I’ve had a problem getting some decent heart pumping exercise over the years.

Let me fill you in on some of  the very real and some of  the very lame excuses I have been recording in my head.

Since I became a Mum, well actually since I conceived, I have not been partaking in one of my favourite forms of exercise. Bushwalking/hiking. This was the most constant form of exercise for me out of anything (yet still somewhat erratic). It’s really tough to get out there when your head is hanging over a toilet bowl for 9 months, yes everyday barr 8 of  ‘em for 9 months. And still the nausea was incapacitating on those 8 days. Pregnancy is not a pretty sight for me or anyone within spitting distance.

Immediately AFTER my 29 hr labour with 2 min contractions for many, many hours with a couple of  brief 10 minute interludes thrown in, I felt like I could climb Mt. Everest. I only threw up one more time, was back to my usual weight and could touch my toes again and see them. Well, I might have felt as though I could climb that big old mountain, but now there was another excuse for my lack of decent exercise. I had somewhat of an attachment that prevented me from doing much of anything at all for myself. She was (still is) a beautiful, 5lb 140z (2668 g ) bundle that required oxygen for several days after the birth. (more…)

I have noticed a very real pattern in myself when I’m home alone and able to get work done.

I go into avoidance mode.

Washing has to be done, dishes, sweeping, I have to eat, don’t I? But for me, this avoidance thing isn’t so bad. As I was hanging said washing, I realised that the best way to avoid avoidance is to allow myself to avoid things for awhile. LOL!

So I’m not REALLY avoiding, but whilst I’m going about those mundane chores, I am actually formulating my action plan in my head because another thing I realised is that I don’t know how to prioritize  my ‘to do’ list. Or, maybe I just avoid making a ‘to do’ list because it has never been high on my agenda before starting a business.

What ‘To Do’

Other than placing blogging first, then what?

Do I tweak my blog which has been on the backburner and is now a bugbear, do I read appropriate articles and put what I have learned into action, do my Blog Internship, study Aweber, PLR, SEO and the list goes on?

The great thing about writing about my dilemma, is that my ‘to do’ list is becoming clearer in my head. Blog Internship lessons are next and fine tuning my blog will be somewhere in there. It’s an ongoing process, but if I at least get going with it, it won’t be bugging me sooo very much.

So where are you with avoidance? Is it your friend or enemy #1?

Another friend or foe is stress, so I recommend making friends with avoidance, allow yourself to avoid for maybe 10 mins or 1/2 hr max, then get stuck into business and this might relieve some stress at the same time.

I have a few little household tips that I’ve discovered over the years as well as in more recent times and would like to share them with you.

Tip #1

The first one that I was told about a few months back has been fantastic for me. It kinda saves time and I’ll let you know why shortly, but it makes for a neater linen closet & wardrobe, too.

I now roll my towels before popping them away instead of folding. You do fold them in half  lengthways, then start rolling away. It’s pretty quick once you’ve figured out which way to go about it. There are several different possibilities. (more…)

This morning I decided to try using the timer for playtime with my daughter. I used it briefly the other day and
rather liked the idea AND I bought a brand new timer just so I could do that. Well, I am highly amused by the
experience today.

I started out with 1/2 hr because I really have to pace myself. Charlotte wants a LOT of  interaction which means She is directing the play, what I have to do, what I have to say and on it goes. 1/2 hr seemed doable. I set the (very noisy) timer down where we could keep our eyes on it. We started playing, but after awhile I needed to duck off for the tiniest bit. When I came back to start playing I glanced briefly at the timer. Uh Oh! Broken. It looked as though it was stuck on the same time, so even though it was ticking, it appeared to have  jammed up. (more…)

I finally have to admit defeat.

Not giving up, but just sayin’… I feel directionless.

So many ideas, but no way of filtering them through. My head is spinning with information and I’m getting superb help from so many people with this WAHM’s gig, but I’ve come to a halt, butting my head up against a brick wall. I feel  like I need a physical person here, guiding my every step with this dang computing stuff. Like that’s going to happen!

Trouble for me is, I have multiple personalities!  LOL!

I know little bits about lots of subjects, I’m interested in lots of different things, so maybe I should have lots of blogs. NOT! Just one is blowing my mind at the moment.

This is the story of my life. I get stopped. So many great ideas, all the help in the world, but I still don’t know what  to do so the easy route is to do nothin’ or keep travelling. That was fine a few years ago, but hey, I’m a Mum and a partner now and going off travelling  just isn’t an option.

