Time for a catch up?

My brother got married! ( I took all the photos! argh!)

Dirt Girl turned 8!    8!!!

We took some girls camping to celebrate.....

We took an overnighter to the beach for Robs Birthday..

It rained

But it was fun and funny

Planted some a lot of beetroot, someone else is enjoying them too?

Lettuce seeds planted

Tomatos too (with a nice little cover for the nights to save them from frost)

Bird watching. One of Zaras gifts was a HUGE book called 'What bird is that?' we identified this lovely one as a red browed finch, extremely common :)

Important holiday business

The luxury of time on school holidays

I like to call this one 'The Reluctant Walker' thats the boy, not the dog :)


What a whirl wind few weeks! But the future is all relaxing and sewing, well for the most part!
We will be at The Castlemaine Artists Market on the 7th of October for our first market for the spring. How is your spring going along? Do you have a great spurt of birthdays at this time too??

I am linking in with Squiggly Rainbows garden journal this week.


Jacq :)

School Holidays and my secret weapon

So, did you survive Day 1?

The weather enabled us to get outdoors today and after seeing the forecast for the week (rain, rain and more rain) I made sure we got outside for some fresh air and a run about, that cabin fever sets in pretty quick around here!

I am actually looking forward to a rainy week. Yes, that sounds very odd I realise. School holidays, 3 busy children and rainy days aren't something you normally put together and enjoy. Quite the contrary really.

But I have a plan, a secret plan! For a while now I have seen about the traps in internet land, an e-magazine for kids (and their mums and dads!) called Alphabet Glue. I had never really given it much of a look until the other day. 

Its damn awesome! 

Its not a glossy, loud commercial orientated publication, nothing like what you find on a supermarket shelf.

Its all about books and writing and story telling and doing stuff. Lots of printables for things to get busy with. The kind of fun that includes learning with out them knowing it, thats very best kind of learning.

Visually lovely too, simple with lovely cheery colors, easy to read and understand.....can you tell I like it?? 

Its cheap as chips too at only US$4 an issue, I chose to buy all 7 issues for $26. Thats alot of fun for $26. Heres whats in the current issue....

They come in a pdf file, which is great for our lovely earth, you just print what you need, and you can do that as many time as you like! It was super easy to pay for too, I just used paypal and it was done.

If you want to check it out further, and I REALLY think you should, you can click the picture I have put on the right hand side of the blog, it will take you right there. Easy peasy.

I look forward to sharing the activities we do together with you! 

Jacq :)

Something for me! or A new baby! (not that sort!!)

You know what? I bought myself a present. I am generally not an 'over consumer'. I like op shops. 

But when I feel the need for something, I like to have it! (of course!) 

A couple of years ago I bought myself a professional Kitchen Aid, I make bread in it and
I love it. It replaced poor old Ken ( Robs Mums old Kenwood Chef ) I consider it to be child # 7..

Numbers 1,2 and 3 are my own children, then there's Jade and Rach (#'s 4 and 5) my faux daughters and Clancy (Griffins best mate) is # 6, Kitchen Aid is #7...just to clarify!

And so, I have a new baby, child #8. A Canon 550. Oh my     a w e s o m e     !

I have also started an ecourse (never done anything like that before!) 

with Erin from http://bluebirdbaby.typepad.com/. Its a 6 week photography course.

 I have switched my camera to manual and I am loving it!

Something for me, no one needs to share it with me. 

.mine.

Heres a couple of photos for you :)

 

That look is a  'Mum......thats like the 20th picture.....can you stop now?'

Oh so much fun! 

Mums and Dads are such good sharers......

but what is something you keep for yourself? 

We all need a little something of our own don't you think?



and....I have been working so hard on a big secret project! (can't share yet though!) I have done my part now, so its up to the universe now to make it happen.  I hope to get back to blogging more regularly now I have a weeny bit less on my plate! 



:) Jacq

Lets talk about Christmas!

'Is she crazy?' I hear you say?? Quite possibly.

But in my defense, I am talking about Advent calendars. These things take time, thought, preparation. After all, it is April..soon it will be July.....then in a bit it will be October....then Christmas! 

So if your wanting to have an awesome Advent Calendar, now is probably a good time to start! My friend Dana from Tootypegs came to me recently looking for small things to fill her daughters calendar which reminded me of the sticky note stuck on my computer that reads 'blog advent calendar!'

So lets begin! 

As always the Internet is the greatest source of inspiration and ideas, so I have been entertaining myself at 2am while my body thinks it doesn't need any sleep, looking for ideas to share with you!

So, there's a few ways you can go. Firstly you can make your own, now those of you that have craft-fobia, please don't freak out! I will show you some pictures of super simple to not quite so simple and some links to tutorials. 

