Achieving, winning and being Inspiring to others.

I have been absent from my blog for a little while fo focus on a few things but I am back with the same enthusiasm!!

This month I am feeling like I have done something worthwhile, my positive energy is not only making me a better person but it is also contagious, people around me are sharing my positive vibe. It is a priceless feeling.

Why am I so happy? Well, I participated in the Medibank Half Marathon. The Melbourne Marathon this year attracted more than 30,000 participants.  The Melbourne Marathon raises money for the Cerebral Palsy Education Centre, so it is a great event to be part of.

I am excited that I finished the Half- Marathon 21km in 2 hrs exactly. I have been training religiously for the past two months and I am feeling on top of the world now. It is great to have a goal and slowly work towards that. The feeling I had crossing the line at the MCG was so great. The crowd was so big and the cheering and the camaraderie and the family at the finish line. It is all those things I love in the same place, if I could just press repeat on that moment, I would :)

My son was so excited to see me at the finish line and so was the rest of the family. My friend completed the race a few minutes before me and was as excited as I was. As if  the winning, achieving and Inspiring feeling was not enough for the day, we were so lucky as to finish around the same time as Cameron Ling (Cameron Ling is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League. A tagger at 1.89 metres and 94 kilograms, Ling was a premiership-winning captain at the club.) So of course with the adrenalin of finishing the race, pumping through my body, I approached Cameron and asked for a photo with my friend. He was as happy as us and smiled for the camera, great guy !!

Through October, I am also part of the Ocsober foundation. It means I am not drinking all through October and raising money for Life Education Australia. (Life Education is a charity providing positive, preventative drug and health education programs which motivate, encourage and empower young people to make smart life choices for a healthy future, free from the harms associated with drug misuse.) If you want to check it out, please do :-
https://ocsober2013.everydayhero.com/au/anouchka

Once I start something, I want to be able to finish it, whatever the cost . I sticked to my run and put in the effort required and I feel like I achieved what I was hoping to. I will also stick to Ocsober!! Helping others, making a difference is a rewarding feeling not only to others but to yourself. I hope you feel inspired to make a difference today or another day!!

Between A Traditional Family and a Modern Family.

Are you a traditional family, a Modern family or a bit of both. Let's discuss!!




Do you come from a cultural family, french, Asian, Italian or pure Aussie? It does not matter, all these cultures have their traditional and modern families.

I come from a tropical island with half french/half a lot of cultures :) Growing up in this place, I knew two different types of women, the traditional and the care-free. Of course, being reasonable and smart, which one did I choose to look up to? - The Good Traditional girl ...Thank you! The Care-free ones are the ones that people gossip about, the ones that we are outraged by their parenting, their choices and the result on their kids upbringing -not nice.

The Matriarch of The Traditional Women.

My mother and my grandmother were traditional and strong women in my eyes. They were the cook, the carer, the educator, the everything. They were always busy looking after their family. The men on the other hand, sorry Dad, had the only job of bringing home the dough - The Breadwinners - Hard workers but at home - King of the Castles. The women however seemed happy with their lot and role. No hobbies, no time to pursue their dreams or even interest or passion.

As a child though you relish in the traditional parenting. Great food, freshly baked cookies, your favourite spaghetti with cheese, and a huge hug at the end of a tiring day at school. Seventh Heaven!!

In my family, my grandmother is the Matriarch, the one who calls the shots!! Everyone goes by her rule and she seems to be right all the time!! She instilled in us kindness, love, spirituality,good manners,the value of money, saving, saving, saving!!.My grandmother was always there for everyone and that's the way she saw her happiness. 

"Why keep travelling?" she says" I have seen Paris, been to Europe, why be selfish and go again" Her family is her priority and she prefers that to travelling or other interests. She looks after her kids, grand-kids with a selflessness that I have never seen. She does not expect anything in return.

It was easy to take her for granted as a child until now as a grown-up I realise that there are not a lot of people like her in this new age world. She is one of a kind, bless her precious heart!

So, for this reason I can never look down on the Traditional women out there because you know what, it does work and if that's who you are go for it.

But but but...much to my disapproving grandmother's eyes, and even though I keep all the values she has instilled in me, I love travel, let's just say I am just dreaming of travel at the moment but if I had a chance I'd go around the world with my kids and hubby in a heartbeat!! I love exercising, socialising, and as long as I can pay my bills, look after my family, I will spend on things that make me happy!! There, I have said it.

BIRDS OF THE SAME FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER.

Some of the friends I have met through my motherhood journey seem to share my point of view.We got into a ritual of exercising outdoors every Sunday. We all have kids and we'd leave them with respective partners and early morning take turns in driving to our favourite mountain spot, for a run/long walk.Talking to them I realise that they all have home, housework, toilet training...all the domestic work but they all choose to look after themselves as well and enjoy other things that life has to offer.

