Since the start of the year, I’ve given my cleaning habits a bit of a shake-up by using ekoWorx. I’ve used it to clean my oven, clean the bathroom vanity and taps, my floors and the windows around the house. But one area I was interested in was using ekoWorx on shower screens.
I have a double shower, and our shower screen is the full width of our ensuite. It’s a big screen to keep clean. I have used CLR and got good results – but it didn’t work for me on the shower screen in my previous property, so I have still been on the hunt to find the best shower screen cleaner. I was eager to try ekoWorx, to see if it would do a better job.
Trialing ekoWorx on the shower screen
I trialed ekoworx on one of the side panel screens on Jacob’s side of the shower, which you can see has water marks and soap scum. I used the cloth and the spray on the dry screen as was detailed on their videos, and it didn’t take many of the water marks away.
So I used the diamond sponge and gave it a gentle scrub. The scrub made the glass a little streaky – giving it nearly a pearlescent affect on the screen.
I grabbed my dry, white cloth and used this to wipe down the streaks and the screen came up good.
After using ekoWorx
EkoWorx have said in their videos that their product won’t take away deep calcium build up that penetrates the glass screens. There are some patches where calcium build up hasn’t come off at the bottom of my shower screen.
The other thing to mention is there are scratches on our shower screen from using the diamond sponge. These aren’t super noticeable, but they are on the screen if you look closely.
The hardest part about cleaning with ekoWorx is changing my habits from when I’ve cleaned a wet shower. You must have a dry shower to clean the screens and the tiles. I find the afternoon or night time is the best time to clean it as it’s had all day to dry from the morning showers.
Overall, I’ve been happy with my purchase. But my favourite areas to use EkoWorx are on the floors, the oven and windows and mirrors around the house. My floors look cleaner than they have ever been with ekoWorx, so I’m glad I invested in the mop.
Have you used ekoWorx yet? How have you found it on your shower screens?
If you’re looking for some inexpensive ways to update your home, I thought I’d share my latest budget buys that have added something new to my home interior.
These days, when I see something I love – even when it’s on sale, I will sit on it and see if I really need it. I often have a running list in my head of things to check on when they go on sale. It can be so easy to go to Kmart and add things to the trolley because they are so cheap and look so good. But then after a while, you realise you don’t really love them or need them in the first place. Have you done the same?
Anyway, we have a big trip to America at the end of the year, which we need to save our money for and so I have told my girls we’re to be more mindful of what we’re spending our money on. I’m a sucker for spoiling my girls with a Kinder Surprise here or a random, crappy itty bitty toy there. Those little purchases add up!
I headed to Target with my older two girls to get something specific for back to school and walked past the cushions in the homewares section. I noticed the cushions I really liked that I shared on Facebook before Christmas were still available. And a different type of linen cushion had been reduced to $8. I picked them off the shelf, and the girls reminded me about our money challenge… and so I placed them back on the shelf and we continued on our way.
I knew I’d be going back to get those cushions, (HA!) without the girls, because I bought a pom pom throw from Woolworths last year and hadn’t found the right cushions to match. I knew these linen cushions would go well with it. And for $8 each… I couldn’t complain about the price when they fit the brief of what I had needed. And I think they match perfectly.
Notice my side is nicely set up, and my husband’s is tossed on…
While I was at Target, I also bought this cushion, which I had hoped someone would get for me for Christmas, but no one did. There were only 3 cushions left at my local store, and none at another store, so I knew it was now or never to get one. I was delighted to only pay half price when I headed to the checkout.
The third thing I needed to look at was a new bath mat or two. I had purchased new bath mats from Kmart a year or two ago and the outside border had started to unravel from constant use. I headed to Pillow Talk and found these bath mats which I have had my eye on for a while. They had been reduced to $11.97 each. Only the grey was available in my local store. I managed to get two grey ‘Hello Beautiful’ mats and one ‘Pick Your Towel Up’ mat, which will be kept for the future, when my girls can fully read!
Right now there are sales on at a number of different stores. Pillow Talk has a flash sale of up to 70% off this weekend, in store only. It’s a good time to purchase and replace anything that is falling apart or needs to be updated.
I’m happy with my purchases and it only cost me $61. I might make that cost up by selling a few older pieces on Facebook Marketplace. And that deserves its own post in itself because it’s been a very interesting experience.
Have you taken advantage of any sales at the moment? Bought anything new for your home interior recently that you’ve had your eye on?
Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This Broccoli Spinach and Pomegranate salad is a festive side dish to any meat served on Christmas Day.
If you are in need of adding more greens to your diet after a bit of excess indulging over the holiday period, you will enjoy this Broccoli Spinach and Pomegranate Salad.
Broccoli is one of my favourite green vegetables to eat. Usually I eat it cooked at dinner, but in this recipe, the broccoli is raw and you know what? It tastes really good.
Did you know that eating raw broccoli is better for you than eating it cooked? Many years ago, I thought my mother-in-law was weird when she requested her broccoli raw for dinner. Seems like she was more knowledgeable than me about this vegetable.
What makes this salad delicious is the added herbs and dressing. The herbs came from our garden and the dressing was a mix of pantry ingredients.
The biggest test was to see if my husband would eat it. I topped it with cooked chorizo and it got the thumbs up from him. I went in for seconds because I enjoyed it so much.
The inspiration for this recipe was drawn together after I had broccoli and a pomegranate that needed to be used up. The pomegranate seeds make the perfect contrast to the salad, and it adds to the taste.
You can add raw cauliflower to this salad, but I wasn’t game for that.
For added protein, chorizo, bacon or cut up beef/steak would work well to accompany it. This salad is definitely going to be on my salad rounds in the future.
Since the 1st of January, my girls have been so eager to get to school. Their impatience led to tears when they learned how many weeks and days they would have to wait until they could go to school. Despite having a great break over the holidays, my girls enjoy routine. They’re eager to learn and see their friends, so today couldn’t come quick enough.
For myself… I’ve been excited for today, not because I’d have two at school, but simply to live through their excitement about a new stage in their life. It’s such a cliché to say how fast time goes when you have little kids, but it honestly becomes more noticeable when you’re walking your second born to their first day of school.
This past week has been a lot of fun labelling uniforms, buying more uniforms (for Esther who had a growth spurt just before Christmas), new shoes, setting up Esther’s laptop and getting new lunchboxes, while discussing what foods they would like packed for morning tea and lunch.
Maggie embraces new experiences, so I knew she would have no issues with anxiety about starting school. Having had an older sister at school, she’s been able to make friends with the younger siblings from the school drop offs and pick-ups. She’s also got most of her Kindy friends in her class too.
Her eagerness for school showed last night when I went into her room and saw she’d laid her uniform out.
And then this morning, this was what Jacob and I woke to.
We got the obligatory photos of the first day back.
Jacob and I decided to separately go with each girl to ensure they got to their designated classroom. I went with Esther and Jacob went with Maggie. In the mad rush of the crowd of parents and students navigating their way to their classrooms, we lost Phoebe, who I had assumed was with Jacob.
After Esther was settled in her class, I walked up to Maggie’s classroom and Phoebe was sitting on the outdoor chairs outside Esther’s old classroom with a frown on her face. Poor pet. All was forgiven once we let her play on the playground, which Maggie was keen to play on at morning tea. This wasn’t the first time I lost Phoebe at school. Last year I was in tears walking up every aisle between the classrooms trying to find her. One of the teaching staff had to find ME, because Phoebe went to the office and the Admin staff kept her there till we could be reunited.
By the time Phoebe goes to school she will know where to go and what to do. In a way she already knows the ropes. But it’s still a few years away till she starts school.
Now that Maggie is at school, it will be just be Phoebe and I, which I’m super excited about because I want to do one fun thing a week together. I sometimes regret not doing more with Esther when she was my only child. But in saying that, she was only two when her sister came and when you have three under four, with two still in nappies, it can be hard to get out anyway because you’re outnumbered. I’m looking forward to the one on one time with Phoebe. And I think she is too.
