We have a dog!

A big event in our house over the last few weeks is that we adopted a dog. B has been asking me for ages for a dog. However, as we rent I was reluctant to get one. At our last rental inspection I asked the agent whether we would be allowed to. We got a yes from the landlord so that barrier was removed.

I chose to adopt a dog from a shelter. There were a number of reasons for this. One, there are many dogs that need to find their new forever home. Two, it is much cheaper - $300 for a desexed, vaccinated, micro chipped and vet checked dog. Three, I didn't want to get a puppy as I thought it would be too much work with B being only 5.

Cosmo is a 6 year old Shih Tzu cross. He has brought a lot of joy into our lives. It's nice for B to have him to play with and take responsibility for. It is his job to feed him.

Here is Cosmo rocking out his new jacket. He sleeps outside so I was worried about him getting cold at night. I found the pattern for this here and it was super easy and quick to make. I had the fabric lying around already so it didn't cost me anything.

One of the other nice benefits to having a dog is the necessity to walk him. It's nice for both of us (especially me) to get the exercise. In addition, it's a great way for B and I to connect. While we are walking we can chat about a whole range of stuff without the distractions of home.

I'm so glad that our family has expanded to include this cute little fellow.

Loving my Library

I love my library. With money being tight I can't afford to buy too many books. Also, with my ongoing attempts to declutter and have less stuff I can't justify having lots of books around.

I used to use the library a lot when I was younger, however, with moving around into different areas I got out of the habit. In addition, the last area I lived in charged for reserving books which kind of put me off.

However, I have got back into the swing of using my library. I tend to use it just to reserve books rather than browsing the shelves. I have to sometimes be careful with how I manage my holds as I had few times where I had a couple of books out at the same time and had to read very quickly to make sure they were back on time. If somebody else has a hold on them you cannot renew the item so have a deadline of 3 weeks to work to. Also, you need to be prepared for sometimes a long wait for a book. I had one book that I had to wait 10 months for - thankfully it was a good read so I wasn't too disappointed!

My library also operates a system where you can create a wish list of books that you want to read. This has been great as I am trying to work through Oprah's book list so whenever I need a book I can just request it from my wish list.

It's also been great for B now that he is into chapter books. I can pick up books at the library that I think he may enjoy to test the waters. This way we have been able to find out what authors he loves. Usually once he enjoys one book he is keen to read other books by the same author.

As I was preparing this post I was watching Tim Winton being interviewed. Prior to the show I placed a hold for his new book and was 27th in line (and they don't even have the book yet). Another one I may have to wait awhile for!

So as long as I return the books on time my library is free so it's nice and easy on the pocket. Also, if I get a book that I don't enjoy I don't need to worry too much as it hasn't cost me anything except time.

I would love to hear any suggestions for good reads to add to my list!

I'm in Love!

Yes I am in love........with my whitegoods!

I had a small fridge/freezer which was great before B was born. However, I now eat at home more often, take a lot more care with my food these days and don't want to shop with a 5 year old too often (I know, crazy!). So the fridge/freezer I had has been too small for a long time. Earlier in the year I purchased a new fridge and just recently got a new freezer as well. And I am soooo happy!!!

I am getting so much use out of the freezer. In addition to storing meat, bread and frozen veggies I keep it full of other goodies. Some of the things are:

1.  Extra meals. I often make larger meals and freeze the left overs to have on days where we are super busy or I just can't be bothered cooking. It's lovely having the extra space to store a variety of meals.

2.  Stock. I have also started making my own stock. A couple of reasons for this. One, it tastes so much better and two, I know what is in it and that there are no nasties.

3.  Beans. Rather than having tinned beans/chick peas I have started cooking my own and freezing them in individual portions ready to go.

4.  Rice. This one was following a suggestion from a friend. Usually I am just fine with some meat and veggies, however, B needs a bit of carbohydrates with his dinner. I just cook a bit of extra rice and freeze in small portions for him.

5.  Ice cream. I have an ice cream maker and enjoy making my own ice cream. Again, I freeze it in small portions so that you can serve a lot easier rather than waiting for a big container to get soft enough.

