~Happymum81~

New Blog..

2010-11-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those of you that read this blog, but I have now started a new one.. planning to be much more exciting and reliable than this one! lol.
Feel free to follow me there.. :-) A Wishful Whimsy

Sick..

2010-11-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Seems like its that time of year again for viruses and illness to run rampant. The weather doesn't know whether its Arthur or Martha - one minute hot and sunny, the next cold and windy! Today is was cold and rainy, *yik*.

Needless to say I was oblivious to this and parked my car in the open air at the local shops when the sun was shining brightly this morning and came out, trolley full of groceries , it was raining cats and dogs! After getting the groceries into the car, jeans and shoes super soggy from stepping in a rather large puddle (ever so inconveniantly placed in the middle of the crossing) and sheltering my Son from the rain (human umbrella's tend to get quite wet) I was feeling rather miserable and hard done by! It was bliss to finally get home and change into a tracksuit, which is a rare wardrobe occasion for me, but bugger the fashion statement I was over it!

I'v been feeling sick since Saturday with what seems like the 'Neverending Flu', at least thats what i'v called it. I'm happy to say I feel like I may be at the tail end of it all, I didn't feel like hosting the virus much longer, it had overstayed it's welcome after all - a couple of days off work is all good, but a whole week is just harming my shopping allowance!

I must say it was nice to be 'looked after' though, hubby bought me a 'sick pack' containing soup, magazines and codral cold n flu tabs, cooked dinner each night and placed a heat pack behind my aching back.. The kids, genuinely concerned were very well behaved and considerate, maybe I could chuck a sickie for the next few months, see if anyone notices! LOL.

Some of the things that I have adored about my week long sick 'vacation' that comforted me and made me feel all the better, were; having my lovely family nearby, water and lots of it, playing squares and hangman with the kids, lots of sleep, my lovely soft heatpack I bought from bubbachenille the other weekend, lots of vitamin C, pumpkin soup and lots of cuddles from my little man, who spent the past 2 days at home sick with his Mum.. Its amazing when your child gets sick, you start to feel better to help them out too..

Hoping next week is a 'better health' week and that the weekend eventually gives us some of the sunshine we have grownn to love over the past couple of weekends! :)

Loving this warmer weather..

2010-11-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

Finally after all of that rain, we have beautiful sunshine again! Not that I am complaining too much about the rain, it has done wonders for our gardens and lawn, but it is so nice to see the sun shining and feel the warmer weather on one's skin. On the weekend, after a few hotter days, I decided to set up a 'drinks station' for the kids to pour their own water throughout the day. I bought a nice red jug from Target for $15.00 and added to it their 4 cups (Each of the kids has their own coloured cup, to minimise washing throughout the day) The idea so far has worked really well and it has increased the amount of water that I have been drinking too, which is always a bonus!

It's Raining It's Pouring!

2010-09-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Its raining its pouring..

Its been raining pretty much every day since we got back from our holiday on Stradbroke Island. Not that im complaining, although it has made the school holidays quite difficult being cooped up indoors all day long. But the rain is doing wonders for the grass, gardens and beautiful spring flowers that I planted earlier this month. I wandered down to my washing line this morning to take advantage of a patch of 'fine weather' and admired the freshness of everything. A much better view than a few months ago when everything was dry, crispy and brown..

At night I fall asleep to the sound of the rain on the roof and it is so calming and soothing.. Im sure tomorrow when 2 of my friends bring their kids around for morning tea, it wont be so soothing with 5 children under 7 running about! As a relief teacher I tend to stay at home and decline work on rainy days, I quite enjoy my lunchbreaks without 30 children joining me in the classroom for it! :) It can't all be positives when it comes to the rain now can it?

Today I took a trip to my Mums place, its only a 45 minute drive away but once you get there you feel like you are on another planet. The country air, no traffic just beautiful mountain veiws and fresh air. Iv posted previously about my Mum's fantastic fresh veggie garden and today did not dissapoint. My Son happily picked cherry tomatoes by the dozen and ate fresh strawberries off of the plant. I also came home laden with spinach, eggplant and fresh herbs.. yum. I still must get around to planting my own veggie/herb garden.. another one of those things on my very long 'to-do list' that doesn't seem to be getting any shorter as the year wears on.

Lately I love taking out my camera and photographing nature.. usually done so on my iphone so the picture quality is not fantastic, but I don't mind.. it makes me smile.. :) And on that note, im off to bed.

Daily note to self: Go to bed BEFORE midnight in future!!!!

Been Awhile.. Room for thought..

2010-09-20T05:54:00.001-07:00

Seems like forever since I last posted.. its been rather busy around here with painting and reorganising our home.. we are part way through with all of the bedrooms now complete. The next room we are going to tackle is our new 'spare room' its so exciting to have a spare room again! Makes me wonder what we will end up using it for... We want the room to take some of the pressure off the rest of the house so ideally it will house another TV for the kids to watch at times & play their Wii on. Also hopeful for a sofa bed that guests can use.. Space for a computer nook/scrapbooking table would be nice and the very full bookcase needs to find a home in that room also. So many things for such a little space, but I think im confident in pulling it off..

Finding a home for all of our excess items has also been fun. As a past 'hoarder' I wanted the 'new rooms' to be free of clutter & items that weren't being used to their full potential. I figured there is no point in having a vase on a cupboard if that vase if covered in dust.. or a picture frame that falls over etc.. I figure no matter if iv donated to friends, freecycle or ebay - the people who have recieved my old items will be able to give them a better home and will treasure them. And at the end of the day, it is nice to breathe easy & walk into a room that is simply us.

Red will be a feature colour of my 'spare room'.. love red.. it is sooo inspiring & is hands down my favourite colour - no one can be bored or unhappy in a red room!

Im hopeful this room will give me a little space of my/our own that we will eventually evolve into a room where we can add another little member to our family.. but in the meantime Im happy to call it our 'spare room' because when the time is right, we'll once again be left with no spare rooms.. but I guess I wouldn't be unhappy about that either :)

*~Daily Note to Self~*

Tidy, quickly.. procrastinate little & get this room ready!

