Category: Uncategorised

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Creative Uncategorised

DIY: Hand & Foot Print Canvas

Need a unique gift for a family member? Don’t have heaps of money? Well this great project will give you a cheap gift and your family member will cherish the present for years to come.

This gift can be for birthday’s, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Celebrating being a new mum/dad, or even Christmas.  So don’t worry it will be perfect for any occasion.

Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!
Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!

Gather Your Materials

  • Washable Paint. If you have more than 1 child you will need different colours for each child. I purchased red, blue and white paint. I made purple paint and also pink out of these colours. I ended up having purple, pink and blue for the 3 kids to use.
  • Canvas (You can small sizes, large ones or enormous size canvas. It is up to you and the project you are making) I chose small square ones so that they would easily fit in the post and also on a wall.
  • Newspaper to cover the floor or outside area. This makes sure you don’t get too messy.
  • Towels – You might want to have towels set up on the floor to protect the path to the bathroom so that your very messy kids can not mess things up too much once they get in there to get clean. I do find that if my kids are head to toe covered in paint, the walls and doors get covered in it too. Therefore having a washable paint is ideal as all you have to do is to give the wall and floor a quick wipe and all is good.
  • Paint brushes – We used the paint brushes to put the paint on hands and feet. You can just put your hands and feet in the paint but using the paint brush made it a bit easier.

How To Create the Prints

Step 1: Have your paint ready to go. If you need to mix colours have it all organised before the kids get near it.

Step 2: Put the newspaper down and then lay the canvas on top.

Step 3: Make sure kids are in clothes that can get dirty and then paint a foot or a hand and press on the canvas. (You might want to figure out where each hand and foot is going to go on the canvas. You don’t want to figure it out with excited kids who are ready to paint everything and anything. Before we put anything on a canvas I spoke to the girls about where each persons hand was going to go and we were going to save space for the baby as well.)

Step 4: Since I was making more than one canvas at the same time I did this 3 times for each person. I made one for my Mother in Law, one for my mum and also one for me!

Step 5: Once you have all the hands and prints on the canvas, it now needs to dry. It should dry well overnight and be ready to post the next day. I packed one up for my Mother in Law. It just needed some bubble wrap to protect it and it sat in the box with the other goodies for her birthday.

 

This is a good rainy day activity. I am sure it will keep the kids happy and having fun. Afterwards they can have a bubble bath and you get some peace and quiet after they are relaxed and tried. Maybe after the bath put on a film for them to watch or read them a story…… I do live in hope  that the kids will be super tired after activities.

Oh well, whatever you do enjoy. I hope this gives you some great ideas and a cheap gift idea to create.

 

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Recipes Uncategorised

I’m a Steggler for An Easy Dinner

When I left the Kids Business Bloggers Brunch Steggles gave me a chicken for dinner. Yes I left with dinner all taken care of. How amazing is that.

Due to such a big day with a super early start (I was up at 4am) I decided to do the chicken dinner on the Saturday night rather than the Friday night which was the same day as the brunch. The chicken was in a nice cool bag with some cool bricks to ensure that it lasted on my drive  home. Once home I put it straight into the fridge to allow me to use it the next night.

The chicken in the cute cool bag from Steggles.
The chicken in the cute cool bag from Steggles.
The chicken that Steggles gave me.
The chicken that Steggles gave me.

Important: Before any cooking can begin. You need to make sure to heat up the oven. Put your oven on to 180ºC.

Part 1 – Cut up the chicken

I have cut up cooked chickens before and it has all been good and worked well. I thought it would be similar. It was not really hard but I did not have a smooth run at it. I must say part of the way in cutting up my chicken I thought I have no idea what I am doing and need some help. At this point I was nearly done so just continued and considering I did a pretty good job. I had the drumsticks, wings and other parts all ready to swim in the marinade mix.

If you would like to learn how to properly section a whole chicken this video below from the New York Times is an excellent resource.

The lovely people at Steggles even included a recipe card. However due to not having some appliances to make the job easy and also being a tired mamma I opted for the easy solution. A bottled marinade by Nandos and some soy sauce was added to flavour the chicken.

Part 2 – Marinate the chicken

The marinade that I used. Plus I added some soy sauce.
The marinade that I used. Plus I added some soy sauce.
The cut up Steggles chicken in the marinade.
The cut up Steggles chicken in the marinade.

The chicken got put in a dish that is oven proof and then the marinade got added. I made sure to mix the marinade over all the chicken and then covered the dish to put in the fridge so it had some time for the flavours to infuse. I left the chicken in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Part 3 – The vegetables to go with the roast chicken

I cut up the following:

  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Pumpkin

Once I had an adequate supply for four people (noting that hubby and I were mainly going to be eating the vegetables) I boiled them for a bit so that it did not take too long to bake in the oven.

The vegetables boiling away. This way they don't take too long in the oven.
The vegetables boiling away. This way they don’t take too long in the oven.

