The new man cave

In preparation for #babybuchanan2014, one of the tasks I have particularly enjoyed is decorating his new room. I'm not big into 'theming' and I am certainly not into the typical kid colour palette which can assault the senses. I wanted somewhere calm, and quite neutral for my little man so I decided to go with a grey paint called Centurion. Now when I first bought this colour, I was given Centurian and ended up with a lavender (PURPLE) room, so back to Bunnings I went, making sure that the paint I left with was spelt correctly. Who knew one letter could make such a difference!

I chose a white cot and change table, and used pops of teal and yellow to brighten up the room. Knowing that we would soon only have a two bedroom house, I wanted to include a double bed to make sure any guests had somewhere to sleep as the little man will most likely spend his first 6 to 12 months in our room in his Moses basket.

I have picked a mixture of Ikea, Mocka and our own furniture to use, and to decorate animal prints from Zazzle.com, classic picture books which hold special memories for me, Cocker Spaniel book ends (yes, crazy dog lady) and some divine plush toys from special friends and family.

The overall feeling of the nursery is one of calm. Hopefully this transfers into a very calm baby (haha). I love the colour scheme and although it is quite tight for space, I hope it is a room in which much love and many memories are had (and this is not counting explosive poos).

Hx

T Dog Tuesday

Morning team!

Well I have been a busy hound lately! With reno's going on all around me, I invited sister Stella and myself over to our good friends house for a couple of days refuge from the rubble. Hosts Alba and Wally were very gracious, letting us eat their food, sleep in their beds and own their Mum and Dad.

 

I think sister 'Stellaphant' may be pulling the piss here - but 10 points for effort, who doesn't love a warm cookie from the oven!

To be honest, we didn't really want to go home. I know there is something going on there and I don't know whether I am going to like it!

Until next time peeps.

Tx

My last days as a non-mum

As #babybuchanan2014's eviction date gets closer and closer, it has got me thinking about what life will be like once he arrives and completely takes over my world. Being a first time mum (FTM for those in mummyland) I am aware that I have no idea what it will be like and I only have the experiences of others and my own ideas to go off. Many mummy friends have told me that I will not get much sleep (yes, I expected that) but it is also the everyday routine and daily challenges that have me perplexed.

For example, I have been told that it will be hard to go to the toilet on my own. This I don't understand. If I put the baby down in his cot during the first few months he won't move, so why can't I duck to the bathroom for a couple of minutes? He'll just be there when I get back. Same with the shower - if he's changed and fed, isn't that the perfect time to have a quick rinse? I understand that this will change once the little grommit is on the move - now that will be chaos!

I must admit that I don't find newborns very cute - they often look like wrinkly old men (and not in a Hugh Hefner kind of way). They often smell funny too and the thought of not holding them properly scares the beejezus out of me! I have been told that all parents have a hormone in them which blinds them from the fact that their baby is ugly. This could be true - actually let's hope that it is. Look, in comparison I think that there are no dogs cuter than mine, yet I am sure a couple of people would disagree (yes, only a couple) so maybe this explains it.

Friend J told me to write a list of what I am enjoying doing right now, pre-baby, so that when I am wondering what my life used to be like I can look back on this post and reminisce (with a glass of Windows Estate 2013 Chenin Blanc in hand).

• Jumping in the car in 5 minutes and heading to my favourite shops with only a small handbag
• Sleeping
• Watching trashy TV
• Cuddling my dogs on my bed
• Wearing clothes without 'easy access' to my huge jugs
• Having an hour long bubble bath
• Going to the movies - ALL BY MYSELF
• More shopping (and nesting)

So as my little ninja spends his last few days in the cosiest hotel, I am going to try my best to cherish these final few moments as a non-mum.

Hx

Like to know it

A and I are off to a wedding in Hawaii in March (hella yes!) and of course I have started to think about what I will wear. You may laugh, but I am not sure how my fashion choices will go once the tornado that is #babybuchanan2014 hits and I can't tell shit from chocolate smeared across my face!

I am an avid Instagrammer and follow a bunch of unnecessary people as most of us do. However I do love to browse new fashion ideas and it is here that I found some inspiration for a suitable wedding outfit.

Like to Know It is a fabulous website where you can shop your favourite Instagrams. Provided the person you are following logs their outfit with the website, you simply click on the unique link and BOOM! You can easily find out where they bought the items and are only a couple of clicks away from owning that very look.

So this is what I did when I spotted this fabulous skirt on model and business woman Nikki Phillips.

So using Like to Know It, I was able to discover that not only was this utterly fabulous mint skirt utterly affordable, it was on sale (!!!) and from ASOS!

So before my credit card could decline, this little beauty was on it's way down under!

