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Pictures of Port Douglas

December 11, 2017 By Michaela Fox

Miss I wasn’t too keen on the pool at first, but she warmed up to it!

Very few words are needed for this post. Instead, I am going to let the pictures do the talking. If you’d like to know anything about our trip – where we stayed, what we did, where we ate – just drop me a line in the comments, and I’ll be sure to respond. Suffice to say our time in Port Douglas was SUBLIME. And I highly recommend it as a family holiday destination.

Pictures of Port Douglas

Miss I loved the change of scene

The Surf Club was our favourite spot for dinner.

Corn on the cob with a glass of bubbles!

Sushi and Champagne – a winning combination!

Dada and daughter time!

Mossman Gorge in Port Douglas is a must-see!

Mossman Gorge

The beautiful pool at Cayman Villas.

Nothing beats an egg and bacon muffin poolside for brekkie!

Pool shenanigans!

She became a water baby by the end of the trip!

Miss almost-one-year-old started standing unassisted on our holiday!

I even had a little time to read!

Relaxed mama!

I should also point out that I really liked myself on this holiday. I have decided that I am a much more relaxed, patient, fun and happy mama when I am on holidays!! With the absence of time pressures, schedules and domestic obligations, I was sooooooooooooo relaxed. Pity it’s not reality. But it reminded me that holidays are important and it doesn’t really matter where you go, family bonding is wonderful and the change of scene is the perfect antidote to mothering fatigue.

Tell me about your experience holidaying with kids. Have you got a destination where everything just “works”? What’s your favourite part about being on holiday?

Are you bored of cooking the same meals?

December 6, 2017 By Michaela Fox

Healthy, Seasonal ingredients!

We recently returned home from a family holiday in Port Douglas. It was THE BEST! We’ve had a pretty full on year and we all welcomed the break. We did very little but swim, eat, rest, read and swim some more. But do you want to know what the best part about the holiday was for me? It was a break from cooking!

Actually it was a break from thinking about cooking. It was the break from having to go to the supermarket and buy the ingredients. It was the break from having to come up with a meal that everyone would enjoy. A break from the domestic and mental chore that is meal planning. I actually don’t mind the cooking part; it’s the thinking about what to cook that is tedious. I think I am suffering from “Cooking Fatigue.” And I know many mums can relate.

Every day kids must be fed. And not just once. They need three meals a day PLUS snacks. And it needs to be tasty or they won’t eat it, and nutritious or they won’t benefit from it. BORING! Thinking about what to cook for dinner is the least favourite part of my day. I am so tired of cooking the same things every week. But I just don’t have the brain space to think of new and interesting meals.

But, I have recently discovered something that can do it for me, and put the joy back into cooking.

Hello…..Hello Fresh!

Hello Fresh is a healthy meal delivery service with nutritionally balanced recipes based on seasonal farm fresh ingredients delivered every week to your front door. It takes all the stress and decision making out of planning meals. It is the antidote to cooking fatigue!

Are you bored of cooking the same meals?

Hello Fresh Delivery!

The produce arrives in a box and is packaged beautifully. The fruit and vegetables are fresh and seasonal, and the recipes are easy to prepare and tasty! Last night I cooked the Jamaican chicken for my family and it was a rip roaring success. Never before has the expression “winner, winner, chicken dinner” been so appropriate. All three girls had seconds and begged me to cook it again.

One-Pot Jamaican Chicken & Coconut Bean Rice

Hello Fresh has also developed The Flavour Generator – a helpful tool, which makes meal planning a breeze. Basically you select what type of cuisine you feel like for dinner and it generates meal suggestions for you. It is fabulous. Tonight we are having Mexican quesadillas!

Mexican is on the menu tonight!

Quesadillas For The Win!

The Flavour Generator tool is so useful if, like me, you cook the same meals every week. I am all for reducing the number of decisions I need to make in one day, especially domestic-related ones. I really enjoyed cooking something new last night. And it paid off.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!

Tell me, do you enjoy cooking or do you suffer from Cooking Fatigue? What meals are on high rotation at your place?

*This post was brought to you by Hello Fresh. All opinions are my own.

For more recipes and tips for managing the chaos of family life, follow NASD on Facebook and Instagram.

