Archive for April, 2011

The way things should be….

April 28th, 2011

Me and my boy.

So I had written a lot more than you see below and then decided to delete it all… I decided that what I had to say was really quite simple….

Life is wonderful with family and friends, and my greatest responsibility is, and always will be, as a wife and a mother.

Life doesn’t need to be complicated.

I want to share with you just a few of the things I’ve read recently that have reinforced this to me.

Fist, this inspiring talk from Elder Lynn G. Robbins, given at the recent General Conference of our church, titled What manner of Men and Women ought ye to be? Although of course many of the remarks talk about Jesus Christ, for those who may not be members of our church it is still worth reading. It taught me a lot about how I should be teaching my son, and future children, as well as reminding me what I should be.

The other things I have read recently come from a blog called ‘The Super Organiser Mum’ and just reminded me that simplifying life and focusing on what’s most important is one of the most wonderful things we can do. The blogs entries are titled Amanda and Busy.

Through all of these things I have found a new motivation and desire to readjust my life to focus on the simple and meaningful.

Changes, such as putting more time and energy into creating and maintaining relationships with friends and family that are of a real and lasting value.
Spending less time on the computer (regardless of what I may be doing) and more time helping and serving those around me.
Most importantly, spending more time with my husband and son, showing them how much I love them. Teaching and showing my son how to become the person I one day hope he will be…. I would be totally lost without them in my life, and have no doubt that without them I would not even be half of the person I am today….

No matter what your family situation may be, I promise that they are worth working and fighting for. Don’t be afraid to be the first one to say ‘I’m Sorry’ and don’t ever be afraid to tell them you love them. They are worth everything…


After reading this, my wonderful sister said ‘I think it’s time for me to check out of facebook and check in to my family’… what a great way to put it! Thanks sis!

Store what you eat and eat what you store.

April 25th, 2011

I love storage. There is something about having everything in it’s own box, in it’s place that makes life seem easier, simpler and less stressful… you seem to be able to keep a track of where things are, and how much of any one thing you have, plus I find that if you have good storage then things don’t get destroyed and seem to last longer. Cupboards full of matching storage containers, all labelled cleanly and clearly is what I’m all about….but it takes time and money and so my house is not as I wish it was…. but maybe one day it will be!

Good containers = lasting storage

However, one area of ‘storage’ that I just can’t seem to figure out is my food storage. The principle of food storage is a sound one, which makes so much sense for so many reasons, I have no problem understanding the principle…. What I do have a problem with is maintaining and rotating my food storage. What I’m interested in is how you keep track of what you do have, what you should have, and how you rotate your food supply to make sure you don’t have food that gets left at the back of the cupboard for 3 years! So I would love to have ideas from you…

Play Dough

April 23rd, 2011

Joshua is at an age now where he can ‘help’ me with many of my daily activities. He helps me fill up the washing basket, type emails, take photos, put his toys away, put his dishes in the sink, put the rubbish (and sometimes the ‘not rubbish’) in the bin. He’s starting to become my little shadow and helper and I generally just love having him with me. I love seeing him explore and enjoy life, and one of his favourite things to help me with is cooking!
It’s wonderful! Now I can use baking as an activity that Joshua and I can do together and hopefully, with some delicious results! Josh and I have a great time as I try not to care too much about the mess he makes as he help me ‘mix’ the ingredients… or that he uses my measuring spoons to scoop out spoonfuls of batter which he then proceeds to eat….

I had been thinking for a while about making playdough with my sister and her 2 yr old girl and so a few weeks ago we went over to their place to do just that! The recipe is so quick simple, and you can find it on the side of a Cream of Tartar container …. I’ve also given it to you here!

1 cup of salt
2 cups of plain flour
2 cups of water
2 Tbsp of oil
4 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
Food colouring

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until mixture congeals.

Getting everything ready before you start really helps!

When we made it we halved the above quantities and made it in 4 different colours. Keep in it an airtight bag/container in the fridge and it should last for 6 or so months. I found you need a reasonable amount of food colouring if you want bright colours like I did. Just a few drops will give you quite a pale colour so it’s best to get the ‘bottles’ of food colouring as opposed to the little dropper packs.

Pouring in the flour!

It always impresses me how much the kids just love to be involved and help. I will measure out the ingredients and then let Josh pour them into the bowl/saucepan… it’s so simple and yet he loves to be helping me. Also another note… I discovered that the Cream of Tartar containers hold about 6 Tbsp… because I only had 1 container and I wanted to make 4 colours (which would have required 8 Tbsp) I just reduced the amount of Cream of Tartar in each batch…

And more flour!

And mixing it all together!

We had lots of fun making playdough, although it did get a bit tricky when both kids were wanting to help and there wasn’t enough room!

Mummy's job was mixing it on the hot plate.


The final product! Nice and bright...

It was good fun and I’m sure that most kids would love knowing that they’re playing with playdough that they have helped make! All you need then is some cheap cookie cutters and a rolling pin and you’re set for all your playdough fun!

Making allowances

April 5th, 2011

Remember when money was exciting?!

I’ve been having withdrawals from blogging, but I’ve been somewhat busy lately and somewhere along the line it slipped to the bottom of the to-do list, until tonight! I have one boy in bed, one at a church meeting and one playing cricket so I have found myself with a bit of quiet time… Granted I should be doing my kitchen, but that will be there when I’m finished this!

I like having a budget. It helps me prepare for my bills, I know what I can AFFORD to spend on shopping each week, I KNOW whether or not I have the money to do things, which helps when money is tight… you stick to your budget and you know you’ll be ok. It’s brings a sense of security and order to know that your finances are secure….

The problem when you’re sticking to a budget, and especially a tight one, is that when you see a top you really like, or a friend invites you out for lunch, or you want more funds to feed your addiction to scrapbooking…. you are torn between self deprivation or guilt – neither option is very appealing! So the trick is to eliminate both guilt and self-deprivation and the solution is simple… give your self an allowance – or in other words pocket money!

Allowing yourself (and your spouse) pocket money with each pay, gives you a lot of freedom. To start with, you no longer feel you have to deprive your self of some of the things that makes this life so wonderful! I love catching up with friends over lunch, going to dinner on a date with my husband, and seeing the joy and energy my little boy has when I take him to the swimming pool.

By giving yourself pocket money you go from always saying ‘I wish I could….(fill in the blank)… but I just can’t afford it, it’s not in the budget….’ to saying ‘Sorry, I can’t do lunch this week, I’m already going to the movies with Mum…. but what about next week?’

There will, of course, be times when you will have spent your ‘pocket money’ and you will still have to decline the invitation, but how much easier will it be, knowing that you don’t have to decline EVERY time!? Of course the list of things you can spend your pocket money on is endless…. lunch, dinner, movies, music, clothes, the zoo, hobbies… and some things are much more expensive than others, but don’t forget you can save it up for a few weeks (or months….) to be able to do those more expensive things….You may also find yourself thinking of and looking for ways to have fun that cost less… because at least it’s allowed to cost something!

Just remember that life with a budget doesn’t mean that you suffer… In fact, life with a budget gives you all that you need…and sometimes more. I’m grateful that my Mum always taught us the importance of a budget and living within your means! Even today I can picture Mum drawing up her budget sheet each month… and now I do exactly the same…although mine’s on the computer! It gives me peace of mind, making me a more happy and content wife and mother, allowing me to focus my time and energy on loving and serving my family and those around m.- and isn’t that what life is REALLY all about!