101 Update and other stuff. May 4, 2009

Hmm it appears I have something to blog about these days. I am about to tick another item off my list. I will be crossing out #24 next Thursday. That will hopefully lead to crossing out numbers 21 and 34 in a hurry as well. I somehow don’t think I will be able to cross off #80 and organise the list. I am just not that organised!

 

I am getting really excited about joining the runners club and the 101 list is hopefully enough incentive to keep my motivated and accountable enough to see it through.

 

I hopped on my scales to see that I am now at 61kg, I have been going on walks most mornings with a friend of mine and I have cut out a bit of junk in my diet as well. I was hoping I would already be under 60kg but I guess my metabolism is not what it used to be.

 

Well I have a toddler who needs some quality time so I must dash for now!

 

x

Sarah

My 101 in 1001 – Day Zero Project April 28, 2009

I am getting a little slack in the life department and I often forget about things I really want to accomplish in life. I heard about Day Zero Project and thought it was right up my alley! To hear all about it and make your own list, check out the Day Zero Project website.

So without further ado, here is my list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days in no particular order.

Start Date: April 28th 2009 – End Date: January 24th 2012

{incomplete} {in progress} {complete}

1. Complete the Couch to 5km program.

2. Make a conscious effort to spend a half hour of quality time with the boys each day doing what they want. (~/1001)

3. Make a sock monster.

4. Make a decent batch of Gnocchi.

5. Stop cursing in front of the kids.

6. Drink 2 litres of water per day.

7. Learn to remember peoples names. (getting better!)

8. Become a regular at a church.

9. Keep a vegetable garden alive long enough to eat the vegetables.

10. Pay off my credit card.

11. Get my P’s.

12. Learn to crochet properly.

13. Crochet a granny square blanket.

14. Crochet this gorgeous monkey found here.

15. Make some yummy muffins for the elderly woman across the street.

16. Start N’s scrapbook and get it up-to-date.

17. Leave the boys with Nan and Pa for an evening and go to dinner with Juz

18. Paint a cherry blossom branch on 3 canvas’.

19. Buy 5 more sets of curtains for the house.

20. Buy the large Expedit bookcase from Ikea.

21. Get my weight down to 55kg.

22. Buy an overlocker (currently on layby) Will have by mid-Sept hopefully!!!

23. Make a conscious effort to give a compliment every time I see a friend.

24. Join the local running club. (May 12th 2009)

25. Become pregnant with #3 (Hmmmm don’t see this happening for a very long time)

26. Learn to use my telescope.

27. Re-read my interior design textbook.

28. Keep a gratitude journal. Since July 13th 2009 using the iPhone app Gratitude Journal by Happy Tapper ? Love it!

29. Write a blog post at least once a week.

30. Clear out the junk cupboard.

31. Make a place in the house for everything.

32. Don’t spend any money for a week on ‘stuff’.

33. Go horse riding.

34. Do the Beginners’ running program to 10km Completed Aug 2 2009 Ran my 10km in 1:04

35. Run 5km 3 times a week after completing the beginners’ running club.

36. Keep my office clean.

37. Join Post Crossing and send a postcard.

38. Send a postcard to Post Secret.

39. Keep a diary.

40. Donate/sell everything I no longer use/need/love.

41. Paint the house interior.

42. Limit online time to 2 hours per day. (easily done surprisingly)

43. Cook dinner for the in-laws

44. Cook a roast!

45. Take a photo a day (365 Project) Will start Jan 2010

46. Write my next 101 in 1001

47. Learn to Fly.

48. Clean out my email inbox. (April 29th 2009)

49. Do the Colosseum puzzle with Juz.

50. No soft drink for one week.

51. Learn to make sushi.

52. Make a list of 50 things that make me happy.

53. Get a massage. (30/05/09

54. Use only green bags while shopping for 1 month. (1/1)

55. Organise all my recipes

56. Write out a fortnightly meal plan every fortnight.

57. Finish my knitted scarf.

58. Private goal.

59. Make an attempt to take my vitamins daily. (started taking spirulina, love the stuff!)

60. Make X’s birth montage.

61. Go out with the girls and leave the boys with Juz for one night. (Puppetry of the Penis 12/06/09 Great night, not so great morning after)

