Five things for a Friday - Sister Wives and shoes

1. I have been meaning to get a photo book made of our gorgeous wedding photos, and have FINALLY gotten off my ass and started doing it. Our photographer Tricia King (oh, look at the gorgeous bride on her website!) is super amazeballs awesome and so far the book is just every single photo from the day as I am unable to edit a single one. It's an 800-page tome of awesome. And Snapfish (they are doing the photobook- there are lots of places which do them but they seem good. And they have 25% off during March!) One day I will get organised and do a proper post all about the wedding.

2. I have been watching this reality TV showcalled Sister Wives. Totes addicted. It's all about this fundy Mormon guy who has four wives and 16 kids. I LOVE to analyse other people's relationship so this is like porn for me. They are really upfront about the jealousy issues they have, and how they manage the day-to-day running of a massive family. I think I could totally cope with Lee having another wife or two. Mainly because I'd get the bed to myself every few nights to watch crap TV late and read and eat snacks.

3. Shoes! My old standard Jellies broke last week. I was pretty devastated but pretty excited that I had a justifiable reason to buy more shoes. So obviously, I replaced one pair of shoes with...two pairs. I got red Saltwater Sandals (from here - cheapest place online that I found) which are ridiculously comfy and cute, and another pair of Jellies in SILVER GLITTER. I'm totally living out my childhood again. The Salties turn my little toes numb, which is weird, but otherwise they are my new uniform shoes. And really, what is the point of the little toe anyway.

4. There has been lots of kitchen action this week. I made this tarte tatin to use up the millions of chezza tomatoes we have, this couscous thing which used up lots of leftover bits of rando stuff, these AMAZING caramel brownies, bog-standard broc pasta and two batches of nectarine crumble because we have a glut of nectarines. I'm still doing the 12WBT, but have moved away from the recipes as I was finding them too boring so am just freestyling and tracking the calories. I have actually reached my goal so am relaxing a bit and focussing on eating good, seasonal food. The weather finally cooled down yesterday, so I can crank the oven more often. I want to make these rolls and this bread.

5. Archie has been obsessed with getting into the kitchen cupboards and drawers. We've got a safety catch on the cupboard under the kitchen sink but everything else he is pretty okay to get into. Because I have been cooking lots lately (see above) the pantry is pretty much always open, and he got stuck into the cans and platters and beer bottles that  aren't exactly baby-freindly. So I moved all that stuff and put some random tupperware and paper plates and stuff in there for him to play with. He LOVES IT. It keeps him happily entertained while I get breakfast in the morning. Parenting WIN.

Five things for a Friday.

Source: wall-tattoo.co.uk via Emma on Pinterest

1. On Sunday night we went to an art opening in the Edinburgh Gardens. My best friend is an artist and is doing some work on a vacant 100-year-old plinth. It was a beautiful evening, and Archie was loving crawling around in the dirt. It was a nice reminder that it is actually possible to leave the house in a calm fashion without too much stuff. Although I did take a macadamia and pumpkin salad, a ricotta cake, baby food, a full nappy bag, cider, plates, cutlery and toys, and was slightly jealous of the cool kids carrying only a tiny vintage purse and cigarettes.

2. The other night Lee and I watched the documentary Searching for Sugarman, about the musician Sixto Rodriguez. It was great! I love docos, but keep forgetting to watch them (if that makes sense). Rodriguez released a few albums in the late 70s but they never really sold in the US. Meanwhile, in South Africa, he sold a whopping 500 million albums and was bigger than Elvis, but had no idea because the royalties never made it to him. He was a builder's labourer living in Detroit, totally unaware that he was a household name in South Africa until the doco makers contacted him. It was very well done and the soundtrack was amazing. Highly recommended.

3. Archie and I went to Ikea on Tuesday for a spending spree with my brother Ben and my friend Asher. Ben needed heaps of stuff for his bachelor-pad sharehouse and so he went nuts. I picked up a high chair for mum's place, a few frames, some bedding and a toilet brush. And on the way home from dropping Asher off a woman flagged my down in another car to tell me that my handbag was on the roof of my car. Awesome.

4. It has been so freaking hot the past few days, and it is going to be even hotter next week. I am SO over it. It is too hot to take Archie for walks or to go too many places, so we are mostly housebound, under the air con. He is a sweaty little bloke at the best of times so he gets all hot and stinky in the heat.

