When Life is Too Good

Sunday Breakfast on the back patio, eating pancakes and drinking tea - pure decadence!

The last week which saw my 43rd birthday was what you could perfect...mostly.

This is what it's been like the last couple of weeks. Undulating between perfect and frustrating.  The thing is, it's all my fault.  Life for me is fantastic, but sometimes we can fail to see it when life is just TOO good!   That has been me lately.

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling very tired.  Self-inflicted overtraining.  I go too hard too quickly.  I pulled  back the reins though the tiredness and frustration remained.  I haven' even felt like training this week and dragged my sorry arse to the gym yesterday!  I still managed a mostly strong weights session, though squats are frustrating the hell out of me at present.  I'm still a novice and it's a learning curve.  It's not a great head space, and so unlike me, but when that happens I know it's time to stop and take a step back and look at why.

Knowing myself so well now, it's a constant battle to maintain balance in my life.  On one hand I like to train and go hard; keep the house tidy, stay on top of all things domestic, and yet on the other hand I like to relax and have time to smell the roses.  In order for me to maintain this equilibrium, I have to schedule times within my week and month to ensure that I keep it all humming along nicely.

With Christmas, New Year, and with all the rain, things have slipped behind on the domestic front and with such a large yard (which I wanted), it's more labour intensive, and I have a back log of work to catch up on.  Another mountain of weeds; washing things like bedsheets and furniture covers, etc which had to be delayed due to all the rain.  So that's just life, but it all just got a bit overwhelming for me.  It's times like these that I realise I need to physically stop and take stock of things.  Training, as much as I love it (except or the last week), sometimes has to be put on the back burner so I can get all the other stuff in my life back to a happy medium and humming along.  When I've got all this squared away, then I find I'm back in a better place, headspace wise and can then focus 100% on my training AND enjoy it!  When I lack motivation in my training, I know it's time to slow down for a while. 

So today I'm not training.  I'm catching up on house and yard work and preparing my stuff to start back at Army Reserves tonight.  At this very moment I'm sitting out the back patio listening to the whipbirds calling, lorikeets screeching, birds chattering, the chickens scratching in amongst the plants, classical music, and while I'm drinking coffee.  I'll grab 10 minutes of some quiet reading when I've finished this post, and then I'll be hanging out more washing, cleaning the kitchen and getting some much needed housework done.  I feel better already, and I'll return to training tomorrow morning.

The Lighthouse, Byron Bay

Breakfast Fresh Cafe, Byron Bay

Last Friday couldn't have been anymore perfect, and secretly, I think I need a whole week of doing what I did on Friday...sweet F'All!  I lay on the beach reading; pottered around Byron Bay shops and ended up at Mary Ryans Bookstore/Coffee Shop and spent about 2 hours in there looking through books and reading - it was pure bliss!   I bought two great books - 'Principles of Home - Making a Place to Live' by Kevin McCloud (the guy who hosts Grand Designs on ABC TV), and 'A Slice of Organic Life' by Sheherazade Goldsmith.  Anthony and I in amongst that had some lunch and in the afternoon we met up again and had a great coffee (Campos coffee) at the Breakfast Fresh Cafe (pic above).  We then drove up to The Lighthouse and the walk was great and the scenery spectacular and refreshing!  Anthony and I then drove back through the hinterland and finished the day late into the evening, eating pizza at Mt Tamborine before going home and falling into bed.  It was THE perfect birthday!

Come Monday morning I was despondent and not looking forward to going to the gym!  The warning bells are sounding and it was time to take note.  Mind you, apart from squats I had a great session and did my best pull-up session.  I decided to ditch my resistance bands and managed 4 sets of 5, 4, 4, 2 reps of unassistd pull-ups.  My best yet!  My lats are nice and sore this morning.

So this morning I'm taking some time out to get some much needed 'other stuff' done and I'm taking a little time out to stop and enjoy what I already have.

I've been frustrated because my weight hasn't budged beyond the 60kg mark and I've been whinging and complaining to myself (and Anthony...and Liz...sorry Liz!), but you know, things aren't so bad when I put it all in perspective.  I am the first to admit that I am too hard on myself sometimes and I expect too much of myself.  I need to lighten up!  And I need to remind myself to lighten up.  I also need to organise myself alot better than I do.

I'm still in pretty good shape.  I'm looking good and feeling healthy and fit.  I have a beautiful family and home and lots going on in my life to occupy me.  I am truly blessed.  So enough of whinging and complaining!  Time to get on with it.

