#14 Freedom!!

It was my husbands 40th birthday last week and to celebrate I bought him and I tickets to one of his favourite comedian's shows happening in conjunction with the Sydney comedy festival. 

He was really excited about it and so was I. More excited than I have been about something in a long time. But why? Although I like the comedian too, there was something more to it. And then it dawned on me. This was the first proper outing we had been on as a couple for a long time... Sans kid! 

During the night everything seemed so easy... No car seat, no pram, no baby bag, no feeding, no bed time, no crying... No baby... It was utterly weird. 

It's amazing how quickly you adapt to your new life. We had been married 10 years before Jemma came along and never really realised how free we were.

You know what I learnt from this experience? 

Every now and then you need a break with your partner. It sounds logical right? But I didn't realise how long it had been... It's freedom and it makes you love your baby and partner even more.

So guys, my non-expert advice today is " Go out and have a good time without your Bub every now and then." It will feel absolutely strange but It's 100 percent worth it! 

Keep it real :)

#12 Enough said

Enough said! 

Keep it real :)

#7 Save it for a rainy day... Not!!!!

Maybe I'm stingy... or maybe just frugal?... but one thing I know is that I get really annoyed when I think companies are trying to cheat me out of money just because I have a child. So I guess I try to go out of my way to think of ways of entertaining my daughter that don't cost a bomb. Don't get me wrong... I'm happy to pay for entertainment as a special treat. I'd just rather not make it common practice for her to expect expensive outings as she grows up. Sometimes you may have to think creatively but seriously, we live in Australia. We have an outdoor culture and there are so many things to do. In most streets, let alone suburbs there are parks with playgrounds. Then there are beaches, rivers, creeks, bicycle paths, skateparks, bush walks the list goes on. I guess perhaps, the trouble can come when we experience rainy days and we need indoor activities. Well before you go out and spend $100 + to take your family to the movies because you can't think of anything else to do...here is a tip.
Use what's around you. 
   Living in Western Sydney can be both a blessing and a curse. There is an abundance of fast food restaurants, shopping centres and hardware Megastores and my family happens to live on a main road opposite a number of the aforementioned stores. Before having my daughter I saw them as more of a curse. Obesity inducing eyesores that proved tempting when tired and hungry after a long day at work... but now as a parent I see them in a new light.
The playgrounds rock! I can walk my daughter across the road and I have instant entertainment at my disposal. Even in the rain!! And the most I will spend is perhaps $3 for a coffee. sweeeet! Then i started thinking more widely.
Shopping centre playgrounds! If you live in western Sydney I recommend Rouse Hill Town Centre. The play areas there are top notch, as are the baby change rooms and I have also discovered that the library has a wide variety of kids books and a lovely reading area.

Thinking about it... you probably know this stuff already. Sorry if you're thinking "duhh" ...but as my daughter is only 10 months old and just started walking these thoughts are new and exciting for me. I guess...Enjoy life with your bubs and don't think you have to spend a fortune for quality time with them. They love you no matter what. Think creatively and Keep it real. Over and out.

#2 Go with your gut

    Before my daughter was born I had no idea what the hell I was doing. There was advice coming thick and fast from anyone and everyone and I appreciated that. I hope that I listened politely to everyone and was genuinely interested. But after 9 months of potentially conflicting advice, I came to the conclusion that despite everyone's good intentions, I am the only one who knows my body and the child kicking and moving within it. So I decided to "go with my gut" literally! Ha ha...What is my body telling me today? What will it be telling me during labour? I didn't worry about whether I would breast feed or bottle feed. My body would tell me. I wasn't concerned about how much pain relief I would need during the potentially many hours of labour. My gut would let me know! It somehow liberated me! And it meant that armed with everyone's advice I may or may not use it. Phew.
    Now, if I was to offer you any advice it would be just that. We are all different and I can't comment for anyone else but for me, this really worked. GO WITH YOUR GUTS GUYS!!
You're welcome! Just keepin' it real :)