History

I have just had the most fun this afternoon!

I haven't been able to do what I have wanted to do - go to the gym in case you were wondering - so I thought I wouldn't do any of the things I should be doing - cleaning, sorting, gardening - and I read back through the old posts on my blog - right back to the start.

Man it was funny reading about the things - or lack of things - that were going on back then ... chicken pocks, bad blogging, more bad blogging and lots more bad blogging, birthday cakes, old cards, early (to NZ) Stampin Up stuff. I think I must have blogged more these holidays than I did in the first two years of the blog though - I wonder if I'll be able to keep it up? Based on past history probably not, but a great start none the less.

I dare you to go back and do the same. Now I don't mean read through my old stuff, cos my old stuff is just old stuff but your old stuff is your HISTORY - the stuff that your ancestors - well your kids at least, will love to have a giggle over in years from now ... which leads me to an important question - how do we store our blog so our ancestors can read it? Hhhhmmmmm

Pineapple Cake

I made a very tasty cake yesterday for the meeting I had at my house. It was unbelievably simple and tasted great! It is from the recipe book “4” where all the recipes have four ingredients or less.

Pineapple Cake

2 cups self raising flour, 1 cup sugar – mix well together

Add 450g tin of crushed pineapple – mix well – bake in a greased ring tin for 40 minutes at 180 C

I iced it with cream cheese icing but the recipe has a delicious sounding icing with condensed milk in it – you’ll have to get the book to try it for yourself.

Robin has blog candy ….

Head over to my friend Robin’s Blog to check out the stamp sets she is giving away from a company called Art Declassified.

 

Go check it out – I dare you.

Weight Loss

I read this tonight on Marelle Taylor’s Blog and thought it so good I had to share it. I think I’ll have to ponder this some more.

 

“I used to think Weight-loss was a place, and that if I could only get there, then I would be happy. Well, I've walked the long road, and found that there is no place, just a long, long road that never ends....in fact it's not even a road, it's an escalator going down, when you want to go up. You put on weight by simply standing still. To stay in the same spot, you have to keep moving, and if you want to actually want to get anywhere, then you have to go twice as fast. No wonder so many people give up, or get where they want to be, and then slide straight back down again. There's no easy way to move yourself up that escalator, you have to eat well and move a lot! I think the trick is finding ways to make moving up the escalator more fun. Sometimes I have to let myself slide down a step or two, to give myself the energy to keep on moving up again....”

Doctor 6

I know how the snot in your nose gets out….

“There is a machine near your nose that blows out with the air you recycle, pushing the snot out of your nose.”

Out of the mouths of babes …

Yesterday it was our Wedding Anniversary – 12 years – where has the time gone?

Anyway, Miss 6 had been thinking all day about Anniversaries and getting married and how many weddings she’d been to ….. and then she got to making. She loves making gifts and cards for people (who often don’t ever receive them – it’s the process not always the product for her). She worked away for a while and kept saying “Don’t look, this is a surprise for you”

We all went out to dinner and at dinner she presented me with this

badge she had found and written my name on. Turns out she had made one for her Dad too but he’d received his earlier.

I guess it says a lot – on lots of different levels – her generosity, creativeness and loving heart, but on  a much deeper level it speaks to me about the commitment (perfect attendance) needed to achieve 12 years of marriage and that you have to attend, to “be there” everyday – you can’t get this far by just turning up a couple of times a week.

Here’s to another 12 years (and more) of married life and to lots more “Perfect Attendance”

12 of 12

 

Kelly challenged me to take a self portrait for my 12th shot for the January 12 of 12 page – I don’t think this was quite what she had in mind but seeing as a self portrait captures the essence of you then this sums me up nicely!

This is my GirlGuide bracelet they released in late 2007 as advertising for the launch of the new brand and uniform in 2008. I have worn it everyday since I got it much to DH disgust – he’d like it to fall off or something. I must say I don’t even notice that it is there anymore but I wear it to show my pride in GirlGuiding. Now if they had a nice bracelet as part of the new uniform range I’d be in – well it would be top of my birthday wish list anyway.

