Perving: Bum vs Boobs

Warning: this post contains bums and boobs. Please click off if you will be offended.

The Daddy Man loves curves on a woman.
I know that if we are out together not to evil eye all the skinny chicks, find the chunky one of the group and watch her like a hawk...cos he will be!!


Women today want to be thinner,smaller,skinnier. I am guilty of this. I was to be able to fit into a size 12 and look like a bombshell. I want toned arms and legs.


The Daddy Man has made it clear that I can not lose my "booty".
I personally do not like what I call my "fat arse", but he loves it and who am I to complain?
When we met my butt was big, my butt is now bigger and he adores it. I hate it.

I was also blessed with giant boobies, well they didnt really get giant until Hboy,number 5. The Daddy Man isn't one to perve on boobs, sure he likes them but he doesn't really have a preference on big or small.


The Daddy Man thinks a woman is sexiest when she has a booty. This creates much debate between us. I mean who even gets to see someone's bum? If I'm in a bar my backs to the wall, If im in a restaurant my behind is planted on a seat. But according to him this makes it all the better. Bums are a mystery. A mystery of sexy.

Right.....


I think a woman looks the sexiest with curvy hips and nice shapely boobs, I don't care if she has one bum cheek, I cannot see it!! 


What does your hubby or you prefer to perve on, bums or boobs?? Do either of you perve?

Ma, the rains are here.

Life seems a bit like deja vu at the moment. 

I am the new owner of a swimming pool, It was once known as my backyard but since the rain has arrived it looks like a giant sludge filled water park. I am hoping our trampoline won;t start floating past my bedroom window.

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Not my Backyard, but it's not far off!!

The rain makes life feel glum, everything is dark, dreary and drizzly. The kids can't play outside, heck the kids can't even go to school! what a great first week back.

January last year, Queensland saw the worst floods in a long time. Lives were lost, people were injured, homes were destroyed and it left so many people with much heart ache.

Queensland has been fighting over the year, homes have been rebuilt and confidence has grown. Sadly It seems we are in for another kicker.

Our family didn't suffer too badly, our laundry did flood and alot of clothing was ruined but nothing too serious.

 I have been keeping my eyes on the Queensland Education Department's face book page. Alot of parents have been worried about school and road closures. Although South Brisbane isn't affected too much at present, I have kept my kids home from school for the past two days. Not only is there a risk of creeks and rivers overflowing there is also the risk of sick kids. Kids trudging along with soaking sneakers and uniforms (umbrellas and coats only do so much).

 Jman has periodic asthma, the cold air brings it on quite strongly and then he develops bronchitis and pneumonia. It's scary when you hear the bark like cough from a child with bronchitis. I would really prefer these guys didn't get sick so soon into the school year. 

Floods are scary, My mum lived through the '74 flood's and has always had a great fear of large amounts of  water. Although she was only young she and her parents camped in their roof for a week awaiting rescue.

 

It dumbfounds me how people still take risks when the floods are around. Driving through high waters and then crying when their cars stall or fill with water. People being rescued from storm water drains and river banks. Water is serious business! It can drown you, fools!!! If it doesn't drown you it can create injury and disease.

Is that worth risking your life driving over a creek to pop to the shop?

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Fellow Queenslanders please be safe, be cautious. Listen to your gut and stay safe!!

NSW - We know your pain, keep tough!!

I won I won...so did some of you!!

Ive been on a little blogging holiday for the past couple of days. PMS has struck which tends to make me quite anti social.
However this week I did receive a lovely award from MRS BC, Thankyou gorgeous lady you really made my week!!

I wonder if being a Liebster means I get free entry to Oktoberfest?
"please sir, let me in free, I'm a Liebster award recipient!!"
I might even push my luck and ask for some free beer and sausage...wait, I have that at home.

Liebster is German and translates to "dearest,"favourite" and "beloved.
 By giving this award to a blogger you are telling them they write a beloved and favourite blog.

Sweet right? I feel a little bit special!
Here are the rules for being Liebsterific;)

1.Say thanks to the amazing blogger who awarded your liebster and link back to their blog
2. Choose 5 fantastic blogs and leave a comment on their blog letting them know.
 (They must have under 200 followers)
3. Post the award on your blog. (Right click on the award image and save it to your hard-drive and then upload it to your blog).
4. Enjoy your Liebster award
5. And best of all – have fun and spread the leib!

