reality bites

So I poured some kombucha into a wine glass on Friday night and Rob told me that I had officially lost it. I don't know when this healthy lifestyle went from being a labour of love to an all-out obsession, but it has definitely happened. Our reality is this:

Noah thinks kefir is yoghurt (hey, close enough!), and as a "treat" he puts goji berries on it. To him, cacao nibs are chocolate chips and chia seeds are sprinkles. Our dessert tonight was "chocolate pudding" made from avocado, banana, cacao and maple syrup. Noah thought it was Christmas, so you can call me Santa.

We've made a game of swallowing fermented cod liver oil tablets without chewing them (it was the only way I figured he would take it and hey, it worked!). I don't want to think of the reaction if he ever accidentally bites into one of those - even I'm not game enough to take it straight!

With his tablet chaser of choice: kombucha.

Each morning, our green smoothie leftovers go into icy-pole moulds. These have proven particularly popular since I started adding Vital Greens powder into them.

As you can see, Harry just wishes he was eating solids already. Your time will come, my friend.

I seriously get excited when I think of all the good things these foods are giving his body - at the moment he hardly ever gets sick. Um,  #winning ! So far the one thing that I just can't win him over with is broccoli. We even call them magic trees and still no interest. Zilch. Ah well, you can't win them all!

And so much for being the crazy one in the family - I couldn't believe my eyes when Rob poured himself a glass of kombucha (instead of a beer, no less!) as he relaxed on the couch on Sunday afternoon. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

my life: obsessive compulsive

Yep, its a list of what I'm obsessing over right now.

superfood smoothies: I know, I know, this is nothing new. But this breastfeeding gig is making me ravenous (and also time-poor) and smoothies are the answer. Any combination of the following are sure to get me excited: coconut milk, almond milk, cacao, frozen banana, dates, spinach (seriously- you don't even taste it) and maple syrup with a topping of chia seeds and cacao nibs. Ah-mazing. As it gets colder, I plan to whizz these up for longer until the Vitamix heats them up slightly. Hot chocolate, anyone?

gwyneth: Yeah, this is nothing new either. I mean who isn't obsessed with her, even just a little? She is rad. I want to be her.

But since that's impossible, I'll settle with being her in the kitchen. Which is also rad.

Her latest book It's All Good is an amazing compilation of recipes suitable for all kinds of elimination diets. We're talking gluten-free, dairy-free and none of the fun stuff - coffee, alcohol or sugar. But since I don't strictly follow any particular diet (besides an all-around healthy one!), I'm just using it for some much-needed inspiration in the kitchen. I'll get back to you with how that goes.

thermomix: So I've kinda gotten caught up in the hype and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Rob gave me the go-ahead to buy one for Mother's Day (#winning!) so I placed my order a few days ago and am counting the hours until my life changes forever.

If you've never heard of one, then climb out from under that rock and have a look-see over here. At first glance, it all seems a bit steep for a kitchen appliance to set you back just under $2K, but what I will say is this: you can't put a price on time, it's our most precious resource. (Yes, I really did use that line. And yes, it really did work).

And to those of you who may be worried that an appliance like this eliminates the art of cooking? Let me just point out that there is no "art" of cooking at 5.23pm on a Tuesday with an infant on your hip, a toddler giving you hungry eyes and a burnt lentil dahl on offer to those with no sense of smell. My life will now be divided into two parts: BT (Before Thermomix) and AT (Don't make me spell it out for you).

Seriously - I'm so excited, I could wet my pants. But Gwyneth would never do that.

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.

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!

my life: when the day begins at 4.46am

It's 10.35am on a Sunday morning and I'm already exhausted. Our day started at precisely 4.46am when Noah decided that enough was enough when it came to sleep. Lucky that we were staying at my parents house for the night (since Rob is away visiting his family), so I got to go back to bed at 6am for another few hours, but it still already feels like it should almost be dinnertime.

Somewhere in my delirious state when I felt like cursing the sun for rising so early, I thought back to an awesome article I read this week on Daily Life about the realities and competitiveness of motherhood. I must admit that I found it somewhat comforting to know that for most of us, life isn't always sunshine and roses.

