Wordless Wednesday {goodbye Levi}

These photos were taken several months ago.

Two weeks ago, we had to say goodbye to our cat Levi :( He was old, and unwell.

Sadly, it was his time to go.

Chris and I had him as our pet for over 10years.

Last week, Ella drew him a picture, folded it and threw it off our back balcony. I asked her what she was doing...., her reply: "Sending this to Levi in Cat Heaven. The wind will take it to him!" Bless her.

RIP Levi.

{linking up over here today}

Fill Your Cup.

This weekend was full to the brim of things that makes my heart sing.

Mostly simple things...... Things that make me smile.

Saturday saw our usual routine of 9am dance lessons; where Ella does her 'thing' and has a blast - while Ryder and I wait out in the foyer with the other Mummas. Chris picked my parents up from the Port, where they returned from their 7day cruise.

The afternoon was a nice mixture of slow and homey, yet with a park play to burn off some energy.

Looking for birds..... Always looking for birds :)

I felt really present and in the moment with my two little cherubs at the park. We searched for birds, swung, hung, tip toed throuh gardens and dug in the sand. I was again reminded that sometimes it's the simple things - the cheapest opportunities - that can bring the most joy. I did some people watching while we played. I like to 'guess' people's stories. Does anyone else do that? You know....where you look at someone or a grop of people and guess their life situation!!! I could see grandparents running around with two young kids and 'guessed' that they were babysitting for the night - and were attempting to exhaust the kids before bedtime :)

I like people watching at the park - seeing people play and imagine and cherish the magic of childhood. I realise there is so much love in the world - in all it's different forms and faces. And there I am - witnessing it....in suburbia.

An hour into our park play, the clouds broke again and the rain poured down, without much warning.

We had to do a mad dash through the carpark back to the car - me carrying Ryder, Ella carrying our scattered shoes and hats. Dripping wet and happy as day; we headed back home.

Later that night, after the kids were in bed, I headed out :) I picked up my bestie, Monica, and we drove down the coast to Max Brenner. It was the perfect night. We got the chance to chat and laugh and simply catch up. The two of us; no kids, no chaos. It truly was what I needed....without even realising I needed it. 

Sunday rolled on beautifully with an early morning bubble blowing play, a quick grocery shop and takeaway lunch and a late afternoon bike riding session up at the local reservoir.

But, the highlight of the day - Chris taking Ella out {to Bunnings} while Ryder napped. I had the house basically to myself. I parked myself on the couch with a coffee and my laptop and simply relaxed! BLISS!!! Then the icing on the cake - they get home with a 'make your own fairy house' kit and then proceed to work together constructing it. They took another trip out - down to the hardware to get more glue and pink paint of course. It was pure joy seeing Chris & Ella together - Daddy and Daughter., enjoying some one-on-one time. My Mummy heart was feeling good. 

As the weekend ends, and a new week greets us, I feel re-energised and calm. My happy-heart cup is full and I'm ready to tackle this week with open arms and an open heart. Sometimes the enjoyment of simple things, some time alone, some time with friends and some time with family, plus a sprinkle of kind gestures - is all we need to change perspective and lift moods.

Something exciting starts today. A process that I'm bursting at the seems to share with the world....and I will in due time. Soon, very soon! Until then...a lot of hard work, wishes coming true and final knots to tie.....

Have a great week everyone,

Fill your cup up. Life is beautiful.

Work from home Mums. 10 tips to getting it all done.

I'll be honest - working from home, whilst raising kids is not as easy or straight forward or as dreamy as you think. The concept seems quite romantic - running a business around children's needs, sleep times and commitments. But finding balance and 'getting everything done' is not that simple.

I've been a fulltime stay-at-home Mum. I've been a working-Mum at a workplace while my child was in daycare. And I've been a work-from-home-Mum - meaning I work while my kids are home with me.

All of them have their positives and negatives. Their benefits and challenges.

And I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to dabble in each of them. I'm more aware of the work and responsibility required to have a career {or at least; help contribute to our bills} whilst being a Mother of young ones.

I realise every Mother is different and what works for one, may not for another. Some love to work and it fits their family mold perfectly. Others prefer to stay home with the kids and put their careers on hold. Whatever floats ya boat, pays the bills or makes your family thrive...is all that matters.

Today, I thought I'd share a few tips with you, about how I, as a work-from-home-Mum do it!

