This is me - International Women's Day

Seeings as it is International Women’s Day I thought I'd do a brief 'this is me' snippet.

So, this is me, today 8 March 2012, tomorrow is likely to be a different me, but this is me now in this moment:

• I'm 37 but regularly act like I'm 17, maturity can be a fleeting thing for me!
• I'm 32w5d pregnant - all my friends say the loved their pregnancy, glowed etc, I'm not loving it, actually apart from feeling junior's movements I'm not even liking it 
• I'm still getting a handle on my fears around the birth - movies, tv shows, friends horror stories have ruined what should be a beautiful and natural occasion
• I've had terrible nightmares about things going wrong with our pregnancy, but am too scared to put them into words and tell anyone
• I don't swear in front of people, but let rip in the car on my own, a secret between me & junior now!
• I don't eat as healthily as I should, but I'm getting there
• Once bub is born I won't to really give me all into getting into shape, I'm 38 this year, time is ticking, I need to feel hot, well at least luke-warm, sick of covering everything up!
• I hate doing the dishes, luckily Mr Mel is a sweetheart and covers me there
• I'm desperately counting down the days till I start maternity leave - 12 days incl today
• I have a name picked out for a charity I want to start, one day, I've stopped telling friends/family about it, they think I'm crackers
• I have our future farm planned out in our head, and can't wait till we can do it
• I have occasional, well let's say 'midweek' blindness to housework, weekends are attack time, but I'm easily distracted and often don't get round to it, I'm hoping once I'm off work I'll be more motivated!
• I often wonder how I go so lucky - 5 years ago I was single, not sure what to do with my life, not enjoying my work, and not travelling so well financially - now I'm married to an angel, about to have our first baby, financially stable, and loving life - how the hell did fortune smile on me? And why?
• I count out letters in sentences to see if they end in a 5/10/15 etc, and will add/remove letters to try and make them fit, ie don't becomes do not, do not becomes don't
• I count the numbers in dates to see if they add up to a 7, my fave number, ie our wedding date was 23/07/2011, so 2+3=5+7=12+2+1+1=16, then 6+1 = 7 - tada
• I think the last 2 might be admitting a tad too much!

It’s International Women’s Day - celebrate being you, a wonderful woman :)

Till next time,

23 March - that's it - woohoo!

I told my boss today that 23 March is the day I'll be heading off on maternity leave - woohoo!

So relieved, they had thought I would work to a week before due (due end of April), and that was never on my radar, not sure where they got that thinking from!

Really looking forward to getting our house, and my body (!!) ready for the big event, life has been so hectic, still working 9-10 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus some work on weekends, so it will be great to be able to just concentrate on us, Mr Mel, Me & Bubs for a little while.

Hopefully bubs doesn't decide to come early!

Till next time,


PS - At this stage I'm going to take leave till bub is born, then be on the 18 weeks of Paid Parental Leave and will re-evaluate what we want to do come August!

The age old money dilemma!

On my mind today is money, why oh why does it cause so many issues!

Mr Mel and I are financially comfortable, we have worked very hard to get to where we are at.  We're not flying but we do own about 60% of our home, have stable jobs, and have some money invested.  We are able to go out for dinner, and can splurge on holidays now and then, although I'm not sure if you could call my first proper holiday in 11 years (our soon to be honeymoon!) a splurge!

However we are still sensible with our spending, and we do everything we can to ensure we're not paying more than we need to when we do have splurges.  My friends roll their eyes (in jest) when I bore them with details of a bargain I have found, or a savings we have made.  They are now asking me to help them with their mortgages, insurance, shopping etc, which I love to do.

We hope to have kids soon, and the finances will definitely tighten up, but we are making sure we are building a buffer so to speak, so that when we are blessed with a bubba, we will be financially in a good place to handle the probably time with me not working, added expenses etc.

I have just had a conversation with a colleague who at around 50-55 years old has hardly a cent to her name, she has debt to her eyeballs and yet even being in such a hole, doesn't seem to want to make an effort to fix it.

She is happy to have a pity party of the world isn't fair, how hard done by she is, yet she also spends money on horses that she can't afford, doing up the garden in her rental, etc, while ignoring the mounting debts, and letters from debt agencys that are arriving weekly.

