Shows, crochet and quirky kids

If I thought Sunday sucked well Monday decided it wanted too as well.  It is really turning into one of those weeks here.  For example it turns out every email I have sent in the last few weeks actually has not been sent at all.  Yep awesomeness at its best.

A big Thanks to Mums Take Five who answered my call out for #ibot topics for today.  As after I stuffed around figuring out what was going on I had fried my brain and had nothing left to use for writing the amazing post I had wanted too!!

Are musicals making a come back?

Did musicals ever go away??  Personally I love a musical.  Last one I saw in a theatre was Mary Poppins.  I also love to watch musical movies like Grease.  




The stats I read about Broadway musicals is incredible.  Last year 12.21 million people went to a Broadway show and they raked in $1.27 billion.  Amazing.  I would love to know how Australia compares.  Seeing more shows will be on my list when the kids are older and can come too or when getting a baby sitter isn't such a dilemma.  For all the Frozen fans apparently there will be a stage musical at some stage.

Do you have to crochet to be cool?

Apparently yes!!  Which makes me mega uncool as I cannot even sew a button on!!  I can do basic knitting but really need some help.  I should look into getting lessons as I need someone to actually show me how to do stuff and not just read it in a book or on a tube tutorial.  

Coolness is overrated anyway!!

How to get kids to clean their room?

Yep will leave this one well alone!!  The 2 big boys share a room.  The idea is that their bedroom is just for sleeping and not for playing.  Uh huh.  Thats working out great.  Sarcasm people sarcasm.  

They drive me nuts.  Example- The 3 year old will only wear clothes with a 3 on the tag.  Not a 4 and definitely not a 2.  We all know how dodgy the sizing is in clothes but a 3 year year old does not get it!!  He also has very specific clothing he likes to wear and he will pull apart his drawers looking for one tshirt..  He gets so cranky if what he wants is in the wash!!  I shouldn't laugh but I find it funny (most days!!)  Some days I could bang my head against a brick wall and it would be less painful than trying to get him ready!!  Needless to say I send them in to get dressed and their room is trashed.  

Would you ever go on a reality tv show?

No probably not!!  I used to like watching them but now they just annoy me!!  I used to like Wife Swap and Extreme Makeover but they don't seem to be on anymore.  I also love the American version of Biggest Loser with Bob and Jillian which I sometimes see at 2am!!    I have been watching The Voice but it isn't doing a lot for me!!

So there we have it, an actual written #ibot with only one you tube clip, must be some kind of miracle!!  Linking up with Essentially Jess.

Readers Choice= Freezer cooking

If i wanted to make four different meals to have in the freezer on an ongoing rotation basis what should they be and why :)

 

Great question Mums Take Five and something which I have been considering for when I have to deal with witching hour x3 in a few months time!!

 

We have a small freezer which is not plugged in at the moment but I plan on firing up soon to stock up with some things to make my life easier.

 

I don't cook a lot as such in summer, we mainly have bbqs or old faves like spag bol but in winter I love baked dinners and casseroles and soups etc.  The first sign of cold weather I love to start cooking all the cold weather comfort food.

 

So my 4 in no particular order are

1. Cooked mince. 

For us its either savoury mince or a bolognaise sauce.  The bolognaise is  a no brainer as surely a sleep deprived person with 3 screaming kids can defrost a container of cooked mince and put a pot of pasta on to boil?  The savoury mince could be used as pies with some puff pastry or served with some mash or used in the wonderful Kirsten and Co's delicious gnocchi topped cottage/shepards pie (which by the way is awesome and I will never make normal shepards pie again!!)

    2.    Soup

I make a chicken and veg soup the minute someone in our house gets a cold.  Its a staple in our house in winter even if the HOTH whinges that soup is not a meal!!  Last year I made an awesome roast pumpkin soup which was delicious!!  I always make heaps so I can freeze at least 2 meals. 

    3.    Casseroles/stews

Easy, chop up meat and veg chuck in the oven for a few hours and dinner is done.  It can be such a cheap meal and so yummy in winter.  If you have a slow cooker I believe this would be an even easier process!!

    4.    Lastly would be the accompaniments and back ups.

Garlic bread, frozen veg, I am not a big fan of freezing meat but I always have frozen mince and chicken breasts, chips, premade chicken schnitzels from the supermarket deli (we have been bbqing these over summer), supermarket lasagne (not as good as homemade but good in an emergency), a loaf of bread, basically whatever your frozen dinner of choice that the whole household will eat!!

Hit me up guys, whats in your freezer??

Readers Choice- My Christmas Menu or my dream Christmas day

I do not remember a Christmas where there was not some kind of controversy.  Growing up Christmas was always at our place.  Mum would always cook a massive hot lunch which was fine as we lived in England and various family members would come over depending on who was around etc.  Then we moved here and mum still continues to cook a hot lunch even though it is summer which honestly drives me nuts.  More of my opinions on the topic of Christmas and the cooking of a lunch can be found here!!

