Absolutely true!!

A year of good things 31/366: Stay at home dads

My husband is a stay at home dad and has been for 2 ½ years...

Being a full time parent has its challenges, I personally think women multi task better :) and are more organised and efficient and therefore being a stay at home mum suits us. However ANY man who is willing to take on what I think is the most important and challenging role deserves alot of respect.. dealing with nappies (it’s surprising how many dads have never changed their own kid’s nappies!), toilet training, cooking dinner, etc and if you have a little girl they bring a whole new set of emotions and challenges. Although I work full time, I do *quietly* check that all is going well during the day, that our precious one is being fed healthy food, that TV is the absolute last resort, that there is some sort of education being taught even when playing.. call me a Tiger Mum (no it’s not that bad - I love everything that my daughter makes me and would never say a home made card she made me is not good enough!) but I think discipline and routine are really important. Sometimes I get frustrated when things don’t always happen smoothly like if dinner isn’t cooked, or if the washing was left in the machine ALL day, or if there is food all over the couches, or the TV was on for a few hours. I know sometimes you just have to do what works.. especially if you’re also running a small business which is what my husband does.

So as women what do we normally do when we just need time out? I’d say beauty treatments would be common, retail therapy works for most of us.. pampering of any kind is a guarantee.

Well, this morning when my precious one was all happy and keen to go to Kinder when I left for work – the entire scene changed within an hour. She wouldn’t put any clothes on, she was crying and upset and only wanted me, time was running out, the car tyre was flat.. and as a result of all of this she ended up being late for kinder and definitely not in the best mood. I told my husband just to go for a coffee in a cafe, read the newspaper and just switch off – he always likes that. But no – he said he was going for a haircut, he needed it. That’s cool.

But when he said that he was going to squeeze in an eyebrow wax.. I wondered to myself, is it possible to turn into a stereo type because of your role? I’m all for men and beauty treatments, don’t get me wrong, I like that my husband takes interest in what he wears even if he is a stay at home dad, but I do wonder, how many other men/husbands have swapped the traditional role and to what extent?

Today’s good thing is definitely stay at home dads.. Thank you to all the dads to are hands on with their children, who are willing to clean poos and wees, who don't frown upon being in the kitchen, who contribute to housework.. all without being paid a cent, but getting the most valuable reward ever - time with your children and a precious lifelong relationship.

Check out this article on the increase of stay at home dads.

ps if you know of any Stay at home dad support groups in Melbourne, let me know, that's one thing that we've found there's not alot of if any!

image from the Herald Sun

A year of good things 50/366: Tomatoes

Last year one of my resolutions was to eat more veges from our garden which we did but we only had enough for a few months.. Look what we found growing on the side of our house!! Very exciting as I love tomatoes!!

A year of goods things 49/366: learning land

I'm a big advocate for reading and learning with creativity when raising children. So when my daughter's friend's mum told me about Learningland signed up and so far it has proved to be enjoyable and rewarding..on the first proper class where they leant the 'a' sound as in apple, ant, astronaut, this is what they made.. Play doh apples with beautiful green play doh and brown pipe cleaners.. How cool is that!

ps don't you just love those painted nails? cute, cute, cute..

I had good intentions.. Year of good things 45/366

Oh dear.. I had good intentions of paying more attention to the blog but you know what my problem is.. it's the photos.. I don't really have a good set up - but things are about to change!

I now have a fancy phone that takes ok pictures and have downloaded an app to make the pictures look even fancier.. I'm not a photographer at all, but I do like what this app has done to this pic.. which moves me onto my good thing for the day..

Spending time with my daughter while working from home.. and this afternoon this precious little 3 year old said, "mummy i want to make a scarf" - so here she is having a little play with some wool and needles..

I think that is not just a good thing... it's a GREAT thing!

A Year of Good Things 9/366

My first post on a Year of Good Things has taken longer than expected but here it is - I treated myself today - I bought these Saltwaters in Champagne.. it felt good to spoil myself a bit, and now I'm excited as I wait for their arrival in the post.. now all I need is for the sun to come back to Melbourne.. it was here now it's gone! It may seem a little selfish, but this year I am going to do alot of good things for myself, not at the expense of others, in ADDITION to what I do for others. Of COURSE my precious girl will continue to come first.. that will never change.

ps this pic is not mine, it belongs to Petrune.. my feet don't nearly look as beautiful!

Happy New Year, Happy New Ways..

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you have had a relaxing break and have spent quality time with friends and family. I’ve had a good 12 days off, some days I had no idea what to do and it was just perfect.. my 2011 was very tiring and exhausting and looking back I think it was a year where I literally put myself last and everyone else first, not because it was asked of me, but because that’s how I am. It comes naturally with motherhood, with being a woman (I think), but also I am a Capricorn and born in the year of the rat.. both apparent perfectionists. Being a full time working mum is a challenge and finding that manageable balance between work and home and everything else keeps you constantly on your toes. This year I think I managed that pretty well, but I never gave myself any attention and I got so exhausted trying to fit in so much in one day.

