The World According to Cass

Goals for 2012 - January updates

2012-02-12T21:44:00.001+11:00

Vegetables harvested (target 10): 6
Layouts done (target 10): 1
Cards made (target 200): 59
Items sewn (target 10): 0
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $0

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Picked a heap of spinach and froze it. Ate tomatoes, zucchini, a capsicum and strawberries. Lots of carrots and baby carrots.
PRODUCE EATEN: Spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, capsicum, strawberries, carrots.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
January: 59 cards, 1 layout, no finished sewing projects.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
08 Jan – Went out for pizza dinner and a walk along the beach.
14 Jan – Went for walk on beach and had coffee at home.

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: none.

I'm a cooker

2012-01-24T10:03:00.003+11:00

Annabelle loves to help me in the kitchen. She refers to us as cookers. She has three aprons all of her own. She pours, measures, stirs and then licks the beaters. She is quite the little chef!

Donating last years found coins

2012-01-16T22:48:00.003+11:00

In Dec 2010 I wrote of my knack for finding coins on the ground and my commitment to donate these coins each year to the MS Society. My finds for the period 1 Dec 2010 to 30 Nov 2011 were a total of 97 coins, 1 note and an Aldi shopping trolley token (always handy!) for a financial total of $76.25.
For anyone interested the breakdown was 1 $50 note, 8 $2 coins, 3 $1 coins, 2 50c coins, 8 20c coins, 17 10c coins and 59 5c coins.
The donation has been made to the MS Society and the counter has been reset.

Goals for 2011 - December updates

2012-01-01T14:58:00.001+11:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 14
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 363
Items sewn (target 10): 14
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $539.17

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
May: Planted lots of peas, corn and carrots.
June: Ate capsicum, zucchini, shallots, herbs.
July: Annie picked 2 strawberries. Ate some baby carrots and a few peas plus the usual herbs and shallots.
August: More carrots and peas plus some baby spinach leaves. Turned one of the pumpkins into pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin and chocolate cake.
September: More carrots, peas and spinach.
October: Dug up some potatoes. Still picking carrots, spinach and strawberries.
November: Picked 2 blueberries! Still enjoying the carrots, spinach and the strawberries that the snails don't get first.
December: Carrots, tomatoes and spinach.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas, carrots, spinach, pumpkin, potatoes, strawberries, blueberries.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Still walking 2-3 times a week for an hour at a time. I'm managing 5-6kms each time, depending on the track I take.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.
May: Heatpack for Alyson.
July: Pouch for Dale's portable hard-drive, washers for Callum and Annie, heatpack for Callum, heatpack for Annie.
August: Bag to hold our plastic bags.
September: Drawstring bag for the sleeping bag, drawstring bag to hold the air mattress.
November and December: A set of napkins for Luciano and Maryellen, a set of Christmas placemats for us, library bags for CJ and Isaac.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February. Went out for dinner in May with Dale to a fancy restaurant. We even dressed up! I'm sure we went out some other time, but I didn't record it. Obviously we need to get out more!!

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales
May: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
June: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
July: none
August: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys), $29.57 from Ebay sales
September: $25 from Pureprofile
October: $100 from Rewards Central
November: $25 from Pureprofile

Gotta love the Cricket!

2011-12-28T10:43:00.003+11:00

A family trip to the SCG last night to watch a KFC Big Bash (T20 cricket) between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars was definitely worth the trip. The seats were awesome, the atmosphere fantastic and the cricket came down to a nail-biting last ball. Gotta be happy with that! :)

For Dale and I it was nice to see some of the players that we used to watch on TV all the time (Warne, MacGill, Lee). Callum had to be brought up to speed about who they were (Dad, who is Shane Warne?). Annie loved the music and the entertainment side of things, but after 4 overs of cricket said "Are they done now?". She did enjoy the rest, albeit relaxing on mummy for most of the second half.

I can't wait to go again next month!

[photo from the Aust Cricket website]

Goals for 2011 - October updates

2011-11-07T13:47:00.002+11:00

Dale tells me that these updates don't count as blog posts. To him I say at least I'm writing something! :P

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 12
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 239
Items sewn (target 10): 10
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $514.17

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
May: Planted lots of peas, corn and carrots.
June: Ate capsicum, zucchini, shallots, herbs.
July: Annie picked 2 strawberries. Ate some baby carrots and a few peas plus the usual herbs and shallots.
August: More carrots and peas plus some baby spinach leaves. Turned one of the pumpkins into pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin and chocolate cake.
September: More carrots, peas and spinach.
October: Dug up some potatoes.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas, carrots, spinach, pumpkin, potatoes.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. I've started walking 2-3 times a week for an hour at a time.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.
May: Heatpack for Alyson.
July: Pouch for Dale's portable hard-drive, washers for Callum and Annie, heatpack for Callum, heatpack for Annie.
August: Bag to hold our plastic bags.
September: Drawstring bag for the sleeping bag, drawstring bag to hold the air mattress.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February. Went out for dinner in May with Dale to a fancy restaurant. We even dressed up!

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales
May: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
June: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
July: none
August: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys), $29.57 from Ebay sales
September: $25 from Pureprofile
October: $100 from Rewards Central

Goals for 2011 - September updates

2011-10-10T13:11:00.000+11:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 11
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 204
Items sewn (target 10): 10
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $414.17

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
May: Planted lots of peas, corn and carrots.
June: Ate capsicum, zucchini, shallots, herbs.
July: Annie picked 2 strawberries. Ate some baby carrots and a few peas plus the usual herbs and shallots.
August: More carrots and peas plus some baby spinach leaves. Turned one of the pumpkins into pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin and chocolate cake.
September: More carrots, peas and spinach.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas, carrots, spinach, pumpkin.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Not a lot happening here lately.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.
May: Heatpack for Alyson.
July: Pouch for Dale's portable hard-drive, washers for Callum and Annie, heatpack for Callum, heatpack for Annie.
August: Bag to hold our plastic bags.
September: Drawstring bag for the sleeping bag, drawstring bag to hold the air mattress.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February. Went out for dinner in May with Dale to a fancy restaurant. We even dressed up!

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales
May: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
June: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
July: none
August: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys), $29.57 from Ebay sales
September: $25 from Pureprofile
October: Nil

GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
- Make bag for Dale's Android tablet thingy.
- Scrapbook 3 layouts.
- Do my tax. - done in September
- Paint stools for craft room.

And while we're laughing...

2011-10-04T21:28:00.000+11:00

The Fools Medical Dictionary
Artery - The study of paintings
Bacteria - Back door to cafeteria
Barium - What doctors do when patients die
Benign - What you be, after you be eight
Caesarean Section - A neighbourhood in Rome
Cat scan - Searching for Kitty
Cauterize - Made eye contact with her
Colic - A sheep dog
Coma - A punctuation mark
Dilate - To live long
Enema - Not a friend
Fester - Quicker than someone else
Fibula - A small lie
Impotent - Distinguished, well known
Labour Pain - Getting hurt at work
Medical Staff - A Doctor's cane
Morbid - A higher offer
Nitrates - Rates of Pay for Working at Night, normally more money than Days
Node - I knew it
Outpatient - A person who has fainted
Pelvis - Second cousin to Elvis
Post Operative - A letter carrier
Recovery Room - Place to do upholstery
Rectum - Nearly killed him
Secretion - Hiding something
Seizure - Roman Emperor
Tablet - A small table
Terminal Illness - Getting sick at the airport
Tumour - One plus one more
Urine - Opposite of you're out

One for Alyson

2011-10-02T16:10:00.002+11:00

I'm not a huge Star Wars fan but this makes me laugh over and over again. :)

Sharing the love

2011-09-30T09:49:00.003+10:00

A couple of years ago I participated in a Pay It Forward. It's time to do it again! The wonderful Wendy has offered to send me (and several other lucky ladies) some handmade lovin'. In return I will send three of you some handmade goodies. If you would like to be part of this, just leave a comment. You don't have to 'pay forward' with handmade craft things. There are so many different ways to show kindness to others - make a cake for them, send a card, give them some flowers from your garden, just turn up with a hug when they need one.
Go spread the lovin' today! :)

Too long between photos

2011-09-20T21:27:00.004+10:00

Just in case you had forgotten what my darling kids look like...

Princess Annabelle dancing for her subjects

and Master Callum being strangely surprised to find a Lego Man attacking his biscuits.

Goals for 2011 - August updates

2011-09-08T20:33:00.000+10:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 11
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 204
Items sewn (target 10): 8
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $389.17

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
May: Planted lots of peas, corn and carrots.
June: Ate capsicum, zucchini, shallots, herbs.
July: Annie picked 2 strawberries. Ate some baby carrots and a few peas plus the usual herbs and shallots.
August: More carrots and peas plus some baby spinach leaves. Turned one of the pumpkins into pumpkin risotto and a pumpkin and chocolate cake.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas, carrots, spinach, pumpkin.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Not a lot happening here lately.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.
May: Heatpack for Alyson.
July: Pouch for Dale's portable hard-drive, washers for Callum and Annie, heatpack for Callum, heatpack for Annie.
August: Bag to hold our plastic bags.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February. Went out for dinner in May with Dale to a fancy restaurant. We even dressed up!

