Piggle

Moments from our weekend

Did some driving...

Drank some Champagne and Made some beaded necklaces....

Played with the muslin playcloths....

Made a divine Minestone and ate it with fresh crusty Pasta Dura loaf.....

Finally got my hands on the georgous Little Folks voile fabrics by Anna Maria Horner so lovely and lustrous and drapey....

did a little sewing of said fabrics and went back to the Store to get some more...

did a little more sewing of winter corduriy pants for the little one....

Had a fabulous child free breakfast with the girld from mothers group....

Wow! We did a lot this weekend!

Quick and easy Baby Wipes Tutorial

Baby wipes are the one thing that I forgot to factor in the cost of during the tiime that I was expecting our little one. And boy do they pack a punch! I don't know about you but we just go through so many!

I got a bit sick of having to dash to the shops every second day for wipes and I also wasn't that keen on the chemical component of the purchased wipes.

So after a bit of research - I made some!

Here is how you do it:

 

Using 1/2 a meter (or 0.6 Yards) of polar fleece - guage the width that you will need to cut from a commercial baby wipe. (or any size that suits you)

 

Using the width and length of the commercial wipe as a guide, cut your polar fleece into rectangles.

Stack them in a pile and you are ready to go!

I keep ours in the baby's room and simply dampen them with water to use. Our bathroom is right beside the baby's room - however you could also fill a reusable wipes container with water mixed with a little sorbolene lotion and a little tea tree oil - and keep some of your polar fleece wipes in there. If choosing this method, you will have to change your solution daily.

For a dirtier nappy change I usually use about 3 wipes, pre dampened with water - clean him up with the first two, then use a little sorbolene on his bottom and wipe this off with the third wipe. I then dry him off with a terry towelling flat nappy.

they also make great face washers to clean up the little ones hands and face after eating - again - just dampen the polar fleece - and use as you would a normal washer.

These can be put in the nappy bucket (Diaper pail) and washed with your nappies (if you use cloth) - or simply pop them in with a load of baby clothes.

Sorting Peas

What DO you do with a hungry toddler and 5:15 pm in the afternoon when you are trying to organise both his and the rest of the family's dinner?

Give him Frozen peas!

These made a surprisingly great toy and kept him entertained for enough time for me to get dinner finished and on thetable.

I just gave him about 1 cup of frozen peas in one mixing bowl, an empty mixing bowl and a scoop - and off he went. from one container to the other and then some for the mouth!!!

Scales belong on fish

I often talk about work-life balance here on my blog and that is possibly because it is something that is new to me and I am still trying to figure it all out.

Since returning to my profession in a part time capacity I have noticed that I do not feel any different to how I felt when I worked full time. In fact, I feel as though I am better at my job - I am far more organised and make a point of being a good communicator to my colleagues to ensure that any problems which may occur on a day when I am not there are able to be dealt with. However, in recent weeks I have had the feeling that my contribution is valued less because I am  part time. I feel as though I am given less challenging work and that my workload is vetoed more stringently to ensure that I can 'manage' the load. While I am sure that in some cases this is necessary, I feel that I am being held back ever so slightly.

I am the first to admit that our pregnancy was not well timed. I was most definitely not where I had planned for my carrer to be when I fell pregnant. In fact, I was three weeks into a brand new  job and it was quite literally the worst timing that was possible. Like many things that we don't think we will get through - I got through it. I came out the other side and I am OK, but I don't think my career progression is. Now I feel like I am paddling through mud and feel as though unless I go back full time, I may well be paddling through mud for years to come. Especially considering I am planning on having more children.

At this point dear reader you might be thinking - so what - what does it matter if you are going to have more children? Work will just become less and less important to you - right? Possibly - yes. However I am pretty sure that as long as I need to go there each day, I am going to want to be stimulated and challenged during the hours that I am there. You see - I am not someone who can just go, do a job and then come home again. I like to get involved, make a difference and be really fulfilled in all aspects of my life. My brain cannot sit idle for too long...the ticking starts to annoy me after a while.

