Tis the Silly Season

So, the days here in the UK are getting shorter and shorter, and the temperature is also dropping. Here's hoping for a white christmas!

Now that Christmas is getting closer, I'm trying to get organised with crafts and DIY jobs. I've been following some threads on the Vogue Forum about Xmas crafts to give me some inspiration, as all as Pinterest as well, both of which have fantastic DIY ideas.

So far, I've only made a few things. My fav so far for sure is my little sock monkeys. I've never made one before so wasn't quite sure how it would turn out but I was quite surprised! I'm making a few for presents and personalising them with bows in their hair, as well as sewing little hearts onto them with as well. I've not quite finished this one, as he needs a little monkey smile as well, but nearly done. Behold!

Isn't he cuuuute! I think these will make really great gifts, and they aren't even that hard to do, just a little fiddly towards the end. I just love making things like this, it makes gifts that little bit more personal knowing that someone has physically worked to make it for you. Love!

Are you doing any crafts this christmas? Please comment and share your ideas with me so I can keep making little creations while I'm on a roll.

Here comes the sun

Just stopped packing for a moment as I'm going away on a lovely holiday tomorrow. Cannot wait to feel the sun on my skin, living in England makes me miss that warming feeling so much. Looking forward to  lounging around, relaxing, cocktailing (that is not a word) and splashing about in the water. Pretty sure that I've never dashed out of work as quickly as I did today - rushed into town to get some last minute things and have a quick wax ready for my bikini and then came home to prepare.

In the meantime, I hope you all are well and happy and aren't too jealous that I'm going to be so relaxed I'll be horizontal when I come home.

Speak to you all soon, armed with some photos! xxx

Complementary Therapies Course

Since moving over to the UK I've really missed midwifery - talking about it and practicing it. So I jumped at the chance to attend a course run by the lovely Denise Tiran which covered Complementary Therapies in maternity care. For those of you who aren't yet students or midwives, Denise is without a doubt the leading expert in this field, you cannot do an assignment on this topic without having her name take up most of the reference list.

As a new midwife, I am often asked about the use of complementary therapies during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period but feel that I have little to no knowledge about this field. I don't really think we covered it in any depth in university and have never felt very comfortable giving advice as it was outside of my scope of practice. Apparently up to 87% now use natural remedies during their pregnancy, though this is a major area that midwives need to learn about in order to advise women correctly about what is safe and what isn't. Although natural, these remedies often act in the same way that drugs do and for that reason should be treated as such, especially as they can have negative effects.

Some topics we discussed during the two day course were aromatherpy, moxibustion for breech presentation, massage and common remedies used during pregnancy (including raspberry leaf tea and ginger). Denise ran the course so professionally, and allowed us to ask any questions that we wanted and therefore guide the course to suit our learning needs. I loved that the level was appropriate for qualified midwives, students and wannabe students as well.

I learnt so much over the two days (trust me, I wrote pages of notes!) and now feel really comfortable and confident in providing women with advice when they ask questions about natural remedies. Doing this course has also really made me interested in this field and wanting to extend my knowledge even further. I am already looking at how I can possibly do more of Denise's courses before going home to Australia!

I would seriously recommend her courses to anybody interested in midwifery, whether you are a student or hoping to be accepted onto a midwifery course, a doula or birth partner or qualified midwife. The rates for the courses are very resonable, especially if you can get a group together, and you get a certificate to put in your portfolio as well, which makes it really worthwhile.

Denise has also just let me know that she has had such an overwelming interest in her 'Introduction to Midwifery' programme for those hoping to enter midwifery in the future that has she created another shorter version to be held in Slough in November and December.

Check out Denise Tiran's website http://www.expectancy.co.uk/ for more information about the many courses that she runs and prices. Not only is there all the relevent information about the courses but also some fantastic articles which give you a real insight into complementary therapies.

Keeping off the weight

As you may have read in one of my posts a few months ago, I was on a diet and exercise plan and managed to lose 6kg or so. Great news right! Bad news is, this weight is REALLY hard to keep off. It's almost like my body doesn't want to be that weight, but rather 4 or 5kg heavier than what I want. So begins the battle with my own body to keep off a few kilos.

I've just finished reading Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by actress Portia de Rossi, which outlines her own internal struggle with her body and ultimately, her self worth as a person. On the surface, this book is about battling an extreme eating disorder, but really I think it demonstrates the pressure that women are under to look a certain way. As I'm sure we all know, the pressure often doesn't just come from outside sources but is internal as well. I found this book so fascinating and it does make you question the line between having unrealistic body image and being motivated to look a certain way.

If you get chance, pick it up from your local library. It really is an insightful and interesting read.

