Another week in pictures. Love Instagram!

Phew, I don't even know where to begin with this week!!  Well.........actually I do - My THERMOMIX arrived!!!  For those of you who have know idea what one is (don't feel bad, I didn't either until a few months ago), have a look at this post - The day the Thermomix visited my kitchen.  So far I have used it about 5 times every day and I just LOVE it.  I have seriously gone from the worlds most hopeless cook to being able to make just about anything!  And I'm having so much fun with it too!!  Mr D even baked his first ever cake (coconut and orange) and it was delicious.  I'll try my best to not be one of those annoying people that just go on and on about what exciting things they've made in the thermomix, but I'm not making any promises!!

Isn't she pretty??

I made cheese and red pepper (or capsicum as the Aussie's call it) scrolls for lunch the other day - from scratch!!  They were SO delicious and so easy

Delegating!! He's not as neat as me (carrot everywhere)  but at least I had my hands free!!

An absolutely exhausted and very grubby little lady.  She'd been building fairy gardens' outside - something that I used to spend hours doing when I was her age.

A very happy Miss L being entertained by all the little school girls in the school playground at pick-up time.

A baby minor bird that fell out of the tree in the school playground.  Master J was desperate to take it home but I convinced him that if we put it back in the tree it's mummy would come back for him.  I'm surprised the poor thing didn't die of fright

My lovely parents enjoying the English Autumn.  I miss them so much 

Such beautiful ballerina's

I could stand and watch my babies sleep for hours (if I had the time)

Miss H's most favourite thing to do - painting!!  I just wish she'd spent less time painting her body!!!

A typical school morning in the DB house  My two best babysitters helping me to get ready in the morning

How cute are these two??  Best friends since birth.

On Saturday night I had 7 kids on my own!!  I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little hectic.  I had three boys, two little girls and two baby girls!!  At one point I was feeding Miss L and rocking Miss Y at the same time as reading little Miss H and Miss J a story.  I take my hat off to all mums of twins!!  I think the boys thought they were in 7th heaven because none of them went to sleep before midnight!!!

Four gorgeous girls in my bed!

On Sunday morning we were up with the cockatoos as I was taking Candy Bows to the Market.  I had the most beautiful spot right overlooking the lake and after my crazy Saturday night it was just what I needed.

Mr D and the girls helping me set up my market stall

Pretty CandyBows at the market 

By the time Sunday evening arrived we were all so exhausted that ALL 5 of us were asleep by 8pm!  That's 11 hours sleep!!!!!!!

The secret to shrinking your waistline

I am the yo-yo diet's BIGGEST follower!!  I am forever trying to loose those extra couple of pounds off my waist, thighs, hips....you name it!  Since having my third bubba nearly six months ago (can you believe!!!!) I am seriously struggling to loose that extra weight.  I have tried exercising but it is just such a slow painful process, that I end up getting really frustrated and 'falling off the wagon''!!  

A few weeks ago I took myself over to this nice grassy area in front of the surf club near where we live and decided I would do a DIY exercise class.  I had ofter seen people training there and thought it looked ideal - watching the ocean whilst exercising - what could be better??  (I have tried this before -  like I said, I've tried almost everything.  If you fancy a giggle you can read about it here)

Great place to work out, right??

Anyway, I walked Miss L around the block a couple of times to send her to sleep and then parked her up on the grass.  I set my iphone up with the Nike training App and started my routine!!  First up - squats (interrupted a few times by Miss L, who wasn't happy about mummy's strange behaviour and did not want to stay asleep).  I started doing some sit up and I must have looked pretty funny because the next thing I knew there was a lady standing over me, asking if I needed any help.  I got up, half embarrassed by my attempted efforts (as she was clearly a fitness person of some kind), and we got chatting.  She introduced herself as Jo and told me that she held classes right here and that I should join.  I took her number and thought - "why not!!  I clearly needed some help and this was just the most beautiful spot and so convenient". 

