7 Items Worthy of Your Kitchen & Dining Wishlist

#1 - This chrome extendable pantry storage solution. If you're in Australia you can find them at Kmart Australia

#2  - These Elka Bowls from Pillow Talk

#3 - This Egg & Fruit basket set from Temple & Webster

#4 - This quirky Madrid oil bottle from Freedom

#5 - This Kimono teapot from House

#6 - These swatch mugs in half moon From the Owl

#7 - This hanging storage chrome basket from Freedom

Sultana, Oats & Coconut Cookies (Nut-free & Cholesterol-free)

These delicious healthy cookies are crunchy, chuck full of whole-grains and cholesterol free.

Time:
Prep: approx 20 minutes
Cook: approx 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
120ml olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
extra water during mixing (approx 2 - 3 tablespoons)





Method

1. Preheat Oven to 190°C/170°C fan-forced.
2. Using some oil, grease 2 large baking trays and line with baking paper.
3. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and mix in rolled oats, sugar, sultanas, desiccated coconut and salt.
4. Pour oil and honey into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while stirring for about 3 minutes until mixture bubbles slightly.
5. Combine boiling water and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl. Stir this into the oil and honey mixture. The mixture will froth. Add to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
6. Add the extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a mixture that sticks together (like mince meat). You want it just wet enough to roll into balls without falling apart. 
7. Wet your hands in some water (this makes rolling easier) and half tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Place balls about 5cm apart on the baking trays and flatten slightly. 
8. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 
9. Cool completely on trays and serve or store in cookie jars. 

These made 54 small cookies with a calorie count of 65 cal each. 

Variations

1. If you want these to reduce the saturated fat, swap the coconut with whole sunflower seeds.
2.  Add some diced fresh fruit for a fresh twist. 
3. Add 2 more tablespoons of honey to the oil mixture and reduce sugar to 1/4 cup. 

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One idea for Pantry re-organisation

Today I enjoyed bring some long overdue order to my pantry. I re-purposed old honey, jam, tomato sauce, etc bottles for pantry storage. To make the labels, I downloaded some free printable templates and I have shared some links below. I have used some black duct tape to cover bottle labels that came off partially during the dishwasher cycle and the labels have been stuck on with wide clear sticky tape. I have run the wide sticky tape over the front of the labels to protect them from stains & dust.
This project only cost me the $2.00 it cost to buy extra sticky tape.

Lots of free printable labels can be found on the Better Homes & Gardens website and Pinterest.

Today, take your time.

Today.

It's yours. Don't let it slip away. 

Take your time to breathe today in, the bits you loved, deep into your lungs and your soul.

Take time to breathe out the anxieties, the rushing and the stress.

Your coffee. It's yours. Take time to remember it's aroma.

Your food. It's yours. Take time to let the taste sink into your tongue.

Today, remember that if these were the only gifts you had, you were blessed to have them at all.

Quiet! Still your anxious thoughts.

The Christmas bells have stopped jingling and the fireworks that ushered in the New Year are now kilobytes in memory sticks. A new Calendar with brand new months to live present a long list of aspirations, increasing responsibilities as the family grows and parents age, potential career progression opportunities, new movies to add to our 'haven't had time to watch' list and new books we must try to read this time around.

Work has begun and the hours drag on but there aren't enough of them to do what we really want (need) to do. The weekends whiz by as they do and with them the new year resolutions start to slip away 'again'. The mind begins to worry. Am I doing it right? Is this déjà vu or am I actually growing, becoming better, beginning to flourish or whatever? Is anything changing in my life for the better or is it just a mirage, a distant hope, a spiderweb in my cluttered mind?

  
                                                                                                                                 Cubberla Creek, Chapel Hill, Brisbane.


All this worrying doesn't help, it just muddies the waters and it's hard to see the direction one is swimming. Anxiety is meaningless but it's a familiar drug. It doesn't serve any useful purpose but it's easy to pick it up as a daily hobby.

Remember. Today, your life is full. You are where you should be, doing what you are supposed to be doing. You have all you need to achieve all that is required of you today. Rest deep in this thought. Quiet, oh anxious mind. Still yourself. All the worry and flailing thoughts sap all the energy. In quietness and rest we find the strength to live each day best.

Today I loved...

Early morning raindrops, dripping down bright green leaves. 

Cool wind on my face, raindrops dripping onto my hair and shoulders. A welcome change from the humid warmth of the past week. Quiet morning walk while my offspring slumber. Peace & Calm before the hustle and bustle of the day. Daily gifts, received, unwrapped and enjoyed. When I take the time to receive, to notice, I remember that life is always blessed. Full. #Thankful

Daily Gifts - Photo Journal Entry

As a busy mom of 3, facing the daily challenges common to humans, I wanted a way to flourish and live my best life regardless of whether schedules were tight, resources were scarce or muscles were aching. I started this blog to document my quest and the answers I was finding along the way.

I love an easy walk any day and I have been blessed with stunning views around my work and home so I started sharing the 'Inspirations in a Pic' posts when I captured photos that 'spoke' to me. I also had these other pictures that I loved but they didn't really offer any messages apart from the fact that they were my favorite things, things that brought a smile on my face each time I saw them.

