Not going anywhere…

still waiting on a call with a date for my kitchen

still waiting on a call back from the boys new school about some extra orientation for them

not coping very well with the heat…so dishes are still waiting too …blah!

Need to get ready for retreat  – have thought about what to pack…sadly I don’t have the power of telekenetics so it hasn’t flown into the tote on its own…going to have to do it myself.

Well I have tomorrow (with Corey) and Friday (with Corey) as well as evenings to get organised…will get there eventually.

 

Mondays to do list

Well I am so happy with all the things I got done the other day when I listed my tasks in the morning that I thought I would try it again!

Just a boring mundane list of things but somehow writing them here makes me more accountable to do them or perhaps just doing in the morning sets me going for the day.  I do note that I am getting out of bed more easily in the mornings these days (possibly because I have been getting to bed earlier – although I’m sure I didn’t sleep much/at all last night).

So here goes….

shopping list – ilford photo paper (cartridge world),

corner muncher -monster corner rounder for chipboard mini albums I plan to make at retreat – (Scrappe Angels),

flywire, spline & spline roller to repair front wire door (Bunnings),

Pears (fruit shop/supermarket)

Sleeping bag stuff sack – am thinking that buying just a stuff sack might solve my dilemna of my doona taking up so much room when I pack to go camping and be cheaper than buying myself a sleeping bag right now (kmart).

Am not so thrilled that I will have to drive all over town today and suspect if I do all that I won’t get much else done!

Actually fixing the wire door I will probably leave til evening when the kids are in bed or at least when the big ones are at Joeys as it might be cooler then.  I want to get photos printed from our Grampians holiday and our day at the Tulip festival and start packing my scrap tote for retreat.  I also need to get the portable air con set up again with the thing in the window etc as I suspect we may be needing it.

Am pretty pleased to discover that my front wire door actually closes properly again as it didn’t through winter and in fact I was in the process of demonstrating that it didn’t work when I realised it now does…I was looking into door curtains to keep the flies at bay instead – still need one for the back door (although i may try to hold the door in the frame and see if it is worth attempting to put it back on its hinges too).

EDITED TO ADD

ok I got the shopping done except for the stuff sack as I am simply not going to pay $15 for it – will use a pillow case it will be a bit bigger but I’ll deal with it.

Got a door curtain for the back door for $6 AND installed it! Got the air con set back up and working ahhhh.

Got my other stuff BUT when I went to fix the front door realised I bought the wrong spline…who knew it came in different sizes? I got stuff that was too narrow so won’t work at all.  Will have to shop again and do it another day – just not going back today…besides it is school pick up time already.

Have a little faith..

ok I bet that title has surprised you!

life does not revolve entirely around my new kitchen (doorway is now a wall…still have a window to close up)…

My mum sent me a $50 book voucher for my birthday.  I had plans for today but they were changed  as the friend I was going out to see really wasn’t well so instead I found time for a little shopping.  What to spend my voucher on…I spent a good hour in the book store reading blurbs….I know the old adage of not judging a book by its cover and yet in a book store full of books what is it that first draws you to pick it up.

I picked up many books…this one called ‘Have a little faith’ (by Mitch Albom) I picked up several times and eventually brought home and read the entire book today.    I don’t know what drew me to choose this book but something did and to read a book in a day I obviously enjoyed it.  Not what I usually read was my first thought – but then what do I usually read? It varies these days.  This one was a true story.  It is a beautiful, thought provoking story.

I have more books to read…all different…Angus and Robertson is my favourite bookstore and my local store (I am sure it is the same at others) have a pile of books behind the counter that you can buy for $7 each if you spend $20 first…there is no limit to the number of $7 books you buy.  I have found many gems in that section, although it often means I walk away with 2-3 books (or in this case 4) instead of 1-2.

so what else did I buy….Dirt Music by Tim Winton

and off the $7 shelves….Time of my Life by Allison Winn Scotch

and                                          Days like These by Virginia Duigan

perhaps just as a change from blogging my kitchen I will fill you in on these ones as I read them.

I used to not read because I struggled to put the book down and give the kids the attention they deserved.  These days I realise that it is important for the kids to SEE me reading..to see me LOVING reading…even to see me struggle to put the book down as it shows how much I enjoy it. So let their be books I say!

 

 

checked off the to-do list!

I know I know 2 posts in one day….but then I thought it would be cool to pop in and say that the kitchen is now all (flat packed) and stacked in the scraproom AND I can still access 90% of my stuff.

