By Bec
My wonderful Grandma (Mama as we called her) passed away during the week. She had cancer. It was very quick, she was only diagnosed late February this year. I visited her last Friday to say my goodbyes, but we didn't let my kids come as we didn't want their last memories of her like that. She was bed bound, jaundiced and was struggling to even talk.
I haven't even told the kids yet. When I got off the phone and burst into tears Hunter asked what was wrong and I just said I didn't feel very well. Of course I'm going to tell them, I just don't know when or how.
Our dilemma now is do we take the kids to the funeral or not? Hunter is 4.5 and Savannah 2. Savannah is too young to understand, but Hunter knows a bit about these things. I feel bad for him as we didn't let him see her the last time she was in hospital as he was sick, and we didn't want him passing bugs on (we don't get to see her that often as she lives in the country). But I'm not sure a funeral is an appropriate place for a 4 and 2 year old. What are your thoughts?
Rest in peace beautiful lady. You are now pain free and can rest. You will be greatly missed.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Incy Interiors GIVEAWAY
incy interiors specialises in beautiful designer furniture for babies and children.
founder, kristy withers decided to create incy after a long and exhausting search to find her son oscar ‘s first 'big boy bed'. an extensive search throughout australia and internationally left kristy frustrated and little oscar stuck in his cot.
kristy recognised an opportunity to bring quality designer furniture to Australia and with the help of a team of very talented people, incy was born!
incy interiors commits to providing australians with well designed, high quality and stylish children's and baby furniture that is not only beautiful, but also functional and affordable.
as a mum herself, kristy understands the importance of safety. all incy products meet australian and new zealand standards.
Little yoyo Styles is thrilled to be a part of the incy interiors stockist and we can introduce to you some of incy interiors very unique designer Baby and Children 's Furniture.
this children's sized cosy arm chair makes for the perfect spot to snuggle, read a book or simply relax. it is super light and comes with a little handle so it can easily be carried from room to room.
made from recycled foam and covered in removable canvas slipcover, it will withstand wear and tear and be easily cleaned.
- dimensions: 65cmW x 55cmD x57cmH
available from 30th june and available in blue check / pink with spots / red or Green
add some wall candy to your child's room with these gorgeous lollypop prints.
these sweet prints comes in yellow, red and green. buy the set for a colourful and fun wall display.
screen printed on cotton canvas and framed in a cream moulded frame.
- dimensions: 35cm x 50cm
create a sense of yesteryear with these retro canvas prints. available in 4 different styles - bus, truck, aeroplane and train.
create a feature wall with the full set of four.
screen printed on cotton canvas and framed in a coffee rounded frame.
- dimensions: 30cm x 20cm
a replica children's egg chair by arne jacobsen. the egg chair was first designed in 1958 for the lobby and reception areas at the royal hotel in copenhagen. it is a true classic and has timeless appeal.
featuring a strong fibreglass inner shell, comfy padding and covered in either high quality wool/cashmere blend fabric or 100% aniline leather.
4 point swivel base in polished stainless steel.
- dimensions: 54cmW x 54cmD x 65cmH
Available in White / navy / red / pink or leather brown
You can easily mix and match with incy interior' cot, bed, chairs and their wall arts into your child's nursery.
We are so excited to have a chance to help Incy-Interiors run this Giveaway! For your chance to win a choice from the lollipop prints (for girls room) or the car prints (boys room). Please visit www.incyinteriors.com.au and answer the following question: Which item(s) of Incy-Interiors is your favourite?
- Any purchase of Incy-Interiors from http://littleyoyostyles.com.au/incy-interiors-m-78.html
- Like Incy-Interiors on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Incy-Interiors/152321894799206
- Join the Incy-Interiors newsletter mailing list at http://www.incyinteriors.com.au/
- Follow Littleyoyostyles blogger with Google Friend Connect
- Write about this giveaway on your blog or Facebook page and leave the URL
Competition ends 30 June 2011. Australian entries Only.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Nature vs Nurture
by Victoria
An ex-colleague of mine posted this article, Hey Parents, Leave Those Kids Alone, on his facebook page recently which intrigued me enough to read it. It picked up the debate over Amy Chua, nicknamed the Tiger mum, the Yale Professor who wrote about her strict parenting style in her book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother". This article responded to the question of how much pressure we should apply on our children with "none".
The debate over nature (the talents and abilities you're born with) and nurture (the training and environment you grow up in) is a never-ending one. I like to think that neither the total 'hands-off' approach of totally kicking back and letting nature take its course, nor pushing your child until they, and you, are close to losing your minds, is the solution to giving a child the best opportunity in life. The best would be to balance nature and nurture but the trick is figuring out the right balance. And that is perhaps what makes parenting one fine art.
I suppose there is always a concern that some parents would look at their kids and say,"he or she is never going to be a doctor/ nurse/ carpenter/ hairdresser, so we should just all kick back", and at the other extreme, parents who always say "they can be better", and constantly criticising their children without celebrating their achievements.
In addition, we read of famous sports stars, like Tiger Woods, who has in the past credited his father for being tough with him which contributed to his success in golf. Therefore, the critical question is "do we push our kids in areas where they are talented or is it far better that they push themselves in something they enjoy even if they are not talented in that area?"