I started reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp where she talks about taking this dare to document 1000 things she loved and the way her life was transformed by turning her focus on these daily gifts. 

I didn't need anyone to convince me. Those other pictures were my daily gifts, things I loved, some that could even be seen as weird to be added to such a list (like road signs for example), but that's the point - we're all unique in that way. So I've started jotting these daily gifts down in my journal and I hope to be sharing the 'share-able' gifts on this blog.

• A welcome shade on a sunny day's walk
• Breathing deep Frangipani fragrance
• Gorgeous Christmas Decorations on a hedge

• Pretty Mailboxes
• Ornamental Palm Trees
• All Road Signs

• The freedom offered by an Adult Swing in the Park
• Red Postboxes 
• The invitation of an empty Park Bench

These always bring a smile to my face, they did today and I'm thankful. 

Pic-Inspiration Post

Just sharing one of  my 'inspiration in a picture' posts with you. I took this picture at Chapel Hill, Brisbane.

Pic Inspiration Post - #seasonsoflife

Just sharing one of our 'inspiration in a picture' posts with you. I took this picture at St Lucia, Brisbane.

Four Seasons of Life Somedays

Seasons. I love some a lot. Others, not so much. Regardless of how I feel about them, they come and go. I remain.

Every New Year Down Under is neck deep in Summer. The day is bright-eyed awake by 4.30am and you can feel the kiss of the sun's rays as early as 5am. The beach beckons and all colours, shapes & sizes of bikinis respond with alacrity. I love the longer days and enjoy the refreshing watermelon on a hot summer afternoon. The season ushers in the storms, some 42-43 degree scorchers, ants and bush fires. These, I dislike.

Autumn swings by just at that time we thought summer would never end. The warmth is turned down a notch or two but it doesn't get too cold immediately. Much of the flowers go on leave so hay fever symptoms have just about eased. Red and burnt orange leaves colour the scenery and eventually begin to fall off. Nights begin to get cooler as a reminder that Autumn is to Winter what Sunday is to Monday.

Even though it might seem to tarry sometimes, by mid June, Winter is already in full blast. Brisbane doesn't quite get below the occasional -3 but we still feel it's freezing. I love the winter fashion - the boots, scarves, tights, gloves and the warm earthy colours. Don't forget the soups and hot chocolates, but that's about it. I don't like the short days. My alarm is permanently upgraded from 5am to 6am and even by then the day is not yet quite stirred. Exercise is difficult because the quilt covers hang on to me with warm firm hands and it is quite easy to pile on a couple of kilos. The Flu arrives in different shades of green and kids are home more days than they are in school (I exaggerate)!

Spring arrives just in the nick of time to save me from the cold dark hands of Winter and the flowers bloom in celebration. Pretty much every store in town begins to sell seedlings and Pharmacies advertise their hay fever relievers. I love everything about this weather! The flowers, the blue skies, the sun that is not too hot, everything. Those that suffer from hay fever do have a burden this season.

It has been said that the different phases of life we experience can be likened to seasons and that we are wise to apply the analogies from nature to our lives. I believe this. I've experienced the Springtime, when new things bloom in my life and everything is rosie. A new marriage; a new car; falling pregnant; newborn babies; a new job; etc. Summertime, when things blossom and grow. A healthy family; swimmingly good job; flourishing business; etc. Autumn, when circumstances change a bit and might get a little uncomfortable just like the cold nippy morning air. Issues at work; anxiety about a contract; a sudden change in relationships; etc. Winter is my least favourite of life's seasons. Loneliness; depression; unemployment; bouts of hopelessness; sickness; etc.

I am learning that each season has it's blessings and burdens, much like the pros and cons of the natural seasons. In a time of financial hardship I learn to budget, make wiser financial decisions, be resilient, find smart alternatives and notice the subtle blessings of life. In a time of sickness I learn to treat my body with more care, to take things easy, and to live one day at a time. In a time of new beginnings I learn that it takes time, hard work and care for new seedlings to get established. In the growth season I learn to enjoy today, plan for the winter and remain sensitive towards those around me experiencing colder seasons.

One thing that has fascinated me though, is that most times, not all aspects of life are plunged into the same season at the same time. Therefore, although your health might be in Autumn, your family relationship might be in Summer; you might be experiencing a tough financial situation, but your health would be flourishing. So many times, we are actually experiencing the four seasons of life in one day. I find this quite comforting as it would be distressing if our health, and finances, and family, and relationship and job were all suffering at the same time. On a bad day, I could feel that the world is against me but when I take an honest stock of my life, I am reminded that there are other aspects of my life that are actually doing fine. Sometimes it's a phone call from a best friend overseas. Sometimes it's a cuddle from my kids. Other times it's my favourite spot at home with the roof over my head, the lights on and a pot bubbling away on the stove. These and many more stick around during the hard times to comfort us, remove the sting from the bitter cold and help us learn the amazing life skill (much like bearing a fruit) called patience.

