The Boring SAHM

Tss Tss Booom! Creeper!

2011-11-28T16:04:00.001+11:00

Pre-teen boy softie a "Minecraft Creeper Softie"

Yeah Yeah, I think it looks like a huge green willy too!

2011-11-25T12:06:00.000+11:00

A pretty purple in Asia silk "Buttercup" bag for mum on her birthday. Happy Birthday mum!!

Christmas gifts

2011-10-28T13:00:00.001+11:00

Sorry I have not been blogging, life seems to be either so mundan that I find I just plod along but am always busy anyway.

Have been getting back into my sewing and made a few pieces as gift for Christmas this year:

For my niece, I hope she like's them and as she is 17, I'll throw some money in a card for her too as I'm sure this gift is totally un-hip! But I have no girls to sew for, only boys or myself and poor mum can't get lumped with everything!

Scorched Peanut Bar

2011-07-17T16:08:00.000+10:00

I was after a treat, an old treat from my youth, something sweet and crunchy. I looked in the shops for far to long only to discover that they no longer make the product that I am after - the very Australian Scorched Peanut bar. So what to do - make your own!

LOl, check out this very manly ad for it, now why in the would would they stop making such a great product?

Yee Ha!

2011-04-23T22:18:00.003+10:00

Lately I have really enjoying a bit of country music, who would of thought eh? My mum is part of a little line dancing group and when she was recently here she asked me to download her some Country music that she and the girls could to dance too and well, I'm hooked.

I like the fact that I can understand the words, as in the words are words not garble and the songs seem to genuinely mean something and there real musical instruments in them!!

This one is a favorite:

And Taylor Swift is really sweet.

I think I'll be buying me a pair of cowboy boots this year!

Healthy snack

2011-04-01T23:11:00.003+11:00

This afternoon Littleman had a school assembley and after they asked parents to bring a small "healthy" snack to be shared with kids and other parents. I told my son to scan my recipe books and see what healthy snack he wanted me to bring, he chose this:

It's healthy because it has fruit on it!

The netbook

2011-03-29T15:48:00.001+11:00

I recently purchased a netbook for myself as the kids were always on the main computer. I was after a pink or purple one but they only one that they had left was lime green, but I love it, it’s so groovy and NO ONE else is allow to use it, it’s all mine!!!!!

Acer Aspire One Happy – Lime Green

Strudel Cake

2011-03-27T19:29:00.002+11:00

Dilemma averted - just do it all

2011-03-26T17:46:00.004+11:00

I baked:

And then I made a bag to carry around my cake containers. I've been meaning to make one for a long time as every other bag I have, even those large green grocery bags they don't fit it them. I'm very happy with the result. No special pattern, just winged it:

Then I baked some more of the little Lemon Coconut Bundt's that were such a hit a few weeks ago and tested the bag:

And tonight I shall continue crocheting my beret!

My loves

2011-03-25T16:37:00.001+11:00

I note that "My Loves" blinkie is rather dated and poor Millie (the cat) has since passed on. Will muster energy and sort that out.

To create or not to create

2011-03-25T14:09:00.003+11:00

A few weeks ago I came across a easy but cute little handbag pattern and so I found some scraps and fired up the Janome and created these:

I want to keep making bags but the Man says that's I've made enough, but a girl can never have enough handbags - right?

I have also started crocheting again, this time I'm out to make myself a slouch beret, the type you see in hollywood movies, I've searched and searched our store to no avail and well it can be made, why not try it myself, so I am. But I'm struggling with the UK terminology that in the pattern, but I plod on.

I also want to bake, I love baking but my body needs more exercise then it does bake goods.

My dysfunctional dilemmas!

Find the cute bag pattern here

Mini Lemon Coconut Bundts

2011-03-07T07:45:00.000+11:00

2011-03-07T07:41:00.000+11:00

Over the weekend I made myself a Laptop tote and matching notebook cover.

Caramel & Macadamian Petite Tarte

2011-01-16T13:07:00.000+11:00

Chocolate cupcakes

2011-01-16T13:03:00.000+11:00

Chocolate Mousse Petite Tarte

2011-01-16T13:01:00.000+11:00

Petite Chocolate Cake

2011-01-16T12:56:00.000+11:00

Honey Joys

2011-01-16T12:55:00.000+11:00

Cinnamon Scrolls

2011-01-16T12:54:00.000+11:00

Lemon Meringue Pie

2011-01-16T12:53:00.000+11:00

Banoffee Pie

2011-01-16T12:51:00.000+11:00

Softie

2010-03-04T17:31:00.005+11:00

I have been flat out with study, so I haven't had a chance at all to creep onto my blog, but alas I have 5min to spare!

I borrowed this book from the library:And Littleman asked me to make him a lizard. Now as I explained earlier I have been really busy, if I'm not at college, I'm a headless chook doing housework or general things that my little hobbies have had to be placed at the end of the very big to-do list and trying to explain to a 6 year old that I will make his softie as soon as I have time is not good enough.

So I found 30 minutes last night and managed to make the body, I showed Littleman this morning so that he could see I had started but his face just lit up with joy... it seems I had made him the next best thing - A Tadpole!

I have 4 little legs all cut out and ready to go, so I guess when this tadpole grows up it will turn into a lizard!

Comment from The Man on my latest creation: "Why did you make a sperm?"

From this to this

2010-02-15T19:29:00.004+11:00

I took this Bacardi Breezer cooler bag:

And turned it into a Tupperware Sandwich keeper lunch bag!

So no more warm sandwiches as I can slip in an ice-pack on the side and it's rather groovy too.

I don't really like breezers but I did end up having one as my sewing machine went bezerk and was stitching it's own style of stitches without my permission.

I'm enjoying college but it seems to take all my time, when I'm not there I'm racing about catching up on things and studying, but I'll hopefully reorganise soon.

Happy dreams are made of this

2010-02-07T11:10:00.004+11:00

I'm so happy that Supernatural is back on!

The Shoulder Bag

2010-02-05T17:35:00.003+11:00

So I was mentally tortured today during the 4 hour long orientation at my tertiary collage and all I was thinking about was that my super cute tote bag wasn't big enough! It did do the job of carrying books as I expected it to but someone forgot that they would require to eat during these days and as I don't have the resources to buy my lunch, I'll need to bring it. Boo Hoo there isn't much space in my bag for a drink bottle and sandwich... so I'm going to fiddle with the pattern to make another bigger bag. Not a loss though as a girl can never have to many bags, right?!

For those who are interested in making your own cute tote shoulder bag, I found the free pattern from (who I'm assuming is) a wonderful woman named Melissa who is a New Zealander living in Norway, please visit her blog Tiny Happy.

NB: All I learnt today was that my mobile phone must be OFF, not on SILENT, not on VIBRATE, but OFF!

Catch-up

2010-02-04T19:44:00.005+11:00

I've realised that I have wanted to blog about a few things and have forgotten or the timing was not right. So The Man is on night shift and I have a chance to catch-up and blog away!

For my birthday last year, I requested a flashy apron and baking bit's and bobs. As I received some cash, I was able to go out and get loads of cookie cutters, some paste gels and other little things but all I really wanted was my apron. Before we knew it Christmas was looming, so cash was short, then car rego & insurance and just when I thought we had gotten over the hump of our big financial issues the quarterly utilities arrived in the mail...blah my apron had to wait.