School Holidays.. Week 1

2010-06-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Well, week 1 of the school holidays has nearly come to an end.. why does it have to go so fast?? Normally I fill school holidays with activities and outings, however, due to Indi being unwell and the cold weather, these holidays have been a welcome change of pace. We have spent many days at home playing, painting, making collage, watching movies (or in Indi's case endless episodes of Scooby Doo) baking and catching up on those jobs that needed doing around the house.

Not sure what we will get up to in the second week, a lot of the shopping centres, libraries, art gallery and parks in the area have free attractions that keep the kids amused and are cost effective when entertaining 4 children so we will probably check them out. Picnics are a favourite as are visiting with family. There are many things out there that people can do without breaking the bank, but sometimes staying home and playing is a child's best day of all.

For those of you at home with your kids on holidays, enjoy!

A Day in the life of..

2010-05-31T04:33:00.000-07:00

I saw this fun little blogging activity a few months ago and decided I would give it a go. You have to take a photograph every hour on the hour of what your up to in your day. And although it was a few weeks ago now, iv finally fixed the issues my laptop was having so now I can upload all the piccies I took and finally finish off the blog!

6am: Wake up! And get organised for the day.. No work for me today :-)

7am -Breaky and checking emails/facebook/ebay etc..

8am: Replace kids old drinking cups with new brightly coloured drinking cups I bought at Target on Saturday!

9am: After school drop off, I decided to come home and clean up my desk.. I spared you from the before shot, it was too hideous! LOL. (P.S - Just dont look in the draws :P)

10am: Last housecleaning task of the day, dusting.. nicely dusted tv cabinet!

11am: Mum is popping down to visit shortly so I thought I'd catch up with my Project Life over an early lunch.

12pm - Gorgeous day outside, nice breeze blowing through the trees.. Off to the shops with Mum.

1pm - Towel and bathroom accessory shopping for when I eventually get around to painting the bathroom! Chose some really nice Mocha coloured towels from Target. Layby'd them til Im productive!

2pm: Bought the groceries back home to pack away before heading back to school. Got a few jobs done today during my kid free hours thankfully!

3pm: Back in my car..

4pm: A bit of outside time.. good to see Jessie is loving the new bed we got him on the weekend. Looks so cosy now the cooler weather is setting in.
5pm: And so the animal feeding time begins, the cats congregate in the kitchen and wont leave you alone til dinnertime.. its usually a relief to feed them cause then they all go back to sleep!

6pm: Yummy Pork roast for dinner.. Cooking away nicely..

7pm: Catching up on some homework before bedtime.. wanted to cut out all of the pictures fromthe magazines for his letter of the week.

8pm: Dinnertime! Turned out really yummy!

9pm: Watching Desperate Housewives & Brothers and Sisters my 2 fave shows... Monday night is my night in front of the telly! :-)

10pm: Desert.. nothing too evil.. a Nestle Diet Creme Caramel.. my favourite desert with not as much fat as the regular kind... And then after Brothers and Sisters I dozed off on the lounge! LOL.

So that was my day...

Meals of convenience!

2010-05-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly getting the hang of this working Mum thing.. making the most of my down time getting washing done, making lunches at nighttime and getting some extra sleep to see me through the day. Up until this week my poor slow cooker was sitting in the cupboard feeling rather neglected but I dug it out and made a really yummy Sausage casserole for Thursday nights dinner - It was ever so easy too and so ideal to come home to a home cooked meal all ready to go! (unfortunately I forgot to take 'after' pictures!)

Ingredients;

8 Thick Beef Sausages

2 Onions

2 Carrots

2 Potatoes

Tomato Paste

Large jar of Tomato Cooking Sauce

Herbs - fresh or dried (I used oregano and basil)

Salt and Pepper

2 tins of crushed tomatoes

Kalamata Olives

Add whole sausages, sliced carrots, onions and diced potatoes to your slow cooker casserole dish. Add 2 tins of crushed tomatoes, cooking sauce and herbs and give a stir - add salt and pepper, tomato paste and herbs to suit your tastes.Toss in the olives and any other vegetables you desire..

I placed my slow cooker on low for 8 hours, however, you could use the automatic or high settings to cook the meal faster. Served over a bed of rice this dinner was super filling and very yummy for a wintery evening! Other dishes I like to prepare in the slow cooker are beef casseroles and silverside. I came across a recipe for rice pudding in the slow cooker this evening and cheese and bacon rissotto, i'll have to road test these and see how they taste.

I have decided to start using a recipe/meal planner to plan out my weekly meals which will make our grocery shopping and daily routine a little smoother. There are plenty of printable menu planner

templates online I personally like the one on the following website;

The Project Girl - Menu Planning Board Free Download. After I sit down tomorrow afternoon and map mine out i'll post how mine looks all set out for the week..

Cupcake Monday..

2010-05-17T03:47:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with cupcakes at the markets one Saturday morning when I saw the sweet creations that the Cupcake Parlour make. I then sought out a cupcake option for my wedding cake, which unfortunately didn't work out (due to the lady changing her prices at the last moment) instead my Mum made gorgeous cupcakes for the children attending the wedding and they worked out so well. This inspired me to start making ones of my own and partake in 'Cupcake Monday'. Im only finding my feet with it all so my cupcakes are only topped with icing, sprinkles and cupcake toppers but eventually I would like to go into fondant and other fancier things.. Simple but they still taste soo yummy! I even bought this cute little cupcake mug tonight at the groceries that hubby bought me a yummy warm milo in.. 2 marshmallows of course! *spoilt!*

Things that I have LOVED this week!

2010-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Things that I have loved this week!

1. Mothers Day - last Sunday. Loved it, I love seeing how excited the kids are over the gifts they make at school and how proud they are of them. Got some gorgeous PJ's, Brain Training on the DS and some yummy chocolates.

2. Getting warm! It has been so cold here that flannie PJ's, dressing gowns, marshmallow socks and thick cozy blankets have been our everyday norm! Digging out my winter jacket (which has a nice fluffy neckline) and my red cardi which I love all winter long has been a delight this week.

3. Finding a doctor that comes out to the home.. only came across this ingenius idea the other night after my poor Pop had to sit up at the hospital for 5 hours and STILL not be seen. The doctor was waiting at his home ready to see him by the time we had driven back from the hospital! I also got them to come out and check on my son and were seen within 2 hours. Bulk billed and very professional! YAY.

