Category: positivity

2018 · motherhood · parenting · positivity · truth

Exist. Get in the dang photo!

JustBindyLeave a comment

img_9431

Hey friends,

Let’s talk photos… Family photos. Professional photos and just photos in general.
I love photos, always have. Ask anyone I went to high school with, I was “that” person with the camera at every party, school camp or function and to this day I take photos, daily. Yes, daily. Photos are my love language, maybe that’s why instagram is my favourite social media…
Recently on instagram I asked how many people regularly get professional family photos done, (regular being at least once every 2 years) 
The main response was NO.
And then I asked for responses on why you do or don’t get professional photos done… And I will get to them in moment, but right now I want to tell you why I invest in getting professional photos done.
Mainly so I am actually in them – as Mums we are so often the one behind the camera. I have countless lovely photos of the children and Trent with them, but not so many of me, heck even the pets have some lovely photos I’ve captured. But I want evidence I existed too in more than just selfies! But secondly because to me, they are like gold. They are so precious and I treasure them. And I know I will for the rest of my life, so they are an investment I’m happy to make.
A big reason people listed as not getting photos done was the cost and I agree some photographers charge way too much money and some deliver really poor quality photos – but there are awesome photographers out there who are affordable, offer great deals and do exceptional quality photos.
My tips for scoring good deals with photos is wait for times like spring or christmas when many photographers offer mini sessions, they are usually 20-30 minutes long, cost around $100 and you get 10-20 digital images… I like these sessions as they are cheap and easy.

christmas card
Our 2017 Christmas card.

Photo taken by Tina Ebenal Photgraphy.

Another way to justify spending the money on photos is write it off as a birthday gift for yourself. I did that last year. Or get an annual family photo done for the christmas card, print off and frame a few and presto easy & affordable christmas gifts for the grandparents! Or organise an extended family photo session, get everyone to chip in, then you can have full family photos, individual families and generational photos. That would be special and would make a lovely, thoughtful gift for parents or grandparents (birthday, Mother’s Day, anniversary etc) – because honestly those people never really need anything and that sort of gift I feel is so meaningful.
Another reason many people listed for not getting professional pictures done is because they do not like photos of themselves or their husbands aren’t fans of posing. Well, all I have to say to that is – do you think your kids or possible future grandkids will one day care if you think you looked good or not in a photo? One day you’ll be gone, sorry to be blunt – but we all die and all that will be left to prove we once existed will be photos. I treasure old photos of photos (yes photos of photos) I have of my grandparents, one day someone may feel the same way about your picture. Give them something more to treasure other than a selfie. And as for posing, well many photographers are happy to do lifestyle or more natural photos. You go to your session and positively interact with your family and the photographer just clicks away… Yes, they may give some direction but it isn’t so structured and posed as just sitting there and grinning. A good photographer should make you feel comfortable. I like both styles of sessions.

Our recent professional photos, taken by Tina Ebenal Photgraphy.
(highly recommend her, she is a Toowoomba & surrounds photographer)

Photos are something so special to me, I treasure them. I capture a photo of my kids daily and I document it for our family’s project 365. Basically I take one photo a day, everyday for a year, log it daily on an instagram account I have set up especially for this project and then at the start of the new year I make the previous years photos into a book. I print 2 off, one for each child. These photos range from professional images, to selfies and to photos I’ve taken on my good camera… It’s a mix of individual photos of the kids, family snaps, the kids together and with our pets… Just our day to day life, captured & documented…

To my Mum friends, I want to encourage you to be in the photo. Get in them, don’t shy away, you may not love the photo of you – but I promise you one day your kids will treasure that photo and so will you. Very soon our little loves will be grown, they’ll be busy with their own lives and we will have our photos to look back on & remember when we were their whole world… And then we will be gone and all they’ll have is those same photos. And no one knows when that’ll happen, so get in the photo. Exist.
And to Dads, take more photos of your wives! Pick up the phone and snap a photo of her sleeping in a bed with kids sprawled everywhere, take the photo of her comforting a teething baby, pick up the good camera at the birthday party and take a photo of just her and the birthday kid or you take the camera on christmas morning and snap a shot of her with the kids or you surprise her with a voucher for family photos, even if you hate them… She’ll fuss and complain and say her hair looks silly, but just take the photo. It matters.

And that’s the point, you matter. Photos matter, memories matter. One day our future generations will want to know us, give them something. I wish more than anything I had more photos of my grandparents… Something to show my kids and for me to see them – to see a glimpse into their lives back then… I use to love when my Nin would show me old albums of the family, I loved sitting at the kitchen table and seeing the black & white and sepia toned images and having her point out who was who and telling me the stories behind each photo… I promise you one day someone will want to see a photo of you.
Investing $100 into a photo session for some lovely photos you didn’t have to set a self timer for I feel is money well spent, but if you can’t justify spending that money and I understand not everyone can, ask a friend with a camera to snap a photo and then do the same for her family. Or if you and your family are out somewhere all dressed up, ask someone to snap a photo of you all, try and use a good quality camera if you can! Heck, you don’t even have to be dressed up, just grab your tribe, stand in some good lighting, throw someone who isn’t a family member a camera, all huddle together and smile.
Get a picture somehow. But I do highly recommend investing in professional photos at least once every 2-3 years.
Bottom line is, just get in the dang photo! Be present, exist.

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My list of 30 for turning 30. 
2018 · birthday · life · positivity · religion · tips · truth

My list of 30 for turning 30. 

JustBindy1 Comment

Hey friends,

On Sunday I turn the big 3-0…
And ya know what, I’m looking forward to it, for the last few years my best friend and I have been saying how the 30’s are going to be our prime – our 20’s were years that we both struggled with different things personally but as we near our 30’s we are gaining confidence, wisdom and strength.
I feel like I am entering the 3rd decade of my life with a newly found sense of empowerment.
I truly feel more confident in who I am and what I believe in.
I am very ok with the fact one day I love being dressed up in a pretty dress and the next day I am enjoying a pair or ripped jeans, and that’s just the trivial side of it.
I am feel strong in my faith, despite the naysayers. I don’t feel insecure about my parenting abilities and I am strong enough to set boundaries in areas of my life.

