Happy Friday!

The presentation of the Sugar Doll Award from Thea jogged my baby brain memory that I hadn’t officially thanked Jodie and answered my questions!

So thank you lovely Jodie, and without further ado, we’ll go to the questions!

What do you do when you’re bored?

Unfortunately I eat or watch TV! Not very exciting or original! Sometimes I clean. But only when boredom turns into motivation!

Are you an autumn, or a spring person?

I’m a Spring baby (October) so will have to pick Spring! I prefer the warmer weather, but not too hot, so Spring is perfect weather. Most of the time anyway! And baby is due in Spring too! Coincidently on my birthday!

Quick! You’re stuck at an airport for hours, and the only options are a crossword puzzle or an old novel nobody’s ever heard of. Which would you pick?

The old novel. Definitely. I’m terrible at crossword puzzles! And lack the attention span to even try and start one let alone complete one!

Jane Austen or Emily Bronte?

I’ve actually never read either!

Do you feel prepared for the five other questions coming your way?

Sure. Why not. Bring it on!

Who’s your hero?

Hmmm, I actually don’t think I have a hero. There’s lots of different people I admire for different reasons, but not one particular hero.

Favorite word?

Hmmm, not sure it’s my favourite, but the word ‘Phenomenal’ always makes me laugh! Back in my beauty college days we used to give our friend Mel a word a week that she had to use all the time. And when someone picked Phenomenal I think we just laughed at how she used it all week!

Are you one of those “checklist” people, or are you a “wing it and hope everything goes well” sort of person?

I was always a bit of a list person and now even more so since I’ve been pregnant! If it’s not on my shopping list when I go to the supermarket then there isn’t a hope in hell of my remembering it!

What phrase has stuck with you in your life?

I don’t think I have one favourite phrase. I do say to hubby a lot, “I’ve been thinking”! He always looks worried when I say that!

If you were to choose between coffee and tea. . . which would you go with?

I only started drinking coffee last year but stopped when I got pregnant. So stuck with the tea. But then I bought hubby the little Nespresso coffee machine for his b’day and discovered they do a great Decaf! So for now will pick coffee!

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So there you go! Better late than never!

I’d pass it on, but I’m sure it’s already done the rounds! Instead of answering the questions, maybe you could share why Life is Good for you at the moment?

The Sugar Doll Award comes with some rules. Write five things about yourself and pass the award on to five fantastic bloggers.

1. I have to steal Thea’s number 1 too, and say that pink is my favourite colour! Just in case you couldn’t already tell from you know, all the pink on my blog!

2. When I was a kid my best friend Kylie and I were going to open a preschool together!

3. I first dyed my hair when I was 11! Don’t panic it was only one of those $3 Napro Live washout ones!

4. I still wonder over a year later how I managed to convince hubby to get a dog!

5. I’m secretly, well not so secretly now, obsessed with the TV show The Hills! Thank goodness this is the last season, it’s really not healthy to be addicted to such crap!

So who are my Sugar Doll award recipients…. Drum roll please!

Jodie @ Mummy Mayhem

Jane @ Well hey there, stranger!

Megan @ Writing Out Loud

Ellen @ The Spice Rack

Naomi @ Under the Yardarm

Ok, so here are my wonderings:

• I wonder everyday if I’m having a boy or a girl. From the day I found out I was pregnant I thought it was a boy. But every now and then for a moment I think it might be a girl!
• I wonder how the hell I’m going to get this baby out! For so long you just focus on the pregnancy and I think the words, ‘you’re now in your third trimester’ made me stop and think, oh shit we’re on the home stretch now and I actually have to give birth.
• I wonder what it’s going to be like to not be pregnant! I feel like I’ve been pregnant for so long, it’s almost as if my belly and kicking baby has always been there.
• I wonder when I’ll be ready to leave the house after the baby is born.
• I wonder how the hell you do your grocery shopping with a newborn. Two words come to mind: Coles Online!
• I wonder if my belly button will ever be the same again. Actually lets just add my whole body to that!
• I wonder what Jack our dog will be like with the baby.
• I wonder what it’s going to be like to be a mum. The words hardest but best thing ever come to mind!

What did you wonder when you were pregnant?

So there’s the pressure of choosing the right name, picking a middle name, and checking the initials. And then there’s a new dilemma that I have discovered – what if someone you know has already used that name for their child?