After yet another whinging session from her, she has just finished telling me "Mel you're lucky you have a husband and a home you own, you don't know how hard it is".

My reply, while half biting my tongue, was "Hang on, you don't know my story, you don't know what effort I have put in to get where I am.  I have worked bloody hard to get 'lucky'."

Yet she still seems to think that anyone who is not 'struggling' has been lucky.  What is with that?

I have had similar conversations with friends and family, and other colleagues.  If you're struggling financially you need to look at why and find out how to fix it!

If you can't afford your mortgage repayments - it's not because the world is against you, in the cases I'm thinking of, it's because you have chosen to buy a house in an area you can't afford, and you didn't budget for interest rate rises, that's not really anyones fault but your own!

Of course there are situations where people lose jobs, get sick, etc, but in most of the cases I personally know it's not for those reasons, it's through being stupid with money!

If your grocery bill is sky high every week, it's probably because you're shopping in one of the 2 stupormarkets, buying brand food, and not willing to put in the effort to shop around, and/or make more things from scratch.  Do you really need to buy baby food in a jar or bag?  Go grab a bag of apples, stew them down and freeze it, it's not rocket science!  Don't stop at the bakery, go home and make something if you need to, or heaven forbid, go without!

If you don't know where you spend your money, then do a bloody budget!  Being an ostrich with your head in the sand is rarely the best way to attack things, keep note for a month or even a week, of everything you spend, then work out where you can cut back. Do you need that coffee at Maccas at the weekly girls get together?  You can still go to Maccas and chat with the girls, but have a water, or take your own coffee, or suggest meeting at a park instead.

I love Albert Einstein's definition of insanity - "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Ok off my soapbox (for now!), blame my colleague for my rampage!

Till next time,

Thanks to Rhonda from the Down To Earth blog for her 'Friday On My Mind' idea, it's a gem, I've clicked through comments on numerous blogs on Rhonda's list, and on my own, and found some great blogs which I'm now following, and looking forward to discovering many more!

Doc Update - All Clear Yay!

Back in January (yes I've been slack!) I went to our Doctor to have a chat about our kidlet plans, given my age (37), I wanted to get a full check done to make sure there wasn't anything major needing to be addressed before we started trying to start a family.

So it was around 4 months overdue but last week I went to get my blood drawn, after 2 goes in my right arm, she tried my left and was able to draw the 6 vials needed!  I ended up with a massive black bruise on my right arm, about 10cm diameter, but the left one was fine.

Last night met with the doc, and was very happy to get a near all clear, my cholesterol & blood sugar were normal, yay, I don't have any diseases woohoo, the only sub normal result was for Rubella.

I, along with most girls my age, were given a Rubella vaccine in primary school, given that's probably close to 30 years ago, no wonder my level was a bit low!

(photo source)

The Doc gave me a jab in the arm for Rubella, went through a few queries I had re pre-conception vitamins (will blog separately), and wished us luck!  He said there was no clinical reason to think we couldn't fall pregnant, here's hoping!

A good end to the day.  Now just need to get this getting married thing done, so we can get to business :)

Till next time,

Lusting over Art!

On my mind this Friday, is my current Lusting over Art!

As I've mentioned more than a few times, I rented for about 16 years, and when you're a renter you usually have little choice/input into your decor, and since we bought our house 2 years ago (in July!) I've found it a bit hard to get out of renters mode, and decorate/organise our home how we want it.

One of the areas I really want to tackle is the artwork in our home.  I adore art, anywhere we go, I'm drawn like a moth or bower bird perhaps, to any artwork hanging in the house/restaurant/vineyard/shop.

I have collected some art in my travels, and they will definitely be finding their way onto our walls in the coming month or so, before everyone arrives for our wedding!

This is one of the prints we have to hang, I bought it with the first cheque I received for my business, back in 2001!  It has been hung in every rental since, and will be the first onto the wall.  I first saw it in a restaurant in Ireland and fell in love, I knew I had to have it.

The lovely Lepa Zena (photo source)

Lepa Zena Buy From Art.com

Another of my prints, waiting to be hung, I found at the Racing Museum at Newmarket in England. Fittingly titled 'We Three Kings' it depicts the legends Arkle, Red Rum and Desert Orchid.

