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Memories without media are about how you feel, not what you see

mediamum — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:24:33 +0000

Our lives have become mediated to an extent never before encountered. A concert? A kids’ play? A birthday party? Everyone’s got some sort of technology recording every moment. So much so, they’re only ever living the moment through a lens – from the moment it’s recorded to every revisiting of it, the same view and memory will be had.

We carry the tools of media with us everywhere, every day. Our cell phones are our constantly ‘on’ media connection to the public world. As soon as we encounter something remarkable, we immediately reach to record and share it.

I wonder if this is true: Sharing is becoming more important than experiencing. Social capital has overtaken personally-held value. If I can’t share it, it’s not worth doing.

Last Saturday was the perfect winter day for an extended hike. Elisabeth, Shari and I took the dogs on what we originally had thought was our regular (loved) Saturday morning hike in the foothills. We started out, and somewhat Forrest Gump-like, just kept going. From Shanahan Ridge (what I call Shari’s trail), down to Mesa Trail and Bluestem Trails (part of my usual trail), and then Shari said we could do Shadow Canyon trail, which she knew from a wrong turn she’d taken a few weeks back. Off we went.

The elevation was pretty serious. We worked pretty hard. The only people up this trail were the hard core runners and one pair of one-off sight-seers. And as is usual with trails that are that much effort to get to, it was honestly spectacular. I had somehow forgotten that a really good climb rewards you with a view when you finally slow down and look behind you. We were so focused on chatting and going up the never-ending slope covered in snow and ice, I didn’t even think of what could be behind us. The landscape of trees, icicles, boulders and snow all around us were breathtaking enough. But then for some reason we stopped for a second, and looked down. It felt like we were on top of all Colorado. I could nearly reach out and touch Devils Thumb, we were that high (slight exaggeration, but really, we were very high). I was looking at the tops of pine trees from the trail.

Magnificent.

And not one of us had a way of recording it. For some strange reason, we had left our tools of media at home. (Elisabeth had her phone, which was out of battery.)

We talked a little about maybe it was better this way, anyway. In a lot of ways, I think it is. I shared that experience, that hike, with two very special people in my life, and our dogs. Nobody else. And it will always be that way. Even when we go back, equipped with our cameras this time (as we have assured ourselves we will), it will be different to the first time.

That one time, this last Saturday, will always be special for me. We ate snow when we got thirsty. We talked about so many different things. We looked at the view, and appreciated nature’s spectacular beauty which never ever ceases to stun you. I felt in awe, connected, healthy, strong, challenged and loved. I didn’t mediate a second. I shared it only with two people. Two special friends who I am blessed to share experiences with (and who can talk for three hours straight, it seems ).

Perhaps we should all mediate those special occasions a little less sometimes, live in the moment and focus on the way you feel instead of purely the way it looked. Perhaps focusing on how you feel will give us better connection to our sense of self than hitting a share button.

Before and now with pictures: The journey to fit and fantastic

mediamum — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:59:56 +0000

I have been thinking it must be time to share some pictures, so you who don’t get to see me offline really can see the results those who see me all the time can see. I am about to celebrate a weight loss of 30 pounds. I am already celebrating my daily walk/jog/hike with my dog in the trails of South Boulder. Every day I celebrate putting on clothes that fit. Every day I’m pretty much surprised that they do (it’s honestly like a dream).

I spent a very long time making excuses. It’s funny how you can say “I eat when I’m depressed” and think that’s a reason to stay the way you are instead of recognising it to be the challenge you’ve got the power to change.

Other reasons are also excuses. I have the wrong shoes to exercise in. I don’t have time. I am ‘scared’ of packaged food/contracts. I don’t want to cook two different meals. My husband doesn’t want me to. I’ve had children, so my body just looks this way naturally. I’m too old for that stuff.

While those excuses might placate others, your doctor, yourself for a little while, they still don’t make you sleep better at night. They don’t prolong your life. They don’t make you feel good about yourself. Those excuses make you out to be ready for a compromised life instead of someone who deserves to live well.

When I was about to start the journey to feeling healthy, I got really good at not being in pictures where I looked bad. Standing slightly side on, chin in the air, camera held slightly above your head. Yep, I know those tricks. So I didn’t have many pictures of what I really looked like before Nutrisystem. I wanted to write this post and share with you the proof that all I’ve been talking about has actually happened.

But sheesh, my friend Elisabeth said she had some pictures of me. So she sent them to me. Stacks of them. Oh my word.

Here’s one where my butt is eating the scenery behind us, taken in September 2009. I particularly like the way that when your bum gets to be a certain size, your pants wrap around it, and pull themselves up so your ankles show. (Yes, I’m cringing.)

Or this one, with me in party mode by the pool taken last year. Crikey is all I have to say about this. I even thought twice about posting it. That’s gotta tell you something:

But thank goodness Nutrisystem came along and said Jo, we can do this. Thank goodness I was ready. Very, very ready.

I was ready to do something about my weight, my lifestyle, and my health.

On my birthday this year (March 24), I held hands with Nutrisystem. My first delivery from the company arrived the first week of April. And I have not looked back since. I have lost 28 pounds so far. But it’s about so much more than the numbers. I know people who are thinner than me, but who can’t keep up with me on the stairs, or hiking. I jog a bit. I love life so much more than ever before. I count so many of my blessings that I couldn’t see before.

This is me this week:

Today I am happy to say things have never been healthier for me. I am fit, my kids no longer make little jokes about my weight or shape, and I can hike with the best of them. I do more than four miles every single day. My friends are proud of me. But you know what is really important? I am proud of me.

And that says everything.

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is supplying my food and dietary support in return for my honest reflections on the program. Do you live in the US or Canada, and want to join me and get healthy with Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

When do you unstrap the girls? Boobs and freedom

mediamum — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:41:21 +0000

Many women I know can’t wait to get home from work and take off their bra. The over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder can be one of the most restrictive pieces of clothing a woman has to endure. The larger your cup, the worse it seems to be. To feel good about yourself at a certain age, you need scaffolding not unlike that which supports the Sydney Harbour Bridge to keep the girls in your chest area and to prevent your cup runnething (totally a word) over. Sweet relief is only available when the scaffolding is removed – as long as you don’t need little skateboards to stop them dragging on the ground.

These things are not like underpants. All the sizes seem the same, but they’re not. Some are actually horrible torture devices. Rule of thumb: The prettier they are, the more uncomfortable they are to wear. The better they look from the outside of clothes, the worse they look without clothes over the top. Men should never try and buy a bra for a woman, unless they know the exact size, make and colour she prefers. And if he does, she probably already has it anyway.

Our favourite bras are the ones we can bear to wear all day. The ones that make the girls look decent, don’t contribute to heartburn after lunch, and we can bear to wash at the laundromat if need be. We might have weekend bras, or bras that look better under certain clothes. Bras we wear if we’re meeting particular people because of the way they make us feel rather than the way they look. Or a combination of all of these. This is science, people. And it’s not for the fainthearted (or tiny breasted).

It’s horrible when the favourite one is stretched to death, the hook gets caught in the washer, or it turns that ugly grey colour that your son’s armpit on his white shirt is. Then you have to buy a replacement. Standing in a changeroom, boobs hanging there. Mocking you. As you try one after the other, uglier and uglier, while a pert 17 year old on her saturday job stands outside offering something she’s just found that’s even uglier and Oh Good God, I’m not THAT old yet am I?

Sometimes I just wish I could comfortably go without a bra. I try it for a while on the weekends, when nobody’s around. I try to convince myself I’m comfy without one. But I’m really not. I like the structure. I like to clean a lot on the weekends, and if I’m not wearing a bra, then there’s nowhere to shove my iPod. This is a great irony. I want to be free of a bra, but I can’t do what I want to without it. The boobs may or may not even flap a little as I scrub the floor if they’re unhitched. That’s distracting even to me.

When they are unrestricted, they have a mind of their own. They’re like that toddler who totally needs reins. They run amok. I have knocked over cups of tea with them. My pal @ElaineOrrMorgan asked me tonight if I have ever changed the tv channel by mistake with them. I think this means she has. But I’m too polite to ask. (Stop snorting. I can be polite.)

And last week I had forgotten to take the recycling out while in the un-scaffolded state, computing on the couch (as you do). I heard the truck. Damn. I ran with the recycling down the road after the truck, boobs flying. Yeah, I’m guessing it wasn’t pretty, even though the recycling guy seemed pretty happy. I came back inside muttering to myself about what an idiot I was. Imagine what THAT looked like to the recycling guy and every neighbour in sight. I’m a crazy, bra-less muttering woman.

(Please note: But at least I recycle!)

It seems that it’s not safe to go without a bra even in your own home. I have three sons still at home. They bring mates over to hang out. It’s bad enough they have me for a mum. But me with no bra? I’d never see my kids again and goodness knows what their mates would say. I don’t even want to think about it.

Okay, so I will wear a bra. Promise. Unless I’m on a long-haul flight. I reckon I’m safe to take it off for that middle four hours, if I don’t move, right?

Image credit: Cyclone http://cyart.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

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Well played QANTAS, but you still suck. #QANTASluxury twitter un/fail.

mediamum — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:52:09 +0000

Tonight QANTAS decided it was time to turn things around. The world’s leading safety airline (we’ve never crashed, mum!) is moving onward to try and get Aussies back on board, trusting the airline to be as true blue as ever. The company decided to launch a little twitter comp, with the requirement being to tweet what would make your inflight experience the most luxurious ever, with #QANTASluxury in the tweet.