My choices for the Liebster Blog Award are

1. Sonia @ Lovelifeandhiccups
2. Rachel @ Redcliffe Style
3.Jessica @ Mytwopinklines
4. Frugal Down Under
5. Mummasphere

Thankyou for some fantastic reading lovely ladies. I look forward to reading more in time.

xx Debb

Why I am likening contact with childbirth.

School is upon us at an exciting speed. Most of  Australia's children will be heading back to school on Monday, 23rd, January. Excitement PLUS!!


 I designated my weekend to contacting and naming all of my older boys school books, bags, lunchboxes and folders.


HA!!


I have had a day I'd rather forget.

Here is why I am likening contact to childbirth


Contact is sticky and messy.
Contacting school stuff seems endless.
Contacting is exhausting, it requires hours of concentration.
You will get frustrated with contact and scream I CANNOT DO THIS.
Cutting yourself with scissors while contacting really frikken hurts!
Contacting requires assistance 
No matter how hard you attempt to contact perfectly, it rarely ends up how you imagined.
Contact brings tales from other parents about how easy they did it.
Someone will always have a better contacting experience than you.
Contacting will leave you breathless and frazzled.
Contacting is worth seeing your child....smiling when they see the halfassed amazing end result.

I do not ever want to contact another book again...unfortunately I have 23 books left that look very bare.


By book 3 I was swearing, who thought rolling sheets of contact up would be a great storage choice!! It doesn't unravel properly and leaves me and the kids with a migraine.


I was reminded today about the plastic sleeves you can use for books. I used those as a kid but for some strange reason figured stores no longer sell them.
I could of saved myself hours and tantrums, picking up a heap.
It probably would of been more expensive though.


*Thank you to my little ones Cgirl and Hboy for all their assistance.

Menu Planning VS Me

2012 is my year of organisation.

 I am so very proud of myself for keeping on top of life the past few weeks.

I have formed some fantastic cleaning patterns, finances are staying in check and my exercise increases daily.

I have started taking a shopping list when I go out and am ignoring temptations. I have been leaving myself reminders around the house, finished tidying up before I relax at night and making sure the bathroom floor doesn't get soaked.

All in all my happiness levels have risen by far. I feel good...maybe even great. I am becoming the mummy I want to be.

Over the past few months I have been reading some super, amazing, ladies blogs. Many of which have meal plans they post on specific days.

Meal plans seem to be fantastic for keeping on track and taking confusion out of the picture.

This all got me thinking. I'd love a meal plan! Something I can look at and say "terakyi chook for tea tonight".

So I have been mulling over ideas, ways I can incorporate this in our lives.

I have noticed some differences though, it seems most create their list before they go grocery shopping so they know what to get.

I cannot do that.

I only buy what meat is on special. If it doesn't have a price reduction I walk away.

So how do I know what to plan every week if I have no idea what will be on special?

I have decided some investigation needs to happen. I can check the woollies and coles sites before I go...hoping the items are in stock is a bit of a concern, but nothing I can't improvise on.

So this afternoon I will be compiling a list of meals that we eat regularly. Spaghetti bolagnaise, Terakyi chicken, Chili con carne, chicken and salad, ham and salad, Lamb cutlets with vegies and so on.

I figure if i have a good starting base, I can look for meat and veggies that will suit and improvise here and there.

It won't be as planned as I like, but I figure structure at a minimum is better than none at all.

How do you decide which meals to serve weekly?

 Do you have a Menu Plan?..how does it fit into your life?

Do you have any tips?

Spoilt like mad

Lisa it's your birthday...Happy Birthday Lisaaa.

The Simpsons.

I always replaced Lisa with Debbie, but I hum it every birthday.

I turned 26 yesterday, The Daddy Man said i am still in my mid twenties. I don't know whether to believe him, when does mid become late??

That's kind of scary as it looms ahead. You know I still feel 18, young and fresh, waiting for where the world determines I fit.