When I was in my early 20’s I felt I was still on that path of self discovery, working out who I truly was and what I stood for. By the time my thirties are rolling around, I kind of feel like I have a good sense of self and I am proud of who I am.
There are chapters of my life that I cringe about, the outfits, the anger, the poor choices – but it all adds up to me. If it wasn’t for all of that, I wouldn’t be where I am right now and know what I know.

Before I hit the thirty milestone I’ve personally been working on a little list of personal accomplishments that I’ve recently done that I am proud of & bits of wisdom I wish to share – because sometimes we need to brag about ourselves…
So here are 30 things I have achieved/done that make me feel ready & proud to tackle my 30’s…

  1. Get married. Doing life with Trent is amazing & I love him with all my heart. 
  2. Have my 2 babies. Add in 2 little ratbags and my heart is full, these 3 give me purpose. 
  3. Go camping. This was a step out of my comfort zone to discover something I really enjoy.
  4. Set personal boundaries & be ok with not tolerating toxic people. This was hard and I am still working on it, but I am getting better at it!
  5. Learn to put my health first. I need to be well, to enjoy life & care for my family. 
  6. Be open about having IBD. This is apart of me and I needed to accept that and by being open about it, that’s helped me greatly. 
  7. Get my scopes done… What a milestone, getting a colonoscopy before the age of  30 – but it’s vital for my health and we were able to work out the full extent of my disease.
  8. Start treatment for my disease. A scary time, but I need to be well. 
  9. Take care of my mental/emotional health. There is nothing wrong with not being ok and working out ways that work for you to deal with that. I have my own coping mechanisms that I find work best for me. 
  10. Give myself grace & make time for me. I am not a perfect person, no one is. And I cannot pour from an empty cup. I need to look after me.
  11. Start & maintain a night time skin care regime & wear sunscreen everyday! Because I maybe 30 & love it, but I don’t want to look 40 while I’m 30!
  12. Move into our house. This was a huge thing, I wanted to have our keys by my birthday and we got them & each week our home is coming more & more together, it makes me so happy!! 
  13. Let go of anger & hurt. This is another tough one, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come with this. 
  14. Forgive. As above. But also, holding onto anger is pointless – it only hurts us. 
  15. Realise & accept some people aren’t forever people, no matter who they are & some people are better loved at a distance. Another one that is a tough pill to swallow, but the sooner I learnt and accepted this the easier life became. (Even if I do have moments that it still all hurts & I struggle with it)
  16. Accept life doesn’t play out how we imagine it will, it’s all apart of His greater plan and that’s what I hold my trust in. Amen!
  17. Let go of other people’s opinions. What they think of me, is none of my business!
  18. Know my own style. I can accept I am not super fashionable, but I have a certain look and I know what suits me… Even if  88% of the time it’s jeans and a shirt. And I have a go to fool proof make up & hair look that I am confident in. 
  19. That to create a positive life you need positivity. Negative self talk & negative voices create a negative space – fill your mind and heart with positivity and watch it grow.
  20. Seek the joy. It’s my mantra, seek the joy EVERY SINGLE DAMN DAY – look for it. Write it down, capture it – whatever works for you, but train your mind to find the joy, even on the dark days – scratch & dig for that tiny little sparkle of joy.
  21. Learn how to make some go-to delicious meals. Done, I feel pretty confident in my cooking ability – especially THIS chocolate cake!
  22. Accept I don’t know it all and still strive to learn. This especially applies to my faith, I truly enjoy learning more & more about that.
  23. Try yoga. I really enjoyed yoga & it’s something I want to try and make time for more often – even if it’s just doing it at home. 
  24. Realise family maybe family by blood, but often family is people who we chose and who choose us. This can be sad but wonderful all at once. 
  25. Let go of romantic & idealistic views of everything. For me this was family relationships, the sooner I accepted that I can’t change people & they won’t behave how I wished they would – the better. It’s still hard & still something I am working on. But this applies to so many areas of life. Having zero expectations means less disappointment. 
  26. Know that your past doesn’t define you or anybody else. The person I was 10 or 12 years ago I wouldn’t even know now, but she is apart of who I am and I had to be her to be who I now am. And I cannot hold someone else’s past against them. 
  27. Make up my own mind on things & people without the input of others & be confident knowing I can make the right decision, for myself & my family. This was a life changing moment for me.
  28. Be confident in what you do & what you feel your purpose is. Being a stay at home Mum is something that can be hard to be proud of  in today’s world. Especially when in conversations people ask what you do and when you give them that answer they follow it up with “yes, but what’s your actual job?”… I love what I do, I’m proud of it and I feel it is my purpose in life. 
  29. Know that all through life there are seasons, and each season brings new highs & lows. I find this particularly comforting when applying it to parenthood, I refuse to wish away seasons of my children growing up because I know one day I will wish for them back again.
  30. Be proud & happy with who I truly am, even if other people aren’t. I know who I am and I’m proud of the person I am today. 

So there it is, my 30 little tidbits of wisdom and rambling thoughts. I hope you took something away from it…
Ice Cream Party (24)
I am looking forward to the weekend, I get to celebrate with a small group of people who I am so thankful for.

