New Years Resolutions

Christmas has come and gone and we are nearing the end of the year, gearing up for 2013, which makes me wonder how many people make New Years Resolutions, now I know at the top of most women's lists is to Lose Weight, this is also at the top of mine, I need to get back into getting healthy and looking after myself so I can therefor be a better person, mum and wife. I feel so much better when I'm eating well and losing weight, I would only like to lose around 8 kgs as I don't believe I'm meant to be too thin nor do i want to be, and we all know how hard it is to maintain once the weight has come off. So is losing weight one of your New Years Resolutions?

What else is on your list? another one on mine is to do washing every second day, so then it doesn't all pile up and the kids have no socks to wear. I would also like to try and cook a new meal every week, I tend to make the same things over and over and so I think something new and tasty is a must. I also want to go walking at least every second day, I want to participate in the Perth City to Surf in August so need to start preparing for it.

I don't feel as if I have made any unrealistic resolutions that I wont keep, we all know we have done that before, made an unrealistic promise to ourselves and then caved in on day 6, so for me, making realistic resolutions will hopefully keep me on track.

So what are yours?

Xmas, are you ready?

So are you? Have you got everything you need and bought presents for those you need to buy for?

I am, I picked up the Xmas layby last night and thankfully all the boxes fit in my van.......just!

Everything is wrapped and ready to go, I always tend to wrap gifts as I buy them so then its not such a big job to do in the days leading up to Xmas. I really cant wait to put the presents out under the tree.

When I was little I was brought up that all the presents were from Santa and up until this year this is what my husband and I have done also but this year my husband and I have decided that some will be from Santa and some will be from us, because I don't want my kids to feel like they haven't received anything from us especially when I buy for other family members and my two nieces, so the presents under the tree will be from Santa and the swing set and see saw for outside will be from us.

What do you do in regards this situation, are all presents from Santa or just some of them?

do you feel guilty?

It has come to my attention that some of us mums feel guilty for wanting and needing time to ourselves. Obviously we don't get time to do what we want all the time but just sometimes its nice to do something for ourselves or go out ALONE, even going to the shops by ourselves (without having to get the pram out, then get the baby out, strap them in, then make sure your 3 year old hasn't run out in front of a car) can be heavenly, even driving somewhere alone with the music cranked is enjoyable.

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids to death and I love being a mum but I still love to have my own space, I NEED my own space, in order to be a good mum. Luckily my husband knows me and knows I like my own company and that I need to sometimes go out on my own. I have a friend of 15 years and every few months we go on a 'date night' we go to dinner and then to the movies, and we also drive the long way so we have longer to chat, I look forward to this alot, a good chat and a wonderful friend?? its what I NEED! I also love the fact that I can just leave my 3 boys with my husband without any instructions and I can go out without worry, he has never been the type to ring me and ask me questions about wheres the kids this and wheres that, he just does what he needs to do and that's it, he doesn't bother me and also never asks me what time am I coming home, He is a keeper for sure!

My husband also has time to himself, he has one or two nights a week where he plays xbox, and this suits me because I then go off to our bedroom, light some candles and watch what I want to watch on TV. We all need our own space and time to relax. We DESERVE it! Being a parent is one of the most hardest jobs in the world and we are on call 24/7, we don't clock off and we certainly don't get any sick days, nor do we get paid, so whats wrong with a bit of time out from everyone and doing something we deserve? whether that's going out for a coffee with a friend, or going to the movies, even going for a walk listening to your Ipod.

 Sometimes you need to put yourself first!

Routine, important or not?

I am a lover of routine, with 3 boys I find I have to have one. Ever since I had my 1st son 6 1/2 years ago I have followed a routine, not by a book but just from following what was right for me and my babies, and I also expected those that looked after my kids to follow my routine, whether they were babysitting at my house or theirs, luckily for me I have great parents and in laws that follow my instructions, I may have to write it all down but I feel that this is important, not only so they don't have to deal with whingy whiny kids but also because a routine is important to my children.

I believe kids need routine, they need to know whats coming next, those with kids know that if you even put your baby to bed an hour later than normal, its often very difficult and they are so over tired they don't get a decent sleep and your left to deal with an overtired, grumpy baby, and that's not fun for anyone!