Having another child in school also means there will be more mums to make friends with. And I embrace this eagerly because knowing other mums and being part of a community is what makes the school year even more successful and fun for everyone.
This afternoon, when I picked Maggie from her class, she was beaming with a smile. She had a great day and couldn’t wait to tell me how she had a new folder and what happened during the day. Esther found me and told me she had a great day too. No more drop off zone or pick up zones for me this year, as I have go to Maggie’s class to drop her off and pick her up.
I’m hoping this enthusiasm for school will last all year round.
Koh worked on my oven. Originally branded as EkoWorx, the same cleaning system, but now with a different name is awesome for cleaning ovens. Here is my review on this product.
My oven has been in dire need of a clean for a long time. After having an overflow on Christmas Day, I knew I had to do something about cleaning my oven.
I contemplated hiring an oven cleaner, who advertised they’d get it back to factory standard. I have my serious doubts whether this would be the case, because of my negligence in cleaning this appliance. Plus, what was it going to cost me?
Anyway, after Christmas and late one night, I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw an advert for ekoWorx which is now rebranded as Koh. The videos got me hooked and a 50% off sale well and truly had me entering my credit card details to make an order.
Once I got my order, the next day I got to work cleaning my oven.
I should mention BEFORE Christmas, I had purchased an oven cleaner from Bunnings (when I bought CLR and Kitchen Plugs), but it didn’t do a great job. This was what my oven screen looked like AFTER I cleaned it… (NOT with ekoWorx)
It took a bit of the grime off, but not much. Once I got my Koh pack, I sprayed Koh on my oven screen and left it for 30 minutes to soak in. (I didn’t realise I could leave it on for 30 seconds!)
I then used the diamond sponge to clean, and after 10 minutes of vigorous scrubbing, my oven screen was looking amazing! I think it’s the cleanest it’s been in YEARS!
The next item was to clean the inside of my oven. I didn’t have high hopes about this, but I took the trays out and gave them a spray with Koh. The scrubbing with the diamond sponge wasn’t getting the baked on grime off as quick as I liked, so I chucked both trays in the bath, and added Napisan and dishwashing detergent to the mix. I left these soak for a few hours.
I then scrubbed them using the diamond sponge from ekoWorx, and I was super impressed with the results. I didn’t take a before or after photo of the trays. But this photo of the bath shows you how dirty my trays were!
Koh Worked on my Oven
So if you’re thinking about getting Koh, it certainly does what it says it does. Koh worked on my oven and the photos are proof! It also doesn’t smell – so if you are allergic to fumes, this product would be great for you.
I bought the home bundle pack with the floor mop, which worked amazingly on my floors. The windows, mirrors and taps came up a treat using Koh too.
As for removing watermarks from the shower screens, I’m yet to test this and will be interested to see if it works better than CLR. (But if it worked on my oven screen…) I will share that in another post.
Tell me, when was the last time you cleaned your oven? Or have you used Koh to clean your home?
I made the intention from January 1 this year to do some form of exercise everyday (and so far so good on this one) and to eat more fresh food. I’ve done pretty well on this one too. But I know I could do better. For me, one of the best ways to each more fresh food is to eat a salad at lunch. I love salads, but I don’t like the prep time they require to put together.
If you’re like me, and love eating salads, I’ve put together 10 Delicious Salad Ideas for Lunches, that you can prepare at the beginning of the week and draw from for your weekday, midday meals.
I ate this salad all last week and I have to say it is soooo delicious! A good friend shared the video of the recipe on Facebook and I was excited to make it because I had pretty much all the ingredients. The dressing makes this salad taste fabulous! I topped my salad with whatever protein I had in the fridge and it was so filling. You can check out the video here. I made this salad for dinner, and ate the rest for lunches for most of last week.
This was the first salad recipe I featured on The Plumbette and it was a big hit. It’s so fresh and tasty and keeps well in the fridge or taken to work in a lunch esky. Whether eaten on it’s own or with some protein, it’s a great salad recipe for everyone to enjoy. HINT: To remove the carbs, use Zucchini Noodles instead.
This salad is very filling and uses up brown rice stocks. I don’t like brown rice as much as basmati rice, when it comes to dinners, but when created in this salad, the rice is deliciously soft. This salad is great to eat all year round, but I find it a good salad to turn to in the cooler months, when you’re craving for something warm and filling.
It will be very difficult to find Tangelos in the fruit and veg section, nevertheless, orange segments or nectarine segments can replace the Tangelo. The fruit and cheese combination is amazing. Bookmark this recipe, for when tangelos are in season from July to October.
Yum, Yum YUM! If you’re after a different ‘green’ in your salad, why not use broccoli? You can also replace the bacon with ham if you still have Christmas ham left. If you do make this ahead of time, add the dressing when you’re about to eat it.
This salad is the one you can pack to work, and add some takeaway chicken when you have a takeaway craving. It’s probably not the most healthiest salads on this post, but it tastes amazing, and is way better than tucking into a burger and fries.
Technically, this isn’t a salad. It’s a deconstructed salad of sorts, but if you’re craving a sandwich or tacos, this is your next best choice if you want to stick to the salad route. We had this tonight, but with beef mince. Tasted awesome. Don’t know why I didn’t start making these for dinner (or lunch) sooner.
What is your favourite salad recipe? Are you trying to eat healthier in 2018?
If you have watermarked shower screens and a build up of white stains on your tiles, I’m going to share a product that will help clean them. In today’s post, I’m sharing the before and after photos of a product that is readily available from Bunnings, for a temporary fix to remove these marks.
Last November, I noticed a white build up stain on our grey tiles – both inside and just outside our shower. I also noticed our shower screens were becoming cloudy – despite giving them a weekly clean. I knew a buildup of calcium and lime scale is usually unavoidable on shower screens. But for some reason, before Christmas, it started to bug me.
It didn’t matter what cleaning products I’d use, it would show up the next time someone had a shower. I wanted a more permanent removal of the stains.
So when I went to Bunnings to buy my kitchen sink plugs, I walked past the cleaning section and purchased a bottle of CLR. I have used CLR before and it didn’t do as good a job as I expected on our last shower. But I thought I’d give it another go, for the purpose of this post as it is sworn as a product to use on YouTube when cleaning your shower screen.
What You Need
Gloves
CLR $18.40 from Bunnings
Sponges
Bucket ( I buy my washing powder from Big W in bulk which comes in buckets. I usually buy Radiant of BioZet, depending on which bucket is on sale at the time. I then keep the buckets when they are empty)
Water
How To Use CLR to Clean Shower Screens and Tiles
1. Make sure the bathroom is well ventilated. Open the windows and put on the exhaust fan.
2. Place gloves on.
3. Mix up equal parts of warm water and CLR in the bucket as per the instructions on the back of the bottle.
4. Using the sponge, I dipped it into the CLR and water and scrubbed the shower screens. I left the mixture on for half an hour.
5. I then rinsed the shower using the spray of water from the shower rose.
The CLR worked better than I expected. It didn’t fully move all of the calcium deposits or water marks. But it was remarkably better than it was before. It worked better on the tiles.
Before
After
How to Use CLR to Clean Tiles
(Please use in a conspicuous spot before using on your tiles to ensure it won’t remove any coatings or colours)
On the white, stained area of my tiles, I dabbed straight CLR onto a sponge and scrubbed the stains. I left the area for half an hour. I then came back with some paper towel to dry. The stains were removed, although a week later some more deposits came up. I cleaned it again and they haven’t shown up since.
Before
After
The reason I wanted to show you these results is because if you’re like me, sometimes you want to buy something that is easily available and doesn’t cost a lot to fix a bugging cleaning issue.
I used to use Vileda Magic to keep my shower screens clean – to prevent a build up of marks, but it’s been hard to source of late and if it’s not readily available to me, I generally don’t remember to buy it.