5. Because we have no money, I haven't bought any clothes for months, except op shop stuff and underwear. I literally wear a pair of $10 denim shorts and striped t-shirts everywhere, which is fine, but I would like to look remotely stylish occasionally. So I sucked it up and got some polkadot jeans and wait for it... another navy t-shirt. I need stuff that can survive getting spewed on, getting smeared in weetbix-caked grubby fingers, that I can get down on the floor in easily to play with blocks, and that isn't too hot. So it seems I still reverted back to jeans-and-a-t-shirt. At least the jeans are spotty?

Five things for a Friday.

1. Last weekend we had a lovely mini-break at Tonimbuk House, which is down in Gippsland. It was really, really, really relaxing. I was a bit worried that we would all be in one room and as such would all have to go to bed at 7pm with Archie, but he had his own room and so we all hung out, read books, did a jigsaw puzzle, caught up with Lee's family and ate good food. Bliss.

2. It was Lee's birthday on Monday. 31! When I was 20 I briefly went out with a guy who was 31, and I remember thinking he was SO OLD. And now here we are.

I only saw the birthday boy briefly as I had uni on Monday night and he was in Dandenong finishing installing a job. So I gave him his presents on Sunday night. I got him a new wallet from Status Anxiety, a nose hair trimmer ('twas necessary, especially as he is 6"2. Ain't nobody need to see those blowfly legs sticking out), and something else which hasn't arrived yet but will CHANGE HIS LIFE. My parents got him a whipper snipper. Fuck yes. You know you are an adult when you get a whipper snipper for your birthday.

We ditched the 12WBT thing for the day and I made him this tart, we ate a small slice each then moaned about how full we were and how sickly sweet it is and how it is all TOO MUCH whilst picking away at it and shoving more in our faces. My best friend was at our place when I got home from uni and she had brought Lee baklava and cheese pies. What a dame.

3. I am reading What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. I've read all his other books and would gladly recommend them to anyone, and this book is no exception. It is a collection of his best essays for the New Yorker and New York Times over the past few years, and the essay format really suits my attention span at the moment.

4.I am trying to simplify and purge stuff from my life, partially because I know we are moving house soon and partially because I am a minimalist living a maximalist life. Clutter begone! I have cleaned out cupboards like a crazy lady, and turfed heaps of hair and face products. I have been washing my face with a castor oil and jojoba blend and with HONEY (hippie) and it has been feeling pretty good so far. I am also considering going the 'no poo' method and ditching shampoo in favour of bicarb and apple cider vinegar. We will see how that goes. My new favourite website Crunchy Betty is all about natural skincare and stuff and I am all over it.

5. On Tuesday Archie and I had the poached eggs with peas and feta at Lowlands. It was pretty freaking awesome. Archie was on fire, lots of gummy grins at the wait staff and giggling. And then yesterday we had lunch with some friends at a new-to-me place in South Morang called Two Beans and a Farm. Although when my friend texted me, it autocorrected to 'Two Beans Abducted a Farm.' Best cafe name ever. I had a super yummy steak sandwich and then a strawberry and white chocolate bread and butter pudding. Ohhh yeah. (Sorry Michelle Bridges.)

Ten things for a Monday

1. Archie is freaking huge. At his last health check he weighed 5.5kg at four weeks and was 57cm long. In the supermarket the other day I met a FIVE MONTH OLD baby who was smaller than he is. Such a little fatty boomba! 2. I have been watching all eleven seasons of Grand Designs right from the first episodes in the nineties. It's been really ace to see the development of different architecture and styling trends over the last two decades. And I'm a bit in love with Kevin McCloud.

3. I finally got around to hanging art on our walls and decorating a bit more. Our house is a blend of nanna chic and modern pieces with scandinavian and handcrafted furniture. Total mish mash but I kind of love it.

4. We are getting more into the swing of things now with having the kiddo around. He sleeps from about 11pm to 9am with two quick feeds, then has a couple of short naps in the day. He loves the pram and being in the car, which makes it easy for us to get out and about. I have gotten the hang of feeding him in public so I don't have to rush home after a couple of hours so he doesn't crack the shits.

5. Another win: I think I have mastered the art of feeding and holding Archie while crocheting. A whole new world of opportunity to craft!

