Perhaps it's time for a new sign?

Heidi and I were lucky enough to win a number of business awards for Belly Beyond last year.  I must admit that pretty much as soon as it was 2010 I removed the awards titles from my email signature - 2009 just felt soooo last year.

And walking past a shop on Ponsonby Road on Friday night I spotted this sign.  Given their last win was 8 years ago I dunno that it's all that good a recommendation anymore!  What do you think?

When the house is just a little too quiet

You know the moment when you realise that the house is just a little too quiet?

I had one of those yesterday and on investigation found Master Belly Beyond entertaining himself with the contents of my make up drawer.

Don't tell me he's going EMO on us already???

Rockstar Rocksicles Rock Out at the Heartstopper Challenge

Lou from Belly Beyond teamed up with Lou from Rockstar PR along with our new friend Ricky and together we took the plunge as 'Rockstar Rocksicles' into a freezing pool for 5 minutes to raise money for Heart Children NZ.

See the plunge on video

The what and why's of the Heartstopper Challenge from the HeartStopper website

It only takes 5 minutes, requires NO training and a little extra body fat may even help!  Create a team theme, come in fancy dress and have a laugh while supporting Kiwi kids with heart defects in your community.

The Inspiration:Every year 450 open heart surgeries are performed on Kiwi children.  During the surgery a child's chest cavity is cooled down in an icy slush to slow their heart rate.

_________________________________________________

My personal inspiration came from meeting Ava Lea, the daughter of one of our Cake Lingerie Real Mums.  Ava is only 10 weeks old and has a large hole in her heart and will be undergoing heart surgery in the very near future.  Along with her twin sister Talia she is just as cute as a button and when you think of stories like this, 5 minutes in a freezing pool really isn't a lot to go through, to try to raise some money in support of them and their families.

When I was thinking of chickening out yesterday, Leesa from our Facebook page came on posted:

"Good on you guys! My youngest baby boy was born in 2008 with a severe heart defect and had major open heart surgery at only 7 days old. Sadly, he didn't make it past 4 months old. With your help and that of people like you, hopefully others will and less families will have to go through what we have. x"

Talk about inspiration.   We've made the plunge but you can still donate at the Heartstopper Challenge site here 

Cake Lingerie Real Mums In the NZ Herald!!

Did you see the Herald on Sunday?  On page 16 was an article on the Real NZ Mums.  It's only THE biggest newspaper in the country on the biggest day or circulation - how cool is that!!!!!!

The story even made it to the NZ Herald online homepage for a time - I almost fell off my chair :)

Occupational Hazard of Breastfeeding at 5pm

I'd been away for most of the afternoon and came home to find the kids already fed and bathed by Mr BB at 4.30pm!

My one general guide for breastfeeding Master 2 1/2 is that he gets a feed when he is in his pyjamas.  It's a good guide for both him and I or I swear he'd feed like a newborn.  So when my little fella asked for boobie at 5pm how could I refuse?

And this was the result - early to bed means early to rise, not looking forward to tomorrow!

Sex every day for a month - the 30 day challenge update

Another week down and now only 7 days to go in our 30 day challenge.

A couple of queries have come up about the challenge that I thought I'd clarify.

• Although I don't talk about doing 'it' in every days update, the chillis indicate how hot the event that day was.  So if there are chillis on an update then we met the target for the day.  The X means its a big zero in the love shack that day.
  
• What happens when you have your period?  Well, I have a Mirena, which means I don't get a period (yay for me!)

A huge workload to meet a looming deadline meant I was a zombie most of this week.  Both kids had colds so were we also having (more than usual) broken nights.  All of these things pointed to our 30 day challenge falling apart and when on days 18 and 20 we missed getting together, there was a definite whiff of defeat in the air.  But in the modern way, I emailed Mr Belly Beyond and he replied:

I understand that it's just the way of things particularly this week but you’ll have noticed that this hasn’t changed my approach. I’m still coming home to help with the kids and still staying up later to be with you (and give us a chance if one presents itself).  That in itself is actually reflective of the good that has come out of the challenge for me, that I want to be where you are.

So it's all good in the hood and we are full steam ahead.