Patience. I used to think that it meant "Wait". But no, it actually means more than that.  "The quality of being patient is the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like." - Dictionary.com.

There are lessons to be learned and fruits to bear in all seasons. It is easy to be fruitful in easy times, but some fruit can only come in cold seasons. So, I'm grateful for all seasons (most times in hindsight) but I'm most particularly grateful for the mix of four seasons in a day.

I'm on a quest to flourish.

The Struggle with Grace

Grace - unmerited favour; A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence. [thefreedictionary.com]

It's great to receive favour when it feels like it I deserve it. It's difficult to receive it when I've fallen below expectations. It's nearly impossible to give it when I feel it's undeserved. Yes, I'm a mother. Yes, I'm a wife. Yes, I love my family. Yes, I'm committed to my friends. Yes, I'm a team player. Yes I know kids will be kids. Yes, I know we're all human and make mistakes. No, I don't find it easy to deal with mistakes. I struggle with grace.
However, I am finding that offence impedes my quest to flourish. Therefore, I am on a journey to be at peace with grace. To breathe it in and breathe it out. To let it seep deep into my skin until I become fragrant with grace. To surrender myself to grace and release others to grace. Grace is the parachute that catches me when I fall.

                                                      [Background photo: Flickr. Text: aquesttoflourish.com]

Here are the practical steps I'm taking on this journey:

1. Being Intentional - Every morning I wake up, I make a conscious decision to choose grace. I say to myself, "I will be slow to take offence today and I will abound in grace ".
2. Choosing to Overlook - I am becoming aware of when I am getting offended and I am learning to make the choice to overlook the offence. Most times, whoever it is that is involved in the situation is not setting out to irritate me. I am choosing to get irritated.
3. Changing my thoughts  - I get offended because I may have set expectations that someone has not met. Many times, these expectations are not actually fair if I try to be honest with myself. Mentally releasing people from these expectations usually helps me be more graceful.
4. Being Accountable - I tell my kids that I intend to be more patient today. When I get upset, you bet that they hold to account. Sometimes, I wonder if they go out of their way to be naughty just to try my 'patience'. But I know better.
5. Requesting Feedback - I check in with my family to know how I am progressing. Sometimes, I ask my husband and you can be sure that he will be honest with me. I choose to approach such discussions with an open mind as it is easy to be defensive when I feel I had a moral ground for some actions.
6. Re-evaluating Progress - During my quiet moments, I try to re-evaluate how my day went and where I failed in my resolve. When I find the reason for the lapses, I know I have to make adjustments. For example, I find it harder to be patient when I am tired or when the kids are tired. Bring on a combination of both and see me fall flat on my face. So if I'm going shopping with the kids, some extra planning can go a long way to creating a nice atmosphere that encourages me to overlook silly and childish behaviour. Such planning include taking the 18mth old's milk and spare nappies, bringing snacks and drinks for the older kids and taking breaks so that they can have some small play between destinations.
7. Making the battlelines clear - You know how they say we should pick our battles. Well, while I am working on learning how to overlook a lot of things, which falls into choosing my battles, I also like to be clear on where the boundaries lie. That way, people know what is a definite 'NO-NO' with me.
8. Ask for help - I can't do it all by myself. Even supermoms need help ALWAYS. I ask for help as it saves me building up a mental expectation that doesn't get fulfilled because no one knew I needed help. I ask for help because it creates an opportunity for someone to show me some grace when I need it. I also ask God for help because most times I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.

How about you? Do you find it easy to be patient or do you struggle with grace?

Early Morning Musings - Nothing New Under the Sun

Anytime I have cause to wake up before the crack of dawn, it is usually a decision I have made with the greatest reluctance because I had NO OTHER choice. Recently, I had to do an airport run and we had to drive out by 4.30am. I wasn't happy about this at all. Surely, there would be no sensible people awake at this time of the day. It was cold and dark and I felt extremely sorry for myself.

Upon driving out, I was shocked to see that the city was up at 4.30am. Cyclers heading to work (?), a lady smoking at the bus stop, runners doing their thing, cabs, cars, motorbikes. It was a whole new world - the 4.30am world. As we approached the airport, there was even more hustle and bustle. Suddenly I felt silly for feeling sorry for myself. None of these people up and about looked like they were missing their beds one bit. I wasn't alone. Many other people wake up early on a daily basis. Wow.

Photo credit: fitbottomedgirls.com

Nothing is new under the sun. No struggle I'm going through is novel. Someone has gone through it in the past and someone will go through it in future. We're all interconnected, sharing this big world with it's blessings and burdens.

Thanks, community of 4.30am hustlers for the reminder.

Apples & Ab crunches, but only for Today!

Two weeks ago I decided to get on board with prints and all things bohemian, so I allowed myself to be seduced by a pair of rainbow coloured bohemian pants while I was doing my grocery shopping. I was trying on a few different varieties and the lovely chatty shop assistant offered to help so I let her. We made light conversation as you do when you let a total stranger dress you up and she casually made reference to my 'pregnant' belly.

"Ha, I'm not actually pregnant! I had my baby 16 months ago." 

