Work It Girl.

What exercise have you done today?

Me? Oh poo. Nothing. I woke up feeling sick, and I've got a cold. I'm not happy. I am going to rest today and dose myself up with vitamin C, echinacea and probiotics. We're off on date night tonight so I don't want to speaking with a nasally voice and sniffing. How unromantic is that?

Bill's Ricotta Hotcakes.

I once ambitiously had a huge dinner party for a group of people, which included a handful that I'd never met before. It was one of those last minute ideas. One of those ones that seemed like a good idea at the time.

I decided to make my own ravioli with pumpkin inside along with an equally ambitious main and dessert. In the end the ravioli was under cooked and my dessert, peach and raspberry tart, was a little bit the same.

It was over the entree that two of my guests {whom I'd never met before - friends of friends} decided to inform me that they were food stylists. I looked down at my ravioli, which looked decidedly grey and unappetising, and sighed. Stylish, this food wasn't. I hurried back to the kitchen to fix the main {Parmesan chicken and salad} and sat with my guests to eat.

You could be a food stylist, my guests quipped, you're really good at this.

I looked at them waiting for the laughter. They appeared serious. They began to tell me that the food we see in magazines is mostly inedible once they're done. They have to use hairspray, paint, glue and many other products to make the food look good in the photographs. I've never looked at food in magazines the same. And I never really knew if they were having a dig at me or not.

Over the weekend I made my all time favourite breakfast, ricotta hotcakes. I tried to make it look all lovely and fancy for the photos, but I couldn't make it pretty. And I wasn't about to go and ruin a good meal with hairspray or paint.

If you've never tried these before, I demand that you do. They're a taste sensation. Please, please, please make the honeycomb butter too. It's super easy and keeps in the fridge for ages.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups ricotta {you can use low-fat if you like}
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs, separated
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
50g butter {I actually forgot to put this in, and they still worked perfectly}


To Serve
banana
honeycomb butter {see recipe below}
icing sugar for dusting


Honeycomb Butter
250g unsalted butter, softened
100g honeycomb, crushed {I leave mine a little chunky, cos that's how I roll}
2 TBS honey
Just combine all the ingredients, roll into a log and cover in cling wrap and keep in the fridge.


Method
Place ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a bowl and mix to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the ricotta mixture and mix until combined.

Place egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites through batter with a big metal spoon.

Lightly grease a non-stick frying pan with a little butter, and cook pancakes. Smaller is better. Cook over low to medium heat for 2 minutes each side, or until golden. Turn and cook on other side.

Transfer to plate. Add some banana, and a slice of the honeycomb butter. Enjoy.

*They say that the honeycomb butter is delicious on toast, but I'm not game enough to try. Let me know if you do.

What is your favourite breakfast dish?

Amazing Protein Pancake Recipe

One of my clients shared this amazing recipe for pancakes with me. They are guilt free and help burn fat because they are high in protein and fiber:

Pancakes:
* 1/2 cup oatmeal
* 1/2 cup cottage cheese
* 4 egg whites
* A few drops vanilla extract

Put the ingredients into a food processor or blender and then pan fry with a little bit of olive oil or Pam.

Nutrition Information (this recipe serves 2):
Carbs: 35 grams (including 4 grams of carbs)
Protein: 33 grams

Q&A - Is there an effective way to lift my droopy butt?

A: There sure is!
If you've ever taken one of my classes you'll know that I'm a BIG fan of donkey kicks. They shape your entire butt by boosting the top part (the part that fills out your jeans nicely), lift the bottom, and firm your hamstrings all at the same time.

Get ready for your instant butt lift:

Get on your knees and elbows and lift one leg up into a 90 degree angle. Start pulsing the heel into the ceiling while keeping your butt muscles firm. Repeat 30-50 times and switch legs.

There are many variations that will really do the trick, such as straight leg lifts, side leg lifts, cross overs, etc.

Do at least 100 reps 3x weekly on each side and check out your new assets in 2-3 weeks.

Q&A - Getting bulky lifting weights

Q: I've read that when you have a lot of fat to lose, it can look bulkier after lifiting weights because it pushes out the fat or turns that into muscle. Is that true?