62. Write 5 poems. (0/5)

63. Find Saturn through the telescope. (May 7 2009)

64. Make an effort to get 8 hours of sleep per night.

65. Buy a Wii and Wii Fit. Does it count if it was bought for me? My xmas pressie for 2009

66. Read the Twilight saga again. Completed Aug 13 2009

67. Make a quilt.

68. Write letters to N and X for when they are older.

69. Enter an online contest for fun every week.  How many won… 2

I won a haby surprise parcel from The Haby Goddess

I won a pair of earrings from @misscarnival on Twitter

70. Finish this list. (April 29th 2009)

71. See a dentist

72. Get my border collie (or great dane if I can talk J into it.) I got my Great Dane puppy June 2009 Bijoux!

73. Save money for the inevitable fillings

74. Walk 10,000 steps per day for 7 days (7-7)

75. Finish sewing my pleated tote. (having issues with putting the top section on)

76. Make the white cheesecloth shirred dress/skirt for next summer I planned on making for last summer.

77. Clean all the marks out of the pram.

78. Paint my Radiola white.

79. Make 2 river rock candle holders for the patio table (2/2)

80. Organise this list into categories.

81. Keep my hair long for the duration of this list. (going to be harder than I think, Juz is happy with this one.) FAILED

82. Do one activity a week with N from The Useful Book.

83. Buy a Japanese maple tree for the front yard.

84. Have a dollar in savings for every day of this project.

85. Add $5 to my savings for every item not completed on this list.

86. Don’t buy shoes for 6 months.

87. Write a book for the kids.

88. Make a photo book from scratch from my 365 photos. (That means binding the pages to a nice handmade cover and all )

89. Hem all my jeans to the correct length.

90. Abolish the paper clutter box!

91. Make 5 quilts out of leftover fabric scraps to donate to the dog shelter (0/5)

92. Write a business plan for InChanted!

93. Draw up a plan of the house with intended changes.

94. Order some Buddha Belly bamboo to plant along the driveway. (and plant it)

95. Get the granny smith apple tree pruned

96. Get a net for both apple trees.

97. Have plum tree removed.

98. Get another olive tree and don’t kill it this time.

99. Private goal.

100. Send a letter to my grandmother every fortnight. (Sadly I failed this, I got one letter out and had another ready to send but never got around to it before getting the news she passed Luella May, June 4th 1925 – May 26th 2009)

101. Build my dining table and benches.

That had to be the hardest thing writing that list! I am glad it is over, now just to get the tasks finished! Stay tuned and please cheer me on!

x

Sarah

Some Groovy Craft Blogs! April 16, 2009

I don’t know how to add an extra section for my favourite craft blog links in my template so for now I have to share here! I am in the process of planning my new oversized tote/ nappy bag which I will be making with my fabric from IKEA. I needed to find out how to do things like put the liner in my bag, add a magnetic button and how to sew a zipper. In my searches I came across some really great tutorials at Sew Take a Hike (DIY labels, Green wool and brown plaid handbag and these funky roses out of knit.) and Creative Little Daisy (DIY bias tape maker, a craft apron and purse pockets.)

 

The bag I am making is similar to the green wool and brown plaid handbag at Sew Take a Hike. I can’t wait until it is finished, my current oversized bag is on it’s last legs and is so last winter.

 

And now I have just spent the last hour lost in craft blog land and have failed to get started on the bag while the rug rats sleep. Maybe tomorrow!

I’m Back, again! April 15, 2009

If it is not the computer, it is the internet with me! We were swapping internet providers because the large telecommunications company starting with the letter T here in Australia seems to only be good at ripping people off. We are now with Internode and so far so good except for a minor hiccup with getting our modem in time which was a lack of proper communication and some faulty wiring between the exchange and my house, the level of customer service has been great and we are now saving over $50 a month and getting more bang for our buck! I think a certain telecommunications giant better get their butt into gear before they lose all of their customers.

 

So as for news! I updated on my Twitter but the info is greatly limited because of character limits.

 

I have put up my Kvartal panel curtains from Ikea, they are beautiful!!! I can’t wait to do the rest of the house in them.

The black panels are some sort of grassy material and the white panels are sheer. I was surprised at how well the grassy black panels block out the light. The next photo shows the white panels with the sun filtering in, and my new sofa!!! Futons sofas are so student and not family.

Now all the lounge room needs is a chrome fan and a lick of paint!