For me, I feel it's important that Miss P learns that to achieve something, hard work is a prerequisite. Yet within that lesson, I want her to know that she has free will too and not exasperate her by making all of life's choices for her. It's important that she learns the consequences of some of her choices. For example, if you sleep late, you'll wake up feeling awful and grumpy. So, it's better to sleep early and enjoy your day ahead. Whether she'll understand or choose to understand is quite another thing, but I can only try. That said, this parenting journey is a 2-way street. As much as Miss P learns from me, I'm sure I'll learn from her too.
I am not a Tiger Mum aspirant and have no desire to be one. While I like to think I take pride in my child's achievements, I do concur with a friend who said that she does not take credit for her child's good or bad behaviour. This is because while they were growing up, she emphasised the importance of being responsible and of owning up to what they had done. She felt that there is a tendency these days to lay the blame on someone else when something goes wrong in one's life and there is a failure to take responsibility for one's own actions.
To end this little post on nature vs nurture, I came across this little quote in my local gym which resonated with me, is relevant to this topic, and one that I'll like to share with you:
An ex-colleague of mine posted this article, Hey Parents, Leave Those Kids Alone, on his facebook page recently which intrigued me enough to read it. It picked up the debate over Amy Chua, nicknamed the Tiger mum, the Yale Professor who wrote about her strict parenting style in her book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother". This article responded to the question of how much pressure we should apply on our children with "none".
The debate over nature (the talents and abilities you're born with) and nurture (the training and environment you grow up in) is a never-ending one. I like to think that neither the total 'hands-off' approach of totally kicking back and letting nature take its course, nor pushing your child until they, and you, are close to losing your minds, is the solution to giving a child the best opportunity in life. The best would be to balance nature and nurture but the trick is figuring out the right balance. And that is perhaps what makes parenting one fine art.
I suppose there is always a concern that some parents would look at their kids and say,"he or she is never going to be a doctor/ nurse/ carpenter/ hairdresser, so we should just all kick back", and at the other extreme, parents who always say "they can be better", and constantly criticising their children without celebrating their achievements.
In addition, we read of famous sports stars, like Tiger Woods, who has in the past credited his father for being tough with him which contributed to his success in golf. Therefore, the critical question is "do we push our kids in areas where they are talented or is it far better that they push themselves in something they enjoy even if they are not talented in that area?"
For me, I feel it's important that Miss P learns that to achieve something, hard work is a prerequisite. Yet within that lesson, I want her to know that she has free will too and not exasperate her by making all of life's choices for her. It's important that she learns the consequences of some of her choices. For example, if you sleep late, you'll wake up feeling awful and grumpy. So, it's better to sleep early and enjoy your day ahead. Whether she'll understand or choose to understand is quite another thing, but I can only try. That said, this parenting journey is a 2-way street. As much as Miss P learns from me, I'm sure I'll learn from her too.
I am not a Tiger Mum aspirant and have no desire to be one. While I like to think I take pride in my child's achievements, I do concur with a friend who said that she does not take credit for her child's good or bad behaviour. This is because while they were growing up, she emphasised the importance of being responsible and of owning up to what they had done. She felt that there is a tendency these days to lay the blame on someone else when something goes wrong in one's life and there is a failure to take responsibility for one's own actions.
To end this little post on nature vs nurture, I came across this little quote in my local gym which resonated with me, is relevant to this topic, and one that I'll like to share with you:
Success is best measured by how far you've come with the talents you have. ~ Anonymous
I'll love to hear about your parenting style or a style you aspire to, and how do you strike the right balance in parenting?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Cold weather
By Bec
I don't know about where you are living, but in Adelaide at the moment it's freezing, absolutely freezing. This is concerning given winter has only just started. I think we are in for a long, cold winter!!
So the cold, rainy weather always begs the question - what to do with the kids??? There is always ABC for kids (which I think is fantastic in limited amounts) but I know we all feel guilty letting our kids watch too much TV. Some of our favourite indoor, non-TV activities are:
Building an indoor cubby house
This is fun!! Grab some chairs and sheets and pop the sheets over the chairs. You can make a nice and cosy cubby house. We like to have morning or afternoon tea in our cubby houses!
Colouring in sheets
You can get some awesome colouring sheets on the internet these days, saves you having to buy a colouring in book, and you can print off different pages to suit you child's current mood. Cars one minute and fairies the next...no worries!
Kidspot have some great colouring pages here.
Playdough
We all love being creative with playdough. This is one kids of all ages can do. Both my 2 year old and 4 year old love playdough. Check out my aromaplay review here.
Of if you are feeling adventurous, you can make your own playdough.
Easy Peasy No Cook Play Dough from www.naturalparentingtips.com
•2 cups of plain flour
•4 tablespoons of ‘cream of tartar’
•2 tablespoons of cooking oil
•1 cup of salt
•2 cups of boiling water
•Food coloring
Put all in a bowl and mix.
If it doesn't come together straight away, keep on mixing. It will eventually get the right texture.
Check out the Little Big Book Club Activities
What an awesome page full of Book activities. The activities are in set out based on the books of the month, for each age group (0-2, 2-3 and 3-4 year olds). Our favourite so far has been to make Grug - but there is plenty to do. Search for your child's favourite book and see what you can make and do!
Create with lego
Here is where their imagination can run wild. Duplo for the younger ones and lego for the older children. A tip I have is play with lego on a queen sheet, when you have finished, pick up the sheet by the 4 corners and then you can tip it into the tub - easy clean up!
Dance
What child doesn't love music....just put their favourite tunes on and dance. You can even get housework done whilst dancing with your kids!!
I would love it if you could share your favourite indoor, non-TV activities!