We Three Kings - Arkle, Red Rum, Desert Orchid (photo source)

We Three Kings Buy From Art.com

I found the website Art.com through a blog I love - Young House Love, after reading about one of their art hanging projects. Good and bad that I found art.com  good that I've found soo many pieces of art I love, but bad in that our budget probably won't love them as much as I do.

My Lust List so far!!:

Stunning Gerbera's in a spectrum of colour, would be gorgeous for a girls bedroom, or in a bathroom

Gerbera Spectrum (photo source)

Gerbera Spectrum Buy From Art.com

An old favourite, never fails to bring a smile to my dial when I see it, so sweet, would love it in our future kids room.

Giraffe, first kiss (photo source)

Giraffe, First Kiss Buy From Art.com

Just stunning, yes another for our future kids room, the poor kidlets won't have any option but to love animals!

Big ears (photo source)

Big Ears Buy From Art.com

I could see this above our bed, so lovely and the colours are exactly what I'd love in our bedroom, uplifting yet relaxing and soothing.

Rows of Cherry Trees, Minnesota (photo source)

Rows of Cherry Tress in an Orchard, M... Buy From Art.com

One for the kitchen, such a nice shot, love the colours

Woman in Bangalore India carrying Paw Paw & Bananas (photo source)

Local Woman Balancing Paw... Buy From Art.com

And one for our study, inspiration for our future plans to have our own small farm, with a menagerie of animals, and becoming as self-sufficient as we possibly can.

Tranquility Farm, even the name is inspiring! (photo source)

Tranquil Farm, c.1994 Buy From Art.com

So that is what's on my mind this chilly Friday morning!

Thanks to Rhonda from the Down To Earth blog for her 'Friday On My Mind' feature, as she says on her blog "Slow down, take the time to cruise around and enjoy your cyber visits".

Till next time,

Should I Be Elsewhere?

For the past few weeks, well probably months to be honest, I've been feeling a bit unsettled at work, and couldn't really put my finger on it.

I love my job for the most part (like every job there are days when you could just walk out and keep going), I enjoy the company of the people I work for and with (mostly!), and I love working with the horses (always). So there's not anything glaringly wrong, I just have quite a few days when I'm very easily distracted, and know I'm not putting in 100% which I really don't like!

But I've just had that 'should I be elsewhere' type feeling. Yes I can do my job well, but should I be doing something else?

Ideally I'd love to work for myself, or with Mr Mel, however the jump to leave this job to have a go at something when we have a mortgage, an impending wedding and a hopeful start to our family this year, make me think maybe I should stick to the safe option.

Things I've considered:

- Real Estate - I love it, but don't know if I could do it as a career, plus it would mean starting from bottom in an agency, getting to a place where I could work for myself would be a long way off

- Blog - we started a blog - www.huntervalleygrapevine.com - recently and are hoping to build it into something substantial, however with me working full-time, organising a wedding, trying to get fit, and Mr Mel working fulll-time, we're struggling to put enough time into it

www.huntervalleygrapevine.com

- Farm - both Mr Mel and I want to buy and work a small farm, raising produce and stock for our use, and with a view to selling meat, cheese, vegies etc, currently we don't have the capital to do it, but we will one day!  And of course we'll have horses on the farm! :)

photo source

- Aussie Farmers Direct - a new franchise business that I've been following since it launched, Australian farming is something I'm passionate about, we try to buy Aussie everything foodwise, and support local suppliers, attend every farmers market we can.  Everything I've read about AFD has been positive, they have been highly ranked by BRW as one of the best recent franchises.  The only downside the setup costs are quite expensive.  We could probably manage at a pinch (with a loan), but it would put alot more financial stress on us.

Aussie Farmers Direct

I think I'm most likely rambling, as I said earlier I've not really been able to put a finger on what's got me thinking this way, and obviously I'm struggling to put it into words also!

Maybe it's just because I've got so much going on, but I don't think so, I think the underlying issue is that I need/want to move on? Mr Mel as usual has been so supportive, and such a rock, he's told me a few times now, "Chickadee if you're not happy we need to do what we need to do to make you happy".

