Wednesday, April 18, 2012

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

Saturday, April 14, 2012

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!


Ultimate Blog Party 2012

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!!!!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

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!!!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Swinging on The Mood Swing: Being Grateful for the Little Things


My basic approach to Life is to seek joy and fulfilment in every action and in every moment. But I'll admit that, on some days, my Happy Disposition plummets, swirling and twirling in the depths of laundry-induced Despair.

This was one of those melancholy weeks. A full-moon, my period due any second, unruly children and a messy house out of control had me crying over mis-matched socks and screeching over the hideous fly that decided to commit suicide in my lovely, freshly brewed cup of coffee.


When it's That Time of the Month my hormones go haywire. I feel the Lowest of the Low. I'm super-sensitive, the littlest things can get to me. If my children refuse to eat their dinner I feel unloved, unappreciated and the ugliest of the ugly. Of course I know that this is craziness and I am much loved, (mostly) appreciated, and pretty much  the damn Centre of my Family's Universe. I am The Mother, after all, and everything and everyone would go to heck without me!


The saddest part of this week was receiving news yesterday that a much loved family friend tragically passed away, leaving behind his young wife and 2 young daughters. This brought me back to reality. If I have my health and my family is in good health, I am blessed.

After attacking a block of cooking chocolate after dinner, I took a deep breath and looked around me.
I noted the 'little things' I was grateful for, right there and then, and started taking photos to capture the moment.

I was Grateful for:

My New Kitchen
Chocolate
The stems of the bok-choy I cut for our stir-fry that looked like roses

Little Miss C in her Fairy Princess ensemble

Little Miss A with her Flamenco dress and her Daddy's hat

Little Katrushki walking down the aisle

Our latest addition, Jinxy the Kitten
The picture Miss C drew of me that I found on my phone


Life is precious. Life is what we make of it.
When I feel my swing slowing down, I make sure I kick up my heels and point my toes towards Happy-ness again.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

What do you do to lift your spirits when you get the Blues?




Saturday, March 3, 2012

The Miraculous Hand


This is a story of miracles and guardian angels, and one in particular, that saved my life.
I was 7 years old and it was Summertime. My 3 siblings and I were holidaying at my grandparents.There weren't many toys to play with so we used to make up our own games. On that particular day the game de jour was scaring each other to death.
My younger sister was the master of this game. I was sitting innocently on my grandmothers orange velour couch, drinking pink milk when my dastardly sister leaped out from behind the sofa with a grizzly roar, startling me so much that I sprayed my yummy milk all over my pretty yellow sundress.
'Haha! I'm the winner' declared the brat. 'I'm the best Scarer, you can't beat me!'
'We'll see about that...' I muttered under my breath as my sister skipped away to terrorise the cat in the backyard.
Now, to find the perfect hiding spot.
I was going to startle my sister so much that not only would she spill her pink milk, she'd wet her pants. Stealthily, I headed to my grandparents bathroom. It was an ocean of 1950's turquoise mosaic tiles and aquamarine enamel. Aha! I ducked into the shower stall, a pebbly cave of blue. My white sandals splashed in a shallow puddle of leftover water. The damp plastic shower curtin clammily clung to my sundress and my hair everytime a breeze blew. My plan was to stay there until my sister went to the toilet and had to come into the bathroom to wash her hands. Then I'd jump out and scare her. Surely I'd be the winner then.
I waited.
And waited.
The sound of drip, drip, drip from the the dripping basin tap was making me want to go to the toilet. Too much pink milk.
Suddenly I heard the bang of the back flyscreen door. I could hear my sister running down the hall, past the bathroom and into the kitchen where Grandma was calling out for her.
Ok. Slight change of plan.
My bladder could hold out no longer.
I ducked out of the shower and leaned back stealthily against the bathroom door, blending into the shadows. I heard my grandmother say to my sister, 'Here, take this out to Papou'. Papou was preparing a barbecue lunch for us outside.
Aha! She'd be heading my way again. I would jump out just as she reached my doorway.
My heart was racing, building up in excitement and anticipation.
I heard the sound of my sister's squeaky steps as she scuttled along the yellow plastic hall-runner my grandmather used to protect her plush-pile tangerine carpet.
She's nearly here, I thought to myself excitedly.
I was just about to pounce when suddenly I felt It.
The Hand.
Firm, but gentle on my shoulder.
And a voice, inside my head, also firm but gentle, that simultaneously spoke the words 'No/Stop'.
I turned behind me but there was nothing there.
Except there was. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it.
Her.
A Lady.
And she felt tall, as tall as the ceiling, because I felt my head looking up towards 'her', where I felt her beautiful 'face' would be. All I could see was sunlight on my face and a calm, blissful serenity took over my body.
I turned back towards the doorway and watched my sister run past. She was oblivious to me. I watched her charge down the hall with a big sharp knife held out infront of her.
And then I understood.
If I had leapt out when I'd intended, my sister would have impaled me with that kitchen knife, most likely killing me.

My Guardian Angel saved me.

That Voice has guided me on several occassions in my life. The night I met my Husband, and the night my father died. I trust it and it makes me feel safe. I know that Everything Will Be All Right. Even when I'm alone, I know I'm never alone. 
There are real miraculous moments in this world. We just have to be open to them.

Do you believe in Angels?



Edenland's Fresh Horses Brigade
I'm linking up this post with the gorgeous Edenland as part of her 'Fresh Horses Brigade'. Be sure to check out all the other fab bloggers linking up too!

Friday, February 24, 2012

A Love Note (...of sorts)



As I set off this afternoon to pick up my cheeky minxes from school/kinder, I espied some graffiti under my window sill. Graffiti is nothing new to me. My girls are prolific in the art of texta/crayon/pencil/biro/jelly/lipstick/chocolate cookie/yoghurt autographs. Since becoming a mother I have long given up my Dream of having clean white walls and white furnishings, like the images I swoon over in interior design magazines and my Fantasy pinboards on Pinterest.

But this graffiti, dear readers, is here to stay. 
A love note from one of my mischievous daughters.
The 3 words they hear most often from their mother.


I LOVE YOU

Do you have gifted graffiti artists leaving surprise love notes around your home too?
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