#InnerTruth - The Quest for Energy...

Following the change of tact with NewMumOnline's Monday linky I have spent far less time this week actually thinking about my weight and far more time just getting on with things. The kitchen spring clean/sort out has begun - I found £6 in loose change behind the microwave :-) - and a fair bit of time has been spent in the garden digging and tidying up ready for Spring planting.

I have been doing a lot more Yoga this week too - using the WiiFit as a prompt/reminder ( a word about this at the end of this post*) and the Little Man has been joining in. It's very sweet watching him try and hold the Warrior pose but I really do not recommend doing the Cobra with a nearly 3 stone toddler on your back!

Button Swap and Blog Hop

I think most crafty (and many non-crafty) types have early memories of rummaging through Grandma's button tin - all Grandmas seem to have them - a random mix of coat buttons, shirt buttons, the fabric covered ones that came off the sofa, the odd ones left over from the sets she has bought for various knitted cardies over the years. Grandmas knew all about the value of a good button mix - even if it was just a fab way of keeping grandchildren amused for a bit while they made tea...

Anyway I have carried my button love through into adulthood and now have a respectable collection of my own, boosted by the recent hand-crafting trend of button mixes.  Button mixes are great, usually themed, though not always, and an excellent way to build up your stash so you always have the right button to finish off that little project.

So when I spotted this great idea from NoodleBubble I just had to jump in...


The idea is you swap a 50 button mix with another button lover (as selected from those who sign up on NoodleBubble's lovely blog) - this swap is open internationally so you could get your button mix from anywhere in the world!!! How cool is that?

This is also a blog hop - add your linky to the list on NoodleBubble's blog and check out all the others there too - who knows you might discover something lovely you would never have found otherwise. Double bonus!

I've signed up. If you love buttons why not sign up too? You have until March 14th to join in and swap list will be published on March 21st.

ps: please read the rules on NoodleBubble's blog carefully. This only works if everyone does it properly ;-)

#Mumentum New Year, New Me (blah blah blah)

It's been a while since I last did a Mum-en-tum post and, well, nothing much has changed.
December brought the usual round of over-indulgence - I blame the fact that mince pies and brandy cream are only available for 2 months of the year. I have to get my fix before they disappear from the shelves until next November...
But, that said I entered 2012 10lbs lighter than I was at the beginning of 2011 so there must be some progress being made!
Now back in the old days (read early 20's) shifting a stone after the party season was not a major problem. A few weeks of soup, salad and chocolate hobnob abstinence was usually all that was required to shift the winter weight. But it is true what they say about it getting harder as you get older.
Last week I celebrated my 38th birthday (with Chinese food and chocolate cupcakes) That's officially 'late-30's'. Nearly 40 even. If I stand any chance of getting rid of those excess pounds stones for good, this is the year I have to make it happen or else a  life of floaty tunics and elastic waistbands looms...

No dieting here though.
I detest that word... instead I am looking a bit more carefully at what I eat and, most importantly, my portion sizes. I have been researching some low fat, healthy recipes and trying to create meals that I can enjoy with the LM. I am looking for recipes that are intended to serve only one or two (not as easy as you might think) so that over-eating is not an option. If  I find some good ones I will share if you like :-)

The gym or exercise classes are still a non-starter for me. Even if we could spare the cash I can't get to any of the darn things! The exercise bike, however,  is finally being used as it was intended - ie: it's not draped with coats, bags, ironing etc and my lovely OH picked up a second hand Wii complete with Wii Fit for me for Christmas which we have all had lots of fun with through the dreary month of January. I am just starting to get into a routine of sorts and it is actually very good fun and the daily body tests are pretty motivational! I will let you know how I get on with that and how much of a difference it makes...

In the meantime I wish all you lovely Mumentum ladies a (slightly belated) Happy New Year. Lets make 2012 the year we all achieve what we want! xx

Don't forget to visit Liska's blog NewMumOnline and check out all the other Mumentum posts this week...  (for some reason my lovely new blog template won't let me add the the linky tool to this post)
 

I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat, ok?

Morning MUMENTUM ladies - hope you are all well and have enjoyed the summer 'break' (I use that term in the loosest possible manner as I know it's not really much of a break for many of us!)

It's been a while since my last MUMENTUM post ( about 6 weeks to be exact!) and to be perfectly honest not much has changed. I managed to not put back on any of the weight I lost through that *food poisoning* episode which is a bonus. But that's it.

The Thinking Slimmer Slimpod frankly didn't do for me what I had hoped it would do. That's not to say it had no effect whatsoever. It gave me a much needed boot up the jacksy and made me re-evaluate how I spend my day. I have become more organised and have achieved much more because of it. My appetite has definitely dropped, I am eating less (although that is partly due to financial constraints on my food budget as much as anything...) but there has been no further weight loss. It's quite depressing.

