weekending...first dance lesson

My, we are only three but she knows what she wants.  After numerous requests to go to dance class I finally made the decision that Miss Flutterby could try it out to see if she liked it.  You see, I was once a dance student.  I began when I was 5 and continued dance training while studying at University.  I also taught a few classes for a number of years.  You might be thinking there are many mums out there that would love their daughter to dance.  Don't get me wrong, I loved dancing.  But...I also know the commitment, I know what this all means.  I thought yep, I give her 20 minutes and she'll be out of there.  Boy, was I wrong.  One hour later she emerged having completed the entire class; ballet, tap and jazz. 

Lesson 1 down (above)...she is hooked!  Miss Flutterby couldn't stop smiling.  We will have a few more trial lessons before I commit to purchasing shoes etc. 
Mental note: take more things to entertain a 5 year old and a 22 month old - I am sure the hour seemed like more with comments from Master Flutterbug (5) like, 'Oh this is so booooring...when is she going to finnnnishhhhh'.  'I'm hungry, don't we have anything else to eat?' Brotherly love, don't you just love it.

Weekending...here and now

 



A nature walk around the lake allows us to appreciate the new season.  Oh Autumn, we have plans.  There are plans to spend more time on projects inside and there are plans to spend time outside enjoying your balmy weather. 
 
Here, the sun struggles to sustain its harsh sting.  Now, the wind is stirring around these parts. 

Yes, we are looking forward to Autumn. 
 

Happy weekending to you and your family.

xo

my how they grow...

 

Today was our Day Care Christmas party.  It always gets me thinking about how much these little ones have grown.  It's a bit sad that this is the last time they will be together for a while in the one place.  Master flutterbug is starting Prep next year.  Although Miss flutterby is only three she is starting Kindy with another organisation and baby flutterbug is staying put for now but moving up to the 'big kids' room - the toddler room. 

 

 

2011...

 

2012...

 

2013...

braving Santa on his own!

 

Christmas craft ...

 

A brother to look up to...

 

Miss independent...

I would have liked to taken a photo of all three together however, once Santa arrived Miss flutterby and baby flutterbug cried and cried (that's putting it mildly) as they were scared of the big man in the suit. Suddenly I was juggling kids, cameras and the heat.  Unfortunately the mental note I made in the morning...'have to take a photo of all three', was quickly forgotten. You'd be pleased to know they did recover.  Nothing like air conditioning, a cool drink and morning tea to pacify upset toddlers. 

xo

graduation

As you know I've been absent from the online world - there's been a lot happening behind the scenes that has kept me away.  My focus at the moment is with my family and friends. 

At least for today there was a reason to smile - master flutterbug graduated from kindergarten! We spend the day visiting an animal sanctuary with his class. 

 

 

 

Of course the playground was the best part!

 

I am so proud of our little man.  

 

 xo

library days...

Now there's another reason why we like to visit the library.

xo

simple

Hello there.  I did say we were keeping it simple around here these days.  Here are a few snaps from our 'simple' week.

coffee with friends

Playtime in the park.

 

A visit to the library.



 

Watching our garden grow.

 

A new sign to hang.



 

Yep, 'simple' is working around here. 

Wishing you a lovely end to your week.

xo

weekending...

Yes, it's hard to believe, but this is winter in Queensland! It was so hot this morning that running through the hose and wearing a hat was a must.

Happy weekending to you.

xo

berrylicious smoothie recipe

It's hard to believe it is late winter as the weather is simply beautiful here.  There is so much colour surrounding us at this time of year.  Inspired by all the pink, purple and blue berry hues I decided to experiment and make a berry smoothie.  

Flutterbymama's Berrylicious Smoothie

1 cup low fat milk (approx.)
2 handfuls of fresh or frozen mixed berries
1 heaped tablespoon of yoghurt (low sugar)
1 heaped tablespoon of protein powder

Blitz the heck out of it.

Kitchen Note: This smoothie has a thick consistency. 

Enjoy!
xo

weekending...

 

 

We had a relaxing weekend visiting the markets in the county. 
I hope you had a great weekend too.

xo

weekending...

 

 

We've been doing a bit of everything this weekend. From building bonfires, to drawing (above - it's a dog), doing puzzles and squeezing in a bit of shopping too. 

 

What have you been up to this weekend?

xo

absent days...

My apologies for being absent.  Not long after I took this photo on Tuesday we were at the doctors.  Baby flutterbug was struck with an awlful contagious virus. 

He looks happy (above) wearing his big brother's jumper because it was so cold outside.  Within a matter of a couple of hours I noticed the warning signs and we were at the doctors.  We have basically been at home looking after him trying to make him as comfortable as possible.  He can't have anything to treat the virus just panadol, rest, fluids etc.  Hopefully things should start improving in a few more days.  I had a lot of plans for this first week of our holidays to share with you but everything has been put on hold until everyone feels a bit better.
xo

Weekending...

