Friday Favourites: September 30

The Dutch Irises opened a few days ago

I all I hope you are well.

We had a wonderful weekend last week. We were meant to go visit my parents, but A had to work so we ended up spending the weekend at home and it was just what the doctor ordered.

Willow loves plants and gardens. She loves being taken to the nursery and inspecting the plants

While A was at work on Saturday Willow and I took a trip to the nursery. We didn’t buy anything (a modern day miracle) but Willow had tons of fun running around, inspecting the plants and playing in the little playground. She particularly liked the swings. We arrived home and I did some work in the garden while she napped and then we spent the afternoon at the pool where she splashed and kicked and had a general good time.

Checking out camels at the zoo

Sunday was special. To make up for being at work all Saturday A said we could take Willow to the zoo. So we packed up our things and headed out quite early. Willow had an absolute blast and it was such a fun morning. She particularly liked the tiger, spider monkeys, emperor tamarinds and hippos. She run, walked and climbed everything. She sang songs. But the cutest thing was how she spent most of the morning picking up litter and throwing it in the bin. She is incredibly fastidious and it was adorable to watch.

Official taste tester

She was exhausted by the time we got home and slept really well. I spent the afternoon watching the Masterchef Australia Finale and baking muffins. All Sundays should be like this.

It was a quiet week otherwise. Willow is working on bringing out another tooth and has been a little grumpy. We spent a few afternoons snuggled on the couch watching Disney movies.

poor sick Willow Bug

On Thursday A and I celebrated out four year anniversary. It’s amazing how much time has flown! Facebook has been showing me much love with a few trips down memory lane courtesy of TimeHop. It’s been a hoot to read the statuses and see the photos leading up to and of the day. I have many special memories of that time.

 

We had plans to go out that evening, but when I picked Willow up that afternoon she felt like a little fireball. I managed to get a last minute appointment at the doctor where we found she had a temperature of 38.7 and bronchitis, poor thing.

Getting her meds from the pharmacy saw me getting locked inside for 20 minutes for a sick baby and no meds due to a power failure in the area.

A took the first shift with her this morning, working from home while I went to work. I get the afternoon shift. Luckily Willow seems to be responding well and looks to be on the mend.

Have a great weekend all. Chat soon!

My neighbor’s lemon tree is all kinds of spectacular right now

Product of the week: I have decided to start a bullet journal. I am a planner by nature, but recently I haven’t been as dedicated to it as I should be. I have really noticed my productivity slipping as a result. As a working mom with so much to keep track of a bullet journal really seemed like a smart choice. I am not going crazy with the planning and don’t intend to do plan-with-me posts. But I admit to really enjoying playing around with fonts and coloured pens. Little doodles in the corner margins are also making me happy.

Best moment: Spending time at the zoo and watching Willow taking it all in. Also singing songs with Willow and marvelling at how much her vocabulary is growing.

Looking forward to: Having a happy, healthy toddler again. I’m also excited about October. Its my birthday month and the most beautiful time of the year in terms of weather, flowers and general spring vibes.

 

 

 

Things to I want to remember

Checking out camels at the zoo

I was putting together my Monthly spreads for October in my bullet journal and added a page called Things I Want to Remember.

This is where I want to write down those little everyday moments that are so precious to me. Willow is growing so fast and life is just flying by and I feel like I’ll forget things.

Singing songs and splashing her feet in the pool

• Willow loves to sing and you will hear her singing a lot throughout any given day. She has such a sweet voice. While she has been (and still is to a degree) singing gibberish I can now recognise the tunes and some of the words in the songs. Her favourite song is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – it has been since she was about 8 months old. She flicks her fingers and insists everyone sings with her. We get into trouble if we don’t do the hand movements. She can say “up above” perfectly. She also sings “baa baa black sheep” and “row row row” (Row Wow Row Your Boat). She is also the only person who can get her dad to sing songs (under duress, usually by shouting Dada! And nodding emphatically).