DAY 16

It's the day of our Cake Lingerie Real NZ Mums shoot so I abandon the kids to Mr Belly Beyond and take off for the studio with Heidi at 6.15am. I'm home early in the afternoon and get to spend the rest of the day relaxing and reconnecting with the family.  It's nice to catch up after the kids are in bed and then go to bed together and get back on the horse, so to speak. ;)

DAY 17

I take the laptop to bed.  I have the decency to stop looking at it but this deadline is my total focus at the moment and I'll admit it's a "lie back and think of England" moment.  Possibly the first time this challenge that I really would rather be doing something else.  Can't imagine it would have been the bees knees for Mr BB either.

DAY 18
X Oops it's another late one burning the midnight oil and another miss for us.  I am getting the kids cold and we agree to take a pass.

DAY 19

For those that have been following this challenge you'll know that Underbelly night is like the third Thursday of the month used to be.  Guaranteed good times.

DAY 20
XGroundhog day.  A replay of Day 18 except this time Mr Belly Beyond isn't quite so understanding.  He doesn't say anything of course but I can feel that he is worried the wheels are well and truely falling off.

DAY 21

An email exchange confirms we are both still invested in the challenge.  The positive change in our relationship is undeniable and I'm excited that it's the weekend and the opportunity for us to sneak some proper time together.  It's a fraught afternoon with technical issues and a stupid mistake from me almost causing a complete fail of our deadline.  Mr BB brings home takeaways and the laptop gets turned off for the night! 

DAY 22

Kids get an early morning DVD and we retreat back to bed to prove there is definitely still something to the claim quality not quantity!

So what does Jane Public think of this idea?


I did a status update this week on our Facebook page this week.


"Relationship Challenge: sex every day for 30 days. Have you? could you? would you?"

It was surprising in that there was little middle ground.  The majority response was "absolutely no way" and "before kids yes, but now too tired" but there were a few responses along the lines of "are you kidding?  this is us normally".  


Of the Dads that answered, they were super keen to do something like this - funny that.

‘Real Mums’ Bare All for the Cake Lingerie Shoot

Media Release - Not many competitions require winners to bare all, especially not those ‘in the family way’, but the Cake Lingerie competition did just that, with a nationwide search for four gorgeous New Zealand ‘Real Mums’ to be the faces and bellies of the Cake brand for 2010.

Competition winners were selected (appropriately) on Mothers Day, from an extremely high calibre of entries of pregnant or nursing mums and brought to Auckland for the shoot. For all four winners, this was the first time they’d bared all for the camera and all declared it a nerve-wracking, but empowering experience.

In conjunction with Cake Lingerie, the competition was created and organised by Louisa Currie and Heidi Riley, friends and founders of website Belly Beyond, and the resulting photo shoot will help launch the new Cake Lingerie range to the world. The organisers are thrilled with the response from entrants and support for their campaign. “Our desire was not to use existing models or a catalogue shot offshore,” says Louisa. “We wanted to show just how beautiful the mums-to-be in our own towns and neighbourhoods are” she said “and show them off to the world”.

“Choosing just four participants was a challenge. There were so many great and deserving women who entered, but the four we chose just had something really special about them, said Heidi.

The four winners were; Alisha Grimmer from North Shore City, Maree Hall from Hamilton, Chanel Gardner from Dunedin, and Debbie Heaney also from North Shore City.

All four women got the chance to be pampered by a professional hair and makeup team before revealing their pregnancy curves in fabulous designer maternity lingerie from Cake Lingerie. They also each won a fabulous $400 prize pack. Louisa and Heidi helped art direct the shoot and were hands-on in making the day a success.

“It was unanimous on the day that all the women were proud mothers and celebrated what their bodies could achieve through pregnancy,” says Chanel, “It’s amazing to be part of something that is focused on empowering women at such an amazing stage of life.”

Alisha was “surprised and thrilled” on finding out she was selected as one of the winners. And really enjoyed the experience on the day, “What more could a girl ask for, I felt special and good in myself; I was pampered and surrounded by inspiring women, and wearing a gorgeous product!”

The contest has been judged a success by organisers and now it is up to the public to see the results. “We have received great feedback from women all around the country who love the fact we’re promoting a healthy pregnant body image” said Louisa. “And we hope we can find another group of exciting talented, beautiful real women again next year.”

Cake Lingerie specialises in the creation of high fashion maternity lingerie that combines old-school glamour with style and comfort and is now available in 16 countries. The full catalogue of shots will be available soon on www.bellybeyond.co.nz and at www.cakelingerie.co.nz

Photograph - Nykie Grove-Eades

The Don't-Want-Do-Want Monster

We have a problem.

