The next challenge over at CMH has gone live this morning.   There is a great kit up for grabs from Marie and her kit club Little Yellow House Kits  - It is definitely worth while playing along to have the opportunity to win one… wouldn’t that be great!

This challenge is a word challenge.

And, the word/theme is:

NEW

We want the word “new” to be in the title on your LO or project. It can be in any language you want, does NOT have to be in English.

Here is my example layout:

Check out the latest inspiration by the rest of the DT over here at CMH and you have until midnight 31 January NZ time (GMT + 13 hours) to upload your layout via Mr Linky.

Hope to see you all playing along!

Mxx

…reapplying to the Scrappin’ Patch DT for another term…

… and after a very long unnerving wait…

… thankfully I was good enough to be re appointed to the team…

… It is going to be an exciting year.. the new team is so TALENTED and it is going to be a very busy one for me!

…Check out the other new team members that have been announced on the blog!

Last weekend, the family took off on a last minute trip to Wellington for the weekend.  I had been wanting to take Liam to Wellington for ages and secretly I really wanted to go and have High Tea down there… because for some reason Auckland doesn’t seem to have any boutique venues for High Tea yet.  We were thinking about planning a March trip but the reality of wandering or should I say more like waddling around the capital at 34 weeks was probably a bit ambitious so it was decided to go like right now.  So after searching around for flights and various texts to Mandy B to make sure she was available for High Tea.. we jetsetted off.

We had a really early morning flight out of Auckland on Saturday morning to take advantage of the full day on Saturday and it was the cheapest flight option.  We arrived in Wellington about 8am, dropped our bags at our hotel and headed out for a walk in search of coffee.  Not having much luck finding many places open before 9am.. I was having panic attacks that I didn’t want to waste a good coffee opportunity on a bad latte we ended up heading up the cable car  (got a takeaway cup at the top) and wandered down through the botanical gardens.

A little way down we discovered the playground… yay.. fun times!  I think if I lived in Wellington, we would definitely be visiting this playground again!   They have a little enclosed area perfect sized for Taylor… and being on the side of the hill she couldn’t escape and roll off anywhere precarious!

Liam pretty much stayed on the flying fox … he taught the other smaller children that it was fun to jump on and stand up instead of sitting….

After spending a wee bit of time at the playground it was off trekking back down the mountain.  It was a lovely down hill stroll at this point… I did notice that some ambitious people and their children were walking back up towards the playground!  We ended up down at the Rose Gardens at about 10.30am.  We wanted to get back to the city and feed the children as they were both getting a wee bit grumpy at this point.  We were still quite some time from actually reaching the city so we decided to take the slightly steep in parts option of the sculpture trail… hmmm steep it was… in parts not so much!   But it was faster than taking the long flatter route.  I had a funny feeling I might be paying for the steep parts later on in the trip.  So after exiting the botanical gardens. 3/4 pack of salt & vinegar chips later and negotiating a few hundred stairs with the mountain buggy we found ourselves back into civilization.  We had some brunch at Lido and another coffee before heading back to our hotel to see if we could check in!

But no rest for the wicked.. I left the boys and Taylor to get food provisions from the supermarket (instead they went back to the Cable Car and the Botanical Gardens and the Bee Hive) and did some more exploring.. and Mandy came and picked me up so we could go to a place called Sweet Pea in Petone for High Tea (find them here Facebook).   The other two places we tried to go were closed!!!    Didn’t they know I was coming… but anyway… we so weren’t disappointed!  Great value, gorgeous surroundings, beautiful food and a cupcake to take home!  The staff were lovely and friendly and it was so much fun to catch up in real life with Mandy again.   Unfortunately, I will have to come back to compare if the high tea was as as good as that other place !!

Sunday was wet and rainy (which I knew was coming from the forecast).   So we bundled up and went out for a quick coffee at Floriditas which was yummy!!  They also had some great looking cakes but we didn’t see that until we were leaving… we had 2 rain jackets between the 3 of us and we managed to negotiate our way mostly down Cuba Street but right at the end (the rain going sideways!), we need to make the last mercy dash across to Te Papa to meet Grace, Lance and cute little Milton!  So the boys went off on a mission to buy a small umbrella to get us through the last little bit of open space and into Te Papa.

Needless to say we didn’t bring that umbrella home!

