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Hello Thirty

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
54

Congratulations Caroline Hannessen you’re the winner.

Hello Thirty. I can’t believe I’m thirty today. THIRTY?! I still feel like I’m in my twenties. Well not really. Not when I’m 38.5 weeks pregnant, and not sleeping well because my lower belly and back ache. I’m looking forward to when this bub is out because I KNOW that I will feel awesome once that 3kg bundle of joy is living and breathing outside my body. I sleep so much better once I’ve had my baby even if it is in 2-3 hour installments.

I’ve made no plans for my thirtieth because I honestly haven’t had the energy to organise anything and my Birthday pales in significance to the birth of my third child. One thing that was on my 100 dream list was to get a Tiffany’s necklace and my mum will be giving this to me later today as I got her to buy it for me when she was in America at the beginning of the year. (It’s cheaper to buy Tiffany and Co over in the US and the dollar exchange at the time made the purchase even more economical.)

I was going to write a list of 30 things you don’t know about me, but my mind went to mush and the photos that I want to attach to my list are at my mum’s place. So…. I thought I’d list 30 things I’m proud to have achieved or done in my life. Some are memories. In a way it’s like 30 things you don’t know about me, but some of these I have mentioned before on my blog.  Anyway here they are:

1. Going to work with dad when I was on school holidays. They are some of my favourite childhood memories.

 

2. Parasailing with Dad at Daydream Island. Promptly after being lowered down in the boat after the experience, I threw up my buffet breakfast all over the boat. We still laugh at the skipper’s frown when he realized his boat was covered in puke!

 

3. Becoming a Christian. I was 11 at the time and I remember the night I said a prayer with Dad about wanting Jesus to be my Lord and Saviour.

 

4. Going to Disneyland when I was 13. It was our family’s first overseas trip and I will never forget the moment mum, dad, my brother and I walked down the main street of Disneyland. I can’t wait to do the same trip with my kids.

 

5. Having the guts to ask Jacob to my formal when I didn’t even know his last name. That ballsy invitation started our relationship a month later. We have been together for 13 years, married for 10 next year.

 

6. Getting baptized in June 2001. I had gone through a bad break-up with a boy and the stress of year 12 pushed me closer to God than away. It was the same year that I met Jacob.

 

7. Dad taking me to get my Formal dress. I lost a lot of weight in year 12 and the two previous Mr K dresses that my mum had bought with me either didn’t fit me or other girls in my grade had purchased the same dress! Dad took me to a tenancy in the city on Edward Street where he had just finished a plumbing job. He didn’t like my previous two dresses and told me he knew where to get my formal dress. Little did I know that it was designer Tim Lindgren!! A brand new cherry red fabric from Milan had been imported and as soon as I put one of Tim’s designer dresses on, the seamstress draped the red material around me and my dad exclaimed that was the dress I was going to wear to my formal and I LOVED it. I nearly died when I found out the dress was going to be $600! Back then that was A LOT of money for a formal dress. I still have the dress to this day and cannot part with it.

 

8. Being on a Stefan ad when I was 17. I skipped school to film the advertisement at Mt Cootha. It really wasn’t a great ad, but it boosted my self-confidence at the time.

 

9. Nominated as one of the Top 3 Business Students at Martin College in 2002 after completing my Diploma in Business Marketing and various other Certificates.

 

10.  Getting my first real permanent job where I was paid $12000 more than the minimum wage for my age and qualifications. That extra income allowed me to save money for a home deposit and my trip to Africa with Jacob. I also spent way too much on clothes. 🙂

 

11. Jacob and I getting engaged at Montville in June 2004. His proposal was beautiful and romantic. In fact I sent our story to That’s Life and it was published in one of their magazines.

 

12. Travelling to Uganda in June 2004 to build an orphanage with Watoto.

 

13. Going on Safari on said African Trip – it was amazing to be surrounded by elephants in the wild and various other animals.

 

It was amazing seeing these beautiful creatures in the wild.
It was amazing seeing these beautiful creatures in the wild.

 

14. Jacob and I purchasing our first home in September 2004. We looked for one day and the last house we inspected, we ended up putting an offer on and purchasing.

 

15. Marrying Jacob on the 30th April 2005. One of the best days of my life.

Getting married was one of the best days of my life.
Getting married was one of the best days of my life.

 

16. Performing in musicals with Directions Musical Theatre Company. Jacob and I got to go to many places in Australia to perform. We also built solid friendships through these trips. It was a blessing to be used by God through this ministry.

 

On tour in Adelaide
On tour in Adelaide

 

17. Making the decision to leave a higher level sales executive position to work with my dad. I started working for our plumbing business in May 2006.

 

18. Selling our first home and upgrading to our current family home. It was an amazing blessing from God. We had so many empty rooms and now, all rooms are going to be filled with our children. 🙂

 

19. Finishing my Plumbing Apprenticeship – one of the hardest things I’ve done professionally in my life. In the same year I finished a Diploma in Fashion Styling via correspondence and started Styled By Bec and started to style clients. I do this work via word of mouth and on a casual basis.

 

20. Receiving the QLD Dux Plumbing Apprentice of the year in 2008.

Receiving the Dux QLD Plumbing Apprentice of the year for 2008
Receiving the Dux QLD Plumbing Apprentice of the year for 2008

 

21. Going to London and Paris in 2009. Two cities on my dreams list to go revisit.

 

Posing in Paris.
Posing in Paris.

22. Receiving the Australian Dux Plumbing Apprentice of the year in 2009.

 

23. Receiving the Judges Most Outstanding Achiever Award at the Construction Skills QLD Excellence Awards 2009.

 

Receiving my award at the Excellent Awards by Construction Skills QLD
Receiving my award at the Excellence Awards by Construction Skills QLD

24. Giving birth to my firstborn Esther in August 2010.

 

We became a family of three in August 2010
We became a family of three in August 2010

25. Getting my plumbing license in January 2011.

 

26. Starting ‘The Plumbette’ blog in November 2011. I didn’t launch my posts publicly until February 2012 and it wasn’t until later in 2012 where I learned about linking parties and how to get readers other than my mum to read my blog. My blog now gets over 7000 pageviews a month and continues to grow. (Thank you for reading my blog and coming back to visit!)

 

27. Giving birth to Magdalene in February 2013.

Me and Magdalene.
Me and Magdalene.

 

28. The Plumbette’s Kidspot Nomination for Top 30 Bloggers in the Personal and Parenting category for 2014. Totally blown away by this nomination. Cheering on for the Top 5 who will be announced in November this year. 🙂

 

29. Going to Colour Conference in March this year. It was another one of those dreams that I wanted to fulfill and the teaching and experience was better than I anticipated.

 

30. Turning 30 and having my third child in my 30th year.

 

As I reflect on my 30 achievements or things that I am proud to have done or experienced (and there are PLENTY more items I could have listed), I can see that I have lived a blessed life. It hasn’t been a life free from problems, heartache or worry, but interlaced through my life has been a common theme of trusting in Jesus and I can’t wait to see what the next 30 years hold for my life.

As a way to bless you my readers for reading my blog and commenting on my posts, I want to give a gift in celebration of my Birthday. I’d love for you to tick off an experience from your bucket list and offer you the chance to win a $100 Red Balloon voucher. I’m using money from sponsored posts that I’ve been recently doing to fund the giveaway and I hope to be able to do different giveaways throughout the year. I appreciate your loyalty and don’t take you for granted. Without readers, I wouldn’t have a blog.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below and tell me in the comments section what is one thing you were proud to have achieved before you turned 30. The most creative and/or interesting answer will win the voucher.

I’m Linking up with Trish from My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday – I know not very wordless but still a few pictures in this post.

Main Image Source

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Terms and Conditions

These terms shall apply to all giveaways and competitions run on this site, www.theplumbette.com.au

  1. This is a game of skill. Each valid entry to be judged on creativity and originality, not by chance.
  2. There is one prize $100 Red Balloon Voucher only.
  3. Entries open from Wednesday 9th July 2014 7am Brisbane Time to Wednesday 23rd July 2014 12pm Brisbane Time.
  4. Prize is not transferable or changeable
  5. Prize sent out by The Plumbette will not be replaced in the event it is stolen, lost or damaged in transit.
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  9. Entrants must be Australian residents and aged 18 or over
  10. The winner will be notified by email and has 5 days to reply and claim the prize. The winner will also be announced on Facebook. This giveaway is not endorsed by Facebook.
  11. The decision on the winner is final and no dialogue will be entered into otherwise.
  12. These terms and conditions are subject to change at anytime without notice

How to clean under tap flanges

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
31

I posted this picture on Instagram last week and asked whether this was something others did when they cleaned their bathrooms or whether I had gone overboard.

Undoing taps
The reaction confirmed that this is something a plumber would do and one that is experiencing an extreme form of nesting instinct.

