HELP for Noah

For those of you who regularly follow the Crafty Mumma blog you would already know about Noah. Noah is such a special little guy to me and right now his Mummy and Daddy need our help. Noah's disabilities hinder him from being able to support himself properly or walk, Stacy and Chris (Mummy & Daddy) cannot get their health care provider to deem a wheelchair as a necessity... which to me seems ridiculous and so they will not cover the cost of purchasing one! Noah also has a baby brother and I know that a wheelchair will make life so much easier for their little family!

Convaid are currently running a competition on their Facebook wall and the photo that receives the most votes will WIN a Convaid Cruiser Wheelchair and I would love to see Chris and Stacy win this for little Noah.

So I am asking you to PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP pop over to Facebook and like Noah's PHOTO and share his story... If you go over to the Crafty Mumma Facebook PAGE you can simply click share on my post about Noah to share it on your own wall!

Thank~u to everyone who Like's & Share's Noah's entry, feel good knowing that this small deed may make a BIG difference to someone else's little family!!

First Day Jitters

I don't know about you but in our house today there were some first day jitters...

... for ME!!!

The first day of school for your little one can be so daunting! There are some Mummies and Daddies out there that can be brave and KNOW that their children will be fine, but I am definitely NOT one of them! 

Over the last 2 weeks I have slowly made myself more and MORE anxious about my middle baby's first day of Prep. A million thoughts have gone through my head... What if she get's hurt and I am not there to console her, what if somebody is mean to her, How will she cope with all the NEW things that her life will entail now that she's BIG? The answer of course was FINE! I knew deep down inside that she would be fine and YES there were tears and NOT just from me... as I went to leave she started getting teary and gave me a big cuddle and took those 'I'm-doing-the-silent-cry' breaths and I felt my own tears welling BUT I put my big girl knickers on and gave her a kiss and an extra squeeze and told her she would be fine and quickly snuck from the class room stifling my tears just long enough to make it out the door! 

Then of course I bawled!!

I bawled like a baby and as I walked out of the prep room I locked red puffy eyes with another 'cry baby' mumma and gave her a smile and said 'I'm glad I'm not the only one' :) But there were lots of Mummies and Daddies who had that tell tale red nose or who's eyes were strategically hidden behind sunglasses. I worried that my little girl would have separation anxiety but deep down I think it was ME I was worried about... me and MY separation anxiety! 

As a parent we have these tiny special bundles whom we grow SO very attached to that we truly feel they are PART of us... attached with heart strings right to our very soul! When it comes time to let them be BIG and become independent it feels as if we are losing a part of ourselves that little funny part of us and we realise just how quickly time passes by and that that tiny little person is growing up!

The next part of their journey however is AMAZING to watch....

All of a sudden that little person GROWS UP, they become more opinionated, they learn things YOU haven't taught them and they amaze you with NEW things everyday!

The bitter sweet event of first days at school, the tears that come knowing your baby's growing up, the pride you feel knowing they did a whole day without you... It's all part of being a parent... the toughest gig in the world!

And you know what?

I don't mind being the 'cry baby' mumma, the one with the puffy eyes and rudolf nose... as long as I make it out the door every time!

P.s Sunny Mummy had a WONDERFUL post today that EVERY school mummy and daddy should read! You can find it HERE!

Grace not perfection!

(Image by Emily Ley)


I don't think I have ever read a more wise statement! 

What is perfection anyway? 

Could we define it even if we wanted to? After all everyone's idea of what is perfect is very different...

What happens if we wake one morning and realise that maybe the perfect we were trying so hard to be isn't 'perfect' after all? 

What if we realise that we are actually HAPPY just the way we are, that we DON'T have to worry about being the kind of parent others think we should be... more importantly that our children are happy with us just the way we are!! Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Guess what?

YOUR the only one standing between you and that blissful existence!!

I think it is something we all do... sabotage our own happiness!

Me? Well I am a worrier!! 

A BIG TIME WORRIER! 

I worry about my children, money, that I am doing the right thing by other people, that people are taking me the right way... worry, worry, worry!!

I really have no idea how to FIX the fact that I worry so much... and honestly I don't think it will ever 'go away' but it is up to me how much time and ME I invest in worrying! 