There are other cleaning products on the market that are promoted to clean shower screens, but I’ve yet to test them myself. I also haven’t found an effective natural cleaner or essential oil that removes watermarks. I will investigate this further though because I’m sure the right oil needs to be discovered to clean our showers.
For the moment, I’m happy with the results of the CLR. I do have another product being shipped to me to see if it will make any more difference.
What do you use to remove the watermarks from you shower screens? Have you used CLR to clean your shower screens and tiles? What else have you used CLR for?
This last Christmas and New Years has been one of the most happiest times for many friends and family. My Facebook feed was filled with announcements of engagements, pregnancies and wonderful achievements, that would bless these lovely people this coming year being 2018. One of the announcements made me feel a little old, because one was made by a gorgeous girl I taught in Sunday School! She and her hubby will be having their first baby this year. My goodness, how fast do the years go by!
It’s exciting times for those families and I’ve enjoyed, watching from the sidelines, as the announcements were made. Our extended family on the Senyards and Jones’ sides also had an engagement and pregnancy announcement, respectively. It’s been wonderful. It’s such a beautiful time of year to do it too, when friends and family are gathered for Christmas and holidays.
I remember what it felt like when Jacob and I announced this time, 8 years ago, when we were pregnant with Esther. It was an exciting yet apprehensive time because we had just had the Global Financial Crisis, and dad and I had just changed our plumbing business to do more residential maintenance. I was excited about becoming a mum, but I just wasn’t sure how work and having a baby was going to work out. But we did it. We worked it out.
Whenever announcements are made, I generally feel happy and sometimes overjoyed with the news. But there have been times where I haven’t been as happy because of any number of reasons.
It could be because the person has done something hurtful to me, therefore they don’t deserve this moment of happiness… or it could be because of my own lack in life. Jealousy and comparison of one’s life moment to another, has lead me down a path to think negatively about my own situation.
I know I’m not the only one that struggles with this.
It’s a human nature thing that needs to be pounced on the moment the thoughts rush into our mind, because we should be happy for others when good things happen to them. And just because they are experiencing awesome things in their life, doesn’t mean we never will again. If the coin was flipped, wouldn’t we want our friends and family to be happy for us when good things are happening in our own lives?
2017 was a year of learning for me. I mentioned it briefly in my round up post for 2017. It was a year of learning about human nature at its worst and at its finest. As a result, I discovered some parts of myself that still need to be worked on. I am a work in progress.
But there were a few things I did learn, and one was how to be happy for others when it was their moment. I learned that being happy for someone is a choice. If it’s not my immediate default reaction, I have a choice to think differently. I also learned, once I refocused on my path and purpose, it was much easier to be happy for the success or announcements of others because their joy experience was simply part of the path of their journey.
The third thing I learned was once I was happy for them, I felt my own spirits rise. Celebrating others allows us to rise as well.
So the next time you feel down about someone going on holiday, announcing they got their dream job or you read yet another Facebook announcement of a couple expecting a baby, think the best and be happy. Genuinely happy. Because heaven is bountiful in joyful moments that we will all get to experience at one time or another. We’re not going to miss out.
We have a wonderful saying at our church that I believe in wholeheartedly, and it’s this ‘The Best is Yet to Come’. And I believe it for myself and for you too.
Whenever I think of a colourful kitchen, the words that come to mind are ‘dated’, ‘old’ or ‘retro’. But colourful kitchens don’t have to be any of those things. In fact I’ve found some fantastic examples of kitchens that embraced colour and delivered a fabulous space that even I’d love to own.
Many of the colourful kitchens I came across when I was on the tools, were in tenancy offices. The choices would be bold and bright. Some would be downright ugly… but we had no say in the colour choices. We just hooked up the sink and any kitchen appliances so the kitchen would be good to go.
When it comes to trends, I’ve always said embrace them if you love them, but not for the sake of being current. If you love what you choose (and can live with it), it really doesn’t matter what people think of your style or colour choices. Even your plumber. 🙂
Whenever I share images on Facebook, I’m never offended if someone disagrees with me or doesn’t like what I like. And the same can be said for these kitchens. However, I think these kitchens NAILED the colour they choose to feature.
Now that we’re in 2018, our kitchens are predicted to embrace more colour. It was one of the 2018 kitchen trends I wrote about last year, and anytime I read about the colours being manufactured and ordered for supply this year, it’s all about colour, colour colour.
So here are 10 Colourful Kitchen Ideas that won’t burn your eyes… but before I share them, check out this kitchen that I found while doing my research. Holey Moley! Where are my safety sunglasses?! I kinda like it’s boldness though.
On the first day of 2018, I headed out to do half an hour of exercise. An indulgent December has seen my curves become rounder, making the waist band of my shorts a little tighter.
Despite it being 8:30am and a little later than I’d go out, I decided to push myself and see how far I could go. Gosh it was hot. I was dripping in sweat and my fringe curled and stuck to my forehead like a little pig’s tail.
Before I left, I told Jacob I’d lock the door but wouldn’t take the key with me, because I wanted my hands to be free. I’d call him or knock, so he’d know to open the door for me.
After I walked and ran for half an hour, I headed home.
Instead of calling Jacob, I knocked on the door. I could hear the kids were up inside.
After a quick selfie for Instagram Stories and checking the time on my phone, I was still standing at the door. So I knocked again. I was probably at the door for a few minutes more before Maggie heard the knock and screamed ‘Mummy’s home’.
At that moment, I thought I’d try to open the door, and would you believe it was unlocked. Jacob had already unlocked it, ready for me to walk through when I’d got home.
That simple moment illustrated a lesson to me about doors. How necessary it is to try, before giving up and how easy it can be to walk away from doors that may look closed, but are actually open.
I like the analogy of open and closed doors in life. Open doors are often yes’s and closed doors are usually no’s. Whatever the answer is, it still means we get to walk through a door – it just may not necessarily be the one we thought we should have walked through.
For me, I have an open door to walk through this year and after discussing the ‘logistics’ of this new opportunity, I realised I kept dwelling on how I’d navigate the ‘bad’ days. I shared with friends on New Year’s Eve about my hesitations. They were able to tell me that the bad days were actually few and far between. If anything, when those bad days happened, they could be managed.
After discussing my opportunity, I realised I was that same Bec, standing at a closed, yet open door, talking myself out of turning the handle because my thoughts of what I ‘knew’ were paralysing me and preventing me to turn the handle and walk through.
I don’t know what doors you may be facing right now. But if your door is a yes, don’t hesitate and talk yourself out of walking through it. Don’t let your thoughts paralyse you from walking into where you should be. We can be a detriment to ourselves if we believe everything we think. It can stop us from growing and not making ground that is ours for the taking.
I hope 2018 is a year of open doors for you. May the right open doors come your way. Open doors of opportunity, increase and challenges that will build your faith and stabilise your trust. The only opposition is us when it comes to open doors. I pray you have the courage to turn the handle and walk through.
What open doors are you facing this year? What new things would you like to try this year?
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Back in January, I was going to share books that I had read each month, and share what I thought about them. This new ‘series’ on the blog never eventuated because of a number of reasons. The main one being I’d sometimes take MONTHS to finish a book. So I have decided to share what I have read this year in one bumper book guide if you’re wanting to add some books to your holiday reading list.
9 Books I’ve Read This Year to put on Your Holiday Reading List
I have had a fascination with Mia Freedman after I bought a book that featured both herself and Lisa McInnes-Smith (who is a woman I greatly admire). I was asked to be part of a women’s conference panel and Lisa was the guest speaker. I purchased the book at the conference and the segment on Mia caught my attention.
Mia’s earlier career impressed me, and being a blogger I have watched from the sidelines as she has built her empire media site: Mama Mia. The reason I wanted to read this book was simply for curiosity sake. There are stances Mia makes on public issues, that I don’t agree with. Yet there are others that I do. After reading her book I understood more clearly why she thinks the way she does. It still hasn’t changed my beliefs on those issues we differ on. After reading Work Strife Balance, I could see the woman behind the success. I enjoyed this book and Mia gives some hard truths about balance and some of the big issues she’s had to face in her career.
