Friday 30 March 2012

Happiness is filling your own love tank

Think of yourself as having a “Love Tank”, much like the fuel tank in your car. This tank is a reservoir of love inside yourself for you to use. A happy 'place' that thrives on 'feeling' you are appreciated, cared for, loved and valuable to the community and family.

While we can wait to others to fill our tank ; to meet our need for love, happiness and to feel fulfilled - sometimes it just doesn't happen , so we run on empty !

As mothers it is important we make a deposit in our own love tank, to give ourselves emotional and even physical strength to fuel us through the arsenic hour day and those sleepless nights.

Credit

Often we are so busy filling the love tanks of our children and partners we neglect our own. Ever noticed the little needle on the fuel gauge pointing at   E as in EMPTY!

Especially, right before you have somewhere important to be , or you are en-route or when the car starts chugging and you actually run out of petrol > it is always at worse possible time , you can't believe you forgot to do it (or you blame the hubby).

So we melt break down - we get tired, we get emotional or become depressed and feel unappreciated unfulfilled - we’re sad that life has to be this hard. We are sick of juggling all the balls or dropping them.

As legitimate is the need to eat, to sleep, to drink, to put the brakes on breathe - is the need to fill an empty love tank.

When your tank is empty it is hard going. Ultimately we make our own choices about happiness so in choosing to be happier we must start the ball rolling ourselves.

We have to stop running around at full speed, life in the fast lane , barely slowing for air chocolate coffee a proper re-fuel ; yes we skip meals or compensate by eating the wrong foods.

Though my husband was very hands on I had little me time when my twins were infants. I thought I had very little time for me - in between breastfeeding one twin, expressing BM for his brother and helping my 13yr in his first yr of high-school plus keeping house - I was often at the end of my rope.

We are so busy we don't know what to do and say to ourselves "I have no time on my hands" (check this post for some tips on how to give yourself me time) .

One day someone told me to just do it  ! Don't wait till you have everything under control for the day. It might never happen.



Find even 5 mins to fill up your love tank, take 5-20  mins at a time or longer if you have it available. Ask for it , if you have a supportive partner or friend or children who are old enough...ask !

Last night , I returned from my 36hr , 800+ km trip to Sydney. I got to top up my love tank ~ mixing with fellow bloggers , visiting a dear friend overnight , visiting my Aunty and 4hrs SOME  retail therapy at IKEA Tempe.(I could gush all day about that place - how I adore it.That is a post and giveaway for another day.)

We need

ways to help us feel happier.

I did it by doing things that made me happy or brought a little joy when I wasn't feeling it. Simple things I didn't need to go far from home for or I could do maybe with the kids.


(this I did go far from home to see)
  1. Go for a walk to look around at nature, sometimes taking my camera and others times just going for walk at a favourite place ot take in a sunset A brisk walk with the pram often put my cherubs to sleep.At night I would sit on my favourite bench seat and look at the stars for 5 mins ...to think or pray.
    My favourite garden seat -we took it.
  2. Call a friend I hadn't spoken to in a while or use Internet chat with a virtual cup of tea ...
  3. Buy (or cook) - a piece of cake or a 3 min Mug cake !
  4. Download some favourite songs or buy a CD of songs I liked and then crank up the stereo.
  5. Take a long bath , with a book and even the rose petals and a candle ...bath salts and even a little wine.
  6. Pop on a funny DVD - even if I had to rent one. Even just lying on floor or couch while the twins watched a children's DVD gave me a little me time...sometimes I could sneak away.
  7. Start a blog - I did when the twins were 9 months old.
  8. Lie down with them while they napped , and read or NAP or pretend too !
  9. Stay up late or get up early to enjoy the silence with a quiet cup of tea , read blogs or just be inspired by photography & 365 projects . 
  10. RE - Reading my Chicken Soup for the Soul books would give me the release to cry tears of joy & gratitude or sometimes very sad ones. The positive attitude and hope in these stories helped me focus on the good things in my life.Even reading Reader's Digest from cover to cover was enough to remind myself that my life was blessed and happy.
There were many more things - blogging was a little like journaling it stopped me bottling up things that aggravated me. I'd also paint my nails, get on the treadmill or read food magazines  (yes quite contradictory) or really go and visit a friend in real life !

How do you fill your love tank ?
I'd love to know...


When I speak of Love tank ,my experiences are based on Gary Chapman contribution to the definition of love and love tanks in his book "The Five Love Languages". Gary, explores the meaning of love and the ways in which people express and receive love to have happier more fulfilled relationships and lives.

