She sows seeds

News in Brief

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Things are busy around here. Busy, busy, busy. So I thought I’d just pop in briefly and give you a short update – news in brief, if you will…

Eleanor and I have joined a local mums groups – and I love it. Other adults! With babies! Just like Eleanor! Well, actually not just like Eleanor, all the babies are born within two weeks of each other and Eleanor appears to be quite the heffalump amongst the other bambinos. That’s our girl! All five chins of her. Oh dear…

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I’ve unexpectedly returned to work…and not the work I thought I would. I’m helping out in the office of my family’s business, where I worked three years ago when we once lived here. Deja vue, anyone? It’s not what I anticipated, especially with a 12 week old baby, but we’re muddling through as best we can. Eleanor has been a trooper in the office, sleeping in her pram, playing on the floor and charming the pants off the other staff, of course. As well as demanding to be held so much more than at home, of course. Any tips on entering data, answering a phone, photocopying and using an adding machine whilst holding a baby much appreciated. I’m not sure how much I’ll be working with or without Eleanor in the future, like I said, muddling through… A million trillion kudos to other working mama’s though, it’s such a juggle. And the guilt, oh the guilt, a whole other post needs to be devoted…

In amongst the busy-ness that has been returning to work, I of course got a blocked milk duct. Ouchies. After much feeding, much expressing (which I am most definitely terrible at, it appears I make a terrific cow when Eleanor’s involved, not such a good cow when a machine is involved!) and despite my fears of developing mastitis, I managed to clear the duct, onwards and upwards! Isn’t it always the way when you’re busy and not focused, you really do need to listen to your body…

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Matt bought me an early birthday present! After years and years of coveting and dreaming of a white Kitchenaid on my benchtop…I now have a white stand mixer from Aldi on my benchtop. Kind of the same thing? All those years I was adamant that no other brand of stand mixer would do, no no no – it had to be the pretty magazine-worthy Kitchenaid! But then, I saw these almost as pretty white mixers on Aldi’s facebook page…one thing lead to another and next thing I know I’m considering driving around the Aldi carpark to keep Eleanor asleep whilst Matt runs in to purchase the white stand mixer non-Kitchenaid I was so adamant I was never having. Huh. I’m making the birthday cake for 150 people (!!!!!!) for my brother’s 40th birthday bash next weekend. Helloooooo new mixer!

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I’ve discovered Arbonne – do you know of Arbonne? Why didn’t you tell me?! My sister’s friend is a consultant, my sister had a party, naturally I bought up big. I was due for new make-up anyway…but seriously, this stuff is good. I like it, and that’s saying something, I’ve bounced around different make-up brands, mineral powder this and CC cream that, for years. I think I’ve found something I actually like, and all that other crap make-up in the background? About to get turfed in The Great Spring Clean.

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Other news? Eleanor’s passport finally arrived for our upcoming Fiji trip, for which I’ve bought no less than three new sets of bathers for due to mass indecision and huge amounts of umming-and-ahhing on my behalf. We’re also in the market for a new car for me, not that there’s anything wrong with my mum-mobile, but Matt’s all twitchy to get a four-wheel-drive again. Patrol versus Prado? Discuss. I’m camp Prado (mainly because they’re smaller and prettier), Matt is in camp Patrol (mainly because they’re better value for money and more space for when we have three kids and doing big trips away – ha!) Also, blood and bone worked a treat in the wishing well to deter possums, not so much on the veggie patch where I’m fairly certain Tessa just ate all the blood and bone! Hmph. I’ve heard ground chilli could be the answer?

What’s news around your place? Briefly?

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Comments

  1. Don’t beat yourself up with the motherhood/work juggle, or compare yourself to others. Try to go with the flow (yes I know easier said than done).

    Darling Husband bought me a Kitchenaid and I love it.

    Pajero. Have had four over 20 years, the most recent one has done over 100,000 klms and is still a dream. I would go for leather seats if the budget provides. I know it sounds luxurious and decadent but in reality they are practical, EVERYTHING just wipes off them.

    • Yes I’d like leather seats also, but as we’re buying secondhand it’s more a matter of what’s out there in our budget/km range? Husband has an aversion to Pajero’s, I’m not sure why? We went and looked at a Prado last night, still deciding…

  2. New to your page ,your baby girl is gorgeous ,I have just purchased the kuchef stand mixer and Iwas wondering what your thoughts are on the mixer ,how did perform for the birthday bash ?i creamed butter ans sugar together but found it tended to collect around the sides of the bowl and had to stop the machine a few times to push mixture into the centre it seen to take a little while to get that creamy consistency I have sent an email to Kuchef inquiring as to wether they have a scraper mixer they wrote back very promptly and said that they haven’t but will look into it and perhaps it might be available within a few weeks …I think that tool would be very helpful what are your thoughts?
    Regards Janet

    • Interesting…I’ve only made a batch of muffins this week with the mixer, but will be cranking out the big birthday cake tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes!

