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!
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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!)
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!
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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!!!!!
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….
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!
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!)
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!
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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!
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!

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!!!
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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…
The Lollipop Shoes - a sequel to Chocolat
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…….
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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!
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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!!!!!
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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!
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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!
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!
This is fun - but only last for a minute, and then you have to reload all the butterflies!!!!!!
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!
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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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