Wordless Wednesday......{Water Splashin' Fun}

Sarah's WORDLESS WEDNESDAY is always lots of fun.....head over to her blog to see other people's shots for the week :)

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Sunny Mummy....{Feature Interview}

I'm super excited to present today's Feature Interview, because this lady truly is special! Stacey Sullaphen is the founder of a recent worldwide phenomenon.....also known as SUNNY MUMMY :)

I first stumbled across Stacey's online support business on Facebook in January of this year! Straight away I was drawn in by her positive outlook on life {and parenting} and her simple, happy way of looking at every situation! Since then, she has not only helped ME as a Mummy... but she has also given Scissors Paper Rock some amazing opportunities to be exposed, valued & supported!! I am so very grateful to Stacey!

I love being a Mummy....more than anything!! But I am honest in saying that it a the HARDEST thing I've ever done....and I've also discovered some parents also make it VERY competitive which in turn makes it so much harder than it should be!!  Stacey teaches & guides parents to prioritise themselves & their families and to just ENJOY life!

At the beginning of July, Stacey launched the Sunny Mummy Sisterhood {an online club} and I am a proud member! I definitely recommend if you are a Mum {or soon to be Mummy} that you head over & sign up here!!! It really is a warm, fun & inspiring place to be! I love logging on each morning for my dose of sunshine :)

So...enough from me!!! Here's Stacey {the Sunniest Mummy I know....she's amazing!!!}

Tell us a little about your business:

Sunny Mummy exists to inspire, motivate and support mothers to look after themselves first in order to look after their families best. Sunny Mummy is a community of women committed to enJOYING rather than enduring motherhood supporting one another and shining! The Sunny Mummy family consists of the official Sunny Mummy site including the blog and the recently launched Sunny Mummy Sisterhood!

What/Who inspires you?

I am inspired by life and everyday things. I am inspired by anybody who has turned their life's tragedy into a triumph, oh and Oprah of course!

What do you love most about what you do? That I am changing lives every single day just by being me and sharing my life with other amazing women.

What has been the highlight of this year so far?Being selected as a Live Positive Ambassador for Coke and experiencing my very first overseas trip as a result!

Explain a 'normal' day in your life: Rise early, jump out of bed excited to get stuck into the day, greet the sunnies, exercise, get ME ready for the day, wake my kiddies, get them ready, work from 9.30-2.30pm which can be anything to writing, motivating online, replying to emails, speaking, planning events etc

Your Favourite Quote/Motto: When you let your own light shine, you unconsciously give others permission to do the same - Nelson Mandela

What are your goals for Sunny Mummy? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? To have mothers from all over the world know about Sunny Mummy, to have secured a major sponsor for the SMS to remove the membership fee and to have my TV show...Mornings with Sunny! 

Why do you blog & What do you blog about? I blog to share my life and how I live the Sunny Mummy way. To let other women know they are not alone and that every day they have a choice to put themselves first.

3 Things you are: Positive, talkative, happy.

3 Things you aren't: Negative, shy, quiet

Anything else you'd like to share with my readers: Enjoy your life and the stage you are in. Love yourself first and foremost because you cannot give what you don't have!

Thank you Stacey!!

For a daily dose of sunshine, click LIKE at Sunny Mummy on Facebook! Or read & follow Stacey's BLOG! And definitely check out the Sunny Mummy website & join the Sunny Mummy Sisterhood :)

Blogging Award....

I was completely over the moon yesterday morning when I logged on at my usual time of 6:30am and discovered I had won my first BLOGGING AWARD!!! I've been reading & commenting on blogs for quite a while now...but only started this little lovely of my own back in Mid-April of this year & not only it is so addictive but I have learnt so much, gained so much & met some amazing people from it!!

The lovely Leanne from Mrs A in The Cove awarded me with the Sunshine Award :)

I've seen the Sunshine Award being passed around in the blog world over the past few months & it's awarded to bloggers whose positivity & creativity inspire others! Thank you Leanne!

