Its done!

Source: weheartit.com via yaga on Pinterest

Well, I did it... last day of Blogtoberfest12 today! YAY!!! Although I didn't end up blogging everyday, I am really happy with what I did achieve throughout the month! It did seem a bit ridiculous in the beginning but it's done now and a I think it did it well enough!

One thing I would have liked to have had more time to do was read some more of the other great blogs out in the internet galaxy! The problem is that I could just lose copious amounts of time delving into the world of blogging... but I have other priorities in my life, so I have to severely restrain my blog reading to short spurts.

I also want to thank you - and by 'you' I mean all of my readers. Wether you just come for a quick look or stay around for a while,  it makes me really excited to the point of childish happy dances, that I can be part of your lives in some small way! I check my blog often for comments and get that feeling like you are about to open your first christmas present, every time I see that some wonderful person has scribbled a little note to.... ME!

So now that Blogtoberfest12 has come to close, I am going to take a well earned hiatus to Melbourne with my little family! My hubby has asked me wether I will stay off the 'blogging circuit' while we are away and since I have agreed to do so... I will see you all when we get back!

x

P.S Don't tell hubby but you can see what we get up to on our holiday by following me on Instagram. ;) Pin It

Yep, everything is right...

The earth appears to be orbitting back on track today after a bit of a hellish weekend!! I won't bore you with those details...(and for those at our playgroup today - thank you for listening to my stresses and reassuring me that my life is normal!)

So, after thinking that I may sell my eldest son on eBay over the weekend (and can I say I did get a few bidders and to those hopefuls, I will keep you in mind if I am ever really strapped for cash!), as the day has gone on, his mood has improved and I might just keep him for a bit longer ;)

Today, was spent keeping my eldest son busy and active to try and reduce bed time meltdowns that we have been experiencing in this neck of the woods. We (and when I say 'we', I actually just mean my son... 'we' just sounds better!) played with little friends this morning, then ran through sprinklers in the nuddy and took a stroll down to the supermarket to wear those skinny little legs out!

And as I sit here typing, there is silence coming from big brothers room - yay! There was no hysterical tears and screaming. There was a the fairly normal 'NO' as he was led to his bed but he ACTUALLY WENT. He listened to 'The Gruffalo' (which, I do really well, if I do say so myself, complete with character voices!) and then he actually put his head on the pillow when I asked him to. I said my goodnights and after about 10 minutes of talking to himself, it has gone.... wait for it..... QUIET!!!!

Not only, is my son asleep already. The bag I purchased online for my wedding outfit arrived today (thank god it made it here in time) and it actually matches my shoes perfectly! And one of my favourite songs came on the radio tonight, which always transports me back to a couple of summers back, when I had no children and had time to sit down and do nothing!

Yep, everything is right with the world..... at this very moment anyway! So I am just going to savour it for as long as I can... so Adieu to you lot - I'm off to go and get some icecream and caramel topping and enjoy it in peace!!!




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Let her sleep...

I have been missing in action for a bit this last week in relation to my Blogtoberfest12 challenge which has been a bit frustrating...but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging...and thats ok with me.

I woke up this morning really, really tired and I think that the last 8 weeks (plus the 9 months before) of interrupted sleep and extra 'output' of energy has started catching up on me. So at least this time round I am realizing it before it's too late... (hopefully!)

Luckily for me, I have a wonderful husband who said to me this morning "it's ok to be tired, your second son is only 8 weeks old, not 18 weeks old, give yourself a break".

So maybe the daily writing challenge was a bit much to take on so early in our second child's life but I am really glad I gave it a go and am pretty happy with the posts I have put up. Even more than the posts though, I am really excited about the feedback I have received and that gives me the inspiration and encouragement to keep going... just not on such a regular basis at the moment.

So as child number one goes out the door with his Daddy to the farm for a while and child number two is falling asleep on my lap, I might just detach myself from him and the real world for just a little while.

For, that precious time from when my head hits the pillow to when someone wants something else from me will give me the restored energy to handle it!

Source: healthclicks.biz via morgey on Pinterest

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Wordless Wednesday: Food for thought...

Today, like the last couple of Wednesdays I am linking up with Twinkle in the Eye for Wordless Wednesday.

This week we are in the big smoke and our taste buds are getting a work out.... Yum!!!

Now I might just go and finish it all off with a cup of tea...Aaahh this is the life!

x

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A day to remember...

As today is Pink Ribbon day for breast cancer awareness, I took some time to remember the many beautiful women who have lost their fight against this awful disease.

