Self Improvement

I never had anxiety until I was pregnant but it has lingered ever since. Just like everything, there are good days and bad days. And I recently had two bad days in a row. So this is a journal of my anxiety for those two days. Friday I almost didn’t leave the house this morning. I'd booked and paid for a play session with a candid photoshoot for my daughter but I almost didn’t go. I changed my top twice. I made sure to have a breakfast that wouldn’t make me look bloated. Even shaving my legs for fear of [...]

When I think about the amount of time I have spent arguing with my husband about housework, I could have done a lot of other things instead. Like doing the things I was complaining about. I was honestly tired of having the same conversations, about the same things all the time. And I never set out to stop arguing about housework. but then one day it just dawned on me. If something is important to me, then I should be the one to do it. Since that realisation, I have wiped down the kitchen bench at least once a day. [...]

I hosted my first girls night in January 2018, and that first girls night changed my life. It was such a great night that I hosted another one in February. I guess you could say the rest is history. Relationships were a major focus for me in 2018, one of the main ones was with my friends. I wanted to catch up with them more often and know more about their day to day lives. We all get busy with work, family, and other commitments. We often don’t make time to catch up with those that have been there for us. [...]

Once again this year I have decided not to set goals or resolutions, but pick a word, theme or phrase for the year. But again like last year I have chosen two themes for 2019. Around the middle of 2018, I decided to start thinking about what I wanted to accomplish in 2019. I have heard that the best time to set new goals for yourself is your birthday, rather than the start of the year. I think this makes it a bit obvious that my birthday is in the middle of the year. Health Health encompasses many things. Physical [...]

I first heard about 18 for 2018 on the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. So 19 for 2019 is not a new concept to me. But the thought of achieving 19 things this year was quite daunting. I’ve struggled over the years to stick to any new years resolutions that I make. So in 2018, I decided to pick a theme for the year. Actually, I picked two. I’ve also picked two main themes to focus on in 2019, but there are a lot of one-off things that I want to do too. So here is my 19 for 2019 [...]

There is hindsight at the end of 2018. And of course, hindsight is always 20/20. But I think I did really well with my goals for the year. Rather than making a number of New Year's resolutions that ultimately fail, this year I decided to pick a theme. I actually picked two. My two themes were relationships and mise en place. Relationships The main relationships that I wanted to improve were my friendships, but I also wanted to become a bit closer with my extended family and colleagues. In January I started the tradition of the Squad Night off, which [...]

The silly season is upon us and everywhere I look the tables are full of temptations. Between all of the end of year birthdays, work breakups and family Christmas parties it can become a little overwhelming. Then there is New Years to contend with. So here are seven ways to ditch overindulgence. Eat a good breakfast Having a full stomach means you will be less likely to snack on some not so healthy options. My breakfast protein mug is the perfect breakfast to keep you fuller for longer. Drink plenty of water Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water. It [...]

I hate to use a modern-day cliche but sometimes I really do feel so blessed. Yesterday was certainly one of those days. Last night I had a chance to reflect a little. Thirteen years ago I had the chance to reconnect with some old family friends. Normally I would not have taken up that opportunity but I thought why the heck not? This group of family friends has grown, as other friends have been added, partners have been added and now kids have also been added into the mix. Some of these people I have known since I was born [...]

I have just completed a pretty big feat. I have just completed updating all of my old Quote Monday posts. Back in November, I decided that I should be using the same layout for all of my Quote Monday posts. By then I was already up to 110, so that meant I had to re-do 110 posts. It has taken eight months, but I am proud to say it is done. It wasn't easy. There were so many steps to make it right. Quote Monday Redesign The first thing I did was go through each and every Quote Monday post and [...]

Last year I turned 30, and in all that time I’ve learned quite a lot. Some of it important, like how to adult and some not so important, like the words to too many songs from the 90s. Most of these life lessons I learned in my 20s, but some are quite recent, like number 15. So here are my 30 life lessons from a 30-year-old. Have an outlet to relieve your frustrations; write, exercise, meditate etc. Prioritise by working out what is important to you. Stop spending your time on things you don’t enjoy. Hate a particular chore? Outsource it. [...]

The Sunshine Bloggers Award is given to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community. Back in February I was nominated for the Sunshine Bloggers Award by Kirsty from That Noise is Mine. Ok, so here are the rules for the Sunshine Bloggers Award: Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you. Nominate new bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 new questions. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or in your blog. Summer [...]

I have to admit, fall favourites does sound a lot better than autumn favourites. But in the spirit of being true to myself, I'm going to stick with calling it autumn, my beloved autumn. Autumn is actually my favourite season. I just love the colours. Especially at the start of the season, when parts of the trees just burst into different colours. I was also lucky enough to be in the US during the fall. I tasted almost everything pumpkin flavoured that I came across. At one stage I think I almost turned into a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I had that [...]

Working in the accounting industry for 9 years, I learned really quickly when the busiest time of the year is. No one dared apply for leave during the month of July. I had to learn how to survive a season of chaos, and fast. Here are a few things I do to keep myself sane outside of work hours during those busy times. Exercise I know how difficult it can be to exercise regularly. It’s also probably one of the first things to go when things get stressful. Just keep it simple, go for a walk in the fresh air or [...]

The last twelve months have been the year of change. Twelve months is a long time, but then again it isn’t. I know my life has changed dramatically in that time. I quit my job after 9 years. My experience with postnatal depression is now behind me. Our little family went on an interstate holiday for the first time since 2010. And I shouldn’t forget that I turned 30, gracefully. I quit my job About halfway through my pregnancy, I decided that I wanted to quit my job. I loved the work, I had a variety every day with what [...]