I can let myself buy into my worries... and then feel stressed and headachy and sick to my stomach or I can remind myself that I can only FIX certain things... that only SOME of the things I worry about are MY responsibility... I can't change what people expect or how they react or even what they understand... BUT I can choose how it affects ME and MY little family! 

One thing I have learnt from being a Sunny Mummy is that I AM the perfect mother for my children...

There is no point worrying if OTHER people think I am doing a good enough job and there is no point looking around to see if someone else is doing a better job... Why? Because they are doing a DIFFERENT job and they too are the perfect mother for THEIR children!! (Thank~u Stacey Sullaphen for those pearls of wisdom)  

Isn't it strange that mothers everywhere are very different BUT can all be PERFECT just the way they are...

It's just another MIRACLE of motherhood  :)

So today instead of looking around and investing your time in what you should have, could have and would have done, concentrate on what you did...

BECAUSE...

                                 

The NEW Crafty Mumma

No, you are not lost!

This IS the Crafty Mumma Blog... just better... cleaner... fresher and designed by ME!! 

This change has been a long time coming, the only thing holding me back was the love of my old design... I miss it already. I am SUCH a sentimentalist though ;)  I am loving the new look, it's not so cramped and cluttered and it uses my favourite colour combination Aqua, Pink and GREEN... Bliss!

So... welcome to our new home :) It still needs a few tweaks here and there... and I am not sure I am completely happy with the font.... But home is where the heart is ;) 

What do you think?

P.s. If anyone knows how to add dividers between column's I'd LOVE to know how! xx

My 5 Festive Favourites

Seeing as christmas is right around  the corner I thought I would take the chance to share with you all my 5 favourite Christmas decorations for this year. Of course the handmade decorations the girls make take pride of place but these 5 things are making my house extra festive this year.

(Please excuse my shoddy photography, the light was all wrong and the pretties where highly reflective)

My number one favourite Christmas decoration this year is my framed 'Have Joy' artwork.

This delightful print comes from the gorgeous and very talented Sarah Jane Studios. I layered the adorable print over some candy cane striped wrapping paper and simply framed it in a plain white frame and 'hey presto' Christmas magic

My Second favourite Christmas Decoration is this Sweet as sugar Santa cookie jar that I bought for $12 from Target :) I fell in LOVE with him and luckily snatched up the second last one they had... YAY ME!

My Third favourite would have to be the vintage Coca~Cola melamine plate that cost a measly $1.99 from Woolworths. I LOVE this one because not only is it festive but also reminds the girls of their Daddy and his love of Coke.

My Fourth Favourite is my freestanding wooden word 'JOY' that I received from LeeGirl Pretties.

Jodie-Lee even custom painted JOY in a particular shade of red for me :) and I simply adore it, it's perfect! Sadly my photo Just doesn't do it justice and if you would like to see a MUCH better picture please click HERE.

Last but not least on my 5 Festive Favourites list is my 2 mirror finished reindeers that I purchased at $7.99 each from Coles. They are so GORGEOUS!

I love their shiny finish and the way the Christmas tree lights reflect in them as they flash... So so so so pretty!

I just don't think Christmas is Christmas without festive pretties, what are YOUR favourite Christmas Decorations this year?

Christmas Budgeting - Presents & Food

Christmas can seem like the CRAZIEST time of the year... for us Mumma's (& Dadda's) it can be stressful to say the least. One thing I learnt while being a single mother was to PLAN everything and budgets became a BIG part of my life. When it comes to Christmas... I plan the HECK out of EVERYTHING! :)

Firstly I work out exactly how many pays I have until Christmas then I minus one pay... the last one and nominate the pay as my christmas food pay. Then I decide early on (were talking JULY!) what I want to get the girls as their big present and what I'd like to get as a 'family' present, our family present is usually something we as a family can enjoy together... Such as a totem tennis set or board game or even something bigger like a Wii. I then set out a certain amount each pay to buy those presents with, I divide the total amount by how many pays I have and work out what my 'repayments' are... I like to try and laybuy these items during the CRAZY mid year toy sales... that way my repayments can go directly on the items... If I can't decide on what to buy I set out an amount I want to spend on these items and put it into a savings account.

