zen me up!

Posted on September 30, 2007

This is a MUST READ site!  I only found it today – but I am hooked.

zen habits | Simple Productivity

Go and read it now – you will LOVE it.  So many tips on how to simplify your life, and basically – make things easier.

I am finding right now that my fuse is soo short.  I mean – it is really short.  A couple of millimetres at the very most – and that is being super generous.  I am surprised that M1 still loves me.  really.   I explode at the tiniest thing – she only has to put her tongue in the wrong position and I go off like a mad woman.  It’s not right.  I am hoping it is all due to being 37 weeks pregnant, missing my husband, and just feeling emotionally and physically exhausted 24 hours a day – no matter how much I sleep!  look – I am not here to whine – so that’s enough – but get on over and be zenned!

Okay – so how am I going to live the simple life!

Check out THIS post – 21 tips of keeping a simple home with kids. I can do that!

And – I love this post – Creating a minimalist home.  A little tricky with kids – but doable with some good storage solutions I think!

Anyway – enough of me blubbing on about the blog – go ahead and read it for yourself!

Gorgeous little man…..

Posted on September 27, 2007

Okay – so I must admit I wasn’t overly happy with the shots I took – but it was a little chilly, and we were reluctant to n.u.d.e. the boy up!!!!  I felt like a complete novice (which I am – but you know….), and I think it shows in these….. (oh well – you live and learn!)

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He was a very expressive little thing – so tiny and yummny1  (thank-goodness they are so tiny – it makes me feel better about trying to push a watermelon through a narrow pipe!)  I guess I’ll have little Heinz to practice on soon!

I did a bit of a shop at Safeway this arvo – I am feeling all organic-like.  I love to eat healthy (and do 95% of the time) – but I worry sometimes about the additives and preservatives that mysteriously appear in our foods.  We try to eat unrefined foods as much as possible – but with my total lack of energy and complete exhaustion of late – I have been a little lax in that department!  No more!  Anyway – I made some delicious buckwheat pancakes tonight, and topped them with yoghurt, mango and raspberries!  Yumbo!  There’s plenty left for breakfast tomorrow morning – so the girls will love that as a treat!!!!

Tonight and tomorrow morning I am going to finish up the ‘draft’ for a site for an up and coming fashion designer.  Looking forward to sharing once I am done!  Then it will be off to the park – maybe a picnic – I’ll throw on a loaf of bread to cook in the morning (love the bread machine!), with some delish ham, cheese and tomato.  Oh – I am drooling.  I wonder what is with the whole food-oriented post tonight!

okay – time to read books to M2 (M1 is at karate – hope some of the discipline rubs off on her!) – she is sitting on the couch happily browsing through the Little Mermaid!

All over the shop….

Posted on September 27, 2007

Yep – that’s me right now!  I am a little sporadic in everything I do right now – coz inevitably exhaustion rears its head and takes over.  It’s 9:50am, and I have already had a 45 minute nap on the couch.  Thank goodness for ABC Kids – that’s all I can say!!!!!

spotlight_blinkie

Hey – I have been spotlighted by Disc talk Radio – how cool is that!  Actually – not ‘me’ per se – but my Doodle Your Own Layout Kit!  Soo… to celebrate – here is a coupon – dtrspotlight - and it will give you $2.00 off the price of the DYOL kit – good for one use by each customer, and expires October 1st!  ENJOY!!!!

I might throw this in as well….

heinz-coupon-600

 

So really – if you are lucky – you might get the DYOL kit quite cheap!!!!!

Yep – I am taking a little designing break – I just haven’t the energy to sit here and do good quality stuff (I haven’t the energy to do bad quality stuff either to be honest!).  If I find some energy (and haven’t used it all up in day to day life!) – I might create something cool!  I have 8 fonts waiting to be fonted right now – so if I get to them – I’ll do a little font bundle!!!!

