Food change

There's been lots of talk around the interwebs about food and cooking from scratch, about healthier options and additives and preservatives.

Its been an interesting read and great to see what alot of other families are implementing into their lives and their childrens lives to eat more naturally.

To say it's inspired me is an understatement it's really got me thinking and planning more.

I have always cooked alot from scratch but I thought I could always have cooked more.

When we discovered Master J was additive and preservative sensitive (mainly colour 102 and MSG) we started cutting out a few bits and pieces and I started baking alot more.
Not to mention I have 2 boys who are going to need loads of food to fill their bottomless legs ;)

It's something I've really grown to enjoy.

I wont say Im 100% natural or additve/preservative free or from scratch, the whole concept of being compleltely free makes my head spin.
I am however making concisous decisons about what I am feeding myself and my boys and I think that even if I'm only doing half I'm helping my boys be healthy and not affected by nasties in some food.

I'll be the first to admit as a solo mumma of 2 I can get lazy and I will buy hot chippies for lunch every now and then or Maccas as treat but most of my boys meals are cooked/made at home.

The big thing I struggle with is their snacks.

My boys arent huge fruit or vegie fans so picking up and apple if they are hungry between meals just dosen't happen here, which I'm not too fussed about... at this stage.

I grate a whole lot of vegies into most of their dinners and I have started baking alot of things which require fruit and puree/stew my own fresh fruit, so they are getting their fruits and veggies just in a different way.

They love their milk before bed and are happy eating wholemeal bread or bread I have baked, they love yoghurt and cheese, weet-bix, rice bubbkes, sultanas and rice crackers.
Master J will also eat tinned peaches and bananas and Lil C will happily sit down to a bowl of mashed vegies with some gravy (he's his mummas boy in that department)

I have loved finding new recipes that are the "equivilant" to the pre packaged foods I would normally buy and It feels good to be getting the boys involved and helping and watching them try new foods.

Just today I made a few differnt food choices in our shopping.
I purchased a yoghurt maker and instead of the long life juice I brought the Coles cloudy apple juice from the dairy aisle (which I give them diluted) which is only apples.
I also brought some apples and strawberries to make some fruit filled oatmeal bars and wholemeal pitas and wholemeal crumpets.

We have baby spinach and rocket (we did have basil & corriander too... they didnt quite make it) growing in the boys old sand & water table and I plan on extending our vegie garden when we move in November and getting some egg laying chickens.

I am also now considering buying a few things that are Organic after seeing this on Pinterest

image from theoldsimplelife.blogspot.com

It may mean my shopping is a smidge more expensive but I think thats the comprimise for making

sure our food is that little bit healthier.

Looking at all the things I do it isnt very much right now slowly but surely we will get there and will choose differnt options as we go.

Small change is better then none at all... right?

I would love to know if you are doing anything like this... what you are doing? Do you buy organic? 
Can always use some more ideas ;)

Windows of Happiness ~ A childs Imagination

The gorgeous Fi from over at My Mummy Daze has started a new linky called

The aim is to try and beat the wintery blues that seem to be swirling around the place.
To find the positive amongst the rain and cold.

I know I am suffering, some days quite badly other days just mommentarily but ither way I dont like feeling this way and I dont like that a season has something to do with it!

I use to love winter! Curled up on the couch with a blanket & hot chocolate were how I spent many a winters day... Then I had my boys.

Winter now consists of snotty noes, chesty coughs, huge electricity bills from the heater, daycare & kindy runs in the wind & rain and finding things to keep a 4yo and almost 2 yo entertained when the weather is miserable outside.

So really this linky is perfect timing for me and my boy blues as we are having some yucky weather and they are going stir crazy!

Take a peek into week 1 of my Window of Happiness...

Saturday morning was a hard one for me, I dont like mess and Cyclone J and Tornado C has ripped through with a vengance.

When things arise that I have no control over I can get very overwhelmed, I then look to the things I can control which unfortuantly for me is my house.
Cleaning, organising and tidying all help me feel calm and make dealing with the things I can't control so much easier to deal with.