I do feel less naive though, I have learnt much these past 12 years. I cannot drink a bottle of vodka anymore without vomiting!

It's interesting, I am a woman now, not even on that cusp of girldom and womanhood. Just a straight up woman! Age is my future, youth my past. But I still don't have any wrinkles....for now.

I was looking up stuff that happened the day I was born around the world.

Nothing exciting seemed to happen, no caught serial killers or miss universe debacles.

But I share my day with a few coolio people

One of my fave comedians and i share our birthday!

Benjamin Franklin

She is pretty swell, and we share the same name! (my middle name)

My day consisted of - 

11:45am: I was woken up after a glorious sleep in, to bacon and eggs.

12:30pm: After finishing the breakfast of all breakkie's, the kids jumped in bed and proceeded to massage my feet and shoulders. I checked my facebook and discovered over 100 Birthday messages.

12:45pm-3pm: I played Just dance kids on wii with my boys, ate a scrumptious lunch and spoke to my dad on the phone.

3pm: The Daddy Man disappeared for a few hours and left me home with the kidlets, the kids tidied the lounge room without being asked and put the dishes away

4pm: The kids had still barely been naughty and sat quietly watching a movie.

5:30pm: The Daddy Man came home bearing gifts! A foot beauty set, a large bottle of electric pink vodka, a zombie wii game (which rocks mind you) and wii guns!

6:30pm: My surprise favourite meal arrived...CHINESE. 

For 17 weeks I haven't had one dose of Chinese because of my eating plans, this was a wonderful surprise.

7:00pm: The Daddy Man brought out a gorgeous surprise mud cake that we all devoured.

7:30pm: The kids went to bed and The Daddy Man and I cracked open my new bottle of vodka, enjoyed drinks and watched a movie.

It was a lovely birthday and I am so happy I have a wonderful family to share it with.

Through the course of the whole day I didn't lift a finger. No housework, no cleaning, no cooking. AMAZING!!

I woke up this morning in a food coma with the post birthday blues. I had dishes and washing to do. But the kids have carried their great behaviour over and I feel on top of the world!

xx Spoilt Mummy

She's hitting the fan.

Drama seems to cling to me like glue.
A year ago I met a woman I thought would be great friend material.
I didn't listen to the warnings - She is super jealous, of everything. She has anger problems. She lies. She has knock down drag out fights with her husband every time they throw a shindig (fortnightly), her husband is a sleazebag.
Nope I didn't listen, I went in blinded by her pretty hair and bright smile.
Silly me.

We met at our local hang out, for the first few months she was funny, charming, helpful and friendly.
We shared life stories and hopes, we spent weekends together and our kids formed bonds. We went away for a weekend with our hubby's and had a ball.
And then I began noticing what was lurking beneath the surface.
Constant gossip and judgement, lies after lies, having to pick up the bill whenever we went out, her drama breakdowns, the way she abused any woman who came near The Daddy Man, yes MY Daddy Man, her wine on a beer budget, her cruelness, the way she ignored and spoke to her kids.
The list is endless and exhausting.

I began having doubts about our friendship. I don't handle needy very well. I call a spade a spade. I will go to the ends of the earth for my dearest, but expect the same. I take people at face value and expect to be able to trust.

One evening her and i went out to our local hang out, shit went down and i decided i was done.
With the whole situation.
She took offence and started screaming at me in front of everyone.
I was horrified, I'm not used to hostile situations.
I made a hasty exit and stayed away from our local hangout, for a few weeks.
By the following day my phone was full of abusive text messages and phone call attempts.
I didn't want a bar of it, I wasn't going to forgive.

Days turned into weeks and I woke up at 3am one morning to hearing who i assumed were my neighbours fighting. It was her, standing out the front of my house hurling abuse. I made formal complaints and my stress levels grew.
I decided i needed to do some soul searching and became quite a recluse. I didn't go socialising so much.
I felt down and sad. How did something good turn into something so shit??
The rumours started, and i heard snippets. I became the biggest subject in her life. I kept it as my business, I didn't fuel rumours, but people did contact me saying she was notorious for this behaviour. She had done it before and will do it again.
People I thought were friends, faded away. Slowly I learnt who was to be treasured and who not.
I was sad.

