Bend & Stretch.

What exercise have you done today?

Me? I got up at 5am this morning and went for a 50 minute brisk walk. It was already hot {24 degrees celcius to be precise} before the sun was even up.

Glamping.

We've booked a weekend away for our anniversary, my friend Hayley emailed me, we're going glamping.



Glamping? I questioned for a moment, before reading on.

It's glamorous camping, she continued, I can't wait.


I once considered glamping too {not that I knew it had such a snazzy name}. I was researching holidays for our honeymoon and somehow I stumbled across an island in far north Queensland that had cute little tents that we would potentially stay in. I was completely sold, until I realised that there was absolutely no electricity. And no electricity means no GHD {hair straightener}. And no GHD means horrific hair days filled with utter frizziness, which is the complete opposite of glamorous.

We ended up honeymooning on an island in Fiji, complete with electricity.

We've done our fair share of camping though. By fair share I mean that we've dabbled in it.

One Summer we decided to plan a little camping trip. We researched sites and picked one near the water of a popular little town. We went shopping and bought a 4-man tent. We wanted enough room for us and our gear. Nothing but the best for us.

So we drive the 6 or so hours to South West Rocks and check-in. Checking-in is completely unglamourous. We're told that our site is the furthest piece of land there is. There are no set areas and it's first in best dressed. She points in the direction we should head, and we get in the car and drive there.

The area is full. People have found their little spots and are all settled in, sitting in front of their tents enjoying the view. It seems like they've been settled in for weeks.

And in we drive, the City folk.

We set up our tent with great difficulty, entertaining the campers nearby. We set it up inside out. Pull it back apart. And then set up how it should be done. We realise that instead of buying a normal 4-man tent, we've picked ourselves up a 2 bedroom tent. So instead of all the room we envisioned. We're cramped up in one tiny bedroom, and our luggage is in another. I suggest to Hubby that we sleep in separate rooms, but Mr. Romantic refuses.

After the erecting the tent, there's nothing more to do but play an obligatory game of UNO or eleventy billion. We soon realise that there's not much to do when you're camping.

Night falls and we cook up a BBQ dinner. We head to bed early, back in the sticks where we are there isn't much atmosphere. We can hear groups of people in the distance laughing and having fun. We assume they're in the 'rich' area where people have caravans and their own actual sites.

By the time morning comes the tent is damp with morning dew, and I couldn't need the bathroom more. The amenity block is almost driving distance away, and I won't make it walking. I grab my bike and ride as fast as my legs will take me. I get there, eventually.

I get back to the tent and Hubby is awake. Aren't you busting to use the bathroom? I ask. He smirks, and I assume that he must have popped outside, behind the tree during the night. He holds up two glad bags with a familiar looking yellow liquid inside. Enough said.

After riding our bikes all day, and exploring the beautiful, yet sleepy little town we decide that our camping adventure is over. We've done all that we can do, and played enough UNO to last us a life time. We stay one more night in our teeny little tent.

When morning rolls around, after the brisk morning bike ride to the loo, we pack up and head home. And there is nothing like having all that space to ourselves, and comfy bed too. Having a toilet so close seems like quite a luxury now.


Are you a camping kinda person? Or do you prefer 5 star accomodation?

52 Week Project: One, Two, Three.

I hate having my photo taken. Hate it. If I'm in your company I see you reach for a camera from your handbag, that would be the time that I quietly disappear to the bathroom. I hate it so much that for our wedding I requested two things: No full length shots {which were ignored, thankfully} and no photo session.

I just wanted happy snaps, no posing.

And then there's Facebook. Not only are there bad photos, but now there out there for public view. Fan-bloody-tastic.

I started the 52 Week Project last Monday. Amanda from the blog Mocking Bird left a comment saying that she did a similar project last year, but she took self portraits instead. At first that seemed like hell to me. But then I got thinking. This is the year of ME. This actually makes sense. So I switched it around and now I'm going to take a photo of myself every week {eek. What am I getting myself into!}. I'm playing catch-up so here are my first three...

Lacey and I were playing dress-ups in this last one. Funny.

Let me know if you decide to play along. xx

Today at Kidspot I'm talking about how in The Year of Me I am embarking on the journey from Fat Mum to Slim Mum. Join Me. {And if you're keen to join Weight Watchers, I will have a code in the next few days to give you a few bonuses when you sign up - Magazines etc - so just hold up for a bit}.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

I used to love the rain. In fact most times I still do. I love that I can snuggle inside and be with my little family, watching trashy TV and not feel an ounce of guilt.

