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Michelle Bridges 12WBT Blogger Blog Roll

May 12, 2013, 7:50 pm
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Round 2 of the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation kicks off today.  

My husband must have picked up on all the (probably not so subtle) hints that I've been dropping about needing new running shoes.  These neon purple Adizero Feather running shoes popped out of the gift box on Mothers Day.


My old sneakers felt like I was running with bricks on my feet.  These are feather light and I managed to cut 3 minutes off my 5km run (completing it in 30 mins) on the treadmill.

I've printed out this weeks training plan so I can tick off each activity once I've completed it.  Being a newbie to long distance running programs  means that I'm going to have to do some googling to find out what some of the work outs mean.  

For example - 3 x Interval Sprints 8/10 RPE or 80% HR max = Tempo.

Say what now?

No idea.

Anyways, to kick Round 2 of the 12WBT off I thought I 'd compile a list of other 12WBT blogs.  Feel free to add your own using the inlinkz gadget.
 
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12WBT Fitness Inspiration Board

May 12, 2013, 9:31 pm
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Run, Be Fit, Just Do It

Here's my 12WBT Fitness Inspiration Board.
A few images and quotes to keep me on track and put a smile on my dial.

Lots of running, some fun on the Stand Up Paddle Board and the desire to get rid of the jelly belly and get that woman's abs.  Awesome. 

Motto for the next 12 weeks?  Just do it.  Even if you suck.

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For The Love Of God Kim Take Off Those Shoes!!!!

May 17, 2013, 1:43 am
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It's Foot Fetish Friday peeps, that day of the week when we ooh and aaah over footwear.

 This week I just couldn't let the day go by without including this reader submission featuring my fellow shoeholic  Kim Kardashian.

Now, I love Kim and have used her for blog style fodder oodles of times but this is getting ridiculous.

For the love of God, your feet, your spine please
TAKE OFF THOSE BLOODY SHOES!!!!!!!!!

Kim Swollen Feet, High Heels,

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12WBT Week 1 Run Down

May 19, 2013, 1:14 am
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Week 1 of the 12WBT done and dusted!

I'm so happy that I made the commitment and stuck with it.

I trained hard and ate clean all week.

There were plenty of 'Oh stuff it' moments that nearly had me shovelling a biscuit or a glass of wine into my gob but I stuck it out and made it.

Best part of the 12WBT?  If you work hard during the week you get a day off on the weekend.

Here's a quick run down of my week.  I've included a food & exercise diary this week to keep track of what I'm eating.

The Nutrition plan on the Michelle Bridges 12 WBT comes with a fully planned menu that you can chop and change to satisfy your taste buds and budget.  You can even print off a shopping list.

I'm lactose intolerant and have an iffy gut so I used the menu for ideas and used my calorie allowance and the Calorie Lookup tool to tweak the suggestions.


Monday Day 1

Nutrition
Banana smoothie with soy milk & MB chocolate protein powder
Protein shake with protein powder (after training)
3 small pieces Bergen Soy Linseed toast spread with tinned sardines in tomato sauce and diced tomato, lettuce & red onion.  1 soy coffee no sugar.
Apple
Chicken vegetable soup with vermicelli noodles

Exercise
9 am 1 hour MMA training session
4pm Day 1 12WBT 10km running program (school oval)

I know, I know...just seeing the word sardines in my food diary makes all of you want to barf.  

I get it.  I used to be the same.  Then one day when I had nothing left in the pantry but a tin of sardines in tomato sauce I smooshed some on toast  and ate it.  


Surprisingly good.

It satisfied my salt craving and left me full for hours.  They're cheap, low in mercury and are rich in omega 3s, iron, calcium and potassium.  

Try them.  You may be surprised.  

Back to the 10km training program.


I'm a treadmill runner which is easier than running in real life.  You just pick a speed and let the machine dictate the pace.  Not recommended on the plan (unless it's raining I guess).

I couldn't figure out how I'd be able to get a run in with 5 kids in tow.  Day 1 and I was already struggling to get organised.

Then when I picked the big ones up from school I had a brainwave.

The school oval is the best babysitter!  I did my laps while the kids played in the playground and chased me around the oval.  They're used to their mum doing embarrassing stuff in public.  The distance around the oval is 400m.  The lines on ours were a bit faded and muddy from the rain so I guesstimated what I couldn't see.  I need to get a good stop watch.

Come 6.30pm and the old bones are feeling the pain.


Tuesday Day 2

Nutrition
Scrambled eggs on two small pieces of Bergen Soy Linseed toast.  1/2 cup lite soy milk.
2 small pieces Bergen Soy Linseed spread with sardines and topped with cucumber & spinach.
1 soy coffee.
1 x sachet of Be Natural 3 grain porridge
Chicken Vegetable soup
Banana Protein Shake

Exercise
6am 30 minute treadmill walk HR 129  Incline 4
11am  12 WBT Toning session at home

Murphy's Law - when you sign up to an outside exercise program it will rain cats and dogs.

After tossing and turning all night long with sore hips, legs and the neighbours stupid barking dogs I managed to haul myself out of bed and drove to the gym for a light walk on the treddy.  Got home, took all the kids to school, did a grocery run and put the baby down for a nap.

Toning session done on the lounge room while watching Made In Chelsea.

Sore, tired.  Over Bergen Soy Linseed bread.  Over reality TV.

Realise that the dreaded Day 2 I'm Overititis (the reason why I give up every time) is kicking in.  Daydream about wine and KFC in the shower.

After school pick up was hard as it's el cheapo Tuesday and all the kids bought themselves a Cornetto.

Needed a 3.30pm carb hit.  Saw these Be Natural 3 grain (oats, barley, rye) porridge sachets on the bench that I'd gotten as samples at Woolies that morning.

Easy, healthy snack ideas

Checked the calories (195 with light soy milk).  Bunged them in the microwave and voila!  Hot, filling snack.  Got me through the next 2 1/2 hours of kid sports.

Dinner was the same as Monday night.  Desperate for a chocolate hit I made up a Chocolate banana smoothie with the MB Figure powder, 1/2 cup lite soy milk, 1/2 cup cold water.

Watched Game of Thrones without my usual bottle of wine.  Went to bed.

I SURVIVED DAY 2 - WOO HOO!!!

Wednesday Day 3

Nutrition
MB Chocolate Banana Smoothie
1 apple, 1 manadarin
Tuna with large salad (lettuce, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, white wine vinegar)
2 soy coffees
2 pieces of toast with sardines with cucumber, bite of watermelon, bite of bacon
1 protein shake 

Exercise
6.30am MB running drills & time trial
7.45pm 1 hour MMA training

 After another restless night (damn you baby & snoring husband & barking dogs) I rolled out of bed, chucked on my workout gear and headed out the door for some running drills.  I had to go to the gym for my Wednesday weigh in.

The result?

I started the program 79.6kg.
Today?  78.1kg.
Boo YA!

I'm still irritable.  Short tempered.  Always hungry (in my mind).  Luckily I had a 40 minute phone call to Telstra this morning to distract me from munching on something I shouldn't.


