happy new year 2012!!

Phew.

This year has been a challenging one.....one where I have been pregnant, in hospital, tired and unwell for most of it unfortunately. In years gone, I have wanted to focus on ME for the new year, but I have to say, in 2012, I want to focus on FAMILY. With baby #1 starting big school and baby #2 starting preschool, all the focus will be on them and helping them settle in with the big changes ahead. I'm looking forward to having two days to spend just with baby Ben, and having time off work. This year I was really juggling too many balls with parenting and trying to work at the same time and it just wasn't working. So not having work in the equation finally is such a relief. I feel unburdened and free to focus on my children which is a lovely feeling indeed.

So, tomorrow I should be able to have myself a glass of bubbly to welcome the new year in! Hurrah! Otherwise, my new years plans are pretty bleak. I'm so tired at the moment that even the thought of socialising or doing anything that requires taking the children anywhere or even entertaining them leaves me feeling exhausted! Wish it wasn't so, but is to be expected I guess for only 6 weeks post bubba. And the bubbly plus the tired mama will probably mean I will be passed out by 8.30!

I hope your plans are much better than mine and that you welcome the new year in with much joy and with renewed vigour for the coming months!

Happy New Year! Here's to a fab 2012.

PS. One thing I do plan on getting involved in is fat mum slim's photo a day challenge. Read all about it here, and check out the challenge below. Let me know if you'll be joining in too!

sleep is for the weak or something like that...

There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I wish there had been a little more of this last night. Someone decided to stop doing longer blocks of sleep overnight and did lovely three-hour stints last night. So, anyway, I'm rather ridiculously and stupidly tired today. Sleep deprivation sucks. Especially when you can't 'sleep when the baby sleeps'. Yeah, that kind of only works with the first baby.....bit tricky with a four and three year old in the mix! Hallelujiah for my mum again though who has taken the older two to the park this morning to give me a little time to rest (ie. blog). I've just fed the little cherub (doesn't he look so innocent when sleeping!) and put him down, hoping he will settle and then I can make that second cup of coffee to drink while dunking my choc chip cookies, and then a doze on the lounge is in order!

Here's to a better night's sleep tonight!

wall candy

I've done a spot of shopping recently. It feels like forever since I have gone shopping for pleasure instead of for specific purpose. It felt good!

One of my little goals this year is to finally put up some art/pictures/photos on our walls. We have put off this job for the last two years. We have things already framed and ready to go but I wanted to add a few pieces to the collection as well.

This first set of prints I bought from here. My plan is to hang them together in a row above a set of drawers on one side of the kitchen.

This next print I found on a blog somewhere recently (can't for the life of me remember where!) and loved it. Kind of sums up our life! I'm not sure where to put this one yet, but I had to have it. It was purchased from here.

And lastly, I bought this bus roll style print, that I am imagining at the end of our hallway, visible as you walk in the front door. I love the concept of this, and love that I can have something to refer the kids to if need be! Purchased here.

Think I now need to go get shares in Ikea and 3M Command!

this beautiful little boy

This beautiful little boy is the baby that has completed our family. I wish I could hold onto this moment forever. He will never be this little again. But he will always be my baby.

finding my feet

Hey, I'm actually all showered and out of my pj's today. At the moment, that is a major accomplishment! I'm still finding my feet with adjusting to life with three little babes to look after. My hubby is around this week and next so that has been a huge help. And tomorrow I will get the doc's all clear to finally drive again post csection which will be a big weight lifted, and I won't feel so trapped here at home. In a way, I'm kind of looking forward to the start of the school year already. For a person who doesn't normally like strict routine, I really need it in order to get organised and to feel like I'm in a good groove with life. And I need to be organised this year! One starting school, one starting preschool, and a small baby.

This month is going to be a super busy one too in the lead up to start of school year. I've got doctor's appointments to make for catch up immunisations and baby's first lot, dentist and eye appointments for Josh before starting school, school uniform and shoe shopping to do, as well as a few holiday entertainment activities too.