I don't know about where you are living, but in Adelaide at the moment it's freezing, absolutely freezing. This is concerning given winter has only just started. I think we are in for a long, cold winter!!
So the cold, rainy weather always begs the question - what to do with the kids??? There is always ABC for kids (which I think is fantastic in limited amounts) but I know we all feel guilty letting our kids watch too much TV. Some of our favourite indoor, non-TV activities are:
Building an indoor cubby house
This is fun!! Grab some chairs and sheets and pop the sheets over the chairs. You can make a nice and cosy cubby house. We like to have morning or afternoon tea in our cubby houses!
Colouring in sheets
You can get some awesome colouring sheets on the internet these days, saves you having to buy a colouring in book, and you can print off different pages to suit you child's current mood. Cars one minute and fairies the next...no worries!
Kidspot have some great colouring pages here.
Playdough
We all love being creative with playdough. This is one kids of all ages can do. Both my 2 year old and 4 year old love playdough. Check out my aromaplay review here.
Of if you are feeling adventurous, you can make your own playdough.
Easy Peasy No Cook Play Dough from www.naturalparentingtips.com
•2 cups of plain flour
•4 tablespoons of ‘cream of tartar’
•2 tablespoons of cooking oil
•1 cup of salt
•2 cups of boiling water
•Food coloring
Put all in a bowl and mix.
If it doesn't come together straight away, keep on mixing. It will eventually get the right texture.
Check out the Little Big Book Club Activities
What an awesome page full of Book activities. The activities are in set out based on the books of the month, for each age group (0-2, 2-3 and 3-4 year olds). Our favourite so far has been to make Grug - but there is plenty to do. Search for your child's favourite book and see what you can make and do!
Create with lego
Here is where their imagination can run wild. Duplo for the younger ones and lego for the older children. A tip I have is play with lego on a queen sheet, when you have finished, pick up the sheet by the 4 corners and then you can tip it into the tub - easy clean up!
Dance
What child doesn't love music....just put their favourite tunes on and dance. You can even get housework done whilst dancing with your kids!!
I would love it if you could share your favourite indoor, non-TV activities!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
What's in a Name?
Our family welcomed a new golden retriever puppy on Monday. Miss P loves Jemima from Playschool best and she has a Jemima doll. But her next favourite character from Playschool is Meeka, and that's why Mr B decided to name our puppy Meeka.
That made me think about the reasons why we choose names for our children or pets. I love that there's a story behind my name. My mum told me that when she was in labour, she hadn't yet chosen a name for me. However, after she was in labour for a while, the nurses started to speak in hushed tones and were looking back at her then at each other. Every time she asked them what was wrong, they denied anything was wrong. When the doctor arrived, he told my mum that they couldn't detect my heartbeat and so presumed I had died. The doctor, thankfully, did not give up hope, and continued to hook my mum up to a machine and tried for a while to detect my heartbeat. When he found a weak heartbeat, he instructed my mum to start pushing and I was born. My mum said that was a victory and so named me Victoria.
There is also a reason why Mr B and I gave Miss P the middle name of Isla. As I was originally from Singapore, an island-nation like Australia, we thought that Isla, which means island, amongst other meanings, would remind Miss P of her Singaporean and Australian heritage.
Is there a story behind how your name was chosen or how you chose your children's or pet's names? I would love to hear them!
That made me think about the reasons why we choose names for our children or pets. I love that there's a story behind my name. My mum told me that when she was in labour, she hadn't yet chosen a name for me. However, after she was in labour for a while, the nurses started to speak in hushed tones and were looking back at her then at each other. Every time she asked them what was wrong, they denied anything was wrong. When the doctor arrived, he told my mum that they couldn't detect my heartbeat and so presumed I had died. The doctor, thankfully, did not give up hope, and continued to hook my mum up to a machine and tried for a while to detect my heartbeat. When he found a weak heartbeat, he instructed my mum to start pushing and I was born. My mum said that was a victory and so named me Victoria.
There is also a reason why Mr B and I gave Miss P the middle name of Isla. As I was originally from Singapore, an island-nation like Australia, we thought that Isla, which means island, amongst other meanings, would remind Miss P of her Singaporean and Australian heritage.
Is there a story behind how your name was chosen or how you chose your children's or pet's names? I would love to hear them!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Contemplating Age + Getting Older
by Becky from beckyandjames.com
Tomorrow is my 28th birthday.
As a general rule, I don't mind this whole getting older business. At least I haven't until now; which might partially be because I have thought myself to be (and felt like I was) 23 from the day I turned twenty three to, well, today.
Tomorrow I will no longer be early-twenties or even my mid-twenties, I will be joining the ranks of LATE-twenties. To top that little gem off, I will be a mere two years out from 30. 3 - 0. That number, right there, seems quite daunting. Suddenly I am freaking out.
Almost thirty and I am not something. Almost thirty and still not sure what I want to be when I 'grow up' but it turns out I was growing up without realising. Almost 30. OMG.
With this in mind, I've decided to make 28 my best year yet. Starting this month, with the gift I've given myself of A Month, Just for Me.
Tell me, what would make your best year ever?
Tomorrow is my 28th birthday.
As a general rule, I don't mind this whole getting older business. At least I haven't until now; which might partially be because I have thought myself to be (and felt like I was) 23 from the day I turned twenty three to, well, today.
Tomorrow I will no longer be early-twenties or even my mid-twenties, I will be joining the ranks of LATE-twenties. To top that little gem off, I will be a mere two years out from 30. 3 - 0. That number, right there, seems quite daunting. Suddenly I am freaking out.