Floodgates. Open.

What fun was had with that prompt. While some tried to identify ulterior, sinister motives, others just had freaking fun with the competition invitation. After all, the prize was a pair of pyjamas and an inflight pack. Big freaking deal, even if it is from first class and only worth $30. Who cares? The prize was totally not the point. QANTAS got that. Kudos.

The fact is, the competition got a massive number of people tweeting humorous messages taking the piss out of Qantas – exactly what they wanted.

Yeah, I said it. The company wanted you to take the piss out of them. To release your steam. To really, freaking vent.

Instead of being irate at them, people were starting to laugh at the Qantas stupidity – thinking at first it was a total social media fail, and extending it to the Alan Joyce stuff. The grounding of the fleet. The fights with the union. Suddenly it becomes a laughing stock instead of the serious issue it actually is.

Nicely played, QANTAS.

People now are beginning to feel sorry for you. Seriously. I saw it with my own eyes. I contributed to it. Nicely freaking played, you corporate maniac. My marketing roots respect you. However, I still don’t.

PS: I still don’t trust you to get me to my family. You really stuffed up. Even if their seats, food and entertainment is not as good as yours, I still will now buy on best deal and just suck it up for the bloody 16 hour long haul flight both ways I make. I used to have arguments with people in order to fly you in the past, over your competition, if your price was just a little higher. I won’t slug it out any more. You’ve lost my loyalty. And no social media ‘good time’ crapola will change it. The fact is, QANTAS, I can’t trust you. You will screw me over in order to screw over your workers and you don’t care how much I paid for a ticket, or how important my trip is. I’m sorry you didn’t value our relationship as much as I did.

From a marketer’s perspective, while many will have their anger turned to pity over your ‘fail’ and will have their animosity towards your brand lessened to the point of actually listening to your next message – I still think you suck.

Featured pic credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joits/

A healthy Thanksgiving with a new tradition and 10 tips to stay on track

mediamum — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:54:33 +0000

We don’t have Thanksgiving in Australia (of course, but it still surprises many Americans ). In order to explain to the Aussies, Thanksgiving is about eating and football. That’s all you need to know. The eating is massive. For someone like me, therefore, Thanksgiving is a dangerous time, where I’m very likely to embrace things like Pumpkin Pie (yum) and a very large dinner of roast turkey and stuffing. However, Jed will not be here for Thanksgiving so that just leaves the boys and I.

I like to cook a roast turkey, but the boys really would prefer pizza. They’re teen/tweenagers after all, so that’s not surprising. And with my Nutrisystem going so well, I don’t want to make food that nobody will really eat, and will sit calling me from the fridge for the three days until I throw it out. That’s not good on lots of levels, including the fact I’ve learned that if you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it and that includes not buying it ‘for the kids’ (That was shockingly difficult to learn, by the way.)

So I’m going to do something different, and perhaps start a tradition that will keep my new Nutrisystem healthy lifestyle on track. After all, if it’s a tradition it will happen every year, and it will do two things: A. Remind me about how important being healthy is, how great I feel right now, and how thankful I am that I did this; and B: Give our family something that is centric to America that can be about us being part of it.

Nutrisystem has sent me a list of tips to help me get through the holiday season without flying blindly off the rails (I really don’t think that would happen, but you never know). I’ve been thinking about the tips, and had an epiphany.

I’m going to get the kids to choose the menu, and cook the food. They are going to do everything from setting and decorating the table through to cooking the food. We’ll spend some time early in the week planning it out together, and it will be a great learning opportunity for them on fat and sugar content of the foods they like. (I have told Charlie so often that chocolate milk has more sugar in it than a can of coke that I’m sick of hearing it. But it’s true.)

Make no mistake, I don’t want to suck all the fun out of a relaxing, fun day. Instead I’d love for them to try something new, and build on the one dish each they can currently cook. I haven’t told them yet, but I’m pretty sure they’re going to be on board.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, I want to share with you the tips that Nutrisystem sent me, that got me to this fantastic brainwave. I know that you’re not all on Nutrisystem, but there is a stack of great advice in these tips which are relevant to us all. And they apply just as well to the Christmas holiday season as well. I hope your Thanksgiving is also healthy, happy and peaceful – and that you are able to hold the ones you love close.

Tips for Taking the Fear out of Thanksgiving

1. Have a plan. Think things through before you get to the actual holiday meals and parties. Maybe your strategy is to take tiny portions of different dishes; that’s okay. If you’re cooking, you might want to have your bottle of water with you in the kitchen, so you’re less tempted to snack. Do what you can to stay away from the appetizer table. Plan to avoid anything that’s not homemade. The point is that if you go in with a plan, you’ll be less likely to get caught off-guard.

2. Stay on track. Holidays are not the time to skip meals in an attempt to “bank” calories. That’s a strategy that can backfire miserably. Instead, eat everything on your meal plan leading up to the holiday event, and make sure you’re drinking all your water. You’ll be less likely to overindulge at the big event.

3. Set a goal. There’s something about holidays that makes people forget what they do the rest of the year. Do you already have weight loss goals set up for November, December and January? If not you can start today. Once you’ve set a short-term goal, decide on a way to reward yourself once the goal has been reached.

4. Drink smart. Face it, overindulging during holiday events—whether it’s an office party, a family gathering or a neighborhood open house—can add a lot of extra calories to your day. In addition, when you’ve had too much to drink, it tends to weaken your previous resolve and derail any strategies and plans you might have had. Besides, you don’t want to end up as that karaoke-singing family member or neighbour everyone will be talking about for the next month.

5. Trim the calories. This tip is especially useful if you happen to be the primary cook for an event. In baked items, replace the fat with an equal amount of applesauce and the sugar with a sugar substitute; substitute a quarter cup of egg substitute for every egg called for in the recipe; replace butter with low fat margarine; replace whole milk with 1% milk and sour cream with yogurt; reduce the amount of nuts called for by half. And don’t forget both veggies and salad.

6. Enlist support. Trying to maintain your Nutrisystem program can be hard at the holidays, but there’s no reason you have to go it alone. Ask for your family’s understanding or even their help, so nobody’s trying to foist “seconds” on you. Nutrisystem counselors can help you strategize, based on your individual circumstances. Or you can go to the Nutrisystem Discussion Boards, where you’ll find people who definitely understand what you’re trying to do. Discuss your concerns; share tips of your own, or join one of the many weight loss challenges. Some of them are specifically geared to the holidays. Introduce yourself well before the event, so you have that support already in place.

7. Keep moving. Instead of just sitting around after dinner, suggest a family walk, or organize a touch-football game. Most people will be grateful for the chance to move around, and it can keep you on-track with your exercise plan.

8. Quality not Quantity. If you do plan to indulge in some of the traditional Thanksgiving favorites, use these portions as a guideline:

Turkey—3 oz. white meat, no skin (about the size of a deck of cards)
Mashed potatoes—1/3 cup (about the size of half of a baseball)
Gravy—1 Tbsp. (just drizzle it)
Relish made with sugar—1 Tbsp.
Stuffing—2 Tbsp.
Dinner Roll—if not homemade, skip it
Pie—1/12 of a 9” pie

9. Eat Before You Go. Whether you are hosting or just attending a holiday function, be sure to eat your Nutrisystem entrée before the festivities begin — that way you won’t be tempted to overeat during the meal and will be able to stay on track.

10. Embrace the holiday spirit. This last tip may just be the most important: You can get so caught up in all the planning and hoopla that you lose the whole meaning of the holiday season—coming together with friends and loved ones. It’s the time that’s really valuable, not the food and drink.

I didn’t get eaten by a mountain lion on the trail because it was at my kid’s school instead

mediamum — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:38:51 +0000

The first time I got an email from Charlie’s school telling me that there had been a mountain lion sighting, and the kids were being made to go home in pairs or have a parent collect them, I thought it was a joke.

But I was assured it wasn’t, so I had a heart attack, and made sure I went to school to pick up the kids – all the while looking around wildly for the impending attacking animal.

Now, three years later, mountain lions are part of my everyday reality. I have a mutual understanding with the lions. Don’t come near me, and I won’t come near you. I’ll hike the South Boulder lower foothills (you all stay up North Boulder way) with my dog (my alarm system), staying away from the deer (you know them as ‘dinner’). And life goes on.

I swapped Aussie redback spiders and blue tongue lizards for mountain lions and bears. Fair? Yep.

The old-school way of keeping track of mountain lions. Social media would be far more effective. (Pic credit: Flickr Creative Commons pst)

And so recently I got a lovely long email from my mum, who was a little worried about my four mile hiking. She saw the pictures of my trail and she also saw the local Boulder Daily Camera’s story about a mountain lion being on campus which I’d shared on Facebook (I coulda thought that one through a little more). She was concerned about the mountain lions. She said she hoped she was just being silly and that as soon as I said as much, she’d feel better.

So today I got to email her back with the great news that yes, it’s silly. I didn’t run into any mountain lions this morning on my hike, and they’re really not a problem. I told her it’s kind of like redback spiders in Australia. They’re around, but we just deal with them.

But a couple of weeks ago I came across a carcass on the trail. Picked clean. I have since discovered that it was a deer. I know this because Jet has brought various identifying bones (including a rib cage and spine) down from her recent just-off-the-trail pursuits. EW! To me, this is even worse than her poo-eating habit.