 

Some of you agreed it was a bit over the top, but then others of you admitted you would love to have been able to clean under the taps flanges like I had.

 

I thought I’d share how to clean under tap flanges and why it’s important if you have a typical capstan style tapware like I do.

 

Firstly, undoing the buttons (the hexagonal tops with ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ written on them) and flanges (the bell shaped bottoms sitting on the basin) keeps them easy to undo when it’s time for the plumber to come and replace the washers or spindles.

under taps
I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to replace washers or spindles and have found myself stuck when it came to removing the flanges because they have never been unscrewed. An accumulation of soap, cleaning product and time almost welds the flanges into the basin, making them nearly impossible to undo with footprints (a plumbing tool) or can result in damaging the flanges from the footprint claws or breaking the basin from the force needed to remove said flanges.

I suggest cleaning under the taps once every 6 to 12 months or when you can’t stand the site of the brown green lime scale that develops over time under the flange.

In some cases, more modern taps that require a pronged allen key to undo the handle in order to remove the flange may be a bit more tricky to undo.

I wouldn’t suggest doing this with mixer taps as you need to disconnect the water supply to remove the mixer to clean underneath and in most cases, little water or soap gets trapped under a mixer tap because it is firmly sealed into the basin or sink. Flanges are hollow, hence why water and soap freely seep underneath and sit to create the lime scale.

If you are confident at removing the button, handle and flange, all that is needed is some bicarb soda and vinegar poured around where the marks have occurred and scrub away the marks. Sometimes you may need to use a flat head screw driver to scrape the lime scale off. This won’t damage the ceramic basin. If it does, it is easily covered by the flange anyway.

clean taps
Once the area is clean, it’s simple to wind the flange on, place the handle over the spindle and screw the hot and cold buttons into the handle. I replaced my hot and cold buttons with new because the old ones were starting to go a bit yellow. Instead of throwing out the discoloured buttons I turn them into cufflinks.

Tap Buttons
 Do you clean under your tap flanges? Or do you think it’s a bit OTT? I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I Blog on Tuesdays.

Ten years since I’ve been in Africa

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
25

It’s been ten years since I’ve been in Africa. TEN YEARS!  Jacob and I both went in June 2004. I actually can’t believe that it has been that long since we went on our trip to help build part of an orphanage for the Watoto Child Care Ministries. So much life has been lived in those years, but the memories are still clear in my mind and I am grateful Jacob and I took up the opportunity to go on mission together when we did.

 

A very young Bec ( I was 20) at one of the Watoto Sites.
A very young Bec ( I was 20) at one of the Watoto Sites.

Back in 2004, Jacob and I were both working full time, saving our money to buy our first home so that we could set ourselves up for when we got married. The engagement ring had been paid off and had been put away for safe keeping in our family safe. We were young, but eager to spend the rest of our lives with each other. But we hadn’t quite saved enough money for a house deposit and Jacob fussed about the perfect time to ask for my hand in marriage.

Anyway, that same year our church had the Watoto Children’s choir come to sing and share their stories and vision of educating orphaned children in Uganda to become their country’s next leaders. The way Watoto worked was they would buy blocks of land and build houses set up in villages. Each home would house a foster mum and up to 8 orphaned children and the children would be educated so that they could work and stop the poverty cycle that exists in Uganda. Jacob and I were both touched by the stories and the work that was being done to help the orphans. We were motivated to get involved in some way. That day we sponsored two children through Compassion Australia whom we still support today. My sponsor child is Joseph who lives in Tanzania and Jacob’s is a boy named Armstrong who lives in Uganda.

 

Two of the orphans that became part of the Watoto Program. This was their school uniform.
Two of the orphans that became part of the Watoto Program. This was their school uniform.

An offering was given at the service to support the work Watoto did in Uganda. The amount of the offering came to around $12,000 which would provide the materials to build a house. All that was needed was a team to go over and build it. Jacob and I had more than enough in savings to cover the $2500 (each) trip so we volunteered to be a part of the team.

Two weeks before we left to go to Uganda, Jacob proposed to me. It was a great time in both of our lives. Sadly I couldn’t wear my engagement ring to Uganda and so it was promptly placed back in the safe for our return.

When we landed at the airport in Uganda, there was a miscommunication with our arrival date. The Watoto people weren’t expecting us to arrive until the following day. New arrangements had to be made about our accommodation. I remember vividly lying on the concrete floor outside the airport with the rest of the team waiting for a bus to pick us up to take us to our accommodation. When in Africa, the people run on African time. There was no rush. I think we may have waited for a couple of hours. I yearned for sleep after such a long haul flight over.

 

A typical street in Uganda during the day
A typical street in Uganda during the day

Once our mini bus arrived, it was an hour trip to the guest house where we were staying. The road was bumpy and I remember driving past men and some women carrying baskets on their shoulders. It was so dark due to no street lights (I think it was nearing midnight) and the smell was distinct. It’s one of the things that is poignant in my mind and whenever I smell a woodfire, it almost takes me back to my experience of being in Africa.

When our team arrived at the guest house, there was a guard with a gun at the gate. There were shards of glass that lined along the tops of the fences on adjacent properties to stop trespassers from getting into them. Our guest house was properly gated but I still remember feeling nervous, but then reminded myself that I was with Jacob and I had a God that was with our team every step of the way.

 

Our guest house where we stayed for the duration of our trip
Our guest house where we stayed for the duration of our trip

 

 

The gate into our guest house accommodation
The gate into our guest house accommodation

Thankful to arrive at the guest house, I just wanted to go in and get into bed. Before we could, our team leader grouped the women to one side and explained that there weren’t enough beds for all of us to sleep in and two women would have to share a bed. I didn’t know the other women well enough to share a bed with them (there were half a dozen of us) and I was the youngest on the trip. I was frustrated as each of the older women refused to share a bed with anyone. It came down to me and another girl who was a couple of years older than me and was the most gracious girl on the trip. She looked at me and said ‘I don’t mind sharing a bed with Bec’. I sighed inwardly and thought go with it. We were on mission and there were African kids sleeping on the ground. I could manage to share a bed with someone else.

Well what do you know, that act of selflessness (well not really but I’m going to call it that) was the best decision that could have been made because the bed that we had to share was a KING size and had it’s own ensuite. The rest of the women had to sleep in single bunk style beds and share a communal bathroom in the guest house. Of course we allowed the others to use our ensuite to help with the bathroom situation but it was nice having a bathroom to ourselves.

We couldn’t go to bed straight away as a meal had been prepared for us in the dining area. My eyeballs were hanging out of my head and I was really tired. The team piled into the dining room where we were greeted with a brown soup. I was scared to eat it. I do not know to this day what was in that soup as I couldn’t decipher the ingredients but it was edible and none of us wanted to be rude by not eating it.

We got to bed soon after the meal was finished. I was excited about the week ahead and couldn’t wait to see Uganda during the day. Little did I know that back in Brisbane my family was about to be ripped apart and that they would be spiritually attacked while I was on the other side of the world.

I didn’t realize how big a post my African trip would take so I have broken it down into smaller posts for your convenience. Stay tuned for the next post.

Have you ever been to Africa or a third world country? I’m linking up with With Some Grace for Flog Your Blog Friday.

Brisbane Pregnancy Babies and Childrens Expo

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
21

Congratulations Rachel Wilson on winning the Jack and Jill Prize Pack.

On Friday 20th June, Dorel Australia invited some bloggers to an exclusive breakfast to kick off this year’s Brisbane Pregnancy Babies and Childrens Expo at the Brisbane Convention Centre. Dorel’s brands include Safety 1st, Maxi-Cosi, Quinny and Mother’s Choice. It was a chance to be shown the latest products from these brands and I was impressed with the style and function of their latest offerings which I look forward to reviewing and offering some giveaways later this year.

Not knowing what the traffic would be like heading into South Brisbane, I left home early to drop off the girls to my mum’s and ended up arriving 45 minutes early! I decided to head into the foyer of the Brisbane Convention Centre where there was a lounge that I could sit down and catch up on some emails. I had only been sitting down for 10 minutes when I heard my name called out from the foyer and it was the lovely Rachel from Blog Power Events who writes at Redcliffe Style. She’d arrived early too.  Even though we knew our way around Brisbane, we still ended up walking the long way to where all the bloggers were meeting for the breakfast!

 

My pass into the expo
My pass into the expo

After the breakfast, we were given passes into the expo where there was a line of mums and bubs waiting to get in. Before we entered the expo, I was asked to get my photo taken because they had an area where you could hold up a table tennis paddle that had different numbers on them relating to how many weeks pregnant you were. (Thanks Rachel for this awesome shot) After I placed my 36 week paddle down, another girl went to get her photo taken and she requested the 38 week one and honestly her bump looked way smaller than mine to which I kindly told her how great she looked at 38 weeks and her mum looked at my bump and asked me ‘well what have you been eating??’ Ha!