Change your clock, change your smoke alarm battery on 1 April ~ Giveaway

A few years after I had moved out of my parent's home they had a kitchen fire (yes it was the CHIPS - and I think they disagreed on who left it on the stove ) - they had extensive internal damage to their kitchen , smoke and water damage to the rest of the house. They had to move out for over 6 weeks for repairs and cleaning.

wikipedia - not my parent's
They were lucky, no one was hurt and luckier still the local fire station was less than 2km away, so they arrived in minutes. It was frightening, hearing how quick the fire took hold at their home.

One day 6-7 years ago - I left meat pies cooking in a microwave convection oven where we worked, in the kitchen . I went outside to do something while it cooked. I suddenly heard the smoke alarm beeping madly ...both of us ran inside - the pie/maybe it was foil were alight inside the microwave - totally stuffed it too ! but  thankfully nothing worse happened than we also lost our lunch ! The smoke alarm had alerted me and I screamed for my husband !

In one of my jobs I regularly dealt with families who had loss everything due to fires and needed emergency accommodation in caravans on their properties for months, and even up to year.



When I was asked to post about changing your smoke alarm battery - I didn't hesitate for a minute.

By coincidence my husband had just installed three new smoke alarms. There where previously none , after I nagged asked him to do it - minutes hours before he had to travel to Sydney to work for 4 days.

NSW households (well everyone should)  are now being urged to revisit fire safety procedures as new research released by Duracell* reveals that 97% of Australian homes surveyed are not following the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) recommendations around home smoke alarms.

Australian fire services together with long-term partner Duracell, are advising residents to change their smoke alarm battery when they change their clocks – on Sunday 1 April, 2012 – in the lead up to this winter fire season, a high fire risk time.


"This weekend, when you change your clock at the end of Daylight savings, change your smoke alarm battery and make time to map out a home escape plan with your family" said Fire & Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins.
The Duracell Fire Safety Survey of Australian women aged 25-44 years old revealed:
  • over half of women do not know that a spark can become a life threatening blaze in less than 3 minutes....about the same time as cooking a piece of toast  
  • 68% of those surveyed either don’t know or don’t follow the recommendations for changing smoke alarm batteries,
  • 58% don’t know how to correctly test whether smoke alarms are working and 95% don’t know how often to test them
  •  Two thirds of homes surveyed are not changing their smoke alarm batteries yearly, as recommended by Australian fire services.
  •  Nearly a quarter of mums believe their children know more about fire safety than they do ???
  •  82% of working women have a fire escape plan at work, but only 11% have a planned and practiced one at home. 
  • In most households surveyed (55%) the plan is simply to get out as quickly as possible ; 17% don’t have a fire plan at home because they have never thought about it 
  •  Most married women claim their husband needs a reminder to prompt him to change batteries in the smoke alarms in the home. In most cases it’s the ‘low battery’ beep sound that acts as a reminder, but more husbands respond to a reminder from the wife (18%) than no prompting at all (9%).
NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said, "Smoke alarms provide an essential early warning in the event of a fire, giving you time to evacuate safely – but only if they work. This is particularly important for people living in remote or rural locations who need to consider the time it may take emergency services to reach them.#"

 
#This is particularly important to us now living 20 mins out of town. We also have a fire extinguisher up on the wall.


Fire & Rescue NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service and Duracell recommend YOU:

  1. Test your smoke alarm (by pressing the ‘test’ button) once per month to ensure the battery and the alarm sounder are operating and clean with a vacuum cleaner annually to remove particles that will affect smoke alarm performance
  2. Replace the battery annually with a long-lasting 9V alkaline battery
  3. Install smoke alarms in positions that will wake all occupants in the home and give them time to evacuate. For example,installing the alarms outside each sleeping area, with additional smoke alarms installed inside bedrooms where doors are closed at night and along evacuation routes if bedrooms are located upstairs.
  4.  Develop a home escape plan and practice it regularly. 
Especially practice with your children - at school my boys they had a safety day 2 weeks ago. They came home to tell me what they had learned . The RFS visited the preschool last September too.




This weekend take 10 minutes and have a fire drill with your family. Teach them to feel for heat at the door before opening, stay low to the floor because apparently smoke kills more people than fire, etc -  this weekend a Fire Plan is top of my list. {Hubby & I have talked about it because we have both doors at the front away from the bedrooms and only have windows to exit from...we need to make sure the kids know}

A working smoke alarm is your best defense against fire so when you Change your clock, change your smoke alarm battery on 1 April  !

