Have You Missed Me Blog?

Welcome back to my blog! I know it has been ages, naughty me..

**This week for me has been all about the cooler weather.. Sorting through the kids wardrobes and checking what they need for winter, buying them new slippers and warm woolly bedsocks, washing the flanelette sheets & blankets in readyness, browsing through the stores for new winter clothes and of course rugging up in my own pink fluffy dressing gown and gorgeous 'marshmallow socks'. I am usually one who deems winter weather to be awfully miserable but this year I am welcoming the cool change, not because I like it or anything, but because there is no sense in complaining - it will come no matter how much I whinge.. so I may as well make the most of it!**

**The warmer weather will of course be missed.. I have loved the summer bbq's, fishing, playing in the backyard til dark, drive ins, swimming and playing in the park. But with Autumn/Winter comes a whole new set of activities/traditions to participate with the kids, after all it isn't cold each and every day! When I have woken up the past week it has been dark outside still, which makes it all the more harder to drag oneself out from underneath the warm doona but once up, the air is crisp and fresh and the world is lovely and quiet.. The past two mornings I was up early setting up our garage sale and market sale and iv come to realise that 5am is probably my favourite time of the day (as long as its tackled with a warm shower and hot chocolate/tea!) you really do make the most of your day waking up that early.. (although kind of grumpy by mid afternoon!)**

Things I have loved this week!

* Using the rule of tidying or ommitting 5 things a day from your life that annoy you.. it could be as simple as dusting an ornament you find at the back of a cupboard or finally throwing away that pair of jeans that you will never fit back into.. no matter how hard you try! I had a garage/market sale this weekend and I found it so uplifting to get rid of some things I had been harbouring for years.

* Chatting to people at markets/garage sales.. often people have a good tale to tell and enjoy a good chat.. so many friendly people out there.. its nice to see!

* Getting ready for winter! dressing gowns, blankies and winter socks..YUM!

* Hazelnut 98% fat free hot chocolate (cough cough although I do add milk!)

* Seeing my Pop.. although he was in hospital it was nice to take the kids up for a visit twice this week..I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful Grandparent and its so cool the kids still have Great Grandparents too.

*Seeing how well staffed and clean the hospital was.. Pop too was happy with the service so I was very happy with that - speedy recovery Pop xo

* Handwashing dishes - our dishwasher has been annoying me of late.. usually having to be run twice.. so rather than continue to waste water, power and sanity I have now decided to handwash my dishes.. they come out clean first time and there is something theraputic about washing dishes.. I think it must be the water.. I know many would disagree and im sure the novelty will wear off soon enough, but its been nice after so many years with a dishwasher..

* Seeing the fireworks display the other night.. I love fireworks.. so magical.

* Slowly but surely getting to the end of our easter chocolate..

**~Daily Note to Self~** Make a menu plan at the beginning of each week and pre-shop for the week's ingredients.. this will make it far easier to plan dinner each night and ensure you have everything ready to go in advance. Ill trial this and see how it goes this week! :-)