Being happy with having enough

I read a blog this morning about aspirations and money and the never-ending cycle of constantly striving and working to have more money to buy more stuff. It inspired me to thinking about how good a life I have and how happy I am that my family needs for nothing...sure there are things we would like and more things we would like to do that cost money..but really we don't need them and there is just as much fun to be had in the free stuff!

Recently I've been thinking about and trying to save money for a big holiday that we would like to do as a family next year. I've realised that I've gotten myself into some bad spending habits over the last few years and that these habits are difficult to curb! I will admit that it is hard for me to go to the big shopping centres and just window shop without having to really talk myself out of buying a new dress/top for my daughter or a new cool pair of shoes or train for my son. I love my kids and I love that they look adorable in their clothes and I love the look on my son's face when he gets a new train or plane toy! It makes me happy...but it also makes me happy seeing him be deliriously happy with building a cubby out of blankets and cushions from the couch or reading a book that we've been reading to him for 3 years or listening to him tell me the "three bears" story out of his head that his Nanny taught him or playing with dirt and rocks in the garden. My daughter...well she is only 9 months old and doesn't care what she is wearing as long as she is warm and comfy and that Mummy is nearby!

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I need to teach myself to be happy with the things that we have and the things that we are able to do with each other as a family.


To be happy that we have a car to drive around in and not be constantly wanting a bigger car.



To be happy that we all have clothes to wear and not be sucked in by the latest cute styles and changing fashions whether they are a "bargain" or not. Five dollars is five dollars that could go towards an airfare! For me it's about being happy that I am happiest in my jeans and casual tops and not striving to try to change to another style - because I know I'll buy something different and only where it once in 12 months.

To be happy that we have shelves full of beautiful books and a library down the road full of more if we ever need them!

To be happy that I have a beautiful garden full of beautiful plants and the know-how to propagate more of them if I need too without having to buy more!



To be happy to use what I have in the house ( and please let it be known that I am a hoarder so I have a lot of stuff waiting to be used!) before going out and buying more, even if it is on sale - these days there will always be another sale!

Also, I think as consumers we have changed over the last 10-20 years to becoming "must have that now" consumers, where as it used to be all about saving up our precious penny's to buy a coveted item. Think how special it used to be... I have the image in my head of a young boy walking past a toy shop and seeing a beautiful train set or bike in the window and then coming back a few months later after saving up and working hard and then buying it. Seems like a better way to do things and to learn to appreciate the things that we do have rather than just the whole "I'll just whack it on credit and worry about it later" mentality. A much better way to bring up our children...that's what I would like anyway.

Happy that we have food in the fridge/pantry, clothes on our backs, shoes on our feet, books to read, toys to play with, craft to create with, material to sew, plants to garden, places to visit, a car to get there, dogs to play with, a warm house, money in the bank to pay for the heating bill, and most importantly EACH OTHER, to love and hug and kiss and cuddle and laugh and live beside.

Feeding Solids

This time round I have a very independent feeder. Ellie likes to do things herself when it comes to feeding and solids. She even tries to get her fingers in her mouth when breastfeeding which is most frustrating! We've been going along the lines of what they call Baby-Led Weaning or Baby-Led Solids and it has been working well for us. It means less time spent pureeing foods and more time watching Ellie concentrating on picking up bits of food of her tray table which is extremely cute and mesmerising. The first thing we tried was grated cheese which she absolutely loved, now we're up to very soft cooked fingers of carrot, sweet potato and beans. She loves gnawing on chunks of bread too! One day we'll learn to use a spoon but for now she is very happy practising her pincer grip and hand-eye coordination! It's messy but fun!

Luckily she absolutely loves bathtime at the moment!

And looks ever so cute wrapped up in a towel :D

Can you?

I recently cooked mince for the first time in my slow cooker. I didn't really think about it I just did it because it was easier to prepare dinner and throw it in the cooker to do all the work and be ready at 6pm without me having to do anything during the "witching hour" with two kids screaming at me for attention!

That night after chowing down on a delicious spag bol I checked my facebook page to see that a friend had had an unsuccessful attempt at mince in the slow cooker and found that there was a little controversy about whether or not you can or should attempt this feat!

