When helping is really adding more to Mum's load * not the actual meal in question In recent times, Steve has decided that he can cook dinner. He manages to cook for himself while he's away at work, so I have long begged him to give it a go at home. His response is always "cooking for five is harder than cooking for one" (Welcome to my life) At the start of last month, while he was on a home stint, he told Natalie she should cook dinner, then asked me what she could cook. I told him it was none of my business what was cooked, that for one meal I didn't want to have to think of who was eating ..read more

When you're the last baby, especially when you're the last of 5 babies, there's not much celebration of you (especially from extended family) We've always tried hard to celebrate Sophie in any way we can, because noone else is walking beside her cheering her on. But as the baby of the family, celebrating the milestones can sometimes fall to the wayside when you're running through at the speed of life. So when a moment pops up that can be commemorated in full, you can guarantee I'm gonna be there with bells and whistles on! That's why I started using the hashtag #LastFirst all those years ago ..read more

It was a perfect storm of synchronicity. My doctor had been on at me for ages to lose some of the fat around my middle (to reduce fat on my liver)  An advert popped up on Facebook And 3 days later I was joining a gym. That's kind of disingenuous to my doctor - it's been a few years (since February 2020) when we first started talking about a Care Plan to get me moving more. First, 2020 happened. Then, I told him I wanted to try by myself for 6 months. But just as that reminder text hit my phone, I realised that exercise wasn't something I could do on my own. So, armed with a dietician an ..read more

While I'm rediscovering a writing routine, I'm cleaning up my backend, and updating or publishing posts that have sat in drafts for too many years... here's a gem from 2017 that still holds true today.     A few years ago, I had a friend who was about to turn 40. It was a big deal to her, as it is for most women, and she was throwing herself a party. Every time I saw her, she shared details of the party - the fabulous dress she'd bought, the mutual friends who were going, the amazing venue's food. And then a week before the party, she sent me a text message I know you won't come ..read more

 As the Covid years recede, will personal blogging see a resurgence? This blogger hopes so.   I've been telling myself for 2 hours now to just start typing. From the lounge, I can hear Steve talk himself through finding a lost airline receipt as he does his monthly receipt reconciliation. I need a cup of tea. But I've had 3 already this morning. The last one was cold, I should get up and make another. But what if no one reads? But what if I sound whiney crazy? But But But. So the thought process behind writing blog posts hasn't changed in a few years. I wish I could go back to the ..read more

I've been choosing a word to guide my year since I first discovered Ali Edwards' blog the week after Christmas 2007.   Most of the early years with a word guide weren't terribly successful. Some years I couldn't even remember my word until I was writing my blog post for the new year's word. Some years the word ended up being completely wrong for that time in life. Mostly, I didn't put the effort into the word, to keep t visible and active in my life. Until the year of ACTION. Since then, I've still had some dud words (hello SLOW) but for the most part, my words have shone bright in my l ..read more

Hello Monday is a semi-regular series where I share my goals and thoughts for the week ahead and embrace the goodness of a new week. hello last term of 2021 This year has been hard for everyone in so many ways. While we've been very lucky in Queensland to move quickly through lockdowns, the unknown and the fear of the unknown has invaded every action with sticky tendrils of doubt. While I've been very focused on my small area, the tiny seeds of concern for family and friends in other areas is constantly in the back of my mind. As more and more people become vaccinated across Australia (and ..read more

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me.   A new year means a crisp new notebook to write in. When I looked back on this post, I realised that my bullet journal setup has changed over time, so today I'm sharing my current journal. I still love to use scrapbook papers throughout my journal. In fact, these days, I often buy papers solely to use in an upcoming journal.   My bullet journal starts with a future log. This year, I've changed to a monthly view of the future log, a ..read more

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me. I met my husband because of a car. He had one, and I didn't. There's more to the story than that, but that's where it started. He had a Bruce Springsteen CD playing, and the back seat was full of crumbs and kid-paraphernalia. Sounds like my car now, water bottles and crumbs in the back seat, and that shopping bag with a tablecloth tucked inside for spur of the moment park adventures falling out every time I open the boot. Maybe I'll use this qui ..read more

To get back into the habit of photo taking and writing, I'm challenging myself this month to use the Fat Mum Slim January 2021 prompts to inspire me. I started scrapbooking 15 years ago, when I went to an evening crop after attending a card making class. Since then, it has become a creative outlet and way to share our stories. It's highly likely that my kids will dump all my finished albums after I pass, but until then I'll keep having fun pairing words + stories, and playing with pretty paper. Paper - Echo Park Plant Lady Do you have a creative outlet ..read more