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Six Instagram Accounts That Define my Interior Style

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
18
define my interior style

When it comes to social media, I’m usually a late adopter. I only joined Instagram a couple of years ago and have often struggled to know what to share on there that relates to plumbing and this blog. I sometimes share corners of my home and the odd family picture. Most times I reshare an image I’ve seen (and attributed) which kind of defeats the purpose of Instagram because isn’t it about sharing pictures that relate to you? I’ve come to a standstill with my Plumbette Instagram account. Blocked toilets don’t rate highly for the most searched hashtag.

Anyway, that’s not what this post is about. Even though I’m not very good at sharing on Instagram, I love following and being inspired by bloggers and creatives that have a knack for interior styling and taking an awesome photo.

I love the interior style photos, especially when people share a space in their home. I find this helps me define what I do (and don’t like) in interiors.

Today I thought I’d share with you 6 Instagram accounts that define my interior style. The big drawcards for me are colour and plants. And of course, when I look around the interior of my home I also see… colour and plants, so these bloggers have definitely influenced my style… or maybe we share similar tastes in interiors and that’s why I like their style?

6 instagram accounts that have great interior style

Katrina Chambers
Every time I see a photo on Katrina’s Instagram account or a blog post featuring pictures around her home, I stop and take in the perfect styling. When explaining to Jacob which interior style I like the most, I send him to Katrina’s Instagram account. I enjoy reading Katrina’s blog too.

My green spot 🌿🙊#stopbuyingthem #plantaddict #katrinashome

A photo posted by Katrina Chambers (@katrinas_instagram) on

#Friday 🏡

A photo posted by Katrina Chambers (@katrinas_instagram) on

The Beetle Shack

I’ve always been a fan of Emily’s blog, The Beetle Shack, and I’m equally a big fan of her clothing label, Bohemian Traders. It’s not surprising that her love for Bohemian interiors is featured in her own home and on her Instagram account. I love the recent renovation and extension she recently shared on her Instagram account.

Sunday cleaning. 😁💫😁

A photo posted by thebeetleshack (@thebeetleshack) on


Kirsten and Co

When I think of Kirsten I think of Kate Spade. I’m not sure if it’s because she owns a gold polka dot Kate Spade Drinking Canister, or because it’s one of her favourite brands, but that modern,, fun,  feminine edge appeals to me. I hold Kirsten in such high esteem with her interior styling, I asked her to give me tips via Instagram to style my buffet. Here are two of her interior images I’m loving.

Such a beautiful day in Brisbane 💗💗💗 What’s it like where you are today?

A photo posted by Kirsten Smith 🍾 (@kirstenandco) on

Oh Joy

You can’t not smile when you head onto the Oh Joy blog and scroll through her Instagram account. The interiors are known for a lot of colour and that makes me happy. I love a lot of colour.

Style and Shenanigans

I love Vanessa’s fashion and interior style. I’m a big fan of her blog and her as a person. I see similar interests in colour with our interior pieces. For example my occasional chairs in the living room are the same colour as Vanessa’s recent purchase for her living room. I wish I could say I inspired her with my choice, but clearly, we just have similar tastes when it comes to colours.

I also admire how Vanessa dresses her bed with cushions. I love her cushion choices and I’m sharing one of her latest pics below.

Styling You

Fashion stylists tend to be great interior stylists too and Nikki (in my opinion) is one of those people who does brilliantly at both. I’m always admiring her cushion choices and the little styled pockets of her home that she shares on Instagram. I can also guarantee that not only does her interior style define my own, but so does her fashion sense as I’ve made a couple of clothing purchases due to her recommendations on her blog.

Do you follow Instagram accounts that define your interior style? Where do you go for inspiration when you style your home?

Home Improvement Thursdays

Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, we had some really fab blogs posts link up. It was hard to choose which ones the feature this week as they were all so good.

We had Mackenzie Glanville from Reflections From Me share how she has decorated her 9-year-old daughter’s room, featuring a Dream Catcher from The Vintage Boutique. If you’re looking for some girly inspiration for a bedroom, you should check out this post.

dream catcher

Janet from Middle Aged Mama shared Decorator items the whole family will love.

decorator items the whole family will love

And Sarah (aka Lisa) from TOMFO shared a simple 5 minute DIY flower arrangement using palm leaves.

TOMFO flower arrangement

 

Nicole and I are looking forward to seeing what you link up with for this week.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


What Went Through my Mind When I got Gastro

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
19
gastro

Gastro is a nasty nasty bug. So far my girls have been really lucky not to have experienced gastro which means Jacob and I have been fortunate enough not to have experienced what it’s like to care for really sick kids and to be on the receiving end of such a viral and hideous bug.

But not so this past week.

Last week Jacob was getting ready to go away for two nights for work. As I was putting Phoebe to bed on Wednesday night, I was about to put her in her cot and she started to get upset and I could hear what sounded like heartburn race up her throat and I knew she was going to throw up. I quickly rushed out of her room and she projectile vomited on the wooden floor, over her sleepsuit and over me.

It was gross.

I groaned a little and thought what brilliant timing to have a vomiting kid right before Jacob would go away for work.

After I cleaned Phoebe up and put her in new pyjamas, Jacob cleaned the floor. I took Phoebe in with me as I showered and got into new pyjamas.

As I got Phoebe ready again to be placed back into her cot it was like déjà vu as I heard the same heartburn sound and I raced again, hoping to reach the laundry tub, but the vomit was spewed at full force over my new pyjamas, over Phoebe’s new sleep suit and jammies and over the same bit of floor that Jacob had just cleaned.

This time Phoebe got a bath, I had another shower and Jacob cleaned up the same bit of floor.

I decided to stay up with Phoebe on the couch where she slowly dozed off by 9pm and I transported her back to her cot where she slept all night and she was fine the next day.

Jacob headed off to his work trip and I hoped that that would be the last of the vomiting.

It wasn’t.

Esther decided to jump into bed with me at midnight on Thursday night. By 3am she had her head over our ensuite toilet throwing up. We were like jack-in-the-box, constantly jumping from bed to get to the toilet. By 7am the worst was over and I kept Esther home to make sure she was fine.

She was fine all day.

My parents came over to help with the dinner bath routine. All went well and we had another good night of sleep.

The moment Jacob came home from work late Friday afternoon, I was feeling queasy and by 6pm I couldn’t keep anything in or down. It was horrific. My parents also got it and were sick all weekend with it.

I don’t wish gastro on ANYONE. It’s the pits of childhood bugs I reckon. It’s another reason not to be a teacher because we all know what the kids get, the teachers get as well.

So, while I was losing weight on the weekend, I had a few thoughts that ran through my head.

1. I think I’m going to die. A little melodramatic, but throwing up and pooing through the eye of a needle constantly is just awful. It’s draining. (Worst pun ever but it’s true).

2. I hope the rest of the family don’t get this. Nothing worse than getting over gastro and then caring for other members in the family that have contracted what you had. Gastro is contagious three days after someone is better. I remember this because I got gastro on New Years Eve in 2004, 4 months before my wedding. The only doctor open during Christmas at that time in my area is now my family doctor today, and he told me I was very contagious and would be three days after I was better. Never forgotten it. So this is why I stay clear from friends for at least a week when I know they’ve had gastro.

3. Thank GOD for western toilets. Can you imagine trying to aim your butt and your mouth towards a squat toilet? How does one gastro into a hole in the ground? Thank God for plumbers. Thank God for toilet pans! I was so thankful that while my butt was leaking, and my mouth was hurling into a bucket, I could do so with dignity by sitting on a toilet seat and pan.

4. I don’t give enough credit to my husband. I’m so grateful for Jacob, who took over the house and made sure the kids were nowhere near me so they couldn’t get sick and so I could rest. He rang the doctor when I knew I needed something to help me stop being sick. He brought me drinks and cleaned my ice-cream bucket when I needed it. He’s a brilliant husband and dad.

So just a warning… I know 4 families that have suffered from gastro and my midnight out-of-hours doctor told me if it was any consolation to how crap I felt (and looked), it’s the bug that is going around this winter and takes 36 hours to completely recover.

I’m just getting my strength and appetite back now.

Ever had gastro? Ever caught it from your kids? What thoughts have gone through your mind while you’ve been sick?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Help! My Toddler’s Fingers are Stuck in the Bath Drain

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
11
kids with fingers stuck in bath drain

A couple of weeks ago, a toddler in Brisbane got her fingers stuck down a bath drain. The story made national news because of the time it took for emergency services and the plumber to release the little girl’s hand.


Kiara Hampton told 9news when she tried to take her daughter, Olivia, out of the bath, she realized she was stuck. The mum tried liquid soap to pry Olivia’s little fingers from the small holes of the drain. When she couldn’t get the little girl’s fingers out, she rang for emergency services to come and help.

It took 7 hours for the little girl to be freed from the bath – which required the plumber to demolish the bath and gain access from underneath the apartment to release the toddler’s hand.

toddler with fingers stuck in bath drain
Image via screen shot of video

 

toddler with fingers stuck in bath drain
Image via Screenshot of video

An incident like this can happen to any parent and it happens more frequently than we realise.

Bath drains can come in different webbed styles. The reason for the webbing is to act like a strainer when the water flows through the drain. Older style bath drains tend to be more netted and have more rounder holes, which makes the opening the perfect size for little fingers to get trapped. When water is released from the bath, the suction can force those little fingers through the holes.

Most modern bath drains are more a webbed style drain, with the holes as wedges which makes them less likely for children to get their fingers caught.

bath drain
A more modern bath drain

But children should always be watched when in the bath and I always make it a habit to pull the plug after all three of my girls are out of the water.

To stop the girls from playing with the plug, I put the toys to the other end of the bath. I make sure there are a lot of bath toys to prevent boredom which often tempts a curious mind to play with the plug.

toys on other side of plug

Another thing I do is get my oldest child to be nearest the plug and my younger two the furtherest from the plug.

If you find your child does get their fingers caught in a bath drain, ring emergency services. The emergency services will do what they can and possibly choose to work alongside a plumber to disconnect the bath drain.

In most bath drain emergencies where the fingers can’t be released from the drain, the bath will need to be disconnected which will require jackhammering of the base of the bath to gain access underneath. The operation will involve the plumber disconnecting the bath trap and drain from the bath itself. Emergency services will sometimes sedate the child to ensure they are relaxed during the rescue effort because it can be traumatic for a little one to not be able to move because they’re stuck.

The best thing we can do as parents is to prevent it from happening.