Almost thirty and I am not something. Almost thirty and still not sure what I want to be when I 'grow up' but it turns out I was growing up without realising. Almost 30. OMG.
With this in mind, I've decided to make 28 my best year yet. Starting this month, with the gift I've given myself of A Month, Just for Me.
Tell me, what would make your best year ever?
Friday, June 3, 2011
CARS Truck Tour 2011
By Bec
We got there just after 12 noon when they opened, and lined up to get in. Once we were in, there were different activities to do. First we lined up to drive the slot cars. Savannah decided not to do this, but Hunter had fun.
Next they had a 3 minute ride on the go karts. These were great, they had stop signs, give-way signs, red/green lights and roads to follow. The kids stopped at the appropriate times, so gave them an idea of road rules. The little legs found it hard to reach the pedals so needed a parent to push. Savannah made it difficult as she was steering all over the place (but of course wouldn't let Mummy help steer). Hunter could reach the pedals so he was good on his own.
With the movie Cars 2 due to be released soon my hubby and 4 year old are bursting out of their boots. They loved the first Cars movie (hubby more so than my son I think) and are both very excited to see the second one. With that in mind we were all very excited when we heard that MACK the Transporter was going on a Truck Tour.
We got there just after 12 noon when they opened, and lined up to get in. Once we were in, there were different activities to do. First we lined up to drive the slot cars. Savannah decided not to do this, but Hunter had fun.
 |
| Slot cars with Dad. |
 |
| Savannah - go kart |
 |
| Hunter - go kart |
And they got a photo with the piston cup!
 |
| The piston cup - brother, sister and cousin! |
There was also a colouring in tent - where there were lots of CARS related colouring sheets. Hunter did one in the tent and we took one of each home and Hunter spent the afternoon at home colouring. One of them involved making a piston cup, so involved colouring, cutting and sticking. Hunter really enjoyed this one at home. And for the older kids, you could line up to get on MACK and play a playstation game. All these activities were free of charge.
If you wanted to spend money, you could get your photo taken with a CARS theme background, and they had a merchandise stand with show bags and CARS plush toys. I was quite happy that we walked away without spending any money!!!
It was definitely worth a trip. We were there about an hour all up - but an enjoyable hour.
The truck tour is still happening in various places around Australia, so to find out more about the truck tour and to see if there is one near you click here.
Friday, May 27, 2011
When did you last go to the dentist?
By Bec
Following on from Becky's blog post When did you last get a skin check I'm going to ask, when did you last go to the dentist?
I think us Mums tend to put lots of things off for ourselves, as we are busy looking after our kids. We take our kids places for check-ups, dentist, immunisations, 2 year old health check, 4 year old health check and so on. But what about us Mums?
I had a regular annual visit to the dentist before my son was born. Each year I would get my letter, make my time and go. Easy, wouldn't think anything of it. I went when my son was 3 months old, and hadn't been back since. He is now 4.5 years old. Well that was a mistake!!
I went to the dentist just recently as I thought I had a hole at the front of one of my bottom teeth. The hygenist suggested I have x-rays done as I hadn't been for a while (read 4 years). Well, the tooth I thought had a hole, turned out to be a build up of plaque - easily fixed with the hygenist's clean. The x-rays however showed some frightening results. I had a tooth, pretty much eaten away. It was under an old filling (which had come a bit loose), so not noticed by just looking. And wasn't causing me much pain as the nerve has slowly been killed. They sent me off to have full x-rays, which confirmed what they thought.
The tooth has to go. The hole is so deep it's gone down to my bone...and the longer we leave it the more the tooth will decay, which means it may start breaking and be very hard to remove. So I now have an appoitment with a oral surgeon (at $100 just for the inital consult). So the dentist gave me some options to fill up the gap from removing a tooth - the one she recommended is a tooth implant - $4,500 she tells me. Yes you read right - $4,500 for 1 tooth....my jaw dropped. So I stressed, I don't want a hole in my mouth, but I can't afford $4,500 for a new tooth. I've given up stressing about it until my first appoitnment where I can talk options - but that's not until the end of May (these surgeons are so busy!!).
So my advice to all Mums, look after yourselves, and remember to brush twice a day and floss daily!! I wasn't a big flosser - so have just started doing it regularly. I'm a bit un-coordiated at it at the moment, but the dentist assures me it gets better with practice. So I'm practicing.
When was your last dentist appoitment? Don't put it off any longer? Make one now (and this goes for all things such as pap smears, eye check, any medical issue that may be niggling you)..
Following on from Becky's blog post When did you last get a skin check I'm going to ask, when did you last go to the dentist?
I think us Mums tend to put lots of things off for ourselves, as we are busy looking after our kids. We take our kids places for check-ups, dentist, immunisations, 2 year old health check, 4 year old health check and so on. But what about us Mums?
I had a regular annual visit to the dentist before my son was born. Each year I would get my letter, make my time and go. Easy, wouldn't think anything of it. I went when my son was 3 months old, and hadn't been back since. He is now 4.5 years old. Well that was a mistake!!
I went to the dentist just recently as I thought I had a hole at the front of one of my bottom teeth. The hygenist suggested I have x-rays done as I hadn't been for a while (read 4 years). Well, the tooth I thought had a hole, turned out to be a build up of plaque - easily fixed with the hygenist's clean. The x-rays however showed some frightening results. I had a tooth, pretty much eaten away. It was under an old filling (which had come a bit loose), so not noticed by just looking. And wasn't causing me much pain as the nerve has slowly been killed. They sent me off to have full x-rays, which confirmed what they thought.
