Support is the Key

Why hello there! Its the non-blogging blogger here!!
My apologies for the break in posts, I just felt I needed to take a little time out. Regroup, come back stronger and wiser! And..... my mind has been rather preoccupied and filled with house plans,  home opens, birthday and party planning and getting in early and organised for Christmas (OMG, did I just say the 'C' word?!)
But I am back, and have a line up of super cool posts to share. Ideas have been buzzing, the fingers just haven't been tapping. Stay tuned for new posts in the next few days.

However.....
I would like to thank everyone for their amazing messages, comments, emails and support after my last post. It was not an easy one to write, but I did feel so much better after doing so!
I have never felt so grateful and accepted than I did after receiving some of the most beautiful comments from people whom I have never layed my eyes on (or rather , never met in person!).
Even though I feel better , within myself and the issues I spoke about, I also feel grate sadness. Or perhaps rather, great disappointment.
Disappointment because , amongst those beautiful words that I received ,were also ones of understanding.
Many many women, wrote about how they too, are in  a similar situation, feel the same way, have been struggling with similar things.
How disappointing!
To know that as women, and Mums, and friends , we have all let our lives, and our days, get too busy. Too full. And full of things that are not that important when it boils down to it.
Too busy to stop and smell the roses.
Too busy to catch up for play dates or park visits.
Too busy to call a friend ( not text message,  not email, not facebook ). Too busy to call a friend they might be worried about. Might miss because they haven't seen them in a while. Or maybe just call for the sake of talking.

Yet, we seem to make the time for other things. Like exercise classes, waxing appointments and functions.
Time for things that, when it comes down to it, mean nothing when you are comparing it to a friendship, and heaven forbid..... a life.

Now, I am not saying that I am feeling that way, definitely not. But who's to say that your friend, that one that you thought about when you read my last post, who's to say that she isn't feeling so down, so blue, that she would be considering that it is all too hard?!
Suddenly, that exercise/scrapbooking class doesn't seem so important after all.
Perhaps that phone call would have been a better use of your time!

What I also found, after my last post, was that a few of my friends, automatically assumed I was referring to them. When in fact, I wasn't. It kinda got me thinking (in a Carrie Bradshaw kinda way) that if those people presumed that, then maybe they have a guilty conscience. Maybe they are carrying that guilt around. What a burden to have on your heart.
So don't be that person. Don't be that guilty friend , who chooses to think and not act. Chooses to say they are busy , and really could spare 5 mins. Its not a lot of time, but to someone it can be their world.
To someone, asking the question "Are you Ok?" is maybe, just maybe, what they want to hear.
What they need to hear.

Like I said, I feel good. Great even. Busy and tired, but that's a Mum's life , but I feel blessed to have the friends I have, grateful to all those who care but still saddened by the way you, my lovely readers, perhaps may be feeling!

It was such a coincidence that a few days after my post, it was National R U OK? Day.
Such an amazing initiative, and one that I will definitely support in years to come. Did you participate?
Did you call a friend, or drop over for a visit , just to ask the question?
The thing is, you don't have to wait for a national day, any day is the right day, the perfect day even.
Any day is a good day when it comes to friendships.
Make the call.

Tough days

Its been rather quiet around here lately.
Actually, I have been rather quiet lately.
I guess you could say, I have been struggling.
With what?
I don't even know myself. I wish I did. But really, its a number of things and when they stack on top of each other, it feels like I am carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Perhaps I should have forewarned you that this post would be heavy. Sorry

I am not a depressive person. Never really have been. Always a glass half full kinda gal. Always have a little laugh to share and am generally a happy soul.
I like to think that those qualities are some of my best.
I am also extremely honest. Perhaps not my best.
A quality that is so longed for in a marriage or partnership, not so much in a friendship.
It seems that people don't want honest friends anymore.
They want puppets. Puppets on a string, that never say what they really think, never tell you how you have really made them feel, and never speak their mind when they, perhaps, don't agree with your opinion or point of view.

I think I am a good friend. Well at least I certainly hope I am.
I bake for catch ups, organise and invite for play dates (even if people don't reply or come) , cook meals friends in need, offer my services and help all the time and generally care about people.
And yet, all I can see when I look into their eyes , is hatred. Almost like, because I am such a strong person, that I can with stand anything, can be brushed aside, time and time again, and still be there when they can  spare the time for me.
There is nothing worse for the soul than being sickly nice to someone, day in , day out, only to have them hardly acknowledge you. Hardly bothering to even say hello.
That will teach you Liz , for being honest.
But I don't really want to change. I can't change. I am who I am, if only it would sit better with me.

