Welcome back...to me

I've been AWOL for a couple of weeks, busy with girls in school holidays, away in Queensland and then back into the swing of things.

I saw this rocking chair idea on Design Mom and LOVED IT! And then immediately wondered...do these sorts of projects photograph better than they look in real life?



Photo from Design Mom

I will have my own DIY project soon on a shadow box I bought for a steal on ebay which came from the States.

I'm planning to strip and paint it and use it in our holiday house (on track for being ready in December YAY!). I love the idea of shadow boxes - it gives a special home to display small objects or nick nacks which kids seem to love (but otherwise lose).

I'm hoping my AFTER picture looks a little like this....

And on the home front...these three little girls are growing up, getting bigger, wiser and older.

Love to your house too.

xx

Shana Tova and a little craft for a gorgeous Wednesday

We have a few days off school in honour of Rosh Hashanah. The table is set, the apples and honey are ready, and we're (mostly, mostly I say) taking it easy. I took the girls on a long walk and play in the park today, to celebrate a gorgeous spring day. The older two were on their scooter and the little one in our Radio Flyer wagon - all this resulted in two long naps and one long rest for three girls. Check!

I'm going to try this crafty little project - looks perfect for 2, 4, and 6 year olds. Check out Sunset Skyline Art Project.

Here's a snap of our festive table. The placemats are actually scrapbook sheets I got from my local art shop for 25c, and the placecards are handmade by me.

Warm greetings to you all.

xx

Best tips for surviving (and maybe even enjoying) school holidays

It's the night before we go back to school, and I always give myself a little (invisible) toast - you made it! I always get to this point with the same mixed feelings - relief and anticipation of some time to myself again, a sense of accomplishment that we had a mostly (I say, MOSTLY) nice time, and a little 'aawwwwww I'll miss them tomorrow' (quickly replaced by my brain working to create 10 lists of things I'd like to get done tomorrow).

We travelled, swam, saw, explored, rode, flew, drew, painted, made, read, sculpted, cooked, ate, snacked and most importantly, PLAYED.

Here's my top tips for getting through school holidays:

1. Planning
Firstly, plan ahead. A few weeks before the holidays, look online or in your local children's magazines for shows, workshops or activities you want to do with your kids. Book tickets to what you want early. Once you've done that, you have a loose schedule to work around. Spread out your activities so you have some quiet days interspersed with the busier ones.

2. Surrender
Accept that for the next few weeks, your time to 'get things done' is being suspended. In fact, you can kiss your 'me' time away for the time being. You simply cannot get as many errands done as normal. I always feel like a kindergarten teacher during the holidays (but without the lunch break). Your focus has to be on the kids. Having a quiet cup of tea and making dinner is sometimes it for the day.

3. Stock up
Before every holidays start, I go to my local art and craft shop and stock up on supplies we need, plus some extra things that will be fun for the girls. Paint, new textas, paper, glue, glitter etc. I do a tidy up of the play room so things are more easily accessible and bring out some old stuff that hasn't been played with for a while.

4. Get inspired
Use the internet for easy, quick printables when you need to give your kids something to do. Colouring in pages, word mazes for older kids, dot to dots - these are all great. I source these in the evenings and keep them in a little folder when needed.

5. TV is your friend
During holidays, when the days can seem awfully long and the kids can get a little sick and tired of doing stuff or being home by afternoon, or to keep older kids quiet while little ones nap, there is nothing, and I mean, NOTHING wrong with some TV. I'm not talking about hours in front of the TV, but an hour here or there will restore a little calmness and can give you a chance to have some peace and quiet too. (My older girls love The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, Toy Story and Annie.)

6. Make some time for yourself
This is critical. I have found some time away from my kids always rejevunates and refreshes me, and that makes me a better Mum(my). Use a 15 year old neighbour, family, babysitter, whatever you can afford. It will be good for everyone. Plus, I'll admit, being with your kids all day every day can be boring sometimes. Go for a walk, go to the supermarket, whatever just GET OUT!

7. Keep some perspective
Know this is only temporary. We all have bad days where the kids drive each other and us nuts. I've had days where I've felt like the worst mother in the world, shouting at her kids and just not 'feeling it'. We all have those days. Try to stay positive, keep it light and fun. Know this is all normal and part of motherhood. I still feel lucky to be able to be home with my kids and to be making their childhood memories with them.

Hope you have managed these holidays too and had some fun along the way.
xx

Stuff to do at home

I am loving all the kids art and craft activities all over the wonderful American blogs I read - isn't it funny that half way across the world, other mums are also doing the universal 'gotta keep my kids busy scramble' during their long summer break while us mums in Australia are doing the same in our mid year (but shorter) winter break.

Here is a lovely blog I found by an American mum of five now living in Israel, called Creative Jewish Mom. We'll be trying the homemade watercolours tomorrow.

