Growing Up

It’s been a REALLY long time since I had a chance to write on my blog and I have missed it. Thankyou to those of you who have told me you have missed it too … you have inspired me to write again.

2012 has been a ridiculously busy year so far and shows absolutely no sign of slowing any time soon (or possibly ever in the foreseeable future at the very least!). I guess that is to be expected with our family of six; certainly people expect you to be run-off-your-feet-busy when you have 4 children. But I suspect my difficulty in saying “no” to near any request is also a mitigating factor in the craziness that is my life. I tend to take on lots of projects, celebrations and the like and then find myself drowning in my to do list. This is not the only culprit though; I am easily distracted. And for heavens sake, don’t give me a book because I find it near impossible to put it down until I have read the very last line!

Since I last wrote, I celebrated my birthday. I am not going to tell you how old I was but I will tell you that I am still a few years off the big 4-0. I am however, experiencing a mid-life crisis of sorts. When did I get old exactly? I didn’t mind 30 at all, in fact, I felt rather grown up. 35 wasn’t too bad either but the other side of this number is not so great. Much better than the alternative, my Dad always reminds me, but I don’t want to get older. I certainly don’t really like the physical side of growing up. I could do without the wrinkles (even if you do call them “laugh lines”) and my figure is certainly not what it used to be. To wallow or to do something about it? That is the question really.

So, I have decided that there is nothing to stop me getting younger! (If only that were actually a possibility) But I can do something about how fit and toned I am; about the condition of my skin; about how good I feel about myself. You know all about my love (obsession perhaps?) of Pinterest. I have been busily pinning lots of great ideas for exercising, changing my diet and reading magazines like Prevention and Women’s Health. All the info you need to be your best is out there, you just need to go find it and then put it in to practice.

This morning, for the first time in …. well, let’s just agree that it has been a really long time …. I went for a run. (Just give my Mum a moment to pick herself up off the floor! Yes, I did really run Mum) And it felt good. Well, let me clarify that … it didn’t actually feel that good (and I am guessing that the man with his dog that I was sharing the local football oval with, thought I was about to keel over at any moment, based solely on my ragged breathing) but it felt good to be doing something. In fact, the hardest thing about exercising is dragging myself from my very warm, comfortable bed when everyone else in my household is snuggling. Once I actually step outside though, it is all worth it. I use this time to think, to pray, to plan my day. It is amazing how good it feels to have some clear head space. I highly recommend it.

My goal is not to look like a teenager or become a size 8 even. I would be happy to be mistaken for 30! But I do want to be the healthiest me I can be. And to fit into a gorgeous outfit I have in my wardrobe. (I will post pictures when I get there). Oh and I want a tattoo and a sports car. Well, what self-respecting  mid-life crisis is any good without a sports car I ask you?

 

 

Here’s to a healthier me!

My lunch tub

The routine in our house used to be the same each morning as I prepared the lunches for David and the girls ... fridge open, grab margarine / butter and ham. fridge open, grab jam. fridge open, grab cheese and mayo. fridge open, grab tomatoes and dijonnaise. Somedays, all of the required items were in plain sight; other days I had to go feretting around in the back of the fridge to find said items. All that opening and closing of the fridge drove me mad.

One day, while out browsing at Ikea (love that store!), I came across a little white tub. Well, a medium size tub really, with a cut out handle at each end. And I had a brainwave ..... What if I were to store all our regular lunch items in this tub and then when I go to make lunches in the morning, I would have everything I needed (my family are creatures of habit when it comes to their lunch choices most days) without having to dig around or do multiple trips to the fridge. Really, such a simple idea, why hadn't I thought of it before?

Since I have implemented this system, there have been a couple of added bonuses ... like the girls making their lunches on the weekend using the tub and being able to see at a glance if I am running low on something.

As I was on lunches, thought I would share a product that I love (more for the little girls than the big ones) ... the lunch punch. They come as a set of 4 and punch out shapes in sandwiches but rather than losing half the sandwich that falls outside of the shape, these cut out almost all the sandwich except the crusts. Genius!

Oh and just a final thought, my fridge is not usually this gorgeous. It had a clean out before I took the photo; it is usually a little more haphazard.  :)

A bit of creative fun

Recently I came across a great, cheap crafty idea that I thought my little girls particularly would enjoy. Of course, since the big girls have seen it, they are also keen to give it a go. It used common kitchen ingredients and required very little set up. So, the next time I was babysitting, I thought I would give it a test run with the kids. Let's just say it was a huge success. Master 4, Miss 2 and of course, Josie-rabbit, had a ball. Check it out for yourself.

Ingredients required: bicarb soda, vinegar and food colouring. You will also need a reasonable size dish (I used glass), a medicine dropper (I purchased a couple of small droppers at the chemist for about $3 each) and a few dishes for different coloured vinegars (I used ramekins).

Pour a layer of bicarb soda in the bottom of the dish. Add food colouring to several small dishes of vinegar. Use the medicine dropper to draw up the vinegar and then squirt it on to the soda to form patterns. The soda will bubble up when the vinegar is dropped onto it which is fun for the kids to watch too.