Mixing outdoor exercise and socialising is bliss. Mind you we huffed and puffed while talking away. One of my friend's passion is her fitness group exercise work and she is the fittest!! Another loves renovating, changes to her home and is inspired by The Block, she could easily have been part of the show. And Friend No 3 is very creative and loves making healthy food for her kids and herself.

Hopefully, I can can sit down with my friends sometime soon and interview them a little bit more :) but for now this is what I have got.

Next blog will be about the Fashion World through a Modern Mother's Eyes, the Melbourne Cup Fashion, Fashion in the Fitness World and maybe some pics of local Domestic Fashionistas. Fasten your seat belt!!!

Keeping Fit, Staying Healthy and Positive.

Do you aim at being healthy for your family and for yourself?

Exercise brings you to this happy place and helps you feel confident. Your body releases endorphins and your happiness level increases. However you are not the obsessed type, constantly monitoring what you eat and not taking time to enjoy the pleasure of food. You choose the healthy option!!

Last night, my traditional side led me to cook a healthy noodle soup with vegetables and chicken for my kids.I craved a hot vindaloo dish so I made a chicken vindaloo with spinach and steamed some beans. It all went into wholemeal wraps which my hubby and I devoured in no time.

                                 

This morning, my inner Madonna pushed me to get into my Adidas tights, new Lululemon Top ( Thank you to my friend Liz) and Mizuno Runners. So after dropping my child to school, I was ready to hit The Gym!

After 10 minutes of running on the treadmill, I started on my abs exercises, concenciously copying the moves from my newly bought Womens Fitness magazine. Although it is still Spring, I can feel the Summer today. Thanks Womens Fitness!

 

I did miss my friend T at the gym today but we will catch up again soon for a different exercise. Looking forward to our Pilates classes!!

Background on my new found Fitness regime.

A few years ago, after the birth of my kids, I was not the sporty type at all, the thought of running would make me want to throw up. Slowly I started walking, going to the gym... I am proud to say that I have been part of the City to Surf Run in Sydney and completed the run (15km) in an hour and half, not bad for a first ever run!! This year I pushed a little harder and completed Tough Mudder in Phillip Island with the support of my hubby. I ran the whole 20 km and completed all of the obstacles except the "jumping into the river " swim from a height. One sport that I have not mastered as yet - Swimming!!

The Madonna inside me wants to keep going!! So I will be participating in the Half Marathon this year!! Yes that is why I am motivated to keep going to the gym. Having a goal in mind works for me, it means I can take small steps everyday in view of my challenge. I am looking forward to my weekend run by the beach this time with my running companion, aiming at 15-20 km, hoping for good weather.

OK, so enough about me!!! My next blog will be about my friends and what motivates them and how they balance the Mother Theresa side/The Madonna Side.

Half Mother Theresa, Half Madonna

Hello,

Welcome to my New Age Mum Blog. We are half Mother Theresa, half Madonna!!

It is not a judgemental blog on the two different types of mothers out there. It is about the in-between mothers. The New Age Mum is not your stereo-typical Conservative Traditional mum nor is it the other extreme Successful Non-Traditional and Driven mums. There is no right or wrong path to being a mother the choice is yours.

             

 

In this Australian Times, we hear stories that celebrate women who "have it all", kids, home, husband,a thriving career. If not, we hear about the opposite spectrum, traditional mothers who will not miss any of their child's milestone/event, happy to stay at home. But what about the "In-between Mothers", those that belong to both columns, the ones who are still ambitious, inspirational but also traditional to a level?

My definition of the New Age woman is one that falls within the age range of 30-40, are not extreme stereo-types, make their own version of Motherhood. They still want to be young but not wild and free anymore. You fall into this category if you enjoy your time on your own, you have a passion (running, dancing, socialising, fashion and shopping, travel) other than just family and kids. You love your family to bits, you do the school pick-ups, you are a great cook to your family but you also love yourself and pursue things that make you happy. You enjoy quality time with your husband away from the kids and you find new ways to keep your relationship alive. You are the New Age Mother and you are a Diva in balancing different sides of yourself. Welcome to my blog!!

We will talk about us, what we enjoy. I guess I will start with myself and include some of the friends that I know that fall into this category. I will use examples of other famous/non-famous mothers who fall into this category. Two names come into my mind Gwyneth Paltrow and Jools Oliver ( Jamie Oliver's wife)

Although this blog will not be only about celebrities, this is an easy introduction to my down-to earth mums out there who might not be as famous as above but still have this flame inside them that make them unique. It will be about the Mothers with background and cultures that have shaped them but also wants to be their own make.You go girls!!