Book Week

We survived our first Book Week at school!

 

It was a confusing start. The theme this year is ‘Champions Read’ and a few weeks ago I was racking my brain trying to think of some sort of champion to dress Sienna up as. A champion that also reads.

The olympics gave me some inspiration. With all the merchandise in the shops, I thought I’d pick up some sort of champ-type t-shirt, add a tutu and she’d be set.

But Sienna came home from school and told me that’s not how it’s done. Apparently everyone dresses up as whatever character they’d like. They don’t have to stick to the theme. I thought it was another ploy for me to let her wear some fancy-schmancy thing out of our dress up box. Turns out, she was actually right. (Why doubt a 6 year old?!)

 

Both of her Belle and Cinderella costumes are getting a bit small. Actually they’re the same dress – one of those two-in-one dress up things. So Sienna and I put our heads together and decided Alice in Wonderland was a great idea, both having blonde hair and all...! And it’s also one of Sienna’s favourite stories.

Luckily we picked up a bargain Alice outfit on eBay that only took a couple of days to arrive. My beautiful girl had a great first Book Week and it was great to see the whole school get into the fun of it too.

 

Puberty Blues Vs Facebook

(Photo taken from Google Images)

 

Who’s been watching that new show Puberty Blues?

I’d forgotten all about it until Boo sent me a text last week to remind me that it was on. I’m actually really enjoying it! Although we both think it’s more 80s than 70s. Definitely.

It’s bringing back a flood of memories from my teenage years. That really is what went on at high school! Were we really all like that? Was I really that naive?!

High school was a time when it felt like life was one of two extremes – the whole world was amazing and wonderful; or the whole world was going to end. There was no in between.

There was the clicky groups, the bullies, the nerds, the sportos, the musos. No groups ever really crossed over or interacted with the others, apart from in classes. And yet, now we’re all friends on Facebook and none of that old stuff matters anymore. We’ve found common ground because we’ve all grown up - we’ve got families, interesting careers, travels to talk about. There's a mutual respect for where we're all at. And friendships now, that may not have been there 15 years ago.

Yet today’s high schoolies have Facebook in their lives already. And that’s their whole centre. Their whole social being seems to revolve around it. They are ruled by it. What happened to good old fashioned conversations in the playground, none of this ‘inbox me’ stuff. When going out with someone just meant holding hands shyly, not declaring marriage on Facebook. Mobile phones were not even ‘in’ back then and if they had been, you can bet that they wouldn’t have had any place in the classroom.

It’s scary to think how much has changed since I was at high school. What will it be like when my three kiddies get to that stage? Will I let them go with the flow? Or will I be a parent that will ban all of this stuff and single them out? Only time will tell.

I think that’s why I like this new show though, it’s so relatable. Even the parents are relatable to our own parents! But I shudder to think that our parents were sitting around playing strip poker with friends back in the ‘olden’ days...surely they didn’t?! (Goudie girls or Brown-family kids – care to comment?!)

-          Mem x

So I sew...kind of...

Back in high school, I was terrible in textiles. I had no desire to sit at a sewing machine and create wonderful pieces for me to wear. I liked making scrunchies (remember them?!) to put in my hair. But that was about it.

The class started with an easy tie-dyed bag. No probs. Whipped that up in no time – never mind the holes where I ran off the side of the material, or that it wasn’t a perfect rectangle.

We moved on to basic shorts. Coolest fabric – navy and red tartan, as was the fashion in 1994. My hems didn’t match up, one leg was longer than the other, but I was proud of them. Then I tackled a jacket with a zip. The zip seemed too long for the pattern...so I cut it in half. (The zip, not the pattern – just to be clear).

Thank goodness for my Mum, who is an excellent sewer and saved me from failing when I took it all home for homework!

I had little to no patience and no vision for what a piece of material could become, so that’s where I left my sewing ambitions – back in Year 8. Or so I thought.

