Thursday, October 9, 2014

5 Programs Mothers just have to watch!

You know those times when your baby/toddler/child has just quietened in the night, and you have period between this time and bedtime and you are flicking through the channels and nothing is on. Well I have decided to pop up my 5 favourite programs, so you can get recording and use this brief window of time wisely. Feel free to pop anymore below that you think us mothers would enjoy.


ARROW

Season three has just begun and life is good. You  will fall in love with EVERY character on this show..... maybe not Laurel and Sarah but mostly EVERY character on this show. You will find all your lesbian tendencies hanging out for Felicity and find shirtless males EVERYWHERE! Even the villains are good looking in this series! It involves a seriously heavy plotline that involves twists at every turn.

Basically Oliver Queen, a billionaire spoilt brat, was stuck on an island for 5 years and now he's returned to make amends for his father's selfish actions. 

As for Stephen Amell (Arrow/Oliver Queen) .......if there is one thing you do after reading this blog, it's follow his facebook page.  He just finished raising money for F*CK CANCER, after selling some "arrow" things to raise money for JoJo (a child suffering from cancer) and a family before that. He runs his own facebook page and has the most beautiful family!

NZ- Thursday nights 9.30pm (after THE FLASH also another program to watch)


REIGN


Romance, swordfights, mystery, the plague, hot frenchman, empowered women. This series has it all!

The costumes are beautiful, the characters are beautiful. It's basically centered around the lives and affairs of Mary, Queen of Scots and her time at French court. It's severely unpredictable, which I love, and just really fun to watch. Completely historically incorrect but it makes for an awesome TV show.

NZ- Returning soon to PRIME


UNDER THE DOME

I thought I would struggle with the plot of this programme, but I can't get over how much I enjoy this show! Stick a whole town under a dome and see what happens and so much does. It  keeps you guessing with every episode. There isn't heaps of eye candy but enough to get by.

NZ- Wednesday nights 8.30pm PRIME


DEVIOUS MAIDS

Come on, we all know you enjoyed Desperate housewives until about Season 3 when it just got really boring. Well the good looking pool boys and gardeners are back, except it is from the perspective of the help.More scandal, murder, affairs and all those other things that make us appreciate how good and easy our real life relationships are!


2 BROKE GIRLS

You have to get in on this comedy, its so funny, non-offensive and just so relatable for us poor people. You will fall in love with Max and learn to laugh at short men! Some light relief with a cool storyline......

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Praying for the Agnostic Smoker


I've only prayed for something I really want 5 times in my life. You see we never went to church when we were little and we certainly weren't made to pray for anything as we were fully blessed with everything thanks to our hard working parents.

The first time I prayed was when I was about 8 and REALLY wanted the lead in the school play even though someone else had already been given the girl lead. Low and behold 3 weeks later after many a tantrum; I was given the boy lead solos!! Pfft! What did I care, I could pass off as a guy at that age quite easily and I ruled at it.

The second time I prayed was at the age of 10 when mum had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. (Let's just put it out there; she never smoked). She was only given a few months to live. I prayed that her time on earth could be stretched so we could spend more time with her.

The third time I prayed wasn't long after, just before turning 12. It was horrible to see mum in so much pain as she battled, I just wanted it to stop. I also realised that the last prayer was extremely selfish of me. 15 months after her diagnosis the cancer won it's battle. I think back now and maybe I should have prayed for a miracle.

The fourth time I prayed was after 6 years of trying to conceive a baby at Age 22. Summer arrived by my 23rd birthday.

The fifth time I prayed was just over a week ago; I asked for help, I needed help. The week before I had to scrounge every last cent from the couch to attempt to buy some milk for our daughter. It was horrifying knowing that we had smokes to last yet not milk. I wanted to quit. I'd done it before while pregnant but had taken it back up with ease. We are back at the same position this week but our baby unfortunately has to go without (luckily at toddler stage so it's okay) until payday.

Last week I started feeling ill every time I had a puff. The prayer had worked, now to stick with it. I want every last cent of my smoke money to benefit my child and to make up for the hideous mistake I made of taking smoking up.

Don't judge me ---- be with me on this journey as you all have been with me before!!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Sex-Positive Parenting Rocks

I just read the most interesting blog today:

"We Don't Touch our Vulvas at the table." This Sex-Positive Mom rocks













My poor dad was left with my sister and I when I had just reached the age of 12. Let's just say I was extremely lucky not to be pregnant a lot early than 23 :) I really want to build a strong foundation of great self-esteem and amazing confidence for Summer for when she grows up but I can't do that if I'm contradicting myself by telling her there are parts of her that she should be ashamed of!