6.  Soups. Good for lunches during winter and also depending on the type even sometimes for dinner.

7.  Cooked meats. I really don't like the amount of chemicals, salt, etc. in processed meats so I have been starting to do my own. I just steam a couple of chicken breasts, break them up when they are cool and freeze them in individual portions for sandwiches, salads, etc.




New Fridge!

I am planning to start making a few sweet treats as well to store in the freezer. This will be particularly helpful for next year when I go back to work and B starts school.   

 

New Freezer!

I would love to hear any other ideas of things I can pop in the freezer to save time or money or just so I can keep working on having as little processed food as possible. 

 

Progress Report

I did intend this to be a half year report and publish at the start of Term 3. We have had a crazy couple of months and it hasn't eventuated. So I will just call it a progress report on my year at home with B. For details on how this came about see here.

It has been a challenging year. B took quite a while to settle into kindergarten and still has issues occasionally. It has been a blessing to be able to be present for him during this time. In the meantime, I have made some really great connections with the other families at kinder. I'm excited about this because most of our kids will be together at school.

A few of us have been meeting to craft together. The kinder teacher wanted us to make some more of these which the children use as reins whilst pretending to be horses. She also asked for some animals made out of felt for the children to play with and for her to use in storytelling time.

The reins we had to copy.

One of my lot of reins along with some starfish and dolphins.

One of my goals for the year was to spend some time nourishing myself. It is not something I have done much of in the last few years and I have been feeling the effects of not enough exercise and just time on my own. I'm not complaining as I love spending time with B I just know that I am a better parent when I'm feeling good about myself. I am lucky that a really good friend also has a free day on one of B's kinder days. We have been able to catch up either for a coffee and chat or a special trip to the movies on those days. A lovely way to recharge!

And I have started exercising! I was looking for something that was casual and I could attend while B was at kinder. I was also looking for something cheap and if there was a bit of fun that would be great too. During the April school holidays we went roller skating with some friends. As this was the first time B had been (and the first time I had been in 20+ years) and he understandably very tentative. However, he really enjoyed it so when I found out they offered lessons for pre-schoolers I asked if he wanted to go. He was really keen so he's been doing that for the last two terms. Before the pre-schoolers class there is an adults back to skate class. After watching a few times I thought it looked like fun. I then started going myself on his kinder days and really enjoyed myself. I did have a fall a while ago and sprained my wrist, however, I did get back on the rink as soon as I could.

I have also been spending some time thinking about what I would like to do career wise in the future. I have been thinking about doing some study next year which I am a bit excited about.

So, to summarise it's been a hard year emotionally and financially but also a great year emotionally and to connect with each other before B goes to school next year. I certainly don't regret this time and I am very thankful that I have had the opportunity to do this.

Crafty Joint Project

As with most kids B has a fair few stuffed toys. However, in that collection there is no cat. He has been asking one for a while and I said that after his birthday party I would make him one. Of course, with his memory he remembered and held me to it!

I am so not a cat person at all. As such, in my collection of patterns I did not have any patterns for cats. Upon turning to Pinterest there were very few patterns there and B didn't like any of them. I was then thinking that this could turn out to be a very involved project.

For some inspiration and to try to get a handle on what his vision was I asked B to draw a picture of the cat he wanted for me. This is what he came up with:

From there I decided to replicate his cat almost exactly rather than muck around trying to come up with a compromise. I traced around his cat onto interfacing making a few of the pieces a bit bigger and manageable.

I had some felt and the stuffing already so this was actually a free project. It only cost me my time which was about 2 evenings of work.

I think it looks cute and quirky. He took it to church with him this morning and various people called it a dog and rabbit but he was very quick to correct them. He really loves it and I think it does have a lot to do that he was the creator.

I would love to know what you think. I only hope I haven't started something here!!!!

It's Birthday Time Again!

Well it's that time of year again. B's 5th birthday has been and gone.

After a few changes he finally settled on a dinosaur theme a couple of months ago. I was happy with this as I could instantly think of a few activities and games to do. Of course to see what other people have done for dinosaur themed parties I consulted Pinterest and found lots of great ideas for games, decorations and food.

Table all set ready to go. Dinosaur themed tablecloth and I copied a dinosaur picture and laminated them for placements. The kids then took these home.