I love a good romance and this book has so many interwoven stories and layers, it took me a bit to get into it, but once I read a few chapters, I was hooked. It’s not your typical boy meets girl romance (although there is one part of the story where this sort of happens). The book explores the common stories around marriage – the jilted bride, the older woman who marries a grieving widow and receives an icy welcoming to the family, the single who has an affair with a married man, the single who has found love but is hesitant in making a commitment. The stories all relate to members of an extended family and I loved the ending. There was even a twist at the end I didn’t pick up on. If you love romance, you will enjoy this book.
I bought this book after reading Rebecca Bowyer’s review on the story. It’s not the type of book I’d normally gravitate to, but I’m glad I persevered with it. If anything, it made me a little more grateful for the life I live in this present day. It’s about an older woman who loses her daughter and husband in the same year. She takes on the job of looking after her four-year-old grandson who can’t walk or speak. The story follows the journey of trying to ‘heal’ the grandson and it opens up horrifying strategies that would be considered abuse in this day, in order to get the grandson to be ‘normal’ again. I found the book a little slow, but I was keen to find out what happened to the grandson and as Rebecca wrote in her post, the end of the book is gripping and you won’t want to put it down until you finish it.
I bought this book back in March when I went to Colour Conference, hoping for some sort of encouragement in my own life, and this book definitely gave that and more. I intend to read it again this summer because there is so much wisdom in the book, from a pastor’s wife, who has created her own identity alongside her husband, as they lead a world-wide church. I think we can look at success and where people are currently, and not realise they too had struggles and fears that they had to work through. This book shares insights into what Bobbie – as a wife and mother, of had to deal with, while offering wisdom and lessons that anyone can apply to their own life. I recommend this book as a good one to start the New Year with.
I have read a lot of finance books and this book by Scott Pape has been one of my favourites. A lot of the advice, we have done similarly, but there are a few tweaks we are planning to do to our finances in the new year to get ourselves a bit more ahead. If you’re after a finance book that makes sense, is easy to read and has steps that are easy to follow so you can get out of debt and start saving money – or even have money to spend when you want, this book is a must read.
I was given this book by a good friend who is related to Sally Poyzer. Sally is a pastor and she shares four key ways to transform your marriage – even if your husband doesn’t want to change. It’s a book for wives that will give hard truths about fixing a marriage, rather than fixing a husband. It is bible based and the truths can be convicting. To those that don’t share our faith, I can see some of the advice being misunderstood. However I believe that is conviction working it’s magic in your life. If you want a marriage that lasts and is fulfilling, the advice in this book will help. It’s really about championing your husband. I recommend reading this if you are married and things are stale or you generally want to transform your marriage into a loving partnership, rather than two people who share a bed and house at night.
I read this book by the pool on our recent holiday to Coffs Harbour and the story is gripping. I read it within a couple of days. This was also another recommended read by Rebecca Bowyer. The story opens up old experiences of teen friendships and the desire of being in the ‘cool’ group. In their adult lives, the story starts when Louise receives a friend request and message from a friend in her past that went missing during their final year in high school. What follows is a thrilling work of fiction that you won’t want to put down. This is a great read. It was one of my favourite books to read this year.
I was sent this book in the mail as a gift and I laughed out loud when I opened the package because I was like Don’t they know I’m a Christian? But once I got over myself, I decided to read the book, to learn more about Buddhism, and to gleam some knowledge about handling busyness. I enjoyed the book, and while I’m not a convert, it gave me insight into why people believe in what they do. I understand why the mindfulness movement has been so popular. What I admired about Meshel in her book is her raw honesty about herself and why she has done the things she has. It’s always a good exercise to reflect on whether our behavior or things we get caught up in, have contributed to our busy lifestyle, and what can be done to break the cycle. While I’m no convert to Buddhism, there were some lessons I could take away from the book.
I read this book and felt all sorts of emotions reading it. Mostly, I was incredulous and a little angry at the characters for being more concerned about their following and image, rather than their followers.
The story follows 3 bloggers who are competing against each other in a blogging competition and have the chance to win $500,000.
The stereotypical blogger types are the main characters of the story. You have a full time working mum, a hippy ‘all natural’ mum who is against vaccinations even though her kids are secretly immunised, and the fashionable wife and mum who posts the most perfectly styled pictures of herself online, which are nothing like what she is in real life.
I would have shared a picture of the book, had I not given it to another blogging friend to read.
If you’re fascinated by the world of blogging, read this book. But also understand that while there are bloggers that are in it for the perks, there are bloggers who write because they want to help others and be useful and uplifting when sharing their lives online.
In 2017, I had a goal to read one book a month. Some books were easier to get through than others. I’m hoping I will be able to read more in 2018. Jacob bought me the first three books by Diana Gabaldon that have been turned into the Outlander series. I’m also currently reading a new book by Carl Jentz which I am LOVING. Will share about this book in the new year.
One of the wonderful benefits of writing a blog, is having a record of the year that has passed. As I was going through my blog archives and checking google analytics to see which posts received the most traffic this year, I remembered events this year that feel like they were lived recently, yet were many months ago! I thought I’d share my year in review and the most read plumbing blog posts on The Plumbette (which happen NOT to be necessarily about plumbing).
There were a few highs, but also a lot of lows, with many ordinary days in between, and those ordinary days are the ones that are just as important as the highs and lows. They balance everything out.
In January, one of my highest read posts was Just Watch Her. It was a poem I penned, where when read one way it would be read in a negative tone, but when read backwards, it would be read in a positive tone.
I believe we need more skilled tradies – especially plumbers – and we are now beyond ‘who can do it better’, because the need for skills is going to be dire sooner than we think. Women are an untapped resource in the trades and they are willing and able to help meet the shortage we will see in the trades industry in coming years. No matter the gender, we need more tradies. There is no doubt about it.
One of the biggest causes of flooding in buildings in 2017 was from the flexible hoses bursting. It’s one of the major causes of building insurance claims in Australia. Flexible hoses will burst at one time or another. But you can prevent your property from flooding by simply getting your plumber to install a Whisper Flood Stop Valve from Con-Serv. These valves should be mandatory on all flexible hose installations – which means every property in Australia should have them installed. I have had a lot of traffic on this post, and requests from building managers to install these fittings to prevent floods happening to their properties where they have experienced the unfortunate water damage from a burst hose.
I also launched a new series called Tradies Lunchbox, sharing recipes that could be packed for tradies for lunch. It was my hope that it would initiate healthy eating for myself (as I’d be making the recipes and testing them) as well as offer solutions to friends whose husbands were tradies. Packing a lunch to work is cost efficient and can be a healthier option to what is always available at fast food outlets for smoko. The recipes that received the most traffic were
May was a sad month because we lost our Bentley. He is missed everyday, but more so this Christmas.
Although we missed our Bentley this Christmas, we were grateful to have cuddles with his sister, who helped lick the floor clean for me (and also wanted something from my dessert plate which was a typical Bentley trait!).
I also shared before and after photos of renovations. These were fun for me because I LOVE a good before and after.
In June, we had a weekend away to Stanthorpe. It was a very memorable weekend away that the girls talk about often.
July was Birthday month in our household where I celebrated my Birthday and Phoebe’s Birthday with a Trolls party. Esther’s was few weeks later at the beginning of August. There were a few giveaways to celebrate. My favourite and your favourite by far was the Vanessa Bean vase. I have received a few messages from new owners of a Vanessa Bean vase, thanking me for my tips as it helped them nab one of the popular vases that sell out within a minute the moment they are listed on Etsy.
We headed to the Home Show for the first time which was a lot of fun. And my posts about The Block brought up interesting conversations about the design choices and personalities of the contestants on the show.
On reflection, 2017 has been a good year and always the optimist, I think 2018 will be even better.
