P365 week 37 and 38

Here are my next pages in my Project 365. I cant believe that I am currently working on week 39. Just incredible and I cant wait to see how my book turns out. Anybody got any hints for great printing and binding services in New Zealand?

week 37



The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

Week 38



Here are the credits for this page at Nuts4Digi

Monday Menu 28 September

My menu for this week is going to be a little small as we are going away for 5 days.

So here it is.

Monday Fish and chip home made by my children. Fish bought in from Raratonga and then frozen. Okay I know this is not ideal for fresh fish but it is just how things happened this time.

Tuesday Chicken cooked on the bbq, baked potatoes and salad.

Now we are away and trying to do things financially carefully, so this is roughly the plan.

Wednesday Pie from freezer with salad

Thursday Pre Cooked hot chicken from supermarket with potatoes and salad

Friday Pre Cooked hot chicken from supermarket with potatoes and salad

Saturday Pizza and salad

Sunday Eating out

Hmmmm I hope that is easily achieved. We are staying in an apartment and I am trying for take a little break from too much time in the kitchen.

It's the Holidays.

The the third of four school terms is over and we are on a two week break from all the rushing around. The last of the hockey will be over come next weekend and the tournament in Rotorua, spring is well here with all the variable weather and in general we will all be able to catch up on sleep.

So this holidays I have a few goals in mind.

1. Find some new fun and cheap holiday activities that give our family some quality time.

2. Attack the garden, moss, mould and gunge, lawns, house etc to ensure everything is looking perfect before I go back to work.

3. Help DH finish the bathroom renovation. There is only the tiling to go. That means come the end of the holidays it will be ready for sale.

4. Find some time to chill out and catch up with my life.

5. Make a date or two with DH. It is something I have been thinking we should do more of and there is no time like the present to get started on it.


You can see why it all needs a little attention.

A New Fence.

Our neighbours have been subdividing their section. I was not a very happy house owner to find this our but there was nothing I could do about this.

We share a long fence line with this property and it enable me to feel safe about where my children are when they play around the front of the house. Now this long fence has gone, temporarily, right on the arrival of the school holidays. Now there is nothing to stop the children from entering the building site and going even further a field. Normally this would not matter with most children but Hayden is not most children.

I do not feel particularly happy about this timing of events but naturally there was nothing I could do about it. Instead this is what I have to try and keep the children away from. Hmmm don't like my chances much.

Haydens Birthday

I thought that it was just the right time to show a little more of the photos from Hayden's birthday. Good photos with him are hard because of his inability to sit still for long periods of time.

So here you can see

Bugs. My boys are playing with the new toys and very happily sharing.


The Credits can be found here.

What would a birthday be without blowing the candles. So here is 7 Years Old



The credits for Lindsay Janes Design can be found here.

Finally another look at the candles being blown out.




The credits are here.

Monday Menu 21 September

The last week of the school term is here and this will definitely be my sanity saver.

Monday weight watchers spaghetti bolignese

Tuesday Chicken and rice salad

Wednesday weight watchers beef tacos

Thursday meat loaf. This is a link to a whole range of WW loafs that mine is something like.

Friday Weight Watchers Vegetarian Thai red curry with noodles

Saturday chicken vege and salad (bbq)

Sunday Easy Dinner.

100 Days to Christmas

Can you believe that in now less than 100 days Christmas will be upon us. I guess the shops know this because my local Supermarket has already go decorations etc on their shelves. All they need is the music to match and it really would be in the full Christmas mode.

This did prompt me to take a look in my gift container to see what I have accumulated. I like to be really organised when it comes to this time of the year. So now, thanks to the supermarket, I have a list so I know what I have, what I might be looking out for and a rough idea of the budget I have for these things.

I stumbled across this site listplanit which helps you have a look at an organised Christmas. Go a couple of great ideas already. It really suits me as I am a plan and list type person.

I have to say I am looking quite organised and need to be as DD has a birthday in December and DS2 has one early January.

Here is my gift box. Well the bottom box is.

When Plans fall into place.

Isn't it wonderful when things fall into place. I just love that fact that this week has all come together as I needed it to.

1. I got work for each day of the working week;. (Still getting the money together to replace my car)
2. Only one lot of winter sport still operating so I was not rushing around like a headless chicken.
3. The sun has been shining and that always makes me feel happy.
4. We are almost able to tick off the renovation list the bathroom. It is half done. This week should see it almost finished.
5. Even though the end of the third school term is nearing the children are coping very well and not too badly behaved. Long may this last.
6. My after school care for Hayden is just working perfectly. Thank you to the lovely Phyllis.

Here's hoping this week goes just as well.

Finally I have let the fire go out.

