Entering unchartered territory...

This is me, on a daily basis, dealing with Miss H. I am hoping it won't be me today...

I am taking Miss H (who is nearly 4, going on 18) out to the hairdresser. I've taken her for haircuts before but today is different. Today we are going to have our hair done together.. A chance to play "ladies" I guess.

I'm hoping to spend some quality time with her, it will be the first intense focus time just the two of us since her baby sister was born. She has been a champion really, not being too jealous really - she's done a few minor things, generally she likes to dote on her baby sis.

I thought I'd also take her out to the coffee shop and share a "babycino" with her... (I'll have the caffeinated version, thank you very much!)

I am still holding my breath to see how it all pans out... she is a bit of a hurricane.. and her hair is a mass of curls that often looks like she's been spinning around like Tassie Devil! She is VERY independent, this can mean some super big showdowns some days!! I'm looking forward to when she settles down and I can enjoy being around my little girl a lot more.

Can't really afford to make it a full on day spa experience with the mani/pedi yet, might bribe her to behave if I paint her toe and fingernails later today. We shall see.

Pray all goes smoothly for me!

TGBTG

PS That really cool pic at the start of the post is from a little gem I stumbled across - called Ephemera Inc It has heaps of retro images and funny as lines to go with them - in the form of magnets, badges and heaps more.

Winter Woes and Summer Sensations

Today I found myself wishing winter would be over soon. I normally LOVE winter time and how nice it is to snuggle up.. Maybe as I get older, my body doesn't like the cooler temps so much these days. *sniffle* I'M getting old AND turning into my Mum! (that's a whole separate post of it's own!)

I have developed a negative view of winter this year because ALL of my children have been sick with not one, not two, but SEVERAL head colds and coughs.. And when I say children, that also includes husband dear!! LOL! He has also had a bout of MANFLU!! (again- another post topic on it's own!!)

I havE actually found myself longing for warmer weather so I can take the kids to the beach- go swimming and build sandcastles! This is a MAJOR turn around in thinking for me- normally I would cringe at the thought of packing up the tribe and heading for the sand and surf.. Sand being one of the major turn offs really! (how it can be difficult to get it off the body until you get in the car and it appears EVERYWHERE!

I also used to get overwhelmed by the preparation it needed for said excursions.. A bajillion towels, change of clothes, shoes, hats, sunscreen etc. It now seems a little less overwhelming now that I have a litle SYSTEM in place.. Hehehe

Last year's swimming season at school saw the need for two swim bags to be at the ready.. we bought a drawstring type gym bag made out of that taslon type material that is quasi waterproof and allows wet gear to breath a little.. (I still send an extra plastic bag for the sopping wet togs to go into..)

So.. From many frustrated and frazzled mornings searching for all the pieces required for said swim bag I decided to organise a bag for each child to keep as a dedicated swim/beach bag that as always ready to "grab and go". Each bag has thongs, togs, towel, spare clothes, hat, roll on sunscreen (aldi stuff totally rocks!) and a plastic bag for the saturated stuff. The stuff in this bag DOES not get removed except to be washed and IMMEDIATELY replaced. Each family member has one of these bags and it is stored in their wardrobe to be grabbed when the moment warrants a swim/beach visit.. Ready in half the time now and takes a lot of stress away from me!

Now if I could only be as organised in all other areas in my life! Slowly, slowly- I'm working on it!!

TGBTG

Anje xx

Jack of all trades, Master of none.

I like this "saying".. I think it really defines who I am. This post is a little 'down in the mouth'

When I think about it, I can't honestly pinpoint one particular thing that I am really, really good at. There are so many things I like to do and have a go at.. Some people are great cooks (I'm average).. Others are fantastic at sewing/scrapbooking (again, I'm fairly ordinary there).. Some are excellent,organised housekeepers (Pfft!) and some girls balance it all out by being a wonderful wife and Mother ... (TBA)

When it comes to being a mother, I may not be the most affectionate doting type.. I do know that they mean more to me than anything in this whole world and heaven help anyone who hurts them. I wonder somedays if they know that and just how much they mean to me.. Hmm, probably not so much when I have the sometimes psycho cranky mum thing happening.

