Getting stuck into the garden

Over the past few weeks I have been shifting the garden round, trying make use of different spots. While my current veggie garden was ok, I wasn't happy with the amount of sun it would get in winter. 
So with the help of a few pallets here is the start of my new vegie garden. 

This is also acting as a fence to stop the kids heading down a bank. Top racks on the right have spinach and baby beetroot seeds soon to be thinned out along the other two pallets, middle row some lettuce and at the bottom some carrots. At the front are my strawberries. The front of the left two pallets is silver beet and beetroot, and the top ravks are just holding seed containers with silverbeet, brocolli, baby beets, leeks and something else. Will use another few pallets to complete the fence and will plant other veg in them along with some purple flowers and maybe some other flowers.
Can't wait for it to be finished!

Hand made presents-String Art

This year for Christmas I am trying to save money, but also give out more meaning full gifts. So I'm going for more hand made gifts.
Its hard to buy for my partners family-they have all they need, I don't really want to go out and spend money on something they aren't going to use, or will just clutter the house. So combining my love of Pinterest I've finally decided to start making some of those things I've pinned.

So this is my take of this pin :

These are on pieces of MDF that are A3 size. The black one I only printed out the map A4 size-hence the size difference. 

I love them! What do you think?

My new love-Crochet

At the beginning of the year I started attending our local stitch n bitch with a bunch of lovely ladies. I knew most of them already and as the year went on we invited more to join us.
I was lucky enough to be taught how to crochet, and since then haven't looked back. I have made so many things and really enjoy it.
Here are some pictures of some of my creations this year.

I'm back!!!

Boy, its been awhile.
Life boy has changed since I last posted. I should really read my last post to see what was happening then.

But anyway, there has been some big changes. September was a massively huge month for our family. We moved for the first time since having Lara and boy was that a mission. Our old house was at the top of a nice big path which meant we opted for movers. Best $500 spent ever!
A week after moving our I gave birth to our not so little boy Leo. (Yep that's right, we moved four days before I was due!) Was a very speedy labour (just over 2hours!) Lara and Paige are totally smitten.
A month later and Lara turned 5! Off to school she went, and she has coped brilliantly.
So here are some pictures from the past wee while.

New lounge

The girls room (well untill I decided that them sharing wasn't working)

Our new man-Leo
Photography By Sharyn

Us in hospital still
Photography By Sharyn

Love this pic!
Photography By Sharyn

Cuddles with big Sister

Just chilling and being cute.

Sleepy cuddles in the sun with Daddy
(Yay our new house gets soooo much sun!)

Miss Cheeky Paige-dressed herself with two tops.

Not so little Leo, having some cuddles with his sleeping sister.

Well done if your still awake after the pictures :)
Tomorrows goal will be to redesign my header-I think that is well over due!

Anchor Family Reunion Comp

We made it through round one, now I ask for your help :)

Virtually Family

by Anastasia Kerr

We are a definitely not your traditional nuclear family. But we are most definitely a family!

We are 52 women aged 19-36, spanning Northland to Dunedin (plus two in Australia!), who met online last year while newly pregnant, our babies due in January 2011.

We have since then created a online santuary dedicated to supporting each other through our pregnancies, miscarriages, medical dilemmas and relationship difficulties - just like Anchor we are growing families! From online strangers we have become trusted friends.

Our dream is to get our “mummy family” together for a face-to-face coffee group in Wellington, to celebrate our friendship and our babies’ first birthdays.

Please head to http://www.anchor125years.co.nz/story/view/number/477/

register and vote daily. 

Thank you all so much.

New toys!!

While Lara was at kindergarten today I had a new toy arrive :) The freerider.

Lara was soooo excited when I got it out of the box. She had to try it out straight away-which meant rugging up and heading out in the rain. Poor Paige really wanted to join in but the weather really wasn't nice enough for her. 

I can't wait to try it out on a nice day-the scooter can attach to my Explorer and be used as a buggy board. 

Will report later on how that works :)

Long time, no blog-whoops! (Again)

Haha I seriously struggle with this blogging thing. I love reading everyone elses blogs, but mine seems to get a little forgotten.
Life has been moving fast in our house.
Lara is now at big kids kindergarten. She is loving being back with her best friend. The change of days has taken a toll on her, she has been tired and emotional (like she was when she first started) School holidays are coming up so she will be able to rest and recover then will be back into it next term. This term Lara joined Soccer-she loves it. It is her Saturday morning activity with her Dad. I guess I should start thinking about her birthday soon.

