How to do it all...

So No, I'm not that stuck up I definitely don't do it all.

Hi Guys,

Hope you are having a fab week.  I wanted to talk about those mums that have it all, the clean house, the perfect hair, job, kids, body. How do you actually do it?

I am struggling, I love my kids, but after a full day of work dealing with incompetent people, stressing about how to make a healthy dinner, the last thing I have energy for is to actually do anything fun with them when we get home.

But, what I have realised that it is not exactly what you do with them or that they don't have a gluten free, fat free, sugar free dinner ready.  It's about the little moments.  Dancing to 'Let it Go' for the 100th time in her new Elsa dress or doing five situps with Adeline and making her giggle until se is read (which is hard for a black baby) but those, those are the memories that will stick and form the forever bond that you see in the movies.

So instead of being on your phone (100% I'm guilty for) getup and dance, put on baby shark and sing like the silliest person in the room, because believe it or not that IS what I look forward to now, now that I have changed MY mindset.

It has taken the last 8 months for me to change mine.  Going back to full-time for when my baby was only four months old.  Missing the first time she crawled or stood up and spending my days smelling the last of that beautiful baby smell is not what she will remember. It's the love that is shown in going back to work, spending 30 minutes with my undivided attention on her, making memories.

I m here formy girl, no matter what and I hope that I can show them that no matter hat life throughs at them I will always be there, and if you make sacrifices for the ones that you love you will be rewarded.

Lots of thinking to be done tonight.

Marissa
xoxo

New Week, New Me...

Hi Guys,

So every Sunday night I get this feeling, that I need to reorganise my life.  For some reason writing down what I need to do for the week or plan outings with the family, make me feel better.

I am currently seeing a psychologist for PTSD and Post-Natal Depression/Anxiety.  Being a mum you put so much pressure on yourself, 'have you done enough education for the day', 'have they eaten enough veggies', ' is the house clean enough'. Writing down my list and or planning out my week seems to take some of this pressure off.  Even down to meal planning, which in turn, helps us save money on groceries, helps my brain as all I need to do daily is to make sure that the meat is defrosted so that I can put it in the slow cooker.

Does anyone else feel like this? This constant pressure is exhausting, I am always tired of trying to be perfect, and when I do not live up too my own unrealistic expectations, I beat myself up about it all.

Now in saying all of the above, I do need to make some healthier lifestyle changes, I need to exercise more and eat better so that I can keep up with my girls.  I do not want them to be embarrassed to introduce me to their friends as they get older as being the fat slob of a mum.

So this week, is planned out, dinners, outings and activities, and I am going to try my hardest to wake up early and listen to a podcast or tune out to some music and go for a run/walk.  Drink more water to flush out my system and to take my medication (I always forget :\).  I need to keep myself accountable, so on top of this, I am going to try and Vlog everyday including my workouts and what I eat.  I would also like to do a weekly update as to how the last week has gone.

I would love to hear from other mum's who feel like this? and some solutions as to how to get pas these feelings.

Thanks for reading :)

xoxo
Marissa

Being A Single mummy.. Sort of

Hi guys,

Hope you are all doing well.  So I am currently a single mum. Not really, but my husband has gone a holiday for 3 weeks. He went as a graduation present to himself as he just finished his Juris Doctor in Law, so well deserved but just shit timing.

I am 35 weeks pregnant and have a19month old super active toddler.  How do you guys do it? I am in a constant state of exhaustion and have the massive mum guilts as I don't feel like doing much with Amalia.

The real question is how I am supposed to feel about my husband leaving us.  I really want him to enjoy his time and get the clarity that needs before he gets admitted, however I don't think he should have ever left us in the first place.  Yes, probably rude of me to compare myself to a single parent as the other parent is coming back, but still so HARD!

So just needed to get that off my chest,

Hope you all have a great day.

xoxo
Marissa

Skincare! What does it actually do?

Hi guys,

SO I know as mummy's we generally put ourselves last but taking one minute out of our day to take care of our skin really makes a difference when it comes to applying makeup.

Before we get into the post I just want to disclaim that I do not have any qualifications, and this is all of my opinion and experiences.

Why do we need skincare? To stop the ageing? To help our makeup apply better? To assist with any acne?  All of the above are correct.  There are so many lotions and potions out there that it can overwhelm any one trying to pick the right products for you.

