[Lets discuss] My random thoughts on things.

I have eleventy billion thoughts going through out my head at any given time and I have managed to catch some of them so I thought we would have a bit of a discussion...

The price of groceries! 

What is the go with the increase on things... One item that is on my receipt tonight was a $1.25 less TWO weeks ago. OUTRAGEOUS! 

If everything has an increase like that and you have a 100 items on your list that's an extra $125 per shop! Crazy!

Where do you shop?

How often?

--



Budgets.

We live on a STRICT budget... every dollar is accounted for.

It is as hard as anything, but its my reality and that is how it is.

I have been helping some friends with their budgets because they have goals to obtain and I am happy to help them

WHY?

Because when I was trying to work it all out for myself I would have done anything for help... its hard to work it all out...


THAT should be taught in schools more, no?


--



Cars.

Mine is a fuel thieving zombie that loves to annoy me to no end.

I have buyers remorse BIG TIME.

Now I am a car girl. I love them! I understand them! When the mechanic starts talking I understand his language. Its good.

But my car is taking to much of my budget and I want to know, 

What do you drive?

Whats it like on fuel?


-- 




Fish.

Do you own them?

We have in the past... Now the tank is sitting there with water running through its filter system all day all night... keeping weeds alive and rocks wet.

What's your hardiest fish?


--




Meal plans.

I do it month in month out.

Its monotonous, but it needs to be done to keep the le budget in check.

Things get repeated, month in month out.

I would have a 4.5 year old rage machine if  "sausages, gems, crunchy carrots and cheese" didn't find itself on the table at least once a fortnight. 

What meal do you repeat to keep the peace?

What meal do YOU LOVE?



--




Future blog posts.

There has been some people asking how I do my monthly shopping.

Is that something you want to see?

GO.

{Image}

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring!
Thank you.

[Lets Bake] Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Now, I am no food blogger... Nor food photographer... BUT

All that aside, 

THESE ARE AMAZE.

I insist you try them... not only for their simplicity, but because they taste good!

And honestly if I can't get them wrong then neither can you.

Now the recipe is simple. 

But that's how it should be, when you have children around your feet...

Yes he is drawing on me. 

Are you telling me, your children don't use you as a canvas?

ANYway... back to the Muffins...

I am KNOWN for stuffing up muffins... 
I believe its over mixing... 
or not enough moisture... 
or just not that practiced in the muffin making department.

These have been spot on from day ONE.

Now, I wavered from the original recipe from my year 7 text book... Cookery the Australian way and kind of made it up as I went a long... 

You could say I used it more as a guide.

So, get yourself some flour... 

wait lets do this properly.

1.5cups of SR flour
2 tablespoons of castor sugar {I use raw castor sugar... STAY WITH ME}
1/2 tsp of cinnamon... now because Ronan usually makes these with me... that's his part and it usually ends up being about a full teaspoon.. or more. 
I then add a handful of sultanas.
Then I add three quarters of 400gm a tin of pie apples, I use the left overs in the porridge the next morning {I use the SPC variety}.

Then while Ronan is doing his best impersonation of an electric mixer.

I rush around and in a separate bowl I mix

3/4 of a cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter, melted 
& an egg.
Lightly beat them all together until well mixed.

Then I convince Ronan that it is my turn now and I add half of the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix GENTLY until all combined.

Once that is done I add the rest until mixed in just so, then I stick them in a well oiled tray or in some muffin 'cups' as they are called by a certain 4.5 year old I know.

Stick them in the 'hot' [oven] for about 20mins on 180 and Voila.

This recipe cracks out 12 muffins every time. There may be only 7 left as I type this... 

It is also VERY good with 2-3 bananas instead of the apples. 

Baked lately? Do share...

What's a favourite in your house?

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring!
Thank you.

Lately {Feb 2014}

Here is a bit of life lately.

Watching - Nothing in particular {any suggestions?}

Listening - To R sing P!NK songs at the top {THE TOP} of his lungs

But I am loving this... 

          

And this...

Admiring -  All the beautiful Mummas sending their babes off to school for the first time.

Eating -  Almost ANYTHING I can get my hands on, breastfeeding for the WIN! 
*Note to self... INCREASE protein...again

Crafting -  I WISH!

Baking -  More then I have in the previous year, but still not as much as I like to.. next up... These

Waiting for - Our new budget to start... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel HUZZAH!

Dealing with - Thoughts I never thought I would have to process

Whats new - Four year old Kinder, that's whats new!

Researching - More on baby led weaning, my little man just isn't that into food, so we wait.. and try again another time... because I am being led by him... true?

Lusting over - Houses... that are probably too far out of our reach... but we look anyway.

So tell me...

Any good shows/movies I should be watching?

Baked anything good lately?

Do you tease yourself with real estate porn too? Tell me I'm not the only one!

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring!
Thank you.

A letter to you... again.

I'm still processing thoughts.

This experience has been massive.

I have learnt so much about myself.