"Oh My Gosh! I'm so sorry! I'm not sure why I said that. Oh I'm so sorry!" 

"Oh don't worry about it! I don't care. People say it to me all the time" *Chuckle*

Last week some random lady congratulated me on my 'pregnancy' and I gracefully said, "I'm not pregnant. My baby is 16 months." She didn't apologize and I didn't mind. Or so I thought. Until...it dawned on me that this was the fifth or sixth reference to my 'pregnant belly'. Then I minded. I'm not sure there is a word like that, but you know what I mean. 

After having my last baby, I was keen to get back into my exercises and even though it took a while to settle into a routine, I was proud of myself when I nailed it. I visualized the weight dropping off and I was so sure my 30 minute intense core sessions would reward me with amazing abs! I'd never done these 30 minute intense core sessions after my other pregnancies, so I was more than a little bit impressed with my new found discipline and determination.

Then my family routine changed and I lost mine. 

Don't you just love it when this happens? Once you've finally settled into something new and things are humming along swimmingly, the waters get ruffled again! It is not funny. Well, I threw all the plates I juggled into the air and when they landed back in my hands, all I managed to save in the exercise department was a daily walking regime, but I just couldn't find 30 minutes in any part of my day to devote to intense core strengthening sessions, or medium or beginner sessions. I am a full-time working mother of three, who helps run a business after work so it was just impossible. I grieved the loss of these sets of exercises but I figured that I would work something out sometime and everything would be OK. 

Then I started getting these occasional congratulatory comments on my 'pregnant' look even though I was wearing my shapewear! 

I whinged to my husband about these obvious side effects of being a MAJOR part of bringing the joys of having children into his life and I expected him NOT to try to fix my issues so I was half listening when he suggested, "Why don't you just do 5 minute crunches every morning and evening? Surely it would be better than nothing?" 

5 minute crunches! I could find 5 minutes! I had a couple of those scattered around here and there within my day. 5 minutes!...and I began to get a little excited until that small voice in my head whispered, "Why start something you probably can't finish? Remember how you felt when your routine changed? Things are bound to change again." Then I began to weave a very large mat with my worry thread. I was worried about what would happen to me if I failed again and I didn't keep up with my new routine tomorrow or next. Oh it is always so hard. Every time I found that 'life changing' solution that I only had to stick to for my life to be drastically changed forever, something happened tomorrow to spoil my resolve. Oh there was no doubt that I would stick to it today, but Mr Tomorrow was forever scared of commitment. What if the kids were sick, or I got a new job, or I for some reason I lost my resolve... As this mat I was weaving grew bigger, my energy dissipated and I was no longer sure I even wanted to do my 5 minute crunches today. Suddenly I was too tired and unmotivated to spend any energy I had left on something I was sure I wouldn't be able to commit to tomorrow. My thoughts were getting dark and my heart was a little cold. It wasn't a big deal but it was a big deal to me. I want tummy muscles that do their job. I don't want people to think I'm pregnant because I'm not. My doctor has even asked me to do this to help with that back pain.

"Don't worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself."

"You've got all you need to do all you are required to do Today"

"Just make the right choice today"

I felt like these words drifted on the rays of the sun and brightened my thoughts and warmed my heart. OK! I only had enough energy to do all I needed to do today. When I worried about tomorrow, I was depleting today's resources and also creating a habit of doing the same in the future. As long as I made the right choice today to fit in 5 minutes or 30 minutes of crunches, to reach for the apple in my crisper rather than the cake, to pass that extra snack when I wasn't really hungry...as long as I did that today, only today, I would be fine. I always had enough resolve to do today even though tomorrow was always a gamble. When tomorrow becomes today, I would find the resolve to do today again. What about next week, next year, next...?

Shhh! Today.

Whole Grain + Nut Free Carrot Cake Recipe

This recipe was adapted from Donna Hay's Carrot Cake Recipe. 

My kids are fussy eaters and many times my new found lunchbox favorite drops off their favorite list and comes home uneaten. *sad face* Therefore I am always on the hunt for new recipes that are healthy, yummy and tick the school's 'nut-free' requirement. 

I made the Donna Hay's Carrot Cake recipe for my husband's birthday and it was such a hit that the kids wanted it for snacks. I have adapted it into a wholegrain and nut-free version and it got a BIG tick from all the kids and the hubby so it's made it debut appearance as the first post on this brand new blog. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup brown or raw sugar

¾ cup olive oil

1½ cups plain whole grain flour (e.g. whole wheat, oat flour, buckwheat) 

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda

1½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or ginger

2½ cups grated carrots (about 4 large carrots)

½ Flaxseed & Golden linseed mix; or Sunflower seeds; or any other seeds

½ cup sultanas or raisins

Frosting (Optional but not lunchbox friendly)

250g cream cheese, softened

⅓ cup icing (confectioner's) sugar

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180^oC (350^oF). Place the sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer (hand mixer works too) and beat for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add the eggs gradually and beat well.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmet/ginger over the sugar mixture.
4. Add the carrot, linseed, flaxseed and sultanas/raisins and mix until just combined.
5. Pour into either a) 22cm-round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper; or b) muffin trays lined with cup cake baking paper; or c) 25cm l x 12cm d x 17cm w rectangular baking dish lined with non-stick baking paper
6. Pop in the oven and bake for until golden brown and cooked when tested with a skewer (55-60 minutes for the round and rectangular baking dishes and about 20 minutes for the muffin sizes)
7. Cool in tin.

