Hanging with the Love Your Sister gang and a croc or two

So today rather that tackle the mountains of dishes, clothes and endless household chores waiting to be done, we did something a bit different.

Though if the truth be told since today was the day that Miss Eleven became Miss Twelve, I probably wouldn't have tackled any of those things and nor will I tomorrow for that matter.

We decided to take some time out from the birthday celebrations and come here

to see this man, Samuel Johnson. Maybe you have heard of him before? 

He is currently on a rather exciting adventure as he rides a unicycle 15 000km around this fair nation that I call home. He is hoping to raise awareness about the importance for women, all women, of all ages, to feel their boobies. 

Early detection of breast cancer means the chances of fighting it are greater. 

As Sam and his sister Connie say 

Don't fall into the booby trap, 

be breast aware!

Samuel is also hoping to raise $1 million

For all the details check the Love Your Sister website. 

You can donate here

Watching Sam feed the crocs was only half of the reason we were there. He had a much tougher challenge ahead. 

 One that involved him getting up close and personal to a certain crocodile called Chopper.

Don't be fooled by his calm appearance here. And with that I mean both the crocodile and Sam because it got a lot more heated after this. For now though I will leave it here. I have had a big day and it is now heading towards late, so you my lovely readers will just have to wait. 

It's ok though, I promise I will be sharing plenty more about all the fun and excitement of today. In the meantime go check out Love Your Sister and make sure you stay booby aware.

Joining in, for the first time in a long time with


with perhaps a not so wordless post, but a very important message.
One that I know is close to a lot of our hearts xxx

Making the Move for Making it Matter

This incredibly awesome post (I heard self confidence was important) is proudly joining in with the wonders that are IBOT (I Blog On Tuesdays).  Despite me not actually writing it on a Tuesday.


For those new to here and new to IBOT it is a lovely little meme that the very groovy and slightly crazy Diary of a SAHM hosts every Tuesday.

You know that it is a really cool meme because a) lots of bloggers always join in and b) it has a really funky little button.  (That's it just to the left, click on it to go and discover more awesome IBOTers).

Since discovering the awesomeness that is Diary of a SAHM I generally have a post to link up most Tuesdays.  Let's face it you'd be mad not to.  One thing that I have learnt is that it pays to be super organised and have a Tuesday post ready to go well before Tuesday actually arrives. 

Naturally that takes thought, planning and organisation.  I can think and plan till the cows come home.  In fact I am right up there in both categories.  What I am not so crash hot on is organisation.  Perhaps I over plan and over think which leaves the organising side of things being far greater than what it actually needs to at times.  All I really know is that successfully organising something is not something I achieve all that often.

Sure I organise stuff all the time but successfully is another matter.  But I digress.  What I mean to say is that I feel slightly fraudulent harping on about blogging on a Tuesday when nine times out of ten I sit up most of Monday night in order to have a post ready to schedule in for first thing Tuesday morning.

Tonight when I sat down for said post all I could come up with was this.

Not terrible enough to hit delete (especially when it has been a few days since I last posted) and yet not something that was worthy of IBOT.  Oh the quandaries of life and first world problems.

Thinking that I still had plenty of time to come up with something awesome I hit publish and opened a new page already for a fantastic new post.  Then I had an even better idea.  Something I have been toying with for a little while just not really sure of the best approach.  I am still not really sure of the best approach so have just dived in blindly hoping for the best.

Regular readers will recall a little thing called Make it Matter.  It started a little while back to make little parts of my life matter.  It was a new way for me to look at old problems in a bid to create some enthusiasm for the mundane and boring which can fill a mother's world but still needs to be done.

I thought it was a cool idea.  It even had it's own little button so it must have had some cool element to it.

Anyway as cool as it may or may not have been it was not a meme that many took on (thanks muchly to those who did though) and as such I got all despondent and temporarily threw the towel in.  Now that the dust from my hissy fit has settled and I can see somewhat clearly again I am ready to take on a new approach to making things matter.

This whole time there has been this voice inside of me screaming, be it all too quietly at times perhaps, that making it matter is a winner you just need to keep at it.  I am not really sure why but A Parenting Life does not seem like the right vessel to make, making it matter, really matter.  So, the moment you have all been waiting for (drum roll please)

Making it Matter has a brand new home.  A place where I can share what I am making matter and how I am doing so.  A place that I hope you will find inspiration and support in.  A place to let you know that your struggles are not isolated or uncommon.  We all face similar battles and together we can get through them all.  One pile of washing at a time

It is still a sparsely decorated home but that will soon change so make sure you subscribe by email or follow through GFC or Networked Blogs.  They can be found on the side bar of the blog, which if you need the link again can be found here or at the tab at the top called Make it Matter.  

Either way head on over and check it out and let me know what matters to you and what do you need to make matter more?  For now what matters most to me is a wee bit of shut eye before the new day dawns.

Making IT Matter

Now I guess it has been a while since I have stopped and shared what I have been making matter.  Rest assured this is not because I not been making the time to make things matter.  In fact it is the complete opposite.  I have been in overdrive making sure that wherever possible I am making what I do matter.

It has been at times incredibly exhausting, but it has always been rewarding, and I am rather glad of my new found levels of effort.  I can honestly only see things going up from here.  Life is nothing but full of positives and I am ready to embrace it with all that I have.  

Source

Recently I have found myself being able to make the time for a number of new activities and I can not understand why I have not made such a time before.  Like running.  These past four weeks were I have made the time to go running have been awesome.  Each day I run I feel stronger and faster than the day before.  In four short weeks I have exercised for over fifty kilometers.  I am still a bit away from being a full time runner but I know it won't be too long before I will be able to say I run 5km a day.