When I had my girls, I started noticing all these very cute vintage-type dresses popping up all over the place. Most were handmade and selling on Etsy or at markets. Suddenly a sewing bug crept upon me!

I looked into some patterns – a pillowcase dress seemed easy enough, made from an actual pillowcase, how hard could it be?

I used invisable cotton – how cool is that stuff?! The seams are completely invisble! I hand sewed the whole thing. Added ribbons – voila! A pillowcase dress. Lex looked so ridiculous in it, I had to put it away in a box so I can show her one day what her silly Mum did!

But then Mum bought me a sewing machine for my 30^th, oh I was thrilled! And bit by bit, I tought myself how to sew properly. Following patterns, techniques, etc. I even ‘adapt’ patterns a bit these days and they work most of the time. I’ve found my sewing mojo!

I must say though – I still lack patience with it all. I rarely pin my material, just cut it out and off I go. I don’t always double hem, instead I use zig zag stitching to prevent fraying. But if it looks good on the outside, who cares? As long as it doesn’t fall apart in the first wash, it’s a success! I’m not planning on going into the business of selling my creations! It’s just something I’ve found I love to do, a burst of another favourite creativity of mine, but it comes and goes. One day I could sit and sew all day. The next day I just can’t be arsed!

I love the old fashioned nighties that my sister and I used to wear in the 80s. So I whipped a couple of them up for my girls this week. I absolutely love them and so do they!

 So is this going to turn into a crafty Mummy blog – highly unlikely! But a few little crafty posts from me might pop up from time to time, when I get the urge!

 - Mem x

Doing some 'me' things

So this writing/blogging thing has really sucked me in! I'd forgotten just how much I actually love sitting down and writing.

Some gorgeous friends and I have recently been discussing what makes us 'me'. Or more to the point, did we lose being 'me' when we became wives and mothers? When we were little, what did we want to be when we grew up?

It's stuck in my mind and I've been thinking about it heaps lately. What does make me, 'me'?

I remember being in Year 12 and really having no clue what I was going to do with my life. When I was really young, I had dreams of being famous. Of dancing and singing. (Yes, I was your typical first-born Leo child!) But I never did go down that path as a profession. 

There's so much to me. I love my babies, my husband. I love photography. I love fashion. I love home things. I love chocolate, Mexican food and champers. My friends, my family, making others happy. I love sunny days and rainy days. Reading blogs and Pinterest.

But what do I do that's just for me? When I was younger, I'd take to pen and paper and write everything down - hopes, dreams, feelings. I'd spend hours writing stories. But over the last few years, life has been a tad busy...! 

So this blog has been fantastic for me. It's helped me find my love of writing again. And if it's time to do something for me, I want to write.

- Mem x

Tooooo Cold!

I normally love Winter. Love uggies, hoodies, snuggly blankets, tights/boots combo, laying in front of the heater with a good book.

Not this year!

I seriously think this is the coldest Winter we've had since I moved to Mildura 11 years ago. It's seemed endlessly, bitterly cold. There's hardly been a drop of rain, just yucky, grey days. The kids (and us!) have had coughs and colds on and off for months, not to mention bouts of tonsilitis and ear infections. It's been a shitty Winter.

I've got a wardrobe full of pretty Summer dresses that I look at longingly - I can't wait for the Springy warmth to arrive.

A lot of the Mummy Bloggers I follow are currently jetting off to New York for the annual BlogHer conference. http://www.blogher.com/blogher-12 I'm INSANELY jealous! Not just because New York is my absolute dream destination, but because of the beautiful warm weather they've got there at the moment! Their adventures do look absolutely amazing, I must say.

Anyway, back to cooking dinner - at least it's warm near the stove! (Some one kick me and remind me of this post in a few months' time when I'm whinging about the 40°c weather!)

 -Mem x

Purple Pants

I love tuning in to the backseat banter between my kiddies. Their funny little conversations make me giggle but are oh-so-important and serious to them. They think I'm not listening, but I do take it all in!

