Been Awhile.. Room for thought..

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!

A Day in the life of..

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...

Things that I have LOVED this week!

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!!!

Baby on the brain..

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..

Kitchen Challenge.. Day 1

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

My Weekend Whereabouts..

**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.

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

**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)