You can use my tips above and as another preventative measure, you could buy these bath drain covers – Skip-Hop Kids Moby Top Stopper or the Boon – Ray Drain Cover from Lime Tree Kids. It’s a suction cup device designed to be placed over the bath plug while your little ones are in the bath. The suction makes it hard for toddlers to remove easily which stops them from accessing the bath drain.

Bath Safety Drain Cover
Skip-Hop Kids Safety Moby Drain Cover
bath drain cover
Boon – Ray Drain Cover

It’s important to do what you can to prevent your child getting their fingers stuck down the drain because it can take a couple of hours to free your child. Plus the drama and emotional toll it can have on everyone involved.

Do you have any other tips that you use to prevent your child playing with the bath plug while they’re in the bath?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase one of these drain covers, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Home Improvement Thursdays
Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, Tash from Home of Marble and Mint shared the waiting process for her renovation. It’s worth the read and you may even resonate with Tash’s post if you’re planning a renovation or building a house yourself.

waiting for a renovation

We look forward to seeing your projects for this weeks Home Improvement Thursday.

As always, Nicole and I enjoy seeing what you get up to around your home. Thank you for linking up.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


Being Recognised in Public

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
50
being recognised in public

A couple of weeks ago, I organized to meet up with my grandparents at our local shopping centre. I arrived a little early with Phoebe and Maggie, so I took them to the indoor play area and sat down to watch the girls play.

As I reached down to get my phone to check on my emails, a middle-aged Asian man came up to me to say hello. I smiled at him and replied with a friendly hello, while turning my head to watch the girls.

The man then proceeded to say he recognized me as I was a ‘public figure’. He asked me to guess where he knew me from.

I had never seen this man in my life. I assumed he may have recognized me from an article in the local paper about receiving my female plumbing ambassadorship award on World Plumbing Day. He could have recognized me from my blog or he could have been an old client that I had strangely not remembered.

I asked him if he knew me from my plumbing blog or from being a plumber. He looked at me a little confused and said he didn’t read the internet. That got me thinking and I assumed he may have got me confused with somebody else.

But then he said ‘I know your last name is Senyard. And you are public figure. I haven’t seen you for long while.’

The fact this man knew my surname meant he must have known me in a closer circle. It turned out he knew me from my old church. He recognized me as a ‘public figure’ because Jacob and I would often be at the front of the church singing or performing.

The man told me that he had only been thinking about me and my husband and had commented to his wife that he hadn’t seen us for a very long while. I told him we hadn’t been to that church in a little under 3 years.

He then said that he missed seeing me and my husband at church, which had me feeling all the feels. What a lovely thing to say.

I told him what church we went to now and pointed out Maggie and Phoebe, as Maggie wasn’t even one when we left to find a new church and Phoebe… well she was just an embryo whom we had no idea about.

He gave me some parenting advice and then he went on his way, saying he was glad to have run into me, after he had thought about me.

As he walked away, I smiled and thought how random. Here I thought I might have had a reader coming to say hi because they read my blog. But I was recognized simply for attending church and serving on the stage.

This has now prompted me to send a quick text or message to a friend I haven’t seen in ages. There are plenty of times during the week that I stop and think of someone I haven’t seen in a while and wonder how they are.

An old friend from Mother’s Group or Playgroup.

A school friend.

A work colleague that went on maternity leave.

It’s a lovely feeling to be noticed, but even more so when your presence has been missed.

Have you ever had someone send a random text to say they’re thinking about you and have missed you? Ever had a reader recognise you in public and tell you that they read your blog?

After writing this post, I had a blogging friend message me to say that one of her friends from bookclub recognized me at a shopping centre and really liked the dress I was wearing which she later saw I had shared on Instagram.

It seems the world we live in is smaller than we realise!

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Homeware Hampers Are The New Way to Style Your Home

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
16
homeware hampers

It’s an art to style a room. I know this because I’ve tried my hand at styling my own home and despite my efforts, I don’t always feel I get the look I’m after.

Sometimes it’s a bit of trial and error to get the right proportions when mixing my homewares. I don’t even really know what my decorating style is. It’s a mix of different styles, with a lot of colour.

I wonder if I’m not the only one who struggles to style their home? And some would argue… who really cares because it’s just a house and homewares are just belongings. I agree to a point, but I don’t think there is anything wrong about wanting to create an inviting home and styling each room is the best way to go about creating a homely feel.

If you are one that does struggle, you could hire an interior stylist to give you advice. Or you could opt to buy a hamper of homewares, curated by an interior stylist. You can guarantee that the hamper will include pieces that will create a cohesive look.

I’ve come across two companies that offer homeware hampers for the confused stylist.

homeware hampers for your home

I wanted to share them with you as I think they would be a great house warming gift. Or they could be a lovely way to commemorate a renovation or simply encouragement to style a room.

The first website that I came across that offers these type of hampers is Style Bundle. I was made aware of them via Style and Shenanigans. After perusing their online store, I was impressed with the different hampers available.

I love this Powder Room Hamper which would look lovely in a bathroom or as suggested, a powder room.

homewares hampers style bundle
Powder Room Bundle by Style Bundle $145

 

homeware hampers
What the Bathroom Could look like with the Powder Room Bundle

The Bedside Bundle is a great hamper if you’re at a loss on how to style your bedside table. If your bedroom could do with an update, and funds are tight, this bundle could be the perfect purchase to create a change.

bedisde bundle homewares hamper
Bedside Bundle by Style Bundle $170

 

bedside bundle homewares hampers
What the bedside could look like with this bundle

There are also other styling bundles that look awesome. The more I peruse, the more I want everything!

The second website that offers a similar service is Nathan + Jac. I read about this company launched by three interior stylists in this months’ Real Living magazine.

The stylists put together different homeware packs for people who don’t want a full styling package, but are after pieces that will add style to their space.

I really like the Bathroom Basics pack.

Homeware hampers
Bathroom Basics Pack $115

And this Milk and Sugar Pack would be great on a kitchen bench, brought out for morning or afternoon tea when hosting guests… or just because.

homewares hampers nathan and jac
Milk and Sugar Pack $74

Perusing both websites, I just love the options available. These are definitely my type of hampers and there are definitely no filler products, which you tend to find in the food hampers.

Tell me, do you find it hard to style a space? What do you think of these hamper ideas? Would you buy one for yourself… or would you be happy to receive one as a gift?

Home Improvement Thursdays

Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, Charlene shared how she tidied and decluttered her kitchen. I definitely envy her pantry. Take a look at this!

pantry envy

Michelle from Jarrah Jungle shared the latest with her courtyard, which is looking fabulous.

Jarrah Jungle courtyard

 

As always, Nicole and I enjoy seeing what you get up to around your home. Thank you for linking up.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


When The Poo Escapes The Pan – Out of Hours Plumbing

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
22
out of hours plumbing

This post has been written in collaboration with Gladesville Plumbing Services

Out of hours plumbing call outs are not ideal. They’re not ideal for homeowners because they pay a higher callout fee and labour charge – not to mention the stress of being presented with a problem and making a few calls to locate an out of hours plumber who’s willing to come out and fix your plumbing issue.

The call outs are not ideal for plumbers either, because even though they are getting paid more, they end up being taken away from time with their family. Or missing out on much needed down time after working hard all week.

But where there is plumbing and an imperfect world, there will always be out of hours plumbing call outs because it’s just how life rolls.

I’ve occasionally been called out of hours to help friends in need with their plumbing emergencies. Some plumbing jobs have needed to be fixed straight away and others could be lived with until Monday morning, but the scare usually jolts them into wanting the job fixed immediately.

I remember when I was called about an overflowing toilet. The house was only 10 minutes from where I lived and when I asked where the water was coming, I was told it was coming through an open pipe in the toilet cistern. It didn’t make sense to me. So I rang my dad and he had an idea of what it could be, but it wasn’t confirmed until we saw it for ourselves. It was an older style toilet suite that had an overflow pipe protruding out of the cistern, which connected to a pipe in the floor. The pipe had been disconnected and the open pipe was left exposed and for some reason the cistern had decided to keep filling which would cause water to pour out of the overflow pipe onto the floor. The constant overflow of water kept the cistern filling up the excess water would flow through the pipe on the floor.   My friends were really stressed about it and were grateful when dad and I showed up to fix the issue. From memory dad capped off the overflow pipe and replaced the inlet valve and I calmed my friend. We always made a good team.

Anything to do with water, poo and gas gets people into a panic and there is no need to panic when faced with a plumbing emergency. The worst that can happen is the floors and walls can get damaged. And your feet might get wet. Gas is a little more complex and needs to be fixed immediately.

That’s why it’s important to have on hand a few numbers of 24 hour plumbers that can readily help you with your out of hours plumbing needs. It’s always good to be prepared for the unexpected.

Gladesville Plumbing Services have a 24 hour emergency plumbing service which is a good number to have on hand if you live in Sydney – specifically 12km radius from Ryde. For all other areas, find a reputable 24 hour plumbing service via your state’s Master Plumber’s directory or asking your local plumbing hardware provider for recommendations.

The most common plumbing problems that require an out of hours call out include:

  • Sewage flowing out of the Overflow Relief Gully outside or heaven forbid out of the shower or floor waste because there is no ORG.
  • Blocked drains where nothing drains away (which causes point number 1)
  • Water leaks from flexi hoses
  • Water leaks through a ceiling
  • Sewage leaking through ceiling
  • Hot water unit stops producing hot water
  • Water won’t shut off after turning a tap off
  • Water won’t flow after turning on a tap

It’s always a shock to find a plumbing problem in your house on a weekend or public holiday, but understand that it happens and that is why there are 24 hour plumbers who are available to fix the problem.

Providing they haven’t gone deep sea fishing and can’t help you.

That’s why it’s always good to have a few names and numbers of 24 hour plumbers listed on your iPhone.

Have you ever had to make an out of hours plumbing call? Ever had a plumbing problem that took you by surprise?

This post has been written in accordance with my disclosure policy.

If You Want to Get Rich, Become a Plumber. Apparently.

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
7
if you want to get rich, become a plumber

This week the media has decided to cause a stir by reporting on what tradies around Australia earn per hour. First it was this report from MSN news, Which tradies get paid the most in Australia, and then yesterday, the Courier Mail published an article Great rates on the tools, featuring a builder dad and I used to work for before we closed our business (you can read about that here). News.com.au also shared this cracker of an article stating PLUMBERS and electricians are Australia’s richest tradies, charging more than double what the average lawyer earns.

