Today I wish all the mothers, grandmothers,  aunts, sisters and other women in our lives who care for us and love us unconditionally –

Happy Mother’s Day!

I would like to wish you also the ability to walk in this world as a powerful woman.

Dare to dream!  and make your dreams come true!

Yes, sometimes we are fragile and we do need support and respect.

We need community – it makes us feel we belong. We also need each other –  girl power is the power!

 As powerful women, another thing we need to have in our lives is compassion. Compassion for others, as well as a deep compassion for ourselves (most days we skip that, and it’s not ok – so let’s fix it!)

Always look and learn from other people’s experiences.  
We can learn so much from the people around us If we only look. I had the opportunity to even learn from my kids. Sometimes all they need is a bit of sympathy and a big hug (without any words) and we need that too!

My point is that as mothers, We just want the world around us to appreciate our enormous efforts all year round (and understand that it’s not that easy, believe me, but we do it anyway). So keep up with the good work!

Happy Mother’s Day!  

We all want our life to be perfect. We think of it after graduating high-school with “I want to find the perfect profession”, then “I want to find the perfect husband”, then comes “I want to have the perfect house” or “the perfect children”.

Our life isn’t perfect and never will be, but we can manage with our own baggage perfectly fine.

Yesterday when I was sitting on the porch, it was the perfect weather, it was the PERFECT music, eating the PERFECT FOOD, chatting with some family-friends, over a BBQ. Enjoying the moment, it hit me!

I came to this understanding that – that moment was just PERFECT! No other words can describe it.

Sometimes all you need is good health, good food, and good company and it’s JUST PERFECT LIKE THIS! (No, and I don’t think I’m perfect, or any of us …) it was just the perfect moment that keeps us going and gives us the joy and happiness in life! I know that we are all going to look back one day and remember that PERFECT barbecue that we had!

So as I came to this understanding, BBQ is not just a BBQ its the summary of LIFE!

Good health, good food, and good company – are the key ingredients!

After all, Happiness is not about getting all you want, it’s about enjoying what you have.

How many times did you go to a sand sculpture exhibition and you really got impressed? I can tell you that every year we were visiting the annual sand sculpture exhibition and every year it was very nice and creative but it felt like it was shrinking, and it felt too commercialised… This time it was different!

This year is actually the first time that I was standing and looking in shock at the details and the hollow spaces within every sculpture. The art was screaming: Look at me!

Thanks to the owners of the exhibition and their explanation, who are artists themselves, this is the first time that I realised the size of the work that each artist has put into her or his sculptures. This time the story was talking to me because of the hidden message that it was telling.

They walked us through the sculptures, telling their story, the artist behind each one, the unique challenges they were facing, how the sand gets compacted and lots of behind-the-scences insights.
As part of the story, we were all requested to wear fairy wings, which made the boys a bit uncomfortable, but it was funny.

The message is one of the most important lessons in life.
It all starts with the question: What do we need in life?
All of us need love, joy, friendship, unity.
The fact that the hidden message was so strong and so alive by the bubbly owners makes me hope that my kids will cherish the wonderful memories and stories from this exhibition.

After all we are all UNICORNS!

P.S

Go visit this amazing sand art gallery – you won’t regret it!

http://www.enchantedforestadventure.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/sandsculpturesaustralia/

Another year has passed. It’s my birthday again.

I am now older because time flies so quickly;
I am stronger and wiser because I had to be;
I am happier because I learned to be happier, learned to open the door for my happiness to enter. I learned how to be grateful for the smallest things in life. Things that don’t cost money and we don’t use it them enough, like hugs and kisses, like saying I love you and like smiling and laughing more.

At first, when I was doing my annual reflections which always come before my birthday, it seemed like I didn’t do much… but apparently, I gained so much this year.

I had a chance to improve myself as a mum, like a lioness I could take good care of my kids,  stand beside them and push them to the best of their abilities and teach them about life-work balance and help at home.

I did my best, like always. Now my kids are the proof that I did the right thing, for them and for us as a family.

I’ve got a beautiful daughter, inside and out. You must be saying exactly the same about your own kids. That’s how we mums are. We love our kids more than we love ourselves and we are sure ours are the most perfect kids in the world.