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales
May: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
June: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
July: none
August: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys), $29.57 from Ebay sales

GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER (August was a non-event!)
- Make bag for Dale's Android tablet thingy.
- Scrapbook 3 layouts.
- Do my tax.
- Paint stools for craft room.

Limitless / The Dark Fields

2011-09-01T13:27:00.002+10:00

I just finished reading Limitless by Alan Glynn (which I just discovered was previously released under the name The Dark Fields). Great book, intriguing concept, definitely worth reading.

I realise that the film has just been released, and watching it would save yourself several hours versus reading the book, but I just read the plot synopsis of the film. Do yourself a favour - read the book instead (or at least read it first). The plot is much much better without the Hollywood film hype.

Goals for 2011 - July updates

2011-08-01T11:05:00.002+10:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 8
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 171
Items sewn (target 10): 7
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $334.60

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
May: Planted lots of peas, corn and carrots.
June: Ate capsicum, zucchini, shallots, herbs.
July: Annie picked 2 strawberries. Ate some baby carrots and a few peas plus the usual herbs and shallots.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Not a lot happening here lately.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.
May: Heatpack for Alyson.
July: Pouch for Dale's portable hard-drive, washers for Callum and Annie, heatpack for Callum, heatpack for Annie.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February. Went out for dinner in May with Dale to a fancy restaurant. We even dressed up!

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales
May: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
June: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
July: none

GOALS FOR JULY
- Get rid of the clutter in my craft room – Ebay it, donate it to daycare or bin it. - Ebaying finished for now.
- Make photo CD's for Alyson, Jo and Natalie. - done for all.
- Sew heat packs for Callum and Dale. - done
- Make bag for Dale's Google Android tablet thingy (oversized non-apple Ipod). - carried over to August

GOALS FOR AUGUST
- Make bag for Dale's Android tablet thingy.
- Scrapbook 3 layouts.
- Do my tax.
- Paint stools for craft room.

My little gardener

2011-07-19T15:47:00.004+10:00

Our garden might not look like much but it is the sound of a lot of happiness and good times. Many people have said I must be happy to have Annabelle to do craft/scrapbooking/cardmaking with, and although it is nice that we share that hobby it is the time we share in the garden that brings me most joy.

Currently in the garden we have carrots, peas, snow peas, shallots, herbs, capsicum, potatoes, spinach, broccoli and some corn that I don't think will make it higher than about 6 inches (which is okay because they were grown from plants that sprouted in the compost bin!).

The carrots were planted quite thickly, so have needed thinning out. We do a little of this each day, with Annie pulling out 4-5 carrots (each about 5cm long), washing them and eating them. The snow peas and peas have been flowering for the past couple of weeks and we saw our first pea pods on Sunday.

The pumpkin vine died off and left us with two pumpkins that will become soup one day. The capsicum plants look sad but still bear some fruit (that Annie picks and eats straight from the plant) so they can stay a bit longer.

Yesterday, as we filled a couple of polystyrene boxes to use as planter boxes for some broccoli seedlings Annie happily looked at me and said "Mum, we are gardeners." She followed this comment up with "Callum is a Nintendo-er" since he was inside having his second Nintendo day of the school holidays.

Annie is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Quite dirty. She loves to dig and play in the mud. She is my little gardener.

More cooking...

2011-07-15T14:51:00.002+10:00

Last Friday we had a stay-at-home day. The kids got to stay in their pj's and do/play whatever they wanted (lots of Nintendo Wii for Callum and dolls, craft and playdough for Annie). I mowed the lawn and spent the rest of the day in the kitchen. In progress...

And the final creations...

(L to R)
- pea and ham soup
- lamb and vegetable casserole
- spinach, pumpkin and ricotta cannelloni
- date loaf
and stewed apples (not pictured) that were later turned into an apple and berry crumble.

Yum yum...
And yes, we will come and cook for you one day soon D. :)

Goals for 2011 - May/June updates

2011-07-04T16:47:00.001+10:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 8
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 126
Items sewn (target 10): 3
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $334.60

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
May: Planted lots of peas, corn and carrots.
June: Ate capsicum, zucchini, shallots, herbs.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Not a lot happening here lately.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.
May: Heatpack for Alyson.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February. Went out for dinner in May with Dale to a fancy restaurant. We even dressed up!

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales
May: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
June: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)

GOALS FOR MAY/JUNE
- Sell excess craft stuff on eBay. Almost done...
- Make photo CD's for Alyson, Jo and Natalie. Still to do.
- Sew heat packs for us. Still to do.

GOALS FOR JULY
- Get rid of the clutter in my craft room – Ebay it, donate it to daycare or bin it.
- Make photo CD's for Alyson, Jo and Natalie.
- Sew heat packs for Callum and Dale.
- Make bag for Dale's Google Android tablet thingy (oversized non-apple Ipod).

Quotes

2011-06-29T20:34:00.002+10:00

Sometimes I come across a quote that really speaks to me. This is the latest one:

"I believe that when you're inspired, you know the truth, and even if you forget it, the truth remains the same. You will connect with your light again. You will feel pain slip away and fear evaporate. You will feel bold with knowing. It's just a matter of time." Tama Kieves

Anyone found any other good ones lately?

Cooking up a storm

2011-06-20T21:25:00.003+10:00

Has it really been nearly a month since I blogged? :O Thanks to the people who emailed me to check I'm still alive and kicking. :)

So, what have I been up to? In the last few days, lots and lots of cooking! On Friday and Saturday I made:
- a batch of sausage rolls for us
- a batch of sausage rolls for a friend who has recently welcomed her third child into the world
- some spinach and ricotta pastries
- 2 family-size meals of chicken and vegetable soup
- vegetarian nachos/burritos topping (lots of yummy beans and chickpeas)
- an ice-cube try full of lime juice from the sad limes in the fruit bowl
- nasi goreng (a big family favourite here)
- 2 batches of shortbread cookies - one was decorated by Annie (see picture below) and then baked, the other frozen for later use
- a loaf of fruit bread

And today I made
- 4 meals worth of meat-based nachos/burritos topping
- chocolate brownies (cheated and used a packet for this one!)
- another loaf of fruit bread
- vanilla butter cupcakes which Annie and I decorated and took to Callum's class for afternoon tea.

YUM!!!

Today...

2011-05-27T22:42:00.003+10:00

Outside my window... it is dark (because it is 1045pm). It is also very quiet. :)

I am thinking... about all the stuff I want to get done this weekend.

I am thankful for... Dale's job and the security it brings.

From the kitchen... last night I made a chocolate chip loaf that Dale and Callum both had in their lunchbox today. I'm told it was good but the pumpkin loaf I made earlier in the week was better. :)

I am wearing... lots of grey and black. Very comfortable yoga pants, a tank top, a hooded jacket and socks.

I am creating... clear space. I spent the evening cleaning off the desks in my craft room in the hopes of getting some sewing done this weekend.

I am going... to bed soon. I've been trying to be in bed by 11pm each night with lights out by 11.30pm. It's working so far.

I am reading... some library books and a couple of books I received from Book Sneeze.

I am still hoping... that while I am out tomorrow morning that the cleaning pixies come visit my house!

I am hearing... the sweet sounds of Josh Groban. Oh how I love his singing!

Around the house... it is lived in. It's not perfectly clean and never will be. It looks like a family live here who have more important things to do than clean! ;)

One of my favourite things... is the gorgeous little notes and pictures that Annie does every day. She is constantly making cards for people and loves to give little presents of things she's made from her craft box. I wonder where she gets that from.

Favourite picture from this month...

Goals for 2011 - April updates

2011-05-09T16:59:00.002+10:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 8
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 65
Items sewn (target 10): 2
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $284.60

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
April: Ate capsicum, shallots and peas.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Hurt my knee and 'fell off the wagon'. Getting back into in now.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February.

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
April: $34.60 from Ebay sales

GOALS FOR APRIL
- Cull emails in inbox from 125 down to 60 and kept it at that level. Success! Emails currently sitting at 51.
- Sell excess craft stuff on eBay. More sold, more to go. Continue during May.
- Make photo CD's for all the people in my 'Photos for other people' folder. Carried over to May.

GOALS FOR MAY
- Sell excess craft stuff on eBay. More sold, more to go. Continue during May.
- Make photo CD's for Alyson, Jo and Natalie.
- Sew heat packs for us.

