Cause it needs updating

Not really any news to tell!
But I am sure you are sick of Sultana Cookies ;)

Life is plodding along, still stuck on the computer room, but once its done the house will be tidy!

The playroom is SO easy to get back to tidy, love it :)

Sooo some cuteness!

Sultana Cookies

These are pretty damn tasty!
Quick & easy too! (actually the title of the recipe in the magazine is 'Quick mix biscuits' but I didn't think it was descriptive enough)

80g butter, melted, cooled
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarb
150g dark chocoalte, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 180c (I did 160c fanforced). Line 2 baking trays with baking powder

Combine butter and sugars in a bowl. Mix in egg and sultanas. Sift flours, cinnamon and bicarb over mixture. Stir until just combined. Set aside for 10-15min or until firm. (really does make mixture easier to handle)

Place small spoonsfuls (teaspoon) of mixture onto trays, allowng room for spreading. Bake for 12-15min or until golden. Cool on trays for 10minutes, then place onto cooling rack (oops didnt read this part, straight onto cooling rack lol)

Place chocolate into a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until melted and smooth. Spoon into a plastic bag. Snip a corner off, then drizzle over each biscuit. Set aside to firm. Store in an airtight jar.

Note: I didn't have any chocolate so obviously didn't add the chocolate on top and they are still tasty and no chocolate is better for Lauren anyway, but they would be extra nice with choc!

Productive

WOOT :D
Its all coming together :)
Its so nice that everything in Lauren's playroom has a home.
She is getting into the tidy up thing too, and its working so far that she can have a tub or two down of toys at a time but if she wants to play with something else the stuff she has down has to be sorted into the right tubs and put back on the shelf, she is initiating it too :D

Lounge room is looking tidier with a 'bucket' for Anya's toys. Excess toys on the cleared shelves in the playroom wardrobe.

Tidied/decluttered the linen closet today 2 'garden' rubbish bags full of sheets/doona covers to go to St Vinnies, another big bag of old rubbishy stuff.

Also tidied/decluttered Laurens room looks great :) All her old Size1 & 2 clothes are now in 2 tubs that used to be in the playroom instead of the two broken spacebags that just looked messy, they are now neatly stacked in the wardrobe :)

Also tidied our bedroom, the floor was a magnet for clothes! (Anya's clothes mainly but now I dress her in the loungeroom so hopefully wont be an issue anymore)

Next room to attack is the 'computer room' now this isn't just a computer room it is actually the 'master bedroom' but we moved our bed out a while back and it has the two computers in it now, but also has our massive chest of drawers, bookshelf, hutch dresser and the wardrobe wth our clothes in it(which is an absolute shambles) this room scares me ... it is such a clutter magnet so its going to really need a going over and some storage solutions put in place ... wish me luck! I was going to be doing it today but best laid plans and all that.

Leaving you with some photo cuteness

Operation Organisation - Playroom & Dining

WOOT! Both those rooms look SO much better, I have a wonderful friend to thank :) She came, she saw, she made a list, we went to Ikea, she tidied, she organised, I settled a baby, fed a baby, tried to help! I am just so very grateful to my wonderful, thoughtful, organised, generous friend! I just cannot express my gratitude enough! So big *mwahs* to you L :)

SO here are the photos!

Mind Willing - Motivation Lacking

SO I have had a few chats to a super organise friend (;) ) and am so super excited about getting my place organised... but I am yet to start, crappy days and then busy days and I feel it all slipping out of my grasp.

Before I can begin to set any sort of storage/tidying system in place I need to a big sort/throw out of the wardrobes.. There are two double door built in robes in Laurens playroom, one has shelves, the other has 'space' One side has clothes in a tall boy & boxes and board games, the other side has books and umpteen boxes filled with 'stuff'. The built-in in Laurens room has a dresser with her clothes in it and a few computer towers, and up above has umpteen computer bits and pieces

The robe in the bedroom has baby clothes in it that has been outgrown by anya, and stuff she is yet to grow into.

All of these robes need organising, but one at a time ...
SO tomorrow afternoon I am going to attack the 'clothes' side of the built-ins in the playroom, give away all the clothes I have not worn in ages and am not likely to wear, and fold neatly and put away the ones I will wear in winter, also sort out the boxes that are on that side.

My super-organised friend has some great ideas and I am probably going to enlist her help to implement them (a trip to Ikea is on the cards ;)) once I have sorted both sides of that wardrobe out (and the other two) I will then work out what storage (boxes etc) I need for what is left. SO excited at the thought of everything being neat & orderly, I know it won't always look like that, but if everything has a proper easily accessible home then maintaining that *should* be easier, and if I have less stuff there is less stuff to put away!

So I am very excited, can't wait to get stuck in ... but its that first step that is evasive atm

Call me Martha?

I am so tired after a big day, and I don't even know where to begin..

I am feeling very lost atm, well I don't even know if that word is the right one .. unfulfilled! There thats a better one.

