#9 Watch the entire Harry Potter movie series

So two things happened this week. The first is obvious (as the blog title indicates) I watched all of the Harry Potter movies. And I must say I enjoyed every single one. I’ll admit I didn’t really know much about the books/movies, and I thought the movies were going to be childish. But by the time I got to the third movie, I realised how wrong I was, which allowed me to enjoy the magic, enjoy the characters (especially Hermione), as well as question whether Hogwarts really does exist. I know it doesn’t, but I think it would be really cool if it did :)

 

And with that #9 can be crossed off:

 

9) Watch the entire Harry Potter movie series

 

The second thing that happened to me this week is … I’m dirty … I mean thirty!

 

I turned thirty on Monday and what a great day it was! It all started with a good morning kiss from mr gasket (awwww) followed by early bird birthday calls, SMS’s and Facebook messages. One of the  morning phone calls I got was from my mum, where she sang Happy Birthday, and told me she was going to call me thirty times, to which my first thought was

 

 maybe I’ll leave my mobile phone at home today… just kidding mum!

 

I was then off to morning tea with another brand new mama and a third time mama-to-be. It was a lovely morning tea with peppermint hot chocolate (yummers – got to find out how to make-it-myself), and a deliciously creamy strawberry tart. While we sipped and chatted, Froggie surprised me the most, and slept in the pram (best birthday present ever!)

 

After morning tea, Froggie and I did some window shopping, then picked up some groceries for my Mexican dinner, followed by my birthday ritual for the last five years, collecting my free (yes I said free) birthday Boost Juice. Thanks Boost Juice!

 

In the evening my immediate family arrived for the Mexican feast, bringing more singing and presents! We ended the evening with a four layer chocolate cake, sent Froggie to bed, and declared this birthday over.

 

 

Thanks again to everyone for their birthday well wishes!

 

xoxo Bronwyn

#1 Have a Baby

IT'S A BOY!

Yes, my little man arrived one day after his due date, weighing in at 3.74kg, and 53cm long:

We call him Froggie. Because when he lies on your chest in his green onsie with his arms and legs are tucked up into his body, well, he looks like a frog. See?

My labour/delivery didn’t go as expected, (but then everyone told me not to have any expectations), but it also was not as bad as I thought it would be. Yes I was in labour for 12 hours, and yes it hurt (a lot!), but most importantly we came out the other side an instant family.

The midwives and the doctors at the hospital were great. And I mean really great. A few of my friends have had babies and they have all told me stories of not-so-nice midwives, and doctors whose faces they would not remember as they only got to see them very briefly. So I was very glad that when all the hospital staff, (six days in the hospital x three shift changes = 18 different midwives during my stay) were supportive of my needs, pleasant to be around, and didn’t give too much conflicting opposing information. I would definitely go back there to have my future babies.

Motherhood is exactly what people say, you’re sleep deprived, you never have enough time for anything, and in the first days home, family and friends make, bring and buy you dinner. I’ve been home from the hospital for a week and a half and today is the first time I’ve been able to get onto my laptop, which I think is scary. In my digital world, there are over 500 emails waiting to be deleted opened, and 80+ blog posts to read in my reading list. But in my physical world there is a load of washing to hang out, a load of washing to put in the machine and a baby to feed (which can happen anytime between now and the next 90 minutes.)

So I can mark off  #1 on my Mrs Bucket list:

#1 Have a Baby

That makes three items marked off my Mrs Bucket list.

I’m still committed to the list, but realistically, I may not get to all of them before I turn thirty. So I’ve decided that rather than try to complete the remaining twenty-seven items in the next twelve weeks, I have decided to extend my Mrs Bucket list time frame to the end of the year, with the aim of completing half the list before I’m thirty. When I was paid employment, extending deadlines was not something I was ever allowed liked to do, but since I’m now doing home duties, I’m going to throw myself a bone.

Ahh, there’s the baby crying, it must be feeding time, at least I got to finish writing this blog post. If you’re a mama, leave me a comment on time management tips that worked for you with your new baby.

xoxo Bronwyn

#23 Go without TV for a month

Today is 2 May 2012. So this means two things:

1. I am exactly 37 + 1 weeks into this pregnancy (eeeek!), and
2. I have finished #23 on my bucket list, no Stevie the TV for a month (woo hoo!)

The woo hoo may be a bit much, as my mum my dad my sister mr gasket many people have told me, a month without TV was too easy for me. For some reason, they seem to think that I should have done something more challenging, like going without my iPad for a month (ARE THEY CRAZY??!?!?!?)