I'm so torn about Josh starting school. Part of me can't wait because he is just such hard work at the moment, and the other part can wait as I know I will miss his little face around here everyday.....

If you've had little ones start school, how did you go with the adjustment? Any tips you can share?

In the meantime, I need to keep finding my feet here in this new little family of ours. Finding it harder than I thought.

Have yourself a merry little christmas

A Social Network Christmas from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

Just wanted to share this little clip that I found via The Bonjour Family. Thought it was clever!

If I don't get a chance to pop on here again in the next few days (I actually hope I do!) merry christmas to anybody reading. Have a wonderful festive season and may the new year bring more happiness to you and your family. xx

the tree is up!

Well, we didn't manage getting the tree up a week ago, but we found the time on Saturday afternoon this weekend. Wasn't quite the happy family moment I was planning on. There were lots of tears and tantrums and time outs going on, but we got there in the end, and I'm glad we did. I wasn't really feeling too Christmassy to be honest. I'm so super tired at the moment with a newborn and the older terrible two that I just don't have the energy at the moment to be too happy. I feel wiped out most of the time.

I managed to get the kids Christmas presents all wrapped too, and placed under the tree with their stockings. I must say I'm impressed so far at their will power and the fact that no little fingers have managed to accidently on purpose open any presents. It was very cute watching Josh check all the tags and see who all the presents were for. It's the first year he's been able to do that. On finding the largest present under the tree, he yelled, "I've got the biggest present EVER!" Yes, indeed he does! It's the LEGO City Police Station that he has been begging for for so long. Can't wait to see his face when he opens it!

Excuse the dodgy photo above - taken in low light on iPhone. Here are a few more pics of the rest of our Christmas decorations:

Merry Christmas!

yes, it's true

maybe even a little more than sometimes....

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get my christmas on

As much as I'm still in recovery mode after babe and feeling absolutely utterly exhausted, there is a part of me that desperately wants to get my Christmas on and get the tree up and decorate for the older kids. I want somewhere to put the wrapped presents under, and somewhere to gather on Christmas morning with my family, and somewhere for my kids to look with wonder and to remember the real wonder of Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Today, with hubby's help, I'm going to see if we can make it happen. Let's just hope the wee one sleeps well today so we can get it done. Will share pics this week if there is success!

PS. Don't forget today is the last day to enter this giveaway!

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the cutest bedlinen ever

Just spotted this matching pair of pillowcases. Cutest thing I've seen in a while!

Found at castle where you can see more of their colourful linen and homewares.

big school time.....*sniff sniff*

See this little baby of mine? How did that baby get to be nearly 5? And when did he get to be nearly ready to go to school?

Josh is super excited about going to school next year (even though he probably doesn't know what's going to hit him!!). He saw me with his school uniform purchase and asked if he could try it on. So here is the obligatory school uniform photo that most 4/5 year olds have! He is wearing his school hat with the sports shirt and uniform shorts -  a bit of a mixup of the sports and normal uniform, but his uniform nevertheless!

I just love the smile on his face too. He doesn't hand out the 'nice' smile too easily these day (normally we get a sillier version when we ask him for a photo) but he was so chuffed to be wearing his uniform you couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

I'm so proud of Josh and how far he has come, especially in his two years at preschool. He is such a delightful and bright little man, with an awesome imagination and mind. I can't wait to see him flourish and grow more as he starts his schooling life. I know it will have its ups and downs too but I can't wait to see the man that this precious little boy will become. Love you lots Josh. xx

christmas lights spectacular

Do you do Christmas lights at your house? I've never really been into decorating our place with lights out the front. Mainly because it's a big enough job to get the Christmas tree and lights up inside the house, let alone have time for the outside. I do like the idea of it, but it would also mean hubby would have to set it all up and I don't like the idea of the extra electricity expense either! There are a few houses around us that like to get into the Christmas spirit with lights on their houses. Maybe one day we will join in.