Each article suggested plumbers earn anywhere between $68 to $78 per hour and part of me thought jeepers, I need to get back on the tools!

But I don’t know any plumbers that get paid that amount per hour as part of their wages. The rates are more reflective of the charge out rate, not the rate the plumber will take home in his or her pay.

Three years ago, our plumbing company used to charge an $80 call out fee and $90 per hour labour rate for our maintenance jobs. The labour rate was never what dad and I took home as a wage. The rate would be charged differently for commercial or larger projects. Dad used an estimating program that included the labour rates when quoting on plans for a new job. (From memory, we charged around $60 + GST labour per plumber and our sub-contractor plumbers would charge $45 + GST when they’d invoice us. )

I’ve shared before why plumbers charge a call out fee, and their labour fee is reflective of being a licensed trade and the value of their work to our community.

There are considerable costs involved in being a licensed tradesperson. Public liability insurance, which for most tradies is usually $20 million +, depending on the sort of work they do, plus fees for licensing, tools, ute, business insurance, super and anything else I’ve missed out. When you do the math, that labour rate needs to cover a lot of business costs.

Paul Gueniat from ALPS Constructions (the builder we used to work for) was featured in the Courier Mail yesterday. He was asked to comment about hourly rates he gets charged as a builder, reflecting on the increase in price over the last 10 years. Unfortunately, the reporter misunderstood that the amounts were not the rates the tradesperson would receive in their hand. I asked Paul if I could re-publish his comment that he shared on his personal Facebook page when he posted about being featured in the article. It’s important to understand the difference between a rate that is charged and a rate that is earned.

Paul ALPS Constructions

The point I want to make is that being a plumber (or any type of tradie) is not a get-rich-quick career. You have the potential to earn a good wage, but it can be hard work to get there.

If you choose to go out and work on your own (which is where a lot of the big money can be earned), you have to build up a client base and win jobs with a profit margin. Sometimes you’re competing with plumbers who often have little clue about quoting and often underquote what should be charged – and they end up winning the work. Estimating and quoting is not taught at TAFE, so many plumbers have little clue on how to quote properly unless they have been trained by their boss. It can take a long time to build a profitable plumbing business. That’s why many plumbers work as sub-contractors or they get employed by a plumbing company and their rate is usually between $30-$45 per hour.

Finances aside, when I found out I was pregnant with Phoebe, I’d only been back to work for 3 months and realized I was going to have to stop work for at least another 18 months or so depending on how the pregnancy and baby would be. My dad was ready to retire and so the news of my pregnancy put the wheels in motion to work out whether I could run our plumbing business by outsourcing our jobs to another plumber, while I looked after my children from home and did the administration to keep the business going.

Unfortunately the figures didn’t add up. Work had been up and down in those years following the GFC. (it was the perfect time to have children really)My dad worked out I’d be lucky to make a wage after outsourcing to a plumber and paying all the necessary insurances to ensure our business was covered. It was a difficult decision, but we closed our business. And it upset me deeply. But figures don’t lie and you have to face the facts of what the math tells you.
Sadly, it’s rarely reported that 80% of plumbing businesses that start up end up closing or going bankrupt after the first 3 to 5 years.

Like all jobs in life, there is a potential to make good money, if you’re willing to work for it, and the market and opportunity are on your side.

The wisdom of older plumbers who have been in the industry for over 30 years can tell you there are good seasons in a plumbing business and not so good seasons where you battle to keep afloat and cover your costs. I have had many plumbers email me, telling me how tough it has been to keep their business afloat and how they have been encouraged from reading my blog because I share the realities of the industry.

My path has evolved from a plumber to writing about plumbing and sharing what I know to help others. The great thing about becoming a plumber is you just never know where it will take you.

If you want to be a plumber, the motivation needs to be purpose based, not money driven.  It’s also important to understand the difference between rates that are charged and what a plumber takes away as their pay.

Were you surprised to read about the hourly rate tradies ‘earn’? Got any comments to add?

Home Improvement Thursdays
Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, we had a few blogs link up.

Erin from Seven Little Australians shared the finished timber floor in their library. It was a family effort to get the floor installed and polished.

seven little australians library floor

Sarah from TOMFO shared her new kissing galahs prints that are part of her online store.

TOMFO Kissing Galahs

And Brigette from Honey and Bean shared how she keeps her home de-cluttered.

Honey and Bean clutter

Nicole and I always enjoy reading your blogs and seeing what Home Improvement projects you have on the go. 2016 is proving to be quite the busy year for a number of our bloggers with renovations and decluttering.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


My, What Big Eyes You Have

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
25
my what big eyes you have

This last weekend was one of the most enjoyable and productive weekends I have had in a long while. I recently cancelled swimming lessons just so we can have a break through winter and to help our finances recover after having a few tight months.

It was glorious to wake up on Saturday morning and have nowhere to go.

I had a few things I wanted to check off on my to-do-list, so Jacob whisked the girls outside to play so I could vacuum and wash the floor. I feel so much better when the floors look clean in the house.

I then tackled cleaning Maggie’s room which had accumulated a lot of little toys from the play room. She loves to have a backpack or handbag and put all the random bits of Barbie accessories, Shopkins and Little People packed away which means they are never in the boxes they are meant to be in for when we want to play with them.

maggies bedroom mess
The mess was worse than this when I emptied all her packed bags.

While the wet floor was drying I emptied every backpack, handbag and all her toy boxes and her drawer and had a mammoth sort out. Bits of paper, flowers, broken crayons and plastic crap were put in the bin. It was so good to get it done and sorted. But who knows how long it will last for.

all sorted
All sorted

 

all sorted

We then had lunch and it was quiet time for the girls which gave me time to get some blogging done.

Having child free hours to get stuff done can do wonders for my mind.

A delivery of flowers was the perfect way to end the day in anticipation for Mother’s Day.

mothers day flowers

I didn’t expect too much in the way of presents for Mother’s Day as I had gone and bought some clothes that were on sale and a cushion cover I absolutely loved, so I told Jacob to make those my gifts instead to save money.

bohemian round cushion
My new cushion from Hard to Find was on sale. I’ve been looking for one like it for ages.

He didn’t listen to me and bought a few little things anyway.

Sunday morning arrived and Maggie and Esther were excited to wake me up so I could open my Mother’s Day presents. Esther was the most excited as it was her first year making a purchase from the Mother’s Day store at school.

Mothers day in bed

In her matter-of-fact way, she told me that she had to get me one of these fancy cups with the big eyeballs.

the cup with big eyeballs
The cup with big eyeballs

I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw it. The glittery eyeballs were definitely big. Except they weren’t eyeballs.

wine glass with big eyeballs
My, what big eyes you have!

I laughed so much I had tears. Jacob couldn’t stop laughing either and asked me, ‘should we tell her that they’re actually not eyeballs?’

wine glass with big eyeballs
A bit of an eyeful

I was laughing too much, I couldn’t answer him.

I didn’t care what I got on Mother’s Day. Anything handmade was perfect and the cup with big eyeballs was literally the cherry on top of the gifts.

Esther and Bec

After heading to church, the girls got to make more Mother’s Day craft and after a takeaway lunch on the way home, we all crashed for a nap and woke in a frenzy when we realized we were going to be late getting to my grandma’s place for dinner.

Phoebe insisted on getting her nails painted at church
Phoebe insisted on getting her nails painted at church

I had offered to have my grandparents over, but grandma insisted on cooking us dinner for Mother’s Day. And I’m glad I obliged because it was lovely and the girls had a great time.

great grandma
Celebrating with great Grandma for Mother’s Day Dinner

After going home and putting the girls to bed, Jacob and I fell onto the couch and watched the Logies.

Even though we didn’t go anywhere fancy, it was a memorable Mother’s Day weekend.

I’m so grateful for my family. As much as it’s nice to thank our mums for being awesome, I think Mother’s Day is great day for mums to simply stop and reflect on how incredible family life can be – even when it’s chaotic.

How was Mother’s Day for You? Get any memorable presents? Can you top my wine glass with the eyeballs?

The Modern Day Mum is Stronger Than She Thinks

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
2
the modern day mum is stronger than she thinks

I don’t know how many times I have looked at the clock since becoming a mum and have willed those handles to spin a little faster.

There have been many a day when I have wished for nap time to come sooner and for bedtime to be brought forward.

I’ve always contemplated why time feels like it goes forever when stopping and playing with kids on the floor, yet when life is full on with routines of cleaning, school drop off and pick-up and whatever else needs to be done with my kids outside and inside the home, the time flies rapidly and before I know it I’m attending end of year functions and Christmas parties.

The life of a mother is always busy and never-ending. Until that little person flies away because they’ve grown up or is taken before their time.

resting with Esther

One of life’s blessings as a mother is having time to kill and yet it’s not often appreciated enough as it’s a pocket of time where we can just gaze in wonder at the beautiful age our children are at.

Lately I’ve been reflecting on the type of mother I had envisioned I’d be and I don’t quite meet my mark.

Every day my choices are sometimes based on the peaceful road, rather than the rocky road of discipline which results in screaming and tantrums.

And yet, there are some proud moments of seeing my girls develop into friendly and loving girls. They want to go to church, school, mother’s group, connect group – because they love connecting with others.

sisters are best friends

They love to learn. They love to help – sometimes. They never shy away from telling me they love me and think I’m the best mum in the world.

They forgive me when I’ve asked for forgiveness for yelling at them and losing my patience.

They know when to pat my hand when I’ve cried in frustration from being overwhelmed and being disappointed with myself at not coping.

Their faith and prayers remind me to be optimistic about our future.

There are days where I admittedly will the time away because the burden of being a mum can be too hard, and then there are days where I wish I could travel back and remember

Each of my babies resting their head on my chest; the snuggling moments of breastfeeding and cuddling a sleeping newborn.

cuddling a newborn

There are moments I’d definitely leave behind, but as a mum you have to take the good with the bad.

Time is such a limited resource and it’s often not valued enough until another milestone is reached or we face an unexpected health issue that reminds us we won’t live forever.

As I was contemplating over the Proverbs 31 woman in time for Mother’s Day, I read The Message version and verse 9 resonated with me the most.

‘She senses the worth in her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.’

The verse made me question if I valued the work of being a mother? Do I sense the urgency of time I have each day to mother my children?

Some days I do and some days I don’t. Recently, I’ve been more don’t than do. And some days, it can change by the minute or the hour.

What I do know is that God values the work mothers do to keep their family and household running. And often what God values, is undervalued in society.

