Breathe.

Once again I am reminded to do this.

It seems to me that I'm constantly working, that I'm never able to just "be". And I know that it is my own doing, I am addicted to being busy and I love my work, but sometimes it would be nice not to have to schedule a day where I "relax at least for one hour" and to just relax!
It was a stinking hot night and far too sticky to sleep, we have one fan and for DS first sleep both it and he are in their own room. So I began to fret about all the upcoming events. Thinking it a good idea I broke the upcoming months into sections:

The next 4weeks entail: work, study, training and dance with Sunday's off to plan wedding things.
The wedding & honeymoon comprise the following two weeks, then three weeks back into the swing of things before a two week break from dance. When it came to looking at the ten week period between April 16th-29th June, I just about had a cow! Somewhere during that time I am meant to organise a first birthday party, and continue to work, run a dance school, dance, complete my last year of uni and write, while being an attached mummy!! The worst part is that is only halfway through the year.

SO. How do we do it? How do we achieve the perfect balance, is there such a thing? Unfortunately I am one of those people who feel guilty when they stop doing things. I feel like I need to keep working on and improving my life, making other people feel good about themselves, sharing my knowledge, empowering people to be their best...I do all this because I know the rewards are great. My life is good because it is FULL of good things, knowledge from studying, friendships, health, activity and achievement. When a client feels more confident in themselves, that is a job well done. When a student can not stop practicing the steps, that is a job well done. When my friends know they can call me because I will listen and care, that is a job well done. And when my son has grown healthy, strong, secure and happy, that is my job well done.

It is impossible to live without making mistakes, and feeling like crap. Some days I am a horrid nasty swamp creature who hates everything and blames everyone else for everything wrong in my life. But these days are rare. If we think positive, it attracts positive. My challenge to you all today is too try to be grateful for the things in your life, to try to see things with your optimistic glasses on, to forgive yourself and LEARN from your stuff ups, and to CHANGE whatyou need to.

Cheers & Giggles
xx

"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday Workout no.5

Hey All!
Firstly I wanted to breifly mention how inspired I have been by my clients this week. It has been a pleasure to meet some of you for the first time, and to kick the rest of your asses :P
I've been really looking into veganism gradually over the past year, as currently DS is purely vegan, I LOVE that he has had nothing processed ever enter his system (apart from that sneaky sorbet incident, dad!). I'm currently reading Robert Cheeke's book "Vegan Bodybuilding" and its very interesting. In the days leading up to the wedding I am going to try a 21day vegan kickstart and will keep you all posted on how it goes.
Todays workout is abit of fun, I have really noticed the benefit of jumping lately...for the first time since being pregnant I lost almost 2cm off each thigh!! So I am super pleased, speacial thanks to my team of trainers; Eliza, Amy, Kenergy & Eric - big love for whooping my ass.
Here goes!

• Steps(up & down) 5mins
• Jumping over the line 5mins
• Walking Lunge with twist 4kg 10 per leg
• Squat Jumps with 4kg plate x20
• Overhead Press with 4kg plate x 20
• Mountain Climbers 1minute
• Boxing - 20xstraight punches 20xuppercuts

Thanks to my fabulous client & step sister Jess who trained like a demon tonight!

My current body crush: This chick is 41years old!!!!

So ladies & gentlemen, hope you all enjoyed this post I will be on it with a vengence next week <3

Cheers & Giggles

xx

Wednesday Workout #4

Hey all, I'm really exhausted today...who knew planning a wedding could be so tough?!
Here is my workout for you, please let me know how you find it, if you want something different etc. Todays workout is high intensity, performed fast, explosive and as many repetitions in one minute.

Pushup:

Advanced Pushup:

Tricep Pushup:

Lunge Jumps:

Squat/thrust with DB:

DB wood chop:

Plank:

Side Plank:

Please excuse my lack of enthusiasm at the current time...I have as per usual bitten off more than I can chew...blogging, article writting, an exam the same week as the BIG DAY, being back at work....ew gross tired mumma signing out

Cheers & (reluctant) giggles
xx

Workout of the week #3

So a quick confession; I was pulverised by my trainer, Amy, this morning. Like I hated every second of our cadio workout. It appears that my mindset needs an overhaul although thoughts of me walking down the aisle looking like a hippo apparently isnt "positive" thinking...at least it's motivation! Tomorrow we're doing yoga as a reward.
Todays workout is lengthening & toning, enjoy :)

Hip Bridge:

Hip Bridge with one leg extended:

Abductor Lift:

Scissors:

Adductor Lift:

Variation of Dancing Cat:

Downward dog to tricep pushup:

Stress levels have completely hit the roof and while I feel like 7bottles of wine and severel packets of smokes...I will settle for some green tea and feeding River...some moments I actually MISS my old life, thankgoodness it doesnt last long! I am getting healthier by the year and when all else fails at least my body wont.