I find articles like this so refreshing. It can sometimes seems as though everyone you know leads the perfect life, and often it's because it is the only part of their life you see (I'll blame the endless Facebook status updates and beautiful photos of holidaying friends on Instagram!). Sure, I'll always be one of the first to jump up and say that I love being a mum, and that it's been the best experience of my life to date - being a naturally positive person I can't help it. But I'm also the first to tell anyone who asks what the reality can be like. Yes its tiring (amongst other things!), but I wouldn't change it for anything - except maybe sleep from time to time, but that's what grandparents are for!

Thinking back to this post I made a few weeks ago, I can definitely see why comments like these made by Miranda Kerr can sometimes grate on people. Although I agree with what she was saying in this instance, there's definitely a feeling of superiority when someone talks about their seemingly perfect life. We all have our ideals about parenting but we also need to be prepared and supported when our reality turns out completely differently. To me, the only thing worse than sleep-deprivation is a feeling of inadequacy, and frankly there's no place for that in parenthood.

Word.

So if we all have the same goal when it comes to raising children (assuming that everyone wants theirs to be happy and healthy!), then the fact that we all do it differently really shouldn't be an issue. Sleep-deprivation can make you do crazy things, but being judgmental or feeling inadequate when things don't always go according to plan ain't helping anyone. That being said, if anyone's got any tips on how to make the sun rise just a little bit later, I'd love to hear it.

P.S. If reading about this kind of thing is totally up your alley then you'll love my friend Jacqui's awesome (and honest!) blog Talking to Ladybugs.

my life: it's been awhile

I know, I know, I've been MIA for ages - but life got busy all of a sudden! This is what I've been up to and into since I've been gone... 

home renovations: We're in the middle of some more home reno's which are taking up quite a bit of my time, but it's worth it. I've been waiting so long to finally get our house finished! Plus these days I'm also dealing with major sleep deprivation due to a certain toddler who now thinks that 5am is a reasonable time to start the day. Lets just say that I cannot wait for daylight saving to start!

Day one of renovations

making kefir: This stuff is ridiculously good for you - think of it as Yakult on steroids. It has heaps of good bacteria (which we could all use a good dose of - one serve has way more than your standard probiotic) and is a great internal cleanser. Its super easy to make too - mix the grains with your beverage of choice (I use raw milk but am also keen to try it with coconut milk) and leave it at room temp for about three days. My new favourite breakfast is this mixed with almond milk and homemade muesli, topped with fruit and raw honey. It's surprisingly tasty (once you add a bit of sweetener)!

Homemade Kefir

online shopping: My new iPad has helped me rediscover online shopping - I have a feeling that things are about to get cray-cray! Perhaps I should start my Christmas shopping early this year?!

smoothies and juices: Finally! My love of cold drinks has been reignited with all of this warmer weather. Our Vitamix is getting a workout again and I'm already feeling better because of it. I've still been getting bouts of morning sickness even though I'm over 22 weeks pregnant now, so hopefully these will help me stay on the healthy bandwagon for the next few months.

Apple, carrot and strawberry gelato

blog hopping: A new season means I'm in the mood to be inspired by some super-stylish peeps. Here are a few of the blogs that I'm kinda addicted to at the moment:

http://www.sincerelyjules.com/

http://www.manrepeller.com/

http://allthingstyles.blogspot.com.au/

The Man Repeller

And that's it from me today. I promised myself an early night after today's 4.45am wake-up! 

making changes

Wow, what a week! It's been another busy one and the highlight was most definitely this:

Baby Guinevere

My gorgeous little niece who finally made her way into the world on Wednesday morning after a few false alarms. She kept us all on our toes but was definitely worth the wait. And let me tell you, it's lucky I'm already pregnant because there's nothing that will make you want a baby more than holding a newborn!

In other news, my week of hydration has been a huge success. The weather has been ridiculously warm which works well when you're downing smoothies and coconut water like they're going out of fashion. It's just so hard to keep fluid levels up when its cold!

