The late Claytons New Years Resolution

Every year, like almost everyone else in the world, I make the same lame new years resolutions. You know the ones:

• Lose weight
• Walk every day
• Drink more water
• Drink less alcohol

I'm rolling my eyes at them to be honest because I know that come maybe March-ish I've already completely wiped them from my mind. So this year I've opted for a different tact. This year again it's about setting myself some goals but in smaller time frames and things to really make me think about my lifestyle and the effects it has on my family  in general.

This is my challenge:

Yeah, yeah I know January is missing but as a general rule January is a write off in our household - we have school holidays, holiday program, both the husband and I work long hours in retail and to add to this year we've been stressed out about my mother in laws recent cancer diagnosis. So yeah, January - no go. As for the other months, here's a run down of what they mean.

Snap back to reality

Sometimes all it takes is a conversation from a random stranger to make you realise that when you feel like your life is passing you by that really it's only beginning.

There was a women I served today. She was lovely and chatty and was asking for help with sizing. She was purchasing a first birthday gift for a good friend's son and was unsure of sizes as he was born at 26 weeks and was still quite small for his age. We where chatting throughout this conversation when she told me how much she spoils this little boys and she adores him.

Her and her husband became friends of the little boys parents through meeting at the hospital. She too had a child that was premature and they bonded over their hospital stay. As she said, it's hard as only a parent in there can really understand what you're going through and they forged a great friendship through it. I take my hat off to this strong, gorgeous woman - her baby girl never went home with her, yet here she was telling me all about her friends little boy. At the end of the conversation she said that one day she'd give that little boy another little girlfriend. I really hope in my heart of hearts that she can.

You know what, not five minutes before I served her I was complaining about being woken up at 5am yet again by my kids. Reality, I just got me some.

Putting it into perspective

I have sat glued to the tv for days now watching the same broadcasts over and over and hoping for more miracles, hoping that families are reunited, hoping all the missing people are found...alive.

You would think that in the middle of a fairly busy intersection of a town you would be safe, but no. As the list of fatalities grows, my heart goes out to all the families left behind. I cannot even begin to imagine how they must be feeling.




Please, if you can, donate to the flood appeal - here's a link with all the ways to donate.

There's a hole in my bucket dear Liza, dear Liza

I'm sure by now most people have heard of the movie The Bucket List, but have you ever really thought about it? I mean really. Have you taken the time to write down what it is you want from life? What do you want to achieve? What would you like to see? What would you like to change?

With a little prompting from a friend, I joined a health challenge. Not just a weight loss site, but a site about your overall health - mental, physical, emotional, workwise. This site gives you a challenge daily. Today was to think about my bucket list and list five items from it. I'd never even thought of a bucket list. So after thinking long and hard I've made a list that seems to never end. So here's five items from it in no apparent order.

1. Visit the Machu picchu ruins
2. Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty
3. Go on an overseas family holiday
4. Blog at least once a week
5. Make more time for me

And finally one dream on my bucket list and this one is for me and me alone...to have a tummy tuck. So how am I going to achieve this dream? Well I'm a realist. I know this one is a long time in the making. So the steps I'm taking are small ones. Joining this me you health site is just one step in the right direction.

So now the hole in my bucket is plugged.