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2017 · life · positivity · reflection · Sunday series · truth

Sunday series on a Friday… {Contentment}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Hey friends,

Let’s talk contentment… Being content., happy where you are, at peace with what you’ve got – you know the deal.
I shared the other night on insta-stories that I found tremendous peace with where I am currently at with my little blog. In this “online world” every single thing is numbers, it matters greatly how many views, followers, likes, shares, etc – everything, every single number matters and you know what… I’m kind of a bit done with having it be that way. I am sick of watching my numbers go up and down. And wondering what I am doing wrong or right. Bottom line is, I am me – I put out the content I feel I need to and what I want to share. Like me or don’t like me, that’s fine.
I said in that post that I am aware I’m a small fish in a big pond & I’m fine with that, that suits me fine – I’m like 5ft/5ft 1 – being little suits me.
That very next morning I woke up to an inner voice trying to tell me, I’m small because I’m not worthy to be anything else… You know the voice, that voice that comes into your mind and undermines your positive thoughts, the voice that tries to drown out the quiet and loving voice we should all be listening for – you know the one, the voice that means nothing good.
And I let it eat at me, it got me down briefly.
And then I realised my worthiness, my contentment & joy isn’t found in that negative voice – it’s found in the one that’s whispering to me, reminding me about the Mums I have encouraged, the positive messages I get weekly, the beautiful connections I’ve made, reminding me of what I have achieved in my “online career” and assuring me what I put out there is useful and needed in this world of many voices. My voice maybe small, but my message matters.
I think this can be compared to so many scenarios in our everyday life, we feel content and then a voice of doubt creeps in, we compare, we lose that joy and secure feeling and suddenly we aren’t happy, we are envious and we are negative.
Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13
“I am not saying this because I am need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
That is spot on, Jesus is the one who gave me my contentment and it wasn’t His voice trying to fill my mind with doubt. But that of the enemy.
I pray you remember this when a negative voice tries to drown out your positive and content thoughts.

content
I’m so content with my 2 little loves.

I hope this post encouraged you today friends…
Each of our lives and paths are different, but we are all where we are meant to be and still slowly moving to where we are intended to be, all part of a greater plan. We can either be content and at peace with that or be miserable. I chose the joy, each and every darn time, because I want a joy filled life. Even if my current place isn’t the ideal in my mind or the times life is a bit chaotic or hard, I don’t control the end game – that’s out of my hands, but I have faith.
So yes, I will keep striving for more, working and aiming higher – but that doesn’t mean I am not content with where I am. I am grateful for my little platform and I’m thankful you are here to read my post.
Thank you.
Are you feeling content with where you are at?
What are you working towards currently?

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2017 · honesty · motherhood · mothering · positivity · real · youtube

Mum TAG video | Seek the joy.

JustBindyLeave a comment

Hi friends,
Happy Friday! Today’s video is one I filmed a few weeks ago, a “Mum Tag” – if you would like to watch it click HERE… (It’s a bit of a long one so maybe go get a cuppa or a drink & a snack!)
I apologise for being a little scatter brained in the video – my brain has been chaos lately & filming with kids is a bit of a challenge!

I just want to touch on the subject that I went off on a bit of tangent with at the end and make my point clear, in the video it got a little rambly & I was distracted so I didn’t make my point exactly, so lets talk about…
Looking for the joy daily….
I’ve been criticised in the past online for being “too positive” or not promoting the real side of motherhood… I am real, I speak my own truth and what I put online is my life – it isn’t staged or fake – I am me. I like things a certain way, I do clean too much & 98% of the time I absolutely love being a Mumma & a wife, I truly do feel it’s what I’m here to do… The other 2% of the time is usually when I am in a zombie state and can barely make myself a cup of tea I am so tired or sick and feel like I am failing – those days can suck…. Those days, they aren’t so wonderful – but they are there… Just like every Mumma in this world, I struggle some days too. But I’m not about to start trashing my kids & husband online and being crass & classless just for likes and comments, I am not going to focus on the negativity. I do motherhood my way –  just like I blog my own way, I relish in the good days and note down why they were so wonderful and on the hard days when I feel like I’ve failed or like my life is off course, I search for 1 tiny good thing to hold onto and focus on. 1 thing that shined during that gloomy day. I scrape through the remains of the day, searching for something that shone. Then I hold on to it, treasure it and toss the rest away.
I focus on the sparkle. I refuse to dwell on what goes wrong. 10 years from now I will have no desire at all to read how hard my life was. Because I am not hard done by, my life is what I make of it. I chose this life & it is up to me to make the most of it.
My life 10 years ago as a 19 year old was hard, I know that, to be honest it was one of the most dreadful times of my life & I wish I could forget it, I didn’t document every single day where I struggled or the awful things that happened. I just know it – to be honest I wish I could erase the awful parts from my memory. Life is hard, every season brings new highs & lows – at the end of my life I want to have my brain trained so I am replaying my highlight reel, I am remembering the good, what went right, all the magic in the small monotonous  everyday moments… That’s what I want to remember. I don’t want to be dwelling on the negativity & what went wrong.
I am not saying lie or pretend everything is perfect – no one’s life is perfect. I am just sharing with you what works for me to maintain my sanity.
In my life I have a lot that isn’t perfect and a lot that really hurts, I have countless reasons to throw my hands in the air and declare life is too hard, but I refuse to sit around and be miserable about it. I find the more I dwell on something the worse it is. I don’t give negative moments too much attention or thought, I find negativity explodes with attention. “What you feed will grow” 
I want the positivity to grow, so that’s what I chose to focus on & highlight.
Doing project 365 (1 photo everyday for 1 year) I feel truly helps me, everyday I am training my mind to look for the good, the magic moments. The everyday sparkle & be thankful. My brain is so conditioned now to seek the joy & focus on that, that most days I don’t even need to think hard or try to find something. Of course there are days when it’s not so glorious – but that is life. There are highs & lows…
So friends, I encourage you if you are having a rough day, search for one thing that is awesome about your day. Or if you are searching for something to do to document your everyday during 2018 (yes, because 2018 is now just under 2 months away!) I highly recommend doing Project 365 – do it your own way, write about and document what matters to you… I started a new Instagram account at the start of 2017 to document ours, and at the end of this year (or lets be honest, somewhere probably around February 2018) – I will make 2 photo books for the kids and they will have that forever.
I hope this post has encouraged you a little. Motherhood can be rough, I get it. But try focusing on what went right instead of what went wrong at the end of today.

Have a wonderful weekend,
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If you would like to check out my Project 365, it is @Tbltscott on Instagram. Feel free to send a follow request – I will be accepting a few blog followers! I am very cautious about how much personal info/photos of my kids I share publicly online, so I will be selective with who I approve – but I have some absolutely amazingly supportive & beautiful blog followers and would love you guys to share in our everyday. Please don’t be offended if I don’t accept you, it probably is because I don’t recognise your username. Sorry.

