pregnancy weight loss why | Project Parenting

pregnancy weight loss why

Bear with me...

I love Project Runway. I love watching people pursue their dreams and have an opportunity to let their creativity run wild, to focus solely on their passion. (When, as adults, do we have a chance to be thrown in neck deep to forget about the rest and just do what we love?) As I was watching Project Runway this season, I started thinking about a common theme through all the seasons of Project Runway, creating that moment. Runway fashion is about that moment when the model turns the corner on the runway and the audience gasps at the design and innovation of the created piece. It isnt about practicality or what went in to the outfit or the budget or any of that; it is that elusive moment of excitement and intrigue over what you are witnessing for that brief period of time. The model walks down the runway, pauses, lets you take it in, and then turns-- vanishes-- poof! She has gone back stage and the moment is gone. You are left thinking about what you saw. You only have your impression, what you remember, nothing in your hands, nothing tangible. How did you feel about it?

Recently Project Runway shows when the judges have the models come down to their judging area after the show, while the contestants wait to hear what was decided and who will go home. One by one the models come before the judges to have the pieces they are wearing inspected. Sometimes a piece that was mediocre on the runway suddenly blossoms in front of the judges eyes-- "Can you believe the amount of work and technique that went into this? It looks so simple and, yet, look! The fine detail..." Sometimes wow pieces are exposed for what they are-- prototypes. It walked down the runway amazing and was beautiful, but under their prying eyes they can see the stitches coming unraveled, seams that werent finished, details glued on haphazardly right before the show. It was never real-- never a finished piece, just an illusion.

I have been mulling this idea over in my mind. Parenting has been a challenge for me lately. I feel stretched and empty. I feel like I simplify and still I have twelve hundred things to do at one time. I try to go back to the basics, the things I must complete each day and allow the space and time to get those things done yet the children, through no fault of their own, keep finding ways to stretch me. And this is where I tie in Project Runway. I have times where I feel like those designers. They are working with this limited budget to create something in a short time, to get it done, to make it work, to put on a show. The workroom is a mess. Everyone is at their table doing the best that they can, cutting, sewing, dreaming, believing, doubting. "Is this good enough? Is this right? This is what Im trying to showcase." Last week a designer hovered over his material, doubting if he was ready to commit to the cuts he was about to make. Once he cut the fabric, there was no going back, no changing his mind for a different design; he would be committed to that path. Was he ready to make that choice? As a parent, I relate to those feelings of doubt. That desire to do the best that I can, to make it work. While I do not have a panel of judges watching my parenting and critiquing me, but I do have times where I feel judged, whether I actually am or whether I perceive to be. I relate to taking all of these busy aspects of life and tying them together to make a cohesive look, a finished product, a child that has all of these different elements of myself, my husband, and our life together working inside of him.

Parenting has those moments. The moments where you dont see whats going on backstage or the craziness in the audience-- the cameras, the crew, the people, the noise-- and all you see is the model coming down the runway. Yesterday my husband and I felt like having a movie night. We blew up the air mattress in the family room and snuggled on the couch all day watching Tim Burton movies with the children. We made "mummies" out of hot dogs and crescent rolls. We had popcorn and candy. It was great doing nothing. I wasnt thinking about the laundry that had to be finished before the week started or the sink full of dishes that would need to be done before breakfast the next day. I wasnt thinking about the sour sugar all over our floor or the ketchup stains the baby made on the blankets. We had our moment. It was sublime. Of course it didnt last. The baby got bored and dedicated his time to climbing on the table and knocking over our drinks and popcorn. The older boys started wrestling on the air mattress. My husband fell asleep. I was pinned in a corner of the couch with a baby hitting me with a remote control. We finally pried ourselves off the couch to put an end to the wrestling and finish the dishes, start the laundry, get the boys to clean their toys in the loft. We did pajamas, medicine, dinner, and got the house ready for school and work the next day. The boys ended up having an early bedtime due to meltdowns. Our oldest desperately finished up his Boy Scout project. It was chaos. But when we got in bed that night, my husband and I remembered that moment when we were all on the air mattress watching movies, when our four boys were snuggled up under one blanket, eyes glued to the silly songs, and we had this whole lazy afternoon stretched before us, nowhere to be but here, now.