Shellshocked

2011-05-07T12:55:00.002+10:00

While I was watching Callum play soccer this morning I witnessed something that has left me a little shellshocked. There were two under 8's teams playing on the field next to us. There was some intention tripping of other players. Not the 'I went for the ball and miss and accidently got you instead' sort but the 'I went for you and I got you and you hit the ground' kind. Not nice.

The referee wasn't doing anything about it and the coach of the team who was getting tripped was going crazy. Yelling, screaming, demanding something be done. Fair enough. If Callum was being repeatedly tripped I'd be upset too. But then at halftime instead of providing a calming influence to his players the coach told them that if their opponents were going to play rough then so should they. He told them to get in there and trip the opposition too. It stunned me. This is under 8's soccer - not adult rugby league (and even then I don't agree with the way players treat each other).

Fortunately by this stage there were ground officials on the field who cancelled the whole match citing that protection of the players was their foremost goal and that this was the only way to ensure it. Cue more yelling, more screaming and more bad role modelling for a bunch of 7 and 8 year old kids.

And now add in that the coach is the father of one of the kids that Callum regularly plays with at school. :S

Finds on Etsy

2011-04-30T20:25:00.004+10:00

Oh how I love Etsy. I can spend hours just browsing at all the handmade goodness. Here are some of my latest finds...

Some gorgeous slippers and a purse/organiser from The Laughing Horse:

And the most adorable artwork by Tummy Mountain. I have a plan to purchase several of them to frame and hang above our kitchen table. There are so many I love though, which do I choose? I am drawn to Helping and Catch a Star, so definitely them. Which other ones do you like?

Hello internet world!

2011-04-25T13:40:00.002+10:00

After several days of leaving my computer turned off (it was amazing how relaxing it was) I have returned to lots of emails and even more blog posts to catch up on.

Life around here is going nicely. Callum has been incredibly busy these school holidays (which means Annie and I have been driving him here, there and everywhere!). Next school holidays I'll be booking Callum into no vacation care or activities. I think the rest and relaxation that comes with staying home will be appreciated more by all of us.

Callum and Annabelle enjoyed the Easter egg hunt we had in the back yard yesterday. Annie has been developing a close friendship with a little boy her age who lives 2 doors up. They love visiting each other to play and go on adventures (or bentures, as CJ calls them!).

After suffering a lot of neglect my vegetable patch got some love and attention over the weekend. Peas, carrots and snow peas have all joined the tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini and capsicum in my little garden.

I hope you and your family have had a safe Easter and Anzac Day weekend.

Things I'm Loving - Random Stuff

2011-04-15T23:15:00.002+10:00

Some random things I'm loving lately:
- dinner with friends that I haven't seen in way too long.
- rediscovering Leisure Coast Fruit & Vegies. Oh how I love that place! Our fridge is fully stocked with fruit and veg in a way in hasn't been in months. Apples for 49c/kg - does it get any better??
- watching Annie just being herself. Such a beautiful kid.
- school holidays.
- baking.

Easter Hat parade

2011-04-08T23:40:00.003+10:00

Callum's last Easter Hat parade was today. We went with a simple design - small chocolate eggs hanging from a glitter hat. Easy to make and afterwards he could share the chocolate with his friends. Does it get any better?!

Goals for 2011 - March updates

2011-04-01T13:22:00.000+11:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 8
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 45
Items sewn (target 10): 2
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $250

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
March: Ate capsicum, corn and peas.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini, corn, peas.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Registered for the Shell Cove 5km Fun Run/Walk being held on March 6th so currently walking instead of jogging in training for it. Walked 5km in 62 mins on the weekend.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February.

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)
March: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)

GOALS FOR MARCH
- upload the remaining photos of my Photo of the Day 2010. Outcome: Done! Yay!
- cull emails in inbox down to 30 and kept it at that level. Outcome: This is proving to be a little more difficult than it should be. Reducing target and trying again next month.
- Sell excess craft stuff on eBay. Outcome: Have started. More to go. Continue in April.
- Lounge renovation: paint doors and decide on paintings/photos to go on walls. Outcome: Painting done. Lounge room finished! We are procrastinating about what to hang on the walls. To be honest I like the bare space too much!

GOALS FOR APRIL
- Cull emails in inbox from 125 down to 60 and kept it at that level.
- Sell excess craft stuff on eBay.
- Make photo CD's for all the people in my 'Photos for other people' folder.

Pantry challenge time!

2011-03-22T21:11:00.003+11:00

Last May I did a pantry challenge and I've decided it's time to do it again. Essentially I will attempt to go for 2 weeks (starting Wednesday 23/3, finishing Tuesday 5/4) only buying fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and wholemeal bread. To be honest it isn't too difficult to do as my pantry is well stocked, but it does challenge me to try a few different recipes to use up pantry items that have been there a while. It also makes shopping faster as I can do a quick walk around the perimeter of the store (where all the fresh stuff is generally located) and avoid the majority of the aisles. Yay!

Anyone care to join me in the challenge? Go on, give it a try!

Tree huggers

2011-03-21T22:25:00.000+11:00

Annabelle and her Unky Grant being Tree Huggers. :)

You reap what you sow

2011-03-20T19:42:00.003+11:00

Tuesday/Wednesday this week was a perfect example of how kindness breeds more kindness.
* Annie was given a beautiful red rose by her friend.
* I gave our toddler stroller to a friend.
* A friend of mine came for lunch and brought some of her kids old toys (including a huge Dora toy) for Annie and Callum to have.
* I gave a friend 2 jars of homemade relish and some freshly baked, still warm pumpkin and date scones.
* Our neighbour brought us a bunch of flowers just picked from her garden.
* We gave the neighbour some freshly baked, still warm bread.

So much sharing, kindness and happiness. :)

Things I'm Loving - TV

2011-03-15T16:13:00.006+11:00

I don't watch a lot of television, but I do enjoy these shows:

Probably the funniest show I've ever seen. The Big Bang Theory centres on a group of nerds and the beautiful girl who lives next door. It is unnerving how much Sheldon reminds me of Callum.

I enjoy watching The Good Wife for both the relationships/drama between the characters and the writers commentary on our current social climate. Politics, the internet, flaws in the legal system, personal relationships and so much more.

Definitely the highlight of How I Met Your Mother is the character Barney Stinson. His hilarious one-liners make the show a perfect ending to a hard day.

Anyone else got a favourite show?

Shellharbour Walk or Run for Fun

2011-03-14T09:44:00.003+11:00

Six months ago if you'd suggested that I enter a 5km fun run/walk I'd have laughed at you. It's funny how quickly things change. Here I am at the end of the Shellharbour 5km Walk or Run for Fun on 6th March. I finished with a time of 43:11 which I am absolutely stoked with. I did a combination of walking and jogging, basically just listening to my body and doing what felt right at the time. I will admit I found the flat surfaces of Shell Cove a whole lot easier to run than the ups and downs of Barrack Heights. Now I am impatiently waiting to enrol in my next Fun Run!

Goals for March

2011-03-05T12:45:00.003+11:00

GOALS FOR MARCH
- upload the remaining photos of my Photo of the Day 2010.
- cull emails in inbox down to 30 and kept it at that level.
- Sell excess craft stuff on eBay.
- Lounge renovation: paint doors and decide on paintings/photos to go on walls.

Goals for this weekend:
- make and send Etsy orders
- clean off craft desk
- do 5km Shellharbour Walk for Fun (Sunday morning)
- rest! :)

Goals for 2011 - February updates

2011-03-01T20:59:00.001+11:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 6
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 45
Items sewn (target 10): 2
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $225

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
February: Enjoyed herbs, a zucchini, a few cherry tomatoes and several capsicum.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum, zucchini.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Registered for the Shell Cove 5km Fun Run/Walk being held on March 6th so currently walking instead of jogging in training for it. Walked 5km in 62 mins on the weekend.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids). Went out twice for lunch in January. Went out for dinner for our anniversary in February.

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research
February: $25 from Pureprofile (online surveys)

GOALS FOR FEBRUARY
- upload the remaining photos of my Photo of the Day 2010. Outcome: Have done up to Dec 7th. Will carry over goal to March.
- cull emails in inbox down to 30 and kept it at that level. Outcome: Inbox currently sitting at 112 emails. Will carry over goal to March.
- get supplies and photos organised for my girlie retreat at the end of February. Outcome: Done. Also managed to cull a large amount of stuff. Will need to sell this on eBay.
- carried over from January: help Dale transform our lounge room (paint feature wall, doors, skirting boards; put furniture in place; decide on paintings/photos to go on walls). Outcome: Feature wall and skirting done. Lounge, TV and coffee table in place. Still need to paint doors and decide on paintings/photos to go on walls. Will carry over goal to March.

Kindness

2011-02-20T20:37:00.002+11:00

I saved this on my computer months ago I just found it again. I love the message. (Note: I don't know the original source, but if you do please let me know so that I can give credit where it is due.)

The Manifesto of Kindness

Kindness is simple yet complicated, modest yet loud, soft yet strong, ordinary yet extraordinary.