Next I like to work out who I need to buy for. I then write down these names in a checklist and set out an amount each pay to spend on presents... this works really well for me because it means I can take advantage of all the sales throughout the 6 months before Christmas to buy everyones gifts... the checklist ensures that I don't double up or forget anyone :) My checklist also includes things such as wrapping paper and sticky tape but often I buy these just after Christmas and stash them away for the following year! If I lay-by anything for my family I then add the repayments to my budget just so I know they are budgeted in and that they will be paid for

My checklist has columns for my daughters and every time I buy them a present I write it under their column... that way I know exactly what I have bought them and I know what presents I need to 'hunt' for when it comes time to wrap them.

Along with my Checklist and budget I like to also keep a list where I write down foods, drinks and recipe ideas for Christmas day, that way when it comes to the last pay food payday I already have a shopping list ready to go. I store the budget pages, checklist and food list in a clipboard... one of the ones that have a close-able cover and I HIDE this in my linen cupboard ;)

By having things organised I get to actually ENJOY Christmas and the Christmas Season.

Below you will find a copy of the budget I designed and that I LIVE by, If you click on it it will open larger and you can then right click and save it to your computer and print it yourself. (Please note that it is for personal use only)

I use a ring binder to store my budget pages... Sometimes it is handy to be able to reference back to when purchases were made or to check if you have paid certain bills. Hopefully you find it as useful as I do :)

And the Lunch Boxes With Love winner is...

Lucky Number 8 - Karly/Karlene Forrest

Congratulations Karly!! You are the proud new Mumma of a set of Zoo Forks and a twin set of Egg Molds.

I absolutely LOVED being able to host this giveaway. A big Thank~u goes out to Cath from Lunch Boxes With Love for being SO generous and supplying the goodies for this giveaway and another big Thank~u to everyone who entered our competition and for showing your support :)

True Strength

There were so many times after Ryan (my partner) passed that people said to me:

'You are so strong' 
'I don't know how you do it'
'You are such a courageous woman'

And when I heard those words I felt proud :) A lot of them would never really know exactly how hard it had been, they wouldn't really know what those 'darkest hours' were like for me and that was fine...

There are 3 little girls who have been through just as much if not more than what I have been through... who will never really get  the recognition for all the times they have had to be brave, courageous and INSPIRATIONAL!... For the days when they had to go back to school after their daddy passed and face all the children that already knew what had happened, the days when people would ask 'where is your Daddy today?' and they would reply with 'he's in heaven', for the days when they struggle to understand that despite what happens in movies their daddy cannot come back and visit them, for the week before fathers day when they would sit in class and bravely smile while making a fathers day card for a daddy who's face they will not see on father day... who still smile and shrug it off when that little boy comes to them and says 'you can't make a fathers day card because you don't HAVE a dad'

There are so many times that my girls had to be BRAVE when they were scared, or STRONG when they felt weak, when they were FORGIVING for hurtful things that were said and done when they where hurting inside and for that I am SO PROUD of them. My daughters are my inspiration, it is THEM that helped me through that showed me the light at the end of the tunnel and I want them to know:

You are my sunshine, my heart and soul and I am FOREVER grateful for all 3 of you, for every day I struggled, for every tear I cried, for every tantrum & nappy & mess I am grateful. I love you girls with all my 'bean'. YOU are all so STRONG and YOU girls, each and everyone of you are all the most courageous people I have ever known!!

'I am so PROUD to know you

I am so BLESSED to have you

and I am so HAPPY to call you my own'

P.s. The Proud, Blessed, Happy Print inspired by my precious little girls will be making it's way to my ETSY store very soon :)

Fab Find Friday - Lunch Boxes With Love & Giveaway

It's FAB FIND FRIDAY and today I wanted to share 'Lunch Boxes with Love' Oh my goodness!! Talk about super adorable, It is the perfect combination of Kawaii cute and sneaky healthy eating ;) LOVE LOVE LOVE this site and their gorgeous products.

Cath Bakker is the Mumma behind 'Lunch Boxes With Love' inspired by the lunches her mother lovingly made her as a child and her time spent as an exchange student in Japan she has brought the creativity of bento lunches into the homes of many Australian Mumma's.

Lunch Boxes with Love not only inspires you to be creative with your children's lunches but also inspires you to choose healthy eating options.

From the moment I first started browsing the 'Lunch Boxes With Love' online store I fell in LOVE. Amongst all their adorable things I found the most darling little egg moulds that are available in 6 super cute designs a bunny, bear, fish, car, star and heart. You simply boil your egg and peel it while it is still hot then place the egg in the mold and plunge the whole mold into ice cold water and hey presto you have a hard boiled egg in the cutest shapes EVER!

