So shopping for my little guy is so much easier than for #1, the possibilities are pretty much endless and I find before I even think about hitting the toy aisles I have to write a list, check the budget and be FIRM in my resolutions. It’s …
Ethan turned 11 just last week and present-wise it was a total non-event. He had been saving for a big ticket item (Xbox One) for ages, and after tucking his pennies away and pretty much everyone gifting him cash for his birthday he was able to …
Last night was a rare, rare occasion where I was simply too exhausted to do anything else but lay on the couch under a blanket (WTF is this weather about!!), drink wine and watch tv. Usually my mummy-ADD kicks in after about 25 minutes and the To-Do list show reel starts running through my head and I get fidgety.
And then I get up.
And that’s the end of Relaxing Time.
But not last night, so great was the Nixon-induced exhaustion that once I was on that couch there was no budging. Dave and I were watching our “new show” Master of None on Netflix – it’s seriously THE BEST, think Parks and Rec, but less blatant comedic acting, more real life grit. So, there are lots of youngish, 30-ish? single peeps in the show with no kids. In one of the episodes we watched last night, main character Dev takes a potential girlfriend on a 24 hour trip to Nashville.
How awesome we thought! Nashville looks amaze! If we were still living in the states that’s totally a city we would visit, so much to see and do and so many restaurants and bars……..
……..and then they took a nap.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
ON A 24HR TRIP!
See this is where the disconnect between parents and unencumbered singles becomes a huge freaking chasm. If Dave and I had 24hrs kid free in an awesome new city we’d probably be running around like maniacs trying to cram everything in because god knows how many years it may be until the next child free trip! And to waste some of that precious time napping? – even though goddamn it I need a nap SO bad right now, I just don’t know if I could do it!
I mean I literally can’t do it, take a nap that is. Nix has given up his naps so I’m shit-outta-luck there, and even when he was napping it was just something I didn’t prioritise. Should I have? Maybe, then cumulative years of exhaustion might not be breaking my balls right now lol.
Let’s put this in context; Dave and I were weighing up watching 30 minutes more of Netflix (this is an important decision because more show = less sleep and it’s so hard to adult on 5 hours sleep) whilst the characters in the show miss their flight (imagine the horror of that if you have kids, THE SCHEDULE IS OUT THE WINDOW!!), arrive back in New York at like 11pm or something, and then go out to eat – again – like it’s no big thing.
Parents, can you imagine that luxury of time? Missed flight? No big deal. Eating – anytime you want, there’s no bedtime to worry about of course, no-one is going to descend into the madness of a hangry tantrum if they don’t eat dinner at 5.30pm.
Time is a luxury and so are my children, I wouldn’t wish them away for all the naps in the world. This post isn’t about that. It’s simply about trying to remember how wonderfully laid-back our narcissistic days were before we had kids. I struggle to remember them to tell the truth!
So, two things;
Have a great week! Maybe you might squeeze in a nap?
ps. Watch the Master of None trailer, SO good!
I love the classic old Kiwi Bumper Bar SO much but haven’t been able to bring myself to buy one for years due to a whopping 20.6 grams of sugar in each bar! I do not practise a restrictive diet for either Dave and I …
It feels odd to be writing this on a very gloomy and rainy Saturday here in Auckland, but the weather is (slowly) heating up and I’m feeling the urge to crank up the BBQ and relax into a season of easy salads and lazy dinners …
I hope no-one ever feels sorry for me for not having any little girls to primp and style. I know I’d love a daughter, but I have enough trouble picking out my own outfits each day (hence my ever-present ‘active wear’!) and dressing my two big/little guys really is so much fun! Doubly so when you can go shopping without them every now and then.
The glorious weather we enjoyed last week was all the motivation I needed to head in-store to The Warehouse and get Nixon’s summer wardrobe rolling. As I was shopping alone (did I mention how awesome this elusive opportunity was?!), I was hoping to create a Toddler Capsule Wardrobe.
There are so many stylin’ tops and bottoms in the boys Summer Range this year that it was quite hard having to narrow down everything I grabbed off the racks and condense my ideas into just four outfits. But, I did it and I love each of these looks! The secret to creating the ultimate Mix ‘n Match toddler wardrobe is shopping for neutral shorts that can be worn with all of the tops.