Waiting in the school pick up line is filled with entertaining one-liners and long-winded converstions between my two youngest kidlings.

A few weeks ago it was looking quite grey and stormy at school pick up time. Chace is a bit of a storm tracker himself and predicts the weather most days. His younger sister is quite the happy-go-lucky, airy-fairy type - nothing much bothers her.

So it went like this:

Chace: "Hey Lex, I think there's a storm comin',"
Lex: "Yeah?!"
Chace: "Yep Lex, there is. And you know what? They is danger those storms."
Lex: "Awww."
Chace: "You know, you will get very hurt if you're out and the lightening storm gets you."
Lex looked thoughtful: "But I wearing my purple pants!"
Chace: "But the lightening can still get you."
Lex: "No...purple pants!"
Chace became frustrated: "Lex, it's a storm!"
Lex: "Umm...purple pants!"

So it went on and on. My fairy insisting that all will be ok in the world if she is donning her purple pants. My sensitive little man in a flurry of tears, frustrated that he can't reason with her. (I'm thinking he's going to spend many frustrated years not understanding why his sisters, or girls in general, can't be reasoned with!)

Sienna jumped in the car amidst the howling and cackling. She gave me a funny look. I shrugged.

Purple pants trump lightening. Simple as that really!

 - Mem x

Living With Allergies...

It's amazing how many children these days have allergies and anaphylaxis. My Sienna is one of them. It's opened our eyes to a whole new world. I recently wrote a guest blog article for Lime Tree Kids on our family's experience with allergies, which you can find here:

http://www.limetreekids.com.au/news-living-with-food-allergy-siennas-story-31.aspx

Be sure to check out the rest of the Lime Tree Kids site - Shelley and her lovely team have some amazing products!

 - Mem x

Wrinkles Anyone?

I've come to realise, I'm no Spring chicken anymore...

I remember coming home from school one day to tell my Mum that I was worried about my Grade 2 teacher's hands. The skin on her hands was always a bit wrinkly and wobbled around a bit when she pointed to things in a book or on the blackboard. Mum explained to me that wrinkly skin is just something that happens as we grow older. (Bear in mind that my teacher was probably only around age 40 at the time!)

Fast forward 20-odd years, and now here's my hands starting to get a bit of the 'wobbly skin' look to them! Not to mention the crow's feet near my eyes and the little pigmentation spots on my face.

I can justify them. Really I can.

The crow's feet must be evidence of every smile I've ever done; every single bout of laughter - right? Has to be! So I don't hate them that much. It's kind of like getting stretch marks after having a baby - the good old 'baby stripes'.

Mum would slather us in sunscreen and zinc cream as little girls. And as we got older, hounded us to wear sunscreen under our make-up. I did...mostly. Well, maybe just sometimes. I wish I'd listened to her back then, because now I wouldn't have the little pigmentation spots on my face! (Mum also warned me that squeezing and picking my pimples would result in scarring...of course she was right, oh I really regret that one!)

Since I've had my babies, I've found my skin has changed dramatically, in just a number of years. I've even had to change the way I do some of my make-up, mainly to accommodate (hide!) those damn wrinkles!

I've found a few great little products recently that seem to be doing my skin the world of good! A new Loreal serum called Youth Code Luminosity - specifically targeted for women aged 25-35 years. It's given my dull skin a healthy glow that I haven't seen in years. And good old Rosehip oil - that stuff is amazing! I think I'm starting to see it working.





Another great little find is Zoe Foster's book 'Amazing Face'. Wow, this girl really knows a trick or two about make-up and beauty products! I highly recommend it.


So this seems to be the regime that's going to work in helping my skin to 'age gracefully'...for now! Who else has some handy little beauty/make-up tricks up their sleeve?

 - Mem x

Loving Lark

(Photo from www.larkmade.com.au)

Here's another little favourite of mine. An absolute gem of a store called Lark. It's located in Daylesford, Victoria - and also has an online store at www.larkmade.com.au

It's packed full of gorgeous homewares ranging from quaint to quirky, modern to vintage. There's something for everyone - partyware, grown-up styles, kids ranges. Amazing things. I honestly can't get enough of their beautiful products.

