A Modern Day Essene

I don't really know how you would describe our style of home education right now. It isn't purely Unstructuredl and it isn't purely Delight Directed. It is kind of in the middle! I got tired of reading information about certain styles and trying to fit into the mold. I am just going with the flow! On Monday we spent the day doing errands around the house. Master 14 cleaned the shed out on the condition that I would allow him to check out the suburbs junk collection in search of broken scooters! Our local council do a regular junk pick up and people leave their unwanted trash on the side of the kerb. There is a lot of treasure in someone else's junk.........believe me!Master 14's hobby at the moment is fixing up broken scooters, changing wheels around, putting on new handles etc etc. I honestly can't see the enjoyment in it, but I am tired of my garden looking like a scrap metal yard, so I told him if he cleaned out the shed he could move all his junk....umm... scooters... in there to work on.
I have been doing a lot of art work lately. I love painting and it really relaxes me. Miss 4 has spent countless hours sitting beside me doing her own art work. Since using Mona Brookes "Drawing With Children" I have seen tremendous improvement in her art skills. Today we all sat around the table doing art. Miss 16 was doing paper quilling with miss 4 and Master 14 was working through a mona Brookes Lesson. Master 9 used his Dinosaur book to copy and paint a picture. He has improved dramatically with his drawing. I was trying, once again, to draw the human frame! I bought an art mannequin to help me!
We cleaned out the garden and prepared a vegie patch. I absolutely love and adore with a passion, char grilled Eggplant! I am quite addicted to this lovely vegetable right now, so have plans to turn myself off it by growing enough to feed an army! I'll also throw in a couple of zucchini plants so that I can continue to make myself.......sick..........umm,...........healthy, by dehydrating them for dips etc.
I am still using curriculum, Can't see that changing just yet! We do Life Of Fred for maths and are working our way through Literature Lessons With Lord Of The Rings plus the kids adore their Science curriculum by John Tiner. I don't have a set routine, if it fits on the day then it is done if not then it isn't!
Master 14 and Miss 16 are still doing music lessons, guitar and drums, and love it. Along with their Tae Kwon Do it is the best thing I have ever done for them!

As I sit here munching on a bar of chocolate (on special in Coles so how could I resist?) I am thinking about my favourite show on Foxtel, Big Medicine. It is about two Bariatric surgeons in the U.S, father and son, who perform Bariatric surgery on overweight (obese) patients. It all seems so lovely, nice, friendly surgeons who never have a bad surgery, obese patients that lose hundreds of kilos. How easy it would be. Just to have a simple surgery and forget the diets, the frustrations of trying each day to lose weight and seeing no results. Oh, if only it were that simple.

I am ever so slightly frustrated! This weight loss thing is causing me to do a lot of reflecting. Why? because if you don't see results then something is not right! and that is where I am right now. Initially I saw a significant weight loss.......2.5 kg in the first two weeks. Now my weight is hovering between 89.2 and 90.5 kg.
I am also frustrated because my efforts at better eating have been hampered by a broken blender (thanks raw food diet) and now a broken Food Processor (thanks frozen bananas) So Dear Husband is not happy and I don't have the courage to ask whether or not I can buy a new blender.......yet!
I am NOT eating enough vegetables, I know that. Last night I watched a Kiwi Production on Foxtel "Downsize Me" and carefully analyzed the formula~ The guy on last night's episode did really well, he lost 13 kg in eight weeks. He ate very well though~ lots of salad and protein meals. My diet is not that good~ I am eating less, yes, but not eating as well.
I am annoyed with myself for not measuring myself at the start. I could be bashing myself needlessly as it is possible I have lost cm's, but I don't know for sure. I am not seeing drastic results with the fit of my clothes so am not convinced that is true. I do, however, see results when I stand naked in front of the bathroom mirror (not a pretty picture) I can see definition happening in my stomach area and weight loss in my backside.
I think the trouble is that I want results............quick results! One thing is for sure though. There is no giving up! what do I give up for? a return to a former fat girl with zero fitness levels, high blood pressure and a potential to get Diabetes and other weight related illnesses? No, the journey will continue and I will keep taking "stop and think" sessions throughout as I analyze the next stage of the journey. I am not going to allow apathy, negativity or any other thing to stop me!