Going into the New Year, I have recently started writing plumbing posts for Houzz. I really enjoy these posts because I get to use my plumbing knowledge and skills to write posts that help others. My first post about White Tapware was received well. I also have received more work in the area of content creation for websites, which I’m looking forward to evolving into in the new year.
Next year I will have two children at school, and we have a big family trip planned at the end of the year, where the girls will go overseas for the first time.
I have a few reviews to share in the new year as well, which I’m excited to write about.
There were many lessons from 2017. Some I couldn’t share about because of legalities. There were some hard lessons about people. I had to learn to give grace and forgive. There were incidents that happened this year that weren’t fair or just, and the outcomes tested me. I had ugly emotions about events, that when I reflect on now, were trivial, but they were necessary for me to face because I had issues with pride that I didn’t realise I had.
Thank you to readers and friends who checked in on me in those moments. You know who you are. I thank you for understanding, and not judging me when I reacted not very graciously.
I’m heading into 2018 with a positive glare. If this post is anything to go by, it will be another full year. Hopefully it will be a great year for you too.
Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing my blog posts. You’re the best thing about blogging. I love when you comment and add your own advice too. We all have something to offer to help others, and I very much appreciate when you comment and share what you know so it can help myself and other readers.
Wishing you a great start to 2018.
How was your 2017? What are you looking forward to most in 2018? Can you recall any favourite plumbing blog posts you enjoyed reading from the blog this year?
At Christmas, I like to spend some quiet moments with my thoughts, reflecting on the season, and what it really means for me and my family.
I’m not sure what kind of Christmas you will be waking up to tomorrow. For Jacob and I, we will have a morning of watching our girls excitedly unwrap their presents. We will bask in their joy and watch the thrill and wonder of the moment. We are so grateful we have three beautiful girls in whom we can delight in (and spoil).
I will then start to prepare for lunch as I am on hosting duties. We will be missing a family member at the Christmas table this year and I know we aren’t the only family experiencing this.
While I feel incredibly blessed to enjoy Christmas with my family, I know there are others who will be missing someone dear and their ‘none’ presence will be felt. It can be tough because we should be experiencing the best moments of our lives with the ones we love. But it’s not always possible.
And so my Christmas message, for everyone this year, is to have a perfectly imperfect Christmas. Or an imperfectly perfect Christmas. Life may not be how you would have imagined it and it may not be how God had originally intended it, but that’s why He sent His son. A Savior to fix the damage caused from sin. The Christmas story of Jesus birth is historically important to all of us, because it’s a message of hope.
Despite the pain and frustrations this life can often throw at us, Jesus was sent, as a baby, and lived a short life to restore what had become a fractured relationship between humans and their creator. The Christmas story in one aspect, is sad, because God knew the purpose of Jesus life and He knew how short it would be to fulfill what needed to be done.
If you’re not feeling the Christmas joy this Christmas or you’re grieving for someone who won’t be at the dinner table, draw near to the one who knows about loss. God feels your feelings and they are the reason why he initiated the first Christmas over 2000 years ago.
I hope that whatever you face tomorrow, you can find a moment of joy or a minute where you can be grateful for life and the people entrusted in your care to love. Some of the greatest Christmas gifts are not wrapped under the tree, but those sitting around it.
Merry Christmas lovely readers. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life, and for making yourself apart of mine. One of the best parts of blogging is making connections with those of you who enjoy reading my words.
May you have an imperfectly perfect Christmas tomorrow. May you find joy in the simplest pleasures whatever the day will bring. May your first Christmas without that special someone, be one that you can bear, even through tears and a heavy heart.
The school holidays have been a much welcome interruption to our normal daily routine. It’s been great not having anywhere to go, allowing us to go anywhere we want to go because we can. These past two weeks have been a ball of Christmas fun. I thought I’d share with you what we’ve been up to in Brisbane and maybe it may inspire you to do some fun stuff locally with your kids these holidays.
We started our week of holidays last week by going to see Ferdinand. Such a great movie. My older two girls enjoyed it and I know Phoebe would have loved it, but she had an equally fun day at daycare that day. Paddington 2 is next on the list to see.
The girls have done a lot of craft. We’ve gone through bedrooms and sorted out clothes. I’ve had to buy new clothes for Esther because she’s had a growth spurt. This is not a hugely fun thing to do, but it sure feels good once it’s done.
We’ve dropped off presents for Stuff The Bus, which delivers food hampers and presents to families and kids doing it tough this Christmas. Westfield Shopping Centres have been a place of drop off to deliver your bags filled with food and gifts. I let my girls loose in Target and tell them to pick a toy a girl their age would like. Unfortunately Phoebe fell in love with a Unicorn and would not let it go. I knew it would end in tears. So she chose two toys: one she could keep and one to give away. At three, it can be a little hard to understand the concept of giving.
We got our annual Santa photo. This was the best out of the dozen taken. Phoebe had the exact same pose in everyone single one. As did Santa.
We saw our church’s annual Christmas Spectacular last Sunday night and it was fabulous. The girls got to enjoy some free rides before the show. Nothing pleases me more than seeing delight on my children’s faces. It’s one of the best feelings to feel and watch.
We’ve checked out the Christmas lights on the west side of Brisbane, which is often known as ‘Best in the West’. If you want the best pick of the bunch, check out Hawk Place in Sinnamon Park (whole street of houses are lit up), Everard Street in Westlake (most of the street is also lit up) and The Dornharts Christmas Musical Wonderland at 4 Burwick Cl, Middle Park which won Winner Best Lights Brisbane West 4kq 2017 and best Syncronised Award 2017.
A quick beach stop on the way home after seeing Jacob’s mum for Christmas was a great way to break up our trip home. Perfect weather made it the best stop on the way home.
Jacob had a day off work so we headed to Southbank for the day.
We had morning tea at San Churro, then headed to the Gallery of Modern Art. On a hot, summer’s day in Brisbane, this place is fabulous because: Air Con! We had a ball (literally) looking at the works by Yayoi Kusama. The girls enjoyed The Obliteration Room. I became the target of a few spots! I also got a bit arty myself. What a release being creative is when you’ve had a busy year. I highly recommend a day out to GOMA.
From here, we took the girls for a swim at Southbank. It will definitely be popular swim spot these holidays if the weather continues to be as hot as it has been.
We raced home in time to meet our babysitter so Jacob and I could go to see the new Star Wars movie. I booked our tickets at The Blue Room Cinema. If you book tickets on a weekday before 6pm, they are only $9.50. Unfortunately, we were running late to our session but were able to be bumped up to the next session and pay the difference in tickets which was only $10 more.
If you are a Star Wars fan, do go see it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In amongst the fun stuff, I’ve been trying to get work completed before the weekend. I’m hosting Christmas Day lunch and Boxing Day, so it’s still going to continue to be busy as I prepare all the things. I will put together an end of year post reflecting on the year that has been. We’ve yet to do our annual family tradition of seeing the Christmas Parade in the city and the light show on City Hall. I may need a holiday after this holiday to get over it all.
What fun things have you been up to these holidays?
The kitchen sink basket strainer plug for our double bowl sink had been leaking for a couple of months and it was driving me batty. It made washing up difficult because the water would drain away while washing up the pots and pans. Even more frustrating was when both plugs stopped sealing, so we couldn’t swap the plugs. It’s one of those things you don’t realise is annoying until you have to fill the sink and you can’t. But you soon forget until you need to fill the sink again!
The reason our sink plugs wouldn’t hold water was because the rubber washer underneath needed to be replaced. You can pull apart the plug by untwisting the middle handle part, which allows you to replace the rubber washer underneath. This is the seal that allows the plug to stop water going down the drain. It didn’t matter how I contorted the washer, the plugs wouldn’t keep the water in.
The only thing that worked, was putting pressure against the plug with my fingers, while the sink filled up. When the sink was ¾ full, I could release my fingers and the plug would seal. I didn’t want to have to do this every time I filled the sink though.