I have a bunch of tops which I could work with for this ensemble, so I was really only keen to lock in a new pair of heels (gasp! OK more like kitten heels) for the big day. Being a sucker for a discount voucher, Mimco were lucky when they sent me one for my birthday so I decided to peruse their collection to see what treasure I could find. And here we are!

As I already have a couple of pairs of black heels, I was drawn to these gems, the Romantico Kitten Heel in 'foundation'. They are super comfy and not too hard to walk in with my preggo lack of balance and tall girl lack of experience.

So I am quite pleased with my accomplishments and now the only task is to get my waist back in time to ensure that I can be a total MILF at the wedding!

Hx

Who will he be?

As time draws closer to the arrival of our little man I have begun to wonder what he will be like.

What colour will his hair be?

Will he have blue/brown/hazel coloured eyes? Will they be big or small?

Will he be blessed with his Dad’s jaw line, or many chins like mine?

Will he be tall? Fingers crossed he keeps his Mum’s long legs!

Will he enjoy sports? Will he play AFL or will cricket be more to his liking?

What career path will he take? Will this shirt from Dr J be a crystal ball for the future?

Will he like cocker spaniels? Silly question - of course he will!

One thing I know is that he will be love love loved and I hope I can be the best Mum for him.

Hx

The changing me

Unfortunately, like many women I have a fear of losing my pre-pregnancy body and as a result will never be able to delve into the ridiculous investment that is my wardrobe – ever, ever again. The thought of this just makes me shudder!

I must admit looking back to pre-pregnant me, I wasn’t even satisfied then, so maybe going through this life and body changing experience that is ‘growing a person’ is what I need to be grateful and not so self-obsessed.

Over the past 8 months I have had many emotional ups and downs. There have been moments when I have felt like a voluptuous glamazon and really embraced the new curves, and in contrast, too many moments (particularly in the early days) where I have had complete meltdowns and A has had to pick me up off the floor. In his words, “pregnant women are supposed to get fat” – um…….. ok at least he’s trying!

Many of my Mummy friends have told me not to worry, and that the weight will just ‘fall off’. Let’s just say I bloody hope so! Only time will tell - and hopefully my R-Judd endorsed spanky pants work their magic!

But I know that whatever comes, it will all be worth it when I get to see this little guy.

Hx

T Dog Tuesday

Heya team!

Much has happened in my world since we last spoke. The biggest news is that I turned 3, so I am well and truly a big kid now!

Look, being the smart cookie I am, I know there is something suss going on here. Mum has kind of put on a few kg’s (ok, I’m being nice, she has put on more weight than my sister Stella and that is saying a lot!!), there has been a lot of weird furniture being bought into my house and I have even noticed a few toys arrive in shopping bags that have certainly not been passed on to me! She has also been spending more time in bed - no complaints here!

Plus, I think my Mum missed the memo, but she would look stupid pushing me around in this contraption – I am a dog lady!

I am continuing my investigation and will be sure to keep you all informed with my findings. Hopefully it’s not another dog, as I’m still trying to get rid of the last one that moved in. Nothing gets past T-Dog!

Tx

Showering Baby Blue

A couple of weeks ago I was very blessed to have a baby shower thrown for my by besties J and K. I was a little hesitant as to whether I even wanted one, as even though I can be quite self-centred, I am just awkward with these things. My biggest fear around my birthday is: when people sing me Happy Birthday:

‘Where do I look?’

‘How should I stand?’

‘Where do I put my hands?’

Gahhh I am so hopeless!

Anyhoo, J and K were really excited to host my baby shower (I am so lucky) and knowing they would do it how I wanted without any of those horrible, horrible games put my mind at ease. We did play guess the baby’s name, and my favourite would have to be Miss C’s who has claimed #babybuchanan2014 as her own!

The afternoon was just delightful. The sun was shining (Perth doesn’t really do winter well) so we sat out on K’s deck with the most gorgeous Donna Hay inspired food, drinks and décor. #babybuchanan2014 was very spoilt with the most fabulous of gifts and a big shout out to R for the beautiful cake.

I must admit that since my shower I have been a little bit more excited about meeting my little man. Maybe as it has made impending motherhood a little more real. What I do know is that A and I are so lucky and thankful to have such supportive family and friends who will love love love our little man.

Hx

Girl in the flat shoes...plus one?

So.....A and I kinda did this.

I have always known that I wanted children in my future, but never really thought of when this future was. So we thought we would "give it a crack" thinking it would take a while, and BOOM! After less than a week #babybuchanan2014 (yes he already has a hash tag) was on his way.

So here is what we know about our soon to be family member:

• He is a blue baby (A was very pleased with this news)
• He has long legs (just like his Mum)
• His estimated due date is October 9
• He is on the larger end of the scale so may be evicted early (but as my midwife said to me, "Being so tall, you would look stupid with a small baby" - and I have to say, the woman has a point)!

I have three weeks of part time work left, so I look forward to sharing the next exciting adventure with you all.