Seemed I wasn't the only one moaning about Tesltra on facebook.

After an afternoon at the kids swimming lessons, six hundred loads of laundry and a slight disagreement with the husband about lost car keys (probably my fault) I escaped the family and did an hour of MMA training.

Thursday Day 4

Nutrition
Scrambled eggs, 1/2 glass lite soy milk
1x sachet Be Natural porridge + 1 soy coffee 
Ham & salad sandwich 
A few pieces of watermelon
Chocolate protein shake
Vegetable Bake (egg, brocoli, peas, carrot, sweet potato, onion, beans)

Exercise
9am 1 hour MMA training

Went to my usual Thursday morning training class at Women FightFitMMA.  It sounds badass but it's really just a bunch of mums getting out their aggro with Mixed Martial Arts style fitness drills.  You work hard without feeling like you do.


Got home and checked my Thursday MB 12WBT training checklist.  Score!  Turned out we'd covered most of the strength training in class.  Tick!

Most of the irritability and hunger pains that I'd experienced at the start of the week have disappeared.  Someone at class mentioned that my butt had shrunk.  Gotta be happy with that!

Note to self - avoid baked veggie bakes.  They just make you feel bloated before bed.


Friday Day 5

Nutrition
2 scrambled eggs with spinach on 1 piece toast & 1 cup coffee
2 small apples
3 small pieces of toast spread with sardines & topped with cucumber
1 mandarin
JUNK FOOD 
1 x Hungry Jack's TenderGrill Wrap 409 calories
6 squares of dark almond chocolate 248 calories

Exercise
6am 40 min power walk HR135 Incline 6
9am 1 hour MMA class (abs & weights)

Lots of abdominal work in my MMA class today (which is also on the MB 12WBT plan for Friday).  First time I've been able to suck the belly in and feel 'empty'.

As much as I love wasting time on the internet, I'll be spending less time browsing the forums on the 12WBT site.  Too easy to spend hours reading on other people's progress when I could be doing something active.  Or the laundry or dishes ha ha ha!

This afternoon was a massive chauffeuring mission with the kids.  Starvation was imminent so we pulled into the Hungry Jacks Drive Thru.  I'd usually have a Bacon Deluxe meal with fries and a diet coke.  Horrified to learn that the burger alone has 561 calories.  Add an extra 512 calories for the large fries.

Bloody hell.  Might as well save time and just staple them to your thighs.

Time to test drive the healthy options range.


A TenderGrill Wrap (grilled chicken, low fat mayo & salad) used up all my dinner calories and 6 squares of dark chocolate once home used up the rest of the snack calories.  Cravings for junk were appeased.

Saturday

Nutrition - Clean Eating DAY OFF
1/4 sausage roll, a bite of a jam cream donut
1 banana protein smoothie
1 small apple
1 piece of carrot cake, scoop of ice cream, 1/2 scone with cream, 1/2 beef burger, coffee
1 piece of birthday cake
3 canapes
3 glasses champagne, 3 vodka lime & sodas


Exercise
8am 30 minutes walk, 7km run (treadmill)

Saturday is long run day in the MB 12WBT.  Check.  Though I'll be honest and admit that today I got slightly off track.

I was only supposed to do a 20 minute run but I got into the zone and didn't feel like stopping.  Which in hind sight, after all the cake I consumed today, was probably a good thing.

I was reading Runner (or Running) magazine while I was doing my walk on the treadmill and they recommended doing 3/4 the distance you can comfortably run, have a cool down and then do half that distance again.  So I did 25 min, walk 5min, then run 12 minutes.  I managed to do 7km without feeling worn out.  Personal best!

Then it was time for cake, cake and more cake.

We started the day at Fosters Bakery at 7am to pick up a birthday cake for my son.  Fosters Bakery is famous for its jam & cream donuts.  They are amazing.  $3.80 for that slab of deliciousness.  I was restrained and only inhaled a bit of the base.


Then we had carrot cake for lunch at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, more cake in the afternoon for my son's 12th birthday and then a few canapes and drinkies in the wee hours to celebrate a friend's 50th birthday.

Carb overdose but look - cheek bones!  Long time no see.  One chin down, one to go.

Photo courtesy of Katriina Kilpi Photography at Black & White Lounge Sanctuary Cove 

Sunday

Nutrition
Scrambled egg on toast
Mandarin
Grilled fish, a prawn & scallop
Avocado, ham & cucumber sandwich on turkish bread
Toasted cheese sandwich on wholemeal, 2 glasses white wine


Exercise
Morning at the beach on the SUP board

We planned to go and spend the morning at Currumbin Creek but Burleigh Beach looked so beautiful when we drove past that we spent the morning there instead.


One of my goals this year is to learn how to stand up paddle in the surf.

It freaks me out because I'm not a surfer, have a distinct fear of sharks and of making a fool of myself.

The ocean was pretty calm and flat today so I sucked it up and gave it a go.  The biggest motivator was watching little 12 year old girls jumping onto their boards and paddling out.

Getting out was a bit effing scary but once I got out there WOW.  The water was so crystal clear, I was about 100m out and I could still see the bottom.

I only had one wipe out moment in the breakers when the waves flipped the board into my legs.  I expect to see a nice big bruise on my shin tomorrow.

One week down - 11 to go!

If you're a fellow 12WBT participant how did you go in Week One?

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Random Adventures At O'Reilly's And Duck Creek Road

May 20, 2013, 11:20 pm
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I don't know about you but my family like spur of the moment adventures.

Whenever I plan outings, things always go wrong.  The weather will suck, someone will have other plans, we'll be late blah blah blah.  It's all too stressful and ruins what should be a good day out.

So we're a fly by the seat of our pants family.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny.

One of the kids had to go to a birthday party out in woop woop, so we dropped her off and decided to keep driving into the country and up into the hinterland to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat.

O'Reilly's is situated at the top of a very long, windy road in Lamington National Park on the crest of the McPherson Ranges.  

It's pretty, it's scenic.  It's balls on fire, the most terrifying drive EVER.

As soon as we got to Canungra the husband took over driving duties while I dived into the passenger seat and cowered in fear.

I hate mountain roads.

The one up to O'Reilly's is narrow and has a fuck off steep drop down the side.

Absolutely terrifying.

How buses full of tourists make it around the blind corners without hurtling to their deaths is beyond me.  Lucky for us, this time we were stuck behind Driving Miss Daisy which left the husband no choice but to drive at a snails pace at 30km an hour.

We made it up there in one piece.


First up on the agenda?  Lunch.

After a week of calorie counting on the 12WBT it was time for something indulgent.  Oh the deliciousness!

Coffee.  Carrot cake.  With cream.  Then ice cream.  Then half a burger.  Followed by a few chips.  With the obligatory scone.


Best.  Cake.  Ever.

Then it was time to brave the cold mountain air and go do stuff.  

King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas make their way out of the surrounding rainforest and into the feeding area beside the restaurant.  You can buy a tray of food from the kiosk or just pick a few sunflower seeds off the ground.  


A piece of advice?  Don't be the mother that freaks out when a bird flies past, screams and scares all the other Rosellas away.  Apparently that's really, really embarrassing.