Is it too much to ask to be given opportunities to do exactly the same work as you would do if you where there 5 days per week when you are only there 3? I don't think so - I know I am certainly capable of it. I do think it is a form of mild discrimination.

I must admit that I do have it very good. I have a very good employer and have been granted to blessing of being able to continue to breastfeed my child during working hours (He attends childcare onsite) and am not disadvantaged in any other way because I work part time. However, it is this small  aspect of capability that irritates me and leaves me wanting to leave altogether. Why should I be valued less because I choose to do a little for me (Work in my chosen field) and also be a mother?

I have noticed this topic of work life balance come up in a number of different forums in the past few weeks and I was reminded of it by an article by my favourite journalist in her column this past weekend. She writes about the virtues of this post feminist world we live in and how the generation of young women encroaching on childbearing age have a path paved by their feminist predecessors which has given them the freedom of being able to "have it all". We have these wonderful employee poilicies that promote and allow work life balance and disallow discrimination on the grounds of being a woman. However, the path for true equality in terms of career progression without sacrifice on some part is still quite murky.  Is it really possible to take 12 months off work to spend with your child during a time when they are so vulnerable to attachment and then return part time and expect to still achieve those same things you had dreams of achieving before you had the baby? From my own person experience I think not. ( You can read the full article Here!)

An even more disturbing aspect of this reality was brought to my attention by Amy Tieman (Mojo Mom) in her podcast entitled "Mojo Mom and Paula Spencer of Momfidence and Caring.com" who talks about her experience of hearing that young university women had decided to not have children altogether because of the impact it wuold have on thier future career and the fact that the working world  is not very inviting and inclusive to working moms.

It is sad that young women are growing up in a world that values work more than the beauty and fulfillment of granting human life.

I agree in entirity that there needs to be balance between work and life. I also think that it is important for mom's who choose to work for their own sense of self are able to do so. But at what expense because it seems to me that something has to give.

For me - well it is time to reassses my work values because I know that I value my family and my child far more highly.

So off I go to work to simlply do my job and be happy while I am there - anything else that happens along the way is a bonus. My more important job and the one I need to invest more in is at home.

This post was written for the Steady Mom  Mom's 30 minnute blog Challenge.

About a boy

When I was about 7 - 8 weeks pregnant I had a feeling that the wee babe growing inside me was a boy - and I was really pleased when we found out at our 20 week scan that He was indeed a he.

I was secretly glad that we were being blessed with a boy - the frst boy born into our family name since my husband - my husband who was the last of our generation with his famlily name.

I remember visiting my husbands grandfather in hospital right before he died and the day after we had the scan and telling him we were having a boy - he chuffed like only a 90 year old man can and told me it was rubbish - that *Insert family name here* women don't have boy children. He was wrong.

The reason I was secretly glad is because I was nervous about raising a daughter, girls just seemed so much more complex, whereas boys - well they were just full of beans and rough and tumble, just want to get in and get dirty fun.

I haven't been dissapointed.

Our first year with our boy has been so full of up's - so many ups that I can't remember too many of the downs.

He has gone from the tiny babe who longed to be held and carried, sleeping in my arms through the night to a non stop wriggling action man who is so giving and full of love.

Just today we sat in the lounge room on the floor and played 'giggles' - where he basically  just rolls around on my lap and giggles at the smallest things and for no apparent reason - just because mummy is so much fun.

I still can not believe how much I adore the role of being a parent and how I have come to see it as my most important job - I think constantly of growing this boy into an individual with passion for the things he loves in life and a fearlessness for following his dreams - that is my wish for him.

There is much ado about boys on the blogosphere this month as MADE by Dana  and Made by Rae   celebrate the boy. It is a beautiful idea and I am absolutely loving all of the tutorials and pictures in the flickr pool.

This week I bought a Journal to keep as a Parenting Journal - to fill with all of the wonderful ideas that I find inspirational from the collection of books on parenting and mothering I have that is growing. This is also something that I hope I can pass down to my children in the future when it is time for them to have their own children. They may not like all of the ideas that I found useful but I think it will also become a way  for them to relive memories from their childhood. I have very little apart from photos that is tangible from my own childhood and I iften think that I would like to know the things that were going through my own mothers mind when she was at the same point in her life as I am now.

