Not Even Owl

In all of my owl excitement yesterday I forgot to share the first little owl in my collection...

Cute!

And one of my favourite tees from Mr Vintage...

(Source)

Hilarious!

What a Hoot!

My current obsession is owls.

Real ones, well they are just a bit scary looking for my liking...

I love the cute little ones.

Owls in your home...

(Source)

(Source)

(Source)

(Source)

Owls you can wear...

(Source)

(Source)

(Source)

Owls for your nursery...

(Source)

(Source)

Owls for your baby...

(Source)

(Source)

My favourite owl, of course...

(Source)

And if I really loved owls, maybe I would be tempted to do this!...

(Source)

The Perfect Play Dough Recipe

Who doesn't like play dough! This weekend Claudia and I whipped up a batch of dough for her. It was the first time she had really 'played' with the dough as opposed to eating it in her earlier days! (Don't get me wrong she certainly tried to eat it this time too... but now can understand when I say "It's not for eating").

The smell of play dough reminds me so much of my childhood.

I love that.

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour

1 cup of warm water

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

1 teaspoon of oil

1/4 of a cup of salt

Food colouring

1. Combine all ingredients (except the food colouring) into a medium sized saucepan.

2. Stir over a medium heat until smooth.

3. Stir consistently until the dough forms a ball (a couple of minutes)

4. When the dough is cool enough to handle knead until smooth.

5. Add food colouring to the dough and knead into the dough. (I ruined our bench top by kneading directly onto it so I would recommend using baking paper underneath your dough.)

6. Ta-Dah! Play dough!

Now it is play time!

7. Store in an airtight container.

Amen

This quote struck such a chord with me. (This woman really has a way with words.)

"Can I get an "amen" for how good it feels to watch your friends love your babies? These kids are my heart and when you love them, you consequently just found yourself a deeper place in my own heart. Likewise, to let my friends know I love them...sometimes loving their kids is the best place to start."

The Debate Continues...

It made my morning reading this little gem in the Letter to the Editor of the ODT this morning...

It seems from your editorial comment (19.5.11) and Letter of the Week award (21.5.11) that you are in favour of breastfeeding in public, provided there is no suggestion that it involves breasts. Perhaps you wish to revive the old idea that women's breasts are obscene, thus implying that breastfeeding in public is allowed only by special dispensation. This squeamish attitude is unhelpful to nursing mothers, who cannot feel relaxed and confident if they are told to be "discreet" - meaning furtive and apologetic. Besides, babies don't want to spend their meal times under a blanket any more than adults do. Fortunately, in New Zealand law, female bodies are as normal and "decent" as male ones, and so we don't have to apologise or makes special efforts to cover ourselves. Nobody is harmed by an uncovered breast, and those who prefer to look at something else can easily do so.

Thank you J. Williams from Dunedin.

Wee-Yog

As mentioned, I am hoping to complete a half marathon in September. I have done this before, and the first thing I said to my mum after I had crossed the finish line then was "Well you won't see me doing that again!"

But here I am.

Hoping that having a goal in mind will help me get fit again.

Also, after mentioning this goal on my blog a few people have been in touch saying that they would like to do a half marathon this year too! So I thought that if anyone out there was interested in getting fit they could follow my story here on my blog.

Now I am seriously unfit at the moment. Seriously. The last bit of real exercise I did was that half marathon.

Did I mention that was in 2008.

Yup 3 years since I have really done anything (Let me just say here that it's not because I am a lazy pig, it is because I have been either pregnant, or breast feeding since then. Gosh, that's a flipping scary thought too).

I am trying to get my feet on the pavement at least every second day. During the week just been I have been for 4 runs, and ran for 12-15 minutes each time. That's all it takes at the moment for me to really get my red cheeks glowing and my lungs really puffing.

So each week I am going to share with you one thing I loved about getting fit, one thing I hated, 'cos let's admit we don't run for the pure joy of it, and a tip for the following week from my personal trainer, ahem, husband. Join me in getting FIT!!!

