31 December 2013

How I aim to make the other Dance Mums hate me and other goals for 2014.

Happy new year Pea-bodies!

A new year.
I love New years day.
I love what it brings. I love the fresh beginning. The clean start.
I love making resolutions and I get excited about the new changes I can make.
I make them every year. Some stick. Some don’t. And that's OK.
I feel that change can be progress, no matter how slow.

Some people aren’t into the resolution making thing and that's OK. But I love to make goals and resolutions every year.
I know in reality its just a day - and you can make changes and goals anytime. But there's a kind of energy that comes with New Years Day. 
A clean slate. 
A new start. 
Better beginnings. 

So Pea-bodies here is a list of things I want to achieve this coming new year.
(It looks like a long list but its really not. I promise.)

2014

Get healthy:
Cut back on my sugar: 
Although I have cut out my sugar considerably it keeps creeping creeping creeping back into my diet - so I want to quit it and have control over it and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Get the Kids healthy:
Cut out the Kids sugar. Miss L eats heaps of sugar! Heaps! I wasn't aware how much sugar until I cut out my own. I want to keep sugar just for treats and special occasions!

Get Up and at ‘em:
I need to jump out of bed. In 2014 I want to become a morning person! I want to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier! I love being up at night - this is my free time, but I love getting good quality sleep more. And the kids make being a night owl really hard and the hard drive makes taping the TV really easy so I’m struggling to come up with reasons why not to turn in at a reasonable hour.

Get organised:
I want to be organised. I want to be so organised that the other Dance mums are sick with jealousy! Cakes, biscuits, clean house, washing done, places on time, gosh I'm getting dizzy just hinting about my success with this! all the other mums will hate me I’ll be that angelic!  When I’m organised and in control then I'm not stressed. not stressed is happy. Stressed is not happy. simples.

Get Musical:
I want to learn the Ukulele. I started this when I was pregnant with Pipsqueak but the morning sickness took over and I could barely get out of bed let alone play music. I love to teach my self new skills (face-painting, crochet, sewing…. I'm not always good at these new skills but I love the challenge) I think that as adults we make kids try all sorts of new things but yet we don’t push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try new things ourselves. Mastering news skills is a skill in itself i think. There needs to be something outside of work and kids. Humans are curious and clever so I think its natural to try new things, and feed that need.

Get Ethical:
I want to make Ethical decisions starting with fashion. I will sign up with Pip Lincolne from Meet me at Mikes Here. I want to start with fashion and then onto food and other things.

Get Blogging:
Lastly I want to make Mushy Peas and Me a great place for you all to come and have a cuppa and quick read whilst you're taking a break form something else. I want my bloggersphere to bring joy and smiles whilst you follow me why I try to master all the things above!

Do you make resolutions?
Do you stick to them?
Do you have a new hobby you want to try in 2014?

I think it doesn't matter how many times you start as long as you keep starting!

Peas Out
Jane.

22 December 2013

Quitting the white stuff - a little about the beginning of my journey to cutting sugar.

Hi Pea-bodies!

I quit sugar. Yep. Me. I did that. Me. The Timtam squarfing, juice drowning, chocmilk bathing, cake face planting me.

I signed up with Sarah Wilson and did her 8 week quitting sugar detox program.

If I’m honest with you I didn't do the whole 8 weeks, I fell off the wagon about half way through, then just for good measure the wagon backed up and reversed over the top of me. 
But I got back in the wagon and I think thats a credit to Sarah Wilson's program. I’m usually more of a ‘“Oh well there goes that wagon” as I stand up and mill around while the dust clears waiting for the next wagon to come by’ sort of a girl. But I seem to be staying on this wagon and I think its because of the detox program.

The first week was easy! This is a piece of cake. Or not-cake as it turns out.
The second week became harder, and I got tired, so tired. 

But although I was tired at the same time I was starting to feel more energetic, and I was sleeping better. So. Much. Better.