4. Deciding that we are going to start PAINTING! the house sooo needs a freshen up and although it is easier said than done.. I am going to make a start this week!

5. Catching up with friends at a Birthday BBQ for gorgeous Jake who turned 1! The afternoon seemed to go so quickly and before I knew it, it was dark.. don't get to catch up with friends often, so it was nice!

6. Seeing my Son play his first game of soccer by himself without parents on the feild! He did get a little upset here and there when he was unsure of the game, but overall he did a wonderful job and im very proud of him!

7. Watching the Wedding Singer last night on telly, love that movie.

8. Having a lazy lie in today and making the yummiest Sunday morning brunch ever! Toast with avocado, cheese, grilled eggplant, baby spinach leaves, poached egg and grilled mushrooms and baby tomatoes! YUMMO!!!

Fresh is best!

2010-05-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

Mum and Dad live on acreage outside of town, 120 acres of gorgeous mountain views is on their front doorstep. Mum who has always been blessed with a green thumb has taken advantage of the space and grown a massive vegetable garden full of organic produce. Today she dropped in and left us some fresh homegrown vegetables, how good do they look! We have zucchini, squash, cucumber and lots of little cherry tomatoes, all fresh from the garden. I have already eaten a fair few cherry tomatoes and they taste absolutely devine! Nothing like home grown, organic vegetables. Tomorrow I am going to turn some of the zucchini's into a eggplant and zucchini gratin! YUMMO..

Old School Memories..

2010-04-20T16:12:00.001-07:00

I went back to my old school this week to do some relief teaching, how odd that was! 2 days with a year 2/3 class in my old year 2 classroom! And how ironic it was in this classroom that I had my heart set on being a teacher 22 years ago!

An older school with its original buildings now being 143 years old, I love the stairwells, brick buildings and gorgeous huge trees that landscape the grounds. I hadnt been back in many years so it was nice to go for a wander and see how I remembered things compared to my memory. Isn't it funny that everything seems so much bigger when your a kid? For example the Library used to seem quite large, but yesterday with the class of kids in it, it seemed quite small - I used to feel like I could get lost in that library. Toilets and drinking taps are another thing that seems to shrink as we get older; as little people sometimes we had to stand on our tippy toes to reach.

Walking down the familiar hallways felt the same and seeing my old friends names up on the school captain/house captain board was a blast from the past. Other areas that bought back memories were the tuckshop, the big tree on the oval (notorious year 7 kissing spot!) and the area where us as year sevens were allowed to 'hang out'.

Things that have changed are obviously new playgrounds, room changes such as the staff room now being in the old special education unit and smart boards instead of blackboards. The school population seems so much smaller than I remember but the general ambience of the school is still the same.. I also went to my Husbands old primary school the other day and he also asked questions about the layout of his school.. its funny how our primary school's can make such an impression on us!

Now I'm Hungry!

2010-04-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

Im certainly no 'Master Chef' and dont make a lot from 'scratch' but this week inspired by some yummy cookbooks I was given, we've had some really nice dinners (even when I cooked which is amazing! LOL)

Sunday night was a Pesto Fettucini and it was gorgeous mixed with bacon, cherry tomato's, mushrooms and kalamata olives - it was truly devine! and tonight my 5 year old came up with a recipe that he wanted to make (he just thought of it off the top of his head the other night when we were making garlic bread) 'Garlic Balls'. They were so delicious and it was good fun making them together;

Ingredients:

* Bread (we used damper with its crusts removed) any soft loaf would be suitable, something that is going to hold together.

* Butter

* Crushed garlic

* Salt and Pepper

* Chives or similar (we added a dash of oregano also)

Remove the crusts from your chosen bread and set the bread aside. In a bowl place the butter and garlic (use as much as you need for the chosen serving size) and melt this down in the microwave. Add salt and pepper and herbs to the melted butter/garlic. Roll the bread into balls and coat with the butter mix. Heat the grill (I used a high setting) and place the garlic balls under the grill until the are cooked. take out and serve with your favourite meal.. We had ours with pumpkin soup and it tasted fantastic! Definitely a recipe I will use again.. Maybe there is a mini 'Master Chef' in our family after all!

Have You Missed Me Blog?

2010-04-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

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! :-)

Things that I have loved this week!

2010-04-03T07:53:00.001-07:00

Counting down to the school holidays!
Participating in Relay for Life.. Although I only walked for 1 hour, I think the meaning behind it is essential and very important.
Seeing the kids so excited about Easter and doing easter craft, cards and handmade gifts with them.
Planting new flowers in the garden and seeing everything grow and getting greener.
Having everyone around for a early Easter BBQ.. was a very fun afternoon!
Easter Egg hunts.. We had one and the kids have had them at school.. so much fun!
Seeing my two youngest sons recieve an award for good behaviour choices all term! Well done boys! :-) & taking them out to dinner to celebrate.
Shopping.. such a great ambience to it..
Getting my new camera! Love it..
Setting up for Easter! and looking forward to tomorrow :-)

Hope everyone else had a great week.. Happy Easter and Safe Holidays!

Easter Preparations.. Part 1

2010-03-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Just thought i'd share these cute Easter Baskets that I made for our children and the kids who are coming to our family Easter BBQ. Instead of buying individual presents/chocolates etc for each of the nephews and neices we have decided that each family coming would buy eggs toward the egg hunt and the kids would get whatever they collect (of course we'd even it out so the big kids didn't have all the fun/chocolate!) I hope the idea works well..

I bought the baskets for $2.50 each from the $2 shop and lined it with either pink or blue tissues depending upon if the basket was for a boy/girl. I then added a name tag to the front (the cute felt bunny's are actually on mini pegs.. these to were from a $2 shop! So cute..) Throw in a set of bunny ears (also $2!) and a tube of Easter Bubbles and the kids are all set to do some serious egg hunting!!

I thought this was an inexpensive way to brighten up the BBQ and give the kids a basket they can not only use on the day but perhaps put out for the Easter Bunny too!