For the frosting

1. Process the cream cheese in a food processor until smooth.
2. Add the icing sugar and lemon juice and process until smooth.
3. Spread frosting on the cooled cake.

ENJOY!

Fast and Flourish - The fasting diet

Some of my friends have been asking me to share my fasting diet with them, so here goes.

I have a family history of diabetes and during my first pregnancy I had gestational diabetes, so I was informed by the doctors that this put me at a high risk of  developing Type II diabetes later in life. The advice was to make sure I was at a BMI of around 25 which means I should weigh around 58kg to 60kg. After my first child my weight settled around 82kg so my weight loss journey began. I started with circuit training at a Women's health club and eating the recommended amount of daily calories but I was only able to shift a few kilos so I changed to a Fitness First gym. I enjoyed all the class workouts like body attack, RPM and I lost weight at first, then after a while, I plateaued at 70kg and couldn't shift any more weight. After a few weeks of frustration, I decided to take drastic measures so I started what I called a 'cleansing diet' and quit the gym. I ate fruits and vegetables only for 2 days, did a fast on the 3rd day (only ate one meal of vegetables and fruit at night) and then ate a normal diet with anything I wanted but in smaller portions for 3 days in the week and indulged on one day. I combined this with a 45 minute daily walk and I lost all the rest of my weight and got down to 59/60kg. 

As a result of this weight loss, i didn't have gestational diabetes in the second pregnancy. 

5 Years on and I now have 3 kids and went to see my doctor who asked me to do 'what I did the last time' to lose weight. So this got me researching why I had success with my diet the last time and I dabbled into a subject called the 'fasting diet'. Basically, some researchers are finding that when people restrict their calories a number of days in the week (which was what I was doing on my fruit and veg days), this drastically reduces the incidences of cancer, heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes and alzheimers. The side effect of this diet was weight loss.  You can watch this BBC documentary for more information http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms. 

Christians and members of many religions normally engage in fasting for spiritual reasons. Now research is showing that literally man does not live by bread alone, but also by abstaining. 

I have lost some weight by restricting calories some days in the week, and then eating normally on the other days. At first I was doing 3 days low calorie from Mon-Tuesday and then feasting the other days in the week, but I've started Alternate day fasting. You can google this for more information on the research behind it. I think it's easier to resist temptation since I can eat what I want 'tomorrow', also, it's easier for my body to get into the routine. Here's how I do it:

I eat 500 calories every other day. I find that it helps to pre-plan my meals for my low calorie day and even on the days I do a spiritual fast, I also have to pre-plan my meals so I don't over indulge. I use the fitness pal app on the mobile phone app store. A typical low calorie day's meal would be:

• Breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg (76 cal); sourdough bread with small butter & jam (128+18+8); black tea with 60ml low fat milk and 1/2 tsp raw sugar (25+8) total = 263cal
• Lunch: 1 small 100g apple (49cal)
• Dinner: 50g spinach/rocket; 100g tomatoes; 100g mushrooms; 100g cucumber; 40g chicken breast without skin and 75g carrots: Total = 182cal

A typical normal day's meals would be:

• Breakfast: hard boiled egg, sourdough toast, white hot chocolate with coffee
• Morning tea: Brownie & cake
• Lunch: Sandwich, or Sushi or Rice or Whatever I want
• Afternoon tea: Plantain chips, fruit and yoghurt
• Dinner: Lasange, or Spaghetti, or Whatever I want

On a spiritual fast day, I will usually break with one apple and carrot around 3pm and then eat a light meal at night.

On Low calorie days, I try not to eat things that I cannot verify their calorific values. For example, I make my own sourdough bread and it's luxurious with pistachios, pumpkin seeds, golden and brown linseeds, raisins or sultanas and honey. So to be able to eat this on a low calorie day, I had to determine the amount of calories within a serve and I used the 'recipe' section of the fitness pal app to do this. 

I find that I loose more weight when I do a cardio for 30 minutes in the morning and compliment it with a 30 minute walk during the day, but my routine has recently changed, so I'm eating my lunch in the office at my desk and then using my lunch break + morning & afternoon tea breaks to fit in a 1 hour walk after eating my lunch and then fitting in another 45 minute walk after work to my car. I find it easier to stick to walks only because I absolutely love walking and can walk for 5 hours straight if I am rewarded with good views. So my advise is to find that activity that you love doing and you will have more chances of sticking with it in the long run. 

I am finding that our bodies was not made to eat and eat and eat. We need to slow down the eating some days so that our bodies can rest and repair itself. After my normal days, I feel sluggish at night and can't wait to eat very little just to recover from eating (lol). Also, it is good to feel hungry sometimes and to remind your body that this is a natural feeling and that it will not die because you're not feeding it as usual. This helps us gain self control and mastery over our bodies.