Lately I feel like Ive been focusing on the chaos. Not the good chaos of parenting, but the bad chaos. The meltdowns, the repeated battles, the same old story day in and day out. I have been letting little things get to me in a big way and I have forgotten about the beauty and magic of parenting. How children can get so much joy from a rainy day (even if they throw a massive fit when it is time to go inside). How fun an air mattress is (even if it ends with a bloody lip and a crying baby). How long weekends are (even if it flies by in a whirlwind and you never make it to the trains, the pumpkin patch, the movies, wherever you wanted to take them that weekend). How sweet sick days can be (even if you still have three other children to take care of plus all the house responsibilities you always have to accomplish). Ive turned away from the moments and been caught up in whats going on backstage. I feel like that lately Ive been trying to make this wow piece-- getting our house on schedule, figuring out how to transition activities without meltdowns, organizing our spaces, working on manners-- but that it is all an illusion because upon closer inspection it is all falling apart. Im stressed doing it. Im not taking the time to enjoy the finished product. Im still thinking about what the garment should look like, what I didnt accomplish, what I intended to do. And parenting is much more about the simple look, the one that upon closer inspection you see those fine details. It may not be a wow piece to anyone else, but you see the effort and you know what went into that moment. When I dropped our 4-year olds off at daycare and they didnt throw a fit-- that was huge for them. When my husband went to work and they trusted that he was coming home that night instead of going underway-- they have been so worried about Daddy leaving again. When the children play quietly in their rooms in the morning instead of running wild-- I have been working so hard with them on that and they are finally getting it. When our oldest packs his lunch each morning for school all by himself, without my help. When one of our boys takes it upon himself to clean his space and tidy up their shared bathroom-- on his own-- because he wants to help. When our boys find a game that includes all of them, even the toddler, and play together upstairs. When our oldest picks a book at school specifically to read to his brothers when he gets home that afternoon, "I really thought they would love this one." These are small but beautiful things. These are the moments of parenting to look at and focus on. Not the times where I dragged them out for an entire day at the doctors office and ended with us all crying in the car on the way home because it was so exhausting. Or the times when strangers felt the need to tell me what a bad job Im doing. The moments I need to focus on are the ones where I see these small and beautiful blessings in our day to day life, when hard moments become slightly easier moments, or when new skills are developed and eventually perfected. When new interests take root and when family moments happen in the middle of normally busy times of day.

I need to focus on the moments of parenting where it all comes together harmoniously, to reflect on them and the feelings I had during them. I need to stop judging myself so harshly on what went into creating those moments and let them stand on their own, because when it all comes together, even briefly, it is beautiful.

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vomiting during pregnancy weight loss | Baby 5 is a GIRL!

vomiting during pregnancy weight loss

I always dreamed about having a daughter. After two miscarriages (one of them being a molar pregnancy), 4 boys (including a set of identical twin boys), and a rough start to our 6th pregnancy, I felt that our chances of having a girl were pretty low. Ive heard throughout this pregnancy:

"Oh, my old neighbor growing up had seven boys! Then they had their girl."
"My moms best friend has five girls."
"Our cousin is pregnant with her fourth boy. They are stopping after this one! No more boys for them!"

And then myself. I have two friends with four boys: one just had her 5th and it was a girl, the other just had her 5th and it was a boy. Ahh!

So I scheduled my 20 week anatomy scan at my last OB appointment. The earliest they could get me in was 4 weeks away, when I would be 22+ weeks. I really thought I could wait that long. It would be torture, but I figured I just needed to hunker down and wait. I called my mom and told her to mark her calendar for the end of February when I would be getting the scan. She called me back and said, "Hey! I was on Google and found some places for you to go get a gender ultrasound done..." I was instantly sold and called immediately to get an appointment; they could see me the following week when I was 19 weeks.

