I Did it, I Did it, I Did it - Hooray!

I will start by apologising if my post title has you singing the Dora the Explorer theme for the next five hours, but I have a smile on my face today! I have been promising myself and kinda dribbling it about on here that I wanted to start running again.

I stalled - lots, I found it hard to get motivated, I made every excuse under the sun, but last night the penny dropped and I just got out and did it. I am kind of following the C25K program that seems to be the trend at the moment, but have amended it for my less than beginner status.

Only one session in I can understand the hype - I feel amazing today. OK my legs are a little sore and I have a blister on my right heel from my new running shoes but who cares? Watch out October 23rd - I have you in my sights!

Meanwhile I found some great stuff to get/keep me motivated.

Joining in with all the other floggers at Where's my Glow. To all who are attending Blogopolis - have a FANTASTIC time, to those who can't - at least we can live vicariously through everyone else!


Images from www.weheartit.com

Wordless Wednesday - Camouflage

Me thinks I may have a liking for Apple Green!

Wordless Wednesday is here again! Joining in the fun with My Little Drummer Boys,
and for the first time with Faith Hope & a whole lotta love!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?????

Not even August and I'm starting to see some buzz on the www in relation to Christmas themes, planning etc. The big retailers have allowed us to scratch and bite our way through the toy sales and stuff their lay-by departments to the rafters.

Time to start organising my Christmas list!!

I've written before about the amount of toys in our house , that said - the kids do get a gift from Santa and I do buy gifts for my nieces and nephew.

Given that I spend a lot - OK - more than a lot - OK,OK WAY TOO MUCH time on line I get a lot of my Xmas gifts and ideas here too.

I love the ease that is online shopping, the advantage of the 'wish list' is great when you don't want to buy yet, but don't want to forget what you want to buy!

I've found some amazing sites and I like the fact the kids are not getting really 'commercial' toys either. Here are some of my faves......

* IQ toys - amazing range and quick delivery

* Central Station Toys - if your kids LOVE Thomas this is for you!

* My Wooden Toys - gorgeous, bright wooden toys for all ages. Last year I picked up this and this for my two youngest nieces.

I have a plastic pocket folder I keep all my ideas in as well as Xmas card lists, recipes for food gifts etc. You can get a whole bunch of templates from the net if you want to be all pretty and same -  same with your design!

By the time December rolls around I am pretty much finished gift buying and can relax and enjoy the season. How do you prepare for Xmas? Do you do the last minute rush or the super OCD planning?

Things I Know

Another week and more things I know!

- This week I know that a lot of excited bloggers are just squirming in excitement because of this.

- I am pouting in jealousy as I am unable to make it :-(

- I know that in a couple of days time the wait will be over and I will be watching the LAST HARRY POTTER film. I will be so mad at myself if I cry!

- I know that sometimes I totally underestimate my kids. Last week we put our feet down in reagrds to Ashlees dummy. Apart from one day when she was sick she has hardly asked for it!

- Finally I know that this morning I signed up for the Brooks Spring into Shape run/walk series. One walk then two runs in three months. What have I done? ;-)

If you are going to blogopolis I look forward to seeing all the drunken photographs adventures that will be had! Come and share all the things you know this week at Yay for Home!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - The Sick Edition

With the flu running rampant across the land, it has arrived at our place, along with a lovely bout of gastro!

I think ABC's Giggle and Hoot has some new competition - meet Sniffle and Spew!
Joining in with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday, hope everyone is keeping healthy!

Defining Moments

Have you ever stopped to think where life may have taken you if ONE TINY THING had happened differently? If you'd said yes instead of no, if fate had dealt you a different hand?

Image credit

Here are my top three.....

* VCAT entering my uni course code wrong so I got into a Business Degree instead of the Psychology course I wanted (they were one digit different) I loved it but never would have chosen it!

* Losing my job two days before we were due to have a meeting about getting our first home loan. It was another 18 months before we could finally do it - and found the perfect location!

* Saying yes to an ex-boyfreind and going to his 19th birthday (REALLY didn't want to go at the time.) That night I met the man who was to become my husband........

What are yours?

Menu Monday - Baked Tuna Risotto

Kate at Kate Says Stuff is hooking eveyone up with yummy recipe ideas again, so after my sleepless rant last post, on to someting a bit nicer - Comfort Food!

Baked Tuna Risotto
This recipe ticks all the right boxes for me -
* It's really easy
* All the ingredients are easy to get and inexpensive
* After some small preparation, you chuck it in the oven and forget about it!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 1 finely chopped Garlic Clove optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 180 g Arborio rice
• 375 ml chicken stock or water
• 400 g can Roma tomatoes chopped
• 185 g can Tuna in spring water
• 3 Zucchinis finely sliced (I dont use this many, usually just two med. size)
• freshly ground Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Flat-leaf parsley
• shaved Parmesan optional (Please add this - it makes the dish!)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat a three litre (twelve cup) capacity ovenproof dish (with a lid) over a medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic and sea salt and stir for five minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add the rice to the dish and stir for another minute.
4. Add the stock or water and the chopped tomatoes and bring to simmering point.
5. Stir in the tuna, zucchini and season with black pepper.
6. Cover the dish and bake the risotto for thirty minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
7. Scatter parsley over the top, sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan if desired, and serve in the dish.

