And the Winner is.....

Thank you so much to everyone that entered my Whoa, Mamma! 'Happy 1st Bloggy Birthday Giveaway'. It was so heartwarming to read all your beautiful entries about 'What Gives You That Lovin' Feeling'.

Cuddles, kisses, smelling your children's hair, feeling your baby grow in your tummy, seeing your kids play with their father, hearing their first words, singing on stage, random love notes, hearing the words 'I Love You', all these things and more fill up our love tanks.

To celebrate my first year blogging at Whoa, Mamma! I had a special 'Love' necklace to give away.
The names of the entrants were put in a fairy jewellery box, blessed by my Little Katrushki's fairy wand, shaken about then one name was picked out by Little Miss A.

Without further a-do, the winner is....

Congratulations, Carmel!

Thanks again to all you beautiful souls who entered!

♥ Jess

Giving My 'Love' Away!: {Whoa, Mamma's Bloggy Birthday Giveaway}

I believe in Love and I try and emulate it in every aspect of my life.
Love makes me Happy.
I love the man I've been married to for 8 years.
I love the 3 cheeky human beings we created.
I love my friends, my family, my home.
I love life.
I love just Being.

There was a time, a year ago, when I wasn't so happy.
My happiness blossomed when I had an epiphany.
I was loving everyone else, but not myself.
As soon as I started listening to all the wishes deep within my heart that
I had buried for so long, especially since becoming a wife and mother,
I felt more joy.

One of my greatest joys came from writing.
Ever since I was a little girl I would write in journals and diaries.
This stopped once I became a mother.
But it was like I was holding my breath for the last 6 years.
I had reached my last gasp.
Instead of drowning, I decided to come up for air.
And I began a blog.
I was writing for me.
And I could breathe again.
Life is flourishing.

I wanted to do a little giveaway to celebrate 1 year of 'Whoa, Mamma' fabulousness.

This is more symbolic than anything, a little gesture of love and gratitude from me to you.

It is you, sweet readers, that have made this blog so fabulous for me, and I want to thank you with all my heart for all your love and support.

I was in one of my favourite local swoonworthy stores yesterday (room 296), when my eyes fell on this little beauty. It was perfect for what I wanted to give back to you.

A little bit of Love.

'Love' amidst the pretty blooms from my garden x

So, up for grabs for 1 lucky reader is this sweet gold-toned 'LOVE' necklace.
It's 40 cm long and can be worn close to the neck, or wrapped around your wrist as a lovely bracelet.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment at the end of this blogpost, answering this question:

"What gives you that Lovin' feeling?"

Entry is open to all followers of my 'Whoa, Mamma!' blog and/or likers of 'Whoa, Mamma!' on Facebook. Please include an email address so that I can contact you should you be the winner. Entries close Wednesday 25 April, 2012 at Wine o'clock (5pm Melbourne, Australia time) and will be drawn randomly by one of my cheeky chicas by pulling a name out of their Fairy Princess Pink Glittery Jewellery Box.

Good Luck!

For the Love of Instagram

   Today I am linking up with 5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party (Almost) Wordless Wednesday (phew! what a mouthful!).

   This (almost) Wordless Wednesday is dedicated to my new found obsession, Instagram, a fabulously funky photography application for mobile phones. 

   I've turned into a snap-happy mamma and I'm seeing my gorgeous girls in a new light, all the while creating, and conserving, some fabulous memories.

Are you on Instagram?

Do you love taking photographs?

Mamma tries to get all 'artsy'

Distracted by graffiti on our way to get milk

Twirly dancing in the kitchen

Her Daddy's eyes

Swinging the day away

Lazy day in the park

Waiting for dinner

Me and my little shadow

Holding Mamma's hand

Making bunny ears

Walking to kindergarten

Baking Greek Easter bread

Making Greek Easter cookies

Happy 1st Blogaversary to Me!

A momentous day.

One year exactly since I sat down at this laptop and published my first blog post here in Whoa, Mamma Land.  An anniversary I share with the sinking of the Titanic, which is quite fitting really.

One year ago today I was sinking. Happy on the outside but drowning, wallowing deep inside. Emotionally I'd hit rock bottom. I was a stay-at-home mamma, devoted to my 3 darling kids and my darling Mr WhoaMamma, full of love, but still empty inside.

I had forgotten to devote some of that awesome Mamma-lovin' to My Self.

But, one fabulous, sparkly, shimmery year on, this Mamma's certainly turned her Woes into Whoa's!

All because of this teeny weeny little blog and a community of Oh-So-Fabulous-and-Inspiring readers!

I'm still a stay at home mamma.
I'm still devoted to my spirited little girls.
I still swoon over the ravishing Mr Whoa Mamma.

But I'm no longer empty inside.

Today is the eve of Greek Orthodox Easter. Which is fitting, because it's all about Resurrection and Re-Birth. I'm typing this inbetween baking batches of cookies with my girls and preparing for our big family feast tomorrow. This Mamma feels like she has been resurrected and re-born. It's amazing what a little Self-Love can do.

This is my little piece of Heaven.
A wonderful world where I'm more than just a wife, mother, sister, daughter.
Casa de Whoa Mamma: my cosy little home where you're Welcome ALL the time!

So, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU with all my buxomy heart, for taking the time to visit my little world. It gives me the biggest thrill, YOU, Sweet One, that you are here, right now, reading this.

Thank You to all the fabulous bloggers out there who continue to inspire me, entertain me, enchant me, motivate me, share with me and basically make the day a Whole Lot More Luminous and Joyous.

And, if you are sitting here reading this and wondering if you should start a blog, do it! do it! DO IT!

Don't do it for anyone else, do it for YOU!

It changed my life, and it could change yours too!

Hip Hip Hooray!

P.S: Stay tuned next week for a super-special giveaway just for YOU!

        Yes, it's my Bloggy Birthday but you get the gifts!

         Yippee!!!!!

P.P.S: I'm celebrating by joining in the Ultimate Blog Party! Hip Hip Hooray!




P.P.P.S: If you really want to give this Mamma a thrill and an extra reason for celebrating, would you like to throw a lil vote 'Whoa, Mamma's!' way in the Sydney Writer's Centre 'Best Australian Blogs 2012 People's Choice Award'? You can vote with one easy-peasy click!
Just click on the link below and scroll down to 'Whoa, Mamma!'

Thank you!

Vote HERE!!!!

Mamma's Kitchen Dance

Today I'm linking up with the fabulous Trish from My Little Drummer Boys for 'Wordless Wednesday'.

Presenting........

My Crazy Kitchen Dance as seen through the eyes of my (very amused and slightly bewildered) 4 year old....

Olé!!!