At about the same time, guess what – it was up at Charlie’s school! Again! This time I knew it wasn’t a joke. I think it’s pretty awesome that a school principal gets to send an email out like this (yes, this is the exact email):

Dear Parents and Guardians,

At approximately 11 this morning a mountain lion or bobcat was reported in the area of (our school). The lion was sighted under the solar panels of the preschool across the fence from our school grounds. As a precaution, children were kept inside for lunch recess. We will conduct a regular school dismissal today but want you to take consideration in your child’s to and from school travel.

Although bears, mountain lions and other wildlife are in our area, unseen, much of the time, this is a good opportunity to remind ourselves and our students of safety as it relates to mountain lions & other wildlife. For information about how to avoid encounters with wildlife and how to respond if a wildlife encounter occurs, visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s website. A good place to start is the education portion of the website, accessible through this link:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/Pages/Education.aspx

Nice, right?

So then I got an email from Jed – “Can you please pick up Charlie today? Mountain lion appears to be waiting to pick off little kids.” I love Jed’s sensitive nature, and the fact that he still managed to offload the pick up the kid task to me.

That said I’ve come to terms with the fact that lions are watching us all through the Fall season. They don’t want to run into us, and I don’t want to run into them. I just wish they’d also check in on foursquare or something, so I can definitely tell mum that I won’t be meeting any of them any time soon, and she can stop worrying.

Pic credit for mountain lion because I won’t be taking a picture myself anytime soon: Flickr: s_mestdagh

Trying to lose the heaviest 3.2 pounds in history

mediamum — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:20:54 +0000

My Nutrisystem journey has been incredible. I have said to numerous people it has changed my life. That’s absolutely true.

I’ve dieted before, been on that roller coaster of going from small sizes into large sizes. Seeing my collarbones appear (and then disappear again a few months later). But I’ve never, ever been on a program that I don’t call ‘a diet’. I’ve never been on a program that I didn’t have a goal weight for the whole way through. I’ve never been on a program that I didn’t feel like I was making sacrifices and holding my breath underwater until the magic minute meant I could return to the real world to take a gasp of air and roll around in the old habits of white bread, hot chips, chocolate and big plates.

Nutrisystem, for me, has been very, very different.

I don’t go to the gym. I don’t ‘work out’. Instead I hike/jog (almost) every day, for over four miles a day. You know how I’ve been ramping that up from earlier posts. It gives me so much more than weight loss – it gives me mental peace, energy, and restful sleep too. I’ve also made friends on the trail – good friends. I got to it because of my Nutrisystem program! This is my lifestyle. This has become who I am.

Climbing Bear Mountain, to see what she could see.

I carry my water bottle with me everywhere. My colleagues at the University know it, and a few have said that I’ve inspired them to also drink more water. My skin glows. I did this because of my Nutrisystem program. This is my lifestyle. This has become who I am.

I love the life I’m leading. Make no mistake – I still have days which are far less than stellar – like last week when I fell face first into a pizza that the kids had ordered for friday night dinner AND discovered that it really is possible to eat too many M&Ms – all in one day. But because of what I’ve become accustomed to with Nutrisystem, I wake up the next morning, think UGH, and then remember Meredith from Nutrisystem saying to the #NSNation bloggers “every day is new.” And instead of giving up on being healthy, I remember how bad I actually felt after eating all that crap – and I truly felt physically BAD – and decide to pwn the day instead. (see what I did there? Such an in-touch mum I am )

But I have to tell you – I am at my last 3.2 pounds. Yep, I suddenly decided, after people began asking me how much more weight I was going to lose, that 30 pounds would be my magic weight loss number. Suddenly I will be perfect if I lose just 3.2 more pounds (writing that makes it seem very, very wrong but it’s exactly what’s going on in my head). And as soon as I decided that, I stopped losing weight. For three weeks I’ve been sitting there, around the 3.2 pounds-to-lose mocking-me number. It’s so far from cool, it feels like a Sydney summer.

Do you think it’s because I implemented a goal instead of just continuing to enjoy being healthy and fit? Do you think that people only fixate on the weight and not the fitness because all they see is the weight? The only people who’ve commented on my fitness level are the ones who’ve gone hiking with me. I don’t think I’ll be able to let go of that magic, mysterious number 30 in my head, though. So what should I do next? I’ll either cut off an arm (that will totally fix it), or get onto the Nutrisystem boards and chat. I’ll let you know what happens, but meanwhile throw your suggestions here. As long as it’s not to cut off my arm. (Oh, and just so you know, my hair is already super short so I can’t cut that either.)

Results

My Nutrisystem journey has seen me lose a total so far of 26.8 pounds since early April, with 10 of those pounds being since mid August, when I returned from Australia. I now fit into everything I own – plus while I hate shopping for clothes, I can actually confidently pick something off the rack, and it is likely to look okay. It is fantastic to own size 12 jeans that do not look like cling wrap, and to see a t-shirt actually skim my hips and fall instead of bunch up at the waist. The danger of friction fires between my thighs has also completely gone! Everyone is grateful for that.

Jogging for women: AKA how to give yourself two black eyes

mediamum — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:49:33 +0000

As you know, I’m embracing the outdoors and loving being about the fittest I’ve ever been in my whole entire lengthy life! I have been hiking over 30 miles a week, and I truly love it. There is absolutely no “should” in my mental processes as I wake up. I really look forward to getting on the trail and hike/jogging my way through the 4.5 miles each morning.

My skin is naturally sun kissed and glowing. I get in the shower each morning afterwards, sweaty and hot, and come out tingling. It’s a great feeling. Then around 5pm I start to naturally fade. Last night I hit the hay at 9.30pm, somewhat shocking the kids, but I honestly could hardly keep my eyes open. I slept like a rock until 6.15am, and woke up feeling fantastic (and with a paw on my face, courtesy of Jet).

This past week or so I have discovered that jogging parts of my trail ups the ante quite a bit. My lungs open wider, I move faster (amazing, I know), and I just know the calories are burned faster. When I began to wonder if one day I could actually run the whole way on the 4.5 mile trail, it was like a seed was planted – or a carrot to tease me. Either one.

And so now I’m jogging quite a bit. Which was fabulous, except for the boobs. I’ll speak frankly.

Nature has endowed me lusciously with a rack that, when it used to remain in my chest area without scaffolding wire support, was, as they say, ‘spectacular’. It’s a shame because I never really saw the benefits of them (other than their brilliant performance in the role they were intended for) until they descended mercilessly upon my waistline and now, finally when I’ve moved somewhere that bras in my size are somewhat attractive, I feel like the person who decides to take a cruise the day after the ship leaves – I can make them look good but simply couldn’t be bothered.

So hang there they do. Usually inoffensive and held up in the chest region by underwires or the more comfortable but uni-boob-creating Cross Your Heart 18-hour bra. (That’s the ONLY bra you should wear on a long haul plane flight by the way. If you wear an underwire you will take it off by hour five and when your child lies on your lap to sleep as he most definitely will, his resounding “mum, your boobs are all squishy” will echo around the otherwise silent plane where people who might appear asleep will grin. I will not tell you how I know this, but I do.)

And so now I’m jogging a bit. And for the last month Shari and Elisabeth have had to listen to me gripe about not having a bra that can cut it. Seriously people, if we can split the atom then we’ve managed to keep it still and halve it. Surely we can do the same with boobs? I have read reviews, researched the situation, tried on about forty bras and in frustration sent a stream of swear words via text message to Shari. (She laughed. A lot.)

I have adopted plan B – standard bra with a really tight strap down over-bra. I still don’t like glimpsing my shadow as I jog, but at least I don’t get black eyes any more. I am finally at the point where most of my body stops moving when I stop jogging. And that’s good enough. I jog around a mile on a good day, and hike the rest. Let’s see if I (and my boobs) can keep it up!

Nintendo Wii Play Motion – Games beyond machine guns

mediamum — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:24:40 +0000

I’m a Wii fan. Just putting that out there. While my years as a game magazine editor in Australia have long passed, Nintendo has always been a reliable, solid company with technology that truly is family friendly.

Having three boys in the house, aged 11 to 17, usually means the video games are focused around zombies, death, destruction – or loud slash guitar playing. All of these have their place, but good grief, while I’m often tempted to grab a guitar and join in on one of the music games, I’m sorry to say that none of the zombie/killing-fests take my fancy.

However, the Wii is always something that I can not only play, but that I have fun at, and which I can whip the kids at. Sometimes. I love the yoga on the Wii Fit Plus, and the kids love to play Mario Kart. We all like to bowl. It’s rare to have a piece of technology that meets the fun requirements of everyone.

In fact, when I stood on the Wii Fit Plus this week Jed was first in with a comment: “Oh wow, thanks to your Nutrisystem the Wii says you’re only just overweight instead of obese!” Yeah, he’s a real keeper.

I digress: When Nintendo asked me to have a Wii Play Motion party afternoon, play the game with some friends and supply us all with all the ice cream any group of manic game players could possibly want, I thought abso-freaking-lutely!

The Wii Play Motion game includes 12 mini games, and from 1 to 4 players can get into the action at a time, depending on the game. The boys tested it all out, pre-party. Some pretty big scores were achieved, but when the crowd arrived the yelling and laughing really hit the big time. I don’t think the neighbors were very impressed (thank goodness it was the middle of the afternoon and not an evening) – I was hoarse by the end of the day, and that takes some doing.

As expected every age group had a good time, and nobody reneged on actually giving the game a go. That’s pretty cool – that a 17 year old is just as willing to play it as an 11 year old, and some over-40s too. Nintendo’s sending of stacks of Cold Stone ice cream and various toppings had all the kids in heaven – sugar rushed, adrenaline pumped, loud heaven.