Part 4 – Put chicken in the oven & add the vegetables

The oven should be very ready and hot to now cook this very yummy looking chicken. Put the chicken on the top part of the oven and let it cook for about 10-15mins. After about 15mins check on it and if need be turn over all bits of chicken. Mix the chicken around in the marinade and anything else you have added to the mixture. How about some onions or what about some mushrooms.

It is about now that I put the vegetables in the oven to cook also. I added them to the bottom tray to start of with. Once the chicken was done the vegetables got moved to the top of the oven and continued to get crispy and yummy.

I added some olive oil spread to the dish with the vegetables and a little bit of salt for taste.

The baked vegetables after they came out of the oven.
The baked vegetables after they came out of the oven.

Leave the chicken for another about 15mins and then check again. Make sure all parts are cooked all the way through. If not cooked all the way through turn over and put back to carry on cooking.

I noticed that the chicken cooked before the vegetables were done. However the vegetables did not require that much extra time. To make sure the vegetables were cooked I removed the chicken and put tin foil over the top to keep the meat hot and tender. It then allowed the vegetables to cook and to not spoil the meat.

The Steggles chicken all cooked and ready to be served up for dinner. YUM!
The Steggles chicken all cooked and ready to be served up for dinner. YUM!

Part 5 – Ready to eat

The twins had the same meal we did. The chicken was a hit. Pity the kids were not fans of the vegetables.
The twins had the same meal we did. The chicken was a hit. Pity the kids were not fans of the vegetables.
Our baked chicken dinner thanks to Steggles. It was very yummy and an easy dinner to make.
Our baked chicken dinner thanks to Steggles. It was very yummy and an easy dinner to make.

#StegglerFor

#FamilyRoast

Do you love Steggles chicken as much as we do? Share your best ideas for your roasts or dinner inspirations. I do love a roast dinner that the family all sits down to. It is also getting cooler so a roast dinner is a great idea.

Maybe this has inspired you to give a roast a go. If so, let us know how it went.

Would you like some recipes to give you a few ideas and inspiration? Well Steggles have that covered also. Steggles have a whole recipe section that covers not just roasts, they have turkey, mince, and much more.

Did you know that Steggles is canteen approved for school lunches, I did not know either.

You can download the Steggles eBook of recipes for school lunches and give them a go. I think I will do this as it will give me more variety for the twins school lunches.

Thanks so much to Steggles for our baked chicken dinner. With this post I’m entering a competition to win a Steggles prize pack. Wish me luck.

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Sponsored Post Uncategorised

Hire a Mover & Packer for a Stress Free Move

Picture this. You have to move house. You don’t have time to pack. So you stay up every evening and dedicate your weekends to packing all your belongings in any box that they will fit into.

If you are like me you hate this. You actually loath it!

You end up having fights with your hubby/partner about how to pack a box and what box should be placed where in the truck that you have hired just for that afternoon. Who made him the sudden packing expert?

This is what would happen if we moved now. Kids would play with the boxes and I would get nothing done.
This is what would happen if we moved now. Kids would play with the boxes and I would get nothing done.

Gosh….. If he insists on the way things should be done I will leave him to it. Maybe I should go and have a drink or have a lie down? Whatever I do is wrong in the packing department. Does this happen with you?

Getting help with your next big move is a great idea. This way there is no wrong move, just the right one that makes it easier all round.

Not only will it help in the relationship area but it will also lower stress levels, plus allow your move to run much more smoothly than if you did it all yourself.  I wish we had help every time we have moved house.

Hubby and I only got packers to pack and move us once and it was a dream move. It was so stress free and I would recommend it to anyone.

If you have kids, are very pregnant and moving to the bigger house, you are flat out busy, older and find it hard to pick up boxes, have hurt yourself and need some extra help; then hiring a packer and a mover is something you really need to think about.

It is all about making your life easier and off course less stressful.

So who should you call and why?

Hire A Packer and Hire A Mover gets you the complete package.

The packers at Hire A Packer are highly skilled. They must pass a wide-ranging training course, staff are vetted by through police and character checks. This way you can feel safe that your goods and belongings will be looked after.

Teresa and Nicole from Hire A Packer
Teresa and Nicole from Hire A Packer

Can you imagine watching the wonderful ladies at Hire A Packer speed pack your home? I can! While this happens maybe you can be busy doing other things? Or maybe having brunch? Well you can dream right.

You can come back to boxes packed to ensure that all your crockery and other delicate items will not break, and have all boxes labelled. No more opening up multiple boxes to find the kettle or a pair of shoes. You will know what should go where. Talk about being super organised!

Once the experienced packers sort out all your things the guys from Hire A Mover come and take all the boxes and transport them to your new destination. Simple isn’t it!