Since the first minute after she came out to this world, she showed us who she really is: the most beautiful angel face on earth. Smooth skin with HUGE blue eyes that look at you with excitement, she always had this an unforgettable smile on her face.
Afraid to miss out on anything, a big fighter – she knew exactly what she wanted from the minute she was born and very very loudly.

You need to be aware of those things, because when your kids grow up, their characters stand out. I’m not saying it’s bad, not at all. Actually the opposite. I’m happy for my kids to stand out for what they are.

My dear daughter,

I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and to tell you that you taught me a lot. You taught me you have a HUGE HEART, full of love hugs and kisses. You taught me never to compare you to anyone else because you are so unique and special. You taught me to laugh instead of cry when everything spills on the table or on the floor. You taught me that tickling is for everyday. You taught me how to fight for you. You taught me that there is such a thing being beautiful inside and outside.

You taught me what ballerina’s dream at night…

I wish you lots of luck in your life, tons of happiness and joy (especially in dancing) and remember – if you always do your best, you’ll be the best. No matter what the results are.

Love you to the moon and back,
Mum

PS

This song summarises it all.

I’ll admit: I’m addicted to chocolate. It’s been like that for decades. Every day I drink 3 cups of coffee, and with the coffee I need something sweet: a cookie, a chocolate, a wafer – it doesn’t matter what, it just has to be something sugary. Most people call it sweet tooth. I call it an addiction.

Lately I started to feel I like eating more of it, maybe too much of it. I also noticed that I drink a lot but remain thirsty. Weird. But after having gestational diabetes twice, I know what it means… So I decided to make a change.

My nutrition had to change, better before diabetes will change it.

I decided to cut my Sugar habits completely. I know it sounds like I’m out of my mind, but the verdict of getting diabetes must be changed – sooner than later.

So I crossed my fingers and started: No wafers, no cakes or cookies, no chocolate at all.

I cut my carbs as well in order to not encourage my body to transform the carbs into sugars.

It’s not easy. But my health comes first.

My nutrition is now based on salads in every format, soups, quinoa with a lot more vegetables, one fruit a day and lots of motivation.
I need to be more organised in order to have all the vegetables I’d want and need in the fridge, but I know I can do it.

Few weeks have passed now and I already feel the change (and even see the it )

The problems I had were gone now. I still feel the need for chocolate. But I can resist it and instead I made amazing energy balls (so easy and so Yummmm) So at the moment i’ll stick to it.

If you haven’t watched That Sugar Film – go and watch it quickly. It’s so important to see it, and it shows you and your kids the huge damage the sugar can cause.

Please, listen to your body, cut the amount of sugar, eat healthy.

Mum is the only one.
She is the only one who truly care.
She is always behind the scenes.
She is a lioness, fights for her cubs.
Mum’s job never ends.
Since her kids are born – conscience was born as well.
She deserves this special day just for her, for all the hard work she’s doing. She needs to feel loved and to be spoiled on that day.

Now, as a mum I understand the meaning of being one.
I understand the meaning of giving everything you can to your children, and making the best efforts for them.
I know I am not perfect although I try to be, and sometimes I get upset and go crazy – it’s not because I love them less. The opposite – I do it because I love my kids more.
(I remember, when I was a child my mum said to me exactly the same words… but somehow back then it didn’t seem right to me. I hope my kids will understand that earlier)

So I just want to say to all the mums who read these lines: Thank you for being there for your kids.
You are the best!!! Keep doing whatever you can do for them.
You are doing a wonderful job!

To my mum I want to say special thank you for being there for me whenever I need. I love you and miss you very much!

As we grow older, it’s harder to get rid of stuff. All our lives we collect things. Women tend to collect cloths, shoes, handbags and more surprises. Men collect bills and newspapers. We shouldn’t do that; because when we have less stuff we are happier with what we have, we appreciate what we have and we enjoy what we have.

Why am I telling you this? Because not all of us have plenty of money, a nice car or a show off at the best party in town – because that’s not what’s important. Money is only a tool. The most important things in life are free – laugh, hugs and kisses, family, friends, nature and good memories. So try to create memories of (and for) your family and friends.

If you think of all the things you are using daily or the things you enjoy, you’ll figure it out very quickly. Go and create moments. Don’t buy more things. All we need are memories that will make us smile to ourselves and enjoy the good taste of then – for the rest of our lives.

I just saw this TED talk the other day, that explains my point better. https://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness?language=en#t-12411