... It is the handwritten thank-you note you receive anonymously from someone you’ve never met but helped in some way.
... It is the email you send to an overwhelmed friend with a short note of encouragement and a note to read the email, smile, and hit delete without responding.
... It is the comment you receive on a blog post that lets you know that your voice is being heard and that what you’re saying means something to others.
... It is what you do without acknowledgment or praise, done simply to give without the expectation of receiving.
... It is the courage to give to yourself what you can’t give to others (and wish you could).
... It is the voice that whispers deep into your heart, “You are amazing.” You listen, feel its message, and believe wholeheartedly that you are amazing simply because your heart says so.
... It is the willingness to give to others and sacrifice what you give to yourself when you know that it’s what you are called to do.
... It is the courage to face your fears with your eyes wide open in order to create change for yourself and for others.
... It is the guilt you battle when you make yourself a priority and your kindness is questioned by yourself and others.
... It is the voice that says, “You don’t have to know everything; you are worthy of this journey.”
... It is the ability to nurture ourselves and our vulnerabilities with authentic and wholehearted kindness.
... It is the strength it takes to publicly proclaim, “I am kind!”

The kindness you read about in books or see on television matters, but the most important kindness is often overlooked – the ordinary sparkling kindness we nurture for ourselves and share with others.

Give kindness to yourself. Share kindness with others. Create a beautiful ripple effect of kindness.

Happy (hot) 11th anniversary!

2011-02-05T18:11:00.004+11:00

11 years ago I married the man of my dreams. It was one of the happiest days of my life, and it was also one of the hottest days I've ever experienced. It was 41 degrees (celsius) that day. The hottest day of the entire summer and the hottest February day ever recorded at the local weather station.

Today is almost as hot. I saw it reach 39.2, but maybe it was higher. I'm fortunate enough to be hiding out in my bedroom with Callum, Annabelle and the air conditioner. Poor Dale is outside in the heat performing a lion dance and a kung fu demonstration to celebrate Chinese New Year at one of the Chinese restaurants in Wollongong. :S

Happy anniversary to the sweetest, most wonderful, supportive, caring man I have ever met. I am honoured to be your wife and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you.

(Photo by Janine Kaye).

Goals for 2011 - January updates

2011-01-31T22:07:00.001+11:00

Vegetables harvested (target 7): 5
Layouts done (target 20): 4
Cards made (target 200): 5
Items sewn (target 10): 2
Money contributed towards mortgage (target $480): $200

- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
January: Ate tomatoes and cucumber from the garden. Had a salad containing lettuce, tomato, capsicum, herbs, cucumber and shallots all freshly picked.
PRODUCE EATEN: Cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, shallots, capsicum.

- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes. Jogged/walked 2.6km in 23:14 this morning. Able to jog my block (0.9km) without stopping in 7:03.

- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
Items sewn – Jan: Ice/heat packs for Callum and Nathaniel.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
January: Went out twice for lunch this month (dropped C&A at their grandparents place).

- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $40 per month ($480 for the year).
January: $100 from Rewards Central (online surveys), $100 from Roy Morgan Research

GOALS FOR JANUARY
- write our wills and get them witnessed and stored. Done 19/01/11 (although I need to update the additional information pages already!)
- help Dale transform our lounge room (remove skirting boards, repaint, put on new skirting boards, buy new lounge and TV, possibly sand and revarnish the coffee table). - In progress. Walls painted. TV purchased and in our possession. Lounge ordered, will be delivered in March or April. Still to do: paint feature wall, doors, skirting boards; put furniture in place; decide on paintings/photos to go on walls.
- clean under my bed. Done 23/01/11.

GOALS FOR FEBRUARY
- upload the remaining photos of my Photo of the Day 2010.
- cull emails in inbox down to 30 and kept it at that level.
- get supplies and photos organised for my girlie retreat at the end of February.
- carried over from January: help Dale transform our lounge room (paint feature wall, doors, skirting boards; put furniture in place; decide on paintings/photos to go on walls).

Meet the Trainer

2011-01-26T22:05:00.003+11:00

I neglected to mention in my previous post that my personal trainer works completely for free. The perfect price I think!

They are also male, 6 years old and can been heard on the jog home saying "Mum, can I play computer when we get home?".

Meet Callum, the trainer. :)

Jogging, my personal trainer and yoga

2011-01-25T22:07:00.005+11:00

I have been going walking/jogging for the past three weeks and I'm really enjoying it. I jog until I need a rest and then I powerwalk until I am ready to jog again. I can already see improvements in my fitness. There is a definite increase in the length of time I am able to jog for. I never imagined I would say I enjoy jogging, but I do.

In the past week and a half I've had my own personal trainer jog with me. They jog alongside me sprouting encouraging comments such as "Come on, let's jog a bit more" (when I'm walking) or "Look, I am walking at the same speed you're jogging" (when I am actually jogging!). They slept in this morning so I got to go out jogging by myself. It was so peaceful! :)

I went to my first yoga class last night. I'll be honest, I didn't really know what to expect and I wasn't sure that I'd last 1.5 hours of whatever it turned out to be. Turns out I loved it. The peacefulness, the focus, the stretching (oh my aching muscles today!), the calmness of it all. Loved, loved, loved it.

I wonder if Annabelle should have been born in the '80s!

More scrapbooking pages

2011-01-24T00:14:00.002+11:00

Bad quality scans, but they'll have to do. :)

The boys went to the SCG today to watch Australia play England. It was Callum's first time at a 'real' cricket game. I can't wait to hear all about it. Australia won, which will have made the experience even sweeter for Callum.

Where's the year going??

2011-01-21T22:30:00.004+11:00

This year seems to be flying past. Our loungeroom renovations are in full swing. The skirting boards have been removed, internal doors taken out, and the undercoat went on the walls today. We have ordered a new television (old one died last year) and a new lounge (old one has been moved to the family room).

I have been staying off the computer a lot, as shown by my inbox currently containing 112 messages. I have also managed to do some scrapbooking - the first since February last year. Nothing flash and fancy but I've been enjoying the crafting process.

And the highlight of my week? This salad was created entirely using produce from my garden. There's lettuce, cucumber, tomato, shallots, herbs and capsicum. Oh yeah! :)

Goals for 2011

2011-01-01T14:26:00.003+11:00

I work better with goals. I have changed a few of last years goals to suit me better.

GOALS FOR 2011
- Harvest at least seven different types of fruit/vegetables.
- Get healthier as measured by my physical fitness level. Target: to be able to run 5km non-stop in under 45 minutes.
- Continue my crafting passions. Targets: 10 scrapbooking layouts, 200 cards and 10 sewing items completed.
- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
- Contribute towards the mortgage. Target of $20 per month ($240 for the year).

I am also going to have 3 goals per month. Just to give me something to focus on. Random things that seem to have been on the to-do list forever or that are bugging me and really need to get done!

GOALS FOR JANUARY
- write our wills and get them witnessed and stored.
- help Dale transform our lounge room (remove skirting boards, repaint, put on new skirting boards, buy new lounge and TV, possibly sand and revarnish the coffee table).
- clean under my bed.

2010 goals update - December

2011-01-01T14:13:00.001+11:00

Goals for 2010 – the final updates

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 357
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 8kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $1099.85

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing. 31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.
31 July: Peas and carrots growing. Lots of herbs. Two tomato plants.
31 August: Have pick and eaten some carrots and peas. Neither made it inside as they were eaten raw by Callum and Annie.
30 September: We've eaten lots more peas, plus lettuce, parsley, coriander and basil.
31 October: The corn plants are looking strong. Small amount of carrots growing nicely. Herbs doing well. Strawberry plant has flowers. Pea plants were removed today.
30 November: Tomato plants looking great. Several green tomatoes. Planted more herbs and move their pots to the centre of the garden. Cobs forming on the corn stalks. Strawberry plants have a few berries. Annie ate the first one last week. She also ate the first cherry tomato.
31 December: Corn has produced some super delicious cobs. Tomatoes starting to turn red. Tiny cucumber on the vine. Herbs all happy.
PRODUCE EATEN: Potato, pumpkin, peas, carrots, herbs, strawberry, tomatoes, corn.
- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 31 Dec: Ended the year 8kg heavier than I started. Not what I had planned. Something to focus on for 2011.
- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) I successfully made fruit bread, hot cross buns and one loaf of sandwich bread.
- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Made 11 layouts and 357 cards. A small dent made but a whole lot more to go.
- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! I learned some basics at my Body Shop party early this month. I have only tried a very simple application by myself. More practice required.
- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. 28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.
16 July: Went out to dinner at pizza restaurant.
Aug/Sept: Had lunch out a couple of times when Dale took the day off work.
24 Nov: Went out for lunch to the Thai restaurant.
10 Dec: Went out for dinner with Katy to Cronulla.
- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.
July – No further developments.
August – Sewed some cushion covers for the old cushions on the lounge. Have put machine in for service.
September – Machine has returned. I altered the hem of a pair of pants for Callum.
October – No change.
November – Made Christmas napkins for Cathy. I'm learning lots and loving it!
December – Made Christmas napkins for Grant and Jenna. Made cool packs (opposite of heatpacks) for Annabelle and Benjamin.