One day I decided I was over it, Who the hell was she to stop me from doing the things i enjoyed. Her psychotic power was over ruling my life and I hated it. I picked myself up, dusted myself off and thought fuck you!
I began socialising again, ignored the lies and focused on my happiness.
Saturday night The Daddy Man and I went to our local hangout to celebrate my birthday (its tomorrow peeps :P). To me the crap was over, I assumed we had both moved on. My philosophy is: if you don;t like someone, don't talk to them.

And then I heard the kicker.
 People started asking me how I was going?. It was in a way that they slanted their heads and looked at my stomach. I felt odd. Have I grown some large tumour and haven't noticed? Are people seeing something I cannot? And then it came out.

Nosey Acquaintance: So when are you due?
Me: Due what?? uni??
Nosey Acquaintance: No the baby, you would be about 6 months now, wouldn't you?
Me: *Shock face* What the hell are you talking about?
Nosey Acquaintance: Aren't you pregnant?
Me: No who the crap told you that??
Nosey Acquaintance: Oh *bitch face* did, she said you are pregnant to her husband.

My world was feeling rocky, I walked off startled and asked a few other people if that was what they had heard. All the while sculling my beers like a mad lady.
Apparently they wondered why I was drinking...while being up the stick.

I think Round Two has began, I will be her favourite subject for a long time to come.
Although I am furious and flabbergasted, I have decided to laugh. Are people really this delusional? I wont react (aside from this blog post, I needed to vent a little). I will continue on my day like I have since this started.
After all I have a baby to prepare for....right?

FlogYoBlog Fat Style

I want to look like this.

Instead I look like this...but worse.

I don't have all the firm bits.

I have to lose 50 kilograms to get to what I want to look like. To be healthy, full of life and spunky.

50 is a big number when it comes to kilograms of fat. It's huge and scary. It makes me cry with frustration. I just want it gone.

In 12 weeks I have lost 16.3kg's. 

I used to look like this

Our bums looked the same.

I haven't excersised as much as I usually do over these holidays. I havent had as much chance...especially now I am a blogging addict.

Is there a bloggers anonymous I can join??

My first every FlogYoBlog - I am linking up with Where's My Glow

Frugal + Thrift

Being frugal requires effort. It doesn't mean you have to live poorly or do without. It means you are being wise with your income. It requires looking into your finances and changing the way you spend. In our little cherry house we have 3 set criteria when making purchases.

Need
Want 
Save.
Do we need the item?
Do we want the item?
Would the money spent be better off as savings.

Trimming down on excess is a big key in saving you money.
Do you need to watch 60 reruns of your favourite TV show on fox tel? $100 a month
$100 a month x 12 is $1200, sounds like an end of year holiday to me!
Do you need that extra Internet bandwidth that you never use? $20 a month
$20 a month x 12 is $240, a smart weekend aways worth.
Do you need new clothing every month? $400 a month
$400!! That x 12 is $4800. Maybe an overseas holiday?

Being thrifty requires investing.
Buy the larger pack of toilet paper.
Buy yourself a sewing machine.
Buy the bigger packs of meat.
Learn to cut your pets hair yourself.
Buy bigger packs of washing powder on special.

Being frugal and thrifty requires thought
How can you get around receiving a massive electricity bill every quarter?

It's simple. Find your last bill, Divide it by 12 (weeks), round it off to the nearest 10 and have centrepay or bpay extract the amount weekly. Not only will your bills always be paid come due date, you will be in credit!

Make your own cleaning products

1. I cup of vinegar
2. 1 cup of water
3. 5 drops of washing liquid.

I used to think wow that wouldn't clean a thing. But it is possibly the best multipurpose cleaner i have found.


Make your own washing powder.


My kids are allergic to some brands of washing powder and the ones they were okay with were costing a fortune.
So i make my own. Not only does it stretch alot further but smells divine and is soft and gentle.


1. 1/2 bar of soap (preferably unscented or sunlight)
2. One cup of bicarb soda
3. One cup of washing soda (find this in the laundry section at the supermarket)


Grate the soap into granules, Add the bicarb and washing soda's. Just double or triple mixtures for however much you would like. And because it doesn't foam it is perfect for front loaders too.


