For starters it is well past lunch time and we are all still in Pyjamas.

There has been far too much telly watched and when the arguments revolving turning the box off became relentless I resorted to a parental lie that will no doubt bite me on the rear sooner rather than later.

“Gerty, if you watch too much telly your brain will go gooey and come out of your nose like boogers”

The TV was turned off and a game of Zhu Zhu’s and dollies followed. A short term win, certainly but what is going to happen when the poor girl gets a cold? Maybe I can blame it on too much TV?

I have spent far too much time networking, socially, online – you all know what I am talking about, my brain will most likely escape through my nose too!!!

I bypassed that beautiful ray of sunshine this morning where I probably could have gotten a load of washing dry and I am working out how to avoid folding the clean washing for yet another day.

I know I should be crafting and painting and sewing and cooking with the kids and not really leaving them to their own devices. Can we say that I am teaching them to be self relient? Independent? Sure, I could claim that, but I know what I am really doing is being lazy!

On the upside, my children have eaten a reasonably healthy array of food, picnic style in the loungeroom, which no doubt counts as activity of some sort. They have played Zhu Zhus and Dollies without arguing! A miracle!

They are now clammouring around for story time… Surely I am doing something right? The TV is off, they are wanting to read and they are warm, dry and have tummies full of healthy food.

What have you done today?

I guess within the bounds of all of this, I have realised that I already did a lot of what is known as Attachment Parenting by instinct without really putting a name to it BUT I was completely addicted to my pram and still am.

Having recently discovered that we are expecting number three (affectionately known as Squidgy at the moment) I decided to look a little more closely at this whole Baby Wearing thing. What does it mean to ‘wear your baby’? What are the benefits? What are the downsides? Is this something that would compliment my parenting style? If I decide to ‘baby wear’ what ‘gear’ will I need? Oh how I do love to shop!

So here is the very brief low down on Baby Wearing:

What does Baby Wearing mean?

Essentially, Babywearing simply means to carry your baby/child rather than popping them in a pram or other device. It is not a new concept, it has been around for centuries and has never fallen out of ‘popularity’ in many cultures. In Western society it has gained popularity in recent years, in part, due to the increasing popularity and awareness of ‘Attachment Parenting’ though many advocates of Babywearing do not consider themselves Attachment Parents at all.

Why would I want to wear my baby?

Just like any other decision you make when parenting, Babywearing is simply one way you can choose to transport your ‘bundle’. It keeps them close, allowing plenty of close contact which is nurturing and offers feelings of comfort, security and of course warmth. It has been shown that baby’s worn in a sling or similar carrier cry significantly less than baby’s who are not ‘worn’.

It can be very convenient to wear a baby! Pushing a stroller through crowded places or wrangling a toddler in crowds can be challenging but when they are being carried it becomes a non-issue.

Babywearing is very economical and is a safe option for toddlers too, stopping them from running riot in the local grocery store! Wearing your baby can help you feel attuned to your babies needs, can help newborns regulate body temperature and bodily functions and is also a great way for fathers or other caregivers to bond with baby.

It can allow easy access to the breast for breastfeeding mothers and is an excellent fitness tool! Yes, you heard that right! Wearing your baby can help you regain your fitness and lose weight post birth. We all know that finding time to excersise (or the motivation for that matter) with a newborn can be a real challenge. When you wear your baby you move more, carry additional weight and therefore increase your fitness, stamina and strength. BONUS!!!

Sounds Great! Why wouldn’t I wear my baby?

Well, just like any other parenting decision you make, you will recieve criticism. People will tell you that you are ‘spoiling’ your baby, that your child has legs and should use them, that your baby will become dependant on you and many other myths they will deem appropriate to bombard you with.

You may get ‘spat up on’ a little more often due to proximity of baby… But hey, what Mum is not used to a little baby spit?

Your *ahem* collection of carrying devices may become a slight addiction, resulting in glorious expensive shopping sprees.

Babycarrying is not physically easy. In developing core strength and fitness you may endure some aches and pains associated with physical activity but this should ease as your body becomes more accustomed to Babywearing and provided you do it regularly enough your body should slowly adapt to your baby’s growth.

So which Baby Carrier is best?

There is no real answer to that question. Just like when making any other purchase you will have decisions to make. Selecting a carrier that works for you will depend on factors such as the age and weight of your baby, the carrying position you prefer, cost, material, asthetic preference, ease of use and any physical limitations you may have.

One of the most common carriers referred to are slings, but even when it comes to the seemingly simple sling there are a plethora of designs out there, from padded to non padded, mesh, stretchy, organis, ring slings and the rest, there are wrap around carriers and backpacks, hip carriers and pouches. All of this choice can be a little confusing but here is a fantastic comparison chart from a wonderful website outlining the different types of carriers and their features. Just think of all the shopping you could do!

