New Year!

Well Happy New Year ya'll! Cannot believe how quickly 2013 flew by. It was certainly an exciting year for me. What were some highlights for you?
A few people have asked me what my resolutions/goals for this year are and it's safe to say there are A LOT. I'm really hoping to make 2014 a great one for me.


-My first goal is to just feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to be confident in everything I wear. This kind of ties in with losing about 10kg and toning up. I've started clean eating and exercising more and hope to continue that :)

-I also want to ace my course and do well in working towards my diploma. VERY excited to start studying and working. Sfx makeup is definitely my biggest passion (other than motherhood) and I'd love to start working in the field a.s.a.p. If you have any work for me please email me at madii.c.wilsonjones@gmail.com or message me on my Facebook page that I'll link below.

-Third goal is to get my license. About freaking time right?! There is something embarrassing about being 22 and not being able to drive, mostly because I have 18 year old friends who are driving -_- I'd love to buy a car too!

-To be the best mum I can be and spend more quality time with my boys. They deserve the very best and I worry sometimes that I am being complacent and not making the most of their childhood. This will be especially true once I start studying and have 3 full days that I don't really see them :(


So that's it for me really. I had a good end to 2013; my newest nephew was born on Christmas Day and then I rang in the new year with lots of friends, drinking and Guitar Hero (which I kick arse at by the way). This year has gotten off to an interesting start with Archer coming down with roseola and being sick :( He's definitely getting better though (thank goodness). I kind of love the extra cuddles, such a snuggle pot, but seeing him unwell is awful!

Anyway, let me know how you are all going! How are you enjoying 2014 so far?
Madeleine xo

Madeleine Wilson Artistry

50 Questions

So I did this thing, 50 random questions :) Please feel free to do the same and comment below or email me at madii.c.wilsonjones@gmail.com. I want to know more about you guys!


50 Questions:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Hmm, not that I know of.


2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Oh I actually can't remember. I'm one of those people that cries at the drop of the hat over really pathetic stuff and just about any movie, but doesn't cry much over genuinely sad things.


3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
It does the job, I have pretty messy handwriting.



4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Chicken I guess.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
I have monsters! No no, two beautiful little boys; Leopold is 2.5 years old now and Archer is 7 months.


6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Oh gosh...Well I'm hilarious, but I think I'd find me pretty annoying!


7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Almost exclusively.


8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
As far as I know.


9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not unless you paid me.


10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I don't really eat it...Muesli I guess. Does that count?


11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No, such a bad habit.


12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yeah I do, I'm super tough *flexes bicep*


13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
I'm the most boring person alive I swear. Vanilla.


14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their smile.


15. RED OR PINK?
Red.


16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My body in general. And my crooked teeth.


17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My mum.


18. DO YOU HAVE A MIDDLE NAME?
Yep, it's Charlotte.


19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
None, I don't wear them in the house much.


20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
A bite of Leo's peanut butter sandwich. Mum life.


21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Well Leopold is watching 'How to Train Your Dragon', so that!


22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Black. Like my soul.


23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Freshly cut grass. The ocean. The smell of my children's hair. Vanilla.


24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Gaz.


25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Can't I have both?!


26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Basketball, Winter Olympics or tennis.


27. HAIR COLOR?
Currently dark brown with balayage. Thinking of just going a really dark brown though.


28. EYE COLOR?
Green.


29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope. I never have actually.


30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Pasta on bread with potatoes and more carbs.


31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Always happy endings.


32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Properly? Um, I think it was 'The Kids Are All Right'.


33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Navy blue.


34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer!


35. HUGS OR KISSES?
I like both, just depends on who they are from.


36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate.


37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Cardio.


38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Computer.


39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
So many! Still working through 'A Game of Thrones' by George R R Martin, 'Beautiful Creatures' by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, 'Dead as a Doornail' which is the 5th Sookie Stackhouse novel by Charlaine Harris, a book called 'Freedom' which is the last in the Ashuak Trilogy by Tony Shillitoe and 'Go Ask Malice' by Robert Joseph Levy which is about Faith from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and actually super awesome. I'm a geek.


40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one.


41. ANY TATTOOS?
Two; three stars on my right inner forearm and some poetry on my left thigh. Lots more planned though.


42. FAVOURITE SOUND?
My sons laughing together


43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Too hard, both. Leaning more towards Stones at the moment.


44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Vietnam.


45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I'm hyper flexible so can touch my thumb to my forearm and stuff like that. I can also fit my fists under my ribs (as long as I haven't eaten a big meal) and I'm told I'm a good singer.