This was the first year he had his party in the afternoon. Previously they have been in the morning running into lunch so I have felt like I needed to provide more food. As this was just afternoon tea there wasn't quite as much as other years. Although I still over catered but that is just the way I do it. I prefer to have leftovers than not enough! So the menu included sausage rolls (I even made my own pastry this year thanks to Maggie Beer and her Sour Cream Pastry), dinosaur salad (home made tzatzki and hummus with carrot, celery and cucumber sticks), a fruitasaurus (courtesy of Play School), fairy bread (not healthy I know but I cannot do a party without it) and a dinosaur cake.

Cake fresh out of the tin (hired from the local cake decorating shop)

 

All decorated ready to go! I don't claim to be a expert cake decorator by any means but it makes me happy to do this myself.

Fruitasaurus - got this idea from Play School.

 

There were a few games for the kids but all with a dinosaur theme. We played a follow the leader game where each child got to be a dinosaur and go around the backyard and all the others had to follow. The other games were:

Pin the horn on the triceratops

Musical Dinosaur Feet. Instead of musical chairs I laminated some dinosaur feet and put some Velcro on the back so they would stick to the carpet and not move.

 

Sandpit with plastic dinosaurs buried in the sand (picked these up of a Buy Swap and Sell Site over 40 dinosaurs for only $5!). I included some buckets, brushes, shovels and other tools to do the digging.

I don't like doing party bags full of lollies. Instead I like to send the kids home with mementos from the party.

Each child got a calico bag with their initial embroidered on it. In it was a little magnifying glass and then they could put in the dinosaurs they found during the dinosaur hunt.

 

I made a number of dinosaur tails which the kids got to wear during the party and then take home. They were all made from fabric that I had lying around at home so it was great in that I got to make these for the party and clean out some of my fabric stash!

The bags and dinosaur tails all ready to go.

I have been really lucky with the weather for B's birthday parties. For the end of June in Melbourne we have been lucky not to have rain. It's been cold but not much else to be expected in winter.

Everyone had a great time and the birthday boy really enjoyed himself. So much so that when he woke the morning after the party he asked how many sleeps till his next birthday!!

My needles have been flying!!

I have been really getting back into knitting lately. I have made a couple of things over the last few years but not a lot. There has even been a couple of things started and not finished!

It's been really nice to sit on the couch after B has gone to bed and relax with a bit of knitting whilst watching TV. I have also been doing a little bit while B eats his dinner. We eat together but some nights he is really slow and he has dessert which I don't so I've been getting some done then. I also take it with me when B has his swimming and roller skating lessons and knit while I'm watching him. So there has been quite a few opportunities to get a lot done.

I have made B a couple of jumpers other years, however, he didn't really wear them a lot. He doesn't really feel the cold that much and jumpers are too warm for him. For that reason (and also because they are quicker too) I have been making vests.

 

So I started making this vest for B and was really enjoying the way the wool knitted up so I decided to make myself a beanie as well. When I mentioned this B said he wanted one too. We went back to the wool shop and got all the remaining balls of this colour. Luckily I have a really good wool shop just around the corner where all the ladies know B by name - not me just him! So we now have matching beanies!! (A bit tragic I know). There was a small amount left so I also knitted myself a pair of fingerless gloves. Unfortunately there wasn't quite enough so I just used another wool to do a cuff.

 

 

 

The vest on the right is another I have just completed for B. The pattern is easy and knits up very quickly. They really are good for him as they keep him nice and warm but don't overheat like a jumper would.

 

On the left is a vest I have started knitting for myself. I have been so pleased with my other efforts that I thought I needed to knit for me as well. I have nearly finished the back so should hopefully get this finished in the next couple of weeks.

 

 

 

After I made my fingerless gloves B asked for a pair and decided he wanted a Cats pair as he barracks for Geelong. Again they were nice and quick to do (about an hour or so). However, note to self white is not a good colour to use for gloves for a 4 year old boy!!

 

The fingerless gloves are really simple. They don't have a separate bit for the thumb. I thought that would be a bit tricky and I wanted some to do really quickly. You just knit a rectangle and sew them up leaving an opening for the thumb. For these I used 3.75mm needles. For mine I cast on 42 stitches and knitted a 3x3 rib (K3, P3) to the length desired. For B's I only cast on 36 stitches but did the same rib. I then knitted 6 rows in each colour to give the Geelong stripes.

