Three Birthdays and an Anniversary!!!

I'm very excited as when I looked at my Calendar today I realised that:

1. It's my Birthday soon (bleaughhhhh!)
2. But before that - its my BLOGIVERSARY!!!! My blog is turning 1!!!

Who'd of thought it??? Apart from my short intro post, DISCO FEVER was my first proper post and is still one of my favourites. Grotbag has got his school disco coming up again in a couple of weeks and it was really great to read back about the night! One of the reasons I love blogging!

Anyhoo...I realised that I took my blogiday (or blogcation for those over the pond) just after I had written my four part IVF story, just before Bugalugs had his first birthday.

SO YOU NEVER SAW HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE!

So I am showing it off now. Oh and those who read, who actually know me, stifle a yawn (as you already saw it on Facebook) and instead gape in awe at my awesomeness...or the cake!


Yes I did the Hungry Caterpillar. I was pretty impressed with it myself and it literally went like hot cakes or cupcakes . Would love to say that it was my wonderful imagination that produced it but I was inspired by one of my favourite blogs Coco Cake Cupcakes. Her version is HERE and a million times better....but she is a professional after all!! And seriously you should take a look at her cakes OMG!!! If I only lived in Vancouver!!!

But also while you were missing me, Grotbag turned the big 5! He wanted an Omnitrix cake! As in Ben 10 Omnitrix watch thingy that turns him into an alien! WHAT? Who did he think I was?

He also only wanted a boys only party where they all had to dress in their favourite costumes and I had a face painter come too! And this is what the cake turned out like...

I had no cake to copy for this one, I tried looking for something but they all looked like they had been made by master craftsmen so I winged it and just used one of Grotbags Omnitrix watches to go off. Yes the black is all licorice as I couldn't find black icing but I think it does the trick. All the kids loved it and it went VERY quickly! I'm awesome (according to Grotbag and really that's all that matters!!!)

So, wonder what cake Hubby will make for me.....HA! No seriously........

So for my Blogiversary I thought I would do a post on YOUR favourite posts that I have written. Let me know in the comments or on my Facebook page! I have my favourites but it's YOUR favourites that you have loved reading of mine that I want to hear about so please let me know! I will compile them in my Blogiversary post and if your a blog writer yourself give you a free plug too! So what you waiting for - get reading!!!!

What Day Is It Again? Meatball Monday?

It's been a public holiday today and so my week is already screwed!

I was going to start doing my Meatless Monday meals again but forgot and then when I finally remembered I realised to make the pumpkin & ricotta cannelloni I would need pumpkin and ricotta.

Did you know that I am blonde?

Anyhoo....we had meatballs and spaghetti instead and I shall do the cannelloni later in the week.

Stay with me...there is a story in this!!

I don't make my own meatballs. I used to in the past but it costs the same to buy them already rolled and ready to cook if not less because I like the pork and veal ones that Woolworths make. AND they are half the fat of the beef Italian or their normal beef ones (they do 3 varieties) so I feel better when buying them.

ANYHOO....about a year ago Woolworths had a special buy two packs of meatballs for $8 (they are normally $4.99 a pack with 12 meatballs) which was only a saving of $2 but hey, save where you can. I picked up my regular P&V ones and went through the checkout. After checking my docket I realised they hadn't taken the discount off. So off to the service counter I go...$2 I know but it's the principle.

Upon waiting 15mins and them checking with the meat department I was correct and so thought I would just get my $2 back.

But no.

Their policy is that if something is scanned incorrectly it's free! So I got one pack for free and the other cost me $4 because of them being on special for $8!

Woo hoo.... bargain and I skipped away knowing that I beat the big guys.

I know...please stay with me there is a point!!

So about a month or two later I see the same special... "coolio" I say to myself and pick up the two P&V ones. Again go through the checkout, check my docket, no discount! Off to the service counter again, get one pack for free and only $4 for the next one.

What a fluke...imagine it happening twice!

Well imagine it happening FOR A WHOLE YEAR!!

Yep, for some reason the P&V ones were never scanned to be on special but were always included (believe me I asked the butcher and always checked).

Every time I they were on special (every month maybe?) I grabbed them, waited till I went through the checkout and then went and got one for free. About 6 months in they went up to $9 for the two but I still bought them. I shop at a couple of different Woolies depending on what shopping centre I am at and it was always the same at all of them. Every time I bought them I sooo expected they would be scanned correctly and each time I was surprised!