If anything I definitely feel much more mindful about not only how much I drink but also how dehydrating certain foods can be. The obvious one being anything overly salty, but also meat and caffeinated drinks. I'm planning to focus on this a lot more now, and hopefully it will only get easier if this weather keeps up!

hydration motivation

I was browsing one of my favourite sites today and was completely inspired by this post on hydration. It was a timely reminder for me because recently I've been guilty of some major dehydration. Part of it is because I'm always rushing around and simply forget to have a drink, and part of it is due to being pregnant and the fact that I feel like I need to pee the second I drink anything - not fun!

But I've decided that I'm totally going to give this a go - a week of serious hydration. I want to focus on drinking more juices and smoothies (which is super hard for me in Winter - the last thing I feel like on an ice-cold day is an ice-cold drink), herbal teas and, of course, coconut water! Plus I'll aim to eat more hydrating foods, and less caffeine, salt and meat. Taking on a challenge like this is often exactly what I need to get out of a rut and back into trying some new things in the kitchen again. Wish me luck!

P.S. There are also a few follow-up posts on their site if you're interested in the idea. Just have a looksie here and here.

my life 01.08.12

Can you believe that it's August already? It's the best month by far (the end of Winter and my birthday. 'Nuff said).

my food: So I made these cookies for Noah this week and keep getting asked for the recipe. They are super-healthy (wheat and dairy free, naturally sweetened and packed full of goodness) and they taste good too (bonus!) so it's only fair that I share it with you - it's adapted from a Jude Blereau recipe in Wholefood. I've made it before as a slice instead of cookies which works just as well if you feel that way inclined.

Oat Cookies

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup oatmeal (it sticks to the wet ingredients and helps to bind it all together)

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup goji berries

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots or dried figs

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup dessicated coconut

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 - 3/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

1/2 - 3/4 cup honey or maple syrup

2 eggs

Simply mix all of the dry ingredients together then add the wet ingredients (adding more oil or honey if you think it needs help to stick together). Stir well before shaping into cookies and baking at 180 C for around 10 mins.

my fashion: The combination of dressing for pregnancy and a ridiculously chilly winter (it feels way colder than usual, am I right?) means that I'm not exactly excited when it comes to fashion these days. So to lift the spirits I'm focusing my attention on accessories and online shopping. 

Exhibit A:

Acne sandals

Exhibit B:

See by Chloe bag

I love you both already. I just know we will all be so happy together in the warmer months.

my family : Meanwhile this week I am eagerly awaiting the birth of my niece! She is officially due tomorrow but I have been sitting by the phone for the past few days just in case she couldn't wait any longer to meet her favourite Aunty. Newborn cuddles are on the horizon and just the thought of it makes me giddy. Good Luck EJ! 

my life: a week gone by

This past week has been an eventful one and not only because of this. In an effort to shake my annual winter slump (it's unavoidable, I just really don't like the cold) I booked in to get my hair done at my new favourite place Mana Hair. I have been there a few times now and each appointment is more fun than the last. It has the best rep on the beaches and the girls there are lovely. 

And hey, if it's good enough for Heidi Middleton (and her current rhubarb-coloured hair), then it's good enough for me. In fact, she popped in for a touch-up while I was there and I couldn't help but stare - she is without a doubt one of the most effortlessly stylish people I've seen. I left in a much better state of mind with a shorter and lighter look - which I love! Change really is as good as a holiday (but that doesn't mean I don't still need a holiday if you're reading this Rob).

my food: Friday night involved unwinding with a few of the girls over Mexican. At Missy Foxall in fact. The food there never fails to impress, but then again I guess I get pretty excited just being out at night these days. I had the chicken tacos and let's just say that approximately 5 minutes after this picture was taken, that plate was telling a very different story.

my family: At least one of our weekend mornings is typically spent at the dog beach. Sandy Bay beach next to Clontarf Reserve is absolutely beautiful.