The seasons, they are a'changing

The weather here in the UK has turned - summer has certainly finished for the year. The air has an autumnal feel, everything is a bit crisper and chillier and a sign that winter will be here in no time at all. We've had a few rainy days as well. Before I moved over here, I never knew that weather could have such an effect on your mood. Us Queenslanders know that even if the day is rainy, tomorrow will be a fine and sunny, no matter what time of year it is. Times like this I miss the feeling of the hot sun on my skin. Even though the weather has brought my mood down slightly, and increased my homesickness, there is still a lot of beauty in the world. I was walking home in the rain, when it stopped for a few minutes and I caught this photo on my phone.

I couldn't help but smile to myself and realise that even though living away from my family can be difficult and sometimes downright depressing, life is good and I am very blessed. OK, deep thoughts with the Travelling Midwife is over now, for the moment :)

I'm not dead!

Just being terribly neglecting to my poor, little, innocent blog. Thought I should reassure my readers that I am OK, I've just been away from home and not had a chance to post any updates. Rest assured though (as I'm sure you were all stressing and on the edge of your seat waiting for another blog!) that I have the day off tomorrow and will do a few updates.

Until then!

Bath

Thought I should finally update about my trip to Bath. The city itself is so amazingly beautiful and my pictures really don't do it justice (although that may be more to do with my lack of photography skills!) We stayed at Holiday Inn Bath which was not as bad as the reputation that Holiday Inns tend to carry. The room was cheap and cheerful and did the job perfectly for us - very happy and would recommend it. Accommodation in the UK is a lot more expensive, especially in the more popular cities, than Australia so I was happy to find a relatively bargainesque hotel.

We crammed a lot into the 3 day stay, and tried to do as much as possible. Like typical tourists we bought a ticket for one of those big red buses that take you all around the city with a guide. Tacky, yes, but so worthwhile as you get to see the whole city in a few hours and really get a handle on the place you are staying. After seeing all the main sites we I indulged in a little retail therapy which was fabbbbulous. Bath is full of cute little boutique shops as well as your mainstream high street brands so there really is something for all shopping lovers.

Random fun fact about Bath: the building above was designed to feature all three traditional England class systems. The top of the building on the far left represents the lower class, the middle obviously represents the middle class (obviously) and the far right shows architecture similar to a castle, so represents upper class. I found this so cute and interesting, and never would have spotted it if it hadn't been pointed out by the tour guide.

If shopping isn't your thing then this is more than OK, as Bath has so much history that you could spend weeks here if you really wanted to explore everything. Most famously, of course, are the Roman Baths for which the city is named. During September these are open for special night viewings, and this was so worthwhile. Although I'm sure they are beautiful during daytime, at sunset and nightfall there is so much energy around the baths that provides for really great atmosphere. You also get a set of headphones in the admission price which you can listen to while walking around, but to be honest after I've been looking for about an hour I got weighed down and just read the plaques instead of listening to the audio commentry. I don't want to bore everyone to tears with history so I won't go into it, but it is really fascinating so look into it if you are interested!

The Baths at, well, Bath

View from the Roman Baths of the Cathedral

I very kindly released B from his boyfriendly duties while I visited the Jane Austen museum. For those who are interested in literature, Jane lived in Bath for a short time in her life and it features in a few of her books as well. The museum is so sweet and I really enjoyed it, maybe because I knew it wouldn't feature any of Jane's belongings as there is next to nothing left. There is a lot to be learnt there, perhaps more about Jane's time period than any huge revelations about her, but still worth a looksie if you have time.

 Finally, we had afternoon tea near Bath's oldest house (what is a British trip away without tea and scones?!). The house, which dates back to 1482, has been converted into a tea room and is very quaint. Amazing to think how old some of the buildings are, especially when you think that Australia hadn't even been 'found' yet.

I want more of these right now

Birthday Dinner at Jamie Oliver's

Well, not his house or anything like that, but one of his many restaurants. B and I spent my birthday in Bath, just for a city break to get away from work for a few days, and went out to Jamie's Italian for my birthday dinner. The restaurant has a rooftop terrace and I highly recommend you ask if you can sit up there if you go. The views are so beautiful overlooking Bath, and we were so lucky that the weather was just gorgeous, especially with the afternoon light when we ate dinner.

The beautiful view of Bath from the rooftop terrace

It was so hard to decide what to eat as everything sounded delish. I was so excited just to be there and didn't want to make the wrong choice! In the end I was completely boring and got an Italian burger (have I mentioned how much I love burgers on this blog yet?! I do.)   



 Secretly though, I was looking forward to dessert. I just LOVE food and my mouth is watering looking at these pictures again. I went for Jamie's Eat And Mess and B chose a chocolate and raspberry fudge brownie.