My cousin is getting married later this year in Daylesford and I really can't wait to pop in to visit the real Lark store, rather than just browsing their online store.

Here's a few of the products that I recently 'had' to buy!

Retro hair bobbles for my girls in various colours - just like Boo and I used to wear in the 80s

Vintage-look bunting for Sienna's birthday party

Pretty washing-up brush (who says dishes have to be boring?!)

Retro canisters (and their matching spice tins)

Vintage bath dolly for Lexi - which she has affectionately named 'Honey'

Diner/station clock - in pink of course!

 - Mem x

School Holidays

I'm loving the school holidays!

It's not a huge deal in our house yet - I've only got one at school, my other two littlies are at 3 year old kinder and part-time daycare. But last week I booked holidays from daycare for Chace and Alexis too and it's been absolute bliss! No running around getting kids here and there on time; no rushing to get me to work on time; no nagging the kids to get dressed/brush teeth/get in the car. It's been jarmies until mid-morning (ok, until lunchtime some days!) and pottering around doing bits and pieces.

I'm pretty lucky that my boss allows me to work from home from time to time. So last week that's exactly what I did. I spread my work hours across the whole week to work around lots of playtime with the kids. It's been fantastic!

I'm a bit of a neat freak but I've sent my inner-freak off on a holiday this past week too and let the kids get into some messy activities. We've been Masterchefs, Picassos and playdoh extraordinaries! We've built Lego cities that would make New York look boring! (Seriously, where in the world would you find a pink/red/yellow skyscraper with flower-clad wheels on top?!)

I've discovered that no one ever really grows out of the Muppets...and now my kids will be forever fans. Every few hours either myself or one of the kids will belt out a rendition of 'Am I a Muppet or a Man'...! Much like when Boo and I were little - we drove our own parents crazy singing 'Together Again' from Muppets Take Manhattan.

There's been hardly any fights, apart from a running race between Sienna and Chace to get to the first cupcake out of the oven last week...Chace won, Sienna got elbowed into the wall and has a considerable eggy bruise on her forehead to prove it!

Today it's catch up day before I head back to the office on Wednesday. Daycare bags need to be re-packed, routines need to be back in place. And they're still all being so good! Even being stuck inside with a rainy day threatening, at the moment all three are playing dress ups and giggling like crazy. It makes me realise just how fast my babies are growing up!

 - Mem x

Hair Envy

Hands up if you have hair envy? This blog topic is perfect in our family at the moment. Last week my poor little sis had her first encounter with peroxide that went very very wrong and today I am having a particularly bad hair day. It resembles a birdnest with a headband wrapped around it!
Anyway so who do I envy? Lots of people. I am one of those people who was bornn with horrible wavy hair thats not curly but not straight so of course I envy those with straight hair.
I envy colours too. I was a very vibrant Ranga until a few months ago. I decided my fire engine red was too 'in your face' so opted for a brown with some warmth still in it. Every time I look in the mirror I think 'BORING'!!!! But its not boring but if you know me you will know that I am pretty out there with my hair and for me this is very boring.
I do love my short style though. Short one side and a bit longer on the other. It is super easy to style compared to my long locks that I had once. I used to book in for a blow wave before going away just so I had nice hairdresser hair the whole time.
Ok so time to share my latest favourite celeb styles and who I am turning green over at the moment.




My absolute fav is Danni. I am mad about her. I think I really do have a crush on her!!!!

and what about this next one. Do you think I could pull it off for a wedding?

My next fav is Reese. I will probably never be able to do this but i can dream.........

This next one makes a bit sad!!! Its my old colour and I miss it soooooo much!

And lucky last is a bit crazy but probably something I would do. Why not match your hair to your outfit!!!

So I'm feeling pretty envious but to finish I must say at least I have hair so I'll take what I'm given.