But a couple of weeks ago The Man gave me the thumbs up to order my apron, it arrived last week from Los Angela, Calafornia USA, I was so excited:

Presented so sweet

My apron is a very cute vintage inspired full apron with a sweetheart neckline, I love it - whether it makes me a better cook, we are yet to see or taste!

Thank you so much Boojiboo! Go grab your own retro or vintage apron at her Etsy store.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After being a SAHM for 8 and half years (wow that is a long time) I feel the need to return to the workforce or at least use my brain (if it still works). A year or so ago my Brother and sister in law who run an accountancy business said that if I did a book keeping course that I could work for them, and so that is what I am about to do. It's not my dream job, I'd love to become a librarian but I don't have the money for a university degree and I know I would enjoy studying baking or Pastry cooking, but as for a future in it, very unlikely.

Little Big Man has suddenly turned into a food monster, as soon as it's in the house it all seems to vanish, so we need the extra money as our food bill will likely get bigger as he and Littleman get bigger.

So I was thinking, can you classify me a SAHM anymore? I can't change my blog name, I will be working from home once I'm all trained, so in essence I am still a SAHM. I do like the sounds of full-time student though, makes me feel all youthful!

I start on Monday - 2010 really is going to be a new me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some time ago I needed a new handbag and I hated all the styles of bags in the stores I went to and so I decided that I would make my own. I found some gorgeous leather and equally nice lining and then it all just sat there for months and months. I finally got my act together in the school holidays and made it. Going back to study spurred me on as I needed a bag to carry books in and I'm to cool too carry a backpack (let me have my dreams) and I thought I could finally use the material I had and make a tote.

Well it turned out too nice for lugging about books in and so I headed to the local charity shop, found a huge denim skirt and a sarong and presto, I now have 2 bags!

I'm also so impressed with my sewing efforts that I have bought more material to make a smaller type of tote, more like an over the shoulder bag. Guess what all the girl family members will be getting this year for Christmas? Totes!

Spider giggles

2010-02-04T19:25:00.003+11:00

It was time for some Next Blog >> where I randomly let blogger send me to other blogs and I stumbled on this:

which had me giggling like a little girl, I love a little bit of silly humor!

Yee Haa!

2010-02-04T11:41:00.004+11:00

I finally found some patty pans that are the right size for my cupcake papers!

I shop in this store (Big W) all the time and I have never ever seen them there, I have been rather obsessive and always check the kitchen section every time we are in the store (also you never know what other baking tool goodies may be on special, so best to constantly check.

I'm so happy I'm off to bake something yummy using my new patty pan tins!

Background

2010-02-03T21:47:00.002+11:00

Apologies for my background at the moment, I am trying to make my own but am having some sizing issues.

Update: So I think I have it to the size I want, I've checked on Firefox and it looks okay there too. What do you think? I like nature and it feels more like me now, but now that I have a clue what to do and it was so easy you may have to put up with me changing it every once in a while.

Will work on a new header to match soon.

Adult cupcakes

2010-02-02T20:42:00.002+11:00

As much as I love baking cupcakes, they are generally for the kids but every once in a while a recipe comes up that is simply only for the adults to enjoy, no kiddie fingers made it to these:

Apple Streusel Cupcakes by Exclusively Food

Australia Day Lamington's

2010-02-02T20:36:00.004+11:00

We can't truly celebrate Australia day (26th Jan) without a batch of Lamington's:

Start with a delicious slab of butter cake (or sponge)

Cut into cubes

Dip into chocolate icing

cover in coconut

Yummo!

Recipe by: Donna Hay

Cupcake dilemmas!!

2010-01-25T15:34:00.003+11:00

Please have a good look at the above photo and you can clearly see how the cupcake patty is heaps smaller then the baking tin (a muffin tin) but do you think that I am able to find a cupcake baking tin? Nup, I have searched far and wide and I swear I have been to every baking/catering website in the world, from Canada to the UK to no avail - WHY?

Why in the hell make cupcake patty's that do not fit into muffin pans, yes I know they make muffin patty papers, but why make cupcake patty papers with no tin to cook them in. I asked the store where I get my cupcake papers and they state that I should just double line my cupcakes and place on a standard try - rubbish, I want a tin, I want two!

I will not be satisfied till I have one, for the time being I will just have to continue having crappy lopsided cupcakes, barrr humbug!

If anyone reads this and knows where I can buy a cupcake tin with a base of 45mm diameter and 32mm high, please share!

French Macaroons

2010-01-25T15:29:00.003+11:00

I tried and although they tasted great I do believed that I failed. The process seems relatively easy but there is heaps of waiting going on and fiddly piping, I just assumed that I could whipped them up in a hour or two but it's more like a 24hr process if you want them perfect.

All piped and ready to sit about to rest...
My camera is giving me the craps at the moment in macro, so apologies for the blurry shot.

My Macaroons:

What they are meant to look like:

I do not give up easily, I will try them again, this time when the kids are not around as the more I said "don't touch" they couldn't help themselves.

Why buy when you can bake at home!

2010-01-09T11:32:00.004+11:00

My entire family loves Arnotts Full 'O Fruit Slices and they are not that cheap when you have to buy several packets and to me they seemed rather simple and so I thought it would be really easy to find a recipe and make it at home.

Well finding a recipe that seemed to match wasn't that easy, some looked like big slices others were like cakes, nothing that even remotely looked like it would turn out the biscuit I wanted. Well I don't give up that easy and found a recipe on a playgroup forum and gave it a go:

This is the Arnotts version:

My version: (yet to be cut up)

Although I haven't tasted it yet, it smells great but it feels slightly crumbly and not as hard as the biscuit should be, but it's similar enough, easy peasy and quick too.

During the baking time I kept searching for other recipes and found this one, it sounds like it may be the one, it's called a Fly Cemetery which doesn't sound appealing at all, but I will give it a go next time.

Now The Man said that my Napolitains didn't have enough Jam in them last time, so I made some more adding heaps of jam and they looked just awful - why do I listen to that man!

These are my son's favorite homemade biscuits, they are requested more then anything else I bake. The recipe was from the book "Honey Biscuits":

I tried to pipe them rather blob them as normal (you are meant to roll them into balls and then into cinnamon sugar - but I'm lazy, I just sprinkle on top) but my piping bag broke, so blob away:

Umm, I forgot them in the oven, they are not meant to be that golden, but they still taste great!

Diet baking?

2010-01-05T19:51:00.002+11:00

Is it even possible?

The following biscuit/cookie is a Mauritian sweet, it was something that my grandmother made and only on special occasions and they are just melt in your mouth butter YUM. The reason that they are melt in your mouth butter is because they are 70% butter. Traditionally they are iced pink, but as I have males in my house who refuse to eat anything iced pink, I had to ice a few plain. They are relatively easy to make, but as with most pastries it took forever to have the final product.

Find the recipe here: Napolitaines

Napolitaines:

Now the following is a diet sweet treat that I made as I'm trying to shed a few kilo's before our breach holiday in March and were having guests coming over. In essence it is just a huge scone cut up, rolled with sugar, cinnamon and sultana's. I found it dry and very unappealing, something I am very unlikely to make again, but my guests loved it... I still don't like it. Recipe taken from A.Sym "Symply Too Good to be True" Book 3 pg 64

Fruit Scone Rolls

Bye Bye 2009!

2009-12-31T19:04:00.007+11:00

Well I haven't been around at all, have I?

I'm alive though, reasonably healthy, could still shift a few kilo's that progressively keep creeping onto my body, but I am still about.

