Turn Mondayitis into MOTIVATEDNESS!

Its raining, its pouring...are you bumping your head in the middle of the bed and don't want to get up in the morning?

It really is raining this morning and very easy to feel a bit of Mondayitis...

I thought it is a good opportunity to share with you my 7 tips to turn your Mondayitis into Motivatedness when you are at home with little ones.

ONE: A great day starts the night before!

Work backwards. What time are you getting up in the morning?

Don't tell me you don't know because it changes everyday...you are the CFO {chief family officer} of your family and the CFO does not get up whenever they feel like it!

On weekdays they get up at the same time everyday because they have a realistic morning routine and they stick to it!So if you are getting up at 5am, you need to be in bed by 10pm the night before because you need around 7-8hrs sleep every night.

This is not BEAUTY sleep, its ENERGY sleep!

TWO: Start your day in a positive way!

As soon as you wake up, start your day with something positive that you enjoy.

It might be to read something inspirational {hmmm say Sunny Mummy}, exercise or have a cup of tea and sit quietly, thinking about what a GREAT day you're about to have!

THREE: Dress to impress the boss...that's YOU by the way!

BEFORE the kids wake-up, shower and dress for the day. Do your hair, pop on some tinted moisturiser, mascara and lip gloss...

Just because you may not be leaving the house doesn't mean you shouldn't make an effort. Its about how this FEELS and for me personally, popping on my jeans and a little make-up makes me feel so much nicer, my day just rolls differently to when I am wearing my trackies.

{BTW, If you feel fabbo in your trackies then wear them but ask yourself if they really make you feel confident and ready to get stuck into the work day?}

FOUR: Have a realistic routine for each part of your WORKDAY!

Whats that? You don't work, you're a stay at home mum?

Well that changes RIGHT NOW!

You do WORK, you work at home {and you may run a business from there too} and you have an extremely important position!

You handle the cleanliness of your home, plan meals, source ingredients, prepare nourishment for people, handle accounts, manage diaries for other {staff} members and groom them too!

You do indeed work so imagine you could be called in for an employee review at any time...how would you rate your performance?

Are you following an effective routine that allows you to complete the work or are you all over the place, doing whatever grabs your attention?

You wouldn't turn up to an office job and do whatever you feel like, whenever.
You would have a routine and follow it. Do the same at home. You need it and your family needs it.

All is well in the world when you have a realistic routine.

FIVE: Have a realistic routine!

A good routine is like a good budget. It is realistic and allows time for all the things that take place on any given day at any given time.

There is no point in having 'ironing' from 8-9pm every second night in your routine, if you know that you can be found in front of the TV but there is certainly no ironing taking place (I iron as I go by the way, its how I roll ;)

That's like failing to include in your budget that you spend $50 p/w on takeaway, if you do it and you enjoy it...then acknowledge it!

If however, you spend hours every week tending to your virtual restaurant on facebook but find yourself wondering what you will cook for dinner at 5pm everyday....its time to review how you are spending your time and get that routine happening!

SIX: Remember your REASONS!

Remember the reasons WHY you are doing this and change the way you view each task.

You're not making a bed cos you HAVE TO, you're providing a fresh, cosy place for your family to sleep whilst creating order in the bedroom (a room NEVER looks tidy with an unmade bed). You're not doing the washing cos you have to, you're providing sanitised clothing free of germs that smells so good (how good does Omo Small and Mighty smell by the way) and teaches your children about the importance of looking after ones appearance (doesn't that sound very posh)!

You get the drift. Yes, we do the same stuff day in day out and it can be very mind numbing but its all about WHY you are doing it...remember that!

SEVEN: Knock off time...

Did you wonder why I chose 7 tips?

You may or may not believe in him but even God rested on the 7th day ;)

Last time I checked, I was not God and neither are you...

Bottom line is this: If you want to ENJOY not ENDURE motherhood and YOUR life in general...You need to know your MATHS!

Rest + Relaxation = RECHARGED, REVITALISED and RENEWED!

So seeing as this Motherhood Position is WORK, then you need a knock off time.

I have said before that no-one is going to ring you and say "That's enough for today love, good work, why don't you take the afternoon off!"

Its up to you to ensure you follow a realistic afternoon and evening routine that allows you to recharge the batteries. This is the time when you can relax, spend time with your partner {if you have one}, shave your legs and mentally prepare to do it all over again tomorrow...

That's the thing with this position..it is relentless, your work is never done and if you let it, it can really get you down and suffering with Mondayitis everyday.

So if you start to feel the blahs creep in...see tip #8!

HA of course there is tip #8.

Eight: BE KIND TO YOURSELF!

You are doing a wonderful job!

There is no pay. There is no performance review resulting in a bonus BUT you are your own boss and you get out what you put in!

Be sure to be kind to yourself and leave yourself with something to PUT IN :)

Have a Super Duper Week and go put on some lip gloss...the world is alot shinier when you do ;)

Keep Shining,

Stace x

PS If you jhaven't already got one, the Sunny Mummy Assistant will help you do all of the above!