Again only speaking from my experience, I have oily skin.  So initially I thought that I would need to buy everything that is drying and nothing hydrating. Boy was I wrong! The Clinque Moisture Surge Intense has been my life saver.  Literally, I just wash my face with either Aldi Face wash, Green for Morning with my Clarisonic, Blue exfoliant for night time, Clinique Step 2 Toner and then the moisturiser and I am good to go.  My make up goes on so smooth, and last pretty much the whole day and people keep complimenting me on my glow.

Sometimes simple is better and the less products you put on your face the better. Remember, if you are on a budget like me invest in the moisturiser as that is what is actually going to make a change to your skin.

Any questions, you know where to find me.


Love Marissa
xoxo

What I eat in a day

Hi Guys,

So most of you have had a baby know that it is hard to fit in exercise with a newborn on top of EVERYTHING else that we do in a day.  However in order to get in the right frame of mind to be able get healthy we need to start in our kitchen.  Now I have never been a skinny girl, but I maintain that I have been healthy throughout my pregnancy and life, whilst carrying a little extra weight.  I have now found a great daily eating routine, that gives me enough energy during the day to keep up with my chores, produce enough milk to breastfeed Amalia whilst keeping to around 1200 calories per day.

Breakfast:

At the moment while I am on maternity leave I am having breakfast around 7:30 after I fed Amalia.

She sits in her highchair whilst watching Youtube Kids shows.

Porridge:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 lactose free milk
1/2 water
and I pop it in the microwave for 90seconds

Then I sprinkle cinnamon and some honey and also chop up some strawberries and banana to go on top.  I also make sure I have a nice cold bottle of water that I try and drink before I finish my breakfast.  And last but not least I have a coffee. My husband knows that if I don't have this for breakfast he has no hope in me being productive that day.

Morning Tea:

I am one of those people that if I don't eat regularly, I become HANGRY (hungry+angry) not a good combo.  To make sure that I am not grabbing something unhealthy, I make sure that I have a muesli fruit bar with me, ones that don't have any added sugar or even a snack pack of almonds.  Just something so that I am not indulging in that fresh piece of chocolate cake.


Lunch:

Sometimes if I am out I grab a Brown Rice Sushi Roll or a Salad, but most of the time I try to eat at home, because 1. It saves us money and 2. I know whats going in the food that I am eating.

Today I have made a salad, a go to for me, it's quick and healthy,  Sometimes I cook up some Quinoa or Cous Cous to go in it or add some nuts as they have added protein. Today however I had some roast chicken left over so I added that in for the added protein to keep me fuller for longer. Usually though I add a tin of Tuna.  Quick easy and cheap!  The dressing is just a pinch of salt a table spoon of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar.

I always make sure I have a big bottle of water around to make sure that I drink it all day.  I have two of these litre bottles that are in the fridge.  I have one for my morning after breakfast and one for the afternoon. I also have one that fits in my car and pram if I am out and about, because I hate buying water.


Afternoon tea:

This is usually when my chocolate craving hits me and yes I used to indulge too much however I have found a better alternative.  I'm not going to say healthier because it still has calories however not as much.  It's a hot chocolate pod from Aldi, made with my lactose free milk and two mashmallows.  Yummy and warm for these cold winter days that we are having here at the moment.  I may also have an Apple or mandarine as well depending on how I am feeling.


Dinner:

This goes back to my Savvy Mummy Post depends on what I am having for that day.  I do try to limit my carbs at night so that I am not going to bed on a heavy stomach.  I do have 3/4 of a plate of vegies, whether that be potato and pumpkin with peas or salad.  I make sure also that we have lean protein and on Friday nights we have a nice piece of fish.

Dessert.

Sometimes, like on date night we will have an ice cream, or some cake however usually it's some dark chocolate to curb those sweet cravings.  I buy the little packets of individual blocks from Aldi, so that you feel like you have eaten a whole block but you really haven't.  Mind of matter people.

And just to wind down for bed, I have a cup of herbal tea.  I am loving the French Earl Grey Tea at the moment from T2.

If you guys have any questions, or want me to talk about anything in particular, please leave a comment and let me know.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day and  stay positive people.

xoxo Marissa

The Savvy Mummy!

Hi guys,

So I am wanting to start a new series called the Savvy Mummy.  This post today will be about groceries and new recipes and how I organise our meals for the week.

