12 Week Fitness Challenge – Getting Our Fit On!

September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 Kaine Barton2 Comments

Trying to stay fit and healthy can be hard work… but then again, no one has ever said that it’s easy.

At the moment, we are both partaking in a 12 week fat loss competition through our gym. The goal… to get our bodies ready for summer!

It is actually a really good competition to be involved in. It’s a challenge comprising of healthier eating, supplements and stepping up our gym game by going more often and pushing ourselves harder.

So far, I’ve lost 1.5kg of fat (not weight, just fat) which is pretty good for me, considering I don’t really have that much to lose in the first place. My goal for the competition however, is the following:

Drop back to my ideal weight of 75kg
Drop back to 12% body fat

This all seams easy enough, but believe me, like I said, it’s harder than it looks. I am currently sitting at 79kg and 15.9% body fat.

To give us a little advantage in this competition however, we have started doing our home circuits again. We have a bit of exercise equipment lying around the house that we used to use quite regularly, but then got a bit slack with. Things like kettle bells and sandbags and ab wheels.

12 Week Challenge

So what better opportunity than now to get back into our home circuit training to give us a competitive edge in the 12 week challenge.

The last circuit I put together, was the following:

30 push ups
30 weighted squats
30 dips
30 weighted lunges
30 ab crunches
30 secs of planking
30 push ups
30 weighted squats
30 dips
30 weighted lunges
30 ab crunches
30 secs of planking
30 burpees
30 push ups
30 weighted squats
30 dips
30 weighted lunges
30 ab crunches
30 secs of planking
30 burpees

The perfect opportunity for us to get stuck into a good circuit like this one is when Jesse is all fed and watered and in his cot soundly sleeping. Any time before then, is a nightmare trying to do exercise whilst also attending to his needs.

It got me to thinking though…

What are your favourite home exercise circuits to do? What home exercise equipment you like to use? Do you have any suggestions as to circuits or equipment that we could use to really kick up our game and get some good results?

Six pack here I come!!!

Footage Friday: Mum and Dads Day Off

September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

So a couple of weekends ago, we kind of tagged teamed our parenting responsibilities on the Saturday so that we could both go out and enjoy ourselves. It guess you could call it, ‘Mum and Dads Day Off’.

We decided to do a video blog on the day, but until only recently, all the footage remained on our hard drive as an unedited project. Well, I finally got around to editing it, so we can finally share what we got up to on the day…

After all, this is called the ‘Not So Secret Life Of Us’!

Renee had the morning shift with Jesse so that I could go out to celebrate the 30th Birthday of my sister’s boyfriend. He had schedule a bunch of us (about 20) to play Laser Tag at Mango Hill Skirmish.

It was an absolute blast and was even a great workout, running around the course in camouflage and with a heavy Laser Tag gun.

I got home just after lunch to take the afternoon shift with Jesse so that Renee could head to a country music themed race day at Doomben Racecourse. She also had a blast, having the afternoon and evening off and being able to indulge in a few beers too.

We capped the night off with some finals football (Rugby League) at home and were all tucked up and in bed all before the stroke of midnight.

All in all, it was a pretty successful day of fun I think…

365 Project: 100+ Days In

September 20, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

So I know I’ve touched on this before… but wow… we are now up to day 116 of our 365 Project! How insane is that!!!

I cannot believe that we have made it this far…

A photo every day.

A post every day.

All showing off what our lives are like as a first time mum and dad.

The 365 Project has been many things… challenging… tough… fun… exciting… hard… easy…

Having to come up with a photo and post EVERY DAY has been challenging at times… but we knew that we were not going to be in for an easy ride with this project.

All that said though, we are having an absolute blast doing it.

Looking back on all the photos I’ve taken, all I can think about is the end game. The end result. That book that we will end up with that shows what our lives were like in that first year with our little Jesse.

How amazing is that going to be to share with friends and family! How amazing will that be to share with other first time mums and dads out there to show them hey, you aren’t the only ones who have felt like this or gone through that. You aren’t alone. We’ve all been there. And we will all be better off for it!

But the best thing of all, how amazing is it going to be to share this book with Jesse when he is older! How amazing is it going to be for Jesse to be able to read all about his first year of life through our eyes as first time parents.

All the ups and downs… the trials and tribulations… the struggles and the victories… How much our lives changed but also how we wouldn’t have had it any other way…

While I don’t want to wish the year away, I cannot wait to see this book in all its glory at the end of this project!

The 365 Project continues…

Our Little Giggling Baby

September 13, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

So this happened yesterday…

Jesse’s first (proper) giggle.

HOW ADORABLE IS HE!!!!!!!!!!!!

So happy that we managed to get this on camera.

So how did we manage to get him to giggle? Well, Nanny and Poppy were over for lunch and to get ready for a country race day at Doomben Racecourse. Poppy decided to take him outside to play with Pacey while the girls were getting ready and sure enough, it was our dog Pacey and his barking that first made our little Jesse giggle.