 

I have been really enjoying this creating lately. It's nice that it has the dual purpose of being creative and giving both of us items of clothing. Watch this space for more creative endeavours!!

 

 

 



Mother's Day

Well it was Mother's Day recently. We continued what has now become our tradition of B cooking me breakfast. This is what happened last year. It was so interesting this year as the level of help needed was very little. We've been cooking together quite a bit lately so he was really keen to do all of it himself.

 

The finished product!!

 

I received 2 lots of flowers this year so felt very spoilt!

B made me this picture with a balloon and crepe paper.

Then as a special treat I made myself a cake in a mug. This is one of those things that I regret finding on the net!

I don't enjoy the commercialism of Mother's Day but just spending time together and letting B do his own little special thing for me is much more meaningful. I would love to hear any traditions you have for these days in your family.

January Organisation (Part 4)

Well, the 31 Days to Get Organised Challenge is over and done with. I have been a bit slack with the last week or so as I have been busy and we also got away for a few days as well (will blog about that soon). I also lost a bit of momentum but am keen to get back into it.

Day 24:  Car. This is one that I am putting off till B starts kinder as I really need the car to have a good clean and it's a lot easier to do without "help". I tend to bring everything out of the car each day and keep a rubbish bag in the car for any rubbish we have. There are probably a few things that I have kept in the car "just in case" that haven't been used and can move on.

Day 25:  Kitchen Utensils. I tackled this one on the pots and pans day so instead I went through the glasses and cups. I had a some from when B was younger that he doesn't need any longer. I did clear them out a while ago but they needed doing again. There were also some glasses in there that I don't use and were just taking up space.

Day 26:  Shoes. I thought this was fairly under control, however, I did get rid of 3 pairs that I don't like or are to old and ratty. I also have two pairs of boots whose soles have gone which I have now put in a bag in the car to take to the shoe repairer. It is something I have been meaning to do for a while and every time I drive past I say to myself that I need to take them in. At least now they are in the car so that I can stop next time I am driving by.

Day 27:  Belts. I don't wear belts so there was nothing to organise so I chose to spend my time today sorting through my DVDs and clearing out some of those that I don't really enjoy that much.

Day 28:  Kids Clothes. Another area that I do keep pretty much on top of. B doesn't have a lot of storage space in his room so I go through his clothes twice a year at the change of seasons and clear out what doesn't fit. I do have a few shirts in his close that he won't wear (he doesn't like buttons) but keep them in his closet hoping he may change his mind.

Day 29:  Pens, Pencils. My pens and pencils are very well contained. However, I have a friend who used to give me really cute fluffy pens which I had held onto even though they didn't work any longer. I had been debating for a while about what to do with them so have decided that I don't need to hold onto them any longer.

Day 30:  Books. Another one that I did prior to my garage sale last year but did another look through and managed to find a few more to get rid of.

Day 31:  5 Challenges to go on with. I haven't done them yet with holidays and having some behaviour issues to deal with B at the moment but will get to them when he starts kinder:

1. "Doodle drawers" - these are B's craft drawers which are a real mess at the moment and needs a cull/tidy up.
2. Shed - need to go through all the stuff in the shed as it is really full and a bit of a dumping ground.
3. Under the beds - I really want to get of the containers under the beds. I need the things in (most) of them, however, I do not want to store things under the beds.
4. Folders on desk - I have things in folders on my desk but I need to go through them to check that I need what is in them.
5. Bags - I have a number of bags and there are probably a few that I don't/won't use.

What a great kick start to one of my goals for this year which is to live with less clutter and unneeded things. The stuff that I have cleared out has given me more space to organise what I do have more effectively and to be able to see what else I have to tackle.

Wish me well for the rest of the job!

January Organisation (Part 3)

Before I post my continuing progress here is a photo of what I have donated to the op shop this week.

Day 17:  Condiments in Fridge. I put this one off for a couple of days as I got a new fridge (yay me!) so decided to do the clean up whilst transferring things from the old fridge to the new one. I only had to get rid of 2 jars that were expired and they all fit nicely onto the fridge door. It was interesting because before Peter posted this challenge I was going to buy containers to put on the shelves to keep the condiments together and organised. I really like his idea of containing them to the door instead - nice and easy to see what I've got and encourages me to use them regularly.

