A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to win a copy of Gretchen Rubin’s best selling book, The Happiness Project, in which she documents her year-long adventures in trying out different ways to find happiness.

And so fast forward to yesterday when I stumbled on a blog post she wrote that is a twist on our normal resolutions. And since I wanted to forge a new new NEW path this year, I decided I would start with her idea for Twelve Commandments – read her post, and see if you are as inspired as I was…

My Twelve Commandments

1. Be Anjanette
2. Relax & breathe
3. Find the fun
4. Be grateful
5. Live & love with my whole heart
6. Recognise opportunity
7. Live in the now
8. Accept love
9. Let go of guilt & obligation
10. Be kind, first to myself
11. Under-think, not over-think
12. Go with my gut

Rather than set myself up for failure with, let’s face it, impossibly huge tasks  like “Eat clean” and “Exercise every day”, I wanted to put something down that would speak more to me as a person. I wanted something that I could take to remind myself each day to truly live authentically. This hit the spot…

I’ll be working through the book, on this and other projects that take my fancy throughout the year…care to join me?

This post is part of a Blog Hop called At War With Four…check out the other brilliant posts!

If you have a 4 year old you probably have a story like this…

Walking down the road with Mr4, he has a smile on his face, excited to get on the ferry for our daily trek to the city where he goes to preschool and I go to work.

He takes a quick breath an asks, “Hey, mummy, you’ve got my fake teeth, haven’t you?”

“Oh no, sorry sweetie, they’re back up in the apartment, we’ll get them later.”

“NO!” his face crumbles and it’s as if the sun has suddenly been blotted out with inky clouds. “You get them NOW!” screeches mini-dictator. At 7.00am, in the middle of the street, at the top of his lungs.

I hiss, “Shhhh! We have to catch the ferry, you’ll get to have your teeth as soon as we get home” His body rises up and he begins to virtually prance down the street. But it’s a mad, angry, annoying prance. And I think, Oh god, people are staring at us. I am the worst mother. They know I can’t control my mini-monster.

He has long had the ability to go from Delight to Disaster, but now that he is four, his opinions – and confidence – mean that he approaches life with a certainty that only a four-year-old-going-on-fourteen-year-old can muster.

“Seriously, kid, cut the attitude.”, I hiss desperate for him to stop. “I do NOT have an attitude, mummy…YOU have an attitude!”, he responds with a whine.

The rest of our walk is a combination of shushing, distraction and bribery. And my mini-dictator keeps me on my toes until the moment I drop him at preschool.

Next stop? The corner cafe for a very large coffee…

This post is part of a Blog Hop called At War With Four…check out the other brilliant posts!

So the romance between a girl and her shoes is not a new story.

But despite my obsession with looking at beautiful shoes, my budget does not normally stretch to allow me to own the shoes I most covet.

Enter the fabulous website StylingYou and a very generous giveaway from Habbot Studios…

When I got notice I’d won one of the two pairs of gorgeous handmade Italian leather shoes I whooped so loudly that I frightened the people working in the office next door! NEVER have I owned a pair of shoes as beautiful, as comfortable or as well-made.

Annie at Habbot Studios was not only generous in her giveaway, but epitomizes everything that is good customer service: friendly, quick and that extra special personal touch.

When my shoes arrived, I immediately slipped them on…and again said thanks for my incredible luck.

If you are looking for a pair of shoes that don’t just look good, but will last and last, your money would be well-spent at Habbot Studios. You’ll thank me…

Oh, and that’s me attempting colour-blocking with my new shoes… I happened to wear this outfit to watch the France v Wales match, so I guess I was barracking for France!

And though I can’t tell you for sure who ‘they’ are, I can say that whilst certain things haven’t been super-shiny-happy in my life this year, other things have been abso-fabu-lutely wonderful.

I keep winning things!

Now before you knock down my door trying to join some Lotto syndicate with me, I’ll admit it’s not really big stuff. It’s just great stuff. And it’s consistent.

I have won things a varied as a Blurb book, multiple movie passes, DVDs, books a mini-trampoline and a Zhu Zhu pet!

One of my latest wins was the first giveaway sponsored on The Scribble Den and I was SO excited to win the most beautiful pair of vintage earrings. Not only am I a fan of jewellery (um, of course!), but I love it when local and home-based artisans are supported.

Melanie Hay of Hay Creations designs and hand-creates some stunning pieces – using both gold and silver they are often one-of-a-kind glamorous and vintage-inspired wearable art.

I was fortunate enough to receive this pair of Amelia Earrings

If you are looking for a special gift for someone (or yourself!) – a birthday or to get a head-start on Christmas shopping, take a look at Melanie’s beautiful range. I’m going back to get myself a matching pendant….wouldn’t you? ;)

In the complete tornado of emotion and change that is the breakdown of a marriage you can be struck by the overwhelming bits of reality as well.