So we left the birds to it and headed off to the Tree Top walk.

The boardwalk winds its way through the rainforest until you reach the suspension bridges.  Have you seen Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom?


If you have as many times as I have then you'll probably embarrass your kids some more by moaning 'We're going to diiiiiiiiieeeeeeee' each time a plank creaks or bridge sways.

In most places you're 15 metres off the ground.  If you're a lunatic like my son you can climb a ladder up a Strangler Fig to a deck that's 30 metres in the air. 

No thanks.  Sensible people like me stay on the lower deck and take selfies. 


Eventually we remembered that we had to pick a child up from that birthday party so we got back into the car and I prepared myself for the traumatic drive back down the mountain.  

But lo and behold, just out of the O'Reilly's car park the husband noticed a 4WD cavalcade heading down a dirt road.  

The kids egged him on to follow them.  So did I.  Anything had to be better than the drive down the mountain road.

He turned left and we set off down the dusty track.

After a bit of googling I figured out that we were on Duck Creek Road a 'picturesque 4x4 track' that winds its way down the side of the mountain through farm land and rainforest.  


There are a few places that you can pull over and take photos of the scenic rim.  Towards the end of the track you drive through farm land.  We were greeted by a few cows and then bam....CAMELS.

Random safari awesomeness.


When you get to the end of Duck Creek Road you'll see this sign.


If you're in a hurry to get back to the Gold Coast before nightfall don't turn left.  Especially if your wife tells you to turn right.  


By turning left you'll end up lost somewhere in Lost World Valley (how ironic), surrounded by a lot of bemused cows, with no internet reception on your iphone and your wife saying I told you so over and over again. 
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Kitchen Appliance Wish List

May 20, 2013, 5:17 pm
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Pinterest Conspiracy

You know you've been spending too much time on pinterest when you find yourself daydreaming about kitchen appliances.  Super expensive, bright and shiny kitchen appliances.

For your viewing pleasure, the KitchenAid.

Long ago, Herbert Johnson watched a baker mix bread dough with a heavy iron spoon.  The engineer was convinced there had to be an easier way.  By 1919, the classic stand mixer was born.

Nearly 100 years later and I'm still ga ga over them.

The price?  $450 - $800.


Leopard print.  Grrrr, yeah baby.


Bedazzle anything with pink crystals and consider it sold.

Pink

Nicole Dinardo at Un Amore creates the most beautiful hand crafted KitchenAid designs. 
But how could you splatter that artwork with flour and goo?


Kenwood Kmix also has a fabulous range of kitchen appliances in the prettiest colours.
Their kitchen machine ($549 at Harvey Norman) comes with optional attachments like a pasta roller and cutter,  food grinder and food press. 


Number 2 on the wish list is a Thermomix.   

I've heard about them but I didn't really know what they did.  Everything apparently.

Here's a quick run down. 

12 Reasons why you need a Thermomix in your kitchen

It's temperature controlled, cooks, stews, simmers, chops, minces, steams, blends, mills, grinds, crushes, kneads, whisks, grates, emulsifies, purees, weighs and even cleans itself.  You can arrange to have an in home demo from a Thermomix consultant.

Costs as much as a new stove at around $1939.  If it also baby sat the kids I'd be happily handing over my credit card.

I asked the girls on facebook why I needed to have one in my kitchen.  Overwhelming response was that once you bought one, you couldn't imagine living without it.

So to educate the uninitiated. What the heck is a Thermomix and why do I need it in my kitchen?

Like ·  · 

If that's not a rave review I don't know what is.
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Pretty Purple Pumps on Foot Fetish Friday

May 23, 2013, 9:47 pm
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You are fabulous adorn your feet accordingly

Let's kick off this Foot Fetish Friday with a bunch of pretty purple pumps.
You're all fabulous and you should adorn your feet accordingly.

Purple and bling = AMAZING!

 Lilac Louboutins.


More purple bling from Gianmarco Lorenzi.


Purple Jimmy Choo - I love you.


Purple and gold - a killer combo.


Especially in this Gucci sandal.


Have a lovely weekend!


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12WBT Week 2 Run Down

May 25, 2013, 11:24 pm
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Week 2.  Alternate week title - The Week That I Didn't Follow The Program.

I started Monday off on a high this week by weighing in at 77.9kg and finally squeezing into my size 14 skinny jeans.  Then caught a head cold that stuffed up my routine and mojo.  Weather didn't help either.

Didn't follow the food plan at all.  Couldn't be bothered going shopping to grab what I was supposed to eat and just ate whatever.  Feed a cold, starve a fever...oh boy, did I feed that cold!

So, excuses for not following the program this week?  I had plenty of them.  I'm annoyed at myself.  I didn't slack off completely and bury my head in a bucket of KFC but I know I could have pushed myself harder.



Monday

Nutrition
2 scrambled eggs on 1 piece wholemeal toast
1 banana chocolate protein shake
Acocado, tuna & cucumber sandwich
Manadarin
Beef & Lentil Stew
3 pieces dark almond choc


Exercise
9am 1 hour MMA training
4pm 12WBT running program

I had a sneaky weigh in this morning at MMA training and I'm 77.9kg!!!  It's been a really long time since I've seen those numbers on the scale.  Holly is now 16 months so it's been over two years.  Wow. My trainer said that she could see abs popping out at the top of my stomach.  Then proceeded to smash us with a torturous ab work out.  Ouchy.

Running Training

Back to the school oval for running training in the afternoon.  My son has a Districts Cross Country carnival on Thursday so he was my lap running partner.  Seven laps around the oval.  For the last lap I told him to sprint it home and he whooshed off like the Road Runner while I puffed and wheezed to the finish line.

Feel a cold coming on...


Tuesday

Nutrition
2 scrambled eggs on 1 piece wholemeal toast & coffee
Tuna & Avocado sandwich & coffee
Banana, more coffee
Apple
Cucumber, cheese
Don't remember.  Day lost in a haze of snot.

Exercise
Blowing my nose


Coffee, coffee and more coffee.  Tuesday seems to be a challenging day every week.  

Last week it was the weather.  Today it's me.  

This morning I woke up sneezing, coughing and with one eye swollen shut.  Looked and sounded like Sloth from The Goonies.


Thanks for the head cold germs, kids.  It sucks.  I was so pumped to have a really good work out and food day today to try and hit 76kg for weigh in day tomorrow.  Now I just feel like curling up on the couch with lots of cups of hot coffee.

It's cold.  I'm snotty.  Prayed to the motivation Gods for an energy boost.  Didn't happen.

Wednesday

Nutrition
Banana protein shake
1 coffee, 1 bacon and egg McMuffin296 calories
Sardines & salad on 2 pieces wholemeal toast
Banana
Some french fries
Lentil & vegetable stew on mashed potato with brocoli
2 glasses of wine

Exercise
6am MB 12WBT Wednesday Running program

Still snotty with watering eyes but headed off to the gym for a run because it was raining and freezing cold outside.  Average effort.  No weight change since Monday.  But a massive change is that I've been able to squeeze into my size 14 skinny jeans.  Still have a bit of a muffin top but that's a huge change!