We even had a competition in the ice cream game to see who could get the highest stack of scoops. The final winner was Sage with 84 scoops. The screaming became louder and louder the higher the tower went. Sage was very happy with his prize – a copy of the Wii Play Motion game and controller to go with it.

My next thought is to get hold of one of the dancing games – it will fit really well with my new and improved fitness levels, and coming into winter it could be a good fun way to help keep fit instead of relying on my Wii Fit Plus. Total score. Great fun, shared with friends. I reckon it was extremely cool. That said, I’m still trying to beat the 84 scoop high score a week later.

Disclosure: Nintendo generously provided me with the Wii Play Motion game, controllers and food supplies for the party. We already own a Wii.

Playdates, sleepovers, blanket rules… and guns

Ritual, connection, love and earth

mediamum — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:49:35 +0000

My mum and I are very, very close. Spending nearly two months in Australia this year was perfection. We got to hang out, connect and be a family without thinking of all the things that need to be crammed in if you have the pressure of a limited number of holiday days.

My mum is also being treated for cancer. She is in the midst of a series of operations and treatments, all of which will hopefully end up with a healthy, cancer-free mum at the end of it. It has been a long journey so far, and we’re about halfway through it. This time next year, we hope we can say mum is out the other end of all of this.

Meanwhile, I am back here in Colorado and she and the rest of my family are all the way over there in Sydney, Australia. It’s super tough.

But we share the same sky. The same air. The same clouds, sun, moon. And the same earth.

And the best part of living here in Boulder is my connection with all that nature has. It’s like God spent a little longer here when s/he created the world.

Every morning, as the sun is just kissing the ground I hike/jog 4.5 miles with Jet. It starts out cold at the beginning of the trailhead, but then the sun hits my back and I step up the pace as we slowly begin the incline of the mountain. Before five minutes have passed, I’m warm. It’s a warmth that comes from within.

For three years, I have warmed myself in the Colorado cold from the outside. Layers of jackets, snow pants, gloves and hats. But now that I’m so much more physically active and have lost 25 pounds (so far), I invite the warmth to come from within. There is a connection between the warmth within, the warmth of the sun, the warmth of the environment and the way I feel emotionally as I hike the trail each day, at the same time. It has become a ritual. A ritual of connectedness, inner peace, warmth and health that solidifies my being.

On my trail I have built a tower. This is not uncommon here – yet mine is the only tower on this particular 4.5 mile loop. Every day I add a new thing to it. A stone (the clear ones represent the new cells my mum’s liver is growing), flowers (for the beauty of nature which we can forget in times of stress and crisis), pine cones (representing seeds of new life). There are lots of things I add. I always stop and reflect at the tower, and send the energy I have of the morning and positive thoughts to my mum – ones from me, and also ones I collect from friends who have expressed their thoughts to me offline and online. I know she gets them.

Barnum's Zing Zang Zoom is still 'The Greatest Show on Earth'

Living in a small town means knowing how to work the liquor stores

mediamum — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:45:10 +0000

So with Halloween upon us (well, it’s October), it became apparent that yet again the dry weather in Boulder had evaporated some of the wine in the fridge. Ahem.

But I’ve been concerned about replenishing my bottle of white. I always go to the same store, and the people in there recognise me. I was kind of flattered because the same guy kept carding me, and you know what that’s all about… that’s totally flirting. So I’d happily flash my ID until one day about a month ago when he said: “I’m not carding you – I remember you!” And I said “Oh, I thought you were just being nice. It feels good to be carded.” And he was totally “No, it’s just the rules. We have to do it.”

I really think that any store manager that makes their staff flirt with customers because it’s the rules really needs serious help.

And I was kind of let down.

So when I ran out of wine last week, I didn’t want to go to that same liquor store, and see that same guy again… because you know, he will now think I’m totally an alcoholic. And now I know he’s not flirting with me, it takes some of the fun out of it. I told Jed that I was going to drive down to the other liquor store, twice the distance away because I didn’t want the guy in the local one to think I was an alcoholic. And this is why I’m married to Jed. He just went, “Okay.” (Apparently I have this kind of rationalising going on regularly.)

So I drove down and on the way I thought I would also get Jed the bottle of red wine he likes occasionally because he was all understanding and nice and everything. But when I went in, they didn’t have his bottle. And my one was a whole $1.50 more. And dammit, I don’t want to spend a whole $1.50 more unless I’m able to get it all in one trip. So I was walking out but then I saw that they had Mommy’s Time Out pino grigio, which was all of $7, and fantastic. So I got that. But that didn’t fix everything – I still needed Jed’s wine which he wasn’t expecting, but which I’d already decided to get him.

So then I went to another liquor store that was a little bit further away. They had absolutely none of the two wines I was after… but they did have a flagon of some dodgy looking white that totally could have had a label that said “made for Jo” because it was all of $6.50 for something that resembled a keg of white wine. So I got that. But that didn’t fix everything.

I still needed Jed’s red wine. So I sucked it up. I drove to the local liquor store. The one I was avoiding. To get Jed’s wine that he hadn’t even asked for, but that would prove what a good wife I am. I figured that it would be totally busy, there was no way that one guy would be working and I wouldn’t see him because I only needed to go to the red wine section at the front instead of going all the way into the store down the back where my wine was. And it wasn’t my usual purchase, so you know… no worries on the alcoholic thing.

So I dashed in and got Jed’s bottle. And went to the registers. And of course that guy was working, and out of four registers, I got served by him. And that’s why you need to really work the liquor stores if you live in a small town.

Because they’re really not flirting, and they might actually think you’re an alcoholic.

Bugger.

Pic credit: www.seemsartless.com

I’m better than Gibbs. I only need three rules.

mediamum — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:35:14 +0000

NCIS is a great show. I adore Leroy Gibbs. But as a leader, he is a little lacking. He has too many rules. I reckon you only need three.

All four of my children will tell you Mummy Rule Number One: Don’t stand on things with wheels. This rule came into being many years ago. Every time one of the kids has hurt themselves in any way resembling an encounter with a wheel-based object, I remind them of the rule. With a bit of a dance. And sometimes yelling.

When Max fell off a borrowed electric scooter flying downhill and broke his arm, which the doctor pushed back into position without anaesthetic before casting it up, I reminded him of the rule. I’m kind and loving as a mum that way.

Bunny truth - thanks to @wheelyweb and @pistachiowrites

Rule number two is less well known, but still equally important. “Don’t make the school call me” covers everything from teenage pregnancy to doing homework to getting into class on time. It’s nicely abstract yet strangely pointed. It’s also a nice, individual thing to call out to the child as they go into class. Sorta sets you apart as a parent.

Rule number three has only just come into being this evening. “Don’t chase bunnies.” This rule has come about because Jet (the dog) decided to chase a bunny a week ago into a briar patch. Dog ended up somewhat bloody around the nose area, and has a big bump. Bunny is safe. Dog needs a vet checkup. I think, though, that the don’t chase bunnies rule is also wonderfully applicable to my sons. The further I keep them away from the playboy mansion the better. So don’t chase bunnies is now rule number three.

Of course, I don’t want them to chase real live little bunnies either. Because that would just be weird. And I don’t do weird.

So there you go. Three rules to live by. You’re welcome.

Disclaimer: @BZB on Twitter last night, “A mother can never be too cocky as she never knows when the school will call to say her child has ridden a motorbike thru the gym.” Wise words. Which actually is not breaking rule number one. Unless said child was standing on the motorbike, in which case I hope you got it on tape.

Playdates, sleepovers, blanket rules… and guns

How a game rated E for Everyone landed my child in front of the school psychologist

mediamum — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:03:52 +0000

The youngest of my children has a stinging wit, a little (lot) beyond his years. He loves media content, and when combined with his photographic memory, can be confronting to those who don’t know him.

Examples:

Charlie only needed to hear the Beatles sing Maxwell’s Silver Hammer a couple of times before he knew it by heart. Of course, he loved the lyrics – especially about bringing down that silver hammer on the teacher’s head – and found a funny animation online that went with the song. It became his favourite song to sing when out hiking. Needless to say, the shock of the poor bloke who was running the elementary school lip syncing night was obvious when Charlie and his friend was adamant it was this song they wanted to sing. (That didn’t happen. Disappointed, I was. Amused, a little. Relieved… oh yes. Parenting is all about complex reactions.)

The Portal cake I made (well, iced) for Charlie's birthday this year. No lie.

Charlie’s first introduction to the school psychologist came earlier this year when the students were given a ‘non-graded test’ – something that could be anonymous (Charlie wrote his name on the top which was optional, but he likes to claim his answers as his own in testing situations). The test was filled with some very touchy-feely questions about how the kids saw themselves and their place in school and home. One question, I’m told, asked “How do you feel about your relationships with your friends…” Apparently by that point Charlie had had enough of the non-factual information this so-called ‘test’ was asking, so he wrote “What do you think I am, a girl?” Implying these questions were over the top on the whole emotional thing and he didn’t want to answer them. (Yes, sexist and attitude, and all that… I get it… but he was being a smart alec. In fact, he says this kind of crap to push my buttons).

Next stop, the school psychologist who sat Charlie down and asked him “Charlie tell me, do you really think you’re a girl?” We didn’t get a phone call on that because Charlie managed to set her straight and assure her he was all dude, he was just expressing his distaste for the question. I found out about it recently – from Charlie himself.

