Category Archives: Developing the Home

Housework and Fun?? It is possible!

Posted on by Mika
3

What is it about the New Year looming that make us scrurry to get our houses in order before New Years Eve?

If you are like me and have been enjoying the Christmas break tooo much but now the mess is getting under your skin, here is a post from New Year’s Eve last year. It really did work, with the kids help, we got the house in order and had fun at the same time!

Can you guess what I’ll be doing today?!

It’s been a great week of relaxing. Yesterday, we went on another of my favourite bushwalks in Khandallah that ends up at the Khandallah Playground.

This morning, hubby and I worked on our goals for the year.

Next, was getting the house back in order!

On small pieces of paper we wrote what job needed to be done and a fun a game. The aim was to do the job for 20 mins, then stop and play the game as a family for 10mins. We put all the pieces of paper in a container and took turns drawing out the job and associated game. This worked well for our children aged 8, 7 and 5…my 2 year old pottered around, and helped out here and there. It also kept me from getting overwhelmed by focusing on a small job rather than the entire house….oh! and focusing on the game at the end didn’t harm either! We also took plenty of food breaks, and kept things light and fun!

This is what we got done today:

JOB: My youngest daughter’s room. GAME: Musical Statues

JOB: My son’s room. GAME: Hide and seek

JOB: Laundry. GAME:Trampoline

My hubby flipping the kids on the tramp

JOB: Kitchen. GAME: “Don’t eat the Prophet!” (An alternative to “Dont eat Pete” that the kids were taught at church. I have pictures of prophets that I scattered on the floor, then we put a lolly on each of the prophet’s face. One person covers their eyes or goes out of the room, while the group chooses one of pictures to be “it”.  When the player returns, they eat the lollies one at a time; but the minute they touch the picture that is “it” we all yell out “DON’T EAT THE PROPHET” OR “DON’T EAT PETE!” Their turn is over and the next player leaves the room. Continue until all have had a turn.)

JOB: Hallways. GAME: Tickle Monster

JOB: Family Room. GAME: Watched a DVD before bedtime.

Well, I’m off to play Guitar Hero which we rented to rock in 2010!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

I also appreciate your lovely comments, I love reading them!

See you all in 2010!

Repost from last year http://jugglingmotherhood.com/2009/12/31/fun-and-housew…it-is-possible/

Pancakes: Comfort food with a capital “C”!

Posted on by Mika
1

The weather outside in Wellington has been “frightful” (although, nothing compared to England!)

The upside about this kind of weather, is that you can enjoy indoor activities without thinking you are missing out on the beaches, playgrounds and bushwalks ;)

It has been wonderfully busy (and at times stressfully busy!)….dinners with old friends, Christmas parties, Dance concerts, Christmas shopping (done super early…YUS!), Nativity family home evening with friends, Relief Society Christmas meeting to organise and there was a lot eating. I have to mention the chocolate fountain with strawberries, pineapple and jumbo marshmallows to dunk…oh heavenly!

Then, this past Friday night, my body shut down, and I was bedridden until Monday. Hubby took over the reigns, bless his heart, and now I am feeling a lot better! All the busyness is behind me, and now we are just gliding into Christmas!

My 5 year old and I made Cafe Pancakes from Sophie Gray’s book, “Enjoy!”. Thankfully, my son was on the ball, and asked how many eggs we needed just when I thought we were all done…phew! He saved the day!

Below is the recipe I used, which is tripled. It is enough for 1 hungry adult and 4 hungry kids.

3 3/4 cups Flour

3/4 cup Sugar

6 tsp Baking Powder

3 pinches of Salt

3 Eggs

2 1/4 cup Milk, soured with juice from a small lemon

90 g Butter, Melted

  • Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
  • Make a well, and add the eggs.
  • Add half of the milk and mix. Then add the milk a little at a time to form a smooth batter.
  • Finally, stir in the melted butter.
  • Place a big spoonful of the batter into a warm oiled pan. When the batter forms bubbles, turn over. Then cook the otherside until golden. Repeat (you may not need to use any more oil/butter in the pan. Cooking pikelets and pancakes without oil/butter on the pan creates the smooth brown surface on the pancakes.)
  • Serve with butter and maple syrup. YUM!

Pancakes always bring back memories whenever I make and eat them. The thick pancakes drizzled (generously!) with maple syrup, reminds me of how they make them in Japan. The thin crepe-like pancakes topped with sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice, remind me of the pancakes we made with my dad.

Sanity Saver in the Kitchen: Quick Vitamin C hit

Posted on by Mika
4

When my kids get back from school, they are HUNGRY!