I cut the girls hair the other day – with the kitchen scissors!  Snip snip snip!  I think it turned out just fine!

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And I had a haircut too (not with my kitchen scissors thank goodness) – no photos yet….

But – here’s my 36 weeks belly!  (these are SOOC so nothing spectacular!)

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I’ll make ‘em look pretty later!!!!

I have a photoshoot this morning with a gorgeous little 2 week old baby!  yay – I am looking forward to it!  the mum – Louise is just gorgeous, and the older siblings are also beautiful!  Back later with the results!

Hmm – other news – ummm – there is none!  take it easy!

just to share…..

Posted on September 22, 2007

hey guess what – at my last OB appointment – we made a date! (not the sort where you go out to dinner and snog!).  A date for the induction!  Yippee!!!!!!  We have lift-off on 10th October!  Thanks goodness!

Check out this gorgeous mum of three – about to be four that I photographed yesterday – bear in mind that this was my FIRST ever session with anyone other than my children!

 

JWalker-(12-of-16)-web

She was such a champ!!!!!  have a great holiday J!  She is due to have her Junior a few days before my DATE!!!!

These next few photos are of a gorgeous little boy ‘C" – what a cutie!

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Gotta LOVE babies!!!!!

Okay – it’s a gorgeous Spring day outside – I think i might go and hang out the washing, and then take the girls and herveyto the beach for a play – unless it is too windy!!!

So what is it with….

Posted on September 17, 2007

.. those callers that ring you at 6:00pm, and ntry to sell you something, or survey you?  What are they called (apart from a pain in the backside)…..  um – aha – telemarketers!  WHY do they do it then.  I must admit – I put on my ‘rude voice’ and not so gently tell them I am not interested. and then ever so politely – I hang up!

So today – I slept for two hours this afternoon. LOVELY.  A little broken sleep is better than no sleep.  Had a chiroprator appointment this morning – gee he’s good.  Fiddled with my ribs around under my right arm – I seem to have pulled a muscle with all the coughing I have been doing – and now it hurts to breathe (small problem!), turn the steering wheel to the left, and basically do anything involving moving my right arm away from my body! Anyway – Nick the Chiro had a go at it, and I am sure I will feel better tomorrow!

The I went to my favourite little bookstore (albeit – a little expensive), and purchased a few booky’s 9as M2 calls them) to keep me busy in my ‘down time’ (coz I have so much of it!)….

Softies – 22 friends for you to sew, knit and crochet…

eat pray love

The Lollipop Shoes – a sequel to Chocolat

Constance

Let’s bear in mind that I generally choose a book by its cover!  Or – if I have read something by the author before – OR if the blurb on the back REALLY catches my eye!  The blurb on the back of all of these caught my eye – and the "Lollipop Shoes" – well – I have read Chocolat – so I thought I might enjoy this one too. Anyway – they should keep me busy (like I need to be kept even more busy!).  Sitting down reading is about all I really want to do right now anyway!!!!!

Speaking of sitting down and reading – I am off…….

la la la…

Posted on September 17, 2007

okay – so I’ll admit it – my last few posts have been of the whingy variety.  Sorry.  But – it is MY blog, and if I feel like having a little whinge – well – so be it!  but I have noticed an interesting thing.  No-one comments if I whinge.  Actually – I don’t get many comments anyway – that’s fine – coz after all – I write this for me, not to get a whole heap of comments (although it is nice to know that I am a*muze*ing others somehow!).  I do get comments when I throw in some photos of my girls – great – they are good eye candy – I should know – I made ‘em (can you hear the ‘proud mother in me’ – listen carefully – it was only fleeting!), and I get a few comments when I post about some sort of digi-scrap related product that I have come up with.  Which leads me to believe that my blog is read by photo-loving digi-scrappers!  Makes sense really!!!!  I am not overly sure where this is all going – so bear with me!!