Happy Monday everyone, hope no one is suffering Mondayitis

Boo x

Working Mummies

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

Ok, I'm a pretty relaxed person. It takes a bit to get me riled up. But I read an article on another blog today that got my knickers in a twist. For reference sake, here is the link to it: http://www.mamamia.com.au/parenting/childcaredoesnt-anyone-look-after-their-kids-anymore/

My husband works full-time, I work part-time and I refuse to feel guilty about wanting to contribute financially to my family's needs!

It's always going to be an ongoing battle - the working Mums Vs the stay-at-home-Mums. *Sigh*

I was fortunate enough that for our first child's first year of life, I was able to stay at home with her and returned to work part-time following her first birthday. I absolutely cherish those months at home with her, I wouldn't change it for the world.

However, when along came my second and third children, my husband and I made the decision together that it would be beneficial for our whole family if I returned to work a little earlier.

I now have one child at school and two children in childcare. Just because my two youngest are in 15 hours of childcare per week does not make me less of a 'full-time Mummy', it simply means that I am also a part-time employee, contributing to our family.

And you know what? My little ones actually enjoy going to childcare! (Shock, horror?!) Our centre is a lovely, stimulating environment with beautiful, nurturing carers. Two years ago, my little man was a painfully shy little boy that was constantly wrapped around my leg and really didn't speak much. Today, he is a confident, witty, happy little fellow - childcare definitely has helped him take a step into the big wide world. (Two years ago I was terrified thinking I would never be able to send him to school!)

If anything, those 15 hours per week at childcare benefit my children. It's not just a place for me to 'drop and run'. They learn things in a different way to how they would learn in the home, it socially prepares them for kindergarten and school, and as for germs...well, you can catch gastro from a supermarket trolley anyway!

Being a working Mummy helps to keep me in the workforce too, so that when my children are all at school, I won't have been out of the 'loop' for so long, in search of work. And where's the problem in wanting to get ahead financially anyway? Is it suddenly considered bad taste to want less financial pressure? Or why is frowned upon to want to take a holiday with my family?

Working parents still have plenty of time to spend with their own children too - in fact whenever I'm not at work, that time is completely devoted to my children. I don't judge any Mummy or Daddy for choosing to be a stay-at-home-parent. Whatever works for your family is what is best for your family. And being a working Mummy is what works best for my family. There needs to be a balance of respect on both parts here.

And to the Daddy in the blog post above - blogs are for working Mummies too - and this working Mummy has just retaliated!

 - Mem x

Rise and shine

photo from peteralexander.com

Everyone has a morning routine or a 'habit' if you prefer. When you jump out of bed you usually go about your business the same way every day. Maybe a little different if you are on a day off but mostly the same.

I am one that slowly rolls out of bed, pop on my slippers, wrap myself up in my coral fleece dressing gown and head out to the kitchen. Of course then its time for some boring daily jobs. Empty the dishwasher, make breaky, clean bathrooms, make beds blah blah blah. I do all these jobs including sweep and mop the floors in my pjs and gown.

Sometimes I envy the other type of people that get up and jump straight in the shower and get dressed before doing anything else. But no matter how hard I try to convert, it just doesnt feel right.

Its time to accept that I am a Pj junky and happy to be one.

What sort of morning person are you???

Boo x

Meat pie and vegies anyone?????

Holidays over, life back to its normal, hectic pace and finally my cooking challenge finished! You might think I sound relieved? Well thats because I am. Never before have I craved just boring old normal meals. Like a meat pie and vegies, curried sausages or chicken tonight straight from a jar.

But I am pleased to say that for the 4 weeks that I was on leave, every evening meal that we ate in our house was fresh out of a cookbook, magazine or website and never before tasted by us. We had only one mishap but gladly that recipe was my husband's choice not mine. Lets just say that chocolate and beef are not a match made in heaven! Never agian will I attempt that combintaion.

