Detoxing the diet

With a new year beginning I wanted our family to refocus on healthy eating and exercise habits.  With obesity in America and Australia booming I didn't want our family to become part of these ever growing statistics.  We are going to take 2013 to kick start our family into a healthier lifestyle.  

I know there are a lot of detox diets out there and this is not one of them.  I probably shouldn't even use the term detox but for lack of a better phrase coming to mind it is what it is. 

Around the holidays, and if I'm totally honest it's more like for the last year or so, I have let some bad habits slip in.  I've started drinking sodas instead of water, having at least one dessert a day (some days a bit more), having carb/starch laden meals instead of veggie ones, and overall not living as healthy and active as I should be.  The hubby and I have both been feeling the effects.   You know what I'm talking about:  tire easily, don't feel motivated to get up and get moving, more sluggish, grumpier, a few more inches and jiggles where there didn't use to be, get sick more easily, and just overall don't feel as well. 

The hubby has also decided he needs a healthy lifestyle change so to support and encourage him (instead of nagging which is another thing I'm trying to work on this year)  we have come up with a little challenge that a few other wonderful people have joined us in.

We didn't want something that was just about eating a certain way, but a plan that encouraged a healthier lifestyle.  We worked out a plan that integrates exercise, cutting out sugars, and adding more healthy meals choices.  

It's a 3 point a day system.  

1 point of you have no dessert that day:  including things like muffins, chocolate, etc.

1 point if you participate in 30 minutes of exercise.  We did clarify this a bit, it has to be purposeful exercise, not just strolling around the shops of something along those lines.

1 point if you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day.

There it is, simple, yet for me (especially in the dessert department) it will be a willpower challenge.  

At the end of the month we are going to celebrate together, haven't quite decided the how yet. 

Do you need a healthy habit change?  Want to join our little challenge/encouragement group? I tend to work better with a challenge, and others to help hold me accountable.  What motivations have worked for you? 

On the brink. . .

Here we are at the close of yet another year.  Is it just me or do they seem to be going by more quickly?  It has been a wonderful whirlwind of a year full of laughs, tears, joys, hardships, new friendships, wonderful holidays, visits with family, and so much more. 

Even though I don't really get into making "resolutions", which lets be honest usually don't last into February, I always find the beginning of the year to be a good time to reflect on my life and look for improvements. 

I have decided the month of January for me is going to be a "cleansing/detox" month, and no I'm not talking about only drinking grapefruit juice or something as drastic as that, but instead more of a month to refocus my life in several ways.

1. Diet
2. Spending
3. My home


I'll go into the decisions and goals I've set for myself over the next several days, right now I am simply too tired to type much more.

Happy 2013!  Are you a resolution setter?  Do you find yourself keeping them?  Do you have goals for 2013 that you don't mind sharing?  Would love to hear them! 

Food Market in the City

One of the great things that Perth has to offer in the summer (besides the beaches and beautiful ocean) is the Friday night Food Hawkers Market in the city.  They turn the big plaza in the mall downtown into a foodies dream come true.  As you make the lap around the piazza you are greeted by wondrous sights and smells.  Choose your country, there is food for everyone from everywhere.  You can have Argentinian style ribs, Japanese sushi and dumplings, Moroccan dishes, Lebanese gozelemes (this is what the kiddies had) , Indian curries and those are only a few of the choices.  

Ed and I shared a couple of different dishes, our first was a wonderful Paella.  A spanish rice and meat dish that if you haven't had an opportunity to enjoy you should find one.  My favourite dish of the evening however, was a wrap we shared, which I hope to replicate pretty soon and will do it's very own blog post about so you'll just have to wait and see.   :)  Teaser to keep posted.  

This was our Friday activity for our advent calendar.  We combined enjoyment for the kids with something Ed and I were really wanting to do, so great night for everyone. It wasn't just fun for the foodies like me, but they also had things for the kids as well.  

Nate enjoying the last bits of their Lebanese toasted gozaleme 

 

We took the train into the city, which is always a favorite of the little people.   Tilly loved seeing the "fairies" on stilts making their way through the crowd.

 It was in the 80's on Friday, not exactly the traditional Christmas weather. It does take some getting use to walking around in shorts listening to winter wonderland.  We all have to adjust, even Santa.

Nathan loved seeing Santa and even greeted him with a fist bump.

Tilly was less enthusiastic.  This is pretty much as close as she would allow the picture to be taken.

Much to our surprise and enjoyment we met up with some wonderful friends down in the city.
Good food, Christmas music, good friends, not much more you could ask for for a fun filled Friday night.

What is your favourite ethnicity of food?  What is your favourite dishes to make?  Do share

Day 2

I mentioned in a previous post that we were using an Advent calendar with our kids to help spread out the festivities.  After brainstorming ideas for the month I simply used place cards in our M. Word and funny enough they had a beach Santa that goes right along with our hot summer Christmas's.

Day 2 of our advent Calendar

We set up our tree on Sunday afternoon and then put up the lights and ornaments after bible study that evening.  The children were absolutely excited about get the tree set up.  Even though it was in the mid 80's Sunday and wasn't really feeling like Christmas weather, it was so fun to see Tilly and Nate's excitement with each new ornament we pulled out.

