Thought for the day.....

I recently found this fabulous quote on the internet. It hit a nerve with me as I have just celebrated a birthday and turned another year older. I am also about to start a new journey with my youngest child going to school.

Life will be very different next year for our family and especially for me. I am sure there are other mum's following this blog who are about to let go of the umbilicord of one of their children starting school.....it's an emotional time for us, but also an exciting time, as we let our babies go off and discover a new world of learning, we too, can re-discover ourselves.

Taking time out with Family

I have been missing in action this month! Our family took a well deserved break to Thailand and Singapore.

What an amazing trip!The food (see Mummas Family Kitchen for all the goss), the people, the country, the sunshine, the culture - all captured our hearts.

The kids travelled extremely well and adjusted to all the different types of adventures along the way. Scott and I had a chance to chill out and re-evaluate our goals and the upcoming year of 2012.

The best part of the trip was being with our family with no interruptions - no mobiles, no emails, no rushing around, no schedules. Just us! We would spend entire days by the pool in the resort with the kids swimming, making friends and ordering their own cocktails from the pool bar.

The kids grew over the time we were away. They became more independent and more courageous. Kye became an expert at negotiating prices, Hanna became the dare devil for all adventure and Lukas tried all foods possible.

A family holiday does not have to be overseas or for a lengthy time, even a weekend away is awesome whether it be camping on the beach or in a cottage in the bush. A family holidays will bring you closer and increase the communication. To me, its priceless.

Here are some photos from our family album:

Loving the beautiful beaches in Thailand

Photo with a monkey!

Elephant Riding in the Jungle

Yummy Banana & Nutella Pancakes on the Streets of Karon

We went to the Fantsea Show - spectacular!

Breakfast with the Orangutans at Singapore Zoo

Hanging out in Singapore. Lu and Kye very tired after a big day at the zoo

Where to next???

x

 

The Energy Mission!

Yes, I am on an energy mission!

My results are through and basically, I am stuffed! Here I am thinking I am pretty healthy as I eat fresh foods, hydrate, exercise, take vitamins and enjoy champagne. However, there are some factors in my health that need improvement immediately....they are: I need a huge boost of iron, vitamin d, along with an overhaul on my digestive system and an upload of new hormones. Oh, and I need to learn to pause!

It has been an interesting journey thus far...confronting, to say the least!

Recently, I read a book about Quantum Wellness and found a quote that resonated with me. It read...
"We just cant leave our energy free to roam at will or it will just fall into whatever is crying out the loudest. To be alive, we have to recognise the choices we are making and make better ones". Yes, its as simple as that.

My naturopath asked me to write an essay on "Pausing" to ensure I really understood what it meant and to find a way in my life to implement this important part of living. I am excited to say that meditation is now part of my daily ritual and the word "pause" means more to me than ever before.

This is only the beginning of my journey and I know my renewed energy will increase on a daily basis.

If you are interested to go on a mission to reclaim your energy, wellness and healthy life, my naturopath, Heather Elliot is available to help you. Her email is heather@insideouthealthcare.com.au.

You deserve it!

Meditation & Motherhood...Who has time? You need to find time...

I love this photo......for many reasons...1. I admire a woman who can chill in any situation 2. Regardless of the mess around her created by kids, the woman can breath, relax and meditate and 3. Meditation is possible in chaos.

As you may know, I am working with a naturopath to find my energy. I have had the body scan and the bloods. I will post an update end of the week, it is all very interesting.

One of the areas, we are working on, is meditation and being still. Very hard for a woman who is on the go from the minute she wakes up. I asked my naturopath "How on earth do I go from being "on" all day and then stopping to sit cross legged and meditate, then get back up and be "on" again. Her reply "You need to learn how to "Pause". Women are either on or off, there is no in between, which is the secret to balance and energy". I slouched back in my chair, guilty as charged.

So, after some thought, I put a plan together and it's working! Here are the reasons why I avoided meditation in the past:

• I can't sit still for more than 1 minute without feeling I need to be doing something else
• My mind would fill with everything I needed to do after the attempt of meditation
• The voice on a meditation CD would shit me to tears
• A kid would find me and ask me for a drink or something to eat
• I could not turn off to just sit and meditate in the middle of the day

So, I went to the library and borrowed 10 meditation CD's. I sat and listened to the first minute of the voice and chose a woman who will not irritate me. I then planned to meditate first thing in the morning by setting my alarm before any patter of the feet. I believed this idea would ease me into the day, give me the energy I need whilst everyone else is asleep (no interruptions) and my mind is not filled with clutter.

The first morning I tried this, I thought I would try the 20 minute meditation and in the back of mind, reminded myself that if I lasted a minimum of 5 minutes, I was doing more than my average score.

However, a magical thing happened! At the end of 20 minutes, I felt like I had been in my position meditating for a few short minutes. The time had flown. I felt lighter, happier and ready to take on the day. I was not sure if it was a mindset or the meditation. So, I tried it again and again.....now I have created a habit that I am excited to be sharing.