We need more than Mother’s Day to appreciate modern mothers in their day-to-day dealings. Yet often life is made harder for a woman as soon as she becomes a mum.

But we will keep celebrating Mother’s Day and handing mums’ gifts of flowers and slippers, even though the best gift is the gift of time and help from her village so she is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

Mums are incredible. The modern day mum is stronger than she thinks. She wastes less time because she fits more into her day than ever before.

And sometimes those moments wishing for the handles to go a little faster on the clock, are a respite to her crazy day. They’re the hands that remind her that she has survived another day, with the possibility of a new day of adventures and challenges.

We’re all Proverbs 31 women, doing what we know best with the time and children we have.

Our value is appreciated more than we know to the little people we call our children.

Happy Mother’s Day and may you get the attention and praise you deserve for doing a great job.

‘A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. She senses the worth in her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.’

Proverbs 31:1&9 The Message

Why Do I Have no Water Coming Through my Shower Head?

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
11
Why Do I Have no Water Coming Through my Shower Head

Last Thursday night, I was asked about a plumbing problem on Facebook by a follower named Carly*. It was an enquiry about ‘why do I have no water coming through my shower head?’

The water pressure in the shower had progressively started to decrease from normal pressure to a dribble in the last week. The water pressure was fine coming through all the other taps in the house – including the taps in the bath. From that information I knew that the washers had most probably disintegrated and needed to be replaced.

I was sent this photo to confirm my suspicions.

why do I have no water coming through my shower head

I told Carly, that once the new washers were replaced, the shower would work as normal. I also told her that she may need to call a plumber to reseat the taps if the shower rose started to drip after the washers had been replaced.

Carly’s husband, a tradie himself, showed his 14 year old how to replace the washers and the shower worked full bore, with no drips when the taps were turned off.

I asked Carly if I could share her photo and her story on the blog firstly to let you know that I’m always available for plumbing advice via the blog or through messages on Facebook. I also wanted to share the simple solution to a common problem with showers. In most circumstances I will recommend a plumber come out and fix a problem I’m asked about because by law, the installation may need to be done by a licensed plumber.

Changing washers doesn’t have to be done by a plumber, but I do recommend it if the taps need to be reseated.

Generally there are three reasons why there is no water coming through your shower head

1. The tap washers have disintegrated, stopping the flow of water to the shower head.

2. There is grit stuck in the water saving filter in the shower head that is stopping the flow of water. (Simply unscrew the shower head and removed the grit.)

3. The water main has been turned off. There will be no water to all tap outlets in the house if this happens.

If there is little hot water coming through the shower, but the cold water pressure is fine, the problem will be related to the hot water unit. Again, check out the hot water taps in the house and if the hot water pressure is fine to those taps, it will the washers in the hot tap of the shower that will need to be replaced. If the hot water to every tap is reduced in pressure, get a plumber out to check your hot water unit and test the tempering valve.

After my Facebook conversation with Carly, it got me thinking about what plumbing essentials are good to have in the tool box for tap emergencies. It’s always good to have few spare tap washers or ceramic disc spindles, multi-grips and long nosed plyers to retrieve the old washers.

It’s always a good practice to check the taps around your home to check for drips and make sure there is good pressure in all the taps when turned on. Make sure the taps are easy to turn off as well and don’t overtighten the handle when turning the tap off.

After Carly’s husband replaced the tap washers, I told Carly to go and enjoy a full bore hot shower. She told me her 14 year old had exclaimed, “wow, that is the hardest pressure ever” after the washers were replaced.

Glad I could be of service, while sitting at my dining room table.

Ever had issues with water pressure in your shower?

*Carly is not the real name of the reader that reached out to me.

Home Improvement Thursdays
Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, we had a few linkers and there has been a lot of trade and DIY action happening in bloggers homes. Tash from Home Of Marble and Mint shared the first week of renovating their house. I loved the comment that sh*t gets real when the portaloo rocks up in the front yard. If you’ve wanted to follow a renovation, this will be great blog to bookmark to follow the process.

house of marble and mint renovation

Another blogger sharing their renovating process is Michelle from Jarrah Jungle. This week she shared the organization in her finished laundry.

jarrah jungle laundry
We always love seeing what you get up to each week. Thank you for linking up giving us a sneak peak to what you’ve been up to.

*Carly is not the real name of the reader that reached out to me.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


The Unglamorous Mum is Beautiful

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
44
The Unglamorous Mum is Beautiful

Last Friday afternoon, I caught sight of myself in a mirror at Rockmans as I was heading to the change room to try on a pair of jeans and I looked like a mess. My hair was dry and frizzy, fringe had gone curly and the back of my hair looked like a bird’s nest. My hair colour had faded so that added to the ‘dry’ look of my hair. I had dark circles under my eyes and a few random pimples that had made themselves visible through my BB cream which was meant to hide them. I looked like a haggard mum. With three kids in tow and a shopping trolley full of groceries, if a young woman looked at me as an example of what to look forward to with three kids, my reflection would have told her not to have three kids.

I had a mini celebration in the change room when I could fit comfortably into size 14 jeans while the girls played hide and seek between the curtains. I haven’t really lost much weight but my shape has started to change. Finally my hips and belly have received the memo that there will be no more babies in the future.

As I went to pay for my jeans, I felt the need to make a comment about my appearance to the sales lady and she looked at me, and then my three girls then back at me and didn’t really say anything.

When I got home, I got dinner started, gave the girls a snack and put on the TV and told them I would be in the bathroom and they weren’t to come and find me.
I had grabbed a hair colour kit while doing the groceries hoping it would fix up my messy hair. I chucked on one of my old plumbing shirts, put the colour in my hair and headed out to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner. Once dinner was in the oven, I headed back to the bathroom and washed out the colour. I gave my fringe a quick trim and was drying my hair by the time Jacob arrived home from work.

With my hair freshly coloured and straightened, I felt a lot better. But then it was time to serve dinner and I also had to make another dinner to put in the freezer as I’d cooked a double batch of mince.

I sat at the dinner table and felt weary. The day had been busy with dropping Esther to school, going to a local store to get a $25 trolley of groceries, back home to unpack the kids and the groceries, fed the kids, chucked the kids into Phoebe’s cot with loads of toys so I could vacuum and wash the floor (they love it and it keeps little footprints off the wet floors). Squeezed in time to clean the ensuite bathroom. Tidied up Phoebe’s room, gave the girls their lunch and then put them down for their nap. I then headed to the computer to check on emails, write some more posts and then wake the girls to go and pick Esther from school. No wonder I looked terrible by the time I got more groceries that afternoon.

The life of a mother can be exhausting – whether we choose to stay home, juggle working from home or work full time and place the children in care. There are always the questions of whether we do enough for our families or are we doing too much, and if we are, how do we stop? Mouths need to be fed, mortgages/rent needs to be paid and bottoms need to be wiped.

Lately I have been bitter about the expectations on mothers. It’s hard most days, with a little reprise during the day where I think life is good. And then a mess erupts or a fight and screaming starts and I go back to that feeling of Ugh! Will it ever get better?

There are moments of pure joy when I see my girls playing nicely together.

sisters eating together

And then there are moments of WTF? and I see the living room a mess because the girls thought it would be fun to spray their popcorn all over the floor. There is no flat line in parenting.

popcorn over the living room

Another mess I had to deal with last week was this one. I’d forgotten to empty the shredder bin so the girls thought it would be fun to start a ‘snow fight’ in my office.

big mess in office

Phoebe sat on the ledge adjacent to my office and watched as her sisters played in the mess.

Phoebe watching her sisters

I was annoyed, then resigned to the fact it could keep them occupied while I read some junk mail. I came back and found that the paper was EVERYWHERE. It took us all an hour to clean it all up.

And that is what it feels like parenting is made up of. Constantly tidying and cleaning up after little people. A lot of mess is made and a lot of effort (and patience) is needed to clean the mess. Those happy, lovey moments can be few and far between the obligations and chores.

At Masters in a kids trolley

Even today, on our May Day public holiday, I’ve had to wash the cushions and blankets in the living room as they’ve soaked up someone’s pee. Motherhood is not glamourous. I’m definitely not a glamourous mum.

And sometimes I’d like to be. I’d like to be that mum that looks like she can handle anything and is always optimistic and loves every moment with her kids but lately, I’ve felt worn down by it all. I wonder if you feel the same too?

I also feel a little selfish for feeling like this because don’t I have what I’ve always wanted?

The only way I have been able to change my perspective is to change my belief on what motherhood should look like.

I remind myself that the unglamorous mum is beautiful . What I have is beautiful even though it feels messy.

Last night, as I put Phoebe to bed, she grabbed my face by the cheeks with her chubby little hands and mushed her lips across mine to give me a kiss. It was the cutest thing. And I didn’t want to put her back in her cot to sleep. I wanted to keep her face close to mine and savour her toddlerness, even though at times it drives me crazy.

I may not feel completely altogether, but to her, her world is safe when we are together.

And for the moment, I draw on those moments to get me through the tough hurdles of mothering young kids.

How has motherhood been treating you lately? Ever feel weary by the constant of it all?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Mount Tamborine Day Trip With Kids

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
5
Mount Tamborine Day trip with kids

Yesterday, Jacob and I celebrated 11 years of marriage. The weather on the day was quite similar to what we had on our special day all those years ago. We had decided instead of organizing a date night to celebrate, we would do a day trip instead with the kids. We had swimming lessons first up in the morning so we wanted to go somewhere that wouldn’t take too long to drive. We decided a Mount Tamborine day trip with kids would be a great way to celebrate our anniversary and explore a region we’ve rarely visited despite it being only a one hour drive from where we live.

The girls were excited about heading to Mount Tamborine. Esther asked if we needed our warm jackets in case it snowed. I had to explain to her that not all mountains had snow on them and there would be no need for jackets, but rain coats and gumboots would possibly needed with the wet weather.

I did a quick read up on possible things to do on Mount Tamborine, but didn’t want to structure our day. A visit to a lookout, a nice lunch, a stroll down the Gallery Walk and doing the Skywalk were part of our day’s itinery. As it turned out, we had the perfect day on Saturday and our loose schedule meant we did all we had wanted to do.