For more information on the recommendations for smoke alarm usage and home escape plans visit
www.changeyourbattery.com.au

To locate your nearest fire station go to www.fire.nsw.gov.au/contact
For NSW RFS please click here.

* Research was conducted nationally by Galaxy Research, on behalf of Duracell, in January, 2012. A total of 1265 women between the ages of 25 – 44 were surveyed

Did I mention our 18yr son is now training as a Fire technician (?I think it is his title) he inspects Fire extinguishers, equipment and fire safety systems at business premises. Now the twins also want to be fireman :).

 The GIVEAWAY -  NOW CLOSED
One winner will receive:

-        Duracell Fire fighter bunny, valued at $60

-        A smoke alarm, valued at $20

-        Colouring in posters, magnets, and temporary tattoos. 

-        Duracell AA Batteries (for the bunny), valued at $10

-        Duracell 9V Batteries (for the smoke alarm), valued at $10 

-        Fire Brigade Kids – an Activity and Colouring in Book – valued at $7.95

Australian residents only
Closes 10th April 2012
To enter -

Tell me how your family is fire prepared ?

Winner - Belinda 



Wednesday 28 March 2012

Wordless Wednesday ~ I'm old enough to have used this

My Grandfather's






Tuesday 27 March 2012

Lego City - Team up to Catch the Crooks ~ GIVEAWAY


 
Uh on it is villain alert !

LEGO® City

The baddies crooks have stolen all the gold from LEGO® City and are now hiding in the Forest. It’s up to the City police and the Forest police to team up to catch the mischief-makers and restore the peace and bring justice to LEGO City.

It is no wonder Lego has been popular with boys and girls , Mums , Dads and gift givers alike for 50 years ~ Did you know 2012 is the 50th Anniversary of the LEGO brick in Australia.

LEGO City is based on the re-creation of everyday life scenes . LEGO has just introduced 13 exciting new products into their range including Forest Police, Forest Fire and Great Vehicles.


Lego is fabulous for encouraging kids to use their imagination with enhanced role-play. I get so many laughs watching my boys play LEGO together. I also laugh when they step on Lego they have left on the floor !


Watching the intense concentration as they work out which bit goes where and waiting for them to ask for help - it is a great way to bond with my boys. Free play or following numbered 'instructions' besides inspiring imaginative play, it's great for their fine motor skills and teaching opportunities (about Police)
The Forest Police and Forest Fire crews have the optimum to catch and cuff the pesky robbers and team up to fight the fires. With patrol cars and quad bikes the villains won’t stand a chance against the Police hotshots who promise to save the day!
The Forest Fire team will be the first on the scene to fight the fires, with powerful fire ATV’s, trucks and planes to extinguish the flames and keep LEGO City safe. Prices range from a pocket money friendly RRP$7.99 for the Fire ATV to RRP$119.99 for the awesome Forest Police Fire Station.


The LEGO play experience and opportunity to role play is even more enhanced with a new concept called Great Vehicles recently introduced into the LEGO City range. It boasts great vehicles for your little BIG heroes! Products include the Ambulance, Garbage Truck, Dirt Bike Transporter, Tipper Truck and Caravan. Starting at RRP $29.99.





My boys love their LEGO and the new tipper truck is one of the favourite - It even tips just like Grandpa's.

In my opinion LEGO City Great Vehicles are great value for money perfect for gifts or anytime treats!



Each individual piece vehicle adds to the LEGO City scape collection . A collection that most families will want to keep forever.
Older kids can also team up in a cool online game to help the LEGO City Police and Forest Fire crews catch the crooks at www.LEGO.com
What boy (or girl)  doesn’t want to become the hero of their very own LEGO City ? 

Thanks to Lego Australia I have 3 vehicles (sets) to giveaway - 1 winner takes all !


To win

4434 Tipper Truck x 1
4437 Police Pursuit x 1
4436 Patrol Car x 1

Tell me ...

Why would you like to win a this set of LEGO® City Forest Police  & Concept vehicle

or your favourite Lego memory. 

  1. Follow my blog or Like my Facebook page ~ 
  2. One winner will be chosen for their creative comment in answering the question above.
  3. Open to Australian residents only. 
  4. Entries Close 16th April 2012

Disclosure:
I received the same 3 LEGO® City products for review purposes -  thanks to Lego Australia and One Green Bean . No financial payment was offered nor accepted for this post. All opinions expressed are purely my own.
 STOP PRESS !


PS - LEGO® Australia in conjunction with Toyworld stores, is searching for the nation’s best LEGO builder in 2012 for the National LEGO Building Competition with entries opening on the first of April 2012. 

