And that was Easter holidays 2017. All over red rover for another year.
I think cyclone Debbie put a dampener on Easter this year.
The last two days of school term were meant to involve our annual Easter Hat Parade and Easter raffles, but since Debbie decided to rain on the parade, school got cancelled and the kids didn’t get to do their usual Easter activities.
Having the holidays before the Easter long weekend felt weird too.
Despite the weirdness and feelings of it not feeling like Easter, we still had fun.
We crafted. The girls and I had fun making these paddle pop stick ballerinas. Super easy and a great rainy day activity to keep up your sleeve.
We had a friend over and painted bunny vases. I can’t claim this activity as my own as I found it on Pinterest.
We rode our bikes or scooters and headed to the park.
We did more Easter craft.
We visited our local shopping centre and met Poppy the troll and did their free craft. Got to love shopping centres that offer free activities for the kids.
Esther and I had our first Mummy and Daughter date which I kept as a surprise until the morning of.
Esther finding out about our suprise mummy and daughter day out.
We were invited to go to Sydney for a special Disney on Ice Frozen inspired morning tea. We had to get up early and head to the airport, where we flew to Sydney and were chauffeured to Canterbury Ice Rink. We got to ice skate and meet Shelley Craft, the Disney on Ice Ambassador. Esther is a fan of The Block so she was thrilled to meet a presenter from the show.
Excitement on the plane to Sydney
I’m a fan too and had my fan girl moment. Don’t ask me why I look like I do in this photo.
We got to meet Mickey and indulge on a Frozen inspired morning tea.
As a result of our experience, I have bought tickets for the whole family to attend the show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. It’s said to be the best Disney on Ice show ever, so my FOMO kicked in real good after heading to the morning tea. I figured the tickets can be part of our birthday presents, which means less toys in the house!
You can read about our surprise mummy and daughter day here on the Be a Fun Mum blog.
Of course it wasn’t all Easter Eggs and rainbows, after having a not so great day last week. Thankfully the week got better.
There was a bit of extended family happenings as well.
We celebrated my grandpa’s 84th Birthday. We missed the first get-together because I didn’t write it in my diary.
Good Friday turned out to be super good as my parents offered to have the girls for a sleep over. Jacob and I made use of the time and headed out for a date night.
The weekend was busy attending church and running our family zone which we volunteer to help with each week, making families feel welcome at our church.
And I only got a quarter of the things done on my to-do list.
Our Easter holidays were laid back, yet memorable. I’m looking forward to getting into the routine of another term at school and kindy. And it seems we have arrived at the time of year where there are 4 day working weeks for the next couple of weeks. I love this time of year.
What did you get up to on the Easter holidays 2017? See any good movies? Make any cool craft?
This time two years ago, I thought I would have to close my blog down and start again.
When you win awards, and your blog name becomes part of your identity, it was a big task to consider. I really didn’t want to give up my blog.
A lot of tears and a lot of prayer went into working out how I was to protect my blog name so that it could remain as it was.
The blog has been my online diary of sorts since from before I had Maggie.
In the beginning the posts were all technical. From changing tap washers to explaining what dad and I did in a day, some of those earlier blog posts were boring as bat crap.
Me, Dad and Esther posing after a day of work on the tools
For a year I had a handful of readers. And then in 2013 I discovered blog linking parties and would start to link my blog to get new readers. And from there, after consistently writing, and learning about SEO, I gained even more readers and it has grown into a site I’m proud of, but always willing to improve because it’s always evolving because I’m always evolving.
The Plumbette has seen me go through many changes, and even though I’m not on the tools, I still believe The Plumbette can be used as a tool to provide a positive influence.
One morning, early this year, I woke up at 2:30am and couldn’t get back to sleep. In those moments when I can’t sleep, I head to the computer and write a blog post or two, but I headed to my bible and prayed earnestly about direction in my life. Where was my blog headed? What was the point of all that I did? Was I supposed to get back on the tools? Was I focusing on the wrong type of work? Why wasn’t being a wife and mother enough? Should it be enough?
I grabbed a pen and paper and without even thinking about what I wrote, I felt God speak this through to me.
You weren’t called to unblock toilets. You were called to unblock hearts. Use the gifts I’ve given you to mould hearts to me. Weld broken spirits. Offer bolts of wisdom when people have screwed up their life. Be the hammer that pushes through the darkness and allows the light in.
It reads a bit deep. But after reading what I wrote, I felt encouraged that I was on the right track.
Things became instantly clearer for me.
You see when I started The Plumbette, I had no idea where the blog would take me. I always wanted the blog to focus on God and his divine plan for all our lives as well as be inspiration for budding future tradies – especially the female tradies that were looking for motivation to keep going. As I’ve grown and changed though, so has the blog. I share more about my life as a mother, than plumbing these days. But I believe whatever path we choose to take, there will be distractions and problems that will deter us from where we should be.
I cried many tears about the blog, worried about what I was going to do if I were to shut it down.
Yet, I realized it was a crown that I had to lay down at the cross. And so I did.
The moment I was willing to give up the blog and release the emotions of it being mine, God saw my heart and intervened to ensure it wasn’t lost.
Resurrection Sunday is a wonderful reminder that what may seem lost, is actually for our benefit. I’m forever grateful for what Jesus did for me. An event that looked completely hopeless, was in fact a miracle of restoration taking place.
One of my favourite worship songs is called Crowns. And the chorus starts with ‘my wealth is in the cross’.
https://youtu.be/E0e4cttI4Zs
And I have been reminded as I’ve sung this song that my wealth is not in what I do. It’s not in the crowns (or identities) I wear. My wealth is tied to what happened on the cross. Jesus is everything to me.
First and foremost, God created me to have a relationship with Him. The cross fixed what was broken because of sin.
We put so much thought into who we should be and what we should do (and look they are important questions to ponder), but we don’t put enough consideration into why we were created and what God-given dreams and plans He has for our life.
When we realize we were created for God’s pleasure and to be in relationship with him, the pressure to be ‘something’ is no longer important.
If life has a plot change, we can be assured that God’s hand is with us and He can turn what was meant for our loss, as our gain. When our sense of ownership of what is ours is surrendered – we see ourselves as stewards of the gifts and blessings God gives us. Sure they take work to manage, but whatever happens to them is ultimately in God’s hands.
I know without a doubt that when we are in close communion with God, He directs our steps and His plans are always bigger than what we can comprehend. And when we start something God has called us to do, we need to continue what we started. Even when the road gets difficult.
For some of us, we know deep inside where we should be, but sometimes we are just too afraid to go for it. Or we talk ourselves out of God’s plan. Or we are completely oblivious to His plan. A great preacher from my church once taught, there are many successful people in this world, but not many that bear good fruit. If there is no eternal value to what we do, what is the point of what we do?
So this Easter, instead of stressing about specifics in my life, I’m going to hand over the many crowns I wear over to Him. This is easier said than done.
My question to you is what crowns are you holding? What is stressing you out at the moment? Are you holding onto something that you need to let go? Are you willing to lay down all your crowns if Jesus asks you to? Are you willing to get to know Jesus?
What a remarkable thought that after God created all the wonders of the world, He still created you so He could know you personally? Even after disobedience, God still did what was necessary to restore us to himself.
It’s our choice what we choose to believe
It’s my prayer that whatever is burdening you at the moment, you can pray about it and ask for God’s divine hand to work in your life. Resurrection Sunday is an encouraging reminder for us all that miracles can happen in the darkest of moments.
