Sometimes worries take over and there is nothing else. I retreat from living and spend time alone with my troublesome worries. Even more troublesome is the fact that each individual worry is really nothing, nothing worth worrying about anyway, but they take over pretty quickly anyway.
I don’t write or blog or laugh or enjoy my favourite tv shows or read or plan or clean or do any of things that I really enjoy. I just worry. And it continues that way until I force myself to move. Force myself to …

It’s amazing how hard it is to say ‘I’m proud’ or ‘I’m good’ or even ‘I’m great’ without qualifying it in some way. As though, if I admit to it the universe will strike me down for my presumption. And if I don’t I risk the ridicule of others for being arrogant.
And while humility, being down to earth and being unassuming are prized personality traits, confidence, self-assuredness and self-belief are often thrown into the category of delusions of grandeur.
And it doesn’t just impact things on a grand scale – it …

5 Things I Love
Toddler dancing (Riley’s especially, but really all toddler dancing in general)
Riley being too busy charming spectators to focus on her swimming lesson
Snuggle time under the doona with the rain outside
Riley raiding my wedding jewellery (see exhibit A below)
Food that is truly, truly bad for me

5 Things I Hate
Monthly disappointments that are starting to seem inevitable
The fact that I’ve squandered all my post-pregnancy weight loss on food that is truly, truly bad for me.
Hurting a friend
People who talk through the baby
People who say disparaging things to me in …

I’m participating in Bloggers Without Makeup this Friday. Idea courtesy of the brilliant Jodie.
Jodie wrote about the idea that although, we’re all about putting ourselves out there with our words, but perhaps are a little bit more insecure about our looks. I have no idea what she is talking about. I certainly did not use a wedding photo as my blog/twitter profile for months because one day I was feeling ugly and needed cheering up.
So, although I never wear make up (unless I’m going to a wedding or something equally …

Megan from Writing Out Loud, who also blogs here, tagged me for this. Megan is a beautiful lyrical writer with passion to burn. Well worth the hours you’ll lose on her blog.
Gluttony. What can’t you get enough of, even though it’s bad for you?
Laksa. Sure there is tofu and vegetables in it, but it’s also made with coconut cream. I eat far more of the stuff than could ever be considered healthy. In fact, I just had some for dinner. I also have a love of Krispy Kreme doghnuts. And …

I’m guest posting today over at Write to Done. Head over there to check out my post on how perfectionism is not your friend, or even your frenemy – it’s an albatross around your neck.
filed in I am neurotic, Writing, blogging, guest post

« « Baby Dust

Bring On the Bubbles » »

That’s the awesome thing about toddlers. They don’t conform to anything, ever. And not in the Emo way of we’re all so different unique flowers but mysteriously we all look exactly the same. In the genuine, I have no concept of societal norms and will do what interests me and makes me giggle.
I was reading this article by her royal highness of blog coolness all about being a non-conformist in High School. If there was a trophy for that I’m sure I would win. Although, to do this day I’m …

It’s hard to know why, but some days, despite having a glorious toddler who is great company, a loving husband and a great family, I feel alone, isolated and sad. Perhaps it’s a shade of depression, and if that’s all I’m left with, that’s pretty damn good. On those days, I miss my mum (Hi Mum!). That’s an inside joke. I never call her mum, I have always called her by her first name. And we keep in touch most days on the phone, and we skype. But it’s not …

Personality. It’s a strange beast. Every day, a little bit more of Riley’s personality emerges. But it can be hard to tell what is actual personality and what is her being a toddler. It is hard to tell what she was born with and what she has learnt.
She’s extremely gregarious. But not around toddlers. Only around adults. Either way, gregarious is not something she learnt from me, or from Mr Goog. Now her reserve, quiet and tendency to play alone around other toddlers, that’s something that looks familiar. And then, …

Reading this post at Three Ring Circus today I could relate.
I never made friends easily, in part because we moved around a lot and at school, everyone seemed to have known one another since Kindergarten. It was hard to break into cliques. Especially as a naturally shy person. One time I did push past the shyness to make friends, because I was lonely, and for a time the loneliness outweighed my reticence. A few weeks later I was sat down by the group of friends and told, very matter of …