I guess I was so boring for so long that blogging didn't seem necessary, my life was moving forward but it was so much of the same old over and over, but I intend to do more in 2010.

I'm really enjoying baking now, every weekend I try something new and I'm slowly getting better, here is a little recap of some of things I baked in 2009:

Big Little Man's Birthday Cake

A batch of girlie cupcakes

Ravin Rabbid Birthday Cake for Little Man

Honey Biscuits

Milk Chocolate Ganache pods

Sugarpaste modelling - "Shaun" the sheep

Macadamia Caramel Tartlet

Mocha and Cream Muffins

Fairy cupcakes

Caramel bites

Chocolate mousse tartlets

Baby Banoffee

Lemon Meringue Tarlets

Chocolate spiced Christmas Muffins

Fruit tartlets

And so I have decided to blog about my baking, share my recipes and my methods - and maybe what ever else takes my fancy!!

Happy New Everyone!

This will be my Birthday Cake in 09:

2009-08-19T18:51:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Bakerella

Food Porn of the day:

2009-08-19T18:30:00.004+10:00

Unbelievably my food porn is working for me, I have been eating really well the last few weeks and although the scales are not moving fast in the downward direction, my skin looks healthy, I'm sleeping and having lovely dreams (like myself zipping about town in a purple suzuki swift ??) and I actually enjoy exercising again.

The weather has changed and spring looks to arrive early, so this has also motivated me to return into shape. All is good, still stressing about where I want my life to head as I can't be the SAHM forever!

Weight loss and sweets

2009-07-22T10:33:00.004+10:00

Can I lose weight or even maintain and continue my passionate love for all things sweet?

Damn I wish you could, but sadly at this point in my life I'm just not in the mood to burn copious amounts of calories through exercise so that I can enjoy sweets. I would rather starve myself all day to save space for sweets, but that doesn't work either unless I like the headaches and torturous cramps in my stomach till feeding time.

So what to do? Enjoy food porn!

The Repressed Pastry Chef is a nice place to head for some quality food porn. And I also enjoy some savory food porn at Exclusively Food.

I must say I'm rather lucky as I also have a blog buddy who takes lovely Food Porn photo's: Jaybird

My life is in the doldrums at the moment, I think I'm on the edge of a mid-life crisis and food is my crutch.

Club Penguin

2009-06-23T11:08:00.007+10:00

Where have I been? Other then consuming too much food and freezing, my boys have taken over both computers to socialize on Club Penguin:

It's rather cute and I was told to have my own penguin so that I could "sled ride" and "eat pizza" in the pizza shop with them.

I'm not a real member, so I can not buy my penguin groovy outfits and join in on member functions, but it's cute and if there was a adult version, I think I would join. But sadly adult version are more like dating sites and so I think I'll just continue to giggle at my boys with their over dressed penguins and funny puffle pets.

Edit: Oh Oh I worked out what Club Penguin adult version reminds me of... The Sims Live, does that still exist?

Update on Big Little Man biting issue:

Well it took 2 weeks for the teacher to work out exactly what happened and it really was an accident. I felt awful when I found out as I never believed BLM and grounded him all that weekend, but it's all sorted now and I doubt he'll ever play that way again with his friends.

If Bublé can't help me

2009-05-15T18:03:00.002+10:00

I'm depressed and not even Bublé can get me out of it, I'm heading for ice cream and red wine and hope it works!

Why? Big Little Man seems beyond my reach these days, twice this week I have had calls from the school to advise that he has been fighting or as they like to say "caused an unfortunate incident". They continue to advise that academically his a good student, excels even and no trouble in the class room, but put him on the playground and he turns all "Mr Hyde".

Today he bit the thumb of another child, when you ask him what happened it was all just an accident, but really how does someone's thumb get into another person's mouth by accident? Why did the other child let his thumb even get in my son's mouth?

The Man thinks it's funny, before he headed off for work tonight he told me take care of Little Man and Hannibal - Not funny :(

ummm

2009-04-29T07:34:00.002+10:00

I've been trying to get into blogger for the last 10 minutes and it kept bouncing me out, and now that I am finally on I can't recall what I was going to blog about.

I think it was to announce my pure happiness that the school holidays have ended and my son's have gone back to school.

Maybe it was to say that i have found some fitness motivation again and have been getting up at the crack of dawn to go for power walk with Deaf dog (the lack of brain function right now maybe a result of this mornings early rising and my need for breakfast).

I'm thinking also I may have logged on to tell you all I'm going to try to find another cache today. Little Man and I did set out again on the holidays but I simply couldn't find the cache, it was getting late and as GZ (Ground Zero - caching lingo I can now use!) was in dense bush land and the light was fading quickly. We will head out there again, but that is one he wasts to search for, so I'll wait for the weekend.

This cache is just a few minutes from the blood bank where I am also headed to today, so I'll see if I can do this one solo... wishing myself luck!

The Cache is discovered!

2009-04-24T09:30:00.004+10:00

Whoo Hoo, we headed out again to look for Kayla's Cache dragging along my friend Fishlips and her son's and we found it!

My short 5'3 meant that Fishlips had to hoist Little Man onto her shoulders to retrieve the cache, I'm curious to know what I would have had to do if it was just I and the kids, some possible tree climbing?

With all the excitement, the boys took 3 things from the cache and I replaced them with 3 new items. I'm not sure if this is the norm and am still learning the correct etiquette of it all but we did CITO and logged. It was great fun, the iphone was very accurate for this one but if we really get into it, The Man has promised to buy us a real handheld GPS.

The Boys with their cache find

What we left in the cache.

YouTube funny

2009-04-18T18:11:00.004+10:00

This guy has been around forever, but I saw this last night and it really made me laugh... and I was having one of those crap nights.

and 5 sec of LOL

Geocaching virgin

2009-04-15T17:58:00.008+10:00

This article has show me how easy I can geocache with my iPhone 3G GPS function. I have joined Geocaching.com so that I can find the details of hidden caches and the kids and I are going to give it a go!

I thought that we should start with a really close one; Kayla's Cache, in the hopes that we would find it easily as it was local, well I did I hope so!

The boys on the hunt!

A bit of the area we were looking in.

The GPS details seem to get me to the area the cache was in, I stupidly assumed that it would show me exactly were it was and even though we followed the details described.. no luck! We aren't disappointed and the kids seem very interested to go treasurer hunting again. What I think I need is to learn a bit more as there is codes and a bit of jargon I'm just not familiar with but it's was really exciting although all we did was head up and down a dirt track.

Also I was not prepared and think my thongs were not appropriate footwear as the creek area seem a lovely habitat for Australian creatures with fangs.

Picket Fence

2009-04-15T16:47:00.003+10:00

When we bought our house we decided that it needed a front fence as we don't live too far from a main road. So my husband put up a picket fence and it was my job to paint it. At the time I was pregnant with Little Man and so 5 years later it still is half painted!

After our adventures at the cycle way and a pit stop at the playground for a "job well done" iceblock, the kids started the bored chant and I needed to get them to do something - why not paint the picket fence!

I was an idiot to assume my 2 could paint the fence without painting each other... the experience has scarred me, it will likely be another 5 years before I ask them to help me paint again.

Bike Riding

2009-04-15T10:04:00.004+10:00

It's time! The school holidays are on, the autumn weather, although rainy every other day is rather gorgeous and screaming to be outdoors, so it's time my boys learnt how to really ride a bike.