In fact I didn't realise how badly I was sleeping until the quality of my sleep improved.
Then other benefits starting sneaking in, my teeth improved: no aching or sensitivity. 
My skin cleared up and people started to comment on how good I looked.

And I’ve lost some weight and a lot of bloating!

I’m calmer. I’m more relaxed. No nightmares. My reflexes have improved too - I’m catching stuff that Pipsqueak is dropping like some kind of a Super Mumma Ninja.

And people can see the difference,
They ask “What are you doing?”  and I think they are expecting responses like: 
“I got myself a Himalayan guru” or ; 
“Im using mud packs from melted Fijian snow.” Or;
“I ordered a juice off the late night shopping channel that is made from the fossilised DNA from the DODO bird.”
They expect anything thats easier than giving up sugar, because when I tell them, I cut out my sugar. They looked surprised.

And thats because the more than half the time, we don't even realise that we are eating the sugar we are eating. Its in everything.EVERYTHING! Even Weetbix! Weetbix! I always thought it was just wheat. Silly me.



Sarah Wilson takes a gently gently approach and advises to treat it like an experiment.
And I think thats the best way to go about it. Gently gently. Because once you start feeling the improvements, your motivated. Motivated and converted - so theres no need for the bootcamp do it or die approach.

Its been a good few weeks since I finished the detox and the sugar has crept back in at times, but overall I would consider my diet to be low sugar, and hopefully I can get it even lower.

My next challenge is to tackle the kids, and get them off the white stuff!

Would I recommend you quit sugar?
Yes. DO IT.
Its scary, but thats ok, start small and slowly cut it out, you will feel the difference and wonder why you didn't do it before. Or if your still scared sign up for Sarahs program like me - just try it and see how you go.

So don’t be scared, just give it a go. If I can. You can.


Peas Out

Jane.

21 December 2013

Is it a Plane? Is it a bird? No.... its super Mini Peeps!!

Every now and then I come across a project and I think YES! This is a great idea!

And at the moment I have a lot of little peeps in my life so when I came across these great capes by Hideous!Dreadful!Stinky! I just knew I had to make some.

So I thought about the design and got all my material sorted and thought - ok now I have plenty of time before the Mothers group xmas party.
So as usual I sewed in plenty of time and had them all ready waiting to go a week before the party!!! 

I know! I know! Im clutching my sides with laughter too.....Hilarious aren't I?

As usual I left it to the last minute! I didn't get to bed until 2:30am the night before the party! 
But all the same I really enjoyed making them and I hope all the kids enjoy playing with them,
It feels like every three year old becomes obsessed with super heros -  a toddler rite of passage!!


Miss L's Mothers group wearing their capes

I used a combination of this tutorial by Marigold from Hideous!Dreadful!Stinky! and this tutorial by Lara from How Does She. These are both great tutorials so I won't go and rewrite a new one for you.
I just played around with the measurements  until I had something that suited my needs and used the plate tracing technique described by the How Does She tutorial.

I used satin and felt as I thought that the shininess of the stain was like a superhero suit and the felt doesn't fray so I was able to sew around without fear of the monogram fraying and falling off. Also the shiny vs the fluffy is a nice contrast and tactile for the kids!

This is the first time I had been back at the sewing machine for longer than 12 months, and I forgot how much I enjoyed creating and sewing! Even if it was very late by the time I had finished!! Its reignited my sewing bug - Which is great as I have a whole box of unfinished projects that need to be finished! And a big list of ones that need to be started!
One of Miss L's besties wearing his cape.



Do you have a little peep in your life? If so you should give these capes a go!

Peas out

Jane.

16 December 2013

The hair clip that broke the Mummy camels back!

Ok. So.
After my last post, it all went down hill somewhat. I went from having a great looking clip all blue and sequinny, perfect for a dance recital to 11:30pm the next night tearing my hair out and stressed beyond belief.

Im not really sure how a tiny hair clip and a dance routine less than two minutes can cause so much stress, but it comes under the bracket of what I like to call 'Mum stress.'

