Little Man, Big Wardrobe: the humble singlet

Before the little wolf was born I searched in vain for some singlets for him. Don't know what I'm talking about? That probably means you're not antipodean like me. They are referred to as vests in England and apparently they don't even exist for babies! What!? Madness since they are the best thing ever. When it's cold, they keep them warm and when it's warm, they are perfect to cruise around the house in and even better for nighttime sleeping. That being said, I've had to have them shipped and carried by friends and fam from Australia and here's a look at why they are so awesome.

If you want some, Bonds  is best and they deliver internationally if you need it but if you're in Oz or NZ you have a plethora of options including Target, Kmart and just about everywhere you can buy clothes for little ones - you are spoiled for choice! I think overall, the singlet is the most useful item in the wolf's wardrobe.

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For the not so illegal 'boat people'

I said I was working on something more serious for you and I am, but in the meantime I wanted to share my brother's response to an email chain going around about the 'boat people' seeking asylum on Aussie shores.  Siblings don't always see eye to eye on every issue but in this case, I would put my name to his words. Hoping there are loads more that share his view. 

 That's the ad campaign by the Australian government...okay first for the email chain and below his response.

Side note: I cringe at how poorly written this email chain is and had to forcibly hold back from correcting it. 

Subject:  Someone, please tell me what the Hell is wrong with all the people that run this country!

Both LABOR & LIBERALS


 We're "broke" and can't help our own


Seniors,


Veterans,


Orphans,


Homeless,


Etc???


In the last years we have provided direct cash aid to:


Congo  - 359 M
Egypt  - 397 M
Ethiopia  - 981 M
Haiti  - 14 B
Hamas  - 351 M
Iraq  - 1.08 B
Jordan  - 463 M
Kazakhstan  - 304 M
Kenya  - 816 M
Libya  1.45 B
Mexico  - 622 M
Mozambique  - 404 M
Nigeria  - 456 M
Pakistan  - 2 B
Russia  - 380 M
Senegal  - 698 M
South  Africa - 566 M
Sudan  - 870 M
Tanzania  - 554 M
Uganda  - 451 M
Zambia  - 331 M,


Indonesia – The mind boggles as to how much they get(they got $650m in 2013!)


And with literally Billions of Dollars and they still hate us!!!

Our retired seniors are living on a 'fixed income'


Do they get any breaks while our government and religious organisations


Pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food
To Foreign Countries!

We have hundreds of adoptable children who


Are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of


Foreign orphans.




"AUSTRALIA",


A country where we have


Homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry,


Elderly going without needed medication and mentally ill without treatment...  Etc.


 YET

We still allow illegal "Boat People" & other free loaders on our shores


While we are lining up with food, clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.

Imagine if the "GOVERNMENT"


Gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.

Sad isn't it?"

And now for response:

"WOW. That's not a very nice email, yeah the budget is crap and nobody benefits from it except for a few but wow talk about anger directed at the wrong people.

Immigrants and asylum seekers are not "illegal boat people", they are fleeing their country because they are being persecuted for their religious or ideological beliefs, escaping war or maybe just for the colour of their skin. They have the right by international law to seek asylum from horrible conditions that we can't even comprehend. Australia's "policy sovereign borders", works by intercepting boats outside Australia's waters or forcing boats back ILLEGALLY into their own waters so that they have to return to where they set off. The only illegal thing in this whole debacle is what the Australian government is doing while maintaining complete silence for "operational security".
 

I'm really quite shocked you'd send me this email to be honest, there's some pretty disgusting words up there. Those who have the ability to help the less fortunate, should as a matter of principle. Do you realise that in this budget foreign aid was drastically cut to all those in need? I know people who worked for AusAid and lost their long time job because the government decided that we will no longer provide help to those we are able to and instead spend a couple of billion on fighter jets. Millions of dollars were cut from disabled services and elderly services as well but its okay to invest millions more in internet and telephone surveillance?