To enter, all children are required to build their ultimate LEGO creation (using only LEGO products) - See the full details here  - entries are via Toyworld stores starting 1st to the 30th April 2012


The competition gives Australian children of all ages the opportunity to use their creativity and construction skills to build the LEGO model of their dreams for the chance to win the grand prize of a family trip to LEGOLAND® California.




Monday 26 March 2012

What is the quintessential Australian Pie ?

Now that crisp Autumn nights are here there is nothing better than a warming home cooked pie for a flavoursome family dinner or dessert.

credit SFI

I confess I've only had limited success with my pie making ventures. Still, I much prefer my own attempts I worry about the fat content of store purchased ones. Sam loves mini apple pies and has been asking to bake our own.

I cooked a modified verison of the beef pie from Super Food magazine for dinner last night , it tasted great but I didn't get a photo .My round pie dishes are still packed away so I used a rectangular dish. The filo pastry (since I had no puff pastry) was disappointingly broken in the package - on purchase and it cracks up so quickly.

Mine are tasty though a little flaky and unpolished so I'm very keen to follow ...



The Search For Australia's Best Pie!


Super Food Ideas, is on the hunt for Australia's Best Pie. Always on the lookout for Australia's tastiest recipes, this year Super Food Ideas is hoping to track down the "best of the best" when it comes to the quintessential Aussie Pie.


"Australian's love pies. It's as simple as that", says Super Food Ideas Editor, Rebecca Cox. "Whether it's covered in tomato sauce at the footy, a quick midweek meal or a family-sized dinner, a warming home cooked pie tells us who we are and that we're loved".
Chicken & leek Pies - credit SFI


There are so many varieties of the humble pie , whether a recipe passed down through generations or a unusual modern version like Thai Beef pies or Green curry chicken.

I love the variety  ~ pies can be hot or cold, sweet or savoury and especially granny’s famous  apple pie with flaky buttery pastry – served with lashings of cream,  ice-cream or custard.

SFI's competition to find Australia's Best Pie will run over six issues from April through to September 2012, with entries closing May 15, 2012.

The lucky winner of Australia's Best Pie will receive a cash prize of $10,000 thanks to Bertolli.

Readers and followers by commenting on your favourite pie can be in the running to be win a $200 WISH card each week , judged by the editor, Rebecca Cox.



SFI’s - Food Editor, Kim Coverdale has 5 tips for cooking a crispy pie ..

1.    If making your own pastry, be sure to rest it before cooking to prevent it from shrinking during cooking.


2.    Pre-cooking the pastry base (or blind baking as it's called) before adding the filling helps the base stay crisp during cooking.


3.    Make sure the filling is completely cooled before filling the pastry case, otherwise the base of the pie will be soggy.


4.    After placing the pastry on top, make a small slit in the middle of your pie. This lets steam escape and stops the pastry separating at the joins so that the filling doesn't overflow.


5.     Pies are best cooked at a high temperature so that the pastry top crisps. Brushing with a little beaten egg or milk will also make sure that it goes a lovely golden colour.

Grab your copy of Super Food ideas now -
Full terms and conditions are available at: www.taste.com.au/bestpie2012

What are your tips for the best pie ?
Do you have a favourite pie memories or family recipe ?

Tell me to win a copy of Super Food Ideas !

Friday 23 March 2012

What if tomorrow never comes ?


Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.
Mary Manin Morrissey

I have felt very intense emotion this week.
A well respected special education support teacher from my sons' school passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm (so I was told) .

I can't explain why I feel so sad.
I didn't know her at all.
Though , she was 48, only a few years older than I am and it feels close.
One son knew this teacher more than the other because he saw her for some learning support.

She was a much loved, well respected community member .
My sons witnessed their teachers being upset as they broke the news . Even my five year olds were acutely aware of their teacher crying and one passing tissues to her colleague,  "helping each other" and how sad everyone was.

The newsletter advised her passing , after we all knew . They explained that the children had been visited in their classrooms by the School Counsellor and Principal to talk about dealing with grief and sadness. They encouraged parents to talk to their children about her too.

Her funeral is later today and teachers from other schools in the area volunteered to supervise the children who remain at school so all the staff could attend.

The following is something I have received by email a few times, I just needed to be reminded of it.


Take Hold of Every Moment
by Author Unknown

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

"This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package." He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

"She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it. He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died. He turned to me and said:

"Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion".