Big Little Man is way to old to still be on training wheels and I'm tired of his silly excuses. Little Man is slightly more interested but I can't take one without the other. I also have read that the GPS on my iphone may be able to be used for geocaching which is something I've wanted to do for ages - that is another post as I have yet to learn the function of my iphone for it.

So the training wheels have been removed... lets go!

Update:

I am trying the Bike New York method as I've tried all the other standard ways and it seems rather logical and simple:

Big Little Man shocked me and really gave it a go, Little man had hissy fits throughout the training as his brother was ahead of him, was going too fast etc.. They are enthusiastic to try it again and hopefully by the end of the week (I have high optimism) I can put the pedals back on or hopefully by the end of the holidays.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-15T09:59:00.004+10:00

I hope that all the blogger people of the world had a wonderful Easter with all the treats that it deserves!

The kids had a great time of course with a big family lunch and all their cousins over, too much chocolate and late nights. Thankfully the easter bunny didn't over do it at all this year and the chocolate supply ran out after 2 days (although there is an entire batch hidden in my wardrobe which they never need know about!)

I put on some delicious Easter desserts of my own and I think sadly this will take more then 2 days to work off my body!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-15T09:59:00.001+10:00

Slow but steady

2009-04-04T10:23:00.002+11:00

It took me a while but I did give myself heaps of time to make sure that I would have it finished by Easter and I'm really proud of the final result:

Re: The start of Captain Underpants

Clearing the way

2009-04-02T19:33:00.002+11:00

Thought I'd keep a record here of all the things I'm setting free from my home and life. I think it will be interesting to see in the end all I de-cluttered.

Today:
A big Frij - some sort of bottle esky (why did I keep this?) - C
A broken pasta maker - B
5 x Handbags - C
V- Smile Game System & 6 games - R
A box of cutlery, glasses, toast plates - C

C= Charity item
B = Bin Item
P = Pass on to someone I know
R = Offered on Freecycle

De-clutter

2009-04-01T21:31:00.004+11:00

Under the advise of my brother I decided to de-clutter my wallet. Whilst we were in QLD in January and having a drink at the pub he questioned why I needed so many things in my wallet. He showed me his wallet, 1 debit card, 1 credit card, Medicare (health card) & his drivers license - that's it, other then cash & a tiny photo of his family. The Man then showed his wallet and rather the same, just an extra boat license. They bet me that I couldn't do it, he had challenged his own wife and she couldn't, I was up for the challenge!

Firstly I had to downsize the purse, which I didn't really mind as this was shopping, and who doesn't love shopping for accessories! Now this was very hard to do as most women's wallets have oodles of space and equally enough little pockets to store more then my aimed 4-5 cards, eg:

So I end up settling for a rather male style wallet until I can find something more girly (which will likely just mean a colour other then black!)

The first week was torture, I swear I needed my Woolworths everyday card, that's why the check out lady asks for it all the time, no? No! I didn't need the 5% off this store card that I have never been back to again, and do I really want to be reminded that I had to drink 10 coffee's before I get a free one? No! It was hard but gezz, now that I have managed for the last 2 months, I feel free! Some cards of course I do need but only on occasion and so they live in the old purse and I just take them out if I know I'll need it that day.

I've tried several times to declutter the handbag, this is tricker then the wallet, especially if I carry a big bag, but I'm getting there, I have to keep reminding myself that I don't need a mini makeup bag in there, that 1 tissue is enough, not entire packet etc..

Now, as I stood in front on my pantry, I have decided I need to just de-clutter my day to day, then I'm going to head to the wardrobe and cupboards. I'm going to get rid of the clutter, make space and NOT fill it with more crap.

I'm aiming to de-clutter my life! I'm not an emotional fester person, I generally let things go that annoy me, but my life is rather plain at the moment, heading in a very straight line and I don't like it. I'm not looking for wild excitement but something, if I every find it I'll share.

Why I shared all that I just don't know, but I do feel proud that I can manage on a wallet with 5 cards!

How many cards in your wallet?

Still about

2009-03-31T18:20:00.003+11:00

But not doing very much at all. Just thought I would pop in, I really ought to blog more... just lazy and my life is so boring, I don't wanted to torture anyone else..

I have been tagged

2009-03-14T09:56:00.008+11:00

I've been tagged by Carlton to post seven things about myself...

She is my one and only blogger follower so I feel rather honored, and it's been donkeys since I have been tagged.

The Rules:
1. List these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
3. Tell 7 unspectacular quirks about you.
4. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
5.Link the person who tagged you.
6.Leave a comment for each blogger.

Seven Facts about me:
1. I'm 5'3 and feel it as 50% of the 6th graders at my son's school are taller then me.
2. I love gadgets.
3. I hate cleaning the house, ironing clothes, anything domestic - thus a bad SAHM
4. I love my husband, even though I complain about him endlessly
5. I can talk almost anyones head off (or so everyone tells me)
6. I donate my platelets/plasma every month, I feel it's all I can give honestly to the world.
7. I can not eat store made pizza since losing my weight, I instantly become sick with one bite.

Seven Unspectacular Quirks about me: (gezz I thought the facts about me were rather unspectacular)
("Quirk"= A peculiar behavioral habit)

1: I had to look up "Quirk" to ensure I gave the right answers, I do that so I do sound like an idiot.
2. I hang clothes on the line by who owns them, each member of the family gets one side each.
3. I brush my teeth whilst in the shower.
4. The only way to enjoy Vegemite is together with Banana and cheese - grilled!
5. I don't go to the hairdressers, "once bitten forever petrified"
6. I can't help but look at myself in anything reflective, eg building windows etc. It's nothing vain, I just do.
7. I will always turn something down in a store if I know I can get it cheaper somewhere else - miser?, maybe that's a fact?

I'm meant to tag 7 others now, but I don't have that many blog friends, so if your reading this and you haven't done this tag before and find it interesting and want to do it, go right ahead!

Pretty Dresses

2009-03-07T12:22:00.006+11:00

I love dresses and I'll use any excuses to buy one! My father is turning 70 in 2 weeks time and my mother is organising a party - the best reason for a new dress!

I thought I would scan ebay as I have found some great items in the past and stumbled on this dress:
But as you can see the final price was way beyond my means and as it was a full length dress I was worried my short stature would mean it would be dragging all over the floor.

The seller has another dress which is shorter and a gorgeous red!

Considering the price it's sister dress went for and that it is also a size 8, I thought it best to head to the stores and see what they had to offer... and I found this:
The photo does it no justice, but I like it, it's falls above the knee, so I'll match it with my black knee high boots and maybe ditch the red tie for a black belt.

iPhone blogging

2009-03-01T23:04:00.003+11:00

I was curious to see if I could blog on my new iPhone, well looks like I can! Typing is rather painfull hitting one key at a time, but if I'm stuck in a place without a book or music (although this thing is also a iPod), well I can blog anywhere, like right here in bed!

Tonight I am in the process of make an Easter gift for my son, an Captain Underpants doll. Whilstin the craft store getting my supplys I purchased some "invisible thread", thinking what a super idea. Well let's just say invisible things are not that easy to work with! It is incredibly hard to find the start of the thread on spool, don't attempt to thread the needle over anything other then black and just because your needle is moving in the places you want don't assume the thread is following.

I'm sure the invisable thread has it's advantages but the moment I am just getting a headache, best to just go to bed!

I note the iPhone doesn't spell check, my apologies. I'm sure my grammer is all over the place too. Let's see if I can add a photo.