Only a few months ago, life seemed incredibly sedate. And it was.

Then life turned upside down and, amongst all the other changes, I had to make plans for finding and furnishing a new home. Should I take my things? Should I sell it all and start over? What about the boys? What things did I need to do to make them feel secure or even excited about the changes in store?

Once I’d finally found a flat that was big enough to fit my own queen bed (with a beautiful near-new mattress and decorative iron bed frame, I couldn’t bear to sell and downsize), I got down to figuring out how to furnish a fun bedroom for the boys on a really tight budget.

Even though the boys are young and not fully able to comprehend what is happening to our family, I knew that they’d feel the stress. And, as far as I’m concerned, one of the biggest solutions for stress is a good night sleep. So even though I was on a budget, I was positive that I had to get really comfortable single beds for the boys.

How do you test a bed without actually testing a bed? If you’re anything like me, you don’t stuff about – do your research, read the reviews and find a great deal…online.

No doubt about it, online shopping can be wonderful. But it can also be daunting as you trawl through the incredible number of products available and all the information that’s provided. My first stop is always to check out a buying guide or two: one from a supplier I trust, the other from a consumer group.

Once I had chosen the mattresses (the serious bit), it was time for a bit more fun…the single bed frames! Now it may be true that boys generally get less whimsical choices when it comes to everything from clothing to accessories to bedroom décor, it doesn’t mean you can’t start with something rather plain and practical…and turn it into something seriously exciting for your little one.

Change, whether arising from good or bad situations, can be challenging, but that’s no reason not to try to reframe it (for yourself and your kids) as a mini-adventure and an opportunity for fun.

Have you ever done a bedroom makeover for your kids? Do you find shopping for furniture fun or stressful?

**Full disclosure – this is a sponsored post**

I got the inspiration for today’s Silly Question from the lovely @jo1foster who is (anxiously) awaiting tonight’s episode of Offspring.

Her excitement got me thinking about my own favourite telly programmes and I wondered, if I had the ultimate opportunity, on which TV show (current or long since finished) would I love to have a recurring role?

I had a hard time choosing between two awesome, but sadly complete, series…The Love Boat and Secret Life of Us.

If I’m being totally honest, a big part of the attraction for Secret Life of Us was the gorgeous young cast. How could I NOT want to be a part of that??

But, ultimately, I would have to choose a childhood fave – The Love Boat. Now watching I see just how cheesy it is, but at the time I wanted to grow up to be a perky cruise director like, Julie McCoy. And maybe date the awkward yet cute Gopher.

Anyway, what I really want to know is: which TV show would you be a part of and why??

Alright, so I know I’ve not had a Silly Question Sunday previously, but I’ve gotta start somewhere!

Today’s question is about my hair. Since I so disasterously stupidly neglected to get input before my last hair change, I’ve decided to take advice this time. And at least then I’ll have someone else to blame if it all goes horribly wrong!

Since I had my hair straightened, I cannot get highlights or go back to my blonde ways until the chemically treated hair goes (i.e. is hacked off). And I’m getting incredibly frustrated with my “between” hair right now – curly at the root and straight to the end. So it’s time for a change and I’m letting YOU help me figure it out!!

Pic 2 - Meg Ryan

So after my appointment this morning with the gorgeous Kirsty @StevieEnglish’s cool salon in Glebe (thank you a million times over for the Twitter-intro, @Annieb25), I came away with a fabulous new cut…even if I do still have to wait a few months to get back the curls and highlights.

*My serious expression in the pic does not reflect my feelings about my great new cut – I love it!

You’d have to be snoozing with bears in a cave somewhere to have missed their strong marketing presence including adverts with Aussie soap star sweetheart, Kate Ritchie, who tells us about the product’s key prebiotic and probiotic ingredient that help regulate our sluggish systems. And, honestly, the offer came at just the right time for me. A stressful few months means I’ve neglected my healthy eating (read: chose to totally indulge in WAY too many sweets at every opportunity) and I want to change that as I head in positive new directions in my life.

My big bundle of flavoured yoghurt was delivered in a handy cooler bag and I started my challenge the next day.  With tempting fruit flavours like passionfruit and mango as well as old standards like vanilla and strawberry, they have something for everyone. Personally, I am a bit picky when it comes to the consistency of yoghurts – I like it smooth and creamy, but not gluggy. Ski Activ hit the right notes for me when stirred thoroughly (or shaken madly before peeling off the paper lid). All the flavours have the right amount of sweet vs tangy and it is easy to see why people might quickly become addicted to having it as their afternoon snack.