Heart: The feeling of crisp air on my face. I really do love this. Hate the gym, love fresh air.

Hate: Really feeling all of my wobbly bits I have developed over the past 3 years. Really HATE that. (Although it does make me more determined to keep running).

A Tip for the week: Try to slow right down instead of walking.

Obviously if you are really dying then walking is far better than nothing but if you are really struggling then instead of walking try change your pace and slowing right down instead. When I started out my wee jogs ("Wee-yog" as Claudia says when she sees me with my ipod) I thought out a small track in my mind, walked to a stage where I thought I could then run the whole way home. It wasn't far at all! But that's okay, getting outside is the key at the moment. Then each time I head out for my wee-yog I have been trying to start running a bit earlier than the last time. Fingers crossed that next week or the week after I will be able to run for around 20 minutes!

I would love to hear form any of you out there who are trying to get fit too!

Bookmarks

Do you think it is interesting the things that people bookmark?

Or is that just me?

I try to clear mine out every now and again because I bookmark everything,

so here is what I have been looking at lately... you might find something you like too!

1. Ottoman Cocktail dress:
I am in love with this dress!

ASOS

2. I really hope that in September I can say I have done this.

3. I am working on a photobook for Claudia here.

4. Claudia Scarf:
I have to make this don't I? (A bright and bold colour of course!)

(A Little Slice of Life)

5. I am going to learn how to do THIS, so I can make THESE cuties. One day.

6. Rainbow Cake:

We have a 2nd birthday coming up!

(Count It All Joy)

7. A cute idea.

8. Canon 550D: My dream camera!
Really, how does this website work?

(Bid Fun)

9. This was the hat I tried to make Hag, that turned out to fit Sylvie?! Might have to try that one again at some stage.

10. THIS is my all time most favourite YouTube clip EVER! It makes me cry with happiness every single time I watch it. (I bookmarked it for my lovely friend Gemma, as her and her fiance could TOTALLY pull something like this off on their wedding day!)

11.Yes, and let's not forget the ONE bookmark of my personal trainer/hubby. I certainly won't be clicking on this site in a hurry! (Although I am sure it's very informative!)

Fresh Lemon Loaf

I love all things lemony, and so far I have mastered lemon muffins, made lemon meringue pie, and now for lemon loaf!

To be honest, when I was spooning the mixture into the loaf tin I recall saying "Well, I won't be using that crappy recipe again." The mixture was sticky and thick, I was sure it was going to be a disaster. I was also doing a million things at once so even thought I had missed an ingredient! But when I pulled it from the oven I was pleasantly surprised. It was de-lish!

So share I will!

Fresh Lemon Loaf

125 grams of butter

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind (I used probably 3-4)

2 eggs

2 cups of champion self-raising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

( I actually used 2 cups of plain flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder as I didn't have enough. The recipe also has 1/4 cup chopped walnuts but I left them out.)

Glaze

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of sugar

Cream butter, sugar and lemon rind in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat well.

Sift flour, salt and stir in alternating with milk.

Turn into a lined 22cm loaf tin.

Bake at 180C for 45-50 minutes or until loaf springs back when lightly touched.

Pour glaze over loaf.

Leave in tin until cold.

Totally delish, especially with a little yoghurt on the side for a real treat!

(You have to have something yellow in the background of something lemony, right?)

A rainbow in a box

This little treasure chest of goodness arrived at our door last week from my beautiful Sarah who lives in Melbourne. I am going to crochet her a granny square blanket!... Eventually. I will have to add it to the growing list of crochet creations I have on the go at the moment!

I can't wait to get started with this wool, aren't the colours beautiful? I love them! I actually think that they are brighter in real life than in my photo. We don't seem to have that much selection here in Dunedin, and the cost here is twice what Sarah paid!

Ahhh winter, the perfect season to be a nana!

Breastfeeding in Public

(Source)

This topic always sparks a debate doesn't it? I usually read and listen to it all, Hag and I rant to each other about the fact that well basically what we are talking about here is a mother feeding her child.

