Life be in it

I love Instagram. For those who don't know Instagram is a cool iPhone app that you can capture and share photos with others. I often use my Instagram photos on my blog.

As a way to document my growing waistline, I've been posting a bump photo most Fridays.

Here's the one from yesterday. I told you I was big. I thought I looked a little like Norm, sans the tinny and couch.

I didn't really take any bump pix with the girls, so it's been kind of interesting to do it third time round. The bump has certainly been more impressive third time round anyway.

Any hoo, must stop being a Norm and get this weekend started.

Have a fab one! x

Crisis of confidence averted

This year has been hard yakka. I feel like a little mouse on a wheel running, running, running and getting nowhere. We put soooo much effort into selling our house and, yet, we are still here. We tried to go on a holiday to chill out and it turned into a debacle. Everything has felt like a challenge, nothing has felt easy and it kinda feels like I've achieved nothing, despite running my bum off. It's frustrating.

I wanted to spend time doing stuff for me and having fun and seeing more of my friends, as once little one arrives this will be difficult for a little while at least. It hasn't really happened.

This pregnancy has been hard. I've felt old, tired and fairly lacklustre.

This blog, my little spot, my happy place. It hasn't felt so happy lately. I haven't been enjoying it as much. It's felt lonely. Usually it's the one thing that I can do to make myself feel tip top and it hasn't been happening. The past few weeks I've even considered taking a break or shutting down completely.

I have fairly crap self- esteem. I've always felt like everyone else does everything better. And those feelings have exploded the past month or so. I think it's cause despite my best efforts to move forward, I've felt like I'm just standing on the spot. I've felt like I've been surrounded by deaf ears.

This week, I've had a cold and felt pretty crappy. It's been a big week with a lot on, and to tell you the truth I have just wanted it over with. I zoned out on autopilot just to get through. It's funny though, this week has surprised me, just when I'd given up on being surprised.

Firstly, the Pulp concert was fantastic. It really made me feel lighter. It brought back memories which in turn reminded me of how far I'd come. Most of all it was a lot of fun. And sometimes in life you just need fun.

Then yesterday we had our hearing with that airline. And we won! It felt like, yes, we weren't being unreasonable. Sometimes, the little guy can win. If you yell loud enough for long enough you will be heard.

Then I happened to snap the picture at the top of Goosey as she lifted my shirt to say "Hello" to her little brother. And my heart melted. I thought maybe I'm not standing as still as I thought.

My plan today was to write a "Farewell, see you whenever" post, as I didn't think I had the motivation to keep going. But you know what? I think I may stick around and keep bashing away.

Pulp non-fiction

Last night, I lived out a dream that began 16 years ago. When I was 19 years old, the Britpop explosion happened and I used to spend my Saturday nights dancing away at Britpop events. Fairly sad nightclubs with awesome music. It was so, so much fun. My mate at the time and I were there almost every weekend. Funnily enough, Skip was there too was mutual friends but we never crossed paths. Then during the week I'd go to my friend's place and smoke cigarettes and listen to Blur, Supergrass, Oasis, Elastica and, of course, Pulp to the early hours. We'd talk about if Blur were in fact smurfs disguised as humans and I advised him on transforming his blonde ponytail into the right Jarvis mop.

Back in the day when Pulp toured, I was out of the country so missed it. I thought I'd catch them next time. I didn't realise that next time would be when I was 35 and pregnant with my third child!

Over the past years, I've still held a torch for Jarvis and co. Whenever Skip wants to get me in a party mood, he throws on the album Different Class and says I instantly begin to strut like I'm Mick Jagger. Over the years, we've had many a Pulp 'concert' at home and they've been brilliant.

Last night, with a gut out to here and a nasty head cold, I wasn't even sure I was going to make Pulp this time round. But make it I did. I even danced despite the punters who kept bumping into my bump. I don't think I got a strut out, but I definitely bopped and I definitely enjoyed every. single. moment. For a brief moment when Jarvis took the stage and Common People was blaring, I was that 19 year old again, dancing carelessly on a Saturday night.

It was well worth the wait.

Gourmet Dinner Service - a review

Growing up I was always told that whinging won't bring you anything good. It seems this isn't quite true. Apparently, my whinging about being pregnant and tired and feeling 100 caught the attention of the good people at Gourmet Dinner Service. After reading about my state, they emailed me and offered to send me some delicious gourmet meals to make dinner time easier. Gourmet meals delivered to my door? Who was I refuse?