Another card

Here is another card in the same style as some I blogged earlier - you can never have too many birthday cards!!!!

Circle Journal Pages from Carol J

 

Here are the pages for my Circle Journal from Carol in Ashburton.

Happy Birthday Hillary

Our friend turns three today - happy birthday!

11 of 12

I was aiming to do "12 of 12" where you take 12 shots on the 12th of the month to scrapbook - well it got off to a bad start when I left the camera at home and then all the photos were all bright and strange. Once I noticed the settings were off I was away laughing as they say but the day was half over and my enthusiasm was waning fast. Anyway I managed to come up with 11 shots that capture a few of the moments of the 12th January 2009.

Sorry they are not in order - blogger was being a trifle difficult :-)


Here is my Huge line full of washing - some days I despair at how much washing 4 people can create - I had no pegs left after this lot!


Sorry for the crap photo - must remember to check the settings when photos look bad - here is the bike loaded onto the car for a bike ride - well the kids are riding and I am jogging after them. This gives me a better workout than me riding - with both kids anyway.Miss 6 fell off her bike right at the end of the ride and grazed her elbow - she had stopped screaming by the time I jogged up.
After the ride we went to the library for some new books - we really only get the chance in the holidays so we make the most of it.

Pizza for tea - homemade by me - Hawaiian with peppers.
Here is my tasty plate of dinner - pizza and salad, with beetroot - Yum!
I started to clean out the chest freezer. It was well overdue but very satisfying to have done the job now. I did find food in there from 2005 - oooh yuk!
We went to pick up Cameron's new glasses - much like his old ones but with green frames - and a white case!!!!
And if I can't find my kids this is where they will be - sitting somewhere, reading
This is the back door to the gym which I am using at the moment as I can only go at night once Hubby gets home.

Birthday cards

Here are some cards I created while spending a great afternoon with some friends. We
made cards while our kids played in the pool and on the playstation - everyone
was happy!

KWerners Colour Challenge

I tried another of Kristina Werner's Colour Challenges this week - I didn't have either the Red or Pink in Stampin Up! colours so I just did red/pink/orange - these cards haven't scanned too well - they look heaps better in real life.


Bevan - when you read this blog post just delete it - just in case I decide to use these cards for Valentines or Anniversary cards :-)

Happy Birthday Hillary

Our friend turns three today - happy birthday!

Serviette Card

Here is a card made from a serviette - I love how quickly and easily they come together.

Dad will love this one - he's a keen angler when time allows.

Simple Card

Here is a simple card I made - it is just gift card sized but will be just perfect for something
I am sure. It needs something else - might add a button or .....

Happy Birthday Sally

Here is a card I made the other night - it is a free standing pop up card in the colours cranberry crisp
and pumpkin pie.

I made a few other cards in similar colour ways - I'll share them later - I am off to see a couple of friends for an afternoon of stamping - better go pack some stuff!

Hmmm

Did you know that I am one lucky girl ....

I share my house with a 6 year old, a seven year old and a 9 year old. I only have two children but my darling husband is a Leap Day baby and has only had 9 birthdays.

Mister 7 turns 8 in a couple of weeks so this phenomenon will be short lived - I'm getting mileage out of it :-)

Colour Challenge

Anyone who is anyone knows about Kristina Werners Colour Inspiration Challenges that she posts weekly and challenges people to create a card/layout/whatever using those colours and submit it to her site to be included in a HUGE list of contributions.

Well to be honest I have only just caught wind of this myself so do not feel bad if this is the first you have ever heard of it too .... anyway I did create - not one, not two, but three cards using the cool colour combination she set as her challenge for the week. Unfortunately I didn't get tehm done within the deadline but I had heaps of fun anyway!!!

2 cards

Here are a couple of cards I created using a sketch I discovered at Card-Sketch-a-Day . I know the colour of the scalloped circle looks pretty weird - it looks better in real life I can assure you :-)

Scripture Challenge #1

Here is the first card I made for the Scripture Challenge over at Triple the Scraps.