Willow loves plants and gardens. She loves being taken to the nursery and inspecting the plants

• Watching Willow squirt the plants with her spritzer bottle. We love to spend time out in the garden and she has really taken owner ship of the plants. She even says “baba Flowa!” Because I told her not to pick the buds they were babies. The sun feels so good on our skin. It’s quite in the afternoons and there is often a gentle breeze. I love to sit out there with a cup of tea.

Passed out in the car after a long weekend with her grandparents

• Her vocabulary has expanded so much! She now points to her nappy and says “poo” when she wants to be changed, she loves going to schoooooolll! And is obsessed with shoo shoos. She also loves her Baaa (bath) in the evenings.

Watching a snake through the glass at the zoo

• Willow’s first trip to the zoo. We went last weekend and it was such a wonderful day. She loved the tiger, spider monkey, fish in the Amazon aquarium, camels and hippos. She run herself ragged the whole morning, drank tons of water, ate her snacks, pointed out animals and laughed. She also spent a large amount of time picking up litter and throwing it away. She wore the cutest Naartjie overalls and H&M hat. It is a day I never want to forget!

The take-anywhere-home-workout essential

I have had resistance bands for ages, but never really appreciated their usefulness until willow came on the scene.

To be fair, even then for over a year my resistance bands still languished in a box somewhere. But as Willow’s schedule changes and evolves I find that my workouts have to change and evolve. Before I was able to squeeze yoga and strength training into nap times now I have to keep yoga for the weekend and  weekdays nap times are no longer.

I have no problem working out with her around. And often playing with her is the workout. But I’m not comfortable using hand weights around her. Maybe its my paranoid mom self, but I keep having visions of her playing with them and dropping them on her head or feet. I see broken fingers and concussions. So I have packed them away for the time being.

I was just relying on body weight, when I had a light bulb moment. This would be the perfect moment for resistance bands. So I went on the hunt to dig mine up. Since then I have been using them during afternoon workouts and they have been great. I have a very simple set and am thinking of upgrading to a set with handles. But right now these work just fine. Even Willow enjoys playing with them. They are also brilliant for travel as they weigh nothing and take up no room in a suitcase.

I went on the hunt on Pinterest and tracked down quite a few workouts for the resistance band. I have also taken to including y skipping rope for some cardio in between sets. I am left sore and feeling like I worked hard, which is the goal. So if you are short on space, working out at home or are on the move, try a resistance band! Below is a video to try out and I have pinned some workouts that you can check out here

Friday Favourites: September 23

This pansy looked so beautiful in the early morning sunshine

Hi all, I hope that you have had a productive and good week.

My parents came over for a visit, which was lovely. As usual my mom and I got to spend time in the garden. I’m so proud of my little garden right now. It is looking so beautiful and I get such enjoyment out of it. I love to sit out there to eat my lunch or enjoy a cup of tea.

One newly revamped corner of my downstairs garden

We are in a drought right now and have water restrictions in place. My garden is full of indigenous plants and is very water wise. Being small also helps. We have been using grey water from the house to water the plants. It really makes me feel better to know that every bit of water has been used. I have been thinking about how we can get a rainwater harvesting taking in our space. I think that will help a lot to conserve water.

I have been making a huge amount of kefir. My grains have doubled in quantity! It has been a challenge to come up with new ways to use it but I have really been enjoying a kefir smoothie every morning and am starting to experiment with ingredients. Willow is not too sure about it. She’s really hesitant about trying it. But she is enjoying her ice lollies. Little does she know that there is kefir in there too!

Other than that our week was pretty quiet. We just spent time hanging out and chatting. I hope you all have a great weekend! Chat soon.

Pistachio ice cream made with milk kefir

Product of the week: I’m going to list kefir here. I know I have been banging on about it, but it has really made a difference to how good I feel. I have really been enjoying finding ways to use it up. The grains are also now easily available which makes a huge difference. And it’s so easy to make.