It is not a good thing I am fully aware of that but I am getting so much better at letting the house go and not worrying that I'm stepping over books, standing on duplo, tripping over matchbox cars, have a sink full of dishes or a mountain of washing screaming my name.

Luckily for me I've made huge progress and something Saturday morning stopped me, just as I was about to let loose and lose my cool I breathed, walked away and stopped and listened to them playing.

I was in awe, they were using their imaginations!

In a world of technology, foxtel and fancy toys my boys were playing the old fashioned way, the way my brother and I use to play.

At first I saw mess...

But really they were playing happily creating differnt scenarios.

At first I saw a stripped bed...

But really it was a pillow tv and they were laying on Master Js Cars couch watching a movie.

At first I saw a table getting broken or a child getting hurt...

But it was really master J driving his brother around in a Monster Truck and all would be ok if I was watching and listening to make sure Master J didn't get too carried away.

At first I imagined them filling up my shopping bags full of all their toys and then them tipping them out all over the house... (as they;ve done before)

But really they were going shopping at "Woolies" (where their daddy works) to buy Ice coffee (because thats what their daddy likes)
Lil C kept walking around waving saying "byyyeeee"


So this morning with a slight attitude change what would have normally stressed me out made me smile, made me happy and surprsingly for me... made me calm.

Even better... it made a bleak wintery morning all that much brighter.

Have you had a Window of Happiness this week? Why not link up with Fi *here* and have a peak into other peoples windows too ;)

Recipe Book ~ Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

I have been trying to find a recipe the same as the fruit filled bars you can buy at the supermarket for so long and I have had no luck so far!
Then I came across a recipe *here* the other night.
It looked easy enough and almost what I wanted.

So here's how I did it...

ingredients

1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 cup of quick oats
2/3 cup of soft brown sugar packed
1/2 cup of margarine
3 granny smith apples
8-10 strawberries halved

method

Cut up apples and place into a small saucepan with a little bit of water.
turn on heat and boil until almost soft.
Add strawberries to apples and boil until they are soft too.
Take off heat and allow to cool.
Using a stick mixer or food processor blend until smooth or consistancy desired.

*Combine plain flour, quick oats & brown sugar
*Add margarine
*Using your hands rub margarine into the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs
*Take out 1 cup of mixture and put to the side.
*In a small square or rectangle baking pan press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. (make sure it's nice and firmly packed)
*Spread the apple and strawberry puree over base.
(there may be some left over depending on how big your pan is)
*Using the 1 cup of breadcrumb mixture put aside earlier sprinkle over the top of fruit puree. I pressed mine down a little bit but don't press too hard otherwise the puree oozes through ;)
*Pop in over for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

*Cool in the pan on top of a wire rack.
*Once cooled to room tempreature pop in the fridge so it sets a little more.
*Once it's cooled completely cut into sqaures or bars.

VOILA!

Both my boys and myself enjoyed these. I will definitely be making them again and experimenting with different fillings.

Just so everyone is aware this is NOT my recipe I just ommitted things and used slightly different ingredients to the original recipe all credit is www.food.com s

Ooh! That's Pinterest...ing! ~ The Mummy edition

I'm a mummy and some days are a little hard

ok who am I kidding somedays I just want to run and hide

But its the most rewarding thing in the world

since having my babies I have always said being a mummy to these 2 precious little boys

Is what I was put on this earth for

yep even when I'm having a really bad day, once its over I know its all meant to be

So this week for Tina Gray {dot} Me

 

I thought I'd share some motherhood quotes from my

All Things Mummy

board

They are all of that and more, i want this in my lounge room

I love this every stretchie has a reason for being there

I'm proud of my "love lines"

something we should all remember as mummys

Alright hands up if youve done it ;)
I have well with a leaky nappy once nappy is changed that is

I find it so hard to let the mess go but this would be the perfect reminder

It was never going to be easy but if we remember these little things

we'll learn to cherish it and live in the momment alot more

What have you been pinning on Pinterest this week?