It is coming along but it is something that I can only do when there are a few moments to spare to ponder and think. Somthing that is so rare at the moment.

Todays blog is written for the Mom's 30 Minute Blog Challenge - see more here!

The Big 1

The pictures tell the story really but the little one, despite having an upset tummy and being not allowed to have any cake had a ball on his 1st Birthday. We decided on a Shark theme because he really like the Sharks when we went to the aquarium and because when he crawls up our legs and catches us we call it a Shark attack. We had a lovely day despite being rained out of our Park location. Probably the best surprise for me was a lovely montage video that our 10 year old niece made with pictures and video she had collected from throughout his 1st year. It was very beautiful. xoxo

Phew! Such a busy week

It feel like it has just gone by in a blur.

I have been cooking and grocery shopping and planning craft projects and buying books online.

Books that I have been lovingly wanting for such a long time now.

I bought the Alicia Paulson book - Stitched in Time and Sew Liberated by Meg McElwee Strangely enough however my books most wanted list never does get shorter - I just keep finding more books to add to it.

I think that this week I have also learnt(or finally absorbed) some powers of finding inspiration in everyday things. A colour in a photo, the ruffle on a dress - that kind of thing.

I started bringing along a little blank page note book with me wherever I go - putting the date at the top of the page and writing underneath about things that pop into my head.

The amount of fabric I need to buy for a project. Ideas for future tutorials. Dress designs! Oh SO MANY Dresses! We are going to a wedding in Darwin in June - June in darwin is still quite hot - so it will be hard to get a summery dress - but there is the problem of not wanting it to be in summer colours. Dilemma! I think I am going to make something. I have decided that I get much more fulfillment out of things that I make AND now when I look at things in shops all I doo is look at things and how they are put together!

Speaking of tutorials - I have a drawing in my little book for the cutest little softie - which I would love to turn into a tutorial. I just have to have the spare time to get it together.

I will check my supplies this weekend and see what I can do!

at the end of our week

And so wraps up the first week of Childcare for Action Man and work for me. We have both had a surprisingly great week. I think the key to that being that I have been super organised and Mark and I have worked together as a team to get things like dinner and the cleaning organised.

It just makes life so much easier to have a great partner in crime - especially when there is a baby involved.

When the house is a bit of a mess I feel out of control and I didn't really want to cope with feeling like that as well as working and getting us where we needed to be on time. Those three days of the week when I work are going to be a bit of a write off I think because once we get home, get dinner done, clean up from dinner and make lunches for the next day, there isn't much more I feel like doing apart from sitting down on the couch.

Part of the daily routine is getting all of the clothes and bags and bits and pieces ready for the next day before we go to bed. That way there is no rushing around in the morning and we can focus on eating a good breakfast and getting ourselves ready for the next day, I like having this calmness to the morning.

Action man had a great week at childcare and seems to love it. He loves playing with the other kids and the carers there just seem so brilliant. There wasn't even any tears! Having him at the childcare centre that is located in the grounds of my work just makes it that much easier. It means less stress for me because I know he is right there and it takes less than ten minutes for me to get there if need be. I am glad that we waited until now - when he is 11 months old - to start at childcare.  It would have been much harder when he was younger.

I had a brilliant week at work and have just slotted back in right where I left off. I haven't really forgotten anything at all which is great!

I get a lot from work I have decided - it is an impotant part of my psyche. Although I miss him a lot while I am there I feel like there is a little part of me back - the bit where I get to be the intelligent, clever girl who know things about physics and radiation and is making a difference in the world. Even though I still consider being a mum my first and most important job - it is nice to have this other side. 

Just the routine that my job enforces onto us is something I enjoy - I think I like the structure.

Yesterday I disted off the bike and had a go for the first time since I broke my arm back in May 2008. I was a bit wobbly to start off but soon got the feel for it again and ended up going out for about 12km. Felt great straight afterwards but my legs ached all day yesterday from using muscles that haven't seen work in a while.