#motheringwithheartandjoy · 2017 · honesty · life · motherhood · mothering · parenting · positivity · Uncategorized

10 tiny & easy ways to turn a bad mood around. {For Mummas & kids!}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Breathe, it’s just a bad day – not a bad life.

Hey Mumma’s,
The other week I wrote a post that many of you really liked, on how to reset & remain happy as a Mumma – you can read it HERE…
Well today I thought I would do a similar post on how to turn around a bad day/mood, for kids & Mummas…

bad mood.jpg

We all have bad days… Maybe you just had a really bad nights sleep, maybe your child isn’t in the best mood or perhaps something is happening in your life that is pulling your mind to a negative place and that in turn makes you feel & act not so great… Know what I’m saying? Been there? When we are in bad moods, this impacts our entire home… The tone we have, is the tone set for our entire home – if Mumma ain’t happy, no one is happy…
So the trick in these situations is to catch ourselves… Maybe you’ve just overreacted to your child or you just can’t shake the bad mood, realise what is happening and make a conscious effort to turn it around…

Here are 10 tiny & easy ways to turn your mood &/or your kid’s around…

  • Step out of the room and breath… Just remove yourself for just a few moments and collect your thoughts and calm down. Teach your children to do this too, often if we are in the midst of a melt down I try to remind our daughter to take a deep breath and stop and calm down… Easier said than done to a nearly 4 year old, but it works sometimes… A breathing technique I get her to do is “smell the flower (big breath in) and blow out the candle (big breath out)”
  • Start the day again… We do this if our little love wakes up and is a bit grumpy. We take her back to bed, lay her down and make it fun and tell her to lay there and wake up happy… She almost always opens her eyes giggling.
  • Tickles… If that doesn’t work, tickles help break out the smiles!
  • Hugs… If you aren’t feeling great emotionally, tell your child. Say you are feeling a little down and need one of their big magic hugs to help you & your heart feel better… This also shows them that it is perfectly ok to say you aren’t ok and to ask for some help.
  • Teach your kids a joke… This always makes me laugh, teaching a preschooler a joke is hilarious, the most basic jokes crack them up and it’s even funnier if you teach it to them and then get them to repeat it Chinese whisper style to someone else in the house… It rarely comes out the way you taught it & that just adds to the humour!
  • Give massages… My little girl loves a massage & she also loves to give a massage! (*This is also a great Mum hack – lay down squirt some lotion into your kids hands and voila – free massage!)
  • Have a random treat… It maybe a special food treat or going somewhere special. But ice cream before lunch or dinner normally makes anyones bad mood disappear!
  • Get outside or get wet… The thing I’ve noticed with kids, if they are outside or in water they are normally always happier… The same applies for most people I think. So if a grumpy cloud is above everyone in your house, drag yourselves outside and enjoy some fresh air. Or if it’s warm enough, swim, play under the sprinkler or have a bubble bath…
  • Turn up the music and just dance… We did this the other day, it was just one of those really long days where time felt like it was moving at a snails pace… So I dug out my old CDs from high school, put them on and turned the music up super loud and we jumped, danced and laughed for over 2 hours! It was great.
  • Put your day on hold… Let your day go, spend the day reading books, watch a movie, colour in – do what you need to, to lift your spirits and your kids. Everyone occasionally needs a day off, the laundry will be ok if it is left for a day and getting take away for dinner will probably make everyone happy – so just take it easy and go with the flow…

Remember it is just a brief moment that isn’t positive – don’t dwell on a bad day or week.

I wrote this post last night, with the intention of making it live this morning… Well, wouldn’t you know it, today I was the person who needed this post. And you know what, I bloody suck at taking my own advice! For some reason today I just feel like I’m in a rut… Last night I was so full of motivation to have a wonderful & productive day today, I wrote a big to do list, I made plans & I was motivated… But people are mean, my camera broke & I just didn’t have a good sleep last night and I lost all motivation, to be honest today I’ve felt more down than I have felt in a very long time – sometimes it all adds up and weighs my heart & mind down. So friends, I’ll be honest, on most days something on this list usually can turn my day around – but today, nothing really did. And that is ok… Some days are meant to be bad & feeling down is ok… But I am determined for tomorrow to be a more pleasant & positive day… I am just reminding myself now as I finish up this post and sip my cider – it was only a bad day, that is all. Tonight I’ll go to bed and pray that tomorrow I will wake up with a refreshed mind, heart & outlook. But for now, the kids are asleep & I know it is ok to be a little down & just to feel it, it is so important to let the emotions come, pause & then leave. So if you are feeling down or for some reason today just sucked, I get it & I’m sending you a big hug. Tomorrow is a new day, wake up in the morning and don’t even think about today! x

I would love to know what your best tip for getting yourself or your kids out of a bad mood is?
Comment below or on my social media!
Thank you so much for reading!
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Don’t ruin a good day today, by thinking about a bad day yesterday. Let it go.

2017 · honesty · housewife · how to · life · motherhood · mothering · parenting · positivity · real · reflection · wife life

13 tips on how to reset as a Mumma & remain happy…

JustBindy5 Comments

She’s strong, but she’s exhausted. – r.h. sin.

Hey friends,

Today I come to you weary, exhausted & sleep deprived…
(So I do apologise if they post gets rambly & makes little sense.)
A certain little mister has decided to test out how little sleep Mumma needs to survive… Sleep deprivation is torture – one I would never survive – because I suck at being a human when I haven’t had sleep. Now I don’t need a great deal of sleep, but I do need at least 4/5 hours of unbroken sleep – heck even 3 is good enough… Otherwise I just don’t function right, my tolerance levels & patience grows incredibly thin and you know if you are a parent, you need high levels of those to survive!
So anyway, my current state has inspired me to write a blog post today on…13 ways.jpgHow to reset as a Mumma & stay happy…
We all need a hand sometimes, we all have rough days that test us so much we almost break (or even do) And this is ok, it happens. But the important thing is to remember not to stay in that place… To make a conscious effort to reset & refocus on being happy…