A day out ~ across a bridge and up an Island

My Aunty & cousins from Melbourne has been visiting our family here for the past week

So I was excitied that they were heading to Victor Harbour yesterday before they left today

It was set to be a good day out of the house with family 

& to take the boys somewhere they havn't been yet

My other aunty gave me and hour to get me, the boys dressed and fed, bags packed and to fill the car up with petrol before they would meet at my house and we would road trip it down together

All I can say is

gee thanks mouse!

But I did it with a few mintues to spare

woohoo

We wandered the streets a little grabbed some hot chippies for lunch had a play at an awesome park there

and decided to walk across to Granite Island

Master J had a ball walking across the bridge

Mummy was scared out of her wits every time he stopped to look over the edge into the water for the "fishies"

Trust me it was too cold for me to be jumping in after him ;)

I ended up telling him that the fishies were in bed asleep becuase it was too cold

Surprisingly that worked!

Once we got to the other side some of the big kids decided to do the full walk across the island
While me and my aunty mouse, my 2 boys and 1 big kid decided to haul arse UP the island to the other side

Master J at the top of the hill

Lil C enjoying being chauffer driven up the hill

My gosh I dont reccommend pushing a pram up that damn hill
But at least I worked off lunch!

Once we got to the other side it was gorgeous
Cold but the scene was beautiful

Master J climbed some rocks and explored nature oh and also just had to throw his 2 fist fulls of rocks into the ocean

checking out the view

exploring

watching J explore

throwing his rocks

We met the rest of the kids at the cafe and had a hot choccie and juice

and headed back to the "mainland"

Where we stopped at the little carnival they have set up there

I sent master J onto the bouncy castle with his Cousin and her friend

and he loved it!

We had a great day

lots of laughs and the boys were so well behaved

we even got some amazing photos on some pretty fancy cameras

which I cant wait to see and print out

The drive home was long but it was very quiet in the backseat

which was a nice change from the drive there

which was filled with chatter and blowing raspberries

It was refreshing to get myself and the munchkins out into the fresh air

and I am looking forward to finding more stuff to do with them

creating beautiful childhood memories with and for them

I've just gotta find more inspiration

but

I feel like I've found my mummy mojo again

I think tomorrow we might go have breakfast somewhere

Just us 3

What fun activities inside & out do you like to do with your kiddies?

Its a Bird! No its a plane...

No its SuperMum!

*image

Who? Me? really?

Over the past few months I've had a few people call me "supermum"

and in all honesty I really dont know how to take it.

I get offened sometimes, mainly just brush it off and say thanks

not sure what im thanking them for but it seems like the right thing to say.

I dont see myself as a "supermum"

I am a mum

I cook, i clean, i bath

I teach, I cuddle, I wipe bums

I Laugh, I giggle, I Cry

I rock babies, pat backs and tuck sheets in

I keep them warm and content and happy

But dont all mums?

I guess some of the people who have made this comment are saying it in the nicest way

with the nicest intentions because they see how much i do on a daily basis

But i dont think its any more then some.

I would say yes its more the most

 but im sure there mummas out there doing more and kudos to them i say!

I am a mum 1st

A partner

A housewife

A friend

I Blog

I have a small FB business

I have a FB addiction

 siiigh yes its true but im getting better ;)

I plan and organsie

We go to playgroup once a week

and

We go to speech therapy once a week

Daycare is twice a week and kindy will start in the new year

And quite possibly i shall be going back to work in august.

But none of that makes me extraordinary.

That makes me a mum, that makes me, me!

So where does the "super" come from?

I have the choice to stop pretty much half of that list at any time and somedays i do nothing

I mean nothing no housework no blogging no crafting

I sit in a messy lounge room relaxing & playing with the boys

But most of the time i am doing something.

My mind runs a million miles an hour with ideas or planning

that i wish i could stop its exhuasting

But its who i am, I am busy

If I stop, I over think, I get down, I start to beat myself up.

