mumlife

Why owls are cool!

16/08/2018 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

My teenager thinks I am too obsessed with owls. She says I’m a little bit crazy about them. And that I influenced my youngest daughter to like them (but she prefers ducks and dinosaurs really…and of course ducks are really just a gateway bird to owl obsession). So why is it that I think owls are cool? Even just why ARE owls cool?

Firstly, there was a marked increase in cool owl patterns and items that came out while I was pregnant with my second daughter. I ended up getting so many things in owl themes; bedding, clothes, a wall decal for the nursery, a music toy for bed time. Everything I could find in an owl pattern I got. why owls are cool

Then there is the teacher aspect of owls. Owl are reputed as being wise, scholarly like Owl in Winnie the Pooh. This fits well with being an educator of children for nearly 20 years. why owls are cool

And of course we can’t forget the night owl. I’ve always been a stay up late, get up late person (just ask my mother). The perpetual night owl. why owls are cool

Cool facts about owls

There are lots of cool facts you can find about owls.

Owls have powerful talons (claws)…something my mum has pointed about my nails for years. That I inherited Nana’s strong nails. Which now might be prettily decorated with my Jamberry products. why owls are cool

Owls have large eyes – pointed out by my eye specialists over the years.

Owls are quiet in flight – just ask anyone who’s walked around a shopping centre with me…. I suddenly am on the other side of them, without them even knowing. why owls are cool

Owls are farsighted- and now for the first time I am, after being short sighted since birth, after cataract surgery I can see great for distance…but need reading glasses for close up.

Owls have been symbols of wisdom and magic in ancient Greece, Asia and America. Just think of Owl in Winnie the Pooh for wisdom, and the numerous owls in Harry Potter. why owls are cool

Owl memes

Sparkly Bright Eyes is such a cool name for an owl. As someone who wore glasses for her childhood, then contacts for another 20+ years I constantly felt like an owl peeping at things. So the transition to owl obsession wasn’t so far fetched. These are just a few of my favourite owl memes that I hope you might enjoy too.

why owls are cool

I even have a Pinterest board about all things owls. Come and check it out here. why owls are cool

If you’d like to follow me more, to see what other owl stuff I come up with, come follow me on Facebook here.

Sometimes life as a mum can be fun, like when this post was inspired by my teen. But other times it can be tough. Read more here.

How to be an organised mum

06/07/2018 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

When you first find out that you are going to be a mum you hope that will have your life together and be an organised mum like so many television shows have portrayed over the years. But not all of us ladies have those OCD tendencies to be super organised about every aspect of motherhood. So this post is for those who want to have a bit more structure in their mum life, but have struggled so far in life to get that perfection you’ve seen in so many others. These are tips on how to be an organised mum from a mum who hasn’t got it all together yet, but knows these things can help.

Use a calendar

We all have things in our lives we need to remember whether we are a stay at home mum, have a career away from home or do something from home while juggling the kid stuff. This could be things from birthdays to medical appointments, date nights to when bills need to be paid.

There are so many choices with technology these days that you are not restricted to just pen and paper items. There are apps for calendars and planning – complete with reminder alarms that can be set to remind you of each event.

But first I would organise a calendar that is on display for the whole family to see. Whether you have an event involving the kid’s soccer training, your partner’s days off or when the electricity bill is due, they will all be visible to the whole household.

You can then keep your own personal events in a diary, planner or app of your choice that travels with you.

Write down all things that you need to remember for certain dates. This many include:

-school events
-play group
-medical appointments
– birthdays/anniversaries
-school holidays
-your holidays
-bills
-appointments

Have a place things belong

When you are not organised it can be so easy to misplace important belongings. My husband is forever misplacing things he needs and then panicking if he can’t find them when he’s running late. So find a spot for items in your house and ALWAYS put them back in that spot.