Hire A Mover has hourly rates and no hidden fees, this is great if you just need a moving van for a couple of hours. Again all movers have been checked to make sure they professional, police and character checked. You can ensure that all your items will be super safe.

You can also hire durable cardboard boxes, plus other packaging materials to help with your next big move. If you do decide to hire the boxes you can organise for them to be returned. This is great as then you don’t have boxes blocking your storage space and they can be used again. You have the choice to purchase the boxes if you would rather that also.

Here is a deal that is currently on the Hire A Packer website. You can book 2 packers for 4 hours for just $440. If you rent or buy boxes with Hire A Box, or move with Hire A Mover, you’ll also get a 10% discount on your Hire A Packer service! 

You can hire boxes or buy them. Fast service and you can get the boxes delivered.
You can hire boxes or buy them. Fast service and you can get the boxes delivered.

 

Hire A Packer and Hire A Mover are not just for families or people moving house. The business has done hundreds of office relocations. The Sydney office packing ladies will come to your office and pack up desks, and everything that needs to be moved to the new office. So if you are relocating anywhere this is a fab service to have the numbers for or the name of.

Bonus for Readers of Mummy to Twins Plus One:

If you book any packing or move with Hire A Packer or  Hire A Mover they will give readers of my blog a free $30 Myer Voucher. So that will help with the new house or office.

The moving men from Hire A Mover. Ready and able to help you with your next move.
The moving men from Hire A Mover. Ready and able to help you with your next move.

Do you move yourselves? Or have you gotten fed up with the stress and bother and hired the professionals to do it all for you?

Let us know how it went for you?

 

Categories
5 years and beyond Uncategorised

Today's Feel Good Post

Do you have dreams? I’m sure you do! I have been slowly working towards one in particular and have had some hiccups along the way.  Yes some dramas but nothing that cannot be fixed. I thought that this image I found on Pinterest was apt.

I also find that others tend to zap the joy out of what of some things, so I have decided to put my head down and not worry about them. If I believe it I can do it. I can.  Well at least give it a go!

Believe you can and you can! Image from etsy.com
Believe you can and you can! Image from etsy.com

Is there something that you are working on? Do you find that once you tell someone you get comments, some good and some bad? Although I find that the bad ones stay in my head. I do listen to constructive criticism but find that I need to just power on and not look at others work or compare.

“Comparison is the thief of happiness”, I read that somewhere and it is right.

 

Once you start comparing and judging yourself with what others have done you start to find fault and not see accomplishments and achievements.

So BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND YOU CAN DO IT. I know you can!

I’m now off to have a cuppa tea and get working. Have a great day everyone.

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5 years and beyond Uncategorised

Making a Pumpkin Jack-o'-Lantern

The girls and the pumpkin
The girls and the pumpkin

The kids have been excited about Halloween due to all the stuff at the shops. Previous years they were not that much into it, although any excuse to get lollies, right? When we were at Woolworths they were selling pumpkins and had instructions on how to create your own pumpkin jack-o’-lantern. I had never done before and was not sure how to even attempt it. The girls wanted to do one and I thought why not. They were cheap, only a couple of dollars so well worth a go and not going to break the bank. I followed the instructions as were listed.

  • I cut little cuts on the top of the pumpkin to take the top of, after a while the top came off cleanly.
  • Once the top was off I was then able to clean out the body of the pumpkin and there was a lot of muck and seeds, as you might imagine.
  • When the inside was clean enough I started on the eyes and mouth of the jack-o’-lantern.
  • The instructions said to trace the eyes and mouth onto the pumpkin, I found that hard. Maybe if you want to do this get some sticky tape and make sure the sheet with the instructions is fixed in place. I ended up getting a marker and drawing mine on while looking at the instructions to get a guide for the shapes.
  • I then did little cuts for the eyes and mouth until the bits came out and then I cleaned it up.
  • I dried it out a bit by the heat of the oven and then it was o.k to put a candle in it.

 pumpkinhugs

 pumpkindone

Why not give it a go yourself. This is my first try at it and I think it has worked very well. Now I’m a pumpkin jack-o’-lantern expert. I will be holding classes soon on the subject! Note that the mouth has some teeth on the top and the right and none on the left. It was meant to show that this Jack character has been evil and in fights, so has lost his teeth! What a wicked Jack this one is!

pumpkinlit2

Have you created your own jack-o’-lantern for Halloween? Or does someone else do it for you? I was frightened of it but now I am a pro! Let me know how you have gone if you are busy carving your own.

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5 years and beyond Uncategorised

Aquarium Visit & Darling Harbour Adventures

Wow look at all those fish!
Wow look at all those fish!

My mother treated the girls and myself to a day out at Sydney Aquarium yesterday. The day was nice and sunny, the kids were so excited to see all the different animals. Previous to going I emailed mum a link that said that you can get a family pass for $60, but of course there was fine print to say that this deal was not available in school holidays. Mum was fine with this and purchased the family pass at the higher rate as it is school holidays.