Drop me a line if you have questions or you want to share what else is working for you.

Is it a Mansion, Is it a matchbox of sticks, Nah, it's a HOME.

Stand outside, look at a house. What do you see? A mansion with a driveway and a fountain. Nice. Come inside. What do you hear? The pitty patter of feet, clanging pots in the kitchen, a child is singing at the top of her lungs, someone is twirling around in front of a mirror, someone is reading the paper, a child is crying upstairs. It's a home.

Stand outside, look at a house. What is it to you? A unit with trees at the front and a small red door with a red doorbell. Ring the bell. Come inside. What do you see? Careful, someone is crawling and creeping around. Another one is performing in front of a small audience of mom, dad and one other sibling. There's no judgement or comparison in here. Only applause and acceptance. She's a star. She's got fans. She's loved. She can take on the world! Pictures hang on the wall. Happy memories. The hum of the dishwasher can be heard in the midst of all the family's noise. This is a home. 

Stand outside, look at a house. What do you think? A wooden house standing on stilts. Climb up the stairs. Come inside. What do you notice? Hmm, the smell of toast, porridge and coffee. A little clean kitchen shows the hard-work and love of someone special in this house. Look outside the kitchen window. Clothes hanging on the line. Little clothes for little people, made clean again after their rough and tumble. Work shirts hanging there too. A few aprons hanging there as well. Some work dresses hang there too. Someone's labour of love. Feet thundering down the wooden stairs. It's time for breakfast. This is a home.

Sit on your couch, watching TV, look at a house. Or what is left of it. There was a tornado. A typhoon. A hurricane. A flood. Call it what you like, but it was the Big Bad Wolf and he blew this house down. Was it made of bricks? Perhaps. Was it made of sticks or straw? Perhaps. What is it to you? What was it to them? The pitty patter of little feet. Clanging pots in the kitchen. Children singing. Children dancing. Someone reading the paper. Babies crying, crawling, creeping. Someone performing, others accepting, applauding, loving, instilling the confidence to take on the world. Pictures on the wall. Happy memories. Dish-washing. The smell of breakfast. Clothes hanging on the line. It was a home. 

It doesn't matter how it looks, how grand or humble, how big or small. Let's make home 'Home Sweet Home' and let's show our compassion and help to those who have lost their 'Home Sweet Home'. 

Dedicated to people round the world who have been affected by natural disasters.

                                                                                                           - Nancy Eluigwe.

Ten confessions of a real wife / mum

I am first of all a wife and then a mother of 3 (to be honest, my first confession should probably be that I am first of all a mother of 3 and then a wife). My assumption is that the correct order will be reset to the default position when the kids leave home.

Confession #2:
Sometimes I feel like running away. This is nothing to worry about though as it doesn't happen so often (only at 6pm everyday when I have to figure out what to cook for dinner). The good thing is that I'm quite mature so I don't give in to every whim. Moreover, the feeling turns into exhilaration once I've nailed dinner or ecstacy when I remember that I've got some leftovers that I can serve for dinner! #winning

Confession #3:
I take my time when I've gone out alone and left the kids (especially the 3 mth old) with my husband at home. I usually expect a call within an hour because my newborn has refused to drink the EBM I've left with my husband and even though I sound like I'm concerned and hurrying back home on the phone, I'm not. I figure that when she's hungry enough she'll drink from the bottle and I'm also usually happy that dad is feeling the heat of looking after a newborn without anyone else to help him. I see it as a little payback for the expression of pure joy he usually has on his face when he's merrily signing out of the family home to hang out with his mates without the burden of a wife and kids.

Confession #4:

95% of the time, I would persist in completing a small chore before attending to my crying 3 mth old(depending on the pitch of the cry). I like to think that I'm passing on life skills so that she realises that the world doesn't revolve around her...i.e. people are not going to drop whatever they are doing to attend to her all the time...i.e. mummy has also got other things to do asides from feeding and rocking her. Also, if she happens to cry when i'm making a lasagne, she had better not choose to do it while I'm making my bechamel sauce as I have't figured out what happens if I leave the sauce midcooking to attending to a crying baby. It hasn't been a chance I have been willing to take at 6.30pm on a weekday so I am always going to finish cooking the bechamel sauce before attending to anybody else. 3% of the time, if dad is home, he graciously comes to pick the baby up while i finish up the chore. 2% of the time, the pitch of the cry requires that I drop whatever I'm doing and pick her up.

Confession #5:

I think that we are really really good parents and that my kids are always well behaved therefore, any bad behaviours have been learned from other kids at daycare or school.

Confession #6:

I buy his & hers snacks when I really like something and would prefer not to share. I also prefer that my husband gives the kids some from his. I reckon I've done more than my part of sharing when they were in the utero. However, I usually sneak behind him and eat a little bit from his as well. #Shhhh

Confession #7:

I dislike parents who let their children be unruly. I also have to overcome the intense desire to smack/pinch these children. 