 

Holding my 36 week paddle with pride.
Holding my 36 week paddle with pride.

Dorel got the best place in the expo and they weren’t hard to miss because they were in the first aisle that you walked into when entering the expo. We got to see the new Safety 1st Stripe range of prams & strollers and the Quinny Yezz Stroller which hands down beats my cheap Target stroller that I curse at every time I have to wrangle it open.

 

LOVE this stroller. Was wishing some one could push me around in one at the expo!
LOVE this Quinny Yezz stroller. Was wishing some one could push me around in one at the expo!

It was great to be able to see the range of baby gear that is on offer at the expo. There are so many fantastic products that have been turned into business’s to help make parenting a baby so much easier. Below is a picture of Kirsten from Kirsten & Co, myself and Jasmine from Pretty Chuffed at the Safety 1st display. I got to trail the aisles with Kirsten for an hour (you can read her review here) and we were drawn to similar displays.

 

Kirsten, myself and Jasmine
Kirsten, myself and Jasmine

We especially liked the Jack n Jill display and we were able to talk to the owner Rachel about her products. I was drawn to the toothpaste flavours and toothbrushes because I find it a chore getting the girls to brush their teeth in the morning. I usually would give a very tiny smear of toothpaste on my girl’s toothbrushes to brush their teeth, but it gets swallowed more than spat out. This is where Jack n Jill products differ because they come in organic fruity flavours and are able to be swallowed. I was equally impressed with the different stage toothbrushes on offer from baby to toddler. Jack n Jill products are available online and in health food stores around Australia. Rachel kindly offered us a pack of goodies to giveaway on our blogs. If you would like to win everything shown in the picture which includes a pack of silicone finger brushes for babies 6-18 months, 1 silicone tooth and gum brush, two tubes of natural toothpaste in certified organic flavours blackcurrant and raspberry, a sleep over bag and a magnet (RRP $33.50) just leave a comment below. The giveaway closes next Tuesday 8th July 6pm Brisbane time.

JacknJill
After seeing most of what was on offer, I went back to the Quinny Display because there were going to be giveaways which I had entered but I was more interested in seeing Quinny Brand Ambassador Rebecca Judd. I got to talk to her for a few minutes before she had to go. You can check out Rebecca’s blog here.

 

Meeting Bec Judd
Meeting Rebecca Judd

I had a great time exploring the expo, but my feet were killing me afterwards and resembled those of  Michelin man. Thank you to Dorel for inviting me along to the breakfast, expo and the generous supply of Safety 1st goodies.

Have you ever been to the Pregnancy, Babies and Children Expo? Are there any baby products you’ve been impressed with? I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I blog on Tuesdays.

Why I Write

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
36

The gorgeous Jodie from Fresh Home Cook asked if I’d like to be a part of the why I write Blog Hop that has been travelling the blogosphere. Despite my blooming belly and impending arrival of bub number three, I was keen to plunge (ha ha) into the challenge, so here is a little about what drives me to write The Plumbette.

What Am I Working On?

Right now, I’m focusing on getting up to date with posts that I want to have published before I have my bub in TWO WEEKS time. I should have a few back up posts for when my bub does arrive but I haven’t. I have got two guest posts lined up… one from Mr Plumbette aka my husband, Jacob who I have asked to write what it’s like to be married to a gorgeous, stunning, mesmirising, super talented, smart and knowledgable… plumber. I’ve also asked a good friend who has recently started her own blog to write what it’s like being married to a tradesman. If you want to help me out with a guest post in the next couple of months that is trade related (or not), send me an email. I also work on my book from time to time about my experience doing a plumbing apprenticeship. It’s been in the editing process for a while. I just want it to finish on a high note and with the recent changes in my life, I’m still figuring out what the ending should be.

How does my writing differ from others in it’s genre?

My writing style has gone on a journey. I thought my readership would be plumbers. But when I started my blog a bit over two years ago, there were hardly any plumbers online and if they were online, they weren’t interested in reading a blog. My analytics showed that I had a lot of interest from women in the 25-45 age bracket and they were mums. For me that was a light bulb moment because I was writing for an audience that didn’t exist (yet) and I needed to harness the audience that was coming to my blog. I opened up more about my life outside of plumbing juggling motherhood and how I relate to God. Interestingly in the last year my statistics have changed to be a male driven audience rather than female so I don’t know how that happened! How I want my writing to differ from others online is I want it to inspire but be authentically real about life and how imperfect it can be, but still be wonderful.

 Why I Write?

I write because I find it easy. I’ve always loved communicating with people and whether it’s writing or speaking in person, it’s something that I not only enjoy doing, but I’m good at. The main reason I write a plumbing blog is to give advice and reassurance to readers about plumbing issues. I also want my blog to act as a bridge of understanding between plumbers and their clients. I’m passionate about explaining why it’s important to use a licensed plumber, I’m not shy to explain why plumbers need to charge a call out fee and I’m not afraid to help local businesses build their online profile through the writing of sponsored posts on my site.

The other aspect of my writing is to show that while I am a plumber, I’m not a tomboy. There is a strong perception that female plumbers or female tradies for that matter are rough and I want to flip that stereotype on it’s head.

The many faces of The Plumbette. No Toms, Dicks or Harrys here ;)
The many faces of The Plumbette. No Toms, Dicks or Harrys here 😉

How does my writing process work?

My posts are inspired by real life. Events that have happened in the past or advice that I’ve been asked in the present get turned into (hopefully) interesting blog posts. Whatever I’m dealing with at the time, I write a post to share it because there is no doubt, someone else going through a similar problem that may need encouragement in their own situation. I don’t share absolutely everything online in my life because some parts are private and need to be kept that way. If I get an idea for a blog post or a title of a blog post, I write it down and refer to it the next time I sit at my computer to write a post.

Who is Next?

The next three blogs that I’m passing the baton to are ones that I enjoy reading and are so different to each other.  All three are inspiring ladies in their own right who interact with me online and I’ve been encouraged by the way they have reached out to me through my blog and social media. I’d encourage you to have their blogs on your reading radar.

Bloggers1

Janet from Middle Aged Mama. Janet is a Middle Aged Mama with a passion for fashion, looking good and living well – no matter what your budget. She has been married to the hubster for nearly 25 years, and they have a 20 year old son and 17 year old daughter.

Caitlin from Caitlin’s Happy Heart. Once upon a time Caitlin spent five years struggling with infertility. Now she is a mother of five children – And 8 year old, 4 year old and 2 year old triplets. She blogs at Caitlin’s Happy Heart about things that give her delight in life. This includes family life, there always seems to be tales to tell about living with four boys and one little lady. (Not to mention all the tales of multiple mayhem!) Other blog topics are on faith, books, fashion and any other titbits that generally interest stay at home mums.

Natalie from Sophisticate Mumma. Natalie is a trained Beauty Therapist who lives in the ‘burbs of Brisbane, Australia. She’s a Mum of 4, who lives with her family in a multi-cultural British/Australian/Scandinavian lifestyle. She is a self-confessed Beauty Junkie, with a love of Fashion, Travel and Home-making. With an interest in Holistic Therapy and vintage Beauty products, she believes in accessible glamour for all ages and loves to share professional ‘Therapist tips-of-the-trade’ for individuals to replicate at home. She writes regularly on her blog Sophisticated Mumma.

I’m linking up with With Some Grace for Flog Your Blog Friday.

If you write a blog, why do you write?

Why it’s Important to Fix Leaks

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
2

Sponsored Post

It’s important to fix leaks as soon as they are found. It doesn’t matter what fixture is leaking, it has the potential to cause significant damage to your property if left ignored.

As a property owner, it’s your responsibility to check for leaks, and organise a licensed plumber to fix them.

Why It’s Important to Fix Leaks

Leaks can cause

  • Building damage to your home
  • Structural damage if left for too long
  • Attract termites
  • Be an uninsurable event if ignored and allowed to damage extensive areas of the home

Here are some areas to check for leaks

Taps

Check every tap in your home in the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry and outside.

When you turn the tap off, you shouldn’t have to over tighten the handle to stop drips through the spout. If you do, this is a clear indication that the washers need to be replaced.

Mixer taps may leak from the middle or drip through the spout. The cartridge can be replaced or a whole new mixer depending on how old the tap is.

Check leaking taps around the home
Check leaking taps around the home

Under sinks and basins

Check the waste trap attached to these fixtures to check for drips and re-tighten the trap if needed.

Sometimes the rubber rings in the traps perish over time so a new trap may need to be installed.

Fixing leaks in cupboards prevents them from buckling and swelling due to moisture. Mould can grow behind the vanity and under the kicker cabinetry if the leak is long-term.

Check the water pipes that are exposed in the cupboards for any possible leaks. Sometimes a nut and olive needs to be tightened or replaced OR the flex hoses connecting the taps to the water supply may need replacing.

