Our Afternoon & Evening Routine...

Hello lovelies, I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far!  Continuing on from Thursday's post ‘Our Morning Routine’ today I am sharing what an afternoon and evening in our home looks like.

4pm  My oldest two arrive home from school

I don’t give the kids a lot to do during the week, for me their main priority is their school work.  However, they still contribute to the running of the household with little jobs that really help me out

• Empty school bags and leave any school notes on the kitchen bench
• Afternoon snack
• Bring washing in
• Feed Bella
• Shower and put uniforms in the wash
• Homework and ½ and hour of reading

5.30pm to 6pm I pick up my youngest from my parent’s house
When we arrive home

• I make a start on dinner
• My youngest will unpack her bag and put any school notes on the kitchen bench
• My youngest has a shower and puts her uniform in the wash

 
6 to 6.30pm Dinner is served
Time is dependent on when we got home, but I like to have dinner served by 6.30pm at the latest and will never cook anything during the week that will take me longer than half an hour to prepare and cook.

7pm Clean up time

After dinner the kids will help clear the table and rinse their plate, I stack the dishwasher and wipe down the benches etc.  I clean while I’m cooking so that after dinner there isn’t a massive mess to clean up. 

• Clear kitchen and stack dishwasher
• Kids are generally watching TV or reading

 7.30pm Bedtime for my youngest

• I will lay with her and read a book or we just cuddle and chat for a bit until she falls asleep, she’s usually fast asleep in 5 to 10 minutes.
• Once she is asleep I jump in the shower
• I collect any other laundry and put a load of washing on, setting the timer so the load finishes around 7am the next morning
• I will sit and watch TV or talk to the older kids for a while until they head to bed

 
8pm to 8.30pm Older kiddies head to bed
My two older kids are good with bedtimes, basically it’s bedtime at 8.30pm but if they’re tired they’ll head to bed earlier.

Once everyone is asleep I will prepare as much as I can for the next day and do a quick tidy

• Make school lunches
• Fold washing that my older kids brought in earlier and put it away
• Clean up any mess from making lunches and turn dishwasher on
• Iron uniforms and pick work clothes for the following day
• Sign any school notes, and read any school notes left on the kitchen bench
• I do a quick pick-up of any mess, 10 minutes tops
• Quick vacuum of the kitchen and main living areas (this takes me about 5minutes)

 

9.00pm  Me time

This is my time so to speak, I usually turn the TV on to watch something I’ve recorded from earlier in the week and turn my laptop on and do some studying or work on an assignment, it’s nothing too exciting but it’s quiet and peaceful and gives me to relax and unwind or get some studying done without eating into time with the kids.
 

10.30pm to Midnight Bedtime

I know that’s a bit of range…if I’m just watching TV generally I’ll head to bed around 10.30pm but if I am working on an assignment it might be closer to midnight!

So that is pretty much a normal afternoon and evening in our home, on Mondays Eva has ballet so I finish work early and will pick her up at 3.30pm to take her home and get changed before ballet at 4.25pm but we are still home at around 5.30pm.  I would love to hear what your routines look like…I love reading your comments and would love to hear from you.

I hope you all have a wonderful and happy day xx

 

 

 

Our Morning Routine...

I love reading and hearing about how other people run their homes, their routines and how they manage to keep on top of things and let's be honest I'm a little nosey and love a little glimpse into other people's homes and everyday lives.  I love a 'routines' post for ideas and inspiration and thought I would share what a typical morning in our home looks like.  I work full-time as a Financial Planner, however on Wednesdays I typically work from home, this is when I aim to get all my admin and paperwork done for the week.  So Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this is what a morning looks like in our home...

 

5am Wake up time

I like to wake before the kids, this gives me an hour of ‘me’ time in the mornings.  I always head out and start my coffee (I would seriously be lost without my Nespresso!) while I’m waiting for my coffee I make my bed.  Coffee in hand I check my work and personal emails, and the calendar (I use my outlook calendar on my phone which is synced to my work calendar also).  I go through my to-do list and add or remove anything I need to do for the day.