A: Good question. Fat turning into muscle is a complete myth. Since they're two different types of tissues, one can never turn into another. However, you can drop fat and build muscle at the same time.
Did you know that lean muscle takes up about half as much space as fat? Just by building muscle you will feel and look smaller (just think of ballet dancers - they're pure muscle!).

You might feel a bit bulky right after a strength workout because fluids (blood, nutrients) rush into the muscle for repair. Don't worry, it's only temporary and within a few hours you'll feel lean again. If you're still hesitant, go to the supermarket and pick up a pound of lean chicken and compare that to a pound of butter. Which package is bigger?

Remember, a pound of muscle burns about 4 times as many calories daily as fat (about 15), whereas fat only burns about 3. Your goal is to build muscle, so you can increase your metabolism, burn excess body fat, tighten up your body, lift the saggy spots, and feel strong. Imagine gaining 5 pounds - that's a total of half a pound of fat burned in a month!

Lastly, if you try to lose weight without strength training, you'll lose muscle and eventually gain back the weight faster than you can eat a twinkie!

Playtime.

Good morning girls and boys.


The weekend whizzed by, once again... but thankfully I'm still on holidays so Mondayitis hasn't kicked in. Phew.

We started the weekend with a trip to the markets, some chatting with horses and finished with pizza in the late afternoon on Sunday at Ga's house. Lacey has taken to calling my Ma Ga {as in grandma}. We think Ma is the new Lady Ga Ga.

*Oh, darn it. I just realised that the date didn't go in there. It's meant to say 16th. Oh well.

Here is my contribution to Point + Shoot. I managed to sort out Lacey's toys, finally. I have no idea how she managed to accumulate so many toys in her short little life. I feel like we have some order now... or until she decides to act like a whirlwind and throw them about, everywhere. I can't wait until I can yell: Clean up your room, and don't come out until it's done!

How was your weekend, my friend?

Within.

this is part of a communal sharing of inspiration and beauty called sunday citar.

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Insatiable.

Word on the street is that a good handful of you aren't feeling particularly satisfied with just flowers on your Friday and a fond farewell from me. It seems you might be craving something a tad more substantial to leave you lingering over the weekend. I learnt this from my little survey. {If you still want to participate, you can here: Have your say}.

Today I'm not organised enough to offer you anything... but these flowers are super lovely, and I did throw in some shoes for good measure.

And I would love it so if you played Point + Shoot with me. Just take a photo of any {Saturday or Sunday} part of your weekend and come back and show me on Monday. It's that easy.
Over the weekend I plan on:

♥ buying fresh flowers
♥ doing a dash of cleaning
♥ trying out a little experiment
♥ sorting through Lacey's toys {they're taking over our house}
♥ listening to my music on my zen {i just found it after 5 years, loving the old music}
♥ lunching with the ladies
♥ cooking ricotta hotcakes
♥ eating ricotta hotcakes
♥ exercising off the ricotta hotcakes

What have you got planned for the weekend?

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Meret's LAST Blog: Holiday Recap & Measurements

Holiday Recap & Measurements


Sorry for the lag in holiday updates! The last time I posted, I’d just
gotten to Maine and vowed that I would work out every day I was there.
Well, wouldn’t you know, I DID IT!!! I worked those dumbbells and
resistance bands, did tons of push-ups, and mountain-climbers and
sit-ups and jumping jacks. I know that this would not have been as
straight-forward as it was if I hadn’t taken Ariane’s Slim & Strong
Bootcamp. While I’ve been very active over the last year, most of my
exercise has taken place inside a gym – on the cardio machines, with
the weight machines, in group fitness classes, or twice a week with my
personal trainer. This bootcamp, however, gave me a whole other option
and taught me simple yet effective ways of getting my workouts in even
when I don’t have all of those tools at my disposal. This is
definitely a huge step for me. I’m thinking that a weekend Slim &
Strong Circuit at home will definitely become a part of my routine,
since that is when I generally have a hard time motivating myself to
trek from Queens to Manhattan to get to my gym.