So here’s my question. How far removed from someone do you have to be to use the same name? Obviously we would never name our kids the same as their first cousins or the same as our closest friend’s kids, because they would all spend lots of time together, and let’s be honest it would be pretty bloody confusing for all if there were 2 Streeter kids a couple of years apart with the same name.

But what if you don’t spend alot of time with someone whose child’s name you love? Let me explain it in the current situation that’s happening for me.

I was 85% maybe a little bit more sure that I was set on our girls name. Then hubby came home and was chatting about a work colleague who had bought their 12 month old daughter into work and how cute she was. As soon as the child’s name left his lips I was in love. I immediately thought that’s what I want to call my daughter. It’s so beautiful, and a little bit different, but still a proper name, if you know what I mean.

The problem? Well I think hubby is a little worried about using the same name as his work colleague because he sees the guy everyday and because his daughter is still very young. I, on the other hand don’t see any problems with it as our families don’t spend anytime together.

I do worry a little bit about looking like we’re ‘copying’, but ‘copying’ in a good way I think! Hubby mentioned that maybe if it had been on my list from the beginning then it might be different, but I didn’t think of it until he said this little girls name. My response was that you usually don’t think of names until you here them, or read them somewhere. Well that’s how it was for me anyway.

So, as always, what do you think? How precious are you about your kids names? And how far removed from someone do you think you have to be before it’s ok to borrow steal their baby names?!

Dear Puff Pieces

Dear Puff Pieces,

I feel I have been neglecting you of late, so I thought I would write you a little note to let you know what has been happening.

So what has been happening? Well that’s a really good question. In a way quite a bit, and in a way not much really! Here are a few things in no particular order as to why you may be feeling unloved of late.

• My brain is seriously consumed with all things baby. Most of the time therefore spent on the computer is looking at baby stuff. (Hello eBay, I love you).
• I’ve been ‘working’ from home. This has been slightly harder than I expected to get into full swing. See previous point. But I’m slowly getting through the work before bub arrives!
• Nesting, nesting, nesting. Everytime I sit down at the computer I look around and get fixated on another cupboard that I could be cleaning out. My thinking here is that I should clean before blog while I can still move around relatively easy!
• We got Foxtel. Yes I’m sorry my lovely pretty pink blog, I have been neglecting you to watch crazy American teenage mums, and Bridezilla’s lose the plot instead of devoting time to you and thinking of clever and witty things to share with the world.

So there you have it, my excuses. Can you forgive me? I do promise to type all my travel stories before bub arrives, because after bub arrives, Lord knows I’ll have a whole other list of excuses for neglecting you. And yes I’m afraid, the list will still probably contain Foxtel, unless of course the novelty has worn off by then. Oh, yes and the fact that I’ll be a first time mum.

Thanks for your understanding Puff Pieces.

Your neglectful owner,
Ami.

Finally we arrive in Paris! The airport was a shit fight, but finally we find our friends Tim & Tegan, find our hire car, and then the adventure begins! Tim was the lucky first person to have to drive on the ‘wrong side’ of the road! Thankfully we had the help of our new best friend ‘Sharnelle’ the GPS lady. Whose French accent was 50 times worse than ours! We headed straight for Amiens and an early night to recover from the flights!

While in Amiens we explored all the Battlefields in the area including Villers Brettoneux – the Australian War Memorial, Beauchamp Hamel – Canadian Memorial where you can see remnants of the trenches and craters and the British Memorial at Thiepval. We attended the Villers Brettoneux ANZAC DAY Dawn Service where we had to get up at ‘Sparrow’s Fart’ as described by a young Aussie we heard chatting after the ceremony! It was of course freezing cold, but the ceremony was dignified and moving.

Monday 26th April we headed back to Paris, for a few days of sightseeing. We explored the Jardin du Luxembourg – beautiful gardens where people just seem to sit for hours around a small pond. We commented that something like that in Newcastle would be beautiful, except for the worry of idiots throwing all the chairs in the water.

The Eiffel Tower was great fun, with Hubby even convincing me to go right to the top! The day was made extra special with Tim proposing to Tegan on the Eiffel Tower! Oh, and she said yes!! Altogether now…. aaaaaaaawwwwwwww!!

