A holiday 5 for Friday

I am so out of it this week- how did it get to be Friday (or actually Saturday morning) again? I haven't linked up with Doodle Bugs for a while & I'm looking forward to reading what others have been up to! You can tell I have a lot planned for today :)

~ One ~
We had an awesome Christmas! I love decorating the house. We had lunch at home with the hub's parents and then travelled to Echuca for tea with the hub's Mum's family. We spent New Years camping at Gentle Annie reserve (near Lake William Hovel). The hubs loves a road trip, his car sick wife not so much but it's all about the compromise! We went to Milawa for a side trip & picked up some yummy delicious produce and stopped at the Brown Brothers winery for some wine. 

~ Two ~
On the way home on New Years day we stopped at Glenrowan to visit the Ned Kelly museum. Had a chat to Bob the 80-year old owner. If you ever go get a chance to go there allow a bit of extra time to talk to Bob! He is quite a character, very typical Aussie lariken.

~ Three ~
I'm in the process of putting together our Prep Letters that go home to our preppies over the holiday to welcome them to school. This is proving a little tricky to do because I have no clue about timetables at my new school yet. My principal is going to be sick of me emailing him questions.

~ Four ~
I love a good vintage shop! We spent the weekend before Christmas visiting my gorgeous cousin Jess and her new bubba Ruby. We stopped at the Mill Markets in Daylesford on the way looking for a cabinet for our lounge room but we are still on the hunt.

~ Five ~
We spent yesterday pottering in the garden & shopping to find to try a screen to cover our clothes line on the paved side of our house. We finished off the night with fish & chips in the park. Have I mentioned that I love holidays?!

Wishing you a fantastic weekend,

Welcome to 2014! Goals and a OLW

Day one of 2014 is complete and I am feeling really great about this year and having a fresh start. 

I'm a little late in participating in these link up's because we have been camping but I love both the ideas so much that I am joining in anyway!

First up I am linking up with Sunny Days in Second Grade to share my One Little Word for 2014.

My hubby and I had a huge chat in the car on the way back today and this about sums up our plans for this year. I am, admittedly, a stress bucket. I take on every problem, even when they are not my own, no matter how hard I try not to. We also both think that we are the only one's who can get things done which and's extra stress at times when we could let stuff slide. I am also going to look into getting a cleaner so that at least that is one less stress (we have a very hairy cat, plus my long dark hair so we need to vacuum twice a week & it's driving me crazy). Our plan is to appreciate our lives and each other more.  Taking some time to smell the roses peeps!

I'm normally not big on resolutions but we made a list of ours in the car today. We are on a roll for being positive! So I am linking up with Jessica at First Grade Nest to share a few of mine.

My resolutions

My hubby and I need to make more time for each other, not work or eBay or Minion Rush or Pinterest. Just us. The hubs added that the talking must include EYE-CONTACT... Hmm, I must be better at multi-tasking than I think :) Our plan is to make the talk meaningful & listened to, a priority rather than an interruption. 

I'm about to start at a new school this year which is scary and exciting. I AM going to be more organised! See how determined I am? :)

A new job means that I will now have to drive to work rather than walking, like I have done for the past 4 years. I drive past the gym and the lake on the way so I will either walk, go to a gym class or run on the treadmill at the gym each day. It doesn't have to be big but it has to be something.

I always keep saying this but I don't follow through. I have brought a new journal from kikki-k and I plan to list 3 good things about each day to keep me on track- either from work or home. 

We have had some truly awful things happen to the people around us in the last few years and I truly am so grateful for what we have but sometimes when I am bogged down in work stuff I forget to take the time to appreciate us & my achievements. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason, like getting my new job so easily (made my mind up to change schools and had a new job 3 days later... when does that ever happen?!) so the same must be true for the things that haven't worked out for us this year (in a nutshell our grand plan of having a baby... a long story & not one I'm quite ready to share in more detail on here yet). The universe must have a bigger plan for us and this year I am determined to be calm enough and open enough to all ideas to find out what that plan is.

With being more organised I am going to be more positive. I will not sweat the small stuff (this is a huge thing for me to say, so baby steps).

Did this post get a bit preachy? I hope not. Can't you just feel all that positive energy I'm throwing out? lol Hope you have an amazing day,

First Currently for 2014!

I feel like I have been a bad blogger lately. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to stop stressing, so I'm going to cut myself a bit of slack :)

Happy New Year! Very excited to be linking up with Farley for this currently, I have a positive 'tude about the year ahead. I'm excited to get it started!

Listening- To The Project (an Australian News Program that is a bit more funny & general interest with some News thrown in). Samuel Johnson is co-hosting and I am a bit in love with him. Plus I can hear the dishwasher after dinner. I made this hot dog* casserole. Easy & delicious! 
*Hot dog casseroles are not really an Australian thing (well I've never made one) but we had hot dogs left over from camping that I had to cook tonight. Plus I wanted to have something other than meat and bread (cause its all we seem to eat when we camp) so I got googling.... This could be an over share of information... sorry. You can tell I'm on holidays as I have too much time to write this!