For another temporary fix, you can use a plastic sandwich zip lock bag to act as the seal behind the plug so the sink holds water. Push the plug through a sealed sandwich bag and insert it into your sink drain. You can use the plastic bag a few times before it deteriorates.
Alternatively, if you get jack of the ‘temporary’ fixes, you can head to your local hardware or plumbing store and replace the plugs for new, which is what I did.
I headed to Bunnings, because I had to get some plants, and enquired if I could get the new rubber seals so I wouldn’t have to replace the whole plug.
Unfortunately, they haven’t been stocked for a while, so most people have to resort to buying a new plug. They cost me under $8 each. You can find the plugs near the PVC traps (bends that are installed under your sink and basin) and plug and waste section. They weren’t in the plug section where I was looking! If you can’t find them, ask someone to show you.
We’ve been using our sink for 9 years, and both plugs deteriorated within a few weeks of each other. The sink basket strainer plugs are usually the one size for most sinks. But it is best to take your old plug with you so you can match like for like. If you find your plug is a different shape to what is at your local hardware store, head to a plumbing store like Reece or Tradelink and see if they can give you the washer seal or order in the new plug to suit your sink.
If you put your plug in, and it still leaks, you may need a plumber to come out and replace the whole plug and waste.
Because the plugs are shiny new, I had to give my sink a good clean. I sprinkled Dominant Soaking Powder around the wet sink, and especially around the drain where it can go brown. Leave it for ten minutes, then give it a quick scrub and your sink will look sparkling new. I’ve used gumption before, and have gotten the same effect, but it required more effort in scrubbing.
It’s now so much less hassle filling up our sink bowls. We also don’t use as much water when we fill them.
Ever had a leaking kitchen sink basket strainer plug? How do you clean your kitchen sink?
It’s this time of year when a lot of plumbers will be fighting against the clock to get work completed in time for the Christmas break. It can be a rush to get jobs completed, get as built plans drawn up, complete job manuals and put in the last invoices for the year before next Friday so they can be processed for payment next month. I remember the rush well. The adrenaline rush to visit jobs, get the urgent jobs done, dealing with issues and general demands of completing a project. It can be hard not to feel rushed to get all of the things done. Having experienced it myself, I’ve come up with a term for it: Rushing Tradie’s Syndrome.
If you read a lot of blogs – especially health articles online that deal with stress and overwhelm, you may have come across the condition called Rushing Woman’s Syndrome. Dr Libby Weaver wrote a book on the condition which is essentially a condition (or practice which becomes a condition) where women rush to do all the things and be all the things to the people in their lives. Their lists are never ending and they are always in a hurry to get the next job crossed off the list, but they never seem to get ahead. There is anxiety and a whole number of health problems associated with Rushing Women’s Syndrome.
I haven’t read the book, but I have read about it online and have had discussions about it with others. I relate to the description and I think many women do.
But I think the ‘rushing syndrome’ can broadened to a number of other people. I think it can relate to entrepreneurs, business owners and especially tradies, who are the one stop shop for their business.
In trade related businesses where the owner juggles a number of different roles, the to-do list never ends. Add in emails and phone calls that break up the day, and it can feel like they’re always chasing their tail.
I think some of the reasons some tradies are late or never show up to jobs is not because they couldn’t care less about the work, but simply because they are overcommitted with the work they have on.
And sometimes those jobs can have unexpected delays that can prevent them from getting to the next job. Often there is a lot of criticism on tradies who don’t show up (or who are late), but sometimes there may be a legitimate reason for their actions. A courtesy phone call is the best way to advise a client, but sometimes the rush and overwhelm can prevent said tradie from making that call. (If the tradie is constantly a no show – it’s time to find someone else)
Managing the rush is a hard balance to get right. On one hand a company needs to have enough work on to pay the bills, but if they say no to jobs, will it affect them later on?
So if you’re a tradie, or you work in a trade related business, how do you avoid Rushing Tradie’s Syndrome? And how do you avoid it especially at Christmas when everyone wants their job completed yesterday?
Here are some tips that may help. They are easier typed than done. And some may not be applicable to your business.
1. Do one thing at a time.
Stop multi-tasking. Schedule times throughout the day to reply to emails, respond to messages and call back the missed calls you couldn’t answer.
2. Don’t overcommit.
This is so hard to do because it can be a feast or famine with work, and often it can be a feast at Christmas. Ensure you have the right staff and subbies to cover the workload. Don’t take on more than you can manage. If you know you’re at capacity and a job has a tight turnaround, it wouldn’t be wise to add it to your plate. Make a call to find out what the deadline is for the job and make the decision with the information you receive from the client.
3. Delegate.
Often managers reluctantly do a lot of the work because it saves them money because they don’t have to pay someone else to do it for them. Be wise in what you delegate and how you charge for that work. If it’s expected that you are to be onsite at a job, don’t send another tradie. Outsource jobs which don’t have to be done by you like manual making and drawing as built plans. Consider the cost of your time, and the cost of getting a particular admin job outsourced.
When delegating, understand what a heavy workload can do to your health. Delegate jobs wisely to tradespeople and staff you can trust. Give more responsibilities to apprentices. One day they may like to run a business of their own. These skills are valuable for them and for your business.
4. Take dedicated smoko breaks.
I know so many tradies who won’t stop for lunch. But a break is necessary for productivity. Smoko usually takes place around 10am (if been on the tools since 6am). Make sure it is taken and add another break if you work late into the afternoon. Take half an hour for a coffee. It will take your mind off work and you will be amazed at how refreshed you feel when you get back to it. Read the paper, or do a crossword. Give your mind a break from your to-do-list.
5. Prepare for Christmas before Christmas arrives.
This is a bit hard to do when Christmas is literally a few weeks away, but you can be at least prepared for next Christmas. My parents always went away after Christmas, and although the industry was closed over those 2 weeks until the second week of January, I was on standby with my dad’s mobile, my mobile and the office phone. This was organized when the holiday would be booked well in advance.
During those weeks, I’d go to the office to check emails and do a bit of administration, drop off materials to plumbers who were still working on jobs that had to be completed during the break. I would enjoy the week between Christmas and New Years as it would be quiet.
But the following week would see all three phones go off at once. Stressful times. I got through, but I know my parents enjoyed their holiday overseas even more, with me in charge. Have a second in charge to look after emails and the phone while you take a break. This should be organised well in advance so the person taking over knows what will be expected of them.
6. Turn your phone off during times of rest, so you can rest.
On a side note, if you do go overseas, and still have to take your mobile, ensure it is turned off at night. I was once woken at 2am in the morning when I was in London, because a client wanted me to organise the delivery of two toilet cisterns to his daughter’s house. I can laugh about it now, and I did laugh about it at the time. I promptly turned off my mobile during the night so I could get my sleep. In hindsight, that phone call prepared me for having a newborn a year later who would wake me at 2am for a feed!
You may have your own way of dealing with the rush at Christmas, but the most important point of this post is that if you are feeling rushed, reach out to those in your business to let them know the burden of your workload and take one day at a time. Make sure you’re not putting unrealistic expectations on yourself which are causing you to feel even more rushed. If your mental health is being affected, please contact Mates in Construction or your GP .
If you run a business, have you felt rushed these last few weeks? Do you think you could have rushing tradie’s syndrome?
Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This post has been written in collaboration with Miracle Sandbags
Every summer, somewhere in Australia will flood from a severe weather event. Whether you blame it on global warming or whether it’s just a sign of the times we live in, none of us can be nonchalant about protecting our properties from these weather events.
Often a cyclone can be catastrophic, causing flooding and water damage to properties in its wake. While the weather radars and forecasts can give warning to prepare for the onslaught of bad weather, there is often so much to be done in a short amount of time to prepare. One of the back breaking and time consuming chores is filling sandbags and getting them laid outside of properties to prepare for flooding. It can be a mad rush to get everything done before the bad weather hits.