I haven’t quite managed to be the kind of mum that has fresh cookies waiting for them as they walk through the door. ;) I do however have a container of pre-cut oranges in the fridge that I can just whip out at a moments notice to add a bit of variety to their afternoon tea.

If you slice along the rind (about 3/4 along) you get an easy snack that the kids can just pop in their mouth.

 

When things get out of kilter…

Posted on by Mika
2

When things start to get out of kilter, I get antsy and feel the need to re-balance. I usually try to swing in the opposite direction and really challenge my habits.

Do you remember the time I decided that our family was going to go without the TV AND computer for a week?

How about the time when I started using twitter to help me with accountability, when I wanted to kick my bad sleeping habits.

Last year, I reported back on our spending detox during the school holidays. No spending other than groceries, petrol and bills (?!?). Read how four children were entertained using no money! (I was re-reading the posts. Gosh, we had fun!)

This week, I have been going out for walks and jogs in the morning. I won’t lie to you, it has been painful to get out of bed in the morning. Once I am out the door, I admit, it does feel satisfying.

I was thinking about the benefits that are gained from creating good habits, and came up with these three:

  • The immediate and obvious benefits associated with the good habit. EG Better health and more energy when you exercise and sleep better.
  • The act of changing things up and distancing yourself from the bad habit is kind of “cleansing”.
  • Stretching yourself to achieve something worthwhile is so good for the soul.

I will be trying to repeat those things in my head when my alarm goes off in the morning this week!

In the Kitchen: Quick Christmas Cupcakes

Posted on by Mika
8

The school lunches were seriously lacking the other day.

Since I had a bit of time up my sleeve, I quickly whipped up a little Christmas treat.

  • Mix up your favourite cupcake recipe (I used the Edmond’s cook recipe and used “No Egg” egg replacement since my daughter would be bringing her one to Playcentre).
  • Put half of the finished mixture in another bowl.
  • Mix in green food colouring in one bowl, and red in the other.
  • Put a spoonful of green into one side of the cupcake liner, then put a spoonful of red into the other side.
  • Don’t be too precious about how they look before they go into the oven, because the mixture automatically fills in any gaps and flattens out and rises.

RAINBOW CUPCAKES

You can mix up different colours and make a treat the kids love. They are so pretty that I don’t even ice them.

(These cupcakes were done with egg, so they seemed to rise better – even after a thorough mixing by a 3 year old!)

EDMONDS COOKERY BOOK CUPCAKES

125g butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup milk

  • Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
  • Sift flour and baking powder together.
  • Fold into creamed mixture.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Place in patty tins. (The recipe says it yeilds 18. I do 9 muffin size cupcakes with this recipe.)
  • Bake at 190 C (380 F) for 15 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly touched. (I keep an eye on it from 12 minutes onwards)
  • Transfer to a wire rack.
  • When cold decorate as wished.

When the cats away, the mice will play….

This is what happens when you leave a 6 year old and 3 year old to lick the bowl…..handprint art on my cook book!!

In the Kitchen: Mika’s Chocolate Chip Pikelets

Posted on by Mika
6

Chocolate Chip Pikelets are quick and easy. They are perfect for an after school snack, shared afternoon/morning tea, or a little baking for the lunchbox. Sometimes I make a batch when we are going on a short outing, so I know we have something simple and filling to eat when we get hungry.

This is a recipe that I have tweaked over the years, but today I finally wrote down the measurements!


1 cup White Flour

1 cup Wholemeal Flour

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs (I quite often use Orgran No Egg: Natural Egg Replacement, and it works fine.. .just bare in mind that the batter doesn’t really bubble when you fry it)

1/2 cup White Sugar (although my next try I want to experiement with brown sugar)

1 1/2 cups Milk

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

  • Put dry ingredients in a bowl and stir
  • In a separate cup or small bowl, mix together the egg and sugar
  • Add egg and sugar mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the milk
  • Stir mixture together until it is just combined (do not beat until smooth)
  • Spoon mixture into a frying pan which has been heated to a medium temperature. (The size of the pikelets is up to you!)
  • When the pikelets start to bubble (unless you are using the egg replacement), turn them over when golden. Fry the other side until golden.

(Here’s a little secret from me to you…..if you use oil/butter you will get the type of pikelets you see in my picture. BUTTT if you have a non-stick pan which you can get away with not using any kind of oil, then you will get a smooth pikelet (kind of like hotcakes)

Source: Google Images

Have you got a Clutter Monster at your house?

Posted on by Mika
4

The Clutter Monster

Watch out for the clutter monster,
Who wants to ruin your life.
He’ll move in uninvited,
And proceed to cause you strife.