Well finally in last weeks shopping it came to an end. They scanned with the discount. I was a bit disappointed but was still stoked that It would take a while for me to catch up with all the ones I got for free and I will still buy them because I like them and that was the beauty of it!

So there was my meatball story...riveting wasn't it! LOL!

Be sure to tune in later in the week when I discuss cuts of lamb!! (joking...no really I am!)

So what little bargains have you picked up while doing your food shopping?

Dog Vomit at 6am is never a good way to start the day!

6am - Wake up to Sye (40kg Chocolate Brown Labrador) coughing...no sorry...wake up a bit more and realise he is trying to vomit.

6.01am - Realise Sye HAS vomited. Yay - dog vomit!!

6.02am - Put both Sye and Jasper (cute little barky Cocker Spaniel) in garden.

6.03am - Turn Kettle on

6.04am - Clean up dog vomit.

6.05am - Turn on most electrical appliances in family room burning my carbon footprint securely in the earth and make a cup of tea.

6.10am - Grotbag comes in - tell him it's early and go back to bed...he snuggles with me on the couch. It's the nicest he will be to me all day. Love it before he realises he has an attitude.

6.30am - Have a shower, dress and put a load of washing on.

6.50am - Wake up Bugalugs, give him his bottle.

6.55am - Shout at Grotbag for not listening or similar, threaten something scary like DS confiscation.

7.10am - Get breakfast for Grotbag, put it on table and realise Sye has vomited behind the table.

7.11am - Clean up more dog vomit. Yay dog vomit!!

7.15am - 8pm - Kids dressed, lunch made, bags packed, out the door.

8.35am - Say good by to Grotbag at his classroom, gossip to other Mums for a while, leg it out of there!!

8.50am - Bribe Bugalugs with a biscuit to be quite while waiting for Charity Shop to open.

9am - Drop two bags of clothes into Charity Shop bin and try and find 'outfit' for Grotbags "Olden Days" Day at school next week. Think that the shop will be full of flat caps, braces and waist coats. Not so. Shop is full of 80's & 90's high street non-fashion. Find a flannelet shirt for $2 and leave.

9.30am - Go to Post Office and post pressie to UK!

9.45am - Arrive at another Charity Shop and find a cap (it's a girls one but he won't know) and a navy waist coat. Nearly fall over at the prices. If I had time could have got them cheaper on Ebay!!! Feel a bit selfish for having to only pay marginal amount and realise it's a "Charity". At the last minute find a pair of groovy crocs for $9! Yay!

10.15am - Get home put Bugalugs to bed for morning sleep and hang washing out.

10.30am - Hungry! Heat homemade Leek & Potato soup in microwave.

10.33am - Spill soup taking it out of microwave. Swear. Clean it up. Badly.

10.36am - Eat soup then go and pull everything down off the top of my walk in wardrobe.

10.37am - Realise I have to clean it. Realise not only am I allergic to cleaning I am also crap at it too. Probably takes me twice as long as the average person.

10.50am - Think about sorting what I have just pulled down from the top of my wardrobe but want to assemble storage boxes bought from IKEA yesterday. Seems like more fun.

10.51am - NOT more fun. Boxes have 12 screws for each box. I have 8 boxes!

11.30am - I have completed 2 boxes and am now bored. Stuff from TOW (top of wardrobe) still strewn across my bed and floor.

11.31am - Bugalugs wakes (early!) and saves me from having to assemble another box or sort stuff from TOW!

12.30am - 2.15pm - Go food shopping.

2.25pm - Throw Bugalugs in freezer. Realise should have been frozen peas. Throw all perishables in fridge and freezer, leave the rest of the shopping on the counter and put Bugalugs back in the car.

3pm - Pick Grotbag up from School.

3.15pm - Grotbag tries on his "olden days" clothes. Loves them. He looks cute. Me done good.

3.16pm - Put Bugalugs down for a sleep.

3.17pm - Make another cuppa and assemble two more boxes. Yes... I know I haven't got the washing in. It is doomed to stay out over night. Yes...TOW still strewn all over the floor.

4pm - The 4 O'Clock Train Begins. Yes that is Dinner prep, dinner cooked, dinner eaten, baths run, kids cleaned, bottle given, dishwasher packed, Bugalugs put to bed all by 6.30pm.

6.31pm - Put more washing on.

7pm - Grotbag goes to bed. Put washing in Tumble Dryer.