Milo and Maltesers Hot Chocolate… could there be anything more decadent? Probably. I’ve devoured many hot chocolates in my time, topped with cream, ice-cream, caramel sauce, chocolate fudge sauce, Tim Tams and now Maltesers.
I came across this delicious treat accidentally this week. Jacob brought in a hot cup of tea and a small container of Maltesers while I worked on Wednesday night last week. When I went to put a Malteser in my mouth, I dropped it into my tea. I grabbed a spoon to whisk it out and OH MY WORD. The Malteser had kept form, but melted in my mouth and suddenly I discovered a new way to drink my tea. I poured the rest of my Maltesers into my tea and used my spoon to slurp them out. It was delicious.
So, this gave me an idea to add Maltesers to my hot chocolates and well, I think I’ve discovered a rather dangerously delicious treat.
I usually eat Maltesers when I head to the movies with a large box of popcorn. I love mixing sweet with savoury. I like to suck the chocolate off the Maltesers so I’m left with the malt centre which melts in your mouth. Sorry does that sound gross to you? Let’s move on…
I’m a fan of the hot chocolate. Instead of eating a chocolate bar, I will opt for a hot chocolate instead because apparently it’s better for you. I’m not sure on those claims, but I definitely know it keeps me warm in winter.
Our hot chocolate of choice is Milo, so for this recipe I’ve used Milo, but you can use whatever hot drink of choice. If you’re at work, why not order a hot chocolate from somewhere and grab a pack of Maltesers to top your drink. You will thank me, I promise you.
[mpprecipe-recipe:10]
Are you a fan of Maltesers? How do you like to eat them?
When I feel overwhelmed by my family and life in general, I like to watch a movie that reminds me I much prefer my crazy than someone else’s. I love watching Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day. I even like watching Cheaper by the Dozen. These movies offer a filter free view of family life. It’s messy, it’s busy, it’s chaotic, it’s crazy, it’s full of love one moment and full of anger and tantrums the next.
Yesterday morning was one of those crazy mornings where everything went wrong. But in hindsight, it actually didn’t. We faced the challenges head on and got on with what we had to do. Yet at the time, it felt frustrating and annoying.
I started yesterday morning by sleeping in. And even though I needed the sleep, not getting up that extra hour meant I wasn’t able to get some stuff done before the kids got up. So I felt behind the eight ball before my morning had started.
When I finally got out of bed, Jacob told me he found our freezer door open in the garage, which meant all of our meat, that we buy in bulk, had defrosted.
Phoebe had opened the freezer door on Sunday to get an ice block but didn’t shut the door properly, so all night, our meat had slowly defrosted, and a puddle of meat juice congregated at the freezer door. Thankfully all the meat was still cold, but it meant I had to cook it all that morning if I was going to salvage it. This wasn’t on my long to-do-list.
The moment I got up, the kids kept asking me where we would go for the day and in frustration I told them, nowhere. Of course my answer was met with ‘that’s boring, we want to go somewhere.’ I checked our bank account, hoping a late work payment would be in our account. No such luck. I hadn’t been paid. This meant we were definitely not going anywhere.
Jacob left to catch the bus to go to work, only to come home 15 minutes later because the bus hadn’t arrived and he needed to drive to work which meant I would be carless for the day.
In the scheme of things it wasn’t a big deal. But when you’re emotional, tired and dealing with kids that don’t understand the consequences to their actions, it felt all too much.
After Jacob left to go to work a second time, I had a friend come by my house to pick up a spare car seat so she could take her boys down to Sea World for the day. I burst into tears when she arrived because I wished we could have joined her. But we couldn’t and I had meat to cook and three girls to entertain – at the same time.
It was good to have the cry, and get out what was sitting on my chest. Once the waterworks finished, I got on with what I had to do, one meal at a time.
Sometimes, life has Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Moments. And each moment may be different for all of us, but there’s no denying the emotions that come with dealing with the unexpected.
In the scheme of things, nothing was dangerous or life-threatening. They were just mini inconveniences that piled on top of each other.
I reminded myself, my girls have not missed out these holidays. We’ve been to the park, made craft, watched movies, eaten chocolate and had special outings that will make for amazing childhood memories.
And we are so far removed from the horrors happening in Syria. Yet despite the distance, the videos and images that have come through on social media have made me cry in despair. Watching a human suffer is torture. A child gasping for air. It’s torture from behind the screen because there is NOTHING we can do… except pray. Pray for justice, pray for peace and pray that world leaders make the right decisions in dealing this evil.
We lost another beautiful blogger this week – Emma from Dear Melanoma. I’d been following the Facebook updates recently as family shared what had been happening these last few weeks since Emma was admitted to hospital. In her mid-twenties, this young gem of a girl was taken too soon.
When we experience Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Moments, we are reminded of our humanness and frailty. And how precious life is.
I’m so grateful for my family. I love my girls and my husband so very much. But sometimes the demands of raising a family can rob me of my joy. And in those moments, I have to read this post that I wrote for Mumtastic to remind myself that these frustrations and feelings of being overwhelmed and inadequate are only temporary.
Motherhood is full of Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Moments. But they pass. You get through difficult moments and they build your resilience for the next time you’re hit with the unexpected.
I got all the meat cooked so all our dinners are pre-cooked this week, which means less stress for me working out what we will have for dinner. What was meant to be an inconvenience, was now my gain.
And we all made it through the day, but I may have inhaled a Cadbury Chocolate Easter Egg after lunch, because sometimes chocolate takes off the edge off a crazy day.
How do you deal with very bad moments? How are your kids these school holidays? Do you get worn down by life and it’s responsibilities?
These pumpkin and feta muffins are delicious! The mix of sweet and savoury gets me every time and I love the saltiness of the feta mixing with the sweetness of the pumpkin in the muffin. Similar to a pumpkin scone, but less dense, these muffins are a great way to use up any pumpkin in the fridge.
We bake muffins on a weekly basis here. The girls love eating them for breakfast or morning tea. They help me as I place all the ingredients in the bowl. Everyone has a turn at stirring, but mummy is the one that scoops it into the muffin forms.
As soon as the muffins are out of the oven, my girls are INTO them. I love that they have an appreciation of home baked food. We often have to bake a double batch of muffins because they can go so quick. The girls love to have them for breakfast or morning tea.
These pumpkin and feta muffins are a savoury version of my sweet muffins that I make each week. They are so easy to whip up and bake. The biggest prep is cutting the feta into cubes and cooking and mashing the pumpkin.
I cooked cubes of pumpkin until they were soft and mashed it to add to the muffin batter.
I used Danish feta for its smooth taste.
After the muffins have cooled on a rack, I keep them in the fridge. This helped them last for 4 days.
If you take the muffins for lunch, why not add a green salad? I cut my muffins in half and topped each side with tomato relish and sour cream. It was delicious!
If you’re looking for a smoko snack or lunch, these pumpkin and feta muffins are perfect for winter days. Eaten warm or cold, they are definitely a high rotation muffin recipe in our household.
[mpprecipe-recipe:9]
What kind of lunches do you eat during the cooler months?
I love surprises. Well not the unexpected bill surprises, or the surprises kids like to pull on me when they’ve been awfully quiet in the house.
I love unexpected positive surprises like winning a competition, birthday parties, gifts – the unexplained and unexpected grace from people in unusual circumstances.
The thing is, when you become an adult, happy surprises become less frequent.
But I do like to release my inner child every now and then and sometimes I do get excited about the toys the kids will get in their Kinder Surprise or Happy Meal. I like to relive those feelings of surprise.