He tells you to save,
Each magazine and bill,
If you follow his advice,
Your house will over-fill !

He tells you to keep this,
He tells you to keep that,
Even to keep,
Your grandfather’s hat.

With things in boxes,
All over the place,
You’ll soon find out,
You have no space!

He’s convinced you to keep,
All of your junk.
His advice to you,
Is just plain bunk!

Throw out some paper,
And claim your life back,
The clutter monster,
Will at first give you flack.

If you keep up your efforts,
Your house will look swell.
Clutter monster in your house,
No longer shall dwell.

Mary Ann Matulis

This fun poem was read out by Galit Maxwell at her “Sort Your Clutter” workshop, which was put on by The Yummy Mummy Club this week.

I think a lot of us came away feeling inspired, and motivated to tackle our clutter!

Some learning I will take away:

  • If we keep things “just incase”, we are not showing faith in the universe that it will provide.
  • You should keep things that mean something to you, and is uplifting.
  • Keep quality! Get rid of quantity!
  • Set time limit to items, and then let go of it. (Having a deadline is especially handy if people are asking you to store something.)
  • A child’s room should grow with a child. It should have items in the room that represent their present self. (That goes for adults as well, we should have items around the home that represent our current self – although some mementos are good if they make you feel good)
  • Clutter makes you feel tired, keeps you in the past and distracts from doing things.
  • Everything needs to have a place!
  • Clutter is an extension of what is going on inside.

If you get a bunch of friends together, you can get Galit to do this workshop for you (Minimum of 8 people, the host is free!). In the workshop she goes over all the clutter-prone areas in the home, and shares tips on how to keep the clutter at bay. I like how she goes over the purpose of the areas of the home. For example, our Bedroom is there to give you good rest, it should be calming and it should be a retreat. It is easy to see that my a cluttered nightstand could detract from that. ;)

She is even available to hire to help you formulate a plan and tackle the clutter!

All this goes along with an Anti-Procrastination podcast that I recently was listening to by Flylady. If you are suffering from CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome) I suggest you stop by her website and start on her babysteps.

At the end of the night, my friends and I decided to look in our handbags to see who had the weirdest item. I think I may have won when I pulled out a stone (?!?!)

Does anyone else have something “odd” lurking around their handbag?

In the Kitchen: 16 Snack Ideas

Posted on by Mika
5

Lately, I have been trying to add variety to what I put in the kid’s lunchboxes.

We tried cold pasta with sausages & veges, rolls, french stick sammies, tortilla wraps, pita bread pizzas and some other variations. Next on my list to try is sushi!

Today, I needed some inspiration and ideas on what to feed the kids when they came home from school. Thankfully, my lovely friends on Facebook came to the rescue with a bunch of suggestions! I thought I would share them with you. What is your favourite snack to whip up?

16 Snack ideas:

  1. Cheese toasties
  2. Fried rice
  3. Toast with their favourite spreads
  4. Fruit
  5. Popcorn
  6. Muffins
  7. Scones
  8. Smoothies
  9. Carrot sticks and hummus
  10. Homemade soup and toast
  11. Big glass of chocolate milk
  12. Cheese and crackers
  13. Jelly
  14. Rice crackers and hummus
  15. Pikelets
  16. Pancakes

My Love/Hate Relationship with Routines

Posted on by Mika
4

When it comes to routines (meaning things that need to get done on a regular basis…including chores and things that promote physical/emotional/spiritual wellness):

I LOVE the peace it gives me, and the feeling of being on top of things. I love not feeling overwhelmed. I love the feeling of satisfaction. I love it when the kids’ routines are so ingrained that they do it without being told! (*YEEEES* *fist pump*)

I HATE convincing myself to do any sort of routine when I am tired. It’s like I am choosing to rebel, but it’s like I am rebelling against myself! I hate getting the kids to do their routines when neither of us are in the mood. I hate the fall out that comes from neglecting the routines too long…..kids searching for socks, hubbies searching for dishes, mummies negotiating walking through the family room without stepping on something!

It never ceases to amaze me how EASILY the house can get turned upside down even after one day of not picking up after ourselves.

So this week I am going to be working on being more consistent with our routines so we can enjoy the peace of mind (and sanity) that comes from having order in the home.

My plan of attack:

  • Get plenty of rest
  • Establish realistic routines
  • Be consistent
  • Motivate with small rewards (“just do A, B and C, then I can do D”)
  • Be flexible when needed

Twittering about my goals has always helped me stay motivated and feel accountable.

So feel free to follow my tweets at JugglinMthrhood.