I decided to surprise my husband. I made the appointment for while he was at work. I called my girlfriend and asked if she would go with me to help keep the gender a secret from me as well. Then I ran a few errands. I went to a baby boutique and put a boy outfit and girl outfit on hold. I told them my girlfriend would be coming in to pick up the appropriate genders outfit after my scan. Then I wrote on a notecard, "Congratulations! Its a ________!" I put the notecard in an envelope and set out to get my scan as soon as my husband left for work.

What a surprise this all was! My girlfriend did AMAZING. She never once let slip what the gender was. I have no idea how she kept that secret in. We got lunch together after the scan and while I babbled she kept her lips sealed, no slips of the tongue, no knowing glances, nothing. She told me later that she was worried she was smiling too much, but I never noticed anything. I think she did a fabulous job of keeping the secret and I was very caught up in the excitement of all of it.

After lunch, we drove by the baby boutique. She ran in and picked up the girl outfit. They triple wrapped the adorable set. My girlfriend told me she instructed them to do so, just in case I was tempted to peek before my husband came home from work. The put pink and blue tissue paper peeking out of the top of the bag. When she came to the car holding the package, my heart skipped a beat. I had tried preparing myself to wait for 4 weeks before the anatomy scan, but the couple hours before my husband came home from work now that we were so close to finding out were going to be impossible! When I dropped my girlfriend off at home she made me promise not to open the package. I reassured her I wouldnt, but, man, that package was quite tempting. I tucked it in a corner on the kitchen counter to keep it out of sight until my husband and I could open it together.

Thankfully I did not have long to wait. I immediately had to leave to pick our first grader up from school. While I was doing that, my husband called to say that he was on his way home for work-- early! Yay! I was ecstatic. I told the boys over and over again, "Hes on his way home! When he gets home we get to find out if you are having a brother or a sister!" The boys were caught up in the excitement of all of it. Our 4-year olds kept saying they hope we have a sister to name "Batman Girl." Our oldest insisted he wanted a brother. One of our 4-year olds asked if he would name the baby "Batman" if it was a boy. I thought of how I would surprise my husband when he came home. Im not very good at keeping secrets, so this was big for me. I wanted to play the whole thing out and act somewhat casual when he came inside, saying something like, "Oh, whats this? Maybe we should open it up together..." Instead, the moment his Jeep pulled in the driveway, our boys sprinted over yelling, "Dad! Mom found out what the baby is today! The baby in her tummy! It is a boy or a girl! Come inside and see!" My husband was still sitting in his vehicle looking very confused. He looks at me quizzically, "You found out today on your own? I didnt know you had anything scheduled." I couldnt help but laugh. I told him, "No, no, no. I went somewhere to have it done, but I didnt find out. We will find out all together when you come inside." It seems our boys have my ability to keep a secret.

He dutifully came inside and set his things down. Our boys swarmed him with the package and the envelope. We all went to the family room and quickly opened it up. They all leaned over his shoulder as he opened up the envelope. I took a video of him pulling the card out and holding it open for our first grader to read. Our oldest read, "Its a.... GIRL!" and that is when I stop filming. I asked my husband, "What? Let me see! Is it really?" He hands me the card and the ultrasound pictures tumble out. Two of the pictures are marked saying, "Girl," and the card clearly says, "Congratulations! Its a GIRL!" I started bawling. My husband then opens the package and hands the pink sleep and play with the delicate pink flowers and an adorable crotchet crown to me. I hold the little items and cry. He crouched down next to me and puts his arms around me, tears in his eyes as well, "We are having a girl! 4 amazing boys and a little girl!" I hugged all our boys and they danced around, "A girl! A sister!"

After that came phone calls and pictures and posts and text messages and hugging and more crying. One of my girlfriends drove over that night with an adorable red dress coat and a sweet play set for our baby girl. I opened the door and she had a big box in one hand a huge bouquet of pink balloons in the other.

