Time to take my Vitamin Me!

So.. ahem.

Guess where I will be this evening?

Go on, guess.

No, not freezing my arse off, huddled under the blanket on my couch. No, not watching a movie, or visiting friends. No, I won't even be in the state of Victoria. 

I'll be in the ohsoawesome slice of paradise town Port Douglas! Helloooooo sunny Queensland, how much I've looked forward to stepping foot on your beloved soil again!

Remember the animation I did for the Nuffnang and Tourism Queensland Vitamin Me competition I created? Well, after months of emailing back and forward with the lovely Celeste I'm finally collecting my prize and we're about to embark on the awesome holiday itinerary she has created for us. I'm thanking my future self that she had the foresight to take this prize in the depths of Winter as she thought that my current self would appreciate more than anything to head off to some sunshine for a week. (Did that make sense?)

I wanted an adventure/adrenaline holiday and I got it. Cue sailing on a catamaran, snorkeling, jungle canopy surfing, quad biking and hiking. I'm not a complete fool though, I have ensured that spa treatments and wine will be had at the Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa. 

A glass of Moscato please.... [image]

Although there won't be that much happening on the blog while I'm away, you can be sure I'll be instgramming my heart out and whipping up a blogging storm when I get back. Oh, and I should definitely throw in a huge thank you to my mum for watching the Little Lion for us for the week. You are a rock star. 

Is it weird that one of the things I'm looking forward to the most is the breakfast buffet at the Daintree Eco Spa and Lodge? 

Take care chickens, see you soon! 

Toy Sales- Care Factor Zero.

Last year, I was all dynamite and gung ho about Toy Sales. I had a strategic plan, I had accessed all the pre-pre catalogues that didn't even show the prices, circled everything I wanted for Carter carefully, and wrote many a list. I checked and rechecked that list, conferred with Deon over every.single.item driving him completely batshit crazy and looking like he wanted to die every time I flashed the catalogue at him. 

On the day of the toy sale, I went a little Hunger Games and actually stalked someone for the last Boris from Dinosaur Train. They'd pick it up, stare at it, walk for a bit and then put it back down then. Drove me crazy. I still can't believe they were oblivious to the eyes burning in the back of their head. I noticed a small group of people watching Boris in the same manner I was, and my competitive streak kicked in. I enlisted Margaret who had been dragged into this with me to set up position on the other side of this poor guy so in the off chance I failed to reach it, she would be my backup. I just wanted that plastic orange monstrosity so bad that all rational thoughts went out of my head and by the second time Boris was placed back on the shelf, I swooped in pushing others out of the road, gave an insincere 'sorry!' and fled off as quick as I could. 

All for a motherfreaking plastic dinosaur. What we do for our kids. Who had I become? 

This year, I've flicked though the catalogue with a passing interest and felt an overwhelming 'Thank God that's not me' when reading tweets and Facebook statuses about queues and toy tussels. I have to go to Target tonight anyway so I'll pop in to see what's there, but there will be no stalking this year.

Maybe. 

Evolving Style. Some of it Tragic.

OK. Apparently while my computer is in Safe Mode I can blog. Woohoo! 




It's funny how rapidly your taste can change, and how much social media has an influence on it.

When we first moved into our own place, I was in my early twenties and attracted to anything with bright colour and a bit of sparkle. I owned purple candle holders bedazzled with gems... fake pink and yellow gerberas in a vase, orange satin cushions and cornflower blue bedside lamps. Get the picture? It was a typical first home filled with a mismatch of furniture and cheap decorations which reflected my (very) average first wage. But, it was home and it was our space and despite the fact that every nook and cranny was filled to bursting point with photos and trinkets such as multicoloured Mexican cats, we were happy. Oh, and a thousand candle holders. I was crazy for candles man!

Tragic. Image 1, 2, 3, 4.

Fast forward six years later and I start craving the Balinese look. Heaven knows why, as I've never even stepped foot on Balinese land. I want lime green, carved daybeds and tea lights to give our place a tropical feel. Hello Yuccas and multitudes of pebbles and river stones! I start collecting images through Houzz and feel like a grown up by buying books such as Jamie Durie's Patio, which currently I still love and refer to constantly. However, it never really came together and the place always niggled away at me. I think it was the lack of personality and soul. Before I could really work it out, we moved to housesit my parents place for two years.

