So keen..

I am so keen to get home and get creating. We made a trip to bunnings today. Not my normal bunnings though, the one near my dad's house. And I found so many exciting things..

Firstly there was a whole section for kiddy crafts!! Yay! We got a wooden make-your-own race car, some awesome glitter paint and some glue. But saw so many more things and got some really great ideas.

While we were out we went to Big W and there was so much Christmas stuff there. I am super exited because it will be the first Christmas Braden can really get involved in.

Anyway supper keen to get home and get creating!

XoXoX

Christmas Activities

It's starting to look a lot like christmas..

Well not yet, but it will be soon!! I love christmas so as soon as we get back from a week away the little man and I are going to be super busy getting ready for Christmas!!

There are some definates I want to try but lots of others that I am keen to give a go. As I find links to sites with activities or recipes that I like I will add them to the list below.

http://babyparenting.about.com/od/holidayactivities/tp/toddler-christmas-activities.htm

http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-plate-santa.html

http://www.cool-kids-craft-ideas.com/christmas-kids-crafts.html

http://www.cool-kids-craft-ideas.com/santa-advent-calendar.html

http://crafts.kaboose.com/santas-beard-advent-calendar.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_8102611_prekindergarten-christmas-activities.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/

http://www.craftscope.com/christmas-craft/kids-craft/preschool-craft/

http://www.kidspot.com.au/subsection+117+Christmas-Christmas-crafts.htm

XoXoX

Being a stay at home mum is not work!

Hubby and I barely fight but when we do you can be almost sure to bet it will come back to "I go to work all day and your at home! So why can't you do it?"

Almost without a doubt. Now I don't know about anyone else but I've had a 8 till 5 job with an hour off for lunch and two 10 minute breaks, and I've been a stay at home mum.

I can tell you which is easier - work by far. I can only imagine what it would be like to have a designated hour for eating and a whole day where I didn't have to look a poopy nappies or pull things out of someone else's mouth. Walking in at 8 and out at 5 and that's it. I can also tell you which I enjoy more - being a mum. The way his face lights up when he sees me. The wet sloppy kisses and the super tight bear cuddles. The cheeky grin when he's doing something he shouldn't, the ever so cute "mum mum mum" when I'm not paying quite enough attention. Watching him grow and learn and develop new skills.

However my husband can't quite see that this on top of everything else that I do around the house is equal to him going out to work.

I don't think he quite realises the time and effort that I put into each and every day, often with a very broken sleep the night before because Master B had been unsettled and wanted his boobie.

There's washing (at least 2 loads a day), gardening, picking up after the monster, organizing the mail, paying the bills, buying the groceries, budgeting, appointments for B, phone calls. (those are just the things off the top of my head, there are heaps more)

While I love every minute I get to spend at home with my little man and am extremely grateful to my husband for allowing it, it isn't as easy as turning on Dora and suiting on my bum as he seems to think some days.

XoXoX

The Shopping List

I am going away for a week so wont be starting the cooking challange until I return but thought I would set up the shopping list so it was ready to go. The total so far is $67.38, usually we would spend $150 a week on groceries as well as extra trips to the shop for bread and milk and chocolate. lol 



My online shopping so far

 XoXoX

Freezer Menu

Okay, I have written out our Menu Plan for the two weeks and compiled a shopping list.

MENU

Week 1
- Savoury Mince
- Beef Strog
- Spaghetti
- Crunchy Cornflake Chicken
- Lasagne
- Vegie Curry
-Chicken Pie

Week 2
- Mac and Cheese
- Lasagne
- Chicken Filo Parcels
- Meatloaf
- Chicken Curry
- Tomato and Onion Sausages
- Shepard's Pie

Firstly I have decided that I will do the main part of the grocery shopping online. (this will prevent the added impulse purchases that usually end up in the trolley)

I will buy the required meat seperately from the local produce place or the butchers.

More to come, along with recipes.

XoXoX

Journal Update

I haven't done a journal update for awhile, so thought it was probably about time I dragged my bum over to the computer and did one.

The problem with needing to write something is that I sit here completely blank, I type half sentences and delete them over and over.

I am really keen to catch up on my regular reading list of blogs though and have told myslef I can not until I write a journal update. I also want to start searching for some fun christmas crafts.. I know I know christmas is still forever away, but it's not really only 66 days!!

This year has gone way too fast. Every year seems to go faster and faster, I am undecided whether this is because I keep trying to cram so much in or if it is just a factor of growing up and realising that time doesnt really go that slowly and even though a year seems like forever it really isnt.

I would love a rewind button, not to change anything (although sometimes that wouldnt be so bad) but just to watch my baby grow all over again.

Anyway I am off to read blogs and google. Keep you eyes peeled for some awesome christmas crafts soon!

XoXoX

New Look

Now that I finally have time to get on the computer (not that I do, I should be studying), I thought that I would write a small post about the new look of the blog.

Sometime change is good, I have only just recently started regularly using this blog as a result of a requirement for my study, before that the post were a little all over the place. I am loving the new background and the title will proably change yet again at some stage but I feel it reflects who I am and where I am at at the moment.