I still think those words changed my life. Now I read more and clean less. I sit on the porch without worrying about anything. I spend more time with my family, and less at work. I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day. I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if i feel like it. I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to. The words "Someday..." and "One Day..." are fading away from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now.

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.

She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food. It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come. I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I would meet, letters... letters that i wanted to write "One of this days". I would regret and feel sad, because I didn't say to my brothers and sons, not times enough at least, how much I love them.

Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Our local radio, a very sombre voice, reads funeral notices each morning - I knew I would hear her's this morning, there were so many today.

The school noticeboard proudly displays a message of love for her today too.


Today,  I am grateful for today and the hope of tomorrows to take hold of every moment.

I think of the things I've been putting off doing and I am scheduling them in.

PS - Is it a coincidence that my oldest (yes and she is 1 day older than me) friend who I haven't spoken to in months or seen in years decided to message me today.

Finally -
Live every day as if it were your last and then some day you'll be right. 
 ~H.H. "Breaker" Morant




(I do love Garth Brooks version just as much)

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Wordless Wednesday ~ Hang on









InLinkz

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Trials, Tribulations , Termites and Tales from Harry Potter and Half blood Prince.

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful and I had high hopes for a little home decorating, room re-arranging and making space for the change of season clothes.

Instead it turned into a living nightmare. You could say we learnt some major life lessons. Keep Calm - yes I nailed that !

 Why ...because we found termites had infested invaded the shipping container where most of our furniture and stuff is stored. It was a HUGE mess.


It all started because I wanted to rearrange things ...luckily I did is all I can say because it was just in the nick of time.

We spent all Saturday and Sunday removing boxes and furniture from the container , then cleaning the mud out and assessing damage - mainly to one heavy TV entertainment/storage unit plus dozens of books/things damaged /dirty or destroyed.

The white ants were most partial to cardboard boxes and books , even fabric - they really got their teeth into Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince. They gouged out  a huge, neat 'grater' tunnel ( mind you it is almost 10 cm thick) , then they set up camp inside the spine. I couldn't save it unfortunately.

The coffee table was ok :)

Two days later , a wheelbarrow full of mud , dozens of boxes we had to empty and clean mud/dried goop or poop off stuff. It was physically and mentally exhausting as well. Burning the boxes gave me a little satisfaction. We bombed the container with cockroach bombs first as well.

DH called it the big guns and heavy machinery ...AKA the Bulldozer [his Dad's] to move the container by dragging and hopefully breaking their contact with the nest. Then he used the bulldozer to lift each corner and put it on concrete blocks with ant caps [shutting the gate after the cows had bolted maybe]

Saturday night DH casually told me his sister had mentioned they had white ants in their shipping container (in Queensland). I didn't say it but I thought it ... ! He was shattered enough already . It is what it is blaming saying anything was pointless.


SO did not finish anything I planned - I couldn't even get my head around starting. I also planned to finish writing my new giveaways.

Friday we had already spent cleaning a caravan full of our office/business stuff covered in diesel smoke/soot - it damaged the caravan but hubby can repair that mostly.Soot still covers a lot of stuff. It cannot be wiped off fully - creme cleanser did a fair job. Hubby had transported it up here, on his truck, Thursday, and the exhaust went in under roof panels.

Needless to say we were both SO OVER IT . Then yesterday we found more live termites inside our cabin/shed where we live. (They already wrecked havoc in our bedroom last year )

After I took boys the school we set out to do what I'd wanted done on Saturday. A place for the boys to do their homework from under my feet ...A homework station to leave pencils,textas and homework books out,and not have to pack it away every night from the kitchen table (to eat dinner).  

Thankfully, the termites were contained next to only one wall and with mud casing around and/in one cupboard box containing a Lego table, Lego baseplate ( the boys were happy we found these) and Thomas Tank engine large poster book.We only need wash mud off them. 

DH moved all other boxes off the floor , up onto the table tennis table. We are going to do very regular checks ... daily and we are getting exterminators out to spray.


The Drummer Boys now have a lovely space and table to draw , complete homework and craft . Nearly all the books are out (even Mr 18 Chapter and series books). DH could have cared less about the books but not me *sob* burning them was horrible.

We are still chipping away at the mess from three incidents and the mantra Keep Calm - Carry ON has been muttered constantly.
Life is good enough again

It is what it is *. 

Things are still very tightly packed in here but not against the walls. I cannot believe the cr@p we have accumulated over 22 years of marriage ... and wonder how we used to fit it in our house.

The silver lining is I found a few treasures I was missing like my Tupperware scales , Bamix and  clothes.


* Termites cause $780 million in damages to homes across Australia each year.