Thursday, 15 January 2015
Monday, 12 January 2015
58. No caffeinated soft drink for one month
For the month of October I didn't have coke/pepsi/caffeinated soft drink.
Thankfully I didn't have any of the expected withdrawals, but I actually LIKE the taste of Pepsi Max and I missed it. So whilst I stopped for that month and completed it (actually 6 weeks), it was pointless because I am drinking it again!
Thankfully I didn't have any of the expected withdrawals, but I actually LIKE the taste of Pepsi Max and I missed it. So whilst I stopped for that month and completed it (actually 6 weeks), it was pointless because I am drinking it again!
53. Go to the pool once a week for a month
In honesty, I didn't think I'd get this one ticked off.
I hate to swim. I hate to wear togs. This one was going to require me to actually SHOP for a swimsuit and I hate that more than probably anything. Cheers to Kmart for my cheap, boring, black all in one and some comfy baggy swimming shorts. Probably not a good look, but meh - at least I know well enough not to wear a bikini, right!?
Anywho... I went to the doctor who tsk tsked me about my weight, refused to help me control my PCOS symptoms until I tried something else in terms of exercise. So I decided to do aqua-aerobics.
Turns out aqua-aerobics is one of my favourite things ever. And thanks to the Live Well Logan program put in place by Logan City Council I got to do it for a whopping $3 a session. I'm super disappointed though as it runs from 8am-9am and 100% clashes with school run which now starts earlier due to Zavian starting C&K. Ty's fortnightly RDO means I can at least do it fortnightly though, so I shouldn't complain too much.
I did the program during October and November and it was great. I surprised myself by actually getting in to a cold swimming pool at 8am - but I always felt SO good afterwards that it was 100% worth it. Mandy was my aqua buddy, and we were the youngest there by about 40 or 50 years!!!
Try it though! It's refreshing and fun, and honestly it made me HAPPY. It's the only form of exercise I have ever enjoyed.
I hate to swim. I hate to wear togs. This one was going to require me to actually SHOP for a swimsuit and I hate that more than probably anything. Cheers to Kmart for my cheap, boring, black all in one and some comfy baggy swimming shorts. Probably not a good look, but meh - at least I know well enough not to wear a bikini, right!?
Anywho... I went to the doctor who tsk tsked me about my weight, refused to help me control my PCOS symptoms until I tried something else in terms of exercise. So I decided to do aqua-aerobics.
Turns out aqua-aerobics is one of my favourite things ever. And thanks to the Live Well Logan program put in place by Logan City Council I got to do it for a whopping $3 a session. I'm super disappointed though as it runs from 8am-9am and 100% clashes with school run which now starts earlier due to Zavian starting C&K. Ty's fortnightly RDO means I can at least do it fortnightly though, so I shouldn't complain too much.
I did the program during October and November and it was great. I surprised myself by actually getting in to a cold swimming pool at 8am - but I always felt SO good afterwards that it was 100% worth it. Mandy was my aqua buddy, and we were the youngest there by about 40 or 50 years!!!
Try it though! It's refreshing and fun, and honestly it made me HAPPY. It's the only form of exercise I have ever enjoyed.
Roti Bread
I'm lazy. Butter chicken made from a jar. Heck I even microwave the rice, because I'll be damned if I can make it without burning it on the stove top. I even microwave the poppadoms! Did I mention lazy?
However, I am trying to change! And that started today. I made sure I started with something simple - so I made roti! I used my Bellini, but I could easily do it using a wooden spoon or my regular mixer.
I followed this super simple recipe found on the thermomix recipe communty. I used a frypan, nothing exciting! It made 20 pieces of roti which I found was way too much for us for one meal (and that was with 2 extra mouths at the table!) So half the recipe to make 10. Alternatively, make the 20 and use them as a sandwich wrap the following day.
Ingredients:
620g plain flour
50g oil, canola or grapeseed (I used sunflower, it's all I had)
600g boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In your thermomix, bellini etc mix for 6 seconds on Speed 7. By hand, just mix until it brings the ingredients together. It will have the texture of playdoh, which is normal. When a bit cooler to touch, turn out and knead in to a ball. Cut in to 4 pieces. Then make 5 balls from each piece. Roll the balls in to a thin circle (this isn't about perfection, it is safe to say maybe 4 of 20 of mine were "circles"). Heat fry pan to the hottest heat on the element (NO OIL), then add each circle (one at a time). The take a bugger all time, will be ready when they start to bubble, flip and do the other side. Yum.