As I was recently lucky enough to win a copy of Then Came You Over at The Surprise Beginning I am about to make time to read it.  I arrived home today to see it sitting on my doorstep.  Next to it sat another parcel from some kind PR Lady who wondered the other week whether I would like to try out some beauty products.  Didn't I tell you that life was good?

Unfortunately the last week has not seen me make much time for writing.  Which was a little disappointing but totally understandable given how large a week it was.  Not to mention all the things I didn't blog about.  Like surprise cakes, parachute jumps and Harmony Day International Markets at school and about a hundred other things.

Anyway this is a new week and moving forward is what I do.  Plus since I am currently making the time to write now all is easily forgiven.  There are a number of other things that I put on hold so I could make the time to write.  One of which is reading the above mentioned book.

So that brings me to what it is exactly this week that I will add to my list of mattering.

• I really want to focus a great deal of this week on the blog.  I want to make sure that when the people from the Sydney Writer's Centre swing on by to check out my nomination for best blog 2012 I am looking my best.  As such I hope to complete an awesome post each and every day this week.  Since I have five titles already lined up this should be achievable.
• Running will naturally still be a strong focus and continue to matter every other day.
• Maintaining harmony between the girls.  Miss Nearly Elven is not always as tolerant and patient as I would like her to be with her younger sisters.  The greatest shame in this is that when she wants to she is the kindest, caring big sister I have ever seen.
• Keeping Mount Washmore at bay and ensuring the kitchen remains free from the perils that can come when faced with towers of dishes.

I am tempted to add a few more but I must remember not to push myself too hard too fast.  Something running has taught me.  It is all about pace.  Not wining, not losing.  Just getting there in the end and hopefully getting there faster than last time.  

When I look back to what my life was like six months ago, I see chaos and disorder.  Which sure is still around, but now it seems more manageable.  I feel more in control and able to do things then ever before.  Which is strange because I have never really felt out of control either.  

Anyway I hope that you take the time to make something matter this week as well.  You will be surprised with the difference it can make.

Trying to Make it Matter

Last post I mentioned that I was in somewhat of a bad mood.  If you know me well you know that really that doesn't happen very often but when it does.  OMG.  Not a happy place to be.

I know in the post I said I wasn't really sure why I was letting the grumps take control of me.  Part of me thinks that it is because of my neglect of writing.   Granted it has been a busy week, helping the canteen, after school meetings to start planning a camp, not to mention play dates, housework, shopping and trying to learn how to run.  However.  There have been times when I have found myself with a few odd minutes here and there to spare.  Time when I could have seen what words were going to flow from the pool that is my brain.  Only I have stupidly wasted the time playing mindless games.

Old habits can be hard to break.  I had been doing well for a while though and I will do well again.  I just need to remember to Make it Matter.  While the meme may have been put to rest for a while I am still actively making various aspects of my life matter.

I am slowly easing into being able to run 5km, thanks to my fancy app.  I also have a boot camp one by the same developers which I am looking forward to introducing myself to this week.  I can not begin to explain how awesome it feels to be able to say I went for a run.  Sure it is still not a fast or long run but a run is a run and it is all better than sitting on the couch.  Or at the computer.

For the most part I have been able to stay on top of the washing and dishes.  However when the washing machine went on strike last week everything seemed to slide.  Hopefully the repairman will be able to help get it all back on track tomorrow.  Naturally we have a week of rain forecast so getting it dry will be a fun challenge of it's own.

There are a heap of posts that I hope to get sorted this week.  Things like a bit of fiction from days gone by as well as a few interesting viewpoints I have come across recently.  There is also a stellar idea about the price we pay to participate in sport.  Then there is also the birthday preparations as we are about to enter one of our peak celebration times.  Five birthdays and Easter all within a month.  Crazy.

Somewhere in amongst all of that I hope to spend some more time honing my crochet skills and having a good hard look at myself.  The wind of change is blowing once again my friends.  I am feeling somewhat inspired and trying to be particular positive so I am thinking that perhaps now is a good time to ensure I am heading in the right direction.  Or at the very least ensure I know what direction I want and need to be heading in.

Busy, busy, busy.  I almost feel overwhelmed thinking about it all.

The Death of a Meme

It is with great regret that I write that making it matter has passed away.  Not passed on, as I am not about to announce the next proud owner.  Instead it has just passed away as a sad little meme that never really took off.

That's not to say I won't still be finding things to make matter in my life and sharing them here, I just won't be harping on about every Monday. Not that I have been lately anyway but now there will be no self inflicted pressure to get something out just incase someone was going to join in.  Only to spend the week disappointed when that doesn't happen.

The most ridiculous part about the whole waiting for others to join in is that I was only ever doing it because of benefits I was gaining in my own life.  At the end of the day it shouldn't  matter whether anyone else shared their story or not because as long as I was moving forward little else really mattered.  I got too busy caught up thinking about all the cool blogs that host memes and wanting to be like them.  Rather than just concentrating on being the best me I can be.

So where to now?

To tell you the truth I am not really sure. Part of me feels a bit overwhelmed by much of life.  Though it is not as dire as that sentence sounds.  There is just souch I want to do, coupled with all that I need to do that fimding the best place to start can be easier said than done.

