a new meaning to work wear

Mamma got herself a new bit of bling today, thanks be to my work buddies! Rather random, but I like it -  kinda brings a whole new meaning to work wear no? Maybe I'll see if I can get hubster a saw or hammer ear cuff for his birthday? Or maybe, we should replace his wedding ring that he lost whilst rafting first. Silly man. You should have heard the conversation, all the grovelling before hand, trying to explain the seriousness of it and how sorry he was, made me think he'd really hurt someone and was in alot of trouble haha. Perhaps that was his plan all along...soften the blow as it were, that he had ''only'' lost his ring.

So tonight is my last night home alone, and I'm spending it half wathcing Elizabeth - The Golden Age on tv and making Lily's party decorations. Mad to think that this time next week I will have a one year old and a two year old! Other things I ought to do tonight is work out what fika we are having, I dont actually want just sweet things like cakes, but something savoury too, verging in healthy. I know, I know, party food and healthy dont normally find themselves in the same sentence, unless the word not is thrown in the mix. But hey, there can always be a first ;)

mucho excited!

Oh excercise bike, you ARE my new best friend! A while ago (feb!?) I made a promise to myself to get fit. Stop eating the crap, and exercise. It only took me until july to start! Well, now we are five weeks in, 2 weeks off from the bike due to holidays away from home, and I thought it would be a good time to measure myself again and compare to back in Feb. 

In February I measured :                       Today I measure:

Thigh 66cm                                                Thigh 62cm

Hips 102cm                                                Hips 101cm

Tummy 97cm                                             Tummy 94

Weight 74.5kg                                           Weight 72kg

I is rather pleased, as you can imagine. Because actually, I feel that I haven't gone in as whole heartedly as I could have done. Gosh, I hope that doesnt make me sound like a smug cow, I really just am surprised!!  I mean, all I have really done with regards to eating better, is cut out bread - because it makes me horribly bloated and uncomfortable and instead I will have a ryvita. I'm drinking lactose free milk, for a similar reason really. I cant drink a normal bog standard cup of tea with normal milk without bloating, but other than that I hadnt noticed a difference or thought further about it until I tried lactose free milk and realised I wasn't ''aware of my belly'' if that makes sense. Strange really - I remember when I was in my teens getting tested at the docs for any intolerances but nothing showed up. 

Well that's more of an incentive than needed, as I have been feeling a difference in my clothes which is what I was wanting rather than to focus on what the scales say. Im off to jump on that bike now, and tomorrow I am getting my hair done! Very excited, its been faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar too long since - shame on me!

decisions, decisions....

I'm starting to get a bit bored of my ''look''...am thinking that I need sorting out before I go back to work. Only problem is, I've done all the colours, and as always, I am very indecisive when it comes to my own hair. I wish someone would just plonk me down in my chair and sort it out. But Im also too chicken for that haha. Hmmm it will take some pondering but I am leaning to the darker and getting some hair extensions too, I want my long hair back like when it was copper/red!

TGIF & Todays outfits

I do love a bargain, I do. Like these fab shorts- 99kr in the sale at Indiska, and the only thing to follow me home yesterday. If I hadnt have bought that silly exercise bike, then my arms would have been overloaded with gorgeous printed and jewelled dresses and tunics, scarves, wine glasses, cushions, throws and tablecloths. Indiska has it all in my eyes. Has.it.all.

Here's the kiddlets only moments ago, playing with the extra chairs brought up for dinner last night. It was the first time in a long time that both me and dear husband got to eat at the same time, without interruptions or someone wanting feeding too - we actually ate past bedtime hehe. Very pleasureable indeed! But  once that first glass of wine was consumed and I fell into a food coma, that was it. Snoozy head on and in bed just gone 9pm. Tonight we're having dinner at the parents and the mini Wilsons are staying over tonight so once they are in bed we're hot footing it back to ours and jumping into bed with a movie. Thank God Its Friday peeps!