Lessons in Motherhood: A week without TV and Computer

Posted on by Mika
5

Well, we are back from our weeklong break of the TV and computer. You may be wondering how we did!

Last week we were blessed with the most amazing winter weather in Wellington. We spent our TV/Computer free week of the school holidays going out every day and loving it! Our days were spent at parks, library visits, creativity centres, craft workshops, train trips and we even had a night walk and did some star-gazing.

The rest of the time we read books that we got out at the library, and drew…drew…and drew some more (restocking our art supply was one of the best investments of the week!)

My hubby thought he woke up to the twilight zone to find our 5 year old boy sitting at the table drawing (he usually just draws when his sisters draw) and our 9 year old daughter in the lounge reading a book (she is usually the one drawing).

Also, the other thing that I noticed, was that the children just got on with playing with each other. Sometimes all together, sometimes they would break off in twos. Lots of complex imaginative play that would just go on and on. It was fantastic! It would have never happened if their faces were glued to the computer screen or TV.

My 9 year old told me that she loved the week, and prefered it over watching TV or playing on the computer.

I also noticed that the kids and I settled and went to sleep a lot better too!?!

As the kids adjusted to having no computer and TV during the day, I had to adjust to it in the evening, when I usually hop on.

I must admit the first night I was bored! I soon found things to occupy my time though. Sometimes it was working on my to-do list, like mending clothes (finally!!) and reading new books. Most nights I would end up just hanging out with my hubby, which was looovely. We went out on a date on Friday, and when we came home my mum said the kids were really good. My Hubby attributed it to the TV/Computer Free week. ;)

I think the thing I missed the most was the convenience of paying for bills online…I had to post cheques and use the phone! (old skool!)

I can tell you that I didn’t miss the fights over who’s turn it was on the computer/TV, or the kids getting grumpy when the TV got turned off, or the late nights after letting the computer suck too much of my time.

I like the freedom of being computer free in the evenings and during the day…so I am having to re-think how I am going to fit it into my routine. hmmmmm??

That is where we are at the moment…figuring out how to transition back into using them again, and how much to use.

It was a great exercise to become free of those things that we thought were quite established in our lives.

We got to see that, actually, we can manage quite well without them, thank you very much!

Follow on from the post: “Going Off-Line for a Week…You’re What?!?!”

Shhh…. I’m sharing the award winning cheese roll recipe

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4

Source: www.scifest.org.nz

The search is finally over for the “The Ultimate Southern Cheese Roll”. Cheese Rolls are a staple in the South Island, just like Paninis are to Wellington cafes! hehehe

The competition was part of the New Zealand International Science Festival. The winning cheese roll was analysed by the University of Otago’s Food Science Team alongside a panel of culinary experts. How very official!!

The winner, Joy Jones said that she had been making her winning cheese roll recipe for over 8 years and that it was a family recipe passed down by her mother. She was able to beat off 80 other entries.

I remember a friend from Playcentre making some cheese rolls for the kids, and they LOVED them! She told me that the best part about the cheese rolls is after you roll them you can pop the tray straight into the freezer. Then, once frozen you pop them into a zip lock bag so you always have an easy snack that can go straight into the oven, and is ready at a moment’s notice.

Joy Jones’ Winning Cheese Roll Recipe

500 grams grated cheese – (Mainland Mild Blend or Mild Cheddar)

1 tin Nestle carnation evaporated milk (375ml)

1 pkt Maggi onion soup mix (32g packet or 1.13oz)

1 finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon mustard powder

¼ cup cream

Heat in microwave for 6 mins – stirring in between time, cool – spread lengthways onto long cut white bread from Marlow’s Bakery, South Dunedin. Roll into cheese rolls (3 folds).

(They didn’t include the cooking instructions….you can either put a bit of butter on the cheese rolls just before you pop them in the oven….or you can spread butter on the outside of the bread before you put the mixture in and roll it. Then you either bake it or grill it (you’ll have to turn it if you grill it) until golden and crispy.)

Recipe source: scoop.co.nz

A Good Read:

Otago Daily Times: Quest to find the ultimate cheese roll (with video on how to assemble a cheese roll)

How Twitter helped me kick my bad sleeping habit!

Posted on by Mika
7

I loved the time to myself after the kids went to bed. It was quiet and still. It felt like there was an endless amount of time in front of me to use how I liked. And that is how I treated it, endless. I would go to bed way too late, spending time on things that, in the grand scheme of things, didn”t really matter. It started affecting me in a negative way. I was behind the 8 ball when I woke up. I felt tired during the day. I knew I had to make a change.

