Simple summer days

Thinking back to my own childhood, it's the simple things that made summer holidays the most memorable.  We didn't do fancy overseas holidays or extravagant entertainment but we had the most amazing fun. (sponsored content)

We spent hours swimming at the Coburg Baths, drying ourselves off on the hot concrete between dips. We created fast moving whirlpools in the next door neighbours big, old, circular above ground pool. And on the warmest of nights we slept out in the backyard in a little tent, the air thick with mozzie repellent and the noise of cicadas. Hours and hours were spent in the backyard puddling around and I don't ever remember being bored. Those were the days!

We have kept it simple for summer this year at our place. And for the most part, the boys have loved their holidays at home. 

We have done lots of laughing and lazing around.

There have been homemade icy poles.

A trip to the movies. 

Fish and chips eaten on the back deck.
We even shelled some peas (their favourite, to go with the meal).

Loads of lego on the really hot days

Time in the garden tending our gigantic tomato plants. We made some delicious jam too.

And the most favourite, the new sprinkler and slip'n slide combo we bought. 

It's been uncomplicated and inexpensive. The boys are happy and content and as their mum I am reminded that the simple things in life and the backyard are often all we need. 






This post has been supported by Bloom, a new residential community over the other side of Melbourne where backyards are all the rage too. You can check them out on the book of face here. 

lego exhibition january 2014 - melbourne 'brickvention'

Day by day Lego grows in popularity in our house. The boys both received some for Christmas and have spent some happy hours over the holidays building bricks. They each play with the Lego in different ways. The Batsman loves to make models by following the step by step instructions. He is largely exact in his building standards. The Bowler is a little more 'free form' in his designs and loves to create all kinds of weird and wonderful.

However they use it, it's easy to see that they are learning and growing each time they do. When I heard about Brickvention - a big Lego exhibit at Melbourne's Exhibition Building, it seemed like the perfect time to buy tickets and go. The tickets were cheap too....around $12 per adult and $6 for the kids. Bargain priced entertainment is always welcome during school holidays isn't it?

We forgot to take a big camera so here are a few of my phone pics. I thought you might like to see them. The kids really loved seeing the exhibits, particularly those with movement. The Batsman found the crowded room a little overwhelming but there was space for him to take a breather when he needed to including some areas where kids and big kids could sit and do some Lego building.

One thing I noticed was that of all the exhibits, there was only one built from the 'Friends' Lego. All of the other exhibits were built from traditional bricks. The visit was great fun and finished off with gelati was one to remember.

Do your kids do Lego? Love it? Hate it?

mindful spending - buy nothing new in february

my last purchase before the beginning of the challenge. the chairs were secondhand on a buy, swap and sell site

I wouldn't necessarily call myself a big spender but when I'm really honest I can see a bit of a pattern of "shopaholic behaviour". In the years I have been a stay at home mum (pretty much for the last seven) online shopping has become a great friend and convenience to me. When the demands of babyhood, toddlerhood, autism and its associated therapies and appointments were too much, I didn't have to brave the shopping centres if I didn't feel up to it. I could browse, search, buy and have delivered pretty much anything from the comfort of my lounge room. And, if I'm honest, in those earlier days of babyhood where you are doing the sleep, change nappy, feed, change nappy, play change nappy, sleep and repeat over and over, online shopping also became a bit of entertainment, an escape of a little bliss and certainly a way to feel like I was organised and in control "when I had bought everything I needed". It was never really about stuff for me - I am not a clothing or shoes or handbags fiend - it was always much more about the boys and the house and "being organised"......hello IKEA spendathon to get organised anyone? How about Aldi? Anyone else love Aldi as pathologically as me? So, putting it mildly, in the last 7 years I have bought LOADS of stuff and yes, the parcel delivery postie and I are on first name terms.

I have also become someone, or maybe always was, who likes to have "plenty" of food on hand. The Captain regularly refers to our pantry and freezer as "the bunker" and "the coolroom" respectively, such is the volume of food stored. Friends joke that in the event of apocalypse they will make their way here because they know they will be fed for at least 6 months. Because I cook pretty much everything from scratch I don't waste a lot of food but I don't ever get to the very back of the shelves and cupboards either.

So, a new year, and time for some reflection, some change and some thinking about how I spend and stockpile. For the month of February I have challenged our household (me mainly) to buy nothing new. Nothing but essentials like petrol. Fresh food essentials like milk, fruit and vegetables only. The goals of this type of challenge have been widely explored and documented on lots of thrifty blogs but for me it's these things:

• buy what we need only, not what we might need or think we want
• see how much we save
• think about what necessity is and how we define it
• reflecting on the psychology of the "buy" and what it means for me
• create meals and snacks from what we have, not by buying new ingredients
• thinking about what we can swap and sell and give away

I am 7 days in and it's going pretty well. When I go near any shops I can feel my "mindful" shopper brain segment kick in and remind me of the challenge. I made a short trip to the supermarket and managed to stick to my essentials list all bar one item. I have joined a local "buy, swap and sell" group on FB and am slowly working on selling or giving away our excess. It feels good to be thinking more about what I buy and the money I spend and I am sure that our mortgage, the Captain and our 'likely to be groaning under the weight of stuff' house will feel good about it too.

I will post here a little later on in the month and let you know how I am going.

Wish me luck.

this time last year

The hallway previously used for pacing up and down.

This time last year it felt hard to breathe.
Sending our big boy, the Batsman, off to primary school after 3 long years of autism early intervention work and incredible closeness felt like having a limb removed.

This time last year I watched the clock.
I paced.
I phoned friends for support.
I obsessed and worried.
I was a pain in the arse to live with and be around.
I slept poorly.
I drove past the school to see if I could glimpse him in the playground.
I cried.
I ate for comfort.
It wasn't my finest hour but it was part of what it took for me to let go of him a little, hand him over to others at his school and trust that they and he could make his prep year happen together. And they did just that. I was part of it, sure, but last year was the first time I'd had to surrender full control of supporting him and helping him learn and being there when it was hard.

What a difference a year makes.
There have been no tears from anyone and very little worrying.
I have largely sat back and marveled at him stepping back to school and grade one like the most natural thing in the world. He is truly amazing.

Today I sat in a cafe for almost two hours with a friend who is close to my heart. We didn't really have a care in the world. We weren't watching the clock. We lingered over our lunch and our coffee. It was nothing at all like "this time last year". It was great.

And it feels pretty amazing to have reached this place, at least for now.