So imagine my surprise when sent me some candles and bath bombs to try (and giveaway) in a post.
Initially, I wasn’t surprised by the email, but was happy to run a giveaway because it meant there would be something for you to win.
But I was surprised when I opened the box of gifts and read a note that said please share your jewellery on Facebook.
I thought the note was a little weird because I hadn’t been sent jewellery. I’d been sent bath bombs and candles.
I headed to the and I got really excited. These bath bombs and candles were like Kinder Surprises for adults. Each candle and bath bomb comes with a hidden piece of jewellery worth $10 to $2000!
The inner child in me went a bit berserk.
I HAD to try a bath bomb for myself. I thought the candle would take too long to burn to get the piece of jewellery. I wanted my surprise, NOW. (It also worked in the essence of this post!)
Once my girls had been put to bed, I claimed the bathroom as my own and added a to my running bath.
Oh my word! Running myself a bath with this delicious raspberry sorbet bath bomb from @royalessenceco #gifted I can’t wait to share a review and giveaway on the blog. #bathtime #royalessencebathbombs #eastertreat #eastertreatswithoutthesugar #metime by @theplumbette
The smell was delicious. Not overly sweet how I expected.
After the bath bomb swirled around the bath, a plastic container emerged. I retrieved it and opened it to find this.
It was love at first sight. I didn’t care about the value of the ring, but I LOVED the design and it fit me perfectly.
The bath was so relaxing, I stayed in there for an hour and a half. For a busy mum of 3, it was divine.
Since getting my ring, I’ve had a number of comments from people who have noticed the ring, and it’s given me a chance to talk about this fabulous brand. I haven’t had a chance to share on the Royal Essence Facebook page, but the brand loves to hear from their happy customers, sharing what ring they’ve found in their bath bomb or candle.
I LOVE the concept and product because
1. They make an affordable gift
2. The recipient is getting two gifts from one item
3. The products smell delicious! (My skin was beautifully supple, moisturized and scented after the bath)
4. You can indulge, without adding any calories to your diet. Win WIN I say!
I’m so excited by this product, I’m going to be buying some more items for Birthday and Mother’s Day presents.
Best of all I have a discount code so YOU can try these products for yourself. All readers of The Plumbette can receive 10% off by adding this code PV9S5 at the .
GIVEAWAY
The next best part of this post is I have a giveaway which includes 1 prize of 1 and 1 . These are the best sellers from the Royal Essence site.
This was meant to be an Easter giveaway, but due to Cyclone Debbie and the early arrival of school holidays in QLD (which meant less time for me to get this post written up), I’ve decided to extend the giveaway so that the entries aren’t drawn until AFTER Easter. They will be drawn in time BEFORE Mother’s Day though.
In order to enter the giveaway, I’d LOVE for you to follow The Plumbette on Instagram and Facebook. (not compulsory, but would love to stay in your life more than once so I can share about giveaways and amazing products like this one).
AND tell me in the comments below or on Facebook the best surprise you’ve ever had? Most interesting answer will win.
Why not follow Royal Essence on Facebook to keep up-to-date with new products and happy posts from surprised fans.
In the meantime, if you want to spoil someone with a sweet gift that isn’t chocolate this Easter, Royal Essence Candles and Bath Bombs would be the perfect gift. Take advantage of the discount code and get a head start on Easter and Mother’s Day gifts. This is seriously the best gift for mums who have everything but like to be surprised.
Disclosure: I was gifted 1 Cinnamon Doughnuts Candle and 1 Raspberry Sorbet Bath bomb for the purpose of this review and giveaway. All opinions are my own. You can read about my disclosure policy here.
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 = 1 Watermelon and Lemonade Candle (RRP 46.99) and 1 Bubblegum Bath Bomb (RRP24.99)
Entries open from 6am Brisbane time Wednesday 5th April 2017 to Friday 21st April 2017 6pm Brisbane Time.
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.
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 by Facebook.
This post has been written in collaboration with Hivita
If you have kids with fussy eating habits… you’re not alone. I have some of those in my household too. That’s why I was eager to get my kids to review the Hivita Liquivita for Kids – a liquid multivitamin for kids. But before I share how we found it, you best know the history of my fussy eating children.
Pre- kids, I swore I was going to be that mum who made sure her kids always ate their vegetables.
I did so well with Esther until at 9 months, she decided she wanted to feed herself and REFUSED ALL OF THE CUT VEGETABLES I laid out for her.
What is this food you’re giving to me?!
I couldn’t understand it. She had eaten vegetable purees so well from 5 months old. How could she decide she didn’t want to eat vegetables anymore?
I worried about her little tummy being empty so would compensate with food I knew she would eat – which included fruit, cheese, yoghurt, sandwiches and some meat. Not a green vegetable in sight.
Six years later, Esther will give most things at dinner time a go. She happily takes carrot sticks for munch and crunch at school and will eat broccoli at dinner. Lettuce, tomato and avocado are still a no go. But she will devour my spaghetti bolognaise (with LOTS of hidden veggies!) and polish off the tomato sauce!
When I had Magdalene, she was a BRILLIANT eater. She ate everything I placed in front of her. I realised Esther’s fussy eating was no reflection on my skills as a mum.
Phoebe is also a happy little eater. She’s the best eater out of my three girls. Magdalene is currently the fussiest eater at present and will not hesitate in telling me the family dinner I’ve cooked looks disgusting. I ignore her. She eventually takes a bite or two and will then exclaim it’s the best dinner ever. #fouryearolds
With my kids’ varied eating habits, I’m no longer bothered if they get fussy (there are no alternatives to what’s placed on the dinner table), I do get concerned about their health though and want to make sure they are getting all their nutrients.
I know that our food should be the source of our nutrients, but what happens when our kids refuse to eat various vegetables that would give them these much needed vitamins? What do we do as adults when we know our diet isn’t as good as it should be? We start taking a multi-vitamin and kids can take a daily multi-vitamin in liquid form.
Hivita Liquivita for Kids is a complete multivitamin for kids. It has 30 active ingredients including vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbs, to fill the nutritional gaps in a child’s diet. The multivitamin also supports healthy growth and development and builds their immune system.
There are no artificial flavours or colours and unlike the gummy vitamins that are a popular children’s vitamin on the market, sugar isn’t an active ingredient in Hivita Liquivita. There is no added glucose or sucrose, which helps parents manage their child’s daily sugar intake.
The pineapple and mango flavour is easy to swallow and is a flavour kids love. I had mixed responses on the flavour from my kids. Phoebe turned out to enjoy it the least, but she’s never been a fan of tropical fruit so I can understand why she wasn’t warm to it.
To combat my Phoebe’s aversion to the multi-vitamin, I added a teaspoon to a fruit smoothie. She was oblivious to the taste.
You can’t blend a gummy vitamin into a smoothie. That’s just another reason why this multi-vitamin from Hivita is a winner. It can be added to smoothies, without the kids even realizing.
Hivita Liquivita for kids is Australian made, owned and formulated. It’s available in all good chemists and health food stores. You can also purchase it .
If you’re keen to give this a trial with your kids, you can save 50% by using the code PLUMBKIDS until 30th September 2017.
Having experienced fussy eating from all three of my children, I’m thankful for Hivita Liquivita because I know they will be getting the nutrients they need, even if their eating habits are fussy.
Do you have fussy eaters in your house? What fruit and vegetables do your kids refuse to eat?