Mum stress is stress over the small things, although they don't feel small at the time. At the end of the day, or the next day or after your daughter performs perfectly at her dance recital you think - all that stress over nothing.....?

Mum stress is: Does you son have a warm enough jumper at the school camp and what if it gets wet? You only packed one!
Mum stress is: Does your daughter have the right shoes on the right feet so they don't get blisters, cuts or burnt feet.
Mum stress is: Quick quick get in the bath, its already 8:30pm and you need to be up at 5am the next day to get on a plane/train/bus.

Mum stress is all the little things that make the family function  - because if Mum doesn't stress who will?

Not Dad thats for sure!
They don't stress if your son doesn't have a jumper - well maybe he can borrow one.
Dads dont stress if your daughter doesn't the right shoes - they can just wear bare feet, i'll scrub them in the bath tonight.
Dads don't care if the kids get in the bath late and bed late - They can sleep in the car on the way.

Why is it so much simpler for Dads?
Because Dads do it different.
Not wrong.
Just different.

And although I was stressed over a small hair clip which evens I type that it seems ridiculous - my stress levels have actually decreased since I accepted that Dads do it different!

Its a hard lesson for Mums to learn but a worthwhile one.

As it turns out my hair clip went from this:
A perfectly great looking hair clip - But a bit too heavy for dancing so it kept falling out!

To this:

Tiny bits of ribbon not really long enough to do anything with, after my two attempts at a ribbon pom pom failed miserably (insert Mum stress now)

To This:
 a tulle pom pom that stayed in Miss Ls hair and didn't annoy her while she performed on stage 
(very proud mum moment - with a bit of mum stress too!)

Peas Out.
Jane.

10 December 2013

The Ribbon Retreat.

Wow!
I just made this hair clip for Miss L's dance recital! It took me about an hour!











I used this tutorial from The Ribbon Retreat!
They have lots of great tutorials - so if you have a little girl in your life head over there and you will find something fun to make!

I did realise while hot glue gunning away that Miss L is 3 years old and this is the first hair clip I have made her! Which is crazy given that she wears clips in her hair all this time!
I think Im about to save myself a whole lot of money!!!

Peas out.
Jane.

8 December 2013

Confessions of a craft hoarder.

Ok.
So. 
Its 20 days out from Christmas and my sewing room looks like this:



Yep.
I heard your gasp of horror.
Hi. My name is Jane and I am a Craft Hoarder.
Wow feels good to get that off my chest.
Seriously though I have a hoarding problem. I have stuff in there that hasn't even been used. Most of the stuff has only been used once and there is oh so much material. So. Much. Material.

I have a few crafty projects in mind for the Christmas season but cannot get to my sewing machine   - (If you squint you can see it in there......somewhere.)

Some of these projects include sewing Pipsqueaks first Christmas Stocking and altering Miss L's dance costume so that it doesn't look like she has fleas while she is dancing on stage at the end year performance!

Often I follow lovely blogs and they post about how organised they are; and how beautiful their craft space is from which they produce beautiful crafty items. I then drool over my computer and swear in a very un-lady like fashion when I get electric shocks from the keyboard.

I like to think that the mess is a result of me being a creative genius heavily involved in wonderful crafter-noons.......... 
*insert visions of my daughters running and singing in matching dresses Sound of Music style.*
.....but as it turns out... Im just Lazy.

Right then, Its time for Action.
Admitting you have a problem is ..... whats that saying again?
Well I rolled up my sleeves and it took a few day and now my Sewing room looks like this:




Shall I give you a moment to wipe your drool!
(If you squint you can see Labels. Labels!)

So now I have to get my sew on. I'm not sure why I'm using Christmas as a countdown given the projects I want to do need to be done before Christmas.

So as the new year approaches I think perhaps including in my resolutions is to keep my sewing room tidy and not to buy any more material. I wonder if I can go a whole year without buying or acquiring any more material.... mmm something for me to think about or something my avid readers could hold me to......

More posts on my successful sewing projects to come...

Peas out.
Jane.