Anyhoos, I am nippin off to the kitchen to see what healthy naughtiness I can come up with as we're having fika at ours today. Im thinkin raspberry muffins - surely that will count as part of my five a day?! ;) The weather is thoroughly wet, so I couldnt think of  better way to spend it than with lovely friends and muffins =)

whinging and a prayer of the day

Dear lord, please give me strength to see me through the day

To deal with tanrums, tears and teeth in a loving motherly way

Give me the patience to shame a saint, because dear lord, thats one thing I aint

Lend me some energy and willingness to play, to enjoy each moment of this summers day

You know what the day will bring when you are woken up at 4.47am by whinging. Crying and upset it one thing, whinging another. At least in this household. The whinge at that time of the morning (or anytime) just means hell. Trials through out the day to wear out even the most resilient of minds lay ahead of me. Oh and hey, doesnt it just happen to be on a day where we are going out for picnic lunch at the lake with the Wattses? Of course it does. And, isnt mamma totally worn out too even though she went to bed before 9pm? Doesnt everything always happen at once? Yes of course it bleedin does haha.

That is what is going to make this day something to laugh about next week. As the icing on the cake there is no bread or milk to make sandwiches or tea for the outing, meaning I really should be ready NOW to go out to the shops first and head to mother dearest early to prepare the picnic and not just swing by and pick up Alex, Michelle and Frederik. But so far, only I am dressed and the swimming gear is at least packed.         I best get me skates on....

friday feelings & pralines

Nothing feels as good as this. Half  lying on top of the bed with the window wide open, smelling the summer rain, and listening to a bit of Norah Jones in the background. Friday feelings indeed, good people of the world. Friday feelings!

It's not a total doss evening, I have actually made my own marbled chocolate pralines. I even went above and beyond my beginners status and plopped in a hazelnut or two. Having just sampled one, I can tell you they most certainly are delicious, and now that I know that I dont totally suck as a Chocolatiere I'll get some better quality chocolate to do it next time. Probs end up working out more expensive than buying the darn things, but where's the fun in that?? This she says having been to hell and back with frustration, grating up 400g worth of chocolate super super super fine and hurting poor fingers, and then realising it was actually rather akward constantly stirring melting chocolate sitting in a bowl in a pan of boiling water X2 (for the dark and white chocolate). 

I've said it before, but domestication just does not seem to become me. Y'know, the bits that are essential like cooking = total BOREDOM to me. Baking is fun. Cleaning I manage ok, better than some, worse than others, lagom as we say here in Sweden. Homemaking, rather than housewifing befits me more appropriately methinks. And seeing as we are speaking of making I shall mention that I have an upcoming project, or three, that require a sewing machine, fabric, lace and fabric paints, Homemaking stuffs. There are some poor cushions on our sofa screaming out for prettier covers, and its something I have been wanting to do for ages but just not had the right inspirations. Now that I do, I just have to make poor hublet take me to the shops tomorrow, but saying that maybe leaving him and the kiddies at home would be the best and make for uninterrupted glorious browsing at Ohlsson's Tyger alone. Smart aren't I.

Anyone else have any projects on the go?

25

A birthday is a birthday. A day that is all yours, attention and gifts to be lavished, however great or small, and the best thing of all, is that you get to decide what to have for dinner.

The old saying goes that age is nothing but a number, and my age is never something I have really thought about. Getting to 16, then 18 were milestones that were longed for, and then 19 came, 20, 21 , that was a another big one, but to be honest I got more swept up in the hype of it than actually excited for being 21. In fact, my 21st was rather low key, Mark took me out to dinner, my brother met us out for drinks, and dear mother in law cooked a lush roast and got a cake. Perfect.

At 22 I became a mother, and I got married. At 23 I moved abroad for the second time (albeit back to Sweden that I left at  age 10). At 24 I was mamma to two daughters, with a husband, in Sweden, with my Volvo. A shiny, pretty white Volvo V70 sport infact, and a pain in a$$ to keep clean.

By my reckoning, the only thing I have left to cross off on the list "Things to do in order to become a fully fledged out-and-out adult" is to buy my our own house. And guess what...that is still some time away lol.