I have come a long way since January 2009. On the 1st January 2009 I suffered a major panic attack after taking a long walk on a very hot and humid afternoon. The sensation of my heart racing, the heat and dehydration took my body to an all time low. I had planted a seed of fear about exercise and I knew that unless I did something to change it then I would never exercise again! Within a few short weeks I had joined Contours, my local woman's only gym.
When I first started at the gym my fitness level was poor. On top of that I had a mental battle to overcome regarding the sensation of exercise and the connection between that and the panic attack I suffered. The instructors supported me all the way and never tried to push me beyond my boundaries.
Six months later and I am a completely new woman! I would rate my fitness level as quite high. I am able to do a complete workout with heavy aerobic activity on the stations (The stations are the platforms in between the weights, each weight exercise is followed by an aerobic station) Quite often I am dripping with sweat from the intensity of the exercise!
Once my fitness level was improved I decided to start attempting running. I was shocking! I couldn't even run half way up the street before becoming puffed. I also suffered with severe shin splints and sore knees. I knew that I was being silly, trying to run before I could walk.
A few weeks later I decided to stop trying to run and concentrate on power walking with the intention of building up to a jog. I am so proud to say that today I went for a jog and for at least 60% of the way I was jogging non stop! I suffer with a little bit of calf soreness but nothing like my initial problems with shin splints and sore knees.
I have been told that jogging is better on the grass so I am probably going to play it safe and stick to park ovals. I just feel fantastic! I can't believe how wonderful it feels to jog in the open air! I have a sprint in my feet that last all day!
A quote from Forrest Gump! I love this movie!

"That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So, I ran to the end of the road, and when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason, I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured since I've gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going. When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went. My mama always said you got to put the past behind you before you can move on. And I think that's what my running was all about. I had run for three years, two months, 14 days, and 16 hours."

That's from the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest (played by Tom Hanks) runs in scene after scene after scene. The idea symbolized, among other things, the beginning of the running craze that spread across the country in the 1970s. Since then, running has captured the attention of millions of Americans. Thousands of road races and marathons occur each year, and running is the sixth most popular exercise in the United States. But you don't need to run marathons, or run continuously for three-plus years like Forrest, to gain the benefits of running. Thirty minutes a day will do!

I don't know what it is but for some reason I am looking for a title for what I am trying to achieve in our home education. So how do you find a title? Well you Google of course! just press in things like this, "Christian homeschooler who still likes some curriculum"......wow! that will take you off to never never land. Try again, "Christian Unschooler".......got a few more there but still not the title I am looking for! Next attempt, "An education where God leads the way but in a very casual atmosphere".......blank! O.K this isn't working.........does anyone have any phrases suitable for Googling that will help me come up with a title?
All jokes apart, (what, that was meant to be funny?) Why is it that I need to find a title? What if I am the only human being on Earth that follows my kind of education? Does that make me a Guru? Maybe I am a leader and not a follower (nah.........you've been a follower for 44 years!) Maybe I should make up my own title?
So far I have come up with this: "Eclectic, unschooling christian, God Led, Delight Directed with a Charlotte Mason slant, somewhat crazy mother of nine children still wondering what on earth she is doing"

Oh Susan "HUGS". I just read your post this morning and I finally think something has clicked in my head! Thank You for posting this.
http://kerugma.net/getting-directio-as-co-pilot-1849.htm

I took this out of an article by Barb Shelton;
What unique "thing" did God breathe into your child that He wants to bring to life, perhaps unearth from beneath that pile of curriculum, and develop for His purpose – part of His reason for creating them and placing him on earth!? God has "works that He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." What are those unique "works" He prepared for your child? For you? As you begin to understand this more fully – and walk in it yourself as you enter a deeper relationship with God – you will begin seeing everything differently! And it will naturally overflow to your children! New delights in all of you will begin to blossom! New purpose! New interests! Let God take you by the hand and open a whole new world to you and your family. But you have to begin with letting go of the "old."

I believe I have a God given duty to instruct my children, to guide them in the right way. To "see" the gifts within them and help to bring them to fruition. In many ways the life of an unschooling mum is so much harder than the traditional school at home approach. The school at home mums have curriculum, teachers within the book pages! They have a scope and sequence, a schedule a design for 12 years of education. The unschooling mum only has herself...or does she? most importantly, as a Christian, she has GOD. The Bible says that "if we acknowledge him in all our ways, he will direct our path"
I have been home schooling for 11 years. Many times I have wondered casually down a path of unschooling but have alwasy ran back out in fear! I couldn't trust myself to lead my children into what could possibly be failure. It was far safer to stick to the workbooks, curriculums, schedules.
Quite honestly, I am not ready to give up my curriculum helps..........not yet! and I don't know that I have to. I have been looking on the internet, trying to find a term that suits me because I don't think I am 100% an unschooler! Unschoolers don't like any curriculum at all but right now I do! so where do I fit in? I am sitting completely in the middle! Is there a term for someone like that?" confused", maybe!
I know that I want less formality, less structure. I know that I want more spontanaity, more fun. So on my little journey I will continue.................Seeking, learning, discovering, experiencing..................

Excuse me for my monumental posting on learning right now but every time I hear or see something that inspires me, I have to copy and paste it here!

I read this today......

"Minimal Homeschooling is doing whatever it takes to educate our children, according to their needs, without causing burnout, and without becoming overwhelmed."

Yes! Yes! Yes! Gosh, that is exactly what I want.

Happy 19th Bek!
You are a blessing to us.

