Sydney, Penpals and the Horrid Ears!

So much has happened since I last updated this blog...The little man and I went to Sydney for a four day weekend, which was amazing!! So many shops to choose from, not to mention Darling Quarter. We also took in a show, Jesus Christ Superstar, which was breathtaking! The portrayal of Judas moved me to tears and the entire performance filled me with goosbumps.

I have joined a new penpal site, League of Extraordinary Penpals, which has both a facebook page, website and supply store. I have ony been in this group for a matter of days, but am so in love with it already!!

And lastly, Mr 7 has burst his right eardrum again, the second time in six months. A sleepless and tear filled night at the hospital and now home to recover. Doctors think that his left eardrum may burst in the next couple of days, which is not what he needs, after just getting over his pneumonia. Honestly, this term he has had more time off school than at school, and I find it so frustrating. Not that I want to send him to school when he is sick obviously, but as a single parent who works full time, I have used all allocations of sick and carers leave and am now on leave without pay. But...I am trying not to stress about that. I want him better, and if we live on toast for a month then so be it!

Dr Who Ring

I purchased a new ring for myself recently, a little Whovian pick me up. Well, it arrived today and is just so perfect!! It fits beautifully, was fast to arrive, well priced and it is obscure enough for me to get my Who on at work without management knowing. I have to buy more from this seller, she has many other Dr Who designs available, her online store is here.

Happy Homemaker Monday 15/04/2013

The Weather...

Right Now I Am...
Happy that my best friend recieved her letter in a bottle successfully.

Thinking...
About my upcoming working week, mentally organising what I need to do and who I need to see.

On My Reading Pile...
A stack of Nancy Drew books I found at a charity shop. I loved Nancy Drew as a young girl, and am revelling in the memories that these books evoke for me.

On My TV...
Dr Who
NCIS LA

Favourite Blog Post Of The Week...
Dr Who cookies

Something Fun To Share...
My son and I made the yummiest Hot Cocoa ever.

On The Menu For This Week...
Monday - Takeaway fish and chips
Tuesday - Spaghetti bolognaise
Wednesday - Steamed vegetables with cheese sauce
Thursday - Toasted sandwiches
Friday - Shepherds pie with steamed vegetables
Saturday - Cowboy meal (my son's favourite - mashed potatoes, sausages and baked beans)
Sunday - Hotel food, will be travelling for work

On My To Do List...
Plan a holiday!
Paint second study

In The Craft Basket...
A feather wool scarf for a friend
A new scarf for my son
A quilt for a friend
A quilt for my son

Looking Forward To This Week...
On Saturday we are off on a day trip, which will either be Arltunga Historical Reserve or Alice Springs Desert Park. Arltunga is an old gold mining community, a ghost town now; and the desert park is the most amazing place in the Territory. I recommend clicking on the links if you have time.

Looking Around The House...
All is peaceful. My son and our dog are snuggled on the lounge together reading a Zac Powers book and I am relaxing with my knitting.

From The Camera...

 

Twilight in my backyard.

On My Prayer List...
My son as always. He is very bright, yet has no friends and is socially excluded by his classmates. He attends the best school money can pay for, yet despite always having kids over to our place for sleepovers or playdates, it is never reciprocated. In the past twelve months, he has been invited to one event, a 7 year olds birthday party, where he was teased and picked on and when he returned home he confessed that he wished he had never attended. My mother heart breaks for my little one, and I have no solutions. He is an only child, with no cousins. I'm a loner myself, but the dear friends I have are all childless.

Letter In A Bottle

I sent my dearest friend a letter in a bottle this week, which arrived successfully. I used a normal sized water bottle and just filled it up with trinkets to make her smile.

Dr Who Cookies

I am a huge fan of Dr Who, as is my 7 year old. Recenty I stumbled upon a Dr Who cookie cutter, of the eleventh incarnation, and knew I just had to have it! Here are the results...

Hot Cocoa On A Stick

Yesterday I made some hot cocoa sticks, and once set, you simply pop them into a mug of hot milk and stir...Perfect hot cocoa!

Happy Homemaker Monday 08/04/13

The Weather...
Is once again hot, around 39 degrees celcius today.

Right Now I Am...
Cooking pizza for lunch and tidying up the kitchen.

Thinking...
About tweaking my budget, I still plan to do some serious saving between now and our August holiday, so am looking for new ways to save.

On My Reading Pile...
Evermore, I got this from Target thismorning for $1.25. I'll start reading it tonight once my son is in bed.

On My TV...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I remember watching this cartoon with my younger brother, and now it has made a come back and my son is Michaelangelo mad!