The Don't-Want-Do-Want Monster has moved in and looks to be making himself pretty damn comfortable here.  You know the story - tired 2 year old who doesn't quite have the communication skill to verbally express what it is he needs to get back on track.

Would you like a cuddle?  "Noooooooooo"

Would you like a mandarin or would you like an apple?  "Nooooooooo"

Put both away.  "wait! wait!".   Would you like a madarin?  "noooooooo".  Put it away "wait, wait". And so on and so on.

I have actually just asked him if he'd like a chocolate biscuit and he's shrieked as if I'd suggested that I was about to force feed him brussel sprouts.

So if you happen to see us out and about, one screaming 2 year old and one frazzled mother repeating under her breath "it's just a phase, it's just a phase" feel free to point and laugh.

Ergo Baby Carrier in Womens Day

Why yes that is an Ergo Baby Carrier featuring in this weeks Womens Day magazine.

Ellen Pompeo has the Black/Camel Ergo which is our best selling colour.

We have the largest range of Ergo Baby Carriers and accessories in the country and can help with any and all questions to have on Ergos, baby slings and baby wearing.

Check out our range here

Cake Lingerie Real Mums Search - the photo shoot!

Cake Lingerie, in association with Belly Beyond, went on a nationwide search for 3 pregnant or breast feeding mothers (or both!) to become the faces of their promotional photo shoot for their latest collection ‘Let Them Eat Cake’.

Our criteria is simple -  real women that are pregnant or nursing, in all different shapes and sizes, ages and ethnicity.

We were looking for women who are proud of their beautiful curves of pregnancy and motherhood and could show the world that real women are beautiful and should be featured far more in the media.  In the end we couldn't decide on just 3 so chose 4 Real Mums.

It was shoot day on Sunday and what an amazing day.

Our 3 mums-to-be and 1 mum were up bright and early for hair and make up kicking off 7am by the brilliant Sara (and her lovely assistant) from Seb Make Up

The girls looked GORGEOUS in their Cake Lingerie.  Heidi and I said they were so gorgeous and so natural that people wouldn't believe they weren't professional models.
Lisa, our photographer was superb and you can see why she is an award-winner.  Her natural affinty with people was clear and she soon had the girls relaxed in front of the camera. Salsa music was a great ice breaker  but seeing 4 gorgeous Mums in rather beautiful underwear, salsa dancing music at 9am on a Sunday is not something you see every day!

There's a press release going out today with the winners details which I will put up so I won't spoil the surprise by giving their full names but here is a little bit about each of our lovely winners:

Alisha (33)  Bayswater, North Shore City
Mum to Jayden (2 ½) and breastfeeding 10 week old twins Ava Lea and Talia Rose. Ava has a large hole in her heart that needs surgery in the next few months.

Alisha holds a Bachelor of Science and prior to being a mum worked as a buyer and retail manager. She has plans study Midwifery as soon as time allows!

Debbie  (27)  Milford, North Shore City

31 weeks pregnant with her first baby (a boy) Debbie in on maternity leave from her nursing role. (Case Manager for rehab client)

Debbie enjoys yoga and reading and long walks on the beach.

I’m joking about the long walks on the beach – just checking you are paying attention ;)

Chanel (29) St Clair, Dunedin

28 weeks pregnant with her second child, she is mum to 7 year old Grace.

Chanel is a practicing family lawyer who loves living in the next to the beach in Dunedin and the living so close to the best of the South Island (Queenstown is a fave).

Maree (29) Hamilton

Mum to Gabriella, 2, and now 29 weeks pregnant she lives in Hamilton and works part-time for Telecom. This is her 3rd pregnancy and is extra special after losing her second baby at only 20 weeks.

Maree is enjoying settling back in NZ after living overseas in Hawaii and Australia for the last 5 years.

Congratulations ladies - you were fantastic!
_____________________________________________________________________________

We received an fantastic response from all over the country and can't wait to see these Real NZ Mums as the faces of an international brand!

Release of the photos is a couple of weeks away but trust us when we day the wait will be worth it.

Sex every day for a month

So we are half way there.   Mr BB has lost 4 kg and I seem to have gained weight - how does that work???

DAY TEN

A late email that needs my attention means I'm distracted for 45 minutes after saying I'd be right to bed which results in a small disagreement.  I make the point that I will need to work late over the coming weeks as the schedule is so full-on and we might have  to look options on getting together that aren't last thing at night.  We manage to work it out and Mr BB will be coming home from the gym to shower rather than shower there and go straight to work.  At least it gives us another option (and I get coffee in the mornings!!)