Although glad to be done with my little challenge, I did enjoy indulging in gourmet meals most nights. Some of my favs include Donna Hay's 'Pulled Pork Sliders', Pete Evans 'Lamb and Mint Gozlemme' and Julie Goodwins 'Monterey Chicken'.  So now I'm back to cutting out more recipes to hide away in my pretty little folder. Master chef is inspiring me at the moment  though so I think they might not be hidden away for too long.

Happy mid week everyone

Boo x

Mini Fashionistas

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

Ok, I'll be the first to admit it. (Well, it's something I'm sure my friends and family are already aware of!) I have a thing for mini fashion. Not quite Suri Cruise mini-fashion-extent, but close. (My eldest daughter would give her whole piggy bank for Suri's wardrobe though).

I think it started the day my daughter was born - maybe that's the problem here. Had I given birth to a little boy first, would I have been spared of this infatuation? Unlikely. Rather than sticking a lacey, frilly headband on my 12 hour old baby, I'd have found an equally adorable boys' hat for him. (Actually, when he was born two years later, that's exactly what I did!)

I trawl through mini fashion blogs, impatiently await the next issue of 'Shop 4 Kids' magazine, pin latest styles to Pinterest. It's just my thing. I have my favourite brands, I know which ones are going to have the 'same but different' outfits that I can match my kiddies in...so many people cringe at the thought of dressing their children in matching outfits - I embrace it! Hell, I even tie in the little man to match the girls sometimes!

I could wade through a pile of tutu skirts, pinafores, electric blue boys skinny jeans, frilly hair pieces and fedoras all day and not be bored. I'm not talking 'Toddlers and Tiaras' type of stuff here - it's not about boofy, curly hair, makeup or high heels. (Ew!)

I just love having an event coming up and look forward to what to 'style' the kids in. Even just a day at the footy - if it's cold, adorable boots, scarves and hats will make an appearance!

One thing I'm starting to notice as my kids are growing up though, is how very different their own styles are. Sienna is very much a princess and will choose a dress or skirt over pants any day. She'll only wear her school pants to school on PE days, otherwise she's in a skirt and tights. Chace most days, will be found in his beloved Hawks football guernsey and not much else...sometimes his undies too, usually not! Alexis is my free-spirit who will grab the first brightly coloured thing she can get her hands on. Usually something purple...I hate purple.

I've recently found a blog called 'The Baby Blackbird'. Brandy is a Mummy of two little ones and is very much the mini-stylist. So much so, when she blogs about her day, it usually includes a fairly detailed snippet of what her kiddies wore that day - brand, style, etc. Of course, I absolutely love it!

Here's the link to her blog:

http://www.thebabyblackbird.com/

Now...don't get me started on mini furniture...!

 - Mem

Let the challenge begin

Well I am down to no sleeps! My holidays are here and so too are lazy pj days, lunching out, sunny walks with my boys and most importantly gourmet meals every night that we are at home!

 So I set myself a challenge to cook something new every night that we are home while I am on holidays. The rules are pretty simple. The meal must be something we have never cooked at home before and just in case I have a craving for a good old 'safe' meal I have added the rule that if I dont have a new dish for our evening meal I have to make a new dessert or some sort of baked goody for Ryno's smoko.

 Achievable I reckon so now I have pulled out my recipe folder and have started flicking through my cut outs, print outs, photo copies etc and am salivating just thinking about the week ahead. I have a beautiful Cath Kidston recipe folder that was a pressie from my Mum. It is fab and so user friendly. It has pockets for all your recipes and they are catergorised too. Plus a huge section for shopping lists and hand written recipes. It is perfect for me as when it comes to recipe collecting I am definitely a hoarder. There are recipes from over 12 years ago in there that are sooooo involved and probably completely out of my depth but you never know what I might do on a rainy day!

 I am kicking off the challenge with a family dish; 'Layer Casserole' from my CWA cookbook. It sounds easy but yummy too. The other reason for choosing this is the fact that our fridge almost resembles Old Mother Hubbards cupboard and I really dont feel up to a trip to Woolys today! Mince, vegies and rice are all it requires and they are staples in my house.

