I have the perfect solution that will impress your friends and family, and you too!
Modern Map Artallows you to create a special gift that will commemorate an event or an anniversary.
Would you like to present your hubby/wife a lovely star map poster that celebrates your first kiss, your wedding day, the exact spot where you met? Or for the birth of your child or children?
Whatever it is that you wish to celebrate creating a one of a kind star map that is just for you is a super special gift.
How Do you Create your own Star Map from Modern Map Art?
Now you are at the page where you can enter all your details and to create your very own star map.
You can select, poster, framed poster, or canvas. I got a poster and had to frame the poster myself.
The posters come in various sizes.
Enter your title, date and longitude and latitude for the stars to align to the right place.
To get the longitude and latitude just google it and you will get all the info you need.
Note – The dates default to American dates (10/31/2018). If you are located elsewhere and wish to have your date display differently this is not a problem. All you need to do is email Modern Map Art to tell them and they will ensure it will be displayed correctly. I need my dates to be displayed like this: 31/10/2018.
Pick a black, grey, navy or white background for your poster. Plus the colour of the text.
Choose a border or not.
You don’t have to have constellations but I think it makes it look fab so for me this was essential.
Once all done and you are happy with your poster and choices, order and pay.
If you are in the USA you get free postage.
If you live in Australia delivery is about 12-20 business days after printing.
My stunning and wonderful star map poster from Modern Map Art.
Why I LOVE my Star Map
It is something just for me.
It is unique.
Exact stars from where and when I was born.
I took a while to decide on what to get on my Star Map. I have 3 kids so I couldn’t just choose 1.
I wanted to have a star map of our new house but maps in this area don’t have enough detail.
My initial thought was to get something for the house or for others, and then I decided… I should do something for me.
My Star Map Poster is the area I was born in… Yep, a Star Map of Brisbane, Australia.
I picked the biggest size (24×36 inches) and it turned out to be rather difficult to find a frame to fit my fab personalised poster.
I finally found a great frame from Target for $15 and it fits perfectly.
Once my workshop or otherwise known as mummy’s office is complete it will be hung on the wall to inspire me.
This is Kristen’s poster of the night she met her hubby. Photo from Modern Map Art Website, courtesy from Kristen’s Insta feed – @lovely.as.a.mother
Modern Map Art has so many other products to chose from:
Housewarming Gifts
Baby Gifts
Lake Art
Skyline Prints
Typography Prints
Trail Maps
Map Shirts
Topographic Map
Modern Map Art have so many choices for gifts and your special someone. I’m sure you will find something that will be adored for years to come.
A HUGE thank you to Jennifer and the Modern Map ArtTeam for sending me my fabulous Star Map Poster. I love it and all the other options you have on your site.
I love sharing wonderful gift ideas that are a one-off, and this certainly is unique.
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School goes back for my twins at the end of January. Part of me is excited that they will be starting a new year of learning, and part of me is realising that time is flying.
The girls starting school last year. I’m sure they will be this excited this year.
There is also another part of me that likes the fact that they will be at school so that mummy might be able to get a few things done….. I know many parents do rejoice when school goes back so I might not be the only one doing a happy dance.
Although with school going back the routine returns. Lunches have to be made, bags packed, school uniforms washed and folded, kids dropped and picked up from school, and then after school activities return and therefore means that I need to take everyone to the required place for the required amount of time.
School holidays do tend to wear me out, but I do love the fact that you can just stay home and do nothing. You don’t have to be anywhere and no one needs a lunch box to stay home.
This was the twins last day of pre-school. They were super excited to be going to Kindy. Now they are in grade four, how time flies.
Soon the girls will be done with their primary education and move on to high school.
Not only have I been a little down about the fact that they are growing up so quickly, I have been thinking about all the items that I need to organise for the kids before they get to their first day of term 1 this year.
Are your kids starting school this year? If they are I bet they are very excited.
What do you need for the first day of school?
Depending on what year you are in you have different things to bring to school. Your school gives you a breakdown of all items that you need to for your child.
If you have attended Kindy Orientation the year before, you would have received an info pack. In the info pack you get told all about the school, bell times, teachers, where rooms are, snow and bushfire policies (Yes our school has both snow & a bushfire policy), what the kids need for their first day and so much more.
COST SAVING TIPS:
TIP 1: Look at the uniform and see how you can cut costs. If the school wears a single colour polo shirt, this same top an be purchased cheaply at Target, BigW or Kmart. If the school has a crest on their shirts buy a few of these and get the rest in the plain colour. This way your child has the fancy one for school functions, photos and excursions.