Firstly, the details..... *** Ella is 5 and goes to school 8:30am-2:45pm five days a week {this started this year....previous to this year, she has been home with me or in daycare/kindy 2 days a week....as well as Grandparents helping out on Fridays when I was teaching}. *** Ryder is 16months old and stays home fulltime with me. *** Chris works from home, but his work requires his attention all day everyday....with some adjusting here and there...if I desperately need him! He is out and about a lot and travels too} *** I run a Print Business from home. I blog from home. I freelance write from home. And I am tackling my way through some children's story books in hope to one day be a Children's Author. I also am the main carer of our kids, the cook, the housewife etc etc.**** Ok? Ok! {and second side note - I don't do everything in ONE day, and I definitely do EVERYTHING perfectly!!! Where some things lack, other things thrive. But like all motivated Mums - I do my best and pick n choose which balls to juggle each day!}

1. First thing in the morning is not a good time to be working! I don't know about yours, but my kids are hungry as soon as their eyes open each day. They are both early risers, so we're all usually up by 6am. I don't attempt any work or emails or computer time, straight up in the mornings. This time is 'Mummy Time'. I get baby bottles and make breakfasts, empty the dishwasher and get a load of washing on. I eat my own breakfast and of course start the day with a coffee. We then shower and dress, ready for the school drop off.
2. Clean as you go. I like a clean, tidy home. My head is clearer when my home is presentable. I feel more at ease. This doesn't mean my home is spotless ALL DAY. No way. But I clean as I go, so I'm not bombarded with a pile of cleaning chores at the end of the day. **Make the beds in the morning before school drop off. It's a 1minute job! **Clean the kitchen straight after breakfast - don't let the mess sit there all day. **Get the kids to put away toys and books etc before they leave for school - get a reward system going or pocket money. I like to do the school run knowing that my house isn't a complete bomb, that I'll have to attend to when I return. {I know some days this isn't possible - we're all time poor and have before school activities etc to get to, but it's worth a try on the other days!}
3. Do an hour of power! This was the best advice I once received. {I read it somewhere....not sure where though!} Once you're back home from the school drop-off; set a timer for an hour {or less if you don't need an hour - somedays I only need 30mins} and just go, go, GO for that time period. Ryder would nap at that time, but now he's able to last longer, so he potters around with me and I involve him where possible. He's never out of my sight - which makes housework more timely and tedious....but part of being a Mumma! I use this time to hang out washing, fold washing, put away clothes, sort through piles of paperwork or clutter. Tidy up. Get food out of freezer for that night's dinner. Scrub the toilets. etc. 
4. WORK TIME!!! Use it wisely - While my kids are so young, I can only work around their sleeping. When they're awake, I try {am unable to} not work. Ryder has 1 nap a day now. I am not blessed with sleep-loving children. He only naps for 40-60minutes a day!! THAT'S IT!! As soon as he's down for his nap - I am in work mode. I work through whatever needs my attention on that given day - emails, blog post, print designs, ordering, tax paperwork, phone calls, writing articles etc. I try not to 'waste' this time on Facebook etc. Once he's awake. I'm in Mummy-mode again. That can be frustrating.....as sometimes I'm on a roll....and then he wakes. Or I have SOOOO much to do and can't possibly cram it into 1 hour. But...that's the choice and consequence of being a work-from-home-Mum. My kids have to come first! For the rest of the day, I am in Mummy-mode. Playing, crafting, out and about, grocery shopping etc etc. I try to squeeze in emails or a bit of writing if the kid's will allow....but most of the time; it's not worth the juggling-stress. One day they'll be older, I'm assuming this will become easier?!
5. Choose what needs to be the priority of each day. Is it a deadline creeping up or a customer order to fulfill? Maybe it's a work-free day, or family commitments. Try not to do everything, everyday. You'll burn out eventually. Trust me!
6. Get a cleaner or assistant if money allows!! If you can fit it into your budget - get a cleaner to come in once a week or fortnight. Even though, as a Mum; you still need to constantly clean up after littlies, at least having someone else coming in - you aren't having to scrub showers, toilets and mop floors regularly. HUGE time and sanity saver there! Or if your business is growing well and you're struggling to complete all orders around your kids - can you afford an assistant or a casual employee?
7. Accept that sometimes {always in my case} working at nights is apart of working from home! As stated in point 4 - I can only work when my kids are asleep. Therefore, I have no choice but to work once they're in bed each night. I don't completely recommend this, as it does cut short your 'relaxing' time, sleeping time, or 'partner' time. But in my case, if I want to build my businesses, get the workload done, chase my own dreams .....all whilst making my kids my number one priority - then I HAVE to work at nights. Chris and I aren't big TV watchers anyway. And I work from the lounge room, so we still chat & laugh and enjoy a wine together most nights anyway!
8. You can't do it all. You just can't! With today's social media platforms, it's easy to get caught up in the "oh that Mum can do it all" mind frame. Because we are being shown into the lives of other Mothers and we only see the 'great' things they're doing, we naturally assume they are doing EVERYTHING, and everything perfectly. We compare, and then feel down on ourselves. They're not. It's not possible. We all choose what our energy goes into. What you see on Facebook, Instagram, blogs etc is a small {good} snippet of people's lives. Pat yourself on the back - you're doing good Mumma - you're doing good!
9. Ask for help! Ask your partner to help out with the kids whenever possible. Ask neighbours or grandparents or family members of friends to look after the kids every now and then, so you can work or relax uninterruptedly. Share out the workload to the appropriate people, instead of doing it all yourself. Say NO sometimes. Say YES sometimes.  {I need to work on this one...as I try to do it all on my own a lot of the time!}
10. Have a routine! And try to stick to it. Although freedom is fun. It's also hard to work around. Kids need consistency and routine, as do we. As a work-from-home-Mum, you need to stick to a daily routine so you don't feel swamped and disorganised.
11. And lucky last; and the most important one - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!! And remember why you are working from home in the first place!  