Cordless really means cordless!

2010-12-29T14:20:00.003+11:00

Our kettle/jug died yesterday so Annabelle and I went to the shops this morning to buy a new one. I prefer cordless ones as they are easier to pour. I found very basic model for $14, which I thought was a bargain price for something that doesn't need to be flash and fancy.
The joke was on me when I got home and unpacked the kettle only to find that this one really was cordless. There was no base in the box, just the kettle. So I have nothing to plug in! Back to boiling water in a saucepan on the stove...
:)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-28T21:20:00.002+11:00

Hope your Christmas was as much fun as ours! Happy New Year (in case I don't blog again before then!).

Weekend to-do list - how'd I go?

2010-12-05T17:58:00.005+11:00

Quite well actually. :)

* edit photos - done up to the end of October
* update Photo of the Day blog (yes, the photos are still being taken I just haven't had a chance to edit them). - done up to the end of October
* finish sewing the current project on my craft table (it's a Christmas present, so no more detail than that!) - planning on doing it tonight
* finish writing the list of Christmas presents we are giving this year - done
* respond to emails in my inbox - responded to several, gained several more. Next time this goal needs a number on it!
* make tomato relish - done. I made 4 jars for storing and 1 container to eat now.

I also spent time with my family as well as enjoying lunch here today with Grant and Jenna. Love a productive weekend!

How was your weekend?

2010 goals update - November

2010-12-04T16:22:00.001+11:00

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 357
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 8kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $1074.85

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing. 31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.
31 July: Peas and carrots growing. Lots of herbs. Two tomato plants.
31 August: Have pick and eaten some carrots and peas. Neither made it inside as they were eaten raw by Callum and Annie.
30 September: We've eaten lots more peas, plus lettuce, parsley, coriander and basil.
31 October: The corn plants are looking strong. Small amount of carrots growing nicely. Herbs doing well. Strawberry plant has flowers. Pea plants were removed today.
30 November: Tomato plants looking great. Several green tomatoes. Planted more herbs and move their pots to the centre of the garden. Cobs forming on the corn stalks. Strawberry plants have a few berries. Annie ate the first one last week. She also ate the first cherry tomato.
PRODUCE EATEN: Potato, pumpkin, peas, carrots, herbs, strawberry, tomato.

- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 30 Nov: Still well over where I started for the year. Can't have everything! lol

- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) I've been making fruit bread and hot cross buns. Delicious!

- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.

- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! I learned some basics at my Body Shop party early this month. Now to apply the makeup a few times by myself.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. 28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.
16 July: Went out to dinner at pizza restaurant.
Aug/Sept: Had lunch out a couple of times when Dale took the day off work.
24 Nov: Went out for lunch to the Thai restaurant.
Dec: We have plans to go out on Friday night with Katy.

- Sew an item of clothing.
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.
July – No further developments.
August – Sewed some cushion covers for the old cushions on the lounge. Have put machine in for service.
September – Machine has returned. I altered the hem of a pair of pants for Callum.
October – No change.
November – Made Christmas napkins for Cathy. I'm learning lots and loving it!

Weekend to-do list

2010-12-03T20:56:00.002+11:00

I'll be quite satisfied with just 'spend time with Dale, Callum and Annabelle' but in case the mood strikes me to do some of my other to-do list items I'll focus on:
* edit photos
* update Photo of the Day blog (yes, the photos are still being taken I just haven't had a chance to edit them).
* finish sewing the current project on my craft table (it's a Christmas present, so no more detail than that!)
* finish writing the list of Christmas presents we are giving this year
* respond to emails in my inbox
* make tomato relish

And that's enough. A girl needs to relax a bit! :)

Donating found coins

2010-12-01T20:44:00.003+11:00

Dale made a comment late last year that I find a lot of coins on the ground when we are out and about. I decided to see how true it was by putting all my finds in a jar for a year. And the results are in.

Between 1 Dec 2009 and 30 Nov 2010 I found 96 coins on the ground (14 x $2, 3 x $1, no 50c, 5 x 20c, 21 x 10c and 60 x 5c). A total of $23.10 which I have just donated to the MS Society. May they one day find a cure.

I have started the collection again and will see how I go in the next 12 months. :)

Words with Friends

2010-12-01T13:46:00.003+11:00

Does anyone out there play Words with Friends on their iPod/iPad/IPhone? I love it! And Callum has been making lots of my moves too. It's a fantastic learning tool for him and a lot of fun for a Scrabble-lover like me.

Leave your WWF userid in the comments field and I'll challenge you to a game. I can delete your comment as soon as I read it if you are worried about it being read by anyone else. :)

A piece of wisdom

2010-11-27T15:39:00.000+11:00

Don't get NapiSan powder in your eyes. It hurts. Just saying. :)

A family holiday

2010-11-21T21:39:00.004+11:00

It's always wonderful when you can share one of your childhood loves with your own children. It is even better when what you share is not a thing, but a family and their beautiful home. A place where the world truly is a better place. :)

Tonight as Callum went to bed he told me he'd had a wonderful day but also a sad day. I asked why he was sad and he told me "Because I couldn't stay there". Dale told him that he agreed because it always feels like a holiday when we're there.

We love you family T.

More updates

2010-11-19T12:06:00.003+11:00

* Kindy orientation - done. I took chocolate cupcakes because I discovered that what I thought was a bag of dates in the cupboard was actually a bag of prunes. Prune loaf anyone? ;)
* I made a big quiche to use up some spinach. Some for lunch today and the rest to freeze for later. I'm hoping it freezes okay. I've never frozen homemade quiche before.
* This afternoon I'm making Chocolate Cherry Slice and some Shortbread biscuits to take on Sunday. Both will be gluten-free, just for you Natty!
* We are getting blinds installed in the craft room / toy room next month. Hopefully that will cut down on some of the fading that my craft supplies have been doing. :S
* Callum is quite a handful lately. He's been pushing Dale and I both to our limits, and sometimes over them! I could make a huge list of the issues, but Dale said he really all boils down to Callum being incredibly selfish and self-centred. I'm not sure how to help Callum understand that he is not the centre of the universe. Any advice welcomed!
* Annabelle is gorgeous, inside and out. She played happily for an hour this morning while I did reading in Callum's classroom. Then she played for another hour sitting next to me while we attending the P&C meeting. Love this girl!

A quick update

2010-11-17T20:23:00.002+11:00

Point form, because it's quicker to type and quicker to read so everyone's a winner! :)

* The garden is going great. The tomato plants are very happy with plenty of green tomatoes on them and the cobs are starting to form on the corn plants. Yay!
* I've cleaned up my craft desk to swap from making cards to sewing. I made a cold pack for Annabelle the other day. She loves it. (It's a material pillow filled with flaxseed that we store in the freezer for holding on bumps and bruises.)
* I cooked up a storm on Monday making 2 chicken and mushroom pies, one vegetable pasta bake, a fruit loaf, two fruit buns and a mass of sausage rolls. I delivered half of it to friends who are struggling at the moment, fed some to my family for dinner and put some in the freezer.
* Tomorrow morning I'll be making 2 date loaves - one to take the kindy orientation (I'm welcoming new parents to the school) and one as a thank you to the generous lady who gave me a pile of kids clothes and toys.
* I'm looking forward to seeing Natalie on Sunday. So so excited!

Off to have cheesecake and relax with Dale...

The vegetable garden

2010-11-05T14:19:00.003+11:00

This was my garden a few weeks ago. It's not too different now - a couple more strawberry plants, several more tomato plants, and no more peas.

Pots containing assorted plants. These were given to us as a bag of random seedlings from Dale's kung fu teacher. As I had no idea what several of them were they aren't necessarily things that should have gone in pots! Live and learn... There's spinach, shallots, broccoli, lettuce and some unknown plant that the caterpillars thought was delicious!

Herbs - parsley, coriander and mint. The basil is elsewhere.

One of the tomato plants with a few small tomatoes.

The pea plants that were totally destroyed by snails. Another live and learn! We got a good crop of peas from the plants prior to their destruction.

Corn and carrots.

Annabelle's precious strawberry plant. She is patiently waiting for her first fruit.