Think that’s funny? And then the doozy.

Charlie, like most kids, loves his video games. He plays Portal 2, a game rated E for Everyone. A game full of black humour.

I was away for a few days, and he decided to write a parody poem for me to welcome me home. He did it at school. It was a parody on the song sung by the GLaDOS character in the game, which basically say that she wishes Chell did not exist.

“Well here we are again. It’s always such a pleasure. Remember when you tried to kill me twice? Oh how we laughed and laughed. Except I wasn’t laughing. Under the circumstances I’ve been shockingly nice….” You get the idea. He and I have joked for ages about the cake being a lie (from Portal 1, and related to the birthday cake I made him this year.) The cake is a lie is actually a bit of an internet meme, referenced by many. Charlie has incredible memory for detail, and that enables him to create some pretty complex jokes around situations and characters that only those in the know would actually really get. However, he is still 11, and he sometimes misses the fact that these things might need to be explained. Or else something we’ll just refer to as “the wrong idea” could be had.

Cue the school psychologist, and myriad questions about the way Charlie is treated at home. Emails were sent. Concerned phone calls made. And at the end of the day, both school and we were satisfied that Charlie is a precocious kid who is able to manipulate black humour just as well as the next adult – and that children can be extremely creative.

Oh, and the psychologist also now understands that the cake isn’t a lie.

And that, my friends, is why I only go to a couple of conferences out of state a year instead of every opportunity that presents itself. This child is just one of four.

One. Of four.

No more lying to the ski guy thanks to Nutrisystem

mediamum — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:35:06 +0000

At one point this week I weighed in at exactly 10 pounds lighter than the weight I used to lie and say I was. Jed was shocked that I used to lie to the ski rental guy. “You could have been on the wrong ski calibration. You could have crashed.”

I would rather have crashed than told him what my real weight was.

I rationalise it this way: No way was I going to crash due to the skis, because my skiing isn’t that great anyway, so the likelihood that equipment failure would be to blame would have been tiny – plus I had made a note of what the cut off point was for weight to go to the next calibration, and I was within that anyway. Finally, I figure every woman probably lies when asked her weight, so it’s kind of expected. (I’m not listening to you tell me otherwise.)

And now I’m 10 pounds lighter than that. Without lying.

This week has been fantastic for hiking – the weather is sunny with a bit of Fall coolness in the breeze, making the trails so inviting. I’ve walked with friends and alone with the dog. For miles and miles. I now hike a favourite 4-mile trail most days, and really miss it when I don’t do it. I have my Nutrisystem breakfast before heading out, and then have my add-ins (yogurt and piece of fruit) when I get back.

It’s great to know I’m doing my body good – my mental health is benefitting as well as my fitness.

I’ve discovered that I’m not finding the walking uphill to be as tough as it used to be, and in fact have been picking up the pace. So much so that I’m even considering buying some more supportive underwear so that jogging might actually happen – at least dowhill. This is crazy, right? Whoever thought I’d be hiking at this kind of level, and even considering moving beyond a walking pace? Who thought I’d really miss it on the days I don’t get out there and do the 4 miles?

Who’d have thought that finally I have found a plan where it’s not a diet, but a lifestyle that I adore and have adopted happily. I’m not counting down to finishing, or on a final weight goal. I’m focused on being healthy, fit and happy. That’s what I wanted from the start back in March when Nutrisystem held my hand and said ‘let’s do this’, and I’m loving achieving that.

And another great part is that I feel beautifully, lusciously, fantastically tired at the end of the day. I used to feel mentally exhausted, but now my body has caught up and I am ready for deep sleep without needing to “wind down.” That means I think I’m finally moving a little beyond the habit of a glass of wine at the end of the day because I’m not missing it – and in fact don’t even feel like it at all most days. That’s really big.

Almost as big as the fact I might be telling the truth when I get my skis calibrated this year.

Results

I lost another 1.3 pounds this week. My Nutrisystem journey has seen me lose a total so far of 23.5 pounds, and once again I’m between clothing sizes, making it difficult to find clothes that fit. I’m going to take a tip from another #NSNation blogger and visit Savers for a few pieces to tide me over. The other issue is finding that my bra doesn’t fit well at all any more, so I’m going to venture into that great unknown and frustrating area of bra buying. I love knowing that every day when I get on the scales the number is going to be the same or a little less

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is Fully Charged

mediamum — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:18:59 +0000

This week the boys and I headed down to Denver for our third year of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. I admit that I truly look forward to the circus, and this year it’s back at the Denver Coliseum until October 9th which has the fantastic benefit of FREE parking. Add to that the fantastic kid ticket price of just $10 (see my link at the bottom of this post), and you’re getting a world-class show that won’t break the bank. In fact, it’s cheaper than taking the kids to a movie. And you’ll enjoy it too.

I expected to love this performance. Every other year has been fantastic, and when I was invited to ask any questions I liked, meet the performers and see the animals, I was won over yet again. The Fully Charged theme worked best during the clowns performance – how many clowns does it take to change a light bulb? A lot. Those clowns were absolutely the funniest I’ve seen them. We all laughed a lot – it was really a great way to get the show really underway.

There really was something for all ages, although the show is one that if you have very small kids you should try and get to a matinee performance instead of an evening – I saw a few sleepy heads in the audience in the second half. My kids, aged 11, 13 and 17 each liked different parts of the show. The high wire, tigers, elephants, acrobats and Fearless Fernando Brothers on the twin turbines of steel were absolute hits.

My favourite act, however, was what I think of as classic circus, and I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve seen it – the two strongmen, Dmitry Nadolinkskiy and Rusian Gilmulin weigh over 300 pounds each. They spun massive logs and telegraph poles around like batons in a marching band. And then they amazed everyone by lifting each other up and showing exactly what it takes to be a strong man in the true sense of the word. Wow. They made it all look pretty easy, but when they then pick each other up, it’s pretty awe-inspiring.

My final tip is just to make sure you get your crew a good feed before heading down to the show. While parking at the Coliseum is free, you’ll do a full week’s paycheck at the concession stands if you turn up with hungry tummies. Oh, and don’t bother taking food in with you – bags are checked at the door. (Bugger. I know this is standard everywhere, but sheesh!)

Want to get tickets for your mob? Head to Ticketmaster to get kids’ tickets for only $10 if you use the code FFAKID. (I think that’s the same price as the popcorn at the concession. ) But concession prices aside, this show is one you don’t want to miss. It truly is the Greatest Show on Earth. I already have next year’s one on my calendar. In ink.

Disclosure: My children and I attended the circus as guests of Feld Entertainment for the purposes of an honest review.

Barnum's Zing Zang Zoom is still 'The Greatest Show on Earth'

Move beyond watching screens at the gym this Fall

mediamum — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:41:31 +0000

Four years ago I lived in Sydney, and throughout the warmer months I would walk three kilometres around the golf course in the middle of our suburb. I thought that was picturesque – and for suburban Sydney, it was. I also joined the gym there for a while, and used the equipment while watching tv shows on screens above my head.

I did a little of that here as well, but fell off the wagon – it’s tough to use the university gymnasium that’s full of 18 to 22 year old gorgeous healthy people when you’re 40 something, and could fit two of them into one pair of your gym pants. Ahem. I have, however got to a point where I know that exercise will increase and consolidate my weight loss and fitness level, and tone everything up a bit (except the boobs – exercise doesn’t do boobs). And I actually feel more like getting out there and doing it!

It can be tough living in one of the fittest, healthiest towns in the USA. Most people are enjoying the outdoors, exercising all the time – and want to have you join them. It’s like living with Michael Phelps or Ian Thorpe and having them invite you to go swimming with them, when you’ve only learned to swim this month. It can be tough and as a result, I haven’t really gotten into the biking thing, or any of the other usual Boulder fit lifestyle stuff.

Now that I’m 22.2 pounds down, largely thanks to Nutrisystem, I’m enjoying being outdoors a lot. And I’m not even threatened by the uber fit locals any more. Instead I’ve discovered hiking. I have gone from taking Jet on our daily 50 minute on-leash walk around the lake to instead taking on one of our favourite trails here in the foothills of the Rockies. I went from walking less than a mile a day and a few more on saturdays to this week discovering I like to hike for four miles most days of the week, with Jet off leash and loving it every bit as much as I do.

The weight is coming off more slowly (it’s been more than a week for 2.2 pounds to come off), but the inches are still moving rapidly. I measured today, and have lost seven inches off my waist since I started. Seven! I’m wearing nice clothes, and need to buy some new underwear. (I won’t give too much detail on that… for a change.)

I went and picked up two 10lb bags of potatoes at the supermarket, gave them to Charlie to hold, and told him that I’ve lost all that weight. We were astounded. But I also understand that it’s not surprising that I was reluctant to exercise when I was carrying around that extra 20lb. It’s kind of like how you felt when you were 9 months pregnant – but without the pregnancy.

It’s really nice to have lost enough weight that people have been commenting frequently, and also the questions have begun asking how much more am I intending to lose? To be honest, I would love to lose another 20lb – but even another 10lb would be fantastic. As it is, I’m wearing clothes I haven’t worn for years – and absolutely loving my lifestyle.

I thought I’d share some pictures of my hike today with you – why on earth would I join a gym and watch tv while I exercise when I can just do this?

No related posts.

A time to die or blood on your hands?

mediamum — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:53:01 +0000

This week, men are being sent to their deaths. Yep, there was more than one, but most people are talking about just one man. Troy Davis.