I know this might be extreme, but here are 100 reasons to meditate.....it may be worth your while to investigate:

Physiological benefits:
1- It lowers oxygen consumption.
2- It decreases respiratory rate.
3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
4- Increases exercise tolerance.
5- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.
6- Good for people with high blood pressure.
7- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
8- Decreases muscle tension
9- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis etc.
10- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms.
11- Helps in post-operative healing.
12- Enhances the immune system.
13- Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress
14- Enhances energy, strength and vigour.
15- Helps with weight loss
16- Reduction of free radicals, less tissue damage
17- Higher skin resistance
18- Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of cardiovascular disease.
19- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing.
20- Decreases the aging process.
21- Higher levels of DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
22- prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases
23- Makes you sweat less
24- Cure headaches & migraines
25- Greater Orderliness of Brain Functioning
26- Reduced Need for Medical Care
27- Less energy wasted
28- More inclined to sports, activities
29- Significant relief from asthma
30- improved performance in athletic events
31- Normalizes to your ideal weight
32- harmonizes our endocrine system
33- relaxes our nervous system
34- produce lasting beneficial changes in brain electrical activity
35- Cure infertility (the stresses of infertility can interfere with the release of hormones that regulate ovulation).
Psychological benefits:
36- Builds self-confidence.
37- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behaviour.
38- Resolve phobias & fears
39- Helps control own thoughts
40- Helps with focus & concentration
41- Increase creativity
42- Increased brain wave coherence.
43- Improved learning ability and memory.
44- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
45- Increased emotional stability.
46- improved relationships
47- Mind ages at slower rate
48- Easier to remove bad habits
49- Develops intuition
50- Increased Productivity
51- Improved relations at home & at work
52- Able to see the larger picture in a given situation
53- Helps ignore petty issues
54- Increased ability to solve complex problems
55- Purifies your character
56- Develop will power
57- greater communication between the two brain hemispheres
58- react more quickly and more effectively to a stressful event.
59- increases one’s perceptual ability and motor performance
60- higher intelligence growth rate
61- Increased job satisfaction
62- increase in the capacity for intimate contact with loved ones
63- decrease in potential mental illness
64- Better, more sociable behaviour
65- Less aggressiveness
66- Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction
67- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals
68- Need less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation
69- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure insomnia
70- Increases sense of responsibility
71- Reduces road rage
72- Decrease in restless thinking
73- Decreased tendency to worry
74- Increases listening skills and empathy
75- Helps make more accurate judgements
76- Greater tolerance
77- Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways

79- Develops emotional maturity
Spiritual benefits:
80- Helps keep things in perspective
81- Provides peace of mind, happiness
82- Helps you discover your purpose
83- Increased self-actualization.
84- Increased compassion
85- Growing wisdom
86- Deeper understanding of yourself and others
87- Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony
88- Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation
89- Increased acceptance of oneself
90- helps learn forgiveness
91- Changes attitude toward life
92- Creates a deeper relationship with your God
93- Attain enlightenment
94- greater inner-directedness
95- Helps living in the present moment
96- Creates a widening, deepening capacity for love
97- Discovery of the power and consciousness beyond the ego
98- Experience an inner sense of “Assurance or Knowingness”
99- Experience a sense of “Oneness”
100- Increases the synchronicity in your life



source - http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/100-benefits-of-meditation/

Where is your Mumma's Retreat? Let's create one for you....

Don't you wish you could be here right now!!

Where is your retreat? It's different for all of us. I have girlfriends who retreat in their bathrooms with candles and wine. Others like to meditate, exercise, read in a favourite chair, drink tea in the sun, lay on daybeds reading magazines and others like to sew to create...for me, I retreat to my kitchen and bathroom. There is nothing more relaxing and fulfilling then cooking a dish and serving it to my family and friends. As well, as laying in the bath with bubbles, candles and trashy mags. Whenever I have been in these two spaces, I always come through the other side a happier mother.

Have a think where your retreat is? If you don't have one, here are some ideas to get you going....do yourself a favour and get on to it today:

• Your retreat should preferably be in your home - we spend so much time at home, that we need a space that we can go to unwind
• It could be your garden, your kitchen, your bedroom, a quiet spot in the house
• Develop a ritual - when you visit this special spot, light candles or an oil burner with relaxing oils, settle in and take some time for you
• Its important to visit your retreat at least 2 times a week at a minimum. Even if this means when all the kids are asleep
• Create a spot that makes you happy - maybe its cooking up a storm with no interruptions, maybe its laying in your bed with a great book. If you have a great spot in the sun, put a comfy chair there just for you
• If you are limited on space in your home, you can still have a little spot for you. Even if it is a shared zone.
• No mobile phones are allowed in your retreat space (I am trying too!)

A retreat is a place where you can stop running and escape the craziness of life as a mother. It may be hard to slow down the to-do list in your head, but even if you can just be in your retreat doing what you love, I truly believe you will visit more often.

Enjoy
x

Cooking with Kids - Warning - not when you are premenstrual!