 Christmas got a lot quieter as we do not have much family here.  Then I met the HOTH and the joys of dividing Christmas began.  Plus I worked Christmas morning for a lot of years as well so the last 10 odd years have become a living nightmare.  One year we made 4 stops and every year seem to spend half the day in the car. 

Then the kids came along and everyone has to see the kids and we made the decision to only see one side of the family on Christmas day and then swap the next year which worked well in theory but in practise was not a viable option.  The guilt factor from both sides is enough to do my head in.  So for many years I have dreamt of a Christmas day just for us and here it is.

• Wake up around 7am ish.  Open pressies.  Let kids play with the pressies.
• Walk down the road and get some fresh bread rolls, come back and have ham and egg rolls.
• More playing with pressies.  Maybe a quick trip to the park if there are bikes, scooters or footballs involved.
• Head down to the beach with an esky of food for a few hours of fun.
• Come home and Nana naps for all
• Wake up feeling fabulous
• Between 4pm and 6pm have visitors.  Fire up the bbq, make a couple of easy salads and kick back with a few cold bevvies.
• All visitors to be gone by 7pm, kids to bed not long after, more quiet cold bevvies reflecting on how great our day was.

The last few years the reality has been the exact opposite.  We spend Christmas day rushing around like blue assed flies and this year is going to be absolutely no different.  I have come to terms with the fact Christmas is what it is but it still irritates the hell out of me.  Add in potentially having Christmas interstate next year with my family and all the logistics that entails and its no wonder I become a cranky grinch at this time of year!!

Back to the topic of the menu my dream would be something like this

• Ham and egg rolls for breakie
• Ham and salad rolls for lunch
• Bbq something maybe prawns, snags and homemade chicken kebabs
• One Mother Hen's watermelon salad, my mango and bacon salad and a noodle salad. (recipes for these will be up on Monday)!!
• Christmas pudding.  I will try my hand at making one one year!!
• Chocolate truffles
• Key Lime Pie depending on how much time is available the day before to prepare stuff!!

I would love to know what other people do for Christmas and whats on your menu.  If you are a blogger you can link up with Musings of the Misguided and share your menu that way or feel free to comment with whats on your table this year!!

Readers Choice= Stuff/Places I boycott or whats on my shit list.

I only really have one place I boycott and that is one of the local mechanics in my town.  I have never got a good vibe from him and hated taking my car for a service there.  Last time he had my car for a rego check (I think), 2 days later it blew up a gearbox.  I have not been there for over 5 years and will not go back.

I always say I am boycotting the big stores like Tarjay especially when you go in there a month before Christmas and they have 4 out of a possible 12 registers open.  Happened to me last week!!  I never do though!!

Stuff on my shit list-  This is a list that just keeps growing!!  The last things to be added is


Years ago the HOTH was an interstate truck driver so he was gone 5-6 days a week.  I never really cooked dinner for myself I just used to have lean cuisines, baked beans/eggs on toast, cheese on toast etc.  Occasionally I would buy some "kids" stuff like the number spaghetti just to be different and it was yummy and tasted just like normal canned spaghetti.  Fast forward to when the big one starts eating food, I bought some dinosaur or wiggles spaghetti for him and YUCK they had changed the recipe and it is now tasteless and disgusting.  So now I just don't buy it.  All the kids canned food is the same.  A few weeks ago they spotted the Charlie and Lola soup and begged me to get some so I got the 2 flavours thinking it could not be that bad.  Wrong.  They had the chicken one the day we got it and just ate their toast as it was repulsive and the other night they had the tomato one and that was just as disgusting.  2 more things added to the list.  I really don't get why they changed it and I would love to know if any kids (or adults) actually eat it and enjoy it.

Linking up with Tegan from Musings of the Misguided For Readers Choice and I am using her topic this week too!! 

So tell me folks whats on your shit list? 

Readers Choice- Hijacked by the HOTH

Todays Readers Choice has been chosen by the HOTH.  He insisted I share a picture which I do admit is pretty funny although not as funny as he thinks it is!!

Also he has asked if anyone can tell him how to transfer videos from his istack (iphone and ipad)?  We want to put them on dvd or at least a usb.

That is all for today.  I am having no luck with technology this week.  Stay tuned for an epic FFS Friday tomorrow!!

Linking up with Musings of the Misguided who has the topic "Why I started my blog".  Tegan is making a poll each week on her facebook page of 3 random topics we can vote on to choose a topic for the week.  She announces the topic on Tuesday night so if you are a blogger looking for something to do on a Thursday why not play along.  Either using the voted for topic or another of your own readers choices. 

