the old and the new

This little photo just warms my heart. We were leaving my mum's friend's house and when I looked up before me, I saw this and quickly snapped a photo. Zoe doesn't easily warm to many people, so this is pretty special. Friends.

so here's the thing...about blogging and advertising and stuff

I know. That was a really long blog post title.

Anyway, the thing is. I don't really like what the world of blogging has turned into in lots of ways. When I first started blogging, it was just a fun little hobby and a way to connect with a wider community of people to help me keep my days sane. And thrown in there, I used to love sharing things that I used, bought, found and these were just my own finds or discoveries. And then somewhere along the line, things changed and now blogs can be platforms to advertise things, and well, now it kind of feels like a product or a discovery can't be mentioned without feeling like it is necessary to explain whether you genuinely are sharing it as something amazing or whether it was gifted to you or is (or isn't) a sponsored post, etc. etc. 

I more or less fell out of blogging while a lot of this blog monetising/advertising thing started to really take off and it has scared me off coming back to it I think. It all seems like such a serious business now, and all the while I can't help thinking......it's just a blog. When did it all get so intense?

So, anyway, from now on, I'm not going to do reviews, give ways or anything else of that nature anymore. I just want this blog to be a place where I can write about whatever I want, whenever I want, like I used to. The blog post content will be mine and not influenced by gifts or money. So if a product is mentioned it will be because I bought it and I genuinely want to share about it.

And now, it's back to normal viewing and posting.....like being silly taking selfies while your 4 year old pretends she's still a baby in a high chair. As you do.

the cuteness kills me

The cuteness of these guys really does kill me sometimes. The big two are fighting so much less these school holidays which I am so grateful for, and they are mostly delightful to watch playing together. My favourite thing at the moment is when Josh blocks Zoe's way and he tells her she needs to say the magic words to pass through. After trying to guess what the 'magic words' actually are with 'please', 'pretty please', 'sparkles', etc. Josh finally tells her the magic words are 'I love my brother'. Hilarious. So willing, Zoe declares 'I love my brother!' and is allowed on her merry way. I've since heard Zoe use 'I love my sister' as her magic words for Josh. Cute. So Cute.

first day of preschool

So here she is. My baby girl. Now the big sister. I've dropped her off for her first day at preschool. I'm not much of a teary mama with milestones like these. And actually I still haven't cried, I just feel sadder than I thought I would be today. For so long I've been looking forward to this year when I would have Josh at school, Zoe at preschool and a few days of breathing space with just the baby. But as much as I've been looking forward to it, there is lots of sadness as well. She's not my baby anymore, she's grown up enough to be going to preschool finally - a little bit more independence and a little further out in the world on her own. It always seemed such a long way off but we are here already. I'm sure I will feel the same way about Josh when I drop him off at big school on Wednesday.

Even though I have had days of just being at home along with Ben already thanks to my mum, today feels a bit different. The silence is more obvious somehow, since it's the first time Zoe has been left with anyone but family. She is totally fine. I stayed with her a little to get her bearings and put her bag and lunch away. But she is familiar with the preschool already since her big brother lead the way for her. Finally I said to her 'are you ready for mummy to go now?' and without hesitation she said 'goodbye mum'. I feel sad without my little miss, but I'm sure she's having a great time and I'll be used to it in no time.

Love you baby girl. xx

things I'm going to do this year

I was hanging out with Zoe and Ben this afternoon, enjoying the last light of the day. I suddenly remembered the days from when we first moved here, when I used to hang with Josh while Zoe slept, and how nice those times were, and I was usually armed with the camera, trying to capture our moments together. There were some great photos from that time. I did this a little less with Zoe, and then came the iPhone. I realised all the photos I have been taking were on my phone. So this afternoon, I grabbed my DSLR camera and made the most of the afternoon light, and took some snaps of my two littlest people, and just enjoyed 'being'. It was lovely.

I really enjoyed today and vowed that I want to get back to time I remembered. Enjoying life a little more. Doing the things I loved: being the moment with my family, not distracted by technology, blogging, taking photos, being inspired by others and that motivating me in my life. I started thinking about what I want to try and accomplish this year. So here's my list of what I'd like to achieve:

+ visit thrift shops
+ frame and hang artwork around our house
+ de-clutter our house
+ make my house more homely creatively
+ enjoy my little family more while I'm not working
+ take more photos with my DSLR and stop relying on Instagram
+ enjoy and spend more time in our backyard
+ lose weight
+ have a family session with tim coulson
+ get organised with structures and routines now I have 3 little people to look after
+ sort out what I want to do career-wise once I finish raising the little people into school and work towards it - I'm close to finalising what that might be!
+ bake a little bit more.

Do you have a list like this? Please share if you do!

that christmas present just paid for itself!