I think I am going to make it a regulaer weekend activity though!

Hope you all had a great week as well!

Homemade Baby Toys - Part 3 - Ricearooney!

RICE-A-ROONEY

Mess Level - Outdoor Play - Medium

Age Level - 6 months +

This one is a little more time consuming to set up - but should last you a while once you are done. You might be worried about your baby getting the rice in his or her mouth - especially if they aren't great with solids just yet but are still at the stage where EVERYTHING goes into the mouth. Don't be too concerned. The rice tends to be very slippery and slips right through their little fingers as they try to scoop it up in their hands. However; this is a toy that **REQUIRES SUPERVISION**. Please don't leave your baby unattended when play with the rice - as you just never know what could happen!

What you will need: 

• A large quantity of uncooked white rice (at least 5 - 10 kg, dependent on the size of your tub)
• A plastic storage container with a lid - preferably with shallow sides.
• Some large zip lock bags (One for each colour rice you want to make
• Food colouring in colours you like
• Baking trays
• Baking paper

What to do Next:

1. Separate the rice into the quantities you would like depending on how many colours you want to make. If you want four colours then you will need four quantities (Split the amount of rice you have into 4 quantities)
2. Take a zip lock bag and put 1/4 cup of water into the bag. Add 5 - 6 drops of food colouring to this water in the bag.
3. Add rice into this bag in 2 - 3 cup quantities. Mush the rice around until it has all taken on the colour you desire.
4. Repeat this step until your quantity of rice is entirely coloured.
5. Repeat this whole process until you have four quantites of rice in the colours you desire.
6. The rice MUST be completely dry before you put it into the container. There are two ways to achieve this. You can spread the rice out on the baking trays and put them in the sun to dry. This may take a few days.
7. OR you can put the rice on the baking trays and set them in a normal oven on a low heat (150 degrees celcius) for 1 - 2 hours - checking occasionally to ensure the rice isn't actually cooking.
8. This process may take several batches and it may be easier to make one colour of rice per day.
9. Once you have all of your rice coloured and dry. Pour it into your storage container.
10. You are now ready to go out side with your baby and some other toys (think cars, trucks, scoops, etc) and play in your rice!
11. Ensure that once you are finished playing with the rice that the lid goes back onto the container and that it is stored in a cool dry play away from humidity. Check the rice periodically for mould and/or infestation with weevils. If this occurs you will have to throw it away and start again.

Have fun playing in your rice!!!

Homemade Baby Toys - Part 2 - Shake it Baby!

SHAKE IT BABY!

Mess Factor: Inside toy - Minimal

Age range: 4 months +

There are a myriad of shakers and rattles available in the shops - however they all thend to make the same noise and/or are made from plastic that doesn't allow that baby to see what it is that is making the noise.

Maraca's and Shaker toys are SOO Easy to make - not to mention fun. It is great fun trying to think og things to put into a container that will make a variety of noises to stimulate your little ones' sense of hearing.

What you will need:

• Some plastic containers with screw top lids. Plastic is better at this stage so that the little ones dont whack their heads on glass. I used a couple of storage jars from a $2 shop and a thoroughly cleaned and dried, pop top drink container. I also have some made from plastic baby bottles with a storage lid on them rather than a teat. This is a great way to recycle bottles that you are finished with.

• A variety of small objects that make different noises. I have used some colourful bells, craft pom poms and sequins, macaroni and buttons in these photos. We also have some made with 100's and 1000's, dried canelli beans, lentils, and sesame seeds.

• Some fast drying super glue

What to do next:

Simply pop your chosen shaker material into the jar of your choosing. Then take the super glue and  put a small amount of glue on to the thread of the jar. Be careful not to get any glue on the part of the jar lid that the baby will have contact with - keep it nearer to the inner rim of the jar thread. Screw the lid to the jar/bottle on nice and tight. Get a nice strong person to check that the lid is on nice and tight.

Now go off and make some music with your baby!! Turn the radio on and shake it in time!!