Project 365 February

Here are my February pages.  I guess I won't be finished by the end of the year but I am giving it a good go

Credits for these pages are Everyday life template set, Sweet and Simple kit 2 and Simply You Simply Me from Weeds and Wildflowers

Fridays Fabulous Five # 27

Here my links for this week.  

1. I am sure going to try and give this photography technique a try in the next week.  Moving lights.  I can't wait to see what I came up with.
2. I think that this is just perfect for my children to have a go at when they wrap the gifts this season.  I love visiting How about Orange's blog
3. If you are looking for a quick advent calendar then the very retro blog Meet me at Mikes is worth a look.
4. Here is some subway art which I thought might be worth a look again and instead of thinking I might just go to spot light to have a look for a frame and do it.
5. then there is this post about tweenagers and their pocket money is spent is well worth a read.

Please feel free to post a link or two of your favourites.

Wordless Wednesday 27 November

During the summer we participate in orienteering as a fimily.  Out where we live the club runs a very family orientated summer series which is why we give it a go.  McKenzie is not confidently reading the maps and way faster than me.  Andre just loves running along with her.  I am usually encouraging Hayden to run along with me.  If you live out my way then you need to check out the Counties Manukau Orienteering Club.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

When Painting the House

We have begun plainting the house outside.  All 320 sq/m of roof, 150 sq/m of deck and house walls to match.  Thats just this summer.  The inside will need doing to but that will be the next phase.

So the tin roof is a constant work in progress.  It can only be done when it is not too hot and needs a double coat so the roof and walls are both in progress. 

We have tried to be a little less traditional with the wall colours but at the same time not offensive to the main population.

I have been helping during the weekends and my husband is painting all the days when he is home from work.  I love that DH is beavering away at it while I am working hard to pay for all that paint.  I am sure there will plenty of posts about this project as we go.

Here is part of the house front.  Lets call this the before photo

Here we are in the shade doing the carport wall last week.  The photo makes the paint look grey but you can take it from me it is a pastel shade of teal.  I guess that will be for another post.

 

You will note the small part of me showing has my hair totally covered.  That is because it costs me heaps to colour my natural greying hair and don't want to add freehand splatters to the piece of art on my head already.

Mondays Menu 26 November

My blog took a break last week and I really missed my menu so I am back to it this week even though I am posting a little late

Monday  easy fried rice

Tuesday  spaghetti bolignaisee

Wednesday  crockpot beef with a combination of whatever I have in the pantry

Thursday  creamy coconut stirfry noodles and vege

Friday  Asian chcken wraps

Saturday  bbq chicken with salad

Sunday party food.

I am linking this post I'm an Organising Junkie

So I did it

So this year I got back on the photo a day band wagon and decided to put a page a week together again.  My children love the books I have made from other years it seemed that I should make an effort.  So in between all other projects I have on the go I am going to post them up so I can keep track of what I have done.  With out fail here is my first installment.

January pages are all made with Everyday Life templates and Sweet and Simple 8 kit all from Weeds and Wildflowers.

I am hoping to get all of these posted before the end of the year but I will see how busy I get.

Wordless Wednesday 14 November

Yesterday we had a sudden weather moment.  The temperature dropped 5 degrees really quickly and then this.

 

 

 

 

Well there you have it.  A very unusual event that had that hail on the ground for some 20 minutes afterwards.  I even had to kneel on the ground to get the last photo thinking of this post today.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

2012 Christmas Card

In September I blogged about great Christmas card photo ideas I was thinking of implimenting this year.  I really liked the chalk idea but could not find the right surface to have a go at it so then opted for the child and lights ideas.

So here is the card I have made for this year.  Photo taken and tweaked by me.

(The credits for this card can be found at Nuts4Digi)

 

I am so happy with the outcome and can't wait to get the printer warmed up so I can print them off and post.  This weekend I am hoping so that my overseas friends can get the mail in time.  Hmmmm I wonder if card sending is still the done thing.  So much is done on the internet I serious think cards might be an art form that is limited in life span.

Monday Menu 12 November

This weeks menu is one that I can do without too much effort once I get home from week while DH is away with work for 14 days.

Monday   My own version of a Beef Crockpot meal

Tuesday  Leftover Monday with potato and peas.

Wednesday  Fried rice which is an easy reheat.

Thursday  Meatballs on spaghetti and salad.

Friday Toasted Sandwiches...easy and not too messy

Saturday  clean the barbeque and do chicken and salad (Fingers crossed the weather likes us)

Sunday  Leftovers

 

(easy fried rice photo source is from the recipe above)

 

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie

Fridays Fabulous Finds # 26

As you can see it is not Friday and yet again I am delayed in posting this.  I simply must have a go at scheduling post and that might just solve my dilemma.

Anyway here are my links for this week.