 

Now the scariest thing to happen in the time I have been offline. Someone did not close our back gate properly and Noah discovered this. I happened to be feeding Xavier while Noah was playing outside, I usually leave Noah to his own devices while he plays on his own, I usually keep an ear out and check on him every so often. I don’t know how much time had passed since everything went quiet out back, I had just finished feeding X and was about to settle him into bed which usually takes about 20-30 minutes, I thought I might just poke my head out the back quickly and see what had captured Noahs attention to keep him quiet for so long. I couldn’t see him at his sand box or anywhere else in the first section of our back yard, I thought maybe he went between the 2 sheds to get into the second part of our back yard where I have my veggie garden, I didn’t see him there either. I was calling out his name and starting to get a bit concerned. I ran back inside and searched every room calling his name and still no Noah. Back outside I ran and started screaming his name while looking in every nook and cranny this yard has to offer. The neighbour had heard me and came over to ask if I had found him yet, and I said no, he’s gone, where did he go, what do I do? I ran inside again to search again, thinking that maybe I missed him the first time. I went back out to the neighbour and I am just frantic and so frazzled I had no idea what to do, all I could think about was the river just metres away, the neighbour said to call 000 and when I did I could barely string 2 words together, I then called Juz and him and his dad came from the workshop to help look, the next door neighbour and another neighbour went to look at the river while I stood in the yard and panicked (very useful). Juz and his dad arrived and I decided to get into action, I ran and knocked on another neighbours door to see if they could look after X while I look for Noah, while I was doing this, I saw Noahs reflection in the window, he had just walked out of the yard of another house and was on the nature strip. I raced across the street and scooped him up, a little group hug with Noah, X and I. I am sure Noah was wondering what all the fuss was about. Needless to say, our back gate now has a padlock on it and I check on Noah every 5 minutes while he is outside. The really scary part is that this other yard he was in has a fence with missing panels and behind this fence is a pool, the gate leading into the yard with the pool doesn’t have a lock either, I am one lucky mama and I cry thinking about what could have happened. The police arrived just as I found him, it was a quick response although it seemed like an eternity at the time.

 

How is that for an update? I am still trying to get the hang of having 2 kids while maintaining the household chores and a social life which is why I don’t get to post here as often as I like. I will try and make an effort to at least post a few times a week even if it is just a sentence or two.

 

X

Sarah

Still Recovering… March 24, 2009

From the weekend in Melbourne. It was good but crazy. I don’t think there will be anymore overnight stays as long as there is more than one child involved. On Friday we went to Chadstone for some shopping, I picked up a potty for Noah and a little outfit for Xavier, I looked for some clothes for myself but didn’t find a thing.

 

Saturday we hit Chapel Street so I could dig through the op shops, anything I did find was either too small or too big. I got a couple of shirts and a necklace from Cotton On and 3 dresses from some shop for next summers wardrobe.

 

Sunday was the main reason for our adventure to Melbourne, we went to Ikea, it was madness! The only other time I had been was on a weekday. I wanted to get the Kvartal Panel curtain system for 2 windows in our lounge room. I just need to get them installed now. I can’t wait! While I was there, I checked out the fabrics in the textiles area and instantly saw my new project. A new nappy bag with matching change mat and wet bag made from the multi coloured Gunilla fabric.

Now I just need to find the time to sit down and do some sewing. Anyway, I am in the middle of watching Gossip Girl and Skins is not far off from starting, so until next time….

 

x

Sarah

How to Lose Your Sanity March 19, 2009

You lose it by trying to get you and 3 other people ready for a weekend away. I should have learned my lesson from going to Adelaide when X was 4 weeks old. This time we are off to Melbourne. Can’t wait to get all shaken up down there with all the tremors going on lately, actually, yes I can wait :s I would hate a big earthquake to hit while we are there, wait until we are gone. Sorry Melbournians

 

I am in a flurry of trying to get x amount of outfits for any combination of weather that may hit us this weekend, it looks to be quite nice until Sunday where there is rain forecasted but you can’t trust the weathermen. I am also queuing up heaps of LazyTown and Shaun the Sheep episodes to put on my iPod for the DVD player to keep Noah entertained on the drive down, I don’t think my laptop is able to handle the workload, I reckon I can fry an egg on this beast right now.