Don't worry, I know I am not the best friend either. I am opinionated, honest and a strong personality.
But I try my best.

Not many of my friends read my blog. Bitter sweet really.
I feel like this is my little space, to share and express, but it would be nice for them to take an interest in something that is important to me.
Because this little space I have created, with all of you, I'll have you know, is my little sanctuary.

Does anyone ever feel this way?

Plus .... as a Mum, I am sure you will all be nodding along here, the days tend to roll into one. If you aren't cleaning, you are cooking. If you aren't playing, you are refereeing. If you aren't cuddling you are disciplining.
Some days are tough, actually most days are tough, but its such a wonderful experience to be able to watch and aid in you children's development and lives.
I guess I am still adjusting (its only taken 18 months) to be a full time, stay at home Mum. I am so used to having work, having the thing that I am good at. Having a creative outlet and some 'me' time. And work is 'me' time for a Mum.
Full time parenting doesn't have set start and finish times, its a never ending work day. There are no toilet breaks, no lunch breaks and you can't even play the music you want, the volume you want in the car!! Or if you do, you can't hear it for the whinging or jabbering from the 4 kids in the back!!

I know that nothing I am feeling, is any different than anyone else , any other mother, I am just putting it into words, and boy is it feeling good!

Raising children is hard work. They are little mess makers. They wear clothes that you have to wash and iron and then put away. They eat food you have to prepare, cook then clean up. They play with toys, make and build things and then you have to pack them away. Its never ending. But .... its life.

Sometimes its good to have a melt down, have a cry, take it out on your partner ( sorry love ) and then as a good friend, and very smart lady said to me " Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and come back better and brighter", and that is exactly what I intend to do.

Life for me is busy at the moment. We have our house on the market, impending inspections and home opens, offers on blocks happening, searching for that perfect house plan, 2 year old testing twins, a baby who has just had chicken pox and now croup. It all adds up, and quickly! Everything seems to happen at once.

So if you are at home, and feeling a little blue. Feeling like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, you are not alone. We are all in this together, and even when a Mum says she is fine and everything is wonderful, she would , in fact, be lying! ;)

And if you aren't feeling this way, you are lucky, but perhaps call or check in with that friend you haven't seen in a while, she may just need it x


Footnote: I am feeling much much better after my debrief here, no need to worry. Times like these happen. Call it character building, call it whinging. Either way, it makes the good days seem so much sunnier x

Hairy Important Info

A few weeks ago I was asked for some advice by a friend on what sort of brush to buy for her daughter. I had me thinking that this could be a relevant question that a lot of parents would have, and led to this post.

 

Obviously, with my background in hairdressing, I have professional opinions about products but I am also a mother. A busy Mum, of 4 little kids, and I know just as much as anyone else, that you have to be realistic about the cost of products and also the fact you will be using them on impatient, unreasonable mini people!!

 

As far as brushes go , I have bought our kids Bobble Art brushes. They are cushion backed, firm yet soft enough and are obviously pretty cute too!

We are lucky that our kids are fairly good at brushing their hair. In fact , they fight about who goes first to get their hair done. I really believe however, this is because we have brushed or combed their hair from a very young age. Regardless of whether your child has no or very little hair, or a mop of it, you should still brush it every day to get them used to the sensation and pain (because it does hurt when there is knots).

 

By brushing, I don't just mean getting the knots out and making it look nice, I also mean making sure that the bristles of the brush, rub on their scalp. This helps with exfoliation and reduces the risk of Cradle cap and dandruff. (The scalp is just like any other part of your body and sheds skin, and needs to be exfoliated) . The same goes for brushing your own hair.

In my professional career, I saw more boys than girls with cradle cap, and they seemed to get even as a 2 or 3 year old. I really believe it is because as parents, you tend to not worry too much about brushing boys hair over girls. So as a Mum of boys now, I am very conscious of this.

 

We also use a comb, the help when parting hair, doing pig tails or other styles for the girls!

 

In our Hair station, I also keep a spray bottle, as we spray the kids hair every morning when we either put it up, pop a clip in or comb it neat and now also a Lice Preventative spray!
The spray is not a necessity , but it is a great detangler in our eldest hair (as she has beautiful curls) and I figure that you have to stack the odds in your favour , especially where little hair critters are concerned!
At the moment we are using the Nit Wits spray, and are loving it!

 

When it comes to lackies to use in your girls hair, or even your own, its important to find ones that are going to create as little damage to your hair as possible.

