'Three to Sixer' - Guacamole and Fish Tacos

Our little one is now 18 months old, and our social life is practically in the graveyard - but life is still beautiful! A few months back my husband's boss (who has 3 kids of his own) invited us over for a 'Three to Sixer' - that is a mid-afternoon, early meet up with other families that ends at around 6pm so the little ones can get home for bath and sleep. At the end of it I felt renewed! So, in 2015, I'm hoping to do a few of my own.
Here is my first menu, of course it needs to be fresh and simple:-

CLASSIC GUACAMOLE

Ingredients

• 4 avocados
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

 Method

In a medium bowl, lightly mash avocados, then stir in lime juice, tomato, jalapeno, garlic, red onion, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, serve with corn chips.

Note: This is a large serving, I find a half serving works well for our needs.

From: http://www.marthastewart.com/872700/classic-guacamole?xsc=soc_pin_classicguacamole_08152013&crlt.pid=camp.RYGdSRGF8IWl


SPICY FISH TACOS WITH SLAW AND FRESH CREMA

Ingredients

• 900g snapper fillets
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp paprika*
• ½ tsp cayenne*
• 1 tsp garlic powder*
• 1 tsp ground cumin*
• 2 tbsp canola oil*
• For a quick fish seasoning I just use the 'taco seasoning' freshly made at Green Valley Spices

Slaw

• 4 cups (loosely packed) shredded cabbage (I use chinese cabbage as its a smaller size and convenient to slice)
• ⅓ cup chopped coriander
• 2 green onions, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp white sugar (I use coconut sugar or even maple syrup)

Crema

• ⅓ cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• salt, to taste
• warmed tortillas, for serving

Method

1. Season fish with spices.
2. Heat grill pan or bbq (I use the Weber as it's nice and smoky) on medium-high heat. Add half of the fish and cook until the edges are opaque, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until fish flakes easily with fork, and is just ever-so-slightly translucent (it will finish cooking with the residual heat). Transfer fish to a plate and repeat with remaining fish.
3. You can warm the tortillas on the bbq too! Just spray lightly with olive oil.
4. To make cabbage slaw, toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.
5. To make crema, whisk all ingredients together and season to taste with salt.
6. Serve fish in warmed tortillas with cabbage slaw and a drizzle of crema.

Adapted from: http://foodess.com/9032-spicy-fish-tacos-with-cabbage-slaw-lime-crema.html 

Sarah's lovely slices

I have a new neighbour and she bakes the most lovely slices! (I put it down to the fact she is a New Zealander). She has been good enough to share her recipes with me.

LEMON WEETBIX SLICE

Ingredients
150g butter
1 cup crushed weetbix
1.5 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Topping
25g butter
175g icing sugar
half a lemon, squeezed

Method

• Mix all dry ingerdients
• melt butter, add juice
• Mix
• Press into tray
• Bake at 180 degrees celcius for 25-35min

Topping
Melt butter, mix in icing sugar and lemon
Pout over slice


GINGER CRUNCH

Ingredients
125g soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger

Icing
150g butter
1.5 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
6 tsp ground ginger (or to taste) 

Method

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees celciius
• Grease a 20 x 30cm tin
• Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy
• Sift flour, baking powfer and ginger together
• Mix
• Turn onto floured surface and knead well
• Press dough into tin
• Bake for 20-25min or until golden

Icing
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until melted, stirring constantly.
Pour over slice in tin, allow to set.

Flying with Baby

Recently I took a 2-week trip to LA with my 10 month old daughter, Carys. It was quite an experience! Lots of newish Mums ask about my experience flying, so I thought I'd include my thoughts and any helpful info I picked up here. I hope there might be something here that may assist you!

Let me say straight out that I think the following really helps:
- The age of your baby (Carys is not yet crawling so it was much easier to deal with)
- Being as prepared as possible (so as the mum you are acting cool and the baby hopefully syncs with your aura of calm!)