Toilet Cistern

If you notice the toilet cistern refills when no one has used the toilet, this is a sign of an internal leak. You are literally allowing water and money go down the toilet if you don’t fix this leak straight away. A replacement of the inlet valve and rubber cistern washer can fix this to prevent the cistern constantly filling up.

Toilet Waste

A common leak on the toilet waste is through the rubber seal on the toilet pan collar. Waste water can overflow over the rubber and onto the floor.

The pan collar can be replaced to fix this leak. Fixing this leak can stop water damage to tiles in the toilet area.

Check the bottom of the toilet and around the pan collar rubber for leaks
Check the bottom of the toilet and around the pan collar rubber for leaks

Shower Tray

Shower tray leaks are especially important to check and get fixed immediately.

If you live in a double-storey home, check the ceiling underneath the shower waste to see if it is damp. If the ceiling is not concealed and you can see the shower trap, check there is no water dampness on the floor (you should see a water stain if there is a leak).

For houses built on slab, check the surrounding walls outside the shower and architraves water damage like swelling to plasterboard walls, skirting and architraves.

A shower tray test can be conducted using dye to determine if the tray leaks and if there may be a compromise with the waterproof membrane. Your plumber can conduct a leak location report to advise on their findings.

If the shower tray is found to be leaking, it’s important to get a price to replace it because if the water soaks into the timber framing of the house it will attract termites. It’s best to organise a termite inspection to identify any termite activity in the bathroom area and provide a tailor made solution for your property.

Hot water leaks

Hot water units can leak for various reasons. Check for any leaks out of valves and out of the hot water cylinder itself.

Winter is the time that most older hot water units decide to breakdown, so it’s in your best interest to check the state of your hot water unit. If it’s an electrical storage hot water unit and you can see rust at the bottom of the cylinder, you may need to look at replacing it as soon as possible.

Water pipe leaks

Leaks from water pipes are harder to find as they can be concealed in the walls of your home.

The only indication of a water leak from a pipe is damage to the wall and floor where you will see dampness and swelling through the walls and architraves.

Sometimes you may hear a hissing noise if there is a leak from a water pipe.

If there is notable damage to the walls, you may need to make a cut into the plasterboard wall to see where the moisture is coming from.

Cutting a square out of the wall is better than breaking holes in as the square cut out can be re-plastered back into its spot without having to replace a large section of the plasterboard wall.

Gutters and Downpipes

When it rains check your gutters and down pipes to ensure water doesn’t overflow out of them or up through the storm water grates.

There could be many causes for storm water leaks from rusted gutters that may need to be replaced or smeared with a sealant to prevent water flowing out (this would be a more temporary solution).

Storm water drains may need to be unblocked to allow water to run through them and this can be done by simply spraying your hose full bore down the storm water drain. If water still flows back out of the drain, you may need a plumber with a jet rodding machine to fix the problem or they may put down a camera to see if there is a blockage in the pipe like tree roots.

Check leaking gutters and down pipes
Check leaking gutters and down pipes

To confirm whether your house has a water leak it’s best to check the water meter.

If the dial is continually running around and the numbers consistently flip over, and you know that there is no water being used inside the home, you will have a water leak.

Sometimes the dial can ever so slowly move around so that is why it’s important to check all areas of the home where there is water connected to check for visible damage caused by a leak.

Another reason to check all areas of your home for leaks is because some leaks are caused by waste pipes. Your water meter won’t help identify them as it only tallies the amount of water used in the home, not the amount of waste water.

Hopefully, from this post you can understand why it’s important to fix leaks around the home.

How quick are you at identifying leaks around your home?

Radiant Review Plus $50 Gift Card Giveaway

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
23

Congratulations to Becky Belcher for being the winner of the $50 gift card.

One chore that has increased the most since having children is the doing the laundry. Obviously there are more clothes to be washed, ironed, folded and put away, but I also find there are more marks to get out because kids are messy and their activities can leave stains that need a bit of extra handling.

Since Magdalene has been wearing her sister’s hand me downs, it’s even more important that the clothes Esther wears are washed and kept well so that her sister gets to wear them later on.

I was interested in giving Radiant washing powder a go on my both my daughter’s clothes. The most hard wearing items that always get covered in all sorts of marks and stains are bibs, the neckline of tops and the knees of pants. Thankfully now that Magdalene has started walking, I won’t need to be worrying too much about knee scuff stains on pants!

I usually buy my laundry powder in bulk from Big W because I find it is cheaper and I can go at least 6 months between buying powder. I have been tempted to make my own laundry powder or detergent as I hear it is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly, but most of the recipes use Borax and there are mixed views on handling this and while I’m pregnant, it’s convenient and safer to buy pre-made washing powder as I don’t want to take any risks.

I was sent the Radiant Sensitive which is suitable for front and top load washing machines. I washed a mix of brights and some whites in the same wash. I included white bibs with food marks without prior soaking just to see how hardworking Radiant is.

Radiant
stains on bib

I noticed when I opened the washing machine that the powder left my washing with a pleasant smell and the colours seemed to be brighter.

When I hung up the bibs, I noticed that one in particular came up pretty clean. It had orange juice and light brown stains. Other bibs that had previous stains still came out with the same marks, but just slightly more faded.

White Bib

I will be keeping the rest of my trial pack for use after I have my baby because I find that my skin becomes super sensitive after birth and I come out in a rash. Once I change my washing powder to a sensitive one, I find that the rash starts to disappear so I will let you know the outcome on that one later on.

Radiant keeps your colours looking newer for longer which is a must for families because we want to get the most out of our clothes, especially if they are going to be handed down to another member of the family.

Radiant Return has videos showing how the product works under real torture tests. The videos can be viewed here.

Radiant is available in 3 great variants including Brilliant Whites Sharper Colours, No-Sort and Sensitive. Each variant contains Colour Guard technology which is how Radiant keeps your colours newer for longer. For more information visit the website.

As part of this review, Radiant have offered one lucky reader of The Plumbette a chance to win a $50 Big W voucher. To enter, please leave a comment by answering this question:

Which variety of Radiant do you most need in your house and why? The most interesting and creative answer will win the prize.

It would also be nice if you could follow The Plumbette and Radiant Australia via Facebook but this is not essential.  If you find it difficult to comment below, please send an email with your answer to bec@theplumbette.com.au.

Entries open Tuesday 24th June 2014 6am Brisbane time and close Tuesday 1st July 2014 6pm Brisbane time.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I received a free sample of Radiant to try. All opinions are my own.

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I Blog On Tuesdays.

Terms and Conditions

These terms shall apply to all giveaways and competitions run on this site, www.theplumbette.com.au

1.            This is a game of skill. Each valid entry to be judged on creativity and originality, not by chance.

2.            There is one prize: One $50 Big W Gift Card.

3.            Entries open from Tuesday 24th June 2014 6am Brisbane Time to Tuesday 1st July 2014 6pm Brisbane Time.

4.            Prize is not transferable or changeable

5.            Prize sent out by Nuffnang will not be replaced in the event it is stolen, lost or damaged in transit.

6.            Entry is via leaving a comment or sending an email to answer the question.

7.            A valid email address must be included in your entry.

8.            Entry into any giveaway or competition is deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions

9.            Entrants must be Australian residents and aged 18 or over

10.          The winner will be notified by email and has 3 days to reply and claim the prize. The winner will also be announced on Facebook. This giveaway is not endorsed by Facebook.

11.          The decision on the winner is final and no dialogue will be entered into otherwise.

12.          These terms and conditions are subject to change at anytime without notice

Stuck in a hard place II

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
11

There is a reason why age limits are put on indoor play grounds in shopping centers and restaurants. It’s pretty obvious why the age recommendation is in place, but I test the boundaries to keep two little girls happy – well one in particular, and figure if I’m watching intently while my girls play on the equipment, nothing can go wrong. Except I can’t control the determination of my 16 month old Magdalene.

I met up with my mum, grandma and a distant family relative who had a young son recently for morning tea. We decided to meet at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre as we could have coffee at a cafe near Target where there is a conveniently (or inconveniently) placed indoor playground set up so kids can play and mums can have a coffee break.

The morning tea went down with no fuss and then Esther was keen to go in the playground and Magdalene (not one to miss out) reached her hands up above her head to be picked up so she too could join in the fun. What could go wrong if mummy was watching her?

I took both girls to the mini playground which is a two level type facility covered in nets to contain the children in the tunnels. Magdalene was happy to crawl on the floor, slide down the little slide and spin the vertical puzzles that were on the inner walls of the play area. Esther confidently climbed up to the second level of the playgym and crawled her way round the course to slide down the bigger slide. She didn’t need my supervision but wanted my attention when she slid down the slide. Image sourced from Brisbane Kids.