So now I'm taking the time to become more Sex-positive educated so I have the right lessons to teach Summer at the right stages :) If she asks I will be honest and tell her no such cabbage and stork fairytales. I want her to be able to ask me anything.

Anyway make sure you read the blog linked above, it's a real eye opener.
\
And please let me know  any opinions or advice you might have about the subject!!!








Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Gorgeous Pasta in a Bunnykins bowl

Ever feel like you skimp out on your dedication to good tasting food just because you have a toddler who lacks food appreciation skills. I think there it's really never too early to teach your wee one what excellent tasting food is. Plus they will also enjoy participating later on! I made this Beef & Tomato Homemade Pasta for us for lunch today! All for less than $8 and it was gorgeous! Find the recipe below. BTW no technical machines are required just a bit of love and patience!
 

 Chop 1 clove of garlic
 Melt dollop of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a fry pan and heat up until pan is "Steak cooking temperature"

*Temp trick if you can hold your hand 1 inch above the pan for more than 10seconds without pulling away it isn't hot enough







Make sure your piece of steak (topside or rump) has sat at room temperature for about an hour before cooking for best quality!

  Line a board for your dough with baking paper, it makes the whole job easier. Make sure it's secured underneath.

 Place 2 cups of flour and 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt in the middle of the board and make a well.
 Whisk 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil together.

I always use one duck egg for flavour and colour.
 Add steak to pan, fry for about 4 minutes on each side then cover with pot lid for 3 minutes.
 While steak is cooking add egg/milk combo gradually into the centre of the well. Go around the edges and combine it well without letting it spill over the side. It takes a little bit of patience.

Once you have a sticky dough flour your hands and the board and get to kneading. Continue kneading for 5 minutes

Best way to Knead. fold half towards you then push away from you with the heel of your hand, half-turn and repeat.


 Once it is suitably kneaded and is smooth, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.

 Retrieve your steak from the pan and let it rest.
 Add a can of italian tomatoes to your steak pan, 2 TBSP of tomato sauce, 1 TBSP of soy sauce, 1 tsp of sweet chilli sauce and 1 1/2 TBSP of gravy. Simmer and leave to reduce slightly

 Slice the steak into very thin little chunks once rested
.
 Add steak to sauce on the stove and leave to simmer. Add seasoning to your taste.

Once the meat is suitably juicy fish the meat out with a little bit of the sauce and set it in a bowl to cool.

















 Add one cup of water to the remaining sauce and leave to simmer on the stove on a very low heat.

Put a large pot of salted water onto boil on the stove

 Roll out pasta with rolling pin as thin as possible without breaking. Cut into strips and gently place in some of the cooled steak and tomato mixture.
 Place it into the boiling pot of water. Don't overcrowd the pasta pot!
 Once the pasta start to float add it to the sauce pan and let it soak up all the juices.

Warning: The picture below shows all that will be left of your restaurant quality meal :)

 

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie! --- Why I'm Looking Forward To The View

I definitely think as mothers it is very important that we discuss this! Fifty Shades of grey has just released the movie trailer and it looks "AMAZING!!!"

After Sons of Anarchy star decided he couldn't handle the jandal, I never thought they would find a replacement. Well let me just say, they certainly have, Mr Tall-Dark & Handsome looks like he has a date with me next Valentines Day (Release date) and he certainly won't be stood up.

The book series by E.L James came to my attention a few years ago when my employer (yes you heard it right) recommended them to me and even lent me her copy. It wasn't so much the "Romantic storyline" that I read it for but the pure honesty of the fantasies of other humans. I was curious to read the nitty and gritty parts of the "forbidden" subjects which were written so enticingly lets just say Summer was born 9 months later!

Now I know you all say "I read it for the storyline" Good luck trying to convince me of that. Who doesn't like to escape reality every now and then, it certainly isn't something to feel ashamed of! Hell it was dubbed Mummy porn for a reason.

The movie looks exceptional, the music "Crazy in Love" really spells out the hidden themes, secrets and excitement in one crazily short trailer that leaves you wanting more. The cast is perfect and the acting looks incredible. When I turn up on Valentines day, I want to get swept up in the magic of it all and it looks like it will definitely be possible!

It was written from Twilight fan-fiction, You can't possibly pretend to like it!!!! Who cares? You're husband definitely won't be complaining and some of my favourite recent movies stemmed from Harry Potter and the likes fan fiction.