Our Mount Tamborine Day Trip With Kids

The girls were excited about driving through the farmland of Logan and the winding roads as we made our way up to the top of Mount Tamborine.

driving to Mount Tamborine Day Trip

We wanted to make our first stop at the Gallery Walk which is a street lined with all types of shops, including the famous Cuckoo Clock Shop, but we missed the turn off and headed towards the top where the look outs are. After a quick look at a map we realized our error and drove back to where we needed to be. On the way we stopped at the hang glider’s lookout. The view was stunning, but the hilly embankment had me a little weak at the knees as it feels like you could literally drop off the edge of the embankment. No wonder it’s called the hang glider’s lookout.

family on Mount Tamborine
I asked them to pose and this is what I got.

Phoebe gave us all a heart attack as soon as Jacob put her down on the ground, she ran down the hill as if she was on the Sound of Music. I screamed to get a hold of her before she’d disappear. After that, we held her hand tightly.

Mount Tamborine Hang Glider's Lookout
Phoebe nearly ran off the hill.

Esther and Maggie sat down and enjoyed the view, pointing to other mountains they could see. It really is a fabulous spot to sit and relax.

enjoying the Mount tamborine view

 

hang gliders look out Mount Tamborine

 

Taking a selfie, holding Phoebe so we wouldn't lose her again!
Taking a selfie, holding Phoebe so we wouldn’t lose her again!

We also had a look at the Earth Angel Sculpture which the girls wanted to look at before we made our drive back to the Gallery Walk.

Earth Angle Sculpture Mount Tamborine

Once we found the Gallery Walk, we parked at the end of it and made our way up one side. Our first stop was to the Granny Macs Fudge Shop where I tried Lavender and Rose Fudge and the girls took half an hour to work out what lolly they wanted to buy in the shop. You can’t visit Mount Tamborine and not buy some fudge. Jacob and I decided on pumpkin pie fudge and butterscotch and cashew fudge.

Granny Macs Fudge Shop Mount Tamborine
Maggie excited by her giant Chuppa Chup which apparently you can’t buy in Brisbane…

After a quick toilet stop, we decided it was time for lunch so we sat outside the Mt Tamborine Winery and had a delicious lunch. The kids were happy to munch on chips and their lollies. I couldn’t not have some bubbles to celebrate the occasion, even though lunch wasn’t very relaxed as the girls wanted to check out the wedding display and the water fountain nearby.

Mount Tamborine Vineyard

 

food Mount Tamborine

After lunch, we visited another fudge shop (and bought more fudge), the Cuckoo Shop and a few other shops on the way back to the car. There really wasn’t anything that took my fancy in the way of buying things. But if you like handmade, bric-a-brac type of stuff, you’ll love it.

Cuckoo Shop Mount Tamborine

 

Fudge Heaven Mount Tamborine

Our last stop on the Gallery Walk was to this shop called Flights of Fancy which I had written off as some hippy, new age type of store. And boy, was I wrong. The girls were starting to go on about wanting to buy something and I told them I was reluctant to buy them more stuffed toys because we had a million of the things at home. We walked into this Flights of Fancy shop and the girls were captivated! There were 3 rooms decorated to the hilt which can only be described as fairyland, under the sea and the ultimate Frozen room. We may have spent a good 20 minutes in the shop as the girls went from room to room and checked out each room thoroughly, not to miss a thing. It took a while for the girls to work out what they wanted to buy as I felt we had to buy something after spending so much time in the shop. If you do go on the Gallery Walk at Mount Tamborine, you must visit this shop last with your kids. It will perk them up and they will love it. I became a little kid again as I looked at the displays.

Flights of Fancy Fairy Shop Mount Tamborine

The kids were excited by our next stop to the Skywalk. We got there about 3:30pm. The Skywalk lets people through the walk until 4pm as it closes at 5pm. It takes approximately 45 minutes to walk through.

The Skywalk is an elevated platform/bridge-like walk through the rainforest. It’s a 1.5km walk which includes forest floor trails, 300 metres of high-tech steel bridges tracking through the highest points of the rainforest canopy and a 40-metre cantilever bridge which offers a breathtaking view of the creek and rainforest below.

Skywalk Mount Tamborine
The start of the Skywalk

 

the plumbette on Skywalk
Holding on for life… not really, but I did feel a bit nervous when the frame swayed.

If you are a bit scared of heights like me, you might find the skywalk hard. Just don’t look down and always look ahead and up. The steel bridge does sway and you can see through the metal mesh floor of the bridge. The Cantilever Bridge sways the most and I had to grab hold of the rail to keep going to the end. I couldn’t handle the sway too much and to be honest couldn’t wait to get off it. But if you love heights and don’t mind walking on a structure that sways in the breeze, you’ll be fine. I should also mention that while it says the track and bridge is pram friendly, I’d advise against taking it if your 1 year old can walk. Phoebe walked the whole way and loved it. The pram would have been difficult to put push up the gravel stairs.

bridge Skywalk Mount Tamborine

 

skywalk trail mount tamborine

 

skywalk creek
Checking out a waterfall and creek below

 

skywalk with kids

 

cantilever bridge skywalk

The Skywalk was the most talked about part of our day trip (and the Flights of Fancy shop, where Esther is determined to have all three of their bedrooms decorated to imitate the rooms at the shop!). A quick afternoon tea at the café and we headed home down the mountain where the four of us girls fell asleep while dad drove us home.

family selfie Skywalk Mount Tamborine
A really bad family selfie, but it was the best we got even if Esther got half her face in.

The girls now want to go for a holiday to Mount Tamborine, so we will probably spend a long weekend up there in the future and do some more of the rainforest walks and the glow worm caves. There are some gorgeous antique and art shops that I’d love to check out when we go again.

Have you been to Mount Tamborine recently? Got any favourite spots to share about?

How to Avoid Choosing a Dodgy Real Estate Agent

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
5
dodgy real estate agent

This post has been written in collaboration with RateMyAgent

This week we received yet another letter in the mail from an unfamiliar real estate agent telling us they had a client who is super keen to buy a house in our area.

Since the upgrade of roads, a new school built down the road (where I can walk Esther back and forth to Prep), a new petrol station and linked shopping complex – which includes a drive-thru Zarraffa’s Coffee shop, the area we live in is starting to become more attractive to buyers.

Yet there are still houses for sale that I drive past in our suburb and there are new estate’s being built offering house and land packages under $500,000 literally down the road.

But there is a buyer that is still keen to buy a house in our area. Interested in buying our 11-year-old home that unbeknownst to him has had its floors splashed with wee, poo, vomit, playdough, paint, dirt and snot and the walls have been Picasso-ed with the same elements at one time or another.

Not to mention the outdoor paving that’s yet to be fixed and the pendant light that is still broken because I whipped a scarf around it accidentally and yanked off one of the bulbs (I was sleep deprived just after having Phoebe).

There are a few things we’d have to do to get this house ready for sale and to be honest, we’re not interested.

But, if we were to look for an agent to sell our house, I would use a real estate agent I recognised, although sometimes they may not be the best agent to sell our home. When we sold our first house in an adjacent suburb, we used a recommendation from a friend, despite meeting up with three agents.

RateMyAgent is a website that helps vendors find the right real estate agent to sell their home. They are Australia’s no. 1 real estate agent rankings and reviews website and receive thousands of reviews each week from vendors who rate their experience with estate agents across the country.

avoid choosing a dodgy real estate agent

After looking into RateMyAgent, I couldn’t find any reviews of this agent that sent us a letter, however, there are plenty of reviews on agents that I recognise from listings in our area.

With RateMyAgent, you can also see details such as the agent with the most sales, highest average sale price and number of active listings – which are very helpful when choosing a suitable agent to sell your property.

We won’t be selling our house in the near future. We love the location and community in our suburb, but I definitely know where I’d go to find an agent.

Have you ever sold a property? How did you go about finding the right agent? Have you ever used a dodgy real estate agent?

This post has been written in accordance with my disclosure policy.

Home Improvement Thursdays
Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, Alix from The Builderette explained the team involved when organize a house renovation. A great read if you are looking to renovate your home soon.

And Sarah from TOMFO shared her new Scandi Yamba shop. Here are some of my favourite pieces from her shop.

Breakwall Pillow $90
Breakwall Tree Cushion $90

 

Mozzie Coil Holder $90
Mozzie Coil Holder $90

We look forward to seeing you link your Home Improvement posts for this week.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


Revenge Can Be Blinding

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
38
revenge can by blinding

I enjoy shows that deal with revenge. The Count of Monte Cristo, Taken – any movies that involve a mission to rectify a wrong. When I watch these movies, I’ll be sitting at the edge of my seat, chewing my nails and hoping the badies get what they deserve.

I even took a liking to the TV series, Revenge. In the beginning, I could not miss an episode and then I started to repel the show. Enough was enough. It made me realise that sometimes revenge may feel great initially, but once you start, you may never be able to stop. The multiplication of evil is evil. Revenge can be blinding.

I have a high moral justice of wanting to ‘fix’ those that do wrong. It’s not about winning or seeing who has the last laugh. I want people who do the wrong thing to be hit with a big dose of karma – or at least watch as they suffer from the consequences of the evil they have perpetuated.

Except life isn’t always like that. We can’t always get revenge on those that do wrong by us or others. That’s why we have a justice system – no matter how flawed it can seem.

I’m sure many dads (and mums) have wished they could have done what Liam Neeson’s character did in the movie Taken. Except  none of us are ex-CIA agents and have to rely on those in authority to make the wrongs right. In most cases there is no happy ending.

And such is the ending of the 60 Minutes debacle with Sally Faulkner. I wanted a real life Taken plot come to life. I don’t know all the sides of the story, but what I do know is there are two children in Beirut who will possibly no longer have contact with their mother. It’s heartbreaking. It would be heartbreaking if the tables were turned and they didn’t get to see their father. Dads are important too and I’ve heard of too many cases where mothers have stolen their children in spite of their partner.

I’ve had to question my own feelings around the story. Why do I not feel like the vast majority of Australians who believe the quest was wrong? Two wrongs don’t make a right do they? Had the mission been a success would the reaction have been the same? That it was wrong? Or would there have been congratulations sent to the mother and 60 minutes team on a successful retrieval?

As a result of the case which has piqued my interest, I’ve done some internal thinking about how I view life. I’ve found another area of my heart that God probably needs to work on. The issue of control and being impatient. I want injustices to be fixed NOW.

The news has reiterated one thing; how blessed my life is with the family I have. And it seems my girls are grateful too.

Last week I shared on Facebook this picture that Esther drew for me. When I picked her up from Prep, she told me that she had learned all about the world. After her bath that night, she went into her room and got busy drawing and colouring in. She came to me in the kitchen and gave me this picture of a world and said to me, “mummy this is you in the picture because you are my world. Happy Mother’s Day.”

you are my world mum

Of course I got teary.

