new year...

With the new year I am thinking about returning to this place, if only to join in with the 52 weeks project over at practising simplicity (I'm well aware that I'm two weeks behind!). I think it would be good for me to document, mainly for myself, these girls as they grow.

Goals in this household for 2014 -
simplify (everything)
we started out well, having a huge clean out on boxing day. We have had another one since and four trips to the Sallies later (who could believe it!) we are feeling a lot lighter.

get better at what I do (sewing-wise)
In 2013 I started selling my little foxes at markets and on facebook. This year I plan to add a few things to the repertoire and to hone my skills. I also want to sew as much as possible (as time allows) for the girls.
Here's my facebook page - cuttapea

intentional time with each girl
The days fly by and this year I want to make a real effort to spend time with the girls as individuals. Because Maggie still feeds quite heavily it is easy for me to steal moments with her but Elanor proves more tricky...I guess that's what happens as the bigger one becomes more and more independent and needs you to do less and less for them? So, intentionally making time for each.

intentional adult time
not that kind of adult time! There seems to be very little time in our day for talking uninterrupted, pottering in the garden, spending time nourishing each other. Trite, but this year we are planning to have a "date" a month - go out for fro yo, take a walk...nothing too crazy (read, expensive) as well as trying to take a moment each day to reconnect.

finish my LLL leadership
I was recently asked if I'd like to work towards becoming a La Leche League leader and jumped at the chance! I plan to finish it all before the end of this year. That's the plan anyway...

more sleep
always! Maggie is a shocker so...there is no plan on how to help her sleep longer/more but...

keep gardening
this is more the husband guy's domain than mine but I'm learning a lot and loving it. We are working towards being able to provide (mostly) for ourselves, one day. Also, I just bought 3 chickens - Marjorie, Unicorn-sparkle and Buttercup.

So, come at us 2014! Let's see what happens...

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all the cool kids are doing it, or so I hear.

x

OMFG!!!! Check this out ya'll....

Stella over at the golden adventures is running a MAD giveaway. Enter! Or don't, 'cos I want to win. I need to win!! To say I like foxes is indeed an understatement...I have one tattooed on me arm for goodness sake! In my house, on my clothings, I make them...I LOVE FOXES.
Enough babbling...sorry.
I am going to go and make a cuppa and calm down now.
SQQQQQQUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

another SUPER sweet giveaway...

So for the sweetest giveaway to warm up your winter and put a HUGE smile on your dial go see Stella!
This giveaway is so chock full of awesomeness it'll blow your mind.

Enter! Or don't...it gives me more chance of winning muahahaha

xx

the littlest little is one...

delayed reaction, I know but...

I cannot believe that it was 374 days ago that I gave birth to this girl

On the day of her birth (Tuesday 9th) tea-time we planted Maggie's placenta, along with Elanor's first hair-cuttings (the hospital THREW HER PLACENTA AWAY... don't even get me started) underneath an orange tree - a navel orange at that...fitting! Family came, beautiful words were spoken, gifts were given and vanilla and passion fruit sponge cake was eaten. A wonderful way to celebrate this one making her entrance into the world methinks!

For the littlest little's first birthday I decided on a teddy bears' picnic as we are pretty much a house overrun by stuffed animals. Family and so many awesome friends from near and far came to share the special celebearation (see what I did there?) with us...it was heartwarming and totally fun for all!

And so we have a one year old...and are 7 months off a 4 year old too. WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?! When I start thinking of how quickly time passes it makes me want to savour all the drawing, clothes-choosing-fights, rolling around on the floor, laughing at boogers and so on and so on... It is all too easy to rush through the day in order to "get things done" and of course things need to be done but we also can't forget in our sleep deprived grumpiness that these people are only little once and although they may not remember specific things about this time they will remember the feeling of being loved. 

birth days...

Enjoying the late afternoon sunshine whilst unwrapping the pot for the planting of the placenta tomorrow on the smallest Hansen lady's first birthday has got me thinking... isn't it funny how generally people don't say happy birth day to the Mama? It's as much your birth day as it is the bebe's, right? I think so.
When I wake up in the morning I'll be thinking of the milestones and times as we go through the day. At 2pm I'll remember how I went downstairs to our bed to lie down with Elanor and how 10 minutes later I was up in the lounge rocking. At 3pm I'll remember the look on Jason's face as he came back from the barn expecting to find Ellie and I sleeping peacefully but instead found me grinding my lower back into the kitchen bench (soooooo good!). And at 6.32pm I'll remember that huge surge of power and emotion as Maggie came into the world...then after the briefest touch was taken away to be put on a ventilator. At 10.10pm before I go to bed I'll remember the first time I saw that baby girl, all tubes and wires and smushed up little face.

I think all Mamas deserve a congratulatory hug on their little ones' birth days...no matter how long ago it was.

new tattoo...

Don't worry...I'm not about to break out into a bad rendition of the Van Halen song. Or am I? Maybe later, if you're lucky.
I have been thinking about a new tattoo for a while and the gods be telling me now is the time. After a Christmas gift from my Dad and a thank you present from the Shakespeare cast I now find myself with $200 worth of vouchers. Perfect! It seems to make sense to do it now, going into cooler weather. Reason being that I am thinking about starting a half sleeve that I (obviously) won't be able to finish all that quickly so arm with half finished tattoo being covered up through winter would be a good idea.
I am struggling though - do I start something big or get something smaller that I have the funds to finish??
Hungarian folk art, foxes, craft related and doily tattoos fill my dreams...

decisions, decisions...