Unfortunately, by wearing your hair up, you create a wear zone on the hair shaft that makes it susceptible to breakage and damage.

With Stella's hair, I like these Woolworth's Select brand lackies. They are made of a soft fabric type elastic and are great to use over and over. I hate when lackies stretch straight away and you have to wrap it around the pony tail lots of times! These are great too, as they don't have a metal clasp that can snag and damage the hair. They come in a multi coloured pack and are only a few dollars.

 

For Lacey's hair, as it is a lot finer and shorter, I am using the small rubber bands, but these are only a  one time use, but are so cheap it doesn't matter.  When her hair grows a bit, we will just use the same lackies for both girls.

 

When you are putting your girls hair up, it is important to try and vary the position that the lacky will sit on their hair. In other words, don't put their hair up at the same height, in the same way, everyday. Vary the style from a plait to a pony tail, a half up then pony tail or get fancy with some plaits or braids etc. Again, this means that the lacky isn't at the same spot, isn't creating a wear spot and isn't causing breakage or indentations. I have seen many , many kids, when they have come in for a trim, with a short breakage line where their lacky sits everyday. I like to have Stella's hair back for school everyday, again, it minimises the risk of nits, but do try and vary to a bun, pony tail, plaits etc.

 

A few other tips include-

 

Regardless of whether your child has nits, or lice, you should be doing a lice treatment every few months or even just on the holidays. Sometimes you don't know they have them,and they could be the child that keeps re infecting all the others in the class.

If you do find lice or nits in your child's hair, don't just treat them at night and send them back to school the next day, as a parent and hairdresser, I would be keeping them home the next day also, retreating a second time and then they should be OK to socialise again.

Your children have hair that is important too! Really, a regular trim should be part of your hair maintenance routine, say every 8-10 weeks. Hair grows a centimetre a month, therefore you can easily trim that amount off every few months and still be growing it.

Regular hair cuts means that their ends are staying nice and healthy, are not splitting and are not susceptible to breakage.

 

If your kids do swimming lessons, or swim a lot in chlorine water during the warmer months, try spraying their hair with a water spray and rubbing some solar protectant cream through before swimming. This will reduce the amount of chlorinated water that the hair absorbs and stopping that build up over time, and the green effects that it tends to have on lighter coloured hair. Hair is like a sponge, once it has absorbed enough water, the excess will just drain away, so you want the clean water to be the stuff that is absorbed , and the chlorinated to drain away.

 

We usually wash our kids hair 2-3 times a week, however since Stella starting school, I tend to just wash it on a Thursday night, when she has finished school for the week , so that when she returns on a Tuesday, it is a little dirty. You see, nits don't like dirty hair, they like clean hair. Again, just stacking the odds.

 

When it comes down to it, every child is different. All their hair is different. You are their parents and you make the best choices for them. I am just sharing some info that I know, and products we use!!
Do you have any cool products you use and love?
Do you have any questions you may want answers for? Send me an email.

I am not promising anything, but I will give it a shot!!

Wonderful Weather

We have been so blessed with such glorious weather lately!
It doesn't feel like it at the moment, as it blows a gale outside and rains off and on, but when the sun is shining lately, its like the bees and birds are singing!

 

My parents are building on a rural block at the moment and the kids have a ball there!

I was lucky enough to capture some beautiful images of our little darlings. In all their investigating happiness.

 

(Photo overload coming now!!)

 

 

I don't know about the birds and the bees, but these make my heart sing!

How lucky are we?

Even on bad days ( and I seem to be having a few with our terrible two lately, they still make me smile on the inside and out. (more so when they are sleeping though! haha)

 

Toy Room Questions and Answers

Wowzers!! What an overwhelming response I had to the Toy Room Makeover post!!
Thankyou so much for all your lovely comments ! Its so nice to know that everyone loves the space as much as we do! The colours are so lovely and cheery and we are loving the new touches.

 

I have received a few questions about various things around the room, so I will try and cover those here , but if anyone else would like to know anything, please do not hesitate to flick me an email and I'll try and answer everything the best I can ( or remember)

 

First up, one of the requests was for some inside shots of our toys. Even though the Toy room looks as if there are a lot of toys, as there are a lot of baskets, most of them are only half full and there are even a few that are empty. In our home , I do cull toys on a regular basis and try to only purchase ones that are wooden or more natural. The kids tend to play with the same things everyday, trains, lego, wooden blocks, cars and dress ups. Throw in a kitchenette and some play food and they are set for a good time forever!