Cheers & Giggles
xx

Wacky Wednesday...

Sorry guys, I will post an exerise blog tomorrow...we had an interesting day and the weather has been foul. I managed to wake up to do some early morning pilates but a testy bub and a delayed flight left me feeling less than spritely. We had brunch with our Wedding Caterer of which I ate little, ok yes I ordered pancakes but I only ate two smallies! 
Our besty then decided to heard us to the shark & ray feeding place in Dandenong, where he wanted to check out job opportunities and where he said my shark phobia would be cured. Along the way our car broke down. And the help got bogged. And this is our only functioning car. Shit. My sister saved the day and came with us for me to overcome my fears. Well, it almost seemed a little cruel on the animals and STANK. To be honest the service wasnt crash hot either. But all five of us (River included) waded in tank after tank of fish...the rays were cool and friendly. The sharks scared me to bits but I got in with the small ones. There is always a fat, orange haired little shite to terrorise the poor animals, but most kids were gentle and enjoyed the experience...DS got sleepy.
To be honest with you all I am FREAKING OUT. Our wedding is in 6 weeks, I feel as huge as a whale and as stressed as a pair of really old jeans. Opperation hot stuff is in full swing...but I'm being a bit of an osterich about the wedding.
Off to rest my weary head

C&G
xx

Why poo goes in the loo & other enviro blather

Here is a list of seasonal foods this month:

 

Tuck in!

So, it seems an appropriate time to go on a spiel about me & my personal environmental journey. Yes, this was inspired by a heated conversation with besty, who has been annoying me about being a vegetarian for the past 13years and yet he's "passionate about the environment" (now I win the debate because he doesn't blog)!

When I was little I was pretty into the environment, we didnt have a TV for ages, I loved spending time outside with our family dog, my over-active imagination meant I enjoyed playing games, reading and writing and of course dancing. Surprisingly I was into the body and its connection with the world via breathing...I'll have to dig up the picture I drew! One thing that I was really fearful of was change. When they tore down our local park in my mind it was equal to the end of the world as I knew it.
Like most children, I loved animals. Possibly thanks to Disney movies, I thought of myself as someone who could befriend them all. Yes, this all sounds rather lame!

When I learnt that meat was actually the muscle of a farmyard animal, I recall being quite sickened. At this stage it never occurred to me about the death process, only the fact that I couldnt imagine someone eating me! So I soon began declining to eat meat. At our house where you must "finish everything on your plate or you cant leave the table" I was met with noncompliance to my wishes. At twelve, my mother deemed me "old enough" and so, meat was no longer a part of my diet. Eggs were eliminated too because though I knew they were unfertilised, it still bothered me to eat a "chicken period". My sister told me today that this description put her off eating eggs for years (sorry)! When I moved out of home it became easier to eat a healthful diet as I could cook what I wanted, when I wanted but financially it was not always the case.

Here is a great list for anyone considering becoming a vegetarian: http://www.vegetarianvictoria.org.au/going-vegetarian/10-reasons-to-go-veggo.html the best books I have ever read about the matter are "The China Study" & "The ethics of what we eat".

As I got older I engaged in a number of unhealthful activities. Smoking was one of my worst habits. But I was always mindful of my impact on the earth. The reason I previously mentioned my fear of change was that I really did not want our world to end up unlivable. We can probably thank the Terminator movies for my fear of technology (and how ironic that I should end up a blogger). I wasnt always very good at doing my bit...sure I recycled but I also littered with cigarette butts, sure I didnt eat animals but I also ate some garbage foods, sure all the cleaning products in my home said "earth" but I was partying hard weekly. To be honest it wasnt really until I was pregnant that I had a long hard look at my lifestyle. I was in an aerobics team at the time and my main priority was doing well and looking good whilst doing it, no matter the cost.

But my body suddenly didnt belong to just me. I went a little mad, I admit...but nothing toxic was going into my bub's body. Almost everything I bought had to be certified organic and natural (even toothbrush & paste!). My diet had to be so much better balanced, no skipping meals, no booze, no other toxic products (when I conceived I was drinking four cans of "V" and a good few coffee's DAILY) and my stress levels had to decrease. Where I'd always found yoga boring it became part of my exercise routine and played a huge part in balancing my mind. I REALLY embraced my hippy-ness and had never felt more in control of my life, nor had I ever felt healthier.