 I agree that religious organisations shouldn't be given the tax breaks they are given but if you don't like it, get on the line to your local politician and tell them, otherwise it will remain this way for another couple of hundred years if no one says anything! if you want to see the separation of church and state then don't vote for the Christian liberals or the Christian democrats! Keep your religion and politics separate.

 There are people in every single country on earth who go to bed hungry, who don't have a place to sleep and elderly that go without medication. But Australia is one of the highest grossing GDP's in the world, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world (maybe before Abbott starting firing everyone and closing down businesses). We have the ability to help those struggling, why on earth wouldn't we? If the situation was reversed, would you be saying the same thing if you were a "foreign orphan" in need?

This "budget emergency" is a farce from the liberal government as an excuse to cut basically everything. Our country is doing fantastic economically, it is all just a lie to help you accept the budget cuts. Abbott is a far right liberal, what did you expect? That's what they do! And who voted for them?

The problem is not that there are people in need other than in Australia, the problem is who controls how the money is spent. Don't direct your frustration at the situation of these people, but the people who you elect to represent you, create policies that are meant to represent you, and spend to benefit you. Get angry at the politicians and write them an email, don't send these hate emails around that's not helping anyone and just fueling the fire.

Steve."

 

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Makeovers! Hair and Web

As promised here are the pics of the new hairstyle that came from a moment of courage. Also because something else they don't tell you is that a few months after giving birth your hair starts falling out in clumps! Much easier to manage with short hair so keep it mind if you're female and planning to balloon up any time soon.

So unfortunately I haven't gotten around to actually taking a sensible photo but as some of you are bugging me for pics, I've found some paparazzi (DH) shots below. Ignore the fact that my roots are begging for some blonde and let me know what you think.
 

  

Also let me know what you think of the makeover the blog has been given! I'm summoning all my old html coding skills to try and make some magic.

The cafe in the pic is Dreams cafe in Lanzarote. You can read my review of it here.

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Breastpads and Earl Grey Tea

If you had of asked me if I wanted anything from London a few years ago I doubt my response would have been for breastpads and Earl Grey tea! Think about all the wonderful things I could get from London…oh how the times have changed. As friends and family come to visit us here in Lanzarote they inevitably ask if we would like them to bring us any treats and it turns out these two items are the only two I am desperate for.

The breast pads because they are insanely, stupidly expensive here and the tea because we haven’t been able to track it down and if we ever did, I’m sure it too would be a ludicrous price.  All that to say that I think it’s quite funny how priorities change in the different seasons of life.

So as I have noted my change in requests from London it makes me think that I have to be careful to not become a person that loses touch with the things that I loved before this new (amazing!) season began. Just because I have a baby now doesn’t mean I forget my own wardrobe while I’m funnelling all my attention on making him look cute. No, mum’s and dad’s there is no need to forget our own hopes and desires. Actually I think it’s really important FOR my son that I don’t neglect these things because more than anything I am one of the most important role models he has in life. I want him to see me enjoying things and people, feeling good about myself and finding joy in discovering new things. And yes, he should know that his mother loves the spa and deserves to be pampered there…OFTEN.

Lots of days I have big bags under my eyes from lack of sleep the night before and here on the island makeup melts off your face so there’s no quick cover up option but I am slowly getting myself back into shape post baby and the sunshine days have given me a tone I couldn’t paint on.  And so to further aid my commitment to being “young”, free and in love (with my two guys now),  I have made an executive decision to chop my hair short! I’ll post a pic of the result whether it’s good or bad…it’s only hair – it will grow back. And next time someone asks me what I want from London I will consider something a little more exciting than breastpads and tea. 

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Spa days

Every Wednesday I go to the thermal spa. Yes, it is a luxury and yes I will miss it greatly when I return to London and the price to visit a spa quadruples.  And so it is for this reason I set about researching the health benefits of this little luxury so I can justify forking out a little extra cash for it on our return.