Five things for a Tuesday

Source: pumpstationblog.blogspot.com via The Pump Station & Nurtury on Pinterest

1. I'm on maternity leave! My last day on Friday was a lot more emotional than I expected. The people at work got me gorgeous gifts and made lovely speeches and were generally awesome. I kind of lost the plot a bit on the way home though because I have defined myself by my job for so long and am now on a one way train to being a mother!

2. Our house is more or less done. Mum and Dad came over on Sunday and we did a whole heap of work finishing off the little things which were freaking me out. The floors are being sanded today, and the laundry will be ready to go in soon too. Mum and I tiled the kitchen splashback on Sunday, so the kitchen just needs doors and it's done!

3. I am being thrown a small, simple baby shower this Saturday by my gorgeous friend Marnie. It is pretty much just family and a few close friends, which is just what I want.

4. Apparently the whole pregnant-lady nesting thing is not a myth. I have lists and lists of projects that I want to do and make in the next few weeks before the baby is born, mostly involving food, crochet and decorating. I am planning to make this quilt and this cat cushion and this rug and this necklace. Ambitious? Yes.

5. Lee and I saw the Avengers movie on Saturday night. Movie adaptions of comics are my secret (well, not actually secret at all) love. I LOVE X-Men and loved the Avengers too. Robert Down Jnr as Ironman is awesome.

Five things for a Tuesday.

Source: 28.media.tumblr.com via Anna on Pinterest

1. It is my last week of work. This makes for a weird, bittersweet feeling. I'm really looking forward to not having to get up early and dedicating time to nesting and preparing for the baby's arrival. But at the same time, it draws a firm line in the sand between being a mother and, well, not-a-mother. Because I'm resigning rather than taking leave, it means that I have to make my own way through the whole returning-to-work thing once I'm ready. This is one of those 'life' moments where every decision feel like a big one, and you know that in a few months everything will be changed forever. Gulp!

2. I've got this new song by Clare Bowditch featuring Lanie Lane on repeat. I freaking LOVE both of these women and am so happy that they are collaborating. Lanie Lane's album 'To the Horses' is my most-played on iTunes.

Sidenote- A few months ago, the Manfriend came home from a quick meeting with a lady who lived around the corner and was interested in him building her a kitchen. He said something about her being a musician and having a studio at home. I asked if she was anyone I would know, and he said "her name is Clare... her husband's name is Marty" and I lost my mind. He had just been in Clare Bowditch's house and chatted with her for ages. Jealous!

3. Our kitchen is pretty much in! Last night the Manfriend installed the oven, dishwasher (!) stovetop and sink. I cannot describe how freaking good it is to be able to prepare a meal on a benchtop instead of an upside-down plaster bucket, to put dishes in the dishwasher rather than try and wash them in the tiny bathroom sink, and to have SIX burners to choose from on the stove instead of one lousy camping cooker. Small pleasures!

4. I am making lots and lots of lists. I have a list of easy things that I can do on the house (this is more so I feel that I am contributing -  there is so much work to be done but I can't lift anything or bend over or be around fumes or stand up for too long!), which is mostly things like scraping paint off windows, tiling, cleaning the bathroom, spackling and dealing with tradies.

I have a masterlist of baby things that we need, which is categorised into 'before birth', 'a few weeks after' and 'six months after'. We have most of the stuff, but still don't have the major stuff like a pram or any storage for the baby's room.

I have lists of activities I want to do while on maternity leave, things to do for uni, things to do for the house, activities I want to do with the baby...  so. many. lists.

5. My mum and I spent the weekend at Daylesford for her 50th birthday present, which was so, so lovely. It was freezing cold and blustery and grey, but kind of perfect weather for what we were doing. We took our time getting up there and stopped at a cafe/pathwork/crafty shop in Trentham for devonshire tea and a pink spider before checking into our room in Daylesford in a really old, rickety house fitted out with antiques. We spent ages trying to find somewhere nice for dinner, as most places were booked out, but ended up going to a fancy hotel restaurant in Hepburn Springs. On Sunday, we had massages and spa treatments before coming home. Lovely!

Five things for Tuesday.