Some common things that will need their own spot are and suggestions where to home them:

Keys- key rack or bowl

TV remotes- spot on coffee table

Dirty dishes- on sink or in dishwasher

Shoes – place in wardrobe or under bed

Towels in use- towel rack

Toys – toy box or book shelf

Shopping Lists

Shopping with children (especially toddlers) can be one of the most daunting experiences as a mother! But when you get to the shop, with child in the middle of the worse tantrum ever, and forget what you actually needed to buy, it can be super frustrating.

Get a notepad you can leave in the kitchen. I find a long one with magnets on the back that sticks to the fridge is perfect! Even if the bench gets inundated with dishes or other stuff, it can still be found.

Whenever you run out of an item from the fridge or pantry, write it down. If something is running low, write it down. Before going shopping, check what you might need or refer to a checklist.

This not only limits the ‘what else did I need’ moments, but also cuts down on the budget blowouts of impulse buying.

Don’t put things off

My last tip on how to be an organised mum is not to delay too many tasks. Yes, there might be a few things we put aside as we have to wait for our pay to come in, but it shouldn’t be everything!

If a note comes home from school, fill it then. (If you have to wait for your payday for that excursion fee, put a reminder in your calendar about it NOW).

You see something out of place, go put it away now. Don’t keep stepping over it to leave for the next five months.

Hopefully following these simple things can help you become more like that organised mum you’ve always dreamed of. And don’t panic if you can’t achieve them all! Baby steps can help us in our journey to become a more organised mum.

Being a mother is tough – working out this parenting gig (again)

Getting ready for a happy new year- time to be consistent!

31/12/2017 By Savanna Robinson Leave a Comment

It is nearing the end of 2017 and time to start thinking of what the next year will bring! A lot of people like to set themselves a new year’s resolution. The new year’s goal they wish to work on for the next year, and hopefully improve something in their life by being consistent with that. But what is a good new year’s resolution? What should you work on or hope to improve on? What should your new year’s resolution 2018 be?

What should your new year’s resolution be?

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I’ve known a lot of people to set a new year’s resolution that is standard to so many others out there. “I will lose weight. I will eat healthier. I will exercise more. I will quit smoking/drinking. I will get out debt. I will travel more”. They start January off very inspired and determined to keep going for the entire year. But a lot of these goals are often spur of the moment wants, and they don’t have the mindset behind them to keep going when it gets tough. And yes, generally people can get lazy about these new goals that will make their life so much better (or so it seems in their minds).

My new year’s resolution

This year I’ve followed the teachings in the Socialite Suite and had a guiding word to follow for the year instead of a goal that I might give up in a few weeks because it was too hard. For 2017 my focus word was ‘brave’. I wanted to feel brave seeing I took a second year of maternity leave from teaching to spend more time with my toddler and teen. I wanted to be brave and continue with my direct sales business and see where I could get with it (and I needed to be brave to do some tasks to help with that). I wanted to be brave and try something new, like learning how to start my own blog. And I think I’ve bravely faced all those challenges and more this year!

Be Brave!

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You then need to surround yourself with I reminders about your focus word. It could be photos, memes or images you’ve made. Maybe the word written on every page of your yearly planner/diary. But the more you remind yourself of it, the more consistent you will be in keeping with it, and following through on task that achieve it.

As having a focus word for my New Year’s resolution 2017 worked so well, I’ve decided to do it again for 2018. And it’s been a bit of a struggle to find the perfect word too! I want it to cover all the things I’d love to achieve in this coming year. Yes, like many women I want to lose some weight and be more active as that’s better for my Multiple Sclerosis. I also want to declutter my house (and life) which is so overflowing with things since my husband moved in a few years back and I brought my school stuff home when starting maternity leave. I want to regularly do work on my blog, as the last month or two have been crazy busy! And I want to show my teenage daughter how to not become overwhelmed with her senior high school studies.

2018 here we come!