Since joining Jo at Fitworx, I have not looked back.  Her training is hard core and I can assure you that I have felt like vomiting on several occasion, and her infamous beach runs never get any easier (or more exhilarating).  However it is totally addictive and I now get upset if I can't make a class.  We have trained in the the sunshine, during an amazing thunderstorm, watched both whales and dolphins swim by as well as watched some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.  Jo is fantastic and if you want to loose weight and get fit I highly recommend joining Fitwox.  Oh and did I mention - I have so far lost 6kg off my jelly belly!!!


Here is an article written by Jo, that I thought I would share with you..........


Look, you need to do cardio if you want to lose weight and burn fat...BUT there's a right way and a wrong way to do your cardio workouts. If you've been pounding the pavement or the treadmill with nothing to show for it (except sore joints and a pair of stinky worn out sneakers), you already know it takes a lot of effort to get minimal results.

In this article, I'm going to reveal the most effect

ive way to pump up your cardio routine that will get you insane results in half the time of your regular cardio workout -- without causing unnecessary stress on your joints. Seriously, don't skip this article because once you learn this simple trick, you'll kick yourself for not doing it all along.

Would you work an 8 hour day at your job if you knew you weren't going to get paid?

...I sure hope not.

So why spend hours each week doing cardio without getting any better results?

Slaving away on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical day after day is a surefire way to make your body retain fat. Yes, you read that correctly!

Long, moderate, boring cardio causes you to retain more fat and eats away your muscle tone.

Muscle increases your metabolism -- so why risk losing your body's most efficient fat burner? Your muscles burn 3 times as many calories than fat.

So the less muscle you have, the less calories you will burn, thus retaining more fat.

That goes for spinning class too. You may not consider spinning to be "moderate" cardio, but the fact of the matter is even higher intensity cardio burns away your muscle when performed for a prolonged period of time -- ultimately reducing the amount of calories you'll burn throughout the day.

Not only is long duration cardio an ineffective way to lose fat, but it can eventually lead to overuse injuries. When you repeat the same movements over and over for long periods of time, you put too much stress on certain areas of your body, which can eventually become repetitive stress injuries.

BUT, there is a right way to do cardio that will "trick" your body into naturally producing a flood of fat-burning hormones...

The right way to do cardio effectively is with short, high-intensity intervals.

Interval cardio triggers your anaerobic metabolism, which will skyrocket your heart rate and melt the fat -- without eating away your muscle tone. Remember, you need to keep your lean muscle so you can keep burning more fat and calories.

In fact, interval cardio is so effective that you will KEEP burning calories around the clock -- up to 48 hours after your workout is over.

How can that be?

Well, because Fitworx Workouts are intensity dependent (not time dependent) it triggers a powerful physiological effect known as EPOC (a.k.a. "The After Burn"). Let me explain...

EPOC is a scientific term used to measure your body's rate of oxygen intake following a high-intensity activity. The higher the intensity of the activity, the more oxygen and energy are needed to restore your body. As a result, your body continues to burn calories for up to 48 hours afterward.

So the "calories burned" counter on the treadmill means nothing anymore because your body is going to burn calories for up to TWO DAYS after your workout!

This is what I am aiming for.......no pressure there Jo (lol)

Scientific Fact: Short, high-intensity interval training burns calories up to 48 hours AFTER your workout. That means you burn calories while you sleep!

Scientific Fact: Lower-intensity aerobic (cardio) activities only burn calories while the activity is being performed

Scientific Fact: Anaerobic (strength-training) workouts increase EPOC much more than aerobic exercise does

If there's one major point I want you learn from this article, it's this: fitness is intensity dependent, not time dependent.

So you see, the secret to shrinking your waistline and getting rid of belly fat permanently is NOT to workout longer. 

You just need to know how to workout SMARTER, which is exactly what you're going to learn with Fitworx Workouts.

The Most Effective Exercises Are Always Functional In Nature

There are several natural, primary movements that you perform in your daily life. They can be broken down into 6 main patterns: push, pull, squat, deadlift, rotation and flexion / extension of the torso. So, in order for an exercise to become "functional", it must incorporate at least one of the 6 primary movements.