Source: thisisnthappiness.com via Gabriele on Pinterest

I hope above hope, that a cure can be found so that this terrible 'C' word does not have to be apart of our vocabulary anymore.

Extra warm wishes to any of you that need a little bit extra today.

x

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I need your help!

I am getting a bit excited at the moment because in a couple of weeks my little family and I are off to Melbourne for a little holiday and to a good friends wedding- Yay! First of all though, I have to get through Blogtoberfest12 and the dilemma of what accessories to wear with my new wedding outfit. So I could do with your suggestions...

Here is a sneak peek of the dress and shoes...

and I have this bolero from my wedding...

but I am wondering, do I try and dye it a red/orange colour to match the outfit? Or do I buy a new one and if so what colour and from where? I wouldn't mind a vintage looking one.

Also, I need earrings and a bag. I am thinking vintage inspired for both as well, so your suggestions for colours and where to find them would be very much appreciated!

I am looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

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Mixed media canvas

I am over half way of Blogtoberfest12 and really I don't think I have done too bad an effort for my first time...

Anyway, this afternoon I am off to a baby shower and didn't really have time to go and buy a present for the babe to be, so I thought I would make something instead. I am loving doing mixed media canvases when I get the time and I thought the lack of a present would be a great chance to get creative again.

So here is the final result...

I hope the mum to be enjoys this as much as I enjoyed making it!

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6 things learned going to Speech Pathology for my child...

At 2 and a half years old my eldest son is definitely lagging in the talking department. He is getting there slowly. We have started taking him to a speech pathologist which is helping and we are starting to understand him a bit more, but I am amazed the things i've learnt about a child's speech development while going to these appointments.

Here is what I've learned so far...

1. Research shows that children with slow language development have found to be lacking in Zinc and Molybdenum Chloride. We have now started our son on both these supplements.

2. Our son has not lost his sucking reflex, so this means that when he swallows his tongue goes up instead of down, which in turn effects his speech.

3. My son has always stuffed entire bits of food into his mouth and not finished his mouthful before going for the next bit of food, and he drools a bit more than the average kid. It turns out he has an under-sensitized palette which means he actually cant feel that he hasn't finished his mouthful before going for his next bite. So it was suggested that we give our son really cold, spicy or hot food to awaken his palette, especially before doing his speech exercises.

4. Because our son had lots of ear problems when he was younger and eventually had to have grommets put in his ears, he is now more acutely aware of all the noises he can finally hear. This means, however, that he can easily be distracted if their are too many noises going on at once. So when doing the recommended speech exercises with him, there needs to be no outside noise.

5. When undertaking the speech exercises we are to let our son lead the play. We are to use three to four word sentences only and just basically narrate what is going on and what he is doing. We are not supposed to ask what he is doing.

6. The last thing I have learned is that it is quite hard for an adult to talk in three to four word sentences, without asking questions, when you put your mind to it! Go on I dare you to give it a try?

So although it is mighty frustrating when your child can't tell you what is wrong or what he wants, we are getting there and at least we get to have more ice-cream for the greater good of his speech!

Source: kevinandamanda.com via Tabby on Pinterest

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Thankful Thursday

Today I am playing along with kate says stuff for Thankful Thursday.

This week I am thankful that my husband has a job. Not because he nearly lost it or because of anything bad but because we now know that a job placement can be very fragile. Someone we know has just been made redundant from their job after 10 years of loyal service. I guess redundancy is not such an uncommon thing these days but what was more upsetting and enraging for the people involved was how it was done.
For a few months there was talk in the wind that the company was on shaky foundations, but the employees weren't really told anything so went to work everyday wondering if it would be there last. A few weeks ago, the person that we know went into work, went to his desk and found his computer gone. He sat at his desk for about 30 minutes and waited to see if anyone would come and talk to him about his missing computer. Nobody did. He went home. Much later that day his boss rang him to ask him for the company car to be returned. Our friend then asked WHY? (because he had been told nothing). The boss, said "oh, the Sydney head office was supposed to ring you a couple of days ago and tell you that you have been made redundant. To the employees credit (i think) he did say "well you can come and get your company car yourselves!"
And that was that. That was how this man found out that he no longer had a job. I think that this was disgusting behaviour from the company involved. It seems like that this man was just a number to this company not a human being with bills to pay and a life to lead. This man now finds himself in the mid years of his life jobless and wondering what to do next....

Source: poppytalk.blogspot.co.uk via Dominique Eva on Pinterest

I would just like to take words from CS Lewis as some comfort for this man..