Wish I took a picture but I didn't. OOPS! I will update with one next time I make them.
However, I am trying to change! And that started today. I made sure I started with something simple - so I made roti! I used my Bellini, but I could easily do it using a wooden spoon or my regular mixer.
I followed this super simple recipe found on the thermomix recipe communty. I used a frypan, nothing exciting! It made 20 pieces of roti which I found was way too much for us for one meal (and that was with 2 extra mouths at the table!) So half the recipe to make 10. Alternatively, make the 20 and use them as a sandwich wrap the following day.
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| Image source: Recipe Community |
Ingredients:
620g plain flour
50g oil, canola or grapeseed (I used sunflower, it's all I had)
600g boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
In your thermomix, bellini etc mix for 6 seconds on Speed 7. By hand, just mix until it brings the ingredients together. It will have the texture of playdoh, which is normal. When a bit cooler to touch, turn out and knead in to a ball. Cut in to 4 pieces. Then make 5 balls from each piece. Roll the balls in to a thin circle (this isn't about perfection, it is safe to say maybe 4 of 20 of mine were "circles"). Heat fry pan to the hottest heat on the element (NO OIL), then add each circle (one at a time). The take a bugger all time, will be ready when they start to bubble, flip and do the other side. Yum.
Wish I took a picture but I didn't. OOPS! I will update with one next time I make them.
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Broken links... noooo
I have quite the task ahead of me and I am frustrated.
A ridiculous number of my images have broken links and I now have to go back and re-add photos to at least 50 entries. Ugh! What a time consuming waste of time! So bare with me as this happens, because it's going to be quite the process.
A ridiculous number of my images have broken links and I now have to go back and re-add photos to at least 50 entries. Ugh! What a time consuming waste of time! So bare with me as this happens, because it's going to be quite the process.
Saturday, 10 January 2015
Jump Rope for Heart
81. Donate to an important charity or cause (Completed 15/05/14)
Alexis was the driving force behind this but it really was a family effort. Jump Rope for Heart came to Lexi's school and she decided to aim big. She wanted to raise $2500. I was pessimistic, I won't lie. I told her (and shame on me really) to aim lower. So we aimed for $500. And I'll again be honest, and didn't think even that would happen. But with a lot of effort from the family as a whole and yes, that did include a donation from us (although that was nothing compared to some donations).
Via online donations mostly, and some cash donations - from people who we knew, to strangers, to A PLANE FULL OF PEOPLE, Lexi raised $4420.
Some big moments included:
- Alexis and Memphis being in the newspaper
- the flight crew on our flight from Melbourne getting behind Lexi and taking up a collection ($200 in coins!)
- Jump Off Day
- Prizegiving and meeting Happy Heart.
Alexis was the driving force behind this but it really was a family effort. Jump Rope for Heart came to Lexi's school and she decided to aim big. She wanted to raise $2500. I was pessimistic, I won't lie. I told her (and shame on me really) to aim lower. So we aimed for $500. And I'll again be honest, and didn't think even that would happen. But with a lot of effort from the family as a whole and yes, that did include a donation from us (although that was nothing compared to some donations).
Via online donations mostly, and some cash donations - from people who we knew, to strangers, to A PLANE FULL OF PEOPLE, Lexi raised $4420.
Some big moments included:
- Alexis and Memphis being in the newspaper
- the flight crew on our flight from Melbourne getting behind Lexi and taking up a collection ($200 in coins!)
- Jump Off Day
- Prizegiving and meeting Happy Heart.
| This pic from the Albert & Logan News |
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| Lexi's teacher helps her with some skipping |
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| One of the easier activities at Jump Off Day |
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| Go Lex! |
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| Lexi's facepaint for the Tiger Airways crew that helped her out! |
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| Prizegiving at school |
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| Meeting Happy Heart!!! |
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| Happy Heart and her prizes |
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| Memphis having a hole in his heart was the driving force behind the whole thing. |
Being Mum in front of the camera.