Performing weight-bearing functional (a.k.a "full-body") exercises as part of your high-intensity interval training program is essential to gaining functional strength and boosting your metabolism. You'll be training your whole body to burn more fat without even thinking about it.

How Replacing Flab with Lean, Tone Muscle
Keeps Your Metabolism Running On High
(Day & Night!)

Listen closely, because I want to finally put the most common strength training misconception to rest...

Lifting heavier weights, will NOT not make you get "big" or look like one of those muscle-clad women on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine -- not even close!

So it's time you retire the little "pink" dumbbells and here's why...

Unlike men, your body doesn't produce enough testosterone to stimulate large, bulky muscle growth.

Those masculine looking gals you see on the cover of magazines are juicing up with testosterone and spending HOURS everyday in the gym. I mean, it's a LOT of work for a woman to have muscles popping out all over the place -- so hard that even though these ladies spend hours in the gym everyday, they still have to use illegal substances to get that big!

What you WILL get by lifting weights with my cardio-strength circuit workouts is a super lean, toned and fit body. And here's why...

One pound of muscle can burn up to 20 calories a day. That means if you just replaced 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of lean muscle, you're going to burn an extra 100 calories a day!
Women who have discovered this secret have been lifting weights for years to keep the fat off and get rid of cellulite for good -- without getting manly looking muscles.

Maintaining your lean muscle is one of the biggest keys to transforming your body into a fat burning furnace...Remember, your muscle is metabolically active...meaning it burns more FAT.

Just because you're a woman, it doesn't mean your workouts should look more like physical therapy sessions. Forget about the balance boards, swiss balls, yoga and pilates. While those activities have their place, they are NOT optimal for massive fat burning or gaining the lean, toned, calorie-burning muscle you need to get back into your skinny jeans.

You Don't Need More Gadgets or Expensive Gym Machines...You Need LESS!

Performing functional, full-body exercises is essential to getting a balanced body AND boosting your metabolism (I really can't stress enough how extremely important this is to getting BIG-time results). Combined with various time based intervals, repetitions, and speed, you'll be training your whole body to torch calories around the clock.

...And you don't need a bunch of shiny gym machines and gadgets for any of these exercises. In fact, most gym machines are designed for isolated movements, which severely restrict your natural range of motion (keeping you locked in one position), which is why I NEVER recommend them.

The only equipment you'll ever need to keep your body in top shape are:

A set of dumbbells (There's nothing better for functional exercises than free-weights so you can move through full range of motion)
A pull-up bar (don't worry if you can't do a pull-up yet, I've got several substitute exercises for you that will work you just as hard until you get there).
Optional: I also highly recommend a barbell if you have access to one (but don't worry, barbells are not required...I've got all the dumbbell variations of my barbell exercises laid out for you, so you're covered either way).
With minimal equipment, Fitworx Workouts are going to show you dozens of full-body functional exercises step-by-step (I've got over 40 for you!), which allow your body to move naturally through full range of motion while strengthening your core at the same time (so you can get rid of that stubborn "ab flab").

What's more, the full-body exercises I'm going to show you how to do with dumbbells will get your heart rate up faster than you can bat an eye. You'll burn 10 times more calories than you would on any piece of expensive equipment!

How To Keep Your Body Guessing So You Can
Beat The Fat-Loss Plateau & Accelerate Your Results

Let's face it, we’re all creatures of habit.

...And when it comes to your fitness and fat-loss, staying in your comfort zone will only prevent you from achieving your "wow" body. So if you've been repeating the same workout routines over and over, you've got to change things up if you want to get better results.

In fact, did you know, it only takes 3 weeks for your body to adapt to a workout routine at which point you STOP getting results? Not to mention, excessive repetition of your workouts can cause burnout and repetitive stress injuries.

Repeating the same workouts will get you some results at first, but over time
your body adapts and your progress starts tapering off, eventually leading you to a plateau.

Your body needs to be constantly challenged in order to maintain your lean muscle to keep your metabolism kicked into high gear.

