Well Christmas is over for another year. I love Christmas but i'm always so glad that it's over. I cooked a huge turkey this year and we still have leftovers that we will eat for the next week no doubt. I've already gained 2kgs in the last 2 days. It's a good thing we bought a Wii Fit for Christmas. And speaking of which - who's idea was it? Ethan gets frustrated that he isn't good at the games even though it's the first time he's ever played them and then there is much weeping, wailing and nashing of teeth. I'm very ready to take the stupid game back to the shop! Although it IS pretty fun. :)

And as the year comes to a close i can't help but be pleased with some of my accomplishments this year. If you can call them that. I had 3 things i wanted to do this year - 1. have my baby naturally and without drugs, 2. Get my licence, 3. Get my citizenship. 3 from 3 ain't bad ;) I don't have any goals for next year yet. I need to make some.

It's probably a good thing Heavenly Father has a sense of humour. Nicholas seems a little self absorbed. His prayer tonight went something like this....

(me helping): Dear Heavenly Father
Nic: Heo Faza
me: Thank thee for this day
Nic: no Nicky do it
me: ok (pause)
Nic: Nicky, Nicky, Nicky
me: *silent laughter*
Nic: Nicky, Nicky, Nicky
me: *not so silent laughter*
me: *composing myself*
me: Please bless all the Nicky's
Nic: Nicky, Nicky, Nicky
me: in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
Nic: AMEN!

Amen indeed.

Success!



I have successfully made yoghurt!!! wooooo!! Ok so i wasn't putting enough water in the canister but i finally got it figured out and made some delish strawberry yoghurt.


I've also redecorated my lame-o kitchen. New curtains and decor. I found that awesome green vase for $9 at Lifeline. It was MADE for my kitchen.

Before -

After -

Still not quite finished. I need to put this pic in a frame and hang it up above the power plugs there on the left.

Feeling Crafty

I'm not sure if it's motivated by wanting to save money or just sheer boredom. The first thing i decided to do was make my own baby wipes. Instead of paying almost $5 for 80 wipes i get 180 wipes for just over $5. I searched for a recipe that i already had the ingredients for. No use making my own wipes to save money if i have to go and buy a heap of stuff that i don't usually buy, right? I found this recipe - http://www.essortment.com/all/howtohomemade_rhjg.htm and it's perfect! I added lavender oil and tea tree oil. I read somewhere that tea tree oil helps then keep longer. Who knows really? I just know that it smells good. So i had all the ingredients except for the paper towel. I found Viva paper towel for $3.49 for a 2 pack (120 'wipes') You need a good strong paper towel that won't fall apart once it's wet. I had an old Huggies wipe container which i reused. I unrolled the towel and refolded it back in the container. This takes some time and effort but worth it imo. I also experimented with a cylinder container i bought for $4. Both ways work really well.

Yesterday when i was at church i used some store bought wipes. I didn't like them! I prefer my own wipes. So much nicer. The store ones suddenly felt slimmey and didn't seem to clean as well. I'm sticking to my own from now on.

My next project involved a lamp. I am revamping my bedroom. I wanted it to be more inviting. I got new curtains, new bedding and de-cluttered the room. I needed a new lamp. I went to Target but nothing jumped out at me and said 'buy me'. Then i was cleaning up Lachlan's room and came across an old lamp from when i was a kid.

It's shade was long gone but it stilled worked. I thought maybe i could do something with it. Only problem is that is was pink. Very PINK. And it had no shade. I then happened upon a cane basket at the op shop. PERFECT for the lamp shade. It was $1.

I painted it in a reddish-brown shade and spray painted the pink bottom black. I think it's now perfect for my room!

The rest of my house is going to get a makeover because it's horrible. I need cute lamps for my boys rooms. And my kitchen needs a complete makeover. So stay tuned for that. :)

Also on the 'crunchy' side of things, my mum gave me a Easyio Yoghurt maker. The only thing i've successed in making is sour milk. I've tried it twice and still - curdled sour milk. I'll give it one more go before declaring yoghurt just one of those things i cannot make.

Just a catch up...