Completely easy and Yum!

This is a Bill Granger recipe and I have made it a couple of times - it always turns out beautiful. Come and help with the menu planning this week at Kate Says Stuff!

An Open Letter to the Hoons down the Road

** CAUTION- this post will contain language best read after the kiddies are in bed!


Dear Fuckwit Morons,
      I just wanted to write and thank you for the two and a half hours sleep I got last night. I appreciate you have the right to kill your brain cells in whatever way floats your boat, but to let me in on the action -pure joy.
  
      I love nothing better than the sound of revving engines, the flash of your headlights through my front bedroom window as you fishtail up and down the street, and the burnouts, well strip me naked and cover me in Valvoline, I have never heard anything so sublime!

Not as good as yours, guys!

       I thought nothing could top your night of merriment, but wait - there was more! Just when I thought I would drift off into dreams of V8 utes and petrol fumes the melodic sound of shattering glass tickled my ear drums, aahh, the second act had begun. Apparently 2:15 am is the perfect time for the yelling at the tops of your voices to begin. Who knew?

      I am slightly confused about one thing. Did you manage to find the guy called "fucking cocksucker?" I feel so sorry for him. What kind of parents lump a kid with a name like that? One tip - in future, if you actually wanted to talk to this guy, screaming "I'm fucking going to kill you" is not going to help your cause.

      A huge shout out to the whole drinking and driving thing too, as evidenced by the number of broken beer bottles I had to drive over on the way to work this morning. Real genius stuff - I would give you a standing ovation if I wasn't so fucking tired from having ALMOST NO SLEEP and then having to work this morning while you little bastards slept off your drunken stupor.

    As for an encore performance, I don't think I could stand such a breathtaking display of your rubber burning and language skills two nights in a row - but as you obviously don't give a fuck about anyone but yourselves - knock yourselves out. I'll have 000 on speed dial.

   Yours sincerely,
             Very, very PISSED OFF!


** Image from www.weheartit.com

It's 'D' Day.

I was one of those people who swore I would never give my kids a dummy. Needless to say that lasted about 24 hours after Shannyn was born! Shannyn loved her dummy, but didn't put up much of a fight when we told her that she was getting too big to have them. She was almost three at the time and when the last dummy got conveniently 'lost', that was the end of it.

Ashlee is a different story. She is almost territorial with her dummies. They have a special container on her shelf where they 'live', and she always has one either in her mouth or close at hand.

Ashlee with her constant companion - and yes, she fell asleep like this!

I have written before about Ashlee's words, but in the last few months her vocab has expanded really well. The only problem is they are being muffled behind the 'pipe'.

So today is the day. We have tried explaining (as much as you can to a munchkin who is nearly three) that dummy will now only be for bedtime and car trips. So far I have been grizzled at for her dummy about 50 times, but hopefully some distraction with play dough etc will work. Wish me luck - I think I'm in for a rough ride!

Come and join in with the floggers over at Where's My Glow? I am!!

Wordless Wednesday

These boots are made for walkin'

Shannyn's first pair of 'grown up' boots. She wants to wear them everywhere!

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday    at My Little Drummer Boys!

The Blog-alogue

Just found Brons blogalogue ........ I'm in!!
Lots of lovely new blogs to explore Yay!!

When you haz blogs!!

* Image from www.weheartit.com

Simply too much stuff!

My kids have stuff. Way too much stuff. And every Birthday and Christmas more stuff gets added to that stuff.

Just some of our 'stuff'

We have tried to cull, to donate, to give away but somehow the stuff stays. This year, when Shannyn turned five I made a decision, she didn't need any more stuff! When family and friends started asking what to get her as a present I replied - she doesn't need anything, in fact we aren't buying her a present.
Well! I got more than a few raised eyebrows at that. How could you? Not buy your own daughter a birthday present? Quick, ring DOCS immediately! What we did give her was her first outing to the museum. We rarely get much family time, so the four of us had a day just for us, to explore, to learn, to enjoy being in each others company.

Today I stumbled upon this article , it summarises beautifully what I have made a botch job of trying to express. Shannyn was allowed to choose one item from the gift shop as a memento of her birthday outing. She chose a small Phar Lap horse which takes pride of place on her bed.
We might take a trip to Healsville Sanctuary for Ashlees third birthday in October, and Christmas will be a FOTZ subscription. I'm discovering I'd much rather we 'do stuff' than 'have stuff' any day!!

What would your 1000th birthday look like?

