From the monthly archives: August 2014

Finding the time to do what you love, carving time out to get creative

By On 31 August, 2014 · Leave a Comment · In Career, Design, Development, Explore/Travel, Family, Lifestyle

Yesterday I was part of the lovely Mummy Tree Markets at Everton Park. I had a lovely morning, my gorgeous sister helped me with my little tribe (super huge thank you!!), lots of lovely customers to chat too and friendly stall holders to gossip with between customers. One of the questions I got asked quite […]

The finished product! All set up yesterday at the Mummy Tree Markets...

The finished product! All set up yesterday at the Mummy Tree Markets...

Yesterday I was part of the lovely Mummy Tree Markets at Everton Park. I had a lovely morning, my gorgeous sister helped me with my little tribe (super huge thank you!!), lots of lovely customers to chat too and friendly stall holders to gossip with between customers. One of the questions I got asked quite a few times was 'How do you find time to sew with kids?' Which is a good question! So I thought I'd give you the honest, no holds barred answer. There is no magic silver solution where I can make more hours in the day. The simple  truth is I schedule in time for me. Just like you would book in a playdate for the kids, a doctor's appointment or a class at the gym. I carve out time in my day to be creative. Sometimes it's half an hour, sometimes it's a block of a couple of hours.  Then there are days where it's a few 10 minutes blocks scattered throughout the day. The point is that I  make time to do something creative every day.  My creative loves include sewing, drawing, designing and writing. Being creative makes me feel energised, happy and accomplished when I finish a project. Just like exercising releases endorphins and makes you feel good, being creative gives me a sense of achievement and fuels my imagination and energy reserves. Which makes me a more content person all round, not to mention a whole lot more productive in all of the other parts of my life. So it is absolutely worth the effort to carve out time. Why not try it tomorrow? Start with 10 minutes. If sewing or writing aren't your cup of tea, how about baking? Or gardening? Here are  a couple of my favourite places to visit and some creative folk to inspire you...
  • The lovely, clever and very creative soul Pip Lincolne from Meet Me at Mikes. Plus she's funny to boot!
  • For the literary buffs and writers out there - have you visited Allison Tait's website? A fab writer, generous giver of advice for writers who are just starting out, plus she'll even give you a friendly nudge to just get on with it...
  • Cinta from My Poppet - subscribe, visit regular or buy one of her digital creations. Take your pick! This clever lady provides the perfect inspiration for crafty folk.
I'd love to hear what inspires you to get creative! Enjoy xx
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Creative kids – allowing your kids to find their own style

By On 26 August, 2014 · Leave a Comment · In Family, Fashion, Lifestyle

As a mum, I clearly remember the moment when my then 3-year-old decided to choose her own clothes, or should I say OUTFIT. It was an OUTFIT because it was accompanied by a demand in a VERY loud voice from my former happy-go-lucky toddler that from now on she would only wear party dresses and ballet shoes. […]

As a mum, I clearly remember the moment when my then 3-year-old decided to choose her own clothes, or should I say OUTFIT. It was an OUTFIT because it was accompanied by a demand in a VERY loud voice from my former happy-go-lucky toddler that from now on she would only wear party dresses and ballet shoes. No more sensible sandals or runners. No more jeans, no more shorts and certainly no more blue or black. Just pink. Maybe purple occasionally. Mostly just pink. Oh and sparkles. Lots of sparkles. For a navy-loving, black -wearing tomboy this was really harsh news! I loathed pink. Could not stand purple. And certainly was not a sparkles kind of person. In that moment, I chose to get a grip. This was not about me.  Or my taste. This was about the little person who right before my eyes was growing up. Into a little person with fave colours, a personal style (sparkles, pink and all) all of her own. With all of this in mind, I thought I'd share a couple of places and spaces we visit to foster the creative little spirits in our house (in case you're wondering, because I know I would be, this is NOT a sponsored post).
Fab finds for quirky kids...

Fab finds for quirky kids...

1. Who doesn't need a blazer?  My youngest son rocks his everywhere, the farmers markets, downstairs in the weekend, travelling... This one is available from Seed 2. A so very cool hat, in this case a Fedora! You can find this one here... 3. Perfect for rainy days, or any day really!  My littlest poppet is convinced that hers go with tutus, fairy dresses, pretty much anything!   You can find this pair at the super cool Oishi M 4. Just what you need to jazz up any outfit!   Perfect for boys or girls, you can find these over here... 5. Cool kicks are also on my youngest sons go to list for wardrobe. We love this pair, available from the always cool and fresh Kido. 6. Superheroes rock!  My boys have an ever-changing collection of superhero tees, and these come with a cape (naturally!) You can find them here at Kids That Rock. 7. Tutu.  Do I need to say anymore about this one?  Oh except that I would love to wear one to the office or school drop off. Just one.  With a tiara. This one is from one of our fave shops, Cotton On Kids. 8. A fab bag!  Just as important for kids. This one is so super cute I am tempted to nab it for myself.  Maybe to go with my tutu?  You can find it at Kido. 9. We love sharks!  Show your love for the giant guardians of the sea with these super cool boardies from Tiny People. Enjoy xx This post is part of a lovely linky link up and guest blog post with the fab folks at Kids That Rock, click here to take a look xx
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Hello Brisbane! Moving across the country to the sunshine state…

By On 12 August, 2014 · Leave a Comment · In Development, Entertainment, Explore/Travel, Family, Lifestyle

This week marked one month since our epic trek across the country to make Brisbane our home. Ok, maybe epic is overstating it, but this time last month as I geared up for the last week in my office, I felt overwhelmed. I was staring down the barrel of packing, cleaning and winding up our […]

The glorious south-west, we miss you WA!

