Lily is officially obsessed with stories. I've lost track of the number of times she heads for her book basket each day. It's wonderful...and exhausting. Especially those bedtime stories read under soft light - far more sleep-inducing for parents than for kids. These old poetry books belong to mum. She is an avid reader and her bookshelves have been overflowing for years. She instilled in me her love of literature and the work of authors like Anita Shreve, Michael Ondaatje and Isabel Allende. Have to admit though that lately, I'm struggling to read a grownup book cover-to-cover. Either I'm too focussed on "fueling young minds", or just getting lazy? What are you reading at the moment, lovely friends? Got any red-hot recommendations? light reading...
Lily is officially obsessed with stories. I've lost track of the number of times she heads for her book basket each day. It's wonderful...and exhausting. Especially those bedtime stories read under soft light - far more sleep-inducing for parents than for kids. These old poetry books belong to mum. She is an avid reader and her bookshelves have been overflowing for years. She instilled in me her love of literature and the work of authors like Anita Shreve, Michael Ondaatje and Isabel Allende. Have to admit though that lately, I'm struggling to read a grownup book cover-to-cover. Either I'm too focussed on "fueling young minds", or just getting lazy? What are you reading at the moment, lovely friends? Got any red-hot recommendations? Threedom
How many children a family has is sometimes not a decision that they get to make. Heartbreaking infertility, loss, dreams never forgotten. But often the family does have a choice to make and it's one that can be torturous and endless. How many children should we have?
How many is the right number for us?
In my experience, you know when you know. We didn't feel 'finished' after Maxi or Cappers, but after The Badoo, we were done. It was just a knowing inside that three was the right number for us and we've never waivered, never thought four could have been it. Or, whoops, two.
Three is a classic number of children. The oldest, the middle and the youngest. For anyone wondering if three is the right number for them, remember that there's always a third wheel there. Always a trike, never graduating to the big bike. We parents are outnumbered and there is always one who won't fit on the lap. Three means you might have to have your children really close together in age. Three is a little bit more chaotic than two and less neat than four. Three is sometimes being left out.
When I had a boy first and a girl second, I was pleased as punch that a third meant that one of my children would experience a same-sex sibling relationship. And overjoyed when it was sisters. Sorry, Maxi-Taxi, I have no experience of being a brother but I do know that sisters can be the key to a lifelong treasure chest.
Yes, Three is a gang. Three is balanced. Three is having a spare when a sibling relationship sours. Three is an extra person to ask for advice. Three is one to hold each hand.
Three says I. Love. You.
How many children do you have? Was it a decision you got to make? What's the best thing about your number for your family?
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Don't forget to enter my Planning with Kids and Kikki K giveaway.
Click here to enter. Entries close TODAY at 5pm Sydney time!
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Don't forget to enter my Planning with Kids and Kikki K giveaway.
Click here to enter. Entries close TODAY at 5pm Sydney time!
Gluten-free strawberry choc chip cupcakes
Gluten-free strawberry choc chip cupcakes (makes 24 cupcake size cakes)
Ingredients
- (4.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon (1/6 ounces) natural vanilla extract
- 250g (2/3 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 eggs
- 250g (1 cup) self-raising flour
- 150g (5 ounces) Blended fresh Strawberries
- 175g (6 ounces) Hotel Chocolat milk chocolate drops
Cooking instructions
- Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F)
- Line muffin tray with paper cases or baking tray with silicone cases
- Beat butter, eggs, vanilla extract and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
- Stir in flour, blended strawberries and chocolate chips
- Divide mixture among cases
- Bake for 25-30 minutes
- Place cakes on a wire rack to cool
To decorate (24 cupcake size cakes)
What you will need
- 24 white fondant bunnies
- 56 small fondant flowers
- Green vanilla buttercream
- Grass icing tube no.233
- Icing bag or bottle
Instructions
- Spoon green buttercream into a piping bag or bottle fitted with a nozzle attached
- On top of the cakes, starting at outside edge and working in circles, pipe buttercream by squeezing a small amount onto cake at 90 degree angle, then stop squeezing and pull up and away at various angles when icing strand is long enough (about 3 cm)
- Push fondant flowers and bunny lightly into iced grass
Have a sweet day!
the view from here
well it was the view from here a few weeks ago
now it seems to be grey skies at this time
of the day & it's so much cooler
definitely time to light the fire
cook up some hearty food
& enjoy the evening with my little family
The Big Upgrade!
Goodbye..
I am in love with my new ride!!
Isn't she lovely?! It's a 2008 Ford Edge Limited! We really needed a newer and bigger vehicle before September. There was no way I was toting a baby around in a two door car. The Edge has great reviews, especially for safety. The back seats/leg room area is very spacious and there is plenty of trunk space as well. Plus, I'm loving the bells and whistles on it! I can't wait for the day we're bringing Addison home in it :)
My New Book - Decorate by Holly Becker
I have been an avid follower of Holly Beckers Blog Decor8 for sometime and have followed her journey to create her book Decorate.
I was so excited to finally get my hands on my very own copy courtesy of Mr A and my girls for my birthday last weekend.
The pages are jam packed with loads of the most wonderful decorating tips and tricks.
As it says on the cover "1,000 inspirational design ideas for every room in your house"
The photography by Debi Trealoar is amazing and just flicking through a book like this gives me so much inspiration for both decorating and in my own photography.
There also lots of wonderful tips and quotes from the world's leading stylists, designers, bloggers and artists.
When I am not flicking through the pages my book has taken up residence on my favourite display table as it really is such a lovely book to have out on show.
Congratulations Holly on such a wonderful book.
Images: Sweet Style
The sound of silence...