Nathan was surprisingly gentle with the ornaments and kept urging us to look at all the different ones he was putting on the tree.

You couldn't help but feel festive with the Christmas music filling the house and our little elves buzzing around.  I love Christmas with our little kiddos in the house.  

Do you have an special ornaments or ways you decorate the tree?  

It has begun. . . .

The official countdown to Christmas has begun and we are already on day 4.

Day 1 was a crazy Saturday here where we had a baby shower in the morning and lawn bowling church event in the evening, so the activity that day was open and read a Christmas story.  They chose "An Aussie Night Before Christmas"

I don't even know if you can get this in America but it is wonderful, so if you can somehow order it off Amazon or somewhere like that you should!!  You can find all the words on multiple websites so figured it was ok to put them down.  Since moving here, we have tried to collect a different Australian Christmas book each year, but I have to say this one is probably my favourite:  

‘Twas the night before Christmas; there wasn’t a sound.

Not a possum was stirring; no-one was around.
We’d left on the table some tucker and kole beer (kind of like root beer) ,
Hoping that Santa soon would be here;

We children were snuggled up safe in our beds,
While dreams of pavlova danced ’round in our heads;
And Mum in her nightie, and Dad in his shorts,
Had just settled down to watch TV sports.

When outside the house a mad ruckus arose;
Loud squeaking and banging woke us from our doze.
We ran to the screen door, peeked cautiously out,
snuck onto the deck, then let out a shout.

Guess what had woken us up from our snooze,
But a rusty old Ute pulled by eight mighty ’roos.
The cheerful man driving was giggling with glee,
And we both knew at once who this plump bloke must be.

Now, I’m telling the truth it’s all dinki-di,
Those eight kangaroos fairly soared through the sky.
Santa leaned out the window to pull at the reins,
And encouraged the ’roos, by calling their names.

“Now, Kylie! Now, Kirsty! Now, Shazza and Shane!
On Kipper! On, Skipper! On, Bazza and Wayne!
Park up on that water tank. Grab a quick drink,
I’ll scoot down the gum tree. Be back in a wink!”

So up to the tank those eight kangaroos flew,
With the Ute full of toys, and Santa Claus too.
He slid down the gum tree and jumped to the ground,
Then in through the window he sprang with a bound.

He had bright sunburned cheeks and a milky white beard.
A jolly old joker was how he appeared.
He wore red stubby shorts and old thongs on his feet,
And a hat of deep crimson as shade from the heat.

His eyes - bright as opals - Oh! How they twinkled!
And, like a goanna, his skin was quite wrinkled!
His shirt was stretched over a round bulging belly
Which shook when he moved, like a plate full of jelly.

A fat stack of prezzies he flung from his back,
And he looked like a swaggie unfastening his pack.
He spoke not a word, but bent down on one knee,
To position our goodies beneath the yule tree.

Surfboard and footy-ball shapes for us two.
And for Dad, tongs to use on the new barbeque.
A mysterious package he left for our Mum,
Then he turned and he winked and he held up his thumb;

He strolled out on deck and his ’roos came on cue;
Flung his sack in the back and prepared to shoot through.
He bellowed out loud as they swooped past the gates -
Merry Christmas to all, and goodonya, Mates!

Let me know if you need a translator?  I'm telling you, it's a whole other English here :)

A buzzin shower

We are blessed with an abundance of babies in the congregation I attend.  For the last several years there have been at least 5 new little ones each year, and with lots of new little babies, comes lots of opportunities for baby showers.

The beautiful expecting mum.  Her sign says "Mummy to bee" 

One of the hard things that come with so many baby showers is trying to think of new themes and games.

 Our most recent shower was yesterday at my house and we went with the "bee theme".  I found so many great ideas of course while surfing through Pinterest (feel a lot of my post say that lately).

What's a party without some cupcakes

 I have realised how crucial it is to have helpers and delegate out jobs and couldn't have done it without the help of a few different ladies, one in particular (J.T.) who is worth about 3 people alone.  She was my amazing go to person, who took the ideas and made them reality.  She is wonderful!!! I can not sing her praises enough.

Little Rice Krispy bees

 It was a lovely party.  The weather was perfect, their was a great turnout, and some fun games.

Make your own lolly bags for people to take away.  

 As I prepped everything for the shower, I couldn't help but think back to when we started our family and the anticipation of what lay ahead.

We wanted the shower to be more than just presents, so we decided it would be great to take the opportunity to give the new mom some words of wisdom.  

 I remember the excitement of seeing all the new tiny little clothes, the toys, and sweet blankets.

The punch fountain

One of the tips I recall clearly was when a friend told me before I gave birth that when you feel like you are about to die and can't take it any longer it's almost over.

After Tilly was born I kept thinking that no matter how much you prepare and feel like you know before hand, nothing really prepares you for what life will be like when that new little one arrives.  

Are there any shower or party themes you've done or been to that you really liked?  What would your words of advice be to a new mom?