March: In like a lamb out like a lion

No you haven’t read the title incorrectly and no I haven’t got my sayings all mixed up again! I know that the saying is “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” but this is in reference to the weather and I am not talking about the weather. Yes, yes I do long for longer spring days and less rain but what I am talking about it myself, I want to go out like a lion.

To be honest and to be fair to myself, I am feeling a little lamb like after my c-section, a bit sore still, a bit slow and on a strict no driving, no exercise schedule for six weeks, which takes me to the 24th March. So March for me is all about getting stronger, I know that the body healing is a slow process but I am determined that by the end of the month I will be back to yoga, and that is my goal for the month.

My dream of running again is going to have to wait a little bit longer as I am on strict instructions not to run for 12 weeks after the operation. When they first told me this I was a little gutted, I am not going to lie to you, I may have even stamped my foot a little bit, but I am now looking at it as a mile stone to work my way up to. In a way it is good for me to have these time scales, as knowing me if I didn’t I would have gone out too fast and too soon.

I am also applying this slow and steady motto to my work. Initially I thought that I would be able to go back to work after a couple of months and Frankie would go to nursery or a child minder. But things have changed, I don’t want to leave him and also I am just not physically or mentally ready yet. So me and Mr. E have gone back to the drawing board with The Wandering Kitchen and we have decided to employ someone. I have been reluctant to ask for help for a lot of my life, but now I see that this is the key to success. Whilst my brain is full to the brim with baby stuff, we can employ someone who’s head is in the game and therefore much more productive and better for the business.

Talking of baby stuff not only has it changed my whole outlook in regards to business but just my whole world. The once business driven, fashion and music loving woman has been reduced to a gooey mess every time he smiles, burps, moves, sneezes, the list goes on. Now when Mr. E calls me from the kitchen about something business related, I reply with “That’s great, but guess what? Frankie did a poo.” Yes I became one of those people!!!

As for fashion I thought maternity fashion was difficult but dressing for breast feeding is even harder, I never owned anything before that buttons down the front. I know why now because the other day I left the house with my top unbuttoned and my bra fully on show to the world. Previously I would have been quite devastated by this, that anyone might have caught a glimpse of me not looking my best, but to be honest after going through labour I am not that bothered. Also this is the one time in my life that I a! going to have a DD chest so you know, if you’ve got it flaunt it.

Finally I am trying to introduce Frankie to music at this very early stage of his life. But where my Spotify account was once a haven for cool indie bands, it has now been high jacked by Frankie’s favourites: Disney Lullabies and Bruce Springsteen. To be fair the boy has pretty good taste. I find myself singing him Disney classics to get him off to sleep and doing all the voices, finally my ability to copy many different accents has a purpose! It’s pretty fun though and it is kind of lovely to be able to unleash the inner child of mine and make up ridiculous stories for his teddy bears and give them all silly voices.

Anyway enough about me what have the Fe-line bloggers been up to and what is coming up at Fe-line this month. Well we have great posts that I know you are going to love. Lucy gives some great advice this week about stopping your business from taking over your life. We have part two of How to create balance from Svetlina and Joey tells us why done is better than perfect and that is just for starters. You can keep up to date with all new posts on , and the ten most popular post get emailed out once a month so don’t forget to sign up to the mailing list.

Love and getting stronger,

 

 

The wind of change: February at Fe-line

We made it to the end of January Fe-liners, so long post Christmas blues and hello longer evenings, this is the time of year that I convince myself that it is Spring and then forget how cold the next couple of months can be, but I am happy in my deluded state. Change seems to be the theme for Fe-line this month and the only thing that isn’t changing is the amazing blogs that the Fe-line bloggers and I have planned for you (sorry too cheesy, I couldn’t help it).

Little Miss Joey‘s theme for the whole of last year was change, but she seems to be carrying on with the theme as she storms ahead with her new business venture, she has a great post for you this month about how she is getting on with her business plans and working with business partners that are in other countries. Katie has also been talking about change but about how she doesn’t handle it very well and how she has to keep pushing herself. For myself I am about to embark on the biggest change of my life, motherhood. I am writing this to you from the past and so by the time you read it, it will be the day before my due day and the babe could well be here!!

My own thoughts of change are entirely different to Katie’s and that is why I love having the Fe-line bloggers on board because we are all different and it gives a much broader picture to you dear readers than just my random ramblings. My life has been a series of changes ever since I left University in 2005, I have moved countries, and geographical location countless times, I have changed jobs, careers also countless times and I have had three different but serious relationships in this time too.  So therefore at this point motherhood doesn’t scare me because I just see it as another chapter in my ever changing world and when you do change things a lot you realise that we are adaptable creatures and that often there is nothing to be scared of.

Also coming up this month we have two fantastic Valentine’s themed posts from Helena and Priscilla. I love Helena’s post as it is all about having a healthy relationship and I think most of us have been in an unhealthy relationship at one point in our lives. If you are in one at the moment Helena’s post will give you some really good self esteem building advice for moving on. Priscilla’s post looks at surviving Valentine’s Day as a single lady and she tackles the subject in her usual upbeat and arse-kicking manner that we are getting to know and love.

There are also some great posts about inspirational women coming up, Debs has written about Verity Lambert, the first producer of Doctor Who, I had no idea that a woman produced the show and I interviewed Oxfordshire blogger, Jacqui Thorndyke aka FoodieOnTour.

Oh and last but no means least we introduce a new Fe-line blogger to the fold, Lisa Cherry. You might remember Lisa from one of our Word of Mouth talks last year, when she came to talk to us about writing. Lisa says: “I’m passionate about all things writing, recovery and transformation. Social change rocks my space as does dark, intense chocolate. I am a mother of teens, an author, a coffee snob, a professional keynote speaker and the creator of the Whatever® Youth Coaching Programme. Collaboration, reciprocation and empathy are the values that underpin my business. I live in Oxfordshire with the hubby, the teens and Lulu, the family rescue Westie!” Look out for Lisa’s first post tomorrow.

I hope you enjoy all the posts coming your way this month, you can keep up to date with what is being posted when by liking the , following , signing up for the mailing list or following Fe-line on Bloglovin’, or all four to be on the safe side!

Love and ambitious thoughts of Spring,