My information is based upon the following:
- Traveling with a 10 month baby girl who is (now) exclusively bottle feeding and is happy eating solids (that I usually prepare for her myself)
- Traveling alone with my daughter, so no extra assistance
- A 14 hour Sydney - Los Angeles return flight, flying QANTAS Economy.

So I think I will do it all in order of the whole experience.

BOOKING
- When I booked my ticket a friend advised me to call the airline straight away to ensure they understood that Carys would be traveling as a baby and we required a bassinet. At this point you also make food arrangements for the baby and can ask questions about checking in prams, car seats as luggage.
- On QANTAS you cannot reserve a bassinet online and you should not assume that one will be allocated, you are (currently) unable to achieve this online - you must call.
- QANTAS also have no bassinets in Business Class and this is common across a number of airlines (so if you are thinking of upgrading, check first).
- I believe other airlines such as Singapore Airlines allow you to book a bassinet online.

Also, it's really good flying on an A380 - lots of extra standing room compared to the 747 we came home on.

Q. Do I need to fly Business Class with my baby?
A. I don't think so. I have flown Business Class before and I would actually be more stressed worrying about the baby screaming and disrupting others with the more expensive seats. There was more space at the bulkhead where the bassinets are located, we were well looked after and I would rather save my Business Class trips for other occasions. Face it: You might have a better reclining seat in Business Class, but sleep itself may remain elusive (even if it is just you keeping an eye on your sleeping baby).

THE AIRPORT - BEFORE THE FLIGHT
These experiences are based on flying with QANTAS from Sydney Airport (Kingsford Smith Airport).

QANTAS are happy to check in your pram and carseat free of charge, you can check their baggage allowances (including babies and children) here. I had my pram packed up in a Bugaboo Comfort Transport Bag which I had loaned from a friend, it was excellent and also allowed for me to pack a few extra nappies etc. in there too. As we planned to do alot of driving in LA we also took our baby carseat, just zipped into an unpadded carry bag. It traveled fine and had no damage. Some people 'buy their baby their own seat on the plane' then use their carseat to place the baby in during the flight. I did not do this, but there was a lady on our LAX-Syd flight doing it. I would definitely call the airline ahead to check about this as apparently there are only certain rows of the plane where this is possible.

Q. Why did I take my pram?
Mainly because my daughter sleeps very comfortably in her pram and as a familiar item it may pacify her. I was right! In the first few days of jetlag, she would sleep in her pram more than any travel cot or other space. It was a godsend and completely worth it as QANTAS let you check it in as luggage free of charge.

After checking in my luggage in and collecting my boarding pass QANTAS loaned me a free stroller to wheel Carys to the plane. It was excellent - I just had to hand it in to the crew when boarding. I also had my Baby Bjorn strapped on and at my daughter's age (10 months) this was vital for keeping things cool (also because I was traveling alone and needed both hands). I popped her in the pouch through immigration and security checks and it was just so much more convenient than struggling with my own pram at that point (I saw others trying and yes, dare I say it there was frustration and even tears, particularly at LAX). At close to 11kg Carys is almost too big for her Baby Bjorn but it was well worth the effort, and made it very easy to get on the plane, up the aisle and into the seats without much fuss.

PACKING FOR THE FLIGHT
Well I thought this was the hardest bit, but I'd say with confidence:
- Pack one nappy for every 2 hours on the plane (we packed 9, and used 7 for a 14 hour flight). They seem to, ahem, go more up there!
- Pack your own food as well. There can be some OK stuff in the little kids food pack but it's good to already know what you have on hand and feel prepared. I think it really depends on each airline and the origin from which you are flying - it can be hard to forsee what they are going to give you (I got a whole lot of Gerber stuff in jars on my LAX - Syd flight and it was so cumbersome, I was glad I had brought along my own food pouches in flavours I knew Carys liked). Fun! 
- Formula both ways was fine, ignore anything you read on the internet about having to drink it infront of security or the like. I just took my own bottles with water already in them and the formula in a seperate dispenser, all packed in a large ziploc bag so it was easy for security (and myself) to access.
- Some airlines give out a little toy, not QANTAS. I took 5 or 6 toys and my iPad, it seemed to be enough. I found board books particularly helpful. I was worried Carys would get bored on the flight but the change of environment alone means lots of curiosity!
- I dressed Carys in a zip onesie with a singlet underneath for the flight and took 2 others as spares. This was enough and the zip made it much easier to access for nappy changing. These also doubled as pyjamas in LA, where it stayed warm at night.
- Bibs, bibs, bibs. These will really save you from difficult clothes changes on the flight. I took 4 for the flight (using 3) and I found it really helped.