The girls and I arrived at Darling Harbour ahead of time which was great planning. We parked the car, got our stuff and proceeded to walk to the Aquarium.  When the twins and I arrived at the Aquarium there was a huge crowd, kids and families everywhere. Well it was holidays, so it was to be expected.  Since there was heaps of people the line to get in was huge. I decided to queue in the pre-paid ticket line to help us get in sooner. Mum and my sister arrived in time as the line was moving quite quickly.

When mum arrived she told me that she had learned that adults were being charged at kid’s prices. When we approached the desk the man behind the counter refused to give back the extra that mum had paid as she was firstly denied the deal of the $60 family pass due to school holidays, then to find out that adults could get in cheaper on the day and to then pay more was just rude. Oh well, we all went in and proceeded to have a great time.

The girls were amazed at all the fish and animals that were in the big tanks, they loved seeing the clown fish and all kids at the tank yelled, “There’s Nemo!” it was so funny!

Searching for Nemo
Searching for Nemo
Found Nemo!
Found Nemo!
Here is a close up of one of the Nemos
Here is a close up of one of the Nemos

My girls were worried as they could not find Dory but did find one so relaxed after that. Phew!

It was nice that they were able to get up close to creatures like sharks, dugongs, star fish, sea horses and many more!

It was not until we got to the penguins that Lillian told me she needed to go to the toilet. I looked around and could not see where there was a toilet. There was no signs anywhere, just the green exit signs. My sister the girl’s aunty needed to go also so we all went off for our search for a toilet. We wandered around aimlessly in our search but could not find one anywhere. My sister is pregnant and I had a five year old child with me so it was lucky that we all made it without an accident.

We ended up asking a girl behind a counter where the toilets were, she then told us to go through a door marked, “Staff only”. I told her why would we venture there as it was not where we should be going. She then said to go through the first door on the left. We got to that, and it was locked, we then continued down the corridor to another “staff only” door and that was open. All of us went through this door to finally come out to the area where the food was. Finally there was signs saying where the toilets were. We all went, I made sure to go as I had no idea when I was going to get back there next.

The next drama was to then find my mum and Julia, there are no signs to let you know how to get back to any of the areas in the centre. So we left them in the penguin area, but we had no idea how to get back there. It amazed me, and my sister how a place that is full of kids, parents and a lot of people cannot have signs to where the toilets are, and of course directions for where the sharks are, or where the tropical fish are. What happens if you would like to go back for another look?

Finally mum answered her phone and we met up with them. Phew!

I am not having an overall whinge about the place. We had a great day at the Aquarium aside from a little drama. The kids got to see great creatures, and have a wonderful experience.

Some things that I think could improve the Aquarium:

  • Signs to show you where each areas are and arrows to indicate how to get back if you wish to.
  • Signs to the toilet. Essential I think!
  • Make sure that ticket price includes all shows.
  • If you have deals on the day you should honour them and refund what the customer has paid. Don’t change the rules that it is suddenly cheaper. As I have said we tried to get a cheap deal but was told due to school holidays we could not. So think that they should have helped mum on this one. Oh well, we had a wonderful day and it was great that mum took us all out.

After the aquarium we had lunch and then went off for the kids to run around a bit. Darling Harbour has some great things for kids to play on, there is a playground, water play area, slippery dips, merry go round and other rides.

The girls went on the merry go round, then got totally soaked in the water play area, then had a bit of fun in the sand pit, then they went off for fun on the big slippery dip.

Both girls were super brave on this massive slippery dip and went down head first and did all sorts of tricks. They are action kids and had a blast. There were tears and tantrums when we were leaving as they were having so much fun.

As you can imagine both kids were very tired and slept in the car on the way home. I am so glad that we got to spend the day with my mum the girls Nana and my sister, the girls Aunty. It was a lovely day and it did not matter about the little upsets that we experienced.

The kids cannot stop talking about the aquarium and the fun they had at Darling Harbour.  At the Aquarium shop I got the girls some Octonaut thongs (these are shoes in Australia), they love them.

Have you been having great adventures these school holidays? Where have you taken the kids? Is there somewhere that has been exceptionally great? Let us know.

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News Uncategorised

Sydney Baby & Toddler Show – Free Tickets from Mamee

Meet Dora the Explorer at the Sydney Baby & Toddler Show
Meet Dora the Explorer at the Sydney Baby & Toddler Show

More Free Tickets to WIN

Hi all, Did you miss out on tickets to the Sydney Baby & Toddler Show? I have just noticed that Mamee Australia are giving away more free tickets. All you have to do is to like their Facebook page or the Twitter page, and then you can get a free ticket. Easy, well I thought so.

I wanted to make sure to share with my readers just in case you would love to go. So why not stop by the Mamee Facebook page and get yourself a ticket. You can also connect with Mamee on their Twitter page.