Zoe shows great interest in copying me with cleaning duties around the house. You should have seen the clothes line this morning. I had to attend to Mr 4.5 in the midst of hanging clothes this morning and I came back to more clothes hanging (albeit very wonkily!)  on the line. Impressive!!

So we bought Zo Zo, the ambitious 3 year old, a mini cleaning set for Christmas - mop, broom and dustpan and brush. Here is the girl herself putting the set to good use cleaning the crumbs up from breakfast. Now I could get used to this.....

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

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!

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!

point + shoot {daddy & his girl}

i loved watching daddy & daughter share a little moment over a pink cupcake on the weekend.

point + shoot

fiesta time!

It was Zoe's birthday fiesta party on the weekend. I think I'm still recovering....

Pop over to my other blog Lovely Little Parties to see some pics of our fabulous day.

facing the weekend

Here we are, it's Friday again. The wheels keep turning.

I'm madly organising a belated family party for Zoe on Sunday. It should be lots of fun! So as much as I'd love to be relaxing, from tonight, I will be shopping, baking, crafting decorations, blowing balloons, tidying, tidying again, and falling in a heap when it's all over. I promise to save you a piece of the V8 cake I've ordered from Adriano Zumbo........NOT!

Keep smiling. 

image

happy birthday baby girl

What a wonderful two years it's been. I can't believe you are two now. My big girl.

You've brought such joy to our lives, including your big brother who adores you and just wants to smother you in kisses and jump in your cot with you and make you laugh until you cry - literally sometimes!

Your are full of life and such a spirited, playful little girl. So very determined and headstrong already. Your giggles and the way you share little loving moments with your brother make my heart melt.

I wish you the happiest of birthdays, baby girl, and can only wish and pray that you have many more to come.

Love Mummy xoxo

a little retail therapy

I was feeling a little flat yesterday and thought a little retail therapy might cheer me up. I remembered that I had a Westfields shopping voucher and some cash from my grandmother for my birthday, so I ducked up to our local shopping centre with Zoe in tow.

I'm reluctant to buy too much clothing for myself at the moment, given I'm still desperately trying to drop some kilos, so in the end I bought some clothes for my little munchkins.

Miss Zoe scored herself this above Country Road ensemble to go with her skinny leg jeans. And my big boy Josh scored his own pair of CR skinny leg jeans as well as some khaki canvas trainers. I got Josh to try on the jeans when I got home. They fit perfectly - but my three and a half year old suddenly looked about seven! He looked so grown up!

I was pretty pleased with my retail efforts and was certainly cheered up! Buying for the kids is just as rewarding as buying for myself. Do you find that too?

Have you got any recent retail therapy experiences to share? Pretty please?

at my house...

At our house today.....probably only a face a mother could love. I don't let Miss Z go to town like this too often, as I hate unnecessary mess that I just have to clean up later (yes, I confess) so every now and then I break out a little (LOL) and let her have a little fun feeding herself.

She certainly had loads of fun!!

You can play 'at my house' over here.

zoe margaret

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. - Unknown

 

my beautiful little people

Just because.....

 

 

little miss zoe - a giddy girl

Look who is a 'giddy giddy' girl.

I made this post a few months back about how much I love their hair clips. Teri from giddy giddy asked me if it would be ok to add Miss Z to the giddy gallery. So there she is in the number 1 spot!

Phew! How is everyone recovering from Christmas? We had a great time with family and friends, though I went on a bit of a photo strike and now have no photos from the special day. I'm a bit sad about that now. I received Wii Fit Plus from hubby, so I really have to get going on my next project - '2010 - the Year of ME'. I might blog about that later.....

Anyway, I am now enjoying some time at home with hubby around, who is also on hand to help with the kids. I was even able to duck away to the shops the other day where I pampered myself with a manicure and pedicure, bought a new dress and scoffed some peanut butter Lindt balls!!! So good!

Tomorrow hubby is out for the day and my mum is coming over to help me with my little chair project. We should have them all painted up by the end of the day. Yippee!!

at least i know what zoe will be wearing

Have you decided what to wear for Christmas yet?

I'm not enjoying thinking about it this year, as my options are really limited given the amount of weight I need to lose to fit into anything in my wardrobe......

But as this blog post's title suggests, at least I know what Zoe will be wearing!!!

I just made an online trip to Little Styles and this is what I picked up.

I can't get enough of those giddygiddy hair clips. They are just too adorable.

I'm banking on Christmas Day being quite warm so thought I would go with bloomers this year rather than prettying her up in a dress that will probably end up coming off anyway. My mum also bought her the sequined tank top from Seed (just thought I would put the pic of it with the rest of the outfit above) so she will wear that with the bloomers and ballets and the little Christmas gingerbread clip in her hair. I think it will be cute. Just have to hope it arrives on time now, especially with these AusPost strikes that have been happening!

What's your little one wearing for Christmas this year?

point & shoot

point & shoot sunday 6 december