Speaking of digi-scrapping product – or in my case – lack thereof – I have this small problem – I haven’t created a single thing!  Why is that?  Well – there is a 35 week-old Heinz in my belly that is sucking the absolute life out of me – not to mention the two girls that I am already *blessed* with (insert small amount of sarcasm!).  Oh – and my mojo has disappeared!  It happens. I have three  sorry – did I say three – I meant EIGHT – gorgeous fonts ready to be fonted – in fact – I have even scanned them in – I just need to font them.  I also have two beautiful clients awaiting me to beautify and customise their Wordpresss blogs.  now – this is something I LOVE to do – so I think today is the day.  But back to digi-scrapping – nup – I haven’t any new products at all.  I am HOPING to release a new Worm next week, and then maybe some stuff in dribs and drabs whilst I adjust to being the mother of three girls rather than two!

I was over at Flickr yesterday – you know – just stopping by for a browse (as you do when you are procrastinating!).  I did have a purpose though – I am doing a little session with another pregnant ‘chick’ this week – and I wanted some extra inspiration.  then I kept on browsing, coz I figured I will have a  least two newborn shoots in the next few weeks as well (my Heinz, and her ‘little man’).  Oh gosh – there is so much to look at in Flickr.  Eye candy abounds!  (oh oh – when you use live writer to create a post – you can use any font – well – I can see the font differences – can anyone else!  I’ll be changing it up all over the place!) Back to Flickr.  I OLOVE this group – Natural Light Child Photography – stunning images – and oh so sharp!  Newborn is just a gorgeous group.  The beauty of pregnancy is another favourite.  Then of course I got side-tracked to photographers webistes – what a lovely way to spend a little while…. here are some favourites……. Audrey Woulard, Lucrer Braxton, Tara Whitney, Clair Bremmer, Barb Uil and Deanna Hall – just to name a few! Of course there are a billion others – but – I haven’t the time to list them all!

So – today is Monday – creche day for the girls, and MY DAY for me!  Yippee!  What to do – possibly some crochet (oh – I am stuck on the arm of a doll I am making – 6ch into a circle, and then hdc in each chain – alternating colours – is driving me MAD! A great challenge – but I though crochet was meant to be relaxing!).  Oh – I might finish up a blog for a client, as well as start another – and maybe have a go at me own.  I have an idea in my head that is itching to get out!!!!  tehn – it might be time for a little belly photo shoot – after all – today is 35weeks! Maybe after that – a NAP!!!  Argh – who am I kidding – why not nap before everything!

officially crook….

Posted on September 15, 2007

Right – hands up if you have EVER put down your child’s sookiness to just plain attention-seeking.  yep – me – let me put both hands up in the air.  In fact I am sure many parents have done it.  So – how bad do you feel when you realise that it’s not just attention-seeking – she’s actually sick.  I took M1 off to the doctor yesterday – and yes – she had a temperature of 38.5′C, was lethargic, chesty and super coughy.  Poor girl. Three doses of Amoxil later, and she is a new girl.  Admittedly she hates the taste of the stuff – but I water it down, and she manages! I am pleased to say she is looking and feeling much better – although it was much easier and quieter when all she did was sleep on the couch!!!!!

As for me – I am still trying hard to shake off this nasty bug.  All I want to do is sleep – which is a little hard I must admit!  Thank-goodness for ABCKids!!!!!  I don’t usually let the TV-sit the girls – but I am tired.  I want to curl up in bed, and stay there – with NO interruptions for at least 24 hours!!!!  Don’t want much at all really!