Okay this is the doll I am in the process of making:

And this is the reason I am making it:

Yes you did read $421 US dollars, so far mine has cost $3

Not much going on

2009-03-01T16:40:00.003+11:00

Just thought I'd pop in and say Hi - "Hi"

Well as the title states not much is going on in my life, even though I'm not working my time seems to sucked away between kids & husband, attempting to exercise and volunteer at the school.

Thank you for the condolences on my kitty, he is really missed, you never realise till they are gone. It was sweet driving up the driveway and see him on the front porch, and the way he wrapped himself in my legs when it was dinner time, but so it is and I'm glad I have the memories. Remember that, it is all we ever truly have, memories, so fill your lives with good ones!

A love lost on Valentines

2009-02-14T20:18:00.006+11:00

Milson "Millie" 1997-2009

My feline companion passed on tonight, he was getting on and I knew his time was coming, but one never really wants to think that way. I went to give him his dinner and he was at the bottom on the front steps, looked liked he'd slipped down them as he was wet on one side (it has been raining heavily here), his was breathing but it was labored and he meowed when he saw me. It is Saturday night here all the vets I knew of were long closed, emergency after hours answered but it was too late. Life passes so quickly.

The boys said good bye and so too I.

Goodbye Milson, you have been around through 4 dogs lives, my marriage and birth of my boys, 12 wonderful years of fond memories.

iPod + Cooking = :x

2009-02-14T11:42:00.002+11:00

Happy Valentines all!

Well The Man is working 5 back to back night shifts and even though we never celebrate valentine, I thought I would bake him a Lemon Meringue pie. Straying of the main subject, I do like Valentines as we tend to go out of the way to buy ourselves gifts, (note, not to each other as the holiday would assume!) The Man hooked himself up to satellite TV so he can watch Premier league in the wee hours of the night and I picked up an iPhone to play with in the wee hours of the night! Once again, Happy Valentine!

Back to point - or the title:
So here I am ready to make the Lemon Meringue pie, I have all the ingredients out and my iPod blaring in my ears (so I can't hear the boys fighting) and as I start I realise an egg missing... Did I take a 3rd egg from the fidge? Did I image I only took 2, I swear I took 3 but only see 2. So off I storm into the playroom to interigate the boys when I slip - fly - arse up then very hard down on my way... I found the missing egg!

iPhone

2009-02-10T13:22:00.001+11:00

Now I have my new mac, I think it's time to upgrade my mobile phone and yes I want the new iPhone. But I can't justify it when I don't work and The Man thinks that all I will use it for is Facebook....

but I can get it for just $10 more then my current mobile plan...

Little Man: Big school boy!

2009-01-30T18:55:00.001+11:00

January 29th 2009

Reading Jigglies

2009-01-30T18:22:00.004+11:00

As much as I love electronic games, I find that I always head back to the old time entertainment of reading and I really wanted to share this love with my boy's. So since their births I have been reading to them and when they could walk and point we headed to the library so they could choose some stories of their own liking. But as Big Little Man found a love of electronic stimulation (get your minds out of the gutter), the Wii, X-box and NDS, his interest in reading started to wane.

What to do? Find a book that will make him stop and see books are just as interesting and fun. I spent a few hours at Borders and searched the web for books boy's of his age read and there is a wonderful array of them, so off to the library I went with my list and came back with these three:
Zac Powers is a tween spy - every little boy's dream!

Captain Underpants is a superhero but is really just a hypnotized school principle - again another kids dream come true!

and this funny little book which reminds me of a very modern Dr Seuss with a bit of wacky humor that make mum's laugh too! Highly recommend this book (and it's twin "The Cat on the Mat is Flat to any age group!)

We really enjoy the others, but Captain Underpants makes my son jiggle with excitement, I bought his first copy (one he could keep) and his eye's glowed, his hands waved about and he was on his toes...he jiggled!

So I think I'm satisfied that as a parent I have done one thing right as each night both my son's beg to read another chapter and best of all he does the reading and I sit back and enjoy the stories!

2009-01-26T09:08:00.002+11:00

Happy Australia Day!

Today many Aussies throughout the country are turning on their BBQ's, icing the beer and wearing silly clothing adorned in the colours of the Australian flag. I'm even wearing my Australian bikini, with the southern cross sadly stretch far too much over my increasing large buttocks.

I was game this year and woke the boys at 5.30am to go and see the rising of the Hot Air Balloons, Little Man really enjoyed it but Big Little Man just wanted to go home and back to bed...oh well, time for a beer I guess!

Meltdown

2009-01-24T15:01:00.004+11:00

(104.9ºF)
Today's weather and we still haven't hit the worst month yet... errr, so hot!

Facebook v Blogger

2009-01-21T16:42:00.002+11:00

After reading's Nod's Blog post about Facebook Reflections it made me have a few of my own.

I like them both but find them very different. One huge factor is this blog is mine and very private, I only share it with people I know who would truly understand why I have it (so about 2 people) and to those of the WWW who I don't have a physical link with (although I do feel that I have made some very nice personal links with people I would not know if I didn't have my blog).

Face book is a wonderful friend connector, I do use it quite a bit but in rather flash moments, post my status, scan others status, posts some pic's. I don't think I have lost any face to face time, but may have actually gained a few extra's as I caught up with school friends that were only memories. It was a wonderful tool to re-connect in this way and now we just keep in contact the old fashion way.

Maybe if Blogger prompted my status you would all find more random bits and pieces on me like those that I left on facebook:

"?? is a big loser at bingo but enjoyed the company!"

"?? had a wonderful day at the beach."

"?? is considering upgrading her imac.... hmmm."

"?? house is already 40°c as she is baking a cake - HB to The Man!"

"?? & the boys had a wonderful day in the Blue Mountains"

But again, I come here when I have something to say or need to get something off my chest I feel I cant share with others, for a good bitch and a yarn... it's my online journal, and I like it!

I also don't like how some people share a little extra personal info then they generally would, like Nod's friends divorce or today, my friends announcement that her Grandmother died. I don't think I would have ever needed to know that as we are friends but not that close (like I wouldn't be told about the funeral details to attend etc) but I felt obliged to post my condolences just because I now knew about her loss.

So I'm still hanging out here, sorry people, the boring blogs will be here for the long run!

The in-laws...

2009-01-11T18:01:00.003+11:00

Now they are driving me a little batty. Every year at the same time they all go on diets, and every year its a new diet that is the best diet and will work.."this time"... I think they are just diet suckers and don't want to put in the hard yards of exercise and healthy eating on a daily basis, that in general is how I lost my 30kilo's, I did use calorie counting but no fancy methods, like eat nothing but proteins for 3 days.

So they have spurred me to get right back into my health and lose this nagging 5 kilo's that I had gained and that have been following me for the last 6 months.

This is the diet they are following: Body Trim, it may very well work and good luck to them but hard yakka is my way and I'm off to do just that.

I'm also going to use my Wii fit game more, I really enjoy it telling me that my wii fit age is in the 20's but I like the yoga parts and find the stretching makes me relaxed after a workout. I'd also like to see my Mii a little trimmer!

QLD January 2009

2009-01-10T16:50:00.003+11:00

The start of the long drive to Queensland

8 hours into the trip

Big little man just being told that there is another 5hrs to go as we took the wrong road

From Blogger Pictures

Little Man 13hrs into the trip

From Blogger Pictures

New Year Fire works at Tellebugera Beach

From Blogger Pictures

The 2m Python that is slowly killing my brothers chooks

From Blogger Pictures

The cute but noisy Green tree frog in Mum's tree

From Blogger Pictures

We went to Dreamworld and on this crazy ride (This is not my footage), which took my breath away and put my stomach in my mouth - literally!

