I recently took a longer (yet still only 8km) run than I’m used to as I’ve been increasing my distances over time. In that time I had an epiphany about my life in the light of Covid lockdown. I started seeing my life as a house. I am currently in a house… theres breathing space and there’s windows and doors, and I am able to open and close doors and windows as I wish.
Read the rest of this entry
This week I finally started doing some extra weight training, sit ups, push ups, rope jumping etc. that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’ve noticed excess skin forming in certain areas and wanted to start toning a bit. It’s been a challenge though… the small cottage that we are in on the farm has little space for exercise unless I want to try it on the stones and thorns outside, so i have had to train in the bathroom as the only place to hook my feet for sit ups… yes… theres a toilet behind me in that photo!
Read the rest of this entry
I am pleased to say that I am still getting fitter and have lost 10kg by now, slowly but surely in spite of lockdown. I am fortunate to be “stuck” on the family farm with lots of open space to run… I don’t take this for granted at all in spite of my despondency about the extended lockdown for South Africa and I know how blessed I am when I consider the small spaces the largest part of our country has to endure. I guess I just wish I could get some new clothes as mine are starting to hang like sacks.. but hey… first world problems I guess!
Read the rest of this entry
Wow… it’s been exactly a year to the day since I started this series and even though I haven’t blogged about it recently I am surprised that I am still going strong. I am super proud and excited to say that I have lost 6,5kg this year since I started getting my life back.
It’s been a roller coaster of note emotionally, I’m not going to lie to you but the physical work has been easier than I thought it would be. A few things have changed since my last entry and a few things have not changed at all, so let me break it down for you…
Read the rest of this entry
So I’ve been seeing posts of a friend of mine of his 6 year old son kicking but at chess tournaments and I was totally surprised… 6 year olds can play chess? I started showing my 6 year old twins a move or two and quickly realised that they could do much more than we think. George Harrolds of Kaoori Chess sets is going to tell us more about the benefits of chess for kids’ development.
Yes I am still going strong whoop whoop!!! and yes I am still mostly sugar free… apart from one or two cheat days I have been sugar free for 27 days now! I almost can’t believe it myself, I even said no to cake that my 12 year old niece baked and felt terrible for it but I am happy to say I stayed strong and I am no longer binging on sugar.
Read the rest of this entry
Yvie practices the art of simple living with her chickens, goats, dogs, rabbits, and house full of boys in rural America. She loves acoustic guitar, historical novels, and anything with dark chocolate! You can find her at Homeschool On the Range, or on Facebook and Instagram.
It’s human nature to remember the bad more vividly than the good – it’s how we evolved to make sure we stayed safe – by remembering those negative experiences vividly so that we could avoid them in the future.
However, with the advent of massive connectivity, negativity now surrounds us from every direction….and it’s pervasive. Turn on the television, tune into social media, or pick up a paper and you’ll typically be bombarded with negativity.
Read the rest of this entry
I wrote this post about Decluttering your brain way back when and also this one about Dealing with Toy Overload, but honestly I am still figuring out how to declutter my life! Being the little crafter that I am, I keep almost everything because I constantly think I should be able to do something with it.
Well I have a whole new schedule planned so I am getting to the end of this madness…
Read the rest of this entry
I have to admit, that first morning after I wrote this post I woke up thinking’ “What have I done? Why did I do that?” I had a feeling of impending doom… like failure was sure to follow, but now, 6 days later I am still hanging on so I guess I’m really doing this!
So there was a few things that really dragged me down and I knew those things would have to be addressed first.
Even just thinking of words to start this post is hard. The truth is what I am about to start is exposing me in so many ways…
I may fail at this but I refuse to not do it because I am afraid of failure. I have failed so many times in my life I can’t even count, but it doesn’t mean it will stop me from trying again… I am one tough cookie, I can give myself that one!
So the truth is even though it always looks like things are going so well and I am always looking good on photos (because I am taking photos for the blog from the neck up only), is that I am actually really getting
Read the rest of this entry
We all have things we will never forget that our kids had said at some stage… I personally write everything down in my notes and even copy them to a little special book that I will show them when they are older. It’s something you just don’t want to miss as a parent, but as adults we all can appreciate the funny things these little creatures come up with.
I have asked Moms from groups combining around 200 000 members all across South Africa, what were the funniest things their kids said and they did not disappoint! Here are some of my favourites! Read the rest of this entry
Life is short.