Whenever I share a salad recipe here, my dad sometimes gives me a dig, saying no one has time to chop up the food to make my recipes. And I understand, we’re all pushed for time. But I know in myself, if I don’t make time to create healthy salads in the fridge, I will make unhealthy, convenient food choices that won’t necessarily fill me. So to heed the advice from my dad and also show how easy it is to eat a healthy salad with little prep, I came up with this delicious Southern Style Coleslaw with pretzels, cranberries and walnuts.
To make this salad you need to purchase a pre-packed coleslaw packet from Woolworths. The dressing is included in the pack. I didn’t add the dressing until the extra ingredients were added to the salad.
I have to admit this salad is YUM. I’d never considered adding pretzels with coleslaw before until I thought, why not? We add dried noodles to make other salads crunchy.
In this salad, the sweetness of the cranberries and saltiness of the pretzels works beautifully together with the southern style dressing. And there is a fresh crunch from the walnuts and pretzels. It was very easy to make as it’s simply putting all the ingredients together. You could almost make this salad at work, but would need to take the leftovers home, somehow.
We always have pretzels in the house because my younger two girls DEVOUR them. I don’t mind snacking on them too and find them quite moreish. I chose not to cut them, but sprinkled them whole into the salad. You can also use the stick pretzels instead of the knotted pretzels.
When you put them in the salad, make sure they are added right before serving as they will get soft if kept in the fridge.
This post has been written in collaboration with City Safes
Like most things in life, you don’t realise you need something until you really need it. One of those items that is a necessity, but considered an option in the home is the humble safe. Whether it’s needing a place to store jewellery, antiques, important documents or money, I can count three times a safe has protected what was precious to me.
A safe can offer peace of mind to a household when certain belongings and/or documents need to be hidden in a secure location.
Most people come into contact with a safe when they go away for a holiday, by placing their valuables in their hotel room safe. That’s the most common time we have used a safe too. But there are other times when I’ve needed a safe to secure my personal belongings. It makes sense to own a safe so you, your family and your business can store precious items and documents, without fear of them being stolen.
Storing My Engagement and Wedding Rings
When Jacob bought my engagement ring, he had purchased it a good 6 months (or so) before he popped the question. After paying off the ring and picking it up from the jeweler, he had to find a safe and secure place for storage until it was time propose. Jacob asked my dad if the ring could be stored in my grandparents safe. And that is where my engagement ring was placed until the beginning of June 2004 when Jacob eventually proposed to me in a Teddy Bear shop in Montville.
Prior to getting engaged, we used this picture of our engagement party invitations
Soon after wearing my engagement ring, it was placed promptly back into the safe for safe keeping while Jacob and I went on a mission trip to Uganda. I loved wearing my ring, but couldn’t face the thought of losing it overseas, while building an orphanage. My ring was put back in its box in grandpa’s safe for the two weeks we were away and was placed back promptly on my finger after the trip.
The next time my rings were placed in the safe was when I had Esther. I was booked in to have Esther via a c-section and I needed to remove all my jewellery. The hospital couldn’t guarantee my belongings would be safe in my room, so my rings visited grandpa’s safe again until I came out of hospital 5 days later.
Safes aren’t just convenient for personal use, they are essential for business use as well. Contracts, legal documents, wills and even cash can be stored in a safe.
If you don’t have a safe, where do you store sentimental items or valuables so they can be protected securely?
The cost of a safe can be big investment, but City Safes have all of your security requirements covered. Not only are they an online safe store, they offer that are perfect for your home, office or business, which are up to 50% cheaper than purchasing a brand new safe. Each reconditioned safe is supplied with a full new warranty. There are many brands available too including Chubb, CMI, Lord, Kumahira, Ajax, Milner, Victoria and many more.
Due to the price and quality of the reconditioned safes, many of the safes are sold before they make it to the website. If you’re after a particular model, contact the City Safe’s team so they can tell you what they have in stock or alert you when a model you’re after comes into stock.
It makes sense to acquire a safe in your home to keep valuables safe, especially if you travel frequently. While insurance can replace your items if they get lost or stolen, they can’t replicate the sentimental value of the original item.
Do you have a safe? How do you secure your valuables when going into hospital or on an overseas trip? How as a safe protected something precious to you?
Disclosure: This post has been written in accordance with my disclosure policy. All opinions are my own.
If you’re looking for an easy Easter Hat that you can create at home with recyclable materials, this hat is for you – well your kid actually. This Bunny on a Hill Easter Hat is a lot of fun to make and requires little effort.
Esther told me after school last week that she needed a hat for the Easter Hat Parade this Thursday.
I smiled and told her I was already prepared. She could wear the ones we made last year, which I had put away for safe-keeping so we wouldn’t have to worry about making one this year.
Unfortunately, Esther wouldn’t have it. Everyone saw it last year and you can’t wear the same hat twice in a row. #firstworldproblems
I sighed and told her if we were to make another one, we would only use what we had available in the craft box. And the toilet. This hat needs a toilet roll and I can guarantee every house in Australia has a spare empty roll sitting on the holder or the floor. I’ve been collecting ours so we had a good supply to get creating.
Making this hat was so easy. We ended up making two. It made for a great after-school activity inside after we had a week of rain.
Bunny on a Hill Easter Hat
Materials
1 Empty Toilet Roll
1 Plastic or White Paper Cup
2 Pieces of Green Paper (A4)
Pom Poms
2 Googly Eyes
Sharpie Pen
Cotton Wool
Elastic
Hole Punch
Scissors
Craft Glue
Sticky Tape
Instructions
1. Grab the green paper and cut strips halfway into the page. This will make for the grass on the outside of the cup. Cut the second piece of green paper in half, lengthways. Cut the strips to create a second row of grass.
2. Glue the green paper around the cup.
3. Make a bunny out of a toilet roll by twisting white pipe cleaner into ears and attaching to the top of the role with sticky tape. Glue googly eyes, a pink pompom for the nose and a cotton wool for the tail. Draw the face using a black sharpie.
4. Stick the toilet roll bunny to the top of the cup using craft glue and sticky tape. You may need to cut some of the grass to see more of the bunny.
5. Glue pompoms on the side of the cup on the grass to create ‘flowers’.
6. Use a hole punch to punch holes on each side of the cup. Thread elastic and tie it to each side of the cup.
7. Wear your Bunny on a Hill Easter hat at the Easter Hat Parade.
We’ve now found out Esther will be making a hat at school to wear for the parade, but Maggie and Phoebe won’t want to miss out, so they will definitely modelling our bunny hat creations.
If you need some more last minute Easter Hat ideas, head to this post on Be a Fun Mum.
Keeping it real… what my bench looked like while we made the hats…
Houzz is my Pinterest. I could happily scroll through bathroom and kitchen images on Houzz for all sorts of interior inspiration. Through my ‘research’, I’ve noticed there are some key features of a contemporary bathroom in 2017. While I’m in no position to renovate a bathroom, I definitely like to check out the trends and google over the amazing designs that have been installed.
When it comes to interiors that I’m drawn to, I’m definitely in the contemporary camp. I much prefer a contemporary bathroom over a classic style. I appreciate the older classics that to suit older style homes, I love a modern bathroom and am always inspired by the designs that are delivered. There are features in the bathrooms below that are not necessarily new. I want a bit of every bathroom in my home.
Features of a contemporary bathroom in 2017
The free-standing bath is the main feature of contemporary bathrooms. Think long, sleek, rounded baths, in a designated end of the bathroom with its own step or floor feature.