  • Communicate & connect. Talk to your husband/partner/friend/tribe – whoever! Let them know where you are at. Take up offers of help. Trent & I don’t have a large support network – to be honest we have zero outside help, but we do have each other and we share the parenting workload evenly… He helps me so much when I am running on empty. A good chunk of the time I am the one keeping everything going, but when I am struggling he swoops in and saves me. He is incredible at getting up at night with the kids when I need help, because he knows I am terrible at life if I don’t sleep… Be honest with your husband/partner at where you are at, he can’t help if he doesn’t know.
  • Create close friendships/gather a tribe… You don’t need many friends, just 1 or 2 that get you, but if you are fortunate enough to have tribe – that is awesome too! Thankfully I have my best friend that I can have a good chat (whinge session) to about my current struggles and it is always so reassuring to have someone who understands & supports you without judgement and will listen during those real & honest talks. Aren’t Mumma friends the best?! I am so thankful for my Motherhood soulmate! (my latest column in Highfields’ style talks about this, you can find it HERE)
  • Make Mumma time a priority… Whether it be just driving to the store & doing groceries on your own, journalling, watching a movie, going to gym/church/a cafe on your own, taking a hot bath or walking the dog alone – do something for you. Do something where you won’t be interrupted (or hardly) and reset yourself… (Best time to do this is when your husband is home or you can get a babysitter/grandparents to watch the kids!) 
  • Take care of you, so you can take care of others… This point goes along with the one before, but you cannot pour from an empty glass… Keep your cup full. Take care of you!! In whatever way you need, make your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health a priority! Take care of yourself in a way that works for you! And Mumma, give yourself some grace! Stop being so darn hard on yourself!
  • Get out… As stay at home mums we are often just that, at home! I don’t often venture out with the 2 kids on my own, but when Trent is on days off we try to get out and do things as much as possible… This changes up our environment and recharges us a bit.
  • Remember your kids are and will be ok… Everyone has moments in parenting they cringe at or regret. Moments we yelled too loud or acted in a way we wish we didn’t… Your kids will be fine, it was only a moment. And if your kids are mad at you, remember they will live – having your kids be mad at you pretty much comes with parenting, it means you are parenting! You don’t have to be their friend every second. (If you react in a way you instantly regret or aren’t proud of towards your children, show your kids that it is good to be remorseful & apologise, explain feelings to them & how you felt overwhelmed. Be open & honest, you are setting an example on how to cope in a tough scenario. * example; “I am sorry I yelled so badly at you when you spilt your cereal. Mummy got frustrated & got mad too quickly, I realise that is was an accident & I am sorry.”)
  • Keep a happy heart & start each day fresh… Don’t hold onto bad behaviour, yes stick to punishments but don’t dwell on what’s happened. Move on. Strive to wake up every morning with a positive mindset and a happy heart…
  • Comparison is the thief of joy… Don’t compare, it is easy to see the instagram accounts and think “that mum has it together”… But everyone has struggles, their struggles maybe entirely different to yours but they exist. Keep in mind everyones social media account is their own edited version of their existence.
  • Get your priorities in order… Really weigh up what is important to you and your family. If you are burning yourself out trying to keep up with 10 different toddler activities during a week, is it worth it? Is exhausting yourself & making you cranky worth it? Everyones priorities will vary, so work out what works for your family. And learn to say NO – no to expectations, requests and even your kids. You do not have to do it all or be there for every single person.
  • Let it go, let it go… Go with the flow, some days are going to be absolutely incredible and some you will just want to cry. Go with it and pick your battles.
  • Savour the moment… One day you will long for this day back, don’t wish it away. Being in the trenches of motherhood is rough, but it’s beautiful and I am willing to bet one day you will look back on this fleeting season so fondly.
  • Remember you aren’t alone… Every Mumma has moments of great & hard times. Some moments we are a glowing, happy, engaged, doting mother who is fully focused on her kids and we are loving every second of motherhood. We wish these days would last forever. Then we experience the exhaustion, the feeling of barely being able to wake up because you are so tired and you swear you just shut your eyes, because you did! You feel like you are so touched out and just want to be alone in silence for 5 minutes – because silence & isolation sounds like a dream at this point. You feel like at any given moment you may just lose your mind because being over tired makes you a person you don’t really like. That mother exists too. Everyone has their own struggles, everyone (In one form or another…). I wish I was the first mother every single moment of my children’s lives – but I’m not, occasionally I am the second. Some days it’s challenging, but what counts is how we handle ourselves. Acknowledge it is a tough day/week/leap/month and work out a way to handle it… Go into survival mode, vent, ask for help, let it go – do what works for you, but know you are not alone. No one has a perfect day everyday and it’s ok for your day to not be perfect.
  • Treat yourself… Buy the flowers, buy the chocolate, buy the wine, get your hair done or buy the shoes. You are important – spoil yourself. (Because honestly, somedays you just need too!)

What is your best tip for resetting your mind after a stressful day/week? How do you maintain happiness as a Mumma? I would love to know, please comment below or on my social media!
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Thank you so much for reading!
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2017 · positivity · recipe

Feeling good, catch up & Choc-chip muffin recipe.

JustBindyLeave a comment

It’s a good week, to have a good week.

Hello friends,

I am so glad it is a new week, last week near killed me! I had the man-flu and I was down & out for a few days but thankfully a dose of antibiotics has me back to feeling alive!

I cannot handle being sick, it just knocks me around so bad… I was worried I was being a bit of a sook, but the doctor assured me it’s just I was hit harder with the dreaded cold/flu  that all 4 of us got. Apparently thanks to my frustrating health issue my body is “weaker”/more susceptible to getting knocked around a bit harder from really basic colds… Great. That’s just what you need as a Mum, because as you know Mumma’s ain’t got time to be sick! But it did explain why everyone else was getting better and I was getting worse!
Thankfully I’m much better and I vow never to take my usually fairly good health for granted again… I honestly told Trent to look up funeral homes, I may get a little dramatic – but I thought I was about to die. (Also I just want to say I am so thankful to Trent, for picking up my slack while I was sick, he took time off work and made sure I got rest!)
But thanks to my returning energy & good health my home is back in a neat & tidy state and life feels good again…

This morning LuLu & I whipped up a batch of choc-chip muffins! Nothing like freshly baked deliciousness to start your week off well…

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If you would like to make these scrumptious muffins this is the recipe I used….
Recipe – choc chip muffins  

It is almost the end of July… I have no clue where this year has gone but I am pretty sure  just last week it was January…
Our little man is now 7 months old!! I am sitting here with a dumbfounded look on my face as I type that, he is closer to 1 than newborn now (I am now almost crying!!)… And LuLu is 4 in October – FOUR! (I am still in melt down mode after celebrating her best little friends 4th birthday the other weekend… FOUR!!!) 