Purchase of the week: I have been looking for a decent denim jacket for ages. I have very exacting standards when it comes to denim jackets. They can’t be too cropped or boxy, or too faded or distressed. I wanted something in a mid wash that didn’t have silly badges on it and was beginning to despair that such a thing even existed. Then I spotted this beauty at Pick n Pay Clothing and my heart stood still. It’s like angels were singing. It’s so perfect! They also had denim waistcoats. I may need to go back and get one.

Best moment: Watching Willow become possessive of the garden. She loves to help me water the plants and has appropriated a squirter bottle which she uses to spritz water on the plants (and often herself as well). She has also started using works like flower. It’s adorable.

Looking forward to: I’ve ordered water kefir which is supposed to make a slightly sparkling drink. I’m hoping that it will be a good way to get A and Willow to consume more probiotics. There was a mix up with the delivery, but it looks to be arriving today and I can’t wait.

Discovering new ways to use kefir

This weekend I tried my hand at a few recipes to help me use up the milk kefir I seem to be farming on mass scale at the moment.
That’s the one thing they don’t tell you about Kefir. Once you start making it, the grains grow and you need to keep feeding them so you make more, more, more. I have heard they go into hibernation in the fridge, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Long story short: I have a lot of kefir. And since I’m the only one who consumes the milk variety I struggle to keep up sometimes. So the experimentation has started to find ways to use it that the whole family will enjoy.

I found this recipe for Kefir Pancakes which was absolutely delicious! I highly recommend this one. Everyone loved them and it was easy to whip together.
I also tried my hand at Kefir Muffins. This basic recipe is good and I can see how I could alter this. I do think this one needs further experimentation.
I start each morning off with a kefir smoothie. It’s really simple and I adjust the recipe according to what ingredients I have but generally it is a handful of frozen berries, a banana, almond butter, a sprinkle of oats, a spoonful of maca powder. Top off with half a cup of kefir and blend. You can make this with whatever fruit you have or make it green using avocado and kale or spinach. You can also make the mix and freeze it in lolly moulds. Willow is a huge fan of this!
I have also made a batch of Pistachio flavoured Kefir Ice Cream using this recipe and adding 500g of pistachios to it. I don’t have an ice cream churner so I made it in an old ice cream cup and stirred it up every 30 minutes. It worked really well and if quite delicious! You can make it any flavour you like as well. It has a slightly sour taste, a bit like frozen yogurt. Best part? It used up two cups of kefir.

Getting Back to Basics

It hasn’t been something I have really spoken about on the blog, but for the last couple of months, I have been feeling really out of sorts.

That’s the best way to describe it. Try as I might I can’t come up with anything better. I haven’t been ill per say but have had this general feeling of not being quite right. I have been trying all sort to get back to feeling normal.

At first, I thought it was just the weather and being stuck in winter that was getting me down. But now that I am finally starting to feel as if I’m turning a corner I realise that it was a lot more than that. I am extremely grateful to be feeling like myself again.

It has been months of small, steady steps and changes towards trying to be happier and feel better. I have slowly introduced habits into my days that I feel have gone a long way towards helping get out of the doldrums. I still have a way to go. But I thought I would share some things with you.

Getting the implant removed

I wrote a very long and detailed post about this if you want to give it a read. But since having it removed I have felt so much better! It’s like a weight has been lifted.

Starting the day with lemon water

I fell off the bandwagon with this habit; a combination of laziness and running out of lemons. But I have been back at it for the past two weeks and I cannot believe the difference! I feel more awake and energised in the mornings. I really look forward to it, my skin is clearing. I don’t know why but I’m always surprised by what a big difference such a small change makes.

Waking up earlier and naturally

Now that it is getting warmer I have started sleeping with the curtains open again. This means that I am waking up to natural light in the mornings. While I certainly don’t bounce out of bed I am definitely in a much better mood and not as exhausted when I go to sleep.

Putting my electronics on night mode and going to sleep earlier

I have set myself a bedtime of 10pm and I have my electronics go into night mode from about 7pm. This has made a big difference to how well I fall asleep and how deeply I sleep.