I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve written a post about our family life. We’ve had so many busy – yet fabulous weekends catching up with family and friends. Parties have been consistent this year, but they truly do make the best childhood memories, so I’m not complaining about my girls being invited to so many.
It’s been wonderful, but also a little exhausting. In my head, I’ve mentally made a note to share about some of what we’ve be up to in a post, but getting around to writing it has been hard of late. The year has been full on and I still don’t feel like I’ve got my rhythm yet. Take it till December and I reckon I will have things down pat before it changes again for a new year! At present, we have no invitations on the fridge for a change. September is always a busy month for Birthdays, but February and March have been ever so busy with parties for little people. So let’s rewind to the 20th February when Maggie turned 4.
Maggie wanted a Tangled themed party so Jacob and I decided to make her cake using strawberry donuts and a cone for the head of the tower.
Maggie’s Tangled Cake
All the icing and flowers were bought from the baking aisle in Woolworths. I used the Homebrand vanilla cake mix for the base (2 x the mix). The cake was a hit and I was pretty proud of what we created. I themed the food around the movie as well.
Jelly Boats
Tangled Flower Cheese Platters
Maggie loved it too, and I just love her reaction in this photo.
We then met our niece for the first time after Jacob’s brother and sister-in-law flew up to Queensland. The girls got along so well. We had a lovely weekend catching up and watching the girls interact with each other. If only they didn’t live in Adelaide, we could catch up more often.
The girls playing the piano at their great nanna’s retirement home
Last weekend I headed with mum down to Colour Conference in Sydney. I feel the conference needs a post in itself to share what I came away with. Wait for that post coming soon. It was a great weekend away, not worrying about mum responsibilities. I had a surprise welcome when I got home.
So I’ve been away since early Thursday morning to Sydney to attend Colour Conference and I’ve just come home to a clean…
This weekend has been another party weekend, and I have to say my school mum friends are very clever. My girls have had a ball this weekend going to two separate parties that were run a little differently to previous parties we’ve attended.
Yesterday, we went to celebrate two of Esther’s school friend’s Birthdays at the local park. A Fire Engine was hired to give the kids a ride, a turn spraying the hose and a lesson on how a fire engine works. The kids LOVED it.
Phoebe was more enthusiastic about playing in the spray of the water than actually using the hose. Esther said it was one of the best parties she’d even been to. If you want a no-fuss party idea where you don’t have to organise games and activities, hire a fire truck at Fire 4 Hire. I can guarantee it will be a hit.
Today’s party, we headed to a pony farm where the girls got to have multiple rides on a pony. (Well Phoebe didn’t, she wanted to watch and climb the fence). After the rides, we then got to feed and brush the ponies. It was such a fun morning out and another great party idea that required little organization – apart from supplying some food and cake for the kids afterwards. If you want to hold a similar party, you can find out more information at Mini Mates Minature Horse and Pony Farm.
Smile for the camera Phoebe… this is the face I got. 😉
Even though kid’s parties can be a lot of effort and money to organise, they really do offer the kids a chance to create memories with each other. If I reflect on some of my childhood memories, I can distinctly remember my mum holding a party for me when I was in grade 1. I can’t remember much else from that year but I can remember my party.
A big thank you to the friends who helped celebrate our Maggie’s party and who invited us back to their party. I am so grateful for the wonderful friends my daughter’s have made locally.
What’s been happening in your world? Had a lot of kids parties to attend to? Been to an awesome party recently?
If you’re looking for something less salady for lunches, these sour cream quiche tortillas may be just what you’re after. They are so easy to make and are a versatile meal that can be flavoured how you want.
I can’t vouch for coming up with this idea for quiches. One of Jacob’s work colleagues suggested using these tortillas as a base for quiches after Jacob told her our girls couldn’t get enough of them for dinner. So I’m dedicating this recipe to Marg, because it was really her idea and I give credit where credit is due.
I had been wanting to share my quiche recipe with you (because it’s so easy and tasty), but wasn’t sure what base to use. These tortillas are perfect and don’t go soggy. They can be easily packed for lunch, or made for dinner with a side salad.
The quiche recipe I use is from my 4 Ingredients Cook Book. As the name suggests, it uses only 4 ingredients plus the filling. No wonder I love it so! My girls enjoy this recipe too.
My girls also LOVE stand ‘n’ fill tortillas for dinner. We call them ‘boats’ in our house. The girls love to fill the tortillas to suit their own tastes – often with chicken, cheese and sour cream. I encourage some salad too.
You will find the tortillas in the international food aisle at your local grocery store.
As soon as I made these sour cream quiche tortillas, I had to try them. I ate 3 in one go. That’s how delicious they were.
But don’t take my word for it. Make some yourself and share what ingredients you use. I had wanted to use feta instead of parmesan, but I didn’t have any on hand. This quiche can be tailored to whatever tastes you want and whatever you have in the fridge.
It’s an exciting time when you have finance approval for a bathroom renovation. Whether you’ve saved or organised a loan, making the decision to renovate and modernize a room in your home is exciting. But there can be delays during the renovation process that you need to consider and make allowances for.
It’s rare for a renovation to go smoothly or not require a variation. Variations can often mean delays in the project getting complete. Ensure every change or decision made is put in writing. This can be your savior if things go wrong onsite.
Here are 5 Things that will delay your bathroom renovation and what you can do to avoid them.
1. Uncovering unexpected problems when the walls are down or the floor is up. The demolition process can unpack problems not previously seen when the walls and floor were intact.
Absestos may be discovered which requires tools down and will add a delay to your renovation timeline.
If it’s not asbestos, it could be rotting timber studs or old water pipes that need to be replaced. Structural damage like cracks in the foundation if tiles are ripped up can also add delays to the job. How do you avoid this problem? Expect the worst and you won’t be surprised. If the bathroom is going to be fully gutted out, allow for a buffer in the budget and extend the deadline to allow for the new issues to be fixed. Every bathroom renovation is different, so the problems can vary, but if you’ve engaged a good builder, he or she will be able to communicate these issues with you and organise the relevant trades needed to get the renovation back on track.
2. Tradies not showing up on site when booked for the day. One of the biggest misconceptions around bathroom renovations is assuming the plumber is the only trade involved in the project. The plumber is only one part of a group of trades needed to complete your bathroom renovation. A builder will be the one whom a contract is drawn with and he or she will coordinate the trades involved when completing the renovation. The builder is the project manager and this can be a daunting and difficult task.
Due to the number of trades involved in a bathroom renovation, the sequence of the project can become unstuck if the trades aren’t booked in accordingly or they don’t show up when they’ve been organized to start work. There isn’t a lot you can do to fix this delay as it’s totally dependent on the builder you choose and the tradies he or she engages. The best way to avoid this issue is to hire a reliable builder with a good reputation. Word of mouth and experience is always a good sign of a trustworthy builder. But do understand, even the builder can’t always govern a delay with their tradies. The success of other jobs the tradies have on at the time will govern the priority they give to your job. This can be hard to accept if you have a tight deadline with your bathroom renovation, but sadly, it’s what happens, as tradies will have more than one project going at once.
3. Supply Issues. You choose a toilet that you absolutely love and forget to check if it’s in stock or your plumber orders from a specification and there is a shortage on that toilet, Australia wide. When choosing fixtures and fittings for your bathroom, make sure there is plenty of stock. The same goes for tiles and taps. These decisions need to be made before the renovation starts. If you have a tight turnaround and there is not much stock or no stock to be expected for a few weeks, choose something different that is readily available.
