An Open Letter to my First Born on her birthday.

 

Lola Jane, my Sunshine.

You are SO loved.

You are special, you are smart.

You are set apart for God, by God.

You are a leader, not a follower.

You will change the world.

Since the day I found out I was carrying you I have loved and protected you. Since the day you were born, I have adored you. Darling girl, I hope you always know how beautiful you are. I know one day you’ll hate your curls and the way your eyes scrunch up when you laugh. I know one day you’ll yearn to change your features to appease the world. Please don’t change a thing, these are the things that make you well YOU. You are far more beautiful than you know.

I know a day will come when you will feel like I smother you, love you a little bit too much or the opposite, that I don’t care enough. I am so sorry if I ever make yo feel this way. We are so similar people have said it since the day you were born, I pray that this is not a problem but a blessing. I pray that I can find the strength to let you know how loved you are, provide balance to your life and give you the space you need. You may not know this yet, but when you’re grown we will be the best of friends.

You are smarter than any test could convey. You have the ability to light up a room, comfort someone in their sadness, sympathise, take calculated risk and extend yourself. You have a determination that no one can teach! Never let anyone’s opinions or ideas limit you.

The days are long but the years are short. I know you would have heard this a thousand times by the time you read this but please live your life with this in my mind. Don’t wish your childhood away, wishing to be a teenager. Don’t wish your teens away yearning for the freedom of adulthood. Find the magic in the smallest things. Enjoy the sunset, travel, take risks, dance like crazy, visit me, don’t do anything you’ll regret and if you do shake it off and move on.

Baby girl, I love being your mum and I always will. Come to me, tell me everything. I promise I will try to guide you and not control you. I promise I’ll listen even if I don’t agree, I promise I will always be in your corner, your biggest supporter, your number one cheerleader.

This first year has been a whirlwind, it has flown by! I love that you have found your voice, I love that you dance with me your twerk is next level. I love that you celebrate, I love that you always want to cuddle. I love that you adore the water, you are a women after my own heart. I feel so honoured that I have experienced all your firsts this year. You are my joy.

Love you now, Love you always.

Mummy. xx

 

This is an open letter to my daughter Lola. Please stop what you are doing and write a letter to your child, print it off and put it in their keepsake box. You won’t regret it.

 

 

Baby Overnight Oats

Often mums’ worry about two things; children not getting enough nutrition and entertaining the baby whilst you cook, clean etc. This recipe allows you to prep breakfast the night before whilst baby sleeps and clean up then and be assured that your child is having a nutritious start to the day. My daughter loves this breakfast.

Side note:  I also prepare lunch the night before and make dinner in her nap. This allows me to enjoy my day with my daughter. If you would like me to share my morning and night time routine please let me know.

You will need

• 1/4 cup of rolled oats
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 serving of baby probiotics
• 1/2 teaspoon LSA mix
• 1/2 teaspoon breakfast seed mix
• swirl of rice malt syrup (if your child is older than 12 months you can use honey.
• one eighth-one quarter of a sliced banana (any fruit you desire)

Method

1. place fruit of choice in a container with a lid
2. add the dry ingredients
3. add the rice malt syrup
4. add the milk
5. place the lid on and give it a good shake
6. refrigerate overnight
7. heat up for 30 seconds and serve.

Enjoy!

Feel free to change the ingredients based on what you have or what your baby needs! For instance if your child is suffering from constipation leave out the banana and add a fruit high in fibre. If under twelve months replace the milk with formula or breast milk. if you make this for your Bub please comment below how it went!

Clay Play

my favourite activities are the ones that have purpose. The activities that make allow children to work on themselves without even knowing it. GET YOUR KID SOME CLAY.

Clay has great benefits for EVERY age. Today we introduced clay to Lola. When you first introduce clay just give them a big chunk (as pictured) to let them explore it and become comfortable with this new material.

what does clay do for your babies (7-24months)?

• Builds hand eye coordination
• Fine motor skill- it develops the small muscles in the hands and fingers
• Self regulation

Comparison is the thief of Joy.

The above image is from Soup of the day. Please check out this lovely blog.

Since becoming a mum comparison has been a struggle for me. I am constantly comparing my efforts to others and falling short. My blog posts are never as good as someone else, my Instagram is never enough, I am unable to give my daughter what other people easily give to theirs. I did not realise how big of a problem this had become until this week.

The background story is one of my ambitions for this year has to be more on top of the house. I spent the morning doing my newly implemented morning routine, packed my daughter’ and I lunches that I had made the night before, and left the house feeling quite happy with my efforts. Sure the house was not perfect (hello, I have an eleven month old) but I was content, I was more than content I was proud and JOYFUL.

I walked into a friends’ beautiful house (she has recently become a stay at home mum like me), every surface looked like it had been freshly cleaned. I commented on her efforts and so did a few other women. She looked at me and said with a laugh “I’m a stay at home mum it is easy what’s your excuse.” I laughed along with her but I felt small, my joy was gone and in comparison I was not measuring up. My joy was gone. All week I have been replaying this scenario (I must admit I think I may have some minor case of anxiety since giving birth to my daughter, if you would like me to delve further into this please comment below). I have replayed this conversation and made every excuse under the sun; her husband is home for dinner, bath time, breakfast, etc. My husband is not and that is hard. Her children are older and more independent, they can understand reason, my child wakes through the night, etc

No excuses were needed!!!

I had wasted my time comparing myself to someone else AGAIN. As a result my joy had been taken. The funny thing is I am sitting here in my clean home typing this. Ladies, let us commit to loving ourselves, celebrating our efforts, improvements and small milestones. Do not let someone steal your joy. You’ve got this!!!!