Take a Chance...

Pauline Nordin...still my benchmark



Satay Chicken Pizza







"So take a chance...and don't ever look back...don't ever look back."

- from the lyrics of 'Teengage Dream', Katy Perry

Well hello! I can't believe it's been over one week since I posted.  Well...I can...I sought of went underground.  I have to admit I went through a period of uncertainty.  Sometimes in life there are too many choices, and the problem is deciding what to choose!  What a dilemma hey?  How fortunate am I that, that is about as challenging as my life gets?  Yet it is exactly what's been happening in the past week.  You could say I have been through a bit of a pyschological slump.  I have been overwhelmed with all my options about what I want to do and what my present goals are. 

In all honesty, I still haven't quite worked that out.   Though I've worked out what I don't want.  More on that later.   But after a little bit of a training lull due to illness and general confusion, I have taken some timely and wise advice from the coaching guru herself, Liz.  And that advice?....Just keep moving!

So that's what I'm doing.  And at the moment, I'm not really fussed about how I'm moving.  I'm just doing whatever I feel like at the moment.  I'm following my heart and enjoying the ride.  I figure I'll work it out on the run. 

All I know is that when I'm moving, I'm happy!

So during my 'lull' I did quite a bit of baking (and partaking in the eating of that baking...oops!).  I made my first ever pizza base, made of wholemeal spelt flour and I made one (or two) awesome pizzas.  The first (pictured) is a chicken satay pizza. I'm not very creative.  I got this recipe from a great blog called Bake, Bike, Blog.  Check it out!  The pizza was heaven!  My first attempt was thick and crusty, and my second attempt was thin and crispy and I changed the topping to ham and pineapple with tomato, mushrooms and bocconcini cheese - special request from Miss Philomena. Ahhh...Belissimo!

There endeth my food confession.  There are few more, but we won't go into detail about those, apart from having a lovely wedding anniversary dinner that AW and I had last Saturday.  A lovely dinner up at my fave place, Mt Tamborine, eating in front of warm, inviting fire place.  I even had a couple of glasses of Moscato (I'm not really a drinker).

Now...onto more important things...like training!

Once I hit my 57kg's, I didn't really have a goal.  Where do I go from here?  My goal is mainly to stay lean all-year-round, so maintaining between 57-58kg's is the aim.  The last week I've got up to my limit of 58kg's and have promptly reined in my nutrition again. 

Liz suggested doing a BB comp as a way to stay focused, so we were hush,hush about that as I didn't want to put it out there as I hadn't really decided if I was going to do it.  The What If? factor is so powerful.  I thought that was  great goal, and also to do another photo shoot at the same time.  I went along to the INBA titles at Chandler a couple of weekends ago, thinking that would put the fire in the belly.

And guess what happened?....NOTHING!  In fact I felt annoyed.  It didn't have the effect I was looking for.  It didn't inspire me the way I thought it would.

But I kept training, and that's when I got a bit unstuck, not realising what had happened.  After a little chat with coach, we kind of figured that a BB comp was not going to give me the focus and I needed to find another worthy goal.

So I've accepted that doing BB comp is really not who I am.  There!  I said it!  It sounds so appealing, and I've had visions of a ripped version of me up there on stage, strutting my stuff.  But in all honesty...that's not me.

I like the notoriety of being just me at my best and looking lean and defined every ordinary day of my life!  My dreams and visions are just a better version of me! 

I still want a Pauline butt and better legs, especially around the top of my thighs.  But I'm happy with my body and I love feeling this lean and fit.  I love the fact that I can now just about attempt any type of activity and be able to smash it - feel spent, and then get up, walk away, feel energised and be ready for the next thing...whatever life has to throw at me.   And without injury! 

Pauline - the perfect combination of lean and muscular

Last week I did an MMA class at my gym.  It's a new class called Cage Fit - a 45 min MMA conditioning class (longer than 45 mins).  And it's awesome!  No PT's  or fitness instructors taking this class...nah-ah...a MMA fighter takes this class.  His name is Nick is he's ripped!  We were waiting for him to remove his shirt, but we were sorely disappointed...lol... 



Michelle Gutierrez - female MMA fighter


Anyway.  I have to admit - it wasn't what I expected.  It was challenging but I was delighted at how well my body handled it, considering that I'd done a big leg session that morning.  No soreness the following day (only from squats and rack pulls), which we were told would probably happen.  According to Nick, our first session was 'easy' compared to the type of training that your typical MMA club does. I'd believe it.  Two girls walked out and said it wasn't for them.  We finished off with a 'cardio' session which consisted of 3 x 3 min rounds of boxing, punching, knee strikes and the dreaded 'Defence' move.