My focus word for 2018 is Consistency

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The focus word I have settled on for 2018 is ‘consistency’. To be consistent with scheduling things for school, Jamberry and home into my planner (which I just picked up the other day from a friend’s place…I’m excited!). To establish routines to consistently do tasks around home and have everyone in the house contribute in these tasks. To follow up with customers in my Jamberry business in a timely manner and keep my Facebook pages and group running smoothly.

So I look forward to 2018, the year of consistency. Comment below with what your focus word will be for the new year! Let’s celebrate together what will focus on! And if you find this post a few months in, or at the end of the year, know it’s never too late to set your focus for the remainder of the year!

Road trips with kids – toddler road trip essentials

15/11/2017 By Savanna Robinson 13 Comments

We recently took a car trip to Canberra from Sydney with our toddler to see Floriade in Canberra. As we journeyed, these are the thoughts and ideas that came to me about surviving a long car trip with a toddler and other kids. (And yes, some of this did happen to us! ) So here are my musings on road trips with kids and toddler road trip essentials to make your trip more enjoyable. Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Musings on road trips with kids.

Be well rested beforehand! A long drive and a cranky toddler is not something to handle on little sleep. Same goes for older kids who like to ask hundreds of questions.

Don’t let your toddler take off with one of their drink bottles before you leave the house. It will get left behind! Thank goodness you packed another! Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Similarly for the older children, check that they have all things they require for the trip packed, as heading back home after an hour’s driving is not a nice option.

Train your children to like music you don’t mind listening to. Otherwise you’ll be stuck listening to the same album of children’s songs for hours on end! Or with older children give them a listening device and earphones. Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Don’t put on moisturiser before feeding them at least 2 snacks. It is nearly impossible to open a packet of biscuits with your hands all smooth!

When you stop at McDonalds (as let’s face it, it’s one of the only regular stops on Australian Highways where you can get food fast enough to appease the ravenous toddler who just finished biscuits, a cheese Stringer and a banana), DON’T let the toddler catch sight of the children’s playground if you don’t have time for a play session. There will be major tantrums!! Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Be prepared for the toddler to practise a variety of vocalisations in an attempt to amuse themselves.

If you stop and wake toddler for a break stop, it is doubtful they will sleep for the rest of the day. Choose carefully!

For the older kids pack some games they can play in the car without needing your help (particularly if you will be the only adult in the car). Lists of things they need to find can be good for those who are able to read. Electronic devices such as tablets or music players are very handy for game apps or movies to watch, providing they are charged before leaving. (Remember to pack all chargers for them too!) Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Toddler road trip essentials

Pack a snack bag with things that are easily managed by your toddler, and that won’t be too messy. Some things you could include: biscuits, cheese Stringers, yoghurt pouches, fruit, muesli bars, water bottle.
Take a small basket of toys for the car trip and the time away. Nothing with little tiny pieces that can easily get lost. Of course, this basket will be upended to be used as a drum 30 minutes into the trip.
Have a back seat mirror on the back headrest for your rear facing child. You can see them, and they can see you. Saves on the screaming! (well …sometimes it does. Let’s face it, sometimes these toddlers just want to experiment with screaming).
A change of clothes in the nappy bag for drink bottle spills or nappy explosions is a great idea!
A sleeping bag, blanket and comfort toy for bedtime can give familiarity to a strange location. Order a cot/crib for your toddler too if available.
Take toddler-sized sunglasses as they will grizzle if the sun is in their eyes too long! Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Hopefully following some of these tips, your next road trip with kids will be enjoyable. What essential thing do you think is required on a car trip with kids? Comment below. Road trips with kids -toddler road trip essentials

Ever wonder why toddlers act the way they do? Check out here.

How to stop breastfeeding a toddler (who doesn’t want to give up)

05/10/2017 By Savanna Robinson 1 Comment

Learning about how to stop breastfeeding a toddler is a tricky task! There isn’t a lot of information on stopping at this age! Even going to the Early Childhood clinic nurses they didn’t have much helpful advice to share. It’s all advice about continuing to breastfeed a baby. So here’s my thoughts on the whole process.