The big question: did it work? No news to those who follow me that I’ve been feeling stressed lately, so my body has been working overtime trying to make up for the lack of sleep, the lax daily diet and the overall messy life stuff.  After the full 14-day challenge, I found that things (let’s just be vague here, okay) started moving a bit better. Am I completely back on track? Well, no, there’s no ‘magic yoghurt’ that could do that. But I AM feeling a bit better and my body feels less punished.

I would recommend Ski Activ to those who’d like a boost in the digestion process. Though I also have to be honest that, if you’re looking to cut calories, it is the same as every other flavoured yoghurt; it is fairly well packed with sugars to make up for the missing fat. That said, if you are already choosing a yoghurt like this, then the added prebiotics and probiotics could be just the answer for boosting your body through these sluggish winter months.

Full Disclosure: I was not paid (or even asked) for this review and this has been my honest opinion based on my free 14 day trial.

I woke up this morning thrilled; It’s my birthday!

But then all of the stresses of my current situation (another blog post coming soon) swept over me as well.  I realised that THIS was decision time – I could start the day dragged down by all of the things that don’t seem to be going right OR, perhaps, I could Choose Joy.

For me, Choosing Joy isn’t about ignoring the less-than-pleasing (or even downright horrible) things that an crop up for us all, it’s about making a conscious choice to find the best possible bits about every situation.  Even throughout the day, I remind myself that I have the control when it comes to how I deal with the things that come my way.

So on this day of celebration I am doing this: going out to brekky with my boys near the beach, taking them to see a fun animated film, making sure I stop to indulge in any treats that take my fancy and choose my favourite dinner tonight for a small party with my family, especially excited about opening the cards my littlies made for me with their own hands.

Tomorrow morning, as I wake up another day older, I’ll have the same choice: take what I’ve been dealt and let myself be filled with regret and anger OR

Realise that the gift I can give myself everyday is one of seeing the all the good that surrounds me, and all the good I can do for others.   Feel the pain, experience the sorrow, anger or melancholy, but know that you don’t have to stay there…you can still Choose Joy!!

It IS a happy birthday!!

My New Natural High

My heart is beating a little bit faster than usual.  I feel a bit euphoric – singing pop songs with my kids at the tops of my lungs, smiling more, generally feeling cheery…and even a little bit giddy.  Let’s face it – I’m on a bit of a high!  The best part is that this is an all natural feeling; it’s one that I get when I’ve made a new friend.

Many women quickly discover once they’ve had their first child that time with friends often gets cut back dramatically.  Where before you may have been able to meet up for a casual lunch or dinner or a night of drinks and dancing at least once or twice a week, the demands of a newborn mean that those breaks take a back seat to the hectic schedule of a baby who eats, sleeps and poops…a lot!  And unfortunately, friendships can suffer.

I was recently reminded of the struggle that many of us go through with making and maintaining friendships as adults when talking to a great friend who is struggling with this right now.  My gorgeous friend had recently moved across country, away from all her friends and family, and almost immediately gave birth to her second son.

She was just getting the feel for the new suburb they’d moved to – working out where all of the necessities are: grocery, café, parks, etc.  A fantastic benefit of living in Oz is that there are government sponsored wellness centers that organize groups for new or relocated mums.  She joined the local mum’s group just a few weeks before her second son arrived.

Luckily, one of the things that could have negatively affected your older friendships can actually help you to form new ones!  As my friend in Oz did, meeting up with other new mums can be a wonderful outlet and opportunity to create lasting friendships.  The fact that these other ladies are going through similar experiences can help form en empathetic connection immediately.  Playgrounds are also a place where casual conversations are easily started – especially when the little ones compel introductions when they “make friends” with one another as they play together.

And this is exactly the type of situation that got me feeling so fired up today.

I’d taken my boys to a purpose built water fountain pad just off The Strip, the sun was beating down and temps were over 105°.  This particular play area is one of the best free spots in the area –surrounded by high-end shops and restaurants – and includes a mini-stage with curtains, multiple playhouses, a tree house, merry-go-round, slides and a full hedge maze. So, as my boys began to streak across the water pad, I sat down on a bench next to another mum trying to avoid the sprays of water coming from the bigger kid’s karate chopping the water as hard as they could.  Just as a particularly large splash landed on our laps, we glanced at each other and I said, “Well, so much for sitting on the sidelines to stay dry, huh?” and that was that.

Will our friendship progress past a few shared text messages and a playground meet up or two?  Who knows…and, really, I don’t mind.  The rush I get from the potential friendship and the first blush of finding someone who seems as interested in hearing my stories as I am to hear hers will get me through a lot.