There are days where I think I could be a better mum. I’m definitely not perfect.

But in that moment of receiving that gorgeous picture, I realized that even with my flaws, Esther sees me as her world. I’m the one that is always there for her, I cook her meals, do her washing, sometimes makes her bed, plaits her hair, gives her treats, takes her shopping, takes her to church, drops her to school and picks her up. I’m in control of her world at the moment, and it’s a beautiful, but exhausting place to be. But I do it because I love her and her appreciation just makes me want to do more for her and her little sisters.

anzac day
The girls contemplating the memorial stone before the ANZAC day service

The picture also highlighted to me how all children see their parents as their world – no matter how good or bad the parent is. Which got me teary yet again about the Sally Faulkner case because her children will only experience one half of that world.

Do you enjoy movies that plot a revenge? Do you think Revenge is blinding? How do you respond to injustices around the world? Remember a time when your child surprised you with their appreciation? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Woman Who Used a Sewer to Rescue Jewish Children

By
Rebecca Senyard
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4
the woman who used sewers to rescue jewish children

A couple of years ago my mum shared this Facebook post by Dawn French who posted about Irena Sendler. The woman who used a sewer to rescue Jewish children.

I had never heard of Irena Sendler, but once I read her story, I couldn’t not remember her. I have always wanted to share her story on my blog and found it fitting to share it on Anzac Day.

The Woman Who Used a Sewer to Rescue Jewish Children

Irena’s known for the work she did in helping Jews when the Germans invaded Warsaw. Prior to World War II, Irena helped the Jews by offering them shelter and food, but in 1940, the Warsaw Ghetto was erected and Irena could no longer help the Jews that were held there in isolation. 450,000 Jewish people were forced into the Ghetto.

The Woman Who Used a Sewer to Rescue Jewish Children
Irena Sendler 1943, Image via Wikipedia

Not a woman to be deterred by the Germans, Irena began rescuing Jewish children from the Ghetto. Sometimes she’d encourage parents and grandparents to allow her to take their children so they wouldn’t die in the Ghetto or sent to execution camps. She was a member of the Zegota, a Polish Council whose business was to aide Jews.

She had different ways of smuggling the children out of the Ghetto. Irena was able to use her trade as a social worker and false papers that said she was a plumbing/sewer specialist to gain access to the Warsaw Ghetto. Once inside she would smuggle children in a burlap sack in the back of her truck and for infants, she would hide them in the bottom of her tool box. Sometimes the children were smuggled through the sewers. Irena had a dog that she trained to bark at the Nazi soldiers to conceal the cries of the children who were being smuggled in her truck (although after reading Life in a Jar, the dog was only used on small occasions and not many babies were smuggled during that time.) Irena smuggled 2500 Jewish children out of the Ghetto.

Each smuggled Jewish child was sent to a family within Irena’s network or sent to orphanages, and hidden until the war was over. Irena made notes of each child on tissue paper and would put them in a jar and bury it in her backyard to ensure each child would be accounted for and returned to their biological family once the war had ended.

On October 20, 1943, Irena was arrested and placed into Piawiak prision where she was questioned and tortured. Her legs and feet were broken during the questioning time. She was to be executed by gun shot, however the Zegota council bribed the German executioner who helped her escape. News that she had been shot was posted all over the city even though she had escaped.

Irena went into hiding until the war was over. She was the only one who knew where all of the children she had smuggled could be found. After the war was over, she was able to dig up the jars and begin the hard job of returning each child to a living parent. Sadly, nearly all the parents had died at Treblinka death camp.

Irena’s story is an important one, of a life lived by putting her safety on the line to help others. Her story didn’t become well known until 1999 when three students from Kansas rediscovered her story and have made a production called Life in a Jar, that is played in schools to teach everyone about Irena’s amazing life. It has since been written into a book and film.

Despite Irena being a Roman Catholic, she did what she could to ensure the Jews weren’t obliterated from existence.

When I think about Irena’s life and mission, I think what a wonderful example of grace and mercy. Here character is one we should all replicate. If we put aside our own agenda’s and see people as valuable and worthy to be helped, not letting ethnicity or religion stand in the way.

I also believe that same spirit of wanting to help was found in the men who signed up to war. In the ANZACS that said yes to protect and defend, not really knowing what they were in for.

On Anzac Day we commemorate a different war. Lives of those who were taken too soon, who went to war and were literally slaughtered for our freedom. It’s an incredible sacrifice that needs to be remembered. How blessed we are to live, no matter what problems we face on a daily basis.

Life, despite its messiness, is still a wonderful gift to be given. We all have the capacity to be grateful for the life we have and steward it by seeing others as worthy of that gift also. What can you do to help someone live a better life?

We don’t have to smuggle children, but we may give our time to a cause, donate money to a charity, make a meal for a struggling mum, go the extra mile at work, defend a woman that’s being picked on at work, stand up for a man who is being ostracized for being different – the list is endless. Follow the prompting of your heart and look for people to help in small ways.

If a life is worth saving, it’s also worth helping to make it better.

Had you heard of Irena Sendler, the woman who used a sewer to rescue Jewish children? What do you want to be remembered for in life?

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Tradie and DIY Mum #HIT

By
Rebecca Senyard
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10
Mother's Day Gift ideas for the tradie

With Mother’s Day a little under 3 weeks away, now is the time to start thinking about possible gifts for the mum in your life. I’m a girly girl and LOVE anything that pampers me so pyjamas, candles and gift vouchers are always well received. (Hint hint Jacob if you’re reading this!)

Esther will have a Mother’s Day store at school so I’m bracing myself with what she might choose for me. To be honest, I can’t wait to see what she chooses as I love seeing how her little mind works. And Mother’s Day isn’t about what I receive, it’s about being appreciative of having a family to care for and hopefully the reciprocation of a ‘thanks mum for all you do’ from the kids.

Nevertheless, a gift is always a lovely way to say thank you to mum, so I have put together some gift ideas. Originally I was going to just do one collage of gifts ideas for the tradie mums that like a bit of DIY or are keen to fix things around the home. I also know that a lot of mums probably aren’t interested in DIY gifts so I’ve put together another selection of gifts that might be more their cup of tea.

mothers day gift ideas for the tradie mum

  1. Eve Workwear 2678 Pants $115.00 and Chambray Vest $50.00
  2. Sphere Hanging Planters (Set of 6) $49.95
  3. Women’s DIY Fix-it and Finish-it Manual $58.99
  4. She Wear She Can Hot Pink Steel Cap Boots $169.00 (gift vouchers are also available online)
  5. She Skills 4 Hour Woodworking Workshop Gift Voucher prices range from $135.00
mother's day gift ideas

And if you want a gift that will ensure the kids are calm all day so mum can have a relaxing day, because let’s face it she should have one day of peace from her kids, I can’t highly recommend a Petal Diffuser with Lavender Peace on to promote calm throughout the day.

doterra lavender peace and diffuser

If you’re a mum, what would you like for Mother’s Day? And what will you buy for the mother/s in your life?

Disclaimer: 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.

Home Improvement Thursdays
Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, TOMFO shared this free printable, Just Love. It would make a lovely gift for Mother’s Day and can be framed quite inexpensively if you’re looking for a gift on a budget.

free just love printable mother's day gifts

We also had Michelle from Jarrah Jungle link up sharing the latest on her courtyard renovation. She shared which pavers she chose and the difference between limestone and concrete pavers.

concrete or limestone pavers
 

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


A Life of no Regrets

By
Rebecca Senyard
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38
a life of no regrets

Have you ever shared how ridiculous a particular situation is to a friend to find that they think it’s crazy too but their predicament is actually worse than yours and you really have nothing to complain about? That happened to me on the weekend.

Lately I’ve been having little reminders sent in the way of a status from an inspiring blogger to words from a good friend that have slowly reminded me to live life well. There are so many people facing pretty dire situations. I’m not one of them.

I have my faith, my health, my family and friends.

bec with phoebe

Life is so full – even if it has an undercurrent of stress from different challenges.

A quick scan of the news headlines on Sunday night had my stomach clench as I literally worried for people I don’t know who have found themselves in incredibly difficult circumstances. Some people are living nightmares day in and day out. Toddler tantrums and motherhood overwhelm are envied issues for those that are facing life threatening seasons.

And yet life goes on.

I recently pondered on whether I’m meant to be where I am. When things don’t go quite how I planned, I wonder if I’ve made a mistake or should be considering a different option. Do you do that? Make a decision to go a certain way and when it starts to go pear shaped, question if it was really the path you were meant to be on?

One question has helped me realise I am definitely where I’m meant to be as this point in time. The question is do I have any regrets?

And the simple answer to that question is no, I don’t. And I don’t want to make a rash decision that will have me answering yes simply because I’m a little uncomfortable with some challenges I’m facing now.

I don’t want to regret not being home with my girls while they are little.

bec walking kids
Esther took this photo of me. She did good.

I don’t want to regret not knowing where this blog will end up and how it can be used as a voice for those that don’t have one.

Right now, while life is busy managing my family and building my blog and doing freelance work, I’m building a life I have always dreamed of. It hasn’t been easy and it’s not how I’d imagined it would be.

But that’s ok.

It’s messy, overwhelming, stressful, not completely secure and unpredictable.

I look at my girls and I’m so grateful that I’m still in love with their dad (and he with me), my girls are happy and have their every need met and each worry or challenge is only temporary and can be changed to be better.

In all circumstances I choose to be grateful for what I have. And keep being positive about seeing breakthroughs in hard seasons.
I love this quote my mum recently shared on Facebook.

wonderful thought quote

And it’s true. There are some good days ahead and I have to remind myself of this when life is a bit blah.

How has life been treating you lately? What are you grateful for? Do you question your path when life becomes uncomfortable?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Why Companies Should Hire a Female Apprentice

By
Rebecca Senyard
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5
why companies should hire a female apprentice

There are many reasons why females make up less than 2% of the construction and trade industry. The first being women aren’t made aware that they could potentially work as a tradie in a variety of fields in construction. Secondly, the opportunities for apprenticeships are seldom given to women –even if it’s against the law to discriminate – as most companies will choose a male apprentice due to fears around stereotypical conditioning that a woman doesn’t belong on a construction site.