OK, so some science nerd with an appropriately nerdy name has claimed that it will be feasible to live for 1000 years within the next few generations. Lets examine some of the pros and cons shall we?

By way of some magical shit stirring in the genetics lab, the theory says that as years go, the numbers would tick over, but you could just go and get some genes replaced and, hey presto - you'll be boogieing with the 450 year olds in no time.

No throwing hips out, no arthritis creams needed, no hearing aids required. Great if you work in the pensioners cruise industry, but not so great if you rely on the aches and pains of others for a living.

At the ripe old age of 35 - I have at least another 30 years of slaving away before I can look forward to retirement. Imagine if the average life span did stretch that far......... could you see yourself in your job for 700 years? I can expect my kids to be under my roof for at least 20-30 years - no way they are staying till they're 397!

Hopefully the smart science type people have also invented instant travel by this time, we would have the time to visit all the places, and do all the things that get pushed aside whilst dealing with everyday life.

Get off my turf biatch!

There is, however a disclaimer from Mr Nerd - and I will quote him here -
"These numbers are guesses, of course, but they're guided by the rate at which the young die these days.
If you are a reasonably risk-aware teenager today in an affluent, non-violent neighbourhood, you have a risk of dying in the next year of well under one in 1,000, which means that if you stayed that way forever you would have a 50/50 chance of living to over 1,000."

Um, EXCUSE ME? You show me a risk aware teenager and I will show you the Tooth Fairies tits. Oh,  you also have to have the right amount of bling to cut it - so if any of these kids are living to 1000, you'll find them all in the Beverly Hills Hotel ordering prune cocktails.

Birthday parties would be hilarious - anyone over 632 would be required to notify the fire authorities for the blowing out of the candles on the cake, and there are only so many years you can wait for the relos to 'move on' for any chance at an inheritance!

You can examine all the ins and outs HERE, but let me just  say that if the trade off for living to 1000 is to look like the guy in the picture - I think I'll PASS!


** Image from www.weheartit.com

The Big Fat Lump

There are so many things I want to do and so many excuses I make up not to do them. I don't know how to motivate myself,  to "Just do it" - as Nike would have us do.
A few of the abandoned goals from this year include;
- An online business administration course
- A master bedroom makeover
- To start running again

Image from http://weheartit.com/

I start a new week with the best of intentions, and then it only takes one tiny little thing for the excuses to crop up. I honestly feel like the laziest person in the world - I am here observing from the sidelines instead of participating - but cannot get out of this rut.
So today I am asking for help - what gets you off the couch (or computer :-)?) Hoping all the smarty pants people from FlogYoBlog Friday can get me off my butt!!

Wordless Wednesday - 12 degrees or .......

What is it with Melbourne weather? We had it so good last week. She is a fickle thing, a tease - but I have the remedy ....... too bad it is only a picture :-(

I want to be there!

Attempting to warm up with My Little Drummer Boys , what's the weather like out your window today?



* Picture from Whitsundays tourism site.

Disowned!

        My apologies to anyone who happened to be at Watergardens Shopping Centre today about mid morning. The lovely lady I job share with had to take a day off, so I filled in for her today 'cos I wanted extra money to buy shoes to help out the boss.

       My hubby and I work for the same company, so he managed to wrangle the kid minding duties, while I slaved away - OK had a cushy time -  at work.
 
  He makes a great house husband - I walked in to the smell of a lamb roast cooking, the laundry had been done and put away and the girls were doing some colouring in. "Look what I'm wearing today Mum" were Shannyns first words to me as I entered the family room. I looked, I grimaced - she was in a summer dress with a tshirt underneath, and had committed the fashion sin of wearing sandals with socks!!

She had also dressed Ashlee in an equally wince inducing ecclectic ensemble. Thank god they were just hanging around the house today was my first thought, but then hubby chimed in with "they wore that to the supermarket today, but  Shannyn had her black jacket on too."

I am officially inviting anyone who had to witness this fashion suicide to contact me with your address details so I can send each and every one of you some Visine to wash the pain out of your eyes. I am also disowning my husband and denying any knowledge that these kids are mine.......

   But just for today ;-)

Flogging all the things I know!

We are a clever bunch aren't we?

Hi to all my fellow floggers and knowers, let's see what the ol' brain knows this week!

- Having to do stock take on your birthday blows, but is made more tolerable when your fabulous workmates help you celebrate with pizza and cake!

- Melbourne may be known for having crappy weather, but sunny Winter days are glorious :-)

- You cannot hide food in this house. The garbage compactor also known as Ashlee can smell a biscuit at 100 paces.

- The Maggies play the Hawks in the AFL this weekend, in this house that means that by Sunday evening one spouse will be sulking, and the other will be gloating!

- Today marks Day one of Dry July. For more info, head on over to my Dry July page and read all about it!

Thanks to Shae at Yay for Home and the Greatest flogger of 'em all for letting us pepper their blogs with all our randomness.........