We all have goals in life that we work towards at some point or another. Some are big things like world peace and climbing everest, buying our first house, first car, finding the perfect man to marry. Others are smaller/simpler things like eating healthy for a month, quitting the ciggies and promising ourselves to exercise more.

Some things are easy to tick off and others not so much. One of the things that comes back, we set them periodically hoping that one day will tick them off and our list will grow shorter but realistically it never does. Each season I set myself a goal to find myself the perfect pair of pants. This winter I was well on the way to doing so and then all of a sudden I found myself knocked up and facing a whole new ball game of challenges. How on earth was I ever going to find the perfect pair of maternity pants. These guys were pretty good they hugged me in the right spots, made my butt look amazing and I wore them day in and day out but as the weather got warmer and warmer I needed to find something comfortable that didn’t have so many layers.

I might be making a huge call here people but through my travels and with thanks from the team at Soon Maternity I think I may have just found the perfect pair of pants and I’m not just saying that because they are the next part of the challenge, these pants are seriously amazing and they may just be the best pants I have ever worn. They hug me in all of the right spots, they make me feel like a million bucks and a few weeks ago I even caught my husband and his mates checking me out from behind, Now for a heavily woman that is a total compliment.

See for yourself, don’t I look AMAZING! Those pants, they really do have magical powers.


This week is the final installment of the Soon Maternity Style Challenge and I have to say I’m a little sad to see it coming to an end. This challenge has really pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, put an effort into what I’m wearing and made me prepare weekly photo shoots for the blog. I’m 31 weeks now so I really hope I can keep it going and make it all the way through to the end because it really has been a whole lot of fun.

I think they have really saved the best bit for last as this outfit really has to be my all time favourite. I was really going for serious and sexy in the shoot but I don’t think I quiet got there this time and it looks like heavily pregnant woman who may just pass out from the heat because it was seriously hot, in fact the day I took these photos my car kept telling me it was 46 degrees. How nuts is that. I’d love to go back and re-shoot this outfit in a few weeks time when it’s not so hot and miserable.

If you’ve missed any posts don’t forget you can check them out here on the blog. Week One, Week Two and Week Three. The American girls have got this competition in the bag but if you feel like voting you can head over to the soon maternity facebook page and comment or like your favourite outfit from the last four weeks of the challenge. Just by voting you go in the draw to win yourself a $150 voucher from Soon Maternity and you too could own a pair of pants just like these and much more. And if your in the mood for some shopping you can also save 10% off the entire collection just by entering the code helloowl at checkout, now go on..get shopping because these pants are worth the investment.

Wearing:

Blue singlet by Emerson from BigW

Military Cardigan purchased from Target in 2010

Gold Leaf necklace from Lovissa

Hoolihan Cargo Skinny Pants from Soon Maternity

Black wedges from BigW

This is a sponsored post by Nuffnang

When it comes to learning. My kids are super nerds. The other day I handed them a box of chalk and they instantly made themselves comfortable and started doing sums. It just melts my heart to see them like this.

Our kids pick up things so easily nowadays and if used in moderation television can be a really great learning tool.

I remember when Effie was around 1 1/2 she was sitting in the middle of the lounge room watching cartoons and all of a sudden she started counting in spanish. I was gob smacked, she was barely talking at this stage and there she was counting in spanish.

Earlier in the week the girls and I had the opportunity to road test a brand new show that will be appearing on Disney Junior very, very soon.

Indroducing Doc McStuffin’s

Doc McStuffins” is an imaginative animated series about “Doc McStuffins”, a six-year-old girl who communicates with and heals stuffed animals and broken toys out of her backyard playhouse clinic. Assisting “Doc” with the day-to-day operations at the clinic are her much-loved friends: “Stuffy”, an overly proud dragon; “Lambie”, her cuddly best friend; “Hallie”, a jolly and caring hippo nurse; “Squeakers”, an alarmist squeaky toy fish; and “Chilly”, a snowman who spends a lot of time getting check-ups at the clinic. Whether it’s a case of loose stitching, low batteries or a blow-up toy who’s sprung a leak, “Doc” and her pals are always there to lend a helping hand, while imparting to young viewers the importance of taking care of oneself and others.

So for the last few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of trialling the all new and fabulous Samsung Smart Camera WB150F. It’s been all sorts of fun and I’m having a ball playing with all the new settings and features but I’ll talk more about that another day.