I just had to copy and paste these words from Leonie's Blog. I should have been in the shower, or cleaning............or something! but instead I was loitering on the computer for way longer than necessary but I'm so glad that I did because this is what Leonie wrote on her blog.

Don’t make cookies to teach math. Make cookies because they taste good.

You may have noticed that I haven't been talking about the Raw Food craze for a while! I had a couple of major disappointments. First, my blender broke! That was a major upset for me because I love my blender and use it all the time, especially for blending food for our 16 month old. My husband was none too impressed because we only bought it about two months ago. The second upset, or series of upsets, was that the food I was uncooking tasted foul!! When you consider that it is such a long winded task to dehydrate food it was very upsetting.
My phylosophy on life is that we can learn something from every situation, good or bad. Sometimes in the bad situations it is hard to see positive things but after a time of mental clearing I often find that it is true. There were some good things that I made, zucchini crisps were one of them. I also know that dried fruits are very successful with the dehydrator, if not totally time consuming!
I know that I could never live 100% raw............I just don't agree with it! But I do think that living even 30-50% could be a good thing. I definately need more fruit and veg in my diet so this is something that I am going to strive for. I will continue to hope that one day I will make a dehydrated cake, biscuit, cracker or something that will taste good.

I received a text message from my sister who is holidaying in the United Kingdom. "Hi, having a great time. Yesterday we visited Winchester Cathedral where we learned that Jane Austin is buried as were many ancient British kings......fascinating! Tomorrow we are going to see an old Roman fortress ruin and then in the afternoon we will be visiting a castle". Wow! talk about a walk through History~ and to think my sister was worried about taking her children out of school for six weeks! To me there is no better learning that real life learning, the kind you do when you step into history itself! I am currently reading "Our Island Story" to Master B, 9, and he is fascinated by the story of the Roman invasion of Britain. We made a model Roman Standard this week and it is proudly displayed in the family room (for now!) but how much information can you really get across when you have no idea what a castle looks like apart from the pictures we see in a book? How awesome to be able to walk through a castle and feel the History come alive! I must stop myself from becoming green with envy over my sister's holiday!
When I first started Home Schooling we attended a morning art class on a Monday. A lot of the other homeschoolers were unschoolers and I thought they were an interesting lot! Instead of being tied to bookwork all day they spent each Mondays doing art in the morning at the craft hall and venturing into the city in the afternoon to participate in a live science class at scitech, a wonderland venue aimed at making science fun! I think Tuesday was Zoo Day and the rest of the week was much the same kind of thing. I remember thinking how lucky they were but I couldn't pull myself away from my ACE schedule so nothing changed for me! I thought I was doing well by taking one morning off a week to do the art class!
So how can we make learning a real life experience, the kind where you literally walk in the footsteps of the subject rather than experiencing lessons from a book. I am not talking about packing my suitcase and travelling all over the world in persuit of viking, Romans and Greek ruins! I just wonder how we can breath life into our learning?

So how exactly do we learn? Well, for me that question would be easy to answer! at the moment I am very interested in learning about Aromotheraphy. I have a passion for it! (notice that word passion.....it is important!) Because I am so interested in this subject I am like a sponge, soaking up as much information as I can. The first stage of my learning is to gather information. I bought a book from the op shop and it has been a huge help in my search for knowledge. There is also a lot of information on line. The second stage of mylearning is gathering the necessary tools. So when the information has had time to gather I go out and explore! I look for shops that sell 100% aromatheraphy oils, I research online the price difference and whether or not I can obtain something cheaper. I have the knowledge in my head to know what I want to buy first! Clary Sage was the first essential oil that I purchased. It cost about $5 more than the other oils and after speaking to the sales assistant I learned that it depends on the degree of difficulty in obtaining oil from the plants. The third stage of my learning is putting all the knowledge in my head, using the tools that I have gathered and presenting the end result! So as I type there is the beautiful, fresh scent of Clary Sage diffusing throughout the house. Yes, I can smell the freshness and indeed the scent is very calming! Just like the information in the book told me. I know exactly how much Clary Sage cost to produce and the medicinal benefits of it. I am looking forward to mixing some drops with a body oil and using it for massage. I Need to research further to see if I can come up with a formula that is safe to use on Baby Joel, maybe another essential oil would be better. The options are endless! It can be added to the bath water, added to the final rinse in the washing machine. There are many months ahead where I know my brain will be feeding on more information and putting it into practice. Then after that something else will hit me..........it always does! they don't call me Mrs Fad for nothing!
Four weeks ago I knew nothing about Aromatherapy but because of the passion within me I am learning more and more every day.
Learning is fun when we Want to learn something. Learning is fun when we are able to do in real life rather than merely reading a text book and answering some fill in the blank questions.
Another thing that has hit me is that some things I will never be able to learn by just reading! One of those things is sewing! I have read many books on sewing, I even bought a sewing pattern once with good intentions of making a dress for my daughter. Because I had never done anything like it before, I just didn't know what I was doing! The book had given me information but I needed to see it being done by someone who knew what they were talking about! A dear friend offered to come over and help me and within one hour I was off and running! That particular pattern became so well known to me that I produced a dozen dresses, all in different fabrics but I could never have done it without the help of a professional~! Sometimes as a home schooling mum I think that I need to remember that I can't do everything and it is a good thing to introduce my children to experts in a field rather than trying to teach everything myself! That is why I have, over the years, sent my children to art school for homeschooling children, sign language lessons by a blind teacher and other such things.
More ramblings, I know! but my brain is ticking ticking ticking with thoughts on education right now........