This is my baby, Lukas. He was born to love food. From the moment he arrived into this world, food was his only focus. When he was a baby, he would shake with excitement at the sight of food. As a toddler, he would try every food given to him. As a kid, he loves eating, being in the kitchen, sitting at the table with the family for any meal and experiencing dining out. This photo was taken of Lukas eating his birthday meringue cake.

Cooking with kids can be testing, frustrating and messy BUT it also can be so much fun, educational for them, a great sense of achievement and a bonding session.

Just know that if you are pre-menstrual and limited on patience, leave it for now and suggest it in a few weeks when you are feeling back to normal.

When you are cooking with kids, its great for them to have their own utensils. Go to the $2 shop and get them a kit, as well as an apron.

Give them free for all to anything in the fridge and pantry. Let them create what they want. A few months ago, Lukas cooked a spaghetti and raw egg pie. He just loved cracking the eggs, cooking the spaghetti and stirring. Don't stress out if there is mess.....its all part of the fun! And part of the learning, every cook has to clean up after their mess.

Ask your kids to help you with preparing dinner (remember, not when pre-menstrual or trying to get dinner on the table in 2 minutes). They love to be involved and will be proud to show off the dish they helped create.

Food is what brings families together. Creating, cooking and eating is a great way to spend time with your family. Get them involved and enjoy it!

PS You may need a glass of wine to relax through this proposed idea.

Energy Update...."Do you have children" was the opening line.....

Ok, Mumma's out there, here is the update....

I had a full blood test done a few weeks ago and met with GP for the results last Friday. The GP I met with,  is one I do not see often and as she sat me done, she asked "Do you have children?". My heart stopped as I asked her "Am I pregnant?".....she smiled and said "No". I replied "Lucky, as I would be suing someone's arse if I was!" (husband had vasectomy 3 years ago.

The GP smiled and continued to explain that all my bloods were excellent. Although, my Vitamin D is too low and needs to be supplemented to avoid osteoporosis in older age, as well as my Iron. Other than that, she suggested to "look at my lifestyle". What does that mean!!!

Anyway, I am off for my body scan this week and to the naturopath on Friday to look at the summary of my health. Since seeing the naturopath last time, I have been eating for my blood type, which is what she suggested, and I have noticed a difference. Check out the website - http://www.dadamo.com/

I have also gone back to exercise with a routine. Not only has my health and energy motivated me to do so, but the thought of swimming in a bikini in 5 weeks time when we go for our holidays, has put a rocket up me to get moving!

Stay tuned.......

Hot Date with Husband? Can it be possible.....

When was the last time you had a hot date with your husband? Just the two of you. If you can't remember, you need to read this blog and commit to planning a special night.

Ahhh, I hear the excuses already! No babysitter, no money, no time, no connection or not sure where to start? Let's say, I can provide you with the solutions to your excuses and guarantee the result will be better than you expected.....

It's always been my focus and priority to have the balance in place with work and life, as well as ensure the practice of love languages (remember the book I mentioned a few weeks ago) is the foundation. Now, there are times where we don't see eye to eye or have arguments, but more often than not, our marriage is pretty solid. I truly believe a contributing factor is our date night theory.

Each week, we organise a date night for just the two of us. It may be sharing a bottle of wine together with a delicious cheese platter, watching a dvd in bed with hot choco, going out for dinner or whatever takes our fancy. The rules - no talking about kids, money or business.

It has been a major point in our relationship, especially if we are having the odd silent treatment or ongoing arguments, as we know that our date night is coming up and we are confronted with each other to sort it out. It also guarantees one night together to reconnect and have time just for us. There are weeks when we are buggered and are busy, but to not do a date night, is not an option.

So, here is my advice for you.....

1. Start with a date night - choose one night during the week that works for you both
2. Take turns in organising the date night - we alternate each week. Much better this way as its a two way commitment
3. If babysitting is tricky, keep your date night in your house when the kids are in bed. Kick off can be 7.30pm/8.00pm. If you kids are not in bed by 8pm, get it sorted so that they are for that one night.
4. If budgets are tight, that's fine too. Time together costs nothing. Grab a DVD for $4 (date night is a great movie to watch) or a nice bottle of wine for $10
5. Too tired! Get over it. You need to invest in your marriage. What you put in, you will get back
6. Too busy? Too bad. We are all stinking busy. To get the support you need in your marriage, you need to reconnect and be on the same page

More advice:

Babysitting - Last year my sister-in-law suggested that we swap over our kids for babysitting to give each other the chance for a kid free night. It is the best idea! We have no guilt when leaving our kids. They have a ball. Plus its nice to be able to pay back the favour. If you don't have family support in this way, find a neighbour or a high school girl to babysit for a few hours. They charge between $10 and $15 per hour. Its worth the 2 hours to get away

Money - Don't use this as an excuse. You can organise date nights at a minimal cost. There are so many great deals on at the moment. Join the database of www.spreets.com.au and www.cudo.com.au. Snap up an opportunity to dine at a gorgeous restaurant at a great price

No Connection - It's easy to have no connection with your partner. Sometimes you don't even realise it until its too late. However, if you want to change your marriage for the better, its time to step up and take ownership. Often the problem is lack of communication and living in separate worlds under the same house. A date night will bring back the intimacy, the communication and reconnection, which in turn, will bring back your marriage

So, all you need to do, is commit. Would love to hear your date night stories! Get creative, have fun and feel the difference. Enjoy!