It was all so exciting. It ended up being a great surprise. I loved finding out together as a family at home. I was a little worried my husband would be a little caught off guard by my early surprise-- when we werent expecting to go in for weeks-- but he was as excited about it all as I was. I dont know how many times we hugged each other that day (or since then... it is still a big shock!).

The other day a gal asked how many boys we have. I told her we have four boys. She nods to my round stomach and says, "Well, we know what that means! My girlfriend has five boys." I smiled and said, "This one is a girl!" I dont know when the novelty of having a girl will wear off. I think Im going to start crossing off the days until this summer when I can finally hold our last baby-- our daughter-- in my arms!

The other great part about knowing now that we are having a daughter is that I can finally do some girl baby shopping! Omigoodness... it is so much fun!

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pregnancy weight loss before and after pictures | Sneak Peek Sewing Project

pregnancy weight loss before and after pictures

 

vintage trims from samuels grandma

Here is a  little sneak peek from a sewing project that Ive been working on the last couple of days...Im SUPER excited about this! Ill show you what I made on Monday. (I dont want to spoil the surprise for the birthday girl!)  There are lots of tiny birthdays for some very special littles coming up and most of them are little girls! This means the "ribbons and bows" side of myself is going CRAZY! I havent made time for a sewing project since the week I went into labor. Its been that long. Thats kind of sad seeing that I used to burn the midnight oil, creating things on my faithful Kenmore all the time. My heart was singing like a little bird while I was cutting, pinning and stitching this project!

One thing that I have found myself running into over and over again is having SO many amazing ideas for projects and desires, to the point where creativity is oozing out of me but, it just stays stagnant. More often than not, it doesnt go anywhere. Somewhere in the slowly evolving routine known as motherhood, daily stresses, family drama, dinner, moving or a million and one other things that pop up week to week,  all those ideas, those "could have been" creations, get all dusty and become yet another pinboard of "one days" on pintrest that I browse through longingly.

 It baffles me when Im in the middle of a belated project, why I dont make time to explore and dance with my artsy side more often? Im at one of my happiest times and most stress free when I do, so why dont I make more time for it? Id like to blame everything on everything but, thats just going to keep me sitting here on my couch, staring at my computer screen instead of on my deck painting, writing a song on my guitar, singing with a friend, sewing a surprise on my sewing machine or re-finishing the table that has been sitting there for months. Go buy the dang spray paint. Plug in the sewing machine. Go ahead and make steps toward checking those fabulous things off from your list, Jess. You really can. Even if you have to start small, make a hair bow or up-cycle a t-shirt, just DO something!  I have found that once I do one creative thing, its easier for me to do another.  And soon I find myself looking at the girl I used to hang out with all the time. Sure there is extra mommy grace for myself.  It IS more challenging to find time now that Im a mom, but its not impossible.

The points Im trying to make to myself are these:

• Creating things makes me happy, its like therapy for my soul...make more time for it.
• Im going to keep my sewing machine at a reachable distance.
• Im not going to let my day or the stresses that might come with it, tell me what to do or dictate to me the realities of my heart or creative side.
• Just stop, and do it Jess, you can...really. 

Are there any creative mommies out there that want to give me an amen? ;)

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weight loss early pregnancy no vomiting | Disenchanted

weight loss early pregnancy no vomiting

 

9 years now I’ve been married to my submariner. In a lot of ways, I thought that being married for 9 years would feel… different, maybe better. I thought we would have a lot more of life figured out. I thought that I would really grasp submarine life by now and feel like “an adult.” When I think back to when we first got married and how green I was then—yes, I am an adult and we have grown and, dang, submarine life has a lot of twists and turns, you know? But really this year has left me feeling blah. Returning to life on an active submarine after his break with the STA-21 program was a lot like I thought it would be. However, I thought it would be “crazy, shocking, and a real eye opener.” In all of those ways, it has been. His schedule on the boat is different than what they told us it would be when he got his orders before we moved from South Carolina. I will say that the schedule changes have all been in our favor—more time home, less time at sea—but these changes weren’t all handed to us in a neat little folder that I could mark on my calendar. They’ve slowly unraveled over weeks and months, always uncertain and always unsure of what was coming next, never sure what to tell the children or what to set my hopes on. I’ve now put his boat schedule in a bubble that I let float over my head, never letting it rest too long on the forefront of my mind or else I start stressing about “what it might be,” “what it could be,” “what it will mean,” and “how it will unfold.”

