My days of stalker shopping are over!

Source: Mashable.com

Confession: I hate shopping for me. Online, Offline, On Sale, I just can't bear the effort of it all and the fact that about a third of what I think it so amazing in the shop ends up on ebay. How smart am I when "loveabargin" wins my $300 BNWT dress for $20 and then quibbles over shipping fees.

So to date the way I shop is what I call "stalker shopping". I'm that crazy woman chasing you through Westfield to ask you where you got your great shoes, jacket, haircut (yes sad but true). Or that person staring at you way too long in a restaurant, conference, doctors rooms. Or the follower constantly hitting refresh on your fashion blog.

Until I discovered Pinterest.

Pinterest if you have not had a look is a website community full of online "pinboards" of anything and everything people love - great food, great clothes, great furniture... and the beauty of it is that you are there to stalk, sorry I mean follow. So finally, me the crazy non-shopper has found a home and with it I have in 3 short hours sorted my autumn wardrobe wishlist.

Look me up if you join in. Seriously I welcome a good stalk!

15 minutes of your time - you won't regret it.

I am not sure if you have heard of Sheryl Sandberg but with the IPO of Facebook and her role as its COO she is about to become one of the richest self made women in the world.

But none of that really matters because the reason why I ask you (very very nicely) to spend just 15 minutes watching the below is her thinking about women and how we conduct ourselves in the workforce and what we want for our future and our children's future (both male and female) is so spot on. Google her (if you have any other spare minutes) as she has other great things to say like that the most important career choice you can ever make in is your choice of life partner......interesting!!

PS. Below video is low grade, if you want to view full screen best to go to ted.com

Lesson from losing a phone

Image: XpressFix.com

Boo Hoo! I lost my phone on Friday.

By now it is probably in the clutches of a pre-teen laughing their way through my corny app choice and even cornier pics (thank goodness I never had any Paris or Scarlett desires to take pics of my bum!) I loved that phone but I have also realised it was a drug that fed one of my habits that is getting way out of control. The need to constantly be multi-tasking.

I am not sure who deemed that women were programmed to multi-task but the other day when I was stirring a pot, whilst feeding the baby a bottle, whilst running a bath and whilst explaining what Poker Face meant to a 3 year old (he has a thing for understanding song lyrics) I realised the universe was trying to tell me something. Especially when the dinner burnt, the baby started crying and the bath had to be rerun. I didn't listen hard enough that actually it is sometimes quicker, less stressful and (wait for it) more enjoyable to do less things at the same time and so on Friday when I was pushing the pram, pulling down the sunshade, emailing on my phone and thinking about a couple of serious issues, I lost the phone. Yes universe, lesson learnt!









G.U.I.L.T. - what is it good for?



quick disclaimer: This is not my husband nor does he dress up like this. Ever. I hope.

Because there is just not enough parenting books in the world of late, another couple have been published that specifically focus on the French style of bringing up kids. Yep the country that brought us champagne, smelly cheese and a put down look with the flick of the eyes also apparently has this parenting thing sewn up.

I for one gave up on parenting books when I found out the so called guru of them all "Miss Control Crying" Gina Ford had no kids. Hilarious but true. However from reading a couple of reviews and summaries of the books, one clear thing stands out. French women refuse to be ruled by that nasty voice in your head called Mother's Guilt. You know that one that says you don't feed them the right foods, read enough to them, spend hours making paper mache animals with them, toilet train them fast enough, allow them to watch too much TV and so on and so on and so on for the rest of your life.

Well I'm taking a stand and are following the Celines and Celestes (and all fathers I know of) by trying as hard as possible to kill off or at least turn down the volume on my "voice." I am just being the parent I am - the great bits, the not so wonderful and the cheese on toast for dinner at least one a week me!