Went onto the 12WBT site to update my status.  

The weekly challenge is completing 300 push ups.  Pumped them out while watching The Biggest Loser in the lounge room.  Far out, after watching the contestants in NZ I think they need to change the name to The Biggest Whinger.  


Arms?  Dead.

Horrible, freezing weather outside mean that I cancelled swimming lessons for the kids and we all spent
the afternoon inside.


Thursday

Nutrition
Banana protein shake
Mandarin, can of diet coke
Sardines & salad on 2 pieces wholemeal toast, small apple, coffee
Chocolate cupcake, 1/2 mint slice (ugh)
Macaroni Cheese
Wine (double ugh)

Exercise
Nothing

No morning gym time because it was too hard to unwrap myself from the warm doona covers.  No MMA class because I had to take the boy child to his Districts Cross Country Carnival.  No medal for him because of an age group stuff up courtesy of his PE teacher.  Not happy Jan.

Sore back and shoulders from all those damn pushups.  Finished off a lame effort day with a few glasses of wine (liquid sugar).  Fail.  It's getting dark so early in the evenings that I'm so damn bored just sitting around.  Going to order some Tapout MMA work out DVDs to keep me occupied.   

Friday

Nutrition
Scrambled eggs on 1 piece wholemeal, coffee
Tuna and warm beetroot salad, coffee
Peanut butter & banana on wholemeal toast
Garlic bread
Popcorn & diet Coke at the movies
Some other junk
More late night vino while wasting time on facebook

Exercise
9am 1 hour MMA training session (Abs)

Back into the gym for an MMA training session with the girls today.  Pushups, harness training, abs and weights.  Woo hoo!  Love it.

Negated any positives from the workout by going to the movies to watch The Hangover and mindlessly munching on popcorn.

Saturday

Nutrition
Jam Cream donut
Bite of pie
Coffee, coffee, coffee
Hot chips, diet coke
Crumbed camembert
Ginger Honey tea

Exercise
Chasing the baby around a basketball stadium

I was supposed to do a long run today but I just couldn't get my mojo on.  Another write off day.  Busy ferrying kids all over the Gold Coast for play dates and basketball presentations.  If it was deep fried and covered in sauce then I probably ate it.


Spent the evening deep frying camembert.  I know, I know.  Completely fallen off the program wagon. 

Confucius Says - She who brags about how easy it is to lose weight in week 1 will undoubtedly completely sabotage herself in week 2.  Story of my life.


Sunday

Nutrition
Cup of ginger tea
Scrambled eggs on toast
2 bananas & some cashews
Some Fasta Pasta spaghetti, a beef/salad burger but tossed the patty because it was gross
Snacked on some cheese, cucumber
2 Hot dog franks

Exercise
9am 1 1/2 hour power walk on the treadmill at the gym
4pm 5 km oval run


After my abysmal efforts this week with my stupid cold, I started Sunday off with a super long power walk on the treadmill at the gym.  Didn't even notice how long it was because the timer was covered with magazines.

Felt a lot better when I finished.  Must have been some of those endorphins buzzing around my system.

We headed off to Harbour Town and the husband went berserk at the Nike sale.  These babies fell into the trolley.


I'm a shoe whore.  I don't care.  Took them down to the school oval in the afternoon and ran 12 laps with a lump of spaghetti from lunch bouncing up and down in my belly.  Nearly threw up but I got through the 5kms.

Spent the night on facebook and noticed that some of my friends had entered the sports model and physique sections of the INBA body building contest in Brisbane.  Seriously impressed with their efforts.  Would love to do that sort of stuff but I don't think I could commit to such a strict regime.

Bye bye week 2.  

Sorry that my efforts sucked.  Let's try and get our act together in week 3, 'mkay?

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Fitness Model Inspiration

May 26, 2013, 9:45 pm
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Strong is the new skinny, Andreia Brazier
A bit of fitness inspiration to kick off the week.  I found out that the Posh Spice on 'roids on my 12 WBT fitness inspiration board is a physique model named Andreia Brazier.  She's amazing.


Week 3 of the MB 12WBT starts today.

After a bit of a piss poor effort on my behalf sticking to the nutrition guide last week while I was battling the cold from hell, this week I'm determined to get down to 76kgs.  

Boredom is my biggest problem.  I'm happy to do the training but it's the early evening hours at home with the kids that has me picking at food or having a glass of wine.  To make sure I stick to the program for the remaining weeks I've printed out a training and food checklist and stuck it to the fridge.

I get a fully detailed exercise and nutrition program that I print out from the 12WBT site every week but this is just something I can tick off on the fridge once it's done.  B S L S D stands for Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner.  I've found I dick around too much on the internet if I keep logging onto the 12WBT site.


This past weekend on facebook I noticed a few friends posting competition pictures from the INBA Australia natural body building competitions.  These are girls, who just a few months ago had never picked up a set of weights.  I found their achievement really inspiring.  Love the fake tan overdose too.  

Photo from INBA Australia

It looks like fun and I'd love to do something similar in the future but honestly, that's a looooooong way off at this stage.  Way too much junk in the trunk to be trying to squeeze into hot pants.  Just getting through a 10km run is enough for this round.


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Bibs? Who Needs Bibs?! Lunch With Dad

May 28, 2013, 7:59 pm
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When you're a Dad and your baby is a high chair escape artist extraordinaire you improvise when it comes to eating out  in public.

Out and about on Sunday without a bib or wipes he resorted to trapping her in a trolley, plopped a  bowl of food next to her and left her to it.  

Leave it to Mum to arrive just in time and catch that gold on camera.


Slippery, slimey, deliciousness.  Nom, nom, nom.


Bibs?  Who needs bibs!


Spaghetti all over your shopping?

I don't care!  It was on sale!


PS.  Apologies to the next person who used that trolley and couldn't work out why their groceries were covered in spaghetti sauce. 

Link up your pics at WW with Trish

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Never Let Anyone Dull Your Sparkle

May 30, 2013, 8:28 pm
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Shoe Quotes

Let's bling it up this Foot Fetish Friday with a collection of the most beautifully bedazzled shoes
from
The Shoe Palace Bondi Junction.

The Shoe Palace Bondi Junction

These shoes are the bomb!  Cherry bomb, that is! Cherrylicious at $399.

Now it's no secret that I have a thing for purple shoes.

The Shoe Palace Bondi Junction

These are faaaaaaabulous!


Diamonds and Pearls.  Prince would have a shoegasm.

And just to prove that you don't have to wear sky high heels to feel fabulous,
check out these crystal ballet flats.


Contact info@theshoepalace to order.


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12WBT Week 3 Rundown

June 1, 2013, 11:24 pm
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True.

Listening to someone talk about their workout is as interesting as listening to someone tell you about the dream they had last night.
You smile, nod, nod some more and then zone out.

You have my permission to zone out.

I'm only being this detailed for the first few weeks of the 12WBT until I get my shizz together or some junk disappears from my trunk.

Menu plan, calories and exercise have been tweaked to suit my needs.  For a plan tailored to your dietary needs and lifestyle you have to sign up to the 12WBT.  