Day 18:  Under the Sink.  Just tidied things up here and got rid of a few things that were left behind by the previous tenant (after 2.5 years he's not wanting them back). Moved some things that were just lying loose around the laundry that really belonged there as well. Also gave it a really good clean too.

Day 19:  Magazines. I went through all my magazines prior to my garage sale last year. I had three boxes of magazines which I have been trying to sell for the last few months purely because I was hyperventilating at the thought of all the money I had spent on them and would have liked to get back at least a little of it. However, it has been a few months and I was not able to sell them so I just bit the bullet and donated them to the op shop.

Day 20:  Flat surface. Again, this is another one I put off as the one I wanted to tackle was the kitchen benches but I have to wait for my old fridge to go so that I could rearrange the kitchen. This will happen over the weekend so can't wait to get stuck into it.

Day 21:  Kid's toys. Peter's challenge was to get rid of all toys that are not age appropriate. I suppose I am lucky because I only have one child and not having any more so I don't have to hold to toys for other children. I keep a box in my room for B to put toys he doesn't want anymore to donate and he is pretty good at putting things in there. We usually have a conscious toy purge prior to birthday and Christmas to make room for what may come. Also, now that he is getting pocket money and buying some toys himself I am going to institute the "one in, one out" rule so that if he buys something another toy has to go.

Day 22:  Medicine Cabinet. I don't really have a medicine cabinet so I used this time to clean out the bathroom cupboards. I threw out a lot of creams, lotions, etc that I have had for way too long and haven't used.

Day 23: Pots, Pans and Appliances. Another area that is fairly well organised as I cook a lot and only have a limited amount of cupboard space so don't any appliances that I don't use. I did take the opportunity to go through the utensil drawer and cleared things out of there that I don't use or have duplicates of. Because who needs more than one apple corer or melon baller?

So another great week of organising, cleaning and purging. And there is now only a bit over a week to go. This challenge has been great to achieve lots in a minimum of 10 minutes a day and then to also give me the impetus to move forward throughout the year. I'm really looking forward to living with less clutter around me.

Lego Organistion

Wow! It really sounds like I'm on an organising binge at the moment doesn't it?

We have now entered the world of Lego. I gave B some Lego for Christmas and within an hour it looked like this:

and this:

It was doing my head in so I decided that it would work in both our favour if I implemented a useful storage system right from the start before the Lego got out of control. A friend who has 3 (older) boys has worked through this situation over the years so I have totally stolen the storage system which works for her boys. A quick search of Pinterest reveals there are a lot of people that use the same system. I purchased a Trofast shelving system from Ikea and tubs to go with it. At the moment we are storing two/three colours in each tub as B doesn't have much Lego yet and the tubs aren't too full and he can still find what he needs. I will probably need to change this after a while as the collection expands.

Also on Pinterest I found this awesome system for organising the instruction books. Again at the moment we don't need to worry about them as we only have three books. B is only just starting to build from the books a little and instead he just builds from his imagination but I want to keep them nice and organised for when that day comes.

I know it's probably a bit over the top at the moment as he doesn't have too much Lego, however, I hope that by implementing this system from the start that it is second nature when it comes to packing away/finding Lego. I can dream can't I?????

If you have any tips for Lego storage/organisation that has worked for you I wold love to hear it.

January Organisation (Part 2)

So here is the continuation of Peter Walsh's January Organisation challenge:

Day 10:  Platters, Trays Tins.  Another 10 minutes well spent. I didn't think that I needed to get rid of anything in this area but with my totally ruthless hat on there a few things that I haven't used at all since I moved in here 2.5 years ago or not used in a while so they have gone!

Day 11:  Linen Press. I have a linen press, however, it did not have any linen in it. As I keep my sewing machine right next to it I have tended to store some craft supplies in it. The intention was that it would have the stuff I needed to use whilst sewing, i.e. threads, etc. It had got a bit out of hand, however, and was full of only craft supplies and other stuff. As I had cleared some space in my bedroom I moved some things in there. I have now got some linen in there, put some in the op shop pile and have got rid of boxes (read sold) under both my and B's beds that was where the linen was being stored. My aim is to not have it as jammed in as it is at the moment and to have most of my linen in there.

