I Heart My Body.

We Heart Life has put the call out again. It's time us women stop hating the way we look, criticising the size we are and comparing ourselves with others. The 'I Heart My Body' challenge is happening again this month. It's inspiring and empowering and a frame of mind I wanted to embrace.

I've learnt a few things during my adult years..... We're all different. And that's ok! We all have different goals and dreams, and ideals. And that's ok! We all have different pedestals and visions and views on beauty. And that's ok!

But there is something that we ALL pretty much have in common. We all want to feel good. Feel good with the way we look and the way we feel. We all want to be loved and be in love in return. We all want to be accepted. And WE ALL want to be happy!

So much emphasis is put on the way we look. The media is a driving force in this.

It's so easy to criticise and put-down the way we look, especially after flicking through the latest fashion magazines or watching sitcom television. There's so much 'perfection' out there, and it's quite depressing to be surrounded by it...especially if you're not feeling 100% confident with yourself and the way you look. THIS HAS TO STOP! Don't compare. You're wasting your time and energy and passion!

Embrace the way you look, and change your perspective. Move the goal posts and adjust the ideal vision. Focus on the good, and find ways to fix or work-on the negatives.

And that's why I love I Heart My Body campaign.

Like most women, I've had a love/hate relationship with my body.

As a child I was small, petite and almost athletic. I was active.

Then puberty hit and BAM, I didn't have much control over the way I looked or the way my body changed. I was still active. I danced almost everyday, I ran, I delved into most sports, I performed, I swam, I had a go! Yet, my skin still broke out daily and I was *blessed* with lovely acne - right in my critical teenage years. And my weight fluctuated, completely out of my control.

Once I hit adulthood, the weight started to fall off and my skin slowly {not completely....but slowly} started to clear. With this my confidence slowly grew too.

I bleached my hair and wore more flattering clothes. By the time I met Chris, I felt good in my own skin.

Over those next 10 years, the love/hate continued. Peaking and calming. Peaking and calming!

Now, at age 30 and the mother of two; I can confidently say that I'm fairly comfortable in my body and the way I look. Yeah, there's things I want to change - baby weight still to loose, wobbly bits that I'd like to see tightened, muscles I'd like to work on toning, hair I'd like to keep maintained and skin I'd like to keep clear and supple.

But I'm also a realist. I'm a sleep deprived Mum, who runs a business from home around my two busy kids. I'm a chocoholic and coffee-addict....and sadly a lover of sugar. I'm inconsistent and unpredictable. And I usually put myself last. And all of this means that my body is effected and the way I look is directed from a different path.

Some days, I'm hard on myself. I feel annoyed that I still am not back to pre-baby weight. I get frustrated that I don't have the time or priority structure to exercise more. I feel great when I eat well and then criticise myself when I don't.

But, at the same time - I'm so proud of my body and what it has done for me, over the past 30 years!

It's grown and developed and changed so much. It's kept me going day after day. It's overcome illnesses and bugs and many viruses. It's put up with bad treatment and then forgiven me when I nurtured it. It's conceived, grown and housed two healthy children. It's been through the shock of pregnancy loss and major surgery. It's recovered and healed. It's naturally birthed two large babies and then organically bounced back. It's been tattooed and pierced, and hurt many times. It's been deprived of sleep and rest, but always medically looked after. It's got scars, stretch marks and war wounds that prove it's ongoing journey.

My stomach has changed shape over the past 5 years from pregnancy and birth...and aging. My breasts have changed drastically too. My hair now borns greys and my skin now features creases and wrinkles. Would I change a thing though? No probably not!

I'm me, and I'm ok with that! I'm learning as I get older to embrace me for me, and to love & be grateful for EVERYTHING I am blessed with.

And to answer Carly's question...

Three things I love about MY BODY....

1. My legs. They're muscular and strong. They've done many miles and got me to MANY places.


2. My tattoos. I sometimes get asked if I regret getting a permanent mark on my skin. I always answer NO. These markings have become a part of me. They are special symbols that mean everything to me. I wear them with pride.


3. My body's frame and it's ability to bounce back. I've put on 30+kg during each pregnancy and although I am not back to my pre-weight, I am still amazed at how well my body regains shape and strength. My waist is slowly appearing after going vanishing for many months :)

I encourage you to stop looking at only the negatives when you look in the mirror and embrace the good. Rock out whatever you have that makes YOU, YOU!

You're beauitful. Go on....admit it.