*~Daily Note to Self~* The phone isn't going to ring at 6am tomorrow body clock... please let me sleep in!!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 3

2010-03-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well technically it is Wednesday morning but its still Tuesday in some part of the world, so here goes..

Monday:Went to the park after school to take advantage of the great weather. Kids had a lot of fun, have decided to make it a weekly trip until the cooler weather/shorter days set in.

Tuesday:Starting participating in Project Life Tuesdays!

Wednesday: We played a board game after dinner, the kids love it when we do that. They had a lot of fun playing 'Whatever Next' a drama/role play board game.

Thursday: Now that the weather is getting cooler in the mornings/evenings we are in our Autumn PJ's at night and the cats are trying to find warm places to cosy up in. Here is Jack after being tucked in by hubby.

Friday: Another beautiful sunny day, quite warm - a great way to end the working/school week with a cool off at the pool.

Saturday: Met up with Mum and went off to Soccer. After soccer spent the day browsing the shops/markets and did some serious retail therapy!

Sunday: Spent the afternoon doing some of the layouts in my Project Life and planning my Easter BBQ.

Things that I have loved this week!

2010-03-21T06:27:00.001-07:00

1. Getting lots of things done around the house & making the most of my time @ home.
2. Seeing my Pop and doing his washing.. thought it was pretty cool, its nice to help out!
3. Going swimming on Friday afternoon the water was so refreshing in one pool and warm in the other, was very relaxing and started the weekend off right!
4. Watching my Mum and Son play Soccer together on Saturday morning so nice to see them running around and laughing.
5. Spending the day with my Mum doing the local markets and deliberating over pretty hand made bags.. so many to choose from!
6. Hell Pizza.. soo yum! Hubby and I ate way too much on Saturday night, 2 pizzas & kahlua and white chocolate cheesecake! YUM..
7. Printing out my pictures for a full week of Project Life and figuring out my layout for April.
8. Making a headstart on my Easter Shopping
9. Doing the 'open home' thing and imagining how life would be in a larger home.. LOL.
10. Apricot Chicken! The meals get yummier as the weather gets colder!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 2

2010-03-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

Decided to start with Project Life Tuesday, I am loving doing Project Life, a photo project that involves taking a photo (usually daily but people can take photographs less frequently if they wish, after all it is their 'life') and inputting it into the Project Life album alongside journalling cards to tell their 'story'. You can find out all about it here or click on the Project Life Tuesday button above to get back to other peoples 'Project Life' pages.

It is certainly making me notice and appreciate the 'little' things that make up 'everyday'. I truly do feel it is those little things that make us who we are and are a true representation of our lives.. Im 2 weeks into my Project Life and iv had people comment about how hard it must be to photograph something everyday.. but really, its not.. some days I have 4 or 5 photographs to choose from.. I will photograph my completed layout tomorrow as it looks in my album.

Monday: Spent the day tidying the house.. was so happy once it was all clean.. sat back and relished in the freshly dusted, vaccumed, mopped and tidied home..

Tuesday: My first teaching day ever! And waiting at home for me was my Project Life Kit. Felt like I embarked on two exciting journeys in one day!

Wednesday: We spent the afternoon kicking the soccer ball around the backyard. The dogs thought it was fantastic after all this wet weather to have us back out in the yard again!

Thursday: After just 2 days teaching and spending my nights planning I was completely exhausted. I fell asleep with the laptop just within reach and apparently spoke a lot in my sleep that night.

Friday: Another day of teaching and I still have a smile on my face! I made it to the end of my first week back @ work!

Saturday: Soccer Saturday and my little mans first 'big game'! YAY

Sunday: The boys set up a 'school' and played for about 3 hours the game was fantastic! They even put us into 'time out' for not raising our hand to answer a question! LOL. The room took a bit of tidying at the end of it!

Til next Tuesday..

Labour of Lunch..

2010-03-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

I just finished making 6 lunches.. an entire loaf of bread, packet of ham, 3 tomatoes, 1/4 block of cheese, 1/2 kilo of yoghurt, packet of shapes, 4 muffins, 4 pikelets and 7 pieces of fruit later I have a mountain of Tupperware ready to go in the morning! Not to mention storing it all takes up pretty much the entire fridge..

However, I find I like to prepare the lunches in the evening (with the exception of the cut up fruit..) because it gives me the time to 'create' something special for each of us.. something to look forward to at break time. It is pretty depressing when at work or school, counting down to break time to be greeted by a Vegemite sandwich and a muesli bar (although it could be much worse...) So I like to think of some tasty things to pack the lunchboxes with..

Last week when working in schools I found it pretty disheartening to see what some kids have in their lunchboxes, some children don't bring any food at all! I know snack foods can be expensive and sometimes the things the kids ask for can be outside of the budget, however, there are many different ways around this - baking, buying larger boxes and packaging your own into containers/bags etc, utilising cheaper alternatives and keeping an eye out for bakery specials. Today I got 20 pikelets for only $2.00!

Sometimes I feel like the kids have 'boring' lunchboxes because theirs aren't filled with all of the commercialised products we see advertised on TV, but then I consider that these items, aside from flashy packaging aren't much more that that..

For example tomorrow the kids have;

Ham, cheese and mayo sandwich on grain bread.
Cherry tomatoes, cheese stick and kalamata olives cut up
Shapes crackers
Mango yoghurt &
Piece of fruit.
(the older two also have a fruit muffin and lettuce mix added to their sandwich)

All of these items didn't cost all that much in comparison to the commercialised products, because when you are packing lunches for a large family, boxes of such products usually only last one lunchtime ( 6 Le Snacks = 1 box etc) I sometimes make my own versions of the products and put crackers alongside cheese spread or if I do buy a commercial product such as LCM's, I will cut up 1 LCM and dice it into bite size pieces - it then becomes LCM bites for 2 kids instead of 1 etc..

Instead of poppers, I pack drink bottles of water and a smaller drink bottle with cordial or juice in it, once again minimising packaging, providing a longer lasting option and saving money.. Its a win win situation.

What type of things do you pack into your child's lunchbox? Is it something you would be excited to see when you open the lid?~*Daily Note to Self*~ Participate in Project Life Tuesday tomorrow :-)

Where did the week go.. and things that I loved this week..