Crappy crappy inside the museum photo of Grace, myself, Milton and Taylor

The museum was fun… Liam got to explore a bit, the little ones got to Roam and look at stuff whilst the grown ups mostly chased the little ones around.  It was a perfect day to be stuck inside at the museum.

Thankfully, on Monday the weather improved a lot!  We checked out of our hotel, had coffee, cake and pancakes at Caffe L’affare near Courtney Place before we headed back to Te Papa so that Liam could check out some of the rides and the areas which weren’t working on Sunday due to a power failure.  Taylor slept in the push chair whilst I read the paper and surfed the web on my phone in the cafe for an hour or so.  At 2pm we were heading back to the airport to come home!

I throughly enjoyed our visit… the  coffee tour and my legs are still trying to recover from all the walking we did!

It is January 2012.. another year has just begun… whilst I am so good at making promises at the beginning of each year .. New Years Resolutions — loose weight anyone?  I am not so good at sticking to them past oh February ish!

This year I have decided to do a few things a little differently.  Which means some small changes going on here.

Ask yourself… do you really need it?

Finances –  be more accountable.  So no spending up… means the Gold Card is having a rest for as long as physically possible.  Which is a slight weak point in my life.  When you know your card number off by heart — it might mean it is time to stop using it!  Stop all that unnecessary spending.  Whilst a lot of people don’t actually know what they spend their money on… we do.  This year is about curbing unnecessary expenditure so we can spend the $$$ saved on things we really want to spend money on.    You know… the credit card in the glass of frozen water trick!

That one is going to be tough for me!

I think I am going to do a separate blog post on this… as I can think of lots of different ways you can spend less !

Food/Supermarket shopping 

Getting better at using what we have –  okay a confession.  I am well stocked up if there is a major disaster here in Auckland – but do we really need that much tinned spaghetti!  We are guilty of having cupboards full to the brim of goodies, canned items, freezer items, dried goods, and cereal!  Whilst this is great and most of it won’t perish.. it is time to start using up some of the items in our pantry before going out and buying more goodies from the supermarket!   This flows through to goal number 1 above.  This year we are going to get better at using up stuff we have brought at the supermarket.  Don’t worry we will still have a few cans of spaghetti hiding in pantry just in case of an emergency!  This might mean getting more resourceful when it comes to dinner making and making do with the things we have rather than going out and buying more!    It may also mean that 3 nights in a row we may have chicken… but that isn’t necessary a bad thing!

One of the easiest ways of using up the pantry ingredients and shopping wisely is to menu plan!  Often, things fall apart at the last minute is when you end up with Takeaways which once you have eaten.. you didn’t really enjoy anyway.  Have a plan, buy what you need for the plan, stick to the plan… hopefully that will mean you don’t buy food unnecessary… I find this particularly good when you are buying fresh ingredients.  Often, fresh ingredients only last a few days in the fridge so to avoid limp lettuce then it is a good idea to plan your salads around the first few days after shopping day and make sure you use it all up !  I know we are so guilty of throwing away left over bits of fresh ingredients that just didn’t get used in time.

One thing I have found amazing for keeping your veges fresher for longer is the Tupperware Fridge smarts.  Honestly, mushrooms keep for over a week without going slimy and it prolongs the life of your fruit and vegetables using their vent system and having little ridges on the bottom so that the vegetables don’t sit in any liquid causing them to rot. I know they seem costly to buy but honestly if you use them they will save you  money in the long run.

Making sure you have those meals that can be made from pantry staples on hand and at the ready for those nights when you go um… forgot to take out that Roast Chicken!   (runs off to get the chicken out for tomorrow!!) Even if you just end up having spaghetti on toast!  Or toasted sandwiches … that’s okay too.  It doesn’t always have to be a three course meal.

Go to the supermarket less often.  How many times do you go to the supermarket to get two items and come out with $100 of groceries!  Oops!  Tonight we went to the supermarket to get Wraps and Icecream.  But did we… no we got Bread, Formula, Cereal, Microwave Popcorn, Potato Sticks, and two types of ice-cream.   It is so easy to get carried away once you are there… so don’t go there unless you have too!   I did really need ice-cream!  and wraps… and I don’t plan on going back for the rest of the week at least.

Think about where you shop… can you go to your local butcher, the green grocer and avoid the big supermarket chains?  Is online shopping a cheaper and better option for your grocery staples so that you aren’t encouraged to shop the aisles?