Limiting caffeine, drinking more water

I know, I know! But this is so hard for me to do when it’s cold and before I know it I’m drinking cup after cup of coffee. These past few weeks I have kept it to two cups of coffee, which I never have before 9am. I try to finish one litre of water at work and one more at home.

Getting outside

I have been spending more time outside soaking up some sun. I potter about my garden. I take Willow for walks, I breathe fresh air. It’s just what the doctor ordered.

My experience with the Implanon Birth Control Implant

Before I get started I want to put two things out there: firstly, this post will involve some straight talk that some may find TMI. If that’s you please feel free to move on. Secondly, I’m sharing my experience with the device woman to woman. I believe that you need to make informed decisions when it comes to birth control. Thirdly, this post is really long and detailed. You may want a cup of tea or coffee. Right, moving on.

I recently I had my implant removed. Not because A and I are trying for another baby, in fact, I think we’re still a long way from that. I had started developing some rather unfortunate side effects from it. I tried waiting it out and my Dr did offer me some other hormones to try balance things out, but I felt I would rather remove it all together.

I got the implant put in in April 2017. It has been absolutely fantastic. It was easy to install, with little to no discomfort, it was effective very quickly and I didn’t have a period at all. Please note, this was my experience, some women do still get periods, but they are much lighter and shorter (I think the technical term is ‘breakthrough bleed’). I was still breastfeeding the entire time so maybe that also contributed.

I did bruise very badly and it took about 2 weeks for the bruise to fade. Once it was gone you couldn’t ell I had an implant unless you ran your fingers over the inside of my bicep, or looked closely enough to see the small scar from the entry. Not having a period was fantastic! I won’t lie and say there weren’t times when I got slightly freaked out about it. But I knew I was safe and didn’t have to dwell on it too much.

I really enjoyed not having to remember to take a pill, not worrying about medications messing with effectiveness, not worrying about when my period was due. It left me so much time to focus on what was important: looking after my baby.

Another side effect that I didn’t know about until my Dr told me while she was removing it: It was preventing me from gaining weight. This along with the extended breastfeeding were working together to keep me losing weight. And, although my Dr says my weight is not unhealthy, she does recommend I put on a few kilos. This may not be a problem for everyone.

Then six months almost to the day that I stopped breastfeeding (18months since the implant was put in) I started to spot. I figured this was the long awaited period and that it would be over in a few days. Fast forward a few weeks and I was still spotting. I turned to Google (as you do) and found that this was a common side effect when you’ve had the Implanon for a long time, especially as it nears the end of its lifespan and loses effectiveness.

Fast forward a few weeks and I was still spotting. I turned to Google (as you do) and found that this was a common side effect when you’ve had the Implanon for a long time, especially as it nears the end of its lifespan and loses effectiveness. The thing was the implant is supposed to last for three years and I wasn’t half way through yet!

The bleeding was not what I’m used to at all. Some days it was heavier and required a pad, other days it was just enough to make a mess and annoy the hell out of me. I was having hormonal breaksouts on my chin (deep, below the skin spots that are painful as hell and made my face swollen!). Add to that general PMS symptoms, which for me means extreme emotions, crabbiness and sugar cravings, and I was an unhappy camper.

I tried waiting it out, but after six (to be honest I think it was nearly eight) weeks of bleeding A and I decided that the time had come to have it removed. Enough was enough. Again this was just my experience and others may react differently. My Dr did mention that the extended spotting was something she saw often.

I’m going to straight up tell you that removing it was not fun. I was given a local anaesthetic and when it had taken effect my DR made a small knick with a scalpel. I didn’t feel anything except the pressure of her working on my arm. She had to keep making knicks in order to get through the capsule my muscle had formed around the implant. Then she had to push and prod to get it in a good position. I’m surprised I didn’t leave all black and blue from bruises.

