Tuesday, June 22, 2010

New Home!

We have a bright and shiny new site where everything you need and want is in the one spot!

This is officially the last post on this blog!

Be sure to pop over to www.sunnymummy.com.au and subscribe to our new blog!

You can also sign up for our news and keep up to date with the latest info, you'll also recieve a free daily reminder poster!

I will be busy moving the rest of the blog posts over to our new home, hope to see you over there real soon.

Keep Shining,
Stace x

Friday, June 18, 2010

FOCUS....It's your choice!

Recently I was asked "HOW do you stay positive EVERY DAY?"

My answer is SIMPLE...

Its a choice!

I don't get up feeling deliriously happy inside, that would be its own kind of nightmare.

I just CHOOSE to LIVE POSITIVE!

Everyday we get up and WE DECIDE what kind of day we will have.

Not the weather, the kids, our partner, our jobs or other people...US, WE CHOOSE!

When I wake up to rain, I never look outside and think arrghh rain :(

I think "YAY gumboots, greener grass, hot chocolates and rainbows".

Sure I may be wired somehow to lean towards the brighter side but what I know for sure is this....

I have had too much crap in my short life to spend the rest of it NOT looking on the bright side. No matter where we are and what we are doing, there is ALWAYS something to be positive, thankful and happy about...

You just have to FOCUS on it and CHOOSE your feelings.

Today on Focused Friday, I want to ask you "What are you focused on?"

I invite you to spend a few minutes in Todd's world. Todd and I go way back ;)



Whenever we go to the park, my son never rides the slide down, he rides it up.

This doesn't bother the GM and I if the park is empty but we quickly tell him to GET OFF if there are other kiddies around because obviously, he is preventing them from going DOWN the slide.

However, after watching this clip..I realise, going UP is how you do it in his world! It makes him happier to go UP not down. Sounds good to me!

Maybe we all need to ride the slide up every once in while to remind us...

There’s a place you can go TODAY, EVERYDAY...

Everyone is beautiful for who they are inside,

Everyday is beautiful just look around and SEE!

It's a wonderful, colourful world...

Just as long as you focus on actually SEEING it and CHOOSE to FEEL IT!

Keep Shining,

Stace x

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

A Complete Basketcase!

I have a friend who plans gifts so far in advance, she will be shopping for my 33rd birthday any day now which is lovely, except that I am yet to turn 32!

As organised I can be, giving gifts is an area where I am NOT organised.

I either buy something so far in advance the gift is no longer wanted, needed or is just not 'IN' anymore OR I can be found racing through the shops on the morning of the party, only to get home and find out that the one roll of sticky tape left in the house, has been taken to school without my knowledge, oh and we were due at the party 15 mins ago!

At times like these, I feel like a complete basketcase...

I feel my shoulders tense and the frown lines deepening as I curse myself for leaving the gift buying til the last minute and usually figure out a way to blame my husband ;)

June is a very busy month for us with birthdays, with the most important being sonshines birthday on the 26th and mine on the 27th!

8 yrs ago, there were many phone calls around this time, saying "oh how nice would it be to share your birthday, perhaps the baby will come as a nice birthday surprise for you".

Let me tell you, I went into labour at 5am on the 24th and did not deliver my 10 1/2 lb bundle of joy until 7.16pm on the 26th....there was NO WAY after all of that I was sharing my birthday too, after all, I had just given this baby, 38hrs of my life, not to mention my perineum, pelvic floor and well....maybe that was too much info!

So what am I trying to tell you?

It is my birthday on the 27th of this month and guess who is getting the gift?

One of you lucky readers!

No longer do I, or you, have to be a complete basketcase when it comes to gift buying because you can actually order a fabulous gift from The Complete Basketcase!




The Complete Basketcase are in the business of making people feel wonderfully happy when they receive a gift and, deliver stunning gifts throughout Australia and overseas.

How deliciously gorgeous does this Baileys Bliss hamper look?

The lovely and passionate people over at The Complete Basketcase would love to send YOU one of their super stylish gift baskets up to the value of $100 plus shipping!

All you have to do is visit www.thebasketcase.com.au, have a look at their HUGE range of gifts, come back and leave a comment on here telling me which basket you would send ME on my birthday and why OR fill in the blanks on this tweet:

@sunnymummyaus I would send you the ________ gift from www.thebasketcase.com.au

Then YOU are in the running to win a basket of YOUR choice....how good is that?

Will you share it with me? I knew you would x

Keep Shining,
Stace x

PS I'm off to pick out a basket for my Nan, its her birthday this Sunday...I told you June was busy and I don't have time to BE a basketcase...I'd rather just use them!

