It seems that Spring has finally arrived in Melbourne and I for one am loving it! But with the change of seasons, warmer weather and wanting to get outside and soak up the warmth comes that nagging feeling that Spring should also involve a Spring clean.

I can hear the collective groan "Not more work", my life as a stay at home mum often feels like it's one step above ground hog day as it is. Now, I am not saying that I don't like spending quality time with my little guy (because I do.... generally) it is more the lack of social exchanges and the day to day of a life which revolves significantly around hanging out at home which sometimes gets me down. I mean one more load of washing and I'm going to poke my own eyes out. So, to add to the excitement of stay at home-edness (I know, it's not really a word - I'm hoping it'll catch on), I thought I would turn it up a notch and try and get my life more organised (and by my life, I mean mine, my husbands and my kids - cause they would be happy to coast along as is).

I have been perusing the living lighter (as in environmental footprint), working with what you have, saving money and living life more frugally type blogs, websites and books to garner some tips on how to do just that. Whilst perusing I have come across the book "lemons and lavender; the eco guide to better homekeeping" by Billee Sharp. Which has some exceptional blurbs in the front extolling the virtues of the author and the great ideas contained within the covers of this book and let's face it, I picked it up because the cover was pretty.

In flicking through the book I have found there are quite a number of good ideas (some obvious but hell, I'm not doing them at the moment so not obvious enough perhaps) and I have decided to take some on. I plan to take on one change a week and see how that impacts on my life. I am starting on the "Revolutionary Budgeting; Taking Control of Your Resources" chapter. Which is actually the first chapter but also the one I probably need the most help with.

To start off my time with Lemons and Lavender I am going to create a household / family budget to get a better idea of our outgoing expenses - now in saying this, I have actually begun this task a number of times over the past few years but have not finished it or set myself an actual budget. My hope in writing all this down and sharing it with someone other than myself is that now I am committed to doing it. Accountability and all that.

We have already begun working on a herb garden. It actually has a double duty - it is a water feature which I was forever worried my two year old would fall in when I was around the other side of the back yard hanging the clothes up. So we have eliminated that problem by filling it with pots and some lovely luscious herbs and lettuce ( I am so sick of buying half arsed lettuce from the shops that doesn't even last until we actually need it for salad a day or so later). This may or may not be a section in the book - I haven't got that far yet as I am focusing on the budget and whatnot. But it seems to be going great guns so f

So here it is, my promise to make one change each week and implement it into my life to create change and a greater life. Who is with me??

Got any great tips?? I would love to hear them.

Cheers,

Lee

I had all these great ideas for today's post and I knew exactly what I wanted to share with you and then cyclone two year old hit!

The thing is that Spring arrived in downtown Melbourne and then in a matter of moments, it looked like it had slunk away to allow a little more winter to hog the lime light and as a result both myself and my two year old have ended up with some hideous flu that shows no signs of abating.

Anyhoo, I dragged my sorry butt around the house this morning trying to make it look as if at least one person here wasn't on a mission to trash it, as my small friend followed me around duly dragging more stuff out behind me as he went. I don't believe that he is malicious..... at least I don't think so. But when he waited until I laid down on the floor for a moment with him and then dived up and wacked me in the head with a rather heavy plastic toy, I began to re-evalute that.

It all started this morning when I noticed his older brother (who is 9) had thoughtfully left some textas on the carpet in the front room, which the two year old of course found. He decided to go with a lovely green colouring job on the floor tiles and grout and then moved onto the  cream coloured mat of the pool table. I was folding laundry in the other room and foolishly thought as long as I could hear him (which I could) then he was not up to no good (which is usually the case when things go quiet).

After that I sent him outside, where I could see all his goings on with a hat he insisted on wearing. Once he started beating the dog with said hat, I knew this day was not going to pick up. So I brought him back inside, onto my newly cleaned floors not realising that he had also been enjoying some quality time in the dogs bowl and now his shoes were not only wet ... but muddy. 

Now don't think for one moment I totally left him to his own devices all morning and hoped for the best ... because I didn't. I tried reading him books, to which came the reply "no thanks". I tried signing songs, playing with toys and when all else failed to capture his attention, I tried the "let's have a little lay on the floor together... we'll snuggle. How about that?." Which resulted in him trying to take me out with a ninja turtle get around vehicle ( I actually think it's bruised behind my hair line ... he's leaving marks that don't show. Should I be worried?).

In the end, I did the only thing I could think of and sent him to bed, for his midday nap (at 11ish).  He wailed and cried all the way there and then .... nothing. Ahhh piece at last. 

