Inspiration for the week...

 

If you're feeling a little sluggish this cold Monday morning, here's a little affirmation to see you through. While this iconic slogan is taken from British WWII propaganda material it is still very relevant today, and one I'm chantting during my morning routine with a grumpy E. Say it with me, 'Keep calm and carry on.' Feel better?

In other news, today is the 1st August, which means the last official month of winter. Yippee!! I guess it's time to start thinking about hitting the gym before summer... Actually, that's a VERY bad idea. I'm off to make another cuppa, lather butter on several crumpets and get under my doona.

Enjoy your week. 

Love, light and laughter.

x S

Image from Made By Girl

Bubs in Brissie: Max Brenner

The smell of decadent chocolate enveloped me as soon as I walked in. E and I had arrived at Max Brenner for our weekly Mother's Group catch up and I knew instantly it would be beyond delicious. The sight of chocolate lining the walls and the smell of belgian waffles made me relax before I could even say Hello to our group.  

It's chocolate heaven at Max Brenner

The divine Max Brenner opened in South Bank last year introducing Brisbane to 'the bald man's' chocolate culture, inviting us to smell, taste, feel and share his love affair with all things coco. Um...OK! You don't have to ask me twice.

Several Mummas had arrived before me and arranged tables at the end of the counter for our get together. Eight of us fit comfortably in the space with our prams nearby and bouncing bubs on our laps. I'm guessing our mid-morning meeting time was a big part of allowing this to happen because I've heard stories of chocolate devotees queuing for hours to worship at the alter of Brenner. I don't blame them.

Without hesitation I lined up too. A Hug Mug (named after its stylish design which allows you to hug it close to you) of dark chocolate was my bevvie of choice. It was simply sensational. I'll admit, I was nervous that drinking a MUG of chocolate would make me sick, but quiet the opposite. I wanted more. Right away, if not sooner!

Tasty Hot Chocolate in a heart warming Hug Mug

During the course of the morning, my friends were feasting on Banana Bread served with melted hot chocolate, Banana Praline Crepes served with melted hot chocolate and an Exploding Chocolate Shot, among other things (click here for the menu). They all oo'd and aah'd in the right places boasting that their plate was the best of the bunch. It's definitley not somewhere you want to go if you're keen to regain your post-baby figure but it's well worth a visit for a reward once you've achieved it! 

Child-Friendly Environment - 3 rattles
Again, the mid-morning mid-week venture to MB was more than likely the reason it felt spacious and bub friendly. Now, don't mistake me, I'm sure kids are welcome all the time, but it can get very busy at night so if your tot likes to run around and make noise, the university students who fill the tables and chairs might not approve. Overall, Max Brenner is very relaxed, casual and suitable for families. It offers Babycinos on the menu as proof.

Nursing (Breastfeeding) - 3 rattles
Several of my companions all nursed at the table and no-one battered an eyelid. The cafe's spaciousness allows your party to feel like it has its own space without encroaching on others, so if you choose to nurse here, it shouldn't be a problem.

Parent Room - 2.5 rattles
The parent room is a well hidden secret. Luckily a Mum in our group had been before and informed us it was located in the bottom of the building opposite. Look for a grey door opposite the side entrance of Max Brenner near several ATMs. You will need to get buzzed in (unsure if this is only available during business hours) but the room is very well maintained, clean, and would fit approx 3 to 4 Mums at a time. If you each have a pram then 3 will be a snug fit. Run out of nappies? For $2 you can purchase one from the vending machine. A microwave and Avent bottle steriliser is also available. An adult and toddler toilet is included.

Parking - 2 rattles
There is plenty of underground parking at South Bank or 2 hour paid parking on nearby side streets. If you visit MB during peak times (weekends, public holidays) be prepared to walk. Note, this is more a reflection of carparking at South Bank not Max Brenner. Elevators are available for prams but again, if it's busy, only a few people can comfortably fit in the lift with a pram. The South Bank car parks offer a hand ful of 'Parents with Prams' car parks but get in very early or very late to grab one.

Playground Equipment - Not applicable

Overall Rating - 3 rattles (out of 5).