OR better still grow your own… start your own vege plot or container plot of even just lettuce and tomatoes, perhaps strawberries in the summer.  Even if it is just that… they taste so much better when they are fresh from the garden and it means you should have less wastage because you only pick what you need right then.

Right got a bit carried away but time to post the blog post!   Hmmm, I’m sure there is way more that can be added in here.. feel free to add your own ideas for saving money on food/eating better for less etc etc.  in the comments section.

Off to unload the shopping from the car (yes I know.. I need to put the credit card back in the freezer!)  Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Til next time

Mxx

In making this layout, I realised a few things:

• I don’t like making doubles
• Why do I make it difficult for myself by choosing lots of photos with different colours in them
• I am starting to scrap at the LARGE island bench because Taylor wont let me sit down at the table in the lounge and I can also do lots of other things at the same time as scrapping… like cooking dinner and hanging out with the kids!

Left hand side:

Right hand side

Til next time

Michelle xx

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

I consistently went running.  Hmmm, have I done that before?  Was that even last year?  I think it was… I signed up to Run Auckland and was getting stuck into doing 5km runs.  Evenings were spent running away from the children (kidding) but running outside was so lovely and even if it was only for half an hour.  Daylight savings kinda through a spanner in the works amongst other medical conditions.   I am hoping that at some point in 2012 I will get back into consistently running again.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Probably not considering they are usually being better with my money!  I have made some for 2012.  (yes being better with money is one of them!)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

YES, I became an Aunty twice… the gorgeous cheeky Mako and the lovely handsome Roman.  I wish you both lived closer so I could do more Aunty duties and we could spend more time together.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, my Oma.  At  91 she passed whilst jet setting on holiday in SPAIN, no less.  I hope I am traveling and getting up to as much mischief as she was well into her late 80s.  She is now RIP with my Opa.

5. What countries did you visit?

Australia
Fiji

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

Having more energy, more motivation to get things done, being more organized.  Being more motivated to make new food and baking.  2011 wasn’t my most organized year.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

22nd February – the day of the Christchurch Earthquake. I had a tummy bug in bed and my sister gave birth to her first baby.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Buying a new house.  Gary finally caved.   This post here was quite an achievement too!

9. What was your biggest failure?

I don’t think I have failed at anything particularly. I probably could have been better at doing some things though.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Only nauseousness at times.  No injuries !

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My new house!
The iMac was pretty cool too

12. Where did most of your money go?

ahem new house and lots of things to go in it!
Gear for the kids
The iMac
The Fiji holiday
Me personally scrapbook products and clothes

13. What did you get really excited about?

Being an aunty, watching Taylor grow up and explore the world, the new house, Liam’s artwork for their art festival!  New house

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Songs by Adele, Bruno Mars, Foster the People, and Rihanna, Gin Wigmore- Black Sheep, Flo Rida – Good feeling, LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem, Maroon 5 – Moves like Jagger

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier but I was happy last year too.
– thinner or fatter? Thinner whilst running but now getting fFatter.  But hoping that is only temporary!
– richer or poorer?  probably poorer

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Hmmmm, I don’t really have anything that I wish I had done.  I don’t tend to focus on what I could have done rather than what I did do.  I would have liked to participate in my online scrapping challenges.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Probably spending too much time on the computer!

18. How did you spend Christmas?

Christmas lunch at our place with family and friends over in the afternoon.  A lot of of it was spent watching a giant pool being put up in the backyard (not very successfully !)

19. What were your favourite TV programmes?

Greys, Private Practice, lots of reality TV, modern family, doctor who, game of thrones, torchwood, there is probably more but I can’t think of them !

20. What were your favourite books of the year?

Game of thrones, whatever was free and easy to read!

21. What was your favourite music from this year?

top 20, as above

22. What were your favourite films of the year?

Didn’t really see any films that stood out as being great!

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Hmmmm, I have NO IDEA… but it must have been good right?  I do know that I turned 33.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Buying a new house.  Just living and enjoying life really.  Not one thing that made it particularly more satisfying.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

jeans… as with every other year… denim all the way.  Simple and comfortable!

26. What kept you sane?

Coffee, Gary and Chocolate and then some more Coffee

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Things happen when you least expect it!  AND if you nag for long enough your husband will give in (new house!)