All in all I  am in a pretty good place.  Things are moving forward albeit slower than I would prefer but forward is still forward.  They say that slow and steady wins the race...
For the first time in I don't know how long I don't feel like the housework is an unachievable mountain I'll never climb. Instead it is more like a bump in the road that I know I can now get through.  After years of disorganisation and chaos I'm finally learning that establishing loose routines and regular habits can be a great benefit to everyone. It turns out that perhaps life does need some sort of loose structure to it to help you get the most out of it.

And on that note all I have left to say is that it is Tuesday so I am linking up with

Didn't I tell you all the cool blogs hosted great memes?  Head on over (by clicking the button) and check out all the other great posts today
-fairy wishes and butterfly kisses

Me & YOU Making IT Matter

Hello and welcome to another Me & YOU Monday where we Make it Matter.   

My name's Rhianna and I am your hostest with the mostest (even if I do say so myself).   

Seriously though I want to thank you for taking the time to have a read 

I really hope that you take the opportunity to find something in your life 

that you want to make matter and join in. 

Thanks to Nicole and Becky for joining in last week.  I can't begin to explain the types of warm and fuzzy I feel when I see people have linked up. (No pressure)

Last week I was a little AWOL in sharing what I was going to make matter.  I just couldn't seem to get my head around focusing on just one thing.  There is so much that I want to make matter.  I guess more than anything I want to make my life matter.  All of it, and in every possible way.  Nothing like high expectations is there?

But really doesn't it make sense to have a life that matters?  Isn't that what life itself is all about?

I know that in many ways my life does matter.  I know that I am valued and needed by the kidlets, hubs, and a whole bunch of other people.  I know that most of what I do, does in some way already matter and that is great but I just know there is more that can be done.

It is no secret that life is a tricky balance.  In fact the key to life is in fact working out that balance.  Finding an equilibrium that ticks all the boxes and gets it all done is one of life's great mysteries.  One that may never be unearthed but one that still needs to be searched for.  It gives us something to aim for which is what we all need.  A goal.

I still haven't worked out my goal for this week.  Like I said before there is just so much I want to do.  So much to make matter.  Housework, quality time with children, health, personal development, the list is pretty much endless.  

The other week I came up with ten things that mattered.  They were broad and far reaching but all important and all things that in some way or another I managed to make matter just a little more.  They are things that will constantly matter and need to always be at the forefront of my mind.  They are life habits that I still need to form. 

Anyway enough about me, what about YOU?  What is it in your life that you want to make matter?

I hope that you will come and join in, it is super, super easy.

1. Have a look at your life 
2. Find something that you want to make matter a little more
3. Blog about it
4. Spend a week (or more) consciously making it matter a little more
5. Blog about it again
6. Share the posts here
7. Tell all your friends and get them to do the same, tweeting about it as you go

The link is open all week so make sure you pop back to see what is mattering to others.

Me & YOU Monday - Making IT Matter

Hello and welcome to another Me & YOU Monday where we Make it Matter.   

My name's Rhianna and I am your hostest with the mostest (even if I do say so myself).   

Seriously though I want to thank you for taking the time to have a read 

I really hope that you take the opportunity to find something in your life 

that you want to make matter and join in. 

Last week I came up with a list of things that I want to make matter.  There were ten in total.  All fairly simple but if given enough time, thought and effort they can (at least in my mind) be monumental life changes that will lead me down the path I believe I want to be walking (or at least try walking down and take it from there).

I know that one of the main ideas of making things matter is to just focus on one thing at a time but I needed to put the list out there so I can remain, or perhaps rather regain some focus.  Ideally I want to be at the place where all of those things matter naturally without too much of a second thought.  That way I can be concentrating on making other things matter as well.

Right now though my mind is just bursting at the seams with ideas on how I can nurture this beautiful little baby of a meme.  I know that it has potential.  I know that if I stick with it one day it will be something special that bloggers the world over will want to join in.

What I don't know is how to actually go about that.  

Back to how I went last week.  On the whole I didn't do too badly with making the items on the list matter last week.  I by no means got 10/10 which is not such a bad thing as if I aced it all straight away I would have nothing to write about.  What I did though was realise I am not too far off the mark either.  I just need to keep plugging away.  I am fairly certain that I am pointed in the right direction I just need to gather a bit of strength and speed to pull me along.

Anyway enough about me, what about YOU?  What is it in your life that you want to make matter?

I hope that you will come and join in, it is super, super easy.

1. Have a look at your life 
2. Find something that you want to make matter a little more
3. Spend a week (or more) consciously making it matter a little more
4. Blog about it
5. Share the post here
6. Tell all your friends and get them to do the same, tweeting about it as you go

10 Things That Matter

Regular readers would know that at the moment I am all about Making IT Matter. Whatever it is I am doing I want to make sure it matters. I want to start being more accountable for my time and the way I spend it. I want to be a positive influence and example for my children. I want my life to matter as much as it possibly can.

Now I have realised that it is not necessary for me to change the world at large to make my life matter. All I need to do is make sure that I am being the best me I can be. I know that I have mentioned this before but it is something that I constantly need to remember. I sometimes forget to remember you see.

When Karlee handed over Me & YOU I was ecstatic.  As all the cool blogs host an awesome linky and now I would have my own as well.  Of course change can be a very scary thing though so I know that not everyone will want to take part.  Which is fine.  With time I hope to create an inspiring place where change is not so scary.  Where the final destination is worth the journey, regardless of what the road was like.

In the meantime though I will just continue to share my story and the positive changes I am creating, not just for me but my family as well.  I am so thankful to those who have taken the time to share their changes.