But a new product called Miracle Sandbags will save you time while protecting your property from floods.
This is a relatively new product on the market that can make all property owners prepared in the event of a severe weather event. It’s also a great product for all tradies to have in the back of their ute.
What is a Miracle Sandbag?
A Miracle Sandbag is a sandbag that requires no filling and is light (250 grams) and easy to store before it has been put to use. When the time arises to protect your property from water, the Miracle Sandbag will expand when in contact with water and do the same work as a normal sandbag. The unique feature of the Miracle Sandbag is it uses water to contain water.
Miracle Sandbag before it’s been inflated
Miracle Sandbag about to inflate once water is added.
The Miracle Sandbag inflates with water.
Fully inflated, ready for use.
How does a Miracle Sandbag work?
In the event of a severe weather event and you need to divert water away from your home, the Miracle Sandbag self-inflates automatically when it comes into contact with water. Within 4-6 minutes, the Miracle Sandbag will absorb 18kgs of water, and will be expanded enough, ready to be stacked where needed to prevent flood waters lapping into your property. The benefit of using Miracle Sandbags is it saves time and back-breaking labour of filling sandbags. It can often be a mad rush and a lot of panic to get sandbags filled in time. But you can avoid all this by having Miracle Sandbags stored on your property, ready for use when needed.
A post shared by Rebecca Senyard (@theplumbette) on
Best of all, the Miracle Sandbag can be used again and again, unlike normal sandbags. If the Miracle Sandbag gets damaged, the contents is environmentally friendly.
What other uses are there for Miracle Sandbags?
While the Miracle Sandbag is ideal in flood situations, there are other applications it can be beneficial for. Builders and plumbers can use the Miracle Sandbags to protect drains and divert water away from areas that need protection from water. Local councils can use the Miracle Sandbags to mitigate damage from burst water pipes and to protect any exposed areas from water damage. Emergency services, farmers and owners of commercial and industrial premises can benefit from having Miracle Sandbags onsite.
Comparison of Miracle Sandbag from packet and when inflated.
Who should own Miracle Sandbags?
Every household and business should own Miracle Sandbags. The reason? To be prepared in the event of an emergency water situation. Water can accumulate in an area in a short amount of time. Having some Miracle Sandbags onsite ensures there is no panic and you’re well prepared to protect your property from possible water damage.
How Can Plumbers and Builders use Miracle Sandbags?
If a plumber has run gutters and downpipes on a property, but is yet to connect to the stormwater pit, Miracle Sandbags can be used to divert water where it can be dispersed without pooling or causing soil and landfill to block the storm water pit. The Miracle Sandbags could also be useful if a plumber has to cut into a water main, under pressure (ie a water main that has water still running through it). The Miracle Sandbags can be laid near door entry ways or against walls to stop the water flowing to other rooms, causing more water damage.
No water behind the Miracle Sandbags
Where can I get my Miracle Sandbags?
Miracle Sandbags are available from Bunnings. A 2 Pack Large 600mm x 400mm retails for $29.95. Alternatively, if you need a few bags, you can purchase a large 24 pack for $239.95. Best of all, these sandbags can be stored and used again, making them great value for money.
GIVEAWAY
I have 2 packs of Miracle Sandbags to giveaway to 1 person (Winner will receive 4 Miracle Sandbags in total). All you need to do to enter the Giveaway is like Miracle Sandbags and The Plumbette on Facebook. Then answer this question in 50 words or less: Why do you need Miracle Sandbags for your property?
Terms and Conditions
This is a game of skill. Each valid entry to be judged on creativity and originality, not by chance.
There is 1 prize of 2 Packs of Miracle Sandbags RRP $59.90
Entries open from 3:30pm Brisbane time Tuesday 12th December 2017 to Friday 22nd December 2017 5pm Brisbane Time. (Prize will be posted in the New Year)
Prizes are not transferable or changeable.
Prize sent out by third parties will not be replaced in the event they are stolen, lost or damaged in transit or virtually.
Entry is leaving an answer to the question on the post or Facebook and visiting and liking Facebook pages.
A valid email address must be included in your entry. This email will be added to my newsletter, but will never be spammed or sent to third parties.
Entry into any giveaway or competition is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions
Entrants must be Australian residents and aged 18 or over.
The winner will be notified by email and has 3 days to reply and claim the prize. The winner may be announced on Facebook. This giveaway is not endorsed or affiliated with Facebook.
Disclosure: This post has been written in accordance with my disclosure policy. This is a sponsored post and I did receive product for the purpose of this post and for the giveaway.
I enjoy finding out what the colour of the year is, but the colour for 2018 doesn’t appeal hugely to me.
Although when I think about it, a lot of good things come in purple packets like Cadbury Chocolate and Violet Crumble.
It is also a colour associated with royalty.
I don’t like purple on it’s own and much rather like it when it’s teamed with orange or teal.
As a result of the announcement by the Pantone Color Institute, we will see purple used as the base colour for homewares, textiles and fashion. It will be slowly embraced because it’s a deep shade of purple people will love or hate.
The Pantone Color Institute described Ultra Violet as “a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade”. Yes, tt’s dramatic, but also forces one to contemplate on spiritual matters and indulge in their creativity.
If you do love Ultra Violet, and would like to incorporate this colour into your bathroom in the future, here are some simple ways to do it. I feel this colour will date and the first two images will be polarizing for many. And while it’s not the same shade as the Pantone Colour, it gives an idea of how purple is used in these applications.
Adding accessories in the form of linens and décor pieces are the easiest way to add Ultra Violet to your bathroom – providing it’s a neutral colour scheme. This shade of purple does contrast well with neutrals. It’s definitely a colour to consider if you’re wanting to colour a focal or interest point in your bathroom interiors.
What are your thoughts on Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2018? How would you incorporate it in your home?
We made it. This week has been quite epic. With my eldest two finishing Kindy and School, and Phoebe going to her first Daycare concert (which turned into a disaster and had a lot of tears) I’m quite glad that it’s Saturday and we can all start to relax a little.
So where to start?
On Monday, Maggie had her second last day of Kindy which was to be water play day. While I was signing Maggie in, Phoebe thought she’d get in on the action, and stripped down NUDE and started sliding down the slip n slide. There has never been a nudie rudie at water play day at Kindy. But Phoebe made its first debut.
That night it was the last Kindy Committee meeting for the year, done over a Thai dinner. I don’t think I have laughed so much with other ladies on the committee. While the volunteer position took valuable work time away at night (only once a month – but still usually landed in a week when I needed to get a lot of work done), it was a good experience and some great friendships have been made. The best part of volunteering is making new friends. If you are ever lonely and want to make friends, volunteer at your local kindy/school/church/sports club – anywhere and I can guarantee it will be life changing for you.
Tuesday was my busiest and chaotic day. We had Esther’s concert at school to go to first thing in the morning, then Maggie’s Kindy party and graduation.
From there we had a bit of time to kill, so I took Maggie to get her nails painted and I got a pedicure. She was like a pig in mud. This was followed by a sushi lunch, just her and me together. It’s rare to get alone time with the middle child, so Maggie lapped it up. That afternoon, we headed to Prep orientation. And then the usual school and daycare pick ups.
On Wednesday I had a business meeting which will see some exciting developments in my work. I will keep you posted about this because it’s pretty incredible how it came about. Esther found out who her teachers are for next year.
On Thursday… we experienced our first spew in the car. Phoebe brought up her breakfast and my plans for that day had to be wiped (as did the car!). Thankfully, the spew was contained all over Phoebe, her car seat and seatbelts. It got a thorough hosing, and I used lemon essential oil and vinegar to remove the vomit and smell from the seatbelts.
At first I thought it might have been something she ate. And then when we went to get groceries later that afternoon (cause we had no bread and chocolate – emergency times!) she threw up again. I am so glad I had the foresight to bring an ice cream container just in case. The poor pet was sick in aisle number 4. It was one of the quickest and possibly cheapest grocery shops I’ve ever done with kids.