2010 goals update - October

2010-11-01T14:27:00.001+11:00

Goals for 2010 – October updates

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 338
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 5kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $799.85

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing. 31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.
31 July: Peas and carrots growing. Lots of herbs. Two tomato plants.
31 August: Have pick and eaten some carrots and peas. Neither made it inside as they were eaten raw by Callum and Annie.
30 September: We've eaten lots more peas, plus lettuce, parsley, coriander and basil.
31 October: The corn plants are looking strong. Small amount of carrots growing nicely. Herbs doing well. Strawberry plant has flowers. Pea plants were removed today.
- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 31 Oct: I'm starting to get this back under control.
- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) I've been making fruit bread – oh yum!
- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.
- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! I learned some basics at my Body Shop party early this month. Now to apply the makeup a few times by myself.
- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. 28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.
16 July: Went out to dinner at pizza restaurant.
Aug/Sept: Had lunch out a couple of times when Dale took the day off work.
- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.
July – No further developments.
August – Sewed some cushion covers for the old cushions on the lounge. Have put machine in for service.
September – Machine has returned. I altered the hem of a pair of pants for Callum.
October – No change.

Family management

2010-10-26T22:33:00.002+11:00

A couple of somewhat related things that I read today which made me smile.

(1) I was filling in a survey this afternoon and the question that asks about occupation which usually just has options such as full time employed, retired, looking for work, and if you're lucky 'home duties' made me smile with the following option:

Home duties / Family management

Ah, so finally I have a management position! :)

and (2) This quote "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on".

Anne of Green Gables

2010-10-13T23:10:00.003+11:00

When I was in year four my teacher gave me a copy of Anne of Green Gables and my love for Anne Shirley began. I have read Anne of Green Gables more times than I have read any other book. I loved the television mini-series that was created from the Anne books (although I can't stand any of the spin-off's, or anything that does not have Megan Follows cast as Anne).

I'm not sure if I wanted to be Anne, or just be a 'kindred spirit' of hers. As a child I loved Anne's antics, her overly dramatic style of being, and of course her beloved Gilbert. The romantic happy ending - who couldn't love that? As an adult I admire Anne's strength of character, her ability to be herself even when it's not what the world expects, and her passion for finding beauty in her surroundings and joy in the simplest of things.

I just spent over an hour watching bits of the mini-series and now I am thinking it's time to get out the books and have another read. Does anyone else have a childhood favourite that they still love?

2010 goals update - September

2010-10-09T00:31:00.001+11:00

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 299
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 5kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $729.85

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing. 31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.
31 July: Peas and carrots growing. Lots of herbs. Two tomato plants.
31 August: Have pick and eaten some carrots and peas. Neither made it inside as they were eaten raw by Callum and Annie.
30 September: We've eaten lots more peas, plus lettuce, parsley, coriander and basil.

- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 30 Sept: I'm starting to get this back under control.

- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) I have started experimenting – made a loaf with olives on top. Next time I'll try olives in the bread.

- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.

- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! Body Shop party booked for October where I'll be learning the basics.

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. 28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.
16 July: Went out to dinner at pizza restaurant.
Aug/Sept: Had lunch out a couple of times when Dale took the day off work.

- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.
July – No further developments.
August – Sewed some cushion covers for the old cushions on the lounge. Have put machine in for service.
September – Machine has returned. I altered the hem of a pair of pants for Callum.

Feeling the love

2010-09-28T22:25:00.002+10:00

To all the wonderful people who emailed, texted, called, sent cards or left messages on my blog THANK YOU. Perhaps it is a reflection of the changes in me but yesterday is the happiest and most loved I have felt on a birthday that I can remember. *hugs* to you all.

It's my birthday, happy birthday

2010-09-27T10:06:00.002+10:00

And it's a great day so far! Dale made me breakfast and did the dishes before heading to work. Callum has his friend Isaac staying here, which is keeping Callum amused. Annie is happily playing by herself. And I'm sitting here in my craft room, still in my pyjamas, relaxing.

Ah, I need more birthdays! ;)

It's going to be a good day

2010-09-21T08:57:00.004+10:00

I've started getting up earlier and I love it. I was a morning person during school (unlike my best friend who was definitely a whole lot happier if you let her wake up slowly and a bit later! ;) ). I think having kids throws your sleeping patterns out of whack. Anyway, I'm going back to getting up around 6-6.30am.

This morning I went for a bike ride on the new bike Dale bought me on the weekend. Yay! It was really fun. I only went out for 20 mins as I didn't want to go far from home on the bike's first trip out (in case something wasn't screwed together properly and fell off). I just need to work out the whole gears thing. I am used to stopped and going as being the only options! lol

Annie and I are now off to playgroup and then I am picking up the sewing machine. They called late yesterday afternoon to say it was ready. I guess they must have read my blog post yesterday!

While editing photos I came across this gem from Feb 2010. Annie looks so tiny and I love how Callum managed to just get his head in the photo.

Have a great day!

Come home machine!!!

2010-09-20T14:07:00.002+10:00

The sewing machine I borrowed from my mother-in-law is getting serviced. It's been there for over 3 weeks and I'm itching to get it back. I've got some super cute toy patterns that I want to try. Please hurry up Mr Fix-It! :)

08/09/10

2010-09-08T10:05:00.001+10:00

I just realised that the date is 08/09/10. Cool! :)

Book giveaway - winner

2010-09-07T15:46:00.002+10:00

Since there were only 3 people interested in my preloved book giveaway I've decided to give a book to each of you. Each one will be different, but all good books. :)
So Bev C and skkorman can you please email me with your postal addresses? Melanie, I already have yours. :)

2010 goals update - August

2010-09-07T15:44:00.001+10:00

Goals for 2010 – August updates

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 267
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 5kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $629.85

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing. 31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.
31 July: Peas and carrots growing. Lots of herbs. Two tomato plants.
31 August: Have pick and eaten some carrots and peas. Neither made it inside as they were eaten raw by Callum and Annie.

- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 31 August: Oops. :(

- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) I have started experimenting – made a loaf with olives on top. Next time I'll try olives in the bread.

- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.

- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! No progress here but I will certainly be taking up Mel and Kim on their offer of a girls night in!

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. 28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.
16 July: Went out to dinner at pizza restaurant.

- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.
July – No further developments.
August – Sewed some cushion covers for the old cushions on the lounge. Have put machine in for service.

Book giveaway

2010-09-01T21:12:00.002+10:00

I recently finished reading At Risk by Alice Hoffman and would like to gift it on to someone else. It was a great story but since I rarely read the same book twice I've decided to clear out my bookcases a bit. Alice Hoffman writes in a similar fashion to Jodi Picoult, although I find Alice's books better. So if you would like a free book, just leave a comment. I'll randomly pick a winner on Sunday 5 Sept. (Australian residents only since postage overseas would be too expensive - sorry.)

A big TOOT!

2010-08-30T16:15:00.002+10:00

Did you miss me? I turned off the computer on Wednesday night for my usual 'Turn Off On Thursday' and then didn't turn it back on again until this morning. To be honest I didn't miss it at all. I do have an inbox full of emails to respond to though!

This is Annabelle, trying to eat my nose!

Rainbow skirt from Willow and Moo

2010-08-25T22:43:00.002+10:00

One of these gorgeous skirts arrived for Annie the other day. It is all hand dyed and is so pretty! I'm saving it for when the weather warms up a bit, even though it would look good now with tights underneath it.

If you would like to order one for your little princess, head over to Sara's blog and send her an email. Tell her I sent you. :) Oh, and check out the giveaway she has running at the moment.

Grief

2010-08-23T22:06:00.003+10:00

I hesitating in posting this because I feared that it might upset some people reading it and that is certainly not my intention. I want only to record my feelings and thoughts in the same way the rest of my blog is a record of whatever is in my brain on a particular day. If any of this causes offence to you, I sincerely apologise and offer a big hug.

Grief is a difficult emotion to deal with, especially when it involves the loss of a parent. For most people, losing a parent involves the physical death of the parent. My situation is a little different – my father is still alive, but any chance of there being a relationship between us has died.

As young children we grow up believing that our parents are superheroes. They know everything, they can do anything, they are amazing! And then, at some stage in our lives, we realise that in fact they are just human. They have flaws, they make mistakes, they aren't walking encyclopedias. We begin to see them for the person they truly are. Usually this is a good thing as it enables us to develop a more real relationship with our parents, to connect over common interests and to become friends with them. For me it brought about a decision that I never imagined I would make – I disconnected my life completely from one of the people that brought me into this world. It was not an easy decision to make and wasn't something I did lightly. I knew that my choice had consequences and effected more people than just me.

Yes, this makes me a terrible daughter. But then I wasn't thinking as a daughter. I was thinking as a mother, as a wife and as an individual. One day I will be asked by my children to explain why I cut their grandfather out of their lives. One day I will sit and explain to them that a relationship where there is no trust is not a relationship at all. I will tell them that every decision I make is about them, for them and because of them. I will do anything to protect my children from the hurt and pain that I have felt.

As I sat today with one of the other P&C mums wrapping presents for next week's Father's Day stall I had a moment of sadness as I remembered that I have no Dad to buy a present for. A feeling I know many people feel on Father's Day. Hugs to you all.