Thankful Thursday...

Whilst it is 'Thankful Thursday' and normally I would write 7 things I am thankful for, today I want to write about just one....

YOU!

I am thankful for you and the support you give me. The emails of thanks, the encouraging words and the things you write or mention in our little community that help me to understand you all, and myself, just that little bit more.

So lean in close, imagine I am looking into your eyes and listen closely..

YOU are not ME and I am not YOU.

YOU are perfectly YOU and today is the day you embrace that!

Why today? Why not?

NOW is the best time and NOW can be ANYTIME, because guess what?

As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, I will slip up, you will slip up. We will all slip up and the world WILL NOT STOP TURNING.

Forget the diets, the restrictions, the expectations, the new kitchen, the old car, the breast or the bottle, the 10 kg you need to lose before you can feel good about yourself....whilst your consuming yourself with all of this, LIFE IS HAPPENING!

Your babies are growing up, you're growing older and whilst your busy thinking about how things could be or should be, your missing out on how good things ARE...

FEEL GOOD NOW!

Its not a feeling actually, its a CHOICE.

Simple really. Life is simple, we complicate it with our rules and expectations.

Rules we place on ourselves and unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others.

So today, everyday and moment by moment, CHOOSE to be YOU, CHOOSE to feel good, CHOOSE to let go of the expectations, CHOOSE to be Teflon and let IT slide.

Whats IT?

IT is whatever is irritating you, the friend who hasn't called, the husband who isn't helping, the mother at playgroup who you THINK is judging you...WHATEVER!

Let it slide and let it go...

Today is thankful Thursday, be THANKFUL you are YOU and not anyone else because YOU are perfectly equipped to handle YOUR life and your world and its up to YOU to make the most if it!

Now what are YOU going to do with your ONE precious LIFE starting with NOW?

Keep Shining,
Stace x

Breastfeeding: Real Mums tell you how....

This is a guest post by Melissa McDonald, author of:

'Breastfeeding: Real Mums Tell You How'



As pregnant women, we don’t think so much about feeding our baby, rather the labour and the pain associated with it. We’re filled with the excitement of finally meeting our baby for the first time and so we should be, it’s an amazing time in our life.

As ‘soon to be mums’, we read so many books about conception, pregnancy, fertility and the like, before and during pregnancy, but we don’t seem to read up on what happens after the baby arrives.

Feeding your baby is your most important responsibility as a mother. Once your baby is in your arms it won’t be long before the first feed and you need to be prepared for it.

After talking with many women who have shared with me their joy and others anguish in feeding their babies, I found that new mums really need all the support they can get in order to successfully establish breastfeeding. Some of the best support comes from midwives, lactation consultants, mother craft nurses, family and the associations and hot lines available. When you don't have access to these resources in the hospital or when you get home, are feeling alone in your experiences or simply can’t get the feeding right, the best people to listen to are other mothers and their first hand experiences.

However many women don’t attend mothers group until their baby is 13 weeks old and by this stage some women have been through hell and back trying to get the feeding right and in frustration and despair have turned to formula (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

I have two children and I experienced breastfeeding problems partly due to a lack of knowledge and the extreme stress I put myself under to solely breastfeed. I didn’t understand why I was failing at what seemed such a natural thing to do.

In light of my experiences I set out to write a book that would give pregnant women and new mothers the information and confidence they need to have a successful feeding relationship with their babies. I am happy to say my books have been printed and have been delivered and are now available online at www.breastfeedingbook.com.au and at selected Angus and Robertson and Borders bookstores.

The book covers the fundamentals of breastfeeding and what you need to know to give yourself the best chance. If you can’t or don’t want to breastfeed then there is practical information on how to bottle feed or even combination feed and with no judgement from anyone on what you decide.

I interviewed many mothers just like you, who shared their stories and their experience of feeding their babies and the highs and lows that come with it.

I really hope this book gives modern women the confidence and knowledge to feel prepared to feed their babies whether it be breast or bottle or a combination of both.

I promote breastfeeding wholeheartedly but there is immense pressure on women to solely breastfeed their babies and for some this is not so easy or a realistic option.

For those of you for whom breastfeeding comes easily, you are the lucky ones. There are many mothers for whom it doesn’t.

The best advice I was given was, “Do what is best for you and your baby” and this means both in the physical and emotional sense, whether it be breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination of both. As your baby’s mother, you have the right to choose how to feed your child. Yes, breast is best but sometimes it just isn’t an option.


For some, breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally, for others it’s smooth sailing all the way. Each child feeds differently, even siblings or twins vary greatly in the way they feed. You will not know how your baby will be until that first attachment. So by being well informed about what to expect prior to giving birth, we can give ourselves and our baby the best chance at a pleasurable breastfeeding experience.