Defence is a move where you basically drop to ground like you're doing a push-up, and then jump up again as quickly as you can (it's to avoid a mid-section tackle or pile drive).  Needless to say there were alot of Defence cues in the rounds.  How stoked was I to find that I could do this move and jump straight back up, over and over?  No lower back soreness or compromising of form, and I was amazed at how strong and quick my legs moved.  A testament to all the core and leg work I've been doing with Liz!

So tonight I'm going back for more!  Nick's goal for us is to get to 10 x 3min rounds (1 min recovery in-between).  He said if we have the same group we can learn alot of technique as well as improve our fitness.  So I want to see how fit I can get.  Anything in the quest for  'fit-and-lean-for-life'!

I've  had a better week...some great leg sessions on Monday and Tuesday, followed with a smashing RPM class yesterday with Chila, burning those legs to the extreme, and then a very 'ouchy' massage.  Tonight it's MMA conditioning...tomorrow some upper body work and cardio, and Saturday it's back to Wing Chun.

Anyway...I'm hoping that I'll soon be able to put a finger on what I really want. Meanwhile...I'll just keep moving and enjoying my ordinary, everyday leanness! :P ;)

How AWESOME is my life?  Yeah...okay...just back up on a high again...Woohoo! :P

It's a Wrap Up...

My new Denali soft-shell jacket (looks better on)

One of my op-shop bargain buys - Cargo pants ($9.95) that fit like a glove

Just to prove that, yes...it's a Size 8!


My other op-shop bargain buy...Pink Volleys ($12.95)...aren't they just so cool?


Little Miss Phil enjoying her pikelets

An Easter treat...pikelets with ricotta cheese, mixed berry sauce & freshly whipped cream




Chicken thigh stir-fry with pak choy, mushrooms, carrot & beans on top of rice vermicelli

Today will be my last post for a few weeks. I'm heading off to Albury/Wodonga for my AR employment training. This should see the completion of my employment training, and I'll officially be an Operator Administrative Clerk. It will also mean that I'll be a full private. It will have taken me only just less than 2 years, as I enlisted in June 2009.

So I've been busy making lists of all sorts...packing, to-do's, nutrition plans. As well as lots of washing and drying. Our dryer decided to give up the ghost, so we've been hot-footing it down to the local laundromat, which I could easily digress into another subject about people who frequent laundromats on a regular basis (but I won't).

I've also been buying some last minute items to prepare me for the cold. As you may or may not be aware - I hate cold weather! That's why I live in Brissy, and even the winters here are too cold for me. Today's weather was max 22deg C and min 11deg C in Albury. Looking at the forecast this week, it looks like the temperature is dropping and a min. 2deg C is forecast for Wednesday...brrrrr...

I have enough thermals, though I'll be spending most of the days inside and it will be heated. But the last few days we have a field trip, so we go bush. That, I am not looking forward too! It's just the cold. That aside, getting to and from buildings and getting to the gym at the end of the day is going to be the interesting thing.

My natural tendency is to stay indoors and stay warm, but I want to get in as much exercise as I can, especially in the first week, as the work and study load really starts to build by the end of the first week, and in the second week, there won't be any time for working out. I'm steeling myself though to get out and go for a run, even if it's for 20minutes. I'll try to get in as much weights during the first week. But it's a 10-15min walk to the gym and the weather down in Albury is just horrible, so I plan on running. I'm sure the AA pick these locations because they are hell-holes, so they can put us to the test.

So...I went out to Anaconda and Mountain Designs today to check out their jackets and hydration backpacks. I have to tell you, I lurve Mountain Designs! I've now a found a new outlet for my clothing. I just wish it wasn't so expensive.

Anyway...I went to Mountain Designs first. I found this awesome soft-shell jacket with hood (in Black, of course). It is wind-proof; rain-proof; insulated; breathable, and it fits like a glove! Except...they didn't have my size in Black...arghhhh! Luckily though. It was on sale. Down from $349 to $199! Bargain!...***cringe*** If they would have had my size, I was going to buy it regardless (stupid me).

As I said...luckily they didn't have it my size, so I popped over to Anaconda. They happened to have a soft-shell jacket - hood; wind-proof; rain-proof; thermal insulation; breathable...and...in Black in a size 10! Woohoo! Only $169.95 thank you very much!***cringe***.