Being frugal requires planning

I set my Sundays as my baking and cooking day. I make large batches of biscuits and muffins. Half of these get frozen to pull out and cook through the week. The other half i make up for the following few days.

I make meals and freeze them in chinese containers for nights we cant be bothered cooking. Using off cuts and bones you can creates soups and stews, stretching your money further.

Where is your money going?
If you use eftpos alot or incur alot of bank fee's it might be best to change to a bank that has a no monthly fee or a flat rate.

Are you paying monthly late fees? by direct debitting the smaller amount weekly you could be saving over $100 a year.

Being thrifty and frugal is beneficial for family life, especially whilst living on one income. It does take effort but the rewards absolutely pay off.

Going Back to school.

             

15 tips on how to get the kids back to school cheap and efficiently.

Cheap easy to make name stickers

1. Print a spread sheet full of your child's name and class

cut out the names and place them on pencils, glue and books, cover with contact.

Recycle

2. Look through your child's last years books and bags/lunch boxes, if in good repair, give them a wash and any other minor fixes and resend them. (contact books in a funky colour)

Make your own smock

3. Smocks can be as expensive at $40 a pop. Why not find an old t shirt of an older sibling. Let your child decorate it and send it along as an art smock.Sewing your own would also be thrifty!

Shop around

4.Books and pencils and accessories can add up shopping at big brand stores. Checking your local thrift shops, cheap stores and woollies can save you big amounts. Often the products are better value.

Practice routine

5.If you begin your morning and bedtime back to school routines 2 weeks before first day. Your children will be on the ball when D day comes.

Socks

6.Buy socks in bulk packs that are easy to match at washing time. I buy all my children the same sized and coloured socks. That way if any get lost there is always a pair

Uniforms

7. Ask around your school and see if they sell second hand uniforms. Also checking with other mums and on websites. You may pay 1/3 of the price as brand new.

Numbers

8. Compile an updated list of emergency contacts that can be put in your child's file, first day back

Travelling

9. Is your child preparing to walk or ride to school on their own? Practice trips to school can help prepare them. Make sure they follow road rules and know the best ways to get there. Enforce stranger danger and practice problems arising.Make sure helmets and hats also bikes are up to scratch and well maintained.

Lists

10. Develop lists of all the items you need with a set budget. Allowing your child to choose 1 item gives them a sense of responsibility.

Lunches 

11.Prepare your child with nutritious non perishable lunches. If it needs to be refrigerated it will probably go funky before their meal break.Which means they wont eat it thus wasting $$

Keeping track

12.Organise a calendar used solely for school activities. List interviews and parent meetings, Special events and play dates. Make sure you never forget whats coming up.

Slip,slop,slap

13.Buy a giant bottle of sunscreen and fill roll on bottles for your child to keep in their back pack. Always send your kids with a wide brimmed hat and apply sun cream before school.

Homework zone

14.Create a homework area with a desk and study needs. Make sure it is quiet and somewhere your child can concentrate.

Connecting

15. Find out all your child's classmates names and keep them listed. This is invaluable for birthday parties and card lists.

These steps do work! Are you excited or a little sad with your kids going back?

I don't think I could whoop enough!!

If thats normal, I'm out of there.

When I started school I realized I was different. I was a chubby kid and that meant I was destined for years of torment. That and I was a redhead (not so common back then).
Can you Imagine being the redheaded chubby girl all through primary and then high school?
My sisters were fairly slender and I knew I was the odd one out.
My friends were all slender and mostly tall. I never grew taller than 5 foot 1.

Although I was born the tiny weight of 5lb12 I seemed to get rounder with age, I ate all the same meals as my sisters and probably excersized/played more than they did. But my weight stayed.

At 10 years old we discovered I was quite the runner which entailed years of sporting and running activities. I was still a chubby girl, even though I ran up to 5-10kms a day. I didn't slender out much. I remember at 14 I got down to a size 12 and was stoked although I was still bigger than my friends I felt more "normal".