Crickey, I have been busy enough eh, and now I think would like a little time to just land and grow more into myself as the adult that I am, the mother that I am, and the wife that I am. All quite different parts of me, yet very much equal in importance. So ponder as I may, and worry about what it means to be a grown up and become older, I am now heading to bed to catch up on some beauty sleep. Oh, and slathering on some moisturiser to keep my youthful dewy glow *sarcastic*

please note my super cool pose at 25. Oh so mature ;)

hi ho hi ho its off to work I go

Mamma is enjoying a bit of extra Lily time this morning as I am not starting work til noon. Yay for a chilled out morning and lazy getting ready, boo for very long evening work. Well I say boo, its only boo if I miss Grey's tonight, now that we have finally gotten the tv sorted after TWO weeks. We have also sorted out and ordered the internet, so once we get the xtreamer/etrayz boxes plugged in to an actual box thing what the internet comes through ( cant remember the word in swedish or english) I can show you the Before renovation pics and it will give me a chance to tidy up to show some smart After ones haha. Lived in look is great and the standard here, I cant live in a so called show home. But it would be nice to have some pics showcasing our apartment in all its lovely glory.

Anyways, husband back from shop, me ready to head out the door. One of the biggest perks of being a hairdresser is that you can go to work and do your hair, or even have others do it for you. Saves time and effort in the morning and leaves me less likely looking like a worn out mama who's tried to hard on the run to nursery and now more resembles a disheveled drinker from Union Street on a saturday night, than the yummy glamorous working mamma that was intended. I am not claiming to be either by the way haha, just paiting a picture of words ;) Right then, off I go! Toodlepip and happy hump day, all smooth riding from today to the weekend, woop woop!

mamma time

I fear my friends, that I have stepped into an alternate reality. You see, I have not one, but two sleeping daughters, at the same time. This hasnt happened this year (I'm 99.9% sure atleast). The fact that Maia has slept 6/7days at lunch is as perplexing to me as the Universe being unending. So used to not gettin that hour...

I realised something this morning too. A sudden, but peaceful and kinda fun thought (fun in the sense of you have to laugh at yourself as you never thought you'd find yourself in such a situation) but I quite like the just before 5am wake up calls with Maia. I mean, its bright outside. We get lots of snuggles just us, I can drink tea in peace, plan the day, and feel like I am being a lazy cow and not just rush rush rushing around to start the day at a sensible time. Only taken 6months! But it makes for easier living I guess when you go with the flow rather than fight the inevitable.

So what then, am I doing? Well, I am taking the time to browse the web, getting inspiration for fixing up things at home, drinking tea and eating a small slice of cake. Perfect. Having spotted some fabulous armchairs for the dining table, I am trying to hunt a pair down second hand online first, as I dont like to just fork out 700kr/each plus 495kr delivery from Ikea. I would rather then wait, until Ikea gets built here in Umeå (give me time to save, rather than just splurge), or I find preloved ones. I must admit, I have a penchant for pre-loved things <3

here chairy chairy chair, come to Mamma! inspiration IKEA

shopping=happpy??

Mamma did grab herself a bargain today. Dress and blazer H&M sale and belt from Lindex, in the sale too. Fabulous. Wish it would have brightened my mood tho with regards to how I see this flabtastic bouncycastle  a.k.a my body. But hey, a new day tomorrow and a new mood at that. I am sure, infact convinced, this whole trying-to-not-have-sugar-to-achieve-drean-body thing is what is making me miserable. So apologies. Im off for fika in hour once me&L have picked up big sis at nursery and then we shall all be having fun. ´

I cant wait for this bankholiday and the chance to spend time just the four of us. Mark has been working so much recently, it will be nice if easter can be relatively stress free. But, I have  sneaking suspicion that dear hubster will be working a little at some point anyhoo, him and work is like me and suagar at the mo- we get twitchy if we dont get enough haha ..... or something along those lines.

clothes crisis

When I was pregnant with Maia, we knew that by becoming parents we were going to have to sacrifice, give up and change a lot of things in our lives. ¨

My changing body? No problem. If anything, it made me feel more ok about myself, as now there was a genuine reason why I wasnt the toned statuesque high end specimen of the female form that I had wanted to be, but never found the motivation or dedication for. Once Maia was born and our wedding drew nearer, I was astonished how quickly I had gotten back to my pre pregnancy weight and that my tummy looked more like before than the mum-tum I had expected. Ideal.