The Hunter Valley Gardens also do their own Christmas Lights event - the Christmas Lights Spectacular! It's in its fifth year of running and t looks amazing!! Our family was invited to the Hunter Valley Gardens earlier this year to visit, in particular, their Storybook Gardens which the kids loved. We were recently invited back for the Christmas Lights event, however given the recent arrival of our third little babe and my illness, it is doubtful now that we will be able to get there. Instead, one lovely reader will benefit by being able to win a family pass to this event!

The HVG Christmas Lights Spectacular runs until the 14 January and includes lights and music displays, entertainment for the whole family, food and beverage stalls, Santa visits and photos, amusement rides, and a nativity scene. For all the details, read this page and have a little look at the video above for a sneek peek at what to expect.

I have one family pass (2 adults & 2 children 4-15yrs) to give away, valued at $52. Children under 3 years and under can enter for free. To win this pass, just leave me a comment below telling me your favourite childhood memory of Christmas. I will announce a winner on Monday 12 December and have the pass posted out to you ASAP so you can start planning your trip! You can even go on New Years Eve and see a fantastic fireworks display!

Good luck and I look forward to reading about all your memories!

welcome to the world.....

Our littlest man arrived on the 14 November. This is little Benjamin Jesse. Well, he wasn't so little really. He was 3.94kg but he is still little to me.

His arrival and our week in hospital went smoothly. Josh and Zoe adore him as does his daddy and I.

Unfortunately within two days of us arriving home, I was struck down with a mild case of pneumonia and have had a rough few weeks recovering from that as well as the csection all while caring for this beautiful little newborn. Fortunately, we have had loads of friends pitching in with meals for us and my mum has tirelessly been helping out each day with laundry, keeping my house tidy and entertaining Josh and Zoe. I'm still not out of the woods yet, but am hoping by Christmas to be back to my jolly self!

Ben has been coping very well amidst the drama around here. This mama just wishes she had more time to sleep! But of course I knew that was coming.

we have a winner

Just popping in to let you know the winner of the lunch hamper giveaway from Vita Wheats and Soup.

Blythe, you are the lucky lady! Please email me with your postal address and I will arrange to have the hamper posted out to you soon. Congratulations!!

And now, I'm afraid I have to crawl back into my work hole and get the last big lot of my work done before I can go on maternity leave. I can't wait......

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what's on your plate?

It's time for lunch again here. Most of the time I have to force myself to stop and eat. This baby is taking up so much space in my belly now that I can hardly fit anything and mostly don't feel like eating. And then of course when I do, I usually get some lovely reflux with it.

Anyway, it's back to my old favourite here at the moment. Vita Wheat crackers with cottage cheese, tomato slices and a little salt. Today I'm trying the Soy & Linseed variety. It's yum!

After lunch, it will be back to the grind with work. I'm madly trying to finish up accounts work and recording procedures for the person that will take over from me. Today I'm a little stressed with it all. I can't wait to finally put up my feet and just have my family to worry about instead of the added stress of work always at the back of my mind.

I have a bit over a week to go. Starting to feel like I'm running out of days to get things done before this little man arrives but I'm sure I will get there!

Don't forget to head over to this post and enter the lunch hamper giveaway! I will be picking the winner tomorrow, so don't miss out on your chance to win.

And if you like a bargain, keep an eye out on the Lovely Little Parties facebook page in the next day or two. I'm cooking up a treat for everybody, so I can run down my stock a little before I close the store for a few weeks while we welcome bub number three! Then I can reopen with some lovely new stock soon!

what's for lunch?

Here's what I've been having for lunch at my house!

I've been testing out the new Vita Wheat Lunch Slices thanks to Soup, and I have to say they are YUM! I always struggle to come up with quick and easy lunch options. I'm usually really hungry by that time, but don't have the energy to put together anything that will take too long to make so these are just perfect. I just pop a few out of the pack, put on my favourite topping (at the moment it's cottage cheese, tomato slices and a bit of salt!) and munch away!