SO

THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT.. HOW?

1. I aim to simplify my life - I’ve noticed through many blogs that this seems to be a common theme and I personally think technology is to blame. The iphone is tempting, the addiction is off putting!


2. I will declutter my possessions and have less lying around


3. Ask for help if I need time to myself


4. Make an effort to catch up with girlfriends


5. Participate in Pip’s Year of Good Things


6. Remind myself that the challenge of being a working mum is oh so normal


7. Have music in my life again


8. Stop and smell the roses.. I was constantly in ‘heads down bum up’ mode last year


9. Craft more and more and more and more


10. Enjoy my blog, it’s my own space


11. And just for fun.. I am determined to find myself the perfect green dress - details in the next post, perhaps you can help me?

Have a fantastic 2012 everyone x

My husband

It’s been a month since my last post. Life has a strange way of throwing curve balls when you least expect it and I have been thrown one big one. When I feel ready to tell I will, but not right now.

I’m not sure how many people will read this, and if it really matters.. but what I’ve realised is that my blog is my little place to escape and I can post about anything I want to, as long as I feel sincere about it..

So today I want to talk about my husband.

During this tough time, I have realised more than ever that my husband is a very very supportive person, a very patient one and one who is very sincere. I’ve realised that the two of us work well as a team and there is alot of equality in this relationship.. we are very different in many ways, complete opposites actually, but the balance works well for us. He is a stay at home dad who is starting to get his small business off the ground (and it is!) and very recently was studying PLUS now he wants to get his 3rd dan in black belt.. he helps me with the housework, he cleans the cars, he is growing veges in our garden, he cooks, he takes my little girl to the library and recently to gymbaroo..

I just wanted to say thank you for being a wonderful partner and I love you.

Treasures..

How lucky am I.. I have a very special Uncle who owns a second hand shop in NZ.. and he finds all these wonderful treasures, some which I have been the very lucky the recipient of.. but the latest.. a beautiful pin cushion handmade by my grandmother.. no it wasn't in the shop but he kept alot of her belongings and sent this one to me.. how gorgeous is it.. I only wish I could've appreciated and learnt from her amazing skills - you name it, she knew it.. Now when I think about all the jumpers she made me, there was no pattern, they were all lace and I remember she had her basket of knitting needles next to her rocking chair..

And I also received a lovely Rupert the Bear book which as a child I used to love.. Thank you Uncle Eddie :)

New Year, New Look..

I thought if I am to try and improve my blogging presence, I should start with a new look.. what do you think? And if I manage to get myself a new look as well, perhaps I'll be brave enough to post a picture of myself :)

We're pulling together..

Hi everyone, like many other bloggers out there I cannot believe the enormity of these terrible floods.. the stories are heartbreaking. I won't share stories or pictures, they're readily available on the internet, on tv.. however I just wanted to let those who have been affected know that our thoughts are with you and fingers crossed that this will be over soon.. I'm not a quick crafter, still a beginner so I won't be able to churn out blankets or toys or anything else too quickly, but I have made a donation through my work so hopefully it will be put to good use..

Happy Birthday to me...

My birthday was a few days ago, I turned the beautiful and youthful age of 38.. so I bought myself a little gift which I have just been notified is on its way... aren't they cute?

Let's craft to enjoy..

When I set my goals for 2011, it was from the heart, completely personal and all about me. The one that I have already begun working on is ‘crafting to enjoy’ – and I am loving it. I made these two passport covers for my beautiful niece and nephew who are off on their first Disney holiday in the next few weeks.. my niece loves Mickey, my nephew is too young to know who he is.. I thoroughly enjoyed making them, planning out the process, deciding how to ‘decorate’ them with the fabric I have – I even managed to use denim from an old pair of jeans that I was about to throw out..

I’ve gone off track a bit but my point was, I have also noticed from reading other blogs that there’s a few of us out there who are making a point to craft just-for-fun this year. Whether we are making gifts for loved ones or just making something for no reason, the focus is not on selling because that becomes a different ball game - one that involves pressure, deadlines and just alot more work in general etc

Are we being too hard on ourselves? As a mum are we trying to be perfectionists and therefore lose perspective on why we are doing what we are doing? It’s not right when what you love doing becomes a chore.. and I think Jennifer says it all in this post.

So, I am really REALLY going to make a point of enjoying my craft this year so that I don’t create unnecessary stress.. I would rather focus my energy on my little girl and enjoy more special moments like this...

This year I will..

1. make all my gifts
2. turn a stressful situation into a positive one and therefore lighten the load on my shoulders
3. buy very little veges and eat from our garden instead
4. increase my blogging presence (how? I don't know, but it's a manageable little project)
5. make a major change regarding our home, whether we move, develop or renovate
6. not stress over the limited amount of time (if any) I have for Little Madam
7. craft to enjoy, not to make money - and just keep my fingers crossed that that will follow eventually :)

Handmade Cookies for my birthday..