A new week a new attitude!

Week 2 - 77.9kg
Week 3 - 76.9kg (even after eating rubbish towards the end of week 2)

Monday


Nutrition
Banana protein shake
Cashews
Sardines with salad on 2 pieces toast
Banana protein shake
Warm tuna, beetroot and cannellini beans salad

Exercise
9am 1 hour MMA class
4.30pm 3km run on school oval


Running around the oval in the afternoon after a day of clean eating was so much easier than the day before.  Paced myself and followed the program.  Ticked my meals off once I had them to ensure I didn't start snacking.  Loved dinner, loved the taste difference the beans make to a meal.

Tuesday

Nutrition
Banana Porridge with protein
1/4 sausage roll + apple
Sardines/salad/2 piece toast
Banana Protein shake
Warm chicken, cannellini bean, zucchini salad
Ginger tea

Exercise
6am 1 hour power walk on incline on the treadmill
12.30 Weekly challenge - 300 step ups.
6pm 12WBT toning program

The weather was rubbish (again) but I headed to the gym when it was still dark to get some exercise.  You know when you're tossing around in bed having a debate about whether you should go to the gym or not?  Save yourself the headache and just get up and go.

High knee step ups are the weekly challenge.  I really like these mini challenges because I can usually do them in the lounge room while the baby is having a nap.


Dead legs afterwards - Oh my gaaaawwwwwd.

Wednesday

Nutrition
Porridge with lite soy
Coffee + 2 boiled eggs
Roast beef & salad sandwich
Protein shake
Chicken & cannellini bean salad (zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, spinach)
Apple
Donut (oh my!)

Exercise
6am 12WBT running test + sprints


After a tossing and turning with the crying baby and snoring husband all night, I got up at 5am and went to the gym.  Weekly weigh in and I hit 77.4kgs.  My goal is to get to 76 by the end of the week.  

I'm not really a person that usually obsesses with the numbers on the scales.  I've been doing a lot of weight training/ muscle building so I know that it influences the numbers.  It's just that hitting 76 would see me heading back towards my pre-pregnancy weight.  That would be a HUGE ego boost and inspiration for me.

Planned to do tons of exercise today but I was buggered, watched the Biggest Loser finale encore at lunchtime and had an early night instead.


Thursday

Nutrition
Porridge with lite soy milk
Apple + raw almonds
Sardines + Salad on 2 piece toast + coffee
Banana Chocolate Protein shake
Bolognaise on grated zucchini
Slice of cheesecake

Exercise
6am 40 minute hill climb treadmill (max incline for 30 min)
9am 1 hour MMA toning session
12pm 200 step ups in the lounge room during nap time

Another sleepless night with the baby.  It's either teething or a growth spurt or the fact that when she rolls around the cot she usually whacks her head or feet on the bars.  She's a great alarm clock.

Incline session on the treadmill at the gym to have a break from the nagging kid.

Weigh in at the MMA gym after class and drumroll please..................................76.90kg.  BOOM!  Fist pump and victory lap around the mats.

As a reward for all that hard work, Mr Gatsby and I decided to spend a kid free afternoon together.


Oh Leo, why do they always have to kill you off in the movies.  You're too pretty to swim with the fishes...


Friday

Nutrition
Porridge
Apple & almonds
Sardines on toast with salad + coffee
Banana Choc Protein Shake + 1/2 bacon/cheese toast pinched from the kids (absolutely starving!!!)
Chicken stir fry & vegetables

Exercise
6am 40min treadmill on 15 incline speed 4.5
9am MMA class

What should you never say to your MMA trainer, especially if you're the only one who's turned up to class?

"Can we please not do legs today?" Boom.  Damn masochist.  Ow, ow, ow.


Saturday

Nutrition
Porridge (400)
1 Pork Sausage (81)
Apple & almonds (72 + 69)
Small Donut & Coffee (149 + 68)
20 Maltesers & more almonds (200 + 72)
Tomato, cheese & lettuce sandwich

Exercise
6am Supposed to be Super Session Saturday but the knees didn't feel like running.  1 hr Power Walk.

I have to say that husbands are the world's biggest distraction.

After being focused all week, as soon as he had a a day off the whole clean eating thing went out the window.  We spent the morning cleaning the garage while having a garage sale and I ate a bunch of crap.  Apparently when I'm tired and sick of cleaning up I cave into sugar cravings.

Had a bit of a sticky beak at the calories and it turned out that the blow out wasn't that bad.  Nutritious? Not really, but the calories weren't that huge.  Lesson here?  Portion size is everything.

Sunday

Nutrition
Porridge
KFC Works burger meal - upsized!
Hungry Jacks choc dip cone
Apple
Mint Bubbly 
Scrambled eggs
2 glasses white wine

Note to self - work on your weekend diet


Exercise
The Swisse Color Run!!!

Goal one on my 12WBT checklist - tick!


5km run around Helensvale Golf Club, sprayed with powder at every km and my first mosh pit.  Color runners sure know how to party!  I think I'm going to be sneezing rainbow snot for a week.

Fun Run

So much fun.   Next goal post?  Gold Coast marathon 10km.
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Live Well Go Orange

June 3, 2013, 9:27 pm
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Citrus Australia sent us a box of oranges to celebrate the start of the Live Well  Go Orange 
10 oranges in 10 days health & wellbeing campaign.


This one loves oranges anyway and they're a lunchbox staple for brain break.

We all know oranges are packed full of vitamin C.

They're also packed full of powerful antioxidants, high in potassium, carotenoids, folate, nutrients, flavonoids and dietary fibre.

The original super fruit!

They're also fun to play with.






Join the Live Well Go Orange challenge in June by simply adding an orange to your diet for 10 days.
You'll be boosting your immune system (cold & flu season is just around the corner) and supporting our local farmers.

I'll be having mine at breakfast for a sweetness hit with my porridge.

You can join the conversation on twitter and instagram with #GoOrange


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The Swisse Color Run Gold Coast

June 4, 2013, 2:59 pm
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What a crowd!  11 000 + Color Runners ready and raring to go.  Eat your heart out Merv Hughes.


Photo by MJC Wilkie Productions.  


The Color Runicorn officiated the proceedings.  


My junior running partner.

Color Runners

1st kilometre colour bomb - yellow!

Yellow

Woo hoo!


The second kilometre turned blue - da ba dee da ba die...


Time to think pink!


Race to the finish line.


The after party.


My first mosh pit!  An explosion of colour!


Hands in the air like you just don't care!

Fun Run

In my teeth, up my nose, in my ears but who cares?!  It was a blast.


Happiest 5k on earth.

WW with Trish at MLDB
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Oo! Online Shopping Fix

June 5, 2013, 10:04 pm
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I'm a big fan of online shopping.

This is how our IRL afternoon shopping expeditions used to sound.

"Pull in here they're having a sale."

Undo 5 seat belts.  Get kids out of the car.  Pull out a stroller, a nappy bag, my purse, my keys.  Drag all kids into a store.  Watch them morph like mini Xmen into the feral fivesome.

