Hey petunias!

We’re back with my usual scrapbook of photos + ramblings from the past couple of weeks.

Filled with family + fun adventures, and a trip to magical Melbourne!

Mermaid Daughter #1 on a bushwalk. She is HAPPY here guys. I mean, she’s always been a happy lil soul… but she’s thriving and blooming here in ways we didn’t expect. She feels safer + more confident. It’s just lovely to witness her feel so at home in her body and around other people and on the planet.

Oh, this girl. Hilarious little elf. Pure magic and a bit of mischief. Makes us laugh a hundred times a day. Doted upon by big sister. A self contained unit, happy in her skin. Can you imagine we almost lived life without her?

This would have to be one of the best movies I’ve watched this year.

What a gllllloooooooorious romance!!!! Highly recommend this wonderful, heart-opening story of transgender love.

Our back patio is the greatest thing ever invented. We can continue our tradition of weekend #verandahing

She fell asleep in my arms for a couple of hours one afternoon in the rocking chair. I read books and drank a beer and stared at her. I made Chris be my manslave so I could just sit and cuddle and read. She is 18 months now. Napping in arms like this is becoming so rare.

My weekend read. It’s dang adorable.

Am now onto its sequel: The Rosie Effect.

My life.

My face after we went to visit our favourite crystal and bookstore today with a batshit crazy whirlwind elfin 18 month old. Kids be cray, guys. I think that just about broke me.

My darling mate/old cubicle boss Lile came around today and she dyed my hair rainbow ready for the AusMumpreneur Awards. Because NEEDED.

She takes me by the hand, leads me through the house, to my bedroom where an Elsa dress of Mermaid Daughter #2’s has fallen out of a box. She motions for me to put it on her, and I do. She proudly parades out to her big sister “YaYa” and her “Dadad”. And when I pull the camera, she blows kisses. This kid. She is one part Buddha, one part clown, all love.

Lena is one of my oldest friends… We met 16 years ago in a boarding school on the other side of the country. And now these two North Queensland country girls call a Bush City HOME and they call each other dear friends & neighbours. Just spent a morning in the sun watching our girls play… Not long before Lena’s baby is born. What a gladness that we can be here to support her sweet family as they celebrate & transition into a family of four. Eeeeeeee… Can’t wait to meet her beautiful baby. I’m hormonal as buggery, fairly sure I could cry with happiness just thinking about it.

It’s never too early to teach duckface.

National Library. One of my favourite places in the world.

Morning walk along the lake.

Overstimulated as buggery… It’s been a reallllly big week, month, year. Came home from a lovely outing, had a shower in the dark (my sensory deprivation chamber) and have put self to bed. It’s quiet and snugly and I can watch the blue sky and cherry blossoms. #highlysensitiveperson #alilbitaspie

BLOWING MY MINNNNND THIS BOOK IS!!!

Stunning moon tonight… My goodness. So beautiful it made me heart swell.

They stop in the middle of playing for a cuddle break. These two. They just ADORE each other madly.

18 MONTHS IS THE WORST. SERIOUSLY. THIS IS MERMAID DAUGHTER #2 EVERY DAMN MINUTE OF BEING IN A CAR. WHEN SHE IS NOT TEARING SHOPS APART, RUNNING AWAY IN CARPARKS AND THROWING HERSELF DOWN ON CONCRETE. I AM TALKING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE THAT IS HOW INTENSE SHE IS RIGHT NOW. Divine Mama & Papa, give us strength, humour, compassion & looooong naps. If you’re a mama with this face right now… I feel you, sister. You are a living Buddha. Love, Cantankerous in Canberra

Feeling CAF today. You guess the acronym!

You cannot contain the level of hottttttttt.

This garden. Perfect for fairies and their fluffy dog familiars to play.

The usual Entrepreneur Just Launched Something midday nap in the sun.

Just had a facial and got my eyebrows done. DO I LOOK BEYOOOTIFUL????????? #rubberface #gifted

Bed. 6:30pm. I’ll get a 14 hour block of sleep in to make up for my late nights of launching. I heart sleep. I need a lot of it to thrive.

Let’s Doo itttt for (someone else’s) country…. THE RED WHIIIITE AND THE BLUEEEE…

My 14 hour block of sleep did NOT go to plan. #18monthsleepregression

Guess who has a presentation to give tomorrow? Guess who has done it yet? Guess who has decided to hand illustrate the whole thing? #lastminuteleonie

Hi ho hi ho, off to Ausmumpreneur Conference I go!!!!

Just the usual shit I get up to at #AusMum15 conference… Getting dosed up with essences from Naughty Naturopath Mum who is a total darling & Scorpio sister!!!

And so it begins… #AusMum15

WHO LIKES TO PARTY WE LIKE WE LIKE TO PARTY

This is how to do a networking event… Glam up, go for 20 minutes, invite all new friends back for pyjama party in room. #newbestfriendsforeverrrr #ausmum15

#AusMum15 conference. Sooooooooo normal!!!