And the view from the top:

It was a quick holiday, but packed full of sun, surf, family, shopping, food, wine and fun!

My son's friends mothers P me off!

2009-01-10T16:26:00.003+11:00

Now am I meant to be friends with the parents of my children's friends? I wouldn't think it absolutely necessary, yes it's good to know them, but no rule that we had to be buddies.

The kids are on school holidays, I try and catch up with a lot of people of various friendships, people I've grown up with, old school friends, playgroup friends, work friends etc etc... but this one woman seems to get very offended when she asks me out, well not me specifically, my son, and I have other plans made with other people.

So yesterday we are headed to my younger son's friend house, she calls and I say we are busy, she tells me that Big Little Man doesn't need to go as it's Little Man's friend, but I explain that he knows the older brother (as they went to the same Pre-school and playgroup) and that they are expecting 3 of us, not 2. I apologise and say next time, she say's, no worries.

Today Big Little Man asks if I can txt TK (his initials and who I will refer to as "that kid") to see if he is free, we can go there or he can come over. His mum says, TK is at another friends (which Big Little Man goes to school with too) and "Too Bad" - really that's just rude, well I think so.

So "Too Bad" TK we are no longer available the rest of the holidays - yes rather bitter, but that is my feeling right now.

BTW: we ran away after Christmas to QLD for a quick holiday, it was great and I wish I was back there! Will post some photo's later.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T09:53:00.001+11:00

2008-12-19T16:16:00.005+11:00

Sorry I haven't been around, but here is a little photo update:

I kick butt on the Wii!

We finally went camping:

East Beach Kiama (New South Wales South Coast):

Little Man turns 5:

Little Man & I Graduates from playgroup:

Little Man Graduates from Pre-school:

Little Man can dive!:

I see now it's seems to be all about Little Man, but it sort of has been his month!

Sorry Carlton

2008-11-30T14:30:00.002+11:00

Camping

2008-11-29T10:14:00.003+11:00

For the entire month of November I have been planning a camping trip, it is to be our first camping holiday as I think this is the sort of holiday I know I would love and that the kids will too, but the forces that be have made in pour down with rain each and every weekend.

Anyway each weekend I go over our camp supplies to make sure that we have everything we need (just in case the sun decides to shine for us one day soon), so today I was reading a few camping sites and downloaded a checklist from a renowned Australian camping store.

I love being Australian, only we would think it appropriate to have alcohol on a "Weekend camping checklist For camping holidays of one to three days"

Blog Gender Analyzer

2008-11-26T14:06:00.002+11:00

I thought it would be interesting to follow a link on Scooters blog to find out if my blog shows my gender, well it doesn't... err I am more male then I ever imagined (67%)! Do I really blog like a man? maybe it's the black?

Give it a go yourself: Genderanalyzer.com

Baking again

2008-11-26T11:12:00.003+11:00

It seriously not helping my waist line but I just love doing it!

This mini Pavlova I made for myself 4 day's after my birthday. I waited and waited for my family to buy or bake me a cake but it never happened, so I made my favorite dessert, popped a candle in and sang the birthday song to myself (thus the reason I'm not in the photo!)... The Man owes me big time next year!

Some light strawberry tartlets.

And super sweet mini Banoffee pie's.

I like baking mini's as they look so cute and there isn't as much mental guilt... so I tell myself!

Into the next bracket

2008-11-03T19:15:00.000+11:00

You know how on surveys and forms they ask you what age group our in? Well I have climbed into the 35-40yr, yep today I'm 35!

It's a good gift year this year, I'm rather impressed!

Adorable summer dress

Colorado Olive Green Handbag

And the Wii Fit board

I'm all alone tonight, The Man is working, the kids are screaming and I feel rather old and looking it too, but hey... Happy Birthday to me!

Snot Faced watching Alvin

2008-09-30T17:12:00.001+10:00

Today I dragged my good playgroup friend (which I shall call "snot face") to the local club to watch the free kids movie (kids included) and she, being her true new Zealand self suggested we get snot faced (thus her name) and we did!

I still don't really know what the movie is about but the bottle of wine - excellent!

I like snot face!

Pilgrim Flu attacks

2008-09-24T12:28:00.002+10:00

During World Youth Day here in Sydney some pilgrims brought with them some horrid flu, we the general public were told it wasn't a threat - well my arse it wasn't a threat! My entire family has been struck down with it, coughing up little bits of lung, throwing up, aches, pains in places the flu shouldn't effect and a lethargy that is close to being classified as a zombie.

This horrid flu last for weeks and everyone I know who has got it has been struck down completely for a minimum of a week, then about 3 weeks of recovery, which is hardly recovery but a desperate grip to feel like a person again. Once again all my health plans went out the window and I think weight wise I am completely back to where I started before - huge muffin!

Good news though (other then I'm back blogging)

Supernatural has started again - I'm a very happy women!

Health Focus : Week 4 - SICK

2008-09-15T13:55:00.002+10:00

OMG I am so sick, I have been hit with the plague! I swear this is not the flue but some horrible plague, I can't move, I can't concentrate, I can't sleep or breath properly... I feel like sludge!

The Man said he would make me some chicken soup (why do people think that this is some miracle cure for illness?) and by 7.30pm last night, seeing him sitting at his PC, I knew my soup was far from being ready... had to make the stupid stuff myself and I didn't even want soup!

The boy's are hit with the plague too, not as bad as mine as they are still thoroughly annoying.

So much for my health kick, just when I start getting back into it all...

Health Focus: Week 3

2008-09-08T15:57:00.002+10:00

Hmm, thanks to Father's Day yesterday and numerous baking endeavors I completely blew all the good work that I had done in the prior week. I also feel that the early morning walks (Week 1) were working for me and as I didn't do any last week, I didn't get as good a workout.

Well, I shall continue with week 2 challenges, removing the hand weights whilst walking as I think that didn't do anything physically but make my arms feel long. I am going to low carb/low GI this week in an effort to reverse the carb overload of my weekend.

I was really hoping to shift some weight before the school friends get together, even just round off the muffin a bit, but oh well, it's either kick butt for the next 2 weeks or just accept the muffin for a little longer.

Happy "The Man" Day

2008-09-07T10:02:00.002+10:00

Well we are flat broke at the moment, the last 2 days of torrential rain has penetrated our roof (again - but that is another story) and we have to repair it completely. At this point we both think that the best idea is to go for a full overhaul, get rid of all the tiles and replace it with colorbond, then we can be like those people in the ad's and get busted by our neighbors admiring our roof:

So, no cash mean's I bake. My dad will get a call and when he comes back to visit in October I shall bake him something delicious. Pop is going to get a tray of Sticky Date puddings and The Man gets his favorite Lemon Meringue pie.

And to all the dad's out there - Happy Fathers day too!

Blocks of weight and Plasma

2008-09-05T10:57:00.007+10:00

Although a short week, I have decided to make Friday's my check-in/Weigh-in day, this way I can relax on the weekends and attempt to work off any damage throughout the rest of the week.