So when you decide to purchase that cinema ticket or DVD later next year, remember everyone secretly loves it and Mr Tall-Dark and Handsome on big screen is just waiting for you!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Simple Methods To CONTROL Your Child!

Methods to control other people seem too far in the future for most of us! We want to control that employer that keeps trying to make you keep deadlines, the 'so called friends' that never want to do what you want to do or the other half who just can't stop saying "No" (or sometimes F*** off). At the top of the list there is something that we want to control more than all of these put together, 'Our children'.



We want to control their every movement so they don't injure themselves, we want to control what they eat because that month old 'raisin' behind the bookshelf isn't good enough in our minds, we want to control what they see, draw and learn all at once.

And I say 'we' to signify controlling and overprotective mothers such as myself, but there are also others, those with the looks of "control your child" or even their enormous gobs that they use to voice their concerns.

Here are Some simple methods that I have come up with (without futuristic mind control) to control that inquisitive toddler or boisterous child of yours:

Wave your magic wand or bubbles:  A child's mood is picked by the distraction capabilities of their adult counterpart. Bubbles come everywhere with me, it not only entertains your child during a boredom tantrum but also helps distract them from any cuts or scrapes that they may have attained.

 

Use the force.... to breath: In and out, in and out. Your toddler wants those cheese puffs they've just seen in aisle 5 and if they don't get it they will probably go hulk on your ass! Remain calm, pull out a camera and take a video for their 21st.




Bribe the s**t out of them: I have a row of bribing tools for nappy changes, clothing changes and medicine taking. These tools include but are not limited to the cat's chew toy, chocolate biscuits ( reserved for "Hulk Summer" only), baby wipe packets and other things she is generally not allowed. If it works for the mafia why can't it work for us!

 

Let it go: Take a leaf out Frozen's book. Let Elsa be Elsa, let Dr Phil be Dr Phil and let your child be your child. Let that Jerk in the deli line telling you to control your child continue being a jerk and revel in the fact that his wife is probably a bigger nag that you.




Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Am I CLUCKY OR JUST CRAZY?



To read the full article please head over to Baby Life Magazine to read my guest blog!

Summer’s not a baby anymore, at 15 months she is a fully developed tantrum throwing toddler! She actually has her own personality and her own way of doing everything. She has an action plan of how she will avoid her day naps, wrestle with me at meal times and subsequently make every task harder.

But boy she knows how to put on the cute! That look of innocence drives me right back down the path of “aren’t kids amazing” and “we should have more”!

.................. Read more over at Baby Life Magazine

Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Next Chapter!

So I have been super quite around here the last few days. I have had a decent excuse I promise! My nana, aka Summer's Great Nana, has asked for another DVD of Summer. You may remember the first one I made of 0-8 months from a previous blog, well I promise I have attempted to improve my film making skills. Who knows by the time she is ten I might be able to add subtitles :).

Anyway I wanted the perfect music and I was wondering around humming to radio the other day. The most beautiful song came on, about just appreciating life that was given to us. Although it might not be about that at all... My song interpretation is a little off every now and then. (I can't listen to 'Trumpets' by 'Jason Derulo' anymore after my less-naiive friend told me what it was really about). So I found the perfect song.

Next I moved on to my favourite videos and photos of the last few months, and after many hours of editing Ouila!

I was so excited I had to share it with everyone! It's impossible to capture her sparkle through the lens, mostly because I need to invest in a better camera  and because she is pure joy just being in the same room as her :)

Anyway here is the video for your enjoyment:





Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Has TV Become To PC For Our Kids?

Poupon--- Yes I giggled like a 5 year old! Poupon Mustard,
("I Poupon my Kids Lunches")
Have a watch :)


I recently read an article that they had banned this commercial as soon as it was aired. Of course they have broadcasting standards to uphold but it got me to thinking has "What we allow" our children to see become too PC.

This is from a child that was brought up watching the Simpsons, and whose parents brought her the South Park Nintendo 64 game because they didn't realise it was child inappropriate. Modern day parents would be called 'Neglectful' if they allowed their children to watch "filth" like that.

My parents were far from neglectful, they were so busy, they didn't have the time to watch everything and make sure it fitted into the 'safe' category. They just left us to it, but we didn't mind! They trusted that if anything got too scary, inappropriate or generally AO then we would turn it off or change the channel. We even had TVs in our rooms so we could leave them for some quiet time.