So here I was turning the cost over in my head, thinking I couldn't really afford it, but damn I look good in it! :P So I go to the checkout thinking it was cheaper than Mountain Designs (though not as spiffy), and justifying the expense because I was going to get 10% discount being a Defence Force member (which Mountain Designs do not give). I flash my Army ID, and I wait for the price......waiting...heart is beating faster...and the girl says to me..."that will be $71.50 thanks!" WTF! She must have made a mistake...oh well...she must be right. She did scan it. I showed my ID. Bargain! Needless to say, I was ecstatic, and felt like doing the highland jig right there at the checkout (but it would have looked too uncool). Thanks very much ADF! Sometimes it does pay to serve your country in more ways than one.

I've also planned my in-between meals (at the mess). I think I've got it covered! I'm taking down a stash of protein bars, so meal 2 will be probably a protein bar with a piece of fruit. I'm also planning to go shopping for supplies, such as tinned tuna and chicken, microwave steamed vege packs, cottage cheese, froz berries, miso soup, yoghurt, etc. This way, I'll have no excuse to eat crap in-between meals. One of the ideas I have, is throwing in some tinned chicken into the miso soup and adding some steamed veges for my protein and complex carb sources. I tried one of the tins of chicken, and it was quite good. I am sticking to the ones without any sauces of course, as they have hardly any fat. I've bought myself a little food thermos to pack in my army daypack, so that I can have soup ready-to-go if I want.

The hardest time will be at the end of the day, as everyone goes to the boozer and drinks and eats crap. I don't drink, so that's not a problem. But last year I got stuck into the beer nuts and chips every night. I also ate ice-cream for dessert every night as well as hot chips for dinner. There won't be any of that while I'm down there this time! I'll save myself for the end-of-course dinner in town, and think I will have a nice treat meal then.

Anyway...Easter was lovely, and after Lent it was on...with the food...heh..heh... Actually, it wasn't that bad. I didn't pig out, but I didn't calorie count or plan my meals too strictly either. I just went with the flow and ate pretty much what I wanted. Above you'll see that on Easter Saturday morning I made these beautiful pancakes with Ricotta cheese in the batter, and topped it with mixed berries (with a little castor sugar to lessen the tang), and freshly whipped cream! We all enjoyed it. I also promised myself some well-deserved chocolate. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but I love roast almond chocolate! I bought myself two family blocks (they were on special :) ), and ate them both - I didn't share with anyone!

The last photo is just one I decided to take. I'm starting to experiment a bit with my food, as now I know what quantities of proteins, carbs and fats is ideal for me. I can now 'mix-n-match' all of these to keep my nutrition interesting and appealing. I love chicken thighs, and prefer the taste to chicken breast, so I've been cooking alot of stir-fry with thighs. It means I have to cut down on the quantity, because of the fat content, but that's okay. I'm enjoying the meals more, which is very important.

Okay...I'm all over the place...the cargo pants...

As you can see, I've been bargain shopping at my favourite op-shop here in Beenleigh (Endeavour Foundation). They have some real cool stuff at reasonable prices, and it's a huge store. My LJ camos are too big so I'm in dire need of some cargo pants that fit me (that's all I wore last winter). Yesterday I tried on about 6 different cargo pants in a size 10. They were all too big! So I tried on these size 8's (thinking originally they would be too small) and you know what? They fit just perfectly! I was one happy little vegemite. It's my first size 8! :)

And don't you just love the hot pink Volleys? I couldn't believe that they had them in my size and they are sooooo comfortable. The girl just put them out, so I was lucky to snap them up.

Not only did I indulge over Easter, but through circumstance, I couldn't get to the gym for 5 day. Apart from recovery week earlier in the year, that's the longest I haven't exercised. Of course I put on weight on the scales (I only measured at the end of the 5 days),but I 've been doing this long enough to know that it's all carbs. I no longer stress about these little events or periods in my schedule. I honour myself during the week, and I'm pretty disciplined most of the time. I have my occasional moments, but I'm cool with that.

The most rewarding feeling is to get to a place where you know how your body responds, and you can relax. I know that within 3-4 days of clean eating, I am back to my normal weight. I'm currently sitting on 56.97kg's, so I'm at my happy weight. It's good to know that I can do this quite happily, and not stress. The hard work I've put in, has enabled me to get to this place, and it's a good place to be.

So when I get back it will be time to renew my vigour and start my new training and nutrition program. I can't wait to return and start training hard again on a consistent basis and get back into the flow of training.