I think I'll give myself until after the wedding to make sure it's not the stress of sorting everything for the wedding that is making me think this way, if I'm still on this train of thought after our honeymoon (10 days in Vanuatu), Mr Mel and I will get our heads together and work towards change!

Any advice/inspiration more than welcome :)

Till next time,

Yes Please - Just Need To Win Lotto!

Mr Mel and I have a goal to have our own property, to run our own stock, horses, cattle, goats, and grow our own meat, milk, cheese, eggs, and veggies.  We almost bought a small 5 acre property 18 months ago when we bought our first home, but the timing wasn't right, Mr Mel had just gone out working for himself, and had moved up here from Sydney.  So we decided to buy a lovely house in town, which we adore. But long term we want to have some property.

To that end I have an ongoing search registered with realestate.com.au for property in our area.  Yes it could be considered a bit of self torture, but who knows I might stumble across a bargain one day!

If we happen to win Lotto soon, this one would be a very welcome acquisition to our property portfolio of 1!!

OurLotto purchase - should we win!

It's only on 5 acres, so not too much work, ideally we'd like about 25 acres, but hey if we win Lotto maybe we can buy the property next door too!  More info at realestate.com.au listing  (I have no connection to the vendors or agents, just in love with the property!)

Till next time,

Can We Do It Update - Feb 2011

Wow 22 Feb already, what's going on!  Time is flying by way too quickly. So I thought before I forget for another 8 weeks, I'd better do an update on our goals:

Wedding - The big update since my last post of this style is that we got engaged on Valentines Day (yay!). We're planning a big engagement party for July 2011, and will surprise our family with a wedding!  The plans are afoot, getting our heads around the budget is the first cab off the rank!  Oh and an engagement ring, we're meeting with a jeweller who is a friend of Mr Mel's father, so hopefully a lovely (and not to pricey) ring around the corner!

Mortgage - We bought our home in July 2009, We're aiming to have our mortgage paid off in 7 years from starting out, which would make it July 2016.

Update - We're on month 20 of our mortgage, and we're on track, we've got 58.27% equity in our home. 

Other debt - Our total non mortgage debt includes a car loan (as part of mortgage package, at same interest rate), and a VISA we've since closed. Our aim is to have all of this debt paid off by mid 2015.

Update - Compared to when we started back in July 2009, we're sitting at approx 62.90% non mortgage debt gone, which is great. We have paid off the VISA, and are still happy with having our money in the offset against the mortgage, not sitting in the car, however are always reviewing. Looking like we'll have it paid off well before aim of mid 2015.

Weight - As per other updates, my weight covers a few areas, getting healthy & fit, getting my body in the right place to conceive (and fit in a near 'normal' wedding dress!!). 

Update - Have been on the warpath since early Feb, results have been slow, but looking at joining Curves for a 5 month attack leading into our wedding!!

Business - In Feb 2010 Mr Mel gave up his job in Sydney to have a go at turning his hobby into a business. 

Update - Mr Mel's business is growing steadily, we met with our accountant recently and he was happy with progress, which was good to hear.  Looking at another part to the business in early/mid 2011, we have registered the business name and websites, but will get stuck into that again after July.

Till next time,

Doc Update

Happy to report that I am indeed a woos!

The Doc was lovely and happy that I was well informed, and realistic about things, given my age, etc.

He was happy that I'd started on the weight loss slog and gave me a pathology request for a raft of tests.

So I shall be heading to the vampire next week, to get blood drawn, and find out what blood type I am!

Till next time,

Lost Some Of My Courage!

Further to an earlier post http://canwedoityepwecan.blogspot.com/2011/01/doctor-here-i-come.html

I'm feeling quite ill about my appointment this afternoon, I think I'm scared about getting bad news, up until the last 18 months or so I'd never really thought about my ability to fall pregnant. And since organising the appointment, I've done nothing but think about it.

I've had dreams of being pregnant, nightmares about not being able to get pregnant, and have felt sick all day today.  I know (well more hope than know) it's better to know than not, so here's hoping the Doc doesn't have bad news for me.

Yes I'm a chicken, I know! Shall report back tomorrow!!!!!

Good ol Dr Hibbert, always good for a lollipop for wooses! :)

Till next time,

Doctor here I come!