Mothers Day is this Sunday, and yesterday a little bag of scented pot pouri and a painted card came home with my daughter from preschool (along with half a sandpit in her shoes) ... bless.
It will be my third Mothers Day, but my first as a mother-of-two and I'm looking forward to it like it's Christmas! Not for the gifts (I have mine already, slight misunderstanding about the date, but I'll tell that story a bit later!) but rather for my romanticism of two little talcum-scented, pajama'd cherubs with tousled hair tumbling into my bed at their usual ungodly hour with promises of Cappuccino and, if I play my cards right, a tray laden with pancakes!
Mothers Day is, of course, a rite of passage for mothers. As it should be! Motherhood is a full-time, 24/7 position that offers no long service leave, lousy overtime penalties and no lunch break!
This year I am prompted to reflect on WHY I became a mother. There's lot's of reasons, of course. The ability to justify buying way too many Easter eggs (they're for the kids!), for starters. Having an excuse to decline attending undesirable social events. Decorating a cubby house. Having a trampoline in the backyard. Reading pop-up books. That sort of stuff. ;)
Given this blog is really a lot about motherhood you might be surprised to learn I had no early ambitions to be a mother. It was always something I saw myself doing one day, but it wasn't until I turned 30 that I really thought seriously about it. It hit so fast, I didn't see it coming. And it hit hard.
Where once I was completely fulfilled with my own life, I suddenly felt... well... bored. With myself. With my life which was then all about work and saving up for holidays and clothes and stuff. I shopped. A lot. But none of it filled the growing sense of emptiness growing inside me.
I've never really spoken publicly about my journey in falling pregant with Fern. I still find it difficult to be completely open. I was 30. I was ready. But life sometimes throws a curve ball ... when you are not pregant and you want to be, it seems like everybody else in the world is having a baby except you.
A year goes by. We're trying. And every month there's nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. And then it it's Christmas. And here comes my REAL reason. My reason for wanting. Needing. To have children.
It's Christmas morning. Early. I still awaken early and excitedly on Christmas like I'm a child. But I'm not a child. Nor do I have any children. And it's never been more obvious.
It's Summer and the windows are open. And the sound of children squealing excitedly peals in. Laughter and tinkly little voices.
And inside my own home it is silent.
Silent silent silent.
The sound of silence can be deafening.
And it's empty. My home is immaculate; designer Christmas tree brandishing silver designer baubles; gifts in white paper arranged artfully underneath... but across the hall from ours, is an empty room. I keep the door ajar, I'm not willing or ready to close it yet.
Fast forward two years and I awaken on Christmas morning to the sound of laughter and tinkly little voices. Except, this time it's coming from that once empty room. Last night's peas are smushed on the floor, there are My Little Ponies littered on every surface. The Christmas tree is decorated in all the colours of the rainbow, hastily wrapped gifts stuffed underneath. It's pandemonium. And I am happy. My heart is full.
And that, THAT is why I have children.
They fill my home and life and heart with song.
Happy Mothers Day xox
Read More...
It will be my third Mothers Day, but my first as a mother-of-two and I'm looking forward to it like it's Christmas! Not for the gifts (I have mine already, slight misunderstanding about the date, but I'll tell that story a bit later!) but rather for my romanticism of two little talcum-scented, pajama'd cherubs with tousled hair tumbling into my bed at their usual ungodly hour with promises of Cappuccino and, if I play my cards right, a tray laden with pancakes!
Mothers Day is, of course, a rite of passage for mothers. As it should be! Motherhood is a full-time, 24/7 position that offers no long service leave, lousy overtime penalties and no lunch break!
This year I am prompted to reflect on WHY I became a mother. There's lot's of reasons, of course. The ability to justify buying way too many Easter eggs (they're for the kids!), for starters. Having an excuse to decline attending undesirable social events. Decorating a cubby house. Having a trampoline in the backyard. Reading pop-up books. That sort of stuff. ;)
Given this blog is really a lot about motherhood you might be surprised to learn I had no early ambitions to be a mother. It was always something I saw myself doing one day, but it wasn't until I turned 30 that I really thought seriously about it. It hit so fast, I didn't see it coming. And it hit hard.
Where once I was completely fulfilled with my own life, I suddenly felt... well... bored. With myself. With my life which was then all about work and saving up for holidays and clothes and stuff. I shopped. A lot. But none of it filled the growing sense of emptiness growing inside me.
I've never really spoken publicly about my journey in falling pregant with Fern. I still find it difficult to be completely open. I was 30. I was ready. But life sometimes throws a curve ball ... when you are not pregant and you want to be, it seems like everybody else in the world is having a baby except you.
A year goes by. We're trying. And every month there's nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. And then it it's Christmas. And here comes my REAL reason. My reason for wanting. Needing. To have children.
It's Christmas morning. Early. I still awaken early and excitedly on Christmas like I'm a child. But I'm not a child. Nor do I have any children. And it's never been more obvious.
It's Summer and the windows are open. And the sound of children squealing excitedly peals in. Laughter and tinkly little voices.
And inside my own home it is silent.
Silent silent silent.
The sound of silence can be deafening.
And it's empty. My home is immaculate; designer Christmas tree brandishing silver designer baubles; gifts in white paper arranged artfully underneath... but across the hall from ours, is an empty room. I keep the door ajar, I'm not willing or ready to close it yet.
Fast forward two years and I awaken on Christmas morning to the sound of laughter and tinkly little voices. Except, this time it's coming from that once empty room. Last night's peas are smushed on the floor, there are My Little Ponies littered on every surface. The Christmas tree is decorated in all the colours of the rainbow, hastily wrapped gifts stuffed underneath. It's pandemonium. And I am happy. My heart is full.
And that, THAT is why I have children.
They fill my home and life and heart with song.
Happy Mothers Day xox
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