2010-03-14T05:21:00.000-07:00

Time flies.. I cant believe its been a whole week since I last posted! Each morning I have been woken up at 6am by the phone ringing - calling me in to do some relief teaching work. I ended up accepting 3 days and found each day to be interesting, challenging and rewarding. It certainly has increased my organisation skills and has made me wonder what on earth I did with all of my 'free days'?

What did I love this week?

A little bit of sunshine! and staring up at the tree's swaying in the wind..
Seeing how happy the kids were when Ravioli night became a weekly thing not just a fortnightly thing.. Because they are a part of it too now..
Cheering on the kids @ Cross Country!
Movie and lunch with Hubby - Valentines Day & Fasta Pasta..
Lots of early nights.. so tired after working days!
Getting back into the working world.. and feeling able and organised enough to be there!
Still knowing I'm a 'SAHM' at heart..
Receiving my 'Project Life' kit in the mail & finishing 2 weeks!! YAY
Getting through 1/2 of my MASSIVE ironing pile this afternoon (it was twice the size of the basket!)
Sunday Roast night - yummy roast pork.
Getting to spend the entire day at home.. not having to go anywhere..
Blueberry Muffins in the oven and their baked smell wafting through the house..

*~Daily Note to Self~* Self belief is the most important thing.. If you think you can do it.. you will!

2010-03-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

This second food journal I am posting isnt much better than my first.. less water is the most noticable thing to me.. I have already started off on a better foot this week and plan to cut down on the 'snacks', however, I have found the food journal has helped a lot in making better food choices and reminding me when I haven't eaten etc.. which isn't uncommon for me to do! I will definitely keep using it.. Tomorrow I am going to start back on the Wii fit also and will probably modify the chart to include my BMI also.

Baby on the brain..

2010-03-08T02:27:00.000-08:00

Today I sat down and completed my sons baby books.. One of his baby books spanned until he was 5 year old and the other 2, til he was 1. I had the majority of them filled out, but I just had a few photographs to add in and a couple more things to update. Was so nice looking back over all of his baby pictures and reminicing, its amazing how fast they grow. My reminicsing didn't stop there, however, everywhere I went today I noticed his 'baby' things..

It all started this morning when I realised I hadn't washed his prep sheets for the week. So I went into the top of his wardrobe to find out a set of his cot sheets, I kept a few sets that I absolutely adored, taking these little white sheets covered with elephants in sailing boats brought back so many memories in itself. In the top of the cupboard I also came across a nappy, so tiny, nappy stacker and some teensy clothes! then glancing around his room I noticed all of the 'baby' things that I still had in his room.. his mobile, his nursery rhyme wall hanging, his winnie the pooh photoframes/keepsake box. All of the gorgeous little things I could never put away.. So out came the baby albums and baby books..

I spent the afternoon noticing EVERYTHING baby and came across the realisation that I am pretty 'clucky' but at the same time realised I would take the opportunity to update Indi's room to a big boy room.. I have decided to go along the lines of a 'space' theme and found the cutest doona set by Hiccups that I will decorate around, got it at a great price only $20 from Pillowtalk reduced from $70!

As for the cluckiness I may get around to sorting that out at some stage this year, but right now there are many many things to do.. but in the meantime I shall REDECORATE! Dont know what would be cheaper really. LOL.

~*Daily Note to Self*~ Make a list of the things you would like to scrapbook.. at the moment there are piles of photographs and many albums.. need some direction with it all..

Things I have loved this week..

2010-03-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Things I have loved this week!

Falling asleep listening to the rain on the roof each night!
Wearing my flanny PJ's to bed and bedsocks on cold mornings!
Doing craft with my Son - Paddlepop photoframes and he took his own pictures to do his own scrapbook.
Taking a 'Milo' break with my Son and he wanting to use the 'Daddy' cup as long as I used the 'Mummy' cup.
Wandering down the aisles at the shops getting ideas for Easter..
Checking the PO Box daily in hopes my 'Project Life' kit may appear! .. No such luck..tomorrow, fingers crossed!!
Using 'Smilebox' to do pretty things with my pictures..
Making the 'Its Friday Box!' and playing with Playdoh with my Son.
Homemade cooking! Yummy Ministrone and Vanilla Pana Cotta YUM!
Taking the kids to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D.
Reading.. reading to the kids, reading a magazine, the junk mail, a novel, other blogs, I just love reading..

I think there is a reason why we open the card first..

2010-03-07T05:01:00.000-08:00

To me the 'card' is the real present because ever since I can remember I have kept cards that I am given for birthdays, Christmas's etc and store them in a dry mount album. I think this started shortly after my 10th Birthday when my Nan gave me a gorgeous red card with balloons on the front, it had gold edging and a 3D design - very special. But what made it even more special was the writing inside it, Nan's writing; she passed away later that year, but the card was something I could look back on always. Ever since then I started to collect my cards and I have also done the same for my children. I updated my Son's album tonight with his fifth birthday cards and looked back on all of his other cards, they are all so beautiful. His album contains; baby shower, birth, christening, 1st Christmas, 1st Birthday, 1st Easter, subsequent Easter and Christmas cards, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Birthdays. I have popped them in with adhesive squares and decorated the pages with scrapbooking embellishments. I have come to the end of this album, so will purchase another to continue collecting his cards, I'm sure it will be a real keepsake and something he will love to look over in the years to come long after the presents have been outgrown, worn out or donated..

The other day I was fortunate enough to pick up these cute Dr Suess Primary School albums for $10 each! I got them for my two youngest to document and record some of their school experiences, it even has a spot to keep their report cards, certificates and photographs of the year. I sat down with Indigo tonight and we filled in his 'Prep' information he had so much fun and called it his 'scrapbooking time'.

~*Daily Note to Self*~

Slow cookers are your friend! How yummy was the Silverside Roast tonight?! Endeavour to use it more..