I lay in bed at night thinking about most things of the day.

Sometimes, sometimes I get stuck in a thought spiral... 

Remembering...

Remembering things that I can not un-see...

Remembering feelings I can not un-feel.

Having those thoughts and feelings feel as real as they did the first time...

My heart races.

It beats so high in my chest it feels like its going to pop right out...

My body tightens...

Anxiety takes hold.

I become wide awake.

I want you to swear and promise and beg that it will never EVER happen again.

But its not enough

Now I lay here

My thigh muscles throb...

My feet ache...

My breath slows but my chest hurts...

My eyes sting from the tears that try to come out, but they don't.



I beg for sleep to come.

But it doesn't.

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring!
Thank you.

[Lets Play] Water Beads

Its summer, it gets hot and by 'it GETS hot' I mean... when you live in Melbourne it can be 45 degrees one day and 18 the next so... It can get hot.

Sometimes you can have 5 40-47 degree days in a row and I can the children can get pretty ratty and over it... as most do...

There are only so many things that can be done half a dozen times before they become monotonous and nobody wants to... has the energy to do them anymore.

So we stay home. We use the early mornings to go outside get vitamin D... run energy, see leaves move, hear the birds. We then move our way inside when the sun becomes too warm and we shut all the doors and windows including the blinds and turn the air con on at around 11:30 and stay inside... 

So once inside... we do the usual activities and after a full on morning outside it usually involves food first and drink {even though we take drinks outside with us}

How do I keep a busy four and a half year old on the warmer days you ask... Yea I'm getting there.

So after we have exhausted all the...

Painting

Crafting

Stenciling

Practiced writing

Mouldable "sand"

Played 'big boy' Lego

Wooden block construction

Hide and seek

during the hot week that I can stand

I whipped out these baby's 

... they have been a HIT once again. 

We have used them for the last two summers {after I learnt about them from Bianca}, but only just purchased replacements.
They come as tiny beads and you put them in water for 8 hours and over that 8 hours they expand. Any excess water you have you tip out and voila! Water play without the water!

They are cool therefore cooling when played with.

They are non toxic... so great for the littles

I love a good sensory play but they also help imaginative/language/fine motor/social & emotional and math, science skills... I lost count the amount of times the octopus was saved by his fellow creatures or the other items that he added to the mix. Or how many ended on the floor because of them being poured from one jug to another.

Even the baby loved them.

So tell me...

How do you keep cool on the crazy hot days?

What is your favourite cool/calm activity?

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring! Thank you!

{#justonething365} week four

The #justonething365 project was inspired by Daisy.

Every night before bed I write in a journal that I purchased at the beginning of the year, I'm finding it a lovely way to reflect about our day.

This week I have chosen to write just one or two parts of our week.

Day twenty four 24/01/14

When Ronan was asked at dinner who his hero was, he turned around to Cash and pointed... yea there were TEARS!

Day twenty seven 27/01/14

Finnley; your teeth are giving you so much grief at the moment but you still manage BIG smiles and loads of laughs.



Other beautiful blogs sharing their adventure

Mummatells

Are you joining in to #justonething365? Do share!

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring! Thank yo

[#justonething365] Week Three

What a week! 

Day thirteen 13/01/14

An impromtu photo shoot with Finnley saw me capturing him getting up on all fours for the first time!

Ronan and I made Apple Muffins today... when I say made... Ronan did all of the making

Day Fourteen 14/01/14

Finns 6 month photos done today. Can not wait to see them.

Day Fifteen 15/01/14

Finn got up on his hands and knees and rocked back and forth repeatedly! He is definitely getting the hang of this idea of growing up fast!

Loved crafting and quiet activities with Ronan today. Even managed a dip in the pool

Day sixteen 16/01/14

Finnley tried his first bit of rice cereal today... think we might wait a little longer before we try again.

Ronan was very snugly today.

Ronan was also very helpful at the supermarket today, his job was to carry the clip board with the shopping list on it as we walked the aisles. He took the job very seriously! 

Day seventeen 17/01/14

Another hot day. Hopefully that's the last of them for a little while.

Had the boys in the pool when the cool change hit. Ronan in the bigger one and Finn in the baby bath with water that was a little warmer. They had a ball, especially when daddy came home and jumped in too.

Day eighteen 18/01/14

A busy morning out, but I loved being out and about with my family. Market first thing then lunch at a cafe then some more shops in another town.

That evening, an engagement party. Happy Days


Day nineteen 19/01/14

Lots of rocking back and forth happening from our Little Finnley.

The table being covered COVERED in Lego with HOURS of play x

...




I am loving this project... LOVING IT.

Not only has it gotten me back into documenting our everyday but it also has me wanting to do project life again after 6 months "off"!

Yay to getting crafty!

#justonething365 was inspired by the gorgeous Daisy

Other beautiful blogs sharing their adventure

Mummatells

Are you joining in to #justonething365? Do share!

Do you do project life?

Your comments are not only awesome! They are inspiring! Thank you