Now I know previously I have only worried about making one thing matter each week.  I don't like to put too much pressure on myself.  At this still early stage of the game it is important I have as many successes as possible.  However.  I have realised that there are so many things that need to matter that I can't just do one at a time.  Thankfully there are a few that can all sort of tie together though so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.

1. Write regularly.  And by that I mean every day.  Like anything it improves with practise.  If I am going to be serious about being a famous writer I really need to put pen to paper, of fingertips to keys or something other than the current levels of procrastination and self doubt.
2. Being present for the children.  Making sure I disconnect from the electric world and spend time living.
3. Ensuring that I am well rested and suitable fueled to tackle anything the treasures might spontaneously throw at me.
4. Providing interesting and nutritious food on a regular basis.  It is important to be aware of what works best for our bodies and provide it that, as much as possible.  Plus since eating is a part of life it only makes sense to get the most out of it.
5. Leading an active life.  Getting out and about in the great outdoors and making the most of the land that surrounds us.
6. Remaining true to what I believe in.
7. Letting others know they are cared for and loved.
8. Being on time.  Being late is rude.  Plain and simple.  Sounds harsh I know but as someone trying to curb a terrible (and I mean give her a half hour head start kind of terrible) habit of always being excessively late I need to be harsh.  I have little to no concept of time.  Never have.  But I want to.  I don't want my girls to grow up thinking it is alright to keep people waiting for you.  All. The. TIME.
9. The housework.  I can't believe I got this far without mentioning the housework.  Maintaining a clean and tidy house matters more than anything.  It is the cornerstone of happiness for the modern family.
10. The washing.  Similar but not quite the same as the housework.  It is such a mammoth part of life it gets a point all of it's own.  (That and it's late and I am really struggling to think of anything else right now)

So there you have it.  Ten things that I will make matter this week.  What about you?

Joining in with my own

 Me & YOU Monday, Making IT Matter 

and

At the Bottom of the Garden

Me & YOU Monday Making IT Matter

Hello and welcome to another Me & YOU Monday where we Make it Matter.   

My name's Rhianna and I am your hostest with the mostest (even if I do say so myself).   

Seriously though I want to thank you for taking the time to have a read 

I really hope that you take the opportunity to find something in your life 

that you want to make matter and join in.  

So here we are again.  Monday morning fresh and bright ready to face the day.  Only it is not Monday morning.  It is Sunday night as I write and I am far from fresh, bright and ready to start the day.  Even when it gets here in some eight hours or what ever it is I am not sure if I will be ready for it.  It is one of those weekends where I wouldn't mind another day.  Only I also wouldn't mind if it were a day without children.  At least for some of it.

Don't get me wrong I love the little rascals, but they are just so darn good at getting me to stop doing the things I really want to be doing, that every now and then I think of them disappearing for an hour or six.  Now I know that school nicely provides that opportunity.  At least for the older two but getting ready for school brings with it a whole kettle of fish that most days I could do without.

Last week The School Routine was what I was meant to make matter.  There was meant to be no lateness or rushing.  It was meant to be calm and orderly with nutritious lunches neatly packed and waiting to be carried out the door.  Oh and did I mention the made beds?

I do get a huge tick for the lunch factor.  Everybody was very well feed last week and it felt great.  Having the chicken already cooked and sliced ready and waiting to be made into a delicious wrap each day made life rather easy.  As was the stack of muffins I had made and frozen.  I am starting to understand why so many mothers are raving about this kind of organisation.

Sadly though we were not exactly free from rushing or being late.  Compared to last years efforts there is a massive improvement but there is still plenty of room to keep on going.  The homework factor never really took off either.  Miss Z happily read her reader each day which is all that was being asked of so I guess I can't complain much there but Miss L is another story.

Apparently there is still another week or two to go before her homework contract will be ready for me to sign.  There seems to be much discussion as to whether primary students really need homework.  I can see both sides but I think I am in support of at least some type of homework.

Dinner, bath and bed for all children by 8 hasn't really been working out too badly but it didn't exactly happen each and every night.  Though it has not been far off the mark and a definite improvement from times gone by.  The girls are slowly adjusting to the life of a routine.  I know that if I keep at it it won't be long till it is second nature.

However I was so busy trying to make this matter that other things got slightly overlooked.  As I write there is a small mountain of washing waiting to be folded.  It has quietly been growing for a few days now.  Thankfully though there is not much to wash.  A load at the most.

The dishes by the sink are washed and just waiting to be put away so the kitchen is fairly under control.  Mind you, there were a few days when coming downstairs to make the morning coffee was simply frightful because of the state that the kitchen had been left in the night before.

I haven't felt nearly together as I did the week before.  There were odd glimpses a couple of days where it felt like I had everything under control but there were only glimpses and mostly rather fleeting.  I didn't get nearly as much blogging done as what I would like to do.  In fact for the first time in probably months I didn't take time on Thursday to be thankful.  For the second week running I didn't know things on Friday either.

I must remember it is all about small steps and not getting defeated when the steps feel like they are going backwards.  I can do this.  I can make the change that I desire.

What about YOU?  

What is the change that you desire?  

What is it in your life that you want to MAKE MATTER?

Me & YOU Monday, Making it Matter

Hello and welcome to another Me & YOU Monday where we Make it Matter.  

My name's Rhianna and I am your hostest with the mostest (even if I do say so myself).  

Seriously though I want to thank you for taking the time to have a read and I really hope that you take the opportunity to find something in your life that you want to make matter.

So whats this all about?