Currently we are 4 but soon to be 5 !!!

Yes. We are adding a new addition to our family.

Due 25th April 2012

Flavour = pink!

The latest scrappy challenge has gone live over at CMH.  It is a scrap lift challenge of one of Trina McClune’s amazing layouts.

This layout here:

And here is my take on the challenge:

If you are looking for something to kick start your scrapbooking in 2012 come along and play with us — to go into win a $15 voucher from Freehand Scraps.  This challenge finishes on 15th January head over to CMH to link your layout http://challengemehappy.wordpress.com/

Have a good one

Michelle xx

Wishing all of my readers (you know the three of you that read my blog!!) a very happy new year and I hope that 2012 brings you all lots of good times and prosperity!

Another chapter closes for me today.. it is my last day on the Scrappin’ Patch design team.  I have trouble remembering a time when my scrapbooking commitments haven’t revolved around this amazing store.  I know I will feel like I have forgotten to do something very important (like I am missing my right arm or something) for a few weeks whilst I adjust to not being on the team.  I have had a GREAT time… I have SO ENJOYED being part of such an amazing group of designers and I am lucky that I get to see some of them still in real life (like tomorrow!!)  I am excited to find out who the new designers will be!!

I am hoping that 2012 will bring me some more scrapping exposure.. it is too soon to tell yet what this adventure may be but I am hoping it will be a good one!!

So to end on a scrapping note… I have been doing a bit more creating !

A simple layout for the sketch of the week over at Studio Calico!  I just love getting their kits – although December has gone AWOL!  Lots of sewing on this one, some October Afternoon embellishments and photos of Taylor and me in Fiji

A layout using MME Lost and Found collection and the background is MME So Sophie

My layout for the December BAP over at Prima… thank goodness for  being ahead of the US on time zones!

Thank you to everyone who does browse my blog…I do enjoy and read every comment that you post and I will see you all next year!

Mxx

At 15 months Taylor:

• Chicken is still your favourite food.  You still love eating rice, pasta  and other bits and pieces of our plates. You are still adventurous with your food.
• You are walking everywhere confidentally
• You also like to stand on things… coffee tables, chairs, couches and other naughty things!
• You weigh 11.4kgs
• You are still waking up most nights once for a bottle but we are trying to cut that out.  You aren’t impressed at all when you get a watered down formula.
• You sleep once during the day.  At home, you are a dream to put down to sleep.  In the last week you have been sleeping 11am until 1.30pm / 2pm if all things go to plan.
• In order for you to last until 11am we usually head out early in the mornings to run errands etc.  This has been a bit of an adjustment for mummy as she isn’t usually a morning person.
• In the last couple of days I have been trying to wean you off your afternoon bottle of formula.  This means you eat pretty much constantly to keep you happy in the afternoons.  Now you are having 1 x 220ml bottle about between 9am and 10am and then another before bed.
• You are becoming quite addicted to your dummy.  You ask for it a lot during the day.  Also when you get in the car you know where we keep the car dummy.  You are definitely calling your dummy Na.
• You like to have a little plate of ‘options’ at lunch.  You definitely like quality and different things rather than the same old same old.  We have been giving you lots of different things like grapes, cheese, sultana buds, chips, cruskits or sandwiches, yoghurt, yoghurt and banana, honey puffs, gorilla munch.   We  need to mix it up so you stay interested.
• No more teeth to report
• You are definitely have the stranger danger thing going on… visiting Santa was a case in point!  Hopefully, the clingy stage will not last too much longer.
• You love being outside.. anything that has water in it (Liam’s pool) is called a bath and you would quite like to go in it please!
• You are still obsessed with Harper the cat.

Here is a layout of you, Taylor at 15 months… exploring mummy’s coffee cup!  This is typical Taylor behaviour… you are into everything… you like to open drawers, the dishwasher, expect the fridge or the pantry.  My empty coffee cup was sitting on a white cube in our lounge – you quite like to go behind that and try and investigate the cabinet next to it.  Today you thought you needed a bit of a caffeine hit !

I used up some of my October Afternoon Sidewalks collection… which is such a fun collection for both little girls and boys… the sewing machine has come out of hiding in the garage and I have found to be a very useful alternative if you have run out of photo splits and all other adhesives!!  The background stamp is of a sewing pattern (Hero Arts) that I got in my first Studio Calico kit.