Well it turns out the spa is more than just a relaxing place to chill out for an hour or so before I hightail it back home to what is very likely to be a hungry little boy waiting to eat. Not a surprising fact – why else would the Romans have built an entire city around a hot spring and called it Bath? I’ve found it is actually an investment in your health, as much as if not more than some other exercise options. Here are some examples of how, which I found while starting to build my case for further visits to the spa.

The sauna: Sitting (or lounging to be accurate) in these little heated rooms after you’ve splashed some essential oil over yourself does more than just relax you. It causes your body temperature to increase and this has a few helpful benefits. One is that toxins and waste are expelled from your body through sweat and apparently not only from your skin but also from the metabolism of your organs. Sounds scary but basically means you get a deep cleanse of your whole body. Also when you’re in there your body is tricked into kind of thinking it has a little fever because your skin temperature has risen and it reacts to this by boosting your immune system which can help you avoid the coughs and colds of winter – ahem, Londoners…this is our perfect excuse!

The water stuff: So my spa has two pools, one is a jacuzzi and the other is a larger pool with a series of pressurized water jets for the various parts of your body. Essentially you are having an underwater massage. There are countless health benefits from massage itself but one of the biggies is stress reduction. Now I can’t claim to be under a large amount of stress here on the island but we are building a case for when I return to work in London remember. Warm water massage releases endorphins and increases blood circulation which help our bodies deal with pain, stress and emotional issues – hence the stress relief but this also helps with headaches and general aches and pains of which I can assure you I have many! Carrying around a seven kilo little guy all day means you crawl into bed each night with a certain dull ache in your back. And that’s supposedly another benefit of the water – better sleep!

I’m also told that the pressure from the water jets can do wonders for cellulite but I think I’ll need to commit to the spa every week for a few years before I can be the judge of that particular benefit!

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If the jeans fit…

And yes, the jeans fit! There were celebrations in our house recently when my weekly attempt to squeeze into my pre-pregnancy jeans surprisingly didn’t end in its usual whimper. They are a little snug but more than comfortable and the biggest surprise was that they fit in a week that I had actually gained weight. Not sure how that is possible but I am pleased to say I’ve since lost that little extra and an incey bit more leaving me with 7.5 of the 10kg to go.  A self-congratulatory pat on the back for me. Here's a reminder of what we're coming back from.

 

Following my last post on shedding the kilos, a friend introduced me to the seven minute workout. Let’s just call it the six and a half minute workout because on what planet someone expects me to be able to do a side plank I do not know. It’s only 30 seconds per exercise (supposed to be done at high energy) and you would be surprised just how long 30 seconds can actually last. So I’ve only done it twice because the effort to get into my gym clothes takes at least another seven minutes. This is the challenge of the breastfeeding mother – how to do exercise when you are weighed down and puffed up with all that milk? I nearly suffocated myself trying to squeeze into my gym top. Not actually kidding.

I am the kind of person that needs to constantly invent little games or tricks to keep myself motivated so I will now embark on the monthly challenge. It’s currently fizz-free February meaning no soft drinks or even alcohol free beer – anything with the fizz is out. It will be a Munchie-Free March which will be my hardest challenge given my penchant for all things sweet and choclately and all this will lead up to Active April. Anyone wanting to join me in this madness, please do!

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Two Bottles

After almost three months separated from my first love – wine – we have finally been reunited. It took me three days to express enough milk to buy me six whole hours of breastfeeding free time so that I could partake. One kind of bottle for me and another for Orion. My friend Lorren was visiting us from Australia this week and she, like me is a bit of a wino so we thought a day visiting the wineries of La Geria was in order. 

