Trinkets on Tuesday ~ Posted on Wednesday Just 'coz I can

The ever so gorgeous Naomi of Seven Cherubs

has started a new blog called Diva Mum which is all about her absoultly stunning taste & addiction to all things jewellery, hair accessories and brooches.

What better way to showcase her loves then a Linky!
Trinkets on Tuesday

to be exact.
even though im posting on wednesday lol

Here is my favourite necklace!
I had this custom made by the always gorgeous
Hugga Boo Designs
on facebook
The lovely Kell created this beautiful vintage inspired necklace for me
and I could not be more in love with it!
It was everything I imagined and more
Its fun and girly and is a perfect statement piece to plain colours
Whenever I wear it i feel beautiful and confident
It is definatly my happy piece
I wear this necklace and you can gaurantee I'm wearing a smile too

Make sure if you pop over to see the girls you let them know I sent you!
The girls are simply amazing to deal with
and
You wont be disappointed with their creations that's for sure.

Meal Planning Tuesday

Tuesday is here again

Some mmay have noticed I didnt post my meal plan last week

you can read about why here

In short I am now a single mumma of two

So we ate trying to find our feet again

This will also affect my meal plans each week as I am now only feeding

1 adult a 3yo and almost 1yo

And i will also be returning to work

So I will be using the slow cooker and meals I stocked in the freezer last week

you may see some repeats and you will defiantly see lots of easy meals.

There will also be some nights where its just me while the boys are at their dads so they may be leftovers or something out of the cupboard.

Im looking forward to planning meals as a single mum

I dont want to slip back into the boring meals and I'll definatly be freezing lots of leftovers

So hopefully I can give you all some new ideas.

I will also trying my very hardest to include a recipe with each meal plan

Thats tried and tested and loved.

Now.. onto this weeks menu

Wednesday - chicken fried rice

Thursday - Vegie Ribbon Pasta

from the 4 ingredients Kids cook book

Friday - healthy fish n chips

also from the 4 ingredients Kids cook book

Saturday - Small versions of my Chicken Pie 

just me for dinner

Sunday - Teriyaki beef stir fry

just me for dinner

Monday - Lasagne in the slow cooker

Tuesday - Warm Chicken salad

just me for dinner

If you would like even more inspiration head on over to The Organised Housewife blog and have a look through all the fabulous recipes and meal plans!

Recipe Book

This weeks recipe is from the Kids 4 Ingredients Cook Book

http://4ingredients.com.au

My little men absolutly loved it!

Beef & Gnocchi Bake

Ingredients

500gm lean mine beef

700gm jar of pasta sauce with vegetables

300gm ready made Gnocchi

1/2 cup (50g) parmesan cheese, grated

Method

Cook beef mincce until browned, breaking up any lumps.

Stir in pasta sauce and bring to boil.

Reduce heat & simmer for 5mins.

Meanwhile cook gnocchi in large saucepan of salted boiling water for 3-4 mins, drain whe cooked.

Pour beef mixture into a lasagne dish, top with the gnocchi (i mixed ours together)

& sprinkle over with parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese turns golden.

So quick and easy and very yummy

So whats on your menu this week?

* NOT a sponsored post i purchased this book a few weeks ago and my boys love the meal

Why I disappeared with no warning...

For those of you who may have noticed my absense

Never fear I am still here ;)

I have had a few issues going on that I have had to deal with and in all honesty my motivation for most things went out the window.

But now we are finding our groove again.

I wanted to blog a little about what has happened mainly to help me wrap my head around it a little more and open up the lines of communication for tips and advice.

The biggest reason as to why I havnt been around is because I have recently become a single mother.

My ex partner & I spilt after 8 years

Its been an up & down kind of 8 years but this time it all feels differnt.

I am truly fine about it all

Its been a long time coming and I think i'm handling it well

I have to really for the boys sake.

