The return of the sewing mojo!!!

My sewing machine of late has been collecting a fair layer of dust but not today, I dusted the little beauty off and finished off a long over due project, an olivia reversible pinafore, it is gorgeous and thankfully considering it is in size 1, it still fits Mackenzie.

Unfortunately my dumb dumb computer is playing silly buggers, so you'll have to either turn your monitor or your head to side to get a squizz. :)
With the left over material I whipped up this for Taleisha, she is going to love it!!!

Next project is a pair of rainbow striped pants for Mackenzie, the material is so bright and funky, Mackenzie is going to look so cute in them!!!

Teething Machine

Miss Mackenzie is cutting 6 teeth at once, the poor little mite. Currently making their way upwards are her lower lateral incisors (2) and her upper and lower first molars (4). They've all cut through the gums and those molars caused her all sorts of grief, she was so miserable. So all up now she has 12 teeth, no wonder everything has been going into her mouth again :)

And in other milestone news, Miss Mackenzie pulled herself up to standing this morning for the first time, yippee, she was so chuffed with herself, as was Taleisha and I, although by the time I got the camera sorted she had fallen to her bottom, damn. Funny thing is Taleisha she is so proud of her little sister, everytime she crawls or stands (as of today) she exclaims "kenzie's crawling, well done" and claps her hands, it's so cute!!!

How did I do that?

I think in the last two months I have lost at least 5 kilos, awesome but how on earth did I do it???

I had set a goal to lose 10 kilos this year, only problem is when I set the goal, I didn't write down my starting weight. I'm pretty certain that it was fluctuating somewhere between 88 kilos and 90kilos.

Well this morning I hopped on the scales and they read 65.7 kilos, umm I knew I'd been sick but not to the point I'd lost that much weight, reset the scales and they read 80.5 kilos, that's a loss of at least 10 kilos since the start of the year and definitely at least 5 in the last couple of months. The only change to my routine has been work, I'm still eating what I want, maybe a little more fruit than before but probably more cakes and junk food, my office wins the title for the best morning teas :) So instead of getting the centrelink spread like I was advised was possible, here I am losing weight. Hopefully what ever I am doing keeps working for about 10 more kilos and I would be at my goal weight for the first time in like centuries!!!

The List Revisited - take 2

Back in early January I posted a list of things I would like to achieve before the end of the year that I turned 29 in, which would funnily enough be this year. :) see the original blog entry here

We are now well and truly half way through the year, given it is now August, I figured it was high time I revisited the list and see how I was getting on.

So here is the list revisited.

1. Excersie for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. - one word for you SLACKARSE!

2. Lose 10kgs - I think I have but doh I don't think I recorded my starting weight anywhere, whoops.

3. Plant a portable herb/vegie patch - still no action here.

4. Read 50 books - I think I've read 20, can't see me getting anymore in unless uni readings count.

5. Blog regularly - not blogging quite as regularly anymore but still reasonably frequently, I think i have three posts planned for today.

6. Obtain my Austswim qualifications - not enough money and lack of time, so no.

7. Spend more time with my family - work has taken a huge chunk out of my time with the girls but I do try to do things with them onthe weekend. We went to Freo yesterday and today Taleisha and I plan to make cookies.

8. Get professional family photos taken - done, and I have booked the girls in again to try and get a nice one of the two of them.

9. Spend less - DONE not using credit cards, have been using layby if needed and for the most part I have been op shopping, so saving heaps of money there.

10. Be more concious of my environmental footprint - getting there trying to reuse and buy second hand where I can. My whole work related wardrobe has been bought from op shops or from friends having clean outs. Recycling everything that can be.

11. Get my hair cut and coloured - not yet, what a slacker.

12. Eat less takeaway food - a lack of funds has been a blessing in disguise for this one.

13. Use my sewing machine - DONE I did for awhile, made some gorgeous things but it has been gathering dust the last few months, it is on my list of things to do today I have a dress to finish for Mackenzie and I have a pair of trackpants to make.

14. Make a large painting for our lounge room - no, but Lesley step mum has given me a massive canvas that she painted of Maslin Hill. Lovely colours.

15. Take Taleisha and Mackenzie to the Zoo - yes

16. Take Taleisha and Mackenzie to the Aquarium - nope, we had full intentions but got sidetracked with the Harbour instead :)

17. Do something every week that is just for me - does working count, I've also been going to a movie/games night every few weeks or so with the gorgeous womyn in my life but the girls are usually with me.

18. Go to the movies at least once without the girls - I've still only been the once.

19. Start Christmas shopping early and have it finished before the mad season starts - will need to wait until I've got all my laybys off but I think the kids in the family and Andrew are finished, YAY!!!

20. Make new friends - since moving to Perth I have made some really good friends, very happy.

21. Keep in contact more with old friends - I'm so slack!!! it is on the list of things to do today!!

22. Read more to my girls - not so much at the moment, I'm getting slack with being back at work but with the new songs and things Taleisha is sayingg I think daycare are well and truly covering this one.