The only other thing I think I come close to being "good" at is being a teacher. I wholly, truly, LOVE working with students. In no way am I a master in this area- but it's definitely my passion. The Bible talks about how God blesses us with a gift, sometimes it's hard to tell what thy gift is. I'm fairly sure His gift to me is teaching... But it's definitely an ongoing work in progress, just like being a good Mum.

*Sigh*

TGBTG

Much ado about nothing much at all...

Life certainly gets in the way sometimes.. I have wanted to post an entry just about every day since my last one, but nothing eventuated.

This post is fairly lacklustre too, I'm tired and my mind is blankety blank blank blank.

One thing I can report is that I have been busy in the kitchen baking.. I have been favouring a few recipes of late... Shelle's World Famous brownies, Frills in the Hills' Homemade LCM's) and a coconut slice (a lovely little gem found in New Idea yonks ago).. They are all slices of some sort and they are fairly uncomplicated.

Today I managed to make some more brownies and LCMs for the upcoming school week (and to feed Hubby and Miss H when they get the munchies during the day..) But wait, there was more! My firstborn, Master T, decided that he would get in on the action in the kitchen. He usually makes pikelets on a semi-regular basis, although there are never many left on the plate by the time he finishes cooking the batch he made up.. between me, Miss H and hubby.. fresh, warm pikelets are irresistable. Miss H kept coming back and pinching "just one more!"

Anyway, I digress. He had a hankering for a nougat slice with coffee icing that my MIL used to make - so he set to work. He also made some Milo Muffins. They turned out quite nice and were also a winner with the fussy Master D. Problem is, Master T is hesitant to eat them now, he is worried that he might get poisoned by the silicone bakeware that he cooked the muffins in. I must admit that I shared his concern the other day, whilst I was cooking mini quiches, I could also notice that there was a smell being emitted. (I aquired a set of silicone bakeware through a good deal, however I believe the quality of it leaves a lot to be desired... but if you pay peanuts, you have to expect monkeys, right?)

My next baking adventure lies with cakes.. mainly provoked by the event of having to order a cake for Miss C's baptism party. Long story short, I had entertained the thought of making one myself, but who am I kidding, I dont have the time or the inclination to right now. It did leave me with thoughts of what I would have done. I detest sponge cake with a passion. Sometimes I feel it's like eating a sponge, literally. I LOVE dense cakes, esp. mud cakes.

I then got to thinking about what I would make if I did choose to bake the cake myself. I could do the coconut cake slice in bulk proportions, but that would taste weird with icing. All of a sudden my mind wandered to a recipe that my Nan had written out and lent to my mum, eventually acquired by yours truly. It was a recipe for Sand cake, and from memory, I THINK it's a happy medium between fluffly sponge cake and rich, dense mudcake.

I'm also keen to try out Shelle's Wacky Cake recipe too.

I shall endeavour to make one or the other in the next couple of days.

Must go now, head is starting to loll forward, hard to stay awake!

TGBTG

Anje :)

Regimental Routines...

I think I have mentioned before that our second son, Master D, has Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Every child with AS is different.

AS children are often referred to as "little professors" who are experts on a certain topic and will talk non stop about this subject, whether you are interested or not! They don't pick up on typical non verbal social cues very easily.

Master D is terribly disorganised and has problems internalising processes that involve more than two steps. It takes him longer than the average child to acquire and maintain any type of skill set. Just setting the table and gettting knives and forks in the right place are a struggle.. and yet he is such an intelligent kid!