I want to leave you with this passage that has encouraged me today.

Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.” -Romans12:6 (The Message Version)

 

 

Food-ucation

It is important for Lola to build a positive relationship with healthy foods, this requires her to be given the opportunity to explore and observe them. What better way to build a positive relationship than fruit picking. If you give children the opportunity to explain food, observe food and grow food there is less of a chance that they’ll be fussy eaters. If that doesn’t convince you fruit picking is fun.

The details

Where: we went fruit picking at Cedar Creek Orchard. It was a gorgeous atmosphere. we caught a tractor to the orchard where we were given free reign of the orchard and encouraged to taste the fruit as we went. Didn’t need to tell Lola twice she was smashing peaches back as we walked, giggling, clapping and helping pick.

Cost: It was $5.50 an adult to pick the fruit. The fruit was ridiculously cheap to buy so we went to town. We purchased the peaches we picked, nectarine and a range of juices. The total was $15 super cheap!

 

For a great family day head to an orchard, pick some fruit and start your journey promoting a healthy relationship with food for your babies.

Feeding on the Go

I have formula fed since my daughter was 5weeks old. If you would like to know why, click here. After some requests I have created a video on preparing your bag for feeding on the go. Hope it helps you. Please like and subscribe. xx

Press here to prepare your feeding bag

Here are some products that I used, hope you find them helpful.

Lillie & Capri Day Pack: This was our bottle bag we kept separate to our nappy bag. It was great as it fitted everything we needed in it. Hot tip… don’t put it in the washing machine.

Nalgene Wide mouth bottle: As we were able to sterilise this bottle, I kept it in the fridge full of sterilised water. 🙂

Thermos: This was my on the go diy bottle warmer. If the water gets too cool I would just use that water to fill the bottle.

Formula Dispenser: I don’t have any recommendations, but you need one… actually you need three of them. One in your feeding bag though 😉

 

Would you like a printable checklist? Let me know!

Hope this helps you! Please leave your comments and recommendations below.

2017 was unbeatable- bring on 2018

 

2017 was fun, challenging and exciting. I gave birth to my gorgeous girl in January. I spent my first year since I was fourteen not working or studying, I graduated from my masters of teaching (which I completed three days before Lola was born), we moved… twice. I would not change a thing. I loved raising my daughter in the city, there is so much to do and see. I also love raising her on the coast there is so much to explore and no one is in a rush.

Goodbye to the best year yet, Hello 2018.

This year I won’t be setting a new years resolution. They are always unachievable and out of reach. They leave me feeling unsatisfied at the end of the year.

2018 will be the year of goals. Using my Leanne Baker Daily planner I will be setting monthly goals. They’re a little less scary than a resolution and a whole lot more achievable.

 Self Care

• Meal prep lunches
• Tan fortnightly

Family

• Go stone fruit picking together: I have already booked this in for the 6^th January
• Post a playmat to my cousin before the arrival of her baby. (Let me know if you would like a tutorial)

Health

• No caffeinated drinks
• Walk daily
• Drink 2Litres of water daily

Finance

• Don’t purchase take away (RIP cheeseburgers-my weakness)
• Teaching number application (this SAHM is about to turn into a working mum.)

Fun

• Sew matching outfits for my daughter and her baby born. (should I post a tutorial?)

 

• Create a functional cleaning schedule. (I have done this… would you like me to share?)

 

2018 is the year of health and organisation. Please share your monthly goals for January I would love to see them.

Meal Prep

Over the last few days I have posted the recipes that I have used for this fortnights meal prep. These recipes provide a meal plan to cater to two adults for lunches. Throughout this post there is links to the recipes.

This fortnight on the menu we have: grilled, chicken, meat balls and quiche. These are all served with a side of steamed vegetables.

The Borg’s impossible quiche is delicious. click here to get the recipe. 

Grilled chicken: this link is coming! Make sure to marinate for at least 24hours otherwise it will be dry.

Click here for some delicious turkey balls. They are delicious and light. 

 

Please feel free to share your favourite recipes below so that I can check out your blog. If you make any of these recipes please tag me on Instagram or youtube .

Grilled chicken

Ingredients

• 500grams-1kg of chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons of malt syrup
• 1 whole lemon
• oil (to cook)

Method

1. Fillet the chicken breast. set aside in the fridge covered.
2. Juice the lemon. Whisk lemon juice and malt syrup together.
3. Marinate the chicken in the syrup and juice mixture. leave covered in the fridge for 24 hours (I use fridge mates from Tupperware, they work beautifully.)
4. After 24 hours oil the frypan, and heat low-medium.
5. Cook the chicken evenly on both sides.

 

This is another easy lunch or dinner that you can prep beforehand. Served with vegetables, salad or cous cous is always a winner. 

Please share your favourite lunch recipe below. The next blog post will have a typical day of meal prep for me for the fortnight using the last three recipes I have posted.

Turkey Balls

Ingredients

500grams turkey mince

1 cup cauliflower

1 zucchini

1 egg

1/2 cup frozen vegetable

handful of breadcrumbs

Method

1. grate zucchini and cauliflower into a large bowl
2. add the egg, breadcrumbs and turkey mince
3. mix together well
4. Oil fry pan and preheat on low-medium
5. roll into ball size of choice
6. cook balls rotating regularly.

This recipe is adaptable, add your mince of choice and swap out the vegetables for what your body needs. This is a great lunch recipe. I normally serve it with brown rice, sweet potato mash or quinoa. It makes 60 balls, enough for 8-10meals. Which equals to a fortnight of lunches.

Please comment below with your favourite recipe. Leave a link. x