Sorry this blog post has no real rhyme or reason, it’s just a bit of a chat/catch up post… I am aiming lately to have a new blog post up every week on either Monday or Tuesday and a new video up every Friday… So hopefully that pattern continues! Speaking of blogs and videos  – is there anything in particular you would like to see more of or a specific type of post done? Please leave a comment below or contact me on my social media!
Would you prefer our “no tv” update as a blog post or video?
The 2 videos I am currently editing are cleaning & grocery videos…
Any suggestions or questions that you have feel free to let me know!

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I hope you have a wonderful week, I feel like it’s going to be a great one!
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christmas · honesty · mothering · positivity · real

Honesty; Finding the balance & joy this Christmas.

JustBindy2 Comments

Good morning friends,
It is December – finally! 
The tree is up, (has been for weeks), festive excitement has filled my heart – as well as a bit of festive stress for not being as organised as I wished I was. 
We get 1 December a year and I feel I am kind of not ready for it.
I feel like every time I set out to do something festive it gets put on the back burner because I think I should be doing “more important” tasks, like revacuuming the house. I need to find the balance of doing what I need to do but at the same time making sure I enjoy this beautiful time of year with my little darling and for myself. 
Now, let me get honest with you all for a moment… Here’s some “real talk”…
I truly feel like I had great balance going all year, I did. I had my routine, I always had lists of fun things to do & I just feel like I was going great in life, I was confident in being me & my Mothering, to me my life sparkled and I was proud of it.
Then in the last couple of months things took a bit of a downwards spin for our little family and it threw me out of whack. Things out of my control happened. 
It was like I was a snow globe, I was picked up and shaken so hard and parts of me were falling everywhere and I was rushing around trying to catch it all. I burnt myself out trying to fix things I couldn’t & being stressed, I should’ve just stood back and watched it all fall, embraced the sadness & pain momentarily but let it fall away. And once it had happened & I had processed it, then I should have dealt with the mess. But instead I gathered it all up tried to hold onto to it, when there was nothing I could do. 
But we’ve passed the hard stuff, we are finding our feet again, our routine is coming back, my lists of fun things to do for Christmas has started and I can see the sparkle coming back into my life. It’s there, I see a glimmer of the sparkle at the end of the tunnel, it’s there and I’m close – but not there, just yet.
I do think I need to cut myself some slack at times. I feel we as Mothers put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect in life, to be “Pinterest perfect” and to create the magic in our children’s lives. 
And now, I am not saying that is bad. I personally love creating magic, waving my festive freak flag around, planning activities and aiming for something close to “Pinterest perfection” – but at the same time we need to give ourself some grace. We need to accept life won’t always be perfect, that it is ok to have moments that don’t sparkle and as long as you keep striving for a better day than the bad day before, it is ok. If you actively work towards things getting better, it will. Life will throw a spanner in the works it always seems when life feels perfect. Maybe it’s to knock us back down so we stay grounded? I don’t know – there are a lots of ways to look at it. But I do know without the rain we don’t get rainbows and if it’s never dark we can never appreciate the stars.
I’ve been reprioritising lately, I’m in the process of cleaning out our lives, rebuilding our routine, my mindset, our activities lists – I am getting back on top. I had to, our life had a major disruption, I became unwell, I needed some time to process everything and I lost my way for a few weeks. So I just focused on us, the three of us. That’s what is important to me. I said “no” to other distractions and simplified.  
There is no shame in taking time to focus on what is important and simplifying life so you can regroup and restructure your life. Unfortunately I needed to do this before my favourite time of year, so I feel coming into the Christmas season I am kind of unprepared, but slowly things are falling back into place – I am almost back on top, that sparkle is almost back… Almost. I am determined to get it back before Christmas.
I think Christmas for a lot of people, especially Mumma’s can be stressful – we are trying to out decorate, out craft and outdo each other – or even just be “as good” as the next Mum or that Pinterest picture. But this year, for me – I am focusing on us. 
Christmas to me is about family and remembering why we celebrate. I want to teach my daughter that this season is more about giving & serving others than receiving, not just about the lovely crafts & baking. Even though that is a wonderful thing to do, I assure you we will be doing some of them. But if I don’t get “it all” done, that is ok. 
As long as we remember the reason for the season, we look for opportunities to give and the 3 of us (well, plus the 9 other members) are together on Christmas day, it’s all wonderful. 
This year isn’t about making Christmas perfect, it’s about focusing on how fortunate we are, why we celebrate Christmas and family. That’s it. And as long as I have that, I am ok. 
(And a few chances to craft & bake with my sweet girl will be wonderful too!)
Remember to soak in the feeling of Christmas and just be, be with those you love.

I hope you are all enjoying the start of this wonderful time of year and that this honest post was something you all enjoyed. I never intend to come across as our life being perfect, I just refuse to focus in on the negative. But Christmas is hard on everyone at times and I thought I would share this – just incase it helps one person. 
Love to you all & a big Christmas hug! 

dreams · goals · housewife to huntress · positivity · shooting & hunting · Sunday series

Sunday Series; Let me ask you a question…

JustBindyLeave a comment

I read a question the other day that has really stuck with me…

“what would you do if you knew you were guaranteed to succeed?” 

That question honestly has not left my mind at all and at times it has made me a bit sad.