I like the idea of relaxing home school. I want less bookwork and more fun, a casual atmosphere to our learning. I guess that is why I am attracted to the unschooling method. For eleven years I have stuck to curriculum, work books, schedules and I am tired! I am spending a lot of time thinking about learning, how it happens, what is needed, and the more I think the more that I become convinced that a less formal approach might just work!
My two oldest home schoolers are 14 and 16 and in many ways I wish I could take them back and start again! I have changed so much over the years and I regret the pressure that I put on them to do so much bookwork. They had it easier than their older siblings who had a typical school at home approach! Maybe my younger children will benefit from a new vision, or maybe it will all fall back in my face as a complete disaster! I will never know unless I give it a go! It is hard for such a structured mum to let go, almost like trusting the harness on a bungee jump! the end result might be thrilling but there is the chance that the harness might break and I'll fall in a big way~
I was speaking to my son in law, a university graduate, about his views on education. He told me that a lot of his learning was memorization for test but a lot of that information is now forgotten! Although he admitted to being able to recollect that information if given the oportunity to read through a text and remind himself of the lesson. That makes me question the validity of test! if we are only learning for that reason then what is the long term benefit?
How do I , as an adult, learn? well in a simplified version I guess I learn by repeating a situation! Say for instance I decide to attempt a new recipe. The first time I will follow the recipe book word for word, the second time I might remember some things and by the tenth time I am an expert! But what if I didn't cook that recipe again for twelve months? The chance is that I will need to take another look at the cook book to remind myself!
This is early days and I am still in the thinking, analyzing stage so forgive me for my ramblings!

Isn't this a beautiful painting! I just love the way that he has captured her flowing dress. I have tried to produce my own painting using this as an example but I just can't get the same affect. I guess that is why Renoir is famous and I am not!
I could just fill my house with Renoir's art, it is so beautiful.

Do you like E Books? I went through a stage where I bought literally dozens of E Books! I also downloaded lots and lots of freebies that were kindly donated by a major E Book homeschooling company. My computer is flooded with E Books just waiting to be printed out!
I must admit, that after being totally in love with the concept of having an instant book delivered to my computer I am now not such a big fan. All my E Books were lovingly placed inside Three Ring Binders with Clear plastic sheet protectors. But they take up so much room! My walk in robe is overflowing with them! The other thing that upsets me is that they hold no resale value. It is illegal to sell an E book because, if I so chose, I could keep the file on my computer and print them out to make money! It cost me a lot in ink and paper so I wouldn't be tempted but I can see the problem.
A lot of E books that I bought have not suited our education style and wherefore with a printed book I could re-sell I don't have that option with an E Book.
My personal preference now is to pay the extra and purchase a bound copy. At least then I know if it doesn't work out I can recoup some of the money I have spent.

I don't think I will ever be classified as an Unschooler. I am too structured in my nature to fit into that mold! But I like to look into everything, spit out the bones and eat the meat! So I am on the lookout for a book on unschooling for my own interest. Any recommendations?

"mum" I'm hungry, "what is for breakfast?" says 9 year old son
"Well, mummy made cookies but they didn't work out
"But I'm starving, didn't you go shopping this week?"
"Oh yes, I forgot, there is a fridge full of apples, celery and spinach leaves........help yourself" "ooh, and lots of nuts in the cupboard"
"Can't I have Weetbix?"
"Weetbix doesn't classify as raw dear, so sorry but no!"
"What was that you were making this morning mum?"
"I made a lovely lot of dehydrated crackers, They won't be ready till 2.00am tomorrow morning so you are all going to have to live on fruit and veg today........oh, and nuts!"
"Mum, can we go back to unhealthy eating please?"