1. Sit down with your family and talk about what they like and dislike.
For this my husband and I do this on date night.  Before we get "into" the evening.  I take out my table and recipe books and see what he feels like, because there is nothing more frustrating for me to have bits and pieces in the fridge and it's 5:30pm on a Thursday night and have no idea what to cook. So to help I make sure I have a meal plan.  I count out how many meals we will need for the week, taking into account both family dinners and any nights out we may have.  Then I make a list of all the ingredients, taking out what I already have in the house from the week before.  I then add some basics for our lunches and breakfast and I am good to go.

2. Go to fresh produce markets.
Yes, I know the last thing you want to do on a Sunday morning is to get out of your nice comfy warm bed and get dressed and go to the markets but trust me it is worth it.  The fresh vegies and fruit taste so amazing to the stuff you buy the grocery stores.  I spend on average about $30 for the week on fresh produce and that lasts us for the week with some stuff left over.  Now, my husband hates his vegies, but I make sure that there is at least half a plate with every dinner and I eat a salad almost everyday for lunch, so we actually get a lot out of this.

3. Shop wisely.
While doing lists, make sure you also take into account what is in season at the moment because buying a Cauliflower just because it is in a recipe for $6 does not fly with me. Become creative. I had cauliflower on my list to make mash however it was WAY to expensive so instead I made Potato and Pea mash. Still healthy and cost about $2. WIN!!

I know this stuff is common sense but hopefully someone out there will find it useful.  You don't need to have anything fancy.  See my list for this week below.
 




Hope this was helpful and if you have anything that you would like me to write about please leave a comment below.

Have a great day and stay Positive.

xoxox Marissa

Quick and easy make up for mums in 5 easy steps

Hi there,

Let's be honest, we would all love to get up every morning and look glamorous like before we were mums, but more than likely we have been up three times in the night for either feeds, nappy changes or just cuddles, but I have found a little routine, that is quick, easy and makes everyone think you are sleeping 8 hours every night!!!!

1. The key for me is having a great base too work with and that comes From your skin are routine, which I will be posting soon.

2. Know what foundation works for you. Whether, it's full coverage a BB cream or a little foundation, know what your skin wants.  I am combination skin, oil T zone, but dry in other places. I have always used MAC Studio Fix Foundation it looks great on my skin and they have the range of shades that I need as I am darker than most of the foundation you can get at Priceline. I am also trialing the Estée Lauder double wear foundation. It definitely lasts all day but is quite dry on the skin. Not sure if I like it yet, but will keep you posted.

3. Conceal don't feel, don't let it show. No, I am not just quoting Frozen, but a quick bit of concealer around the eyes to hide those circles is the key. I have used for a while now the Maybelline Fitme concealer in medium.  It is a shade lighter just to help brighten up underneath the eye area.  Then after that I use MAC Mineralize skin finish to set everything in place.

4. Eyebrows. Quick and easy to fill in and shape. The easiest step and can transform your whole face I seconds!!!!!MAC Eyebrow Pencil works great.

5. Blush and mascara. Blush to add some colour in your cheeks and looks like you have out more effort in then you actually have. The Clinique Pop Blushes are amazing, a little bit  And mascara to add definition to your eyes. There are more steps hat you can do to your eyes but let's be real, you have to be there in 15 minutes and your baby just tarts crying.  A quick spritz of a finishing spray, I use MAC Fixplus and your good to run out the door.

A quick and easy look that makes your look put together in 5 steps, and that with a little bit of practice you can nail in 5 minutes. 

Next thing to master is the messy bun do, that looks oh so chic in 5 easy steps, put on some cute studs and your favourite necklace and you are good to go.

 Altogether, the whole routine, hair, makeup and jewelry takes me about 10 minutes. It's ok to take this time out in the morning to make yourself presentable, as it raises your confidence and self worth. Please don't think that I am saying you have to look "pretty" to a be amazing trust me I walk out the door with no make up on and not brushing my hair at least twice a week but I know I feel better about myself after putting a little effort in. If your kids are crying, just let them, you know they are safe and fed and clean so 10 minutes won't hurt.

If you have any tips or tricks that you would like to share that help you get ready in a hurry please leave a comment, I am always looking for new things! 

Hope your having a great day xox