I think that's why they make them so cute.... so you don't go out into the back yard and eye of a nice soft area of soil to dig up....

I better go, I think I just heard him stir and the tapping of the keyboard will alert him to my presence......  

How is life going with your two year old? Or what age is giving you grief at the moment?

Cheers,

Lee

It's a hard thing to find where you fit in the world and often we think this is a delimma that only affects teenagers and their choice of classes for high school and university, which will ultimately impact on which direction their lives take. But I have come to the realisation that it isn't only teenagers who feel this way. There are many points in your life where you stop to take a breath and then wonder where the hell you are and how on earth you got there.....and more importantly question what you are going to do next.

Now, I am by no means an expert on what to do next. I have spent a good proportion of the last few years wondering what I was doing and what would come next... and since having been off work part time and now full time (and being a full time mum - which just means your hours are crap, your "boss" screams at you and you are forever preparing some type of  meal) it really gives you time to ponder what you are actually doing with your life and what your purpose it. Where do you fit?

It seems that life is full of labels, you are someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's wife - but at each of these points, you belong but you are still your own person. You go off into the world to make something of yourself and to leave a mark that says to others "I was here and I was important". But I feel there is a slight power change when you become a mum. When you get to the point that you are someone else's mother (and mothers are very important) you begin to wonder when you stopped being you and started just being someone else's somebody else.

Through multiple discussions with girlfriends on this topic I know that it is not just me who feels this sense of disconnection with the world. Feeling like someone who desperately wants to find their "place" but just doesn't know where to start looking. It's like starting out on a journey and you don't know where you are going, you just know theres a journey involved.

So the hard part starts with actually working out where you want to go and what you want to do. So, where do you want to go?? And don't give me all that palava about being too busy to do anything either... if you found something you enjoyed enough the time would appear.

It almost seems a little selfish to be looking for a purpose and I know that is something which plagues many women on this journey of self discovery (yes, I know I'm generalising but men hardly ever suffer guilt for this reason). You find yourself surfing the net or sitting comatose infront of the television after you have finished dealing with everyone else problems.... and all the mess they have created in the process. And you might come across something about a person with no arms, or legs, or a tsunami somewhere or even a shooting... and you reprimand yourself for being so selfish about finding a purpose for yourself when there are people in the world who are really suffering. But you still have that hole and that need for purpose even after that..... 

Well, all I can say is that there is still plenty of time to discover. Try new things, go different places, surf the net .. I'm not saying you will find the answer but maybe the journey will lead you somewhere that will. Take some time to look after the person who does all the looking after ... after all, you'd do it for them, why not you? 

Cheers,

Lee

I don't know whether it is this cold Melbourne weather which I have really had enough of or just being a stay at home mum on this monotonous mouse wheel that is wearing me out. But I would really like to have a little break from reality..... and perhaps a nap.

How about you??

Cheers,

Lee

In the round up of things I liked, or that amused me or images that brought me
some joy this week it was very difficult to stop adding things! 

I have come across some amazing images, projects and fun stuff but I did manage to narrow it down to a small selection - or taster if you will - of stuff I liked this week. After all, we are all busy girls and we only have so much time to dedicate to things other than households, kids and everything else in between.

A friend of a friend recommended picmonkey.com for photo editing - and I thought "I don't have time to learn another new thing" but I went and had a look anyway ... and I'm totally hooked on picmonkey. It has really easy photo editing tools, lots of lovely filters and tricks to make your so, so images look - fabulous. And it is FREE - yay free!!
 
I think there may be plans to charge for extra tools or filters at some time in the future but don't let that put you off. There is even a wrinkle remover and a lip gloss tool - in case you didn't have time to slap something on before the camera was brought out. You can even add text and little stickers and all sorts of fun stuff too, to create cards (if you have the energy). Here is a little sample of a before and some afters so you can see what picmonkey does. Anyway don't take my word for it ... go check it out yourself.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these lovely things and perhaps were inspired by one of the ideas... at the very least go and take a look a picmonkey.com and glam yourself up with the airbrush tool, you'll know then how those ladies in the women's mags look so much better than women in everyday life.

Enjoy,

Lee

OK, well maybe the title was a little bit grand - perhaps not so much a new purpose as much as a new journey. In my effort to work out where I fit in the grand scheme of things I have decided to take on a new challenge. I have now enrolled in a new course of study. A Diploma of Business. Yay me!!

Yeah, I know, much more exciting for me than for you (well I haven't got any assignments yet - so that might wear off pretty quick for me as well). 

