I'm back.... the blog is back! It's been on hold for 12 months while I focused on a few different things but I have found that I need and want this an outlet for me again! It's been a crazy year but I'm ready to get back into it all again!!! Below will explain the hiatus I took.....
At the beginning of this year I went back to work after staying at home for 9 years. It was early 2007 when I resigned from my job in Real Estate so I could be a stay at home Mum when our first baby was born. I have been SO lucky to be able to stay at home with my babies for so long and not have to work. However, as discussed in a previous post, I got to a point where I decided that despite loving my kids with all I had, I needed something else just for me. So in 2013 I went to Uni and began a degree in Nursing. It wasn't an easy 3 years by any means and I often questioned why I was doing it but I managed to somehow run a household, raise 3 children and build a house within that time. I struggled a lot at times but thankfully made it out the other side with my sanity somewhat intact. I was lucky enough to score myself a job at the end of it all and began my new career in February this year. I was contracted to 8 days per fortnight with a mix of morning and afternoon shifts. It was a huge adjustment for us all but the money was very welcome and the satisfaction at the beginning that I felt from doing something to support my family was second to none. I also loved the fact that I was doing something for me, something that contributed to the community and something that made me feel valued on a different level than just being at home.
However, as the year progressed I began to feel quite disconnected from my old role as a stay at home Mum. I guess that is normal though seeing as though I was back working. I struggled with it all a bit at times, I hated missing out on things the kids were doing at school, sports etc. I always seemed to be rostered on those days. I hated not being on top of house stuff and being able to hang out on the couch when I wanted. I know that at times my husband got frustrated with me as I would whinge about going to work. It's not that I don't love what I do but the thought of going to work and leaving my family behind killed me. I was the one who had always been there for pick ups, drop offs, school assemblies, when they became sick, to take them to and from sport. That was my whole life and suddenly it no longer was, something else was also consuming my time. It's not that I didn't know what was coming and what would happen but to actually experience it was a whole other thing. These feelings of disconnection began to increase over the Christmas period, I have always been able to attend events even when I was working prior to kids. This year has been so different, I've missed out on so many things but am thankful I got to spend a week with the kids before Christmas and across the main days as well. I feel a little more grounded again, like the Mum I want to be and feel that I need to be for them. We've had plenty of meltdowns from the kids needing to be up and dressed by 6am if I am working a morning shift or tears when I need to leave for work in the afternoon. Those times were the worst. This year has been a massive learning curve for us all but me especially. I have learnt that I need to take time for me, if I don't look after myself no one else will. I pushed myself way beyond my comfort zone and limits this year and am so proud of that but found myself quite burnt out at times. It has been exhausting! My hubby was amazing and took pretty much everything in his stride this year, picking up what I couldn't. I am very lucky like that, I couldn't have got through this year without him. Going into next year I will only be contracted to 6 days per fortnight which will be fantastic! It will give me a bit more flexibility and allow for a greater work/life balance while the kids are still so young. To all the working Mummies and Daddies out there.... big love is being sent out to you. It is such a tough gig. The guilt we often feel can be so horrid but at the end of the day what we do is all for our families and for that I think we're pretty awesome!
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Networks.
Over the past year I have truly come to learn just how lucky I am. I have such an amazing network of people around me.
Over the years people have come and fell away and sometimes we have found each other again. I have reconnected with people I was friends with in Primary School, I intermittently keep in touch with besties from High School, my Mums Group is always there despite us all being so busy we barely see each other anymore, old work friends still check in and we keep up to date with our lives and over the past 5 years I have met some of my closest friends through kinder, daycare, the kids school, hubbies cricket club, Uni and my new business venture. I also love the connections I have made with people through Instagram.
I have such a varied network and I love it. I have so much support around me and know that someone is only ever a phone call away. I love that I can have conversations with people who get me, people who are so similar to me. I love being able to talk with someone about the stresses of Uni one day, the next I am discussing my fave Thermomix recipe or health and fitness and the day following that I can be discussing homewares.