The glorious south-west, we miss you WA!

This week marked one month since our epic trek across the country to make Brisbane our home. Ok, maybe epic is overstating it, but this time last month as I geared up for the last week in my office, I felt overwhelmed. I was staring down the barrel of packing, cleaning and winding up our lives in one house, while planning, packing and getting set for our lives all the way across the country. In one week. Saying goodbye to friends, colleagues and the lives we had made for ourselves in sunny Perth. We donated, sold, gave away and gifted over half of what we owned. Simplifying our lives as we prepared to head East. As we embarked on what turned out to be a huge clean up, I found myself realising how much had happened, how much had changed since we moved to sunny Perth in 2008. I began to realise our kids weren't babies anymore, we were now a family with no pets (how we miss our girls), and that it was a good time, the right time to be closer to family. As I mopped the floor one last time, while the kids burned off their nerves/ excitement, I took the time to think about all the great times we had exploring sunny Perth, and looked forward to finding new places to explore, hang out and have fun in Brisbane. Now, here we are.  Almost unpacked, getting settled, seeing a lot more of our lovely family and beginning to discover all the fab places we can go in Brisbane. Yes, it was a pretty epic move in hindsight, but I know now we made the right decision. Have you ever made an epic move? Enjoy xx
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Book club! The Signature of All Things and Outdoor Kids

By On 7 August, 2014 · Leave a Comment · In Entertainment, Lifestyle

The past few weeks have been frantically busy as we packed and moved across the country to sunny Queensland. Now that the dust has settled (well almost), I have found time to read again. I picked an unexpectedly good book at the airport (I can never resist a good airport novel) on my way to […]

The Signature of All Things, unexpectedly good!

The Signature of All Things, unexpectedly good!

The past few weeks have been frantically busy as we packed and moved across the country to sunny Queensland. Now that the dust has settled (well almost), I have found time to read again. I picked an unexpectedly good book at the airport (I can never resist a good airport novel) on my way to Melbourne and thought I would share my thoughts on it with you as I left my lovely book club ladies in sunny Perth. Boo to that! Back to the book... The Signature of All Things caught my eye for two reasons, the first being that it is written by Elizabeth Gilbert (remember Eat, Pray, Love?, same lady!). I am happy to admit I loved Eat, Pray, Love. I have re-read it four or five times now, and still enjoy it. The second reason was that it told the tale of a woman. That's right, a heroine. A little rare at times! I got caught up in the story straight away, and without giving away the plot to you, I can tell you that it was an interesting, frustrating and a fascinating tale of adventure all rolled into one.  Maybe it was because I was on a plane and in a hotel for long stretches of time, but I found myself getting totally immersed into the world of Alma Whittaker and her tale of adventure, tragedy and love.  Well worth the read, especially if you are a lucky enough soul to be part of a book club.  Loads of interesting fodder to chat about (oh and heads up, there's a few raunchy bits, so maybe not one for your great-grandmother, unless she is very cool and open-minded!). The other book I have been trawling through is Jamie Durie's Outdoor Kids. We are now lucky enough to have a huge sprawling yard in sunny Queensland, and it is filled to the brim with tropical plants, succulents, and places to explore.  That's the upside, the downside is years of neglect I suspect. I have been trying to thing of ways to spruce it up without breaking the bank and making sure that it is a still a great place for the kids to play and explore. Enter Jamie and his practical wisdom. We have started documenting our progress so will keep you posted! So, there you are, two very different books (though with a common thread of botany) I would highly recommend. What are you reading at the moment? Enjoy xx
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Getting out in the sunshine, exploring playgrounds and parks

By On 3 August, 2014 · Leave a Comment · In Entertainment, Explore/Travel, Family, Lifestyle

One of the first things I learnt as a fledgling parent, was that getting out and about in the sunshine is one of the best ways to burn off energy, clear your head and generally feel better about the world. Crabby toddler climbing the walls? Head out to the park and let them run free. […]

Fun in the sun at Underwood Park...

Fun in the sun at Underwood Park...

One of the first things I learnt as a fledgling parent, was that getting out and about in the sunshine is one of the best ways to burn off energy, clear your head and generally feel better about the world. Crabby toddler climbing the walls? Head out to the park and let them run free. Kids bickering and squabbling over absolutely nothing? Grab a frisbee or a footy and scoot down to your closest oval. So, once we figured out this little chestnut, we became huge fans of parks and playgrounds. As soon as cabin fever started to set in, we'd pack up and decamp to the nearest park. Within minutes we would all feel a little better. Looking back, I think we even chose our homes over the years based on proximity to a good coffee shop (or two) and to parks and gorgeous green spaces. So here we are now settling in to our new home town, sunny Bris-Vegas, and exploring new parks and places to play. So far, thanks to friends, super helpful websites (try Brisbane Kids and Kidspot)and exploring we have discovered a couple of gems...
  • the fantastic Underwood Park complete with flying fox, weirdly cool Spielart Funderwood timber playground, monorail...
  • the super sweet Enchanted Forest, which kept all four of the kids amused for a couple of hours. It's probably better suited to littlies with a  love of fairies, but my older kids still had a ball there.
  • our local park (you know the type, smallish, huge open grassy bit nearby, a couple of well-loved trees)
Do you have a fave local park?  Feel free to share! Enjoy xx
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