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Thank You.

September 20th, 2012 | Posted by Sara in Life | Thankful Thursday - (3 Comments)

When I started blogging nearly 12 months ago I never thought it would have taken me so far.

I have met new friends, learned so much about the world around me and also learnt about myself.

The online world can sometimes be a tough one. It is all to easy to sit back in the comfort of your lounge room, office, bed, train, toilet or wherever you chose to connect from and forget that you are connecting with real people.

Sometimes we can all be guilty of playing the judgement card. Or quickly typing a comment without thinking of how those words might make the reader feel. I call to everyone to please think before hitting the submit button. If you disagree with what someone has written that’s fine, simply click away, or unfollow them rather than writing a nasty reply.

The online world can be a place to hide, from the mundane of the daily grind. I’m sure for some people it is a place to adopt a different persona to real life. I know I personally do my best to keep it real. I pride myself on my ‘what you see is what you get’ attitude to life in general & my online life is no different.

I am thankful every day for the online village I have created to help me through my journey in life.

I believe that what we share with each other via blogging, twitter, Facebook, instagram or any other online means is so special.

I have witnessed many scenes of generosity, I have wept with sadness & also joy. I have shared in people’s births, deaths & triumphs.

So today I just want to say thank you to every single person who I have connected with. You have all made an impact on my journey. You are all so special & I thank you for sharing part of your life with me.

Xxx

S

Linking up with Kate

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Finding thankfulness

July 5th, 2012 | Posted by Sara in Thankful Thursday | Uncategorized - (4 Comments)

Some days it is easier to be thankful than others. Today is a day that I am struggling to find the good in anything.

 The past few months have been tough for our little family, the exact reasons I will not be sharing here, all you need to know is that it’s been “character building”

Mentally I am almost at breaking point I think, I have honestly stopped caring about most things, my appearance, the house cleanliness, what I eat have all been pushed into the who gives a damn pile. I am putting all my energy into keeping the Worm happy, healthy & safe.

Despite all of the above it  is important to be thankful for the good things, because there are always good things to be found when you look really hard.

I am thankful that I have a roof over my head.

I am thankful that I have a kind & loving partner who is doing his best to cope with the shitty situation.

I am thankful that I have secured a good child care place for Worm, she loves it there, and after looking through her progress book I can really see that she is growing & developing into a confident child.

I am thankful for my supportive friends, who upon seeing me get upset do everything to bring my smile back.

I am thankful for my parents, the right words, and the right phone call at the right time do wonderful things for a girl’s spirits.

So these are the things I am thankful for today. My heart is cold, my smile is rare, my tears are in my eyes, my spirit is fading but there is always something to be thankful for.

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Flowers from my parents & Chocolate Brownie from a friend bringing a smile to my face today

What are you thankful for today?

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Thankful for Car Safety Made Easy

March 1st, 2012 | Posted by Sara in Life | Thankful Thursday | Uncategorized - (2 Comments)

Before Worm came into our lives I can honestly say that I gave little thought to car safety. I should clarify, I always wear a seat belt & check my tyre tread regularly, but apart from that the fact that our car has airbags or crumple zones didn’t really mean much to me.

However from the first drive home with Worm (4 hours to the farm) all of a sudden these things became critically important to me.The health & well-being of my child, my husband & myself became paramount.

Since 1993 ANCAPS has conducted safety checks on over 380 new vehicles, the vehicles are given a star rating based on the level of safety they provide in the event of a car crash. Factors such as airbags, electronic braking systems, seatbelts and others combine, and cars are awarded or deducted points based on the results of these tests. All cars are subject to the same rounds of testing, which is conducted at 64km per hour. Observations are also made on the displacement of dummies during the crash, as well as the structural impact on the vehicles occupant compartment.

The ANCAPS ratings in a nutshell are really easy to read – the more stars the better. In fact occupants of a car with a 1 star rating have twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured in a crash compared to those in a 5 star car. This fact alone amazed me! After reading the materials I went searching on the ANCAPS website for our cars rating.

I was very pleased to discover that our car a 2007 Subaru Outback (with safety pack) achieved a 5 star rating. The report was very comprehensive and I was particularly excited to see that the Outback reached a total of 35.52 points – the highest scoring vehicle assessed by Australian NCAP for that year.