I received my new raw food uncook book this week so was keen to attempt some of the recipes! Yesterday I spent a small fortune on ingrediants like cashew nuts, oat groats, Tahini, honey and dates. I was excited as I set about following the recipe for some delicious sounding cookies that were to be uncooked in the dehydrator. First disapointment was that I think I have blown the motor in my relatively new blender. The paste like consistency that was required was just too much effort for my poor blender! So I checked the recipe and discovered that she recomended a Vitamix blender, o.k another $900 item added to my want list! (In my dream list) I rescued the poor blender from her exhaustion and set about shaping the cookie dough and placing it on the dehydrator plates. The recipe called for twelve hours of dehydration! Twelve Hours!! That is a long time when you have toddlers waiting in the kitchen for the cookies to be ready! So I left it on overnight and woke this morning to......................disaster! They are still quite sticky so I don't know if they were too wet and need more time in the dehydrator. I took a nibble and they are so tasteless it isn't funny! Maybe my family are sugar holics or something but can someone tell me what is wrong with a bit of sweetness in a cookie? I just wish I had added some Xylotol or something to add the necessary ooomph . I am so disapointed! Not only did I spend too much money but they aren't even edible looking. I am a firm believer in using each disapointment in life and turning it around for good so today I will play around with the recipe and add my own touch to it. The only problem is that I no longer have a blender.................
http://www.xylitol.com.au/

It makes me sad to see the pressure that some home schooling mums put on themselves in order to fit into the box. The homeschooling box can be quite large! There are so many things that seem to fit into it. They aren't bad things either! Lots of them are very appealing and it isn't any wonder that a Godly christian women would want to embrace them. I just feel that sometimes these things can become something that we judge our Christianity by, in some ways they become bigger than our relationship with Christ.
Things like Modesty relating to how we dress, if we do or don't wear make up, all worthy attributes but they can be taken so seriously by some women that they overpower the simplicity of the Gospel. I think it is good to take care of our appearance and to make sure that we are not offending others by the way we dress but I don't think this makes us a better christian. God looks at our hearts, not the way we dress. In some cultures it would not be considered immodest to walk along topless!
Allowing God to plan the size of our family is a personal issue and one that I won't delve too deeply into. I followed this teaching for years and am blessed with nine beautiful children. The only thing I would say here to women is ASK YOUR HUSBAND WHAT HE THINKS! A simple sentence but one that can make a world of difference! As much as I believe that God loves children and that may very well be his will for us, I also know that he loves the motherless women just as much as the mother of many! It is the spirit of motherhood that we need to strive for and that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to birth children in order to have it. The most motherly women I know of were not natural mothers! Mother Theresa had no natural children but was the most motherly women to all who crossed her path. Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China, dedicated her life to caring for others, especially the orphans of China. There are many others that fall into this category. I always feel sad on Mother's Day when our church plays host to spoiling the mothers in the congregation. I personally know of a number of women who are unable to have children and it saddens me to think that these women are excluded from recognition, especially since they embrace the spirit of motherhood.
Healthy Living is another item in the box! I have embraced this one with passion! but it took a health dilemma in my own life for me to realize that my ability to understand natural health methods and healing foods doesn't make me God. I thnk that I became over confident in my ability to look after myself and took God out of the picture! I reasoned that he wanted me to have wisdom and indeed, he had led me down the path of knowledge! maybe so, but at the end of the day God is God and I am not!
Sheltering our children, another important item in the box. Every parent has their own views on this and I am not about to stamp on anyone's box! All I would caution is to remember that at the end of the day, Our Children are gifts from God and he loves them so much more than we could ever imagine! Sheltering our children from school, television, computers, worldly friends, music and anything else that we might see as threatening might possibly save our children from damnation but then again, they might turn around and throw it all back in our face when they become teenagers (no comment!) so the ability to live in God's Grace is the biggest attribute that parents need to lean on. It is His Grace that will see us through and be the comfort to us when parenting doesn't go the way that we hoped!

I have been home schooling for 11 years. You would think that I had conquered any doubts by now! but no, as much as I have the benefit of seeing the "end result" with three of my children "graduated" from home schooling, I still have days when I doubt what I am doing!
Yesterday was one of them. My five year old son, Master E, has always been a demanding little darling! But lately his behaviour has become quite noticeably poor. He spends a large portion of his day playing Nintendo, not something that I like but in all honesty it has proven to be a good babysitter :-( I guess over the past 16 months I have used this babysitter a little bit too much. Master E is really an active child but his love of this game has killed a lot of the natural play that is in him. It also makes him angry, usually because he "loses" or "gets killed".
Yesterday I got so fed up with the atmosphere in the home that I took the three younger children to the local park to feed the ducks. I was amazed at how my little boy took to the outdoors! suddenly the uptight, angry little boy was a happy, energetic five year old running around with bread for the ducks, jumping up at trees to grab honky nuts and laughing! I realized that Master E needed more of this in his day and less time at home in front of the Nintendo.....duh!
The other area of difficulty has become with the toddlers eating pattern. Master E, once again! has become the accustomed "snacker" he literally snacks all day long and then come dinner time he refuses to eat! His diet consist of bread, crackers and vegemite :-( What hasn't helped with dinner time routine is the fact that my husband works till 8.00p.m at night and we are often eating dinner without him. This has turned into such a casual affair that we don't even sit at the table any more! we are all over the house with plates on our lap. It is something that has to change.
Because I saw the difference that being outdoors made to Master E's personality, I realized that sending him to school to "socialize" is not the only answer! It isn't necessarily school that he needs but more routine at home and outside play time. I think he would benefit from a sporting activity, some more structure outside the home. I realized that in my effort to reduce stress from my own life by chasing around outside the home with toddlers and babies, I have produced very indoor(sy) children that use computers, t.v's and play stations for their amusement. I don't want to start chasing outside again for entertainment but I need to create more structured play at home rather than the Nintendo. The Nintendo and computer need to be "treats" rather than the norm.
Please remember that a lot of what I write are notes for myself! Just as exercise has to become a daily habit and indeed.......A CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE for me! so the structure of my children's life at home needs to change and I will use the same goal setting plan that I have set up for myself to implement the necessary changes in that area.