Hope you are having a happy start to your week and if you are lucky enough to be starting annual leave like me Happy Holidays !

Boo x

The Drop Off Zone...

Parents fear it...kids are drawn to it. It's even a taboo subject in 'Finding Nemo' - it's the Drop Off Zone at school.

I'm pretty new to all this school stuff, Sienna only started in Prep this year. It's a big school of around 800 kids and for fear of her getting lost in the crowds, I was more than happy to keep walking her to her classroom each morning and help her with her morning tasks before the bell went.

Then one morning in the second last week of term 1 as I was helping her get her reader out of her bag, my big girl said to me, "Mummy, I can do it myself. I don't need you to do it." Well! It was like a slap in the face! My first-born suddenly didn't need me for this! I was almost a bit teary walking back to the car that morning. (Luckily, the little man managed to trip both himself and his younger sister up on the way out, so my mind had to be busy consoling the two of them on the walk out!)

Then the biggest shock - on the way home after school that day, Sienna tells me she doesn't want me to walk her in and out of school anymore either. She wants to use the 'drop off zone' (pick up zone at home time I guess) and be a big girl. "I can do it Mummy, I really can!" she cried!

I didn't really answer, but I thought about it that night and talked it through with hubby. We both agreed that in her teeny (almost) 6 years, we've taught her to be a confident, aware little girl. This is proof that we're doing well, we're on the right track!

So the next morning, that's what we did. I had to do two trips around the block because we were too early for drop off...! Then we lined up with the other cars and crept along until we reached the front of the line. I helped her get out of the car and after a quick cuddle and kiss, she was off, zoom! (Yes, the tears flowed that morning! Little brother and sister were bawling in the back seat also because they didn't get to hop out of the car for a play on the school playground...) But you know what? Sienna was fine. Of course she was fine.

But gosh I was so happy at pick up time to get to the front of the line and see her happy, smiling face waiting for me! "I did it Mum!" she said proudly.

So I've got the timing right now (I leave at 8.35am in the mornings and 3.28pm in the afternoons). I still have issues with pick up times - do 80% of the other parents turn crazy at this time of day?! There's tooting, 'pushing in' (hence the tooting), parents who get out to yap to other parents (big no-no, it's a 2 minute time limit there...hence the pushing in), illegal u-turns (cue the dirty looks) - you can imagine, it's chaotic.

But my big girl is always waiting at the gate with the other 'drop off kids' - always smiling, waving and excited to tell us about her day. The only minor mishap we've had so far was when four identical black Territories were lined up in a row (mine included) and four kiddies (Sienna included) freaked out about which one to get into!

So I've come to realise, I'm not 'letting go', it's just another little part of one of my babies taking another big step into the big world.

 - Mem x

5 Sleeps

My life seems to be a constant countdown. I countdown to Christmas, once that arrives its a countdown to my big boys Birthday, then to Easter, then onto my baby boys Birthday and before you know it I am back where I started counting down the sleeps until Santa arrives yet again. Also thrown in there is the countdown to holidays, countdown to weddings, expecting friends due dates and so on and on and on.

If I ever get a shower to myself which may happen once a week, I stand under the boiling hot water and think about all these count downs. I count the weeks to go then I count backwards as well. I hope I'm not alone out there in doing this???? I even countdown to hair appointments and count forward to plan my next one!

Anyway so to get to the point of all this, my latest countdown is to my holidays. I started back at work in January this year and ever since day one I have been counting down to this upcoming break. I have only 5 sleeps to go and if you change it into work shifts it sounds even better as then it is only 2 night shifts to go! 