Some of the fears and reasons that potentially hold companies back from offering an apprenticeship to female can include:
• She won’t be able to handle the hard labour expected on the job site.
• She will rely on other tradesmen to pull her weight.
• She won’t want to get her hands dirty.
• She might get harassed or discriminated against onsite and make a complaint which adds extra work on the employer to sort out.
• She might initiate changes to the usual work environment which will mean men have to watch what they do and say onsite.
• She might get pregnant and require 12 months maternity leave which can leave the company understaffed and inconvenienced.
• If she gets pregnant her duties will need to be reduced or changed which is another inconvenience to the company who relies on the full health of their employees.

These are just some of the barriers and mindsets women in trades have to come up against before they are considered for the job.

I understand the fears of employing a female apprentice, but often the fears are unreasonable. Every work situation is different and the goals of both the employer and female apprentice need to be understood to ensure the working relationship can be a successful one.

companies should hire a female apprentice

The reasons why companies should hire a female apprentice include:

1. A female apprentice will be loyal. Loyalty is rare to find these days in apprentices because most of them quit before their time. A woman knows how hard it is to get an apprenticeship in the first place. Sadly, even if she wants to find employment elsewhere as a tradie, it will be difficult to find. Unless she starts her own business, which she won’t be able to do until she finishes her apprenticeship. If a company is seeking longevity in their apprentices, the female applicants shouldn’t be crossed off the list.

2. A female apprentice will pull her weight and she will be the first to offer help when others are struggling. Women are drawn to help. No matter her possible ‘tomboy’ traits, nurturing is part of her nature and the call to help is part of her DNA. A female apprentice is a much needed team member in all work projects.

3. Pregnancy is a health condition that can be planned around. Unlike a work injury which requires immediate action by the employer to finder lighter duties or find an interim worker straight away, pregnancy will give an employer approximately 3 – 4 months to find lighter duties for the female employee and organise a subbie to work in the interim until she returns back to work. Pregnancy is not something that needs to be feared as it can easily be managed. Let’s not mention the male apprentices who show up to work hung over after a night on the town and need to be sent home because they are in no state to carry out their job. Most female apprentices will think about starting a family after her apprenticeship is completed.

4. A female apprentice will change the atmosphere onsite – for the better. Some tradesmen will think twice about what they say or do onsite which can make it a better environment for all. Sadly there will also be those tradesmen won’t give a shit about their behavior even with a female apprentice onsite. All I will recommend is if there is negative behavior towards a female apprentice, stand against the behavior. Sexual Harassment and bullying are not on in any workplace. Making a stand helps set the example.

5. A female apprentice has the capacity to work in tight spaces. There were times where my hand was the only one that could fit into a stack to turn off the hot and cold water. Tradies need to come in all shapes and sizes. Try fitting a fat tradesman under a house or inside a wall cavity to connect pipes into a stack. ‘Big’ isn’t always a blessing as a tradie. Don’t underestimate a female apprentice’s flexibility in getting tricky jobs done, providing it can also be done safely.

6. A female apprentice will pay attention to the details. Near enough is not good enough for a female apprentice and what employer doesn’t want attention to detail? It’s a good quality to have and a female apprentice will usually have it in bucket loads.

7. A female apprentice will over deliver. Why? Because she wants to prove herself and the negativity to her presence onsite will just push her harder to succeed and get results.

8. A female apprentice genuinely wants to be at work to learn and get results. It’s not a fall back career to her. Isn’t it much better to offer employment to a woman who wants to work, as opposed to a guy that has chosen an apprenticeship as a last resort?

I look forward to the day when there is less fear around what the employment of a female apprentice will involve. Women have a lot to offer the construction industry and the untapped potential shouldn’t be limited to old mindsets.

What old mindsets have you had thrown towards you while working in a male-dominant environment? Ever had to prove yourself at work to get accepted?

Make Your Bathroom Standout With Bold Coloured Fixtures and Taps

By
Rebecca Senyard
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5
coloured fixtures

Choosing the right fixtures and taps for a bathroom is serious work. The fixtures and taps need to fit the style, size and budget allowed for the bathroom installation. If you need to save money, choosing cheaper taps and fixtures is the easiest way to go.

If money is no problem and you’re looking to break away from current bathroom trends or the simple white fixture and chrome tapware look, you’ll get some inspiration from this post.

Coloured fixtures and tapware are slowly finding their place in the bathroom. I’ll be honest and say I’m not a huge fan as I love a simple and fresh colour scheme. I prefer to add colour with accessories and linen. But if you want to be a bit daring in your design and are looking to add some wow to your bathroom, why not consider these bold coloured fixtures and taps, which are available in Australia?

I first saw this orange toilet on Interiors Addict and I don’t mind it, but it’s not something I would consider in a bathroom for myself. The Taormina Wall Mount Pan by Bocchi is bright and very different. It’s a sleek design and costs around $1399. I think it could look great in a monochromatic bathroom or plain white bathroom.

orange toilet suite

Bocchi like to push the boundaries in their fixture design.  They also make unique vessel basins in a range of colours including this Gloss Sapphire. It’s an easy  clean basin and the geometry makes it a graceful vessel to install. I quite like how the basins have been paired with chrome wall spout tapware in the picture below.

bocchi blue vessel basins

If coloured fixtures aren’t your cup of tea, why not a install a block colour mixer? I have mentioned on the blog before that these types of taps fade and age miserably. They look great when installed, but the soap and watermarks can change the colour of the powder coating or enamel – depending on how the tap is coated. But if you’re keen for the wow factor, this red mixer from Astra Walker would definitely turn heads in your bathroom.

Astra walker red basin mixer

For a subtle hint of colour, Caroma has introduced a new range of coloured panels for their Invisi Series II Dual Flush buttons. The plates come in a range of colours including Feisty, Cheeky Red, Spirited Yellow, Bold Blue and Fresh Green. I love the colours and think they’d add a bit of fun to any bathroom. The panels also come in a range of metallic shades too.

Caroma Invisie Series II Colour panels

To see how coloured fixtures or tapware can look in a bathroom, here are some ideas from Houzz.

Zucchetti Isy stick, basin taps in red

 

Junipero Ave II

 

Maisonette, Notting Hill

Would you have coloured fixtures or taps in your bathroom? Do you think it’s a trend that we’ll see more of? Have you removed coloured fixtures?

Home Improvement Thursdays
Last week on Home Improvement Thursday, Ashlea from Glamour Coastal Living shared the most gorgeous coastal house called Bay Beach House. I loved the way this home has been renovated and styled by it’s owners. It actually may be the type of house I want to live in when my kids grow up.

Brigette from Honey and Bean shared the dramatic difference a white wall can make to a bedroom. The room looks fresher and bigger.

Alix from The Builderette shared some clever ways to renovate a rental property. If you’re renting and wanting to put your own style in your home, you should check out Alix’s tips.

Home Improvement Thursday Rules For Linking Up

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.

Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.

You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.

Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.

Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.

Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.

Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.

Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.

Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.


Why I’ve Never Regretted Attending an Awards Night

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
18
plumbing and gas awards

Sponsored Post

When I was a 2nd year plumbing apprentice, I was nominated for Apprentice of the Year at the Construction Skills QLD Excellence Awards, representing the plumbing category. I didn’t hold high hopes on receiving the award, but felt honoured all the same to reach the interview process which determined the finalists.

All finalists would be phoned prior to the event to let them know if they were in the running for the award. I didn’t receive a call, and carried on with my work. My hopes were so high of reaching the finalist stage that I didn’t buy tickets to the event (meaning I had no hopes of getting that call at all). At the time I was busy with work that needed to be completed before Christmas. Awards nights just weren’t on my radar.

Literally a week and a half before the event, my mum received a phone call to say I was one of the finalists and required to attend the awards night. Cue SCREAMING! Except the event had been sold out and my parents were booked to go to Sydney for the weekend.

I was excited but my excitement turned to despair when there were no tickets available for even myself and Jacob to attend the event. Even though I was a finalist. A quick call to the Master Plumbers’ Association of QLD and they were able to source two tickets for myself and Jacob to go. I’m not sure how they got those tickets, but it could have been that those two tickets were reserved for members of the MPAQ to go. I’m grateful that we were members of the MPAQ and they were only a call away if we ever had an issue.

As much as I was relieved Jacob and I could attend, it was bittersweet because I didn’t want my parents to miss out on witnessing my win if I was in fact the winner. I wouldn’t have been nominated if my dad didn’t put me on as an apprentice.

Despite my thoughts, I focused on finding a dress. It was a mad dash to find a suitable black tie dress within a week. I ended up picking one up from Pacific Fair. I’ve kept the dress to this day in high hopes that I might fit into it again. #wishfulthinking.

CSQ Awards Night
The Dress

Jacob and I attended the awards night at the Brisbane Convention Centre and the scene was jaw dropping. It was literally like the Logies for the construction industry. I had no idea these events existed and I realized that being nominated for apprentice of the year was a big deal and secretly hoped that I wouldn’t win – not because I didn’t deserve the award, but simply because I wanted my parents to be there to witness the event.

CSQ awards night

There were only half a dozen apprentices nominated for apprentice of the year and… I didn’t win. Which was a relief. I think my parents were relieved too when I told them, but I excitedly told them they HAD to buy a table the next year and bring some of our plumbers to the event because it was so amazing.

The following year, I finished all my TAFE requirements for my apprenticeship. I was nominated again for Apprentice of the Year which made the event all the more exciting for us to attend because this time there was a table of friends and family coming to the event to support me.

I didn’t have high hopes winning the award that year either because my interview was done over the telephone because Jacob and I had booked a two week holiday to London and Paris which coincided when the interview process was to happen. Our trip had been booked as our ‘mad dash’ to Europe to celebrate finishing the study requirements for my apprenticeship.

The interview went well and I was confident I wasn’t going to receive the award. But thrilled to be a finalist so that the $1500 my parents spent on securing a table had been a worthy investment.

The night arrived and of course, our friends were gob smacked like I had been the previous year when they entered the room. It was amazing.
The night was dominated with apprentices and employees from large building firms winning the awards. I remember my mum looking across the table and mouthing “you’re not going to win” because it felt like the only winners were those that belonged to large or well recognized construction firms.

Dad and I
Dad and I at the awards night in 2009

There were 20 apprentices announced as finalists for the Apprentice of the year category. My name was announced as last in the category and I knew I wasn’t going to win it. And I didn’t. I felt disappointed but conceded I couldn’t win everything because a week prior I had been announced as the Dux Australian Plumbing Apprentice of the year for 2009. I couldn’t win everything.

Bec and Jacob

And then the awards started to draw to a close but there was one award that was yet to be announced.