In the earlier months with my babies, it was easy as they would sleep anytime and anywhere, I could go shopping and they would just sleep in the pram, fast forward a few months and they started to become more alert, they would try and sit up in the pram when I layed them down or tug at the blanket I had draped over the top, or you would find them peaking out the side, that's when I realised that I couldn't do that anymore, I had to put my baby first and let them sleep in their own cot, so that's when I became the 'I have to go home, its my babies sleep time' person.

Sometimes I feel constricted as I am stuck at home while my baby sleeps and I have missed out on a lot of activities with my friends but I now use this time to have some 'me time' I either catch up on some tv shows I have taped, or I browse the internet, even doing the housework in peace is good without a little one at your feet.

My 20 month old is now down to one day sleep and I have managed to get him sleeping from 11-1pm so this gives me time to work in the morning or go out and the same with the afternoon. I can be quite a stickler for routine but im not a nazi about it, if the kids go to bed 5-10 mins later then thats fine, im also more relaxed on the weekend, especially with my older two, being 6 1/2 and 4 they can handle staying up later, in fact they love to!

So I put this to you, if you have kids, do you have a routine and if you do, do you find if you dont stick to it for one day that it affects your children or do you have a child that doesnt need a routine, if you are pregnant do you plan on finding some sort of routine for yourself and your new baby?

crazy? me? Probably

My husband thinks I'm crazy, well sometimes anyway.......why you ask? because I do things at the most weirdest times, for example, its 10pm and I will start cleaning out the wardrobe or I will start dusting, sometimes those little jobs scream out at me at the most inappropriate times but I just have to clean it or sort it right there and then, or say if I have misplaced something, I will get out of bed at all hours and search and search till I find it, I cant relax or sleep until I do. This part of myself annoys me, I wish I was one of those people who could just relax and not worry about the little things, but I cant, my husband used to say to me "just look for it in the morning" but he knows better now, he just leaves me to it and just ignores me when I swear and carry on, sometimes I think I have a little OCD, I think I get that from my Dad, he is the same, wont stop looking for something until he finds it or he will keep looking and looking and then come to the conclusion that he must have thrown it out, this is after searching for it half the day.

I often put things in a 'safe place' and then forget where that safe place is, I stand there and think to myself  'now if I was to put that letter somewhere, where would it be?' and then I go on the hunt, more often than not I will all of a sudden have an epiphany and alas I have remembered where the item is.

 Does anyone else have those? a lightbulb moment where you remember where you have put something? or do you have a little OCD and have to finish something no matter what time it is? Im not the only one am I??

Only 19 days to go!

Christmas is just around the corner, I think I'm more excited than the kids!! I have been very organised this year with laybying most of my kids presents in the July toy sales and then have found bits and pieces along the way. As a mum to 3 boys under 6 1/2 I feel I have to be organised, I cant go shopping with my 2 older boys in tow as they know what Xmas is all about, but I can go Xmas shopping with my 20 month old as he is oblivious to the whole thing, and as my nearly 4 year old is with me most of the time, this makes Xmas shopping very difficult, thank God for online shopping is all I can say!

My oldest boy C is obsessed with Skylanders, he got the game for his 6th birthday and I have been frantically collecting the little figurines for him ever since, he doesn't receive them for nothing though, I think he is getting around 6 of them for xmas as he is also getting the newest skylanders game, this is what he asked Santa for and I felt I couldn't disappoint. The last time he got a skylanders figurine was a few weeks back when he needed a blood test and I bribed him with the skylanders, he happily accepted.

My middle son Z isnt in to anything in particular, he just goes with the flow and will play with any toys available, he is getting some megablocks and a train table for Xmas, along with small bits and pieces.

My youngest blue is J, a small little bubba on his way to turning 2, he is starting to be very independant and is a climber, just this morning he climbed up onto our dining table and put some black decorative balls I have on there in the fish bowl which then turned the water black, I will be amazed if our pretty pink siamese fish Pinky will survive the day after breathing in all that muck, anyway J isnt getting a whole lot for Xmas, well not as much as the other two, im sure he would much rather play with the paper as much as he loves playing with the xmas baubles he pulls off the tree and hurls across the room.

So my question is, are you organised for Xmas? Or are you a last minute shopper that shops a few days before or heaven forbid on Christmas Eve?