snap it 'breakfast'

 Greetings all,

Oh hello, breakfast!!  With hens laying fresh eggs daily & a bountiful herb garden, we enjoy this kind of breakfast frequently.  

 How lucky are we to have this bounty.  

I'm eating this well, following the Michelle Bridges 12WBT programme, 10kg ladies, gone.

Check out what others are eating for breakfast over at Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love.  I love blowing up my Instagram images - you see the crumbs, texture & butter on the knife, love Posie

& the school holidays continue . . .

Greetings all,

I'm all about free fun for children during school holidays.  I guess it stems back to when we first had children we didn't have cash to throw around, so we made the most of free activities or hanging at home.  Personally i use school holidays to clean out the children's rooms & they need them to relax from going hard at school all term.  Staying home is not a chore, it's a pleasure.

So here is a typical free fun day at our place . . . 

starting with a dose of home juiced goodness.  I did wash these celery sticks again!!

 Nothing wrong with window shopping & not spending, my children are largely unspoilt with stuff, this Santa falls under the category of unnecessary stuff, no dropped lips or tantrums, she completely understands the word 'no'.

 This is our 3rd school holidays now with chickens, they are the pet that doesn't get old.  Chickens have so much personality.  Pets are the ultimate school holiday activity, to feed, play & nurture.  Dare i suggest our chickens have a fabulous diet.

 I have always found that my children naturally pair up, or enjoy a good dose of solitude in their own rooms during the break.  I have strived to make their rooms inviting & cosy, so they want to be in them.  Actually my twins have talked about moving back in together. 

School holidays are the perfect time to exploit child labour - gardening, cleaning, tidying, baking & cooking.  My guys make a mean chicken schnitzel.  As a housewife, these jobs are normally mine during the day, so i trade with them . . . i unpacked the dishwasher!!

 Then there are the not-a-school-night treats like sleeping out in the lounge or siblings bedrooms.  This is still a huge hit with my son, he's 8 & will bring half his bedroom with him too.  He got a bit cold one night so slept with ear muffs on.  I cannot get enough of this little fella.

So we've stayed home these holidays, one trip to the cinema - with $6.50 tickets - it was hard to resist while i was recovering from a migraine, in the dark with quiet children.  This is how we roll almost every school holidays.  We're not massive must-go-away people, it's too expensive for a family of 6 on a single income, we remain realistic & homey.  Love Posie

did somebody say 'tulips'??

Greetings all,

Yesterday i trotted off to Floriade with a picnic, some girlfriends & our iPhones.  

 Oh the tulips, over a million of them . . .  

 in every colour imaginable.  

 How fantastic is the iPhone 5 camera & i thought i was wobbling it!!

 Of course in bright sunlight - i couldn't see a thing i was aiming the screen at. 

 So a lovely surprise to this bounty of colour downloaded tonight.  

 There were displays & patterns of colours . . .

& tulips planted at different times for a layered effect.  

 Practising taking photos of flowers with light behind them, i.e. shooting into the sun.

We approached this frame with excitement, however, the plain black . . . underwhelming.  Imagine if it was an ornate frame, reclaimed vintage or even a plastic moulded faux ornate vintage looking frame . . . oh well, the tulips stole the show for me.  Love Posie

ever say "no thank you" to an affirmation??

Greetings all,

Now i am a huge fan of the Brave Girls, who send these incredible affirmations to my InBox each day, they so often nail my emotions about life, love & relationships (scarily so) but today i read this one & said "no thank you."  

When your life is fantastic, you have to seize that feeling.  You never know what is around the corner: health scare, child dilemma, car accident, tax audit, husband's work, holiday cancelation!!

I have a truly blessed life . . . a wonderful childhood with a large family, travel crazy parents & the best education in Australia's greatest city, Sydney (don't even try to argue with me!!)  I got into all the sports teams, friendship circles & University courses i desired, then met & married my teen love - avoiding relationship baggage . . . had four dream children - i truly have zero complaints.  My husband says i have way more than my fair share of self esteem & confidence, so i share it - with meaningful compliments & fun with friends.  I don't have a self sabotage tendency either (no drinking, gambling, cheating, debt) other than clothes shopping & weight gain from stress.  Those have both been nailed recently by slowly closing down my business (income) & losing 9kg on Michelle Bridges 12WBT in the first 5 weeks so far.  The stress is dripping off me too!!   

I have issues, my mother with Alzheimer's, my father just took a spill & my husband might have to go back to war next year.  I'm realistic . . . these are not things i can control, so i process & accept them.  I have always believed that only i can stuff up my own life, i am responsible & can blame no one for any choices which go askew.  That doesn't mean crap people don't cross my path, i've learned to trust my senses & walk away, quickly.  

See why i shunned this Brave Girl's message, very happily so.  I have managed to switch my business acumen & determination to focussing on myself, finally.  My husband kept saying "be selfish, go to the gym at night, i'll supervise dinner & homework" but i actually love that part of my life - in touch with what the children are learning - then i realised that HE wanted to spend time alone with the children, so i do that 6p.m. Spin Class & freaking enjoy it!!  