DAY ELEVEN

Mr BB back from the gym and we meet up in the shower.  Sounds ideal and all rather sexy but our acrobatic days are over it seems as it's impossible to get comfortable (one ear out for the kids doesn't help).  We sneak out to the bedroom and try again although by this time the mood is somewhat lost and I have instructions not to look at Mr BB so he can concentrate.  It could have been a sour moment but it was actually really funny.

DAY TWELVE

Missed the opportunity this morning but it's Underbelly night so all things point to a good outcome.  It actually feels like we haven't done it for a while - it has been over 24 hours after all! 

DAY THIRTEEN

Well the honeymoon is over.  It seems no amount of sex and intimacy makes up for respect for each others feelings.  Mr BB comes home in a grump and it's not in my nature to be quiet when snapped at.  Fireworks result and not of a good kind.  Lucky we did it this morning as there is no way even make up sex in on the cards tonight.  Woof.

DAY FOURTEEN

I'm still smarting from our disagreement but feel rather better when Mr BB turns up with flowers.  He smiles sheepishly and says "they're not from me".   It breaks the tension anyway and 5 minutes before Miss 4 is due to be picked up for kindy we get it together for make up sex.  Wham, bam, thank-you ma'am and smiles all round.

DAY FIFTEEN

X  I'm away with Heidi overnight at a conference and get back around dinner time.  After the drive and the adrenalin of the day's speaking engagement I'm in bed early - asleep.

So we are 14/15 - not bad for a couple of boring married folk!

SPCA needs towels pretty please

I got this email tonight.  I couldn't find a link or see it on the SPCA webpage so here it is.  Please forward it on.

Old Mother Hubbard went to the

cupboard to get her poor dog a towel

 
But when she got there the cupboard was bare!

Auckland SPCA has run out of towels

Please tidy out your linen cupboards and send us all your old towels.

We need dozens of old towels each day to support the work our staff and volunteers do in looking after the animals, unfortunately the cupboard is bare and we're desperately in need of more. Towels can be delivered to the following sites:

o Auckland SPCA Village, 50 Westney Road, Mangere.

o SPCA Creature Comforts Op Shop, 7/25  Anzac Road, Browns Bay; or

o for bulk pick ups from schools/businesses, etc. please telephone (09) 256 7300.

www.spca.org.nz 

Popular Baby Names

As submitted by you!

Our Facebook page members took a moment to submit their baby names in this completely non-scientific poll.

We then put together the most popular baby names from those submissions and here is the top 10 for boys and for girls.


Boys
10.  Andrew
  9.  Finn
  8.  Harrison   
see the rest of the top 10 here


Girls
10.  Stella
  9.  Ava
  8.  Morgan
 see the rest of the top 10 here

And if you are stuck for ideas for names we've also compiled a list of all the names we received.  There are  over 500 to choose from!  See the list here

 

Sex every day for a month

What is this about?  Read the original post here

During this challenge we haven't changed anything else about our relationship except that we are trying to have sex once a day for 30 days.  It's definitely having an effect on us since we began 10 days ago: 

• We haven't argued since the challenge began.  Not once.  
• We are definitely more tactile and intimate. 
• Heidi said at the weekend that she has noticed that I'm not as stressed as I normally am. 
• Mr Belly Beyond has been overheard as saying he reckons it's brought back feelings of  when we first fell in love.

,

DAY SIX

Mr BB is heading off for work overnight.  He comes home to change for the trip and we have a quicky before I have to pick up the kids from kindy.   Two positions not seen since before the kids were born slip back into our repertoire.

DAY SEVEN

I'm absolutely shattered after a very long day.  Master 2 up at 5.15am, full day meetings and a lot of set up work for the site.  Mr BB gives me a back rub and we make love before drifting off to sleep.

DAY EIGHT

Night time, when the kids are in bed, is usually my most productive work time and it's not unusual for me to work past midnight.  9.30pm comes around, Mr BB is already in bed, and my preference is to join him so I surprise myself by closing my laptop lid and heading to bed too.

DAY NINE

Well it's not as if you can just turn a switch and instantly have matching sex drives.  Mr BB is in the mood but I'm pretty tired again and a nice hot cup of tea would be my preference tonight.  But I'm never one to just give up on a goal and I enjoy the closeness and get another wicked backrub.  


We have talked about what might happen at the end of the 30 day challenge and both laugh that a day 30 blog consisting of , "I'm pregnant", definitely isn't in the plans!!