After a look at their online menus and a chat over the phone, we came up with some meals that would suit Skip, me and the kids. I have to admit I was a little wary, I do enjoy cooking and didn't want to end up with meals that weren't as good as my own. Skip was even more wary about it all than I was.

The meals arrived wonderfully packaged in a (recyclable) styrofoam box. I threw them in the freezer and waited for a good opportunity to use them. One Sunday night, tired and over it we tried our first meal. They were easy to heat up and didn't taste too bad at all.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about whether this is a service I would use if it wasn't offered to me. As someone who likes to cook and know what's in my kids' food my first thought was no, I probably wouldn't. After eating the meals, I think I would use the service. Not all the time, but if there was a busy or stressful time ahead, I would definitely consider ordering some meals to make life easier. Sure, you could make meals yourself and freeze them, but I never would do that.

It would make an absolutely wonderful gift to a new mum. A freezer full of meals would be so fabulous in those first few weeks. Give me that any day over a million onesies or teddy bears! Give this to a friend and they will remember it for life, I reckon.

Gourmet Dinner Service also make a range of meal to suit families, couples, kids, singles, small eaters, dieters, etc. This impressed me. It's something I would consider suggesting to my mum, who hates cooking. Visit their website to check out their service.

Euky Bearub winner

I'm pleases to announce the winner of the Euky Bearub is Loulou. Can you please send me your details and I'll get your prize posted to you.

Reality TV binge versus binge drinking

Photo of Audrina from here

While Skip was away last week, I took the opportunity to binge on all the really bad reality shows that he hates. I had the IQ programmed with The Hills, Audrina, Geordie Shore and a whole heap of other crap.

When I say reality, I mean pure crap. I'm not really into The Block or Masterchef or that kind of thing. I need it to be completely vacuous and completely removed from my world. That's why The Hills fits in so well. I love the close-ups as they ponder the conversation they just had about someone snubbing them at a party. I love that their problems are so stupid. With Geordie Shore I'm just flabbergasted. The fashion, the accents, the fake eyelashes and tans. There's so much to take in.

So as the week went on I watched more and more and more.

I discovered that a binge on reality TV is quite a lot like binge drinking. At first it's great and you think: "This is so much fun, why don't I do this all the time?" And then it wears on and you start to feel a little woozy. Then you feel like you might chuck. Then you watch an episode of Pregnant in Heels and that pushes you over the edge, you have to turn it off and go to bed, with images of rich, crazy New Yorkers swirling in your head.  The next morning you're exhausted and sick. You notice there's a new episode of Audrina on the IQ, but your stomach starts to churn. Just the thought makes you feel sick. You vow never to watch that crap again and turn on the episode of Australian Story you'd taped.

Don't worry I'm sure a few days will pass and that episode of Audrina will look appealing once again. Thankfully Skip will be home for a few weeks so I can recover before hitting the box again.

What's your guilty pleasure on TV? 

Happy birthday little lady

Today, my littlest girl turned three. I can't believe it was three years ago that she came into our world. Some days it feels like she's been here forever and other days it feels like no time at all.

Everything about this little lady is surprising. She's patient and smart, yet fiery and impulsive. I never expected to have a child with curly hair, yet here she is with her golden spirals. She's a comedian, naturally funny. She knows how to hold an audience. She gives away kisses and cuddles to anyone she likes the look of, even if she's just met them. Just don't annoy her, cause she will attack. She's a complete Daddy's girl, yet can push his buttons like no-one else.

Three years ago, my obstetrician said there's no way she would be born that day, yet she arrived. As I said, she's surprising.

I love being surprised by her. I love the joy she brings to our lives. I love her sweetness and her sassiness. Most of all, I just love her.


To celebrate the day, we had family and a couple of close friends come by for cake. I'm glad we kept it small as the weather has been so atrocious we had to keep it inside our tiny house. Our little one had the time of her life.

Here are some pix:

What's a party without chocolate crackles?

The girls loved making these flower bikkies.

The fairy garden cake. 

The thing I love most about this cake is the toadstools I made. Strawberries and cream lollies
cut in half, a mini-marshmallow stalk and white icing dots. 

Daddy's girl having a dance with Daddy.

Blowing out all three candles.

The knife came out clean, much to the relief of her cousin.
The girls have cut all of their birthday cakes with our wedding cake knife, I love this tradition we've created.