The award was to be given to an outstanding achiever and could be given to any finalist from any of the categories of the night. The award was given to someone who had achieved much and I honestly can’t remember what the purpose of the award was because I was too busy eating my best friends bailey’s chocolate mousse, when suddenly my name was announced as the winner and our table jumped up and screamed because I had just won the best award of the night. Rebecca Senyard from Jacol Plumbing had WON!

Bec The Plumbette Award Winning
I WON!

I remember fighting back tears as the spotlight and cameras followed me as I made my way to the stage to accept the award. I was in shock. I posed with the presenters with my award and was immediately asked for a comment on my win which I mumbled something completely incoherent because I was stunned.

Bec The Plumbette Winner
With my awards, 2009

2009 was one of the best years of my life. It was one of the hardest years in my apprenticeship, but I got recognition for that hard work. Two weeks after the event I found out I was pregnant with Esther and freaked out that I’d consumed too much alcohol while I was in early stages of pregnancy.

I share this story with you not to show off my achievements, but to encourage you that recognition is a wonderful achievement. It’s important to recognize those that keep showing up and run their businesses and persevere in their career because they are passionate about their industry.

Plumbing is not an easy industry to work in. Running a plumbing business is a difficult task in this day and age. The paperwork can be a nightmare and if you don’t get paid, it can have fatal consequences on a business’s cash flow as well as the mental state of the plumber running the business. So it’s important to recognize those that are doing the hard yards, not doing it for recognition, but doing it because they are passionate about helping people.

The MPAQ is holding their annual Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards night on Friday 22nd July 2016 at the RICC to recognise plumbers and those that work in the plumbing industry who excel in their work ethic and provide a much needed service to the community.

MPAQ Plumbing Awards Night

If you live in QLD and you know or use a plumber that deserves to be recognised, why not nominate them to receive an award? The nominations close on Friday 22nd April.

Maybe you know a female plumber or a woman who works in a plumbing business that should be recognized for the work she does? There are two women awards. The Queensland Building and Construction Commission Women in Plumbing and Gas Award which recognises a female licensed plumber or gasfitter who has excelled and positively contributed to the plumbing and gas industry, and the Andrea Vogler Women in Business Award (which I will have the pleasure of presenting on the night) which recognises a female who has excelled and contributed in business for the plumbing and gas industry.

Nominating a business or individual for an award is a wonderful way to recognise those that work hard with barely much recognition than the gratitude of the client they’ve helped. Being nominated for an award can build confidence and fulfillment in an individual because they have been noticed for the work they do day in and day out.

If you want to nominate but don’t know which category to put your nomination in, please call the MPAQ on 07 3273 0800 as they will help you choose the right category for the individual or business.

If your run a business with employees who need to be inspired of what is possible, then why not buy a table or some tickets to attend the event? The purchase is a tax deduction and it can instill a positive morale in your workplace and inspire your employees to dream big. Everyone plays an important part in the running of the plumbing industry and sometimes, an awards night is the perfect event to inspire and motivate employees to see what is possible. Tickets can be purchased here.

If you live in QLD, please nominate a plumber who deserves to be recognized. We can all play a part in putting a name forward of someone who should be appreciated for their wonderful work.

I’ve never regretted attending an awards night. It’s a wonderful honour to recognize other’s achievements and see the emotion of seeing someone else succeed. I still get nervous for others even when I’m not nominated. It’s a great place to be.

Have you ever been nominated for an award? Have you ever nominated someone for an award? What did it feel like?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

This post has been written in accordance to my disclosure policy.

Five Reasons NOT to Hire a Female Apprentice

By
Rebecca Senyard
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7
reasons not to hire a female apprentice

A couple of weekends ago, my parents went to McDonalds at Richlands to have a cup of coffee and a cheap date. While they were having their coffee, my parents overheard two tradies joke about how they were going to treat their female apprentice onsite so bad she would never want to come back.

Of course my mum rang and told me to blog about it and I pressed for more details and asked if they interrupted their conversation because I once was that apprentice. But my parents wisely stood their distance as they didn’t want to cause a confrontation, but were equally disgusted that tradesmen would plot to treat a female apprentice like crap in their spare time.

It was this scenario that inspired this post. Reasons not to hire a female apprentice. The first point is a little shocking – but it’s shocking what a female apprentice can experience on the worksite and I was able to put this post together by collating a compilation of comments that was said to me while I was an apprentice and sent to me from female apprentices around the world. We still have a lot of work to do to ensure our girl apprentices are treat right on the construction site.

harassed female apprentice
Five Reasons NOT to hire a female apprentice

1. She will be an easy target for sexual favours. Um no. She’s not there to give you a sexual favour, she is there to do her job and that is to build, plumb, weld, install – whatever her trade and job description requires her to do. She’s also not there so you can have a perve. Don’t be a creep. That female apprentice is someone’s daughter, sister or mother. She might even be someone else’s missus. Treat her with respect. Any sexual advances is deemed sexual harassment and unlawful by the Sexual Discrimination Act.

2. She will bring you your smoko. Your female tradie isn’t your mother, so don’t treat her like one. If you can’t get your own Chiko roll and Ice break, go hungry. Mother’s aren’t slaves and neither is the female apprentice onsite.

3. She will be the gofer for the construction site. We all know that there is a hierarchy on the construction site. Apprentices are at the bottom of the food chain and female tradies get chucked in that hierarchy too. There is a time where an apprentice will be a gofer because it’s one of the best ways to learn fittings and tools and the general sequence of a job. But apprentices aren’t slaves and shouldn’t be subject to bullying and labour that doesn’t teach them the skills of the trade. Nothing is ever achieved through abuse or intimidation. Apprentices are the future of the industry and when you’re old and can’t work, those apprentices are the ones installing toilets and building retirement homes to rest your sorry butt in. Treat your female apprentices with respect, train her right and one day she will remember and recognize you as the one who gave her a fair go (male apprentices included).

4. She will be taught that being a tradie is a real man’s job. Most female apprentices know the industry is dominated by males, yet she shows up because she’s passionate to learn and work on the tools. There is no such thing as a real man’s job. Don’t employ her to teach her a lesson, employ her so she can teach you what she’s capable of. And your business will flourish because of it.

5. She will never be taken seriously. A business that doesn’t consider the potential of a female apprentice will seriously be left behind. A female apprentice is more serious about her career than a young bloke who considered an apprenticeship as a last resort. Take her seriously, because she’s serious about her work and that’s a quality that’s lacking in many apprentices these days.

If you’ve worked in a male dominant industry, I’d love to know what ‘jobs’ you were expected to do because you were the only woman onsite. And how did you respond to such requests and expectations?

Like a Turd In a Stormwater Drain

By
Rebecca Senyard
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12
turds in a stormwater drain

If you ever see a turd in a stormwater drain you can know that firstly, someone has hooked a sewer pipe into the wrong drain (ie, rainwater goes into stormwater, turd water into sewer) and it can be difficult to retrieve said turd or turds from the stormwater. The only way it can be stopped is by diverting the waste pipe back to the sewer and hope for the long lost turds to disintegrate and not cause too many issues for the ecosystem where eventually the water is treated and sprayed onto farmland.

Sometimes in life I feel a bit like that turd in a stormwater drain. I’m floating away wondering how the heck I got into the position I did and wish I could go back and re-divert to a different direction. But the frustration or beauty about life is that we can’t go back. Thankfully we don’t have to float through life and can reset our course in the present rather than hope for the best and travel with the current.

The last two weeks have not been great for me. It’s been school holidays and I really wanted to do some fun things with Esther at home, but I didn’t do as much as planned because of limitations I put on myself and had allowed others to put on me. It hasn’t been great.

I’ve realized I’ve been living with lack mindsets and yet I’ve always been a very positive person. I self-sabotage anything great that happens to me. I’ve had a few knockbacks that I’ve charged forward through over the last few years, because there was literally no other way to face the setbacks, and I’ve found myself swimming in a sea of doubt, floating in a direction I didn’t expect to go.

And rather than hold my issues inside and try and ‘work them out myself’, I’ve finally just let them out to friends and family to say ‘hey I’m struggling in this area and that’ and the response to my admission has been amazing.

Family and friends have listened and have wanted to help or just be there to help ride out the storm. Not one person has looked down at me and told me ‘you should have it altogether. You’re a 31 year old woman. You should know better!’

Instead the responses have been ‘I’ve been there too and this is what helped me’, or ‘we’re going through this too, what a relief it is to know you’re struggling too’ to simply ‘life can be a bitch, God didn’t say we wouldn’t have problems in this world, but keep being positive, the enemy has been defeated but he hasn’t been destroyed. You will get through this.’

My faith has been slightly waring lately. I’ve been learning a lot spiritually but applying what I’ve learned has been difficult when I’ve got myself too emotionally wound up in my situation.

Last Thursday I experienced the mother of all migraines. It was like my head was on fire and there was nothing I could do to get rid of the fire. The migraine was set off from stress and spending more time on projects that drained me and didn’t get me where I needed to be. I couldn’t parent, I couldn’t function at all and I felt defeated.

What I did care about was my girls and despite them racing around the house like it was the amazing race, screaming and carrying on while I was rolling on the couch in a foetal position; I realized this situation was not good. I also knew I didn’t want the stress to win me. Thank goodness my husband came home straight away and got the girls in order so I could rest and ride out the pain. I married a brilliant man.

Sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can work your way up, and sometimes you have a few slippery slides back down again before you really start making your way up.

Last night I hosted an essential oil class to learn more about essential oils as I believe they are going to give me the breakthrough I need mentally and spiritually. (if you want to know more, send me a message).

And I know God has been close to me and bringing the right people in my life at the right time to help me in my moment of need.

So I encourage you, whatever you are facing that is wearing you down, please talk to someone about it. Get it off your chest. Cry about it and get the emotion out because if you don’t it can sadly direct you to a place you don’t want to go.

If I could, I would share all the issues I have faced and have been facing over the last year, but some things are better left unsaid and I’m a believer that God will deal with those setbacks on my behalf.

If you’re feeling like a turd in stormwater drain, don’t think you can’t change your direction. You can, but it may need the help of someone stronger to help you realign to the direction you want to go. Pray and ask God to bring the right people into your life to help you get to where you want to be.

I also hope that I haven’t let you down in reading this admission. I share all things about my life and faith and it can seem like I’m a person that ‘has it altogether’. I don’t. But I will share what has helped me so that it can help you too.

What is in your stormwater at the moment? What are you struggling with and what has helped you get back on the path you are meant to be on?

I can’t not share this verse from The Message Bible. “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world, you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” And thank God for that.

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