I think it helps that Mr S and I are getting along relatively well and keeping it amicable

which i am soooo grateful for!

So the past few weeks I have been trying to slip into the full time single mum of 2 role

which has been quite difficult but at the same time a breath of fresh air

But didn't leave much time as I worked out where to from here.

the answer was obviously Onwards and Upwards

I have a new found patience and my house is actually staying clean lol

Its given me the opportunity to get things done that i had been putting off as i try and keep myself busy

Im also trying new things

The boys and I are eating at the table more, Im decluttering like crazy!

and the biggest thing?

Im going back to work

Which now that I really dont have a choice, I'm excitied about.

Ive been cooking up huge meals and freezing them, budgeting more then ever and organising ahead as much as I can.

It is still very early days and Master J is taking it quite badly

which is my biggest priority at the momment

But I am feeling good and things are starting to fall back into place

Im looking forward to my new journey and even finding me, Tara again

I love being a mummy but somewhere along the way I got lost

its time to find me again

So i can shine and be he best mummy I could possibly be.

So consider me back... again!

Meal Planning Tuesday

Its Tuesday again which means one thing...

This weeks menu is

Wednesday - mini muffin pizzas

Thursday - porcupines with garlic bread

Friday - 4 ingrdients kids book popcorn chicken & chips (thanks miss C)

Saturday - potato & bologense lasgane

Sunday - Chicken Schnitzel & Roast Vegies

Monday - Nachos with sour cream & guacamole

Tuesday - warm chicken rolls

Linking up with The Organised Housewife

Whats on your menu this week?

You know you're a mummy when...

Your sense of smell becomes atuned to poop.

So your in a group of friends all mummas all with kids.

Your all out somewhere enjoying a hot choccie and a coffee

and the kids are all running, crawling & playing together

And then...

"Right! who's pooed?"

One mumma will always catch a whiff of a not so pleasent nappy

which then means the next 5 minutes are spent

chasing kids and checking bums until the culprit is found.

Im convinced kids have a 6th sense to the word "poo"

Even if they arent old enough to understand it or say it

As soon as they hear it wether they are walking or crawling they scatter.

Making our job even harder!

*image

And dont even get me started on the actual nappy change side of it

They seem to wiggle and squirm more when theres poo inside

So not only do you need 8 arms to juggle baby nappy wipes and clothes

you need to be a ninja to avoid a hand or foot ending up in the wee little surprise ;)

Once said culprit has a clean bum and mum has broken out in a sweat

Normal mothery conversationa and hot drink sipping commences and child running and screaming contintues

Until...

"Right! who's pooed?"

siiiigh here we go again ;)

Meal Planning Tuesday



Last week was such a bad week

The meal plan was all over the week and chopped and changed

But i guess thats thats the beauty of of meal planning

You can swap and change when you eat what or modify a recipe

because you already have the ingridients.

This week things are going back to normal :)

So here we go...

Wednesday - Chicken Pie & homemade chips

Thursday - spring rolls & asian noodle salad

Friday - Chicken fried rice

Saturday - Beef & red wine casserole

Sunday - Mummas Meat Pie & roast vegies

Monday - Chicken Cold Rolls & potato salad

Tuesday - Hard & Soft Tacos

Linking up with the gorgeous Organised Housewife 

where you can find lots more meal ideas and recipes

Whats cooking in your kitchen this week?

Respect

When a baby is born there is always the talk of what the grandparents and significant members of the family will be called, by the child once old enough to talk.

In our family we have the normal nana and grandma, poppa and grandpa

There is 3 beautiful Auntys, 3 Uncles and lots of Cousins.

So they are norm right? Most families have those family members.

However we have alot of other family that are all very close to our boys.

Such as our aunts and uncles, our nanas and grandpas and our cousins.

We didnt really think too much about wether our boys needed to call them by anything other then their name or nickname.

For me it was a given that they would have the same respect for our extended family as they do for the rest of the family.