That's why my research-proven Workout program has been designed so that you perform only functional exercises in the high intensity, interval, strength, and circuit training formats. Every training session is specifically and deliberately scheduled -- even your rest days -- and the workout variables (time, intervals, speed, and weights) are constantly changed up to ensure that your body doesn't adapt. That way you get the best results possible without wasting any time.

That's why with Fitworx Workouts i change your workout schedule every 3 weeks to make sure you:

NEVER hit a plateau (so you can keep toning up and losing unwanted fat)
Maintain your lean muscle (keeping your body strong and balanced)
Trigger the "After burn" effect (so you keep burning massive calories 24/7)
I don't do "monthly" workout schedules - sure that might be easier, but if I did that then there would be one week out of every month that you weren't making progress. That's just nonsense!

You Do NOT Have To "Crash" Diet
or Practically Starve Yourself To Lose Fat!

There's nothing I hate more than to see people with good intentions be taken advantage of so blatantly. Here you are, ready to do the work in order to get the results. And all you end up with is a mediocre program (at best) and the only thing it does effectively is burn a hole in your wallet.

Think about it. If these big companies told you the truth about fat-loss and gave you a solution that worked, how would they get you to keep spending more money on their programs, powders, and pills?

This is one of the biggest reasons I created Fitworx. I'm a results oriented gal and I would never ask you to do a program that's not proven to work - let alone take your money for it.

Fitworx will get you in shape without requiring you to go on any "crash" diet.

However, what I am going to do is show you how to eat sensibly to support your weight-loss goals and increase your overall health and nutrition. After all, fitness isn't just about looks and losing weight...it's about being strong on the outside AND the inside.

Fitness is supposed to make you look good and feel good too. If you're yo-yo dieting, taking caffeine energy boosters, or practically starving yourself to lose weight, then something is clearly wrong with that plan.

My Workouts literally train your body to put fat burning on auto-pilot so you can stop obsessing over calories and feeling guilty for treating yourself every once in while. No matter your age, no matter your genetics, it WORKS.

And the winner is ............

Thank you so much to everyone who entered Candy Bow's Pretty Christmas Giveaway (Competition can be found here).  I loved reading all about your fabulous Christmas Traditions.  There were some that we already do in our family and some new ones too that we thought we might 'steal', so thanks so much!!

I read all your entries out to Mr D and we just couldn't decide on a winner so I decided to get the kids to help me.  Miss H had her little friend Miss J over for a play-date this morning and they had so much fun choosing the winner for me!!

First of all we cut all the answers up into strips

Then we scrunched them all up into balls and popped them into the magic pink tin.

Then the girls closed their eyes extra tight and the picked a winner!!  Of course I had to have a couple of chocolate Freddie Frogs up my sleeve as prizes for such helpful girls!!

And so our wonderful winner is.............

"Eleise" 

Eleise's Christmas tradition was "We didn't have many traditions around Christmas, but the one I did love was that someone put the tree up and got our all the decorations.  Then everyone in the family and sometime visitors would get a special drink and decorate the tree together.  Simple coming together of the family."

Congratulations Eleise.  I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas this year and that you enjoy all your Candy Bows.

Liebster Award - Sharing the love

Last week Techie Mum nominated me for a Liebster Award.  I was really flattered, so thank you very much.  I just love writing my blog and it's so rewarding to know that there are lots of you out there that read it.  I have to admit I had never heard of the Liebster Award before and had to do a bit of googling to find out more about it.  What I discovered made me feel even more flattered to be nominated, especially as a newbie to the blogging world and it's something I will definitely be passing on.  So here it is:

So what is a Liebster Award? The award is given to support and recognise up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers (on their blog) or likers (on their Facebook page). The word “Liebster” apparently has German origins and is reported to mean sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. By following some basic rules (answer 11 questions set by your nominee, write 11 questions of your own and pass the award onto 11 other bloggers to answer) it enables readers to get to know new bloggers and connect with a wider audience.

The questions Techie Mum set for me are:

What is your favourite techie gadget?

It has to be my iphone.  Some days I think it is actually a part of my body - like an extra arm.  I would be totally lost without it.  It has just about my whole life on it!  Good or bad - what do you think??