The funny thing is, right now, i could not be more ill, i have a throaty cough, a runny nose & it's day 3 of a migraine, ick.  So to read that 'pain is a gift' & nod knowingly, i've been there, however, the fact i can't relate to their message today . . . that is an affirmation unto itself.  Plus it's the middle of school holidays, i've always adored the extra time with my children . . . i have four happy beings who don't fight, they argue from time to time but never nasty fisty cuffs or horrible words, they play happily for hours on end.  I work hard for harmony, i spend months raising them solo, i don't do drama or unhealthy sibling conflict.  They are not spoilt with toys, but company & they know - only boring people get bored - so find fun or solitude.   

While i get many migraines each year, this has been a cracker, yet to remain connected to the world from my pillow, i've discovered low-lit-non-blinding Instagram & the lovely community there.  It's light, happy & stress free, just what i needed if i was going to add another social media to my collection.  Here are some of my images, between naps, i'm Posie Shoots if you're keen.

I'll work out a few Instagram collage apps, i'm still a learner on the iPhone 5.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  Now, go take hold of your life, dust off the clutter & embrace the day.  Or like the Brave Girls suggest, deal with your pain, sort it right out - of your life!!  Love Posie

spiral braid up-do-how-to

Greetings all,

Last month i put up an image of my middle girl with a spiral braid around her head - many asked for a tutorial - so i did her hair again for choir at Floriade flower festival & took snaps along the way.  Now this girl has waist length platinum blonde hair, it's quite thick & dead straight.  To French plait, you have to ensure the hair is absolutely tangle free, a tiny knot will be your undoing.  

As this braid swirls around her head, i find it easier to part & separate the hair into small sections.  This is not for the faint hearted (or stubborn) . . . your child will literally have to contort their body & twist their head off to allow for the best angles.

Quick tip: her hair was freshly washed & still damp, very easy to handle.  

I had her lay down & twist, it was very manageable (for me.)

 Basically i kept going around her head (twice) & i curved the corner at the starting point, kept going until i had one round patch of hair left (centre), which i plaited to the end like a tail.

 This was the end result, looks far more complicated than it really is.

 This took a solid hour (thus not filming it, yawn) using many hair clips to hold things in place as i twisted my daughter's head & body around.  When i got to the whispy front hair, i actually did a mini French plait, to hold it tighter, then joined it up to the next round of the spiral.

 As i said on Instagram, this child cares for her hair, happily brushing it like Marcia Brady every night.  She has zero split ends & thoughtfully turns off the water while she combs conditioner through it, so she doesn't hog 6 people's worth of hot water.

 Da dah, end result, a little whispy but nice & tight, held together for days (she slept with a shower cap on, i need to make her a silk sleeping cap - Little House on the Prairie style!!)  She loves it, even pops little fresh flowers in there.

 While i'm no Hair Romance (hello Christina) i do try with my girls hair styles & hopefully can avoid the added expense of up-do-appointments for future dances, formals & events times 4 children.  Try French plaiting ladies, it's so much fun - basically plait flat & every time you switch to a side -  collect a strand of hair, it's pure magic & looks a million dollars.  Do check out Christina's stunning hair styles, she's a doll.  My girls watch the tutorials like television & love to have braided hair at athletics, so neat & tidy.  In the end, success of failure . . . it's nice mummy-daughter time.  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'the price of professional talent'

Greetings all,

Now i am all about positive thinking & aiming high with aspirations, however, just how badly are some children being set up for failure - being told constantly they can be whatever they want to be.  Is the value put on their apparent 'talent' instead of worth as a human being??  Who wants to admit "my supermodel daughter was charged for drink driving??"  Too much focus on primping looks, instead of being a functioning member of society.  Our Olympic swimming team . . . cocooned in the insular environment of success based on performance . . . most acted like brats when they didn't win & made fools of themselves on social media to confirm their dysfunction.  Versus the incredible success from our dignified ParaOlympic swimmers - who showed grace & appreciation + a life beyond swimming talent or their disability . . . on a fraction of tax payer funding & corporate backing!!    

Are today's children reminded that it takes high grades to get into medicine/ law/ engineering?? . . . + talent to be a singer/ actor/ model/ writer/ designer/ artist!!  If you want to have a highly desired career, it takes a lot of practise, dedication, luck & talent.  Are they going to cope with rejection & not starting off their working life - as the boss??!!  Growing up i wanted to be a vet, then 'realistically downgraded' my dreams to forensic science, i got the marks & attended University.  In my early 20s i realised i didn't want to be a pharmacologist, rather a wife & mother instead.  I was raised to work hard so i could control my choices & be flexible with the world, i wasn't always going to get what i wanted, so i've coped with rejection & dramatic changes to my plans.  Sometimes timing & circumstances are everything!!  

At the Emmys this week, my favourite character "Cam" from Modern Family, actor Eric Stonestreet won & said those damning words many obscure successful singer/ actor/ model/ writers say . . . the 'never give up on your dream' speech.  Because he made it.  Reality . . . it was a fluke!!  The unconventional non-Hollywood-cookie-cutter-actor sometimes does make it.  It's rare.  You might have incredible talent - but you still have to be 'discovered' to be a professional, especially if you're going it alone on YouTube.  I adore Eric, however, wonder how many want-to-be-actors are slogging it out at auditions today & will never ever succeed.  Do they have a back up plan??  Even the highest earning actress in the world, Sofia Vergara has a back up career, as a dentist.  She truly has everything!!   

