how are the resolutions going??

Greetings all,
So we're almost a week into the new year, did you make resolutions or just vow to live better??

We are swimming & spending our days outdoors . . .

 eating healthy & making rainbows . . .

 spending time doing craft & the things i love . . .

 exercising with lots of Yoga . . .

 & walking the puppy twice a day, he's exhausted (& embarrassed) . . . the sunglasses were only the start, after the first laps of the oval, he sits down in the shade & i normally have a child or 4 on bikes, so poor puppy has had a bike helmet strapped to his head, daisy chain necklaces & flowers in his fur.  He's so patient!!

 Most of all, spending devoted time with the children, playing dress ups & being silly.

Not including the rainbow cookie, i've been watching what i eat & am serious about getting in shape.  Summer sunlight & a swimsuit will do that to you!!  Eat less, move more, sounds so easy & why not start off the year the way i intend to continue it, best of . . . undistracted. 
How about you??  I feel like a better me already.  Love Posie

OMG my sisters are playing with me

Greetings all,

Oh school holidays - they reveal children at their raw sibling elements.  I'm thrilled to discover the girls are playing with their little brother & making him the star in games they create.  It aint easy being the only one of your gender in a family (just ask my husband, he'll tell the hell of having big sisters who excluded him from everything, spitfully) so we're determined to not have our son exeprience the same - in turn he's not allowed to 'be a victim' OR an annoying little brother.  Harmony, ahhh.   

Look at this face, who wouldn't want to include this sweet boy in their games?? 

 So i found my boy reading this note with sister 3.  These two possibly clash the most, they rival for 'baby of the family', even though she's a twin & he's the actual baby.  I'm the baby of the family, so is my husband, it's a great position.  If i ever went back to do Honours in Pyschology i'd study birth order!! 

 Oh this boy needs a hair cut.

The note is a treasure hunt clue, created by sister 2 & it reads:
"Please lend me a helping hand,
To find the key you must search the land,
First hunt high,
Then close under the seas,
If you want to find the key,
Enter the silver cage,
There i will be."
I thought it was a brilliant piece of writing.  She said when they had a relief teacher they had to do poetry & she wrote pages of pirate treasure rhyming clues.  So me hearties, he did find her & they played poker all afternoon, gambling (??) um, it's good for their maths.  Love Posie

sometimes you just have to get out of town

Greetings all,
Happy New Year!!

It surprises me when mums say they can't take their children on a long trips on their own, for me, i have no choice or i'd never go anywhere or ever see my family!!  The first time i took the children on a big solo car trip (Sydney to Brisbane) was 2006 - i packed sandwiches & minimal luggage, patiently pulled over when my 3 little girls needed the toilet or my baby boy needed a breast feed.  Lots of plane trips too (Darwin to Sydney) people would stare, travelling with all those children.  The only issue we've ever had was travelling with baby twins, there aren't enough oxygen masks in the row, so strangers had to hold a baby for take off & landing.  My children travel really well.
This long weekend, i tossed Khan & the children in the car & headed to the beach (Canberra being the ONLY inland capital city in Australia) it's a long drive.  I miss my husband & i just had to get out of town.

 

 My children love swimming, we'll have a pool on the farm - we'll also be closer to the coast!!

 Moonee Beach NSW has serious surf + this quiet lagoon & sandbar.

 A couple of dads from the caravan park, with children's boats & beer.

 Glad Khan didn't take his eyes off the children, as they swam all the way to the surf beach.

 I sat under the massive pine trees with my trusty puppy, watching the children play, squeal & splash, run on the sandbar, while i was perched on the new beach towels . . . then my husband called from Afghanistan.  Could our worlds be more opposite??  I'm at the beach dipping my toes in the water, enjoying sunshine & freedom, he's in a snowy war zone, freezing & he can see his icey breath indoors.  My husband loves the beach more than any of us, he's an Inner City Sydney boy - but would drive to the Northern Beaches, my local!!  Brrrrr, Afghanistan gets down to -20C, where i'm cruising at 30C.  Good luck Adelaide with 40C+ today!!     

Thank you so much for the gorgeous new year well wishes!!  I'm loving this carefree blogging time of year.  I have some fun tips for you in your down time . . .
my favourite jeweller Emma Kidson just started a blog called Jewellery Stories.  She has an honours degree in gold & silver smithing, high end baby.  Now Emma shares the amazing stories behind the custom design pieces - the people.  Imagine making someone's engagement ring, something they will pass down through their family, it's such an honour.  She's married to a mechanic, has puppies & lives in Wagga Wagga.  Emma is about to renovate & has a wholesale/ retail range too, of course, busy girl!! 
My gorgeous cousin Alyssa McClelland created a fun series of short movies (11 episodes/ 25 minutes) called One Step Closer to Home, check it out, they are painful, awkward & hilarious - newly weds nesting.  Anything endorsed by Claudia Karvan is a winner, go watch now!!  Alyssa is so modest, so i'll tell you she as an honours degree in Communications (most difficult degree to get into in Australia, she was also school captain & dux), Hollywood movies + is so freaking nice, she's about to become an aunt, any minute now, between filming Home & Away.  
Thanks lovely folks, enjoy, love Posie

so long, farewell 2011

Greetings all,
I had all sorts of deep thoughts on 2011 to share, but honestly, not a fan, just bring on 2012 please.  Here is the weirdest, worst & wonderful of my year . . .

