12WBT: Weeks 2 & 3 weigh-ins

WOO! 5kg lost since the start of the preseason!

I'm an 80s girl again!! 

12WBT: Video diary- Week 1 round-up!

12WBT: Week 1- Weigh in!

Correction! My goal for the 12wbt is 8kg.. not 6kg. Either way, am already almost half way there and I still need to re-assess!!

Video diary: Day 2 12WBT- live chat

Video diary: Fitness test #1

Video- Multitasking!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

12 WBT- end of preseason & chatter

Video blog.. I burnt 1000 calories on Saturday!

Handy dandy baby rocker...

About a week ago I missed an Aus Post delivery.. I LOVE receiving parcels but I HATE missing deliveries! I usually think.. "If only I had bloody well been home, then I wouldn't have to traipse down to the post office with the kids in tow and try to wrangle an awkward parcel". I usually take Richie in the Ergo and hope that whatever I am picking up fits into the pram. Fortunately, this time John was home and we could drop in to pick it up on our way through to visit Dad so I could forget all my regular frustrations and just enjoy the parcel receiving!!

I was SO excited when the disgruntled post office employee (no.. really.. he was awful!) passed a big box over the counter and it was my much anticipated Fisher-Price Rock N Play from Nuffnang!

Aint it prrrdy?

John and his side-kick Molly rigging up the Rock N Play

John got to work assembling the contraption as soon as we got to Dad's. It went together very quickly and easily and it's handy-dandyness (aware that's not a word!) was immediately apparent! Richie seemed positively chuffed to be up off the floor and a part of the grown-up goings on. He happily sat in it for half an hour before starting to grizzle and wanting a cuddle. Of course, I got him up and we had a feed and snuggle and he went off to sleep. I transferred him back into the Rock N Play as soon as he was sleeping soundly and he had a decent nap in it.


 

Nawwww!

You can see in these photos above that it holds the baby in a semi-reclined position which Richie seems to prefer to lying flat on his back. It has a three point safety harness to hold the baby safely and I was able to do it up easily while he was sleeping without waking him up.

Here's a few "pros" I have identified with this baby-gadget..

• It's really pretty! I can't stand bright and garish baby products with dangly, loud, annoying bits and bright flashing lights that would give folks a seisure. This product is in lovely muted pastel yellow, blue and green and it's a simple rocker without bells and whistles.
• It has a pocket to pop little toys in.
• It comes with a cute bunny comforter.
• As I said before, it is semi-reclined which is good for refluxy babies and babes who don't like to lie flat on their backs.
• It can be easily rocked with a foot or knee.
• It is difficult to tip over. Molly is a very affectionate big sister and she can sometimes get a little carried away with her love. I was in the middle of telling her off for nearly tipping Richie over when I realised that the green stoppers on the bottom were doing a very good job of "stopping"  the rocker from tipping too far forward. I shut up and let her love him up (he adores her!). I then tried to pull the rocker sideways and it was extremely hard to tip it that way too.
• It is very easy to fold up. You just press the buttons at the front and back and fold it flat!
• It's super compact and could be easily pushed under the bed or behind the couch and can be taken on holidays if you don't do the port-a-cot thing.

There's only one real "con" that I can think of and it is that the sides are very high and Richie can't see over them which means that he sometimes doesn't last as long in it as he might if he could look around and see a little more of what is going on.

All-in-all, I'm really pleased to own one of these and I am sure we will pass it on to someone who will love it just as much once we are finished with it.

Big thanks to Nuffnang
Product talk by Nuffnang

12WBT: Preseason task 6- The kitchen makeover.

We are certainly cracking through these preseason tasks! Number six was given today- The kitchen makeover! There is only two more tasks before kick off!!

The idea for task six is, you open your pantry and fridge and throw out any food that is keeping you from your healthy life goals and then go shopping and stock up on healthy basics (there is another shopping list for perishables and extras given at the beginning of each week). So I went into my kitchen, stood in front of my pantry all ready to clear it out, only to realise that there was actually only a couple of packets of wizz-fizz that my mum gave Molly and that was all. What an anti-climax! A good anti-climax, but one none the less. 

Oh well.. next!! I wrote a shopping list based on the recommendations given by Michelle Bridges, grabbed my shopping bags and zipped over to the new space-age Coles in Flemington (seriously good supermarket!). Richie happily sat in the baby trolley while I loaded it up with meat, good quality bread, eggs, veggies, herbs, fruit, yoghurt and several other yummy goodies. The thought went through my mind that this is actually how my trolley usually looks coming out of the supermarket after a normal shop. It's the after dinner supermarket runs for desserts and snacks (which are eaten straight away- hence the healthily stocked pantry), and the "treats" eaten out that have been preventing me from reaching my goals.

So I'm all set! The husbo is on board and is keen to drop a few kilos himself. Today I asked that if he wants food other than what is on the plan for me, that he put it somewhere else in the house where I can't find it (aka. hide it!). My willpower muscle will get stronger with use but right now, the 4pm munchies are often overwhelming and I end up scavenging around in the kitchen for something salty or sweet (often after a sleepless night with baby). So if it's not in the house, I'm safe!  John said he probably wont have any junk either as he wants to feel healthier anyway.

I remembered that my gym membership also gives me access to another (much better) gym a little bit further away. It's further but has so many more classes and I get 10 free passes. After they are used up I can get another 10 for $33. I have decided to do RPM and Fitness Fusion (a varied resistance class) back to back for my super Saturday workout. I predict I will burn around 1200cals doing both of these! This morning I did RPM and burnt 569cals which gave me a little boost and kept me on the straight and narrow with my food for the rest of the day.

So I am hoping all you other 12WBTers out there are having a smashing preseason. Please say hi if you pop in and read my blog. I'll be sure to come visit yours!