There are a few different varieties of the lunch slices, including lots of grains and seeds, lovely and healthy! Each pack also has two lots of the slices packed and sealed, so once you use one pack (which doesn't take long!) the other stays nice and fresh for the next lunch time.

Soup don't want just me to try the Vita Wheat Lunch Slices. They have put together a lovely hamper for one of my readers to enjoy too. All you have to do is share with me in a comment below what your favourite topping would be on a lunch slice? I'll pick a winner at the end of next week (4 November) and the lovely people at Soup will send out your hamper which includes the Vita Wheat Lunch Slices and a variety of toppings for you to try on them!

Good luck, and get commenting!

the little runaway

So this little cheeky-faced, Lego obssessed and 'mummy's boy' man decided to 'run away' from home this week! He's only 4 and a half!! On Sunday, as we were driving to my mum's house for lunch as we often do, he thought he might like to have a sleep over at his grandmother's house. I told him that it was fine with me but he needed to ask her first. So he did, and it was fine, and so he stayed the night. This was relief to me, as now at 36 weeks, the whole dinner to bedtime chunk of the day not only does my head in but is super exhausting for this mama. Putting only Zoe to bed is far easier.

However, the next day he told my mum that he wanted to stay away for three days. He was very clear about this. My poor mum was fine with this too, so I took it as a chance to get lots more things done around our house that I have been meaning to, especially with a newborn babe due to arrive soon. It's impossible for me to get any major chores done around here at the moment when my two cherubs are around. So I enjoyed the three days where it was just me and my girl, and we got HEAPS done together.

I just found it quite funny that my little 'mummy's boy' was so determined to stay away from home "for 3 days"! He either doesn't want to stay there or only will stay for a night, but this time......I was surprised but enjoyed while I could. It made me miss him a lot, so there were lots of cuddles when he finally did come back home. Sometimes time apart is just the ticket!

three years old

It's hard to believe that this little girl was my little wee baby when I started this blog. She is now three years old and all grown up and off to preschool next year. Feels like only yesterday I was sending Josh off to preschool, but he will be off to primary school next year.

Time has been flying and now there is another wee one soon to arrive. I'm sure I will blink only a few times and I will back here saying how grown up my littlest man is.

Happy third birthday beautiful girl. xx

so here i am....35 weeks

Yes that's my big pregnant belly there. How did I get to 35 weeks so quickly? Here I thought this blog would be a great place to document some of this pregnancy at least, and I've just been so busy that by the time I have 'me' time I'm just too tired or emotionally drained to express anything at all. Trashy tv has been my friend instead.

I think I've definitely reached the very uncomfortable/tired stage. Just walking to the laundry to put a load on and back leaves me breathless and sore. It doesn't matter what time I go to sleep, I'm always interupted by loo stops through the night, so most of the time I'm tired by 9am in the morning already. My children, especially Josh, desperately want me to play games with them, and I just don't have the energy to participate, not to mention the pain I am usually in five minutes in.

Only another 4 weeks at most, and our new little man will be here. And I can start the road to recovery and healing this body of mine. We think we finally have a name for him too, so that's one major thing sorted, though I still have lots I need to get done before he arrives.

This week, I'll try and share with you all about some yummy lunch time snacks we have been enjoying thanks to the team at Soup! There is even a great prize for you all to win in a great giveaway, so stay tuned!

R U OK?

Many of you will know it's R U OK day today.

My husband's company is getting behind the cause. Watch this video to learn more! And don't forget to look out for a friend today.


Toowards and R U OK? Day from Toowards Media on Vimeo.

happy fathers day

Josh has always been a bit of a mummy's boy, but the older he is getting, the more he is just wanting to spend time with his daddy. He is already a little mini-dad, copying all my husband's mannerisms and quirks and funny one-liners. I think this Father's Day will be one of the most special ones yet for this household's daddy.

The picture above is from a day he was 'helping' out dad in the garage. He found hubby's cricket bag and so the fun began. I'm sure the fun times for these two will NEVER end, especially with another little son/brother joining their team later this year.