The stuff got delivered (I outsourced and got one girl to pick them up and deliver).

I went to bunnings for the bits with the guy who was doing the work. Door frame was stuborn – apparently my house is very well built and doesn’t come down easily. He is coming back tomorrow to put the plaster up over the doorway and will do the window probably next week.

The kitchen cupboard got pulled out (with a little help from my friends dh who was here to do the door/window) and was collected (thanks to freecycle) this afternoon.

And I’ve been listening to music from my ipod all day – all in all I’d say a very constructive day!

I am however now thoroughly exhausted.

 

 

little bit tired…but lots to do.

I was up past 1am and am now paying for it. I had a great day/night yesterday. Things are exciting with the kitchen but busy. I got 3 Halloween LOs done last night – one more to do.  Had chocolate cake and cheesecake …..just didn’t have room for the carrot cake too!  Got another pressie too – a full set of purple towels with ‘Jude’ embroided on them lovely and soft too! I was thoroughly spoilt by friends and family yesterday.

Today its down to work.  I am just uploading the last of my 5 cd set ready to put on my iphone and ipod..think I’m going to need some music pumping today!

So todays to do list

upload cds to ipod/iphone

clear more room in scraproom for kitchen cupboards (by noon)

clear out unused kitchen cupboard of last stuff in it plus heaps of stuff on top by 3pm and preferably get it off the wall

get plaster, timber and mortar for the guy who is to brick up the window and block up the doorway

deliver my last SU order around the corner and up the road

ok that’s the absolute essentials for today…I can do that…afterall I have 2.5hrs before noon….ahhh ok quick delivery now while music is going then scraproom then kitchen…not sure when/how I’m gunna manage bunnings though!

Shopping Day!

Man buying an Ikea kitchen is a lot more time consuming than I had thought! Got there at 10 and got back to Werribee at 2.05pm!

Still I have most of the kitchen. There were a few things out of stock which will need another trip in but I have plenty of time and will be able to fit the other things in the car which is good.  Only one cabinet was out of stock the rest is mostly doors.  The best bit about that is that I still got my $300 in vouchers which means that I can go and use the voucher to get the last $325 worth of stuff in effect shaving $300 off my slim kitchen budget and giving me some much needed breathing space.

I don’t have a date yet but as I only faxed the paperwork at midnight I am giving them some breathing space and will call them on Monday morning to organise a date if I don’t hear from him before then.

And I got home to find some cool 80s cds, a voucher from my fav book store and a beautiful handmade card with a note to see the girls at Scrappe’s for my present so that rounds out a pretty good birthday I reckon!

oh except of course – I am off to said Scrappe’s tonight for crop as the kids have now gone to Daddys! A pretty good day all in all. Tomorrow will be busy with the Ikea delivery in the afternoon and hopefully the window being bricked up and the doorway blocked off as well as someone coming to collect one of the old kitchen cupboards. It is all REALLY happening now!  Happy Birthday to me!

Disapointed in Stampin’ Up!

I know that some of you are wondering about my reasons for no longer being an SU! demo so here it is. I will make just this one post about the matter then let it drop.

I have been a demo for just a few days shy of 3 years now and in that time I have done quite well for someone who is really little more than a hobby demo. I haven’t done a lot of classes and workshops, my stamp clubs kept me going and I never had a problem meeting the minimums. I love the product and I made some money and I had a lot of fun.  It’s easy to sell a product you love.

So why quit?

In my eyes SU! quit on me not the other way around.  I signed an independent demo agreement when I became a demo and as of today if I refuse to sign the new agreement I am no longer a demo. Many people have no problems with the new agreement…many people (like me) do have issues.  I said when I signed up that I wouldn’t let SU! take over my life. It was to be a part of my life, a part of my stamping and scrapbooking, never all of it…I needed a balance. The new agreement destroys that balance as it means that I am not allowed to say by name or link to any stamping or scrapbooking product that is not SU! I find this WAY too restrictive a policy for me to sign.  There are people all over the world laying their lives on the line to fight for freedom of speech. We are lucky in this country to have that freedom and in fact I think many people are so used to it that they don’t realise just how precious it is.  I had no problem with only mentioning SU! product on my SU! blog…but when they specifically laid down restrictions of what I could say and link to on my PERSONAL blog and on my FACEBOOK page ……well that is going too far.