Are women born bitchy?

It has made me wonder! Just before I get into this topic, a heads up on parenting....no-one told me that it gets harder on an emotional level as kids grow year by year. When they are babies, even toddlers, it's a different kind of hard. When they grow up, the are less dependent on you physically, but I have learnt that you are more needed for them emotionally.

Over the past few weeks, my daughter Hanna has experienced "bullying" first hand by an older student at her school. It really shocked us, as Hanna is a great kid with a very kind heart. When we first learnt of what had happened, we spoke with the school and more importantly, focused on Han's self-esteem and confidence. By gosh, it was hard work but worth every minute....

The school were fantastic and handled the situation very professional and caring. However, our concern was Hanna as she enters the age of 9 and being self assured to stand up to little girls who are down right mean and rude.

Well, our baby did! It took awhile for her to gain her own courage in her own time, which I had to be patient with on many levels. We just stood by Hanna and breathed confidence in her every day, gave her the tools to move forward and to deal with similar situations in the future. It has been a slow process...but tonight, I nearly burst into tears at the dinner table.

Hanna proudly told us that she had a meeting with the nasty girl and her teacher. She eyeballed her and told her what she did was not acceptable and then left the girl to be dealt with and sit in her sorrow. The smile on Hanna's face was priceless. It took alot of courage for her to stand up and confront the bully. We just hope that the little girl learnt a huge life lesson and takes the option of not growing up to be bitchy or a bully, as it gets you no where in life and we need more women to stand up and be proud to say "its not acceptable!".

Are you getting any?

Come on now, lets be honest!

Well, the word going around, is that we all freakin tired and have no energy for wild passionate sex. Is this part of the gig of motherhood? It can easily be, as it's often the last thing we feel like doing as we lay our head on the pillow or our partner gives us the eye across the kitchen bench.

I am on the search for the secret ingredient to give us more energy.....news will be launched next week....

In the meantime, we need to get our minds interested before we can physically be keen for the sack. One of my favorite sex therapists is Dr Laura Berman who is a regular on the Oprah show. Here is some of her advice:

The sex and intimacy cycleSex and intimacy are closely linked in our brains, but men and women respond differently to intimacy. Many men can't feel intimate with their partner unless their sex life is satisfying, but many women can't enjoy sex without intimacy. For men, sex feeds intimacy, and for women, intimacy feeds sex. These sexual differences can be disruptive to your relationship, so it is important to nourish your sex life with intimacy.

One of Dr Berman's solutions:

Commit to Sex at Least Once a Week
While putting sex on your weekly to-do list might seem like one of the least romantic things ever, Dr. Berman says it could be the key to reviving your intimacy. "It feels unromantic at first [to schedule sex] because we have the misconception that sex is supposed to happen spontaneously, which it does in the beginning of the relationship when your dopamine centers of the brain are firing and everything's new and you can't get enough of each other," Dr. Berman says. "But that doesn't work in a long-term relationship. If you wait for it to happen spontaneously, you're going to be waiting forever."

For more information, you can read more of Dr Berman's advice on www.drlauraberman.com

Marriage.....Complicated? Happiness? In her opinon....

I recently read in an interview given by Gai Waterhouse, the famous Australian thoroughbred trainer about her secret to making a marriage last....I kept the article to remind me of her philosophy, as it's one worth reading.

Gai explained in the interview that the secret to making her marriage work is making her husband the priority in her life, as she will not have her kids forever. They will eventually move on with their own lives and relationships and she prefers not to be on of those mothers swinging on the children's tails.

She continued to explain "I want to look after my husband so when he gets home he has the girlfriend, not the cranky wife. Now that doesn't always happen, but, as you know, I really make him my No.1 concern and he lets me on a very loose rein; he lets me have my freedom. I couldn't stand it if my husband were restrictive with me".

Interesting! I remember watching an Oprah show years ago with a strong opinionated woman stood up in the audience and claimed that she put her husband before her children. The majority of women were outraged asking  "how could you not put your children first?". It caused an interesting debate. Later on in the show, the woman with the opinion explained "If I dont look after my marriage, everything else suffers". It made sense to me.

However, I am sure we are all for the idea of making our partner our priority, but it must be a two way partnership. It would be easy to give up on this idea if there was no loving in return.

One of the best books I have ever read on relationships is "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. The husband and I read this book years ago. It was an eye opener and we implemented the tools which is the basis of our marriage. We know that if we have the love languages in place, everything else will be fine.

Take the assessment today and figure out your love language. Ask your partner to take his test. The result may surprise you. It could be the answer you have been looking for to find out how your partner works....

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/personal-profiles/?profiletype=wives

I have a secret to share.....

Today I admitted and surrendered to the fact that I am a tired woman walking around with no energy. Generally, I would consider myself healthy. I eat well, I hydrate, I exercise (well you know) and I take supplements. However, something is missing and that something is draining me!