Ok so the story so far, I turned 37 a few months ago, Mr Mel and I have had all the talks that can be had, the end result, is we want to get married and start a family this year (gods willing).

SO, I just made an appointment to see my Doctor, to get the whole kit & caboodle so to speak checked.

I know the first item on the agenda will be weightloss, and I'm getting there, but I think the Doc will give me a good enough scare that I'll drop those kgs quicker than ever! I'm going to ask for the blood test that can tell you if you're cycling ok, other than that I'm open to anything that needs to happen!

Given my age, the stats are starting to scare the life out of me.

• Fertility - gradually decreases from 30 on, at 35 - 39 it's a 52% chance!
• Infertility - gradually increases from 30 on, at 35 - 39 it's a 15% chance!
• At 45 you're half as fertile as you were at 25, and at 40 you're half as fertile as you were at 35 - now that's a kick up the backside!
• Complications - Chance of complications goes from 10.43% at 20-29 to 19.29% at 35-39 years
• At 35 years + 1 in 440 pregnancies result in the baby dying in utero at the end of the pregnancy, compared to 1 in 1000 for under 35 years
• Down Syndrome - At 40 the risk is 1 in 60 for a baby with down syndrome, at 25 its 1 in 1,500!

That's enough stats to scare me, and probably you for now, but wish me luck, I've only been to this Doc once, and never seen a Doc anywhere re trying to get pregnant!

I'm not taking Mr Mel with me for this first appointment, too much info would blow his mind and distract him from the end goal, so I'll see how it goes, then fill him and he can come to the next appointment.  Don't you just love guys!!  :)

Till next time,

stats from www.babycenter.com.au

Our To-Do List

Ok so it may seem a bit obsessive, but I love tracking things, at the moment I have spreadsheets for:

• mortgage
• super
• shares
• debt
• horse expenses
• weight loss

And a few months ago Mr Mel & I decided that we need a list of things we keep thinking of we need to do, that we forget to get round to doing.  And since we started it, we've got through a couple, which is better than none, so I thought I'd list our to do list here too, so I can track it (I did say a tad obsessive!!).

So here goes, this is our list:

• Security system for house - 90% done - being installed next week
• House & Contents insurance re security 
• Solar installation for house - 5% done - have 2 crews coming out to quote
• Look into Sasha's Blend for the pug
• Build shelves in laundry
• Paint 2nd toilet walls & door
• Sell lounge suites taking up the garage
• Replace dying Mazda - DONE - I love my new i30 :)
• Investigate extended warranty on the Ford - DONE - signed up, covered for next 3 years
• Blog - not this one, a new one that we'll both work on - 10% done - I have setup the domain
• MYOB for business - 90% done - I detest it, but almost done for the 2009/10 year
• Personal & Business tax for 2009/10 - 90% done - as per MYOB 
• Replace office chair - DONE
• Get treadmill working - DONE
• Get allergy test done
• Water tank
• Organise & book trip to Brisbane for Mr Mel - work related (he works for himself)

So that's the list, we're working our way through, and adding more now and then.  We have them written on a whiteboard on the side of the freezer (faces out from kitchen), so we see the list all the time, and often stand there planning.  It won't happen overnight but it will happen :)

So dear readers, do you have a to-do list, or are Mr Mel & I, as we kind of suspect, a tad freaky??

:)

Till next time,

Like minded

On Sunday we went to our local market, the first one they've held since I moved here 3 years ago.

We were hoping it would be a bit more than a fete type setup, so that it would encourage the tourists who come to the Valley to spend more cash locally, and keep the market going, as currently the closest good markets a 2 hour round trip away.

Anyway we arrived at 8am, and were pleasantly surprised to see the car park filling up and stalls galore, excellent!

Our 2nd stall stop was a tiny one with organic seedlings, because the market was just starting up there weren't huge numbers rolling through yet so had a chance to chat with the stall holders. Gloria and her husband Bob.

They live about 10 mins from us on a couple of acres and have converted an acre or so of lawn/garden into an organic vegie patch.  Mainly due to Bob being ill and needing a hobby.

We got chatting, they're trying the first market with seedlings to test the market, then next month bringing the produce along. And they also have a stall at their property, which we'll be heading to this weekend!