At 25 that kind of thinking shits me. I can only dream of being a size 12 at the moment. Yet who the hell says what size or weight is normal? Sure we have doctors giving lectures and weight advocates giving speeches but it is always conflicting. Some say that people have different bone structures so cannot be placed into the same "healthy weight" category as others. Some say that is hogwash and everyone should weigh roughly the same.

For people trying to lose weight that can become damn confusing!

My little Cgirl is 4, she wears size 6 clothing. her brothers wore clothing smaller than their age and have always been referred to as "string beans". Their diet is pretty much the same, they do the same activities and chores. She has always been a solid girl much like myself.. Arms and shoulders built like a swimmer, a poky belly, chunky thighs and a round booty. We do not tolerate the word FAT in our house, If you have to describe someone robust, chubby will suffice. A  few months back the older 2 boys came home from school chanting lovely sayings to their sister like "fatty boom sticks" and "fatty fat fat".
I saw RED. How dare they??
They are young boy's who heard something at school and repeated it at home. We had many a talks about feelings and hurting people and how everyone is different. All has been solved for now and they keep such venom out of our house.
It hurt our princess and that made me so very mad. She is a beautiful little girl and so what if she is a little chubby? I am not putting my big boned daughter on a diet dammit!!
We are all about uplifting in this house, make others feel as great as you want to feel. If more people behaved that way in the world it would be a much nicer place to live.

My Cgirl is chubby AND perfect!!

I have had people comment about my size 16 in public. At pools and the beach and even nightclubs. How is it acceptable though? I walk around minding my own business, I do not walk up to every ugly person I see and say "wow what a snozz, maybe you should get it fixed?" or "jeeze  lady, warn people before you take your face out in public". No, I accept that people are different and it is none of my damn business!!

Being cruel like Ros Reines has to Julie Goodwin is deplorable. In this day and age haven't we heard enough about cyber bullying for a lifetime? Haven't we learnt? It's not just teenagers though, apparently grown women see no harm in spreading their biast views and blasting others. Shame Shame Shame.

Is normality based on bullying? If you aren't "normal" you will be trashed and hurt? If you are "normal" you will make others feel like shit because you are sooo perfect? If that is normal, then I am glad I'm different!!

I know a very good saying and if my kids can learn it and respect it. Then grown frikken women can!

If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all!

Big Kev style "I'm Excited!!"

It's amazing how the little things in life can uplift your mood by far.
I posted about shopping for goodies on Monday and I am happy to inform that we are once again the owners of a television that has more colours than purple and green! We are also owners of a new portable hard drive and  surround sound system. Yay Yay!
The Daddy Man worked his awesomely good haggling skills today and hit our budget proudly. 
I love that he got such a great bargain but that's not why I am in such a cheery mood.


See I'm of the thinking - If it isn't required we can do without. We don't own an IPAD or a soda stream or even fancy washing baskets.  I punch out these posts on a computer I would liken to dinosaurs. But it does the trick and I cannot complain.
Today though I decided to treat myself, after reading so many blogs of late I noticed a small necessity that I did not have. A printer!
Jman and I went shopping today and picked up a printer for a smidgen price...on sale! and a gorgeous little laminator.
I have spent the night printing and laminating anything I can get my hands on. I feel very crafty.

2011 ended on a sour and crappy note, but I am taking a running head start on completing my goals for 2012 and I feel great!! Listing and planning my goals seems to be doing the trick. Little things like budgeting better and purchasing items I always put off. 


After reading through Diminishing Lucy's awesome blog these past few night's I am so inspired to drop all my extra kg's. I signed up with a group she recommended Calorie King, so far so good! I even purchased breakfast cereal and low fat milk for myself. Now that's something.


For three days now my house has been relatively tidy, that is a huge goal for me and I am feeling very successful. Organization has never been a strong point for me but slowly I seem to be getting the hang of it.


How are your New Year Resolutions going so far??

George of the Jungle

Ever get that feeling that your brain is so muddled up you don't know where to start?
It has been a busy few days around here.
 Yesterday I took Hboy back to the hospital for a check up regarding his stitches and to see if he had any ongoing nerve damage to his forehead.
After several missed buses, because I suck at catching public transport we finally arrived at the Mater Children's Outpatients department.
I expected a 2 or 3 hour wait minimum. Doctors are busy and who am I to be pushy?