I actually still have two more make-up classes to redeem, but a couple
evenings ago I went to the evening bootcamp at Gold’s Gym. It was hard
– my muscles were burning from the 250 push-ups, 200 crunches and
sit-ups, 150 mountain climbers, countless squats and squat jumps, and
of course the requisite 8-minute donkey-kick series. Yummy!!! The
donkey-kicks, while they still hurt like hell, have become almost
manageable…so I’m officially giving Ariane credit for the new shape of
my glutes ;-). I have to say, her slogan about ass-kicking now “having
a view” is quite accurate…not only do you have a view from the
bridge…but you’ll certainly have a great view of someone’s
beautifully-shaped, donkey-kicked ass too…Is that inappropriate?

Anyways, after the class, Ariane did my after-measurements. I was
pretty scared, ‘cause I didn’t anticipate anything good – not because
I don’t think Ariane’s program isn’t effective, but because I was not
super-careful about what I was eating for the two weeks I was in
Maine. Then, on top of that, we did the measurements in the evening
(previously, all had been done in the morning), so my weight was going
to be higher (since I’d eaten and had tons of water). Well, it turns
out that despite of my holiday indulgences, I lost almost 2.4% body
fat (4.2 lbs) and gained 3.7lbs of muscle!!! Amazing!!! I was
thrilled! The best part is that, Ariane expects that the body fat
percentage lost is actually a little higher, since I was completely
dehydrated from two workouts the day of the measurements, so she wants
to do them again when I come in for my make-up class on Saturday.
We’ll see what happens, but at the very least I know that I got great
results!

A Girl Loves To Dream...

Often whilst I'm searching on Etsy for the elusive perfect black dress {which I haven't found just yet} I'll stumble across the most perfect black wedding dress. I see it every few months {I'm sure I saved it to favourites but I can't find it again now}. And it has me dreaming almost immediately.

I dream of a wedding in a beautiful sun-filled field. The sun's not too hot, it's late afternoon and we're all comfortable, without a bead of sweat on our brows. There are handmade patchwork quilts laid out with love on the lawns, and personalised picnic baskets for our wedding guests. They're filled with teeny little sandwiches in the shape of love hearts made with the softest white bread one could ever find. Fairy lights are strung in the beautiful, aged trees. They soft light will illuminate the sky as we dance into the night.

The women sip pink champagne from mismatched antique glasses, and the boys stand around and laugh together, beers in hand. The kids run around in the grass. The girls in teeny vintage frocks and the boys in little shirts teamed with dirty converse. There are cupcakes, and laughter, flowers in our hair and love fills the air.

And I'll look up at Hubby and start to say, If we get married again...

And he looks at me as if I've completely lost my marbles, Babe, we got married. You only have one wedding. Ours was perfect.

And I know it was. I wouldn't change a thing. But a girl loves to dream...


Print is my all time favourite which I have framed at home from Abby Try Again.

Bridezilla.

When I was planning our wedding I guess I was a little non-traditional in a way. I wasn't excited about the dress. Not one bit.


The thought of trekking from Bridal store to Bridal store just seemed like a chore to me, and wasn't something I looked forward to. I didn't want a traditional gown, and definitely not white.

We were to get married in October, so when July rolled around I thought I had better at least start looking. My Ma and I headed into the City to look at dresses in 'normal' shops to see if I could find anything that I liked.

The first shop we walked into was Lisa Ho. I looked at a few dresses... and then picked one from the rack. It was latte in colour and in a style that I felt would suit me. A girl emerged from the change room in a white version. She was skinny and beautiful. I sighed and entered, undressed and tried my dress on.

I felt awkward. I didn't want to come out, especially with Miss Perfect next door wearing the same dress. I called Ma in and asked for her opinion. She loved it. There were no tears, magic moment or feelings of it being the dress.

It fit me though, and I felt that was a miracle in itself. I asked the lady behind the counter to keep it aside and we'd have lunch and think about it. We looked around a little longer and eventually stumbled across Alex Perry's store. Alex Perry makes the most amazing dresses. He was in the store himself, vacuuming the floor as they were about to close for lunch.

I picked up the most beautiful, sparkling blue dress from the rack and eyed it up and down. It most definitely had wow factor.

Do you have this in size 14, maybe even 16? I asked Alex.

He looked up from his vacuuming and quickly replied, No.

I looked at the size 10 dress in my hands and then ambitiously asked, Do you think I could try it on and leave the zip undone?

No, Alex responded.