This year, Fathers Day for us will mean the daddy in the household will get early morning cuddles and a little present from his kids, off to our church where our daddy will man a bbq cooking breakfast for a whole bunch of other daddy's and then a relaxing lunch at our house to further celebrate.

Happy Father's Day, S! with love from your little cricketer and us girls. xx

so grateful for my mum

I can't tell you how grateful I am for my mum. Words just wouldn't be able to cover it. When I am having 'one of those days' she is always there ready to rescue me should I need it. I'm fortunate to say that we are the best of friends too. We enjoy one another's company and I don't often go a day without talking to my mum.

J & Z both love her dearly too. There is nothing I love more than seeing them all snuggled up on the lounge together reading books. It warms my little heart. My body is tired and aching most of the time at the moment, being 28 weeks pregnant now, and the energy and breath of fresh air my mum is for my kids is truly appreciated.

My favourite thing this week: hearing Zoe look up at my mum who she was snuggling with, and saying 'love me yiayiaka*'. Her way of saying, give me cuddles and kisses.....<3

* Greek for 'nanny/grandma'

spring time smells

playing along with wordless wednesday at Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love

my little photographer {review}

Some time ago, Fisher Price sent my kids the Kid Tough Digital Camera to play with and review. Josh, particularly was super duper excited because he is always trying to take photos with our good camera or with my iPhone so this was perfect. A camera just for the kids! It really is quite tough with lots of rubber panels on it, in case of being dropped. And it definately gets a work out here!

Other things we loved about it:

* It's super easy to use, and very intuitive even for kids

* It has it's own little display screen on the back so kids can see immediately the results of their artistry! What kid these days doesn't want to see the picture instantly?

* It holds LOADS of photos, up to about 1000 photos. Yes, you will probably get lots of photos of darkness, or nothingness, like we did (LOL!) but there were also plenty of cute ones too.

* It connects easily to computer via USB so you can transfer the photos over quickly and view them.

* While the quality isn't as good as a grown ups camera, it's definitely still pretty good by kid standards!

* Price is about $60rrp which I think is pretty good given how close this camera is to the real thing for kids and not so toy like at all.

Things not so great:

* There really weren't many down sides, except that it does require 4 x AAA batteries, and even though the camera has an auto shut down feature, I found we still ran down the batteries pretty quickly, and it doesn't recommend using with rechargeable batteries for some reason.

Above is a small selection of photos the kids took with the camera, including a charming one of their mother poking her tongue out. Josh was constantly on the move with the camera and didn't have the steadiest hand, so a lot of his photos were a little blurred. We might have to work on that!!

a few of my favourite things

.....finding random photos on my iphone from my four year old photographer.....too cute!

a trip down memory lane

Well, I'm kind of back.....

I've been thinking about leaving this blogging caper. Pregnancy and life with all its busyness of late have left me with very little 'me' time, and what time I have had to myself, I've preferred to just curl up on the lounge once the kids are in bed for the night and watch trashy tv.

While I was thinking about it all one night (and hubby had probably hijacked the tv watching the cricket!) I found myself at the computer, on my blog page, reading my blog from the very start, right through until very recently. Wow it took a long time, but it was actually quite lovely reading it from a distance to when it was all originally written. I had forgotten all the beautiful messages I had written about my kids, beautiful memories recorded forever, inspirations and longings. It gave me a greater appreciation of what I had started here and what I now know I want to continue. It made me appreciate the readers I had more, when at the time I think I was too consumed with comparing myself to others and still feeling like a little lowly blog, even though I've never wanted to be a big amazing blog anyway. At the heart, I've always wanted to continue blogging, but I have been so sapped of' 'me-ness' lately that I haven't felt like I have anything to give, and didn't have the confidence that I really had anything much to say anyway.

So I wanted to put it out there, that sometimes a big break might be just the thing you need from a project/hobby/task, etc. A chance to look at something with a bit of distance in between so you can really appreciate things for what they are, instead of being blurred by being in that moment.