The tooth has to go. The hole is so deep it's gone down to my bone...and the longer we leave it the more the tooth will decay, which means it may start breaking and be very hard to remove. So I now have an appoitment with a oral surgeon (at $100 just for the inital consult). So the dentist gave me some options to fill up the gap from removing a tooth - the one she recommended is a tooth implant - $4,500 she tells me. Yes you read right - $4,500 for 1 tooth....my jaw dropped. So I stressed, I don't want a hole in my mouth, but I can't afford $4,500 for a new tooth. I've given up stressing about it until my first appoitnment where I can talk options - but that's not until the end of May (these surgeons are so busy!!).
So my advice to all Mums, look after yourselves, and remember to brush twice a day and floss daily!! I wasn't a big flosser - so have just started doing it regularly. I'm a bit un-coordiated at it at the moment, but the dentist assures me it gets better with practice. So I'm practicing.
When was your last dentist appoitment? Don't put it off any longer? Make one now (and this goes for all things such as pap smears, eye check, any medical issue that may be niggling you)..
Thursday, May 26, 2011
I'm the new mummy blogger
by Victoria
Hi, I'm the new mummy blogger at Little YoYo Styles, Victoria B. I'm glad to be a part of Little Yoyo Styles mummy blogging team comprising Bec, Becky and Louisa.
Originally from Singapore, I was introduced to the beauty of Australia when I commenced and completed my university studies at Gippsland. It was at university that I met my then-boyfriend and now-husband, Mr B. After university, I returned to Singapore for 6 years to work (we did nurse a 6 year long-distance relationship) and then made the permanent move to rural Victoria in 2005. The change from city living to country living took abit of an adjustment initially. Although I wouldn't say I'm totally comfortable being a country girl, I think I'm getting closer everyday.
My university qualification is in journalism and communications and I'm currently studying for my planning one. I worked for 6 years in the arts industry in Singapore and loved it. When I made the move to Australia, I was fortunate to have a journalism job for almost 2 years before deciding on a career change in 2007 in statutory planning with the state government. I am presently working for a local council in strategic planning.
In 2009, our little gem, Miss P, was born. The past 19 months have been such a journey of discoveries, experiences, ups, downs and understanding how torturous sleep deprivation can be. However, we are now in a good place at the moment primarily because Phoebe has been sleeping really well for the past few weeks.
As we meander through motherhood and childhood, I hope to hear about your experiences even as I share mine.
Hi, I'm the new mummy blogger at Little YoYo Styles, Victoria B. I'm glad to be a part of Little Yoyo Styles mummy blogging team comprising Bec, Becky and Louisa.
Originally from Singapore, I was introduced to the beauty of Australia when I commenced and completed my university studies at Gippsland. It was at university that I met my then-boyfriend and now-husband, Mr B. After university, I returned to Singapore for 6 years to work (we did nurse a 6 year long-distance relationship) and then made the permanent move to rural Victoria in 2005. The change from city living to country living took abit of an adjustment initially. Although I wouldn't say I'm totally comfortable being a country girl, I think I'm getting closer everyday.
My university qualification is in journalism and communications and I'm currently studying for my planning one. I worked for 6 years in the arts industry in Singapore and loved it. When I made the move to Australia, I was fortunate to have a journalism job for almost 2 years before deciding on a career change in 2007 in statutory planning with the state government. I am presently working for a local council in strategic planning.
In 2009, our little gem, Miss P, was born. The past 19 months have been such a journey of discoveries, experiences, ups, downs and understanding how torturous sleep deprivation can be. However, we are now in a good place at the moment primarily because Phoebe has been sleeping really well for the past few weeks.
As we meander through motherhood and childhood, I hope to hear about your experiences even as I share mine.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Anpanman hooded beach towel - product review
By Bec
Not being Japanese, my kids don't know who Anpanman is. I read on the product tag that he is huge in Japan. So I spoke to my Japanese friend, who, when I paid closer attention I saw, had Anpanman products everywhere, and yep it's true! Anpanman is HUGE in Japan.
Despite not being Japanese, my kids loved this towel. My son loved how he could be his own super-hero. Hunter is 4.5 years old, so you can see the towel would be a good fit from toddlers right up to about 5. It fit my 2 year old, with more towel around the legs, and she loved how she was kept warm front and back. All the other hooded towels we have you still have to hold around you to keep your front warm. Not this one, it has towel at the front and back - quicker drying. Coming into winter that's important!
Stand out from the crowds with this towel. It would be a great towel for the beach or swimming lessons.
Check out the Anpanman hooded beach towel now, currently on sale for $20.05.
Now mind the quality of the video (and the mess of the house)...just showing how my son had fun playing with the towel!
He is not un-happy - we just have problems getting him to smile on camera (my camera isn't fast enough to catch it)!
Despite not being Japanese, my kids loved this towel. My son loved how he could be his own super-hero. Hunter is 4.5 years old, so you can see the towel would be a good fit from toddlers right up to about 5. It fit my 2 year old, with more towel around the legs, and she loved how she was kept warm front and back. All the other hooded towels we have you still have to hold around you to keep your front warm. Not this one, it has towel at the front and back - quicker drying. Coming into winter that's important!
Stand out from the crowds with this towel. It would be a great towel for the beach or swimming lessons.
Check out the Anpanman hooded beach towel now, currently on sale for $20.05.