Second pregnancy, and with it, a sugar craving. Still, no real body issues. At my heaviest in each pregnancy I weighed 86kgs. Thats ok. But the one thing now, with hindsight, I wish someone would have told me, or suggested I do, was to save for my POST pregnancy wardrobe. I wish it was something that I had thought of between pregnancy 1 & 2. Bugger.

It seems like an utterly shallow problem. Ofcourse the only thing that matters is that your children are happy and healthy, and that you have a good support network around you, and if in a relationship, that that too is happy and healthy and weathers the strains in early parenthood. It feels almost forbidden to me, and selfish, to feel that it matters how I look too. Because who really cares? Your looks certainly do not reflect on your ability to parent, and perhaps I am damaged along with so many others with thinking that my appearance has some importance in this world?

At first, I was a little bemused, that in the interval between having Maia and falling pregnant with Lily, I got down to a stone less than what I weighed before. And yet, my clothes and especially trousers/jeans, did not fit. A stone less and they are still too tight!? Really? UNFAIR.

So fast forward to today, and I am in a pickle. The majority of clothes in my wardrobe are pre children, and altough not proper maternity wear, things that were bought with a growing bump in mind. In other words, items somewhat lacking in the form fitting, and unable to flatteringly silhouette my new body and making me look and feel good. The odd new bits that have been brought when not pregnant are ones for quick fixes and poor quality (that means cheap haha) and lose their shape and are about as shapeless as can be. Because once those precious little darlings are here, your well earned pennies are spent and prioritised on other things.

Todays advice friends, is plan for post baby wardrobe, not just new prams cots and teeny weeny outfits only good for a week. For I would really like for you to not feel as crap about yourselves as I do today. But fear not, my ever wonderful boss gave me a bonus yesterday so I am off to the shops to buy a new dress ;)

Happy Easter, and hope u all have a good one =)

frustrated.com

I am fed up and frustrated today. If only I lived closer to Gothenburg or Stockholm. It would be so much cheaper to go back and see family and friends. Almost half price! Disgusting really. I am desperate to have a proper chat and a cuppa with Amy! D*E*S*P*E*R*A*T*E.  Its hard to find good friends, and when you do, its even harder being so far away. You see, this girl is one of those rare hidden gems.  For instance, four days after giving birth to her second child, she had taken over and organised my hen night that was a mere two weeks away, phoning all the relevant people and organising venues food and decorations as well as my soon to be sister in laws.  Something that my so called friend and maid of honour was supposed to have done in the 9months since I asked her, but she was still peeved I didnt want a spa weekend and go away and leave an 8 week old Maia.. To this day, I havent spoken to her since the 8th of Feb 2010. I could go into alot of details why but I wont. The funniest thing tho was when 3months later, another friend bumped into the ex bridesmaid at the Doctors surgery and she claimed she had been too busy with work to attend the wedding or the hen night. Yea.Right! lol Im glad I can laugh now ;)

out on my hennight! poor quality photo mind lol.

Today is also one of those days where my darling little angels are trying me. The terrible twos just get more terrible, and its unbearable having a grumpy toddler sometimes haha. At least the day started lovely with Maia tip toeing into our room, first saying good morning to a sleeping Lily, then waking me up stroking my face =) I can take tantrums for those moments. Just not today! Today is being put down as one of those that best end quickly and quietly and never be thought of again. 

Loppis tomorrow, bargain hunting never fails to put be in a good mood. Oh great, Lily just wee'd on me........

cough sniffle sniffle

Sickness bugs, colds and fever, sleepless nights and a near death laptop makes for rubbish blogging. Throw into the mix children feeling the same, and a husband who has a lot of work on, and it leaves you with me, the shattered, shivering and snivelling mamma.