Laptop or desktop computer?

Mmmmm - both I think.  I do most of my work on a desktop (love my imac) but sometimes when I'm in bed I use an ipad and think a laptop would be quite handy!

Does your family complain about how much time you spend on the computer?

I'm pretty sure they do!!!  I often end up squeezing 10 minutes in here and there throughout the day, just to keep on top of things.  I do feel guilty most days that I should be doing more with the kids and less on the compter.  More hours in the day please!!

If money were no object what techie gadget would you buy?

A new Apple laptop

How do you manage your to-do lists?  Paper, phone, app?

Mostly apps.  My two favourites are Any.DO and Toodledo.  Toodledo allows you to sink with other phones which is quite handy when Mr D and I are sharing a to-do list.

So what about your calendar.  Do you use a diary/organiser or your phone/computer?

I use my phone - again, couldn't cope without it.

Which operating system do you use?  Apple or windows?

Apple.  Mr D converted me to Apple from Windows about 5 years ago and I've never looked back.  LOVE it.

Have you ever taken a break from technology and for how long?

I'm actually quite horrified to say that I haven't.  I feel a challenge coming on.........

What do you use to take photos?  A camera or your phone?

I'd say a bit of both, although I'm probably leaning more towards the phone.  On weekends and holidays I will bring out the SLR as it definitely takes the best pics.  However everyday life moments these days always seems to be caught on the phone!

Do you read real books or do you have an e-reader?  

I'm so busy that I hardly read books at all these days!!  I miss it.  Mr D bought me a kindle last Christmas and I do love it.  I don't think I'd ever go back to 'real books'.

Complete this sentence.  The most trouble technology ever go me into was......

Hahaha - a few years ago, when the iphones were still very new and exclusive, I accidentally washed Mr D's brand new one in the washing machine as I forgot to check his pockets!!  It didn't go down well at all!  Although I still think he should have checked his own pockets!!  (I also washed his wallet and lottery ticket in the same wash - oops!).

Now it's my job to pass on the Liebster Award on to another 11 wonderful bloggers:

I have chosen to nominated:
Jenny's Journal
Mother down under
Minsmash
The happy shutterbug
Bub sweat and tears
One mother hen
Francesca writes here
Housewife in heels
Modern nomads with kids
The illiterate infant
iSophie

These lucky 11 bloggers get the following questions from me:

1. Is your blog your job or your hobby?
2. Do you work from home and if so how do you manage to work around the kids?
3. If you could have a whole day to yourself what would you do?
4. What's your favourite quick, never fail dinner recipe?
5. Are you good at saying No when you need to? (I'm terrible)
6. What's the most embarrassing situation your little ones have put you in when out and about?
7. Are you currently following your passion?
8. Are you super organised or do you survive in organised chaos?
9. Have you ever moved country before?
10. Do you have a thermomix?  Do you love it?
11. Camping!  Love it or hate it??

Pop over and visit these lovely 11 blogs and see what they have to say about my questions.  And of course don't forget to visit the lovely Techie Mum

The other half of this week in pictures. Love Instagram!

This week was a great one as it only started on Wednesday!!  Long weekends away really do rock!  So here are just a few pics to catch you up on the second half of my week.  

Miss L on the school run.  She is such a little angel - on Thursdays she gets in and out of the car 8 times!!!!  And she is still always smiling.

 Most of this week was spent getting all my beautiful Candy Bows ready for the Josh's school Carnival.  It was my first ever market and despite the howling winds and missing Miss H's first ballet recital, I had a fabulous day.

My beautiful Miss H ready for her first ballet recital.  Mr D said it was one of the cutest things he's ever watched.  I was gutted I missed it and can't wait for the DVD.

The boys gearing up for their 25m swimming race!  They were awesome!!

Sunday morning swim club!  Next week I will be getting in too.  Think I'm more nervous about the temperature of the water (freezing) than actually swimming.  It's been quite a few years since I did any swimming races but I've had my arm twisted by Master J - how could I say no???