I am making my layouts on jumbo playing cards - so I have enough room to journal. I just never thought I'd get around to creating bigger layouts - and I am far enough behind on the layouts I have to do already.

I am using it as a good chance for Bible study and contemplation too - which will be good for me - and also inspired by this site I am working on reading the Bible in a year following a reading plan that has you read from 4 different books of the Bible each day - so far so good - well lets say I am caught up anyway :-)

Card from Libby

Here is a card that Libby sent me for the theme "Black, White and a hint of Red" - You pulled it off beautifully Libby - thanks.

Card from Anna

Anna sent me this lovely card - the theme was gold and there are lots of layers of gold on this card.

Thanks Anna

ATCs from Joy

Here are the ATCs I received from Joy this week in a swap - Thanks Joy.

The themes were Anything, the letter K (knitting) and Junk Food.

ATCs from Carol

Here are some ATCs I received recently from Carol J in a Swap - the themes were Pink and Black, Green and White and Brown and Cream.

thanks Carol

Blog candy

Do you want to try to win some fun craft stuff - go here and leave a comment - as easy as that :-)

Does the ToothFairy come to Mummys?

I just pulled out my broken tooth that has been bothering me for over a year ... if my Dentist is reading this - it was the one with the root canal that you drilled so much into that you made incredibly thin and weak and that cracked and disintegrated all by itself and has been really annoying for ages!

Anyway it has gone now but does anyone know if the tooth fairy come to Mummy's? There might be a Mummy's Tooth Fairy cos the one that comes here is pretty slack - almost never coming on the first night the tooth is lost and usually needing a text or phone reminder to "bring cash!"

Finger's crossed

Cake

Well here is the Castle Cake and the birthday girl who says she has had a great day!

It started with pancakes for breakfast and then a mystery trip. We went into Wellington by bus and train - we told the kids that now she was 6 it was time for her to earn her keep and she was starting work :-)

She didn't fall for that but still didn't really know what was up ... we walked to Te Papa and wandered around there including seeing the Colossal Squid which was quite interesting and lots of the other fun stuff at "Our Place."

We came home and she had a better look at her gifts (lots of craft supplies - like mother, like daughter :-) and opened her mail and then we went out to tea to her choice of restaurant - Valentines - and then I have just packed her off to read for a while - she got 3 new books all with a Ballet theme so she's got plenty to keep her going for a week or so.

Don't look too closely at the cake - the weather was so hot yesterday that it was very hard to get the icing to stick where I wanted it to. Turns out the birthday girl doesn't like butter icing anyway - could have saved myself some bother. Next year I might try an ice cream cake (or can you still buy them from the supermarket?) Hmmmmm.

Lunch

Here is the lunch I made for the kids today - at Miss (only 12 hours till she turns 6)'s request.
She wanted Santa - yes we all know its been two weeks since Christmas but when you are
her age you need to make the most of it :-)
Now both faces had to different because both kids don't like the same stuff - of course cos that would be too easy for a Mum - this keeps me on my toes!



Anyway I thought they looked too cute not to share.


...and on the cute note Miss almost 6 said the funniest thing last night. I was debating my chances of going for a bike ride because I am having gym withdrawls (it is so bad I am even dreaming about the gym!). But I said that I also wanted to do the grocery shopping so M said "just take a back pack" - suggesting that I could bring the shopping home on my bike - I just burst out laughing
#1 We live on a VERY steep hill
#2 I have only had a bike again for a few months and am not yet hill fit (nor do I plan to be for that matter)
#3 This was to be a weekly shop for a family of 4 that usually fills half our cars boot space

Luckily she could see how her suggestion was really a bit too funny so I decided to go to the Supermarket instead of the bike ride - maybe tonight... Just remembered that I have much more important stuff to do tonight - decorate a castle birthday cake!!! Hopefully I'll have photos tomorrow.