 

6am I wake my older kiddies

During this time they 

• Make their beds
• Have breakfast (they rinse and put their dishes straight into the dishwasher)
• Get ready for school (uniforms on, teeth, hair, pack bags etc.)
• I empty the dish washer while they’re having breakfast, it is also general chit chat time and an opportunity to see what they’ve got on for today and how they’re feeling
• I start getting ready for work, it usually takes me about half an hour to do my makeup and hair

 

6.45am My youngest usually wakes (or I'll wake her) 

We lay in her bed for about 10mins and get I lots of hugs and kisses and we both talk about how we’d much rather just stay in bed all day!  Once I've managed to coax her out of bed

• Breakfast time (I make breakfast for her)
• Get ready for school (washes her face, brushes her teeth, uniform and shoes on and packs her bag)
• I will do her hair and then she usually hangs out on the couch, draws or reads a book
• I make her bed in the mornings
• I get dressed for work
• Hang out the washing (each night I put a load on and set the machine to finish its wash at 7am)

 

7.15am The older kiddies head off to school

• I do a quick last minute pickup if needed
• Pack the car (school bag, work bags etc.)

 

7.30am We leave home

I drop off my youngest at parent’s house, I am very blessed that my parents take her to school and pick her up from school and that she hangs out with them in the afternoons until I finish work.  After the morning drop off, I head to work from my parents at around 7.45am and am in the office anywhere between 8am – 8.30am depending where I am based for the day.

 

That is pretty much us day in day out.  Tomorrow, I will post our afternoon/evening routines.  In the coming weeks I thought I would continue breaking down, in a little more detail what I do to keep our home running as smoothly as possible.  Hopefully there might be something you can take away to help you or even better maybe there is something you do that you could share…I love reading your comments and would love for you to share what your morning routine looks like!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful and happy day xx

Bedroom love...

I have finally gotten around to finishing this bedroom for my gorgeous girl, and I love how much my sweet girl loves her bedroom!

I received so much love on Instagram for this room, and have had questions around where items are from...so I thought I would do a little round up of some of the lovely items, that turned a room into a gorgeous bedroom for my little girl.  I hope you love as much as we do!

Wall decals are from Sticker Worx I purchased mine via eBay

Bed and Chest of draws are from Fantastic Furniture

Easter Egg Garland (on mirror) is from Woolworths

Bedside Draw/Side table I purchased sometime ago, but similar one is available here at Kmart

Heart Fairy Lights (wrapped around bedhead) are from Kmart

 Aqua Dipped Stool, Faux Fur Rug, Bedspread, Cushions (Sun and Rain Cloud), Heart light and Artwork all from Kmart

Letter 'E' from Typo

Pink Polka Dot Cushion from Pillow Talk

 

If I have missed anything or you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you! xx

This weeks finds...Kmart

Kmart's 'Bring the bright home' catalogue is filled with so much loveliness!! I, myself will be making a stop after work, and hopefully those shelves won't be empty by the time I get there!  The catalogue starts today and runs through until Wednesday 3rd June, 2015.  Click here to take you directly to the Kmart 'Bring the bright home' catalogue.  

 

I thought I would share some of my picks from the catalogue, but seriously it is all so lovely! We all know that these goodies at Kmart don't always last...run don't walk people!

 

a. Roomates Jhye Bed Pack $25

b. Wooden Table Lamp $20

c. Roomate Teah Rose Bed Pack $25

d. Knitted Ottoman - Natural $29

e. Round Wire Basket - Copper $12

f. Homemaker Basket Knit Throw $25

g. Casual Chair $49

h. Knitted Ottoman $29

 

i. Homemaker 3 Tier Trolley $19

j. Homemaker Laundry Sorter $25

k. Homemaker D/QB Jacquard Wool Blend Blanket $35

l. Homemaker Salle De Bain Foot Towel (2pk) $12

m. Homemaker Salle De Bain Storage Hamper $7

n. Homemaker Salle De Bain Bath Towel $10

o. Homemaker Salle De Bain 4pce Bathroom Set $9

p. Homemaker Bits and Bobs Tin $12

 

Happy shopping lovelies! xx

 

 

Weekly Bake...Banana Bread

I had some not so pretty bananas sitting on my kitchen bench, so decided a little banana bread was in order.  I love banana bread almost as much as my kids do! They would have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if they could so it never lasts long in our home.  I have tried so many different recipes and so far this is the best.  It's yummy, moist and best of all easy to make! 