Now, I can gloat and admit I did lose 25 kilo's in the past but I have put on a few too many then I would have liked this year. It started at 2 extra at Christmas, then 2 more whilst on our very wet summer holidays, then another 2 to date (blaming winter, laziness and my faulty knee). So rather then talk about the kilo's I require to shift, I'm calling them blocks, such as that of the block of butter in my blog image. Now I was thinking about it last night and I'm calculating the blocks in this way based on my starting weight from Sept 1:

6.5 Blocks = Muffin
4.0 Blocks = Loose
2.0 Blocks = Good Looking
0.0 Blocks = Sexy
-3. Blocks = Too Hot

I'm excel stupid, but I'm sure I can work it out later and put a line chart with that chart to show where I am, but as of today I'm at the 4.5 block and still a "Muffin"

Damn it's hard work and why did I forget that it was hard work and get to this stage in the first place!

Okay enough on Blocks and onto Plasma. Today I donated plasma for the first time, since my first blood donation I have always donated whole blood but I wanted to give back to the community a little more and thought that plasma donations would be a nice way as I can now donate every 2 weeks (as they only take one part and not the whole blood, this is transfused back into me and thus the body does not require to make it again). I really enjoy donating, it's not all bells and whistles fun but something that makes me feel like a better human, because as they say, my blood could help save another.

Little Man gets a kiss

2008-09-04T17:27:00.000+10:00

Heavy hand weights

2008-09-03T20:25:00.003+10:00

Who would of guessed that 1.5kg hands weights would feel like a tonne after 5km! I don't think I will be doing that again or will drop down to my tiny .5 kg weights - how shocking am I and after all of that I don't think it physically did anything, should it?

Next Blog>>

2008-08-31T11:39:00.004+10:00

Yep that time again, lovely quiet and wet Sunday afternoon. The Man is sleeping as he has to work tonight and nothing better to do.

Today's Next Blog>> X-gamers Very interesting blog showing the latest movies releases and a short description. I liked it as it shows movies from other countries or not the typical box office genre of movies. May have to add it to my RSS blog feed as I do love a good flick.

Hmm, looking at it more, it seem it is a Blog of Links to DVD rips and games, but all the same, good reviews of movies that a currently out.

The Boys behind the lens of handbag camera

2008-08-31T10:43:00.003+10:00

I'm rather impressed with the quality of photo's The boys took, they are clear and the main feature is centered, maybe there is a future in photography for them, I was always interested but never pursued, these day's I'm like a Japanese tourist and snap anything and everything!

Sonic and Knuckle's by Big Little Man Don't you just love how Sonic holds the flowers?

SDeaf Dog & Flowers by Little Man

These photo's are of The Boys competing in "Sonic and Mario Olympics'". Big Little Man won the 200m (2 laps of the front yard=50m) and Little Man took off in the 10000m marathon (144m equivalent). See, I told you, I never needed paid sport to get my kids to have fun and exercise!

They did take photo's of me, but I was relaxing and could not compete in the Olypmics due to over working my thigh and ab muscles - truly!

Book Review: “Escape” By Carolyn Jessop

2008-08-31T09:52:00.004+10:00

I saw this book on the shelf of a bookstore around mother's day, I like to scan the books that the store recommends "your mum will love this" and jot them down to grab and read later.

The book is an autobiography of a woman who was raised in the FLDS, married at 18, bared 8 children, shared her husband with 6 other woman and then escaped. I don't read too many autobiography's but the initial story interested me as she was the same age as I am when she had her 8th child, I can't handle 2 so I was interested.

The book made me realise how free my life was and how liberated a woman I am, that I have so many choices and am able to voice my opinion without persecution (although when I do open my mouth I am often told it would have been better to keep it shut).

Growing up here in Australia you rarely hear of polygamy, only over the last few years are the Muslim communities who practice it publicise it. The LDS here have always seemed (to me) like everyone else but with very strong values to their faith. My mother would allow them into our home for tea when they came knocking to sell their "watchtower magazines", gosh even the The Man has let them in on occasion but I guess they never returned as they knew there was no way to convert or save that soul!

So the book is a good read to understand how other people live, how they are brainwashed into beliefs that make them live in fear but that there are some people with the inner strength to know what is right and escape it.

I've researched a little more on the faith and I know the only way I could accept a religion like this would to be born into it and to not know anything else, so when I found this site Christian Polygamy it freaked me out. Do women of this generation want to share there lives with one man and lot's of other woman? Quote "You might be surprised to find out that your best friend would share a husband with you. Good friends are hard to find. Why leave yours behind." I don't believe it is religious at all it is just power hungry men who like to control and have it when they want it! The worst bit of that site that really annoys me, is that when you scroll over the little icon of the woman on her knees, she bows!

In summary, when I read Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography I thought Scientologist were arrogant, self centered freaks and after reading Escape I think Polygamy is sick and berates woman lower then animals.

New Tales of the Otori!

2008-08-30T19:36:00.002+10:00

In 2007 my then 15 year old nephew recommended a book that he was reading that he thought I would like, and I did! They were initially consisted of a trilogy: Across the Nightingale Floor (2002), Grass for His Pillow (2003), and Brilliance of the Moon (2004). A fourth book was written The Harsh Cry of the Heron, and today I found out that a 5th title, a prequel was released, Heaven's Net is Wide all by Lian Hearn

I have reserved it from the library and can't wait to read it, I really enjoyed all 4 books and they are still very clear in my mind. I'm not sure how having a prequel will work after 4 title's but I guess it sort of worked for the Star wars movies, but then again the books were there first.

I have just finished reading "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop and shall review it tomorrow - amazing autobiography of a woman who escape a life as a Fundamentalist Latter Day Saint and it's polygamy relationships.

Health "Focus"- Wk2 challenges

2008-08-29T13:57:00.003+10:00

Have decided to call this new diet/health thing I'm doing "Focus" because what my intentions are is to focus on my health and exercise to get me back to my healthy weight and where I'm happiest.

Well one of my diet buddies has advised that our renewed interest in wanting to get healthy has helped her achieve a 2.5kg weight loss! (Yeah for her) but as I never really weighed myself on my first week, I'm not sure if I lost at all. I will start weighing in from Monday.

I do feel better for doing more exercise and I'm having wonderful nights sleep too, I still head to bed way to late but that is me and nothing to do with laziness, I just forget the time reading or playing my NDS.

So over the last 5 days I have:
Mon: 5km walk
Tue: 5km walk
Wed: 5km walk
Thu:4km walk
Fri: Jillian Michael's "Shape up Front" workout

I will also try to do 30min on the elliptical some time today (just reading speed ie: I read whilst I exercise so no real heart pumping but better then sitting on my behind.)

I have been very good with my wine and coffee week 1 challenges so I'm going to up the ante with them, so
Next weeks challenges I have set for myself are:

No more then 2 regular (home/instant) coffee's or 1 store bought coffee per day. (I find the Gloria Jean coffee's I love have heaps heaps more calories then a coffee I make at home - why is that when I ask for skim anyway?)
No more then 4/7 small glasses of wine in a week (so 3 dry alcohol free day's)

adding an exercise component:
Will carry my hand weights on a minimum of 2 walks
To use my Gymstick at least 2 times in the week (got is a birthday gift but never hardly use it)

and I also intend to use my CK diary daily to keep track of my intake as now I have exercise up and running on a daily basis I know it is the food that is letting me down.

Will have a rest day on Sunday.

Mum's sport

2008-08-27T10:56:00.001+10:00

Soccer season is over & we have also quit Kung Fu so it's time for mum to take over!

