If you have a choice about which long weekend of the year to get a cold over, Easter would be the ‘best’. As a four day weekend, there’s hopefully enough time to make a full recovery.

I know it’s a ridiculous thing to be complaining about but I wish this hot weather would just go away like it’s meant to. My body is craving cooler sleeping weather and softer sunlight. It’s insane having to dig out sunscreen rather than my winter knits and boots. Insane.

Despite the warm weather, it’s been a good nap day here at SSG Manor. Too good, perhaps. Today’s afternoon nap finished at 9pm for both the baby and I. We’re going to be partying hard with my back catalogue of Foxtel iQ tonight.

I hope you and your family are having a lovely Easter break full of rest and reflection, as well as the food and that extra ‘going out’ night.

Personal training has been going well. Having a programme that combines weights and core stability exercises with my usual cardio has been a huge factor in my actually looking forward to each day’s gym session. Working with different pieces of equipment makes the hour go by faster. The challenge of using my body in different ways keeps me mentally engaged with what I’m doing. I’m guilty of going into auto pilot with my usual longish jogs.

In non gym junkie news, I was reading the April 2013 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly over a mid morning skinny cap the other day. Guess who’s going a judge in the new season of our version of The Voice? Ricky Martin! These days Ricky is a contented father of twin boys and in a long term relationship with a hunky financier who looks very much like him in the hair stakes. The AWW interview brought a smile to my face. Not only because of it revealing Ricky’s The Voice role but also because one of Australia’s most read and trusted women’s magazines respects its readership enough to recognise that all kinds of families make up our world.

Having some time to think over life isn’t something that happens often enough for me. Usually, my spare time is spent ‘doing’ rather than ‘thinking’. One activity or goal leads to another, the time in between flies past on auto pilot and before you know it, you find yourself being a detached bystander watching your life unfold. It’s as if your life is something that just happens to you.

These days, I find myself ‘thinking’ more than ‘doing’. The commotion of my old life has been turned off. The silence and stillness that now exists (in my mind, at least) has been the perfect environment for a bit of old fashioned self discovery and analysis.

Ironically, for someone who blogs, good old fashioned pen and paper has been my preferred medium. The act of picking up a pen and filling pages with thoughts and goals, strengths and weaknesses has been both cathartic and empowering. Besides, nothing on a computer can beat the feeling of defiantly crossing through your writing with a slash of black ink.

Each bullet point gets committed to memory. Each page of writing represents progress on my journey. Each blank page is a fresh start, the indentations from the previous pages of writing anchoring the future with the past.

So, my mind reset is in progress. I’ll be ready to press the button soon. Armed with new goals and attitudes, I am sure every moment and interaction of each day will benefit from the more active approach I’m taking to life.

Here’s to mindful living!

www.yahoo.com.au

Well, that was a whole lot of drama for drama’s sake. Yesterday’s leadership spill that stopped a nation (whilst sending twitter into overdrive) saw PM Gillard retain her position unopposed despite her ex-boss’s name being put forward for the contest (without his consent). I dontp’t think I’ll be alone in not voting Labor this September based on the series of disasters that have been their term of office. Scandals, corruption, failed policies and the pervasive influence of the faceless men – was this term in power purposely spent in ‘made for television’ mode? However, despite all of this, Julia Gillard has somehow managed to survive the last two years with her wits and dignity intact.

www.telegraph.co.uk

All the hot air wasted on the leadership issue had the unfortunate result of deflecting media attention from what I thought was the more meaningful moment of history being made yesterday. A formal apology was made by both sides of politics to the hundreds of Australians affected by forced adoptions in the 1950s to 1970s. It frightens me that the often illegal processes were still taking place so recently, in my lifetime. And I never really knew about any of it until news of the apology broke. I’d always assumed that forced adoptions were only pushed on unwed mothers in the pre 1950s world.

Julia Gillard opened her address as follows, “Today, this Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, takes responsibility and apologises for the policies and practices that forced the separation of mothers from their babies which created a lifelong legacy of pain and suffering.” Over 800 victims were present and there was also news that funding was being made available to help those in need of support as well as to assist them in finding their birth parents. Tony Abbott echoed these words as the whole government took responsibility for the past and the “unimaginable grief” these actions inflicted on innocent children and their parents.

Oh dear, this is a rather sombre post for a Friday, isn’t it? Time to introduce a bit of light relief, I think.

 

Will this cup of tea and mini Easter eggs I had to have the other day do? It was in response to my not being able to find The Notebook at my local DVD store. I looked everywhere under the only categories Video Ezy divides mainstream release films under – drama, comedy and sci fi. Can you believe that the whole of Hollywood can be neatly divided into only three genres?

 

www.goodreads.com

 

 

Yeah, I know. I’m the only woman in the world to have not seen the film or read the book. I don’t know how I’ve still been able to function all this time. What do you think? Did the film change your life? Were there butterflies in your stomach watching a young Ryan Gosling? Was he the only reason you watched the film?Should I persist in looking for the DVD on next weeks tight arse Tuesday? Or should I move on? Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

With just under 6 months until the federal election, I’m really feeling for the bookmakers at places like Centrebet. Potential nominees for the ALP leadership seem to be appearing every other week. One week you think you’ve got a complete list of names from which to calculate individual odds and the next, someone else needs to be added. It’s a Gillard / Rudd / Crean race at the moment but who knows if there’s a few more wild card entrants waiting in the wings. It’s all very Masterchef at times only without the food and ith the nations future at stake.