I decided to make a cake yesterday, a Banana Loaf, and was slightly sneaky! I added four pieces of sliced Beetroot (pureed) to the mixture and look at the results! PINK The cake batter was quite pink but once baked it only had a soft pink tone. The icing sugar was another story! I pureed more Beetroot and added it to icing sugar and butter. The only Problem was that Master E, 5 years, refused to eat it because it was "A girl's cake". Um, wonder what I can add to make a cake blue?

Starting weight 93kg

First Goal is 89.9kg.........reached...........10th June 2009 89.4kg!

I am so very very excited. I didn't expect to reach my goal today with such great results! I have gone down from 90.1kg yesterday to 89.4kg today!

Next goal........84kg........reached..........

Here are a few of my favourite sectins from Michelle Bridges book "Crunch Time".

Calories.......Eat more than you burn......you get fat
Burn more than you eat.......you get thin

Calorie Munchers
A 375ml Beer is around 150 calories
100g packet of chips around 500 calories
cappucino 100calories
Extra large blueberry muffin around 500 calories
One glass champagne 90calories
one Monte Carlo Biscuit 90 calories


To lose weight you need to be in calorie deficit
In order to lose 1/2 kg per week you need to be in deficit of around 3500 calories
In order to lose 1kg per week your calorie deficit needs to be around 7000 calories

"I see many people start off with the best of intentions, but then get sick a couple of weeks in. After that, the comeback is even harder than the first session and it all quickly falls apart." "People who haven't exercised in fifteen years will often get sick after the first few workouts because their bodies are so busy trying to repair themselves that their immune systems are compromised"
Since starting exercise I have had a very heavy flu and now, once again, I am battling a heavy cold! for someone who never usually gets sick this has been a shock! but after reading this I have put two and two together and can see that the effects of exercise have put my body into "repair" mode which may temporarily affect the immune system!

Aerobic Training
Once your body becomes accustomed to one kind of exercise, your calorie burning will plateau and you won't be able to drop as much weight.

Recent studies at the University of New South Wales have shown just how effective interval training really is, partly because it releases catecholamines that literally help singe the fat from your backside. From an exerciser's point of view, if you're told that you have to go hell for leather for thirty seconds and then you'll get thirty second's rest, you're more likely to rise to the occasion. By contrast, if you are told to go at the same intensity for a full hour, you'd probably baulk at the porposition and get a new trainer.

For some reason I can not access my weight loss support forum..........very frustrating!
So I am using my blog to journal my weight loss.
Monday 8th June 2009
Weigh in.........................90.1kg
I so wanted to reach my first goal of 89.9kg..........just 200grams short! I was almost tempted to take a jog round the street and then come back to the scales! but I am very happy! The raw food fast is fantastic, it is working and I am feeling more energetic than I have in ages. I am very motivated!

Have you ever stood in a beautiful garden and stared in awe at the flowers? I am constantly amazed at the variety of flowers in the world! When we were in Broome, W.A, last year I was mesmerized by the water lilies growing freely in the pond near our resort! It was like a scene out of one of Monet's Paintings! Right now our back garden is blooming with Passion flowers from the Panama Red passionfruit vine growing on our spa fence, they are literally amazing to look at! and quite honestly, nothing cheers me up more than a bunch of flowers! especially a dozen white roses (although I have never received one it is a lifelong dream that Steve will surprise me one day!!!!)
and what is even more special about flowers is the scent, it is totally heaven sent!
Why do you think God gave the flowers such an amazing scent? I honestly believe there is more behind just a 'nice smell" I think the scent of flowers has amazing benefits to our health!
This year I have become increasingly interested in Aromatherapy and the benefits to our health. I started looking in to it in my never ending attempt to find natural help for depression. I now, quite firmly, believe that aromatherapy oils can be a great aid to helping with depression amongst other things! Obviously if someone is severely depressed then they need to seek the advice of a health professional as I don't believe aromatherapy is help on its own, but together with other methods I believe it brings a tremendous sense of comfort and peace.
Aromatherapy may also be beneficial in easing mental fatigue and helping with sleep. In this ever stressful world we live in, it is not uncommon to hear people complaining of sleep problems. I think the t.v is an extension of the stressful day and if only people could force themselves to switch it off an hour before bed and take the time to spoil themselves with relaxation time then I am sure it would make for a better nights sleep! By relaxation time I mean doing things like making yourself a cup of herbal tea, filling the oil burner with a scented oil, sitting down and meditating on the good things in your life, soaking your feet in a foot spa, lying in a hot soapy bath, or even reading a good book (although if it is too good it may not work in sending you to sleep!)
Some of the aromatherapy oils that have a good reputation for help with depression are the following;
Lavender............studies have shown that this scent increases alpha waves in the back of the head which are associated with relaxation!