TIP 2: The same is for other items, like shorts, skorts (a cross between a skirt and shorts) and so on. I purchased skorts for the twins for $8 at BigW and from the school, they are $30 each. Shopping around for school uniform items is a good idea. Oh, and if your kids are like mine and love wearing shorts, buy the boys shorts and you will save a bundle. Who cares if they are boys or girls shorts. It really doesn’t matter.
TIP 3: If your child is at the stage you need to purchase stationery and other supplies for school, it is a good idea to see what you already have at home. I’m sure that you might already have textas, pencils, sharpener, pencil case and more already. This will save you a bit of money at the shops.
For Kindy kids, the following is basically all you need:
Full uniform, school shoes, hat (wide-brimmed is ideal), sunblock, spare clothes if needed (In case of an accident. Pack undies, socks, pants, skirt or skort in a plastic bag).
Bag or backpack that is not too big for your child. Something that they can carry without any help.
Lunch box packed with a yummy lunch. Give the kids some snacks, finger food, a sandwich and a treat here and there. If your school has a canteen or possibly a tuck shop maybe put a $2 coin in their lunch box so they might get a treat once a week.
Water Bottle
Smock for creative tasks like painting.
Jumper & rain jacket in case the weather changes. If your weather is like mine it can change without notice. You don’t want your little one to be at school and freezing.
Make sure to label everything. Kids lose so many things and you want to be able to claim your item in the lost property box.
Library Bag ( I made one for the twins so that it is different from the other kids. This way it is easily recognised as theirs)
If you are concerned that you have not packed or supplied what is needed, it is always a good idea to check with your child’s teacher.
NOTE: Normally you have a two-week window to get everything organised for the start of the school year. This gives you ample time to source all items.
Download my FREE Guide to Make a Book Bag
There are many ways to add your names to items. You can write them on the items with pen or texta, or get actual labels.
Labels can be for clothes, bags, books and more.
One website that we have used and love is called, Stuck On You.We liked that the labels are unique to each child, and were so fast to arrive.
Just google labels for kids and you get so many choices that I’m sure you will find something that suits your needs.
The above list for Kindy kids was fine until my girls got to third grade. Once we reached this level in primary school we needed to provide more for the kids.
Each grade gets sent a list via the school newsletter and it is also available for purchase from the local newsagency.
If your school uses SkoolBag (SkoolBag is an app the school uses for all communication, some school use it) then you can download the equipment list from there.
What the twins need for grade four:
2 x 30 cm ruler, clearly labelled with centimetre and millimetre markings (no metal or floppy rulers, please)
Scissors
Highlighters – at least two different colours
2 glue sticks – 35g
8 lead pencils, HB.
Sharpener with container
2 rubbers for lead pencils
Coloured pencils
Gel pens and textas are optional
Pencil case large enough to hold the above items (1 pencil case only, please!)
Library bag
4 plastic document wallets A4
2 x 0.4 or 0.5 fine point black pens for map work, labelling and artwork
Large sheet of cardboard for Art folder
3 x Lined A4 exercise books for homework/classwork
2 x Boxes of tissues (this helps the classroom if each kid contributes)
1 x packet whiteboard markers
USB 4-6GB
Drink bottle with water only for drinking during class
Please remember a hat each day
For example, grade five will be getting extras like pens as they will have their pen licence (yes this is a thing!), extra workbooks, cardboard for folders and also a calculator for maths.
This should give you a good idea of what to pack for your child who is starting school this year.
One of the things I do dread is packing the kids lunches, the dread is fuelled by the fact that the twins are so fussy that it is hard to know what to pack.
I want to give the twins something that I know that they will eat, but also try to expose them to new and yummy foods.
Did you know that you can put in tasty, yummy and healthy snacks that will make your job as the chief lunch packer easier.
A simple lunch box.
There is a place called School Snack Box and they can send you a box of snacks that you don’t need to think about.
All you need to do is to pick how many snacks you wish to add to your child’s lunch box and then order the box that is right for you. You can choose from a box with 22 snacks for $40/month, with $15 shipping fee. Or you can get 44 snacks for $80/month and also with an extra $15 shipping fee.
This is a great option if you wish to have different snacks delivered each month. Add something different to the lunch box each day.
Starting big school is a major milestone. I hope your child has a great time.
It’s a massive step when kids start Kindy. You will be emotional even if you have told yourself it won’t happen.
Let it happen and it is all normal. Trust me, I was happy and still crying.