I want more from my life, and I know with some perseverance I can get it.
Now I am not talking about a job, or something external from my home, I want my home to be tidy, warm, loving, I want to put good food on the table, I want to work on my sewing skills so I can sew clothes for the girls, for myself, cushion covers for the home, etc etc etc

I want to have a Martha Stewart makeover hehe

For the next however many years I am committed to raising my children, to providing a cosy, loving livable home environment for my family, being a homemaker is what I am, is what I will do till I once again seek work outside of the home. I am making the decision now to give it my all, really work hard, have pride in my home, have pride in my role as homemaker.

To achieve this is going to be hard work. I need to completely reorganise myself and my home. Need to change my approach to everything, but I can do it. Going to need a BIG kick up the bum, but I owe it to myself, to my children, to my husband to do this.

But for now .. I sleep

Blue eyes

Blue eyes
Originally uploaded by Anaed

These eyes turn me into a puddle of goo regularly!

Natural Lauren

Natural Lauren
Originally uploaded by Anaed

I was so stoked to get this photo for once she is not hamming it up!!

Also testing the ability to post to my blog from flickr ;)

Why do I struggle?

To keep my house tidy & clean??
When other people make it look so easy, and have such tidy neat houses. Now I am not wanting my house to be magazine pristine, but tidy, clutter free. I want my house to look lived in, but not messy lived in.

So why do I find it so hard? I will be on top of things and then in the space of a day it all goes to shit again and I have to start over. My good intentions of doing the 'speedcleaning' a room a day thing did not work, I lost it after tuesday. I really do want a tidy house, but struggle in the actual doing of it... maybe I should keep my pc off until Midday? I wonder if that would help, it surely is a timesucker.

I am DETERMINED to keep this house looking good. I guess I need to put some routines in place to help with this. Hrmmmmmmm

First time on the swing

She wasn't too impressed hehe
But I did get a couple of good shots :)

Forgot to share this photo

*melts*

8 Things

Stolen from a forum :)

8 aims I have for this year:
In no particular order

1 - Provide a clean/tidy house for my family
2 - Become more aware of my purchases/actions and how they affect the rest of the world and her people
3 - Cut down on the plastics in the kitchen replacing with glass/stainless steel/wood/bamboo products
4 - Buy more things second hand
5 - Declutter the house
6 - Read more, learn more.
7 - Work on improving my fitness and wellbeing
8 - Laugh more, love more

and some cuteness

Yoga & Sleeping

So I am determined to shift this extra weight I am carrying, I have 8-13kg to move.
The last two nights I have done 20ish minutes of Yoga before going to bed, it feels GREAT! Last night I also decided to listen to a guided relaxation cd after doing the yoga. It was awesome, I have NEVER felt that relaxed when not sleeping and I was thinking just that .. and then I woke up to the sound of Anya crying .. I had fallen asleep on the lounge room floor for about 20min *lol* I was THAT relaxed ;)

I WILL shift this weight, I WILL get my body toned and I WILL feel great when doing it :)

Some toes on my yoga mat hehe

[b]

[breastfeeding]
I am very passionate about breastfeeding. It amazes me how our breast can nourish our children, not only that but provide such comfort as well. Had a rough start with breastfeeding with Lauren but I persevered and was smooth sailing for years. With Anya it has been bliss from day dot, so easy, just lovely :)

[breasts]
I have big boobs, once I am done having children, and if they don't shrink back when my breastfeeding days are over, I am getting a reduction. I am slowly learning to love my breasts, but mostly they just annoy me (apart from how they feed my children)

[bras]
See above .. bra shopping is hard, well it always used to be, now I live in maternity bras hehe

[beach]
I grew up a 5-10 min walk from a beach, on a peninsula so with many beaches a short drive away. I spent a lot of time at beaches... now I can't stand the sand *lol* As a child it was always just so much fun! A thrill, now .. not so much .. geez I feel old.

[birth]
Specifically homebirth. Can not imagine doing it any other way now :) Neither can Damien, or my mother. Its just so wonderful. Nothing beats after a hard, fast, painful labour & birth hopping into your own bed surrounded by familar smells, objects and people. Trust birth!

Encyclopaedia of Dee!

I am taking part in a challenge over at PBP very flexible, basically just do an A-Z of you in blog posts! SO here is A!

a [anya]
Ah my baby girl. She is such a sweet bubba, and so placid, always giving us lots and lots of smiles and laughs. She has brought such sunshine to our lives, we are so blessed to have two beautiful girls, they really are the centre of our world.

a [attachment parenting]
I hesitate to label parenting, but I strive to parent with many of the ideals of AP, most days I feel like I am doing really well, but other days GOSH its hard! Its so hard to parent this way! Maybe not with babies, AP is easy with babies, but toddlers .. especially 3 year olds... HARD! But we are getting there and as long as I can keep reminding myself why I want to parent 'this' way its all good :)

a [australia]
The land down under! I am a born & raised kiwi, moved out to Australia 10 years ago! (after I finished high school) I have grown to love this country, I do miss NZ at times, especially now that Mum has moved back. Without Australia I would not have met Damien, nor would I have my two girls. My life would be very different.