Max Brenner
Shop 1.1 & 1.2 Stanley Street Plaza South Bank
07 3255 0411
www.maxbrenner.com.au 
Opening Hours:
Mon - Thurs - 8:00am - 11:00pm
Fri - Sat - 8:00am - 12:00 Midnight
Sun - 8:00am - 11:00pm

Darwin or Bust

Our holiday was not going well and we hadn’t even left the airport yet.

Teach, E and I were off to Darwin for five days to celebrate a friends wedding. We’d been looking forward to our little getaway since the couple announced their engagement six months earlier. I’d been to the top end once before and knew what to expect, but for Teach and E this was a new adventure, plus it was our first family holiday.

Yep, it was going to be great. A trip we’d always remember and have fond memories of. The gorgeous weather, pictures of a happy family living it up with friends away from home. Oh, how we’d laugh and share memorable moments when we returned....

Reviews for Brisbane Mummas

As many of you know I joined a Brisbane mothers' group a while back. It's for professional women on maternity leave in 2011 and I'm LOVING it - and not just because I know many of them read this blog!

E and I really look forward to our weekly catch-ups, getting to know other new Mums and their gorgeous tots, sharing our experiences plus having a few old fashion belly laughs for good measure.

Each week we plan to meet in a new cafe, park, movie theatre or sometimes even a member's home in order to get out and about across our lovely city. The coversation almost always turns into one of 'will it be practical for a large group of Mums with Bubs?' 'Can we all fit?' 'Where do we park?' And so on....

This common conundrum got me thinking - why isn't there something online that helps Mums out? There are hundreds (if not thousands) of groups meeting each week somewhere across Brissy and I'm sure they all have the same question, 'Where is the most convenient and baby friendly place to meet?' Even if you're not part of a group, I'm sure you'd like to know more about a cafe, park or shopping centre before carting the baby/kids along only to find you can't fit the pram in, you have to walk miles from your car and it's not child friendly at all!

So I've decided to put my former Tourism PR hat back on and help Brisbane Mums out. Each week I will take it upon myself to visit a new cafe, park, library, movie theatre, gallery, shopping centre etc..., etc... across Brisbane and give it an honest motherly review.

Bubs in Brissie will rate the location's parking options, child-friendly environments, nappy changing facilities/general amenities, playground equipment (if applicable) and most importantly the coffee and cake! I'm sure it'll be bloody hard work but I'm willing to take one for the team in an effort to preserve your sanity.

Now, where should I go first? Where is your favourite spot for an outing?

Check back here on Friday (29 July) for the first "Mummas & The City" review.

Home is where the heart is at 5am

E is waking at 5am these days. He's decided because it's winter and 5am is usually the coldest part of the day, he'd have some fun and make Mumma get up and start her day. He giggles and laughs when I come in to get him in the morning. 'Yay, she's here and out of her warm bed. Woo hoo! That's 27 to E and zero to Mum.'

5am. I haven't had two 5 o'clocks in my day since I was footloose and fancy free. Living the single life with verve, vigor and my good friend Vodka. Oh, I remember those days so well - I think? Girlfriends and I would start the night with a few drinks at my inner-city apartment then walk into the Valley for a dance and one or... cough, two beverages. This was before the days of a 3am lock out when you were allowed back in if you happen to go outside to take a phone call or leave your friend in the loo...I digress.

5am was a respectable hour to be awake back then. It was a badge of honour. Something you'd boast about at 9am on Monday morning when your boss asks why you smell like a brewery and sound like a man. 'Um, I've only had 2 hours sleep,' I'd whisper. My boss, bless her cotton socks, would love this news and load me up with extra work and have me out at meetings with clients to ensure I worked harder than normal. She had just as much fun with me as E does now.

Today, 5am is punishment.  After a night of E waking each hour, 5am is not a badge of honour but more a trumpet call of parenthood. YOU'VE ARRIVED! With eyes falling out of my head and a cup of tea glued to my hand, I try to start the day. I think of Bridget Jones at her Mother's Turkey Curry Buffet and agree, I should have my head in a toilet like other normal people not singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to a five month old... Aaaaargh!

