A Day In The Life

I'm all for finding ways to make life a little easier, so long as it's cheap, sustainable and without negative consequences.

So, I managed to pluck up the courage to do my grocery shopping on-line. It was a little daunting at first, but something that I now would thoroughly recommend - especially to all of those busy Mamas out there.

It took me 20 minutes to do my shopping and the beauty of it is that I did it after The Dude had gone to bed! That's right, no more grabbing items off the shelves when my back is turned, no more screaming his little lungs out when I return said item to the shelf, no more playing tug-of-war with him over my shopping list. I no longer have to worry about trying to get out of the door without at least one diaper change and making sure he has toys to amuse himself with on the journey to the store then having to fight to get him to sit in the shopping cart for longer than five minutes without him causing a scene. No longer do I need to spend at least an hour of my day doing a thankless task while spending more money than necessary.

My bill was significantly reduced because I wasn't enticed by the usual crap that ends up in my shopping cart - I was quite content to stick to my list.

I chose my delivery date and time and sure enough it arrived promptly and was all organised so that I could just pop it away ready for use. Lovely. I was so proud of myself.

I also learned a very valuable lesson from my latest adventure. Don't be afraid to try new things. If it doesn't work out, there is sure to be a different method that will. And, don't be ashamed to make a change in your life that helps you out. For too long I have tried to be Super-Mom and it just burned me out. I'm still the same wife and parent, just with one less thing to worry about on my list.

If you have a great time-saving, stress-busting tip, please feel free to post a comment and share it with us. I love to hear from you all!

No place like home

It's a moment in life that I never want to repeat again as long as I live. I'm sure plenty of you have been there and can sympathise. My Hound went missing. It was awful.

Thankfully, four and a half hours later he returned but was covered in bug bites, scratches and all kinds of crap from the woods. Where he went we'll never know. I'm just glad he's home.

But it got me thinking about something our dog trainer told us about how hounds typically follow their noses and easily get too lost to find their way home again. So how did he find his way back? Was it pure determination to return to the ones he loves and who love him so completely and unconditionally? Or was it just luck?

Whatever helped him find his way back, I'm thankful for it.

A change of pace

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. As you can see, Expat Mama has had a virtual make over - a much needed one! I'm so excited with the final product and I would like to say a huge thank you to Shannon over at eightcrazy design for her help and talent in realizing my vision for this site. It's magic!

There have been many changes since my last post. Little Dude turned one, started walking (although running seems to be the only pace he knows right now) he waves, he says a few words, he eats pretty much anything I put in front of him. It's been an interesting experience and I'm loving every minute of it. He puts so much energy into his learning and I'm really proud of him.

My veggies are growing nicely and the humming birds have been visiting our garden on a regular basis. The weather is a little weird, one minute it's burning hot and the next minute we have tornado warnings. Still, it's been a great start to the summer and I'm looking forward to hearing about the amazing changes that are taking place with you all.

Take care for now!