Okay – so this whole giving birth / pushing out a baby thing is starting to loom.  yeah – I realise I have done it twice before – but this time I am super apprehensive about the whole thing.  yep – maybe I should have thought of that around 8 months ago – but I was busy enjoying my husbands company!!!  So – I was even vaguely considering the option of a c-section last night.  bear in mind that I have been petrified of a c-section for all of my births.  Don’t mind the idea of not having to go through labour – but the whole recovery from major abdominal surgery seems like a total pain (pardon the pun!).  I think I think way too much.  let’s just get Heinz out so I can function a little better – oh – and get out and do some exercise – I am fed up of not being able to walk or run!!!!

hey – M2 and her toilet training.  Do you think I am getting anywhere when she poo’s 3 times in her pants in one day.  Is she learning at all?!  I think not!  I tell you – I am over it!!!  Although the delight on her face when she goes to the toilet properly is wonderful!!!!  I was on the toilet today, you know – finishing up, and M2 comes in, and tried to put her head in between my legs to check out the toilet bowl, and says ‘poos in there’?'!  No – not this time pumpkin – but she’s always keen to have a look – which I find really funny. 

M1 has just learnt how to whistle.  Oh my goodness.  is it just me – or is a four-year olds whistle just NOT ‘music to your ears’!!!! 

WOW – how much do I sound like a whinging mum today!!!!  I guess today is MY day for a whinge and some crankiness.  Surely I am allowed that!!!!! 

unofficially officially crook….

Posted on September 13, 2007

My poor little M1 is crook.  She hasn’t been herself for a while now, and is getting progressively worse.  Lots of sooking, sniffling and coughing.  being the nasty mum I am – I just thought the sooking was a bit attention-seeking and of course – missing Daddy when he works long hours.  Anyway – it seems that there is something more.   We are off to the Dr’s tomorrow to get her checked out.  She was pale and quiet and Kinder today, and when I picked her up – I though a bit of fresh-air would do her good before a nap.  So we went to the park with another little buddy – Jakey (apparently they are going to get married, but Jake won’t let M1 kiss him!!!) – they had fun – which was good.  The  we whipped to the toy store, and bought some games – more on those later! 

When we came home I had a shower, and M1 was just beside herself – crying and coughing.  So – I put in the shower with me for a hairwash and some love, and set her up on the couch after putting jammies and ‘ruggy’ on.  She fell asleep after eating a bit of apple – and snored her way through about an hour’s nap.  She has been on the couch since, and is still there – even though it is 7:45pm.  She’s a little too heavy for me to carry – so I’ll let her sleep for a bit then wake her for the toilet and bed.  I hate seeing them sick, and knowing that there is not alot that I can do to make her better – just lots of TLC.  I hope she is well enough for Footy Day at Kinder tomorrow – especially since I purchased a Hawthorn jumper (on Daddy’s orders!) for her today!

Okay – so I had a bit of a spendy type of day today!  More games (and she was too sick to play!)

I managed to purchase Guess Who? yay!

Kerplunk: this looks like fun!

Uno Stacko: A variation on an old family favourite!

UNO: – had to get the original!

Flippin’ Frogs: How could I not get this one – bugger that it requires three AA batteries – of which I have none!

Umm – yep – that’s it!  for the kids that is……

 

Since it was Father’s Day the other day – I thought it was about time I made a purchase for Wilbur!  he mentioned that one of these would be ‘ok’ while he was in down time for long period os time at work – so he is not the proud owner of a PSP!  Okay – so he hasn’t got it yet – but I have had a little play – and yeah – it’s fun!  I also purchased a couple of games – Worms and Lemmings!  As far as blokey games go – they are probably quite tame- but I am sure he’ll manage to find something else!  it’s a bit of fun anyway!  He can also have video, music and photos as well – so that might keep him amused in his downtime!  What a spoiled Daddy – he does deserve it though!  Love you Wilbur!

Oh golly – this post makes me look awfully frivolous – I don’t usually spend money on fun stuff like this – so there is a small bit of buyers remorse creeping in – but hey – let’s enjoy!

Righto – surely that’s enough for one day!  i must go and wake my sleeping crook girl, and get her to bed!

A little bit of stuff – not overly interesting to some though…….