So it's ciao for now...and I'll talk to you when I return.

Extended Birthday Celebrations

Nicole, Craig Harper & Me - Maroochydore

Leisa, Lee-Ann & Me at Cactus Jacks

Little Miss Phil in her chinese princess get-up




Wendy House (nee Swansson) & Me

Finally, my birthday celebrations are over, and I can begin to concentrate again on my training and (especially) nutrition. Before Friday I finally got in under 59kgs (just). I think it will take me a good week to get back under. Though I was surprised how little I put on over the three days, so maybe it won't take as long as I think.

Last week which officially was my birthday on 3rd February, I met up with Liz for a review of where I was at in my training and to update my program, after coming out of a recovery period which took 3 weeks! Geez! Did I do a good job of smashing myself or what? It kinda took me by surprise. But being the 'all or nothing' kinda gal, I suppose it shouldn't (come as a surprise).

Liz was happy with my progress (I think). Especially in relation to me activating certain muscles, especiallly the glutes. A definite improvement in that area. So now that I've got those firing better, it seems that I now need to work on other areas, in addition to continuing to improve the activation and strengthening of the glutes.

We've ascertained that I'm very hamstring and lower back dominant, hence my hammies and lower back getting very sore and tight when I'm very fatigued. So in this program I'm concentrating heavily on activating the glutes, before recruiting my hamstrings, and relying on my glutes more. I'll also be working on using my quads more too, which don't get stimulated enough due to the dominance of my hamstrings. So I'm quite excited, because I'd love to have bigger quads and have what bodybuilders call a 'sweep'. Eek...I think that's right??? And of course, to use my muscles correctly to improve my overall strength and performance is right up there with my priorities.

Meriza Deguzman

On Friday (4th Feb), it was dinner with my school friends at Cactus Jack at Logan Hyperdome. Wendy came a bit later, and Terasa could only drop in for 5mins due to family health concerns, so it was a little quieter than usual. But life happens, and we ended up skipping the movies, and having a late coffee with Wendy instead, which was lovely.

Oh...before dinner on the Friday, I did coffee and lunch (just me) with Wendy. I haven't seen her for awhile and she was down from Bauple, so we took the opportunity to have a good chin wag. She gave me some great advice on raising girls too. Wendy has made some life changing decisions in the last couple of years and she's rediscovering herself in a big way! I've lent her a couple of books recently, of which one was Fatitude by Craig Harper. She said it had quite a significant effect on her and she started putting things into action.

I find it fascinating how just the little things we do can have such a profound effect on people.

Wendy said that in one of the books I lent her, she found a bookmark which I'd scribbled the website url for Sweet Poison, in relation to the perils of sugar. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Wendy had looked up the site, bought both books and immediately began to apply the recommendations in the second book. She, in a very short period of time lost 10kgs, just by making a small, but significant change to her diet! I was delighted to see how excited she was and what discoveries she had made about her health and what she was capable of achieving through applied knowledge.

And lastly...the weekend just gone, AW and I headed up to Maroochydore on Friday and stayed at Novotel Twin Waters. The weather was glorious, and we managed to get in a quick swim in the surf in the afternoon. We had dinner at the resort, and then I choofed off to have coffee with CH and Nicole. I was surprised to find that hardly anyone showed up, but then again, I realised that people were probably travelling from some distance too. It was nice though to be able to chat in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.

Saturday saw me attending Craig Harper's workshop, 'Stop F*cking Around'. The idea was that it would help me refocus after my recovery and give me some needed inspiration to move me towards my ultimate goal. I needed some 'headspace' therapy in big picture thinking.

I wasn't there about the exercise or nutrition, and it was stuff I knew already. Admittedly, it didn't have the desired effect I was looking for. However, surprisingly it helped me to reflect on other areas of my life and helped clarify what I need to do in those areas, which the byproduct will be more time to concentrate on my training fitness. It did also bring to light areas which I've been in denial about, and that I still need to be a bit more brutal about where and how I spend my time and what are truly my priorities.

And also, the bonus of just a really relaxed weekend of just going with the flow and spending some quality time with AW was just so welcomed. My only regret was that I couldn't spend more time at the beach, though I did manage to fit in a quick swim after the workshop on Saturday at Maroochydore. The weather was spectacular and the waves were calling to me all day, in that conference room overlooking the water. I just had to get in a swim! A refreshing end to a good day.