THE FLIGHT

The little bean had a friend on QF11 where we had a bassinet and spare seat on an A380, happy days!

Believe it or not my experience on the flight was the easy part! I got to sit down, food (even wine!) was brought to me, and other passengers wanted to hold or play with Carys a bit, giving me a little break from time to time (but don't rely on it). I kept her on her Sydney Sleeping / Eating Schedule until we arrived in LA, and I started to deal with the time change then.

Q. Could your daughter fit in the bassinet?
A. Yes, but only just. It was very snug but Carys seemed to like that! Maybe it made her feel snug and secure. QANTAS provided a lambswool blanket for her and I draped muslin over the top for privacy and that seemed enough. If I had put her in her usual sleeping bag she would not have fit in the bassinet. This may be different on other airlines.

My one tip for the flight is to take snacks. Carys is not a big snacker outside normal eating times but some finger food seemed to help pass the time. Our seat mate brought these mini rice cake snacks along for her daughter and Carys very much enjoyed them! They also don't seem to make alot of mess. I recommend the apple flavour as they don't seem to stain hands or clothes like the others do.

GETTING OFF THE FLIGHT
The best tip is as you are leaving the plane you say to the people standing at the door 'I need assistance.' By asking for assistance I got through immigration express both ways and at Sydney they put us on a golf cart (which Carys loved!). They also collected our luggage for us (including pram and carseat) and walked us to the airport exit both ways! 

JETLAG

Yes, we had jetlag! Trying to get Carys to do her daytime sleep.

Jetlag happens and from talking to others it is definitely different for each baby. My only tips at this point is extra snacks and have extra milk available (for 2-3 days Carys had extra bottles, and then there were other times where I would have to make her a bottle and pour it down the sink!) So be prepared for wastage, or have your boobs ready!

I also found taking my daughter's unwashed bedlinen helped her adjust to her new surroundings at bedtime. As tempting as it was to keep everything crisp and clean, I did see her rubbing her head into her cot sheet and I think it helped that it still 'smelled like home.'

Also, underschedule the first few days of your trip. As exciting and tempting as it is, you may feel disappointed or that you are not getting everything out of your holiday activities because of the little one's adjustment. Be easy on yourself, it will change and behaviour may be grizzly!

Q. Did I deliberately keep my daughter awake / wake my her up to help her settle in to the new time zone?
A. Yes, at times, I particularly tried to keep her awake from 3pm in the new timezone so she had a better chance of sleeping that night. I do have her on 'a schedule' here in Sydney so I tried to nudge her on to the same schedule, LA time as gently as possible. I found it took a few days.

ENJOYING THE TRIP
Yes, I did, but of course it was very different to any travel I have done before. I think you just have to do less, and approach it with less expectation. It was great to come home to my non-jetlagged husband so he could help out with Carys at the end of it all. And for those of you in Australia - as I have heard before, the jetlag is worse coming home. Really. If I was traveling with my husband I would have been tempted to send him home 3 days early so there would be someone in the house without jetlag - I found the first few days back in Sydney really quite hard.

So phew there it is! I might add to this in the future, and wishing you happy baby travels!

Killer Recipe: Peanut and chocolate biscuits

My favourite! Had better park this recipe right here, it's been sitting loose in a folder for years! I like this recipe because the biscuits taste just as good the next day, and day after that too (though I warn you, they wont last long!)


