Christmas crafts, holiday fun, special memories!

We've been very busy making memories!

Mia baked cookies, we used this recipe from Alton Brown. They came out really nicely! Packaged some of them for gifts.


Ella is 8 months old today, and such a happy baby.  Shame, about two weeks ago we went through a very rough phase, she had a virus that caused terrible fever blisters in her mouth, on her tongue and her chin, poor body didn't eat or drink very well for a few days. Luckily she's all better now, the horrible fever blister on her chin has just left a mark, hope it will clear up in time.

She's getting very keen to become mobile, gets quite frustrated at not being able to move to where she wants to go. She adores the walking ring and moves really fast in it, I giggle so much at how her lil leggies go!

She's a precious lil thing, she gets a million kisses a day.

Eating litchis - ultimate summer holiday snack!

Lots of fun putting up our Christmas tree - Mia did most of it herself! Such a special tradition. I loved the way she was so gentle with the ornaments, carefully hanging them, chatting about them, choosing her favourites. So special!

We made clay decorations again, this time using a different recipe from the previous two years - we tried this one this time - it came out quite nicely!

We made Christmas cards - again - Mia did a lot of the work herself! Such a big girl.

Summer fun - hubby thought he'd water the grass, Mia thought she'd get sopping wet!

A fun lunch at a restaurant with my special people. Oh I love my two girls to the moon and back!

Mia's last day of school for 2014!

Oh my big girl, what a year it has been! 
You went to school for the first time, and you became a big sister. 
You learnt how to cut with scissors, jump off steps and trace pictures. 
You lost your fear of climbing jungle gyms and your sensitivity to loud noises (mostly.)
You talk so wonderfully and say the best things. ("Hello my beautiful sunshine mommy" - this makes my day!)
You are gentle, kind, giving and loving.
You make jokes and make us laugh.
I am so proud of you!
I love you to the moon and back.
xx

Pine Lake Holiday 2014 ♥

We had a super special time in White River, as always. I'll let the piccies tell the story!

 

Such fun spending time with my hubby and two precious girlies ♥

 

Mia enjoying our tradition of visiting the chocolate shop for their melted chocolate!

 

Heaven in a cup!

 

Ella had a taste of choccie too, mmm!

 

Swim time!

 

Mia was in awe of the rhino statue

 

This view. Soulfood.  

 

Summer vibes!

 

Nom nom icecream!

 

Mia enjoyed playing putt-putt with us!

 

Much of the holiday was spent with baba in the arms, teething baby, unfamiliar surroundings... 

 

Last swim 

 

Family selfie! ♥

 

Ella got her first tooth!

More ideas than time!

Oh gosh, I have so many blog posts in my head, and just haven't been getting around to finding the time to actually come and sit and write them!

We've been through a rough time again (still!!!) with us all being ill. Since the stint two months ago when we all had terrible coughs, I never really got completely better, have had a constant cough.  Then Mia started two weeks ago with a bad cough, coughing terribly at night, sometimes only for an hour, sometimes for two, and then a few nights where she didn't stop coughing the whole night!! 

After going through numerous bottles of different cough mixtures and anti-histamines, I eventually took her to the paed last week Thursday. So she's on antibiotics again, and I'm so terrified that it causes vomiting like it did in June... her tummy is already upset.  The paed reckons I must give the probiotic supplement an hour after giving her the antibiotic and that's what would make all the difference in her getting sick from the antibiotics... So let's see...

Then Ella started with a cough on the weekend too.  Poor baby.

We go on our White River Pine Lake holiday this Friday!!! Gosh this has snuck up on us so quickly!  I'm not ready yet at all, need to still make my pack list and pre-holiday to do list and shopping list, eeeek!

My weight loss mission is at a bit of a stand-still at the moment...  I am eating quite well, bar the ever-present glass of vino and piece of Lindt chocolate... And I'm not going to the gym much at all, I've either been sick or else too busy with kiddies, clients, home stuff, etc.  I have, however, been trying to fit in some body weight exercises as much as I can: squats, lunges, planks, push ups, and kettlebell exercises.  I know I should do more, but at least it's something and not nothing at all!

I feel anxious and overwhelmed by the way that I have so much in my head that I'm wanting to do and just not getting around to. My usual excitement for the festive season, this year, is bordering more on a feeling of neurotic frenzied insanity!  I am behind in all my usual craft-activities that I do with Mia, I owe visits to friends who had babies recently and I haven't even met them yet, I hate how cluttered my house is feeling.

Ella is growing up so fast it's crazy, I'm trying so hard to savour these moments of babyhood because it's just passing in the blink of an eye.

Definitely need to calm down, get myself organised and procrastinate less...
This holiday is coming just at the right time!
xx

A fun morning in Pretville!

We had such a special day yesterday. The four of us went on an outing to Hartebeespoort - Wyn went on his bike and I took the girlies in the car. This was exactly what my soul needed - some special family time!

Pretville is a movie set in Harties, where they filmed the movie, and now it's open for the public to visit, walk through the streets and look at the "shops", from a hair salon, post office, Baby Boom to a Pep store! It all has a 50's feel to it, stunning vibrant colourful décor, I just loved the bunting hanging everywhere and cute Afrikaans sayings and posters. Vintage cars and scooters parked all over, and so many cute corners to take photos in!  They play music from the Afrikaans movies over the speakers - really felt like we stepped back in time - or onto a movie set!

