2014 Resolutions

Like everyone after an indulgent festive season I've made a list of promises while my belly aches which I'll struggle to keep.

That's why I made the effort a few years ago to make small, but achievable, resolutions that help add up to a bigger goal.

No more 'loose weight'. It's now have one meat free day a week. No more 'save money'. It's now meal plan each week and stick to a shopping list. Small goals that over time help reach a loftier one.

Last year my aim was to be more creative and be a better person. I think I largely achieved them:

2013 resolutions:

1: Do one nice thing every day

Compliment, help someone, let others through first, donate, talk less and listen more.

2: Capture moments

Take a photo, write a note every day to capture a moment.

3: Cross three things off my bucket list

4: Create more

Home cooked meals, DIY projects, make more

Some of these things are now ingrained in my life. I'd like to think I'm nicer and more considerate. I'm definitely doing things I've always put off and I'm cooking and creating things more.

What remains is to ask myself is what I'd like to do in 2014. As Mini Me reaches for my phone I realise how disconnected I am. So 2014 is about getting in touch again.

2014 resolutions

Go green

- use canvas bags when shopping

- grow my own herbs and veggies

- go to farmers markets more often

Connect more...

- don't complain

- find and support a new charity

... But with less technology

- No phones/iPads after 8pm

- week without Facebook (before going back to work)

- no texting in the car

Benefit of being a mum #6

You can shamelessly get excited and over the top about Christmas, because it's for the kids right?
Merry Christmas!



Yes this is a photo of my dog and Santa. He was my first child after all.

Failing Project 365

Number 59 in my 101 in 1001 seemed simple enough. Take part in Project 365.

How hard is it to take a photo a day? Especially since my muse Mini Me would always be good fodder for photos.

Well it is hard. I made it four months and gave up. Stupid really as I could've had a Christmas theme in December. But I ran out of inspiration. I could've cheated and stored a ton of good photos to roll out each day, but that didn't feel right.

Kicking the texting while driving habit

Mission accomplished.

After a week of going cold turkey and not touching my phone while driving I've kicked the habit.

Yes the first few days were tough. The shakes, the withdrawals. The realisation that nothing happened and no one missed me during that short car trip to the shop. But it got easier and I forgot about my phone.

Even on day 6, while on a bus doing a wine your in the Swan Valley I didn't touch my phone. And I wasn't even driving!

After the week, I was about to relapse. I was just itching to confirm details for lunch tomorrow, wish a friend a happy birthday, ask after a dog's health, check in on a friend. But I held strong. No texting, Facebooking or Instagramming while driving.

Mission accomplished.

No vacancy for more friends

I have enough friends. The quota is full.

That's what I tell myself. I can barely keep in touch with the ones I have. But I continue to pick up one or two new people as I go.

It's not that I'm worth being friends with. It's that I really like people and I like to keep them around. For different reasons they entertain me, make me feel good or are someone I aspire to be. Mostly though they entertain me.

Just before joining my allocated mother's group I went through the same mantra, coupled with 'it's like high school, you get thrown in with a bunch of people who are probably nothing like you, or they're exactly like you and you'll hate them'. I went along to get out of the house.

Bugger. After five weeks of the structured sessions with the Child Health Nurse I started to like them.

My new found besties (minus Kate and the twins)

Benefit of being a mum #5

You can say no to drunken nights out because babies are the excuse no one can argue with.

If only I thought of that last night. Everything tastes as bad as this hangover feels.

Traffic Light Texter

I'm all about efficiency. 

That's why if I'm siting at a traffic light for three long minutes twiddling my thumbs I figure they should get to work. Hello, I'm a Traffic Light Texter.

If you haven't heard from me in a while and I've texted you, I was probably in my car. 

Bake Test: Hummingbird Bakery's Peaches & Cream cupcakes

Would you believe my sprightly Nonna only turned 70 last week.

I truly admire both sets of my grandparents. My young Nonna has led a brace life. In her late thirties she relocated the whole family from Italian's snow-capped mountains to a place where she doesn't know the language, is polar opposite in everything from lifestyle to the weather and of all places chose Kununurra to live in.

She's a force to be reckoned with and my friends were frightened of her, but she melts hearts (and bloats bellies) with her melt-in-your-mouth food.

What do you give a lady who doesn't care for material things, but just wants her family to be around her, happy and healthy. Cupcakes.

10 things about my pregnancy and labour

A new yummy mummy friend, let's call her Super S, had set up a secret Facebook group just for mothers whose bubs are born in 2013.

Who knew secret societies existed on Facebook. Oh yeah, they're secret.

Super S is an ideas lady and what started as a way to keep track of her many new mum friends has grown faster than Jessica Simpson during pregnancy.

There is a Facebook craze going on where someone lists five unknown things about themselves and if you like the status you get allocated a number and have to do the same. A bright spark on this secret group decided to get it going about our pregnancy and labour and it spread like wildfire.