"Stop touching that!"
"Get off that!"
"Get off her!"
"PUT.  THAT.  BACK."
"Mum I need to go the toilet!"
"Mum I need to go to the toilet!"
"Mum I need to go to the toilet!"
"Mum Holly smells like poo."

Eventually find what I'm looking for.  Remember that it's 50% cheaper at another store.  Across town.  

Shopping with kids sucks.  Ain't nobody got time for that.

Shopping online?  Easy breezey.

Let me show you how easy it is.

We have this random area in our house.  

Brown wooden panelling in the middle of a tiled floor.  Maybe they were going for a Swiss Chalet vibe when they built it twenty years ago, who knows.  We just chucked a coffee table on it and the little girls draw at it.  It's usually surrounded by baby crapola.


It's ugly.  It's boring.  With winter just around the corner I figured that maybe a rug of some sort would jazz that blah floor up a bit.  

You may be aware that I'm a bit of a cheapskate love a good bargain.  I snap up a lot of cheap home wares on ebay.  The postman and I are good friends.

oo.com.au sent me a voucher and asked me to check out their website instead.  Bargain central! Electronics, kitchen appliances, bedding...everything!  It's like a heavily discounted online department store.      

I had a squizz at the  rug section.  Picked a few that I liked.  Emailed my selection to the husband at work.  He liked a little brown  floral design and a few days later - voila! 


The site has a no questions asked money back guarantee too.  
Painless home decorating with a few clicks on the keyboard.  Love it.  

Until the baby discovered the balls in the glass bowl on the table.


Girls love the rug.  It's like they've never seen carpet before.  
It's also the reason I don't take them out shopping for rugs.


Mental cases.

Have you got a favourite online discount website?


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Search

12WBT Week 4 Rundown

June 10, 2013, 12:03 am
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Funny Running Picture

I wish I could start this post off with saying how good I feel after being on the program for four weeks (a third of the way in).

The truth is right now I feel like crap.  Congested, feverish and full of snot.  A bronchitis type bug hit our house last week and the kids began dropping like flies.  It hit me on Saturday night and BOOM down I went. Really unfortunate timing.  Week 5 is off to a slow start.

Here's how my Week 4 of the 12WBT played out.

Week 4 is mini milestone and measurement week on the 12WBT.

Stats so far - 3cm off the chest (boo), 1.5cm off the waist (yay), 1.5cm off the hips (yay), 0.5 off the thigh (yay) and 1.5cm off the arm (bye bye bingo wings).

I also completed the fitness test. 

I can wall squat for 7 minutes (thanks to months of MMA training).  My flexibility has improved.  I also finally took the plunge and tried push ups on my toes.  So hard!  I managed to get out 24 in a minute before my elbows collapsed.    

I won't bore you with my daily menu on the blog anymore but I will still tick off each meal on my fridge checklist. 

I've been trying to stick to an eating routine of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and consuming around 1700 calories.  I get an extra 500 because I'm still boobing the baby.  Totally putting off weaning her just so I can eat more.  

I fell off the eating plan wagon a few times this week thanks to my husband (the saboteur) and his penchant for filling the fridge with croissants and chocolates.  Bastard. 

Getting up to go to the gym in the morning has become a new hobby.  The baby usually wakes me up at 5am then goes back to sleep.  I creep out of the house, drive to the gym while it's still dark and enjoy some time away from little people. 

Two songs that are driving me crazy on the gym TVs.

Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.


Love the song, it gets everyone grooving on the car radio.  Though after watching the video clip each morning I've noticed that Robin & co are starting to look old enough to be these girls dads.  Bunch of old pervs.  

Wow - googled just linked me up to the dirty version of Blurred Lines.  Boobie alert. 


The other film clip that has me reaching for the gag bucket is Mariah Carey's Beautiful.  

Watching her writhe all over the back of that bike is painful.  What is with all these divas (I'm talking to you too Beyonce and JLo) and their need to boogie sans pants?  Put it away, puhlease....

Anyway, speaking of perky posteriors...

I read in a fitness magazine that walking on the highest incline is great cardio, really tones your butt and legs and is more gentle on your knees than running.  I try to get an hour in if I have time.  By the end of it, the sweat is pouring.  What's that saying...if you still look cute at the end of your workout then you obviously didn't work hard enough.

It's not on the 'to do' list in the 12WBT running program but I find that if I get some exercise done in the morning it sets me up for a better day.  I'm a bit more patient with the kids and I tend to eat better too.

Mondays are my tempo run on the school oval days.  I've been increasing the distance each week and it's getting easier.  I find that running outdoors is a lot harder than on a treadmill where the machine sets the pace and you can just tune out.

Running is such a head game.  

When you're not in the zone, even if you've been training, then it's torture.  Your brain tries to sabotage you with pathetic whining and imaginary aches and pains.  Each lap feels like it goes on forever.  It makes you wonder what the hell you're doing this for.

But when you get in the zone, when your mind clears and it's free of those negative thoughts, running is amazing.  It's like meditation.  All those endorphins kick in and you get quite a buzz.  I finally felt it this week during my run.  

Fist pump moment!


Saturday is supposed to be a super session day but with the husband at work I find I'm too busy with the kids to get much done.  So on Friday night, instead of sitting around watching TV I hit the gym.

I signed up for the 10km Running Program in the 12WBT.  My plan was to do the 10km run at the Gold Coast Marathon in July.

I felt a lot fitter this week and I wanted to push myself a little bit further.  I knew that I could run 5km comfortably on the treadmill.  It takes me a bit under half an hour.  So I set myself a goal of trying to do 10km in an hour since the treadmill automatically goes into 'cool down' mode after 60 minutes.

If it hurt too much I'd just stop and do something else.

At 60 minutes, I was still alive.  

Not too out of breath and I'd managed to run 9.32km.  Wow.  Longest distance that I've ever run.  Should have worn a better sports bra though because all that sweat caused major chafing under the chesticles.  TMI, you're welcome.  

After I bragged about that achievement on facebook (the run, not the boobs) a friend suggested that I suck it up and enter the half marathon with her instead of the 10km fun run.

Now I'm in a conundrum.  Should I do the longer run?  It's 21.1km.  I think I probably can but I don't know if I need to.  Decisions, decisions...

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Kmart Changes The Rules

June 13, 2013, 11:26 pm
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I was lucky to be invited to the Kmart VIP Toy Event in Melbourne.

I am a Kmart shopper.  It is my go to place for clothes, shoes, toys, underwear, back to school - pretty much everything.

I like that is affordable and by that I mean cheapskate affordable.  Just last week I picked up the coolest pair of cognac knee high boots for $15!

I prefer to spend my money on doing things rather than stuff.  Let's face it, most of the stuff around here just gets trashed by the feral fivesome anyway.

I was really interested to see what the Kmart team was going to present to us. 

I'm a bit cynical and can sniff out media hype BS pretty easily. 

On the flight down I'd been chatting to a couple about the sourcing of cheap products from countries like India and China and how the price was usually representative of the quality of the items.

$2 shop toys anyone?  They're cheap, break easily, and who knows where they came from.

