So, here's the thing. I posted this little anecdote the other day on facebook because I was thinking about it and it got a large and swift reply - which surprised me. So I thought it was worth talking about.

My mum said "Your hair is too long". "Too long for what?" I replied. She looked at me and said "Your age."

Now, I am going to be brutally honest here. With all the things I have spoken about in the last six  months or so I have never ever brought this up, so here goes. I am 42. I just turned 42 - I was only getting used to the trauma of turning 40 and now I'm 42. With being 42 comes the certainty that I will never look like, be as slim as or feel like I am 20.... ever,again. I'm OK with that.... well some of it but whatever the bits I'm not OK with, I'll just have to get over. What's the saying "there are only two alternatives, getting older or being dead!" - so I'll live with getting older thanks.

When I was 29 I went the big chop and had a really short haircut. At the time I thought it was fabulous - but on looking back at photo's of that time I actually look younger now.

I also had a fairly good chop about five years ago - not too short mind you, shoulder length.  When I looked in the mirror after that cut I thought "God, who is that middle aged mum looking at me?". I said to my mother "I look like a middle age mum!!" To which she replied "But you are a middle aged mum." To which I said "Here, why don't I just lie on the ground in front of you so it's easier for you to kick me."

The thing is age will come soon enough. I know I'm not 20.... or 30 anymore but is it a crime to want to do the best with what you've got?? When I wrote that little anecdote about being too old for my hair, I was deliberating going a much shorter do but the outcry for long lovely locks for ALL ladies no matter what your age made me re-think the whole thing.

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Instead of the chop I went the trim. It's actually much redder than this picture looks.
I cited a number of more mature beauties who have held onto their locks in the discussion on hair length with my mother, such as Elle Macpherson, Courtney Cox and Julianne Moore. Are these women just fooling themselves? The question is, are they remaining youthful or just hanging onto something that worked for them in their 20's and not so much now?? Or do long luscious locks only work for celebrities and us mere mortal mums are destined to a life of manageable, mum dos?

Is there an age limit on long locks? When is the time to go the chop? What do you think?
 
Cheers,

Lee

 
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We are now heading full steam toward back to school (Yee Har! Ooops, did I say that out loud?) and the thing that may dampen my enthusiasm just a little is the fact that I have another three years before my smallest person goes off into the wide world of education - even though he will be three this year. Due to his birthday missing the cut off for starting education in this part of Australia I will have his happy little face at home for another three years.

That is not to say that I don't love his happy little face, I do. More than life itself in fact. It is just that sometimes I catch myself flicking through Target catalogues thinking how nice it would be to go out and purchase some new work clothes and then actually have somewhere to wear them. Don't get me wrong, I love my yoga pants and shorts... but still.

Anyhoo all this has got me thinking about life BK (before kids) and of the world that opened up to me when I became a mum. I have a few friends who are thinking about becoming, are about to become, or have just become mums and I wanted to share my list of the 12 things I have learned since becoming a parent. Those of you who are already parents will know exactly what I am talking about. 

12 Lessons I Have Learned Since Becoming a Parent.

1. You can never have enough bandaids, tissues, wipes and snacks. So always pack more than you think you will actually need... a lot more.

2. If you think you have more than enough activities to keep a toddler occupied on a plane - double it and some, or spend the rest of your trip trying to stop the game of up / down tray table and seat kick and just live with the hairy eyeball the person in the seat in front is giving you through the seat gap.

3. A toddler will always find the hole in the toddler proof environment - get down to their level and find out where it is before they do.

4. Things that are popular in March for kids over 5 will be lame by December - so shopping that far ahead for kids Christmas presents is a waste of time, no matter how much cheaper it is.  

5. Selective deafness means kids don't hear you asking them to clean up their rooms (10 times) but does mean they will probably be listening into your private conversations.

6. Chances are they will bring that new found information up in front of the people you were actually talking about.

7.The same show can be watched over and over and over because it's their favourite and you just don't understand how much they love it.

8. That same show is now oh so ten minutes ago and you should never mention it again - without expecting to get that look.

9. Even if they are so full they could not fit in one more tiny little vegetable .... there is always room for dessert

10. Going on a holiday with kids hardly ever means you are actually going to have a  break. 

11. Even if you are just going out for a quick trip with a toddler you will probably be unprepared and it always pays to bring a snack and a drink

12. Going grocery shopping with a toddler is like organising a cross between a covert manoeuvre and a cruise. You have to have enough activities to keep the troops entertained or they will go rouge and you can't tell them about it before you get there or they will over excite themselves.

This is by no means the complete lessons - those little devils teach me new things every day! I would love to hear some of the lessons you have learned since becoming a parent so don't forget to share them in the comments section below.

Cheers,

Lee

PS. If you haven't already filled out the survey to win the awesome Personal Planner prize which is being drawn next week - the link is here.

 
I am such a sucker for nice stationary it always makes me feel like I'm more prepared (whether I actually am or not is beside the point). Sometimes I go into stationary shops just to look at (oh, alright and touch) all the shiny new things and imagine what I could do if only I had more lovely pencils, pens and planners to do it with.  With that note book I could take over the world! Perhaps not - but it does make me feel a bit special to put my to do lists down in my pretty new planner and tick the things off as I go.

