Tuesday, September 30, 2014

30:09:14 "Oooh, that's cute!"

What is your eye drawn to in this photo? 

It is the clearance table in my local Trade Secrets store. A mecca for bargain products that are normally significantly dearer elsewhere. 

One of my (not to name or shame her) teenage daughters was with me as we passed the table.

"Oooh, that's cute!" she said, pointing at the white ceramic squirrel.
"Oooh, that's cute!" I said, my eye being drawn to the heart shaped cookie tray.
"Oooh, that's cute!" she said, her eye being drawn to the right....

Monday, September 29, 2014

29:09:14 Me time!

My kids will be mad when they read this blog post! 

This morning the family car was booked in for a service. The garage is within walking distance of a shopping centre. It was an early booking and I offered the kids to get dressed and come with me or stay home and "veg" Can you guess what they chose?

Fast forward on an hour. The car was booked in and I had done a couple of small errands and still had some time to pass. Then I spotted this little box of Lily O'Brien chocolates! They are made in Ireland and I felt it was my duty as an Irish mother to buy them and support this amazing Irish company. I sat in a cafe and sipped a cappuccino in peaceful serenity while slowly savouring each and every one of these cute chocolates. It was a stolen half hour of pure "Me time" which I enjoyed every minute of.

The rest of the day was not as calm as this lovely start suggests. It involved bills, supermarket shopping, cleaning and a car who's low tire pressure safety alarms kept sounding as I drove home, requiring me to pull onto the hard shoulder and phone through to the garage for assistance. But you don't want to know all that and I don't want to remember that part of the day. I just want to remember my little piece of heaven...

Lily O'Brien's Chocolates started life as the brainchild of Mary Ann O'Brien who, having recovered from a debilitating illness in the early 1990s, discovered her true passion for all things chocolate. Embarking on a journey of discovery, Mary Ann honed her chocolate-making skills among world class chefs and chocolatiers in both South Africa and Europe before starting her own mini enterprise from her Kildare kitchen in 1992. With little more than two saucepans, a wooden spoon and her then toddler, Lily, acting as production manager Mary Ann began to create high quality chocolate recipes for friends and family.

Not satisfied with the scale of her enterprise she soon expanded in the hope of positioning excellent Irish chocolate on the world map. Naming the company after her daughter Lily seemed like the most natural thing to do at the time and since then Lily O'Brien's chocolates has established itself as one of Ireland's best-loved chocolatiers.

With Mary Ann still at the helm of the business, the passion that first inspired her chocolate honeycomb hedgehogs is still present in every aspect of the business and family values remain at the very core of Lily O'Brien's. Based in the heart of Co. Kildare, Mary Ann and her team continue to develop mouth-watering chocolate creations using the finest quality ingredients.


"Each and every chocolates has been created from the passion and pleasure we all share - we hope you enjoy tasting them as much as we enjoy making them for you!"

Mary Ann

Sunday, September 28, 2014

28:09:14 Sunset gum trees

I really dislike working weekends. The weekend to me is a precious family time where we can spend time together. Weekend work pays more highly than weekend shifts but there is a price to pay. A trade off between money and family time. 

As a family we are lucky that both Byron and myself work mid week and weekends can be a time for relaxing. Occasionally though a big bill will come our way and then I am grateful for the chance to work an extra shift or two. This month I have worked three Sundays in succession. Today was the last and for that I am very grateful. 

I returned home late this afternoon having spent the day in air conditioned sterility. I was grateful for the chance to stand outside and breathe deep. To smell the air with the hint of eucalyptus, to hear the rustle of the dry leaves above my head and to look up and see the setting sun reflect off the bark. A good way to let go of the busy day and be glad to have a calm evening ahead with my family. 

Saturday, September 27, 2014

27:09:14 Smoothie


I love weekends. The pace slows down. There is time to enjoy different foods that the midweek rush often prevents.

Berry smoothies. Banana, apple juice, frozen raspberries and chia seeds.