Where is the show and when is it on?

Friday 11 – Sunday 13 October 2013
Sydney Exhibition Centre
Darling Harbour, Halls 1 & 2

What can you do at the show?

There are so many things for parents and kids. The family will have a fab day. Why not check out what is available to do – http://www.babyandtoddlershow.com.au/sydney/show-highlights/

Tickets at the door are $20 so you can save this much if you win a free ticket. Not sure how many are left but you may as well give it a go.  Good luck and if you go, have a wonderful time.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Mountains V's Beach. Which is best?

I grew up in North Queensland, Hervey Bay to be precise. My childhood consisted of playing outdoors, cycling on my push bike, swimming, snorkelling and outdoor activities.

Summer is my favourite season and I adore the heat, so why do I now live in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains? Where most of the time it is wet, freezing, cold, gale force winds and just miserable. There is a small window where it nice; warm or hot that you could think it was summer but for me it never lasts long enough; and sometimes we never get a summer and it feels like it is constantly winter!

Katoomba in Winter.
Katoomba in Winter.

I have been in the Blue Mountains for over ten years now and has the environment rubbed off on me? Do I still yearn for the beach, the sun and the all round great weather?

Well the answer is Yes, I still long for the beach and all that goes with it. You cannot change how you grew up and what you long for.

I’m sure that you think that the mountains cannot be so bad. It does have some great things going for it:

  • Great air to breathe.
  • Outdoor spaces to play in and to use. Walks, climbing and parks.
  • You can see stars that you will not see in the city or in built up areas.
  • Greater value for houses and real estate, allows you to get a foot hold in the property market.
  • Live closer to nature. Surrounded by national parks and nature.
  • Experience four seasons and sometimes just one. In October 2012 we had deep snow and it was freezing (see image gallery below). It did not snow in winter but waited till Spring to do this.
  • Cooler in summer compared to the city. This is great if you like the heat but don’t to get too hot.
  • Feels like we live in tourist central, this gives us more choice and infrastructure to our area.

One of the main reasons that I am in the Blue Mountains is due to my hubby. He cannot stand the heat and deals with the cold better. So I love the heat and I hate the cold. In summer in Katoomba the temperature is warm and sometimes hot but not as bad as it would be in the city. This is a good compromise, however I wish it would work better for me in winter.

I brave the freezing cold for my hubby, how nice of me. What have you done for your partner?

The view from our room at the QT on the Gold Coast.
The view from our room at the QT on the Gold Coast.

What is so wonderful about the beach and warmer weather?

  • Better climate to allow more activities to happen year round rather than just certain times of the year.
  • Makes me feel great and energised.
  • Love the salt water.
  • Love the smell of the sand, sea and the idea that the days seem endless.
  • Due to better climate more outdoor activity can be had.

As I write this I am in my hotel room on the Gold Coast. It has been a lovely hot day and just enjoyable weather. I can smell the sea air and it just makes me feel good. Feels like home. I am pleased that I am getting my fix for what I long for, and hope that I can repeat it soon.

The mountains has great qualities also, the fog that makes it so appealing. The trees that change colour in autumn and look so pretty in their reds, browns, and yellows. I know the whole dynamic of the Blue Mountains would change if it was constantly warm and sunny. There would be no curling up in front of the open fire and snuggling with your hot chocolate or skinny cap or maybe a glass of port.

Mind you I do like these things in the mountains, but I hate the cold, and cannot stand dealing with the layers of clothes that is needed to stay warm.

I  have decided that I don’t like winter and never will. I love and hang out for summer, summer holidays, Christmas and spending time at the beach, pool and just being outdoors.

What are your thoughts? What is wonderful about the mountains or the beach? What is your favourite?

Note: This post was written to enter the Problogger Competition to win a trip to South By Southwest in 2014 courtesy of Virgin Australia. Wish me luck and hope that I get considered.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Mummy's Magical Bed

My bed is so comfy.Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
My bed is so comfy.Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why is it that mummy and daddy’s bed allows the kid to sleep without problem, whereas their bed makes them cry and get upset. Maybe my bed is magical? Maybe it is just the fact that they can cuddle mummy or daddy?

Lately I have had a body wake at midnight or at the exact time I am choosing to go to bed and then I am usually up all night dealing with the upset and sick child. Yes poor little bums they are.  I think this is the cause of my sore neck, sleeping in an odd position due to accommodating an extra body.

I was hoping that I might have a sleep without the extra person joining our bed, but that was not to be. One of the girls is still a bit out of sorts although feeling better than before, but being in mummies bed seems to make her stop coughing and sleep so soundly.

What other magical properties does my bed hold? Bigger so more room to stretch out and make no room for mummy! Cuddles and love from either parent, yes that is nice but hard to cuddle snoring child all night.

Do you have a magical bed? Do your kids wiggle their way into your bed at night?  Send in your comments.