Announcing: Sunny Support Sessions!

I am so pleased to announce that Sunny Support Sessions are now available!

Please email info@sunnymummy.com.au to receive an information sheet outlining your options and how to secure your place for 2010!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Sunny Statement

Wow, I have been inundated with emails, tweets and phone calls from friends...both virtual and old friends, as in people I knew BSM...
that's BEFORE SUNNY MUMMY hee hee

Thank you all for your support and encouragement, it means the world to me x

I would like to start by saying that I don't feel the need to justify anything to anyone, this statement is aimed at responding to the many points made on Facebook in the last 24 hours since announcing the Sunny Mummy Sisterhood and my decision to charge a membership fee.

Unfortunately, I nor my family have the personal funds to continue Sunny Mummy and take it to where it needs to be to help as many Mothers as possible. Sunny Mummy is not a charity or non profit organisation and as such I don't feel the need to apologise for trying to make a living whilst pursuing my dream.

I know how much SM means to each of you and as mentioned on Facebook, it means even more to me. I am sure that comments like 'rich mummies vs poor mummies' were not meant to be harmful however I do not understand why such things would be said when all that is changing, is the provision of an extra service for those who are willing and able to invest. This language used in a public space in relation to SM is actually quite upsetting to me, and in complete contrast to the huge efforts I make on a daily basis to rid Motherhood of such misconceptions and negativity.

For over 6 mths I have worked tirelessly on Sunny Mummy, day and night at a huge cost in time and money, not to mention loss of income from employment I would have otherwise engaged in.

As I mentioned in my post last night, Sunny Mummy is a unique business and it has become very clear to me today that the SM way of life has A LOT of supporters. Its continued growth is very important to these passionate supporters and as such, they are willing to invest in it. I note with interest that some have declared how hugely important SM is to them yet feel it should not be about financial investment.

I guess this highlights the old adage that some people will complain no matter what the price is...$1 or $100.

Sunny Mummy never has and never will be about financial status or gain, however running it has everything to do with my financial status as I am not making a basic living to contribute to my family.

Danielle Miller posted the following on facebook "-if you don't place a value on something, why should others value it? Women are often caught up in the desire to please and be everyone's friend...yet in order to sustain your work you need to set boundaries around what is and is not, do-able. Don't ever be afraid to recognise that what you do is worth something! It is also interesting to see how many people "buy -in" to our dreams once we do place a value on them. I saw a friend once commented to you that finding people who like what you do ( when it is free) is one thing, but finding clients is another. Solid advice."

So what I am doing is setting boundaries around what is and is not, do-able.
Sunny Mummy is not doable without financial support and as such, I am introducing a fee for the new service, which is additional to the provision of my blog, motivational messages and support on Facebook.

If it is important to you and you believe in the SM way of life and vision, you will invest in it. If you genuinely cant afford it, nothing will change because you will still receive the current service.

However, I think it is safe to say that most people can afford less than $2.50 p/w and it is about choices. People make choices and sacrifices everyday.
To buy a coffee, a magazine, a packet of cigarettes {although I hope none of our Sunnies smoke?} , a chocolate bar or whatever...

I am extremely passionate about helping mothers ENJOY not endure motherhood. I do a lot of work and will continue to spread the rays. I encourage all of you to put yourselves first in order to look after your families best, and I am now doing the same. I believe I deserve to be paid for my efforts in the running of Sunny Mummy and I know you will receive back WAY more than your $99 supporters fee...

Yes, that's what it is, a supporters fee...

If Sunny Mummy inspires you, supports you and you believe in our cause, then please show your support by joining our sisterhood.



Buy Now

I look forward to the sun continuing to shine brightly!

Keep Shining,

Stace x

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Sunny Mummy Sisterhood!



Yes, it seems WE have decided we cannot go past this name!

I just LOVE IT and Sarah from Style Me Gorgeous will be working hard to represent what the sisterhood will mean....Renae Demanuele will also receive 12mths free membership to the sisterhood for thinking of it!

HOWEVER, I thought I'd better write a post to clarify some points/comments made on our facebook wall in response to my callout for your opinion on the name of our new club.

Firstly, I just want to say what an absolute blessing it has been to meet so many of you both virtually and in person over the past 6mths and I feel incredibly lucky to spend my days inspiring, motivating and supporting you all to ENJOY not endure motherhood.

Secondly, you may or may not realise that Sunny Mummy only began in Jan of this year, as an Australian Registered Business.