 

Indooroopilly Indoor Playground

As I watched my firstborn, fast as lightning Magdalene decided to climb up the play gym to the second level, crawled her way towards the end of the tunnel but when she reached the end there was a roley poley (not sure what to call it but kids have to slide themselves over the top of the vertical roll to get through the tunnel and slide down). Magdalene didn’t have the upper body strength to push her way through the roley poley so she sat and rolled it around with her hands, delighted at how fast she could spin it.

I wasn’t too worried as I thought I could coax her out by getting her to crawl back the way she had come in. What I didn’t expect was her determination to not listen to her mummy and sit indignantly at the roley poley. She didn’t want to move.

There was no way for me to reach her to get her out because of the nets. There were some parts that could be unzipped but they were locked in place with cable ties. Probably to stop children from undoing the zips and falling out of the play equipment.

I told Esther to go and get her sister and push her through the roley poley and slide down the slide together. Esther was excited and exclaimed ‘Ok mummy, Esther to the rescue’. By this stage my mum had come to help me and no amount of coaxing from Grandma would motivate Magdalene from her place. Esther tried to push Magdalene through but it was too hard for her so I told Esther to drag Magdalene towards the corner of the tunnel where there was a climable opening and I could stretch my hands to pull Magdalene down to the first level. Magdalene screamed and then bit Esther, to which Esther cried and gave up leaving her sister in the same unreachable position.

Other mums were around but were probably watching us humourously. I really didn’t want to have to call Centre Management to rescue my underage daughter from the play equipment.

Determined

I had no choice but to try and climb up the steep slide to pull Magdalene through the roley poley and push her down the slide to get her off the equipment. I tried climbing up the slide but I didn’t have the strength in my arms to pull myself up to the top and I was scared of falling on my belly which would be dangerous being pregnant at 33 weeks!

One mum finally came over and said ‘Why can’t you just climb up and get her?’ And I told her I was 33 weeks pregnant and couldn’t lift myself through. She apologized for not realizing I was pregnant and came to Magdalene’s rescue. She climbed up the slide with ease and reached through to Magdalene, pulling her through the roley poley and slid down with her on the slide.

I thanked her profusely and wanted to tell her I was a plumber and was used to pulling myself up roofs and crawling on my belly under houses but I felt like a bit of a tool for letting Magdalene be in the play area in the first place.

After the ordeal which lasted for at least over half an hour, my mum put Esther and Magdalene on a ride. All Magdalene could do was give mum and I the evil eye. She wanted to stay in the playground and was determined to get her way.

God help me when she’s a teenager. Pray for me now.

Have your children ever got stuck in a hard place?

Linking up with Laugh Linkup.

Why security is a must when renovating or building

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
7

Sponsored Post

There is so much to consider when building or renovating a home. It can be overwhelming thinking about the timing and sequence of measures to ensure a hassle free installation. That’s why it pays to have a good builder who can project manage from start to finish.

But even the best of builders can struggle with setbacks that are beyond their control. One aspect is the security of the property.

It’s in the builder’s best interests to get the property secure to ensure deliveries can be made and kept onsite as well as keep trespassers from wandering into the property to either steal materials and/or appliances or vandalise inside the property.

When my parents built our second family home (I was about 7 years old at the time) we had all our new kitchen appliances and some building materials stolen from the house. The thieves knocked in the construction door that was locked to gain access. Our house was being built in a new estate so no one was around raise alarm or think it odd that building materials and brand new boxed appliances were being carted away from site. Thankfully the building insurance covered the replacement of what was stolen but it was an unnecessary hassle had the house been more secure with a door that had a two cylinder deadlock.

Usually it’s best to organise the delivery of appliances on the day that they need to be installed so that if unauthorized access is gained into the property, the appliances can’t be stolen. But this kind of arrangement can fall through if you have a late delivery driver or a tradesperson that can’t be onsite to do the install when needed.

This is why security is a must when renovating or building. The sooner a house is secure, the more peace of mind other trades can have if they choose to get their materials delivered and stored onsite. Home safety and security experts, such as the professionals at Stylewise Security, know that it’s important to protect your property and keep your premises as secure as possible to avoid theft and vandalism.

By consulting professionals and planning a home’s security measures ahead of time, the most effective and stylish options can be selected  and installed, which then helps the builder to project manage deliveries onsite.

Even if you’re not building or renovating a home, it’s a good practice to consider how secure your home really is and if anything can be done to keep it more protected.  It can’t hurt to get a consultation and quote on what security measures can be put in place.

Has your house ever been broken into?  Have you ever built or renovated a home and had materials or appliances stolen from site?

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

The Power of Positive Thoughts and Prayer

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
4

In November last year, when my life turned in a different direction to where I thought I was headed, I had no idea how I was going to handle all the changes. I’m a goal orientated person and I always have a plan so when the plan changed, I was scared.  Scared about the future and what people would think about me suddenly not taking over my dad’s plumbing business.

Friends and family who don’t read my blog, or who do and don’t understand why I write, ask me when will I go back to work? They’ve asked me questions that I haven’t been able to answer because I haven’t known the answers myself. Or I have and haven’t wanted to admit what I really want for fear of being judged.

The honest answer is I don’t want to go back to work as a plumber working on the tools. I found that I was exhausted physically and mentally after being on the tools during the day and my girl’s weren’t getting the best of their mum when she came home.

My strengths have always been with administration and marketing and dealing with clients. Any kind of writing or paperwork is what I really enjoy doing when it comes to work.  Interestingly my dad admitted that he was never a great plumber himself but he was good at paperwork and enjoyed the challenge of winning tenders and dealing with builders and project managers to get the job done. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree it seems. So it’s ironic we were both pushing ourselves to be on the tools when they weren’t really our strengths or what we enjoyed doing. (In his defence, I told dad he was a great plumber, after having worked alongside a number of plumbers during my apprenticeship, my dad was thorough and neat and his tool work was exceptional.)

I have been praying and seeking how to be a great mum, yet bring in a small, much needed income to make ends meet. And I don’t want to waste the knowledge I have as a plumber. I love helping people with their plumbing. That’s one of my favourite parts in writing this blog – giving advice and openly discussing issues about plumbing and building.

I really want my blog to meet that work need and it is slowly building momentum. It’s something that I can maintain from home, while being the mum I want to be to my children.

I’m so grateful to those who come and read my blog. I love the online community and my desire while writing this blog is to inspire you, encourage you and give you much needed advice when it comes to plumbing or sharing my experiences about living life in general.

It’s been over eight months since my life change, and while I have a fairly good idea of which direction I want to go, I still fear being unsuccessful. While I have confidence in the things I know and have had experience with, when it comes to blogging I’m flying by the seat of my pants. But I was recently encouraged by this post written by Jodi Gibson – why not fail at something you love?

My dad has noticed my change in positivity recently. He’s never doubted that I would find the answers to what I’ve been seeking. We were able to have a good chat on Monday as he was taking me to see my doctor and of course, we were an hour and a half early, so to fill in time before my appointment we stopped at a café to have a coffee. He told me that my outlook had certainly changed from when I found out I was pregnant, to even a couple of months ago when I was dealing with other issues relating to my blog.

A lot of my journey has involved a lot of prayer and seeking, and in the process of seeking answers for myself, I’ve been able to realize the desires of my heart.

Don’t underestimate the power of positive thoughts and prayer in trying times. It can be exciting and scary not knowing all the answers, but being faithful in making small steps and having an expectant heart has brought opportunities that I couldn’t have imagined.

I’d love to hear how you are going? What are you seeking for at the moment?

Herbal Incense

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
15

It was just another day at Tafe. The lunch ‘smoko’ break had well and truly finished and I was sitting with my back against the corrugated steel wall that housed the plumbing classrooms and main practical room. The doors hadn’t opened for class yet. Smoko had finished ten minutes previous. No one seemed to care or stick to a schedule at Tafe.

All the doors were locked during each smoko break and it was common for the teachers to start class anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes late.

I was doing my first block of Tafe and was hating every moment of it. It was like being at school again with a classroom full of immature teenage boys. I was the only girl.

As I was leaning my back against the wall, sitting on the hard concrete, I busied myself with my blackberry by playing a game. I tried to make simple conversation with some of the guys in my class but found it hard as most would only give me one worded answers and didn’t really seem keen to talk to me. I had been deemed a lesbian. All girl plumbing apprentices were *lesbians apparently.

I looked at the time on my phone and realized I (as well as the rest of the guys in not only my class, but other classes) had been waiting for 20 minutes.

A couple of meters away alongside the same wall I was leaning on, the roof apprentices were laughing and carrying on. I looked up at them and instantly smelled a smell that I hadn’t smelt before.

I sniffed the air and mentally tried to decipher what the strange smell was. It wasn’t pleasant, nor unpleasant.

It wasn’t food. It wasn’t drink. Could it be a strange deodorant? No, that wasn’t it. It smelled almost like a herbal perfume… like incense. Incense! Someone was burning incense.