So if you are pregnant, a new mum or looking for a gift for your pregnant friend or relative, then this is the book for you.


One lucky Sunny Mummy will win a copy of Melissa's book 'Breastfeeding: Real Mums Tell you how! All you need to do to be in the running to win, is email askme@breastfeedingbook.com.au with 'I am a Sunny Mummy' in the subject line!

It's coming!

So I am sitting here making a start on wrapping the fabulous giveaways that have been so generously donated by the fabulous businesses supporting Sunny Mummy and our first event, the Buffet of Life, and it occurs to me, ITS NEXT WEEK!

I am soooo excited. I really, really am.

Excited for the brekkie, the bubbles, the goodies but most of all EXCITED TO MEET YOU ALL!

I feel like I know a little bit about each and every one of you can't wait to put faces to names that are here for me as much as I hope I am for you!

I am actually reading Joanne Fedler's (our guest speaker) book, Secret Mothers Business now and how I did not know about this book before is beyond me, its an hilarious and open account of her journey in motherhood and I just can't wait to hear her speak. Something tells me we will have a laugh or two.

Of course, I will be speaking too, whats new ;) Lucky we only have til 11am or else I would talk all day, lucky I have to pack up afterwards too or else I would be saying, come on girls, lets go have lunch now!

I would be saying that because I feel so lucky to have created this wonderful community of Sunny Mummies. Mummies who are all shapes, colours, sizes and temperaments, we may have nothing or everything in common, but one thing we all agree one is that we want to ENJOY motherhood!

There are so many fab prizes, I am super excited for the Mummy who walks out wearing a Sunny Mummy Plated necklace {just like mine} from
Made to Inspire or a gorgeous celebrity inspired leather handbag from Willowblu.

So have you got your ticket yet? What are you waiting for?

We now have a special offer if you buy 3 tickets in one transaction, the 4th ticket is free! Keep it for yourself or split the cost amongst the 4 of you.

Final numbers must be confirmed by this time next week unless sold out beforehand, so grab your ticket now and prepare to have the most gorgeous morning being spoilt, meeting other Sunnies and celebrating YOU!

It won't be the same without you...



To those Sunnies who have already purchased, your tickets will be emailed out to you tonight. See you on the 29th, can't wait to meet you IRL {in real life, that's high tech virtual talk you know}!

Stace x

Sending YOU...

This is an adapted version of a letter I felt compelled to write to another blogger, something tells me more of us need to hear these words:





Dear You,

This letter comes from one Sunny Mummy to another...

Don't try to be perfect, be perfectly YOU!

You have been given a precious gift...children who are watching your every move.

Show them you are BeautyFULL inside....once you have that, outer beauty quietly comes in and takes its permanent place.

Enjoy NOW, this wonderful age you are at. You didn't know much 5 years ago, you don't know much more now...

Neither do I.

Life is like that, please don't waste precious time trying to be perfect or worrying about stuff, physical and emotional.

Are you searching for something? Love, higher purpose, perhaps a job...
I wish you all the best. However, never forget you already have all of the above, being your children's Sunny Mummy.

Society can make you feel like that job is not enough, that somehow you should or could be doing more...

What could be more important than raising UP a child? Yes it gets tedious sometimes and is ever so tiring...

I am sure there are days when you wonder how you got here? That's OK. So do I.

Your life has taken this path and it is the right one for you....you will be able to do all the things you cant do now, soon, trust me.

You will appreciate it so much more, I promise.

Do what you love Sunnies, chase your dreams and keep being YOU, there is no-one else qualified for the role and to your babies, you are the only ONE.

Look after their mummy and remember you are already perfectly YOU, I think you are beautyfull inside and out.

Sending you sunshine and smiles always,

With love
Stace x

Hungry?

This time last week I was sipping Chinese beer {well actually it was Japanese beer}, in the back streets of Shanghai.

We packed so much into a short trip, I really underestimated how tired I would be upon our return.

Actually tired doesn't really describe it. I have not felt this tired since my 38hr labour to give birth to my over 10lb son almost 8 yrs ago ;)

I suspect it wasn't just the trip though...since I have returned, I have not been my Sunny self.

I have been tired, cranky and even started getting strange things happening with my heart. Because of this, I have spent the last 24 hrs hooked up to a monitoring device that resembled my yellow sony sports walkman circa 1990! Only it wasn't yellow and I couldn't listen to Bobby Brown on it ;)

This little machine took note of all the double beats {of me not Bobby Browm} and will let the doctor know what is going on.

As I sit here tonight though, I think I know what has been going on...

I'm hungry and its not for food :(

I'm hungry for rest and some 'me' time.

I am sure many of you can relate to this? Most mums feel this way sometimes....even all of the time :(

However, not me...Not Sunny Mummy.

She looks after herself, she rests, she recharges...she walks the talk, or does she?

I used to :(
I really did...

I have always kept it real on here with you guys and this blog actually started as a way for me to document my journey to becoming a Sunny Mummy.