Just thought i'd catch up whats been going on lately. I have been fairly slack with my blogging.

First up - i have allergies. Sucks. Last year i had 'hay fever' for the whole spring and summer. First time in my life i've ever had allergies! This year, same thing. Except now i've got itchy, gritty eyes aswell as the itchy throat, sneezing and runny nose. Joy. It's like having a cold for 6mths. Graham has it too. So we are both not feeling the best. Tomorrow i'm going to buy some Claritin and drug myself up.

It's been school holidays. We went to Brisbane for the first week. A dust storm blew through while we were there. It was pretty cool...until we came home and discovered i'd left some windows open. There was fine layer of dust over the kitchen and our bedroom...oh and my exercise bike. We had another dust storm a few days later but it wasn't as bad. Yesterday was dusty too. All the dust sure isn't helping with the allergies either! So it was school holidays, we went to my nieces Nija Turtle Birthday party. That was fun. Then we went to Natural Bridge. Unfortunately we didn't see any glow worms. We also when to the Koala place...can't remember the name of it...saw some Koalas and the kids ran around the bush while my sister and i sat and talked and Graham went off to find geocaches. The weather was nice. Sunny and hottish but nice.
We've also been to the movies and we saw UP. Great movie! I really liked it and so did the kids. I love going to the movies and eating popcorn, lollies, m&ms, drinking fizzy. Fun!
On Saturday just gone we went out to the Oakey Amy Flying Museum. That was cool. There were lots of planes and helicopters on display. The boys got to go in one. It was dusty and HOT but good.
Tomorrow we are going on the bus into the city. The boys love the bus so we are going in. I'm sure we'll have to go to Target and then there will be much wailing and nashing of teeth when I try to leave WITHOUT buying toys.

I've also been trying to lose weight. calorieking.com.au is my friend. LOVE IT! I really hate dieting but it's a must right now. I had 17kgs to lose after having Lachlan. I've lost 1.5kgs. lol But i'm sticking to my calories(mostly ;) ) and exercising 6 days a week. Tomorrow is weigh in day. I'm sort of nervous. I want to have lost another .5-1kg this week. I've only gone over my calories ONE day. Pretty good. for me. I'm an emotional eater and i tend to binge. Not my best quality obviously. I love food. I just need to eat less of it.

Graham got another job. Promotion i guess is a better word. He starts at the beginning of November. His new job is Admin 2IC. cool as.

I have to get my licence by the end of the month because i'll need to take over school duties when Graham starts his new job. I need to practice my manouvers and parking. Lots of lessons coming up!! And plus Ethan starts swimming this term. I'd like to be able to go and supervise. At least to start with. I'm very nervous about my boys and water. Ethan has almost drowned twice. I can't let him out of my sight in a pool again.

Nicholas started talking. About TIME!! He turns 3 on the 12th October. And he can finally speak! He went from saying a few words like mum, dad, juice and blabbering noises to constructing a sentance all in about 2 weeks! It was amazing really.

Lachlan is getting big. He was 7.15kgs at his 4mth weigh in. He's SO cute. SO CUTE!!!! He is almost sitting up by himself. He has started eating food too :) I wasnt going to start him until 6mths but he was grabbing everything and looked interested so i tried him on some pureed potato and he loved it! He's 5mths now. He's a pretty good sleeper too. Doesn't seem to be getting any teeth just yet.

Will post some pics tomorrow....i better get my boys to bed!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

So i decided to do some sewing. I didn't think there was actually anything that i wanted to make for myself. I found a tutorial for a very cute Very Hungry Caterpillar. So i had to make 2. One for Ethan and one for Nicholas. Aren't they cute?! Ok so mine don't look exactly like they should..but the boys LOVE them and that's all that counts. :)

My new project. I bought this yarn on Wednesday.

It's 30% corn and 70% acrylic. Who'd of thought of corn, huh? It feels really nice. I thought i'd go for another beret. This one turned out MUCH better. I LOVE it! I will actually wear it...although with the weather these days i probably don't need it. I crocheted it with a 4.5mm hook.