Time to sit and sip while leafing through cookbooks for menu ideas for the coming week.  

Friday, September 26, 2014

26:09:14 Afternoon tea

What better way to snap out of work mode and back to family mode than a phone call planning a visit from my nephews and niece. 

I got home from the hospital with just enough time to bake afternoon tea before our house exploded into noisy chaos. Laughter, hugs, board games, duplo and play food picnics on the kitchen floor. A perfect end to our day. 

I love the change in routine that school holidays bring!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

25:09:14 Wet walk

I probably should have checked the weather forecast before going on my lunchtime walk today. 30 minute breaks for us nurses. Not a minute less. Not a minute more. At 14 minutes as I went to turn and start the return leg the heavens opened. The rain fell in heavy huge drops as thunder rolled above me in the darks storm clouds that seemed to appear from nowhere.

I returned to the ward soaking wet but refreshed and clear headed and ready to face the final part of my nursing shift. It didn't take long to dry off as I returned to the fast pace of our ward. I may have been on the receiving end of a few giggles. Next time I think I'll check the radar before my lunch break! 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

24:09:14 Vinyl

Sian bought a record player this week and Byron unearthed his teenage vinyl collection. We spent an evening listening to records bought over 30 years ago. A nostalgic mix of teenage fun across the generation gap! 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

23:09:14 I have an onion and I'm not afraid to chop it!

I never knew I needed them until I saw a pair in my my Sister-in-law's kitchen. 

Onion goggles!!!

The half sunglasses, half swimming goggles that prevent those nasty onion fumes from making you turn into a snivelling mess while making dinner. When I cut onions I don't just cry, I sob! I have scared my kids when they were younger, now they just laugh at their mother preparing dinner and crying like she's a crazy banshee. 

But no more! Because my wonderful Sister-in-law has given me my very own pair for my birthday! Yippee! Now to find something to make for tea... 

French onion soup perhaps...?!

Monday, September 22, 2014

22:09:14 Murph Morph!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

21:09:14 Flowers














I worked today. It's hard dragging yourself out of bed before 6am on a Sunday morning but it was a good shift and I enjoyed the calmer weekend atmosphere on the ward and interacting with patients families as they visited. 

When I got home I found a cup of tea waiting for me and some freshly picked flowers. It's good to come home to my family. It keeps my priorities right. Every now and again extra money is needed to help with bigger bills but family comes first. No amount of money in my pay-slip would make me trade time with my husband and kids on a regular basis.

I know we are very lucky as a family to be in a position where we can spend our weekends together. That we have this great balance between work and home life. Sometimes it just takes something as simple as some wild flowers and grasses collected on a walk to make me feel content and loved. 

Saturday, September 20, 2014

20:09:14 Chilli

Some windowsill gardening today. 

Chilli seeds planted in an egg box and sat in the sunshine next to the kitchen window. 

I'm impatient now, hoping to see some seedlings sprout. Watch this space!

Friday, September 19, 2014

19:09:14 Art show.

Gareth's school ran an Art show this week. We went to the show after I collected the girls from school. A gold coin entry allowed us to walk around the school hall filled with creative projects made from kindy kids to the senior Year 6's. Classical music and cheese platters added to the atmosphere. 

We were able to buy a red dot for a gold coin and stick it on Gareths name plate. His masterpiece then stayed for the duration of the exhibition and later came home in his school bag! 

An extra bonus was that the raffle tickets we bought won us second prize in the draw! A wonderful hamper of art and craft goodies that made Rhiannon's face light up!
A very successful evening and one I'm sure the school will run again. 

Thursday, September 18, 2014

18:09:14 Twins!

A friend of mine is expecting twins! Tonight she thinks we are just having a normal Old Ducks bookclub but we are not! The only book we will be reading is the one that arrived on my doorstep today (phew, good timing Amazon!)

All us girls in bookclub have decided to surprise our friend with a few baby treats and nice nibbles to celebrate her pregnancy and help her have a few supplies to put by for the babies arrival.