I thought that if I advertised it to the world through my blog…then I would have to go through with it. I thought about using twitter. I was not familiar with twitter, but I thought I would give it ago, and learn as I went along.  Not only did it help with reporting my progress, but it helped me with my motivation and accountability.

If there is a goal that you are working on, but you’re not sure if you have the will power to pull it off. I would totally recommend “twittering” about it. I know it helped me on at least 3 occasions when I felt tempted to slip into old habits.  (Staying up late on Friday night, sleeping in on Saturday morning, and having a “nana nap” on Sunday afternoon) Knowing I would have to twitter about my downfall, convinced me to keep on track with my goal.

6 Things I got out of my Goal of “Early to Bed, Early to Rise”

 

 

1. Alertness. I felt alert and prepared for the day ahead. My mind and my body felt alert, and I had more patience. Having a 20 min power nap, drinking plenty of water and getting sunlight also helped me with alertness.

2. Downtime in the evening. I logged off the computer at least between 30mins-1 hour before my bedtime. This meant I was not tempted 5 mins before my bedtime to “just look at this other website, because it will only take a minute!”. I read books, magazines and chatted with my hubby. It was a nice transition into sleep for the night.

3. Quiet time in the morning. It is so peaceful in the mornings. Just you and your thoughts. There is time for nice long prayers, and just to be still and think. It was a perfect start to the day.

4. Exercise. I had not exercised in a while, but because I of the extra time in the morning, I was able to fit in a daily walk/jog

5. Empowerment. I felt empowered because I was making good choices that affected not only me, but my family as well. When I woke up earlier, I felt a lot more in control, and ready to face the day having made my first good choice for the day.

6. Family Involvement. Both my hubby and I were going to bed late and waking up late before I started the goal. After I started, my hubby decided to join me, and raved about how much stuff he was able to get done in the morning. I noticed the whole household started getting up earlier. My 7 & 9 year old daughters also joined me on occasion on my early morning walks. They prepped their stuff the night before, and woke up and got themselves ready all by themselves.

6. Happier! Good sleeping pattern + Exercise +Feeling of achievement = Good Mood!

 

 

 

Some good reads:

Simple Mom: 4 Great Reasons to Wake Up Early

Serene Journey: My Favourite Time of the Day

Zen Habits: 10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It

Sanity Savers: In the Laundry

Posted on by Mika
8

The sock monster had well and truly invaded my house, and left the carnage of matchless socks behind it. The children were growing out of their clothes at rapid speeds that I wasn’t keeping up with, and I was sure that one of my “angels” had been putting their clean clothes into the laundry hamper…hmmmm..

All this equaled MOUNT WASHMORE!

Peace has been restored on the laundry front, and here is how I did it:

  • Buy multiple pairs of socks that are the same colour/pattern. This has saved my life!! No longer am I searching for the illusive striped or flower sock, I just need to find the similar coloured sock, and match away! I also put the socks in a mesh bag, which makes finding socks a lot easier (I put the mesh bag straight into the dryer too!). My friend pegs matching socks on the washing line and then folds them together when they dry to combat the sock monster. (Her sister was the one that got me onto buying multiples of socks…fountain of wisdom between the two I tell ya!)
  • Have a holding bay for stray socks. Create a holding bay for your matchless socks. As a stray sock comes through the wash, check the “holding bay” to find a match. Purge the “holding bay” often! (It is not ok to have baby socks in your holding bay when your youngest is 3…yes I am speaking from experience!)
  • Take it out of circulation. You KNOW the top is too small for them/too uncomfortable/they just don’t like it and they never wear it, so why does it continually turn up in your laundry pile, or your child’s drawer? As you sort your clean washing, and you come across something your child no longer wears, put it in one of these containers to 1.Store it (for the next child), 2.Donate it (get it out of your house asap), or 3.Sell it (get on trademe and make a bit of change), 4.Mend it, or 5.Throw it away…but whatever you do, DO NOT put it back into circulation!
  • Get the kids involved. Have you thought about getting your kids involved? Maybe they can: Help separate and sort the clean laundry. Assist with the loading and starting of the washing machine and/or dryer. Fold clothing according to their capabilities. Put away their clothes (even if they are young, and can only manage their socks and underwear). Learn to put their own dirty laundry IN the hamper.
  • Get a routine that works for you. Whether you do multiple loads in one day, or you do a load a day, the key is to find a routine that works for you. If you are constantly searching for clothes, then it’s time to re-visit the routine and try something different! Since I am constantly in and out of the house, I use the act of returning home as a trigger to do the next step in the laundry BEFORE I do anything else. This way, it is always small and manageable and means it is less time consuming, and can slot into my schedule easier.