And that was that. I promptly placed the dress back on the rack and headed out for lunch with my Ma. We'd looked at about 4 stores, and I'd had enough. We contemplated the dress from Lisa Ho. We called my Big Sis and asked what she thought. I can't even recall what she said, but we went back and got the dress.

Two weeks before the wedding I had a bridezilla moment. I regretted not trying on more gowns. Perhaps I wanted a traditional gown. Perhaps just a full length gown. What was I going to do?

I was going to email Lisa Ho, that's what. I emailed Lisa Ho and asked if she could alter my dress and make it full length. Back then, that seemed almost logical. I didn't batter an eyelid at how crazy that sounded. Of course she emailed me back and said that they didn't offer that service.

And so I wore the Lisa Ho shorter dress, and it was perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing. It suited our wedding perfectly, and as every bride does, I got the most touching comments all day. I felt more beautiful than ever before. It was meant to be.


What did you wear on your wedding day? If you're not married, what do you dream of wearing?

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{one thing}

What is one thing that made you smile today?

Me? We took Lacey to the markets this morning. She had her first horse ride, and face painting. And now we've {well Hubby did} put up a trampoline for her. Smiles all round here. xx

Everyday Everybody: Peta.

We're in good company here today, my friends. Good sounds like an understatement. You're in great company. This is Peta of Peta Mazey Photography. One word: Amazing. Hang around here a little bit and get to know her, and then head on over and fall in love with her photos.



Can you use chopsticks?
Can I use them? Yep. Efficiently? Nooooo. I think they would make a good dieting aid, might be the next big thing... the chopstick diet. hehe.

Who last cooked a meal for you?
My mum. I am vegan so I mostly cook for myself, but she cooked a delicious vegetable curry with yummy Roti as part of a spread for a dinner party the other day. Followed by mixed berries and soy ice cream... yum!

When did you last go to Church?
Not since High school! I went to a Catholic High school, my final year was 2003, so that's what? 6 years ago?

What's your favourite CD at the moment?
That is so hard! so. hard. I love volume one by She & Him, so I will pick that. But I'd be equally happy to have Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis, Belle and Sebastian, Regina Spektor, The Beatles, The Zombies.... (I could go on and on) playing.

Who do you telephone most often?
No one! I am so bad at phone calling, I am more of a skype kinda girl.

What would you spend your last $100 on?
A pretty, girly sun dress.

Have you ever given blood?
No, but I really want to. I was just looking to see when the 'blood bus' is going to be in the area. I don't know how much luck they will have getting any from me though, every time i have blood drawn for testing it takes at least 5 stabs to get anything.

What was the last book you bought?
I just bought Rockabye by Rebecca Woolf. It has yet to arrive, but I have spent hours lost in her blog since discovering it the other day. she is an amazing writer. I can't wait for the book to get here!

Who's the most famous person you've ever met?
Living in NZ I have met very few famous people... I met a best actress Oscar nominee at another actors BBQ this summer in LA though.

What do you love the smell of?
Babies fresh from the bath. Hands down, best smell ever.


Thanks so much for playing along Peta. If you'd like to be interviewed for the Everyday Everybody series, it's really easy, just send me an email at fatmumslim@hotmail.com I'm requesting that all you lurkers out there de-lurk and email me. xx

Drop, And Give Me One.

What exercise have you done today?

Me? Well, I've been good. I actually have been doing exercise, and eating well. Today I've been for swim {and we also do running in the water for a little resistance, dorky but fun}.

Road Trippin' With A Toddler.

We did the unimaginable and drove all the way up the coast for a little holiday. We thought we were smart. We thought we could do it...


We had a grand plan. We always do. That's what parenting is about. Plans, hope, dreams...

It was New Year's Eve. We watched the early fireworks at 9pm and then headed off. The car was packed already {with a surf ski on the roof - one of the whole reasons for having to go by car instead of plane} and we were ready for the trip ahead. We gave Lacey a bottle and thought she'd sleep the whole way. I envisioned a quirky and almost romantic start to the new year. We'd listen to the radio as we drove along, hear the countdown and give each other that knowing glance, accompanied by a smile and wish each other a Happy New Year.