Now mind the quality of the video (and the mess of the house)...just showing how my son had fun playing with the towel!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Chicken stock
By Bec
If you have read my previous post about colours, preservatives and ice-cream you will know we did a trial of no colours for my son to see the impact it has on his diet. Since then we have moved on to also cutting out preservatives and additives. When I checked the ingredient list of chicken stock I was shocked, really shocked to see the ingredients. Every single ingredient was on the no list - the ones to avoid.
I had heard of people making their own stock, chicken or vegetable, but always thought, "gosh there is no way I can do that, way too fiddly and hard". Well was I wrong. I dug out my Failsafe Cook book (by Sue Dengate) and found an easy recipe.
Here is what I did:
Skinned a whole chicken
Put the skinned chicken in a large saucepan (whole)
Chopped up a leek and 2 stalks of celery put in the saucepan
Put in some dried parsley and sea salt
Then strain the liquid, chuck the veggies and eat the chicken!
Oh wow, my house was smelling so wonderful after an hour! And at the end of it I had a HUGE (read huge, I think it will last me all year) pot of chicken stock, and one tender, juicy cooked chicken. I've been using the chicken in salads and sandwiches...boy is it delicious!
If you have read my previous post about colours, preservatives and ice-cream you will know we did a trial of no colours for my son to see the impact it has on his diet. Since then we have moved on to also cutting out preservatives and additives. When I checked the ingredient list of chicken stock I was shocked, really shocked to see the ingredients. Every single ingredient was on the no list - the ones to avoid.
I had heard of people making their own stock, chicken or vegetable, but always thought, "gosh there is no way I can do that, way too fiddly and hard". Well was I wrong. I dug out my Failsafe Cook book (by Sue Dengate) and found an easy recipe.
Here is what I did:
Skinned a whole chicken
Put the skinned chicken in a large saucepan (whole)
Chopped up a leek and 2 stalks of celery put in the saucepan
Put in some dried parsley and sea salt
I then filled the saucepan with water, so the entire chicken was covered.
Popped the lid on the saucepan, and left it to simmer for 2 hours.Then strain the liquid, chuck the veggies and eat the chicken!
Oh wow, my house was smelling so wonderful after an hour! And at the end of it I had a HUGE (read huge, I think it will last me all year) pot of chicken stock, and one tender, juicy cooked chicken. I've been using the chicken in salads and sandwiches...boy is it delicious!
The stock I have been freezing in my awesome QUBIES (ice cube trays will do) and then putting into zip lock bags. It will also last a few months in your fridge in an air tight container. And now whenever I need chicken stock, I grab a cube and pop it into my dish and I have the most delicious, "additive free" stock!!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mother's Day
By Bec
Mother's Day is this Sunday - 8th May. Besides from breakfast in bed and all those gorgeous presents our kids give us, Mother's Day is a day to reflect on what being a Mum is about. In today's busy life we get so caught up in our day to day lives and the issues we are dealing with we often forget the joys of being a Mum. Being a Mum is an amazing job and we should all take a minute to appreciate the good things about being a Mum. The joys of being a Mum to me are:
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums!!!
Mother's Day is this Sunday - 8th May. Besides from breakfast in bed and all those gorgeous presents our kids give us, Mother's Day is a day to reflect on what being a Mum is about. In today's busy life we get so caught up in our day to day lives and the issues we are dealing with we often forget the joys of being a Mum. Being a Mum is an amazing job and we should all take a minute to appreciate the good things about being a Mum. The joys of being a Mum to me are:
- morning cuddles in bed - I love Fridays, my day off from paid work, when my 2 kids get in bed with me in the morning and we snuggle up
- the words "I love you Mum", which my 4 year old says every day I drop him off at kindy
- the paintings the kids make for me at childcare and kindy
- when they learn something new for the first time, makes me so proud
- if I'm upset or have hurt myself my 2 year old comes up to me and pats me on the back saying "okay Mummy?"
- watching my kids play together - my son can be so caring and loving towards his little sister
- having that feeling of unconditional love - you know you would do anything for your kids
Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Plunger Sucker Stand Review
by Becky from beckyandjames.com
When I first received these Plunger Sucker Stands to review I was a tad skeptical that they would work, though cute I couldn't imagine them being very practical. With sickness, moving, teething a busy house and a hospital stay I didn't get to properly test them for some time.
When my mum ordered her iPhone4, I let her have a play with mine so that once hers arrived she would know exactly what to do and suddenly I remembered the little Sucker Stands and got one out for her.
My mum, an avid lover of all things gamey was soon blasting her way through Angry Birds, which was a little bit annoying as I am SO bad at that game! As an accessory for playing all the wonderfully addictive iPhone games out there, the Plunger Sucker Stand is all kinds of wonderful.
Assuming you have a surface to sit it on then you're good to go for easy game play.
It's also great for use as a general stand at night and I have just started using it when I blog from the iPhone. So long as you get the sucker attached properly then there's no slipping or tumbling over which makes using the keyboard easy and not having to use my thumbs to type is a big plus.
You can buy the Plunger Sucker Stand here; it is normally $10 but is currently half price.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Chew Chew Train - product review
By Bec
For any train lover, this is a must have table addition. I was truly amazed when I first saw the Chew Chew Train. What a cool idea. The Chew Chew train, starts as a train, and pulls apart to become a spoon, fork, cup, large plate, small plate and bowl. The engine becomes the cup, the conductor's house becomes a bowl, the train's platform becomes 2 plates and the coupling rods become the fork and spoon.