Having a support network has been key for me even more so since having kids. It's nice to hear that people are going through or have been through the same thing. It's nice to have people to have a coffee or a wine with, someone to go and sit down the beach with or exercise with. I am so lucky to know so many wonderful people from all walks of life, from all different age brackets and I am most lucky to have many of my close family be some of my very best friends.
Over the years people have come and fell away and sometimes we have found each other again. I have reconnected with people I was friends with in Primary School, I intermittently keep in touch with besties from High School, my Mums Group is always there despite us all being so busy we barely see each other anymore, old work friends still check in and we keep up to date with our lives and over the past 5 years I have met some of my closest friends through kinder, daycare, the kids school, hubbies cricket club, Uni and my new business venture. I also love the connections I have made with people through Instagram.
I have such a varied network and I love it. I have so much support around me and know that someone is only ever a phone call away. I love that I can have conversations with people who get me, people who are so similar to me. I love being able to talk with someone about the stresses of Uni one day, the next I am discussing my fave Thermomix recipe or health and fitness and the day following that I can be discussing homewares.
Having a support network has been key for me even more so since having kids. It's nice to hear that people are going through or have been through the same thing. It's nice to have people to have a coffee or a wine with, someone to go and sit down the beach with or exercise with. I am so lucky to know so many wonderful people from all walks of life, from all different age brackets and I am most lucky to have many of my close family be some of my very best friends.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
University + Children!
It seems that these days it is becoming harder to enter / re-enter the workforce unless you have a qualification or degree of some sort. A lot of friends I have who are Mums have either furthered their studies or are looking into doing some kind of course to secure a job in the future.
The thought of adding in another element to your already busy life can be scary BUT it can be done!
I am often asked about studying in general and asked how I do it or am told I'm crazy (which I probably am!)
So I thought I'd share my story ......
I began because I wanted to do something more for myself after having spent 5 years as a 'Stay At Home Mum'. I loved being home with the kids but I needed something more to stimulate my brain. I had previously worked in Real Estate as a Property Manager and also in an administration/reception role and I knew that I no longer wanted to be in that field and that I wasn't ready to head back to work yet.
I vividly remember the moment when I knew what I wanted to do. It was the morning of the 18th August 2012 (Specific huh?) and I remember it well because our youngest was only 6 days old. I was sitting on the couch feeding him, flipping through the Saturday paper and drinking my coffee. I saw an advertisement for the local university's open day which was the following day. I showed hubby and told him that's where I was heading the next day. He told me I was completely nuts!! To be honest, I didn't totally disagree with him. So hubby looked after the big 2 kids and my Mum and I went and toured the Uni. It was amazing and huge and overwhelming! I loved it! My brain was spinning with ideas and it was filled with inspiration and motivation after talking with some of the staff and current students.
That night I began the application process. What I found is that it's not easy applying to VTAC as a mature age student. I sat the STAT test (a general knowledge test) which is required for entry to University and from then it was a long and grueling wait to see if I had secured a place! I received an offer for my third preference which was a double degree in Nursing & Psychology. Hubby was very apprehensive about me beginning as I had always been the one at home with the kids and it would all need to change. He encouraged me to defer and I told him there was no chance, he then asked me to defer and again he got the same response. This is what I wanted to do even though it required a lot of change. Our eldest was in school when I began but it meant that our youngest 2 would need to be in daycare and our youngest was 4 months old when he began as we needed to secure a position! It was tough but it had to be done in order for me to proceed and since we have done it, I haven't looked back.
Fast forwarding to now, I am currently completing the last 3 units of a Bachelor of Nursing. I ended up transferring from the double degree to a single degree. The degree is 3 years long with full time study. Everyone freaks when they hear the words 'full time'. I promise you, you don't have to be on-campus from 9am to 5pm five days a week. A full study load is considered 3+ units. Each unit is worth 1 or 2 credit points and each credit point requires 10 hours of study. Have I confused you yet?