4. Choosing fixtures that don’t work together. Once you decide on what you want installed and ensure there is stock available, make sure it will work together. No point ordering a vanity that won’t fit on the wall it was created to hang from. You may need to get a custom made one. If you order an above counter vessel basin, make sure the mixer is wall mounted OR if it’s mounted in the vanity, make sure it’s tall enough for the spout to reach over the lip of the basin. These minor issues, can add delays to your bathroom renovation.
5. Indecisions. Bathroom renovations involve A LOT of decisions. A builder should never assume what you want. They should always ask you and get your opinion, providing what’s expected meets current by-laws and regulations. All decisions should made in writing. In some cases, a decision over the phone may need to be made. Don’t feel pressured if you don’t understand what the builder means. But do understand being indecisive will add delays to the renovation.
Every bathroom renovation comes with it’s own problems. The best way to tackle them is to be prepared and always allow a buffer for time and cost. Rather than be wary of the problems, get excited about the challenges and think how awesome the end result will be. Sometimes that’s the only thing that will get you through if the renovation has been particularly challenging.
Ever renovated a bathroom? What delays did you experience?
This easy curried brown rice salad has become one of my favourite salads for lunch because it’s got a lot of flavour and is very filling. One serve filled me up for lunch and I didn’t add any extra protein to have with it. I know this salad will be a winner for your family whether you dish it out for lunch or as a salad to a BBQ. I also like the mix of colours in the salad, and this is something I think about a lot now that I’m doing these recipes. I want them to look good, not just taste good.
We have a bulk bag of brown rice that we are slowly going through for dinners. We used to eat basmati rice or jasmine rice when the dinner called for it. But I’ve long known brown rice is better for us and the girls eat their rice happily. It’s a bit chewier, but I find I don’t need to eat so much of it because it’s quite filling.
I cook my rice in the microwave in my Tupperware rice cooker. I find brown rice tends to require more water and more time in the microwave to cook properly.
For this recipe, I cooked the rice on the stove in one pan. That’s why it’s so easy. Everything is cooked in the one pan so less washing up after the salad is made.
I’ve added capsicum, coriander ( I can’t get enough of this herb in my salads), red apples and flaked almonds. I don’t like sultanas or currants in my salads, and my girls don’t like to eat them either, so I added the apple instead to add some sweetness to the salad. The apple doesn’t go brown in the salad because of the lemon juice component.
I’m sure you will enjoy this salad like I have. My girls are still hung up on my Two Minute Noodle Salad which Maggie and Phoebe now request most days for lunch. Who knew doing new recipes each week would get my girls eating salads!
This post has been written in collaboration with Westpac
It was the 11th January 2011 and I had 6-month-old Esther resting on my hip as I stood to watch the news.
Brisbane was bracing for a flood similar to 1974 and my eyes and ears were glued to the television as the broadcast showed the devastation of the water rushing through Gympie, Toowoomba and Ipswich.
Brisbane was the next target as the wall of water rushed down through to the Brisbane River.
I was anxious for all the houses that resided next to the river and water ways connected to the river. I worried for the properties ten minutes away from my house that always flooded when Brisbane had a heavy downpour. I knew the devastation was going to be catastrophic.
I remember reading statuses of friends living in inner city areas, wondering whether they should start moving furniture to the second level of their house, scared they were being too paranoid. I insisted it was better to be safe than sorry and that the river was the least of their problems. It was the storm water drains they had to worry about. The water reached their street, but thankfully not their home.
The devastation after the floods is something I will remember for a long time. I had often listened to my parents and grandparents share stories about the 1974 floods.
People were often quick to forget.
But not my parents. My dad always insisted if we bought a house, to ensure it was not in a flood affected area. It was good advice and saved us from the emotional, physical and financial cost that many faced after the floods hit Brisbane.
Centenary highway flooded
A week after the floods had receded and the clean-up began, I headed straight back to work with dad and we helped people where we could.
On one particular Saturday, my dad walked to each home on a street at Indooroopilly that had been inundated with water. He got hot water units started again for each family where he could. The hot water units had been knocked over by the water and all they needed was to be hooked back up with a few valves replaced.
Unfortunately not everyone was covered for flood insurance, and it was a big wake-up call for families to look at the fine print of their insurance policy to see if flood cover was part of their policy.
Centenary highway before bridge
Some families and businesses are still feeling the effect from their loss 6 years ago.
So what can you do to protect yourself and your home during flood season? Summer is notorious for rain and storms that cause floods and damage.
Here are some things you can do to ensure you are well protected from floods.
1. Check if your property resides in a flood zone. Each local council should have a flood map available to see if your property sits in a flood affected area. Before you purchase a property, check this map. It’s my first piece of advice for anyone who asks me where they should move or buy when finding a home in Brisbane.
2. Even if your house doesn’t reside in a flood affected area, still consider an insurance policy with flood protection. You never know if storm water drains will overflow. Flood maps can also change due to infrastructure changes that can redirect water. This was another lesson learned from the Brisbane floods as some areas that didn’t flood in 1974, flooded in the 2011 floods. As a result Brisbane’s flood maps were updated.
3. Create a Flood Emergency plan. In the event of a flood, you may have hours or a day (if you’re lucky) to prepare. Where will you go if you have to evacuate your home? What valuables do you need to take with you? Think of ways you can protect your furniture and belongings by placing them up higher. It could be moving them to the second floor or roof cavity of your home (if you have one) or organising a trailer to take some items to another safe place. These logistics will buy you time and protect your contents, even if your house is inundated with water.
4. Never do your own plumbing. Floods can happen inside the home from a simple plumbing leak. Always check that your plumber – or tradesperson is qualified and has insurance. Carpenters and builders can be notorious for drilling through water pipes. In some unfortunate circumstances, a flex hose could break loose or the hot water unit might leak inside your home, causing a flood. If you’ve done renovations or a maintenance fix to your home and you weren’t licensed to do the work, you will void your home insurance. That’s why it’s important to always use a licensed plumber for all plumbing works on your property.
5. Check your gutters and down pipes. Floods can happen outside your home if the drainage is blocked by tree and leaf matter. The easiest way to check this is to check your gutters and downpipes the next time there is a downpour. Alternatively you can put a hose down and see if the water backs up.
6. During a flood, make sure you get yourself and your family to higher ground. If your car is flooded, run! Take flood warnings seriously and give yourself enough time to evacuate.
7. Don’t go back to your property until authorities give the all clear. Driving through floods is dangerous and is the most common way people die during floods.
8. Never drive through a road blocked with water. In fact don’t drive if a flood warning has been given, unless it is to evacuate to get to a safe place. Find a route where no water is rushing or sitting on the road.
9. Teach your children and teens NOT to play near storm water drains when there is a downpour. The suction of water can suck your kids through the pipes and they can drown. I’ve written about this before, but every year on the news we still hear of kids and teens using boogie boards to surf down towards storm water drains. Please don’t do it. It’s an awful way to drown.
My most important tip is to check you have flood insurance. That was the biggest lesson I learned from the 2011 Brisbane floods (and any consecutive floods occurring in some Queensland towns).
Westpac have more useful tips and info about what to do and how to protect yourself, your home and your family in the event of a flood, which you can read about here.
Can you remember the Brisbane floods in 2011? Have you ever had experience being in or near a flood?
Disclosure: This post has been written from my own perspective. All advice about plumbing and home protection are my own. I am not a financial or insurance adviser. To find out more about what insurance products may be suitable for you, or if you have any policy queries please contact Westpac.