So, my journey of self discovery starts today with the accountability of a newly appointed naturopath and my blog to you.

From the past few months, since I have been connected with you, I feel a real sense of community of women and mothers. Hence, the reason for sharing this journey with you. I am pretty certain there is a majority of women who feel the same and I am hoping my exposure helps them take the step to sort out their energy levels too.

I promise to be honest with you BUT you need to promise to be honest with yourself. DEAL!!!

Ok, so today, I find myself in the naturopath's office with a 90 minute consultation of my past 37 years. Confronting and exciting. I have been sent off for full blood tests, a body scan, a psych test and a new eating plan. The journey has begun...

My goals - to have new levels of energy, to wake each morning fresh and ready to take on the day, to increase my sex drive, to improve my inner health, to reduce my bags under my eyes, to create a habit of exercise and meditation and to set in place a healthy mindset to move into my 38th year of life. I feel like I have found the perfect woman to lead me on this self discovery.......stay tuned for the findings along the way.....xxx

Women need Women....

I have always been blessed with an amazing bunch of girlfriends in my life. The majority I have known for over 20 years. Since I was young, I have always felt the importance of nurturing friendships. Over time, some girlfriends need more help than others whilst other girlfriends just need to have a good time in a positive space.  I always feel so much better after a girly session at the movies, lunch dates or girls nights out.

On the weekend I was chatting with my Aunty who was telling me a story about a friend of hers who had recently been made redundant. With the timing of it all, she also had a trip booked away overseas with her girlfriends. The friend felt guilty in going especially after just losing her job. However, my wise Aunt explained to her and to me, that women need women.

The timing of going away with a group of your closest girlfriends who understand, love and care for you, could not have been better. Sometimes we just need to be taken care of to be able to stand tall again to take on the next challenge. Our girlfriends are the best people for this support role. It's different type of love, support and nurturing than what we receive from our partners. My Aunt explained she could have survived her life thus far without the network of girlfriends who have become like family over the decades of friendships.

Whilst we care for the women we know, this subject also makes me think about mothers  we don't know. Regardless, we can easily provide a non-judgemental smile of support when we another women's child having a tantrum in the grocery aisle or refusing to put on their seatbelt. Instead of rolling our eyes or thinking to ourselves, "that kid is out of control", give her a reassuring smile that says "sister, i know how you feel, you are doing fine". It will make their day.

Give your girlfriends a hug this week - betcha they need one x

What's for dinner Mum?

Like every mother out there, I am sure you are asked this question at least once a day from one of your children.....sometimes (more often than not) you have no clue what is for dinner! As cooking is one of my all time passions, I have a secret recipe I would like to share with you. I guarantee the kids will love this. It takes no time. Its good for them. It's all done in one pot. Need I say more.....I usually cook this when I know the day is going to fly by and there is no time to cook anything!

Mumma's Retreat Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Pour yourself a glass of wine.....you always need one in hand when cooking

2. Oops, I forgot, this is a slow cook recipe, so maybe save the wine for when you eat instead of 7am in the morning before you head out the door

3. Turn on your slow cooker (if you don't have one, do not muck around, you need to buy one)

4. Place a whole chicken (free-range or organic), 2 carrots chopped, 2 zucchinis chopped, 1 broccoli chopped, 3 gloves garlic chopped, chicken stock cubes x 4 in the slow cooker

5. Cover with ingredients with water - enough to cover the chicken

6. Cook on slow for 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours

7. At the end, add cup of peas and a tin of corn. Break up 2 packets of instant noodles and add to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve into bowls.

8. That's it! Its a filling, delicious, healthy meal. Kids will love it.

For adults, you can add chilli, coriander, ginger.

Save the leftovers in the fridge or freeze in containers.......its all about knowing the easy shortcuts to feeding a family. More to come...............

The Happiness Project....

"In my mind...[if] you wake up healthy, and you wake up happy, and your family's safe and happy and healthy, then everything else pales in comparison." Faith Hill, singer



I recently had dinner with a great friend of mine. We had not seen each other for ages and it was awesome catching up on our lives. My girlfriend filled me on a book that she had just read, which had a huge impact on her life. I was enthralled by her review of the book and the changes she had already made in her life.

When I returned home at midnight, I ordered the book online and excitedly waited for the postman to deliver the goods. Fast forward to this past weekend, when I finished the book. Well, I have to say, its a pretty good book and one I would recommend to other women.

It is called "The Happiness Project" by Gretchin Rubin - http://www.happiness-project.com/. It is about a woman who has two young children, a career, a marriage and the juggling act we are all familiar with. Her mission is to spend a year discovering her true happiness in every area of her life and then incorporating changes to ensure her happiness is fulfilled. Its a book that really gets you thinking!

What is happiness? Do you experience true happiness every day? The goal is to fall into bed at the end of the day, as we all do, exhausted, with a smile on our face knowing that we have experienced happiness in some form or at least helped someone else experience a little bit of happiness in their day. It costs nothing. All it takes is for you to think about it and act on it. Try it. It could be the difference in our day that we all need.

Back to routine....