My sister and I never spent time copying them, we just enjoyed the story line and great humour. Since it wasn't a big deal, we never made it one. Then when real life didn't throw us unicorns and rainbows, we understood that not everything in life has a happy ending. It made us more open minded and educated us on life a lot more than sesame street or scooby doo could ever do. (Two of my favourite programs as well)

Some people would argue that it taught us to grow up too fast. Instead it taught us to question everything, search for answers not just within the children's realm and helped us to discover the power of knowledge. We both read a lot, more than our friends and were both reading Adult themed novels at an early age.

I believe the fact that our parent's were trusting us with the TV and its content without parental lock, or constant supervision really helped us grow into better people.

Now I'm not saying to go out and buy the latest "Grand Theft Auto" so your child can go around killing prostitutes. I'm saying if you don't make it a big deal, it won't seem like a reward to your children if they get a late night glimpse at a "Family guy" episode. My guess is they probably wouldn't understand it anyway.

I hope the Poupon ad gave you a good laugh! I would love to hear your opinions or experiences on whether TV has become to PC :)

Sunday, June 15, 2014

DIY for your kids!

New Zealand is a nation of DIYers! (Do it yourself). If we can't afford something we make it by ourselves using itts and bits from around the house and LOTS of Duct tape (as essential as watties tomato sauce in NZ home)

There are various ways you can search for DIY tutorials: 


Tutorial via Youtube
Tutorial via blog
Tutorial via pinterest
Tutorial via instruction manual
Tutorial straight from the horses mouth (A fellow DIYer)
No tutorial at all (Using your DIY creativity)

There are so many other examples but these are my favourites!

What have I DIYed for my daughter?

Her dresser- I bought a set of drawers from the local recycle center before she was born for $5 and a sander from the warehouse $10 and sanded the rough polish of the drawers. It came out with this beautiful wood. So I left it like that! We were bought up in a house of wooden walls and I love the feel and look of it!! 

A new dress- Head over to my Stitch Witch blog if you want to learn how to make a strapless dress I designed for your wee girl.


Playtoys and blankets- Taggy cubes, blankets etc are huge at the moment. They are simple to sew up and you can fill them with all sorts of things to make them even more exciting for your little one!



Decor- I am a big fan of upcycling to create gorgeous decor. I follow a page on facebook, Oh Em Gee and they not only sell decor but show really creative ways to upcycle and decorate your home, nursery etc. It's not often I find a page I check daily but this is one of them. 

Towels-  Hooded towels are expensive and good quality ones are hard to come by. However I found a great tutorial of how to make Hooded towels in less than 15 minutes over at True Aim and Parenting Education Blog. Make sure before you fork out for those expensive towels, you give this beginner sewing tutorial a shot.

Good luck on your DIY journey!!! And remember it's completely normal to start 10 projects at a time and maybe only finish one! It's part of the fun!!! :) Please share any of your DIY ideas or tips with us!

You're Failing As A Parent

Ever wonder what people are thinking when they blink furiously at you while you're apologizing for something your little one has done or is about to do.

Well in everyone else's eyes, they can do it better. If they were raising your child they would have had them napping while you were on your coffee date.

They, would of course have taken into account the 4 times you got up to your teething toddler in the night (They probably would have let her cry it out), the couple of poo explosions that you had to dash through trying to get ready for the coffee outing (Of course they would use cloth diapers as they are better for the environment and more natural for bub's bum), the laundry that you had to wrangle through as a result of the explosions so there was no stains left in the clothes, and then you have to find and pack the bottles, (Breast is best, they say), diapers, wipes, and entertainment toys (They would of organised that the night before.) Yes they definitely could do it better, they say, or even more aggravating is when they say "Oh yes I've been through that and this is how I did it better than you."

You know they are thinking in their mind as they smile that curved, judgmental, all knowing smile
"You're Failing As A Parent"
 Reality is THEY JUST DON'T KNOW! Those that don't have kids don't understand the full time job they cause and those that do have kids seem to have a memory like sieve, one of those metal sieves, hard and spiky..... and judgmental

What do you do? The answer is nothing, accept that from a very outside point of view with no real understanding it may look as if you are "Failing as a Parent" but it's like trying to teach a 3 year old statistics, they just aren't going to understand it, no matter how hard you try.

All these 3 year stats students come in different shapes and forms:

We have the 'Go Natural' type- Usually found in small hippie vegan cafes or natural health shops, these people will increase your child's risk of SIDS as they highly endorse co-sleeping (Not that I'm against it) until a very healthy age, and running around nappy less, number 1 and 2ing all over your floor or even worse using the dreaded 'cloth diapers.'