I love the keepsake this blog is for me. And I'd like it to keep growing with me for longer. I hope you will stick around too, whoever is still reading. xx



today is awesome

Found this little print on my Etsy trails. I think it will be fitting for my life. A bit of a mantra I should take on. Especially with baby number three not too far away now......

Do you have a little mantra you swear by daily? Something that gets you through the day? Please share, it might just inspire me more!

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and the Doodle Bear goes to.....

The winner of the cute little Doodle Bear is......i-mumma! Congratulations!!


Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway and telling me all about your lovely little artists at home. Look out for the Doodle Bear in your toy catalogues in your mailboxes. They will be part of the big Toy Sales on at this time of year.


In a little bit, I've got another review to share with you on the Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera. Josh has been having a ball with it and has taken lots of cute pics. Will share some with you soon.


I'll be back soon....my little man had some day surgery this morning :( and needs lots of cuddles. xx

it's a boy!

We recently had an ultrasound and were delighted to find out we've been blessed with another little boy. Time to sort out and pass on all the girly things that Zoe has grown out of now, and to dig out all of Josh's old clothes I've kept.

I'm nearly half way through this pregnancy and now that I'm feeling more well in the second trimester and the kids are settling down more and getting along, I'm really starting to look forward to having a new little newborn to snuggle with. I think at first I just felt overwhelmed by the thought of having to juggle the three children, especially since J and Z have been challening lately, but the are in a good phase at the moment, so I'm able to see the more beautiful images of the future now than I could before.

This will be our last baby too, so I'm trying to enjoy every moment of this journey as best I can.

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review & giveaway: fisher price doodle bear

Do you remember these at all? It's a Doodle Bear! To be honest I didn't know of these bears, but they were apparently around when I was little. Fisher Price gave me the opportunity to review one of these, and I was keen to give it a go as Zoe is a bit of an artiste and has often included the walls in the lounge room and bathroom as her canvases! I thought this might help get her inner creative out without ruining the house at the same time!

Sure enough, she has loved it. It's great as it comes with two markers, and the bear is completely machine washable, so your little budding artist can draw to their heart's content and once the bear has no more blank space left, you can throw it in the wash, hang it out to dry (or pop in the dryer) and they can start all over again. I must admit I was a little worried that it would encourage Zoe to draw on other toys or things, but it actually hasn't. She heads for the Doodle Bear if she wants to draw now, or the craft table of course!

Each marker is double ended, one end has a tip, the other a stamper. Ours has a heart shape on one, and a butterfly on the other. Perfect really, as these are perfectly aligned with one little girl's interests.

And the best bit about this toy.....no batteries required for once! Hours of entertainment!

There are three different Doodle Bears available. We were given Rose to review (she has a beautiful tiara!), and there is also Violet (purple) and Sky (blue).

Fisher Price have generously provided me with an extra Doodle Bear to giveaway to one reader! There is one beautiful Violet Doodle Bear up for grabs.

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment below letting me know about a little budding artist in your life who would love this toy. The giveaway will run until midnight next Thursday 30 June and I will announce the winner on the morning of Friday 1 July!

technology fail

So here I am finally.

Last week the inevitable finally happened. Our trusty computer died....I always think it won't be that much of a drama if the computer goes, and then when it does, I feel so lost. I start thinking of all the things that I may have lost forever, mainly photos. Thankfully this time, we have managed to save all our photos up to a point. It seems the drive that stored most of our old computer files, including photos from when Josh was born, was a tad corrupt and so I have lost some of those unfortunately. Some I still have as I brilliantly stored many on an online site.

Anyway, the last week has been  made up of: lost opportunities to work, using my iPhone a LOT (and probably going way over my allowance there), buying a new computer, setting up new computer and transferring our files across to it, our Internet connection going bust, our phone line going bust once the Internet got going again, our phone line being restored again. All of that, while trying to live our normal lives and managing the household.

I'm still trying to navigate around this new computer and have needed to start from scratch with a few things, so I still feel a little lost, but am slowly getting there!