I have to admit I was stuck inside (ALL) weekend marking, profiling and reporting and there's more to complete for this week yet.  I was glad however, that three out of the five of us were able to take advantage of the sunshine today and while I had my head down working, my husband took master flutterbug and miss flutterby out for the morning.  Baby flutterbug was sound asleep at home with me.  I gave instructions to take some photos to share with you.  Trust me, these were the best shots.  I hope you had a great weekend.  xo.

I went walking...

My goodness, it is hard to believe we are half way through the week already.  I am literally in recovery mode - a teething baby flutterbug and a sick boy, both are on the mend thank goodness, but baby flutterbug still has no teeth yet!

Given the hectic weekend, it was good to finally get some fresh air and to think about what the next few days entail.  To tell you the truth I didn't really do too much thinking.  Walking was just a good opportunity to breathe and enjoy.

 

 

I hope you had the chance to do the same today.

xo

Weekending...

I've been hanging out with my girlfriends this morning at a very quaint local cafe.  There's nothing better than happy chatter amongst friends about home, work, kids, husbands and well, life in general really - Oh so good. 

 

Happy, warm weekending to you.

xo

wild weather

In Queensland we have been experiencing wild, wild weather from the country to the coast.  On the down-side, my roof is leaking in several areas; my sister is stranded half way between her house and mine and my dryer is helping to increase my electricity bill.  On the up-side, my lawn is looking green, green, green.  I am also thankful that we live well away from the creeks, we still have power, drinking water, a roof over our heads and most importantly, we have each other.   

I cannot take credit for the following photos they were taken by my friends.

'county to coast'

 

 

 



 

Here's hoping the rain stops soon. 

weekending...

Happy weekend to you and your family.

My apologies for my previous 'weekending' post not working.  I am having some issues uploading photos on Blogger.  When I realised it wasn't working I was away from my computer at the time.  Anyway I am still having some issues posting photos so I hope I can fix the problem soon. 

I will be posting more photos (hopfully) of our adventures from the weekend tomorrow.  Have a lovely afternoon and thanks for your patience xo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas...(3)

Well we know why this time of year is called the 'silly season'.  My list of things to do is getting longer not shorter.  Nevertheless, it's always nice to steal a few moments of solitude amongst the chaos even if it is until midnight.  This year I decided to make our own advent calendar.  This is such a good activity that everyone can be involved in and heaps of ideas can be found on the internet.  Here is my simple home-made version.  I just have to find a spot on the wall and fill the envelopes with some goodies or tags that reveal a surprise/activity.  

Something sweet for Christmas…

Advent Calendar

Supplies:

For this project I raided my craft box.  Some of the items above are very (very) old and some are new. 

1. Paper - Amy tangerine (6x6) a recent purchase from 'Spotlight'.
2. Wooden pegs - small packet from discount store 'Waynes World'.
3. Scissors with edging - discount store 'Waynes World'.
4. Tags, string and envelopes (seed packets) - from local newsagent.
5. Wooden stamps - (featured above) scavenged through discount bins at craft shows many years ago.
6. Other wooden block stamps (featured on advent envelopes) are mostly from 'Stampin up' my friend is a demonstrator. These stamps are quite a few years old now. 
7. Sparkle emblishments - from discount store 'Crazy Prices'.
8. Paper with typography on it - from packet that bought tags, string and envelopes in from newsagent.
9. flower press cutter - from discount store 'Crazy Prices'.
10. Typography rub ons - from discount store 'Crazy Prices'.
11. Date stamp - I have had this for many years but I think I just picked it up from a newsagent.

I bought Amy Tangerine 6x6 paper stack, the seed envelopes, string, tags and pegs recently.  The other items I have had for many, many years.  I always wash/clean my wooden stamp blocks after use and dry them thoroughly before packing away. 

For a project like this you don't need to spend a fortune.  There really is a lot to be said about searching in discount stores and just use materials you have around your home; pens, pencils, printables/templates from the internet, magazines, photos, stencils, crayons, glitter, stamps, stickers, paints, watercolours, leaves, sticks, gumnuts, post it notes etc. 

Keep it simple and enjoy the process.

xo

weekending...

xo

time flies...

It's amazing how quickly time flies.  Around this time ever year we attend our local Daycare Christmas party.  There's food, fun, plenty of mama chatter and of course, Santa.  Looking back to 2011, I found this shot of my two little ones. 


Daycare xmas party, 2011



I had to actually check the 'properties' tag on the photo to make sure it was last year. 

Now look how much we have grown!



Daycare xmas party, 2012

I am so glad to be witnessing these moments and I'm also glad that blogging has given me even more of a reason to use my cameras.  Just to make sure I continue to capture memorable moments, Santa's present to self (shhhhhh...) also arrived. 

Thank you Santa, you spoil me. 

Somehow I don't think this one will make it under the tree.

xo