He can also have meltdowns that are earthshattering for him, and exhausting, for us also. He does have difficulty managing extreme emotions and will often talk himself into an episode, saying negative things over and over, spiralling out of control.. He usually only has these episodes at home and keeps it together at school. It must take a lot of energy for him to do that, we often see him unravel after school when something doesn't go the way he expects it to.

As he heads towards the teen years at a rapid rate his emotions are becoming stronger and harder for him to manage. I have no doubt that hormones are going to cause havoc there too.

Most AS kids need strict routines to help them cope with everyday life. Master D needs routines to keep him on track more than anything, and keep him accountable.

We have started to slowly increase his responsibilities with helping out around the house, much to his disgust. He often has a meltdown about this fact, convincing himself that he shouldn't have to do jobs.

It may sound purely like bad behaviour pure and simple, but trust me, there is more to it than that. Dealing with him in the same manner as a normal child does not illicit the usual or desired outcome.

We have had to start using his treasured possessions and activities as "currency"... if he ticks off the jobs on the checklist then he has the "freedom" to engage in his chosen activities. In the early stages this worked, Master D saw it as a novelty, but it soon wore off. It's also hard for us as parents to consistently enforce this system too, and we have been lax at times.

Now it has come to a point where it has to be re-introduced and adhered to regimentally. I have found some daily routine cards that are pretty cool.. and at there are also chore cue cards too..


I shall have to post an example of a chart that I come up with.. that's going to have to be later.

So, I shall head off and make a start on it now.

TGBTG

Anje xx

Here are a few of my favourite things..

Being a working mum, time is not a luxury. There are, however, a few things I do not compromise on...

Despite what my husband says sometimes.. (I'd like to hear his response if I was like Paris Hilton!!)I don't fuss too much with my appearance, I'm happy to walk out the door if my clothes are colour coordinated, my hair is neat and I have my "eyes" on..somedays I'll brush on some Bodyshop mineral face powder too!

Getting my eyes on - well, that's not glasses ;) I love my Bodyshop chocolate brown eyeshadow and a few lashings of mascara.

Neat hair - Normally I shove it up into a butterfly clip. Otherwise, if I have bothered or made an effort, I briefly dry my hair to make sure it's straight-ish (or it has a painful wave that I detest). My hair needs to be washed at least every second day, and hair drying is not something that I have time to do all the time... There are so many other things that need to be done!

In the last year or so I have come across a fantastic product called "dry shampoo". It means I can go an extra day without washing and drying it all over again!! Yahoo! It sprays a powder that absorbs the oil near the scalp and gives your hair a refreshed appearance.

I started using a product called "Klorane" and that usually cost around $10+ on special at Priceline, but being a little limited on funds most of the time, I soon found a cheaper alternative, called "Batiste".. it's usually $8 on special.

Here's the address for their website - have a squiz if you're curious:

http://www.batistehair.com.au/?locale=en_AU

Still a little pricey, and in my travels scrolling through cheapskate tips I read that baby powder does the same job. Um, yes, it does, but you HAVE to be careful in how you apply it!! First time I did it, I thought I had travelled into the future and looking at the 70 year old version of myself - LOL! I found the best way to apply it is to put a small amount into the palm of the hand, gently rub palms together and then comb it through the roots with the fingers. Leave it a few minutes and then brush it out.

Key words: BRUSH IT OUT!! Many times the kids have noticed I'm going gray, that's when I have been in such a rush that I haven't brushed it!! Oooops!

I'm not really into a strict skincare regime either.. the most I usually get around to is cleansing in the shower... preferably a two in one cleanser/toner! (Dove has a nice economical product that does that, around $7 usually).

When I feel like taking some "me" time I'll go all out and do all the steps properly. (not very often, let me tell you!) Moisturiser is often omitted in warmer times, winter time and early aging signs now has made me start to use it more often.