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup, firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup  milk
2 eggs, lightly whisked
50g butter, melted, cooled
2 overripe bananas, mashed (I use 2 large bananas, or 3 medium sized)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (as a rule of thumb I usually drop the temperature 20degrees when baking in a fan forced oven). Brush an 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted dairy spread to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.

 

Sift the combined flours and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Place the milk, eggs, melted butter and banana in a medium bowl, and stir until well combined. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

 

Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Happy Baking lovelies xx

 

DIY Gold Mug...

I have been rather slack on posting for the last 2 weeks! Between sick kids, full-time work and the usual housework and study, it has been a little crazy around here, and I have really struggled to get a little me time of late.  I love Instagram for a quick, pretty photo journal of our life and home, but I love nothing more than sitting down and putting words to paper so to speak, I think that's I why I love the process of writing a blog post.  I use my 'me' time to sit and blog or work on other projects, so I am really going to try and allocate some time for me going forward, as best I can, to spend more time doing things I love...because every mama needs a little break, right?!  Now enough about me, and onto the DIY mugs...

 

I posted my Inspiration a couple of weeks ago here and set about creating my pretty DIY mugs.  I really wanted to try a couple of different metallic finishes, like a rose gold, bronze and silver finish as well as the gold, but as I said before a crazy couple of weeks so I used what I had and that was gold.  I am so happy with the results, they look super cute! I have used them, and no chipping or scratching off, though I have only hand washed and wouldn't recommend putting these pretties in a dishwasher.  Here's how I did it...

What you'll need...

- Spray paint of your choice, I used this White Knight Metallic gold (I love the finish of this spray)

- White mug

- Painter's tape or masking tape

- Clingwrap (not pictured as it was an after thought)

 How I did it...

- Decide on the pattern you want, for this mug I did a horizontal stripe.
- You want to cover everything you don't want sprayed with painter's tape, I wanted the handle gold for this one so I left it tape free.
- Make sure to run your finger nail along the edges of the tape you want a clean, crisp line once the tape comes off.

 

 - For this one I wanted a triangle down the bottom of the mug, I marked out a triangle on both sides of the mug.

- Rather than cover the whole mug in tape for this one I tried clingwrap and taped the edges down, and it worked perfectly.

 

- I also covered the top of the mug with clingwrap so as to prevent any spray getting inside the mug.

- Now the fun bit! Spray as per the directions on the spray can

- I did one light layer and let it dry for 20min before giving it a final coat (this is important you don't want to be too heavy handed with the spray or you'll end up with run marks)

- I removed the tape about 20min (you want it to be dry to the touch) you don't want to leave the tape on longer than necessary

 

How pretty is the end result! I love this little DIY and I love that the sky is the limit when it comes to colours and patterns!



 

Happy DIYing lovelies! xx

Weekly Bake...Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Last night I decided to bake the kiddies some of their very favourite Chocolate Chip Biscuits.  I get asked to make these all the time by the kids, and when the kids have friends over it's always my go to recipe for a morning or afternoon treat and is always a hit!

I have been using this recipe forever, as have my parents, and my nanna.  The recipe is from my Nanna's Edmonds cookbook which was passed down to me, with the first edition published in 1907!  I love this recipe because it is a basic biscuit recipe and from there you can add whatever you'd like, I usually make a triple chocolate chip version using the Basic Biscuit recipe below, and add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup total of white, milk and dark chocolate, I usually eyeball it...you'll know when there is enough chocolate chips in there...can there ever be to much chocolate!?  I have also made the lemon and orange version which are so yummy too! I also make a version with nuts and sultanas, the sky really is the limit with this recipe.
 