INGREDIENTS

150g (just under a cup) brown sugar
100g butter,softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

300g crunchy peanut butter (I just use a whole jar of Kraft crunchy)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

225g plain flour

200g dark chocolate chips (I just pour in the whole pack, about 250g)

METHOD

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
- Beat the sugar and butter until smooth, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Beat in the peanut butter, then fold in the salt, bicarb and flour.
- Mix until combined, then fold in the choc chips.
- Roll mixture into small balls and lay on trays lined with non-stick baking paper.
- Press down with a fork to about 1cm thick and bake for 10 minutes.

Source: Matthew Evans, torn from Good Weekend, Nov 13, 2010
 

New Mum: Early Days

Well for the last six weeks I have been thinking 'You should put this on the blog, you should put that on the blog,' and of course, being a new Mum (Mama?) and all, the time evaporates.

First, just read this! It's the best I can find on what it's like being a new mum.

For the Mum...

When you are a new Mum you feel like you get nothing done. This article might make you feel a little better...

Peppermint tea! Excellent for keeping your breath fresh and easy to drink during night feeds, early morning wake ups and so forth. A friend brought me some in hospital and I was hooked!

Tena lady pants for the hospital. I was given a packet with a wink but they really were the most vital thing I needed during my hospital stay. They saved time and were very easy to get on and off.

I have never been one to count calories, but I have been worried about my eating lately because I am so hungry all the time! Apparently this is normal and ok - when breastfeeding you burn an extra 500 calories (2000 kilojoules) per day - that's 4 x pieface meat pies! A calorie converter is here.

My mind of course turns to eating and then exercise, with all of those stars getting back to 'bikini ready' within six weeks of birth - well I know it will be longer than that for me, I am only starting around now at 6 weeks! I think this article fits in with my approach.

I gave birth at a funny time, 11.57pm on a Thursday, and I was out of the hospital by the Monday. That means I didn't really get much advice in terms of the 'everyday' stuff because staff are generally 'light on' during weekends - YouTube has been an excellent help for me! This includes learning to breastfeed on my side, bathe, even settle my baby! Every day is a learning experience, and the more I read and watch the more I learn! Such as...

Learning about what the different cries mean! Wish I had heard of this earlier...



Playing with your newborn (once she woke up I wasn't sure what to do!):



This one's a little crazy but it did actually teach me to breastfeed lying down!



Do you have to express? I do. Here is a fantastic and inexpensive trick you can use to make it hands free - I find it actually works!

Sometimes my baby cries during breastfeeding. This article has helped me work that out, well a little!

Wind... I had no idea upon leaving hospital how important it would be to learn to wind and burp my baby! The official word these days (well at least in Australia) is not to worry about burping... after getting up many times in the night to help my baby's pains I disagree!
This article that discusses how your diet while breastfeeding may help to reduce wind and associated crying. I did not believe this until the day after I ate alot of broccoli, where my (mostly) sweet and mild baby became a raging handful!

My little one had some troubles gaining weight and we had to supplement with formula early on. These bottles by Mixie make it so easy, and are now available in Australia.

If you use Apple products... Apple Dictation! It seems that sending emails (or typing with two hands) is now impossible... Apple Dictation has saved me on that front, I can just talk into my iPhone or desktop computer and it accurately turns it into text for me - and the more you use it, the better it gets at recognising your voice! 

Sleep? Not getting much? Either way, when you go along to your Mothers Group you will quickly realise much of the conversation had is about sleep (or lack of) and approaches. I like this article because you can also watch the video and it feels like you are in the room listening - also good to pass on to partners and inlaws who seem to be leaning a little heavily on sleep aids.

We have not had too hard a time with sleep (yet) but I remain mindful and open to all approaches to sleep! Video below:





I will keep adding to this as it all happens, nothing ever seems properly finished when you have a newborn!


For the Baby...