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News Uncategorised

Less Intelligent: I don't think so!

Working Mum,Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Working Mum,Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why is it that there is a study stating that mothers are less intelligent than other women who don’t have children? I for one consider myself intelligent. I am not in Mensa but have successfully finished a post graduate degree while looking after twins and kept a distinction average. This is not an easy feat.

Before kids I was a person who was doing well at her job and was climbing the corporate ladder. I do want to have a career but also wanted to have kids. I understand women who don’t want to have kids and concentrate on their careers. This is great and fine. Why does the sudden introduction of motherhood make me less intelligent than the career woman who does not have children? Stupid study if you ask me.  It is a choice and if you want kids, have them, if not don’t. Analysis of intelligence is not going to prove anything, other than some people are focused on their career and others accept time out to have a family. I could have told you that without a study!

Mothers who work, juggle all things very well, kids, work, home, meals, and kids activities. I hardly think that this looks like you are less intelligent. I am not sure why intelligence comes into it at all really. Do fathers get this questioned about them? I don’t think so? Why is it that women are seen as the lesser here?

Satoshi Kanazawa is the person behind the study that women who are mothers are less intelligent, he has also “used research to make the case that black women are inherently less attractive than non-black women” (Washington Post, Sourced: 21st August 2013). I for one think that is terrible research and a horrible thing to say. I think his theories are rubbish personally. What about you?

“According to reports, his latest findings allege a direct correlation between a woman’s intelligence and whether or not she chooses to become a mother. More specifically, his findings indicate that women with higher IQs are statistically less likely to become mothers.” (Washington Post, Sourced: 21st August 2013)Maybe this is right, but many high performing women and men who do have high IQ’s have kids. Again it might just go back to focusing on your career and not really wanting children. Some people want kids and others don’t. This is not news!

What are your thoughts? Do you think this is rubbish or has some truth in it? I for one just think if you are focused on other things and have never wanted kids that is your choice. People and couples that never have children focus on their careers and have more disposable income due to not having kids to spend it on. They also put more time into work and that leads to promotions and more money. This can happen for a working woman but as the article from the Washington Post said:

“…the workplace has not changed enough accordingly. Even in workplaces with so-called family-friendly policies, “the CEOs are not leaving the office, by and large, early afternoon to see their daughter or son act in a 2nd grade play.” (Pamela Smock is a Research Professor affiliated with the University of Michigan’s Population Studies Center, quoted from the Washington Post article)

I for one agree with the statement that the workplace has not changed. Even though organisations claim they are flexible and family friendly they still require you to commute to a job that can be done all online. I do understand that from time to time a meeting at the office is needed. This is fine and can be arranged with notice. As a woman who would love to get back into the workforce, use her skills and also earn money for the family a role working from home is ideal currently. However these roles are hard to come by and mostly these jobs are given to existing employees that have proven themselves to the company already. From previous experience businesses like to make sure you are doing the work and pulling your weight. I think that this would be obvious to the employer and if the person does not meet the targets or KPI’s then they have every right to warm them or even fire them if the job that they were hired to do is not being done.

With all the technology that is at our fingertips now I don’t understand why we are not harnessing the workforce of talented mums and dads that are looking after kids at home. A job share or even part time employment to test the waters might be ideal. If organisations are flexible and allow tasks to be done at night time and some during the day why not hire people that can work remotely. You don’t have to pay for a desk, the organisation has less overheads and you can still hire quality staff. As a person that is looking after her twin girls this would be lovely in the ideal world. What do you think?

Send in your comments and thoughts. Do you agree or disagree? You know where I stand.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

I'm Exhuasted, Are You?

My girls are nearly five years old and they are very good however have been at each other like nothing else lately. It seems that if one is playing with something the other takes it, one might be happy doing something and then want me to help them. I do a bit and then they get whingey when I say I need to go off and do something else. One child gets upset and wants cuddles all day and parts of the days or most of them have been taken up sorting out squabble after squabble. When it is like this nothing can get done at home and then mummy is drained and exhausted.  Does this happen to you?

Is it the age I ask? Most friends I speak to have the same problems but these friends have children of different ages. Having twins is difficult as both kids want to do things at the same time, and as a parent that does not have help, it is hard to be in two places at once (I am sure it would be the same as a single parent). Do you have twins or triplets? Has this happened to you at this age?

My girls are so close and love each other to bits, however it gets nasty very quickly. Is it due to the closeness? Or just the fact that they are always together that they get annoyed at each other? I know it just simple sibling rivalry however it does wear on my patience and sometimes my patience does not hold up at all.

As you might have guessed when they are tired and hungry the behaviour gets worse, like most peoples would, so not a big surprise there. So what do I do to curb this type of behaviour?