23. Have (updated) professional family photos done (Completed September 21, 2014)
This was a goal I was both excited about ticking off, but also dreading.
I was one of those mothers. I was going to lose weight and have photos! Except instead of losing weight, the number on the scale was going up. And I realised that if I waited until I lost weight, I was never going to have photos of my family that included me. Because despite the fact that I take photos of families for a living, and despite the fact I am constantly telling mothers to get in to photos with their children - I did not practice what I would preach.
I was one of those mothers. I was going to lose weight and have photos! Except instead of losing weight, the number on the scale was going up. And I realised that if I waited until I lost weight, I was never going to have photos of my family that included me. Because despite the fact that I take photos of families for a living, and despite the fact I am constantly telling mothers to get in to photos with their children - I did not practice what I would preach.
I cried when I went shopping for an outfit. I came home empty handed and frustrated and in a very self depreciating mood. Ty hid from me. It wasn't a fun experience for either of us! I went back without him. I went back in to one shop, decided I wanted something in navy blue, and set myself the task. I didn't look for long. The first thing that looked ok was what I got. Turns out, I rather love that dress. It's pretty, it's comfortable, and it doesn't cling to my fat rolls. Fingers crossed, Gina. Hope for the best.
Still, right up until I actually got there? I wanted to cancel that shoot. I made up many excuses in my head as to how I could put it off until I lost that weight. For the record, if I did, I'd still be waiting. And our photographer was not going to let me out of it - she knew exactly where my head was.
Mandii from Xanthe Photography is my kind of person - fun, silly, natural. We've developed a friendship through our love of photography, and I am so grateful to have her in my life. She was having none of my self-hate. And despite not loving myself very much, I trusted her. And she was great. And she is amazing at what she does. And I am so in love with our family photos. We now have 2 beautiful canvases hung in our lounge room - a family portrait, and one of our 3 gorgeous kids with their favourite soft toys. I am soon to create a photobook displaying my 60 favourite images. And I 100% LOVE showing our photos to people, and absolutely do not care what people think of me in these photos. Because they are so beautiful, and they are so us. And they make me SO happy.
And here's the thing. I surprised myself. The first image that Mandii gave us a sneak peak of made me cry. Me and my baby boy. Not "OMG look at how awful I look", but "OMG I finally have a stunning photo of me and my Memphis". And it is. And I actually kinda love myself in it. I look at it and think wow, he's so tiny yet suddenly not so tiny. Look at his cheeky grin and those little fingers. Those beautiful big eyes. And look at me. It's nothing to do with the fact that I actually don't look that fat and everything to do with the fact that I look HAPPY. That's me and my baby. (The colour version is amazeballs, by the way... I've attached it further down!)
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| The first image I saw from our shoot. |
All of our images captured our family exactly as we are. Silly, cheeky, fun. The kids had fun, and were able to explore. Ty and I were comfortable. The end result is a beautiful gallery full of happy photos. So many people have made comment on how happy we look. How much fun we must have had. And fancy that, not one person has commented about my weight. I've had nothing but positive comments. And sure I still need to lose weight, but I needed to have these photos more. It wasn't really about waiting for me to lose weight, in the end. It was capturing my family as it is now. Young, fun, silly. Memphis just before he turns 1, Zavian as his cheeky 3 year old self, and Lexi, our 5 year old school girl. Still in those stages of innocence that seem to evaporate far too early these days.
I needed these photos as much for the kids as I did for me. They'll look back on photos I myself have taken, sure, and there are many many many images of the 3 of them and also a lot of them with their Daddy. But images with Mummy are sparse because I hide behind the camera. Ty rarely takes photos of me with the kids and a lot of the photos of me with them are selfies from a camera phone. So now they have beautiful images. Images that they will look back on and say hey look, there's my mum. I can pretty much guarantee they'll be looking at our family and how happy we are. And that they won't give a rats ass about the size of my body.
Go and have photos taken with your children. Every child needs a beautiful photo with their mum. But more than that, every mum needs one with her children. Lucky for me, I now have quite a few.
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