The world would be a much happier place if we all loved ourselves that little bit more. Don't you think?!

Come link up over at We Heart Life and tell us what you love most about your body!

Photos by the amazing Carly Webber - during my pregnancy with Ryder.

A Cup Of Tea, A Bex and A Good Lie Down.

This is me, each & everyday! OK.....not really!

Last night, Matty {Chris's Brother} & Takumi were around our place for dinner. Our conversations somehow turned to the topic of 'housewives' and the 50's/60's trend of women taking Bex to 'get through their days'. 

I made a comment about how 'a traditional housewife' {in the past} spent her days purely looking after the house & her family, so everything was on time & perfect once her Husband walked in the door at the end of each working day. I patted Chris's knee sympathetically & apologised that I'm so far from this perfect housewife persona.

Yes, I am currently a full-time stay-at-home-Mumma. Yes, I'm currently a housewife. But do I spend every second of every day cleaning, cooking, sewing, ironing & perfecting our home? Ummm....no, no I don't. And it got me thinking.....should I be?? Eeeks, maybe I'm a bad housewife!

I know, like everyone, I make mistakes with parenting and can NOT call myself a perfect Mother. But....I do put my kids first {always} & my every decision & action is about making their life richer. Richer with love & experience & memories. I think I'm doing ok in this Mumma Gig. I spend my days crafting, and baking & doing puzzles. My kids get out & about and regularly see new places, meet new people, try new things. My kids have a variety of toys to stimulate & educate them. I give them my time in teaching them {well....only Ella at this stage} how to read & write & draw & create. I do spend 90% of my time being MUM! But then...that only leaves 10% of my time to be WIFE. {sorry Chris!}

I try to run a tight ship at home. I don't like mess, so I'm constantly cleaning up after everyone. I make the beds, keep on top of the washing {most days haaa} and keep the kitchen organised. And...Yes, since we moved to this new {big} house we get a cleaner in once a week to scrub bathrooms & toilets & mop floors. Does that make me a lazy housewife?? Yikes!!! I don't think so....coz I still spend A LOT of time cleaning & tidying & keeping the house in order. I feel guilty to have her come.....which is ridiculous, coz I should be LOVING it & embracing her!!!!

Do I serve our dinner on the table, the same time every night without fail.....hell no! I do try to keep to routine & some days, dinner is well & truly thought out & prepared by early evening and the night smoothly flows. And then there's days where I'm fanging to the local IGA with two grizzly, hungry kids, so we can get something to cook for dinner at 5pm, because I've discovered we have an empty fridge, freezer & pantry!

Do I 'do it all'? Umm....NO!!! I try to do most of the parenting & house related work, because I am not currently working. But I also expect Chris to participate too! I believe that in the past, women were ideally a housewife. That was their one & only 'job'. But over time, women realised & rallied & changed the world. They realised that, 'hey...we are strong & smart & ever so capable. We have dreams & goals & a life to live too'. So women started working more, they started balancing motherhood/being a wife, with having a career or a business or hell forbid a few hobbies. They started to live life differently. This change, then jolted a need for men to change too. For now, they were required to help more with parenting & housework & the home duties.

In today's society, there's a thriving mixture of full-time Mums/housewives as well as working Mums/wives. I've experienced both of these options. And enjoyed both of them. Unfortunately, there is a stigma in today's world, where full-time Mums are almost frowned upon. Women's expectations have flipped. "Oh, you're just a mum!" JUST...what the? Being a Mum at home with small kids can actually be tough work. You don't get specified lunch breaks, you rarely get to shower, pee or dress in privacy. Adult conversation lacks & a quiet moment to yourself.....doesn't happen. But, at the same time, it's rewarding & fun & ever so rich.....and it's currently where my heart is. I'm happy here being a full-time Mum and housewife, and very grateful for Chris for providing this option for me.

But, because I'm human.....I want more. More for my family, but also....MORE FOR ME. As well as being a Mum & a wife, I want to be a friend & a business owner & a blogger. I need a creative outlet that doesn't include Dora Colouring books or gluing feathers to paper crowns. I need a few moments every now & then to read a book or drink a coffee in peace or even sleep-in. I need one on one time with my Husband, and the odd night out with girlfriends. I want to be a Mum...and a wife....and Claire! Am I greedy?? Or am I just trying to get the most out of this one, wild & precious life I've been given?? I'm sticking with that latter.