1. Our house is getting there. The Manfriend stayed up late on Sunday installing the kitchen, which makes it look so much more finished! He made the recycled timber benchtops which look awesome, and will make the island bench too. We have the builder there for the rest of this week and he should get the deck and most of the inside stuff finished completely. Yay! 2. We had the second half of the BirthReady workshop this past weekend, which was really helpful. We watched a video of a birth and I burst into tears watching it. I've never seen anything like that and it was totally overwhelming watching a little new human pop out.

3. I have eaten so much licorice in the past few days. It's all I want to eat. I've even resorted to drinking licorice tea to satisfy the craving.

4. I have seven working days left. SO EXCITED. I am looking forward to having time to relax and sleep in, and set up the baby's room and finish the house without having to feel guilty and tired all the time.

5. We are nearly finished our first CAD project at design school. I think I am finally getting the hang of it. I did the reflected ceiling plan last night and am ready to do elevations now. I hate the feeling of not knowing how to do things so it is nice to finally 'get it'.

Five things for a Thursday

1. I saw these on DesignSponge and now want them so badly. Waffles that look like furniture! Imagine the possibilities!

2. Our house is getting closer and closer. The plasterers are just finishing up this week, then we hopefully have painters coming next week , then carpet, then floorsanders the following week. Yay!

3. I bought a full-length body pillow at Spotlight yesterday on sale. I was a bit dubious of them as they take up so much room, but wow. Seriously best thing ever. I have named mine Ryan, after Ryan Gosling, so I can delude myself into thinking I am sleeping between two hot men every night. Even the Manfriend has started referring to it as Ryan.

4. At uni we are still mastering CAD. I managed to put doors and windows into my house which was a lot more exciting than it should have been. Although once I switched it to 3D view I realised that my windows were sideways and would require two people to open them and the weight would probably pull the wall down. Oops.

5. My feet are swelling. This is one of those pregnant lady things that I thought couldn't be as bad as people make out, but Lord, it is a pain. They get all huge and puffy and red and sore by the end of the day. I am wearing my Jellies all the time, as they are the only things that fit once my feet swell up, but my feet look so hideous that I want to put them in boots all the time. The joys of pregnancy!

Five things for a Tuesday

1.  I have only fourteen working days left until I'm on maternity leave. I am SO looking forward to not having to commute to the city everyday and deal with people telling me how huge I am. And I realised last night that I have heaps of things to get before the baby arrives, like get a crib, a pram and a baby capsule. Let alone a kitchen and functioning bathroom... 2. I've been having green smoothies for first breakfast (followed by weetbix and chia for second breakfast once I get to work), after being inspired by my best friend's raw food obsession. It takes a bit of guesswork to get the right combo of ingredients so it isn't too yuk. This morning, I used a bunch of spinach, a celery stick, a carrot, an apple, a squirt of lemon juice, a handful of blueberries and a blob of honey. It was fairly gross.

The other day I did one that was two apples, a bunch of spinach, lemon and ginger, which was more palatable. Less is more!

So far, we have used the blender every single day since it arrived. I have a green smoothie in the morning, then we usually have some sort of milk, yogurt, banana and milo concoction at night too. It is so insanely powerful. I want to get chocolate topping, ice cream and Mars Bars and make dessert smoothies too.

3.  My mum and dad are back from New Zealand. They did pretty much exactly the same trip that we did, but without the dodgy campervan and self-catering. I missed talking to my mum more than I though I would, as she is totally my sounding board for random pregnancy freak-outs and questions.

The midwife told me last week that  I am anaemic (which is not surprising as the Manfriend is vego so I don't really eat much meat either), so my mum made me a gigantic lasagne and a lamb and rosemary potato pie. Gotta love a mum's cooking!

4.  As an extra birthday present, the Manfriend got me an embroiderable (that is a word) iPhone cover. For someone addicted to their phone and to crafty good times, it is freaking awesome. I lost my mind a bit when I unwrapped it. The cover is red rubbery plastic with a grid for cross-stitching. I have begun a chevron pattern but it is taking AGES as the holes are really tight. It still looks cute being half-done though!

5. Five people in the last two days have told me that I am huge, really big or enormous. No woman ever enjoys being told they are huge in any context. Yes, the baby is large and I am obviously very pregnant, but seriously!

Other things people have said in the last few months:

-  You haven't put on much weight in your face though! (Umm, neither have you?)

- You look so big! But it's all good fat. (It's not actually fat. It's a human being.)