Delay in posting

2010-08-20T21:45:00.007+10:00

I just wrote a long post but have decided not to publish it until I have had a chance to read it when I'm not tired.

Instead I provide Annabelle and her new reading place, and Callum and his new gappy smile.

Oh, and for anyone who is wondering, I have still been leaving the computer switched off every Thursday. I am loving the freedom from the lure of the internet, email, etc. I wonder if I need to remove it for another day!

So much to say...

2010-08-18T23:21:00.001+10:00

...a trip to Canberra, thoughts from my past and thoughts of my future, plenty of photos, and much more.

But it is late. And I need sleep. And since tomorrow is TOOT it will all have to wait until Friday. :)

Not a cheeky monkey

2010-08-11T21:54:00.003+10:00

Annie made a dash for freedom when I tried to load her into the car this afternoon. As I grabbed her I said 'You are a cheeky monkey!'. Her response: "I'm not a cheeky monkey. I'm a attitude!"
Who can argue with that, especially when this is what I found sitting in my chair the other day.

P.S. My photo blog has been updated. Enjoy!

2010 goals update - July

2010-08-10T14:28:00.003+10:00

Goals for 2010 – July updates

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 245
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 5kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $629.85

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing.
31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.
31 July: Peas and carrots growing. Lots of herbs. Two tomato plants.

- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 31 July: Oops. :(

- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.)
I have started experimenting – made a loaf with olives on top. Next time I'll try olives in the bread.

- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.

- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted!
No progress here but I will certainly be taking up Mel and Kim on their offer of a girls night in!

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant.
28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10^th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.
16 July: Went out to dinner at pizza restaurant.

- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.
July – No further developments.

Flying solo at the movies

2010-08-09T21:54:00.003+10:00

I'm just back from the movies. I went alone. I was okay with going alone until I sat down in the cinema and noticed that there were 4 couples, and me. I felt a little sad, then got over myself and watched the movie. :) I saw Killers starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. I won't recommend that you don't see it, but I certainly recommend you go in with VERY low expectations.

Today was a quiet day for Annie and I. We pottered around the house doing a whole lot of not much. Tomorrow will be much the same. I am hoping to get started on my tax and also update my photo blog.

And because every post needs a photo...

I love a great coffee

2010-08-03T14:35:00.003+10:00

I never used to like coffee. I think it is because I grew up in a household where horrible instant coffee was the only thing on offer (sorry Mum, but it is terrible stuff!). Then Dale and I went on a very short trip to Europe before Callum was born. In Italy and Greece I started drinking coffee - real coffee. And after that experience I realised that it wasn't that I don't like coffee. I just don't like instant coffee, or burnt coffee, or weak coffee. In short, I'm a coffee snob. :) And so began the search for good quality coffee beans to use at home.

At the moment we use Ethica Coffee beans and I highly recommend them. They taste great, are ethically sourced and have competitive prices with free delivery to anywhere in Australia. You can order them as whole beans or choose the grind-type you'd like (no extra charge). So if you like a great coffee, then give them a try! :)

Photo taken from Ethica Coffee website.

Making myself happy and a giveaway

2010-07-24T22:18:00.002+10:00

I assume everyone has some little thing they love to do that makes them happy. For me one of those things is making greeting cards and sending them out. Birthday cards are nice, but I actually prefer to send hello cards or 'thinking of you' type cards when someone is not expecting it. I think of it as a piece of happy mail instead of all those bills and junk mail that normally fill our letter boxes. It is also a nice way to remind people that I do care about them. As most of my friends will attest to I rarely make phone calls. I can't fully explain why, but I dislike phones. If I can avoid them, I do. (Sorry if you are someone expecting or hoping for a phone call from me! Try email or snail mail!) So what I save on the cost of phone calls I spend on sending cards and parcels. It makes me happy and hopefully it makes others happy to receive them.

So, what makes you happy? Leave me a comment and I'll send you a card. If I don't have your postal address please make sure you leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you to get it.

Competitive

2010-07-21T23:32:00.004+10:00

In response to the comments from the previous post, yes I admit that my competitive nature is a tad ridiculous at times! And yes, I did deserve the dizziness! Why the desire to beat the clock on the blood donating? Because I can! lol (Oh, and it's all in the way you pump your arm!)

And speaking of competitions, Sweet Vintage and Moose and Bird are both currently having giveaways. Both ladies create beauty that I can only dream of producing. They are definitely worth a look in.

And speaking of beautiful check out the gorgeous layout that my friend Mel created using a photo of Annie. Thanks so much Mel. It certainly brought a smile to my face. You can have as many photos of Annie as you want! :)

And one of the rare days that Annie let me brush her hair.

When the room starts spinning

2010-07-21T10:30:00.002+10:00

Also known as 'Faster is not always better with blood donating'.

This morning I went for my usual blood donating session over at the mobile blood trailer thingy at Shellharbour Square. I always race the clock to see how fast I can pump that 470mL out. Normally it's around 7 minutes. Last time I managed 6 minutes 40-something seconds. Today I pumped that blood out in just 5 mins 34 secs. Woohoo! A personal record. Great if I didn't then have to spend a few minutes with the seat reclined waaaaay back and my feet in the air because I got dizzy! LOL

I'm off now to post some parcels to people who aren't expecting them because surprise parcels are the best kind. Have a great day!

And maybe I'll get time to make one of these...

Cards for Kids drive

2010-07-17T20:59:00.002+10:00

I spent a couple of hours today creating and writing on 14 cards to send to some sick kids and their families. It is through Jennifer McGuire's Cards for Kids drive. And yes I know that there are millions of others out there who are suffering too, but at least this is a start, right?

I kept the cards simple - just some patterned paper and the child's initial on the front. The inside has a joke and a message of good wishes from Callum and Annie. And I tucked a small sheet of stickers inside each card. What kid doesn't love stickers? :)

Sick :(

2010-07-11T20:56:00.002+10:00

Why do we get sick during the holidays when we are supposed to be having lots of fun? :(
Callum got over his vomiting thing, but now Annie has it. And I have a sore throat / head cold / sore muscles. Tomorrow is a day for resting. Hoping that we are all better quickly!

School holidays in full force

2010-07-07T22:50:00.003+10:00

And I'm loving it! No twice daily trips to school! :)

Tomorrow we are planning a quiet day at home since we've had a busy time so far with a birthday party, a sleepover, a trip to Wollongong, a soccer match, soccer training, dinner out, lunch out and as of about 30 minutes ago a whole heap of vomit! Eewwww...

My favourite photo so far of the holidays is this:

It was accompanied by laughs and happiness and a joy that I haven't seen on this little face in a while. It made me very happy.

2010 goals update - June

2010-07-03T22:30:00.003+10:00

Goals for 2010 – June updates

Layouts done (target 100): 11
Cards made (target 200): 204
Weight lost (target 11kg): gained 2kg
Money contributed towards mortgage: $134.85

-Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing.
31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
30 June: We've been using the basil and parsley from the garden. Pea plants have started coming up.

- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 30 June: No comment!

- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) I have started experimenting – made a loaf with olives on top. Next time I'll try olives in the bread.

- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.

- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! No progress here but I will certainly be taking up Mel and Kim on their offer of a girls night in!

- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant.
28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10^th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
11 June: Had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then saw 'The A-team' at the cinema.

- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.
June – bought some cute patterns and lots of fabric.

So worth it!

2010-07-02T11:31:00.001+10:00

Yesterday's TOOT was a huge success! I got so much done. I admit that I had plenty of moments where I thought about checking emails, or updating a spreadsheet, or checking on Ebay auctions, but I seem to have survived. ;)

I will definitely be doing this every week from now on. And I might even turn the computer off for a couple of hours every day.

TOOT - Turn Off On Thursdays

2010-06-30T20:52:00.004+10:00

I'll admit it. I'm addicted to the internet/computer. So in an effort to reclaim my life I am turning off the computer on Thursdays. I figure it will all still be here on Friday, but I will have spent a day enjoying extra time cleaning, creating, playing and just being. Join me if you dare! :)

Cards for Grace

2010-06-30T20:47:00.003+10:00

If you are a card maker (or even if you aren't), please consider sending a card for Grace. Grace is only 8 but has just lost her twin sister to cancer. Full details can be found on Jennifer's blog.

Nothing new around here...

2010-06-24T21:25:00.001+10:00

Nothing overly exciting happening around here at the moment. This is the second week I've had Annabelle at home with me on a Thursday. I'm loving the extra day with her and have absolutely no regrets in dropping her from 2 days a week of daycare down to 1. This afternoon we even managed to have half an hour of sleep/cuddles before going to collect Callum from school. Ah, bliss!

A couple of layouts created months ago as I haven't scrapbooked since Feb!

A sockie?