I think Chris gets that...he respects that! He values me enough to know that I'm not perfect & sometimes our house or meals won't be the product of perfection. I do need his help sometimes to cook or clean or play with kids. I do need him to nip to the grocer's every now & then to grab supplies coz this Mumma has run the pantry dry, or forgotten to buy nappies. I do need him to hold the fort sometimes while I have some 'ME TIME' or attend a work or social function. And that's fair coz he runs & swims & trains at the gym....this is his way to relax, release stress, have 'him' time, be Chris...and not Dad, and reenergize. We all need that for ourselves. Men & women.

Maybe in an ideal world, my Husband would walk in the door after a day at work {a bit hard...when he works from home....haaa} and I hand him his glass of sherry & robe and he's then greeted by two quietly calm, bathed & well behaved children. The house is spotless and the fireplace is burning softly creating a warm glow over the room showing how clean each surface is....And then 'ping' the oven beeps to notify me that the roast is ready & I serve it to a perfectly set table right on 6pm. EACH.AND.EVERY.DAY!!! But....we're not living in an ideal world. And, If that was my reality I think I would be relying on Bex and a good lie down to get through my days!!!! That is so far from my ideal world, anyways. I'd rather Chris walk into a home that has been lived in and loved in, a HAPPY family who's lived BIG that day.....all because he has provided that lifestyle & freedom for us! Hopefully that in turn makes him happy!?

So, I'll continue on my way of being a Mum, keeping some order in our house, attempting some form of consistency with meals & chores, write my blog, create my prints, attend to emails & invoices, chase my dreams, AND be the best possible wife to Chris. I hope that's enough!? Coz it's me, and it's all I've got ;) 

To the other women out there....what's your situation? Working? At home with kids? Happy with your life? Depressed with it?

image found via Google images.

This Saturday, I'm Grateful for......Hindsight!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr Seuss.

Yesterday, I read Kelle's post about The Dove's Self Esteem Movement ! Her honesty, her words, her photos were heart-wrenching but so beautiful....I was left feeling emotional, empowered & inspired!

After reading the post, I watched THIS short video clip by Dove! It got me thinking about about sooooo many things....you know when one thought leads to another, and then another, and then you're left thinking "Wow....how did I get here?"

First I was thinking about BEAUTY! As a woman, feeling beautiful is important! It's not the be all & end all of life....but feeling a sense of beauty within yourself plays a HUGE part in the lifestyle you live, the people you associate with, the choices you make & the experiences you have! And I don't think beauty should be only related to a certain hair colour or a weight range or what brand clothes you wear! Beauty is soooo much more! It's accepting yourself for WHO you are, focusing on things that you LOVE about yourself instead of the things you aren't 100% over the moon with and finding a way to 'rock & flaunt' all your flaws!! I guess what I'm trying to say is.....CONFIDENCE is BEAUTY!! Not 'over the top, out loud, show off, i'm better than you' confidence....but a genuine, 'I love myself for who I am, I have accepted myself for all my perfections & flaws, I make an effort to better myself {on the inside}, and I'm truly smiling a real beam of happiness & acceptance!' type of confidence!!! As Kelle said...most of the woman she remembers for their beauty weren't slim supermodels.....but women who were graced with self-confidence....women who 'rocked' their wrinkles, braces, bad skin, greying hair, bodyweight or disability'. Women who smile from the inside. Women who give compliments. Women who put a lot of time into shaping their daughters into becoming confident women. You get my gist :)

{photo by Kelle Hampton}

Then my thoughts lead to my role as a Mother of a DAUGHTER!! This world is full of love & beauty & wonderful experiences, but it's also full of traps, disappointments, pressures, decisions & nastiness! I believe that being a teenager into today's world would be tough work! Peer pressure & media pressure is at it's peak! The stats are showing the scarily increasing number of teens turning to drugs & even suicide to escape their adolescent problems...this is something we need to focus on!!!

Ella will have a lot of influences in her life.....family, friends, teachers, celebrities, media forms etc! But as her Mother, it is my goal.....my choice......my RESPONSIBILITY to guide her as best I can. Teach her of the ups & downs of life. Explain the ins & outs of situations. Allow her to make mistakes. Trust her to make own decisions. Embed an understanding of consequences & ownership. And.....SHOW HER what confidence is, what love is, what organisation is, what hard work is, what fun is, what friendship means & how special she truly is! Who's with me on this one? Who else is as compassionate about leading their daughters down a path of goodness & happiness!? Sure, there'll be stress...there'll be tears.....there'll be mistakes....there'll be worries....but hopefully she'll have the self-confidence to be who she wants to be & feel BEAUTIFUL everyday of her life....and see true beauty in others too!