This post is more about staying one!

I LOVE that I am, as Julie Parker from Beautiful You tweeted a few weeks ago "Helping Mummies believe their Sunniness is more important than their Yumminess".

I LOVE inspiring Mummies to be Sunny and more organised.

I LOVE being Sunny and Organised.... but this week, I am the plumber with the leaking tap, the dentist with the bad breath, the..OK you get the idea.

My house is a MESS and my own schedule is slowly disappearing as I try to fit everything in...

Sound familiar?

I am trying to have it all, all at once...{Que Dr Phil 'Hows that workin for ya?"}

So, what switched the light bulb on for me tonight? My kiddies of course!

Tonight, after a day of getting quite cranky over silly things with my family, I decided to have a nice hot bath {eat toblerone in there}, to escape the kids, I told myself.

ON my way to the bathroom, my kiddies called me "Mum, we have something for you!"

This is what they had drawn...



"Its a LANGEL" they told me excitedly.

An angel of love, just like you!

WHAT? I was NOT a sunny mummy today and you think I am a LANGEL?

Suddenly it hit me like a laptop in the face...

I am getting so busy feeding others the sunshine, that I forgot about me and my family :(

I am dishing up the food, being so generous with the servings for others, that I forgot to serve myself...and now I am hungry.

What's worse...I think my family are eating the leftovers...

So I wrote myself a little note:

Dear Langel ;)

You are extremely passionate about helping mothers ENJOY, rather than ENDURE motherhood, and for that you should be proud.

Do you realise you can help even more, if YOU GIVE YOURSELF permission to take the pressure {that YOU have placed on yourself}...OFF?

The world will not stop turning if an email is left unanswered and Rome was not built in a day {isn't that because I wasn't the foreman, I ask?}.

You pride yourself on keeping it real...So lets be REAL.

Its time you realised you are but ONE woman, spreading a positive message to motherhood. You can't do that if you don't 'walk the talk' and look after yourself first.

THIS is EXACTLY what Sunny Mummy is all about...

Your family needs you, you've come off track, now get back on :)

Keep Shining x

Now some may read this and think it is not a very sunny post.

I think it is quite the opposite....this is a VERY SUNNY post.

It's a Sunny post because Sunny Mummies keep it REAL, recognise and admit when they are getting off track.

I am writing this post so you KNOW that I can and do go off track.

So where to now?

Well for starters, I won't be replying to emails as planned tomorrow...

I am going to sleep in, make pancakes with my kiddies for breakfast and leave the housework for Monday. We're going to head out into the sunshine and enjoy being together. We'll be LANGEL'S to one another.

Come Monday, I'll be re-working my schedule and sticking to it.

I'll also be installing 'auto responder' on my email :)

Oh and as soon as I can afford it, I may even get an ironing lady...

You don't have to do your own ironing to be a Sunny Mummy do you????

Nah, of course not ;)

Keep Shining!

Stace x

Sunny Mummy bares all!

Today I am joining in the fun of bloggers without make-up, started by Jodie over at Mummy Mayhem!

So here I am fresh out of the shower, butt naked!



Note, I have used special lighting ...otherwise known as 'freezing in the hills district so must have heat lamps on!'

Well actually I do have moisturiser on my face because it feels itchy if I don't put some on straight away...hmmm, now that I am writing this, obviously I am using the wrong cleanser, right?

OK so here is another one, this time a bit warmer with my robe and no special lighting...



Anyway, I don't actually wear alot of make-up. I figure if I can't get away with going bare or minimal now at almost 32, then when can I?

Now I need to tell you that normally a post comes very easy to me, I get an idea or thought and the words flow.

Today this is not the case.....

I think its because I am torn between trying to get a message across about loving ourselves and not needing to prove anything by wearing make-up, however that would mean I am trying to prove something by NOT wearing make-up!

Are you confused yet?

Don't be, I am just trying to figure out the best way to get the message across that I don't give a shit (alert the blogging authorities, I think I just swore for the first time ever on my blog) whether you wear make-up or not!

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't... {wear make-up that is, not give a shit, ok now I am confused!}

I rarely wear it on Mondays (don't ask me why Mondays, I just have this 'ex acne sufferer' mentality where I want my skin to breathe, on Mondays ;)

I am not saying lets throw out our make-up kits either, I love my make-up. In fact, if I don't put a little something on in the morning, the day just rolls differently. Its not that I am embarrassed to go out without make-up , in fact quite the opposite. Going out without make-up shows people we are not afraid for them to see the real us and plus we look extra super duper hot when we do put some on ;)

You know what I used to LOVE?

Those 'celebrities without make-up' issues of magazines? Oh how I would sit there and pick them apart. "Oh yeah, who's so beautiful now, hey?" I would say out aloud to myself.

Now, I seriously couldn't be less interested if I tried!

