One of those days ....

Lovely friends, let me tell you a tale about a well intentioned mummy who just hasn't been able to get her act together. Yes, a tale of : 'One of those days'.
Allow me to set the scene.
 Today I am tired.

My judgement is therefore sufficiently hindered, even a little impaired :)

 

I worked a night shift last night. I had a great shift. This morning Dom has been divine, playing happily in his playroom as the rain has at times, poured outside. While there was a lull in the rain I thought, let's go see the ducks at the brook before lunch. What a fabulous idea - let's get outside for some fresh air!
 

As I grabbed the pram out of the car, I had to growl at least a million times at Dominic to stand still and stop trying to run out onto the road. Seriously, what's with that? No, it is not funny Dominic!

As I heaved the pram out of the car and slammed the boot shut I heard a crushing sound - the sound of my iPhone being crushed as I slammed the boot. I swore under my breath (wtf) but never to be deterred by the opportunity to see a duck, I strapped Dom determinedly in the pram and convinced myself that I needed a new phone anyway. I set off ignoring all the obvious signs from the universe that we should in fact stay at home and watch 'Ellen'. As we set off storm clouds followed us, but surely it wouldn't pour until after lunch?

 

It all went pear shaped as we approached the brook.
Yes, it started to rain. No freakin ducks came out to say 'hi', even they decided to stay at home and play with their puzzles :)
Then it proceeded to pour. You know, the kind of heavy shower that has you panicking when you don't have a brolly except in my case, I was without brolly and with pram.

I ran in fact, I galloped to shelter - I am not built for running you see.
I must have been quite a sight!
The shelter was facing the slide and swing that Dom so desperately wanted to play on - sheer desperation I tell you! I explained in my fake calm voice that it was raining and that we couldn't play at the moment. Yes, my judgement was so sufficiently impaired that by this stage I found myself trying to reason with a 25 month old - ha.....and they call me a child health nurse!

 

Dom screamed and I despaired. The rain continued to pour.
20 minutes (yes 20!!) later, fed up with the screaming of my little genetic marvel, I set off home in the rain.
No slide. No swing. My feet squelched in my shoes (the stinky comfy old work shoes of course) and my freshly straightened hair was beginning to frizz.
As I marched back across the little bridge the ducks still didn't come out and say 'hi'...
I muttered something about withholding their bread privileges - that would show them.
We power walked home in silence.
 

A neighbour smiled at me knowingly from her window as I walked back up our street - 'You idiot', I could hear her thinking. 'Who would go outside in this weather'?
By now feeling sufficiently irritated, I imagined flicking her the bird (like I said, my judgement was impaired) but decided that this would not be neighbourly, let alone very motherly (joke- sort of). A good mother after all would have been organised and had an umbrella in the pram console!

 

We got home. By now Dominic had calmed and was indicating that after all the excitement, he would like a Vegemite sandwich NOW...
As a lugged the pram up the front steps, I tripped.
Yes, this was my morning.
Dom smirked at me like I was some sort of circus clown - this was fast becoming a circus act after all.
I snorted with laughter. We came inside to the shelter of our little home and turned on Peppa Pig. The moral of the story? There isn't one. I just thought that this story might amuse you.

Today made me think of this poster I found on pinterest...

Poster from pinterest. Click on image for link.....

A few healthy changes......

So, I have been feeling like shite for a while now. This could be as a result of working nightshift(s) and caring for a toddler, but boy I have been seriously lacking energy. Two of my work colleagues had commented that my thyroid gland was large so I thought I best have this checked out. Turns out, some people have fat bums, I have fat pads on either side of my thyroid, and a large bum :)

 

So, with no medical explanation for my lack of energy, after careful consideration, I have made a few lifestyle changes in an attempt to address my feeling of 'blah' - yes, this is a medical term. Don't worry. I haven't gone all GP on you (that's Gwyneth Paltrow to those in the know) although I do think she is beautiful and I have just ordered her new cookbook. I heard on the radio today that she exercises for two hours a day - imagine having that luxury! Anyway, I have needed to make a few lifestyle changes for a while. During the day I don't eat when I am at home and then end up substituting healthy food choices when I am starving, especially after a night shift, for pieces of toast with lashings of butter and vegimite or sweet treats. I was becoming a little Nigella-esque, getting up in the middle of the night and shoving my face into chocolate cake!

 

Anyway, I wont go into boring details but I am attempting to change my eating habits. No more pasta or bread. I have even cut back on my coffee intake and am reducing the amount of sugar I eat.