It is recommended for kids aged 18 months +, and my 4.5 year old loved it, so would definitely last a few years. Hunter enjoyed making the train and pulling it apart, so it was a puzzle and dinner set in one! Cleaning was easy as it's dishwasher safe.
We find dinner time very stressful in our household. Hunter often looks at food, saying he doesn't like it, without even trying it. More often than not if we get him to try something he ends up liking it...so the challenge is getting him to try it. The Chew Chew Train made his dinner look exciting. He tried something from each section, we made sure to spread it out and include something in each compartment, despite the fact most of it could have fit on the large plate. This meant he ended up eating most of his meal, whilst having fun with the train components. It certainly made dinner time a litte more fun for Hunter, which in turn made it easier for us. Less stress all around!
Check out the Chew Chew Train. At $36.30, the ease of dinner time makes it pay for itself in no time!
For any train lover, this is a must have table addition. I was truly amazed when I first saw the Chew Chew Train. What a cool idea. The Chew Chew train, starts as a train, and pulls apart to become a spoon, fork, cup, large plate, small plate and bowl. The engine becomes the cup, the conductor's house becomes a bowl, the train's platform becomes 2 plates and the coupling rods become the fork and spoon.
It is recommended for kids aged 18 months +, and my 4.5 year old loved it, so would definitely last a few years. Hunter enjoyed making the train and pulling it apart, so it was a puzzle and dinner set in one! Cleaning was easy as it's dishwasher safe.
We find dinner time very stressful in our household. Hunter often looks at food, saying he doesn't like it, without even trying it. More often than not if we get him to try something he ends up liking it...so the challenge is getting him to try it. The Chew Chew Train made his dinner look exciting. He tried something from each section, we made sure to spread it out and include something in each compartment, despite the fact most of it could have fit on the large plate. This meant he ended up eating most of his meal, whilst having fun with the train components. It certainly made dinner time a litte more fun for Hunter, which in turn made it easier for us. Less stress all around!
Check out the Chew Chew Train. At $36.30, the ease of dinner time makes it pay for itself in no time!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Motivating Mums
by Becky from beckyandjames.com
In my own struggles I have been 'prescribed' Me Time by my doctor and so I have started a series of posts highlighting my attempts at fulfilling this important but difficult to manage task. Through my posts I hope to motivate other mum's out there to do what they can to look after themselves so that they can be the best mum they can be.
This month has seen a change in format, as I had originally aimed to post weekly about what I had done for myself - a bit of an over-reach given I have three children under 4.
Also this month, Little YoYo Styles has sponsored my April It's ALL About YOU Giveaway.
I would love for you guys to pop over, join in and enter. Help me spread the all important Mummy Me Time message!!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Strawberry picking
By Bec
What a great family outing!!! Before winter sets in (and whilst the strawberry farms are still open) we decided to go strawberry picking. There is a lovely place in the Adelaide Hills: Beerenberg. You may have heard of them, they make many things including jams, chutneys, sauces, dressings and jellys. We paid a $3 entry fee (adults only, the kids were free. You get one entry free back if you purchase 2kg of strawberries) and then got tubs. It was a little walk to the strawberry fields but then the fun began as we got to pick our share. You pay for the strawberries per kilogram. Savannah ate more than she put in the tub, but we all had fun. There nothing more satisfying than finding the biggest, juciest, best strawberries and picking them to eat. These strawberries are so fresh and yummy. Straight from the farm. We got over 3kg worth of strawberries...and boy were they yum!
After our strawberry picking we went to a playground in the Hills for a picnic lunch and play. It was the perfect way to round off our family outing.
After our strawberry picking we went to a playground in the Hills for a picnic lunch and play. It was the perfect way to round off our family outing.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
When did YOU last get a skin check?
by Becky from beckyandjames.com
I posted this on my blog yesterday and wanted to share it over here as well as the feedback I have been getting confirms my thoughts that it's something that's so easily over looked. But, it's something that is SO important.
I recently made an appointment for my first ever skin check after finding myself completely freaked out by skin cancer ads where they talk about a 26 year old dying.
Apart from the fact that I am a severe hypochondriac, what I saw hit home with me as I am about to turn 28 and I also have type 1 skin; which means I burn at the mere thought of going into the sun. I do not tan. I crisp. I blister. I have often looked like a lobster. And, unfortunately, I have not always been sun smart and looked after my pasty complexion.
So, I tentatively made my appointment and wished I hadn't.
When it rolled around this morning, I felt sick. My ability to imagine I have anything and everything is... amazing. I've been obsessively looking at my moles for weeks now; imagining that I was seeing differences.
As I sat in the waiting room, reading the consent form I could feel my skin prickle. I swear each and every mole, mark and lesion was burning.
I worried about just how invasive the scan would be, how naked I'd have to get and how uncomfortable the whole situation would be. I turned them around in my head; making them into excuses to leave.
Thankfully, before I was able to completely convince myself it was a good idea to leave it was my turn.
The process was quick and painless, the doctor was friendly and informative and I was given the all clear after a quick chastising about picking at mozzie bites.
Now, it seems so crazy to me to want to put off something so quick and easy that may just end up saving your life.
Have you had a skin check lately?