Basic Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients

125 g butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
2 cups plain baking flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2cup to 3/4cup chocolate chips (for chocolate chip biscuits)

Method
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy
Add egg, beating well
Sift flour and baking powder into creamed mixture (I add the chocolate chips here)
Mix well (mixture will look crumbly, this is okay)
Roll and push together heaped teaspoonsful of mixture into balls
Place on a greased/lined oven tray and flatten balls down slightly
Bake at 190°C for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden

Chocolate Biscuits
Add 2 tablespoons cocoa when sifting flour

Orange Biscuits

Omit vanilla essence and add 1 tablespoon grated orange rind to creamed mixture

Lemon Biscuits

Omit vanilla essence add 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind to creamed mixture

Happy baking xx

 

 

 

Monday Inspiration...DIY Gold Mug

This morning was crazy in our household as the kids headed back to school.  I like to think I am organised, but somehow regardless of how early I get up or how organised I am, I feel like our school/work mornings are rushed, and always like I have forgotten to do something!

 

As I've mentioned before on a Monday morning I like to set myself up for the week, and this morning after I arrived at work, coffee in hand it was especially nice to just sit and exhale.  I sipped my coffee and went over my big list and to do lists, setting myself up for the week ahead (I always feel so much better after I have done this!).  As I finished off my to do list, I decided I wanted to add a little something pretty to make this week, and thought some gorgeous DIY gold mugs would be perfect!

 

I love all things metallic in finish...with gold and copper on trend at the moment, I think I will definitely try a couple of different colours and finishes.  I can't wait to give this one a try, and internet willing I will have another post up in coming days showing how I went! 

  

DIY Gold mug...both images via Pinterest

 

 Hope your Monday has been a great one! xx

DIY Sisal Rope Bowls...

I apologise for the late post, I was unable to upload on the weekend.  Unfortunately after a year in our home we still struggle with a decent Internet connection or any Internet connection at all...so frustrating!

Last Monday I posted my Pinspiration for the week DIY sisal rope bowls, and the verdict is...I loved this DIY project!! It was a super easy DIY and I love how they turned out.  Below is a little step by step on how I made my rope bowl...

 

 What you'll need...

-  Bowl, jar, container...really the sky's the limit and you can really use whatever you'd like

-  Hot Glue Gun

-  Glue Sticks (I used around 10 sticks in total)

-  Sisal Rope (I picked up mine from the hardware store and used 8mm and 10mm, I purchased 10m of each size and still have some left over)

How I did it...

 1. Start with the handles.  Begin by gluing down the end of your rope to the bottom of the handle.

 

2. Continue wrapping the rope around the handle, popping a little hot glue down as you go (I glued every second wrap).  Be sure to pull and hold quite firmly each time you wrap the rope around.

 

3. Once your handles are both complete, you are now going to start on the bowl.  I started by gluing down the end of the rope at the top of the handle.  Start working your way around the top edge of the bowl, gluing as you go. Once you get to where you started, place a drop of glue a to start point, holding the two lines of rope together firmly. 

 



4. Continue to wrap the rope around, under your top line of rope, gluing and slightly pushing the two rows of rope together.  Continue until you reach the bottom.  Once you reach the bottom, cut the end of the rope on an angle, and then and push the angled end of rope firmly on the rope row before it.  You can trim the end of the rope once glued, you want to try and make it as flat and level as you can to the last row of rope.

 

I also tried this technique out on a glass coffee jar and also wrapping the rope around itself to make a bowl, and they were just as easy...I think wrapping the rope onto itself to make a bowl was the easiest of all of them to make.

 

Have I mentioned how much I love the look of these, and how easy they are!  If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you!  If you do give this little DIY a try I would love to see your finished product...if you have an Instagram account you can tag me on Instagram, or head over to my Facebook to share! Enjoy xx

Monday Inspiration...DIY Sisal Rope Bowl

I love Mondays, there is just something about a Monday that makes me happy!  It's a fresh start, kind of like a New Year but on a weekly basis!

Monday mornings I like to set myself up for the week, for both work and home.  It helps to set the tone for my week ahead, I spend maybe half an hour in the morning going over my to do lists and my big list.  I love to add a little project or new recipe on a Monday to my weekly to do, it inspires me for the week...I love ending the week knowing I have completed and tried something new!

I love Pinterest and it is always a source of inspiration for me! I thought I'd share with you each Monday, a little something that I have added to my list to do or try, and during the week I'll show you how I went...because we all know there are plenty of Pinterest fails!

My pinspiration this week are these sisal rope pretties (all pictures via Pinterest, however where possible I have tried to link directly to original blog)...