Readers Choice- Cleaning products and how to fold a fitted sheet

Two topics today but cleaning related so I put them together. 



Firstly the fitted sheet.  I thought I would turn to the domestic goddess herself for the answer.  Dear lord what a disaster.  I tried, I really did but it is impossible unless you are Martha or the other woman.  I can totally relate to the poor woman who could not do it!!  So I am putting the call out, can anyone actually fold a fitted sheet??!!

Second is the question of what  cleaning products I would use if I could only choose 3.  Hmmm was a tough one but i think I have it sorted. 

• Bleach or a thick cleaning gel.  I am fine with generic brands of this.  Its not particularly good for the environment but it does a number of jobs like clean the toilet or sink really well.
• A really good all in one spray.  I like the ones with more natural products in and due to having a small supermarket with not much choice I have been using Earth/s Choice. 
• The rest of my cleaning supplies if I had to choose  are made up with pantry items- white vinegar and bicarb.  The vinegar can be used as a floor cleaner or diluted in a spray bottle as a window cleaner.  Bicarb is great for using as a paste on tough stains and also as a deodoriser in the fridge or kitty litter tray.

Love the topics this week, I am off now to tangle myself in a fitted sheet again just so I can say I have folded one properly!! 

Thursdays here are Readers Choice so if you have any topic you would like see please let me know!!  And for the first time this week Readers Choice is a link up over at Musings of the Misguided so head on over and see what Tegan has written about or if you are a blogger who wants to join in and link up!!

Readers Choice- Confessions of bad parenting!!

I have been parenting for 3 years and 8 months.  In that time I have had some major parenting fails.  Any of my FFS Friday posts usually include at least one!!  But I am happy to share a few more!!

I am a yeller.  Not by choice.  The kids flat out ignore me if I just speak to them.  They have the worst case of selective hearing ever.  They do not have hearing problem, they can pick out whether a bus or truck is driving past or a plane or helicopter.  If I whisper the words chocolate or ice cream they come running!!

They do crazy stuff which forces me to yell.  Some weird and crazy things you might hear yelled if you were to walk past my house include-

• Stop riding the dog like a horse.
• Stop riding the dog like a horse on the coffee table
• There is plenty of room for both of you in the dogs kennel.
• Stop headbutting your brother, table, dog, floor.

Yep its a mad house around here!!  The fact social services or the rspca have not been called yet still amazes me!!  Especially when we were living in the rental and the houses were close together!!

Another notable parenting fail around these parts is the clothing situation.  Just yesterday the baby went out in his slippers as I could not find him one matching pair of shoes.  We also own only about 4 matching pairs of socks.  I do not know where the socks go.  My last clothing shameful secret is that in the babies nearly 2 years of life he has owned maybe 5 brand new items of clothing.  He is the handmedown king!!

The original topic was have I hidden toys etc Well the answer to that is YES!!  I hide stuff all the time and if it is battery operated and happens to run out I out right lie and say it can't be fixed!!  I also hide books, there is only so many times I can read the same story over and over and over again!!

Great question Declutterbug versus Captain Stingypants.  Now over to you guys its time to fess up, give me a parenting fail of your own just so I know I am not the only one who gets it wrong some days!!

Oh and pop over to visit Musings of the Misguided who has probably by now blocked me from twitter to see her Readers Choice!!

Readers choice- cleaning vomit out of the carpet

Before having the kids I had a job I really liked.  I was a care worker or an underpaid cleaner/ untrained nurse.  I could write for hours about the state of aged/disability services in Australia.  The system stinks and never gets the funding or support it needs.  I am glad I am not working in the system anymore as it has gone to the dogs.

 Back to the story, I loved it.  It could be bloody hard work and some days mentally draining but it was a great job.  Part of my job was cleaning, basic stuff like bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping, washing, bedmaking and sometimes grocery shopping.  I also did personal care like showering. 

Over the five years I had the job I used just about every cleaning product available so I am more than qualified to give advice!!  It boils down to this-

• Do not use cheap cleaning products.  They do not work and you waste money.  Plus they can eat or discolour your furniture or surface.  And they stink.  I only use nice smelling stuff!!
• Except bleach and disinfectant.  I have no problem with these they work fine and are sometimes less than half the price of brand names.
• Follow the directions of how to use. 
• I try to go with the more natural products out there but they are expensive.
• Use the right product for the right area. 

So how to clean vomit stains-

I googled a bit and most suggest putting bicarb or talc over the area to dry it out.  I prefer bicarb!!  Get a good enzyme cleaner and follow directions.  If its a good one it should do the job.  I have been using one for pets on my carpet and it seems to do the job fine.  You can also make a paste out of washing powder or nappy soaker but try not to make the carpet too damp.