Of all the things that we thought we could get Jesse to giggle at, Pacey barking is probably the last thing we thought would work. A loud bark from a dog the size of Pacey… surely that would scare a baby. Nope. Not this baby.

He loved it and thought it was absolutely hilarious.

The real test now though is to try and get him to giggle and laugh again. And despite everything that I’ve tried since discovering that he can giggle, we have still been unable to get him to giggle again.

Perseverance will surely pay off in the end.

On a side note, yesterday I also went and celebrated Tyler’s (my sisters boyfriend) 30th birthday. Happy Birthday mate… Hope you had an absolute blast of a day and I loved running the field at laser tag with you!!!

Photo Friday: Spring in the City

September 11, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

Spring is probably my favourite season of the year. And in Queensland, the gods really turn it on for us each year when spring eventually rolls around.

Spring has officially begun. We are now 11 days into what I think is the best season of the year and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a spectacular one. The skies are blue. The trees are starting to get their leaves and flowers back. The grass is the greenest I’ve seen it. And the temperature is that perfect mix between being not too cold and not too warm…

It is absolute heaven…

I work in Brisbane City. Always have done. And spring is the perfect season to get out and about to soak up the sun on leisurely lunch time walks.

On more than one occasion over the past week I have found myself walking through the Brisbane Botanical Gardens enjoying this heavenly weather we are experiencing. I’ll often walk through looking at the gardens daydreaming about our future with little Jesse. Or sit on the grass and soak up the sun thinking back about how lucky we are to have such a perfect little man in our lives.

It is incredibly soothing and relaxing to be able to get outdoors and just clear your mind on a daily basis, getting away from the hustle and bustle of the streets of Brisbane and the stress of work.

Spring in Queensland, is perfect!

So, do you enjoy spring as much as I do? What do enjoy doing in spring that relaxes you?

My First Father’s Day

September 6, 2015September 6, 2015 Kaine Barton1 Comment

Today, is Father’s Day.

Today, is my first Father’s Day as a Father.

The day started off with a bang for my first ever Father’s Day, getting spoilt in bed with a few gifts from Renee and Jesse. All while I got to cuddle and play and laugh with our little Jesse. There is nothing that brightens my morning up more than waking up to a smiling Jesse.

After having a leisurely breakfast, we headed off to see our respective dads to wish them a happy Father’s Day.

First stop was my parents place where I not only got to wish my dad a happy Father’s Day, but my mum’s dad too. We had 4 generations there and it was great to share the morning with not only my old man, but my mum’s family.

Three Generations

Then it was off to see Renee’s dad for lunch.

We met up with them at Phoenix at the Bracken Ridge Tavern for some share plates and a sneaky beer.

All in all, it was an amazing first Father’s Day, and I can’t wait to celebrate many more with Jesse as he grows older.

I know that this is only a short post for me… But I think even though it is short, I’ve said all I need to say.

To all the dads out there… Happy Father’s Day!!!

I Think You Are A Super Mum

August 30, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Last Sunday night was another rough night for Renee as far as sleep goes.

Unfortunately for us (although I’m sure Jesse loved it), our little man had a massive sleep that afternoon while we were at a family BBQ. This meant that when it came time for us to get some sleep, he was any combination of wide awake; restless; feeding; smiling; crying.

This made for a very frustrating start to what I expected to be a long night ahead for Renee.

We have a system for night times which seems to work for us most of the time. That system involves Renee getting up throughout the night to tend to Jesse (she does have the boobs after all) so that I can get a good night sleep for work the next day, and me tending to Jesse (again, when he’s not hungry and wanting to feed on account of having no boobs) when I get home and on the weekends.

This does mean however, as you would have read in Renee’s last blog post, that she hasn’t had a full nights sleep since Jesse was born.

I know she had a rough night on that Sunday night, and the next day I really wanted to let her know that she could call on me if she was at wits end and just needed a break or some sleep.

At around 10 am on Monday morning, I sent the following text message:

“Hey babe. So are you sure you’re ok today?

I just really want to stress to you that while I do appreciate how you want to make sure I get enough sleep for work, I would rather be sleepy at work for a day than have you up losing your shit at night with Jesse.

I think you’re an absolute star and a super mum, but if you’re struggling and at wits end, I am here. I WANT to help. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. That’s my role and responsibility as a dad!

Love you.”

I received a text message back minutes later telling how much just some simple words like that really meant. She went on further to say:

“You are such a great dad. In fact, everyone says what a great dad you are. I dont often get told that I am doing a good job so thank you for saying that.”

So I am here today, writing this down, to tell you that you are not just doing a good job… you are doing a phenomenal job as a new mum to our little Jesse.

Super Mum

I know you don’t hear it enough. From me or from others. And for that I am sorry.

But I am here, now, telling you that to me, you are Superwoman! And I promise to remember to tell you more often, just how good of a job you are doing!

You are our super mum!

Photo Friday: We Love the Gympie Music Muster

August 28, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

If you are like us, there will be one or two events that come up every year that you simply can’t miss. And for us, one of those events is the Gympie Music Muster!