Not in a million years did I ever think I’d still breastfeeding a toddler of nearly 20 months! It hasn’t been uneventful either with grazes, vagospasm and blocked ducts, and a few times I’ve wanted to just give up on it all. But I’m quite proud of this achievement we’ve reached together. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

Breastfeeding with toddlers is trickier

Toddlers are NOT like babies when breastfeeding. They’re wriggly! They have some teeth (which they seem to forget every time a new one pops up)! And are super distractable! It is not a task for the faint of heart to breastfeed a toddler! They can feed from any position- sideways, upside down, downward dog- you name it, a toddler can probably breastfeed that way. For the last 9 months I’ve had to feed her in a quiet room most of the times or she just stops and starts for hours. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

Baby #1

With my first daughter I decided at 14 months that I wanted to wear pretty bras again, instead of nursing ones, and by 15 months she was weaned. But she was also only on 3 feeds a day from the age of 9 months when I went back to work full time. And it was fairly easy to do. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

Baby #2

My newest addition is more stubborn. She really loves the comfort of breastfeeding. At 11 months old I managed to get her down to three feeds a day, and separated them from sleep times, thanks to a 4 night stay at sleep school. And a week later was teething again, and that all went to pieces- the sleep and the feeding! How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

We have lasted through a relapse of my multiple sclerosis, requiring me to have high dose IV steroids and a hospital stay. Luckily the hospital supported my breastfeeding rights, and arranged for her to room in with me. When I met up with my new neurologist and MS nurse it was recommended I should go back onto medications to help with the MS, which then meant weaning her. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

Lack of good advice

All the advice I could find was to either completely stop cold turkey (which I didn’t like with my tendency to get blocked ducts and the risk of mastitis) or to just let her wean when ready, or to not refuse if they ask but not ask if they wanted it. What I’ve ended up doing is just trying to drop one feed a day for a week or two and then trying another. It’s not a perfect method, but is better than being in pain with engorged breasts. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

I’ve had mixed feelings about this. Yes, it would be nice for her to be finally weaned! But on the other hand, I also miss that closeness you get nursing a little one who so enjoys a breastfeed.

How we’ve gone so far

Anyway, my little miss had other ideas. She is highly resistant to weaning. It took me months to get her back to 3 feeds a day, then to two. Now 6 months later, she’s down to one feed a day in the morning. Of course when sick, or upset, she tries her best to get another one. Toddlers know where the boobs are hidden and try their darnedest to get at them! (And are VERY determined!). How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

And as the end of this breastfeeding journey nears, I get more and more sad feelings about it. Yes I know it is best for my health to go back on disease modifying medication, but I will miss it! She is my last one and this won’t be experienced again. I will miss being a breastfeeding mum. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

The positives in this

But we have had the best possible start to her life! It has helped with any illnesses she’s caught in 19 months, including a doozy of a flu virus we had locally a couple of months back. It’s also been found to be best for MS to breastfeed at least 12 months and more if possible. And should reduce my risk of breast cancer in life. I think those are all great things to have achieved with my two girls! How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

In the meanwhile I’ll continue trying to wean my girl, so other things can start.

Update – we finally weaned at just past 22 months in December 2017. It was sad to stop, and pulled at my hand in the future months when occasionally she’d ask to feed out of the blue, but I couldn’t due to now being on medication that is not good with breastfeeding. How to stop breastfeeding a toddler

How have you found weaning from breastfeeding? Easy or hard? Comment below.

Want to read more about breastfeeding. Come check it out here!