I think my quote pretty much says it all... and if you're still looking for your path or even if you have found it, I would love to hear about it.

Cheers,

Lee

School holidays are slowly drawing to a close and it has really seemed like a long time coming. For the most part we have just hung around the house interspersed with visits to the movies, Science Works and heading into the city for Hot Chocolates.

At about this time (towards the end) I have run out of activities and am quite looking forward to the start of the new term and the return of my regular weekly routine. It's hard to find space for yourself and a little bit of breathing room when you are running around trying to keep another smaller person entertained and not drag them to too many of your regular day to day activities ... cause everything you do is so "boring".

Well to add to the mix we have decided to pop up to Sydney for a few days to

Don't you just love it when you get a bargain?? Or even better, something for free!? Yay! I know what you're thinking; nothings for free - but it appears that, that may not always be true.

It all began when I joined the baby club with Coles to learn about new baby products (that I probably won't buy - cause you pretty much always have too much stuff already) and new recipes, that I always think "mmmm, looks good - the kids will like that" (and yet I never, ever seem to make). Well, it seems they have gone ahead and created a new club for (dare we say it) desperate housewives (perhaps just bored housewives says it all?). Pretty much for woman at home who have a little time on their hands and are ripe to try out new stuff and give reviews on it. The new club is called Coles Circle (colescircle.com) and I thought - what the hell, not like I'm over achieving at the moment what would it hurt. Well, nothing it seems... and I got some free stuff to try. So, yay!

Here's the thing with kids, you can't wait for their next exciting milestone and then they get there and it bites you in the arse. You know what I mean, you can't wait for them to walk ... and then they start running off on you in public. You can't wait for them to talk ... and then they won't stop or worse start talking back. Or the one which has today effected me  - you can't wait for them to grow little teeth so they can start eating whatever everyone else is eating and then they start biting other kids with those new, sharp little fangs. 

You've just popped out a baby and you're laying there in the hospital bed recovering from the whole ordeal and one of the first questions you get from visiting well wishers is "so when are you having another one?" ......Umm What!?

I had to stop myself from waving my arms towards said baby (sale of the century style) and calmly stating, (oh, alright, through gritted teeth) "...and here we have one I made earlier."

People are always full of helpful advice, (especially when you have children) which they are not afraid to pass on to you and whether you actually know them or not is irrelevant. You know dear, they say, you better start trying for your next one soon or they'll be too far apart in age and they wont play together! (Like that's something to aim for! My brother and I are just over two years apart and we finally stopped trying to kill one another when I hit 18, we started "playing" well together when we hit our 20's).

So, it got me thinking about the perfect age gap for siblings. I know, everyone has an opinion on this, closer together, further apart, a sensible 3 year gap? Whatever the opinion, like most things there are definite advantages and disadvantages for each.

My children have a lovely 7 year gap and I planned it that way because 7 is my favourite number and .... just kidding. The real reason is that it took me 7 years to get over the horror of my first time experience!! It was bloody hard work. I was not one of those people who glowed and talked about how lovely it was to be creating a life and went for brunch. I was one of those people who's boobs got so big I had to rest them on the table at dinner, when I wasn't in the toilet throwing up that is. My hair got incredibly greasy and my skin broke out like a teenagers and I wanted to punch those glowy, brunchy people.

On an unrelated note, my second pregnancy was marginally better, but I still wasn't glowing and I still didn't brunch and yes, I was still in the toilet throwing up. Aside from all that once our new little guy came to live with us (you know, after the initial torture of sleep deprivation had subsided), I found that the age gap was just lovely. The bigger, older brother is a great help and it has been nice to be able to spend this time bonding with our little guy, while his brother is off at school. Having said that though, it was like going back to the start when you are half way through a game. We didn't have anything, so we had to go and get set up for a baby again and then there's the child proofing and missing stuff because you're home for naps. Even with all that, I have still loved this age gap.

Friends that had there first children when I did, quickly headed back for seconds (and in some cases thirds!) and found it difficult and confronting to have to deal with so many small and unreasonable people at the same time. But now, they're all heading out for coffees, careers and after work drinks as their little chicks are now all off at school and participating in similar age grouped activities at the same time.  

I guess the answer is, you're just ready when you're ready. There is no perfect gap and what works for you may not work for others. I do believe if I had gone back for more earlier I would now be quietly sitting somewhere with lots of greenery, in a nice padded corner, rocking back and forwards ... mumbling something about it not stopping..... actually that still sounds nice.

Whatever works for you,

Lee