The children in turn have dealt with a return to boat life how you would expect a first grader, preschoolers, and a baby to handle it. They feed off of their parents’ nervous energy and all of the changes that have come their way in the past several months. They have regressed in areas that are normally in their control and have accelerated in areas that have surprised us. They have been resilient and exhausting and full of excitement and worry. “Knowing” or “anticipating” how children will behave in these sort of situations is very different than walking it day in and day out with 4 little faces making demands of you.

Living so far away from family has, again, been close to what I expected it would be. We knew we were putting west coast choices down for our top 4 when our family is on the east coast. We have a strong desire to make the most of his military career, to live in places we wouldn’t live otherwise, to venture out of our comfort zones and really live life to the fullest. But, dang, living life to the fullest is exhausting sometimes. I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near enjoying myself to the fullest here. I love the northwest and feel a peace in it. Our home is beautiful. The area is beyond beautiful. It has been family friendly and I’m met a handful of good friends. Yet, I feel so far away from my family and some of my best friends. I wish that I could compress all the best things from all the places we’ve lived and move all my favorite people there. While I think longingly of North Carolina, when I have that wild fantasy of getting out of the Navy life and moving all of us there, it still doesn’t have all my favorite people there or some of the elements from various states we’ve lived in. I feel like a wanderer, trying to figure out where it is we belong and all the time wishing that the people we loved could take every step of this journey with us.

The military life has left me feeling restless lately. There are so many elements of boat life that are exactly the same as the last time we were on a boat. They were hard then and now we are walking through them all over again. It makes me think, “Really? Again? Will I be facing those exact same things on his next boat tour too??” It is like Groundhog’s Day but in real life. We keep growing and our family is growing yet the boat life is always the same—different boat, different duty station, same old Navy. It hasn’t seemed to phase my hubby much. He’s glad to be back on a boat after so much time spent at school. I have to say, his enthusiasm for his job often leaves me feeling guilty. I am so glad that he has a passion for what he does—obviously—or else this Navy life would be exceptionally pointless and exhausting, but it is hard when he seems to be finding a level of satisfaction right now and I am focused so much on the hard points. He can’t share with me all the “cool” things he does at work and they take so much time—14 hour days, 3 day duty sections. And after hearing all these amazing stories of what “off crew” would be like, I’m left disappointed. I don’t know if we are dealing with a strange schedule or if having 4 children makes it feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, but we haven’t yet had the experience where off crew is this smooth sailing period where he is home before our son’s school lets out.

I know I’m not the only one who has had periods of time where they are disenchanted with the Navy. When we first got married, it was a rough transition from being single and dating to being married to a submariner (all the way across the country from my family). It was rough. I’m not struggling to the same degree as I was then, but I do struggle to find the joy in the midst of all these changes and the new patterns being imposed on our life. I’ve struggled hard with duty days, which surprised me because I didn’t struggle with them so much the first time we were on the boat. They didn’t bother me as much then. We only had one baby then and so I’m not sure if being pregnant with our fifth and having four bouncing boys is what is making it such a struggle, but I miss him. The children and I rely on him. He makes me laugh and makes the bedtime routine fun. The boys miss their dad. I miss his company and clearly his help. With a tight duty rotation it feels like he works, works, works and then is sleeping on the boat only to start work, work, work again.