This man, convicted of killing an off-duty police officer, has had multiple stays of execution. But today he was supposed to go to his death – as the jury and courts decided he should.

Now, I’ve said it before, so I’ll simply reiterate – I’m pro-life. I don’t believe anyone should take the life of another person, and my view on abortion is the same as my view on killing any person, guilty or innocent – doubt or no doubt. So my response to this is obvious. Whether he’s guilty as hell or innocent, there is no time to take a life.

It’s been interesting to watch others’ reactions, though. And thanks to Twitter, I’m able to see a full range of conversation with lots of thinking (and non-thinking) people who want to be a part of the conversation. Some believe filling in a petition will work and if they just get another 1000 names, they can stop it. That’s like saying we’ll get a petition to get the court to stop DUI fines. It’s not going to work, but the sentiment is appreciated, no doubt and perhaps it will raise a flag to politicians as a platform for the next election – but I doubt Troy will be saved that way.

There are people who do not believe in the death penalty at all. So they have it easy for once (like me). But most of the reaction appears to be hinging on the fact that they believe there is doubt in the guilty verdict delivered on the man, and in fact they believe he is innocent – something that they’ve decided themselves, with the basis being that people who testified have recounted. (Of course, the fact the man is going to die might have something to do with it? It’s tough to clear a conscience of sending a man to death even if your testimony was factual, I’d suppose.)

One person even said that even if he was guilty, the fact he only killed one person is enough to not send him to death. It should only be for serial killers.

I’m dumbfounded. It would seem that for many people there are levels of guilt. There are times when someone should die, and times when they should not. And the states of the USA which implement the death penalty have judicial systems which recognise the call of the people. That’s called democracy.

Yet these people who are rallying for Troy Davis, who were not in the courtroom – have not (I would guess) read all the court documentation, let alone understood it – are ready and willing to stand up and second guess the very judiciary they themselves have implemented and the one that they said should deliver these verdicts? The judiciary that supports the basic rights, freedoms and decisions the democracy of their country stands for?

And what of the victim?

According to the courts, Troy Davis killed Mark MacPhail. (By the way, the fact that the Sydney Morning Herald describes Davis’s sister’s breast cancer battle and wheelchair is inappropriate). The police officer’s wife and children were left behind, and believe Troy Davis should serve his fate. His wife was in the courtroom during the trial. They know as well as anyone – and better than most – the real story. They’ve lived it for so very long.

If you believe there is a time to die for anyone, in any circumstances, you must also believe there is a system which can implement that time. Pulling the rug out from under it in individual cases shows that you don’t really believe in it.

And should you ever put anyone to death if you ever have doubt in any case?

I think not.

May all involved rest in peace.

Pic: Image by Amnesty International

Healthier and fitter – 20 pounds gone!

mediamum — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:17:08 +0000

What a great week! I hiked more, walked the dog just a little longer every day, and really have been enjoying this beautiful Colorado weather which is cooler in the mornings than it was just a week ago, making it perfect and crisp for an early morning hike on one of the many spectacular trails around where we live.

Over the last year I’ve been introduced to different trails. There are hundreds around Boulder, but I haven’t done very many at all – in fact, I would do the same walk all the time. What a waste! It’s easy when you’re really pressed for time or mental space to just take the same track you always do, but before too long you get bored and then drop the occasional exercise, and suddenly you blink and you’re not going on it at all.

I’m so glad that I started changing things up over the last week to stop myself sliding into the old habits I’d had – and really glad for the support of my pal Shari, who listened to my frustrations while we did our regular hike. It was great – while I told her all the things I’d been doing wrong, at the same time I realised exactly what they were – it was like taking parts of my actions and shining a torch on them, inspecting them and deciding a better strategy. We decided that changing things a little would be more practical than trying to make a massive change all at once. So that’s what I did – and it worked!

I didn’t sit down with a glass of wine every night. Instead I chatted with Max on the couch, and we watched the BBC’s Sherlock 3-part series which was fantastic that Max had found. We thoroughly enjoyed it and I didn’t miss my glass of wine at all! Also, if I begin thinking of food that I shouldn’t have, I first think whether I’ve actually eaten everything I should have so far that day. Usually, I haven’t, so I eat that instead… and then afterwards I don’t feel like the ‘cheating’ food anyway!

I finally am happily tired at the end of the day. This is something I’ve tried to explain to people, and it comes out wrong. But it’s not the mental exhaustion I used to have. It’s actually an honest, physical tiredness where I want to sleep. And sleep I do. I am sleeping now better than I have been for a very long time.

I’m sure that’s due to a combination of things. I’m healthier (I know because I’m rarely puffing any more if I have to run for a bus, or up stairs etc), and that’s due to a combination of making sure my ongoing diet is better through what I’ve learned with Nutrisystem as well as getting myself to the doctor and having a full workshop done, the result of which has seen me add some supplements which are really making a huge difference. The balance I have in my food has spilled into balance in more areas of my life too, and I’m spending a little time doing some letterboxing and have even begun a cake decorating class which is something I’d always otherwise say I’d want to do but never actually take the time to do. It’s great for my mental health, and time for me.

Results

I am so proud and pleased that today I cracked the 20 pounds lost mark (the scales came in at 20.2 pounds off). That’s 2.2 pounds since last week, and a marked difference in how I look and feel. If you have weight to lose, and remember my first post, written on my birthday in March, about how I felt then, think about this – how much of that weight you wanted to lose then have you lost? You could have been on this journey with me! It’s not too late! (In fact, there’s a special on right now if you click through.)

Do women need more access to nannies? (Rant alert)

mediamum — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:29:40 +0000

The Sydney Morning Herald has carried a story about yet another thing some power women believe are holding women back: the lack of acceptability of nannies in the Australian culture. It’s an easy conversation starter. And it’s a conversation ender – no group of women have the same issues, we are all different. It’s impossible to generalise. But yet again, we do. Indulge me a little…

This story irritates me. The assumptions that are overlooked which are instrumental in their influence over women’s roles and the decisions they are forced to make are the things we need to unveil, not this superficial garbage. In fact, it’s shown in this very article, where Fiona Balfour (the shining example of what the Sydney Morning Herald would have us believe is a wonderful, successful, having-it-all working woman) reveals that she used a nanny when she took maternity leave, but after costs of the nanny and commuting at the time she was only clearing $100 a week.

Yep, that’s my problem. My really, really big problem.

We have gotten nowhere if we expect that in order for childcare to be used, then the money for it must come from the female’s income.

So many people assume this, and it’s just wrong. Women are already not earning as much money – even in the boardroom – as their male counterparts. They give birth and return to their place of employment, but any costs associated with childcare also have to be borne by the women who birthed? Woah.

But the article doesn’t stop there with its assumptions.

Add to that the implication that the only people who need childcare beyond standard working hours are those in executive positions because “they’re expected to work longer” is bloody insulting to every woman who works outside the home simply to be able to pay the bills. The mother who is a checkout operator in the supermarket is just as likely to need evenings, weekends and unusual hours of care as anyone in a boardroom – and in fact even more so, because she will have less say in the hours and locations she works in than someone who’s in the boardroom.

When those women only take home $100 a week after working on their feet all day, having travelled to and from daycare, sitters and all kinds of other patched-together childcare arrangements, paying all of them separately rather than a nanny who comes to their home, it’s often that same mother whose left-over money puts food on the table. None of those women could afford to pay a nanny’s salary – many of them are earning less than a nanny would.

It’s the unspoken assumptions that’s keeping women out of the boardroom my friends – not the lack of nannies. And when corporate women raise themselves above the real life experiences of the majority, effectively separating their own experience from the ones encountered by most women, then the cause of equality is left behind. This is not a gender argument. It is a have versus have not one.

Pic credit: Goat by Dano on Flickr.

Coles, you’ve possibly made the most nauseating and best ad ever

mediamum — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:39:53 +0000

The thing that changes for me over the summer is an increase in television watching. I basically go from watching a maximum of an hour a day of hulu to watching a couple of hours of normal tv. That’s a big increase.

Being in Sydney for a good portion of this summer, it was like being a kid in a candy store as far as tv was concerned. Ads were everywhere. As usual, some were fantastic; most were forgettable.

And one of them made my jaw drop. It was terrible. Pure horror. The Coles campaign where prices are going down down with big red hands to the murdering strains of a ruined Petula Clark classic was a shocking milestone in Australian advertising. Apart from the fact I was consistently waiting for the lead woman’s apparently impending wardrobe malfunction to materialise (buy her a larger shirt, stylists! Those buttons are screaming!), the Aussie accents are so pronounced it was awful and brilliant all at once – with the final “Look for the big red hand, Austraylya!” I hated it but I hate to admit I also loved it.

Then one day when they were giving out the big red cardboard hands at the local Coles I was actually rushing to get there. But I missed out. And had to look at a whole heap of kids walking around the shopping centre with the hands – taunting me. Little buggers. I wanted to trip one over and take it.

So yes Coles, well played. You’ve made 30 seconds of terrible ad into something that has me referencing the Down, Down tagline in normal conversations. Yep, right down with my faith in my own good taste. And now I’m back in the US, I’m having a hard time getting rid of it because nobody knows what Coles is anyway. So I’m thinking of Coles and there are no Coles here at all.

PS: I am not kidding about buying a bigger shirt. Thank you.

Judge for yourself: Do you love this ad or do you find it nauseating? And in advertising does nauseating equal fantastic?

No related posts.