In a nutshell I am trying to turn my previously chaotic and disorganised life into something the resembles order and routine.  As much as I may fear them it appears as if they are in fact necessary to a stable upbringing when children are involved.  Thankfully I have learnt that they do not need be military like, just some secure guidelines and ways of getting things done that eventually lead to a smoother, happier outcome.

The old outdated me would often let things slide.  There was a great number of things that did not matter to me.  You know things like dishes and washing and just general domestic duties.  Why rush into getting them done when they would only need doing again in the not to distant future.  Save it for later and just do it once.

The new revised and updated me knows that awesome feeling of coming downstairs first thing in the morning and not having to fight dirty dishes while trying to make coffee/breakfast and packed lunches.  Having the dishes done straight after they are used does matter.  Hanging the clothes up straight away does matter as then there are less crinkles to be found.  Little simple things that I know just as many people struggle with as well as do without a second thought.  There are ways to just make it a way of life and then it stops being a chore.

Last week I spoke of how I was buckling down and starting to get serious.  With the return of work for hubs and school for the kidlets, it also meant the start of me maintaining our new way of life.  I was a little apprehensive to say the least.  I am so good at having such unreasonable expectations that I am forever setting myself up for failure.  Or at least I was.

I am rather pleased to say that come Sunday morning the house was still in pretty good shape.  And not as a result of Hubs having to do to much.  Sure there were a few days in the middle where things got out of hand.  But only just.  On the whole I really feel like I didn't let any balls drop, well at least not important ones, which is a bit of a cool feeling.

Only I am not going to get too carried away as there is still plenty of room for improvement.  If I look back at my list of ten things to aim for each day I struggle fail to get full marks on any occasion.  Which is ok.  Must remember baby steps and all that.  On the upside I finally got the car cleaned out and have maintained it rubbish free for a few days.  Fingers crossed this week I will get to give it a vac as well.

This week the thing I want to make matter the most is

The School Routine  

I mainly have Miss L in mind here but it won't hurt for Miss Z to start creating good study habits at an early age.  I think know how important it is to take the time to read with children.  To spend time playing word and number games.  Creatively practice the times tables and all that.

Now that we know what is going to matter to me this week how about YOU?

What are you going to make matter?

I hope that you will come and join in, it is super, super easy.

1. Have a look at your life 
2. Find something that you want to make matter a little more
3. Spend a week (or more) consciously making it matter a little more
4. Blog about it
5. Share the post here
6. Tell all your friends and get them to do the same, tweeting about it as you go

Me & YOU - A bit of a change

So I was more than a little excited when The Mother Experiment sent me a message asking if I was interested in hosting Me & YOU for a while. Actually I am pretty sure you would have heard the hell yeah from wherever you are.  Mind you there was a twang of sadness as I knew it meant that Karlee would not be posting as much.

The Mother Experiment created this awesome linky way back in August last year. She thought that in a supportive and caring way, mothers could share their troubles and work through it together.  Actually to quote her directly

Being a mum can be isolating and hard. Let's help each other change those niggling little problems that eat away at us. Together we can make a change. Don't give up. We care about YOU. Link up your goal here.

It came at just the right time for me and I have barely missed a week since. I was devastated, but totally understood, when weekly turned to monthly as Karlee and her beautiful family welcomed their newest addition. Mind you I was overjoyed to see it return to weekly.

For me, Me & YOU began as a means of making myself more accountable for the state of my house. A domestic goddess I am not. I am still amazed how sharing my struggles here actually helped to motivate me to make much needed changes in my life.

It hasn't always been easy and there have been week's that were epic fails but those are the weeks that inspire me to keep going and try harder. In fact I would at times even find myself doing the dishes and thinking oh good I can put this in my post on Monday.  I momentarily started to think that perhaps it was what some might call 'sad' doing housework purely to put in a blog post, but then decided it doesn't matter how I get things done just as long as they get done.

Not wanting to bore my readers with the same thing each week and realizing that I need to write about this every week to help me stay on track I came up with the tag line Making it Matter.

 For too long I let things not matter. It didn't matter to me if the dishes didn't get done. Nor did it matter if the washing stayed on the line for days at a time. Now it does and I honestly feel better about the house and myself for making the effort to make things matter.

In many way it feels very evolutionary to join Me & YOU with Making it Matter.  Me & YOU, making IT matter together.  How great does that sound? Brilliant I know!!!  I only wish it wasn't so late and I didn't have so much to do or I could whip a fandangle new button.  All in good time though I guess.


I hope that you will come and join in, it is super, super easy.

1. Have a look at your life 
2. Find something that you want to make matter a little more
3. Spend a week (or more) consciously making it matter a little more
4. Blog about it
5. Share the post here
6. Tell all your friends and get them to do the same, tweeting about it as you go

Karlee was right, being a mum can be really isolating, which is strange because there are also so many similarities to be found among many a mum.  When we share we strengthen.  Not just ourselves but others as well.











-fairy wishes and butterfly kisses

Me & YOU Monday - Starting To Get Serious...well sort of

Last week was the last week of the school holidays so rather than set myself too many overwhelming goals all that was meant to matter last week was family time. Sounds easy enough really but sadly I think in some ways I failed this week. Given that we've just returned back from holiday altogether family time is something we've been enjoying quite a lot of lately. I had thought that would've been easy to just continue on with the good vibes that carried us through the holiday. Only once we returned home the dynamics had changed and those good vibes were slightly harder to find.