Dude, you don't live in a resort. Image 1, 2, 3, 4.

And then, I found Real Living Magazine. And Pinterest. And we're back in a house we can shape and mould to our taste.

Now, I'm all about Industrial Loft/reclaimed furniture balanced with gorgeous fabrics and texture. I want our personality to shine through, but in an understated way. I'm careful about the things we have out on display- I want each object to tell a story. I want each room to have a sense of warmth and to also be slightly eclectic. Anthropology has been a huge influence on me, and I'm finally starting to find my true style and mesh it with Deon's. 

I'm creating little treasures like Terrariums and hanging scarves as features for 'warmth' rather than packing it all away. Luckily Deon and I are on the same page at the moment with what we love and it's been exciting to fall in love with our house all over again together. I'm looking forward to when the whole moving part is all over, the boxes have been packed away and everything is finally in it's place.

Ah, that's more like it! Images found on my Pinterest Board. 

What did your first place look like? Was it as incredibly kitsch as mine? Please tell me there were no Mexican cats involved! 

 

Malfunction. Crashing. Error. UGH.

So, my laptop is sick and it's driving me batshit crazy. Every time I try and open a new tab, or write something longer than two sentences that evil little coloured circle comes up and spins for what feels like an infinite amount of time. Lagging, lagging, lagging... UGH. 

It has taken me ten minutes just to write this. You'd think I'd chose what I was writing carefully as I only have a certain amount of patience to stick this out, but no. 

I open iphoto, it crashes. Photoshop crashes. Outlook hates me. Get the picture? I'm seething on the inside as I had all these posts to write about with pictures but I CAN'T. Even Tweetdeck has turned it's back on me which is making me incredibly frustrated as there's so many Offspring tweets and I want to join in the convo and I CAN'T.  

I've run a virus scan and found nothing. I've dumped a whole heap of files on my hard drive and no improvement. I wanted to find an image that expresses how I feel about this situation and the little spinning light from Hyperbole and a Half but... guess what... it's taking too long.

I am dying here. 

Oh wait!

I found it!

And wait... and wait.. and wait.

Funnily enough, this makes me feel a bit better. Anyway, this has just taken me over half and hour to write and I am so done. Let's hope this shit gets sorted soon. 

Pizza Picnic.

The Little Lion is a fusspot with food due to all the allergies and issues we've been dealing with for a couple of years now. It can make me incredibly frustrated sometimes, but I can't blame the poor kid. I mean, if I was given a whole heap of stuff to eat that could potentially make me sick, would I eat it? Hells no!  

I'm trying a different tactic to tempt him into trying new things, and I've gone for the whole 'if I help make it, then I'll wanna eat it' angle. One of my fave things to have for lunch is homemade pizza on wholemeal pita bread, and after I discovered some cute mini gluten free pizza bases I had a feeling that Carter might be tempted to have a nibble or two. So, I propped him up on then bench, dug out all the ingredients from the fridge and set us up ready to work our magic on our pizza creations.

We begin with a tomato paste base, and add some crushed garlic into the mix. We then add some baby spinach leaves, and some boneless leg ham.

Next up is a few slices of mushroom and on mine I'll add a couple of cherry tomato halves as well. Funnily enough Carter is actually quite partial to feta cheese of all things, so we crumble it on and add a few sprinkles of mozzarella cheese. Add some basil and oregano for flavour, and into the oven for 20 mins at 200 degrees it goes!

Carter is also right into grapes at the moment, so I always give him a few to snack on at lunchtime. As you can see, this pizza with the gluten free base was a hit! I helped him take it out of the oven and he watched as I cut it up. We then sat at the table for our pizza picnic where he chomped into it with a smile. He wasn't keen on me taking photos of him though, I think he'd had well enough of the camera by then!

The gluten free pizza base was the perfect size to cut in half and save the other half for the next day. He's been asking more and more for pizza at lunchtimes, although honestly I think he prefers the construction rather than the eating! 

 

A Cheeky Knicker Post.