Confession #8:

Anytime I've taken the kids somewhere and we're 5 mins into the drive home, I always have a panic attack because I think I've forgotten one of the kids so I do a quick glance at the back of the car to do a head count. This didn't happen when I only had 2 kids.

Confession #9:

I get ticked off when my husband refuses to take the kids out shopping and yet expects me to take them shopping. Hello? Do men get stressed handling any number of children in the shopping centre; rushing through the checkout to take one of them to the toilet for a wee only to get back into the shop and realise that they now want to make a poo; dealing with a tantrum when one kid has spied a biscuit/candy that you are determined not to buy them; having to rush to the parent's room to change a nappy and feed the hungry tired kids? Oh, welcome to the club of human beings. We also feel the same way, so we wouldn't mind leaving the kids at home when we go shopping too. If it seems like we know how to look after the kids better, it may be because we've have had more practice and you know what they say, "practice makes perfect".

Confession #10:

I would like to be rewarded for being a good mother and a wife by being treated to a spa and massage once in a while (where a while = 1 week). I am well aware that there are millions of mothers who are alcoholics or just lazy and can't be bothered working or taking care of their family or feeding them vegies so I think I'm doing a fantastic job. I am also aware that my husband is a good dad and husband so I reward him with a nice lunch and dinner everyday.

Stolen Diamonds...The greatest heist ever

 
image source: www.timesunion.com 

Some weeks ago, the entertainment world was abuzz with news of the Cannes million dollar jewellery heist. Any time this sort of theft is pulled off, readers can expect the media to refresh our memories with the biggest diamond heists of the past. Some recent experiences caused this event to remind me of a heist far greater and more serious than stealing physical diamonds.

One of them was reading an amazing book called The Diamond Polishers in which the writer refers to children as diamonds - valuable, priceless, beautiful and individually unique but requiring to be cleaned, polished and shaped so their brilliance can be seen. It would change the way I viewed children forever.  In the book she also writes about how children like diamonds have to be protected from being damaged, broken or lost (www.themotherhoodproject.org.au). What an amazing way to view children and an enormous responsibility we have to protect these precious gifts.

The second experience was watching a documentary called The Fighters on CNN, which was based on the battle of a woman in the Philippines dedicated to rescuing children and women that have been trafficked as sex slaves. Yet another experience was watching some video clips in a Women's conference in Sydney by the A21 Campaign that showed little girls as young as four who had been born to trafficked women and were already been exploited to perform oral sex on men!  As a mother of 3 girls 4 years and under, I am still sickened to my gut. It's difficult to digest these news and to know that human beings are capable of such crimes against children. It is also hard to imagine what these children and women have been subjected to... children just like mine and yours. Women just like me.
The more I thought about it the more I couldn't shake the thought that these ARE the stolen diamonds and every one of them needs to be rescued. When I think about the enormity of the crime and how hard it is to fight this battle, I feel extremely helpless. I know there are organizations that are dedicated to fighting this battle, but sometimes I think, "Wow, they're doing a fantastic job. I wish there was something I could do". However, apart from sending a donation, I wasn't sure what else to do. Then the other day I read 21 ways to get involved in stopping Human Trafficking (http://www.thea21campaign.org/content/21-ways-to-get-involved/gjf4co ). So I finally decided to do my own part. I will pray. I will blog about it. I will partner with these organizations to offer whatever I've got - money, time, talent, etc...

The golden rule is to do to others as you would have them do to you...If we or our children were in the shoes of these children/women, what would we want people to do for us? How much effort would we want them to put into rescuing us? We should do the same. The cause is urgent and we cannot afford to slack or be afraid and do nothing.  I look into my daughters' eyes and my heart burns within me. My children are my precious jewels. All children are precious jewels. None of them were intended as sex slaves. Every one of them was intended to be jewels in this world and on God's crown. Let's do all that is possible to make sure that these stolen diamonds are recovered. We were born for such a time as this.

Here are some articles to provoke you:

The face of Modern Slavery
Lost Boys
How tourists can help stop child sex trafficking
10 things men and boys can do to stop human trafficking

Big blessings in small everyday packages

At the end of last year, I was taking stock of the year gone by. I thought about the good things that had happened and I made a list of my blessings. Things that featured on this list included getting a new job, a successful overseas trip, a healthy family, etc. The big and obvious things and they were about a third of a page long. I felt blessed. Then I remembered that there had been a few tears or depressing days here and there and thought it might be worthwhile making a list of the things that made me cry or sad. There were only four that I could think of. The amazing thing was that apart from my the passing of my father-in-law, in hindsight the intensity of my distress at the other three items seemed a little misplaced when viewed alongside the third of a page long list of blessings. While holding on to that thought, I figured it might be even more interesting to make a list of things that made me happy, or smile, or excited, or even laugh. My list quickly got out of hand (or page) because they included everyday things like singing opera in the shower, watching peppa pig with my girls, dancing to the madagasca sound track, waking up to a clean crisp kitchen with the sun shining through the window, a cup of cold milo, the sound of my girls coming down the stairs, Iva trying to feed herself, Izabelle asking me to tickle her, watching my husband cook....I think you get my drift. And yes, this list was about three times my original list of big and obvious blessings. But hang on a minute, aren't these the big blessings? They are obvious but because they are everyday blessings, we get used to them and then we take them for-granted. AT least, I do. I reckon these everyday blessings were purposely allotted to each day to make the hard times that much easier to deal with. For example, I've had a bad day at work and I remember my girls fighting to give me a kiss in the morning. That helps me get through the day. I have changed the way I count my blessings. Everyday presents huge and gigantic blessings that totally overshadow and swallow up the little stresses that pop up here and there. Who cares about the bills when the birds are singing on my window sill and there's a cold cup of milo and toast + butter + honey to be had? And why worry about the fact that my car service is overdue when the kids are singing along to the car radio? What are your big blessings disguised in small everyday packages?