• It is no secret that I am a Primary School teacher.  My primary role is pemanant part time and on a relief basis.  So it is no surprise that this site that generates worksheets to help children practise telling the time appears on my list.  I know it is not a pritty site to look at but it sure does the job.
• Then over at Redfly Creation Melissa talks about mixes in her kitchen.  I makes for interesting reading.
• How about this easily made kite as a holiday project.
• I have a clawfoot bath lying in a paddock.  I am thinking that I need to make creative use of it so this link might just help when I have a little head space.  I am thinking garden but who knows.
• Then finally I think this is a post that everyone should read.  It is about bullying.

Well that is it for this week.

Wordless Wednesday 7 November

There is nothing like a comfy place to read.  Yes you see it right.  One 8 year old sitting in a large plant pot on a spring day.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

The phone for my Tweenager

So it has been a hot topic of conversation this year.  You might know the one that says

                         'Mum everyone has a phone and I don't.  I need one."

My standard response has been something like this

'What do you need a phone for?  Who is going to pay for it? When theright moment arrives then I will reconsider this decision.'

 

Of course that first moment to challenge my decision arrived and I agreed that now was the right time for a phone.  Naturally it comes with a set of rules which we have agreed to.  Here they are;

 

• the phone is not to be one the table during meal times
• the phone must not be taken to family/ social events where social intereaction is more important that sitting there txting.  It must be left at home.
• the phone is to be switched off during study and homework times.
• the phone is to be left it's overnight spot by 6.30pm.  (Oh yes we go to bed early in our house because we get up early)
• I will only pay for txting and in return the bedroom of said child. will be spick and span every weekend with no exceptions. Dusting, vacuuming, cleared surfaces and all washing out in the basket
• I can check the nature of txting going on and no txts can be deleted until I have done so.
• the phone must be used in a way that complies with the school rules.  I will not be rushing into school to get back for her if it get conviscated.  Well not in any hurry.

Naturally I bought the cheapest phone I could get.  It can not take photos, it can make phone calls and send txts.  This is despite the protests that friends
          
                         'all have touch phones and I want one too'.

Thankfully my tweenager has not yet realised about wireless connectivity because then a new set of rules will need to be thought about.

Then there are the consequeces that would see the removal of a phone for a specific lenght of time.  Yes a boundary has been breached and yes I have had a phone sitting in my sock draw for a week.  I think the lesson has been learnt, well for the time being.

 

 

 

Monday Menu 5 November

Here is my week of meals. 

Monday   Sweet and Sour chicken on noodles

Tuesday  Cold meat and salad

Wednesday  Spaghetti bolignaise (easy to reheat after orienteering)

Thursday  Indian Coconut Curry

Friday  Pizza with salasa, feta cheese, tomato any leftover vege I can find.

Saturday  Wraps

Sunday Leftovers

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie.

October in Numbers

I just can't believe how quickly this year has gone

So without ado here are my numbers

The month started with 2 weeks of holidays.  This was the final break before the long summer holidays.

• 2 weeks school holidays begin....Well the second week of the holidays is October.

• McKenzie played 6 days of hockey, 8 games and her team finished 4th in the Colliers Cup (Under 13 girls) New Zealand tournament.  Here is the coach giving the girls their half time pep talk.

 

(photo source The Times)

• 6 weeks at work this month with a new pay roll company and none of my pay fortnights have been right.  Grrrrr .....Just as well we are not solely reliant on my pay to live.

• I spent a whole 2 hours making my daughters outfit so she could look like a pupil attending school with Harry Potter.  Right down to  the owl made from a pinecone.

 

You can read about this project here on my blog.



• Working (I am a primary school teacher) 4 sometimes 5 days a week this school term.  I am trying to put some money together to pay for the house paint. 

 

 

 

• 2 days raking up bamboo, cleaning up the yard and paddocks so that all the winter rubble can be disposed of .  You can see that my 3 children helped us move the wood and bamboo

 

(The credits for this page can be found here at Nuts4Digi)

 



• Finally the need arrived for McKenzie 11 years (or nearly 12 as she would say) to have a phone.  It came with a set of rules but with her staying away with the hockey tournament we thought that it was time.

• McKenzie played her flute at St Mary's College Junior Proms.  She was one of 85 first year instrument players in the band she played in.

I am linking this post to Notes on Paper.

Fridays Fabulous Five # 25

What with me working more days that I usually do I am sort of time for browsing the web as much as I usually do but here are my finds for this week.

1. I love this new find.  As the summer holidays are not many weeks away I am sure that Plan my play will come in handy for the staycation moments.  A day out but local and hopefully something that I have not thought of doing with the family.
2. I am so into instagram now and the Thankful project found on eighteen25 looks like something I will be doing starting today.
3. The try this tea towel idea from Skip to my Lou.
4. Some green Christmas Ornaments
5. Then there is this post which is important in my house all about broken Trust Cycles

Do you have any interesting links I might like.  Please let me know.