I tried to work out where the incense was being burned from and my eyes and nose led me to the group of roof plumbers who were still laughing in their little group.

Inwardly, I was impressed with my sense of smell and to have worked out what the aroma was. Yay me!  Finally a Tafe teacher walked around the corner from the staff room to open up the Tafe shed.

The laughing had increased by a couple of decibels when the teacher arrived and one of the roof apprentices ran towards an open shipping container that was sitting adjacent from where we were all sitting. It perplexed me because it was as if he was running to hide.

There was a lot of swearing and yelling that followed after the roof apprentice ‘Ah you f-wit, who lights a joint just before entering a classroom?’

It was at that moment I realized that what I had smelt was not in fact incense but marijuana. A herbal incense of sorts.

God Almighty I prayed. What was I DOING here?? Who were these apprentices? In all my time at school and even having worked in the transport industry, I had never come across anyone taking drugs.

The Tafe teacher seemed unaware of what he had just walked past. He obviously had no sense of smell to detect the distinct pong that lingered in the air.

While taking drugs on a government campus (or anywhere) is not something I condone, nor would want to make fun of, I laugh at my naivety at suspecting the smell was incense. What male apprentice plumber would light up incense at Tafe?

That was the first and last time I smelt pot being smoked. And it had to be a roof plumber to give me that enlightenment. And no, no one reported him, and yes, he got away with it. I was outnumbered and certainly didn’t want to make a scene especially in my first week of Tafe. But it was a close call and could have turned ugly if the teacher became aware of what he had walked past. Or maybe he did and just didn’t care. That was how Tafe rolled.

Have you ever smelt something unusual?  What was it?

I’m linking up with Laugh Link.

*I don’t want to cause any offense by using this term, but it was used throughout my apprenticeship and as I am retelling what happened, I’m using the lingo used back then.

Main Image Source

Too many chiefs, not enough villages

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
34

Do you have a village to help you raise your family?

I’ve been noticing a trend with a lot of mums (myself included) that there are more chiefs than villages. Meaning more mums are doing life on their own, raising their families, without the support of a village. Sometimes the village is the family unit itself because that is all they have time for.

But I don’t think we were meant to experience life this way.

I really believe we need a village to not only help raise our children, but to lift ourselves up when we’re feeling low.

I’ve been thinking about the health of my family’s village recently. I could blame it on the pregnancy hormones and the insomnia, but there have been days where I have struggled.

Struggled to find joy.

Struggled to keep it together when the house turns into a bomb site.

Struggled to get dinner on the table because I am exhausted from the day’s activities.

And on those days where I have struggled, I’ve longed for a text message from a friend or someone just to say hey, I’m thinking about you.

But it doesn’t come because I’ve been living like a chief, and I don’t reach out. Chiefs are self-sufficient and often will shrug their shoulders and get on with what needs to be done.

I’ve learned in the past that when I’ve started to feel disconnected and isolated, it’s up to me to change things and so I will send a text message to my close friends to organise a catch up. But sometimes I have a little voice that likes to sow a seed of doubt into my heart by saying Why are you the first one to make a move?

And that is where the devil can get a foothold into your mind and harden your heart to live life like a chief, and not as part of a village.

When was the last time you sent a text message to a friend just to tell them you were thinking of them?

When was the last time you rang a friend to check how they were going?

When was the last time you dropped a home cooked meal to a mum for no reason other than to give her a night off cooking?

When was the last time you helped a friend?

Some practical ways of building your village can include spending time going to playgroups or mother’s groups and catching up with mums outside of these organized activities. I also find going to a church helps build a stable village too.

If you currently live life as a chief, I’d encourage you to start living as part of a village. You will feel less secluded and will always have a community that will have your back when life has an unexpected turn.

How is the health of your village? Or do you revert to living life as a Chief?

I’m linking up with With Some Grace for Flog your blog Friday.

How to add a bathroom to an existing home using a deck

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
2

Sponsored Post

House Rules is a show you either love or hate. When I watched the renovation of the first home I was really scared about what would be produced, and I have to admit, I didn’t like what I saw in that first house reveal.

Twitter was going off about how terrible the designs were in that first home. I had to agree.

But I couldn’t stop watching and I had to remember that these couples had little renovating experience and that it would take time for them to find their feet.

It seems that each team got better with their design choices as the show went on and there have been some really interesting out-of-the-box ideas especially in the kitchen and bathroom areas.

The addition of an ensuite or powder room to each of the team’s homes was a great move because it not only adds value to a home; it provides convenience for growing families too.

But not all homes have the capacity to be changed on the inside to include an additional bathroom, so what can be done if this is the case for your home?

It may be that you need to think literally outside the box of your home and incorporate an outdoor bathroom.

Outdoor bathrooms are not a new concept and have been trending since being incorporated in shows like The Block. But there are some things that need to be considered before looking at how to add a bathroom to an existing home .

  • Is the existing plumbing to your house easily accessible to provide the necessary drainage for the waste pipes for the new bathroom? Will there be enough fall in the pipes to the main house sewer? Your plumber will be able to guide you with this.
  • Is your home single or double storey? Depending on the location of the main bedroom, do you want to create an ensuite or another bathroom space the whole family can use? This will determine if you install the bathroom on the first floor or second.
  • Is there an existing patio or deck space that can be changed to incorporate an outdoor bathroom?
  • If there is no deck or outdoor patio, can one be added? Additions Building specialize in outdoor extensions and can give advice on the best way to add an outdoor area to your home.
  • Will the cost of extending add value to your home or could it be better spent on upgrading to a bigger home?
  • Where is your location? An outdoor bathroom can work well for a home in QLD, but not so great for home down south where it can be really cold in winter with a lot of rain. The bathroom design may need to incorporate a roof and use of walls to keep the bathroom sheltered.

When designed well, an outdoor bathroom can be a dream space to indulge in whether used as an ensuite or extra bathroom space the whole family can share.

What do you think about outdoor bathrooms? A trendy indulgence or an impractical use of outdoor space?

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

The Female Plumber Misconception

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
31

When I was doing my plumbing apprenticeship, I got a lot of inspiration and encouragement from reading online articles about female plumbing apprentices. At the time I could only find one or two articles because a female plumber was so random and rare.

Fast forward to today and there are a lot more females taking on a trade and this is great because it means more companies are starting to offer equal opportunity apprenticeships.

But I have found that there is a misconception that a female plumber will be better and it’s generally portrayed through a clever marketing strategy.

Male tradies are late. Male tradies overcharge. Male tradies under deliver.  Enter the female tradie and she will arrive on time, she won’t overcharge and she will go the extra mile.

Trades roles have been predominantly held by men since the industrial revolution (well actually before that if we want to get technical), so to crucify all male tradies because the minority do the wrong thing is a bad move. I support equal opportunities for both men and women when it comes to trades. The tides are slowly changing where we are seeing more women working alongside men in the trades, but to expect women to rule the trade world is naïve and as egotistic as a male tradie saying women have no place on a construction site.

I would be lost without my male tradies. Totally lost because they taught me how to be a plumber and gave me the skills I needed to be successful.  And the times when I was on maternity leave or away on holidays, I would have male plumbers on call, as back up to service my existing clients. They were plumbers that I would use in my own home and trust with my work.  Every single one of my clients would thank me for sending out these two particular plumbers because they were nice to deal with and did a good job.

The misconception that a female plumber will be better is false. She may be just as good as the local plumber in the area. Female plumbers are a novelty and are a great alternative if a stay at home mum feels insecure about having a male in the home while she is alone and trust me, I’ve been in this situation before so I understand this.

My advice to all female tradies is not to walk down the ‘anything he can do, I can do better’ road, but opt to provide customers with excellent service. The real reason a customer is calling a female tradie is to give them a go because they’re an alternative and not the norm.

Have you ever used a female tradie? Do you have a preference, and please don’t feel you will be judged for being discriminatory, I just like to hear healthy discussion about what I’ve discussed above.

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I Blog on Tuesdays.

Turn that envy into your Bucket List

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
30

I love viewing other people’s travel photos. Whether they share them on Instagram or Facebook, for me, they are like a 5 second escape away from the chaos of being a stay at home mum.  I love being a stay at home mum, but there are times when I see a beautiful picture of the beach and I sigh and think how nice it would be to swap places.

This week I’ve seen an eruption of bloggers taking photos of where they are staying (whether they’ve been invited to stay or have organized it on their own), blogging about experiences that I would have happily indulged in. It’s posts like these that can bring out blogging envy in even the most humblest blogger.

I haven’t been jealous at all. In fact, I’ve been quite reminiscent about The Remarkables Bloggers going to Noosa and Maleny, because ten years ago yesterday Jacob proposed to me in Montville. (I may have stuffed up my dates writing a comment on Mrs Woog’s Maleny post) We also had our honeymoon in Noosa and stayed at the Sheraton.

