all ideas, but the spark has been ignited and I’m surrounded by people with similar passions and drive that I am going to make this work.
So….that’s my plan. And once the new site is up and running, I’ll let y’all know.
Onto this weekend’s reading!
There’s something else that I’ve been counting down the days to and that’s happening on March 31. C’mon people – Game of Thrones Season 3!! And to gear up for it, Thought Catalog found a video that takes us back to the time of the mid-90’s when Xena and Hercules ruled and did a trailer for Game Of Thrones in the same style. Oh you know you would have watched it back then as well.
When it comes to trips, I find myself becoming a bit of a frantic planner – I NEED to have some things certain and planned. Evs, surprisingly, while he is the most OCD organised person there is in every other aspect of life – actually likes to go with the flow. What are you? What about your partner/travel buddy?
“Shadow careers… (are) things we do that are not our true calling. We get a lot of certainty out of our shadow careers, but not true fulfilment. Imagine the artist who chose the corporate route instead. Or the writer who chose to be an attorney. Or the healer who chose to become an insurance agent. Or the entrepreneur who took the 9 to 5 because it was a more certain path. The shadow career is a false expression of who we really are”I read this post from the lovely Connie Chapman (*fist bump* last name share!) and it really resonated with me. I feel like that it could have been written directly to me and I’ve taken the first steps to move out of mine and the world’s shadow.
I have bookmarked this post because it will be PERFECT for the baby’s nursery. Such a simple DIY, it looks great for parties as well.
I was actually going to try this if baby was showing no sign of coming after my due date. There IS actually a scientific reason to why this has been suggested in the first place but this hilarious article made me laugh out loud (because I’m uncomfortable and pregnant and willing to try anything to get baby out).
Ok questions – what would you, dear reader, like to see more on this blog? Happy that I’ll be sharing MORE of my brain-farts with you? Will you check out my health blog when it gets launched??
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