 

I haven’t even left for Melbourne and I am already setting plans for when I get back. All mums are forward thinkers, we have to be. I recently ordered a stack of nappies from Mel at ClothieBumz and now I have enough to have both Noah and X in cloth nappies full time as long as I wash every day or every other day. I got 2 Cushie Tushies which I looooove, a Minky Time Green Kid and 5 Happy Heiny’s. Sorry about the pic but the iPhone doesn’t come with a flash and I can’t find my digital camera right now.

Alright, I better get back to packing or we are never going to get to Melbourne. Have a great weekend everyone!

 

x

Sarah

Op Shopping Treasures March 13, 2009

I went to my favourite op shop today, I like to look for funky vintage fabrics to add to my ever growing collection. I sometimes come across other things that grab my attention. Today was one of those days.

 

The first item is an ABC book called The Useful Book.

It is a book full of songs, games, ideas and more for babies through to kindergarten age. It was printed in 1981. I love it and can’t wait to do half of the activities in it myself.

 

The next treasure is a book The Nursery in a Weekend.

It has crafts and hacks to do up a nursery in what else but a weekend. It has a couple of things I am interested in trying. I will be sure to blog them when I do them.

 

I also got a stack of felt.

 

Some cool bird fabric. (sorry a bit out of focus)

And an ABC wooden puzzle for Noah. (it has all the letters but Noah took 2 out into his sandpit)

All for a grand total of $8. I love op-shopping!

 

Xavier has changed so much in 2 months already, I can’t believe it! My baby is growing up! Why do they do this to us?

3 days old and almost 9 weeks old. What a difference!

 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

x

Sarah

Never-ending To-Do List March 10, 2009

I really feel like I am snowed under having 2 kids. I seriously thought I was starting to get the hang of things and gaining a bit more organisation. I was wrong.

The meal planning went out the door this week. I have to come up with 4 scratch dinners that are healthy and contain ingredients that I already have, that ought to be fun. I will be juggling that with a good de-cluttering session which always seems to be in progress, I swear I will get it done this time.

I managed to go through my fabric stash and sort through what I want to keep, I still have too much. I suppose it means I need to do more sewing. I have a few unfinished sewing projects that I will start to tackle tonight. One grocery tote, 4 MCN’s, sock monkeys and monsters, and an owl or 2.

I have a massive stash of fabric scraps and spent a few hours searching online for something to do with them. I found a gorgeous bird mobile at Spool Sewing which will be my first project to get rid of scraps. I will also try my hand at making log cabin blocks like at craftactually.com to make a quilt in the future. I really love this loyalty card wallet at A Spoonful of Sugar as well. There are heaps of ideas out there but these are my favourites.

I am struggling to find a project for my huge collection of Real Living magazines and to be honest I don’t have the heart to do anything with them unless it is super spectacular. Any ideas?

I just put Noah into bed for a nap, he seems to not want to have a day sleep and is having a tantrum as I type. I think this is the perfect opportunity to vacuum and drown out the noise.

x

Sarah

Finished Xaviers Blanket! March 1, 2009

Just a quick pic post on Xaviers blanket before I tend to his screaming.

Hope everyone is having a great night!

x

Sarah

Sewing Again! February 28, 2009

I am starting to get my crafting groove on again,slowly but surely. It is hard with a 2 month old and 21 month old demanding your time. I am taking a short break from pressing 10 mtrs of freshly washed fabric before I get started cutting. I am not impressed though, my rotary cutter appears to have sprouted legs and gone walkabout so cutting is going to be a chore.

So tonight I am starting on place mats and napkins for my mother in law as a birthday present. I saw the fabric at Spotlight and it screamed her name. We went for dinner there a couple of weeks back and I saw why, the print is exactly the same as her curtains in her lounge room. At least I know they will be a hit. I am also making Xavier his own name rug. I made one for Noah after he was born so it is only fair Xavier gets one too. It is made with minky and flannelet and the name is appliqued with the flannelet material. I have enough fabric to make 2 so I will make one with A B C appliqued on the front.

I am starting to look into quilting again. Better Homes and Gardens had a quilting segment in the Februarly issue and had a few patterns in it. I find the idea of making a quilt quite terrifying. I just need to jump in with both feet and I will get the hang of it I am sure.

Well, back to the ironing, I hope to have pictures of the completed projects up by the end of this weekend!

x

Sarah