Happy Laundry Days everyone!

My best buys this week!

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3

I love a good bargin. It makes me happy :)

I think the thing I love about it is the fact that the item is affordable enough to take home with me!

Here are some things that I am swooning over this week:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R Covey – I have been on the hunt for this book to read for the Simple Mom’s Book Club. I bought the book from trademe (similar to ebay). The seller was 5 mins drive away from me, so no postage necessary. $10!

Singleton Flower Brooch – This lovely brooch was made by Ms SewFunky. I have been wearing it the last couple of days. Makes me feel very pretty! $10 + $2.50 postage!

Modena Bowls – I spotted these at The Warehouse yesterday, and just loved the colours. They will not be making an appearance in the kitchen, they will be living in the study as part of my home decor. $8!

Yummy yummy fabric - I think I actually “gasped” when I found this in the fabric bin at our local op shop/thrift store. I’m officially in love with it. For one meter….$3!!!!

It was my discovery date today. So I went out to get inspired and find fabrics for some sewing projects. 30%-50% off the discounted price of the sale fabrics at Spotlight Wellington! At Spotlight Porirua they are selling some rolls for $1 a metre! Now I will be surfing the online tutorials to teach myself how to make something out of them! ;)

Getting past my decorator’s block!

Posted on by Mika
15

Home decorating is not one of my strengthes.

Although, I have started to get an idea of what I like, pulling it all together is a bit daunting. Consequently, I have focused on being functional rather than fashionable (which sometimes can be a good thing with 4 kids!). Butttt..deep down I would like a home that reflects our lifestyle, interests and personality.

Recently I worked through some of my decorator’s block:

  • I purchased some cushions in my favourite colour. I chose something because it was fashionable, instead of functional….let’s face it people, cushions plus children equals cushions constantly on the floor, rather than on the couch.

  • My hubby and I framed more of my photos. Even thought I wanted to “stall” to think about the “right” photos, or the “right” frame or the “right” place to hang the photos, my hubby helped me push through to the end….encouraging me to just “try it!” I’m so glad we “tried it out” because it looks so much better than before…which was NOTHING!

This is part of our downstairs hallway:

These are some photographs I took at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens last October:

I was inspired by Centsational Girl transforming her photographs of white flowers into black and white prints. She gives really easy instructions, and I just love her end results!

Here are mine:

Below are some of my before and after shots (I would love to get large square frames like CG too!):

These were some wild flowers growing on the side of the road to Arthurs Pass. In Picasa I boosted the saturation, cropped it and made it black and white.

Before:

After:

I took this photo when I was walking around Christchurch last Oct 09.

Before:

After:

For the tulip photographs, I cropped two of the photos, to make them less busy. I also wanted them in portrait style, rather than landscape.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I love these photos, but I can’t take any credit for them…it just happened to be drizzling when I took the photos…and look at the colour of those tulips! They are beautiful!!

Now I get to stare at them every day! I’m glad I got past my decorator’s block!

Reality Check: Now I just need to get rid of the mess and clutter that seems to accumulate around the hallway so it doesn’t distract from the photos! hahaha

Housework and Fun?? It is possible!

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2

It’s been a great week of relaxing. Yesterday, we went on another of my favourite bushwalks in Khandallah that ends up at the Khandallah Playground.

This morning, hubby and I worked on our goals for the year.

Next, was getting the house back in order!

On small pieces of paper we wrote what job needed to be done and a fun a game. The aim was to do the job for 20 mins, then stop and play the game as a family for 10mins. We put all the pieces of paper in a container and took turns drawing out the job and associated game. This worked well for our children aged 8, 7 and 5…my 2 year old pottered around, and helped out here and there. It also kept me from getting overwhelmed by focusing on a small job rather than the entire house….oh! and focusing on the game at the end didn’t harm either! We also took plenty of food breaks, and kept things light and fun!

This is what we got done today:

JOB: My youngest daughter’s room. GAME: Musical Statues

JOB: My son’s room. GAME: Hide and seek

JOB: Laundry. GAME:Trampoline

My hubby flipping the kids on the tramp

JOB: Kitchen. GAME: “Don’t eat the Prophet!” (An alternative to “Dont eat Pete” that the kids were taught at church. I have pictures of prophets that I scattered on the floor, then we put a lolly on each of the prophet’s face. One person covers their eyes or goes out of the room, while the group chooses one of pictures to be “it”.  When the player returns, they eat the lollies one at a time; but the minute they touch the picture that is “it” we all yell out “DON’T EAT THE PROPHET” OR “DON’T EAT PETE!” Their turn is over and the next player leaves the room. Continue until all have had a turn.