Saturday night we went to Mooloolaba for dinner, and I had a delicious pizza at some italian restaurant on the esplanade. Sunday we checked out and headed up to Montville and AW and I parked ourselves at Poets Corner for the next three hours. So it was coffee and morning tea over the paper and me reading CH's book, surprisingly titled 'Stop F*cking Around' and reviewing my notes, doing alot of contemplation and making a start to my action plan. We then stayed for lunch, had a bit of wander through the shops, bought some little things for Philomena and headed off again.

AW dropped me off at my Leisa's place in Sandgate where she was having a 'homeware' party, so caught up with the girls again. AW then headed off to do his 'Chocolat' class at Deagon, which was his chrissy present.

The weekend was topped off with picking up Philomena from my besties place (Cheryl). She had had an adventurous weekend herself, as they'd been in Toowoomba over the weekend, and had spent Sunday in Grantham, helping clean mud out of people's houses and doing a bit of visiting. Philomena had a ball, kept everyone entertained and her most memorable recollection of the day was that 'everyone was living in their sheds, and the chooks kept coming in and out as they pleased, because they had no houses (she was talking about the chooks...not the people... :P)'.

Phew! What a weekend!

Today it was back to my new program, and I love starting the week with GoCycle with the awesome Craig. This morning though, I was still feeling a little seedy from the 'not-so-clean' food, and spent alot of the time wondering whether I was going to throw up. I'd jogged to the gym before the cycle class and pushed myself pretty hard. I ended up burning 397 calories in 51mins (less warm-up), which is a record for me! Then it was a 5 min break before throwing some weights around in the gym, and I then walked home. What an awesome start to the week!

So there you have it. If you're wondering about Little Miss Phil's picky, I just threw that one it cause she's cute. :)

How Would I Describe It?

I can't even begin to describe how I am feeling right now.

Today is the first moment in a couple of weeks I've....a) had a little time to blog, and b) sought of felt like blogging. Sought of, in the sense that there's alot of things externally moving rapidly around me, but I feel quite calm and centred. I'm not on a high, I'm not on a low. I just am.

I usually blog when I'm at one end of the (emotional) spectrum or the other. I think I may have found the word...Hiatus. Maybe someone can come up with a more apt word.

It's like I'm in the eye of a cyclone (sorry, but cyclone Yasi is foremost in my thoughts at present). There's turmoil all around me, but I'm feeling strangely calm and unaffected.

I'm feeling better than I was two weeks ago. I'm finally feeling rested and even though I'm not back training 100%, energy-wise, I'm feeling good about where I am, and steadily gaining momentum. I haven't touched weights for 2 1/2 weeks, but that's okay. I've needed the rest. I've been mainly doing cardio, pilates/stretching, activation work and resting when I can. However, resting for me is when I get to bed, so getting to bed earlier is when I get to rest.

I'm back under 60kg's and I think that by next week I should get in under 59kg's. Nutrition hasn't been 100% in the last couple of weeks, but I haven't gone stupid either. The rest hasn't had a detrimental affect scale-wise, which is comforting. My crash has stalled things a little, but that's life, and it's now business as usual.

I haven't been on the net much at all. To be honest, I've been too busy. I have to be super organised to get everything done without having to rush around all stressed. I hate that! Being stressed and running around like a chook with its' head cut off, that is.

There have been moments that I've had time to stop for a short while and appreciate things around me. Currently, we have a little family of Blue Wrens living out back amongst all the trees. This week, I've stolen moments to look out into the back patio and watch them flitter around and listen to their beautiful warbles and chatter. The part I love most is watching them flit around in the gardenia bush we have (which is quite large), and then promptly flitter down to the bird bath and flutter in and out, cooling themselves down and taking small sips. They are such busy little bees and they scurry around and flit here and there, all the while churping away so beautifully. I could watch them all day.

Here's what they sound like...just delightful!




The other moments I've been spending with Philomena after school. And it's so nice to be able to walk home and chatter about her day at school, come home and just be with her. I've been determined that while I'm reorganising my life, that I do what I need to do while she is at school, as best I can, so that we can have more relaxed time before and after school. Though, in order to achieve this, it means that I have to be brutal and plan and organise everything down to the nth degree to ensure I have this time.

So at the moment I'm in a good place, and looking forward to February...oops! Just realised that it is February...lol... And tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be 42, and it's great to be able to say that I'm still Fit-n-Fab-at-42!

And what better way to spend the day on my birthday, reviewing where I'm at, and updating my current training program with my fabulous, effervescent, and vastly talented exercise physiologist, Liz. It's exciting for me to think of the changes I'm bringing about in my body, both from a functional point of view as well as an aesthetic one. I can only dream of what I'm going to feel and look like in another couple of years.