I had a ripper of a headache for a couple of days but I must admit, I am feeling so much better! 

I have been concentrating on baking healthy treats and incorporating whole foods as much as the budget allows. Being healthy is expensive people! Raw chocolate brownie (Dominic even ate it!) and delicious healthy banana bread are all things we have enjoyed in my little family this week. Quinoa, eggs, salads, poached chicken and nuts - who would have thought by eating a nutritious breakfast and actually making time to have lunch, you could feel so good! My new addiction is quinoa porridge with almond milk, one small banana and a handful of raisins for breakfast - soooooo good!

 

With so many food blogs around, I have been pouring over recipes but one of my favourite blogs is Farmhouse Home. This year Catherine, writer of Farmhouse Home, has been featuring healthy meals and baked goods for inspiration. I made this banana bread she posted on her blog, today.

I believe this recipe first featured on Lorna Jane's Move, Nourish, Believe website. Hot off the press people and the smell of banana and coconut is whafting through our home.

 

 

Photos by me.....

 

The bread was lovely and moist and needed no accompaniment, although I suspect some butter or a little honey would taste a treat. I only added two bananas, a third would have been perfection.

 

Happy Friday! x

 

Hair...

Friends I ask you, is it possible to shed a few kilos in hair after a hair cut?

In my case, yes. After my night shift ( I think this is fairly reflective of my desperate need for a hair cut. I had had 2.5 hours sleep prior to my appointment!), I went and saw my gorgeous hairdresser Nadine at the Glamour Beaute Lounge in Taringa. I also had my eyebrows done by the salon owner Jodi, who is possibly one of the loveliest women I have met!

I HATE seeing myself in photos (make-up less too. Rarely do I wear makeup), but thought you would get a little laugh out of my before and after hair shots. See, I wasn't lying when I said I was in desperate need of a haircut and have a ridiculous amount of hair! There is zero chance of me going bald in my old age.

I have been thinking, new house new hair. So, I have been fairly daring. What do you think?

 

 

 

We are in the thick of packing and cleaning. I will be offline (not that I have been online much of late) next week, but I will return with some photos of the house and more time to devote to this little blog.

Happy Friday Friends!

 

Feeling inspired...

I have finally had a brief moment to indulge in some pinterest today and boy, did I enjoy!

I haven't accessed pinterest in a couple of weeks and fear I may have been experiencing a bit of withdrawal. So many gorgeous pics and so much inspiration, my imagination has been given a kick start. Now, if only money grew on trees :)

 

 

I am currently obsessed with industrial pendant lights and have been obsessively searching for some online .... I am determined to find the perfect one for our new kitchen. How cute are these?

I love me a world map... I love this eating area, the table and chairs - less the white floorboards. As much as I love them, they would certainly send my obsessive compulsive tendencies crazy - imagine the food remnants on the floor.

The new shanty has picture rails.... lots of photos to frame, photos to develop and put up on walls.
 I can hardly wait!

 

Loving this hallway/entry way ... the lights.... that rug....
The warmth and imperfection of this room is the perfect inspiration for a family home, don't you think?

And last but not least, once again I have been searching for new hair-do inspiration. My regrowth is atrocious (again!) and my hair is so long and thick it is dread-locking (again!). You think I am joking but I can assure you that I am not. Nadine if you are reading this, sharpen those scissors and make up the bleach.... I am coming your way next week and cannot wait :)

Wait, just one more picture to torment you. Smeg, I salute you. I will probably never have a fridge like this or a cook top so pristine... but thankyou for the inspiration.

 

Have a good day lovely readers x

(as usual, click on the images for pinterest links) ....

rugs...

Another Monday is here friends and the weather here in Brisbane is perfect. Autumn in the sunshine state is heavenly and perfect for a spot of window shopping.

 

I do some of my best spending when I least expect it - are you like that? When I have cash to burn I cannot find anything to buy, but when things are a bit tight, things jump out at me begging to be purchased. Today was no exception to that rule.

 

We move into the new house in just two weeks time and one of my immediate concerns is decorating (on a budget) and trying to keep our little shanty as warm as possible in winter.