 

So here is a sneak peek inside a few baskets for you!

 

 

 

Cars are a real necessity for any toy room, even for families of just girls I believe. These are the communal cars, and ones for when other children come over to play, Max has his special cars in a Carry All from Pottery Barn that he carries them around in , and they keep them separate.

 

 

Puzzle boards, the pieces are in the top basket, in zip lock bags and labelled accordingly.

 

Balls- just that and not too many just yet. These are on the Christmas list for the kids actually!

 

Phones- something we can not escape and I find these are great for the kids to play with for Role Play and imagination. Some are old phones , others play ones.

 

Wooden Blocks- classic and still a hit everyday!

 

Another Question was how I store our soft toys, well this is it! As above,they are stored in 2 baskets in the Toy Room and individual special ones with each child on their beds or in their rooms,

I tend to only keep the special soft toys, they are real dust collectors and you tend to accumulate so many over time!

 

The gorgeous labels create such a uniform look. Love them!

 

Another question was about the Target print , and what did is say. Here is a closer photo, as you can see , it is just perfect for a childs room or play area. I bought it on sale a little while ago but I am sure you could find one in a store somewhere , or perhaps try a home shopping store.

 

More details on the Curtains- They are from Spotlight and VERY reasonably priced for what they are. They came in a green and blue, but they were different patterns. I can not for the life of me remember the brand name , but hopefully this pic will help you further!

 

 

Lastly, a question about the kids pencil turntable, pictured at the top of the photo below.

 

 

This is a Mini Lazy Susan from Pottery Barn. Its a perfect size, divided and obviously spins for convenience. I bought it some time ago , and it was pricey but has been well worth the cost!

 

I hope I have answered your queries adequately, and like I said, if there are any other bits and pieces anyone would like to know about, just let me know!
Thankyou all for your support, yet again, now on to the next big project!!
But it might just be selling up and building yet!! eeeek

 

A special bond....

Twins really are something special.

Hard work, testing and a totally different parenting experience yet so completely amazing to watch a bond grow and develop between two little people, whom have never been separated.

 

Its pretty obvious to see the differences between Max and Lacey, but they aren't just skin deep.

 

He is emotional and needy.

She is confident and independent

 

He is quite selfish ( a man right?!)

And she always thinks about and worries about him.

 

He is left handed

She is right handed

 

He is all about having fun

She is all about finding the fun

 

 

 

Lacey really is a devil at heart. She is the first to find and create mischief and I can honestly say that "LACEY" is the most used word in this house, even more than NO and SHHHHHHHH.

Lacey is too smart for her own good and when you watch her interact, you can see her little mind ticking over. Working 100 miles an hour, problem solving, watching how you did something to recreate it. Often we perceive this as being 'naughty' and at times it just is. But at others, I think we should be praising her for figuring out how to do something independently.

I really wish she wasn't so much like her Mother though! hmmmmm

 

Lacey really watches out for her 'big' brother. If she is given a biscuit, she will automatically ask for his, just to make sure he does not miss out.

If she moves her chair, she will then move his too!

If they are in bed, going to sleep, she will wait for him to be there before she settles.

Now that is love.

That is a special bond that no one in the world will ever be able to separate!

Thats twin love

xo

 

 

And a little poem that Lacey was given on a print for her birthday. It brings me to tears every.single.time.

 

I'm sch a lucky little girl

My Mummy told me so

 

Because I've got a secret

and I want you to know

 

I never have to be lonely

I always have a friend

 

We play and play

and laugh all day

Our giggles never end

 

There's something very special

about this friend of mine

 

We grew in Mummy's tummy and

we were born at the same time.

 

Mummy told me about it

We've been together from the start

 

And he is more than my best friend

He is half of my heart

 

xo

 



The Toy Room Makeover

Finally our Toy Room is finished. It has taken some time, whenever funds and spare time permitted but we are chuffed with the results.

The bones of our toy room were already quite good, and many would have been happy with it, but I was bored of the same decor, things were getting worn and tired looking and as our room (which is supposed to be our formal lounge/open theatre ) is ope to the main hallway and one of the first things you see when you enter our home, I wanted it to look a bit 'nicer'.
There are some before photos in posts HERE and HERE

Our home is predominantly beige/brown and white in colouring, so I knew I wanted to try something different and perhaps a little out of my comfort zone. Seeing as though our existing art canvas is yellow, it was a great place to start and there are so many products available in the grey/yellow tones at the moment so the decision was made.