  3. I’ve only just heard about Arbonne through one of the playgroups we go to, I’ll be keen to go to a party and check out their products. As for blocked milk ducts, I always seemed to get blocked on one breast and always in the same spot. I joined the ABA and with my first year membership I received their breast feeding book. One of their strategies for removing a blocked duct was to gravity feed. Lie bubs on the floor and kneel over her, and feed her. The instant relief I felt when I did that was incredible, after trying everything else and nothing was working.

    • I was reading a bit about gravity feeding, or trying to get the baby to feed ABOVE the blockage, but my blockage was on the underside of my boob so I was like do I feed upside down?! Ha!

  4. I hear you. I haven’t returned to work yet, but when I do, my baby girl will be in daycare 3 days 🙁 She’ll be 5 months old by then but I know it will be hard. I recommend the hugabub to keep her close to you, yet hands free. I think you have a similar carrier.

    No idea about cars.. Sorry.

    Expressing. I know all about that. You gave a Medela pump… Is it a swing? After our traumatic birth, my baby had issues latching on and still won’t. I pump a litre a day… I am pumping around the clock. I am always petrified I won’t get enough for a feed, because you’re right. It’s harder to get milk from a pump. I can barely get out of the house in between pumping and feeding. I hope your blocked duct has healed up.

    I am intrigued by the Aldi mixer… Must go check it out!

    • Yes I’ve considered the carrier to use at work, might give it a go this week. I got a Medela swing pump because I was using my sister’s old pump which I didn’t think was doing too much, turns out it wasn’t and I’ve had a lot more success with the Medela, love the stimulate setting to enable let down, which was my whole problem.

      • Medela pumps are the best. I tried another brand but settled on the swing. As I am pumping around a litre a day to feed her, it’s important it’s efficient. Don’t forget to change the white membrane every few weeks, it makes a difference too.

    • The whole retaining their value thing is half our problem being buyers not sellers at this point! But yes you’re right, I think they’re so popular for a reason.

  6. Emma! Eleanor is just beautiful! Such a gorgeous smile. 🙂
    I found a baby carrier handy for when Georgie just wanted to be held but I needed to get work done. Handy because she could snuggle into my chest while I still had two free hands!! Hurrah! She turns 1 in less than a month and I can’t quite believe it.

    • I’m going to bring in both my stretch wrap and Ergo to work this week I think and see if I can get much done like that, although Eleanor doesn’t really like for me to sit down with her in them? Although she hasn’t been in them for long stretches or much at all for might just be a matter of getting used to it.

  7. Vicks on the posts in your veggie patch works a treat at deterring possums, cats and dogs. They can’t stand the smell or the taste!

  8. 1. Prado . HusbAnd won’t touch a Nissan, something to so with engine.
    2. Bumbo? Walker if you’ve got a one level office for her to scoot around in. Absolutely saved my sanity- my house has screen doors and big door steps so was completely safe.
    3. Dies the aldi mixed have a big motor? My next mixer purchase will be the one with the biggest horse power. Or wattage. You know what I mean!!!
    4. News in brief in my world: have been to a field day this week. Have just gotten new puppy. Baby boy turns 8 tomorrow. It’s all happening!!!

    • Tried the bumbo just at home last week, was ridiculous! Still not enough head support/neck strength so her poor little head just flopped backwards! But yes thought it would be good to plonk her on desk in it. Aldi mixer ‘seems’ to have big motor but I know what you mean, have heard several people burning out motors of mixers in their baking blitzs!

  9. Prado all the way, but go diesel if you can afford/justify it. We have three kids (now big!) and always plenty of room, even for the three years of carpooling 6 kids (two of them teenage boys) to three schools. Brilliant vehicle for towing, too, if caravanning is ever on your agenda.

    • We will be going diesel all the way. Thinking we might go rooftop tent for the time being for camping set up, but eventually probably camper trailer.

  11. We were team Prado until we went to update our car a few years back & thought the price hike wasn’t justified so got a Pajero instead. Drive wise I don’t notice any different but the interior is nowhere near as tough as the Prado. I think if we can stretch the budget next time we’ll go back to the Prado. Thins is we have four kids now when before we had just two so things get tricky. We even looked at the Tarago!!! It was not something we thought we would EVER do!!!

    • I think we’re in the same boat, trying to stretch the budget and wondering if the Prado is worth that extra dollar, when really I think we’d regret not getting one? Maybe we should just bite the bullet!

  12. We were camp Patrol until we discovered that the centre middle seat doesn’t have an anchor point because they are fifty fifty seats rather the 3/4 – 1/4 seats like ‘most’ family cars. So we are researching again…!!!!

    You sound super busy but excited at where you are at.
    Yay for mums group. I’m still great friends with my mums grp 5 and a bit years on.
    Enjoy your holiday! X

    • Oh I tried that at the party and am considering it! Terrible dark circles since becoming a mother funnily enough?!