Surprisingly though we sat down for 10 minutes and were called in.
The doctor we saw put M'cSteamy and M'cDreamy to shame.
The doctor was M'cDelicious
Dr M'cDelicious checked Hboy's scarring, had a chat with me about silicon tape, bio oil and their benefits. Asked Hboy to frown and smile checking his forehead movements and then we left.
Dr M'cdelicious said we never have to come back. I replied..."until next time!!"

Hboy and I decided to grab a bite of subway then started our long journey home. We didn't miss any buses this time though. YAY.

Warning - If you have a squeamish belly please don't look

Here are some pics of my worst nightmare:

Hboy's hat he didn't want to take off

Post surgery

Hboy yesterday after our visit with Dr M'cDelicious.

Unfortunately said incident hasn't stopped my little George of the jungle from climbing. I am slowly going batty and hoarse telling him to get down from things. He is the roughest of my boys and doesn't quite understand that he is only 3. He figures if Jman and Tman can do it, so can he.

After lunch yesterday he decided to chase birds around the street and jump on drain lids. He then made twisty and apple juice soup after lunch.

I know that whenever I go out with all the kids in tow people on the street or at the stores stop me with the comment "you must have your hands full", I do but with only 1 of them!

Do you have your own George of the jungle or Dora the Explorer?

BIG

Most of us have seen the movie Big and if you haven't you are missing out on a classic 80's feel good film.

This comedy is about a little boy who makes a wish on a genie machine to be big.
The wish is granted but he is still a little boy in a man's body, hilarious and cute!

For me though it's real life.
Can you imagine living with an over sized teenager who inhales food, lives for PlayStation, doesn't understand what a laundry hamper is, gets the farting giggles, thinks he will die without sex and hopes to make it rich one day?

Look I love my overgrown teenage boy like any mother should. But he's not my son, hes my partner and he's nearly 30.

For years I have nagged him to death about growing up and being responsible. All that boring stuff adulthood comes with. Thus far he has resisted and I'm sure that will continue until around 45 years of age when he will mature to the equivalent of a 20 year old, buy himself a Porsche and start dating a 19 year old called "Misha" or "Lillie".

Over the years he has had many bright ideas, most cringe worthy but I have learnt to bite my tongue and shake my head. Or alternatively smile, nod and zone out.

I really do love him but some things just take the cake.

Although over the years he has been involved in many a cock ups last nights antics definitely made me realise I am raising a man child.

He decided to go to the shop, we needed an assortment of food stuffs and I had been working my bum off cleaning all day. So my nearly 30 year old teenager decided he would ride Tman's brand new Magnum Pro scooter for a touch of exercise. He was excited and I shook my head knowing, like mum's do that it wasn't going to end well.
After scouring websites to check on helmet laws etc he set off on a sneaky but fun mission reliving his childhood. Midsummer nights breeze through his shaved head hair, whizzing on a scooter like a little fella.

He got home about half an hour later. And I was right, it didn't end well.

 Apparently scooting at nearly 30 years old, in the dark, on footpaths that haven't been upgraded in 25 years isn't such a great idea.
Not only is he now sporting a chunk of flesh missing from the back of his ankle, he has also sprained his elbow and wrist.

So now I have added nurse to my never ending list of mothering duties.
Apparently he cannot move from the couch because his latest injury makes the man flu look like a sniffle.
He can't do dishes or clean, he cannot hang washing or even sweep.

I think spraining your arm is a little extreme to get out of housework.

As if I didn't have enough to do around here!!

Money, Money. Money

We are in the market for a new TV.


After what happened with our last one, we decided to replace it finally.
For the past few months we have been using a TV I bought when Jman was a baby. So thats about 6 years ago now.
A big bulky beast that needs magnets at the back if we wish to watch more colours than just purple and green.
Just after Christmas doesn't seem the best time to buy said luxury right?

Well with a little research and compromise between The Daddy Man and I we have found some great deals.


The Daddy Man is a techno whizz. In his early 20's he was married. They were DINKS*. He thought nothing of heading out and buying a brand new gadget for over $1000 without shopping around.
Then he got divorced, met me, had a hoard of kids and realised we needed to be very smart with our dollars.