Suffice to say, the kids enjoyed this activity and it kept them occupied for ages. Great for their fine motor skills and colour recognition too. We also talked about what colours you can make when you mix the colours together. And as for the clean up, wash it down the sink with a jug of boiling water and you can clean your drains at the same time. Nothing like multi-tasking!

Sponge Cake with Sprinkles

This is a family favourite. My mum made this for my sister and I when we were growing up. My girls (and David) love it too. Quick to make and delicious, my recommendation is that you double the mix and make a large cake (use a lamington tray) because you will find that it disappears very quickly. (This one went so fast that I didn't get a chance to snap a picture before they started eating it!)

SPONGE CAKE WITH SPRINKLES
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk
4oz margarine

Melt butter. Mix all ingredients and then add melted butter. Cook at 180'C for about 40 minutes.

To make icing: melt 1 tablespoon of butter (or margarine) in 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Add to 1 cup of icing sugar. Then add sprinkles.

Rebecca proclaimed "I'm in cake heaven" as she was enjoying her cake when I made it just a few days ago. I hope your family likes it just as much.

Keeping the kids entertained when you're out

I decided to have the night off last night … from cooking that is. We took the girls out to La Porchetta’s for dinner. And even better than having the night off from cooking, is having the night off from doing the dishes!

But taking our 4 girls out to dinner requires some preparation in the entertainment department. We learnt very early on in our parenting journey that a meal out is a much more pleasant experience when the girls are entertained while they are waiting for their meals to arrive (or waiting for the adults to finish). So for years we have toted along colouring and activity books and pencil cases to keep them distracted. Tonight, however, we, or rather I (David sometimes takes a bit of convincing) had a brilliant idea and it took up a whole lot less room in my handbag.

While we waited for our meals to arrive, instead of distracting the girls, we spent time talking to them but with a bit of help from some great little cards … conversation starters. These help you to chat about more than just “how was your day?” but ask questions that make you think or laugh  and are just a bit of fun … and the kids love them. Tonight we chatted about the most beautiful place we had ever visited, what we keep under our beds (Spiders was Rebecca’s surprising answer!), our favourite food, the best present you could ever receive (animals featured heavily – there was mention of puppies and ponies!) and nicknames we have had. Not only did it give us a few giggles while we were passing the time, but everyone was able to contribute including Josie who is only 2 ½.

I have recently come across this great website that has lists of conversation starters you can download. http://debbiehodge.com/2012/03/keep-a-5-year-journal-progress-to-date-and-prompts-for-april/  Who knows, you may just find out something you didn’t know and you are bound to at least get a few laughs.

Gaining back control

Life is crazy busy and sometimes that means that things get more out of control than I would like. It is usually a combination of factors that contribute and this time, it was having a weekend away, feeling a little under the weather (probably due to lack of sleep), various appointments and lots of projects with deadlines that made me feel like my head was spinning and my house look like a medium size tornado had just gone through. I am never productive when everything is in such a mess so I needed some serious intervention. Just so you know I am not over-exaggerating, here is the evidence of my disarray.

I'm sure you recognise my messes ... overflowing laundry hamper, dirty dishes, heaps of clean washing to be folded and sorted, paper piles and assorted clutter on my kitchen bench. I am a little alarmed about actually sharing these photos with you but this is what real life looks like sometimes for our family of six.

So, here are my best tips for righting my house and alleviating the stress that this kind of mess causes me.

Tip #1: Put on my runners. That might seem like an odd first step but it does really help. It was a tip I picked up from www.FlyLady.net . (This is a fabulous website with great tips for streamlining your home and your life.) It helps me to focus on working rather than being distracted with other things.

Tip #2: Start with the kitchen ... a clean sink without dirty dishes makes me smile (and looks better if you have unexpected company)

Tip #3: Tackle the washing and laundry. I have a secret ... I love doing the washing. It is one of those jobs that gives a large return for a small investment of time. And even more so now that I have my new super-sized washing machine. I can catch up in just a couple of loads.

Tip #4: Beat the timer. I love a deadline to spur me on so I set my timer for 10 or 15 minutes per room and then try to beat it. (Works for kids too who are reluctant to spend time cleaning their rooms or tidying up common areas).

So after a busy few hours (including Bejewelled breaks - you need a reward when you are working hard), my house it back to rights and I have a clear head to tackle the next project. It's all good.

M & Ms Cookies

OK, after several requests, here is my recipe for M & Ms Cookies. It's another quick and easy one (my favourites these days) and it makes 4 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
185gm butter
1 tspn vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
180gm M & Ms
1 tspn baking soda

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease baking trays. Cream together butter and sugar until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in sifted flour and soda. Add M & Ms. Roll into balls by teaspoon mixture. Bake until light brown (approx 10 - 12 minutes).

Note: I'm a big fan of cooking in bulk and cookies are no exception. Most cookie doughs freeze really well, so make one batch and freeze a second, ready for easy cookies another day (great for mornings when you realise you have nothing to put in the kids lunchboxes!)