Linen actually in the Linen Closet!

Day 12:  Wardrobe. When I had my garage sale last year I cleared out quite a few clothes so it wasn't a huge job today. I did clear out a few things that I haven't worn for ages or don't like anymore. There are also a few (summer) things that I wasn't sure of so I have turned the coathangers around the wrong way. If, at the end of summer, I still haven't worn them I will pass them on then.

Day 13:  Spice Rack. Another easy one. All my spices are in Tupperware containers filed alphabetically so quite organised. I did use the time to clean all the outside of the containers and the caddies that they sit on. I had some that needed a top up so did that at the same time. Also the bench area where they sit also has the toaster on so I gave that and the bench a really good clean.

Day 14:  T-Shirts. One that I thought was okay but when I actually went through the drawer I did find some that were really ratty but I was just holding on to for sentimental reasons so they went in the bin. Some others are from when I used to go to the gym and I have held onto them for when I start going again, however, they are really not comfortable for me so they have gone in the op shop pile.

Day 15: Rest Day. Being half way through the challenge, Peter gave us the day off and said to spend the 10 minutes doing something for ourselves. We had a really early morning this morning so I spent the time this afternoon having a little doze on the couch. Luxury!

Day 16:  The Top Shelf in a Closet. The idea of this one was going through one of those top shelves where you tend to just put things. I chose the kitchen as I store things on top of the cupboards that I don't have room for in a cupboard and also there is one cupboard above the pantry which is HUGE so has the space for lots of stuff. There were a few things that I cleared out but again not a lot as I went through this last year prior to my garage sale. I got rid of a couple of lunch boxes/containers as there were more than we need.
So I am now over half way through and not only am I getting a lot more organised but I have a much cleaner house too as I'm giving things a good clean whilst I am organising. Looking forward to the rest of the challenge! I now need to make a run to the op shop to offload some of the stuff that I have decided to get rid of. Will post the photo of that next week!

Here is where you can view Part 1 of the challenge.

January Organisation (Part 1)

I follow Peter Walsh on Facebook. He has issued a challenge during January for "31Days2GetOrganised". I decided to follow it to kick start my organisation for the year. Most of the tasks only take 10 minute which makes them achievable and are good because they don't take heaps of time out of the day. I will post this about a week at a time otherwise it will be one really long post!

I also started on January 2 as Peter started on January 1 in the US so I don't get the challenges till a day later.

So here they are with my progress:

Day 1:  Clearing things out of Living Room that don't belong. This was an easy one for me as a couple of days before I took down all the Christmas decorations and put things away then. I did clear away a few things that were on the dining table that didn't belong there. I have issues with things sitting on the dining table for much longer than they need to.

Day 2:  Sock drawer. Again another easy one. I went through this drawer a couple of months ago when I was looking for some pantyhose and got tangled up in the number. I do also throw out socks that are worn/have holes as I find them. Also, don't know how but I don't really have issues with odd socks so there were none of those to deal with.

Day 3:  Plastic Storage Containers. Once again, an area I'm on top of. Whenever a container is looking a bit old, etc I get rid of it (and its lid). Also, since we don't really get take away in plastic containers there is no accumulation of them either. I have more containers than Peter recommends but that is because I don't have a lot of stuff in the freezer at the moment.

Day 4:  Remote Control Organisation. I do have mine in a caddy already and as B does not use the remotes if they are not in the right spot then I only have myself to blame, lol!!

So at this point I'm feeling pretty good about the whole challenge with the tasks being ones I am on top of or required no more than the 10 minute time limit. Doing a bit of a "I'm not as disorganised as I thought" dance. Until ...................................

Day 5:  Master Bedroom. This is my Achilles heel. If something doesn't have a home or I need it out of the way it ends up in my bedroom. There was no way that I could restore order in 10 minutes. I did clear off the top of the chest of drawers next to my bed. Updated the photos in the photo frames and gave everything a good dust. Most of my craft supplies are stored in my room but they are bursting out of the storage. I organised some, got rid of a few books that were there as well and did a little tidy up. It will be an ongoing process but as one of my goals for the coming year is to finish off my craft projects this will free up space in this area.