Although I call The Daddy Man terms of endearment like "Scrooge Mc'Duck", "Mr Stinge" and "A cheap bastard". Sometimes It comes in handy.

The Daddy Man is gifted in the sense he can haggle. I am the worst haggler ever and so leave this up to him.
I have seen him single handedly haggle items hundreds of dollars lower than their ticket price, and get stuff thrown in for free. Awesome right? He is also very talented in bargain spotting.


So tomorrow he will be putting his haggling skills to the test and not only getting us an awesome TV that has colours other than purple and green, but a Surround Sound System thrown in. For free. He will succeed. He's good like that.

This all got me thinking.
How do you purchase goods?


Do you haggle?
Do you buy cash back items? (these can be good if you read the fine print early)
Do you shop around?
Do you buy when items are on sale?
Do you ask for rain checks?
Having a little bit of courage, bravado and smart thinking can save you money.


We thrive on the fact that we never buy anything (aside from groceries) that aren't on sale or without haggling a discount.


Call it cheap, stingey or thrifty. I call it smart!


# DINKS = Double income no kids.

Welcome 2012

Reading Mrs BC's post today on how to not only make resolutions but to keep them gave me a bit more insight into my own.
I know my biggest resolution is to stop allowing people to trample all over me.
But there are about 10 others I'd love to follow through with.
They will require planning and organization.
The Daddy Man is not a planner. He is happy to wing everything which does result in lots of yelling and cursing on my behalf. I am a planner and a list writer. I like things done a specific way at certain times.
OCD much?

Here is my top 10 list and how I WILL achieve them.

 
1. Like a lot of other people, losing excess weight is number 1. A new 24 hour gym opened down the road from me just before Christmas. My goal is to attend said gym at least 3 times a week. This means that working within The Daddy Mans working hours I will need to rise at around 5am most days to attend the gym for an hour. Then be back in time to dress and feed the chillies before school.
2. To be more organised. Managing school hours better, packing lunches and homework the night before, planning weekend activities etc. These will need to work around The Daddy Mans hours but I'm sure it can be done.
3. Keeping the house neater. I guess this kind of relates to the above resolution but i think it deserves a bullet of its own. I want to get more on top of messes and washing and dishes and folding and mopping. Pretty much anything cleaning related. I will need to stop sitting down after the kids go to bed thinking "ahhh thank goodness" those pesky dishes wont do themselves and its twice as much work the following day.
4. To take more photos. I am not very good at taking pics. They tend to always be blurry or out of focus etc. It sucks but i guess more practice wouldn't hurt. Organisation and confidence will also assist.
5. A firm budget. Money has always been a topic that The Daddy Man and i could never discuss without war erupting. I spend too much, he spends too much on shit. Something amazing occurred in December though, we sat done and did up a budget together minus fighting or arguing. We worked as a team and didn't get stressed. The goal is to work on refining it more so that we live fairly stress free.
6. More family days out. Being that The Daddy Man works in a department store, he rarely gets weekends free. We need to plan activities to do as a family that will coincide with his days off and work hours. A family holiday is something we will be saving for also. Our first!
7. Study. to improve my sad education and enter a course I have only hoped for. Financial constraints aside If i work hard im sure i can achieve this
8. Managing my mental health. I will accept The Daddy Mans offers of help more, I will take deep breaths more and rethink thoughts 3 times before making decisions and harbouring emotions. I will talk more and not bottle so much up to explode. Being unmedicated is no longer scary. Refining my plan to become mentally healthier will help.
9. As sad as it sounds, I am 25 and do not have my drivers license. The medication I was on for many years made it illegal to drive while under the influence. Now I am medication free I can look forward to becoming a more independent version of me. Practice practice practice.
10. To sew. I do not have a sewing machine anymore and i miss it. I will be asking The Daddy Man for one for my birthday (this month) I will attempt to sew masterpieces!

I guess once a new year is upon us we tend to hope for a new beginning.

It gives us incentive to dream and hope to achieve things we havent yet mastered. I really am looking forward to being the ME I want to be. It might take grit and getting off my butt more but nothing worth anything comes easy.

Planning is a fantastic way to ensure success.