Even in Winter it's lovely - Scout has a swim and and the boys get to bond over a warm drink.

Cuteness overload

And I just stand around taking pictures.

it all makes sense now...

Ok, ok. I know I have been super slack with the blog posts of late. And yes, I do have the ultimate excuse. If you'll give me the benefit of the doubt, I will explain. You see, the past few weeks have been rather trying, and not just due to a few bouts of illness and my penchant for hibernation in cold weather. It's because of much more than that. Let me show you:

Yes my friends, I am well and truly up the duff and have been silently suffering from who-the-hell-called-it-morning-because-it-is-24-hour sickness for the past few weeks. I'll be honest here, it hasn't been pretty. Think of waking up in the middle of the night to throw up, and a constant supply of oranges by the bed to lift my blood sugar level when needed, and you get the drift. Although I do feel like I'm coming out of it (to a degree), the constant tiredness has led to more than just a new bedtime - my cooking mojo has pretty much vanished, as well as my will to leave the house. So not only were my waking hours substantially shorter, but I also wasn't doing anything interesting enough to blog about.

But that's enough of the excuses. I do hope you'll forgive me, and know that I have every intention of regaining my momentum in the coming weeks - if only because of the fact that I think we're all getting sick of sandwiches for dinner and wearing summer clothes in winter (washing has been way down on my to-do list).

health hiccups

Wow, what a week. After a few too many days fighting gastro and a mild cold, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. And let me just say, there is nothing like being knocked to the ground with sickness to make you appreciate good health. While I was under the weather I spent plenty of time resting on the couch, so not only am I totally up to date with all the episodes of The Bachelor, but I got to catch up on my favourite blogs. And this article on the Wellness Warrior, Everything you need to know about the pill really hit home.

You see, I look at the time that I went off the pill as a major turning point in my life - it was essentially the catalyst which started my journey to health and well being. I suffered some of the nasty side effects discussed in the article (and also the comments) including vitamin and mineral deficiencies and ammenhorea. These issues took months to sort out (and not without the help of my amazing naturopath), and after discovering the cause, I couldn't believe that I'd been putting synthetic hormones into my body for years without ever really questioning it.

It doesn't surprise me now when I realise just how common these problems actually are. And it doesn't surprise me that so many women remain in the dark about these issues when you think how often, if at all, an article like this would be published in mainstream media. But that's the beauty of the internet - it's a way for us to tell our own story and find our own truth - because if I learnt anything this past week, it's that good health is the one thing that we should never take for granted.

my life: the weekend edition

You know how we all have that one month in which every occasion seems to fall? May is that for me, so this weekend was a busy one. Rob and I celebrated our seven-year anniversary on Saturday, plus it was my mum's birthday on Sunday. Happy days!

my fashion: I was feeling a little bit fancy (and absolutely freezing as well, might I add) so it was time to pull out the (faux) fur.

I just love this one, which I picked up at the Avalon market day a couple of years back. Also loving these boots which were an absolute steal from Target, but are already dirty from one-too-many days spent at the local park.

my food: We went to St Malo Bakery for breakfast on Saturday. The food there is soooo good, and I just love looking through the sweets cabinet. You can see the chefs baking out the back and the breads are all organic - bonus!

Rob had the Breakfast of Kings as usual (basically breakfast with the lot) and I treated myself to the Brioche french toast. Seriously, if you live in Sydney, this place is worth visiting!

my family: In between all the celebrations there wasn't time for much else although I did manage to squeeze in a walk from Manly to Shelley Beach - beautiful!

We also moved some furniture around the house to accommodate our new couch. Scout is now mourning the days that she was allowed to sit up there with us. To be fair, she is now allowed to sleep on the rug! Ahhhh kids...

Now all I need is another weekend to unwind from this one.

bringing up baby

A good friend of mine and one of my earth-mother inspirations sent me this link last week: The Attachement Parenting Paradox. We both have such similar views on raising children, so I was nodding my head in agreement as I was reading. . Couldn't have said it better if I tried, so I won't. This is my favourite quote:

Followed by:

Word.