I like to move it move it!

Frog watched Madagascar once... and has ever since been seen grooving round the neighbourhood singing and making up her own dance moves.

She's cool like that.

The song kind of gets into your head though... and for me it's a happy, bouncing little reminder that I really need to move my butt if I ever want to be absolutely-frickin-drop-dead-fabulous and finally get married.

(Yes I am well aware my looks should not be a requirement, but they are. Being the most un-photogenic person ever invented means butt-moving is ESSENTIAL if I actually want to be in my own wedding photographs.)

I digress. 

I made a promise to myself that I would rejoin #OperationMOVE and stick to it. I promised Kate 600 minutes... let's see how I go.

I got up on Sunday, cranked my tunes, and started. 

And quickly discovered a year of not dancing has made me all stiff and my muscles quite unco-operative. Further fuelling my resolve to keep going and get back my lost stretchiness.

After jazzing my way around with Frog giggling in the background, I did exactly what I told myself to do - "shut up and run" - cruising along for 5k's on the cross trainer.  Followed by some ab killing strength training with my fitball.

And I didn't die. And I felt great. I still feel great and am pretending I can't hear my stomach muscles screaming "oh dear lord someone stop her!"

50 mins down... 510 to go...

Happy Feckin' New Year!

It's 2013 which means I can get over the fact that EVERYONE that was coming to our house for wine and fun cancelled at the eleventh hour (or close enough to) and we spent NYE disappointed and wondering how much bubbly we could drink between four of us.

I'm kicking off my New Years Things-I-Will-Try-Very-Hard-To-Remember with

#1: Taking  the silver lining, and dumping the rest. For example... I have wine, prawns, and fancy cheese for the week and a lot of lovely fruit to round out the food groups nicely. And yes, wine is a food group. So is brie.

Silver linings are important. Otherwise, all you have left is the crappy feelings, running round and round in your head forever.

If you can't find a silver lining, have a bloody good laugh instead. It works, I promise.

 #2: Sticking to my commitments. I have been half hearted in my attempts at things I really wanted to do last year. And I'm disappointed with myself, and the easy way I let things slide by and go "Oh I forgot, next time..."

I did stay with my commitments to my community, by faithfully attending meetings, writing grant applications, and generally providing my opinion at the child care and oshc committees. I'm proud of myself, and I know I can do something properly if I set my mind to it.

I participated in the Fat Mum Slim Gift Exchange for the second year in a row - and this year received the most beautiful feedback from my recipient, I'm so pleased she loved her Giving Bowl! 

The first thing I absolutely want to do this year is Operation Move with Kate Says Stuff. 

WonderMan went out of his way to run abut the city and bring home a cross trainer for me last year. Today I am going to take down the Christmas tree and put my trainer right back where it belongs, so I have no excuse not to get on it.

My mantra for 2013? "Shut up and run"

#3: Just do it. Play a game with the girls. Go down the slide. Chuck the vacuum aside and zip to the beach. Take the picture. Whatever. 

I've done some of this last year. And the results were better than I could have imagined. We grabbed life by the balls and made a massive and mostly blind move to the beautiful Clare Valley last January. In one short year we have put down roots that will take a lot of shifting.

So here's to grabbing life with both hands and saying "Let's do it!"

Nothing will happen if you don't make it.

Happy New Year, lovelies. You will be seeing a lot more of me from now on xx