For the mother's in Sydney, we can now take a big breath and welcome back routine!

School holidays are great for a break from the same old, same old and to have unstructured plans with the kids. However, it also a great feeling to go back to routine with a new school term. It feels more organised.

When I finished work today, I came home and took a long, hot shower and washed my hair (overdue!!). In the shower, I looked down at my disgusting chipped nail polish on my toes and vowed to take 5 minutes to remove the scaly nail polish and repaint them with a bright colour. My feet look fantastic and it somehow also gave me a spring in my step. Although, my feet are freezing, I am not wearing shoes to admire my fresh toes! Gosh, the little things in life...

Welcome back to routine - we are all back on for another 11 weeks. I am sure by mid way, we will all be looking forward to the next school holidays but for now, we can just stop, breath and easy back into it. We might even get five minutes to do our toes and/or have a cup of tea in peace. Enjoy!

The week of being a Psycho Mother

Over a glass of wine during the week, my husband gently said to me " Do not come home tomorrow unless you have bought your vitamin B6". I glarred at him, knowing exactly what he meant, but of course, denied his accusation and said "I have no idea what you are talking about!". He looked at me, knowing me too well as words were not needed.

It has been a huge week with the balance of work and school holidays. Not to mention frustrations with our renovations moving forward, the dog on his death bed, my eyebrows being overgrown, our cleaner leaving us, organising Hanna starting her new school on Monday, entertaining the kids and rushing from the moment I woke up and remembering to smile through it all!

On top of this, I had the worst pre-menstrual symptoms in a long time. My friends would confirm that nothing much fazes me, I usually take life on and deal with it as it comes by. Ah no, not this week. Everything aggravated me.

After the conversation with the husband, I realised why! About 2 years ago, I went to a hormone naturopath as I was at my wits end with my periods. My body had been through a lot with hormones and medication over the past 9 years with my babies and it had taken its toll. After my consultation with this amazing woman, my life changed for the better. No more cramps, no more heavy periods, no  more cravings, no more fatigue, no more bloating, no more psycho moments.

The concoction included expensive herbs and tonics, as well as the best vitamin on this planet - B6. After I finished the herbs/tonics, I continued to take B6 and I felt amazing. UNTIL, this month! I ran out of my lifeline vitamin and went up to our local health shop to buy more. They had run out and suggested another brand and overall B vitamin. I asked for assurance that this will not make me a psycho woman!

Well, I have learnt my lesson. The substitute has not worked. This week, all the symptoms came back and were amplified with school holidays. It was time to go and get the B6!

The result.....I came home yesterday with the B6. I made my husband his favourite Duck & Miso Soup for dinner. I hugged my kids and apologised to overreacting from tripping over toys and being on edge. I went to bed last night with gratitude knowing that I would wake up with a calming presence.

So far so good!

NB: Please note I am not a doctor or naturopath, this just works for me. If you have similar symptoms, please see a professional before taking any supplements

Does Motherhood Define You?

"You don't stop being a woman when you start being a mother. Motherhood doesn't define you. It is one of many roles that you assume. You have to bring all your own gifts, traits and characteristics to the role. Your actions must be consistent with what you think, hope, believe and value as a person. You cannot have peace in your mind and heart unless you are being authentic."

— Dr. Phil

Women have many roles in life and motherhood tends to plays the major part.However, this role does not have to define who we are or take over our individuality. It is a tricky balance to find, as motherhood is the most consuming role. One that we are part of every day, every week, every minute.

Somewhere in the cycle of playing our different roles, we need to remember and reclaim who we really are. This may be done by simply including something you really enjoy for yourselves every day - having a coffee on your own, sewing, painting, reading, cooking (for passion not for a chore!), having a warm bath.. Its about including passions back into our life to remind us of what we really like to do.

It may also be balanced by career - having a part-time/full-time job or own business. Women find themselves in their field of work as they are seen in that place as a person, not a mother.

It may also be found by having a break. Whether this be one day a week, one hour a week or a weekend away.

Sometime today, take 10 minutes and think about who you truly are beside a mother and try to incorporate little acts of pleasure that will remind you of who you really are.....welcome back!

Give up Champagne to lose 1kg in 94 days? Are you serious!

There is nothing more refreshing than popping open a bottle of champagne! Whether this be with a group of girlfriends, at a dinner party, with your partner or at a crisis.

A glass of champagne can make a world of difference and does not require a full blown celebration to be popped! Its always a winner at kids parties for mothers to take a moment to chill whilst the children are running wild on sugar.

I have often wondered if eliminating champagne would reduce my muffin top or shed a few kilos, as I always seem to read that this is a key point to reduce your calories. However, I  have always carefully considered the options of either sanity or crankiness!

Today I read in the paper that an option to lose the muffin top is to eliminate one 120ml glass of champagne (which is 94 calories - who knew!) and guess what, you will lose a kilo in 94 days!!! God give me strength.

I personally believe that the one glass of champagne that you have every three months is worth the one kilo of weight we will keep. Life is too short to not have bubbles. Muffin top is here to stay!