I've been thinking more and more over the past couple of years of how much our lifestyle and especially food contributes to our health.

How do we know what the stupormarkets are getting farms to spray onto their produce to ensure it has a longer shelf-life or is more attractive to buyers, or has a uniform appearance, or is available out of season?

Over the past 10 years or so there has been alot of coverage about the effects of asbestos, and people now can't believe that houses were allowed to be built with such a toxic substance.

I wonder if in 20 years our children will be reading the same sort of headlines, but instead of asbestos, it being about chemical 1234 (etc) being highly toxic and having been a common spray for produce 'back in the 2000's'.

Longterm Mr Mel's and my plan is to have our own farm and be as self sufficient as we can be, growing as much produce as we can, and raising and slaughtering our own meat etc.

But in the meantime, we have put alot of effort into our veggie garden, this season we're growing : tomatoes (2), capcisum, chilli, lettuce (5), spring onions (10), snow peas (15), mushrooms, strawberries (5), mint, coriander, sage, oregano, parsley, bay.  It's only small, but it's a start, we haven't had to buy spring onions or parsley for at least a year, and get through summer with our own supply of tomatoes, capsicum, lettuce & snow peas, usually with some left over for neighbours etc.

Gloria & Bob asked for our details after our chat about organics/health etc, and I'm looking forward to maintaining and growing a friendship of sorts.  They've asked if we'd be interested in bringing our surplus veggies out to their stand, for them to sell (and give us veggies in return), and Mr Mel are very excited to get involved in some bartering and exchanging produce.

We're quite excited about having bumped into some like minded people who live close by, even though they're 25+ years older than us, we all had an instant connection, which is rare these days I feel. Especially when we're relatively new to the area (me 3 years from Melbourne, Mr Mel 1 year from Sydney).

I'm excited  :)

Till next time,

Dreams Are Free

I've always been a dreamer, since I can remember, my parents have said I'd always come up with these fantastic plans for what I was going to do that afternoon, next weekend, or when I was a big girl.

Well now in my 30's I'm still a dreamer, well more a planner & a dreamer I guess.

Over the past 3 years I've made some big changes, moved interstate, away from all family & friends, to start a new job, met Mr Mel, bought a house with him and now living with him.

I guess it's the natural progression, instinct perhaps, but over the past 6 months or so, I've been daydreaming alot, I'm talking a real lot, about Mr Mel & I living on a farm with our kids.

I don't just dream in broad strokes either, I'm a detail dreamer!

My dream is :

live on a small farm, say 20 acres, maybe 50, not far from the beach
have 2 or 3 kids
grow as much of our own food, fruit, vegies, meat, milk, cheese, as possible
have ponies for the kids
have family come and visit at the farm, maybe a 2nd house or a barn conversion
run a profitable business from home, be it connected to the farm or otherwise
breeding a couple of broodmares each year
be actively involved in the community and in charity work

I grew up in the country, so I guess that's where alot of it comes from, Mr Mel is a Sydney boy through and through, but is growing to love living in the country, and can see himself running a small farm too now.

I know we'll get there in some shape or form, eventually!!

Till next time,

Time for a change?

When do you know it's time for a job change?

I love (well loved) my job, however the stress of the situation I work in has been getting to me over the past 18 months, it's getting to the point now that most days I leave either feeling a bit jaded, or with a headache. I work hard, 10-11 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus some weekends every couple of months.  It's not the hard work thats the issue, I absolutely love being busy, and working hard. It's the stress of working for people who aren't happy, and it seems can't stand anyone being happy, that's really taking a toll.

Mrs Boss is extremely high strung and blows up very easily.  I'm fairly laid back, and it takes a fair bit to get me wound up, but gee she's doing a very good job at it.  The relationship between Mr & Mrs Boss is one I'd never hope for, and I find being around it quite toxic.

I've always been one to value a job much more than the pay, I can cop alot of crapola if I love the job, and I've been doing that for the past couple of years. But it's getting to the stage where I spend alot of time wondering if it's worth it.

Surely life's too short to be miserable at work?

Mr Mel and I want to get married and have kids in the next year, I'm tossing up whether I make a move now, or wait to see if we fall pregnant, then look at a part time career change.

Some more thinking to be done........................

Till next time,