If that does not work I suggest getting your carpets cleaned either professionally or hiring a machine.  We are going to hire a machine in about 3 weeks time to clean our carpets.  We are getting turf this  weekend which will be awesome and should put an end to dirt in the house!!  Even with shoes on the dirt has been carried around everywhere so once the dust has settled so to speak we are going to hire a machine just to freshen up the carpet.

There you have it!!  If anyone has any other fool proof suggestions or more natural cleaning ideas feel free to let me know!!

What would I do if I was a man for 24 hours.

Thanks to Tegan for choosing this topic on twitter the other night after I made her do a post on vjazzling.  I love random stuff and it was her fault for mentioning it!!

Anyway what would I do if I was a man.  Pee standing up and fart.  Easy. 

My computer is not playing nice at the moment so I will come back and revisit this important topic but for now if I were to be a man here is who I would want to be.
or

or


So what would you do if you were a man??

How to choose a Tradie.

I am lucky I have not had much to do with Tradies over the years of home ownership.  Basically we let our old house fall down around us knowing that we would eventually be knocking it down.  But more importantly the HOTH is a qualified sparky and will try his hand at anything if he thinks he can do it and my dad is a plumber. 

However we have been using people left right and centre the last few weeks and here is how I came to use them.

WORD OF MOUTH.  The amount of people you speak too even if they are not friends as such is huge.  And most people are happy to recommend or warn against.  My list of people I speak to has grown massively since having kids!!  Even our doctor weighed in on something one day!!  Plus I love to eavesdrop!!  Amazing what you can learn while being nosey!!

We have a great local paper that comes out once a month packed with a directory of local businesses and I can pretty much guarantee I know someone who has used them and can give me their opinion.  Also the same names are there month after month and the same vans/utes/cars.trucks are always around.

So here is my list from the last 6 months

• tree lopper- local paper
• plumber- local paper but is actually a family friend
• tv antenna- local paper but we have used him about 6 years ago plus I have heard good things before and after using him.
• vertical blinds- local paper and word of mouth.
• patio cover- word of mouth plus we had seen his work.
• concreter- local paper plus word of mouth

Some helpful hints with finding a good tradie

• First contact- do they answer the phone professionally?  I f you have to leave a message do they call you back in a few hours?
• Do not be afraid to get a few different quotes especially if it is a big job. 
• Do you like them.  Sounds silly but if they turn up and you don't get a good gut feeling I would go with your gut.
• Do they turn up looking and acting professionally?
• Do they offer advice or their own insight?  This can be helpful as it can force you to look outside the box.
• Do they know their stuff?  Things like needing council permission etc can be costly and time consuming if it is not right.
• Do they have examples of their work?
• Do they try to up sell something you don't need?  Eg when we got our new Aeriel the guy tried to get me to install a splitter as we have 3 tv points however we only have 1 tv and will only have 1 for a long time so I do not need a splitter just yet.  I see his point but unless we win lotto 1 tv will do just fine!!
• Ask as many questions as you like. 
• We always ask time frames, when can they start, how long will it take?

Another really useful tool is the website Product Review Australia.  I will do a separate post about this but basically type in whatever and see what people think.  Not everyone on there is a whinger but most people go on there to complain.  I don't think a lot of smaller businesses are listed but it cannot hurt to look.

I think that just about wraps it up.  If I have forgotten anything or you can think of something please let me know.  Thanks Mums take Five for the question!!

Turkey at Christmas, yes or no?! Or lets make Christmas in July a public holiday!!

Personally I don't like turkey!!  I will eat it at Christmas and even then its just a small piece!!  I don't even like roast pork!!  I would be more than happy to eat just Christmas pudding and cake!!  However a Christmas ham is a must there is no argument there!!

My other major issue with all these foods is this.  ITS TOO HOT FOR THE OVEN!!!  I vote Christmas in July is made a public holiday rather than the June long weekend and that Christmas for real is bbq and salad only!!  With the exception of a potato bake!!

The trouble with this is the older generations is they are "traditional" and set in their ways.  Both sides of our families are like this and it drives me nut!! 

 Here are my arguments for Christmas in July-

• July is cold so having the oven on is like having extra heating
• July would be a better time for a public holiday as it spaces them out a little bit more
• Having a bbq may involve the menfolk more.  Let them feel special and show off their master bbq skills.
• Or make them get off their butts rather than sit there drinking while the women do the majority of the work!!
• It could be nice to see people more than once a year.  Depending on the people!!

So there you have it lets make Christmas in July a public Australian holiday. 

To get back to the original question- apparently it is compulsory to have turkey at Christmas but I say why not chicken!!  Do people even like turkey or has it become such a tradition that people just buy one and serve it without even thinking about it?  Would the world end if there was no turkey served? 

Great topic Mums Take Five!!