Thankfully, it was only a short bug, as by Friday morning, she was her normal self.
Last night we headed to her Christmas concert and the poor pumpkin had no idea why she was placed in front of so many people. She burst into tears, mid performance, and a quick look at mummy and she came running to me so I could whisk her away. Getting her face painted and eating McDonalds nuggets and fries helped recover from the moment.
And that was pretty much my week in 600 words or less. I feel tired but relieved. A little excited too, to go and do some fun things with the kids on holidays. There are Christmas lights to see, Christmas baking and craft to make and our annual tradition of going into the city to see the Christmas parade.
How did you go this week? Are your kids on school holidays yet? What plans have you got for the holidays?
I love when readers send through pictures of their creations. I love it because their handiwork will impress me, and often it impresses me so much, I have to share it on the blog. Today I’m sharing how one reader, Emma, made a Pallet Christmas Tree – basically a Christmas tree out of a pallet.
Before I became a plumber, I worked in the transport industry. I worked for a subsidiary company of TNT for around 3 years. So I know a thing or two about pallets.
Sometimes pallets can be hard to come by. We have one sitting in our garage, as our new BBQ was delivered on it and the driver left the pallet. This is usually a rare occurrence as pallets are valuable for moving freight and usually the delivery driver will take it so it can be reused.
Lucky for us, we still have our pallet and could definitely make one of this Pallet Christmas trees.
When Emma mentioned on my Facebook page that she was going to make a pallet Christmas tree, I was curious and asked if she could share it with me when she completed it. She has not only shared it with me, she has allowed me to share her project with you.
Pallet Christmas Tree – Steps to Make One Yourself
The Pallet Christmas Tree seems to be a fairly easy project to do. The hardest part is ensuring each side of the tree is the same gradient, to create a balanced tree. Emma was able to do that with her tree. Once the tree was sawn into shape, it needed to be sanded. Nails were hammered in to allow for decoration hanging and the whole tree got a spray of Wattyl Furniture Weatherguard to seal the timber and protect the tree.
I love the rustic and simplistic look of the tree. The whole family got involved in making it. It doesn’t take much time to hand decorations on it.
Unfortunately, Emma’s son, Mr 4, was not impressed after they decorated the tree. He wanted a tree that looked like the ones on TV and in Christmas books. If only he understood how pinworthy this pallet tree is!
Thank you Emma for sharing your pallet Christmas Tree with us. Even if Mr 4 is not impressed, The Plumbette was certainly impressed and it’s now officially on the internet.
If you are renovating, building, or are in the process of remodeling furniture, I would love to feature your project on The Plumbette for 2018. Feel free to email me via my contact page.
What kind of Christmas Tree do you have? What is the most unique Christmas Tree you’ve ever seen?
If you’re after Christmas gifts for tweens and teens, this Christmas guide should help.
This is possibly one of the HARDEST groups in the family to buy for.
Teens can be fussy as they start to work out what they do and don’t like. And often, they don’t want anything because if they’ve got a job, they save to buy what they need themselves.
I talked to some tween and teen mums who had daughters, so I was able to get some ideas on a gift guide for the girls in this age bracket… but for the boys… I have no clue. Thankfully, Katrina Chambers put together a fantastic post on what to buy tween and teen boys. Check it out here.
In my list of Christmas Gift Ideas for Tweens and Teens, most would suit a female tween or teen, but there are some gifts that are unisex like the alarm clock, game, personalized Mixbook photo calendar and the letters board. Gift vouchers for movies, iTunes and EB Games are said to be very popular if you do head down the gift voucher route.
When thinking about teens and tweens, it’s certainly a time of experimenting with makeup, displaying accessories in their room, mobile phone accessories or accessorizing their personal style. You can introduce new habits like keeping a gratitude journal too and team this with some pencils with encouraging slogans.
Makeup bags are a practical option which can be used for toiletries – especially for family holidays or school camping trips to keep personal toiletries organized.
If your teen graduated from high school, a personalized teddy from My Teddy with the year of graduation could be another gift idea. My Teddy offers an affordable range of personalized teddies. (This can be a great gift idea too for a Baby’s First Christmas)
Whatever you buy, keep the receipt just in case it needs to be exchanged. There are a mix of lux and budget gifts in this guide.
For me, Christmas has never been a stressful time of year. It’s busy, and can be overwhelming getting things done, but I try not to get my tinsel in a tangle or so the saying goes. It’s a time of year that comes and goes all too quickly.
I can’t remember ever getting stressed about Christmas. I usually embrace this time of year, and love going to all the events and creating our own, family traditions. However, being involved in so many different things this year, has resulted in being invited to a lot of Christmas parties and end of year events. For the first time in a while, I have felt slightly anxious trying to fit in work and family around all the events.
If I’m honest, I don’t want to be stressed at Christmas. I want to enjoy all the festivities, the gift purchasing, the gift wrapping, the baking and everything that is traditional for this time of year. I also want to gratefully reflect on the reason for the season. Often the worldly traditions overshadow the reason why Christmas is celebrated. It’s certainly an important aspect to my faith and beliefs.
Yet, the end of year events and organising food and gifts can add stress to an already busy life. And I have felt a little stretched this week to get all the things done, that I’d like to, before the kids are home with me on holidays.
I thought I’d share some strategies I’ve used or will use this year to keep calm this Christmas. When I get too busy, I can get negative and I don’t want that to overshadow this time of year.
Here are some things I have done in the past and some other tips I will be doing to ensure I don’t get swayed into feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Because that’s not what Christmas is about. I also have a giveaway, which will hopefully help you and your family keep calm this Christmas as well.
Tip 1: Don’t be afraid to say no
Sometimes I think there are TOO many events on at this time of year and I think it’s important to say no to some. I don’t like to miss out on fun events and I will often get a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out), but after my recent stint of having 4 nights out in a row and coming down with a cold, I was reminded of the importance of saying no. The reality is, you won’t miss out because usually the same events will be on the following year, because Christmas is an annual event.
Tip 2: Eat a healthy breakfast
I don’t restrict my diet over Christmas. Look, I don’t restrict my diet much at all, as I like to eat all the things and indulge by having a bit of everything. To compensate for my lack of discipline around food this time of year, I’m opting to have a healthy breakfast. Lately I’ve been having a smoothie or eggs on toast. I’m going to add some spinach to my eggs to up my green intake. I find eating eggs for breakfast fills me up and stops me from looking for a snack at morning tea time. While my soon to be qualified nutritionist friend will tell me it’s better to have your carbs at breakfast, I’m going to do the best I can to keep everything in moderation.
Tip 3: Have days to just be
I find it hard to stop and have a day or a moment to just be. But it’s important to rest and to have days where there is little to do and there is no agenda. The kids especially need these days just to play and recuperate from a busy year at school and kindy. I’m looking forward to having days where the pace is slow and there is nowhere to be. Usually this happens the week before Christmas, and the week in between Christmas and New Years.
Tip 4: Relieve pressure on the unimportant stuff
I have a habit of working towards unrealistic expectations. In my head, I think I can do five things, but with three kids in tow, the reality will be getting one or two of those things done. Ask yourself how important it is to get whatever it is you want done before Christmas. If there is no deadline, then give some leave way to finish the project next year. For me, I will focus on anything that has a deadline before Christmas, and those things that don’t have a timeline, I will put on my list to tackle next year.
Tip 5: Embrace essential oils to promote calm and peace
My girls have been a little emotional of late and the sibling fighting has been at an all time high. I believe it’s because we’re nearing the end of the term.
I have had good success from using essential oils to support my emotions (and theirs). There are certain oils I am drawn to, and I find it interesting to read what emotions they evoke. I tend to put on oils that are calming or promote peace. Think Lavender, Geranium, Patchouli and Roman Chamomile, for others Wild Orange and Elevation have helped. I also diffuse Peace to promote a peaceful atmosphere.
What tips can you share on how to keep calm this Christmas?