And there are so many people that I just miss living here. I wish I lived next door to my best friend again. I miss my family and my sisters. I miss the warm beach. I miss his schedule in North Carolina. It was a beast then, but I knew even then that when we left it would be something I looked fondly back on (and here I am! Looking fondly back on it…). I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned being a submarine wife is that I need to be able to find my joy and my heart even if places where it isn’t easily found. It is hard to be upbeat and look at the bright side when you feel lonely and isolated. It is hard to feel involved and supportive when you are left on the sidelines, especially after so much time where it felt like a team effort. One of the hardest things has been that the list of “goals” I made for myself have to materialize since we’ve been here. My time has been stretched and things I planned on doing aren’t going to be possible for the time being. I have to trust God and find the patience to wait(but, God! All I do is wait!). There have been more than a few moments here where I’ve wondered what my place will be over the next couple years we are stationed here. I’m still not sure. I don’t know. Maybe I won’t be sure at all and then when we move from here it will click what I’ve been doing all this time. For now I’m plugging away in all the ways that God has brought to my attention. My family keeps me busy and I’m not sure that there is anything else that God has revealed to me at the moment. I just have to trust.

Have you ever felt disenchanted with the Navy? How did you get through that period in time?

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pregnancy weight loss tracker | Its all about that blood

pregnancy weight loss tracker

I know, I know, not my most catchy-ish of titles, but it was this or some other dodgy blood related one!! So, first off, this isnt some gruesome tale that involves alot of blood and gore, sorry if thats what you were after (!). This is the tale of me and my experience going to donate blood for the very first time. There are no dodgy photos and this isnt a preachy blog post urging you to go and do it. If you fancy reading about my experience of giving blood, or, if you have ever thought of donating before but havent been sure, then this is the blog post for you. Now we have cleared all of that up, lets get started! 

Back in December, in the midst of my blogging every day for Blogmas, I pledged to go and give blood. I wanted to go and do something for someone else during a season when it can feel a bit over commercial. I wanted to do something that would actually make a difference to someone else and hopefully show my daughter that Christmas isnt all about the presents. Ahhh, me and my bright ideas. My well laid plans certainly did not go to plan (they rarely do), and I found myself, after a week of worry, being turned away at the donor centre because the blood donation session was full!!! Argh! You can read all about that little escapade here.

Now I am not going to lie.  Giving blood worried me.  This was no walk in the park for me.  But dont you find that those moments that you feel most challenged by are sometimes the moments that you look back on and feel the proudest of? This felt like it could be one of those moments. And did you know that giving blood can save up to three lives? Fact. 

I had already signed up to the blood donation website where you can find out your local times and venues, and when one popped up near my home, I felt I had to go and do it. The very moment I clicked book, my nerves returned. As with most things in life, the thought of doing something is way worse than the actual event. (Hmmm, maybe with the exception of child birth?!) And as someone with a very over active imagination, I had already imagined the worst.  I imagined fainting, of my arm dropping off, of being sick all over the nurse - a bit like in the exorcist, of falling off the chair and other such completely believable scenarios (!!!).  

The big day finally came and I arrived very nervous.  As I had booked my session online this time there was no chance of me being turned away. I registered at the desk and went to take a seat in the waiting area.  When you book an appointment online they send you all the paperwork through the post and it saves time filling the forms out when you arrive.  I had to drink a big cup of water to help replace the fluids I would lose during the donation and during this time my two year old daughter performed a rendition of chim-chim-cheree from Mary Poppins which was nice. (N.B. I cant guarantee she will be there for you if you donate, but I am considering hiring her out for the waiting room!). 

Next, I was called into a private area and was asked questions to screen if I was suitable to give blood.   My finger was pricked to test my iron levels. A drop of my blood was placed into a copper sulphate solution and if it sinks to the bottom it shows you iron levels are OK for you to donate. (And you know this bit doesnt really hurt because Im taking pictures at the same time!!).  

However, I wont get too cocky as my ability to then take a good picture of my drop of blood sinking in the tube was a fail!! Sorry for the poor quality. I felt I had to include this photograph as the lovely nurse did the test twice for me so I could get a good shot!!!

After the test I went out to sit on a couch and I was placed in a semi-upright position ready for the donation.  A blood pressure cuff was placed around my arm to maintain a little bit of pressure and then the nurse found a good vein. Obviously you can feel a pinching sensation, but really, it was nothing.  