Mmmmm...brownie

Jamie's take on the traditional Eaton Mess

The night was so much fun and well worth a visit. Compared to many other restaurants, the price was really resonable and excellent value. The atmosphere was family oriented and very homely - I would recommend a visit to Jamie's Italian if you get a chance to go to Bath.

Jamie's Italian is located at 10 Milsom Place, Bath.

I'm just so dirty

And I don't mean that in a sexual way. I am naturally such a messy person and really struggle to keep things clean. When I get home, I dump my bag on the couch and leave my clothes on the bed. B has been joking (or maybe not joking) that I have so much stuff next to our bed that we nearly have a king size thanks to the piles of paper, bills, hair accessories, the list goes on really.

I wish on so many levels that I was a tidy person, that it just came naturally. Even I try to keep things clean I mess it up again within a few days. Don't even get me started on household chores - do you guys enjoy doing the dishes or cleaning the shower? Do you always do it, or do your partner and you share responsibilities? B works such long hours compared to me that it really should be my job to clean the house but I actually hate it. I would rather eat pebbles than do the dishes. Why is it that dishes need to be done every single fricking day?

How do you cope with household chores? Any tips for keeping your house clean and tidy, for those who missed out on the cleanliness gene?

London Riots

The last few days have been so shocking in regards to the riots in London. I came back from my long weekend away in Bath (will update with some pictures later on!) and have been watching the news since following the violence and destruction. When I first saw the footage I actually had no idea that it was London - I assumed it was a riot in northern Ireland. It has been going on for three days now and doesn't really show any sign of stopping at the moment. Not sure if you have seen the footage, but buildings have been set alight, shops looted, cars smashed - basically anything that can destroyed is. Currently the cells in London apparently are full, with 400 people being arrested. Some MPs are now calling for a London-wide curfew to reduce the incidence of continuing violence which obviously mainly takes place during the night. Riots have now spread to other cities, including Birmingham and Liverpool.

I believe the viots started after a man was shot dead by police on Saturday, who was part of a protest group. Not sure of any more information than that really, as most of the media attention is focused on the violent crimes committed over the last few nights. Watching the footage is shocking, so hard to believe that this is happening just an hour away from where I am. My heart goes out to the families who have had their homes, businesses or possessions destroyed, how scary it must be to live close to where some of the attacks were and hear the unrest.

Hopefully by tonight the violence will have ceased and people can begin to feel safe in their homes again.

I have an addiction

So, my name is the Travelling Midwife and I have an addiction. No, it's not touching pregnant women's bellies - well, it is that too, but I'm talking about something much more creepy. The thing is, I like big butts and I cannot lie. At the moment I'm working on trying to get my butt bigger and rounder than it is through many different exercises at the gym and at home. I've gone so far as to even NEARLY ask a personal trainer at the gym what sort of exercises I should be doing. I'm slightly embarassed to ask them though, so the for the moment I've just been googling and looking online at what I should be doing.

When I'm not googling 'how to get a bigger bum' however, I am watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. I've come to the conclusion that Kim Kardashian is my buttspiration. Say whatever you want about her, but girlfriend rocks a really toned derrière.

Photo lifted from http://blog.jokeroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/kim-kardashian-butt-red-dress11.jpg

Please, leave some comments confirming to me that I am not a complete freak and it is 100% normal to want this behind! Alternatively, let me know if its weird too. Better still, who is your buttspiration? Or boobspiration? Or legspiration? (I think you the get the message)

 

Shopping bargains this week!

So because its my birthday soon, I really shouldn't be buying anything for myself. But sometimes you see things for such a bargain price that you really won't can't resist getting it yourself. I've done so well this week that I'm 97.3% sure I actually made money because I saved so much in the sales. Don't check the math on that one, just go with it.

I bought a new nail polish (even though I already have about 25 mostly full bottles - side note: has anyone actually finished a nail polish bottle? Does it breed overnight and continually refill itself?!) for the bargain price of 92 pence. Yes, that is right, not even £1. The colour is a goldy coppery, very sparkly and comes out very thick. Impressive for the price.

Please excuse my chipped nails, I know this is a cardinal sin but I just had come back from work!


I also bought some lovely new jeans in celebration of my new, more tonned figure. I figured I would splurge a little (in come the justifications: jeans last forever, they are really good quality, etc.) I ended up getting a beautiful Armani pair, reduced from £155 to only £45!!! They would look especially amazing with some gorgeous heels, although they look pretty cute with ballet flats too.

Does my butt look big in this? Just kidding, these jeans make your lady lumps look fantastic.

Warning: gratuitous booty photo ahead!

Finally, I bought a new hair dryer as up until this week I was still using the one I brought over from Australia. I had gotten into the habit of plugging in the travel adapter to dry my hair each day, but I've got to say, I'm loving the fact that this one actually has the right pins to fit in the socket (it's the little things, isn't it?!). It's a Tresemme one, and does such a great job. My hair is dried within 5 minutes and looks shiny too. Very, very pleased with this purhase. It was £19.98, but was reduced 75% so it was 4 something I believe. You do the math (as I've already demonstrated, it's nice my strong point!)