Oh no. That is not how it happened. Lacey slept until about 11:45pm. And that was it. At midnight she was screaming. Unhappy to be sleeping upright and in her car seat. I was in the back seat with my body contorted just so she could nuzzle her little hand down my shirt {which is her thing she does at the moment for comfort}. Happy New Year.

She didn't sleep from just before midnight, all the way until her weary little eyes couldn't stay open any longer at 4:30am. We watched Hi-5 DVD over and over again. My eyes couldn't stay open, as much as I tried. My body was twisted, my eyes ached for some much needed sleep {and a comfy bed}.

We got there though. Eventually. The only problem was that we eventually had to get home again.

And when we got home I wanted to kiss the dirty backpacker trodden ground of Bondi. We were home. I think that's all we said for the first hour of getting inside. Home. Home. Home. Home.


Do you have any road trippin' tales to share?

Beauty And Dreams.

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Holiday Heaven.

It was probably hard to tell, but last week I wasn't around. I went on holiday.


We drove almost ten hours up the coast to a little town near Byron Bay to spend time with hubby's family. We drove. The whole ten hours. With a child that we don't usually take anywhere that requires being in the car for more than half an hour. The furthest we've ever been is Ikea... so Byron was huge. More on that tomorrow though.

We had the best time. I honestly haven't felt this relaxed since before having Lacey. I feel good. We ate the most delicious food. We watched the sun set. We slept through the sun rising {perfect}. I walked along the beach {okay, I only managed to do that once - I was in holiday mode}. I bought out my inner nerd and played Nintendo DS and managed to complete two whole games {Professor Layton and Super Mario Bros - Dork, anyone?} We visited good friends. Lacey ate truckloads of mango. A whole heap of avocado. She danced each night as the sun went down {as you can see above}. We were surrounded by animals, and a river and a snake even made an appearance {get your mind out of the gutter}. Ick.

I've never seen Lacey so happy. There was even a day when she didn't cry even once. Do you know how much of a miracle that is with a toddler? It's their main form of communication, you know? We had the best time ever.


So what have you been up to my friend? How was your weekend?

A huge thank you to those that have responded to my survey. If you haven't you can do so here.

A Penny For Your Thoughts.

Just popping in on this lovely and very, very hot {in Australia anyway} weekend to ask another favour. I know, two in one week. I've got quite a hide!


I'd love if you'd answer this little survey for me. Like, seriously... love. It's just to give me an idea about things around here: when you visit, why you visit, what you like, who you are... I'd love for the lurkers to de-lurk, the regulars to get involved and you there who comments every now and then... please participate.

And to thank you for your efforts {yes, this is very much a bribe} I'll put together a little goodie box {think chocolates, and stationery, and good things... oh my} and give it to one random person after a few weeks. Just come back after the survey and leave a comment saying something along the lines of: done.

So off you go. Please. Here's the survey. xx

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Slim Tip of the Week!

Beware restaurant, frozen meal calorie counts, US study says

If you're counting your calories to help with your weight loss, than you should be more careful when purchasing frozen dinners and dining out.

Researchers at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy found that around half the dishes served in popular US restaurants delivered more calories than stated on the menu, with some packing double the stated energy value.

On average, restaurant foods were found to contain 18 percent more calories than what was stated on the menu, and frozen meals averaged eight percent more calories than stated on their packaging.

But some of the restaurant items contained more than twice the calories listed on the menu.

"If people use published calorie contents for weight control, discrepancies of this magnitude could result in weight gain of many pounds a year," the study's lead author Susan Roberts said in a statement.

To read full article, click here.

Blown Away.

I hope you all had a magical week, and are looking forward to the weekend.



See you all on Monday. xx

Now Is The Time.

My sister got the best book for Christmas. I keep going to read it, and then put it down having decided that I want to buy my own copy. Lucky for me, my Big Sis just left for Rio and her book is still here in Australia. What a happy accident.

The book is called Now Is The Time, by Patrick Lindsay. It's all about seizing the moment. So I am going to seize this very moment and share a little bit with you.

have a go!

Australians have a saying: Have a go!

It means stop hesitating and make a determined effort.

Too often we are hamstrung by fear of failure.

Or we hold back, waiting for the perfect moment.

Sometimes, we should just give it our best shot.

You'll be proud of your decisiveness.

Others will admire your courage.

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Love: My Space.