Posted on September 13, 2007

Right – so I am enjoying Windows Live Writer!  Why – you may ask.  Well – umm – I just am!  So – I thought I’d check out options available for MAC – since one day I will be the lucky owner of a 17′ MBP.  I gather that there are two main Blog publishing platforms – MarsEdit2 and Ecto (also available for Windows). I love the way both of these applications (actually ALL) make it super easy to upload video to my blog (I realise I haven’t done this yet – but there is video on its way!).  MarsEdit lets you easily insert Flickr images – I like that!   Hmm – must. stop. MBP dreaming.  Anyway – both the MAC applications allow you to download a trial before purchase, Live Writer is free.

Onto fun stuff – games.  I am trying to play more games with M1 – it is hard though -  my patience is very thin!!!!  I have found a few games though that she and M2 can play together…..

Hungry Hungry Hippos:

An old family favourite – BUT – the balls keep going missing, and then they turn up oh so unexpectedly!

Giggle Wiggle:

this one is a whole lot of fun – the music gets a little annoying – but it is great for their hand-eye coordination – and mine too!

Elefun:

This is fun – but only last for a minute, and then you have to reload all the butterflies!!!!!!

Guess Who?:

M1 has been playing this at Kinder – and I think I might purchase it to play at home – another Aussie buddy plays with her son – and they are having a great old time!  Oh – there’s a travel version – might have to check that out!!!

Okay – so that seems to have the kids covered!  hen it comes to Wilbur and I playing – I love to beat him (everytime) at Othello!

I guess I have to beat him at something – coz when we play 500 – he is the winner!  Another favourite is Pictionary!

Okay – so that’s enough fun stuff!  Have to get M1 to Kinder, get some fruit and veg (read – watermelon), find a hawthorn jumper for M1 to wear to kinder tomorrow for footy day, and you know – do stuff.  It’s a lovely day – I think I am starting to feel less clogged up – about time!

So I slept…..

Posted on September 12, 2007

.. in the middle of the day, and my girls missed out on Kindergym.  Is that a crime?  It’s M2’s fault – she fell asleep on me first, and I followed -although I took myself off to bed – she fell asleep on the couch.  M1 stayed awake the whole time – I guess it was 11:00am!  For the rest of the day we did absolutely NOTHING!  The girls played together – watched some ABC kids, and had some fun in the sandpit – whilst I just did stuff.  nothing major!  Got Michelle sorted out with her blog – yay!  Good on you Michelle for finally deciding what you wanted!  I love your images!  Then I drew up some fonts – now I just have to fontify them – I can feel a bundle coming out (bundle of fonts that is – not my little bundle of joy!) to FPD on Monday!  Woohoo:):).  About time.  I also have some other ideas whirling around in my head – but it’s just a matter of finding time!

On a funny note – I heard M1 say today – "when I grow up I want to have a pink dress so i can be a pink Barbie"!  Now there’s a girl who knows what she wants!  How cute!  Although someone will need to gently break the news to her that Barbie is a fabricated being, with no real purpose other than to drain parents pockets!!!!!

Okay – so I am using this new fandangled thing called Windows Live Writer to write this blog post.  It doesn’t seem too bad.  It just means I can write a post, and not be connected to the internet.  Apparently I can do everything like normal, and it has a fantastic WYSIWYG interface as well.  Not sure though if I can utilise my super special lightbox for images (not that I have used that for a while anyway – but it’s nice to have the option!).

Hmm – Heinz and my tummy are both telling me I ate way too much chocolate today.  I won’t disclose exactly how much – but let me say – I REALLY wish I hadn’t!

What else – I set up a Kaboodle today – just for fun – and coz I wanted to see what it was all about.  I realise my list is extremely short, and super expensive – but I’m working on it!!!!  Seems like a bit of fun really!!!!!

Oh dear – what else……..I am really trying to stretch it here – for no reason other than I am super tired, and I should really be in bed – but did I mention I ate way too much chocolate!!!!!!!

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