Sisal Rope Bowl

 

Sisal Rope Bowl via Pinterest

 

Sisal Rope Containers via Pinterest

 

I love sisal, and woven textures...I spotted these cute little DIYs using sisal rope, and thought I could definitely find a spot in my home for these pretties! I am going to attempt a couple of these, and the beauty of it is I only need to pick up some sisal rope from the hardware store, everything else I have at home, nothing better than a cheap and cheerful project!

Happy Monday xx

Happy Easter!...

Happy Easter my lovelies!!! I hope you and your families have a wonderful, blessed and safe Easter! xx

DIY Easter gifts...

I love all holidays, and Easter is one of my favourites! Perhaps it's all the chocolate involved, or the gorgeous colours I see when I think Easter decorating.  I love to make little Easter gifts each year for the kids to take along to school, for their teachers and classmates.  This year I decided on a simple Easter Bunny chocolate for the teachers and a little gift bag for classmates, these turned out perfectly, and are a sweet little gift and best of all didn't cost a fortune!

 Easter Egg Gift Bags

1. What you'll need -
Mini eggs - I used Cadbury mini solid Easter eggs
Fabric Washi tape - I purchased these pretties in a pack from Kmart
Stapler
Cellophane bags - I purchased a pack of these from the two dollar shop (these are actually cakepop bags)

2. What I did -
I place three eggs in each bag (3 looked cute...I just wanted a little treat for Eva to give her friends)
Fold over the top of the bag slightly and staple close to the top.
Measure the Washi tape, you want enough to wrap around the bag front to back.
Cut and fold tape around bag front to back.

3.  Finished Product - How cute are these! With around 25 to make I wanted a small little gift for Eva to give out to her classmates, but didn't want to spend a fortune and I think these turned out 
perfectly!

Teacher's Gift

1. What you'll need -
An Easter Bunny egg, I used a Cadbury Bunny (she was pretty cute)
Gift tag - I purchased a pack of gift tags from Kmart with came with white and kraft gift tags
Fabric Washi tape - I purchased these pretties in a pack from Kmart
Ribbon
Pens (I used gel glitter pens)

2. What I did -
I started with the gift tag, I measured and cut the washi tape to size and stuck the tape down leaving just a slight space from the edge of the tag.
Write your message.  Our message read 'Dear Miss....Thank you for being an Eggcellent teacher!!! Love....'
Cut a length of ribbon, enough to wrap around your bunny and tie a bow.
Thread your ribbon through the gift tag, and tie the ribbon around your bunny into a bow.

3.  Finished Product - How cute is she! I think it is the perfect little sweet gift for your kiddies to give their teachers.

Weekly Bake...Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

This week I thought I would share a recipe for delicious chocolate mud cupcakes. I love the ease of cupcakes, and that they are a little individual serve of sweet goodness.  When there is cake in my home, the size of the slices my children like to cut themselves are insane! So at least with cupcakes I can limit their cake intake!

I have tried this recipe a couple of times now and it is really easy, and so moist and delicious! Apparently the cupcakes also keep well and can be frozen (minus the frosting), though I couldn't tell you because they never last long enough in my home!

For the frosting/icing in this recipe I doubled it, only because I pipe the cupcakes and this tends to use a lot more icing.  If you are going to spread the icing, no need to double the recipe. I also use a gel food colour, as I find it doesn't change the consistency of the frosting. 

Ingredients

Cupcake
200g butter
250g dark chocolate
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup self-raising flour
Frosting
125g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
1 teaspoon vanilla extract          
1 tablespoon milk
Food colouring (I use a gel food colour)

Method

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
Place cupcake liners in cupcake tray.
Place butter, chopped chocolate and hot water in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute until smooth.
Add cocoa to warm chocolate mixture. Stir until smooth.
Stir in vanilla, caster sugar and eggs.
Sift flour over chocolate mixture. Stir gently to combine.
Pour mixture into cupcake liners.
Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a chocolate mud cupcake has moist crumbs clinging.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before icing.
Frosting
Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale. Gradually add icing sugar and milk, beating constantly until combined.  Add food colouring a little a time, until you have your desired colour.  If you want your frosting thicker for piping, add more icing sugar a little at a time until you have your desired consistency.