Photo-a-Day Challenge

I've really enjoyed FatMumSlim's photo-a-day challenge for December. I've never done a photo challenge before and, in the past, have found it a bit annoying when my Instagram friends have spammed my photo feed with pictures of apples, grass or an artistic shot of their car keys. BUT, I had never tried it. I am particularly enjoying following #fmsphotoaday and seeing how much better blogger photographers have interpreted the day's challenge. Chantelle over at Fat Mum Slim also does a top 4 post each day of her favourite pics that have the challenge's hashtag. Pretty cute. 

So head over to Instagram to see my latest daily photo and maybe even jump on board with the challenge yourself!

Notable 'grams: Kylie Purtell - A Study in Contradictions.

A shout out to a recent blog discovery. Kylie is a mum of two girls and tells it like it is. I particularly like this post on Instagram of her daughter on the eve of her third birthday. A picture's worth a thousand words...

Asleep in one of her two Frozen dresses. On the floor. I think it's safe to say she had a pretty good day! When she wakes up she'll be three! #punkyturns3 #punky2014

A photo posted by Kylie Purtell (@kyl21z) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:17am PST

Baby and Family Menu

I am often scouring Pinterest and searching on Google for family friendly meals that will easily convert into beginner finger food for my nine month old daughter. In my search it seems that there are many many other mums out there who are doing the same. I decided that since my daughter is not currently starving that I would track a week or so of foods that have happened in our house and share them here. Maybe if a few of us did the same there would be some excellent, practical resources out there for sparking creativity in the kitchen (and easy ideas!). I hope the list encourages you that you're probably already doing a great job.

Photo credit: Donnie Ray Jones 

I try to avoid a lot of packaged food and always love things that are simple. I try to include variety but this is by no means a perfectly balanced meal plan. It is me doing my best during a pretty average week with its normal change ups and routine. Enjoy!


Sunday

Baby Breakfast ~ weetbix and boiled water with some cows milk added, dry toast fingers
Mum's Breakfast ~ coffee, mashed avocado on toast and a hard-boiled egg (3 leftover hard-boiled eggs go in fridge for later. I write the date on them with a marker.)

The First Foods Fiasco

I love food. A lot. And I don't always like 'good' or gourmet food. I just like food. My relationship with food isn't an unhealthy one. (My health is suffering more due to my relationship with exercise. We're not really getting along.) I don't binge anymore than most fertile women who experience monthly emotional upheavals or slightly worn out stay-at-home mums who grab the easiest thing between sleep times and are starving by ten pm. But I do very much like to eat. If you have read Eat Pray Love (I haven't seen the movie) I now crazily desire to return to Italy with a pants size up packed in my suitcase. I think you get the picture. I'm an eater.

So when my daughter was not gulping down enormous amounts of blitzed pumpkin the moment I placed the spoon before her lips, I was stumped.

Photo credit, F. Voisin-Demery

Today was one of THOSE days

It's 8:22 AM and hubby has just raced out the door for work ten minutes late. He's always ten minutes late. I never understood how someone could get from being half asleep and horizontal to running out a door so quickly. I like taking an hour to get ready, half an hour if I deserve a sleep in. I guess that was before baby. Now I need at least two hours to make sure we will both cope after we step outside. Two and half if I attempt a shower. But what am I kidding. Showers are a luxury. Like going out the front door...

So it's 8:22 AM and I've been asleep for about four hours. And before that for about an hour. Let me explain. We'll just revisit the previous evening. I believe some of you may relate:

Photo credit, D. Garding