We don't know if the babies are boys or girls? Or maybe one of each?! I can't wait to get there tonight and put my things together with the rest of the Old Ducks and see the mum-to-be's face as she works out what is going on.

I have set this blog post to publish after the start of bookclub just in case I accidentally give the game away!

So, so, so excited!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

17:09:14 Everything I know about 5:2!

Since Sundays tv program on the 5:2 diet I have had so many people contact me asking me about the 5:2 way of life. Can I tell them what books I bought? What recipes I would recommend? What tips I can tell them? I feel as though a lot of my friends are craving information exactly as I was almost two years ago when I first heard about 5:2 from my good friend Cathy in the UK.

I can only talk about my experiences, my tips that worked, my good days and my not-so-good ones. Everyones journey will be different. I thought it might be helpful to write a blog post summarising my journey so if you want to read more you have all the links in one easy place.

The first thing I did was watched the Dr Michael Mosley documentary "Eat, Fast, Live Longer" which you can watch online if you click here.

Then I went to the official UK 5:2 Fast Diet website here and read loads of great facts.

I bought the official book at its cheapest Australian current price (including delivery) using this website.

I blogged about my experience over the next year...

Getting ready to start: Read here.
Week one: Read here.
Week two: Read here.
Week three: Read here.
Week four: Read here.
Week five: Read here.
Week eight: Read here.
Week fourteen: Read here.
Week nineteen: Read here.
Week forty: Read here.

When I grew a bit tired of the recipes we were using on a regular basis I bought this book which has so many great and varied recipes I have still not run out of ideas a year later!

I also joined the Aussie 5:2 Facebook group. It is a wonderful group of people who share ideas, good days and bad and are amazingly supportive especially on a fast day when my stomach is grumbling and I'm wanting to eat all the contents of the fridge in one go! It is a closed group to prevent spammers and avoid negativity. Due to the massive surge in interest in 5:2 this week it is currently closed to all new members except those nominated by an existing member. If you want me to nominate you just send me a message on Facebook and I'll put your name forward.

I cannot imagine stopping doing 5:2. It has kept both my weight and Byrons stable over the last two years. We are both bang in the middle of our suggested Body Mass Index (BMI) We have both recently had our annual G.P. check up and have been given clean bills of health. Blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose readings are all normal. We get to enjoy our food at the weekends with a healthy mix of wine and treats thrown in. We have found a balance that works for us. 5 days where we do not calorie count, we just live life normally. 2 days with well planned, calorie counted food that we appreciate every single morsel of.

If you are looking for weight loss diet I would encourage you to try it. But knowing that there is also a chance that it will also give you protection from heart attack, stroke, diabetes, dementia and cancer then what have you got to lose?

If the 5:2 health claims cannot be scientifically proven over the coming years then Byron and I have still found an excellent way to stave off the middle age spread around our waistlines. If the health benefits are scientifically proven then we will hopefully be looking at a better quality of life as we grow old together.

And that's worth taking a chance on.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

16:09:14 Chess


Gareth's school has done so many day excursions recently, entering the kids into science and technology competitions and also a "Chess day"

One of the teachers set up a lunchtime chess club over the Winter. Gareth enjoyed it and was one of the kids who got chosen to enter a day-long chess comp in Newcastle. Us mums were the taxi's again (which I love doing as you get to listen to the kids chat together in the back and learn a lot about the dynamics of their friendships!)

The day was incredibly well organised and all the kids really enjoyed it.

There were no winners amongst Gareth's school group but they all had a lot of fun. As with many other excursions this year this day out was another "last" for Gareth as his time at Primary School draws to an end. I am treasuring each and every chance to spend time around my lovely boy as I know High School will bring a lot of change.

I feel like in recent weeks the house has fallen apart and the standard of organisation and cleanliness has dropped way below what I'd like but I am determined to have memories of time with my kids rather than memories of scrubbing bathrooms! Do you agree...?!