At the moment I am completing what's below....
Unit Credit Points Study Hours
Child & Adolescent Health 1 10
Mental Health Promotion 1 10
Comprehensive Nursing Practice 2 20
I am required on campus for a total of 8 hours each week between the 3 units leaving a total of 32 hours private study time. I know I told you before it's not full time hours and this looks like it is BUT not everyone has the time to spend 40 hours per week studying and most people don't. When the time comes to complete assignments etc you will most likely spend in excess of 40 hours per week studying but majority of the time you won't hit that number. For my University we run from March through to October, so we are able to have time off each year or we can continue to study over the summer period to reduce our workload the following trimester. It is fairly flexible! You can study part time and do 1 or 2 units a trimester but obviously that lengthens your degree so you have a few extra years to complete your degree!
On a personal level though, the key to succeeding is commitment. You need to be driven and need to want it. In order to get through Uni I try and plan my days as well as I can as I need to take into consideration 4 other people in my family. I still need to cook, clean, get the kids to and from school plus complete all the other normal daily things and study. Some days I fail and I just pick up the slack the next day. Sometimes things have got to give though and that can often be the dishes or the washing and other days/weeks it can be the washing, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, dusting..... you get the point. I just try and roll with each day and that's what helps me get through. My hubby is a great source of help but he works hard too and I am a little (ok, very) picky about the way things are done so would rather do a lot of it on my own. I also suffer from anxiety, so this can also cause set backs daily when things are tough. You just do what you can, when you can and ask for help when you need! It doesn't last forever (I'm currently chanting this to myself while I complete my last couple of weeks on campus!) There are times where I have wanted to quit, even as recently as last week but I keep reminding myself it's all temporary!
I spoke to a Mum one day who wanted to know all about my degree and how I did it. When I told her about the placements attached to Nursing and how it all ran, she freaked and ran for the hills. She wasn't ready to commit yet and I get it. It's a massive decision and a huge commitment. It's not for everyone. However for me, I knew that I wanted this and have stuck with it even when things get tough. You miss out on friends events, special days with the kids, coffee dates with friends, hair appointments.... the list goes on. You cry because you think your 1,500 word essay was shit and are disappointed when you get a Distinction instead of a High Distinction, you cry over the journal article you really wanted to use that is 1 year too old, you get excited when you are placed on an amazing ward but get placed with a nurse who should have said no to having a student that day and you can cry because you simply miss your bed or watching your fave TV show. It's an emotional roller coaster and it has been 3 years of hell, exciting times, focus, dedication, anger, upset but most of all new friendships and looking forward to an amazing career ahead.
Studying isn't easy but you can do it!!
Please feel free to ask any questions and I will try and assist as best as I can.
Please remember that this is my experience and the way my University is run. I am sure that there will be many different views on how people approach University and that there will be variances with how Universities are ran.
Until next time! Xx
The thought of adding in another element to your already busy life can be scary BUT it can be done!
I am often asked about studying in general and asked how I do it or am told I'm crazy (which I probably am!)
So I thought I'd share my story ......
I began because I wanted to do something more for myself after having spent 5 years as a 'Stay At Home Mum'. I loved being home with the kids but I needed something more to stimulate my brain. I had previously worked in Real Estate as a Property Manager and also in an administration/reception role and I knew that I no longer wanted to be in that field and that I wasn't ready to head back to work yet.
I vividly remember the moment when I knew what I wanted to do. It was the morning of the 18th August 2012 (Specific huh?) and I remember it well because our youngest was only 6 days old. I was sitting on the couch feeding him, flipping through the Saturday paper and drinking my coffee. I saw an advertisement for the local university's open day which was the following day. I showed hubby and told him that's where I was heading the next day. He told me I was completely nuts!! To be honest, I didn't totally disagree with him. So hubby looked after the big 2 kids and my Mum and I went and toured the Uni. It was amazing and huge and overwhelming! I loved it! My brain was spinning with ideas and it was filled with inspiration and motivation after talking with some of the staff and current students.