- Why would you not find out the sex? You'll bond so much more with the baby if you know the sex! (ARE YOU FOR REAL?)

- You look exhausted. (This was when I had a burst of energy and was feeling pretty good about myself. Way to burst my happy bubble.)

- Don't you realise that horizontal stripes make you look wider? (I am not fat. I am growing a human being. And since when is commenting on someone's weight EVER appropriate?)

Five Things for... Wednesday.

1. I am kind of bored with being pregnant. Frankly, I am sick of the constant back pain, having nothing remotely attractive to wear, weeping at inane things, constant hunger and broken sleep. Needing help to get out of bed in the morning and having to drive 200m to the tram due to my freaking SPD  doesn't do a lot for a girl's self-esteem.

2. While I'm on the topic of pelvic pain (oh joy), this amazing story gave me some perspective. I am in awe. 

3. It was my birthday yesterday! I actually forgot until just now. It was pretty low key. I had a rough night the night before, only getting a few hours sleep, so was freaking out a bit in the morning. I was upset that I was upset on my birthday, which only made me more upset. Anyway, the Manfriend put me back to bed and I got a few more hours sleep, then woke up feeling loads better. We had a lovely brekky at Lowlands, then did some pottering around the house. I had uni last night, but wagged the last hour and went to Sam's place, where she surprised me with a raw raspberry cheesecake and candles. Lovely.

4. Also, my super-lovely friend Marnie wants to throw me a retro tea party baby shower. I love the idea! I was REALLY hesitant about having a baby shower, as I thought the idea of women sitting around playing 'pin the nappy on the baby' or whatever (I've never actually been to a baby shower) would be awkward and forced. But a low-key, simple day with my favourite ladies sounds wonderful.

5. The Manfriend and I are seeing Justin Townes Earl tonight at the Regal Ballroom in Northcote, which is where we met five years ago. I only listened to his new album today and LOVE it, so I'm really looknig forward to it. I bought the tickets ages ago, and deliberated over whether to pay more and get seats or general admission, and am so glad that I got seats. Good thinking, self from three months ago!

Five things for a Tuesday.

Source: etsy.com via Emma on Pinterest

1. I bought a blender. My best friend has been really into eating more raw food for the past month or so, and I have totally been inspired by her. I used to be really into green smoothies and loved how easy they were to make and how good they made me feel. I don't have a lot of time lately to cook proper meals and am probably not getting all my nutrients, considering I am 30 weeks preggers, as all my spare minutes are taken up with finishing the house, uni or sleeping.

So I probably should have just got a $50 blender from KMart, but instead I 'invested' in a commercial Omniblend blender like they use at Boost Juice. It is very similar to a Vitamix, but way cheaper. It arrives tomorrow and I am super-excited about getting stuck into it!

2. The Manfriend and my brother pulled down the back wall of the house on Sunday, opening up where the kitchen will eventually go. Lucky we have had nice weather as it would be freaking horrid in winter.  We have a builder guy there everyday until it is done. His name is Josh and he is gorgeous. He sees me in my hideous nighty that is probably too short for a pregnant lady every morning and still manages to be polite and chipper. Bless.

3. It is the Manfriend and I's five year anniversary  on Saturday of when we met. It feels like yesterday that we met at a burlesque ball in Northcote and then spent the whole weekend sleeping in my car at a music festival. I am so grateful that our paths collided. It is such a cliche, but he is my best friend and there is no one else I would rather have a family with (slight mouth vomit).

4. My Jelly Bean shoes arrived today! I love getting things delivered to my office- the guys I work immediately with roll their eyes but the girls get excited. They seem really comfy, but smell a bit weird and rubbery and are a tad sweaty. I think they'll be awesome with tights though in winter. Really want to get the red ones now too.

5. The end of daylight savings is kicking my ass. The extra hour in the morning is nice, but having to stay up for what feels like an extra hour at night is not cool. I had uni last night and tonight, which means I don't get home until what feels like 11pm, and with the lovely Josh arriving at 6.45am, sleep is a bit hard to come by. Add in massively painful pelvic separation issues (gross), a super-active baby and a fair bit of general insomnia/anxiety, and I am one cranky-pants lady.

Five Things for... Wednesday.

1. I just bought a pair of these Jelly sandals online! So excited! I never had a pair when I was little and was always envious of my kinder friends who wore them with pleated skirts in summer and thick tights with frilly socks in winter. Hot.