"You are never too old to set another goal 

or to dream a new dream".

x

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Wordless Wednesday: Come fly with me...

This week I am linking up with my little drummer boys for wordless wednesday.

Last weekend it was one for my boys, going to the local air show to see the planes do their stuff...

What did you get up to on the weekend?

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Sand Art Fun...

Ok, I am back on the Blogtoberfest12 bandwagon after a couple of days away trying to sort out the design on my blog. I can tell you that the whole tecnological side of this blogging gig can be completely frustrating and hence time wasting. I would rather spend my time crafting and creating, than fluffing around with html codes and jpegs!!!

So now that I have my awesome new header (thanks again Leanne from Graphics By L - you can find her gorgeous work here.), I'm back with some crafty fun that I did with my eldest son over the weekend.

Have you ever seen Sand Art? While at our local Kindy market I bought a Sand Art Card for $5. Sand art is a specially designed laser cut card, that you can then create pictures from by removing the cover paper and pouring the coloured sand all over the exposed sticky section of the card.

My son had a picture of a car on his card, so we peeled off each section of the car and covered it with different coloured sand...

... my son seemed to be only dump the sand in one spot but that was ok because I got to rub it all over the card with his hand which worked just as well. 

And this was the final result...

We had heaps of sand left over (admittedly all over the table!) so we swept it into up and made our own sand art. I just painted glue on a piece of paper and then got my son to pour on the left over sand and brush it all over the page... 

Overall this craft was a bit messy but I don't think as messy as painting - at least with this you just brush off the sand and don't have to worry about paint stains on your clothes. You could also use glitter instead of coloured sand. 

I hope this gives you some inspiration to do some craft with the little people in you life...

x

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My new look blog...

So here it is, my new look blog. I hope you like it as much as I do!!! I want to say a big thank you to Leanne from Graphics by L for designing my awesome Title Header. I love it!


Leanne is married, with 3 gorgeous little girls and lives on a farm at Narridy in the Mid-North, South Australia.

With a passion for creation and a love for bright, meaningful artwork, Graphics by L has taken form.  It started with her purchase of a new jigsaw cutter from Bunnings and cutting out door signs, word art, memory books...and has evolved into unique personalised canvas and photo prints, as well as canvas art.

image source

So head on over Leanne's facebook page and have a look at all her great work (and tell her I sent you!). You won't be disappointed.

x



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If you never try, you'll never know...

To those of you that read my blog on a regular basis, you may have noticed that I missed a day yesterday of the Blogtoberfest12 challenge.

Instead I did some behind the scenes work, like spending two hours trying to figure out how to get two social media icons on here so that you can follow me on Pinterest and Twitter if you like. I finally got there in the end and you can find them on the right hand side column --------->

I am trying to make this blog feel a bit more like it's really mine, instead of the generic blog look that I already have (and so does a whole lot of other people probably!). So I have enlisted the help of Leanne from Graphics by L by to help me design a better header that shows my style a bit more. I got her email today with what she has come up with and I am really excited to show you all....but first I have to figure out how to change my blog look!!! 

In the next couple of days I will be playing around with my layout and design so don't think you've come to the wrong blog - it's still me and I still have lots of great stuff to write about in the months ahead.

So, for the next couple of days, when trying to deal with the technological world and giving my blog a facelift, the following will be my mantra...

Source: atleastiwilldiefree.tumblr.com via Adela on Pinterest

Wish me luck and I'll see you on the other side.

x

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Thankful Thursday

Today I have linked up with Kate Says Stuff for Thankful Thursday and today I am thankful for my Mum.

My mum has been staying with us for the week and it couldn't have come at a better time. As my two boys grow, their demands on me get bigger as well, so it has been so lovely to have my Mum here to halve the load. When you are breast feeding a baby and your elder child wants your attention too, it is just so nice to have someone here that you trust to entertain and love you children without a fuss.

As I feel guilty for being so tired and needing an afternoon nap, my mum reminds me that I have been up half the night with a newborn, and having half my nutrients sucked out of me is going to dwindle my energy levels. Mum sends me to bed while she takes care of the house. I am thankful for not having to change nappies, do baths or clean up after tea for the week while she is here.

I am thankful that my children also get to go to the playground with their "Ma", hear her singing all the nursery rhymes that I can never remember, have picnics with her on our back lawn and have stories read to them before bed.

So Mum, thank you so much for all that you do for me and my family, we don't know what we would do with out you.

x



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Wordless Wednesday: A day at the beach.