Lookie what i made. Nothing fancy but I kinda like it.

And one more for good measure. lol

Fun with fake facial hair

A pirate and Groucho Marx

Hitler or maybe Charlie Chaplin ??

Merv Hughes

Finally Daddy's boy.

Nicholas never used to really like his daddy. He was super attached to me. Still is. But since he was forced to spend 4 days straight with his daddy while I was in hospital with Lachlan, he discovered that daddy is kinda alright.

I've finished!!

My new beret. I'm not sure i'm really a beret person but i'll give it a go. It was a great project to work on.

Here it is! THE beret. I finished it and then had to undo half of it because it was wrong. There doesn't seem to be any decreases in the pattern when there should be. So i'm doing it again.

I LOVE the puff stitch.

I just found this photo i took of Lachlan a little while ago. Poor kid. Can't escape the trains. lol

I feel restless. Life is pretty good at the moment i guess but i still feel like there should be more. There should be more to life then housework and cleaning up after kids. More to life then the mundane routine. I read, i knit, i crochet, i sew, i talk to friends but it doesn't seem enough. I don't know why. I have a husband and 3 gorgeous boys. We spend time together and have fun. But it feels like something is missing. What? I don't know. I asked Graham this morning when we are going to Canberra. I need something to look forward to.

Another thing thats getting me down - my MOF board. Why does the actions of one person have to affect the whole group? It makes me so sad. I feel like my friends are slowly disconnecting themselves and it makes me want to do the same. It makes me want to leave. But can i leave my friends who have been there for me for 5 years? If i leave the board will anyone keep in touch with me? Am I a REAL friend? Can i really be friends with people i've never met? But at the same time i need friends. I need people i can talk to about anything and everything. I need the sisterhood that comes with that. I love my 'girls'. Sometimes they are the only thing that makes me do my housework.

On Saturday we went to Brisbane. I was supposed to go to the Temple but we got lost and by the time we found our way there we were too late. So instead we took some photos up on the Kangaroo Point cliffs. There is a stone gazeebo there that i thought would make a cool background. I've been looking for cool backgrounds now thanks to my friend Misty. :) Here's some pics that i took of Nicholas and Graham. Ethan didn't come with us so he missed out. And i have some new cute pics of Lachlan. He's 3 mths old now and growing up so fast. I may cry.

Brisbane Temple




View of the Brisbane River from the Kangaroo Point cliffs.




Nicholas and Graham





Nicholas and me

Doing what he does best. LOL

Lachlan

I'm feeling kinda homemakery today. I've stacked wood and made 3 different snacks for Ethan for school - rice bubble bars, brownies and ham and cheese muffins. Which are VERY yummy btw. I almost burnt the brownies. They are a little crispy on top but edible. lol

Lachlan has been so fussy today so i didn't get to cook or clean as much as i wanted too. The poor darling was in so much pain. He's fine now - he's been de-gassed so alls good. I think. He's whingin again. I think he's tired. And it's also time to get dinner cooking. I don't know what to make. I get so stuck for ideas. Seems like we have the same things alot. What i really want today though is something i can just chuck in the oven. I need to find more recipes.

I finished the leg warmers! I tried them on Nicholas and they look so cute. :) I hope my niece likes them.

Lincraft was having a sale on yarn so i went looking today. I bought some nice yarn to make a really nice coat.

I know this is a crappy pic but it's the white coat that i want to knit. I don't have a long casual coat so this will be good. Considering this is my first real challenge it should be interesting. lol

So i've ventured into the world of knitting. I've never been that good at it but i've decided that i'm going to knit until i get good at it. I need another hobby. Life is pretty boring and i need some distraction.

So.....my first project. Cute baby legwarmers for my niece. I'm doing this pattern -http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com/2008/01/legwarmies.html Very cool blog. And i've got serious knitting envy.

And here's my work in progress -

Happy Anniversary!!!!

It's my 6th wedding anniversary today. And i'm pretty uninspired as to what to write. lol

37 weeks and counting.........



My belly needs it's own postcode. :(

So who wants to guess how big this baby will be?? lol