Weirdest: discovering in my search word statistics . . . ‘amateur anal probes’??
 Worst: my husband is away at war – we’ve seen him for a less than 30 days all year + after 5 years wrestling with Alzheimer’s, my Mummy doesn’t know who I am anymore = heart breaking. 
Wonderful: my children were class captains, academic prize winners & cross country/ athletics representatives from zone to nationals.  Their journey through school is a smooth one, amazing considering they have collectively attended 9 schools in 4 states & territories.  I love the high school we chose & thrilled all our girls will attend.

As for 2012 . . . let’s call it the Year of Empowerment . . . I’m stepping back & saying “no”, it’s all positive.  I’m an adult, I don’t need to justify myself or how I spend my time, energy & ideas.  When someone says “no” to me, I think, “wow, you must be really important, I respect you for not overcommitting” . . . SO I consider myself worthy of that same respect.  I don’t have time anymore to manage your P&C/ join your business group/ let you pick my brain on countless topics.  I'll say it with conviction & confidence.  Do I hear a hallelujah??!!  We’re selling our Darwin apartment (sigh, I love it, harbour views) & will buy our farm – my days will be filled with designing our homestead, planting & animal husbandry, yay!!  All positive things for the family, my true love & focus. 
Happy New Year everyone!!  Resolutions, i've had a few, just looking forward to a health focus.  Love Posie

the twilight zone time of year

Greetings all,

Don't you find this time of year a bit like the Twilight Zone, stuck in no man's land, exhausted without direction??  Full belly from Christmas, family overload & sale shopping . . . if you can get off the lounge, afternoon naps, who lives like this??  It's actually difficult to move forward when you're all planned out & feeling so lazy without an agenda.

A little replay of our Christmas . . . children waited for me to watch them open their Santa sacks (i've never had a child wake before 7a.m. even at Christmas!!)  Lots of family phone calls, while i made iced tea & mango crushes . . .

 we had pancakes & croissants while the boy finished off each of his sisters' drinks!!

 Fun & games until someone gets burnt!!  Quick call to my brother for a complimentary Christmas Day burns victim consultation on my 3rd girl who spent 20 minutes with her upper arm under cold running water. 

 Lunch was Italiano style - simple & delicious, but with hiccups - i put the smoked salmon out first . . . my son ate the entire platter before anyone even sat down & there were tears as we all missed handsome soldier.  Then huge scoops of gelato in waffle cones, completely untraditional but it was truly all about fun for the children.  

 Someone got a sequin pineapple purse (we watched The September Issue on Boxing Day, poses were struck).  I have devoured Vogue since i was a young girl, i find high fashion utterly fascinating.  I'm so far from a model, but what an interesting life, one of my girls would like to model.

 Could not believe my luck at the Country Road sale, the ONLY pair of moccasins they had were red & in my size, yay!!  My girls acted like porters & carried the shopping, so cute, especially as i loaded them up on 6 new beach towels & homewares.  Also picked up the kaftan i had on my ultimate gift list, $80 off!!

 Slightly in shock my first born wears a size 39 shoe, she's not quite 13!!  I've had to hunt down suitable flat ladies shoes for her since she was 9, i wait for sales - she did well today.  Thrilled with my new foxy shoulder bag from Hive & this oversized beach hat from Trenery.  I am not a hat person, but who cares in Summer??  Time to done the Miu Mius.

So i spent my 36th Christmas afternoon, dozing on the lounge reading the new cookbooks the children received, putting a disected shark will full plastic anatomy together . . . listening to a storm pelting the roof, wearing new Peter Alexander slippers, i felt so OLD!!  As the children got bikes early for Christmas, their gifts were few & practical - like clothes, educational toys & VS hair dryers - how much fun is 'the big hair styler', it rolls & spins & doesn't tangle!! 

Thanks for the gorgeous well wishes this Christmas, i've been able to chat & Skype my husband a couple of times each day, takes the sting out of missing him.  We've also found a property i like & he's agreed to consider, yahoo!!  It's smaller (about 70 acres) & below our budget, in a great location.  Progress!!  Love Posie

we wish you a Merry Christmas . . .