I've just linked up with twinkle in the eye for Wordless Wednesday. So here are a few photos that were taken a little while ago with my whole family at the beaches where I grew up. Enjoy...

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What night time brings...

Today is day 9 of Blogtoberfest12 and I thought I'd share a poem I wrote the other day, summing up our nights at the moment!

image source

A splutter and a hacking cough, 

We wish we could turn it off!

A snuffle and a cry,

We are wondering how long in we can lie?

But this is what we signed up for,

before we became parent forever more.

So each of us makes a move,

To comfort one and for the other soothe.

We finally make it back to bed,

To get some sleep 

Because we know it's going to be a long night ahead. 

So now I am off to have another decaf coffee (yes, i know your thinking "go for the real stuff woman") and something really bad to eat (like a cream bun!!) to help me get through the day and hopefully have a better night tonight!

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Be UNIQUE!

Two and a half years ago my hubby and I welcomed our eldest son into the world. After a shocking pregnancy of severe morning sickness for the whole 9 months, our little 6 pound, 2 ouncer came into the world without too much fuss.

But that soon changed, I remember the first night in hospital when he wouldn't settle unless he was upright and in my arms. I spent the night sitting up with both bedsides up and pillows all around me. I slipped in and out of sleep between mu sons cries and squirms.

It didn't get much better for the first three months of his life. He was a SCREAMER! My husband and I would take turns at night trying to get him to settle. We walked the length our hallway, tried him in the pram and running it over a bump and holding him this way and that to get him to sleep. All the while, my hubby and I would be saying to each other "what the hell is wrong with this child" and "what else can we do with him to get him to calm down"!

Yep - you guessed it he had reflux. Finally we heard about a kineseologist/ chiropractor in Adelaide that was known for his help with colicky babies, so we gave him a try, because really, what the hell did we have to lose! Now, this man is known as Dr God in our house because our son went from Master of the scream to Master of sleep within a couple of days.

Although our son was a lot more settled, he definitely still was a wiggly worm. He was always on the lowest percentile for his weight growth, which I of course worried about but after a while realised that, that was probably because he always moving! Even as a tiny baby he was kicking his legs and unable to sit still. Even now he is a skinny little kid and always on the move. That is just his make up.



Flash forward to 6 weeks ago when our little family welcomed our 7 pound, 14 ounce son into the world (a bit of a difference from our first - i can tell you, i felt it!!). He actually had fat rolls!

Although we have had some difficulties with baby number two, he has certainly been a much more settled little soul so far. I keep being amazed at the difference in our two little men. I can put our youngest son down and he actually goes to sleep where I put him. His legs actually stay still when he is being held and he feeds really well (our eldest son was such a fussy feeder).
People say it's because we are more relaxed as parents the second time round, which is probably partly true. I definitely was more uptight about getting our first son into a 4 hourly feeding routine and I also thought I could do it all on my own. This time round, I am feeding more on demand and I am much more accepting of outside help.

I also think though, that my boys are just completely different in their natures. I guess time will tell if this is the case. I love them both so much and am looking forward to showing each of them how unique they are in their own special way.

x

Don't forget I'm attempting to blog everyday as part of Blogtoberfest12, so I hope you can come back tomorrow for Day no. 8!


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Curtain call...

Day 6 of Blogtoberfest and going strong :)
And today I have found some curtains for my new creative space that i absolutely LOVE but they reach to the floor instead of covering just the window frame....

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via jessica on Pinterest

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via jessica on Pinterest

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via jessica on Pinterest

What do you think?And if not do any of you have any idea where I could get some cool custom made curtains instead?

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Upcycle dresser drawer handles

Day 5 of Blogtoberfest and I cant believe that so far I have been able to post every day! I am impressed with my commitment if I do say so myself ;)

As I said at the start of Blogtoberfest, I wanted to do up an old set of dresser drawers I have that will give my youngest sons bedroom a new lease of life! So little, by little I am getting there and have started with the drawers knobs. 

• First of all I started with the wooden drawer knobs and painted them with a red acrylic paint. I had to do about three coats to get good coverage over the wood grain.

• I then got some scrapbooking rub-ons and rubbed them carefully onto the knobs with the wrong end of a paint brush. 

• I then used Mod Podge matte to varnish the knobs and make them a bit more durable. 

• And this was my final product...

So stay tuned to see the rest of the drawer knobs making a starring role on my newly painted dresser drawers in the coming days...

x

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The simple things...

Day 4 of Blogtobefest and where has my day gone, so much still to do and not enough hours in the day!