365 days old

November 29, 2017 By Michaela Fox

My rainbow baby is born.

365 days

365 days ago, you were born.

365 ago, I became the mum of four daughters.

365 days ago, you made our family complete.

365 days ago, my world became a happier place.

365 days ago, you lay on my chest, in a mighty meconium mess, and made me the happiest mama alive.

But your journey began long before these 365 days…

I couldn’t wait to meet you. I am many things, but patient I am not. And I wanted you long before I conceived you. But, for reasons beyond my control, I had to wait a long time to create you. We tried many times for the stars to align and the cells to divide, but it wasn’t your time. Each time I miscarried I felt the crushing blow of disappointment. Each time I mourned for you, and I mourned for your sisters. Each time was devastating. Each time made me long for you more. Each time made me love you more.

So, my darling Miss I, you have been loved a very long time. When my pregnancy was confirmed, my elation was tempered. The truth is, I was terrified. Terrified of losing you. Terrified of feeling that gut wrenching pain again. Terrified that I wouldn’t ever get to see your first smile, witness your fist steps and feel your warm skin on my body. Pregnancy, after loss, is a conflicted and fraught experience.

The card I gave your sisters to announce my pregnancy.

I stroked my belly every one of the 275 days you were inside me. And once I shared the news with you sisters, my fear subsided. In its place was only love and joy. Their excitement when they heard you were growing inside me was a joy unmatched by any other experience in my life. One day, when you are fighting with them over who gets to use the hairdryer, I will show you the video footage of this exquisite moment!

Me at 35-weeks pregnant

You arrived a few days earlier than expected, but you teased me with contractions for weeks prior. Thankfully you allowed us to move house and attend your sisters’ ballet concert before you arrived. The morning you signalled to me you were on your way, I delayed going into the hospital. I wanted just a few more hours with you on my own. A few more precious hours when I didn’t have to share you with anyone. I was equal parts nervous and elated. I sent your dad off to work and drove myself the hospital. It was our special time.

Much like the journey to conceive you, your birth involved struggle, effort and pain. And some stress. When you were born those seconds of ensuing silence seemed to stretch on and on. And then came your cry. The sweet sound of a cry, signalling you were OK. The pain was over. The wait was over. And my joy was indescribable. The hours after your birth were beautiful. A surge of relief, love and healing washed over me.

Later we continue skin to skin contact with the Kangaroo care pose.

Miss I, you didn’t stop moving in utero and you haven’t stopped moving since. Busy, alert, active and energetic – these are the words most frequently used to describe you. There’s so much activity around you, and you want to be a part of it. Backstage is not for you. You want to be smack, bang centre stage.

Now I am not going to sugar coat this; you have not been an easy baby. But it hasn’t been your fault. Reflux and tongue-ties hindered breastfeeding, and you were bron with a chronic allergy to sleep. I’ve already shared those experiences, so let’s not go there again. Instead I want to tell you a bit about YOU.

At age one you are choc – full of personality. So much personality. You’ve shown you are fiercely determined, immensely curious and highly alert. You’re a little too busy for cuddles and relaxing. Why rest when you can explore? Why cuddle when you can climb? Why sleep when you can PLAY?!

Climbing is so much fun!

My darling Miss I, thank you for choosing me as your mama. Thank you for joining our family. Thank you for filling our lives with colour. You are the centre of your sisters’ worlds. They could not love you any more, it’s simply not possible. Your eldest sister told me she loves you so much it sometimes hurts. I know what she means.

I look at you and I see your sisters. I look into your eyes and see my angel babies. You are the sum of those experiences. When you were born the ache in my heart receded. Everything feels a little lighter now, but I’ll always remember where your journey started. I look at you and I won’t ever forget.

You are 365 days old.

Happy first birthday, my beautiful girl. I love you more than I can express in words.

Mama xxx

Happy Birthday my beautiful baby!

5 Breastfeeding Tips

November 15, 2017 By Michaela Fox

Breastfeeding did not happen with ease, but with effort.