I tossed up between the blue and the black pair, but ended up going with the black for now. They are only $29.99 though so I may just go back and get all the colours.

The Manfriend after emerging from under the living room floor.

2. Our kitchen has arrived.....sort of. All the materials have arrived at the Manfriend's workshop ready to be turned into a kitchen. Things are finally moving along on the renovations. This makes me so, so, so happy. A crazy pregnant lady stumbling around a half-finished house is no fun for anyone.

3. I have a ridiculous amount of uni work to do in a very short amount of time. We are covering hand drawing and rendering, which is so not my strong point. I spend all day working digitally and have no idea how to draw by hand. It is actually pretty fun getting dirty with pencils and pens (Year 8 art class style) but there is currently a gaping chasm between what I want to convey on the page and what actually appears on the page.

4. I am accidentally crocheting this cover for my laptop. I began it as a crib blanket, but then stuffed up the length and realised it would be waaaay too small so turned it into a laptop cosy. I am doing the zigzag/ripple/chevron stitch that I attempted (and failed at) a while ago after being inspired by Pip's ripple blanket.  The stitch I am using is the Striped Chevron  from the Lion Brand Stitchfinder, which is pretty much the most awesome crochet stitch resource EVER.

5. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Where have you been all my life?

xx

Five Things for Tuesday.

Dave was unimpressed by the baby wriggling around.

1. Planning our new kitchen! It will have so.much.storage and a big island bench and recycled timber benchetops. The Manfriend will make the whole things custom, so all the drawers and cupboards are weird widths to maximise storage space in our tiny house.

2. Nearly every weekend between now and when the baby comes is booked with classes, weekends away, birthday parties and catch-ups. It is exciting but I have to consciously carve out time to myself. I am already in the third trimester and feel like this pregnancy has already gone waaaaay too fast. I need to keep reminding myself of how special it is.

3. I have found loads of new blogs by fabulous mums who remind me that my life is not going to be over once the baby comes. I LOVE seeing familes doing awesome things together and having fun times. A lot of the rhetoric and writing around new mums is negative and frankly, terrifying, so it is lovely stumbling upon positive descriptions of motherhood.

4. I'm getting all my hair cut off tomorrow! I haven't been to the hairdresser for ages, not since I went to a hairdressing school to try to save money and they did a crap job. I want something more interesting than my current hair (brown, straight, hanging) but still easy to handle when I have a baby and won't be able to maintain it. I'm thinking of long layers with an asymmetrical bit on one side, all very dark brown with some red parts throughout. Yay!

5. We are learning CAD at school, which is overwhelming and daunting. I like to know things, and I don't like the feeling of not knowing how to do something. It is frustrating to be back at the beginning again!

Five Things for Tuesday.

Source: craftyblossom.blogspot.com via Emma on Pinterest

1. Getting really stuck into the house. We got heaps done this weekend, which has somewhat eased my frazzlement and panic about bringing my newborn baby home to a construction site. Dad and the Manfriend knocked out a wall between the living room and kitchen, which makes it seem much bigger. They also started pulling up floorboards and put in the new window in the front room. Next, we need to replace the floor in the living room, finish the hallway and bedrooms, and start pulling out the kitchen.

2. I have a bladder infection. It is not pleasant. Let's just leave it at that.

3. All the plaster dust and rubble at home is making me crave clean, white space. I am in love with this house, via the style files.

4. Aldi. I freaking love that place. It is so insanely cheap but GOOD. They have a policy of using Australian grown and owned goods where possible, and have no artificial colours or flavours in any of their products. And you can buy bread, detergent, weird European cookies, a lawnmower, a lamp and potting mix all at once. I bought a baby monitor there yesterday and had to restrain myself from buying all the other baby stuff.

5. I am constantly amazed at the way that stock photos categorise their images. I've been trying to find a picture of a group of women, all different sizes, looking healthy. Nothing like this exists. If I search 'healthy body' in iStock, I get super-skinny models holding measuring tapes and apples. Search for 'workout' and you'll find a bigger woman eating cake whilst on a treadmill. So, so bizarre. That god I'm not the only one who finds it weird.

http://thehairpin.com/2011/01/women-laughing-alone-with-salad

Five Things for Tuesday.