One year ago today

My father passed away.
I feel surprisingly at peace. I know he wouldn't want me moping around, he would want me to celebrate his life, which is what I plan to do.
I just rang my step-mum to let her know I am thinking of her, she was so touched that I rang :)

I lit the candles on my tall-boy dresser and put a photo of Dad up there from my wedding, when he was looking so much younger and healthier. I look at it and smile :)
There is of course some sadness, but mostly joy and happiness for the time I did get to spend with him, I am so thankful that he contacted me and let me into his life, I am also so glad that I was brave enough to do the same.

I love you Dad and miss you.

Grateful Friday

I think I am going to jump on the bandwagon.
I am grateful for:

• Damien, although he may be a slackass when it comes to housework he is so loving towards me and the girls. He adores his girls and it shines through in his interactions with them.


• Where we live, paying next to no rent in such a fabulous suburb, in a lovely house, we are so very very very lucky, I am grateful for this. To hear the birds and insects in the park, the hum of the main road, looking out the window and seeing trees and grass and in a more broad sense for being able to live comfortably, so many others do not have that. I take it for granted so much and 2008 it is my goal to become more Aware of the plight of others, of the impact my purchases and choices have on the rest of the world. It is so easy to live in our bubble but I want/need to get my head out of the sand a little.
  


• The rocking chair, although it squeaks a LOT and Damien broke it a little last night, it enables me to get Miss A off to sleep without pacing and walking the floor. A wonderful friend has a newer chair for us, and I am also VERY grateful for that! We just need to go pick it up.


• My girls they really are the sunshine of my life
  

Goals for the week

Instead of saying I have SO much to do today, I'm going to give myself a week so I feel less pressure :) House is AWFUL at the moment and my moods are suffering for it.

So, things I need to get done by the end of the week:

• Fold & put away all laundry10.48Mon (there wasnt much)
  
• Tidy up 'stuff' from in computer room4.20ish Wed, another ongoing task, but I am happy with what I got tidied up in here
• Tidy up clothes on floor in laurens room10.45 Mon
  
• Tidy up 'stuff'' on floor in Bedroom .. move bedroom around, clean out nappy drawersHalfway through, bed & cot moved into new position, 'stuff' from bedrooom in big pile in hallway & computer room, time for break 4.55pm THurs
• Clean out fridge11.35pm Tue
• Clean out pantry (eeeep big job)
• Tidy up Laurens play room
• Attempt to empty some of the boxes mum has brought around, sort stuff out to keep/throw out/st vinnies
• Fix hole in Damiens bike shorts and shorten hotslings pouch3.20pm Wed
  


• Tidy lounge & vacuum12ishMon, 8.20amish thurs


• Tidy kitchen11pm Tue, I want to keep it tidy every night before bed, I was getting so good at that but have let it slide

*phew* some biggish jobs in there, so I have a week people! Lets see if I can get it done before then!

I want to get laundry, laurens room and fridge done today.

Had an ok weekend, I was cranky bitch yesterday, tired, house getting me down. Had lunch with mum, she leaves for NZ on thursday :( Seeing her for the last time before she goes on Tuesday *sigh*

Am finding Lauren really challenging atm, the not listening, ignoring me finding it hard to keep my cool. I had a realisation that I don't always listen to her, that sometimes I fob her off so I am trying to model listening and paying attention by doing the same to her. Tis hard though when she won't do the simplest thing, need to borrow the book "how to talk so your children will listen, and listen so they will talk"

Woot!

Lauren is off to the MILs today/tonight!!
I do love her very very much, but woohoo!! Its damn good to get a break :)
Felt like all I heard yesterday was 'mama come play with me', which I did try and do, but was feeling very stretched!

In the new year I am going to look into kindermusic for Lauren so that she has some interaction with someone other than just me :) She will also go back into swimming lessons and have these days with her Babka.

Poor Miss A :( She has a bit of a snotty nose and last night was awful :( I couldnt get her to stay asleep each time I put her down she would wake up crying ended up finding the FESS and clearing her nose a bit, I have never seen her this upset :( :( she was soooo tired. Eventually hopped into bed with her with me sitting upright supported by pillows, of course I can't sleep very well this way, she was very restless and kept crying out and letting out farts .. so now I think it was also wind! Gah! Around 12ish (I think) I was able to put her down beside me in the bed and I went to sleep (TG). She seems a little warm this morning and still a bit snotty, but has gone down for a nap. She is certainly happy enough though :)

Doh! Just realised I am supposed to be getting Lauren some weetbix *lol* Got distracted when MIL rang to ask to have Lauren .. best go feed the poor girl ;)

Chomp, Chomp

Miss A chomping away at Daddy's hand


"I may be slipping off Daddy's lap but I am not taking my eyes off you mummy, nor am I letting go of this thumb!!"