Well I hope that clears a little up for you. You will see I have not delved into Attachment Parenting or Natural Parenting or any of the other ‘movements’ out there. Maybe in a nother post but for now, enjoy thinking about the benefits of Babywearing and look at some of the uber cute carriers you could start collecting invest in.

This is such an easy cake and when I looked over the recipe more carefully I realised it is also ideal for vegans!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of SR Flour

1 Cup Caster Sugar

5 Tbs Cocoa Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

2Tbs White Vinegar

2Tsp Vanilla

Place all ingredients into large mixing bowl and whisk by hand until well mixed and airated. Mixture will be quite thin – much more so than a normal cake batter – Worry not, all will be ok!!!

Cook at 180 for approximately 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched in the middle.

Invert carefully onto a cooling rack

Ice with whatever tickles your fancy… I think a nice mocha frosting would work beautifully. Today I had no cocoa left after baking the cake so we used a basic strawberry flavoured glaze and it was lovely.

Egg Free and Butter Free Chocolate Cake

Not in the sense that I longed for readership… More in the sense that I longed to write, to create and invest in my own little corner of the world.

I have found this whole ‘moving across the state’ shenanigans a little too all-consuming really and I do not know how people cope when they move interstate or, as has been the case with many many friends, to another country entirely.

My very first task when we moved was to enrol Gerty in 4yr old Kinder. I am so very happy with the Kinder we chose, they have animals and gardens and huge areas for the kids to play in and the teacher is simply superb. Gerty loves Kinder and has made some fab friends.

Next on the agenda was for me to get involved. You see I made a deal, mostly with myself, that if we were going to do this whole ‘moving away from my sense of security, people I love and friends who support me’ then I was going to do my best to integrate into this little community, to meet people and form friendships. To start with, I joined the Kinder committee, a great place to start. From there I was invited to join the best Playgroup around and was lucky enough to meet some wonderful women I am already happy to call friends. I met some ladies online who (after stalking them on FB) I found had moved from a similar area to us and lived close by and had children close in age to mine, I quite literally asked them out on coffee dates, thankfully they understood that I was trying to meet people and accepted my offer.

Many of the women I have met since moving to this sleepy little hollow joke with me about the ‘mummy dating scene’. how it really does feel as though you are out, trying to ‘pick up’. Thankfully I have been rather successful and found myself entwined with a lovely lovely group of ladies who socialise regularly and support each other rather than compete, such rare qualities to find in a group of Mums!

Then there has been meeting the new social group of the Handyman. Thank fully this has involved relaxed BBQ’s and group dinners as we were welcomed to the area and workplace.

As for Boof, well, this last few months has seen him develop new friends at playgroup, grow up before my eyes from a baby to a little boy, wean from the breast just shy of his second birthday and start talking like a little pro!

So that is all the wonderful stuff, I mean we explore the local parks with a gusto we never did before, we frequent the local library, have playdates every week and attend playgroup religiously BUT I do miss home. I miss the familiarity, my family and friends and that warm fuzzy feeling of feeling as though you belong. Whether I will ever feel that here is something I will only know with time. Until then I smile when I see familiar people and bask in the warmth when I run into someone I know at the supermarket (which is happening more and more, the first time it happened I nearly cried). The one thing I do not miss from home is the monotony I had fallen into. I cannot afford to do that here or I would wallow in self pity, hence I take every opportunity I can to be involved, to get the kids out and to just have fun. I hope this is what my children remember from their childhood… parks and playdates and cooking in the kitchen with Mum.

So now that we are settled and somewhat unpacked I want to return to my little piece of the online world. Something I love and spent so much time nurturing that I am hoping it is just like a wilted potplant rather than a dead tree. I hope with a little love and time I can get it back to bloom again…

I hope to bring you lots more recipes, kids anecdotes, some useful reviews and a lovely eclectic mix of things I love…

For now, until I return, Happy Mothers Day xo

It’s going well, it really is, and has been made a great deal easier by the amazing friends and family who have already made the treck to come and see the new abode.

I have found numerous ways to meet new people.

1. Kindergarten enrollment has seen me meet some new local Mums with more to meet once we start, I am sure.

2. Sporting clubs – I plan on playing tennis at the local club, the kids will both be enrolled in swimming and Gerty is determined to start dancing just as soon as I can find a new class for her. Even the Handyman is getting in on the action, joining the local gym.

3. Work – now even though I am a full time home maker I also run my own direct selling business so I am getting my name out there and slowly meeting people that way. The Handyman has met some new people in his new job and we have already met up for a BBQ with them too.