Source: stitchedincolor.com via shannon on Pinterest

1. The Rad Rebel Riders BikeFest Bake Off is this weekend! BikeFest is an awesome Melbourne event promoting bikes in everyday life, and they are holding a Village Picnic on Saturday, complete with a bake off. I'm still not sure what I'm going to enter - either something really decadent and chocolatey or something a bit light and fruity.

2. Being able to see the baby move in my tummy is weird, slightly gross, super special and magical all at the same time. I can feel where its head and legs are depending on how it kicks. Last night, the Manfriend and I were laying in bed watching The Help (which was better than I expected) and my belly was moving like  an alien was trying to escape from via my bellybutton.

3. Passionfruit! A friend gave me a big bag of them from her vine and they smell SO GOOD. The Manfriend doesn't like them so I have them all to myself.

4. Getting stuck into the renos this weekend. Mum and Dad are coming over to help us rip up the living room floor and sand the study. I'm excited to finally get things moving quicker, but am not looking forward to the massive mess again. Oh joy.

5. I had my first day back at school last night. It was nice to get back into things, but I discovered that my laptop needs to be upgraded in order to support the version of CAD we are using. Grrr. But otherwise CAD looks like fun (I might regret saying that in a few weeks though!).

Five Things for Tuesday.

Source: Uploaded by user via Emma on Pinterest

1. Eating straight from the garden. Last night we had salmon with homegrown tomatoes, homemade pesto from homegrown basil and a salad from homegrown greens. I love that all I have to do for a meal is grab whatever needs picking in my little vegie garden.Yum!

2. This book about French parenting. The Manfriend and I have been discussing what kind of parents we will be. It's hard to plan anything as I don't want to follow any strict rules, but hope to be pretty relaxed and easy-going. This new book Bringing up bebe by an American ex-pat living in France has an interesting take on parenting. When I was in high school I lived in france for a few months, and the kids are very well-behaved and respectful, but also seem relaxed, happy and well-adjusted. A Cup of Jo and Jezebel had interesting takes on the book (with some great comments), and the Huffington Post covers French parenting generally.

3. Buying books. I have been going a bit nuts on Booko and bought the above book, as well as At Homeby Bill Bryson which I've been meaning to read for ages,  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closeby Jonathan Safran Foer and One on One by Craig Brown. I know I'm not going to get much of a chance to read once the baby comes, so want to stock up now!

4. Going to NZ tomorrow. So freaking excited.

5. I had my first prenatal massage yesterday. It was AMAZING. The massage table had a hole in it for my tummy, which looked weird at first and was a bit tricky to get into, but it felt so good to lay on my front. The therapist massaged right down into my back and hips. I had tears pouring down my face as it hurt so much, but feels really good today. I want to try and get one every month or so, just as a pampering treat.

Five Things for Tuesday.

1. Toblerone. Oh Em Gee. I needed something sweet after lunch and was lurking around the supermarket near my office and picked up this prism-shaped baby. Forgot how freaking good they are. When the Manfriend and I were travelling, we made a ritual of buying a massive Toblerone at every airport we were in. They still remind me of dirty backpacking days.... good times.

2. Having every nail a different colour. A fun way to 'inject some colour' (as the wanky stylists say) as I am wearing so much black whilst preggers.

3. Filling out my maternity leave claim form. It feels so much more real now that I've given notice and have my paid parental leave all lined up. It will be a big income drop but still, FREE MONEY. Win.

4. Eating real food. I made a massive batch of zucchini slice on the weekend which has hooked me up lunch-wise for the rest of the week. We had steamed salmon and vegies for dinner last night, and I'm making an italian stir-fry thing (okay, it does sound weird) tonight. And I have been having salads made from rocket and lettuce straight out of my vegie-garden-in-a-bath. Maximum vegies and protein, yo. And Toblerone.

5. I found three new blogs that are supercute and awesome.

 One Claire Day is by a stylist-turned-mum and her gorgeous new family living in Far North Queensland. I obviously read the entire archives and now feel like Claire is my new best friend. Stalkerish? No.

The Beetle Shack is another blog by a lovely lady and her cute family. It's inspiring to know that I won't (necessarily) turn into a daggy barefoot woman as soon as I have a baby.

Dressed for 2 is a fashion blog by a fellow preggers chick navigating an expanding waistline. I also want to be her new best friend too.