Once through the theory is that the Dr grabs the implant with a pair of forceps and slips it out. The reality involved a lot of pushing to get the implant in a place where she could grip it. The forceps couldn’t get a good grip on the implant, which is very smooth and slippery. This meant a lot of push and tugging until it finally slipped out. I actually felt sorry for my Dr as I could tell she was being as gentle as she could and was getting very frustrated.

After that, it was just clean up (there was a bit of blood obvs) and some cleaning solution. Then I was patched up with a plaster and sent on my way. All in all the appointment didn’t take long. Including my usual check up I was out of there in 30 minutes.

Once removed it took about three days before my cycle started. I have been told this is again different for everybody. It was the usual five days and I am now waiting to see how long the cycle is and if everything has gone back to how it was pre-implant.

Now that it has been removed I cann’t express the difference I feel! It is truly amazing. I feel as if I have woken up from a long sleep. I don’t feel an overwhelming lethargy and apathy anymore. my sex drive has gotten stronger, I’m not moody or unhappy or overly emotional. It’s like I’m a new person. I need to accompany this statement with a disclaimer: I don’t think it was the case the entire time I had the implant, just the last few weeks while the hormones ran out. It was a change that came over me so slowly that I didn’t notice it until the weight had been lifted. My Dr and I also discussed that I may just be sensitive to artificial hormones (I developed intolerances to the Pill as well) and this could have contributed to the implant running out sooner than expected. I just wanted to mention it so you could discuss it with your Dr.

I need to accompany this statement with a disclaimer: I don’t think it was the case the entire time I had the implant, just the last few weeks while the hormones ran out. It was a change that came over me so slowly that I didn’t notice it until the weight had been lifted. My Dr and I also discussed that I may just be sensitive to artificial hormones (I developed intolerances to the Pill as well) and this could have contributed to the implant running out sooner than expected. I just wanted to mention it so you could discuss it with your Dr.

My Dr and I also discussed that I may just be sensitive to artificial hormones (I developed intolerances to the Pill as well) and this could have contributed to the implant running out sooner than expected. I just wanted to mention it so you could discuss it with your Dr.

So that’s my round up. I have some mixed feelings towards it. I don’t think I will get another one. I did love the convenience of it and while it was effective I remember saying it was the best thing I had ever done. It definitely has a time and a place. but to be fair my sensitivity is making me very leary of most contraceptives right now.

Discovering Kidofit shoes

Kidofit Sandals in Beach Walk

I have been looking for decent barefoot technology shoes that are locally available for ages!

When my mother in law brought Willow a pair of Bobux shoes from Australia we both fell in love. They satisfied the need for cute shoes, while still being really good for Willow’s foot development.

I noticed that Willow seemed to walk better in the Bobux shoes. She tripped and slipped a lot less and seemed to be more stable.

However, they are expensive and not available here. We can get them shipped in, but with customs and such it will be even pricier. Thus, the need for something available in SA.

While searching for a better option I can across Kidofit shoes. Kidofit are available locally from Takealot as well as directly from their website!

So what makes these shoes different from the others you find in the department stores?

Firstly, they were designed by a PhD of Biomedical Engineering who specialises in foot biomechanics and ergonomics design. They have barefoot technology that makes it feel like walking barefoot – being barefoot is the best for foot development. They also have transparent soles! This means you can see how you child’s foot fits inside the shoe, no more feeling if their toes are squished or wriggling your finger into the back of the shoe.

They are also size adjustable with Velcro straps around the heel and arch of the foot. This means you can adjust the shoe as your child grows. Each shoe also comes with two inserts to adjust the fit if the shoe is too wide or loose for your child. These can be removed as your child’s foot grows. They are also light, flexible and breathable.

Now onto the nitty gritty:

Price – These retail for about R650 to R750 depending on the model you buy. In my opinion, this is pretty decent. These shoes are built to last and are they best for your child. But it completely depends on you and what ‘re prepared to spend. The plus side is they ship for free from their website and you can buy with Discovery Miles on Takealot which helps a lot. You won’t have hidden costs due to importing shoes. Also, Kidofit has a decent returns policy. You can return shoes within 14 Days. Be sure to read their T&Cs though.