Well my baby, I'm not sure about yours - but here are some things that have really helped us (and basically I knew nothing about before)...

Love me swaddle suit - I knew that fumbling a wrap in the middle of the night would not suit me, I still use them in the daytime but at night I use a swaddle suit. These are awesome - I have 5, but you could easily get away with 3 or 4.

Air Cocoon Pouch - apparently the most lightweight swaddle available - I need to be ready for this Sydney Summer!

And breathable swaddles for Summer! Looking good...

Burp cloths! These don't seem to be such a big thing in Australia (we seem to just use face washers) but I love these! I bought these on etsy and they are gorgeous, they give me pleasure every time I use them.

Dummy Clip! Of course these are available around the place but look pretty tacky. Again I bought this on etsy and it's easy to use and so good looking!

Swing - I didn't even know these existed. I really like this Chicco Polly Swing that I bought off eBay because it folds up when not in use. We don't use it as a sleep aid, but we use it every day - and it frees us up so we can do other things!

Anything with a zip! It took me a while to work this out..  but wow how easy it is to simply zip your little one into their clothes instead of fumbling with all those snapping buttons? Genius! This one is by purebaby.

A sling! This is great for keeping your baby close, and is so convenient when you have to get out for a quick walk to the letterbox or need both hands free for typing or a phone call! My husband loves wearing ours and it's a great chance for our little one to snuggle with their dad :) This one is by Beep Beep - Georgie Armstrong, I admit I bought mine very cheaply from gumtree.

And a sling for the water, or shower! Fantastic if you live in an apartment like us and don't have a bath...

Finally, keep random bottles of water around your house and boil the kettle almost every time you walk past, it sounds strange but you'll be surprised when you need it!


How to help someone with a newborn...

I needed this advice most because I did not grow up around people having little ones. I did however know that I wanted to be helpful to my friends and family when they had a new baby! Looking back now, I feel a little guilty, but I admit it was more out of ignorance than anything else. These of course are personal observations and tips but it may come in handy for you...

- Don't buy white things / white towels for your pregnant friend. Caring for a little one is the least pure thing in the world. I find that I never have quite enough whites to wash them seperately, then I fret about ruining these lovely white gifts and don't end up using them / washing them and turning them grey. Go for colour or neutrals, unless there is a housekeeper or nanny available!

- If you are not sure of a good gift for a pregnant friend, wait until the baby is born, then wait at least 2 weeks. There is a fair bit of scrambling (well in many ways) when a new baby comes along, and when the initial flush of newborn starts to pass one realises there are bits and pieces that need purchasing... now. So simply wait, then ask, you and your gift will be both appreciated and utilised! For instance I really needed singlets, socks and sleeping bags (but how was I to know?) - and I am very grateful to my family who quickly snapped them them for me when the baby was born!

- Bring food - but ask first. Some people have a small freezer (like me!) This is before we get to other things like dietary requirements. So ask what they like, and don't just cook it, package it in portions for eating. If you are not much of a cook, simply grab a loaf of bread and milk when heading over (along with some washing powder, always handy!) and it will never go astray. I never ate alot of bread before my baby but believe me, it's so easy to make a quick piece of toast and a cup of tea right now... back on the low carb diet later!
Sweet things are also good (sorry anti-sugar fanatics!) This is not the time to worry about such things, if you can bake a slice or some granola I'm sure it will be welcomed by hungry and tired tummies!

- Give your time. Head over so the new mum can have a shower, make an uninterrupted phonecall, even go out for a walk to run errands on her own. Help to fold washing, or put away dry dishes, take the rubbish and recycling to the bin. Offer to walk with her and the baby. Give her your ear, listen, soothe and empathise. I can think of one friend who simply asks 'What can I do to help you right now?' and I immediately relax and breathe a sigh of relief. You might not even have to stay for long, but this type of help is golden! What a great way to strengthen a friendship!

Some other ideas are here.