Kitchen Challenge.. Day 1

2010-03-05T06:43:00.001-08:00

I am a week behind in my kitchen challenge.. 2 weeks to organise my kitchen and all of its contents! Last night I tackled the interior of my fridge, cleaned it out and pre cut all of my salad/vegetable items for ease of use and less waste.. I then took some 'before' pictures of the remainder of my kitchen.. what a job I have ahead of me! These are some of the things I plan to do;

Short Term Goal Plan:

* Declutter the bench tops, cupboard tops and any other area that requires

decluttering. * Reorganise the plastic ware cupboard and buy some new items for the Kids. * Buy some magnetic fridge frames and reorganise children's artwork/pictures on the fridge. * Actually 'use' the canisters I have on the bench tops and * Clean out the pantry!

Long Term Goal Plan:

* Repaint the kitchen..

* Replace the dishwasher with a newer model.

* Polish the floors..

* Buy a kitchen island from IKEA and two benches.

Pictures of reorganised fridge! Definitely needs more food in it.. LOL.

Next Job to Tackle: The Freezer & The exterior of the Fridge!Deadline: 8th March 2010

"Its Friday Box!"

2010-03-05T05:51:00.001-08:00

Fridays are a funny day in our household, they are probably my hardest day of the week. This is unusual in itself I guess, as people often love Fridays, but for me it is a day of transition. One week, Friday marks the day my three stepchildren return from a week at their Mother's place; Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad thing, I am simply saying it brings with it a change of pace - the house becomes busier, harder to keep clean, the kids fight more on this first day back and everyone's moods are out of whack - So that Friday is chaotic, but I sleep very well that night having all the kids back under one roof!

The following Friday the kids return back to their Mothers so the morning is chaotic trying to ensure that nothing is forgotten. I also spend most of this Friday stressing about my Son going off to his Dads for the weekend, don't get me wrong they do a great job and he has a lot of fun, it has nothing to do with that, I just worry endlessly about everything -separation anxiety I guess. I get little sleep that Friday night (which is tonight by the way) The week just goes from one extreme to the other and even coming down from the busyness or quietness of the week can make Fridays rather unsettling.

So I do a few things to make Fridays a fun, less stressful day; One thing we have done for a little while now is have 'Ravioli Night' it's my Son's favourite food and he looks forward to it each fortnight. I am going to make it every Friday night as of next week as the other kids have asked about it. We often watch a movie together or play a board game also.

Today I started up the "Its Friday Box!" I bought a simple storage box and each Friday will fill it with a different activity. I decided to start the box off with Playdoh today, I made 3 different colours of microwave playdoh and filled the box with these and some playdoh tools. I left the box on the table for when my Son got home, he was so excited, got straight into it and it was a great way to fill in the rainy afternoon. I thought some other ideas would be painting, woodcraft, beading, drawing, bubbles, ball games, cooking.. the ideas could be endless.. It was quite the novelty! Already he is looking forward to what may be in next Fridays box

~*Daily Note to Self *~ Best to stick to a list when grocery shopping! And smile at grumpy check-out operators, at least you are having a good day, it may rub off!

Happily Married, 5 Months Today!

2010-03-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

Today the 10th, marks my five month wedding anniversary.. Five months since I made a special comittment to my best friend, the man who takes the time each day to make me feel loved, well looked after and secure - the person who stands by me and supports all of my choices (no matter how crazy!) and most of all the man whom I love!

I adored our wedding day, it was uniquely us, it had all of the elements that I had hoped for and there wasn't one 'hiccup' the entire day. The day came and went so quickly, however, so each month on the 10th I am going to 'revisit' my wedding - the planning, the people, the before's, the ceremony, the reception and the afterwards.. because it truly was a day worth remembering and a day worth celebrating.. a day that was special for us and our children.

Today I will revisit my proposal, a proposal that was 'foiled' several times by my unwillingness to cooperate and ruin 'surprises'. My ring was delivered via a peice of 'Ebony & Ivory' cake at 11pm on the 27th April 2009 after Damian tired of waiting for the 'right' moment.. He engineered and created the right moment, despite my protests that I didnt want to eat desert at 11pm at night (he wasn't going to let me destroy another attempt!) The ring, all sparkly sat atop the cake and I was told I could have the desert on one condition.. "If I would do him the honour of becoming his Wife.." Of course, I had to accept, I wanted the cake.. what could I do? LOL.. no seriously, it was very heartfelt and genuine and after accepting he put the beautiful ring onto my finger and it fit perfectly.. he has great taste.. if I do say so myself.. We started planning our beautiful wedding almost straight away, the sooner the better.. why wait? Six months later we were Mr & Mrs.

Five months on we are still very much Mr and Mrs.. loving married life.. next month, I will write a little of our planning and how we ended up getting our dream wedding for under $5000!

~*Daily Note to Self*~ Start the Wii fit in the morning! No excuses.. LOL

Tip Toeing Back Into the Working World..

2010-03-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

**As explained in my blog last week I have not been a part of the working world for a little over five years. When I commenced my degree 10 years ago I had planned on being a full time teacher, however, at this point in my life with a different set of circumstances I am going to embark on casual or relief teaching. I still feel like this will give me the best of both worlds; the ability to work and earn some extra money teamed with the freedom and knowledge of being here for the kids**

**Last night I sat down with the arduous task of updating my resume and creating a one page summary to hand in at prospective schools. I used to find these tasks relatively easy, almost like second nature, however, last night after a 5 year absence I found the task quite difficult and foreign. After 3 hours, however, I had created both a resume and one page summary that I was proud of, complete with a pretty red title!**

**This morning I found myself preparing for the working world - getting dressed up, putting on makeup and racing around like a mad woman preparing the kids for school. By the time I reached my interview at 9am I was exhausted and spared a thought for all of those amazing women who do this every day!! I walked away from the interview confident that I had made a good impression and happy that I had taken the first step back into the working world**

~*Daily Note to Self*~ Dont leave tasks til the last minute (or the night before!) Get organised and make a list, cross off that list and reward yourself for making progress.

Honorouble mention of the day: I would like to thank my Son and Stepchildren this morning for supporting me and being proud that I was going for a job interview. I thought it was so cute when they all wished me 'Good Luck' and it made me more confident that I was doing a good thing for us all.

Organic Dreams..