About a month ago a new follower popped up on my Twitter feed that made me look twice. I read the bio, showed my husband and he had a bit of a laugh saying it was an awesome idea and something he'd sign up for. (Not for himself, obviously. He's definitely not that way inclined. So yeah, more of a present for me. And now I'll stop talking, because he'll kill me for going off on a tangent like this. Ok, back to the point now!)

I struck up a conversation with Jodie from Panty by Post via twitter and email, and you know when you just click with someone? Well, I definitely did with her. She's lovely and sweet and a teacher at a tiny school so I related to her straight away. Panty by Post works on a simple subscription where the buyer receives a gorgeous pair of knickers every month. Cute, huh? The buyer has an option for a single shipment, 3 month, 6 month or 1 year subscription.

Jodie sent me a sample so I could see what they were like (ooh la la!) and they were just adorable. Beautifully wrapped in pretty tissue paper and tied in a black ribbon which made it all the more special to open. 

Canadian Natalie Grunberg launched this concept after frequent visits to Paris, and hopes with every beautiful packet sent a message of love and happiness is conveyed as well. There's also a choice of a bridal, a plus size and a men's bambou brief line. 

If your interest has been piqued and you'd like to find out more, check out their Website, Facebook page and follow them on Twitter! Plus, at the moment Panty by Post are having a giveaway in conjunction with FireHosiery where you can win the following:

Simply click HERE to enter! Want even more of a bonus? When you enter, you'll be given codes for 20% off any FireHosiery purchase, and 20% off any Panty by Post purchase. Score! 

If you want a different way to spoil yourself, definitely check them out. A beautiful product delivered in a beautiful package!

Huge Underestimate. Huge.

Wow. Did I seriously underestimate moving or what.


I'm not sure why considering I've moved three times before, but I was completely confident I'd have everything knocked over in under a week. Yet after three weeks of this here I was today, standing in the middle of the lounge room of mum's house, looking at pile of 'stuff' that I somehow had to find a spot for by tomorrow. Weird, random stuff that I was completely conflicted about whether to chuck, bring to the new place or store. 


I mean, maybe I would need Styling mousse. I don't use it, but what if I suddenly had a situation where I needed it? Like an eighties dress up party perhaps? And the cream umbrella that didn't even fold up in a nice compact way. Not to mention the three year old face masks and numerous lamps and vases that weren't even to my taste anymore. What do I do with them?


I need tubs. Lots of tubs. I need to shove everything in, label it and store it. (Apart from the facemasks, obviously. I think that after three years they've hit their expiry date, and I can afford the $5 for a new one. Maybe.)


Some good stuff though. I found my grey knitted legwarmer that I've been missing terribly the past month. Plus, I've uncovered $22 worth of change and some new AA batteries. That's a bonus, right?


All I need to think is that this time next week, I'll be in gorgeous North Queensland. Bring it on baby.  

Puffer Jacket Love!

Can you tell that I love hoodies and jackets with a fur trim in Winter?

When I discovered this Aztec Rose one on sale through Mohobu, I pounced. Baby, I'm bringing the nineties back with this black puffer bomber jacket complete with fur hood, zips and buttons! For extra warmth the jacket zips right up to under your chin. Plus, if you really, really want to detach the fur trim you can- it's simply fastened with buttons. But really, why would you? It's huge and oversized and all kinds of awesome! Definitely keeps my ears warm on these super chilly and frosty mornings.

Like I said, I scored this for $39.95 (down from $89.95) from Mohobu, but I think it's disappeared now. You have to be pretty quick to catch their daily deals, so if you love surfy brands make sure you sign up to get their daily deal email. That way you'll never miss out! You can still get this jacket from their sister site Surfstitch for $67.49, and it's also available in white.

And yes, I'm without my wonderful photographers today, hence the selfies with photobooth and the lovely whiteboard background. Not quite up to standard, I'm sorry!

I also need to update my casual wardrobe, as my poor trackies are faded and my fleece hoodies have seen better days. I found some gorgeous Abercrombie and Fitch and Lorna Jane hoodies online, and now I'm on the hunt for a pair of Running Bare trackpants. Hey, if I'm going to lounge around at home on the weekends, I might as well do it in style! 

What are you coveting in Winter at the moment? 

 

Winter Desserts thanks to Pinterest!