You might remember I wrote a post with a few plans for the room HERE , well these were the main products that I purchased, the floor mat and the couch cover, and they weren't cheap, so this is one of my 'not so cheap organising posts' but I have never actually set out on a mission to decorate a whole room, in a theme or 'look'. My rooms have all just evolved and its probably why they all look unfinished. Well not this time, I was doing it right this time!!

So , here it is. Our toy room.

(NB- this room hardly EVER looks this way. Sure, maybe at night, when the little cherubs are tucked up in bed but during the day, its a sight to behold!!)

ta-da!!

Ohh I love it!! Absolutely LOVE it! So fresh and crisp. Colourful but not too 'in your face' and still nice and neutral when you walk by.

Now more details for everyone;
The floor rug is from IKEA, super cheap at $49.95, called GISLEV
Our original brown couch from IKEA got a new cover KARLSTAD Grey $199.00 (eeek I know! Nice Tax refund but a cheap alternative to buying a new couch!)
Yellow lamp on side table - Target , $35 on sale, originally $50

On the couch there is a mix of patterned cushions , all keeping with the colour theme, but all purchased on sale.

Yellow back cushion - $8.86 ( x 2) Target

Grey and yellow chevron cushion (x3) $8.86 and one was $5.86 with a small hole I repaired. Target

Grey polka dot cushion -  I made it. The fabric is Michael Miller and it was in my stash. The ruffle is just some scrap material and the gorgeous Felt flower is handmade by my sister from Bread n Butter Factory .(They are a brooch or a hair clip and come in a range of colours!) 

The reading corner has been very popular since removing the small couch. It was super cute but the kids were using it as a step ladder to reach higher books, and it didn't fit all 3 older kids , which resulted in fighting!
I just replaced the couch with white pillows, a few scatter cushions (the chevron one for $8.86 and a plain yellow I scored from Target last week for $2.86!!)
The star mats help to define the area and keep it soft to lay or sit on , and are from Target a little while ago, I scored them for $15 , and originally bought them for Angus' room.
The book shelves are the famous BEKVAM spice racks from IKEA, and we love them!! They are used all day , every day and the kids love being able to see all the books.

I made the Art Display Canvas a while ago, and it has been a fantastic way to display the current craft projects or drawings that come home from school.

Its just a large canvas (that I already had) , spray painted , with bulldog clips glued on.

The curtains are a new addition, and purchased from Spotlight. Also a while ago ( I told you I have been buying stuff gradually!). They are a light fabric with a gorgeous Grey and white pattern, and we reused a rod from our living area (we replaced curtains with Plantation Shutters).

The Storage unit is quite old but still in fantastic condition, it is the TROFAST unit from IKEA.

I picked up the print (in the greeny blue) at Target and it is perfect for a toy or childrens area.

On the main wall, we have put a few RIBBA Picture Ledges (also IKEA), at a bargain of $19.95, they are the perfect size to create this display area. I have placed a few framed prints that I found on pinterest, free of course and had them printed at a photoshop.

They are 4 cute Nursery Rhymes and you can print them in a variety of colours! Things like 'If you are happy and you know it' and 'twinkle twinkle'

You can find them HERE.

 We also added some small canvas' that the kids have done , and will swap and change these as new pieces are created.

The print on the end in yellow is from a little delightful and says

'so many smiles begin with you' . You can find it HERE

A few yellow tin buckets bought from Crazy Clarks for about $6 each were added as storage for play food, kitchen items and tea sets.

.

All the toy baskets were tizzied up with gorgeous yellow labels, laminated and tied on with yellow bakers twine. I am so pleased with the uniform look , and they have been great for Stella with letter and work recognition. They are the perfect size and I love the colour! Do you think you would like them too? (hint hint)

The white boxes hold all of the kids craft supplies, such as paints and glues, paper supplies, craft items etc. And the top row of the shelves is perfect storage for my scrapbooking albums and the kids art folders. They like to look through them whenever they please.

And on top of the Expedit unit, 2 baskets from Woolworths hold items that need to be out of reach from the kids, like a DVD folder, some colouring books etc.

The kids drawing supplies are kept in the turntable and a cute 'You are my sunshine' print found from HERE, was also printed onto photo paper and popped in a frame  I scored from Target at 50% off.

There you have it. Our childrens space for learning, playing and interacting.

Like I said, it has been one of our more expensive projects, but well worth it in the long run!

I hope you like our new space and have gained a few ideas or projects to do at home too!

I am so excited to be able to share a wonderful printable with you soon , so that your toy room could look as organised too!
Stay tuned!