benefits of babywearing

Wow, this post could be a loooong one. I am such a baby-wearing advocate it's not even funny, and not only for the obvious reasons. It just makes life so damn easy. As in, "strap on your baby and carry on with your day" kinda easy. It means I get dinner cooked, any errands run, and the house in a relatively livable condition - and all the while bub happily comes along for the ride. I'm not one to fuss about and I like to avoid excess baggage where possible, so this solution is really a no-brainer: baby on the front, toddler in one hand and then I'm all like, "I'm coming for you Wesfield!" *

*Not really. I'm still a bit scared to brave the mall with two kids. But you get my drift.

Noah babywearing his partner in crime "Monkey".

On that note, let me share another little gem. Sometimes you may hear mothers talk about having "one of those days" when their baby just will not sleep. For me and both of my children, this is more commonly referred to as approximately 4pm. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

OK, OK, to be honest, that was a slight exaggeration. Harry really hasn't been that bad (so far). Perhaps he senses that, being the second child, I'm just not able to sit down with him while he takes his sweet time falling asleep. Or maybe it's because this is generally how we roll once mid-afternoon nap-time hits:

Snug as a bug in the Ergobaby carrier

But that's not to say he doesn't try to fight it. Oh boy, does he try to fight it.

But I always win.

Emily = 1. Harry = 0.

my food: crazy for kombucha

It doesn't take a lot to get me excited. In fact, a new hobby is just the ticket and at the moment I'm all about brewing kombucha. 

Never heard of it? Well my friends, "Kombucha is an effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea that is used as a functional food" (thanks Wikipedia). Want more info? This will fill you in.

Up until now I used to get my fix from a bunch of zany guys at my local markets, but this stuff is just too easy to make so I took it upon myself to start brewing. I ordered my starter kit from a lovely lady on eBay and two days later I was handling a SCOBY like it was no one's business. 

All you need to do is this: brew some tea, add a bit of sugar to feed to culture and leave it for a week to do it's thang. 

That is all.

Let me put it this way: if you like iced tea, then you've hit the jackpot. If you're a fan of soft drinks, then this will be your new crack. And if you just want a healthy and ridiculously refreshing drink full of probiotics and all sorts of goodness, then drink up my friend. 

If your digestive system could talk, then it would most certainly say: Thank You.

a peek into my week 27.02.2013

what I'm doing: Hanging with these boys. Yes I'm surrounded by testosterone but I kinda like it. For now. Not really looking forward to footy season in a few years time though, that's for damn sure.

what I'm eating: A whole lot of anything and everything! Breastfeeding will do that to you. High up on the (very long) list is the life-changing loaf of bread from one of my all-time fave food blogs My New Roots. Because it really is (life-changing, that is). And so easy to make. I've needed a super simple recipe like this in my life for awhile now - sometimes the idea of making bread can all seem just a bit too hard, but this one's a cinch. Plus it's super tasty and packed full of goodness. I doubt you need more convincing.

What else is on high rotation I hear you ask? Why, nothing other than some good ol' nut butter-stuffed dates. They are THE BOMB. Must be tasted to be believed. And then you can thank me.

A date with stuffed dates. Heaven.

what I'm drinking: This coming Monday I'm starting a four-day Lucky You juice cleanse: because three days seemed a bit short but five days too much (for now). I need a bit of a boost since I've been feeling less than chipper for a few weeks (I guess two pregnancies, two years of breastfeeding and now running around after two kids can do that to you!). It's time to do something for myself to get back on track and with a clean slate.

The last time I did this cleanse I didn't have to prepare meals for Noah (and left Rob to his own devices) so I think this time might be a bit more of a struggle. Any kind of meal prep while fasting is no one's friend. But I'm still super excited to do it - the juices taste amazing! Next on the wellness list? Getting back into yoga. Hopefully in the next few weeks, but let's just take it one step at a time, peeps.

what I'm reading: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I've been meaning to get my hands on this bad boy for so long, and the time has finally come.

It's by no means a quick read so don't expect a review any time soon, although I will happily make a sweeping statement: this book will change your life. Hey, anyone who writes about the benefits of butter will always be a game-changer. She's also just released The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care. Traditional nutritional and holistic lifestyle advice for modern parents? Count me in! That book is on it's way to my letterbox as we speak.

what I'm wearing: So apparently it's all about leather at the moment which is perfect because I'm all about my Witchery nude shorts and Eska Alikai black skirt.

Although leather + humidity = a very sweaty combo, so if you happen to see me in these aforementioned pieces and its a hot day, I'd recommend you keep your distance.

what I'm wishing for: The Isabel Marant Bettys. Yes, still. 

Last winter I just wasn't sure that they'd be around long enough to justify the investment, but since the latest styles have hit the shelves I've found myself dreaming of them more and more. Now if only I can find the style I liked from last season then I'd be very happy woman. 

it's been awhile...

It's fair to say that there have been a few things that have kept me from regularly updating this blog. I'm talking Summer (because the beach always wins), finishing off our home reno's (if you paint one room, why not do the whole house?!) and general pregnancy exhaustion (ahem, laziness). But the biggest thing happened a few weeks ago. Six to be exact:

Meet Harry. He decided to grace us with his presence three days early on January 10 and we are smitten. He's pretty chill so far - doesn't cry much (YES!! Cue fist pump!), tolerates balls landing on his head (nice aim, Noah) and, like most men, has a HUGE thing for boobs. These six weeks have pretty much flown by and we've all come out the other end relatively unscathed.*

*Rob is probably still recovering from the labour, but I'm going with the majority here.

So now that we're all settling into life as a family of four (!!) I can finally get my blogging mojo back. Yes it's time to get excited kids... and watch this space.

just another manic monday

Things are still crazy around here - time is flying and there's still plenty of renovation work to be done around our house before baby #2 arrives. Nesting mode is in full swing! I'm almost finished all of the painting (we're talking inside and out!), so next on the agenda is getting Noah's new bedroom ready which is the fun part! I'm just trying to do as much as I can while I'm still mobile as I plan to spend the last few weeks of this pregnancy either with my feet up or at the beach. Like so:

So that explains my absence on the blog - there just isn't enough time in the day at the moment! But I do have to share with you my latest obsession: raw cultured butter. You already know how I feel about raw dairy so this was always going to be the next step, no? Let me tell you - it's amazing! You can read all about the (long) list of benefits at some of my favourite sites Mercola.com and Natural News.

Meanwhile, how awesome is it that daylight saving has started? More so because our day now starts at  reasonable hour than because of the longer days. Getting back to 6am wake-ups has been amazing. Summer is definitely on its way!