There has to be a limitation on how far you will go to make your talent a profession.  The incredible talent of JK Rowling is stratospheric & i believe the world is a better place with the Harry Potter series, the legacy for children's literacy is tremendous.  However, how dangerous is it for an aspiring writer to believe they are the next JK Rowling??  The Harry Potter manuscript was rejected dozens of times too.  Dream high, yet beware of when it becomes an obsession - impacting on your job/ income, family/ relationships, thoughts/ health . . . this is dangerous territory & those dreams should be a 'hobby', allowing life to go on, remain grounded, satisfied & realistic with what you have!!  

Why do people have to have a talent full stop??  Why isn't it Ok to simply be Ok??  Work in a solid job that provides for your lifestyle/ family/ hobby & be awesome at making people feel good about themselves.  Does your talent only count if it's your profession??  Why is super stardom so desirable??  Star-doom.  Beyond talent & being paid to do what you love . . . there is the fame game.  

Kim Kardashian has made a career out of nothing, to become a model, spokesperson, brand & 'event draw card'.  Whatever.  Alas, Kim wouldn't be paid the big bucks if people didn't let her become famous (media & fans) but at what cost - her privacy, her love life - constantly having her intelligence & morals questioned . . . she continues to cash the cheques.  Did Kim dream for this??  How can you dream to turn nothing (no product, no service, no talent) into an empire??  This is an entirely new 'dream' & the fact it doesn't relate to anything in this poster . . . does not gain my respect.

Chatting about 'talent' to my gal pal Tania McCartney, a full-time-day-job-professional author, who works hard, has talent & experience, self publishing & kaboom, discovered - numerous titles with books flying off shelves . . . she sent me this poster - the wording more eloquent & concise than my ramble above.  Reality television does not help this message - even the harmless MasterChef series is shocking a generation of want-to-be chefs out of the kitchen as they don't want to wash dishes & work their way up.  I do not respect fame or success without doing the hard yards.  

Appreciate what you have & be kind to people.  Bake those awesome cakes, you don't have to sell them to confirm your talent, soak up how you make people feel when they receive one.  Try amateur theatre & share your talent locally, than expecting to walk straight in to a Hollywood role.  Write your friends beautiful notes & create stories for your children, unpublished!!  Doodle away while you're on the phone, without dreaming of being PIcaso.  I focus my children on how they act & relate to other people EVERY DAY than the latest certificate, award or ribbon they bring home ONE DAY.  The world doesn't need anymore spoilt brats or substance-less talented people!!  Plus they do the dishes!!  Love Posie

My Week With Marilyn, i mean my week with the iPhone 5

Greetings all,

This is my first smart phone ever, the iPhone 5, so i'm loving my new toy.  I have signed up to Instagram, i've actually let out some Tweets & had all sorts of things linked to Pinterest & Facebook automatically.  I have downloaded Apps, APPS!!  No games, i loathe children playing with screens, they should be kicking a ball or climbing a tree!!

Unlike the 7000 people who queued at Apple Canberra last Friday, my husband wandered in on Saturday morning, straight to the counter . . . to drag me into the 21st century of technology.  We bought it for a few reasons, mainly the video camera & my enthusiasm for social media.  My children enjoy leaving me notes & quirky reminders.  It's on my existing $20 plan, with zero data allowance outside the home WiFi, so far that's fine, i really do use the phone as . . . a phone!!  I'd rather email from the Mac desktop, with a life size keyboard, i just fixed my wrists with surgery, poking at a tiny phone pad is ridiculous!!

All accessories sold out immediately, so i was a nervous wreck taking the phone out & about, until i popped along mid week to buy him a leather jacket & screen shade, cool yo?? 

This week i really did hire the My Week With Marilyn movie, oh what a messed up gal she was.  So glamorous & popular, yet insecure & lonely.  A beautifully shot film, especially loved the English countryside & Eton School.  I wonder what mischief & trouble Marilyn Monroe would have created on social media??  Sigh, i digress . . .

so now there are a zillion other ways to get images & snippets of my world . . .

Follow @posieshoots 

  Follow @posietweets

OMG, i've even gone & got myself a Quick Response bar code, i Robot.  Tania McCartney is a new smart phone girl too, she understands technology & social media ten times better & faster than me, so does the research & just links me to what i need to know.  Everyone needs a guru girlfriend who explains in motherly terms what you want, not geek speak.  Seriously folks, scan me . . .

Did you get the new iPhone 5 or can you still love last year's model??  I'm still laughing at the iPhone 5 launch - talking about the camera "the sea is bluer & children look happier!!"  I admit the camera is marvellous.  How much technology & social media can one person handle??  I'm a tad freaked about the price but i've never lost a mobile phone - i've had one stolen in Italy, now living at the bottom of a canal in Venice i guess.  I will be very happy with this phone for a long long time.  Love Posie