So much has happened during this short time with the biggest highlight being chosen as a 'Live Positive' Ambassador for COKE and experiencing my first overseas trip! Without my efforts with SM, this would never have happened and for that I am proud.

As you all know, I ALWAYS keep it real and share with you whatever is going on in my world. This will make the likes of Justin Herald, and other business people that I have had the pleasure of speaking with, cringe for telling you, however I want you all to know that the ONLY income I currently derive from Sunny Mummy is the sale of any tools such as the SMA, which goes straight back into the cost of running this organisation.

It may seem strange to some that I would tell you all of this...
An owner of a cafe for example, would not have to justify an increase in the price of their coffees.

However we are not selling coffees, we are providing a supportive community and it is not going anywhere! You are still a Sunny Mummy regardless of whether you join the Sunny Mummy Sisterhood or not :)

SM is a very unique business and in fact, it is for this reason that I have been wrestling with the choice of running SM as a commercial business OR as a social enterprise, which is a 'not for profit' business with social objectives.

SM means the world to me and it is certainly NOT about the money. The simple fact is that I work very hard on SM full time and in order to continue doing so, I must start generating an income for SM to fund the running of the site and to contribute to my family.

I am comitted to making this happen and have very big plans for Sunny Mummy!

Plans I want you all to be involved in. From attending free groups to events to ambassadors to leaders to a PA....I want to be able to not only make money to pay me but to hire other Sunnies to work in our organisation. Of course I also want to be able to support charities too.

I really appreciate all the comments/support tonight and I know that none of you think I am exploiting you by developing a club with a membership fee.

So lets get down to business ;)

Firstly, Kim was right when she said there will always be the SM blog and facebook.

Nothing you are getting now will be taken away. However club members will get ALOT more than non-members.

Secondly, by joining the SMS, you are supporting yourself to SHINE and are supporting the Sunny Mummy Movement. By becoming a member, you are declaring that you value the support, the time it takes to give you such support AND you value the community you will be joining!

Having said that, I completely understand if you genuinely cannot afford to join.

Last but not least...the details.



Sunny Mummy Sisterhood will be a members only area of the Sunny Mummy Site.

Once inside, you can expect to find:

Exclusive content {blog/smtv}
Free Downloads & Resources
Forums including LIVE Chat
Special Guest hosts and organised chat times
Groups to join
Support from a community that cares
Member pricing for all events, tools and merchandise
Member only competitions
Hints and tips

Plus lots more.

Founding memberships are available NOW until June 30th for just $99 inc gst for 12mths!

From July 1, membership will be $129.95 inc gst.

{when broken down weekly, this is less than the cost of a coffee, at below $2.50}

Members will also receive a member pack in the mail containing SMS Goodies and surprises througout the year.

So, if you would like to click, connect and SHINE with a group of women who support one another and want to ENJOY motherhood, become a Sunny Sista now and show your support of our Sunny Mummy Movement and YOU!

Buy Now

Thanks for reading SO MUCH, keep shining and see you on the brighter side!

Stace x

YOU can say IT...

WARNING: DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN 'SEX AND THE CITY 2' AND PLAN ON DOING SO...BECAUSE THIS WILL SPOIL IT FOR YOU. DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!

Saturday night, my gorgeous girlfriend Dy, the owner of delicious handbag company Willowblu, took the girls out to watch 'Sex and the City 2'!
It was a special event put on by a company called 'Butlers in the Buff', which meant we were served cocktails and canapes by butlers..in the buff.

Very SATC don't you think?

I had heard nothing but bad reports about the sequel but I enjoyed it.

Sure, I rolled my eyes numerous times...

Mainly at this little ensemble Carrie wore to the markets...Puhleease!



Oh and when the girls got up to sing "I am Woman" at Karaoke and I love Karaoke as much as the next girl.

Mostly I laughed at the girls antics and the very, very gay wedding complete with swans!

I even cried...

You know how Charlotte is always portrayed as Little Miss Perfect, well this now includes motherhood, as she bakes cupcakes in a white suit {don't we all}UNTIL this...



This clip cuts off right before the best part...

Charlotte proceeds to say "And I have HELP, how do the women do it that have no help?"

"To Them" Miranda replies.

"Take a Sip"...

By help she of course means a Nanny. Charlotte has a Nanny and she doesn't even work outside the home! I cried as Charlotte finally revealed her less than perfect side and admitted to not only Miranda, but herself, just how hard this motherhood gig is...

As mothers, admitting that to ourselves and others, means we are halfway to enjoying motherhood so much more. It means we can unpack our bags for the frequent guilt trips, quit beating ourselves up and just BE in each moment of motherhood as it comes. The enjoyable and not so enjoyable.