I'll be back in a little while with a fun post, some pictures and a lovely giveaway from the lovely Fisher Price! Make sure you stop by again soon!



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behind mummy's back

This is what my two got up to behind my back the other morning. One of the perils of working from home is that I sometimes I have to duck off to the computer to read or answer emails* and I am usually surprised at just what happens when I turn my back for five minutes....

On this fine morning, the kids were finishing their breakfast, so I thought I would quickly check on work while they were occupied well. Within minutes though, one of them ran to the toy room and grabbed this write-on plate that had been gifted to Josh. I had been keeping it aside for a day when we could do it together and I could help him create something special.....well, Zoe and Josh had other ideas. They took out the markers for it and scribbled all over it. I couldn't resist taking photos it! They were having so much fun together and Zoe stated, 'craft! doing craft mummy'. 

This is probably the most reasonable thing they have done together while I'm not looking......there have been worse things, but I won't talk about those!!

What do your kids do when you turn your back for a few minutes?

* I think I need to invest in a laptop that I can work from the kitchen and still keep the kids in view!

i just can't stop....

I just can't stop lying in late in the mornings because I go to bed so late at night, and I do love my sleep too. It's a vicious circle. I know I need to go to bed earlier so I'm not so tired in the mornings, but I just love the night so much - the kids are asleep (mostly) and I can go about watching my favourite tv shows, packing orders/working, chatting to friends online, all on my own, without children following my every move or saying 'Muuuuu-uum!' for the 50,000th time.

I've always been a night person. Even as a child, my mum will tell you I was always up late, either reading, playing or rearranging the furniture in my bedroom - again. I think some things are just embedded in our personalities, and I'm afraid this is one of them. Occasionally, I get myself to bed early, and I do feel better the next day, but then I feel like I've missed out on a few hours of 'me' time!

The one thing I'm really not looking forward to next year, is that while it will be great Josh is starting school, it will mean getting up early and getting school bag and lunch packed and taking three children on the school run morning and afternoon. No sleep-ins. An end of an era. I'm exhausted just thinking about it! At the moment I'm fortunate that Josh is happy to do his own thing in the morning until I get up, and Zoe is still in a cot and will lie quietly and play until I get up to her too. It's a bit dangerous they are so quiet in the morning though - doesn't give me much incentive to get up! (Though having said all that, my version of 'sleeping in', is far from midday, I'm not that cruel!! My sleep-in is probably  teenager's version of waking up far too early!)

So there you have it. That's my divulging done for the day. So tell me, what is your habit you can't break? What is the thing that you just can't stop doing despite really trying?

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how's your head this winter?

Are you starting to feel the cold where you are this month? We are definitely feeling the cold nice and early here in Sydney! Brrrr. The heaters have been going and all the wintery blankets and clothes are coming out!

New to Zoe's wardrobe, in light of the cold, is this beautiful winter woolly too.

Well, Zoe's is pretty close to this.....hers has a flower button! Currently my mum is the only one who has a picture of Zoe with her beanie on, and I couldn't get hold of it in time to do this post! Will post a pic when I get it, if I don't get another photo sooner.

These lovely Benji beanies are handknitted with lots of love by a wonderful friend of mine who has just started her new little business, AnneCanKnit. I love the simple design of them, I love the quality and the colours of the wool Anne chooses, and the sweet little handmade buttons finishes them off beautifully. So far, Anne hasn't been able to knit fast enough to keep up with the demand, and I'm not surprised! 

Please head over and have a look at AnneCanKnit. Each week of two, Anne releases a new lot of Ready To Wear items, and often a few new custom spots are available too. Anne also makes the beanies in adult sizes and has also just released a new item for women, scarves. If you buy a scarf a portion of your purchase will go towards the Red Cross NZ Earthquake appeal too. Make sure you 'like' the page to ensure you won't miss out on information about new products and custom spots. 

To make it easy too, I'm popping up a button for my favourite winter woolly store over there << on the left hand side too!

And let me know if you buy yourself or your little one a beanie!! I'd love to see a pic!