Gold Coast Mum

My, hair you've changed

Friday, 29 March 2013

In my early 20's (BC) I was all about the hair.

I had long silky brunette locks that always attracted compliments. It was my trademark.

I would make sacrifices if it meant I had an extra 15 minutes to dry it before work/ before a night out/ before events (thick thick thick hair that takes forever to dry), and to then use a hair straightener or make bouncy curls (just like Princess Kate/ Catherine Middleton does these days).

Lately, my hairstyle day-in-day-out involves damp hair pulled back into a bun.
Otherwise... I resemble Hagrid from Harry Potter.

I have other things on my to do list - such as spending time crawling around on my lounge room floor like a tiger to make my toddlers laugh, family, work, domestic duties or trying to get back in shape - that take priority over the time it takes to dry and straighten my hair like I used to.
(Plus, on the odd occasion I have worn my hair out, my 14-month-old loves to tug at it).

As well as my lack of time or dedication to styling the mane these days, I also think it has lost its 'pizazz' since having my bubs (another great post-pregnancy reward I can put right up there with my permanently-enlarged feet – now a size 10/11!).

Street Parade through Surfers Paradise – free family fun

Monday, 25 March 2013

Street Parade through Surfers Paradise – free family fun

Monday, 25 March 2013

Fingers crossed this lovely weather holds out for the Surfers Paradise Festival Street Parade tomorrow evening.
I’m hoping to take the family along to check out the amazing displays, before hubby and I head off on first date night since December (to the Craig David concert for work and pleasure).
(Thankfully my fab mum will be able to put the kidlets to bed for us).

Anyway, back to the Street Parade.

When: March 27, 2013 @ 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm

Where: Throughout Surfers Paradise, Esplanade, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217

Cost: Free
(Awesome family fun – for free!)

Contact: Surfers Paradise Alliance - 5584 3700

Information and image from: http://www.surfersparadisefestival.com/

Presented by BMD Northcliffe Surf Club
See the Gold Coast gather to celebrate the coming of the Surfers Paradise Festival for 2013 with a lantern parade peopled by community groups, school children, marching bands and acrobats.

This mobile spectacle snakes through the streets of Surfers Paradise en route to the official opening on Surfers Paradise Beach, where a fireworks spectacle launches to mark the start of four weekends of free community events and cultural activities in the heart of the city.

Whether you tweet it, sing it, post it, pin it or say it… let the word go forth: the Surfers Paradise Festival has begun!

Parade Route
Surfers Paradise Festival Street Parade will commence from Alison Street, and turn left to march north along Surfers Paradise Boulevard. From there, we will take a right turn onto Cavill Avenue, and move into Orchid Avenue, turning right at Elkhorn, and then moving south along the Surfers Paradise Foreshore to the finale at the Surfers Paradise sign.

Viewing Locations
There are several fantastic locations you can watch the Street Parade from. The best spots include:

Corner Cavill Ave and Surfers Paradise Boulevard, outside Boost Juice and Copenhagen Icecream

Corner Cavill Ave and Orchid Ave, outside the Surfers Paradise Beergarden

Orchid Avenue, outside Lido Arcade (opposite Central Lounge and Costa D’oro)

Elkhorn Avenue

The Foreshore

Sand Sculptures - Surfers Paradise

Sunday, 24 March 2013

Sand Sculptures - Surfers Paradise

Sunday, 24 March 2013

My family and I recently checked out the Sand Safari (Australian Sand Sculpting Championships) - sand sculptures by the sea in Surfers Paradise.

A lovely free afternoon out with my lil family.

The designs were pretty impressive!
It took a lot of effort keeping Miss 2.5 behind the fence as she so desperately wanted to contribute her sand-castle-building-skills.

After wandering along the beachfront admiring the amazing work, it was time to hit the beach where our toddlers could unleash their sand sculpting skills :-)

There we stayed for around two hours until sunset as they tried to craft their own amazing works of art.

Love living on the GC! :-)

Labour & birth “easy and fun”?

Saturday, 23 March 2013

Labour & birth “easy and fun”?

Saturday, 23 March 2013

Pic: Splash from Daily Mail UK

Wow. Just wow!