46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Somewhere in Melbourne. Mitcham? Is that a thing?


47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Country Victoria.


48. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
White mostly.


49. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
Also white, but it's not really my car.


50. ANY PETS?
Two dogs; Alice is a Chihuahua x Jack Russell and Franklin is a Maltese x Silky Terrier. And one cat; Eevee.

Well hi!

So one my New Year's resolutions (and I have a few!) is to start blogging more regularly.
My life next year is going to be infinitely more hectic than it currently is; in February I start my diploma in Specialist Makeup Services so I'll be doing that three days a week in addition to all my normal mummy "duties" and sourcing work opportunities. Oh plus I'll be working towards getting my license, freaking finally!
My question is:
What would you like to see me blog about?
- The kids, what we do day-to-day, updates on them etc
- My studies/work
- Myself and my interests and passions
- A mix of all of the above

I get a lot of questions on my Facebook and Tumblr (which I shall link below if anyone wants to follow me, alongside my Twitter) about parenting and the way I parent and I am more than happy to do a blog post in regards to that.
Most of the readers of this blog know me personally, but not all according to the statistics and I would love to get to know all you guys as well. I'll be writing a "about me" type post later today (and I still have an Archer update in the works. He's 7 months now WTF?!).
Comment here or email me if you have any suggestions or ideas for topics I can cover, would love to hear from you all.

Madeleine xo

My Twitter
My Tumblr

Straight But Not Narrow

I am someone who identifies as "mostly" straight. I love men. I love women. I love everyone in between. I have always fallen for the person, not the gender and have never really been able to put a label on "what" I am because my sexuality seems totally fluid. I am a human.
And I firmly believe that we are all just people. People who need to be ourselves and encourage others to do the same. People who need to stop hate and hating.
And this is the message of Straight But Not Narrow, a non-profit charity organisation that is doing a whole lot of good in spreading the message of love and telling people it's okay to be yourself, whatever that means for you.
If you feel the same as I do please check out their various sites and socially networking pages that I'll link below. Show your support and get involved in whatever capacity you can, even if it's just clicking the 'like' or 'follow' button.
I don't want my boys to grow up in a world where they can't be proud to be gay, or a straight ally or just a plain, non narrow-minded human being.
We can all make a difference.

SBNN Website
SBNN Facebook
SBNN Youtube
SBNN Twitter

Anorexia- A Spoken Word Piece

I wrote and recorded this some time ago and have only recently worked up the courage to share it publicly after a lot of encouragement from some friends (you all know who you are <3).
This may be a trigger for some people, so if you are concerned about the sensitive nature of the topic please feel free to disregard this blog entry and wait until my next one (which will be a lovely update on Archer).
I first developed anorexia, and not a small amount of bulimia, when I was only 11 years old and started going through puberty. Being an active dancer probably exacerbated things. To this day I still find myself slipping back into old habits. I have completed destroyed my immune system, my metabolism and my self esteem through this awful illness. And it is just that, a mental illness. Some people who suffer may never develop the trademark skeletal form, but it doesn't mean that what they are going through is any less emotionally destructive.

Anyway, give it a look/listen if you so choose. Much love to anyone out there who has battled with an eating disorder or friends and family of someone who suffers from ED xoxo

Leopold Update!

My beautiful eldest in now over 28 months, so nearly 2 and a half (oh my goodness!). He just fills my days with joy. He is such a little character, always making people laugh.
Lately Leopold has been music obsessed. He loves anything with a good beat and is probably Macklemore's youngest fan (never seen a toddler rap until now haha). We're getting him a drum kit for Christmas which I know he'll love :)
He has just recently started to enjoy drawing and will tell you what he draws which is super adorable. His favourite things to draw are sharks, whales and men. Leo's imagination never fails to astound me and he has started giving his toys different names. His elephant, named Toby, is a particular favourite of his.

We've never been one for gender stereotyping and Leo recently got loaned a doll house from his aunty, which he adores! I can't wait to buy him more imaginative play toys, thinking we might have to hop on Pinterest and convert an old entertainment unit into a toy kitchen!
He still loves animals and lately has been asking for a pet kitten (would a fish cut it do you think?!) and he is definitely an outdoorsy boy, playing in his cubby house and going to the park are some of his favourite things. He just started going down the slide by himself, Leo is such a tentative toddler so that made me super proud.
He's still a picky eater, but is starting to try more things, and stubbornly refuses to use utensils. Although he loves drinking through straws. Go figure. His sleeping is okay. Naps most days, but still wakes up some nights. I think he is just one of those kids who would rather be awake.