I promised about 5 months ago to share my little work space that I created last year, and now I am finally getting around to it.


In such a small home it's hard to find an area just for me, but this year we did. And this is it. It's only small, but it suits my needs. I really, really love it. This is my space. xx

{one thing}

What is one thing that made you smile today?

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Love: My Mum.

I love my Ma. I really, really do. I remember writing notes to her when I was little. They'd be scribbled with: You're the best Mum ever! You're the best Mum I'll ever have.

Each birthday I would have since I can remember {probably about 5 years} I would blow out the candles and make a wish. I'd wish that my Mum would live forever, and that I'd never have to move out of home. I made that wish on anything you could wish on. I cried when I went to camps, and when I was too old to cry I'd fall asleep with silent tears of homesickness.

Mum would leave little notes in secret little places for me. She'd always bring home little presents, nothing exuberant but little things that touched my heart. Every now and then a card will arrive in the mail from her {even though she lives 6 minutes away} with kind words letting me know how much she loves me. I could honestly go on and on. She's the best mum EVER.

And now she's turned into the best Grandma ever. She loves Lacey more than anything, and showers her with love. They're a great little duo together.

The other rainy morning we were all hanging out and Lacey went down for a nap. Mum was heading out to leave before she woke, so she created this little wooden town for her to wake up to.

She was so excited to stumble across it when she woke... and then she promptly knocked it all down. My little girl is so lucky to have my lovely Ma in her life. xx

Umm...

So... I'd like to break open a bottle of complete awkwardness right now and ask you something that I would never normally ask {and right now I have that weird feeling in my belly writing it, just like in year 6 when you ask everyone in the school to vote for you for school captain}.


So you know how validation and positive feedback is like the bees knees? Well, I'm only human and I'll take it how ever I can get it. And the way I can get it is through you {yes, you and YOU} nominating me for a bloggies award.

It's like winning a Logie or any other award, except it's for blogging {and I can probably accept it whilst wearing my PJ's, sitting on my couch - perfect!}.

So if you pop over now {it has be done before next week} and nominate Fat Mum Slim, I'll promise to love you forever. You'll also have to nominate two other blogs when putting my name in, if you need some ideas I have some great blogs in my blogroll. Find them there. ----->>>>

So if you love me {which you do, right?}, and you want to make me feel all warm and fuzzy {which of course you do} then pop over here and get nominating.

End awkward moment.

Oh, and thank you. xx

Letter To Lacey: Twenty One Months.

Was that your daughter just in here? the sales assistant at Mimco asks, as Grandma whisks you off to shop at Oroton.

Oh yes, I laugh, she's mine. Before I know it there are four sales assistant behind the desk gushing, and gasping at how adorable you are. I gush right back.

Just before that an elderly man was trying to get your attention by making duck noises. He smiled and laughed at you, and you threw him a Heeeey! {accompanied by a quick wave} back.

You demand to carry our shopping bags. Only the smalls ones. You swagger around, just like you own the place.

We head to the grocery store to grab a few things. Women everywhere point and goo over you. Did you see her? I hear them whisper, She's the cutest little thing EVER.

I run ahead to collect the few things I need and leave you to dawdle with Grandma. From the dairy section I hear a little voice calling, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy. I know that voice too well.

You catch a glimpse of me from all the way down the aisle and your face lights up and you begin to run. You seem so small from afar. Usually you're in my arms, and I know how big you are, but in that moment I realise just how small you are. I smile, my arms filled with groceries and I fight back the tears. Happy tears.

You run so fast that your legs seem to be running faster than your body can keep up with, but you make it all the way to me. Arms wide open. And we're together again.

You're a little bundle of joy, my Lacey. You truly are. You bring joy to everyone around you. But most of all you bring joy to us, Mummy and Daddy. That smile. Your hugs. You're filled with energy. You talk non-stop. You're demanding, telling us to sit, walk, jump. And we do just as we're told.

My Lacey. My love. Thank you for bringing such joy. xx

Friends And Fashion.

Today we're off to spend time with good friends, by the beach. Hubby might go for a surf, Lacey will play with a friend and I'll get to chat and catch up with my girlfriend.

My girlfriend and I share many things in common, but one is a love of Marc Jacobs goodies. So today I am sharing my goodies that I found under the Christmas tree {thanks Big Sis}. Here is my new handbag and my purse.