Of course, no birthday would be complete without some indulgence. I've been dreaming about having Vietnamese tomorrow, and I know exactly what I'll be having...Beef and Tripe Noodle Soup! And to continue the celebrations, Friday night I'll be doing coffee and movies with my school friends of some 35 years or so, which I can safely get through without too much of a dent calorie-wise. Oh...and lunch with the lovely Wendy (and old friend Andrew hopefully) on Friday arvo which may not escape the possibility of beer-battered chips (my favourite).

It's just occured to me how many people I've connected with via Blogland, both 'out there in blogosphere' and face-to-face, and continue to connect with...love it!

Now the celebration doesn't stop there though. Next weekend I'll be spending the weekend at Novotel Twin Waters Resort. It'll be just me and AW (Philomena is having a 2 night sleepoever). We head up on Friday, and on Saturday I'll be attending the Craig Harper workshop 'Stop Fu#%ing Around', which I think will be extremely beneficial for my headspace and help me refocus. And I get to meet Craig Harper himself, and catch up with the lovely Nicole too...so I'm looking forward to that! And on Sunday, AW is going to a cooking class in Deagon called 'Chocolat'. He's always wanted to do a chocolate cooking class, so that was his Christmas gift from me and Phil.

So by the end of next weekend, I should be jumping out of my skin and ready for the next phase of my health and fitness journey, after a good rest.

Anyway...gotta go. This took longer than I anticipated. Sorry about the timing. I know that Cyclone Yasi is what is on everyone's minds, including mine, but today was the only time I had a chance to blog.

Lastly...just a bit of an announcement. This week I hung up my Personal Success Mentor boots with Ideal Bodies Online. It's been a wonderful couple of years, and I'm a little sad, because IBO has been such a huge part of my life since 2008. My life has been changed in so many ways in which that I cannot begin to explain. And the opportunities afforded me, as a result, have been and still are, multiplying exponentially. Thank you to Sue Heintze - owner of Ideal Bodies Online, and Kristin Gleeson for all their wonderful help, understanding, encouragement and inspiration! Of course it's not goodbye. It's just that life is taking yet another direction as I continue to grow and move forward.

Mad Hatter's Garden Tea Party

"One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others."

- from 'Alice in Wonderland', by Lewis Carroll

Yesterday, we joined Alice and friends in the beautiful gardens of Trellaurel, in North Tamborine. We went along to two open gardens , and at Trellaurel we were treated to a pantomine of Alice in Wonderland, set amongst the three acres of gardens. It was performed by a local theatre group of children, and split into three scenes. It was just magical!

My favourite part of the pantomine was the Mad Hatters Tea Party, and you can see Philomena in the very first photo, sitting with the Hatter, the Doormouse, and the March Hare. She asked me, and then AW later, when she was going to be on stage. I've been nurturing her love of drama, and hope to keep her encouraged. I think Philomena will love acting and drama. I'm just waiting to find the right time to introduce her to formal classes.

This is Philomena having a go at Croquet. And below are some photos from the scene 'Pack of Cards'.

More photos from the garden of Trellaurel. The owner said it took her 24 years to create her beautiful garden, and she raised three boys amongst it, of which the tree house was their favourite part of the garden. She says she misses those days.

"What is the use of a book without pictures and conversations."

- 'Down the Rabbit Hole', Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

The following pictures are the from the scene, 'Down the Rabbit Hole'. It was performed around a beautiful pond in the gardens of Trellaurel, complete with striking purple water lillies and stepping stones.

Here is Philomena sitting on a bench underneath an enormous Camphor Laurel tree, which was also home to a tree house.

The path and entrance to Trellaurel.

This was the first open garden we went to called Magnolia Brae. It's 50 years old and was the first time it was opened to the public. Below are some photos from this beautiful garden which is known for its' deciduous trees...maples, dogwood, oaks, jacarandas, etc. And of course the magnolia trees were on full display, as well as the Camelia's. I've never seen them grow to such heights, as they are on Mt Tamborine. They are trees! And the blooms were so magnificent and rich in colour and variety.

This is actually the neighbouring property, but I just loved the cottage look and the flowering camelias, so I had to take a photo or three.

This is the rear of the garden. A beautiful outlook of the surrounding properties, forest and horizon.

A lovely spot beneath a magnificent Magnolia tree, overlooking the mountains.

A nice life and spot for the chickens, don't you think?