Favourite Blog Post Of The Week...
Hand made chore chart

Something Fun To Share...
It is school holiday time, which means plenty of baking and crafting. We plan to make bookmarks for relatives, make shadow puppets, play with new Lego, read new books, and my son wants to learn how to cook.

On The Menu For This Week...
Monday - Lamb shanks and vegetables
Tuesday - Savoury mince and mashed potato
Wednesday - Pizza, we have a coupon for Dominoes
Thursday - Beef casserole
Friday - Grilled chicken and garden salad
Saturday - Toasted sandwiches
Sunday - Chicken burgers and salad

On My To Do List...
Write a couple of letters to dear friends.
Plan a holiday!
Do homework chart
Paint second study
Hire a skip bin

In The Craft Basket...
A feather wool scarf for a friend
A new scarf for my son

Looking Forward To This Week...
Doing 'mum' stuff.

Looking Around The House...
The dog has once again snuck into my bed, my son is playing ninja turtles, and the washing machine is nearly finished spinning.

From The Camera...

 

My Breaking Dawn flowers in bloom.

On My Prayer List...
My Nanna, she is 81 and starting to deteriorate. I find it particularly distressing as we have always been the best of friends.

Time For Chores!

If you have children then you know just how hard it is to get them to help with chores. I made this chore chart for my 7 year old. Instead of money he earns power, in minutes, which he can then put towards a TV show, time on his iPad or DSi, or time on the laptop. He can save his minutes up for a special movie night if he wants to. As he grows I can simply add more chores that are age appropriate. All up it cost around $10 to make and took around 2 hours. The magnetic board is a recycled cake tray, the magnets are made from bottletops and magnetic tape.

School Holiday Fun #1

Mr 7 relaxes in a table hammock. Just tie a queen sized sheet around a table, instant fun! I can't tell you how many hours have already been spent in this.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 01/04/2013

The Weather...
Has been very weird lately. Last week it was around 39 degrees celcius, and today it has dropped to 14 degrees celicus overnight and 30 degrees celicus during the day. You can feel the chill of winter starting to creep in, and see it in the shortening days.

Right Now I Am...
Enjoying a lazy lunch of homemade meat pies, while watching some TV with my son. So grateful that today is a public holiday so that I am able to just 'be' with my son, instead of always being in a hurry to get somewhere.

Thinking...
That my study is starting to look amazing! I took advantage of the four day weekend to get in and start painting, half of my study is now clean and freshly painted a renegade red colour. I will do the remaining half over the course of the next week.

On My Reading Pile...
The Family Noboday Wanted by Helen Doss
I first read this book in my early teens, I have since read it uncountable numbers of times, each re-reading bringing warm feelings at the familiar passages. It is the story of a man and a woman, and their desire for a family. But it is also much more. It is the tale of the strength found in a loving family, a family made by love and not biology. It is a reminder that we are all family, flesh and blood or not, skin color and ancestry aside. And it is filled with the humor that only small active children can provide! I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages, and would suggest it to families to read aloud together.

On My TV...
Call The Midwife Season 1 and 2.
I love this show, a series based on the real life of Jenny Lee. If you missed it when it aired, it is well worth aquiring from iTunes.

Favourite Blog Post Of The Week...
Pressed flower iPhone case DIY tutorial

Something Fun To Share...
Slumber parties! We have a spare queen sized foam mattress, which is kept in the shed. Whenever Mr 7 gets a new DVD or there is a fmily movie on TV, we drag the mattress into the loungeroom and pile it high with pillows and blankets. We get homemade snacks and chill out together, making memories.

On The Menu For This Week...
Monday - Corned Beef with mashed potato, butternut pumpkin and purple carrots
Tuesday - Leftover corned beef omlettes
Wednesday - Spaghetti bolognaise with spinach fettucine
Thursday - Mixed vegetables with a cheese sauce
Friday - Homemade lasagne with garden salad
Saturday - Toasted sandwiches
Sunday - Toad in the hole with mashed potato and mixed vegetables

On My To Do List...
Package up my weekly care packages for my soldier serving overseas.
Write a couple of letters to dear friends.
Plan a holiday!

In The Craft Basket...
A feather wool scarf for a friend
A new scarf for my son

Looking Forward To This Week...
Finishing off a few DIY projects I have started around the house. And some cooler weather.

Looking Around The House...
My boy is watching TV, the dog is sleeping on the couch again, and our resident birdie is sitting in her nest in the front garden.

From The Camera...

Our dog Zeus in my son's cubby house.

On My Prayer List...
My Nanna, she is 81 and starting to deteriorate. I find it particularly distressing as we have always been the best of friends.