I wont lie.  I didnt look down at my arm once.  I just didnt want to see it.  But I can honestly say, it was absolutely fine!!! Yes, there was a little bit of pressure of my arm, but that was literally it.  I didnt feel faint, I wasnt in pain and I didnt feel sick.  They ask you to do several exercises during your donation to help reduce your risk of fainting, like clenching your hand, clenching your bum cheeks (!) and moving your feet.  Obviously not one to risk fainting and erring on the side of caution I clenched away like my life depended on it! 

The process of actually having the blood taken took about five to ten minutes.  That is all!!! I thought I was going to be hooked up all day! It really was over before I knew it and I had donated just under a pint. And then its the bit you all know is coming, I was escorted to have a well earned drink and a bourbon biscuit. 

Apart from having a bit of a sore arm for the rest of the day, I felt absolutely fine.  The staff were really a credit to the blood service. From checking in to the actual donation, they couldnt have been nicer. And you know what? Everyone thanked me for going to give my blood.  Even on my way out, a nurse who I hadnt seen said thank you to me for attending.  How absolutely lovely.  I mean I didnt want a red carpet and an award or anything, but feeling like you have done something great, well, it makes you feel great. 

I dont want this post to come across as preachy or to make you feel like you have to go and give blood.  Its a personal and individual choice. All I will say is that if you are even considering it, then go and do it. Coming from someone who worried for a whole week about this, it was absolutely fine and I will definitely be going back to donate again. You can find the UK Give Blood website here where you can find out more and find your local sessions. And what better way to start the year than to donate blood to help someone, somewhere, who really needs it? 

"When you give blood you give another birthday, 

another anniversary, 

another day at the beach, 

another night under the stars, 

another talk with a friend, 

another laugh, 

another hug, 

another chance", 

American Red Cross. 

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pregnancy weight loss transformations | The Happiness Project

pregnancy weight loss transformations

There arent many books that I can say have changed my life.  I dont mean anything drastic, like a book I had in my pocket stopped a bullet or prevented my imminent death from a lion. But I mean a book that has resonated so much with me, that I reflect on its words years and years later.  A book that I pull off the shelf and delve into when I am need of some inspiration or a pick-me-up. This is how I feel about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  As January is the time where there seems to be an overwhelming urge to reflect on our lives, on our years and happiness, I thought this would be a good time to share with you the book that I would recommend to get on your book shelf, or your kindle, well, right now. 

First off, its not your typical read.  This is an account by  a lady called Gretchen Rubin on her happiness project to, well, be more happier. Now secondly, this isnt a self help book where by you have to do weird activities like chant at the moon or go and sing to your neighbours dog. This is Gretchens story about the things she tried to do to make her appreciate the things she felt she wasnt appreciating enough.  To try and fight-right in her marriage and boost her own well being.  The brilliant thing about this book is that Gretchen is just like you or me. She doesnt write her account balancing in a tree on a remote island. She hasnt overcome adversity or is struggling with a life limiting illness. And this is what makes the book completely relatable.  

Gretchen embarks on a 12 month happiness project and each month she dedicates her month to trying to change and improve little things in her life, like boosting her energy, her marriage and being a parent. But dont think this book is just for parents.  I first bought this book many years ago before I had even had my daughter, and its words resonated with me back then just as much as they do now.  

Her journey is documented in a way that really reflects everyday life. Rubin makes such accurate comments on life and how we think. She observes that, "the days are long, but the years are short". And how often do you want to hurry your day along and then all of a sudden a week has passed and you are yearning for the years to go slower? She also shows that it isnt all walks in the park, and I find her chapter on love and learning to fight right with her husband so accurate and true.  

I find this book just so inspiring, and I find myself going back to it at certain times in my life, whether that be if Im feeling down, if Im spending way too much time nagging at my husband or if I just feel like Im taking things for granted.  A quick dip into this book and I feel that it sort of gives me a little wake up call and off I go again.  