Design – Besides all the good stuff I mentioned above, these shoes are also very cute to look at. We got Willow the Beach Walkers which look like watermelons! They are stinking cute. I love them. The other pairs I had my eye on are the Jasmines and the Viviannes. It was actually very difficult to decide which to buy.

Friday Favourites: September 9

 

Hi all, I hope you had a wonderful weekend and week. We went to vist A’s folks in Malalane and had a lovely relaxing weekend, which was really needed!

I have been suffering from the tail end of a sinus infection this week (yay spring!) and have been having sneezing fits and headaches. But I’m not complaining (too much)! The weather has been glorious and we have started packing away all the winter things. I love this time of the year. My little balcony garden is looking stunning and we are spending more time outside.

In other big news Willow turned 20 months old on the weekend. I can’t believe we’re here already! In four short months she will be two. Two! She’s getting so big. She doesn’t want to be carried so much, she’s got so much spunk. This is such a great age. She is also talking more and more. She still doesn’t like to repeat words – she gets all shy. But if you listen carefully you will here her saying all sort of things. And she likes to have conversations with you, even though it is mostly gibberish. I can’t wait for when we can communicate properly.

I had an Orthodontist appointment this week for my braces, which I spoke about here. Basically progress is going well and my orthodontist is happy. All good news. Although my new tighter elastics are making my teeth ache!

This weekend will be a chilled one spent at home. I plan to potter about the garden and play with my little one.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Product of the week: I got my anniversary present from A a little early this year. He got me a Jawbone Up 2. My old Jawbone was an 24 I think. Anyway the design of it meant that it just wasn’t fitting right anymore and we were having issues charging it. So A upgrades me! This one is much nicer. Its so sleek and pretty. The strap is more like a watch and has a clasp so it won’t lose its shape. It has a much better charger and seems to be a lot more sensitive. I’m in love. He did a really good job with the colour too.

Purchase of the week: I got some gorgeous espadrilles from Woolworths for R160! I ended up getting the 6 (the five was a smidge too tight and the 6 a smidge too loose) and I’m glad I did. They are insanely comfortable and I see myself getting great use out of them all season long. I was tempted by the silver, but got the navy for versatility. So far they have gone well with a lot of different things.

Best moment: Willow saying ‘Hi Daddy’ when A when into her room to greet her one morning. She then gave him a big cuddle. My heart just about exploded.

Looking forward to: September is a big month for us. There are a lot of birthdays, we will be travelling quite a bit, our wedding anniversary is coming up. I’m exhausted yet thrilled to think of all the stuff we have in the coming month!

Adventures in Adult Braces: September

I had my latest check up with my orthodontist this week and am happy to report that my treatment is going really well!
It was a very stock standard visit and it really didn’t take long. During the assessment my orthodontist said he was really pleased with the progress, which he termed ‘excellent’. This makes me very happy to hear because I haven’t been able to see any progress. I guess it takes a trained eye.
He said there has been a lot of movement on my right side (which is the side we are actively trying to move). There hasn’t been as much movement on my left, but he’s not worried and says everything is fine.
I do think that my bite has changed. When I clamp my teeth together they feel like they’re in different places. A says that my top teeth look close to the midline where they should be, but I still don’t see that myself. I think I’m too close to the problem.
I’m still in the palatal arch and still have the spring to aid with the last little push. I didn’t get any wire adjustments this time, but I was given stronger elastics. I also have to wear double elastics on my right side. I have had these in overnight and I can tell you my teeth ache! Like, really, really ache. I also can’t open my mouth very wide.
After that I was sent on my way. I have a shorter wait to see him this time. I will be back in four weeks instead of six. He wants to see how I respond before making the decision to remove the palatal arch. But he did say that it looks like they can remove that before December!
That’s all I have to report. Will do another update in October.