I am slowly learning the ins and outs of blogging and have been looking at setting up some automatic posts so that I can psot them all at the start of the week and then they will post throughout the week. I am not sure if this will wok for me but will be interesting to try. 

I am now off to find my external and add all the promised photos and update the promised links in earlier posts.
XoXoX

Gaa-loomp went the little green frog!

Today at Playgroup we made the cutest paper plate frog.

Really simple to make and very effective. Braden loves his and went around saying Gaa-loomp all afternoon.

You paint the inside and outside of two paper plates green. Cut the outside one in half. Staple the halves onto the whole plate white side to white side. Add a rolled up piece of red paper for a tongue and two cotton balls with black spots for eyes.

All done. It really is that easy.

XoXoX

Once a month Cooking?

Freezer cooking??

What do you think? I just recently discovered a facebook page called "stay at home mum - the secret to living on one wage" (again on phone while feeding baby so will add the link later - http://www.stayathomemum.net.au/ ) they also have a website. One of the main money savers they push is this freezer cooking with a book titled " The Once a Month Cookbook"

Now I was interested to see what was in this book so I bought it just last night, while the concept of cooking extra and freezing for future lunches/dinners is not new to me the idea that I could cook a whole month's worth of food in one day is appealing.

I am still in the planning stages and have decided to start with a 2 week challenge and see how we go. We he gotten extremely slack with dinner lately an it feels even more so when I have a garden full of fresh edible delights just outside my door.

For a fortnight (14 days) I am going to aim for-

- 12 frozen dinner meals
- 8 lunches for hubby
- 2 serves of soup
- 2 baked goods (biscuits/cakes)

To make this work properly I am going to need a complete overhaul o the kitchen pantry, a new staples list on the inside door and some wicked maths skills..

The idea being that you can shop for a family of 4 for $50/week if you cook a month at a time an freeze since there is less wastage.

I will share my chosen recipes, my full shopping list an photos of my efforts as I go.

Alphabet Madness

I posted the other day about the awesome removable stickers I found for B at the museum. (link here later on phone at the moment)

So I finally got around to putting them up and thought I would add some pictures. They look really good (at least I think they do) and B seems to quite like them too.

XoXoX

Floury Gloopy Goodness

Master B is a little hesitant to get his hands dirty, this ranges from finger paints to the sandpit. (the sandpit does seem to be getting better) So we are pretty big on sensory play in our house, anything that gives him different textures to play with.

The other day when B was playing in the clam pool I wanted to make some gloop so decided to add some flour to the water.

Amazingly he loved it. I think because once it settled it was goopy on the bottom but water on the top so he could wash his hands. But any kind of sensory play that he is happy with is good with me.

Cute little curls!

My little man has the most gorgeous curls that appear in his hair (what little he has) when he is hot and sweaty.

He is my world!

Travelling along...

Life seems to be super busy lately but we have been plodding along quite nicely. Everything seems to be slowly working itself out.

I have only got 5 subjects left from 9 to complete my bridging course, hopefully I can get this done by 31st January 2012 so that I can start uni just afterwards. I am still a little undecided as to what I want to do the two main choices I am tossing up between are a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Bachelor of Science.

We have decided to sell our second car and save for a bit and then buy a brand new one. YAY!

The man is working through his apprenticeship quite nicely, he had a progress meeting today and handed in his first set of books and got given the next set. He is keen to get them done and is even talking about going to Tech early. So Proud!!

My Man and little man

The little man is growing way too fast for my liking, some days I wish there was a pause or even a rewind button. He has learnt so many new words and funny little actions. He is growing into a little boy and isn't a baby anymore.

The little man in his swimming vest

It has just finished raining which will be excellent for my yard and vegetable garden. I have been putting so much water into the grass trying to get it to green up, hopefully the rain will finish the job for me. Tomorrow a great friend and I are going to be adding an extension to the already existing vegetable garden. I have just been looking at seeds online trying to decide which ones I want to add to the garden.

My vegetables a few weeks after planting.

Super happy and super thankful for everything that we have.

XoXoX

Melting Wax

Melting wax crayons on a canvas.. I saw this on facebook and pintrest recently and thought it looked like tons of fun and would result in anawesome piece of artwork to display afterwards. I have come to the conclusion that this is what everyone is getting for christmas, with a slight alteration. I am going to make some more when I get more supplies and get the little man to help. I will take some photos of him helping print them out and attach to the canvas on top of the melted wax. :-D

My crayons all ready to be sorted

Crayons glued onto the canvas

Just started melting....

The completed project!

I did this one first jsut to check what was actually involved, I intend to sort and glue and then let the boy loose with the hair dryer, I look forward to seeing what he comes up with.

XoXoX

Beautiful little man!

Snoring beside me right now are the two most precious things in my life, my wonderful husband and my beautiful little man.

I love the snuggles I get each night and I live waking up in the morning ad having my body parts named and identified. He can name and point to mouth, nose, eye, ear, hair and mole.

I just thought I would share this series of photos I found on my phone and share a little of what I was thinking ATM.