Charlotte goes on to admit that she loves being a mother BUT...

Its not enough!

Our children certainly fill our hearts but not always our heads and THATS OK!

By each of us admitting that we find certain aspects of our role hard, it gives others permission to do the same, and as such, mothers can be REAL, supportive and non-judgemental.

You can say it, to yourself, to me and to other mothers :)

Now take a sip and as always...

Keep Shining!

Stace x

PS I received a compliment a little while ago fom a reader, which I kept to myself because, well WOW, it kind of blew me away.."You are like the Carrie Bradshaw of motherhood!" she said. Seemed right to share it now...
'Babies in the Burbs' column anyone?

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Sunny After Dark...



Up until now, there has been the following options for mothers to meet..

Mothers Groups, playgroups etc

Mothers in business also have the opportunity to join networking groups.

What if you want to meet likeminded women regardless of whether they are in business or not?

What if you are back at work full time, cant get to a group in the day or simply want to meet other mothers whilst not BEING a mother during that time ie meet without kids!

Imagine a group of mothers supporting one another and keeping it real.

Imagine a local monthly meeting where you get out of the house, connect with women who will smile, laugh or cry with you. Women who know how hard motherhood can be, but are committed to enjoying not enduring it!

Imagine no more...

The Sunny Mummy Sisterhood will see mothers from all over the world embrace one another within our SM community both online and in person!

The Sunny Mummy Club is on track to launch July 1 and a key part of this club is networking for mothers!

There will be something for everyone where you can come and meet likeminded women with whom you can build relationships with.

Thursday June 24th will see the launch of the first Sydney Sunny After Dark at Castle Hill RSL Club!

Come along and meet other Sunny Mummies, where you can relax, socialise and SHINE!

The evening will be held in the stylish 'Cocktail Lounge' located on Level 1 at Castle Hill RSL.

We will have fabulous door prizes, giveaways, special guests & time to just be YOU...

Tickets are just $40 and include yummy finger food and standard house beverages.

The launch will be a special one as we will celebrate Stacey's birthday too, so be sure to join us no matter where you are in Sydney...

We promise the cake will be worth the drive ;) I may jump out of it hee hee

A courtesy bus is available for members of Castle Hill RSL.

You can secure your ticket by clicking the button below:

Buy Now

More venues will be added in July and we want to know where you want YOUR Sunny After Dark evening held?

Email us at events@sunnymummy.com.au with details of your state and area. You can also put your hand up to be a coordinator.

Stay Tuned in the coming days for details on how you can join the club that will support you to SHINE!

Me, myself and TIME!

The rain has finally moved on and everyone keeps talking about how depressing it was and how nice it is to the see the sun.

Of course, I LOVE the sun but to be honest, apart from the washing, the rain didn't effect me {my mood} at all. I loved having soccer cancelled (purely for selfish reasons of course), making hearty soups, puddings and just hanging out inside.

Yep I am the mum who tells the kids to jump in the puddles. Either that or I am already in there myself splashing round with my gumboots on. I think I should be sponsored by vita weets..remember that cool add where the mum has more energy than the kid? Yep, that's me!

Now I am not telling you this to say I am a fun mum and you're not {believe me, I was not the fun mum this morning, felt sick & slept in = not fun}, I am telling you this because I have always said we can SHINE no matter what the weather...

This morning my sonshine said to me "Mum, did you know we can make the rain stop just by our attitude?"

Of course I asked him where he got this bright piece of wisdom? He went on to tell me it is in a song and quickly added {excitedly of course} "Mum, I have the perfect theme song for Sunny Mummies!"

Nope I am not kidding, he is an ideas man just like his mama ;)

So here is our new theme song compliments of my sonshine...

Welcome to the Sunny Mummy Sisterhood...its a brand new world!



What do you think? I hope it has brightened your day...play it again and have a little boogie, I promise it will make you smile :)

Keep Shining,
Stace & Sonshine xx

Monday, June 7, 2010

A note from me :)

Hello lovely readers and fellow Sunny Mummies.

Last week I had the opportunity to speak over the phone with the likes of Justin Herald and Alycia Edgar.

I was going to tell you all about it but lets just say I respond to butt kicking ;)

So both Justin and Alycia kicked my butt about my plans and goals for Sunny Mummy and made me realise that if I keep replying personally to so many emails {and we all know I just cant do one line emails, sorry} then I will never get Sunny Mummy to where it needs to be in order to help mummies all over the world.

