• Kez Recommends,  Uncategorized,  Useful Stuff

    5 Podcasts that I’ve been hooked on.

    Recently, I did the best thing ever. I finally invested in a pair of Apple AirPods (obviously not sponsored haha). Sure, they look ridiculous, but they have been an absolute game changer! It probably sounds silly to those who have been using them for years, but I’ve been a bit of a late adopter and it never occurred to me until recently just how useful they are for this stay at home mum! They have given me some little freedoms I didn’t have before! I can roam around the house on phone calls, multi-tasking, without a phone in my hand for my toddler to try to grab off me. Sometimes…

  • Friday Feels,  Inspiration,  just some thoughts,  marriage,  Parenting,  Uncategorized,  Useful Stuff

    Surviving self isolation: circuit breakers.

    I have tried to resist doing an ‘advice’ style blog post on getting through these ‘iso’ days because I feel like there’s a lot of this shit out there. But I just wanted to share something that has not just helped in the pre-isolation days (BC – Before Coronavirus) but is now helping me/my family a bit during these trying times! By no means am I saying it will fix everything, make you feel 100% better or suddenly transform your family home into a perfect oasis (ha!) but it’s something that I often have to remind myself to try when I’m feeling bogged down or frustrated or stressed by everything…

  • health,  Kez Gets Physical,  Little Miss,  Useful Stuff

    Sometimes self care can happen in a surprising way.

    I’ve come to realise that this year has been quite stressful. Thankfully nothing tragic or truly life shatteringly negative has happened (and I do try to practice gratitude whenever I can), but it’s just been a few months of emotional and physical drudgery, overall. I guess I’m disappointed because I had such high hopes for 2019 (after a very crazy and at times chaotic 2018) and while it is certainly far from over, it has been confronting having to adjust those expectations and just try to live in the moment. I am not one to play the victim, though. I am a big believer that while I do not have…

  • Useful Stuff

    6 ways I try to beat the winter blues.

    Well, winter is well and truly upon us in these parts. Today was one wet and windy day (and that’s just the baby’s nappies)! As I hunkered down in my house, trying to fight off the fatigue I’m feeling after about 3 hours of sleep last night, I realised that every day is going to feel like this soon. You know that dull, grey feeling? The constant sound of the rain? That need to just hibernate, even though you’re a grown up and you’re not allowed to (unless you are and it makes you happy then good for you)? The craving for comfort food full of carbs? Yeah, that. I…

  • Happy List,  Parenting,  Useful Stuff

    Happy List #51: The Little Things.

    Sometimes when parenting a baby, it’s the little things that can make you happy. Here are some of the things that give me joy these days. Sundays On Sundays, I get to sleep in. Until at least 7am. Because my husband is not riding his bike or working and he is able to help out. He has to get up early anyway to do some more work stuff from home which sucks but he has no choice and he gets it done. I also get to shower without being screamed at by a very small human. You see, during the week I am not one of those mums who doesn’t…

  • Useful Stuff

    A messy girl’s guide to cleaning up your side of the bathroom.

    I know this will shock you, but I am not a domestic goddess. And by ‘shock you’ I mean, ‘probably not going to surprise you in the slightest if you even vaguely know me’. I have a very busy brain and I can lose focus easily. Sometimes this means that my organisation skills suffer a lot little. I’ve had years of practice being me, so I have overcome a lot of these issues by planning better and making things easier for myself in life in general, but things do slip through the cracks. Especially when I’ve been out of my mind busy. Which is very different to being ‘got your…

  • Useful Stuff

    Christmas gift ideas…for me. OK, so it’s basically my wish list. Shut up.

    OK, so I don’t actually expect anyone to buy me this stuff (friends and family who are reading this with incredulous looks on your faces – it’s all good – you’re off the hook haha). It’s more of an aspirational wish list and hopefully something that will help any of you who are looking for ideas of what to buy a 32 year old chick who is like, totally exactly the same as me. Yeah. So that’s kind of specific. Ha! See, I have always loved the idea of writing a list of great gift ideas for Christmas (or Father’s Day or Mother’s Day) but often I realise I’d just…

  • helping others,  Useful Stuff

    How to feel safer on social media.

    If you’ve been anywhere on the internet lately, you probably haven’t been able to avoid the news of Kim Kardashian’s run in with some armed burglars. While my life is absolutely nothing like hers in many(!) aspects, it sends a shiver down my spine to imagine what that would feel like – the violation, the trauma and the fear that your children could lose their mother. While she’s received a lot of hate and victim blaming comments online, I do feel for her – sure her case has been widely publicised and talked about, because she’s super duper famous – but it’s still something that can happen to anyone. Even…

  • Useful Stuff

    Winter 2016: Finding my casual style.

    It’s taken me a while, but I am finally getting a grasp on how to dress myself (yes I know how dumb that sounds – I’m 32). In fact, I am actually enjoying myself. I am noticing my style re-emerging after a bunch of ‘lost’ years and I am digging it! I guess I’ve had to lift my game since I became a school mum (I just won’t stop banging on about that will I?) at the beginning of this year. I’ve been trying to nail that whole casual/looks like I haven’t put in too much effort/OK to be seen in public look! I wanted to start feeling like a…

  • Useful Stuff

    Don’t freak out! Easy last minute Christmas gift ideas.

    Despite our best intentions, sometimes we can be a bit shit at getting all of our Christmas shopping done on time, or circumstances can change and suddenly we’re a few gifts down. Also, there’s also nothing more annoying than realising you missed a bunch of online Christmas shopping deadlines and you’re gonna have to do this in real shops! I thought I’d put together a little list of gifts you can get at the last minute, without having to go too far out of your way or do anything that is too logistically/financially difficult as time gets away from us. I hope this helps! Shop your pharmacy There’s always some pretty…