Could you ‘buy nothing new’?

June 27, 2012 By 2 Comments

 

Have you heard about ‘Buy nothing new month’?

The website buynothingnew.com.au describes it as “literally about taking one month off to really think, “Do I really need it?” If I do, “can I get it second-hand, borrow it or rent it? What are my alternatives? Can I borrow from a friend? Can I swap with my neighbor?” It’s about thinking where our stuff comes from (finite resources) and where it goes when we’re done (often landfill) and what are the fantastic alternatives out there to extend the life of our ‘stuff’.

It is officially in October, but it is a wonderful way of thinking, no matter what month it is.

Cutting down our spending on new stuff has a multitude of benefits including more money in our wallets, less junk in our homes, and a reduction in ‘shopping induced stress’. It is also an important step towards a more sustainable future for our planet.

 

We went to a second hand sale in Kangaroo Valley a couple of weeks ago, which is where I bought this gorgeous old oil painting ($45!!!) and the pears, plate and runner in the top photo. We also bought some books, a couple of toys for the kids and a set of football goals. All together, I think we spent about $60.

Even though this is more than I had meant to spend (“I’m just going to pop in for a look, honey” HA!) I came out with some great quality, pre-loved items that I knew we would get a lot of use from.

Now I just need to work on my ability to drive past a garage sale without yelling “Stop the car!”

If you are interested in this topic, the book ‘Not buying it – my year without shopping‘ by Judith Levine is a great read. (and I bought my copy at a second hand book sale!)

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Personal Tagged With: , , , , ,

Space to breathe.

June 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I found out today that, for a variety of reasons, I will be working less hours next semester. Luckily I’m in a position where this part time job provides us with a bit of extra money, rather than having to rely on it to survive. So I’m actually really thrilled!

This semester has been extremely stressful. For a while there my brain felt like I was in one of those electrical stores where every television is on a different channel.  There were just so many different things going on. Next semester, I am going to use the time to focus on the important things.

Callum starts ‘big school’ next year, so I’m looking forward to enjoying this time with him, without always feeling like I’m rushing from one thing to the next. I’m going to spend more time planning and cooking wholesome, thoughtful, interesting meals instead of constantly rotating the same favourites (well, that’s the plan anyway!). I am also going to dedicate time to some professional development opportunities that I have been putting off.

Mainly though, I am going to create some mental breathing space, concentrating on doing a few things well, rather than spreading myself so thin. I think we all have a tendency to think “the busier, the better”, but next semester my motto will be “breathe, be calm and take your time”. I’ll let you know how I go!

Photo via Pinterest.

Filed Under: Health, Lifestyle, Personal Tagged With: , , , ,

Let’s go fly a kite!

June 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The past few days have been wet, and we have mostly stayed indoors.

The kids have slowly been going stir crazy!

Today, however, was beautiful. Sunny, mild, with a light breeze -

perfect weather for flying a kite.

Charlotte took these photos of our afternoon.

I always love seeing things from a child’s perspective.

They always seem to notice the little details that we miss.

(By the way, the kite was $4 from K-mart. So much fun for so little money!)

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Personal, Photography Tagged With: , , , , , ,

And I’ll send all my loving to you.

June 5, 2012 By 4 Comments

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When I was little, my mum would sometimes put little notes in my lunch box. She would write things like “your mummy loves you” and “hope you are having a lovely day” and there were always lots of kisses and a smily face! I still remember the warm feeling they gave me, when I would open up my sandwich, and see my mum’s familiar writing tucked inside the wrap.

I like to do the same thing for my own children. School can be a tough place sometimes. When your friend doesn’t want to sit with you, when your teacher gets cross, when you can’t do the maths work; it’s nice to know that there is someone waiting for you at home who loves you no matter what.

Do you leave love notes for your kids or partner? Have you found a note written for you? (I don’t think one ever outgrows the thrill of receiving a love note!)

Filed Under: Early Childhood, Lifestyle, Personal Tagged With:

How to get stuff done.

June 3, 2012 By 5 Comments

Lately I have had so many major, time-consuming things on my ‘To Do’ list, but I have been struggling to get started on any of them.

My thought process has been something like this “Oh I really need to update the whole policy manual for work (or clean out the kids clothes drawers, or get my business accounts reconciled etc etc) , it’s going to take hours, I don’t have hours right now, so I will do it later”.

However, I have never quite been able to find the many hours I needed to complete each task. (surprise surprise!)

This weekend, the weather was wet, windy and cold. “The perfect time to get stuff done”, I thought brightly.

However, by the middle of Saturday I still had not begun any of my jobs (which were mentally growing bigger by the second).

I decided to take a different approach. Instead of thinking “I need to do [insert whole mega-task here]“, I said to myself  ”I will now spend one hour …….”