Theres so much things I want to save money for but now after my mom died I’ve been wanting to see the world because I realised the reality of just how short life can be…
That’s why I’m writing this now as I am a passanger sitting in the car on our way home from a weekend away. That is why I can’t wait till we get home to write this. Because life is just so short. I am not even sure of the fact that we will make it home today!
I trust we will arrive home safely just as usual, but you get what I’m saying right? Life is just so short.
A 106 year old Japanese man Read the rest of this entry
We’ve all been there… one day you have a beautiful little baby with a teddy bear and blanky and the next you feel like you’re living a nightmare in Toy Story 3! We think toys are the savior to buy us some time to do our own thing when in fact they can be the evil that lurks in the corners of our house… especially lego’s on the carpet… oh the lego’s!!!
The dictionary meaning for play is to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious practical purpose… not really the same as the meaning that
A few months ago we were on holiday and the strangest thing happened. First I have to tell you that I had been dieting on and off for a few years… well actually I had been feeling guilty and promising myself to be good with food for a few years but to no avail. I have slowly but surely been gaining 25kg in 12 years.
Yes. 25kg in 12 years. 2kg a year doesn’t seem terrible, especially if you add extreme physical en emotional stress and twin babies but it does make one wonder where you’ll end up and I can’t shake the built in nagging urge in my heart to be a good role model for my 4 year old twins by cultivating good eating habits myself.
What they see in me, they Read the rest of this entry
Adult Coloring has taken the world by storm and of course as all good things there has to be a day for it… and there is! Today is National Coloring Book Day so I thought I’d show you some beautiful books that I got to review from faithful-to-nature.co.za. (Click here to like them on Facebook)
There are many benefits to adult coloring. Mostly we just do it because we love it, but it has proven to be very effective in combating anxiety and has even been used in hospitals as Read the rest of this entry
You open your eyes when you wake up in the morning and the first harmful chemicals you encounter are in the very air that you breath and on the very clothes and bedding touching your skin. You walk to the bathroom (on a floor coated in chemicals) to brush your teeth with toothpaste stacked full of chemicals.
I know, I know its all just too much to take in and it almost makes you want to click out of this post and just cross your fingers and hope you’ll live to see another day…
Don’t though. Seriously stay with me!
I know its a lot to take in when you start to look at toxins and it took me a while to get over the denial, followed by my initial disliking of crunchy people, followed by intense thinking about the validity of the situation and some more, followed by my plan of action to live healthier, which can be easy if someone just tells you what to use rather than you having to go through lots of products that cost lots of money to get to the products that won’t foam in your mouth or stick to your gums.
Yes, those are words coming from first hand experience!!
I’ll give you a list of just some of the dangerous chemicals found in your every day household products and toiletries just to get it out there just how harmful they can be… Don’t worry though, I will soon give you the list of ALTERNATIVES you can choose from the comfort of your home without having to find a health shop near (or far).
We would all like to have a safer and better bathroom.
This is the list of alternative products I use to make sure I don’t bring any of these dangerous chemicals into my house.
In general I make sure I order the worth of R350 or more, which is about every month or two, because delivery is free when you order R350 or more. I have a standing list on my phone where I write down when any bottle gets to 1/4 left and when there’s enough products to make up R350, I order.
I must admit sometimes I have an emergency when something runs out before I have enough products then I buy the needed alternative product from my local grocery store but honestly I find those products icky these days! I am so used to fresh smelling products with soft textures that the sharp smelling products with thick gooey textures has become less likable for me!
I do have some of them in my house from time to time though and I honestly don’t think I will die from them… you do as much as you can at the time you are in. Read the rest of this entry
On the 10th of April my Country South Africa, marched against injustice by the President of our Country. While walking the twins through the streets in my Neighbourhood there was a sense of unity going around that day. All the colours of skins smiled and greeted each other with pride as we stood up together against our corrupt government.
It wasn’t always like that day. In fact South Africa as a country has come a long way in a short while and we still have a long way to right all the wrongs in the best possible way.
We as a country endured many hardships in between our love for our beautiful mountains, big five animals and sunny summers.
As a white person in South Africa, despite having many dear friends of color and despite always standing up against racism, I hardly ever try to speak up publicly against our corrupt government because somehow I feel that whatever we say, it will be seen as racist because we are speaking up against a black dominating government. Read the rest of this entry