Greetings all,
I love that i live in a city that is occupied with interstaters (including me) as they all flee for Christmas (excluding me) . . . i swan around the supermarket aisles, shops & streets with ease.  It's hard to build traditions around Christmas when you're in a different city/ family member's house/ hotel/ husband away each year - i can't wait for stability, Christmas in our own home, with my husband & all the beautiful English traditions my mother instilled in us - especially the food.  I want to make Christmas pudding everyone has stirred, i want to deck the halls with holly & i want to host Christmas!! 

I put the special Oxfam decorations my dear friend Lisa gave each of my children on our cute wooden tree.  See the little early gift i gave myself - a Red Riding Hood teapot.  Next year i want to force myself to like tea.

 Last minute school class party reindeer cupcakes, they finally finished school on Wednesday, poor little public schoolers.  In the meantime, my high schooler & i took in lots of movies (Mission Impossible is amazing), shopping & lunches out, lovely!!  Her boy-who-is-a-friend tagged along too, he's one patient young man!! 

 I'm retiring my cute animal calendar this year . . .

 with this neat one from Kikki-K, about $12 in their early Boxing Day sale.  Note: i got the '21 Days to Start/ End Habits' in preparation of new year's resolutions.  Hey, i bought the book, that's a start, i'm already on my way . . . mind, body & soul!!

 In my effort to like tea, i have tried for many years to stomach hot tea but iced tea is my baby step.  I've just brewed my second batch of T2 White Christmas, chilling in the fridge, some of the children like it too, filled up with lemon slices & mint.  I also got Tummy Tea to help with digestion & flush out the demons of Christmas feasting. 

 The 2L tall jug is too big for any shelf in the fridge so she lives in the door or filled with ice on the counter on her rubbery coaster.

 Some last minute decoration finds at Hive, already know what my colour scheme for next Christmas is, lime, fuchsia & silver, pretty right??

 Found this red brick filled ornament in my letter box, thanks Lego!!

 Keen??  Me??  At the Seed sale at 9a.m. for shoes - the last year my youngest children will fit into their shoes as they only go up to size 35.  The sequin & polka dot shoes were reduced to $15!!  The strappy gold ones were reduced to $30, wish they had my size!! 

 So Merry Christmas blogland, have thoroughly enjoyed your company this year.

Have a wonderful time with family, friends, or indulging alone if that's your thing.  I'll be blogging over Summer so don't be a stranger, love Posie

IKEA & Donna Hay GIVEAWAY winners & showing off

Greetings all,

Is there a blue box sweeter than Tifffany's??  YES, Donna Hay's Royal Doulton range.

 With much Monday excitement, my Donna Hay Royal Doulton pieces arrived.  As we're not moving for a couple of years & storage/ entertaining/ luxury is limited in this house, i'm collecting small pieces.  We plan a full on Butler's Pantry in our homestead to store all my goodies (Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay, Bison, Royal Doulton) & display them properly.

 From Donna's 12 Days of Christmas specials, the footed colander was complimentary!!  Don't say i didn't warn you & spread this good fortune around!!  You were told.

 Worth every cent i spent on these pedestals, they blend nicely with my Nigella blue, non??  I have a vision people: high tea on my homestead with my girls, husband & son can serve!!

 Or if your taste is . . . well you know where, upsidedown for a gaudy chip & dip.  So kidding!!

Oh you want to know who won the Donna Hay Christmas edition magazine & Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownie mix??
Shar from Mum on the Run blog & Alannah from Luv Books blog,
you have each won the magazine & mix
(drew Shar's name 3 times, she's a marathon runner, mum & teacher = total goddess, & Alannah is a gorgeous book loving mummy of 4) yay!!
Jan-Maree from Cherry Red Quilter blog & Amanda from Homely One blog,

you have each won the magazine

(Jan-Maree is a military wife + mummy of twins & Amanda has a sweet new baby) yahoo!!
Jen from Let It Go blog & Jacinta from ModelMumma blog,

you have each won the mix

(Jen has recently given up nursing to focus on her teenagers - i hear you Jen, & Jacinta is pregnant with her 3rd child, do NOT come between her & her brownies) yahoozies!!
Congratulations, happy styling, baking & entertaining with Donna Hay this Summer gals.  Please email me your addresses & i'll ship them to you a.s.a.p. 

Now for the winner of the super cute collection of IKEA Cirkus toys, Big Top drum roll please . . .
congratulations to . . . Ann-Maree from The House A-M Built blog,
you have won all the softies in the post + more!! 
(A-M is an absolute doll, i gasped with joy when the random machine drew #2) yes!!

All randomly selected on line, at Posie HQ & witnessed by people i gave birth to.  Say what you like about me, i know my readers!!  All lucky, worthy & kind hearted winners.  Thanks for your support, love & generocity with my giveaways this year folks, i hope you've been lucky & i've thoroughly enjoyed your company. Love Posie