First of all let me say, if you hold a similar love for vino and you are ever on the island, put La Geria at the top of your list. Not only will you try some great wines (stick to the whites in my opinion) but also have a feast for the eyes. The area backs on to Timanfaya National Park to the east and it’s an incredibly unique landscape shaped by the volcanic eruption of Timanfaya from 1730 – 1736. Basically what you’re looking at is a vast area of volcanic ash, which makes you think you’re on the moon rather than in the middle of a thriving wine region.

The landscape is made up of pits in the volcanic ash for the vines  (empty at the moment) which each have a small half circle stone wall around them for wind protection. The result is quite stunning and something a photo doesn’t capture so hightail it over here to check it out.

Alvaro was designated driver and chief baby feeder (gracias) and the day was more than worth those extra ten minutes to express milk a couple of times a day in the lead up. Ironically Orion didn’t want to eat for nearly four hours after the first bottle and I was beginning to think the milk would turn bad and the little one would be left in a dilemma with the options of getting a little drowsy from my milk or going with nothing at all. Thankfully he came to his senses and scoffed down the second bottle right on the time mark and then promptly demanded more shortly after. A word to those giving this a try – always leave another feed at home in the fridge just in case you want that one last drink.

My one last drink was indeed fabulous, the Caipirinha, and drunk I have to say in a truly fantastic place - the side of a quarry. London, Paris, Sydney hang your heads in shame - Lanzarote has the best cocktail bar I’ve visited. It’s at LagOmar, which is also a museum, art gallery and restaurant.  Think exposed stone walls and white washed concrete mixed in with a little Arabian Nights and Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and you are there.

Reminding me I’m a now a mum incase I was feeling a little too cool in the bar was Orion and his bottle. He wanted it and it was cold. And God forbid there be a tap with hot water around.  So despite the fact we already had a baby in a cocktail bar we extended our ridiculousness a little further when I spent several minutes waving his bottle in front of an outdoor heater where two German women were trying to enjoy their beverages. They seemed to understand my predicament, or at least they pretended to as I completely invaded their private space to warm the milk. Whatever the case, I know this -  I’ll take a sideways glance over a crying baby any day.

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Work as life

I’ve walked through the office for the last few days with a different perspective. I started my first job when I was 14 and nine months (the moment many cash-strapped teenagers start in Australia because it’s first chance we get) and almost 17 years later I find I’ve worked a mix of challenging, exciting and just plain boring days. Just like anyone else of course. It started in a pizza shop, I worked my way through supermarket and telemarketing jobs while attempting to study and found my way to staring at a computer screen for most of the last 12 years. And here I am still staring at the screen, mac of course, I’m only on a PC when forced.

I’m sure I’ve reached this moment a hundred times before but this time it is more significant, more poignant. I look around me everyday and see a room of people staring at their screens, most of us with earphones in, either to avoid human contact or at least allow a familiar beat to liven our days. We are all working on real tasks, real opportunities and challenges but somehow when you stand in the middle of it, the idea seems pointless. We see the screens for the best part of the day, the time the sometimes sun appears, is spent in these rooms, with these computers, with our emails and database programs. Where is our life here? I am torn between a mind that finds it exhilarating to complete the task list, strive for perfection and growth in my job, reach new levels, beat new targets and become something more and the world outside of it all. It’s not a place where we don’t work, it’s just I wonder if it should look like this. A part of me craves to throw it all away but the desire is futile because I need it to have the good things... and part of me wants it too.

Now I am sitting in a café, I have a coffee, some sparkling water and a cigarette. Why a cigarette? Because it seems to fit the feeling of this moment – possibly it represents a life trapped behind a computer most days that wants to sit on a porch, drink red wine, smoke cigarettes and breathe in real air – yes, I see the juxtaposition. 

I’m stuck on how to move forward but I like the feeling. In it’s strangeness it is liberating. It means nothing is really needed, because nothing is completely wanted. Nothing that is but the people I love and know I will come to love in my lifetime. 

 The picture...it's my friend Lorren hiding under her desk from too much work to do. :)

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