Officially, today is World Plumbing Day, but many plumbers and those that work in the industry, celebrated yesterday morning with a breakfast at Hillstone where we also found out the new Female Ambassador for Plumbing for 2017.
I attended as a guest, with Jacob and my dad to not only celebrate WPD, but also see who would be the new female ambassador.
New Female Ambassador for Plumbing 2017
Imagine my delight at finding out it was my friend in the industry, Carlie Low.
Carlie is someone I’ve always respected as a plumber and she was the only female plumber I knew when I was completing my apprenticeship. Carlie is passionate about getting more women to learn a trade and she LOVES speaking at schools and TAFE to encourage students to consider an apprenticeship.
This year, the ambassadorship will focus on raising awareness to students about studying an apprenticeship and explaining where a trade can take them. Carlie is the perfect role model and candidate to do these presentations. Congratulations Carlie on being this year’s Female Ambassador for Plumbing. I know you will plunge into your new role with ease. #punintended
World Plumbing Day Breakfast
The breakfast yesterday morning was well presented and had a wonderful attendance from plumbers, apprentices and those that work in the industry. The annual event is one the Master Plumbers’ Association of QLD organise each year. Despite WPD falling today, the events are organized on a work day – which saw little complaining from those that attended.
The Honorouble Cameron Dick, Minister for Health and Minister for Health spoke about the importance of plumbers to the health of the community. It was encouraging to see other MP’s in attendance at the breakfast as well, which shows how well supported our industry is by the State Government.
We got to hear about Orange Sky Laundry, a free mobile laundry for the homeless. I heard about these guys at the Problogger Conference last year. The two young men who presented at the breakfast were so well spoken and their presentation was inspiring. I walked away from the breakfast encouraged to never rub off an absurd idea if it has the potential to help people. Orange Sky Laundry are bringing hope to our cities and their passion is infectious. Their presentation was one of my favourite parts of the breakfast.
The breakfast for me yesterday highlighted how much we can often take for granted. Clean drinking water, hot water, boiling water, flushing toilets, running showers and washing machines truly do make our lives so much easier and comfortable.
We need licensed plumbers and initiatives like Orange Sky Laundries, who can solve a basic need and bring hope to those that require it.
While we can get overwhelmed by changes to the industry and fight against those that may impact plumbers negatively, we should never forget our why for doing what we do.
It’s not always for the money.
It’s not necessarily for the experience.
Mostly it’s the joy of being able to help someone practically.
As Carlie reminded me (and her friends on Facebook) last night, the next time you drink a glass of water, realise how lucky you are to retrieve it from a tap.
A licensed plumber ensured that water was plumbed into your house. Without them, we wouldn’t have the many basic fixtures we take for granted each day.
Thank you to the MPAQ for once again championing licensed plumbers and recognizing another female plumber. 2017 is shaping to be a busy but exciting year for the industry.
This Spicy Chorizo, Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad recipe is one of my favourite recipes so far for Tradie’s Lunchbox. It’s a hearty vegetable salad that keeps beautifully. If you want to add some carbs, add a crusty bread roll. Alternatively, you can use this salad in a wrap or use it in a burrito. Just change the chorizo to mince or crumbed chicken. Or even keep the chorizo for extra protein and ‘spice’.
I have had one fail with a recipe last week that looked fantastic when taken from the oven, but didn’t taste so good on its own. It was ideal for a tradie’s lunchbox but the taste was quite bland. And lunch is an important meal of the day. Why waste it eating food that doesn’t taste nice?
The Idea Behind Tradie’s Lunchbox
Nevertheless, I’m enjoying creating these recipes because it’s helped me have a healthy and filling lunch. I was notorious for munching on chocolate or a muesli bar for lunch to keep going so I could maximize Phoebe’s nap time to get work done. I also know that buying lunch each day can be a drain on your finances.
Every week when I create these recipes, I test them in lunchboxes and my fridge to make sure they can be made ahead of time, and won’t go soggy and limp if kept in the fridge or in an insulated cooler bag/esky.
This recipe works well because the lime juice keeps the avocado green and adds a delicious dressing to the salad itself.
Most of these recipes can be made to feed a crowd, but they taste just as good individually portioned to make filling a lunchbox easier.
You will notice I ‘caramelized’ the spicy chorizo in one of the photos. Pan fry the chorizo to your liking. I ate it both lightly pan fried and shall we say ‘well done’. Both tasted sensational.
My toilet has bare white walls (nothing a bit of toilet wall art can’t fix). To look at and enter, you would call it very minimal. I don’t exactly want to encourage guests to stay for a long period of time in my toilet. Unless it’s a toilet training toddler. They can stay in there as long as they like.
A blank wall often calls for an opportunity to add some wall art.
My grandma would always have a calendar and some sort of wildlife poster on the door and walls of her toilet. There was always something to look at or read when doing your business. Sometimes there would be a bible verse.
I’ve never taken to putting artwork up in the bathroom. I once read in a magazine that a flushing toilet expels effluent particles in the air (if the lid isn’t placed down) and they often land on the nearest surface, being the door and walls. Reading that confirmed why I didn’t want to have artwork in the toilet. Yet toilet wall art can add a bit of fun and humour to the room.
A sign or quote could be a way of giving your family and guests a not-so-subtle hint to keep the toilet clean. It can also be a hygiene reminder for those who lack in that area. Not everyone flushes (kids) or thinks to replace the toilet roll when it’s empty. And it seems to be a universal problem in all households on removing the empty toilet roll and placing it in the recycle bin.
With those scenarios in mind, I’ve found some funny toilet wall art that will give your guests a smile. Some of the artwork has a clever play on words but the message is quite clear and this will hopefully leave you with a cleaner toilet and hopefully no empty rolls left on the floor.
12 Hilarious Toilet Wall Art Posters
1. No No Yes shows the perfect placement of the toilet roll.
6. Poop like no one’s sniffing… unless you’re at a guests’ house. Although, this may help your friends relax if they need to do a number two in your loo.
In two weeks time I will be attending my 4th Colour Conference. It’s always an exciting time of year as the conference looms. But the weeks before can be hectic in making sure my writing deadlines are complete.
I’m definitely one of those girls that likes to have her ducks all in a row before going away.
But lately life has been a little hectic. My ducks have been squabbling. I’ve said yes to more things this year and they are going to stretch me mentally, physically and spiritually.
While I’m not a person that says yes to every opportunity or obligation that comes my way, I’ve felt that saying yes has been the best choice out of the available options. And I’ve literally told myself ‘I’ll think about the consequences of this later’.
This year is already shaping to be quite full. Despite the full swing of the year, I still can’t quite find my rhythm. If you think, by looking at my Instagram photos, that I look like I’ve got it together, I can assure you that I don’t.
Here is what I’ve been struggling with this year:
I still haven’t mastered two drop-offs and we’re well and truly in the middle of term 1. You’d think I would have gotten in a routine with this. But not yet. Thank goodness for school mum friends who are a text message away to help.
Despite Tuesdays being my only child free day, those 5 hours available between drop-off and pick up are busy. I make the most of that kid free time by getting as much work done as possible. My fingers throb from all the typing.
There are P & C meetings at school and committee meetings for Kindy (I’m doing the WH&S) and both require a night out each month.
Jacob and I decided to host a connect group at our home to connect with other families at our church. We also look after the family zone for one of our church services – where we look out for new families that have attended church, and make them feel welcome and connected. This means each Sunday morning we are up at 5am to get 3 kids to church by 7amish for a meeting and ensuring the zone is set up.