2010-03-01T01:59:00.000-08:00

**Whilst in the City earlier today Mum and I stopped into a store that I had long been interested in, an Organic Supermarket! I have never taken the time to stop in before today but I'm glad I did as I was pleasantly surprised at all of the natural options available! I have since decided I will endevour to switch over to as many of these products as I am able. In particular I would like to switch my body wash, handsoap, dishwashing powder, toothpaste, deodorant and fabric softener to the plant based alternatives. Anthing to minimise the chemicals used within the home and of course in our bodies!** **Whilst at the organic supermarket I also purchased organic apples and beetroot, surprisingly it didnt work out to be much dearer and the taste is absolutely amazing compared to the supermarket vegetables I have been used to buying. One very yummy product that Mum and I bought for the drive home were Beetroot chips, thinly sliced beetroot rounds, sprayed lightly with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and baked in the over to perfection! So Yummy I have decided to make my own, I will post how they go!**
*~Daily Note to Self: Smile, be yourself and radiate confidence tomorrow at the teaching interview and in no time you will have a class of 30 in front of you! Eeek ~*
Honoroble mention of the day: I would like to dedicate today to my lovely Mum, she has had a rough year but her strength, determination and love is awe inspiring.. She looks fantastic and is fantastic! Love you Mum xoxo.

Healthy Habits..

2010-02-28T08:07:00.000-08:00

**I have always had a long standing relationship with Coca-Cola the soft-drink (Coke just doesn't sound right there!) Ever since I was a child it was my drink of choice and all throughout Highschool and my working life, 600ml Buddy's were my 'buddy's'! I never drink coffee and have only the occasional alcoholic drink per year so the sickly black liquid soon became a beverage staple for me. I ditched 'Coca-Cola' back in 2004/2005 whilst pregnant with my Son (I couldn't stand the taste) but by the end of the 9 months it was the first thing I asked for after his delivery! I had a short lived fling with Pepsi Max in the lead up to my wedding in 2009 but soon saw the error of my ways and switched to Coke Zero, when the Honeymoon was over, I was back to my old faithful. After consuming 1.5 litres daily it was time to admit to myself.. " Hi Everyone, my name is Danielle and I'm a 'Coke-a-holic'" I realised it had to come to an end. My sugary obsession was making me pile on the kilo's and gave me a headache every time I stopped drinking it for more than a day!** **I am pleased to say it has now been two weeks and I have officially kicked my unhealthy beverage habit! Hooray! How do I know I'm cured? The first week I found it an arduous task to bypass the appealing red label and saw Coke everywhere! In the petrol stations, restaurant and on TV I remained strong, however and resisted temptation! Friday I went grocery shopping and this time didn't even give the bottles a sideways glance! Hip Hip Hooray! So the first step towards a healthier me.. complete! Now lets hope I don't fall off the wagon so to speak!** **I have also started up a food journal that I printed off the Project Girl website, a great tool for popping onto the fridge and noting down all of the foodstuffs you consume during the day. I was quite surprised by this weeks consumption and a little horrified at times! I will be putting this up on my Blog at the end of every week so I can continue to alter my eating habits to reflect a better lifestyle. This week I aim to eat more, but of the good stuff only! I am also trying to achieve 8 glasses of water a day, so hopefully I can reach that milestone this week also! Wish me luck!!!**

The template gives you room to write down your breakfast/snack/lunch/snack/dinner/snack and then a section to circle up to 8 glasses of water daily! I modified my last snack box to include the tablets I take daily, so I could tick them off (I'm always forgetting otherwise!)

My Weekend Whereabouts..

2010-02-26T23:26:00.001-08:00

**Weekends to me are seen as days for small luxuries.. a little sleep in (children willing), something other than muesli for breakfast, getting to spend time with the kids that isn't constrained by routines or appointments, catching a movie and winding down from the busy week that was. This weekend was no exception (minus the sleep-ins! and the basketload of ironing I did tonight!)**

**Soccer was the highlight of my Saturday, I really do enjoy getting out onto the soccer field and participating in Grasshopper Soccer with the boys, we all have such a fun time. I think it is a wonderful concept that the parents join in with the younger children and become the 'Big Grasshopper', the children thoroughly enjoy it and in this day and age, where some parents work and life is so busy, it is a special time to spend with your child**

**Today was spent checking out the local markets, buying fresh meat, eggs and produce from local farmers. Nothing quite like fresh fruit and vegies, organic free range eggs and a Sunday roast! The remainder of the day was spent at IKEA, spoilt for choice we got a fantastic new red rug (amongst other purchases) which really brightened up the rainy day and has finished off our loungeroom perfectly! **

*~Daily Note to Self~* Keep in touch with relatives, time goes by so quickly, it is essential you stay in touch with your loved ones - I know myself, just a quick call can make my day~*

Above Pics: Small luxuries.. Chocolate jewel pancakes, my gorgeous red rug and some of the things I bought from IKEA to assist me with my Kitchen Organisation Challenge! 2 Weeks to go to an organised kitchen.

Lots of Love for Lots of Stuff..

2010-02-26T05:26:00.001-08:00

**Cant believe its Friday already! I have decided I was going to take the time on Friday to note down the things I loved during the week..

1. Soccer Saturdays! Getting out on the soccer field with my little man and interacting with all of the activities is a lot of fun. This week it was ecspecially special as we met up with Mum on the way and she went out on the field with him too.. Great memories.

2. Movies! Avatar, Valentines Day and The Blind Side.. All great films.. Seen with lovely people!

3. Attending school activities! One of the many things I treasure dearly about being a SAHM.

4. Taking inspiration from other blogs and deciding to organise certain aspects of my home. Then setting up a challenge with a friend to spur each other on! LOL. Nothing like a bit of motivation and inspiration to make things happen..

5. Op shopping! I love this every week.. but this week I got some gorgeous buys including some lovely springtime dresses for my Stepdaughter and Tops for myself..

6. My new skincare.. Mum bought me this for my Birthday and I absolutely adore the range of Sukin products. I have a cleanser, moisturiser, eye cream, night cream, shampoo and conditioner. All natural and all Australian! I dont feel guilty about slathering this stuff on and it makes my skin feel devine!

7. Gardening with my children - we updated our planters with pretty flowers, lots of variety and lots of colour. The kids got to dig, weed, water and collect many interesting things in the yard. Including a 2c coin, a birds egg, snail shell and a marble I used to play with as a kid!