I was fiercely determined to breastfeed Miss I. Aside from the many wonderful benefits of breastfeeding, I carried extra motivation. She was my rainbow baby. I had three consecutive miscarriages and during that time of grief I felt like my body had failed me. Logically I knew this wasn’t true, but grief interferes with logic. I also knew that she would almost certainly be my last baby. But the “breastfeeding with ease” dream didn’t come true. Not even close.

For the first six months we endured a catalogue of breastfeeding problems including cracked nipples, silent reflux, low supply, undiagnosed tongue-ties, prolonged breast refusal and suspected dairy intolerance. It hasn’t been easy by any stretch of the nipple (and trust me, they’ve been stretched) but my 12-month feeding milestone is within reach. Here are five things that helped me to continue breastfeeding:

5 Breastfeeding Tips

1. Preparation

I firmly believe that you will only meet goals if you actually set goals. And preparation is key. During my pregnancy I set a goal of breastfeeding bubba for a year. Knowing that early support and assistance is crucial in establishing successful breastfeeding, I discussed my breastfeeding goals with my midwife. Our mission was to establish a good supply from the get-go. I had struggled with low supply with my third baby, due to a severe post partum haemorrhage, and hadn’t managed to breastfeed for as long as I would have liked. This time my midwife suggested I hand-express colostrum from 36 weeks. That colostrum became liquid gold in the week post-birth.

2. A support crew

The right support is crucial for keeping a breastfeeding mum on track. Every new mum needs a cheer squad, particularly when times get tough and they got really tough for us. Before my baby was born I explained the importance of my breastfeeding goal to the people who could help me achieve it: my husband, my midwife and my children (aged 8, 6 and 5). My husband was proficient at washing and sterilising my breast pump, and supported my many elimination diets, only drawing the line at almond milk in his coffee!

3. A good breast pump

Fact: I would not still be breastfeeding my baby had it not been for my Spectra S2 hospital-grade double electric pump. I have used that pump every day for almost a year. It has been a breastfeeding lifeline. Aside from helping to boost my supply, it enabled me to continue to feed my baby breast milk when we experienced attachment issues and breast refusal. There is nothing quite as upsetting as watching your (hungry) baby wail and flail at the breast. Breast refusal is hell. During this time I pumped several times a day and fed her via the bottle.

4. A helpful IBLC

Not all Lactations Consultants are equal. If you are experiencing breast feeding troubles you need to find an experienced IBLC, preferably one who deals with complex feeding issues. I saw several Lactation Consultants, before I found one who was actually able to help. I was one feed away from giving up when she performed a thorough oral assessment on my baby. This revealed a posterior tongue-tie and upper lip ties (which had been repeatedly missed by previous health professionals) making an effective attachment virtually impossible. My baby had a frenectomy (surgical revision of the frenum) when she was five months old and this helped breastfeeding enormously.

5. Perseverance

I am determined (read: stubborn) when I set my mind to something. And my mind was firmly set on breastfeeding. While my target was to breastfeed for a year (and beyond), when we experienced troubles it helped to break it down into mini goals. At one point I wasn’t sure I would make it past six weeks, so I tried not to think too far ahead. Often it was one day at a time, one feed at a time. Once I got to three months, I shifted the finishing line to six months, and so on. Also, I channelled my “inner cheerleader” and didn’t berate myself when I had to top up with formula. Some days I managed 100% breast milk, other days it was 75% breastmilk and 25% formula. My mantra was some breast milk is better than none.

My baby is now 11 months and enjoys a mix of breastfeeds, EBM, and occasional formula top ups. I haven’t been able to breastfeed with “ease”, but I have been able to breastfeed with “effort”. I worked hard to bring her into this world, and I’ve worked hard to breastfeed her. Together, we have persevered and I am as proud of her as I am of myself. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, almond milk is quite tasty when you get used to it!

What has been your experience with breastfeeding? Did it come naturally, or did you need extra help?

Follow NASD on Facebook and Instagram for more snippets and musings of life with four little people.

TK Maxx arrives in my local hood

November 8, 2017 By Michaela Fox

*Sponsored Post

Trying on this cute playsuit in the dressing room

I was SO excited when TK Maxx arrived in Australia in April this year, but the first Melbourne stores to open weren’t close by. Until now. TK Maxx opened its 7^th store in Melbourne on October 26th in Heidelberg, which is close to where I live (find your nearest store here) A friend of mine from the UK has been banging on about TK Maxx for ages, so I was keen to see it for myself. Last week I went to the new store to check out the fuss. Child-FREE!

