If you know me in "real life" you will know how big it is for me to quit sugar. Sugar is what keeps me going. It fuels my rants, is responsible for adding that extra 'pep' to my manic outbursts. It adds a little colour and sunshine into my day. There is probably more sugar in my arteries than blood (though it's probably pretty neck and neck with the caffeine- I am quite the picture of health). Asking me to quit sugar is like asking a heroin addict to stop well doing heroin...
BUT here I am. On day one of no sugar. How did this happen? Frankly I blame that witch
Sarah Wilson. She just made so much goddamn sense
bitch. I couldn't ignore it. It all started with some morbid curiosity, I was reading
Blundermum's blog - which is quite good BTW and I saw her little stat counter at the bottom which said "I've Lost 13kgs by Quitting Sugar". 13kgs you say? That's very impressive- naturally I wanted to know more. Further
stalking investigation revealed that she is following Sarah Wilson's Quit Sugar in 8 weeks program. So of course I couldn't stop there- I had to follow the rabbit down the hole.
$15 later and I am opening up the
Quit Sugar in 8 Weeks Guide- ready to scoff and ridicule and completely reject the whole idea as nonsense. Ready to continue on the way I am, feeling validated and secure in my life choices. Except I didn't. Instead I started to relate to what was being said:
Never knowing when to stop eating sugar- check
Slim arms and legs with a massive spare tire around the middle - check
Not sleeping well- check
Aches, pains and inflammation- check
Moody and anxious- check
Oh crap- she's describing me! I read on with a slightly more open mind until by the end I am completely converted and have no option but to shop for all the ingredients on the shopping list and get rid of all the sugar in the house. Yep that's right, if I'm going down, I'm taking them down with me.
I am looking forward to a new sugar free me. To the day when I can say- chocolate? Oh no thanks I'd rather not - and actually mean it! I am taking my life back. I will not be ruled any longer by my sugar addiction and if I happen to lose a sneaky 13kgs along the way- well I won't object. Apparently this also means giving up fruit and honey and sweeteners...I am not giving up my daily diet coke though- not for anyone. Let's not get crazy here...
Have you quit something you never thought you would? How did it go?
MM's birthday party was yesterday and I am pleased to say it went off without a hitch. The weather was perfect, bouncy castle was bouncy and the kids were happy (and not killing each other). Phew....
I got over my menu paralysis (thank you for your kind suggestions) it worked out pretty well with classic party food and a few healthy alternatives thrown in for good measure. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and somehow through sheer luck I actually had the perfect amount of food and drinks. The cake turned out ok. Just ok- actually it kind of looked good from far away but up close was a bit of a mess (a total 'monet' for all you other closet
Clueless fans). A really good candidate for photoshop - but the kids liked it so I was happy with my efforts.
Now confessions.... I am not one of those 'social' mummies. When I do the daycare run I am in and out as quick as lightening and in 3 years I may have
accidentally learned about 3 other mums names but I barely recall a conversation with
any of those mums in that whole time. It's just not my style. In fact I probably do actively send off "
do not approach- hazard" vibes. This makes birthday parties a little awkward. All of a sudden you are the host and need to make small talk with the same people you've been dodging for 3 years. Talk about pressure! "Hi...Umm... sorry I always ignore you"... "so....do you live around here?". Yep painful.
Of course I am also worried about what the "daycare mums" think of me- this of course turns into obsessing over how the house looks - because they may need leave the park and enter my house for
2 minutes in order to go to the toilet... It really wasn't a big surprise that when the last mum left and it was only family still hanging around, I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders- and I immediately ran home to grab the champagne. Ahhhh all better.
Of course my family all jump on the band wagon with the "oh here we go- the mums leave and the true colours come out" jokes... Um Duh!
Anyway it's all done for another year and we're all happy! Tell me- how do you cope with your kids parties?
Remember when you were a kid? How much did you love yourself a birthday party? Games, junk food, music- what's not to love? We used to have so much fun and that was when kids parties were nothing more than some fairy bread and a pass the parcel or maybe a pin the tale on the donkey. Ahh simpler times...
MM's party is this weekend and will consist of a
Cars2 theme (and just so you are also in 'the know'
Cars2 is
very different to
Cars and you
do get told off for mixing them up). This means that there will be Cars2 'scene setters' everywhere (read- large posters of
Cars2 characters), checkered (like race flags) table cloths,
rediculously overpriced Cars2 party gear such as plates, cups, party hats etc. Even the bouncy castle has
Cars characters on it (this could be an issue as they have not yet made a
Cars2 bouncy castle). There will also be face painting and a
giant 3D cake.
I have been planning his party for a few weeks now but in my usual fashion have left the menu planning (if you can call it that for a kids birthday) to the absolute last second. I was thinking
'kids birthday- easy we'll have some sausage rolls and party pies and maybe chocolate crackles and fairy bread. Done. Easy.' But then I thought about it. Can you really get away with that these days? I think of all the different kinds of parenting out there now and then there are the allergies. What about the kids who aren't allowed to eat junk food? Or are Gluten or Dairy free? I am I supposed to cater to these kids too? Should I have put out a 'Dietry Requirements?' card with the invitations?
I feel like I am walking through a minefield here. HELP!!
What do you do for food at a kids party? Are the classics still ok? Or are there new rules?
The count down to the wedding continues (53 Days) and I am still working on those details. I am grateful that I can now cross "something old" off the list thanks to
Etsy. Meet my beautiful new (to me) vintage clutch. She's not designer so a very budget friendly item- but she's pretty...and old.
I have been working so hard on all these little details- it is hard to imagine them all coming together on the day, although I am sure they will. Weddings are so exciting - and the marraige part too. I am so looking forward to cementing our little family.
It's funny, I thought I wouldn't get so caught up in the little things but somehow you do get swept away- and find yourself tearing up when you find that perfect song. Or when you write your vows. Or when you find a reading that says how you feel in just the perfect way. Come to think of it there has been quite a few tears lately... but they have been happy ones.
Anyway- enough from me. I have something borrowed to think about...