As much as holidays are fun they are also tiring. Especially for children who need to adjust to the joys of daylight saving and a summertime that sees the sun still up at 9 o'clock. Their poor little body clocks and no sooner worked it out and it was time to come on home. With an early check out time and delayed flights and a nearly midnight arrival home time the first few days home left us all feeling exhausted.

With mass exhausting and the down after the highs of holidays tension is easily found. Near on cyclonic winds and constant rain has not really helped either. Combine that with hub's pressure to keep the house in the immaculate condition he predominantly created and life has not exactly been rosy,

It is not all doom and gloom though. There were times when we were able to really enjoy some quality family time together. Times when we just grabbed the scooters and hit the road, well the footpath. Getting out and being active is always a sure fire way to bring us together. The plan is to actually make time every afternoon for family exercise. It may have taken five years but we have finally found a nice little loop around the neighborhood and if all goes according to plan we should be able to fit said loop in before dinner once hub's returns home from work.

Tomorrow sees the return of school. Hubs went back to work today and life is now officially back to normal. To tell you the truth I am trying not to be overwhelmed by it all. There is no doubt that the house is only looking as awesome as it is because of all the work that hubs did. He was the driving force behind it all. Only he can't be expected to maintain the house and earn all the money and I can't earn the money that he does, so that leaves me with the house.

(deep breath)

Deep down I know I can do this, it is just a matter of getting to deep down. At the moment I am more at the think I can stage more than the know I can stage. Baby steps I guess.  One step at a time and just keep on stepping.

Mind you when you read the list of possible tasks for this week it looks like anything but baby steps

In no particular order

• Kids washed dressed and fed ready for school departure at 8am
• Lunches for hubs and kids made in advance so as to avoid mad morning rushes
• Beds made before slept in
• Current levels of tidiness maintained, if not increased
• 6.30 Dinner
• 7.30 Bed time
• 5.30 Wake time for me to allow for morning exercise (maybe not every morning but 3 mornings would be nice)
• Limit electronic time
• Blog regularly
• Afternoon scooter with kidlets and dog (may alternate with swim or trip to park)

Oh my goodness I better stop now before I hyperventilate.

You see in between all of that I want to get my Martha Stewart on and bake a heap of goodies, as well as catch up with some mummy friends and plan with Jess how we can take over the blogging world.  Or at least the local chapter.  All the while guiding and nurturing the girls to be the very best they can be and ensuring the same for myself.  Sounds easy enough... doesn't it?

Oh and I must clean out the car.  I know I said I would do it last week but it was raining.  Well every time I thought of it, it was raining.  Which was lovely in many ways, but not in the clean the inside of your car way.

So this week I am sad to say that I am not linking this up with my dear friend Karlee over at The Mother Experiment because she is no longer the host.  Instead I am super pleased to be saying come on over and join in here!  With me!  The new (and a little bit chuffed) host.

Karlee once again thanks for starting such a wonderful meme.  It really has helped change my life.  

I feel honoured that you asked me to help it live longer.

Things I Know - Body Image

Hello and welcome to this week's installment of one of my most favourite linky's ever.  As one of the very first memes that I participated in TIK will always hold a special place in my heart.  Especially since they are some of my most read posts.  Incase you are wondering where to find out more about this wonderous meme head over to






I actually started writing this post two weeks ago.  It came about after reading this post by Jess over at Diary of a SAHM.  It truly left me speechless for many different reasons.  I tried leaving a comment on the post but knew there was much more I needed wanted to say.  Which was great.  With the impending holiday being able to write a post well in advance and then scheduled to post automatically was like a dream come true.
Anyway, we all know about the best laid plans...
The post never got finished, which in this case actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  In fact I do believe the universe was actually telling me to just wait and see what was round the corner
You know Jess, yes the one I mentioned earlier, well she sent me an email telling me about a challenge that she was throwing out to the blogosphere at large.  One that I was only too happy to take part in.  Better yet a whole heap of other super cool blogging chicks also joined in and as such this awesome video was created. 
Click here to read more about the Your Worth it Challenge
Body Image is a  topic full of discussion that constantly gets tongues talking.  Everything about it seems to make my head spin.  I find all the different view points over whelming, especially the ones where beautiful people can't see what others can.  The horrible way one's mind distorts things, sends shivers through my spine.
Appearance is a funny thing.  Open to so much interpretation and easily taken the wrong way.  In many ways I know it is not something I give much thought to but at the same time I know that I am guilty at times of judging wrongly purely on appearance.  When I think of how I must appear at times the shivers turn to a shudder.
As I am sitting here trying to type out this post I am crunching on some corn chips and sipping an icy cold cola infused beverage.  I had baked potato and baked beans, covered in cheese and butter.  Yep butter.  Lots of it.  What I am trying to say is that I like my food and I enjoy eating it.  I am one of those everything in moderation gals and it all seems to work out ok.  (hhhhmmmmm I am wondering if perhaps moderation is the right word, extreme moderation doesn't quite sound right either) 
So what if my BMI says I am on the obese side of the scale?  I say that BMI is a load of crap.  Yes 75kg might be heavy for a girl my height (162cm) but it ain't the end of the world.  
Actually I can recall a conversation I had with a colleague (yep there was actually a point in time when I worked for a living) many years ago.  I had said my ideal weight was 80kg.  I felt that at that weight I would be tall and strong.  Only height is harder to gain when you reach a certain age.  Turns out it wasn't as great as I expected.  Which my colleague (who at the time I called a friend) had predicted.
The thing is though I am not overly dissatisfied either.  I don't want to be a bikini model.  I mean sure it would be nice but really? On a regular basis, having eyes just constantly beat down upon you.  A steadfast gaze as they critically anyalse every curve, bump and sleek slender line.  I didwould find it a bit overwhelming at times.  Imagine the work it takes to not just create but maintain one of those bodies that would more aptly be called a machine.  Too much effort for this little black duck.
Having said that though I don't want to be a fat blump either.  I want to be muscular and strong.  I currently settle for somewhere in between but hope to change that very soon.  I think that the effort and results levels are even.  You can't ask for more than that.  Well you can actually, and I am about to.
I know I need to change the way I think about my body.  I don't see the point in getting all sad about the shape of my body, it is after all in my hands.  Which is great but it doesn't motivate me to do anything about it.  If I want to do something about it I have the means to do so.  I know that.  But for some reason it is easier not to try. If I don't set expectations.  I won't get let down.  Or at least that is what the old me thought.
I find it hard to motivate myself to do anything about what some might call my excess weight.  Well at least I did.  I mean I am not finding it easy as such, but it certainly is getting easier to motivate myself for a whole range of activities.  I am changing the way I think, about a lot of things.  I am trying to make things matter.  I know I am one of those things that needs to matter more often.  
But I digress, I promised to share what I know about body image.
I know that I would rather buy a small mens rather than size 16 ladies.I know I was seriously deluded to think that a size 10 rashie would fit me.  I'm kinda cross the shop assistant wasn't slightly more forthcoming with that kind of info, but I guess it is not the easiest thing to break to someone.I know that while I may have been a bit more active of late I need to not kid myself in what actually needs to be done.I know that when I think of what I want my body to look like in the future the answer is strong.I know that as the mother to three girls the whole concept of body image scares me like you wouldn't believe.I know I would rather think about being strong and powerful than thin and beautiful.  I know that the media has created a warped perception of body images and beauty.I know beauty is within as all if only we look.