When you have a birthday so close to Christmas it can go either way - everyone is either on holiday or the focus is on Christmas, OR you can get two presents :) My birthday is coming up in the next week or so and this (last?) Christmas was spent in Brisbane with my family who have travelled from Sydney and Melbourne.. so it was special. Anyway, I was very lucky to have had a surprise birthday chocolate cake, which my cute nieces and nephews helped to decorate, and presents!

Now in a world of gadgets gadgets and more extremely amazingly smart gadgets.. I am pretty slow to follow.. I get more excited over things like this very very cool 'homemade' cookie stamper (from SUCK) that my parents gave me - H O W C O O L! I just had to try it tonight and look how they turned out..

Happy New Year

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year... may 2011 be a happy, healthy and fun one for you x

Worlds oldest UFO.... (unfinished object)

Yes I think that belongs to me. And I never thought I'd finish it. Let me tell you the story...

Three years ago I did a short course on how to make a Japanese quilt at Kimono House - it was only for a day and I was very excited. Unfortunately the sewing machine I had was not the best and very sensitive. The car ride to the course was enough to shake it up and therefore not cooperate for most of the course.. so I only got as far as cutting out my little squares and with the help of the lovely ladies there, I managed to have them sewn up. I went from being completely excited, to being absolutely FRUSTRATED!

For three years these beautiful squares have sat in my cupboard and I have brought them out only a few times, laid them out and dreamt about the quilt it was meant to be (see below). Not having proper instructions to complete the quilt and having never made one before, I was apprehensive about giving it a go knowing that I'd risk ruining this really beautiful japanese quilt fabric.

So last week I decided I would attempt to finish it and if it looked half decent, I would give it to my mum for Christmas... and after researching on the internet, reading quilt blogs, reading magazines, look what happened - I finished it. I may not have quilted properly, I may not have bound it properly, BUT I absolutely love it and I think it looks pretty good :)

Merry Christmas Mum I hope you like it x

Christmas cheer and fresh veges..

It's taken a while but I am finally getting into the Christmas spirit... I had great plans to make all my presents, all these fantastic ideas - my own little handmade Christmas.. but no - time and energy was not on my side. Instead.. I have decided not to take such a big step and do handmade gift wrapping.. so for the last few days I've been making green and white crocheted flowers (a good way to practice too!) and this morning my little girl and I made Christmas labels - thanks to all the junk mail we get.. I also decided to make a little Santa's sack for gift giving (from my little girl).. and rather than going traditional and slightly tacky, I found this beautiful dotted fabric from Rathdowne Fabrics for $4.85! It's like a heavy weight fabric which is perfect for a sack :)

On another note.. check out our celery! With all that rain we've been getting.. we have such a healthy bunch - no excuse for not eating our greens now!

My turn to share..

Being relatively new to the blogging world I have to say that one of my favourite virtual mentors is Pip from Meet Me At Mikes. I absolutely loved this post of hers and want to share my perfect life too..

I understand why my mum likes her cup of tea now
I have a really blocked nose
My friend just made me some gorgeous Christmas cupcakes which I can't wait to devour
My husband just bought my little girl in to see me
I hated saying goodbye when she was upset
I loved taking her for a bike ride yesterday
I can't wait to wrap my presents
I can't wait to make green tea shortbread
I don't like how the hairdresser cut my hair
The Wikileaks saga intrigues me
I want to sleep
I need to make a Santa sack for my little girl when she gives presents
Shall I start thinking about knitting for next winter now?
I wish I had my own craft room
When will this weather be reliable?
I am 38 soon
I still want the perfect green dress
I wish we had more storage at home
Actually maybe not, then there would be more junk!
I get so much inspiration from this picture..

The year that was 2010

I'm not one to look back and reflect at the end of the year.. nor am I one to set resolutions for the upcoming one..

However I feel that this year was my biggest one so far (in my adulthood) and despite feeling like I hardly had a break I want to have a positive reflection on the years achievements and look forward to 2011 on a positive note.

So here are some of the things I achieved and am grateful for:

1. I was introduced to the exciting a colourful world of beautiful craft markets (as a stallholder) where I met some wonderfully talented people, discovered a new community and enjoyed a creative outlet;
2. I am grateful for my full time job and still having job security despite many restructures.. I am especially grateful for having the chance to work from home once a week, at least now I get to see my little girl as well;
3. I am very lucky that my husband continues to do a great job as a stay at home dad
4. I am absolutely thrilled with the way my precious girl has learned to communicate in three languages and knows when to say please and thank you
5. Family support esp mum for helping me with initial prep for markets
6. Good health

And I am looking forward to:

1. More laughter
2. More creativity in my life
3. Toddler challenges
4. Music on a daily basis
5. Quality sleep
6. Having veges from our mini vege garden

I hope you had a great year too :)