I am busy making a list of things to do in my holidays. The notes section in my iPhone looks really exciting at the moment with lots of things planned. I have decided to do lots of kiddie friendly things as my time with boys is precious and they deserve a few treats. The last few months has been so hectic for them with early morning drop offs. Sometimes they are plucked out of their beds at 6am to drop off at Nanny's so Daddy gets to work on time, all while Mummy (me) is still at work. So yes they certainly need some days at home and days out and about just having fun. So a few items on my list include a date with Blake to 48Flavours (the grooviest ice cream parlour in town) and maybe our first ride on a paddle steamer!

Also while on holidays I have set myself a special challenge. Julie and Julia style except minus the french. Every night that I am on holidays we are going to have something we have never had before for dinner. I can use recipes books, magazine cutouts whatever but it has to be something new. I invited Ryno along for the challenge, not sure how keen he was and he did ask how many times I expected him to go to Hungry Jacks for a quick emergency dinner dash (only ever done this twice ever so my track record is pretty good!). Anyway more details on this will come in a later blog.

Some may consider this all this counting down a waste of time and a way of wishing my life away. But I see it as a wonderful oppurtunity. At least I have exciting things to countdown to.

Righto I'm off to have a shower and maybe countdown to Logan's Birthday party!

Boo x

Party Princess

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

Gone are the days when 'pin the tail on the donkey' and a round of musical chairs were the highlight of a child's birthday party. The goody bags were simple plastic-type bags with a brightly coloured clown on the front. Party pies, sausage rolls, little franks - the standard party food - it's all gone out the window. It's retro.

I remember rocking up to parties in my childhood itching to get my hands on a chocolate crackle. No one cried playing pass the parcel when there wasn't a prize in every layer for every party-goer, we all cheered for the winner at the end. And I'd proudly wear my Strawberry Shortcake party hat for weeks afterwards.

It's all about 'styling' the parties these days. Vintage fluted plates of delicate cupcakes; old-style candy jars filled with lollies; buntings, lanterns and tissue-paper pop-poms.

And yet...I'm no different! My eldest daughter's 6th birthday is coming up in a few weeks and we're currently planning an 'afternoon tea' style party for her and her friends. She wants lots of pink, lots of flowers, butterfly cakes - basically a party fit for a princess. Oh, and paper chains - which is actually kind of cool!

There will still be lots of fun, lots of yummy food. It's just different to what we were used to growing up. And I'll indulge her in it...because being so girly myself, I can't help but love it all!

So wish me luck!  The little man's birthday is also in a few weeks (he'll be turning 4)...he's having his party at McDonalds...well, that's what he wanted!

 - Mem

Here We Are!

Well, where to start?! We're two sisters Meredith and Bronwyn (AKA Mem and Boo; Mez and Bron; Merri and Bronny; Flea and Bronwink...you get the picture!)

Pretty dorky and cliche, but we can pretty much say that we've very rarely disagreed or bickered much in our whole lives...we have always been best friends and our Mum boasts about rarely ever having to referee any screaming matches when we were growing up!

When we were much younger, we used to play 'Aunties' - which really was just us being Mummies, our many, many 'babies' (cue the Cabbage Patch dolls, My Childs, pre-Baby-Born-type era dolls), pretend cups of teas and lots of giggles. We did have make-believe husbands too, but they were doctor-types and never at home, of course!

Life's funny though...we're still playing that game. Only, we married tradies and our real-life babies are definitely more livelier than those Cabbage Patch kids! We're also both working Mummies and learning to be experts at juggling absolutely everything!

Boo has two gorgeous boys - one wants to be a superhero and can dance the 'Travolta' with the best of them; and the littlest little man has almost found his feet, but in the meantime can still get into everything with a cheeky smile.

Mem has a little boy sandwiched by two girls - the eldest is in her first year at school and wants to sing like Barbie when she grows up; the teeny girl is a real-life tinker fairy with a witty sense of humour; and middle boy is a snuggler and aspires to play footy for Hawthorn.

We have pretty different styles, yet really complimentary too. We like similar things, and we're kind of addicted to Pinterest at the moment too...!

So here's our little place in the world, our spot for recording things about us, our families or just little things that we like or find amusing.

Enjoy!
xxx