23. Go on a family holiday - the girls and I went away for a few days with friends to Dunsborough, not quite a "family" trip but it was fun.

24. Transition my baby girl into cloth overnight - DONE

25. Get Taleisha to eat more fruit and vegetables, this may prove harder than it looks - not pushing this one but daycare assures me she eats everything she is served whilst there, that would be right.

26. Try a new recipe at least once a fortnight - I think we're still doing this, getting slack though but I'm still counting it as DONE

27. Relax more - hmmm I try but being back at work 5 days a week now, it only leaves the weekend to get things done, so our weekends are really go, go, go.

28. Go to the beach - a couple of trips to Freo, visited Scarborough and Hillarys, went swimming at the boat harbour at Hillarys, well Taleisha did. DONE

29. Work out a five year plan - still no real direction here, eek

I somehow can't see me crossing everything off, might have to turn it into a two year list :)

Been hitting the op shops...

pretty bloody hard of late. I am in need of a complete wardrobe refit due to my new job in an office, I need office attire, something I have never ever needed to worry about in my life, I've always had a uniform for as long as I can remember. Given our serious lack of funds, I have been turning to the op shops to help me acquire the refit and so far I have been doing really well, even if I have a tendancy to drift towards all shades of brown.

I do however have one gripe, it would be so much easier if my local op shops actually shelved the clothes according to size not iggly piggly all over the place, it would make my trawling so much easier and I might actually find more for myself. That however is the funny thing, I can go to the shops the set mission to buy myself a new shirt and come home with things for the girls but nothing for me for a varying range of reasons, but at the op shops I will undoubtedly come home with at least one piece for me, YAY!!!

So a quick summary of my shopping from the last week.
For me:
2 pairs of jeans - $5
1 skirt - $1.50
1 jumper - $1.50
2 pairs of trousers - $3
1 cardigan - $1
2 shirts - $6
Total: $18

I also got a few bits and bods for the girls as usual (winter dresses, cardigans, wooden toys, videos etc), picked up a pair of denim Mark and Spencer capris for my sister and a pair of Jag jeans for Andrew as well.

I think I'm getting really good at finding some awesome little numbers and can not fathom why I ever paid full price for anything. Such a waste of money, at least I know better now. I'm even going in with a plan of attack lately, i must really be turning into an op shop missioner :) Was quite sad yesterday though, as I had seen a pair of deep blue doc martens in pristine condition at my local op shop last week, went in, they were still there, my heart does a double beat, try the bloody things on and they don't fit, I think I could have cried. NOT FAIR!!! The lady said she didn't know what it was about those shoes, she's had so many people try them on but no takers, I can tell you, they're made for pixies, tiny tiny feet, and I have small feet.

I did however happily boast today that the outfit I wore to work today cost me a massive $2.50, can't complain about that :) I also love the comments I get for the clothes I wear and the comments I get when I tell people where I have bought things from and how much they cost me, although I should start to keep things to myself otherwise I'll have an army of people trawling my local oppies and I won't be able to find anything.

LOL I am an op shop addict, oh no!!!!

Recent shopping adventures

I have been op shopping again, I think I am addicted!!! I'm just lucky to be spoilt for choice, there really is a couple of extremely good op shops in my local area and a few ok ones. So I went to my local yesterday, just looking for something a little different but with nothing in articular really in mind. As I browsed, Mackenzie was in the sling on my back grabbing whatever she could reach and Taleisha happily sampled the toy selection and chatted to the staff. It was a lovely morning and I ended up with an impressive little haul.

For me I got:

Crossroads grey embroidered skirt $1

Brown soft linen 3/4 pants, very comfy, $1

For Taleisha:

Pumpkim Patch cream floral cord dress, size 3

Mini M brown and pink pleated skirt, size 3

For Mackenzie:

Jelly Bean bright yellow cardigan, size 12 months

Billiecart Carnival pants, very funky, size 12 months

Pumpkim Patch green and blue starred shortalls, size 12 - 18 months

Okie Dokie blue embroidered cardigan, size 24 months

For Ky, a soon to be born little man:

Dusty red dirt truck jumper, very cute, unknown size but probably 000

Something extra:

Wooden train with blocks, a few missing but a bargain at $4

And in other shopping news, on Thursday night the girls and I needed to got to Target to put some money on a layby I'd forgotten about, turns out it had been cancelled, so we got our money back and had a browse, as they had lots of clearance stock out. Finally bought the dress for Taleisha I had been eyeing off for a fraction of the price and she picked out some boots that were also out on clearance. Normal retail price for both items $60+, I paid $22, I was quite pleased. :)

Slack tart

that's me!!!

Well maybe not but I have really been neglecting this little old blog of mine.

I have been so flat out with work and life and just extremely unmotivated when it comes to anything study related or blog related, too much hard word, but I really need to knuckle down and start my next assignment, I have been putting that one off as I just don't know where to start.

In other news I got a CREDIT for my first assignment, WOOHOO!!!