Well, I'm here to say that in my experience you can and it can indeed turn out nicely - sure it's no masterchef meal but it's great for my family and the mince is so tender that it is perfect for my 7 month old to have a try at eating meat without having to puree anything.

I tend to be a bit of a "chuck in a bit of this and that and hope for the best" cook so I can't quite say what exactly I put into this meal but it went a little something like this:

500gms minced beef
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 diced carrot
1/2 a diced capsicum
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 tblspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
a handful of fresh herbs - I used oregano, thyme and basil
Salt and pepper to taste

I think I added a sachet of tomato paste as well?

Chuck it all in and cook on low for 7hours (approx)

I think the trick is not to put too much liquid in or it will be too soggy.

You can put in onion or celery or whatever veg you normally use or try different herbs and spices to taste - a dash of chilli never goes astray but I didn't have any on hand that day.

Of course all you have to do when your ready to eat is cook you spaghetti and grate some cheese for the top.

I'd love to hear how you go and what your thoughts are on mince and slow cookers!!

Bubbles and Water

C'mon who doesn't love bubbles! This is one of the best and easiest ways to entertain babies and children of all ages! I got this bubble "blower" from Target, it takes 2 AA batteries which operate a little fan that blows the bubbles out and it was only $10.00! It saves my breath and the frustration of a 3 year old when he can't get the old traditional ones to make enough bubbles with his own breath!

I love how the simplest things are the most delightful to children and captivate them for the longest time.

And as a lover of beauty and photography you can get some pretty cool shots by making the bubbles land on flowers and foliage. You've got to be quick though because after a few seconds the colours dissapear and the bubbles pop!

Always a challenge to try to get a floating bubble in focus especially on a windy day!

And here's a few tiny bubbles that nature created for me one morning last week. These are my nasturtian flowers and leaves which have now all dissapeared with the first frosts of the season

:(

Mother and Daughter

A belated Mothers Day post for the first Mothers Day I have shared with my beautiful daughter Elliana. We are so blessed to have you in our lives and we love you so very much.

Whilst I was gardening last week and Alex was "helping" me yet again by relocating soil and straw and rocks around the place I had a grand idea to make him his own little garden. A special spot that is his and he can dig in the dirt, plant things, stand on them, bury rocks and seeds and anything else his little heart desires!

I decided on a little shady corner close to the house that had been overrun by mint (why did I not listen to all those people who say "never plant mint in the garden, keep it contained in a pot). I spent an afternoon removing the mint and digging out the clay and importing some fresh new compost soil.

The following day I took Alex to my favourite shop, Bunnings, and let him choose some special things to go in his garden. He chose a red pot and some pansy's and some sweet peas.

He chose some bricks for the edging and some special stones.

We added some bits that we had laying around the garden and the sandpit too.

He also chose a cute little snail, hopefully this will scare away the real snails and stop them from eating our plants!! One can only hope!

Private

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Cheers!

My Little Man

Just wanted to share some photos of my little man, three years old now and growing up far too quickly!

He is shy.

He loves chocolate.

He is serious and empathetic.

He is cheeky and funny.

He adores the outdoors.

He love his Nanny

Run, be free...

When do we lose the ability to find so much joy in just being able to run around wildly in a garden or a forest or on a beach...or even just up and down a hallway a gazillion times?

My other thought when I saw this photo was...wow...I wish I had just half the amount of energy that he has!


Today my goal is to find just a little bit of energy to rejoice in our freedom

Is there anything better...

One of my sweetest childhood memories is baking with my mum. The old classic jamdrops and decorated gingerbread men stir up fond memories from many moons ago!

Now I have my own precious little ones I just love creating new memories with them in my humble kitchen. Is there anything better than seeing a childs eyes light up at the prospect of being able to lick the beaters or the spoon filled with sweet sweet butter icing! MmmmmMmmmm :D

Our delicious creation yesterday was a Lemon Yoghurt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and the obligatory "pretties" sprinkled on top. It tasted even better than it looked!

Enjoy creating memories with your littlins and worry about the mess later!!