I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm sure there's a hell of a lot of you out there who are in the same boat as me. Craving warm, sugary sweet Winter desserts with a big dollop of double whipped cream. Go on, hands up, who wants a piece of homemade apple pie right now? 

Well, if you're also like me and attempting to avoid temptation (QLD and a bikini in less than two weeks is enough to keep the temptation at bay for me!) then I thought we could share a virtual piece together thanks to Pinterest. Now, where are those forks?

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So, is anyone baking anything as delectable as these delights this weekend? And if so, can I pop around for a piece?

All images can be found on my Pinterest Board. 

 

Adapting.

Sometimes, we need to adapt our day in order to make it work. 

Yesterday was no exception. With no-one to watch the Little Lion for me and me being unable to afford to take another day off after the disaster that was last week, a bag was packed and he was bundled up off to work with me. We shared a hot chocolate and a babychino at Macca's while waiting for Margaret and he nibbled on toast the whole way there. 

I thank my lucky stars over and over that my workplace is family friendly. I shudder to think how I would have dealt with the first couple of years of Carter's life in a larger school, where he was so sick that I was taking an average of a day off a fortnight. Now, if I'm stuck with no-one to watch Carter was wonderful principal simply says 'bring him in!'

The Secondary girls adore him, and take him off my hands to play with him at recess and lunchtime. He thrives on the attention and loves having the girls take him to all the play equipment. During the lessons he's set up with the macbook and DVDs, and he joins in painting with my Primary kids. It's a novelty for both Carter and I, and although it adds another layer of difficulty to my day he's so well behaved that it's just a matter of keeping an eye on him. 

I have to admit though, I am looking forward to him being back in daycare today and being able to concentrate fully on work and my students. The days I share with him at work are lovely, but exhausting by the end of them! 

 

Little List of Happiness.

I feel it's time for another Little List of Happiness...

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What makes me happy? 

❤ Sharing woodfired oven pizza and cider with friends.

❤ Bed socks and hoodies with a fur lining.

❤ The first bite of a white chocolate and macadamia cookie.

❤ Seeing a message on skype flash up from my sister.

❤ Sharing a chocolate dessert with Deon.

❤ A beautifully stacked an organised pantry.

❤ Finding a parcel in the mail addressed to me.

❤ Carter wrapping his arms around my legs, and looking up to tell me he loves me.

❤ Brand new flannelette sheets.

❤ My little terrarium of succulents and ferns that I just finished creating.

❤ Tights of all patterns, colours and textures. With boots and legwarmers.

❤ Walking down Collins Street.

❤ Finding things I thought I'd lost when packing.

❤ Holiday anticipation. Queensland in less that two weeks!

❤ When the house smells of vanilla and cinnamon spice in Winter.

❤ The Little Lion in his bright blue gumboots.

What's making you happy lately? 

 

A Winter Afternoon.

The last couple of days have looked a little something like this. Drive to old house. Pack, stack the car, drive home, unpack, sort, cull, etc. Rinse, repeat.

So, we needed a little break here and there. Some time to play and chill out as a family (and test drive my brand new Nikon D7000 I've fallen in love with... more on that later). We rugged up on this grey Winter day and breathed in the cool clear air. 

My original baby, my little cat Mischa sat oblivious to us all as she slept in the garden a few meters away. The John Deer tractor is one of Carter's favourite things, and the moment he's outside it's the first thing he runs to. It actually has a little trailer the attaches to the back of it, but it's still at the other house. 

It's funny, although we lived here for six years and it's half the size of my parents house, we all feel like we're home and there's a calmness that has enveloped us. We got married and had Carter while living here. Although it was a nice change to housesit my parents place for the two years, being away has given me a new appreciation for this place. 

And that is such a lovely feeling.

 

The Good Stuff.

Yesterday my body metaphorically threw it's hands up in the air and yelled 'ENOUGH' 'GIVE ME THE GOOD STUFF!'

After being sick for a couple of days, I was finally well enough to go back to work on Friday, which just happened to involve a breakfast meeting and a shared lunch. Cue pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream, pizza and mini sandwiches, chicken drumettes and M&M cookies... you get the picture.

And then, it was our takeaway night for tea. I was so done.