From last night’s shenanigans… Just to rebound #howLeoniedoesconferences — went to cocktail party for 20 minutes, invited a bunch of strangers back to my bedroom for a pyjama party. It ended up being pure magic. And only required wearing a bra for 20 minutes. #goldddddd #AusMum15 #howLeoniedoesconferences

Love these gorgeous women @bumpmodels @ausmumpreneur #AusMum15

Me and the Hon Brucey Billson MP who is the Australian Government’s Minister for Business. SO NORMAL RIGHT NOW. #AusMum15

Fancy as fuuuuuuuuuck. Naughty Naturopath Mum I wuv woo!!! #AusMum15

Overstimulllllllattttted. Awards nights are nerve wracking yo! I’m so utterly unconcerned whether I win anything… I AM SO NERVOUS FOR EVERRRRYONE. But got some magic girls around me pimping me with love and head pats and reiki. #AusMum15

I looooooooooove my #AusMum15 gala awards outfit

We found each other in a cocktail bar. She mouthed to me “I love you”, alerting me to the fact that we were already friends and I just hadn’t known until that moment. So we had a pyjama party and I forced her to sit next to me at the gala. Love you @assisichant #AusMum15 #instantmates

NAILED IT. FOUR PERSON TOTEM POLE WITH @safe_spot @assisichant and Iain my new best friend. And YES TOTEM POLING IS A THING AND I MADE IT UP AND YOU SHOULD ALL DO IT TOO.

So, my loves. #AusMum15 awards… I was a finalist in Ausmumpreneur of the Year and the Making A Difference Award. What an honour. I didn’t win… But I won so proudly and utterly and deeply with what I have found here… It has been a love bath… New, magical, deep friendships… Connecting with sooooo many #2015workbook goddesses who told me their workbook miracles… It has been making friends with some incredibly incredibly inspiring business women who are earth Angels & have such profound missions here that they are living our every single day. All of them are philanthropists, all of them are building giving into their business model, all of them are thinking soooo BIG. I feel beyond blessed. I feel in awe at the perfect synchronicity of life. The nomination was the lure to get me here to give me exactly what my heart, soul and mission was needing. Great Spirit, I am listening. I am at your service. Always love, Leonie xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Whoever thought a flight home at Butt Fuck O’Clock was a good idea after a week of late nights and last night’s amazing craziness IS A DAMN FOOOOOOL. GODDAMIT LEONIE IN THE PAST WHO BOOKED THESE TICKETS. MY EYELIDS SAY HOW VERY DARE YOU. Still… Not a moment too soon… I’m starting to be Chris-deprived. The first couple of days solo I don’t miss him one bit I am too busy raving and going wild… Then The Great Longing hits and I miss my riverstone until I’m almost breathless and my compass points me only home.

Happy Father’s Day to my boo. So good to be back beside him again. I’m so grateful to the utterly essential ways he supports my dreams, tending to our bebes, letting me run away to events like #AusMum15 and being a kind, aware, compassionate, protective Papa Bear.

Home. Time to lie in bed, watch the cherry blossoms unfurl and the bees collect around rosemary. The garden and the children have bloomed in the last two days without me I am sure. Whole trees have burst into song, Mermaid Daughter #1 has developed a new kind of laugh and Mermaid Daughter #2 stands taller, walks faster. After the wild, raucous, fantastical mayhem of the last few days… Just to watch the birds and the bees and everything in between is enough. Watch, soften, listen. Let the story of a hundred women run through my mind and collect themselves in a book in the library of my heart. This is what it is to a woman, it tells me. This is what it is to change the world. #AusMum15

Out on a hot date with my honey boo… Been so long since we’ve been kid free! Went to a meeting with new accountants… Outgrown our old ones and needed support for the next level… Now sushi and home!

This is why it’s really, really hard to have nice things as a mama. Bought a beautiful matching set of journals last week. Found them destroyed by toddler paws this week. #realtalk #realparenting #touchanythingelsejustdonttouchmystationery

First day of new school for my girl. Look how big she is getting!!!! She’s so excited the lil darling.

We just did some essential errands. May I just say, TODDLERS ARE NOT APPRECIATIVE OR OF ASSISTANCE DURING ERRAND-RUNNING. FYI. JUST INCASE YOU EVER WONDERED. Me & Chris don’t really drink but we are thinking of taking it up today.

My office has been a dump zone since we moved in. I kept ignoring in, scraping a corner from an overflowing desk to work, ignoring the vague unsettling sense of mayhem. Decided today that enough was enough. Made it simple, clear, clean. What a difference it makes to my mindset. I feel less chaotic, more focussed now.

Illustrated notes from #AusMum15 getting ready to go out. You can grab them here!

Hey you. Just wanted to wish you a wonderful day. I hope you know you can do big and great things. Love you girl. Xoxo L

Big love,

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