NB: Please note I am not suggesting to drink gallons of champagne, so survive motherhood.......I am just stating this from a personal viewpoint, which I know, the majority, would agree x

Source - Body and Soul, Sunday Telegragh 3 July 2011

I am so freakin tired!!!

As it comes to the end of another quarter, the end of the first six months of the year, the end of school term, I have found myself to be sooooo tired!

With tiredness comes frustration, emotional eating, irritability, impatience, insomnia and the feeling of it all being too much. As a mother, we never really get to just "sit" and do nothing, there is always something going on or someone needing us.

If you are feeling the same way this week, here are some suggestions to pep you up and enjoy the rest of your week:

• Go the movies with your girlfriends and see a funny movie - Bridesmaids (current movie at the moment) will make you laugh
• Start taking B12 vitamins (mine have just run out, no wonder I am tired). This is an awesome vitamin to give you extra energy
• Drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day
• Go for a walk alone around the block in the fresh air - even 10 minutes
• Enjoy a lavender bath with a magazine (I am on my way now!)
• Have an early night
• Eat energy foods - lots of fresh fruit and veggies
• Cut down on caffeine and try the herbal teas
• Go to Hawaii on your own for 10 days and do nothing but drink cocktails and lay by the pool (sorry, I was dreaming!)
• Have more sex (I am fine thanks)
• Take ginseng supplement or tea

Well, there you have it! Let's unite and try at least on of these suggestions and see if it makes a difference....

Quality time is children's love language

It is rare to have quality time with each child, especially if you have more than one child in the family. From my experience yesterday,it may be worth finding the time, as it could be the best gift you could give.

Yesterday, Kye had a pupil free day at his new school. We had been organising the day for weeks as an incentive for help him along with his new changes. Kye asked that we go for lunch with his Nonna, go to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda 2 and to do some "shopping"! We had such a wonderful day together. I could not help but watch the excitement in his eyes throughout the whole day. He fell asleep last night filled with love. As he closed his eyes, he said "You are the best mum. Thanks for the best day of my life. Love ya".

Years ago I read an amazing book called "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. Initially the book was about relationships. It honestly changed our way of thinking and our relationship. It is one of the best books I have read for really understanding your partner. Years later, Gary realised another book along the same lines and this time it was about our children.

The book basically explains that we all have different needs to fill our love tanks. When our love tanks are filled, we will feel love, security, validated and we are then able to fill others love tanks. It all makes sense when you read it.

The point I am getting to is, our kids need quality time (one of the love languages). They don't need more stuff, more food, more activities, more entertainment. They need us! If you really think about it, try and remember the last time you had quality time with just one of your children one on one. I am just as guilty, especially with having three children.

But......from my day yesterday, it reminded me how much a child needs our individual attention and love. I was lucky to have a full day with Kye, but it could be as simply, as taking one of your kids to have a milkshake, go for a walk, play a game together. Ideally, if you have other children, it may be easy to leave the house to be able to give your full attention. It could be for an hour or two or even a car ride together.

My new goal is to schedule once a month individual time with each child. It is the time when you really can find out what is going on in their little heads with no interruptions.

Try and give it a go this month.......would love you feedback!

A touch of sanity at the end of the day

Yesterday I found myself sitting next to an amazing woman at a children's birthday party. We started with the general chit chat and then found ourselves in a deep and meaningful conversation, as you do, when you have a connection.

We were chatting about her work and how she helps women who have found themselves in a difficult circumstance. This is through a government supported program which is a free service. Through her work, she finds one common thread with women - they have let themselves become the last priority in their lives and they simply can't find a way upwards.

We talked about the three main common factors of depression - 1. Poor nutrition 2. Negative thoughts

3. No physical movement. She explained that many women are in some state of depression without even knowing.

I asked her what would be the one thing a woman could do on a daily basis that would lift her spirits and that would not cost a cent. Her reply - an evening ritual of a bath.

Ahhhh, what bliss! I have many girlfriends who have an evening ritual of sitting in the bath for hours on end at the end of a long day. Its their sanctuary.

So, tonight my dear friends, you have a job to do:

1. Once the kids are in the bed, the dinner is cleaned up, the prep is done for the next day and all the other stuff you need to do is done, go to the bathroom (does not matter what time)

2. Pour yourself a hot bath - add some drops of lavender

3. Light candles or dim the lights

4. Pour yourself a glass of wine or a make yourself a cup of tea

5. Bring in a book or magazine

6. Close the door for no interruptions

7. Pop into the bath and breathe in the beautiful relaxing lavender. Take this time to just relax. Read or just stare at the wall. Think about the day that was and the day that is coming.

8. Stay there for as long as you like.....

Try to do this a couple of times a week, if not every night, you will notice a difference in your everyday life just from this simple yet effective ritual.

Enjoy x

The "Mama Bear" in all of us

"I've never wanted to be in touch with my masculine side—I've always ignored it, as I love being a woman. But maybe it's been there the whole time and I simply haven't recognized it, perhaps the mama bear in me, the part that wants to fiercely protect my baby boy, is my masculine side rising to the surface."