However....there are some conditions I have to abide to before I can accept it lol. I have to share 7 Random Things about Myself with my readers and then pass on the award to other inspiring bloggers!

So, here's my 7 Random Facts About Me:

1. I was born in Zimbabwe, Africa!! A beautiful country! We came to live in Australia when I was a toddler.
2. My parents never gave me a middle name! At age 9, I'd have enough of having a blank spot in between my first and last name, so I made a list of my favourite names and got my family to vote!! Louise won the ballot!!! So I have been Claire Louise ever since...... and we passed the same middle name onto Ella ;o)
3. I have 2 tattoos - one on my right foot. A Japanese Kanji symbol which means 'SOUL'. {Chris has the matching tattoo on his inner arm!} I also have ELLA tattooed across my left wrist.
4. I enjoy making beaded jewellery! Something I do in my spare time {which seems to be not enough these days}, I find it very therapeutic. Actually doing anything creative with my hands is therapy for me ;o) Hence why I have a Handmade Invitations & Gift business ;o)
5. My favourite shape is a STAR!
6. I LOVE the beach!!! Nothing compares to that feeling of diving through the clear blue waves on a hot summer’s day! I love that salty layer that is left on your skin & hair after a day at the beach! The sun, the sounds, the smells of the beach are so soul warming & energising!
7. I love to write! {Hence why I started this blog!}….As a child I was always writing stories & keeping diaries :) I have started a children’s book and aim to have it finished by the end of this year!

So..there you have it! A few facts about me :)

And here's 7 lovely inspiring bloggers who I pass the SUNSHINE AWARD on to:

Lifes Little Whispers

Lulu froufrou

My Life - My Loves

Jennifer Birkhead

Table Tonic

Vera & Rose

bellaMUMMA

Our Weekend {Point & Shoot}....

Good morning! And what a lovely morning it is.....Ella was only awake once last night at 3am {which is wonderful compared to her usual nightly wakings} and it's my gorgeous Hubby's birthday today :) So i'm feeling slightly refreshed & in celebration mode ;o)

Here's my point & shoot entry for the lovely weekend we just had! It was one of those weekends where you just don't want it to end.....you are left mourning for MORE......more Sunday lol.

Saturday morning kicked off with a 1st birthday party for a friend's 2nd little bubba! Ella had a blast...and who wouldn't with all that party food, balloons, presents, a swing set & a heap of other kids to play with :)

Ella with a cupcake ~ Saturday 26th June, 2010 @ 10:30am ~ 1st Birthday Party!

Sunday...we headed up to the Sunshine Coast for the day! When we left our house {on the Gold Coast} it was grey & drizzly & cold.....but not even 2 hours later we arrived in beautiful Caloundra to clear blue skies and gorgeously warm sunshine! It was the PERFECT day! We started at the beach for a look around, then to the park for a play, followed by lunch at a stunning beachside cafe & then off to a local hall to watch my Hubby's Grandfather's Concert Band. This event was super special to the Chadwick family, as it was a fundraiser for the Cittamani Hospice who looked after Hubby's Grandmother, Val, in her last few months of life last year! The concert raised over $3000 for this lovely cause & was a tribute to the lovely Val Chadwick! It was a lot of fun....I love a big band!!! Ella was in absolute bliss as she LOVES to dance & sing....and her Nanny & Pa were there! Of course she was the hit of the crowd {being the only child there lol} and was used as the helper for the raffle presentations :) We got home last night & felt so relaxed & content with life!

Sunday ~ Midday ~ Caloundra Beach.                  Sunday ~ 1pm ~ Out to lunch.

Sunday 27th June 2010 ~ 1:30pm ~ Looking at the gorgeous beach ~ Caloundra!

What did your weekend entail?

This is part of Point & Shoot. You should join in too.....over here!