The sad part of this update is that I have started to wean Leo off breastfeeding, something I said I'd never do. I'm very proud of our breastfeeding journey and have no regrets, but this kid has driven me mad lately with how demanding (and sometimes aggressive) he has become in regards to breastfeeding and I didn't want to begin resenting him or feeling pressured to nurse him when I no longer want to. We started very slowly, and now he is only on one feed a day (usually just a quick "snack" feed) and it seems to be working okay. We've also cut down on his dummy usage and he hasn't had a bottle in months (gosh he really is growing up!).

Leopold is the best big brother ever. He absolutely adores Archer and they are already inseparable. Leo isn't the best sharer with other children, but he shares everything with his baby brother (including food, Arch had his first chip experience the other do. Oh God, bad mum alert!). He is obsessed with babies in general it seems and we often spend hours changing the nappies of his various dolls and teddies. Leo is particularly good at "wiping" ^-^

In terms of his weight etc I'm not 100% sure. He just got over croup (gosh that was nasty!) and lost a bit of weight when he was very sick, but seems to be going through a growth spurt now. At a guess I'd say 11.5kg and 90ish cm. He'll always be a little man :)
Leo is very stylish and really has his own individual fashion sense. His most loved items are hats, he is rarely without one, gumboots, rainbow leg warmers, a Batman jacket complete with cape and anything with dinosaurs on it. I pretty much just let him dress himself now, as long as it's weather appropriate and his various 'looks' are adorable.

I absolutely love this boy. He is my best friend and I'm looking forward to more adventures with him!

Our Family Holiday

So I didn't update straight away like I said I would, but you've got to admit, this is GOOD for me. Cut me some slack ^-^

We just got back from our first family holiday in well over a year and it was so awesome to get away, we all had a fantastic time. We were going to Perth to attend a good friends commitment ceremony, but decided to make it a bit of a trip and were really glad we did.
The flights there and back were surprisingly not too bad with two young children, we even scored compliments on the fact they were so quiet and well behaved on the plane. Not bad for kiddies who had never been on one before! Leopold actually loved it :)
Our first day in Perth was basically just settling in, we stayed in a little suburb called Karrinyup, that was close to the beach and nice and quiet (all of Perth is nice and quiet it seems!). Then on our second day we went to a place called 'The Maze' and all had a great morning playing mini golf, running through mazes and patting koalas (it was also a small wildlife sanctuary). Leo in particular loved it, although he thought the koalas had "yuck" faces haha. Then we went to my friend Ally's ceremony and that was such a wonderful experience. We ended up staying quite late because the boys were behaving so well and we were all digging the band! The Friday was a pretty packed day; wildlife park in the morning, which was just gorgeous (we even got to pat kangaroos, a super fun experience because Leo was beside himself as they are his second favourite animal). Archer was especially fantastic on this trip, either his normal cheery self or enjoying a snooze in the pram or ergo.
We got to see a farm show at the wildlife park, and Leo and Gaz got to feed baby sheep which was adorable, wish I had gotten a picture of that! Leo ended up falling asleep in the ergo on this day too and it became a common place for him to have naps during this trip.
After a brief relax at our cabin we all went to the beach at sunset and had the most perfect time playing in the waves and sand and running around. It is probably one of my favourite moments together as a family.
On Saturday morning we went to the Perth zoo, which was fabulous! Biggest crocodile and reticulated python I have ever seen and Leo LOVED the elephants (his favourite animal) and monkeys. We had lunch there and once again both boys were awesome and had naps in the ergo :)
Then we headed off to Ally's to spend the night. It was so amazing to get to spend so much time with her and her beautiful family. Leopold and Joshua became good friends, as did Archer and Xavier, and Leo is still asking when he can see "Doshy" again :') Thanks again Ally! It was lovely.
On Sunday I got to meet a fair few of the lovely ladies and their kiddies from our Facebook mums group, which was wonderful, then we headed off to another friends house and spent some time with all of them and their gorgeous children. It was such a social visit! We headed off to the airport, thinking we'd be flying home that night, but NOPE. Flight was cancelled due to wild weather and so we spent another night at Ally's and ended up flying home at 5pm on Monday afternoon, which turned out to be a total blessing because our return flight was so easy and relaxed.
I've posted a whole heap of photos below so you can all see the fun we had. I'll have to do another post with the better photos that are on Gaz's phone, these are just the ones I have, in no particular order. Please comment and tell me about your favourite family holiday; we're always on the lookout for new places to travel to :)

Madeleine xoxo