My girls were content today doing our old favourite, making playdough, and then cutting and pasting pictures from old magazines and catalogues. A no brainer.

A lengthy kiddie disco ensued after dinner (although it was rather testing to wind Yasmin back DOWN) which was fun - and I got to play my favourite music (with one Chicken Dance request).

Hope you are having a little peace during these busy times.

And to paraphrase a quote (because, um, I couldn't remember where I read it...)

Life with young kids can be summed up - the days are long but the years are short.
xx

There's no place like home

We flew in today and it's sooo good to be home. I always love coming home if it's been 2 days or 2 weeks away.

We had a (mostly) fun week away, lots of swimming and sunshine which is a real treat in the middle of winter. Travelling with three young kids is a continual juggling act - it's regular toilet stops, snacks, drinks, sunscreen etc - you get it. They can also melt down pretty quickly after a day playing in the pool but we are always prepared with early dinners and a couple of DVDs from home to give everyone time to rest.

One highlight of our trip Yasmin made a friend from Sydney at our hotel in Bali and they swapped addresses after I explained to her what a pen pal is. Cute. 

I always really clear my brain on holidays and use my empty headspace to think about things I want to achieve when we get home (hellooooo Extreme Makeover!) and do some mental planning. This time I continued to mull our choice of school for our kids (hmmmm), how to be healthier and some fun things we can do at home. I've been reading that although school is important, we shouldn't forget that kids really get their grounding and values from home. This is something we all need to hear sometimes because we can all get a little too caught up in day to day running around, playdates, TV etc, but it's good to be ask ourselves - what am I teaching my kids at home?

One thing I thought of after reading Steady Days which will help fill those sometimes dreadful afternoons after school is to make a Country Board. This will involve a simple bulletin style board where we can hang up any artwork, drawings, words or pictures related to that particular country. After the girls will choose a country, we will do fun little stuff like drawing that country's flag, learn a couple of words, some very basic customs and  of course, try the local style food . This is all easily available online and I think this will be fun for all of us. As I've mentioned before, we have several books about kids living around the world, and this as well as their travels has given them a real interest in places around the world.

We had some serious sleep deprivation today after our overnight flight but as we are still in school holiday mode it's not such a big deal. This week we the girls have a couple of shows - Luigi Zucchini at the Melbourne Magic Festival in Northcote (random!), Circus Oz, a magic workshop at Gasworks and a local production of The Magic Hat. In between that will be a trip to our local Prahran Market (my favourite place to food shop) and continued generalised chaos and malarkey.

In the mean time, please drool with me at this gorgeous kid's pencil scarf (not to mention the rest of the items) I spotted in the recent edition of LMNOP, an online kids style mag.

xx

Singapore and Bali, one noodle at a time...

I ran out of time before we went away to say, I'm going away! We are in Bali after a four day jaunt with my parents in Singapore. Think - Zara, Universal Studios, Marc Jacobs (drool), playing, swimming and my favourite, watching Zahara eat noodles with one chopstick. Memorable stuff.

Now we are relaxing, unwinding into that slow, easy pace of not doing much poolside. Oh and thank heavens for Kids Clubs. Just one hour is magic. And reading Steady Days, which while my mind is relatively clear, could set me on a path when we come back home.

xxx

Travelling with little people

We've done our fair share of travelling with our kids; planes, car trips, multi destinations, Asia, Middle East, Australia. I've learnt some tricks (and lessons too) and some must haves. I normally start preparing a week before we go. Here are my tried and tested tips.

Packing
1. I pack everyone's clothes into separate small bags. I use those cloth supermarket bags for each person. Easier to pack and unpack, and clothes don't get mixed up. For the kids, I've created little tags to tie on with their name or a picture so they can recognise their things.

2. For kids that may be fussy about their clothes, I show them what we are taking. I explain we need clothes for 'playing' not fancy clothes when we travel. The less you take, the less arguments.

3. Take spare socks instead of slippers or uggies for the mornings/evenings.

4. Pack layers in case of cooler weather.

5. If your bedtime routine includes books at home, take books with you. Mr Men's are good because they are small and light. You will also need books for reading on the plane.


On the Plane/Car Trips
1. Food, snacks and emergency lollypops. Things in small packets are good; crackers, sultanas, biscuits etc. When the kids start to get crazy (and the seat belt button is on), I've been known to hand out the treats. Chewing gum is good too for older kids.

2. Take your own drink bottles. Everyone gets thirsty on planes (and the food tends to be saltier) so bring your own.

3. Bring some spare clothes (for you too) in case of accidents/spillages. I learnt this after Zahara threw up all over my husband at 6 weeks of age on a flight to Queensland. And so on. Take baby wipes with you AT ALL TIMES. Same for disenfecting hand lotion and disposable baby change mats.

4. Keeping the kids occupied will be your greatest challenge. My rule on the plane - you can watch as much TV as you want. Bringing a portable DVD player with some favourites will make your life a whole lot easier.