We have the 'Doing so well' type- Beware of the fake smiles as they squeeze you dry of all the gossip they can get to pass on to others about your terrible way of parenting. Don't be fooled if they have a baby in tow also, they want to know why they are doing the parenting gig way better than you.

We have the "Done it all before" type- "Rub whisky on her gums just before she goes to bed" your neighbours tells you, "I did it for all my kids and my grandkids". Obviously you shouldn't give liquor to children in any capacity..... even if it is just a finger of it. These are the ones that encourage Cry it out when THEY don't think your baby's sleep routine is up to scratch. If the mother isn't up for CIO, it can put more strain on her, and that is the last thing you want.

We have the "By the book" type- Everything has to be done the way they read somewhere. No matter what trained professionals have advised you, it's probably all rubbish in their BOOKS.


I could go on and on about the types of judgemental people, why do I do this? Because identifying the enemy (as such) makes them a whole lot less scary and intimidating. So just sit back, relax, break the cycle and don't judge other mothers.

By the way "You are doing fantastic job at motherhood!"

Sunday, June 8, 2014

3 Great toddler meal ideas


It's not often I will pop recipes up here, however I have been struggling on what to feed little miss for her main meals lately; I have run into a few issues with her;

- She will only feed herself
- She will only eat exciting textures or coloured food.

Here are three cheap meal ideas that are healthy and won't be take too long :)

Butter chicken Rice ball:




Ingredients for interior:

Can of WATTIES butter chicken sauce
1 chicken breast

Slice chicken as thinly as possible. Heat olive oil in a pan and brown chicken, add sauce and simmer.

(Optional: Add vegetables sliced thinly)

Ingredients for rice ball:

2 cups of Jasmine Rice (cooked per instructions)
50 ml Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp of White sugar
1 Tbsp Olive oil

Cook the rice per instructions until there is no water, allow it to cool  (enough to handle). Heat olive oil, vinegar and sugar in a pot until sugar is dissolved completely, stirring constantly. Stir into rice throroughly until rice is covered. 

Roll out a length of gladwrap, spoon a layer of rice onto it, add a few pieces of the chicken right in the middle (not too much sauce). Fully cover the rest with rice then roll the gladwrap around, shaping it as you go.

Ouila instant rice ball. Cool in fridge if you prefer. Otherwise enjoy!!!

Falafel Balls:



Ingredients:

1 cup watties chickpeas1 spring onion, chopped2 cloves of garlic, chopped

A couple of tablespoons of finely grated parmesan cheese (opt)
1 teaspoon cumin2 tablespoons flourSaltPepperOil for frying


YOU NEED A FOOD PROCESSOR FOR THIS!



Drain chickpeas, and place in pan with fresh water, and bring to a boil.

Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then let simmer on low for about an hour. 

Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes. 

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, grated parmesan, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour.

Jump everything into the the food processor for a few minutes. You want the result to be a thick paste. 

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in a hot pan of olive oil until they are golden brown
Serve hot. 

Serving suggestions - boiled egg, potato salad

Chicken Chow mein



(Summer loves this recipe - She loves sucking the noodles up and swishing them around the plate)

Ingredients: 

Enso Instant Fine egg noddles 
1 chicken breast

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2-2 tablespoons oyster sauce (opt.)

Boil egg noodles, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside

Slice the chicken breast thinly - marinate in sesame oil, rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of Soy sauce.  Heat 2 Tablespoon olive oil and fry chicken. After 2 minutes take chicken out of pan, with juices, wipe excess juice out of pan.

Heat remaining olive oil, add finely chop garlic, and any sliced veges you might like. Add the noodles and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken, remaining soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir, heat through and serve.

Simple!!!


Would love to hear of any other toddler meals you might have. Always on the look for them!!!!



Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Communication comparison- Before Kids and After Kids!

I was just reading a text yesterday and I thought, if I was anyone but the mother of his child this would be an entirely inappropriate text.

Before you had a kid, the only reason you would text your other half during work hours would be to tell him things like:

"I miss you, love you, can't wait for you to get home!"

Now the only reason you want the other half home is:

"You need to knock off early, actually now.... it's screaming and won't stop!"

Communication while grocery shopping:

Before kids:     (Via text) What do you feel like for tea, fettucine, or Ravioli?
After kids:       (Phone call) *Child screaming in background* Have we still got those McCains frozen meals in the freezer?