Oh yeah and cause it's Friday and this post is awesome I am going to flog it

Me & YOU Monday. On Tuesday.

Yep that's right I'm a day late with my post for Karlee's awesome link up to help us all focus on finding ways that make our life as a whole just a little better.  Thankfully for Me (& YOU) is that the link is open all week so there is still plenty of time to join in.

Regular readers will know that I generally use this space to talk about Making things Matter.  Last week I started to explain what it was all about.  To be truthful I wasn't completely happy with the way it all came out.  I even questioned whether I should have posted.  Even though I was on holiday, there were still some things that just couldn't stop mattering and blogging was one of them.  You see blogging makes me feel good and since holidays are all about doing that which feels good...

I still struggle at times deciding exactly what it is I need to make matter.  Because let's face it the list of things that matter in life is endless.  And ever changing.  But then rarely are good things stagnant.

One of the reasons I am late (according only to me) in getting this post out is because I was busy making things other than blogging matter.  Things like unpacking, feeding the masses and beginning the mammoth task of conquering the Mt Washmore that is created with the frivolities of holidays.

There were also fun things like looking through some 700 photos of our week away.  Yep you read right 700.  Just under 100 a day.  Not too bad when you consider it is shared between two iphones and a DSLR (gee I just felt like a name dropper)  Fingers crossed I will have some ready to share on Wednesday.

Hubs recently made a comment about my filing, or rather lack there of, in Mac's iPhoto app.  Since he may have had a valid point, I have spent much of the evening trying to create sense among the thousands of photos which I have stored in a bid to preserve ever lasting memories.  If I had taken the time to make a to do list I am sure somewhere this would have been on it.

There is still one week of the school holidays left.  Hubs returns to work next week.  With the public holiday on Thursday, school shopping, a birthday celebration for a friend, catching up with friends and whatever else pops up along the way I am sure the week is going to fly by.  Much to my disappointment.  I am not ready for this time to end yet.

I am still in a little holiday bubble and I don't want it to burst yet.  I think I under estimated just how run down I was.  I am not sure I am fully rejuvenated yet.  I am not sure I want to go back to all day with out hubs around.  I love it when we are around each other all the time.  Having an extra pair of hands and sometimes even just ears with the girls can be a wonderful blessing at times.  Plus it is so nice for the girls to have their dad around as well.

I digress though.

Well not really.  Because that is what is going to Matter this week.

The time we spend together as a family.  

I want us to continue to enjoy the wonderful time we had on holiday.  Where worries slipped on by and we just enjoyed what we had.  At least for a little bit longer.  Since the house is in such a wonderful order at the moment thanks to all our hard work before we left, it only seems right that we spend some more time having fun.

There are a heap of things I want to get done blogging wise but I am not going to put too much pressure on myself for that at the moment.  Blogging occurs best when the house is in harmony.  Well at least that is how blogging works best for me.  Of course harmony occurs most when sleep is had which means I should possibly consider whether I should be here right now or not.  The ever constant juggling act of life I guess.

There is one thing though that I must make matter this week and that is the state of the car.  It should have been done before we went away but we simply ran out of time.  I promised hubs that I would try and stay on top of this in the future.  As the second biggest asset we have, it should be well looked after.

So that is what will matter for me this week.  Family time and clean car.  What about you?  Got something you want to change niggling away at you?  Being a mum can be isolating and hard.  Let's help each other change.  Together we can.  Head here for more

Oh and since it is now Tuesday, and I am blogging, I am linking up with the lovely Jess over at Diary of a SAHM for

Me & YOU - What is Making it Matter all about?