Simple right? Seems not.

In New Zealand the debate has been sparked up yet again in Timaru over a women breastfeeding in a cafe. You can read some of the details here. To be honest I haven't read a lot of the details, and I do not agree with the treatment of the cafe owner either, however I have tuned in to a few discussions around the country, and at risk of boring my family with my ongoing rants, I am getting it out here...

Firstly, they're just breasts?!? Breasts. That is all.

I feel so strongly that people need to stop sexualising this natural part of life. And such an important part of life at that. If you don't want to see a breast while eating, don't look!?! And I still can't understand why some people don't want to see people breastfeeding when they are eating? What is so repulsive about it? The baby is eating too. I say, turn your back and let the poor women feed her child if you have a problem. Don't make a big deal out of it and it won't become a big deal.

Secondly, breastfeeding is no walk in the park.

Those of you out there that do and have breastfed must know how flipping awkward and niggly it can be, especially when you are in public. Getting your position correct, getting your baby latched on, especially if they are crying. It is hard to breastfeed at the best of times and if you are 'blessed' as I am, to have rather generously sized milkers, it's extremely hard to get them under control. I saw one man on television lately saying that women need to be more discreet when feeding. I say, you try it and then tell me how easy it is. I am sure that most women are more embarassed then the people looking at them, we try our best to be discreet, but if you catch a glimpse of a nipple now and again, just get over it.

Thirdly, exhibitionism, really?

I even heard one man (yup I'm picking on the men today) say that this woman in Timaru must have been an exhibitionist. Like him, I wasn't there, but I find it very hard to believe that any woman breastfeeding a 3 month old would want anyone looking at her engorged, milk-filled breasts, they would much rather you leave her to feeding her child. There are numerous benefits for babies and mums who breastfeed, so as a society don't you think we should be doing all we can to enable women to provide such a gift to our children? I certainly do.

On a personal note, I am currently breastfeeding my second baby, and well, I don't really get out much! But when I do I will breastfeed my baby girl in public, I do try to be discreet, although don't use a blanket to cover myself. Two weeks ago I had to take Sylvie to the doctors, it was around feeding time, and of course the waiting room was packed, there were people coming and going and there wasn't a great selection of chairs (important when you are feeding) Too add to it all I had a breast infection, which meant I had a fever and that Sylvie was being quite fussy when being feed. So here I am, feeling my heart to starting to race, trying to get my wee one latched on, she starts crying, I'm thinking "that's all you need in a doctors waiting room, a crying baby", and I'm worried about how many people are going to see my large, (infected for that matter) breast, when I look up and no one in the waiting room is looking at me. Perfect. (Maybe it's because they felt uncomfortable, I don't know, but that's their problem not mine.) That's all we want isn't it? To be able to feed our children wherever, whenever we like. (Relieved I quickly flash my nipple, in order to get that baby on, and nurse 'til her little hearts content.)

That's what I think anyway. How about you?

Big 'ups' to all of you amazing men out there who support and encourage your wives, partners, sisters, daughters, friends and families to breastfeed - you make a difference.

(Love this woman - read about her here)

Don't get me started on this load of s*#t.

4 months

You're 4 months old today Sylvie.

You are a quiet little girl, who is slowly taking it all in. Your rowdy sister, your funny looking dog, and your adoring parents.

You smile with every tiny part of yourself. It's like your whole body is smiling. It's contagious and warms my heart. I love coming into your room and seeing you smile in your cot. Just smiling. Just waiting.

You sleep like an angel. We all miss you when you're having your beauty sleep.

Happy 4 months Sylvie. We love having you in our world.

Crochet Cowl

My blogging has been taking a back seat lately. I have been spending all of my spare time (!) crocheting. I am truly addicted and I love it! I found this wonderful blog recently and was inspired to make a cowl. (Fancy that, I didn't even know what a cowl was until I became a Nana)

Now if I wasn't a Nana before I certainly am now... I'm actually wearing granny squares..

Nana!!!