From my phone...

Decided to move up in the world and added a Blogger app to my phone. Que random blogging, at bizarre times, with really bad auto correct features from time to time.

Today randomness is just the ability to be blogging at the dining table, juggling the toddler who will not sit still AT ALL.  Ahh parenthood how I love thee...

Check out my new venture..

and join in the fun :)

Go HERE

Developing Ideas - Monthly Trift Challenge

So I have this idea... It would be great if people would join me! (Australia only at this stage)

What I want to do is have a monthly craft challenge.
Each month I (or someone) will pick a topic, as an example I will choose the topic of "Easter" for march.

So you are challenged to make something for your Easter table, as a gift etc etc,
but it must be themed around Easter, so depending on your religious background (or foreground) this could be anything from symbols of new life to christian themed or just all about the rabbit and chocolate! You get the idea, it is your interpretation.

The catch is that for $10, you receive through the post, a kit that I (or someone) sends you, packed with all the goodies you are allowed to use to create your masterpiece.

All of these goodies, are to be sourced at a second hand store. Or if there is something specific that can't be sourced that way (such as crystals or thick card), as long as the person organising has had a good go at sourcing these things second hand, I am happy for things to be purchased new. Based on postage costs everyone will receive about $4 worth of thrift product to create something wonderful.

You can add notions to the products in the form of, wire, thread, glue, paint and pens etc. If you are not sure if you can use it then ask :)

You have until the end of the month to complete the challenge, and post a picture or link to the Blog or my Facebook page.

At the end of this time we can either arrange an anonymous swap of the creations or keep your own, or an auction off for a predetermined charity?

So the question is who would like to join me?

Please circulate this post to all the crafty people you know, it is a way to try your hand at something new and challenge us to think outside the box.


March will be $10 for the theme EASTER. I would ideally like to have the kits made up to post by March 5th so they have time to arrive and a few weeks to make.

So I would say cut off to sign up will be March 1st.

You can sign up by commenting here, in the Facebook album here or via email to mindtomat@gmail.com, with your email so I can send you payment details.

Payment via paypal (gift please) or direct deposit.

Well because I have been meaning to for AGES, and this idea makes it extra special to get it out there... Flogging my Blog over at the wonderful world of Glowless today <3

Just another post.

I was just thinking it must have been ages since I posted on the blog! And well it has been 2 whole months!!

4 weeks of that time I have spent hardly any time on the computer, my hubby has had 4 weeks off work and started back yesterday!

So an update, since the last post a lot of things have happened, and also it feels like not much has, you know what it is like!

Those eggs under the broody turned out to all be bad, not 1 chicken to be hatched alive. We sorted them out and decided to give up for a little while because it is just too much and we run out of eating eggs when the chooks are sitting! Then 2 hens went broody, we gave them a couple of weeks without eggs to see how long it lasted and finally gave in. We sent one to the In Laws to sit on a dozen of her eggs and put 6 or so under the other, a week and a bit ago she hatched 4 fluffy little chicks, that are all still healthy and going strong :)
Then the chicken who was on the lot of eggs that didn't make it went broody, so as of a few days back we have a hen sitting on 12 eggs!

So christmas was an event, got some cool things! Kids had a great time! New Year not so much an event, kids all went to bed about 10pm and hubby and I sat up watching TV shows until 12.30 then went to bed, a mere glace at the clock at 12.05 saw a small 'happy new year' from each of us!

Next on the list of things, we had planned to head camping at the beach for my mother's birthday the weekend of the 8th Jan. 2 days before we planned to leave Big Kidlet tripped over the dog and broke her left Tibia. Luckily there was no surgery required but seriously going camping at all, let alone to the beach with lots of sand, with a plaster up to your high thigh is not something that any one wants to do. Not to mention the pain she was in for the first 3-4 days.

So no camping for us! A week after that I had a catering gig for my mum's basket making group. 3 days of cooking for 10 people watching them craft, chatting and then getting in on the action myself with the "Challenge Box Swap"

That brings us to the weekend just past, I headed to a Goddess Workshop on Saturday which was a wonderful afternoon of learning, friendship and love.
The Goddess of the moment was Aphrodite representing Complete Unconditional Love, and for us moving to find ways of "Living the Goddess" ways we can move in our own lives to honour our selves and the Goddess.

Words of wisdom from the day "I am not beautiful like you, I am beautiful like ME!!"

Recognising the beauty in everyone and everything is something most people seem to have lost, but recognising the beauty in ourselves is something that is, not lost but, seen as an undesirable quality.

What a wonderful workshop, ways we brainstormed to celebrate the goddess in you without feeling the guilt we would normally associate with it:

Finish Reading that book, or several, you have sitting in the corner.
Take walks on the beach
Cook a nice meal, just for you!
Gardening

Anything you have wanted to do but have put off because you can not 'justify' the time spent away from whatever else you are doing. Commit to a time in the next month for you to just do that one thing (or 3 x 30minutes) that you have put aside because of what someone else may think or feel. The house work will be there tomorrow.

Holidays

Wow, it has been a long time since I updated this blog, huh?

Th big girl has thoroughly enjoyed her school year, although she has had far too much sickness, and currently resides on the couch missing an excursion due to another bout of 'something'.

The boy is going strong, getting very sure of himself and all those things you just don't want him to do that he is SURE he has too.

The little girl, ahh, yes, not a baby any longer! She is just about as stubborn and sure of herself as her brother, which can lead to tension for at least 2 hours every day!

But lets take today's opportunity to explore the 'Toilet Training' dilemma...

The big Child was never really a hard sell for toileting, it seemed just something that happened! Or maybe I was a different sort of mother back then and I took a different tactic with it?
My son is 4 years and 3 months old today. He is certainly capable of toileting, he will take himself to the toilet throughout the day to urinate. He has reminders at times but he generally doesn't go when we 'remind' him. He takes himself when he is ready. Bowel movements are a whole other matter! He doesn't *WANT* to use the toilet. He requests a nappy to be put back on him as soon as one is taken off! Whether he has already had a bowel movement or not he always wants a nappy!
I have just taken it on the chin and dutifully followed his lead for the most part. We went out yesterday for most of the day, he didn't have a nappy all day. The only accident he had was later that night! I have learned a few things from this, firstly accidents happen, especially when teaching children to toilet! Secondly, my son is capable, really the challenge lies in getting him to WANT to toilet! Thirdly and possibly most importantly, my son doesn't drink enough, or rather I don't provide enough for him to drink. I am guilty of not drinking enough myself and leading into summer here, I really need to find a way to remedy that and provide my children with the best care I can!

In the new year I will try and be a bit more regular over here, learning is happening every day here and if I can't get enough for at least a small blog post monthly then I need to learn to see things more clearly.

December is a month for holidays, celebrating the oncoming summer and family time we get to share. Advent calendar's are currently a source of teaching the boy kidlet about numbers, he has to find the number correctly before opening the window.

There is making going on in the lead up to Christmas, things for the kidlets to help with and things that they can not. They have made some salt dough decorations and painted them and put them on the tree, and at some point we will do some cooking, make crackers, christmas wrap and other things.

We all hope that every one out there has the best possible holiday (whatever they do or believe) We will be setting up a seasonal table over the next week, and do a small simple ritual to celebrate the summer solstice on the 23rd.