There are things I like doing with my kids, but shopping is not one of them. Plus, I wanted to stock up on some birthday and Christmas presents for the girls, so I took a leave pass from family duties and went SOLO! The drive alone was lovely and peaceful. Funny how something simple like driving alone qualifies as “me time” once you have kids!

Heading out for some shopping child-free!

The new TK Maxx store is located in the Warringal Shopping Centre. It is a no-frills set up, which appeals to me as it means consumers are not paying premiums for visual merchandisers to style everything to perfection. And in turn this means the savings is passed onto the customer. Tick!

I spent a couple of hours exploring the gems that TK Maxx has to offer. I went on a Saturday, two days after the official opening.

TK Maxx opens in Heidelberg

Gorgeous baby items at TK Maxx

Now, let me tell you what you’re going to love about TK Maxx:

TK Maxx ticks all the boxes:

Choice

I was so impressed by the extensive range on offer at TK Maxx. It has everything from women’s, men’s and kids fashion, to footwear, accessories, lingerie, beauty, luggage, and a vast collection of homewares. Every section is clearly marked and is easy to navigate. I started off in the baby section and kids’ fashion (for some reason I always seem to think of myself last, which is a habit of most mums I think) before moving onto the homewares and then women’s fashion and accessories. From what I observed most of the product offering is current season styles. And there is a heap of choice.

So many cute dresses for kids!

Extensive health food options

Shopping is fun when you’re solo!

Price

TK Maxx offers big brands at small prices. A friend of mine had told me it offered great value so I went with high expectations and a small budget. TK Maxx delivered on its reputation and more! Check out the items I picked up:

2 x summer tops for the girls (lots of sequins and bright colours)
A dress for baby (for her first birthday, which is in a couple of weeks!)
A summer playsuit for Miss 5
A long sleeve rashie (perfect for our trip to Port Douglas soon)
A cute wooden toy (shape sorter) for bubba’s first birthday
A few presents for the many birthday parties my girls are going to between now and Christmas (which adds up, so I was pleased to grab a few bargains)
A rose gold candle (because, well, I just love rose gold)
A pair of sandals for yours truly, because it can’t all be about the kids!
A couple of cute ice-cream ice trays to celebrate Summer
Stripey baby bloomers because, well, I just love a baby in bloomers!

All of the items combined cost $208! How’s that for value for money?

Great value Tutu Dress

Such a cute playsuit!

Love the pom poms…and the price tag!

Bargains galore at TK Maxx

My “Fave Finds” at TK Maxx

Beautiful fabric and print

This gorgeous dusty pink tulle dress for Miss I, which was only $25. Seriously, as soon as I saw it I fell in love. I can’t wait to see her in it. I’ve seen similar tutu dresses, selling for a lot more, so I was thrilled with this purchase!

Loving my new sandals!

These taupe sandals are made in Italy with upper leather lining. At $50 they are a fraction of the price of similar shoes I have seen in other stores.

Words of Advice

The new TK Maxx store won’t disappoint so get your skates on! We need to do Christmas on a budget this year, so I’ll be heading back to TK Maxx.
All TK Maxx stores get several deliveries throughout the week, so there’s always new treasure to find.
If you love it, grab it! What you see is what they have. There is no replenishment stock out back; everything comes straight from the delivery truck to the shop floor.
No two TK Maxx stores are the same because the brand and product selection varies from store to store, so make sure you check out TK Maxx Heidelberg even if you have shopped at a TK Maxx before.

Summer essentials sorted thanks to TK-Maxx

NASD partnered with TK Maxx to bring you this review. All opinions are my own.

TK Maxx website: www.tkmaxx.com.au

Pictures of Port Douglas

Are you bored of cooking the same meals?

365 days

5 Breastfeeding Tips

1. Preparation

2. A support crew

3. A good breast pump

4. A helpful IBLC

5. Perseverance

TK Maxx ticks all the boxes:

Choice

Price

My “Fave Finds” at TK Maxx

Words of Advice

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