Again.. I'll keep updating this as a mother's work is never really done :)

Killer Recipe: Apricot, Cranberry and Pistachio Muesli Slice

Nobody told me about post-pregnancy cravings, or the ravenous breast-feeding hunger! This has meant some pretty substantial 4pm eating moments and has led me to think that I must at least try and eat something a little more nutritious...

So I found this yummy muesli slice to make and have on hand. Sure, it is probably packed with enough energy for me to climb mountains but it is at least a step away from my 'daily brownie' or piece of cake :(

And guess what? I managed to make the whole thing with my little one tucked into a sling across my chest, not a peep!

It can be pretty crumbly upon cutting but it's great to keep those bits in a sealed container to sprinkle on cereal... like granola!  Its also a very flexible recipe in that you can include any cereal or nut 'scraps' you have in your cupboard... even a handful of chocolate chips... perfect. Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups plain untoasted muesli (I use Woolworths Macro brand)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup dried diced apricots
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup coconut flour 
• 3/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 185g coconut oil (or substitute with butter)
• 1/2 cup golden syrup (could substitute with honey, maple syrup)

METHOD

- Preheat oven to 180°C 

- Line a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan with baking paper

- Place muesli, coconut, apricots, cranberries, pistachios, coconut sugar, egg, vanilla and flours in a large bowl, stir to combine

- Melt coconut oil and golden syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and combined. 

- Add butter mixture to muesli mixture, stir to combine.

- Spread mixture into prepared pan, smooth top

- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm to touch and golden 

- Cool completely before cutting into slices

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/24337/apricot+cranberry+and+pistachio+muesli+slice

On being pregnant: Part 3

I wasn't sure there would be a 'Part 3' of my pregnancy musing, mainly because the second trimester does seem to roll along quite nicely, and if things seem to be 'prepared' to a point well, you can just keep on with it in the third trimester.

I am now at the end of the third trimester; my little one is due in two weeks. We are excited! But I also thought I should note a few helpful things down that have kept me sane along the way.

A Birth Course?
Friends recommended the Calmbirth course to us early on, which we in turn booked early on - they are so popular! In Sydney these classes fill up very fast and so far we believe it was money well spent - for strengthening our relationship, for putting us on 'the same page' in terms of our expectations (or letting go of them!) for birth, and for feeling supported and as mentally prepared as possible! We picked a local course for us (which was one of the most positive experiences I think I have ever had!) though we hear the 'original' that is held over a weekend down in Bowral with founder Peter Jackson is also amazing.

Books.
At this point I find myself reading less and less that is pregnancy related, and more for relaxation and enjoyment. One book I thoroughly recommend is 'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran (thanks Sara!) which I found funny and empowering (though the section on her first experience of birth might be worth skipping for now!)

Cravings.
Ha ha ha cravings. I've had a few and they seem somewhat more desperate than earlier on, they also disappear as quickly as they arrive! A few weeks back it was cup noodles, but in general the cravings that have stuck with me have been for dairy products (in particular, milk and yoghurt), hot chocolate and lately, the smell of anything lavender. However, this is not yet entirely satisfied, as I am yet to find anything 'lavendery' enough. Hmm.

Like in the first trimester it seems my senses are now redirecting me towards items that are organic and/or natural, and pretty 'basic' in their composition (my sense of smell is still very keen and anything that smells 'too complex' is a little overwhelming).

Izola Candle from West Elm - now open in Sydney! I'm still not sure if I consider it 'value for money' at A$49 but the day I bought it I was desperate - I like to burn it before bed and get a nice peppery aroma.

Extra-gentle Lavender soap from L'Occitane. I'm a 'real soap' fan outside of pregnancy and I love this stuff - but this time around I'm not finding it 'Lavender-enough' (this is my problem, there is nothing wrong with the soap!) It still washes beautifully.

My big unexpected 'win' on the lavender front was the beautiful gift I received from my friend Justin at my recent Baby Shower. He gifted me with a range of beautiful products from 'Byron Nature's Gift' which are handmade in the Byron Hills. I could practically eat and drink these items and they have been so good for my skin and nose! I already have the 'Nurturing Mum Body Lotion' packed in my hospital bag and can't wait to buy it for other friends!