I wish I had taken these pics on the slr and not my phone but they are awesome just the same! How could they not be with such stunning subject!

XoXoX

I'm leaving on a jet plane..

Well technically we have already left and come back, which explains my short absence (No I didn't go and abandon my little blog again, although I couldn't blame you if you thought that with my rather large absences in the past)

A very special friend took us away for 4 days and it was amazing. We took Master B on his very first plane trip, visited dreamworld and whitewaterworld, got lots of shopping done and ate tons of amazing food.

The apartment that we stayed in was beautiful, almost as big as our house and right on the beach. The veiw from the verandah was spectacular.

Our Verandah and some of the spectacular view.

Some boats I could see from the verandah

Master B has never been anywhere to the scale of Dreamworld and Whitewater World and while he was a little overwhelmed to begin with he seemed to really enjoy the whole experience.

Tiger Paws under the glass at Dreamworld

Messing around at Dreamworld.

I have tons more photos to share, likely they wont all make it on here. For those who read this and know me personally they are all on facebook. :-)

XoXoX

Note to Self

This is really just a note to myself to remind me of some activities I want to do with Master B.

I am reading a parenting magazine at the moment and tend to see heaps of ideas I want to try but throw the magazine before we do them and then can't remember.

Jelly/ice building blocks
Ice explore block
Glitter water bottles
Stocking Grassheads
Treasure hunt
Laminated treasures


That is all for now.. I will edit when I get to a computer to include more details.

XoXoX

Aquarium Antics

We had family visiting over the weekend so today we visited the aquarium. Master B loves it, he runs around saying shfish shfish (which translates to fish fish) and occasionally turtle.
It was the last weekend of school holidays so it was a little bit busy, but we all had a fantastic day. They have recently refurbished the aquarium (it was getting a little old before) so there was heaps of new displays and heaps of activities for the kids.

We have a membership so we spend quite a bit of time there, but we never get bored.

Master B looking at the Fish

Playing with the wooden fish on the ground

To leave the aquarium you have to leave throught the gift shop, I usually just walk straight through without looking around as I find everything is super over priced, but since everyone else stopped to look and Master B was sleeping I had a chance to look around. I am supper happy I did sice I found some removable stickers that are perfect for the back of my kitchen bench. I can't wait to put them up. :-)

After the aquarium we headed next door to the museum. They had a special new area jsut for school holidays that showed the making of a monster, for the movies which was pretty interesting.

We also discovered a new section of the museum that we hadn't seen before. we usually go straight past that section as B doesn't find it interesting so have been missing the kids play area they have included. Woops!

The "new" tunnel

Another section of the new area we discovered today

And after all that we went to the shopping center and finally picked up the little man's new car seat that we ordered way back in July.

New Posts to Add/Activities to do (just to remind myself.. )
-Glitter Water Bottles
-Kitchen Stickers
-Cress Heads

XoXoX

Completely off track...

So I logged on tonight to write a post about our wonderful visit to the aquarum today, I wrote the first line at least 5 times before deleting it once again. Then I sat here looking at the screen for a couple of minutes thinking that I had to write something to help stick to the course requirements.

Somewhere in my huge pile of course materials it says that I need to write for at least 10 minutes everyday if I want my writing to get better, since I am not that confident a writer I figure I had better try to stick with it if I hope to make a differance.

Writing regularly on my blog does seem to at least give me writing samples to reflect upon so that I can see what I would like to change. However seeing what I want to change and actually having the ability to change it are two very differant things.. sigh.

Okay back to the aquarium post... maybe..

XoXoX

Canvas Prints with Master B

This is a little bit old but since I am sharing thought I would add these to the collection. This was the first time that I was game to play with paints at home. I was a bit worried about the mess that Master B would make and again trying to get him to keep the paint out of his mouth. Overall it was pretty succesful and with the help of the outside highchair and a hose to clean up afterwards we didnt make too much mess.

One plain canvas and one with the background painted

Both with prints and some practise ones in the background

Some extra painting Master B did

The completed canvas

Master B had great fun painting and the canvas is quite sturdy and should last for awhile. I am considering making some more for christmas presents for the grandparents this year.

XoXoX

Jelly Playdough

Today we made Jelly Playdough as the title suggests, I was looking for an edible play dough as Master B has a habit of putting everything he touches into his mouth. I also wanted to be consious of the amoutn of salt in the recipe in the event that he did eat it. Since B is only 17 months old he hasn't really been into playdough so this was my first batch of playdough as a mummy.

I am really happy with the way it turned out and it has been put in the fridge so we can play with it again tomorrow. The recipe is below.

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

1 pkt of Jelly (determines colour)

Then really simply just put it all in a saucepan and cook on medium heat while stirring until it is the consistency of mashed potato. Take it off the heat and roll out on the bench until smooth.

The saucepan afterwards

Playdough looking ready to be played with

Mummy and Bubby hand prints

All stored ready for tomorrow

We got carried away playing and I didnt want to get playdough all over the camera so there are no action shots, but much fun was had. :-)