Despite my protesting I can't imagine life any other way. Even if I wasn't a proud Mumma, I'm not sure I'd want to be out late anymore. Who has the energy? More importantly who has the bloody money!! $15 for a glass of wine...tell 'em their dreamin'. Nope, give me a friday night in with my two favourite boys, a big serve of homemade lasagna, a glass of vino (from a bottle that costs less than $15) and I'm the happiest woman in the world.

Yes, I'm a Cancerian. We're a notorious bunch of home bodies but I don't think I'd go out even if I could. Home is my safe haven, my office, my playground, my favourite restaurant, my cafe, my movie theatre and my disco-tecque. Home is where my heart is even at 5am in the morning and I wouldn't change it for the world. 

I Spy Winter...

I spy with my little eye the new Winter Kate S/S '11 Lookbook. Yippee!

Hollywood starlet and reformed wild child Nicole Richie is behind the boho designer label and is often captured wearing its trademark pieces - longsleeved tops/coats, high-waisted shorts, oversized sunglasses and peeptoe pumps. I've always admired how Nicole seemed to transform herself (with the help of an expensive stylist) overnight and make people take notice. Now she's selling that style across the world and I'm LOVING it. Unfortunately as it's designed by a hollywood star, the price tags are just as ritzy. Nevertheless, here are the items I'm admiring from far far away...

 

Ready, Steady, Motherhood!

I'm toying with the idea of penning a book detailing everything no-one tells you about labour/delivery/being a Mum. Yes, I was well informed that becoming a Mumma was hard work and that you can never really prepare for it. I can cope with that. Learning on the job is expected, understandable and somewhat exciting. Books were my friends during my gestation period. I was ready...bring it!

No, I'm talking about those memorable events that have happened since joining the ya-ya-sisterhood that I was not prepared for or at least forewarned about, yet are somewhat universal. WTF?! Um... give a woman the heads up please ladies. Geesh!

So for the sake of full disclosure for all soon-to-be-Mums here are three little ditties* I would've loved to have known about before they smacked me right in the kisser. 

1) Sir Burp-alot.
Everyone I came across during my pregnancy explained the brilliant virtues of breastfeeding. It's fabulous bonding between Mum and Bub and is the best way to provide nutrition, blah, blah, blah... We all know this but I'm not discussing feeding techniques here. Nope. I bring your attention to burping. Honey, I don't care how you feed your little tucker, if he doesn't burp after a feed you're in a whole world of pain. I discovered this world in Myer last week when I was trying to do three things at once and decided it would be faster if I didn't burp E and just put him in his pram in a bid of time saving efficiency. Ha, Ha, Ha! As soon as his little bum went down, my superhero was up, up and away. His crying screams lasted for what felt like eternity because he had a pain in his belly which a good solid burp could have eased. The story continues, but the point of the tale is ALWAYS burp your rug rat - especially when you think he's fine. Breastfeeding might be the best for bub, but burping is just as bloody important. A fact no-one ever mentions but assumes you already know.

2) Aim...FIRE!
As the gorgeous Gisele Bundchen explained, 'They don't call it labour for nothing'. Again... NOT a surprise. I had pysched myself up so much for the excruciating pain that I didn't know where my pain threshold was. Is this as bad as it gets, or is there more? It bloody hurts now, but what if this is only the beginning? Can I ask for pain relief now or is it too early? I eventually got through 19 hours of labour only to be faced with the delivery. This is the part women around the world forget to highlight. For the sake of keeping it clean, I won't go into (any further) detail but if you're after more information or an idea of the type of pain the delivery is I recommend putting your va-jayjay in a roaring fire for at least half an hour. My lovely Midwife said, 'You'll feel a burn then it's over.' It sounded so easy like she was asking someone to pass the salt at dinner. It was a mere side thought. What she should of done was bring out the guitar and bring it home with a rousing rendition of 'Burn, burn, burn. The ring of fire. The ring of fire.' It would've made Johnny Cash so proud and me a little more prepared for the HELL that followed.