Its easier and I'm alot happier if im doing something for my boys, something productive,

something i can feel good about,

something i can be proud of.

If your calling me a "supermum" because im a mum

then awesome i'll wear that title with pride because

us mummas are ALL supermums

But if you're calling me a "supermum" because i had a crazy busy day

and still cooked a homecooked meal for my family, or im blogging or crafting then i kindly ask you not too.

I am no better, no more "super" then the next mum

I'm only a "super" mum because I am a mum.
Just like YOU are a "super" mum because you are a mum too.
No-one has super powers like a mumma
So lets all be "super" mums together

Baby sitting & Mothers guilt

We all know the general idea of mothers guilt

I feel it just as many mothers do

My biggest guilt trip is when it comes to having my boys baby sat.

Im writing this becase i need a break

not just a hubby takes the boys for a few hours or put them in childcare break

no I'm in desperate need of an over night mummy gets to sleep in,

 and can potter around during the day with no distractions type break.

Just writing that has already given me the guilts!

Why should I "need" a break from my children

Why cant I be the "perfect" mother and have "happy smiling" children.

Why cant i just suck it up & mother them 24/7

There are plenty of mums out there who dont have a baby sitting option at all

If they can do it why cant I?

The fact that i "need" a break is enough to make me cry, it makes me feel like im failing

But the thought of asking someone to look after them sends me into hysterics.

I dont even remember the last time one of my boys was away from me "just because."

Master J had a sleepover the night before we were induced with Lil C

Lil C is almost 10 months old :|

They were both looked after for most of a day so i could attend a market for my FB business

but their dad picked them up after work.

They are the last 2 times they were looked after

and both times it was for a reason.

both times I felt like i had asked too much.

I guess I look at it like

I chose to have my babies

So why should i ask someone else to look after them?

They are my partners and I responsibility, no-one elses.

I feel like they are all thinking if she didn't want to look after her kids why did she have them

I want to be a mother who can ask family for some help

I only need it every now and then

I dont want them looked after 100 times a week

once or twice a month would be fabulous

Just so Mr S & I can work on our realtionship

a date night would be heaven

Gees a dinner/lunch date and we pick the kids up after would be amazing.

I just cant ask though.

I cant bring myself to ask someone to take responsibility for my children just because i need a break.

I dont want to be made to feel like i am placing a "burden" upon them by asking.

I dont want there to be conditions of them being taken care of

Why should there be?

It dosen't help that no-one is willing to look after Master J

No-one can "handle" him

But you know what some days I cant ither

Somedays he is so full on that I cant do anything but pay him attention until Lil C needs me

or he is distracted by something.

All of which is buring me out

All of which is why I need some respite.

I know I need to do something the right intentions are there, on my behalf

but by not taking that huge step and asking

my boys are missing out

They are missing out on building relationships with grandparents and auntys

With cousins and family.

They are starting to become trapped in my little bubble

because of how im made to feel about things.

Which of course just adds to this mothers guilt.

*image from here

Crying Babies and Anxiety

Crying babies give me anxiety

Image from Here

Yep tis true.

Every time i hear a bubba cry i get a little anxious

It dosen't even have to be my own could be someones in the supermarket.

But as soon as those cries hit my ears i start to fret.

Its not a bad anxiety it dosent cripple me but my heart starts to race and i start to freak out

I know you're asking why right?

The answer..

Sleep deprivation and being a new mum

Hearing cries brings back so many sleep deprived stressful memories.

My blue eyed Boofa was such a terrible sleeper and whingy bubba.

In the beginning he would feed and wake so often i would be stressed every time i heard him cry

At night was the worse, i craved my sleep in the early months and he didnt.

So every peep every noise every cry would send my heart racing, somedays the tears would fall

All i wanted was sleep, all i wanted was him to sleep longer then an hour here or a few hours there.

He was also a baby who needed attention

You had to be playing with him or he would whinge.

Its just who he was.

Mix all of this with being a new mum and thinking you werent doing things right

and of course i was going to get some sort of anxiety.