But in my defence, I would actually have to agree (not much of a defence really) that going without TV has been very easy. Here are the reasons why:

• BROADBAND! I can get all the news, weather forecasts, gossip entertainment updates from the internet.
• I was organising an event, my baby shower, so I kept myself busy making the invites, the games, and the decorations.
• I would go shopping for dinner every day (although this is not a cost effective thing to do) so that I could leave the house for a couple of hours everyday.

However, I was really happy to discover a one big misconception about me and my TV consumption. Are you ready? Here it is:

Not watching TV does not make me more productive

Yep, I know, shocker isn't it?

I thought by not watching TV I would have more free time. But thi was not the case. I got the same amount of work done, regardless of whether the TV is on or not. Who knew?

But now it’s time for what I missed about TV. Quite simply, I missed that I missed out on watching stuff, including:

• Season 3 premier of Offspring. After the shocking revelation during the Season 2 final, I’ve been waiting months to see what happens in Season 3.
• The Voice blind auditions, especially the blind girl auditioning at the blind audition.
• Watching Toddlers and Tiara’s at my parents house (they have pay TV). I know this is not something I should have missed, but I find this show HILARIOUS, I love the obnoxious kids, and the catty parents, fun, fun, fun!

So I can officially mark off  #23 on my Mrs Bucket list:

#23 Go without TV for a month

Ahhh, that feels good. Now with only 17 weeks until I’m 30, and only marking off *gulp* two items, I need to get cracking! I have a few things ready for some of the items on my list, so watch this space!

xoxo Bronwyn

My Mrs Bucket (pronounced Bou-quet) List

Have you heard of a 365 project?

If you haven’t, you should. I first heard about it a few years ago when a TV personality decided to take a quirky picture of himself every day for a year, and once he was done, he held an exhibition. I thought that this was an awesome idea and great way to waste time add more things to my busy day.

But after I did a bit more digging, I found out about 365 grateful. This is where people document (and take photos) of something they are grateful for everyday. I like this idea much more. And so for the last two years I’ve told myself, “You’re going to start your 365 project on 1 January,” but then every year I forget. I don’t have to start on 1 January, but it just seems like the best way to start a new year.

So while I wait 332 days until next year, I’ve decided to do a 30 before I’m 30 bucket list instead, or a Mrs Bucket (Bou-quet) list as my grandma likes to call it. Check it out!

Bronwyn’s 30 before 30 Mrs Bucket List:

1) Have a Baby
2) Make a (proper) quilt
3) Participate in a 5km (or ambitious 10km) run
4) Learn a new language
5) Ride on the Portsea to Queenscliff ferry
6) Read a book that is at least 500 pages in a single session, start to finish
7) Learn how to shuffle (LMFAO style)
8) Attend a Bikram Yoga class
9) Watch the entire Harry Potter movie series
10) Play 18 holes of golf
11) Learn to play the ukulele
12) Memorise the lyrics of a rap song
13) Fail, then try again
14) Learn to use a dSLR camera
15) Forgive the selfish, the insensitive and the hurtful
16) Go to a live recording of a TV show
17) Hike a big mountain for at least 5 hours
18) Attend the opera
19) Make 1000 origami paper cranes
20) Start a blog
21) Visit Tasmania
22) Grow my own herbs
23) Go without TV for a month
24) Dye (part of) my hair purple
25) Pay it forward – by either buying a stranger coffee, paying for a strangers meal in the drive thru, or taping exact change for a can of soft drink to a vending machine
26) Try stand up paddle boarding
27) Write at least 30 thank you letters to waiters, sales people, customer service reps
28) Get a tattoo
29) Go zorbing
30) Purposely leave 30 x one dollar coins on the ground

Now if you Google ideas for 30 before your 30, you will find a lot more physical feats, such as jumping out of a plane, or bungee jumping. And you will also find a lot of travel feats such as, walking the Great Wall of China, or climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. But since I am seriously time constrained with a) being 5 months pregnant and b) turning 30 in 30 weeks (what a coincidence!) I’ve had to soften the things that made the list.

But before I get any comments of, “you cant do such in such because you’re pregnant,” Frankie says relax, and don’t worry I haven’t forgotten. I couldn’t make everything on the list easy, I like a challenge, and I always perform better under pressure, so those things, such as Bikram yoga and getting a tattoo, will have to wait until after the baby comes, but before my birthday.

But since I like to be organised, I think I need some back-ups, just in case I cant complete some things on my list such as zorbing. My friends went to the Philippines last year and did it there, and I know you can go zorbing in New Zealand too, but does anyone know if I can do this Melbourne?

So give me your ideas in the comments on some back-ups that I should consider, or let me know what’s on your bucket list!

xoxo Bronwyn

P.S I can already cross off one item on my list, this blog!

20) Start a blog

Don’t you just love crossing things off your list? Now its 29 things to do in 30 weeks!