3) It's not over when the pregnant woman screams.
The last piece of insider information I'll share with you is this...for approximately one week after your bundle of joy arrives (for me it was a week), each time you feed the little man a sharp pain shoots through you like you're being zapped with electricity. Um...Hello? It would've been nice to know this incase you find yourself feeding in front of your in-laws and the sudden shock of pain makes you jolt and almost drop the new grandson. 'What the hell was that?' I asked my confused visitors. My girlfriend explained it's just my uterus being told my baby was out and feeding so it could go back to where it came from. Charming! I'm very grateful it's done its job and served E and I well, but again, it would've been really nice to know the clap of thunder through my womb was normal before I dropped a few f-bombs with my Mother-in-law in ear shot.

What did you discover the hard way only to find out it's universal? Why are some things about pregnancy and labour on a top secret no-need-to-share-this list?


*This blog post is for entertainment only. Every woman is different. If you have any queries please contact your health professional. 

My life is a Status Update

I think I'm sick. Correction. I know I'm sick. It occured to me while I was in Darwin over the weekend and now I can't stop thinking about it. My brain is full of Facebook status updates. HELP!!

It's slowly driving me crazy and I can't seem to log off. I think I need to see a Doctor. Perhaps a pyschologist? Maybe an IT guy? Someone to help me switch back to default mode and make my mind work the way it use to in the beautiful days BFB - Before Facebook.

Oh, the good old days! Yes you remember them. The days of an era long ago, circa 2007, when friends would write you an email or send a text with little thought. It was so harmless, carefree and naieve. It was heaven!

I realised I had a problem when I spent my Saturday night in bed planning my Facebook status update. A loooooooong story short, E was extremely tired so I left Teach to enjoy the night out with our friends and took E back to the hotel.  After putting the rug rat to sleep and coming to terms with the knowledge that I would miss out on a great night, I settled into bed with a cup of tea and my book, but my mind kept wandering, trying to come up with clever ways to explain my night via a status update. 

For what felt like hours, I would write and re-write a line and phrase over and over again searching for something that would work. I was looking for an interesting, funny yet smart sentence that would encapsulate my dreadful evening. It needed to be short and sharp. A comment that oozed humour, garnered sympathy from other Mothers and portrayed a deep sense of loss for the night that never was so readers would feel the urge to comment or like it. I knew one awesome and powerful sentence would make me feel better. Something I desperately needed to ensure my whole night wasn't wasted.

I was completely delusional and lost in a haze of words. I couldn't stop thinking about different ways to say the same thing. I would read it aloud and give each word emphasis to ensure I wasn't being rude, crass, mean or insulting. The hit finally came to an end after I accidently pressed 'Share' and went with the fourth (or was it fifth?) draft I'd prepared. The line (pun intended) was over to fast and I needed another hit. Where will the next one come from? What else is happening that I could write a status update about?

It's sad but true. Teach knows only too well how a Facebook status update has started to infiltrate my day-to-day existance. We'll be watching TV, driving somewhere or discussing what we'll have for dinner when suddenly I announce 'That would make an awesome Facebook status. Write that down!' He doesn't, much to my disgust. It upsets me now just thinking about it.

Can't relate? Think of it this way. My facebook status update is the equivalent to the fashionable 'Oh, this old thing. I just threw it on' line we all say to girlfriends when we catch up for lunch, when in actual fact you've been mixing pieces from your wardrobe for an hour, asking your boyfriend if this dress goes with these shoes and frying your hair under a blow dryer for 20 minutes striving for that just-got-out-of-bed-hair look loved by Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung.


Surely I'm not the only one who has realised that the answers to life lie in a text box titled 'What's on your mind?' and you judge the successfulness appropriateness of life the update by the number of comments or likes it receives.  It's just to important to get wrong! Besides, you simply can't risk having your status update online without a response...how embarassing!

Now I've taken the first step in overcoming this illness, I have strength and confidence in knowing I will be free to think, talk, work and live as a responsible adult again one day. My new life is just around the corner.

I just need to make it fit into 140 characters or less!