This was one of my biggest worries when i had Lil C

that he would be the same that he would not sleep very well and be quite whingy.

I was compeltely wrong

he hasn't been like this at all...

...except for the past week or so

You may have read in an earlier post he is not well

the poor owlet is teething and has a blasted cold

all of which is causing him grief, hes having trouble falling asleep and is just not a happy boy

 unless mummy is giving him cuddles.

So the anxiety has come back slightly

Before he got sick i could let him cry it out on the floor

Dont call DOCS it would only be for a few minutes while i finished what i was doing

and he would only be crying because he had gotten stuck crawling around or is ready for bed.

I could handle it because it didnt happen too often or i knew what he wanted.

But now the poor cherub is crying because hes feeling like crap :( 

Its brought back all the issues of i dont know what he wants!

I dont feel it all the time but if we've had a bad day it definatly makes me fret.

Second time round it is most certainly easier to handle the crying.

Most days i know exactly what is wrong

But that all goes out the window when they are sick

I just have to keep telling myself that hes sick and dosent feel very well

and it really helps lower the anxiousness.

I hope i am normal to an extent i even hope im not alone

Having such a difficult time first time round i guess it was only natural that it would carry over to number 2

Im just glad its not as bad and can seem to handle the crying alot better.

On a happier note if anyone is wondering

Master J ended up sleeping through the night at about 18 months old

the whinging?

 well lets just say mumma still gets slightly anxious and stressed some days ;)

But hey they are my babies and really in the end its all completely worth it.

brotherly love at its most perfect

*edited becuase my proof reading sucks!

2 boys & wanting a girl... or maybe not?

I have 2 boys

2 handsome little men

Who i LOVE with my all

In actual labour with master J (L) My 2 babies now (M) Waiting for our induction with Lil C (R)

I wont deny the fact i was disappointed that one of my babes wasn't a girl.

I thought i wanted a pinky to dress up, go shopping with, share the mother daughter bond that i have with my mum

To share in all the girly things.

And up until recently i thought i still wanted that, that i still wanted a girl.

I watched the show 8 Boys and wanting a girl

and i felt for these woman because i wanted the same thing.

After watching that i had a talk to a lovely mumma of 3 beautiful boys Miss A

Who said i shouldn't want to have another baby JUST to try and have a girl

and you know what?

she was ABSOLUTLY right

(I look at the converstaion now and see how superficial it was)

So I was prepared to stop at 2 boys. 2 amazing little men.

But now im not so sure.

If you were to ask me

"are you done having babies?"

I couldnt say yes!

I just can not bring myself to say

I am done having children.

I just know in my heart there is at least 1 more babe in me.

Right now 2 is plenty but i would love to be pregnant again.

have another baby, raise another little human.

I loved being pregnant, dont get me wrong i complained

but overall i had 2 amazing birth experiences and i would love to go through it again

(if possible i know things could turn out completely differnt i was extremely lucky)

Would i want it to be a girl?

Yes, i would love a little princess

BUT

I think I would be just as happy if we were blessed with another baby boy.

(confused yet? yeah so am i!)

All of these thoughts running through my head have made me realise

we aren't ready for another baby yet.

That i need to be 100% prepared to have 3 boys.

(dosent that sound terrible!)

Right now in this momment i would happily birth another boy

But then i see a baby girl and think i would like to expereince that too.

Some people wont understand this as they read it and thats ok they dont need too

I know how very lucky i am

I have 2 healthy boys, i was able to carry my babes to full term with no complications

I was able to fall pregnant quite easily

I really am truly grateful for everything i have

There is just something inside me that would love to have a bond with my own baby girl.

Then theres something inside me that would love to have that mother son bond again.

So for now i am putting my all into loving my boys, they really are the light of my life

they are my everything and you know what 2 boys is fantastic!

I love having 2 Little Boys

We are just going to see where the wind blows us

All i know for certain is we will be going back for number 3

Im sure 3 boys would be even more amazing then 2...

2 little boys...