JOB: Hallways. GAME: Tickle Monster

JOB: Family Room. GAME: Watched a DVD before bedtime.

Well, I’m off to play Guitar Hero which we rented to rock in 2010!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

I also appreciate your lovely comments, I love reading them!

See you all in 2010!

In the kitchen: Christmas Pudding Puffs

Posted on by Mika
6

Photo by Juggling Motherhood

Want the “wow” factor the next time you bring a plate to a Christmas function? Try making these delicious treats using MallowPuffs (or equivalents).

I saw the recipe by Simon Holst in the Little Treasures magazine a year ago, and thought they were the cutest things! I made a tray of these for the Family Home Evening we had last week at my friend’s house.

Photo by Juggling Motherhood

Christmas Pudding Puffs

Ingredients:

MallowPuffs (or equivalents)

Jaffas (or some sort of red candy)

Spearmint leaf lollies (I found these at The Warehouse)

Icing – You can either use melted white chocolate, or make your own icing with icing sugar. I used the icing sugar version. As I assembling each “pudding”, I would put it straight into the fridge to allow the icing to harden so the “holly” wouldn’t start sliding off.

Icing

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tbsp boiling water

1 cup icing sugar

1-2 tsp extra water if required

Put the butter in a medium-sized bowl, add the boiling water and stir until the butter has melted. Sift in the icing sugar, then mix to make a soft, smooth icing. Add 1-2 tsp extra water if required, but don’t make the icing too soft or you won’t be able to stick the decorations on.

Assembling the “puddings”

Spread about a teaspoon of icing on each MallowPuff then decorate with a couple of spearmint leaf lollies and a jaffa or two!

(I used 1 packet of jaffas, a packet of spearmint leaves and 3 packets of MallowPuffs and it made a huge tray full.)

Photo by Juggling Motherhood

I don’t think my kids have ever seen a traditional Christmas pudding!

Read post incase of emergency

Posted on by Mika
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Not that this would ever happen to you…because eerrrrr…it didn’t happen to us….but if “someone” you know got a phone call in the morning to confirm a dinner appointment for later in the evening (which “they” forgot about) and had a house that looked liked a hurricane had blown through it and had no food in the house, this post might be of benefit to “them”!

  1. Get more bang for your buck. The focus areas are: a kitchen cleaned up ready for cooking, a clean and inviting bathroom, clear & de-cluttered hallways and entrance, clear the table for eating obviously (you could even get away with setting the table when they arrive if you are totally stuck on time – although this grates some people who find this inviting gesture really important), and have a tidy area they can relax and mingle. And vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!
  2. Write a list of what needs to be done: On your list you would include the rooms that need work, time for cooking and shopping etc. Write it all down. *faint* *pick yourself up again* and then go to the next step.
  3. Choose a simple meal that isn’t labour intensive: I choose One could choose something like a sage & onion chicken roast (did I mention this was one of those “ready to roast” easy peasy chickens?)with rosemary & garlic roast vegetables. A side of salad and a basket of store-bought rolls. An easy dessert could be a self-saucing fudge pudding with ice cream.
  4. Write down the approximate time each task will take. Go down your list and guess how long each task will take. Be realistic. If you can not fit everything in before the guests arrive, then you need to start prioritising and see if you can cut anything out. If your children are really young, realise that you will not have as much time to get everything done, because one adult will be with the children. If your children are older, they can pitch in with certain jobs. You also need to put time aside for lunch and snacks etc.
  5. Write out a schedule for the day. Get an A4 piece of paper and write down the time in 15 min increments down the left hand side of the paper. Along the top divide the paper into 3 columns: hubby, you, kids. Start allocating jobs to time slots. For the children’s column write out what activities you will be doing with them today.
  6. Adjust the plan. You are bound to have to adjust the schedule as you go along, that is the reality. When you find that things take longer than you thought, quickly adjust the plan to accomodate the change in the schedule.
  7. Focus on what needs to be done. Always think, what would have to be done if they were to walk in the door right now.
  8. Always think of the bigger picture. Don’t suddenly decide you need to re-organise the entire bookcase when your time could be better spent on other jobs.
  9. When the guests arrive, be ok with what you have done. So your house doesn’t look like it would if you had kept on top of it during the week….but recognise that you have done a lot. Give yourself a pat on the back, and enjoy the evening.
  10. Vow that you won’t let this happen again. Tell yourself not to rely on your memory next time. Tell yourself that you won’t let your house get in such a state again.  Tell yourself that you will try harder this week……then put your feet up and leave the dishes until tomorrow……….JUST KIDDING!!! Enjoy all the work that you have put in the house today AFTER you clean up.
  11. After all that, wonder whether it would have been easier to have ordered pizzas and stick to one room of the house. hahahaha

Valuing what we have: Day 7

Posted on by Mika
5

I have finished my 1 week challenge of taking pride in our home and valuing what we have.