{Image: Ella & I ~ 2 girls having fun!}

Then....my train of thoughts stopped at the "HINDSIGHT" Station! I looked back, I reflected on my childhood & my teenage years! I'll be honest....I had a wonderful upbringing! We weren't rich, but my parents prioritised their finances on us kids having the best possible education & amazing family experiences! My childhood is full of sweet sweet memories! I was brought up in a house of love! For that I'm so very grateful! But not everyone is that lucky! Not every child is brought up with that structure or morals or freedom or love! That saddens me! I see it everyday in my job as a Primary Teacher....I see some children who are exposed to elements of neglect, who are not their parents priority, who have grown up in a world of drama & chaos & abuse! My heart breaks for these children...they didn't choose that for themselves :( I wish....oh how I wish, I had a magic wand & could make life beautiful & peaceful & passionate for these children! I can do this.....from 9am-3pm, but I wish they could live a magical life 24hrs a day, not just 6hrs!!

And back to the topic of HINDSIGHT.....Kelle prompted her readers with a question....."What would you tell your 13yr old self?" To that I responded: "I'd tell my 13yr old self that's ok to be immature at 13....there's no hurry to grow up...you're still young! It's ok to still have a passion for horses & collect Sylvanian toys & it's ok to have more time for friends & fun & giggling then for boys! And you will get heart broken along the way...by boys & even friends! But it'll be ok...stay true to yourself & treasure the ones who truly treasure YOU! Smile.....be happy and SMILE!!! And don't loose hope...a gorgeous blue eyed man will sweep you off your feet when you're older & bring so much joy & love into your life! He will fall in love with your smile.....see I told you to SMILE!!! :) Radiate confidence....your skin won't be perfect, so stop worrying about it & just rock on! Let people in....never shut out the chance to make a new friend, hear another's story or be there for someone!"

And on that note....I'm thankful for HINDISGHT...it leads you to wonderful realisations, treasured memories, lessons learnt & powerful thoughts! This is part of Maxabella's GRATEFUL linky post! Head over for a look :)

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR 13yr OLD SELF? I'D LOVE TO READ YOUR COMMENTS!!!!

Baby & Infant Loss Awareness Week.......

This week is a significant time for MANY families all around the world! It's Baby Loss Awareness Week!

Today, October 15th, is the main focus day of the week as it's a united day for people all over the globe to acknowledge, remember, cherish & think of the little souls that were born sleeping, miscarried or taken too soon in their young lives!

Miscarriage/Baby Loss has always been something I was aware of. It seems to be more common than not & so many questions are still left unanswered about why it happens. Over the years, I experienced pregnancy losses through family members & friends. My heart would skip a beat for them as it's the kind of situation where your heart is yelling a thousand words.....but your mouth is paralysed as to what to say! You know you're stepping in fragile waters when you offer words of support to women & families who have just experienced a loss & that can be overwhelming as you don't want to say the wrong thing or cause anymore unnecessary emotion!

In August of this year, Chris & I, experienced a failed pregnancy! It wasn't classified as a miscarriage, as the 'fetus' never made it to the uterus. I had an ectopic pregnancy...which means my loved little creation was starting to develop in my left ovarian tube! To me, it wasn't just a 'growth' or even a 'fetus'.....it was a small baby! So to have it fail & undergo surgery to not only remove him/her, I also had to loose my left tube & the function of my left ovary! It was then that I really, truly understood the emotions & rollercoaster ride of emotions of pregnancy loss!! My eyes have been opened up so much more from it!

Since then, I have had countless emails & messages & conversations with women who too, have had a loss of some kind. Some have carried their healthy, growing babies inside for 40 weeks to then deliver them stillborn, others have miscarried past that 'so called safe-zone' of 12 weeks. Others like me, have had a failed pregnancy in the first trimester and others have delivered gorgeous babies to have them taken to heaven way too soon due to illness, SIDS or tragedy!!

These babies & infants are ALWAYS thought about! They're never forgotten....no matter how short their life or development was!!

But....October is a month to wholeheartedly unite in acknowledging them!

Tonight, please join in with WAVE OF LIGHT, by lighting a candle in representation of all those babies & their hurting families!

I know I will be!

images from here