Hx

Design inspiration

Isn't this just amaze?? Clearly stolen off Instagram, but very inspiring.

Hx

And we're back in business!

Hello everyone!

I hope you have all been travelling well over the past four months. Yes, I have been on hiatus with many significant changes occurring. Here is what has been happening in my world:

1. A and I travelled through Canada and Europe, visiting old friends, making new friends, seeing some amazing sights and sampling some amazing cuisines. Here are some snaps of my favourite places.

 

2. I cut off my hair in Nice. I was feeling a bit toxic after over indulging in London/Paris/Barcelona, and wanted to feel more sophisticated, so chop chop chop!

3. I changed jobs and am loving it!

4. I turned 30! Wow, that came outta nowhere!

5. I gained a pooch. Introducing Stella, a 7 year old rescue cocker spaniel.

6. And of course, I having been spending a heap of time with my amazing friends!

Looking forward to getting the creative juices flowing again and keeping you all updated!

Hx

Not goodbye, just see you soon xx

 

Today is my very last day in my current job. I have worked at this organisation for just over 15 months and although I am more than ready to move on, there are many things that I will miss. Take this lovely lady above, and her beautiful pooch Ella.

 

M and I hit it off from day one. You know when you meet someone and they just 'get' you.

 

M and I have laughed and laughed (we both share a sick, witty, whacked out sense of humour); we have consoled each other when we have had many a meltdown (too frequent me thinks!); spent hours chatting away about completely irrelevant crap; and really forged a great bond.

 

Trust me, when you find a friend like her you never let go.

 

It's not goodbye for us, it's the start of a lifelong friendship.

 

I feel so lucky.

 

H x

T Dog Tuesday

Hi everyone!

 

I hope you have been having a rad time! I have been spending heaps of time at my favourite park lately. Dad takes me on the days he doesn't work (which is a lot!) and Mum takes me before work if we can't be bothered to hit up the bridges with our friends.

 

This particular morning it was raining, but being the better parent, the ever reliable Mum rugged up, grabbed a coffee and took me down for a good session of ball chasing. As you can see I got slightly distracted by all of the glorious smells, but I still covered a few km's.



T x

Recipe Recommendation!

 

I have been attempting to get back into the whole healthy cooking thing that seems to be taking over the world...and Instagram!

 

Thursday night, friend J came for dinner (and plenty of wine!) so I decided to hit up Taste.com.au for a fail-proof recipe. I typed in "healthy"and this is the recipe that got spat back at me.

 

Quinoa risotto with prawns, oregano and tomatoes

 

Ingredients

• 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) quinoa
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
• 2 1/2 cups (625ml) chicken stock
• 20 cooked, peeled (tails intact) prawns
• 1/3 cup oregano leaves

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Place tomatoes, cut-side up, on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tbs oil. Scatter with sugar and salt. Bake for 25 minutes or until softened.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and chilli, then cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the quinoa, stirring to coat the grains, then stir in tomato paste and wine. Simmer for 1 minute or until wine has evaporated.
3. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Stir in prawns to warm through, then stir in tomatoes and half the oregano. Season, then scatter with remaining oregano and serve.

 

J and I loved it! A is not used to Quinoa so there was a bit of "WTF is this?" but I am sure he loved it!

 

This one is going in the recipe bank for sure!

 

H x

 

No additional charge for soy!

To be honest, every weekday morning can be a struggle to get out of bed, especially when T and I are snuggled up in our cosy bed.

As an added incentive I like to make sure that I get the best caffeine hit around before I can even think about facing the day, and a few months ago I discovered Kettle Cafe in the nearby suburb of Lathlain.

This gorgeous little coffee shop opened in February this year and is just so quaint, with it's mismatched vintage chairs, quirky prints, and old school decor.

The staff are always really friendly and the service is very efficient. I feel that it is important to support the small businesses in your local area, so I have made this my 'usual'.

And, can I just say, they don't charge extra for soy milk or decaf. Yes!

H x

Getting Muddy!

Last weekend I found myself waking up very very early thanks to friend and PT E (again!). We had signed up for the Warrior Dash in Northam, about 1 hour east of Perth. Coffee and tunes were my friends as I drove up the hill as the sun rose.



When I arrived the nerves really started to kick in, as the thought of the 5km obstacle course set in. E is a machine so there was no way I would be able to keep up with her, so I quickly made friends with another couple from our gym, who I though could at least give me a leg up if need be.

Here I am about to wet myself pre-race!

Having done the 10km Western Mudd Rush last year I thought this would be slightly easier. THE HILL RUNNING KILLED ME! But I am proud to say that I finished in the top 20% of racers and managed to complete all of the obstacles. I did get very very muddy and am sporting a few bruises but it was a blast!

And what better way to finish than with a beer!

H x