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Being a mother is tough – working out this parenting gig (again)

06/08/2017 By Savanna Robinson 8 Comments

Being a mother is tough some days! Real tough! You just want to give it up, throw in the towel and go do something less stressful. Memories of days where you could eat a hot meal in peace are just that- a distant memory. And I’m not saying parenting can’t be tough for the guys too. But a lot of it is still dealt with by mothers. Although Stay at Home dads have increased in numbers in recent years, they still are a minority. Mums are known for having to think 6 billion thoughts about the needs of others, before themselves. Breastfeeding- nope, my husband can’t do that and the determined toddler has refused a bottle since she was 6 months old. Settling- when at her worst hysterical moments, only mummy can calm her down. Organising meals- yep, you guessed it. Mummy again. Sorting out the next season’s clothes. Wondering which school they will go, if they’ll make friends easily, and how you’re going to afford it. The whole world of motherhood is hard.

Being a mother of a toddler

My latest moment of finding being a mother hard was this morning. I sat down to breakfast, after dealing with the rigmarole in getting a 3 course toddler breakfast (well toast, cereal and fruit counts, right) and this happened. Eleanor lost control of her cereal bowl and it spilled cereal and milk over the corner of the table, my legs, my slippers and the floor. My little one sat there in her highchair going ‘Oh! Oh!’, whilst milk dripped further down my leg.

I sat there in shock to start with, and then tried to figure out how I could mop up this mess without making it worse. Of course there was not a wipe in reach (a rare event when you have a toddler in the house). And not even the packet of serviettes was in range! And no one else is at home! I can scarcely ask the little one to pop over to the sink and grab some paper towels. She’s safely strapped inside her high chair. And it’s a slim chance she could follow that instruction just yet.

So of course my toast was very cold when I finally got everything cleaned up. Eleanor wanted to have some of that too, even though she had the same thing, Vegemite toast, right in front of her… apparently mine is better. Why do they need to eat everything that mummy has? Although I guess it might help with my weight loss plan that she demands every snack I have. In reality it’s probably just an easy way to see something isn’t poisonous. Mummy is eating that one, so it’s okay. Heavens knows what this stuff in front of me could have in it!

Then we get to dressing for the day. The toddler is dressed by mummy. Thankfully she’s not yet at the age where they insist on dressing in the most weather inappropriate clothes. I realise halfway through getting myself dressed that I have completely forgotten how to dress as a normal non-breastfeeding person. Which is rather strange as she only feeds mornings and evenings now. But my mind still insists on dressing in accessible clothing as it’s just been so long since I dressed any other way. If I had to return to teaching work right now, I don’t know how I’d cope! Or be able to be dressed before 9am for that matter.

At least today we have avoided the excessive toddler grumpiness, over-tiredness and refusals to go to sleep. I’m sure that last night as I tried to get her to sleep for the umpteenth time that I was practically banging my head against the cot rails questioning why I ever thought having another was a good idea. I love her more than words can express, but sleep deprivation is torturous…especially when the person keeping you up can’t express why they won’t go to sleep. Is it teeth hurting, nightmares, the cold winter night or just wanting to snuggle with mummy?

And so ends my day. With those numerous thoughts still running through my mind, and finally a few moments peace to myself as both girls are in bed. I’m sure I should be in bed myself, but that’s not going to happen! Too many things I want to do that can’t be done whilst in mum mode. And even though I’m exhausted and frustrated with those little things when they happen, I just have to look at my girls to know that I’ll gladly do it all again for them tomorrow and the next day. Yes, being a mother is hard! But the rewards of spontaneous hugs, wet kisses and baby snores are pretty damn good too!

Want to read more about my parenting adventures?

Age gap worry- how long to wait between kids?

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mumlife

Cool facts about owls

Owl memes

Use a calendar

Have a place things belong

Shopping Lists

Don’t put things off

My new year’s resolution

2018 here we come!

Musings on road trips with kids.

Toddler road trip essentials

Breastfeeding with toddlers is trickier

Baby #1

Baby #2

Lack of good advice

How we’ve gone so far

The positives in this

Being a mother of a toddler

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