  • Tell them that they cannot hurt each other – The child that has hurt the other I take them away and put them in time out.
  • If the twins are fighting over toys, I take the toy in question away from both of them.
  • I give them warnings and if they continue their bad behaviour I separate them.
  • I explain that if they don’t behave then they will not be allowed to go to the park, or somewhere nice as a treat.
  • Put it in their context, ask them if they would like to be treated the way they have treated their sister. The answer is always “No!” Then I mention that if you treat people horribly they will do it back to you.
  • Tell them that mummy wants them to be nice and good to each other, I don’t want them hurting or upsetting each other. They seem to understand this and are good. (Well for a bit that is)

Part of the upsets have come from the fact that they are more independent and want to do more. As you can imagine, some things are fine for the twins to do and others not. If it is dangerous I will not allow it.  If I can , I have them help me, for example chopping up vegetables for dinner that is fine, as long as I am there to supervise.

Is there more chaos in your house lately? What techniques have worked for you? Do you have twins or triplets and encountered the same behaviour?

Did you manage to figure out a way to get peace in your household? How did you do it? Send in your tips and tricks to us so we can all learn.

 

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Purple, Green & Orange Cauliflower?

Different Coloured Cauliflower
Different Coloured Cauliflower

Yes it looks strange doesn’t it, I thought the same thing. I asked one man at the store and he told me that the purple one is due to beetroot. Not sure if it is dyed with it or just grown next to it. The other colours threw me as well.  Have you gone to a shop and been amazed at the colours of vegetables or something else.

Send in your comments.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Queen's Birthday Long Weekend

 

Not the Queen of Australia but the Queen of our household. Was crowned by Princess Julia.
Not the Queen of Australia but the Queen of our household. Was crowned by Princess Julia.

Happy Queen’s Birthday, although the Queen has already celebrated her birthday in April. In Australia we honour the Queen’s birthday in June. What are you doing this long weekend? I am ill due to kids giving me what they had. The girls seem to be on the mend but I think going back to bed at some stage might be helpful.

I did have plans to do many things, but think a lazy day at home with the family is in order. What about you?

We did manage to get to swimming for the girls yesterday due to them feeling better, and then we got hubby and the girls hair cut and purchased some more skivvies and pants for the girls. They are getting longer but still small and had to get size 3 pants with adjustable waists as they are tiny. The problem is that I need the length now but the larger sizes fall off them due to skinny waists so a tie or adjustable waist is needed.

Off to have a late breakfast and get motivated to do things around the house. Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and if you don’t have a public holiday have a great day.

 

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News Uncategorised

Is it Earhart's Electra?

Earhart in the Electra cockpit, c.1936 (original source: http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu)
Earhart in the Electra cockpit, c.1936 (original source: http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu)

I was always fascinated with Amelia Earhart and her attempt to fly around the world. I think she was a great woman of her time and history. Women normally in the 1930’s and earlier did not fly planes, some did but it was very few. According to Wikipedia: “On May 15, 1923, Earhart became the 16th woman to be issued a pilot’s license (#6017)[42] by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)”

So 16 women who can fly is not a great number at all, and achieving it at this time in history was a great accomplishment.

Lately there has been talk that they have found Earhart’s plane and possibly the camp where she and Noonan (her navigator) survived for a time. A sonar image off the island of Kiribati might show where the Electra (Earhart’s plane) ended up. This article also reveals bottles and items that were found at a camp that is now believed to belong to Amelia Earhart.

I am not an expert but cannot see what everyone has seen in this sonar image, I just see a line but as said, Not an expert so I might have missed the detail that I should be looking at.

While at school I did a talk about Earhart and her great career. I thought she would have lived if she was able to land on an island and it looks like this did happen. She survived for a time but since no one knew where she was and she could not contact anyone she died on this island or one similar.

I am inspired by Earhart’s strong will and her achievements. It shows me that no matter what women/girls set their minds to, they can  do. I do find it sad that she was never found and a part of me wishes the story was very different. It would have been marvelous to have found her and Noonan in time, so they could fly another day.

On the official Amelia Earhart website there is the below quote from the letter she wrote her husband in-case she did not return:

“In a letter to her husband, written in case a dangerous flight proved to be her last, this brave spirit was evident. “Please know I am quite aware of the hazards,” she said. “I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”

Were you inspired by Amelia Earhart as a child or even now as an adult? Did her achievements inspire you to fly planes as well or achieve in your chosen field?  I admired her single mindedness and strength of character that allowed her to follow her dreams.

Send in your comments.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Winter is coming…Wait it's Here!

Winter is here
Winter is here

Today is the 1st of June and is the first day of winter here. Yesterday you would have never guessed winter was around the corner, it was a sunny and warmish day, and there was no wind and it was very pleasant. So how does it know to be colder, windy and just more miserable looking on the first day of winter?

Do you hate winter? I am not a fan, it gets very cold and unpleasant here. I love summer and the warmer months. Maybe that is due to being from Queensland originally? I have a feeling my kids have adapted to the cooler climate and will not like warmer ones to my upset.