Do you have any other tips for work-from-home-Mums....or those who are considering starting a business from home around the upbringing of their kids?

Weekending.

There's one really great thing about this whole five-days-a-week-of-schooling business...... The WEEKENDS!

Friday afternoons seem to taste so much sweeter these days. There's a relaxed feel in the air - a sense of calm. It feels good to have our little bug home. Two days off to just BE.

No rushing home to 'stick to routine', or iron uniforms or make lunches. No strict bedtimes or commitments to uphold.

Friday afternoons are relaxed and easy. And for that I'm grateful.

Today, at 3pm, as the rain fell and the clouds darkened, we drove out of the school carpark and straight to the local store for chocolate milks. Our park date cancelled {due to the weather} but a cuppa and a catch up with a great friend at her place happened instead.

School shoes were kicked off at the door and socks strewn across the doormat. Kids played and caused havoc, while us Mummas sipped tea and chatted the afternoon away.

Takeaway dinner on the way home softened the blow of 'the evening routine' perfectly, and bathtime was stretched out until baby's skin was pruned.

Books were devoured. Playtime was had.

The night was slow and inviting and calm. The perfect end to a busy week.

And as I snuggled both kids to sleep - baby brother first, then big sister - I felt grateful for so much....but mainly for the joys and freedom of the weekend!

Happy Friday All xx

P.S. I'm off to my first 'writing course / forum' tomorrow. Eeeks - completely out of my comfort zone. And I'm totally excited! Wish me luck :)

P.P.S. Linking in with Bron and Village Voices tonight :)

P.P.P.S. Will raincheck Cass :) x

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{A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013}

Ryder: Absolutely loving the beach, sun and sand. Splashing in the puddles along the shoreline. Spreading his joy!

Ella: Sitting, digging, pondering. Quietly daydreaming. Watching the water - contemplating whether she'll tackle it or not :) 

Joining in with Jodi.

A Perfect Summer's Day.

Yesterday was a little overcast and fairly gusty.

But today.....TODAY was perfect!

We were on the beach by 7:30am - the sun already high, the air had a gentle breeze to it and the water was crystal clear. The clouds slowly parted, revealing a blanket of blueness. All of my senses were alive to the tune of Summer.

Today was a perfect Summer's day!

With buckets and spades in hand, sun-hats on heads and layers of thick sun-cream oozing over our skin, we basked in the purity of the morning.

Although early, the beach was already alive with families and swimmers, runners and surfers. People of all ages and walks of life, together, making the most of this beautiful place.

Chris, Tony & Jayden headed striaght out into the surf - Chris armed with his GoPro water camera to capture some awesome footage, whilst Jenni, the kids and I hung in the washy foam of the shoreline.

We discovered Ryder's happy place....

The water was refreshing yet warm, and the sun's heat had a slight prickle to it - but still comfortable. Just that little whisper, that can only be heard on Summer's mornings. 

For almost two hours, we played, splashed, swam, ran, dug, explored.... and simply lived! I breathed in what was happening around me - the perfection, the bliss! Family and blessings and the true essence of Summer.

This is EXACTLY what I want for my kids - happy childhood memories of togetherness and fun. I want them to grow up with fond recollections of Summer and holidays and the perfection of days like today. I want them to know what it feels like to have salty-dried cheeks and sandy feet. To be knocked over by frothing waves and sweat-trickled skin. I want them to remember the giggles and faces and freedom. The easy, slow pace and the post-beach-exhaustion that leaves you feeling both tired, yet perfectly content.

Grandparents and Kids.

Pa and Ryder.

*************

Having Jayden here is always a blast. He's such a good kid. We laugh and joke and basically.....have fun! He is such a good big brother to Ella and Ryder - patient and gentle, considerate and protective. Everything a big brother should be!

Father and Son.

****************

At lunchtime today, we hired two jet skis and headed out for some serious adrenalin-pumping fun.

My muscles are aching and my skin has a slight burn to it.

I love summer!!

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Holidays are exhausting, didn't you know?!

On that note, I'm off to bed.

G'Night All x

P.S. Pop in tomorrow for another great giveaway.... :)