Just a side note here, the aim of this particular blog is not to look down on anyone, nor is it to "veggie-bash". It is simply to share with you the way I try to be eco-friendly.

So, naturally, I wanted a drug-free birth, to breastfeed, to use cloth nappies, to use organic and biodegradable products, provide home-made meals only, and be practically bpa-free. While I didnt quite get the gorgeous birth I had planned, I am proud to say that I have followed on in my quest to live greener. Some people like to excel in what they do...I am one of those people...an "alpha-type" parent if you will. If I'm going to be a mum, I am going to be the best damn mum I can be. I dont think that my lifestyle choices make me better than anyone else, nor that they would suit everyone. However, it is my strong desire to help make the world a livable place for my son's generation just as it is my strong desire to help make my son happy & healthy. I love the quote "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time".



How I'm doing this:

• Being a vegetarian: if everyone just had one meat-free day per week we would save water, crops, gas, land & anti-biotics, prevent greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, animal excrement and ammonia emissions!!!
• Cloth Nappies: the first ever disposable nappy is STILL in landfill. Babies wee & poo ALOT, and the ramifications of using disposable nappies stay with us for centuries. It is also best for babies skin, may help with toilet learning and save ME money. See more at http://www.drmomma.org/2011/04/chemicals-in-disposable-diapers.html
• Putting Poo into the toilet: yep, all you disposable users should do this too!! Ever heard of landfill leachate? You do not want human poo in landfill, it belongs in the sewage system, where we can manage and treat it.
• Breastfeeding: not only does it save bottles, sterilisers etc (I've only ever bought 3 "eco" bottles & one pump), it doesnt put money in the hands of formula companies (http://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/10/why-way-you-feed-your-baby-is-my.html), and it has been PROVEN to correlate with IQ so that one day my bubbah can make informed choices about HIS health and how he can be kind to the earth. This is also a good reason I dont use CIO method, and wont smack my child.
• Recycling & upcycling: having a child is the perfect reason to keep toilet rolls & old magazines (also it indulges my inner hoarder!)
• Buying Organic: my dad said once "we never had this stuff when I was growing up" and my response was "you also never had as much chemical crap put into everything you eat, use or wear" and he did agree. Our soil is far less nourishing than it used to be, meaning that our fruit and veg can be compromised. Most foods are better when they are less treated.
• Trying to eat whole foods: the more processed the food, the less likely we benefit from it. Period.
• Phthalate and BPA- free: these endocrine disruptors are baaaaaaaad. Phthalates are linked to cancer and genital/fertility issues and BPA interferes with brain development among other ill-effects. Read more here http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/life-style/family-home/nine-steps-to-a-healthier-greener-household-20100705-zxr7.html & http://zenki.com.au/Pages/about-bpa-a-phthalates.html

These are a few examples of how I am trying to do my bit. What do you do to show mother nature you care??

http://www.ronitbaras.com/focus-on-the-family/kids-children/55-ways-to-save-the-environment-and-make-a-difference/

http://www.familyessential.com.au/articles/163-simple-ways-to-save-the-environment.html

cheers & giggles

xx

Wednesday Workout #2

Bent over Row:

Lunge with DB:

DB Press in Bridge:

Squat with Dorsi-flexion:

Tricep Kickback:

T Stabiliser:

Half-Plank Sweep Kick:

Candle-stick:

In baby news; DS is almost crawling STILL. I am a little impatient for him to begin as he is commando-ing very efficiently...he can follow me about the house which is actually alot more fun than I had realised, although his clothes are filthy and I handwash (SO much extra work!). We had our first signs of the attachment phase when I headed off to work Monday morning...good to know he likes me for more than "boo-boo"! DH back at work after three weeks of him getting underfoot; joking...his help is very much missed when he's away. We scored an extra night with him though, due to a Jetstar cancellation :D While he was home we had a pretty rough patch of Riv not sleeping very well, thus my horns came out...my best friend informed me that I was quite the bitch when we were away...haha sleep deprivation is noones friend! It is quite stressful being back at work, I'm in need of clients but am finding limited time to chase them. If only the wedding could pay for itself!
Anyway...I managed a whole tuesday of eating "clean" but have caffeined up today and am feeling rather shaky. Hopefully going to a dance class tonight to burn some kjs and excess energy, all this computer work isnt great for my eyes or my midline!


Hope you all have a devine day in the sunshine :D
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As always feel free to drop me a line.


Cheers & Giggles
xx