Today I’m here to tell you about a really exciting competiton that is being held and how Samsung are giving away a WB150F for the next 27 days.

You’ve go that right folks, one a day for 27 days and on top of that they are also giving away a $9000 lifestyle package. How cool is that.

So your sitting there thinking. What do I need to do to win this awesome prize right. Well it’s smile. All you need to do is take a photo of an Australian moment and upload it to the Samsung Facebook page.

You can use any camera to take your photograph and if you check out the some great examples. So get on out there. I expect every all of you to enter.

If your curious to see the camera in action you can check a collection of my photos right here.

I don’t come from a religious family. Yes I’ve been christened and confirmed and I know all the facts about life and how we got here and all that but as a family we never went to church or anything like that and when it came time for me to organise my wedding I choose not to be married in a church or be affiliated with my husbands religious beliefs.

For our family easter has always been about spending time together as a family, cherishing the ones we love and being thankful for each day we have together. My kids learn about religion at school {and off tv} but I’ve never asked really sat down and talked to them about religion, I’ve never asked if they believe in god or what easter means to them, for all I know they could think it’s all about the chocolate.

I often wonder if this is something we should talk about. Something that should be discussed once and a while so they have the chance to make up their own minds and choose their own path. I would hate for them to steer away from religion just because I’m not terribly religious myself.

So tell me. What does easter mean to you and is there anything special you do with your family?

Don’t forget if Hello Owl is your favourite blog in the world you can vote for us in the top 50 bloggers competition and you could walk away with $5000. To vote just click on the button below..

When I started my little blog back in 2006 I had no idea how much I would get out of my blog and where it would take me. I was a bored navy wife sitting at home with my baby and I had no idea that a few years later the Australian blogosphere would explode and I would get a chance to meet so many  amazing, like minded people who just “get it”

My blog has opened so many doors for me and made my life this big ball of excitement and I really hope I just keep writing forever. Everyday I look forward to opening up my laptop and sharing a small snippet of my life with you because “you” have watched me grow, you’ve supported me through the good and the bad and waking up to “you” each day makes my life great.

A few weeks ago I received word that I had been selected into the Kidspot Top 50 Bloggers for the second year in a row {go me} so on Wednesday morning I dropped my kids off with our lovely neighbour and made my way to town to catch the first flight out for a whirlwind trip to Sydney.

The weather was perfect for flying and while I watched the clouds fly by I set my laptop up and managed to catch up on once upon a time and watch the larry crown affair.

Danimezza picked me up and we drove through the streets of Sydney in search of our hotel.

I attended the launch of the competition and spent most of the evening hiding at the side of the room gas bagging with the lovely Corrie from Retro Mummy.

And Katrina from The Block {and so many more}

I went down the longest escalator ever with Danimezza

And then Katrina, Crash, Suger and I did a midnight run to McDonald’s in Kings Cross. I saw a man wearing a lovely pair of red heels and admired how great his legs looked. We then wandered back to Suger’s hotel room and hung out like we were old friends because..that’s what bloggers do.

I had an amazing breakfast with Caitlin and Suger at Petrol

Doesn’t Suger just look so happy.

And sat on a train that smelled like a toilet. This is how I remember Sydney.

Suger and I hung at the airport for four whole hours

And ran into Brenda and Grace on their way to the Digital Parents Conference in Melbourne.

And then finally..it was time to go home.

 As part of the competition I have the chance to take home some seriously awesome prizes including a flight to New York to attend the ultimate blogging conference, BlogHer 2012 in August this year! The prize includes return flights, five nights accommodation (staying at the swanky New York Hilton hotel), full access to BlogHer (which runs 2 August – 4 August), plus $750 spending money!!! How cool is that and if I win I will also be   driving around in a brand spanking new Ford Territory for a year! Can you imagine how many awesome road trips we could take in that. I’m planning them in my head already.

AND

Don’t worry there is something in it for you too..simply by voting you have the chance to win $5000 cold hard cash! Perhaps we can join forces and go on a massive blogger road trip.

I’m not going to push for votes but if Hello Owl just happens to be your favourite blog in the world and you see yourself rolling around in $5000 then why don’t you click on this link and vote for me. Because who knows we could both walk away with some really cool prizes.

And this is Josceline’s take on ways to expand her baby sister’s food palette.