All in all, a good haul if I do say so myself. Hopefully nothing else tempts me during the week otherwise I may have to start doing some extra hours at work. Have you bought anything recently in any sales? I've love to see some pics so I can not feel so bad about splurging a little this week.

Weight Loss

For the past 8 weeks I have been on the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. I didn't have a lot of weight to lose really, but since moving to the UK I have put on a little weight each month and have gone up a size or so - therefore I wanted to nip it in the bud before it became an issue. My theory was that it would be easier to get rid of my muffin tops now, before they turned into a whole cake.

The program lasts for 12 weeks (obviously, you don't need to be a detective to work that out!) and is formulated to really change your whole way of thinking about food and exercise, hopefully setting good habits that will last beyond the 12 weeks. Michelle Bridges from the The Biggest Loser created the program, based on her years of being a personal trainer and seeing areas that people need help with. Each week you are given a meal plan which outlines EVERY meal. Snacks are your own choice, as long as they stay within the calorie guidelines. There is also a comprehensive training plan to help you get the results you want. Finally, Michelle posts a video message covering a specific topic twice a week, and there is also a forum to help support you on your journey.

The thing I love most is the fact that I just have to be a robot and follow a plan. The bane of my existance is figuring out what to cook each night, so this program really helps in that way. If there is a meal I don't like, I switch it with another night or week.

Consistancy is the key to success in this program - you really have to be dedicated and stay focused, and stretch your 'willpower muscle.' So far I've lost 5kg, but I'm also a lot fitter and happier with how my body looks. I'm not exactly Giselle Bundchen yet, but maybe she should watch her back in 2012!

You can get more information about the program at http://www.12wbt.com/

Are you on a diet and exercise plan? What has worked and not work for you?

Marrakech

Earlier in the year, B and I went for a short break to Marrakech. We got the flights for a bargain price which pushed us to go, although it was on our list of places to visit. As we had been to Egypt together and loved it, we thought that Morocco might be similar in a lot of ways and equally as interesting.

We flew EasyJet which was hassle free and as I mentioned, a real bargain! For anyone who is interested, we stayed in a Riad, which is a traditional Moroccan house with a courtyard typically in the middle. The name of our accommodation was Riad Sidi Ayoub, and I would recommend it to anyone who was going to Marrakech. It only has 7 rooms so is really personal, and has a rooftop overlooking the city where you can eat or have a drink. The price was also very reasonable for somewhere with such a good location to the centre of the city, and although it was within walking distance of the main attractions, it was so peaceful and tranquil inside the riad you felt a million miles away.

The beautiful courtyard of our riad

It was only 5 minutes away from Marrakech's most famous attraction, the Jemaa el Fna, a huge marketplace.

Jemaa el Fnaa

I was hoping we would pick up some bargains at the markets, but things were actually really expensive and I only bought a few scarfs, a traditional Moroccan teapot and a tagine. Was a bit of a letdown though, as I was super excited about buying some sandals, bags and other fun things!

During our stay we also visited the Atlas mountains on a day trip arranged by the Riad staff. The climb was quite difficult and tiring but probably my favourite part of the trip. The views were really beautiful and it was so different from what you would expect to see in Marrakech, with streams everywhere framing the snow capped mountains.

Overall, I was happy we did go to Marrakech as I had really wanted to go. Although, I have to say that I didn't overly enjoy myself. I found most of the people not very nice (and I have been to middle eastern countries before so this wasn't just a cultural thing), the country expensive and not really too much to do. I also had really wanted to eat some delicious tagines and cous cous while I was there, and found the food to be really ordinary and bland. It was one of those places that I wanted to love, but just didn't. Am I glad I went? 100%, it was worth the experience. Would I go again? Unfortunately, unlikely I would return.

Where have you been that you have loved or really disliked? Share your holiday must-go-tos!

'A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step' - Lao Tzu

So after considering, contemplating, chickening out and then committing, I've decided to start my own blog. I follow a few (I think blogs appeal to my nosy nature!) and enjoy reading them, so hopefully mine will prove to be enjoyable too.

I think the blog might be a mixture of travel, reviews, shopping and of course my (not so secret) obsession passion, midwifery. So we'll see how it goes. Stay tuned for more updates over the next few days.

To give you all a bit of background, I'm an Australian midwife living in the UK. A few years ago I met the man of my dreams, B, while I was travelling, who happens to live in England. Sounds romantic, but logistically, it is a really difficult situation. After visiting each other a few times we decided I would make the move over to the UK so we could really make a go of the relationship. So here I am!