Just lately I have taken to using up a bottle of Bio Oil. I put a small amount in the palm of my hand and rub it onto my face and then rinse the excess off. I usually HATE oily stuff, but this isn't too bad.. skin feels nice and soft :)

Why did I decide to do this? Well, it's sitting there doing nothing now that the pregnancy is over... and as I get older I don't like to waste stuff or have a bathroom drawer full of unused gear... I purge every blue moon!

I also got the idea from another cheapskate tip to use coconut oil from the health shop as a cleanser and moisturiser in one, with no nasty chemicals included. I purchased some yesterday, $20 for a big jar. I haven't opened it yet, I'm going to finish the Bio Oil FIRST!

Well, that's my little selection of tips to save time and keep some sort of beauty regime on the burn..

TGBTG

Anje xx

Reflections of a holiday gone too soon..

Sigh... it's Wednesday, and I only have 5 more sleeps before I have to go back to work again. I am gonna miss my little cherub all over again. 9 weeks this term til the next break.

I've been pottering around, enjoying just being at home, not doing much at all really. I still have a pile of ironing that beckons, and many areas of the house to be organised.. I had such hope for these holidays but alas, it didn't happen. Things don't usually get done until I have a rush of adrenaline and then it's on! It hasn't hit yet, not sure it will either!

I have also enjoyed a little baking, I was keen to try out some recipes I have come across in my blog patrols - these two were from "Frills in the Hills"

These were a hit with the family .. M&M cookies..yum! Here's the web address:

http://www.frillsinthehills.com/2010/09/sunday-baking-project-best-m-cookies.html

These were chunky choc cafe style cookies.. here's the link:
http://www.frillsinthehills.com/2011/06/chunky-cookies-just-like-you-buy-at.html

I have a number of favourite blogs at the moment, all of them listed here somewhere on my blog. One I have spent a lot of time reading is the "Debt free, cashed up and laughing" blog. I love to find ways of living well for less and this blog, along with another website called "Simple Savings" have been a source of much entertainment!

I shall write more about my efforts in living frugally at a later time, little one is calling.

TGBTG


Anje xx

Baked eggs and a half baked attitude ..

Hooley Dooley, it's July already.

Time is going so fast lately - seemingly more so now that I am currently on holidays at the moment - (somedays I LOVE being a teacher!!)

Unfortunately I don't have much to report, I have thought of blogging everyday since my last entry but life just got in the way. Somedays it has run right over the top of me!

I had made a long list of things that I wanted to achieve while on my break - disappointingly I have not ticked one thing off as yet, and the first week is almost over. I could make the excuse that I have been making the most of the break by resting and recharging.. but that wasn't on my list >:/ (note to self - put daily snoozle at top of next holiday list!)

I managed to fight off a virus that the rest of my family had for most of last term, I was fully expecting it to knock me down as soon as I started holidays. Well, it hasn't hit me like I expected it to, it has been on more of a slow burn - making me feel rather weary and lacklustre. I'm going to happily blame it for my lack of getting stuff done.

I have managed some small stuff.. I spontaneously put on a pot of pumpkin soup the other day.. was okay, not my best, but nice. Then last night, I intended to cook some eggs to accompany dinner, instead of pan frying I decided to bite the bullet and try out a "Baked Eggs" recipe that I had bookmarked ages ago. I was reasonably happy with the result! (No photos to show, wasn't feeling THAT enthusiastic last night..)

Here's the basic recipe I used last night...

Baked Eggs with Ham and Cheese


3-4 rashers of bacon, chopped
300ml cream
1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese
5 eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to moderate temperature (180-200 degrees)
2. Lightly grease some ramekin dishes with butter.
3. Pour about 1.5cm cream in the base of each ramekin
4. Sprinkle chopped bacon on top of the cream, (split the bacon evenly between all ramekin dishes)
5. Crack the eggs over the bacon and then top with cheese.
6. Place ramekins on a baking tray and place in the oven.
7. Bake for ten minutes, less if you prefer a runny yolk.

That's it for now -

TGBTG

Anje xo