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

52 weeks of grateful: garden harvest

Late yesterday afternoon we picked some of our vegies, baby carrots, kale, beans and herbs to add to our roast dinner last night.  Growing kale is something new for me this year.  It seems fairly pest resistant and its delicious.  This is also the first time growing beans, they didn't last long on our dinner plates.  What's growing in your garden at the moment?
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

november

As I've started to connect back into the online world I've realised that I am not the only mama out there 'staying afloat'.  For me, this month, I am just going to do my best to 'keep things simple', such as, flow with the routine, make simple meals, make time for doing what nurtures our creative souls and spend time with family and friends. Actually, 'keep it simple' may well be my mantra for the rest of the year. xo

Thank you for your patience

Thanks for being patient while I've been absent.  After our lovely holiday by the beach my husband ended up flat on his back for five days on the lounge room floor (all good now), there was a master flutterbug's fifth birthday party celebration to organise, back to school busyness, a weekend away and now baby flutterbug's teeth are making a grand entrance - so we've had a few sleepless nights, a trip to the doctors, a few days off work etc. and generally lots of hugs and kisses are being given out to soothe a little boy's aches and pains. 
I hope to be back here soon.
xo

holiday break...poolside

It was great to enjoy some 'down time' by the pool this holiday break. 

 

The pool area was so spacious, relaxing and family friendly. There were plenty of areas for the kids just to enjoy their surroundings. 

 

There was also time to check out how the gardens were doing. We also had to locate all the hoses and watering system features! 

All the garden maintenance and swimming wore baby flutterbug out.

 



 

Of course we couldn't leave without a final swim all together. 



Wishing you happy spring days ahead.
xo

hello october...

Is it October already! Where is the year going?  
In October I have to say this is the month of calm, its almost surreal.  Yes, we know what lies ahead; birthdays, spring cleaning and returning to the busyness of work, social gatherings and functions.  But before it gets too crazy in the months ahead, in October we move to a new rhythm that flows with the beautiful weather we are experiencing at the moment.  We are making the most of the early mornings and the cool evenings.  We are spending time working and playing in the garden/yard and finding the joy and peace that comes with being outside and being together. 

What do you enjoy most about October?
xo

52 weeks of grateful...holiday break: Noosa Beach

If you ever come to Queensland and visit the Sunshine Coast a must see destination is Noosa.  We spent a few afternoons here at Noosa Beach. 

Baby flutterbug enjoyed finding abandoned toys and bringing them over to us...Oops. 

Mostly they just enjoyed running in and out of the water.  

Of course you have to make time to have an ice cream. 

Yep, we love the beach!
xo

 

weekending...holiday break

Earlier this week we took a road trip to the Sunshine Coast to visit friends and spend a few days at the beach.  While we were away we visited the Ginger Factory at Yandina.  Admission is free but if you want to do a tour or ride the Ginger Train you have to purchase your tickets at the information booth. 

 

When we arrived we enjoyed lunch at the Ginger Café. They had a range of meals and specials on offer to suit the whole family. 

Even though the adults may have enjoyed the tours we decided that this trip we would just take the kids the Ginger Train. The highlight was definitely a ride on the Ginger Train. 



 

 

We also enjoyed walking and exploring the gardens. 

 

 

After a walk through the gardens we all enjoyed an ice-cream before heading back to the unit.  As our friends live close by are in no rush to do 'everything' so we are looking forward to returning to the Ginger Factory another time to do a tour and no doubt ride the train again. I'll be back tomorrow to share with you some more of our holiday break.

xo  

garden...

What's blooming in your garden these days? In our garden we are noticing new blooms everyday.  This plant has germinated from seed that its 'parent' kindly left behind last spring.  Soon we will hopefully have a bed full of flowers plants that we randomly planted from seed.  

 

Wishing you a happy day.

xo



sentimental days



We are definitely grateful for quiet days at home.  We all enjoy unwinding on the holidays and this time allows up to...just be.



 

 

Riding her mama's car when I was just her size. 

 

 

How lucky we are - the family we passed my car onto looked after it so well and after all those years they returned it for my little ones to enjoy.

 





 

xo

repurpose

Do repurpose your 'old' clothes? I had a batwing top that was sitting in my cupboard.  I loved the fabric, pattern and the shape of the top but somehow the batwing thing just didn't work - too much material in the wing things and probably a 'young' design/look for a not so young mama so this morning it got a renewed lease of life. 

  

Step 1. Take the good old batwing top and check stitching.

Step 2: Take fabric scissors and cut carefully along the outside of the seam.

Step 3: Repeat on other side.

Step 4: Save left over fabric for another project.

Step 5: Put on and enjoy!

Happy Weekending.
xo

weekending...

As you know I take lots of photos but like many other busy mamas out there, my photos just sit on my computer - some never get published or printed.  A few weeks ago I bought a Project Life kit from Spotlight and since it's also the start of the school holidays here this mama needed some creative time for herself. 
This is not a sponsored post. 

I purchased the Blush Edition and a set of plastic sleeves but I didn't buy the binder.  I thought I might be able to source a cheaper binder elsewhere, however, I think the holes in the plastic sleeves might be custom designed, like the binder.  You have to forgive me I am a newbie at this. 

I've decided I am in no rush to get the binder, I just want to enjoy the process of organising some of our photos and doing some simple journaling.

At this stage I have only printed our photos on office paper (not photo paper), hence the quality of the photos.  If I am happy with the photos and layout I might consider saving our printer ink and go to a photo booth to print on better quality paper. 

If 616 cards in the kit aren't enough, you can always source other paper/card from magazines at home.

The kit contains large journaling cards, bi-fold journaling cards (when you have more to write), suggested cards for the first and last plastic sleeves and 4x6 title cards which are just so sweet.  I also discovered if you search the internet there are many 'project lifer's' that publish their own card designs for you to download and print for free. 

This style of scrapbooking is just perfect for busy mamas who enjoy capturing everyday moments and journaling about them without the fuss of embellishments, cutting and pasting.  The plastic pockets are great to keep little fingers from smudging your photos.  The cards are interchangeable so you can change your mind without the whole glue and commitment thing (I find that difficult).  You could still include embellishments if you want and use your scrapbooking/stamping supplies and insert little mementos of your life together...Oh the possibilities. 

You can find out more about Project Life here. 

What do you do with all your precious photos?

happy weekending
xo

painting in spring

Painting is once again a popular activity at our house. When it's too hot to play in the sun we take cover on the patio/back landing/veranda.  We can still enjoy the early Spring weather while creating our own masterpieces in the shade. 

  

All that's required are just a few basic colours, a range of different paint brushes and a whole lot of time to experiment on how to make different colours. 

recipe: coconut popcorn

 

Coconut popcorn is a simple, easy snack and popular for the little ones.  Baby flutterbug likes to try it too but I crush his up and give it to him a teeny bit at a time.  All you need is a dash good quality coconut oil - most grocery stores sell coconut oil these days, you will often find it in the health food section of your supermarket.  I bought this brand from a speciality health food store. 



 

 

Heat your oil in a saucepan until it's melted and oil is hot.  Add in your corn kernels and place lid on saucepan.  Listen for popping sound. 

 



 

Tip popcorn into a massive bowl and add a little salt to taste (optional). Share amongst family and friends. 

xo