I’m sure there are a number of bloggers that were envious of what our blogging buddies got up to this week. But rather than adding fuel to the envy, I say turn that envy into your bucket list.

Interestingly I have Noosa and Montville as places to revisit on my 100 Dreams list. I can’t wait to go back, and seeing the pictures on Instagram this week just made me more excited about revisiting them, but when I’m 30 kg’s lighter. I also look forward to sharing with my girls the same shop and the exact place that Jacob proposed to me.

Envy and jealousy can hit at the most opportune times, but don’t let it get to you.

Even if you aren’t a blogger, you can be envious of a friend or family member because of something they have achieved or received. It can hurt more when it’s something that means more to you than them.

Whatever amazing things that your friends and family experience, add them to your bucket list and work towards achieving your own incredible adventures. You never know who you will inspire by achieving your dreams.

What experiences have you been dreaming about lately? What’s on your bucket list?

I’m linking up with With Some Grace for Flog Your Blog Friday.

Can’t stop chewing my nails

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
30

Since I stopped plumbing, I can’t stop chewing my nails. It’s sick. You would think that after working on other people’s toilets and knowing where my hands have been, I would keep my nails away from my mouth. It’s a plumbing by-law for goodness sake that plumber’s don’t eat with their hands let alone chew their nails.

But there is something about the last weeks of pregnancy where I can’t avoid chewing and playing with my nails and my hands end up looking dreadful.

It happened in my previous pregnancies too right at the end.

I’m not anxious but I have had a lot on my mind so whether I am subconsciously worried I’m not sure what’s going on but I’ve got to stop it.

I had such a good weekend last weekend. I went out with a bunch of mums (most I didn’t know) to go and see the movie Mom’s Night Out. I didn’t even know the movie existed and the last time I went to the movies was when I took Esther to see Frozen. It was a much overdue time out for me from the kids.

I have never related to a movie so much. And it was so good to talk to other mums about challenges with raising kids and realizing that the behavior you are dealing with at the moment with your three year old is exactly the same as what another mother is dealing with with their own. Sometimes their kid is worse than yours.

You see one of the things that I have struggled with since becoming a mum is not feeling content. I don’t think I’ve experienced mother guilt, but I have highly critiqued my parenting style and I often chastise myself internally that I could be a better mum. Do other mum’s do this too? I’m never content in the way I parent.

I dreamed of becoming a mum but then once I became one, the reality was somewhat different to what I thought it would be. I love both of my girls so much and I often have tears in my eyes as I watch them play together because I feel incredibly privileged to be their mum but there are days where I feel exhausted and I wished that I didn’t want more but I do. What is with that?

I follow bloggers and other mothers on social media who are say ten years older than me and are living a life with primary school aged children and I can’t wait to get to that stage of life, but wishing my time away with my girls is robbing me of precious moments spent with them while they are little.

On a recent catch up with my parents, mum took the girls out to the playground while I had a chat to dad. I think he could sense my inner battle of contentment and worrying about the future with finances and jobs and he told me to stop worrying and just enjoy my children.

He explained that when my brother and I were little kids, we were more of a nuisance to him than a blessing because he was running a business and was trying to support a family. It wasn’t until years later that he realized that he missed some of the best years of his life and ours.

For me, it was a relief to hear my dad tell me to enjoy my children. I have been getting caught up with the darkness that seems to be constantly spewed from the news about the Federal Budget and that times are going to be tighter for families. And despite my faith that we will be fine, (in fact I have faith that we will all be fine) I still feel anxious about the future.

One mum that I talked to on Saturday night told me her testimony about her life and how she came to know God. What she has experienced in the last four years made me grateful for my life and my problems seemed quite insignificant to what she had been through. It was one of those aha moments and it encouraged me greatly to trust rather than abandon faith when life hits the rocks.

I’m not a perfect Christian. I have doubts and moments of weakness like anyone. I don’t think we will ever be content because it’s ingrained in our human flesh to want the next best thing and we are never content staying where we are.

I’d encourage you to check out the Mom’s Night Out movie. It will make you laugh and cry with relief that you’re not the only mum who goes crazy. It certainly encouraged me and helped me realize that I’m not a bad mum. In fact I’m pretty good. I just need to stop the inner crazy talk and stop chewing my nails!

Can you relate to feeling like you could be a better mum? Can you share how you’ve overcome negative thoughts about your parenting style?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I blog on Tuesdays.

Material Storage Solutions when you run a home office

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
9

Sponsored Post

Keeping overheads down when running a business is a challenge many managers face when trying to increase revenue. One of the biggest lessons I learned from my dad when running our family business was to keep overheads to a minimum. He taught me: Do as much work as you can do yourself, delegate jobs that you’re not so good at to professionals who can do it much quicker than you and avoid having to lease an office space if you can manage an office at home.

This is a reality for many small to medium size trade businesses who run their office at home. There are also good tax benefits when running a home office. It’s important to use a good accountant to find out what can and can’t be claimed.

But the biggest problem of running a home office is lack of space. I’ve talked before about organizing offsite storage for materials required for long term projects, but what if you prefer to store supplies at home? Where can you find the right amount of space to store materials?

Dad always liked to store leftover PVC pipe and fittings at home from completed jobs to be used for new jobs or emergency situations when suppliers would be closed.

Here are some suggestions for material storage solutions when you run a home office.

The first place is the garage. Dad would have shelves along the walls of the garage holding containers of fittings and pipe brackets. Wall shelving meant that nothing was stored on the floor to make it difficult getting in and out of vehicles and it also made for a well organized garage.

The second place is outside along the side of the house. Dad would have a racking system with different sizes of PVC and copper pipe. Elbowroom have shelving and racking systems perfect for this type of storage space. A word of caution though when storing pipes or gear with orifices outside… it can be a nice home for a snake or two in the summer months.

The third place was in the roof space. This space was generally put aside for files of jobs and paperwork that we would need to keep for business records.

If a house is not the best solution for running a home business, why not convert a warehouse into a home as well as an office?

When I worked as a Sales Rep for a Courier company, I remember visiting a family business in the inner city of Brisbane where the family lived in a furnished area on the second floor of the warehouse and the storage area and office was contained on the bottom floor. Of course you may need to get Council approval to organise such an arrangement, but this is another solution when combining office and home in the one building.

Do you run a home office and can you share any practical solutions to store materials inside the house?

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

How Confident are You?

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
33

Why is it that some people have all the confidence in the world to pursue their dreams and some cower at the thought of taking a risk?

When I reflected, I realized that my current confidence levels relied on past experiences that helped shape me into who I am today. Confidence is not something that can be taught, instead it is instigated by self-belief and is learned as one takes part in new experiences that life has to offer. You can be inspired by another person’s confidence, but it doesn’t necessarily offer you tools to build your own confidence. Often it can plant seeds of doubt on your own abilities.

I was never confident about my decision to become a plumber, but I threw myself into doing an apprenticeship because I knew the outcome I wanted to achieve. It took a lot of mind strength to finish my apprenticeship because I was confident that if I gave up I could get a job anywhere in marketing or administration because of my previous work experience. But I persevered because I didn’t want to live with regret and the lingering question of ‘what if?’ and I’m no quitter. I like to finish what I’ve started.

As a result of being the only female in most of my Tafe classes and dealing with tradesmen on construction sites, I am confident when talking to a room full of men. I am also confident in introducing myself to new people. Had I not experienced working in these environments and developing my self-belief as a skilled tradeswoman, I’m not sure I would have that confidence.

There are so many factors that can prevent one from being confident and it’s important to identify what they are and ways to counteract them.

Eve John is the author of a new Ebook called Confident You! Top Self Confidence Boosters for Women*. The book contains booster tips for women who want to build their self-confidence.

This is what the book is about in a nutshell and it’s only $3.68.

Have you ever thought, rather jealously, “How does she do it?” as you watch the super-confident woman in action? You know these women… they are inspirational, they seem to take on challenges and win, they are graceful at giving compliments and always seem to have the ability to be lazer-focused. They are confident, happy, powerful.

And then there’s you…

If you’ve ever wanted to become the “confident woman” you see in others and finally (!) live the life you deserve, then welcome, this book was written for you!

“Confident You, Top Women Self Confidence Boosters” is a transformational experience for everyday women who want more control and power in their lives.

You’ll discover…

* How to break through the fear that is holding you back

 

* What to do when you are criticised in your life

 

* How to be a woman that is focused and achieves things others don’t think possible

 

* The #1 way to banish that negative inner critic fast

 

* Insider tips to building confidence and action steps you need to become more confident now and for the rest of your life

Author, Eve John, has included proven methods for developing self-confidence, including action steps so the lessons take root and grow within you. You’ll be inspired by the stories of successful confident women as Eve walks you through her very own process for becoming a confident, empowered woman.