To check out how your car measured up, or to help you decide the next car you purchase I highly recommend checking out the ANCAPS website and using that information to make your decision.

You can check out the ANCAP website here: www.ancap.com.au, and the campaign Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/ANCAP-CRASH-TESTING.

This is a very important message so I would appreciate you sharing it via your networks.

What are your concerns about car safety? Have you used the ANCAPS ratings to make your decision before?

This post links in with Kate Says Stuff for Thankful Thursday – Please pop over & check out the other thankful posts today.

You can check out the ANCAP website here: www.ancap.com.au, and the campaign Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/ANCAP-CRASH-TESTING. 

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The Giving Bowl

February 9th, 2012 | Posted by Sara in Giveaways | Life | Thankful Thursday - (11 Comments)

Today I am thankful that there are people in the world who continually strive to make it a better place. People like Cate Bolt who despite their own struggles, challenges, successes & victories still keep the less fortunate in mind.

Cate was diagnosed with a condition in 2011 which has caused her eyesite to deteriorate. Her first thought was not ‘Woe is Me’ it was more along the lines of “what can I do despite my condition”. With this in mind Cate has taught herself to crochet with her eyes shut, she is still making the most beautiful blankets and selling them to support an orphanage in Indonesia that she established in 2010.

Cate’s most recent project is “The Giving Bowl” an international campaign for incidental altruism – or put simply, giving without going without. The concept is simple – buy a bowl, throw your spare change in it each day and when it’s full – donate the coins to your favourite charity or cause.

I know that my husband often has pockets full of change, that we periodically count up & put back into our bank account to pay bills. We don’t miss the money that lives in the draw for months, we make ends meet without it, and when we do find the time to count it up we are often surprised at the amount that is simply lying around.

Cate has produced the most beautiful Bowls that she is selling through her Esty store. The profits from the purchase of your Giving Bowl go to Foundation 18’s humanitarian projects in Indonesia, providing education, health care, food and clean drinking water to children at risk.

I would like to offer my readers a chance to have their own Giving Bowl, I haven’t purchased it yet, as I want the winner to be able to pick their own colour & design from The Giving Bowl Etsy store. I will order it when the winner decides what they would like.

The entry process is easy – Head over to The Giving Bowl on Facebook & “like” it then leave a comment below telling me what charity or cause you would donate the proceeds of your Giving Bowl too.

The fine print: The Competition will close on the 16th of February 2012, winner will be advised via email that night & has 48 hours to reply to my email otherwise it will be re-drawn. This is a random draw. I am the promoter of this competition & I alone am responsible for getting the bowl to the winner.

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A letter to a new mother

February 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Sara in Being a mum | Thankful Thursday - (42 Comments)

Dear Sara,

I wish I could have told you this 6 months ago, but you wouldn’t have believed me anyway.

I remember you were so sure that having a baby wasn’t going to change you at all. You were right, and wrong all at the same time. You were changed the instant that you conceived, you softened, became more accepting and appreciating of other opinions.

Don’t worry about the housework, the dishes can wait, you don’t need clean clothes & who cares about the gardens.

Don’t be afraid of spoiling your child, I wish I could have told you that you will grow to love your child like nothing else ever existed. That you would soon forget what life was like without her.

I wish you would believe me when I tell you that breastfeeding isn’t easy, I know you assumed that it would be. I wish I could have assured you that even when you are crying due to the pain your child is benefiting from everything you give her.I wish I could have assured you that the pain does go away, and that breastfeeding would become your favourite job as a mother.

You will get used to functioning on less than 6 hours sleep a night,  going to bed at 8pm doesn’t mean you are a granny.  The 3am feeds are just special moments share between mother and daughter. The times that you can really stare at her beautiful face, looking at her eyelashes and hands, and trying to comprehend how you and the Farmer were able to produce something so perfect.

You will be so  proud you will be watching your daughter grow and develop into a little person. Seeing her face light up in smiles, hearing her giggle and copy your mannerisms will be the highlights of your day.

Sara, by the time your daughter is 6 months old, you will have pushed through illness, moving house, stress, and travel. You will smile, laugh and love. I wanted  you to understand that you will be giving your child the best start you can,  loving her, and teaching her.

Thank you for believing in yourself.

 

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