This was an achievable goal.  I knew I probably would not get the whole job done in that time, but I knew I could work on it for that amount of time. Being a perfectionist, I tend to put off starting jobs if I think there is a chance I may fail. This was a way of setting myself up for success.

I started with clearing the summer clothes out of my daughters overflowing drawers. After one hour, I felt so pleased and motivated, that I kept going for another 20 minutes until it was finished. I then spent 30 minutes reconciling accounts, and another 30 minutes sorting out my sons room.

It’s amazing how success inspires you to want to do more. I was so productive today, that I am actually feeling excited about spending more time on my list of ‘jobs I don’t want to do’  tomorrow. This is a whole lot better than the usual feeling of dread that procrastination brings.

What do you need to spend one hour doing? Do you put things off, like me, or do you find it easy to  just get stuck in?

Photo via  Apartment Therapy.

Copyright (c) 2012, Teaspoons and Tinsel. All rights reserved

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Organising, Personal Tagged With: , , ,

A black & white party.

May 20, 2012 By 1 Comment

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Eight years ago today I became a mum, and my life changed forever. I felt like I was now looking at the world in colour, after a lifetime of watching the black and white version. I was swept away in a sea of maternal love for this vulnerable, gorgeous, tiny creature. She was what I had always wished for, and I couldn’t believe that she was really here!

That eight years has passed in a flash, and now the little person who was passionate about fairies, pink and My Little Ponies, is now requesting ‘black and white’ parties. I was actually  thrilled as I knew it would be an easy theme to go with, and together we came up with lots of ideas.

Charlotte wanted cupcakes instead of a traditional birthday cake, which worked out well as there was no tricky cutting of the cake after blowing out the candles. I bought the cupcake wrappers from a party shop in Bondi Junction and the little flags from Hot Dollar. I used the Donna Hay cupcake mix, which was more expensive than the other cake mixes, but produced such lovely, light cakes. I have made my own in the past, but wanted to make this party as easy as I possibly could.

I put stickers on the black cups so the children could label their own drinks with their names. The black and white straws were from Hot Dollar, which had a whole range of decorations in different colours (including black & white!).

I made a row of bunting using wrapping paper, which was really easy and looked so striking against our white walls. The hanging lanterns were left over Christmas decorations that I bought last year from Typo.

The children all wore black and white, which suited both the boys and the girls, and seemed to be quite an easy outfit to put together (unlike some of the more ‘ambitious’ dress up parties my kids have been invited to over the years).

We set up ‘pizza making’ in the kitchen, using Lebanese bread for the bases. We put out bowls of mushroom, pineapple, capsicum, mozzarella cheese, olives, and shredded ham, along with tomato pasta sauce to spread on the bread.

The kids were so proud of their creations, and after their pizzas were cooked, they couldn’t wait to eat them, with one little girl declaring “This is the best pizza I have ever had in my life!”

‘Pin the tail on the zebra’ was a popular game. I am now an expert on the stripe formations of zebras after studying Google images to see what they looked like. (My first attempt looked like a stripy unicorn)

Happy birthday Charlotte! We love you. xxxxxxx

Filed Under: Decorating, Lifestyle, Parties, Personal Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Happy Mother’s Day.

May 11, 2012 By 2 Comments

Will you be celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday? I am looking forward to a cup of tea in bed, lots of cuddles, and a few very carefully chosen presents from the school ‘Mother’s Day Stall’.

Are you familiar with this concept? Basically, you buy a present to donate, or send cash so the P&C can purchase suitable gifts for the stall. A week or so later, you send your children to school with another envelope of money, so they can buy you a present (hopefully not the one you sent!) from the aforementioned stall. So, in other words, you are not only paying for your own Mother’s Day present, you are paying twice!!

It is, however, a wonderful way for the P&C to raise funds for the school, and the kids get such a thrill from bringing home their purchase, hiding it under the bed, then presenting it with much fanfare on Sunday morning.

For my own mum, I will be giving her a ‘Greeting Card File’. My mum buys the most thoughtful, special, personal cards throughout the year. She then puts them ‘somewhere safe’ and promptly forgets about them. This means that she often rediscovers the perfect birthday card, in the back of the cupboard, a month after the recipients birthday. Or she goes rummaging frantically through drawers and cupboards shrieking “I know I bought it!! It MUST be here!!!” as the special day looms.

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To make the card file, I purchased a small concertina file from Officeworks, and decorated it with a packet of ‘birthday themed’ die cuts that I already had. Some glitter glue and a sparkly green ribbon made it more festive.

I used my labelling machine to print off labels such as ‘boy’, ‘girl’, ‘sympathy’, ‘get well’, and ‘thank-you’, and stuck these onto the dividers. I have been collecting nice greeting cards with this project in mind, so I had a good selection to fill the file with. My mum can then add the ones she already has (when she finds them!

