First-World Gripes

I've got a few things irking me. Small things, petty things. But I've got no one to talk to about it, and if I don't unload, I'm going to lose my marbles.

1. Balloons. I hate them. The smell, the sound they make, I. HATE. BALLOONS. And when you have kids, everywhere you go, people want to give them balloons. We went to the chemist yesterday, and they were taking apart a display - gave the girls balloons. Now they're driving me crazy with that balloon-rubbing sound, shoving them in my face ( I hate the smell of latex ), and it's making. me. crazy.

2. Ads for all that 'magic' fitness equipment. Do you ever, ever, ever see anyone demonstrating it who isn't already completely fit? No. Why is that? Because they want you to think that if you buy this (insert thing here), you will have a six-pack and look like a Baywatch body double. And the same goes for that Zumba thing. I've got friends who love it, who swear by it - but I'm pretty sure I'd feel like an absolute idiot in a Zumba class. But my beef is this. They don't show a room full of overweight people sweating grunting and swearing, falling over themselves. They show skinny people having a ripping good time, like they're at a nightclub. Because why would you buy into it if it didn't look like fun?

3. Repeating myself. I do this a lot. I've got children. It's normal. But it makes me feel a bit crazy when I have to say for the fifth time this morning "Get out of the cot!" Just once in a day, I'd really love it if I gave an instruction and it was followed for the rest of the day.

4. Sleep. How do you teach children to stay in bed (or at the very least in their room) until 7am?
Seriously, every morning at 6am, my children wake up and instantly want breakfast. I am just not running at 'Warp Ten' as soon as my feet hit the floor. I'm kind of slow-starting. And they are not.

5. My mattress completely sucks. It provides very little support, and I wake up Every. Single. Morning with an aching back. We bought it from IKEA because we got an IKEA bed, and it was easier to buy it at the same place. But I wish we'd held out for a better one.

Having gotten all that off my chest, I'm going to try now and find something positive about each of those points.

1. Balloons. Hmm. They're pretty? And the joy they bring to my children (the first two, anyway - the third can't have them because of the latex thing) is undeniable. That is a beautiful thing.

2. Fitness equipment. Sorry, I think it's silly to re-invent the wheel. Less in, more out, and move, move, move. I am always looking for a quick fix, an easier way. In the end, I can lift shopping bags full of groceries, walk around my house, take the dog for a walk, park further away, take the kids to the park, do yardwork, or any number of other things that will burn more calories than sitting on my backside watching television (or 'internetting'?). I can choose to cook healthier options, rather than hitting up the local takeaway shop. I have the same amount of time given to me in a day as everyone else who seems to 'fit it all in'. How am I spending it? If I just 'don't have time' for exercise, then perhaps I need to evaluate what else I'm spending time on. Just my thoughts, and no judgement here.

3. I got nothing. No ideas other than to persevere. It's hard, and that's that. The rewards will come later on, but they will be there.

4. I am extremely thankful that I have such healthy, energetic children. And it is kind of cute that they bounce out of bed in the morning. I wish it was contagious!

5. I am thankful for having a mattress at all. It's served me faithfully through two pregnancies, for four and a half years now. The hindsight will prove valuable when it's time to buy a new one. Don't settle for a cheap one, save up for the best one you can buy - it will be so worth it.

Thanks for listening!
XO, Sarah