I feel I have so many goals & dreams that most likely will never be achieved in my life time, but at the same time the thought I may not achieve everything I dream of just pushes me to at least give them ago. 
So what would I do… 
Well…
  • Firstly and it’s the thing I strive to do every single day – be the very best Mother in this world. I know that it is a fairly impossible task as I will never be my Mother, but I give it everything I have and I am determined to be the best I can. I also want to be the best wife to my ability. 
  • I want to be the best version of myself I can – we develop constantly. Our interests, attitudes, likes, dislikes are constantly evolving as we pass through each season of our life – but no matter what, I just always want to remain a good person. 
  • I would want to a great Australian female hunter or at least just be able to hunt, I have had this deep desire to learn to shoot & be a hunter (either with bow or gun) for what seems like the past few years. I’ve never had the chance to go because it’s more of a thing my Dad, Trent & my brothers do – kind of a “girl free” event, but they are slowly working out I still want to go – so maybe one day I’ll get to go. I know I need to work on my accuracy a lot more – but it is a working progress & something I’ll be starting to work on very soon.
  • To go along with the goal of one day being able to hunt, I would also love to be able to skin my kills! If I kill a fox I know it may happen, as my Dad is great at it & will teach me! Ultimately I would love to learn how to do taxidermy – but not on pets (because that is creepy), just for hunting trophies! It is unlikely to happen as I don’t have the time to commit to learn something that is so incredibly hard & detailed, but – it’s a goal. (Also, I would love to learn to butcher my own meat).
  • I would move to America – I am not even joking. I have this very strong pull towards America, I honestly feel like I need to visit the South or even move there! The big touristy cities (L.A, L.V, N.Y etc) don’t interest me that much, New York would be fun, but it’s not a must see for me. Anywhere in the South would make me happy – heck I would even move to Texas. I love Australia I truly do and I know things in real life are different to how they appear online but I have a really strong urge to at least visit America – one day!! 
  • I would start a magazine. This has been something I’ve thought of for a little while, especially since becoming a Mum. No “Mummy magazines” appeal to me, I always want to buy magazines but not one jumps out at me or has anything I find interesting inside! Surely I can’t be the only one who is sick to death of the boring Mummy magazines or the trashy magazines that are packed full of lies? How about a magazines that has a good mix of interesting articles about strong women, recipes, realistic interior design tips, great articles on child development, home making suggestions & tips and fashion that appeals to regular adults? Not midriff baring crop top style hideous looks – just classy & classic fashion. 
  •  And if we are really dreaming, heck I would be a surgeon. Science & the medical field really interests me. There is no way I could ever be a nurse & being a G.P wouldn’t be ideal for me, but being a surgeon would be incredibly interesting, rewarding and would be a very respectful career. 
So they are my “unlikely to happen but hey you never know one day they might happen” goals. (Ok realistically the surgeon one will most likely never happen!) I have a few more goals that are starting but they are still developing in my mind at the moment. 
But just between you and I – I have already started work on one of these goals – I may not get to exactly where I dream, but at least I am starting!! 
(Did any of those goals surprise any of you?)
And I like to keep this thought in the back of my mind when I am doubting myself…

If you had asked me the same question back when I was 18 and fresh out of high school my answers would’ve been very different. They most likely would have been;
  • Travel everywhere, see & experience everything.
  • Be a photographer.
  • Be a journalist for either Rolling Stone or National Geographic (such a typical 18 year old dream). 
  • Or be a lawyer. 
And to be honest I did want to do journalism for a very long time, I did start it at university but surviving on your own in a town hours away from your parents & supporting yourself while dealing with a personal family matter was just too much, I couldn’t do it and I quit. I kind of hate that I quit – but at the same time I feel everything happens for a reason. I ended up working very hard and worked my way through a dodgy job up into a better job with a better position that I feel I should’ve needed a degree to do and that was doing advertising & promotions for a large company. I ran all their promotions, redesigned their whole entire store & over saw the construction of that project & hosted a successful store reopening and did a lot of media campaigns for them. I am proud of the work I have done in a short amount time, even though I know compared to others it really isn’t much. 
I also wanted to do law for what feels like my whole life, like since I was 7 & it is something I am still interested in! But the older I’ve got the more I’ve realised I don’t think that field is for me. Yes I am fairly ruthless & can argue amazingly but to me it seems like a very high stress & at times corrupt job. Not meaning you have to be corrupt to do law, but like every industry there are dodgy people & I don’t agree with that – especially when it comes to dealing with criminals. I just don’t feel like I need a stressful job – I have enough stress already! 
And with travelling I still want to, but my expectations have kind of changed. I think more now about what will benefit LuLu better instead of myself, so that is why we are waiting until she is much older until we travel – so she will remember it better. I think paying an exorbitant amount of money for an overseas holiday with a 1 year old is kind of insane, I would much prefer to go when she is older, so she can actually remember the trip! 

I think it’s great to look back at different stages of my life & see what I considered a “goal” at that point. I’m sure in 5 or 10 years my dreams will be very different again, but I guess that happens. As we mature we develop new interests & dreams – I think it all depends on the season of our life. 
But right now in this season for me, I am focused on being an amazing Mumma, wife & daughter! Anything else I achieve in during this time is an added bonus!

So what would YOU do if you knew you could not fail?
What are you dreams? 
Have a beautiful Sunday!!

positivity

Sunday Series; Positivity.

JustBindy4 Comments

Welcome to my first ‘Sunday Series’ post.
I am not sure how “well received” this series of posts will be, as it is an entirely different approach to my usual “Bella In Bindyland” style of writing. To be honest it is a little daunting posting this type of material… 
While I wrote at “Bella In Bindyland” I briefly touched on my faith and mentioned it a little more regularly after I was pregnant – but it wasn’t something I always openly spoke about. 
I had an idea this morning, that each Sunday or maybe every other Sunday that I would write a post about my week, an event or something that was on my mind –  just something that I was dealing with or had dealt with and refer it back to how I used my faith to deal with it or a verse that I found comfort in… Maybe? Or this maybe the only one I write – let me know what you think, comment below…