It feels like icy tingles working from inside my bones and out, like my pores have been frost bitten, and my feet replaced by lumps of ice. But my head, it is slowly melting, my brain is falling out of my nose and the beads of  sweat n my brow give me a not so pleasant glow to my complexion. But my actual mind, is goin nuts. There is so much it throws at me, ideas and inspiration of so many things I want done as of yesterday, and the frustration of not being able to do anything it almost worse than the inside-out-shivers. Brrrrrrrrr!!

Suprisingly though, I have troopered on. Not blowing my own trumpet (gotta find the damned thing first) but I am more than a little suprised at the determination I have had to not let it beat me. My guess is, that if I had let it beat me, maybe I'd be passed this now. Should have rested when I could and now I am paying for it. But hey, I can rest when I am old, whithered and grey ;)

new'do

After 2.5 weeks I finally feel I am able to *finally* give a verdict on my new hair style...

Despite my occupation, I am one of those who is strangely attatched to ones hair. I dont tend to be extravagant and daring, but err on the side of caution and natural. But then, as a proffesional, that is MY take on hair. Hair to me, should be optimised and looked after, ''naturally'' enhanced to be its best and suit my clients wants, needs and expectations. Ofcourse, funky avante-garde hair is equally as fun, but me being who I am, a little but hippy, down to earth and liking things that are as natural as possible, its no real suprise that this reflects in my philosophy on hair.

So, the verdict is <drumroll>........ GOOD. It still ends up shoved into a pony tail, which I wanted to come away from, but it feels darned good having those poor lengths chopped and hair feeling healthy again. Problem with hair like mine that has been around a while, is that all the damage means that once I go back to being dark the colour has trouble staying put lol. Not a good look, when its not the effect you want....

like u can see, hair is different colours and its most certainly NOT the intention lol.

I cant quite believe it is friday today already, the week has just flown by! Today we're free to do whatever as all housework has been caugh up on the last few days, hence the silence lol. Also, very mucho excited to find out what the new Swedish little Prinsessa is called, an official announcement at lunch apparently. Who knew I was such a Royalist? I was made up yesterday when I found out, feel all proud and excited lol, much like I did when Wills & Kate got married.. =)

call me mrs motivator!

Today, I have painfully and utterly rubbishly ''excercised''
Some weeks ago, mother and I ( well I was there with her) snapped up a bargain crosstrainer for the kingly sum of £20. Ching ching! Now far be it for me to go criticising the sorry state this poor machine is in. After not seeing the inside of a gym for 4 years and having used two pregnancies as perfectly plausible reasons to be a bit more rounded, I'm most definately not in the happy gym bunnies and well fitting jeans club. But, I'd be suprised if this relic is actually younger than I. hehe. Did crosstrainers even exist in the 80s?? I might google that one later...

Anyhoo, painful and rubbish. About a month ago I managed 15mins before spluttering and struggling to bre  athe. Perhaps easing myself g-e-n-t-l-y into the work out would have been the best bet, but I went hell for leather from the word ''eugh''. ''GO'' is still far too optimistic for my state of mind when it comes to excercising.

This said, you have to start somewhere, and I believe I am like a car - that a good old jump start will better get me on the way, than some namby pamby half assed attempt at running whilst holding the wheel and your friend pushing the back. Maybe a VW beetle, of the vintage variety. Yea, that's what I am. What car are you??

Ok, so all joking aside, I am gettin into this now. All the walking and general housewifeyness has helped to shed the baby weight, but I'd be happy to see another stone/6kgs to go. At the mo, I am pre Maia pregnancy, bang on same. I guess its more of a toning and shaping issue than weight issue, and this time Im measuring and keeping track of cms lost around bum/tum/thighs. The rest Im not bothered about. Just the usuals ;)



Currently we are at:

Thigh 66cm

Hips 102cm

Tummy 97cm                                          Now the only problem is sticking with it... ;)