It was a lot smaller than I expected, from what I remembered from the movie I was expecting a long street to walk through, and it's really just like one block - but with enough to look at and lots of little corners to take photos in! A super quaint restaurant with milkshakes and hamburgers offers refreshments, and there's a movie theatre where they have set times that they show Afrikaans movies.

Definitely worth a visit, I would highly recommend it for a fun day out!

Afterwards we went to Jasmyn fruit & veg market, bought a trolley full of veg, yay!  Then a quick lunch before we headed home and both girlies had a nap in the car.  Ella was soooooo good the whole day, sitting in her pram, looking at everything.  Mia enjoyed the outing a lot too, I wasn't sure what she would think of Pretville, but she loved looking at everything, knocking on all the doors and loved her pink milkshake.  She was also kind enough to oblige and entertain me by posing everywhere I asked her to! ;-)

A love letter to my two girls

Dearest Mia and Ella,

Today, I just wanted to write a letter to my two girls, to try and put into words, the love I feel for you.  My sweet precious princesses...  You two are so beautiful.  I stare in awe at each of your perfect faces. I marvel at how wonderfully God made you, with your soft skin, beautiful eyes and sweetest smiles.

I feel so happy and blessed when I'm sitting with both of you near me. I just love to hug you girls, and to press my face into your neck and inhale you - you girls smell so divine, the best scent in the whole world.

There is such a special bond forming between the two of you, I love to see the way you two look at each other, smile and laugh at each other, touch each other. Oh, the special times ahead of us!

My darlings, I love you to the moon and back. I love you more than all the stars.  I love you with my whole heart. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Mommy
xx

Mia's First School Concert

For the last two months, Mia's playgroup has been practising for their concert.

It was quite an emotional "first" for me!

The theme was "splish splash" and all sorts of songs about the sea, swimming, pirates, etc. The kids had to all be dressed in jeans or jean skirts with white t-shirts, and then they got given cute sailor caps and scarves, they looked adorable!

We arrived early so that I could sit right in front.  It was all very informal - the stage set up, and then all the parents sat on picnic blankets on the grass.  Cute décor was put up all over - the school really went to lots of effort to make it special!

Hubby and my sister, Aunty Boo joined me to watch the concert.  Before the kiddies came up on stage, the teacher said that if any kids are upset, the mommies are welcome to go stand by them, or else the kiddies can come down and sit with their parents.

Then the kiddies all climbed up onto the stage, some staring wide-eyed, some smiling and waving, some standing still, some jumping up and down in excitement.  Poor Mia looked like she had been crying, and she looked very overwhelmed. Luckily she caught my eye quite quickly and gave me a wobbly smile.  Oh my heart!!

Teacher Nadia then sat right in front of them to do all the movements with them, and the music started. Mia just sat and stared, sometimes with her bottom lip quivering. Oh I just burst into tears! She was being so brave, fighting the battle against tears and meltdown - and winning!  She caught my eye again and I smiled and did thumbs-up and did the same movements as the teacher was doing, and that got her going a little bit.

 

Some of the songs she took part in nicely, and others she just sort of sat and stared. However, she didn't need me to go stand by her and she didn't try and get off the stage - none of the kiddies did - they were all very brave and looked so cute.

After the concert, each child got given a medal with the school's name and 2014 printed on it, and a party pack - they were very excited about the party packs, it was obviously used as a bribery tool. :-)

Once that was done, everyone had a picnic, and the kids ran around and played together.  Very special. I'm a proud mommy!

xx

My 90 Day Challenge Results!

So I completed Season 5 of my 360XBT challenge.  Due to being sick, having sick lil girlies, and lots of sleep deprivation during this time, I didn't take part in the exercises as much as I had hoped or planned to.  But that said, I'm super happy with the results!!

I lost 7 kg and 8cm off my waist, 16cm off my hips and 5cm off my thighs. Yay!!!

Here's the piccie:

I joined the next season again, because, simply - how couldn't I? I'm loving the eating style - whole foods, healthy foods, and enough food! I love the community of the FB group chat, lots of inspiration, motivation and priceless info, each day I learn something new.

During my pregnancy, I picked up 20kg. I have now officially lost 15kg of that, over the past 6 months, of which about half of that was on the 360XBT plan.  5kg to go, and hopefully a lil bit more after that, plus some firming and toning. Bring it on!

I'm excited to be part of this community over the holiday and Christmas season - always a difficult time with regards to eating right and exercising, so this will help me stay on track.

I'll share some fave recipes soon!
xx

Family Photoshoot 2014

We had our annual photoshoot with my friend Karin two weekends ago.  As always, she just captures perfect special moments and emotion, just love these photos. Special memories forever! ♥

Find Karin on her website or on Facebook.

I just adore all the piccies, Karin got the perfect combination of the girlies on their own, of me with the girls, Wyn with the girls, four of us together, me and Wyn together...  Here's a collection of my fave ones. Will be printing some to give to grandparents and to put in frames on the wall! ♥