At this point either you're with me on the stationary love or you're shaking your head thinking I need a hobby. Well, don't you judge - what's your poison?? Garden shops, nic-nac shops, shoe shops.... don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

I was recently introduced to personal-planner.com.au and I have to say I LOVE the idea of being able to make your yearly planner a bit special and personal. Go check out their website at http://www.personal-planner.com.au/AU/ and see all the lovely things you can do with a planner. Their specially designed website enables you to change the colour, text and design on the front and back cover of your planner as well as inlay and choose the start date for your planner.  There are also clever boxes for to-do list, gym session, preschool, idea of the week and weather. Friends and family member’s birthdays can also be added to the inlay directly from Facebook! Actually you can go and say hi to them on Facebook here and make sure you like them while you are there. A lot of paper products you buy online now are e-products so you buy it and have to print it out at home yourself. The thing I love is that personal-planner.com.au print and deliver the finished product to you. Nice.  

OK, so here's the thing - I need your help (it will be painless - I promise). In line with my vision to make 2013 something big and wonderful I have put together a short survey so I can get to know what you know and love and need more of to make Mother Load (and your world) even better. Just click and fill in the survey here. Now, here's the exciting part - I am not asking you to take a few minutes out of your life without thinking about how I can make your day nicer, so once you fill out the survey you go into the draw to win a planner from personal-planner.com.au  . Yep, you heard it right! The winner will be chosen in two weeks time and will be announced in the blog post on Friday the 8th of February.  The winner will be able to  choose any planner in any size and the shipping is included!! Woo hoo!! I have already had friends ask me for this one! But the prize will be drawn fairly and taken from the list of people who fill out the survey. (You can get to the survey by clicking here).

I wanted to let you know that this post has been sponsored by personal-planner.com.au  - not as in paid for but as in they have generously given me a planner and this prize to give to you and talk about it. Hey, it's stationary - not a hard ask for me.

So there it is my very first sponsored post, woo hoo - look at me go!!

Firstly, I wanted to let you know that because I am all about being open and honest with you and secondly I was quite excited about it. Mother Load started as me wanting to find some kind of purpose (let's call it retaining my sanity) and it has become something bigger than just myself and a handful of friends reading it. I have had comments on posts from all around the world  (I  can't tell you how exciting that is) from mums who are going through the very same things, or just letting me know that I made them laugh. How  wonderful to know that we are not alone!

So go ahead and help me out and fill out the survey and throw your hat in the ring to win this awesome planner to plan out all the exciting things you are going to do this year... and so you don't forget anyone's birthday!! Now is the time to start getting your organisation on for 2013 (don't tell me you already let some of your New Year's Resolutions beat you).

Just in case you missed it the link to the survey is here and don't forget you can always subscribe to Mother Load with the little box up in the right hand side of the page and never miss a post!

Cheers

Lee
 
Not only is 2013 already upon us but we are quickly closing in on the end of January and as retailers would have us believe Valentine's Day, Easter and Mother's Day. What!? You haven't seen any Mother's Day cards yet?? Wait ten seconds after Easter Sunday and I'm sure they will be out in full force!! The fact that hot cross buns were out on shop shelves before New Year's Eve had even hit drives me absolutely crazy... OK. Rant over. 

Today dear friends I present my first post for 2013. Dum de da dum! (Imagine trumpets playing and symbols clashing here... the visual image helps with the drama of it all. I want you to have the full surround sound, 3D experience that Mother Load is).

Now first off, you may have been wondering what had happened to me - seeing that I was so prolific with posting in 2012 and you have not heard from me until now. Well, I think I was suffering a little blog post burn out (well, that and the kids are at home .. all day, all the time and it's a little hard to focus on my own special little things) but fear not. I am back in a big way baby!! Motivated and really looking forward to seeing what 2013 brings.

To start 2013 off I give you my holiday show and tell.... I promise it will be brief and interesting. (I was once sent into a Prep - one class to look after the small people while they presented their show and tell and it was neither brief ...... or interesting)

Christmas was awesome. Lots of time to kick back and relax with my family and I know it's not supposed to be about consumerism - but I got my first iphone.... and I love it so very very much. 

New Years Eve - before you start thinking that yours was uninspiring read this - I spent a good deal of the evening combing nits out of my youngest child's hair (God only knows where he even got them) and went to bed early. (Yep I know, party animal)

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I know! Looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth but he was breeding a nit farm .... Motherhood after all is ALL about the glamour.
New Years day was another quite affair and then soon after it was my birthday. Wow, I'm really glad I got that out of the way so quickly in the year (not) so It's all over for me for another year. We spent the day at Barwon Heads frolicking on the beach, it was a little over cast and nobody else really wanted to go... but it was my day and we will go where I want to on my day.  So we went.
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Ice cream cake to celebrate my birthday (yay, my favourite). Look at that cheeky little face waiting to get in on the ice cream!
We headed up to visit my Mum by the beach near Newcastle (visiting a few friends and family along the way). Met a dinosaur, ate too much and had an enjoyable time.
Way too soon we were on our way back home to Melbourne from Port Stephens (near Newcastle) on what felt like the never ending road trip. We stopped in on the Toulouse- Lautrec exhibition at the National Gallery in Canberra on our way past - well worth seeing if you are in the area.
Sorry, to disappoint but the show and tell portion of our show is now over... told you it would be painless.

It's great to be back in 2013 and I am really looking forward to sharing lots of new stuff with you all this year. Most excitingly I will be adding competitions and giveaways to the Mother Load roster - woo hoo - I can't wait, I love giving presents!

Hope your Christmas and New Years was just as eventful as mine.. without the nits.

Cheers,

Lee

(P.S. You can stop scratching your head now - I promise not to mention nits again)