I recently wrote about how everyone talks about a New Year and a New You (you can read that here), and this book really isnt about finding a new you. Its about being appreciative, making small changes and really living the life that you have, right here and right now. The majority of us have in our lives all the love and material things we could possibly wish for, its just a case of seeing it all, like Gretchen reflects in the book, 

"I found the ruby slippers had been on my feet all along".

Have you read this book? What did you think? Would you read it now? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 
Thank you so much for reading, 

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pregnancy weight loss tea | When bad cakes happen to good people

pregnancy weight loss tea

This incident took place last Saturday.  Mr Bee was busy tearing the carpet up from the stairs (we are redecorating) and I was entertaining Baba.  She has had a pretend mixer and cake set for Christmas and her favourite thing to do is for the both of us (I have to be fully participating...no watching from the sidelines-its a bit like Master Chef), to make carrot cakes.  And whilst I love my little girl dearly, after the fifth time of making carrot cakes, I was wanting to stick my head in the oven.  So, being the super mum that I am (ha,ha!), I suggested we make some carrot cakes. For REAL!

Baba squealed with delight and ran to get her apron whilst I rummaged in the cupboards and prayed I had some carrots.  And that my friends is where I went wrong.  I am no Nigella.  And normally when I have to rummage around the cupboards it means I havent got the right ingredients.  And this means that I shouldnt be cooking whatever it is I am trying to.   

Did this deter us? Hell no. I found the carrots.  Then I realised I had only half the amount of self raising flour I needed.  I made up the full amount with plain flour and whacked in some baking powder too. Surely that would make it rise? It does get worse.  Then I realised I only had dark muscavado sugar instead of light muscavado sugar.  I mean, there cant be that much difference between the two can there? The dark sugar got thrown into the bowl (literally, Baba was helping mix the ingredients, so I had to fish the packet out and measure it out again).

Whilst Baba loved stirring all the ingredients in, little did she know her mother is absolutely clueless going freestyle in the kitchen. Still, the mixture looked OK (ish) and we put it in the oven. When the time was up, the cake looked OK (ish), just maybe a little flat. To decorate, the recipe called for icing sugar (which I had), and orange juice (which I didnt have). Hmmm. I improvised and used the juice of a tangerine and we decorated the cake.  I know, as if it wasnt bad enough already.  

It was time for Babas lunch and I had promised her a piece of the cake after her lunch.  Note to all: never let your child see a cake BEFORE they have eaten their lunch.  Baba screamed throughout lunch, taking half a bite of her sandwich and then refusing to eat anymore. I had already promised her the cake.  Oh bloody hell. 

And bloody hell the cake was awful. Baba didnt seem to mind too much and munched away.  I think she was just overjoyed she had got her mitts on the cake.  My poor husband muttered that he couldnt finish his piece and I just felt sick.  Clearly it makes a big difference not using the right flour, sugar and using a tangerine. Can you die from carrot cake poisoning? 

I now have this vision of Baba in years to come, going to her school fete with a carrot cake her mum made and they end up using it to bat the rat or using it as a ball to knock someone off their stool so they get dowsed in water. It serves me right for not playing pretend carrot cake again!  

Any recipe disasters you would like to share? Go on...make me feel a little better! Comments below please!!!

Oh, and I was going to include the recipe but I feel BBC Good Food may be offended by its inclusion!!!

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pregnancy weight loss plan | Sneak Peek Fall Project

pregnancy weight loss plan

Its been a wonderful week of cloudy and cozy fall weather, which has me nestled in my little bungalow with my sewing machine. Ive been spending hours adjusting my patterns and adding finishing touches to my little creations, trying to meet my goal for the end of the month. If you follow my instagram, youve already seen this, but I wanted to give you guys a little sneak peek of some of the goodness thats coming. :) Im REALLY excited to introduce all my new little friends to you in a few weeks! My goal right now is to open the doors to my online shop by Nov. 1st, if I can finish building my stock up by then. Well see and Ill keep you beauties posted. :)

Hope your week has been full of simple smiles and fall. :) 

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