LESSONS LEARNED:

  • Doing little projects each day helped me to combat the feelings of being overwhelmed.
  • The projects didn’t take that long, and can be dotted throughout the day. I found that timing the jobs was helpful.
  • When you complete a project (like de-cluttering and finding a proper home for things) you end up reaping the benefits from that moment on. Benefits like having less stress at looking at that unfinished project and saving time because things are orderly.
  • If you keep on top of your chores you have more time to “play”!
  • It is not unreasonable to get the kids involved.  Some days they were more willing than others, but it is important to persevere as it is a valuable life lesson that we are teaching them.
  • De-cluttering feels good!

 

If you want to take better care of what you have, and get your family involved, here are some tips for you:

  • Make it a family effort. Share with the family that there is going to be a new family ethos or culture, where “we take care of our things”. Share examples of how they will be involved in this vision.
  • Take the time to teach the children. How are the children going to know how to treasure our things, unless we take the time to show them? We need to be aware of and take advantage of the learning opportunities in our children’s lives.
  • De-clutter. Go through our stuff and get rid of things we don’t need. This reduces mess and saves us time and effort (cleaning it up, storing it, etc etc). It also makes room for things that we really do want to keep.
  • A place for everything, and everything in its place. When everyone knows where things belong, clean up is easier. Choosing appropriate “homes” also helps prevent items getting wrecked.
  • Set an example. As parents we need to lead by example. How can we expect the kids to take on this challenge, if we are too tired to put any effort in?
  • Buy quality things that will last long. Get out of the habit of buying cheap things, that will eventually break. We will save money in the end.
  • Fix and mend. When things start to break or tear, fix it up or get rid of it. This again is building on the family ethos of “we take care of our things”.
  • Think before you buy. Where will we put it? Do we need it? Will it break easily? How hard is the upkeep?
  • Take pride in what you do have. Whether our possessions are as old as our great great grandma or our decor is more shabby than chic…we still can take pride in what we do have. When we let our possessions fall in disarray, we are basically saying it is ok for us to live that way, WE need to have pride in ourselves. We are worth it!
  • Do a little, often. Have little projects you are going to tackle every day. This can be random areas, or a regular (easy) cleaning routine. Flylady’s sneak peak for the week, has daily jobs in their chosen area for the week.

Perhaps in the end it is embracing a type of minimalist lifestyle where we:

  • get rid of what we don’t need
  • take good care of what we do have
  • do not become a slave to the things we own (and the upkeep of it)
  • therefore freeing ourselves to value what really matters most…which are the people in our lives.

Family on the Beach

Related posts:

How do we let go of what we don’t need and value what we have?

Valuing what we have: Day 1

Valuing what we have: Day 2

Valuing what we have: Day 3

Valuing what we have: Day 4

Valuing what we have: Day 5

Valuing what we have: Day 6

Valuing what we have: Day 6

Posted on by Mika
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Yeah! Saturday! We were blessed with another sunny day!

DD8 and I took part in the Heart Foundation Heart Walkers Wellington 2009. It was really great! My mum and I did it  last year, and this year I was lucky enough to participate with my daughter.

http://www.heha.org.nz/assets/resized/sm/Event5468/images/hvek99x4hz/Heart%20Walker%20A3%20Poster-278-278-268-368.jpg

CELEBRATIONS:

  • Taking pride in our home: We were able to reap the benefits of keeping on top of the housework this week and had a rest from any cleaning! This doesn’t mean that our house was spotlessly clean, we just didn’t need to catch up on a week’s worth of housecleaning (like we sometimes have to do on a Saturday).
  • Taking pride in our car: Kids all took their bits and pieces out of the car when we got home.
  • We were able to find all the things we needed for our outing easily. Sunscreen, picnic blanket, pinic bag and water bottles were all in their “homes”.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:

  • I still have some things that we used on our outing that need to be returned to their “homes”.
  • 2 Loads of laundry needs to be put away now!

How do we let go of what we don’t need and value what we have?

Valuing what we have: Day 1

Valuing what we have: Day 2

Valuing what we have: Day 3

Valuing what we have: Day 4

Valuing what we have: Day 5

Valuing what we have: Day 7