A visit to the Louvre was tainted by some crazy tourists you were madly pushing to take photos of the Mona Lisa. It became impossible to walk around at your own leisure and we decided to abort. Lunch on the Champs Elysees was great, but seriously EXPENSIVE! About $20 for a medium orange juice! Yes, my juice was more expensive than the boys’ beer!

The next day ended up proving just how unfit I really am, and made worse by being about 15 weeks pregnant at the time! We climbed the Sacre Coure. Small winding staircases, often quite dark, was definitely not my idea of fun. Hubby soon realised that would be the first and last dome I was going to climb! The view from up the top was of course spectacular!

Friday 30th April we arrive in Bordeaux, which turned out to be a bit of surprise packet! The town was beautiful and we really enjoyed just walking around the streets. Unfortunately we only had 1 night there, and just used it as a stop over. Next stop, Biarritz – a lovely coastal town. The boys decided to stay out after dinner for a few beers at the local bar where they made friends with some Irish……

The Irish aren’t that bad I hear you say. No they’re not that bad, except there was a rugby match in town the next day between Biarritz and Munster (Ireland). And so in the spirit of drinking and carrying on with the Irish who were in town for the game, John & Tim purchased 4 tickets to the game! John was very proud of his purchase as he loudly told me about the tickets when they arrived back to our hotel at 12am!

And so the day of the big rugby match did not get off to a good start! It was not only bloody freezing, but raining as well! I had so many layers on which made zipping up my jacket a challenge as there was a baby bump to contend with too! So we set off to the game which was easier said than done. We found a local taxi stand – by absolute fluke, and through the taxi drivers broken English, our broken French, and hand gestures, we arrive at the local rugby ground. Well that wasn’t so bad I thought. Well, silly me, I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy! We follow the crowds to some buses inside the grounds. We’re then told that we have to catch the bus to a train station, where we then get the train to the rugby grounds. Right so it’s beginning to appear that we’re no longer attending a ‘local’ rugby match!

The bus feels like it takes forever and the bloody bus driver gets lost which was not going down well with me as I started to feel travel sick. FINALLY we arrive at the train station. “Just a few stops”, my lovely husband announces. Yeah right. Luckily I got a seat on the crowded, hot and stuffy train. However I spent the entire train trip – which wasn’t only a few stops, debating whether I give up my scarf or jacket as I was convinced I was about to throw up any minute. How I didn’t still remains a mystery to me, but I’m very thankful my worst fear of throwing up in public didn’t come true. So we FINALLY arrive at the station and the stadium, and as I look at the exit sign it’s no longer “Sortie” but “Salida”.

Hmmmm we’re not in France anymore Toto. No siree we’d landed ourselves in Spain! Oops! No ID, no Passports, no interest in rugby, this day was not going well! “Don’t worry” exclaims John, “It’s all part of the adventure”. By this time I lovingly replied, “F*** the adventure!”

Turns out the game wasn’t so bad after all, and sitting in amongst thousands of crazing Irish rugby fans was an experience in itself! Unfortunately for the Irish, Biarritz won. Maybe it was the Aussie on their team – Karmichael Hunt! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly relieved when we decided to hot foot it outta there 5 minutes before the end of the game so we weren’t fighting through the crowds. Hopped on a train and we were homeward bound. Hooray, I thought, we survived the day! Unfortunately our elation at heading home was short lived.

We got off at the train station we had been dropped at to discover there weren’t any buses. Did I mention we’d ended up in Spain with no ID, no phones, and now no idea how the hell we were going to get back to our hotel. Oh and it was now starting to rain. Never in my life have I wished more that I could just click my sparkly red shoes together, declare there’s no place like home and in a poof of magical smoke be back at our hotel. Of course this didn’t happen, so I went into the train station and bought chocolate from the vending machine while the boys tried to figure out how to get us home!

Once again through broken English, broken French and hand gestures, we managed to ‘chat’ to other people who had got off at the wrong station (turns out the bus driver dropped us at the wrong station initially so other people didn’t realise the buses home went from a different station). We hopped back on the train and stuck close to our new friends, so when they got off the train a few stops later, so did we! And there they were, the beautiful sight of the buses to take us home. Seriously relieved! Finally we were back in Biarritz, and at the local rugby ground. Right, lets hail a taxi and we’ll be back in the town centre munching on some yummy dinner in no time. Right, taxi…. taxi…..