If you are able to help out at the school, do it. It’s so amazing to see your child thrive and be more confident in their new school.
I volunteered to help with reading when the twins were younger and will do so for Alexander as well when he starts school.
Good luck with term one. I hope your kids have a great time and you do as well.
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Kids and I had a big day out, off to get a check up for me, then off to centrelink to fill out forms and hand in paperwork, then off to the mail to check for more bills or letters, returned found book to library (Phew on that one), Went to Macca’s for lunch as a treat for the kids, then after lunch we went to Penrith to get shorts for daddy and to look around. Ended up getting new pj’s for the twins, singlets for the twins, three pairs of shorts for hubby (at a cheap price, they were marked down. Thank you Lowes), Some more shoes for the kids as they are growing and with winter they need sturdy shoes for being in the bush and winter. I even got a surprise for my cousin’s four month old twins thanks to Target.
After all that shopping and telling kids to stop touching things and to get out of the clothes racks, we went and looked the animals at the pet shop. After looking and some cute animals we found the car and drove home. I am tired and glad that the kids were not mucking up too much. They did not go to bed straight away and were still up at 9pm chatting away. The time is 10:56pm and they are passed out. Lillian took her pillows so that she could sleep at the bottom of Julia’s bed. Do you think this means they will sleep in? I can only hope…. maybe I might get my wish?
Both kids are in their new pj’s and they are rather big considering the others they have, maybe I should have purchased the smaller size. I like to have a larger size in bed as it is nice to be not too confined, and I am sure they will grow into it. Maybe I can fix it up so they can let it out once they are bigger.
One win today was the fact that they messed up their room playing and called daddy and I in to see their room. I was worried as normally this means it is terrible and hours later we are still tidying it up, but it was not this time. Hold on to your seats. They tidied it all up and made their beds and put all teddies neatly on their beds for bed time. What good little girls. Maybe me making them tidy up after them is starting to kick in. I really hope so.
How has your day been? I am off to get into my pj’s and to go and brush my teeth before bed. I am looking forward to crashing my head on the pillow and passing out to nice dreams.
Why not continue the discussion on our Twitter or Facebook pages.
PS. Skin check was clear, nothing to worry about, all normal. So great news considering I left it six years for this check up.
I had an appointment for my second microderm and oxygen facial, it went better than last time so that is a plus. The other plus was that I was on my own, so a day to myself, shopping, having lunch, looking at window shopping and able to do whatever I wanted. It was so nice to have this time to myself.
After the facial I popped off to The Good Guys and purchased a juicer. We are now going to give a juice fast a go, I know sounds crazy but it worked for Joe Cross the guy who created the film: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Joe was overweight and suffered from an autoimmune disease and thought that eating vegetables and fruit juiced is the way to go. Joe managed to lose the weight and during the weeks of the fast lowered his drugs for his disease he was taking. By the end of the fast he managed to keep off the weight and not be on any drugs for his condition. It was a very positive film and inspirational. Check IMDB for more info on this film. James and I think that it might help us and who knows, at least having fresh healthy juice has to be a bonus. So we will see. Cannot start the fast yet as we are booked in for a Valentines dinner, so that will have to happen first.
Now having the juicer in my hot little hands, I headed to the shopping centre to see if I could visit with Auntie Denise, no luck there, it was her day off yet again. Oh well, then I went off to have lunch and to relax for a bit. After lunch I went off to Sussan’s as I had a gift voucher from Christmas and managed to purchase a really nice skirt. Who knew stripes could be so flattering. Managed to see a cheap skirt also in Target and it is more for the cooler weather so just the thing for Katoomba. One thing that I thought was interesting to see in Target was that Dita Von Teese is selling lingere there as well, she has her own label. Interesting. Pity that it all looked small and not for sizes like me. I am a little busty than normal and it is very sad that the sexy feel good underwear is never available in my size. It would be nice if for once these type of things were easily accessible, in my size, and reasonably priced. Oh well, maybe after the diet and some more exercise I might be skinnier. 🙂
It was nice to have some me time and wish there was more of it. Only a couple of sleeps until the girls start school, so that is exciting and good for them and me. Now still need to find that battery charger for the camera. Still have had no luck. Might have to take pictures on the camera after all. So project find camera battery tomorrow or think of what to do about it.
Update: After I got home with all my shopping and especially the new juicer. James could not wait and opened and cleaned the bits that you need to. Then he did a test juice. Nice fresh orange juice. YUM!!! It is so quiet compared to others from years ago. Very impressed. Now need to get recipes and vegetables and more fruits to help make our juices.