Wk 18 & Change of Seasons

Every year I dread the coming of winter, and even though I love snuggling up on the couch with a hot cuppa on a cold, rainy day, the reality of it is...I hate the cold! At this time of the year though it is just lovely, and today as it rains, I'm scrolling through my most memorable images of autumn. This year, it's been especially lovely being somewhat warmer than normal.

As said, last week I took the week off and with it, alot of the pressure I've been putting myself under. Routine went out the window, and my presence on facebook and blogland was very scant, and I noticed, not missed.

I took the opportunity to get in touch with my senses and more in tune with the simple things around me. On Saturday morning, Phil and I went to Nielsen's Native nursery at Loganholme. It's a beautiful nursery and has a coffee shop, as well as an aquarium shop, all manner of plants, pots, water fountains and features, a beautiful pond and bridge, exquisite garden sculptures and all things gardening. Needless to say I was in heaven, and Phil had a wonderful time exploring the nursery and all it's little surprises, like gold fish, carp, and a cheeky little frilly necked lizard which decided to sun itself on top of a huge boulder, as we sat and had morning tea.

Above is a picture of a Camelia sasanqua called Marge Miller. It's quite unique in that it's the first ground cover Camelia. I bought one to put at my front entrance as they're great for pots, and when a little larger will spill over, and produces an abundance of beautiful double pink flowers. I bought another Camelia which will grow to about 3m. I also bought Salvias, and Azaleas and an array of herbs for cooking...Sweet Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, and a lovely verigated Oregano. So I was in my element planting. I also topped up the garden with lovely free, organic mulch, compliments of all the leaf litter on my carport roof and in the gutters (which was chockers), which I spent about 2 hrs just doing that. The things we do for garden mulch!

And yesterday afternoon I took Philomena to the Eagleby Wetlands where we did a 1km river walk which I'm sure was longer than 1km. We played in the park and she ran, and ran, and ran, chased butterflies, swung on the swing; took in all the lovely sights...swans, ducks, other birds..walked alongside Albert river, etc. We had a lovely time soaking up the tranquility...well I did anyway. Philomena was too busy talking or chasing butterflies...as she does. :)

So I had a beautiful, restful weekend and it helped me regain my composure and focus on what's important. Part of that for me is being true to who I am and what makes me feel like me, and that's inextricably tied to my health and fitness. So you know, I still want to be a 'Sexy Bitch' in 2010. So I sat down and really thought about what I need to do to achieve what I want. It's all a matter of making a plan, and continually focusing on what I want to feel and look like. In amongst that of course, I still need to stop and take the time to enjoy other areas of my life. This morning I weighed in at 60.2kgs. So it's all good, and I'm back on track! I've been back on my Ideal Bodies Online nutrition program too. I'm just experimenting with the fat portions, as I did find my energy levels were too low. On the Zone diet, my skin flared up and I started packing on the weight again. Mostly because I just couldn't stop eating those damned macadamia nuts - they were starting to put an end to my lean days! I changed back to my IBO nutrition plan because I'd realised that it works for me.

Okay...more autumn memories. It goes without saying...FOOD, FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

Yes, we're coming into those months more famous for COMFORT EATING...he..he..he...It's definitely one of life's greatest pleasures. And as I explained to someone recently, we have to start to thinking about food a little differently, especially when we're concerned about gaining weight.

For me, rather than think about gorging myself on food, as I used to do, food or the sharing of food is more about the event itself and bringing together people who are important in our lives and sharing our experiences and the joy of being together. The simple act of sharing a meal is about defining moments that encapsulate how we feel about life and the people in it, in all its' richness and variety.

So I've been thinking more about preparing some beautiful meals for us to sit down and enjoy as a family. Friday nights we sit down, just us three...we turn off the television, we give thanks for what we have to eat, and we share our week. This is a little ritual that I've begun, and it usually revolves around beautiful tasting, and beautifully presented food. It just makes it all the more memorable.

The last photo is a scene from one of my favourite movies, Chocolat. This would have to one of my favourite scenes where Judi Dench is celebrating her birthday and the town folk come together in all their diversity and share a beautiful, exotic, meal ('Quails in Chocolate Sauce'). It's not just because it's about Chocolate...lol...I just love all the elements of this movie and how it captures those feelings that I said before, that revolve around the simple act of sharing a meal, and allows us to experience such simple pleasures. The french feel and exquisite richness is so abundant in this movie.

Anyway...gotta go. Maybe you can think about what you love about Autumn and hopefully you might share it with us. Have a great week!