Ok, so there were no bloody taxi’s, so we walked. And we walked. And finally I could have easily balled my eyes out when I caught sight of our hotel! Thankfully dinner was delicious! Yummy seafood starters, scrumptious lamb main and to-die-for desserts!

And that folks, is Part I of the adventure! In Part II we have the most delicious dinner with a hairy-ear man and stay in a haunted hotel! Until next time…. au revoir!

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I’ve always loved makeup, but have never really been obsessed with it. I remember when I started Beauty College I ‘got in trouble’ for NOT wearing ENOUGH makeup! And while I say I’m not obsessed with it, I do prefer to put on some powder and a bit of mascara before I leave the house.

I’ve thought about analysing why we feel the need to do this, but really I don’t think for me there are any deep psychological reasons behind it! My face is quite pale and I look better, healthier with a bit of colour. Really it’s that plain and simple!

Anyway enough of my ramblings, here I am bare faced sitting on train somewhere in France, I think travelling from Paris to Bordeaux a few weeks ago! Actually that was at the beginning of our trip so a couple of months ago!

Bloggers Without Makeup

Congratulations Jodie on a fantastic idea that turned into a great day and no doubt liberated women everywhere! Next year (and I hope there’s a next year) I hope to participate on the proper day!

You can read the full Blogger’s Without Makeup stories and follow the journey on Jodie’s website:

Bloggers Without Makeup

Bloggers Without Makeup Day

BWM Day 2010 Thanks

BWM 2010 Video

Choosing baby names.

Choosing a name for your baby is a huge responsibility. Ginormous in fact. This is the name that your future child will have For. The. Rest. Of. Their. Lives. Yeah, no pressure at all!

When Hubby and I were on our way to pick up our new puppy from the RSPCA, we literally decided in about 2 minutes that he was going to be called Jack. That was seriously the quickest thing we’ve ever agreed on. That, and I’m the best wife in the world. No arguments there. Smart boy. Anyway, sorry, I digress.

So Jack was Jack in a heartbeat, but when it comes to naming an actual human being it’s quite a different story. Like most girls I picked future baby names out long ago, just like we start planning our weddings when we’re about 10 years old.

In the first few weeks of being pregnant I of course instantly started running some of my baby names past Hubby to guage how many of my negotiating skills I was going to have to call on to get my own way. Let’s just say I thought I was going to have to pull out everything I’ve got, as in a heartbeat most of my girl faves were met with the reply, NO, and I don’t think so. It goes something like this:

Me: What about Audrey*?
Hubby: No.
Me: But….
Hubby: (Butting in), I said no.
Me: Well what about Ingrid*?
Hubby: Definitely No. And then some explicitives about bad that name is, and how our child will be teased in the playground.

See what I’m up against! The other problem I’m having, as if a disagreeing Husband wasn’t enough, is that I’m really really crap at making decisions. That’s right, I’m a Libra! I can’t decide what to have for breakfast on the best of days let alone name another human being! If I had to name a baby 10 years ago it would have been Lili or Olivia for a girl and probably Brandon for a boy. I still love the girls names, but not really the boy’s name. So what happens in another 10 years time. Will I still like the names I gave my children? Oh, the drama of it.

Initially it seemed that boys were easier to name than girls. We, well I, had boy’s names coming out of my ears, and for the most part we tended to agree. But coming up with girls names? Well I’d rather try and cut my dogs toenails! Having said that we’ve now probably got 3 boys names and 2 girls names which is making choosing a girls name much easier! Oh how the tables have turned!

I’m thinking though that at 24 weeks Hubby’s just getting warmed up with his opinion! I’m sure he’s got a secret list stashed somewhere.

How did you choose your child/children’s names? Did you just know, or was it a hard decision?

*Not the real names. Names for demonstration purposes only.

Blog Award!

The rules of the award are to:

- Display the award on your blog.

- Mention the person who gave you the award, and provide a link to their blog.

- Name 5-10 people to pass it on to.

- Advise those people they’ve gotten an award!

I’m going to be lazy and not do the last 2 because all the mind blowing blogs I love have no doubt been mentioned!

Thanks again Jodie, and of course, right back at ya!!