7.01pm - Make a cuppa and eat snickers bar sneakily bought when shopping hee hee!

7.30pm - Watch MasterChef Australia (Fav show).

9pm - Hubby Rings YAY!!!! He was waiting for MasterChef to finish.

9.10pm - Start blog reading.....Yes... washing is still in Tumble Dryer but is OK because it is on "Crease Mode" meaning it will keep tumbling every so often till I go get it. Yes...other washing still on line....Yes...TOW still all over floor with 4 more boxes to assemble.

9.4pm - Start writing this blog! All of the above still apply....

There is always tomorrow!!

Sye & Jasper

A Tradition - Family Dinner Night

We have a "Family Dinner" every Wednesday night. That is, my Mum and Step-Dad (SD aka Grandad to my kids) have dinner (predominantly at our house) every Wednesday night. Either Mum or I will cook and it could be a staple meal like Shepherds Pie or Spaghetti Bolognaise or it's a new recipe we have found and want to try out (family make the best guinea pigs!!)

It began as a regular night when Mum started looking after Grotbag on a Wednesday when I went back to work when he was 10 months old. And has been a permanent night on the calendar ever since.

Apart from Bugalugs (we eat after he goes to bed) we all sit at the table and have a meal together. We talk about our day, what is going on in the family, important family dates coming up etc. Grotbag will tell us about his day at school or critic the meal alla Masterchef style!

Although in our house we don't have desert every night, there is always desert at Family Dinner as my SD has a sweet tooth and Hubby tries to pretend he doesn't but always has two helpings!! Again it can be as simple and ice-cream in a cone or a new desert recipe Mum or I have found. Below is a Bakewell Tart - a family favourite desert!

SD is pounced on as soon as he walks in the door by Grotbag with a "can you play with me Grandad???" to which SD will grab a quick drink and disappears into the playroom to become a a Jedi Knight and fight with the light sabres or play cars, Lego whatever Grotbag can convince him to play.

We don't see them till dinner time!!

Meanwhile dinner is bubbling away and I will bath and get Bugalugs ready for bed and Mum and I will try and squeeze in a quick cooking show on Lifestyle Food!

After dinner we all chill out on the sofa and let our meals go down and watch a bit of TV (usually Masterchef...can you see a theme here?.)

Grotbag gives kisses all round and then one of us will put him to bed. Shortly after Mum & SD will go home and another Family Dinner will be over.

I love Family Dinner night.

The weeks that Hubby is home it gives him a chance to catch up with his in-laws. Sometimes we are all so busy it is the only night he will see them while he is home.

It gives me and Mum a good excuse to try out new recipes, bounce food ideas off each other and actually have the time to cook something new.

The biggest benefit though is for my boys. Grotbag LOVES family dinner night. Passionately. He hates it if for some reason we don't get together. He often mentions sitting at the table with "The Family" and will often remark at the table "let's all have a little chat". He loves going out to restaurants with all the extended family of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins etc. So much so that he drew a picture of all of us going out for a Chinese meal at school for his "What I did at the weekend" picture. Even though he has also gone to two birthday parties and one that was a bowling party!!

Bugalugs is a bit young to fully appreciate Family Dinner, especially as it is the one night he doesn't eat with anyone. He has his meal at 5pm and usually Grotbag and I will all sit at the table and we all eat together. But Family Dinner will be ingrained in his routine as he gets older and he will look forward to it just as Grotbag does.

Some people look horrified when I tell them that we have Family Dinner night. Some people remark that they couldn't do it as regular night as their family drive them crazy or their schedules are out of sync. But the thing is that every ones family makes them crazy and if everyone makes it a permanent night on the calendar then it is in every ones schedule.

So I look forward to Family Dinner, a time to catch up, cook up and share. It's the best family tradition I have and I cherish it every week!

So do you have a regular family dinner? Do you eat at the table with your kids most nights? Do you think families eating together can be beneficial?

There's Nothing Like Australia.....

This is top news in Australia today...our new Tourism Commercial!

The media would have you believe that the whole country is up in arms about the commercial but I think it's just to get us talking about it...and blogging about it!!!

The only thing I have a problem with (and only because it was brought to my attention as I didn't notice it) was that the girls are driving in a left hand drive car....Australian's drive on the right side in right hand drive cars....hmmm!

So, let me know what you think especially my readers across the pond! Does it make you want to visit us?