I have 2 little Masters

Master J who is 3 in June and Lil C who is 1 in september.

I have no pink in my house,

it is all blue and green and red and brown.

Matchbox cars, building blocks, animals and planes.

I wouldnt change it for the world...

When I first found out Master J had a peen

I wont lie..

I was sad I went to the toilet after my U/S and cried on my mums shoulder.

WHY you ask?

well its a silly reason but i wanted a girl first.

Im an older sister and loved the relationship i had with my brother

It just seemed to me how it was suppose ot be for us.

It didnt take me long to get over it, we were exicited.

we wrapped our baby boy in blue, made plans for him to play in the dirt and play footy when he was older.

He was going to be an awesome big brother I just knew it.

When I fell pregnant with Lil C

I think it was pretty clear i was baking another blue

I still held onto the hope i would get the pigeon pair

because that seemed perfect to me!

And yep he was our 2nd little man.

And yes my heart slightly fell again BUT it was pretty awesome too

they were gonna grow up to be best buddies...

thats the plan anyway haha

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero"
~Marc Brown

kisses for little brother on mothers day

The first bonding momment

i love you

6 months on and that plan is looking pretty good so far.

Master J ADORES his little brother.

Always finding his dummy, helping me where he can playing with him, talking to him, making him laugh.

They bath together, have "tummy time" together, sometimes just "be" together

Dont get me wrong he has his momments of terror and jealousy

but im pretty sure thats all normal.

He is also extremely protective!

He has in his mind who and who isnt allowed to touch and hold Lil C.

He has smacked total strangers hands for touching Lil C or yelled NO at the kiddies at daycare.

He starts to get worried if he thinks we are going to leave Lil C behind

and

He will come running if somethings not right

(example if Lil C has toppled over whilst sitting up) 

Its so very cute to watch and makes me so proud.

I can just see once Lil C starts to crawl and walk Master J will acquire a shadow,

they already get along so well, laughing at things they only know,

playing with cars

and just being brothers.

I look at my boys now and think they are perfect.

and, honestly,

I am so happy to have

2 little boys, 2 little best friends, 2 little mischief makers.

I dont think there is anything like the bond that forms between 2 brothers

and i can not wait to see it turn into something so unbreakable.

"There's no other love like the love for a brother.

There's no other love like the love from a brother."

~Astrid Alauda

One day mumma might get her girl but for now...

I will just enjoy the love and bond of 2 little boys for their mummy

because that is like none other too..

POTD {Raising Boys}

This POTD is a little bit differnt ive also included a poem called 'Raising Boys' 

which i think goes so beautifully with my POTD pic

and with the fact i have 2 little boys.

This pic is of a half dieing half crushed tiny little daisy Master 2 picked for me on our way home from Daycare

But it is still the most BEAUTIFUL little flower i've ever seen

Master J "mum mum mum"

runs over with his hand out and places this tiny little flower on my hand

it was such a gorgeous momment one i wont forget and he was so excited to give his mummy a flower!

And this is where the Poem comes into play the very last paragraph

Raising Boys

Author: Roberta I. Teague

I scrub the wall of fingerprints,

Pick up the mounds of clothes.

I sweep the dirt that shoes track in-

Wish I could use a hose!

Meals are served from dawn to dark,

Dirty dishes crowd the sink.

Just when they’re washed and put away-

Everyone wants a drink!

The washer pulls the dirty grime

From pants worn thin and patched.

They look so very neat and clean-

Yuck, look what the pockets hatched!

Broken bones and bloody knees,

I should have been a nurse.

I take it all in shaky stride-

Just grateful it’s not worse!

Screams and shouts and arguments

Test the keeping of my cool.

They left the neighbor’s faucet on-

See their new front yard pool!

A soothing bath is ecstasy,

A reward at the end of my rope.

Raising boys isn’t really bad-

But first I must wash the soap!

A rose can say I Love You,

Orchids can enthrall;

But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,

Oh my, that says it all!

Poem found here cant wait to post the other one with another POTD