Diaries of a lifetime

20 January 1981

Dear Diary,
What an amazing day this is! I have just had my first child. A daughter. My own life-size doll to cherish and love; to dress up and sing silly songs with; to feed and bathe; to rock to sleep; and to turn her into a mini-me.I shall call her Nancy.
-Entry by Mother of Nancy

15 February 1990

Dear Diary,
What a fantastic day this is! I just got my first diary and I intend to write in it every day of my life. I have a penpal and she lives in India. It is amazing to have my own very friend on another side of the world.
-Entry by Nancy

18 March 1992

Dear Diary,
What a terrible day I had today! I fought with my best friend aka Okpokoro mbe. I am not sure if we will remain friends.
-Entry by Nancy

27 April 1994

Dear Diary,
What an annoying day! My friends Kana and Chukwuemeka drew a terrible caricature of me and said and I quote "it's good to have a passport". I reported them to Oxy and he had them punished. However, he mentioned that the "passport" looked a lot like me. I couldn't believe it. The big ogo and protruding bottom lips? What a joke.
-Entry by Nancy

15 May 1997

Dear Diary,
What a close shave I had today. My mom found a love letter in my bag but I negotiated with her and she decided not to show my Dad. That would have been the end of life as I know it. Phew.
-Entry by Nancy

22 June 1999

Dear Diary,
What an amazing year this is going to be! I am a freshman at Uni and I live at the hostel. Imagine all the grown up things I can do...lectures, boys, parties, oh this is cool man.
-Entry by Nancy

10 July 2000

Dear Diary,
Today I fell in love with the guy of my dreams. He is tall, funny, caring, well built and his eyes...they can woo even the most ferocious of females.
-Entry by Nancy

16 August 2002

Dear Diary,
What a boring day! It's fair to say that my near future will be full of boring weeks upon boring weeks and I hope I don't die of boredom. I have moved back home from Uni and all my friends are not in town. How can a girl survive like this? I can't wait to graduate and own my life.I hate staying at home, there's just so much work to to do and nothing fun happening.
-Entry by Nancy

4 September 2004

Dear Diary,
I can't wait for today to end. I am far away from civilization in a hot and arid location doing my youth service. I am broke, electricity has just failed, it is burning hot, there is zero wind, a million flies are flying about, my phone has been stolen and I miss my fiance. When will this end? There is no end in sight, just endless months of living in this windless furnace. I can't wait to be done with this service and move back home. Oh, home, the comfort of an air conditioner and meals cooked at the right time. These thoughts are not helping me right now.
-Entry by Nancy

9 October 2006

Dear Diary,
My dreams have come true today. I just married my best friend of 6 years and the future is bright. Words cannot express how happy I am today. *sigh*
-Entry by Nancy

17 November 2008

Dear Diary,
I'm sorry it's been a while, but I have been going through a difficult pregnancy. But today, I am glad to inform you that I have just had my first child. A daughter. My own life-size doll to cherish and love; to dress up and sing silly songs with; to feed and bathe; to rock to sleep; and to turn her into a mini-me.I shall call her Zabby.
-Entry by Nancy

30 December 2011

Dear Diary,
What a happy sad day I had today. We went to visit my best friend but my Mom wouldn't let me sleep over. I was not happy when we came home but I am happy now because Dora the Explorer is on TV. I love watching Dora.
-Entry by Zabby

You get the idea don't you? We all have a past and it is full of memories. Some happy. Some sad. The surprising thing is that when you rewind your thoughts and feelings to when you created some of the memories that pull at your heartstrings today, you were actually not having a good time then. I miss my high school years. I miss the lack of responsibility I had when I was young without a care in the world. I miss those days during my youth service when I was cash broke but rich in the experience of a new location and culture.
Today the sky was blue and there were pretty fluffy clouds floating about up there. The sun was out and the wind was playing with the trees. I enjoyed a play date with a friend and I enjoyed watching "singing in the rain" over and over again with my girls.
I'm getting it now, aren't I? I am trying to enjoy "today" so that when I look back on "yesterday" I will be satisfied in knowing that I didn't let it sneak past me. And if a certain "today" falls into the "bad day" category? I pray that I would be able to pick out something to enjoy and be thankful for - even if it's just for gift of being able to 'see' the clouds and 'feel' the wind.