It's not a top notch bike, but more of starter - I just hope he wants to ride as much as I do!

This is why I need my mum to go back to QLD...

2008-08-26T17:50:00.000+10:00

Parathas
Curry Chicken
Chutney/Pickel

How can I lose weight whilst she cooks me dinner like this! There is no such thing as portion control, thankfully but at the same time sadly there are off back home tomorrow.

And yes, it does taste as good as it looks!

(Almost a) New Season, time for new me

2008-08-26T17:48:00.000+10:00

So I have changed the name of my old health blog, as it was a dismal failure trying to achieve 10 things, shocking I know! And well it's time for an health attitude adjustment. I know I've talked about it and did a few thing sporadically but now is the time to get really into action, here's why:

1. The warmer season is about to start, time to shed the winter woolies and bare skin - arrrrr currently winter has produced far to man woddly & saggy bits to allow any skin to show.

2. My mother has challenge me to a 5 week "strip the fat" so that we can get a head start and get back into some loved clothing. I sadly had to go get a larger pair of jean as my previous "goal"pair were too wear, I could squeeze into them but trust me I could do much else in them!

3. The Man is constantly on my back about how I am throwing away all the hard work I did 2 years ago, he is right but I still want to hear it and it would be nice for him to stop reminding me of my laziness

4. My school is having a 20 year reunion next year but I am also catching up with my group friends in 6 weeks for a pre-reunion and it would be great to be at my best, as I feel when you feel good about yourself, it reflects in who you are - generally I'm more cheery.

5. I will be 35 this year and being healthy and fit makes me feel 25!

I have set myself some simple challenges I hope to increase week after week and am doing this with my diet buddy too. This week is: no more then 1 glass of wine per night and OMG it's going to hurt me, no more then 2 cups of coffee a day. Not to hard but enough to be considered a challenge.

My diet buddy is aiming to only have 2 caffeinated drinks per day - this I would fail as I love my tea and Coke zero and doesn't Hot Chocolate have some caffeine in it too?

Now I started on great high's, woke up at 5.50am and headed for a 5km walk, ate a wonderfully healthy breakfast and lunch. But then dinner arrived and my parents are about to leave for home (they have been on holidays for the last month) and so we al headed out for dinner to the local leagues club. I assumed that the roast dinner would be the best option (over Creamy mornay fish, crumbed chicken with sour cream and some orange looking sauce, fish and chips etc.) but instead went for the nightly special of "Surf & Turf" and so I found myself eating a monster Rump steak drizzled (more like drowned) in garlic butter with veg and hot chips.

Oh well that was yesterday, no looking back. I got up again at 5.50am and headed for my 5km walk, no eating out tonight so I hope to do better food wise today. Have not checked in weight wise as it is TTOM today and my scales are never correct and flutuate so much in the days before and after, so WI will be Monday next week.

This is what my CK diary looked like:

I'll be trying to update this blog to keep me motivated and on track via emails, so sadly if anyone does read this your going to hear more of my ever boring sweaty SAHM talk now too!

Testing the email-to-blog

2008-08-26T14:15:00.003+10:00

This is my third go, where are my blog post's going?

Also I am updating and re-starting my exercise blog, but I'm not sure if I should have 2 blogs, but who wants to read about my everyday boring life with m everyday sweaty life? To join the boring to boring or not?

Update via blogger (not email) - it seem to only half work, only the first line appeared, strange and also to this account only, so I have decide to merge my health blog with this my main blog.

Handbag photo's

2008-08-21T17:49:00.002+10:00

Last week I decided to buy a cheap little camera that I intend to keep in my handbag. I was considering a better mobile with a good camera feature in it (as there are some nice camera phones out there at the moment) but in the end I opted for a 2nd camera.

So without anymore chit chat, here is what I take when I have a camera in my handbag...

Testing the quality of Handbag camera - Piment and Little Man

On the "National Maritime Museum" Grade 1 excursion

Gorgeous sailing boat on Sydney Harbour

A view from beneath our city's famous bridge

Playgroup parachute fun

The latest fad for Big Little Man "Bakugan" (taken by Little Man)

Where do bat's sleep in Australia? In gum trees!

Playgroup fun after school.

Oh I have grand news! Soccer season ends this saturday - about bloody time!

Disheartened

2008-07-30T16:44:00.002+10:00

Everything is getting me down lately.
* I'm having trouble losing weight I once already lost, thus meaning I gained weight when I should have known better.
* I start to get back into things and go and twist my knee and it's is driving me nuts not being able to do all the things I want.
* I have a cold that seems to never leave me 100% and come's back to haunt me on a weekly basis.
* The boys have coughs that have been around for the last 3 weeks.
* The boys don't take anything serious and I'm getting tired of going this sporting event to the next to watch my kids just do nothing, Little Man got told to stop eating his toe nails and Big Little Man had to do 20 push-ups for talking in Kung Fu yesterday, oh I just hang my head in shame, where did I go wrong to become such a hopeless parent?

The sport thing is driving me up the wall the most, we spend so much time and money on them and they just don't put any real effort. I told The Man yesterday that we could be on a holiday in Fiji right now, soaking up the sun if we saved the money we forked out on kids extra curricular activities. Do kids really need to do them? Isn't school enough?

Seriously, I feel like I could take them bike riding for and 1 hour every other day and see them having more exercise then a soccer match. I can do pilates and yoga (stretching) and teach them like the do at Kung Fu. So far after a month of class they have not learnt any self defense or discipline. I can kick a soccer ball around a field with them and miss the parent politics and the boys would actually get to have a "go" (praise the lord!)

I quit!

Pokemon Invasion

2008-07-20T14:32:00.001+10:00

Yesterday was big Little Man's 7th Birthday and as he is currently obsessed with all things Pokemon and 99% of his gift's revolved around this theme.

I'm happy he LOVES them but I'm being tortured reading the Pokedex and using the net to find ways to catch better ones... someone save me!

Happy Birthday Big Little man!!

Photo Post: Winter blooms

2008-07-15T12:35:00.003+10:00

Some pretty flowers from my shocking unkept garden

And Deaf Dog after having a bath

My health kick is hopeless when I keep baking...

2008-07-07T12:29:00.001+10:00

New family portrait

2008-07-07T12:17:00.003+10:00

The Man and I wanted to put a family portrait in the games room, but I have never like those professional studio jobs, this is what we came up with...

It was his idea to mount pictures on to a skateboard deck as he was collecting others and liked the look of boards on the wall after seeing it on Rob and Big (although he had about 60 boards on his wall). I designed the photo's of us in the pop art style.

We like it, other comments are positive too, what do you think?

Big Little Man Bestie Update

2008-07-07T12:14:00.003+10:00

The poor fellow has found himself in the hospital for the 3rd time, I feel sorry for him now. His mother and I blame the hospital and feel that they missed something (maybe a med) at the time of the surgery as he has infection after infection and can not seem to get over having his tonsils out.

Kung Fu Panda = Kung Fu classes

2008-07-07T12:05:00.002+10:00

Kids! I wonder how many other parents have had to find Martial arts classes so their kids could "ha-ya!"

We have enrolled both boys at Kung Fu Academy, so far they both love it and it is the cutest thing to see Little Man kicking and punching.

Sadly the venue is freezing, it is literally like a fridge in the dojo but this may be only my point of view as I just sit there and I have a general hate of the cold. In saying this I bet the dojo in summer is an oven, I shall have to wait and see.