Dealing with personal sabotage: Gaming your food plan

mediamum — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:11:02 +0000

It’s always the big question. What’s the secret? How do you do a diet program and lose weight, but still eat everything you really want to? How can I cheat?

I’ve done weight loss stuff before. It’s worked before. It’s gone back on before. The roller coaster of weight gain and loss is something many of us are familiar with. When those numbers start going down you get excited – but they’ve gone down before. And when you decide to finish your diet (*more like, you game/cheat on the diet for so long it stops working, and you decide you’ve had enough so officially say you’re done) and the numbers start creeping back up again, you say things like “oh it’s only a few pounds, that’s easy to lose.” But you do nothing about the habits that are making those pounds creep up, and suddenly, without ANY warning (I swear!) you’re at least 20 pounds overweight and your wardrobe looks like the racks at Savers, with used clothing in every size – and the only things that fit look like crap. And you feel really, really bad.

You don’t even remember how good you looked when you’d lost the weight before. And you want to remember that. So you start the roller coaster diet ride again.

We’re human. We are flawed. If a diet existed that said “eat two chocolate bars for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and four pizzas for snacks, your choice” then you’d be breaking out the broccoli and cheating on your milky way pepperoni pizza fest by week 10.

When the weight comes off, it’s fantastic. I got very used to those numbers sliding down every week. It was actually effortless. Truly. Nutrisystem is the easiest food plan I have ever been on. It is so unrestrictive, so easy to incorporate, and so easy to translate to ‘everyday’ food off the plan, that I had no problem with keeping the weight off while I was in Australia for seven weeks, not following the official food plan. Two weeks after my return and being back on the plan, I’ve discovered the weight just isn’t coming off as easily any more. And it’s my fault.

The range of food is so broad with Nutrisystem that you never need to actually cheat because your tastes aren’t accounted for. Nope – that’s not why. Instead, I’ve worked out, subconsciously, how to maintain the weight loss by adding little bits and pieces that are cheating. Except in doing those sneaky things, I’m sabotaging my further weight loss.

A finger full of Nutella here, a couple (fistfull or two) of the kids’ fries there… and the biggy – a couple of glasses of wine. Before long, it’s all happening on a daily basis.

It adds up to the scales not moving downwards fast enough, and sliding back into habits I didn’t want to have – the ones that brought me to Nutrisystem in the first place.

So as of this week, a few changes are a-gonna-happen. I’m enjoying slightly cooler weather which invites lots of hiking. Plus, I’m going to have an increase in water. I’m drinking about a quarter of what I should be, and the lack of it is part of what leads me to throw other stuff down my gullet instead. Could water be my saving grace? Let’s see. I’ll check in with you next sunday.

Results: Before I went to Australia, I had lost 17 pounds with Nutrisystem over 11 weeks. I ‘found’ 3 of those pounds during my 7 weeks in Australia. Two weeks after my return to Colorado, I’ve lost those 3, as well as one more. So I’m now at 18 pounds lost, and working solidly towards my next Nutrisystem bear, the purple one, for a 20 pound weight loss.

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is supplying my food and dietary support for four months in return for my honest reflections on the program. Do you live in the US or Canada, and want to join me and get healthy with Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

Sydney IVF’s powerful birth story rebranding campaign resonates with women

mediamum — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:02:41 +0000

IVF is a topic that most people are lucky enough not to have to encounter. You know what it is, but not the details of it, and hopefully you’ll never have to experience what emotions and physical invasions are involved in it.

It’s easy to say you have a view on IVF if you’ve never had to use it. I’m a lucky, lucky woman. I never had any problems at all with fertility, but my story is one which others don’t share. Many women go through agony in having children. Pregnancy and birth can be harsh and unfeeling reminders of the cruel truth that nature has no understanding of what is fair.

And that’s why IVF exists. It’s not something that can be advertised with coke ad sing song voices. The market is one which doesn’t celebrate needing the service, yet has a very real and deep emotional connection to it at the same time.

And like all aspects of pregnancy, birth and parenting – it’s complicated.

So when Sydney IVF began its new campaign to rebrand to Genea, the brief would have been complex and challenging. The below ad is the result. I have friends behind the scenes, who tell me that this is a very real birth, recorded with real people at every step. The website also features images that are real people, real births – and they’re absolutely beautiful. I love the ad, and Charlie (my 11 year old) thought it was “better than all the other crappy ads” – so that’s a pretty cool recommendation. I really also love the way a natural birth is connected to IVF. Because it’s about women, families and the powerful connection between successfully birthing a child and empowering ourselves to believe we can do it – and ultimately, I think that’s what IVF seeks to offer women who have had challenges in getting there.

What do you think?

*Images used in this story are directly from the Genea.com.au website.

How to Tweak the Tweet, and why you should

mediamum — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:46:18 +0000

The difference between a natural hazard and a disaster comes from the effect it has on people. More and more everyday people are turning to social media to find out what is going on within their area and community of friends as well as their traditional information sources such as mainstream media. Through the work we’re doing at Project EPIC at the University of Colorado at Boulder, we are focused on using social media to help collect and organise information in a way which will allow people to find out what is happening during a time of crisis.

Of course, one fantastic aspect of social media is the social part – it means you can ask specific things in it and get a response, and it doesn’t matter what kind of social standing you have. It also means people can come together to put little bits of information in, and create a really reliable, up to date repository of information that others can search on. Social media makes ‘crowdsourcing’ possible, relevant and, particularly in crisis events, timely.

At our lab, we are working with volunteers, official agencies and everyday citizens to create easy-to-use tools that everyone can contribute to. Whether they are willing to pitch in for a few minutes, or a few days, everyone’s help means we can organise the information in social media more quickly – ultimately if you take a few minutes to volunteer to use the tools you already know how to use, then you could actually save lives – or at the very least, take some panic out of the event for the people involved.

Twitter

Our current tool is a format most people are familiar with, even if they don’t use it themselves very often. Twitter has a massive number of users, all around the world. However with hundreds of thousands of tweets being put out every minute, gathering information from them about a hazard event, and then showing it in an easy way to citizens and authorities is a difficult problem.

We use a system called Tweak the Tweet (TtT). Using TtT is easy – start by opening your twitter account, and then do a search on the hazard event (for example, for hurricane Irene, enter the word Irene.) All the tweets dealing with the hurricane will come up. Choose one of the tweets, and then go to your ‘What are you doing’ window, and rewrite the tweet in the format that our TtT computer will pick up when it scans the tweets coming through.

First, write the event hashtag #Irene

Then, identify what the main part of the tweet is dealing with, from the selection of general topics we use. These are: shelter, power, location, road, need, offer, damage, evacuation and so on. Please note that sometimes a tweet will need to be separated into more than one TtT tweet, so that it contains just a specific piece of information. Sometimes general tweets coming through the stream contain more than one thing (eg: “The shelter at 20 Riley street in New York has space for 200 people and pets” could be more than one TtT tweet when it’s rewritten.) Use that word (shelter, power or whichever you choose) as the second hashtag. Consider it to be like a heading. Then straight after the hashtag, write in the information related to that heading. Then you might have a secondary hashtag, which offers a little more detailed information. This tends to be a location, or contact details (we use the heading hashtags of #loc and #con to save space). So, you might have a tweet that is looking like this:

#Irene #Shelter Shelter now accepting up to 200 arrivals, including pets #loc 20 Riley Street, NYC

And then push send. That’s it! Our computers will be able to ‘read’ your tweet, whereas it couldn’t ‘read’ the original one. The computer uses the hashtags to organise the information into cells in a spreadsheet that is updated in realtime as these tweets come through. Then the information in the spreadsheet is translated and mapped, so that the general public can access information local to where they are heading or where they are – or where they know others are. The ‘back end’ of our spreadsheet (all the coding stuff) is shared with agencies and other volunteer organisations such as Ushahidi and Crisis Commons, and they work with us in combining the twitter data we’re collecting with other efforts they have.

Finally, we are also able to include images in these maps. If you’re using your own cell phone, turn on the geo location and just take the pictures and upload them to twitter with the #Irene #photo hashtag, and they’ll be added too. Alternatively, you can use the #location tag and put in where you’ve taken the image from.

The magic is that you don’t have to sign up – there’s no formal boundary to entry, and the learning is super easy. Don’t be worried about ‘getting it wrong’ – we all do – but we have people who are watching the tweets come in and are cleaning them up as they get added to the spreadsheets. It also doesn’t matter if you’re putting through information that might already have been entered – if it’s a double up, we remove the second one, depending upon whether time has passed etc. and the information might be new. Even if you can help out with TtT for a few minutes a day, or a longer commitment, the help makes a huge difference, both to people directly involved in the event and also those who love them but are far away.

Mums and moms all hate laundry, even though we tweet about it

Back on the wagon – the healthy one

mediamum — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:09:42 +0000

Annnnd… we’re back. Back in the USA. Where the time is freaky, the accent even more so, and the lifestyle, in Boulder – amazing.

I was lovely and healthy in so many ways while I was in Australia for seven weeks over the summer. Nutrisystem sent me with tools that helped me, without much effort, to stay on my healthy food, healthy lifestyle concentration. While some of those tools were physical, the best part of them were intangible. I have learned good habits, and they came pretty naturally. The only thing that changed was my water intake. Oh, and my intake of chocolate coated licorice bullets – which you can’t get in the USA, but oh my, I must have had four packs of them in Australia – far outweighing anything else I (cheated with) ate.

