So as you know I have embarked on the new lifestyle in order to reach the 21km goal post… The problem associated with this besides the training is the lifestyle that must go with… Eat healthier to train better, which in turn means cutting out some refined sugar from my diet… This doesn’t sound like a tough ask, but from a sugar addict like myself it’s been rough and that’s putting it mildly…
I suppose I should at this point come clean and give you insight into my sugar dealings… In a cup of tea I have 5 teaspoons of sugar, don’t raise that eyebrow yes I did say 5 and I know the next question yes heaped spoons of sugar ??? and having a minimum of 2 cups a day means that’s 10 spoons of sugar minimum a day… I have to force myself to drink water as soft drinks are my staple form of hydration..!! Sour worm, jelly babies, sweets in general are my weakness… So you see my body functions in a general sugar state..!!! So when I say giving up sugar has been rough, I mean giving up sugar has been rough..!!
The other day I had a mom at Maya’s school ask me if everything was ok because I look down and not my normal self… Imagine the lack of sugar has altered my personality that’s how bad it is.. and my poor kids get lack of sugar snap remarks, my tolerance level is less due to no sugar… It literally feels like my body is going through withdrawal symptoms…and then I have sugar and feel human again and then stop cause know it’s not good for me then the cycle of irritability starts all over again… It’s a slippery slope I am on..!!!
But then comes valentines and you know what is associated with valentines.!! Sugar sugar sugar…!! Chocolates, strawberries and cream with icing sugar, cake, I mean even if trying to be overly romantic then there is chocolate body paint (more sugar ???)… It was like a day of temptation around every corner… Now am that mom that celebrates special days and tries to make it a big deal so the kids have fun memories so valentines is right up there with the occasions we celebrate..!! So now I had to A- be in a good mood without sugar B- avoid sugary temptation and C-be in a Good mood after all this is a day of love not grouchiness…
So now I decided to focus on the other part that’s commonly associated with valentines and that’s flowers, rather than the sweeter side of valentines? So Leah had this great idea to print with flowers.. So off we set to the garden to pick flowers ..
This is what you need for flower art:
• Flowers I used different size and shape, what ever we found in our garden…
• Leaves if you want to
• Dala tempera paint
• Bowls for paint and to dunk flowers
• Scissors if you need to cut flowers
•Paint brushes
•Paper to print on…
How to make flower art:
• Gather a collection of flowers and place them on a surface.
• Put different colour tempera paint in bowls
• Allow your child to dunk the flower into bowl then onto paper to make prints, or you can use paint brush to paint flower or leaves which ever you like… Let them experiment and go wild exploring different prints..
• It was fun to let them decide how they want to place the prints and what colours…The girls started using the flowers as paint brushes and I loved the effect..
It was a really fun activity and kept the girls busy and when cianna put a flower in the wrong colour and it messed up Maya’s flow she just went into the garden and picked a different leaf or flower and kept printing… Mother Nature is a wonderful problem solver ????
I really loved the results and loved being outdoors and spending time with the girls… Ok let me come clean and not come across as the mom who did such a wonderful activity unaided ??? I had sugar (said in mumbling voice), the activity was even better because I had sugar..!!!! I was a happy mom with no snapping ??
It was valentines and who wants to shout at their kids due to lack of sugar and caffeine ???? Certainly not me so I did them and me a favour and ate chocolate with a coke ??? I loved every minute of the activity and my sugar indulgence ????
Ahh you know what sometimes a girls got to do what a girls got to do..! Happy Belated Valentine’s Day xx
Love
Love this post Marcia ?