Whilst I could not guarantee that I could emotionally detach myself from Sunny Mummy {because well, I don't want to. Being a Sunny Mummy and helping others become one is emotional & oh so rewarding}, I did promise both Justin & Alycia, that I would stop replying personally to emails....

Please know that I do read every single one of your emails and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing, caring and taking the time to write to me.

I thoroughly enjoy reading about whats going on in your world and how Sunny Mummy is helping you. I also love all the ideas and suggestions..please keep them coming.

Its just that if I am to continue helping other Mummies and give us all what we need, I have to start by no longer replying to emails personally.

I know you will all understand.

So whats next?

I am super excited as always, and now that the 'Buffet of Life' is over, I finally have a clear space in my schedule to work out exactly where we are heading and in what order.

The survey results are very interesting and gave me a much clearer idea of what you guys want and need.

As a result, there is much to be finalised and I’m going to be one busy Sunny Mummy!

So the quiet time is about to begin. I'll still be around, I just have my head down and bum up to get everything sorted!

See you on the other side...its going to be even brighter and shinier than you can imagine!

Keep Shining,
Stace x

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The week ahead...


How was your weekend? Did you have time for YOU?

Are you excited at the start of a brand new week or dreading that you have to 'do it all over again'?

Time for a change of outlook and a little planning...

Here are 5 things you can do today, to make the rest of the week easier for you.

1. Make yourself a cuppa, pour a glass of vino or open a bubbly coke. Then proceed to plan your week. Now is the time to fill out your weekly snapshot (so you know where you will be & when), weekly tasks (so you know what day you'll clean the bathrooms etc), plan your meals for the week and fill out your daily planner for tomorrow.

{by the way, all of these tools are a part of the Sunny Mummy Assistant which you can get here}.

2. Make lunches for the week. This is a little trick I learnt from a friend. You can freeze just about anything on a sandwich so I figure that seeing as I really don't like making sandwiches and I always end up chucking out 1/2 a loaf of bread, I might as well make 10 sandwiches at once, right now, whilst I have all of the stuff out!

Prepare for the simple joy you will feel when you pull out a frozen sandwich & muffin the night before, add your cheese, fruit and yogurt then pop it all into the lunchbox ready for the next day (refrigerate of course). Ahhh bliss.

3. Bake your school snacks for the week ahead. Muffins, banana bread, yogurt cupcakes to name a few... let them cool and individually wrap. This will save you loads of money and time as you get to completely skip the LCM, Muesli bar aisle at grocery shopping.

At the very least, if you're time pressed, bake the Sunny & Simple Loaf and you're good to go (see recipe below).

4. Iron for the week ahead. I am not a fan of ironing all at once and used to iron on the go, however since both kiddies are at school, my lovely GM irons all our clothes for the week ahead.

5. Run a deep bath, pour another glass of wine or make a hot chocolate, grab some reading material and escape to a world of bubbles and bliss, whilst you quietly revel in the fact that an hour today has saved you alot of time and money this week!

Now, there is no surprise #6 tip, however the key of course is to make this your Sunday ritual and GET HELP!

How much help you get is of course determined by how old your kiddies are and how obliging your GM is {if you have one}. Help for me means, my GM irons, the kids help bake and I pretty much do the rest. I get it done fairly quickly because, well if you know me, have met me or watched SMTV...I work as fast as I talk ;)

Have a supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus week and as always...

Keep Shining!

Stace

* Sunny & Simple Loaf recipe.

1 cup of SR Flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar (depending on what extras you add)
1 cup of milk
1 cup of desiccated coconut (you can also add sultanas, less milk and a mashed banana, choc chips, any dried fruit, crush nuts and brown sugar for a topping, lemon syrup too, raspberries & white chocolate...play around there is no end to the combinations!)

Mix together with wooden spoon, pour into loaf tin and bake in moderate oven for approx 35 mins. Too Easy

**Image by Impressive Designs on Etsy.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Sisterhood of the....

Travelling pants?
Devine Ya Ya?

Nope..

Sunny Mummy Sisterhood!

Today one of our Sunnies, Renae, wrote on our facebook wall:
I love the S.M sisterhood, its so inspirational and so contagious!!!!!

I have 4 brothers and not even the GM has a sister so I missed out BIG time when it came to sisters....

Well not anymore, now I have HEAPS...WOO HOOO!

Here is the first of many clips I hope to produce full of Sunny Sista's!



Be sure to spread the rays x

Keep Shining,

Stace x

PS Can I borrow your clothes? WHAT? Isn't that what sisters do?????