1. WZ Singlet Animal $12 (Check in-store), 2. WZ Denim Shorts $12, 3. Basics Canvas Play Shoes $5 I loved this singlet when I picked it up, mesh detail on the yoke and a super cool retro-sports-vibe which our family is ALL about! The sweet little denim shorts look long in the stock photo but are actually a very cute shorter length. Love!
1. WZ Printed Plane Shirt $18, 2. WZ Joshua Shorts $20, 3. Basics Canvas Play Shoes $5This little button-up is the BEST. The all over print is so on-trend and is perfect for all of those summer BBQ’s and maybe even Santa photos! The Joshua shorts are so good I got them in two colours, they are a heavy, stretch fabric that won’t crease and will be super comfy for all of that toddler-squirmy-goodness!
1. WZ Split Front Tee $12, 2. WZ Vinny Shorts $25, 3. Hippo + Friends Check Shoes $15I love Nix in black, and this graphic tee with mesh detail is the best, paired with those little slip-ons!!! I die. The Vinny denims are a great, hard-wearing option for a full-on kid like Nixie.
1. WZ Yoke Stripe Tee $12, 2. WZ Joshua Shorts $20, 3. Hippo + Friends Check Shoes $15The mix of fun neon with classic navy tripes is a total winner. This shirt is bright so works perfectly with toned down, neutral shorts like the Joshua in khaki.
So cute right? Every season when I head in to The Warehouse for some dedicated clothes shopping, I leave completely sorted and so happy that I was able to cross so much off my shopping list in just one store! I will be going back to spend some time in the women’s section as I spied this and this (both of which I NEED to complete my Mum uniform lol).
I would love to hear where you are shopping for your summer staples and seasonal trends as the weather warms up! Leave me a comment below with your shopping hotspots xx
As much as it pains me to admit it, jumbo Nix is just TOO big to ride his classic plastic motorbike anymore! Every time I run behind him as he careens at full speed down a hill I can see the little axel at the …
I think it’s fair to say that as we move through life, we go through various stages and phases, trying out different eating patterns and meal favourites until we find the things that just ‘fit’. Whether it’s the way we drink our coffee, the way …
On Sunday I finished my first ever, road running event.
This was my second fitness event – I ran the Mud Run back in winter. So a lifetime total of TWO events! In one year!
I actually can’t believe it!
The Skechers Women’s 6k was a game changer for me. After a cracking summer of running and a great autumn, winter became the massive mental hurdle I had dreaded. Entering my first road run 5 weeks out gave me the motivation to kick my ass back into gear and start taking my running seriously again.
The event itself was amazing. The Cloud played host to thousands of women and their families so well. There was ample room for everyone, a great warmup, plenty of accessible toilets and vendors providing drinks and food, JJ Harvey was a fantastic MC and the vibe was just SO good! Women as far as the eye could see, endorphin pumped ladies ready to run, run/walk or just walk the flat 6km course that is perfect for any level of fitness. I entered with three goals in mind and managed to smash 2 of them (I ran 6km in 32.32!!! My fastest pace ever!). Other women I know entered simply to see if they could complete the 6km. They did and they felt fabulous for doing so let me tell you!
Let’s talk about the course. I’m sure it was gorgeous – I mean waterfront Auckland is hard to beat, but the truth is, I didn’t look at the water once. Not. One. Peek. So you’ll just have to enter next year and check it out for yourself lol. The Skecher’s course is definitely a runners dream, wide pavement on one side plus an open lane on the road. Makes for a fast course if that’s your jam. Not entirely flat, there is an incline at about the 2 and 4 km marks which you can definitely feel when you’re running, it’s little but it nailed me!
The logistics of getting to The Cloud and ready to run by 8am were such a non-event. I was thinking about bussing but decided to drive and I’m so glad I did. For the first time in my life I got a park on the ground floor(!) of my fave Victoria St carpark and enjoyed a casual stroll though a very peaceful Auckland City on a Sunday at 7.15 am. Another first! Total parking cost $6.
So. Do it friends! Set a goal and make some positive changes. Having an event on a particular date to work towards definitely helps keep you motivated and on track, it’s also a little bit addictive – I’m already thinking about entering another event plus I know I’ll be back next year to run the Skecher’s again!
Here’s a pretty version for pinning or sharing to Facebook!
Nixon is two and quite the savvy YouTube aficionado (Imma let you finish, but don’t even go there about letting my 2 yr old on the iPad mmkay? Time and place, time and place). He has his favourite Mummy Finger music videos, favourite ‘Egg’ opening …