I am a lover of summer and when winter is here my house has to be toasty warm. That means that here in Auckland New Zealand, where it does not snow and we only get a handful of frosts all winter, I still love to have a fire running inside all winter long. Yes, that means all day and night. Luckily we have a fire that does that. The wood we use is free and from a renewable resource.

This year as spring is eagerly arriving early with temperatures that make me think that I need to do something about my summer wardrobe and how ridiculous I am to be so over dressed as I am way tooooooo hot I still have my fire going. Why well my reason is, and I am sticking to it, is that while DH is away with work for nights at a time, and I am busy working, I need my fire to dry my clothes overnight. I am having trouble finding the time to hang them on the line before I leave for work.

Oh yes and I am saving money while not using the drier.

P365 week 35 and 36

Here is the next installment of my Project 365

week 35



The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

Week 36



The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

I cant wait to see what my printed book is going to look like.

Monday Menu 14 September

Another week of menus in my house. It has been another great week and so to this week.

Monday spaghetti and meatballs

Tuesday raisin and walnut brown rice salad

Wednesday Fajitas

Thursday zucchini loaf salad and baked potato

Friday vegetable dumplings salad and potatoes

Saturday kebabs on the bbq

Sunday left overs

Happy Birthday

It is birthday time in my house. Hayden turned 7 on Sunday even though ever since he got seriously sick (when he was 3) he has thought it was his 4th birthday. Perhaps that is not a bad thing as he is about the height of a 4 year old, cognitively like an almost 3 year old and behaviourally fits right in their too.

At this time I am constantly amazed that Hayden is still with us, and even though his life was irreversible I still am constantly amazed that he survived everything that was thrown at him. So this time of the year is always bitter sweet. The if only ..... question is asked. This is probably the only time in the year I really sit and contemplate this. No time to think otherwise and such a waste of life.

I made two cakes, one for home and one for his party at school.

So Happy Birthday Hayden we hope you had a great day filled with joy and laughter.



The cake for school.



and of course what would a party be without a gift or two that you could enjoy playing with and sharing with your brother.

Monday Menu 7 September

Another week gone. This week I have tried to find more links for the food on my menu.

Monday weight watchers spaghetti bolignese

Tuesday Chicken and rice salad

Wednesday weight watchers beef tacos

Thursday meat loaf. This is a link to a whole range of WW loafs that mine is something like.

Friday Weight Watchers Vegetarian Thai red curry with noodles

Saturday chicken vege and salad (bbq)

Sunday Hayden's choice as it is his birthday.

Another Miracle well really a solution

My son Hayden has many challenges in life but sometimes he is the one putting the challenges our way. Like bedtime.



I think the photo says it all. Every piece of his clothing from every draw has been thrown on the floor every night for the last 3 weeks. Although on the night of the photo I was smiling, well slightly, most nights I feel despair as I open the bedroom door. What was I going to do about it? I am not so concerned about the removal of his pj's because they were always replaced with at least 3 shirts, track pants and occasionally togs as well.

I guess I am a slow learner because at the beginning of last week I came up with a solution and out to the shops I went.

Now look....



Firstly I removed everything from his drawers. How he no longer looks in them or pulls them over.



Instead I bought a hanging thing for the wardrobe. The sort I think you would put shoes in or such like, and packed his clothes in. This now hang among the clothing and the boxes of Nutrini, Hayden's overnight feed, extension sets, that hook Hayden up to his feed from his mckey button and overnight nappies. About six weeks food supply can be see here. Usually there is three months supply. The one bag on nappies lasts us 4 nights. The rest are stored elsewhere.

Out come is that the wardrobe has no handle so Hayden does not get in and now I do not have to fold and repack drawers every night. Yay.

P365 week 33 and 34

Here are the next two weeks. Boy just look at those weeks disappear. I cant believe that I am still up to date and finding things to photograph.

week 33



The credits for this page can be found here at Nuts4Digi

week 34



The credits for this page can be found here at Nuts4Digi

Point Shoot and Admire

My children have taken a big interest in taking photos this year. Maybe it is because they are just a little older or maybe because I am participating in Project 365, a photo a day. They get to see the camera being used way more that in previous years. So I have come up with a couple of starter pointer for them to learn. i will try and add to it over the weeks and see what kind of photographers they become.

So here they are....
1. The camera strap needs to be around their neck at all times. The last thing we need is for a dropped camera as it is the only one we have at this stage.

2. I have cut out a frame so that the idea of a photo is taken between a frame. I was inspired to do this after visiting the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Scroll down and you will see what I mean.

The reason why the concept of framing is needed is evident. Just look at this photo by DS2.



Certain a photo showing my best features off.