I needed fruit and yoghurt bad. I needed the good stuff. 

That morning I'd stocked up on fresh blueberries, strawberries and bananas so I added them to my current favourite brand of yoghurt, Activa. A scoop of Carman's fruit free museli and I was done!

It was then time to turn my attention to the Little Lion's lunch. Unfortunately due to all his food allergies when he was younger he's turned into an extremely finicky eater, and to get his to eat fresh fruit other than banana or grapes is like trying to nail jelly to the wall. I mean, he doesn't even like watermelon. What kid doesn't like watermelon?!

Anyway, I still offer him fruit every day, and sometimes he'll nibble at something new which gives me hope. I've heard that you need to offer new food at least seven times, so once again I've filled his plate with fresh fruit, corn cruskits with avocado and a cheese sandwich on gluten free chia bread. 

Result? The grapes, bananas and cruskit were gone in an instant, the sandwich half heartedly nibbled at and the strawberries untouched. Not too bad of an effort. Myself? That bowl was almost licked clean. Delish, and just what I needed! I think I know what's on tomorrows menu for lunch...

A Fiesty Little Lion.

Recently, my Little Lion has been a tad... err... difficult. 


I have to admit, I have been incredibly lucky when it comes to the terrible twos and temper department. He's incredibly chill, has a really happy laid back personality and is quite content to just go with the flow. It's actually rare for him to have a tantrum (and when I say tantrum, I mean crying uncontrollably for around 45 minutes until he tires himself out) and I can probably count on one hand the amount of times it's occurred this year. 


Now, don't hate me for that. Just remember all the sleepless nights, allergies and food issues we've been dealing with. It all balances out in the end!


Anyway, we've been having a couple of 'standoffs' lately. 




Scenario: Lunchtime. 


Me: Hey Carter, it's 11:30. We'll have lunch in half an hour OK?


LL: Lunch now please!


Me: Really? Are you sure? You'd like your lunch now?


LL: Yes! Lunch now!


Me: *Rasies eyebrow* What do you say? 


LL: Lunch now please!


Me: Ok. Toast with honey and banana? 


LL: Yes! Toast please!


Me: *starts preparing honey toast with banana*


LL: No lunch please.


Me: *Stops* Excuse me? You wanted lunch, you're having it. And you're having toast with honey. And banana. OK? 


LL: *pretends not to hear me*


Me: *Rolls eyes. Finishes preparing lunch. Scoops Carter up, sits him down and serves lunch*


LL: No toast.


Me: *Pretending to take plate* Fine, no toast. 


LL: TOAST!


Me: *exasperated* Are you joking me? Dude, eat it then!


...and so on. 


It's frustrating. And tiring. And I'm sure I'm only one step away from getting the 'Why?' question constantly. Part of me though likes the little signs of cheekiness and fiestyness... as long as it doesn't go too far and drive me crazy! 


We've noticed that nighttime is becoming dragged out too.. what once used to be teeth, book, bed in ten minutes has stretched to twenty minutes. Suddenly he wants milk. He needs to wee. Oh, and one more book please mummy?


So, bed time is now earlier to compensate for the extended routine. I don't mind at all... as long as it doesn't interrupt my Offspring or The Voice viewing time! Kid, it's lucky you're cute. 

Ok Kid. Enough with the standoffs. 

And now, the big question from me, and the one I'm dreading. What age do they start asking 'Why?' for absolutely everything? That's something I'm not totally looking forward to...

Reality Escape.

Today involved things that I'm not particularly fond of. Thing like a toddler who is still sick, blind pimples who refuse to budge despite throwing all the artillery I can find at them, the emergence of hives on my right cheek (well hello there! Come join the pox party on my face!) and a strained muscle in my neck which means I can't move anything above my shoulders without excruciating pain. After a visit to a physio I'm now strapped to the hilt, and not in a good way.

I am also knee deep in boxes. And not allowed to move any of them. 

So, I'm escaping. I am pretending I live here, where all forms of blemishes are banned. Come join me for a cuppa in my little white haven! 

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I'll be residing here until some good karma comes my way, and I start feeling 31 instead of 81. I'm officially on strike from reality. Oh, here's a plate of white choc and macadamia cookies too. Help yourself!