— Madisyn Taylor, DailyOM

It has been a week since Kye started his new school. The decision to move him from Montessori schooling was a emotional and difficult, as the system allowed Kye to be truly who he is. However, as he grew older, we learnt that he required structure, routine and discipline to truly thrive in his schooling. We were fortunate enough to find a wonderful school in our local area and Kye was blessed to be placed in the hands of a caring, nurturing yet firm Kindergarten Teacher.

Kye's first week has been a rollercoaster. He was excited to take on the adventure, as well as nervous about the new changes. There were times both Scott and I just wanted to take him out of the new school and place him under our wing. There were times were we felt like bribing kids to play with him and be his friend. There were times where we had to smile and be brave when really we felt like shedding a tear. However, through being strong and guiding Kye, we have helped him create a fantastic result. Just after one week he is now running into school and telling us that his favourite part of his day is going to school.

This experience has reminded me of the emotional challenges we have with our kids. The Mama Bear will always come out of us when we want to protect our kids. However, through letting them find their way, allowing them make their mistakes and feel their emotions, we are creating children with confidence, resilience and happiness.

As mothers, it is hard to stand back and watch this happen, but as mothers, its our role to allow our children to walk ahead on their own, in their own way.

We can all imagine this will only become more challenging as our children reach the teenage years, so for now,let's be grateful for this age and know that what we are teaching our children now will infact help them later on life when puberty hits! Or at least we hope so!

Sanity in 72 hours

For the past 15 years, I have been going away for a weekend with my close group of girlfriends. The goal is to relax, catch up, shop, enjoy gourmet food and champagne. It is also a chance to take time out from reality, away from the kids and away from the routine of life.

In the early days, we were escaping for completely different reason compared to the reasons of the recent years.

We are all mothers now. We all need a break. We all know for sure that when we return home on Sunday night that we are rested and have a fresh approach to the household. There is nothing more refreshing than having a break.

The husbands all seem to cope in their own way. Some of us have had to let go of the worry. They always survive and I know they actually prefer their own time with the kids, in their own way. I know my husband and kids really enjoy the bonding time. They also seem to really appreciate me even more so, when I come home. When I arrived home last night there was a gift and a note from the kids reading "To a Special Mum".

This past weekend we stayed in Kangaroo Valley which is located 2 hours from south of Sydney. We had an open fire, gorgeous cheeses, red wine and great conversation. On the Friday we shopped our way down the coast, on Saturday we spent all day on a gourmet food tour, eating our way around the Valley. Sunday was time for brunch in Berry and some more shopping!

Your weekend escape does not have to be for an entire weekend. You could start from just one night in the city. Take it from me, whether it is for 24 hours or 72 hours, the after affect of sanity will help you take on the next 6 to 12 months ahead.

There are only a few "must do" before you start searching for a great deal:

1. You must go with fabulous friends who can listen to what is happening in your life
2. You must be able to listen and ask questions/support to your girlfriends on the weekend
3. Try minimal contact with your family. They will survive.
4. Take the time on the weekend to be thankful for the time out. Its not easy to get away, but when you do, take a moment to be grateful
5. Sleep, sleep and sleep where you can and catch up. Although, a late night chat with your bestie is priceless
6. No guilt at ALL. You deserve it.

Go now and find a great group of friends and enjoy!

Who is Raquel?

Not that its all about me, but seeing as I am the creator of Miracle Beginnings/Mummas Retreat. I thought it would be an idea to share a little bit about me and the vision behind the idea of Mummas Retreat.

Nearly three years ago, I published my first book - Miracle Beginnings. The book and concept was to share my story of having two premmie babies and the miracle of having a full term baby against all odds. I shared my honesty with post natal depression and the scary world of my emotions after the trauma from the births. The book also includes beautiful stories from other prem mothers who survived against all odds. It truly is a gift to be able to share with others. Since the launch of the book, I have received many emails thanking me for writing the book. Women really felt the connection, which was why I wrote the book in the first place.

Then came along the vision to open a cottage for mothers to visit for getting themselves together after pregnancy and having a baby. We need to reconnect on so many levels and taking the first step is always a little scary, especially when you don't know where to start. The cottage is my ultimate vision - stay tuned for this to evolve in the next two years.

In the meantime, my mission is to share stories on motherhood. My own experiences and others. I work daily on being the best mum I can be to my three children, but there are days when I would prefer to pull the covers over my head and sleep an entire day!

At this point, I welcome you to my blog. Hopefully you can check in on a weekly basis with a glass of wine and read about what other mothers are going through - the good, the bad and the ugly! I look forward to meeting you along the way!

Launch of Mummas Retreat Blog

We are on a new path! For some reason, the miracle beginnings blog is not accessible for blogging. After being frustrated, swearing at the computer and going crazy, I stopped and sat still. Maybe this is a sign!

So, to keep the blogging train chugging along, we have created a new blog for our special section of Miracle Beginnings called "Mummas Retreat". I am a little bit excited about this as it opens up a brand new chapter of an evolving website to offer mother support.

Welcome to my blog - I hope you enjoy the stories along the way. It is all about connection and knowing that you are not alone in this journey of motherhood.