I wrote this poem a while ago when my eldest son was little enough to fit in our backyard swing and when I put him in it he would just laugh and laugh!!!

The greatest sound to me,

is my son giggling with glee,

as he swings in the air,

and the wind blows his tufts of hair.

We are in our backyard,

where nothing seems to hard. 

As my son swings to and fro,

the veggies in there patch grow and grow.

My husband is building the chook house,

and the dog is playing with a pesky mouse.

Together in our family home,

A place to call our very own. 

As I look back on this photo and poem, it reminds me to stop and take notice of the little things in life and I hope you are all enjoying the simple things that life brings to you too!

x


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If the shoe fits...

Day 3 of Blogtoberfest12 and today is going to be a quick blog because it's been a long day.

Today I took my two boys to the 'big smoke'  for their chiropractic appointments and while we were there, I bought some new shoes for my eldest son.

The shoe shop that we went to has been around for a very long time... My siblings and I have terrible memories of that shoe shop because that is where we had to get our school shoes when we were growing up. Our school didn't really have a strict uniform policy, but our family had the mum policy of what she says goes. So, we were not allowed to get funky, 'cool group' shoes, we were made to go to this particular shop and the get the ugly, 'nerdy' clod hoppers. Oh, how we despised these trips. It became a family joke that every time we even drove passed this shop one of us would moan and groan or stick our fingers down our throat.

Flash forward to today, when I am a Mum myself and want the best for my child, with proper fitting shoes. As I walked into this store as an adult, it made me cringe but it also made me laugh because I couldn't believe that my own son may in the future have such ordinary memories of this same shop. The staff were really lovely, and my son's feet were measured properly and shoes were found to fit his narrow trotters (something that I would never have even thought of to look for in a shoe). I purchased a couple of great pairs of shoes but only time will tell if my son thought they were as cool as I did!!!

So, I hate to say it, but thanks must go to my own Mum for caring enough about our feet and for introducing me to this great shoe shop but I don't think I will ever forgive you for the choice of shoes we had to have.

x


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Not quite Carrie Bradshaw...

Today, I am writing to you from my new desk - Yay! My eldest son is supposed to be having a afternoon sleep in his bedroom in the next room but as usual he is talking to himself and his teddies until he finally drops off! My youngest son has just finished a breastfeed and is milk drunk, laying on my chest.
I feel a bit like Carrie Bradshaw sitting here typing away even though the only minute similarity is the laptop computer! Not quite a New York outlook of my window either - the only thing bustling passed my window is the several big blow flies that managed to swindle their way through a door left accidently open.

This little poem I wrote sums up the what surrounds me as I write...

As I look out of my window,

All is quiet except for the faint crackling of the ABC radio.

The sun is shining and the sky is blue,

The row of roses are a vibrant hue.

The view is long and wide,

No houses cramping together side by side.

This is country living,

Always and forever giving.

Now as I finish up, both my boys are in the land of nod so I might go and turn the radio off, have a cup of tea and enjoy the extra peace and quiet sounds of nature.

xo Pin It

From an old bed to a new table...

Well today is the first day of Blogtoberfest12, so on day one my intentions to Blog everyday for the month of October is off to a great start! ;)

And to start of this exciting and challenging month, my wonderful Hubby has helped get the ball rolling with the beginnings of a new work space for me.

We have a sunroom in our house that previously has been used for the all the shoes that we own and any junk that we don't know what to do with! I have for a long time thought that this space would be a great place for all my crafting fun.
True to the male species form though, my Hubby has for the same period of time said it wouldn't be a good idea... but surprise, surprise, yesterday he had the 'Brilliant idea' that the space would be great for my new blogging and creative adventures! I just laughed and patted him on the back for coming up with such an epiphany. At least now he would help me get it organized.

So, with his great epiphany, the ideas just kept coming and the creating began!

First things first was a desk for my new space. Hubby got to work.

He found a very old bed frame from out the farm...and of course he had a little helper!

We also had an old glass tabletop from an old coffee table that we had. It was the perfect size for what he needed it for.

He did a bit of construction work, cut the old bed up a bit and fit the glass top into it and...
Voila, this is the result...

I am just a tad bit excited with my new desk and am looking forward to making this little space a very nice little sanctuary. A big thank you to my brainy hubby who came up with this cool and unique desk.

Next, is getting rid of all the junk, a touch of paint and some new curtains. Stay tuned throughout the month to see the transformation take place.

If anyone has any colour or storage ideas, feel free to leave a comment below!

See you tomorrow for day 2 of this month long challenge...




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