That night I began the application process. What I found is that it's not easy applying to VTAC as a mature age student. I sat the STAT test (a general knowledge test) which is required for entry to University and from then it was a long and grueling wait to see if I had secured a place! I received an offer for my third preference which was a double degree in Nursing & Psychology. Hubby was very apprehensive about me beginning as I had always been the one at home with the kids and it would all need to change. He encouraged me to defer and I told him there was no chance, he then asked me to defer and again he got the same response. This is what I wanted to do even though it required a lot of change. Our eldest was in school when I began but it meant that our youngest 2 would need to be in daycare and our youngest was 4 months old when he began as we needed to secure a position! It was tough but it had to be done in order for me to proceed and since we have done it, I haven't looked back.
Fast forwarding to now, I am currently completing the last 3 units of a Bachelor of Nursing. I ended up transferring from the double degree to a single degree. The degree is 3 years long with full time study. Everyone freaks when they hear the words 'full time'. I promise you, you don't have to be on-campus from 9am to 5pm five days a week. A full study load is considered 3+ units. Each unit is worth 1 or 2 credit points and each credit point requires 10 hours of study. Have I confused you yet?
At the moment I am completing what's below....
Unit Credit Points Study Hours
Child & Adolescent Health 1 10
Mental Health Promotion 1 10
Comprehensive Nursing Practice 2 20
I am required on campus for a total of 8 hours each week between the 3 units leaving a total of 32 hours private study time. I know I told you before it's not full time hours and this looks like it is BUT not everyone has the time to spend 40 hours per week studying and most people don't. When the time comes to complete assignments etc you will most likely spend in excess of 40 hours per week studying but majority of the time you won't hit that number. For my University we run from March through to October, so we are able to have time off each year or we can continue to study over the summer period to reduce our workload the following trimester. It is fairly flexible! You can study part time and do 1 or 2 units a trimester but obviously that lengthens your degree so you have a few extra years to complete your degree!
On a personal level though, the key to succeeding is commitment. You need to be driven and need to want it. In order to get through Uni I try and plan my days as well as I can as I need to take into consideration 4 other people in my family. I still need to cook, clean, get the kids to and from school plus complete all the other normal daily things and study. Some days I fail and I just pick up the slack the next day. Sometimes things have got to give though and that can often be the dishes or the washing and other days/weeks it can be the washing, dishes, vacuuming, mopping, dusting..... you get the point. I just try and roll with each day and that's what helps me get through. My hubby is a great source of help but he works hard too and I am a little (ok, very) picky about the way things are done so would rather do a lot of it on my own. I also suffer from anxiety, so this can also cause set backs daily when things are tough. You just do what you can, when you can and ask for help when you need! It doesn't last forever (I'm currently chanting this to myself while I complete my last couple of weeks on campus!) There are times where I have wanted to quit, even as recently as last week but I keep reminding myself it's all temporary!
I spoke to a Mum one day who wanted to know all about my degree and how I did it. When I told her about the placements attached to Nursing and how it all ran, she freaked and ran for the hills. She wasn't ready to commit yet and I get it. It's a massive decision and a huge commitment. It's not for everyone. However for me, I knew that I wanted this and have stuck with it even when things get tough. You miss out on friends events, special days with the kids, coffee dates with friends, hair appointments.... the list goes on. You cry because you think your 1,500 word essay was shit and are disappointed when you get a Distinction instead of a High Distinction, you cry over the journal article you really wanted to use that is 1 year too old, you get excited when you are placed on an amazing ward but get placed with a nurse who should have said no to having a student that day and you can cry because you simply miss your bed or watching your fave TV show. It's an emotional roller coaster and it has been 3 years of hell, exciting times, focus, dedication, anger, upset but most of all new friendships and looking forward to an amazing career ahead.