Firstly, I am not sure they even are totally without make-up and even if they are, they still look amazing because of lighting and privileged lifestyles consisting of chefs, trainers and coconut water or whatever the latest beauty/celeb fad is.

Just quietly, if I drank nothing but coconut water, my skin would probably look like a bounty ;)

Anyway, it really is crazy how much time we can spend trying to impress people we don't even know or even like.

At the end of the day, what I want my daughter {and son} to know for sure is this. "A lady ain't what she wears but what she knows!"

I learnt that from the song below....

Enjoy the music and enjoy NOT having to remove your mascara tonight!




Keep Shining and remember, as India sings above "Don't be offended this is just my opinion, ain't nothin what I say here is law".

Stace x

The adventure continues...

The second day in Shanghai saw us visit the Research and Development centre for Coca-Cola Greater China....

It was also the day Coke made me cry!

When we first arrived, we got to see what I thought, was some pretty cool stuff.

Here we are in the foyer with one of the specially designed Coke bottles from the Beijing Olympics.



Off we went on our tour where we were able to see first hand that Coke walks the talk. This is the most positive workplace I have EVER seen so if I suddenly disappear for a little while, its only because I am behind the scenes trying to get a job with Coke, maybe even in China ;)

Why not? I mean how many people can say they go to work and have meetings in fun pits like this...



or are reminded to 'SOS for hugs' if necessary?



Of course I think this Sunny Mummy would fit right into the Coke Life with their messages on how to bee...



I would sit at the board table and look all positive..



Oh wait, this IS me sitting in a board room looking all positive, that's right, I don't need a formal job with Coke because I have a far more important mission, one they haven't even asked me to talk about. Actually, for the record, they haven't asked any of us to talk about anything. Nothing.

They genuinely want to show us what they are doing, what they plan to do and want to know what they COULD be doing to increase happiness and positive living.

What I want you all to know, is that the Coke employees are happy. Really, really, happy and they really want to make the world a better place!

OK OK I can hear you, WHY DID YOU CRY STACEY?

Well all was well as we went on our tour, until they took us unto the part where no cameras were allowed. Excitement started to build as I thought we were going to see some top secret stuff, like new products or maybe the original recipe...as if!

It felt a little like Charlie and the Chocolate factory as we waited outside the doors to take us into this restricted area, however that quickly faded as we were taken into a meeting room. We sat around a REALLY BIG round table and the next thing I knew, every wall was a giant video screen projecting information on Coke and stats about China, complete with sunshine, lolly pops, rainbows and...well you get the idea.

So there I was, sitting next to Mad Cow, both of us with our eyes wide open, when this giant fridge thingy pops out of the middle of the table....every drink you could possibly imagine was there, all for us to taste and touch!

I was getting overwhelmed with happiness, I started to tear up at the thought of being there, at the amazing things my eyes were seeing. I did a good job at holding them back until they blasted the room with 'I can see clearly now the rain has gone...' WHOOA did they know gone are the dark clouds that had me blind?

It was at this point I totally lose it and the tears can't be stopped because I am totally lost in the moment and seriously channelling the poor kid at Willy Wonka's factory, totally feeling like I somehow won the last golden coke label :)

I look at Mad Cow who is clearly feeling the same thing but doing a much better job at holding it in than I am, so I pulled myself together however not before scaring Coke Dude and needing to reassure him they were happy tears indeed!

I soooo want to tell you what I saw next but I am not even sure I am allowed to. Its top secret coke stuff but let me just say that it involved Mcdonalds (which the Chinese pronounce McDonna which is so cute), 7eleven, a bar (which I wanted to sing karaoke in because how cool would that be to sing karoke in China!) & much much more!

After the mind blowing, top secret part of the excursion, it was onto our International Bloggers conference where I got to represent Australia on the panel.

Here I am with some of the other bloggers and I hope I did the other Aussie Coke Queens and of course, Coke Dude, proud.



Next stop after the factory, was dinner with the whole group. I sat with the Korean bloggers of whom only 1 spoke broken English. It was tricky but oh so lovely to laugh and communicate with such barriers. Not sure how much was lost in translation but it touched my heart when the one that could speak a little English told me "they very sad they can't speak you. They like Sunny Mummy much with blue eyes and smile always".

Awww schucks, cue hugs all round!



A highlight of this dinner was meeting the funky trio that is E206.

Hi Guys!

Antonio, Kelly and Tony are Happiness Ambassadors for Coke and are travelling to 206countries in 365 days. You can find out more about their journey here.



Their mission is to seek out "what makes people happy" around the world and the Aussie Coke Queens will get to catch up with them and show them what makes Aussies happy, when they hit our shores later this year!

So, the only thing I did not see on this day, was Cocaloompas...

That's because they were waiting at the Happiness Factory at the World Expo, and what a happy, happy day that would turn out to be!

To Be Continued :)

The adventure begins...

This time last week, I packed my bags, kissed my family bye bye and headed for the city for the night. Strangely, I wasn't going to take my laptop but at the last minute changed my mind. You can read the post I wrote whilst staying at the Intercontinental Hotel {the day before flying out to Shanghai} here.