Texts while [Other Half] "out with friends":

Before kids:  (Text)  (2am) [Me] I'm heading to bed now, back doors unlocked for you xx
After kids:    (Text)  (7pm) [Other Half]"On way home now, Little miss has a code brown"
                              (7.01pm)  [Me]"Bags not"

Texts between friends:

Before kids: (Text) (9.30pm) [Friend] "Wanna Hang"
                                          [Me]    "Sure"
After kids: (Text) (9.30pm)   [Friend] "Wanna Hang"
                                          [Me]    "Dude you woke me up!"

Text while [I'm] on vacation:

Before kids: (Phone call) (11pm) [Other half] "Miss you"
                                               [Me]   "Oh it's only for a few days"
After kids: (Text)           (4.30pm) [Me] " Miss you"
                                             [Other half] "I think it's good for little miss to be visiting her relatives"




Sunday, June 1, 2014

Why I won't be lying to my children!

When little miss grows up, I intend to tell her about Santa Clause, the tooth fairy and the easter bunny. However when she comes to me later and asks the question:

"Mum, are they real?"

I will answer honestly, "Maybe darling, although there is no proof so if they are real they must be exceptionally clever."

Not only will this entice her into imagining a more complex Santa/bunny, it will help culture her into the way that she should always talk to others. Honestly without crushing their hopes and dreams.

I'll always remember the day on the bus at the age of 9, having just spent the Christmas holidays imagining whole new facets of the Father Christmas extreme. One girl piped up

"Oh that's right, Tumara still believes in Santa Claus."

Do you know what I replied, what I truly and wholeheartedly believed so innocently;

"My mummy told me that he was real so he must be."

This is the reason why I will never lie to my child, because as soon as I found out they had lied to me for sooo many years about all these imagined things, I lost all hope. Over dramatic I know, but after that, I always had a niggle of doubt when they told me something.

I don't ever want Little miss to have this niggle...... I may wander around the truth but I will never point blank lie to her. I believe the lines of communication and trust start from the moment they are born and forge a path for their future.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

WAHM--- The 10 fulltime jobs they actually do!!! :)

What is the meaning of WAHM?

WAHM means "Work At Home Mom"

An extended meaning ---- not only do WAHM's work every hour of the day that their child/children are awake, entertaining, feeding, washing and cleaning between the daylight hours or sometimes not so daylight hours. When they are entertained, fed, washed and cleaned and mothers have a quiet minute, this is when they morph into their secret identity "The WAHM"! Their powers are super sensitive hearing incase the child/children are up to something they shouldn't be up to and they grow a pair of eyes out of the back of their head so they are able to split their attention between the child/children and whatever task they are trying to complete. 

Once the other half arrives home, WAHM needs to get tea cooked, dishes completed, child/children bathed and bedded, then return to the task at hand. This means that she might not finish until the early hours of the morning. 

WAHM's generally work 7 days a week and do it all for a particularly low return.

Why would anyone want to be a WAHM?

I sometimes wonder this? My organisational skills are excellent and I still have trouble making time for everyone and everything! However, even though we get a ridiculously low hourly wage, it's enough income to help make ends meet at the end of the week. I worked a full time job just last month for a while and it pained me every time I walked away from Miss 1! I also realized nobody else wanted to hear all about Miss 1 in all her excitement, so it turned out that I really had nothing in common with any of my colleagues. Being a WAHM is sort of an inbetween compromise for those mums that can't handle "Just being mums" but also want something for themselves! 

How to become a WAHM?

I could give you a step-by-step guide but where is the fun in that. However I will give you a little advice.  Find an idea, and run with it. Don't give up! Realise that it might be slow to start of with but you just grow and grow and grow and look forward to the exciting times. Support other WAHM's! In fact as long as you aren't in the same industry as them, I'm sure you could probably give them a message to hear their story or advice on how to become a WAHM. 

NZ WAHMS-- that you need to visit--

BABY BANZ NZ- Run by Andrea Little- sun & sound safety gear for babies & kids
 
Pepi's Boutique - Handmade clothing for girls!   & Mano Rato - Handmade clothing for Boys! Both run by Krystal Pires

Baby Life Magazine Bizzy Shopping and 2cute - All run by the wonderful Jackie Procter

Bubs Bibs n Bobs- Run by Cushla Jaquiery

Olly Polly- Run by Tess Burnett - Olly Polly is a Merino baby wear company that will keep your little ones warm and snug in Winter and cool in Summer.


Red Riding Hood Yarns- Run by Hannah Gordon

Or head over to the Hive a buzzing online shopping experience showing off small kiwi businesses (mostly wahm  )