Or of course you can buy one and fill it, there's a lovely wooden one brought out by kaisercraft that I saw in spotlight recently, ready for you to paint and/or decorate how ever you fancy. I am sure there are plenty more out there, but if your wanting something hand made, I plan on making some bunting style calendars that I think would just look spectacular hanging in a house in the lead up to Christmas (also good if you have a few children to hide treats for!), also I have had this idea that kept me awake even longer, a very special JaxFancy Advent box. 

Imagine each day peeking in the advent box, looking for the right number package, opening the beautifully wrapped bundle, over the whole month you would unwrap a new piece of a JaxFancy playscape...perhaps a farmer one day, a duck next, then a cow? who knows! Ah! that would be so much fun! Golly, I am very excited about that one....but anyway lets look at some other ideas to inspire you.

Simply peg cute baby socks on a ribbon and fill! 

These are toilet paper rolls squished and glued on one end, paint them and add numbers and hang! 

Simply colored envelopes strung up with pegs

Getting a little fancier now, a shadow box filled with brightly colored packages.

Simple Bunting

A paper chain tree, write an activity or treasure hiding place in each loop taking one off each day. 

Small gift boxes glued to a frame, you can adhere the boxes straight onto the wall too for a striking decoration!

Now, this one really tickles my fancy! Paper stars hung from a pine branch

If you still need some more Christmassy goodness how about a few links to tutorials??

Printable numbered Christmas Boxes

Little Santa Sacks

Small ornament templates

Scroll down a little to see the tree etc

Matchboxes!

Christmas Bingo

Advent Calendar Pattern, available to purchase

Well I think that should give us something to think about! So remember when your deciding what type of calender you would like to keep in mind the type of things you want to have in your calendar.

So what to put IN the calendar? Chocolates, activity notes, tree ornaments....
I will think about it at 2 am when I can't sleep.... and now have a new note on my computer....blog advent calendar fillings!

Have you made your own calendar before? Leave us a comment and share your ideas! 

Jacq 

:)

Easter Holidays Crafting

hello! 

Yes its been a little while since I have written in this space, there has been plenty of writing going on.....just for different reasons :)

We had some lovely visitors today which made it the perfect time for making some easter friends! 

Using this pattern we made the sweetest little bunny finger puppets! 

These girls did a great job with a little help and I am sure any grown up could do a respectable job too :)

I used acrylic felt bought for 70 cents a sheet, and some cotton and embroidery thread that I already had. I think any child all the way down to a small toddler would love to have a bunny to have an easter adventure with! Here are some pictures of our day to inspire you to make your own...

Cutting out the pattern

How do you use pins?? Some new skills were learnt

Our bunnies had spots in their ears :)

Go on, make a bunny :D

Jacq :)

Twas' the week before Christmas.....

Golly, children grow so quickly don't they?? Another whole year has passed?!! AGAIN! 

This week I have said farewell to another great bunch of kinder children, wishing them well on their journey through primary school. 

Last night I attended my sons grade 6 graduation. (Yes that means HIGH SCHOOL next year! ARGH!) So as he farewells primary school, I feel a wee bit sentimental (*sniff sniff*) and remember we really do need to enjoy the age they are at now, because everyday they get a little older. I can bet next year he wont be dressing up as Baby Jesus like he did this morning, so I will enjoy this day with him before he gets ones more day older........

Proof that he dressed up as Baby Jesus.....(thats him on the floor in a blanket!) 

This is how fast it goes......

 

First Day of Prep 2005 (with a broken arm!)

to

Grade 6, 2011

in a heartbeat

~

Griffin, I love this journey we have taken together so far, and I look forward to facing the challenges and feeling the joys that are in your future. 

Keep dreaming big, I would love to eat at Restaurant ah la Griffo one day (maybe everyday??) in the future. 

And lastly, thanks for being my son xoxox

~

Jacq :)

Up she goes!

Ok, well today was the day they had all been waiting for........ putting up THE tree day!

You know us mums, we just want a nice photo for when the memories are hard to recall. 

Well, this is the best I could get!

 

These aren't to bad lol

 

 

 

Is your tree up yet??

Jacq :)

My Summer Girl

Yesterday marks ours last Birthday for the year!

Its always a double celebration, a 'Happy Birthday!' and 'YAY! It's finally summer!'

After this cake I felt more confidant with my cake making abilities, so I tried something similar yet different! 

PURPLE!!

I REALLY loved it! Its really not difficult but so effective, even with dodgy mismatched candles! ( I forgot to buy wrapping paper too!)

 

Our next birthday is the LAST day of Summer,  so I have a few months to think of an awesome 12 yr old fella cake.....Do cakes get embarrassing for nearly teenagers??? :)

Have a great day!

Jacq :)