5. Suggested activities - stickers, playdough, colouring in, colouring books, making a travel journal (older kids), some sticking activities (use a glue stick, not runny glue), beading etc. You can make the kids a little backpack or small bag with made up activities ready. Print out colouring pages from the internet (see this post).

6. Be prepared. Print out everything! Hotel confirmations, itineraries, websites of places you are going to visit, copies of passports etc.

7. Bring some games/activities for rainy day moments too. Depending on your kids ages, games like Uno or board games are great to kill boredom.

8. It will be tiring, but you can still have enjoyable moments. Try to keep your cool. Remember you are pushing your kids out of their comfort zone so cut them some slack if they meltdown. Kids still need plenty of fresh air and running around so make sure you build this in to your daily routine as well.

Back from the brink....I mean, Daylesford

We came home from Daylesford one day early. We had a nice time, but Zahara had fever for days and was thus attached to me like a koala (she is finally better today). We were a little limited in what we could do as we were caring for one sick child, and trying to keep the other two occupied and out of mischief.

Highlights for the girls were definitely visiting the Chocolate Mill (Layla actually told me this before we even went), stumbling on a local market and having a ride on a vintage train, finding a couple of vintage treasures (I will post tomorrow), making it to Lark and a couple of yummy but super quick meals at Cliffy's.

Our accomodation was great, very unique, spacious and practical. Daylesford is a gorgeous town - not too small to feel too remote, and has lots of upmarket vintage stores, great cafes and stores. I would say not exactly designed for kids, but pretty nice all the less. I love the focus on healthy living, fresh farm food, and an apppreciation for lovely vintage objects.

Hope you had a lovely Easter. We are so happy to be home. And for this week....finishing off some invitations for a little girl's fourth birthday party next month. Can you guess what sort of party she has asked for?

xx

Whew

I am sooo drained. Boy oh boy I forgot how intense school holidays are. On top of that, all three girls have been sick with fevers and coughing so we have had lots of naps, cuddles, tea with honey and panadol. (Although Yasmin is actually a pleasure when she is unwell. Her sometimes over exuberance becomes slightly subdued making her much easier when one of three little ones.)

Amidst this sickness, what has been lovely is seeing a certain 23month old basking in the attention and presence of her two big sisters. All three girls have been getting on so much better and Yasmin especially is showing renewed patience to play with Zahara.

We had a lovely Seder with all our family. The kids had a great time and were so well behaved. They also went to bed at 10pm and the next day were very, very tired and grumpy.

This weekend we are going to Daylesford and staying at a gorgeous looking guesthouse called The Barn. I can't wait for some fresh air and sunshine. We haven't been to Daylesford in years, since before we had kids in fact. The Barn is actually a converted barn, which I think the girls will love. It's also next door to Cliffy's, a locally wellknown food emporium, which I think I will love.

So what's on the agenda?
Trout fishing
Chocolate mill
A visit to Lark . I have my eyes on this, this, and this gorgeous apple vinyl tablecloth. Might need to take a child with me to distract me from buying too much.
We are also paying a visit to the Daylesford Makers Market which is on this Saturday. Lots of handmade gorgeous crafted things.

In other news, I have continued my obsession with decluttering. Have donated more toys and even sorted through variously themed party supplies and decorations. Much better.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

A glimpse of today

French toast, painting, pictionary, drawing, pasting, playing in the garden, twirling our ribbon sticks outside, memory game, new outfits for Pesach, trying on almost the entire store (Layla), playdate, supermarket, trampolines, snakes and ladders, swim, dinner, eating left over pretzels found in Layla's room, shower, books and thank goodness, 7pm BED!

These holidays feel so much more relaxed than the summer break. And that alone feels good. Here's to enjoying (and not just surviving) the next two weeks.

Hope you had a lovely weekend too.
xxx

Living the good life...I think

I feel like celebrating. The last day of our 8 week summer holidays. School is back tomorrow. The 'back to school treat' orange choc chip muffins are made, the tabouli is ready, the backpack is suitably updated and decorated, and now I must set my alarm for 6am.

It was a mostly fun, definitely tiring, sometimes boring school break. Eight weeks with three little ones at home....it was difficult sometimes to find a bit of air, some peace and quiet and a chance to restore myself. Someone I admire very much and is so knowledgeable about children said to me....'at this age, their holidays are your horror. You are just tired and sometimes we don't want to be with our kids.' And it's OK.

In between, there was our inaugural camping trip (Cumberland River Holiday Park), a lovely warm holiday in Koh Samui, some fun in Singapore, some playdates, parks and swims. Lots of colouring in, playing in the garden and some art programs. And for me...a couple extra savoured glasses of wine in the evening, retreating on the weekends and swapping stories of frustration with misbehaving children with friends.

So now, having made it, it will be back to the rushed mornings, packing lunch, and getting out the door. And to all the mothers feeling the same feelings tonight....We made it!