Added to the mix has been the proposed new media laws relating to self regulation of the industry and the proposal to appoint a Public Interest Media Advocate to watch over things. There’s desperation in the air as the government seems hell bent on getting something done during their term in office. The bills are meant to be passed this week. Having already had confrontations with the banking and mining sectors already, perhaps it will be third industry lucky with these proposed media bills? Actually, that’s quite a few major business groups to have had run ins with this close to an election.

Anyway. While we all wait with baited breath on the outcomes of all of the above, there’s news that Australia may be getting our own Real Housewives franchise. The worrying thing is that this may be the only issue from this blog post to gain significant traction and actually happen without much blood being spilled.

www.perezhilton.com

To get you ready for our own Real Housewives, may I suggest some pre reading from the pen of a Beverley Hills housewife, Brandi Glanville? Her memoir is called ‘Drinking & Tweeting and Other Brandi Blunders. It’s pretty earthy and one of those part memoir, part lessons in life advice kind of books. With bonus hash tags as per the title.

www.justjared.com

Before her turn in RHOBH, Brandi was the happily married wife of actor Eddie Cibrian who’s career is mainly in television. Brandi gave up her career as a model to be a stay at home mother (SAHM then seeing as I started the paragraph with an acronym) to the couple’s two sons. Then LeAnn Rimes happened and following that, the bitter fall out that gave the US gossip magazines enough content for months.

‘Drinking & Tweeting’ doesn’t cover any new ground in the ‘picking yourself up after being publicly humiliated by your husband’ stakes but it is very funny. Brandi isn’t one to shy from anything in her past and she tells all on her issues with depression, plastic surgery, substance dependence as well as her take on LeAnn and Eddie. The book reads like an NW article – but without the paparazzi photos or the subtle editing of a magazine’s legal team. It would be good for the Easter long weekend or sooner if you’re post an ugly relationship breakdown.

I will temper that last paragraph by saying that for every paragraph that Brandi disses her ex husband and LeAnn for what they did to the perfect family life she thought she had, she also manages to balance the bitchiness with the positive things that LeAnn and Eddie have done with regard to raising Brandi and Eddie’s two sons. As for making her peace with LeAnn, Brandi now refers to her as the Bonus Mom and the three appear to have reached a place where they’re all able to put the boys’ best interests ahead of any tensions they may have amongst each other.All this Real Housewives / Hollywood talk has me craving a bit of trash for dinner actually. Just as well we’ve got leftovers from Mr SSG’s cheap Tuesday KFC run in the fridge. That large mash potato and gravy has my name written all over it. After I go to the gym, of course.

It’s been in the news recently that Mothercare Australia has gone into administration and has had receivers appointed. Things don’t look promising with regard to their brand having a continued presence here. I’ve read stories in the press about gift cards and laybys not being honoured. The Mothercare store in my local shopping centre was looking pretty tired this week with half it’s shelves bare and fittings already being removed from its walls.

I’ve had waves of Mothercare related nostalgia since hearing the news. My parents went to London on a holiday together and my brother and I stayed with my Aunty in Singapore whilst they were gone. We returned to Perth together with a suitcase of Mothercare items my mum bought on her travels.

www.mothercare.co.id

My favourite toy from her haul (overseas shopping hauls run down the maternal line in my family) was a Mothercare Wendy house. It looked a little like this more contemporary style I found on google only less pink nod girly. Mine had a very late seventies bright orange roof. It was much like a tent to assemble. The foundation was a series if black pipes that clicked together and the ‘house’ was printed PVC that slipped over. The door was a simple flap and I think there were clear front window panels.

www.mothercare.com

And the clothes! I had a puffed blue parka that was a true investment piece. I imagined myself to be Little Blue Riding Hood every time I wore it to run through the rain and its puddles in the winter. My ever practical mother bought a larger size and I got several years’ wear out of it.

 

I think this has been the second time Mothercare has tried to break into the Australian market and I will be sorry to see the stores go. But before Mothercare disappears from our shores, I managed to stock up on these cotton onesies for Baby SSG. They’re a pretty good make. The cotton is super soft and they wash well.

 

Before I go, I’m going to leave you with some virtual chocolate. The best kind this close to Easter with its buns and long weekend of food and beverage indulgences. I was luck enough to be given these by my brother and sister law this weekend.

These are from Princess Coco in the Sydney CBD. Unfortunately their website appears to be down at the moment so I’ve included the urbanspoon link in this post with address details for the store.

 

What can I say? They are definitely the chocolates you need when your inner princess needs pampering. The flavours are rich and the chocolate melts in your mouth. These little gems are as delectable as they look.

 

I have it on good authority that the Princess Coco hot chocolates are to die for and I plan to investigate this for myself as soon as I can.

 

I hope you have a lovely evening. I’m debating whether or not to watch the new season debut of The Biggest Loser. It’s focussing on families this year, parents and young adult children. I hope it doesn’t all end in tears.