I found these beautiful pink Cosmos and I just HAD to have them!  They really remind of my childhood as they grow wildly on the sides of the road in the part of South Africa where I grew up.

Sunday night!  A rare moment when they are all watching the same channel.

Pink skies like butterflies

This other evening was just so humid that we were all feeling a bit hot and irritable!   The idea of tackling the bedtime routine just seemed like climbing a mountain in 40 degree heat!  So we decided to break all the rules and head down to the beach at bed time ......... on a school night!!

 There was a slight breeze down there which was just heavenly and the skies were just the most amazing array of pinks and purples.  "Pink skies like butterflies mummy" Miss H said!

As the kids were all in their pj's the plan was to just go out for a little walk, but the evening was so beautiful we all kicked off our shoes and ran through the sand right down to the waters edge.  It was just one of those random, unplanned moments where you can't help but look around and realise just how incredible life is.

There is nothing better than hearing the sound of your kids laughing!  Running on the beach and splashing in the waves is probably not the most sensible thing to do on a school night.   However, I'm now sitting at my desk smiling - the kids are in bed asleep and I'm wondering to myself why we don't do this sort of thing more often!!

My week (and a half) in pictures. Love Instagram!

This week has been an extra long one for me - which just means more pictures for you!!!  I usually always post my weekly iphoneography (love that word) pictures every Saturday or Sunday.  However, this week we went away for a long weekend and my internet signal was so poor  it would have been far too stressful to try and upload photos and blog!!  In a way it was a great way to step away from the computer and social media (apart from instagram of course) and just enjoy the weekend for exactly what it was meant to be .......... quality time with my family.  My cousin, LA, who lives in Melbourne, is the only family I have living in Australia and she her boyfriend, met us in Old Bar (NSW) for the long weekend.  We all had a fabulous time and I can't wait for the next one!

Last weekend Master J had his 6th birthday party at the netball courts!  It's the best place for biking, skating and scootering!  They had such a blast!!

The coolest 'Penny' ever!!  Mr D has even been doing a few tricks on it!  I'm not sure who's the biggest kid sometimes??

Two parties in one day = total exhaustion!

Always smiling 

Last Wednesday was Halloween and the kids were SO excited about going trick or treating (me - not so excited by the amount of sugar that came home!).  It was such a hot and humid evening that their make-up didn't last long - it just melted into a sticky mess, but they didn't care!! 

Just one of the many reason why I love my 6am training sessions on the beach.  The sun rises are just AMAZING!!

Need I say more..... 

Chilling on the beach whilst the kids run off that last bit of energy before the tea, bath, bed routine starts!

Mr D watching the whales!  Shame you cant see them in this picture but they have been around a lot this spring.  SO  incredible to see them playing in the ocean - we are very lucky!! 

First morning in our holiday apartment.  It was very early and Master J and I were the only ones up to watch the sunrise and keep little Miss L entertained.  He did a great job!

LA bought the kids some interesting lollies!  

Mr D doing some fishing!  I'm not sure how much fishing and how much beer drinking was being done!

Me and my littlest bubba 

It wouldn't be a trip up the NSW coast without sharing lunch with a pelican to two

Drinks on the water

Great cast!

My little fisherman!  He has learnt to cast out perfectly all by himself

While the boys were fishing in the mangroves, Miss H was playing in the mud!  She was absolutely in her element.  

My beautiful family x

Me and my Miss H

More fishing!  MT managed to catch a stingray that was NOT very happy about being caught.  His sting tail was lashing around everywhere trying to get someone!  Luckily we managed to set him free before anyone was harmed.

Making snow angels in the sand!!

gangster girl 

bedtime

LA and Miss L chilling by the pool

An ice-cream stop on the drive home!

Like I said, lots of piccies this week.  I managed to take so many gorgeous ones that it was hard to select what to post, so I may have got a bit carried away.

Tomorrow it's back to the grindstone of school and routine but no complaints from me after such a lovely weekend.  Best part is tomorrow (Wednesday) is my Monday this week!!!  

I hope you're all having a great week and thanks for stopping by xxx