Jasmine........increases Beta waves in the front of the head which are associated with a more alert state!

Clary Sage.......... This has a wonderful nutty aroma. The effect of Clary Sage has been described as EUPHORIC! though not everyone experiences such a heightened state, most will simply become relaxed and peaceful.

Ylang Ylang....is a small tropical tree that grows in the Phillipines, Java, Sumatra and Madagascar. The aroma is heavy and sweet and helps to slow down overactive or angry people!

Bergamot, Germanium and Rose help lift your mood without the sedentry affect!

Rose is a gentle but potent natural antidepressant. I has been shown to be helpful for women suffering with PMT .

Essential oils are not in the least bit expensive and you can purchase oil burners from most $2 stores around Australia!
I highly recommend the investment. Let me know how you go!

I have had a 360 degree turn around in certain trains of thought and beliefs that I have held on to for years regarding diet. I am putting into practice the complete opposite of what I have always believed. I am counting calories, exercising to the point of increased heart rate, puffing, sweating, and I now believe that it is entirely possible to lose weight quickly and keep it off. There are no statistics to prove that losing weight slowly has better long term benefits. Infact, when you lose weight quickly there is evidence that the results will encourage better long term results. I have been told for the past few months that even though I have not lost weight I have gained muscle.............RUBBISH! you can't build muscle until the fat comes off. You can't spot lose weight either! I can allow myself one cheat meal per week but that is it.........for now!
I am currently weighing in at 90.1kg which is down by 2.8 kg in two weeks. I can see that by Monday I will be in at under 90 to my first goal of 89.9!

Start weight 93kg

First goal.......................89.9kg to take me under 90kg..............reached date
Second goal...................84kg to take me back to my pre pregnant weight...........reached date
third goal.....................79.9kg to take me under 80kg...............reached date
Fourth goal.................74kg to take me to the lowest weight I have been in past ten years...........................reached date
Fifth goal....................69.9kg to take me under 70kg........reached date
Sixth goal....................65 kg to take me to the weight I felt comfortable at for a number of years
reached date..........
seventh goal..............60kg to take me to a weight where I will decide where to go......If I have gained muscle and look firm and toned I might be comfortable here. If I feel I need to go on then I will make that decision then.........reached date...........

I had a great Birthday this year! Steve surprised me by announcing that he was taking me out for lunch. This was a treat because we have been paying off lots of bills and I didn't think we had the money to do anything but he has been saving for this for a few weeks! He named a restaurant that he wanted to take me to and I spent all night tossing and turning, fretting about the amount of food that would be placed before me and the huge temptation to eat whilst trying to stick to my faw food fast! Yes! it was my birthday but I just didn't want to blow it big time. This particular restaurant is one that does well by dishing out extra extra large plates that are filled to the brim with chips so that you feel like you are getting your money's worth! I checked out some other options and in the end we went to a local Thai Cafe where the food choices were much better for me! I had sizzling garlic prawns on a bed of salad and Steve had barbecued ribs. I asked Steve if he could take me to the education store, Woolridges, which was just around the corner! a fantastic end to a nice lunch...........although Steve couldn't see the fascination and stayed in the car whilst I ran riot in the art section of the store!!!
Sarah rang me in the morning from Malaysia where her and Colin are on holiday. I was thrilled that she took time to call me on my birthday! Rebekah bought me a fantastic book, "Crunch Time" by Michelle Bridges......."SQUEAL" I was so excited!!! and Jess and Chris bought me the best thing of all.............a blue Terracotta Tagine "SQUEAL" I could hardly contain my excitement!! Steve made me the best Moroccan Chicken dish last week containing Indian spices and Pine nuts with apricots. It was melt in the mouth delicious! so I can't wait to cook it in my new Tagine. My brother and his wife bought me an Italian Espresso maker which is cool and makes a good cup of coffee! I got aromotherapy candles, aromotheraphy oils and an oil burner, notebooks, clothes, gift vouchers..............I was spoiled!