We’ve all heard about celebs such as supermodels Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bundchen talk about how breezy their births were (Gisele said of the drug-free birth of her first child in 2010; “it didn't hurt in the slightest”), but hearing the latest quotes from new mum Holly Madison literally just made me laugh so hard while taking a sip of water, that it actually came out of my nose.

Already back on the red carpet just a couple of weeks after welcoming daughter Rainbow Aurora, Holly, a former Playboy model, says her daughter's entry into the world was “easy” and “fun”.

“Even the delivery was easy - I was actually laughing as I was pushing!” she told a US magazine.

“I had an epidural, so it was fun. She made it easy on me.”
Lucky thing!

While there’s no debating the magnificent miracle that is bringing a child into this world, for many, it’s not such a laughing matter.

Even when the Doctor realised – after three hours of pushing – that my daughter was actually posterior (head facing up instead of down meaning her head was banging on my pelvis), the Doctor had to put her hands in the canal to try and turn bub to help get her out.

Even with the epidural, I felt everything. Yep, everything. And it wasn’t what I’d call fun.

Second time around, I also succumbed to an epidural after around 20 hours of labour (lucky I did as my son didn't arrive for another few hours and was 10lb (4.5kg), 56cm, and, just like his older sis, was also posterior).

Once again, the epidural was nothing I imagined (or hoped) it would be.

I thought (perhaps thanks to celebs like Kourtney Kardashian and Holly Madison) that finally caving in to have an epidural (after refusing to “give in” for so long) would mean the rest of the labour and birth experience would be pain and effort free – and that perhaps I could run a comb through my hair (which at that stage with no.1 was a matted mess that took me hours to brush out the following day with a cannula inserted in my hand) and apply some lippy in time for the grand arrival.

But hell-to-the-no. It was still horrendous.

Perhaps my epidurals just weren’t strong enough.

Or, perhaps Doctors who look after celebs like to make sure they get the best care, and no pain, so they can go and spruik about the ‘ease of childbirth’ and give us normal ladies a false sense of hope.
Aaaah-haaa, yes, that's it. It must be a conspiracy.

We hardly hear from celebs about their marathon labour that turned into an instrument-assisted birth that continued to turn pear shaped.
Perhaps these types should speak up more often to earn their pat on the back they deserve for surviving, not just the ones who 'sneeze' their bubs out and feel like they deserve a street parade ;-).

Either way, every woman, no matter what form of delivery, works hard to carry their bub, deliver and nurture.

It truly is the most amazing thing in the world and that's why we've all been going back to do it over and over again (pardon the pun) for gazillions of years!

What was your experience like?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2297939/Holly-Madison-shows-incredible-post-pregnancy-hourglass-shape-fitter-blue-dress.html

Kanye/Kimmy birth plan

So apparently, mum-to-be Kim Kardashian and her man Kanye West are planning to rent out an entire floor at the LA hospital where Kim plans to give birth (the same hospital that Beyonce and Jay-Z welcomed Blue Ivy in last year).

Kim reportedly wants the room to be sound-proofed to block out all outside influences including noise and traffic.Other demands include dimmed, coloured lighting and soothing ambient music.

Doesn't sound too dramatic does it?

We'll have to wait and see how much more 'diva' the demands get.

What were your demands? Did you have a birth plan, or did it all fly out the window?
When I was in labour with my no.1 (daughter) I remember the Chipmunks movie playing in the background which reaaalllly started to irritate me after a while. Thankfully my hubby understood my barely incoherent request to turn it off to give me some peace.

Kim Kardashian Baby: Star Plans To Rent Out Entire Hospital Floor For Delivery http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/21/kim-kardashian-baby-star-hospital_n_2923073.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

A pat on the back to you

Sunday, 17 March 2013

A pat on the back to you

Sunday, 17 March 2013

For anyone who needs a bit of love today :-)

Welcome

Friday, 8 March 2013

Welcome

Friday, 8 March 2013

WHY HELLO there,

I'm Gold Coast Mum - a happily married mum of two scrumptious bubs aged 1 and 3 - with TWINS on the way!

I love spending time with my family and friends, meeting new people and enjoying everything the Gold Coast has to offer (which I believe is a LOT especially for young families).

I look forward to sharing my adventures with you.

I'll share information related to: everyday life, parenting issues, healthy living, living a positive life and being the best you can be, as well as the struggles of achieving that work/life balance when juggling a family and work, fun things, sad things and anything else that tickles my fancy. :-)