And while Nutrisystem sent me with great tools – they weren’t the crutch I thought they’d need to be. That’s important. You learn stuff with Nutrisystem that you don’t learn anywhere else. Believe me, I know, after three goes with Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and the rest… Nutrisystem is sticking. I make better choices, and it’s not “I’m on a diet, I have to deprive myself and congratulate myself afterwards for managing to make that decision.” Nope. I actually fill my plate with salad because I love it. And I love the dessert afterwards. But at breakfast I’ll choose fruit because it tastes really good, not because “I should.”

Life is good. I came back to America without having:

a. “Watched” my diet while overseas beyond thinking I should take care of myself. (Understand this: I never wanted to ‘deprive’ myself of anything I wanted.)

b. Weighed myself at all. Whereas in the USA I weigh myself every day. Yep, every day.

c. Thought about losing weight – more about being healthy.

And so, after seven weeks of not weighing myself at all after daily weigh-ins? I was a bit nervous. More than a bit. But I got up the courage and guess what? I had put on only 3 pounds. Yep, THREE. As my pal Candice said, “that’s probably fluid” – and after a week back, I’ve lost most of it. So she’s right. Go CANDICE!

Part of my head said “MIRACLE”. Another part said “VALIDATION” – this Nutrisystem really works. I’m actually making better choices, and the weight will stay off even when I’m done.

Yep, even when I’m done. You’ve heard people say, “this is the last diet I’ll ever do?” Well, look at Subway’s guy, Jared – who’s put on stacks of weight – we’ve all been on the weight loss roller coaster.

So I’m determined to get the rest of these pounds off over the next semester and be showing you the new Jo as we work our way towards Christmas – a time where I will damned well eat Chrissy dinner and treats, and not feel guilty or bad, and be a weight which I won’t lie about to the guy who does the ski rental.

I’m back on Nutrisystem food. I’m back on the program – and trying to drink more water, get used to the altitude, and exercise a little more in this heavenly place I get to call home.

And that’s awesome. Thanks Nutrisystem. And thanks me. And thanks MUM, who we ate dinner with almost every night while I was in Sydney.

I – truly – love youse all.

Just us Talking: When should kids get to decide for themselves?

mediamum — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 23:24:01 +0000

None of us like to say we live our own lives through our children. We recognise that their lives are their own – not a do-over for ourselves. But what do you do when you see your kids be offered an opportunity that you think is fantastic, but that they want to turn down? What if that opportunity is a really big deal? Can you stand back and let them allow it to pass them by?

It starts early. Sport teams, friendships, perhaps even student council or volunteer stuff… little things. You might want your child to get involved, but they’re reluctant. Some people might nudge their child’s choices in the ‘right’ direction with negotiation or even bribery (oh come on, we’ve all totally done that). Others allow children to have the final say, and then are criticised for allowing their kids to do whatever they feel like.

For example, one of my sons had an opportunity to become part of an organised sporting team. He didn’t want to commit to the formality of it all even though he liked to just hang out with the team while they were training in our local park behind our house and he was always invited to play along too. He liked the relaxed, fun part. He didn’t feel the need for membership, didn’t want the shirt, and honestly, without a car of our own and travel/work schedules, I didn’t need the responsibility of it all. One parent of another child in the team said how “disappointing it was” that my son didn’t get more involved in the team (read: you’re being a bad parent for not getting your child to do this). Over and over again. Sigh, walk away.

That’s just the beginning. Kids grow up. They make bigger choices. Classes, part-time jobs, internships all enter the picture, along with social choices. It actually never gets easier. The kids get bigger, but so do the choices. It’s never easy to just let them make all their decisions.

When do you start giving your kids control over what they choose to do? Perhaps you let them decide, but you bend their ear relentlessly about whether their choice is the ‘right’ one or not. (Pause right here… sorry Bec. I should have been quiet more often. I’ve learned that. A bit.) During the teen years perhaps the parenting becomes more about your ability to nag than the ability to physically have influence and limitations on the choices your kids make. Perhaps we overcompensate with our opinions because our children get to the point where they have the same rights in society that we do?

When do we step back and let them make their choices, just as we make ours, and allow them to see what happens? Perhaps we never really do. My own mum sent me an email at the start of the summer, letting me know that she thinks the kids need a haircut. (She’s right, but they didn’t want one really and as long as it’s clean, I don’t care that much.) I’m 42. I hope she never truly steps back – it made me feel great that she told me what she thought. Then in June I was making Max’s birthday cake. I sent her a picture of the tin I was using. She emailed quickly back, “Don’t forget to grease the pan well, and let it cool for 10 minutes so it doesn’t stick…” Yep, she’s parenting me still from thousands of miles away. I don’t actually have a problem with that at all.

I’m old enough now that I can do whatever I like, and not need my parents’ approval – but I would still prefer it. And I’m glad to have kids that are all over 10 years of age, who are becoming solidly independent individuals. Sure, the kids have their own decisions to make that I’d do differently. But they’re not me, and their choices are not life-threatening unless I let my mind run wild with highly unlikely circumstances which would make them so. For example, I’d prefer one of my sons not play football, but he wants to. I could decide he’s likely to end up with a neck injury because you know, that’s happened to people in the past, so I’d like to discourage him… but I’ve allowed him to drive a scooter in a car park (he crashed), so really they should take the whole parenting licence thing away.

Finally, my 11 year old, Charlie, has caught two buses on his own home from school for over a year – the link stop is outside the supermarket, so of course it didn’t take long for him to decide to go in there for a soda on occasion – he even got his own store loyalty card at the service desk so he gets the discounts! And at Christmas he gave the $20 bill he had in his wallet to a homeless guy on that same corner. It was his choice. And while for us, $20 is a lot of money, for the homeless guy I’d guess it was even more. Charlie’s decision to give his money away would not have been mine. But I’m glad he decided to do it. Because sometimes the decisions the kids make remind me they really know better than me, and they should totally have the freedom to embrace those decisions – and teach me too.

I’m still healthy! Cooking fast, easy and family-friendly with Nutrisystem

mediamum — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:44:01 +0000

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve last updated on my Nutrisystem journey – mainly because I’m in Australia and completely out of my usual environment. Which is completely ironic.

I’m surrounded by things I’d missed (caramello koalas, jaffas, meat pies), as well as things I’d forgotten about completely (OMG sweet chilli philly). Lots of it tastes good – but truth be told, it’s not really ‘amazing’. No, it’s not about taste. There is so much emotion attached to food. Homesickness can actually be overcome by a dinner from your homeland. And so, if your favourite foods are not the most healthy of choices, it can be extremely challenging to maintain a healthy perspective while travelling.

Luckily, the wonderful people at Nutrisystem equipped me for this journey. I came armed with the Nutrisystem At Home Toolkit: the Low GI Cookbook, the Meal Measure and the kitchen tools, all ensuring I was able to cook healthy, good food while I’m here – and that I could share that experience and recipe with my family and friends as well.

I’m thrilled that my sister-in-law Kerryn and I spent one very rainy afternoon cooking in her kitchen, and that Charlie video’d it for us to share with you! We chose the fantastic Crumbed Chicken and Sweet Potato salad from the Low GI Cookbook, and set a challenge to see if we could make it look like the picture in the book. Well guess what? It totally did! Plus, it was really freaking easy! I have NEVER come across something this straightforward, yummy and really adaptable for other dishes too. The breadcrumb method is egg-free, and so delicious even Charlie loved it – which is unheard of when you put me in the kitchen!

The recipe is equal to one Nutrisystem lunch, 2 vegetable serves and 1 protein – which is actually just a Nutrisystem complete lunch!

I love that the different components can be used in other ways as well. The breadcrumbing method is fabulous, and the sauce is a hit with all ages, including making a great low-fat creamy salad dressing. The complete recipe is below, and then you can watch us actually making it work!

Crumbed Chicken on Roast Sweet Potato Salad (serves 3)

Preparation time: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 25 minutes, Eating time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Roast Sweet Potato Salad: 1 Tab olive oil, 2 Tab balsamic vinegar, 3 teasp soft brown sugar, 1 orange sweet potato cut into quarter inch slices, 6 cups mixed green salad leaves, 1 Tab chopped basil (to garnish).

Crumbed Chicken: 2 Tab low-fat natural yoghurt, 2 Tab low-fat milk, 1 cup dry wholegrain breadcrumbs, half teasp paprika, black pepper, 10 and a half oz skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets, trimmed and cut in half.

Honey Mustard Dressing: 1 Tab Dijon mustard, 1 Tab ketchup, 2 teasp lemon juice, 2 Tab low-fat natural yoghurt, 1 teasp pure floral honey.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. To make the roast sweet potato salad, combine the oil, vinegar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the sweet potato and toss to coat in the oil. Transfer to a shallow baking tray and bake for 25 minutes, or until soft and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes to cool a little. (Note: If you prepare the sweet potato and the crumbed chicken at the same time, they can then go in the oven together.)

2. To make the crumbed chicken, put the yoghurt in a flat dish or bowl and stir in the milk to thin it a little. Combine the breadcrumbs and paprika in a bowl and season with pepper. Dip the chicken into the yoghurt, allow the excess to drain off, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Put the crumbed chicken on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove and slice into strips on the diagonal.

3. To make the honey mustard dressing, put all the ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine.

4. To serve, lay the salad leaves on a plate, top with slices of roasted sweet potato, a few more salad leaves, then more sweet potato. Lay the crumbed chicken on top of the salad and drizzle with the honey mustard dressing. Scatter over the basil.