Over the weekend it felt like it had been raining for years. I almost forgot what the sun looked like. There are three reasons why I didn't enjoy the rain:

1. It was muggy. Like the windows were foggy because it was so impossibly humid. Ick.
2. I have a toddler. Who gets cabin fever, very easily.
3. I wore a maxi dress. Not such a great idea with oodles of puddles and pouring water.

Honestly though, it wasn't too bad. I just hope it doesn't rain all week. I have washing to do, and I need a dose of vitamin D.

Things that I loved from the weekend include:

♥ weighing in early at Weight Watchers and losing 1.2 kg
♥ breakfast at Bill's {I only ate 1/3 of my breakfast as not to ruin the weight loss}
♥ putting bright pink gumboots on my favourite little person + jumping in puddles
♥ a Japanese dinner at my new favourite restaurant
♥ spending time at Ma's on Sunday + sitting down to a lovely roast with the family


I printed out my eBook on Sunday and I'm pretty happy with how it comes out. If you want to enter to win the first copy sent out, just visit here.


So I hope you had a lovely weekend, and have a lovely week planned out. This afternoon I've changed around the 52 week project so come back and have a little look.


What was the best thing that happened to you on the weekend? xx



Today at Kidspot I'm talking about how in The Year of Me I am embarking on the journey from Fat Mum to Slim Mum. Join Me. {And if you're keen to join Weight Watchers, I will have a code in the next few days to give you a few bonuses when you sign up - Magazines etc - so just hold up for a bit}.

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Softly.

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Let's Give Them Something To Blog About.

I have lovely emails in my inbox every other day asking for blogging tips and tricks, and advice on what to blog about. It's hard to come up with new content every day, or even every week. Some times the ideas run dry.

I've made up a fun {and pretty} little guide to inspire the uninspired blogger. It's called: Let's Give Them Something To Blog About. It's an eBook with 40 ideas for blogging, aimed more at the personal blogger.


I will be launching it officially next week, so stay tuned. I am going to price it very reasonably {I'd like to just cover some of the costs that blogging accrues}, as well as donating some of the proceeds to charity. More on that later though.

I'm going to be giving ONE copy away to a lucky reader. If you'd like to be the first person to have a hot copy of my eBook on your computer, just leave a comment below to go in the draw and I'll announce the winner next Wednesday.

Competition closes Tuesday at noon {Sydney time}.

Have a lovely weekend everyone. I can't wait until the weather is cooler. It's so muggy here at the moment, it's doing my frizzy hair in. xx

Letter To Lacey: Twenty Two Months.

My super sweet little girl.


You are far too cute. Seriously. I've never seen such cuteness in one little person. This month has been so much fun. You, me & Dadda against the world. Partners in crime, and fun.

What did you enjoy doing most while we were on holidays? Jumping. That's what. We got you a little trampoline and you just jump, jump, jump. You can even do tricks. If you're not on the trampoline you'll jump on any bed, any cushion, the lounge, the grass, the floor, the table... anything that you deem worthy of jumping on. You're like a little Mexican Bean.

Whilst you're made up of 90% cuteness and all things sweet, there is that 10% of you that's a whole lot of diva. You'll tell us straight when you don't want to do something. You'll respond with a feisty little no!

You have no fear. We have two lorikeets that visit us late each afternoon for a piece of honey toast. Whilst I'm cowering inside with my irrational fear of birds, you're out on the balcony trying to grab their tails. You're at one with nature, and animals.

You have Dadda wrapped around your little pinky finger. He took you to the Zoo last week, on a very hot Summer's day. After he had taken you for one lap of the Zoo, plus lunch and a sky safari ride, he asked you: Do you want to go home? Your reply: No!

So Dadda sweated it out a little more and did one more lap of the Zoo and another sky safari ride. You repaid him with kisses, so I guess it evens out. On the drive home you promptly fell asleep and then slept for hours. Going to the zoo is exhausting stuff.

You say so much now. So much. It's quite hilarious to see you form short sentences. I love listening to you chatter away.

And we reached a HUGE milestone this month, my lovely little girl. I can do your hair in the teeniest little ponytail. We're getting there.

I love you to the end of the earth, and back again. xx