The thought of sweat shops, poor working conditions and children working in factories makes me sick to my stomach so I hoped Kmart would address some of the topics that had been floating around on the TV.  


While the kids were taken off to play, host Tracey Spicer introduced General Manager John Gaultieri and Head of Toys Nicole Szujda who explained how a few years ago Kmart nearly went under and it made the company rethink what it stood for and how it would operate it's stores.

You may have noticed that Kmart has replaced sales with all year round cheap prices.  

This was based on customer feedback.  With the advent of online shopping, shoppers now shop smarter and expect more from bricks and mortar retailers.

People just want to buy things for a fair price all year round.  Inflated prices that allow for sales and future discounting are annoying.  I just don't have time for that kind of shopping.

Kmart plans to offer good quality products for affordable prices.  Their buying power allows them to buy larger quantities at lower prices.

It's also the reason why they've made the decision to no longer offer a 6 month Christmas layby.  They noticed that it was taking the fun out of shopping.  Parents found they were missing out on toys that were released later on in the year, laybys were often returned or cancelled.

They will still be offering an 8 week layby.  

To be honest, I've always hated the pressure of the Christmas toy sales in June/ July.  

I'd put one on, 3 months later the kids would change their mind, I'd change my mind, the layby would go awol or be unavailable for pick up when I needed it.  So bloody stressful.

Who wants to be thinking about Christmas in July?  Can Christmas just stick to December?

I get that some mums like the option of paying it off over 6 months.  

I get around the hassle of budgetting for Christmas by buying $1000 worth of Kmart gift cards through Chrisco each year.  I pay it off over the year and get them delivered in November.

The latest themed toys come out at Christmas, I buy the kids what they want and it's done.  

Side note - No, I do not buy my kids a thousand dollars worth of toys.  I also use the money for summer swimming supplies, new boogie boards, new makeup for me (luxury!) and for christmas decorations. It's a good way to pay for back to school supplies in January too. 

After we saw the latest commercials, the bloggers had the opportunity to hit them with a few curly questions.


It seems we're a pretty ethical bunch.  As is the twitterverse.

The Kmart team got a grilling.  

They explained that Kmart is committed to only working with factories that meet Kmart's strict standards for safety and social compliance.  They have recently become a signatory to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh following tragic fires in garment factories.

A lot of research has gone into sourcing ethical factories that will produce good quality products.

Which brings us back to the Kmart toys.

They want to offer an everyday range that is comparable to the quality of expensive toy stores, even on classic items like wooden and educational toys.  

They are cutting out the middle man, buying direct from manufacturers which means lower prices.

This covers you all year round when you need to buy presents for birthday parties and treats.  Doesn't it sometimes feel like there's a birthday party every single weekend?  Those things can you send you broke.

Kmart even have a retro range that includes elastics and marbles.  The range of dolls and blocks have been designed to fit with brands like Barbie and Lego.

Big brands toys and themed merchandise will still be available when they're released.


With a bit of fanfare a curtain dropped and a pop up shop was revealed so that we could have a look at some of the products on offer.


Kids and mums went a bit berserk.  Especially when Kmart (a bit like Oprah on her Christmas shows) announced that each child could pick two toys to take home.

Where were my feral fivesome when I needed them!  They would have had a ball.

My favourites?  These unicorn jackets.


This wooden doll house.  It's $39.  I've seen a similar one on the web for $320!


How cute is it?   I love all the wooden play sets.  

They also have a range that looks like The Sylvanian Family dolls I lusted after as a child and was never allowed to have because they were so darn expensive.  I think a few of them might be coming to live in our house.

A few crazy mums set up an impromptu game of elastics.  Hilarious.  That was some pretty enthusiastic product testing!

What I liked best is seeing how enthusiastic, passionate and proud the Kmart team are about their products.  They're listening to their customers and I like that.  

You can join the toy conversation at #kmartplay.  You can check out their product range at kmart.com.au.

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First Rule Of Fight Club

June 16, 2013, 11:29 pm
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First rule of Fight Club?  Don't talk about Fight Club.

First rule of Jet Setting Blogger Flight Club?  Don't drink a litre of diet coke before you get on a plane.

This week I took the plunge and said yes to my first blog function.

You might have noticed that there are quite a few Target Bloggers out there at the moment.  I'm not a Target blogger.  I am a Kmart girl through and through.  I like to spend as little money as possible on 'stuff'.  I like to get in, grab what I need and get out.  I don't have the time or patience for sales.

After a big shopping expedition a few weeks ago I joked that I should be a Kmart Blogger.

Be careful what you put out there people because the universe has mighty big ears.

What popped up in my inbox?  An invitation to the Kmart VIP Toy Event in Melbourne thanks to Kids Business.  Two days in the big city WITH NO KIDS and a fancy pants event.  How could I say no?

I thought about bring the baby along but decided that it wasn't worth the headache.  I'd just have to suffer the indignity of expressing whenever I could.

After a terrifying take off and landing (note to self - FFS stop watching Final Destination movies!!!) the 
pilot thanked us for flying with Jetstar and welcomed us to "...miserable Melbourne." It was pretty bleak but I did not care because I was now officially a jet setting blogger.

Feeling dashing in my new winter coat...


and black leather boots (which never get to see the light of day on the Gold Coast)...


I was Carrie Bradshaw ready to explore the Big City.

Except that I couldn't find the bus stop.  My carefully googled instructions were somehow wrong.  A travel blogger had lead me astray.  Here I was, ready to head off on my big adventure and I couldn't even get out of the damn airport.

So I did what any self respecting grown woman would do.

I walked around with a blank look on my face.

I needed a sign.

Any damn sign.  Where the hell were they hiding the bus stop?!

For future reference to anyone else googling 'how do I get to Melbourne from the airport' the Sky Bus stop at Terminal 1 at Melbourne airport is down one level at the bottom of the escalator near the doors.  

There are no signs until you get to the actual bus stop.  Think of it as a Where's Wally type of game.  Look for red and white.

First stop on my Melbourne adventure?  Crown Casino for lunch.  My I've been walking in the rain and I'm still having fun face.  Just file it under stuff I would never do with kids.

  
I had grand plans of catching a Wednesday matinee of King Kong The Musical (because I was now a city girl off to the theatre) but the wifi quit on my phone and I couldn't figure out how to look it up.  Turns out it opens on the 15th June anyway.  Whatever.  Theatre sucks anyway.

So I shoved $20 into a pokie machine instead.  Ka- ching!  Thanks for the $100 Crown Casino.


Spirits buoyed I hit a book store, a wine store, a pie shop and caught a train to Highett.  

All.  By.  Myself.

Well Tina Fey was there but she wasn't much help in figuring out which platform to go to.  


Trains are as scary as planes.  Riding backwards makes you car sick.  People will sit next to you and you will spend 45 minutes trying to figure out how to politely get your suitcase over their legs without missing your stop.

Things I learned on that train.  Teenagers are stupid.  What's worse is not being able to tell them that they're stupid.  I felt old.

After the torture that was watching some teenagers argue over the use of the word 'devout' on the train for 45 minutes (dude - it's not a word dude - it's devoted! dude - how is devout a word!) I wanted to punch them and myself in the face.  It's a word.  Your friends are dicks.