Add in three kids, freelance work, household duties and making sure there’s some quality time with my husband and God, I have started to feel a little overwhelmed with how much is stacked on my plate.
And yet, I’m sure it’s no different to a lot of parents out there who volunteer their time to help with kids sport, school tuckshop or even church. Many manage businesses or full-time work as well.
My tent is expanding
Right now my tent is expanding. The cords are taut. In fact they’re stretching and I’m feeling at capacity with all the things I need to do.
That uncomfortable feeling of being overwhelmed and wondering how I will do all that I need to do, reminded me of a message that was taught at Colour last year.
The message was taught by Holly Wagner and she explained the only way our lives can get bigger is if we expand our tents. And expansion is never easy to live through. It’s quite painful, but it’s a necessary process to move up to the next ‘bigger’ tent so we can grow our capacity again.
God calls us to expand our tents. It’s essential for growing as a person and experiencing all that God has in store for us.
Are you stretching into what God is trusting you with?
Do you have faith in yourself, that you can manage what God has given you to grow?
In Isaiah 54:2, The Message Bible states, ‘Make your tents large. Spread Out! Think Big! Use plenty of rope and drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your family.’
Those who follow God, don’t have lives that get smaller. Their lives get bigger.
I take encouragement from these verses, because building something big and good takes a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of faith too.
Nothing in life is an overnight success. And the only way to expand into new seasons of fruitfulness, is by pushing through the uncomfortable and often wearying stages of growth.
In order to grow our tents we need courage, and this is done by taking a step out of our comfort zone.
We also need strength – physically, spiritually and mentally.
We can’t be led by our emotions. We need to make wise decisions by getting knowledgeable and skilled so we can cope better with our expanding tent.
And finally, the expansion of our tent is not about us. It’s about others. A tent can’t grow without people in it.
Community is important. Is what you’re doing helping others and is it true to the calling God has on your life? Our calling is not about making ourselves bigger and better, but it’s about helping others.
Your purpose will always be greater than your position.
Despite feeling out of my comfort zone in some areas of my life, I’m also excited to see myself grow and expand into the next tent God has for me.
Are you feeling at capacity with all that you have to do this year? Is your tent expanding too? Do you ever get excited about what you’re growing into?
This Crunchy Nut Salad with Chicken McBites is a new take on the popular crunchy noodle salad.
One of my favourite salad recipes to make is crunchy noodle salad. Whenever the family gets together, this is the signature dish I’m asked to bring. I received the recipe from a work colleague over 10 years ago and I’ve kept the A4 sheet she wrote it on, in my recipes folder.
It makes for a festive salad and is often a crowd pleaser at whatever function I take it to.
When I was thinking how to make this salad lunchbox friendly, my dad made a suggestion about what trade’s really want for smoko. He also reminded me of something we used to do for lunches which I will share in a future post.
This salad is ideal for lunches, so long as you don’t add the dressing or the nuts until before you eat it. Portion the salad out for lunches during the week and use small Tupperware containers for the dressing. If you’re making this for school, change the nuts to crispy noodles to make it school friendly.
For the tradie or worker, to add an extra hit of protein, I’ve added McDonald’s Chicken McBites. Sometimes, after working hard all morning, I do feel like something hot and fried. Adding the Chicken McBites to this crunchy nut salad turns it into a great sweet and savoury combo. I felt extremely satisfied after eating this. Nothing worse than eating a salad and feeling hungry afterwards. That’s why it’s important to add protein.
If you really want the salad to be extra crunchy, add some noodles as well. Just don’t add them until before you eat the salad as the dressing will make them soggy. It’s important to also do this if you take this salad to share with guests. Always add the noodles and dressing before serving. I learned this from previous experience!
If you’re one of the Aussies that filled in a survey stating you won’t hire a female tradie, you may want to read this post. I’m one of those tradies you said you wouldn’t hire. And yet, I want to see change, but I get dumbfounded by the old thinking that still needs to be addressed in 2017.
What I will say is I understand your attitude. I totally get it. Women are weaker than men, but that doesn’t mean they can be less skilled or knowledgeable in an industry that is ever evolving and changing. Most female tradies are as tough as nails. They’ve learned to be because they’ve had to face up to the same attitude everyday on site by male tradies who think just like you.
So a personal message from me is to say, get with the times. Female tradies may be the solution the construction industry needs to ensure we have enough skilled tradies to keep up with the current and future demand of projects. The industry is in decline of skilled workers and women are an untapped resource that could fill the gap if given the opportunity.
He asked me whether I would encourage my three daughters to take up a trade since I myself had become a plumber.
I couldn’t answer him straight away because I remember how hard it was completing my apprenticeship. Even under the management of my dad, I worked on a variety of sites with our sub-contractor plumbers (all male), attended Tafe with other male apprentices and was often the only girl in all those scenarios.
It wasn’t easy. I cried a lot of tears. I had to come face to face with my strengths and weaknesses and attitudes that judged my ability because of my gender.
All those memories came rushing back to me and in my head I nearly said ‘no, I don’t think I would encourage my girls to take up a trade’. Not because I don’t think they could handle it, but because I want to protect them. I didn’t want them to go through the same challenges I did.
If my girls can creatively unravel wool around my house to make a massive spider’s web, they have the creativity and determination to be tradies.
Fifteen years from now (when my girls will be at an age to choose a career), the trades industry will change. It’s my hope that women tradies will be seen as the norm, not as a novelty. I hope if my girls do choose to be a tradie, they won’t face the same attitudes and struggles I did.
This information points out a number of things to me.
1. Existing female tradies should be given more credit for working in male-dominated industries. Not only are they battling with colleagues who don’t think they can do the work, they also have potential customers who don’t think they’re up for the job and would gladly hire their male competitor.
2. Stereotypes are still a big issue – not just on site but in the general community.
3. Men have a vital part in fixing this issue. How? If they manage a company in the trades, I’d encourage them to consider putting on a female apprentice. We need more men leading the change by supporting and encouraging any woman who wants to take up a trade.
Me, Dad and Esther posing after a day of work on the tools
4. We need to put the spotlight on more successful women tradies and their workmanship to instill customer confidence when hiring them.
One thing that I’d love to know is the gender ratio of the 75% who would request a male tradie over a female tradie.
In my experience in the domestic market, the lady of the house – housewives and mums, are the ones who usually organise a tradie to come to the house. Most of our clients who were female would hire a female plumber over a male plumber. It was often the first thing we were told the moment my dad and I would rock up at the front door. The problem is, there are not many of us around.
Gender discrimination still happens in a lot of industries. Yet, if it was overcome, I think it would have the potential to be the solution to a number of problems facing the industry.
We have an untapped pool of women who want to do a trade, yet their resumes are often placed at the bottom of the pile when it comes to filling apprenticeship roles.
If we want to see an increase in apprenticeships and skilled tradespeople, companies and the community need to start looking at women on an equal playing field.
So to those 75% of Aussies who won’t hire a female tradie, I understand your attitude. But it needs to change, because it’s crippling our industry and crushing the dreams of so many women who want to work in the trades, but aren’t considered because of old attitudes like yours.
If you want to read more articles to change your bias, here are some posts I’ve written about the issue:
Please tell me, why wouldn’t you consider hiring a female tradie? What are your hesitations? How can we change the attitudes of 75% of Aussies who won’t hire a female tradie? I’m all ears.