To kick of this Sunday series, lets talk about my morning today (I am writing this on Saturday afternoon) 
I woke up early – like inhumanely early. 
I’m talking, 4:30am early. That is not my ideal wake up time. Heck, I will wake up 5am gladly – I almost like waking up at that time as I find I get a lot done early in the morning but I like that extra 1/2 hour of sleep (or preferably another hour or 2!), but today I woke up at that dreadful hour, with a horrendous headache that I had since the night before and my daughter leaning on top of me smiling down at me saying “Mumma, Mumma” while she tried to get into my nightie for “boobie” (yes, still breastfeeding – slowly working on weaning). So as I laid her down and fed her I drifted off to sleep & then I heard Trent’s alarm beeping, I swear this was like 2 minutes later – then I realised, gosh I had woken up before Trent! 
He got out of bed and ready for work and as LuLu sleepily stopped feeding I rolled her over and snuggled her – but then she sprung up, she was awake and full of energy and she wanted to play!! I tried laying her down saying “Bubbas tired…” & patting her & normally that works perfectly – some mornings she will fall back to sleep with me until 6 or 7am. But nope, not this morning. In her mind it was time for us to be up – Trent even attempted to get her back to sleep for a little while, but our girl was wide awake… 
So after Trent left I crawled out of bed, head pounding and I made my way to the kitchen, it then dawned on me that I hadn’t started the dishwasher last night – argh, I hate dirty dishes and leaving them over night in a dishwasher – well, yuck! It stinks and is gross. This just seemed like a never ending bad morning that was dragging on from a bad evening last night. 
*Rewind* Yesterday evening I stupidly forgot that cream was a crucial ingredient in making a quiche – so after being out all day I didn’t even think to buy the cream that I would need to make dinner, it didn’t even dawn on me – and I use the same recipe almost once a fortnight to make dinner, I felt so stupid and I was fairly annoyed at myself. (we had omelette instead for dinner!) 
Anyway, as I went back to the bathroom to rewash my face, I looked in the mirror while wiping away the water and I thought – I can quickly wipe away the water on my face to make it dry – I can quickly erase the negative thoughts of this morning and replace them with some good thoughts & make this day better. I was in control of how my day was to be. These negative thoughts and negative way of viewing everything was not good enough.
So I picked up LuLu and we walked around the house opening the windows as we always do, letting the cool morning air in. We admired the sun rising and how peaceful and lovely everything is in the early hours of the day.
As I changed her nappy and put her in clothes for the day, I thought to myself what a truly blessed life I live. I turned every reason for my “bad” morning into a reason for a “good” day. My daughter waking me up at 4:30am is not a bad reason at all, I have my daughter. I prayed for years for her and now I have her, she is the light of our lives and such a joy to us she is never a bad reason. Forgetting to start the dishwasher – wow, first world problem much Bindy? I am thankful I finally have a dishwasher, Trent and I didn’t have a one until we bought our new home recently because our last house was a very old one that had no space for a dishwasher. So I am lucky to have a dishwasher & it is one of the best ones on the market so I am extremely lucky, thank the Lord I no longer have to hand wash dishes. And just to make sure I was really thinking of how truly blessed I am, I reminded myself I have running water and electricity to allow the dishwasher to work!
As I walked out of LuLu’s room and went about making our breakfasts I knew my day was going to be better, I felt more positive and more awake. 
Our lives are wonderful, we are rich in blessings and I had no excuse to be miserable over such silly & honestly such trivial reasons. I said thank you to our Lord for so generously blessing Trent and I in our lives and asked that He help me continue to have such a positive way of thinking for the rest of the day. 
My day was great, I had loads of energy and LuLu patiently played while I did 2 loads of laundry, she helped me polish the wooden furniture and then quietly followed me around while I vacuumed the house. She had a very long morning nap, so I was able to do some more jobs, read, catch up on social media & just relax a little. After lunch I mowed the lawn while LuLu played outside with the dogs & then we had a nice swim together and then she had another nap. It was a pretty great day and I got lots done! 
But that didn’t mean things didn’t go wrong either today. I went to the store for dog shampoo & fruit, I forgot the dog shampoo. When I mowed the lawn I accidentally hit a rock and it shot out the back and stung me in the top of my thigh – & holy crap it still hurts like crazy! But those issues didn’t define my day, I could’ve been super negative about both of those occurrences but I chose not to. 
I find if I stick with a positive mind set and remain grateful for what I have, my day just goes better, my attitude is more pleasant, things just seem to go my way & I deal with everyday issues a lot better.

 I chose to thank God for my day regularly, just little prayers said in my mind – they keep me searching for the good in my day & help me to remember how fortunate I am & I also ask Him to help me if I am struggling with a tough moment or I am feeling negative. 
But you don’t have to believe in God or even be religious to have this mind set. I know how easy it is to slip into a cranky & negative state of mind and hate the world and be super critical & negative – Lord knows I can be in a very bad mood sometimes, don’t think I am trying to portray myself as Sally Sunshine because no one is happy 24/7, but I am determined to be a better person, because my attitude controls the attitude of my household. 
If I am happy & pleasant I find my home is more calm & joyful. If I am cranky & negative, well it can be fairly stressful & tense here at times. 
So give it go, honestly – you can leave God out of the equation and just change the way you think. If you wake up and feel negative, list 10 things in your life that make you blessed. Even if nothing in your life is going the way you want it to right at this very moment, you are still privileged. Don’t be shallow, look deep into how fortunate your life is. If you are reading this, you have internet connection – there, that is one thing to be thankful for. 
But I truly believe our minds shape how our day will be – even how our lives will be. So be positive. I encourage you to go about your life with a joyful heart! 

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AMEN!!! Proverbs 4:23 NCV
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Doing everyday tasks with a joyful heart honestly makes those mundane jobs more pleasant and easy & keeps your mind positive… Well, it works for me! 🙂
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And for those that don’t believe in God… 
I think this is a valid point – we all the have negative & positive thoughts in our minds, just as we have good and evil in our hearts – what we choose to act on truly defines who we are. (Ah Sirius, so wise.) 
 
So… Thoughts? Did you like this style of blog post? 
Leave me a comment below (or on Facebook, or email me or tweet me!) your thoughts on this post and if you would like to read similar posts in the future.
Have a glorious Sunday.

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