Friday, April 15, 2011
Colours, preservatives and ice-cream
By Bec
The best treat for a child. The look on their faces when they have that first, and second, and third lick. It's priceless! We have been undertaking a no colours trial with my son to see the effect colours have on his behaviour, so have been eliminating all artificial and some natural colours. When he wasn't having colours we were unsure as whether it was helping his behaviour. But as soon as he went back on them his behavour was crazy, hypo, a little aggressive, so we concluded the colours were having some effect. The natural colour to look out for is 160b, which is in (amongst other things), ice-cream, margarine and yoghurt. So ice-cream has been off the menu for a while (and especially the rainbow flavoured ice-cream they ate below - choc full of colours!). But you can't not have a special treat on a birthday, so the kids tucked into the rainbow icecream.
Of course it meant he was up all night after all those colours, but the enjoyment on his face whilst eating was well worth it (for a every now and then treat). And I've since found a couple of colour and preservative free ice-creams (Peters Original and Smooze) so the kids can have the treat without the erratic behaviour.
Does anyone have any experiences with colour free and preservative free diets?
The best treat for a child. The look on their faces when they have that first, and second, and third lick. It's priceless! We have been undertaking a no colours trial with my son to see the effect colours have on his behaviour, so have been eliminating all artificial and some natural colours. When he wasn't having colours we were unsure as whether it was helping his behaviour. But as soon as he went back on them his behavour was crazy, hypo, a little aggressive, so we concluded the colours were having some effect. The natural colour to look out for is 160b, which is in (amongst other things), ice-cream, margarine and yoghurt. So ice-cream has been off the menu for a while (and especially the rainbow flavoured ice-cream they ate below - choc full of colours!). But you can't not have a special treat on a birthday, so the kids tucked into the rainbow icecream.
Of course it meant he was up all night after all those colours, but the enjoyment on his face whilst eating was well worth it (for a every now and then treat). And I've since found a couple of colour and preservative free ice-creams (Peters Original and Smooze) so the kids can have the treat without the erratic behaviour.
Does anyone have any experiences with colour free and preservative free diets?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Kaboodle nappy wallet - product review
By Bec
Despite my daughter being 2 and (hopefully) toilet training soon I bought a Kaboodle nappy wallet a few months ago. I kept being drawn to it; in particular the design pictured above, so after numerous occasions of putting it into my shopping cart then closing the webpage, I finally took the plunge and bought it! At $24.95 it was a purchase I have not regretted!
I wanted a nappy wallet to keep all nappy changing items in one place. I had a nappy bag, but found I was searching for a nappy, then I needed to find wipes, sanitiser, nappy rash cream and as I use cloth nappies I needed to find my wet bag. They were all in my nappy bag somewhere, but somewhere being the operative word! Nothing was every together. I also figured as my daughter starts toilet training I will still need a change of undies, wipes, sanitiser, wet bag etc, and having it all together would make life so much easier.
I use cloth nappies and comfortably fit 1 nappy (can fit 2 but I find it makes the wallet a bit bulky then), change mat, wipes container, sanitiser, wet bag and nappy rash cream in the wallet. You could comfortably fit 2-3 disposable nappies. I keep spare nappies in my larger nappy bag, and replace into the wallet when I use one from there. The wallet makes nappy changes a breeze when out and about. I just grab the wallet and head to the change room without having to lug my whole bag, and I have everything I need. Often if I'm just heading out for a short trip, e.g. trip to the local park or grocery shopping I will just take the nappy wallet instead of the whole bag. The wallet has an elastic wrist strap so you can carry it around your wrist to have your hands free.
Check out the Kaboodle Nappy wallet for yourself.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Pocket money
By Bec
I've been battling through these questions for a little while. Having a son who wants a new toy everytime we go to the shops my Mum kept suggesting that he needed his own money so give him some jobs.
So I thought about this, what is the right amount of pocket money for a 4 year old? I had heard an appropriate amount is a dollar per age, therefore $4 for my 4 year old.
Okay, but what about linking it to chores. The yes team say, it's good for them to learn responsibility and that we have to work for our money. The no team say, as part of a family there are jobs that kids should just do and not expect compensation, therefore their pocket money is not linked. I joined the yes team.
So our system was born. Hunter has 7 jobs per day, and each job is worth 10c. We have a chart and we tick off the job as he does it. He can earn a maximum of $4.90 a week, but averages around $3-$3.50.
I'm quite happy with this system. We can prompt Hunter to do his chores but reminding him of those valuable ticks and when he wants something at the shops we remind him he needs to save for it. Hunter was recently rewarded when he saved enough money to go on a shopping trip with Grandpa and purchase his much wanted Bakagun.
 |
| His hard earned purchases! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
Louisa is mum to two littles, Miss Bliss and Little Bear. She lives in Melbourne and is addicited to coffee, to-do lists and blogging, in no particular order. She loves being a Mum even if sometimes it feels a bit frantic. Louisa writes most days at 
Becky is a busy SAHM to three little Munchkins; Ellie, Kahlei and Jasper. She is about to embark on a new adventure and move her whole family into her mum's house while waiting for her house to sell. She is currently concentrating on doing her bit to remove the stigma surrounding Post Natal Depression and encourage mothers to take care of themselves to be the best they can be for their families on her blog 
Bec is Mum to Master Hunter (4 years old) and Miss Savannah ( 2 years old). She lives in Adelaide and juggles working 4 days a week in education research, volunteering for St Vincent de Paul, Kindy Governing Council, gym, kids sport and keeping the kids entertained and active. Life is busy but rewarding.
Victoria is mum to 19 month old Miss P and lives in rural Victoria. Having just returned to work as strategic planner in a local council, she is learning to juggle work, studies, and being a wife and mother, while finding some time for herself. When she can find the time, she enjoys watching movies, reading, and catching up with friends and family.