Paige is a super mover-at 8mths we have almost 6 teeth, almost walking, finally taking a bottle (during the day) and the past four nights she has slept through! Her personality is really beginning to grow and shine. She loves to bop away to the music, she is often pulling faces at her sister and she is now starting to chat away a lot more.

And of course to go with a blog post-here is a bunch of pics from the start of August to now.

Things I'm loving

Another Friday has come around already. Time to reflect on the things that matter-so of course I am linking up with Paisley Jade.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is. 

Its school holidays so the things I'm loving is the stuff that keeps Miss Lara happy....so with that.....

Staglands!

On Wednesday we traveled out to Staglands with some friends. Was a frosty start to the morning, but once we got going the sun warmed the fingers. Surrounded by dense forest in the middle of no where-loved it! 

Lara, Paige and I hadn't been to Staglands before, where as her friends had. Lara was a little freaked by the animals but all in all had a awesome time. The trip was finished off with a trip to the cafe and before heading back on the road we had some home made chocolate muffins.

Cheeky Monkey

I have made so many great friends on the this fourm.. And of course from that comes numerous coffee groups. Today I met up with a great bunch of them and Lara had a super blast. 

(Sharyn took some photos but she is out tonight so we probably won't see them till tomorrow.)

Soup Recipes Please!

I love soup, but I have a very limited range of soups that I make-so far I tend to stick with Pumpkin Soup. 

Last Sunday I made a chicken soup which came out really well-Lara even ate all of hers. (I did cheat and used a cooked chicken from the supermarket.) I really want to make an effort to be trying new meals, and well soups are just so great. And of course another bonus is soup often is cheap to make and lasts more than one meal.

So please feel free to leave me a comment with links to your great soup recipes. Thanks :)

What do you do?

So my doctor has ordered me to have some time regular time on my own-as much as I love my babies I need some time away from them to breathe and feel like a adult. But now I have to work out how it will work out. With Paige still being on the boob I can't really be away for to long so I'm a little at loss as to how it will fit into my day/week.
What do you do? Do you get a few hours a week to do your own thing? Or to you just make the most of the evenings when they are in bed? Do you have a hobby you do?
I know I should look into using time to do some form of exercise-I wish it was summer, I miss being able to go for a walk in the evening. Maybe I should look at doing some form of regular excerise class?

Baby on the move!

It looks as though Miss Paige is on the move-we have forward movement! Not quite a crawl but she can get to where she wants to go. Guess I need to really keep on top of Lara keeping all small toys off the floor now.

Breastfeeding, bottle feeding, Babyled weaning, Pureed First Foods.

I'm at a loss with it all. Paige has become a struggle to breastfeed and I want to stop. She is so busy taking in everything that is going on in the world that she doesn't want to stop and feed. I try and feed her in the bedroom away from it all, but she still fights it. But as she won't take a bottle or sippy cup I have no choice but to keep trying. She has started solids but at the moment she is to unco for babyled weaning and is refusing to take pureed food.
She needs to be feeding more during the day, she needs to start getting more food. She is so close to being on the move so she needs to energy. All the energy she is using during the day means she is up 3-4 times at night.
Yesterday she had two breastfeeds during the day, and a few attempts at eating toast, pear and apple slices.
In the end I had a massive cry to mum on the phone, feeling like I have no clue what to do with Paige. I'm still at a lose and don't know what to do. She is clearly fulling up at night as when she wakes for the day she won't feed till after she has had a nap. (10.30ish)

Ahhhh I don't know what to do!!

Time for a Video! (#2)

Well I've never posted a video on my blog-but I might as well try. This was taken last night, I'd gone to fill up the  bath and came back to this.

Viewer Warning-This video contains a Super Cute Giggle!

(Sorry about the poor lighting and quality, it was taken at night)

Things I'm loving (#1)

So today I will start of my 30 in 30 with Things I'm loving. Might as well start on a happy note.
And of course I'm linking up with Paisley Jade.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is. 

Sister's having a tea party!

Lara trying to feed Paige 

Loving my new highchair!
Phil and Teds - Highpod

Paige loves it as well.
Phil and Teds - Highpod

Brown Brothers Moscato-YUM!!!
So easy to drink and only 5.5% Alcohol-which is a good
thing as one bottle went down very fast the other night.  

Hope I've managed to link up properly eeek.