In the Pursuit of Happiness

Getting it right all of the time is hard, actually it's nearly impossible for someone like me who actually doesn't even know if they are getting it right in the first place...

I strive for happiness, balance, calm, fulfilment and excitment in my life, after all who doesn't? Reaching all of the above doesn't come easily and it often leaves me questioning "am I making the right choices?" 

I work four days a week in a very busy and often stressful environment with one precious day of Miss Two and me time that we cram lots into. We swim, socialise, shop, cook, clean (well I do the last two) and invest as much quality time into one Mother & Daughter Day as possible! Of course we have the weekends as a family and that is wonderful too, but once the Sunday evening draws to an end, I get the pang of us all going our separate ways for the week ahead. 

I'm a 'grass is always greener' kinda girl. I go to work - I wish I stayed at home more, when I was at home whilst Miss Two was a baby - I couldn't wait to start work again, when I was travelling - I longed for routine and being still for awhile, I have now have that stability & I envy people that can go off travelling when ever they like, etc, etc ... It goes on & on! Stopping to smell the roses, living life as it is now, or however it should go is something I work on, on a regular basis. 

I guess the point of this post is 'am I doing the right thing, right now?' I'm working hard to help support my family, doing my bit, saving for the future, yada, yada ... or should we be sacrificing our somewhat financial freedom for more days at home with my little lady.

#confused
#each day brings a different conclusion

My favourite dress

My friend has currently ditched the corporate life and decided to study Beauty Therapy whilst working at Endota, busy girl! The bonus with this is I get my hair, nails & make-up done for a fraction of the price (fraction being $0!). She is super amazing & extremely gifted.

We decided to have a little photo shoot and we didn't even get through a quarter of the wonderful vintage items I have in my wardrobe! I have chosen one of my 'looks' of the afternoon, mostly because I adore the dress I'm wearing. I bought the dress from my favourite on-line Northcote store Dear Gladys, it is not-for-profit and has the most amazing vintage & contemporary clothing. I never feel guilty shopping there as it is for a great cause, Dear Gladys raises much needed funds to help women experiencing disadvantage to get back into the workforce. Win win all round really.

Thanks to Brigitte for getting some really fabulous snaps. xo

 

 

Am I being selfish wanting to Volunteer?

I've always wanted to volunteer. We have all thought about how nice it would be to 'give back to the community', right? Well I felt like the time had come and put my name down for a program and it felt good. There was a bit of a wait until my interview, great, I'm looking at doing something, but there is nothing set in concrete - I am getting there ...

This week I had the phone call and a spot had come up, they would like to meet with me & get the ball rolling. So, today Miss two and I went along (Miss two was very well behaved throughout the 2 hour interview!) and I thought it all sounded pretty wonderful ... I'm ready, yep, I am ready to give back, aren't I??

One of the questions was "What makes you want to be in the program?", my answer was honest and is a combination of a few things that made me feel like it would be something I and someone else could benefit from; the program is Big Sister, Little Sister. 

I live in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, which has a high percentage of low socio-demographic families. This doesn't always mean that children are uncared for or unloved, but occasionally there is a gap missing in a child's life that needs a good metor or role model. My family and I have pretty stable, fortunate lives, my husband and I have good jobs, my little girl is happy and we hope to help Miss Two achieve her goals & get every opportunity this world has to offer. We have a well supported family network and have a good routine happening, we are busy, but happy.

So, my question is, am I being selfish mentoring a 'Little Sister' & giving up my family time? I work four days a week, so family time can be somewhat precious. The commitment is 3 times a month for a minimum of 1 hour per visit - my family can be involved, but obviously it wouldn't be always and my time would be concentrated on my 'Little Sister'.

I see so many positives; my Miss Two growing up with the knowledge of 'giving', I, as in ME can make a difference to a  person's life, it's just juggling my 'time' there is nothing to lose financially & it's something I have wanted to do for such a long time.

So why is there this little niggling feeling of, will it be all too much? can I do this? Am I being selfish to my family? ... and if it doesn't work out, which is the biggest one of all, how would my Little Sister feel ... 

I need to make a decision, fast. The ball is rolling, police checks are happening, second interviews and tests will be booked in shortly. It's so hard when your heart says one thing, but your head says another. A weekend of serious thinking ahead.

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week!

With the combination of wanting to take my teenage niece to something fun, entertaining, interesting & 'non-boring' and with our love of fashion, we went along to Melbourne Spring Fashion Week on Saturday night. I've never been to a fashion festival so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a little Google before the day on what designers are hitting the runway, but didn't have any real expectations. I must say I had we had a fabulous night and even got bumped to the front, which included a free goodie bag! 

Each designer opened with a different musician to start there collection, it came across (to me anyway) as an art, which untimely fashion is ... parts were definitely not 'street style' and a little out-there, but that's what made it eye-catching & entertaining. I loved the glam of it all, from the fashion photographers to the quirky VIPs (one woman was head-to-toe is florescent colours!). It was over within in an hour, but was perfect for the attention span and left you wanting more.

After the show we took some piccies and headed to the Veggie Bar on Brunswick Street - one of my favourite places to eat in Melbourne. 

My niece has an eclectic style and loves a good op-shop find, her jacket is from Savers! My top is from my favourite store Dear Gladys, it is over sized with silk lining so it doesn't scratch. Our heels are huge, so I was very careful, especially where I was stepping!

Not only did I have a fabulous night, but I was tucked up in bed by midnight! Score! ;-)