~ our week ~

Em

                    1. Rainy day muffins - perfect with a cup of  tea by the fire
                    
                    2. Player of the day! Whoop whoop
                   
                    3. Getting organised - I made a weeks worth of these to fill the lunchboxes

                    4. Busy building his Lego creations

                    5. Sunday afternoon sleeping with mama

                    6. A constant struggle for all of us... wise words by Theodore Roosevelt 

Belatedly joining in with Em from the Beetleshack for the weekly stills collection

xx

~ on being organised ~

 I am determined to sort my life out and become on of those awesome organised people who I envy big time! 

Totally NOT my default setting and the more kids I have had and the busier I get the more obvious it is getting at how much I am failing in this area!!

My biggest weakness is that I like things to be tidy... I loathe those little piles that pop up... bills here... school notices there... kids artwork over there... blah, blah, blah!

I pop them away so I can't see them and then promptly forget about them! 

This is how my children have ended up arriving at birthday parties as all the other kids were leaving. 

Yes I am that mother.

I have forgot to pay bills.... forgotten appointments... forgotten car registrations and warrant of fitness. 

Yes I am that person. 

Not any more. 

This ends now.

Soooo.. I figured I may as well use this here blog as a way of recording my efforts to change and to be held somewhat accountable at the same time.

~

I started yesterday with something fun.

A few of my dear  friends and I get together once a month for a Pinterest  afternoon. A chance to not just dream of things we would like to achieve but an deliberate time set aside to actually achieve them.

(not to mention a fabulous time of talking, eating and cuddling each others babies!)

My friend Anna and I have both wanted to spruce up our pantries and so we started with our spice jars.

Using this amazing website we printed out awesome labels and popped them onto some simple jars she found online. 

Filled them up with our little packets of spices and herbs and Voila !!

My next project to tackle is my home office!! 

Eeeek!! The area that needs the most work and the most disorganized aspect of my life!

Any suggestions gratefully received!

xx

~ our week ~

                  1. Deepening colours on this gorgeous copper birch mark the cooler weather arriving.

                  

                  2. A wonderful thrifty haul.

                 

                  3. This guy has been home sick all week... a rare chance to spend time together.                  

                 

                  4.  I was thrilled to find this wee fella... he looks right at home.

                  

                  5. Potted succulents on the awesome old wooden ladder my man found for me this week.

                 

                  6. Stunning blooms from a precious friend.

                  

                  7. Teddy in the divine old man cardy from my thrifty haul.

                 

                  8. I am still trying to move him into a cot... I just can't do it!

Joining in with the beautiful Em from the Beetle Shack

Baby's Room

 I am preparing my heart for my sweets baby's last days in his bassinet... I know I have already left it a tad too long but I cant bear the thought of him being swallowed up in a big cot! 

Here is his wee room... decorated in a vintage Cowboy and Indian theme.

Not much bigger than a broom cupboard but perfect for one.

 ... and just a few pictures on his wall.

Exquisite shawl handmade by my beautiful clever sister in law Alice

Cowboy fabric from  Tom Tom Jak

Cowboy applique from my dear friend Jenny

Cowboy doll made by the beautiful talented Dee from Tiny Eyes

The cot has held all our children and was made by my father

Bunny nightlight (on window sill) from Collected by LeeAnn Yare 

Pictures on the wall were gifts from my dear friend Anna

Everything else was gifted, thrifted or handmade.

xx

(please excuse the tragic photography but it is a skill I have yet to master!)

~ weekly stills ~

                     1. The best ever mothers day brunch

                     2. A collection of lovely gifts

                     3. He is already four months ~ sob

                     4. Favourite bedtime storybooks

                     5. Divine thrifted paintings

                     6. A view I never tire of

Joining in with the gorgeous Em from the Beetleshack

~ Four months ~

Time is flying past... I am determined to enjoy each day for what it brings and not mourn what has already passed by. It is so hard though especially when my friends keep having delicious new babies - my wee man looks so enormous next to them! 

Teddy boy is such a yummy, chubby, delicious wee man and we are loving him more and more every day... 

So blessed.

xx

On another note... even if I had no idea of the date i would totally know he was four months. I am losing large amounts of hair!! Argghhh... not cool man not cool! 

Does this happen to you?

~Utterly Divine Passionfruit and Coconut Cake~

If you are looking for a super easy and totally divine cake for dessert or afternoon tea today then this is the one for you!

•   
• 1 cup self raising flour, sifted
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 125 g butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 passionfruit pulp
• 2 tbsp lime/lemon zest, finely granted
• thickened cream, to serve
• 
  
• Syrup
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 4 passionfruit pulp
• 1/3 cup lime/lemon juice (I used lemon instead of lime throughout and it was delish)
• 1 tbsp finely grated lime/lemon zest
• 
  
• Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Lightly grease a ring cake tin
• In a large bowl, combine flour, coconut and sugar. Add butter, milk, eggs, passionfruit pulp and zest. Mix lightly until combined.
• Pour into prepared  tin. Bake for 30-35 mins or until golden and cooked when tested with a skewer. Transfer to a wire rack, top-side up.
• 
  
• Lime & Passionfruit Syrup: Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil on high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-10 mins, until thickened slightly.
• Serve cakes drizzled with syrup and accompany with cream.
• 
  
• To.Die.For
• 
  
• Note: Just in case you are interested... I realized as I started this cake that I had no baking powder... eeek! With a baby soundly sleeping I didnt want to run to the shop and I needed to get this in the oven.... a quick search on the ole' interweb and I discovered that I could mix 1tsp of cream of tartar and 1/2tsp of baking soda and Voila... you have baking powder! Whoop whoop.. it worked a treat!!
• 
  

~a blissful holiday~

We were so blessed to escape over the school holidays to a bach in the Coromandel for nearly 2 WHOLE weeks!! 

That is pretty much the first time we have been away for that long in about 5 years... it was well overdue.

We totally reconnected as a family... enjoying yummy food... getting up early to watch beautiful sunrises from the other side of the peninsula and enjoying incredible sunsets from our balcony... fun adventures... long walks... delicious coffee... hours of reading books and watching movies... laughter by the gallon and simply time to just be.

It was Bliss.

 

view from our balcony... ahh yes please!!

xxx