Another gorgeous item I found was the Solider egg cup and toast cutter. You use the toast cutter to actually cut your child's toast into REAL solider shapes!! This is the perfect gift for the little man (and lady) of your home.

My Personal favourite would have to be the 'Zoo  Fork Pick' Oh how I LOVE these and I assure you there WILL be a set of these in my home VERY shortly. I am going to use them for my daughters fruit snack for her school lunch and I admit I am going to be devastated... DEVASTATED if they get lost. ;)

For the Crafty Mumma's there is even...
Food Doodler Cookie Pops... COLOUR IN COOKIES!! How awesome are these? Your child can actually COLOUR IN their cookie and EAT IT!!! I was so excited when I saw these... They were the icing on the cake... ermmm... I mean cookie :)

If your still reading and I haven't already lost you to the 'Lunch Boxes With Love' website :) then you will be happy to know that the wonderful Cath from Lunch Boxes With Love has kindly decided to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a  set of Heart & Star shaped egg moulds and a gorgeous set of the Zoo fork/picks... BLISS!

For your chance to win you need to leave a comment under this post (on the Crafty Mumma blog NOT on our Facebook fan page) and then pop over to the Lunch Boxes With Love Facebook Page here and like the page and leave a comment on their wall... It's THAT easy :) Entries close 8.00 pm on Friday the 11th of November 2011 (Australian EST) and the competition is only open to Australian Residents (Sorry!) and you may only enter once. A great big THANK~U to Cath @ Lunch Boxes With Love for this very generous giveaway and Good Luck to all entrants!

Website: www.lunchboxeswithlove.com
Blog: www.lunchboxeswithlove.com/blog/category/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LunchBoxesWithLove

REMEMBER! You need to do all 3 steps!

1. Leave a comment under this post

2. Like the 'Lunch Boxes With Love' Facebook page

3. Comment on the 'Lunch Boxes With Love' Facebook wall!

All pictures are courtesy of www.lunchboxeswithlove.com & are subject to appropriate ©opyright :)

Pumpkin Carving

Here in Australia Halloween is a holiday that has only really become popular over the last 10 years. Even now when children decide to actually Trick or Treat they are lucky if they are able to even find a house with goodies.

Our little family didn't even celebrate Halloween until about 3 or 4 years ago. We don't participate in the ritual of Trick or Treating because for me it is hard enough trying to teach my children about stranger danger without confusing them by telling them to knock on doors and accept candy from someone they don't know. So instead we like to celebrate with family and friends :) This year we had planned a spooky halloween dinner but have had to postpone it due to sickness :( We are hoping that everyone will be well enough to celebrate tomorrow night.

This year was my first EVER year of Pumpkin Carving :) The good thing about this is that because Halloween is actually over the pumpkins were 1/2 price YAY! After scouring the internet for inspiration I finally decided on making the girl a pumpkin with the Monster High logo on it.

We couldn't find a pumpkin using the logo on google so we were going to have to make it up as we went :) To carve our pumpkin I used:

* Carving Pumpkin (from Woolworths)
* Sharp Long Blade Knife
* Sharpie Pen
* Spoon
* Scooping Tool & Mini Carving Saw (I bought mine in a packet ($2) from Woolworths)

We started with a traced image and I transferred it onto the pumpkin using my Sharpie pen. I then decided which parts I wanted to keep and which I wanted to carve and made sure that all the pieces that would 'fall' out had supports (little 'bridges' to hold the pieces in place)

Then I started by using the long blade knife to cut a lid from the top of the pumpkin. I then proceeded to scoop out the flesh... I didn't realise but the carving pumpkins have very little flesh and are mostly filled with seeds and stringy 'sinew'

I didn't realise but the carving pumpkins have very little flesh and are mostly filled with seeds and stringy 'sinew'

THEN I STARTED CUTTING!!! YAY!!

I actually added a second outline to the pumpkin after the above photo as I changed my mind about the overall design :) Here is the finished result after I finished cutting... I was very VERY happy with the outcome.

And now for the Piéce de resistance my Monster High Halloween pumpkin all lit up :)

So... What do you think for a first timer?