Studying isn't easy but you can do it!!
Please feel free to ask any questions and I will try and assist as best as I can.
Please remember that this is my experience and the way my University is run. I am sure that there will be many different views on how people approach University and that there will be variances with how Universities are ran.
Until next time! Xx
Sunday, August 16, 2015
A little more about me!
In April this year Hubby and I decided to head out that way (and a bit further) to Marysville for our wedding anniversary. It was stunning! We stayed at the brand new Vibe in Marysville and we loved every second of it! We spent 3 nights in Marysville and spent our time exploring, drinking, eating and relaxing! I'd go back there in a heartbeat! I've added some photos below...
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| Driving down from Lake Mountain |
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| Vibe Marysville |
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| Steavenson's Falls |
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| Lake Mountain |
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| Ready for dinner! |
Continuing on... I also lived in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne which I loved nearly equally as much. The vast amount of trees and the land we lived on was amazing. We lived on a small hobby farm and were able to watch kangaroos hopping around and fighting from our kitchen windows. How lucky! We were surrounded by apple and pear orchards, an ostrich farm across the road and we had a couple of cows and an ex race horse.... life was always pretty and never dull there!
From there my family and I moved to a coastal town in Victoria and I kind of haven't left the area! (We did take a quick hiatus from this area though and moved to a border town for 12 months. We packed up and sold our home, bought a corner store! We rebuilt the business and hubby worked long hours. It was an amazing time in our lives, we learnt so much about ourselves. It is also the place where our second baby Mia was born. So it'll always be a special place for us but it was waaay too far away from our family and friends!) However where we are now.... It's where I spent my teenage years, made many friends and also met my husband! During the 11 years hubby and I have been together we have had 3 gorgeous kiddies. The biggest 2 are at school and the youngest is in childcare while I study. We love where we live, we have family close by, friends around us and our kids are settled here. It's the best of both worlds with the water only 2kms from our home and we are also surrounded by farm land. We built our own home and moved in during 2013. It's still a work in progress and things are always changing inside and out!
I've added a couple of little snippets of our home and one of my fave pics I took whilst at a gorgeous local beach we like to hang out at.
Until next time! Xx
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| Our bedroom |
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Harry's bedroom
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Saturday, August 15, 2015
Welcome!
Hi there and welcome to Elle and Co.
I'm not great at introductions or this first post thing. They always seem kind of awkward, so I'll keep it short.
So, this blog is a brand new baby for me which I am very excited about. I have blogged on and off for a number of years now but this time I am back to stay! Elle and Co. is a bit of a spin on my name which was the suggestion of a gorgeous friend (Thanks S! Xx). The blog will be a mixture of my kids, my home, adventures and day to day life. Whatever takes my fancy really! I love to have a creative outlet where I can share bits and pieces without 'over-spamming' everyone on Instagram and Snapchat and be able to journal a little more in depth than other platforms allow. That's really it in a nutshell so....
... I'll leave it there for the moment and I'm sure I will be back in the very near future (read: tomorrow).
Until next time Xx
I'm not great at introductions or this first post thing. They always seem kind of awkward, so I'll keep it short.
So, this blog is a brand new baby for me which I am very excited about. I have blogged on and off for a number of years now but this time I am back to stay! Elle and Co. is a bit of a spin on my name which was the suggestion of a gorgeous friend (Thanks S! Xx). The blog will be a mixture of my kids, my home, adventures and day to day life. Whatever takes my fancy really! I love to have a creative outlet where I can share bits and pieces without 'over-spamming' everyone on Instagram and Snapchat and be able to journal a little more in depth than other platforms allow. That's really it in a nutshell so....
... I'll leave it there for the moment and I'm sure I will be back in the very near future (read: tomorrow).
Until next time Xx
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