Day one of my adventure started with a light brekkie overlooking Sydney Harbour with my new friend Mad cow, otherwise known as Amanda from Real Mums.



My new friendship with this amazing woman and mother will require a whole separate post so stay tuned for 'Sunny Mummy meets Mad Cow'!

Before long, 3 of us were in the black limo with Salvatore, on the way to airport whilst busy playing tricks on Coke Dude. What sort of tricks? Oh just replying to his caring txts to make sure we were 'on our way' with, 'Sorry who is this?'.

You probably had to be there to find this funny but I am sure this gave him a taste of what was about to come on the 11 hr flight to Shanghai!

So, I officially board my first international flight where I tell anyone who will listen that it is my first time overseas!

Here I am with my neighbour who didn't speak a word of English but seemed very happy to watch our antics and by the end of the flight, I had him drinking Baileys with me!



The flight was amazing and so were the staff! Qantas certainly provided me with a memorable first travel experience, although unfortunately, the fancy schmancy in flight entertainment was not working :( So the Aussies had to step up and ensure we spread our positivity and some fun around the cabin of course. A special hello to Lea and the rest of the flight crew who bent over backwards for us!

I ate more food in 10 hrs than I should in a week, cleared emails and soaked up business class whilst wondering how I would EVER cope flying economy after enjoying Qantas Business for my first ever international flight ;)

Upon arrival in Shanghai, I didn’t really feel anything. I was surprised really, as I thought I would FEEL something....

I quickly rang my family to let them know I had arrived safely and suddenly the only thing I felt was an unexpected longing to be in my pj’s on the couch watching Don Kirk on the Matty johns show with my people :( A Thursday night regular in the Sullaphen household as we crack up at Matty Johns er, I mean Don's antics ;)

OK back to the trip....you will be pleased to know that the homesickness quickly disappeared as I feared for my life on the drive from the airport to the hotel.

The roads are CRAZY and to give you an idea, our driver suddenly decided he was going the wrong way, proceeded to chuck a 'u turn' when in the middle of it, his mobile rang, so he stopped dead to answer it! Along comes a bus who does not want to move whatsoever so we just beep at each other until the bus swerves at the last minute and we take off again, hopefully this time heading in the right direction.

What amazes me is that they are as 'cool as cucumbers' and the only slight expression of irritation they show is the beeping of their horns. No one sticks up their finger or yells or even so much as rolls their eyes. Road rage just doesn't seem to exist in Shanghai, even though there are plenty of reasons for it!

Finally we arrive at the Hyatt on the Bund, to be greeted by the lovely Tracey, complete with Coke VIP kits and keys to a room that is too exquisite to describe with words so here is a picture of me in the room, trying on my new funky coke hat!



After we freshened up, we decided to hit the streets of Shanghai to look for authentic Chinese food of course. Here is when it became clear that I have never traveled before.

First, a man has the coolest laser light ever and starts shining it on my feet to get my attention. "Laser, laser" he calls out. I am eyes wide open and all oooh, ahhh my kids would love that, before the girls quickly tell me to keep walking and not get sucked into his sales pitch. I responded that I thought he was pretty clever calling me LISA to get my attention because, well there was a good chance a westerner would be called Lisa...right? Ahhh Laser, of course..whoops.

After a loooong walk, rain and many a restaurants advising us they were full or closed, we finally found one that served snacks. What kind of snacks I asked? Fried Rice the gentleman responds...to which I reply "French Fries, no no we don't want french fries, we want CHINESE FOOD".

Oh dear :( can I blame the jet lag?

Finally we find a great Chinese restaurant, back in our hotel lobby of course, and here we are eating the most amazing Chinese food EVER!



We head back to our rooms and as I lay in bed with THIS as my view...



I smile that I am in Shanghai but look over at the other side of my massive king size bed and wonder how I will sleep without my GM snoring beside me? Thankfully, I had the horns to drift off too and I would soon learn that the Chinese don't stop until very very late, that includes the beeping of horns!

Tomorrow would bring an early start as we join the rest of the International Bloggers Group and head out the Coca-Cola's research and development centre...truly AMAZING things were to come!

Lets start at the very beginning....

A very good place to start!

Thank you to the lovely Sunny Mummies on facebook for reminding me of this because I have a gazillion posts after my amazing adventures in Shanghai and I really didn't know where to start you.

So go and get yourself a coke, or whatever drink makes you feel happy and let the story begin...

On the 18th of December last year, 67,000 people who subscribe to the 'Make Every Drop Matter' website {oh and if you don't know about this website, you should pop over now and not only subscribe but have fun playing with the 'compare our drinks' tool, it is super cool}, received the following message in their inboxes:

Make Every Drop Matter is evolving. Very soon, we will be launching a new website and building an exciting online community. It’s called Live Positively, and our aim is to create a place for Australians to share their feelings, ideas and knowledge about how to be a positive influence. Topics include community involvement, environmental sustainability, health and well being, your role as guardian of the household and making family decisions.