Day 3 and 4 

Day 5

Interview

Check out this very cool blog by Chavah Kinloch.  Those in blog-land might recognise her name from www.stuff.co.nz's Blog Idol 2 not so long ago! 

We did an interview with Chavah which you can read on her blog here and would just like to say "thanks Chavah for the opportunity to tell a little bit of our story".

Smart Right Foot - Friday funny

We got this email in today.  Try it out.

1.  While sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the ground and make clockwise circles.

2.   Now, while doing this, draw the number 6 in the air with your right hand.




Your foot will change direction!

The www.stuff.co.nz blogs

The lovely Rachel Goodchild has a link to our 30 day challenge in her latest blog post.

I love Rachel's writing style and her passion for her work.  Check out her blog on www.stuff.co.nz and her Ask Rachel page.

The Stuff blogs are a perilous place and certainly not a domain for those without a thick-skin.  One persons comment on Rachel's article refers to us:

"and the example of ms currie and her bellybeyond 30 day sex adventure is curious. is she trying to prove something by telling the world about it or is it just a marketing exercise for her website??

i bet mr bb is probably feeling used. he must hate himself!"

Hmm - a good example of someone not bothering to read what this is actually about.  Still if the interwebs has taught me anything, it's that people are never slow to pass comment whether they be informed on the subject or not.

Sex every day for a month

What is this about?  Read the original post here

There is no doubt that there is a spring in Mr Belly Beyond's step - men are such simple creatures when it comes down to it aren't they?

We've talked a lot about sex in the last 5 days and in particular the reasons why we don't get together as much as we'd like.  Identifying and sharing those factors has obvious positive benefits and is something we should have done a long time ago.  Mr BB says that he feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders because he doesn't spend his day mentally planning his "approach" to me, wondering if he'll get lucky tonight - he knows that it's highly likely!  This doesn't mean he just turns up and  expects to be attended to - he has started coming home in the mornings from the gym instead of going straight to work.  He brings me a coffee, makes the kids lunches and gets them sorted for day thereby completely removing my morning stresses.

DAY FIVE

We watch the season premier of Underbelly, always a compulsive watch with a racy undertone  and head to bed together.  Fireworks result.

Amber Teething Necklace Feedback

One of the many emails we receive about our Amber Teething Necklaces.

Sex every day for a month

Read about the concept here

DAY THREE

First "work" day where the real world demands really start to encroach on our best intentions.  It's freezing cold so we stay in the dining room where the heater is, once the kids are in bed.

DAY FOUR

Mr Belly Beyond surprises me by coming home from the gym instead of going straight to work.  He brings coffee and is duly rewarded although I'm really more focused on the day ahead - whose idea was this again?

Latest update here

Central Leader!

Well, won't our mums be proud - we made the local paper.  The Cake Lingerie Real NZ Mums search gets a feature as do a couple of bras!  Will leave it to you to guess which one of ours they are :)

Sex every day for a month - can it be done?

There was an article last week in the UK Daily Mail about a couple who after 12 years together, attempted to make love every day for 30 days.  Now this isn't a new concept.  In 2008 a Florida Preacher gave his congregation the same task and a book The 30 Day Sex Challenge was the result.

When Mr Belly Beyond forwarded me through the link to the UK article, I couldn't help but think he was ever the optimist.  But it got me thinking.  We've just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and have two children under five.  This coupled with my workaholic tendencies means time for him and I is rare these days.

So we've decided to give it a a try.  We are realistic - I work upwards of 80 hours a week - a lot of that is clocked up at the weekend when he is home so that someone has an eye on the kids, and late into the night when the children are in bed.  The English couple in the article didn't quite make the full tally and they didn't have the challenges and time constraints that come with parenting two energetic, curious and very early waking pre-schoolers!

I am going to track our progress on the blog.  It's not going to be a sex dairy, this is a family show after all, so details will be deliberately kept to a minimum.  I will focus instead on the changes we find in our relationship.

DAY ONE

Decision made.  Our self imposed rule for this challenge is that it's counted if one of us has an orgasm.  Mission accomplished x 2 then.  


DAY TWO
I found myself thinking about sex as I had a shower this morning.  No, not like that - just working out how we are going to fit it in today and wondering whereabouts and when it would happen.  It might sound rather unromantic to have to schedule in sex appointments but it was quite the opposite and yes, definitely appealed to my list-writing nature.

In the end we sneak away while the kids are watching a DVD.


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