A must have for the library of every modern woman who wants powerful life filled with joy, love, peace and confidence.

I read the book in one sitting and the book inspired me to be more confident in certain areas of my life where I’ve been lacking. I am also mentioned in the beginning of the book where I explain how I had positive role models in my family which enabled me to confidently take risks. I feel very humbled to be included in this book and nothing builds your confidence more when someone writes in their book that they are inspired by what you do.

All the proceeds of this book go to IMPACT for Women, an Australian charity that supports women and children who have fled from family violence.

I’d encourage you to purchase this book if you have issues with self-confidence. Confidence is something that us women battle at one time or another in our life and it can be debilitating and prevent us from living the life we want to live.

How confident are you at the moment? Have you ever battled with self-doubt which has made you less confident?

I’m linking up With Some Grace for Flog Your Blog Friday.

*Contains Affiliate Link. This is not a sponsored post, I just wanted to share a new book resource that I have found helpful and had the pleasure of being quoted in.

The difference between a good plumber and a great plumber

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
17
female plumber on site showing her boss the problem

A little over a week ago, I had a friend call me to get some plumbing advice.

She and her husband had just moved into their new home and had three plumbing issues arise and they had only lived in the house for three months.

I asked what the issues were and I smiled when she told me. I didn’t smile because I thought she was overreacting. I smiled because the issues were easily fixable, but I could understand her concerns that they seemed to keep finding defects. It was also a hassle having to chase the builder to get the plumber to fix the problems.

The first problem was a leaking plug and waste in the bath. The second was a leak on the laundry tub and the third issue was a blocked toilet which didn’t get used very often.

It’s common to find defects in a new home once the owners have started using the fixtures and appliances in the home. It shouldn’t happen, but it does and often shows the difference between a good plumber and a great plumber.

A good plumber will do the job as needed. A great plumber will not only do the job but test it a few times to ensure that when the client uses said fixtures, they won’t have any leaks or issues using it.

My dad was always anal about testing fixtures and appliances once they had been installed. When we’d finish installing a sink, basin or bath, dad would get me to fill them half way with water with the plug still in and release the water to watch for any leaks or drips in the cupboard or underneath if the pipework was visible. The same would be done on toilets and laundry tubs. We’d even put the dishwasher through a cycle to check no leaks at the connection on the waste trap.

The last thing we would want to do is return to a job because of a leak that could have been avoided if we had tested our work. Sometimes we did go back. Cheap or European model toilets would be nightmares especially if they were a close coupled toilet suite and all pipes were concealed. They are notorious for leaks.

If you are a customer, ask the plumber if they have tested the installation. That extra step could save you the hassle of ringing the plumber later if a leak does occur.

In new houses and new refurbishments, there can be teething issues with leaks or power points not working. There is usually a 1 year warranty (some builders claim 10) with installation and it’s important that once a defect is found, the builder is notified straight away to get it fixed up.

Have you ever experienced a leak or issue with an installation after a tradesperson has done some work?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I blog on Tuesdays.

 

Accidents Happen

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
17

Sponsored Post

Workplace injuries are a major concern for many Australians working in industries where physical and manual operations are performed. The trade industry sees its fair share of workplace accidents that cause injury to personnel onsite.

Property Owners and Building Managers must ensure that they have firm guidelines on what kind of works can or can’t be done on their site. Any contractor that wins a tender to do works onsite must abide by the Property’s Work Place Health and Safety Code of Practice as well as ensure that all contractors working onsite have been inducted and know what to do in an emergency.

Sometimes trades find this annoying because most safety manuals and inductions cover the same old, same old information but it’s important to carefully take in the messages in the induction because some properties may be more stringent with their onsite safety expectations.

Years ago when dad and I were working in commercial buildings, I would do the inductions for our sub-contractors. This was mainly because they had to be done online and some of our plumbers didn’t have access to the internet and we couldn’t guarantee they would do the induction elsewhere to get their certificate so they could work onsite. Eventually online inductions became smarter and realized that the admin girl was doing them for their employees, so most now require a unique email and password for each individual who needs to be inducted to work onsite. Some inductions now require a payment just for the opportunity to work in a building.

In a perfect world, every tradesperson would follow the workplace health and safety manual to a tee to avoid injury but there is one factor that often gets forgotten and that is simple human error.

Humans aren’t perfect and it can take one wrong move with a tool or a simple oversight from another trade that can cause injury to you or someone else onsite. Accidents happen.

If you are injured on a worksite, it’s important that the incident is reported to the onsite Safety Officer and Building Management even if it is a near miss. If you are the one injured onsite, you may need to talk to a reputable law firm like Sinnamon Lawyers who have experience with personal injury claims.

Keeping a building site safe is not the responsibility of just the builder or Property Manager. It is everyone’s responsibility who works onsite. Sadly, a surge in claims (some legit, some outrageous) have led to an increased obsession with Safety Manuals, Inductions and Toolbox Talks (a weekly meeting with employees on how to stay safe at work). All this extreme safety admin can make workers aware of safety onsite, but won’t necessarily prevent them from getting injured.

Have you ever been injured at work? Did you get compensation and how did you go about it?

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

 

My dilemma

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
23

A couple of months ago I was called into the city to partake in a market research group. The meeting was going to take two hours so I decided to go to the toilet before the session started. A woman walked out of the bathroom and I entered the cubicle she had just used. There was only one cubicle in the female bathroom. Once I locked the door behind me I was faced with a dilemma.


panty liner in toilet bowl
The freshly flushed toilet bowl had a panty liner floating in the bowl.

I have written before that tampons and pads should NOT be flushed down the toilet. And preaching what I know as a plumber, my dilemma was do I pick it out or give it another drowning by flushing it again?

For a moment I looked around the cubicle for a pair of tongs and then I wished I had my tools with me so I could have fished it out with a pair of multi-grips. Reluctantly, I took the easy and hygienic route of re-flushing the toilet to see if it would flush away. It did. But I felt a bit guilty that I hadn’t walked what I talked. I reasoned in my mind that I was pregnant and I had to put my health needs first.

But how many of us use a toilet and then not look behind to make sure that the toilet is left clean for someone else to use? Sometimes the toilet is already in a messy state before we even get to it. I hate hovering on my tippy toes when a previous occupant has left a puddle in front of the toilet bowl. Using a toilet is a privilege and is often taken for granted in the First World.

So today’s message from The Plumbette is check the toilet after you’ve used it. Make sure you haven’t left any nasty surprises in the bowl for the next user.

What would you have done in my situation?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for I Blog on Tuesdays.

The toilet that rocked

By
Rebecca Senyard
-
20

There are clients and jobs that stay poignant in my mind. They remain memorable for different reasons. Talking with a client would be my favourite part of the job. Giving advice and listening to concerns gave me great satisfaction.

There was one particular client that had a long list of plumbing jobs that needed to be fixed around the home. Both of the toilets leaked. They were both p traps which meant the toilet waste came through the wall.

Under each toilet waste was a shallow ice cream bucket that would catch the drips of water (and effluent) as they flushed through the toilet. The smell wasn’t so great.

Dad worked on the main toilet while I worked in the ensuite.

To fix the leak, the toilet pan had to be disconnected and the pan collar (black rubber plumbing fitting specifically for toilet wastes) had to be replaced. In order to disconnect the toilet pan, I had to disconnect the toilet cistern too.

So I eagerly placed the top toilet lid down so I could sit on the lid facing the cistern to unscrew it from the wall. As soon as I sat on the toilet, it rocked. I moved my weight from side to side to see how far the toilet would rock and she rocked quite a bit. I looked down at the bottom of the pan and realized the toilet didn’t have any screws connecting it to the floor. It looked quite dodgy. No wonder the toilet leaked every time it was used.

I disconnected the toilet cistern easily and removed the pan from the pan collar. While my dad replaced the pan collar, I explained to the client why the toilet had been leaking. I also asked if she felt the toilet rock when her and her husband used it.

Her answer dumbfounded me, because yes, she did know that the toilet pan wasn’t screwed into the floor and it had been like that from the day that they purchased the home but her husband wasn’t confident enough to use a power drill to screw the pan into the floor.

I asked how long they had lived in their home and she replied 11 YEARS.

She admitted that they had been hovering over the toilet bowl for 11 years to do their business because they couldn’t afford to pay a plumber to fix it properly.

She was incredibly grateful that we fixed up all the plumbing problems in her home and asked if she could pay our bill in installments which we were happy to do and she paid every cent that was owed.

At the time I found it incredibly funny that someone had hovered over their own toilet for 11 years to do a number 1 and a number 2. But I also felt compassion because who was I to judge about how they spent their money or what they could afford to get fixed?

Unfortunately I will always remember that client with the toilet that rocked.

Have you ever sat on a wobbly toilet? I’m linking up with Laugh Link.

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