Help build the community

We are currently searching for an online ambassador for Live Positively. They will enjoy talking to others and love sharing thoughts and information on how they can make a positive difference to the environment, the community and the people around them. The ambassador may already have their own blog, and will know their way around social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Be part of it
If you are interested in becoming the online ambassador for Live Positively we would love to hear from you. To register your interest, simply take our online survey now. It only takes a few minutes to
complete, and you could play a part in growing the online community. So join us on this journey to Live Positively.




So OF COURSE, I took the survey :)

I told them I was the CFO {Chief Family Officer} of the Sullaphen family, LOVE living positively AND vaguely recall asking them if they could help me 'bottle' how I feel ;)

By the way, if they COULD bottle how I feel, it would be a bottle of Sunshine Vitamin Water, it would be yellow, infused with sunlight and just looking at the bottle would make you feel brighter!

We would run a competition for Sunny Mummies to fly to New York to film an ad {did I mention how much I love Vitamin Water and NYC} because that's where VW originated so it totally makes sense for us to film the ad there!

Oh OK WARNING...side tracking!

Whilst I am thinking of NYC, here is a picture of me with Piers, my new friend from NY.

Hi Piers!


Piers is the founder and CEO of psfk.com A company that aims to inspire readers, clients and guests to make things better – whether that’s products, services, lives or a better world!

Piers spoke about sustainable cities at the conference we attended and is very cool indeed...I told him he could use my PO Box at Rouse Hill if I could use his NYC one :) He laughed and agreed but its only a matter of time until he finds out its not really a fair swap ;)

OK so where was I...ahhhh the survey of course.

So up until the 12th of April at 9.44am to be precise, I had heard nothing further from Coke and have been so busy, I had completely forgot about the survey.

Until that is, I received an email that has changed my life forever!

You can read more about that day here.

Much excitement followed as I {virtually} connected with Amanda from Real Mums, Brenda from Mummy Time and Annabel from Get in the Hot Spot.

We also have a 5th Mum, Kate from Picklebums who could not join us because she is heavily pregnant :( Sad face for not being able to join us btw, NOT for the pregnancy! Virtual Kate is super duper lovely and I can't wait to meet her IRL and get her enjoying her place in the 'live positive' team...I am sure it would suck badly being chosen for this and then not being able to participate straight away :(

Much tweeting followed before FINALLY meeting the 3 mums who could attend, IRL {in real life} at our initial luncheon to discuss our 'Live Positive' journey.

Here we are at the luncheon...


I look back at this pic now and smile at how we never realised JUST how different we all are OR just how close we would become! Not to mention how much pure FUN we would share {along with tears, which I will explain as the story goes} on this trip of a lifetime.

Stay tuned for the beginning of our Shanghai Surprise

Keep Shining,
Stace x

PS Shanghai Suprise was the name of our fave Chinese restaurant back in Rooty Hill! SERIOUSLY!

How did I get here?

Ha Surprise, I took my laptop with me.

I wasn't going to but then I realised I would be creating more work for myself by having to type up all the things I had written whilst away.

So here I am....sitting in the Club Intercontinental, soaking in Sydney Harbour at twilight, sipping on a lovely Bimbadgen Estate Shiraz, eating the finest food and surrounded by very important business people.

So how did I get here? How did a Mummy, who not so long ago thought she did NOT belong in such environments, get to be sitting amongst these important people, discussing very important things?

The old me would have been sitting here hoping no-one realised I was a fraud.
The old me would have felt like my business, had no business mixing with their business.

Tonight though, the old me is nowhere to be seen. She is long gone, sent packing to the land where carrying too much baggage not only weighs you down, it outright prevents you from going anywhere!

Today, I am not just going anywhere, I am going to China!

Me, Stacey Byrt (ha ha bet you didn't know THAT!) from Rooty Hill is going to China with Coca-Cola because SHE lives positively. Because SHE is making a difference!

Dare I say just as much of a difference as the important man sitting alone in a suit next to me, giving me the eye {watch out my GM hee hee}!

HE is making a difference in boardrooms, I am making a difference in lounge rooms!

AND {are you allowed to start sentences with AND?} because I am letting Mummies know they can ENJOY motherhood, YOU are making the biggest difference of all....

Seriously YOU.

The Sunny Mummy way of life would be nothing but an idea in my head and a practice in my home, without all of you making it a reality.

YOU, are all rising UP and RAISING UP, the next generation. Our kiddies are growing up with Mummies who KNOW its ok to put themselves in order to look after their families best, with women who have hopes and dreams, who look after themselves and understand that we cannot have it all, all at once.

We can however, have a taste of it all at various times, then choose what to eat and when.