Made it to the train station, used my carefully printed out google maps to find the hotel and I was done.

While the rain poured down outside, Tina Fey and I had a glorious evening in our hotel room drinking wine, ordering room service, eating dessert before dinner and staying up late watching movies since we were totally going to sleep in because hello?!  NO CHILDREN!


Woke up at 6am with two watermelons strapped to my chest because hello?!  No baby!  Oh the agony that is expressing engorged boobies.  You're welcome for that visual, dear reader.  Nothing classier than a woman milking herself.

When that indignity was over it was time to get my BLOG EVENT on.  Half terrified/ half excited because I'm not a person who usually goes to anything.  I'm the type of person who gets excited by cancelled plans.  But this year it's about Project Fun and the first rule (I like rules) of Project Fun is suck it up princess and participate.

So what does one wear to a Kmart event?


Stuff from Kmart of course!  Layered white singlets, metallic leopard print scarf, snakeskin pants and ballet flats.  I love those pants so much, I wish I'd bought a few more pairs.

I met the lovely Natalie from Mummy Smiles at the hotel and we set off for Southland Shopping Centre.  Boy, are the malls in Melbourne huge!  You could easily get lost in them.

You can read about the event here.

What I learnt at the event?

The staff at Kmart are dedicated and passionate.  I think they're onto a winner with the direction they're heading in.  The PR ladies at Kids Business are fantastic.  So organised. 

It is perfectly acceptable to introduce yourself to a stranger (Jane from The Hesitant Housewife) by yelling "Lisa from Two Point Five Kids told me if I meet you I have to give you a hug!" I'm sure her husband thought I was a complete weirdo.

Bloggers in real life are silly and funny.  

Jolene from Mums Lounge is a shoe girl like me (busted her eyeing up the sneakers with wheels in them).  Natalie from Mummy Smiles is one of the most sincere, kind people I've ever met.  Renee Mayne from Bra Queen is bloody hilarious!  They had to literally kick us out of the event for lingering long after it was over.

I wished Natalie a safe trip home and with a few hours to kill, hung out with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson at the movies.


Watching a movie about google after a blogging event felt like a fitting end to the day.  Though after watching it I'm still no wiser as to how to make sense of google+.

Then it was time for the world's longest taxi ride back to the airport.

Note to self - next time work up the courage to tell the taxi driver to turn the damn heating off.  It'll stop you from trying to figure out if you can discretely vomit in your suitcase when you start feeling car sick in the back seat.  

Then you won't have to sit in the airport looking green and taking selfies of your jewellery to distract yourself from wanting to vomit.


It was like $5 from Kmart.  I am totally going to start collecting leopard print bling. First stop? Kmart. Next stop - Cartier.

Note to self - thanks for packing some ginger in your hand bag.  That stuff is awesome at getting rid of nausea.Hello Hungry Jacks!  Get in my belly.  Diet be damned.  Wash that stuff down with 2 large diet cokes for good measure.


Which brings us right back to the beginning of this post.  What's the first rule of Flight Club?
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12WBT Week 5 Rundown

June 15, 2013, 7:47 pm
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Week 4 ended with a personal best distance run.  I'm amazed that I can run for 10km without dropping dead.  My fitness has improved so much.  I can't decide whether I should sign up for the 10km in the Gold Coast Marathon (which I think I can comfortably do) or to go crazy and do the half marathon with a run/walk.  Decisions, decisions...

Anyway, here's how week 5 went.  In one word?  Miserably. 

A hacking cough bug tore through our house.  Knocked me down on my butt for two days with a fever and aches and pains.  No training.

I came up with this Germ Busting Ginger Tea to try and get rid of it.  Burns like fire but it works like a charm.


Sliced ginger, lemon, chilli powder, cinnamon, honey and garlic.  
Fill glass with boiling water and allow it to infuse for ten minutes.  Scull it down.  Rinse and repeat.

Bug free, on Wednesday I flew to Melbourne for the Kmart VIP Toy Event.  

I had great intentions of hitting the hotel gym for a work out but they didn't have one where I was staying.  I think there was a Fernwood around the corner but the rain nixed any thoughts of exploring the neighbourhood.  After a day of walking around the freezing city I was just happy to order room service and lay in bed.  

Thursday flew by in a flurry of bloggers, taxis and airports.  Bedtime 1am.  No training.

Friday flew by with a morning chasing the little girls around a park and an afternoon trying to get my travels down on paper before an evening at Jupiters Casino with Chris Tucker.  You know that guy from the Rush Hour movies?  Chris Tucker is a funny firetrucker.  Bedtime 1am.  No training.

The weekend?  Flew by in a haze of family activities.  No training.

The good news?  

While I didn't do any training (apart from rushing around) this week, I did sort of stay on track with my eating.  Apart from a blow out on room service and Hungry Jacks at the airport, I did ok.  I am now wearing my size 14 skinny jeans and even managed to squeeze into a size 12 black pair when I was in Melbourne.  Success!


Back to training next week.  I'm looking forward to my school oval run tomorrow afternoon.    
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Mother Guilt Sucks

June 19, 2013, 11:22 pm
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Mother guilt has been rearing it's ugly, overthinking head this week.

I'm usually immune to that type of self indulgent nonsense but today I was doing my own head in.  

Since I started Project Fun (of which the general gist is getting off my butt and participating in stuff) several things have fallen by the wayside.  

The housework.  Mt Washmore has reached Everest like proportions.  A fine layer of filth and baby finger prints cover every surface in the house.   Dinner for the feral fivesome has  been 2 minute noodles on more than one occasion.  I lifted up the couch cushions last night and was horrified at the crap under there.  The cockroaches must be having a field day.

The kids.  The teenager was wailing about an unfinished school project this morning.  The baby.  When I was away blogging it up in Melbourne, someone must have left a pooey nappy on her for too long and she developed the most painful, septic nappy rash.  

Being buckled in her car seat for hours yesterday while I drove to Brisbane for Pimms and High Tea with the girls from Blog Power Events probably didn't help that heal.


Sorry bubba.  No amount of expensive nappy rash cream makes up for that pain.

And now to top off my list of mothering fails...drum roll please....

I forgot to book a birthday party.

Who does that?!  I am a bad mother.

This little person turned 6 today.


To say that she's excited is an understatement.

She's been perusing the toy catalogues and planning birthday parties that would turn Tori Spelling green with envy.  Her bad mother has been too involved in her work out schedule and social calendar to make a simple phone call and organize a party.  

I even forgot to order a cake from Cake 2 The Rescue like I usually do and was up to my elbows in mud cake packet mix until 9.45 last night just so she'd have something to take to school today.  The minions decorated it.


Mrs Woog's post on pulling your finger out and getting your shizz together finally snapped me out of my organisational funk and I booked a Build A Bear party for Monday.  Hopefully the invitations make it into school bags since tomorrow is the last day before they break for two weeks holiday.

Ugh.  Mother guilt sucks.  Got any tips on how to have a life and stay organised?  I feel like my life is one big cliched fridge magnet.  



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