"I crack the whip, and you skip" - 10 / 10 Boot Camp

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

Oh. That smiley placed there was a little sinister!

You can have another ball for christmas

seen as you're not a fleurette

Oh good
my sinister smiley is still appearing on cue

it's my birthday next month [hopeful]

Not really 10 / 10 ish but I am eating warm and freshly baked cheese scones

oh sorry MrsC, I bet that has blown my chances

LO is chewing a wooden curtain ring - i think he must have emailed you for your Heuristic play document, Franny
i am aware that I am very, very VERY lucky in my DH and I make sure he knows how much he is loved and appreciated, as he does me. That sounds a bit bluergh but all I mean is, sometimes it's too easy to take for granted the small thoughtful things that make life so much more pleasant, and I never want to get complacent.

I haven't the heart for the CC threads either but I do admire those who do battle on behalf of the babies. I with all my education and passion for mothering in a certain way, even I can be swayed by people saying "shouldn't you stop b/feeding so much, shouldn't you put LO in a cot by now, you'd be so much happier... (how do they know what would make me happier??" Hence my posts of self-doubt Franny, it does eat away at your confidence. I am sure that many many b/feeding 'problems' could be overcome if cultural acceptance and peer group support were there. Yes growth spurts happen, blocked ducts happen, feeding can be painful at the start etc etc but the difference in carrying on regardless or just giving in and giving up is largely due to the predominant messages and mind set around you IMO.
Even when I am knackered a part of me is pleased that LO can bawl lustily to get my attention. That's his survival mechanism, that's how he communicates his fundamental needs. My midwife wisely said that baby changes the entire structure of your life, and if it doesn't change, then something is wrong. Just slotting back into 'how it all was pre-baby' is not a useful aim IMO. Hence the current fashion for 'routine', as if the baby is born with a bus timetable. FFS. Enough said, LO now finished with the curtain ring and chewing my toes so must go to eat sweetcorn and fresh green beans together.

I have got curtain rings in there too! Must be doing something right.

Mrs C, the ears and eyes in the ether is why i have no photos on my profile page. Not to be alarmist but, it feels more comfortable that way. You may notice that a lot of regular and prolific posters don't have profile pages either.

LOL I don't mind lurkers knowing my birthday

they might send me presents

It's the 28th September. Quite a few Virgoans and Librans on here as I recall - NQC, Filly, HC... Avi are you another? Who else?

LL in your situation it is really not unreasonable to be getting some help. In fact I think it is necessary. You shouldn't have to stressing about day to day stuff

MrsC I am SO with you on Montezumas Geranium & Orange. I sent some to a friend after I discovered it and she wrote back saying it was the best chocolate she ever tasted. And I don't think it tastes of flowers anyway.

Boco, I would love to see your paintings! I would be interested in talking to you about it actually; I haven't painted for a while but I have been wondering recently whether it's something I could make a bit of money from if I go back into it. May I CAT you?

I think with the cc thing... well the prevailing attitude in our society towards how babies should sleep is... let's say messed up. But it seems so ingrained that it's often very hard to make people think about things differently. I am STILL very angry that I let my first months with ds be blighted by the fact that I thought I was feeding him too much, that I should have been able to get him to sleep through, "give him water"... and all that trash Thank god I discovered MN when I did - better late than never eh?

i'm gemini

and a typical one too

me too Zippi

Ooh I'm a typical Aquarian

Yes, I thought it must be the end, couldn't see you as virgoan really, Franny, much more libran Not that I believe in all that Dh is libran, me and dd and ds1 are all november birthdays so it's an expensive month!

I put a profile up when I joined as I was only really on my postnatal group and it's FULL of everyones pictures. Think I might take the last ones off now.

Yes I don't believe in it either but I am so a Libran

I'm a virgo, but not a typical virgo as i'm not organised or tidy. Franny i can't see you as a Libran. All the librans i've known have been difficult for me to like very much, and i like you. But maybe i've just met some funny ones. Not that i believe in any of it at all either.
Most of my friends are gemini or taurus though.

Tatties, of course cat me. I'm not sure i could give good advice - really, i'm just blagging along doing bits and pieces and not that well. I wouldn't call myself an artist. I'll show you, you'll see.

Food bad today. Had unexpected visit from my sisters ex partner and niece - all complicated and strange situation - was nice to see him, but sad. Anyway i'm wittering.

dh has a good job mon-fri but is poorly paid-museum workers always are....he does weddings/christenings etc at w/e's & then has to work evenings doing post production work.He is twenty years older than me..out of the house at 5.30am-back around 8pm..usually straight up to office & eats his dinner up there.We have no kind of life really..he is always stressed & exhausted & I feel bad because am not helping financially.
He doesn't cook/clean/look after ds..
It's hard to change in your mid fifties i guess

ds has new shoes with flashing lights & is very chuffed
Am off to friends in a mo
have had couscous with roasted garlic/tomato/basil peppers & rocket salad

very typical cancerian here

can i come to the meet up too?????

Have mailed you the link lully, let me know if it works.

am dashing off now...Boco...they dont work

Oh no annoying - hotmail has changed and i think there's something different i have to do but not sure what. When you get back, can you try pasting them into the address bar? That should work.

Franny, that is SPOOKY!

Boco, may I please see your paintings? [email protected]

LL, I keep sending you mental hugs and wishing I could DO SOMETHING! Wish you did live 3 doors down from us...

I like flowery chocolate but have No Idea what floral gums are. I have made calendula buns (thanks fmv) and tried white dead nettle flowers. Oh, and ds2 fed me a sunflower petal the other day. I want to know how to crystallise petals without using egg.

Pitta with salad, guacamole and hummus. Apple.

Grrr, i'm baffled by hotmail - there's an 'insert link' button - and i paste a link, and press, add, and nothing happens!

Dp once ate a flower i'd been given for my birthday - it was a funny colour, i think it had been dyed. He was drunk and ate it.

The next morning he was in agony and his throat was so swollen - so went to the doctor. He'd been too embarrassed to say that he'd eaten a flower - and i was worried that maybe this was an important piece of information that if overlooked could somehow have terrible consequences.

So, while dp was in bed groaning, i called the doctor, and whispered 'he was too embarrassed to admit this, but last night he ate a flower, it was blue, but not naturally so'.

The doctor said in the most despairing voice 'he has tonsillitis, the rest is his own business'. Dp was cross when he found out what i did, and i felt silly.

Boco, what lovely pictures
I'd love to do something creative for a living. I am sort of working on things (stories) but it is so hard to find the time - especially if you don't know if it will come to owt.
(Am chuckling greatly about your dp's flower )