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Happy Mother’s Day mum! I could not have wished for a better mum than you. You are the warm encouraging arm around my shoulder, the reassuring words in my ear, and my best friend. I love you. XXXXX

A gorgeous song for mother’s day.

Image -Mother and Child by Gustav Klimt.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Personal Tagged With: , , , ,

Hmmm…how did he learn that!?

May 7, 2012 By 1 Comment

We have all been struck down by the dreaded lurgy. It has been handed from one family member to another like a germ-filled ‘pass the parcel’. I know I’m always telling my kids to share; now I know they’ve been listening! And they’ve given it to me!!! Bleaugh…cough..cough…!!

On Saturday, as I was lying in bed, Barry came in and said “The kids are watching a movie. I’m just going to sneak out and get them each a Happy Meal”. I knew there was a reason I married that man! I would have kissed him if he’d been brave enough to get any closer.

While he was out, Callum also paid me a visit. That boy needs constant feeding and he wanted a biscuit. Now. Without wanting to spoil the surprise that was on it’s way home as we spoke, I said he’d be having lunch very soon. He then tried to explain to me, very patiently, what would happen if I didn’t give him a biscuit. (see video below)

Just for the record, I have always prided myself on being consistent and reasonable when it comes to whinging. I have been well aware of the dangers of rewarding this type of behaviour. I don’t give in, even when I have been in the middle of the supermarket with a screaming toddler. I am calm (outwardly!), I am firm. I am understanding (“Yes, I understand you want it, but you’re not getting it”.)

And yet, here I am with a four year old who clearly knows how ‘pester power’ works.

Maybe I’m not as consistent as I thought!

By the way, he didn’t get the biscuit!

Filed Under: Early Childhood, Lifestyle, Personal Tagged With: , , , ,

The perfect time to exercise.

May 3, 2012 By 6 Comments

Lately, I have been rather slack when it comes to exercising. I go through phases of all or nothing, with ‘nothing’ taking up most of the cycle. While I seem to race about all day doing the usual mum/ work thing, I know it’s not the kind of activity that is going to increase my fitness anytime soon. I would like to claim that I am just too busy to exercise, but there are plenty of people a lot busier than me who manage to exercise daily.

So I had been thinking about how to incorporate it into my day. What would be the perfect time to exercise? In the morning when I’m (supposedly) fresh and have the whole day ahead, or in the evening when Barry gets home from work? What if the weather is bad? What if I’m tired? When would I feel the most motivated?

You can see I spent much time thinking, not so much actually moving.

I thought about my dad, who is the most regular exerciser I know. For as long as I can remember, exercise has always been something he just does, most days, no fuss, he just gets it done. He is the embodiment of ‘just do it’.

Here is what I have learnt from my dad’s exercise routine-

1. There is no perfect time to exercise. If my Dad has something on in the morning, he will go for a walk in the afternoon. If he knows the afternoon will be busy, he gets his exercise over and done with in the morning. It is just something he needs to do, so he fits it in around his day.

2. There is no perfect weather for exercise. If it looks like rain, my dad carries a small umbrella on his walk. If it is extremely hot, or too wet, he will swim laps at the local indoor pool.

3. You will never be in the perfect mood to exercise. My dad never really feels like exercising, but he does it anyway. In fact, he always goes through a bit of a speech before he leaves – “Well, I can’t really be bothered with this, I must be mad”. And off he goes.

So there you have it. The perfect time to exercise is anytime, because thinking and talking about it gets you nowhere. If you are waiting for the perfect morning, with a gentle breeze and a cloudless sky, with you feeling bright and energetic and raring to go, you’ll be waiting a long time.  Just do it.

Do you exercise regularly, or do you grab time when you can? Or do you just think about doing it, like me!?

Filed Under: Health, Lifestyle, Personal Tagged With: ,

Remember this feeling?

April 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Do you remember the feeling of getting ready to go to a birthday party when you were a child?

Choosing the dress you were going to wear,

Watching your mum wrap the present, or maybe you did it yourself?

Wondering which of your friends would be there,

Saying to your parents “come on, hurry up, I don’t want to be late!”

Then when you got there, the excitement, the balloons, the squeals of glee!

I love reliving these wonderful memories, as my daughters are now the ones opening sparkly invitations with wide eyes and carefully reading out the time and date of the party.

Sometimes we can get a bit carried away with the ‘theme’ of the party, the stylish decorations, the cake that would make Martha Stewart proud. But really, children are just excited to see their friends, to eat treat food and to have fun. Simple!

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Filed Under: Early Childhood, Parties, Personal Tagged With: , , , ,
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