Day 6:  Towels. Again, another area I'm on top of. I don't have a lot of storage for towels so am pretty good about keeping only the number I need. Also, last year B complained about the towels scratching him and my swimming ones had holes in them so I got new ones, both for the bathroom and for swimming.

Day 7:  Underwear. Once again, another area that I had under control. Last year I finally bit the bullet and spent some money on myself and splashed out on new underwear so I cleaned out these drawers at that time. I did also go through B's underwear and moved on a few things that don't fit him.

Day 8 & 9:  Paperwork organisation. Not too badly out of control thank goodness and I already have a system which on the whole works well for me. Additionally with receiving some bills/statements, etc electronically these days there is a lot less paper coming in to deal with.

If it has been a task that I didn't really need to do I have then been spending the allocated 10 minutes on tidying up another area. I went through all of my paperwork and got rid of a nice big pile (prior to Days 8 & 9). I went through the junk that was on top of the fridge, including going through the tool box and getting rid of the millions of Ikea allen keys!!

I'm finding this exercise really useful and am enjoying the little tasks that don't take much time but make a big impact overall. There are already a couple of boxes that need to go to the op shop!

I would encourage you to join this challenge if you have issues with your own organisation. As I said it's only 10 minutes a day but it's already making a big difference to my head space! I would love to hear if you have any organisation goals or challenges that you want to tackle this year. We could be each other's support and encouragment!

Keeping CHRISTmas.

A bit behind on the posting. I did mean to have this done before Christmas but got caught up with all the other things that needed to be done. It really can be an insane time of year. The lead up to Christmas with lots of tired, hot and grumpy people around. The end of the school year with lots of tired, hot and grumpy people and kids around. In the past I have tended to just roll with it as best I could and know that come Boxing Day can just collapse in a heap and watch the cricket.

Since B's arrival I have found my priorities have changed. I have always observed the CHRISTmas part of Christmas but my desire to focus on the real meaning of Christmas has increased. In previous years I have been able to keep the focus on Jesus really well, however, this year it has been a challenge. At kinder they went hard and early with Christmas stuff which really just revolved totally around Santa, Santa and more Santa. It has been a real struggle to counteract that, keep the focus on Jesus and not build any expectations in him about Santa.

We have a few traditions for Christmas.

One is to go to Target to purchase a gift for charity. I choose Target's program as it is linked to the Uniting Church. We have gone every year and B chooses a toy for a boy his age. So this year he chose 2 "Cars" toys. We usually do it in early December before the shops get too crazy. He was really sad that there are some children who would not get any presents for Christmas and was really keen to buy them presents. In fact, anytime we walked past Target in December he wanted to go in and buy another toy for another child!

Our Gingerbread

Christmas Tree cakes - red velvet cupcake with a strawberry on top covered with icing

We also make homemade gifts to give to friends and people that help B (child care staff, swimming teacher, etc). As he loves cooking we make gingerbread in Christmas shapes. We package them up in either a coffee cup or on a plate. He loves handing them out to everyone. We also made Christmas Tree cakes this year as well.

We have quite a few nativity sets around the house as well. I got a Fisher Price one which has been good as it is child friendly. This year I was able to put the more precious one out within his reach as well. He has loved interacting with the figures and moving them around and arranging them. At one stage Mary was riding to Bethlehem on a sheep!!

One day I was talking to a friend on the phone and she said that her daughter was dressing up as Mary. I told B and said he could put his Joseph costume on. I picked this up a couple of years ago post Christmas when the shops were clearing out their Christmas things. He thought that was a great idea and his stuffed dog then became baby Jesus and was wrapped in blankets. Then he got a box that we had lying around became the manger for baby Jesus. For the week before Christmas he went to a number of places in his Joseph costume carrying his manger.

Joseph with Baby Jesus

I also got a book called "The Legend of Saint Nicholas". It was really good to give an explanation of where the Santa tradition came from and that spirit of giving to others. Apparently there are other books in the series and I am looking forward to getting them for next Christmas.

I have wanted to make a Jesse tree. Unfortunately I didn't get around to it this Christmas but it is high on my list to make this year for next Christmas.

Our Christmas tree decorated by B and one of our nativity sets

I would love to hear of any traditions you have for Christmas, particularly how to keep the focus on Jesus and not the commercial side.