The Black Dog's barking at my door
I didn't want to see him any more
He arrived, uninvited the other morn
After leaving without notice last summer's dawn
Darkness and sadness fills my days
Oh how I wish He'd go away
My mind is consumed, no rhyme nor reason
That's why I dread the Winter Season



I wrote the poem above a couple of years ago. I didn't realize at the time but I was suffering with what is now commonly called "Seasonal affective disorder". My mood seemed to go downhill rapidly at the start of winter and then, come summer, it disappeared like it was all a bad dream! I knew that the light helped me, and I discovered its benefits when we rented a beautiful home that was full of glass! The light steamed through the house 99% of the time and there was only the odd day in Winter when the house was dark. That winter was the best winter I had ever had as the depression was almost non existent.
If only I knew then what I know now! It has been discovered that seasonal affective disorder is common in a lot of people during the darker, winter months. Vitamin D is the missing link! Even in Australia a study showed that over 50% of people were very low in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the skin. When the sun's ultraviolet B rays penetrate the exposed skin the cholesterol is turned in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is required for a healthy immune system and a healthy nervous system. Lack of Vitamin D in the body can show up in symptoms such as depression, fatigue and aches and pains.
A simple Vitamin D tablet available from the chemist might be the solution that a lot of people who suffer with Winter Blues are looking for!

As we head into another Winter season I thought I would post some pictures of a few of the beautiful flowers that graced our garden this summer. I have gained a wonderful sense of appreciation towards God's creation and all the beautiful things that he created for our enjoyment!

This is only day three of my raw food diet week but the strange thing is that although I am eating less, I am just not hungry! Initially I thought that starting the day with a green smoothie (I make mine with one cup spinach leaves, some seasonal fruit and a frozen banana) was going to be very difficult. I mean, I am the lady who wakes up starving! but strangely enough I feel strangely satisfied with my little green concoction each morning. For lunch I have been eating cottage cheese with a mixture of green salad and beetroot. For snacks I am eating lots of Zucchini crisps, fruit and green salad. By tea time I am not even hungry and yet that is the time set aside for some cooked food in my diet! I literally had to force my tea down last night..........very strange! I just wonder if the nutrients in the food are making me nutritionally full, a sensation that I obviously am not used to!
I did two workouts yesterday based on the Michelle Briggs utube video that Susan put on the weigh to win forum. I broke a plastic toy container that I was using as a step!! Rachel recommended the Wooden Spa step instead which, of course! was much more appropriate. Gosh! talk about my heart beat racing! It was a fantastic workout and I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved it so much that I did it again before tea! There is something about working out in your own back yard with the sky as the ceiling and grass as the carpet that makes it very special, a lot more inviting that the gym! I treated myself to a nice warm spa after that to soak my aching muscles. Would have been lovely except the three younger children decided to join me and bring their floatie toys with them! slightly crowded!

Well, after spending way too much time on the internet perusing raw food recipes I decided that an easier option was to look for a cook book. I soon discovered that raw food cook books don't exist..........they are called uncook books!! Where to start? literally hundreds of books on the same topic! I must admit to being slightly amazed that so many people in the world are actually following this kind of lifestyle!
About 15 years ago I read my first Raw Food Diet book, "Raw Energy" by Leslie Kenton. I remember trying to follow it but failed dismally after only a week! Things have changed though, raw food seems to be so much more exciting today than it was 15 years ago. Things have progressed from a Leslie Kenton's Monday Apple Fast to modern day recipes like Lasagne, chocolate cakes, crackers and dips..........all uncooked!
After sending myself cross eyed researching the various book titles I decided upon this one, "Eat Smart Eat Raw" by Kate Wood.
The price was good, Ten British Pounds which equates to about $20 including postage with the Book Depository. Quite honestly I doubt that I could find one cheaper in my local bookstore........sad really. I also liked the fact that it was written by a British author because some American cook book recipes just never work out for me with the difference in product names and measures/amounts. I also liked the fact that the author doesn't push a 100% raw diet. In one article that I read she was quoted as saying that even if you only ever achieve a 50% raw diet then your body is still benefiting. She also adds some cooked food to her recipe book because she wants to make it appealing to lots of people. Following is a review of the book.

Raw foods are currently enjoying growing popularity as people discover their healing and health-giving benefits, but raw foodism is more than just a fad -- historically, many cultures and religions have placed value on the eating of "living" foods, and proponents have been helping others overcome life-threatening diseases since the early 20th century.

Many who are new to the diet may imagine that eating only uncooked foods would be restrictive and boring, but Kate Wood hopes to show this is far from the case.

There is a wealth of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts to discover and use, and with the use of equipment such as a juicer and dehydrator, a whole host of ways to prepare them.

The book includes almost 150 recipes, some of which allow the occasional non-raw ingredient to reflect the author's non-proscriptive attitude to a raw food lifestyle, in order to encourage those who may not want to go the whole way but are interested in incorporating something new into their existing diet.

This book is suitable not only for those who want to adhere to a raw food diet but also for those who may simply wish to embark on a week or two of detoxifying.

Kate Wood is a mother of three, and her whole family are raw vegans based in London. She has adapted many Californian recipes and invented lots more to fit with the British palate and way of life. In this book, Kate describes the most important elements of raw food cuisine. Ingredients are broken down into food groups such as protein, fats, vitamin B12 and calcium. Kitchen equipment is described and a very personal introduction gives the reader an insight into how such a radically different diet can be incorporated into everyday UK life.

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