It has taken me almost 32 yrs to get overseas and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I am taking my virgin voyage with the loveliest mummies who are also making a difference to many by living positively. Oh and lets not forget Coke Dude, just quietly, I think he is a bit scared to be escorting 4 mummies to Shanghai ;)

Ooh I think I forgot to tell you that I will be representing Australia on the international panel of bloggers...how cool is that? Someone ring Mr Howie {I think that was his name} and let him no I am no longer prepared to take zero for public speaking....I have a story to tell and there are people who actually want to listen!

So, as I sit here waiting for my lovely new friends, thinking of my Mum who is helping with my kids and my hardworking, dedicated GM who makes life so much easier just by being him, I am THANKFUL.

Thankful to be here, thankful to Coke for the opportunity, thankful to YOU for making Sunny Mummy such a warm place to be...

I want to share this with you because it sums it all up perfectly:




Keep Shining,

Stace x

Marvin May...

OK before you go any further, if you are new to my blog or being a Sunny Mummy then you must read all about Marvin here.

Secondly, if you are a Single Sunny Mummy, then this post is not really applicable but perhaps you can set yourself an alternative to this Marvin Challenge ;)

So your challenge, should you choose to accept it {and I recommend you do}..

Is to not say NO, at all, to any Marvin requests in May.




YES, you read correctly.

Starting today, because it is the 1st Marvin Monday of May, whenever you are asked for Marvin, you say YES...with no complaints, no sour faces, no attitude.

WHAT? I hear you saying...NO WAY, are you CRAZY?

Yep, a little but let me assure you this is not some 1950's experiment.

It is rather, a call for you to put YOU and YOUR love life FIRST!

You know, like it used to be BC {before children}. I truly believe most of you will get to the end of this month with a new lease on life and love!

There are, a few guidelines of course.

1. Don't tell your partner about your mission, unless he specifically asks, "Are you on the Marvin May Mission?" 99.9% of men will not ask that, so technically you are not telling porkies or withholding any information ;)

2. Requests for more than once a day are just plain greedy, so you are allowed to use your 'no more than once a day = NO' card, should you find that your partner is taking advantage of your new found YESness!

3. Try to keep a journal or some sort of record each day of how you are feeling. You may even be brave enough to blog about it each Monday and tell the world how your mission is going ;) Perhaps you will feel a little resentful at first {at me of course for even suggesting this mission}, however I am pretty sure your feelings WILL change for the better and, in any case, the purpose of recording it will be so you can look back at the end of May and realise the impact it has had on your relationship.

Oh by the way, you don't HAVE TO participate however IF you are still here reading, then I know you're entertaining the thought... so stick with me whilst I tell you WHY why on earth I would do this to you?

If your love life is ON FIRE, then this mission will mean nothing to you and you'll just keep on doin what you're doin!

However, if you ever look at another couple and wonder why they seem ‘so in love’, when you can barely manage a goodnight kiss at times, then I am here to tell you the answer has a good deal to do with Marvin {otherwise known as SEX}.

You may or may not want to hear that, but it’s true.

There is this couple I know, Darryl and Tracey ;)

Darryl and Tracey have 2 kids and have been married for 10 years and together for nearly 14. They’re not your ‘can’t keep their hands off each other’ kind of couple, in fact Daryl and Tracey are the kind of couple who are SO opposite, you wonder how on earth they got together letalone stay?

However, Daryl and Tracey have a secret to their success!

How do I know? I asked them of course....

Daryl and Tracey believe in a clean and dirty formula.

No, I am not talking about the washing, I'm talking about their love life.

Daryl and Tracey keep the fights clean and the Marvin dirty!

Ok STOP, get your mind out of the gutter with the whole 'dirty' thing.

The clean and dirty formula for success, simply means this:

Keeping fights clean, means you respect each other at all times. You deal with the dirt on a daily basis as opposed to sweeping it under the rug and waiting til there is a big pile of mud in the middle of your house!

And the Marvin?

Keeping the Marvin dirty, means have fun with one another! Try new things, be BOLD...forget to wear your undies to dinner. Kiss in front of the kids. Mix it up, pretend you’re having an affair with one another. Meet in the ‘walk in robe’ for some afternoon delight whilst the kids are watching TV. Get off facebook and get into each other...oops have I gone too far ;)

“I’m tired” I hear you screaming at me.

"Stacey, Don’t you know people change, babies arrive, sleep disappears & so do sex lives!". YES, I do. I have been there and have come out on the other side of this sleep deprivation, no sex please, we're parents and I am telling you, WE MUST look after our love lives and that includes MARVIN!

You don’t eat once and feel full forever so you can’t expect to fall in love and feel loved up forever.

“Love is not in the falling, it’s in the staying” {I got that off a card by the way}

So I am setting this mission as a reminder to start getting your groove on regularly!

Come on, are you with me? JUST SAY YES!




Keep Shining,

Stace x

PS Wise words? Well, it works for Daryl and Tracey!

How do I know?

I told you...I KNOW them!