You may have noticed that over the last few weeks I have been banging in about Making it Matter.  Essentially this is my mantra for 2012.

You see for way too long I have let things slide.  I have been happy to live a footloose and fancy free type of life.   One where house work and a whole range of other boring and mundane essential parts of life where ignored for as long as possible.

You see all I really did was stop things from mattering.  It did bother me if the dishes weren't done.  To me it didn't matter if clothes stayed on the line for days at a time and then took nearly a week to actually get it to the cupboard. After all, clothes will only be worn again, which then only result in them needing to be washed again. One of life's true bitter circles.

Last week my challenge was to declutter my house and boy did it feel good.  Thanks to hubs having the week off we, and by that I mean him, got a whole heap of crap cleaned up. Hubs did a great job in keeping me focused and on track. He also brought out the ruthlessness in me and managed to convince me to part with my beloved junk.

Unfortunately I did not think of counting just how many bags of crap we expelled until we had nearly finished, but from hubs and mine guesstamics we are thinking a ball park figure of over 20.  Which is pretty impressive. Some of the stuff went straight to the dump shop while others really were only good for compost. There were also quite a few bags that were good enough for the op shop.

In all seriousness those close to me are greatly concerned of the very real possibility of my possible appearance on that TV show about hoarders. Not that I am that bad yet but unless I take hold and start letting things go now I could very well be there in the future.

For now though my house is awesome. It is looking better than it ever has. Some parts of it even look like they could appear in magazine shoot. It is (for the most part) clear of clutter, junk and general rubbish. There are a few little hidden pockets that will be need to be dealt with over the coming weeks but it is all much more manageable than what it once was. Actually I think it is currently much more manageable than ever before.

For this week the things that will matter are having fun. And lots of it. We are currently on holidays and having a blast. The weather hasn't played along as well as it could but it hasn't been bad enough to really complain about.

As always on a Monday I am joining in with The Mother Experiment's Me & YOU link up. A supportive and caring place to work on being a better you. Head over and see what everyone else is up to this week www.themotherexperiment.com

Me & YOU - Making it Matter, Wk 2

As I wipe the sleep out of my eyes I am torn between writing another awesome blog post or doing the dishes.  Yes I said torn, and yes I meant it.  You see part of my mantra for 2012 is all about making it matter.  Which, if you know me personally, you will know is a pretty big change of direction.  Actually it is so much of a change it is like a complete turn around.

For the past however many years I have done a superbly wonderful job of letting things not matter.  It didn't matter if the washing got done today, eventually it would.  It didn't matter if the dishes waited till, I was ready, which may well be a good twenty four hours after they used.  So many little things just didn't matter.  I was beyond carefree.

Which is nice in a way-to-relaxed kind of way.  Though at times I feel that relaxed is just a very polite way of saying lazy.  With that in mind I am setting out to cure my insatiable desire to do nothing and instead make things matter.

I am so dedicated to the cause I even went and made myself a cute little button, because as well all know I just love buttons.  I am not sure I made it the same way a proper button maker would but for now it will work just fine for me.

For the most part my Making it Matter posts will be what I link up with The Mother Experiment's Me & YOU Monday.  If it weren't for Me & YOU I can't help but wonder if I ever would have made it realising the importance of making it matter.  If there is something in your life you want to change or make matter come and share the journey.  You will be amazed at the effect it will have just by having it out there.

Last week I chose four things to make matter.  Good quality and regular sleep, staying on top of the regular household chores, being present, having fun and not wasting time online.  For the most I did a pretty good job of making these things matter.  I did still waste a little time but not nearly as much as once before and a girls gotta take time out somehow.

Just between you and me I have almost enjoyed doing a load of washing a day.  I have kept it to only the one and it has always been put away as soon as it comes in and it has all been so easy.  Of course as I write this I actually am slipping behind just slightly but as it is still fairly early there is plenty of time for that to be rectified.  On the upside though those dishes I mentioned at the start of the post no longer need doing.

One thing I have noticed as well is that by regularly doing just a little here and there I can actually start to notice a difference which naturally only inspires me to do more.

This week is hub's first week of holidays.  We had planned to do a massive declutter.   It all sounded so lovely a great big clean out to start the year with.   Of course having adventure's every day outside the house would also be great.  I guess this is that precarious balance of life that first world life is full of.

Whether I like to admit it or not there is too much crap laying around here.  Pure and simple.  There is no need for it all to be taking up precious space in my already busting at the seams little town house.  It needs to be gone through and I may as well take advantage of hubs being able to lend a hand.  He is less attached to the rubbish than I so it is always quicker and easier when he helps.  I tried to convince myself that I would do it when the girls go back to school but realised I was probably kidding myself.

So for this week that is what will matter.  Cleaning out the clutter.  As well the Constants.  As the name suggests they are things that constantly need to matter.  There is too many to type out as often as I think they will be mentioned so it is best if they just get all grouped together.  In a nutshell though constants are things like, exercise, washing, dishes, writing, being present, having fun, and the like.  The daily little things that I want to matter each and every day.

Next week we will be visiting my sister interstate, which I am more than a little excited about.  We will be gone for 8 glorious days.  I am hoping to have a heap of scheduled posts all ready to roll but only time will tell if that goes to plan.  Thankfully for Me & YOU readers though I have that post already sorted.  Over the next few weeks I will be concentrating on going into more detail about what Making it Matter is all about.

For now though head on over to The Mother Experiment and see what everyone else is up to this week.  Then make sure you pop back next week to see how it all went.  And hey don't forget you can always join in too.  The more the merrier.