So our boys call our Auntys, Aunty too, they call my nana - nanny and so forth

When it comes to our cousins we just go with whatever comes out at the time

nicknames, full names whatever is said

But I think in the long run I would love for them to be called Aunty or Uncle ... too.

In my family its a sign of respect and authority.

My step 2nd cousins call me aunty thats how its been since they could talk

I love it, it makes me feel resepcted and very much part of their family.

I want the same for our cousins and extended family.

I want our boys to know they are important people in our lives and that we love, respect and hold them in high regard.

I think it also helps build a better relationship with other family members

It helps them to know they are surrounded by people they can trust and talk to if they need to.

Respect to older family members is huge to me so its a quality I feel my children need to have too

Its a stepping stone of life and in turn

will hopefully help teach respect for themselves and others

*image

Do you have family members or friends that your children call Aunty or Uncle etc?

How else do you help instill respect into your children?

Return of the Mumma

new beginnings, time to blossom

Its been just under 2 weeks since I decided to take a Semi Blogging Break

I was hurt and confused and new this was just what I needed to do.

I am so glad I took this time

I have acheived so much and feel so much better about things.

Blogging for me is about connecting with other people.

Embracing the mothering/life journey that I am on and sharing it with the world

BUT

I was starting to want more

I was starting to want instant success

Instant amazing posts that everyone raved about

(ok so i might be being extreme there but I was thinking similair thoughts)

and quite frankly I overwhelmed myself.

Being honest I was trying to post once a day

It was something I had noticed seemed to work amazingly for others

But you know what?

It dosent work for ME

I was getting anxious and angry if I couldnt find the time
I am up against a small group of people who do not like me & its hard to be in the same "circle" especially when they are "working" together

I was missing out on living in the momment because I was always thinking about blogging

I was scared that if I didnt post frequently like others I would be forgotten.

But really its ok

I know that no matter what my children are way more important then anything I have to write

I know I wont be forgotten because the people who really do enjoy my writing will always be here no matter when or how often I blog.
I now realise how much support I have and its given me a little more confidence

As the gorgeous Nathalie of Easy Peasy Kids says

"quality over quantity"

Blogging every day is way to much for me.

I have to many other things I want to do

I want to get out doors more with the boys

These warmer months are going to be differnt for our family i just know it

I want to start AND finish some craft projects I've found on Pinterest

I want to do more of Scrapbooking and even dabble in card making

I also want to dabble in party planning and decorating

I am a little hesitant in this one as I feel like im stepping on one of the most gorgeous ladies I know toes

and I dont want to hurt a frienship

So its one Im just holding close to me heart and seeing what happens

I want to cook more!
I have a huge list of new kitchen appliances I need in my kitchen

and I want to lose myself in there

I want to Organise more

I have so many little organising projects that I would love to get done around the house and in my life

As you can I want to acheive alot of things.

Blogging every day just isnt one of them

Keeping up with one a day is just too exhausting

I love blogging i really do but I think its time for me to cut it down to blogging whenever I have a post

Whenever I can get a few minutes to write one

It might be as little as my 2 posts a week

But it wont be as much as one a day.

I'll be finding a happy medium which allows me to blog, craft, organise and most importantly

spend time with my family.

So yes I am back WOOHOO

My posts wont be full time, they wont be witty or fluently written
they wont be proffessional like I just cant write like any of those things

But they will be real

Which is just how It needs to be

Thankyou to every single person who supported in my blogging break decison

and for all of those who will continue to support me

I truly am grateful and feel very special

Meal Planning Tuesday

Hello Tuesday!

The kitchen is in full swing again this week with a few new recipes

Last weeks Sang Choy Bow was amazing!

Its now apart of our family favourite list

The recipe is at the bottom of the meal plan

If you want more inspiration & meal ideas head on over to The Organised Housewife

This weeks Menu...