The bag is perfect for me {and boy does it smell so special!}. It has a pocket inside that's perfect for a magazine, and pockets on the outside so I can quickly find my phone, keys, gum, money, hair tie, nappy... oh I could go on and on and on.

My one problem is that both of these beautiful pieces are sitting snuggly in their protective bags, inside their boxes. I'm too scared to use them yet....



*Oh, and yes that is tape on the table. We devised a little homemade childproofing thingy. The underneath of our table has the sharpest metal strips so we covered them with little towels, and packing tape. Soooooo stylish! It's the new black.


Are you the sort of person who likes to keep things for a special occasion, or do you use all your good things straight away?

December AM Session Winners

The biggest loser is EDIE!

Below is her "Before" Picture:

Congrats to a $200 shopping spree! Edie lost 9lbs and with that 4.21% of her weight. The best thing about her weight loss is that it all came from fat (8.64 lbs). That is the perfect sign that she ate enough protein to prevent muscle loss. She also lost 3.4 inches and lost 2.5% body fat.


Edie's "After" Picture

The second prize of 10 Boot Camp classes goes to Lisa P.. She lost 6lbs or 3.91% of her body weight. She lost 3.31 lbs of pure fat, so Lisa did well in keeping most of her muscle but needs to keep a close eye on getting enough protein so she doesn't lose muscle in the future and with that slows down her metabolism. She also improved vastly on her push ups and sit ups. Enjoy your 10 boot camp sessions!


The third prize of 5 Boot Camp classes goes to Brettny. Brettny was the only one who really nailed how to put on muscle this month. She gained 3.8 lbs of lean mass and lost 2.6% of body fat, which is a perfect example of someone who made their diet work perfectly. She ate enough protein to keep her muscle but cut the starches enough to burn the fat.

December PM Session Slim & Strong Winners!

The December winners are in. Three people in the evening session of Slim and Strong made amazing strides last month, despite the many holiday temptations:

The biggest loser is Suzette and here's here BEFORE picture:

Suzette lost an amazing 13.5 lbs and 10.75 of those are pure fat. A little muscle loss always happens, but in order to minimize it she will have to make sure she keeps eating enough protein. She also lost 9 inches and 2.6% of her body fat! Congrats to a $200 shopping spree!

Suzette's AFTER Picture

The second prize of 10 Boot Camp classes goes to Kristin. She lost 4.5 lbs and 2.3 of those pure fat. Enjoy your 10 boot camp sessions!

The third prize of 5 Boot Camp classes goes to Sara Cetron. Sara is the only one who put on 2lbs of muscle and that's the result of eating more calories than needed but also eating enough protein to feed the muscle. so, Sara, those additional cookie calories did indeed help you this month.

My January.

January is probably my favourite month of all. It's when I'm at my most relaxed and happiest.


What makes January special for you?
Hubby and I always have all of January off from work. It's our time to be together and have a relaxed time, and now that Lacey is here it's our special family time. Life is so nice when we're on holidays.

What was the most memorable January you've ever had?
Probably January 2008. I was pretty pregnant and we had such a relaxing time. We had were given a gift for Christmas to stay three nights down the coast. We also got vouchers for dinner and massages. It was so nice. I was so hormonal and emotional about it being our last holiday together, and was really present for the whole month. It was magical and wonderful.

How will you spend your leisure time in January?
If we're not home you'll find us at the beach, at the Zoo... perhaps the Aquarium or aboard the Ferry. We'll be out and about.

What will you cook in January?
We'll be having BBQs and salad for lunch and dinner. Yum. Yum. Yum. And the bonus is not much washing up.


Tell me about your January.

The questions above are taken from Notebook magazine.
Image found here.

Nothing Doing.

Some of us need to discover that we will not

begin to live more fully

until we have the courage to do and see

and taste and experience much less than usual...

There are times, then, when in order to keep

ourselves in existence at all

we simply have to sit back for while

and do nothing.

And for a man who has let himself

be drawn completely out of himself by his activity,

nothing is more difficult than to sit still

and rest,

doing nothing at all.

The very act of resting is the hardest and

most courageous act he can perform.

~Thomas Merton

Image: ffffound