4. At every opportunity I try and smile and make eye contact. Whether I be at the local park with the kids or doing the grocery shopping. I figure I will either come off as a raving lunatic, which doesn’t matter because they do not know me anyway OR they will smile back and we may have a conversation, then the next time we bump into each other we can build on that conversation.

5. Finally I am utilising my addiction to Facebook to meet some locals too. I joined the local buy/swap/sell Facebook page and have been chatting to some lovely locals, even organising to meet another stay at home mum for a cuppa.

I guess it is all a little like dating really…

To my li’l online worl anyway. A big thank you to The Handyman for sorting me out some super fast internet with stacks of downloads!!! Love you long time spunk!

So… Missed me? I was out of the loop for what felt like an eternity. Was certainly long enough that I now have a LOT of reading and catching up to do for Uni and well I have one very neglected blog but I guess for now a mini catch up will have to do. Give me a break, it’s late and I am tired, ok? ok.

So we have anded in our gorgeous new seaside community. I am surprised by hw comfortable I feel here. I haven’t really had time to miss everyone yet. We have been back and forwards for Christmas and I guess in my own mind I have been preparing myself for the feelings of lonliness that will come but what I didn’t realise was just how comfortable I would feel. I guess the community and area reminds me very much of where I grew up and that helps.

Our little Staffy girl has settled in much better than I had anticipated and seems to be quite happy in her new abode.

Gerty, well she is a little more reluctant to embrace the move, she knows this is our new house but has asked when we will go back to our old house and has expressed very firmly that she does not want to make new friends. I have asked if it might be ok if we just meet some new people and see if they are nice, she said that would be ok, so I think she will come around. She has been enrolled into Kindergarten for next year and said she likes the teachers who she met when we went for a visit…

Boof, well, he doesn’t mind much as long as Mum, Dad, his sister and the ‘Gogga’ (The Staffy Girl) are close by, he will no doubt be fine.

Now for me to start making friends… Hmmmmm…. I have a few plans in place to help me meet people, I’ll share them with you tomorrow, for tonight I still have some reasing to do and some sleep to fit in somewhere.

Night

There are however a few things I have learnt over our many many many oh too many moves in the last 10 or so years.

Firstly – The earlier you start the longer it takes, but you will still start as soon as you know you are moving, you just will.

Secondly – Culling BEFORE you pack is far better that culling when you UNPACK. It may seem more time consuming but at the other end you will be exhausted from all the packing and moving and culling is the last thing you will want to do.

Thirdly – Packing things with other things they belong with and labelling the boxes really does help. Packing Linen wiith cutlery and then not labelling the box does nothing but frustrate you when you a) can’t find the cutlery, b) can’t find the linen and c) have unpacked every box until you came to the one with the linen and cutlery in it that was shoved up the back of the garage because no one knew where it belonged.

I am going to stop with the numbers because ‘fourthly’ doesn’t even sound like a real word.

But I will keep going with the list because if something positive doesn’t come of all my pain then, well, nothing will have come of my pain!

Ok, Cleaning as you go is annoying but it WILL make things easier once the move is done and the final clean needs to be completed while you are exhausted and grumpy.

Kids can unpack boxes quicker than you can pack – Fact.

Best way to pack when you have children is to place them in the biggest box you can find with textas, pencils, scrap paper and glue and tell them to decorate the inside of the box. It also helps if you close the lid and tape them in their but you may not win parent of the year of you do this!

It is easier to move a long way than it is to move around the corner. On a long move you get it all done in one hit because going back and forth just isn’t an option. When you move just a short way, multiple trips in a ute are inevetibly made and drag the process out for far longer than any sane person can handle!

If you can afford to pay someone to do it all for you, DO! Seriously! Moving is the worst! There is no money better spent than money spent on a removalist and a move out cleaner.

Finally. Focus. Set your sights on the end goal and move towards it. Take time out to relax a little and be methodical. Start and finish each room before moving onto the next. It will make you feel you are achieving more and give you a sense of control and efficiency.

but in the end, no matter how you look at it. Packing sucks. It just does.

But I can’t sleep. My mind is whizzing around moving from this thought to that… I started blogging in my head but about a paragraph in I could feel that familiar sting of heat in my eyes, the tears were on their way. I haven’t cried yet. Some of my friends have when I broke the news that we were moving. I guess that means I am loved? Well I love them all dearly too but I am trying not to think about that. I am trying not to think of what I am leaving behind. Because I am not really. I mean I’ll be back. Regularly. But I also know that things may never be the same. And this time it is me who is making the change. I am not a helpless bystander as a good friend or family member decide to expand their horizons, with no option but to accept what they are doing and get my head around it. It is me moving away. Away from the area my parents moved to when I was just a baby.