If you love music, food, festivals and camping, The Gympie Music Muster is the place to be. And you don’t have to be a country music fan as there really is something for everyone.

We have been going for years and years now, and every year it seems to get better and better.

This year however, is a little different to previous years. Different, because we have our little Jesse with us.

This is our first time camping (well, you could say “glamping” considering we have a pop-top caravan) with a baby. Something that we thought we prepared very well for.

So how is it going? Have we survived so far? Well… you will just have to wait until we get back for us to release our usual ‘Muster Vlogs’ showing what exactly we got up to this year at the Gympie Music Muster.

In the meantime however, if you would like an idea of what the Gympie Music Muster is like from our perspective, below is the three part video series we filmed last year.

Enjoy…

Our Baby’s Milestones: Terrified of Missing Out

August 23, 2015 Kaine Barton2 Comments

It is Monday morning on August 10, 2015. It is 9:50 am.

My iPhone buzzes on my desk beside me. The buzzing sound that is all too familiar to me now. It is letting me know that someone has sent me a text message.

I unlock my iPhone and as I click into my Messages app, a video pops up on my screen. A video that Renee has sent me of our little Jesse. The video that you can see below.

It’s not the first time I’ve received a video or photo of Jesse from Renee, and I know it won’t be the last. And I will say this… I love getting sneaky little text message or Snapchat updates from Renee showing me what they are getting up to throughout the day. I actually really look forward to it, receiving photos and videos, so I can see our little Jesse while I am at work.

However, after receiving the video of Jesse from Renee on that Monday morning, something really terrified me. And that something has been constantly pulling at the back of my mind ever since receiving that video. Something that I haven’t been able to articulate, but will attempt to with this blog post.

I am absolutely terrified of missing out on important milestones in Jesse’s development and in his overall life.

Let me say this, I know that I’m not the only working dad/parent out there. And I know that I’m not the first, and certainly won’t be the last, to feel like this.

But that doesn’t make it any less real for me.

I was sitting there watching back the video of my first child, my son, my little Jesse smiling away and almost letting out his first giggle. I had a smile on my face from ear to ear and little tears were welling in my eyes at the pure joy I felt watching him smiling and being so happy. But then this wave of fear washed over me.

What if I’m not there for the time he let’s out his first little giggle? What if I’m not there the first time he laughs or to hear his first word? What if I’m not there when he rolls over for the first time? Crawls for first time? Takes his first steps?

Kaine and Jesse

I was terrified and angry and disappointed and sad, at the very real chance that I may not be there to witness some of these milestones. That I may be at work and have to watch his first giggle through the screen of an iPhone. Or that I may be held up on public transport and have to witness the first time he crawls on the screen of our laptop when I get home.

As far as milestones in the life of a baby, some of these might only be small ones. But to me, they’re all important. Jesse’s first giggle to me, is just as important as his first word. And the first time he rolls over is just as important as his first step.

Now I know that work is where I need to be right now. I know that I need to step up into the role of being the provider for our family. And I know that Renee is forever thankful that I have taken on this responsibility, as she has conveyed in her blog post ‘An Open Letter to Dads Returning to Work’.

But at the end of the day, even though I know I won’t entirely miss these milestones (that is the beauty of technology these days), I still can’t seem to shake that distant feeling of disappointment that I may very well not be there to witness some of them first hand. All I can say is that I am extremely thankful that we are in a position that has allowed us to extend Renee’s time away from work so that one of us will be there to witness and capture these amazing moments in Jesse’s life.

It makes me think however, that I feel sorry for all the new parents out there where both mum and dad had to return to work early. As there is a real possibility that they may both miss some of these special times in a baby’s life.

Like I mentioned earlier, I know that I’m not the only working dad/parent out there that has felt like this at one stage during parenthood, and I know I won’t be the last.

But maybe, just maybe… by writing down these thoughts someone, somewhere, might realise that they aren’t alone in feeling like this. Let’s all cherish the time we have with our children, because there will be moments that we will all inevitably miss out on.

Re-branding Not So Secret Life Of Us

August 16, 2015August 16, 2015 Kaine BartonLeave a comment

Ever since we first released our ‘Not So Secret Life Of Us’ project, I haven’t entirely been happy with our little watermark that we use for our photos and YouTube videos.

So with that in mind, I’ve been working tirelessly (well… not really… but I have been working most of the day) on a new logo and watermark design that both Renee and I are 100% happy with.

So with that said, I can happily say that I have finished the design, both Renee and I are really happy with it… and here it is.

From here on in, you will now be seeing this logo on all of the Not So Secret Life Of Us photos and YouTube videos, along with replacing the profile photo for our Facebook page.

As well as that, we will be printing up some stickers to help us promote our blog and promote this incredible journey we are on.

Let us know what you think of our new logo… and if you would like a sticker for your car, fridge, diary, husbands forehead… contact us through our Facebook page so we can send you some through the mail.

Again, thanks to everyone who has shown their support for this project.