Last week I was wearing one of my favourite tunic top/dresses over leggings. A gorgeous retro 70's print, A-line with little cap sleeves and a cute double frill hem. I love it - makes me come over all 'Barbara Goode'. And it's very flattering. Or so I thought.

Whilst flitting about town (as you do) not one, but two people asked me if I was pregnant!!!
You know how it goes. "I don't mean to be cheeky but are you expecting again?" "No!" says I. "Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to be rude!" "That's ok - it's just this top!" Inwardly seething - how bloody rude!! - and considering burning favourite top. "It's just that you look really well, glowing even..." Trying to cover tracks now and avoiding any possible accusation that she has just called me fat, quickly followed by "I love that top. Covers a multitude of sins!" "Thanks!" I mutter and quickly leave the shop before I burst into tears in front of her and further compound the embarrassment.

But the truth of the matter is, despite having lost a little weight (I can see it in my face and my legs) I still have the MUM TUM. It's getting in the way. It means none of my clothes fit properly. Hell,  I look more pregnant than my sister-in-law who IS actually 5months pregnant....

I know what I have to do (uncover the exercise bike that is hidden behind a stack of ironing/toys/random crap and actually use it) I have the motivation. Now I just need to find the time...

#MUMenTUM Losing weight the icky way...

Hello ladies - it's Monday, so it must be time for some MUMenTUM catch-up!
This past week has not been the best week ever - read this post here to see all the reasons why - in fact there were moments when I actually lost track of the hours/days and curled up in a little ball under a duvet on the sofa and prayed that it would all just go away... (especially the energetic toddler who insisted on using mummy as a bouncy castle)
Food poisoning is not a nice experience. It completely sapped my energy ( I guess not eating for four days can do that...) and reduced me to tears of frustration and pain. Not pleasant.
On the plus side I lost over half a stone. A couple of pounds have gone back on since I have started eating again but hopefully that's it.

#MUMenTUM : Give me back my energy please!

It's no secret, I am knackered! A constant nagging  'woman-on-the-edge-of-exhaustion' feeling has taken over my life the past year or so. It affects everything I attempt to do, from dropping (and breaking) china whilst washing up, to breaking down in tears when one more thing doesn't go to plan.And before you ask, I DID got to the doctor who said I wasn't suffering from depression, just difficult circumstances and I needed to rest! Yeah, right!

A recent survey of 1002 mums with children under ten by Opinion Matters for B Record Plus, a liquid food supplement by sigma-tau, on the effects of exhaustion revealed that an astonishing 77% of mums forget why they have started a task and 76% regularly misplace items such as keys and mobile phones (I do this all the time and usually end up running around and flapping like a headless chicken until keys/phone/purse turn up exactly where I put them down...)  One in five didn't feel safe when driving the school run due to tiredness and 71% privately admit that they are left exhausted with the toll of everyday life and motherhood.

It would seem I am not alone...

So when I was offered a 10 day trial pack of B Record Plus to judge it's energy boosting effects for myself I jumped at the chance. In a lovely briefing email I had I was told not to expect to see results instantly as the micro nutrients take a couple of days to do their work. I am on day 3 and to be honest not noticing any great difference yet but another 5am wake up call from the Little Man has probably not helped...

I really hope the effects kick in soon as I could do with a boost (or a kick up the backside) to get me back on the exercise bike!

And so for all you MUMenTUM ladies here's a little video by B Record Plus with Nell McAndrew giving us some simple exercise tips. I will keep you updated on my energy reclaiming process!!

An adventure wherever you go...

 I don't drive (can't drive or at least never got round to learning...) so me and the Little Man walk everywhere. Until recently the Little Man got a ride in his pushchair but over the last few months I have been leaving the buggy at home and encouraging him to walk. This is mostly successful, although I do seem to end up giving him a piggy back half the way home (Uphill, with a rucksack full of shopping too. I should be so fit!)

To encourage his walking we have a number of different ways into town. There's the straightforward 'down the main road' way for when time is short or I just want to get it over with. There is the 'round the back' way - fairly self-explanatory. And then, when there is time to kill or I sense the Little Man is in need of a little extra encouragement, there is the 'Adventure Way'.

Of course it helps if you have a friend to share the adventure with so let me introduce you to Mr T Dinosaurus...

Ok, we are going on an adventure!

He gets a bit heavy after a while...

Obviously dinosaurs like to jump in big muddy puddles too...

He's not being rude, he's eating the wind. It tastes of apples and pears and strawberry milk. Apparently.

Mr T gets very excited when he gets a go on the 'Trolly Dash'

You can't expect to be carried ALL the way Mr T!

...and finally a lesson in letters...

It must be great being three, there is a whole world of adventures waiting to be discovered :)

This post is being entered into this month's Tots100 Blog Hop