This time it feels different.

But something has definitely shifted for me because I actually don’t  want to keep travelling anymore. Been there, done that….and I refuse to do nothing because I really want to be a living example to my beautiful 4 y/o daughter. I want her to know that it’s okay to kick back and relax, but it’s also okay to make something of your life that you can be proud of. I often don’t feel that way about my life, but I’m sure as hell going to rectify it, not just for Charlotte, but for myself.

So, directionless I might be or feel at the moment, but I’m going to trust that I’m just in a funk for now. It certainly isn’t making me want to give up the new life as a WAHM. No way.

It’s time to take that old pattern and hurl it into oblivion, where it belongs.

photo credit: Daveybot

I’m already realising that a common WAHM theme is STRESS! Aarrgghh. I currently have in my hot little hands an excellent book by Kaz Cooke called ‘the little book of stress’.  No capitals in the title which in itself would be enough
to stress some people to the max. I’m guessing that will be part of  the ploy.

This book has some extremely innovative ways and wise words of wisdom for combatting the highly toxic condition of stress and I’d like to share some of them with you. Kaz mentions on the cover that “trying to stay calm is too stressful go with the anxiety flow” Oops, no capitals again OR punctuation! I can feel the blood pressure starting to rise. (more…)

Melbourne Cup Fever. Most of us have caught this dastardly disease at some point in our lives. No matter how hard
we resist, it manages to have its wily way with us. Eventually, after attempting to fight it, one has to succumb or be left standing, alone with noone to communicate with. Symptoms become worse at around 3pm just before the big event, but it can begin 24-48 hrs prior and continue for several days afterwards.

Such is life  in November each year here in Australia, with the race that makes a nation stand still. Even if you’re against gambling, as I am, for some reason all moral issues fly out the window for this particular horse race. I had a little flutter, with a budget of $10, but didn’t manage to back the winner or a place getter this year. (more…)

It’s about time I wrote a gratitude post and sent out a bit of link love. Gratitude to those who have helped and are
continuing to help me on my WAHM journey. It still feels so new to me, but I’m also at a place where I could guide another newbie to some great resources to start their journey, so I must have moved along a little bit.

The Wonder Woman Of Internet Marketing

Kelly McCausey of  Mom Masterminds,  WAHMtalkradio & MomWebs is an amazing woman, not afraid to try new endeavours and very inspirational to many, many women including  yours truly. I am currently doing a Blog Internship with Kelly, so She is coaching me once a week via Skype. The Internship is through Mom Masterminds. (more…)

I had two teenagers doing trick or treat at the door on Oct 31st. It was 9.30pm. Must admit, I’d forgotton about Halloween temporarily despite all the Twittering leading up to it from everyone. I was involved in settling Charlotte when they arrived and we don’t do a whole lot of celebrating for it in this area. I was a wee bit nervous when the door knock came. Peter was away for the weekend and noone had ever knocked on our door at that time of night.

Trick  Or  Treat

I called out ‘Who is it?’ and they called back  ‘Trick or Treat’.  My next comment before opening the door was ‘I hope you’re not too scary for my 4 year old’.  For me really, but hey! I could see through the door that they were brightly lit up, no clue what their faces looked like and still no idea. They looked fabulous dressed up in brightly lit bracelets. You know the ones where you crack them to get the light going and then after 24 hrs they fade out? (Little secret I learned recently. Pop them in the freezer to prolong life. It worked for me). (more…)

What a fabulous way to start our day. Charlotte & I headed off at 9.30 am for a 10 o’clock start at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, to attend a one hour kiddie session organised by a Homeschooling Mum, to see the Melbourne

Symphony Orchestra. The well known conductor Richard Gill kept things orderly and all of us enthralled with his wit.

He asked for a few children to head up on stage to sing  ‘ Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ individually in front of the large audience and I have to tell you, their sweet voices choked me up. They were amazingly on key and I felt proud as punch as if it were Charlotte up there. No chance that’s going to happen, not for a long time anyway, but She happily bopped about on my knee to the music and seemed quite mesmerised at times.

On the way to the Arts Centre in the car, Charlotte and I were having such a giggle because for some reason She couldn’t say the word ‘interesting’, but She could say ‘Orchestra’ and every time She tried to say ‘interesting’, She’d trip up on it even though She’s never had a problem any other time. (more…)