Yes, yes - I know. You live in Brisbane how cold can it get, I can hear you say. But night times can be chilly, particularly when you have cold drafts running up in between floorboards. So, the obvious solution to the problem would be to buy rugs, right? But I ask you, what makes a good rug? What about rug patterns and colours? To me, rugs are one of those purchases that you can get very wrong. Interestingly but yet not altogether surprising, most of the rugs that have caught my eye recently are a couple of thousand dollars - clearly out of our budget. Everything from Persian rugs to Kilim rugs are divine but in our household, would have food and drink spilt on it, not to mention dirty little feet and grubby little paws.

 

Photo taken with my iPhone and jazzed up with instagram.

 

This morning while wandering in Paddington with my mum, I came across this beautiful rug (above) at a shop called Les Salles. This rug is made by 'Mad Mats' (read about their story here), out of recycled material and can be used indoors and outdoors. Not only are they ridiculously soft on your feet, but have the most beautiful patterns and can be simply wiped or hosed down when dirty. This is my kind of rug. Fashionable, affordable and environmentally friendly. Needless to say this rug was purchased rather quickly. The chairs were pretty tempting too, but I showed amazing restraint. I am so excited to have made my first new house purchase :)

 I will be heading back to Les Salles to buy one more of these rugs. I also have my eye on a black and white geometric pattern rug that they have in stock. Mad Mats can also be purchased online here.

 

Are you a rug person? What floor coverings do you have in your home? If you had a choice, would you be investing in an expensive Persian rug, a piece of art or another piece of furniture? Ahhhh, such are the woes of the modern day budget conscious decorator :)

 

Another week, another book...

As usual, my week has flown by. I am not sure what I have achieved, but we have done lots of running around the garden playing with the 'da ball' and have enjoyed dancing and listening to our new favourite singer, Sarah Humphreys. One of my other achievements for this week, was finishing this book.

I was first introduced to Grace Coddington, Artistic Director of American Vogue, after watching the documentary 'The September Issue' many years ago; a documentary detailing Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 Fall fashion issue of American Vogue. Grace was a standout in this documentary, obviously passionate about fashion and photography, with unfailing witt and obvious generosity. I love reading books about people who are so clever and have lived such interesting lives and yet, are so completely unassuming of their talent. Grace's stories about her life, marriages, amazing places she has travelled and of course her love of fashion, have made for a great read.

I couldn't put this book down.

 

What books have you read recently? Any you can recommend? I need a good book to distract me from all the packing we need to start doing!

Easter Sunday dessert - the tale of a Victoria Sponge (warts and all)..

So, I have debated long and hard with this post.

Do I tell the real story of how this cake came together, or do I lead you all to believe that I am a modern day domestic goddess, who cares for and bakes for her family without a care in the world.

Hmmmmm tough choice... but where is the fun painting a picture of perfection right?

 

 I have long been a fan of the blog What Katie ate. I follow Katie's stories in Delicious Magazine religiously and I am a big fan of her cookbook. When I saw her recipe for this cake on her blog, I just knew I had to give it a go. My mum enthusiastically encouraged me to bring dessert for Easter Sunday lunch. When I informed my husband on the other hand that I would be making this cake, I was met with, 'Oh ... ok. Really?' My husband does enjoy my baking don't get me wrong, it is my process of baking (or lack of ) that causes him most stress or is it distress? He is a neat and orderly cook you see and I am chaotic at best. There are usually dishes and ingredients everywhere - this does include the bench top and on occasion, the floor. I try hard to be orderly but in the end, I can just never get my act together. One can't be a creative genius and tidy after all ;)

 

So admittedly like I said, I did get off to a bad start when I had to add three eggs to the cake mixture. Of course the third egg dropped fairly well shell and all into the cake mixture (I swear it practically disintergrated in my hand!), the Kitchenaid spreading shell pieces everywhere...(enter swear word here). Never fear dear readers, I remained alert (not alarmed) and started again. Here is the end result ....

 

 

In short, the cream filling didn't quite work out. The recipe said to add pouring cream to the mascarpone and stir.

 I figured this would be too runny? I deliberated as to whether I should whip the cream despite the recipe. I made the wrong decision, whipped the cream and it went a bit funky. Despite this, it still tasted pretty damned good - if I must say so myself :)

 

The chocolate Easter eggs with cheese cake filling and passionate fruit syrup for the yolk (in photo above) were made by mum - yes, they were divine. I had one, but could have quite easily eaten them all! You may laugh but back in my youth, I may have eaten an entire pack of Tim Tams in one sitting. 5 Easter eggs with cheesecake filling would be a walk in the park! :)

 

I hope you all had a relaxing Easter and that the bunny was kind to you xx