Lately I have been getting right into the Coconut Oil as well! I have been using it in my cooking for a while but then lately I have been rubbing it in to my belly, my legs and arms - what a beautiful smell and it makes the skin so soft (if you close your eyes and sit in front of a heater you can imagine you are in a nice tropical place ;) If you are watching your budget (like sadly, I now am), this stuff is for you - it's raw, organic and so multi-purpose! It comes in a beautiful jar that can easily be reused for a candle as well.

Laura's Hot Chocolate Craving Recipe
Yes it's true hot chocolate has become part of my daily ritual, and I admit I am quite particular about it! As with many aspects of pregnancy, things just have to be a certain way. I have Dutch friends and find it very hard to move accept anything other than Dutch cocoa. So here is exactly how I like it:

1 mug of milk (I prefer unhomogenised, full cream)
1 tablespoon of good Dutch Cocoa (I like Droste or Van Houten)
1/4 teaspoon Ovvio Vanilla Bean powder
2 teaspoons of raw honey

Method:
- Heat and whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan (I use one similar to this that I found in my local Woolworths)
- Pour back into mug and serve!

What happened to exercise?
Earlier on you may have read that I was doing pregnancy exercise classes with Preggi Bellies. Though the classes were great, they were probably the most delusional (and costly) decision of my pregnancy. You are asked to pay upfront, based upon an estimation of when your baby is to be born. Of course, I started having a few health annoyances about 6 weeks ago and that meant I had to stop going to class. When I was ready to go back... well Preggi Bellies wouldn't permit me to. Of course I am allowed to return once the little one is born but I already have other plans for that, so I'm pretty disappointed (as is typical with Australian gyms, no refund). So my hot tip on these types of programs is think very carefully before signing up and paying alot of money...

Lately I have started a much more sensible pre-natal yoga program at The Life Pod and I wish I had been doing these classes all along instead of going to the gym. I certainly seem to be getting alot physically, mentally and emotionally from the classes and better still, it's pay as you go!

Have I been sick?
In short, yes. The third trimester has probably been my most challenging and I certainly wasn't expecting it. My issues are around heartburn, reflux and indigestion - I tend to vomit 2-3 times each day, and some days are much worse than others, and without warning.

Of course it is different for everyone! But after 6 weeks of tussling, I need to type out what works for me:
- Rennie (recommended by my midwife) never worked for me, from the first time I tried it, it simply made me feel more sick;
- Gaviscon worked quite well for a number of weeks but has recently been losing it's effectiveness for me;
- When I feel the acid I have found the best immediate remedy is 2 x tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar followed by a small sip of water (be brave, it burns!)
- After meals a hot wheatbag placed on the top of my chest seems to give me comfort;
- Doing a little bit of Heartburn reflexology on my hands after meals seems to help one way or another (no I'm not an expert on this and by all means do your own research).

I have tried many of the natural remedies discussed on the internet but without much lasting success. I found this advice amongst the most realistic and helpful. Of course, always keep chatting with your midwife and/or doctor, they remain the most knowledgeable and have the final word on these matters.

Getting comfy for the birth.
I'm still working that bit out, and a few bags are slowly being packed. Given the choice and an unlimited budget, I would certainly pick out the 'Hatch to Hospital' box below (although I'm not sure at how those undies would go after birth, huh?) At US$248 with a falling Aussie dollar, it's not exactly a bargain!

In the meantime I'm very happy with my Humphrey Law 90% Merino wool socks, manufactured in Australia! Available at David Jones, they wash beautifully - and supporting an Australian business in this day and age, who'd have thought!

I also really like this Noppies nursing sleepwear - and I have to admit I haven't given it much thought up until now but guess I will be shortly, anything to stay warm and comfy because soon it will all be about the little one!

And on with this birth we go, see you on the other side of it all!