Wednesday - Hot Chicken Rolls

Thursday -  Warm Chicken Salad

Friday - Bolognese pasta Pie *new

Saturday - Homemade pizza

Sunday - Roast Beef in the slow cooker and roast vegies

Monday - Enchiladas

Tuesday - Cannelloni (spinach & ricotta & bolognese) *new

Recipe Book - Sang Choy Bau

I modified this recipe slightly to make it quick, easy and more filling.

You can use fresh chilli and garlic and the rice can be served one the side with a lime wedge

Ingredients

500gms beef Mince

1 beef stock cube

2tsps of red Chilli (I used jar stuff)

1tsp of Garlic (jar stuff also)

1 small carrott diced small

Half a zucchini diced small

1/4 red capsicum diced small

1/2 stalk of celery diced small

4tbls of soy sauce

1 packet of 90 second rice

Iceberg Lettuce

Method

* Brown mince and add crumbled up stock cube 

add chopped up vegies

Cook until the vegies start to go soft.

*Remove from pan into a bowl

*Using some of the fat left over from the mince mix

if need be you can add a little bit of oil

sautee 2 tsps of red chilli and 1 tsp of garlic until aromatic.

* Add mince mix back to pan and mix though thoroughly

* Add 4tbs of soy sauce and mix well

Remove from heat

* Heat 90 sec rice following directions

and once heated add to mince mix and combine

*Pull off as many lettuce cups as needed

and place on plate

*Fill cups up with mince and rice mixture

So quick and so easy and So yummy

Enjoy

My Diamonds - Week 2



This weeks Diamonds were a little harder to find as Lil C is cutting his bottom teeth they are so close!
And i stupidly dislocated my thumb which in turn sprained it

So mumma was feeling very unhelpful for a few days there

But I've dug deep and polished them up ready to remember them.

* In hurting my thumb i was able to take a step back

I couldnt worry about the housework because I couldnt completely do it

So many a day i let Tornado J wipe out the lounge while I sat and played with him and Lil C

It was bliss

* Another positive in Injuring my thumb

I discoverd who really cares about me and my boys.

We are not surprised but still very hurt

2 out of 3 of my closest, most beautiful friends

(number 3 was at uni, shes such a good girl ;)

Dropped their plans to come look after all our kids while The other took me to the doctor

I really cant show my appreciation enough

I finally know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of what I do for everyone.

And the concern continues from so many

I am a very lucky mumma

* The Sun shone again this week

We had some rain but when that sun broke through the air warmed up and it was theraputic to get out with the boys again.

* Spring is a stones throw away :)
the weather we've been having is getting me excitied!

* Lil Cs 1st birthday plans are coming along nicely

Im keeping it simple so I dont start to stress

* Master J has been very clingy but in a good way

he keeps asking for mum, i keep getting random cuddles and kisses

Hes giggling alot more

He just seems so happy & Loving

* Mr S may finally be getting all his sundays back

As it stands he only gets 1 sunday off a fortnight which is tough on all of us

The weeks seem very long on that week

But with any luck they are phasing out his need to be there

Very happy & fingers are crossed :)

* Lil C has started walking along furniture

It wont be long and he'll be off

I know Master J will love being able to play with his little Brother that little bit more

* I'm still enjoying my semi blogging break and have been setting myself some new goals

I'm still undecided wether to come back fully but

I've got a few blog post ideas written down

so we'll see where the wind blows me

and lastly

* I am feeling more positive

Mr S and I have been talking and planning differnt things for our future

we are excitied about some a bit scared about a few

But overall we are happy to be taking control

This week was a very "rough" one, I did feel like giving up everything

I've been feeling very invisible that my voice was was being drowned out in the world wide web

but then something happens and I start to feel present again.

Im just seeing how I feel each day

Taking it in my stride & planning what I can, not what I can't

Nothing more Nothing less

Just being in the momment.

Have you been able to find some beautiful Diamonds in your world this week?