I guess in a way I am doing the exact same thing my parents did at this stage in their lives. They were younger than we are now, but we are pretty much at that same stage… Ready to settle, with young children, wanting to find that elusive perfect place to bring them up.

I love ‘home’. It gives me a sense of belonging. I am scared of this move we are about to embark on. I guess in a way I know what awaits me and it frightens the crap out of me. It’s a fresh start but it comes with a lack of familiarity, a lack of local acceptance, of people who have known me since pre school, my sister in law, closest friends and family will not be there when I am having a bad day to have a quick cuppa with. No one will call in for a cuppa (not to start with anyway).

I know how hard this part was on my Mum, I know she struggled with it for a VERY long time! I wonder how different my and my brothers lives would have been had she not persisted. Had she turned around and gone ‘home’?

The Handyman, bless him, is not really much of a conversationalist, which works well for us as I am very much a talker (never would have known would you?) but where does that leave me? When I just want a bit of a chat?

I am moving from a place of familiar friendly faces, of people who have known me forever, of past relationships, friendships and of course the ocassional frienemy (but better the devil you know as they say). To a place full of unknown. Sure, it is full of potential, it is beautiful (so is home) and I know I will give it my best to try and  fit in, become part of the community but at what cost?

My friends and family will always be just that – so very important but what next?

I try not to think about it too much, I am afraid if I start to cry I might wuss out and that is really not an option. I want the Handyman to achieve his dream and succeed in his venture. I want my children to grown up in a small tight knit community, with all the treasures that offers (just like I did) and in order for that to happen I need to be brave and face the unknown (just like my parents did some 30+ years ago). Don’t get me wrong. I am excited. I look forward to new discoveries, to seeing Gerty start Kindergarten, to new friendships and a country lifestyle, a slower pace, a healthy life change that the Handman and I have comitted to upon this move.

Until now I have tried to stay focussed on the exciting stuff rather than the stuff that scares the shit out of me! But now, now that packing is in full swing, carpet cleaners are booked and Christmas is looming I realise just how real it all is and how HUGE this all is…

I don’t want to cry. I am worried that if I start I might not stop. I know I am only moving a few hundred kilometres and I know that to many of you who have moved much much further it may seem trivial and even rather silly that I am as freaked out as I am about it all but I guess when the furthest away you have ever really lived (bar a few months in the big smoke during uni) is barely a half hour from where you grew up, where you see some of your closest friends several times a week and you identify yourself by where you grew up – it really does feel like a big deal!

So… at this stage of my freak out any words of encouragement will be most welcomed. Any words… Anyone?

Anyway, a little catch up is definitely in need.

This blog is going to undergo some minor changes… nothing to do with the aesthetics, I quite like my cupcakes, I think they are pretty But more along the lines of content.

You see, this is MY blog. And MY life is undergoing some serious changes. The biggest of which is that I am currently packing our little house up and moving over 300kms away. Don’t worry, The Handyman, Gerty and Boof are coming too. But this is HUGE! When we moved from our little seaside town on the Mornington Peninsula to a much busier suburb a half hour closer to Melbourne I just about needed a passport and visa. now I am moving more that 300kms away. Why? Well, that’s something i have asked myself time and time again and there are a few reasons.

1. Opportunity. The opportunity to bring our children up the way we were, in a small country town with a sense of belonging and pride. The opportunity to purchase the home of our dreams without being in debt till the day we die. And the opportunity to experience and adventure together, as a family.

2. Because I would rather leave and come home if we don’t like it than never go and wonder what could have been.

3. Because the Handyman has dreams too. One of them has a great deal to do with this move and I feel we need to at least attempt to make his dreams come true. Mine already have, I am a Mum. Why not support him in his dream?

4. Because sometimes you need to face your fears if you are to move forward. I am shitting myself, so probably best to move forward and give it a go! Move past the fear and prove my strength to myself!

So all of that said. I plan on blogging about the move, our new life, its challenges and triumphs. I hope you enjoy coming along on the journey with me.

Ok, so the move is not the only new direction. I have also commenced studying Primary Education. No no no… I DID finish Primary School. I am studying to become a Teacher, does that clarify it a bit? I am hoping that until I am qualified to teach I might just learn enough to help learn how to wrangle my own children a little more effectively. We’ll see. But you may just find me blogging a little more on subjects relating to whatever I am studying at the time. Maybe activities the kids enjoy or ways to interact with children who you struggle to connect with… who knows?

I still plan on doing the ocassional sponsored post. Or as Woogsy puts it – whoring myself out to PR peeps. Because I enjoy it. I get a kick out of it. Enough said.

Oh, and you know all that Christmas cooking I had planned on doing? Yeah, I haven’t started yet, nor have I started gift shopping… better get on that…