2010-06-17T12:39:00.002+10:00

Callum came out to breakfast this morning and informed us that he couldn't go to school because he had no clean socks. I thought he'd have to call in 'sock'. Then we found some clean socks for him so Dale said if Callum didn't go to school he'd be 'chucking a sockie'. :D

Lessons from Noah's Ark

2010-06-16T12:47:00.005+10:00

My mum sent me this as an email this morning. Enjoy! :)

Life lessons from Noah's Ark.
1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float a while.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

2010 goals update - May

2010-06-16T12:46:00.001+10:00

Goals for 2010 – May updates

Layouts done (target 100): 9
Cards made (target 200): 186
Weight lost (target 11kg):

- Harvest at least six different types of vegetables.
2 Jan: Dug up some potatoes which we ate later that week.
30 Jan: Cut my first pumpkin from the vine. There are at least 2 more big ones growing. 31 Mar: Pumpkins everywhere, zucchini and tomato plants growing well as are the herbs I planted.
30 Apr: Still lots of pumpkins. Herbs looking sad.
- Get my weight down to 80kg (this requires a loss of 11kg). 30 Apr: Exactly where I started!
- Refine my bread making technique. (Hard to measure this one, but I'll know when I feel comfortable.) Made two loaves this month, including the one that Dale deemed 'the best loaf I'd ever made'.
- Make a dent in my scrapbooking/cardmaking stash. Doing this. See above for cards and pages made.
- Learn how to apply basic make-up. Not saying I want to start wearing it, I just want to know I could if I wanted! No progress here but I will certainly be taking up Mel and Kim on their offer of a girls night in!
- Go out for lunch or dinner with Dale at least once every 2 months (without kids).
14 Jan: We walked along Seacliff bridge and then had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. 28 Jan: Dale and I went shopping in Wollongong, had a nice coffee and then a relaxing lunch at the same place we went to on 14/01.
05 Feb (our 10th wedding anniversary): We went to the Illawarra Performing Arts centre to see MacHomer.
20 Mar: Went to Alastair and Carla's wedding.
14 May: We have found a regular babysitter (yay!) who will look after the kids one evening per month! Tonight we headed to a local Italian restaurant. The food was terrible, but it was great to get out!
- Sew an item of clothing. Progress!
April - made 2 cloth napkins.
May - made a library bag for Annie and simple tote bag for me.

Update on the heating

2010-06-14T23:01:00.003+10:00

Firstly, thanks to Deidre for the advice and Alyson for the offer of a heater. I will certainly be thinking about how we could cage off the area around the gas heater, although I still wouldn't trust her with it this year.

Here's the heating update:
- Annie's room does have one of those portable column heaters (the ones with the oil in them) which I failed to mention yesterday. It works fine and heats her room nicely on a low setting.
- Dale went digging in the garage and located Callum's column heater. It's been dusted off and now his room is warm too.
- Dale also located a column heater for our room, which was awesome since I only remembered owning two column heaters.
- So that just leaves the reverse-cycle air con in the lounge room, which realistically we can manage without. We'll get it fixed at some stage, but it's not high on the priority list. For now we'll wheel the column heaters around if we need extra warmth. I highly recommend woolly slippers and heat packs though!

And because I love pictures of gorgeous trees, here's one that Callum and I found during an afternoon at the park.

Still going on the pantry challenge

2010-06-13T23:31:00.004+10:00

Well, I had originally only intended doing the challenge for 2 weeks, but ended up going for 3 instead. I will continue it in some areas, but bought rice and breakfast cereal today as we were getting quite low on both. It has been good to reach the bottom of some of the containers and to also use up many of the tinned products I had. The shopping list is huge, but it is surprisingly how little we actually miss some of the things we've run out of. It makes me wonder how much I buy out of habit rather than need.

Last night we went to dinner at the Officer's house. Callum and Annabelle had lots of fun playing with Isaac and Nate, and Dale and I got to play with Benjamin. :) Such a happy little boy he is!

Grant and Jenna came over this afternoon/night to play Wii with Callum (that was Grant's job) and sort buttons with me (that was Jenna's job). Then we enjoyed a BBQ dinner, a cheesecake for dessert and then froze in our loungeroom chatting. There is no heating around here at the moment as the gas heater is too dangerous with Annabelle around and the electric reverse-cycle aircon decided to do cold air only. Oh dear! Heat packs, warm drinks, extra clothing and slippers have been all helping greatly.

And my favourite card from the past few months...

A wow wedding dress

2010-06-04T13:03:00.002+10:00

One of the prettiest wedding dresses ever...

See more details here.

And the winner is...

2010-05-31T22:10:00.002+10:00

The lucky winner of the Lip Balm and Dusk Melt is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-05-31 12:10:16 UTC

which is Kelly Irene! Congrats Kelly Irene, I'll be emailing you soon.

A desire to contribute financially

2010-05-30T23:01:00.002+10:00

Don't get me wrong, I understand how huge a contribution I am making to my family's future by staying at home and looking after Callum and Annie. But lately I have been feeling a strong desire to contribute financially somehow. Our basic day-to-day needs are met but I would like to make a contribution, however small, towards the mortgage. Finding a 'regular job' would be quite difficult at the moment since my days/hours are quite limited so I have been coming up with other ways to earn some money.
Here's what I have so far:
- sell other people's stuff on Ebay for a commission
- sell my own stuff on Ebay
- sell handmade greeting cards to local florists (or other appropriate stores)
- get a weekly/fortnightly housecleaning job working for one or two families
- sell handmade craft items on Etsy
- doing online paid surveys

I already mow the neighbours lawn once a month however this money pays for our one night per month babysitter.

My goal is to contribute $20 per month which may not seem much considering the size of the mortgage, but when I use one of those online mortgage calculators it tells me that paying an additional $20 per month will save us $14,000 in the long run. And THAT seems like a lot of money! :)

Wish me luck! I'll keep you updated with my progress in my sidebar. I already put in $100 from my Scrappy Bargains commission! Yay!

Beautiful girl, beautiful tree

2010-05-27T13:39:00.003+10:00

Annabelle and I went playing in a local park on Tuesday. There was a gorgeous old tree with some beautiful textures. Annabelle was quite happy to pose for a few photos. Gorgeous girl!

And yes, that is the ocean you can see in the background. Oh I love where we live!

ecoMILF pantry challenge and a rainy day giveaway

2010-05-26T10:49:00.007+10:00

One of my favourite blogs to read each morning is ecoMILF. Meagan has some great ideas for cooking, cleaning, living, child-rearing and just essentially being more environmentally conscious. Yesterday she posted a pantry challenge and thought it would be fun to join in. You can read more about it here, but the basic guidelines that I'll be aiming for are to go 2 weeks (starting Monday 24/5) only buying fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs and wholemeal bread (my bread making skills aren't quite good enough to provide bread suitable for packed sandwiches yet). Everything else will come from what is currently in the pantry, freezer or fridge. I'm off to a good start so far - dinner is in the slow cooker cooking nicely and there's bread dough rising in a container on the bench. I'll be baking some slice or biscuits a little later as a sweet treat. :)
If you want to join in, leave a comment here or at ecoMILF. It's a great way to save a little money and clear out the cupboards!

And just for a bit of fun on this rainy day, I thought I'd have a little giveaway. Leave a comment on this post and you'll go into the draw to win a Juicy Orange Lip Butter from Inner Earth Soaps and an Apple Martini melt from Dusk. I'll draw a winner on Sunday (30/05). International entrants welcome. ** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED **

Inspiring poem

2010-05-25T13:36:00.001+10:00

I read this on a blog the other day and liked what it says. I don't know who the author/poet is.

If there were ever a time to dare,

to make a difference,

to embark on something worth doing

It is now.

Not for any grand cause, necessarily -

But for something that tugs at your heart

Something that is worth your aspiration

something that is your dream

You owe it to yourself

To make your days count

Have fun

Dig deep

Stretch

Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing

Seldom come easy,

there will be times when you want to

Turn around

Pack it up and call it quits

Those times tell you

That you are pushing yourself

And that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,

Determination and the right tools,

You can do great things,

Let your instincts, your intellect

and let your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power

Of the human mind

Of doing something that makes a difference

Of working hard

Of laughing and hoping

Of lasting friends

Of all the things that will cross your path

Next year.

The start of something new,

Brings the hope of something great

Anything is possible

There is only one you

and you will pass this way but once

Do it right.

I made bags!

2010-05-23T22:33:00.003+10:00

I made a new library bag for Annabelle from an old,ripped quilt cover that I bought at the op shop for $1. I hand cut the felt heart and sewed it to the front for a bit of decoration. It certainly won't win any awards, but Annie loves it and I've quite proud of myself.
So I figured I might as well have a try at a simple bag for myself. I used a tutorial from Diary of a Quilter. I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Especially since I managed to make it from that same quilt cover (and I still have enough material left for at least one more bag).

I found some layouts!

2010-05-22T20:58:00.002+10:00

Some of the layouts I created back in February. More to come. :)