8. Talking.. talking to anyone who will listen.. communication plays a vital part in my life and I love to talk.. it gets things off your chest and makes the world seem a friendlier place!**

*~Daily Note to Self: Sleep! Sleep More and appreciate Sleep!~*

Honorable Mention of the Day: Lisa for fuelling our motivation and starting our organisation challenge! Lets do it.. :)

My devine skincare.. The eye cream is great for late nights!

Pretty Petunia's and Seaside Daisy..

The Dining Table.. the hub of our home..

2010-02-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

**So, I purchased a new dining table this week, why? because I wanted a bigger one and happened to come across one on eBay for a bargain price! So I thought, why not? When I mention this to people they always say "Oh we don't even eat at our dining table" but to me, the dining table is the central hub of our home. We eat breakfast, lunch and tea at it, celebrate our birthdays around it, the laptop is often positioned on it, the kids do their homework on it, draw at it (and often on it) and sometimes we just sit around it to chat or entertain visitors. Our old dining table shows signs of great use there is felt pen, fork marks, cat scratches and children's etchings - the marks of a well used, well loved piece of furniture. Our only reason for upgrading was some extra seats, we went from a six seat to an eight seat to alleviate the children kicking one another underneath the table and to minimise the munching noises. So with the old one retired to eBay the new one sits in the dining room gleaming - unaware of what is about to be unleashed upon it - I'm sure it too will feel very loved in time!** Daily Note to Self: Take one job that needs to be done and complete it.. only then do you move onto the next challenge. That way you will conquer something and feel accomplished rather than having one thousand unfinished tasks to complete. Honorable Mention of the Day: My lovely husband, Damian - who takes great care of me and the kids and tirelessly works to provide a pretty cool life for us all. (Plus he was offended that he is never mentioned in my online life..LOL)

Career Calling..

2010-02-23T04:23:00.000-08:00

My teacher registration number showed up today.. a licence if you will to 'drive' the minds of a classroom full of children. I had a series of mixed emotions upon opening the envelope, particularly butterflies in my stomache! I think it was a mix of excitement and fear.. Excitement because after 10 years of pottering around with a degree (that has probably cost me more to attain than I will ever earn..) I have finally achieved the end result! And fear because I haven't worked in a little over 5 years so the prospect of returning to the work force and all it entails is a little petrifying!! Not to mention horror flashbacks of how relief teachers were treated back in my day! So yes now comes the fun part trying to find resources and ideas to keep the children educated, amused, enthralled and enticed for 6 hours.. and then ill hand them back to their classroom teacher ;-)

~* Daily Note to Self: Smile tomorrow when the Delivery Men deliver your dining table, even though they are delivering it 2 weeks late, no sense in getting mad, wont make it get here any faster!*~

The Little Things..

2010-02-22T05:39:00.000-08:00

**It was quite cold when I woke up this morning and to my delight there was dew on the grass! So outside we went with the camera into the cold to capture the beauty of a lovely crisp, cool morning.. My son full of questions "Why is the grass wet if it hasn't rained?" "What is dew?" "Is it Winter now?" his inquisitiveness quite refreshing at such an early hour. It was lovely to greet the new day in person and both of us seemed all that more alive for it - far better than sitting in front of the cartoons to wake up!** ~*Daily Note to Self: Wake up on the right side of the bed every morning with a renewed appreciation for the day ahead! Endeavour to not be late and smile..*~

Taking the time to chill...

2010-02-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

** I have decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon.. this week I have immersed myself in the blogs of crafty, super organised Mums and realised that although I am more like a 'cluttered super disorganised Mum' I too enjoy the written word and sharing my wisdoms (even if few and far between) with others. Even if it just gives me a platform to place down my thoughts each day and no one reads it, I will be happy to know it is there for my children to one day look upon and say 'Geez that Mum of ours.. no wonder she was up so late every night!' **

** I began this week alike any other 'second' week in our household alongside my Hubby and Four Children (One whom I am genetically responsible for and three whose defects I can blame upon their biological parents - LOL) A blended family - a great blend at the best of times made up of many elements not excluding chaos! A blend that I have become accustomed to over the past 3 1/2 years and have grown to love. Tomorrow I will commence the week alongside my Hubby and One child, another great blend! Irregardless of the week we are a 'family' and I dont have a preference for either formation as both have their positives and negatives - this is our 'lot' in life **

** I entitled this post 'taking the time to chill' as this week had an undertone of disorganisation, isolation and sadness, however, by the end of the week and in particular the weekend I realised how important it is to do those things that make you happy! find items, tasks, activities and most importantly people that make you happy! Drawing with your child, falling asleep with the radio on, catching up with friends and family, being honest about your feelings, discovering a hobby, going and seeing a great movie, eating out and being thankful for every moment were all great mood boosters for me. Each of these elements helped to change the perspective of my week and alter the way the week ahead will pan out, they will alter the way many things pan out in the future **

**I guess iv taken inspiration from the blogs i'v read this week and perhaps one day I will be crafty and super organised.. but in the meantime, Im just happy to be me.

2 + 4 = 1**

~*Happymum81*~

New Blog..

Sick..

Loving this warmer weather..

It's Raining It's Pouring!

Been Awhile.. Room for thought..

School Holidays.. Week 1

A Day in the life of..

Meals of convenience!

Cupcake Monday..

Things that I have LOVED this week!

Fresh is best!

Old School Memories..

Now I'm Hungry!

Have You Missed Me Blog?

Things that I have loved this week!

Easter Preparations.. Part 1

Project Life Tuesday - Week 3

Things that I have loved this week!

Project Life Tuesday - Week 2

Labour of Lunch..

Where did the week go.. and things that I loved this week..

Baby on the brain..

Things I have loved this week..

I think there is a reason why we open the card first..

Kitchen Challenge.. Day 1

"Its Friday Box!"

Happily Married, 5 Months Today!

Tip Toeing Back Into the Working World..

Organic Dreams..

Healthy Habits..

My Weekend Whereabouts..

Lots of Love for Lots of Stuff..

The Dining Table.. the hub of our home..

Career Calling..

The Little Things..

Taking the time to chill...

~Happymum81~