Loving- Summer Holidays!!

Thinking- I have 2 massage vouchers from Christmas. Feeling very grateful, especially because one was from a family of one of my kiddos. Very spoilt.

Wanting- We just got back from camping today (more on that tomorrow) & now I'd love to get a trip in to the beach before my hubby goes back to work. 

Needing- how do two people stack up so much laundry in two days?!

Tradition- I make a steamed pudding every year, in the heat because I am crazy, it was 40C (104 Fahrenheit) the day I made it. It's so big that we are still eating it. My mum-in-law makes the brandy custard to go with it. This is my recipe which has been adapted from Margaret Fulton (she's my version of a cooking goddess- love her). I call it my Boozy pudding because it has a LOT of brandy in it, plus this year I added some Cointreau. It's yummy & weighs a ton.

Wishing you all a happy New Year & keep an eye out for my 1st Blogging Anniversary giveaway later this month,

P.S. Sorry about all the exclamation marks :) and smiley faces!

5 for Friday

How good is life?!  It has been one of those weeks where I have been feeling that SO much- must be only 8 work days left that helps that :)

Everything at the minute is CRAZY! We are busy every weekend until Christmas, as I'm sure most people are.

~ One ~
Last Friday night we had a school {hilarious} Trivia night to raise money for the family of one of our Prep students who has leukaemia. We had 21 tables, over 200 people in attendance for a school of just over 200 kids. The school parents who organised the night raised much needed money for this family for this poppets arrival home and rehabilitation. I will truly miss this wonderful community I have been lucky to be a part of. 

~ Two ~
Christmas Craziness 
We made Hipster Santa's from Reagan's Techy Santa craftivity. Aren't they they cutest?!

 Stockings from Clever Patch. If you are in Australia check them out. Their craft packs are brilliant- they come with everything and are well worth the money. The kidlets did a great job with these! I love watching boys sew, very cute.

~ Three ~
Prep Transitions
We finished our final Prep {Kinder} transition with the new preppies on Tuesday at my new school. This has been a great way to meet my new poppets, some of the staff and families but it has been full on. Big responsibility taking all this on (3 transition days, planning, class placements, etc) plus still trying to be at my current school but we survived! And completed it all beautifully.

~ Four ~
Christmas shopping is completed {except for my hubby's gifts}. We spent both Saturday & Sunday shopping last weekend. Bought some gorgeous gifts from the Square handmade market in town. Went both days... slightly naughty of me but bought some gorgeous pressies and some stuff for myself :) 

~ Five ~
We are off to see Bon Jovi tonight!!! Eeekk! Planning to visit the Myer windows, St Kilda pier and enjoy a nice drink in the process. Can't wait to get to the city.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I'm very excited to have my first Christmas product up in my store. I can thank an unexpected root canal this morning for having the afternoon to finish it. Fun. 

Anyway :) Here are my Christmas Postcards (sorry about the middle pictures being creamy coloured- I do not have the brain power at the minute to fix it). 

                           

Aren't they cute?! I have used clipart from a bunch of talented people (listed in the credits) & I even dabbled in making some of my own too. Yay!

I'm planning to use these to kick off our Christmas unit in the next couple of weeks. Oh the possibilities... letters to santa, as cards for our presents, a letter to teachers or parents as end of year thank-you's.

By the way, while you are checking out my store please follow me then comment on yesterday's post to go in the draw to win a copy of this {or one of my other Christmas units when I finish them} once I reach 100 followers on TpT. Only 16 more to go.

People Measuring Freebie

Life & work are a little bit cr-aa-zz-y at the minute so my blogging has unfortunately come last on the list. But in amongst kinder to prep transitions, reports, assessment, class lists, working between two schools, etc, etc I have managed to make a freebie for you! And I'm linking up with Simply Kinder to share it. Go and check out all the other amazing freebies linked up. 

Click on any of the pictures to go to my store to collect it. And while you are there please follow me & leave a comment back on this post {or on Facebook} if you can spare the time. Your love & feedback is appreciated :)

We are exploring measuring again this week using non-uniform units such as counters, pop sticks & unifix. The kiddos have loved this! 



Hope you enjoy it just as much,

Storybook Saturday

I'm linking up with the lovely Paula at Paula's Place to show you our book of the week!

We have been focusing on rhyme this term and have been loving the "There was an Old lady/Old Bloke who..." books. 

This week we will be reading "There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Thong". Incase you are wondering- 'what?' "thong" is the Aussie word for "flip flop" :)

I can't wait for Christmas (every year) but I'm super excited now as my new copy of "There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Star" just arrived. Bring on December!