This is my PERSONAL blog and will always remain so. It is for me to say what I feel about anything and I will not be told what I can or cannot say.  I am disapointed. I loved my time with SU! and if they ever decide to retract the restrictions I would give consideration to going back (although there is a certain lack of trust when a company can bring in such restrictions with literally one month of notice…like it or lump it).  For me, my stamp club was just finishing and I had no bookings for November ….it was like it was meant to be…

The saying goes that when God closes a door he opens a window….I will keep my eyes out for the window…perhaps it is just to really enjoy my scrapping freedom again.  I rumaged in my room yesterday and rediscovered some clear stamps and my Xyron 250…and I have my new found love for RANGER STICKLES and am looking forward to getting out my big shot again with all my cuttlebug embossing folders.   I will continue to use SU! products as I have a lot of them and love them still.

I will miss it and I do hope that the many friends I have made through SU! will remain friends. I respect that everyone has had to make their own decision on this issue and have nothing against those that signed the new agreement…to each his/her own I say.

So that’s it….I placed my last order yesterday.  I will miss it. But I will find something else to do with my time I am sure – perhaps my scrap room will finally get organised, perhaps I will continue to scrap in a huge mess and enjoy the create chaos….who knows….life is an adventure after all.

Testing blogging from iphone

Gotta love my iPhone! Should be easier to make that daily post if I can blog from my phone!

Still alive…

I know I’ve been awol more than I’ve been around lately. All is well just the usual stuff….
Daycare had to stop on Wednesdays so I had to quit the swimming lessons but am confident that I can actually swim freestyle and backstroke now and just have to make time to go practice at the local pool when I am kid free. Talked to the nice boss lady yesterday about things and spent today finding daycare for Corey for Thursdays and rearranging his swimming lessons so that I can work on Thursdays (retail) I get to use the scanny thing ….I know small things amuse me terrible isn’t it. In reality I have to keep in mind that current centrelink rules mean I will have to work 15hrs a week when Corey turns 6 and while that is still 2 years away I need to take opportunities when they crop up. Corey’s old daycare centre are very happy to have him back so he will head off there in the morning and I will go to work.
Am going to have to get myself organised a bit better as since Sue was here for a visit on the weekend I’m hanging out to scrapbook…need the photos she took while she was here though!

well I should be in bed so excuse the random gibberish….

p.s. got a purple shiny cover for my iphone and downloaded some new aps….now I love my iphone even more!

thoughts on being a single mum..

When I was little and I painted a picture in my head of what my life would be like it always included a pretty little house with a husband and kids…..
My house is hardly pretty but at least it is mine (well ok the bank owns a chunk too), the kids are there (although I pictured them better behaved lol)…the husband…well if the one I had was the only option then best to do without anyway…

there are ups and downs of the whole single mum thing.
I get to set the rules and what I say goes…..
…..but if I’m tired sometimes it is difficult to always follow through
I don’t need to consult anyone else about major purchases or decisions….
….but I have no one to discuss them with to help me decide.
I get every second weekend off, I can sleep in, I can go out, I am FREE….
….but every second Christmas they go to Dads…

I know that their Dad loves them and it is ‘fair’ that they spend every second Christmas with their Dad. And I have no problems when they spend Easter at Daddy’s but Christmas is harder.

Why does this hit now? Cause I had to discuss with the ex when he was having them so I could make plans. So he will take them on Xmas eve which is a Thursday this year in the evening and bring them back Sunday night…it’s only 3 sleeps….I could go somewhere….I could stay home…it isn’t like I have no where to go or no friends to go to…but I don’t want to be a downer on anyone’s Christmas either… I thought about doing Christmas for them here on Christmas Eve but then they would go to Daddy’s that evening and either take their toys or leave them neither option is ideal….So I think we will have ‘our’ Christmas when they get back from Daddy’s. Maybe one day it’ll be easier….everyone has a Christmas without their kids eventually as they grow up and get involved with other people right?

but really if every 2nd Christmas is the worst thing about being a single mum then surely its only one day in 730! So I’m gunna do my best to learn to enjoy a Child Free Christmas, one with no fights over new toys and no constant stream of chat about the intricate details of the game from one boy who has no filter to detect boredom in his audience, one where I don’t have to help 3 little boys to get food before I eat mine. Surely a Christmas without the responsibility of children can be enjoyed (in the knowledge that I can then do it all again a few days later with the kids)…the best of both worlds right?