Current temperatures are:

  • Current temp: 10.8°C
  • Feels like: 8.2°C
  • Humidity: 81%
  • Wind: WNW 22km/h
  • Wind gusts: 39km/

Not freezing and is not too bad but it is definitely getting cooler.

Do you like winter? What is your favourite time of year? I’m glad our winter is nothing like the winter in the Game of Thrones, they keep on saying winter is coming and it sounds scary! Well sometimes I think our winter is scary but not that fierce or snow laden.

It is also amazing that we are nearly half way through the year! Gosh that has happened fast. Best get busy with what I want to achieve or else the year will be over soon.

Why not continue the discussion on our Twitter or Facebook pages.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Happy Mother's Day – 2013

Mother's Day Lunch 2013
Mother’s Day Lunch 2013

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Hope you are having a good day, I am. Today we had to be up early due to the twins swimming lessons and after I managed to do an aqua aerobics class. Then we dropped off our stuff at the house and went to a picnic. It was enjoyable but the only downside was when Julia rubbed sunblock in her eyes and was a screaming teary mess in the car. Thank god she was better with some time and tissues.

Once lunch was eaten by all then the kids played on the play equipment at the park. Now we are home and the girls and daddy are working on secret surprises for me.   The kids and I have a pressie for daddy as his birthday is tomorrow and he is at work and will be very late home. I thought it would be nice to celebrate his birthday while the kids were home and we can all spend time together.

What have you been up to this Mother’s Day? Did your kids and partner/hubby stick to The Mother’s Day Code? Have you been able to relax or has it been just another day with things to do? Mine is still a normal day. I am off to start a cake for daddy for his birthday and to start the soup for dinner.

Why not continue the discussion on our Twitter or Facebook pages.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Let's Go to Canada Mummy!

Not a swimming pool but just as good - A sand pit
Not a swimming pool but just as good – A sand pit

Tonight Lillian hugged me and patted me on the head and said “Happy Birthday Mummy”, it was very nice and cute, however it is not my birthday. It will be in another 2 weeks or so. It is close, but not today.

My wonderful little girl then said, “Let’s go to Canada for your birthday Mummy!”, I told her that this would be a wonderful idea. The only issue with this is money. I did explain this and told her that maybe we can do it when we have more. She accepted this but still thinks it might be tomorrow or next week that this will happen.

What a lovely thought for the evening, off to Canada or somewhere as nice. Where do you want to holiday? What country are you desperate to explore and see more of. I would love to see more of Spain, Italy and Europe. I have always wanted to travel to Greece and see the ruins and be where the stories were created in Ancient Times. I loved Ancient History as a student and feel it would be magical to see in in the flesh.

And now more secret surprises: Both girls upon collecting them from pre-school have given me invites to school for Mother’s Day celebrations, they are excited and cannot wait to show me the secret surprises they are working on.  I must say as today was the first day back to school for term 2 they got up early. They must have been keen to see their friends, both kids have been inviting everyone around to our house to show off their new sand pit. It is just like the kids when I was little having a swimming pool. This should be interesting.

I’m off to bed to get some rest so that I might tidy the house to allow for guests tomorrow, not sure if people are free but may as well be prepared.

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4 years and beyond Uncategorised

Why Can't Mummy Sleep In?

Drooling over going to bed
Drooling over going to bed

Last night the kids had a late one. There was a free info session about bats and a walk to see if we could spot one, we ended up walking in the dark and it was a nice bush walk. I did not see one myself but the twins decided that they saw ones of all different colours, yellow, pink, blue and so on. I think we might have seen one at a distance but it was hard due to it being dark and the torches I had were for the kids and one decided not to work, and of course they are not that powerful. Next time will need to bring a better torch.

After tucking in the girls for bed time we asked that they allow us to sleep in, if they did get up we suggested that they play quietly in the living room or their bedroom. As you have guessed from the title of this blog post, it was not to be. Mummy was woken by one of the girls to get her breakfast at the early time of 7.30am, I know this is not that early compared to some other kids, however we have had a terrible couple of days and as I am sick and receiving bad news about a mate, a rest was in order.

I was living in hope to get this sleep in and I should have known that it would not happen. I have been walking around today with my eyes hanging out of my head. We took the kids to the Dinosaur Park in Bathurst. This trip to the park will hopefully help with the sleep and not sure on the sleep in but might make it an easier bed time. Usually it is a lot of mucking about and playing, the issue here is that the twins share a bedroom. Hard in a small house (maybe winning the lotto will help us win the money for the new house that will give us more space!)

Do you as a mummy ever get to sleep in? Is it possible? Please tell me how you manage to do this with kids wanting mummy all the time? As I am writing this hubby is reading the bed time story and I am sipping on red wine. Nice and relaxing, and looking forward to falling into bed to get some much needed rest. Maybe hubby can wake up early tomorrow?

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